[Advaita-l] A synthesis on the higher philosophical plane

[V Subrahmanian]

Here is a post in the FB:
https://www.facebook.com/jataayu.blore/posts/2139889832830871

How can the Self relate with the relations, and to the world spiritually?

Here are three profound quotes from the ocean of Hindu spirituality.

You are loving father,
mother and elder brother;
You are uncle as well as aunt;
You are well-endowed wife and righteous riches,
You are clan, kin and peerless town;
You are the objects of relish and carriers too.
As a companion,
You authored renunciation in my heart;
You are this gold, this gem and this pearl;
You are God;
You alone are, Vṛṣabhārūḍha,
the opulent One that rides the Bull.
- Thevāram of Thirunāvukkarasar (adapted from the translation by TN
Ramachardan)

This verse views every joy and bliss in the world, including the material
riches and the family bondages as the grace and manifestation of Shiva.

My little girl says,
"I've no relations here
and everyone here is my relative."
"I'm the one who makes relatives relate,"  she says.
"I also end relations,
and to those related to me
I become all relations,"  she says.
Can it be the lord of illusions
beyond all relations
has come and taken her over?
How can I tell you,
my kinsmen,
what she means?
- Thiruvāymŏzhi of Nammāzhvār (translated by AK Ramanujan)

This verse expresses the trance at the highest state of Bhakti and self
surrender. A state in which the true Bhakta embraces the entire world as
the form of Vishnu, The Absolute, even when detached from the relative,
wordly entanglements. "lord of illusions" is the literal translation of
"maayan", a beautiful Tamil name of Vishnu.

Says Yājñavalkya, addressing his wife Maitreyi:
It is not for the sake of the husband, my dear, that he is loved, but for
one’s own sake that he is loved. It is not for the sake of the wife, my
dear, that she is loved, but for one’s own sake that she is loved. It is
not for the sake of the sons, my dear, that they are loved, but for one’s
own sake that they are loved. It is not for the sake of wealth, my dear,
that it is loved, but for one's own sake that it is loved. It is not for
the sake of the Brāhmaṇa, my dear, that he is loved, but for one's own sake
that he is loved. It is not for the sake of the Kṣatriya, my dear, that he
is loved, but for one’s own sake that he is loved. It is not for the sake
of the worlds, my dear, that they are loved, but for one's own sake that
they are loved. It is not for the sake of the gods, my dear, that they are
loved, but for one's own sake that they are loved. It is not for the sake
of the beings, my -dear, that they are loved, but for one's own sake that
they are loved. It is not for the sake of all, my dear, that all is loved,
but for one's own sake that it is loved. The Self, my dear Maitreyī, should
be realised—should be heard of, reflected on and meditated upon. By the
realisation of the Self, my dear, through hearing, reflection and
meditation, all this is known.
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 2.4.5 (translation by Swami Madhavananda of the
Sri Ramakrishna order)
Here 'one's own' means the Self, the Atman. This well known passage from
the Upanishad expresses the philosophy of Atman in the boldest and clearest
language.   It is the root, the Vedantic foundation from which the above
mentioned glorious Bhakti expressions have come forth.

Original verses:
அப்பன்நீ அம்மைநீ ஐய னும்நீ
    அன்புடைய மாமனும் மாமி யும்நீ
ஒப்புடைய மாதரும் ஒண்பொரு ளும்நீ
    ஒருகுலமும் சுற்றமும் ஓரூ ரும்நீ
துய்ப்பனவும் உய்ப்பனவுந் தோற்று வாய்நீ
    துணையாயென் நெஞ்சந் துறப்பிப் பாய்நீ
இப்பொன்நீ இம்மணிநீ இம்முத் து(ம்)நீ
    இறைவன்நீ ஏறூர்ந்த செல்வன் நீயே.

உற்றார்க ளெனக்கில்லை யாரும் என்னும்
உற்றார்க ளெனக்கிங்கெல் லாரும் என்னும்,
உற்றார்களைச் செய்வேனும் யானே என்னும்
உற்றார்களை அழிப்பேனும் யானே என்னும்,
உற்றார்களுக் குற்றேனும் யானே என்னும்
உற்றாரிலி மாயன் வந்தேறக் கொலோ?,
உற்றீர்கட் கென்சொல்லிச் சொல்லு கேன்யான்
உற்றென்னுடைப் பேதை யுரைக்கின்றனவே.

स होवाच: न वा अरे पत्युः कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय पतिः
प्रियो भवति । न वा अरे जायायै कामाय जाया प्रिया भवति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय जाया
प्रिया भवति । न वा अरे पूत्राणां कामाय पुत्राः प्रिया भवन्ति, आत्मनस्तु
कामाय पुत्राः प्रिया भवन्ति । न वा अरे वित्तस्य कामाय वित्तं प्रियं भवति,
आत्मनस्तु कामाय वित्तं प्रियं भवति । न वा अरे ब्रह्मणः कामाय ब्रह्म प्रियं
भवति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय ब्रह्म प्रियं भवति । न वा अरे क्षत्रस्य कामाय क्षत्रं
प्रियं भवति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय क्षत्रं प्रियं भवति । न वा अरे लोकानां कामाय
लोकाः प्रिया भवन्ति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय लोकाः प्रिया भवन्ति । न वा अरे देवानां
कामाय देवाः प्रिया भवन्ति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय देवाः प्रिया भवन्ति । न वा अरे
भूतानां कामाय भूतानि प्रियाणि भवन्ति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय भूतानि प्रियाणि
भवन्ति । न वा अरे सर्वस्य कामाय सर्वं प्रियं भवति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय सर्वं
प्रियं भवति । आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यो
मैत्रेयि, आत्मनो वा अरे दर्शनेन श्रवणेन मत्या विज्ञानेनेदं सर्वं विदितम् ॥
५ ॥