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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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