DEIVATHIN KURAL # 56 (Vol # 3) Dated 19 Feb 2009

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 56 (Vol # 3) Dated 19 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 244 of Vol 3 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/ she' too, mostly.)
(Note:- These e-mails are all available at http://advaitham.blogspot.com constantly updated.)
407. The greatest help you can extend to anyone is to enable him to find his roots, source or origin, i.e., reach the Param Dhaama! By chanting the names of God, to make a man think of God in his last few seconds of existence, there by making him acceptable to Him, is the highest Paropakaaram!
408. That thinking of God in the penultimate few seconds, even if it does not fully erase all his sins, will cleanse him to a very great degree of fineness, undoubtedly! When the names of God totally permeate a man's mind, will certainly erase all his paapam. Such person if at all, will not be born as a detestable sinner, but take the life of a potential Mahatma, a sacred being. He will born as a sacred being, not because of being endowed with plenty of money, beauty and status. But, the Bhagwan Naama Smarana that came to him in the last few moments of his this life, will happen in a big way, enabling him to cancel out all the accumulated Paapa of many life times, in his next life time on his own efforts!
409. That is why we should do what we can to help him on the way. This great Dharma, unmatched Paropakaaram, should be done by the Sanga, which I mentioned earlier. The collective organization of regional associations or groups of people formed for weekly prayers, bajans and social service, should keep this as priority one task before them. Once you get to know that someone in your locality is in his death bed, one or a few people should visit him. We are not to make it a big gathering.
410. There are also people who die in a hospital or jail. For such places, we should have the permission of the concerned authorities and regular communications, so that we are informed in time. We should not go there with empty hands. Yes, the names of God is a panacea for all sorts of problems alright! We do not need any more thing whatsoever. But a material thing in kind has its own encouraging effect. It will give some solace to the person on the way out!
411. For this purpose, we should have Sivan / Murugan / Pillaiyar Koil Vibhuti, Perumal Koil Tulasi, Amman Koil Kumkumam, and such things in stock, regularly replenished. Ganga Jalam should also be kept ready as it is 'sarva paapa samanam', and acceptable to everybody. Depending on whether the individual is a Saivite or Vaishnavite, the suitable combination of 'Prasadam' should be taken. Ganga teertham and Tulasi is acceptable to all. Actually now-a-days within Hindus, they will accept all these prasadam-s. It is for us to show some prudence and discrimination. Having gone to see off another soul in his last journey, we do not want to hurt anyone's sensibilities or start an argument on matters of principle! What ever is the most pleasingly appropriate, it is that type of prasadam that should be taken.
412. Vibhuti prasadam should be what has been used for Abhishekam of Dakshinamurthy Swami in the Siva temple or Pillayar or Subrahmanya Swami. The water that has been used to wash the feet of Ambal could be collected and mixed with Ganga Jal and kept in store. This could be given to the person about to die, to sip. The Tulasi leaves used for Archana of Perumal could be collected and dried. Normally Perumal is Alankara Priya while Siva is Abhisheka Priya. But we could get the water used to wash His Feet as Paada teertham. Any how some Ganga Teertham should kept handy always.
413. Everybody in the world is afraid of death. No one wants to die. Even when chronically diseased and declared by the medical experts as beyond recovery, still no one is ever prepared to die! In the last few moments of one's life, even the 'die hard' agnostic also will know as to how, his own life is not in his control! He will be having a glimpse of or some comprehension of that supreme power, beyond all human frailties. As though to compensate for a life wasted, I think, he would like to die with redeeming thoughts of God as a final act of piety and surrender! So he will accept our offer of help. His relatives too would be welcoming our this offer. In the case of some who are refusing to die even after running enormous medical bills, the relatives may rather welcome our help, which may enable the person to ease out of life! Since we are not an additional item of expenditure, we may be invited with open arms!
414. Even if we are not invited, once we know that somebody is in his death bed, we should visit on our own too. If the relatives are hard-core agnosts and object, we may try to convince them to some extent. But if they do not budge, without getting in to a fight, we may withdraw from the scene, with silent and sincere prayers for the soul of the person about to die. In these sort of activities of service to kindred souls , we should not bother for prestige or stand on formalities! If we do so, it is not service anymore!
415. What is to be done is like this. We should go to the person about to die with the Koil Prasadams as I mentioned earlier, give him a little of the Ganga Jal. Put the tulasi in his mouth. Apply Kumkum and or Vibhuti in the forehead. Sit close to the person and chant 'Siva Siva Siva or Rama Rama Rama' loud enough so as to draw and hold his or her attention to the Divya Nama-s of God. It is best to continue like this for some time. If it takes more time, people could take turns to do this chanting. The person should be made to hear at least 1008 names to reach the inner consciousness. This is the best of all Paropakaarams that I have been talking about!
416. Should we still do the Sraardham after this act of Divya Naama Smarana? Yes, we should. We have made an effort to enable that person to think of God in the end moments of one's life. But we do not know as to how successful we were. Giving Ganga Teertham, Vibhuti, Kumkum, Tulasi Dalam and chanting of God's names, is all alright. The Antyeshti as explained earlier, should also be done without fail! I have covered many areas of Paropakaaram, some of which may not have been considered as part of social service at all.
(To be continued.) Sambhomahadeva.