SrI sArasAram -- I (20)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (20)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Significance of the ‘u’ in PraNava

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After discussing in detail the significance of the first syllable ‘a’ of the

praNava, Swami Desikan now takes up the second syllable ‘u’ to analyze the

messages conveyed by it.:

“madhyama-aksharam SrutikaLil prayOga viSEsha prasiddhiyAlE

avadhAraNArthamAi, keezhc conna tAdarthyatthai anya-yOga-vyavacchEdatthAlE

niyamikkiRathu. akAra vAcyanAna Sriyah-pathikkE nirupAdhikaSEsham enRthAyiTRu.

itthAl jeevarkaLaip paTRa nirupAdhika-SEshatvam kazhikaiyAlE

dEvatAnthara-parityAgamum phalikkum. ithu tadeeya-paryantam ennumiDam

‘maTRumOr deivam uLathenRipArODuTRilEn’ enRu kATTappaTTathu.â€

In the PraNava, ‘u’ is the middle syllable. This syllable is found

mentioned in various scriptural passages. Says SwAmi Desikan:

“madhyama-aksharam SrutikaLil prayOga viSEsha prasidhiyAlE

avadhAraNArthamAi†--

The syllable ‘u’ has a special application in the Vedic passages. When we

consider these passages, we find that it is used in the sense of determination.

“keezhc conna tAdarthyatthai anya-yOga-vyavacchEdatthAlE niyamikkiRathu.â€

– It emphasizes the meaning mentioned earlier, that is, the sentient beings

belong to the Lord, signified by the first syllable, ‘a’ along with the

hidden affix, ‘Aya’. It may be questioned that when ‘a’, with the affix,

‘Aya’, indicates the fact of His being the SEshi, why should there be a need

to re-emphasize the same fact? A fact is strengthened by ruling out any doubt

that is likely to arise in the mind. In this case, a doubt may arise in our

minds that the Lord may be one among the different SEshis. That is, He may be

one of the Masters of the jIva. For instance, jIva himself can be own master,

besides the Lord. This is being denied by this middle syllable, ‘u’.

Technically it is known as ‘avadhAraNam’ – exclusiveness. More clearly, it

cuts off any such master-servant relationship with others. This is the meaning

of ‘anya-yOga-vyavcchEdam’.

Here, ‘yOga’ means connection. ‘anya-yOga’ means connection with other

than a particular one. ‘vyavacchEdam’ means denial or elimination. Hence,

the expression, ‘anya-yOga-vyavacchEdam’, eliminates of any such connection

which, in this context, is the master-servant relationship. By this denial, it

now becomes clear that the jIva is servant only to the Lord and none else. This

is being now put in a polished way by SwAmi Desikan:

“akAra vAcyanAna Sriyah-pathikkE nirupAdhikaSEsham enRthAyiTRu.†--

Hence, jIva is the SEsha (servant) of the Lord, the Consort of Lakshmee,

indicated by the syllable, ‘a’ in the natural way not for any reason or

cause. This is technically mentioned by the expression,

‘nirupAdhika-SEshan’.

As a result of this, the jIva is not answerable to anyone else. This is

revealed by SwAmi Desikan next:

“itthAl jeevarkaLaip paTRa nirupAdhika-SEshatvam kazhikaiyAlE

dEvatAnthara-parityAgamum phalikkum.†–

The fact that the jIva is a natural servant of the Lord results in the

exclusion of other gods being his masters. Not only he will not approach them

but he will avoid any relationship with those who believe in the existence of

another god apart from the Consort of SrI, says SwAmi Desikan:

“ithu tadeeya-paryantam ennumidam ‘maTRumOr deivam uLathenRipArOduTRilEn’

enRu kATTappaTTathu.â€

The exclusion of other gods extends up to their devotees too. This is shown by

AzhvArs too. For instance, SrI Thirumangai AzhvAr has stated, ‘I will not have

anything to do with those who say there is another god (other than the Consort

of SrI). SwAmi Desikan quotes from the AzhvAr’s verse to establish this. We

shall see the verse in full:

“maTRumOr deivam uLathenRu iruppArODu

uTRilEn uTRathum un aDiyArkku aDimai

maTRellAm pEsilum nin thiru veTTezhutthum

kaTRu nAn kaNNapuratthuRaiyammAnE.†(Periya Thirumozhi, 8-10-3)

(Oh Lord of KaNNapuram! I will not join those who believe that there is a God

besides You. After learning the ashTAkshara mantra of Yours, I abide by the

message that I am a servant of Your devotees, though there are several other

messages conveyed by that mantra.)

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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