DEIVATHIN KURAL # 33 (Vol #4) Dated 29 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 33 (Vol #4) Dated 29 June 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 third para on page 198 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 updated constantly.)
225. What happens when the general public is unaware of the basic rules of the Saastraa-s? You end up glorifying even very ordinary attainments of Swamijis! An engineer should know engineering. A doctor should know the basics of diagnosis and prognosis and what medicines to be given for which illness and in what quantity! A Guru as the head of a Matam or Peetam should be aware of Saastraa-s. If he does not know, that means that there is some gross mistake. If he does know something of what should be his ‘bread and butter’, there is no cause for celebration!
226. With some knowledge of the Saastraa-s, I am also aware of some information about science, philology, archaeology and history. In my talk I do include some of these bits and pieces of information. You see, many experts in various subjects visit me to talk about their problems or simply out of respect. On those occasions, I also gather some information about interesting things that they are doing, which I do mention during my talks, like a ‘jack of all trades’! But that does not mean that you are to preclude as my having omniscience with powers of reading other’s minds, encyclopaedic knowledge and things like that!
227. Only when the disciples and followers are orderly, disciplined and aware of the Saastraa-s, can the Guru be under constraints to keep expanding his horizons of knowledge and not otherwise! My main point is that only when the devotees and disciples are close knit as a family as in a Guru Kulam, where there is not only a meeting of the minds, but also a meeting of the hearts, can they mutually enable and contribute in refining, sharpening and ennobling each other’s knowledge, behaviour and attitudes!
228. Establishment: for Necessary Evils - AcharyaL’s Service. More than being a head of an organization like Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam with a Title as ‘Jagat Guru’, (I am saying this myself,) ‘there is more necessity and need for an individual to be faultlessly clean’. Sri Aadi Sankara Bhagawat PaadaaL established these institutions of Sankara Matam-s so as to bring all the followers of Sanatana Dharma within certain order and ensure its sustained longevity. I am praising him for this. At the same time I also say that, ‘There is more necessity and need for an individual to be faultlessly clean on his or her own than be dependent upon the support of an establishment to be so!’
229. My praise of Aadi Sankara for creating these Matam-s is justified and so also is my other statement about the common man as a follower of the religion, should maintain a high level of personal and moral cleanliness! Because, if there are some disciples of an Ashrama of a high level of discipline, what happens to the society at large? Till the population was limited and everybody was observing the rules and regulations, it was all OK. But, as the population started expanding, with the increase in quantity, the quality did come down, even affecting those who had to be like role models!
230. Exploiting this, other religions such as Buddhism and Jainism virtually caused cracks and fissures in the whole facade of the society! They identified that their own strength and power to make inroads into our society, depended in their being well organized! So they showed this in action. They spread by first converting the Kings and regional chieftains to their fold! At such times, instead of getting scattered as a bag of goose berries would on being opened suddenly, if people of our religion were to remain sticking to each other as would a bag of peeled tamarind, we had to make some special efforts! That is why they were brought under the control of regional organizations, namely the Matam-s in Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, Jyotishmat in Uttara Khand, Sringeri in Karnataka, Dwaraka in Gujarat and Puri in Orissa, by the efforts of Aadi Sankara! However much you may praise Aadi Sankara for the fact that these Matam-s are functioning surprisingly effectively till date, it can only be like stating the obvious! Still what Sankara managed to achieve was something like a necessary evil only!
231. Establishment of these Matam-s was, like doing a small wrong thing to avoid a bigger calamity! Once you have the backing of an organization, whether it is a school or Matam, the head of such a setup, unless he is ever cautious, runs the risk of losing the right direction, though that is his job really! Power, whether it is man power or money power, has the inherent capacity to corrupt! These are all disincentives for the inner Atma Shakti! That is the reason that the Acharya-s used to conduct Gurukulam with the minimum of inputs in the most frugal manner. It is only after the advent of Buddhism and Jainism that bigger organizations came into being where, many Aachaaryaa-s teaching a variety of subjects also came into being. Nalanda and Daksha Shila Universities came into being only after that!
232. Daksha Shila was a kingdom in the State of Punjab, of the Five Rivers. Much before Buddha, it was famous. That area was known as Gaandhaara Desha. Gaandhaari, the wife of Pandava-s was a Princess of that country. Pandava-s great grandson Janamejaya did the Sarpa (snake) Yaagnya here only. For the first time Maha Bharatha as an Epic was presented in an august gathering in this place only. It was a city established by Bharatha’s son Daksha, giving his name to it. From its inception some 5,000 years back, it has been a place of importance to the Vedic culture!
233. In the Fifth Century A.D., when Fahiyan visited India, he has commented that the place was full of Buddha Vihara-s. Later the place was raided by the Hun-s who destroyed most of the place. 200 years later when Huang Tsang visited there, he came across only ruins! When it was a huge centre of education, in the 5th Century A.D., still it was not set up as a University. It was more in the form of a collection of many smaller institutions, co located, without a central federal arrangement! There were 16 different disciplines being taught. The famous Chanakya who wrote Artha Saastra was a student here!
234. Nalanda was more like a University of to-day. Here the ruins are indicative of huge lecture halls and hostels. This is located in the present day Bihar, earlier known as Magada Desh. The word Vihara became Bihar. Patna is originally Paatali Putra. Nearby is the place Raja Gruham (Raj Gir), closely related to the life of Buddha. One of the main policy makers of Buddhism known as Nagarjuna, selected this Nalanda as the place for a ‘Sarva Kala Shala’ or University. During the time of Narsimha Baladitya in the 5th Century A.D., this university was in its fullest bloom!
235. With the Buddhist literature, many of the Vedic literatures such as, GhaNitha (Mathematics), Tarka (art of debating and logic), Sangeetha, Vaidya Saastra (Medicine) and so on were taught. There were at a time students numbering 10,000 residents. Even now we can be proud of the fact that, there were students from many of the Asian countries as well as from the European countries, studying here! Compared to Daksha Shila, since Nalanda was meant to produce Buddhist Monks called Bikku-s, technical subjects such as Engineering was not given much importance. But, Jyotisham was one of the subjects and hence, there was an Observatory using telescopes. The library in Nalanda was a huge nine storey edifice!
236. There were then a series of foreign invasions by Gajni, followed by Ghori Mohammad and then the turks of the Slave dynasty in the 13th Century, which proved to be the death knell of this great institution. Thus, Nalanda lasted for approximately 800 years!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 32 (Vol #4) Dated 27 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 32 (Vol #4) Dated 27 June 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 third para on page 193 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 updated constantly.)
214. Definition of Guru. In Mundakopanishad (1.2.12.) where it says that the disciple should surrender to the Guru, there are two qualities described defining ‘Lakshana’ of a Guru! One is that, he should be a ‘Srotriya’, meaning that, ‘he should be someone who knows the ins and outs of the Vedas’! In Tamil they would say that he should be someone who should have, ‘vedattai karaittu kudiththu irukka vendum!’ That shows his erudition in matters of Veda, Saastra, PuraNa and Itihaasaas! Then the second requirement is that he should be a ‘Brhma Nishta’, that is his knowledge about the meaning of God and Existence should be a thing of ‘Anubhava’ that is, personal inner experience and not simply only as understood by the mind and senses!
215. This is not possible unless such a person has imbibed the qualities of Love (Anbu), Sacrifice (Thyagam), Paropakaram (service to others), Truthfulness and uncaring for name and fame! That Aachaarya pointed out by the Upanishads, is not only an intellectual like the professors of the modern day, but one who has brought such high qualities in to his life in a practical way. In him the qualities of head and heart would meet without any conflict! He is thus as much a product of the system of Guru Kula as the disciple anyhow is. In other words, if the Guru was reason for the upbringing of the Sishyas, the Sishyas in turn are responsible for the coming into being of such great Gurus!
216. This I am saying not only about the Guru who teaches some discipline or subject. I am including all those Gurus who are the heads of so many such organizations such as ‘Peetams’ and ‘Matams’ which have come into being so as to do service for the humanity, to show the way to the common masses from the forest of worldly life to take them back to the source of all existence, back to the spring of God! I am talking about people like me who are called ‘Jagat Guru’ and such exalted titles!
217. The followers of such organizations have to be exceptionally well disciplined and maintain a very high standard of morality. They have to be such strict practitioners of the Do’s and Don’ts of the religion that, we as heads of such organizations have to keep still higher standards of discipline, so as to earn their respect and admiration! Instead, when the disciples are not following their rules and regulations, what happens? These followers praise the Sanyasi even when simply he is observing the minimum of what he is supposed to do! A ‘Yati’ is supposed to live with the barest of minimum requirements in terms of clothing, food, furniture and such things. He is to follow very strict rules of ‘Soucham (cleanliness) and Aachaaram’! Even when someone touches him by chance, he is to have a bath. He is to abhor and avoid all show and pomp!
218. For the slightest of defaults of even others, he should bathe and fast. You see, in an enclosure where there is say likely exposure to atomic radiation, think of what all could be the restrictions in a person working there. Stricter the restrictions have to be for a person working to lead others to the proximity of the very Para Brhmam! We have to be extremely careful and guard against being contaminated by any and every physical, mental, moral and spiritual hazards! We call it ‘anaachara radiations’!
219. For someone working in the environs of an atomic reactor, it is necessary to follow the rules and regulations as laid! Someone working in a petrol bunk say, should not be using a lighter or cell phone! If they do not follow the rules, it could be harmful for that person, consumers and the organization! They are not going to be given awards if they follow the rules, but if they do not adhere to the rules and restrictions, they should be punished.
220. Similarly, we need not be praised for obeying the set of rules meant to be followed by a hermit, but taken to task if we are letting things go by default! We are rather concerned about being able to adhere to the rules. Instead, if you praise us with words such as, “What great tapasya, how many restrictions and taboos you are suffering Swamiji, for our sake” and so on, it is likely to go to our heads and cause us to go awry! Once we start relaxing one rule, then slowly the whole system will collapse. Then whatever was to be derived from such an organization like this Kanchi Kamakoti Matam created especially for the benefit of this humanity, will be lost forever!
221. If all the regular followers themselves were adherents of Nitya Karma Anushtaanas, keeping their vows of abstinence on the days that they are required to do so, then they would not feel so impressed about the fact that their Guru, is observing the rules and regulations as required of him! Then there is no chance of all this contributing to the head weight of the Guru. I wish that I should have at the least some very strict followers of such order and discipline, who would be able to tick me off, if and when I go wrong ever so slightly!
222. Individual Mendicant and the Head of an Organization who is Also a Sanyasi. In the field of education as well as in organizations in which there is a Guru at the helm of affairs, this point about the followers being a decisive factor in maintaining the Guru’s standard is equally applicable. If there is an individual Sanyasi, it is enough if he has some rudimentary knowledge about the religious beliefs and tradition. Then he may be totally immersed in the Self or surrendered to fate and God. He has no other responsibility towards anyone. The case of a Sanyasi who is the head of such organizations, is different. He has to be a master of all Saastraas. He has to clarify doubts in such matters. He has to conduct ‘Vidvat Sadas’ and adjudicate. For this he has to be highly knowledgeable in matters of Veda, Saastra, Itihaasa, Puraanaas (to be known as VSIPs in short in this chapter only)!
223. When there are a substantial number of people well qualified in VSIPs, then only heads of such organizations would be compelled to gain such knowledge, to be able to find solutions to disputes and clarify doubts and be motivated to conduct ‘Sadas’, that is ‘expert committee meetings’. If the general body of followers of the Matam is not at all knowledgeable about such things, there will be no doubts and no need for holding a Sadas! I am noticing that amongst the general public of our religion, the knowledge about our Saastraas is dwindling down and so also the Heads of such religious organizations in turn are becoming relatively clueless also!
224. It is sad but true! Since there is a general lessening of standards, we as heads of such religious organizations are also in a dangerously low state about our own tenets, concepts and principles! If we, who are responsible for saving and protecting these Saastraas for the present and future, are losing our grip on the situation, is it not really a thing for concern? So, there is a dire need now for you to devote time and energy to learn about our Saastraas, not only for your own sake, but also so as to keep us on the hop!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 31 (Vol #4) Dated 25 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 31 (Vol #4) Dated 25 June 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 third para on page 186 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 updated constantly.)

199. To keep the disciple under constant scrutiny is a very difficult, relentless activity. More than the responsibility, you have to bear with the hostility from the disciple, who is likely to be irritable because of the constant supervision. To feel that knowledge should spread is alright. But, one has to guard against undermining of value systems by making knowledge available to one and all! Vidya should be imparted only to deserving eligible persons. For that sake, you have to be rather strict in testing the recipient’s worth! That worth is not only a matter of brains, but one of behaviour, attitudes and character qualities! The Gurus of yore were keen on this!
200. That King of Devtas Indra and King of Rakshasas Virochana were ready to subject themselves to such strict conditions, is indicative of how keen students of that period were in learning! The disciples of that time thought, “Yes! This Guru has the worth and value to make such a fuss about whom he teaches. It is in no way a dishonour for us to subject ourselves to his conditions!” Such a response from a student is possible only when the Guru was not only great by himself in terms of his worth, sincerity, character, tapasya, dispassion, honesty and such things only, but also was a great humanitarian and an embodiment of kindness! Other qualities can make you respect him from a distance. But only humaneness and kindness can cause you to accept him as your own Guru! Out of all adorable qualities this love and milk of human kindness of ‘Anbu and AruL’ comes from the divine power of Grace.
200. From our Saastra Puranas, we gather that the Aachaaryaas of those days were ideal past masters in this quality of ‘Anbu and AruL’. Before starting their studies and at the end of it, their daily prayers included that, “Between the Guru and Disciple let there not be any alienation and enmity!” There is a saying in Tamil that goes, “adikkira kaidaan aNaikkum”, meaning, ‘Only the hand that uses the cane is the one that embraces too’! While being strict they were impartially so and while out pouring with love they were like the monsoon clouds.
201. A conversation between Sri Krishna and Kuchela in Bhagawatam clearly shows both these aspects when Bhagwan Sri Krishna reminisces with Kuchela about their Guru Kula days. After the death of Kamsa, Krishna and Balarama are given Brhmopadesa and Upanayanam and do Guru Kula Vasam under Guru Saandipani. Though Sri Krishna is the God in human form and is the source of all Vidyas, to demonstrate the ideal behaviour of a student towards his preceptor, he is also depicted as studying for his schooling under a Guru!
202. Instead of 12 years of being a student, he learns one Vidya a day and learns everything in 64 days! So does Balarama, who is also a Divine Avatara! Guru Saandipani becomes aware of Sri Krishna’s divine attributes. So when finally all the teaching is over, Bhagawan asks his Guru as to what should he give as Guru Dakshina? Saandipani asks that his son, who had died in a freak accident in the ocean some years back, may be brought back to life! Bhagawan Sri Krishna accedes to his request and takes the necessary action to fulfil this demand, but that is not what we are concerned with just now!
203. What we are concerned with just now is that, even when the Guru was aware of the divinity of the disciple, he as a Guru will play his part as a mentor and bring out the best in the student in terms of sincere hard work, genuine humbleness and effective intelligence! That darling child Krishna who was also the unknowable Bhagawan, by Guru’s order had gone to the forest and brought fire wood and done all sorts of house hold duties! After the passage of many years, he is now reminding his class mate Kuchela of one particular incident.
204. One evening Krishna and Kuchela had gone deep in to the forest to cut and collect wood, when suddenly it was night. In total darkness when they were groping, it started raining too! In no time the area was flooded. He is asking Kuchela now, “Do you remember that night when we were going around in circles catching hold of each other’s hands, the whole night, with the bundle of fire wood on our heads?”
205. Then we get to know Guru Saandipani’s love and concern for the kids from the words spoken by Krishna. “Then early morning, we found that our Gurunatha himself was searching for us deep in the forest. With tears in his eyes he said, ‘Oh! Poor boys, how much you have suffered for my sake!’ Then he was kind enough to bless us with these words, ‘Let all your education be complete, never to leave your minds! Let all your wishes be fulfilled! The Vedas you have studied may protect you throughout your lives!’ That was how our Guru blessed us”, said Sri Krishna.
206. All told, the Guru was not only a depository of all knowledge but was also a model person worthy of emulation in terms, of good manners, stead fast practitioner of Anushtaanaas, a treasure house of love and kindness, ever to be remembered with love and affection by the students! This was a result of the system of Guru Kula of the past! When living under the same roof and partaking the same food, they were an automatic check and control over each other’s behaviour! The system made them pure and clean!
207. Despite living together, if the Guru is to deserve and earn the love and respect of the students, he has to be really a man of excellent character, ability and knowledge! Similarly, the student had the freedom to repeatedly question the Guru and get his doubts cleared by what is known as the method of, ‘pariprasna’. So the Guru could never remain on the peripheral since he was under constant compulsion to go into the depth of whatever he was teaching!
208. In this ‘pariprasnena’ method of questioning by the student to clear his doubts as and when they occur and Guru’s immediate response, there is something special that instigates and inculcates deeper probing and understanding. We find that this method is to be found in many places in the Upanishads. You will note that in Bhagawat Gita too, which is by itself an Upanishad containing the gist of many Upanishads, this method is extensively used. Arjuna interrupts the flow of Sri Krishna while he is speaking, a number of times, clearly bringing out the effectiveness of this method.
209. When a Professor prepares his complete lecture and rattles it out, he does not have to cover the subject so completely as he would have to, if he enables the student to clarify his doubts as and when they occur! Even in to-days world we notice that a lecture becomes more interesting during the question and answer session! Especially an attentive audience can make the session more interesting. For both Guru and the disciple, this method of ‘pariprasna’ is a great pro-activator. Jiddu Krishnamurthy used this technique in his talk sessions, making it very interesting, I am told. We also use this method while conducting classes on ‘Bhashya Paatam and Vakya Artam’. When the questions are intelligent, it adds to the interest created in the conduct of the classes. There are many occasions when some ideas not thought of earlier gets suddenly revealed, by this process.
210. AcharyaL himself has spoken about this aspect. When we read his Bhashyams on ‘Prasthana Thraya’, we find that, before he comes to the final idea called, ‘Siddhantam’ meaning ‘the end of the concept’, he interposes many a question and counter question himself and answers them all! Unlike Tarka Saastra, here the aim is to bring out the inner meanings in all their nuances. There is another issue here. Some people may know much of the subject matter. But, their method of presentation or instructional ability may not be good enough. But, by questioning we may be able to draw the best out of them!
211. I will give you one example to prove my point. There was one Sthapathy ‘Maalai Kandaan’ Somasundara Aachary, an expert architect in making the ‘Ratham’, that is the Chariot pulled by thousands of devotees with the ‘Urtsava Moorthy’ installed in it during festivals. But he was not educated and so did not know as to how to read, write or give lecture! In ILaiyaathangudi Sadas, the organizer Sa.Ganesan wished to make this Sthapathy Somasundara Aachary speak, as he had done wonderful work in commissioning the Temple Chariots in some 20 to 25 important places. Sa.Ganesan was telling me that he was feeling bad because of his inability to make ‘this treasure house of knowledge in making Temple Chariots’ speak to the assembled audience !
212. At that moment this concept of ‘pari prasnam’ method occurred to my mind, like a flash! I told Sa.Ganesan , “Since you already know about the subject generally, based on that you introduce him to the audience and then conduct an open interview and let the audience hear your conversation. I am sure that with your prompting, you will be able to bring out all the interesting aspects of the construction of a chariot!”
213. Needless to say that the interview better bettered all expectations and was a thundering success. In the Sadas conducted over many days that talk about construction of the Temple Chariot was the most appreciated by the audience. As the talk went on all the assembled felt as though a chariot took shape in front of their mind’s eyes! Finally they ended up endowing the Sthapathy with Gold Ear Studs and a title of “Ratha Chakravarty” to mean ‘Emperor of Chariots’! May be that in olden days, the title of Chakravarty was something like a Rolling Shield, each king getting the name of an Emperor by turn I suppose! Chakra means a wheel. A chariot has to have wheels, you see! So the title was more than appropriate!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 30 (Vol #4) Dated 23 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 30 (Vol #4) Dated 23 June 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 page 181 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 updated constantly.)

186. This Satya Kama was a student under one Haridruma Gowtama Rishi in the past. The Rishi gave Satya Kama Upanayanam (Poonool) and Brhmopadesam of Gayatri mantra. He gave him 400 underfed cattle and told him to ‘take care of them’! Satya Kama decided that he will look after the cattle so well that they will become well fed, healthy animals numbering a thousand! Then only he thought he will seek Upadesa from the Guru.
187. It took many years for him to achieve his intended task. Having made their numbers swell to a thousand, that Brhmachari Satya Kama was herding the cattle back towards his Guru Kula. On the way one of the Bulls (called ‘Rishabh’ in Sanskrit), gave him Upadesa. Next day Agni gave him Upadesa. In the next two days a Hamsa (a swan) and a bird called ‘Madgu’ which normally lives in water, gave him advice of Upadesa! As now Upakosala was effulgent with the brilliance of knowledge, Satya Kama was then shining too! Exactly similarly, as he asked Upakosala, Haridruma Gowtama asked him as to who gave him Upadesa? Like the Upakosala’s tactful reply, he had told his Guru, “Yes I have been given Upadesa, but not by any human beings!” Not stopping there, he had said that his wish was to get Upadesa from his revered Guru Haridruma Gowtama only!
188. Here he expresses the view that, only what one learns from an Aachaarya will be fruitful and effective. Since it may not be appropriate for him to make such statements as a disciple in his Guru’s presence, he very adroitly tactfully said, “What I have heard from your highness often is that, only that Upadesa is effective that one receives through the words spoken by one’s Guru! So, I would wish to be blessed by your highness!” Thus in every word and letter, the Upanishads picture before our mind’s eyes, as to what was and should be the relationship between the Preceptor and the Disciple, in all its subtle nuances!
189. Let us come back from the story in which Satya Kama was a Sishya, to the one in which he is the Guru! From his personal experience he was aware that Upakosala had received Upadesa from the Agni Devatas. So, since now there was no need to tolerate the Guru’s indifference any further, he had wanted to test a little further as to what is the change in the Sishya’s attitude! Since here too Upakosala had come out with flying colours, the Guru was fully satisfied! He asked as to what the Agnis had adviced. Then he completed the Upadesa and made up for years of indifference with added blessings!
190. Coaching Step by Step after Testing Encourages Students Independent Capacity to think! Instead of the Guru rattling something on his own just so as to complete his portion of the syllabus as it happens now-a-days, he tested the student from all angles, refining him in the process and then having made him an exceptionally perfect individual, he made him into a man of knowledge! There is no danger greater than an intelligent crook lacking moral compunctions! Each student was assessed for his inherent merit, suitability for polish and improvement. This formed the basis for working out his coaching methods and study material, after due deliberation. Thus they have gone on developing the individual with greater and finer Vidyas.
191. Brugu got his teaching from his own father VaruNa. (Please refer to Taitreeyopanishad – Brugu Valli.) You will notice that he starts from the gross level and successively goes on to subtler and subtler levels of understanding and takes the student along while doing so! Let me explain this more clearly, for your understanding!
192. He started with the first basic statement that food is God. “annam Brhma iti vyajaananaat...” meaning, that ‘food is known and to be known as Brhmam, with food we jivas (individual live forms) live, with food we grow, for food and with food we do all our work of earning, sustenance and procreation, without food we die’. Then he tells his son to go and do Tapasya of deep cogitation and come back! Brugu after prolonged deliberation comes back with the idea, “Yes! Food is all that, agreed. But, there has to be something more!” Then his father progressively raises the ante to “prana (breath), manas (mind), vignaana (science), gnaana (awareness) and aananda (bliss)”! Every time the student goes and thinks and meditates deeply on the above points and comes back to the Guru!
193. The first set of logical analysis applied for food can be applied for each one of the above. Let us take the last one. All our actions in our lives are directed towards attaining happiness. Whether it is physical or mental or pecuniary or sensual or political; it is all for the pleasure of it that we do in our lives. Is it not so? Then once you realize that your basic reality is ‘Aananda Swaroopa’ you would also say with me that, “to be happy is our birth right and to be unhappy is a stupid choice!”
194. I have given you a glimpse of how the Guru caused the Sishya to mature progressively and taught him the education as suitable at that point of his growth! How can any institution match this? There is another interesting point here. Montessori system of education insists that, ‘all that is taught should not be thrust down the children’s throat! The Students should be enabled to learn by their own thinking! The job of the teacher is only to guide and channelize.’
195. The method used here is the same. When the Guru makes the Sishya responsible for all the preparatory work for his daily rituals, the student learnt many things in a practical way. Whether it is carpentry or masonry or weaving, the child gained practical knowledge by ‘on the job training’. Similarly here too, the Sishya learnt from the Guru all the tricks of the trade! The system also enabled the student to use his brains and thinking faculty to gain knowledge. As Father and Guru, Varuna teaches his son and sishya Brugu, using this method of progressive learning by oneself! Thus he encourages his disciple to learn that the final true reality of one’s own existence is the ‘Aananda Swaroopa’!
196. Further in many stories of Upanishadic genre, we hear, “Guru gave the Upadesa. He asked the student to deeply meditate on what he had said for a year and then get back to the Guru and tell him as to what he had come to realize!” There is another Upanishadic story in the 8th Chapter of Chandogya Upanishad. Prajapati is the Guru. Virochana is the student from among the Asuras (Rakshasas). The King of Devas, Indra is another student. Virochana is not able to proceed beyond the truth of his being the body! At the least, he is enabled to learn the process of analysing the truth. The story proves as to how caste was no criteria in a student being admitted to the Guru Kula. To obtain the capacity to analyse the truth, this Asura Virochana had to observe Brhmacharya for 32 years!
197. Indra proceeds beyond the bodily identification. But he has to observe celibacy for another 32 years! This shows that even when you are a King of the celestial Devas, you still have to obey the directions of the Preceptor! Finally he graduates to the ‘Atma Tatva’ only after 101 years of abstinence and Tapasya!
198. When education is imparted with no consideration of individual worth to receive knowledge, it becomes the cause for ever new discoveries and innovations harmful to the individual and the society! This is the reason for more and more Doctors, Engineers and other professionals, tending to use their brains and expertise for socially harmful and illegal activities! One of the main reasons for the ills of the system is that, at the organizational level, the students are collectively viewed as a source of income rather than being given close individual attention!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 29 (Vol #4) Dated 21 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 29 (Vol #4) Dated 21 June 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 175 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.)

173. The reason that both the Guru and the disciples behaved with so much simplicity, was due to their being a close knit family devoid of any sense of alienation whatsoever! There were no secrets between them. This sort of meeting of the minds and heart and total transparency is just not possible in any organization! Once the Guru started imparting knowledge, there was no holding back! When Pippalaada says that he will teach all that he knows, he comes forward to teach everything he knows, with no reservations! We hear about professors fearing that the disciple will overtake him or something, publishing the student’s thesis as his own and such things! More than all this, the love and compassion that developed in the Guru – Sishya relationship can never be seen in any other arrangement!
174. Test, Polish and Shine. Initially gem stones are tested so that they may be correctly identified including good and bad aspects. Then after identification, they are cut so as to remove the aberrations, incongruities and blemishes. Then they are polished to increase their lustre and shine. Similar is the action of the Guru with the disciple. The testing is not uniform but, varies with each material of which the gem is made of. So also with the Sishya here! There have been occasions where without teaching anything for a number of years, the student has been made to do all sorts of household work!
175. For example there was this disciple named Upakosalan. (Ref to Chandogya Upanishad [4.10.]) His Guru was Jabala Satya Kama. As per the syllabus and curriculum of those days, he was running a 12 year course for students. Many students were learning Veda Saastraas under him. Only Upakosalan was kept out of such coaching. His job was to take care of the three household fires known as “xy and z”! For 12 years he did that without ever complaining or even murmering about it!
176. The regular procedure is to conduct a closing function known as ‘Samavartanam’ and send the Brhmachari back home so that he could get married and start his Gruhasta Ashrama, as I had told you earlier. Satya Kama had done this Samavartanam for all the other students and this Upakosala was still at his job of taking care of the three ceremonial fires of the Guru’s household! Upakosala did not show any agitation or loss of patience!
177. It was Satya Kama’s wife who lost her patience. She went to Satya Kama and told him the following words. “This boy has been sincerely observing all the rules and restrictons of Brhmacharya. For 12 years he has been sincerely doing his job of taking good care of the ritual fires. You have not been instructing him as required. If you are not to incur the wrath of these fires, you better start his coaching without further delay!” She was almost ready to pick up a fight with Satya Kama on behalf of this boy Upakosala! There is something very interesting here! First, it shows as to how affectionate was the Guru’s wife towards the students! For the children away from their homes, she was like a mother indeed!
178. Here we come across an example of what is called a ‘Dharma Patni’, that is, how a devoted wife could be concerned about Saastraas and Dharma! One is a wife like NaLayini, who obeyed her husband unquestioningly, without giving her mind to whether his action is legally and morally correct or not! NaLayini carried her sick husband in a basket to a prostitute’s house, to fulfil his wish. Here is a wife of a Guru Kula Aachaarya, who is concerned that injustice should not be done to an innocent Brhmachari under her motherly care and that her husband should not run the risk of erring in his duties! Here she is demurringly reminding him of his duties!
179. Similar is the incident of Rama and ‘Pativrata’ Sita! (KTSV adds:- ‘Pativrata’ is a word that may not have an exact synonym in any other language, as the concept is peculiar to the Indian ethos only! The nearest word or phrase could be ‘a devoted wife’! Here, that husband for the ‘Pativrata’ is the be all and end all of her very existence. He is the Guru, provider, protector, the man in her life and the only man in her life! She will not even think of anyone else as a consort, even in her dreams. That is why on his untimely death, she would climb the pyre of his dead body for self immolation! I called it untimely death as otherwise she would precede him in death, when she is called, ‘Sowbhagyavati’ and ‘Sumangali’. Men were also required to be equally devoted to their wedded wife and such a person was called, “eka patni vrata”! Sri Rama was known by that epithet!)
180. I was going to tell you about that incident involving Rama and Sita. Rama was contemplating going for a stay in the forest for 14 years, as required of him by Kaikeyi’s wish, leaving young Sita in Ayodhya! She told him at that time the following words! “Is not the wife supposed to serve, support and be with her husband under all circumstances? You just now pointed this duty of a wife to your mother and pleaded with her to remain beside your father. Did you not? Then how can it be that, the same principle is not applicable to my case? What justice is there in your telling me to remain here, while you are going away?” She caused him to accept her line of argument and went to the forest with him!
181. When Rishi Satya Kama’s Patni told him “Please take immediate action to right the wrong of not instructing Upakosala for so many years, lest the three fires tended by Upakosala end up cursing you”, it is not a caution against an imaginary threat! Those three fires in the household of a Rishi are real dynamic and living powers in being! Those fires are nurtured and maintained because, we believe in their salubrious beneficial powers. That her fears were genuine and warranted is revealed by the subsequent story! Despite her this entreaty, Rishi Satya Kama just went out of the Ashrama as though he wanted to further test the situation!
182. Upakosala was now really worried. He started ruminating thus. “Despite Guru Patny’s request, our Guru has gone away without replying! Because of me there seems to be differences of opinion between Guru and Guru Patny!” He was worried and so could not partake his food! Guru’s wife asked him as to the reason for his not having food! His reply was in these words, “I am sorry Amma! My mind is afflicted and so I am not able to eat!”
183. Then those three fires, that he had been tending to for the past 12 years, displayed their effective presence. They decided amongst themselves on the following lines! “Poor chap! This lad has done so much for us for so long! Today it is painful to see him agonised that he is not able to have even his food! Let us give him the needed Upadesa ourselves.” Those three fires gave him separately individual ‘Agni Vidya’ and together they imparted knowledge of ‘Atma Vidya’! However, without Guru, if they give all the Vidya, as it would be tantamount to undermining the importance of the position of the Guru, having given him the philosophy of the principles, they left the procedures and techniques for the Guru to fill in!
184. Achaaryaa returned to the ashram calling for Upakosala! He came forward with a reply, “Yes Sir! Bhagawaane!” Though the Guru was still testing the lad and the boy was genuinely grieved, there was no dilution of their mutual love, respect and affection! One look at the boy’s face the Guru could see that it was shining with the effulgence of knowledge! He said, “Sowmyaa! Who has given you Upadesa?”
185. The boy was in tenterhooks! He did not know if it was a mistake to have received Upadesa from anyone, in the absence of the Guru! He was also worried that, may be it was a mistake to listen to them the Fires! Then he did not want to complain about them, whom he had been nursing and tending to for so many years! Nothing can and should be hidden from the Guru either! He said, “Who else, my respected Sir! Only today these three fires were slightly different from normal”. He had passed in his final test also. Guru was aware that the Fires will do the Upadesa, not being able tolerate any further delay! He knew this not only because of his omniscience but because he had gone through an exactly similar experience in his life too!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 28 (Vol #4) Dated 19 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 28 (Vol #4) Dated 19 June 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 last paragraph on page 170 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.)

159. When we look into our old time literature, we see as to how great in knowledge, those Gurus were, over flowing with the milk of human kindness! Not expecting any name or fame, so that the knowledge of the Vedas may be carried forward to the future and so that the world may benefit in the process, they were ready to work day in and day out with other’s children! Out of all the things we can be proud of, in this country that is India, this I consider as the pinnacle of achievement of the society!
160. Without a single thought of “what can I get out of this situation”, if someone comes to the Guru in total surrender, they have also taught everything they knew without keeping anything back! Thus the Guru and the student were both not interested in minor matters of wealth and possessions! In both Bruhad AaraNyaka Upanishad (6.2.) and Chandogya Upanishad (5.3.), there is this story concerning Bhagawan Gowtama, his son Sweta Ketu and King Pravahana, that brings out these two points very clearly.
161. There is a reknowned Bhagawan Rishi Gowtama. His son’s name is Sweta Ketu. Sweta Ketu goes to a King named Pravahana. The King asks him a few questions. Sweta Ketu replies to all of those questions truthfully in the negative and returns to his father with his head hung in shame. He tells his father, “What have you taught me so far? I had to accept the fact that I did not know any of the answers to the questions asked by that King!” This was doubly more unpalatable because it was a Brahmin boy who had to shamefacedly accept that he did not know the answers to the questions of the King, who after all was a lower ranking caste!
162. The father Rishi Gowtama, having come to know as to what were the questions, realizes that he himself was not aware of the answers. He tells his son that, he was not aware of the answers himself and that is the reason that he had not taught his son! Without standing on false pretence and formalities he goes to the King Pravahana to learn from him! This is a clear indication of how humble this Brahmin was that, despite being called Bhagawan Rishi Gowtama, he could go to a man from the next ranking caste Kshatriya, without any reservation just so that he may learn the answers of which he was not aware of!
163. Sweta Ketu was a boy with a haughty opinion about himself! His father makes him realize his ignorance and educates him. But that incident comes much later, after the father goes to the King to learn what he was not aware of, with due humility and keenness to learn! So we can make out that, when it comes to learning, even a person already established as a Rishi and Bhagawan, did not have any qualms about going to a socially lower ranking person!
164. The King reveres Gowtama as Bhagawan and tells him that he could ask for any worldly wealth. The Brahmin is interested only in getting that treasure of knowledge available with the King and not known to himself! Having learnt from the King, the father Gowtama comes back and teaches his own son Sweta Ketu. I have been talking for so long about this incident involving Sweta Ketu, his father Gowtama and King Pravahana that by now, you should be interested in knowing as to what is the knowledge that Gowtama gained from Pravahana! It is one of the Maha Vakyas which a disciple says after Self Realization that he has realized that he is verily the Brhmam! I quote, “aham Brhma asmi” !
165. On another occasion, five great well read sages come to the same Gowtama with the question as to who is ‘Vaisvanara Atma?’ This reveals as to how even well read ‘Srouties’ were ready to go searching for knowledge! Then Gowtama deciding that he was not going to play act as though he knew the answer, while being ignorant, directs them to approach Aswapathi, the King of Kekaya. Now-a-days, it is jokingly said that a Professor is the one who professes that he knows!
166. There is another interesting anecdote in Prasna Upanishad from which we get to know many related truths about the attitude of our ancestors about knowledge and its acquisition! Sukesa, Satyakama and three other very learned saints who are constantly endeavouring to understand, accumulate and assimilate all knowledge about Para Brhmam, together approach Pippalaada for acquiring more knowledge and clarifying their doubts!
167. In the time honoured style of, aspiring students approaching their would be Guru, they hand over bundles of twigs to Pippalaada and prostrate before him in all humility! Having surrendered to him, they request him to impart knowledge to them. Still the Guru has a duty to test their sincerity. He tells them, “For one more year, please observe celibacy and come back to me with ‘sraddha’ and I shall clear all your doubts. Ask me whatever you want, without any reservation and I shall endeavour to reply all your questions to the best of my ability”! That is his humbleness!
168. Sraddha. That one year delay imposed, is the Guru’s discretion. Whatever he says the student has to willingly accept. That is the required level of the intensity of disciple’s ‘Sraddha’! In Bhagawat Gita too Sri Krishna says that we should seek and get the advice from such Gnaanis who are knowers of the truth, in Chapter 4, Sloka 34. Then after another four slokas in Sloka No.39, He says, “sraddhaavaan labhate gnaanam”, meaning that, only the man of sincere efforts will attain to Gnaana!
169. Here in Sloka 34, Sri Krishna says that the disciple should ask the Guru probing questions, till he is satisfied and his doubts are removed. He has used a word, “...pari prasnena...”. The word ‘prasnene’, means by questioning. By putting the prefix ‘pari’ before ‘prasnena’, he has brought the meaning of ‘repeatedly probing’ questioning! Not with the purpose of grilling or insulting the Guru, (as is done by modern day TV interviewers with little knowledge and lesser respect for the Guru) but, to gain deeper meaning and comprehension!
170. So, Bhagawan Sri Krishna has added two words on either side of ‘pari prasnena’ thus, “praNipaatena pariprasnena sewayaa”, like two body guards! The first word, ‘praNipaatena’ means, after paying due respects to the Guru, by falling in his feet! The second word ‘sewayaa’ means, that the disciple should do all service to the Guru with respect, taking care of him as a mother takes care of her baby! For all this basically, the disciple has to have unshakeable trust and faith in the power of the Gurus words! It is such a disciple who is told to get to the bottom of the concept with probing questions!
171. For such a trust worthy person to be there in reality, it is practical only when a single person is running a Guru Kulam. When you live with him always, observing him during all your wakeful moments, you would really know his behaviour, response to various situations and his basic attitude. This is not possible in a school or college. That too when you have different teachers for different subjects, you can never be certain of the teacher’s depth of knowledge. They can prepare their notes from so many reference books available, that too with help from a plethora of search engines on the internet, these days!
172. The humility in the Upanishadic Rishi Pippalaada’s reply that he will give answers to their questions to the extent that he knows is simply not possible these days. There is a synonym for a student as ‘vineetan’, that is, an epitome of humility. The teachers were also not very different either!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 27 (Vol #4) Dated 17 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 27 (Vol #4) Dated 17 June 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 163 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.)
145. The Definition of a Student. Manu has spoken highly of the need to control the senses from going astray. Celibacy of Brhmacharyam he calls ‘Indriya Samyama’, which can be translated as ‘regulation of the senses’. Their tendency of the senses to run from pillar to post is to be curbed! This control is not only so as to increase the grasping power of the student but also to enable refinement and ennoblement of the individual. You will agree that after all is said and done, that progressive improvement of each individual is the aim of all education!
146. Manu has clearly defined the daily duties of the student. Doing the Sandya Vandanam(thrice daily, morning, after-noon and evening); Agni Hotram (that is the act of Samitadanam of placing dry twigs twice daily in to the fire to the accompaniment of mantras, as an offering to the Agni, the God of fire); study and practice of the portion of the Vedas already committed to memory known as ‘swaadhyaayam’; to beg and collect rations for being cooked by the Guru’s wife, known as Bikshacharyam; to bring fire wood from the forest; to bring soft clean earth used as a body wash; to pluck flowers from the garden for devotional pooja by the Guru; ask the Guru to explain portions of what one has learnt, for clarification of doubts known as ‘pravachanam’; and such things! Whatever you may or may not do, Swaadyaayam and Pravachanam are not to be missed, says Taitreeya Upanishad also.
147. In this system we should take note of the fact that along with the growth and refinement of brains and behaviour, the brawn is also being taken care of! Early morning bath in cold water is a healthy habit. Doing the PraaNaayaama by itself or as a part of the three times Sandya Vandanam is an effective breathing exercise. Surya Namaskara is a complete exercise in which the whole body gets a nice workout! The difference between other types of exercises and PraaNaayaama and Yogaasana is that the former builds in tension in to the muscles while the latter removes the tensions, while making the muscles more agile and powerful! In activities like Bikshacharyam and collection and cutting of fire wood, while one instils humility, the other builds muscle power!
148. Human life has to take care of the body, mind and the inner being. The education of olden times was capable of taking care of all the three! I told you so far about that education system to the extent that I am aware of. There are many more things yet to be told to you. There may be many things unknown to me also!
149. It is only after this, during the time of Buddhists and Jains, bigger Universities came into being, than any time in the past! Even before that there were many disciplines as given in the Chandogya Upanishad. To teach so many subjects, there were bigger institutions. They were functioning like a number of state governments function under a central set up with comparative freedom in certain areas and centralised control in certain other areas! Similarly, there were separate Aachaaryaas experts in some subjects, with a group of students to whom they gave individual attention. The Aachaaryaas and the students under him were inturn beholden to the Kulapathy, who mainly supervised and led them all by knowledge and character qualities. So education instead of being limited to knowledge for earning ones keep, was a wholesome approach towards all aspects of progressing and ennobling ones existence!
150. To have a Kulapathy at the apex and have a number of teachers responsible for each batch of students happened in some rare places only. There were more individual Guru Kulams than the sort of federal set up, I talked about. May be they learnt Meemamsai under one Guru, Nyayam under another, Vedantam under a third and so on. Even today there are some who change Guru Kulam for higher levels of knowledge or for a change in subject.
151. Point to note here is that, even when they functioned under one Kulapathy say, the Guru Kulams were still small organizations based on individual family set ups only! They were still based on the individual Guru’s knowledge, character qualities and power of years of meticulous sincere practice of Anushtaanaa!
152. Individual Guru’s Greatness. To be able to attract clientele these days one relies on advertisement and publicity, not all of them true and honourable! But in the olden times, the Gurus had to be people of sterling character, real scholarship and humaneness! Otherwise no father would have come forward to leave his own off spring of such tender age, under the care of such a teacher, that too for twelve long years! The students themselves were the best advertisements for such schools, for real publicity that spread by word of mouth.
153. When it becomes a huge institution with many instructors, readers, lecturers, Gurus and so on, it has to become a bit of a mix, whose faults and deficiencies will not be so apparent, as in the case of Guru Kulam run by one Guru. When you make a garland of jasmines, even a single mix of a different flower will be easily noticeable! In the case of a mix of a ‘Kadambam’ any order or any combination will look alright. Do we not make a decorative mosaic of broken pieces of stones and glass?
154. Similarly, making use of not so very efficient human beings, with organizational power you can make any event look impressive! But if you are looking for eternal real values, you cannot have more than one Guru, as they say that, ‘at any one time, you cannot serve under more than one master’! If the aim is for the children to learn not only the subject matter, but also good manners and character, organizations can never match what can be done by individual Gurus! In institutions, knowledge can be imparted and tested as to what has been grasped. But, only when the Master is having the student live with him, where he can see his behaviour from so many angles, can he test and guide the student in a holistic perspective.
155. When the student is admitted in the schools today, his grasp, intelligence, level up to which he has progressed till then and retentivity, can be assessed. There is no scope for testing the character qualities of the student. You cannot know whether the student is good / bad and how good or bad, he or she is. It is not possible to make an assessment as to whether the student can be corrected and or drop him if he or she is beyond redemption! Whereas in our old system, there was no education not related to morally acceptable character qualities!
156. That is the reason why, at the end of Bhagawat Gita, Bhagawan Sri Krishna emphasises that, “idam te na atapaskaaya na abhaktaaya na cha asusrushave...”, (Ch.18. Sloka 67.), meaning, that this knowledge may not be imparted to someone, ‘who is not keen enough, not devoted enough or not willing to serve the Master’! This restriction is equally applicable to all education. Saastraas forbid that unless the student has lived in the Guru Kulam at least for one year, some serious matters may not be taught to the student at all! (“na samvatsara vaasine prbruyaat”.) There is no scope for such checks and control in the present day environment! In the bargain, only adding knowledge and brain power seems to be the interest areas. Such gaining of knowledge can be both constructive and destructive!
157. There is one more point that comes to my mind. At the end of the year, the Guru may decide that though the student is not fit for learning, he is good enough as a work horse! How are we going to ensure such a misuse of position and power is not done? It is clearly given in the Saastraas that, if the Guru does not impart Vidya to the student, even after the passage of a year, the Guru is to be incurring ‘paapa’ or sin. Even otherwise all the sins of the student will anyhow accrue to the Guru only. Not teaching the student, while keeping him in the Guru Kula is another additional sin.
158. There are some stories of Gurus who did not impart education to the student for a number of years. This he did just to bring out as to how intense was the disciple’s devotion that he never questioned the Guru’s discretion! Individual level of education was thus good both for the student and the Guru, as compared with institutional endeavours! The Guru had to demonstrate not only his high level of knowledge, but also had to be of a high moral fibre, capable of motivating the student to emulate and follow!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 26 (Vol #4) Dated 15 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 26 (Vol #4) Dated 15 June 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 158 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.)
134. Utsarjan and Visarjan means the same thing, that is, to leave something or in other words, take a break. The ritual in which we leave studying of the Vedas for a period of about seven months is Visarjan. Again at the time of next AavaNi Aavittam, to restart the study of Vedas from where we left off is to do ‘Upa Kramam’, which is known as ‘Upakarma’! All other Vidyas such as, Siksha, VyakaraNam, Chandas, Niruktam, Jyotisham, Kalpam and such things of the 14 Vidyas are taught during this period. Study of classical literature and PuraNas is also done during this. This Utsarjanam in North India is the Saraswathy Pooja of Vasantha Panchami.
135. Now-a-days in our AavaNi Aavittam, the more important activity seems to be the feast in which ‘Iddly, PoLi and Vada’, play a major role! Out of the whole lot of Vedas one has to learn in a term of about six months, a portion is chanted by the ‘Vaadyaar’ and repeated by the participants in a lackadaisical way. Notwithstanding this, they do the ‘Utsarjana’ karma also, then itself! This is not even paying lip-service to the concept of ‘Upaakarma and Utsarjana’! I do not know as to why we have not done away with the whole procedure when it has lost its meaning and has just become a rigmarole! May be as I said before, the tradition survives for the sake of renewing the worn out PooNool and for the special eats prepared on that occasion! We are responsible for the condition of self ridicule have come to, for which we can blame no one!
136. During the time of Vidya Abhyaasam a Brhmachari is supposed to learn the Vedas and other Vidyas thus for periods of two terms each alternately and complete such studies in 12 years! When you try to learn more than your Veda, the one who learns two Vedas becomes a Dwivedi, master of three Vedas becomes a Trivedi and knower of all the four Vedas becomes a Chaturvedi. Then you can learn about Vedangam (other parts of the Vedas of the 14 Vidyas) and Vedantam (mastering all the Upanishads). These courses took anywhere up to 18 or even 36 years, as a celibate student, before you ever thought of entering the married life of Gruhasta Ashrama!
137. If Upaakarma and Utsarjana are meant for a student of the Vedas and Vidyas, how are they applicable for a married man leading the Gruhasta Aashrama? As per Saastraas, a Brahmins life is initially Adhyayana of learning followed by Adhyaapaka of teaching what one has learnt about the Vedas. This is true, whether you teach one student or run a Guru Kula of many students! When you do that, you have to start and end in those UpakramaNa and Utsarjana karmas, as per the schedule given in the Saastraas.
138. Even when you are not teaching anybody, you have to retain what you have learnt, without forgetting, is it not so? The process of chanting and committing it to memory is a lifelong endeavour! In Dharma Saastraas, the details of Upaakarma and Utsarjana are given in the portion describing Gruhasta Dharma and not in the part covering the Brhmacharya Dharma. Till education was considered as part of an approach towards divinity, starting with Brhma Upadesa, all learning was an effort in that direction. There is a function known as ‘Sama- Aavartanam’, which meant that you have completed all learning and are now ready to step into the world as a house holder. There is a marked difference in the way the Upaakarma is to be done by the Brhmachari who is yet to do the Sama-Avartanam and the house holder who has completed Sama-Aavartanam. Evidently the second procedure is for the married man so that he may not forget what he has learnt of the Vedas! It is known as ‘DhaaraNam’. Some Rishis have very clearly directed that even a married man should consider himself as a student when it comes to studying and reviving his knowledge of the Vedas, throughout his life!
139. Holidays. In this academic year of two terms, if you ask me if there are any holidays, the answer is ‘Yes’. Our elders did not consider it correct to simply overload the student with academics only! During the Adhyayanam these were known as days of ‘Anadhyayanam’, that is ‘no study days’! Each month, Amavasya, PourNami, two ashtamis (8 th titi after full/new moons) and two chathurdasis (14th titi after full/new moons), were ‘No Adhyayanam’ days. In addition, at the end of Upaakarma and Utsarjana there will be three days of Anandhyayanam. More over in the ‘Chatur Masya’ of four months vrata, there will be four days holidays. These are all known as ‘Nitya Anadhyayanam’ or official planned holidays.
140. There could also be unscheduled holidays like when there are ‘Naimittika’ reasons such as, floods, fire, dacoity and such things which cannot be planned for. Saastraas anyhow with humane approach forbid conduct of classes on such occasions! Similarly there will be no classes conducted when there is Solar or Lunar eclipse. During those times however, chanting of mantras already committed to memory, is required to be done, when the effectiveness of the mantras is said to be much more!
141. Is Use of Physical Force Permitted? When the system enables the student to go through the process of Adhyayanam with a not very tight schedule interspersed with sufficient number of holidays, what is the general accepted attitude of the Aachaaryaas supposed to be as per the Saastraas, is the question? The general approach is that in the name of love and kindness, the student is not to be spoiled. That is why he was sent to the Guru Kulam in the first place instead of being taught at home! So the Sishya is expected to abide with the directions of the Aachaarya at all times.
142. However that does not mean that the Aachaarya was a hard task master demanding implicit obedience at all times either! With love and kindness the student be guided on to a disciplined path, is the idea. If we look into the PuraaNaas and Itihaasaas, we come across many examples of deep love and mutual respect between them. The student was guided with kind and sweet words of advice. Often you come across the teacher addressing the student as, “Sowmyaa!”, which is a pleasant word, kind enough without being too pally! Gowtama Sruti clearly says that the student is not to be physically punished. Though later on it came about that, ‘to give Siksha’ meant ‘to give punishment’, that was not the original meaning of the word at all!
143. However, there may be some occasions when you have to dish out exemplary punishments to some! That is why there are proverbs on this point in all languages, such as the following ones! “Adiyaada maadu padiyaadu”, meaning, ‘the unbeaten animal will ever remain wild’! “Adi udavuvadu pol aNNan thambi udavaadu”, meaning, ‘a good thrashing is more useful than brotherly relations’! In the English language there is the saying, “spare the rod and spoil the child!”
144. Even for such things you may just use a cane to tap lightly and not use a whip or harsher methods, as forbidden by Manu Smruthi. You may hit in the back and nowhere else. You are never to hit in the head, says the Smruthi. Thus the Saastraas have gone into minute details of all eventualities and given directions! The main thrust was to instil a natural preference for discipline in the minds of the students from the beginning. The idea is that he should be able to auto correct himself as he goes along!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 25 (Vol #4) Dated 13 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 25 (Vol #4) Dated 13 June 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 151 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.)
“EpporuL Yaar Vaayk Ketpinum”

121. In the olden times education was kept apart from any connection to the caste. This can be gleaned from one particular principle. To learn or gain knowledge was considered much more important than the source of such knowledge! People of one caste, if they were interested in learning about something not known to them or some art or capability, the knowledge of which was lost over time, could relearn the same from anybody else irrespective of his caste!
122. Any fine art or culture or value item including a classic variety of a woman, can be obtained from any other caste. In the case of a woman as the matter is likely to become complicated with a clash of egos that was normally kept within the caste and that too only with the willingness of the woman concerned. For all other matters of knowledge about Dharma and Vidya, any one could get it from anyone else and get their doubts clarified, irrespective of the caste!
123. Dharma that is the morally correct action at all times comes from knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. So normally knowledge is supportive of prudent action only. Say by chance if the entire Brahmin intelligentsia in an area is wiped out, even in such a situation, a Brahmin could learn the Vedas from a Kshatriya or Vaisya, if he is knowledgeable about it, says Manu! Thiru VaLLuvar puts it slightly differently as, “epporuL yaar vaayk ketpinum apporuL meipporuL kaNbadu arivu”! It means that, ‘whatever you hear from anyone, try and find the true meaning or import of it –that is prudence’!
124. That means that no education or coaching or teaching can be set aside as useless. No Vidya by itself is bad. You can always learn something new. There is no end to learning. If you can learn something good from some worthy examples, you can always learn what not to do from bad examples! Instead of looking down on the person teaching us something, his or her dress, manners and demeanour, we should pay more attention to the intrinsic material that is being communicated! These two ideas of giving attention to the message than the messenger and ever being prepared to learn have always been emphasised in our Saastraas!
125. Another matter. There were people of even the fourth VarNa or caste, who were capable of instructing the very learned Brahmins! If Saastraas themselves are instructing the Brahmins to go to the people of the fourth VarNa and learn, we gather further that, they were not kept in absolute darkness, as is being claimed! Though they were not given direct instructions on learning of the Vedas, they were well tutored in subtle points and nuances of their own profession and intricate points of Dharma and Gnaana! Because there was substantial number of such well qualified persons on these issues, amongst people of the fourth VarNa, some not so well qualified brahmins had to approach them for their views on various issues.
126. There is one striking example for this in the way the PuraNas were conveyed to all! Veda Vyasa having organized the Vedas in to four main groups propagated them through Brahmins. As far as the PuraNas were concerned, he got them conveyed through RomaharshaNa Suta a non-brahmin! The Rishis of NaimisaraNya forest, who were mainly Brahmins respected him properly, seated him on a high pedestal and listened from him all the PuraNas!
127. Period of Instructions. Now-a-days in Veda Patashaalaas, it has become customary to run a 12 years course of instruction to become a Ghanapaathi. Then to learn the Bhashyas and get to know the meaning, another eight years of study is required. In olden times depending on the student’s grasp and his wish to practice by reiteration, the tenure was varied. Generally 12 years was considered to be adequate. There have been courses run for a minimum of 9 years or 12, 18 and 36 year courses have been there.
128. From Manu Smruthi it is revealed that there were some who went on to learn and continued to do so, throughout their life time! If he so wishes, students were permitted by Dharma Saastraas to continue as a celibate brhmachari throughout, without ever taking up Gruhastam! Not all were permitted to do so. This was normally permitted only if the Guru found the student to be suitable for such eventuality, having the right attitude and aptitude, after due testing. Such a person was known as ‘Naishtika Brhmachari’!
129. Each year was divided into two terms of five and seven months each, known as ‘Upaakarma’ and ‘Utsarjana’ (or ‘Utsarga’), respectively. Upaakarma is likely to remind, at least some of you about the day every year, when we wear a new Poonool in AavaNi Aavittam! For the Rik Vedees, that is followers of Rik Veda, this is in the month of SravaNa, which is the period Aadi Amavasya to AavaNi Amavasya. SravaNa in Tamil becomes AavaNi. For Yajur Vedees, that is followers of Yajur Veda, the full moon in the month of SravaNa/AavaNi, is Upaakarma. Rik Vedees decide on the Upaakarma date based on the day of the predominant star of the galaxy and Yajur Vedees go by the PourNami or full moon titi! (Titi is the day after New Moon or Full Moon as the first as ‘prathama’, ‘dwiteeya’ and so on, in an ascending order till the fortnight is completed on chathurdasi the 14th.)
130. In further olden times the full moon in the month of SravaNa used to happen on the same day as the SravaNa star. That is how the month got its name. So whatever the Veda that you belong to, the Upaakarma day was the same for all and so was the start of the term in studies. Later things changed and the date of the full moon and the star did not match. Yajur Vedees went by the titi of PourNami, which could be in a different star that is Avittam. This came to be known as ‘AvaNi Avittam’!
131. Rik Vedees still stick to the star SravaNa and not look at the titi. There are occasions even now when the PourNami in the month of SravaNa occurs on the star SravaNa itself! On that day both Rik and Yajur Vedees have their ‘Upaakarma’ of wearing a new Poonool. The Saama Vedees conduct their Upaakarma one month later in the Baadrapada month in the star of Hastha , which is normally either PiLLaiyar Chathurthi or a day prior to that or later. Normally star Hastham and Panchami titi if falling on the same day, it is supposed to be more sacred. In earlier times when the SravaNa star and PourNami used to occur on the same day, this Hastha Panchami used to happen on the day after PiLLaiyar Chathurthi!
132. Upaakarma is an unknown word now-a-days. Many people may not even know as to which Veda they belong to! Those who know also, know only to the extent that their dirty old PooNool is to be changed for a fresh one on AavaNi Aavittam! In fact this change of PooNool on that day is only a small part of the whole ritual! Talking about the term of education in the Veda Pathashalas, this Upakarma will be start of a term extending to the next five to six months approximately. In this term the Aachaarya will teach the basic Vedas repeated by the disciples. During this period they will be learning the Sruthi of Vedasamhitai, BrahmaNam, AaraNyakam and Upanishads. This will continue till the month of Pushya, that is the Tamil month of ‘Thai’. At that time a Karma known as ‘Utsarjana’ or ‘Visarjana’, will be done on the full moon of the month of Pushyam or the RohiNi star prior to that PourNami.
133. Saama Vedees have a slightly different schedule. Their Upaakarma itself starts in Purattasi and end in Maagha PourNami that comes 15 days after Thai Amavasai. The next roughly six months between Utsarjana and next Upaakarma, will be spent in learning Sikshai, VyakaraNam, Chandas, Niruktam, Jyotisham, Kalpam and such subjects. This is the period from around Jan 15th till the next Upaakarma around August!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 24 (Vol #4) Dated 11 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 24 (Vol #4) Dated 11 June 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 145 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.)
104. I must tell you another important thing about old time education, when all subjects were somehow or the other closely related to what is given in the Vedas. All Arts, Sciences and Crafts were thus evolved from the 14 Vidyas, as derived from the Vedas, suitable for the life of those days, in consonance with Vaidic principles!
105. It is rather surprising to note that Vaidic way of life has always been a ‘sangam’ (confluence) of many disparate ideas. Poorva Meemamsai for your information accepts only a portion of the Vedas that is Karma Kaanda. But that is part of Veda teachings. Saarvaaka which by itself does not approve of the Vedas is acceptable and is taught as part of Veda Adhyayana. Sankhya, Yoga and such things, which can neither be said to be supportive or against the Vedas, are also part of the teachings of Vedas!
106. Even when religions which were not ready to accept Veda as the authority and were not mentioning God (nir-Easwara-Vaadam), such as Buddhism and Jainism came into being, they also taught in their Viharas or Sangas, the ‘Chathur Dasa’ (14) Vidyas as taught in the Vaidic religion! When the professions and jobs diversified, Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas as people approved to learn the Vedas, studied together in the Guru Kula organizations. During the break between lunch and evening classes, the people of the fourth caste consulted the Gurus on matters of their area of interest!
107. So in some way or the other all the four VarNas were depending on the Guru Kula institutions. There was no intentional partiality or parochialism whatsoever! Even when they studied together, the syllabus or tenure or the age at which the curriculam started, were not exactly the same for all the castes. The differences were based on the need to know / learn basis. (This point is further explained later in this talk!)
108. Let these differences be aside. The more important point I have to make here is that, the three VarNas of people entitled to Vidya Abhyasa are all required to get Brhma Upadesam (that is, get yagnya upaveetam that is officially be given the Poonool, Gayatri mantra Upadesam and then have to learn under a Guru! It was not left to his choice to study or not study! Education was compulsory.
109. There was strong punishment for those did not abide with this! Those days, the worst punishment was ‘Jaati Brashtam’ that is, being declared an outcast! This is not a local order or something. This was a universal rule all over the country that, if a member of the Brahmin Kshatriya or Vaisya caste did not wear the Poonool, take the Brhmopadesam and learn under a Guru, he was set aside from the society! Spreading of the knowledge about the Vedas and learning of the Vidyas were considered so compulsorily important.
110. Just because it was compulsory education, it does not mean that you could make a half hearted effort! The whole course is to be taught to a willing student who was capable of putting his heart and soul in to the effort. The student had to be well behaved and disciplined. He had to have a high grasping power and retentivity! Having said that it is compulsory and then if you have conditions about the aptitude, what happens to the person who has lesser grasp and retentivity?
111. The precondition before joining the classes was to be given the Yagnyopaveetam / Poonool and Brhmopadesam of Gayatri Mantra. Once that is done, that person’s GrahaNa and DhaaraNa, that is his powers of grasp and retentivity, will increase immensely! Despite all this if there is someone who does not practice the Gayatri mantra properly and remains a dullard, he is not to be taught the Vidyas. Such a person may be made to do other useful jobs!
112. Even good seeds will be wasted if planted in infertile lands. Similarly warn the Saastraas, Sat-Vidya is not to be wasted in Asat-students! Saastraas have gone to the extent of asserting that, if a Guru does not get suitable students, he may die without ever imparting his education to others. But, he is not to waste his Vidya by teaching persons who are unworthy of being students! This advice is given in the form of a story.
113. Vidya Devata comes before a Brahmin teacher and tells him, “Treat me like a treasure to be protected carefully, used for worthwhile purposes of spreading and expanding knowledge and not to be given to worthless individuals. The recipient should be physically and morally a clean person, who is sincere about learning and controls his tendencies of indulging in sensual gratification! Please do not fritter away this possession of yours!” This is the direction of the Dharma Saastra.
114. Manu Saastra repeats this point that education is not to be imparted to a person who is not capable of taking care of such knowledge. It is not to be imparted to someone who is likely to misuse such knowledge for unfair purposes! The restrictions not to give alms to unworthy characters, is more stringently to be applied for dispensing education! Uncaring for the recipient’s worth, if someone imparts Vidya for pecuniary gains, he will certainly end up in the Hell says Dharma Saastraas. So better be warned!
115. Later Day Changes and Present Disorder! The arrangement was that, the student’s grasp and retentivity were to be assessed before imparting education to him. Once the coaching commences, the only area to be assessed was the student’s behaviour. Either he was failed on grounds of poor academics or not permitted to continue the studies at all. Now-a-days, (I am not talking about the Veda Patashalaas but, other educational institutions here,) if the student’s behaviour is like a rowdy, he is given marks to his liking as the teachers do not wish to antagonize him!
116. You do not have to look at the student’s behaviour or attitude towards the society or aptitude for studies anymore. How to gather as many votes as possible is the main question to be addressed! That is the only criteria, in the name of bringing up the down trodden and raising the standard of living of the unfairly denied sections of the society! These are surely to be done. But in the name of such claims, educational qualifications of unworthy characters are being boosted and they become weeds of the society as Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Professors, and even Vice-Chancellors of Universities and Judges of the State High Courts!
117. In the name of bringing up the backward classes, real performance of some classes of people are getting ignored, while other students of other classes are being preferred despite lower performance! The excuse being proffered is that, “Is it not so that some time in the past, your grandparents and forefathers were flying their flags high in education? Now it is not your turn to step back, even if you score high marks. You will get a vacancy only after accommodating all the other people of other castes! The students whose grandparents did not study at all in the past, for them we will keep the positions reserved!”
118. I do not understand as to how or in what way this can be logical or reasonable! One injustice of the present cannot undo an injustice of the past! Most importantly an innocent member of the present generation cannot and should not be made to suffer for some imaginary ills of the past said to have been done by some forefathers! They make a big issue of what they call, “Paguththu Arivu”, to mean learn by separation and differentiation! But this is neither justice nor “Paguththu Arivu”! This is simple illegal discrimination! This is what has been made ‘Legal’ in many parts of India, especially in the State of Tamil Nadu!
119. In the olden times when the society was divided in to four different castes based on the sort of work they did, the education system which was in consonance with such system is unilaterally declared as exploitation by some! Now more than ability and knowledge, the caste is being given importance unfairly, injudiciously, unjustifiably and this gross injustice is being given names such as Reform, Justice, Equality and Paguththu Arivu!
120. Nobody objects to the efforts to improve the living standards of not-so-well- to-do parts of the society! But that does not give you licence to put down those who are capable of progressing on their own! You can feed the hungry, by all means. But you should not deny the privilege of even a decent life to others for that reason! On the pretext of removal of castes, what is happening is emphasising the castes for vote garnering tactics, to sustain themselves in power! This is modern hypocrisy of a crass order!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 23 (Vol #4) Dated 09 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 23 (Vol #4) Dated 09 June 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 140 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.)
94. I have told you earlier that, to learn Vedas is Adhyayanam and to teach Vedas is Adhyaapanam. The teacher of Vedas is called the Adhyaapaka or Aachaarya. If he has learnt up to the level of Ghanam he is the Ghanapathi and the at end of such expertise, he becomes a Srotriyar. Then when he is learned in not only the text of the Vedas but also its meanings in detail with interpretations of its various shades of meanings, then he gets to be known as the Pravakta capable of doing the Pravachanam! After some number of years, there came into being Upaadyaaya as an assistant of the Aachaarya. The co-students of one Guru Kulam were known as ‘sa-brhmacharys’ and ‘sa-theerthyas’, like we say ‘the class mates’ in English.
95. After the education is completed up to some level in which the student will be able to go out into the world and earn a living, the Brhmachary may discontinue Adhyayanam with the permission of the Guru. At that time the student is required to give Guru Dakshina. It could be cattle, earth, gold, clothing, grains, vegetable, umbrella or foot-wear; whatever the disciple could afford to give! This is not to be a contractual arrangement from either side. If it becomes a transaction of money between them, then both of them were to be excluded from Brahminical Karmas, such as Sraaddam! If you take up teaching for the sake of earning, as I have stated before, you are no more an Aachaarya but an Upaadyaaya! When these schools enlarged out of the family circle and started including other branches (Shaaka) of the Vedas, Kshatriya and Vysya students started joining such establishments. Thus bigger Guru Kulams came into being.
96. Arts and Sciences of the Past. Thus the idea of Vidya from being a teaching of a devotional procedure for Atma Gnaana, started being expanded to include all types of knowledge of Arts, Crafts and Sciences; to be taught and learnt in Guru Kulams. When we come across a huge list of Samas / Vidyas, such as Gayatra, Rathanthara, Vamya Devya, Brihat, Vairupa, Vairaja, Shakvaree, Revati, Yagnya-Yagneeya, Rajana Samas and Madhu, Shandilya, Kosha, Purusha, Samvarga, Pancha Agni and Dahara Vidyas respectively in Chandogya Upanishad, one cannot help being surprised at the awesome enormity of the reach and range of the knowledge of our ancestors!
97. The same Chandogya Upanishad also talks about Narada’s disillutionment with himself and the world of education! Despite having learnt many Vidyas, as he had not practiced any particular line for Atma Gnaana, somehow Narada the great sage was in a quandary. He went to Sanat Kumara for some advice, as given in that Upanishad. Sanat Kumara asked him to list out the things that he has learnt already so that, he may take him forward from there. Narada replies listing out a whole lot of things as already known to him!
98. Here we are giving a short recap of Narada’s reply! The four Vedas, fifth Veda of Itihasa and PuraNas, grammer known as VyakaraNam, ‘pithryam’ concerning the Karya in honour of the departed ancestors, ‘Raasi’ of Mathematics, ‘Daivam’ that is the science of signs and omens, ‘Nidhi’ that is Economics, ‘Vacho Vakyam’ or ‘Tarkam’ that is the science of debate / arguments / logic; ‘Ekayanam’ / Statemanship and Diplomacy, Deva Vidya that is ‘Niruktam’ or Etymology, Siksha on the correct pronunciation of the Veda Mantras, ‘Bootha Vidya’ that is Biology, Kshatra Vidya of Tactics and Strategy, Nkashatra Vidya which combines in itself both Astronomy and Astrology, Antidote for poisons known as ‘Sarpa Vidya’, ‘Deva – Jana Vidya’ on what is common to the divine beings and human beings such as Sangeetha, Natya and Shilpa Saastraas, Vaidya Saastra on diagnosis, prognosis, medicines, herbs and dieting. Thus Narada talks of many such courses of instructions that he already knew!
99. Narada was endowed with super human capabilities. So he could master so many subjects! Despite all that, he was not happy. He was not having a sense of fulfilment. So he approached Sanat Kumara for Brhma Gnaana! The point I am making here is that, even when this Chandogya Upanishad came into being, the world, at least the Indian world had gone far ahead in many fields of human knowledge! By then there must have been many experts of a vast array of subjects! There must have been university like institutions aplenty. Rabindranath Tagore’s Shanti Niketan came into being in the 20th Century on the lines of such Forest Universities!
100. Despite all that Narada was not contented! The lack of Atma Gnaana as far as Narada was concerned, was a gap yet to be filled! Generally all the student community of those days would not have felt similarly. Though mostly all avenues of Vidya were related to Atma Gnaana / Self / God realization; every student was not pushed out towards such esoteric subjects from say day one! Though intellectually everyone was tought some of that knowledge, everyone was not expected to know all that, in an experiential way! There was no such impractical compulsion. After completion education up to a certain level, he was expected to go through life as a married man with a family and children as a Gruhasta or householder. Having contributed his bit for the society, and cleared his debt towards his ancestors and Devatas through responsible fulfilment of Karmas, he was supposed to become matured and refined for Atma Gnaana through the Ashramas of Vana Prastha (gradual retirement from worldly affairs, including moving into self created old age homes in the forests) and Sanyasa (of total renunciation except for ashtanga yoga of merging into divinity!) That was the way of the Saastraas and the educational system was in consonance with that.
101. Dharmam and Brhmam are not only two similar sounding words, but the former enables understanding, comprehension and attainment of the latter! Dharmam makes our this worldly life orderly, deterring our tendency to go astray. A normal human being just cannot be corrupt and hope to be fluking into understanding, comprehension and attainment of (U.C.A. for short) of the Brhmam! In our system, Poorva Meemamsai is there, so that through Karma Marga, you do things judiciously, morally correctly as required by the Aachaaraas, as per the Saastraas. Thus you graduate into the level where you start asking the correct questions (about God and the purpose of Life) and also start getting the right answers! (This is actually what should be known as Graduation and not passing from the LKG to the UKG!)
102. Then you start asking questions such as, “What is this life about? What is it’s purpose? Who is God? What is his relationship to human beings in general and to me in particular?” That is Uttara Meemamsai also known as Vedantam! There is no short cut here. If someone seems to have cut short the procedure, it only means that our data about that person in incomplete!
102. As Narada was an extra ordinary individual, despite being educated about a vast array of subjects, he was not satisfied with that and felt the need for U.C.A. of Brhmam. He jumped from being a Brhmachary to Brhma Gnaana, short circuiting the need for going through Gruhastam, Vana Prastam and Sanyasam!
103. Let Narada’s story be aside. He was anyhow an exceptionally rare individual. But the main point to note is that, a simple normal common man was effectively encouraged not to go astray and prevented from deviating from the path of Dharma, by what was the system of education those days. There was an automatic allure and attraction towards devotion, towards divinity and matters self ennobling! I talked about how it grew over time.
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 22 (Vol #4) Dated 07 June 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 22 (Vol #4) Dated 07 June 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 135 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.)

80. Having said that our Vedas have been handed over from generation to generation, with perfect integrity to ‘uchcharaNam’ that is pronunciation, of the letters and words with correct undulations of the swaras, over thousands of years with total uniformity, in the nook and corners of what is India, I now add that, all this was done without ever writing it down! (KTSV adds:- The first time we hear about any writing is when PiLlaiyar wrote down the Maha Bharatha as dictated by Sage Vyasa!)
81. Now the moment we mention school, we immediately think of black board, chalk piece, pencil, pen, book, note-book, paper, and so on. (Now since PeriyavaaL said all this, we have had, tape recorders, slide projectors, printers, DVDs, Ipods and Ipads and so on also being added to the above list of writing/teaching materials!)
82. Now we have come to understand that the moment we say education, we are thinking of the written letters and words. By ‘Akshara Abhyasam’ we mean, ‘Vidya Aarambham’, when we teach the child to write the first of the letters of the alphabets! From the writings of the two great authorities in Tamil Thiru VaLLuvar and Avvaiyar, we can make out that letters and figures of numerals had gained the prime of place, even 2,000 years back, as they say that they are as important as the two eyes on the face!
83. But, from the time of Vedas, for thousands of years, all learning was being done only by the spoken words! The student repeated what he heard and committed it to memory. Even when the written word evolved, the Veda Mantras were not written down, as the intention was to ensure that they eternally retained their divineness! What is the connection?
84. If you wanted that, the Veda Mantras are chanted continuously and their sound vibrations are spread in the cosmos eternally, how will you ensure that? This can only be done if you make it the life time duty of a set of people from birth, making them dependent on their doing so, for their livelihood and sustenance, with a taboo against any deviation’! For this if they were to be reading it from books referring to it off and on, such an arrangement will not suffice! Many of the sounds of Vedas cannot be put down in words. Their undulations and emphasis cannot be correctly indicated. Any mistake in their intonations, emphasis and pronunciation can lead to unpredictable deleterious effects!
85. Most importantly, if it becomes a book that may be referred occasionally, the person chanting it may not be giving it the necessary total attention. Anything less than 100% concentration, just will not meet the purpose! The effectiveness of the Mantras is either Zero or One, depending on the total involvement of mind, heart and soul! There is no proportional effectiveness quotient here.
86. The moment it is available in writing, instead of committing it to memory, the tendency will be to think, “It is alright! If and when needed we will refer to the book!” Instead of the mantra permeating his being and him being soaked in the mantra, it is likely to become a peripheral encounter! This is the reason for keeping the ability for writing at arm’s length away!
87. This is the reason why, a student of the Vedas is required to be intelligent as well as, well behaved. Veda mantras will instil and shine only in a man of clean conscience and show him in a brilliant light! That is why a student of the Vedas is required to maintain celibacy till he is approved to lead a married life in an acceptable manner by the society. So, the period of learning the Vedas, namely Adhyayanam was and is as good as a period of ‘Tapasya’ of abstinence with a purpose.
88. At the time of birth, even a Brahmin is as good as any child from any caste. He becomes a ‘second time born’, that is a ‘dwija’, only after the Upanayanam ceremony of being given a ‘pooNool’. So does a Kshatriya and Vaisya. Then when he starts ‘Vidya Abhyasam’, he becomes a Vipra. All these three things put together, he becomes a Srothri, says the Saastra. “Janmanaa jaayate soodra: samskaarer dwija uchyate I Vidyayaa yaati vipratvam thribhi: srotreeya uchyate II”
89. When he fully absorbs the Vedas known as ‘Brhma’, having moved in ‘Brhmam’ as a Brhmachaary, gets the Brhma Gnaana Siddhi, then only can he be called a BrahmaNa and not before and not simply by birth! That is, as compared to the limited modern day idea of education as a qualification for employment and earning your keep, our idea of what is education was a very noble one of utilizing ones brains, memory and intelligence for gaining, knowledge, awareness, and expertise, not only in this worldly affairs but, in the field of Atma Gnaana and Self Realization! In this method of imparting education the Adhyapaka will reiterate each portion of each mantra five times. The student who catches hold of what is being taught, the very first time, used to be known as, ‘eka sandha graahi’!
90. Kulam, Gothram, Chaatran, CharaNam and Such Things. We often hear a sentence that we should check the Kulam and Gothram of people when we find out about their origins. (The aim of the so called reformists of our religion seems to be to do away with such divisions.
Even this statement of theirs is with an ulterior aim of perpetuating certain other parochial goals only. But I am not going to talk about that subject now.) A number of families of the sons of one particular Rishi of the same Gothram was known as one Kulam. The Guru Kulam or Rishi Kulam evolved from that.
91. When we say Guru – Sishya tradition, it seemingly looks as though too objective a relationship. In fact it was not so. It was rather closer than that, made up of nearer blood relationships. So, initially a particular Vidya gleaned by one particular Rishi as a Mantra Drashta, was spread amongst his close relations. But later these findings by the Rishis, their Vidyas and the Mantras for them were mutually exchanged. Then people of many Kulams and Gothrams grouped themselves together and called it a branch of a particular Veda. Thus the nomenclature of Shaaka came into being. Then the Guru Kulam for each Shaaka came into being. Then some of them expanded to include more than one Shaaka in their teaching or even more than one Veda in their syllabus!
92. Student, Vidyarthi, MaaNaakkan, Sishya are synonyms for what was commonly known as ‘Chaatra’, which is again more in vogue in the Hindi world of to-day. ‘Chatram’ means an umbrella. So Chatra possibly evolved from that word that the Guru protected him from vacillations of life as an umbrella protects one from the vagaries of the weather! From this one can gather the love and compassion that the Guru had for his disciple! Thus, education instead of being only a matter of brains and knowledge as obtaining in the modern world of today was equally concerned in the wholesome development of an individual towards attaining to the purpose of one’s existence!
93. The school or college then was known as a ‘CharaNam’ as gleaned from PaaNineeyam. The final destination of all beings is Parama Padam. This word Padam is a synonym for the feet and CharaNam. Like the body stands on the two feet, all education was dependent on the support provided by the CharaNam, otherwise known as the Guru Kulam.
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.