Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

The first three:(1) Viswam Darpanam, (2) Bijasyanthariva,
(3) Yasyaiva sphuranum, deal with the origin of the world.

The next three: (1) Nanachhidra, (2) Rahugrastha,
(3) Deham Pranam, deal with the seer; and the last three: (1)
Balyadishwapi (2) Viswam Pasyathi (3) Bhurambhamsi, deal with
the light by which things are seen. The last sloka,
Sarvathmatvam, means that the whole universe is merged in
Brahman.

Recently I translated the preface into Telugu. Bhagavan
went through the translation, and said with a smile, “I
mentioned briefly in the preface, only as much of the life
story as related to the stotra, but the real story is much more
interesting. It goes like this: Brahma asked Sanaka,
Sanatkumara, Sanandana and Sanatsujata, who are the
creations of his mind, to assist him in the task of creation,
but they were not interested in that task and so declined to
assist. They were surrounded by the heavenly gods, saints
and other attendants, and were staying in Nandana Vana
and so they were considering who would impart to them
jnana, the supreme Wisdom. Narada appeared, and said,
‘Who can impart the Brahma Jnana, the Supreme Wisdom,
except Brahma himself? Come on, we shall go to him.’ They
all agreed and proceeded to Satya Loka, the abode of Brahma,
and found Saraswathi playing the veena, with Brahma seated
in front of her, enjoying the music and beating time to the
tune. They all beheld the scene and wondered how a person
who is engrossed in the appreciation of his wife’s music could
teach them adhyatma tattva (the essence of spirituality). Narada
said to them, ‘Come! let us go to Vaikunta, the abode of
Vishnu’. They all proceeded thither. The Lord was in the
interior of his residence. Narada is however a privileged
person and so he went directly into the Lord’s abode, saying
he would see and come back. Soon he came out and, when
asked, told them, ‘There Brahma was seated a little away
from his wife who was playing the veena for him. But here,
the Goddess Lakshmi is seated on the God’s couch and is
massaging his feet. This is much worse. How can this family
man who is spellbound by the intimate glances of his consort,
render us any help (in learning adhyatma vidya)? Look at the
splendour of this palace and this city! This is no good. Let us
seek the help of Lord Siva.’
“They all proceeded towards Himachala and seeing
Mount Kailas, they ascended it with great hopes. But there,
in the midst of a vast gathering of his fellows, was Siva
performing his celestial dance with his wife sharing half of
his body. Vishnu was playing on the Drum, and Brahma was
keeping time with the bells as an accompaniment for the
dance. They who came eagerly seeking spiritual guidance,
were aghast at the sight, and thought, ‘Oh! He too is after
women! Brahma was no doubt having his wife sitting very
close to, but was not in physical contact with her, while
Vishnu was in physical contact with his wife, but she was
merely massaging His legs, but Siva is actually keeping Parvati
as part of His body. This is much worse. Enough of this.’
And they all departed. Siva understood and was sorry for
them. He said, ‘What delusion on their part! They regard
the three Godheads as devoid of spiritual wisdom merely
because they were being served by their respective wives at
the time the devotees saw them! Who else can impart spiritual
knowledge to these earnest seekers of Truth?’ Thus thinking,
Siva sent away Parvati on the plea of himself doing tapas and
the kind-hearted Lord seated Himself in the guise of a youth
with Chinmudra, as Dakshinamurthy, under a banyan tree
on the northern side of lake Mansarovar, just on the way by
which these disappointed devotees were returning to their
respective homes. I read this story somewhere,” said
Bhagavan.

“How interesting is the story! Why did not Bhagavan
include it in the Introduction?” I said.

“I cannot say! I thought it unnecessary for me to record
all these incidents of Dakshinamurthy’s life in the
Introduction. I included only as much as was required for
the Ashtaka (8 slokas),” replied Bhagavan.

On further enquiry, it was found that this story was
narrated in Siva Rahasya, tenth canto, second chapter, under
the heading, “The Incarnation of Sri Dakshinamurthy.” A
devotee who heard this asked, “Does incarnation mean birth
of Sri Dakshinamurthy?” “Where is the question of a birth
for him? It is one of the five Murthys (forms) of Siva. It means
that he is seated facing south in mouna mudra (silent posture).

It is the want of Form, Formlessness, that is indicated in its
inner meaning. Is it the Murthy, the Form, that is described
in the “Dakshinamurthy Ashtaka”? Is it not the want of Form,
Formlessness? ‘Sri Dakshinamurthy’ — ‘Sri’ means Maya Sakti
(illusory force); one meaning of ‘Dakshina’ is efficient; another
meaning is ‘in the heart on the right side of the body’; ‘Amurthy’
means ‘Formlessness’. A lot of commentary on this is possible,
isn’t it?” said Bhagavan.

The same devotee asked, “Sanaka and the others are
described in the Bhagavata Purana as young boys of five years
of age for all time; but this stotra says ‘vriddha sishya gurur
yuva’ (old disciples and young Guru). How is that?”
“Jnanis (the wise) always remain young. There is no
youth, and no old age for them. The description ‘vriddha’
and ‘sishya’, ‘old’ and ‘disciple’ means that Sanaka and the
others were old in actual age. Though they are old in years
they remain everlastingly young in appearance,” said
Bhagavan.

I give below my translation of the introduction written
by Bhagavan:
“Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata who
are the four sons born from the mind of Brahma, learnt that
they were brought into existence to further the creation of
the world, but they were not interested in the task, and sought
only Truth and Knowledge and wandered in search of a
Guru. Lord Siva sympathised with those earnest seekers of
Truth and Himself sat under a banyan tree in the silent state
as Dakshinamurthy with chinmudra. Sanaka and the others
observed Him and were at once attracted by Him like iron
by a magnet, and attained Self-realisation in His presence in
no time. To those who are not able to know the real
significance of the silent and original form (of
Dakshinamurthy), Sankara summarised the universal truth
in this stotra and explained to Utamadhikaris (highly developed
souls) that the Sakti (force) which dissolves the three obstacles
for realisation of the Truth, that is the world, the seer and
the seen, is not different from one’s own self and that
everything gets ultimately merged in one’s own self.”