Q 2.1. What is the first step toward self-realisation?

Knowing that you are not what you seem to be. 'Thannai arindhu inburave Vennilave, oru thanthiram nee sollavendum Vennilave'. The saint Vallalar, requests the Moon to guide him to his self.

What is the means to realize the self? If you split the word 'thanthiram' in Tamil, it becomes 'than'(self), 'thiram' (ability). Our ability, our efforts to realize our ability, this is thanthiram.How many persons really persevere to know the self? Most of them delude themselves assuming the world to be real and so become conceited with their worldly successes. But none of these is real.

The respect given by a police constable to a police officer, is accorded to that position and not to the concerned person. A retired police officer does not get that respect, does he?

The respect and authority accorded to materialistic stations are false. They hold good only as long as you occupy a position of power. 'Kudai nizhalil irundhu kunjaram oorndhor nadaimelindhenum nanninum nannuvar'.Destiny makes the rich, poor and the poor, rich; the wheel of fate is forever spinning, not sparing anyone. 'Mudi saarntha mannarum mudivil oru pidi saambal aavar.' Death reduces even the emperors to ashes.

'Padhavi poorva punyaanam'. The consequences of good deeds accumulated over several births, determine your present status. You may bask in its glory; but when the account is settled, that is the end of your prosperous time. Even the position of Indra (the deity of thunder) undergoes changes. When you practise austerities and perform the ordained yagams (fire offerings), you acquire the post of Indra. Once the tenure is over, you have to take birth again. And it is possible that you may not get a position again.

And, only the person who occupies the post of Indra changes. Just as a district collector is given a car, bungalow, the posting of Indra brings along with it Indra loka (abode of Indra) and also Indrani (the female aspect of Indra). There is a mythological episode: a person who had acquired the post of Indra was hurrying towards the palace, desiring the company of Indrani, when the Saptha Rishis (the seven Rishis of the celestial world) crossed his way. Unable to contain himself, the 'Indra' uttered, 'Sarpa!'. Sarpa means 'move fast' as well as 'serpent'. One of the Rishis was infuriated at this, and cursed the 'Indra' to turn into a serpent. So that person took on the serpent form, even without enjoying the benefits of the seat due to 'Indra'. Posts are transient. Azhwar sings, 'Indiralokam aalum acchuvai perinum venden, Arangamaanagarulane!' 'Even the position of Indra is transient and so O Lord! I want You only'. This is the sublimity bestowed by devotion.

A king, once passing through a forest, came across a sage and requested the holy person to accompany him to his kingdom. It was not affection for the sage that prompted this action on the part of the king. His motive was to expand his kingdom and acquire more wealth, with the help of the sage. The holy man, divining this intention, resolved to bring the king back to his senses. He bedecked himself in silk garments, sprayed perfumes and ordered for rich food. The king, feeling that he had misconstrued a jolly person for a sage, decided to send him back to the forest. Just as the sage was about to depart again for the forest, the king said, 'I thought you were a saintly person. Why did you indulge in such merriment?' To which the sage replied, 'I wanted to demonstrate to you that I could lead both the life of a recluse as well as a luxurious life and yet be unaffected; whereas you have not yet mellowed.'

There is another anecdote. Mahalakshmi, the deity of wealth, appeared before a hermit and told him, 'You are destined to enjoy luxuries for the next 22 days'. The saint protested, on the grounds that he had no use for luxuries. Mahalakshmi insisted that the account (of his punyam) had to be settled and so the saint had no option left, but to accept what life had to offer. A king passing through the forest with his retinue, escorted the hermit in his palanquin to his palace. The hermit was annoyed that the words of the Goddess had to come true so soon.

Arriving at the king's court, the hermit resolved to somehow falsify the deity's boon. He struck at the king's crown. The assembled crowd panicked, wondering how the king would react. Since destiny decreed the saint to live luxuriously for 22 days, Mahalakshmi inserted a serpent in the king's crown. And so, the gathering praised the hermit for his foresight. Impressed, the king assigned the hermit a palace nearby his private chambers. The hermit was exasperated with the turn of events.

Late into the night, the hermit knocked at the private chambers of the king. When the king stepped outside, the hermit struck him down and dragged the queen out of the chamber. The hermit 's objective was to prove his supremacy over the Goddess; he was not concerned about anything else. Mahalakshmi had to once again intervene to uphold destiny, and so caused the chamber to crash down. Everyone praised the hermit for averting the fatal accident by pulling out the royal couple.

Twenty-one days passed by thus. On the twenty-second day, Mahalakshmi materialized and told the hermit, 'Your destiny changes today. Watch out'. Having so long assumed that the powers of his penance were the reason for his luxurious life, the hermit plucked a mango from the king's garden and offered it to the king as prasadam. Soon after, the king fell sick. The court physician examined the king and declared that someone had given the king a poisoned mango. The king immediately suspected the hermit of treason, and decided to send him away without punishment because the hermit had earlier saved his life twice. And that was the end of the hermit's stint at the palace.

Fate decides what has to be given to whom. If you are destined to be rich, then, even if you are stranded on the pavement, fortune will show your way. Else, how much ever you try, fortune will skip you.

'Arathaaru idhuvena venda sivigai porutthanodu oorndhaan idai'. You may have performed charity in some earlier birth of yours, and so you are wealthy in this birth. A person who travels in a palanquin is enjoying the consequences of his good deeds of the past. This is a message to the persons who are bearing him on their shoulders that they need to refine themselves.

Failing to understand that what one enjoys is the result of one's good deeds, persons assume that they are singled out for happy lives. As long as it is smooth sailing, they glorify God to the skies; when they encounter a trivial problem, they immediately denounce God.

What you sow, you reap. That is why our wise elders declared, 'Padhavi poorva punyanam, likhyathe janma patrika'. The horoscope reveals how much of good you have accumulated from your previous births. When you reflect on all these issues, you will understand that the world is nothing but an illusion. And then you will start on your quest for the Truth.

'Aridhaagiya Meiporulukku Upadesam Aruliyava'. God's Grace helps you comprehend the Infinite Truth. You realize that everything in this world is false. Thiruvalluvar clarifies, 'Aiyyunarvu eidhiya kannum payaninre Meyyunarvu eidhaadhavarkku'. Your worldly knowledge comes to naught if you have not comprehended the true nature of the self. What is this 'meyyunarvu'? Knowing that life is similar to an inflated balloon, comprising the five elements: Air, Space, Fire, Water and Earth. Once you know that you are just a puppet in the hands of the Supreme, you will not allow yourself to be deceived by the illusion called 'world'.

There is another story. A ship tossed about in a tempest, crashed on an island. The sole survivor of the ship woke up to the sound of drums. He was startled by the inhabitants of the island showering him with garlands. They clarified that whoever was washed ashore was declared the king of the island for one year, and at the end of one year period, was left to his fate in the nearby forest, inhabited by lions and tigers. He sought the advice of an elder in the tribal group, and the latter advised him to make use of his one year tenure as king, to build a palace in the forest with all provisions to last a lifetime, so that when he was abandoned, there would be no reason to worry.

This parable implies that we are all washed ashore onto the banks of this world. For another 30 to 40 years, we may enjoy all the luxuries 'life' has to offer. On completing the life term, we will be escorted to the forest ('sudukadu', meaning cremation ground). A wise person will, during his time on earth, gather everything that is required for the life after, i.e. the 'forest' life. Accumulate wealth for after-life.

Appar Swami says, 'Just as you pack tamarind rice, curd rice for your pilgrimages, the penance and grace you accumulate during this life-time will help you in your journey towards God'.