“DaivadeShakam” mantRam two; as I understand IT; Part One.

The second mantRam of “daivadeShakam” contains a great deal of knowledge on “braHMavidya”. The task of interpreting it is a gigantic task, even greater than the first. With my limited knowledge I am trying to do it.

The Reality is only the (ബ്രഹ്മൻ) “braHMan” which is represented by (ആത്മൻ) “Athman”. The rest of all are (ജഡം) “jaDam” which are created by (മായ) “mAya”. What we humanly see are these creations of (മായ) “mAya” (lack of knowledge) which could also be termed ignorance of the (ബ്രഹ്മൻ) “braHMan”. This (ബ്രഹ്മൻ) “braHMan” is what shall be left after the process of elimination (indicated in the second “mantRam”). Gurudevan identifies it as (ദൃക്കു്) “dRikku” and/or (ഉള്ളം) “uLLam” with which we see or experience the rest of the universe. HE identified that perception as (ദൃശ്യം) “dRiShyam”.

According to Geetha, The full knowledge of the “braHMan” and ITS manifestations has been sung by the “RisHis”. They “have sung (about the 'Field' and the 'Knower-of-the Field') in many ways, in various distinctive chants and also in the suggestive words indicative of “braHMan”, full of reason and decision.”

If we look in them we can see that the explanations that are given by RisHis “are not idle talk, or clever intellectual manifestations, springing from the fertile imagination.” In Geetha, Shree Krishna bhagavAn, “In the entire discourse, assures us that what He explains is only a healthy restatement of what 'has been sung by the RisHis in many ways, in different hymns, severally'. In short, the subject-matter dealt with here is the very theme which the Upanishads have indicated in their secret verses, especially so in its passages about Brahman.” It is exactly the same in the case of Gurudevan, but in a very much simpler form.

Poojya Swami ChinmayAanadan says thus in His interpretation of Geetha; ‘Why should we so readily accept these statements of the RisHis in the UpaniShads except in a stunned admiration nurtured by our blind belief in them? BhagvAn Krishnan points out that even if we had no great respect or reverence for the RisHis as such, we will have to accept their declarations because they are not intellectual dictations, or divine commandments, thrust upon the helpless laity by some winged angels assuming divine prerogative and claiming special sources of secret knowledge. This is the general attitude that poisons the scriptures of almost all ……… religions. As a contrast to them, our UpaniShadic declarations are full of reasoning and so convincing. When a truth is declared, along with logical reasoning, the conclusions arrived at are acceptable to any intelligent student by the sheer force of its appeal.” To me daivadeShakam is such an upaniShad, and especially the second “mantRam” is more so; more on it in part two.

Ultimate aim of every life form is to realize the Absolute (പരബ്രഹ്മം) and merge with that IT and experience the Ultimate Bliss (“moKSHam” മോക്ഷം). In order to achieve this, first, we all must realize and understand who we are. In the second മന്ത്രം “mantRam”, Shree NArAyaNa Gurudevan (ശ്രീ നാരായണ ഗുരുദേവൻ) is giving us a methodology to do this by a process of elimination. This “mantRam” contains the information on understanding of our own real identity, which could be termed as our own “uNma” (ഉണ്മ) (reality or truth), which is the “AtHman” ആത്മൻ; the English speaking world refer to IT as the Self also. This is also a request for help in understanding and realizing that “uNma” (ഉണ്മ) and the Absolute (പരബ്രഹ്മം).

ഒന്നൊന്നായെണ്ണിയെണ്ണി ത്തൊ-
ട്ടെണ്ണും പൊരുളൊടുങ്ങിയാല്‍
നിന്നിടും ദൃക്കുപോലുള്ളം
നിന്നിലസ്‌പന്ദമാകണം.

onnonnaayeNNiyeNNitho-
TTeNNum poruLoTungiyAl
ninniDum dRikku poluLLam

ninnilaspandamAkaNam

onnonnaayeNNiyeNNi  (ഒന്നൊന്നായെണ്ണിയെണ്ണി) = Accurately counting everything;   tho-TTeNNum (തൊട്ടെണ്ണും - ത്തൊട്ടെണ്ണും = by touching one by one; “poruL“ (പൊരുൾ) = substance or experience which can be perceived by five senses, subjective experience; “oTungiyAl” (ഒടുങ്ങിയാൽ) = at the end or  when finished; “ninniDum” (നിന്നിടും) = shall remain or shall be left alone; “dRikku” (ദൃക്കു്) = eye, the entity which sees or experiences everything; witness; “poluLLam” = “pol+uLLam”; (പോലുള്ളം = പോൽ+ഉള്ളം) = like inner Self; the subtle form of Self; “ninnil” (നിന്നിൽ) = in You; “aspandamAkaNam” (അസ്പന്ദമാകണം) = should merge with You in unison; or should merge with you and become You.

When every “poruL” (പൊരുൾ), every substance are examined for its authenticity and counted accurately, (Here the word “counting” should not be taken literally. The idea is to investigate and find out the real “dRikku” (ദൃക്കു്) or witness of all the experience and substance); touching one by one and rejected as they were found not to be the “dRikku” (ദൃക്കു്), and when, only our own “uLLam” (ഉള്ളം) (inner Self) shall remain; and then that “uLLam” (ഉള്ളം) (inner Self), we shall realize it as the sole witness. At that time, that inner Self should merge with You, The Absolute, and remain with you, with no activity of its own and be one with You, and shall be identified as You.

In this process, we have to differentiate which is “dRiShyam” (ദൃശ്യം) and which is (ദൃക്കു്) “dRikku” and reject the (ദൃശ്യം) “dRiShyam” as not true but perceptions of (മായ) “mAya”. The process should continue until we understand that (ഉള്ളം) “uLLam” is the (ദൃക്കു്) “dRikku” and that is the only Truth. (ദൃശ്യം) “dRiShyam” could be referred to as the (ധർമ്മം) “dhaRMam” and (ദൃക്കു്) “dRikku” could be referred to (ധർമ്മി) “dhaRmi” also. This could also be considered as direct evidence, i.e. “bOdhavasthu” (ബോധവസ്തു).

Here is my translation based on my convictions:

Touching one by one, Accurately counting

When everything counted as not the Self, 

And then, When only the inner Self remain,

Let that Self merge with You in unison.

When every - “poruL” (പൊരുൾ) are examined for its authenticity, touched one by one and counted accurately, and rejected as they were found not the “dRikku” (ദൃക്കു്), and then, when only our own “uLLam” (inner Self), remains as the sole witness; that inner Self shall merge with You, and remain without no activity of its own.

The ultimate aim of every life form is to realize the Absolute and merge with that Absolute and experience the ultimate Bliss which we call “moKSHam” (മോക്ഷം). In order to achieve this all must realize our own Self first, which is known as (ജീവാത്മാവ്) “jeevAtHman” or “AtHman” (ആത്മാവ്) and again the English speaking world may refer to this as ‘Self’. In this second “mantRam” “Gurudevan“is giving us the way to realize the “AtHman” by a process of elimination of all that, which are not “AtHman”.

 

At their first meeting, “Govindabhagaval pAdaR” (ഗോവിന്ദഭഗവൽ പാദർ), understanding that (ശങ്കരാചാര്യർ) “ShankarAchAryaR“ is the disciple he was looking for, asked a question:  “Who are you?” The answer “ShankarAchAryaR“ give was a poetry of ten verses. The first verse could be translated thus. "I am not the earth, nor water, neither fire nor air, I am not space. Neither am I any of the faculties, nor am I their aggregate. I am not any of these as they are all uncertain. I am established however in the sole experience of deep sleep. That One, the Residue, the Auspicious, the Only One, am I.” This “I” is what the “Athman” (ആത്മവ്) is.

The second “mantRam” of “daivadeShakam” (ദൈവദശകം) also contains the knowledge of “Athman” (ആത്മവ്). This is also a request to the Absolute to help us in understanding the “Athman”, (“jeevAtHman”), and “paramAThman”, the Absolute and thus attain the Ultimate bliss, “moKSHam”.

The universe is a collection of experiences of the conscious, which is called (ബോധവസ്തു) “bOdhavasthu”. When we are in quest for the Ultimate Bliss (മോക്ഷം), we have to understand the Self, the “Athman” first. To do that, we must negate all other things, which are not the “Athman”. The Real, “Athman” is what “Gurudevan” refers as “dRukku” and the unreal is the one He refers as “dRiShyam” that is (അനാത്മൻ) “anAtHman”.

To begin with we feel that the experience we have, or the substances we see are the “dRiShyam” and the organs are the “dRikku”. What are these “dRiShyam” and “dRikku” corresponding to?

Experience and/or substance are two types, (1) Which we can forget, discard or can be negated because they are not Real or Truth. (2) Then there is substance or experiences, which cannot be discarded or cannot be negated because it is true. The experiences which can be discarded or negated are ‘dRiShyam’. They may also be referred to as “jaDam” (ജഡം). The experience or substance, which cannot be discarded or negated, is the one, which will remain. This is the “uLLam” or “bOdhavasthu” and the witness “dRikku” Gurudevan referring to. So this witness, which remain after we negate all the “dRiShyam” is our own “uNma”, which Gurudevan referring here as “uLLam”. And this “uLLam” is the “Athman” which we may refer to as (ജീവാത്മാവ്) “jeevAtHman”.

The feeling of “uNma” combined with the feelings which can be negated is the universe. These experiences which can be negated become experiences only when they join with the experience which cannot be negated. So, without “uNma” or “Athman” they are just “jaDam” (ജഡം). If we get rid of the “jaDam”, what is left is the “uNma” and that shall lead us to the Absolute (ബ്രഹ്മം), which we may refer to as “paramAThman” (പരമാത്മൻ) the provider of the Ultimate Bliss; “moKSHam” (മോക്ഷം).