Number 26

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

Number 26

 

 

 

 

If you think about it, you find it really astonishing as to how Numbers dominate

our lives-- so much so that you can't imagine an existence without them.

Previously, only Police Constables and Prisoners used to be addressed by the

numbers assigned to them and not by names. However, with the advent of

computers, all of us have been reduced to a series of numbers, whether it is for

the purpose of Social Security, Income Tax, college admissions or employment.

Much more than your names, you are called upon to remember the number assigned

to you for the aforesaid purposes, if you want to lead a peaceful life. And the

day doesn't seem far off when these ubiquitous Numbers would replace our names,

if Cyber Governance reaches its logical destination. Imagine, your grandchild

may well be known just as " 25675490870982321789 " , instead of Krishnan or

Sharanya. With the gradual disappearance of national frontiers, each new baby

would be allotted a distinguishing number on global basis, with the various

digits representing date and place of birth, sex, category and so on. This may

sound to be a fantasy, but is not so very far from truth as one might imagine.

 

 

 

In such a situation, where names lose their significance and everything and

everybody is but a series of numbers, what Number would you allot to the

Paramatma? For, when the Lord has made Himself amenable to digitalisation of His

images, when the administration of His abodes (like Tirumala) has been

extensively computerised, when we prefer to watch His festive outings

(Brahmotsavams) in the form of computerised television images beamed across

thousands of miles-when all these can happen, it would only be logical that we

assign even the Paramaatma a number. If such were to be the case, what number

would we assign to the Lord?

 

 

 

" No. 1 " , of course, would be the answer I expect from most of you. And the logic

behind this is understandable, for the Lord is indeed the first in everything.

 

 

 

He was the first and only being in existence when there was none other, prior to

Creation- " Eko ha vai Narayana aaseet, na Brahmaa na Eesaana: " , " Eko Vishnu:

mahat bhootam " etc. are just a few quotes attesting to the Parabrahmam being the

sole being in existence. (The other Atmas did exist of course, but as an

undifferentiated mass mixed up with Matter). It is only thereafter that He

created lesser beings- " Yo Brahmaanam vidhadhaati poorvam " , " tat iykshat

bahusyaam " and scores of Shruti vaakyaas attest to the singular Supreme Being

becoming many.

 

Secondly, the Lord is indeed the first in everything, be it auspicious

attributes like Wisdom, Strength, Bounties, Power or any other. There is

absolutely no dispute to His primacy, be it on whatever count.

 

 

 

Thus, viewed from any angle, it appears only correct to assign the very first

number, 1, to Paramatma.

 

 

 

However, Vedantis allot quite a different number to the Lord-viz., 26. I see

your eyebrows raised in puzzlement-why 26? Why not 1 and why not 21? What is so

sacrosanct about 26, that the Lord should answer to this number?

 

 

 

In our Sampradaya, there are three Realities, which every aspirant for

liberation should be conversant with. These are respectively Chit, Achit and

Isvaran. Chit represents all the sentient Jeevatmas, Achit represents

non-sentient matter and Iswara, naturally, is the Supreme Lord with all His

innumerable kalyana gunas.

 

 

 

Of these three, Non-sentient Objects are counted first. Again, these are

classified into the following categories and are assigned the respective

numbers-

 

 

 

1. Prakriti or Matter, the basic material of which all non-sentient objects are

made. For instance, if we take a pot, clay, which forms the basic component, is

what comprises of Matter.

 

2. Mahat (which is of three types, Satvam, Rajas and Tamas)

 

3. Ahankaaram or Ego

 

4 to 8-The Five Tanmaatraas (Roopa, Rasa, Shabda, Sprarsa, Gandha)

 

which represent energy in the form of radiation and which afford

 

the faculties of sight, taste, hearing, touch and smell

 

9 to 13-The Five Elements, Pancha Bhootam, viz., Earth, Water, Fire, Air and

Ether

 

14 to 18-The Five Organs of Knowledge (Gnaana Indriyas)-Eyes, Ears, Skin, Tongue

and Nose

 

19 to 23-The Five Organs of Action (Karma Indriyaas)-Hands, Feet, Speech and the

two excretory organs

 

24. The Mind

 

 

 

Thus, Numbers One to Twenty-four are allotted to the aforesaid elements.

 

 

 

The 25th item is the Jeevaatma, the Individual Soul.

 

 

 

While Numbers 1 to 24 represent the non-sentient group, items 25 and 26

represent the Sentient or Chetana Group. We have seen that Jeevatma is numbered

25.

 

 

 

The other Sentient, the Paramatma, answers to No. 26. It is thus that we allot

No. 26 to the Supreme Being.

 

 

 

The Lord's love and affection for us is so much, that He yearns for us to just

utter His holy names, or even those of His abodes, whether in devotion or merely

in levity. He treats even such casual utterances as reason enough to turn us on

to the right path leading to Liberation. According to Nammazhwar, the very

utterance of the name of Tirumaalirum Solai led to Emepruman embracing Azhwar

with ardour-

 

" Tirumaalirum Solai malai endren, enna Tirumaal vandu en nenju niraya

pugundaan " . Such mention of the Lord's abode need not even be with absolute

devotion, need not even be with due regard to grammar or syntax-even if it is

uttered with absolute casualness or flippancy, the Lord rushes forward to be

counted as our friend, guide and philosopher.

 

 

 

We are told that even if we know not the names of the Lord or His abodes, even

if we call the No. 26, Emperuman answers to the mere number-this, even if we

have absolutely no inkling of the significance of the no. 26. Even if a devotee

were to count from 1 to 100 for some other purpose, the moment No. 26 is

uttered, the Lord presents Himself, saying, " Here I am! " , much in the fashion of

a student answering the roll call at class.

 

 

 

This is what Sri Nampillai says, while commenting on the words " eNNilum varum " ,

in the following pasuram from Tiruvaimozhi-

 

 

 

" KaN ulle nirkkum, kaadanmayaal tozhil

 

eNNilum varum, en ini venduvam?

 

MaNNum Neerum Eriyum nal Vaayuvum

 

ViNNumaai viriyum Empiranaye "

 

 

 

When a devotee starts counting, " twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three,

twenty-four, twenty-five " , the moment " twenty-six " is uttered, the Lord rushes

forward and says " Here I am " -says the Eedu- " Irupattu ondru, Irupattu irandu,

Irupattu moondru, Irupattu naalu, Irupattu aindu, Irupattu aaru endru eNNinaal,

'Irupattu aaru naane' endru varum " .

 

 

 

No.26 appears noteworthy in other ways too, in its composition.

 

 

 

1. If we add up the two integers, we get 8, signifying the Ashtaaksharam, (the

eight-lettered formulation) which is the greatest of Mantras, which again

reflects the Lord and His glory in full measure.

 

2. If we multiply 2 and 6, we get the number of letters in another great

Bhagavat Mantram, viz., the Dvaadasa Akshari, the Vasudeva Mantram.

 

3. The third of the Vyaapaka or famous Mantras of the Lord, the Shadakshari

or the Vishnu Mantram, is composed of 6 letters.

 

4. The first integer 2 stands for the Dvaya Mantram too, with its two

sentences, with which Sharanagati is performed.

 

 

 

Thus, looked at anyway, No. 26 appears extremely significant.

 

 

 

Nammazhwar tells us that the Lord is indeed beyond numbers- " eNNin meediyan

Emeperuman " . The Sahasranamam too confirms that He is countless- " Asankheya: " .

Despite all this, it appears as though we can capture Him before counting even

50.

 

 

 

The next time we come across No. 26 in any context, won't it remind us of the

magnificent Lord and His immeasurable glory?

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan