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srI:
SrI sAra sAram â I (15)
--
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram
--
The Significance of the âaâ in PraNava (continued)
---
SwAmi Desikan now shows the relationship between the first syllable,
âaâ, of the praNava and the Supreme Lord:
âsarva-vAcya moolamAna SarVESvaran sarva-VAcaka moolamAna ivvaksharatthukku
vAcyan enRu âsamasts-sabda-moolatvAtâ ityAdi purANa vacanatthilum
vEdArththa sangrahaththilum pratipaditthaadiyE ithu sarva kRaNa bhootanaik
kATTukiraThuâ --
The origin of all things denoted by words is The Lord of all, while the
origin of all words is the syllable (âaâ). This is indicated by the passage
in VAmana PurANa:
âsamastaSabdamoolaTvAt akArasya svabhAvatah /
samastavAcyamoolatvAt brahmaNOpi svabhAvatah /
vAcya-vAcaka-sambandhah tayOrarthAt prateeyatE //â (VAmana PurANa)
(The letter âaâ is the origin of all words and Brahman is the origin of all
things denoted by these words. Therefore, âaâ denotes BhagavAn. He is
denoted by that letter. This relationship between the letter âaâ and
BhagavAn is seen from the meaning to be appropriate.)
Besides the passage in the VAmana PurANa, SrIbhAshykArar in his
VEdArtha Sangraha has also shown that the syllable âaâ denotes the Lord Who
is the cause of all.
This is what SrIbhAshyakAra said in the VEedArtha Sangrah:
âaksharANAm akArOsmiâ iti / (Gita, 10-33) âa iti Brahmaâ iti ca SrutEh
/ âakArO vai sarvA vAkâ iti ca vAcaka-jAtasya akAraprakrutitvam
vAcya-jAtasya Brahma-prakrutitvam ca suspashTam / atah BrahmaNah
akAravAcytA-pratipAdanAt akAravAcyO nArAyaNa Eva mahESvarah iti siddham //â
(The Lord says, âI am the letter âaâ among the letters.â (Gita, 10-33).
The Sruti also lays downâââaâ is the designation of Brahmanâ, and
âAll speech is âaââ. All speech evolves out of âaâ and all entities
constituting the subject-matter of all speech evolve out of Brahman. Therefore,
as Brahman is affirmed to be the meaning of âaâ, nArAyaNa, Whose name
âaâ is, is determined to be the Supreme.)
From this, it is clear that there are two basic concepts: one is the
word; the other is denotation. The origin of all words is the letter, âaâ,
as the alphabets start from this only. The use of the word is to indicate a
thing. All things come into existence from the Supreme Lord, He is the Creator
of all things. Hence, it is concluded that âaâ, which is the origin of all
words, indicates the Supreme Lord, Who is the origin of all things.
The Supreme Lord is not only the origin of all things but also their
protector. This aspect also is inbuilt in the first syllable of praNava, shows
SwAmi Desikan next:
âava rakshNEâ enkiRa dhAtuvilE vyutpanna-mAi rakshakanAkavum collukiRathu.
intha rakshaNam samkOcamillAmaiyAlE sarva vizhayam. ithu rakshaNeeyarudaiya
svaroopAdikaLilum nitya-muktar pakkalilum nirupAdhikam. mOksha-pradAnAdi-kaLil
vaishamya-nairghruNya-sarvamukti-prasangAdikaL vArAmaikkAka
svatantra-svAmi-cOditangkaLAna vyAjangkaLai munniTTirukkum. rakshakathvam
virOdhiyaip paTRa. virOdhitvam purushArthaththaip paTRa. ivai moonRum pada
trayaththil adaivE kaNDukoLvathu.â
In Sanskrit, every word is derived from a root, invariably a verbal
root to which when prepositions are added forms various words with different
meanings. The syllable âaâ, taken as a word, is derived from the verbal
root, âavâ which means âto protectâ. Hence âaâ as a derived word
also indicates a protector, besides the cause, as seen earlier. This is what
SwAmi Desikan says in this sentence:
âava rakshNEâ enkiRa dhAtuvilE vyutpannamAi rakshakanAkavum collukiRatu.
â
He continues, âintha rakshaNam samkOcamillAmaiyAlE sarva vizhayam.â
â When there is no restriction to this protective sense, it relates to all.
That is protection of everything. As it does not refer to any particular thing
or person, the Supreme Lord, Who is indicated by this âaâ, it becomes clear
that He is the protector all; His protection is universal and not confined to
any place, time or entity.
âithu rakshaNeeyarudaiya svaroopAdikaLilum nitya-muktar pakkalilum
nirupAdhikam.â â
The Lordâs protecting quality extends to the svaroopa of the jIva,
its continuance indefinitely and is absolutely natural for Him. It is not due
to any reason. In the same way, the Lord provides causeless protection in the
case of eternally free jIvas (nityas) and the liberated jIvas (muktas) as well.
But, in the case of bonded souls, His protection is not universal. His
protection depends on the actions of the bonded jIvas:--
âmOkshapradAnAdikaLil vaishamya-nairghruNya-sarvamukti-prasangAdikaL
vArAmaikkAka svatantra-svAmi-cOditangkaLAna vyAjangkaLai munniTTirukkum.â â
While according moksham etc. to jIvas in samsAra, the Lordâs
protection will depend on the kind of means adopted by the concerned jIva.
These means are laid down according to scriptures by the Lord Who is totally
independent. Otherwise, if He grants mOksha to some who have not adopted any
means, He will be accused of partiality towards them and of cruelty towards
others. Moreover, if He grants mOksha to some without having adopted any means
for it, a question may arise, why should not He grant liberation to everyone.
That is why, we must understand that He will accord mOksha only on the basis of
a means adopted.
SwAmi Desikan gives reasons for this stand of the Lord:
ârakshakathvam virOdhiyaip paTRa.â â Generally it is known that if any
one requires protection, it is from some enemy or obstacle. He needs to be
protected to tide over the inimical factor or the obstacle. Otherwise, he does
not require any protective cover. Why this obstacle?
âvirOdhitvam purushArthaththaip paTRa.â --
It prevents one from attaining the mOksha, which is the highest benefit. Hence,
the one aspiring for mOksha needs protection in order to overcome any obstacle
that may occur in attaining it. This quality of protection can be understood in
the Thirumantra, says SwAmi Desikan:
âivai moonRum pada trayaththil adaivE kaNDukoLvathu.â -- These three
aspects, namely, the protection, the removal of obstacle in the means and the
highest benefit, can be seen respectively in three words of the Thirumantram.
That is, the protection can be realized in the praNava, the removal of the
obstacle in ânamahâ and the benefit in ânArAyaNayaâ.
(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
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