DEIVATHIN KURAL # 94 (Vol #4) Dated 31 Oct 2010

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 94 (Vol #4) Dated 31 Oct 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 first para on page number 527 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
22. All thoughts and feelings are originated, experienced, recognised, recorded, remembered, analysed and planned for the future in the mind! When they, those thoughts are not there, we feel that we are like a stone or a piece of wood and hence, we come to believe that when we refer to as I or me or we, it is this body or mind! But even without the body and mind, we are there. There is something else which is the life of us, the real we, which enables us to be and live, breathe and think; which when absent, the body is dead a cadaver! All thinking and feeling are no more in the cadaver for the cadaver! This something let us call it ‘the Uyir Tattva or Life Principle’, even after leaving the body, though not in this body, still continues to live!
23. (KTSV adds: This is the Halloween season. So, please do not let your mind run to such concepts such as ‘Living Dead {which most of us are anyhow} & World of Spirits or aavi ulagam’ and such things now! During Halloween the children wear all sorts of disguises. We will come back to this point about wearing of disguises and hiding our real selves a little later. Please concentrate on what is being said here by PeriyavaaL about Life Principle and the mind!) When we are dead, though the body is not the abode anymore, the Life Principle is not dead. So is the mind also not dead. To go through further experiences and do Karma, the Life Principle in that individual, called the Jeevan or Jeeva (a name given for the sake of convenience only) continues to assume yet another body and starts of straight away to do its Karma as before! There may or may not be a time gap between the ending of life in one body and the start of assuming another body. But what does continue is the life, separate identity as being separate and a whole list of, likes, dislikes, desires, wants, aspirations and knowledge! That is how we do see that we are all are born with an unbelievable stored data of such things (though some are more noticeably so)! For example, we come across a baby which takes up a Guitar or VeeNa and starts playing on it as though it has had years of training! This Life Principle starts working out the effects of its past Karma, as though continuing from where it left off, in a new body in a totally different environment altogether! The Life Principle having left one body takes up another and so does the mind, continue from where it left off and makes it function from yet another body. At the times when the mind is not functioning such as during sleep and swoon, Life Principle is there; but, when the Life Principle is not there the mind cannot function at all. At that time the body deteriorates, decomposes and disintegrates. From this we can infer that the mind and body are both dependent upon the Life Principle and have no existence apart from it. After the Life Principle having left one body and entered another body, the old mind can function in a new body, only after and not before! The Life Principle is the basis on which are dependent, the body and the mind! This idea should be clear from the foregoing analysis.
24. Awareness of the Life Principle Sans Mind. Devoid of the mind, its thoughts, resultant Karma of actions and their good and bad effects of further ties and connections; there is the happily pure awareness of being: that is the Adwaita Moksham or Sat – Chit – Aanandam or Being – Awareness – Bliss! The very word Jeevan being Life, how can this Life Principle be lifeless Jadam? Your question can be that, since when the mind was absent, silent or stand still, during sleep or when one is in a swoon; we were like a piece of wood or rock, inanimate, without any feelings or awareness; so, we can conclude that presence or absence of mind makes all the difference; is it not so? Yes! I agree with you that when the mind was absent or not functional, it made all the difference between being animate and inanimate! But the point to understand is that, it is the mind with Jeeva Sakti becomes animate and mind without the Jeeva Sakti becomes inanimate! It is the Jeeva Sakti or Life Principle that makes all the difference and not the mind. Mind is only a tool for recording, interpreting, remembering, recovering, retrieving, analysing, projecting, planning and processing the data so obtained! When disconnected to the Life Principle it is like any electronic equipment or instrument not connected to the battery or when the battery is down and out! So, for these reasons, it is the mind that is a Jadam! Life Principle remains ever live. That is why even during sleeping and swooning, the critical bodily functions such as blood circulation by the pumping of the heart and breathing; continue as before. In God’s Leela of Maya, we completely identify ourselves with the vicissitudes of the mind as our own ups and downs! That is the reason why, we are not able to understand as to what would be the condition of the Life Principle, when our mind is not there. Mind is like the tool or instrument through which we understand and interpret the world with all things in it as well as all the events that occur. So without the mind, or when the mind is not functional, we are not able to have / know / feel or understand any of the experiences! But just for a moment stop and think without the mind! If our eyes are closed or temporarily or permanently blind, is the world not seen or does all the light vanish? If our clock has stopped, it does not stop the time!
25. Point made is that, even after the mind is dead, awareness remains. That is the awareness of the Life Principle, which is forever. That is Chaitanyam, Gnaanam, Chit, Brhmam, Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram and so on and so on! It is wrong to say that it is aware. It is Awareness itself. It is not correct to say that it has Gnaanam. It is Gnaanam itself! To know is consciousness. But Life’s consciousness is Consciousness with a capital ‘C’!
26. So, even when our mind is not there, to be as the Being as the Life Principle, is the real existence. The hands, head, ears, nose, skin, legs are our tools. We are not the tools or parts of the body. We have a body. But, we are not the body. Similarly, we have a mind. But, we are not the mind! The one thing without which we cannot be is our life, the Life Principle! That is our real being. We could be without the mind, but we cannot be without life. So, we are life. Because if we were the mind, in sleep when the mind is defunct, we should cease to exist! But that is not so!
27. Thus there is the real self. It is in itself true happiness and absolute awareness, that is hidden from our own self, awareness and understanding by Maya! Maya has placed the screen of the mind between our real self and our comprehension. Then we think of ourselves as whatever is felt and experienced by the mind. Thus we tend to identify ourselves with the feelings, thoughts and opinions as of the mind! Every one of us is forever wishing to correctly find out our true being. We endeavour to know, to understand and become our true being! Towards this end we are persevering, doing meditation, prayers, tapasya, saadhana, studying the scriptures, listening to philosophers and saints, doing Atma Vichara and so on; pleading with God to remove that screen from our minds that is the cause of ignorance! The real tragedy is that it is the mind itself that is the screen and the cause of our ignorance! But, if we continue with our efforts and prayers with God to remove that screen, if we really melt with our prayers of urgency and sincerity, the screen will also melt and disappear! Like the poet says, “kaadalaagi kasindu kaNNeer malgi...... ...... naadan naamam namah sivaayave”, depending on the level of our sincerity, our success is also assured! Then our real form will shine forth. Instead of feeling that we are not able to understand or comprehend, because of our mind’s not being there, we will start understanding and comprehending, because of it’s not being there! This is when we will have real understanding. Like AruNagiri Naathar says, “tannan tani ninradu taan ariya innam oruvarku isaivippaduvo?” , we will establish ourselves in our true being! Then only we can be in the highest level of self awareness and be happy as happiness itself!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 93 (Vol #4) Dated 29 Oct 2010

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 93 (Vol #4) Dated 29 Oct 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 middle of page number 522 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
15. That one may die is a big fear. To be subjected to repeated births in this world is the biggest fear. If you are born, you will have to die and the endless cycle continues as, “punar api jananam punar api maraNam punar api jananee jatare sayanam, iha samsaare bahu dustaare krupayaa paare paahi muraare”, says Adi Sankara in Baja Govindam! In Bhagawat Gita, Sri Krishna has called this, ‘the greatest fear’ as ‘mahat bhayam’! Having intended to advice Arjuna that it is best to do ones duties as laid in the Saastraas, without an iota of interest, as ‘nish kaamya karma’, He says that just starting doing so, will save one from the big fears! The very fact that one has the mental assurance that we have started doing as required of us, first of all saves us from imagined apprehensions of guilt conscience! As you go along, it gives greater clarity and ‘chitta shuddhi’ that we reach a stage of total fearlessness! I quote, “swalpam-abhyasya dharmasya thraayate mahato bhayaat”!
16. Initially, doing ones duties of Karma starts of either mechanically when we are only a child simply obeying our parents or because we are interested in the advantages derived. Here we should guard against doing things only for selfish advantages of money, name and ego satisfaction. This in the bargain could become the reason for further involvement! So, slowly we should see to it that from this ‘kamya karma’, we should raise and release ourselves from all ties and lead us to ‘nish kaamya karma’, that is doing our duties for its intrinsic value, which in turn saves us from the big fear, says Adi Sankara. The big fear here is the fear of repeated cycle of births.
17. Naraka Bhayam or Fear of Hell. Release from all ties is Moksham. To remain tied means the cycle of repeated births and deaths! One fear is that we may have to get so embroiled with more and more good and bad effects of our own actions. Another fear is what we may have to face in Naraka or Hell, as a result of our own actions! If in the Karma accounting system, if our actions of the normal run of the mill type are simple enough, they may result in another life time as a chance given yet again to balance the book keeping! But if our faults, blunders and sins need to be sorted out only by greater punishments, we may have to spend a period in Hell! The punishments in Hell are such as cannot be borne by the human body. So, we have to wear what is called the ‘Yaathanaa Sareeram’ a special body to go there.
18. For everything there is an opposite, is it not so? Similarly the opposite of Moksham is to live in the world with Narakam as the extreme end for the case. In our Saastraas, wherever there is mention of ‘extremely difficult and fearful’ are said to be indicative of conditions in Hell. Till we reach the stage of oneness we are lost in the mire of Dwaitam, we have seen that there is another fear. To become the one truth level of Oneness of Adwaitam is Moksham, Complete Release, Destination, Home, Deliverance, Independence and Freedom! The conversation goes on as follows:-
Freedom from what?
Freedom from the bindings of worldly existence of Samsaara!
Why did we get bound?
By our own Karma, can you not make this out?
Why did we do Karma?
Of course, to satisfy our curiosity and desires!
How did that desire arise?
Desire arises because there is a mind. It is the mind that gets its satisfaction through the sense instruments through many sensual experiences. Seeing the Cinema and Drama, gossiping, eating all sorts of things, sexual acts and so on!
So, does it mean that, release from Samsaara would be the same as release from the clutches of the mind?
Yes! Destruction of the mind is the ultimate release! That is it!
19. “But, if the mind is lost, we will know nothing. If that goes, it is as though we are no more! Then how can you enjoy, Moksham or Aanandam or anything? Then, Moksham will be something like a deep sleep or swoon or brain dead! Will we not become something like a stone or a piece of wood?” “No! No! That is the real Aanandam; permanent happiness; Brhmaanandam or Atmaanandam or the Highest happiness! Even in day to day life, when we are happy, do we not say that it is simply ‘Brhma Aanandam’? Brugu Maharshi did tapasya for long in trying to identify as to who is this Brhmam? At each level he felt that he has reached Brhmam. For example, ‘Food verily is Brhmam. It is for food we live. By food we grow. All our actions are directed towards obtaining food. This body is made up of food itself. But then, that is not all! What else? Then he went on to the next!’ Thus he thought of Annam (Food, including food for the stomach, sight-seeing for the eyes, music for the ear, food for the senses and food for thoughts as well as all material possessions and money, to be able to buy food; ), Praanam (Breath), Vignaanam (Systems), Gnaanam (Awareness) and finally Aanandam (Happiness) as Brhmam! The section of Taitreeya Upanishad which has this analysis is known as Aananda Vallee!
20. You can be asking, “That is alright Swamiji! Without the mind how can you know that you are happy?” “It is here my Dear that this matter of Adwaitam comes in! The mind knows only other things. It does not know itself. With great cleverness and intelligence, it is capable of knowing many intricate and subtle things. But the mind is stupid enough not to know itself! You think about it yourself. You are capable of many things, thoughts, expressions, experiences and knowledge. But do you know your own mind? Can you stop your mind for a moment and make it think as to who you are? This moment it is noble and great; the very next moment it is in the gutter with unutterable dirty thoughts! Just now it is floating in heavenly happiness and in no time it is deep in sorrow of real or imaginary insult! What is peaceful and pleasant this very second could be in turmoil with the flick of the eye! What is this mind? It seems to be an enigma beyond any understanding! When the mind seems to be at rest in sleep or when the mind seems to go blank in a swoon, we do not seem to have any experience. So, we think of the mind as ourselves! You asked me the question, with that opinion only.” “That is right Swamiji! But, you have also not shown me, if there is any mistake in my question or understanding!”
21. “We”, in a State of Mindlessness. OK. In a state of sleep and or swoon, we have no experience. At that moment we are not even aware of our own existence. But, do we cease to be existing then? Then after sleep how do we wake up? As though to make up for the period of our inactivity, we get involved in work once again. Similarly think about the time when you are swooned. After we wake up from sleep or swoon, we continue as before, thinking of and accepting ourselves as the same person before sleep and swooning! You remain you, even after that! You continue with your opinions, views, ideas, experiences and relations as before! We have the same body, we feel. More than all that, even when we were asleep or in a state of swoon or coma, we continued our breathing as before. There was life in the body. Blood circulation, body heat and breath were continuing as before. So, you were there and all these important adjuncts were there, even when your Mind was not or seemingly not there or defunct! You were and are there even when your mind is not there! So please do not mind my saying that even when our mind is not there, we continue to be!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 92 (Vol #4) Dated 27 Oct 2010

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 92 (Vol #4) Dated 27 Oct 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 number 518 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)

7. In Bhagawat Gita Arjuna asks Bhagwan Sri Krishna, “Why do we do these blatant sins knowing very well that it is wrong as though someone is holding us by the scruff of our necks and forcing us to do these things?” Chapter 3, Slokam 36; “ata kena prayukto ayam paapam charathi poorusha: I anichchan api vaarshNeya bhalaadiva niyojita: II” VrushNi is one of the ancestors of Sri KrishNa. So, Arjuna is calling him by that name as, ‘VaarshNeya’, questioning him for clearing his doubts. As Arjuna is Kunti’s son, KrishNa is addressing Arjuna as ‘Kounteya’ answering his queries.
8. Before this KrishNa had said, “Everyone despite being a Gnaani will only act as per his nature. (That also means that we are all already Gnaanis only, fully knowing who we are and what we are. At the same time our minds are covered by ignorance and so we are all play acting the fool!) As a human being and as a life form, we are all part of this nature known as Prakruti. Prakruti includes all the animate and inanimate things in the whole cosmos. It is not easy to undo the natural tendencies. While not rebelling against Nature, we can and should gradually go on correcting ourselves and raise ourselves. Accordingly we have been charged to do many actions as our natural duties and or professions with corresponding life styles as per our caste, known as ‘Swadharmam’. (A rat has to behave like a rat and a cat as per its Swadharma! There is no rebelling against one’s natural way of doing things. But constantly one has to endeavour to raise ourselves from the natural tendencies. (KTSV adds: If Ravana was a typical role model for an Asura, Kumbakarna his brother was rather different and Vibhishana the third brother was more sage like, who went on to be included in the venerated list of devotees of Vishnu known as Aazhvaars! There have been devotees of or disciples of all castes and nationalities and religions of such saints as [I am listing only a few here,] Sai Baba, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi and now Mata Amirtanandamayee! In addition to human beings as his devotees, Ramana also had clear examples of disciples who raised themselves against their Swadharma such as a Cow Laxmi, a squirrel, a dog named Jack, many monkeys with their leader Nondi, a peacock, a crow and so on! PeriyavaaL is here making a point about Swadharma as against Paradharma like the people who convert into other religions! Do the duties as per your caste or religion or position while constantly endeavouring to improve. Inversion that is looking in and improvement is always OK. Conversion to other’s religion or dharma is always full of pitfalls, danger and worrisome! Bhayaavaha, meaning fearful, is the word used!)
9. One person’s Swadharma may look easier or better than another’s! Like in the eyes of a Soldier, the job in a Temple as a Pujari may look more pleasant and easy. Or a carpenter may wish to be a book keeping accountant. But his inborn nature will not let him function effectively. In the bargain, his work will suffer and the work he was supposed to do, to which he was born will also be affected. It is the society which has to bear the negative effect of this confusion. To practice our Dharma to which we are born is ‘Sreyas’ than opting for somebody else’s dharma. Having explained all this(In not so many words as done here,) Bhagwan Sri Krishna ends his talk on a very strong note to Arjuna, who had expressed a wish to give up the Kshatriya Dharma of fighting a battle so as to avoid hurting others saying, “Begging is better than killing others”! He said, “It is better to die for one’s Swadharma than doing others’ as it would lead to a very fearful situation!”
10. What is that fearful situation? “The fear of not knowing as to what is the danger! Not knowing what one is afraid of! As to what is going to happen to us? Till we situate ourselves in a position of unassailable assurance that nothing can harm us, or move us, this fear will continue. That is the state of Nirvana or Samadhi, which is complete liberation from worries, anxieties, apprehensions and fear. Till there is something alien to us, we will always be afraid of it and what it could cause. There will be the thought that it could cause us some hurt!
11. ‘We are one; alien to us there is another or many things’. This differentiation is Dwaitam! Dwi or Dvi in Sanskrit is two. The word ‘two’ has been derived from that original word in Sanskrit. The moment there is Dwaitam, one more than oneself, things could go wrong. There is always the fear as to what this second could do to the first? There is a race (including car race or running race), only when there is more than one. All relativity starts when there is more than one. When Dwaitam goes and we know that there is nothing other than ourselves, till we firmly fix in our minds the idea that, ‘All is ONE’ this fear will not vanish. To become void of Dwaitam is Adwaitam! What Vedas call the ‘Moksham’ is that ‘Adwaita Anubhavam’ that is, ‘experiencing that oneness’ says our Adi Sankara! By his Bhashyam to Brhma Sutram, Bhagawat Gita and the ten Upanishads, Adi Sankara has established this point that Adwaitam is Moksham, the State of Fearlessness!
11. This has been mentioned in the Upanishads. “In the one true thing – called Satya Vastu or Atma or Brhmam or God is all the same; when we differentiate and identify another, immediately we are afraid;”, says Taitreeya Upanishad! (This is the Seventh Mantra in the part of the Upanishad known as Ananda Vallee.) In Bruhad AraNyaka Upanishad, (in First Chapter, 4th BrahmaNam, 2nd Mantram), Prajapati asks, “What can I be afraid of when there is nothing foreign or alien to me!” Then he finishes with the statement that, “Only when there is another as a second, from it there could be fear”!
12. So, it is clear that when there is Dwaitam, that is, when there is something other than ourselves; we could be afraid of that. When the duality goes and oneness results, the fear and distrust will also vanish. To reach this stage of oneness is Adwaitam when there is no more fear. As of now this is only an inference from an analysis that you are hearing from my talking (or reading in a book or this e-mail)! Instead this could be a direct experience as it is said in many places in the Upanishads! In Taitreeya Upanishad itself, a few mantras prior to what I quoted a few minutes back, (that is, in Ananda Vallee 4th Mantra), having described the stage that is beyond the reach of the Mind and Speech of human beings known as the stage of Brhma Aananda, it confirms that a person who has reached that stage, “is never ever afraid of anything”! Then when finishing that portion known as Ananda Vallee, it re-ierates this point that, one who has attained to the stage of Brhma Aananda beyond the reach of mind and speech; will never ever be afraid! The words used are, ‘kadaachana and kudachchana’, meaning ‘never and nowhere’. Thus it includes in itself, the two basic measurements as per Science of Time and Space, which are seemingly absolute but are not absolutes being only imaginary!
13. Similarly in Brihad AraNyaka Upanishad too, (in the fourth part of the 4th Chapter), in the section known as the Saariraka BraahmaNam after describing the Atma Gnaani, that is a person who has realized, it says towards the end that, this Atma which is the Brhmam, is (‘ajaram, amaram, amrutam’ meaning) ageless, endless and everlasting! Having said so, it goes on to add that it is ‘abhayam’ meaning fearless! Then again it confirms that Brhmam is Abhayam and that one who has come to realise that the life in him is the Atma, becomes ever fearless!
14. Abhayam – Moksham; Bhayam – Samsaaram. If the point of release from all involvement is Moksham and it is fearlessness too, then which is the state of being full of fear? You can easily answer this question that, as Bhayam and Abhayam are opposites, fearfulness is life in this world that is the opposite of Moksham that is total involvement in the worldly life! So, life in this planet that is Samsaaram is ever inextricably mixed with fear! Do we not say ‘Samsaara Bhandam’ always combining these two words together? So the fear is ever about life in this planet only. If we are afraid of many things in life, the most important fear is the fear of death. Even above this fear is the fear of being born again! So our prayer to God is always, “OK. God! It is your job to take me across this ocean of life and save me from fear. Then once this life is over, it is for you to save me from ‘punar api jananam’, life again in this world!” (To be continued.) Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 91 (Vol #4) Dated 25 Oct 2010

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 91 (Vol #4) Dated 25 Oct 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 middle of page number 513 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)

ADWAITAM
1. “Once upon a time there was a war between Devas (Divine beings) and Asuras (Demoniacal beings)”, says Chandokya Upanishad, 1st Adhyayam 2nd Kaandam. Adi Sankara while writing his Bhashyam says, “Here what is referred as the Devas are none else but the tendencies of the senses and mind that have been cleansed by regular practice of Karma Anushtaana. The senses when not controlled by Karma Anushtaana will have the tendency to run after immediate and repeated gratification. This tendency is known as Demoniacal!” Then he goes on to say that, “This battle between Devas and Asuras is the same as what has been going on from time immemorial, in every living being eternally”, (‘sarva praaNishu prati deham devasura sangraamo anaadikaala pravrudda:’). That is, these very tendencies of extroversion and inversion are Asuras or Rakshasaas and Devas or Angels, he says. That is to say that this conflict between going-out (bahir-mukha) and turning-in (antar-mukha) bent of mind, in each and every individual life forms are the eternal battle between the good and evil, referred in the Upanishad as the Deva-Asura War; says our Adi Sankara AachaaryaaL!
2. By his saying this we are not to construe that he is like the modern western or even eastern so-called analysts who very knowingly declare that none of the PuraNas have ever occurred and that they are all symbolical and allegorical stories only! In the Upanishads in many other areas, there is mention of the conflict between Devas and Asuras. For example in Kenopanishad, 3rd Kaandam, there is a description of how Paramatma fought on behalf of the Devas and won it for them. In such places Adi Sankara has not given any interpretation that they are symbolic. In Brhma Sutram, while interpreting, ‘devataadi karaNam’, he says, “As we are living on the earth, the Devas reside in the Deva Loka. They are sensually happy go lucky people. They also suffer due to loss in battle and go through periods of loss of face, name and fame. Some of them by such experiences become sufficiently fed up with this (Deva Loka) worldly life and so become dispassionate enough to seriously turn to the philosophical Brhma Vichaara and thereby attain to Gnaana and Adwaita Mukti!”
3. But in Vedas and Upanishads too in some places to bring out a subtle point or two, there are some stories that are woven around the Deva – Asura dichotomy. This is known as ‘Artha Vaadam’. That is, the story is not for the sake of the story. It is like a medium through which the message is conveyed. The above mentioned story in Chandokya Upanishad is like that only as per views of Adi Sankara. Here, ‘Devas’ instead of referring to any particular life form, are personifying the divine forces that draws our attention from mundane, prosaic and ordinary run of the mill sensual pleasures; redirects our minds towards eternal value systems! In Bhagawat Gita, Bhagawan Sri Krishna lists out all the Divine and Demoniacal qualities systematically in the Chapter entitled ‘Deivasura Sampat Vibhaga Yoga’. In it he has given all these qualities in their order of priority as though. Starting from fearlessness and clean courage, He goes on to list the following qualities. Daanam (giving charity), Tapas (austerity, ascetism and penance), straight forwardness, Ahimsa (nonviolence), Satyam (accuracy / truth), Tyaga (giving up claims enabling others to fulfil their real or felt need), Santam (quietude or tranquillity), absence of anger, jealousy and hate; tolerance and forbearance; kindness and love towards all life forms; are the angelic qualities of Devas. He calls these qualities as Deivee Sampat, meaning divine assets. These very qualities are said to be at conflict with tendencies which are contrary to this as being exact opposites. That is the war between Devas and Asuras in an allegorical sense!
4. These demoniacal qualities are Damba (fraud, deceit and hypocrisy), garva (pride and arrogance), krodha (anger and wrath), curses and ignorance are the avoidable negative ogre like qualities. Further, to do against whatever are the Do’s and Don’ts as given in the Saastraas, to do contrary to Aachaaraas, to be untruthful and animal like behaviour are all the qualities of Asuras. What relieves us from the worldly ties and propels us towards liberation are the divine qualities and those that get deeply mired in further involvement are the demoniacal, He clarifies. Then he says, “Arjuna! Do not fear as to what we are destined for. You are born to inherit the divine assets only”, He assures. From this we can gather that both these divine and demoniacal qualities are in every human being,
5. We can see for ourselves that these opposing pulls are ever present in each one of us, that the war between Devas and Asuras, is happening in us all of the time! There is somebody who is telling us in our ears as though, “Do good to others. Do not be a wastrel! Do not be annoyed. It is wrong to be greedy. Go to the temple and pray to God. Control your mind. There you were being quite foolish. I am sure that you can do better than that!” It is as though there is a second or third person in us. We also get prompted to do wrong things totally against our own good intensions! Somehow, mostly the second prompting seems to be more powerful. Then we go astray, slip and get derailed! We feel bad, feel insulted or suffer loss of face and prestige. Again we try to walk as per the first voice, make a resolution and fail to keep up to our own expectations! There are then more promises to ourselves that we fail to keep, than anybody else doing so! It is like the ‘sarukku maram’, a game of fun played in India in which, an athlete in minimum of clothing, with his bare body smeared with oil tries to climb a highly polished cylindrical wooden beam that has been coated with oil! Try as he may, despite repeated trials, he will keep slipping down. Our personal efforts to steer a clear path of virtue in this world is like that only. But still there is an inner voice that is correcting us and egging us on to greater efforts to win this battle. Someone keeps telling us, guiding us on to the right path too, while it is also true that alternately the temptation to adopt the illegal short cut is also all the time being presented before our minds! This wrestling between good and evil is going on in us all the time. That is the fight between good and bad ‘Vrittis’. ‘Vritti’ is the flow or run. ‘Chitta Vritti’ is the flow of thoughts. Every type of thought is a flow and it is a vritti. Like this every fraction of a second there are hundreds of vrittis. In it there are some ninety bad ones. There may be some ten good ones. The good ones are the Devas and bad ones are the Asuras.
6. 99% of the times, the winners in this battle are the Asuras only. But when the one percent victory is achieved by the Devas, somehow we experience some happiness, some satisfaction! At that moment, we feel thrilled with the clarity as though we understand the purpose of existence! Then the darkness envelopes again. Then we feel, “Let the Asuras win”. Then they keep on winning battle over battles. On deeper thought, with all their victories there is no inner fulfilment. No clarity. Further confusion and turpitude results! You feel like crying. We decide not to do that anymore! Then when the temptation occurs, we ignore it, once, twice and even a third time. Then without knowing that we are doing that, despite all our intentions we give in to the Asuric forces! That pull or power or flow or whatever, it may be desire, lust, hate or greed; some such power --- like in a flood or thunder storm --- in a flash whisks us away and so many more sins done by us, are added to our negative entries in our Karma account!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 90 (Vol #4) Dated 23 Oct 2010

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 90 (Vol #4) Dated 23 Oct 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 middle of page number 502 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
158. The moment someone has developed a personality, then he will have his likes and dislikes. Knowingly or unknowingly with or without logic, he will have many personal opinions, bias, hates and so on. When there is no one who claims himself to be an aspirant to be selected and no one as his supporter or fan or voter; only then the selection can be totally impartial and true to justice, without any canvassing, promises neither made and kept nor broken!
159. You can think of one fallacy in this. Though all the names included in the selection process are such as approved by the public, some may be more noticeable or famous already. But, finally the selected person may be relatively an unknown person or not famous! When the child picks up any name at random, such an eventuality will be there. But even now, there are people who do get selected with less than 35% of the votes! So, there can be no system which can be totally fool proof. What we have to see and take note of is that, when after all is said and done these days, the person finally selected with real majority may still not be good morally and behaviourally, while all the names included in the bundles in the ‘Kuda Volai’ method were of irreproachable character, those days. So, a slight difference in popularity should not be so very important as long as ability and behavioural virtue are acceptably good!
160. In the presence of neutral observers from the government and Nambimars, from within the list of acceptable persons available, they could very well have known the order of their popularity. But, this was intentionally not given importance, I feel. Because they probably wished to avoid the likely minority – majority mental set and resultant ill feelings may be that they wished to keep the election without any divisive inputs, as a selection by random choice with divine blessings! Even in modern mathematics it is claimed that instead of any fixed method, it is better to give scope for probability test! Through the child’s random choice, with divine blessings when the selection is made, it can be taken as having majority approval. You try and propose any method there will be some drawbacks in it too. Since, all that happens in this world is a play of so many relative terms without any absoluteness about them some incompleteness will always be there! As they say, “No system can be fool proof for the fool and the clever!” Thus you may find some faults with the Uttara Merur method of selection.
161. For example we do come across people who even after 70 or 80 years of age are capable having a sharp analytical brain, fully aware of ancient traditions as well as modern trends! Naturally you can ask a question as to why should they be kept out of contention only based on age limit? Similarly, just because of being closely related to someone who has been a member, some other worthy person may be kept out of being considered for selection, is another anomaly. You take the father and son combination of Motilal Nehru and Jawahar Lal Nehru for example. Is it correct to keep them out of membership at the same time or one after the other immediately as members of any assembly? Similarly there were Vittal Bhai Patel and Vallabh Bhai Patel, the two illustrious brothers! As I am talking to you, we have the Mudaliyar brothers, A Ramaswamy Mudaliyar and A Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliyar, here in Madras! Just because of being related, we should not presume that their simultaneous utilization in public life will be against the Nation’s interest!
162. Still we cannot afford to forget the difference that exists between a Sabha at the Oor or village level and at District, State and National levels. At a local level since everyone would be knowing each other rather well and the management problems being at a small scale, everyone can be satisfied and many faults or errors can be solved without making a big issue out of them. But when there are other political parties awaiting chances to catch you as catch can, in a bigger assembly, we may not get away with blatant errors. This by itself is reason enough not to let any slip up happen at the lower levels, especially since you can get away with it! So, they have been over precautious, which should be understood and appreciated. It is as though, their motto must have been, “It does not matter if some good points are missed out, we should give no chance for things to go wrong!” With that sort of commitment they did miss out on some conveniences, that we should take note of.
163. That family ties could be damaging to the national interest may not be applicable only in some rare cases. From that point of view, not to let any close relative become a member for three years is as important for honest administration like a spinal cord for the human body. But the fact remains that there are exceptions! May be that you can consider an alternative. As I was suggesting earlier that we could form advisory committees with people who are older than 70 years of age, we could have something like that at every level of administration. But these people should not be having ministerial jobs, control on officials, direct connection with the people of the concerned department and such things. They could be any relation of the assembly or Sabha member. But they should be so noticeably worth being consulted for their intrinsic capabilities and knowledge. I just made some suggestion as it occurred to me. People who have more political and administrative acumen may analyse this further. What is important for us is that, we have noted that during the Sozha period, they ensured that the natural affinity between relatives was not permitted to affect the health of the Oor administration!
164. If you look at the high ideals of those times, we will not be able to see the deficiencies in their system. I am not saying that we should now adopt wholesale their methods and run our present show. Still, I am saying all this only so that, looking and studying at the basic facts of their times, we may suitably adapt whatever is feasible and suitable for the nations requirement now! Even if there are some inconsistencies or deficiencies in the system, looking at the totality of the Uttara Merur Saasanam, it is heartening to note as to how well they had steered clear of partiality, temptation to greed and exploitation of position of power, tendency to misuse political clout and finally how well they had avoided hurt and disappointments for each other!
165. The inheritors of the one who was saying that we should re-establish Rama Rajyam are now talking about establishing Jana Nayakam! (PeriyavaaL is alluding to the Congress Party people as followers of the Nations Father Mahatma Gandhi!) Rama did not create any rules of statesmanship of his own. Without any care for personal views or selfishness, if there was one individual who completely referred to Saastraas and the traditional methods of his ancestors for all the eventualities in his life, it was Sri Ramachandra Murthy! Whatever were the methods and tradition since the time of Manu and Mandata till the time of Dasaratha his father, Rama adhered to!
166. When Dasaratha was fully aware of the fact that his son Rama had all the essential required qualities to become the next king as well as the approval of all the people; he called for the meeting of the Sabha and asked people of their opinion, it is said. There it is said that he called for the representatives of Mlechcha-s too, who were against Vaidic Dharma and consulted them! When you take the opinion of people, everyone’s views should be heard and taken into consideration, which he did, though there is a real danger that when you bring in the common man to comment on major policy matters, things can awfully go wrong.
167. Having so heard all and sundry, it is worth the while to note as to how people like Dasaratha and Rama, took the decisions! At the time of taking decisions there is no place or scope for equality of views! Here, knowledge, awareness, character, morality, age and maturity are the value factors! All the Kings of Raghu Vamsam including Rama, made use of the advice as given by such sage counsels! While listening in, do give a hearing to all and sundry. As Thiru VaLLuvar says, “epporuL yaar vaayk-ketpinum apporuL meipporuL KaaNbadarivu”, listen and find out the true import of views of whomsoever you hear from. Do not we know as to how Rama listened in to the views of people and even sacrificed his own beloved wife, in consequence! I wonder if there is one politician today of that standard! From this we can discern the level of freedom existing those days that even the common man could comment about the Kings and Queens! That is true Jana Nayakam!
168. Even a dog could initiate a complaint and bring the King under litigation as revealed in Uttara Kaandam of Ramayana. When Manu Needhi Sozhan was ruling from Thiruvaarur, a cow could have trust in the system to seek redress of grievances, by registering her complaint by pulling on the ‘Aaraaichi Bell’ and ringing it for all to hear! That is real ‘Jana Nayakam’ when lowest person in the social order is able to sound and contact the highest!
169. But it is not in the interest of the nation, for the governmental machinery to forsake the power of discretion for decision making and leave it in the hands of the common man! That is where you have to draw a line. To do good for the masses without partiality is Jana Nayakam. But to go beyond getting to know about their views and end up dumping the decision making discretion on people incapable of wielding that power, is not good for the country, in whatever form of government. That is why, after gathering people’s opinions, views and grievances; the responsibility to analyse and weigh the pros / cons and arriving at a suitable decision was left in the hands of capable and brilliant people of impeccable behaviour and attitude by those who were trying to establish the Rama/Dharma Rajya!
170. When people devising the Constitution and Rules by which future India is going to function as a Sovereign Democratic Republic; are going about without fixing the Qualitative Requirements of the electors, those elected representatives, managers, administrators, ministers and their leaders; the only thing that could be done by me is to, enlighten you about the old methods of ours! Since you may set aside Ramayana on the grounds of its being a Treta Yuga material not suitable for the modern days, I was talking to you (with effect from Deivathin Kural # 72 of (Vol # 4) Dated 15 Sept 2010), about the methods adopted here in Uttara Merur, only as recently as a thousand years back. I wished to show how the system included in itself all the noble aspects of democracy and good administration without any of the pitfalls of either! If the Britishers are proud of their ‘Unwritten Constitution’, in our Tamil Nadu of India, there was a written constitution as far back as a thousand years back; which was etched and inscribed on stone! This could be told to the whole world with greater pride!
171. Instead of remaining as a story of the past to be proud of, for it to become a forerunner of our Indian way of life, we may be blessed by Sri Ramachandra Murthy!
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 89 (Vol #4) Dated 21 Oct 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 89 (Vol #4) Dated 21 Oct 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 middle of page number 497 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
149. The one who wins an election after spending money like a train driver shovelling coal in to the boiler is bound to try and recover with a profit margin naturally, to be able to live, enlarge, expand and do better in the next election! So the process will mushroom and not die down at all! So, what are we doing? Is it being called ‘Jana (people’s) Nayakam’ (government) or is it ‘Dhana (money) Nayakam’? I am really worried about the likely outcome!
150. OK, let these things be set aside. There is one more thing that is troubling my mind now! After all these elections are over, are we sure that it is going to be a majority government? Is it really going to be a democratic arrangement? I wonder! By there being many contestants, the votes will get distributed and scattered amongst many! So, it is possible for a person with 25 to 30% support to win the election. Similarly, if the number of members in an assembly is say 500, it is possible for someone with even less than half the number of members supporting him to form the government. Being the biggest party amongst some differently oriented parties, they may be able to form a government with even less than 200 seats! On the average they might have less than even 40% of the votes, which may be equal to one fourth of the total population! They will be able to show as though they are representative of all the population of the country. Then there is the problem of many who never get to vote! So, even amongst those who have polled, the party with even less than half of that total could get the power to govern. If you take the whole nation and all the districts and relate the number of seats a particular party wins in each State and its actual popularity, there may not be any correlation at all! Then how can you call it a ‘Jana Nayakam’, a government by the people for the people?
151. Looking at this aspect, instead of placing your bet on only one aspirant, they say that there is a method of election where you express your choice in an order of preference calling it proportional representation. It is also claimed that it can be easily done at smaller levels and not when too many people are involved, at the national level! May be there is some truth in it. Just because we are making all the people get involved, it still does not mean that is truly representative of people’s wishes. That is why I am talking about all this, to register the point that though claimed as ‘Jana Nayakam’ it may be nowhere near the real rule by the people for the people! (True to PeriyavaaL’s apprehension, we are seeing today, in India any number of unholy combinations of ‘coalitions’ which are in reality ‘marriages of convenience’ between political parties, without any correlation to their concepts or principles of existence! Even these ‘marriages of convenience’ may not be to the likings of the rank and file of the parties at the grass root level but, thrust down their throats by the leadership, since the problem is one of ‘who will listen to whom?’)
152. Whichever party has more money power or has the ability to project an attractive image about itself through the media of news papers, radio, television and so on; irrespective of the image being true or untrue; and is able to instil in the minds of youngsters the poison of politics instead of the nectar of real education; such a party is able to thus build itself into a huge behemoth. That democracy is not only unreal but also a fake! I wonder if we are being led to that sort of a stage! Let us take that people’s intention is all genuinely good. But if the good intention is leading to an impractical situation, is not it our duty to point out the inherent danger? Now, many clear headed intelligentsia of our country – like the convener of the Committee for Formulation of Constitution of India – Babu Rajendra Prasad for one, in practical terms have pointed out as to what can go wrong in the process of conversion to democracy, if we are not careful! But the whole nation seems to be hurtling towards an inevitable corruption of a noble cause!
153. A convalescent patient has to be restored to good health before he is entrusted with any responsibility for action. A child has to be trained, coached and taught to knowledgeable maturity before being given functional responsibility. Even the diet for a patient is progressively changed with improvement in health. If we love the child or the patient, it does not mean that they will be given such diets as would be difficult to digest! Majority of our general population is in that sort of a state of being a patient or a convalescent. The intention of the British rule till now was to keep us in darkness with internecine quarrels and differences, so that we will not be able to take any concerted action on any issue. In this condition, if we decide to give them responsibility in running of the country and nation building; and force the heavy diet of democracy down their throat and nose; we will end up causing bad indigestion only! It is the duty of the existing leaders of India to nurture the mass of this nation’s population back to health and maturity from childishness and slavery. May be after a few years of such rebuilding and recouping of our nations people’s health as responsible citizens, we may be able to introduce adult universal suffrage, in my opinion.
154. But, I do not know as to how to put it across to those who are going to take these decisions and make them understand. From the way they are going, I doubt if we are going to take a step back from where we are! Are we going to retrieve the situation or is it going to deteriorate, I wonder! One up man ship, wrong doings, bribery and bluff seem to be overtaking all walks of life! Though they are talking about casteless creedless society, caste based politics is dividing and pulling the nation into subdivisions of smaller and smaller clans, groups and smaller area wise orientation of narrow regionalism! By the pull of money and power people are constantly changing loyalties, jumping from one to the other parties. We seem to have sown the seeds of sorrow for letting go of all decency and humaneness for crass selfishness!
155. In the regional Oor, city, town and village council / Sabha level elections, we should not let party politics come into play, they say. After all at that level we are interested in proper administration and governance only, it is claimed. But, here too the party politics seems to have made inroads! “Why talk about a village level Panchayat, even within families the party orientation has come in”, somebody says as though he is joking, for something to be really sad about! Having made much of party politics at national, state and district levels, how can we avoid its effects at the lower levels of management at city and village?
156. Some Consolation of the Old Time Methods of Selection! At this juncture of potential fearful portents, it is worth the while to ponder the wisdom of the old time methods of selection adopted by our own ancestors, if only for nourishing the hopes, that someone along the lines will bring back some of the ideas into focus again! Especially we must bring to our minds, the morally upright attitudes, the mental clarity and cleanliness of the methods adopted in selecting people to man the Oor Sabha those days!
157. Pointedly parties are keen making money in all sorts of ways. With that money power they put up someone to stand for elections. That man partly misuses some of the party money itself. Then there are also some who put up themselves as a potential candidate by the money power they wield. Having given the funds to the party, his aim is mainly focussed on recovering with interest, many folds what he has initially invested. It is sad that politics has become business irrevocably, where money, materials, favours, influence and votes or support are all mutually interchangeable! Other than being corrupted, the urge is to corrupt everybody else too! To think that there was a time when Dharmam, Needhi, truth, justice and morality were valued as virtues based on which there was an election method in our country, we can at least be proud of, if nothing else!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 88 (Vol #4) Dated 19 Oct 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 88 (Vol #4) Dated 19 Oct 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 middle of page number 491 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
141. When you have this majority & minority thing in selecting individual aspirants and then forming the government based on absolute majority and the forming of coalitions so as to muster that majority; what we are ending up doing is to divide the general population on to two sides initially and then into many such cleavages! Then every side think of themselves as possibly the winning side and the other side as the opposite side or oppositions’ side that becomes enemy’s side! They restrict their minds to some plans, schemes and parameters with a very narrow mentality, incapable of even looking at the bigger picture, let alone comprehending! Then even reasonable minor adjustment if proposed by the minority becomes objectionable. The other side too is never able agree on any issue, as finding fault with each other becomes the main agenda! That is why during the Sozha period, they never gave any opportunity for this majority/minority dichotomy to raise its head, through the ‘Kuda Olai’ method! If by chance, if the man so elected was not up to the standard, his period of tenure was only one year. Then if he happened to do something drastically wrong, he was taken off the roles as mentioned in the Saasanam as inscribed on stone says, “vaariyam seyyaa ninraarai aparaadam kandapodu avanai ozhiththuvadaagavum”.
142. Then the Saasanam goes on to say that, ‘from this year onwards, till the sun and moon are there, we will continue with this process of electing the Oor Sabha members by the kuda olai method’, so that in the administration good & efficient people may thrive and bad & inefficient people may be identified and removed! The wordings of the Saasanam says, “ipparise ivvaandu mudal chandira aadittavattenru nam graamattukku abyudayamaaga dushtar kettu visishtar vartippadaaga vyavastai seydom – Uttara Merur chaturvedimangalattu sabhaiyom”! Calling themselves the ‘sabhaiyom’, that is the then members of the Sabha. Despite their wish that they should continue with the evolved arrangement forever, it is just bad luck that it did not continue as they wished for very long as revealed by history. With the influx of Jains followed by Buddhists, then Muslims and Christians in that order, many changes took place against their wishes. The most important changes being the ingress of Democracy, claimed to be something novel and never known to the ignorant people of India as though!
143. Let us look at the meaning of the wording of the Saasanam as quoted above. The Oor Sabha was made up of a number of departments as ‘vaariyam’ that is, a committee or board. Out of the 30 elected members some were made responsible for the vaariyam-s thing. Each member will be in one of the vaariyam-s. The general admin responsibility was that of ‘samvatsara vaariyam’ having 12 members. They were made up of slightly older members with higher maturity and education. The next lot of younger members constituted the Thotta Vaariyam and Eri Vaariyam. Thotta vaariyam was for farm lands and agricultural fields, also having 12 positions. It was concerned with all activities of agriculture, supply of seeds, plantation, harvesting and marketing of the produce. Eri vaariyam was responsible for all water supply and irrigation and had six members.
144. Other than this there were Pon Vaariyam and Panja Vaara Vaariyam of 6 members each. These were selected by the same ‘Kuda Volai’ method from within the 30 members already selected. In those days a land owner gave one fifth of his earnings from land as tax to the king’s government. Instead of money he gave in kind. This was called Panja Vaaram. Pon Vaariyam was the tax collection agency for all cess regarding land, trade and customs. This was also responsible for receiving people’s complaint, views and such things. These duties are based on some of my guess work, not exactly spelt out in the Saasanam.
145. The reason for my talking about all this is that, it is the old stories and experiences which could renew and refurbish the new efforts. Ramayanam and Maha Bharatam have given new direction to many new stories in literature, stage, cinema and novels, till date. Democracy seems to be capturing the imagination of people all over the world. It is being echoed and copied in our country too. From village Panchayat board to Delhi Parliament, we are going to manage things at every successive higher level through people elected at village, district, state and national levels. So it is our duty to be alert and see if the whole arrangement is truly good for the country and putting us on the right lines towards physical, material and spiritual well being or if it is going to result in benefitting only a few selfish individuals for their aggrandisement! You cannot simply pickup something only on the grounds of its being new and is equitable as is being claimed! If in the bargain, it is going to lead to cut throat competition by hook or crook and adversely affect the morality of masses at large, then it is to be avoided at all costs!
146. In the system yet to be introduced, there are many areas giving raise to apprehensions rather seriously! It is claimed that it is ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’! But I am afraid that it may become, ‘a farce by ignorant people, by clever manipulators, for the benefit of a few, while corrupting all’! It is now when we have a taste of freedom after years of slavery, that we need to have control and discipline! At this moment of our weakness, when we are likely to go astray, all the reigns of control are being loosened, increasing the possibilities of things going wrong! We have got rid of the foreign yoke after a great struggle and are like a convalescent recovering from years of neglect and misrule! This is the time for us to be careful with our dietary restrictions! The disease of the British rule is cured and we are to get our health back in the freedom of self rule! Now by chance if we are not careful and give opportunities for the people or the people’s representatives to go astray, whatever freedom has been gained on paper, instead of nurturing us back to full health, can and will go totally wonky! By enabling everyone to vote and stand for election, uncaring for any qualification other than age, they are opening the flood gates as though for an uncontrollable deluge! To declare that other than age no other qualification such as education, experience, character and other assets are required; is really asking for trouble!
147. There is one clearly foreseeable evil in all this! Prior to the introduction of democratic elections in our land, there were some officials known to be taking bribes and there were some cases of false witnesses and cheating. Now with the start of voting and elections, we are already witnessing bribing becoming a very common activity even in unheard of places. It is easier to fool the poor unlettered populations of India. Once the common man is corrupted, it is not going to stop but spread! Instead of any round about methods, it is likely to become simply cash for votes! This will have a multiplying effect on the level of corruption, which is going to increase in leaps and bounds! Then the common man will play one political party against the other for pecuniary and other advantages! Is this the freedom that we want? Is this the freedom that so many have worked so hard to obtain?
148. “Because we have not kept any qualifications as the criteria”, they claim that, “this is the true democratic method”! But, as this encourages rampant misuse of money power, only those who are financially very well to do can afford to fight these election battles. So people who already have enough access to money will be selected by the various parties to represent them rather than genuinely good people! People with qualities like honesty, integrity, ability, morality and cleanliness will be sidelined! Then we can imagine as to what will happen to the principles of democracy and good governance of the country!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 87 (Vol #4) Dated 17 Oct 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 87 (Vol #4) Dated 17 Oct 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 middle of page number 485 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
133. For the election the whole village will get together in the wide spaces normally in the Temple outer Mandapam, which is normally with a roof without any walls, slightly raised. It will be a public function attended by young and old, as mentioned in the inscription, “sa baala vruddam”. After all, this was an important democratic activity, taking part in which all the people felt it as their own function. The palm leaf bundles will be brought to that place. There on a raised platform there would be 30 pots.
134. Those days the temple ‘Archaka-s’ would all be on duty having finished all their Poojas and other ritual duties, to function as trustable volunteers known as ‘Nambimaar-s’. Except for some of them on duty others would be prominently seated on the stage. When people’s reps are being selected, God’s reps will have to be there, is it not so? So, they will have to be there to supervise! That is, politics and public affairs of the society were conducted in Easwara’s Sannidy that is in God’s proximity! This activity will happen in the presence of elders of the village well known for integrity, strictness and fairness.
135. The eldest amongst the ‘Nambimaar’ will take the first bundle of palm leafs containing the names of the persons of the first Kutumb and place it in the first pot, without loosening the tied bundle, showing the same for all the assembled people to see. “mel nokki ella janangaLum kaaNumaartraal”, says the write up about this action in the Saasanam. Similarly, all the palm leaf bundles will be placed in the pots. Then from the assembled people an innocent child at random will be called forward to pick or pull out one of the palm leaf from inside the pot. The child will not be too small not to be able to understand what he or she is required to do! The child will thus pull out one palm leaf from the bundle from inside the pot and hand it over to the neutral supervisor gentleman. The name picked up by the child will now be considered as elected. Thus a child without knowing anything of politics or any malicious intension whatsoever, in all its innocence will thus select a member for the next Sabha. Through that child who does not belong to any party or side or caste or clique, the God’s approval for electing the next series of members of the Oor Sabha is revealed. The same process is repeated for each of the pots by calling forth other children if need be.
135. ‘Thiru ULLachcheetu’ is a phrase in Tamil, meaning an expression of the inner conscience in the form of a ‘chit of divine approval’. Here the election is taking place in the environs of the Temple, in the presence of the Archaka-s who are taking care of the daily services to God, through a process in which the innocent child is playing a major role, without an iota of chance of anyone doing anything out of the way. There is a statement in the Bible that, ‘it is God’s divine power which is revealed through the mouth of a baby that is suckling on her mother’s breast’ or words to that effect. Here through a child’s hands, God’s will is being expressed, as though!
136. Nowadays they say that the decision by the masses is God’s Will! Those days, having assembled all the people in the Temple, conducted the election like this, they felt happy that the God’s Will is the People’s Will! There was no chance of a sleight of the hand involved here! The child will be told that there are many palm-leafs inside the pot and that it is required to pick out one of them. The visiting neutral official is to receive the palm-leaf with all his fingers spread out, in the centre of the palm of his hand. Then he is to read aloud the name written there. The words of the Saasanam says, “ak kodutha volai madyastan vaangum podu anju viralum agala vaittu uLLankai-ile ertruk-koLvonaagavum, avvaaru vaangina olai-ai vaasippon-aagavum”. The words of the Saasanam make it beyond doubt that the effort was to ‘do justice and make it clear that justice is being done’! Evidently all precautions had been doubly ensured to obviate any mischief here!
136. Once the neutral observer had read the name in the Olai, the palm leaf would be passed from hand to hand of the Nambimaar seated on the dais, who would each announce the name by turn, there by confirming beyond any doubt, the name of the next member elected, which will be recorded officially on paper. The same process will be repeated in the case of each pot, till 30 people are selected, one from each pot. This is the Sozha period method of selection of the village or Oor Sabha members. Individual members, without any support of any political party, without any clique or leaning towards any side, generally all honest good people were selected as common representatives with God’s approval!
137. No Attraction for Individual Person. As Monarchy is being given up forever in preference for Democracy, much is being made about giving more importance to policies over individuals! They are talking so much about how ideology is being given the pride of place over caste, position and status as though they are doing something never seen or even known this side of Suez Canal! But in truth it is now that the principles such as morals, truth, justice, honesty, efficiency are all being scattered to the winds over the magnetism of individuals and party doctrines, whether they are understood or not! “Gandhi said so, that is Vedam!” Rajaji, who was very close to Gandhi till recently, if he puts forth a different view point, he is branded immediately as an Enemy of the Nation! Whatever Ambedkar or Daange says it is truth. Heroes are being made and in their names, we are going to see much Hero Worship and misuse of power in the name of politics! So in the name of ideology, people are deviating to hero worship and a perspective from the side of the political party. Beyond hero worship of individuals and party-view or perspective, people would become blind to reality as it is!
138. If you carefully analyse as to what are the qualities of these stars behind whom the people are lining up, you will see that personal magnetism, gift of the gab, oratory, rhetoric and an innate capacity for rabble rousing; are the qualities or tools of these characters! Personal honesty, integrity, ability, humaneness, and such qualities are of no consequence these days! Ability to comprehend and visualise the long term interest of the nation and capacity to put in sustained efforts towards achieving those aims are immaterial and irrelevant! The nation seems to be in that sort of a bind nowadays! Though everybody does get carried away by such personal magnetism of the leaders, the ignorant common man is easily a prey for such. It looks more and more that this universal franchise for adults seems to be meant to exploit this attraction and magnetism, basically.
139. At the height of its power of the Sozha dynasty, during elections this aspect of personality was not an issue at all! Of course, there was no party and related politics. Dharmam and ability were the only criteria. Personal magnetism was irrelevant. Possibly some who were known to be bad were not considered for selection at all! Then one year was the period of social service and then for the next two years, he was not even considered for election, as I said earlier.
140. Another important aspect of the election process is that, the election was not decided based on majority or popularity! When anyone wins on majority, his and his supporter’s attention is about identifying as to who were their opposing minority. Then their minds are preoccupied with ways and means of troubling, victimising and erasing them out of existence for ever. Even genuine and true demands of theirs are also discarded out of hand and consideration! Our ancestors of the Sozha period seem to have given much of their minds to these possibilities, before arriving at their methods of selection of members for the Oor Sabha!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 86 (Vol #4) Dated 15 Oct 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 86 (Vol #4) Dated 15 Oct 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 first para on page number 479 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
125. Dharma Saastraas that have been in use from the time of Manu & Mandaataa, with the same qualitative requirements and conditions were being used by the Manu Needhi Sozha’s lineage for the members of the village administration at Uttara Merur. These conditions are what we have been considering item by item (in the past few e-mails). It was considered that whosoever had these qualities, if and when given the responsibility as a member of the Sabha, will do a fairly good job of it. Nobody went around the village telling all and sundry that he had these qualities. Nobody stood for the elections and contested, the way we see it happening nowadays! Some people are generally known by their reputation as good, honest, capable, respectable, learned, hard working and so on, is it not so? So also some are known for their bad reputation too.
126. As the city or town is divided into a number of wards, those days, as I said before, the Oor was divided into a number of ‘Kutumbs’ and the Sabha was made up of one rep from each Kutumb. Thus the Oor or village was divided into 30 Kutumbs and there were 30 members in the Sabha. As said above, anyone with people’s approval was enabled to be selected. This was democracy in function, is it not so? This was not as appointed by a King or anyone else officially nominated but, selection with people’s approval completely in line with the concept, ‘of the people, by the people for the people’! Let us now look at how were they selected, which I have been delaying revealing to you, talking about there being, no publicity, no canvassing and no voting! Please be patient with me! So what was the method?
127. As I said earlier, people in each Kutumb were aware of those respectable worthies. Their names were checked against the qualitative requirements as well as relating to see if there was any reason for disqualification. The names of those with the qualifications were included in to the ‘may be selected’ list from within which one rep from each Kutumb was selected. Who did all this short listing, checking, approval and selection? Was it done by the erstwhile Oor Sabha members? If the present existing Sabha was having the onus to select the future incumbents of the Sabha, then there were more chances of any number of things going wrong, as we have been talking about all along! As per the rules then, the present incumbents could not have selected the subsequent members anyhow. They had made such an arrangement to obviate this possibility completely!
128. Now in the yet to be made arrangement of our new democratic republic, there is scope for this type of a doubt to arise. That is, when the conduct of election is in the hands of the existing government, other parties contesting the election could have this doubt as to misuse of administrative infrastructure in a way favourable to the party in power! The arrangement was that all the present members of the Sabha should stand down from all existing offices. Then the election is to be carried out by, ‘Dharma Krutya Sabha’ of totally a neutral set of people! Other than being divided in to 30 Kutumbs, the village had been divided into 12 Cheries under 12 NattaNmai-s. Do not get flabbergasted about this word Chery. The Agra Haaram was also a Chery only. These 12 NattaNmai-s together formed the Dharma Krutya Sabha, whose job it was to do the selection of the members of the next Sabha. The words of the Saasanam are as follows, “pannirendu cheriyilum dharma kruttiyam kadai kaaNum vaariyare madhyastaraik kondu kuri koottik kuduppaar aagavum”.
129. All the members of the Oor Sabha would stand down at the end of their tenure of one year. Then for a short period of a few days, the interim administration will be done by the Dharma Krutya Sabha with some impartial neutral observers, who will also have the responsibility to select the members of the next Sabha. In a small place this will not take more than a couple of days. As in an Oor Sabha the 30 people who have worked together for a year, if they select the next thirty persons to form the next Sabha, there could be some camouflaging, hiding and perpetuation of wrong doings possible. But when these 12 heads of each caste known as NaattaaNmai-s get together, within them the possibilities of unholy nexus is very limited. Each Jaati and caste with their pride and the urge not to let down their reputation in the eyes of their own and others being strong, there is least likelihood of any underhanded designs. Now the selection of the next 30 persons, who are going to constitute the next Sabha, will be done by these 12 reps of each one of the 12 Chery-s in the most democratic manner! In addition to these 12 NaataaNmai-s there would be neutral observers from the government, {as I told you earlier about VelaaN and Bhattan (in para 39 of Deivathin Kural # 76 (of Vol # 4) of 23 Sep 2010)}, to supervise the action of the NaattaaNmai-s. These are the checks and balances that I was talking to you about how the fairness in selection was ensured, those 1,000 years back in Uttara Merur.
130. Unlike the way it happens nowadays mostly, when somebody wishes to stand for elections, he asks somebody else to nominate him and asks another person to second the proposal. None of these things are done out of their own volition but stage managed. But then those days, without anyone wishing to or aspiring to be elected, the organisers selected the members as per the wishes of the people. Even today, (unlike for all other jobs where the aspirant applies for the job himself,) the reason for being proposed by somebody and seconded by another is to bring some semblance of civility in the whole procedure. That is how it was those days, which is being enacted as a farce these days! The past reality is possibly the reason for the present day make believe!
131. The Election Procedure. From the 30 Kutumb-s a number of people’s names were picked up by the Dharma Krutya Sabha members with the help or concurrence of the neutral observers, the names were written in individual Palm Leaf Olai-s. Then for each of the Kutumbs separate bundles would be made. Then the Village Grand Sabha (Grama Maha Sabha) will be called for and the election will be done by a procedure known as “kudavolai ezhudip puguvadu”!
132. When there are a number of aspirants from many parties with some of them known as independents, not aligned with any of the parties, the list can be very long. What we see or likely to see are propaganda through many bit notices; advertisements in news papers, radio and so on; public meetings with loud speakers; claims and counter claims some real and some fictitious; clashes from supporters, some time resulting in stone throwing and fisticuffs; more than all this, purchase of votes on promises, assurances and cash! All this was obviated by the decent “Kudavolai” method! We know as to what is a Kudam or Pot! We know the Olai that is the palm leaf on which individual names are written with ‘ezhuththu AaNi’ an iron pin used for writing on the palm leaf with perforations. That is the voting paper. Now we will see as to what this ‘Kudam’ is and how it is used for the election!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 85 (Vol #4) Dated 13 Oct 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 85 (Vol #4) Dated 13 Oct 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 first para on page number 473 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
117. Other than ‘Artha Suddhi and Atma Suddhi’, elsewhere in the Saasanam it has debarred anyone who has done any of the Five Great Sins known as, “Pancha Maha Paadakam”! They are ‘Brhma Hatti, Sura Paanam, SwarNastheyam, Guru Dalpa Gamanam and someone who is close to a criminal who has done any one of these’! Brhma Hatti is killing a Brahmin. It is a generic word for any killer or murderer! Second one Sura Paanam means, drinking alcohol. SwarNastheyam is stealing gold, which again means any theft. The fourth one is Guru Dalpa Gamanam, which means, to steal the Guru’s wife’s affection. This again stands for elopement with or stealing the affection of other’s wife! What is mentioned is the worst, inclusive of other similar crimes. For example, Guru’s wife is at the same status as one’s own mother. Even to look at her with lust is a crime. To kill a Brahmin, who has neither the power nor the mind to defend himself is the worst of all murders. These are the four crimes. The fifth is to be close to or be friendly with such a criminal, who has done any one of these crimes. These five together are known as ‘Pancha Maha Paadakam’!
118. Similar is the word ‘Aatataayee’. Arjuna at the start of Gita calls all the Kouravaas as ‘Aatataayee-s’ and expresses his fear that though they are confirmed criminals, since they are his close relatives, killing them would only add to his sins. The arsonist; the one who uses poison to kill; the person who kills unarmed people; the one who grabs and misappropriates other’s wealth or lands or women; are all included in this ‘Aatataayee-s’! Thus any killing is equally an offence, not only killing the Brahmins. Anyone who has done any of these offences loses their right to even stand for elections for becoming a member of the Oor Sabha.
119. In those days, whatever was declared as ‘Paapam’ or sins, were also considered as offences punishable by law. The state of affairs as of now is the exact opposite! Whatever is declared as sins by the Saastraas are the ones considered as indications of progress today! Moreover on the other hand, to do as per Saastraas is being considered as illegal in the present day environment! In the name of progress and forward thinking, on getting Independence, if not in the field of sports, at least in these areas, they want to do big ‘high jump and long jump’! They are in a hurry to bring in laws for divorce, the bane of societies all over the world. Women of India were well known for ‘pati vratam’, being faithful to their husbands come what may. One of the many noble qualities of Sri Rama was remaining faithful to his wedded wife and looking at all other women as his mother! But in today’s world of utter medical necessity of ‘one man – one woman’, in the name of progress, they wish to make ‘divorce’ as easy as possible and legalise prostitution! Contrary to the need for early marriage such as acceptance of the other as a partner for life before the mind starts vacillating, they want to bring in rules against early marriage. Breaking the idea of what was a joint family of many members and the need to treat women folk as especially cared for and protected lot, they wish to bring right to property for women. Against all Vaidic Aachaaraas, in the name of equality, people wish to bring in as much of mixing in as wide an area as possible such as, mixed dining, mixed caste marriage and so on! So whatever is taboo as per the Saastraas is being given special legal sanction!
120. In the olden days, the Dharma Saastram as given by the Rishis and the legal edicts of the Kings were identically the same or similar. They were not two different things then. What was taboo in the Saastraas was forbidden legally. The method of ‘prayaschittam’ that is, expiation as given in the Saastraas was acceptable legally and socially. But in the case of some of these offences, though after ‘prayaschittam’ his past sin has been expiated, for the sake of the social precaution, there was some stigma still sticking to that person’s name. So there were still some restrictions, that person was subjected to. So, for certain offences he was considered fit for election to become a member of the Oor Sabha, while for certain other offences, even after punishment, such persons were forbidden from holding socially responsible offices. For example Brahmins who consumed non-vegetarian food, or done one of the Pancha Maha Paadakam-s listed earlier or those involved in sale of sex for profit and social offenders. Those who have falsified accounts or have been false witnesses will also be disqualified with their relatives, from becoming members of the village Sabha. Taking any unfair gratification or illegal amassing of wealth, is referred as “epperpatta kaioottum kondaan” in that inscription on stone!
121. Those days it was the custom to paint such a person who has done a despicable act with black and red dots all over his body, put him on a donkey and take him around the village for all to see, to subject him to extreme shame, so that he may never do the same act again. If you start treating the confirmed criminals also with respect and humaneness and make the jail as comfortable as a traveller’s bungalow, in these days of rampant unemployment, it will be an invitation for crime! If we get away with our crime we can enjoy the loot and if we are caught we will be the governmental guests! Instead of being deterrence it will be a motivator for a life of crookedness and deceit! The Saasanam says that those who have been punished with a ride on the donkey with black and red dots; or those who have done forgery or fraud; are also forbidden from a membership in the Sabha. The words of the Saasanam are, I quote, “sempuLLi karumpuLLi kuththi kazhudai erinaaraiyum, koodalekai seidaanaiyum kudavolai ezhudip puga idam peraadadaagavum” ! The phrase ‘kooda lekai seidaanaiyum’ means, the one who has done forgery!
122. Election Sans Contender and Elector! Such people who have done these crimes are not permitted to be considered for the elections. That is what is meant by the end phrase “kudavolai ezhudip puga idam peraadadaagavum” ! This much we can guess. But what is the meaning of ‘kuda volai’ and ‘ezhudip puga’? The second Silaa Saasanam makes that clear. Now I am going to tell you about a novel feature of the election those days. So far I told about the Qualitative Requirements of the aspirants for being elected. Now I am going to talk to you about the procedure as to how the election was held, which was unique.
123. There were no aspirants who stood for elections. There were no voters. No one did canvassing. There was no polling. I know that you are bursting with questions such as the following! “What is this? For so long, you have been telling us about some democratic election process supposed to have been held some thousand years back and about the would be member’s qualitative requirements and so on! Now at long last, you are suddenly saying that, there were nobody contesting and that there was no voting! It seems like a war without weapons or guns or bloodletting and killing! How can it be?”
124. Instead of the traditional method, the election of deserving persons was held. Deeply concerned about the social well being, there were many qualitative requirements in identifying the deserving persons, yes! But it is true that no one applied for membership. The election was done without any voters, canvassing or polling. I will tell you as to how it was done, as given in the Uttara Merur Saasanam only!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 85 (Vol #4) Dated 11 Oct 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 85 (Vol #4) Dated 11 Oct 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 first para on page number 467 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
109. It is one thing to check whether the candidate’s monetary position is sound and whether his general character is good. But what is this thing about checking as to whether he is a close relative of someone who has been a member earlier in the past three years? How can we come to an end like this and how is this condition reasonable? If we look more closely, we will see that this condition is very reasonable! If the close relatives of previous members get elected, they are likely to either abet continuing any past misdeeds not yet noticed and or hide evidence of such things. In the bargain there will be no revision or fresh look at the problems and their solutions! Mostly people will at least try and brush the dirt if any under the carpet, so to say so as to not show them in a bad light! Over a period what is a public service could become a family business lining their pockets!
110. Matter of Monarchy and Town Management! That is the reason for hereditary power being restricted to one central individual as a King, handed over to his royal son, while at lower levels every effort was taken to see to it that people do not make it into a family affair. Thus it was ensured that there was no scope for favouritism and nepotism! Even the highest level monarchy was subject to a variety of checks and balances of having to abide by the advices of the Ministry, which was basically a team of mature individuals. The basic rules were not what the King could decide by his whims and fancies. The Needhi Saastram was the basic Law of Justice. Over and above that, the King could lay some rules and regulations, depending on circumstances. In the western countries, the King had total freedom that, it was said that, “The King could do no wrong”. So whether he decided to loot a place or take any number of concubines, what he did was the Law!
111. It had never been so in our country. The King in India had never been given absolute power to enact laws. He had to work under the general guidance of Needhi Saastram, which was most comprehensive. When he went out of the way within certain limits suitable corrections would be applied by the team of ministers. Manu Needhi Sozha’s story is a clear illustration of how even a cow which lost the calf to rash and negligent driving of a chariot by the Crown Prince could seek redressal of its grievances! Sibhi Chakraverty’s story is another one where a vulture argues out its right to kill and consume a dove, its natural prey! The King having given asylum to the dove had to cut his own flesh and offer it in lieu! That was the level of idealism in vogue! Then if we refer to the stories of Asamanjan and Venan, we will see how practical the system was! Prince Asamanjan went astray from the path of morality and justice that he was never permitted to become a King. Similarly when Venan as King was autocratic and villainous, he was got rid of by ministerial council known as Mantri Sabha!
112. But evidently you cannot have such a Mantri Sabha in every village or town. First you have to check if there is any close relationship between the previous members and aspirants. Then you have to have a Mantri Sabha. Then you have to check that they are not closely related! Then you may have to have another team to check that. This can only lead to a never ending regression. So, they had to ensure that the persons elected to fill the Oor Sabha were capable of doing the job required of them, without being in cahoots with each other! So the point made is that you may have the hereditary monarchy at the highest level. But at lower levels you cannot have not only no hereditary relation but any connection or nexus whatsoever!
113. Our country, which has suffered a long period of raids by foreign hoards looting and foraging, followed by enslavement by a foreign country leading to years of domination and physical and economic exploitation, has now achieved independence and self rule! It is but natural that people may be rather in a hurry to enjoy the fruits of becoming rulers themselves! But, a word of caution here! I am mainly worried that though the erstwhile Rajas, Jamindars and Nawabs may have gone, I do fear that those who find themselves elected to these Assemblies and Sabhas with their relatives may not create their own fiefdoms! It would be better if we can find some methods of guarding against such an eventuality.
114 The members and ministers of today are not like the royal families of yore. Traditionally the Royal princes and other relatives too would have had some acceptable level of education, status and cultural background. So they would not have had any need to be given some special partiality to be lifted. But now when an ordinary person gets elected to the assembly and then say becomes a cabinet minister, think of the sudden change and boost in wealth, status and influence of that individual. Now it is left to your imagination as to what would be the effect on that person’s relatives and their expectations!
115. That too, calling themselves a ‘Welfare State’, the tendency for the arms of the Government is to poke their nose into every area of social life, think of the sudden spurt in favours extended and expectations in cash or kind for them in return! Then if you do not play the same game by the same rules, sky is the limit for threats galore and misuse of power! Above all that, when there are more number of political parties, the urge to bring up one’s own popularity and vote bank, all principles of decency will be let go. Initially the effort will be to build up one’s own party. Then in the name of the party the aim will be personal popularity, aggrandisement, financial and material benefit; subsequently extended to one’s own kith and kin. Thus there will be no end to the wrongdoings. Every politician will try and create a clique or faction of his own following. Ideals and ideology will be let go off in thin air while, scheming the downfall of anyone who is considered a hurdle in one’s way! Thus internecine quarrels and marriages of convenience between the factions will be the order of the day. In the light of the above, we can see as to how full of fore thought and wisdom was the decision not to let any relative anywhere near, as per the Uttara Merur Saasanam! When you realise as to how careful they were to obviate wrong doings, in those bygone days, our sense of awe and respect for those people in power those days, enhances immensely!
116. Removal from the Job and Permanent Taboo. For a person being elected this year, in addition to not being considered for selection for the next three years, there is another bar. That is, anyone who is found responsible for some wrongdoing is debarred forever. Anyhow he is removed from the present job and permanently debarred, losing his right to stand for elections forever in the future. Moreover, all his ‘Atma Bhandus’ that is close relatives such as, father, son, father-in-law, sister’s children, son-in-law, cousin, uncles and so on, also are forbidden from public service. From this we can make out that the punishments for wrongdoings were prohibitive enough to deter, indicating the level of care they took in matters public.
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 84 (Vol #4) Dated 09 Oct 2010.

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 84 (Vol #4) Dated 09 Oct 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 first para on page number 461 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that here in 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
{Note from KTSV the translator:- I could not help getting carried away by the enormity and seriousness of PeriyavaaL’s foresight in his apprehension about how wrong this Indian experiment with Satyam that is Truth can go, on the pretext of Democracy, in the light of what is actually happening in our country! In fact all that PeriyavaaL has spoken are dated prior to 1950! Read on!}
100. Yes I should not be talking politics. But, when politics is coming and banging its head against our Hindu Dharma and is washing away all the noble qualities of our Indian population and since our Peetams are established as bulwark against erosion of Dharmic (moral) values more than as simple religious institutions, I have to express my views under duress! How am I to keep my mouth shut?
101. As blocked or stored up water under pressure breaks out in a flood, after a long period of British rule India has obtained its freedom and independence. So there is a clear hazard of all concerned to come to hasty conclusions without any control and systematic deliberations! To say that there need be no qualitative requirement for the aspirants and the electors; can only lead to unimaginable levels of bribery, hate, bluff, skulduggery and savagery between the political parties in the name of fair and free elections! This can only harbinger very bad days for the country. While trumpeting that we are the biggest democracy in the whole world if we lose our sense of balance and humaneness, it will be tantamount to decorating a dead body with frills!
102. Even if they did not have property, education and such other qualitative requirements, the people of this country had the biggest asset of a high moral fibre. It is that which will be lost when they become applicants and voters under the new scheme of things, corrupted by the lure of lucre! That is my biggest worry. Do we need a Jana Nayakam or what is called in glowing terms as Democratic Republic so as to lose our biggest value systems forever! The fifth clause of Artha and Atma Suddhi was protecting us from pollution of our minds. People used to accept only such persons as members who were above board in their dealings of sterling character of unimpeachable integrity! That such a clause was there is indicative of the fact that, people were aware of what could go wrong. Even if there was only some doubt of moral turpitude, such a person could never even stand for election, evidently.
103. Nowadays we hear about some people that they are very honest in money matters. But, when you look into their overall character, it leaves much to be desired! If there is one good quality, there is a shortage in some other aspect! As long as they are alright in three out of five factors of age, education, expertise, maturity and behaviour, we feel that they can be trusted with public service! But human nature being what it is, after they have a position of power and status, there is a steady decline in their overall attitude and performance! So, having given the importance to being unencumbered monetarily, they included that all round character should be above blame; as Artha Suddhi and Atma Suddhi! Till date their importance remains with equal validity.
104. In those days religiousness, trust and belief in Saastraas, devotional fervour, humility and self discipline were all more natural and wide spread across the society at large! So, the character level was naturally high. Compared to the present day the opportunities and avenues for going astray were also rather limited. So instead of having to search far and wide with a sieve for filtration and selection, there were people available with excellent character, who could be picked up for public duties handsomely fulfilling the fifth condition!
105. The sixth clause of the Sozha Saasanam was that once having been a member, he cannot look for the membership for another three years. The seventh clause was that his immediate relatives also cannot stand for election in that period. These two clauses were to ensure that the clause of Artha and Atma Suddhi continues to remain so even after one is selected for membership. This is so that, the idealism instead of remaining only theoretical becomes practical. It is not enough that one should be clean but, one should continue to remain so and not give in to opportunities for corruption. These two clauses are meant to ensure that and obviate going astray. Let us look at them closely.
106. The first one in this makes it impossible for anyone who has been a member for one year to stand for election again for another three years. Why? Otherwise if someone continues for longer periods and holds the same job or responsibility for long; he gets too much influence, learns to hide his mistakes, finds ways and means of exploiting the loop holes in the rules, giving way to favouritism and gets after employees if they are not co-operative with his schemes and so on. So, the system should be such that he should be told, “If you have done one year, pack up and go!” Now relate this to a five year term! They have now decided on a general election every five years! That is a sufficiently long period for someone to establish himself firmly in the job, not only putting down roots but also branches and creepers in all direction! But when you look at the fact that compared to a Sabha of a small place like Utara Merur, for the Assemblies of the States of India and the Central Government, we have to give it more thought. Instead of being concerned about only some local area and some limited number of people, it is going to be about all the people and enactments about their livelihoods! To be able to deeply consider all the pros and cons and deliberate, enact and reassess; a term of five years seems to be reasonable. One has to look at the massive conduct of census and the very process of election as well as the cost involved. Then also instead of the votes being purchased every year, they will be purchased only once in five years. To that extent, it seems also that it is better to have this exercise once in five years! But a person who has been a member of the Parliament or the State Assembly for five years, it is worth deliberating whether such a person should be given a chance to stand for election again! I need not elaborate on this. If no one should be given an opportunity to establish himself or his own kith and kin firmly and unshakeably in positions of power, it is better to put a limit on this!
107. New Broom Sweeps Clean. There is one more advantage in our ancestor’s decision that a person who has held the position of membership for one year is not to stand for election for the next three years. By changing the members and their jobs once a year, we will enable bringing in of fresh faces to aid fresh ideas and innovation. By this one year term followed by a three year gap would have enabled all the able bodied people to experience holding of public responsibilities and learn. After some time, almost all the people in the village would have been a member in the Village Sabha some time or the other! This will also enable them to have a sense of belonging and care! This would clearly avoid and obviate lack of involvement, feeling, “How am I concerned or why should I bother?”
108. Aspiring members should not be the kith and kin of those who are just retiring after having been a member of the Sabha. The Saasanam says, “vaariyam seidu ozhittha peru makkalukku aatma bandukkaL allaadavaraaga irukka vendum”! This is the last condition. I told you earlier that each member was likely to have been part of some committee. They are the ones who have done ‘vaariyam’. It is not only that they cannot stand for election for the next three years, their close relatives too are forbidden from standing for election to become a member of the Sabha, is the rule!
(We will continue from here.)
Sambhomahadeva.