Slokam 6

The Pracheta brothers are endowed with the reward of the vision of the Paramathma,  astride Garuda, with all his wielding weapons like the discuss. 

The vision is the final confirmation that the attainment of liberation is complete for the Pracheta brothers. 

Prolonged isolation enables austerity and detachment.  In the modern era,  prolonged isolation may not be possible from an environmental and social stand point.  Our isolation should be practiced by secluding our inner self from the influence and turmoil of everyday life.  This virtual isolation,  within a crowded environment can be achieved only by continuous meditation, even while engaged in everyday actions and discharge of Karma. These actions must be performed with the clear understanding and consciousness that it is but the Paramathma who is doer, and the experiencer. 

May we clearly understand our role as being only that of proxy, who takes instructions from above and carries them out meticulously.

Slokam 7

An important point that is highlighted in this slokam,  is that we do not need to ask the Paramathma for conformant of specific endowments.  Infact,  if we request specific endowments,  then we are making the fundamental mistake of giving our desires a higher plane in our consciousness,  than the Paramathma’s supreme knowledge of the nature of the attainment. In fact,  by requesting specific endowments,  we would be not only assuming that we know what is good for us (although we are steeped in ignorance),  we would actually be separating our identity from the Paramathma,  and actually giving it a higher status in our own delusional world. 

This is a very very significant guidance provided in this slokam.  The Pracheta brothers never make specific demands on the Paramathma,  when they attain the endowment of His vision. 

If we have worldly ambition and desires,  particularly after we become aware of the higher attainment,  that means we have not made much progress in attaining the mental refinement that is required to graduate out of this existence.  When the very creator and manifestation of the supreme consciousness is being sought and we gain His dharshan, there should not be an iota of desire within us, except to transcend the state of impermanence and reach the unchanging.

It is said by the Paramathma frequently in Srimad Bhagavatham that the most critical point in time in terms of deciding our future, is the point of death.  At this supreme moment, it is absolutely important that all our attention should be directed to the feet of the Paramathma.  If we can do this,  then it is a supreme assurance that we will not return to this cyclical existence. 

The implication is that although our discomfort at the point of death may be infinite,  we still should not be distracted.  This would be a very tough proposition,  if we do not prepare for this moment, well in advance. 

The reason that sages and rishis attempt to attain moksham through Samadhi,  even when they are alive, is because they realize that at the excruciating point of physical death there is little that is within our physical control.  Attainment of Samadhi,  on the other hand is a completely controlled and conscious process of releasing ourselves from the body and physical realm. The intensity of the meditation involved in this attainment should be complete.  The effort will be possible only when we experience bliss from meditation. The mind will not be held in meditation if the process is painful.  The experience of physical bliss happens from meeting the needs of the body.  Similarly non-physical bliss should be attained by meeting the higher needs of the mind, such as lack of desire, lack of conflict, lack of attachment.

Complete bliss is attained when we are in a state of complete surrender.  When we are incomplete surrender, there are no more needs.  When there are no more needs, there will be no demands made on the Paramathma.  When there are no demands made,  there are no conflicts. When there are no conflicts,  we are bestowed with eternal tranquility.

At the end of each canto,  there are two lines that Sri Bhattadri has added in, to request the Paramathma to endow “Ayul, Arogya Sokhiyam”,  which would be a “ full lifetime of healthy well being”.  Since he was afflicted with the paralysis that he acquired from his guru, and wanted to be freed from it,  Sri Bhattadri,  in his anxiety to attain recovery,  reminds the Paramathma that he, with all his attributes is the only one that can release him from the physical pain and handicap. 

It may not have been actually necessary to have repeated this at the end of each slokam,  since it implies that the reciting of the Narayaneyam is in return for an endowment.  This may contradict the selflessness of the objective. 

However,  since all of us are handicapped with afflictions in one form or another,  whether physical or mental,  the request in each canto may be considered as an expression and communication of our limitations in various forms and the surrender to the supreme being as the only avenue for release.

It is said in this slokam, that the mere thinking of the Paramathma and His attributes is enough to bestow on us the eternal protective shield that we all are always seeking. 

With so many distractions, pulls and pressures,  how do we think of the Paramathma?  We all have that one moment of conscious experience of complete security,  that we treasure.  It may be an event,  a natural phenomenon,  a moment of achievement,  adulation, love,  giving,  or forgiving.

Place this relished moment,  that which is our most treasured possession,  at the feet of the Paramathma with complete surrender and thankfulness.  An acknowledgement of this nature will surpass any other effort at tyagam or charity or the acquisition of knowledge or performance of karma. 

This surrender of our most prized mental experience has the vital ingredients of love, devotion, dedication and selflessness, which the Paramathma is expecting to receive from us.  It is very easy to do and helps to sustain our faith,  energy, enthusiasm, humility and above all, our eternal love for the Paramathma.

Such a “mere thinking” of the Paramathma is enough to forever endow His presence within us.  We would then have found our way to our eternal home. 

The Paramathma, appearing before the Pracheta Brothers requests them to continue chanting the hymns taught to them by Siva Perumal.  He assures them that repeated recitation of the hymns by the people  “will fulfil all their wishes.”

It is important to keep in mind that the effect of the hymns is only an enabler of Bhakthi.  We chant the hymns and find that our needs, which are our wishes, have been met.  So we immediately experience a reinforcement of our awareness and trust in the supreme being.  So the real gift is not the effect of well being,  but the reinforcement and renewal of the awareness and love and devotion towards the supreme. 

The endowment may happen only once, or the forces of life may actually take away the endowment later on, but our bhakthi should remain eternal and unshakeable.  

The gift of eternity is the permanence of that moment of complete devotion.

May we place that moment at the feet of the Paramathma as our representation of eternal love and devotion to the supreme.