SrI sArasAram -- I (16)

[Guest guest]

NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their

encoding to UTF-8.

---------------

srI:

 

SrI sAra sAram – I (16)

--

I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

--

The Significance of the ‘a’ in PraNava (continued)

---

 

After showing that the first syllable ‘a’ of the praNava symbolizes the

causal nature and the protective nature of the Supreme Lord, SwAmi Desikan now

explains that it also contains the fact of His being the Master of all, that is,

He is the SEshi and others are all SEshas:

“ivvaksharatthilE tAdarthya caturthee ERi lObitthuk kiDakkiRathu ennumiDam

praNavatthaik koNDu Atma samarp-paNatthai vidhikkiRa SrutyAdikaLil aucityatthAlE

siddham. tAdarthyamAvathu sEshatvam. athAvathu, thanakku Or upakAratthai

pradhAnamAkp paTRavanRikkE para-upakAra-arhamAkai. ‘tvam mE’ enRu swami

thoDara ‘aham mE’ enRu thimirappaNNum ahankAratthAlE asat kalpanAnavanai

SEshatva-j~nAnam ujjeevipikkiRthAkaiyAlE, athan prAdhAnyam thOTRa

sambanthatthinuDaiya vidhinishEdhatthkku pothuvAna dharmi-nirdESatthukku munnE

icSEshatvam prakASithamAyiTRu. ithukkup pratibandhiyAna rakshakanuDaiya

SEshitvsm phalitam. kAla-avacchEdamillAmaiyAlE ithukku ayOga-vyavacchEdam

siddham. iththAlE Sareera-Sareeri bhAvamum phalikkum.â€

We are now entering into a deeper study of the praNava and so more attention is

called for. SwAmi Desikan offers us these secret with the intention of making

us more knowledgeable and better spiritual practitioners. This caution is given

in order to emphasize that one should get this taught by a qualified teacher for

deep involvement which can not be achieved effectively by reading a written

text. What is, therefore, given here is by way of assistance towards that.

We have already seen that the praNava itself is an independent mantra which

comprises three words represented by the three syllables that make the praNava

mantra which is also part of the Thirumantram. Now in our study of the first

syllable, ‘a’, we learn from the learned and compassionate AchArya, SwAmi

Desikan, that, this syllable which is the origin of all words represents the

Supreme Lord who is the Origin of everything in the universe. It was also shown

by him that the Lord is the only protector of everyone whether one is aware or

not. Now, in this part, Swami Desikan shows how the syllable signifies His being

the sole Master of everything and we all are His servants.

Now we study it in detail:

“ivvaksharatthilE tAdarthya caturthee ERi lObitthuk kiDakkiRathu ennumiDam

praNavatthaik koNDu Atma samarp-paNatthai vidhikkiRa SrutyAdikaLil aucityatthAlE

siddham.â€

The first and foremost thing that we should keep in mind is that, the praNava

is used as a separate, independent mantra uttering which one surrenders at the

feet of the Lord. If it is to be a mantra for the act of surrender, it should

possess the meaning. “I surrender my Atma to the Supreme Lordâ€. Then only it

becomes eligible to being the mantra for prapatti. Therefore, the syllable

‘a’ should have the dative or fourth singular case. This is indicated by

SwAmi Desikan: “ivvaksharatthilE tAdarthya caturthee ERi lObitthuk

kiDakkiRathuâ€

The dative case, which is invisible, gives “tAdarthyam†– that is, ‘I

exist for His sake.’ The exact syllable indicating the dative case is

‘Aya’, meaning, ‘for his sake’. However, it is not visible here.

How is it being presumed is pointed out by Swami Desikan: “praNavatthaik koNDu

Atma samarp-paNatthai vidhikkiRa SrutyAdikaLil aucityatthAlE siddham.†– It

is learnt from the Srutis etc., which enjoin the surrender of one’s self

(prapatti) by uttering the praNava.

For example, it is stated in the Taittiriya Upanishad:

“Omiti brAhmaNah pravakshyannAha brahmOpApnavAneeti / brahmaivOpApnOti //â€

(SikshAvallee-8)

(A BrahmaNa says ‘Om’ with the idea “May I attain Brahmanâ€. He verily

attains Brahman.)

The mantra reveals the nature of the action, that is, prapatti, to be performed.

The Atma which is to be surrendered is seen in the third syllable, ‘m’, in

the praNava, and the Supreme Brahman for whom it is surrendered is seen in the

base of the first letter, ‘a’.

That the dative singular case is hidden in the syllable ‘a’ is known, as

this letter, ‘a’, indicating the person to whom the surrender is made, and

the letter, ‘m’, indicating the object which is surrendered should not be in

the same case. Therefore, the ‘a’ should be considered to be in the dative

case suited to the word indicating the person (the Supreme Lord) to whom the

surrender is made.

Next SwAmi Desikan explains the expression, “tAdarthyam†--

“tAdarthyamAvathu SEshatvamâ€, meaning, ‘existing for His sake.’ This is

derived from the dative case. What is meant by, ‘existing for His sake’?

That is ‘SEshatvan’ – servitude – being a servant of some one, who is

the Supreme Lord.

This ‘SEshatvam’ is also explained by SwAmi Desikan himself:

“athAvathu, thanakku Or upakAratthai pradhAnamAkp paTRavanRikkE

para-upakAra-arhamAkai.†-- That is, the state of one being a servant of

another is not for any of his own personal benefit. He should be useful to the

other for that person’s sake alone and not for any selfish interest. In the

present world, it is common to see people working tirelessly for someone else

with the ultimate aim of getting some important favour himself. That is not the

real service-mentality. Absence of any such motive is the basic for SEshitvam.

It can be understood better by recalling what SrI ANdAL said:

“unakkE nAm AtceivOm†– We will do service only for your benefit. We will

not do this for seeking any favour from You. Your pleasure alone is the

objective of our service to You.

Otherwise, if we do service to the Lord for getting some personal benefit, it

will not remain a service, but a commercial arrangement: ‘We do this for You

and You do this favour for us in return.’

The standing example is the whole lot of Gopis in BrindAvan who were attached

to SrI KrishNa. When He left BrindAvan for mathura, they could have gone with

Him and enjoyed the royal life. But they didn’t. They remained in BrindAvan

itself ever thinking of SrI KrishNa only.

This episode is being narrated by Scholars during their discourses on

PrEma-bhakti:

While in DwAraka, Lord KrishNa posed as if suffering from severe headache. His

royal consorts were all worried as no medicine could relieve Him of the

headache. Sage nAradA who happened to arrive there at that time, requested the

Lord about the way to cure his pain. The Lord told him that if some foot-dust of

a devotee was applied on His head, the pain would disappear. Sage nArada

informed His Consorts of this. No one was prepared to take the dust from her

feet and apply on the Lord’s head. On instruction from the Lord, nAradA went

to the Himalayas where, His devotees were doing penance and informed them of the

urgent requirement. No one among them was prepared to offer as they thought it

would amount to disrespect to the Lord. When nArada returned to the Lord to

report about his failure, SrI KrishNa asked the sage to proceed to the Vraj

bhoomi, that is BrindAvan etc. and try there. The Sage straight went there. All

the Gopis rushed towards nAradA

and enquired about the Lord. NArada informed them about the Lord’s suffering

and asked them if they were prepared to offer the dust from their feet.

Immediately all the Gopis gathered all the dust from their feet and requested

the Sage to rush to DwAraka and apply the dust on the forehead of the Lord

without waste of time. NArada asked them to think a little about the

consequences of their action. As He was the Supreme Lord, applying the dust from

the bhaktas’ feet would incur them worst hell-life. The Gopis told the sage

that they were prepared to suffer any hell but their wish was the Lord’s

welfare. They refused to hear the arguments from the Sage and wanted him to rush

the bagful of dust to the Lord immediately. This is the real SEshatvam and

SwAmi Desikan rightly said: “thanakku Or upakAratthai pradhAnamAkp

paTRavanRikkE para-upakAra-arhamAkai.†– Helping others is the sole

qualification for SEshatvam, without a trace of

self-interest..

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

---------

 

 

 

 

 

Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to

http://in.messenger./webmessengerpromo.php