Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra
Mahadesikaya nama:
“Six!”
The Stadium resounds with the roar of the cricket enthusiasts—“Six!” shout a
thousand voices in unison, even before the Umpire can raise his arms skyward.
The scoreboard rotates fast to add six runs to the batsman’s tally and the
bowler stands in despair, with his hand to his head.
Though there may be any number of shots, there is nothing more enthusing to the
spectators, more rewarding to the batsman and more humiliating for a bowler,
than the shot that secures six runs at a stroke. It is noteworthy that six is
the maximum number of runs, which a batsman can score from a single stroke. The
number of balls to an over is also limited to Six.
The number Six thus occupies a significant place in Cricket. If we really look
into the matter, we find that Six has an important place not only on the
cricket field, but in life too. We find the number spread throughout the
Scripture, accounting for some of the most venerated concepts and works. Shall
we see some of them?
We know the various divisions of time. Between the Month and the Year, there is
a segment, consisting of two months, known as the “Ritu”.
We thus have six Ritus in the year (“Shat vaa Ritava:” says the Shruti),
comprising respectively of the Vasantha, Greeshma, Varsha, Sharat, Hemanta, and
Shisisra Ritus. The best of these is the Vasanta Ritu, which heralds the
arrival of Spring. All trees and shrubs are in full bloom, dressing themselves
up with colourful blossoms, beckoning to passers by with their flowery hands.
The air is fragrant and scented; rivers and brooks appear to have a song on
their lips. Birds like the Koel are in full flow, filling their environs with
sweet strains. It is a season that arouses tender feelings in the human heart,
a season for rejoicing and festivities. It is also the season for performance
of Yaagas—“Vasante deekshayet Vipram”. It is the appointed Ritu for the
Jyothishtoma Yagam. The glory of this Ritu can be well understood, when we find
the Lord declaring Himself to be the Vasanta Ritu among the six Ritus—“
Maasaanaam Maargasheershoham, Ritoonaam Kusumaakara:” Other Ritus too h
ave their own beauty, as can be seen from Sri Valmiki’s detailed portrayal of
the Varsha and Hemanta Ritus.
The Year is again divided into two halves of Six months each, known as the
“Ayanam”. While the six months beginning with the Makara Maasam (“Tai”)
constitute the Uttaraayanam, the other six from “Kataka Maasam” (“Adi”)
comprise the Dakshinaayanam. These represent respectively the northward and
southward sojourns of the Sun, according to the Shruti—
“”tasmaat Aditya: shan maasa: dakshinena eti, shat uttarena”. If one is to
attain emancipation, one should shed one’s mortal coils during Uttaraayanam, we
are told. This is borne out by Sri Bhishma, though mortally wounded and lying
on a bed of arrows, hanging on to the slender thread of life, awaiting the
commencement of auspicious Uttarayanam to leave this world. However, these
rules regarding death during Uttarayanam or daytime, do not apply to Prapannas,
for whom the Lord has reserved a berth at SriVaikunttam, regardless of when
they breathe their last.
Another group, which is always counted in Sixes, is the Tastes. “Arusuvai” is
the word that comes to the mind, when we talk of an excellent feast. We find
Sri Nammazhwar too mentioning this-“Aam insuvai avai aarodu adisil undu aarnda
pin”. The Six Tastes or “Shadrasa”s are represented by Madhura, Aamla, Lavana,
Digdha, Katu and Kashaaya (Sweetness, Sourness, Saltiness, Hotness (“Kaaram”),
Bitterness, etc. The best and the most popular of these is of course Sweetness.
From the just-born child, which holds out its tiny tongue for another coating
of sugar, to the doddering old man, everyone likes sweets. You would have
observed how, on festive occasions, you are first treated to a sweet. The
western practice of ending the meal with a sweet-- a “Dessert”-- must have
originated with the Sanskrit dictum, “Madhurena samaapayet” (end your repast
with a sweet).
However, why would you say Sweetness triumphs over the other tastes? Apart from
its being easy on the tongue, the real reason is that it is the taste of the
Lord. Scriptures tell us that Emperuman is incredibly sweet. Sri Nammazhwar
confirms this—“ullam pugundu tittikkum Amude!”. While we have to go in search
of other sweets, this Sweet of all Sweets comes in search of us and enters us
of its own volition, to make our entire being tingle with an intensely blissful
experience. It is thus that “Maadhuryam” or Sweetness is counted among the
foremost of the Lord’s traits, as enumerated by Sri Ramanuja. The Lord is sweet
all over, without exception, says the Madhurashtakam, devoted solely to the
eulogy of this charming attribute—“Adharam madhuram, vadanam
madhuram…..Mathuradhipate: akhilam madhuram”. His walk, His talk, His conduct,
His lips, His face, everything about Him is sweet. Sri Andal asks the Lord’s
Conch Paanchajanyam to reveal the secret about the degree of sweetness t
hat the Lord’s lips possess--“tirup pavala chevvaai taan titthittirukkumo!”.
His feet are sweet, so much so that the surfeit of sweetness flows from the
tiruvadi like a river of honey, according to the Shruti—“Vishno: pade parame
madhva utsa:”
We know from experience that things which are good to the palate are not
necessarily conducive to our health—a diabetic’s mouth waters at the sight of
sweets, but he knows that his blood sugar would soar, if he were to succumb to
temptation. Spicy and oily food is tasty to consume, but wreaks havoc on one’s
stomach and heart. On the other hand, food that is good for health is often
tasteless or even bitter—take for instance Kashaayam given to a feverish
person. Bitter gourd (“Paagarkaai”) is supposed to work wonders to the
physique, but is unpalatable, as are Margosa leaves, which improve digestion
dramatically. It is thus difficult to find food that is delectable as well as
beneficial.
How good would it be to find some fare which is at once incredibly sweet on the
tongue, extremely beneficial to the physique and more so to the soul! Sounds
too good to be true? We need not despair, for we do have a ready delicacy on
hand, which is good both for the palate and the soul, being none other than the
Lord. He is not only sweet on the eyes, His voice is extremely pleasant to the
ears, His sacred names sit sweet on our tongues, He fills our minds with the
sweetest of thoughts (“Manatthukku iniyaan”) when we meditate on Him; service
or kainkaryam to Him is the most pleasant of professions. It is as if the
Doctor has prescribed us honey, which we even otherwise relish consuming.
However, those in the know of things, like the Veda Purusha, tell us that the
Lord is not only Sweet, but is the essence and repository of all tastes—“Raso
vai Sa:”, “Sarva Rasa:” etc. As consumption of mere sweets would pall,
Nammazhwar likens Him to a delicious amalgam of all the six tastes—“arusuvai
adisil engo!”, which is faithfully reflected by Sri Kalian—“kooriya arusuvai
payanum aayinai”.
Number Six is significant not only to us mortals, but to the Lord too—we are
told that His Principal Attributes, which give Him the name “Bhagavaan”, are
Six in number. Thus, “Bhagam” refers to the combination of the six glorious
Gunas of Emperuman—Gnaanam, Balam, Ishvaryam, Veeryam, Shakti and Tejas. Though
the Lord is credited with innumerable auspicious attributes, all of them flow
from one or the other of these Six Principal Attributes. It goes without saying
that Piraatti too is a repository of these six attributes—She is therefore
known as “Bhagavati” (“Bhagavateem Sriyam Deveem”—Sri Ramanuja).
Six is thus an extremely significant number. We find that an extremely
important and esoteric formulation, capable of conferring on us all that is
auspicious both in these and the higher worlds, is made up of Six letters—the
Shadakshara Mantram. This is the Vishnu Mantram, which forms the very basis for
our Visishtaadvaita philosophy, portraying the all-pervasiveness of the Lord.
Of the three Mantras of renown (“Vyaapaka Mantras”), viz, the Ashtaaksharam,
the Dwaadasaaksharam and the Shadaksharam, this is the shortest and sweetest.
There might be thirty-three Crore Devatas and more, but the principal among
them are only Six, says the Shanmata concept-- Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Kumara
(Murugan) Ganapati and Soorya. The respective tenets are known as Vaishnavam,
Shaivam, Shaaktam, Koumaaram, Gaanaapatyam and Souram. Sri Adi Shankara is said
to have propounded this concept of “Shanmatam” (Six Faiths), as can be deduced
from the sobriquet, “Shanmata Stthaapaka”, commonly attributed to him. However,
when we analyse his various pronouncements in his commentaries on the Gita and
the Brahmasutras, it is clear that Adi Shankara was a Vaishnava par excellence,
subscribing fully to the supremacy of Sriman Narayana. His repeated references
to this Deity as the Supreme Being, while commenting on various Gita slokas and
his admission of Vishnu paaramyam while analysing the Brahmasutra adhikarana
dealing with the acceptability of Paancharaatram, are indications that the
concept of Shanmatam might not have originated fr
om the same intellect.
Speaking of Devatas, most of the deities in our pantheon appear to sport more
than one head—from the two-headed Asvinee Devas, to the thousand-headed
Mahavishnu. Among these, however, there is a six-headed god too, Shanmukha or
Skanda, the son of Shiva.
The principal Systems of Philosophy, as known to us, are also Six—
1. Chaaruvaakam—This is the tenet of atheists, who accept no Atma, whether
Jeeva or Para. They accept as truth only what they are able to see with their
own eyes. They do not accept the Shruti or any other such exalted body of
knowledge as Pramaanam.
2. The Logicians—Taarkika Matam—This is the philosophy of those who
believe in reasoning out everything. Since they delight in asking questions,
since “Why” is their favourite word in the dictionary, they are known as
“Koutaskuta:’ (because they keep asking “Kuta:? Kuta?”).
3. Saankhyam—Kapila Maharshi, who is reputed to be an avataram of Sriman
Narayana, is the founder of this faith.
4. Bouddham—As everyone knows, Siddhaarttha, later known as Goutama Buddha
or the Enlightened One, was the propagator of this tenet. Renunciation of all
things mundane, due to their propensity to cause sorrow, is given an exalted
place in this faith, which has several philosophical
subdivisions—Maadhyantikam, Yogaachaaram, Soutraantikam and Vaibhaashikam.
5. Jainam—Founded by Jinesvara, this tenet is rooted in Ahimsa.
6. Vedanta Matam—is based exclusively on the Shruti and in particular, the
distilled essence of wisdom offered by the Upanishads. As is common knowledge,
depending on whether they accept the duality of the Brahmam and the Jeevatma,
the Vedanta matam is classified into Advaitam, Visihtaadvaitam and Dvaitam.
Tirumazhisai Azhwar is a great one to play with numbers. His Tirucchanda
Viruttam is full of numerical formulations, all extolling the Lord’s glory. One
of these, predictably, involves Number Six. Here is the beautiful verse—
“Aarum aarum aarum aai or iyndum iyndum iyndumaai
eru seer irandu moondrum ezhum aarum ettumaai
veru veru gnaanam aagi meyyinodu poyyumaai
oorodu osai aaya iyndum aayavaaya Maayane!”
Four groups of Six items are mentioned in this pasuram. The first Six refers to
the duties that Brahmins are to perform—
1. Adhyayanam—learning the Vedas from an Acharya
2. Adhyaapanam—imparting to others the Vedic wisdom so acquired
3. Yajanam—performing Yagas and Yagyas as a means of propitiating the Lord
4. Yaajanam—assisting others to perform similar sacrifices
5. Daanam—being liberally charitable and giving to those eligible
therefor, without any expectation of quid pro quo
6. Pratigraham—accepting alms and Dakshina from others.
The second group of six items refers to the Ritus, each consisting of two
months, dealt with above.
The third Six of the pasuram indicates the six types of sacrifices, with which
Emperuman is to be worshipped, viz., Aagneyam, Agnishomeeyam, Upaamsu, Iyndram
(2 items) and Iyndraagnam. The fourth group of six items represents the six
glorious attributes of the Lord, which too have been mentioned above.
Six is also the number of the Auxiliary Disciplines, which are indispensable in
deciphering the esoteric purport of Vedas—these are known as the Six Angas, or
Shadangam. It is from this word that the Tamizh word “Sadangu” appears to have
originated. The following are the six Angas, which are supposed to be studied
along with Vedas, according to Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar—“Amara or Angam aarum
Vedam or naangum odi”—
1. Seekshaa—detailing the way the Vedas are to be learnt, the exact
location in the body from which the various sounds—vowels and consonants—have
to emanate, the way they are to be intoned, etc.
2. Vyaakaranam—is Grammar
3. Cchandas—is all about the metres to which various Veda vaakyaas are
set, like Gayatri, Ushnik, Trishtup, Jagatee, Brihatee, etc.
4. Niruktam—can be defined as the Dictionary of the Vedas, the Etymology
that furnishes us with the meaning of each word, each letter of Veda mantras.
5. Jyotisham—deals with movements of planets and the way they affect human
beings, the ideal time for performance of sacrifices, etc.
6. Kalpam—is all about the construction of Yaaga shaalaas, the shapes to
be adopted for the Yagya Kundam, etc.
Just as the four Vedas of the Sanskrit Shruti have Six Angaas, so does the
Tamizh Marai comprised of the four compositions of Sri Nammazhwar
(Tiruvaimozhi, Tiruviruttam, Tiruvaasiriyam and Periya Tiruvandaadi). If
Seeksha, etc. form the six auxiliary disciplines for Shruti, then the six
Prabandams of Sri Tirumangai Mannan (Periya Tirumozhi, Tiruvezhukootrirukkai,
Periya Tirumadal, Siriya Tirumadal, Tirukkurumtaandakam and Tirunedumtaandakam)
form the Angas for Sri Nammazhwar’s Prabandams. Just as Nyaayam, etc. help us
in divining the purport of the inscrutable Shruti, Tirumangai Azhwar’s
outpourings too enable us to imbibe the wisdom of Sri Satakopa Muni’s
compositions.
Six is doubtless a great number, but we find that there are some deadly things
too, which number six. These are our sworn enemies, internal ones, which keep
us enshackled in Karma, ensuring that we stay forever in bondage. These are
Kaamam, Krodham, Lobham, Moham, Madam and Maatsaryam. We might conquer any
number of external foes, but these six internal ones are practically
invincible, but for the blessed.
The Bhagavat Gita lists Six Steps to Destruction, which most mortals tread. It
is these six to which most of us fall prey, unless we fix our thoughts on the
Lord. Sri Krishna lists these six thus—Sangam, Kaamam, Krodham, Sammoham,
Smriti Vibhramam and Buddhi Naasam.
Sangam is desire, born out of association with objects. When we set our eyes on
a beautiful house or car, we are seized by a desire to possess the same.
“Sangaat sanjaayate Kaama:” says the Gita. This desire, when it acquires such
intensity that we cannot remain without satisfying it and are willing to go to
any extent to achieve the same, is known as Kaamam. Many are the obstacles in
this world, to the satisfaction of even our legitimate desires—what to say then
of illegitimate ones? Unrequited desire turns into intense anger at those
perceived to be in the way of satisfaction of the desire. Such blinding anger
is known as Krodham. This all-consuming anger in turn leads to loss of all
sense of right and wrong. This state of lack of discerning between good and
bad, correct and condemnable conduct, is known as Sammoham. Once this stage is
reached, then all the wisdom accumulated over a lifetime, through listening to
and learning from Gurus, etc., is instantly destroyed. This
loss of such knowledge and perception are known as Smriti Bhramsam. And once we
lose our discerning faculties in such a fashion, we are little better than
unreasoning animals and reach the ultimate state of Buddhi Naasam, resulting in
total ruin, psychological and spiritual. Here is the beautiful Gita sloka,
which lists these six progressive pitfalls one must avoid at all cost—
“Dhyaato vishayaan pumsa: Sanga: teshu upajaayate
Sangaat sanjaayate Kaama:, Kaamaat Krodha: abhijaayate
Krodhaat bhavati Sammoha: Sammohaat Smriti vibhrama:
Smriti bhramsaat Buddhi naasa: Buddhi naasaat pranasyati”
We saw with awe and sorrow the recent damage inflicted by the Tsunami waves,
many of them tall as trees. No less ruinous for the human body are the Six
Waves (Shat oormi) the Scripture speaks of—
“Asanaayaa Pipaasaa atha Shoka Mohou Jaraa Mritee
Yugapat praana dhee deha dharma: asti hi Shat oormaya:”
These are—
1. Asanaaya—Even if we skip a single meal, we feel the gnawing in the
stomach. There is thus a biological necessity and prompting to keep the belly
filled always. It is this need, the unending Hunger, which prompts most of our
unrighteous actions.
2. Pipaasa is Thirst. We may even go without a meal, but cannot remain
without slaking our thirst.
3. Shokam—Distress and Sorrow are our principal enemies, which depress and
immerse us in inaction.
4. Moham refers to the loss of reasoning faculties, the inability to
discern right from wrong.
5. Jaraa—is old age, which, along with its companion Senility, makes our
body, brain and will weak.
6. Maranam—Death is the ultimate stage the human body passes through, with
the life spirit flying away, leaving its former abode a mere bag of flesh and
bones, rotting away in no time.
If we are to escape the constant clutches of the aforesaid Six debilitating
phenomena, there is another Strategy of six parts that we must adopt, says the
Scripture—“Shad vidhaa Sharanaagati:”.
1. Absolute Surrender, of oneself, heart and soul, to the Lord,
accompanied by the following five attitudes of mind, viz.,
2. Anukoolyasya Sankalpam or adoption of conduct as ordained by the Lord
3. Praatikoolyasya Varjanam or eschewing behaviour contrary to His dicta
4. Rakshishyati iti Visvaasam or the abiding faith in the Lord’s role as
our Sole Saviour
5. Goptrutva Varanam or accepting Emperuman as our Lord and Master and our
sole refuge and saviour, and
6. Kaarpanyam or the realisation of one’s utter helplessness and poverty,
as far as strategies for salvation are concerned.
We thus see the influence of Six everywhere—it is no ordinary number,
affecting the fortunes of men and gods alike. We see its influence in this
mundane world and are sure to find it in Paramapadam too, when we reach there.
Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
dasan,sadagopan
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