Thirvaimozi1.2.2

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2. minnin nilaiyila, mannuyir AkkaigaL

ennum idatthu iRai unnumin neere

 

Consider the truth that the bodies of the embodied self are transitory , being less durable than even the lightning.

 

He body is permanently changing every moment and hence it is said that it is more fleeting than the lightening. So even in one life we have many bodies. After a life it is completely destroyed. Only after taking birth again the soul attains a body.

 

A sarira has seven defects or doshas , namely, alpam, of no value, asThiram, transitory, duhkha moolam, rooted in misery, duhkhamayam, consists of misery and nothing else, duhkhasyakAraNam, cause of sorrow, bhrAnthimoolam, reason for illusion and hence mokshavirodhi, obstacle to moksha.

 

Of these, asthiram is the sufficient cause to give up the attachment to the body, not considering the others. Just because it is transitory the attachment to it causes sorrow and delusion that it is of great value.

 

Akkai means the body and it is described as minnin nilai il, does not stay even as long as a lightning. Mannuyir means the self which is permanent. IRai unnumin is also explained as contemplate on the Lord, iRai.

 

This pasuram elucidates the phrase `muttravum veedu seidhu,' in the previous one, meaning giving up fully the attachment. All the attachments for possessions, people etc. are only due to the attachment of the self, which is identified wrongly with the body.

 

In BrhadharanYaka Upanishad Yajnavalkya explains this by the text `na vA are pathyuh kAmAya pathih priyo bhavathi----Athmanansthu kAmAya sarvam priyam bhavathi `(Brhd.2-4-5) meaning that everything, wife, son, wealth etc. are dear not for their own sake but for one's own sake. It is the self the love for which is primary and the rest are secondary. We attach importance to worldly things because we identify our self with the body as all these are related to the body only. When we identify ourselves with the Self within and with the Supreme self within the individual self we understand that all we have hitherto considered as valuable are indeed valueless.

 

Yajnavalkya had two wives , Kathyayani and Maithreyi. When he wished to embrace the monastic life he wanted to divide his possessions to both of them. But mithreyi asked him to give her that which makes him leave everything and go. Then Yajnavalkya instructed her the knowledge of the Self, telling her that it is not for the sake of wife, son, wealth etc that they are dear but only for the ske of one's Self. The real self should be seen, heard of, reflected on and meditated upon and thus realised. `AthmA vA arE, dhrashtavyah srothavyah manthavyah and nidhiDhyAsithavyah.' (Brhd.2.4.5)

 

The phrase `muttravum veedu seidhu ` in the first pasuram is thus made clear. The other parts of the pasuram are elucidated by the next.