NOTE: Readers having difficulty in reading the text may need to change their encoding to UTF-8. ---------------- 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 ---------  Messenger blocked? Want to chat? Go to http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php ------------------------------------ Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/join (Yahoo! 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