Deivathin Kural Series - 102

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 102 of 21 Nov 2006.

To-day’s lecture is titled, ‘Karmamum Bakthium’, in pages 507 to 511, in Deivathin Kural Part One.
When Sankara Bagawat Padal was about to leave this mortal coil, his disciples surrounded Him. They said, ‘You gave a lot of advices to us about various things connected to Vedas and Teachings related to our religion. There are many things in them beyond our grasp and understanding. Please tell us something, easy for us to understand.’ He gave them a Sloka of five stanzas, called, ‘Sopana Panchakam’.
“Follow the path as defined by the Vedas. Daily do the duties as delineated there-in, without let. Think this very action as an offering to God. Instead of going by only what is seemingly pleasing to your mind and heart, do all the duties, as your contribution for the welfare of the public and common man.” This is the idea with which Sopana Panchakam commences.
There are some people still living in this world, who do their allotted duties, as required by the Vedas. There are some who are doing Pooja with fervour. Some others can conduct a festival with organizational zeal. There could be some who could conduct a gathering with devotional songs. Those who conduct Pooja or Bajan or festivals, look down on those who are strictly adhering to ‘Karma Anushtana’, and say, ‘What is the use of doing only Karma? If your heart is not melted to tears by devotion, what is the use?’ Those who are following the Karma Path, look at the other experts in conduct of festivals and devotional activities, and say, ‘They have no devotion to their duties. What is the use of all this pomp and show?’
Acharyal in Sopana Panchakam tells us to do one’s duties itself as an offering to God. Duties as per Karma Anushtana are not to forgotten, neither is one to forget God! Do Sandhya Vandanam, Brhma Yagnam, Jyothish Homam, Tarpanam, if you were a Brahmin; do train yourself in battle crafts and fight your battles at the time of war, if you were a Kshtariya; do your trading and business, if you were a Vaisya; and do your duties of Agriculture or Carpentry or Pottery and so on, if you were the Soodra. But whether you were a Brahmin or Kshtriya or Vaisya or Soodra, do Your allotted duties, with Your mind riveted on God. That is the advice. But this is an exalted stage, not easily achieved. When we are involved in any work, attention to Divinity, will be or could be forgotten. So Karma and Bakthi, both are required. Over a period, both may fruition in to oneness. That is, someone may totally involve in Karma with his mind riveted on God or someone else may so get involved in Bakthi, that he may forget all other duties. He or she reaches a stage of, ‘Krta Krtya’, ie., ‘one who has no more duties to perform’!
Let it be set aside. If we look at the initial stages. Will God be pleased with
Some one who does duties or display much devotion? Say there is a rich man
employing many servants. Amongst the servants, there is one who simply does his duties, and another who is all the time praising that rich man. Unless the rich man is an idiot, he is not likely to ignore the fact that the second is failing in his duties. You cannot think of God as susceptible to praise and flattery. But if the one simply doing his duty, will not last long either!

“This world is God’s creation. God is the King and we are all, his citizen. So, all the people are my kinsmen. He is not only the King, but the Father and Mother. So, we are all his children. So, we are all brothers and sisters. To keep everyone happy, Veda Dharma, has allotted roles for each. We shall do our duties without being crassly, selfish. God’s family should flourish. God’s will be done. In this, I shall do my bit, as my contribution.” This should be our attitude. In our doing the action, devotion will be inbuilt. Then we will be fully eligible to receive God’s Grace. The Path of Devotion and the Path of Action are not divergent, but convergent in God!
Sambhomahadeva.