DEIVATHIN KURAL # 41 ( Vol #) Dated 10 Jan 2009

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 41 ( Vol #) Dated 10 Jan 2009

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 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 on page number 176 of Vol 3 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein the word 'man' includes 'woman' too, mostly.)
(Note:- These e-mails are all available at http://advaitham.blogspot.com constantly updated.)
253. Adi Sankara in Bhaja Govindam says, “yallabhase nijha karmopattam vittam tena vinodaya chittam”, meaning, ‘whatever you earn from your work, with that money in addition to feeding yourself, ennoble yourself also!’ This is an ideal to be followed in which the very work you do for livelihood, can be used to raise oneself from gross material levels to spiritual subtlety. The trouble is that, in these modern days of Kali Yuga, every aspect of social life has been smothered by deep rooted corruption! Every single item has been stained by the stigma of corruption. All money is tainted.
254. That is why Adi Sankara in all his kindness advised, "there is nothing wrong in making an earning. But make it useful for your spiritual improvement too!" He may not have thought of the likely element of corruption coming in. So, as he said, there is nothing wrong in making a living, but at the same time, do at least some of it, freely available to the deserving poor. Other than first earning something and then giving a donation, make some of you service itself freely available. That is the way to offset the corrupting influence of Kali Yuga!
255. Are you a registered medical practitioner? OK. Your very work is Paropakaaram only. But in this, the self ennobling aspects of, 'Atma Suddhi and Chitta Suddhi' will be missing. Sometimes you may have to give false certificates for sick leave cases or even false fitness certificate for life insurance! Instead of 'Atma Suddhi', it must have gathered more dirt. Only through sacrifice of your service, can this dirt be cleansed. Daily take care of at least one patient free of charges. At least teach one person the ins and outs of your medical practice, for free.
256. Are you a Lawyer? OK. At least once a month, identify a case in which the client is honestly truthful and does not have the money power to fight his case in the courts. You represent that client free of charges and put in all your legal acumen. Similarly try and settle at least one case out of court every quarter, because the ills that the very profession of law nurtures, can only be off-set by, settling cases out of court, to benefit both the opposing parties of claimants. Over a period, you will gain a reputation for honesty and integrity, through which you can do much for the society!
257. Are you a man of Music? Often you can help in the drive for funds for socially important causes. Amongst the students who learn music from you, there may be a budding talent who is not financially well off. While charging others, you may coach him free of charges! As a writer, you could write some reports about religious activities in a temple. As a publisher of books, you could make some text books free to some deserving poor students. May be for some religious activities, you could print the hand bills free of cost! We could always find some noble cause, whatever your profession.
258. If you say, "I am only a poor typist myself. What can I do?" I would say, "Super fine! You could teach some poor students typing, at no cost, say about an hour a day and they would be beholden to you for ever!" This could be an ongoing activity. Their good wishes will protect you in this life and the next one too!
259. Thus all of us could be of help to the other members of the society in some useful way, through our profession. If you cannot help in cash or kind or teaching or coaching; the least one can do is, to do as Thiru Moolar said, "...yavarkkum innurai...", to speak lovingly to all. At least, one can listen. This is the biggest complaint of the modern day that, no one listens to you about your problems! In the West, this gap is filled by the Psycho Analysts. So, at the very least, be a source of solace with kind words for all!
260. "What can we do? We are old retired people, who have given up practicing our profession." If you say that, I will say, "Welcome, welcome. I have been waiting for you. You can do much!" You do not have to think of yourself as good for nothing! If you make up your minds, I think that you can do much wonders. You are the 'Kalpaka Vruksham', who can make this country a heavenly abode! If you work with trust in God and stead-fast conviction that instead of working for personal profit, you are going to work for the society, you can and will do wonders. Though me who is saying this is an old man, your such action will energize the whole Nation!
261. While others still employed can only spare a few hours once a week, you are lucky to be able to do 'full-time' social service! When you were employed, you had too many conflicting responsibilities. Now, you should try and reduce your family involvements and responsibilities. Now, try instead to be more responsible towards the poorer sections of the society and earning more 'Punyam' instead of monetary income! Generally by the time a man retires, his responsibilities towards children's education and daughter's marriage etc., would all be over. After that, if you keep on needlessly taking up the responsibility for the grand-son's education and grand-daughters bringing-up, marriage and so on, there will be no end to it!
262. If retired people also keep on worrying about family responsibilities, others also have to keep on crying about it. At least after some age, should we not try to de-link our involvement and be practicing detachment? Even if Sanyasam is not possible, at least Vanaprastam should be undertaken, in terms of handing over the family responsibilities to the next generation. After retirement, instead of thinking of re-employment or starting a factory or setting up a new business and be a competitor for the younger generation, one should be progressively cutting down the involvement in the worldly affairs. I said before, that there can be no Paropakaaram without Swaya Upakaaram! So, now is the opportunity for learning about all the Veda, Saastra, Itihasa-s, Purana-s for which we did not have time earlier. Now is the time for doing all the Karma Anushtaanaa-s which we did not do earlier. Even after doing all that, there will still be time for social work! Using the time available for self-study i.e., Adhyayana, listening in to Pravachanam and Sat-Sanga; other than learning ourselves; to tell it to others is the biggest Paropakaaram that you can do!
263. In addition, teach some poor children as to how to pass these entrance examination in to what ever was your selected area of expertise. If you have the wherewithal, other than Vidya Daanam also do Anna Daanam, to at least one or two children. It is not enough to accumulate property for one's own children only. Feed some children. If every family thus takes care of some poor people, in the entire society, there will be less thieving. The scarcity amongst poor is aggravated by the miserliness of the well to do, leading to cheating and thievery! ( To be continued.) Sambhomahadeva.