Deivathin Kural Series - 153

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 153 of 16 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.

2. To-day's talk is titled, 'Bhagavan Yar? Bhagavath Padar Badil' that is, 'Who is God? Sankara Bhagavath Padar's Reply', in pages 696 to 700, of Deivathin Kural, Volume 1.(This is the 8th successive e-mail, on the subject of Oneness of Siva-Vishnu.)

3. Parameswara and Sriman Narayana are One and not two. Name, form, shape and work are all seperate. But the stuff of which they are made of, is one. When I say stuff, do not think of some material. In the essence of their being, they are one and the same! Sri Sankara Bhagavath Padal's confirmed opinion is this. He has authored a treatise, called, 'Prasnothara Ratna Malika', meaning, 'Garland of Gems of Questions and Answers'. 'Prasna' means the question. 'Uthara' is the reply. He has strung the most important questions and their answers, as though in a garland. The treatise is his blessing to the far advanced amongst the seekers.

4. One of the questions is, "Who is God?" The reply, "Sankara Narayana Atma Eka : ", meaning, 'The one Atma, known as Sankara and Narayana.' This reply is a clear pointer that, in his mind, there is no differentiation between, Siva and Vishnu.

5. In this attitude, all the followers of Sankaracharyar, known as 'Smarthas', start any and every activity, 'Parameswara preethyartham' and end it with, 'Krishna arpanam'. That is, they start the activity, for the satisfaction of Siva and end it as an offering to Vishnu. How can you start an activity for the satisfaction of one and offer it to another? This is only possible, when both are the same.

6. If you ask the hard core Vaishnavas, they will say, 'only Vishnu is God. Siva is like any other life form.' If you ask Veera Saiva, they will say, 'only Siva is the first complete God. Vishnu is only another life form!' However, it is interesting to note that, both the parties hold the view that their respective Gods, is also indwelling in all the life forms! Even if we take their words on face value, Siva is indwelling in Vishnu as per the saivites and Vishnu is indwelling in Siva as per the vaishnavites! So anyhow, Siva has to pray to the indwelling Vishnu and Vishnu has to pray to the indwelling Siva and we all may as well pray to both as one!

7. If we stand apart without taking any sides, we can and should listen to the centrists such as Kalidasa and Bana. They are quite clear that, it is one seen as many gods. Kalidasa says, 'there is only one truth, seen and known as three. They are not to be assessed as higher or lower. They are equal.' To quote him, 'ekeiva murthy: bibithe thrida sa. samanyameshaam prathamaa varathvam'. Bana says the same thing;- 'I pray and prostrate to the One, who with Rajo guna, creates the universe as Brhma, takes care of the universe with satva guna as Vishnu and reabsorbs with tamo guna as Siva; that One, without birth or death, I bow myself to.'

8. What these two poets say, without any pride or parochialism, about Brhma, Vishnu and Siva, is equally applicable to all Gods. The grate souls who speak from the peak of their experiences, though having a particular God as their personal preference, have identified that the so called others are the same. Appayya Deekshidar says, "though there is no difference between Maheswara and Janardana, my mind somehow is easily absorbed in Siva who is adorned by the crescent moon". Leela Sugar says in Krishna Karnamrutham, "I am a Saivite only. I do chant the five lettered mantra of 'Om Namah Sivaya'. But what to do, my mind is somehow totally absorbed in Gopika Ramana".

9. You can have your 'Ishta Devata'. But since you know that Your God is all and everything, we are not to decry other's Gods. There is no scope for hatered in this. Either way, they say that Siva is a devotee of Vishnu or vice versa, they do not say that they are enemies of each other. In one purana, Siva prostrates in front of Vishnu. In another purana, Vishnu does that to Siva. By doing so, they have not demeaned themselves. They are telling us to be respectful to each other. God comes in so many forms, for the individual preferences. Even if we do not consider the other as God, they should get the respect of ours as another devotee at the least. Vaishnavas hold the view that Baghavathars should be reverred as incarnations of God. Similarly, Saivites believe that devotees of Siva are to be treasured as, "Adiyarkku adiyen".

10. In the 'prasnothra ratna malika', quoted earlier, another question is, 'who is the greatest or foremost of Gods?' In answer, Acharyal says, 'Chit Sakthi'. That is the supreme awareness or the super consciousness. That is the one word for all Gods put together. That is Gnanambigai! Let Her blessing may dawn on us, to remove all seperateness from our minds.

Sambhomahadeva.