[Advaita-l] Sivaanandalahari -61

[Anbu sivam2]

Sivaanandalahari -61 (2)
*"aathmaa paramaanandhasvaroopa: paramaprEmaaspadhathvaath"

This anumaanapramaaNa vaakyam does the siddhaantham that aathmaa alone is
the aaspadha vasthu (abode) of the superior prEma.  Placing this superior
prEma of the aathmaa at all time in the paadhaaravindham of Parameswara is
called Bhakthi.  AathmaprEma should be surrendered to ParamEswara. MOksham
is nothing but placing one's aathmaprEma with ParamEswara.  One cannot place
his aathmaprEma with ParamEswara as long as he thinks that ParamEswara is a
different vasthu than oneself.  Until this dhruda pragnai is reached the
bhakthi that a person has is merely a ‘saamaanya’ bhakthi. That bhakthi
cannot be considered a purushaartha.*

Because I say that aathmaprEma should be placed on ParamEswara it should not
be understood that ParamEswara is anya vasthu.  Why do I say so?  Because,
everyone has prEma only on his self.  That prEma of the self (aathmaprEma)
is not placed on anya vasthu in which case it will be anyaprEma which is
caused by the pragnya that such and such is an anya vasthu.  The idea of
considering ParamEswara as anya vasthu should completely leave one's mind,
then only will he be able to place his aathmaprEma on ParamEswara.  The main
reason for this is only the mind, is it not?
 *
“Mana: paramkaaraNamaamananthi samsaarachakram parivarthayEdhyath” says the
saasthra. The mind is the stumbling block between oneself and Parameswara.
That is why the mind has to be parted first to Parameswara. In fact
Parameswara steals this mind from a ripe bhaktha! (உள்ளம் கவர் கள்வன்!) Why
not part it willingly?*

In order that manOnaasam to take place one has to do navavidha bhakthi.
These different bhakthis are highlighted by BhagavathpaadhaaL by examples.
Even though AngOla seeds that reach the tree there you see the bhEdham of
the seed and the tree.  In the same way is the magnet and the needle has the
bhEdhagnyaanam.  Even though the Pathivrathaa is conscious of her bhartha
the bhEdham between them is evident.  Even when the creeper is seen together
with the tree the bhEdham between them is discernible.  *This bhEda gnaanam
is called MAAYAI.*

All the aanandham that we enjoy with bhEdhagnyaanam should be known as
nachvara aanandham (perishable happiness). Even though in reality aathmaa is
aanandhamayam maayai hides this and makes aathmaa appear as devoid of
aanandha.  That is why sakala praaNis consider themselves as
dhukkaswaroopis.  Because they consider themselves as dhukkaswaroopis they
keep seeking aanandha.  And aanandhaa they seek is seen with ParamEswara.

*Now, let’s tread back a little. We were saying that the root cause of our
misery is our mind. Why so? Because the mind has no ability to function in a
world where there is no two. Mind knows only by differentiation for which it
needs the second one. In fact the more the merrier for it! So its first
conclusion for its own survival is that Parameswara is different from
oneself. The train of events that follows is that the one, the jeeva, is
miserable and Parameswara is blissful. We say that as long as there are two,
the misery will always have to be with the jeeva, otherwise there won’t be
any argument because if the jeeva is blissful there won’t be any need for
Parameswara! So the dwaithins spread their siddhaantha that this Aathma is
miserable and at no time would it ever be blissful. They say that the Aathma
is different from Parameswara and that Aananda is obtained only from
Parameswara etc.*

(continued in 61 (3) )