Deivathin Kural # 22 (of Vol 2 ) of 31 Aug 2007.

Om Namah Sivaya.Deivathin Kural # 22 (of Vol 2 ) of 31 Aug 2007.1. These e-mails, are chapter wise translations of the lectures given by, Sri Chandra Sekharendra Swamigal, of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Every day, after the daily Puja, He used to talk, on various aspects concerning Hinduism. These are published, in Tamil, by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, as Deivathin Kural, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each. To-day's talk is titled, 'Moonravathu Vazhi' i.e., 'Third Pathway', in pages 175 to 189, of Deivathin Kural, Volume 2. Evidntly it will be covered by two e-mails.(Unless otherwise specified, 'He' herein includes 'She'.)2. All works should be done in correct order. When any work is done haphazardly, problems arise. Justice or 'Nyaayam', means the proper method. While moving on the road, if the order is to, 'keep to the left', the order applies to all. Our elders have devised a proper procedure for all actions of ours. We must stick to that discipline, unless the order is noticeably faulty. 3. To reach God, they have evolved two methods of justiciable logic. One is 'Baby Monkey Approach' and the other is 'Baby Cat Approach'. In Sanskrit, monkey is 'markatam'; cat is 'maarjaaram' and baby is 'kisoram'. So the approaches are known as, 'markata kisora nyaayam' and 'maarjaara kisora nyaayam'.4. When a cat begets an off-spring, till the baby~cat becomes capable of mobility, the mother carries the baby by catching it at the scruff of it's neck, by it's mouth. So do the tiger and other feline animals, carry their young. They say that the house cat is an uncle of the tiger. As the story goes, the house-cat tought the tiger the tricks of hunting, stealthily approaching, springing and pouncing. But to save itself, did not reveal all the secrets it seems. It did not teach the tiger the method of climbing walls or trees. That aside, both tiger and the cat, love their young ones.5. God has endowed all babies, with the power of attraction. Since that is the only way the young one can survive, God the magician, has given all babies, such power and hold over the mother. To experience the effects of our Karma, we need the body and the body has to be fed, to grow. Even when we do not know all this, we can and do feel hunger which makes us feed. We have been given a tongue, which knows taste, a nose which can smell food and eyes to locate the food! All the equipments and their capabilities are so mutually complimentary, to enable growth and procreation. All tricks to experience the effects of our Karma. Having endowed the babies with the power of attraction and the power to hold our attention, God the Magician has deceived us into doing what He wants us to do. Still, God's deception can only dupe the average common man. It will not be successful with the Gnani. 6. In 'Siksha Saastra', the method of learning and pronounciation of Veda Aksharaas is given. It says, that while learning to chant the Vedas, the student should be so careful and correct in pronounciation, 'as the tigress, catches hold of the baby in her mouth, while moving away from danger'. Look at the beauty of it! The tigress would be catching hold of the new born baby~tiger by the scruff of the neck. She would be avoiding or evading other dangerous predators like Hyena at great speed, in the nick of the moment. She just cannot hurt the baby, nor can she let the small one drop to the ground by any chance. The cat in the village too does similarly. Extreme caution and care have to be exercised with firmness and delicateness! That is the care to be taken in 'Veda Uchchaaranam' , using the 'maarjhaara nyaaya' says Siksha Saastra.7. Similarly, out of two approaches to God, one is the 'cat's maarjhara nyaaya'. The devotee is likened to the baby cat. He has no will or effort of his own. He has totally surrendered to the Ultimate. With love, reverance and adoration, they would have completely entrusted themselves, to God's care, totally accepting whatever happens. As the baby~cat is wholely dependent on the Mother, they would be resting their hearts in the golden feet of the Master. Such devotion is known as 'maarjhara kisora nyaaya'.8. The baby~monkey' s approach and attitude is totally opposite to that of the baby~cats. There is another set of devotees like that. Have you ever seen a mother~monkey scurrying away from danger, while her baby~monkey is clinging on to her belly. While rushing from tree to tree, branch or whatever, the mother~ape would have no time to even think about the baby. But the baby~ape would be holding on to the mother's belly for life! God has given such a grip to the new-born babe~monkey! God is supposed to have granted a boon to the baby~monkey, 'whatever you bite will be sugar-like and whatever you catch will be vice-like'. In Tamil, there is a phrase for a powerful grip as, 'korangup-pidi' .9. There are some devotees of this type of, 'markkata kisora nyaaya'. They will catch hold of God like that. They will not wait for God to grant them, their wish. 'Even if He is going to discard me, I am not going to leave Him', is their attitude. Manikka Vaachagar tells Siva, "chikkenap pidiththen", meaning, 'I catch-You-as- catch-can' . He calls Siva in 'Siva Puranam', 'bakthi valayil paduvon', meaning, 'falling in the net of devotion'. The question arises as to whether God is catchable by the devotee or of His own volition, falls in the devotee's net? If the devotee is bent on catching Him, He has the 'time and inclination' to fall in the devotee's net!10. Amongst Vaishnavas, there are two sub-divisions known as, 'Vada-kalai and Then-kalai', based on two different approaches of theirs for surrendering to God. The Vada-kalai Vaishnavas, who are followers of Sri Vedanta Desikan, by 'markata kisora nyaaya', say that 'we as devotees should surrender to God, with the never giving up attitude'. Those who follow Sri Manavala Mamuni and Sri Pillai Lokachariyar, adopt the 'maarjhara kisora nyaaya', by which, the devotee simply surrenders, without a care in the world, leaving everything in God's hands. 11. Now-a-days, our awareness of their differences is thought to be only in the way they apply the Namam on their foreheads. If the Namam looks like the English letter 'U', it is Vadakalai; and if the Namam looks like the English letter 'Y', it is Thenkalai! In fact the difference lies in their approach to the principle of surrender. The 'U' and 'Y' of the Naamam, is only an outer indication of this difference in their siddhanta. 12. Saranagathy tatvam or the surrender principle, is called 'prapaththy' . In the end of Gita, Bhagavan says, "sarva dharman parithyajya mam ekam saranam vraja". That is like a 'Taraka Mantram', for the principle of surrender. When Vibhishana surrendered to Sri Ramachandra Murthy, just before crossing of the ocean in Ramayana, Rama states that, "It is my life time assurance and duty, to protect anyone who surrenders to me":- "sakrudeva prapannaya tavasmithi cha yasyate I abhayam sarva buthebyo dadami etat vratam mama II"Vaishnavas consider both Gita and Ramayana as, Saranagathy Sastras.13. Let tatvas and siddhantas be whatever. How are we in practical life? Are we able to accept our own life's twists and turns as, God's will? Do we have such devotion and dispassion? No! Alternately, do we sincerely and seriously, make an effort to steadfastly catch hold of God? This also we are incapable of. 'Good are bad, I do not know anything. It is all Her look out.' We are not able to have this attitude of the baby~cat. 'I have to get Mother's protection. So, whatever happens, I am not going to let go of Her.' Neither do we have this firm conviction of the baby~monkey!14. Neither of the approaches seem to be suitable for us. We seem to lack maturity both ways. Then what are we to do? Is there a third path? Is there someone who can guide us? Yes, such a person is there! He is Adi Sankara Bhagavath Paadar. Your immediate response is likely to be on the following lines:- "Both Saranagathy routes are part of Bakthi Margas. This Bakthi itself seems to be unreachable and beyond our comprehension. Adi Sankara, after all is a 'Gnana Marga' person! He is likely to simply say, 'Forget about baktha and bhagavan. Simply be Brhmam!' We can never do that, is it not so?"15. Yes, Adi Sankara is the staunch propounder of the path of, 'Gnana'. But, He did not prescribe Gnana Marg as a 'panacea' for all persons allways and every time! He has guided us in various ways, depending on our starting points and maturity of development. Like even the foot-path trails lead to Highways, He has suggested routes to the Gnana Marg. Even in Bakthi Marg, other than, 'markata~kisoram and marjhara~kisoram' , He has suggested a third path, for people like us, in 'Sivananda Lahari'.16. Here He is comparing our minds to the behaviour of a monkey only. It is behaving like a monkey only, most of the time, except in tightly catching hold of the Mother, that is God. In all other respects, this mind is a monkey! So He is telling God, "come as a Monkey Tamer". Very rarely this mind of our's behaves. It's vacillations are infinite. Such a monkey should better be under the control of an expert tamer! Both will benefit. The Tamer will be gainfully employed and the monkey will be on a tight leash!17. He says:- "After all, You are roaming as a mendicant, holding an inverted skull bone for a begging bowl! If You have a monkey in tow, You will also get plenty of alms and the monkey will also remain under control, in Your care. The best monkey for You, is my mind. Though it is a baby~monkey, it has not identified You as the Mother, and cought hold of You. Had my mind been a baby~cat atleast, You would have taken care of it on Your own. But, this mind of mine is an uncontrollable monkey. You are also not a Mother~cat, but a mendicant! Instead of being simply a begger, You will also get more respect as an entertainer~ artist! This mischievous monkey will make many attempts to escape from You. Tie it up by the leash of love and take it away."18. We ask God to give us, wealth, health, fame, name, progeny and so on. In fact, we should be approaching God for help in controlling this vacillating mind of ours. Mind will make us do many unnecessary things. The eyes see things not to be seen. Ears hear things not worthy of hearing. The tongue is ever hanging out salivating for ever new tastes. The reason for all this is the mind's aspiration for ever novel sensations. But this mind of ours, can and will come around to mending of ways, if it gets hold of the most delectable of all ideas! A child takes a chocolate lovingly. If it gets Cadbury's Gems, it may throw away the chocolate. Similarly, the most delectable of all ideas is, God Himself. So God, take away this monkey~mind of mine, tied on a leash of love:-"kapalin! biksho! me hrudaya kapim atyanta chapalamdrudam bakthya banthva siva, bhavat adeenam kuru vibho!"(To be continued.)Sambhomahadeva.