DEIVATHIN KURAL # 107 (Vol #4) Dated 27 Nov 2010

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 107 (Vol #4) Dated 27 Nov 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 start of page number 592 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)
106. Human Being Disgraced by All the Five Senses. There is a beautiful book of wisdom by the name of Viveka ChoodamaNi (Crown Jewel of Discretion), by Adi Sankara Bhagawat PaadaaL. In it at one place there is this sloka about the five ‘Indriyaas’ of the human being. In the animal world, different animals are let down by their weakness as related to one of their Indriyaas. Only the human animal is debased and humiliated by every one of their five senses. So, he has to make use of the sixth sense to guard against this potential hazard of sensual depravity!
107. Deer is attracted by sound. The hunter will blow a horn. The deer will be captivated by the sound and stand still. Hunter will use this to shoot an arrow and kill the deer. Otherwise, the fleet footed deer is not an easy target. Elephant is a slave to the sense of touch. The elephant hunter makes use of this to trap the huge behemoth. They will tie a trained she elephant to a tree. The male elephant would like to close up with the female elephant to copulate. On the approach track they would have dug a huge pit and camouflaged it. The elephant would rush in and fall into the pit, from where it will be captured, brought out and tamed! Moth meets its comeuppance in the fire, being attracted by its form. Fish falls for the attraction of taste and bites the hook with the worm and gets hooked. The bee is attracted by the colour, fragrance and taste of the flower with honey. The smell of the Champaka flower could be so strong to make our nose bleed! The beetle goes and gets lost in the fragrance and intoxicated in imbibing the nectar. Then the petals will close one by one, sending the beetle to its seventh heaven! Adi Sankara says that, each animal gets caught mainly by one of the senses. But he regrets than man gets caught in a trap involving all the five senses! He says, “shabdaadih panchabhireva pancha panchatvam – aapuh swaguNena badhdhaah I kuranga – maatanga – patanga – meena – brungaa; naraha panchabhir anjitaha kim?” “kuranga” is the deer and not a monkey! “maatanga” is the elephant. “patanga” is the moth. “meenam” is the fish. “brunga” is the beetle. “naraha”, means the man; “panchabhir ” by all the five senses; “anjitaha” is attracted. “panchabih + anjitah = panchabhiranjitah”, rhymes well! Then he finishes his poem with the word “kim?” That one word would convey the meaning of, “Oh! What then is the condition of man who is attached to all the five senses?” I was talking about how we become a complete wreck because of our desires, especially our desire to search for happiness!
108. Permanent Happiness Can Never be Borne Out of Desire! But, I should not be overly pessimistic that there can never be any happiness out of good intentions like wishing others well and desiring for Mukti! Mostly, all such happiness is also mixed with some or more unhappiness too! Drinking for example while spoiling the mind, body and family life; may give a few moments of pleasure too. Eating in hotels may be quite pleasurable at times. Musician may not have a bad throat in all concerts. There may be occasions when the singing and instrumental accompaniment are really good and the music takes the audience to the high heavens, making them feel that the concert is worth the while! Here the happiness cancels out the burden of efforts and resources spent. If the singer was too good making you feel that any amount could have been paid for it, then the resultant happiness is more. Then if it was a free pass instead of a paid for ticket, then it is pure Aanandam without the sadness of expenditure for the ticket!
109. True. But does this happiness stay permanently? He was wondering as to how to pass a few dull hours feeling depressed about the problems of life in home and office. Luckily he got the free ticket. The concert was good and he heard it quite happily. He wished to share his happiness with his wife at home by describing in detail the Ragaas competently handled by the singer and thereby show off some of his subtle knowledge about the art of Carnatic Music! In his absent mindedness, he just missed the bus and got home rather late! His wife having waited for him was in a bad mood. She got more annoyed when she came to know that he had been to a music concert, without taking her there! She was pulling a face serving him the dinner. All his happiness evaporated resulting in dullness and depression, which he wanted to avoid originally! As though all that was not enough, he went to sleep when at that precise moment there was a power cut and the fan went off with free-for-all-attack by the mosquitoes!
110. Similarly there are people who win in horse racing. But does that money won in racing give permanent happiness? Possession of money brings many problems in its wake. (KTSV adds: - I used to know one Col in the Army who had won a jackpot in Guindy Racing. We were in different units and used to meet in the Sub Area Officer’s Mess, Madras some times. Having heard about his being a winner in Racing, one day I happened to ask him about it. His answer was, “Sarma, I did win some 47,000 /-Rupees last year and everybody knows about it. What people do not know is the fact that I have lost many Forty Seven Thousands since then! But, what can I do? Winning a Jack Pot is still a dream that I cannot resist! So, I keep losing money there!” That was in the year 1976, when his pay could not have been more than Rs. 800/- per month!) There are people who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Born of rich parents, they go on to make more in trading and industries. But they are also not without being responsible for many sins of commission and omission, in trying to make more! If not here in this world, they have to own up their guilt some time somewhere if not to others, at least to themselves, about bribing government officials and or chasing away a genuine beggar without any help!
111. Even some of the rare occasions when desire is fulfilled, without any element of sadness or disappointment mixed in it, there is the problem of impermanence. A wonderful shower bath has to end sometime! A wonderful heavenly music in a concert will become satiating after some time and become intolerable after some more! We will end up saying, “That singer is very good alright. But his problem is that he does not know when to stop!” Badam Milk may be very welcome. One glass is OK. Two may be managed. But if the host is thrusting a third glass, we are likely to say, “Please spare me” and feel “Oh! For God’s sake, enough is enough!” So, it all amounts to the fact that, neither are we able control our desires within any reasonable limits nor are we able to tolerate it forever! If we are told to listen to the music we love for a whole day or told to drink a bucket full of Badam Milk, we are likely to refuse. Someone who is very fond of reading will get fed up somewhere along the line and would like to stop reading and go for a walk, may be! Again after some time, you want it again. What was considered as not wanted any more today, again becomes desirable the next day!
112. Another funny thing. What we are very fond of somewhere some time, with the change in time and space or weather becomes intolerable! May be our dislike is due to some logical reasons and sometimes quite illogical too. We cover ourselves with a cashmere shawl in winter and feel cosy and comfortable. Let there be the initial arrival of spring season. That shawl goes into the trunk, the first thing in the morning.
113. On occasions, one desire takes precedence and the other fades away. You get to know about a song and dance show for which you get a free ticket also. Then someone invites you for a game of cards. Pronto, your love of music has vanished! Despite being grown ups, is our behaviour any different from that of a child who drops the doll she was very fond of, while extending her hands for a piece of candy or chocolate?
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.