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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00155 Jun 2008

 
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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
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