geethA sAstramum nedunthAndaka sAstramum-15

[Guest guest]

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

 

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

 

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

 

 

We have already seen that our sampradayam is a tattvatraya sampradayam. That is

we accept that there are three tattvas viz., achit, chit and Ishvaran.

Thirumangai azhvar started the prabhandam with the tattva vivEkam as done by

bhagavan Sri Krishna in the starting of bhagavat geetha chapter 2. Till now we

have seen about the achit that is seen before us with our eyes -minnuru. Now

azhvar starts to talk about the next tattva that cannot be seen with our eyes

but has to be visualised within us (through Athma sAkshAtkaram). The ways to

attain this athma sAkshAtkaram has been largely explained by geethAcharyan in

the first six chapters ( " jnAnakarmAthmikE nishtE yOgalakshE susamskruthE I

AthmAnubhoothi sidhyarthE poorvashatkEna shOdhithE II " declares aalavandaar the

essence of the first six chapters in his geethArtha sangraham). Is attaining

the Athma sAkshAtkaram the final result? No. Bhagavan Sri Krishna further

continues with the next stage of development that is the bhakthi yoga in the 7th

chapter. As an introduction to the same (avadhArikai) bhagavan ends the sixth

chapter with " yOginAmapi sarvEshAm mathgathE andharAthmanA I shraddhAvAn

bhajathE yOmAm samE yuktha thamO matha: II " [More than the earlier said yogis

and tapasvis that person who is mentally involved with me and he who whole

heartedly strives to attain me by worshiping me with love (bhakthi) that

upAsakan (bhakthan) is considered closer to me].

 

 

 

After attaining the athma sAkshAtkaram, (thingal thAnAi) one comes to know about

the soul well. What is the nature of the soul?

 

 

 

(pinnuruvAi) The soul is different from that we see with our eyes. It is beyond

the 24 tattvas that come under the category of achit. Like the front end and

back end in the modern computer world there is one tattva that is see in front

of us but the actual tattva that governs is at the back (inside, pinnuru). This

is shown by the " makAram " in the omkaram.

 

 

 

(munnuruvil pinimoopillA pirappiliyAi) We see that the body takes birth one day

and it dies one day. In between in the lifetime many doubles like

happiness-sorrow, victory-defeat, good health-disease etc are all faced. Does

the soul or the body experience all these? Many of us have an illusion that the

body and the soul are same and hence we call ourselves to be the body and

concentrate most of the time in taking care of our body. But none of us care

about the upliftment of the soul. (athmAvai vaiyililE vaiththu vudambai

nizhalilE vaiththal). Now azhvar clarifies this doubt and declares that the

soul that is the 25th tattva is not affected by anything that is faced by the

body (munnuru). All the pini (sorrow -indicates to all the ignorance,agyAnam),

mooppu (old age)- pirappu (birth) etc (indicates the shatbhAvavikAram (six

stages of changes in anybody) are only for the body, the soul is not affected by

any of these. It just moves on from one body to another. This has been

explained beautifully by geethacharyan in 2 slokas.

 

 

 

" dEhinOsmin yathA dEhE gowmAram yowvanam jarA I

 

tathA dEhAntara prApthi: dheerastatra na muhyathi II " [2-13]

 

 

 

dEhina: -For the athma;

 

asmin dEhE - (Inside) this body;

 

gowmAram - teens;

 

yowvanam - youth;

 

jarA-old age;

 

yathA (bhavanthi) -how it happens; (the change is only to the body but the soul

remains without any change, but it appears to have changed due to its existence

inside);

 

tathA - similarly;

 

dEhAntara prApthi: - (it leaves this body) and attains another body

 

dheera: - One who is intelligent;

 

tattra na muhyathi- doesn't get confused (mayakkam adaivathillai) about leaving

this body and taking another.

 

 

 

The same meaning has been indicated by thirumangai azhvar's words,

" pinimoopillA " . Further azhvar says " pirappiliyAi " Sri Krishna explains,

 

 

 

" na jAyathE mruyathE vA kadhAchin nAyam bhoothvA bhavithA vA na bhooya: I

 

ajO nithya: shAsvathOyam purAnO na hanyathE hanyamAnE sareera II " [2-20]

 

 

 

This athma is never created nor destroyed; it is not that the soul is created in

the starting of the kalpa and that he will be destroyed at the end of the kalpa.

He is without a start or end. He is permanent without any change. Though he is

ancient he is new. Hence when the body is destroyed the soul remains without

any harm.

 

[This reminds all of us the scientific theory that matter can be neither created

nor destroyed it can be changed only from one form to another. Here the soul is

neither created nor destroyed it only moves from one body to another.]

 

 

 

Next azhvar says " erappadarkkE ennAdhu " . All along it has been said that there

is no birth or death for the soul then what is azhvar trying to convey saying

" not thinking to die " lets see in the next posting.

 

 

 

(To be continued)

 

 

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

 

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

 

Sumithra Varadarajan