DEIVATHIN KURAL # 136 (Vol #3) Dated 08 Oct 2009.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 136 (Vol #3) Dated 08 Oct 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 the 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 page 605 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.)

105. In olden times, all people had respect for Saastraa-s, devotion to God, regards for elders and with utmost humility cared for earning a good name from the society. So, people of all walks of life had the basic discipline to be good and to be seen to be good. Even in matters of control of the senses, their behaviour was far superior to present day state of affairs because their attitude was better. In the name of freedom of thoughts and expression now-a-days, there is blatant display of crassness coupled with erosion of real values!

106. In the name of personal freedom, there is total lack of discipline, which is encouraged by the cinema, TV and the print media! Turn anywhere, there is endless feeding of the craving of the senses. In the olden times, even those who ate meat and consumed liquor, did so within certain self imposed limits. Unlike the comfortable life of the present day with all sorts of modern amenities, people of olden times had to physically work hard to be able to do justice to the diet. So they were not so affected mentally or physically, by the inputs in to the system. With the changed circumstances of greater ease and comforts of present day life, cutting down on non-veg food and drinking of liquor is strongly recommended for people of all walks of life.

107. Compared to the olden times, in the present day world, there is more inter mixing of all castes and communities due to there being greater population. If some of the aachaaraa-s as practiced by Brahmins were being picked up by other communities, now, there is more chance of the Brahmin copying other's way of life! Ever since the Brahmin started doing well in the English based education, he started grabbing a lion's share of all jobs, from the clerk to the highest Indian Civil Service. Leaving Adhyayanam and Adhyapakam aside, he started filling up all sorts of professions as engineers, lawyers, doctors, to joining Police, Army, Navy and Air Force! It pains me to say that when the Brahmin starts copying, he invariably does one better than the original!

108. If Brahmins become non-vegetarians, that will be a great loss not only to himself individually, but the whole world will lose an Ideal. That loss can never be made up or compensated for! Even to-day if there is some quality worthy of pride still sticking to us as a nation, it is this fact that, in the whole world the greatest number of Vegetarians are in our country, amongst our Hindu population. Hindu is still generally believed to be a man of peace. It is that reputation that has to be guarded.

109. 'Hindu' is a sobriquet given by foreigners to us. You cannot see this name in our Saastraa-s. We have construed that word 'Hindu' as having been derived from the root word 'Himsa'. "himsaayaam tooyate ya: sa: hindu ityabhideeyate", meaning, 'one who refrains from hurting others because he feels very bad about being cruel'! That is the meaning of 'Hindu'! Though the word was meant to be a bit of a deprecation, the definition given is based on real facts. This big honour and good name should not be lost forever.

110. Prohibition. Amongst the forbidden items as per Saastraa-s, liquor in whatever form or name is the first of the evils to be got rid of! If non-veg food items affects a person indirectly, liquor does so immediately, directly! It affects the consumer's physique, mind, health, finances, family and the society, all of them negatively! When Saastraa-s say that what we consume affects our mind, it may not be clear in respect of other food items. In the case of liquor, the point is very clear.
111. Drink is taboo. It spoils the drinker. Then it affects the family and society. Even those who were permitted to drink liquor in earlier times, should preferably not do so anymore! We are in complete agreement with the Gandhian movement in the matter of 'Prohibition'! In the Matam, our Social Service Sabha has formally endorsed the principle behind prohibition. We are followers of the Veda-s and Tamil Aagamaa-s. Both have ruled clearly that this social evil is against our religion. It is our bounden duty as per our religion, not to drink!

112. Thiru Moolar's Thirumandiram has clearly spoken against both abjuring non-vegetarian food and drinking of liquor. The 26th and 93rd Adhikaaram of Thirukkural, are about abjuring 'Flesh Meat Eating' and 'Drinking of Liquor'! We distributed to the general public as a notice endorsing the Gandhian principle of Prohibition, giving it more weightage on religious grounds. We exhorted the general public to take it up as an undertaking to be sent to the Matam in writing that the person signing will henceforth will not imbibe liquor in any form. We arranged to send them 'Tulasi and Vibhuti Prasadam', in recognition of their undertaking with divine blessings.

113. The bit notice was worded as given hereinafter. "Vedas clearly forbid imbibing liquor. Tamil Aagamaa-s when talking about Deeksha, advice Prohibition as the first step. As per Thiru Moolar's words, Veda-s and Aagamaa-s form the basis of our religious beliefs. Every Tamilians who has come in this tradition, has to take this vow of abstinence from liquor, in writing and send their undertaking to the Matam. We will arrange to send them Tulasi/Thiruneeru prasadam." The wording of the undertaking was as under:- "I undertake not to touch liquor from to-day, as per the dictates of our Veda-s and Tamil Aagamaa-s. Thus I give a promise to Aadi Sankarachariyar."

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva.