Deivathin Kural Series - 47

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 47 of 17 Aug 2006.
(This was not sent to SriSiddhi Group previously. The error of omission is regretted.)

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, 'Samayamum Samugamum'., 'Religion and Society', in pages 253 to 255, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural. Unless specifically mentioned, he or man includes, she or woman.
3. Some of the Religious taboos, and requirements, create inconveniences, in day-to-day life in the society. Pointing this out as the reason, reformists or 'seer thiruthak karargal', change the rules. These reformists are not aware of the basis and aims of our religion. What they call the 'Social Life', they are not referring to anything concerning individual upliftment. New and novel political modes, scientific discoveries, business changes, economy, fashion and style; are the things clubbed together; are referred to as, social life. All this put together are what is, 'loukikam' or worldly. These are all subject to changes all the time. If worldly was the only interest area of society, the rules of the society can change accordingly. But our religion does not consider Man as purely a material. So our religion is not merely concerned with worldly interest. It is concerned with the 'life' of the Man, and not only, worldly life only. This is called, 'Atmartham', or 'soul-friendly'. The Sastras or Scriptures, are aimed at how to, enable him to live nobly while in this world and relieve man from the ties of worldly life. The books on politics, general knowledge, economics and such will keep changing with the times, only when their attention is rivetted on, 'worldly only'.
But in our culture, we have not considered anything as permanently-worldly-only; but have considered the worldly life as part of the process of ennobling Man. We have considered, Government, Knowledge, Economics, Arts and Sciences; as avenues for moral upliftment of Man. The rules and regulations and value-systems concerning these do not change. The rules and regulations evolved to fix man on the right path, in a constantly changing world, cannot and should not change!
4. If the aim is purely, loukikam, that is to succeed in worldly endevours only, then, you can change the social life and it's rules, accordingly. But when you have evolved the rules of social life keeping, loukikam and atmartam as the twin aims con-jointly, but in that order; and so those rules cannot be conditional. To say that the rules as per Dharma Sastras are inconvenient in worldly life is incorrect and illogical. Because of the fact that they do not have worldly life as the only aim, certain amount of inconvenience in worldly life is in-built. To change the rules to your convenience is not justified.
5. You cannot blame the reformists either. The reason for their such talk to change the religious rules, is due to the education system. In other countries, there is no conflict between the education system and religion. Unfortunately, the education system in this country was evolved during the British occupation, with no connection to our religion. (KTSV Says: Periyaval does not talk about the fact that, at that time, many of the schools were run by Christian Missionaries.) For a livelihood everybody had to adopt that education system. So many generations from childhood, have come up with no exposure to our religious beliefs, but brought-up in alien methodology. So the attachment and belief in our Sastras and Puranas, had no cahnce to take roots in their minds. Without knowing the purpose of our scriptures, the reformists have come to the conclusion that they can change the rules of our Sastras, at will.
6. 'Puranas are a pack of lies. Sastras are meant to nurture blind beliefs'. These are the ideas drilled in to the minds of children of this country, for generations. How can they have any attachement, to our religious beliefs and practices?!
7. Children should be brought up in a devine atmosphere. They should be tought some of the religious practices. They should be exposed to the company of such people who are living an exemplary life of simplicity and cleanliness. They should be encouraged to develop the trust and belief, that the Hindu scriptures are from such Rishis, who raised and lived above the lure of sensual pleasures. We must develop the idea in them, as they grow up; that the Rishis have given us the Sastras, to enable us to organise the worldly conveniences and social life in such a way as to, raise above the mundane. Then only, religious requirements will take precedence over worldly conveniences.
Sambhomahadeva.