ANNAMACHARYULU
155 అంతయు
నతని మహామహిమే
(aMtayu natani mahAmahimE)
for Telegu
(తెలుగు) Version press here
Synopsis: "Liberation (moksha) is a desire, but the saints are content to remember God without desire, to discuss his glories" -Great Saint Kapila.
Summary of this Poem:
Chorus: Everything is HIS great grandeur. Whatever
HE does shall fructify. Implied Meaning:
HE makes us feel that we know, yet we don’t know.
Stanza
1: Whatever
(troubles) that must be endured shall surely be there. Whatever wealth to be
forgone will be lost. Why do You keep lamenting that side (heaven, comforting
side, prior to the trouble) and this side (earth, problematic side, before the
loss money/face). Only God (truth) is the appropriate indication. Implied Meaning:
O man, in your pursuit of God, encountering truth is only significant event.
If you keep lamenting troubles, loss of wealth, comforts of heaven, your
wretched condition, you are not there.
Stanza
2: The Material properties are present
only in conscious state. This side there is no
feeling of being an individual. Who can confirm or to negate this secret. The
ruler of these temporal bodies is the only cause. Implied Meaning:
Oneness with the truth is not a reversible process. When man finally aligns
with the truth, he neither can confirm or negate such a state.
Stanza
3: The
mind is the self-knowledge. The outside world is a mean and ugly illusion. Lord
Venkteswara is well known for saving those approaching him. Hence forth why
engage in deceptions, why fall in illusions. Implied Meaning:
The natural life is found outside of the delusion of false knowledge and
lies. God graciously shows us the way.
Detailed Presentation
Introduction: In this intrinsically beautiful, deeply meditative poem you shall find Annamacharya describing the state of the liberated mind. He always talked of a tangible blissful state, not a conceptual imbroglio.
Many Indian intelligentsia do not appreciate the depth of western philosophies. In the explanation of this poem, I shall show a painting of Hilma Af Klint almost matching word to word with that of Annamacharya. When mind is silent, it can grasp the truth. It has no boundaries like east or west.
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కీర్తన: రాగిరేకు: 297-3 సంపుటము: 3-562 |
POEM Copper Leaf:
297-3 Volume: 3-562 |
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అంతయు నతని మహామహిమే అతఁ-
డెంత సేసినా నెట్టయిన నవును ॥పల్లవి॥ రావలెనన్నవి రాకమానవు
పోవలె నన్నవి పోకుండవు
ఆవల నీవల నలమటలేఁటికి
దైవమొక్కఁడే తగిలిన గుఱుతు ॥అంత॥ కాయపు గుణములు కలిగినవే భువి-
నీ యెడ జీవుఁడు యిటు గలఁడే
ఆయమిందుఁ గా దవునన నెవ్వరు
కాయజగురుఁ డొక్కఁడే ప్రేరకుఁడు ॥అంత॥ అంతరంగమే యాత్మజ్ఞానము
వింతగు వెలుపల వెడమాయ
చింతించి రక్షించ శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁడు
మంతుకెక్కె నిఁక మతకములేల ॥అంత॥
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aMtayu natani
mahAmahimE ata-
DeMta sEsinA
neTTayina navunu ॥pallavi॥ rAvalenannavi
rAkamAnavu
pOvale nannavi
pOkuMDavu
Avala nIvala nalamaTalETiki
daivamokkaDE
tagilina gu~rutu ॥aMta॥ kAyapu guNamulu
kaliginavE bhuvi-
nI yeDa jIvuDu
yiTu galaDE
AyamiMdu gA
davunana nevvaru
kAyajaguru
DokkaDE prErakuDu ॥aMta॥ aMtaraMgamE
yAtmaj~nAnamu
viMtagu velupala
veDamAya
chiMtiMchi
rakshiMcha SrIvEMkaTESuDu
maMtukekke nika
matakamulEla ॥aMta॥
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Details and Explanations:
Word to word meaning: అంతయు (aMtayu) = Everything; నతని (natani) = HIS; మహామహిమే (mahAmahimE) = great Grandeur; అతఁ- డెంత (ata-DeMta) = Whatever he; సేసినా (sEsinA) = does; నెట్టయిన (neTTayina) = in any case; నవును (navunu) = shall happen.
Literal
meaning: Everything is HIS great
grandeur. Whatever HE does shall fructify.
Explanation: When
we think of glories of the God we generally limit to good qualities. However,
consider the Bhagavad-Gita saying सुखं दु:खं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च (10-4) sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhavo ’bhāvo bhayaṁ chābhayameva cha = Arjun "I cause both joy
and sorrow, birth and death, fear and courage, fame and infamy.” In this
chorus, Annamacharya is speaking from that point of view.
The implied meaning given below is derived from the
stanzas, and their relationship with the chorus.
Implied
Meaning: HE makes us
feel that we know, yet we don’t know.
Word to word meaning: రావలెనన్నవి (rAvalenannavi)
= Whatever (troubles) that have to be endured; రాకమానవు (rAkamAnavu)
= shall arrive; పోవలె నన్నవి (pOvale nannavi)
= Those which have to be removed (like wealth); పోకుండవు (pOkuMDavu) = shall be taken away; ఆవల (Avala) =
that side; నీవల (nIvala) = this side; నలమటలేఁటికి (nalamaTalETiki)
= Why lament; why feel sorrow; దైవమొక్కఁడే (daivamokkaDE) =
only God (only truth); తగిలిన (tagilina) =encountered; గుఱుతు (gu~rutu) = indication.
Literal
meaning: Whatever
(troubles) that must be endured shall surely be there. Whatever wealth to be
forgone will be lost. Why do You keep lamenting that side (heaven, comforting
side, prior to the trouble) and this side (earth, problematic side, before the
loss money/face). Only God (truth) is the appropriate indication.
Explanation: Be
it a king; Be it a Wiseman; Be it a common man; No man ever could control what
he may lose; what may befall on him. In such scenario, what avail is of
intelligence we are often proud of?
ఆవల నీవల నలమటలేఁటికి Avala nIvala nalamaTalETiki is indicating, when man is amongst hardships, looks to the other side for comfort. Annamacharya here indicated that man look towards God/Heaven to take him out of trouble. However, he is questioning psychologically is there any other state for man?
All religions try to placate man with the lollipop of heaven and wretchedness of hell. In the face of adversity, he tries to perform introspection. On the other hand, when he is in comfort, he becomes carefree and gets himself dragged to misfortunes. As already explained in previous verses (particularly 146, ఇట్టి నా వెఱ్ఱితనము లేమని చెప్పుకొందును#1 iTTi nA ve~r~ritanamu lEmani cheppukoMdunu) Annamacharya is asserting that such reflections and psychological movements may be soothing, re-assuring, but really serves no purpose.
Now
request readers to consider the painting titled SWAN No 21 (1915) by Hilma
Af Klint below. the picture shows two spiroids asymmetrically reflecting
each other (on the vertical axis). Indeed, the spiral vortex, as found in
whirlpools in water and in the double helix structure of the DNA molecule —
just two of myriad examples — is nature’s favoured form for the transmission of
its energy, both economically and efficaciously, radiating out and drawing in
simultaneously, infinitely and eternally.
Man’s position is shown in the form of crystals at the end of each spiral, again reflecting in asymmetric fashion. Part of the man is inside, and part of the man is outside the spiral indicating we transmit energy inefficiently. Crystals indicate rather inflexible tendency compared to suppleness of Nature. That’s why Annamacharya said తెలిసినవాఁడాఁ గాను తెలియనివాఁడాఁ గాను#2 (telisinavADA gAnu teliyanivADA gAnu = I am either aware or unaware). When man looks at the other side thru his mental plane, the outside appears as inside and inside as outside. This is also the meaning of the poem వెలుపల మఱవక లోపల లేదు#3 (velupala ma~ravaka lOpala lEdu = If you do not forget outside, it is not there inside)
To make things clearer
I marked Point A on this picture and its reflection should be A’. However, as
shown in the painting, point A’ is hidden. Therefore, man sees A’’ as the
reflection. This is the distorted view of man. This reflection gives him temporary respite
that he sees something else as his cause of trouble. Thus, man remains in
confusion. The crystals are shown on either side of the spirals to point out man's
tendency to separate mind from body. Man is indivisible, but man is a part of
the spirals (nature) but unable to integrate himself harmoniously into nature,
he fights pointlessly.
Some parts of this
stanza are enunciated in the subsequent explanations.
Implied
Meaning: O man, in
your pursuit of God, encountering truth is only significant event. If you keep
lamenting troubles, loss of wealth, comforts of heaven, your wretched condition,
you are not there.
Word to word meaning: కాయపు గుణములు (kAyapu
guNamulu) = the material properties of body; కలిగినవే భువిన్ (kaliginavE
bhuvin) = are present on this earth; ఈ యెడ (I yeDa) = this side; జీవుఁడు (jIvuDu)=
feeling of the being as you are; యిటు (yiTu) =
this side; గలఁడే (galaDE) =
available? (not available); ఆయమిందుఁ (AyamiMdu) = ఇందలి రహస్యం,
the secret
in this; గా దవునన (gA davunana) = to
confirm or to negate; నెవ్వరు (nevvaru) = who can; కాయజగురుఁ డొక్కఁడే (kAyajaguru
DokkaDE) = the ruler of the temporal bodies = God; ప్రేరకుఁడు (prErakuDu) = only cause;
Literal
meaning: The Material properties are present only in conscious
state. This side there is no feeling of being an individual. Who
can confirm or to negate this secret. The ruler of these temporal
bodies is the only cause.
Explanation: Again,
refer to the picture. Part of the man is hidden inside the spiral, in the path
of radiance of the truth. We have no direct knowledge of this part. What we
know is the outside part, the secondary or acquired knowledge. This is the
meaning of the words కాయపు గుణములు కలిగినవే భువిన్ (kAyapu guNamulu kaliginavE bhuvin) = the
material properties of body are present on this earth).
The wording నీ యెడ జీవుఁడు యిటు గలఁడే (nI yeDa jIvuDu yiTu galaDE) are used to imply on the hidden side there are no distinction between truth and the being the man as we are. Thus, it may be taken that Annamacharya is talking from a state of oneness with the God. Here the meaning of Bhagavad-Gita statement below is also worth considering. तत: पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं / / यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूय: (15-4) tataḥ padaṁ tat parimārgitavyaṁ / yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ Purport: Then Find that path from which you shall not return. Whence, such man becomes identical with truth.
ఆయమిందుఁ గా దవునన నెవ్వరు (AyamiMdu gA davunana nevvaru) is indicative of “how can anyone confirm or negate such an indistinguishable state”. Thus, the certainty we generally desire cannot be ascertained.
కాయజగురుఁ డొక్కఁడే ప్రేరకుఁడు kAyajaguru DokkaDE prErakuDu God alone is the cause. Since we have
no idea of that hidden part, great men like Annnamacharya and Jiddu
Krishnamurti having travelled that path and have asserted truth of these
wordings.
Implied
Meaning: Oneness
with the truth is not a reversible process. When man finally aligns with the truth,
he neither can confirm or negate such a state.
Word to word meaning: అంతరంగమే (aMtaraMgamE)
= The mind, the heart యాత్మజ్ఞానము (yAtmaj~nAnamu) = self-knowledge;
వింతగు (viMtagu) = peculiar; వెలుపల (velupala) = outside;
వెడమాయ (veDamAya) = mean and ugly illusion; చింతించి (chiMtiMchi) = thinking specifically; రక్షించ (rakshiMcha) = save; శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁడు (SrIvEMkaTESuDu) = Lord
Venkateswara; మంతుకెక్కె (maMtukekke) = విఖ్యాతః; ప్రసిద్ధః విశ్రుతః greatly
popular, నిఁక (nika) =
hence forth; మతకములేల (matakamulEla) = why engage in deceptions, why
fall in illusions.
Literal meaning: The mind is the self-knowledge. The outside world is a mean and ugly illusion. Lord Venkateswara is well known for saving those approaching him. Hence forth why engage in deceptions, why fall in illusions.
Explanation: Again, refer to the diagram of Hilma Af Klint. Many people referred to her Paintings as diagrams or drawings indicating more technicality and somewhat lacking in strict sense, beauty of a painting. Once more, refer to the point A in the diagram. We see the reflection as A’’. Thus, our present understanding is illusory and incorrect. This also the meaning of wording వింతగు వెలుపల వెడమాయ (viMtagu velupala veDamAya)
Most of us understand the part which is outside is completely built of material & materialistic knowledge. The wording అంతరంగమే యాత్మజ్ఞానము aMtaraMgamE yAtmaj~nAnamu is indicating that man with his body and his posse of knowledge is incomplete. Therefore, knowing that "he is incomplete" is the self-knowledge. Attempting to dismantle such a structure is a self-judgment. Therefore untenable. Hence Annamacharya said చింతించి రక్షించ శ్రీవేంకటేశుఁడు మంతుకెక్కె chiMtiMchi rakshiMcha SrIvEMkaTESuDu maMtukekke = recognize and submit to the will God (nature).
Once more, it’s not the psychological movement from bad to good, but staying where we are “as we are” is knowing our present state that “we do not know” is important. Therefore. pursuing reflections, A’ and A’’ are absolute waste of time. Thus, "not doing anything", ఆయమిందుఁ (AyamiMdu) is the secret indicated by Annamacharya. This secret is revealed in Bhagavad-Gita statement प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वश: | य: पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति || 13-30|| prakṛityaiva cha karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśhaḥ / yaḥ paśhyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśhyati purport: They alone truly see who understand that all actions (of the body) are performed by material nature, while the embodied soul actually does nothing.
Again, refer to the spirals in the diagram. They are the natural way to transmit the power of nature. Hilma Af Klint is saying we are living an unnatural life. Annamacharya said the same thing by ఇఁక మతకములేల ika matakamulEla = why engage in deceptions, why fall in illusions.
Implied
Meaning: The
natural life is found outside of the delusion of false knowledge and lies. God
graciously shows us the way.
References
and Recommendations for further reading:
#1 146 ఇట్టి నా వెఱ్ఱితనము లేమని చెప్పుకొందును (iTTi nA ve~r~ritanamu lEmani cheppukoMdunu)
#2 84. తెలిసినవాఁడాఁ గాను తెలియనివాఁడాఁ గాను (telisinavADA gAnu teliyanivADA gAnu
#3 81. వెలుపల మఱవక లోపల లేదు (velupala ma~ravaka lOpala lEdu)
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