Deivathin Kural Series - 46

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 46 of 16 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, 'Nagariga Vyadikku Marundu', ie., 'Medicine for the Desease of Modernism', in pages 249 to 252, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural. Unless specifically mentioned, he or man includes, she or woman.
3. People to-day are cought between the pulls and pressures of two opposing forces. On one side are people like me, who are insisting that we should abide by the Sastras ie., Scriptures. On the other hand are the Reformers or 'seer~thiruthak~karars', who pull in the opposite direction. Because of the new syllabus of education, in force for some time now, generation after generation of people, have grown up appreciating and approving, the ideas put forward by social reformers. Though education is having this effect, 'habits die hard', and so, some of the Sastra Dharmas and traditions of thousands of years, have not completely disappeared. Some of the Sastra Dharmas, in traces still persist. So man is pulled in two different directions.
4. The Social Reformers in their zeal in their efforts to remove the social evils, may have ended up pulling the roots of the plant, while trying to de-weed. Net result is that, everyone is aware of the fact that, the modern life is not completely a bed of roses. It has thorns unnoticed earlier. The peace and contentedness of the past is sorely lacking. Though seemingly with more wealth, paucity and poverty persist. Though it is said that there is more production and we have enough stocks in reserve,the fear everywhere is not gone. The one time thatched hut or slab-roofed house has become multi-storied building. What used to be meagre possession of house-hold goods, such as some utencils, pots and wooden boxes, has now become over-filled with modern consumer goods. But the peace of the past is now noticeable by it's absence.
5. People inwardly want to live by the old tradional way of life. But they fear to give up the modern comforts and reformist name. So they are neither this nor that. I will give you an example of this equivocation. Almost everybody's house has Mahatma Gandhi's photo as well as mine. But are they ready to abide by Gandhis advice and carry out marriage of widows? No. Are they ready to have the 'kudumi' style of hair style? No. It is a pity, that they are undecided. Either way you need the courage of conviction.
6. Especially to follow the scriptures, you need plenty of courage without compromise. In the matter of abiding by the requirements of Sastras, there is no via-media. It is not a matter of convenience. Some people with the best of intensions, come to me and ask, "Dharma Sastras were created by Rishis. You are also like a Rishi only. Why don't you amend the Sastras suitably for the modern day?" They are of the opinion that, like removing weeds from the fields, we should amend some of the outer behavioural aspects of Dharma. If I acceed to remove some as weed to-day, and some more are discarded later, after some time we will find it difficult to know as to what is weed and what is the plant to be nurtured.
7. What is to be understood is that, neither the Rishis create the Sastras as per their personal opinions; nor are we following them because we believed in a particular Rishi. We follow them because, they have identified and given us the Vedas, which are eternal, changeless, God's order. We have to make an effort to abide by them as they are and I have no right to amend them.
8. Please do not come to the conclusion that, it is impossible to live by the dictates of the scriptures. This modern material civilization, is directly dependent on business pulls and pressures. If we reduce our needs and requirements; the need for money will also reduce. Then we will know that they are not needs, or requirements, but avoidable non-essentials. When you do not run after money, you get more time for Sandya Vandanam, Pooja, Bajanai, Meditation and Dhyana. Peace, satisfaction and contentment, naturally follow. To do Karma~Anushtana, you do not need money. You do not have to conduct a Pooja with extravagant expenditure. Dried Tulasi (basil) and Bilva leaves are enough. The food you eat can be the offering. Even a marriage need not be held with much pomp and show. Especially now-a-days, the biggest expenditure in marriages, the Dowry; which is also correctly identified as one of the worst Social Evils; is not approved by the Scriptures! {( Sastra sammadame illai!)} If the money is the main criteria for the conduct of activities related to Sastras, then this religion will become the rich man's playground. In truth it is not so. It is the common man's religion.
9. Out of the four Aims of Life, identified as, Aram, Porul, Inbam and Veedu, ( Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha, repectively), we are running only after, Inbam or Happiness. For that we are only interested in getting more and more money. In the bargain, we are ignoring the dictates of Morality and discipline; the the final aim of Veedu or Moksham or self-realization is lost track of. Recovery is still possible. If you make life simpler, you do not have to run after happiness and money. Then you can have mind, energy and time, to follow the dictates of Dharma. The resultant satisfaction and contentedness can lead you on to the supreme satisfaction and bliss too.
Sambhomahadeva.