DEIVATHIN KURAL # 114 (Vol # 7) Dated 02 Mar 2014

 DEIVATHIN KURAL # 114 (Vol # 7) Dated 02 Mar 2014

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL 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 868 of Volume 7 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 continually)

Inside Rudra Also is Siva Only

32.          Why can't I do Pooja to Rudra who is ever angry as 'Sadarudra'?  The answer to that is, "Do we have to get Anugraha from him as to how to be angry?"  What we need from him is to learn as to how to keep a positive and pleasant attitude at all times.  Such an attitude imbibed will make us a source of unconditional love and a fount of happiness, Anbu and Anandam.  So we should be praying to Sadasiva who is quintessentially an exemplar of such qualities, right?  The fire uncontrolled scalds and burns demonstrating the quality of 'roudram' – 'रौद्रं'.  But a controlled application of heat can cook food and the same power can be used as a source of light for reading and PãrãyaNam!  So, instead of burning ourselves we make use of the source in the way of Sivam for enabling happy living.

33.          Going one step higher there can be another interpretation for the name Sadasiva that justifies the Sadasiva rather than Sadarudra; that is, to understand that what is bad, fierce and angry is also basically originating from Sivam only.  How is that?  What do we call as bad?  Discomforts, deprivation, difficulties and situations which make us suffer are the things considered as bad.  But without suffering our debit balances carried over from our previous lives will not be written off.  If we are to be relieved and freed from the ties of 'Karma Pãsam', we have to compensate for our past sins by enduring the appropriate punishments.  So, God as Rudra causes us to go through the wringer, so as to liberate us only!  With that very compassionate aim this 'anbe sivam' – 'அன்பே சிவம்', has become Rudra.  So instead of occasions when God is seen as an embodiment of Loving Kindness, even when he is the Fierce Rudra also, intrinsically he is 'Ever Sivam' only, that is, 'Sadasivam'!  So, the epithet 'Sadarudra' is not appropriate as, even when seen as the Rudra of the cremation grounds, he is still 'Sadasiva' only! 

34.          We can further extend the argument.  If everything was rosy and cosy all the time, without obstacles and problems, we will never get fed up of this worldly life except possibly getting bored, maybe.  But we will never be motivated to get to know the higher reaches of human endeavour.  We will be happy and satisfied like animals in the sexual and sensual, without any thoughts of Ãtma and Realization of the Self, which are extremely more pleasureful.  Because there are problems to be faced in life, we get some inclination for dispassion and the urge for liberation! Even if we are not aspiring for total release from this 'Samsara' and go into the Nivrutti mãrga, only when faced with difficulties we think of God for solving of the problems.  Kunti asked Sri Krishna Paramãtma to keep giving her difficulties and accidents so that she may think of asking for his help and he will keep coming to help and only after repeated such Darsan we may be tempted to ask for Samsara Nivrutti!  So all said and done, even when he is Rudra, essentially he is the personification of Love as 'anbe sivam' – 'அன்பே சிவம்' only.  So that we may not forget this basic truth, he has been named as 'Sadasiva'.

'Sadasivom' as Said by the Vedas

35.          That name of Sadasiva as given in the Vedas has intrinsic greatness.  Then further its value has been enhanced by adding the PraNava Mantra of 'Om' and that has been equated with the Brhma Swaroopa as the basis of all existence.  In the beginning Veda Mãtã tells Rudra "Isn't that you have a form as a Sivam?"  Then so that it may not be misunderstood as though it has a number of different forms, amending its earlier statement Veda Mãtã clarifies that even when he is outwardly the ferocious Rudra, inwardly he is forever Siva only, that is Sadasivam.    Where is this Mantra to be found?

36.          Siva has five faces, one each for the four directions and the fifth one looking up to the sky.  Sadyojãtam – 'सद्योजातं' towards West, the face towards North is Vãma Devam – 'वामदेवं', towards South is Aghoram – 'अघोरं', East facing is Tatpurusham – 'तत्पुरुषं' and looking up towards the sky is 'Easãnam' – 'ईशानं'.  There are different mantras for each one of the faces, given in 'Narayanavalli' as a part of 'Taitreeya Upanishad'.  That portion is also referred as, 'Maha NarayaNopanishad'.  In it the mantra for the face known as Easãnam is ending in 'Sadasivam + Om = Sadãsivom' – 'सदाशिवं + ॐ = सदाशिवोम्'.  The mantra reads like this, "Eashãna: sarva vidyãnãm Eashwara sarva bhutãnãm brahmãdipadhi brhmanodhipadhir brhmã shivome astu Sadasivom" – "ईशान: सर्व विध्यानां ईश्वर सर्व भूतानां ब्र्ह्माधिपतिर्ब्रह्मब्र्ह्मणोधिपतिर्ब्रह्मा शिवो मे अस्तु सदाशिवोम्", meaning that he is the Ruling power for all Vidyas, he is the Hero of 'Vedas known as Brhma' who by chanting the Vedas by his four mouths creates all the living beings, That Brhmam may prove to be the one causing all 'Mangalam' to me as the Sivam. 

37.          While completing the sentence it ends adding the PraNava Mantra to Sivam as 'Sadasivom'!  That is what has become 'Sadasivam'.  Here having mentioned the Tirodãna Murthy Easwara who grants the tribulations and comforts in the world of Maya, then mentioning the Anugraha Murthy Sadasiva who relieves us from such involvement and grants release and then indicating that he is the Moksha as the PraNava Mantra too.  It is the same 'Sivam' described as 'Sãntam and Adwaitam' in MãNdookya Upanishad.  That Upanishad itself is an exposition of PraNava Mantra only.

Sivan & Sivam

38.          Sivam is not Sivan.  Sivan is the one who as the supreme ruler of all the worlds does the main job of Anugraha, whereas Sivam is the state in which all actions stop and that Anugraha shines only as an Anubhava of inner experience.  Anugraha Murthy is Sadasivan and that experience of grace is the non-manifest Brhmam that is, Sadasivam.   It is that formless Sadasivam that plays around as the five different beings responsible for the five jobs of 'Pancha Krutyam'.  Sada can be said to be related to that word 'Sat'.  What is forever without change and death is that truth said to be 'Satyam'.  Sada is forever.  Sat is Eternity and Sada is Eternal. 

39.          The stuff which is forever peaceful and true is Sadasivam.  That Sãntam slightly shivers, undergoing changes in Maya leading to Srushti, Stiti, Laya (or Samhãra), Tirodãna (of screening effect) and Anugraha (of Realization and Release from involvement).  Even when all this seems to be happening then also, ever forever – Sada – inner Sãntam remains as it is as the basis of all that seems to be happening.  For all that keeps continuously changing and then finally vanishes or withers or dissipates in to nothingness, this is the changeless Base that never dissipates.  It is like the mud of the earth for the tree.   The seed falls on the earth, sprouts, grows, spreads, branches, sending out leaves and flowers, undergoing many changes.  Finally it falls and perishes back to the mud.  After some years there may not be any trace or indication that there was a tree.  Like that, for the worlds in Maya and the Easwara who runs the Maya; Sadasivam is the Base.  Not only that, even for Sadasivan who sanctions the release from Maya as an Anugraha, for him also Sadasivam is the Base, formless non-being, a pure principle. 

40.          This illusory world of Maya goes on for so many crores of years and then simply vanishes when it entirely integrates with Brhmam when 'matter does not matter'!  In fact Surya Siddhãntam has detailed calculations of how many years every Yuga lasts and talks about different gradations of Pralaya or cataclysm that take place in a very orderly and cyclic manner in which the gaps are as long lasting as the periods of exhibited Maya Prapancham!  To call those many crores of years as 'Sada' is more out of good manners and to call the Easwara for that period as 'Sadasivan' is more out of good form!  The true 'Sada' is the Brhmam beyond Maya and that is the Sadasivam.  As long as the Maya Prapancham exists or seen to exist, the one who runs it is the Sadasivan.  Then when the appearance of the world and the Maya and the Prapancham are no more, the one Ãtma that remains absolutely still in absolute peacefulness as Sãntam and Adwaitam and that is 'S A D A S I V A M' – 'सदाशिवं' – 'சதாசிவம்'!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva