Slokam 7

The messengers of the Paramathma point out one fundamental difference between  the practice of routine rituals prescribed in the scriptures, and the chanting of the Paramathma’s name.  The practice of the smritis and shrutis prescribed in the scriptures offer relief against past sins,  but will not address the root of the problem,  which will cause us to commit the sins in the future.  So  we will remain en-trapped in the cycle of committing sins and then seeking relief from the repercussions.

This observation of the Paramathma’s representatives is of utmost importance in differentiating the performance of worldly Punyam that comes with an  expiry date attached,  and the process of inner transformation that is permanent in nature.

Unless we set out on the path of inner transformation, we cannot hope to escape the cycle of births and deaths. 

This is repeated in all our scriptures.   It must be pointed out that the scriptures do not seek to undermine the value of gaining punyam by selfless worldly service to support humanity,  It is pointed out that worldly service is only the first step. 

Punyam buys time, which must then be used for inner transformation,  which in turn is nothing but the unconditional surrender to the Paramathma. 

Basically,  we must hand over the temporary reward of well being that is bestowed by Punyam,  to the Paramathma,  through transformation of the self.

Punyam can be understood as being gained after we go through a cycle of intense difficulty.  The experience of difficulty makes us turn inward with an inquiry of what sins we may have committed, that led to the problems.  In the first few cycles,  we will try to put the blame on others. We try to influence the world to solve the issues.  We then find that the world at large is way beyond our capability to even cause a mild impact.  We then gradually begin to realize that the cause of the problem is ourselves and has nothing to do with the world that we live in.   Also, our position in life has been fixed to be only a tiny component of the macrocosm. Any change to that macrocosm will have to only come from a global transformation that is induced by billions of people, working towards a common cause.

A handful of exceptional people seemingly manage  to initiate transformation in the global environment. These are the representatives of the Paramathma.  They appear on earth,  under His directions to perform assigned duties.

In most instances, that transformation will not occur unless the seeds have already been sown at the individual level.  When Hiranyakashipu was sent to earth by the Paramathma,  the values on earth were already declining. Adharma had taken root.  Hiranyakshipu’s function was to demonstrate the impact of following the adharmic route.  It was to establish clearly that adharma could completely destroy and ruin the very fabric of human society. 

The suffering induced by Hiranyaksha caused the sages to re-emerge from oblivion and provide guidance on appealing to the Supreme,  for guidance to resolve the problems of mankind. 

That appeal resulted in the Paramthma taking the human form to re-establish dharma. 

Our role is only to transform ourselves.  We only have to think at the micro level of our own inner self.  If this approach istaken by everyone,  the world will undergo transformation in no time.  We should never think of influencing others or trying to impact other people’s lives. That is a completely futile effort. If in the process of our own inner evolution, we also manage to influence others lives, or make changes to this world, then that impact should be attributed to the Paramathma. 

It is the Paramathma’s world.  Our relationship to the rest of humanity and with this world should only be via the Paramathma.  Our only duty here is to dedicate ourselves to the cause of surrender to the supreme. 

Does this slokam not imply that the Paramthma never plays strictly by His own rule book,  but always elevates humanitarian needs and compassion to a higher level than mere rules?

This is the aspect of the Paramathma that connects us mere mortals to the supreme. Like Ajamila,  we may succumb to our weaknesses. We may succumb every time over many many life times. Yet,  if we can but just admit our limitations and seek the guidance of the Paramathma, we will become aware of His infinite compassion that has no limits.

As long as we do not identify the root cause of our suffering to be our inner imbalances,  and resolve these through surrender and acceptance,  we will continue to be tormented by this universe.

May we always be situated, consciously in the company of the Paramathma and His eternal family.