DEIVATHIN KURAL # 149 (Vol # 6) Dated 30 Mar 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 149 (Vol # 6) Dated 30 Mar 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 the second paragraph on page No 1021 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 constantly)

684.  When ÃchãryãL had gone for darsan, AmbãL was very much the Kãmeswari, the deity being revered in Soundarya Lahari.  Kãmeswari has the third eye in-between the eye-brows, adding to the two eyes already existing.  What is said in Lalitha Sahasranãma as 'sindoorãruNa vigrahãm' is what is mentioned here as 'sakalam aruNãbham'.  Then Lalitha Sahasranãma goes on as 'trinayanãm', that is repeated here as 'trinayanam'.   Though here ÃchãryãL has mentioned the red brilliance and the third eye; he has alluded that the earlier property was hers and that the latter was the property of her consort which has been stolen by her!  The Dhyãna sloka carries on, 'tãrã nãyaka-sekharãm smita mukheem ãpeena vokshoruhãm' – 'तारा नायक शेखरां आपीन वक्षोरुहां'.  The phrase 'tãrã nãyaka shekharãm' means that she is having the 'Lord of the stars' – that is, the moon on her head as a decorative adornment, as AmbãL is entitled to have the third eye and crescent moon as her accoutrements, as it is so given as a defining identity in the Dhyãna sloka of Lalitha Sahasranãma!

685.  It is this 'tãrã nãyaka shekharãm' that has been given as 'kutila sasi chudãla makutam' – 'कुटिल शशी चुडाल मकुटम्', in his sloka under discussion.  Still he has given her the title of a thief or so expresses his doubt very carefully!  Therein it is mentioned as a woman's body as 'ãpeena vakshoruhãm' – 'आपीन वक्षोरुहां' – meaning 'breasts that have never been suckled'!  The same thing has been referred here as 'kuchãbyãm ãnamrãm' – 'कुचाभ्यां आनंरां', that is very much AmbãL's own!  So, as entirely owned by AmbãL we have, the reddish form, three eyes, crescent moon on the head and the female body; two of which are said to be stolen and two of her own!  Though ÃchãryãL is mentioning all these four traits, two are allegedly her own and two misappropriated from her husband with corroborative evidence!  In fact, we note that out of the four, two seems to have been more clearly stolen by ÃchãryãL from her! 

686.  In Lalitha Sahasranãmam itself there is this name for AmbãL as 'tejovathy trinayanã' – 'तेजोवती त्रिनयना'!  She is also described as 'chãru chandra kalãdhari' – 'चारु चन्द्र कलाधरी' describing her as 'chandra sekhari'!  Similarly in Shyamala Dandakam when being praised as the 'Ati Devata of Sri Vidya', she is described as 'chatur bhuje chandra kalã vatamse' – 'चतुर भुजे चन्द्र कला वतंसे', again with the same idea of being decorated by the crescent moon!  So, it is quite clear that AmbãL has the three eyes and the crescent moon as part of her being and does not have to 'beg, borrow or steal' – at all!  That is how she is depicted in all old drawings by artists and in sculptures of ancient vintage.  But our ÃchãryãL seems to have made up his mind as to, "What is this Stuti of AmbãL without having some 'nindã-stuti' that is, having some dig at her and pulling of the leg?"  So, though he was known to be a 'Sarvagna' – 'सर्वज्ञ', the all-knowing ability of his, he sets aside his omniscience and talks as though he is not aware!  Normally, the general public are of the opinion that the third eye and the crescent moon belong to Siva.  So, going along with the general knowledge of the common man, ÃchãryãL is just alluding that she must have stolen the 'third eye and the crescent moon'!

687.  OK.  She has stolen!  Now the question arises as to where has she hidden the stolen property?  Where else but within her body only!  She has so decided that they have to be hidden within her.  Like Shakti is within Siva, so also Siva is within Shakti!  To make it so, her having swallowed half his body in the 'Ardha-Nãri' Sareera, Gopala Krishna Bharathiyar has sung, "பார்வதி என்றொரு சீமாட்டி – அதில் பாதியை தின்றதுண்டு", meaning that 'one Lady known as Pãrvati has been known to have swallowed a half of that'!  There is also AruNa Giri Natha's statement, "யான் ஆகிய என்னை விழுங்கி", meaning, 'having swallowed me'!  We have seen Mothers whose love for the baby known as 'Vãtsalyam', which is superior to all varieties of love, telling the baby, 'I feel like biting and munching you!'  (Smiling while saying this, PeriyavãL goes on to add that) Love in its extreme goes up to not only biting or stealing but leads to even a case of murder at times!  Our ÃchãryãL had put in just one word 'sankhe' as a doubtful case and here I have brought it up to a case of murder!

688.  In Sivãnanda Lahari (sloka No 44), not just one murder but many that Siva is supposed to have done.  Remembering that, I have brought in the subject of murder!  All done by Samhãra Murthy Siva; killing an elephant and wearing his skin, he became the 'gaja samhãra murthy' – 'गज संहार मूर्थि' mentioned as 'kreendra bhanga'.  Skinning a tiger and wearing it is another occasion – 'ghana sãrdhulana vikhandana' – 'घन सार्धूलन विखन्डन'.  Then when he came as a hunter he killed a wild boar.  Then after all, at the time of Maha Pralaya, he kills all the life forms and finishes them off – 'asta jantu' – 'अस्त जन्तू' all without any differentiation!  Even after having the skin of the elephant as the main robe and tiger skin as the lower garment at the hip, he seems to be leading a deer may be for eating later on, thought our ÃchãryãL!  So Siva looks like a lion which lives in a cave.  Both the lion and Siva aka Swami have the name of 'pancha mukha' as the lion has a broad face and Swami has five faces namely, Sadyojãta, Vãmadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Isãna and hence he is also 'pancha mukha'.  Swami also lives in a cave like the Lion, but in this case, Swami lives in the cave of the heart of all living beings!  So there in Sivãnanda Lahari he has made a rhyming pun of 'Slesha Alankãra' between Swami and the Lion. 

689.  There, having killed and eaten up the elephant and the tiger, the Swami-Lion is keeping only their skin with him in evidence isn't it?  That is what came to my mind.  Similarly having swallowed that Swami, AmbãL is showing off only his 'Tri Netra' and 'Chandra Kala' for having done that, quite inadvertently.  There, having eaten their flesh in full the Swami-Lion would have left their skins licked bare and dry to show off.  Here in AmbãL-Swami case having swallowed the whole, after that body had gone inside this one wholesomely, the 'Tri-Netra' possibly sprouted out on its own.  Then we can construe that the   Chandra-Kala that was anyhow standing apart, must have re-emerged independently!

690.  In fact there was neither murder nor theft or any swallowing either!  That 'Being' known as 'Maha-Mrutyunjaya' meaning the 'Great Vanquisher of Death', whom her 'ताटङ्ग महिमा' makes imperishable even in the apocalypse, how can he such an ever- lasting entity be ever murdered?  In fact it is He who has been accused of theft in her case by poets!  If you wonder as to what must have been that case, let me tell you!  In fact, on more than one occasion, actually in one and a half cases, whatever happened due to her influence, the acclaim and credit that should have been hers, have been misappropriated by him! I am only referring to the matters of 'Kãma Dahanam' and 'Kãla Samhãra' cases, already described!  In the 'Ardha-Nãri' Roopa, since 'Kãma Dahanam' was done by the third eye, their share is half-half, which has been wholly appropriated by him!  Again in the 'Ardha-Nãri' Roopa the credit for 'Kãla Samhãra' case should go to her totally since it happened with the left leg, which is hers!  There are eight stations as Temple Towns known as 'Ashta Veerasthãnam' for his famous exploits.  Amongst them in Thiru Kurugai he is known as 'Kãma Dahana Murthy' and in Thiru Kadavur he is famous as 'Kãla Samhãra Muthy'!  It is AmbãL who has been robbed.  Her husband as 'TaskarãNãm Pati' is the head of thieves, in her case itself!  Having surrendered her body, soul and everything to him, she is the Maha Pativratã the most faithful and obedient wife!

691.  It is about her, our ÃchãryãL seeing with the poet's eyes, over flowing with literary Rasa and poetical genius has sung that she has stolen him completely!  With love and compassion she has totally absorbed him in fact.  Since he is also fully merged in her, seeing her as Kãmãkshi, we feel no deficiency or loss.  If to pray and worship the parents is a pleasure, to see the father in the mother and the mother in the father is a unique pleasure indeed!  If he is to be enjoyed as the 'Thãyum Ãnavar' (Daddy who has become Mother also) she is to be enjoyed as the 'Thanthaiyum ÃnavaL' (Mummy who has become the Father also)!  That is what happens in the case of human beings, when one passes away!  But in the case of our Universal Father and Mother, both can be revered and adored as 'one in the other'!  That is, 'you can have the cake and eat it too'!  Brhmam and Brhma Shakti instead of being two separate entities, becoming one, seen as one and experienced as one, as one 'Shiva-Shakti-aikya RoopiNi' – 'शिव शक्त्यैक्य रूपिणी'; is the meaning of the poem as well as the principle of Adwaitam!

692.  (For a few minutes PeriyavãL is closing his eyes and then carries on in a subdued voice!)  The 'Swaroopa' is all a red haze.  OK it is AmbãL and only AmbãL.  Then when we are trying to discern the different parts of the shape or figure, we are seeing the 'third eye' and then the crescent moon.  They are reminding us of 'Triyambaka'; the 'Chandra Mowleeswara' to us of the Sankara Mata.  But when we look for him, we do not see him!  Other than these two things we do not see any part of his form or body.  It is with this experience ÃchãryãL says, (in a louder voice PeriyavãL continues), "Oh I see!  Earlier after having made half of the body yours, not being satisfied, you have grabbed the other half also, is it?"  Siva Amrita cannot be divided and shared but is to be absorbed totally!  That is what AmbãL did.

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva