DEIVATHIN KURAL # 131 (of Vol 2) Dated 10 July 2008

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 131 (of Vol 2) Dated 10 July 2008



(These e-mails 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 number 923, of volume 2, of the Tamil original, as a continuation of Deivathin Kural # 130 of 08 July 2008.)

13. Oupaasanam is a Karma that is required to be done by people of all castes. Vaidya Natha Deekchideeyam and such Dharma Sastra-s clearly describes as to how the fourth caste of Sudra-s are required to do Jaata Karma, Naama Karana, Aanhikam, daily activities of Snaanam. Daanam and Prayers; Apara Karyam of things to be done when there is an occurrence of death in the family; and Sraardam to be done on that day every year. These are their Rightful duties. Without knowing this, the so called reformists come forward to pick up a quarrel for their Rights! They are supposed to chant certain Slokas which end in ‘Namo’ and do the Oupaasanam every day twice!

14. When I say that all castes are required to do Oupasanam, another matter occurs to me. Some people ask as to why only Oupaasanam? Why not let all castes be permitted to do Adhyayanam, chant the Gayatri mantra and participate in the conduct of all types of Yagna-s? On one side is complete agnosticism leaning on to violent activists who champion burning of the Veda-s and breaking of the statue of Gods and Goddesses! On the other side are, yet another type of so called Reformists who want to make it ‘free for all’, that all people of all castes should be permitted to do all the activities as enjoined in the Veda-s!

15. Taking my criticism of the Brahmin for not doing his appointed duties as the basis, they argue on the following lines. ‘It is the Brahmin who has reneged on his duties and has set the precedence for other castes also to let their duties go by default! So the whole Hindu society will have to be reformed and revived. When we do that, why should we give the pride of place to the Brahmins who, after all, have been the original culprits? If for the sake of the welfare of the whole world, Veda-s are to be practiced, preserved and protected; why not let everybody learn and chant the Veda-s? Let us give Poonool to all!’

16. In organizations like the Arya Samaj, all are taught the Veda-s and are enabled to do Yagna-s. There was one Bharathiyar, a rarity who gave ‘Brhma Upadesam’ to a person from the fourth Varna . Now they want to make the Veda-s a public property! This is not correct! I am the representative authorized to speak on behalf of the Sastra-s. This is not at all acceptable to the Rishis, the founding fathers of the Veda-s. They are known as not only the founding fathers, they are the ‘Mantra Drashtaas’, the Seers of the Mantras, those who virtually saw the Veda Mantras in the spaces of their inner conscience. They are not people of narrow vision or parochial affiliations. They were neither materialistic nor money minded! With no axes to grind of their own, they were large hearted enough to share their ennobling experiences with the world at large! It is my duty to point out that, to make learning and propagation of Veda-s, the job of any Tom, Dick and Harry; is not acceptable to those Rishis, who were the Mantra Drashtaas!

17. There are two types of sins. Any person, who lets his assigned duties go by default, commits one type of sin. He is known as ‘Karma Brashta’. The other is to renege on his duties and take up the job meant for another. This chap is known as ‘Karmanthara Pravishta’! This is a greater sin. There are two reasons why.

18. The man, who has let his assigned duties go by default, may give some explanation that he is not convinced about this social structure and these assigned duties or some such thing. Though in matters of the Sastra-s, there is no scope for such individual preferences and convictions, one may let this go. But what does the man who takes up somebody else’s Karma and Aachaara Niyama-s, think? He would in all likelihood think low of his own duties and think highly of the duties that he now prefers to take up! This very thought is anathema, to the modern concepts of ‘equality’ and ‘dignity of labour’ and contrary to the Sastra-s too!

19. The ‘Karma Brashta’ is lesser of the evils since, he may only think sincerely that the Rishi-s and their Sastra-s are not in tune with the modern times and rather out-dated! He does not think of them as being partial or parochial! But, the ‘Karmaantara Pravishta’, brings the very division of castes in to different categories, under a cloud of dispute! He is alluding that the Rishi-s have been partial and favouring some castes against others. This is a far greater sin!

20. ‘Brahmins have failed and so we will create a fresh lot of Brahmins’, is as good as saying, “He has left his duty undone, so I will also do the same!” But the confusion becomes confounded, when he says, “I will take the Brahmin’s role!” This is exactly like bringing down a Government on charges of corruption so that I could form the Government and enjoy the privilege of being corrupt! All Karmas are meant to kill your ‘Ego’ or ‘Ahankaaraa’ and pride! Without personal desires and hatreds, if we take our being born in a caste as God’s making, and take up that profession as assigned to us by our birth as an opportunity for self effacement and cleansing of our self; there is no more a problem! Humility and humaneness is the basement on which the social edifice of caste structure is built in Hinduism. When each individual stands on that firm basis and works hard at it, he gains immensely spiritually, irrespective of the caste in which he may be born.(KTSV adds:- It may be noted here that, caste system was not a great hindrance but encouraging ennobler in the life of many of the Nayanmars and Azhvars. Once their greatness was revealed to the world again, caste was irrelevant when it came to their being revered, respected and deified by one and all!) That is one part of the argument.

21. Second point is that, however much you may be highly motivated to create a new breed of Brahmins, with the noble intention of making the Veda-s known the world over, the Veda sounds heard every where with related Yagna activities; pride and Ahankaara may still not be done away with!

22. The third point is that, however much you may harp on the principle of equality, some amount of inferiority complex will be there in those Self Styled Brahmins. The doubt will remain in their minds as to, “Can I do this? Will I be able to do this? Will I get the right intonation and ‘Uchchaaran’? Finally will I be able to evoke the Gods and have right effect of the Mantras?” Now finally what is the surety that they are not going to misuse their position and status?

23. Now relate the above points to the fact that, in Arya Samajam and so many such organizations aiming to reform the Hindu Religion, by making it devoid of Caste-s, please think as to why have the non-brahmins not joined them in such vast numbers; if the Caste System was really as horrendous as it is made out to be!

(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.