Deivathin Kural Series - 24

Om Namah Sivaya.
11 July 2006.


1.These e-mails are translations of talks given by the erstwhile Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over more than sixty years, published by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, India, in ten volumes, in the Tamil language. The english version is likely to be available very soon. These e-mails are simply an effort on the part of the sender, to share some of his bliss, as it is said, 'Yam perra peru peruga ivvaiyagam'.

2. To-day's e-mail is the translation of what is given in pages, 94 to 98 in volume I, under the heading, 'Papa Punniyangal'. (KTSV adds. Refer para 9 of the previous e-mail. There could be many more role models to emulate, whose names could have been taken. Kabir Das, Sai Baba, Rama Das, to mention some. If we read, Baktha Vijayam, we will come across many more names.
For every great saint, there must have been many thousands, about whom we never come to know. If we take a map of India, spread it over a soft board and put a pin for each saint, the whole of India will be full of holes.)
3. None of us wants to be a sinner; but we do more sinful activities. We only want the effects of Punyam or noble deeds. But when the opportunity presents itself, we end up doing one more action, which we may not approve of later. Arjuna asked Sri Krishna, "No body wants to do Papam, But something forces everyone to do sinful activities. What is that?" Sri Krishna answered him that, it is Desire.
Out of desire, we try to get something. So as to somehow or other, get it, we ignore Dharma-Adharma stipulations. Having obtained what we were hankering after, are we happy? No. When we pour ghee in fire, does it quench the fire? It grows bigger. The moment one desire is fulfilled, another one has already taken priority. Does it mean that it is better if the desires are never satisfied? No. Unsatisfied desires, create anger, hate and disgruntlement. Like a rubber ball, unsatisfied desire bounces back, as anger, and forces us into more Papam. In Bagawath Geeta, Sri Krishna saya, that this Krodha, though an off-spring of desire, is the second reason that forces us to commit sins.
4. So, the only way to avoid sins, is to destroy desires. How to do this? We can not be without actions. Even when the bodily actions are at a stand-still, the mind is at work. To keep on thinking of something or the other, is the job of the mind. All our actions by the body and mind, are centered around our desires and expectations. So continuously, inexhorably, we are impelled towards committing more and more sins. To become actionless is also not an option, because of our nature. Thayumanva Swamigal says, "Sindayai adakki summa irukkira thiram aridhu." The art of controlling ones mind and to be quiet, is difficult, he says. We stop the bodily actions. But the mind goes on and forces us into action.
5. We are not able to stop our desires. Neither can we stop the actions. So, is there no solution to this problem? Solution is there. That is, in the state that we are in, action-less-ness is not required.
Instead of working only for material profit, we should get involved in actions without that profit motive. Actions which are useful to society, to others and which give some inner satisfaction. When you create some involvement like this, gradually there is less and less desire; and we will notice that, Papam decreases; and Punniyam increases. That is, all that we have to do is to, inculcate the habit of doing things without desires. Desireless action is Punniyam.
6. Now we are doing four types of Papam, by body; mouth, mind and money. By body parts many sinful activities are done; including seeing, hearing, not-giving, beating, killing etc.; by mouth we speak untruth and gossip; by mind we think of many sinful things, much more than we can do; and then there is no end to what wrong things that can be done by money. By these very means of sinning, we should learn and practice, doing Punniyam.
7. The body should be involved in, Pradakshina, Namaskaram, Kar-seva, social service and such. By chanting God's name, the mouth should be enabled to earn Punniyam. ' What to do Sir! Day and night I am involved in making the ends meet. Where is the time for chanting, Pooja, Sandyavandanam and so on?', may be the response of many. If we carefully analyse the way we spend time, we will find that, all our time is not spent in making our earning. We waste a lot of our time in, meaningless chatter, gossip, mirth, making fun of others, reading and discussing News, mainly on politics, cinema, drama and TV serials. How much time we waste on all this? We can find and spare some time for chanting and thinking of God. OK. don't do this seperately. At the least, one can keep chanting in one's mind while travelling to office and back, by bus or car or train! After all not a single paisa or penny is going to be of use, in one's later life! Then, or there, God's name is the only currency!
8. The human body is a temple. The mind is God's place. We have made it into a waste-paper-basket.; or dust-bin; or soakage-pit. Let us clean it. Decorate it. Place a Throne there. Seat your God there. You also sit down calmly. Spend at least five minutes a day like this. Even if the whole world is to be washed away in floods, do this. Because, this will extend a helping hand to us, even when the whole world is sub-merged. Spend the money for God by helping the poor in need. We have to do Dharma by every possible means and there by earn Punniyam.
9. Papam has two powers. It urges us to do sin to-day. It makes us do the same thing again tomorrow. You use snuff or cigarette to-day. You will be attracted again tomorrow. This is how we get habituated. Even when we become aware of the ill-effects of such habits, we will be helpless. It is all vasana. The smell. By good habits, let us overcome the bad habits or vasanas. You don't have to be afraid. There is a proverb, which says, 'Every saint has a past; and every sinner has a future'. People like us only-- or even worse sinners than us, have become great Saints. What is His greatness, if He, the God does not take care of us? Only because we are sinners, He has the name of, 'patita pavanan', or 'up-lifter of the down-fallen'. We are the contributers of that name to Him. In the 18th chapter of Bagawat Gita, He says, 'Sarva Dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja; Mokshayishyami sarva papebyo. Ma Suchaha.' Meaning, 'leaving everything aside, even Dharma, surrender unto Me. I shall save You from all sins. Don't worry'. Actually when we surrender to Him, we will automatically refrain from sinning. Then we don't have to worry anymore.
10. So, let us be courageous. As many twists we have made, we have to twist in the opposite direction, as many times, to untie the knot. To eradicate papa-vasana, we have to create punya-vasana.
Let us act deliberately. No need for hurry and anger, because, that will create a mess. With patience, with trust in God, if we follow Dharma, one day we can catch hold of Him. All the religeons of the world have come in to being, only to, train the Body mind and speech, to focus on God. All the great Saints have come into being, for the purpose of turning us away from sins and give us the direction towards God.
Sambhomahadeva.