Those familiar with Kerala affairs know how the present Communist government has mocked our way of life for the past ten years, reaching its peak with the Sabarimala temple desecration in 2019. But over the last few weeks, something unusual has been happening. Suddenly, many of them, including the Kerala Chief Minister, have started quoting from Hindu scriptures.
A few weeks ago, the CM struggled to recite a verse from the Gita and ended up misquoting a popular Ayyappa chant, embarrassing himself. And now, the Kerala Devaswom Minister, Mr. Vasavan, has landed in a similar spot after attempting to explain the meaning of “Tathwamasi.” Let me remind you that Devaswom is the board that manages temples across Kerala. So what did he say? According to him, Tathwamasi means “I am You.”
His audience, mostly Communist cadres, probably didn’t know any better, so he might have gotten away with it. I’m sure they were quite impressed by the “deep knowledge” their leader displayed.
For the record, Tathwamasi is a central concept in Advaita philosophy. It means “You are that,” not “I am you.” Only he knows what “I am you” is supposed to mean.
For the record, Tathwamasi is a central concept in Advaita philosophy. It means “You are that,” not “I am you.” Only Mr. Vasavan knows what “I am you” is supposed to mean.
Tat means “That,” referring to the supreme reality or the ultimate essence.
Tvam means “You,” representing the individual soul.
Asi means “are,” suggesting unity or oneness.
So when we say Tat Tvam Asi, we’re expressing the profound truth that there’s a deep connection between each person and the entire universe, like realizing that the light within a tiny lamp is part of the same infinite source of light that shines everywhere.
Now, it’s not easy to grasp this concept theoretically, and to realize it experientially, people on the spiritual path often spend entire lifetimes. The Chandogya Upanishad beautifully illustrates this concept through an interesting story of the great sage Uddalaka and his son, Svetaketu. Tathwamasi is indeed a very deep concept.
While I’m perfectly happy if the Communists are genuinely becoming spiritual and trying to understand the meaning behind existence itself, the fact remains that they are doing all this with an eye on the Kerala elections scheduled for next year. In any case, Minister Vasavan, like his leader Pinarayi Vijayan, has embarrassed himself and become a laughing stock in front of the entire state.
