Deivathin Kural Serial - 157

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 157 of 21 Feb 2007.

1. These e-mails, are chapter wise translations of the lectures given by, Sri Chandra Sekharendra Swamigal, of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Every day, after the daily Puja, He used to talk, on various aspects concerning Hinduism. These are published, in Tamil, by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, as Deivathin Kural, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each. To-day's talk is titled, 'Mahalakshmi', in pages 717 to 722, of Deivathin Kural, Volume 1.

2. Thiruvalluvar said, "porulillarku ivvulagam illai", meaning that, 'for people without means / money / material / wherewithal, this world is not for them'. Porul also means meaning. Everybody cannot give up livelyhood and get involved in, 'atma vichara'. To run the worldly life, money is necessary. Since there are some people earning, looking after themselves, their family and the society; some can get involved in 'atma vichara'. It is the householders or 'grahasthas' who protect and feed the so called sannyasis, by giving them alms / bikshai. If the Grahasthas were not there, some calling themselves 'sanyasis', could not have survived, let alone get involved in Bakthi and Gnana. Adi Sankara, who said, "artham anartham bhavaya nithyam", (meaning, 'think daily that money creates all conflicts and confusion'), also said, 'whatever you earn by fair means, by it enjoy yourself':-
yallabase nija karmopaththam
viththam thena vinodaya chittam.

3. The Goddess of wealth and affluence is Mahalakshmi. If we pray to Her, she will grant us the required wealth. Sri Acharyal, who has given many expositions for aspirant renunciates, has also given 'Kanaka dhara sthavam', as though out of His boundless kindness and concern for the common people involved in day-to-day affairs of making ends meet. He has given this sloka to teach them the method of approaching Mahalakshmi.

4. There is a story as to how this 'Kanaka dhara sthavam', came in to being. That happened before He took sanyasa. In His childhood in Kaladi, He used to go to each house with a begging bowl and say, 'bhavathi biksham dehi!'. On a dwadasi, (that is, the twelfth day after new/full moon), he went to a very poor man's house. That man himself was a 'uncha vruddi' brahmin, that is, one who lived on alms. He was not at home. His better half was there. Once she saw this young Sankara, she thought, "Oh! What a brilliant young boy. If I give him bikshai, I will be honoured and blessed." But she could not find anything worth giving. Not even a handful of rice. Finally she located a part decayed 'nellikkai' or amla fruit, a type of a berry. She felt ashamed of offering it. She came out with the fruit, but could not make up her mind to give such a pittance! Half crying and whimpering, she possibly thought, 'good or bad, I can offer only what I have got. I just can't let him go with an empty bowl'. Finally, she gave him that, with great reluctance and shame.

5. Acharyal could see as to how much she wanted to shower largesse, on him and how she was unable to, because of her abject poverty! His heart melted for her. He immediately sang the, 'kanaka dhara sthavam' praying to the Goddess of wealth, Mahalakshmi. By the time He finished there was an aerial announcement to the effect that, "The couple were suffering the effects of, many lives of sin. Their poverty is their punishment. Till all their sins are washed off, they have to undergo penury. The time for relief has not yet come!"

6. Acharyal's reply to this was, "Let their sins of past generations be any amount. By giving the only edible fruit away, they have more than made up for all the past. When she did not have anything to eat herself, she has sacrifised the only possession with so much love! Her bikshai should be able to cancel all past sins." He said, "Mother Mahalakshmi! You should not be too strict. You are the personification of love and benevolance. Please display your kindness and 'Karuna'." There is internal evidence of His appeal, in the 'Kanakadhara Sthava' itself. In the Sloka starting with the words, 'dadhyath dayanupavano dravinambudhara', He beseeches, "As the Sadaka birds keep thirsting for the rain waters, they are waiting for 'aishwarya'. Their past is roasting them, like the sweltering heat of rainless summer. Let the breeze of your grace bring the rainbearing clouds of benevolence. Please be kind enough to shower your chicest blessings of wealth and affluence on them, Oh! Mother!"
As he completed His prayer, there was a shower of gold nuggets, the size of 'Amla' fruits, all around the cottage!

7. For the one over ripe, 'Nellik kani', the poor woman had been compensated with enormous wealth. That is why the song is known as, 'Kanaka Dhara Sthavam'. 'Kanaka Dhara' means, rain of gold! 'Sthavam' means, sthuthi or sloka. Another speciality of the sloka is that, it is the first one by the boy, who is the future Acharya. It has in it, Sankaracharya's love, that brahmin girl's love and Mahalakshmi's blessings. Anybody who chants it, will be blessed with, cancellation of past sins and money enough to live a very comfortable life, without wants.

8. Acharyal, who mainly advocated that everything is one, who said the 'jeeva' and 'easwara' are not different, and that, all Gods are one and the same, often insisted that all deities are the different forms of the same God. There is such a slokam in this Sthavam, under consideration. It starts with the words, 'geerdevathethi'. In it He says, "You who is called the pathni of Mahavishnu, who has a flag with the mark of Eagle; are also the Vakdevi Saraswathi; You are also the Sakambari Devi, who is the Goddess of all trees, creepers and plants; You are also the consort of Sasisekhara, Parvathi. You are the power of Tripura, playing the game of Srushti, Sthithi and Samhara."

9. Parasakthi Kamakshi also caused a shower of Gold, in Kanchi mandala, thereby indicating Her non-differentiation with Mahalakshmi. We will cover that in the next e-mail!

Sambhomahadeva.