NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. --------------- 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 --------- Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php ------------------------------------ Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! 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