DEIVATHIN KURAL # 157 (of Vol 2) Dated 02 Oct 2008

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 157 (of Vol 2) Dated 02 Oct 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 paragraph in page number 1,025, of volume 2, of the Tamil original. This e-mail is a continuation of Deivathin Kural # 156 (of Vol 2) dated 29 Sept 2008.)
(Note:- All these Deivathin Kural e-mails are available in ‘http://advaitham.blogspot.com’, which is being updated every time this e-mail is sent. )
110. I was talking about why despite knowing that it is well nigh impossible to bring back the past, I was giving you a detailed description of how there was unity in diversity between the four castes. The first reason in doing so was to refute the argument that the ‘chatur varna system’ was one sided. But in fact it was the most unique as obtaining nowhere else in the whole world. Instead of being the bane of the society, it was the most universally beneficial too. There is another more important reason as to why I have been talking about the ‘chatur varna system’.
111. Now the duties of the three castes other than Brahmin, have become inextricably and unrecognizably intermingled. Some how the jobs of the government, services of army, navy and airforce, internal maintenance of law and order, industries, production of goods and materials in factories, trades and commerce; are all happening once again somehow! Not as systematically as before, but with unnecessary and avoidable elements of hate, jelousy, competitiveness, conflicts and protests. As a practical necessity, since these activities have to happen, they are some how happening! But the jobs of the Brahmins are all going by default. Their jobs of practicing, propogating, being living examples of the Veda-s and Saastraa-s and Karma Anushtaanaa-s; is going by default!
112. To encourage simple living and high thinking in the society by demonstration is going abegging. The motivation of the masses in spiritual and religious endevours is lagging. The Dharma of Brahminhood itself has become defunct! The very job of the Brahmin is not only loosing its lusture but becoming disposable. ‘We do not need the Brahmin anymore’ is the war cry of the so called reformists. (‘Anybody could do the lucrative job of the temple Archakaa-s’, says Doctor Mudalvar Kalaignar Mu Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu!) Somehow, the work of the Brahmin does not seem to be as essential as the work of the other three castes!
113. Brahmin’s subtle role of chanting the Veda Mantra-s for the well being of the universe, does not seem to be very important in the minds of the people in power! Though in actual fact the Brahmin’s role for the society is as important as the very breath for a living thing, it is being ignored, relegated, under played, ridiculed and attempted to be got rid of! We celebrate the production of materials and consumer goods in all other fields in the name of progress and prosperity; to the utter disregard for moral and spiritual progress and prosperity!
114. What is the use of material well being, when there is no cultural and spiritual upliftment? One day or other, we will wake up to the fact that, this is not real progress at all! There has to be a set of people totally devoted to learning and propogating the sounds of the Veda Mantra-s. There has to be the Brahmin, call him whatever name, who lives a simple life, sacrificing and devoting his entire life for the sake of Adhyayanam, Adhyapakam, Yagnam, and such activities of Karma Anushtaana, for the welfare of the all living beings. If you correct this one Jaati and launch them in the right path, all the confusion in the whole body polity of the Hindu Religion will correct itself automatically! This one Caste as nowhere else in the world, has been doing such a noble task for universal welfare for thousands of years, that it is my sincere wish to revive them again. Not so that they can be happy and comfortable, but so that they continue their simple living with the highest ideals of physical and material sacrifice, with love towards one and all. Thus their role playing will motivate other castes within our country and in turn our country will be the role model for other countries. That is my wish and dream.
Sarva Roga Nivarani - Panacea
115. Though they were apart as four different Jaati-s, they were not ‘at logger heads’ with each other. Only now there are disputes about the delineation of the borders and sharing of river waters, between the states within the union and between districts within the states! Earlier, when the South Indian went to the Gaya, Prayag, Kasi and Badri Nath and Kedari Nath for yatra and the North Indian came down to the South to visit Kanchi or Rameswaram, they were looked after with free boarding and lodging in places run by the Shettys and Setjis, especially for this purpose. That is they were all bound by the fine thread of devotion to God. Now, that devotion and Bhakti has been replaced by politics of many hues. So the only recourse is to develop Bhakti and Devotion as the panacea for all evils.
116. By shouting endlessly that these castes should go, casteism should be destroyed and so on, we are only nurturing hate and internecine quarrels. Though we have been proclaiming that we will evolve a casteless and creedless society, for the past four decades, when it comes to vote catching in the next election, casteism is in the fore front. (This talk is dated 1965.) This is not a fight between Brahmins and non-Brahmins. Luckily, the Brahmin is far away from politics. Though the Brahmin did not voluntarily stay away from politics, others have ensured that he is eased off. So if the fight is between Devar-s and Senkunthar-s or Padayatchi-s and Gounder-s in Tamil Nadu, it is between Kammas and Lingayats or Gouds and Yadavs in Andhra Pradesh. It is my pertinent observation that since Independence, the number of Castes has increased and not lessened! All the political parties are equally to be blamed for such caste based conflicts in the name of democracy!
117. So, my suggestion as a medicine for all diseases, as a panacea for all evils afflicting our society and country is, Bhakti to God. Instead of shouts of, ‘Down! Down!’ let there be ‘Arise! Awake! Stop not till our goal is reached!’. Let us talk about the Tamil culture, Thiruvalluvar and Avvayar. Let us spread love, toleration, accommodation, humility and mutual respect and appreciation. Instead of shouts of ‘Down Down’, let there be shouts of ‘live and let live!’ ‘Live and Grow!’ That Bhakti of God, which has been binding this society for tens of thousands of years, may grow once again in to a powerful uniting influence. ‘Nothing wrong in the Jaati-s but everything is wrong in this mutual hate’, will be the lesson brought home! Just because there is rat in the house, we do not burn down the house! We do not throw the Baby with the bath water!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.