WITH THE GREAT
Bhagavan Ramana said: This Hill is the Supreme. The ocean of Grace.
கிரி யிது பரம். அருள் நிறைவான அமுதக் கடலே .அருணகிரி பரமான்மா.
14. ITIHASA- PURANA
Indians follow foreign views
We have lost touch with traditional ways of understanding. We have increasingly taken to English education, and through that to foreign ideas and views on everything., with a progressive decline in our knowledge and understanding of our traditions. Colonial rule, work of Christian missionaries, Macaulay's system of education etc have all resulted in a slavish imitative mentality among educated Indians. What the white skinners do is modern for us.
One manifestation of this is in understanding our Itihas and Puranas. Most 'educated' Indians cannot distinguish between the two and do not understand their functional and conceptual differences. For them it is all just stories.
Itihas records history, while Puranas deal with philosophical themes through allegory, symbol and other such devices. They may be based on a core historical incident, but the treatment is not historical or realistic.
Thus, Krishna of the Mahabharata is historical. But Krishna of the Bhagavata or Harivamsa is not entirely historical. Krishna stealing the butter symbolises Bhagavan claiming our innocent hearts. The Gopis were prepared to give up everything and run after Krishna. This is ananya bhakti that Krishna teaches in the Gita.
But we are not gopis. We are modern.We want God (if at all) with so many other things. We don't seek only God. As Francis Thompson said in The Hound of Heaven:
For, though I knew His love Who followed,
Yet was I sore adread
Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside.
The Gopis demonstrate pure Bhakti. Narada in his Bhakti Sutras mentions only Gopis as the example of Bhakti. Krishna taking away the clothes of the Gopis also has this deeper meaning that we must rise above all worldly notions before we can 'see' God. Thus the events of the Bhagavata can be seen from an entirely different angle.
We can also realise that though this is a puranic story, this is actually happening somewhere even now. Even now, true devotees are experiencing this kind of relationship with their God.
Modern history and fiction
In course of time, historical facts have also been interpreted with a generous mixture of fiction. This happens all the time. Historical figures like a Gandhi or Kennedy, Alexander or Napoleon, Ashoka or Caesar are also surrounded by legends. Careful scrutiny of the actual archival material will show how much of our understanding of even recent historical figures like Gandhi or Kennedy is based on fictional accounts. But we know there was a historical figure behind them!
Philosophical truths behind puranic incidents
Burning of the three cities.
Our tradition has not claimed a historical status for Puranas. Puranas say that Shiva destroyed the three 'Puras'. முப்புரம் யெரி செய்த அச்சிவன், in the words of Arunagirinatha. Yet, is it a historical fact? Did it happen, really? No, it is an allegorical way of dealing with a theological or philosophical concept. Here is what Tirumular says:
அப்பணி செஞ்சடை ஆதி புராதனன்
முப்புரஞ் செற்றனன் என்பர்கள் மூடர்கள்
முப்புரம் என்பது மும்மல காரியம்
அப்புரம் எய்தமை யார் அறிவாரே
Tirumantram, 343
(Tirumular says here that fools say that Lord Shiva burnt the three cities. The three cities stand for the three 'malas' or impurities (a Shaivite concept). Then who knows the truth of burning of the cities?)
Thus our elders were not idiots. They knew the truth behind such puranic narrations.
Story of Arunachala
There is another legend concerning Lord Shiva. Once, He manifested as a great column of Fire/Light. Brahma and Vishnu wanted to investigate that, and it was decided whoever found its head or foot would be the greater between them. Vishnu took the form of a boar to dig into the earth to find the feet, failed, and confessed his failure. Brahma went up in the form of the Swan to find the head, could not find it , but lied that he had found it. This is supposed to have taken place in Tiruvannamalai.This is celebrated in so many hymns of the Nayanmars. Jnanasambandha sings about it in every ninth hymn of his decads.
விளவார் கனி பட னூறிய கடல் வண்ணனும் வேதக்
கிளர் தாமரை மலர்மேலுரை கேடில் புகழோனும்
அளவாவணம் அழலாகிய அண்ணாமலை அண்ணல்
(The Lord of Annamalai who could not be fathomed/measured by the one with the complexion of the sea (Vishnu) and the one with faultless fame seated on the lotus of the Veda (Brahma).)
Yet, what is the truth of this incident?
Muruganar, the famous disciple of Ramana Maharshi composed a verse revealing the truth of this.
புத்தி அஹங்காரம் புலம்பெய்த ஓங்கும்
மத்தி இதயந்தான் மறையவனும் மாலும்
நத்த அறியாது நலங்குலைய அன்னார்
மத்தியொளிர் அண்ணா மலையினது மெய்யே
The Self which is the centre of one's Being cannot be reached (understood) by the Buddhi (Intelligence) or Ego. This is the truth of Brahma and Vishnu trying to find out the truth of Annamalai. (This is just the gist. More poetic or philosophical renderings are possible.)
(Incidentally, it is an established scientific fact that Tiruvannamalai is of volcanic origin of incredible antiquity. It is more ancient than the Himalayas. There is therefore sense in associating it with Fire.)
How then can it be understood? Bhagavan Ramana composed a verse in reply to Muruganar's and he revealed the secret:
இத்தனுவே நானாம் எனும் மதியை நீத்தப்
புத்தி இதயத்தே பொருந்தி யக நோக்கால்
அத்துவிதமா மெய் அகச்சுடர் காண்கைபூ
மத்தி யெனும் அண்ணா மலைச்சுடர் காண் மெய்யே
One has to give up the idea that the body is the Self. (Dehatma buddhi should be given up.) Intelligence should be merged with the (Heart)Self by an inward effort. (One should focus inward.) Then one realises that Light which is the Oneness. This is the truth of the Annamalai deepam. (This too is only the gist- a more poetic and philosophical rendering is possible.)
(Care:1. Bhagavan used the word Heart not in the sense of the physical instrument. It is the centre of one's Being, whence the "I" thought arises. This is not a matter for verbal disputation but understanding by effort, inquiry and experience. "Buddhi idayattae porundhi akanokkaal" means merging the mind in the heart. This is the very essence of Bhagavan's teaching on sadhana.For those who felt that it was difficult, he said "surrender".
2. The 'advaita' that he states in the third line above is not to be confused with the popular academic or philosophical notions of Advaita. It is that inexpressible experience of oneness , Atmanubhava.)
Arunachala Hill is the original linga in the whole world. All other lingas in temples are just representations of this. In fact, linga means symbol. In most Shiva temples in the south, a representation of the Annamalai legend can be seen on the outside of the Sanctum Sanctorum in the form of lingotbhava murti. Yet the academics have floated many fancy theories.
Creative commons.)
Thus, we see that puranic truths have a philosophical base.Theology attempts to bridge the two, so as to make it practicable. Thus, Arunagirinatha says:
புத்தியை வாங்கி நின் பாதம்புயத்திற் புகட்டி அன்பாய்
முத்தியை வாங்க அறிகின்றிலேன்.
This is a splendid statement, read in the context of what Bhagavan Ramana said above.
Bhagavan said , merge your buddhi in the heart. (buddhi idayattae porundi) Here, Arunagiri says, place your buddhi at the feet of the Lord, and take Liberation in exchange! This is the "surrender" that Bhagavan said. We must either investigate the truth of the Self, or surrender to God the Self! Arunagirinatha is an advocate of bhakti, ஆன பய பக்தி வழிபாடு பெறு முத்தி - so he is asking us to surrender the buddhi to the Lord. But both paths actually involve the complete giving -up of the ego.
Arunagirinatha and the legends of Krishna
Our master Arunagirinatha has no problems with itihasa or purana. He sings about them joyously in wonderful language.
கதைகன சாபதி கிரிவளை வாளொடு கைவசி வித்தநந்த
கோபாலம கீபன் தேவிம ...... கிழ்ந்துவாழக்
கயிறொ டுலூகல முருள வுலாவிய கள்வ னறப் பயந்து
ஆகாயக பாலம் பீறநி ...... மிர்ந்துநீள
விதரண மாவலி வெருவ மகாவ்ருத வெள்ள வெளுக்க நின்ற
நாராயண மாமன் சேயைமு ...... னிந்தகோவே
(வதன சரோருக)
Taken from: kaumaram.com. Gratefully acknowledged.
In this hymn, our master is relating several incidents and details relating to Krishna from the Bhagavatam.
Gadai : the Gada called Kaumodaki
Gana chaapam : the strong bow called Saarngam
Thigiri : Sudarshana chakra
Valai : the sankha called Panchajanya
Vaalodu : the sword called Nandaka
Kaivasiviththa : bearing in His hands.
Here Arunagiri has detailed the 5 weapons (Pancha Ayudham) of Vishnu, as any Alwar would have done!
Nandagopalan makeepan devi : Yashodha, the queen of the chief Nandagopala,
makizhindu vaazha : living happily
kayirodu vulookalam vurula : dragging the pounding stone to which he was attached with a rope
vulaaviya kalvan : he wandered,this thief ( he stole butter and milk)
ara bhayanthu : causing terrible fright, on sight
aakaaya kapaalam : the roof of the sky
peera nimirndu neela : piercing, standing tall and straight (as he straightened up and grew tall, he pierced the sky and extended his foot beyond it )
vitharana maavali veruva : Mahabali, excelling in bestowing gifts, becoming afraid
makaavrata : with the form of vamana brahmachari
vella velukka ninra : standing openly for all to see
Narayana maaman : Narayana, your uncle
saeyai muninda kovae : his son (Brahma) you showed your anger.
It is easy to summarise this in a few words: that Krishna carried the five weapons, that he gave happiness to his parents, that he dragged the pounding stone, that he came as Vamana. But the full beauty of the verse comes out as we pause at each word and relish how Arunagiri is enjoying his description!
By Sudhamshu Hebbar (originally posted to Flickr as Vamana Avatar) CC BY 2.0 creativecommons via Wikimedia commons
For him. Krishna is all the Avatars. Vishnu, Narayana, Vamana- all are Krishna. He says, Vamana stood there for all to see- and as they were seeing, he became Trivikrama! He came as one following austerities ( maha vrata). He calls Mahabali vitharana- he was so generous in bestowing gifts.He says Vamana went on straightening and growing, so that even the sky could not contain his form. And everyone became afraid. Earlier, he gave immense pleasure to Yashdha and Nandagopa. And even when he was tied to the pounding stone, he would not stay still!
Vamana in stamp.
As we think of each word employed bu the master, we realise he must have actually seen those events to sing so graphically. That is why we are also witnessing those scenes now!
A 10th century depiction of Vamana.
Walters Art Museum.
No comments:
Post a Comment