Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimakryam: Part 153 ( Desika Prabhandham-- 44: Paasurams 169-170

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs:

 

Today , we will study the two Paasurams dealing with

Swamy Desikan's criticism of the Second of the Four

Matham associated with Buddhism : YogAchAram.

 

169) Refutation of YogAchAra Matham

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muRRum chahatthil ilathu yenRE pahattiya muttarai nAmm

suRRum thuRanthu thuRayil ninRE tuhaL-Aakkiya pinn

maRRu onRu ilathu mathi pala uNDenRu vanchanyAl

saRRum thuRantha yOgAchAranai sathikkinRanamE

 

(Meaning) : One of the four groups of Bhouddham with

the name of MaadhyAthmikan propagated his foolish doctrine

that every thing is void in this world and cheated the human

beings with his trickery. Earlier , We stood firmly on VedAnthic

ground and refuted his matham and pulverized his doctrines. Now ,

we refute the doctrines of the second group of Bhouddham

known as YogAchAram , which also tried to enchant the world

with its sophistry.

 

YogAchAran's main contention is that Jn~Anam alone

is true. It is of many kinds. Beyond that , there is neither

the knower nor the vasthus understood by that Jn~Anam.

Since he rejected himself as the knower and the objects

enjoyed by him , he is a forever loser that forefeits even

the trivial phalans that he is entitled to in this & the other world.

 

Dr.SeshAdriyAcchAr sums up this philosophy of YogAchAryan

this way: " Cognitions apprehend their objects as if the objects were

distinct from the cognitions and as existing externally. Hence ,

the yogAchAran is called " aathma-khyAti vaadin " .

If the so-called external objects , he says , are spoken of

as being real, it is due to their having only the empirical

reality ( Samvruthi-sathyatA )... As a matter of fact , there

is neither a separate apprehender nor even a seperate

apprehended object . One and the same apprehension

appears in three forms as apprehender , apprehension and

apprehended... " .

 

In the next paasuram , Swamy Desikan says that the two eyes of

YogAchaaran are KshaNikathvam and NirAkArathvam.

These are his PramANam and PramEyam. Swamy Desikan

says that he used VedAnthic arguments to destroy them

as meaningless babble.

 

170) Establishment of the Universe denied by YogAchAran

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uLak-kathiyai nAmm uLLI uLLam tERi

ulahatthAr uhanthu isaya ulahu uNDu yenROm

iLakka arithAhiya nall tarukkam sErntha

yezhil maRayil Isanudan yemmaik-kaNDOm

viLakku nirai pOl mathikaL vERAy vERu

onRu aRiyAthE viLangumena viLambuhinRa

kaLak-karutthan kaNNIraNDu azhitthOm nANA

kAham pOl thirinthu avan kathaRumARE

 

(Meaning ): The doctrine of YogAchAryan is that Jn~Anam is

born from moment to moment in new forms and ceases to exist

the next moment(KshaNikatthvam) .This Jn~Anam will not

relate to any thing other than itself. Therfore , there are no

external objects (nirAkArathvam). The successions of the Jn~Anam

that is born every second and dies is considered as AathmA .

This leads to the inevitable conclusion that AathmA is not eternal.

At the same time , consideration of AathmA as Jn~Anam

confers its firm presence as a lasting entity (sTiram). Therefore,

there is a fundamental contradiction in YogAchAran's views.

Just as the flames (JwAlAs) emanating from a lamp (Dheepam ) varies

from moment to moment and yet is the same dheepam that is behind

these variations in a firm and steady manner to give the Jn~Anam

that it is the same Dheepa JwAlai , it is concluded that Aathma is

anithyam and the doctrines of YogAcchAran are incorrect.

 

YogAchAran negates ChEthanam , achEthanam and Iswaran

using untenable logic. He says that " the knower is false "

and " the known vasthu is false (nonexistent) " . Swamy Desikan

states that he has destroyed the above two " eyes " of YogAchAra

matham and reduced the status of YogAchaaran as a wailing

blind man . He compares the YogAcharan's status to that of

the KaakAsuran , who committed unforgivable apachArams to

SithA PirAtti and sought without success some one to protect him in

all the three worlds and finally lost one of his eyes to the blade of

grass empowered by Lord Raamachandran to serve as BrahmAsthram .

Swamy Desikan says that KakAsuran wailed over loss of one eye ,

where as YogAchAran symbolically lost both his eyes(KshaNikatthvam

and NIrAkAratthvam ) in the debate with him and was wailing over

that unbearable loss.

 

We will study next Swamy Deskan's refutation of the third of

the Bhouddha Matham : SouthrAnthikam.

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

SrImate SrI Lakshminrusimha PaadhukA sEvaka

SrI Aadhi VaNN SaThakOpa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra

MahA DesikAya Nama: