DEIVATHIN KURAL # 145 (of Vol 2) Dated 26 August 2008

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 145 (of Vol 2) Dated 26 August 2008

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyavaal 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 981, of volume 2, of the Tamil original, as a continuation of Deivathin Kural # 144 of 24 August 2008.)
31. I told you about 14 and 18 Vidya-s (things to be learnt and known). All that was for this purpose only, of reminding you about the need to reconnect with the central power of Parama Atma Shakti, irrespective of whether you belong to which part of Veda or its branches, and or believe in the principle of Adwaita or Dwaita or Visishtadwaita or Saiva Siddhahnta-s.
The first four Vidya-s are the four Veda-s. Each Siddhanta Aachaaryaar has elaborated on the different aspects of the ‘Principled Variations!’ But otherwise, all these Eighteen Ashta Dasa Vidya-s are the common property of all the followers of what is known as Sanatana Hindu Dharma.
32. Though not part of these 18 Vidya-s and Dwaita-Adwaita-Visishtadwaita-Saiva Siddhahnta-s; there is one thing known as ‘Yoga’, the need to reconnect with the central power of Parama Atma Shakti! Karma, Bakti, Gnana are all Yoga only. There is one Eight-Part-Yoga known as Astahanga Yoga also known as ‘Raja Yoga’. Though not included in the 18 Vidya-s, it is part of the six-fold Shastra-s of ‘Shad-Darsanam’, inclusive of Sankhyam-Yogam; Nyayam-Vaiseshikam; and Meemamsai-Vedantam!
33. In addition to this, depending on the Main Deity of worship, the Hindus are divided in to six religions of, Saivam, Saktam, Vaishnavam, Ganapatyam, Koumaram and Souram, for the followers of Siva, Sakti, Vishnu, Ganapati, Kumara and Surya, respectively. All these have their own ‘Tantra’ Saastra, delineating their special modes of worship and Aagama Saastra, describing their Temple construction and the methods of worship in those temples containing its own Do’s and Don’t’s! It is surprising to note that these are the very differentiations which makes the Hindus a minority in practice and a majority in numbers! The problem is one of not knowing fully all these differentiations. Our Saastra-s are like the Hindu Maha Samudra, the Indian Ocean! We must make an effort to know as much as possible, the different aspects of perspective and practice while fully subscribing to the Oneness of it all!
34. On the one side are those who have faith in the Saastraa-s considered as ‘archaic-has-beens’ and on the other are those who have had modern education, who have not only no belief in Saastraa-s but, have some mistaken wrong notions about them! It does not have to be like that at all. Those people with the faith in Saastraa-s and knowledge about them, need not be the, ‘archaic-has-beens’! Those with the English education do not have to be non-believing either! This happens to only those with insufficient knowledge in either. The one who has deeper knowledge, will see that there are common grounds. With more exposure and deeper knowledge, there is more scope for further investigation of the common grounds! It is my sincere wish that the old and the new, Science and Saastraa-s, with greater mutual understanding, should be complimentary to each other!
35. However much myself or anybody for that matter may shout hoarse and or give lectures from the top of our lungs, culture cannot grow. That is, a nation’s culture cannot be ‘cultured’! It has to spontaneously evolve. Our Nations culture is an evolute of a combination of the effects of our beliefs, faith and Karma Anushtana and the resultant clarity of mind and attitude, known as ‘Chitta Suddhi’. Then only we can know and understand the essence of what we are studying. Then only we will know as to what to absorb from foreign cultures and what not to absorb! For this we should first of all try and live our life as per the dictates of our own Saastraa-s!
36. Yes these days, we have undergone a tremendous change in our dress, food habits, living habitats and transportations, the past seems to have receded in to antiquity forever irrevocably! So, it is rather astounding even to think of going back to our old ways. Still we have to make an effort to see at the least, as to which are the areas where we can bring back some of the old value systems! Our religion is based on certain disciplined, repetitive, traditions in food habits, behavioral restrictions and attitudinal principles. Thus it has to become a part of our day to day living. It cannot be revived by any amount of lectures and reading in books alone!
37. To effect the changes that I am recommending, is not so extremely difficult, as you may imagine! If we make one change compulsorily, forcibly, within ourselves in our attitudes, of refusing to give undue importance to money; it is possible to bring about the changes I am recommending! It is this pre-occupation with money making, that has taken away the sting and bite of all our Vidya and Gnana. Money was never the criteria in our country. The very worldly life was considered as a preparatory prelude for subsequent ennoblement of the inner spiritual!
38. It is said that, “arta karee cha vidya”, meaning, ‘education gives money too’. We have made this into, “arta karee eva vidya”, meaning, ‘education for making money only’. If we get rid of this thought, this greed for money out of our system, things can change. We can start bringing in a life as per the Saastraa-s, Aachaara-s and learn all the Vidya-s, thereby enable further growth of our culture to its inevitable role as a model to emulate! I pray to God for that. I pray that we should make an effort in that direction, with sincerity and humility.
Sanmbhomahadeva