Translation & explanation of Verse-6
You indeed assume
The form of fish,
You indeed assume
The form of deer,
O Mother, snakes, heaven,
Birds and the like,
The firm earth, rivers,
Women as well as men
Even heaven and hell are you.
(“Meenaayathum Bhavathi Maanaayathum Janani
Nee Naagavum Nakhaghagam
Thanaayathum dhara nadee naariyum naranum
Aa naakavum narakavum”)
When I see fish and other living creatures in this world, I perceive directly the specific shape, color and innate qualities of them. In the case of fish, the qualifying substance representing Supreme Spirit gives the property of fish. Strictly speaking, it is not the qualifying substance of the fish I see; but I experience the attributes that a fish possess. In fact, the qualifying substance (Supreme Spirit) of a fish dwells in my consciousness. Another factor for such clarity is the memory embedded in my consciousness. Therefore it can be said that the fish that I saw outside was in reality within my consciousness.
Innate quality and the qualifying substance cannot exist separately. Therefore the qualifying substance of the fish as well as the innate quality of the fish shall exist in the consciousness. Then what did I see outside as mere physical existence of fish? That was the illusion of Maya of knowledge caused by your sportive dance, O Mother. All that perceived as innate quality, the qualifying substance and the both of them dwelled as physical object were the various forms of unifying consciousness. There is no inside and outside for that unified consciousness of Supreme Knowledge.
Other living creatures in this world such as deer, peacock, tiger, snake, bird, eagle as well as earth, water and whatever exists in this universe are the manifestations of unified consciousness of Supreme Knowledge.
Thus knowledge having various forms is manifested not only in diversity, but also in incompatibility. Man-Woman, Heaven-Hell, Pleasure-Pain, Righteousness-Evilness etc. belongs to such incompatibility. This diversity leads us to persuade to search for Supreme Truth.
When a situation is analyzed by isolating the diversities in it, the essence in both the original situation and modified situation can be seen as one. Such unifying principle-secret live in you and that is the reason you becomes Royal-yoga path. This can be seen in the following analogy: When the red color for reddish water and yellow color of yellowish water are removed, the same source water can be found in both the cases. In the example of pleasure-pain diversity, the person’s dual status-quo of “this gives pleasure” and “this brings-in pain” are the experiences having a common yardstick of primordial value consciousness. When primordial value consciousness is manifested in favor of the person, it is called pleasure. When this is manifested against the person, that state is called pain or grief. So the pleasure and pain are two different manifestations of the same primordial value consciousness.
At the same time, this primordial value consciousness is Supreme Spiritual Divine form. When the favoring factor for the pleasure and the opposing factor for the pain are separated from the manifestation, the common point found is primordial value consciousness. Realization of the dialectics in the context of pleasure-pain diversity will lead us to attain the Supreme Truth and this is your secret. In Brahadaranyaka Upanishad, the sage poet who attained the Supreme Truth wrote that such Supreme Spirit is Brahma. The person who performs action becomes that action itself. The person who does wise action becomes ideal man and the person who does sin becomes sinner (4.4.5)
(Meen=fish, maan=deer, naagam=snake, nakhaghagam=eagle, dharanadi=earth & river, naari=woman, naran=man, naakam=heaven, narakam=hell).
You appear in variegated nature
Of multiple names and forms,
And, even as “I”
Who know all these;
O the one, Word-content in form,
All this is a play indeed!
(“Nee naamaroopamathil naanavidha prakrithi
Maanaayi ninnariyumee
Njaanayathum bhavathi he naadaroopini
Aho naatakam nikhilavum”)
Everything in this universe is discerned and identified by means of name and form. That name and form are brought by You O Mother. You being the Supreme Knowledge are unifying element and indivisible. The knowledge within me does not exist merely in me. That is omnipresent and inseparable. That is the reason for imparting my experience and knowledge to others, who also constitute as my part. However, in such situation, I am not able to attain the Supreme Truth.
Names are the resultant of conditional aspect derived from the acquired knowledge. Languages are formed from such names. Languages are not only for man, but also for the entire living creatures in order to express and communicate their experience. Your unified consciousness is filled in all such aspects and in that context, it can be said that all living beings try to attain that unity. Language and words are medium for such attempt. It is only for man that the words are required in the language. Thus you are the language as well as the words in it.
O Mother, how can form be defined? The whole universe is originated from you. Everything in this universe is recognized by innate quality of it and that can be defined as form of individual object or living being. That could be visible or conceptual. Innate qualities (Material nature) are inside the qualifying substance (Supreme Spirit). Both of them are illusions of unified consciousness. All that are created from you, the Supreme Knowledge has brought out this entire universe including me, who is none other than that Knowledge. And all these creations have the potential to realize with the aid of innate quality and that is called form. Such innate qualities are not different from the qualifying substance. Therefore, nothing in this universe is different from you, the Supreme Truth.
O Mother, in this universe what all are there having diversity, conversity and differentials? Since they are part of the nature, their forms always change. The world thus constituted of countless names and countless forms is perceivable to the knowledge in me. As a result, I observe countless percepts and concepts, and countless corresponding perceptible objects. This is because of the fact that, the names and forms arise from Supreme Knowledge; their functions are that of easing the process of knowing through communication and values. This happens only when you being the Supreme Knowledge become me, who experience such perceptions. In other words, I the created have the potential of conceiving and perceiving all such conversance and divergence. Therefore, I am none other than you.
When I perceive this universe, I think that I am at the center of this universe. Everyone would think in this manner. But in this circumstance, there is one thing I forgot to know. That is you, who are equally at the center of me as well as that of universe. Thus when you are known, that becomes the Absolute Knowledge of perceiving every aspect of knowledge.
O Mother, you are appearing in various forms. In reality, you do not become such forms, but it is due to your sportive dance. These forms are only concepts, regularly appearing in that sportive dance. In that divine play and dance, the enjoyer is none other than you. When the entire life is seen as your divine play, the so called obstacles, pain and grief become vanished experiences. In fact, these varnish in you. In a typical play, the acting performances are the preconditions for enjoyment. Similarly your primordial value consciousness in order to sense reality, you perform the acting and it is the cause of all these diversity, conversity and differentials.
O Mother, you are the Supreme Truth filled in everything. You are the qualifying substance in all the living beings. In whatever knowledge that is audible, the pure substance is its’ soothing sound. All word-contents having the sense of hearing are modified forms of such soothing sound. You are the Truth lying in such audible vibration forms, which originates from the focal point resulting in vibration of serenity, love, great peace etc.
(Naamaroopam=name and form, Naanavidha prakrithi maanayi= appearing in variegated nature, Ninnariyum=the process of knowing, Naadaroopini=form of audible vibratory function, Naatakam=divine-play, Nikhilavum=in the entire world)
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In 1921 Guru installed a plaque in Murikkumpuzha Temple, in which around “AUM” inscribed the words, Satyam (Truth) Dharmam (Ethics), Daya (Kindness) Santhi (Peace). “God worship should develop these qualities in us. This installation I did to remember this to the devotees.”
From the Book
Sree Narayana Guru Vaikhairi
Dr. T. Bhaskaran |