NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. ----------- srI: SrI sAra sAram â I (28) -- I â ThirumantrAdhikAram -- The Significance of ânamahâ (continued) --- SwAmi Desikan further discusses the significance of the word, ânamahaâ. We have already seen that this word is the middle word in the Tirumantram, coming after the first word, the praNava. The word, ânamahaâ is also a sentence by itself, meaning âI am not mine nor other things connected with me.â It takes the sentence form when it is split into two words, ânaâ and âmahaâ. Here, the word, âmahaâ is formed from the root, âmâ which signifies the Atma, as we saw in the praNavam. This root âmâ turns into âmahaâ as the singular sixth case according to grammar. âmâ means âIâ and in its sixth case it means âmineâ, in Tamil âenakkuâ. This is a general usage. It also has a special relationship which is explained by SwAmi Desikan now: â âaham mEâ enRu anAdiyAka bhramit-thavan ippOthu, âAtmA api cAyam na mamaâ enkiRAn. itthai âatha mahyam naâ enRArkaL. Sambandha-sAmAnya-shashThee ingu tAdarthyatthai vivakshikkiRathu enRu tAtparyam. thannaip paTRath thanakku nishEdhyamAna tAdarthyam AkAra-bhEdat-thAlE varukaiyAl AtmASraya-dOsham-illai. thAn thanakkup paNNikkoLLum atiSayamum parArthamenRu anu-santhikkaik-kAka ingu âthAn thanakkuc SEshanallanâ enkiRathu.â We shall now study this passage sentence by sentence: ââaham mEâ enRu anAdiyAka bhramit-thavan ippOthu, âAtmA api cAyam na mamaâ enkiRAn.â â The jIva, that is, the sentient-being, has been thinking from time immemorial that âI am for me aloneâ. This is a wrong assumption that has no known origin. It has been there in all his past lives that are countless. However, since he has understood the significance of this word, ânamahaâ, he gets the realization that he is not the servant to himself. As he has now realized that he is not the physical body, but the Atma, which is housed within this body, he has started saying, âAtmA api cAyam na mamaâ â âThis Atma too is not mine.â This quote is from the MahAbhArata. Let us see the SlOka in full: âAtmApi cAyam na mama sarvApi pruthivee mama / yathA mama tathA aNyEshAmiti paSyan na muhyati //â (MahAbhArata, SAnti Parva, 25-19) (My Atma too is not my servant. If a thing that is not SEsha to me is claimed as my SEsha, even the whole world can also be thought as a SEsha to me. My Atma is not only not SEsha to me, but to others too. One who knows this will not be confused.) This wisdom is the result of his knowledge about the significance of the praNavam. SwAmi Desikan gives a pramANa from SrI ParAsara Bhattarâs ashTHaSlOkee: âitthai âatha mahyam naâ enRArkaL.â â AcArya-s have described this realization as âatha mahyam naâ (ashThaSlOkee-3) -- âI am not a SEsha to meâ. We have already studied this SlOka earlier. SwAmi Desikan explains: âsambandha-sAmAnya-shashThee ingu tAdarthyatthai viviakshikkiRathu enRu tAtparyam.â -- The word âmahâ is in the sixth case which normally shows only the connection. The term used to indicate this connection is âsambandha-sAmAnya-shashTheeâ. Here in this context, it conveys in particular the sense of being SEsha. âThannaip paTRath thanakku nishEdhyamAna tAdarthyam AkAra-bhEdat-thAlE varukaiyAl, AtmASraya-dOsham-illai.â Here, an objection may rise: It has been shown that the word, ânamahâ refutes the wrong notion that has been there earlier that one was the SEsha to himself. How does this thought occur to him? In that case, it would turn out to one being both SEshi and SEshi at the same time. Is it possible? In the world, have we ever seen anyone being the master and the servant to himself? If it happens, then, will it not be a fallacy, called âAtmASraya dOshamâ? The âAtmASraya-dOshamâ is the fallacy of self-dependence. As the Atma already has the SEshatva quality, if it is attributed to have the opposite quality of SEshi also, will not be self-refutation? If such a question is raised, Swami Desikan replies: âThannaip paTRath thanakku nishEdhyamAna tAdarthyam AkAra-bhEdat-thAlE varukaiyAl, AtmASraya-dOsham-illai.â -- A SEsha (servant) has to render some distinguished service to his master. The person who receives the distinguished service is the SEshi (master). A person may even render some special service to himself. He can also attain the glory as a result. Hence, doing a special service to oneself and receiving its benefits are different from one another, and hence the fault of âAtmASrayamâ will not arise. It, therefore, finally emerges that there is nothing wrong in saying that the ânaâ in the word, ânamahâ refutes the notion of one being the SEsha to oneself. It may be asked, what is the use of feeling, âI am not Sesha to myselfâ following the understanding of the word, ânamahâ? Swami Deikan gives the reply: âthAn thanakkup paNNikkoLLum atiSayamum parArthamenRu anu-santhikkaik-kAka ingu âthAn thanakkuc SEshanallanâ enkiRathu.â â It is a rule that a SEsha should do splendid service to the SEshi. As per this rule, if the jIva does something for his own benefit, he must consider that it ultimately goes to the Lord and not to him self. Hence, we should realize that the feeling that one is not SEsha to one self actually results in the thought that everything is for the Lord alone. (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! 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