Musings on the Fundamentals of Hinduism - II

SECOND MUSING

Hari OM

I really don’t know how to begin this musing. In story telling we always begin by saying “Once upon a time”, but this happened when there was no time! Yes, it was when Shiva was all alone delighting in His own glory of Kaivalyam (loneliness). He is the absolute, the one without a second. Should we say He was bored when he said “Dwitheeya Aathmam Bhavathi” (let me have a second self)? We do not know what prompted Him to say for there was no cause and effect then. But then could there be another for He is the absolute, the one without a second? If there is another then He can no more be absolute as he would be a ‘relative’ to the other. That would indeed be a fall from the glory that He never has to share with another. But then His wish is his own command! And it has to happen. And it did happen with the birth of the mind! We always say ‘my mind’ as if it is an object but no one has ever succeeded in pointing it out to the other. This mind is surely then the subject – the opposite of object – and indeed the other self! Shiva is, shall we say, no more bored because there is now someone who is always talking to him. That is why we are now listening to this talk of the mind called thoughts all the time.

Shiva LOVES His mind and she (did I say she? yes it was She!) makes him proud. He was never proud before. This was the beginning of the sort of rule that everyone listens to his wife and so is a proud ‘grihastha’. It does not matter that this listening would be contrary to wisdom because surely you would listen. Sita said to Rama that she wanted a golden deer that she had seen. Rama told her that there is no such thing as a golden deer in this Prakrthi. That was his wisdom and conviction and so he told her. However he who was convinced that there is no such thing as a golden deer, himself set out in search of the golden deer! Such is the power of the consort! All of these happen because she makes him proud. Therefore she is called ‘Ahopurushika’. There is this implied story in this name Ahopurushika described by Adi Shankara in Soundarya Lahari. The story was that Ambaal was tossing Shiva into the three worlds of Waking, Dream and Deep Sleep. Vexed by this, one day Shiva used his powerful intellect, turning it into a thrisul and pierced the three worlds. Ambal asked him “Shiva, who destroyed the three worlds?” Shiva beat his chest said “I”! As soon as he said “I”, the ahamkara revived the three worlds and lauched Shiva back into it!

Yes, the mind was dragging Shiva that he couldn’t concentrate on his own Self. That is why we are forgetful of our true Self, driven around by this mind. So Shiva decided to tie Ambal to Himself just as one would tether a cow to a post. “Maangalyam thanthuna nena mama jeevana hethuna”. By this thread I give you please be the cause (more aptly purpose) of my life! Even today we celebrate and re-enact this event whenever there is a marriage between a boy and a girl. This mind, Ambaal is the true loving consort of Shiva. She is a real Pathivratha, for she never leaves her husband.

One day she shook Shiva from within as it would happen when we shake in horripilation. Or was it the shaking like the one who does so by the drinking of a pleasant intoxicant? Whatever it was, she caused Shiva to see three images of himself. What a illusion she has caused him! Therefore she is a great Maayini and she is the cause of all causes! Indeed there is no cause beyond her.

To these three images that issued forth of Shiva, the great Maayini said, “I name you Brahma, Vishnu and Rudhra. I want you to create and I shall remain the Shakthi behind you.” Brahma was the first one to come out and said “I will create first”. So saying he said to himself, “Let me create everything so there will be nothing left to create. I will put the other two fellows out of business of creation.” He then meditated on what could be that which will be all creation. Suddenly he said “Aha!” “Everything needs space to exist. I shall be the all embracing space.” So saying he let out a great utterance (Vyahrithi) “Bhuhu” and BECAME SPACE. All that are in the space are in the domain of knowledge. So the space indeed is Sathwa Guna.

It was the turn of Vishnu next. He said to himself “What! This fellow Brahma has created everything. What is there left for me to create? He was a little upset but soon he got himself composed. “Alright” he said, “if I know who this Brahma is, then probably I’ll have a way out.” He then meditated on Brahma. Suddenly he realized that Brahma is static. There is no place else apart from Brahma so Brahma is motionless. He also understood that Brahma has only inside and no outside. He said “I have to create something that has no inside but outside and not static but dynamic in nature.” Then he uttered the vyahrithi “BHUVAHA’ and BECAME TIME. Time occupies no space! Time is motion. Anything that goes in time is lost. When someone is dead we say “kaalamaayittaar”. If space is existence then time is its antithesis. However time as motion causes things to live. You live through the motion of breath, called inhalation and exhalation. You live through the opposing heart function called systole and diastole. You live because of assimilation and dissimilation and so on. Indeed the entire universe functions by the struggle of the opposites (dwandhwam = the motion of the opposites against each other). Thanks to Vishnu the motion or shall we say the motive power this world is protected.

Those that are in motion are difficult to apprehend. You see a young man and some 30 years later you see him but not recognize him. Anything that is subject to Rajas is uncertain. Time is indeed Rajo Guna.

Then it was the turn of Rudra to create. He was indeed baffled at the task before him. He said “I have to do exactly what Vishnu did. I will meditate on them both. Perhaps then I will have a way out.” And so he meditated on both. He found out that both space and time are objects. An object is the one that can be pointed out. Having come to this conclusion he let out the great utterance “SWAHA” and BECAME AHANKARA OR “I”. “I” is the subject as opposed to Space and Time that are objects. Then Rudra went to sleep and the entire world of objects melted into nothing in the darkness of ignorance in his sleep. He is indeed the destroyer! As he woke up again the world of objects got projected into being. He thus revives the creation and sustentation. Thus Ahankara became the cause (and effect) of the world. Ahankara is avidya (ignorance), Ahankara is the causality. Ahankara is thus the Thamo Guna.

(When Mahaperiava said "Ahankaarathai vidu", was he not suggesting to us a way to escape from this samsaara?)

“Ecellent Creation!” exclaimed Maaya. “This creation cannot be sustained if even one of you is absent. You will always be together in this enterprise.” So saying she put them together into a single body. So they became one body with three heads (Trimurthy) or could we say that the creation is like a stool with three legs? Surely you could find everything in sets of three in this creation.

Anyone who knows the creation as God Himself and not as a creation apart from Him indeed becomes immortal.

NOTES ON MY SECOND MUSING

The first Musing highlighted the fact that the thrigunas are the materials of the world by a process of deduction. The second Musing brings to the fore the concept of Maya as the cause.

The following sloka from Dhakshinamurthi Sthothram of Sri Adi Sankara was the inspiration behind this musing.


Bhijasyaantharivaankuro jagadhidham praangnirvikalpam punaha
Maayaa kalpitha desa kaala kalanaa vaichithriya chithreekrutham|

Mayaaviva vijrumbayatyapi mahaayogeeva yaha swachayaa
Thasmai Sri Gurumoorthaye namaidam Sri Dhakshinaamurthaye||

Hari OM,
Anbu