Episode 02 - Nexus with Vedhas - selection 2.

SELECTION 2

Before we get into this week’s selection, let us savour the highest reverence and adoration documented by Sri Nampillai, the author of the renowned Eedu commentary:

(‘Translated’ into comprehensible Thamizh – ‘

‘தத்வத்ரயம்’ என்ற இவற்றின் உண்மையான ஞானம் காரணமாக ஸர்வேஸ்வரினின் அனுபவம் என்ற ஆனந்த வெள்ளத்தில் மூழ்கிய இந்த ஆழ்வாருக்கு ஈடாக ஸ்ம்ஸாரிகளில் யாரும் இல்லை. நித்ய சூரிகளிலும் யாரும் இல்லை. ஏதோ ஒரு சாதனம் மூலம் இந்த நன்மை உண்டாகும் என்று எண்ணி அதனைச் செய்பவர் போன்று இவர் இல்லாததால், தன்னைப் பற்றித் தாமும் அறியார். ஸ்ம்ஸாரிகளும் அறிய மாட்டார்கள். தனது குணங்களுடன் கூடிய இப்படிப்பட்ட ஒருவரைப் படைத்தோம் என்று இதுவரை அறியாத ஸர்வேஸ்வரனும் இவரை உள்ளபடி அறிய மாட்டான். ஸம்ஸாரிகளிலிருந்து இவர் எப்படி வேறுபட்டுள்ளாரோ அப்படியே நித்யசூரிகளிலிருந்தும் வேறு பட்டவராவார்.

Nammazhwar, having attained ‘njanam’ in its absolute term about ‘Tathvathrayam’, was immersed in the blissful sea of enjoying the Supreme Being all the time. That set him apart from anyone among the whole of humanity. Nor among the ‘Nitya Suris’ of Sri Vaikuntam. He rendered his amazing works without being conscious that these were meant to be drivers of some effect or the other. Thus, he did know himself either. Even the Supreme Being, having created this One matching His own attributes, would not know entirely about the Azhwar. As this divine vyakti stands apart from the rest of humanity, he stands apart from the ‘Nitya Suris’ too.

No greater adulation could be thought of. No wonder this one is placed in the highest pedestal of the Sri Vaishnava Guru Parampara – the first among the non-dinvities – only after Sriman Narayana, Sri Piratti and Senai Mudaliar.

But there were times in the South, when organized attempts were made to induct the Naalaayiram as part of the vedhic chants in Sri Vaishnavite temples,the orthodoxy had some defined qualms:

1) Vedhas are to be chanted only in Sanskrit and in defined audiences. The Naalaayiram’s contents were without question referenced with the ‘Srutis’ – both the Poorva Meemamsai and the Upanishadic components. How appropriate would it be for these Thamizh chants to be inducted in public spaces that were adjuncts to Temple festivals? Segments that were till then precluded from the study of the Vedhas (including women) would not be let in, through the ’Thamizh Vedham’.

2) A major part of the Naalaayiram was authored by entities that were not Brahmins by birth; commentaries would place even Kalian (Thirumangai Azhwar) as ‘mlecha’. Sri Thiruppaanaazhwar was of the fifth varna. And Nammazhwar was of a ‘vellala’ origin –

3. Nammazhwar’s renderings, in particular his unequalled ‘Tiruvaaimozhi’, were generously laced with proclamations that seemed resoundingly to flag ‘Advaita Tatva’. The verse that we are taking for discussion in this Selection for instance: உளன் அலன் எனில், அவன்  அருவம் இவ் அருவுகள் – not fighting the concept of ‘formless Brahman’ and sounding admissive – even for the sake of argument.

Srimad Ramanuja, who came into the philosophical world much later than Nammazhwar, on the contrary, not only saw complete resonance in Nammazhwar’s renderings with his own Visishtadvaita treatises, including his peerless ‘Sri Bhashyam’ – his commentary on the Brahma Sutra, he openly credited the Azhwar with having helped him clear his minds of the numerous Vedhic and Upanishadic puzzles:

“Binna Pravruthi, Nimithanam, Sabdanam Ekasmin Arthe Vriddhi Samanadikaranyam.”

Among Sri Ramanuja’s path-breaking works are ‘Gadya Trayam’ – “Saranagati Gadyam” “Sriranga Gadyam” and “Sri Vaikunta Gadyam” (particularly  the first one) are believed to bear his being influenced by Nammazhwar and his works.

One of Sri Ramanuja’s path-setting tenets – when Bhakti takes firm root in an individual, it transforms into ‘para Bhakti’ and that ‘para Bhatkti’ is what delivers one unto Brahma njanam – was also apparently influenced by his drawing inspiration from the Divya Prabhandam.

It was post Sri Ramanuja – who also carried his mission of opening Sri Vaishnavism to sects outside Brahmins to a great extent – that the Divya Prabhandam came to be an integral part of devotional chantings at temples; indeed, we now see the ‘Dravida Vedham’ reciting is ahead of the ‘vedha parayanam’ in these festivities.)

***

As the second instalment of this ‘Trailer’ part, we take up another stunning verse from Tiruvaaimozhi:

உளன் எனில் உளன் அவன்  உருவம் இவ் உருவுகள்

உளன் அலன் எனில், அவன்  அருவம் இவ் அருவுகள்

உளன் என இலன் என  இவை குணம் உடைமையில்

உளன் இரு தகைமையொடு  ஒழிவு இலன் பரந்தே.

For those who assert that the Supreme Being exists – in a perceivable divine form, He does exist, in that form that the seer perceives. Should some assert that He does not exist (in a perceivable form) He is perceived in that formless state. Answering the perceptions that He exists and He does not exist positively, He doth exist – all-pervading  and eternal – with both attributes.

Translation of this verse by Kausalya Hart:

If one believes he exists, he exists.

If one believes he has a form, he does.

If one believes he has no form, he has none.

He has both natures, "he is and he is not," and he is omnipresent.

(Eedu vyakyanam treats this verse in multiple angles, anticipating arguments/objections from quarters avowing different philosophies. The resultant commentaries are exhaustive and rather terse, incomprehensible for the uninitiated. I would provide here the derived straight meaning of the verse and one of the angles – just one of them for flagging the complexity of this commentary:

“If it is said that the Supreme Being exists, he is understood to exist. In that case all material objects in this Universe become his form. If it is said that the Supreme Being does not exist, just by invoking that entity, he has to exist. In that event, all the objects that are encapsulated by the assertion – does not exist - their astral (formless) condition – ‘sookshma sarIras’ – become His sookshma condition. Therefore if He answers the appellation – existing as well as non-existing, He should be pervading everywhere both in form and in an astal condition.”

Now where does one find a nexus to this startling proclamations in the Sruti?

Mantra 6 of Ananda Valli of Taitreeya Upanishad is recalled:

asanneva sa bhavati . asad.hbrahmeti veda chet.h .

asti brahmeti chedveda . santamenam tato viduriti .

tasyaisha eva sharira atma . yah purvasya .

athato.anuprashnah . utavidvanamum lokam pretya .

kashchana gachchati

aho vidvanamum lokam pretya kashchit samashnuta  .

so.akamayata .

bahu syam prajayeyeti . sa tapo.atapyata . sa tapastaptva .

ida sarvamasrijata . yadidam ki~ncha . tatsrishtva .

tadevanupravishath . tadanupravishya . sachcha tyachcha bhavat.

niruktam chaniruktam cha . nilayanam chanilayanam cha .

vijnanam chavijnanam cha . satyam chanritam cha satyamabhavat. .

yadidam ki~ncha . tatsatyamityachaxate

“If a person knows Brahman as non—existent, he himself becomes non—existent  (asat)- . If he knows Brahman as existent, then (knowers of Brahman) know him as existent.”

Thereupon the following questions of the pupil: Does anyone who knows not (Brahman)

attain that World after departing this life? Or does the one who knows (Brahman) attain that

World after departing this life?

Answer: He, the Supreme Being (from whom the whole prakriti including Akasa came forth), invoked a thought (made a Sankalpa):  “May I be many, may I be born. May I become a grand Universe that could be perceived with names and forms” With that ‘sankalpa’,  He

performed austerities (tapas). Having performed austerities, He created all this— whatever there is.

Having created all this, He entered into it. Having entered into it, He became both the

manifested and the unmanifested, (with form an formless) both with attributes and without attributes (saguna and nirguna) the defined and undefined (niruktam chaniruktam cha), both the supported and unsupported (nilayanam chanilayanam cha), both the intelligent and the non— intelligent (vijnanam chavijnanam cha), both the real and the unreal (satyam chanritam cha).

The Satya (the Truth) became all this: whatever there is. (satyamabhavat. .

yadidam ki~ncha). It appears as Satya (the Truth) and Mithya (Illusion) as well.  (the wise) call It (the Brahman) the Truth (tatsatyamityachaxate).

Kamban, a staunchly devoted admirer of Nammazhwar, is seen to present the philosophical and spiritual thought-flows of the Azhwar that he apotheosed through reflecting the Azhwar’s thoughts in his own inimitable poetic idiom. Numerous instance of this kind have been flagged through the Kamba Ramayanam discussions that we have had in this Group over five years – concluding last September. Now, here is one that mirrors the verse of Nammazhwar that we have just discussed;

ஒன்றே என்னின் ஒன்று ஏ ஆம், பல என்று உரைக்கின் பல ஏ ஆம்,

அன்றே என்னின் அன்றேயாம், ஆமே என்னின் ஆம் ஏ ஆம்,

இன்றே என்னின் இன்றேயாம், உளது என்று உரைக்கில் உளதேயாம்,

நன்றே நம்பி குடிவாழ்க்கை!  நமக்கு இங்கு என் ஓ! பிழைப்பு? அம்மா!

The Supreme Being – the repository of every thing that is perceivable and non-perceivable, the thinkable and the unthinkable, the formed one and the formless one, every conceivable conducive and contrarian question:

ஒன்றே என்னின் ஒன்று ஏ ஆம்  - Is It the One without the Second? Yes.

பல என்று உரைக்கின் பல ஏ ஆம்,Is it a multi-plural entity? Yes

அன்றே என்னின் அன்றேயாம்,Is it true that it does not exist? If you say that It does not exist in a perceivable form Yes

ஆமே என்னின் ஆம் ஏ ஆம், -Is it true that it has all the attributes? Yes

இன்றே என்னின் இன்றேயாம்  - Is it true that it does not have attributes? Yes

உளது என்று உரைக்கில் உளதேயாம் – If one insists It exists, it does exist.

நன்றே நம்பி குடிவாழ்க்கை!  நமக்கு இங்கு என் ஓ! பிழைப்பு? அம்மா! – Pathetic and lamentable is the lot of those in ‘samsara’ – filled with ignorance and delusion – where is the glimmer of hope for knowledge and deliverance?

(The ‘neti’ ‘neti’ – this is not it, this is not it -  form of search for Brhaman that the Upanishad deploys is recalled.)

உருவென அருவென உளவென இலனென

அருமறை இறுதியும் அறிவரு நிலைமையை

இவரிவர் இறையவர் எனமன வுறுதியொ

டவரவர் தொழஅறு சமயமும் அருளினை !

கடுவளி கனல்புனல் ககனமொ டகலிடம்

உடுபதி கதிரவன் உருவமும் அருளினை !

கடிமலர் அடியிணை கருதினர் பெறுகென

அடிநடு முடிவற அருள்பர கதியினை

(Thiruvaranga Kalambagam – by  Pillai Permal Iyengar, a disciple of Parasara Bhattar, sone of Sri Koorathaazhwan.)

As a foot note, we pick one of Nammazhwar’s Tiruvaimozhi verses that encapsulates the phenomenon of the Supreme Being answering descriptions of opposites and all else:

புண்ணியம் பாவம் புணர்ச்சி பிரிவு என்று இவை ஆய்

எண்ணம் ஆய் மறப்பு ஆய் உண்மை ஆய் இன்மை ஆய் அல்லன் ஆய்

திண்ண மாடங்கள் சூழ் திருவிண்ணகர் சேர்ந்த பிரான்

கண்ணன் இன் அருளே கண்டுகொள்மின்கள் கைதவமே?

We conclude this Selection with an outstanding proclamation by Nammazhwar that holds out a beacon of enlightenment, hope and deliverance for all of humanity in this Kali Yuga:

பொலிக பொலிக பொலிக போயிற்று வல்லுயிர்ச் சாபம்,

நலியும் நரகமும் நைந்த நமனுக்கிங் கியாதொன்று மில்லை,

கலியும் கெடும்கண்டு கொள்மின் கடல்வண்ணன் பூதங்கள் மண்மேல்,

மலியப் புகுந்திசை பாடி யாடி யுழிதரக் கண்டோம்

Let the world flourish! Let the world flourish!

Let the world flourish!

The bad curses of all creatures are destroyed.

There is nothing for Yama who gives suffering and hell to people.

See, the poverty of everyone will disappear.

We the devotees of the ocean-colored god

gather together, sing and dance. ,, Translation by Kausalya Hart.

Your narrator seeks the Group’s well-thought directional advice: Is this journey to set forth beyond the ‘trailers’?