Post by saidevo on Oct 5, 2012 8:15:25 GMT 5.5
Pages 183-186
4. bhUta-prakRti-mokSaM
At the end of the 13th chapter (verse 35) in Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan says thus:
"They who, with their eye-of-wisdom, come to know the distinction between the kSetra (field) and kSetrajna (knower), and the liberation of beings from prakRti go to the Supreme." (Swami Chinmayananda)
Adi Sankara's explanation for this passage runs thus: "of the bhUta-prakRti = of maya, mokSaM = total destruction." But then scholars like Vedanta Desika give the meaning as "of the bhUta-prakRti = of Shakti or maya, mokSaM = leaves."
PeriyavAL: Thus the two Acharyas explain--that is, after the tatva-jnAnam sets in, maya perishes and they reach the Param--is this right, or to say that maya (just) leaves the tatva-jnAni is right? What happens after one becomes a jnAni? -- Perivaa kept asking such questions.
In reply my Guru BrahmaSri S.R.K. said, "Only PeriyavAL who has the experience has to explain with certainty. How can we say anything?"
PeriyavAL: 'kaNdavar viNdathillai (those who have seen never explained it). It will be understood only after getting into the state of a jnAni.--Saying this, he laughed (the question away).
5. What is the Shastra?
There are sUtras in Brahma Sutra that mention what is Shastra in four ways. Veda and the Shastras are one and the same. 'vedAt shAstram param nAsti*'. That which teaches hitam (good) to us is the shAstram (authority, scriptures).
The hitam is of many kinds. So Vyasa says that the shAstram is also of four kinds.
1. In the third Sutra that says 'shAstra yonitvAt', he resolves in the first explanation, taking the meaning 'the whole Vedas' for (the word) shAstram, that the one that arranged for the creation of those Vedas is Brahmam, so Brahmam is sarvajna (omniscient).
2. Only the Upanishads that are known as Vedanta are shAstram. Because of these only that it is taught that the ParamPoruL (Brahman) is of the nature saguNa-nirguNa. Therefore, the Vedas are the pramANam (verbal authority) to know Brahman.
3. 'kartA shAstrArthavat-tvAt'*--in the third chapter the Sutra that talks about jIvakartRtvam, he means only the Karma Kanda, the pUrva bhagam (the earlier part) as the shAstram.
4. 'shAstradR^ishhTyA tUpadesho vAmadevavat.h' (1.1.30)*--in this Sutra it is mentioned that Indra teaches Pratardana to do upAsanam (meditation) on him only, because having experienced the truth that the Shastras are the MahaVakyas, he is and with Brahmam. Therefore, it is concluded that only the Mahavakyam that talks about the jIvabrahma-aikyam (oneness of Jiva and Brahman) becomes the shAstram.
Thus the shAstra padam (the word Shastra) is given the vyAkhyAnam (explanation) in four ways with four different meanings.
6. samitpANi
The Upanishads have mentioned that one who desires to have brahma-jnAnam (knowledge of Brahman) should approach a Vidvan who is brahmaniSTha (absorbed in the contemplation of Brahman) and through him should know the Atma. It is mentioned in the Mundakopanishad that at such a time the disciple should take in his hand samit (twigs used in Vedic fire ceremony) as an offer to his guru.
'tadvijnArArtham sa gurumeva abhiyagacchet
samitpANiH srotriyam brahmaniSTham' (Mundaka Upanishad 1.ii.12)
Our PeriyavAL here gave a wonderful, rare meaning.
"Joining both the hands well (in anjali, with devotion) is the meaning of (the term) samitpANi.
"Because, 'samyak, itau, pAnI yatra' (when the two pANis have joined well)--we can thus do the samAsam (combination) [after such vigrAham (analysis)]. There is no shramam (exertion) to go after the samit twig if the guru is acquired. Enough to just join the palms!"
What amount of compassion in PeriyavAL!
('anjali paramAmudra kSipram devapraSadinI' -- It is explained that Anjali is the mudra that fetches God's immediate grace ).
Notes:
'vedashAstrAt paraM nAsti na daivaM keshavAt param'--Mahabhararata, 2.71
With both the hands held up, it is stated that there is no shastra superior to the Vedas; there is no God superior to Kesava. (This is) true; (this is) true and again (it is) true. (http://www.vmission.org/docs/pdf/gurustotram.pdf)
'kartA shAstrArthavat-tvAt' --Sutra 31
kartA - the doer; shAstra - of the scriptures;Artha - meaning;
vat - possessing; tvAt - because of having the nature.
He performs actions. This is so because the scriptures are
meaningful. (http://achintya.blogspot.com/)
'shAstradR^ishhTyA tUpadesho vAmadevavat.h' -- 1.1.30 (30)
he declaration (made by Indra about himself, viz., that he is and with Brahman) is possible through intuition as attested by Sruti, as in the case of Vamadeva.
(http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_1/1-1-11.html)
Glossary:
kSipra - flying back with a spring, elastic, quick, speedy, swift, fast, immediately
samAsa - throwing or putting together, , abiding together, aggregation, conjunction, combination, connection, union, totality
shramaH - toil, action, exertion, effort, distress, practising, achievement
vigrAham - division, analysis
4. bhUta-prakRti-mokSaM
At the end of the 13th chapter (verse 35) in Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan says thus:
"They who, with their eye-of-wisdom, come to know the distinction between the kSetra (field) and kSetrajna (knower), and the liberation of beings from prakRti go to the Supreme." (Swami Chinmayananda)
Adi Sankara's explanation for this passage runs thus: "of the bhUta-prakRti = of maya, mokSaM = total destruction." But then scholars like Vedanta Desika give the meaning as "of the bhUta-prakRti = of Shakti or maya, mokSaM = leaves."
PeriyavAL: Thus the two Acharyas explain--that is, after the tatva-jnAnam sets in, maya perishes and they reach the Param--is this right, or to say that maya (just) leaves the tatva-jnAni is right? What happens after one becomes a jnAni? -- Perivaa kept asking such questions.
In reply my Guru BrahmaSri S.R.K. said, "Only PeriyavAL who has the experience has to explain with certainty. How can we say anything?"
PeriyavAL: 'kaNdavar viNdathillai (those who have seen never explained it). It will be understood only after getting into the state of a jnAni.--Saying this, he laughed (the question away).
5. What is the Shastra?
There are sUtras in Brahma Sutra that mention what is Shastra in four ways. Veda and the Shastras are one and the same. 'vedAt shAstram param nAsti*'. That which teaches hitam (good) to us is the shAstram (authority, scriptures).
The hitam is of many kinds. So Vyasa says that the shAstram is also of four kinds.
1. In the third Sutra that says 'shAstra yonitvAt', he resolves in the first explanation, taking the meaning 'the whole Vedas' for (the word) shAstram, that the one that arranged for the creation of those Vedas is Brahmam, so Brahmam is sarvajna (omniscient).
2. Only the Upanishads that are known as Vedanta are shAstram. Because of these only that it is taught that the ParamPoruL (Brahman) is of the nature saguNa-nirguNa. Therefore, the Vedas are the pramANam (verbal authority) to know Brahman.
3. 'kartA shAstrArthavat-tvAt'*--in the third chapter the Sutra that talks about jIvakartRtvam, he means only the Karma Kanda, the pUrva bhagam (the earlier part) as the shAstram.
4. 'shAstradR^ishhTyA tUpadesho vAmadevavat.h' (1.1.30)*--in this Sutra it is mentioned that Indra teaches Pratardana to do upAsanam (meditation) on him only, because having experienced the truth that the Shastras are the MahaVakyas, he is and with Brahmam. Therefore, it is concluded that only the Mahavakyam that talks about the jIvabrahma-aikyam (oneness of Jiva and Brahman) becomes the shAstram.
Thus the shAstra padam (the word Shastra) is given the vyAkhyAnam (explanation) in four ways with four different meanings.
6. samitpANi
The Upanishads have mentioned that one who desires to have brahma-jnAnam (knowledge of Brahman) should approach a Vidvan who is brahmaniSTha (absorbed in the contemplation of Brahman) and through him should know the Atma. It is mentioned in the Mundakopanishad that at such a time the disciple should take in his hand samit (twigs used in Vedic fire ceremony) as an offer to his guru.
'tadvijnArArtham sa gurumeva abhiyagacchet
samitpANiH srotriyam brahmaniSTham' (Mundaka Upanishad 1.ii.12)
Our PeriyavAL here gave a wonderful, rare meaning.
"Joining both the hands well (in anjali, with devotion) is the meaning of (the term) samitpANi.
"Because, 'samyak, itau, pAnI yatra' (when the two pANis have joined well)--we can thus do the samAsam (combination) [after such vigrAham (analysis)]. There is no shramam (exertion) to go after the samit twig if the guru is acquired. Enough to just join the palms!"
What amount of compassion in PeriyavAL!
('anjali paramAmudra kSipram devapraSadinI' -- It is explained that Anjali is the mudra that fetches God's immediate grace ).
Notes:
'vedashAstrAt paraM nAsti na daivaM keshavAt param'--Mahabhararata, 2.71
With both the hands held up, it is stated that there is no shastra superior to the Vedas; there is no God superior to Kesava. (This is) true; (this is) true and again (it is) true. (http://www.vmission.org/docs/pdf/gurustotram.pdf)
'kartA shAstrArthavat-tvAt' --Sutra 31
kartA - the doer; shAstra - of the scriptures;Artha - meaning;
vat - possessing; tvAt - because of having the nature.
He performs actions. This is so because the scriptures are
meaningful. (http://achintya.blogspot.com/)
'shAstradR^ishhTyA tUpadesho vAmadevavat.h' -- 1.1.30 (30)
he declaration (made by Indra about himself, viz., that he is and with Brahman) is possible through intuition as attested by Sruti, as in the case of Vamadeva.
(http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_1/1-1-11.html)
Glossary:
kSipra - flying back with a spring, elastic, quick, speedy, swift, fast, immediately
samAsa - throwing or putting together, , abiding together, aggregation, conjunction, combination, connection, union, totality
shramaH - toil, action, exertion, effort, distress, practising, achievement
vigrAham - division, analysis