Deivathin Kural Series - 44

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 44 of 14 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-days chapter is from his lecture, titled, 'En Karyam', ie., 'My work', in pages 233 to 248, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural. Unless specifically mentioned, he or man includes, she or woman.
3. I could have been anywhere, in any village, in any town; doing my prayers, chanting, or meditating or doing the rosary and things like that. I do not need the sort of funds, as you are giving me in this city. I am of the firm opinion, that this Matam, (ie.,the organisation of which, Periyaval was the Head), should have very little money-power and man-power. The power and strength of the Matam is the worth and charisma of the man who heads the Matam. Only that and nothing else. That is money and power and everything. So I have not come here, sacrificing my chance of being alone, for the money you peole are giving. You people have a lot of love and respect for me. You feel happy that I have come, accepting your invitation. Your desire that I should visit you and your happiness that I responded favourably, are all your job. But there is a reason why I have come to your town, and that is my job. So, what is my job?
4. My work or job or purpose of visiting you, is to request you, exhort you, plead before you, that Brahmins should not give-up, Vedas. I have come to say and assert and emphasise, that some how, some method should be evolved, to doubly ensure that; Vedas, which is the root-cause of all the ennobling principles of this culture, religion and civilization, should not disappear with this generation. To emphasise that such a danger does exist now, and we can ignore this only at our own peril. The 'origin'-less, vedas, should be retained in their original splendour eternally. This Leading Light, this Torch, should be held high by the Brahmin as the Torch-Bearer. This has to be done for the sake of all the people of this society and for the sake of posterity. Braminhood is not meant to hood-wink and dominate others, it is meant for the job of working as a torch-bearer, spreading the light of Vedas, leading all the people, 'from the unreal to the real; from darkness unto light; from mortality unto immortality'. So I have come to beg the brahmin community, not to put-off the light, and thereby not only blackout our lives, but immerse the whole future in darkness. That is why I have been coming to the cities.
5. Only in big towns, such big crowds in thousands flock to attend the function and listen to my lectures. Instead of my self sitting in some corner of the world, talking to some few persons, and they in turn conveying my message to others; in this sort of gatherings, I am able to tell thousands of people directly. For this advantage, I am accepting much short fall in the flaw-less conduct of Matam functions and rituals. Suffering some inconveniences myself, I am troubling all of you !
6. From your side, in each portion of the city, you erect big pandals and make elaborate arrangements, so as to make our stay comfortable. I also know that you take a lot of pains, to set aside your other committments, so as to be able to attend my lectures. Under such conditions, I do not want to hurt your feelings, by criticizing you,. But neither do I want to spare you from certain amount of pain as otherwise, I will be failing to carry out my duty. Having taken your money, if I do not tell you what I consider best for the well being of yourself and the society; then it would be a double failure on my part. That is why I am re-iterating, repeatedly, 'Please do your level best to protect the Vedas. Please observe and live by the Dharma code of conduct.' I do not know whether I have the power to force and make you do as I am requesting. Whether I touch your heart or not, at the least, I am able to reach your ears !
That I am doing.
7. You are making arrangements for conducting, Kanaka Abishekam and Peeta Arohana Utsavam, to me out of your immense love. You form committees, collect funds and work day and night, to make the function a success. ( Kanaka Abishekam is a ritual shower of gold coins on the Acharya {as part of or seperately}, while celebrating his ascension to the post of Jagat Guru ! So, we can guess, that this lecture must have been given in the early part of the last century.Say 1906 !) But the more important point of concern to me is as to how to ensure, that such function continue to be held for, the Acharyas who take over this job subsequently ! Why should there be a Matham if there is no Vedam? I beseech you, put in all this effort for a committee to discuss the various means of reviving the traditions of Veda Adyayanam and Veda Adyapanam, rather than for this Kanaka Abishekam and Peetarohanam.
8. I am ready to compromise to the extent that, even if we are not able to make the children of the next generation have Veda as their life time profession, does not matter. Starting at the age of eight,for the next ten years, daily for the period of one hour, let the children attend Veda classes in Adyayanam including Prayogam or Applied Veda. Let these classes be conducted in a co-operative basis, in each pettai or colony. Work out the modalities, for organising, staffing, funding, publicising, accounting and supervising, such an arrangement. That will be my true and genuine Kanaka Abishekam !
9. Nothing can be achieved without effort. When we decide on a plan of action, see how we become capable of tolerating, withstanding, and overcoming, difficulties and hurdles ! Think of how you 'leave no stones unturned', when suddenly one-day, you read in the news papers, something like, 'complete your MS in an Australian University'. You decide that at the least, your son should do what you could not ! You get the syllabus, fill the application, arrange for the interview, organise the necessary funds, motivate the boy, finally one day, 'You Just Did It !'. So, similarly, you can get back to your original glory of Brahminhood, whatever the difficulties; more the difficulties, greater your satisfaction of overcoming them. I have come to hound you like this, for this purpose. If you promise to do as I have directed, then may be I should remain here, till you launch the project. Why not? I have to be somewhere, troubling someone. Why not be here and trouble You !?
10. In towns, it is good to see an increase in activities such as, Bajans; Consecration of Temples; Lectures/ pravachanam on puranas and so on. But the root for all this is Vedam. If that root is dried and decayed, all other branches and leaves of this great culture, will wither and die. Veda should be recieved from father by son, is the basement, of this edifice. That has been forgotten, that the whole of religion, has been shaken. Brahmin leaving the Vedas, has led to all the chaotical conditions in the world. I am not worried by the disappearance of a Caste! I am comcerned about the effect on Universal well being. "You protect the Vedas and Vedas Protect the protector." It is this protection, that is vanishing. Once that happens, once Vedas are not being nurtured by Adhyayanam and Adhyapanam, by a living hereditory tradition, it can never be re-created ! It is this eventuality that, I am fearing.
11. What I refer to as the, 'Loka kshemam', ie., universal well-being, is not only the local temporary benifits of the conduct of Yagnas. All the people the world over, get immence benefits by getting to know the ennobling universal grand concepts and grand thoughts of 'Vedanta', meaning, the end or final finer subtle points of Vedas, known as 'Upanishads'. When they came here, they wondered, as to how, a whole lot of people can sacrifice their entire life for the conservation of a set of books?! They analysed and investigated it. They found the best ideas of any and every culture, all the gems of thoughts, strung as in a precious necklace, abundantly available in them! It is not only useful to a set of people, in a particular place; but beyond all space and all time, useful universally, eternally. You will also come to this understanding, if you study them. Their commonality of applicability, contributes towards universal brotherhood for the entire human kind. It encourages pan-religious-equality. Without a set of people, solely devoted for its sustained life long practice, how can the rest of the world become devoted to it? If we ourselves let the Veda go by default, how can anyone else become interested, in getting to know it? By our lackadaisical attitude, we will become culpable offenders, of having denied others the access to it. So, for the sake of international human kind, it is the present generation's biggest responsibility. Instead of taking the necessary actions for this task, there is no sense in doing, 'Kanaka Abishekam', for me.
12. Then why did I agree for this Kananka Abishekam? I did this so that I can get all of you together and thereby have a captive audience to air my views on Vedas. Thus, I have satisfied my purpose, at least orally. If the present day hatered, ill feelings and social anger is to go, then those with a life-time task of, 'Veda-Rakshanam', have to do their duty, while simultaneously living the life of peace loving sadhus. As people feel the pinch at the time of a strike or hartal; they may not know the loss due to stoppage of Veda-rakshanam, immediately. But if you stand without retreating, over a period of time; people will come to realise, the value of Veda-rakshanam; and then the present hatred will turn into love! There will be as much or more respect then, as there is disrespect now!
13. Tamil Nadu, has always been the cradle of Indian culture and Hindu Dharma. Here was true education, devotion and knowledge. Not only has it sired saints such as Thayumanavar or Pattinathar, of Hindu religion; but great seers such as Vedanayagam Pillai, and Masthan Sahib, have been the sons of the soil, from other religions. South India is the abode of Vedas, from time immemorial. Even at the end of Kali Yuga, it is said that, Kalki Avatara, is predicted to take place in Thirunelveli, to uphold Veda. It is believed that Kalki will be born as a son of a brahmin of unblemished charater. In such a Tamil Nadu, there shold not be and cannot be any anti-veda feeling whatsoever and the Key is with the Brahmin community. I have come to your town to tell you this.
14. Discipline is an essential part of life. Life is not a random activity. Whatever restrictions are required to raise man to his real high level, are clearly spelt out in our religion; the restrictions as applicable to individuals and a group of people and the society as a whole. Restriction is meant for control and order and not for the sake of just imposing one's will. The high ground around a lake holds the water, within certain limits. If that is broken, there can be wastage of water and possibly damage to living areas. With control as applied through, Raga aarohana and avarohana swaras and the beat or tala, there is music. Without that control, there will only be noice. Discipline, restrictions and control are an essential aspect of all human endevours as well as Nature. The funniest thing is that, our religion which has the maximum number of restrictions, has now become most loose.
15. Under this situation, as the Brahmin is required to be a role-model, I am endlessly talking like this in every city, so as to apply some restrictions on him. Whether Brahmins think so or not; whether I think so or not; there is a general impression that Brahmins are under my control. So, if I apply some restrictions on them first, then and then only, I will have the power, to tell other communities, their duties. So the Brahmins by listening to me and doing as I demand, may please help me to fulfil my duties towards other communities.
16. What am I telling you to do, in short? I am only repeating what, Adi Sankara Acharyal, said in a sloka of five stanzas, as a summary of all his teaching; just prior to living his mortal coil. The first sentence says, 'Vedo nityam adeeyatam'. The Tamil poet Avvaiyar, said the same, 'Odamal orunalum irukka vendam'. What Adi Sankara said positively, she said using the negative. She said, let not a day pass without chanting the Vedas. The word, 'odudal', is the same as, 'adyayanam', in Sanskrit, which refers to Vedas. Since the Vedas was to be chanted by hearing, without resorting to reading and writing, the word, 'odudal', came in to being.
Vedas themselves were known as, 'oththu'. This word is also used in Thirukkural. That is why, a place where the Vedas sang the praise of the Lord, known as Vedapuri, was referred as, 'thiru oththu oor', in Tamil. This chanting of Vedas should continue eternally. 'This service which has gone on from time immemorial, should become a permanent service;' to be able reach this message to all your ears, I am going from city to every city, incurring expenditure to all of you, giving trouble to you all. When I tell this to thousands of people, my desire is that, it should at least reach some hearts and result in tangible action.
17. Only after coming to city life, from the village, the compulsion to go against one's own Dharma, was experienced. In cities the play of modernization is felt more acutely. So I was avoiding the cities, sticking to the villages, for some time. But the city dwellors, kept insisting that I should visit the towns too. My reply was that, I will visit their towns, only if they come to adopt at least a little bit, of the old methods. Does not matter, if you do not come back to Veda Adyayana. The Torch-Bearer of the Vedas is required to have some identifications. At least pick up some of the outer symbolic identifications. A peon or a dawali or a soldier has to have a uniform. Is it not so? Similarly, a Brahmin should wear the dhoti in Panchakacham. He should have 'kudumi', hair-cut. He should apply some sacred ash on his forehead. This is not for showing off or any indication of superiority. This is to tell himself and others, that he is a servant of the society; to indicate that he is to serve the Vedas. "If you wear these indications, then only I will visit your towns", I said, and so I have come to you.
(to be continued)
Sambhomahadeva.