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           FACULTIES TRANSFERABLE?

The ticket procured  from the railway counter read 'Not Transferable'.  Unless 
this is strictly  followed, one will end up either paying fine or resting fine 
with free boarding and lodging at state's expense.

Coming to the topic, 'is faculty transferable'? This has already been discussed 
with true life examples from Sri KrshNA and Sri RAmA's divine episodes, by Sri 
Sadagopan Iyengar.

There has also been reference from Nam-AzhwAr from the ninth ten of 
ThriuvAiMozhi.

AzhwAr's thoughts are indeed strange. Strange, in the sense that they think 
differently. Even their pangs of sepaaration manifest into wonderful hymns of 
devotion, their outbursts blossoming into sweet thoughts and ecclesiastic 
tenets.
This is possible perhaps only from those who have been blessed by EmperumAn 
Himself-mayarvaRa mathi nalam aruLap peRRavargaL.

SwAmy Nam-AzhwAr being the soul who enjoys in mirth and rapture while devouring 
the Lord Almighty sulks in sullenness when in deep distress, apparently the 
distress casued from separation from the Lord.

However, here is a unique thought from him. He desired the function of one 
faculty to be performed by the other? Medical world will  spurn it with 
disdain. Rational beings will criticise this as illogical. 

Devotion does not have any boundaries and swAmy Nam-AzhwAr being the 
personification of Love for KrishNA -KrshnAthrishnA thathvam - crossed any such 
borders and yearned to consume the Almgihty by criss-crossing the faculties and 
their role.

"Oh! Lord the mind thinks of You. Permit the mind to get Your Vision, Please" 
pleads SatagOpan.
The faculty of speech desires to think of the Lord and yearns for the role of 
mind.
But wait, the sense of touch desires the effect of speech on the Lord whereas 
the eyes desire to have the sense of touch.
Not enough with this the ears want to see and lO! the Atman wants to listen to 
Your divine stories.

The Edu summarises this as 'prajaigaLin izhavu sonnAr kEzh'  'The hunger of 
one's children is described.

This is not any imagination but the blissful and emotional outbursts of Sri 
ParAnkusan in the wonderful ThiruvAiMozhi 3-8;
'mudiyAnEa mUvulagum thozhudhEAthum sEr adiyAnEA and goes on for another six 
pAsuram-s pleading for transferability of the role of the faculties. 

The avatharikai of EDu for this ThiruvAiMozhi indeed reiterates swAmy 
Nam-PiLLai's vyAkyAnic prowess.

The immense desire for the Lord and srEvaishNavites accumulated and the 
cumulative effect transformed into 'one sensory organ pining for the role of 
the other analogous to a person with burning hunger not able to resist it, 
takes away the food meant for his children while the children take away his 
food. "What shall I do for this deep hunger ?" exclaims mARAn and calls 
EmperumAn, alongwith the sensory organs.

EDu: "..maRRai indhriyangaLum vidAithu, Or indhriyathinudaiya vrudhiyai maRRai 
indhriyangaLum, Asaip pattum, maRRai indhriyangaLinudaiya vrudhiyai maRRai 
indhriyam Asaip pattum, avai ellAvaRRinudaiya vrudhiyai thAn Asaippattum, 
thammilum vidAitha karaNangaLum, karaNangaLulim vidAitha thAnumAi-shama 
kAlathil bahU prajanAnavan than pasikku ARRA mATTADhEa, avaRRin vAyiR sORRaith 
thAn pasithu jEvippadhu than vAyiR sOthai avai paRithu jEvippadhAi "en pasikku 
en seivEAn? ennumA pOlEa, thAmum thammudaiya karaNak krAmamumAga nOAVupattuk 
kUppidugiRAr"

The VyAkyAnam and the pAsuram-s have to be consumed to realise the emotions and 
outpourings of AzhwAr

dAsan'
vanamamalai padmanabhan
PS: Why not? I can hear the claims. Yes, the optical mouse indeed extracts 
vision from its erstwhile touch perception.




  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: sadagopaniyengar 
  To: malolan_net@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; Oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; 
tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Cc: Radha Jagannathan ; rajamragu@xxxxxxxxx ; CHETLUR SRINIVASAN 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 11:06 AM
  Subject: [ramanuja] Flexible Faculties


  Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

   

                                         Flexible Faculties

   

   

  During a recent visit to Tirumala, I accidentally fell into one of the deep 
trenches that are being dug all over the hills for some strange purpose known 
only to the TTD authorities. They did not deem it fit to provide warning signs 
and in the pitch dark of 3 a.m., not being endowed with sensors, I could not 
help stepping involuntarily into the trench. The result was an immediate and 
searing pain in the calf muscle and walking became extremely difficult. 
Accepting this as a prasaadam the Tirumalayappan had bestowed on me even before 
granting an audience, I managed to crawl, limp and drag myself through the next 
few hours and, as soon as the glorious Saattrumurai was over at the Sannidhi 
(during which Srinivasa seemed to smile rather mischievously at me) returned 
home post-haste, in considerable pain. For a couple of days thereafter, I 
couldn't set my foot down and was confined to the bed due to doctor's orders, 
having torn a ligament.

   

  There is nothing like an enforced rest to set you thinking and I too indulged 
in this idle pastime. Having temporarily lost the use of a leg, I wondered 
wistfully how nice it would be if one organ of the body were able to perform 
the function of another, when the latter is out of order. For instance, if you 
had conjunctivitis and had difficulty seeing with your eyes, how convenient 
would it be if the ears could also see! If you had a hearing problem, how handy 
would it be if the eyes could take over as conveyors of sound too, in addition 
to sight! If only the tongue could smell and the nose act as a taste bud! In 
short, if one crucial part of the body were able to substitute the functions of 
another, we would have absolutely no problems even in the case of a temporary 
or even permanent loss of one faculty. And it appeared rather remiss of the 
Lord, for not having provided the requisite interchangeability among our 
faculties, which would make them substitute for one another in case of need. 

   

  The sad fact, however, remains that all our knowledge is faculty-based-we are 
unable to see, hear, smell or taste, without the respective organs doing their 
duty.

   

  Chiding myself for such fanciful thoughts, I pondered as to whether there 
were indeed instances of such substitutive faculties and, to my surprise, I did 
come up with a few. (Incidentally, I was mortified to find that even a snake 
was able to hear with its eyes, as could be gathered from its Sanskrit 
sobriquet-"Chakshushrava:")

   

  Describing the Raasa Leela, Sri Nammazhwar paints us an enchanting picture of 
Sri Krishna playing the flute, surrounded by an adoring bevy of Gopis. While 
doing so, Azhwar comes up with an interesting formulation, (in the ten 
paasurams beginning with "Malligai kamazh tendral")-

   

   

  "toodu sei kangal kondu ondru pesi, too mozhi isaigal kondu ondru nokki"

   

  Azhwar tells us that Sri Krishna spoke volumes to the Gopis with His 
beautiful eyes, conveying all possible intimate endearments-"toodu sei kangal 
kondu ondru pesi". And simultaneously, He saw the Gopis with love-filled 
glances, through His music-"too mozhi isaigal kondu ondru nokki".

   

  Normally, the eye can only see-it can't speak. Even granting that expressions 
can be exhibited in the eye, they can only be extremely inadequate and can 
convey meaning fully, only when supplemented by the spoken word. By itself, 
eye-contact, as a means of communication, would be ineffective.

   

  Not so, however, in the case of Sri Krishna-He managed to convey to Gopis 
with His dark, passionate and red-lined eyes, all that He could have actually 
said through speech. All the love and affection He had for them, all the 
endearments that lovers utter at great emotional heights-all these were 
conveyed to the Gopis with utmost effectiveness, as if Sri Krishna was actually 
speaking volumes, says Sri Nampillai-"pecchaal pirakkum spashttathai nokkaale 
pirakkai". The message went through to the Gopis through the Lord's eyes with 
all the clarity that only the spoken word can convey.

   

  And what was the need for speaking through the eyes, when He did have a 
pearly mouth ("tirupppavala chevvaai") with which to speak and dulcet tones 
which were music to the ears?

   

  Sri Krishna was playing the flute, regaling man, woman and beast alike and 
could not be bothered to take it off from His mouth, interrupting the flow, 
every time He wanted to speak to a Gopi. However, He could not also refrain 
from speaking to His female fans frequently. As much as they wanted to speak to 
Him, Krishna too was enamoured of whispering sweet nothings in their ears 
constantly. And as a way out, He continued with His concert, simultaneously 
conversing with Gopis through His eloquent eyes, managing to communicate as 
effectively as if He were speaking to them lovingly and at length.  We wonder 
whether it is this act of Emperuman which inspired Tiruvalluvar's words " 
Kannodu kan nokkin vaaicchorkkal enna payanum ila".

   

  And the mesmerising music that emanated from the flute had no less an impact 
on the audience than a captivating look from the Lord's beautiful eyes. A mere 
glance from Sri Krishna's eyes has the effect of comprehensively winning over 
the onlooker and making the latter a slave for eternity. Azhwar avers that the 
Venu gaanam was so enchanting as to enslave all those present and Sri 
Nampillai, commenting on the line "too mozhi isaigal kondu ondru nokki", says-

   

  "Azhagia pecchodu koodiya isaigalaale kannaale nokki eedu padutthumaa pole 
eedupadutthi".

   

  This episode tells us that it is indeed possible for one faculty to perform 
the function of another and that too quite effectively-"vaak vyavahaaramum 
netra vrittiyum maaraadina padi". However, this is possible only for the Lord, 
who does not depend upon His faculties for generating data.

   

  If this is what Sri Krishna did, He must have continued where He left off in 
His previous avatara, for, we find Sri Rama too employing one faculty to 
perform the function of another. If Krishna spoke with His eyes, we are told by 
Sri Valmiki that Sri Rama drank with His! When Sri Vibhishana falls at 
Raghava's feet in a gesture of Saranagati, what does Rama do? The Prince of 
Ayodhya extends refuge to the distressed rakshasa with sweet words of 
reassurance, all the time looking at Vibhishana with compassionate eyes which 
appear to drink him in. Here are Sri Valmiki's beautiful words-

   

  "Tasya tat vachanam shrutva Ramo vachanam abraveet

  vachasa saantayitvainam lochanaabhyaam piban iva"

   

  Sri Rama's eyes appeared to drink in Vibhishana, says Sri Valmiki, 
highlighting the Lord's abundant love and affection for one who has realised 
the folly of his ways and surrenders totally to the Lord, forsaking all that he 
has held dear so far. Swami Desikan compares the passion in the Lord's eyes to 
that of a traveller in the desert, tormented by thirst, when he sights water at 
last-"peru vidaai pattavan tanneerai kandaal oru kaalum vida maattadaar pole". 
Emperuman's eyes thirst for the sight of a Saranagata and once He sights a 
surrendered soul, He is so eager that His eyes appear to drink in the Prapanna.

   

  We see thus that quite unlike human faculties, which are designed to perform 
a single function, the Lord can speak with His eyes, see with His speech, drink 
with His eyes and so on. And how is He able to substitute the function of His 
faculties at will? Because He is not dependant on His Indriyas or senses, for 
cognition. Though He sports a magnificent tirumeni for the edification of His 
devotees, replete with eyes, ears, nose and limbs, apparently meant for 
respective cognitive functions, His faculties are not mundane and moribund like 
those of mortals. In fact, He does not need faculties or senses at all, for 
seeing, hearing or for any of the other functions. The Upanishad tells us that 
He sees without eyes, hears without ears, travels without legs and so on-

   

  "Apaani paadou javano griheetva pasyati achakshu: shrunoti akarna:". 

   

  While sitting at the same place, He can commute to quite a distant place--
  "Aaseeno dooram vrajati". Seated at Sri Vaikunttam, He is aware of all that 
happens at every nook and cranny of all the universes, instantaneously, as if 
in a live telecast, says Sri Nathamuni-

   

  "Yo vetti yugapat sarvam, pratyakshena sadaa svata:"

   

  This article started with my wishful thinking about faculties which could be 
used interchangeably. However, when I went through the Varadaraja Stavam of Sri 
Koorattazhwan, I found that my thoughts were not as fanciful as they appeared 
initially. Azhwan too expresses a yearning for such a state, where each of his 
organs wishes to perform the duty of another, apart from its own assigned task. 
And what is the provocation for the Acharya's wish for faculties overreaching 
their respective roles and trying to usurp those of their companions? 

   

  It is the magnificent and mesmerising vision of Sri Varadaraja, which makes 
Azhwan long for his sense of touch being able to drink in the Lord's boundless 
beauty. The Acharya wishes that his tongue would hear the sweet words of the 
Lord's praise. So also is Azhwan's wish for his nose, which is loathe to 
confining itself to smelling and craves a much greater role in Bhagavat 
anubhavam. It is an indication of the depth of Azhwan's devotion that all his 
faculties compete with one another in not only securing their rightful share of 
enjoyment of the Lord, but also encroach into that of the other faculties-- the 
ear trying to see the incredible beauty of Varada, the eye wishing to hear His 
praises, the skin longing for a blissful sight of Emperuman and so on. Here is 
Sri Azhwan's beautiful verse, describing the plight of his faculties, driven to 
madness by the sight of Sri Varadaraja-

   

  "Tvak cha drik cha nipipaasati,

   Jihvaa vihvalaa shravanavat para vrittou

   Naasikaa tvayi Kareesa! Tatheti 

  Praapnuyaam  katham imaamsvit avastthaam"

   

  The Lord is generous and endows us with such flexible faculties, capable of 
performing not only their allotted functions, but also those of their brethren. 
However, He gifts us with such interchangeable indriyas, only after our 
emancipation through an appropriate strategy like Prapatti. After release from 
Samsara and reaching Sri Vaikunttam, it would appear that the liberated soul is 
able to assume at will any sort of body, with faculties which are capable of 
performing any function-eyes that hear, ears that see, etc. All this, however, 
is done only to enhance the Mukta's enjoyment of the Lord and His boundless 
beauty and not for any self-gratification.

   

  Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

  dasan, sadagopan



  Azhvar EmberumAnAr JeeyAr ThiruvadigalE Saranam 
  http://www.vedics.net





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