SrI sArasAram -- I (25)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (25)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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

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SwAmi Desikan has so far showed us the way one has to meditate on the praNava

as a whole as well as on the individual syllables, ‘a’, ‘u’, ‘m’ and

the hidden suffix. The syllable, ‘m’ which represents the jivAtmA also

indicates the truths: the jIva is of the form of consciousness; he has knowledge

as an instrument called ‘dharmabhoota-j~nAna’ to know about things around

him; he solely belongs to the Supreme Lord Who is represented by the first

syllable, ‘a’ along with the second syllable ‘u’; not only he, but his

physical body, his qualities which are non-sentient also are the properties of

the Lord alone.

After giving this total picture, SwAmi Desikan now, out of his broad-mindedness,

states other views also:

“kaThaSrutiyil conna yOjanAntaratthil madhyama-aksharam lakshmee-vAcakamAi

poorva aksharattODu samasthamAkiRathu. appOthu, avadhAraNam artha-siddham. Oru

Sabdatthukku vyutpatti-bhEdatthAlE artha-bhEdam collukai SrutyAdikaLilE

prasiddham. ‘agratah prayayau rAmah’ enkiRa SlOkatthilE poorvarkaL

vArtthaiyai ingE anu-sandhippathu. ‘mama nAtha’ enkiRa SlOkatthilum ithil

aksharArtha-vAkyarthangkaL niRkiRa nilaiyaik kaNDu koLvathu.â€

It has been stated that the middle syllable ‘u’ indicates that the Lord has

the exclusive ownership of the individual souls who neither belong to any others

nor to themselves. Besides this, there is another meaning for this syllable,

says Swami Desikan:

“kaThaSrutiyil conna yOjanAntaratthil madhyama-aksharam lakshmee-vAcakamAi

poorva aksharattODu samasthamAkiRathu.†–

When we consider the KaTha-sruti’s view that the middle syllable, ‘u’,

indicates Lakshmee, it along with the first syllable ‘a’ makes clear that

the jIva is SEsha to both the Lord and His Consort. The text of the KaTha-sruti

is as follows:

“akArENOcyatE vishNuh sarvalOkESvarO harih /

uddhrutA vishNunA lakshmeeh ukArENOcyatE tathA //

makArastu tayOrdAsa iti praNava-lakshaNam /â€

(By the syllable, ‘a’, is denoted VishNu, the Ruler of all the worlds; and

Lakshmee, Who is supported by VishNu, is denoted by the syllable, ‘u’; the

‘m’ indicates that the jIva is their servant. This is the definition of the

praNava.)

Earlier, it was said that the syllable, ‘u’ indicates that the jIva is

exclusively SEsha to the Lord. Now, as the letter is said to indicate Lakshmee,

the question may arise as to how the earlier view can be derived. To this, Swami

Desikan gives the answer:

“appOthu, avadhAraNam artha-siddham.†– Then the definition of ‘u’ as

the jIva’s exclusive SEshatvam to the Lord, is the derived meaning.

SwAmi Desikan explains further:

“oru Sabdatthukku vyutpatti-bhEdatthAlE artha-bhEdam collukai

SrutyAdikaLilE prasiddham.†-- It is common in the study of scriptures to

derive different meanings of a single word by splitting it in various ways.

SwAmi Desikan gives an example:

‘agratah prayayau rAmah’ enkiRa SlOkatthilE poorvarkaL vArtthaiyai ingE

anu-sandhippathu. – In this case, it is recommended to consider the views

expressed by seniors on this SlOka, beginning with ‘agratah prayayau rAmah’

in the RAmAyaNa.

To understand this we shall see the SlOka in full:

“agratah prayyau rAmah sItA mdhyE sumadhyamA /

prushThatastu dhanushpANih lakshmaNOnujagAma ha //†(RAmayaNa, 3-11-1)

(RAma went first, sItA walked in the middle, and LakshmaNa, bow in hand, went

following them.)

This SlOka used to be referred by our poorvAchAryas as a pramANa for the

interpretation of the praNava. When SrI RAma, sItA and LakshmaNa entered the

forest, they lined up like this: First SrI RAma went; He was followed by sItA

and LakshmaNa went after them. This pictures the praNava – RAma represented

‘a’; sIta ‘u’, and LakshmaNa represented ‘m’, the jIva.

SwAmi Desikan further says:

“‘mama nAtha’ enkiRa SlOkatthilum ithil aksharArtha-vAkyarthangkaL

niRkiRa nilaiyaik kaNDu koLvathu.†---

The arrangement of letters and their significance can be seen in the SlOka

beginning with ‘mama nAtha’. This SlOka belongs to SrI stOtra-ratnam:

“mama nAtha yadasti yOsmyaham sakalam taddhitavaiva mAdhava /

niyatasvamiti prabuddhadheerathavA kim nu samarpayAmi tE //â€

(stOtra-ratnam - 53)

(Oh Lord! Whatever I am, whatever I have – all these, verily, are Your own! Oh

MAdhava! After becoming aware of the fact that all these are Your own fixed

properties, what shall I offer Thee?)

This SlOka brings out the significance of three syllables of the praNava

individually as well as the significance of the praNava itself on the whole.

SwAmi Desikan concludes the elucidation on the praNava which is the first word

of the Tirumantiram with a verse in Tamil:

“kAraNamum kAvalanumAki enRum

kamalaiyuDan piriyAtha nAthanAna

nAraNanukku aDiyEn nAn aDimai pooNDa

nallaDiyArkku allAl maTRoruvarkku allEn

AraNangaL koNDu akamum puRamum kaNDAl

aRivAki aRivathumai aRu nAnkanRic

ceeraNintha cuDarpOlat thikazhnthu ninREn

cilai vicayan thEr anaiya ciRu vEdatthE.â€

(nArAyaNan is the first Cause of all. He is protecting all; He remains

inseparable from Lakshmee; jIva, the sentient-being, is the form of

consciousness and also has consciousness as an attribute; and totally different

from non-sentient objects. Being such, I am the servant of the Supreme Lord; and

to the BhAgavthas who are His devotees; and to none else. This is the essence of

the praNava, which is similar to Arjuna’s chariot. This is verily the essence

of the VEdAnta.)

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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