SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 60

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 60

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (17)

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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In the previous sub-section, SwAmi Desikan showed how

the Lord conferred a favour on us by making us to seek

refuge in a sadAchArya and to become his disciple.

Even then, the traces of our earlier thoughts remain

in our minds which are being cleansed thoroughly by

the Lord. This is another favour done by Him. This is

explained by Swami Desikan in this sub-section:

 

(17) “IshvarOham” , “na namEyam hi kasyacit” ennum

durvAsanaiyai doorI-karittthu, “tadviddhi praNipatEna

pariprashnEna sEvayA” enkiRa ucithOpacAraththilE

oruppadutthinathuvum;

 

Before our submission to the sadAchArya, we were not

only ignorant but also bubbling with wrong notions,

because of the low level of sAttvika quality and a

high level of demonic quality. That made us think too

much of ourselves, similar to demons. In that

situation we used to speak like: “IshvarOham” , “na

namEyam hi kasyacit” as quoted by SwAmi Desikan.

 

The first quotation is a passage from a verse in the

Bhagavadgita. We shall consider the entire slOka:

 

“asau mayA hatah shatrurhaniShyE cAprAnapi /

IshvarOham-aham bhOgee siddhOham balavAnsukhee //”

(16-14)

 

(That enemy has been killed by me, and I shall kill

the others also. I am the lord, I am the enjoyer, I am

well established, mighty and happy. )

 

In this way, a man of asura (demonic) type speaks. The

Sixteenth Chapter of the Gita contains the Lord’s

explanation about the division of men into the divine

and the demonic nature. Those of the former type are

obedient to the shAstras and those of the latter type

are of opposite disposition. Earlier to getting the

grace of the Lord and through Him that of a

sadAchArya, the jIva was opposed to scriptural tenets

and behaved as quoted above.

 

The second quotation mentioned above is a passage

from a sloka in SrI VAlmikI rAmAyaNa:

 

“dvidhA bhajyEyamapyEvam na namEyam kasyacit /

ESha mE sahajO dOShah svabhAvO duratikramah //”

(6-36-11)

 

(I would rather break into two, but would never bend

before anyone. This is my inherent weakness. Nature is

hard to mend.)

Thus spoke RAvaNa to MAlyavAn, his maternal

grandfather who advised him to make peace with SrI

RAma. Evil-minded as he was, RAvaNa could not brook

the salutary advice given by MAlyavAn. Knitting his

brows on his face, RAvaNa, who had fallen a pray to

anger spoke as above to his grandfather, his eyes

rolling in anger.

 

These two samples are shown by SwAmi Desikan to

highlight the conduct of men of demonic nature. The

Lord, out of compassion, removes the traces of this

nature from the jIva whom He has just turned into a

good soul for reason known only to Him. After

cleansing him, He injects into him more of the sAttvik

nature, while bringing him before a sadAchArya, as we

saw in the earlier sub-section.

 

Once cleansed of bad qualities, the Lord gives the

advice as quoted by SwAmi Desikan above, “tadviddhi

praNipatEna pariprashnEna sEvayA” -- This too is a

part of a verse from the Bhagavadgita:

 

“tadviddhi praNipatEna pariprashnEna sEvayA /

upadEkShyanti tE j~nAnam j~nAninah

tattvadarshiNah //”

(4-34)

 

(Learn this knowledge, just revealed to you by Me,

from the scholars prostrating at their feet and by

extensive questioning, and serving them with devotion

for a long time. The wise who know the spiritual

principles will teach you the knowledge.)

 

A question may arise in our minds: Why does SrI

KriShNa, who has been discoursing Arjuna till now, ask

him to go to the AchAryas to learn the same knowledge?

It is because, whatever the Lord told Arjuna is in the

context of a war about to begin and in order to get

him ready for the fight. The right manner of learning

such a high knowledge is quite different. It has to be

learnt from a sadAchArya in a proper way. The disciple

should approach the AchArya with all humility,

prostrate at his feet, and make the request politely,

and stay with him and do service to him with the

deepest devotion. The knowledge has to be sought by

questioning. Only then all the doubts that may rise in

the disciple’s mind will be cleared.

 

This method of learning is known as kAlakShEpam. Even

today many seekers of spiritual knowledge are

attending such kAlkshEpams of various AchAryas on

SrIbhAshyam, SrIrahasya-traya-sAram, GeetAbhAshyam and

Bhagavad Vizhayam, at a number of places in the

country. [“KAlakShEpam” means spending the time, i.e.,

spending it usefully.] These discourses are held in

camera for a closed circle of disciples who observe

certain discipline. This has been going since long,

from the time of our poorvAchAryas. This discipline is

very essential as otherwise whatever that is taught

would go waste with no one able to retain it in mind.

Such knowledge cannot be learnt by reading books, even

though they are available. The doubts that may arise

cannot be cleared. This can be done only in

face-to-face dialogue.

 

“ucitha upacAraththilE oruppadutthinathuvum” --

 

Through this advice to Arjuna, the Lord involves us

in the proper learning from a teacher. That prescribed

manner is also described by Him in the Bhagavadgita,

as described above.

 

 

SwAmi Desikan mentions this as another favour done by

the Lord for the sAttvika jIvas.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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