sRi SaRASaRam -- I (42)

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srI:

SrI sAra sAram – I (42)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Significance of ‘nArAyaNanAya’

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SwAmi Desikan now takes up the etymological derivation of the word,

‘narah’:

“‘nru nayE’ enkiRa dhAtu-vilE ‘ac pratyaymAi ‘narah’ enRu padamAm.

‘reeng kshayE’ enkiRa dhAtuvilE ‘Da’ pratyaymAi ‘rah’ enRu padamAi

naga-naikAdi-Sabda-ngkaLiRpOlE najn-jnODE samsthamAi ‘narah’

enkiRthAkavumAm.†–

‘nru’ is a verbal root meaning ‘to guide on the good path’. This root

with an affix, ‘ac’ evolves into the word, ‘narah’, which therefore,

signifies the Lord nArAyaNa Who grants wisdom to people and conducts them on the

virtuous path..

There is another derivation: The verbal root, ‘reeng’ which means ‘to

change’, along with the affix, ‘Da’, evolves into the word, ‘rah’

implying an object that undergoes mutation. For example, mud turns into a pot.

This ‘rah’, with another prefix, ‘nanj’ (a negative), evolves into a

compound, ‘narah’, signifying one that does not change.

SwAmi Desikan gives yet another dimension to the word, ‘nEtA’ evolved from

the root ‘nru’:

“‘nEtA’ enRAl, ‘tEshAm satatayuktAnAm’ ityAdikaLiRpaDiyE

jn~na-pradAnAdikaLaip paNNumenkiRathu.†--

The word, ‘nEta’ also means the preceptor, besides being the leader. It is

the leader who gives instruction to his followers in the process of guiding them

on the virtuous path. This is evident from scriptures. SwAmi Desikan refers to

the statement of the Lord in the BhagavadgIta, ‘tEshAm satatayuktAnAm’.

Here is the full SlOka:

“tEshAm satatyuktAnAm bhajatAm preetipoorvakam /

dadAmi bhuddhiyOgam tam yEna mAmupayAnti tE //â€(BhagavadgIta, 10-10)

Meaning:

SrI KrishNa says:

‘To them who are constantly united with Me and who worship Me, I give with

love that particular mental condition by which they attain Me.’

Earlier, we saw that the word, ‘narah’ evolved out of the verbal root,

‘reeng’ (to change) joining the prefix, ‘na’, signifies that which does

not change. If this ‘narah’ is taken to mean the Supreme Lord, then where

would it lead us to? Swami Desikan explains it:

“kshayishNuvallan enRAl svroopa-vikAratthaiyAthal svabhAva-vikAratthaiyAthal

uDaitthAna vastvantara-ngkaLilE vERupaTTavan enRathAm.†--

‘rah’ indicates the sentient being that undergoes change in his nature and

the non-sentient objects that undergo changes in their form and nature. When

the negative prefix, ‘na’ is added to it, the outcome is ‘narah’ that

signifies that which does not undergo any such change. Hence, it is clear that

it signifies the Supreme Lord Who is totally different from both the sentient

beings and the non-sentient objects.

A question may be raised: If the Supreme Lord does not undergo any change as

these animate and inanimate things, how is it that Sruti declares that the Lord

can will and enjoy? Both willing and enjoying are modifications in the Lord’s

nature, is it not? SwAmi Desikan answers to this question thus:

“sangkalpa-preetyAdi-svabhAva vikArangkaL Sruti-siddhangkaLAi

guNa-roopangkaLum-AkaiyAlE vikAra-nishEdham anya vishayam.†–

Willing, enjoying etc., are all part of His essential qualities. The intention

of negating any change in His nature is quite different. That is, there is no

contraction or expansion in His attributive knowledge. This attributive

knowledge transforms into sankalpa and joy for the benefit of His devotees,

these states of His deserve to be appreciated. His attributive knowledge does

not undergo changes as in the case of jIvas.

Another question may arise: It is stated in the Scriptures that the Lord

Himself evolves into the Universe. How can it be justified, if He does not

undergo any change? SwAmi Desikan now answers this question:

“prapanca-roopa-pariNAmam bAlanAnavan yuvAvAna kaNakkilE svaroopatthil

thaTTAthu.†---

The evolution in the form of prapancam, the Universe is just like a boy

becoming a youth etc. These are changes related to the jIva’s physical body

and not to his nature. What is prapancam? It is a product consisting of cEtanas

and acEtanas, that is, animates and in-animates. After the deluge, these in

their subtle state in an unidentifiable condition remain inseparably with the

Lord in His causal state. In this subtle state, they remain as the body of the

Lord. When the universe appears in its gross form, these acquire forms and

names. In this gross state too, they remain the body of the Lord. This change

occurs not in the essential nature of the Lord (svaroopa) but in the state of

animate and inanimate things as His body. SwAmi Desikan explains this change

with a known example, the change that occurs in a boy when he grows into a

youth. This change is only in his physical appearance and not nature of his

Atma. So is the change in the sarIra of the

Lord.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

anbil S.SrInivAsan

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