DEIVATHIN KURAL # 52 (Vol # 3) Dated O5 Feb 2009

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 52 (Vol # 3) Dated O5 Feb 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 by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. To day we are proceeding from page 228 of Vol 3 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein 'man' includes 'woman' too, mostly.)
(Note:- These e-mails are all available at http://advaitham.blogspot.com constantly updated.)
367. The biggest prize we want is nothing else but Ambal's Anugraha! We are not interested in the effect or fruits of conducting an Ashwa Medha Yagna. We could not care less to proceed to Brhma Loka or Deva Loka as a result of such actions of disposal of uncared for destitutes' dead body! Even if we end up there, once the merit points of our actions are over, like running out of cash, we will run out of currency there and be back to squire one, the Bhu Loka, that is 'terra firma' again! Instead, if we are in the good books of the very Ambal, no more return to this cycle of repeated life -->birth -->death! That is permanent, everlasting, Nityanandam i.e., eternal happiness!
368. How is that Ambal? As per the 'mantra' of Trisati, She is, "...hayamedha samarchitaa...", that is, 'She takes the conduct of Ashwa Medha Yagna as a special prayer of obeisance performed for Her' and is particularly benevolent to the performer of such a Yagna! We are lucky that we have a easy method of doing something equivalent to doing an Ashwa Medha Yagnam! That is, proper disposal of this dead body of an orphaned destitute! As a result if we prefer Ambal's Anugraha, that will prove to be an asset which never depreciates. That will save us from repeated returns to this world of, ‘...punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi janani jatare sayanam. iha samsare bahu dustare...’. The Marana Samskaaram done to another person will save us from ever being born and the cycle of janma - marana!
369. Thus, if we are careless about this Preta Samskara, we are literally being stupid! When God is testing us to see if we will take this very easy way out of this vice like grip of the ‘cycle of janma - marana', we will not take that but, jump for sales tricks of free doles of any kind! So whatever the caste, if we get an opportunity to take the responsibility to do the Samskaara for the dead body of an uncared for poor soul, we should be grabbing that opportunity promptly. While doing that person a good turn, we will automatically become worthy of the fruits of conducting an Ashwa Medha Yagna and or more than that, become the recipient of Ambal's Grace! In future, I wish that there should be no case of the ignominy of even a single case of a dead body of a Hindu, being buried without the correct Samskara being done! We should be clear in our minds that, this is the basic foundation to the principle of the concept of Paropakaaram!
370. As there is a name for Ambal in Trisati as, "...hayamedha samarchitaa...", in Lalita Sahasranaama, there is another name as "...varna ashrama vidayinee...", which means that, 'each individual's body is disposed off as per his particular caste's 'sarira Samskaara'! I pray that She may be pleased and all people may develop mutual brotherly feelings as Her children and do the rituals as obtains in their religion, caste, creed, and further sub-divisions down to their family level; paving the way for mutual understanding, love, compassion and grace!
At the Time of Death, when the Spirit Leaves the Body.
371. I spoke about what we should do after the Life has departed from the body. But, there is one requirement of equal importance, just at the time of death. There is no other greater Paropakaaram you can do to someone else! What is that?
372. Krishna Paramatma told Arjuna that in the body that decays, Atma does not die or decay. He told him in Bhagawat Gita, "It is your duty to fight the war on a point of high ideals of Dharma. It is your self-dharma to fight on principles. Now to pull back saying that you will not kill, is adharma and not justified." The point to note is Atma does not die. So what happens to it after it separates from the body? Do all Atma that had a separate existence, immediately become one with the ultimate reality of Paramatma? Krishna did not say so. Soul or Atma depending on its Karma in that edition of life form, with accumulated 'sanchita' Karma of the past, takes another life. Before that those who have been great 'Do Good’ers, go to the Heaven and enjoy the fruits of their good deeds. Once their credit of good points has been exhausted, they are born again as human beings on this Earth. (B.G. 9.21.) 'Those who are full of hate and cruelty, will be pushed back to lower life forms repeatedly by Myself,' says Sri Krishna. (B.G.16.19.) So, does it mean that there is no getting away from this cycle of 'janana <--->marana'? 'There is a way of getting out of this cycle', says Sri Krishna.
373. By Bakti Yoga or Gnana Yoga, that is, the path of devotion or divine awareness, those who revere the very God, go back to Him, the Origin and End Destination of all Life! If the devotee becomes a Gnani, it does not mean that he has to die before attaining to God. Even while alive in this mortal body, he is in Nirvana / Moksha. There is no special indicator as to whether someone is in that state of Samadhi or not. He may be in Savikalpa or Nirvikalpa or Sahaja Samadhi or whatever! The differences are so subtle that it is of no relevance to us, who are still in the process of cleansing ourselves! He may simply look like anybody else.
374. To be rid of all fears, worries and sadness, is 'sadanandam' and that is Moksham. To enable us to tread on the paths of Bakti and Gnana, God keeps teaching us step by step in each chapter. But He also says that, "amongst normal human beings may be one in a thousand, will get in to this venture of Bakti / Gnana! Amongst all those who are trying like that, may be one in a thousand, will succeed in reaching Me!" (B.G.7.3.)
375. So, what is to be done? For everything, there is a shot-cut, isn't it so? Yes there is a short-cut. Sri Krishna Himself has said that:- "What one thinks of, at the time of leaving this body, that he attains to in his next life. If he leaves this body remembering Me, he comes to me. There is no doubt in that", He guarantees saying, "...na asti athra samsaya : ...". (B.G.8.5.)
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.