GITA 13.34

GITA 13.34

For the sake of Prahlada, Hiranyaksipu was killed by Sri Narasimha. Thereafter, the Lord was on His way up in the sky. Great sages were meditating in Ghatikachalam. The Lord desired to grace them; the sages desired that the Lord should not grace with that frightening image; but, they prayed that the Lord should remain at Ghatikachalam, with a pleasant image. Conceding, the Lord accepted to be present with a calm, yoga pose. Today's [23rd February 2009] lecture is from the sannidhi of Sri Yoga Narasimha Swamy. Due to renovation works, all devotees are able to worship only Sri Utsavar. We can worship Sri Moolavar in a picture.

MOOLAVAR SRI YOGA NARASIMHA

 Beautiful seated pose! The Lord is seated with the legs folded in Yoga, with the lower arms on the respective knees. Upper two arms are holding Discus and onch. With four shoulders the Lord graces the devotees with compassion. Alwars praise the Lord as Sri Akkarakkani [அழகியான் அக்காராக் கனி]. Contrary to popular belief, the Lord does not show a frightening image and has a band on His knees and we can notice Dasavatara. Alwar says that if we are able to grow sugar as such into a tree and then get a fruit, it will be so sweet! The Lord is compared to that fruit by mentioning Akkaram [sugar] + kani [fruit]! Such a tree does not exist and this type of comparison is called abhuthopama [imaginary comparison]. Alwar feels that since nothing which exists in the World is below comparison for Him, he had to create an imaginary plant and fruit! So sweet is the Lord, says Tirumangai Alwar and Nammalwar. In Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam, immediately after the Divine name Narasimha, comes the name Sriman. Alwar says 'azhagiyanthane ariyuruvam thane!' [ அழகியான் தானே, அரியுருவம் தானே!]. If we worship the Lord with Bhakti, He presents a pleasing image. There was a King Indradyumna, ruling from Mathura in North India. Once he was hunting deer. One deer asked the King that how being a Vaishnava and devotee of the Lord Sri Vishnu, he was harming any living being like deer. The King was stunned to get this advice from a deer! He became more dedicated in worshipping Sri Vishnu. Once he met lord Shiva and Parvati and prayed for Mukti; They guided him to go to Ghatikachalam, where the Lord would grant him Mukti. The King came here, where the Seven sages were meditating. They requested the King to protect them from demons who were disturbing their meditation. The King prayed the Lord and He gave His Discus and Conch to Hanuman seated in the Chinna malai, and asked Hanuman to protect the sages from the demons. Thus, Hanuman got Four arms and he destroyed all the demons. This is the place where the Lord appeared to King Indradyumna. Sage Viswamitra worshipped the Lord here and got the title Brahmarishi. We know how much Viswamitra struggled to get him accepted by sage Vasishta as a Brahmarishi! After meditation here by Viswamitra, sage Vasishta recognized Viswamitra as Brahmarishi!

 Now we have to see sloka 33. Sri Krishna has been explaining the rationality, to view the body and soul as separate entities, which is Vivek gyana. To view so, we should know the nature of both. In Akkarakkani, there are two items, akkaram [sugar] and kani [fruit]. Both have different properties and both are obtained in different ways. Fruit can be squeezed and it gets spoiled in a few days. Fruits have skin which can be peeled off. Sugar is obtained from sugarcane after an elaborate process. Fruits are naturally available. Thus we see different properties for both. Similarly, Atman and fhe body have entirely different properties. In sloka 33, Sri Krishna cites another example to distinguish Atman from a body. The body has organs, while Atman is without organs. In the last sloka, the Lord compared Atman to space -akash- for the subtility, which made Atman and space unaffected by the entity in which they were present. Now sloka 33:

yatha prakasayaty ekah
krtsnam lokam imam ravih
kshetram ksetri tatha krtsnam
prakasayati bharata

"O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness."

Bharata = descendent of Bharata dynasty [Arjuna], yatha = just as, ravih = the Sun, ekah = being single, imam lokam = all these [objects] seen, krtsnam = without exception, prakasayaty = are illuminated. The single Sun is able to illuminate any and every object seen on this earth, without exception by its rays. Our Atman is now compared to the Sun and all our organs are compared to the objects on earth and the Gyana is compared to the rays from the Sun. Organs and objects are many. Gyana and rays are in abundance. But Sun and Atman are single. Kshetram = body [and associated organs], ksetri = Atman [inside body], tatha =similarly, kritsnam = without exception, prakasayati = is able to perceive. Here we should not misunderstand that a single Atman is understanding all bodies, but Atman is able to perceive all organs in the body in which it is resident. Atman is able to know about all the parts and their activities, in the body in which it is resident. Could this sloka mean, that just as Sun illuminates all objects we see, an Atman is illuminating all organs? But this is not the topic the Lord has been telling Arjuna all along. We should understand that just as the luminous Sun is different from the illuminated world, similarly, knowledgeable Atman is different from the body to be known. The knower is Atman and object of knowledge is the body. Atman is without organs and body is with organs. Another point also we should understand is that one Atman is not knowing all bodies but each Atman knows about each body, in which it resides. How such minute Atman, residing in one corner of our heart is able to know about the entire body, which has numerous parts? Like the radiance of the the Sun, it is the Gyana of Atman which is able to know all. This Gyana tells that all parts are belonging to Atman, as we say, 'my hand, my head, my foot, etc.'. Thus we know the difference between a body and soul. In fact, it is Sri Narasimha, Who teaches us unity in diversity. He possesses Lion's head and a Human body; yet, He is One. This is His capability.

                                                                                                           (continued)