Grace of God (was Re: Tat tvam asi?)

[Ravisankar S. Mayavaram]

--- "K. Sadananda" <sada at ANVIL.NRL.NAVY.MIL> wrote:
> Shankra wrote in Vivekachuudamani : manushyatvam, mumukshatavam and
> mahaapurusha samsrayam - thjese is due to the diving grace only. -
> durlabham trayamevaitat daivanugrahamevacha| manushyatvam
> mumukshatvam mahapurusha samprayaH|

Taking birth as human being -- is a karma phala.  This shows the
ambiguity in the meaning of word grace. Sometimes it is karma phala and
in some contexts it is not.

---
Grace - in sanskrit is probably anugraha/prasada. In tamil it is much
more pregnant word "aruL" - aruL has many meanings - like compassion
(karuNa), favor, etc. But I think a powerful meaning is "light of
knowledge". That aruL is what that negates iruL (darkness) and maruL
(delusion).

One sees Sun by Sun's own light - in a dark room one sees a lighted
lamp by its own light - That is why manikka vasagar in shiva puraNam
says "avan aruLaale avan thaaL vaNangi" - By his grace I worship his
feet. You see Him by his own light - Self is revealed or known by it
Self not by any other means. That is where grace comes, I guess. For
that ahaMkaara should drop. Which is nicely explained in
aruNagirnithar's kandar (skanda) anubhuuti. In that, talking about
aatmaanubhuti - he says

yaanaagiya ennai izantha nalam - veRum
thanaay nilai ninRathu taRparamE

If I translate it, I would not do justice to it.  It is so precise and
beautiful.

A bad translation would be

When the ahankara is lost - then  there stood the supreme which is
devoid of attributes.

yaan - i (same as naan)
aagiya - becoming
ennai - me
izhantha  -lose
nalam - good or benefit
veRum - devoid of attributes (in this context)
taanay - by itself (on its own)
nilai - firmly
ninrathu - stood there
tarParam - tat param - that supreme being.

Most complex term in that line is "yaanagiya ennai"  - The sense of
mine or my that was attached to the "I"  - that is ahankaara which
thinks (by delusion) I am the Self. When that is lost - what happens -
the Supreme  - on its own -  remains there firmly.

as I said - it plain stupidity on my part even to attempt translating
this - I am doing injustice to the poet. Later the same poet answering
to his previous upadesha from murugan- (chumma iru chol aRa) says -
pesaa anubhuuti piranthathuvE (an experience that cannot be spoken -
came into being). As ramaNa says elsewhere- even though the experience
cannot be explained - its existence is indicated!


-
coming back my issue - one should understand what grace is based on
context. At some places it is karma phala - at some places it is the
light of knowledge.

My 2c.



=====
ambaaL daasan

Ravi

sharaNAgata raxakI nivEyani sadA ninnu nammiti mInAxI

http://www.ambaa.org/  http://www.advaita-vedanta.org

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