SrI sArasAram -- I (32)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (32)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Significance of ‘namah’ (continued)

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SwAmi Desikan points out another important transformation that takes place once

it is realized that one is totally dependent on the Lord:

“ippaDi tadEka-Sesha-bhoota mAkavum tadEka-niyAmyamakvm padadvaya-tthAlE

svaroopam cikshithamAnAl,

‘yathEshTaviniyOgArham SeshaSabdEna kathyatE /

ISvarENa jagat sarvam yathEshTam viniyujyatE //’

enRu abhiyuktar connapaDiyE, svatantra svAmi viniyOgatthAlE bhAgavata-Seshatvam

prAptamAkiRathu.†–

Thus, we learn that the jIva is Sesha to the Lord alone and that he is governed

by Him alone. These two aspects of the Atma svaroopa, that is, the innate nature

of the soul, are taught through the praNava and ‘namah’, the first two words

of the Tirumantram. This revelation takes us to another state, says Swami

Desikan by quoting a slOka from an authoritative source. According to this

slOka, the term ‘Sesha’ indicates a thing that belongs to some one who has

the right to use it as he pleases. The entire world is being used by the Lord as

He desires and so, the world is Sesha to Him. Even so, the jIva is Sesha to the

bhAgavatas -- devotees of the Lord—as per the wish of the Lord.

“ISvaran svAtantryathAlE ishTaviniyOgatthukku Saktan.svAmitvatthAlE

prAptan.†--

As the Lord is totally independent, He is fully capable of placing the jIva

according to His free will. As He is the master (Seshi), He has every right to

use His property, that is, the jIva, as He desires.

“‘j~nAnI tu Atmaiva mE matam’ enRa ivanukku sva-atisayatthaik kATTilum

sva-AStrita-athisayam abhimata mAkaiyAlE tat-Seshatvam

tadeeya-Seshtva-paryantamAyiRRu.†–

The Lord described the man of wisdom among His bhaktas as his own soul in the

Bhagavadgita:

udArAh sarva EvaitE j~nAnee tu Atmaiva mE matam /

Asthitah sa hi yuktAtmA mamEvAnuttamam gatim // (Gita, 7-18)

(All the four kinds of devotees are indeed noble, but My conviction is that the

man of wisdom (bhakta) is My soul, as he is devoted exclusively to Me as the

highest goal.)

The Lord thus praises the man of wisdom among the four types of His bhaktas –

1) the one who prays to Him to get back the lost wealth; 2) the one who wants

new wealth; 3) the one who aspires to enjoy his own Atma (kaivalya); and 4) the

one of wisdom, who is always attached to Him without any other desire.

He reveals that He likes the glory of His devotees more than His own glory.

Hence, the fact of being the Sesha to the Lord extends farther to being the

Sesha to His devotees. The Seshatvam, the characteristic of being the Lord’s

servant, attains its full potential only when the jIva realizes that he is the

servant of His devotees too. This is known as ‘purushArtha-kAshTha’ – the

frontier of human attainment.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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