Deivathin Kural Series - 123

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 123 of 24 Dec 2006.
1. To-day's title is 'Manidappiraviyum Venduvathe', that is, 'Needed Human Birth', occuring in pages 547 to 550, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural, Tamil version, published by Vanady Padippagam, Chennai.
2. "acharya : sankaracharya : santhu me janma janmani"
This means that, Sri Sankaracharya should be my Guru, in all my life times. I will tell you the complete slokam:-
"sastram sarira meemamsa devasthu parameswara :
acharya : sankaracharya : santhu me janma janmani II"
'sarira meemamsa', means the branch of Vedanta Sastra, that deals with life in the body. The poet says that let that banch of Vedanta, be the one I am concerned with. That is, I should be born, in the Vaidik Religion only. Next line says that, 'let Parameswara be my God ever.' Then the poem ends with the prayer, 'life after life, let Sankara be my Acharya.'
3. Normally, people pray for getting released from the cycle of repeated life and death, and being re-absorbed in Paramatma. But if Sri Sankara Bhagawat Paadar, is to become the Acharya in every life time, it is as though giving approval and having a liking, for the cycle of Life and Death. It is similar to Appar Swamigal's statement, 'maanida-ppiraviyum venduvathe immanilaththe', so as to be able to keep looking at Lord Nataraja.
4. Sri Sankara has made a similar prayer in 'Sivananda Lahiri':-
"narathvam devathvam nagavana mrugathvam masagatha
pasuthvam keetathvam bavathu vihagathvadhi jananam I
sada thvath padabja smarana paramananda lahiri
vihara saktham cheth hrudayamih kimthena vapusha II "
'I am ready to take life in any form, as Man, Deva, Stone, Tree, Animal, Mosquito, Cattle, Bird, Germ or whatever. As long as the memory of God's lotus feet, is flooding my mind and heart, with happiness; how does it matter, what is the body?' says the Acharya!
5. When we say 'Acharya', in this country, it has come to mean Sri Sankaracharya only. This itself indicates the special veneration in people's minds. There have been, Bishmacharyar, Dronacharyar, Syanacharyar and many other Acharyars, in the past, in this country. Still when we say, 'Acharyar', without adding any name, it has come to refer to only Sankara Bhagavath Paadar! This is because, he was a Man who preached what He practised. He explained the Rituals and Paddathi, so that it will become understandable to the common Man, not only to the intellectuals. Thus He was a living definition of what a Teacher should be!
6. Sri Sankara Bhagawath Paadar, established Adwaita, as the supreme principle. Though we all talk of Adwaita Vedanta, none of us understand it. But Acharya was a living embodiment of Adwaita. He was well rooted in Adwaita Vedanta Principle, in total comprehension; while simultaneously, deeply involved in hectic dynamic activities! Can we just think of what must have been the transportation, linguistic and logistic problems, to move around the entire country, three times by walk! That too some thousand five hundred years back?! What he has done to visit every Temple, in every nook and corner of the country, is simply super-human!
7. While emphasing the supremacy of Gnana Marga, He also established the very important need for Bakthi Marga, as a prelude, as a path and as an end in it self! He has written so many Slokas soaked in deep devotion, of many of the Deities, of many temples, located in the length and breadth of the country! Compared to this, our own sense of Devotion, is wanting much in quality and content! We think of God, only when faced with difficulties. Then we organise some elaborate Pooja and Shanthi appeasing Sani or Rahu or Kethu. If the problem is solved, our Bakthi comes to an end! If the problem is not solved, we may end up blaming the Poojary / Priest or God Himself! How are we to relate to true Bakthi and Gnana?
8. Acharyal gave a lot of importance to Karma Anushtanam of daily and periodic rituals, as the basement for the huge edifice of Bakthi and Gnana, built over it! Those who take a short cut to Bakthi and or Gnana, only end up short-circuiting the whole process! To follow sincerely the laid down Karmas / Duties, with the necessary physical and mental discipline, slowly but surely leading to progressive cleansing of mind, to perfection; takes the Sadhaka, to deeper devotion and glimpses of Adwaita Anubhava. So Sankara Bhagawat Paadar, placed the appropriate emphasise, in the 'step by step', progress from, 'Saguna Upasana to Nirguna Upasana'. He also lived exemplarily as a Sanyasin, with no hypocricy! Thus He was a living definition of what an Acharya should be.
9. Similar to the way, the word 'Acharya' has come to mean Sri Sankara Acharya, in this country, the word 'Vedantam', has come to mean 'Adwaitam' of Adi Sankara, in the rest of the world! (Vedantam, as the end of Vedas, was meant to be, all that is said in Upanishads.) With the Upanishads as the basis, though there are many 'Siddhanthams' or 'Principled stands', such as, Dwaitam, Visishtadwaitam and Saiva Siddhantam; it is only Sankara Acharya's Adwaitam, which is thought of as Vedantam, all over the world. Ever since Swami Vivekananda, went about U S of A and Europe saying, 'Let the Lion of Vedanta roar', Acharya's Adwaitam has been accepted as Vedantam!
10. Acharya has explained that He is not the creator of Adwaita! But He has proved that, the Upanishads point in the direction of the Principle of Oneness. Similarly, He has also re-established, the 'Shanmadam' or six-pointed approach of, Ganapathyam - Saivam - Saktham - Souram - Vainavam - Kaumaram; in which is included Dwaitam and Visishtadwaitam!
Thus He richly deserves the epithet 'Shanmada Acharyar'!
11. There is one more aspect of his greatness! He is the leading figure in the revival of Sanathana Dharma. Sri Ramanujar, Sri Madhvar and Sri Meikandar, came after Him and they only had to re-establish their views of Visishtadwaita, Dwaita and Saiva Siddhanta; within the frame work of Sanathana Dharma. But Acharyal had the onerous task of disproving his predecessors such as, Kapila, Jaimini, Ganadar, Gouthama, who had established Sankhyam, Meemamsam, Vaiseshikam, Nyayam etc respectively. All of those have become defunct!! Relate this to the fact that, what ever has been done by Sri Ramanujar, Sri Madhvar and Sri Meikandar, has not done away with Adwaita!! Finally it is astounding to note that, all this was achieved, within a short life span of 32 years!!! Undoubtedly, Adi Sankara was an Avatara of Parameswara.
Sambhomahadeva.