DEIVATHIN KURAL # 128 (Vol # 6) Dated 15 Feb 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 128 (Vol # 6) Dated 15 Feb 2013

(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 877 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)

459.  AmbãL's palace is effulgent with brilliance since it is made of all ChintãmaNi gems, surrounded by a garden of Kadamba trees.  If all our thoughts are adoringly perfect about the aim of our devotion – AmbãL, such a construction by gems of thoughts is also a ChintãmaNi Gruham – a temple by 'gems of thoughts' only isn't it?  Such an 'Ãlayam' aka Temple that is our minds, will also become an abode of AmbãL.  To make such an eventuality to become a reality, we start with thinking of her abode somewhere outside, so that finally she comes to stay eternally in our minds!  That is how Abhirami Bhattar asks in Abhirami Andãdi (Song No 20), "Where is your residence?  Is it in so and so place?  Is it there or there or here?"  Having asked many such questions, he finally doubtfully puts in a question hesitantly, "Could it be my heart?" – "எந்தன் நெஞ்சகமோ?"!  In another song (Song No 56), he is wondering as to how, "Having opened out like a bud that blooms, from being one having become many and much more, having permeated the whole expanse of the milky way and beyond, I wonder how she has been able to come in to this small heart of mine and stays there permanently!"

460.  In the ChintãmaNi Gruham, in the Manjam of the form of Siva – on Pancha Brhmãsanam – above those five – in the lap of Parama Siva aka Parabrhma Swaroopa aka Kãmeswara, she is 'parama siva paryanga nilayãm - परमशिव-पर्यङ्कनिलयाम – the sloka says.  Simply 'anga' or 'anka', would have meant the lap/thigh.  But this phrase here – परमशिव-पर्यङ्कनिलयाम – would mean generally the bedding, cot, bed-spread and the cloth worn around the body, assuming ever wider meaning to become inclusive of 'palanquin' aka 'pallakku' that is lifted by four people like the 'dholi' in places like Vishno Devi and Badrinath / kedarnath, as people carried in it can lie down and go to sleep also!  In the Sanskrit Encyclopaedia / Dictionary Amara Kosam, it is said, "शयनं, मञ्ज, पर्यङ्ग, व पल्यङ्गा", that is, 'sayanam, mancha, paryanga and palyangã'.

461.  (There is an interesting anecdote about how the word 'pallakku' (palanquin) came into being, to have that meaning!  In 1926 in a place known as Kadiyapatti Maha PeriyavãL was taken around the township in a palanquin.  By the time the procession reached the camp-site it was 1° clock at night.  PeriyavãL enquired as to why he could not see Vainagaram Ramanathan Chettiyar anywhere in the crowds.  This V.Ramanathan Chettiyar was a great Siva Bhakta, known as a very rich trader of that place as well as a great poet in Tamil.  To the question by PeriyavãL he answered that he was one of the persons carrying the palanquin!  Instantly he also composed a poem of five stanzas in honour of PeriyavãL.  In that poem he very intelligently explained as to how, when a V.V.I.P is carried around in such a carriage, as many eyes will be focussed on it – 'பல + அக்கு = பல்லக்கு', the carriage came to be known as a palanquin / பல்லக்கு.  In fact this Sanskrit word 'paryangam' it is that, over time became 'palyangam' to 'pallangam' to 'pallakku'!)

462.  Kãmeswara's lap is AmbãL's mattress, bed-spread and also 'paryangam'.  The one seated on it Kãmeswari, instead of being called Rãjarãjeswari or Tripurasundari that she anyhow is, is lifted to the far reaches of Gnãna as, 'Chidãnanda Lahari'.  That is the beauty of ÃchãryãL's language!  Even while she is sitting highly decorated with her consort, it is the beauty of decoration of the inner 'sat and chit' of the Ãtma isn't it?  So, he has concluded that, in such and such a place, in so and so residence, seated in such a palanquin is the blissful flow of 'Chidãnanda Lahari'.  Some rare individuals are lucky enough to be worshipping you – "भजन्ति त्वां धन्या: कतिचन" – that should be read in prose order as – "कतिचन धन्या: त्वां भजन्ति"!  "Why are we saying only some?  There are many who are claiming themselves to be 'Sri Vidya Upasaka-s', isn't it?  That too, their number is increasing day by day!"  Many may be doing Devi Pooja!  But, just to mumble some slokas and show some burning camphor, will not become a true Pooja, will it?  "Then what is the true Pooja?"

463.  Let me answer that question.  In the previous sloka, we observed her figure and form being described, isn't it?  That description should be fully absorbed in our minds.  We should be imagining ourselves to be present in her abode.  Her Grace should be visualised as the ocean of Amrita and the forest of Kalpaka trees.  The place where we are should be seen as an island of gems and the building where we are should be thought of as made up of the ChintãmaNi stones, which sanctions what we are thinking of.  That is known as 'Sãlokya Moksham' or simply Sãlokam.  Normally our going to the abode of our favourite Devata is said to be 'Sãlokya Moksham'.  Wherever we are if we make it the destination, then it means that we have already arrived, isn't it?  So also, wherever we are is already AmbãL's abode undoubtedly.

464.  After Sãlokam is Sãmeepyam that is, to get very close to AmbãL.  We cross the ocean of Amrita, land on the shores of that island of gems, go across the forest of Kalpaka, Santana, Mandãra, Pãrijãta and Harichandana, then smaller gardens and ponds and lakes full of lotuses, the palace of ChintãmaNi and go near the Manjam where she is seated and thus achieve Sãmeepyam.  Then the next step is 'Sãyujyam' that is, to become one with our aim.  The worm keeps thinking of the wasp and becomes the wasp.  Similarly to keep thinking of AmbãL relentlessly till we have no sense of being something separate is Sãyujyam.  To ruminate and marinate the self in the description of AmbãL's form, figure and salubrious qualities till we become that and this no more!  To melt, dissolve and merge with no forwarding address or identity left in us or as us whatsoever, is Sãyujyam!  After that, there is no more Pooja, since there is no separate individual left in the balance to be doing Pooja to anybody!  So there can be no discussion of what happens after Sãyujyam.  But, till then, as we keep doing our Pooja and such activities, this Adwaita Bhãwana of intention to merge should be ever present in our minds.

465.  In fact our going to her world, going nearer, having her darsan, going very close and melting, dissolving and merging in AmbãL; let it happen whenever it does.  Till then whenever we sit down for doing Pooja to our favourite deity we must go through all this mentally – 'மானசீகமாக' with all our mind and heart, with no intruding thoughts whatsoever such as, 'Am I getting delayed for the office or what is there for break-fast or why did so and so talk like that yesterday' or any such things!  Starting from the waves of the ocean of Amrita till the Chidãnanda Lahari, our concentration of attention should be perfect!  Is this the way we all do Pooja?  Very few in us, some rare individuals that is, a very small fraction of those that do pooja with an enormous accumulation of PuNya in the past lives reach such levels of total concentration, become capable of comprehending the Chidãnanda Rasam in the form and figure of AmbãL, someone amongst tens of millions are able to progress on to that Sãyujyam!  So the poet very appropriately has used the word – 'katichana'!

குண்டலினி ரூபத்தில்

In the Form of KuNdalini

466.  Hereafter in the subsequent slokas, the method of worshipping AmbãL as KuNdalini Shakti by Mantra / Tantra yoga systems and the fruits of such methods have been described.  This human body is said to be made of Sthula, Sookshma and KãraNa Sareeras that can be translated as Gross, Subtle and Causal bodies respectively.  The Gross body of AmbãL has been described in the first eight slokas.  Later on there will be some more descriptions of the physical / gross body also.  Looking at the human body as made of a Sookshma Sareera, there are said to be six power centres in the body along the spinal cord.  These are the six Chakras or Lotuses.  At the lowest point, at the lower tip of the spine is the Moola Adhãra Chakra (मूलाधार चक्र), at the base of the stomach is the Swadhishtana Chakra (स्वादिश्टान चक्र), near the navel is the MaNipuraka Chakra (मणिपूरक चक्र), near the heart is the Anãhata Chakra (अनाहत चक्र), near the throat is the Vishuddhi Chakra (विशुद्धि चक्र), in between the eye brows is the Ãgnyã Chakra (आज्ञा चक्र) and finally at the top of the head is the Sahasra Dala Padma Chakra (सहस्र दल पद्म चक्र). 

467.  In these chakras/lotuses the first five are said to represent the five basic elements of the earth, water, fire, air and space with the sixth one being the mind.  AmbãL is said to exist in each Chakra as that particular principle Tattva and in the sixth she is Manas Tattva in the Sahasra Dala Padma, where she becomes one with Siva.  When the KuNdalini Shakti that is normally resting at the Moola Adhãra Chakra, is raised to the top of the head, the aspiring Sãdhak is enabled to experience the Adwaita Ãnandam says the next sloka.  They say that what is there in the macro or whole is also in the micro or part as in the Tamil adage, 'அண்டத்தில் உள்ளது பிண்டத்தில்'.  Thus when AmbãL is representing the whole of existence they are thought of as the Pancha Maha Bhootas (पञ्च महा भूत) encompassing the entire macro cosmos and the Maha Manas that could conceive of such enormity; is also there in the micro form in the human being.  Now, this single unit of one man, the individual Jiva, by following the Yogic methods systematically, can be successful in raising the KuNdalini from the Moola Adhãra Chakra to Sahasra Dala Padma, and can experience the oneness of Siva and Shakti and Adwaita Anubhava positively, as explained in the ninth sloka, starting with 'mahim moolãdhãre'.   

468.  In the next sloka, starting with the words, 'sudha dhãra sãrai:', this Adwaita Rasa Anubhava is available to us as Amrita Rasa Anubhava.  One is the Jiva getting the intense feeling of oneness as Adwaita Rasa Anubhava.  The other is the source of such an experience that is AmbãL.  In Adwaita Anubhava even these differences are not there.  It is beyond the powers of the words to express as, 'varNana ateetam' – 'वर्णनातीतं'.  Just perfunctorily it is said to be 'rasa anubhava', to say something which cannot be described.  Just prior to that experience and afterwards when you are still almost there, there will be the trio or 'triputi' (त्रिपुटी) of one who is experiencing, the experience and the one who gives that experience. 

469.  The Chakra / Padma that I spoke to you about in the power body of ours, are not like the lotus flowers in our ponds, that will open out when the sunlight is there and will close in the moon light.  These power centres in the human body said to be in the lower Agni Kandam, in the middle Surya Kandamand the top Chandra Kandam, those respective lotuses will bloom on arrival of the KuNdalini Shakti there.  Finally the Full Moon that makes the Sahasra Dala Padma bloom is also in the head.  From there as moon light there will be the flow of Amrita and that is the Rasa and AmbãL will be seen to be the one providing that.  In the Chandra Bimbam it is her feet that will be Guru CharaNa Aravindam.  From there is the flow of Amrita Rasa.  It is the aspiring Sãdhak who will be the receiver of the Rasa and the knower and experiencer of the Rasa Anubhava, while simultaneously also experiencing the Adwaita Anubhava!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva