Step 1: Vivekam

Swami Desikan describes the first stepping-stone on the way up to
'parama-padam' as being the most difficult to ascend. Everyone in the
world has a problem with it. Even 'kavi-s' and 'tArkika-s' find it
daunting; ordinary people find it next to impossible.

"vivEkam" or spiritual wisdom i.e. the power of discrimination, the
first among 9 steps, is said to be the steepest and most difficult to
climb. It is difficult because it represents Man's single most
grievous and biggest failing in life. It is a failing that makes him,
for the most part in his lifetime, unable to differentiate between:

a) what is truth ("satyam") and what is false ("anartham")
b) what is good ("sat") and what is evil ("a-sat")
c) what promotes spiritual progress and what retards it
d) what is the real purpose ('summum-bonum') of human existence on
earth and what merely appears so.

Rare is the person born with innate power of discrimination
--'vivEkam'. A Prahlada or Dhruva are rarities of creation. For the
general mass of men true discrimination is never achieved in life.
Even those who attain it to some extent are, however, unable to
retain it constantly unto the end of their lives. It is this lack of
"vivEkam" that is the source of endless "vikAram" (tragedies and
infirmities) in Man's life.

True 'vivEkam' dawns on a man the day he begins to sincerely ask
himself questions like "Who am I?", "Where do I come from?" and
"Where am I going?". And, more importantly, he begins to ask "Who or
what is it within me that is constantly nagging me with these
questions?".

True "vivEkam" makes a man also realize that if Joy or 'ananda' is
the true purpose of human existence, then that purpose is never going
to be served by the evanescence of worldly means. There is a greater
'ananda' to be attained beyond this world. Such a Joy transcends all
those of this world (survival, perpetuation, social proliferation,
self-fulfillment or gratification). It transcends Time and Space. And
such transcendent Bliss ('parama-anandam') is real and worthy of
pursuing.

Very few men in the world want to carry the conviction of such
"vivEkam". Much of humanity is instead perfectly happy chasing the
little pleasures of this world. They have no patience for the "Bliss
that is Beyond". (In the famous words of H.G.Wells, "none of us start
life as philosophers. We become philosophers sooner or later or else
we die before we become philosophical. The realization of life's
limitation and frustration is the beginning of the wisdom of
philosophy... and of this, that "healthy mind" (of the common man)--
which otherwise takes life as it finds it and troubles no more about
it, by its innate gift for incoherence and piecemeal evasion and
incredulity -- never knows."

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The story of the great "vivEki", the child Dhruva, is told in the
Srimadh BhAgavatham. Dhruva one day saw his step-brother, little
Uttama seated on the lap of their father King UttAnapAda. The King
and his favorite Queen, Surichi, were both fondling the child.
Dhruva, being a little child himself, also wanted to be seated on his
father, UttAnapAda's lap and so went up to the King and asked for the
same affection shown to his step-brother, Uttama. But Queen Surichi,
Dhruva's stepmother would have nothing of it. She shoved Dhruva aside
saying, "You shall have a place on neither your father's lap now nor
on his throne later! Now get out!"

Dhruva was thus denied the simple delight every little child in this
world longs to experience. He ran away weeping to his mother, Queen
Suniti.

Dhruva's mother, Suniti, was a great 'vivEki' herself. She took
Dhruva in her arms and consoled him saying, "Do not worry, my child!
Go into the forest and begin worshipping Sriman NarAyana. He will
take you upon His lap... It is the seat that will give you happiness
a thousand times greater than your father's! Go my child, go seek the
Love of God!".

The child Dhruva took his mother's good advice and went away to the
forest to perform 'tapas' ... to seek the Joy of the other world that
was infinitely more rewarding than any in this world.

Dhruva was a true "vivEki"...

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With the dawn of "vIvEkam" comes the first few streaks of bright
morning light i.e. the first few rays of spiritual knowledge. Man
then slowly awakens to a dim but real awareness of the following:

(a) Who am I? I am not this Body. I am Soul. ('atma-svarUpa-gnyAna')

(b) This body is impermanent but this soul is eternal.
(c) This soul is not mine ("na-mama");
(d) This soul is the lost property of another Great One Who is
"Beyond the Yonder even" ('athyatIshTa-dashAngulam...');
("Isvara-tattva- gnyAnam")
(e) The purpose of existence on earth is to seek and realize such a
Great One and restore this soul to Him, the rightful owner
('Atma-nivEdanam'/'Atma-samarpaNam').
(f) Eternal and undiminished Bliss lies in the union with the Great
One ('parama-purushArtham').

In the 'parama-pada-sOpAnam' when Swami Desikan explains all the
above concepts it seems all so facile and self-evident. However, if
we deeply reflect on the subject we will be unable to deny to
ourselves that our day-to-day lives are, indeed, in many ways
hopelessly far removed from Desikan's concept of "vivEkam". On the
other hand, our lives would be perfect examples of the very
antithesis of the 'vEdAntAchAryA's' definition of 'vivEkam'.

If we all, however, did become 'vivEki-s' as described in the
'parama-pada-sOpAnam", if we were to all become Dhruva-s in our own
right, then the first "small step" taken by us would qualify to be a
"giant leap for mankind".