DEIVATHIN KURAL # 5 (Vol #4) Dated 02 May 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 5 (Vol #4) Dated 02 May 2010.

(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. Today we are proceeding from the second paragraph on page 28 of Vol 4 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

52. Let us take the incident concerning PiLLaiyar’s father, Parameswara himself! At the time of starting out for ‘Tripura Samhara’, Siva ventured out without paying his due respect to PiLLaiyar, as it is to be done. PiLlaiyar stands on the formality rather strictly! The first obeisance is due to PiLLaiyar as per customs and traditions accepted by all deities. Once a resolution has been passed and enacted as a law, even the law maker is not exempt. How does it matter, if the offence of omission is by one’s own father? Offence is an offence and PiLLaiyar does not accept any default to go unpunished.
53. He caused the axle of the chariot in which Siva was proceeding towards Tripura to break. There was a stand still. Easwara realised immediately as to what has gone wrong. “To think that I am too big for these formalities, is a mistake on my part”, he realised. “Especially the higher my status, I should show by example as to what should be the correct behaviour”, he thought. Without any delay, he did the pooja for PiLLaiyar. (On another occasion, he has come down to the level of a disciple and taken ‘Upadesa’ from his second son! That is a different story.)
54. The moment PiLLaiyar was prayed to, he came rushing and got the fault corrected. Then the chariot moved. Siva went to Tripura and fought the Asura-s and destroyed them, getting the title of ‘Tripurantaka’. Between Chengalpet and Thindivanam, there is a place named, ‘Achchara Pakkam’, where the ‘Achchu’ (axle) of the chariot was broken.
55. To prove that this is not purely a myth, there was a recent incident. We were constructing the Sankara Matam in Rameswaram. We had got some marble slabs from Jaipur. We got the figures of Adi Sankara and four of his disciples, etched and painted on those stones, for installing them in the Matam at Rameswaram. These finished slabs were carried in a truck. The truck had a break down at this Achchara Pakkam. We got news that the trouble was breaking of the axle of the truck.
56. We thought of PiLLaiyar, conducted a pooja and got 108 coconuts broken for PiLLaiyar as ‘chidaru thengai’! The truck was repaired in the mean time. Then the journey to Rameswaram, installation and Kumba Abhishekam, were all done without a hitch. The Kumba Abhishekam was on Sankara Jayanthi day in the year 1963. We got the impression that, Adi Sankara wished to reinforce the fact that he is none other than Parameswara and got the axle of the modern chariot the truck, broken at the exact spot where this mythological incident is said to have happened in the times gone by! This break down, we considered as a confirmation of divine sanction, for our venture!
57. ‘Lalitopaakyaanam’ talks of Vigneshwara’s help rendered to his mother, at a very critical moment. AmbaaL Lalitha, when she went to fight with Bhandasura, she had an army consisting of all women. This army was known as ‘Shakti Sena’! For a temporary halt she camped in a place around which she created a three dimensional fort of fire! (The security fire walls soft ware in computers to day, is child’s play, in terms of intricacies, compared to the sophistication of those days, I suppose!)
58. Bhandasura had an assistant called Visukra. He deviced a ‘Problem Creator Machine’, called ‘Vigna Yantra’ and got it infiltrate the fort of fire defences. This machine was subtle instead of being physical. It was capable of changing the minds of the opponents. Compared to the psychological warfare strategies and propaganda tactics of today, this ‘Vigna Yantra’ was evidently more efficient and had immediate effect on the soldiers’ minds. So the soldiers of Shakti Sena thought on the following lines!
59. “Why should we kill the Asuras? If this AmbaaL has differences of opinion and disputes with them, how does it matter to us? Further, going down to the brass tacks, why should we work as a labour force under her? We are the power really. That is why she has amassed us all as her Shakti Sena. Without thinking we have been slaving under her, thinking her to be in command of us all! Now only, our delusion is removed. We should not contribute our might for her sake anymore. We shall drop our weapons and go on strike, just now! No more are we the commanded, with her as the commander-in-chief!” Thus they brought in communism and trade-unionism in to play, instantly.
60. “Sweating our hearts out, we do not have to bear these beatings and injuries anymore! We will not fight. Let us have peace. As it is, there is a defensive fort of fire protecting us. Let us all go to sleep!” Saying this, they all went to sleep and started snoring! Visukra’s Vigna Yantra had the power to confuse the opponents’ minds and bring them to a standstill of inertia, which was the cause for the state of affairs obtaining! There is one astram (missile) by the name of ‘jrumbanaa astram’, under whose influence the target audience will start yawning away to glory and fall asleep!
61. More than modern day weapon systems, simply by the power of mantra-s, olden day warriors were capable of causing very dangerous and peculiar special effects on the targets. This is revealed by a study of the various purana-s. When we read about Brhma Astram, NarayaNa Astram, Pasupata Astram etc., one is stuck with wonder to note that these Atom and Hydrogen bombs of the modern day are, comparatively crude in sophistication and effectiveness! Now, for example we are told that the radiation from these nuclear devices would cause damage to the yet to be born life form in the uterus. We all know that such effects are random and uncontrolled. Aswattama used an Abaandava Astram, which affected the foetus in the uterus of Uttara. Krishna knew the counter for it and so could save the yet to be born!
62. AmbaaL noticed that her army had gone on strike. Luckily they had not turned violent! They had not even resorted to demonstrations. They were all in deep sleep. She knew the reason. She just considered it all as part of the ‘Leela’ or play and that too, a well earned rest after an arduous march for her soldiers! This was the right time for Vigneswara to display his prowess. She had done this with the purpose of bringing out PiLLaiyar’s capabilities. Visukra and his weapon were only excuses.
63. From the eternal power of Siva-Sakthi, Sakthi as Lalita had arisen from the Gnaanagni Kundam, for the purpose of destroying Bhandasura. As she was not to proceed to fight in the as yet unmarried state, Siva had come in the form of Kameswara. They were married as Kameswara and Kameswari. It is this Kameswari who is the Kamakshi in Kamakoti Peetam of Kanchipuram. Now the aim was to display the power of her son GaNapati, Vigneshwara the PiLLaiyar! So the opportunity was ripe for his coming in to being!
64. AmbaaL smiled at Kameswara, which evoked a suitable reponse from him on his face. This meeting of the minds, this intermingling of their loving smile and mirth led to the birth of Maha GaNapati! His Ananda Swaroopa, face bubbling with laughter, this ‘prasanna vadana’ this ‘sumukha’ was born! This birth of PiLLaiyar is described in Lalita + Upaakyaanam = Lalitopaakyaanam, that occurs in one of the 18 PuraNa-s known as Brhmanda PuraNa. This coming into being of GaNesa from the combined smile of AmbaaL and Kameswara is succinctly described in Lalita Sahasra Naama with these words:- “kameswara mukha aaloka kalpita sri gaNeswara”.
65. After all, when you talk about the power of any Devata or even Asura, it is all a fraction of the power of Sakthi, the mother AmbaaL. So we are not to presume that her power was ever wanting or not capable of setting aside the effect of ‘Jrumba Yantra’! When Vigneswara has been created for the specific purpose of overcoming obstacles, his ability had to be demonstrated. Thus the whole thing is a staged performance, called ‘Leela’ of the Gods!
66. Vigneswara who was thus a creation of her smile, in all humility and humbleness prostrated before her and set out with her blessings. The ‘Jrumba Yantra’ was interred in a corner of the fort of fire. He quickly located it and smashed it with his tusks. The Sakthi Sena woke up from their sleep. Their mental inertia and rebellious mood were as quickly forgotten as a dream not worth remembering! They fought with Bhandasura’s army with renewed vigour. Finally Bhandasura was defeated!
(To be continued.) Sambhomahadeva.