Who Am I

"There are 51 bheeja (seed) mantras - Like kreem, sleem, oum, nam, lam,sreeem, hreem etc. These mantras are very powerful. But these are not for common people. They should be used very carefully. They multiply potencies of matras by many thousand folds. I have personally experiened the effect of bhija mantras. And hence I can vouch for their potencies. But for common people to tell the Bhija mantras, Saint Sri Arunagirinathar created Kandhar Anubhuti. Each stanza is equal to one Bhija Mantra in palatable form. So, by chanting Kandhar Anubhuti, you actually chant all the 51 Bhija mantras at one go! Bhuthi is a word equal to 'Yoga' - To Unite; AnuBhuti - To constantly unite; Kandhar - Sri Subrahmanya. So, Kandhar Anubhuti is to get into constant union with Sri Subrahmanya, the greatest Lord of the Universe." - These were the words of my best friend Sriram.

So I decided to give a try reading the verses and I was spellbounded by its beauty and splendour. Verse 3 is my most favourite verse . The verse is as follows:

Verse 3:

Vaano Punal Paar Kanal Maarudhamo
Jnaanodhayamo Navilnaan Maraiyo
Yaano Manamo Yenaiyaanda Yidam
Thaano Porulaavadhu Shanmugane

Translation:
Is it Ether, Water, Earth, Fire or Air?
Is it sense-knowledge, or the uttered four Vedas?
Is it the 'I' principle, the mind, or the place where 'I' was accepted,
O Shanmukha! What is Reality?

Explanation:
"O Lord Shanmukha! What is it that can be called the Eternal Verity? Is it the Ether, Water, Earth, Fire or Air? Or is it the state in which the sensory knowledge arises? Or is it the Four Vedas that are uttered by the mouth? Or is it the 'I' principle? Or the 'mind'? Or is it the place where You accepted me?

Points to Note:

This is a stunning thought provoking verse..I had tears rolling from my eyes when I read this ( for a highly materialistic person likeme :) )..and was wondering how St. Arunagirinathar would have felt when he composed this verse..Constant contemplation of this verse gives you immense bliss..Ok now lets get on to the main focus of this verse..

St Arunagirinathar asks a question that needs to be asked by all Human Beings!! - What is Reality? What is the Real Truth? Then he asks these questions?

Are the pancha bhoothas (Ether, Water, Earth, Fire or Air), the realTruth?

Or is it the knowledge or sense perception we obtain from this material world, the real truth?

Or is it the Four Vedas (Rig,Yajur,Sama, Atharva) that the Guru teaches to the Disciple?

Or is it the Ego or the "I" principle that asserts itself ineverything and everywhere?

Or is it the Mind that acts on the report of the senses?

The answer for all these questions is a big "NO" :).. as they are all subjected to changes.. Then what is the real truth then? Then he finally asks : What is the Reality then? Is it the place where "I" have been accepted?

Wow - stunning..now this is the most important thing in this verse..The word "I" here means the Ego..So he says that when the "I" principle accepts its defeat, Reality is revealed!! The ego fails in its attempt to know what Reality is. Where the ego ceases, there the Reality reveals itself. The ego is active in search for Reality in the material world, in sense knowledge, in the mental functions and in intellectual understanding. But when it recedes into the inner most recesses of your heart, it melts away - and there you realise the Eternal Verity..
This verse is in-line with the Mahanarayanopanishad, where it is given:"In the centre of the body is the sinless lotus of the heart, which is the Abode of the Supreme Being. Further within that, is the Sorrowless Ether or Reality".

Similarly Ramana Maharishi asks: 'Who am I?' The physical body, composed of the seven dhatus, is not 'I'. The five sense organs… and the five types of perception known through the senses… are not 'I'. The five parts of the body which act… and their functions… are not 'I'. The five vital airs such as prana, which perform the five vital functions such as respiration, are not 'I'. Even the mind that thinks is not 'I'. In the state of deep sleep vishaya vasanas remain. Devoid of sensory knowledge and activity, even this [state] is not 'I'. After negating all of the above as 'not I, not I', the knowledge that alone remains is itself 'I'. The nature of knowledge is sat-chit-ananda [being-consciousness-bliss]. Beautiful , Isnt it ? :)

Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba quotes:" Lord Krishna declared, Deho Devalaya Prokto Jeevo Deva Sanathana (body is the temple and the indweller is God Himself). Therefore, treat every human body as a temple and the indweller as God. Every individual is an aspect of Divinity. "

This is the Real Truth :)..Oops that means I shouldnt criticize anybody :( - But I am not St. Arunagrinathar either :).

posted by Gnana Kirukan @ 9:46 AM