NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8.ÂÂ --------------- srI: SrI sAra sAram â I (30) -- I â ThirumantrAdhikAram -- The Significance of ânamahâ (continued) --- Earlier we saw that the middle syllable, âuâ, in the praNava cuts off any relationship with anyone else other than the Supreme Lord for the jIvAtma. It has, therefore, become clear that the jIvAtma is not SEsha (servant) to himself too. Then, will it not be a repetition to say that ânamahâ means âI am not SEsha to my self.â? Swami Desikan now clears the doubt: âkeezh sAmAnyEna anya SEshitvam kazhinthirukka gObaleevarda-nyAyatthAlE ingu viSEshikkiRathu. Sthiree-karaNArtham-AkavumAm. iv vartthangkALaik keezhE siddhamAkki âennAn ceikEnâ ityAdikaLiRpaDiyE sva-svAtantrya-nivruttiyai ingE anusantthikkavumAm.â âkeezh sAmAnyEna anya SEshitvam kazhinthirukka gObaleevarda-nyAyatthAlE ingu viSEshikkiRathu.â -- SwAmi Desikan points out that earlier, servitude to others (anya-SEshatvam) than the Lord was denied for the jIva in a general way in the praNava through the middle syllable, âuâ. Now, in the middle word, ânamahâ of the Tirumantram, the denial is further focused in a specific way. This, in a popular maxim, is known as âgObalee-varda-nyAyamâ. âgObalee-varda-nyAyamâ â This maxim is explained thus: A master asks his servant to bring the cattle from the shed. Soon he adds saying âBring the cowâ. Even though cow is included in the expression, âcattleâ, by specifically mentioning âcowâ, the master meant by âcattleâ all animals except the âcowâ. In the case under study, the middle syllable of the praNava, denies Seshatva to others than the Lord. The middle word ânamahaâ is split as ânaâ + âmahaâ and specifically denies Seshatva to one-self. That is, the jIva is not Sesha even to himself. More clearly, he is not master of himself; he is not independent at all. This is the specific meaning of ânamahaâ. So, earlier, the syllable, âuâ indicated denial of Seshatvam of the jIva for others except the Lord. This ânamahâ denies specifically Seshatvam for oneself. Hence, it is not a repetition. âSthiree-karaNArtham-AkavumAm.â â Swami Desikan says the expression ânamahaâ further strengthens the fact that the jIva is not a Sesha to any other than the Lord and His devotees. âiv vartthangkALaik keezhE siddhamAkki âennAn ceikEnâ ityAdikaLiRpaDiyE sva-svAtantrya-nivruttiyai ingE anusantthikkavumAm.â â Swami Desikan further says that we should consider all these meanings while contemplating on the middle syllable, âuâ, in the praNava. Here, that is, while considering the middle word, ânamahaâ of the Tirumantram, we must remember the absence of independence with regard to oneself. As a support, Swami Desikan refers to an expression in a verse in the TiruvAimozhi of SrI nammAzhvAr, âennAn ceikEnâ. We shall consider the verse in full: âennAn ceikEn yArE kaLaikaN ennaiyen ceykinRAi unnAlallAl yAvarAlum onRum kuRai vENDEn kannAr mathiL choozh kuDanthaik kiDanthAi adiyEnaruvANAL chennAL ennAL unathAL piDitthE chelakkANE.â (TiruvAimozhi, 5-8-3) (Oh Lord of ThirukkuDanthai! I can not adopt any means to attain You. Who can help me? I will not think of any other means except You. Please grace me to spend my remaining days grasping Your feet alone. Nothing else I want.) AzhvAr emphasizes that he is not independent even to adopt any means on his own. He leaves it to the Lord to decide what he should do; and even to decide whether He should save the AzhvAr at all. SwAmi Desikan thus indicates how a mumukshu should lead his life in this world after he surrenders to the Lord. (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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