SrI sArasAram -- I (11)

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srI:

 

SrI sAra sAram – I (11)

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I – ThirumantrAdhikAram

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The Meaning of the PraNava

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After revealing the arrangement of syllables in the Thirumantram, SwAmi Desikan

now starts giving the details in every word of the mantra starting with the

praNavam:

“ithil prathama padatthai, ‘moolamAkiya oTRaiyezhutthai’ enRu

periyAzhvAr aruLic ceythAr. ‘Adyam tu trayaksharam brahma’,

‘moonRezhutthathanai’ ithyAdikaLiRpadiyE, anantaSAkhangkaLAna vEdangaLukkum

im-mantram thanakkum moolamAkiya ithai aRinthavanai vEda-vit ennumpadi

sarva-sAra-sangrahamAyirukkum.

Eka padamAna ithil akshara-trayam nirvacana-balatthAlE thanit-thaniyE padamAi

moonRum kooDa oru vAkkiyamAkiRathu. in-nyAyam namas-silum varum.â€

The message conveyed by SwAmi Deikan through this is:

By reciting the first word of this mantra, praNava, alone, if one surrenders at

the feet of the Lord, he will attain SrI VaikuNtam where he can enjoy the bliss.

This is shown by Sri PeriyAzhvAr. Vedas consist of countless branches, known as

‘SakhAs’. PraNavam is the very root of all of them. The same is at the

beginning of the Thirumantram too. It contains within itself the essence of all

the Vedas. A person who is well versed in this praNava along with its

significance is called as a Vedic Scholar.

Now, we shall study this passage of SwAmi Desikan in detail:

“ithil prathama padatthai†– In this Thirumantram, the first word. By

this, he means the praNava. It is also called ‘moolam’ – the root or the

root or the cause. It consists of one syllable.

For this, SwAmi Desikan finds support from a verse of SrI PeriyAzhvAr:

“‘moolamAkiya oTRaiyezhutthai’ enRu periyAzhvAr aruLic ceythAr.â€

Let us consider the verse in full:

“mElezhunthathOr vAyukkiLarnthu mElmidaTRinai uLLezhavAngi

kAlumkaiyum vithirvithirththERik kaNNuRakkamAvathan munnam

moolamAkiya oTRaiyezhutthai moonRu-mAtthirai uLLezhavAngi

vElaivaNNanai mEvuthirAkil viNNakatthinil mEvalumAmE.†(PeriyAzhvAr

Thirumozhi, 4-5-4) --

In this verse, SrI PeriyAzhvAr assures that it is not that the ashTAkshara

mantra alone is required; the very first word, the praNvam, itself is a mantra.

If it is uttered as a one syllabic foot or two syllabic feet, one can attain the

fruits in this world and in the higher world within this prakruti mandalam

respectively. Uttering the same as a three syllabic measure, if one surrenders

to the Lord, he can attain Para vAsudEva in the Paramapadam, as stated in the

PrasnOpanishad:

“sa yad Eka mAtram abhidhyAyeeta sa tEnaiva samvEditastoorNamEva jagatyAm

abhisampadyatE /†(5-3)

(If he meditates on the praNava as consisting of one measure, he will attain

celebrity in this world.)

“atha yadi dvimAtrENa manasi sampadyatE sOntriksham yajurbirunneeyatE

sOmalOkam /†(5-4)

(But, he who meditates upon Brahman through OmkAra of two measures, will be

lifted up to the SOmaLlOka by the Yajur mantras.) After enjoying glory in the

world of Soma, he returns to the earth once again.

“yah punarEtam trimAtrENOmityEtEnaivAksharENa param purushamabhidhyAyeeta sa

tEjasi sooryE sampannah / yathA pAdOdarastvacA vinirmucyata Evam ha vai sa

pApmanA vinirmuktah sa sAmAbhirunneeyatE brahmalOkam sa EtasmAjjeevaghanAt

parAtparam puirSayam purushameekshatE /†(5-5)

(He, who meditates upon the Supreme Self with this very syllable “OM†as

characterized by three measures, becomes united with the Sun, consisting as the

orb of light. As a snake becomes freed from its slough, in the same way, he

being freed from sins, will be lifted up to VaikuNTa, the abode of Brahman by

the sAman mantras. He beholds the Supreme Self VAsudEva, Who is higher than the

pure jIvAtma that is higher than the embodied self and Who (VAsudEva) is

reposing in all entities as the inner controller.)

The same is being said by SrI PeriyAzhvAr in this verse. He says: “Before the

breath rises up pushing down the throat and making the legs and the hands shiver

and the eyes close down finally, if you utter the single-word, praNava, up to

three measures meditating on the Para Brahman, you will attain Him in the

VaikuNTa.â€

Thus, SwAmi Desikan is describing the great value of the single word, that is,

praNava, quoting a verse of SrI PeriyAzhvAr.

 

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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