DEIVATHIN KURAL # 161 (Vol #3) Dated 11 Dec 2009.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 161 (Vol #3) Dated 11 Dec 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 last para on page No 740 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://Advaitam. blogspot. com constantly updated.)

31. To recap what I have said so far on this is that, both from the humane and religious point of view, it is essential to save and maintain this body as an instrument of social service and as a means of achieving Dharma respectively. That is what Mahakavi Kali Dasa has said in this sloka:- "...sareeram aadhyam kalu dharma saadanam?..." in Kumara Sambhavam 5.33. You have to have a surface on which a picture can be drawn. For conduct of a Homa, as it is important to have the materials such as dharba grass, faggots, cow's ghee and so on, it is equally important to have a person in a physical body intending to conduct the Homa! How can anything be done without the Karta being present there? We agree that God is the Karta always and every where. But for a worldly function, God’s rep has to be there. When our whole life is an oblation of oneself, there has to be a person in a body to do it and benefit from such an act of oblation!

32. People say that it is the rice kernel that is important, not the husk. Atma is the rice kernel, the body is only the outer cover, the husk. All that is correct. But, that does not mean however that the husk is to be ignored or discarded. We collect and store the husk for sustaining the fire in the Homa Kundam, once it has been lighted. If we make the rice in to Havis for offering in the fire, the husk is needed also to keep that fire going. So that husk is not wasted but, preserved. Similarly this human body is the vehicle in our journey to self realization. So, it has to be cherished and preserved!

33. To sum up what I have said so far, till we get the sort of maturity of total dispassion about this body of ours, or till such time that uncaring for the body, our minds are deeply merged in devotion, we are bounden by duty to take care of this body in perfect physical condition, without any aches, ailments and diseases.

34. There is one Saastram by the name of Meemaamsa. In it there are two divisions called, Poorva Meemaamsa and Uttara Meemaamsa. The first one tells us the method of progressing spiritually through the path of Karma Anushtaanaa and the latter is about the Gnaana Maarga. For both the need to take care of one's body remains equally applicable. The path of Karma means that much work is involved, as known to us already. The path of Gnaana also involves reading and imbibing many scriptures and their assimilation through pondering that is, Atma Vichaara, for which once again the physical fitness is essential! In the path of Raja Yoga, while doing various Asana-s and Pranayama, the body becomes agile and fit. In Hatha Yoga, those who practice it attain to unbelievable levels of physical capabilities. The problem remains that there is a likelihood of getting stuck at high efficiency stages of body consciousness! We will still have ‘deha atma buddhi’, that too with a superiority complex!

35. For good health, three methods are mentioned namely, Mani, Mantra and Medicine(Oushadam). Each of the nine gems are suitable to the nine Graha-s of the Sun and it's planets. Each one of them will cure a set of diseases, as affected by Sun, Moon and the seven planets. That is, the diseases are caused by lack of their favour and are cured by their being pleased. Though each disease is caused by our own negative Karma, it takes the form of their being displeased. As a counter, when that particular gem is worn as a ring or chain on this human body and or the water used for their Abhishekam is partaken, there is miraculous amelioration. Like the nine gems, nine different metals such as Gold, Silver, Copper, Mercury, Iron and so on could also be used in the treatment. (Then in the modern world there are many healing methods being talked about, which is actually a mix of borrowed ideas from many such disciplines from the East.)

36. Mantra Japa is another method. 'Jwara' in Sanskrit is the word for fever. 'Kampa' is the word for shivering. There are some sloka-s known to be addressed towards specific forms of God as, 'Jwara Hareswara' and 'Kampa Hareswara', for this purpose. Then there are 'Surya Namaskara', 'Kandar Anubuthi', Kandar Shashti Kavacham' and 'Indrakchi Japam'; which are all mantra-s capable of curing diseases. There are also those who by chanting any mantra for over 1.8 million times get the 'mantra siddhi'. They become capable of curing any diseases by a look or touch.

37. 'Oushadam' is the generic name for all medicines from herbs occurring naturally in nature. A whole lot of these herbs have been studied, analysed, their healing properties identified and the method of preparing the Oushadam from them have been perfected in Ayur Veda. With these medicines, some times extracts from some of these gems and metals reduced to ashes, commonly known as 'bhasmam' are also used, (for example using gold, ruby or pearl). But the main ingredients are herbs!

38. Siddha Vaidyam is another healing discipline of Indian origin. It makes use of a wide variety of derivatives from gem stones and metals. They are known to be more potent and hence have to be used in very minute dosages, with much greater care as the side effects can be more serious. Agasthya, Theraiya are some of the Siddha Purusha-s who have written notes for these medicines in coded languages not normally known. Because of their high potency, their secrecy!

39. As the Mani and Metals are somehow connected to both Siddha Vaidyam and Ayur Veda, we could profitably connect the Mantra part also to the process of Ayur Vedic treatment. Vaidyar is the synonym for Doctor. Vaidyar-s from well established traditions make use of a whole range of Mantra-s with their Ayur Vedic medicines. They keep chanting the mantra-s, while preparing the extracts from mani / metal / mooligai (that is herbs); and while mixing different combinations of these for specific patients as dosages.
40. For example the mantra-s so used are:- Trayambaka Mantra; Naama Traya of Achyuta, Anantha, Govinda; the mantra meant for Dhanvantri, Aswini Deva-s, Surya the Sun; Aditya Hrudayam that Agasthya adviced to Sri Rama Chandra before he went to war with Ravana; and so on! ( Add also what has been already given in para 36 above.)

41. For poisonous snake bites or the sting of a scorpion, more than any powder or concoction, it is the Mantra which is important. In our Adi Sankara Aachaaryaal’s ‘Soundarya Lahari’, there is one Sloka starting with the words, ‘grantheem angebya:’, the 20th sloka, Ambaal is described as oozing with nectarine Amirta, from all her body parts, as a Chandra Kaanta stone does, when the rays of the moon falls on it! If you chant this sloka with that scenario in your mind, you attain that sort of power to cure anybody of poison by just a look! (KTSV adds:- In Mudgaon, Goa, India, there is a Temple on a hillock of some 1000 feet height, for Easwara. The Siva Lingam there, is made of Chandra Kanta stone. The walls of the temple there are so constructed that, on a moon lit night, throughout the night, the moon rays will fall on the Siva Lingam. What is normally like any other stone or black rock, starts oozing a liquid when the moon light falls on it! I have seen it. There is no end to the wonders of this world!)

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva.