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srI:
SrI sAra sAram â I (25)
--
I â ThirumantrAdhikAram
--
The Significance of the âmâ in PraNava (continued)
---
SwAmi Desikan has so far showed us the way one has to meditate on the
praNava as a whole as well as on the individual syllables, âaâ, âuâ,
âmâ and the hidden suffix. The syllable, âmâ which represents the
jivAtmA also indicates the truths: the jIva is of the form of consciousness; he
has knowledge as an instrument called âdharmabhoota-j~nAnaâ to know about
things around him; he solely belongs to the Supreme Lord Who is represented by
the first syllable, âaâ along with the second syllable âuâ; not only
he, but his physical body, his qualities which are non-sentient also are the
properties of the Lord alone.
After giving this total picture, SwAmi Desikan now, out of his
broad-mindedness, states other views also:
âkaThaSrutiyil conna yOjanAntaratthil madhyama-aksharam lakshmee-vAcakamAi
poorva aksharattODu samasthamAkiRathu. appOthu, avadhAraNam artha-siddham. Oru
Sabdatthukku vyutpatti-bhEdatthAlE artha-bhEdam collukai SrutyAdikaLilE
prasiddham. âagratah prayayau rAmahâ enkiRa SlOkatthilE poorvarkaL
vArtthaiyai ingE anu-sandhippathu. âmama nAthaâ enkiRa SlOkatthilum ithil
aksharArtha-vAkyarthangkaL niRkiRa nilaiyaik kaNDu koLvathu.â
It has been stated that the middle syllable âuâ indicates that the
Lord has the exclusive ownership of the individual souls who neither belong to
any others nor to themselves. Besides this, there is another meaning for this
syllable, says Swami Desikan:
âkaThaSrutiyil conna yOjanAntaratthil madhyama-aksharam lakshmee-vAcakamAi
poorva aksharattODu samasthamAkiRathu.â â
When we consider the KaTha-srutiâs view that the middle syllable, âuâ,
indicates Lakshmee, it along with the first syllable âaâ makes clear that
the jIva is SEsha to both the Lord and His Consort. The text of the KaTha-sruti
is as follows:
âakArENOcyatE vishNuh sarvalOkESvarO harih /
uddhrutA vishNunA lakshmeeh ukArENOcyatE tathA //
makArastu tayOrdAsa iti praNava-lakshaNam /â
(By the syllable, âaâ, is denoted VishNu, the Ruler of all the worlds; and
Lakshmee, Who is supported by VishNu, is denoted by the syllable, âuâ; the
âmâ indicates that the jIva is their servant. This is the definition of the
praNava.)
Earlier, it was said that the syllable, âuâ indicates that the jIva
is exclusively SEsha to the Lord. Now, as the letter is said to indicate
Lakshmee, the question may arise as to how the earlier view can be derived. To
this, Swami Desikan gives the answer:
âappOthu, avadhAraNam artha-siddham.â â Then the definition of âuâ as
the jIvaâs exclusive SEshatvam to the Lord, is the derived meaning.
SwAmi Desikan explains further:
âoru Sabdatthukku vyutpatti-bhEdatthAlE artha-bhEdam collukai
SrutyAdikaLilE prasiddham.â -- It is common in the study of scriptures to
derive different meanings of a single word by splitting it in various ways.
SwAmi Desikan gives an example:
âagratah prayayau rAmahâ enkiRa SlOkatthilE poorvarkaL vArtthaiyai ingE
anu-sandhippathu. â In this case, it is recommended to consider the views
expressed by seniors on this SlOka, beginning with âagratah prayayau rAmahâ
in the RAmAyaNa.
To understand this we shall see the SlOka in full:
âagratah prayyau rAmah sItA mdhyE sumadhyamA /
prushThatastu dhanushpANih lakshmaNOnujagAma ha //â (RAmayaNa, 3-11-1)
(RAma went first, sItA walked in the middle, and LakshmaNa, bow in hand, went
following them.)
This SlOka used to be referred by our poorvAchAryas as a pramANa for the
interpretation of the praNava. When SrI RAma, sItA and LakshmaNa entered the
forest, they lined up like this: First SrI RAma went; He was followed by sItA
and LakshmaNa went after them. This pictures the praNava â RAma represented
âaâ; sIta âuâ, and LakshmaNa represented âmâ, the jIva.
SwAmi Desikan further says:
ââmama nAthaâ enkiRa SlOkatthilum ithil aksharArtha-vAkyarthangkaL
niRkiRa nilaiyaik kaNDu koLvathu.â ---
The arrangement of letters and their significance can be seen in the SlOka
beginning with âmama nAthaâ. This SlOka belongs to SrI stOtra-ratnam:
âmama nAtha yadasti yOsmyaham sakalam taddhitavaiva mAdhava /
niyatasvamiti prabuddhadheerathavA kim nu samarpayAmi tE //â
(stOtra-ratnam - 53)
(Oh Lord! Whatever I am, whatever I have â all these, verily, are Your own!
Oh MAdhava! After becoming aware of the fact that all these are Your own fixed
properties, what shall I offer Thee?)
This SlOka brings out the significance of three syllables of the
praNava individually as well as the significance of the praNava itself on the
whole.
SwAmi Desikan concludes the elucidation on the praNava which is the
first word of the Tirumantiram with a verse in Tamil:
âkAraNamum kAvalanumAki enRum
kamalaiyuDan piriyAtha nAthanAna
nAraNanukku aDiyEn nAn aDimai pooNDa
nallaDiyArkku allAl maTRoruvarkku allEn
AraNangaL koNDu akamum puRamum kaNDAl
aRivAki aRivathumai aRu nAnkanRic
ceeraNintha cuDarpOlat thikazhnthu ninREn
cilai vicayan thEr anaiya ciRu vEdatthE.â
(nArAyaNan is the first Cause of all. He is protecting all; He remains
inseparable from Lakshmee; jIva, the sentient-being, is the form of
consciousness and also has consciousness as an attribute; and totally different
from non-sentient objects. Being such, I am the servant of the Supreme Lord;
and to the BhAgavthas who are His devotees; and to none else. This is the
essence of the praNava, which is similar to Arjunaâs chariot. This is verily
the essence of the VEdAnta.)
(To continue)
dAsan
Anbil S.SrInivAsan
---------
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