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 SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"The legs themselves are constitued by the four
attributes of Dharmam, VairAgyam, Jn~anam and Isvaryam. The four 
planks on top
of them are adharmam, Ajn~Anam, AvairAgyam and Anaisvaryam. These are 
the
abhimAni dEvathaa viseshams of the throne of the Lord.
Are these positive attributes or should we implicate negative
positive all are his.
Or does this 4 attributes have other meanings.'
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


Vedanta recognizes 3 kinds of negation. One is abhAva, absence of a 
thing, another is anupalAbdhi, non- apprehension of a thing and third 
is this, the contradictory  of something. They are designated as 
PrAgabhAva and PradhvamsAbhAva, that is, contradictory to the 
existence or contradictory to the emergence of a thing into 
existence. This means that when one thing exists, the other can not 
exist, just as there is a conflict between good and evil. Though we 
may come across many persons who are bad in some ways and good in 
others, but certainly not good and bad with respect to the same thing 
at the same time. 

To show how the contradictory statements are analysed with reference 
to the given subject, let me quote how the similar contradictory 
terms, SambhUti and AsambhUti (vinAsha) (birth & non-birth) as used 
in the Upanishad (Isha- 14). Here we find that A-sambhUti means not 
death but the destruction of impediments to birth into Divine life. 
This shows the contradictory term is used as that which is 
the `other' of the first one and not as an opposite meaning that can 
be applied at any other context. Thus context is very important in 
arriving at the inference!

Here in the above passage, since God is all Dharma etc, the 
contradictory of it can not exist along with Him or rather in His 
abode. If Dharma exists, that means adharma can not exist there. But 
how is this possible as per the passage? Or what is implied?
------------------------------------------

That Brahman is `satyam, gyanam and anatham' is repeated in many 
Upanishads. In this `anantham' attribute, comes a whole lot of 
contradictory attributes.
He is aNuh, atomic; bRihat, macrocosmic; kRSaH, lean; sthUlaH, fat; 
guNabrt, full of attributes; nirguNaH, attributeless; mahAn, great; 
adhRtaH, supportless. These names occur in continuous succession in 
Vishnu sahasranAma. But these attributes are not seen as un-
sustainable opposites, but as describing the eight powers of yoga: 
namely, aNimA, mahimA, laghumA, garimA, Isitva, vaSitva, prAkAmya and 
prApti ? meaning, the powers to become atomic, transcendent, light, 
heavy, the power to will anything beyond any natural phenomenon, 
effortless attainment of anything and omniscience coupled with 
omnipotence! 

It is in this way only, the co-existence of Dharmam, VairAgyam, 
Jn~anam and  Isvaryam as four legs of the throne and adharmam, 
Ajn~Anam, AvairAgyam and Anaisvaryam as planks can happen.

 If we see these contradictory concepts, we find that a cohabitation 
or combination of the two in a pair does not and need not cancel each 
other, as how we think a positive and a negative cancel each other. 
If attributes are classified into positive and negative (like good 
and bad, devas and asuras) and if it be assumed that they equal each 
other, will they then be cancelled and become zero? There is another 
question also. If Brahman is all auspiciousness (nowhere texts say 
that He has negative attributes. He is Amalan and Nirmalan), from 
where the inauspicious qualities come? Since everything has sprung 
from Brahman, does it mean that this inauspicious / bad nature also 
has sprung from Him? 

When He is all dharma etc, why then He must be seen to be resting on 
or vice versa (as per the question) adharma?
--------------------------------------------------------
To explain this let me make an equation like this.
The Lord has both sets of these as per the description given.

Let me not consider them +ve or ? ve attributes. Let me assume that 
they are all same +ve as the Lord is not associated with anything 
negative.
So let me say that He is One with these two.
That is,
1+1 = 0.
If this has to be proved right, the 1 on the left must like this.
+1 & -1
1+1=0 only if 
+1 = -1
In this universe we find that  one and its reciprocal does not cancel 
each other, leading to annihilation or nothingness. Instead  we find 
that these opposites occur in the same system, and  we find that 
these two opposites tend to attain the next nearest equilibrium and 
not total annihilation, when their balance is disturbed.

Thus 1+(-1) is not shunyam, but it is  Poornam, perfection. Sruti 
texts also testify that He is Purnam. 
If it be said that the 0 in the equation is shunyam only, it is 
replied, that since shunyam means Nothingness, it is then equal to 
its contrary, Everything!!

In other words, 
Substituting these terms in the equation, we get,
Everything = Nothing
Since 
+1 +(-1) = Nothing,
Everything = +1 + (-1)
In other words,
Everything = positive + negative.
Since from  non-existance (of Nothing state), everything has evolved, 
the +ve an d-ve must have evolved together at the very beginning.

But the hitch here is how come the Everything that evolved, which is 
nothing but Brahman which is auspicious, can have ?ve within it?

To show mathematically, let us assume that 0 existed in the beginning 
and the apparent attributes spoken by the texts is that it has all 
that is +ve. Creation further proceeded and there is systematic 
simplification and separation of these attributes, so that It can 
become many in the finite world. Therefore there happens a situation 
when the positive is subtracted from the 0, from anu to brihat level. 
What will we get is positive is subtracted from zero, a negative!! ( 
0 ? (+1) = -1)

I think that this solves the riddle of opposites - they co-exist, 
though we perceive them not so. At any one time we perceive one of 
them and the other as absence of this one.
This can be understood like this.

 Let us imagine our globe with day and night (light and darkness) in 
co-existence. When we are standing at any one place on the earth, at 
the finite level, either we will be in the day zone or in the night 
zone. We wont experience the other ? like (as earlier stated) how a 
person can be good in respect of a thing at one time and not be both 
good and bad at that time with reference to that thing.) 

But if we move a little high above our earth, at some height we will 
see both day and night, light and darkness next to each other, but 
seeming to chase each other perpetually. The darkness chasing away 
the light and light chasing away the darkness (tamasomaa Jythir 
gamaya). At some heightened level of consciousness, perhaps we attain 
the purport of this vachan.

Much higher still, perhaps at the height of moon, the opposites cease 
to exist! (Please recall the famous photo of earth taken from the 
moon in one of the Apollo missions.) Away from finite living on the 
globe, what we now see is just half of the globe, perhaps with a 
slight bulge at the twilight zone, shining with light. This reminds 
me of how Brahman can always be perceived as light, sat and 
auspiciousness only. (but note that this perception  occurs only at 
some height ?of transcendence). What is this darkness at the other 
half? It automatically co-exists but as `non-manifest' in Brahman. It 
gets manifest only down the line of creation. 

We also note that the opposites do not cancel each other. They just 
balance each other. (Another corollary is in the creation of 7 lokas 
above in light,  which automatically ensures creation of 7 lokas 
below (patala etc) in darkness). Balance is the nature of creation. I 
think it is this balance that the Lord is showing in Vaikuntham. 
By the passage 
"The legs themselves are constitued by the four
attributes of Dharmam, VairAgyam, Jn~anam and Isvaryam. The four 
planks on top
of them are adharmam, Ajn~Anam, AvairAgyam and Anaisvaryam. These are 
the
abhimAni dEvathaa viseshams of the throne of the Lord."

We find the inevitable co-existence of the two contradictory and the 
Lord's Lording of one over the other ? that is Dharmam above adharmam.
-------------------------------------------------
Now about Brahman with contradictions.

Sruti texts do speak about Brahman as two-natured characteristic. 
Verses from  3-2-11 to 3-2-25 of Brahma sutras speak of this two-
naturedness. This is explained by Neti clauses. Since it is being 
said that Brahman is free from old age, disease, evil and so on, the 
characteristic of something is supposed to be not in Brahman. The one 
being imperfection and the other being perfection which is Brahman. 
This Imperfection is also part of Brahman and Brahaman is also in 
them though It is not tainted by the Imperfections. One example is 
the Taiittriya vachan that Brahman is evacuation at anus!

The two-fold characteristic has been authenticated by the BG in  many 
places. Such opposites are the nature of things in Prakrithi. But the 
self is expected to keep equi-distant from them and treat them with 
equanimity.  They don't cancel out each other. When one is perceived, 
the other is not perceived. 18-30 says that the one having knowledge 
of the contradictions is saattwic. 
What the jeeva perceives  in Vaikuntham is Dharma etc only, but since 
it is a Released soul, it perceives the inevitable `other' of them 
and the Lord `lording' them as One different from them!

Hope I didn't blabber something.

Regards,
Jayasree saranathan




--- In Oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "sgopan" <sgopan@xxxx> wrote:
>
> Dear List Members :
> 
> May I invite volunteers to address this request for Information ?
> Swamy NammAzhwAr ThiruvAimozhi on ThiruviNNagarappan 
> and the different VishNu sahasra Naamams might be a good start .
> 
> Thank you in advance ,
> V.Sadagopan 
> 
> 
>                                          shree:
> 
> Sreeman sadagopan ji;
>                             I have small doubt sir.  Actually I 
think I did not understand the meaning and relation  I request sir, 
to  put in plain words.     
>   
> Saluting the PurvAchAryAs near the Lord's Throne 
> The jeevan sees the assembly of purvAchAryAs infront of the 
simhAsanam of Sri Vaikunta nAthan . They are beaming with joy over 
the Lord's efforts bearing fruit. The jeevan offers its salutations 
to them and comes closer to the Lord's throne. There, the muktha 
jeevan witnesses that the foot (support) of the legs of the throne is 
the Past, the future, Isvaryam and amrutham as stated in Kousheedhaki 
Upanishad. The legs themselves are constitued by the four attributes 
of Dharmam, VairAgyam, Jn~anam and Isvaryam. The four planks on top 
of them are adharmam, Ajn~Anam, AvairAgyam and Anaisvaryam. These are 
the abhimAni dEvathaa viseshams of the throne of the Lord. 
>            Are these positive attributes or should we implicate 
negative positive all are his.
> Or does this 4 attributes have other meanings.
>  
>  
>  
> Thanking you 
>  
> Pranamams 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>






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