Deivathin Kural Series - 37

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 37 of 01 Aug 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'. When he adds any personal observations he uses the phrase, 'KTSV adds'.

2. To-day's e-mail is the translation of what is given in pages, 186 to 200, in volume I, under the heading, 'Poruppali Yar? Parigaram Enna?', meaning, 'Who is the Culprit & What is the Remedy?'. (As you know, Man herein includesWoman and vice versa except when specially mentioned.) This chapter being too long, it is being sent in two parts. Up to para 11, to-day and from para11 till the end on 02 Aug.
3. I raised a question as to who is responsible or irresponsible enough to be the reason for, the present state of affairs wherein, the moment you take the name of Caste. everybody looks at you, as though, you have committed a monumental blunder and put your foot in your mouth!? Who has to take the blame for break-down of an arrangement that was, immensely beneficial, to all? I will give you the answer for it. It is the Brahmin! Brahmin is responsible for the wrong impressions about Varna Dharma. It is the Brahmin, who is squrely to be blamed, for usurping and there by destroying the Varna Dharma, that was ennobling and benefiting the individual, the nation and the world.
4. The Brahmin defaulted his duty of learning the Vedas, and failed to carry out his daily and periodic devotional rituals. Then he left his abode. He abandoned his Village and came to the city. He gave up his outer symbolic attire too. He cropped his hair, wore the suit. Instead of Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and Scriptures; he took to the westerner's worldly education. He literally fell for the babudom of clarical jobs. He copied the white man in style, dress and attitudes. He forfeited his hoary, heriditory tradition into thin air, and fell for the lucre, gave in to bodily sensory gratification, went in for western education in England, adopted the white man's way of life of revelry and indulgence; like the fish, which swallowed the bait, line and sinker.
5. As per the Sastras, he was not to have greed for money; and was not to accumulate wealth. Till he lived the life as required by the Sastras and was generating an atmosphere of devine vibrations, through chanting of Veda Mantras, doing Yaga oblations; all the people of other castes, treated him with love and respect. They looked upto him as a friend, guide and philosopher. Now having left his profession, village and characteristic life style; when he behaved as though he has suddenly attained to some eminence; people of other castes took note. Since they always took him as ideal to emulate for all good reasons; now followed suit, in his aberrant behaviour too. They also abandoned the village life and their professions and opted for, town life, western education and government jobs.
6. Since for generations, the Brahmin community has been involved in work requiring brain power, and all his energy had been utilised for the welfare of the society, instead of solely himself; by this attitude itself; his thinking faculty was like a bright and sharp knife edge. But now with selfish motivation he should have lost his natural sharpness. His natural sharpness of intelligence was a god's gift to enable him to do his duty. Now when he left his duties, his intelligence had to drop. Still like a bi-cycle which keeps moving, even after the pedalling had stopped; even after the brahmin had stopped performing his duties; some pedal-power of his fore fathers had applied for generations, remained in reserve. He still had brain enough to excel in whtever he did. He did exceptionally well in whatever the white man could teach. He learnt his job, and the intricacies of application of law and logic, so well that, he could teach the english man, the subtle tricks of the trade.
7. Why was religious activities ignored now, so much more, than during the period of muslim rule before it, is the question. One reason is that, modern science and machine-age came to India, with the British reign. Many things came to be known now, than in the past. Yes there was a knowledge explosion. That is good. But, with more knowledge also comes more aspirations and desires. Science led to applied science. There were more machines and more conveniences and luxury goods. Electricity, steam power and petroleum, came one by one. These conveniences and facilities, were all meant for sensory satisfaction. You show some delights to the senses, they want more and more, very similar to feeding the fire. Unnecessary things became essential and unavoidable. Man was trapped in a vicious cycle as never before, Brahmin included. With the English man and modern education, also came another evil. The so called modern education brought with it so much emphasis on reasoning, logic and objective-knowledge; that religion based on faith and subjective-experience; came to be declared as blind beliefs and looked down upon. The Brahmin was foremost in this too. He who had not forsaken his personal Dharma, even during the Muslim rule, now turned in the opposite direction. He started doing one better than the westerner in dress, drinking, dancing, smoking and even in eating non-vegetarian food. They also made use of him in all types of professions.
8. This worsened the situation. Till now everybody had a profession, uncaring or worrying about, what one should do for a livelyhood. Now looking at the Brahmin, forsaking his traditional profession, everyone felt free to leave their own and landed in jobs in banks, railways, and bureaucracy. With the increased influx of more and more machines for all sorts of jobs, many crafsmen found their livelyhood being threatened. They also had to look for employment. Instead of assured traditional employment, people had to fend for a job first, and compete for that; unheared of ever in the past. Once there is a competition, it brings in its wake all the other ills of jealousy, heart-burn, hatered, intolerance and conflict. In addition, as I said before, the Brahmin with superior brain-power, being 'heir to the pedal-power momentum', of his forefathers, had an edge. So, despite being a smaller part of the population, he could grab 'a lion's share of', the jobs as Doctors, Engineers, Lawers, Lecturers, and Indian Civil Service, right down to district and taluk level and thereby, also earn the jealousy of other castes. The Britishers were happy with the situation. On the one hand, they had the necessary qualified inputs for selection. Most importantly, they further benefitted, by finding the ideal atmosphere for their divide-and-rule policy. The Aryan-Dravidian Race theory was expounded, during this time. This was a deliberately misleading fabrication, or in one word, 'a canard'. People who were like the children of one womb, became alienated among themselves. The Britisher 'better-bettered' his own expectation in sowing the seeds of sorrow for India.
9. To add fuel to the fire, the Brahmin did one more thing. Not only did he let go his Jaathi Dharma, but started proselytising, that the Varna Dharma was inhuman exploitation, uncivil and so on. Even that was tolerable. Everyman is entitled to his opinions. But having expounded on the equality of all humans, he started behaving in a holier-than-thou attitude, towards others. Even earlier, there was no physical interaction with other castes. But he was justified in doing so, then. There had to be different work environment, for reasons of the work / job, food etc. We cannot have the same environment for all sorts of activities. If the place where the negative is developed has to be dark, the film should be taken in bright light, isn't it. The person serving food should be spotlessly clean, while the mechanic may wear soiled overalls. But it does not mean that the food-server is in anyway superior to the mechanic. Because the Brahmin was required to avoid non-vegetarian food, we can not and should not deny it to the soldier. It does not mean any superiority or inferiority. But if they sit down together and eat food, their could be avoidable temptations. Once you cross the threshold, one could be driven to extremes. So each caste had their ways clearly defined. But on the name of equality, when we start mixing physically, it leads to a state of, 'confusion confounded'.
10. That is why there was an Agraharam or two in each village, where the Brahmins were located; a Velalar theru, for the workers, and so on, for purposes of physical seperation. All this finished with the village. But in the towns, travelling in crowded bus or train; working in the same factory, or in the same shift, eating in the same canteen; etc., became common. Brahmin gave up observing his rituals and became another common man. Earlier he was like a trustee, doing his rituals for everyone's sake. But no more. Not only had he become a competing participant and earned their disrespect and hate; he still continued to carry a sense of superiority inwardly. Having forsaken his own Dharma, he was instrumental in making others do so. Even when he was practising his required Dharma, he had no justice to claim superiority. He was to have the humbleness to feel that others are also doing their job, which are as important as his own. But by doing his duty,he could automatically evoke their respect and they held him in high esteem. Now Brahmin became the butt of every joke and redicule. From a position of high esteem, he quickly came down.
11. I am very convinced in my opinion that, Brahmin is the main reason for the collapse of the system. Some people give some explanations. (to be continued)
Sambhomahadeva.