NAMMALVAR: TIRUVOIMOZHI: A SELECTION: 1-1-7

திட விசும்பு எரிவளி நீர்நிலமிவைமிசைப்

படர்பொருள் முழுவதுமாய் அவை அவைதொறும்

உடல்மிசை உயிரெனக் கரந்தெங்கும் பரந்துளன்

சுடர்மிகு சுருதியுள் இவையுண்ட சுரனே

(1-1-7)

Thidavisampu erivali neernilam ivaimisai

Padarporul muzhuvathumaay avai avaithorum,

Udalmisai uyirenak karanthenkum paranthulan

Sudarmiku suruthiyul ivaiyunda surane

The illimitable sky,

Fire, air, the waters and the earth,

He is all these

And all that spread innumerable on them,

And in all these

Like life in a body,

He dwells hidden, everywhere,

And yet, He, the glory of the Vedas,

Is their eternal abode,

Verily, all the worlds are within Him.

(Translation: A. Srinivasa Raghavan)

NAMMALVAR: TIRUVOIMOZHI: A SELECTION: 1-1-5

அவரவர் தமதமது அறிவறி வகைவகை

அவரவர் இறையவர் என அடி அடைவர்கள்

அவரவர் இறையவர் குறைவிலர் இறையவர்

அவரவர் விதிவழி அடைய நின்றனரே

(1-1-5)

Avaravar thamathamathu arivari vakaivakai

Avaravar iraiyavar ena adi adaivargal

Avaravar iraiyavar kuraivilar iraiyavar

Avaravar vidhivazhi adaiya ninranare

Everyone, as his understanding guides him,

Turns to his god and reaches him,

Flawless these gods are,

And all those who seek them,

Each one in his way,

Reach the Lord’s feet.

(Translation: A. Srinivasa Raghavan)

(In the Vaishnava tradition, these people worship the God (Narayana) who also lives in their own gods as the antaryami (the in-dweller.)

NAMMALVAR: TIRUVOIMOZHI: A SELECTION: 1-1-1

உயர்வற உயர்நலம் உடையவன் யவனவன்

மயர்வற மதிநலம் அருளினன் யவனவன்

அயர்வறும் அமரர்கள் அதிபதி யவனவன்

துயர் அறு சுடர் அடி தொழுதெழு என் மனனே

(1-1-1)

Uyarvara uyarnalam udaiyavan yavanavan

Mayarvara madhinalam arulinan yavanavan

Ayarvarum amararkal athipathi yavanavan

Tuyar aru sudar adi thozhuthezhu en manane

(1-1-1)

Who is so high and so full of good

That all idea of height and good fades?

It is He.

(Translation: A. Srinivasa Raghavan)

He who has granted knowledge and bhakthi (intense devotion) to remove ignorance,

He who is the leader of the tire-less devas (gods),

He who is the remover of miseries,

O my mind! Pay obeisance to His sacred feet.

  

SRI VISHNU SAHASRANAMA: A Simple explanation

ॐ विश्वं विष्णुर्वषट्कारॊ भूत-भव्य-भवत्प्र्भुः

भूतकृत् भूतभृद्भावॊ भूतात्मा भूतभावनः     १

Om visvam vishnur-vashatkaaro

    Bhoota-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh

Bhoota-krit bhoota-bhrit bhaavo

     Bhootaatmaa bhoota-bhaavanah        1

पूतात्मा परमात्मा च मुक्तानां परमा गतिः

अव्ययः पुरुषः साक्षी क्षॆत्रञॊ अक्षर ऎव च      २

Pootaatmaa paramaatmaa cha

     Muktaanaam paramaa gatih

Avyayah purushah saakshee

     Kshetrajno akshara eva cha      2

   

यॊगॊ यॊगविदां नॆता प्रधान-पुरुषॆश्वरः

नारसिंहवपुः श्रीमान् कॆशवः पुरुषॊत्तमः     ३

Yogo yoga-vidaam netaa

      Pradhaana-purushesvarah

Naarasimha-vapuh sreemaan

       Kesavah purushottamah               3

(5) BHOOTHA-KRITH: Maker of all fundamental elements (Five fundamental elements: Space, Air, Fire, and Water & Earth).

(6) BHOOTHA-BHRITH: Supports or sustains all beings.

(7) BHAAVAH: He who is pure Existence. He is Himself all the fundamental elements. He supports or sustains all of them. He gives them power and make them discharge their assigned duties.

(8) BHOOTHAATHMAA & (9) BHOOTHA-BHAAVANAH: He manifests Himself as all the existence. We worship the Paramaatma as he is the inner being (antharaathmaa) of all the fundamental elements. (Bhaavayathi ithi bhaavah)

(10) POOTAATHMAA: He whose nature is purity.

(11) PARAMAATHMAA:  He who has none equal to, or greater than Him. The Supreme Self. He is beyond cause and effect, eternal, pure, absolute consciousness, and free. (GITA: XV-17) He is other than, and different from all high beings.

(12) MUKHTHAANAAM PARAMAA GATHIH: He who is the highest goal of those who have attained release from rebirth.

(13) AVYAYAH: He who is unchanging. Vyayam naasthi – There is no shortage or decay in Him. This name refers to both the Paramaathmaa as well as the mukhthaathma (those who have attained release from rebirth.)

(14) PURUSHAH: He who fills all beings and dwells in them from the beginning, granting their prayers.

Bhahudhaanaath purushah: He who gives immensely, e.g. clothes, food, water etc.

Puri sayanaath purushah : He who resides in all the entities in the universe.

Puraannaathvaath purushah: He is the oldest (and yet becomes new for our enjoyment.)

Poornnathwaath purushah : He is perfect. He is not deficient in anything. Om poornamadah poornamidam  - The Divine is infinite and whole. (Shanti sloka from Isha Upanishad.)

(15) SAAKSHEE: He witnesses every happening in the universe.

(16) KSHETRAJNAH: He who resides in our bodies. (Gita XIII -2)

(17) AKSHARAH: EVA CHA - He who neither waxes nor wanes in His qualities or in His appearances.

Kshetrajnah and Aksharah are identical metaphysically and their difference is relevant only relatively.

(18) YOGAH: & (19) YOGA-VIDAAM NETAA:  (Samathvam yoga uchyathe) - Equanimity is called yoga. According to GITA: II-48, Sri Bhagavan told Arjuna “Perform actions remaining in yoga, abandoning attachment, and considering alike successes and failures”. Since the Supreme God is experienced  through yoga , He is known as yogah.

Another meaning of yoga – apraapthasya praapanam yogam (Receiving those which were previously not obtained.) God is the leader of those who know him as yogah. These persons are called yoga-vidh.

(20) PRADHAANA-PURUSHA-EESVARAH: Pradhana represents the 24 principles/ origins of the fundamental elements etc. Purusha represents the jeevatma (individual soul.) Isvara is the Master of both Pradhana and Purusha.

(21) NAARASIMHA-VAPUH: He who manifested Himself in the Man-lion body. This is the fourth avataara (incarnation) of Vishnu. Thus the first incarnation specifically mentioned in the Saharanama is that of Narasimha.

(22) SREEMAN: He who is inseparably united with Sree or Lakshmi.

(23) KESAVAH: He who has lovely hair. Or He who destroyed the asura (demon) Kesi in His incarnation as Krishna.

(24) PURUSHOTTAMAH: He who is the most high among beings.   GITA: XV – 18 “As I transcend the Kshara  (the perishable)  and Akshara  (non-perishable), I am called Purushottamah  in the Vedas and  in  common language.”

In the Brahma-Soothra , if one understands fully the purport of the first four Soothras, one can be considered as having known all the remaining Soothras. Similarly, if one understands fully the purport of the first three Slokas of the Sahasranama, one can appreciate that the names specified in the remaining Slokas stand covered within these three Slokas: The following Slokas  are all explanatory of the first three.  These three slokas declare the glories of the Gayatri as well as those of the ashtakshara manthra (Om Namo Narayanaya)  

 

(The first four names of the Sahasranama were posted in this blog on 15 July 2011).

ANANDA (BLISS)

(Based on Sri Mukkoor Lakshmi Narasimhacharya’s lectures)

According to the Dwaita system of philosophy established by Sri Madhvacharya, there is difference in the Ananda (bliss) enjoyed by the various entities. There is difference in the experience of Moksha (liberation). The Visishtadvaitha system of Sri Ramanuja, on the other hand, states that there is no such difference in the enjoyment of Ananda (bliss). The Advaitha system founded by Sri Sankara avers that there could be no greater blss if a jeeva (individual soul) attains the awareness that it is the Brahman (Supreme God) itself.

Pramana sloka on dwaita philosophy

SrimanMadhvaMateh Harihi Parataraha Satyam Jagat Tattvato

Bhedo Jeevaganaha Hareranucharaaha Neechochabhaavam gataaha

Mukthihi Naijasukhaanubhuthihi, Amalaabhaktischa Tatsaadhanam

Hyakshaaditritayam Pramanam Akhilaamnayaikavedhyo Harihi

Sri Hari (Sri Narayana) is the Supreme God. Sri Mahalakshmi is junior to Him. The different classes of jeevas (selves or animate beings) are dependents of Sri Narayana. And they have higher or lower grades among themselves. For attaining Sri Narayana (Mukti or salvation), Vedas are like eyes to us. Salvation is only achieved through Bhakti (flawless intense devotion) to the Supreme God. Correct knowledge of Sri Narayna can be acquired through all the Holy Scriptures and only through them.

According to Sri Madhvacharya, there are four states or types of God’s grace (Chaturmargam). These are:

Salokya: Living in the same station/locality where one’s (Ishta Devata) preferred deity’s temple is situated.

Sameepya: Serving in the premises of the above-stated temple.

Saroopya:  Serving as a priest in the sanctum sanctorum of the same temple.

Sayujyam : Offering whole-hearted worship inside the above sanctum sanctorum.

Thus there are differences in the bliss arising out of the enjoyment of God’s grace. Sri Madhvacharya has established that the above differences arise depending on the gradation (higher or lower) of the concerned jeevas. He has based his conclusion on the basis of the declarations in the Taittiriya Upanishad.

Visitadvaita lays down that the jeeva (individual soul) gets the full enjoyment equivalent to that of the Supreme God. The soul is blessed with the same enjoyment and the same all-perfect knowledge as God Himself and attains full awareness of Brahman (Supreme God). In this awareness/bliss, there is no ranking or gradation at all.

Thus the declarations in the Holy Scriptures have been used in the supporting arguments of the three systems of philosophy. Matha means idea/opinion. The three Acharyas (Gurus or highly revered teachers) enunciated statements in the Upanishads as their own considered opinions and they then used those portions of the Upanishads supporting their theories.          

   

 

   

SRI KANTHIMATHI

श्री कान्तिमतीँ - रागँ दॆशी सिँहारवम् - ताळँ आदि
पल्लवि
श्री कान्तिमतीँ शङ्कर युवतीँ
श्री गुरु गुह जननीँ वन्दॆअहम्
समष्टि चरणम्
ह्रीँ-कार बीजाकर वदनाँ 
हिरण्य मणि-मय शॊभा सदनाँ 
पाक शासनादि दॆव विनुताँ
परशु राम नत हिम शैल सुताँ
(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)
शुक शौनकादि सदाराधिताँ
शुद्ध ताम्रपर्णी तट स्थिताँ
शङ्खाद्यष्टॊत्तर सहस्र -
कलशाभिषॆक मॊदाँ सुर हिताम्


SRI KANTHIMATHIM –

Raga: Desi Simharavam, Talam: Adi

pallavi
SrI kAntimatIM Sankara yuvatIM
SrI guru guha jananIM vandE(a)ham

samashTi caraNam
hrIM-kAra bIjAkAra vadanAM
hiraNya maNi-maya SObhA sadanAM
pAka SAsanAdi dEva vinutAM
paraSu rAma nata hima Saila sutAm
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
Suka SaunakAdi sadArAdhitAM
Suddha tAmraparNI taTa sthitAM
SankhAdyashTOttara sahasra -
kalaSAbhishEka mOdAM sura hitAm

variations -
hiraNya maNi-maya - hiraNmaya
kalaSAbhishEka mOdAM - kalaSAbhishEkAmOdAM

kshEtra - tirunelvEli

---

This Sanskrit song was composed by Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the trinity of Carnatic music. It celebrates the glories of the Goddess Kanthimathi, the consort of Sri Siva.Now it is sung in hemavathi ragam.

The moola murthis (consecrated statues in the sanctum sanctorum) of Siva & Parvati in the temple at Thirunelveli Town of Tamil Nadu are known respectively by the names Nellaiappar or Veimuthanathar and Kanthimathi. Siva is said to have been worshipped by Sage Agasthya in a bamboo grove. Vei in Tamil means bamboo. Hence the title of Veimuthanathar for Siva in this temple. There are also other legends relating to this temple. The deities here have been celebrated in his songs by saint Tirugnana Sambandar.

Meaning: I bow to Sri Kanthimathi. She is the consort of Sri Siva and mother of Sri Guruguha (Sri Subrahmanya). She has  the beejakshara “Hreem” as her face. (Mantras having less than 11 syllables are known as beeja mantras. Beejakshara mantras are one-syllable seed sounds which when pronounced aloud properly, activate and concentrate the energy and power of the mantra.) ”Hreem” is considered to be very significant among the various beejaksharas, as it grants the devotees’ wishes in full.  Similarly Sri Kanthimathi is capable of granting fully all the wishes of the devotees.

Her place of residence glows with gold and precious stones. She is worshipped by Indra and other gods. Parasurama worships Her who is  Himavan's (the mountain Himalaya's) daughter. Sages such as Sukha and Saunakha always do obeisance to Her. She resides on the banks of the  river, Tamraparni which has clear water.

சங்கு முதலானவை கொண்டு செய்யப்படும் ஆயிரத்தெட்டு கலச அபிஷேகத்தினால் ஆனந்தம் அடைபவள். தேவர்களுக்கு நன்மை செய்பவள்.

She becomes happy and pleased when she is bathed with waters from 1008 sanctified vessels made of conches  etc. She grants welfare to the gods.

THREE INDIAN SYSTEMS OF PHILOSOPHY: A SIMPLE EXPLANATION

THREE INDIAN SYSTEMS OF PHILOSOPHY: A SIMPLE EXPLANATION

 

(Based on Sri Mukkoor Lakshmi Narasimhacharya’s lectures)

 

 

Sruthi means that which is heard – Cosmic vibrations which are inaudible and invisible, were heard by the meditating Sages as sound. There are three kinds of Sruthis in the Vedas – bheda sruthi, abheda sruthi and ghataka sruthi. He is different, This is different, He is not like this; He has qualities different from this – these are examples of bheda sruthi. ‘All these came out of Him; He alone is the cause for all these’ – these statements, of themselves, show the division that He is different, this is different.

 

 

 

The Chandogya Upanishad declares: ‘All these are Brahman itself’, namely, tat tvam asi. Tvam – you; tatu – That (Brahman); asi – are. You consider yourself as ‘I’. That is not correct. You are Brahman itself. The distinctive appearance ‘I’ has arisen out of illusion. In his treatises on advaita philosophy, Sri Sankara has offered excellent explanation of this. Firstly, due to the effect of mirage, water appears to flow on the sands of the desert.  Deer thirsting for water in the heat of the desert search the mirage in vain for water and finally, die of unsatisfied thirst. Second example – in the dusk if a garland of flower is lying on the ground, it may appear as a snake to the passer-by. The garland and the apparent snake are one and the same. When the garland is recognized, the apparent snake will go. Thus, for the appearance of the snake, the garland was the basis. Just as the garland is mistaken for the snake, the unintelligent persons, due to delusion, see the different universe in the place of the single Brahman (supreme God). In fact Brahman (supreme God) is the basis for the entire universe. What is the meaning of the statement in the Geeta ’I am in all things. All things are in me’. In the illustration of the garland-snake, garland is the substrate; the snake is what is super-imposed. For the terrified person, the garland has disappeared into the snake. At that stage snake is the basis of his view. If his ignorance is removed and he realizes that it is only a garland, the garland has hidden the snake into itself. Then the garland becomes the base. The unintelligent person looks on the universe as the Truth; but in reality, God is the basis and support for the universe. For practical purpose, we may refer to that person, this person (different persons) etc. This inflated feeling of difference (between the universe and us) appears on account of the mixture of the five fundamental elements such as water, air etc. This differentiation or dual appearance (of the world and the individual) is not true. Only Brahman is true. If He is known by whom all these appearances will disappear, then as in the garland-snake example, the delusion (snake) will go and the garland, namely Supreme God will be perceived.

 

Avidya (lack of true knowledge) is a mirror. That mirror is quite dirty. God comes before the mirror. If we stand before the dirty mirror, then our reflection in the mirror too appears dirty. The differences referred to earlier appear similarly. These are not at all true. The distinctive appearance as many entities is not true. Only Brahman is the truth. All the rest are illusory, mere appearances.

If a genuine pearl and the shoe-flower (japapuspa) are placed side by side, the pearl appears to have the same colour as the flower. In reality the pearl does not have any colour at all. Above appearances will also happen between a crystal and a flower. Similarly none of the material in the universe is truth; only Brahman is truth – this is the declaration of the statement ‘Tat Tvam Asi’. The declaration that all are Brahman is the abheda sruthi.   

 

The third, ghataka sruthi, synchronises or attempts to reconcile the variations between the other two sruthis. It states that it is the Atman (Brahman) that indwells all the worlds and all the beings. He resides in them and controls them whereas they know him not. He is the eternal witness (sakshi), the listener (srotra), the thinker (mantri) and the knower (jnatra). However, he is not the object of cognition for any of the senses. He is the immortal Atman (Brahman). All else is perishable. (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad – Antaryami-brahmana). In his Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Sri Ramanuja reconciles the bheda, abheda sruthis.

 

The Dwaita philosophy enunciates the dual nature. It states that jeeva (the individual soul) and brahman are different from one another (Sri Madhva).

 

Tat Tvam Asi – You who are the jeeva (the individual soul), are that Brahman – Sri Sankara. There are no two; there is only one – this is Advaita: the self-awareness that I

am the Brahman. After one recognizes the Truth, all the others will disappear – This is the Advaita theory.

 

Visishtadvaita (Sri Ramanuja) – All material/matter are His body.

 

Three philosophies – one states the bheda principle; another elaborates the abheda theory. The third refers to the indweller (antaryami) in all beings.

 

Thus the declarations in the three sruthis have been used in the supporting arguments of the three systems of philosophy. Matha means idea/opinion. The three Acharyas (Gurus or gifted teachers) enunciated the statements in the Upanishads as their own considered opinions and they then used those portions of the Upanishads supporting their theories.     

 

Pramana sloka on dwaita philosophy

 

 

 

SrimanMadhvaMateh Harihi Parataraha Satyam Jagat Tattvato

Bhedo Jeevaganaha Hareranucharaaha Neechochabhaavam gataaha

Mukthihi Naijasukhaanubhuthihi, Amalaabhaktischa Tatsaadhanam

Hyakshaaditritayam Pramanam Akhilaamnayaikavedhyo Harihi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THREE INDIAN SYSTEMS OF PHILOSOPHY: A SIMPLE EXPLANATION

 

(Based on Sri Mukkoor Lakshmi Narasimhacharya’s lectures)

 

 

Sruthi means that which is heard – Cosmic vibrations which are inaudible and invisible, were heard by the meditating Sages as sound. There are three kinds of Sruthis in the Vedas – bheda sruthi, abheda sruthi and ghataka sruthi. He is different, This is different, He is not like this; He has qualities different from this – these are examples of bheda sruthi. ‘All these came out of Him; He alone is the cause for all these’ – these statements, of themselves, show the division that He is different, this is different.

 

 

 

The Chandogya Upanishad declares: ‘All these are Brahman itself’, namely, tat tvam asi. Tvam – you; tatu – That (Brahman); asi – are. You consider yourself as ‘I’. That is not correct. You are Brahman itself. The distinctive appearance ‘I’ has arisen out of illusion. In his treatises on advaita philosophy, Sri Sankara has offered excellent explanation of this. Firstly, due to the effect of mirage, water appears to flow on the sands of the desert.  Deer thirsting for water in the heat of the desert search the mirage in vain for water and finally, die of unsatisfied thirst. Second example – in the dusk if a garland of flower is lying on the ground, it may appear as a snake to the passer-by. The garland and the apparent snake are one and the same. When the garland is recognized, the apparent snake will go. Thus, for the appearance of the snake, the garland was the basis. Just as the garland is mistaken for the snake, the unintelligent persons, due to delusion, see the different universe in the place of the single Brahman (supreme God). In fact Brahman (supreme God) is the basis for the entire universe. What is the meaning of the statement in the Geeta ’I am in all things. All things are in me’. In the illustration of the garland-snake, garland is the substrate; the snake is what is super-imposed. For the terrified person, the garland has disappeared into the snake. At that stage snake is the basis of his view. If his ignorance is removed and he realizes that it is only a garland, the garland has hidden the snake into itself. Then the garland becomes the base. The unintelligent person looks on the universe as the Truth; but in reality, God is the basis and support for the universe. For practical purpose, we may refer to that person, this person (different persons) etc. This inflated feeling of difference (between the universe and us) appears on account of the mixture of the five fundamental elements such as water, air etc. This differentiation or dual appearance (of the world and the individual) is not true. Only Brahman is true. If He is known by whom all these appearances will disappear, then as in the garland-snake example, the delusion (snake) will go and the garland, namely Supreme God will be perceived.