Guest guest Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Njanappaana 40 Chatthupom neram vasthramathu polum- othidaa kondu povaan orutharkkum At the time of death, none (jeevaathma) can take even the clothes that one wears. It is very interesting to look at the very first word " chatthupom " which can be split into two small words " chatthu " and " pokum " ( " pom " is a short form of " pokum). Obviously the meaning of " chatthu pokum neram " is at the time of death. But let us ask this question: Who is dying? Who is going? The answer that comes immediately in our mind is " I die and go " . But if we think a little bit deep, we can see the answers for the two questions are different. The answer to the first question " who is dying? " is " body or shareeram " . It is the Dharmam of body to die because it is born. For anything that is born, death is inevitable. Answer to the second question " who is going? " is " I " or jeevathma who is a part of Paramaathma. Dharmam of Jeevathma is to exhaust the experiences of karmaas and join Paramaathma as soon as possible. So, the body dies and jeevathma escapes the body when the prarabdha karma is exhausted and the body falls. Does the dead body care what it is wearing? Does the dead body care what is burnt along with it? It can be sandalwood, gold and silver or any junk we see in our yard. So, body does not take anything with it when it is burnt, and all are burnt to ashes along with the body. Now does the jeevathma take anything with it? Yes, it takes the punya and paapa karmaas with it and wait to experience the results of those when it takes birth again or if it has done enough punyam to join Bhagavan it will merge with Paramaathma which is it's final goal. Jevaathma does not take anything other than the punya, paapa karmaas and not even the clothes we are wearing at the time of death. Poontaanam says that absolutely no material belongings can be taken with us when the body dies and jeevathma escapes the body. The basis of world or samsaaram is " dehabhimaanam " or the feeling that " I am the body " . To reinforce the fact that we are not the body, Poonthaanam brought the word " vasthram " . Our body is only a " vasthram " or clothe of our soul and just like a cloth gets old and worn out by use, body gets old and worn out with time. At this context, it is apt to remember Bhagavaan's words in Bhagavad Gita: " Vsansi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grihnati naro aparnai, thata sarirani vihaya jirnanyanyani sanyati navani dehi " -The soul changes the bodies after their decay as a person changes his old and dirty clothes. In Tamil language, instead of " chatthu poy " , " satthu poy " is used and in one of his Naaraayneeyam or Bhaagavatham discourses, Shri Nochur Venkitaraman said that actually the Tamil " satthu poy " is the correct usage because it is the " satthu " or jeevaathma chaithanyam that leaves the body. I was reminded of that when expanding the expression " chatthu poy " . Poonthaanam is sad that even when we know and see everyday that we cannot take anything except punyam and paapam with us when we die, we still try to accumulate wealth and possessions and hold on to them until they are forcefully removed from us by death of the body. How to overcome this extreme attachment and save ourselves from the cycle of repeated birth and death? Let us surrender to that person who controls the Kaala chakram, who is beyond Kaalam or time by chanting His divine names with Shri Poonthaanam and millions of devotees all around the world: Krishna! Krishna! Mukunda! Janaardana! Krishna! Govinda! Naaraayana! Hare! Achyuthaananda! Govinda! Maadhava! Sachidaananda! Naaraayana! Hare! Samasthaaparadham kshamaswa. Sreekrishnaarpanamasthu Regards and prayers savitri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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