[Advaita-l] dva suparNA

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

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Then what is first bird that even exists in moksha ??

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This is the most wonderful and marvelous mantra (rik) that comes in 
"asyavAmasya sUkta" of Rg veda vide 20th mantra.  The Seer (rishi) is dIrghatama.
The mantra runs as:

dvA suparNA sayujA sakhAyA samAnaM vrukSaM pariSasvajAtE
tayOranyaH pippalaM svAdvattyanasnannanyO* abhi chAkashIti ....(20)

*svAdvattyanasnannanyO = svAdu+atti+anasnan+anyaH

The two birds associated together, similar in appearance, of graceful flight,
embrace the same tree, one of the two eats the sweet berry and the other
looks on without eating. 

Sayanacharya says that these are settings ie., with the help of the imagery of two
birds, jivAtman and paramAtman are praised. The jivAtman and paramAtman embrace
the same tree ie., upAdhi. 

suparNa - shObhanagamanu is the meaning ie., flight with grace. 

jivA's flight is towards samsAra and the paramAtma flies freely without any attachment.

sahaiva sarvadA yuktau - always together; sakhAyA - samAnakhyAnau - appear alike,
sayuja - sayujA samAnayOgau - yOgau nAma sambandhaH (identical relation)

jIvAtman and paramAtman are not essentially different.  The apparent difference is only in upAdhi.

Hence, there is no difference between the two birds which is only "aupAdhika-bhEda".

Also, the Seer says that both the birds are IDENTICAL (sakhAyau).

yasya yAdrushaM khyAnaM paramAtmanaH tadEva khyAnaM itarasyApi 
jIvAtmanaH iti sakhAyau ityucchyatE

That knowledge / perception which is in paramAtma that same perception is in jIvAtma also and
hence the Seer uses the word "sakhA". 

The "vruksha" (tree) is the imagery / symbolism that represents the sharIraM.  

The act of eating of fruits is "jIvaH pippalaM phalasamaM bahudOshayuktamapi karma phalaM
svAdu krutvA" (ie., enjoying the fruits of karma and is a samsAri) ; the other is just witnessing 
who is a sAkshi ie., paramAtma.

And finally, Acharya Sayana concludes that there is no difference between the two which 
is only aupAdhika.  His words are:

tasmAt vastutaH Eka Eva / bhEdastu mOha krutaH

There is one and only one ; the perception of two is owing to delusion and ignorance (mOhah krutaH).

sasnEhaM
sriram