Deivathin Kural Series - 141

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 141 of 26 Jan 2007.

1. To-day’s title is, “Sakala Marga Niraivana Saravanabavan,” i.e., “End of All Paths – Saravanabavan”, occurring in pages 644 to 650, in Volume 1, of Deivathin Kural, Vanady Padippagam, 13 Deendayalu Street, T.Nagar, Chennai, India, (translated from Tamil to English, in this e-mail).

2. There are as many paths towards Realization or Mukthi, as there are people in this world. But they can all be grouped or classified, under one of these, four main approaches singly or a combination of two or three or all of them. They are, Gnana /
Bakthi / Karma / Yoga, Paths. The basis of our Mind, Body, Intellect and Being is Atma. If we apply all our efforts, towards understanding this, sometime or the other, the realization flashes. When or where this happens, there is no difference between, ‘the one trying to realize’ and ‘the one realized’. Everything is peace, abidance, acceptance and silence.

Some people however, Love to Love God! They would rather retain their individuality, so as to be able to ‘enjoy loving God’. They revere God and so are devoted to Him. In turn they get His Grace. This, ‘quid-pro-quo, is Love only from both sides. Gnana is the path of brain / Intellect, Bakthi is the path of Love.

If you go beyond mind, it is Gnana. If you retain mind, it is Bakthi. Similarly, we do many actions with our body. While doing so, if we refrain from looking for, ‘self gratification’ as the prime mover; but are sincerely concerned about Universal Welfare as the purpose; then that is the Path of Karma. Do all your actions, for others well being, as an offering to God. You get a satisfaction, fulfillment in doing what you feel is your duty, with dispassion.

Because we are not able to control /stop / destroy, the mind, we are not able to know our true being. The mind behaves as though, it is not in our control. In reality, most of the times, we are under its control. But when we control our breath, the mind seemingly becomes controllable. This is because of the fact that, the source of our breath and mind is the same! By breath here, we mean Prana or the life force. We control the breath; through which we control the mind from its vacillations; and delve deep into the source of our existence; and this is known as the path of Yoga.

I told you all in the past few days, many stories about, Subrahmanya Swami. There are many more stories yet to be told. There is no end to His playful but purposeful exploits. From all these stories, what we gather is the fact that, He is The end destination of all the paths of Bakthi / Gnana / Karma / Yoga! So the proverb ‘all roads lead to Rome’ should be corrected to read, “All Paths Lead to Muruga!”

Gnaana Marg. Murugan is Gnana Pandithan. He gave Gnana Upadesa to Narada and then to his own Father. He is the embodiment of Adwaita Gnana. Arunagirinathar, says about Him in Thiruppugazh and Kandar Anuboothi:-

a) “nee veru enaadirukka, naan veru enaadirukka”, meaning, ‘without any differenciation of, You and Me, as two separate entities.’
b) “eka bhogamai neeyu naanumai”, meaning, ‘as one unitary experience of You and Me.’
c) “yaanagiya ennai vizhungi, verum thanaai nilai ninrathu tharparme”, meaning, ‘having swallowed me, it stood still purely as itself, the primordial being!’

Bakthi Marg. That Murugan is the Mission to be accomplished in the path of Devotion, needs no emphasise. There is an abundance of stories and anecdotes, in Puranas, Sanskrit Stotras, Tamil literature, to bring out this aspect of His Grace. If you happen to be located near one of His ‘Aru Padai Veedu’, such as Palani or Swami Malai or Thiruththani, you cannot escape from one pertinent observation. Throughout the year, His devotees, keep pouring in to His abode, after having completed various periods of abstinence. The combinations are too exotic! They all would know, some or all of, Thiruppugazh, Thiru Murugarruppadai, Kandar Anuboothi, Kandar Alankaram, and or Subrahmanya Bhujangam.

Karma Marg. When we consider the Path of Devotion, He Himself took Avatara as Thiru Gnana Sambandar and Kumarila Bhattar and established the Karma Marga. Appar Swamigal, spent his entire life time, in service to mankind. He is the one who declared, “…..en kadan pani seidu kidappadhe”. This particular song, in which this phrase occurs, starts with the words, ‘Nam kadambanai petraval panginan’. ‘Kadamban’, is the one who wears a garland made of flowers of Kadamba . ‘Petraval’ is the one who gave birth to that Kadamban. Panginan, is the one who has got Her as part. Put together, it means, ‘the lord Siva, who has as His part, Her who gave birth to Kadamban’. Appar, who said, ‘mine is simply to do service’, starts the poem with the words, ‘nam Kadambanai’ or in other words, ‘our Muruganai!’

Yoga Marg. This is to identify the source of Prana and Mind and rejoin that source. The Prana Sakthi, in our body, is located at Mooladhara, the lower end of the spinal chord, coiled in the form of a snake. We all do not know its powers! There are Yoga exercises to wake up this power. Subrahmanya is the Power of Universal magnitude. He is the Kundalini of the ‘Yoga Viswa Roopa’. That is why, the snakes are always thought of in connection with Subrahmanya. Deekshidar, in his keerthana, Subrahmanyaya Namasthe, says, “………Vaasuki Dakshakaadi swaroopa dharanaya…..” meaning, ‘the God in the form of snakes starting from Vaasuki and Dakshaka.’ Acharyal has also written, Subrahmanya Bhujangam. The word Bhujangam is a poetical meter as well as synonym for snake. That is why the pooja for Nagaraja is on a Shashti. That is why, in Telugu Desam, snakes are revered as ‘Subbarayudu’.

Where Gnana and Yoga finishes, there is no movement. Actually there is no word, there is no space or time, and no world. So the word, ‘there’, is as inappropriate, as ‘then’, in describing what is being said. This is the ‘Sthanu’ or a dead-wood-that-has-been, or ‘pattuppona kattai’. When He is full of Kindness and Grace for His Devotees, He is melting wet, with ‘Karuna’. He is the ‘Maruda’, tree. Ambal, she is the Jasmine(or mallika), plant inextricably entwined around that tree. In Sri Sailam, He is the Mallika Arjunar.

When Parameswara is a verdant tree, Ambal is the green flowering creeper entwined around Him. What is Her condition, when He is the ‘patta kattai’? Then She is the dry creeper without leaves. One of Her names in Lalitha Sahasranamam, is “Aparna”, meaning, ‘leaveless’. There is a story, that having been born as the daughter of Parvatha Raja, Himavan, She fasted so severely that she was not even eating dry leaves, and hence the name, ‘aparna’. The earlier interpretation appeals to my mind, that she is entwined around Him even when He is a ‘patta kattai’.

At this juncture, what is the condition of Skanda? They are supposed to be, ‘Somaskandar’ or ‘with Uma and Skanda’. Murugan is then ‘Visaka’. Saka are the branches. In the Sanskrit language, the prefix, ‘vi’ is added to give either a meaning of ‘special’ or ‘less’, which could be positive or negative. ‘Jaya’ becomes ‘vijaya’ in a positive way. ‘Sesha’ or remainder becomes ‘Visesha’, or special. ‘Saka’ becomes ‘visaka’, meaning branchless. When Siva becomes ‘patta kattai’, Ambal becomes, aparna the leaveless dry creeper; and Skanda becomes, ‘visaka’, the branchless fledgeling plant! All three are in a state of supreme dispassion.

Subrahmanya, in complete dispassion, is the Dhandayudha Pani, Komanandi, totally detached from the worldly affairs. He is also the Valli Devasena Sametha, Kalyana Subrahmanya. He is the Friend, Guide and Philosopher, for both this worldly and other worldly affairs.

He blesses everyone equally. He has one wife from the lowest strata of society , Valli. Then He has a wife, the affluent, divine girl, the royal Deva Senai. He is the smallest baby God as well as the leader of the fighting forces too. When the Kumbha Abhishekam for Subrahmanya Swami Temple in ‘Thenam Pettai’, took place, an idea occurred to me, that may be, ‘Deiva Nayakan Pettai’, possibly became, ‘Thenampettai’. Arunagirinathar, calls Him, ‘Devaadi Deva Perumale’, meaning ‘God of all Gods’!

We should all be devoted to Him. To enable us to do so, Nakkirar has given us, Thiru Mruruga Aarruppadai. He was born in the river Ganga. He is the combination of the six sparks. He is the God of the six lettered mantra, Saravanabava. This six headed ‘Aaru thalai murugan, gives us ‘arudal’, that is ‘cools us from the heat of involvement’. His victory day, is the sixth day after full moon in the month of Thula. ‘Thula’, indicates his balance of proportions. Remaining in absolute Gnana, He maintains the balance between the good and bad. He destroys both the inner and outer enemies. He is Jyothi Swaroopa. He is the Light on the Hill. He fell as a fire fall in Kailasa Mountain. In Thirupparam Kunram and Thiruthanigai, he wedded Devasena and Valli, respectively. In many hills He lined up his forces. He destroyed ‘Sooran’, in Ganda Maadana Mountain. He stood as a poor urchin in Palani. In Swami Malai, He became ‘Thagappan Swami’ or Guru to His Daddy!

He is bigger than the biggest. We are smaller than the smallest. If we offer the smallest of grains, ‘Thinai’, He will come willingly. If we add a little honey, collected by small bees, from small flowers, and offer it to Him, he will give us the sweet experience of seeing our hearts bloom. If we light a lamp with cow’s ghee, representing the greatness of nature, He will light up the Gnana Jyothi, in our being. If we offer, ‘this maavu vilakku of grain powder’, He will light up the ‘Maa Vlakku’ of resplendent glory, in our lives, in our hearts and minds!

Let us say what He Himself told us, as Gnana Sambandar, “Aran Namam Soozhga”. So Let us all chant, “ARA HARO HARA’.

Sambhomahadeva.