DEIVATHIN KURAL # 129 (of Vol 2) Dated 05 July 2008

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 129 (of Vol 2) Dated 05 July 2008

(To-day’s e-mail is a continuation of Deivathin Kural # 128 dated 03 July 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 page number 915, of volume 2, of the Tamil original. )

131. One of the reasons for the imbalance in the ratio of males and females in the society is due to the men folk not physically exercising and avoiding physical hard labour. It is not just an idea occurring to me. It is said so in the Sastra-s. People other than Brahmins have the sort of job / profession that they have to exert physically at it. A Brahmin too, if he does all the Nitya Karma Anushtana-s, Yaga-s, Yagna-s, Oupaasana-s and observing the ‘Vrata-s’, fasting and abnegation as required of him in the Sastra-s, he will be physically fit, mentally alert and healthy. That will mean even number of boys and girls will be born in the society.

132. To maintain the Nitya Karma Anushtana means no diseases. These old customs and traditional rituals with some discipline are being maintained only by the women and so, there are more number of female child being born! Visit to Temples , Teertha Snaanam (bathing in sacred waters), Poojas, fasting on occasions required and such discipline is being observed more sincerely, seriously with discipline, only by women folks. Men have mostly let go all these things by default! I cannot gainsay the fact that if there are equal number of males and females, this problem of Dowry can be got rid of! Having meetings and signing for resolutions in the name of reformation without thinking will solve nothing. They are all only temporary palliatives. To abide with the stipulations of the Sastra-s is the only permanent solution.

The Aims of Vivaham.

133. During the period of Brhmacharya Ashrama, the boy learns most of the theoretical part of the Vedas with some practice as related to Nitya Karma Anushtana. Theory is put into practice during Gruhastashrama. He has to physically do the Karma-s and Yagna-s. For that he looks for a partner for life as an inalienable and inseparable asset. She is not only to work as cook in his household and satisfy his sexual needs, but she is supposed to be a ‘Dharma Patni or Yagna Patni’ a mistress for all ennobling purposes of Dharma and Yagna. She is to assist and encourage him in all acts of filial and social responsibilities. She is to stand beside him and assist him in all Karma Anushtana. He is not to do these Samskaras without her, as a widower is not entitled to do Yagna-s. Thus she enables him to make use of the divine powers to be of use to the family and society!

134. As a wife, she takes care of his creature comforts, yes! Simultaneously, she not only cooks for him but, for the ‘Aditi-s’ that is Guests and ‘Vaiswadevam’, that is the animals and birds too. It is the duty of a house-holder to cater for any visitor, including animals and birds! It is she who does this job on his behalf. She is to beget his children, not only purely an act of physical gratification but, with a view to extend the observance of Veda Dharma in to the future! This sort of priority that is given to the rightness of all actions, of morality, discipline, equality and fairness; is not to be seen in any other tradition or culture of any other religion!

135. Thus man-woman relationship is not only physical and material but, closely intended to be for their individual ennoblement, welfare of the family and society. In other religions too, marriage is done in places like the Church, with God as witness! But the intended purpose is not so highly refined and defined! To encourage and assist the husband on the royal highway of Dharma, is not even thought of! To raise her to the pinnacles of high morality by way of faithfulness and devotion to the husband and there by attain to the highest cleanliness of her mind; is not even thought of, in other arrangements of marriage. So here it is commitment for life. There was no question of even thinking about divorce! To think of divorce was a sin! It was simply not one of the options!

136. There were three important aims in a Vivaham. First is to enable a young man who has completed study of his branch of the Vedas, to live the life of a house-holder in Gruhastam as an Ashram. For that to provide him with a life partner as a close confidant and assistant. Second aim is to live a life of purpose and meaning by observing all the enjoined Samskara-s and there by extend the family in to the future generation as people of high morality and principles. Third is that, while he matured in to greatness through the Samskara-s, she was enabled to the highest level of mental and spiritual greatness, by the comparatively less complicated process of ‘surrender’ of her will, being and all to the husband. After these three aims, the fourth subsidiary goal was the couple’s sensual pleasure, which accrued as a by-product!

137. The first three aims have gone by default. Only the fourth secondary and subsidiary aim, has taken priority these days! Naturally when you run after happiness and pleasure, it is going to elude you like the famous ‘tail of the cat’. The cat can never catch it!

138. Paanigrahanam (bride-groom catching the hands of the bride), Maangalya Dharanam (tying the knot of marriage), Sapta Sati (the newly married couple taking their seven steps forward), are the important phases of a marriage. To argue as to whether there is mention of Maangalya Dharanam in Sastra-s or not is sheer waste of time. It is a system that has been going on for thousands of years. There is no need to interfere with it. It is in understanding the purpose of Vivaham as it is meant to be, that we may trace back to the high plateau of moral uprightness, with Lord Chandra Mowleeswara’s blessings!

Sambhomahadeva.