You are here: SriPedia - Oppiliappan - Archives - Jun 2008

Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00019 Jun 2008

 
Jun 2008 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


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! 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/


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list