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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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