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srI:
SrI sAra sAram â I (16)
--
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram
--
The Significance of the âaâ in PraNava (continued)
---
After showing that the first syllable âaâ of the praNava symbolizes
the causal nature and the protective nature of the Supreme Lord, SwAmi Desikan
now explains that it also contains the fact of His being the Master of all,
that is, He is the SEshi and others are all SEshas:
âivvaksharatthilE tAdarthya caturthee ERi lObitthuk kiDakkiRathu ennumiDam
praNavatthaik koNDu Atma samarp-paNatthai vidhikkiRa SrutyAdikaLil
aucityatthAlE siddham. tAdarthyamAvathu sEshatvam. athAvathu, thanakku Or
upakAratthai pradhAnamAkp paTRavanRikkE para-upakAra-arhamAkai. âtvam mEâ
enRu swami thoDara âaham mEâ enRu thimirappaNNum ahankAratthAlE asat
kalpanAnavanai SEshatva-j~nAnam ujjeevipikkiRthAkaiyAlE, athan prAdhAnyam
thOTRa sambanthatthinuDaiya vidhinishEdhatthkku pothuvAna dharmi-nirdESatthukku
munnE icSEshatvam prakASithamAyiTRu. ithukkup pratibandhiyAna rakshakanuDaiya
SEshitvsm phalitam. kAla-avacchEdamillAmaiyAlE ithukku ayOga-vyavacchEdam
siddham. iththAlE Sareera-Sareeri bhAvamum phalikkum.â
We are now entering into a deeper study of the praNava and so more
attention is called for. SwAmi Desikan offers us these secret with the
intention of making us more knowledgeable and better spiritual practitioners.
This caution is given in order to emphasize that one should get this taught by
a qualified teacher for deep involvement which can not be achieved effectively
by reading a written text. What is, therefore, given here is by way of
assistance towards that.
We have already seen that the praNava itself is an independent mantra
which comprises three words represented by the three syllables that make the
praNava mantra which is also part of the Thirumantram. Now in our study of the
first syllable, âaâ, we learn from the learned and compassionate AchArya,
SwAmi Desikan, that, this syllable which is the origin of all words represents
the Supreme Lord who is the Origin of everything in the universe. It was also
shown by him that the Lord is the only protector of everyone whether one is
aware or not. Now, in this part, Swami Desikan shows how the syllable signifies
His being the sole Master of everything and we all are His servants.
Now we study it in detail:
âivvaksharatthilE tAdarthya caturthee ERi lObitthuk kiDakkiRathu ennumiDam
praNavatthaik koNDu Atma samarp-paNatthai vidhikkiRa SrutyAdikaLil
aucityatthAlE siddham.â
The first and foremost thing that we should keep in mind is that, the
praNava is used as a separate, independent mantra uttering which one surrenders
at the feet of the Lord. If it is to be a mantra for the act of surrender, it
should possess the meaning. âI surrender my Atma to the Supreme Lordâ. Then
only it becomes eligible to being the mantra for prapatti. Therefore, the
syllable âaâ should have the dative or fourth singular case. This is
indicated by SwAmi Desikan: âivvaksharatthilE tAdarthya caturthee ERi
lObitthuk kiDakkiRathuâ
The dative case, which is invisible, gives âtAdarthyamâ â that is, âI
exist for His sake.â The exact syllable indicating the dative case is
âAyaâ, meaning, âfor his sakeâ. However, it is not visible here.
How is it being presumed is pointed out by Swami Desikan: âpraNavatthaik
koNDu Atma samarp-paNatthai vidhikkiRa SrutyAdikaLil aucityatthAlE siddham.â
â It is learnt from the Srutis etc., which enjoin the surrender of oneâs
self (prapatti) by uttering the praNava.
For example, it is stated in the Taittiriya Upanishad:
âOmiti brAhmaNah pravakshyannAha brahmOpApnavAneeti / brahmaivOpApnOti //â
(SikshAvallee-8)
(A BrahmaNa says âOmâ with the idea âMay I attain Brahmanâ. He verily
attains Brahman.)
The mantra reveals the nature of the action, that is, prapatti, to be
performed.
The Atma which is to be surrendered is seen in the third syllable, âmâ, in
the praNava, and the Supreme Brahman for whom it is surrendered is seen in the
base of the first letter, âaâ.
That the dative singular case is hidden in the syllable âaâ is known, as
this letter, âaâ, indicating the person to whom the surrender is made, and
the letter, âmâ, indicating the object which is surrendered should not be
in the same case. Therefore, the âaâ should be considered to be in the
dative case suited to the word indicating the person (the Supreme Lord) to whom
the surrender is made.
Next SwAmi Desikan explains the expression, âtAdarthyamâ --
âtAdarthyamAvathu SEshatvamâ, meaning, âexisting for His sake.â This
is derived from the dative case. What is meant by, âexisting for His sakeâ?
That is âSEshatvanâ â servitude â being a servant of some one, who is
the Supreme Lord.
This âSEshatvamâ is also explained by SwAmi Desikan himself:
âathAvathu, thanakku Or upakAratthai pradhAnamAkp paTRavanRikkE
para-upakAra-arhamAkai.â -- That is, the state of one being a servant of
another is not for any of his own personal benefit. He should be useful to the
other for that personâs sake alone and not for any selfish interest. In the
present world, it is common to see people working tirelessly for someone else
with the ultimate aim of getting some important favour himself. That is not the
real service-mentality. Absence of any such motive is the basic for SEshitvam.
It can be understood better by recalling what SrI ANdAL said:
âunakkE nAm AtceivOmâ â We will do service only for your benefit. We
will not do this for seeking any favour from You. Your pleasure alone is the
objective of our service to You.
Otherwise, if we do service to the Lord for getting some personal
benefit, it will not remain a service, but a commercial arrangement: âWe do
this for You and You do this favour for us in return.â
The standing example is the whole lot of Gopis in BrindAvan who were
attached to SrI KrishNa. When He left BrindAvan for mathura, they could have
gone with Him and enjoyed the royal life. But they didnât. They remained in
BrindAvan itself ever thinking of SrI KrishNa only.
This episode is being narrated by Scholars during their discourses on
PrEma-bhakti:
While in DwAraka, Lord KrishNa posed as if suffering from severe headache. His
royal consorts were all worried as no medicine could relieve Him of the
headache. Sage nAradA who happened to arrive there at that time, requested the
Lord about the way to cure his pain. The Lord told him that if some foot-dust
of a devotee was applied on His head, the pain would disappear. Sage nArada
informed His Consorts of this. No one was prepared to take the dust from her
feet and apply on the Lordâs head. On instruction from the Lord, nAradA went
to the Himalayas where, His devotees were doing penance and informed them of
the urgent requirement. No one among them was prepared to offer as they thought
it would amount to disrespect to the Lord. When nArada returned to the Lord to
report about his failure, SrI KrishNa asked the sage to proceed to the Vraj
bhoomi, that is BrindAvan etc. and try there. The Sage straight went there. All
the Gopis rushed towards nAradA
and enquired about the Lord. NArada informed them about the Lordâs suffering
and asked them if they were prepared to offer the dust from their feet.
Immediately all the Gopis gathered all the dust from their feet and requested
the Sage to rush to DwAraka and apply the dust on the forehead of the Lord
without waste of time. NArada asked them to think a little about the
consequences of their action. As He was the Supreme Lord, applying the dust
from the bhaktasâ feet would incur them worst hell-life. The Gopis told the
sage that they were prepared to suffer any hell but their wish was the Lordâs
welfare. They refused to hear the arguments from the Sage and wanted him to
rush the bagful of dust to the Lord immediately. This is the real SEshatvam
and SwAmi Desikan rightly said: âthanakku Or upakAratthai pradhAnamAkp
paTRavanRikkE para-upakAra-arhamAkai.â â Helping others is the sole
qualification for SEshatvam, without a trace of
self-interest..
(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
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