Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar

 Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar is one of the luminaries belonging to the Musical Trinity, the others being Saint Thiagaraja and Syama Sastri. His compositions are predominantly in Sanskrit unlike those of others in Telugu. A few of his compositions are in manipravalam-a combination of Sanskrit and Tamil. Muthu means pearl in Tamil. In Sanskrit it is Muktha. It is derived from Selvamuthu kumaraswamy, the famous deity of Vaidiswaran Temple in Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu The word Muddayya is an epithet of Lord Kumaraswamy or Guha. In some of Dikshitar’s Telugu compositions his name appears as Muddaswamy. In his popular composition “ Bhajore Chitta” in raga Kalyani the ‘ mudra’ or signature of the composer appears as “ Guru Guha rupa Muddukumara jananeem”. Eldest son of Ramaswami Dikshitar, who taught Vedas, poetry, music, and astronomy, Muthuswamy was born on 24th March 1776 in Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu. He had two brothers, Chinna Swami and Bala Swami. RamaSwami Dikshita, of Vadama family from Virinchipuram, near Vellore moved south due to political troubles around Kanchipuram and Virinchipuram. He trained in the veena under Venkata Vaidyanatha Dikshitar,who belonged to the lineage of Govinda Dikshitar. This trend is seen in Muthuswami Dikshitar’s work.

Muthuswami moved to Manali, near Madras at the behest of the local zamindar, Venkatakrishna Mudaliar, His brothers followed him to fort St.George where they were introduced to western orchestral music and the violin.Then came a turning point in the life of Muthuswami. An ascetic, Chidambaranatha Yogi took Muthuswami under his wing and away to the city of Banaras or Kashi.There he was taught in music, esoterics, Hindustani classical music particularly Dhrupad style. After the death of Chidambaranath Yogi, Muthuswami returned and moved to the town of Tiruttani, near Tirupati.

According to legend Lord Muruga of Tiruttani placed a piece of sugar candy in Dikshitar’s mouth and commanded him to sing. This marked the beginning of his career in music. He adopted his mudra “ Guruguha”,one of the names of Lord Muruga as his,from that time onwards. His first composition was “ Srinathadi guru guho jayati jayati” in raga Maya Malavagowla and Adi tala. The song in Sanskrit is in the first declension. Later he composed kritis in all eight declensions on the Lord. But all these songs glorified Lord Muruga in the ascetic or preceptor form.They were not specifically addressed to the Saguna form as at Tiruttani. Muthuswami went on a pilgrimage and visited temples at Kanchi, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram, Tirupathi, Kalahasti and Srirangam where he composed songs. He returned to Tiruvarur later.

Muthuswami mastered the veena and the influence of veena playing is clearly seen in his compositions particularly in gamakas, In his kriti ‘Balagopala’ he calls himself as a “ vainika gayaka” “ a player of the veena.” He also experimented with the violin. His brother Balaswami Dikshitar was a pioneer in the use of the violin in Carnatic music. Returning to Tiruvarur, he composed on every deity in the Tiruvarur temple complex including Tyagaraja, a form of Lord Shiva, the presiding deity, Nilotpamambal, his consort and the Goddess Kamalambal an independent deity of high tantric significance in the same temple complex. It is here that he composed the famous KAMALAMBA NAVAVARANA KRITIS replete with sahityas on the deities of the SRI CHAKRA. These became the showcase of his compositions. These Navavaranams

were in all eight declensions or vibhaktis of the Sanskrit language. Muthuswami Dikshitar exhibited his prowess by composing the Navagraha Kritis glorifying the nine planets. The content of the songs reveal a profound knowledge of the Mantra and Jyotisha sastras

His compositions, 500 in number are noted for “their elaborate and poetic descriptions of Hindu Gods and temples. They are significant in capturing the essence of raga forms through the vainika style that emphasizes gamakas. Every composition of Muthuswami Dikshitar is brilliant and unique in construction. All are noted for the ‘ soulfulness of the melody.’ His Sanskrit lyrics bring in the Advaita thought seamlessly into his songs ‘ resolving the inherent relationship between Advaita philosophy and polytheistic worship. His songs are highly informative about the history of the temple and its background and preserve many customs followed in these old shrines. Rhyming of lines in the lyrics is another noticeable feature in his compositions. Dikshitar was a master of tala and is the lone composer to have kritis in all the basic talas of the Carnatic scheme. The songs of Muthuswami Dikshitar are unparalleled and unsurpassed for their richness of RAGA BHAVA, SUBLIMITY OF PHILOSOPHICAL CONTENT, and the GRANDEUR OF THE SAHITYA!

ATMA BODHA 68

ATMA BODHA 68

                        “DIG-DESA-KALADY-ANAPEKSHYA SARVAGAM SEETADI-HRIT- NITYA-SUKHAM

YAH-SWATMA-TEERTHAM-BHAJATE-VINISHKRIYAH SA-SARVAVIT-SARVAGATO-AMRUTO-BHAVET”

                                                          ETYA-ATMA BHODHAH-SAMAPTAH

“HE SHOULD RENOUNCE ALL ACTIVITIES AND BE FREE FROM ALL LIMITATIONS OF TIME, SPACE AND DIRECTION. HE SHOULD WORSHIP HIS OWN ATMAN WHICH IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE AND WHICH IS THE DESTROYER OF HEAT AND COLD. IT IS ETERNAL BLISS AND STAINLESS.SUCH A PERSON BECOMES AII-KNOWING AND ALL-PERVADING AND ATTAINS IMMORTALITYTHEREAFTER.”

The sun always shines on the sea whether it is stormy or calm. Similarly the pure ATMAN, the Truth behind time, space and causality is the One Consciousness which illumines the entire creation. IT is All-pervading an has no duality. It is the pure –Consciousness in all awareness. It is the substratum on which all this pluralistic things play about. Without IT nothing will exist anywhere. Know that to be your own SELF.

One has to give up all his desires and activities, attachments, likes and dislikes, and his very contact with the ephemeral world of objects. He should be ever at the shrine of the ATMAN striving with determination to enjoy the bliss of his own SELF. Then alone that” Mahatman”  shall become ALL-Knowing All-Pervasive Brahman Itself. Immortality is guaranteed to him then. It is because he has reached that and begun to experience that which has no beginning and end. He too becomes IMMORTAL. The dreamer, when he ends his dreams and wakes up becomes himself the waker. The limited ego or ‘ ahankara’  when it transcends the mind-intellect equipment becomes itself the IMMORTAL BRAHMAN.

                                       THUS CONCUDES ATMA BODHA OF SRI ADI SANKARA

I took upon writing on Sri Adi Sankara’s ATMA BODHA with a view that it will be useful for those who are interested in Knowing about the eternal Self or Atman or the Brahman. Common man has many doubts regarding the nature of SELF or Brahman. The Upanishads glorify the nature of the Self or Brahman. It is very difficult to understand and requires special attention and understanding. Modern man has no time to think of the in-dweller Atman or Self!  He is totally drowned in the shoreless sea of samsara and is incapable of detachment. He thinks that the body is more important than the Soul. He identifies the body with the Soul which is entirely wrong. Atma Bodha disabuses the mind of the seeker and explains the wonderful nature of the Atman and how it is within the body but untouched by the various actions of the senses.  I have given, here and there, a few relevant quotations from famous  Upanishads  regarding the nature of Brahman and Atman or Self! I consider myself blessed and fortunate to have this  rare opportunity to write blogs on Sri Adi Sankara’s Atma Bodha!  I hope and trust  the readers have benefitted by the explanation given for Sankara’s Atma Bodha!

 

   

 

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ATMA BODHA 67

ATMA BODHA 67

“HRUDAKASO- UDITO HI- ATMA BODHA-BHANUTAMO-APAHRIT

SARVANYAPI SARVADHARI BHATHI BHASAYATE- AKHILAM”

“ The Atman, the Sun of Knowledge  that emerges in the sky of the heart, terminates the  darkness of the ignorance. It pervades and sustains all and shines and makes ana makes everything to shine.”

The word Hridaya  means Heart. It does not mean the biological heart here. Here it means that arena in the mind from where the humane thoughts gurgle up and flow. The term heart here is used in the same sense in which we call a man of love and goodness as a man of heart.

It is only when there is ethical purity and moral goodness that the bosom can realize spiritual unfoldment and the consequent divine experience.

As at the ushering of dawn the darkness disappears and the light of its own glory brings everything clearly to our cognition so too at the Dawn of Wisdom, all Knowledge  bursts up to our awareness.

“ HE IS MY SELF WITHIN THE HEART, SMALLER THAN A GRAIN OF RICEOR OF BARLYOR A MUSTARD SEEDOR AGRAIN OF MILLET OR EVEN THE GRAIN OF MILLET----HE IS MY SELF WITHIN THE HEART, GREATER THAN THE EARTH, GREATER THAN THE SKY, GREATER THAN HEAVEN, GREATER THAN ALL THESE WORLDS.”       (CHANDOGYOPANISHAD)  

 

ATMA BODHA 66

ATMA BODHA  66

“SRAVANADIBHIH UDDEEPTAH GYANAGNI- PARITAPITAH

JEEVAH SARVA-MALAN-MULTAH SWARNAVAT DYOTATE SWAYAM”

“THE ‘JIVA’ FREE FROM ALL IMPURITIES, BEING HEATED IN THE FIRE OF KNOWLEDGE KINDLED BY HEARING AND SO ON, SHINES OF ITSELF LIKE GOLD.”

The three requisites for obtaining knowledge on Vedanta are (1) listening to the truth from the scripyures as explained by the teacher (Sravana) ; (b) reasoning of the truths heard(Manana) and (2)deep contemplation on what has been heard and reasoned out(Nidhidhyasana)

Spiritual discipline isis of great significance and is intended to clean the mind of its impurities. Therefore removal of the ignorance (avidya) alone enables the revelation of the Absolute Truth. It is one’s own spontaneous experience of one’s own SELF. An earnest seeker after Truth, who is able to kindle the fire of knowledge in his pure bosom and who is free from doubts and fears realizes the SELF in him. Hence the ego-centric personality (Jivatman) has to rid himself off his own limitations and rediscover his real nature as the Eternal SELF.

The ore as it comes up from the gold mines is mixed up with a lot of impurities. When the washed off Gold is heated and poured in, its molten brilliance acquires for itself its real glory and beauty. So too the individuality when heated in meditation and the molten SELF is poured out,  it radiates in its essential  immortal contents.  

  

ATMA BODHA 65

 

ATMA BODHA 65

“SARVAGAM SACHCHIDATMANAM GYANA- CHKSHUR- NIRIKSHITE

AGYANA-CHAKSHUR-NA-EEKSHETA-BHASVANTAM-BHANUM-ANDHAVAT.”

“Despite the fact that ATMAN is Pure Consciousness and ever present everywhere, IT is perceived by the eye of wisdom alone. But IT is not seen by one whose vision is obscured by ignorance. It is similar to the blind who cannot see the resplendent sun.”

Just as the blind man cannot see the radiant Sun, one who is incapable of grasping the Truth can never hope to see IT! One who has not developed the eye of wisdom  cannot perceive IT! One should be discriminative enough to reject the unreal from the real in order to perceive the Truth! He should have a pure mind and be bestowed with the serene light of knowledge within him to illumine the right judgment of things! He should havs single pointed devotion and penance. He should not super impose the finite qualities of the outer world of objects on the Infinite Self! It is only on such conditions that one can experience the presence of the Eternal Self as his own true nature.Though the ATMAN is SUPREME, it is the limiting factors in the seeker after Truth that veils and distorts the beauty of the Absolute Reality! It is the blndness in man that makes the sun dark though the sun  shines ever bright and brilliant!

The Vedantic teachers hold in theory that on transcending all equipments all seekers will realise the SELF, the Truth. Students, in the beginning try to follow the teacher only with their intellect.Carrying this impression, he student asks as to how one can experience the Truth when once the3 body-mind- intellect-equipment is transcended. It is here that the Rishis import the idea of the faculty of intuition—Gyana Chakshu for the benefit of students.

Contemplative power alone can understand the Reality! “This is not an objective experience. It is an uncompromising and total Becoming.”

A mind fully involved in feeling and thinking of the objects of the world  is so agitated and restless  that the Supreme cannot be capture in experience! The mind is slowly and intelligently withdrawn from its  outward fascinations. It is trained to turn inward and develop in itself the power to apprehend the Reality! Hence the intuitive power  ( Gyana Chakshu) is nothing other than a mind turned inward and held in attention! According to the Gita, such a prepared mind is a true vehicle to reach Knowledge and in itself is called  Gnanam!!