Atha yadhidham asmin brahmapure dhaharam Pundarikam vesma dhahard asminnanthara Akasah thasmin yadhavthah, hadhan veshtavyam thadhva vavi jinijn asithavyam.
The meaning is: In this city of Brahman there is a mansion in the form of lotus and within that is the small akasa, what is within that small akasa is to be sought after and to be understood. Now the akasa within the lotus of the heart is the element akasa or the individual self or Brahman. This is refuted by the subsequent passage.
“Esha Atma apahatha papma vijaro vimrthyur vishoko vijighathso apiprksah sethyakamah satya sankalpah”
Meaning the self which is free from evil, old age, death, sorrow, hunger and thirst, whose desire is of truth and whose resolve is of truth is mentioned as that to be sought and known. These attributes which are also found in the Dhaharakasa prove that it is Brahman.
More over.
“Yavanvaayam akasah thavan esho antharhrdhaya akasah.”
This akasa within the heart is as large as the other akasa meaning the bhoothakasa, does not make sense if the dharakasa is the same as that of bhoothakasa. But then the supreme self is described as
J jyayan prthivya jyayan anthrikshath as being larger than the earth and sky and hence it could not be compared to the akasa in size.
Then ramanuja clarifies as follows;
The camparison to akasa is given in order to dismiss the idea of smallness on account of the dhaharakasa being situated inside the heart by example of simili.
“ishwnath gacchathi savitha” meaning the sun moves like an arrow, to indicate the fastness of movement though in fact the sun moves faster.
Another argument forwarded to show that the dhaharakasa is not Brahman. It is not dhaharakasa which is intended to be sought and understood but what is inside it. So dhaharakasa is distinguished from that inside it. This object is ruled out by reasoning.
The sarira of the meditator is indicated as the city in which Brahman dwells and the Dhaharakasa denotes the omniscient, omnipotent lord, who comes to dwell in it out of love for the devout upasaka, with all his auspicious attributes, which is the object of meditation. But others argue that the interpretation that the dharakasa is Brahman and ‘thath’ in thasmin yadhantha indicates the attributes of Brahman and both being the object of meditation is indicated by Thadhanuashtavayam.
But Sri ramanuja refutes saying
The Dharakasa is said to be as large as the bhoothakasa and then the earth, sky, sun, moon and stars etc. are said to be in it. Then it is also said that all desires realized and not realized are there in it to be enjoyed and the dhaharakasa though being inside the heart and thus inside the body is not affected by old age etc. the text further denotes that the dhaharakasa is Brahman by “ethath sathyambrahma param” meaning this city is the reality which is the cause of all and the qualities of Brahman have been attributed to it by “Esha athma apahatha pampa” the self free from evil confirming that it is Brahman by sathyakamah sathya sankalpah, of true wish and infalliable will, and the declaration that those who do not know these qualities of Brahman enumerated in the passage attain perishable results while those who know realize their goal and have their wishes fulfilled. Therefore:- the dharakasa is Brahman while the qualities abiding inside is both to be meditated upon and known.
“evameva khalu somya imah sarvahpragah sathi sampadhya na vidhuhsathi sampatsyamahe ithi.’ And
“sathi sampadhya na vidhuh sathi sampatsy amahe ithi.” And
:satha agaccha na vidhuh sath acchamaha ithi”
Meaning all this – being gone to brahmaloka ( in their sleep) do not know it and having returned from it do not know that also. Similarly the word brahmaloka is used in the sense of the abode of Brahman like in the meaning of text “Esha brahma lokah samrat ithi ho vacha’ this is the world of brahma. The mention of all beings getting merged in Brahman in the state of deep sleep as in pralaya is the sufficient inferential sign of the dhaharakasa being Brahman and so is the word Brahmaloka denoting that of Brahman. The moving about of all beings to the world of Brahman everyday and not knowing it is itself the sign of Dhahaakasa being Brahman only.
Sutra Dhathescha mahimnah asya armin upalabdheh. Because of the mention supporting the world by dhaharakasa, the glory which is of Brahman only sa sethuhr vi dhoothir Esham Lokanam asambhedhaya’
This is a bridge limiting the worlds so that they do not mingle with each other. This quality of being a support to the world denote that the dhaharakasa is Brahman.
“Ethasya vaaksharasya prasasane gargi surya chandrama sou vidhrthou thish thathah”
By the rule of this imperishable one gargi, the sun and the moon are held in their position. Since this power is also seen in Dhaharakasa it is Brahman only.
Sutra :- Prasiddhaescha:-
“kova hyevenyathi kah prahyath, yadhesha, akasah anandho na syath’
Who will breath in and who will breath out if this bliss is not the akasa.
“sarvaniha imani bhoothani akasadh eva samputhpadhyanthe.’
All these beings come from akasa only, from this it is clear that the term akasa is used to denote
Brahman. The qualities like free from all evil etc., emphasise this meaning of akasa excluding any reference to the bhoothakasa.
Sutra;- ItharaparamarsathSa ithi cheth Na asambahavath: meaning if it is said to be the individual self due to the mention of it. Subsequently, it is not because of the impossibility Athasa esha Sampras adhah asmath sarirath samutthaya param jyothirupa sampadhya suena rupena abhisish padhyathe esha athma ithi hovacha Ethath amritham abhayam ethahth brahma”
This individual self having risen from the body attains the supreme light and its true self. This self is immortal, fearless and this is Brahman. So the Dharaakasa may refer to the individual self.
This view is refuted on the grounds that the qualities like apahathapapmathya, being free from evil, do not apply to the individual self.
Sutra:- Uttharath vheth Avirbhootha suarupasthu.
It is said that the later passage ascribed to prajapati speaks of individual soul only, it is only with reference to the real state of the soul.
“Esha Atma Apahatha pama vijaro vimrthyur vishoko vijighathso apipasah sathya kamah sathya sankalpah.”
The self who is free from evil, old age, death, sorrow, hunger and thirst whose desire is of truth and resolve is of truth is mentioned as that to be sought and known. In the passage where Prajapathi gives instructions to Indra who approached Prajapathi with the intention of knowing the true nature of the self that is to be enquired into. After describing the embodied soul in waking and deep sleep states Prajapathi says.
“Na ha vai sasirirasya pry apriyayoh apahathir asthi asariram na va santham na priya priye spasathah’ meaning there is no freedom from joy and sorrow till one is in embodiment and once the soul rises above attains the light and its own nature.
Atha sa esha Sampras adhah asmath sarirah samuttha ya param jyothirupa sampadhya svena rupena abhinishpadhyathe.”
Here the light is denoted as the supreme being and attaining which the jiva is said to enjoy freedom in Brahma loka while in the stage of samsara the jiva is like a horse tied to the yoke. So the entire explanation here is to the true nature of the individual self. Therefore the qualities like Apahatha papma etc may well denote the self and since the same quantities are shown in the text about Dhaharakasa it may as well be the individual self. This sri Ramanuja refutes by the words “Avirbhootha svarupasthu’ and explains “poorvam anrtha thirohitha apahathra papmathvadhi gunakasvarupah paschath vimuktha karma bandha sarirath samut thithah paramjyothi rupasampannah avir bhootha svarupah san apahathapa pamathvadhi guna visishtah thathra prajapati vakye abhi dheeyathe. Dhahara akye thu athir ohitha svabhava apahatha apmathv adhi visishata Eva dhaharakaseeds parath eeyathe.
That is the qualities like freedom from evil etc. is attributed to the soul in the state of release, when its svaroopa is no longer concealed by avidhya karma according to the passage referring to prajapati while the same qualities are mentioned with respect to ahaharahasa which is not under avidhya. So it means only Brahman. More over the description of Dhaharakasa as the sethu bridge that supports the worlds and as sathya will not be appropriate in the case of individual jiva even in the state of release. This fact is proved later in the Sutra Jagathvyaparavarjam.
Sutra:- Anyarthascha paramarsah: the reference to the individual is for different reason.
The passage atha sa Esha Sampras adhah asmath sarirath samurtthaya param jyothirya sampadhya svena rupena abhinish padhyathe. With respect to dhaharakasa is identical to that of the instructions of prajapathi. Both describe the soul rising and attaining the light and its true nature. But it is for the sake of meditation on the Dhaharakasa and not to show that the individual soul is Dhaharakasa.
Sutra;- Alpasruth Erithhi vheth thadhukatham. If it is argued that the dharakasa is the bhoothakasa because of the smallness mentioned their as nichayyathvath where Brahman is denoted as small for the sake of meditation.
Sri Ramanuja says.
“Anaghratha avidya dhoshagandhah svabhavika nirathisayajn anbalaaisvarya viryashakti thejar prabhathi aparimitha dharagunasagarah purushotthama eva’
Meaning the supreme purusha, who is untouched by defects of avidhya and who is the ocean of unlimited great qualities like knowledge, strength, sovereignty, proves, power, and radiance etc., The self denoted by the passage in section on prajapathi is only the individual self.
Sutra: Anukrth esthasya cha: Due to the mention of attaining the likeness;
As the individual self is said to attain the supreme light by meditating on the dharakasa it should be different. This is supported by the passage in Mundokopanishad.
“yadha pasyah pasyathe rukmavarnam karth aram isam purusham brahma yonim thadha vidhvanpunya papam vidhooya niranjanah paramam samyamupaithi”
When the seer sees the radiant being who is the vreator the lord and supreme purusha he sheds all his merit and demerit and becomes like the pure supreme Self.
Sutra: Api smaryathe: the smrithi also states this.
In the Gita the Lord says
Idham jnanam upasirithya mama sadharmyam agathah meaning those who acquire this knowledge become like me.
Thus in the heart Jivan Paramatma dwells as the Dharakara swaroopa as seen above in the Daharadhikaranam.
No comments:
Post a Comment