DEIVATHIN KURAL # 27 (Vol # 5) Dated 23 July 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 27 (Vol # 5) Dated 23 July 2011

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavaaL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are proceeding from the second para on page No 164 of Vol 5 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
133. In Kaasi also known as Banaras, our AachaaryaaL Adi Sankara too had been tested by Siva, who had come in the form of a Pulaiya that is someone who normally works in the cremation grounds by assisting in disposing of the dead bodies. Initially our AachaaryaaL told him to keep off and not to come near. Then when that man started discussing as to who is telling whom and as to if it is the body or the inner being; AachaaryaaL realised his blatant faux pas! Here Somaasi Maaran realised the truth on his own! That is why and how Somaasi Maaran became Somaasi Naayanaar!
134. In Rudram, while saying all that is seen as so many second and third person people or things are all different forms of the same Siva, prostrations are offered to each one of them as another form of Siva. It further says that the cashier, shop keeper, thief, shepherd, fisher man, police man, archer and the maker of the bow and arrows, potter, the cheat and pickpocket and so on(the list is not complete here); are all also the same Rudra! Similarly the Bhagawat Gita says that the brahmin who sees the cow and elephant being revered by ‘Go Puja and Gaja Puja’ as well as the mongrel and the country brute who eats the meat of the dog as equal; is the one who is truly learned and realised, to be considered as divine amongst other human beings!
135. Somaasi Maara Naayanaar having sincerely waited for long, persevered in first cultivating friendship with Sundara Murthy Swami and then put in much effort in organizing the Soma Yaaga; when faced with this unruly crowd of country brutes was neither surprised nor disappointed. Being calm and pleasant; knowing the leader of the caboodle to be Easwara himself in another form; gave him the ‘Havis’. (The Havis is a word that has been used a number of times in this narrative. It means the essential material being offered in obeisance in the Yaaga.)
136. He told the other brahmins, “Please do not desert and runaway! It is the very God Rudra who has come disguised. Please believe me!” But they went away uncaring for his pleas. Then it is said that God cursed them to become untouchables and on the request of Somaasi Maara Naayanaar God relented to lessen the curse! The Saastraas do lay down as to who can participate and who is debarred from participation in a Yaaga. There is no crime on the part of the brahmins to have been surprised to see the seemingly unruly crowd of Pulayaas trespassing in to the Yaaga bhoomi with drums and what not. But when the man conducting the Yaaga, who was not only elder but had gone to much trouble in organising the conduct of the Yaaga and was known to be well versed in the rules and regulations; is pleading with them not to desert the conduct of a noble venture like this Yaaga; they should have had the sense to abide with his request! Had they waited they would also had the opportunity to witness the Darshan of God! But, since they ran away cursing Somaasi Maaran and their own fate, they had to undergo the ignominy of God’s wrath.
137. That part of the story is not very important to our narrative. When Somaasi Maaran brought the Havis, Siva displayed his Darshan seated on the bull Nandi with AmbaaL and all the Bhoota Ganaas. Somaasi Naayanaar’s life’s mission was complete and also ended there and then. He moved on to ‘Siva Loka Praapti of saalokam, sameepyam and saayujyam’! Those are the final three stages of ‘Saalokam – being in the same world as God, Saameepyam – being very close to God and Saayujyam – to merge in God with no trace of difference’! I told you this story to prove the point that even when we cannot have the vision of God on our own efforts, we can do so, with the help of those far advanced souls, who have an easy access to God!
138. Like inviting a cow nearer by showing some green leaves, by plucking and delivering the greens growing on the river banks wildly, Somaasi Maaran had obtained the gratitude of a man like Sundara Murthy who could ensure the arrival of God in his Yaaga! For this he had to first get hold of Sundara Murthy. After much deliberation he made use of what was the only thing available to him, the wild growth of greens on the river bank. May be the particular type of green leaves got the name ‘DootuvaLai or TooviLankeerai’ because that green was used as a courier! In the Vaishnava tradition also there is a similar story.
139. In Vaishnava Sampradaaya the Guru of Ramanujacharya was AaLavandaar. He was living a royal life of much involvement in the worldly affairs. MaNakkaal Nambi wished to turn AaLavandaar towards the spiritual way of life. Being a poor brahmin himself the only way he could attract this royal man’s attention was by sending DootuvaLai greens. The only difference between the two stories is that, there the sender of the greens was the one who became the Guru of the recipient! Whatever it is, the DootuvaLai was the go-between in that story too, in getting them together! Coming back to our point, we need not bother with Easwara. Guru will do most sufficiently, through whom we can get God also! All that we have to do in turn for Guru’s help is only being devoted to him. For everything the root is trust and faith that he will certainly do the best for us. That is what is known as ‘Bhakti – Sraddha’!
140. Even if the Guru is only human and so capable of erring, it is enough to be devoted to the Guru, without any need for separate devotion for God! There could be one objection to this statement. When can we have complete trust in someone that he will do the needful for us? When he is totally faultless, is it not so? He should be full of all appreciably good character qualities. Then we will be able to develop complete devotion towards him. In addition, he should be very capable of granting anything sans any weakness. Easwara we know is thus a repository of omnipotent and omniscient abilities. Nobody doubts this. Can we get such a Guru? Whosoever he may be, they are seen to be having some weakness such as being quick to take offence or open to flattery! They also seem to have some likes and dislikes. On the point of abilities, can we truly believe that this man whom we think of adopting as our Guru is all capable? Even in some of their plans we find that there are some failures or deficiencies. Even in their intensions we find that they are dependent on God’s Grace. So the question remains, to have him as our Guru or not?
141. Let it be that they are dependent on the Grace of God for their own plans and actions. Let it be that they have some chinks or mistakes in their personality. There is God in them too as the indwelling divinity, is it not so? So if we be devoted to the Guru, whosoever he is, as faultless, blemish-less and all capable; will not God do the needful for us through him? If the God is to be seen as the indwelling divinity in the dog and the one who eats dog’s meat too, I am sure it is easier to see the God in the man whom we are thinking of adopting as the Guru; who anyhow is far better educated, behaved and endowed than us! If our surrender is total to that Guru, then it is God’s onus and responsibility to take proper care of us, about which we need have no apprehensions!
142. Advantages in Guru Bhakti. OK, right! But when there is God who is beyond blame, faultless, capable and perfect; why should we be devoted to this man, with may be having some faults, whom we have to assume to be perfect and be devoted? I will answer this question, repeating some of the points that I have covered already. One, we can see the Guru and interact with, while we cannot see God and interact with. God does not directly point out our mistakes and faults, whereas Guru does that in all sincerity to correct us. Guru can act as our mentor and consultant. We can clear our doubts from him. Are we sincere enough to do all that ourselves truthfully?
143. Then as God is beyond the reach of our minds, while we cannot interact with him; he is the ever present witness known as, ‘sarvadhee saaktchi bootham’! So he will punish us for things where we are culpable! Though we know or fear that God is the ever present witness, we hope that we will get away without being punished! So, we tend to commit sins in the stupid belief that we will somehow evade being held responsible and tend to forget our faults. God will also reward us when we deserve to be rewarded. When we get those benefits, we think that we somehow deserve them and end up thinking too much of ourselves in the bargain! When it comes to doing some service or assistance to others, we do get any number of opportunities in our day to day lives. There, we do not do our bit on the grounds of not interfering in other’s lives! There is a proverb which says, “Arasan anru kolvaan, Deivam ninru kollum”, meaning that the King or the reach of Law will punish immediately, while God may do so at a later suitable time! Then as per the Law of Karma, the punishment for sins in one life may become effective later, may be in another life time! So, on the one hand we fool ourselves in hoping to avoid punishments for sins committed, while on the other hand the motivation is lacking for doing noble acts of help to others.
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.