DEIVATHIN KURAL # 35 (Vol # 5) Dated 08 Aug 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 35 (Vol # 5) Dated 08 Aug 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 middle of page No 208 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)
43. As I said in just the previous para No. 42, that on a cursory glance it seems that we should readily accept ‘Gurur Vishnu’, as the protector, ruler, supreme leader and maintainer. But on a deeper analysis our opinion changes quickly. Let Vishnu be known as the ‘Paripaalana Murthy’, in our lives does he seem to be doing his job faultlessly to our satisfaction? Does any one of us feel like thanking him with gratitude for what he has done to us and do Namaskaaram to him? ‘They say that he is the Paripaalana Murthy, at least from now let him give us these things,’ in expectation of which we may be ready to do Namaskaaram. Not all of us are like that, though I agree but most of us are. The percentages of people who feel that God has been very kind are limited. Majority of people have a whole list of complaints. This majority is not the 51% manipulated one but, 90 – 99% majority. Even those who are happy today may not be so shortly later. They will have some expectations for the future. If Maha Vishnu comes and opens an office that he is ready to receive our petitions, we will make him regret his decision!
44. What does it mean? Though he has the title as the Paripaalana Murthy, we are of the inherent opinion that he is not doing his job properly, is the meaning. In fact he has not failed in his duties. The same logic as I said in the case of Brhma holds good here too. ‘It is our own accumulation of negative Karma effects with some good that influences our present life and he is not unfairly troubling us. So there is no logic in picking up a fight with him’, I said earlier. So Maha Vishnu also gives us certain privileges and denies us some. If the privileges not given are more than the given ones, by our Karma this is our ‘Praapti’. So it does not mean that he is doing anything on whims and fancies nor is he having any ulterior motives. He is neither troubling us nor playing hard to get. That is how discerning people will look at it.
45. But, we are not very discerning characters, is it not so? If we were people with the correct balanced attitude and maturity, why do we need to go and stand in front of a Guru? So, in the state we are in, there is no meaning in talking about how mature, discerning and sensible persons will behave. So then, how can we be respectful and devoted to him? You may counter this with the argument that, ‘unlike the fact that we could not have requested Siva to sort us out well and proper’, with Vishnu there is scope for us to ‘request him to take better care of us’, is it not so? The counter – counter for this is that, ‘his job is to take care of our protection and well being. Such being the case, if we go and do Namaskaaram to him and say, and tell him to take better care of us’, that will be tantamount to telling him that he is not doing his job properly! Will it not be taken amiss? He could well turn around and say, ‘you do not have to tell me my job!’ Then if he becomes vindictive, where shall we go and complain?
46. What will he say if we are to appeal to him without treading on his toes with some cajoling instead? We can make a guess here as to what he is likely to say. “There is nothing that I can do on my own. We three are bound by our duties as given to us. The one Omnipotent Paramaatma gives us clear cut duties to perform. We do not do anything on our own! From your Karma only Brhma decides for you to have a certain life. From out of your own past deeds, whatever you have experience during this one life time is set aside as the ‘Praarabda Karma’. I provide you the protection and other care that is purely as you deserve by your own earnings of merits and demerits. You get the goods and services as per what you can pay for. If you extend counterfeit notes, I will suitably punish. Once you have had your innings, Rudra Murthy sends his Ganaas and sorts you out by diseases or accidents or whatever and finishes your life. So, all said and done, the key is in your hands. Do more of ‘Sat Karma’ for you to get better wealth, health and protection. You can start from today or even this very moment onwards! I am not ready to give you a guaranty that you can reap the benefits straight away. There is no meaning in coming to a fight with me. We Brhma, Vishnu, Maheswara-s function within our parameters only!”
47. I hope now that the matter is very clear! You do not have to do Namaskaaram to him, or any of the three. Somewhere in between he said, isn’t it that the material and services are exactly as related to the quantum of the money that we tender? Here the legal tender is our good actions of PuNya. If the trader gives quality service or goods for the amount paid, there is no need to do Namaskaaram or be devoted to him the trader, is it not so? (PeriyavaaL laughs saying this!)
48. Exactly based on our intensions, actions and attitudes; the one to decide the effects of returns is somebody else, not any one of these three. Paramaatma is all powerful and all knowledgeable. By his decisions the world functions. From him these office bearers of Srushti, Sthithi and Samhaara draw their portion of responsibilities. What is the use of going to them and praying to them to do this or that, this way or that way? On the one hand such requesting is futile and on the other hand it looks as though they are being bribed. If taking bribe is an offence, offering bribe is equally a punishable crime, isn’t it? Already we are full of guilt consciousness for the errors of omission and commission already done; we may as well not try and do this attempt to corrupt the system which is functioning quite well without our inputs! No, Sir! No Namaskaara-s to be offered to these Three Gods; Namaskaara-s to this very idea of Namaskaara-s! (PeriyavaaL laughs saying this!)
49. So, it boils down to the fact that as Brhma – Vishnu – Rudra Trinity when you think of them as independent entities, as done in the PuraNas, then there is scope for doing Namaskaaram with devotion. But if you think of them as office bearers of an Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Paramatma over them, then there is no scope for either Namaskaaram or devotional worship. That will be tantamount to insulting that Paramatma and corrupting the lower down bureaucracy! For such a crime, we may have to suffer the wrath from the side of Paramaatma too!
50. When you look at it from a slightly different perspective that; this Holy Trinity is not only taking care of different departments and not only do they get all the powers from the Paramaatma; they are one with their inner reality of the Paramaatma who is their ‘Antaryaami’ and so are equally capable of sanctioning any boon or request or prayer, even to the extent that they can even set aside the past Karmas and their effect, lifting us from anywhere, anytime and fetch us to infinity and eternity, the scenario changes completely! With this change of the perspective there is every reason and logic to be beholden to them and do Namaskaara with devotion repeatedly!
51. Any Devata or God, Ishta Devata (preferred one) or Grama Devata (local deity) or Vana Devata (the deity in a copse) or Jala Devata (the deity in a water source) and so on is equally the same Antaryaami the Paramaatma as the indwelling reality, with various outer manifestations. Particularly for this job it is holding this office. Such attitudinal change will fetch us to total Gnaana! Then the mind of ours will dissolve into nullity! That is Namaskaara and that is real devotion! This is what is meant by, ‘drushtim gnaana mayam krutvaa pasyata brhma mayam jagat’! That means, ‘changing or converting your vision, perspective and attitude, see the whole world as brhmam’.
52. Here, one differentiation is made between Brhma and the other two. Vishnu and Rudra, whatever outer works they may have, - getting beaten up by a shepherd lady (Aaichchee) as Sri Krishna in Brindavan or getting strokes from the cane from the Pandya King on behalf of a woman selling the ‘pittu’ in Madurai as Siva, - inwardly both were totally aware of their inner reality as the stuff of Parabrhmam beyond all qualifying adjuncts! AmbaaL Parasakti is also like this only as Ardha Nareeswara, the power behind his greatness and supremacy of Siva. Similarly Mahalakshmi is also as such one with her consort Mahavishnu, totally identified as one in the Parabrhma Swaroopa. Vaishnavas will say that Mahalakshmi is the power behind Vishnu’s functioning, calling her the ‘Thaayaar’ repeatedly like a child crying for the Mother, causing our hearts to melt for the Mother! Our AachaaryaaL too while singing eulogies of Mahalakshmi in Kanaka Daaraa Stavam, calls her ‘geer devateti’ the Goddess of all music, Saraswathy; as ‘garudwaja sundareeti’ as the wife of Vishnu in whose flag there is Garuda; and then as ‘sasi sekhara vallabheti’, that is the Shakti AmbaaL of Chandra Mouleeswara Siva!
53. Get this point very clear. Siva is one with Sivaa as Ardha Nareeswara, Mahavishnu is one with Maha Lakshmi and Mahalakshmi is one with Saraswathy and AmbaaL! That is to say once again all Gods are ONE and the same PARABRHMAM!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.