Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimakryam: Part 157 ( Desika Prabhandham-- 48: Paasurams 175-176

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs and AbhimAnis :

 

Today , we will study the two Paasurams dealing with

Swamy Desikan's criticism of Adhvaitham , which forms

the 11th Chapter of Para Matha Bhangam .

 

175) Refutation of Adhvaitham

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VedangaL mouli viLanga ViyAsan virittha nal nool

paadhangaL aana pathinARil Isan padi maRaitthu

BhEthangaL illai yenRu ohR birama picchu iyambuhinRa

bhOdham kazhinthavanai Bhuddhar mAttudan poottuvamE

 

(Meaning): For the purpose of understanding the true meaning of

Upanishads , Sage VyAsa compiled Brahma Soothrams in four

adhyAyams containing sixteen padhams . Adhvaithins do not accept

Iswaran's anantha kalyANa guNams and Svaroopam proclaimed

by the above VedAntha Saasthram . Instead , they describe Brahman as

mere JN~Ana Svaroopan without any guNams (nirguNa Brahman).

They assert Brahman alone is Real (sathyam ) and all else are false.

They declare that MayA does make all these unreal objects

appear real to Brahman as a result of its Ajn~Anam . We have no

choice under these circumstances to link adhvaitham with Bhouddham

and reject both as unsound in this adhikAram of Pracchanna

BhouddhA Matha Bangam .

 

176) Condemnation of the avidhyA sambhandham to Brahman

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pirivu illa iruL onRu piNakku onRu illA

peru-veyilai maRaitthu ulaham kaattum yenna

aRivillA aRivu onRai avitthai moodi

aham puRam yenRu ivai anaithtum amaikum yenpAr

seRivu illA Buddharudan sErnthu kettAr

seevanayum Isanayum chithaikkap-pArthAr

neRi illA nErvazhiyum tAnE aanAn

NedumAlai nAmm adainthu nilai peRROME

 

(Meaning ) : The main tenet of Adhvaithis is that Brahmam

alone is true (sathyam). It has no GuNams like Jn~Anam.

But it (Brahman) stands as the Jn~Ana Svaroopam . There is no real

Vasthu other than Jn~Anam .Brahma Svaroopam has sambhandham

from time immemorial to a vasthu called MaayA. The nature of MaayA

is to hide its aadhAram , Brahman.Sine Brahman is hidden by MaayA ,

Brahma svaroopam does nor shine as it should in its real nature.

 

This MaayA is a vasthu made up of the three guNams , Satthvam ,

Rajas and Tamas ; it can not be described either as real or unreal;

it has the svabhAvam (nature ) to hide its substratum (aadhAram);

it changes constantly.It hides Brahma Svaroopam and shows

transformed vasthus like Water, Earth ( Pruthvee) and similarly

through its thirOdhanam (hiding Brahman ) , shows up as

variations such as Desire (icchA ), Jn~Anam and DhvEsham

( resentment). These are the key doctrines of Advaitham.

 

The description of avidhyai hiding Brahman to create all

vasthus is like saying that a mighty darkness hides the brightest

luminous body and that mighty darkness shows all vasthus

of the world to the people ( IruL onRu peru veyilai maRaitthu

ulaham kAttum yenna) .

 

It is YogAchAran's doctrine that Jn~Anam alone is sathyam

and the rest are false.He says that Jn~Anam is momentary in

existence.It ceases to exist every moment and newer Jn~Anams

are born and perish the next second. This anithyathvam

(impermanence) and Bhauthvam ( nature of being many Jn~Anmas)

are figments of fancy and are not consistent with Veda PramANams.

In this Bhouddha Matham , Jn~AthA (the knower ) is false ( asathyam)

and the phalans of the Jn~Anam are also unreal. Adhvaitham

overlaps thus with YogachAras in some areas and MaadhyAmikas

in other areas . There are commonalities between the two mathams.

Bhouddham is an avaidhika matham ( Veda Baahya matham ) and does

not accept Vedam as PramANam. Adhvitham is indeed a Vaidhika matham

but misintreprets the true meanings of VedAntham as revealed by

Sage VyAsa in his Brahma Soothrams.The key outcome for adhvaitham

is that they do not accept that Jeevan and Iswaran are different tatthvams.

The Adhvaithins believe in the identity of Jeevan with Brahman .

In Adhvaitham , " All things other than Brahman are unreal because

they are different from Brahman, like the shell-Silver . Avidhya

(ignorance ) makes one see the universe in Brahman even though

the Universe has no real existence...This doctrine of avidhyA or

MaayA is the very life blood of Adhvaitha " .With the use of avidhyA ,

the realtion between Brahman and the Universe is distorted

by adhvaithins.

 

VisishtAdhvathins stoutly refute many of the above doctrines

of Adhvaitham.They hold that The Universe is Real and the Supreme

Being is full of kalyAna GuNams . Brahman is held to be playing the role

of Soul to the Universe , which is recognized as His own body.

The Body-Soul relationship between the Universe and Brahman

is the life blood of VisishtAdhvaitham . All the chEthanams

and achEhtanams form the body of Brahman .

 

VisishtAdhvaitham's central tenet is " Brahman (the Supreme Being)

having the Universe of ChEthanams and achEthanams as its body

is the ONLY Real thing and there is NOTHING , which is not

the body of Brahman and which is independent of the same

Supreme Being .Whereas in the doctrine of Adhvaitha ,

Brahman alone is real, and every thing else--Sentients and

insentients -- is false ; the VisishtAdhvaitha while presenting

the view that brahman alone is real explains that brahman includes

sentients and insentients , which are proved to be inseparable

attributes and body of Brahman. This intrepretation reveals

a vast gulf of difference between Adhvaitham and

VisishtAdhvaitham " .

 

Swamy Desikan states in this slOkam : " neRi illA nEr vazhiym

tAnE aanAn, NedumAlai adainthu nilai peRROM " ( We performed

the UpAyam of SaraNAgathy to the Lord , SrIman NaarAyaNan ,

who has no other alternative except Himself for granting MOksham

and we as Sesha BhUthans protected out Svaroopam as His

eternal servant through rejection of other misleading Mathams

like Adhvaitham .

 

We will study the two Paasurams dealing with the criticism of

Jaina Matham by Swamy Desikan in the next posting .

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

SrImate SrI Lakshminrusimha PaadhukA sEvaka

SrI Aadhi VaNN SaThakOpa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra

MahA DesikAya Nama: