Kandhar Anubhuti : Verse #48 - You Stood Undifferentiated!

 அறிவு ஒன்று அற நின்று, அறிவார் அறிவில் 

பிறிவு ஒன்று அற நின்ற, பிரான் அலையோ? 

செறிவு ஒன்று அற வந்து, இருளே சிதைய 

வெறி வென்றவரோடு உறும் வேலவனே (48)

arivu ondru ara nindru arivar arivil

pirivu ondru ara nindra piran alaiyo?

serivu ondru ara vanthu irule sithaiya

veri vendravarodu urum velavane (48)

அறிவு ஒன்று அற நின்று - To be without any Identification (ahamkara:)

அறிவார் அறிவில் - In their intellect

பிறிவு ஒன்று அற - Undifferentiated 

நின்ற - You stood

பிரான் - The Lord

அலையோ? Is it not?

செறிவு ஒன்று அற வந்து, - Without any identification with the world 

இருளே சிதைய - Darkness Destroyed

வெறி வென்றவரோடு  - One who overcame delusion

உறும் வேலவனே - You unite, Oh Lord of Spear

Short Meaning

Oh Lord Muruga! You stand undifferentiated in the beings of those who lost their identification with their physical self. For those who give up their worldly connections, you Unite in the core of their Being.

Gloss

There are times, as a novice in spiritual domain and definitely in languages Tamil, when I am awestruck, dumbfound and speechless. It happens many times when I read deeply spiritual texts. 

Especially, this verse makes me feel if I am not doing justice to the translation or gloss. Tamil and Bhakti of Sri Arunagirinathar are the winners here. Folks who may not know Tamil, and following my English translations may feel this is an exaggeration (just try reading the script in English (above).

Here Sri Arunagirinathar says, Lord Murugan stands undifferentiated in the Intellect of Saints who have completely destroyed their sense of self (ahamkara:)

These learned folks do not identify themselves with any bonds in this world, and have overcome the major delusion of they are their bodies / minds etc. In their Beings, Lord Subrahmanya shines as their Self

Sri Adi Sankara Bhagawat Pada  says,

Brahma Satyam - Brahman alone is the Supreme Truth

Jagan Mithya - The perceived Universe is not the absolute reality

Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Para: - The Self and the Supreme Brahman are not different

In its Highest Form, Adwaita propounds that God alone exists. And, nothing else Exists. (ekam eva adwitiyam - There is only one non-differentiated)

If God alone exists, am 'I' real? Why does the world that I experience appear real? I am able to read this blog in a computer / phone. I am able to feel my car, the chair, my things etc.

To explain this, Adwaita introduces a concept of Mitya - This is probably the most misunderstood word. Mitya means 'not absolutely real'

Vedanta says, we experience 3 different states - Waking, Dreaming and Deep Sleep states. That which is absolutely True should be True in all three states.

You go to sleep with a water bottle next to you. In the dream you feel thirsty. But, the water bottle next to you is useless. Only dream water can quench your thirst in dream. The water bottle next to your bed has reality only in waking state.

Suppose you cut your hand in the dream. You apply dream medicine. When you wake up, there is no cut in your body. Though it seemed real in dream, the cut in your hand is real only in your dream. The medicine you bought in the dream is not useful in waking state.

In the deep sleep state, there is no mind and hence no perception of space or time. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and Mandukya Upanishad has some mind-blowing information in this space)

Since the world in waking state is real only in waking (since it cannot be accessed in dreams) and vice versa, we can conclude that these experiences are not *absolutely* real - They are real only within their reference states (and hence called Mitya)

Also, when we wake up, we say 'Oh I slept very well, like a log (or a dog :D )' - Which means there was a perceiving consciousness even in Deep Sleep state

If you carefully went over the above text above, you'll realise that the only thing that is 'real' or 'constant' in all three states is the feeling 'I' - Even your favourite God / Goddess can be experienced only in the first two states (waking / dreaming). In deep sleep state, they cannot be experienced.

So, the only truth is I and this I is not different the Supreme self

This is a profound verse - Lord Subrahmanya is non-different from the Self that shines in the heart of all beings

It is impossible to reach Subrahmanya as long as bonds with this world exists