Fwd: Fwd: Fw: tvam me aham me

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M.K. Krishnaswamy

Bhakti-List

Cc: venky_krishnan

 

Dear Bhaktas,

In continuation of my previous posting on this subject, I am reproducing

below Sriman Sadagopan's urther note expanding on the significance of the

passage in the Thirumanjanak Kattiyam relating to the conversation between

the Jivan and the Lord in His wet cloth and TuLasi garland. Krishnaswamy

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/nov98/0084.html

Fri Nov 13 1998

 

>Dear BhakthAs :

>There was a question about the significance

>of a passage on the Thirumanjanak Kattiyam

>realting to the conversation between the Jivan

>and the Lord in His wet cloth and

>TuLasi garland . The details related

>to that symbolic dialog might be of

>interest to you .

>

>V.sadagopan

>

>>Fri, 13 Nov 1998 19:16:05

>>Sadagopan <sgopan

>>RE: ThiruviNNagarappan Thirumanjanak Kattiyam : Part 1

>>Cc: BJ

>>

>> " Bharadwaj, Jaganath " <Jaganath.Bharadwaj

>> " 'Sadagopan' " <sgopan

>>RE: ThiruviNNagarappan Thirumanjanak Kattiyam : Part 1

>>Tue, 10 Nov 1998 09:48:05 -0500

>

Dear Sri Jagan:

 

>> Could you tell us the significance

>>of Lord Ranganatha having the conversation with the Jeeva in " wet

>>clothes " is? It is the assumptions behind certain practices that are

>>lost over the centuries. Only those who have either done Kaalakshepam

>>or read a lot will be able to elaborate on these finer points.

>> Bharadvaj Jagan

 

RESPONSE TO SRi JAGAN'S QUESTION BY V.SADAGOPAN

************************************************

Thanks for your question on the symbolism of

Sriman NaarAyaNA with wet cloth and TulLasi

garland conversing with the deluded Jeevan .

 

This is connected to a practise referred to in

Yaj~nyavalkya Smr*ti as Jala-divya and Tulasi-divya .

Divya is the practise of solemnly swearing under oath.

To Parasara Bhattar's eye , the Lord's sevai during

the Just-begun Thirumanjanam reminded him of the above

two of the ten ways of solemnly attesting to patent truth

about the relationship ( Ozhikka OzhiyAtha uRavu) between

the Sarva Seshi and the Sesha BhUthan ( Lord and the Jeevan ).

 

The Lord is proving His claim as the Master of the stubborn

Jeevan, which in turn claims that it is an independent entity ,

empowered by its own self.

 

Parasara Bhattar as a ParamAchAryan and Sri Ranganatha's dear

purOhitha was very keen on reminding us about the anarthams

and ViparIthams that accrue from three delusions that

affect a confused jeevan :

 

1. SareerAthma Bramam ( Equating perishable Sariram to

eternal aathmA and the delusion caused by that )

 

2. SvatantrAthma Bramam( Forgetting that the Jeevan

is the Sesha BhUthan to the sarva Seshi and

concluding that the Seshan has an independent satthA /

existence ).

 

.. Nireesvara Vaatha Ruchi ( Taste for thinking that

there is no Isvaran , who is the sarvasEshi. Here

the Jivan thinks that it is Isvaran Himself .The

literal meaning of Isan is " one who rules:aaLhiRavan ,

the rest are aaLappadupavai or IsithavyangaL .

Jeevans are IsithavyangaL . Confusion on this

matter is the most dangerous with profound

consequences).

 

all these three are called MahA VirOdhis for Moksham .

 

These engagements in pursuit of ViparItha Jn~Anam will

destroy the Jeevan " s lot to enjoy the Lord as Sarva Seshi

and perform Nithya Kaimkaryam for Him at Sri Vaikuntam

thru the practise of the Moksha upAyams of Bhakthi or

Prapatthi .

 

To help the jeevans struggling in SamsAric life ,

Parasara Bhattar reminds us all about Isvara LakshaNams

here .Three of the concepts associated with Artha Panchakam

are touched here : PrApyam ( Seshi/Isvaran/Isvara Vargam-

our Lord with Periya PirAtti) ),PrApthA (chEthanan/Jeevan/

sEshan ) and prApthi virODhi(SarIram ) .

 

Parasara Bhattar is following the path established by

AchArya RaamAnujA and his purvAchaaryargaL here. AchArya

RaamAnujA stated very clearly as to what is Isvara

LakshaNam in his gadhyam :

 

svAdhIna thrividha chEthanAchethana svarUpa

sthithi pravrutthi bhEdham

 

This passage from AchAryA's gadhyam composed

right in front of Lord RanganAtha and Sri Ranga Naayaki

during their Serthi sevai on a Panguni Uttaram day

is extremely deep in meaning and is central to our

siddhAntham .

 

The LakshaNam of the Sarva Seshi , our Lord is

hinted here . This profound statement sums

up the attributes of the Lord as the One , who

has under His control the three kinds of ChEthanams

( Bhaddha , Muktha and Nithya Sooris) , three kinds

of AchEthanams ( prakr*uthi, Kaalam and Suddha Satvam)

and their svarUpam, sthithi and pravrutthi as well .

 

The differnces between the Lord , the Vibhu and

the Jeevan is aNu are again three fold :

Our Lord in contradistinction to the sesha Jeevan

has these three LakshaNams :

 

1. ananyAdheenathvam ( unlike the jeevan

and achEthanam , Isvaran is not under

anyone's control or suzeranity .He controls

all the others )

 

2. nirupAdhika Seshathvam ( natural disposition

to be the Seshi of all , the jeevans and

achEthanams without exception )

 

3. nirupAdhika Niyanthruthvam (natural disposition

to command/rule every one and getting them to

go about their vyApArams : karthruthvam and

BhOkthruthvam of the Jeevan are thus under

His control).

 

Thus the Isvara LakshaNams are unique and in no

way can the Jeevan delude itself to think that

it has independent existence and it is the Lord

Himself. This can lead only to utter disaster

of repeated cycles of births and deaths . A clear

understanding of the Isvaraand Jiva LakshaNams

through Bhakthi or Parapatthi at the feet of

a sadAchAryaa would remove these three bramams

and lead to Moksha Siddhi .

 

Thus ,Parasara Bhattar is reminding all those

assembled for enjoying the Thirumanjanam and

perhaps in his own special way reminding

the Lord Himself about His paaratantryam ,

just as ANDAL reminded the Lord

about His sworn duties and to get up from His

comfortable nidhrai and go about doing His sworn

duties etched on top of the VedAs (i-e) Upanishads .

 

Namo NaarAyaNA ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan