Deivathin Kural Series - 138

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 138 of 16 Jan 2007.
(Continued from the Deivathin Kural # 137.)
14. 'If we do the duties, as laid down in the Vedas, it is enough. There is no need for being devoted to God, neither is there any need for aspiring for realization.' This is the belief of Karma Meemamsa. Vedantam or end of Vedas are Upanishads. Though Karma Meemamsakars accepted the
Vedas, they did not accept the later part, which defines that there is no difference between Jeeva and Paramatma. Why is this? They divided the Vedas in to two parts. 'Vidi' and 'Artha Vadam'. Vidi is the portion which defines the Karma. This is similar to the Rules and Regulations part of an Act of Law. This is the portion, which describes the procedure of Karma and the Mantras to be used at successive stages of the action. The other part of the Vedas, which talked of positions,principles, logic and reasoning, was called, 'artha vadam'. This was considered as propoganda and publicity, and not given equal importance.
15. There is an advertisement for, let us say a tonik or 'avaleha'. It indicates that there is a tough looking man, wrestling with say a Lion or Bear. The picture is not for our enjoyment, but so that we may be tempted to buy the tonik, thinking that after partaking the tonik we will also be very strong! 'Similarly whatever is given in the Veda is to motivate us to do the Karmas', Meemamsakars believed. As it is impossible to wrestle with a Tiger or Bear, tonik or no tonik; they thought that, 'Realising the Self or Atma, or Jiva becoming Brhma' etc., is all so much, 'Artha Vada', to make us stick to the Karma path'.
16. What did Acharyal say to counter this? Now listen carefully. He told Kumarila Bhatta, " As the Veda tells you certain 'Do's', it also tells you certain Dont's. Here there is no Karma. Only some 'not doing Karma'! There is some value in not doing certain things, such as 'not drinking alcohol'. You are not accepting Vedas only for Karma's sake, but for the sake of Akarma also! You are accepting Veda for its intrinsic value and not, Action and Inaction. But Karma is not an end in itself! Whatever pleasure you get out of Karma, is only temporary. Karma initially bestows some happiness, through which the Aim is, 'Chitta Suddhi'. But even this 'Chitta Suddhi', is only a transit camp, a stop gap, enroute. Bakthi, Dhyana and Gnana, are the subsequent goals. The final destination is of course, totality or Poornatva, Sasvatha Soukyam. Permanent bliss is also total inaction and or no more Karma!"
17. "OK. What is the use of a Man reaching the permanent bliss of total inaction?", you may ask, "What use is He of, to the world at large?" "Good question, well brought out!", says, Adi Sankara! " When a Man reaches a stage of having no more duties to perform, and is in permanent bliss, it is for Him the highest of achievement, to have regained His totality or Poornatva. Is it not the goal to be achieved, to be happy and kind, with no capacity whatsoever to hurt anyone? When a person takes Sanyasa, he or she, takes a 'praisha mantra'. It is a prayer, saying, 'I pray that, on seeing me no life form should feel fear. I shall be kind and loving towards all life forms!'. Till you have to perform actions, some problems will arise. Some anger and hate will result. For a Sanyasi, there is no more duty to perform. He can be love incarnate, towards all, living beings, animal, birds, insects and things! His only job is to love! His very proximity and sight, generates happiness and love. Through his very being, he is of much use to everybody and everything! Is he inactive? He is doing the greatest service to Humanity! Though he has nothing to gain, though he has no more axes to grind; purely for the sake of the world at large, he goes from place to place, giving darshan, advice, upadesa, deeksha, blessings; wherever he goes. With total dispassion, he achieves more. Those that are involved, are all the time cribbing and balancing profit and loss. With anger and agitation, they are never fully efficient in whatever they do. But this Sanyasi, can do any work more efficiently, because, he has tapped on to the source of abundant power and reached the efficiency ratio of Hundred Percent ie., Unity, that smilingly, he makes the impossible possible, effortlessly! Since everything is himself, he has no hatred for anyone. He corrects with Love. It is this pinnacle of glory, that every individual can reach, for which the first step, is Karma, my dear Kumarila Bhatta" said Adi Sankara!
18. Adi Sankara continued, " Instead of leaving people to do whatever they want, motivated by selfishness, Vedas have defined the role of each individual,for the common benefit. When you train your own mind, by learning to do, 'nish-kamya-karma', ie., doing ones duty with no desire or selfish motivation, the cleansing of one's mind results. Doing Karma, without Love of God, is wrong. Karma is 'Jadam'. It is God who gives the result of Karma, being the 'Phala Dhata'. The only way to set aside, narrow selfishness, is to have the devotion that, one is doing God's. It is He, who can, lift us to efficiency and profiency." While saying all this, Adi Sankara, was standing there as an embodiment of the ideals of, whatever He was talking about. He was Parameswara in Human form, an epitome of perfection as a Gnani, as a living example of Sanyasi, displaying all the qualities he was mentioning, Universal Love, Inner Bliss, Nishkamya Karma, Bakthi and Gnana. Kumarila Bhatta was experiencing the salubrious effect of the nectarine words of Love. It became clear to him that all Karma and it's effect is to be offered at the feet of the Almighty; and that the end of devotion is to dissolve one's seperateness in God.
19. With tears of gratitude pouring out, he said, " I have no more doubts that, Karma does not give effect on its own. It is God who does so. In my effort to expiate my sins, as I stand here being roasted by this, 'Dushagni Pravesha', You Easwara, as the Phala Dhata, has come to give effect. You have given me the clarity which, could never have been given by Karma alone! Even great Bhaktas may not be able to remember God, in the moment before death, it is said. For me who always held that there is no need for God, You Yourself has come to bless me. All Your views are totally agreed. I am not even feeling the effect of this fire, as a direct proof. But I am not in a position to tell all this to other Karma Meemamsakars. Please proceed to the city of Mahishmathi and tell this to Mandana Mishra, who is a more fanatic Meemamsaka. Once he is won over to Your Siddhanta, all others will follow suit."
20. With no apparent effect of the fire, Kumarila Bhatta, was experiencing the cooling effect of Acharya's nectarine Love. Here I am reminded of, 'Mooka Panchasathi' sloka and Appar Swamigal's song.
21. 'Mooka Panchasathi', sloka starts with the words, 'Janoyam sathapto'. It means that, 'I am scorched in fire'. Which fire? The very life is 'intense fire'. I am not getting even a drop of, 'parama gnanam', he says. 'Para gnana payash', is the phrase. It is the, 'milk of human kindness', that Ambal gave the Baby Gnana Sambandar. He has Gnanam in his name itself. How much he did to spread the Gnanam, is known to you all. He has sung in praise of Veda Karmas, wherever he went. For example, 'kartru aangu ombik kaliyai varaame sertraar vaazh thillai', he says. It means word for word as follows,:- 'kartru' = having learnt and done Veda Adhyayana; 'aangu ombi' = having raised velvith thee, as given there in the Vedas; 'kaliyai varaame' = prevented kali from coming; 'sertraar vaazh thillai' = Thillai Chidambaram where such great brahmins live. Thillai city where three thousand Brahmins, experts both in Vedas and the Tamil Language, used to live. In the same song He further says, 'murtraa ven thingal muthalvan paadame partraa ninraarai partraa paavame'. Meaning, those who catch hold of His feet, who wears the white moon, not yet full, will not be affected by the 'Paavam', or sins of Kali.
22. To Kumarila Bhattar, instead of water or milk, He Himself gave the Adwaita Amruta, Nectar of Oneness.
23. For his thirst, what did Mookar ask for? "Mother Kamakshi! Paramasiva jaaye, (mother who is one with Paramasiva without duality)!, I am roasted dry, in the Samsaara Thaapa, I am looking for the cool shades of your lotus feet, 'padaambhoja chaayaam' ", he says. In Tamil, 'inai adi kamalangalin nizhal'.
24. These are the exact words, as though reprinted, used by Appar Swamigal, "eesan enthai inai adi neezhale". Appar was a leader of Jains. Once he reverted back to become a Siva Baktha, the Pllava King, who was a Jain follower, ordered that he be put in a, 'Sunnambuk Kaalavai', (that is, a huge utencil inwhich dry fried sea shells would be converted to lime, by pouring water in it). The King's soldiers made fun of him asking him, " You were chanting Siva, Siva! How are you now? "
25. As Prahlada was not affected by the cruel punishment meted out by Hiranyakasipu, Appar was not at all affected. With God's Grace, He did not feel the slightest discomfort. His reply to the people who were ill-treating him, is a gem of a poem! He said, " You are asking me, as to how I am feeling? It is as cool as the shades of My Father's feet are meant to be. It is beyond the bodily sensual experiences. Let me tell you, in words which you will understand! Note down one by one. First, 'Masil veenai'. Faulless music of Veena. Second, 'Malai Madiyam'. The soothing feel of the full moon. Third, 'veesu thenral'. The pleasant breeze of the southerly wind. Fourth, 'veengu ilavenil'. The waft of the fragrance of flowers in the early spring. Fifth and finally, 'moosu vandu arai poigai'. A water point, full of flowering plants, dripping nectar, attracting a bevy of buzzing bees. If you can add up all these sweet experiences, that may match, 'eesan enthai inai adi neezhale'. The shade of my Father's feet, is like that. That is what I am enjoying in this, 'sunnambuk kalavai', vessel full of effervescing lime!
26. Kumarila Bhattar, who is an Avatara of Subrahmanya Swami, looking at the feet of Acharyal, who is an Avatara of Parameswara, without the slightest of discofort, sacrificed his body in the fire of rice-husk!
27. Aa an Avatara of Gnana Pandita Muruga, there is no doubt that Kumarila Bhatta, very much knew about Bakthi and Gnana. When the Buddhists, in all their sincerity, professed, 'Arivu Marga', or Path of the Brain; even if a portion of their teaching was accepted, it would have been like, permitting the proverbial camel to put his head inside the tent, in the desert! So he defeated the Buddhists roundly, by insisting, 'No God. No Bakthi. No Gnana. Karma will do most sufficiently!' Later Acharyal could take the masses, (from where Kumarila Bhatta left,) into Bakthi Marga and Gnana Marga.
Sambhomahadeva.