DEIVATHIN KURAL # 106 (Vol # 6) Dated 30 Dec 2012

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 106 (Vol # 6) Dated 30 Dec 2012

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavaaL of Kanchi Kaamakoti 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 going ahead from page No 722 of Volume 6 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 consonantly)

226.  That 'Kãmeswari' is the first name in the whole of evolution of the world.  If the first expression from Brhmam was Kãmam, her name evolved from it as Kãmeswari and he who so desired is Kãmeswara.  He only simply desired.  But to convert that desire into action as Prapancha Leela of Pancha Krutyam, into a practical world of reality was completely the job of Kãmeswari the Empress like Victoria or Elizabeth, with complete power of governance with herself.  She is not just the Queen as the wife of a King, but the very power that rules over the entire universe of living and non-living beings and things respectively.  In Lalitha Sahasranãma, immediately after she is addressed with love as 'Sri Mãtã', the next two names are indicative of her vast and complete suzerainty over the entire universe as, 'Sri Mahãrãgni' (श्री महाराज्ञि) and 'Srimat Simhãsanèswari' (श्रीमत सिम्हासनेस्वरि), meaning the Supreme Ruler and the One Seated on the Lion's Throne.

227.  To be seated as 'Srimat Simhãsanèswari' is one thing that every queen may do.  But, I told you about how her throne is specially made as 'Pancha Brhmãsanam', in which she is seated as 'Kãmeswari', sitting on Kãmeswara's lap.  So, he is also her seat.  The first evolute from Brhmam being the desire to get busy with the Prapancha Leela, this desire/Kãmam is the reason for their names being Kãmeswari and Kãmeswara; as the name of the first and foremost couple, the Mother and Father of all.  Though she is known as LalithãmbãL also, he is not called Lalitheswara.  Lalitham is a quality of softness.  Only women could be like that and not Easwara.  Similarly though she is also known as Rãjarãjeswari, he is never known as Rãjarãjeswara.  Though there is a temple on his name, it is about a Chola King of that name who constructed that temple.  The temple is named after the Presiding Deity Brihad Easwara.  There is no matching name for Rãjarãjeswari as Rãjarãjeswara because, as we mentioned shortly before, she is the authorised/accredited Ruler and not him.  He is like Queen Victoria's husband Albert or like Queen Elizabeth's husband Philip, the Prince without Power!  Even this example is not very correct as the Queens of England are still subject to the supremacy of the Parliament.  Rãjarãjeswari is not like that.  She has the complete power and authority with Sovereignty!    

228.  In the Tamil there is a word 'Sawaran' as a measure of weight of the gold coin 'Sovereign'.  Then we call it a 'Pavun', which is also derived from the Pound.  In olden times a quantity of silver of the same weight also got that name.  Then many changes took place, till a gold coin with the weight of 72 grains of a seed known as 'Kundu MaNi', (which was a globular seed of a plant, of normally uniform weight, red coloured with a black dot, 72 grains of which were equivalent to 8 grams), came to be called a 'Pavun'.  In that gold coin there used to be etched the head of the British Sovereign.  Whatever it is, this Sovereign in English came to be known as 'Sawaran' in Tamil and meant the gold coin.  To further add to the closeness in meaning, SwarNam in Sanskrit means gold!

229.  AmbãL is the authoritative sovereign Queen with supreme power.  So she is known as Rãjarãjeswari.  But her husband does not have such power and so, he cannot rightfully be addressed as Rãjarãjeswara.  Tripurasundari is another important name of hers.  I told you as to how, for the title and contents of the 100 poems of Soundarya Lahari, Tripurasundari is the originating source.  Here also her counterpart Swami does not have a name as 'Tripura Sundaran'!  Instead, he has a name which can be considered as counter-opposite and not counterpart as 'Tripura Antakan' the Finisher of Tripura!  Tripura (literally meaning 'three – sided') is a word that can be applied to both Space and Time as here, there everywhere; Iham, Param and the Interregnum; as well as the past, present and future!  So Tripurasundari is the incomparable beauty in all the dimensions of space and time as well as physical, mental and subtle!  As his beauty is also not at par, she is the Tripura Sundari and He is not Tripura Sundaran!  Having named her Number One, he can only be second at best and hence the absence of the name as Tripura Sundaran.  But only when there two people they can mutually desire for and love each other, isn't it?  So Kãmeswara – Kãmeswari is the perfect match for each other!  Seated on the Pancha-Brhmãsana, the totality of the power of Brhmam, in the process of getting extroverted, from that desire as the cause comes into being as Kãmeswari who conducts the Drama of Pancha Kritya of Five Acts known as Srushti, Sthiti, Samhãra, Tirodãna and Anugraha, with her husband Parabrhma Siva named Kãmeswara! 

230.  It is clear that the five acts of the play are so that the universe may be created and enabled to run. She does this because she has the inner urge in her to replicate herself and let them play around.  Because she has such a desire, she is Kãmeswari.  "What is this?  You mean to say that she has the desire to duplicate herself into so many clones or copies in Maya and cause them to think of themselves as some unique individuals apart?  Instead of being a simple desire, this seems to be cruelty, isn't it?"  If that is your question or doubt, the answer is that, there is no cruelty involved.  At the end of a period, may be the end of Yuga, or Chaturyuga or Kalpa; the intension is to reabsorb eventually.  In separation and re-joining there is added pleasure.  If somebody is with us all of the time we do not so much relish the company.  But when the other person goes to some other state or country and returns after some time, look at the effervescence of love that pours out from either!  The Kãmam of AmbãL that has caused this separation from her deeply mired in Maya is also an expression of such Love only – for the pleasure of re-joining!  Doesn't every mother play hide and seek with her children?

231.  The water that becomes steam from the oceans may be moved by the air and rotation of the earth thousands of miles away, reach the mountains and on condensation pours there as snow or rain.  Then it comes down in rivulets becoming a river, which is joined by tributaries, goes about meandering all over the country side but finally comes to rest only when it is back with the ocean, isn't it?  The life-partner of Kãmeswara, Kãmeswari is seated in Pancha Brhmãsana.  Brhmam and its complete power – especially that which is in the form of Kãma is above all.  From that pair itself all the five major jobs of Pancha Krutyam come into play for all the world drama.  This is graphically depicted with Kãmeswari shown as seated on the left lap of Kãmeswara facing the East.  In that throne, the leg in the 'Ãgneya' direction of SE is Brhma; in the 'Nirruti' direction of SW it is VishNu; in the 'Vayu' direction of NW the leg of the throne is Rudra; and in the 'Easãnya' direction of SW the leg is Easwara.  The central plank of the throne is Sadasiva.  The five who are so divided by the Brhma Shakti as five different officers with five different divisions of power are represented as the four legs and a plank in the centre.  The throne so formed is the Pancha Brhmãsana. 

232.  Contrary to the exalted name as Brhmam, these five are also called the five 'Pretam' or cadavers!  As AmbãL is called 'Pancha Brhmãsanastita' – (पञ्च ब्र्ह्मासनस्तिता) meaning that she is seated in Pancha Brhma Ãsana in Lalitha Sahasranãma, she is also called 'Pancha Preta Ãsanãsina' – (पञ्च प्रेतासनासीना).  The connotation is that without her, they are all as good as cadavers or motor without power or a fused bulb!  For Kãmeswara also she is the life line that is, 'Kãmeswara PrãNa Nãdi' – (कामेस्वर प्राण नाडी).  Such a name is there both in Lalitha Sahasranãma as well as in the Trisati.  Still, in the social ethos of the world of our lives, since to give pride of place to the husband is considered as her greatness, the most powerful Parãsakti also considers it her honour to be her beloved husband's 'Laptop'!

'சிவ'னும் 'ஹர'னும்

'Siva' and 'Hara'

233.  'Hara is worshipping and doing Namaskãra to you and it is your company that causes even the slightest movement of Siva by your power at your behest only!'  It is this message of one being moved and the other prostrating before her in expressing his obeisance to AmbãL, that our ÃchãryãL has described in the first sloka of Soundarya Lahari; talking about which I have done so much elaboration like a good musician does for the past few hours, (from Deivathin Kural # 85 (Vol # 6) Dated 18 Nov 2012), adding Niraval and Swaras!   Why are there two names – as Siva and Hara?  In their actions too, why is there the difference, one moving and the other prostrating?  I started talking about this.

234.  This Siva, about whom I said that the slightest suggestion of a movement in him is due to her at her behest; is the first Tatvam in the Saiva and Sãkta Sãstrãs as the Brhmam, ParamporuL, Sivam; and the husband of Kãmeswari, Kãmeswara.  As he is the husband, he is not depicted as worshipping her or prostrating before her.  Not only because of his position as a husband, he simply becomes aware of his own being and wishes to become an extrovert that is all.  As the Chit Shakti in him AmbãL stopped at involving him in Ichcha Shakti.  She did not get him involved in Kriya Shakti.  For action, she had created the five executive officers.  So there is no question of Siva getting involved in the work load, being in a stage of not being able to or knowing how.  In a peaceful ocean one wave of desire, just a ripple, the slightest stir was caused like in a whole tree one leaf stirs a little!  So it means that Sivan has become Asivan!  (With a smile on his face PeriyavãL puns repeatedly on the words Siva and Asiva, which could mean opposite of Siva.  Saivam or 'சைவம்' in Tamil means 'followers of Siva' and also Vegetarianism and Asaivam or 'அசைவம்' means non-vegetarianism while 'அசைவன்' means the one who is moving and 'அசைவு' is movement!)  So Sivan by himself will not move and with Shakti he will move!

235.  Hara is the Rudra, one of the five Executive Officers of the five major jobs of World Governance, the one who does 'Samhãra'.  Between Hari and Virinchi, that is VishNu and Brhma, having placed the name of Hara as 'हरि – हर – विरिन्चाधिभि:' our ÃchãryãL has made it amply clear as to whom he is referring to.  In Saiva Siddhãntam Siva has been given this name as Hara also.  Siva and Hara are equally revered as one and the same.  From the time of eerie past it has been the name used by his followers to get together in massive numbers and shout in chorus his name as "Hara Hara Mahãdeva" – "हर हर महादेव"!  In Tamil we will say, "அரோஹரா அரோஹரா"!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva