Ulladu Naarpadu - Verse #3

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Namaste all.

 

Introduction to Verse #3:

 

All Acharyas and religious scriptures do teach that this world is

asat (not absolutely real), jaDam (inert) and dukhaM (full of

miseries). The purpose of such teaching is for us to wean our minds

away from the world, make it delve inward (*antar-mukha*), get the

state of Experience of Self-Knowledge and stay there anchored to that

state. Instead of making efforts through SadhanA towards that state,

if we keep on simply repeating parrot-like that world is `asat, jaDam

and dukhaM', then we are no different from those who argue the

opposite way that the world is sat (absolutely real), cit (sentient)

and Anandam (pleasurable). This thought is the undercurrent in this

verse by Bhagavan.

 

Text of Verse #3:

 

ulagu mey poyt-tOtRam ulagu aRivu Am anRu enRu

ulagu cugam anRu enRu uraittu en? ulagu viTTut-

tannai Orndu onRu iraNDu tAn atRu nAn atRa

annilai ellArkkum oppu Am.

 

Translation (Lakshmana Sharma)

 

Of what use is it to affirm " The world is real, " " It is an illusory

appearance, " " It is consciousness, " " It is inert, " " It is

happy, " " It is surely miserable " ? That state of egolessness,

transcending the creeds of duality and unity, which is our own by

nature, and which is to be won by turning away from the world and

experiencing the Real Self, is dear to all alike.

 

Translation (Prof. K Swaminathan)

 

`The World is true'; `No, it is a false appearance'; `The World is

Mind'; `No, it is not'; `The World is pleasant'; `No, it is not' --

What avails such talk? To leave the world alone and know the Self, to

go beyond all thought of `One' and `Two', this egoless condition is

the common goal of all.

 

Translation (Osborne)

 

'The world is real.' 'No, it is a mere illusory appearance.' 'The

world is conscious.' 'No.' 'The world is happiness.' 'No.' What use

is it to argue thus? That State is agreeable to all, wherein, having

given up the objective outlook, one knows one's Self and loses all

notions either of unity or duality, of oneself and the ego.

Word by word

ulagu : The world

mey: real or reality, true or truth

poyt-toTRam : false appearance

ulagu aRivu Am : the world is (nothing but) knowledge

anRu: No

ulagu cugam : the world is happiness

anRu: No

enRu uraittu en? : what is the use of arguing like this?

ulagu viTTu: throwing off the world

tannai Orndu: (by being absorbed in the heart) knowing the Self

onRu iraNDu : one, two

tAn: ego

atRu : devoid of

nAn atRa annilai: that state of I-lessness (nilai = state)

ellArkkum oppu Am : is agreeable to all.

Commentary by Lakshmana Sharma

There do exist two opposing contentions, namely, that the world is

real or unreal. Again there exist two other opposing contentions,

namely, that the world is conscious or inert. And, finally there

exist two more, namely, that the world is happiness or a misery.

These six contentions may even be classified as two: One is that the

world is unreal, inert, and a misery; and the other is, that the

world is real, conscious and pleasurable. The first one of these two

is the contention of advaita-vedanta. In fact that is what many

scholars and scriptures to and preach. In this work also

this happens to be the teaching. What is the purpose of such a

teaching? Just by paying lip-service to it, does one become elevated

and fulfilled?

The purpose is this. The complete happiness that we seek will not

come from the world. So we have to sacrifice it (that is, let go) and

try to obtain the bliss of the Atma-svarUpa inside of us. If one is

not interested in so trying, what if he considers the world this way

or that way, says Bhagavan.

All of us want a never-changing happiness. Never have we obtained

such a happiness in this world. Nor can we hope to obtain it. Worldly

life becomes unhappy because of the various turbulences in our mind

due to our desires and fears. Desire and Fear spring up only in our

mind. The mind has its roots in our ego. Therefore we may obtain

pure happiness only in an ego-less state.

Further, we think that happiness arises from the things of the world.

That this is only ignorance can be seen even by worldly experience.

If things of the world can produce happiness then it should follow

that happiness is greater where such things of the world are in

abundance and happiness is less where they are scarce. But that is

not so. People who are poor and consequently lack many things of the

world are seen to be happier than even the rich ones who have all the

things of the world. Above all, every one obtains happiness in deep

sleep where all the things of the world are absent. The person who

wakes up from the sleep remembers how happily he slept. The

conclusion is: It is wrong to think that happiness is from the things

of the world.

Then where does the happiness we enjoy have its source? JnAnis and

the Upanishads opine that only the Atma-svarUpa is Bliss. Of course

we might ask; How is it then we are not enjoying that happiness

always? Since we do enjoy happiness, off and on while we are awake

or we dream and, continuously when we are in deep sleep, it follows

that there is something which obstructs our happiness when we are

awake or when we dream, and akso, that obstruction is not there in

deep sleep. This obstruction is called the mind and the ego. It is

there in the waking state and in the dreaming state but it is not

there in our state of deep sleep. This ego is the thought of `I'. Its

nature shall be explained later.

Further, in deep sleep there is no awareness of the world. Therefore

it is also clear that the appearance of the world is also an

obstruction to happiness. But the world does not appear without the

presence of the ego. Nor does the ego rise without the appearance of

the world. Actually that the two rise and fall together will be clear

from a later verse in this text.

Thus the teaching is that the world is a non-entity (*tucham*) (that

is, insignificant, worthless) and is not the means for happiness;

what is full of happiness is only the Atman. This teaching is also

logically acceptable. Therefore what should be sought after is Self-

Realisation; and what should be thrown off is the world.

Also there is no question of having that Realisation experience

without throwing off the world. In order to obtain the Self we have

to become inward-looking and with one-pointed mind we should seek for

it. The inward look and the one-pointednes will not be possible until

we cease to look outward. Ceasing to look outward is what is meant by

the words `ulagu viTTu' in the verse.

What does the world matter for us since anyway we have to sacrifice

it. Why should we have to enquire about it? By the enquiry about the

world we may come to conclude either it is real or unreal. Either way

since it has been declared *tucham* we have to wean it away from us.

So even without the enquiry we may throw it off even now. It follows

therefore that researching about the world is not necessary. To

research the world, what deserves to be thrown off, is like delving

into garbage that deserves only to be thrown into the dustbin.

But the one who thus turns his mind away from the world and leads it

into enquiry about the Self must have reached a high level of

maturity. In other words he must have an intense bhakti in the

svarUpa of the Self and a total dispassion towards the opposite –

which hides it – namely, the world. That is the person who can follow

the sAdhanAs mentioned here, without turning his mind to the affairs

of the world. He would reach the goal of Self Realisation very soon --

as is obvious from the very life story of our Bhagavan.

[Footnote: This statement about Bhagavan getting his spiritual

fulfilment by sAdhanA and abhyAsa is what the world outwardly

believes. The real truth is not so. But History follows only what

generally appeals and appears to the world. The analogy here is in

accordance with that understanding of the world.]

The complete state of happiness obtained by these highly eligible

spiritual seekers who have not the least attachment towards worldly

matters is something that is not amenable to argument or logic. The

words `onRu iraNDu tAn atRu' are indicative of this. It means that

the Atman realisation is not to be talked about as either advaita

(`one') or dvaita (`two'); for to talk about it there does not exist

an ego there. This is the meaning of `tAn aTRu' (= devoid of self).

Nor does the `I'-thought rise there. This is the meaning of `tAn aTra

nilai' .

It is this experience that everybody wants. There is no one who will

not like it. Bhagavan's ending words `ellArkkum oppu Am' of the

verse are a little puzzling. Most people don't even know the

existence of such an Atman Realisation; how then does the Bhagavan

say that this is agreeable to all? Bhagavan explains the secret as

follows.

All people love their sleep; because it is always an unmixed

blessing. Between `sleep' and the `egoless state' mentioned here

there are two common characteristics. In both the `I'-concept does

not rear its head. In both there is no external or internal world. It

is for this very reason that sleep is blissful. So the state of Self-

Realisation is not in any sense lower than the state of sleep. Indeed

that is actually far higher than sleep-state. Because the ego as well

as the mind, both known to be the cause of all misery, are lost in

the darkness of Ignorance. The bliss of sleep is also not

significant. In Self Realisation, on the other hand, the mind is lost

in the jnAna-svarUpa and is one with it; so there is no mind now. And

so there is no scope for the mind to rise again, the world to appear

and the samsAra to envelop you. Further, the experience of the Atman

is a complete one. Consequently it is far far higher than sleep.

Those who love sleep cannot say no to this higher experience. That is

why it is said that it is agreeable to all. He who loves sleep but

does not want Self Realisation is like one who says that I would like

to have a rupee but not a gold sovereign. This is the considered

conclusion of advaita vedanta.

 

PraNAms to all seekers of Truth.

PraNAms to Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi.

profvk