Thirukkudanthai Andavan's Desika Sahasra Naamams : Satha DhUshaNi : Part VI

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(105) vidhanAnarha vaakyArtha jn~Ana hEtuthva bhanjakAya nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryan , , who defeated the view of

Adhvaithins that vaakyArtha Jn~Anam ( Tatthva Jn~Anam arising from

the mere understanding of the meanings of Veda Vaakyams like

"Tathvamasi") is sufficient for realizing Moksham .

 

(Comments): Swamy Desikan rejected the view of advaithins that sheer tatthva

Jn~Anam will destroy Samsaram and grant Moksham . The advaithins believe

that this samsAram is false and one needs Tatthva Jn~Anam to destroy SamsAram.

One can not edict it that way.SamsAram and its bheethis are very real. The SamsAric

sufferings arise from Karma Phalan and one can not chase it away with Tatthva

Jn~Anam about Mahaa Vaakyams. Only Upaasanas prescribed by the Upanishads

can destroy SamsAric ills and pave the way for Moksha Sukham.

 

" Knowledge , which is enjoined is not the means to Moksha but only UpAsanA "

is the summary of Dr.S.M.S.Chari of this is 4th Vaadha . Knowledge (Jn~Anam)

means that knowledge in the form of contemplation (UpAsana ) is the means

to Moksham and not VaakyArtha Jn~Anam .

 

The actual 4th Vaadham takes this form in Satha dhUshaNi:

" Jn~Ana saamaanya-vishaya vEdhanaadi Sabdhaanaam tasmin visEsha

SabdhArTa yEva paryaavasaanam yuktham ".

(106) upAsanAhEtuvEtrE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryan , who knew that upAsanam

prescribed by the Upanishads is the cause for Moksham ( Moksha hEthu).

( This is known as avidhEya ajn~Ana bhanga Vaadham).

 

(Comments): The jn~Anam acquired form VaakyArTam is not the cause

behind Moksham .UpAsana roopa Jn~Anam alone is the means for Moksham.

To pursue Brahma VidhyA and meditate ( nidhidhyAsanam) ceaselessly on

Brahman is the UpAsana Jn~Anam referreed to here.

 

The reference here is to the Saadhana chapter of Brahma Soothram and

the Upanishadic passages referred to as PramANams there. There are several

Upanishadic passages that enjoin UpAsanaa as the means to Moksham .

The Saandilya Vidhyaa passage in ChAndhOgyam is one such : " tajjalaan ithi

saanta upaaseeha" .The upanishads use various terms such as Vedhana,

Jn~Ana and darsana , which bear the same meaning as Upaasana as the direct

means to Moksham .This is not VaakyArtha Jn~Anam referred to by Adhvaithins.

This UpAsanaa is to be observed until the end of one's life (YaavadhAyusham

in ChAndhOgyam) and "aprayANAth" in Brahma Soothram .

(107) badhanusrutibadhakAya nama:

 

( Meaning): This is about BhaadhithAnuvrutthi bhanga Vaadham .

BhaadhithAnuvrutthi means "persistence of the trace of avidyaa

even after it is sublated". Adhvaitham believes that Tatthva Jn~Anam

destroys bhEdha Jn~Anam ( Jeevan and Brahman are not the same) .

Adhvitham further believes that for some ,the avidhyaa destroyed by

Tatthva Jn~nam still continues in SamsAram . VisishtAdhvaitham

rejects this view and states that some thing which is destroyed

can not continue to exist . Adhvaithis state that the eikya Tatthva Jn~Anam

( Brahman is real and all else is false ) destroys the illusory divisional

Jn~Anam about Brahman and Jeevan as being different .Yet , the adhvaithins

contend that BhEdha Jn~Anam will continue for some due to Vaasanaa

dhOsham (SamsAric dhOsham). This view is defeated by Swamy Desikan.(108) yajnA~dhi brahmavividishaa hEtutva ni (vi)rOdhakAya nama:

 

(Meaning):Salutations to the AchAryan , who rejected the adhvaithic view that

Yaj~nam et al are the causes behind the desire for knowing about Brahman.

Swamy Desikan proved that Sacrifices ( Yaj~nams , Sama , dhama et al ) are not

the means of Vividhishaa but of vEdhanaa( UpAsanaa). This argument is

known as Vividhishaa Saadhanathva bhanga Vaadham .

 

(Comments): Brahma Vividhishaa is the desire to know Brahaman.Swamy Desikan

rejected the view that Yajn~am et al are the cause/means/UpAyam for generating

the desire for knowledge about Brahman. He held the view that Yaj~nams et al

lead to UpAsana roopa Jn~Anam and not Vividhishaa.(109) SaabdhaaparOkshaghne nama:

 

(Meaning): This is known as "Sabdha Janya Prathyaksha bhanga Vaadam ".

Salutations to the AchAryan , who defeated the adhvaithic tenet that

prathyaksha Jn~Anam is realized by those who have destroyed the BhEdha

Vaasanais ( Jeevan and Brahman are different) through sabdhams like

"Tatthvamasi" .To the Adhvaithin , avidhya nivarthakam ( destruction of

nescience) can arise from Prathyaksha Jn~Anam caused by such Sabdhams.

 

(Comments): Prathyaksha Jn~Anam is immediate knowledge generated by

indhriyams like eye and ear , which see and hear. Sabdham is Verbal testimony .

Swamy Desikan argues that "Verbal Testimony " (Sruthi ) by itself is not

the means of immediate knowledge ". If the snake appears in a rope ,

one has to remove that misconception by direct viewing and not by listening

about it from others .

(110) dhUtapUrvavrutta chatushtaya nama:

 

(Meaning ): This is known as Saadhana Chatushtaya Poorva-vruthvatthva

bhanga Vaadham :8th Vadham .Salutations to the AchAryan , who banished the four items

considered as prerequisites for Brahma VichAram (Study of VedAntha sAsthram).

 

(Comments): Adhvaithins believe that there should be four pre-requisites

to the study of VedAntham . These are: (1) Nithya-anithya vasthu vivEkam ,

seperation of objects as eternal and noneternal (2)Sama dhamAdhi Saadhana

sampath: Control of all Indhriyams (3) Ihaamudhra Phala bhOga virAgam:

detatchment from enjoymentof fruits of insignificant phalans including

svarga bhOgam and (4)Mumuksuthvam: Desire in Moksham. It is believed that

the absence of these four prerequisites disqualify one from the eligibility

to study of VedAntham .

 

Swamy Desikan soundly rejected these items do not invariably precede

Brahma VichAram. Swamy states that knowledge about facors like eternal

and noneternal vasthus can come only AFTER and NOT BEFORE Brahma

VichAram. Study of VedAntha texts teaches us that Self ( Jeevan) is eternal

and AakAsam is noneternal .

 

Regarding the 2nd prereuisite , Swamy Desikan points out that Sama , dhama,

( mental control , equanimity)are auxilaries to the knowledge of Brahman and not

essential prerequisites .

 

with respect to the 3rd and the 4th prerequisites (nondetatchment and desire

for release ) , these are considered as " antecedent factors" to the Study of

vEdAntha.

 

Swamy Desikan concludes that completion of Poorva MeemAmsa ( performance

of rituals) precedes the Brahama VichAram and not the acquisition of the four

prerequisites ( " after the comprehension of the rituals has taken place , there

follows the inquiry into Brahman). (111) mAyivAdadhikAraghnAya nama:

 

( Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryan , who removed the fitness of

Adhvaithins to engage in Vaadhams (contestations / disputations).

 

(Comments): Swamy Desikan declared that Adhvithins ( Maayins) ,

who do not acknowledge the absolute reality of the PramANams are

not eligible to engage in VedAnthic debates. This is the ninth Vaadham.

(112) nirviseshatmabhAvaghne nama:

 

( Meaning for this NirviSEsha svaprakAsa bhanga Vaadham): Salutations

to the AchAryan , who broke the argument of Adhvaithis that the nirvisEsha

vasthu ( brahman) is Self-luminous. Swamy Desikan's argument was that

there is no entity (vasthu) , which is devoid of attributes ( determinations /

Characterestrics ). To say that such a nirvisEsha vasthu is sva-prakAsa siddham

implies that it has the power of making itself known and can be cognized .

Therefore , it can nolonger be a nirvisEsha vasthu. There is no Jn~Anam

that is nirvisEsham ( without vishayam and Aasrayam).

 

(113) nirviseshaparAlambi nirvikalpaka bhanjanAya nama:

 

(Meaning): This Vaadham is known as NirviSEshaka vishaya nirvikalpaka

Bhanga Vaadham . Salutations to the AchAryan , who defeated the arguments

of Adhvaithins that the qualifier of the NirvisEsha Parabrahmam is indeterminate .

 

(Comments): In this 11th Vaadham , Swamy Desikan states: " Even indeterminate

perception has for its content a qualified entity " following the Sri Bhaashyam

passage ( I.1.1) :" nirvikalpakam naama kenachidh viSEshENa viyuktyasya

grahaNam na sarva viSEsha rahithasya " ( Indeterminate perception/nirvikalpaka

pratyaksham is the apprehension of an object devoid of some qualifications

but not all qualifications".

 

(114) sanmAtradhyaksharOdgre nama:

 

( Meaning of this 12th Vaadham: SanmAthra grAhi Prathyaksha bhanga Vaadha:):

Salutations to the AchAryan , who rejected the view that one should comprehend

svaroopam before knowing the bhEdham . Swamy Desikan stated that Perception

does not apprehend a mere being (sath).This argument relates to blemishes in

the important advaithic concept of consciousness ( anubhUthi).

 

(Comments) : The first two paras of the chapter on "The Nature of Sconsciousness "

from Dr.S.M.S.Chari's book on " Adhvaitha and VisishtAdhavitha " is very helpful

in this context:

 

" According to Adhvaitha VedAntha , consciousness is an independent and

eternally existing reality . It is pure , contentless knowledge , which is neither

produced nor destroyed. It manifests everything else but is itself not manifested by

anyother entity (svayamprakasa). Such a knowledge is identical with the reality .

It is in other words Brahman itself. The consciousnes sthat is apparent in the usual

distinction of knower, known and knowledge is not real but is only empirical

( vyaavahaaarika). It is the psychosis of the inner organ (anthakaraNa vrutthi)

and is regarded as knowledge because of its being a determinant of consciousness.

 

Both RaamAnuja and VedAntha Desika have devoted great attention towards

the criticism of the above theory in sofar as it is in direct opposition to common

experience . Knowledge for VisishtAdhvaithin , as for anyother realist , implies

on the one hand a subject to which it belongs , and on the other , an object to which

it refers t . Knowledge as such is always found to be a function of the subject .

It always and necessarily pertains to the Self , which is a permanent spiritual entity .

The VisishtAdhvaithin , therefore , does not admit that consciousness is

identical with Reality ".