DEIVATHIN KURAL # 152 (of Vol 2) Dated 15 Sept 2008

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 152 (of Vol 2) Dated 15 Sept 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 last para of page number 1,007, of volume 2, of the Tamil original. This e-mail is a continuation of Deivathin Kural # 151 (of Vol 2) dated 12 Sept 2008.)
60. ‘Aasoucham’ is ‘Theettu’. When a Brahmin has a bath, prior to the conduct of any Karya or Kriya or Yagna, he is supposed to have cleansed him self preparatory to that important function! Now, till the function is over and completed, he is not to be touched physically. Even when this happens accidentally, he has to take another bath and start all over again. That physical contact may be just a slight touch of the tip of a finger. It could be another Brahmin, (Srouti or Deekshidar or Misra or Chaturvedi,) and need not be a Sudra or Vysya or Kshatriya! He is still ‘asoucham’ and take another bath, to start all over again the ritual!
61. This very Brahmin participated, rubbing shoulders with all and sundry, with no consideration for things such as ‘touchability and untouchability’, in functions such as pulling of the huge Temple chariot in a function such as ‘Ratha + Utsavam = Rathotsavam!’ They returned home and ate their food without having had a bath. There is no ‘asoucham’ involved here. So says the Saastra-s. That was the period when they were one in all respects while keeping their separate identity intact, in the professional fields alone. That they were not united is only a convenient canard created by the White man for capturing and retaining their hold over the vast country!
62. But later after Mahatma Gandhi’s monumental efforts to regain the independence from the Britishers, a multi pronged effort has been afoot to sustain the canard made of lies and fiction. By clever propaganda the canard has been enlarged as though, the casteism is the worst of social evils in the whole world. As time went on, the reformist’s slogan ‘no castes’ has been expanded to, ‘no castes, no temple, no veda and no Hinduism’! But at the ultimate level Vedam itself says, ‘No need for the Veda-s or castes.’
63. ‘Once you have attained to Gnana,’ Upanishad says, ‘Vedam is not Vedam and the un-touchable is not un-touchable’! Till that realization occurs, you need the Veda-s, the Temples, Castes and the rituals. You need all the differentiations; to go beyond separateness. For the one who is constantly endeavoring to get liberated, everything becomes one at the end. At that end, he has no more duties to perform (Gita III.17). In this world of give and take; transactions and trade; odds and sorts; to talk of universal oneness and say that there should not be any differentiations, would not be very correct. In this transactional world, this concept of Adwaitam should be apparent as, universal unconditional Love towards one and all! Love towards all Jaati-s, all animals and life-forms; without any preferences and dislikes!
64. So say the Saastraa-s! That is, Adwaitam by Love and Dwaitam by actions and interactions. Inner under current of universal love should always be there. In action, however, we have to treat others as others only. Vedam says, “Bhaavaat dwitam kuryaat; kriyaat Adwaitam na karhichit”. This means that, in our understanding and assumption, Adwaitam should be there and not in our interactions with others! There will be order and neatness, in the worldly life only if we differentiate and recognize the individuality in all as separate identities. Then only we can progress in our meditation, without any confusion and agitation! So, Adwaitam for our inner convictions and Dwaitam for our interactions is the right approach. The worldly life is unreal. Sanaatana Dharma, organizes it systematically as though it is real, till you attain to realization!
65. In that, what was organized in to four Varna-s, has further branched out in to many sub-castes. Like the ‘Sapta Swaraa-s’(What is called the Octave in western music, is Sapta Swaraa-s in Indian classical music, as the eighth note is a repetition of the first!), by mixing in various ways become 72 Mela-Karta Raagaa-s and further give birth to many Janya Raagaa-s, the four castes have generated many combinations of sub-castes. These sub-castes have their own traditions and have their own Sampradaaya Dharma.
Other Religions
66. If other religions have these sort of differences within their own religions, these would not be seen as big draw backs. Not only that. People from other religions, in trying to popularize their own, have made it a point to make fun of our religion, on this platform. If you deeply look into it, it is this Hindu Religion, which has lasted the longest and is still thriving. It is our civilization which withstood the test of time. Other civilizations have come and gone in to oblivion. This, ‘inner oneness and outer separateness’ is a unique feature of Sanaatana Varna Ashrama Dharma, which is the cause of its longevity.
67. In other religions, there is much oneness and division too, which are virtual divorcing of ways and concepts. Christians have Protestants, Catholics and Greek Orthodox Church. Then when you go deeper in to it, amongst those who consider themselves to be Christians, there are numerous different doctrines and traditions. There are many controversies between the denominations, which persist to-day! Let me just try and list a few of their different churches. There are, Eastern Orthodoxy, Arianism, Non-Trinitarian, Presbyterian, Anglican, Restorationism, Anabaptism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Western Rites, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Rites, Oriental Orthodoxy, Assyrian Church, Adventists, Lutheran, Holy Church and Independent Catholics. The list is hardly exhaustive and comprehensive of all the divisions!
68. Then if you take the Islam, on the one hand, it is very close in principle and concepts to, Adwaitam, Dwaitam, Visishtadwaitam and Saiva Siddhantam, in some concepts, while on the other hand, it considers itself as totally different and unlike any other religion! The three major divisions are Zia, Sunni and Ahmedias. Then there are some Patani-s and Labbai-s. Not only that they do not have marital relations amongst some of the divisions; Zia and Sunnis hate each others that, we often hear of overt and covert war like situations in countries such as, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq.
69. They are all one, on the one principle of criticizing the Hindus on the grounds of Caste, so as to conveniently convert them in to their own religion by use all sorts of props! The most important point here to take note of is that, it is in India that any and every religion has found lodging and thrived. We have let them come in and despite the initial periods of wars and blood-shed, have managed to Indianise them to quite a remarkable degree! It is worthy of mention that some Jews, who were lucky enough to happen to land up in India, after the diaspora, found a very comfortable niche in India. So have Sumerians, Parsees and Assyrians!
70. In the next e-mail, I will further elaborate on three things. One, that we believe in ‘Athiti Devo Bhava’, that is our hospitality. Two, that we do not believe in Conversion but Inversion. Three, on the logic of this Religion’s longevity!
Sambhomahadeva.