- Author : Vidwan Undaru Srinivasa Acharya
- Translation: Hariprasad Nellitheertha
Every individual in this world is a part of a myriad network of relationships. Mother-son, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, uncle-nephew – the list goes on. Each relationship has certain uniqueness. In bhArata, our elders have taught us the skill of engaging in relationships with people of opposite or conflicting nature, without getting affected or attached to them. We are, however, losing that art now. This is becoming especially true in the case of the relationship between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. What the mother-in-law prefers, the daughter-in-law surely dislikes. It has become common for the girls to ask “Have the (would-be) in-laws climbed the walls (as photographs post death) or have they climbed the bed (due to ill-health)?” Such a state brings no honor to our culture. We should all make efforts to set this situation right. In this article, however, our focus is not on such in-laws and their relationships. Let us look at the conflict between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law as narrated by Sri Vadirajaru. In the stated case, the mother-in-law’s stance prevails!
According to the advaitis, brahma is engulfed by ajnAna. However, brahma faces no virOdha, or obstacle, due to this. rAjaru condemns this by asking how brahma, who is all-knowing, can be afflicted with ignorance. In the shuddhi sourabha of his magnum opus yukti mallikA (shlOka 81), he states thus
श्वश्रूः क्षणे क्षणे कन्यां हन्यादेवेति मे मतिः
Brahmanas cannot marry shUdras. The shAstras have denied permission for this. A Brahmana is keen on getting married. However, all the prospective brides have acquired master degrees and have their eyes set on foreign shores. Let it be so.
Sri surottama Teertharu says
पामर ब्राह्मणविषयं कृत्वा वैदिके ब्राह्मणे
Bring home a bride from a poor family. Get the Brahmana married and honor the shAstras. Alright, what next? This is where the real essence of the situation lies.
Brahma, by his very nature, is the opposite of avidyA. And what have you advaitis done? You have created a relationship between avidyA and brahma. In other words, you have married off avidyA and brahma. You should not have done this. Yet, you have done so. Do you, however, know who actually introduces or reveals the groom brahma? shAstra says
मायां व्युदस्य चिच्छक्त्या कैवल्ये स्तिथ आत्मनि
srimadbhAgavata says it is the mother of the groom that reveals her son. The bhagAvata says “when the mAya or avidyA is removed, the brahma who is chit swarUpa is revealed”. It says brahma does not have even an iota of engagement with avidyA. This is thus the opinion of the vara-prasavitrI – the one who has given birth to the groom! What does this particular lady do? She kills the bride. The mother of the groom, in this case, is the mother-in-law of avidyA. This mother-in-law prevents the union of avidyA with brahma at every moment. The mother of brahma surely knows his nature very well. One who has given birth to the groom always knows him extremely well. Such a mother is declaring that her son is guNapUrna, and that he shall be revealed when avidyA is removed. Advaitis of course have attempted to get a bride called avidyA married to a groom called brahma. However, his mother which is nothing but the words of the srimadbhAgavata is repeatedly declaring “avidyA cannot stay with brahma. avidyA is not an appropriate match for brahma”. By stating so repeatedly, she is not allowing the bride, avidyA, to unite with brahma. The swarUpa jnAna, or inherent knowledge, of brahma is by nature opposite to avidyA. Therefore, what the mAyAvAdis state is false. The mother-in-law bhAgavata has thrown avidyA, the daughter-in-law, out of the house. You conducted a marriage by force. But the mother-in-law is definitely causing pain to the bride – मायां वृदस्य. She is ensuring that ajnAna never gets even close to brahma.
In this way, sri vAdirAjaru negates the position of the advaitis by using the analogy of a fight between the mother and daughter-in-law. In our homes too, there are bound to be a number of conflicts between in-laws. Whenever such a situation recurs, let us remember this great analogy of rAjaru. He will ensure that the fight doesn’t aggravate.
Let us offer our salutations – again and again – to sri vAdirAjaru – the King of logic!
