DEIVATHIN KURAL # 62 (Vol # 3) Dated 06 Mar 2009

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 62 (Vol # 3) Dated 06 Mar 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 middle of page 272 of Vol 3 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too, mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://advaitham. blogspot. com constantly updated.)
The Reason for Emphasis on the Individual.
19. By talking about how in Hinduism society's needs are not being ignored on the one hand, there has been a complaint that I have given too much license and liberty to people to ignore their Nitya Karma Anushtana and their duties towards their family to a deplorable extent. On the other hand, there has been charges levelled against this religion by people from other religions that, Hinduism caters for only for individual personal development at the cost of the society's needs!

20. When I took up Paropakaaram as the main subject to be tackled, there have been objections that I am ignoring individual responsibilities. Exactly similarly, when I spoke about how the individual has to progress on the four major paths of Bhakti, Karma, Gnana and Raja Yoga-s with the main purpose of personal individual emancipation, there have been people who come forward to fight with me that I am not tackling the ills of the society! Fighting does not mean real fight. As I said that some of them had very genuine apprehensions.
21. I do not want to put up an excuse that the press is not reporting correctly. May be that while on one aspect of the issue, for the sake of the understanding of the listeners, I may be over stressing. Even while saying this it should not seem as though I am justifying my self. But I do accept that I get carried away by the very subject that I am talking about!
22. Forget about this person who is talking. Let us look at the subject. Vaidik religious functions, practices and ceremonies, are centered on the individual only. Social service is only apart of it. While carrying out such activities as needed for the society, it is the individual's refinement (Atma Paripakvam), that is the purpose. This has been very well explained in the talks on the subject of Paropakaaram! The receiver (of money or medical relief or education and so on), should not stop there. His response should be on the following lines. “OK. My problem has been solved by God's Grace. Now let me pay more attention towards self improvement and obtaining 'Atma Satchatkaara'!” If he stops only at taking advantage of the world's large heartedness, then he has not made optimum use of the opportunity!
23. I have spoken about social service, as well as about individual duties and responsibilities of the 40 Samskaaraa-s. In social service I have dwelved on distribution of free food; conducting free medical camps; 'Vidya Daanam' and imparting secular professional education; giving help in getting employed as well as coaching as to how to be self reliant in becoming manufacturer/producer; and helping people in getting married and so on. All these are this-worldly only and not spiritual matters.
24. But, while talking on individual Dharma meant for self improvement, such as Gruhasta Dharma and Stree Dharma, I have not elaborated on how he should behave for his own personal sake and family's sake, worldly wise! When I said, give alms to the poor, I may not have told that he should be well off to be able to help others. When advicing people to extend medical help to the poor, I may not have told him to take care of the sick persons in his own family. When I say dig a well or pond to alleviate the water shortage of the community, I couldn't have told him to lay a water pipe line to his own house!
25. The reason is obvious. When you do this for helping the society, it helps in your inner refinement. But, when you do this for your own kith and kin, there is no inner purity that is achieved. There is a fine line between selfishness and selflessness! When you get your daughter married at some substantial expenditure, though all the money goes to the other family, you are still getting this worldy satisfaction only, of feeding the 'Ego'! You may have some inner complaint that, you have been taken advantage of. But, look at a situation when you have been instrumental in getting some poor girl married and see the quality of the good-will generated and the Punyam you have become worthy of!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.