Thiruvaimozi-1-2-5

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5.attRadhu pattRenil uttRadhu veeduyir,

chettRadhu mannuRil,attRiRai pattRE

 

 

If the attachment to the worldly objects ceases to be, then the experience is that of the Self aathmaanubhava. But this will not give absolute bliss as it is devoid of bhakthi. So to get that immortal bliss, brahmananda, one should resort to the feet of the Lord.

 

The desires may be of this world and the next, such as wealth, power or to attain heaven or to have a better birth etc. The Vedas specify various means of attaining these by way of yajna, dhaana etc. But all these lead only to further bondage and not to the release from it.They are `janmakarmaphalapradha' as Krishna says in the Gita.

 

Hence one who wishes to get rid of the bondage should give up al worldly desires. Then he becomes established in the Self, `aatmanyaivaathmanaa thushtah,' reaching the state of stithaprajna as outlined in the Gita.

 

But Azvar says that is not enough. As Krishna further emphasizes in the Gita, `mayi sarvaani karmaaNi sannyasya adhyaathmachethsaa,' it is essential to engross the mind in the devotion of the Lord.

 

Jnana should be combined with bhakthi to be fruitful. Sheer jnana attained through the study of the scriptures and through meditation, Sravana ,manana and nidhiDhyaasana, without bhakthi will be dry and mere bhakti without jnana will be a mire. One should lead to the other, bhakthi culminating in jnana through detachment and discrimination and vice versa.

 

Bhakthi secures jnana through the grace of the Lord as He says, `theshaam sathathayukthaanaam bajathaam preethipoorvakam dhdhaami buddhiyogam tham yena maam upayaanthi the.' (BG.10.10) meaning that the Lord Himself gives the jnana to those who worship Him with love consistently and persistently. Upanaishad also says, `yamaivesha vrNuthe thena labhyathe,' he alone attains salvation whom the Lord chooses to show His grace.

 

This is the idea expressed in this pasuram.

 

AttRadhu pattRenil uyir veedu uttRadhu- When the attachment to the worldly objects ceases, the jeeva realizes its true nature and this is called kaivalya, establishing in Athman. Veedu means the exclusive experience of the Self and uyir denotes the jeeva.

Adhu setRu- giving up that experience.

Man uRil- when one discards the aathmanubhava for the main purushartha, that is moksha,

atRu irai pattRu- It will not be achieved without the grace of the Lord and hence one should contemplate on Him.

 

The aathmanubhava referred to here is the experience of the Self while being in this embodiment, known as jeevanmukthi through jananyoga. But Azvar says that it is not the real mukthi because,

 

Any experience in the state of embodiment must involve gross body, through the senses or subtle body, through the mind and intellect, the experiencer being the ego. Through jnanayoga one maybe able to stop aagaami karma, that is furure karma and the prarabdha karma which has started to yield result and will continue till the fall of the body. But the accumulated karma, sanchita karma, will not be destroyed unless by prapatthi, by the will of the Lord. Upanishad says that, `ksheeyanthe asya karmaaNi thasmin dhrshte paraavare' the karma is completely destroyed only after the brahmasaakshaatkara, after which there is no riverting back to embodiment. This can be secured only through devotion.

 

There are three reals according to visishtadvaita, namely, chit, achit and Isvara. Detaching oneself from achit and establishing the mind on chit may exclude Isvara also, which is what the azvar refers to as uyir veedu uttRadhu. The one and only purushartha to be sought is the attainment of the Lord. The sesshathva stressed in visishtadvaita is not servitude and thus to be shunned by those who aspire for kaivalya mukthi, but it is the greatest purushartha which brings eternal joy. The Brahmananda has been described as the absolute bliss which cannot be experienced by kaivalya mukthi where there is only pure consciousness and no experiencer.

 

On the other hand in seshthva the responsibility rests with the Lord to release the prapanna from the bondage and grant him absolute bliss because the jiva then belongs to the Lord. Thus experiencing the joy of being part and parcel with the Lord is the real Athmanubhava since the Lord is the real self of all.