Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Wealth waxes and wanes like the moon - mantrA 169

srigurubhyO namahA |


In the 169th mantrA the sage comments on the supreme grace of siva while observing the transitoriness of material wealth.

இயக்குறு திங்கள் இரும்பிழப்பு ஒக்கும்
துயக்குறு செல்வத்தைச் சொல்லவும் வேண்டா
மயக்கற நாடுமின் வானவர் கோனைப்
பெயற்கொண்டல் போலப் பெருஞ்செல்வ மாமே. I.3.2.169

The radiant moon that life animates into massive darkness turns;
Why then speak of riches which no better fate can meet?
If the Heaven's King, you unwaveringly seek,
Like pouring clouds choicest treasures fall at your feet. I.3.2.169

Com - The radiant moon that life animates into massive darkness turns; Like the bright and luminous moon in the night sky looses its brightness in the dark half of the lunar month gradually until it is totally dark Why then speak of riches which no better fate can meet? Material wealth and riches too are prone to wax and wane and diminish over time to nothing. There is no wisdom in thinking otherwise as this is something evident to all. If the Heaven's King, you unwaveringly seek, instead one must approach the lord of lords, the supreme siva with an attitude of devotion and with a mind that is free from the delusion of craving for the material and impermanent riches. Like pouring clouds choicest treasures fall at your feet. (And then) such a person will be rewarded with the greatest of all treasures, like a cloud burst bringing incessant rains of great wealth.

*The sage indicates that one must realise the transitory nature of material wealth first. When such realisation dawns in the mind of an individual, he will no longer be deluded by the pull of the phenomenal world. Thus freed from this attraction, he would then be spiritually mature to seek and find the true principle that is eternal and that transcends the phenomenal world reality. If one were to (suitably prepared) approach the Lord with such an attitude and clean mind, then He would shower His divine grace forever on such a devotee. The reference here is to the supreme compassion of siva and to grace which flows incessantly like water from the dark rain bearing clouds. The comparison of siva to a cloud (bearing the ‘rain’ of grace) occurs elsewhere in this text and is also echoed by the sage mAnikkavAsagar (andattharum peran mEghanvAzhga). 





thirucchitrambalam|

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

is this only for being preached?

how do you suggest i can see material wealth as transitory?

what about the money i need for everything i do in this world, my house rents, my foods, my kids education, my survival, my family's survival..

pl explain more..

transitory of life could be understood. but transitory of wealth, even though to some extent is correct, dont we need money for every thing in this world..

getting confused.

laksh.

mooligai sidhan said...

srigurubhyO namahA |

@ Laksh(mi?man?)
Apologies for the delay in this reply.

"is this only for being preached?"
No! Like anything in this text, they are pointers from the guru to his disciples. The thirumandiram is considered as a tamil AgamA - thus it is also a key text that is accepted as a scripture.Nothing in here is for the sake of preaching.

"how do you suggest i can see material wealth as transitory?"
Whether you see material wealth as transitory or not, the fact is that it is transitory! The very nature of wealth is movement - it is here now and gone another moment. It is to reveal this truth that the ancient rishis have portrayed mahAlakshmi (the embodiment and the personification of wealth)on an AsanA/seat of red lotus situated in the sea!! In real life have you ever seen a lotus in the sea? She is also known as alai magal or the daughter of waves, and in most pictures/dhyAna slOkas this ocean like base is shown/suggested. This is show you and me that the very nature of wealth is unsteady! Like the waves, it is in constant motion and coming towards you one minute and going away from you another minute! Material wealth my friend, IS transitory. Even if you manage to hold on to all your wealth for a hundred years, some day it will diminish - it is not for ever.

mooligai sidhan said...

srigurubhyO namahA |

@ Laksh
"what about the money i need for everything i do in this world, my house rents, my foods, my kids education, my survival, my family's survival.."

Please understand that neither the sage nor me are urging anyone to abandon all notions of money or any sense of responsibility to their family and fellow humans!It is perfectly true that we need money for all the things you mention above (and more). But no matter how important it is in a transactional level, the fact that it is transitory is still true. That is all that is being said here. That all material wealth etc (though capable of providing us with various things)is not something that is forever. Please remember that the spiritual aspirant is in the quest for what is eternal and what is lasting and unbroken bliss. Here we understand that wealth and abundance is not what the mumukshu is after as they are transitory.
The idea is that we pay only that much attention to the aspect of gathering wealth as is necessary - without letting the idea of money and our own idea of our worth in terms of monetary value get so warped that all our time is spent merely in gathering wealth or making more plans to gather it in the future or regretting the fact that we dont have it now!
We venerate and worship the goddess of wealth, so we dont despise it! But there is no reason to be unduely attached to it.

"transitory of life could be understood. but transitory of wealth, even though to some extent is correct, dont we need money for every thing in this world.."
Well....not really. Even having all the wealth in the world doesnt ensure that you will get everything you want or need in this world. If you examine it closely, you will realise that it only brings more trouble and problems that it solves!

"getting confused."
Dont be! It is the nature of the jIvA to be deluded and confused, but pure clear light is the essense of self/AtmA!


Anonymous said...

the spiritual aspirant is in the quest for what is eternal. then, how would you call ppl like me. is there a wedge btw a SA and a common person like me.

Im looking for something that makes me happy and content. Even to look for that, i need money to buy a laptop, an internet connection and a way to pay all the taxes.

And when i make my earnings after doing a hell lot of things and come to read your blog, here i am being asked to understand wealth is transitory.

Hey, for that matter, everything is transitory. Sex, lust, love, relations, childhood days, friendship, kids, parents, everything is transitory. We dont need a sage to say all these.

would it not be fine to know just what would make us content, what would make us laugh for a while, be happy for a while...

its man.

mooligai sidhan said...

srigurubhyO namahA |

@ Lakshman,
"Im looking for something that makes me happy and content. Even to look for that, i need money to buy a laptop, an internet connection and a way to pay all the taxes."

I believe that most of us wandering this earth are looking for something that makes us happy and content.I am not going to get into a full and proper analysis of what happiness is on this comments section, but it is the siddhAntA that happiness is not something that can be acchieved or brought about through any external agency. Pure anandA or bliss is the essential state of being of the self, and the deluded jIvA is forever striving to attain that through things. As will be made amply clear, these physical and phenomenal 'things' will one day all cease to be. And when it does, the happiness that depended on it would also cease to be.This is not true happiness. For a more thorough understanding of this please refer to some advaita scriptures or the yOga sUtrA. You can also continue to read here and in the later tantrAs this will be made clear.The laptop and internet connection is not going to give you contentment.

"And when i make my earnings after doing a hell lot of things and come to read your blog, here i am being asked to understand wealth is transitory."

It is not being said to insult your hard work and idea of earnings etc. Nor am I trying to change your relationship with money and the things it can buy. One can continue to live in the world of wealth and money without getting entangled by it - this is possible when one understands the strengths and the limits of wealth. That is what is being taught here. Contentment does not come from having lots of something, it is rather the state of mind that will consider anything to be plenty and the ample grace of the Lord!

"Hey, for that matter, everything is transitory. Sex, lust, love, relations, childhood days, friendship, kids, parents, everything is transitory. We dont need a sage to say all these."

Indeed all that you mention above - sex, relationships etc etc are transitory! You are correct. But does it stop you from crying when a loved relationship ceases to be due to the death of the beloved? When good health is suddenly replaced by sickness, do you think 'yes, all this is transitory any way' or do you try to remedy the situation? That is the difference between us and the sage and people like the siddar who understand this transitory aspect thoroughly!

"would it not be fine to know just what would make us content, what would make us laugh for a while, be happy for a while..."

It would be fine..please tell us the answer if you know!

Anonymous said...

How would i know the answer. Im just asking you and you are posing the qn back to me.

see, things change, perceptions change, all around us change. what was not ok, some 100 years back, is ok after a 100 years. how can that be? Take dress, take relationships, take any sphere of life, we have changed.

but then, why do we have to cling to these old school thoughts. why dont we see things through a diff prism? Even, take Hindu Dharma by maha periyavaa, some things blow you away by the sheer intensity of the things spoken by the Sage. You become numb. You become stumped. But some things, seem a lot impractical, outdated and all. For ex, asking brahmins to go read, recite, vedas.. im just pointing an example here.

Let us re invent ourselves. I want you to be not a post man, or a parrot man. I would rather like you to be one who takes things from the past and say those things which are relevant for this today's world.

We are lesser mortals. You are not. You have more potential. My request to you is to guide us, teach us relevant things, show us a better way of life, improve our lives.

not every one are gifted as you are.

Anonymous said...

pl allow me further :

just as an example, i would like to draw your attn to your discussion with one Shri K. and your perspective on organ donation.

The way we change ourselves, our perspectives is what im referring here.

Sorry Sir if i had conveyed anything wrong.

mooligai sidhan said...

srigurubhyO namahA |

Dear Lakshman,
First of all, there is of course nothing wrong in what you are trying to put across. Infact, this is a recurring line of thought that I come across often in my discussions with various people.

"see, things change, perceptions change, all around us change. what was not ok, some 100 years back, is ok after a 100 years. how can that be? Take dress, take relationships, take any sphere of life, we have changed.

but then, why do we have to cling to these old school thoughts. why dont we see things through a diff prism? "

Ofcourse things change - change is really the only constant. This change in mindset, society, etc is well understood and is detailed through our descriptions of the various yugAs and the effects detailed of those yugAs. These things, i.e.the differences are really only on a surface level. Now as in 100 years ago and even 1000 years ago, there are certain things that remain the same. These are cardinal cosmic concepts and laws (rtA)and this is also dharmA. Thus there is no reason in the arguement that just because fashion,and all surface things are different, dharmA should also be interpreted according to the times.
Our collective understanding of and adherence to this dharmA is what changes with the ages and in kali (the current time)is abysmal. This is largely due to the fact that we do not know what is dharmA and what the dharma sastrAs say. We think of these ideas as superstition etc and laugh at the wisdom of our ancestors.

"Even, take Hindu Dharma by maha periyavaa, some things blow you away by the sheer intensity of the things spoken by the Sage. You become numb. You become stumped. But some things, seem a lot impractical, outdated and all. For ex, asking brahmins to go read, recite, vedas.. im just pointing an example here."

The hindu dharmA book by mahA periyavA is a great resource and though I can understand your point of view that in todays time it is impossible to expect all brahmins to read and recite the vEdAs, I think it merely points out the truth that we are a wrongly configured generation! We are ready to run the relentless rat race in pursuit of money and transitory pleasures and infact dedicate most of our lives to this pursuit. Yet we are unable or unwilling to find the necessary hours each day to dedicate to the pursuit of the self. By the chanting of the vEdAs and by learning the wisdom they embody.

It is childish to think that we can write dharmA books to suit the individuals and societies are every given point of time. These truths are eternal and are applicable everywhere. That is why it is sanAtana dharmA.

mooligai sidhan said...

srigurubhyO namahA |

"Let us re invent ourselves. I want you to be not a post man, or a parrot man. I would rather like you to be one who takes things from the past and say those things which are relevant for this today's world."

We do not need to reinvent ourselves, we only need to recognise our SELF. It is actually my intention to bring the wisdom and the truth of our ancients which are every bit relevant in this day as they were and would be at any other time. If you ask me, now is when the need for a balance in our increasingly lopsided material life is necessary. That this an event in the making is evident from the various events in the global picture - economic collapse,effects of stress and deteriorating environment etc.

Re my perspective on organ donation, that is simply my own view. As I made clear, it is not suggested by the scriptures. Infact it is prohibited. But considering the fact that in my day to day life in todays world and time there are many things that I do and have to do that are actually not condoned by the scriptures (AchArA,etc).So I figure that this will add to that list of sins!

But that is my own personal gamble.It is not upto me to suggest that to others.But while writing about the scriptures etc, there is no point in me giving you my view on things. That is immaterial as I am just a speck.