shrI: tattva dIpikA - Part 4

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Sri:

Srimate Sri Lakshminrisimha ParabrahmaNE nama:

Srimate Sri Satakopaya nama:

Srimate Sri Ramanujaya nama:

Srimate Sri Nigamantha mahadesikaya nama:

Srimate SrimadhaathivaN satakopa yatindra mahadesikaya nama:

Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedantha Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Srimate Sri Lakshminrisimha Dhivya Padhuka sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

Swami EmperumAnAr's view

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

The Sruthi statement, " IshAno bhUtabhavyasya " declares that Perumal is the

lord of all things past, present, and future. The same message is echoed

with respect to Piratti by the Sruthi statement, " IsavrIm sarvabhoothAnAM " .

Similarly, from the Sruthi statement, " AnId avAtaM svadhayA tadekam " we get

that both Perumal and Piratti are cause of creation. In this " svadhA "

denotes Piratti.

 

Refer to Sri Bhashyam 2.4.3, PrANaNuthvAthikaraNam. In this section, the

second statement starting with " sreShtasca " establishes that " mukya prANan "

(principal breath), the air needed for the sustenance of life, is created.

However, some cite the above referred Upanishad statement " AnId avAtaM

svadhayA tadekam " to contend that " mukhya prANan " is permanent; it exists

even during " praLayam " (time of complete dissolution); and it is the cause

of creation. However, Swami Emperumaanaar refutes this view. He

establishes that " mukhya prANAn " is not permanent, it is created, and it

cannot be the causal factor for the universe. The term " AnId " in the cited

Upanishad statement does not refer to the " mukhya prANAn " that exists inside

the body with the JivathmA. The term " AnId " refers to Perumal. The

statement further says that the " AnId " (Perumal) exists with " SvadhayA "

(Piratti) at the time of " pralayam " . Thus, Swami Emperumaanar explains the

Upanishad statement as: at the time of pralayam, when even air does not

exist, Perumal with Pirati, existing as a single entity, is the originating

cause for the universe.

 

Also, Sri Sruthaprakasika, a commentary on Sri Bhashyam, says,

" svadhayA..... ityanena lakshmI vishiShtatvam ucyate " . That is, the

commentary states the term " svadhayA " denotes that at the time of Pralayam,

Perumal is with Lakshmi. This must be clearly understood.

 

The Upanishad statement " AnId avAthaM svadhayA tadekam " is a statement

intended to point out the causal factor. This causal factor is indicated as

Perumal along with Piratti. Therefore, both Perumal and Piratti are

originating cause for the universe.

 

Pramanas for Piratti as creator

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

Some may not accept a causal role for Piratti based just on the above.

There are many other pramaaNas in support of the presented view. Let us

look at the following Sloka from Lakshmitantram.

 

" ekadhA ca dvidhA caiva taistai: shrutyabdhipAragai: |

vyapadishyAvahe shAstre tAvAvAM sarvakAraNam " ||

 

(Those saints who have seen the ends of the ocean of Sruthi will view me and

Piratti, either individually or jointly; and the two of us are the cause for

all the universe.)

 

A different rendering of the above Sloka has " tattvAbdhipAragai: " in place

of " shrutyabdhipAragai: " . This does not change the essential meaning of the

sloka. The saints referred to in the sloka was characterized as those who

have seen the ends of the ocean of Sruthi in the first rendering. In the

second, they are characterized as those who have seen the end of the ocean

of " tattvam " (truth). This is the only difference.

 

Here Piratti says that she is the distinguishing characteristic (svarUpa

nirUpaka dharmam) for Perumal. Yet she also possesses qualities such as

jyana, bala, aisvarya, etc. She goes on, " Since I am the distinguishing

characteristic for Perumal, saints refer to me with the same name they use

to refer to Perumal. Yet they refer to me with separate names as well

because I exhibit natures that are distinct to me. Thus, we are referred to

as one single entity, and as two distinct entities as well. In this dual na

ture of being one, and at the same time being two, we are the causes of this

universe. "

 

The term " ekadhA " indicates the oneness between Perumal and Piratti due to

her nature as the identifying characteristic for Perumal. With the term

" dvidhA " duality between Perumal and Piratti is indicated due to Piratti's

own distinctive identity. Piratti has dual nature. One is her nature of

being subsumed by Perumal in her role as the distinguishing characteristic

for Perumal. The second is her distinctive nature being Perumal's co-equal

due to her qualities such as jyana, shakti, bala, aisvaryam, etc. With the

first nature we get singularity ( " ekadhA " ) between Piratti and Perumal.

With the second nature we get duality ( " dvidhA " ) between Piratti and

Perumal.

 

In our doctrine we accept Smirithi statements that do not vitiate Sruthi.

In the statement, " shraddhayA devo devatvaM ashnute " , the term " sraddhA "

denotes Piratti. (Sometimes the terms are parsed as adevo also).

 

Then, the phrase " devatvaM ashnute " gives the meaning that Perumal derives

his godly nature from his connection to Piratti. Also, since the root for

devatvaM, i.e. godly nature, is " divu krIDAyAm " , i.e. sport, the phrase

gives the meaning that Perumal, due to His association with Piratti, engages

in sport. What sort of sport does He engage in? We need to examine this as

well. He engages in countless variety of sport including, creation,

sustenance, and dissolution. That is, along with Piratti, He engages in the

acts of creation, sustenance, and dissolution, as mere sport. Thus, once

again, it is clear that both Piratti and Perumal engage in the act of

creation of the universe.

 

Here, we need to understand the Sruthi statement, " AnId avAtaM svadhayA

tadekam " based on the Ahirbhudnya Samhita's " tau-AvAM-sarvakAraNam " cited

earlier. Then, it will become clear that Piratti is just as much a cause of

creation as Perumal. The term " svadhA " from " AnId avAtaM svadhayA tadekam "

appears in Sri Vishnu Puranam, the gem among Puraanaas. Sri Parasarar, the

author of Sri Vishnu Puranam says, " svadhA tvam lokapAvanI (bhAvini) " , i.e.

" You are svadhA, who is the MahalakshmI who creates and protects this

universe. " This is pointed out by Swami Sri Desikan in his Catusloki

Bhashyam. As stated earlier, the same fact was pointed by Sri

Sruthaprakasikacharya also. This issue is discussed in an impartial manner

with numerous pramanas by the distinguished scholar, Sri U. ve. Karur

Swami in his wonderful book called " SidhAntha sAram " .

 

Now, let us consider the following sloka from the fifth chapter from

Lakshmitantram of Sri Pancaratra Sasttram.

 

" mahAn nAma samAkhyAtaH vikAraH pUrvato budhaiH |

mahAntamAvishatyenaM prerayAmi sisR^ikshayA ||

preryamANAt tatastasmAt aha~NkArashca jaj~nivAn |

AvishyA.ahaM aha~NkAraM sR^iShTaye prErayAmyaham |

sa babhUva tridhA pUrvam guNavyatikArAt tathA || "

 

This is said by PirAtti. Therefore, the " aham " (I) in the above denotes

Piratti. Piratti says:

 

" The " vihAram " that came out of " prakrithi " at the beginning is called

" mahAn " by the learned. At the beginning of creation, with the desire to

create the universe, I activated prakrithi into giving rise to the element

" mahAn " . Then, I activated " mahAn " and from it came the element

" ahankAram " . Permeating into " ahankAram " I activated it into giving rise to

three kinds of " ahankAram " , namely, sathvIka, rAjasa, and tAmasa -

ahankAram. "

 

Thus, we know directly from the divine words of Piratti herself that she,

along with Perumal, is the cause for the creation of universe. This subject

is discussed by Srimad Thiruputkuzhi Swami in his commentary on

Nyayasiddhaanjanam called " Rathnapetikai " , and by Srimad Injimedu Azhagiya

Singar in Saarabotini, a commentary on Srimad Rahasya traiya saram.

 

Thus, the essence of the Sruthi statement " AnIdavAtaM svadhayA tadekaM "

cited earlier is further established from the above passage of

Laksmithanthram. The phrase " anIdh avAtham " shows that along with Lakshmi,

indicated by the term " svadhA " , Perumal remains unique.

 

-- to be continued

 

srimad azhagiya singar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

 

-- adiyen ramanuja dasan

 

 

(Translation by P. Dileepan)