Deivathin Kural Series - 55

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 55 of 30 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, 'Sathyam', ie., 'Truth', in pages 297 to 301, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural, in which He discusses the second of the five 'inner tools for control of Mind, (being Ahimsa, Sathyam, Astheyam, Soucham and Indriya Nigraham,) as part of the Samanya Dharma, which is not caste specific'. They are such value systems as applicable to any situation, anywhere, anytime. Unless specifically mentioned, he or man includes, she or woman.
3. All the people of the society, irrespective of the caste are required to observe some common dharmas, in which some are overt and some covert. Amongst the inner and covert 'samanya dharmas', the first one is Ahimsa or 'un-conditional Love', and the second is Sathyam or Truth. This has been defined by our elders as, the oneness of speech and mind. If you say some thing and believe in something else, it is asathyam or untruth: 'Vang manasayoh aika roopam sathyam'. God has given us the power of speech, only so that we can tell what is in our minds. If we say something and do differently, in our next life, we will be denied the power of speech. That is, we will be born as an animal. Lying and hyprocrisy both are asathyam.
4. For total Ahimsa, there are some exceptions permitted in our sastras. When you fight a war on grounds of principles of dharma; and while doing live sacrifice in Yaga, ahimsa has been excused. You may think that there can be no such excuse for Truth. But here too a different type of exception has been permitted. Let me explain this.
5. There are many types of rascals in the society. Seeing them, a man sincerely feels bad. He keeps talking about them that, so and so did this mischief, so and so is corrupt; and so on. His heart and mind and speech are identical. But his talk is of no use to him or the people hearing or the offending persons. Such oneness of mind and speech, is a waste and not sathyam. Let us consider another man. His mind is full of horrendous thoughts. He speaks his mind out. This is not sathyam either.
6. So, sathyam is not only the oneness of mind and speech; but expression of good thoughts to create pleasant feelings and effects. So the definition of sathyam is further improved, to read:- satyam bhootha hitam priyam. By thought, speech and action, what is good and pleasant for people and all life forms; is sathyam; to hurt and harm is asathyam.
7. It is not enough to tell a man, what is good for him. It has to be said in a loving and kind manner, to be acceptable. Even good things, if told in a harsh manner, may not be acceptable to anybody. Such wasted good intensions and speech cannot be called the truth. It should be good intrinsically. It should be conveyed with love in a pleasant manner. 'Tell the truth. Tell nicely. Do not tell truths if it cannot be said pleasantly. Do not tell untruths, even if it is pleasant.' Now we have a comprehensive definitive direction:-
"satyam bruyath priyam bruyath / na bruyath sathyam apriyam / priyam cha na anrutham bruyath."
8. In a mind full of hatred and passion, such pleasant and loving kind words of truth will not arise. If commonly beneficial pleasant truth is to come out of one's mouth, that man's mind and heart, should have evolved transcending desires, passions and hatred. So now it is clear that, for truth, mind and speech should coincide; mind and heart should be clean; speech should be pleseant and lovingly calm and kind. All told, what is self cleansing for one's own mind, heart and soul, is also socially beneficial.
9. If some one stands firm in truth; there is an 'avanthara prayojanam', ie., an inintended useful byproduct. A man of truth has this effect on the environment that; what ever he says will automatically become the truth. Such a man will never knowingly lie. So by chance, if he un-knowingly, accidentally, or mistakenly, utters an untruth, it will become the truth ! I will tell you a story in substantiation.
10. In Thirukkadavur, there was a devotee of God as Ambal, the Mother Goddess. His name was Abhirami Bhattar. He would constantly think of Mother and be in an intoxicated state of divine love. Some people who were jelous of him, told Saraboji Maharajah, that Bhattar was becoming a drunkard. Sarabojee Maharajah wanted to test for himself, the truth of this statement. One day he came to meet the Bhattar, in Thirukkadavur. As usual Abhirami Bhattar was in a state of supreme devotional inebriation. During the conversation, the King asked Bhattar, as to what is the 'thithi', ie., the day of the fortnight, after full or new moon. Bhattar who was all the time thinking of Mother's brilliantly beautiful face, happened to say that it is a 'pournami', ie., a full moon night. The King thought that other's complaint about Bhattar's drunkenness was proved. So he mischievously, suggested that they should check the sky. At that moment, though it was a new-moon night, the full moon was seen in all it's glory, to the utter shock of all those who were assembled there. Because Abhirami Bhattar was immersed in truth, by mistake when he uttered an untruth; the Mother threw her, 'ear-stud', in the sky, which was seen as the full-moon.
11. When great Mahatmas or Saints and such, give you blessing or a curse, it fruitions invariably, because, of their being rooted in truthfulness. Whatever they say will happen. This is the 'avanthara prayojanam' of their being firm in Sathyam. But, you cannot stick to the truth, so that whatever you say may become truth. That is, the, 'avanthara prayojanam' cannot be an intended aim. Great Saints may cure diseases, or remove poison, or work out miracles. Period. But not intentionally.
12. From the time we are placed in the Mother's womb, till we are cremated; to cleanse ourselves, forty samskaras are quoted in Sastras. With them, if we can also strictly observe the inner constraints of, Ahimsa, Sathyam, Astheyam, Soucham and Indriya Nigraham; (ie., non-cruelty, truthfulness, non-covetousness, purity and sense-control), we can raise ourselves to such levels of purity; that we will know the answers, to questions such as; 'Who is God? Who am I? What are we? What is truth?'. Because, then we will have the required maturity. Not to covet other's things, will loosen the pull of desires, to this extent that, you will know that everything is already yours. Soucham is a word derived from 'suchi', ie., cleanliness.
Outer cleanliness, 'Madhi and Acharam', leads to inner purity. Indrya-nigraham, is very essential. Instead of doing/seeing/eating/hearing/saying, anything, do all that selectively, with control. That is, Indriya Nigraham or in Tamil, Pulan Adakkam. Unless desire is controlled, there can be no spiritual progress. These are applicable to all people, irrespective of castes.
Sambhomahadeva.