Deivathin Kural Series - 188

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 188 of 20 May 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, 'Amma', that is, 'Mother', in pages 891 to 894, of Deivathin Kural, Volume 1.

2. Mother's love for her child, is total, complete and pure, not to be matched by any other, in the whole world. Whatever the baby, whether the child responds with love or not, the Mother continues to shower all the love on the off-spring. This is best described in the Tamil aphorism, 'perra manam pithu, pilly manam kallu', meaning that, 'the mother's heart is love-mad and the off-spring's heart is stony'. There is a Sloka by the name, 'Devi Aparada Kshamapana Stotram', by which, we tell Her 'our errors of commission and omission', and ask for pardon. There is line in that sloka which says, 'there can be bad children, but never a bad mother'. Total unconditional love and selfless perseverence, can only be seen in Mother!

3. From the time of conception, we get attached to Mother. There is an physical umblical cord, till birth. Then there is an emotional cord. From the supply of food, for everything, the child depends on the Mother. It is at the time of childhood, that this attachment is most strong. In the animal world, this attachment is most evident. The way the young dotes on the Mother and takes much joy in shouting, 'Amma', makes you wonder if the word 'Amma' has been copied by the humans from the animal world only. Not only in Tamil, in Telugu, Kannada and Marathi, it is the same, 'Amma'. In Malayalam, they say, 'Ammai'. In Sanskrit, it is, 'Ma and Amba' and in Hindi, it is, 'Ma and Mayi'. In English, it is, 'Mummy and Mamma'. All these words seem to have evolved from the 'Amma', of the off-spring of the cow.

4. Let this Mother's love be set aside. She is only the Mother for this body! After death, there is no more connections and attachments. Once her body or our body is no more, this connection ceases. Then a period of residence in some other womb; another Mother. Unlike this Mother for the body only, there is a Mother for life. The body dies and dissipates and so does the Mother-Child connection. What is called the 'uyir' in Tamil, call it 'Atma' or 'life'; that never dies as the body. For this, uyir / atma / life, there is a Mother, who is permanent, eternal for all times, The Mother, ever-ready. Like the Cow for the cattle, in 'n' number of births, at all times, for all life forms, there is this Mother, to recognise whom is the purpose of existance. That is the way for transcending the cycle of birth and death too. Instead of transferring our attachments, from one biological Mother to another biological Mother, we can forever get connected to The Mother!

5. All our power is Her's only. The one indivisible Parasakthi, seemingly exhibits bits and pieces of power, in all the multi-various life forms. There is just no logic in our feeling proud about any of our achievements personally, because, all that we do is with Her power only. Once we become aware of this simple truth, automatically surrender happens. This awareness also brings with it the awareness that She is taking care. Like the Mother who provides the necessities to the child, without the child having to ask for it, once you have sincere true devotion, She takes care of all that is needed, including the right education, knowledge, wealth, bodily beauty and through all this, attain to, 'Atma Gnana' too. Forget about our getting 'atma adwaita gnana' and being happy as a result; that happens one day when all our 'Karma Vinai' is undone. Let us not have any feeling of inadequasy that we do not have 'Atma Gnana', now. Now, just now, we have our Mother. Let us be devoted to Her. This very process of being devoted is happiness. This is an end in itself! This is true for us and everyone as She is the Mother for all of us.

(This is the last of a series of talks on Ambal in so many forms starting with 'Saraswathi' in Deivathin Kural # 156 of 20 Feb 2007. This brings us to the end of Volume 1, with 'Mangala Aarthi', about Hanumar, that is our next e-mail.)

Sambhomahadeva.