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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00097 Feb 2004

 
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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha



We have already seen that our sampradayam is a tattvatraya sampradayam. That is 
we accept that there are three tattvas viz., achit, chit and Ishvaran. 
Thirumangai azhvar started the prabhandam with the tattva vivEkam as done by 
bhagavan Sri Krishna in the starting of bhagavat geetha chapter 2. Till now we 
have seen about the achit that is seen before us with our eyes -minnuru. Now 
azhvar starts to talk about the next tattva that cannot be seen with our eyes 
but has to be visualised within us (through Athma sAkshAtkaram). The ways to 
attain this athma sAkshAtkaram has been largely explained by geethAcharyan in 
the first six chapters ("jnAnakarmAthmikE nishtE yOgalakshE susamskruthE I 
AthmAnubhoothi sidhyarthE poorvashatkEna shOdhithE II" declares aalavandaar the 
essence of the first six chapters in his geethArtha sangraham). Is attaining 
the Athma sAkshAtkaram the final result? No. Bhagavan Sri Krishna further 
continues with the next stage of development that is the bhakthi yoga in the 
7th chapter. As an introduction to the same (avadhArikai) bhagavan ends the 
sixth chapter with "yOginAmapi sarvEshAm mathgathE andharAthmanA I shraddhAvAn 
bhajathE yOmAm samE yuktha thamO matha: II" [More than the earlier said yogis 
and tapasvis that person who is mentally involved with me and he who whole 
heartedly strives to attain me by worshiping me with love (bhakthi) that 
upAsakan (bhakthan) is considered closer to me]. 



After attaining the athma sAkshAtkaram, (thingal thAnAi) one comes to know 
about the soul well. What is the nature of the soul?



(pinnuruvAi) The soul is different from that we see with our eyes. It is beyond 
the 24 tattvas that come under the category of achit. Like the front end and 
back end in the modern computer world there is one tattva that is see in front 
of us but the actual tattva that governs is at the back (inside, pinnuru). This 
is shown by the "makAram" in the omkaram.



(munnuruvil pinimoopillA pirappiliyAi) We see that the body takes birth one day 
and it dies one day. In between in the lifetime many doubles like 
happiness-sorrow, victory-defeat, good health-disease etc are all faced. Does 
the soul or the body experience all these? Many of us have an illusion that the 
body and the soul are same and hence we call ourselves to be the body and 
concentrate most of the time in taking care of our body. But none of us care 
about the upliftment of the soul. (athmAvai vaiyililE vaiththu vudambai 
nizhalilE vaiththal). Now azhvar clarifies this doubt and declares that the 
soul that is the 25th tattva is not affected by anything that is faced by the 
body (munnuru). All the pini (sorrow -indicates to all the ignorance,agyAnam), 
mooppu (old age)- pirappu (birth) etc (indicates the shatbhAvavikAram (six 
stages of changes in anybody) are only for the body, the soul is not affected 
by any of these. It just moves on from one body to another. This has been 
explained beautifully by geethacharyan in 2 slokas.



"dEhinOsmin yathA dEhE gowmAram yowvanam jarA I

tathA dEhAntara prApthi: dheerastatra na muhyathi II" [2-13]



dEhina: -For the athma;

asmin dEhE - (Inside) this body;

gowmAram - teens;

yowvanam - youth;

jarA-old age;

yathA (bhavanthi) -how it happens; (the change is only to the body but the soul 
remains without any change, but it appears to have changed due to its existence 
inside);

tathA - similarly;

dEhAntara prApthi: - (it leaves this body) and attains another body

dheera: - One who is intelligent;

tattra na muhyathi- doesn't get confused (mayakkam adaivathillai) about leaving 
this body and taking another.



The same meaning has been indicated by thirumangai azhvar's words, 
"pinimoopillA". Further azhvar says "pirappiliyAi" Sri Krishna explains,



"na jAyathE mruyathE vA kadhAchin nAyam bhoothvA bhavithA vA na bhooya: I

ajO nithya: shAsvathOyam purAnO na hanyathE hanyamAnE sareera II" [2-20]



This athma is never created nor destroyed; it is not that the soul is created 
in the starting of the kalpa and that he will be destroyed at the end of the 
kalpa. He is without a start or end. He is permanent without any change. Though 
he is ancient he is new. Hence when the body is destroyed the soul remains 
without any harm. 

[This reminds all of us the scientific theory that matter can be neither 
created nor destroyed it can be changed only from one form to another. Here the 
soul is neither created nor destroyed it only moves from one body to another.]



Next azhvar says "erappadarkkE ennAdhu". All along it has been said that there 
is no birth or death for the soul then what is azhvar trying to convey saying 
"not thinking to die" lets see in the next posting.



(To be continued)



Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam



Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

































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