DEIVATHIN KURAL # 155 (Vol # 6) Dated 12 Apr 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 155 (Vol # 6) Dated 12 Apr 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 1061 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)

 743.           Let us start with the re-paraphrased sloka No 41 and look at the meaning.  तवाधारे मूले = In your Moola Aadhaara Chakra, (that is located at the lower end of the spinal cord), लास्यपरया = interested in the dance form of women folk known as Lãsya ; समयया सह = with his equal  नवरस महातान्डव नटनम् =  who is interested in the dance form meant for the male folk known as 'Thãndavam' नवात्मानं मन्ये = I value the nine forms of Siva as Ãnanda Bhairava; with nine different ethos and pathos, and meditate upon उदयविधिम = the order by which the act of creation proceeds; दयया  उद्धिस्य = by kindness addressed सनाथाभ्यां एताभ्यां उभाभ्यां = these two as mutually interdependent couples, इदं जगत = this world; is जनक जननीमत endowed with a rightful father and mother जज्ञे = it becomes!  

744.            This is the sloka in which both Swami and AmbãL are adored together.  Here the Swami is referred as 'navãtmãnam'.  In the first sloka in which that divine couple were together venerated, starting with 'sareeram tvam sambo' (in the 34th sloka), this name 'navãtmanam' occurred. Now in the last of such slokas in which the divine couple are addressed together the same name has come about.  Here it has a reference to Easwara's name in Moola Ãdhãra Chakra – as Ãnanda Bhairava.  With this since the Chakra matter is over, 'navãtma' in addition to meaning of having nine different formations such as 'Kãla Vyuha' also means that he is the basis of six Chakras and three knots in them.  Ãnanda Bhairava has his counter-part as Ãnanda Bhairavi as an equal and hence the name 'samaya'!

745.            तवाधारे मूले in prose order would become 'तव मूलाधारे', as addressed by our ÃchãryãL, 'Amma in your Moola Ãdhãra Chakra', 'samayayã saha' means 'with an equal', who is 'lãsya parã', is like an adjective.  If someone is involved in dhyãna we may say, 'dhyãna parã'.  Like that she is fully involved in the art of 'lãsya', which is a type of dance more suitable for females.  Nataraja's dance is Thãndavam which is more suitable for males being more vigorous and dynamic and Siva Kãma Sundari does Lãsyam.  The changes in the speed, steps and beat are more pronounced in Thãndavam.  In Lãsyam the facial and bodily expressions and Abhinaya are more important.  So according to the natural inclination the dance forms were known as the masculine Thãndavam and more feminine Lãsyam! 

746.  Parameswara is 'Maha Natan', the great dancer!  Even in the Amara Kosam the Sanskrit dictionary he is defined as, 'Mahãkãlo Mahãnata:'.  If he does not dance or move, the world will stop moving!  Even if the world is to be destroyed, he has to dance the 'Samhãra Thãndavam' or what is known as the 'Oozhikkooththu' – 'ஊழிக்கூத்து'.  Since in the first sloka itself it has been said that it is she who makes him move, his Natanam, Nãtyam and Thãndavam are all due to her influence only!  Letting him dance more rough and violent dances, she retains the right to do the very tender and delicate Lãsya movements!  Our actions of bodily movements of love, anger, desire, sadness of competitiveness, excitement and or passion are all due to these Lãsyam and Thãndavam by this heavenly couple only!  When we are intensely sad, why should the eyes twitch?  When we are angry, why are our lips and lower jaw be shivering uncontrollably?  These are all part of the expressions in Lãsyam!

747.            Without feelings and expressions of emotions, there are a lot of other movements in nature.  There are illimitable numbers of stars and galaxies of stars rotating on their own axis, expanding or contracting, spiralling out or in of each other's influences!  The planets are anyhow rotating on their axis as well as going around their Sun dancing!  The electron clouds inside individual atoms are going round and round their centre nucleus.    The wind blowing gently as a breeze or as a tornado is also a dance!  Water flowing as an uncontrolled flood in the rivers after a sudden rain is another type of dance, while the ebbs and tides caused by the moon in the oceans are another type of dance.  These are all dances, sans bhãva of ethos or pathos!  But, when people are affected by these natural events such as floods or ebbs and tides; automatically such adjectives such as furious, violent, cruel, pleasant and calamitous; get added to their description!  The fire with its hair akimbo as though it will gobble-up everything in its way, spreading uncontrolled is another dance!  The southerly wind known in South India as the pleasing 'தென்றல்' – 'thenral', when it becomes intensified in magnitude and power causes people to cry and panic!  Though the moon is just pleasantly pouring out its cool light, the moon is said to cause much distress amongst separated lovers! Thus Thãndavam and Lãsyam of Siva and Shakti do affect the life of all and sundry!  That is what is conveyed by this sloka that Ãnanda Bhairava Murthy is dancing the Maha Thãndava Natanam with his equal Samayã who is keen on the Lãsya type of dance full of the nine different varieties of ethos, pathos and bathos!

748.            There is a name for AmbãL in Lalitha Sahasranãma as, 'maheswara mahakalpa maha thãndava sãkshini' – 'महेस्वर महाकल्प महाताण्डव साक्षिणी'!  But there the reference is to the 'Maha Samhãra Thãndavam' of the end stages of Armageddon!  Here what is mentioned is the Dance of Creation!  There when Swami is dancing the Dance of Samhãra, she as the kind Mother is only watching the proceedings as 'sãkshini' only.  Here she is joining this dance of creation!  Even though she is the 'sãkshini', as mentioned in the Lalitha Sahasranãma, when his is letting flow a molten fire like in a volcano, she cools the situation down by a down-poring of a rain of compassion.  It does not mean however that she is a hindrance in the way of destruction and re-absorption, which has to anyhow carry on!  But like administration of anaesthesia during surgery and administration of pain killers, she only alleviates the situation!  Even planned offensive by an army is called an 'operation', isn't it?  So also is Rudra's Operation of Samhãra!  After all Rudra is one of her appointees, isn't it?

749.            Then the cycle has to turn around again to 'Srushti' – 'Stiti' and – 'Samhãra', isn't it?  He again becomes the Ãnanda Bhairava and with AmbãL as Ãnanda Bhairavi, (that is the name of a Rãga in Carnatic classical music), with her co-operation dancing the Thãndava – Lãsyam combination, with music and dance! The poet is meditating on such a scene of music and dance.  Only when you are happy, you think of singing and dancing as the white man does after drinking!  We who do not know as to how to be happy are only clearing our nose and throat most of the time!  Easwara and AmbãL in blissful effervescence are dancing.  Because they are so, we should not be taking too much liberty!  That is why they are combining their playfulness with the seriousness of 'Bhiaravam', which means an indication of anger, fierceness and ferociousness.  That is so that we may keep within limits!

750.            The Bhairava GuNa is only temporary.  Blissfulness is their permanent nature.  What is the biggest blissfulness of theirs?  To be loving and kind towards all living forms is their biggest defining quality – 'sarva bhoota dayã' is this couple's happiness.  At the end of the third line it says 'dayayã' meaning by their kindness!  What do they do by their kindness?  By their kindness they reconstruct and recreate this world once again after the last act of 'Samhãra'!  "That is very nice indeed!  What is this kindness?  We know that all the problems of existence are due to the very act of creation, as we very well know already!  So to be reborn in to the world of yet another creation is not kindness but, cruelty, in my opinion!"

751.            But that is not how it is.  Even if they do not get involved in anymore creation, before this sometime in the past there has been a creation, isn't it?  You are welcome to think this very moment that there is no creation and get out of the cycle just now, like an Atlas unchained!  The Gnãnis do look at the world as 'sarvam brhma mayam jagat' – 'सर्वं ब्रह्म मयं जगत', meaning the same as one of the famous Maha Vãkhyas – 'sarvamkhalvidam brhma' – 'सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म'!  But we are talking about all those who are still involved.  After one cycle of creation is over, during Pralaya, everybody gets rest.  Then again the cycle has to go on!  "My Dear Sir, that is alright!  Our only question is, as to why can't we call it quits?   We are only suggesting that we may not have this cycle going on for ever, as it is given in Baja Govindam, 'punarapi jananam punrapi maranam, punarapi Janani jatare sayanam'!"  If you hold that opinion, let me point out the mistake in that contention.  Like there are seven days in a week and 30 days in a month, the period of 'Srushti' goes on for some million numbers of years, for which there is a fixed calculation at the end of which there has to be a Pralaya.  Will all the individuals of existence be fit enough and worthy of Moksham at that precise moment?  That is just not possible. Each individual thinks no end to him or herself in whatever form and go on accumulating, yet some more positive and negative Karma balances, which remain yet to be accounted for, when the Pralaya occurs.  The period of Pralaya and the period before the next cycle of creation begins there is a long period of rest compulsorily given to all and sundry!  This compulsory rest uniformly given to all is an act of kindness only!  Though it looks cruel to re-involve everybody once again in the business of worldly affairs; in fact it is giving another opportunity for them to redeem themselves.  So this is also an act of kindness only.   It also proves that Easwara as the creator firmly believes that every bit of his creation has the wherewithal in itself to find the way through this maze!  For the Human race, isn’t this belief of the creator, something to be really proud of?  Without understanding the trust the creator has in us; we go on accumulating the baggage of negative balances!  So, as a substitute for the unearned Moksham he gives us rest compulsorily after the Pralaya, as an act of extreme compassion.  Then again he gives us another opportunity by being born yet again.  Thus, these repeated opportunities are very much an act of Kindness of the divinity towards us human beings, undoubtedly!

752.            With this aim in view, Ãnanda Bhairava and Bhairavi, by their dance of Thãndavam / Lãsyam recreate the next Srushti out of their extreme kindness and compassion and hence the poet added the word, 'dayayã'. Since they are the couple who re-create the world, they are the Janaka – Janani, as a parent for all of us!  Thus our ÃchãryãL ties all of us in a knot of Love with our parents, whichever nation or country or religion we may think we belong to, we are all children of the same divine parent!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva