NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. ------------------------ srI: SrI sAra sAram â I (32) -- I â ThirumantrAdhikAram -- The Significance of ânamahâ (continued) --- SwAmi Desikan points out another important transformation that takes place once it is realized that one is totally dependent on the Lord: âippaDi tadEka-Sesha-bhoota mAkavum tadEka-niyAmyamakvm padadvaya-tthAlE svaroopam cikshithamAnAl, âyathEshTaviniyOgArham SeshaSabdEna kathyatE / ISvarENa jagat sarvam yathEshTam viniyujyatE //â enRu abhiyuktar connapaDiyE, svatantra svAmi viniyOgatthAlE bhAgavata-Seshatvam prAptamAkiRathu.â â Thus, we learn that the jIva is Sesha to the Lord alone and that he is governed by Him alone. These two aspects of the Atma svaroopa, that is, the innate nature of the soul, are taught through the praNava and ânamahâ, the first two words of the Tirumantram. This revelation takes us to another state, says Swami Desikan by quoting a slOka from an authoritative source. According to this slOka, the term âSeshaâ indicates a thing that belongs to some one who has the right to use it as he pleases. The entire world is being used by the Lord as He desires and so, the world is Sesha to Him. Even so, the jIva is Sesha to the bhAgavatas -- devotees of the Lordâas per the wish of the Lord. âISvaran svAtantryathAlE ishTaviniyOgatthukku Saktan.svAmitvatthAlE prAptan.â -- As the Lord is totally independent, He is fully capable of placing the jIva according to His free will. As He is the master (Seshi), He has every right to use His property, that is, the jIva, as He desires. ââj~nAnI tu Atmaiva mE matamâ enRa ivanukku sva-atisayatthaik kATTilum sva-AStrita-athisayam abhimata mAkaiyAlE tat-Seshatvam tadeeya-Seshtva-paryantamAyiRRu.â â The Lord described the man of wisdom among His bhaktas as his own soul in the Bhagavadgita: udArAh sarva EvaitE j~nAnee tu Atmaiva mE matam / Asthitah sa hi yuktAtmA mamEvAnuttamam gatim // (Gita, 7-18) (All the four kinds of devotees are indeed noble, but My conviction is that the man of wisdom (bhakta) is My soul, as he is devoted exclusively to Me as the highest goal.) The Lord thus praises the man of wisdom among the four types of His bhaktas â 1) the one who prays to Him to get back the lost wealth; 2) the one who wants new wealth; 3) the one who aspires to enjoy his own Atma (kaivalya); and 4) the one of wisdom, who is always attached to Him without any other desire. He reveals that He likes the glory of His devotees more than His own glory. Hence, the fact of being the Sesha to the Lord extends farther to being the Sesha to His devotees. The Seshatvam, the characteristic of being the Lordâs servant, attains its full potential only when the jIva realizes that he is the servant of His devotees too. This is known as âpurushArtha-kAshThaâ â the frontier of human attainment. (To continue) dAsan Anbil S.SrInivAsan ------------- Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php ------------------------------------ Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:Oppiliappan-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mailto:Oppiliappan-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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