SrI UpakAra Sangraham -- III (18)

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srI:

 

SrI UpakAra Sangraham - III (18)

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niryANa adikAram

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Section - 10: SrI NammAzhvAr reveals all these so far described, in the first

verse of his work, Thiruviruttham.

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Sub-section: 2- The messages to be understood in this verse

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After the detail commentary on the AzhvAr’s verse beginning ‘poinninRa’,

SwAmi Desikan now gives, in a package, the points to be learnt from the verse:

(2) ippATTil, Suddha-aSuddha-roopangkaLAna acitthukkaLudaiya bhEdamum,

cidacit-bhEdamum, baddha-mukta-nitya-vibhAgatthai udaiyarAna jeevarkaLudaiya

anyOnya-bhEdamum, jeeva-ISvara-bhEdamum, ISvara-aikyamum,

j~nAna-j~nAtru-bhEdamum, sadsat-j~nAn-bhEdamum, sadasat-anushThAna-bhEdamum,

siddha-sAdhyOpAya-bhEdamum, para-avara-purushArtha-bhEdamum kidakkiRapadi

yathAsthAnam SAbda-mAkavum, arthamAkvum anusandhippathu.

SwAmi Desikan advises us to learn these points both in words as well as their

meaning. We shall take up point by point:

1) “Suddha-aSuddha-roopangkaLAna acitthukkaLudaiya bhEdam†--

‘acitthukkaL’ means non-sentient objects, that is, material things which

have no consciousness. They are categorized as pure and impure. We must know

this difference among the objects which we are handling. This is shown in the

verse as follows:

a) false knowledge, which is opposed to true knowledge; b) dirty body, which is

opposite to clean body. Knowledge is non-sentient according our sampradAya

(tradition).

2) “cidacit-bhEdam†– We must know the difference between sentient beings

and non-sentient objects. This is revealed in the verse as follows:

a) ‘yAm’, ‘imaiyOr’, ‘thalaivan’ and ‘adiyEn’ are sentient.

b) ‘j~nAnam’, ‘dirty body’, ‘yOni’(womb) and ‘mei’ (body) are

non-sentients (without consciousness)

3) “baddha-mukta-nitya-vibhAgatthai udaiyarAna jeevarkaLudaiya

anyOnya-bhEdam†–

Among the jIvas (individual souls), there are several differences. First, every

jIva is a separate entity; they form a single category of souls, which is

mentioned in the verse as ‘yAm’.

Within this category of souls, there are three groups:

(i) ‘baddha-s’ (bonded souls)

(ii) ‘mukta-s’(liberated souls) and

(iii) ‘nitya-s’ (eternally free souls).

These can be identified in the verse as follows:

‘yam’ – we. This word refers to the bonded souls;

‘uyiraLippAn’ – in order to give life, meaning, in order to liberate us

(to become muktas).

‘imaiyOr’ – Eternally free souls.

4) “jeeva-ISvara-bhEdam†– the difference between the individual soul

and the Bhagavan. This is known in the verse by the words:

‘yAm’, ‘imaiyOr’, ‘adiyEn’ – these represent individual souls.

‘thalaivA’ means the Lord, that is, ISvara.

5) “ISvara-aikyam,†– Only one Lord, Who has neither equal nor superior.

There is no other Lord, except the Lord of the eternally free souls. He is also

the Commander of all categories of souls and is in full control of the

non-sentient matter and every object formed out of this matter.

This is known from the word, ‘ThalaivA’ – Oh Master (in singular).

6) “j~nAna-- j~nAtru-- bhEdam,†– The difference between knowledge and the

knower. These are indicated in the verse as follows:

‘poi ninRa j~nAnam’, -- Though it refers to false knowledge, it comes under

knowledge.

‘yAm’ – we – the possessors of knowledge. ‘adiyEn’, I (Azhvar) who

is also a knower.

‘imaiyOr’ – the eternally free souls – whose consciousness is fully

expanded for ever, in contrast to our knowledge which is in a contracted state

as we are in the bonded condition so long as we are in this world.

‘ThalaivA’ – the Lord Whose consciousness is fully expanded.

7) “sadsat--j~nAna--bhEdam,†– The difference between knowing the

sentient beings and knowing the non-sentient objects. ‘sat j~nAnam’ – the

knowledge of the sentient – actually means the self-knowledge. That is,

knowing that ‘I’ means the Atma – self and not the body (asat). We must

also know that the Atma is permanent (nitya) and the body is perishable

(anitya). We must also know the difference between the knowledge about the

sentient and the knowledge about the non-sentient. The knowledge of the

non-sentient leads one to attachment to things connected with the non-sentient

body. This leads further to indulging in wrong actions. This is indicated in

the verse by the expressions: ‘poi ninRa j~nAnam’, ‘pollA ozhukku’,

‘inninRa neermai’ which respectively mean – wrong knowledge, wrong conduct

and lowest life.

The knowledge about sentient self is indicated by the expressions – ‘ini yAm

uRAmai’ (we should not get this condition hereafter), ‘uyiraLippAn’ (in

order to save us), ‘piRanthAi’ (You took births), ‘imaiyOr thalaivA!’

(Oh the Lord of the nitya sooris!), ‘kETTaruLvAi’ (please listen).

8) “sadasat-anushThAna-bhEdam†– Such a difference in the knowledge of

sentient and the non-sentient also makes the difference in the conduct also.

This is indicated directly in some respects and indirectly in some other

respects.

The very knowledge that we have ‘poi ninRa j~nAnam’ (wrong knowledge);

‘pollA ozhukku’ – we know that our conduct is wrong and we want to change

over to the correct conduct.

10) “siddha-sAdhyOpAya-bhEdam†– the difference between the means readily

available and the means which we have to do. The first one is indicated in the

verse in the expression ‘ThalaivA’ – The Lord who is the siddhOpAyam

–the means already available. He will get our ambitions fulfilled if we

authorize Him.

The other is the means to be done by us, ‘sAdhyOpAyam’. This is indicated by

the following

Expression in the verse: ‘adiyEn ceyyum viNNappam’, which means ‘I make

this submission’. It is indicative of surrender, prapatti, at the Lord.

11) “para-avara-purushArtha-bhEdam†– The difference between the lower

objective of life and the higher objective of life.

This is indicated in the verse in such a way as what should be abandoned and

what should be adopted. What should be given up is indicated by the expressions,

‘poi ninRa j~nAnam’(false knowledge), ‘pollA ozhukku’, (wrong conduct) ,

‘azhukkudambu’ (dirty body) and ‘inninRa neermai’ (the disgusting this

life) are all the lower goals (avara – purushArtham).

What should be adopted is indicated by the expression, ‘inniRa neermai ini yAm

uRAmai’ (in order that we do not get into this lower birth). This indirectly

conveys what is the higher goal of life – better than the present life

(para-purushArtham).

Thus, SwAmi Desikan advises us to note the words as well as their

significance from this verse.

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrinivAsan

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