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DHEERGAAYUSH

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jasn sn • July 12, 2002 


SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

Dear Sri Balaji,

Some nice insights have been given by learned devotees
to your question on Dheergaayush.
May I be permitted to add the following,  drawing some
inputs from Taittria upanishad and Katopanishad.?

The very purpose of creation is to provide congenial
atmosphere for the jivas to take up sariram so that it
can discharge its karma and aim for libeartion.
To use the  Vedic language, the jiva is capable of
discharging its functions of  karma / rituals (karma
kanda) and realisation of the brahman (brahma kanda /
gyana kanda), only when it is enshrined in a sariram.
It might take many births (bodies) to perform these
two. But to the enlightened jiva, i.e., for the jiva
which knows how it has to conduct  the journey, it is
desirable to finish the show as early as possible and
attain liberation. That is why one is blessed to live
a long life.

 In the first category,  discharge of karma comes in
the course of what you call   ‘jana samooha kadamai’.
These have been laid down in many texts and in
particular in Taiittriya Upanishad as  ‘swadhyaayam
and pravachanamÂ’ , meaning that which have to be done
compulsorily and as  a way of life.

In the course of oneÂ’s life, the person passes through
 four ashrama  levels and of the four, that of the
grihasthashrama has been identified as the most
important one. Because it is  the grihastha on whom
others are dependent. It is he who has to carry out
multiplication of material wealth  for the sake of
taking care of his immediate dependents and also of 
the needs of the other ashrama- vaasis.
He has to bear the  responsibility and duty
(swadhyayam and pravachanam) of taking care of others.
He has to do as many as 40 samskaras that directly or
indirectly benefit other ashrama –vaasis and also
other forms of creation. 
He has to make offerings and sacrifices for the
benefit of the society.
These  samskaras create in him certain rights and
previleges not possessed before, to enter upon certain
duties and responsibilities for attaining the goal of
perfection. This requires that he has a healthy body
and long life.
The Taiitriyam  addresses the sishya ( the
brahmachari)as a Pracheena yogyan  and lists down what
all he has to do after  leaving the guru kulam. These
duties are characterised as “Tapas” by  Rishi Naga,
the son of Modhgalya.

The foremost purpose of blessing one with long life is
that he may be capable of performing this “TAPAS” in
all effectiveness. The blessing ‘padinaarum petru peru
vaazhvu vaazhgaÂ’ is to emphasise that the person be
endowed with the 16 types of wealth in order to
discharge his ‘jana samooha kadamai’ effectively.

In the second category,  the need for a long life is
for oneÂ’s  own spiritual development. 
We can find reference to the importance of the body in
Kathopanishad.
In his reply to NachikrtasÂ’s last question, Yama
dharmarajan tells about the means of reaching Sri
vaikuntham .Yama says that the sariram (body) is the
vehicle for the jiva to reach Sri vaikuntham. “The
jivan enshrined in the body enjoys  paramaanandham in
Sri Vaikuntham. Therefore treat the sariram as a
vehicle capable of transporting the jivan to
Vaikuntham.”

“AthmAnam rathinam vidhdhi, SarIram rathamEva thu/”
Bhudhdhim thu sArathim vidhdhi mana: pragrahamEva
cha//
IndriyANi hayAnAhUr vishayAn thEshu gocharAn/
AthmEndriyamanoyuktam bhOkhthEthyAhur manishina://

Yama asks Nachiketas to treat the SarIram as a
chariot. The jiva is the yajaman of the chariot. And
Bhudhdhi is the charioteer. The chariot is being drawn
by the horses which are nothing but the Indriyas and
it is for the Bhuddhi (charioteer) to control / rein
them using the manas. The horse may stary  anywhere as
they like, but unless the charioteer guides the horses
 properly , he can not take the Yajaman (the jiva –
Bhokhtha) to his ultimate destination, Sri vaikuntham.
In the journey, the chriot, namely, the body is an
imporatnt carrier bacause, in the absence of it , the
yajaman can not undertake his journey. That is why
Yama concludes in his answer that the body is the
vehicle for the jiva to reach Sri Vaikutham. 
When blessed with a long life, for the prapannan, or
even for the one who takes rejoice in doing the
Kainkaryam, every day in the sariram is a blessed day.
“ettraikkum, EzhEzh piravikkum, undranOdu utromE yAvOm
unakkE nA mAtchaivOm.
Therefore
 “Matru nam kAmangal mAtru”

A pretty long life, even in good many births is
something great to ask for,
 provided  the jiva  knows how  to conduct its journey
well for the purposes it has been ordained to.

Jayasree sarnatahn



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