Deivathin Kural Series - 94

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 94 of 06 Nov 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. On line version of this book in Tamil is available at 'www.kamakoti.org'. 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 lecture, titled, 'Samsare Kim Saram' ie., 'What is the Purpose of Life?', in pages 449 to 451, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural, as part of a series of lectures under the Heading, 'Karma Margam', or 'The Path of Action', from pages 436 to 466. Unless specifically mentioned, he or man includes, she or woman.
3. 'What is the purpose of Life', asks, Sankara Bagawath Padal, in his, 'Prasnothara Rathna Malika'. His question is, 'Kim Samsare Saram?' (Kim = What, Samsare = in Life, Saram = Essence.) He answers his question too. He says, 'Bahoochaha Api Vichintyamanam', meaning, 'always keep asking this question to yourself'. This is the question deserving detailed investigation and analysis.
4. That is, we must deliberate on, 'Why am I born in this world? What for? What is the purpose of existance? Will I be able to achieve that purpose? Why do I commit sins? Why do I get anger? Why do I desire? Why can't I be happy and satisfied at all times?' Initially, we do not get any answers to the questions.
5. Everything is for the best. In a tree, from a flower only, we get fresh and ripe fruits. When it is a flower, it's fragrance pleases the olfactory nerves of the nose. When it is a fruit, it tickles to taste buds in the tongue, and satisfies the stomach. Unripe fruit is sour and ripe one is sweet. Where has the sweetness come from? What was bitter, in the flower, is 'tuvarpu' in 'pinju', is 'pulippu' in the 'kaai' and 'maduram' in the 'pazham'. (In Tamil, 'tuvarpu' is a taste which does not have an exact corresponding word in English; 'pinju' is the small of the fruit; 'Kai' is the unripe fruit; 'pulippu' is the tangy sour taste; 'maduram' is the pleasantly sweet taste and 'pazham', is the ripe fruit.)
6. Maduram which is the sweetness of the fruit is also indicative of the wisdom of maturity. Once the fruit is full of Maduram, it drops off the tree.
Similarly, when your heart full of Maduram, all attachments vanish. Till there is sourness, attachments remain. If you pluck an unripe fruit, which is still sour, it will ooze out a little. The stem of the tree, will also ooze out.
That is, both the tree and the fruit, do not accept the separation and so ooze out, as though they are shedding tears. But once filled with sweetness, the tree lets the fruit go and the fruit drops off. There is mutual and willing separation. A man who has progressively matured in to fruition, can also detach himself from the 'tree of Samsara', easily. Before that, there has to be other tastes of, sourness and bitterness; exactly as a Man has passion, anger and desire.
7. We cannot totally be relieved of other emotions, before attaining maturity. But right from the beginning, one should keep questioning oneself, as to what we felt and why and how? This self analysis must go on always. 'What did I feel now? I felt desire / annoyed / anger / etc. Was it necessary. Am I getting too emotional? Could I have controlled myself?' Such a self check must go on. If we do not do this, we can easily be decieved. Manikka Vachagar says, 'malanga pulanaindum vanjanaiai seyya', ie., all the five senses are duping us all the time. (Kannadasan said, 'kan pona pokkile kal pogalama? Kal pona pokkile manam pogalama? Manam pona pokkile manidan pogalama?)
8. Lemon should be sour. Betel nut should be Tuvarpu. All the tastes have their role and logic of existance. But we should guard against being overcome by our emotions. As a flower, progresses through the stages of being a pinju - Kai towards becoming a pazham, through all that we undergo, our minds should be focussed on the end fruition. We do not have to search for 'Moksham or Nirvana'. I am not recommending, 'pinjile pazhuththal or vembal', ie., prcociousness. Wisdom cannot be before it's time. As Ramalinga Vallalar sang, 'vembi vizhundidumo?', there is no thirsting after wisdom! As it is said, 'aasai arumin, eeasnodayinum aasai arumin'.
9. When we have a whole lot of good and bad effects of past actions, to be experienced, we cannot obviate them just by wishing them away! We do not have to run after wisdom. Let us simply do our duties, with the idea, let Gnanam come when it has to. In the meantime let us live as per the requirements of the Vedas. Let us follow what our Dharmam says, to be just and equitable. As we do know and abide with worldly affairs, let us give some attention to religious matters too. Let us start with Vibuthi and Namam and Kumkumam. Let maturity happen in its time. 'Padipadiyaga pakkuvam aagi, pinju aagi, kaai aagi, kaniyagiya, ulle irukkira tattuvathukku povom'.
Sambhomahadeva.