Deivathin Kural Series - 51

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 52 of 24 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, 'Sastrama Manasatchiya?', ie., 'Scriptures or Conscience?', in pages 279 to 281, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural. Unless specifically mentioned, he or man includes, she or woman.
3. Dharmam is to be done for the wellbeing of the world, without an iota of personal likes and dislikes. With one mindedness, the great thinkers have given us the books on Dharma ie., ethics and morality. The Dharma Sastras are the books that give directions on what is right, in various situations. To know the form, eye is the 'Pramanam' or 'Authoritative proof of evidence'. The Pramanam for Dharma is Dharma Sastra itself.
4. For all Dharmas, the root is Veda. Veda is known as 'Sruti'. Sruti means what is heard. (Though in the modern times, what is heard is called, 'hearsay', and is not admissible as evidence, here it has the opposite power.) It has this name, because, it is learnt by the process of, 'hearing and saying'. After Sruti is 'Smriti'. Smriti takes the Veda and gives detailed analysis and notes. Sruti and Smriti, put together are known as Dharma Sastra.
5. After Smriti the Pramanam is the behaviour of elders. We get to know about how our elders behaved in various situations, from the Puranas. Then is the Pramanam of the behaviour of 'Sishtars'. It is called 'Sishtacharam'. These are the people who have belief in Sastras; and they live their lives strictly as per the Sastras; they are beyond the hazards of desire and anger. Such people are called 'Sishtas', and their 'acharam' or behaviour becomes emulatable, and so Pramanam. Then comes one's own Conscience. In any given situation, the involved, attached mind says one thing. The unattached, unsoiled, and unbiased, clear mind says something else, and that is the conscience; which is also a Pramanam.
6. So, in religious and purely subjective matters; Vedas, Dharma Sastras, Behaviour of Rishis of olden times, Behaviour of present day Sishtas and lastly, one's own conscience; in that order, should be taken as Pramanam.
7. Now-a-days, the whole thing has been turned up-side down. First is the Conscience. Veda is the last. In actual fact, when one is confronted by a situation in which, none of the established system of authority can give you a solution to the problem in hand; then and then alone, one is supposed to refer to the Conscience. Actually, in Tamil, the conscience is called, 'mana satchi' or 'witness mind'. Why is the mind called 'mana satchi'? It has the right to be a witness only, not to make a judgement. The person who has come as the witness, can say a lie. You can't trust the mouth-witness. But the mind will not bluff. The mind knows the truth. Avvaippatti said, 'Nenjai oliththoru vanjagamillai'. The Tamil grand old lady Avvai said, 'there can be no wrong-doing unknown to the mind'. So it can be a witness; only a witness! Now-a-days, in matters of religion, the mind or conscience is being employed as a judge itself. It will correctly report on what happened. It cannot say as to what is the justice. It will somehow justify what ever it thinks is correct. So each man looking at the same and single event, could report correctly; but arrive at different decisions. How can this be Justice as per Dharma?
8. So it is anathema to say, 'I am doing as per my conscience'. Straightaway, you cannot give the mind the power of discretion. Only when confronted by a situation, not otherwise solveable, that is in a dilemma, you can ask your mind, ' What do you say now? Since you have seen everything, now tell me your opinion.' Mind belongs to individuals. We can't predict as to, up to what extent, it will enable him to talk or decide, without selfishness. Whatever place you can give your mind in personal matters, in matters of religion, it cannot be given that power of authority. Those Rishis, who went beyond the compulsions of selfishness, from the individual conscience and raised to the level of, Universal Conscience; their sayings and opinions are the Pramana; in matters of Religion and Dharma.
Sambhomahadeva.