Namaste
by Rajesh Krishnan
| 1: கடவுள் வாழ்த்து | ||
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| 1 | அகர முதல எழுத்தெல்லாம் ஆதி பகவன் முதற்றே உலகு. |
अकारः सर्ववर्णाग्रयः प्रकाशः परमेश्वरः | आद्यमन्त्येन संयोगात् अहमित्येव जायते || सर्वं परात्मकं पूर्वं ज्ञप्तिमात्रमिदं जगत् | ज्ञप्तेर्बभूव पश्यन्ती मध्यमा वाक् ततः स्मृता || Nandikesvara Kasika 4-5 |
| 2 | கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல் வாலறிவன் நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின். |
अविज्ञाते परे तत्त्वे शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला | विज्ञातेऽपि परे तत्त्वे शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला || Vivekacudamani 59 रेखामयध्वजसुधाकलशातपत्र-वज्राङ्कुशाम्बुरुहकल्पकशङ्खचक्रैः | भव्यैरलङ्कृततलौ परतत्त्वचिह्नैः श्रीवेङ्कटेशचरणौ शरणं प्रपद्ये || Venkateshvara Prapatti 5 |
| 3 | மலர்மிசை ஏகினான் மாணடி சேர்ந்தார் நிலமிசை நீடுவாழ் வார். |
सकृन्मनः कृष्णपदारविन्दयोर् निवेशितं तद्गुणरागि यैरिह | न ते यमं पाशभृतश्च तद्भटान् स्वप्नेऽपि पश्यन्ति हि चीर्णनिष्कृताः || Bhagavata Purana 6.1.19 |
| 4 | வேண்டுதல் வேண்டாமை இலானடி சேர்ந்தார்க்கு யாண்டும் இடும்பை இல. |
योगयुक्ते त्वयि सदा रागद्वेषविवर्जिते | दयामात्रैकनिरते न वध्या ह्यथवा तव || Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Sati Kanda 2.2.16.11 त्वत्पादपङ्कजं स्मृत्वा सर्वदुःखक्षयो भवेत् | दुःखं सतीवियोगोत्थं निवर्तय महेश्वर || Shiva Rahasya, Ishakhya 12th Amsa, Adhyaya 7, Verse 39 |
| 5 | இருள்சேர் இருவினையும் சேரா இறைவன் பொருள்சேர் புகழ்புரிந்தார் மாட்டு. |
यदा पश्यः पश्यते रुक्मवर्णं कर्तारमीशं पुरुषं ब्रह्मयोनिम् | तदा विद्वान् पुण्यपापे विधूय निरञ्जनः परमं साम्यमुपैति || Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.3 |
| 6 | பொறிவாயில் ஐந்தவித்தான் பொய்தீர் ஒழுக்க நெறிநின்றார் நீடுவாழ் வார். |
इन्द्रियाणां निरोधेन सत्येन च दमेन च | ब्रह्मणः पदमाप्नोति यत् परम् || Mahabharata 3.200.52 (BORI Critical Edition) |
| 7 | தனக்குவமை இல்லாதான் தாள்சேர்ந்தார்க் கல்லால் மனக்கவலை மாற்றல் அரிது. |
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| 8 | அறவாழி அந்தணன் தாள்சேர்ந்தார்க் கல்லால் பிறவாழி நீந்தல் அரிது. |
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| 9 | கோளில் பொறியின் குணமிலவே எண்குணத்தான் தாளை வணங்காத் தலை. |
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| 10 | பிறவிப் பெருங்கடல் நீந்துவர் நீந்தார் இறைவன் அடிசேரா தார். |
अविरतभवभावनातिदूरं भवविमुखैर्मुनिभिः सदैव दृश्यम् | भवजलधिसुतारणाङ्घ्रिपोतं शरणमहं रघुनन्दनं प्रपद्ये || Adhyatma Ramayaṇa, Araṇyakaṇḍa 3.8.48 |
It is apropos to find a parallel to the kural in a commentary on the Mahesvara Sutras of Panini. Reading the surrounding verses gives a fuller picture of the semantic fit.
अकारो ब्रह्मरूपः स्यान्निर्गुणः सर्ववस्तुषु ।
चित्कलामिं समाश्रित्य जगद्रूप उणीश्वरः ॥
...
अकारः सर्ववर्णाग्र्यः प्रकाशः परमेश्वरः ॥
...
सर्वं परात्मकं पूर्वं ज्ञप्तिमात्रमिदं जगत् ।
...
अकारं सन्निधीकृत्य जगतां कारणत्वतः ।
इकारः सर्ववर्णानां शक्तित्वात् कारणं मतम् ॥
I interpret முதற்றே to denote primordial cause that is both effective and material for உலகு.
Verse 4 alone may suffice as the अहम् in the second line can be interpreted as Brahman leading to the world; including verse 5 makes the congruence complete without needing such extrapolation or external references.
See also:
The kural rhetorically questions the use of learning if it does not lead to the feet of the One with Supreme Knowledge. A recurrent theme in this Adhikaram is the juxtaposition of a strong jnana yoga proposition with a strong bhakti proposition.
The match is provided by a pair of shlokas from different sources, using परतत्त्व as the unifying anchor. The first shloka from Vivekacudamani by Adi Shankaracharya declares that when the Supreme Reality is not known, knowledge of the shastras is fruitless. Thus शास्त्राधीतिस्तु निष्फला corresponds to the rhetorical question கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல். The shloka further adds that the knowledge of the shastras is fruitless even when one realizes the Supreme Reality. So where is this परतत्त्व to be found?
The second shloka from Venkateshvara Prapatti declares surrender to the Lord (in the name and form of Venkateshvara), whose soles are adorned by emblems of the Supreme Reality. The Lord is the locus of (the knowledge of) Supreme Reality. Thus परतत्त्वचिह्नैः श्रीवेङ्कटेशचरणौ शरणं correponds to வாலறிவன் நற்றாள் தொழ.
Note that some versions of the Vivekacudamani list the shloka as Verse 61.
The same idea is also captured in the first verse of Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhaja Govindam: भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं गोविन्दं भज मूढमते । सम्प्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले नहि नहि रक्षति डुकृङ्करणे ॥ This verse points out the futility of learning the advanced rules of grammar, as that will not save one when one approaches the time of death; instead, it urges worhsipping the Lord (in the name and form of Govinda). While the connection to the futility of learning (கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல்) without worship of the Lord is obvious, the connection to வாலறிவன் is subtle. In his commentary on the Vishnu Sahasranama, for the word, Govinda, Adi Shankara cites traditional etymology (Nirukta) : गोभिर्वाणीभिः विन्दते, वेत्ति वेदान्तवाक्यैरिति वा गोविन्दः। ‘गोभिरेव यतो वेद्यो गोविन्दः समुदाहृतः’इति श्रीविष्णुतिलके।
While the kural abstractly says learning, Adi Shankaracharya specifies learning the shastras or learning a particular aspect of vyakrana shastra in the case of Vivekacudamani and Bhaja Govindam respectively.
I interpret வாலறிவன் as an epithet of the Lord, since this kural is in the chapter praising God. If we interpret the word to denote, say, a Guru with Supreme Knowledge, then Verse 154 of the Guru Gita can close the gap: गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुः साक्षात् परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥ In Indic traditions, the Guru with Supreme Knowledge is often equated to God, and surrender to the Guru’s feet is recommended.
The kural combines two ideas: One who is without desire and aversion, and removal of afflictions of those who reach the feet of such a One. The kural does not explicitly name such a One as God, although it is implicit due to its being within the கடவுள் வாழ்த்து adhikaram and இறைவன் is mentioned explicitly in other kurals in that section.
We could find a parallel only by including two shlokas that touch upon one idea each. The first shloka is Daksha speaking in praise of Shiva to Sati about Shiva, characrterizing him as रागद्वेषविवर्जिते, which correspponds to வேண்டுதல் வேண்டாமை இலான். In the second shloka chosen here from the Shiva Rahasya, Brahma addresses Shiva, who is grieving Sati’s separation, declares that remembering Shiva’s lotus-feet destroys all suffering. This correspons to: அடிசேர்ந்தார்க்கு யாண்டும் இடும்பை இல.
Though apaprently the sources of the two shlokas are different, they share a common anchor. In both cases, they refer to Lord Shiva, and specifically within the shared context of the story of Sati devi. The second verse was therefore chosen over countless other alternatives in the literature conveying that those who reach God’s feet are freed of all sorrows and afflictions.
It is useful to note that Lord Shiva is characterized not only as beyond desires and aversions, but more generally as being beyond dualities, for example, see Shiva Purana 2.2.1.4: स योगी सर्वविष्ण्वादिसुरसेव्यः सतां गतिः । निर्द्वन्द्वः क्रीडति सदा निर्विकारो महाप्रभुः ॥ This is a recurrent theme across many texts for different names and forms of divinity. See for example: Lord Krishna says न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः in Bhavad Gita 9.29.
Associating the concept of रागद्वेषविवर्जितः with the divine if found in other Indic religions too. In the Jain text by Haribhadra called the Shad-darshana-samuccaya, verse 45, we find expression of a similar idea: जिनेन्द्रो देवता तत्र रागद्वेषविवर्जितः। हतमोहमहामल्लः केवलज्ञानदर्शनः ॥ A similar idea is found in the well known Buddhist vandana: तं भगवन्तं वीतरागं वीतद्वेषं शिरसा नमामि । Sikh texts (in Punjabi) also contain similar themes: characterizing God as nirvair and beyond all dualities, and discusses freedom from duhkha and raaga through God and Guru.
The shloka is an excellent semantic match for the kural: both directly connect crossing the ocean of birth with reaching the feet of God. This shloka is the 5th in a subsection called the Jatayukruta Rama Stotram, which occurs within Sarga 8 of the Aranyakandam of Adhyatma Ramayanam.
There are some differences between the kural and shloka. The kural uses the general and abstract term for God, whereas, the shloka specifies (the name and form of) Lord Rama. The kural uses the term swim across, whereas the shloka mentions a boat (potam). The kural explicitly asserts the converse position, that is, those who do not reach the feet of God do not swim across; the shloka is silent about them. The shloka has the notion of surrendering to the Lord whose feet is the boat, whereas the kural talks simply of reaching His feet.
The first line of the shloka additionally conveys that Lord Rama is very far from the constant contemplation of worldly existence, but is ever seen by the sages sages who have turned away from worldly existence. This idea is not covered by the kural.
This crossing the ocean of samsara by taking refuge in God’s feet is a common theme across numerous Indic texts.
Another strikingly similar shloka that is an equally good match is Verse 4 of the Dakshinamurthy Ashtakam by Vrishabhadeva Verse 4: अविरतभवभावनाऽतिदूरं पदपद्मद्वयभाविनामदूरम् । भवजलधिसुतारणाङ्घ्रिपोतं सततमहं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे ॥
tags: kuralmatch