SVS15

10. OM POOTHATHMANE NAMA:
Unlike jeevatma which is karma bound, full of purity.

Today's [3rd March 2008] lecture is from Thillaisthanam, near Thiruvaiyaru. This is the first name of the eight names in the second sloka. This is different from earlier name Bhoothatma. We may have a doubt that in Bhootatma, we said that the Lord resides in every atma. Atma resides in a body because of past karma - good deeds and bad deeds. Does this mean Paramatma also is bound by karma to reside in another atma, which is already in a body? By being in a body, atma gets impurity. Does the Lord also get impurity, by residing in a body? Poothatma addresses these doubts. Pootham means 100% purity. At no time and at no place, the Lord is bound by Karma. Unlike us, who are born as a result of our past Karma, He has no association of any Karma. We get our bodies as a result of our past karma. He is residing in us as Antharatma, only to guide us in the right pah of Dharma. Just like the relationship of our atma and body, so is the relationship of God and our atma. Upanishads say that there is a tree on which two birds are sitting One bird eats the fruits of the tree while the other is simply watching. That is, the bird which is eating is our atma and the tree is our body. The other bird which is only watching is the Lord. How is it possible that when both- jeevatma and Paramatma - are residing in the same body, only jeevatma is affected by the actions and not the Paramatma? We eat greasy dishes like sarkarai pongal or halwai. After eating, we wash the hand with soap to remove the grease. But we never apply soap to the tongue, which is also a part of the same body and which was part of the eating process. Similarly, karma affects the jeevatma but not Paramatma, though both reside in the same body. He remains always pure and with no blemish whatsoever.