|| तत्वबोध -- 40||

Athma lakshaNam..in |TB-40|

And so the uththama aDhikAri (which every one reading this TB explanation is) is told in very precise words the lakshaNam of AthmA by the guru..

सत् चित् आनन्द स्वरूप:
sath chith Anandha svarUpa: |TB-40|

Here a small diversion into how our ancestors have taken the pains to distinguish TWO types of adjectives..



The word "adjective" means one that distinguishes.. then the Q is distinguishes what from what?

When we say he is a smart boy or a handsome fellow.. we are really describing a human being as compared to another human being..

When a washerman compliments hRthik roShan as a handsome fellow he is definitely NOT comparing him with his donkey.. (UNLESS he is madly fond of his donkey.!)

Similarly when we say a horse is looking regal, we do not compare it whith a hyena..or even a donkey..

Our SAsthrakAras have defined this type of adjective description as "viSEshaNAni" Now I will write the SDS definition of a viSEshaNa adjective..

sva jAthIyEBya: anyEBya: vishyEBya: vyAvarThakAni viSEshaNAni.. now this is how SDS explains it..

"vyAvarThakAni" means that (attribute) which distinguishes.. BUT the Q is what from what..?

"sva jAthIyEBya:" means belonging to the same order of spieces.. be it inanimate or animate.. thus a chair is compared only with a chair.. or the wood it is made of can be compared to the wood of the support beam. but the chair itself can not be compared to the support beam..

"anyEBya: vishyEBya:" means other objects or life forms belonging to the same type. So rearranged.. the viSEshaNa type of objective is use for comparing objects or life forms belonging to the same class.. and thus distinguishing one from the other.

WE DO IT 24 7 WHEN WE SAY THAT THE COFFEE FROM MAVALLI TIFFIN ROOM IS BETTER THAN THE COFFEE FROM CHENNAI SARAVANA BAVAN.. or when we say Elizabeth Taylor's eyes are the most beautiful, etc.. We do not even think that we are using viSEshaNa adjectives.

But this is all we MOSTLY know.. is there any other type? Of course!

Having described adjectives, I will now move on to a very unique adjective that is used in scriptures.. this is known as lakshaNam..

sarvEBya: anyEBya: vishyEBya: vyAvarThakAni lakshaNAni.. 

now this is how SDS explains it.. as based on scriptures and Sankara BAshyam..

The most of the common place adjectives compare the objects belonging to the same species.. or you can compare a person to a lion if he is stong powerful and courageous.. these type of adjectives are called "gauNa" words.. 

then we move on to the next type of adjectives called the "lakshaNam"..

Again the definition of lakshaNa adjective is:

(lakshaNAni..) These are the group of words (vyAvarThakAni) that describe and distinguish an object from (sarvEBya:) ALLanyEBya: OTHER.. vishyEBya: OBJECTS BELONGING TO ANY CLASS.!! 

So the lakshaNa words no longer worry if I am compared to a donkey or a monkey is compared to a tree, etc, etc..

It simply defines an object in a way that there can be no further doubts in our minds..

SDS's classic example of such lakshAna padham is the definition of space.. There is not a second space to compare it with.. There is nothing else like space.. and within space there are NO differences (though room space, pot space etc can be seen, it is the same space which is within and without..!)

So how will we be able to define space? is it blue? wrong.. is it polluted? wrong? is it big? wrong? is it small? wrong.. is it cold? wrong? is it hot? wrong..!

You see all the known words we know can not "define" space.. this is the key difference between "adjectives" or viSEshaNam words and "definition" or lakshaNam words.

The spece is defined in samskRtham as "avakASa pradhAthR".. the straight forward meaning is "space is defined as the one which accommodates"

Now let us try to shake this definition.. 

WE CAN NOT.. WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO.. So the indescribable AthmA is defined.. and NEVER described by SRthi. MEGA MEGA POINT..!

Almost many words will have even opposite as well as multiple meanings.. examples: 

I say "bring me water".. straight forward.. this is known as prime meaning of muKya vRththi.

Then I say "I went to school with veng. He was a lion".. you neither have a mane, nor walk on fource, nor pounced on animals.. you were an idli sambar guy.. here I am perhaps referring to the fearless guNam of the lion exhibited by you in facing touch situations.. This is known as gauNa vRththi

Now to more complicated vRththis known as 5 types of lakaNa vRththi, namely jagath lakshaNam, ajagath lakshaNam, and jagath ajagath lakshaNam

We are leaving the house with your assistant.. You say "door".. the assistance understands you and he knows that you want him to lock the door. Then both of you return.. and you again say ["door" and your assisant knows to open the door.. here door meant both open and close.. This is known as jallakshaNam, in which the said word is replaced entirely with another.. BTW, Most comedians and philosophers use this effectively 

Now a classic pancaparakriyA example. we are all standing at the race course.. your friend says "look.. white runs.." you understand EVEN WITHOUT LOOKING UP that the white horse running.. he said white and you understood as white horse.. here he said "white" and you bring in your budhdhi anohter word "horse" to understand the statement correctly. this is known as ajahallakshaNam.. (also used by comedians..!!)

eg. jagath ajagath lakshaNam is used for understanding brmhan (referred to as AthmA, caithanyam, vasthu, ISvara;, saguNa brmhan, nirguNa brmhan, saguNa caithanyam, nirguNa caithanyam, etc..) In fact Sankara does not even distinguish why and how he freely uses these words in brmha sUthra BAShyam. he expects us to understand. but ALAS..!! WE need a sampradhAyavidh guru for that.!

Anyway, simply put, it means the root meaning is kept and the limitations are negated by a qualifying word.. This is a very elaborate topic in itself.!

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