Shloka 6 commentary continues ...

The two concepts introduced in this shloka - Purushakaram and Upaayam, need further detailing before we proceed to the next shloka that is going to introduce three more very important concepts.

Let me start this time with explaining more around "Upaayam". I had stated that Upaayam indicates "means to achieve a goal". I also stated that the goal is "Moksham". Several questions might arise in the reader's mind - What is Moksham? Whose Goal is Moksham? Why Moksham? etc. So let us examine "Moksham" a little more.

Reaching the abode of the Lord - Sri Vaikuntham as it is called, is Moksham. How do we know such an abode exists? From Upanishad vaakyams we can establish that there is a world called "parama-padam" where Nityasooris, the Lord's divine servants are looking at him "constantly". Don't they get tired of looking at Him constantly? Don't they ever sleep? No, because this abode is uncontaminated by the three gunas of Sattva, Rajas, Tamas - the three qualities that pervade all the worlds that we can see, feel, touch, smell, and sense. In short, Krishna states in Bhagwad Gita, "Sattvam triggers Knowledge, Rajas, Karma, and Tamas, Forgetfulness." The Sattvam that we are used to in this world is called "mishra Sattvam" - ie, sattvam contaminated by Rajas and Tamas. The trigunas of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas pervade everything within the realm of modern accomplishments of science - from astronomy to particle physics to robotics to military.

The abode of the Lord on the otherhand, is also known as "Nitya Vibooti" - the permanent world - which is devoid of any "vikaaram" or "change" - because it is made of "shudda-sattvam or uncontaminated sattva guna. Because Sattva triggers knowledge, in the Lord's permanent world, everything and everybody is full of (limitless) knowledge. Contrast this to the present world that we all live, the only thing that can be claimed to be constant is change, and forgetfulness! Alas, since we are so limited in our capabilities, despite the great strides in science and knowledge, because of being bound by Rajas and Tamas gunas pervading in each of us, we have no way of knowing about the existence of the permanent worlds than taking the words of India's great seers and ancient scientists that worked on transcending these limitations through divine will to get a vision of the permanent world.

Some reader's with "paguttarrivu" or the "right to question" might question the wisdom of the ancient seers and ask for scientific proof for the existence of the Lord's Permanent World. Rightly so, but as I said, without transcending the rajas and tamas gunas that everything made by Prakirti or "Mother Nature" contain, they are not going to get the so called "Scientific Proof" - in fact it is an absurdity to ask for scientific proof - because the realm of science is also entirely composed of things that are pervaded by the three gunas (contaminated sattva, rajas, and tamas).

So, having understood merely theoretically, that there is a world called the Permanent World that is the abode of the Lord and His Divine Servants that is devoid of changes as it is made of the quality of "shudda sattva", the next question is Who can go there? The answer is "All jeevatmas can go there". So who is Jeevatma? Jeevatma is the "Indweller" in each of the human beings, animals, plants etc. (the so called "living things"). There is a Jeevatma or "Indweller" in non-living things as well - in fact, one in each non-living that can be called by a name. The primary difference between the living (Chit) and non-living thing(Achit) being "knowledge". Looking at these two tattvams (Objects of matter) from the perspective of knowledge, one may say that the non-living things live in a state of complete knowledge diminishment while the living things live in a state of partial knowledge diminishment. Why call it "knowledge diminishment" as opposed to "quantum of knowledge"? That is because, all these Jeevatmas are full of "knowledge" when they are uncontaminated by "force of nature". Rajas and Tamas gunas that pervade all things created by nature, chiefly are responsible for diminishment of the Jeevatma's knowledge.

So why should the Jeevatma, the Indweller, the thing that is full of knowledge, is knowledge itself, come in contact with nature and lose it knowledge? It does so in order to take up a body. Why does it need a body? Without a body, the Jeevatma cannot "Do anything". It may be all knowledge, but it cannot reach the Lord's abode without taking on a body. While it is "all knowledge" in its pristine form, the Jeevatma realizes that it has to go to Moksham. Setting Moksham as its "goal", it therefore strives to get a human body because it is the most valuable form in which it can realize its knowledge at least partially. The Jeevatma has to struggle through in other bodies before it can get a human body. Which body it will take is also partly dependent on its "karma baggage". The more good karma it has in the baggage, the better its chances of getting a human body. The Indweller with a bad karma baggage probably goes through series of "hells" and non-human births in which it is incapable of doing "bad karma", before it regains a human body. However, the Indweller that had set is goal as "Moksham" in its pristine form because is was all-knowledge, quickly suffers from "knowledge diminishment" the moment it comes in contact with "nature (by acquiring a human body) that is pervaded by mishra sattva, rajas, and tamas". Please note: Indweller acquiring a human body = Indweller coming in contact with Nature....because the human body is made of things from nature -- viz 5 things - water, air, fire, matter, and space. The human body by itself is a non-living thing. The presence of an Indweller with lower knowledge diminishment makes it a living thing. LIFE, therefore, is a matter of "knowledge" and not "life-force". The Indweller's knowledge works through the human-body's sense organs and the sense faculties (as long as the Indweller remains in the body with it partial knowledge diminishment). When the Indweller leaves the body (a the time of death), another Indweller with complete knowledge dimishment takes on the body - and is therefore unable to operate its knowledge through the sense organs.

Now that it has acquired a human body the Indweller now has to go through learning (acquiring knowledge or dusting off ignorace or forgetfullness caused by rajas and tamas gunas) from scratch - From ABC - all the way to realizing that Moksham is its goal. So how many Jeevatmas that are living in the bodies of the 6 billion+ people on earth has realized that its goal is Moksha? Isnt it a truly sorry state? Note that everytime, at the time of death, when the Indweller casts off a human body and reverts back to it all-knowledge pristine mode it starts to regret the "missed opportunity" - not knowing how long it would take for it to get another human body to start realizing that Moksha its goal! It is said, sometimes it could take hundreds of thousands of earth years for the Indweller to get back to a human body on earth. That is precisely the reason the Indweller tries to hold on to this valuable human body at all costs and all times trying to keep death away.

To be continued ...

Shloka 6

6. Through these two, the greatness of purushakaram and upaayam are told.

Through these two Itihaasas (and the key incidents discussed in the earlier shloka), the Lady's greatness in her role as the "recommender" of the Jeevatma (chetanan) that has committed all kinds of sins and atrocities during its lifetimes, and to make the Paramatma accept the Jeevatma despite all its impurities, and the greatness of the emperumaan (Paramatma) that agrees with His consort and accepts the recommended Jeevatma that has accepted Him as the means and the end are told.

Aidyen's notes: Purushakaaram's meaning is derived from Purushan and Karoti signifying "making the purushan a purushan". Purushan means one who gives. The Lady make the Lord the Giver of Moksha - making her the Purushakaara Boothai. She is therefore a key instrument in the process of Jeevatma attaining Moksha. She is the recommender, that firstly forgives all the sins committed by the Jeevatma, and out of extreme compassion towards that Jeevatma, recommends him to the Lord for Moksha. The Lord, in turn accepts the Lady's recommendation to give Moksha to the chetanan. The Lord is the Upayam or the means to achieve the goal. The goal in turn is also the Lord Himself. Attaining Moksha is synonymous with attaining the Lord Himself - where in Paramapadam - His abode, He treats the Jeevatma to Equanimity in Happiness with Himself. Ascending to Paramapadam, Attaining the Lord, and Achieving Moksham are all synonymous. According to Yagniki Upnishad there are 12 means through which Moksha is attainable. The 12th is Nyasam or Prapatti. In this method, the Lord Himself is the means i.e. the Lord's compassion kindled in turn by the Lady's compassion is the means to Moksha. The greatness cannot be undermined by any yard-stick. The Jeevatma has for eons and eons been committing sins in its various lifes on earth and other celestial worlds. The Lord see's all those eons of sins committed by the Jeevatma - yet out of the compassion of the Lady, the Jeevatma is saved - the Lord accepts him in His abode - the Kingdom of the liberated - otherwise also known as Paramapadam or Sri Vaikuntham.

Upayam is "Means" as in "means to achieve a goal". The goal is Moksham - ie reaching His Abode - which we the chetanans cannot without Him accepting us there. In one story in Srimad Bhagavatam, Arjuna accompanies Krishna all the way to Sri Vaikuntha gates -but is unable to go in. He waits outside until Krishna back. If that is the case of Krishna's best friend Arjuna, why should He even consider letting any of us worldly, mundane, sinners into that Kindgom? Yet, despite the stringent criteria He has set for Jeevatma's to reach this Abode, out of His limitless compassion, he listens to His Lady's recommendation, which in turn is also born out Her limitless compassion for the Jeevatma that has agreed to surrender itself and use Him as the means to achieve the final goal

Shlokas 1-5

1. Know the meaning of the Vedas from Smritis, Itihaasas and Puranas

In order to understand the meaning of the Vedas that are divided into Karma Kanda and Brahma Kanda one must read the Dharma Shastras created by great sages (Maharishis) such as Manu, Atri, and Yagnavalkya, History written as they happened (Itihasas) such as Sri Ramayana and Mahabharata, and History written after the fact (Puranas) such as Brahma, Paadma, and Vaishnava.

2. Through Smritis the former is known, through the remaining two, the latter is known.

Smritis were created to explain Karma Kanda; Itihaasas and Puranaas were created to explain Brahma Kanda. Read the respective to know the meaning of either Kandas of the Vedas. (Dharma Shaastras deal with daily rituals and practices while the Itihaasas and Puraanas describe the Lord and his attributes. Therefore such distinction was made).

3. Of the two, Itihaasas are better

Out of the two scripture (families) that were created to explain the Brahma Kanda - viz. Itihaasas and Puraanas -- Itihaasas are more popular. (Adiyen's note: Even today, the world-over, more people know about Sri Ramayana and Mahabharatathan any other vedic scriptures inlcuding the Puraanas. Srimad Bhagavatam also comes second only to these Itihaasas. Itihaasas represent "History as it happened" and were created during the life-time of the characters. Puraanas represent History as well, but were created after the events occured and not during the life-time. This make Itihaasas more authentic accounts of history as well. One may arrive at conclusion on which category religious scripture of Abrahamic faiths would belong to, based on this definition...)

4. Therefore it is foremost

We always say "Itihaasam-Puraanam" and never the other way around. In sanskrit we say "apyarhitam poorvam" - meaning the better is told first. Therefore also, the Itihaasas are better then Puraanas.

5. In the better Itihaasa of Sri Ramayanam the greatness of the lady that was imprisoned was told; in Mahabharata, the greatness of the one that went as the messenger of peace was told.

(Adiyen's comments: The author does not delve in the reasons why Sri Ramayanam is better than Mahabharat) The better among Itihaasas, Sri Ramayanam, tells the story and greatness of the lady (Sri Mahalakshmi who was born as Sita) who became imprisoned in order to help free the celestial women that were imprisoned in Ravana's Lanka. She is the embodiment of "kripai" (Compassion). Created by the Lord (in his avataar as Sri Vedavyasa) Himself, Mahabharata tells the story (and greatness) of the Pandava's messenger that went in search of peace (The Lord Himself again).

Sri Vachana Bhushanam

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaaya Nama:

Pillai Lokarcharyar thiruvadigale charanam

Srimat Varavaramunaye Nama:

Aazhwaar Emperumaanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale charanam

The Blog is an attempted English translation of Sriman Pillai Lokacharyar's Sri Vachana Bhushanam based on commentaries by Swami Manavala Mamunigal and Kanchi Swami P B Annangarachariar. Please excuse errors, and omissions. The object of this translation is to make the knowledge of our Sampradayam's great acharya's available to a wider audience, to kindle their interest in knowing more about them, and their works.

All that I write in this blog is dedicated to the lotus feet of Narayana, Swami Ramanuja, and His Adiyaargal.