Part 5-SrI DESika Prabandam

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Part 5 - SwAmi SrI DESika Prabandam - " artha panchakam "

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SrImAn vEnkata nAthArya: kavitArkika kEsarI |

VedAnthAchArya varyOmE sannidhaththAm sadA hrudi ||

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rAmAnuja dayA pAtram jgnyAna vairAgya bhUshaNam |

SrImath vEnkata nAthAryam vandE vEdAntha dESikam ||

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SrImathE vEdAntha mahA dESikAya nama:

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In the previous postings, we enjoyed the first two pAsurams of

SrI DESika Prabandam - " artha panchakam " and had the anubhavam

of PrApya-swarUpam. Now we take up the next two pAsurams, which

discusses the prAptA-swarUpam. PrAptA is the jIvAthman, who

attains the goal (prApyam).

 

BhUthavudal pulankaNmanam pullAvi pundhiyenum

YAdumala nAyilagi yAnenumin nuNNaRivAich

ChEthananA yadimaiyumA muyirkkellAn thNNuyirAith

ThIdilinRth thigazhunChI raththigiri thirumAlE

 

The jIvAthman is eternal, imperishable and is different from

the body (sarIram), senses (indriyas), mind (manas), vital-airs (prANa-vAyus),

jgnyAnam (attribute-knowledge). He is

swayam-prakAsa, meaning he realizes himself as " I " , self-illumines.

He is finite (aNu), jgnyAna-Ananda (knowledge-bliss)-swarUpa. He

has jgnyAna as attribute and it is called dharma-bhUtha-jgnyAna.

There are innumerable such jIvAthamans. The jIvAthman in a body

and the jIvAthman in another body are different individuals but

each of them has same nature as told above. The swarUpam of jIvAthman

is Seshatvam, that is, the jIvAthman is identified as the property

of SrIman NArAyaNa: owned by SrIman NArAyaNa:, and the jIvAthman

exists for the purpose of SrIman NArAyaNa: The jIvAthman is the

" DAsa: " (servant) of SrIman NArAyaNa:

SrIman NArAyaNa: who is having the jIvAthman as his body and

SrIman NArAyaNa: being the antaryAmi of the jIvAthman, shines

at the top of the elephant-hill " aththigiri "

(Satya-vratha-kshetram - KanchIpuram).

 

ThAnadaitha guNankaruvi thankirisai vazhiyozhukki

YUneduththuN dumizhnduzhalu muirkkellA muyirAgik

KAnadaththik kamalayudan kaNdugandu viLayAdun

ThEnEduththa chOlaigaLshUzh tiruvaththi yUrAnE

 

The jIvAthman utilizes his attributes, indriyAs etc., (which are

given to him by SrIman NArAyaNa: as per the jIvAthman's karma)

under the full control of SrIman NArAyaNa's sankalpam (wish).

The jIvAthman, being inside his body, enjoys and suffers in the

mundane world. This samsAra-cycle, which has no beginning, goes

on and on. SrIman NArAyaNa: being the antaryAmi of the jIvAthman,

enjoys the LIla-rasam (sport) by making the jIvAthman to experience

his (jIvAthman's) karma.

 

Before we proceed to enjoy the above pAsurams in detail, let me

explain the concept of lakshaNam and lakshyam.

 

When an object (lakshyam) is identified by its lakshaNam

(characteristic), the lakshaNam has to be perfectly suitable

to the lakshyam such that the lakshyam is clearly identified

uniquely. At this point, we have to note that the lakshaNam

should be the " hethu " (reason) in anumAna-prayOgam (inference-logic)

and should clearly distinguish the lakshyam from other objects.

I think this will be slightly difficult to follow for beginners.

Let me explain it using a famous example. Let us consider " cow "

as lakshyam. In the context, let me say " Gow: itharabhinnA SAsnAdimathvAth " ,

which is the anumAna-prayOgam. The " SAsnA " is

a bunch of skin hanging in the neck portion of the cow. The

lakshaNam " possessing SAsnA " is the hethu in the anumAna-prayOga

and identifies the animal as " cow " and also differentiates it

from other animals like buffalo. In such cases, the hethu must

be free from three types of errors namely

 

1. avyApthi

2. athivyApthi

3. asambhavam

 

If any of the error(s) is/are present in the hethu, then it

will be inadequate to establish the individuality of the lakshyam.

 

avyApthi-dOsham:

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" lakshyaikadEsE avruthithvam " - " being inadequate

to identify some individual objects of the same kind " . If suppose

it is said " cow is that which are black (nIla-rUpathvam) " , being

black in form becomes the lakshaNam in the lakshya cow. But a white

cow is also existing. Therefore, the " blackness " is inadequate to

identify the entity " cow " .

 

athivyApthi-dOsham:

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" lakshyEtharE vruthithvam " - " being common across different

objects " If suppose it is said " cow is that which has horn

(srungithvam) " , then " possessing horn " is also common in deer,

buffalo etc., which are different from cow. Therefore, this is

also not appropriate to identify the entity " cow " .

 

asambhava-dOsham:

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" lakshaNa-asambhavam " - " non-existing characteristic of the

object " If suppose it is said " cow is that which has single

foot-division (kuLambu) (Ekachapavathvam) " , then this is

non-existing in " cow " because the cow has two foot-divisions

in each of its four legs.

 

When the jIvAthman's swarUpam is told, swAmi NigamAntha MahA

DESika (in jIva-parichchEda:, nyAya sidhdAnjanam) says " atha:

jIva: alpaparimANathvE sathi jgnyAthruthvam, SEshatvE sathi

jgnyAthruthvam ithyAdi thallakshaNam " . From the artham (meaning)

conveyed by the terms " ithyAdi " , " aNuthvE sathi jgnyAthruthvam "

is also considered.

 

Here it has to be noted that the term before " sathi " is called

" viSEshaNa daLam " (attribute) and the term after " sathi " is

called " viSeshya daLam " (attributed).

 

" alpaparimANathvE sathi jgnyAthruthvam " : jgnyAthruthvam is

common to jIvAthman and Iswara. But, " alpaparimANathvam "

differentiates the jIvAthman from Iswara: because

" alpaparimANathvam " is not applicable to Iswara: as Iswara:

is " vibhu: " .

 

" alpaparimANathvE sathi jgnyAthruthvam " has to be understood

as " alpaparimANathva visishta jgnyAthruthvam " .

 

If suppose only " alpaparimANathvam " is considered as jIva-lakshaNam,

then it is very well known that " alpaparimANathvam " is applicable

to insentient entities like pot, chair etc. Therefore, the

athivyApthi-dOsham arises. To eliminate this error,

" alpaparimANathvE sathi jgnyAthruthvam " is considered. That is,

" jgnyAthruthvam " is not in insentient entities like pot, chair

etc. Therefore, jIvAthman gets differentiated from insentient

(achit) thathvas.

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To be continued…

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kavitArkika-simhAya kalyANa guNa SAlinE |

SrImathE VEnkatESAya VEdAntha guravE nama: ||

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Thanks & Regards

M.S.HARI Ramanuja Daasan (mshari)

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