DEIVATHIN KURAL # 132 (Vol #4) Dated 16 Jan 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 132 (Vol #4) Dated 16 Jan 2011

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are proceeding from page number 730 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
298. All Adwaita Saastraas are meant for those who have attained to a certain degree of clarity, equanimity and expansiveness of the mind through sustained and disciplined efforts. That is why there is not much mention of Karma Anushtaana and Bhakti in them, giving more importance to self analysis of deep philosophical principles and concepts! To carry forward the argument in the Adwaita ambience, there is no mention of Easwara Anugraha. Actually come to think of it, when finally the Saadhak has dropped off all his otherness and done whatever is to be done as per AachaaryaaL’s advises in Saadhanaa Panchakam, Easwara Anugraha is but certain, as by then the difference between the Saadhak and Easwara would have been erased!
299. More than the Bhashyams to Brhma Sutram, Upanishads and Gita; our AachaaryaaL’s PrakaraNa Granthas such as Viveka ChoodaamaNi, Upadesa Saahasri, Aparoksha Anubhuti, Aatma Bodhaha and Tatva Bodhaha, are all addressed at such already evolved souls who have clearly identified their aim in life to be comprehending and understanding the Adwaita Anubhava only. Similarly other exponents of Adwaita who have come after Adi Sankara too have authored works addressed at such advanced students. In them also there is no mention of this Easwara Anugraha matter. Still I wished to emphasise the importance of this that while in the relative existence the way out has to be with God’s Blessings only even for those desirous of Adwaita Anubhuti. That is why even books purely on Adwaita Anubhava will be starting with a MangaLa Sloka expressing a sense of gratitude to Guru or Easwara that it is by their Anugraha that Gnaana will be obtained!
300. Many of the Adwaita Granthas start with a disciple surrendering to a Guru completely, totally dependent on the Guru’s whim and wish. Then the Guru will give his Upadesa which the disciple keenly absorbs. Some intricate points may be clarified by the Sishya asking some questions, which the Guru will respond to. Towards the end the disciple will express his gratitude for having been enlightened with the wonderful Adwaita Anubhuti. These are all proof of the fact that obtainment of Gnaana is dependent on Anugraha from Easwara who is in the form of Guru!
301. ‘Easwara’ as an unseen Tatva (principle) seems an unnecessary interpolation of Dualism in an aspirant keen on Adwaita Anubhava. Still in practice it becomes necessary to seek the advice of an experienced person’s Upadesa and Anugraha. So, that person comes as the friend, guide and philosopher in his life, in human form as the Guru. This duality does not create any ripples or hindrance, but is taken as a welcome support by the aspirant. I can give you an apt example here. Many of the followers of Ramana Maharishi, especially the westerners, wish to follow the Adwaita philosophy only. To bring in the element of Easwara will be not conducive to their Self-enquiry path. Still they too call him and consider him as a Guru or Master by whose grace they claim that they could experience the Anubhava! For all that, Ramana never claims to be a Guru to anyone and does not consider anyone coming to him as his disciple. There is also J.Krishnamurthy who clearly does not approve of any Siddhanta or defined route or path. He clearly says that there is no Guru required. But, despite all that, those who listen to him still consider him as a Guru by whose Anugraha they claim that they get clarity of thoughts and understanding! So, it seems that calling it Easwara Anugraha tends to emphasise the duality while calling it the Guru Prasadam seem to be more easily acceptable to the Adwaitic frame of mind! This fact has been mentioned by our AachaaryaaL in clear words with love, devotion and gratitude in Gurvashtakam and many such works of his. The last sloka in Baja Govindam for example conveys the following meaning:- “The sishya (disciple) who has with devotion placed all his trust in the lotus feet of the Guru, is released from the ties of the world for ever and by controlling his sense organs and mind, he goes on to see that God, in his own heart!”
302. Maya Sakti Also Sanctions Gnaana. Easwara is of the very form of Gnaana (Gnaana Swaroopi). He is also the one granting Gnaana. This is conveyed in a very succinct manner, by our AachaaryaaL in his Bhashyam on Kenopanishad. “Who so ever does whatever at any time in the world, it is not by their own power but by the power of Brhmam”, says AmbaaL to Indra in Kenopanishad. In the original text of Kenopanishad, AmbaaL is referred as Uma and Haimavati. In our Aachaaryaal’s word by word commentary as well as sentence by sentence commentary in his Bhashyam, he has referred to AmbaaL as ‘Vidya’ repeatedly. Vidya means learning or knowledge. The most important thing to be learnt being the knowledge that we are nothing but the very Aatma that we are seeking. So, Vidya means Gnaana and that too the Adwaita Aatma Gnaana! The knowledge of various methods of Upaasana will have names of that method with Vidya as a suffix, such as Dahara Vidya or so and so Vidya. Out of all such Vidyas to be known, the knowledge that Aatma is Brhmam is the highest Advaita Gnaanam. This is known simply as Vidya without a prefix or suffix! That is Aatma Gnaanam. “Amongst all that has effulgence, the highest and foremost is Vidya only”, Says our AachaaryaaL in his Bhashyam, describing AmbaaL as Vidya SwaroopiNi (Gnaana personified).
303. Avidya means Agnaana that is, ignorance or Maya as mentioned by Adi Sankara. (Then amongst Adwaitins there has been a slight difference in interpretation as to what is the difference and oneness between Maya and Avidya. They say that Maya is a sort of power that hides the reality and shows something that is not there, like a magic show of illusion! As per them, Avidya is a state of ignorance not being aware of the reality! They also say that Brhmam with Maya is Easwara and Brhmam under the control of Maya is Jeeva. Keep this information aside somewhere in the archives of your mental library.) In what the Adwaitins say about Brhmam with Maya as Easwara, remaining above its control as a Gnaana incarnate; Adi Sankara goes one step beyond and describes AmbaaL not as the power of Maya but as Vidya itself! To pray to AmbaaL as Rajarajeswari is called ‘Sri Vidya’ as a special method of venerating God. This AachaaryaaL has done by Sri Chakra Yantra Prathishta (establishing a particular design to describe AmbaaL’s abode) and described the method of such pooja in Soundarya Lahari. So what is Maya the Power of wailing and illusion is also shown as the power of that runs the show of the world of Maya, as well as the power that releases you from the delusion of the world!
304. Both Karma Bandam and Gnaana Siddhi are by Easwara Only! When we look at the Bhashyam for Brhma Sutra also, we notice that even in places where the Grace of God (Easwara Anugraha) is not mentioned in the main text, AachaaryaaL talks of it as the reason for our release from Karma Bandam! There are many examples to prove this point. In Brhma Sutra 3 – 2 – 5 it says that, “The oneness of Jeevatma and Paramatma is dormant in Jeevatma. By praying to Paramatma this hidden knowledge is revealed because both the bandam (ties that are binding) and release from it are obtained from Him only!” In such places if our Aacharyaal is to say that Adwaita Moksha is by the Grace of God only, there is nothing special about it! In this Brhma Sutram itself in another place, the thing being analysed is, “Is this Jeeva a Karta who acts or not? If the answer is yes, then how can actionless Samaadhi happen to him?” Ref Brhma Sutra 2 – 3 – 40-41. Then it gives the reply that Jeeva is an actor as well as a non-actor. If you ask as to how is it possible that he is a Karta as well as Akarta, it says that he is a Karta as well as Akarta, ‘like the carpenter!’ When the carpenter is plying his trade, he works with his instruments like the saw, chiseller, leveller, scraper and such. At such moments he is a Karta. Then he goes home and does no action as a carpenter. At such moments he is an Akarta! Similarly the Jeeva who is normally a Karta using his bodily instruments of Gnaanendriyas and Karmendriyas. Then when resting in actionless Aatma during Samaadhi, he is an Akarta! Thus the Jeeva gets his Karma and involvement from Easwara only. Here there is no mention of the release from this involvement in doing ones duties and the resultant ties, through Gnaana and or Easwara’s role in such release, in the Brhma Sutra text. Here too AachaaryaaL while giving his comments, instead of stopping at saying that by doing work the Jeeva gets the worldly life of Doer (Kartrutvam) and Enjoyer (Bhogtrutvam) roles by Easwara’s Commands; says also that this Jeeva becomes worthy of Moksha by the highest Gnaana also by the Anugraha from the same Easwara! He could have stopped at, “Easwaraat tat anujyayaa kartrutva bhogtrutva lakshanasya samsaara siddhi:” In the original text that is being explained, there is nothing more than that. But our Aachaaryaal not wanting to stop at only sounding as though we are accusing God for the involvement in the worldly affairs, goes on to add that the same power that got us involved, is also responsible for granting relief and release! He adds, “tat Anugraha hetukeneiva cha vignaanena moksha siddhir bhavatum arhati”. That is to say that by Easwara Anugraha only this individual Jeeva becomes worthy of receiving the Highest Gnaana, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.