SrI sArasAram- I (5)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (5)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Eminence of Thirumantra

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After conveying the order in which the three mantras have to be observed, SwAmi

Desikan now shows the various aspects of the greatness of the Thirumantra:

“ivaRRil SrImad ashTAksharamAkiRa mahA mantram pala upanishaththukkaLilum

upa-brahmhaNangaLilum prasiddhamAi, ‘trayO vEdAh shaDhangAni’

ityAdikaLiRpadiyE Sruti-smrutikaL ellAvaRRilumuLLa sAra-thama arththangaLaip

pothinthukoNdiruppathAi, ‘yatrAshTAkshara-samsiddhah’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE

sarva anishTa nivarththana-kshamamAi, ‘aihalowkikam-aiSvaryam’

ityAdikaLiRpadiyE sarva purushArththankaLukkum sAdhanamAi, ‘sakrudashTAksharam

japtvA’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE japa-artha-jn~AnAdi-mukha-ththAlE karma yOgAdikaL

ellAvaRRukkum upakArakamAi, ‘na svarah praNavOngAni’, ‘vadikam thAntrikam

caiva’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE thantham adhikAra-anuguNa-mAka sarva-varNangaLukkum

upajeevyamAi, ‘cEtanAcEtanam sarvam’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE,

SEsha-SEshi-sarva-tattva kaNThOkti-maththAi, ‘kim tatra bahubhir-mantraih’,

‘EkOshTAkshara EvAyamalam-Atma-viSuddhayE’ enkiRapadiyE, sarva-mantra

nairapEkshya-karamAi, ‘sarvatra-ashTAksharO mantrah moorti-mantrO yathA

bhavEt’ enkiRapadiyE, sarva bhagavan moorththi-kaLukkum sAdhAraNamAi, ‘na

mantrOshTAksharAt parah’, ‘mantrANAm paramO mantrah’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE,

sarva vyApaka mantrangkaLilum pradhAna-mAyirukkaiyAlE, sarva AchAryarkaLum

iththaiyE AdharippArkaL.â€

SwAmi Desikan points out that all AchAryas adopt the Thirumantram which is also

known as ashTAksharam, because of its unique eminence. He proves its greatness

from ten angles, based on various scriptural authorities. Let us study them.

“ivaRRil†– Of these three mantras, namely, Thirumantram, Dvayam and the

Caram-SlOkam.

“SrImad ashTAksharamAkiRa mahA mantram†– The magnificent mantram, known

as ‘SrImad ashTAksharamâ€. As this mantra contains eight letters, it is

called ‘ashTAksharam’. This is also a holy mantra which is indicated by the

prefix, ‘SrImad’.

(1) “pala upanishaththukkaLilum upa-brahmhaNangaLilum prasiddhamAi†– This

mantram is adored in many Upanishads and scriptures which clarify the vEdic

ideas.

(ii) “‘trayO vEdAh shaDhangAni’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE Sruti-smrutikaL

ellAvaRRilumuLLa sAra-thama arththangaLaip pothinthukoNdiruppathAi†–

This mantram contains in it the most essential truths expounded in all the

Vedas and Smrutis, as stated in this scriptural SlOka:

“trayO vEdAh shaDhangAni chandAmsi vividhAh svarAh /

sarvamashTAksharAntasstham yccAnyadapi vAngmayam //†(nAradeeyam, 1-9)

(Three vEdas and their six auxiliaries, Chandas, svaras, and other holy mantras

are all contained within the ashTAkshara mantram.)

(iii) “‘yatrAshTAkshara-samsiddhah’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE sarva anishTa

nivarththana-kshamamAi†-- This mantram is capable of removing all undesirable

effects, as stated in this SlOka:

“yatrAshTAkshara-samsiddhO mahAbhAgO maheeyatE /

na tatra samcarishyanti vyAdhidurbhikshataskarA†(nAradeeyam, 1-19)

(Where the MahAnubhAvas (the saintly minded), who knowing the truth of the

Thirumantram are meditating on it, are respected, there neither disease, nor

famine nor thieves will not enter. Here, disease means desire etc.; famine means

absence of awareness; and thieves are ahankAram, mamakAram etc.)

(iv) “‘aihalowkikam-aiSvaryam’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE sarva

purushArththankaLukkum sAdhanamAi†--

The Thirumantram stands as a means for all the fruits including wealth, heaven

and liberation, according to the following scriptural statement:

“aihalowkikam-aiSvaryam svargAdyam pAralowkikam /

kaivalyam bhagavantam ca mantrOyam sAdhayishyati //†(nAradeeyam Kalpam,

6-50)

(This mantram helps to attain wealth in this world, heaven; or kaivalyam; or

mOksham for enjoying the total bliss of the Lord.)

(v) “‘sakrudashTAksharam japtvA’ ithyAdikaLiRpadiyE

japa-artha-jn~AnAdi-mukha-ththAlE karma yOgAdikaL ellAvaRRukkum upakArakamAiâ€

--

The mantram also helps one to adopt karma-yOga etc. through the performance of

japa and the knowledge of its significance, as stated in this scriptural

statement:

“rucO yajoomshi sAmAni tathaivAtharvaNAni ca /

sakrudashTAksharam japtvA sa tasya phalamaSnutE //†(nAradeeyam, 1-10) –

(Even if one does the japa of the ashTAkshara mantram only once, he obtains the

fruit of reciting all the four Vedas, namely, Rg, yajur, sAma and atharva.)

(vi) “‘na svarah praNavOngAni’, ‘vadikam thAntrikam caiva’

ityAdikaLiRpadiyE thantham adhikAra-anuguNa-mAka sarva-varNangaLukkum

upajeevyamAi,†–

This mantram can be adopted by all the castes according to respective

qualifications, says the scripture:

(1) “na svarah praNavOngAni nApyanyavidhayastathA /

streenAm tu SoodrajAteenAm mantramAtrOktirishyatE //†(nAradeeyam,

1-103)

(Women as well as those belonging to the fourth caste can just utter the mantram

alone to get the benefit, though they are not supposed to use svaram, praNavam

or do anganyAsam.)

(2) “vadikam thAntrikam caiva tathA vaidika-tAntrikam /

trividham karma samprOktam pancarAtrAmrutArNavE //

vaidikam brahmaNAnAm tu rAjn~Am vaidika-tAntrikam /

tAntrikam vaiSya-SoodrANAm sarvEshAm tAntrikam tu vA //†(SanatkumAra

Samhita, 4-68, 69)

(In the PAncarAtra Agamam, karma is defined as of three types: vaidikam,

tAntrikam and vaidika-tAntrikam. Vaidikam is meant for brAhmins; vaika-tAntrikam

for kings; and tAntrikam for vaiSyas and soodras. But, tAntrikam is for all.)

(vii) “cEtanAcEtanam sarvam’ ityAdikaLiRpadiyE, SEsha-SEshi-sarva-tattva

kaNThOkti-maththAi,†–

The mantram openly indicates the relationship between the SEsha (servant) and

the SEshi (Master), as stated in the scripture:

“cEtanAcEtanam sarvam vishnOryadvyatiricyatE /

nAram tadayanam cEdam yasya nArAyaNastu sah //†(Source is not known) --

(All sentient beings and non-sentient objects, which are different from VishNu,

are called as nAram. The indweller in them is nArAyaNan.)

(viii) “‘kim tatra bahubhir-mantraih’, ‘EkOshTAkshara

EvAyamalam-Atma-viSuddhayE’ enkiRapadiyE, sarva-mantra

nairapEkshya-karamAi,†--

This mantram does not depend on any other mantra for its adoption, as confirmed

by the scriptural statements:

(1) “kim tatra bahubhir-mantraih kim tatra bahubhirvrataih /

namO nArAyaNAyEti mantrah sarvArtha-sAdhakah //†(nArdeeyam, 1-60) –

(Why should there be so many mantras and rites? The mantram, ‘namO

nArAyaNaya’ is alone capable of getting all the desired fruits.)

(2) “EkOshTAkshara EvAyamalam-Atma-viSuddhayE /

kshudra-mantra-japaastvanyah kEvalam kAlayApanam //†(nAradeeyam, 1-17) –

(The ashTAkshara mantram is alone suffice to purify the soul. Performing other

minor japas is a waste of time.)

(ix) “‘sarvatra-ashTAksharO mantrah moorti-mantrO yathA bhavEt’

enkiRapadiyE, sarva bhagavan moorththi-kaLukkum sAdhAraNamAi,†–

This mantram is common for all the moortis (forms) of the Lord, without any

need for a separate mantra for every form of the Lord, as stated in this SlOkam:

“sarvatra-ashTAksharO mantrah moorti-mantrO yathA bhavEt /†(Source is not

known)---

(The ashTAkshara mantram is common for all the forms of the Lord.)

(x) “‘na mantrOshTAksharAt parah’, ‘mantrANAm paramO mantrah’

ityAdikaLiRpadiyE, sarva vyApaka mantrangkaLilum pradhAna-mAyirukkaiyAlE sarva

AchAryarkaLum iththaiyE AdharippArkaL.†–

Three mantras are known as vyApaka mantras. They are: Thirumantram,

VishNu-shadaksharam and DvAdaSAksharam. Of these three, the Thirumantram is the

most important, say the scriptures:

(1) “yathA sarvEshu dEvEshu nAsti nArAyaNat parah /

tathA sarvEshu mantrEshu na mantrOshTAksharAt parah†(nArasimha

PurANam, 18-32) –

(As there is no superior to nArAyaNa among all the gods, there is no superior to

the ashTAkshara, among all the mantras.)

(2) “mantrANAm paramO mantrah guhyAnAm guhyamuttamam /

pavitrANAm pavitram ca moolamantrah sanAtanah //†(nAradeeyam, 1-11)

–

(Thirumantam is without beginning; the best among all the mantras; the

secret-most mantra; and the purest among the pure.)

In view of these facts, all Acharyas prefer this Thiru ashTAkshara Mantram

alone.

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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