DEIVATHIN KURAL # 55 (Vol # 3) Dated 17 Feb 2009

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 55 (Vol # 3) Dated 17 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 the second para of page 239 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.)
396. Go to sleep with the mind fixed on God! What ever is the predominant thought in one's mind normally every day, will also occur at the time of death too. We can test ourselves to see if we will get 'Bhagawat Smarana' at the time of our death. Let me explain how!
397. We do go to sleep every night, don't we? Our Saastra-s view this act of going to sleep, very equal to death. When asleep, we are unaware of this body and the world. We say also, "I have been sleeping like a log!" That is why, this sleep is known as, 'Nitya Pralaya' or 'daily dissolution'. Thus daily we can train ourselves to think of God before going to sleep. It could be your Ishta Devata of, Krishna or Kumara or Hanuman or Ambal. Test your self to see if any other thought intrudes. Saying it may be easy. Doing is always difficult.
398. It could even be our Guru, the one who gives us peace and solace. Before trying, you may think as to what is so difficult about reminiscing on what pleases our minds. But this mind is a great duper. With effort and practice this can be overcome. Depending on our sincerity, God Himself will help us. Slowly we will get the surety and certainty that we are on the right lines for the eventuality!
399. Short Cut to Moksha. So, whatever the subject in which we were fully involved and deeply engrossed, throughout our lives, will attract us in the last moment of our lives too. Deliberating on God all of the time, will also happen in the last moment, surely. OK. But why should Sri Krishna, who said, "at all times think of me!", should add the sentence, "think of me in the last moment too!"? That was anyhow inevitable. Why did he include this final direction, to what was most likely to happen?
400. It is here that it looks as though, he has pointed the way to the short-cut! He says clearly in Gita [8.6]:- "yam yam vaapi smaran bhaavam tyajatyante kalevaram I tam tam eva iti kounteya sadaa tad bhaava bhaavita: II ". This means that, even if the individual is not in the habit of thinking of God normally, and does so in the last moment, he becomes entitled to release! It is here that, there is scope to understand that God Himself is showing the way to the 'short-cut' to Himself the Param Dhaama!
401. Normally it is true that, what is generally the predominant thought, will come to one's mind in the last moment too. Contrary to this, what was never thought of, if occurring even accidentally at the time of death, that ultimate thought of God, becomes materialized and realized as God's Gift! Then he does not hold you past misdeeds against you. This is the meaning of the Gita Slokam.
402. Even if you have never been a devotee of God, even if you have never considered God as something to be revered, it is enough to think of Him in the last moment, promptly you attain to Moksha! Is this not a real short-cut? But we know that what has been in our minds all of the time throughout ones life only, will come to our minds in the last minute too. Then how is this short-cut going to work? Are we being duped by God?
403. It is here that for the man in his end moments, the greatest 'Paropakaaram' by others comes into play. A man in his last lap, is likely to get some confused, disjointed, haphazard thought waves. Mostly people die like that. Or he may have lost all consciousness. But, in these moments, if the people around are continuously chanting God's names, that will keep pulling him back from discordant thoughts. Even a trace of consciousness still connecting, may relate to this chanting and do him a great favour!
404. We go to the beach or cinema. We think of all sorts of events, materials and matters of interest and are discussing. On the way, we happen to hear from some loudspeaker, "...hara hara mahadeva or hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare...". See how all other thoughts vanish and for a few moments you experience the bliss of sublime divinity! The name of God has that power!
405. So, at the last few moments of one's life, when the life is still sticking to the body, when he is buffeted from all directions by all sorts of unnecessary thoughts, those around him, the near and dear ones, by chanting God's names, would be very effectively pulling that Jeevatma towards Paramatma. Even if he had gone astray throughout his life otherwise, you would be doing him a great favour, by extending a life line to him thus! It is likely that he will be aspiring to escape from his decadent thoughts. Even otherwise, it is likely that he will grab this life line extended by us, in all avidity! As Appar Swamigal said in 'Thiru Anga Maalai', "...urtraar yaar ularo ? uyir kondu pom pozhudu? kurralattu urai kootthan allaal namakku urtraar yaar ularo?...", meaning, 'who is our savior at the time of our departure other than the dancer of Kurtraalam?'
406. When you are about to leave all the kith and kin, it will come to ones mind that after all is said and done, the only relative for all of us is only, the one and only God! This understanding will come. All Karma Vasana-s may be pulling us like dogs fighting over possession of a bone; but chanting of God's names will work like pulling of the reigns of the horse, we may be able to pull his attention to God's Grace! Then as per God's Promise given in the Gita that, irrespective of whatever that man has been doing in his whole life, the last thought focused on God, gets him the 'Jack Pot' of God's Realization! In addition to the dying man's anxiety and helplessness, combined with our chanting of 'Bhagawan Naama' full of heart felt sincerity, will do the trick, so to say! The best Paropakaaram you can ever do to anyone, is to show him the way back to his source or origin!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.