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Respected Sir:

The  word  smriti  is  elaborated  in  the  Yoga  Sutras  of Patanjali, who
incidentally  has been commanded by none other than our beloved Lord Sriman
Narayanan  to  go  down to earth and spread the knowledge of  (a) Yoga -for
understanding  of  the  mind  stuff  (b) Ayurveda for good health free from
diseases and (c) Grammar: for clarity in speech.

Sage  Patanjali  has  done a detailed study on the contents of the mind and
has very scientifically exposed the issues:

1.    Sutra I-6 There are 5 vrittis (or modifications) occurring at all the
times inside the subtle mind stuff. These 5 are knowledge(Pramana), false
knowledge(Viparayaya), imagination(Vikalpa), sleep(Nidra) and memory(Smriti
.

    These  5  are  responsible  so  to  say,  disturb  the  normally  (read
naturally) calm inner consciousness.

2. Sutra I-11 defines Smriti as "anubhutavishaya asampramushya smrtiyah"
In short memory is a modification which brings about recollection of stored
up  experiences.   Look  at  the  very  clever  use of the word 'pramush' ,
literally  meaning  'total theft'. I.e. no experience is ignored or left to
'fly'  away  or  be  forgotten.  Every  bit  of experience is sucked up and
stored.   There  is  total  theft  without  us being aware. The theft is so
complete  and  absolute  in  that Memory operates always in  the 'addition'
mode.  To  that  extent 'memory' in its natural state is like a thief which
steals  completely  all experiences and hides them for future recollection,
reference  points.  It  keeps  on adding and never subtracting. Conversely,
this  implies  there  is  no  loss  of  memory or forgetfulness. A stone is
thrown  in  the calm waters of a peaceful lake and the stone at the time of
sinking  initiates  a  ripple at the point of impact.  This ripple vibrates
into several ripples and the entire water surface is disturbed.

Remember,  inside  the  lake  it  is  still free, calm, unruffled. Once the
ripples peter out, the stone as it is remains submerged and occupies space.
To the extent of the stone, the free space inside the memory is occupied by
the  interpreted  impressions,  all  of  which may or may not be true.  Add
hundreds  of  stones  over many years and what you see is that one fine day
the  entire  surface  of the lake is full of stones and though the water is
there, the bulk of the volume is composed of the stones.  Each stone is the
equivalent  of  a karmic inheritance.  A burden on the clear surface of the
lake.   A  junk,  a piece of unwanted dust.  In the      language of modern
psychology  each  stone  is  "jealousy,  greed,  lust,  anger,  impatience,
laziness, lethargy, ill       feelings, extreme attachment, extreme hatred,
mis-conceptions, ego and so on".

Inside  the mind each experience, each ripple etches a permanent impression
deep in the recess of the brain which form the samsaras.

It  is also significant to note that 'memory (smriti)' is placed at the fag
end  of  the  4  other vrittis. This also is structured into the sutra very
cleverly.   All  the  4  earlier vrittis are the basis for memory to exist.
Dream is memory playing itself out during the vritti of Sleep State and the
other 3 are memory playing itself during waking state.

This is vouchsafed beyond doubt by the Upanisads where the 4th Turiya state
is  the  preferred  and highest state where memory does not function in the
above  referred mode and there is complete awareness but no storing up. The
differentiation  between  experiencer and the experienced object is severed
and only the experiencing remains.

3.  Sutra II-39 "aparigrahasthairye janmakathamta sambodhah: By practice of
aparigraha  i.e. non covetousness, the sutra declares that past experiences
can  be recollected vividly and the individual can modify his/her behavior,
thoughts,  habits to fit into these residual experiences and work them out.
This  presupposes  the  person has reached a somewhat more mature spiritual
level  with  continuous practices and single-pointed devotion, that one can
do  a call back and literally dig-up the past karmic residual dispositions.
Then  having  identified  these  one  starts  to  act  with a real sense of
"Nishkamya"  attitude.   What  is  subtly hinted between  the lines is this
position is open to everyone whatever be the state he /she is in.

The  opportunity  to  proactively  work towards burning out the past karmic
deposits  through  yogic  practices  therefore  is an excellent opportunity
provided by the Lord in his infinite wisdom.

4  Sutra  II-1  emphatically  declares  "tapah  swadhyaye iswarpranidhani”.
Namely, rigorous self discipline, introspection and single pointed devotion
to  the  Lord.  Here  Iswarapranidhani is beyond doubt contemplation on our
beloved Sriman Narayanan.

5.  Sutra  I-23  gives  the ultimate solution to a layman who is not versed
with  the  nuances  of  Yoga  or  any other spiritual pursuits.  It tersely
commands  "Ishwara  pranidhanat  va.  Sage  Vysya  in  his commentaries has
mentioned  that  for a person to whom nothing works he/she has the ultimate
solution  in the Saranagati Tattvam. Again, the Saranagati is to none other
than  our  beloved Sriman Narayanan. The immediate example one can think of
who  fits  into this category is the story of Jada Bharata which many of us
may be aware - which was posted in one of the earlier responses.

Last but not the least, where do you find all these clubbed into a cohesive
process?  In  the  Sandhyavandanam  which  incidentally is a command by the
Vedas themselves.  Does it not therefore, become our highest duty to ensure
that  this  sacred  nitya  karma  is done without let? But are we doing? No
intention  meant  to  hurt/injure anyone but this question is for those who
are irregular or the non-doers.

Errors and omissions by the writer  may be forgiven.

Om tat sat
Tat tvam asi



                                                                                
                             
                      "Sudarshan K                                              
                             
                      Madabushi"                 To:      
srirangasri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,                       
                      <mksudarshan2002@y         oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    
                             
                      ahoo.co.in>                cc:                            
                             
                                                 Subject: [SriRangaSri] Fwd:  
Re: Oh I Forgot                
                      07/10/04 02:08 PM                                         
                             
                                                                                
                             
                                                                                
                             




--- In tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Sudarshan K Madabushi"
<mksudarshan2002@xxxx> wrote:

Dear Sri Sadagopan Iyengar,

Thanks. Looks like there is no other Sanskrit word for Memory other
than "smriti".

It's interesting you bring up the word "vismriti" to denote
Forgetfulness. When one reflects deeply, "vismriti" seems to be the
true and universal condition of Man, isn't it? We are all
entirely 'forgetful' of our past lives -- 'janmA'. We have no
recollection of our past "karma" nor how and why it has brought us to
our present state and condition of existence. We must ask ourselves
if this 'forgetfulness', this 'vismriti', is it a blessing or a
crippling handicap?

IN one way, it is a blessing because if the Almighty had not erased
the memories of our past 'janmA' before sending us to our present
one, imagine how heavy and oppressive would be the burden of carrying
with us a stock of painful recollections of past folly, failings and
flaws? So great would be such a burden that we would, I fear, simply
lose all hope of redeeming ourselves in the present life. Instead,
having had our memory erased by God, we all start, each one of us,
our respective present lives on a clean, shining slate (on a "tabula
rasa", as the Latin phrase says) with the hope still strong in us
that, this time around, we will somehow prove worthy and redeem
ourselves in the eyes of our Maker...

Looked at from that point of view, there is no doubt that our
Forgetfulness, our condition of "vismriti", is truly the source of
all fresh human hope. Ironic though it may seem, in Forgetfulness
there is indeed great spiritual opportunity for the Redemption of
Man.

From another point of view, however, our state of Forgetfulness is
unmitigated curse too. It is 'vismriti' that makes us 'forget' who we
are, where we come from and where we are really going. It is because
we are 'forgetful' that we mistakenly think our present life and
existence is a new one and the only one we shall ever have.
We "forget" all the past 'janmA-s', and all the past opportunities
that were afforded to us in those, and to which we must be beholden
to the Almighty. It is the same 'forgetfulness', thus, that also
results in our frittering away our lifetime and yet another 'janmA'.

I was reading last week a brief biography of the life of
the 'nAyanmAr', the Tamil saint Sundararar, as narrated in the great
Saivite 'purANa' called "peria-pUrAnam". (Let me hasten to add here
that I am a firm SriVaishnavan by birth and belief, but I also
entertain a healthy interest in the rich bhakti traditions of the
Saiva siddhAnta). Sundarar was a great spiritual soul, one who was a
beloved of the Almighty. But he was born into the world in
circumstances that made him "forget" his true nature and his
great 'siva bhakti' and 'siva sambandham'. Sundarar was a handsome
man and was hence soon set to marry a beautiful maiden.

Destiny was about to drag the saint into the life of a worldly
householder when at the last minute, on the wedding altar, as it
were, the Almighty appeared on the scene disguised as an old
venerable Brahmin and claimed Sundarar as his own slave -- "Have you
forgotten you are my slave, O Sundara? How can you enter into
marriage and seek to lead your own life?". Sundarar and the rest of
the wedding assembly were shocked at the claim of the old Brahmin
stranger who seemed to have suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The wedding ceremonies were aborted and the assembled guests demanded
proof of the fact that Sundarar was a bonded servitor of the old
Brahmin. The Brahmin told the gathering, "Follow me, and I will give
you the needed proof!". Thus, leading Sundarar and the assembly, the
old Brahmin led the procession through the streets of the town and
into the temple of Siva. Entering the sanctum there, the Brahmin
vanished into it, leaving the whole assembly aghast!

It was then that Sundarar was able to recollect who he really was, to
whom really he owed his soulful allegiance in life. All of a sudden,
the recollections of his previous 'janmA-s', in which he had been a
slave of God in His own Kingdom, all the recollection came rushing
back to him with the force and intensity of an epiphany...

Sundarar's 'vismriti' vanished, so to say, and 'Forgetfulness' was
replaced with the one true memory ('smriti') that, although remaining
ever clouded in the consciousness of Man, is yet never erased out of
his soul -- the Memory of the Almighty.

"vismriti" is truly such a beautiful Sanskrit word indeed...

Thanks and regards,
dAsan,
Sudarshan



--- In tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, sadagopaniyengar
<sadagopaniyengar@xxxx> wrote:
> dear shri sudarshan,
>
> "Smriti" appears to be the appropriate word for Memory.
>
> this can be seen in
>
> the Varaha Charama slokam, where the Lord undertakes to remember
His bhakta, even when the latter is no position to think about Him--
"aham smarAmi mat bhaktam"
>
> the Mukunda Mala slokam--"smarAmi nArAyaNa tatvam avyayam"
>
> the Ramayana slokam, "na smarati apakArANAm satamapi AtmavattayA".
>
> and "Vismriti" appears to indicate forgetfulness, while the total
loss of memory is probably called "Smriti bhramsam" (as in the Gita
sloka, "smriti bhramsAt buddhi nAsa:")
>
> thanks and regards, dasan, sadagopan


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