DEIVATHIN KURAL # 109 (Vol # 3) Dated 17 July 2009

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 109 (Vol # 3) Dated 17 July 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 488 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.)

123. On occasions when the Kings had to hide the truth, without incurring the risk of hypocrisy, they could go around it as allowed by the Saastraa-s that, mostly they were all extremely careful not to cross the limits of Dharma. In countries where there were no exceptions to the rule, the reign of the kings was so draconian that often there were riots and rebellions. Instead what we see is that, the author of 'Artha Saastraa' is baselessly commented upon as an unscrupulous man of deceit and double dealing.

124. The second fault in making the ideal a common norm for all is that, people in power as the Kings, Moulvis and Bikkus were evidently, could twist or interpret the rules of the religion to their convenience, without incurring the risk of transgression! When the Hindu-s asked the Buddhists as to how they could be allowed to eat meat, their interpretation was on the following lines! "We are not to hurt or kill animals directly. Without being directly cruel to animals, if we purchase from the man selling it, there is no blame or discredit!" The fact that the crime is being abetted by such action of theirs is conveniently ignored! So, such deviation becomes commonly accepted as the tradition over time! Thus the very purpose of the religious principle is vitiated. This is a much greater evil!

125. Our Sanatana Dharma protects us from all such hazards and pitfalls, by setting graded and reasonable standards for different 'Adhikari-s' i.e., people authorized and required to observe certain aachaaraa-s based on, their vocations (Varna) and stages of life (Ashrama). Thus the ideal is protected and maintained as a duty by some, while for others it is not to be ignored but to be emulated by all when they can. This is the concept of 'Adhikari Bhedam'. To say that we do not want such graded responsibility in our religion, as recommended by some of these reformers, is totally wrong. Then to say that, in our religion all are equal and that we do not have Adhikari Bhedam, as done by some ill informed is still worse!

126. There is no body to correctly interpret our Saastraa-s and comment on these things now-a-days! If I tell them, then there may be some who may understand and then amongst them, there may at least be one in a thousand, who will agree to my point. Keeping that principle of, 'If there is one good man in this part of the land, there will be rain, which others can also benefit by,' in mind, I have conveyed all this. (KTSV adds:- You can see how deeply Periyaval felt about the pathetic state of affairs then. In the mean time, people like me who are of the age group 60 and above, know as to how much has been the deterioration in understanding of our Saastraa-s!)

127. "Each man by the very act of doing his part of the duty sincerely and seriously, can and will attain to the highest 'Siddhi' of perfection! His action becomes a pooja in veneration of God and opens all the gates of achievement!", says the Bhagawat Gita (18.45 to 48). Forgetting this, even people with deep rooted religious beliefs, talk of reforming and refining it! While talking about respective duties, their Aachaaraa-s are automatically included!

128. The Effect of There Being No Exceptions to the Rule. Some of the rules as per the Saastraa-s have inbuilt in them some exceptions, keeping the human psychology in view. It is the human mind that is to be refined and reformed and made to realize it's true self of inherent effulgent glory! For the sake of that greater 'Siddhi', even principles such as 'Satyam and Ahimsa' have been compromised ever so slightly, under compulsions of human nature! Though it is seemingly compromised, in truth, you will find that the letter and spirit of Dharma and Truth is better protected by our Saastraa-s than any other religion's dicta! For example, so as to protect a destitute when running away from her tormentors, you are free to make an amendment to the truth as you know it, with the definition, "satyam bhoota hitam", meaning that, 'what ever is good for the living beings, is the truth!'

129. There is exception to every rule. If one is too adamant and ignores this sub-clause for every rule, an exceptional occasion does arise causing embarrassment to that person. Mahatma Gandhi was too gone on the principle of Ahimsa. On an occasion he could not see an ailing calf suffer any more. He had to do mercy killing. Because of his over emphasis on Ahimsa, many criticized him for avoidable 'gow hatya'.

130. There was another occasion for a similar faux pas. There was a meeting of reps from all over the country to discuss ways and means of tackling a food scarcity situation caused by a failure in monsoon. Mahatma Gandhi was in attendance in an advisory capacity. When everybody was equally vociferous about the need for central aid, he told the rep from Madras State thus. "I can understand land locked states such as U.P. and M.P. clamoring for central aid. Madras state has the ocean on three sides. How can you be clamoring equally?" What he meant was that the Madras State could always augment it's food supply by increasing the harvest of fish from the oceans! Madras State then used to include Andhra and Kerala then! That was quite a 'tongue in the cheek' statement for a such a hard core Ahimsawadi!

131. After Mahatma Gandhi's death, when India was faced with an aggression by the Pakistani forces, Nehru claimed that he had already taken Bapu's sanction for a counter-offensive if needed.

(To be continued.) Sambhomahadeva.