நாராயண பட்டத்திரி நாராயணீயத்தை ஶ்ரீ குருவாயூரப்பனின் மகிமையுடன் தொடங்குகிறார் தசகம் 1ல். அதனில் அவர் தூய இருப்பு, தூய உணர்வு மற்றும் தூய பேரின்பம் (சத், சித், ஆனந்தம்) ஆகியவற்றின் உருவான பிரம்மன் எனப்படும் இறுதி யதார்த்தமே அந்த குருவாயூரப்பன் என்று ஒரு அடையாளத்தை நிறுவுகிறார்.
அடுத்த தசகம் 2ல், அந்த பரப்பரம்மமாகிய சத் சித் ஆனந்தத்தை உணர வேண்டும் என்ற ஒன்றினையே குறிக்கோளாக வைத்து வாழ நினைக்கும் அடியார்களுக்கு ஶ்ரீ குருவாயூரப்பனின் (இறைவனின்) வசீகரமான வடிவத்தையும், பக்தி மார்க்கத்தின் மேன்மையையும் வெளிப்படுத்துகிறார்.
இதனை தொடரந்து, தசகம் 3-ல் பட்டத்ரி அப்படி வாழ்ந்திடும் ஒரு பக்தரின் குணாதிசயங்களை எடுத்துரைக்கிறார்.
இங்கனம் படிப்படியாக பக்தர்களின் மனதை பக்குவப்படுத்தியபின், நாராயண பட்டத்திரி தசகம் 4ல், ஶ்ரீ குருவாயூரப்பன் மீது நமது மனதை நிலைநிறுத்துவதற்கான நுட்பங்களை அஷ்டாங்க யோகத்தின் மூலம் (எட்டுவிதமான ஒழுக்க முறைகள்) எடுத்துரைக்கிறார்.
அடுத்து வரும் தசகம் 5ல், ஸ்ரீ நாராயண பட்டத்திரி விசாரணையை அண்டம் (பிரபஞ்சம்) எனும் உயர்நிலைக்கு எடுத்துச்செல்கிறார். ஆன்மீகத்தில் முன்னேற்றம் காணும் போது அண்டத்தில் உள்ளதே பிண்டத்தில் உள்ளது எனும் உணர்வினை நமக்கு ஊட்டிட, அண்டம் உருவானது எப்படி என்பதை விவரிக்கிறார்.
அண்டமும் அதன் பரிமாணமும்
அண்டம் என்றவுடன் தெளிவான மற்றும் மூடுபனி இல்லாத நாளில், சந்தி வேளையில் அடிவானத்தை தொடர்ந்து அண்ணார்ந்து பார்த்தால், நாம் பிரகாசமான நட்சத்திரங்கள் மற்றும் கிரகங்களைக் காணலாம். அப்படி காணும் போது நமது சிந்தனை எங்கு செல்கிறது?
அடேயப்பா! என்ன அருமை! என்ன படைப்பு! எப்படி இது சாத்தியம்? என்றெல்லாம் வியக்கிறோம் அல்லவா.
1. அண்டம் என்பது என்ன? ஏன் ஒன்றுமில்லை என்பதை விட இருப்பு என்ற ஒன்று இருக்கிறது?
2. அண்டமும் அண்டத்தில் காணும் இவைகளனைத்தும் எவ்வாறு தோன்றின?
3. இந்த செயல்பாட்டில் ஒரு ஒழுங்கு இருக்கிறதா? அல்லது ஒன்றுக்கொன்று தொடர்பில்லாமல் தனித்தனியாக இயங்குகின்றனவா?
இப்படியெல்லாம் வியந்து, நமது எண்ணப் பறவைதனை சிறகடித்துப் பறக்க விடுகின்றோமல்லவா!
அப்படி நாம் பிரபஞ்சத்தை உற்றுப் பார்க்கும்போதும், சிந்திக்கும்போதும், இந்த அற்புதமான பிரபஞ்சத்தை எல்லையற்ற நுண்ணறிவு ஒன்று ஆளுகிறது என்பதை புரிந்து கொள்ள நமது பகுத்தறிவுள்ள மனதிற்கு கடினமாக இருக்காது.
இதைத்தான் நமது ரிஷிகள் ஆழ்ந்து கவனித்து ஆய்வு செய்தனர். இதைத்தான் நாராயண பட்டத்திரி தசகம் 5ல் கோடிட்டுக் காட்டுகிறார்.
தேவையான மனப்பான்மை
தசகம் 5-ஐப் பற்றிக் கூறுவதற்கு முன், ஸ்லோகங்களைச் சரியான கண்ணோட்டத்தில் புரிந்துகொள்வதற்கு, நமது ரிஷிகளால் நமது மறைகளில் விளக்கப்பட்டுள்ள பிரபஞ்ச பரிணாமத்தைப் (cosmic evolution) பற்றிய ஒரு கண்ணோட்டம் இன்றியமையாதது.
இந்த பிரபஞ்சத்தின் தோற்றத்தை விளக்கும் அதி உயர் கணனிகள் (super computers), நவீன அறிவியல் சாதனங்கள் மற்றும் கருவிகள் எதுவும் நம் முன்னோர்களிடம் இருக்கவில்லை என்பதை நாம் மனதில் தெளிவுபடுத்திக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். அவர்களிடம் இருந்த தரவுகள் (data) குறைவு. எனினும் ஆண்டவன், அண்டம், பிண்டம் எனும் மூன்று தத்துவங்களுக்கிடையேயான உறவுகளைப் புரிந்துகொள்வதில் திடமான மன உறுதியும் “எள்ளத் தனைப்பொழுதும் பயனின்றியிராது, நெஞ்சினிலே நீதியும் நேர் கொண்ட பார்வையுடன், நம்புவதே வழி என்ற மறைதன்னை நம்பி” இறைபக்தியுடன் தன் தூய மனமெனும் அதி உயர் கணினி ஒன்றை மட்டுமே பயன்படுத்தி அண்டத்தில் நடக்கும் நிகழ்வுகளை புராணக் கதைகளின் வடிவத்தில் விளக்கினர் நமது ரிஷிகளும் முனிவர்களும்.
பொறி புலன் சார்ந்த இன்றைய விஞ்ஞான காலக்கட்டத்தில் பொருள் சார்ந்த ஆராய்ச்சிகளின் வழியாக கண்டவைகள் மட்டுமே உண்மை எனும் தற்போதைய படைப்புக் கோட்பாட்டின் மீது மிகுந்த நம்பிக்கை நமக்கு இருப்பதால், இந்த புராணக் கதைகளை மூடநம்பிக்கை என்று நாம் புறக்கணிப்பதில் வியப்பு ஒன்றுமில்லை.அந்த ரீதியில் இந்த கதைகளை எடுத்துக் கொண்டால் அவைகளில் எந்த அர்த்தமும் இல்லை என்று தோன்றும்.
இருப்பினும் திறந்த மனமுடன், முன்முடிவுகள் எதுவுமில்லாமல் (open mind without preconceived notions) நாம் நமது பிண்டத்தை உள்நோக்கி ஆழமாக சிந்தித்துப் பார்த்தால் இதன் பின்னணியில் உள்ள தத்துவத்தை ஒருவர் புரிந்து கொள்ள முடியும்.
இன்றைய விஞ்ஞானிகள் கணித சமன்பாடுகள், உருவகங்கள், மாதிரிகள் (equations, simulations, models) போன்ற கருவிகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி அண்டத்தை ஆய்வு செய்ய புறநோக்கு வழிமுறைகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி பொறி, புலன், பொருள் சார்ந்த ஆய்வுகளை (materialistic research) நடத்துகின்றனர்.
நமது முன்னோர்கள், நமக்குள் என்ன நடக்கிறது என்பதைப் புரிந்துகொள்வதற்கும், புராணக் கதைகள் மூலம் வெளியில் நடப்பதை மாதிரிகளாகப் புரிந்துகொள்வதற்கும் அஷ்ட யோகம், தியானம் முதலிய உள்நோக்கிய வழிமுறைகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி ஆன்மீக ஆய்வுகளைப் புரிந்தனர். அவ்வளவுதான் வித்தியாசம்.
இப்படி வேறுபட்ட ஆராய்வுகளின் மூலம் அறிய எண்ணும் ஆண்டவனை (ஆண்டவனின் வெளிப்பாட்டை) நாம் அறிவது என்பது ஒரு முடிவிலி. அதனால் தான் இரண்டு வழிமுறைகளும் வெறும் அனுமானங்களே. நமக்கு தேவை நேரடி சுய உணர்வு. அப்படி இருக்கையில், ஒன்றை மட்டும் வெறும் கட்டுக்கதைகள் என்றும் உண்மை அல்ல என்றும், மற்றொன்றை சரி என்றும் உண்மை என்றும் கருதுவது நமது மடமையைக் குறிக்கும்.
இனி வருவது
அடுத்த சில வலைப்பதிவுகளில், அண்ட பரிணாமத்தின் விஞ்ஞான மற்றும் ஆன்மீக முன்னோக்குகளின் கண்ணோட்டத்தை அறிய முற்படுவோம். இது நாராயணீயம் தசகம் 5 ஐ நன்கு புரிந்துகொள்ள நமக்கு உதவும்.
இந்த வலைப்பதிவுகள் எனது மற்றொரு வலைதளப் பதிவிலும் (substack -சப்ஸ்டாக்) ஆங்கில செய்திமடல் வடிவில் (newsletter) வெளிவரும். அதன் இணைப்பு இதோ.
Sri. Narayana Bhattathri starts Narayaneeyam with description and the glory of Lord Guruvayurappan in Dasakam 1, where he establishes the identity of the Lord with the Ultimate Reality called Brahman, the embodiment of Pure Existence, Pure Consciousness and Pure Bliss (Sat, Cit, Anandam).
In the next Dasakam 2, he brings out the charming form of the Lord and the superiority of the path of devotion in one’s goal of realising Sat Cit Anandam.
He follows it up by identifying the traits and true characteristics of a devotee in Daskam 3. Having conditioned the mind of the devotees with these overall preparations, Bhattathri then addresses the techniques of establishing their minds on Lord Guruvayurappan through Ashtanga Yoga (the eightfold discipline) in Dasakam 4.
In Dasakam 5, Sri Narayana Bhattathri elevates the plane of inquiry to the Cosmos. After all what happens in Cosmos and what happens inside each of us can’t be entirely different when it comes to spiritual progress towards the Ultimate Reality.
Cosmos – Coexistence of tradition and modernity in understanding the “Poornam” (Infinity)
Talking about Cosmos, on a clear and fog free day, during the “सन्ध्या काल" "sandhya kaala” (translated as “twilight” in English) the brightest stars and planets can be seen, the horizon and terrestrial objects can be discerned. During this period, have you ever gazed observantly and reflectively the outer space?
1. Why is there something rather than nothing?
2. How did these come into existence?
3. Is there an order in this process?
When we do Cosmos gazing and contemplate, it is not difficult for a rational mind to “inescapably impose upon us the comprehension that an infinite intelligence rules this wonderful cosmos”. This is what our Rishis observed and studied in depth. This is what Narayana Bhattathri is outlining in Dasakam 5.
Before we get on with Dasakam 5, an overview of the Cosmic Evolution as explained by our Rishis in our Scriptures is vital to appreciate the Slokas in the correct perspective.
We must bear in our minds that our ancestors did not have any of the modern scientific equipment and tools to explain the origin of this universe. The amount of data that they had was limited.
All that were there, were only positive thinking rational individuals with a firm grit and determination to understand the relationships between individual, the universe and the creator. The tools and equipment they had were super computers called brain and an operating system called “manas” or the mind in each of them. They modelled the cosmological events in the form of mythical stories.
In the modern times, being so confident in our present theory of creation we disregard these mythical stories as superstition. Taken literally these stories do not make any sense, however if we contemplate deeper one can make sense of the philosophy behind it.
After all today’s science uses outward looking means to probe Cosmos using mathematical models while Seers and Saints used inward looking means to understand what is happening deep down inside us and relate it to what is happening outside through mythical stories as models.
What next?
In the next few blogs, we will have a quick overview of the modern and traditional perspectives of the Cosmic Evolution. This will help us to understand the Dasakam 5 better.
These blogs will also appear as newsletter in my Substack page
Time and tide wait for no man is an old saying. The wheel of time is constantly moving ahead and waits for no one. The days are passing us by, one after another and the days that have gone by never return. We all know it, don’t we? However how do we do spend our time every day? Here is an interesting statistics:
OurWorldinData
Across the world, we spend the most time working and sleeping; and paid work, housework, leisure, eating and sleeping take together 80-90% of the 1440 minutes that we all have available every day. We hardly have any time for our own self. What a pity!
Here is a time lapse video tailored to depict this state of us.
A dayin our life
We do not know how the whole day passes. We are desperate to wait for the week end, the month end, the year end and the holidays. This goes on and on and on that we do not even heed the passing of each year until suddenly the realisation of “What have I done” comes down like a thunder when the designated time ( Sloka 1 - samprapte sannihite kaale) arrives. Even at that time our desires don’t end. We stil have items to be ticked off in our bucket list.
This is what Adi Sankara brings out in this beautiful Sloka 12. Let us examine this Sloka.
Sanskrit Verse
दिनयामिन्यौ सायं प्रात:
शिशिरवसन्तौ पुनरायात: ।
काल: क्रीडति गछत्यायु
स्तदपि न मुञ्चत्याशावायु: ॥
Adi Sankara
English Transliteration
dinayāminyou sāyam prāta:
shishiravasantou punarāyāta:
kālakrīdati gachatyāyu:
tadapi na munchatyāshāvāyu:
Meaning of the Sanskrit Words
दिनयामिन्यौ= dina+yAminI=day + night; सायं= saayam - evening; प्रातः= praatah - morning; शिशिर= shishira - frosty season; वसन्तौ= (and) vasantau - Spring season; पुनः= punah - again; आयातः= aayaatah - have arrived; कालः= kaalah - Master Time;क् रीडति= kridathi - plays; गच्छति= gachhathi - goes (away); ebbs away आयुः= aayuh - life/age; तदपि= tadapi - tat.h+api, then even; न= na - not; मुञ्चति= mun chatthi - releases; आशा= aasha - desire; वायुः= vayuh - air (the wind of desire does not let off its hold)
Meaning in English
Day and night, dawn and dusk, winter and spring come and depart again and again. Time thus frolics and plays and life ebbs away. Yet, one does not give up the gusts of desires.
Explanation
Swami Chinmayananda’s eloquent explanation
“The day decays to end itself in the night. The night dies only to blossom forth into the following day. The dawn grows in vigour and heat to be the noon, but soon wanes away to be the mellow dusk. On the wheel of happenings, the months steadily glide along and, in its soft-footed silent march, the irresistible floods of time roll up in waves of years, sweeping everything in front of its relentless might. Hushed in the silence of its own wonderment, age slips unperceived into its slushy grave.
Time moves on. That which was future becomes the present, and itself rolls away to join the endless ocean of the past. Time never stops, on no condition, for no person! It is ever on the march! Man, gathering memories from his own 'past', barricades his ‘present’, sets them ablaze with his excitements in his day-to-day life, and the rising fumes of his bosom blur his vision to make his life rigged with his anxieties for the ‘future’. As we thus waste ourselves with our endless manoeuvres, in the irresistible stride of time all our hopes and plans get defeated and routed.
Life is at Time's mercy ... In not recognising this, man desires to enjoy the sense-objects, strives, sweats and toils endlessly to acquire, to possess and to aggrandise - to hope, to spend ... And death snatches away everything from him ... He is compelled to leave everything here - and with painful bundles of impressions (vdsands) acquired in his desire-ridden selfish life, the miserable creature departs. How sad! Indeed, how tragic!
Desire for the fleeting, delusory golden-deer is, for the time being, seemingly more powerful for Sita than her infinite love for Rama, her divine beloved. This is delusion at play - maya with a vengeance.
Life steadily ebbs away, but desire fed by the sense gratifications only grows the more by them. Body decays and becomes infirm; it has grown to have no more strength to enjoy, but the man hungers all the more for sense-enjoyments. Death crawls behind; disease and decay accompany him. Piloted by worries and anxieties, this mournful procession reaches the edge of the grave ... Still man wants the joys of the pain-ridden objects.”
Swami Chinmayananda used to quote a beautiful simile. A man is chased by a tiger in the forest. He falls into a well. He is stuck in the well on a branch midway down. If he slips by a fraction of an inch he will plunge into the water below where water snakes are swimming about. The tiger peers threateningly at him from the top. Just then the man is stung by bees. Soon rats are busy gnawing at the creeper on which the man is being supported. A bear comes and claws into the honeycomb on the tree overhanging the well. In this perilous position, with danger at every turn, a drop of honey drips on his face from the honeycomb above. The man, forgetting all his perils, sticks out his tongue to lick it!
This typifies the kind of satisfaction we are seeking in worldly life. The serpents are one’s binds and bonds or attachments to objects , the well itself represents family life. The rats represent TIME. And the honey in the midst of all these dangers represents the momentary pleasures of sensual life.
Therefore, be wise. Give up desires. Seek the all-satisfying Reality that lies behind the mental show of change and sorrow. The Infinite alone will satisfy you. Seek it with a mind withdrawn from the fever of all passions”.
Conclusion
In Bhagwad Gita, Lord Sri Krishna explains:
All those who are lured to the sense objects and desire them are not awake but asleep to their nature of completeness which is Self contained and needs no perfection. The Jnani who is the knower of Truth, by the power of renunciation bestowed through Grace is able to restrain the outward going senses and is therefore fully awake to the consequences of allowing the sense organs a free play. As such, the Sage is asleep to the temptations of the world which attract the ignorant ones.
We have to understand that none of the objects of the world can give permanent happiness because of its temporary nature. Only that which is permanent alone can give permanent happiness. Self alone is permanent and hence it alone can give permanent happiness. If this is understood and there by if we have constant thought of the Self, that is only way to over come the delusion with the objects of the world.
The Time cycle is unavoidable; it is a law of Nature. But the cycle of joy and sorrow can be overcome by living in the light of knowledge and discovery of our true nature of spirit. This Sloka is cautioning us and telling us to lead our life intelligently. We should enjoy our life in such a manner that we retain our freedom and, in course of time, discover an inner self-sufficiency so that we become free from the dependence upon the world for our enjoyment.
“For that, in our day to day life we need ABCD, says Swami Paramarthananda - what we need is Appropriate Balanced Clean Desire”
As per the Dictionaries, the word “proud” conveys two meanings:
1. feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated."a proud grandma of three boys". Similarly a broad and beaming smile, a puffed out chest, a feeling of confidence and accomplishment- You’re proud of who you are and what you’ve done, and you’re celebrating it. Way to go! Feeling proud is the best. You can be proud of yourself for a number of reasons. We all have been at some time in our life.
2. having or showing a high or excessively high opinion of oneself or one's importance."a proud, arrogant man". Quite often we also have heard the term “success has gone into his head”. What does this mean? If you say that something such as praise or success goes to someone's head, you are criticizing them because you think that it makes them too proud or confident and make one conceited.
These two meanings convey the two distinct types of pride. Whereas the former called authentic pride — pride that stems from proven possession of a valued ability — is often narrowly defined, the later called hubristic pride is the opposite; a grandiose belief that one has prized qualities that one doesn’t actually have. Either of them is fundamentally about the behaviour of humans in day to day life. Society believes that the former is acceptable but the later is not.
For pride to work, it must be paired with humility — a humility to know that no matter our skill set, each of us depends on what others have to offer.Ultimately you have to wake up every day and look in the mirror, and you want to be proud of the person who’s looking back at you. And you can only do that if you’re being honest with yourself and being a person of high character.
In this Sloka, Adi Sankara helps us to look at ourselves in the mirror. He says that if one is honest with oneself and is of high character, he will keep asking himself a question.
“Have I created something or do I own and control something to be proud of?”
He takes three conceits as examples to explain the reality of life and provides a clear strategy to handle the unwanted situation of “success getting into head”. Let us examine this important Sloka.
Sanskrit Verse
मा कुरु धनजनयौवन गर्वं
हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम् |
मायामयमिदमखिलं हित्वा
ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा ||
Adi Sankara
English Transliteration
Maa kuru dhanajana youvana garvam
Harati nimEshaat kaala: sarvam
Maayaamayamidam akhilam hitvaa
Brahmapadam tvam pravisa viditvaa
Meaning of the Sanskrit Words
मा - Maa: Do not कुरु - Kuru: indulge in/take धनजनयौवन - Dhana: in Possession, Jana: in people, Youvana: in youth गर्वं - Garvam: pride
हरति - Harathi: will be washed away निमेषात्कालः सर्वम् - Nimaeshaath: in a moment, Kaalaha: the Time, Sarvam: all these
मायामयमिदमखिलं - माया , मयं, इदम् अखिलं - Maayamayam: माया-delusion; मयं= full of/completely filled; full of illusory nature, Idham: these/this, aKhilam: all हित्वा - hithva - Abandoning
ब्रह्मपदं - brahmapadham: the state of Brahman/the greater principles of Brahman त्वं - tvam: you प्रविश - pravisha: enter into विदित्वा - vidhitva: after realizing
Meaning in English
Do not boast of possessions , wealth, friends , and youth. Each one of these are destroyed within a moment by Time. Free yourself from the illusion of the world of Maya (illusory nature) and may you know the abode of Brahman and enter it.
Explanation
In this Sloka, Adi Sankara discusses
1. Humans and Conceits 2. Effect of Time 3. The world and Maya 4. Brahman and knowledge of Him
Humans & Conceits - dhana jana youvana garvam
Adi Sankara takes three hollow conceits Dhana, Jana and Yauvana: These three stand for wealth, fame, and youth; or Kanchana, Keerti and Kama; also called Vitteshna, Lokeshna and Putreshna (desire for wealth, fame and progeny) and states that these are all false vanities which will vanish in no time. These three are the classical obstacles to all spiritual endeavour. It is because they prop up the Ego, whereas spiritual Sadhana aims to destroy the Ego.
Let us examine these three “traitors”.
Dhana - Wealth - As said in the introduction, let us apply the question “ have I created the wealth or do I have control on this wealth?” I cannot claim so. Why? This wealth which I say is mine, is either inherited or earned. Let us leave out the inherited wealth and focus on the “earned wealth”. If I have earned it, it is because of certain abilities that I possess by God’s grace and the skills I have developed using my body mind complex, and all the intelligence and knowledge and skill that I have been provided with by my parents, teachers, institutions and trainers.
That is the reason that our scriptures clearly say that we have to be grateful and discharge our debts that we owe to God, Ancestors/parents and to the rishis who have been our teachers.
“devānāṃ ca pitṝṇāṃ ca ṛṣīṇāṃ ca tathā naraḥ | ṛṇavāñ jāyate yasmāttanmokṣe prayatet (ta ?)
Therefore, when we really think about the realities of life, there can be only humility and no pride. If we neither understand nor realise this basic gratefulness, the greatest risk that could accompany wealth is an arrogant attitude filled with disdain for the less fortunate. Here the term wealth encompasses not only material wealth, but also such things as position, name, fame, power, etc.
Just as wealth, so also people power and youthfulness are also not ever lasting. Sankara in the earlier Sloka 5, brought out clearly how even close relations may come to avoid one without wealth or earning power.
And as for youthfulness and bodily strength which are essentially based on fat & flesh, is there anyone who can defy the natural progression of the body to old age and eventual decay and death? Everything we own, we shall either leave them all one day, or they will leave us – and, that is an undeniable truth. In the very first Sloka Adi Sankara told our foolish minds that nothing will help us when the designated date and time arrive for the termination of the lease agreement between the body and soul.
Thus, the world and all the wealth it offers are only illusory and transient.
Effect of time - Harati nimEshaat kaala: sarvam
Sankara uses three important words, harati, nimesha kaala, sarvam; everything will be wiped out in a matter of seconds is the literal meaning.
To discuss and understand this sentence, one need not go anywhere. Here is the data from World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank:
From March 2020, in a matter of 1000 days (86,400,000 secs), “it” had the following impact so far:
1. 6,606,624 human beings were officially confirmed dead. That is approximately a death every 13 seconds all over the world. 2. Severe shock waves rocked through the world economy and triggered the largest global economic crisis in more than a century, 3. more than 50 percent of households in emerging and advanced economies were not able to sustain basic consumption for more than three months in the event of income losses, 4. a dramatic impact on global poverty and inequality with global poverty increased for the first time in a generation, and disproportionate income losses among disadvantaged populations led to a dramatic rise in inequality within and across countries
In this 21st Century of Science and Technology, did we know that “it” was coming? Did we know that “it” will do “Harati nimEshaat kaala: sarvam”? Thanks to “it” viz.,Covid 19 the pandemic, Wealth is gone, youth is gone, friends have gone in matter of seconds. मा कुरु धनजनयौवन गर्वं हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम्- Maa kuru dhanajana youvana garvam, Harati nimEshaat kaala: sarvam.
The world and Illusion - Maayaamayamidam akhilam
The world is filled with full of illusion is the literal meaning. “Maya mayam” says Sankara.
What is Maya? In Vedanta, this is a very complicated subject by itself and extensive research articles are available on this subject. We will not dwell in detail about this; but will have a bird’s eye view of this complex subject.
1. Maya is fundamentally inscrutable 2. We don’t know why it exists and we don’t know when it began. 3. It cannot be said either to exist or not to exist. For example - The phenomenon produced by the magician’s will, cannot be said to exist, because it soon disappears and the magician himself knows that it is an illusion. Neither can it be said not to exist at all, because we are conscious of the thing, though only for a time; and we are never conscious of a thing which does not exist at all (altogether non existent) like a man’s horn. 4. Maya has three qualities. It can project thoughts. It can conceal the truth. It can distinguish between what is truth and what is untruth. In Sanskrit they are called the Vikshepa Shakti (projection), Avarana Shakti (hiding), and Viveka Shakti (discriminative power). 5. As per Advaita Vedanta, Maya (ignorance called avidya) and Vidya (the knowledge of our own divine nature), are both the mighty potentialities of the Lord. They are NOT CREATED by God. By the one He partially conceals His true nature and manifests Himself as Jiva ; and then by the other which removes the veil of illusion, He realises Himself. What we do know is that, like any form of ignorance, maya ceases to exist at the dawn of knowledge of our own divine nature. As per Dvaita Vedanta, it is God’s mysterious power. As per Saiva Siddhanta, it is independent of God and is the material cause of the world.
Maya deprives me of a realistic or objective perception of life. I am not able to appreciate the world for what it is. The feelings of pleasure and security they bring are only fleeting and not real. The objects of this world manifest happiness like a brass object that shines like a piece of gold, or a piece of mirrored glass that may shine like a diamond. Just as this glitter does not mean that the objects are what they appears to be, so also, the glitter of security and happiness etc. in the objects of the world is not real. Sri Sankaracarya says, mayamayam idam, may you realize that all of this creation is mayamayam, a product of maya.
hithwa
The literal meaning is abandon, renounce, give up. Philosopher Eknath Easwaran used to say
In pleasure there is fear of disease; In a good family, fear of disgrace; In wealth, fear of taxes; In honor, fear of humiliation; In power, fear of enemies; In beauty, fear of old age; In learning, fear of contradiction; In virtue, fear of scandal; In the body, fear of death. All things of this world are mixed with worry. Renunciation alone brings freedom from fear.
Swami Viditatmananda Ji says “In Vedanta, renunciation is not an action; it is a state of mind, a certain attitude towards the things of the world. In renouncing, I do not do something or discard something outwardly. When I give up something and yet feel its loss, it only means that I have not really given it up inwardly.
Do not look to the world, the object for a solution to problems that pertain to the subject, the self for inward looking issues such as sadness, fear, or insecurity and reaching the ultimate goal of securing unadulterated permanent happiness. These cannot be solved by the objects of the world. Recognizing this fact is renunciation.
Renunciation is recognizing things for what they are, accepting that everything has a certain degree of reality or usefulness, and assigning them that degree of reality. As we have already been told, the solution to the problems of the self lies only in the knowledge of the self.
Adi Sankara advises us to realize that happiness is not to be found in any of this (dhana, jana, yovvana) and therefore he urges us to “hithwa” renounce it.
Viditva means having known, after realising (understanding and experiencing). Having known the truth about yourself, tvam brahmapadam pravisa, may you enter the abode of Brahman.
Therefore, to know the truth about myself and enter the abode of Brahman, I need to renounce the world i.e., when I cease to look to the world for solving my problems and reaching my goal. The very purpose of human birth is to become Divine. Becoming Divine is the goal of human life. Rest everything that comes is the way of life. We must never get confused between goal of life and way of life. The goal of life should be able to give us permanent happiness.
Having understood and experienced that “brahma satyam, and jagat mithya” (Only Brahman is the ultimate reality and the world is impermanent), my calm and peaceful mind can be free from any distractions, and then I will be able to focus my attention upon the knowledge of the Self and enter the abode of Self which is “Thou art that” (“tat tvam asi”). It is not attaining heaven that is above all the clouds with angels flying around us in white coloured clothes. It’s being Liberated, being Free, Here & Now! This is exactly what Adi Sankara said in Sloka 9 as “niscala tattve jivanmukti:”.
Conclusion
The transitory nature of the world and its pleasures should awaken us from our slumber. We must apply our intelligence and know that these things are in essence just illusions (Maya). Our goal should be to know the Supreme principle Brahman and to merge our little consciousness in it. The Atman, which resides inside us, is the true and everlasting principle.
Let us get this important message of Adi Sankara nad move on to the next Sloka, which will be in the next blog. Until then……
Bhattathri in this Sloka outlines the process of liberation (salvation) from the higher Lokas for the Krama Mukti Sadakas who have reached there and living there.
The yogi who attains this aspect of the migration into the Brahmaloka or in Thy abode, Vaikuntha is liberated at the time of Maha Pralaya. Or, if he so desires, he is liberated even earlier by piercing through the Brahmaanda and releasing himself by his yogic power.
Meaning of the Sanskrit Words
तत्र वा - either there (in Brahmaloka)
तव पदे-अथवा - or in Thy world (Vaikuntha)
वसन् - residing
प्राकृतप्रलये - at the time of Prakrita pralaya
एति मुक्तताम् - he attains liberation
स्वेच्छया खलु पुरा - (or) at his will even earlier, indeed
Continuing the journey of the Sadaka through Krama Mukti, Bhattathri now deals with the next level i.e., from Mahara Loka to Brahma Loka. Let us study the Sloka.
After reaching the land of Dhruva and a long stay in Mahar loka, when they start suffering from the hot breath of Adhi Sesha, they surrender completely to you and reach the land of Brahma. Or may choose to go to the world of Brahma even before the fire starts.
Meaning of the Sanskrit Words
आस्थित: अथ महरालये - residing there (in Dhruvaloka), then in Maharloka,
यदा शेषवक्त्र-दहन-ऊष्मणा - when, by the heat emanating from the mouth of Aadishesha ( at the approach of the cosmic dissolution)
आर्द्यते (he) - is tormented
ईयते (he) - reaches
भवत्-उपाश्रय: - taking refuge in Thee alone
तदा - then
वेधस: पदम् - the world of Brahmaa (Brahmaloka)
अत: पुरा-एव वा - or even before that (before the fire)
“There are in the Upanishads, intimations of Krama-Mukti or the progressive process of the liberation of the soul.
The Upanishads are emphatic in their statements that one who reaches through unselfish meditation and knowledge this Supreme Cause does not return to the mortal coil, but proceeds further to the Absolute Reality.
The Mundaka Upanishad says that the sages in the world of Brahma are liberated beyond death in the end of time. Those who attain the world of the Karya-Brahman remain there until the end of the universe, enjoying the effects of their "Satyakamas" and "Satyasankalpas", the fruits of their desires and willings based on Truth. Whatever they wish arises then and there instantaneously, for they are in harmony with the Universal Being. They enjoy the highest approximation to the bliss of the Lord of the universe”.
This is what Bhattathri is highlighting in this Sloka 11.
துருவமண்டலம், கிரமமுக்திவிழை உன் பக்தர்கள் பரமனே, !!
Meaning in English
O Lord! Thy devotee who follows the Krama Mukti path is led by the presiding deities of fire, day time, the bright fortnight, and Uttaraayana to the plane of the sun and enjoying in each of these spheres reaches the realm of Dhruva
“Sadyomukti is the processless immediate experience of Brahman, spaceless and timeless, on account of one's habituation to the non-dual knowledge of the Self. It is given to a very few to realise Brahman in this way, for most of the aspirants cannot proceed with their meditations without some kind of objective content in their consciousness. The meditation and the control of the Prana reaches a pinnacle that only a very few Sadhakas can realise.
In Krama Mukti, the liberated souls think and work through the higher thought of the spiritual nature, not through the mind and sense-organs of the lower nature. They breathe the universal life and exist as partakers of the joy of the Master of the universe. They have the unceasing immediacy of the consciousness of everything, an awareness of the inmost objective essences of the complete universe. Their experiences are, no doubt, objective, they being not identical with the Absolute, but they can have an entire knowledge of the universe through self-identification with anything, at any time”. In other words, they get rid of the gross body and use subtle their subtle and causal bodies.
These states are achieved through the Ashtanga Yoga of meditation and control of Praana. This is outlined by Bhattathri in this Sloka 10.
One who is desireless of visiting the other heavenly worlds, gives up (through his Aagyaa chakra) his gross body as well as the subtle bodies and merges in Thee. The one who desires to visit the heavenly regions before attaining liberation, goes out through the orifice in the crown of the head ( the Brahmarandhra)
Meaning of the Sanskrit Words
लिङ्ग-देहम्-अपि - even the subtle body
सन्त्यजन्-अथ: - giving up, then
लीयते - merges
त्वयि परे - in Thee, the Supreme Brahman
निराग्रह: - the one who is desireless
ऊर्ध्व-लोक-कुतुकी तु - but the one who desires to go to higher spiritual worlds
मूर्धत: - through the orifice in the head ( Brahmarandhra)
The culmination of eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga (Rajah Yoga) after passing through the other seven (the Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara and Dharana, Dhyana) is Samadhi.
Samadhi is attained through Samyama as discussed in previous posts, which is the combination of the last three limbs of Ashtanga Yoga ( Dharana, Dhyana , Samadhi). Samadhi is total absorption on the object being contemplated on using Dharana to keep the mind unwavering on the one object until the movement of the mind stops.
The eventual and ultimate form of Samadhi, is where there is no object to be contemplated on, and the movement of the mind (known in Sanskrit is vritti) stops.Through the previous eight Shlokas, Bhattathri outlined the steps of attaining Nirvikalpa samadhi, a meditative state of total absorption and bliss, through Ashtanga Yoga techniques.
This Samadhi is the eighth and final step on the path of ashtanga yoga.The state of nirvikalpa samadhi can only be attained by advanced practitioners, who have progressed through previous stages such as dharana (concentration) and dhyana(meditation).
In this and in the subsequent Slokas, Bhattathri now talks about two types of liberation (Mukti).
1. sadyomukti - sadyaH means immediate, at once, at the very moment. The moment referred to here is the instant of full, right knowledge of Brahman-Atman. 2. krama mukti --- meaning gradual mukti or mukti in stages; progressive effort towards liberation
Let us try to understand these Slokas in this and subsequent blogs.
Sanskrit Verse
त्वत्समाधिविजये तु य: पुनर्मङ्क्षु मोक्षरसिक: क्रमेण वा ।
உயர்த்திவிடுவர் தம் பிராணமதை பிறப்பிலா பெருமானே! 4.9
Meaning in English
O Birthless Lord! After one achieves Thee in Samaadhi, he can opt for immediate liberation or gradual liberation. Accordingly through the power of yoga he raises up his vital breath through the six centres along the Sushumnaa Naadi
Prabhu's Ponder 