DEIVATHIN KURAL # 117 (of Vol 2) Dated 08 June 2008

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 117 (of Vol 2) Dated 08 June 2008



(To-day’s e-mail is a continuation of Deivathin Kural # 116 dated 06 June 2008. These are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti peetam, over a period of some sixty years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of last century. These have been published in Tamil by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each, as Deivathin Kural. To day we are proceeding from the middle of Page 858, of volume 2, of the Tamil original. )



12. More than anything else, now-a-days Government downwards everybody has been making much of Family Planning and making no dent in population statistics despite spending millions of rupees over the past five decades! There is no need for this whatsoever if only, the self control and restrictions as per our Sastras, discussed in the previous paragraphs were to be applied. As far as possible, if married couples were to stick to naturally occurring vegetables and fruits instead of cooked food; to go hand in hand with avoidance of sex on the forbidden days; ‘family planning’ will be automatic and natural.

13. I will touch upon another related point. Though this point does not seem to directly relate to control of population, it is my sincere opinion after much detailed study of all relevant factors that, this social evil of the dowry, has become more emphasized only after the ratio of women vis-à-vis men became high. This happened only when the Brahmin from a work culture of much self denial, coupled with physically tiring hard work involved in Yagnya Karma Anushtanas, he opted for English education and sedentary work load of desk bound life of a bureaucrat / clerk. In the name of ‘poorta karma’, the brahmin used to physically participate in social service activities such as, digging a well or pond, making roads and so on. Then the number of men remained high and women were a much sought after lot. Then, instead of the dowry becoming a heinous evil of the society, women were receiving dowry. They used to have ‘Swayam Var’ and used to have their choice of a suitable bachelor boy! (Amongst Khasis in Meghalaya and Mompas and Daflas in the Himalayas, not so easily affordable ‘five yaks’ used to be the costly price of a young girl for marriage, say some two to three decades back!)

14. In support of my above observation, please note that, the evil practice of selling of the women, which used to be the bane of the brahmin community only, is spreading to other castes too, where they are also opting for physically not so demanding sedentary work culture. So, even amongst the people working in the offices, at least on holidays, they should opt for social service involving physical labour! May be by doing so, the ratio will even out and the ‘evil of the dowry system’ will die its own death! Anyhow, that was only a bit of a digression. I started on the point of the need for self control and discipline in enjoying sensual pleasures too!

Vivaham is Like Upanayanam for Women.



15. Brhmacharyam prepares a man suitably to live by Adhyapakam and Karma Anushtana, whereas the women have no Upanayanam and Brhmacharya Ashrama! ‘Is this not partiality’, ask the so called reformists! I say, ‘No. There has been no injustice here. The very Samskara of Vivaham, is like the girl’s Upanayanam! As he devoted his heart and soul in listening to the words of the Guru and obeying them, she has to show the same obedience and devotion to her husband. “streenaam Upanayana stane Vivaham manuh abraveet”, meaning that ‘for women Vivaham is as good as Upanayanam for men’, says Manu. In a lighter vein, if you ask me to show a physical proof, as boys get the Poonool in Upanayanam, girls get the Mangalya Sutram or Thread in Vivaham! Upanayanam, I said is to take the student near the Guru. Similarly, Vivaham takes the girl near her husband. For the girls, husband is their Guru!

16. That is as per the Sastras, the way a young boy is taken to the Guru at the very young age of seven, the girl should be married at that age of seven. As I said earlier, that before Kama can enter the students mind, Gayatri mantra should be entrenched there, the girl should accept the husband as God and Guru, for her. This can only happen at a very young age that she could unquestioningly surrender to her partner for life. The end advice of Bhagawat Gita, when Sri Krishna tells Arjuna, “sarva dharmaan parityajya maam ekam saranam vraja, mokchayishyaami sarva paapebyo, maa suchah”, is equally applicable in the case of this girl to offer her all at the feet of her lord and consort!

17. Surrender of the heart and soul- is ‘saranaagati’! That is the surest of methods. When you do this surrender to God or Guru or Pati; that is all that is to be done! No more worries. Through that God sanctions you the ‘anugraha’, so that you may never have to worry! Thus, the boy is to surrender to the Guru after Upanayanam and learn the art of life; and then later at the time of marriage, the girl has to do the same surrender to the husband; is the system evolved by the Rishis with in-depth deliberation and great care. The fact is that the woman is not the one identified for any special treatment of denigration but the man too has had to do that with the Guru, as part of the learning process! He does the same also at the same age in which she is required to do so. Higher-lower; right, position, status, male-female; are not the things that matter. What is important is the concept of the highest ennoblement through humility and humbleness. The aim is to get the cobwebs removed from one’s mind, through surrender to God / Guru / Husband. By accepting the greatness of Guru and or Husband, you do not demean yourself but rise above crassness and mediocrity!

(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.