GITA 13.2
When Swami Ramanuja arrived at Srirangam, the Lord came to receive him. He gave him the title Udaiyavar[உடையவர்], which means possessor. The Lord made Swami Ramanuja to be in charge of Ubhaya [both] Vibhuti [property]. The Lord was the Proprietor of Leela Vibhuti [playful property] and Nitya Vibhuti [everlasing property]. Leela Vibhuti consists of millions of spheres of Universes [अंडम அண்டம்]. Our Universe consists of Seven Upper worlds, including ours, and Lower Seven worlds. Nitya Vibhuti is Vaikuntam, where only Muktatma and Nityaatma live. Leela Vibhuti is One-Fourth of His property and the remaining Three-Fourths is Nitya Vibhuti. Leela Vibhuti is created and destroyed. All of us one day would reach Nitya Vibhuti. The Lord asked Swami Ramanuja to look after His properties! Thus he got the name Udaiyavar. With this charge, responsibility and accountability increased for Swami Ramanuja. Thus Swami Ramanuja had to be responsible for correcting all living beings here and ensure they all reach Nitya Vibhuti! He had to spread Bhakti, among all people and make them to observe saranagati and reach Vaikuntam. So, we have to approach Swami Ramanuja to solve our problems and find means. Therefore, all of us should, at least once, visit this place and get Swami Ramanuja's blessings. Today's [8th January 2009] lecture is from a mandapam called Nityavibhuti Leelavibhuti mandapam. The temple is facing East. Every time, for a procession, Swami Ramanuja arrives at this mandapam. From here he would turn towards South and worship the Lord of Srirangam. Then he would turn towards North to worship the Lord of Tirumala. If we carefully see the idol of Swami Ramanuja, we can notice Three medallions, depicting the Lord of Srirangam, Tirumala and Kanchipuram.
Now we will proceed to the First sloka of Chapter 13. Sri Krishna and Arjuna are conversing. Sri Krishna starts to say. As told in the last lecture, He is going to tell about Atman, body, their relationship, means to attain Atman, research into Atman, the bondage of Atman in the body and how Atman and body have to be differentiated. These were listed as:
- Deha Atma swaroopam,
- Atma attainment,
- Atman research,
- bondage and
- Viveka that Atman and body are different.
All these are going to be explained in Chapter 13. Now the 1st sloka:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
idam sariram kaunteya
kshetram ity abhidhiyate
etad yo vetti tam prahuh
kshetra-jna iti tad-vidah
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field."
Kaunteya =Arjuna, idam = this, sariram = body, ity abhidhiyate = is recogonized as, kshetram = cultivable land. Etad = such, vetti = understanding [as cultivable land], yo = by him, tad-vida = such understood person, iti = is, kshetra-jna = having the knowledge about Kshetram. So Atman is Kshetragya (க்ஷேத்ரஞன்) and body is Kshetram (க்ஷேத்ரம்). Atman cultivates in this cultivable land. This is how great scholars realize Atman and body. Swami Ramanuja has commented elaborately on the words idam sariram. By saying our body, we have to realize we [Atman] are different from the body. But we seem to be confused and use the word we [or my] to denote body also. Where do we commit such mistakes? Swami Ramanuja says in the context of jathi [birth or caste], guna [character] and karma [activities]. In the context of jathi, we say we are humans or animals, etc. Animals are different from human who are different from birds, etc. But the human or animal nature is not of the soul, but of the body. There is nothing like an Atman being a lion or man or woman or deva, etc. All Atman are same and there is no difference as we see in bodies. When we say we are devas, the word 'we' denotes the Atman, while devas refer to the bodies of devas; but we are confused and this has become common usage in our speech. Next, we confuse in the context of gunas. We are blacks, we are short, etc., refer to the characteristic of the body. Atman is never black or white; it is neither short nor tall. But we seem to be confused and attribute the characteristic of a body on the soul when we say 'I am tall, or I am fair complexioned'. 'I' always denotes Atman. Finally, we confuse while talking about actions. We say that we are going or we are climbing or we are laughing. These activities are of the body. Atman does not have legs to walk, nor mouth to speak; nor eyes to shed tears. But we use such phrases commonly. Thus by these three categories, we are confused and denote body by Atman. This has to be properly understood. Then how are we to introduce ourselves? When we say we are the children of so and so, though Atman has no children as such, at least people could recognize. Now with this new knowledge how are we to introduce anybody? We have to introduce our Atman as an embodiment of bliss, an embodiment of knowledge and a servant of the Lord. But this introduction is common to all Atman residing in any body, be it a man or a woman or a deva or an animal. Will it not result in confusion? No, our confusion and disputes arise because of the differences we see in the body and attribute them to the soul. If everybody has the same introduction, that he is the servant of God, full of happiness and Knowledge, then no disputes will arise. Thus Kshetragya sees body [Kshetram] as different from him. Swami Ramanuja raises a pertinent doubt and clarifies. We are to understand that it is our body. Here, who is that 'our'? 'Our' denotes Atman and it alone has knowledge. So, Atman knows by its knowledge that that body belonged to him. To know this, Atman has to put in some efforts. To do that Atman needs a body. Atman in a body realizes that the body belonged to him. So Atman has to understand that the Atman in a human body, realized that the body belonged to him to eliminate his karma and to cultivate good habits. By cultivating such good habits, this Atman should nurture Bhakti in the Lord and try to reach Him. Thus we have to clearly understand that Atman is not our body, but atman resides in a body to use that body as a cultivable land so as to cultivate good habits and perform Bhakti. This is the substance of this sloka and a person understanding this clearly, is called Kshetragya.
(continued)
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