DEIVATHIN KURAL # 47 (Vol # 5) Dated 01 Sept 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 47 (Vol # 5) Dated 01 Sept 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 last para on page No 289 of Vol 5 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)
9. Others who are not Mumukshus, will be in majority and will always be involved in some action (Kaaryam) or the other. Without the inner mind, outer sensory organs, tools, equipments and other people, there can be no Kaaryam. It is the nature of this majority of people to keep on doing something or the other with outer tools and other people. Here by this word ‘outer’, I am differentiating between the inner Aatma and outer – body, mind and tools of intellect; and the other people of this world as so many objects for the subject doer. These who are involved in doing something or the other all the time are classified as ‘Karma Sanghis’ by Bhagwan Sri Krishna in the Bhagawat Gita (B.G. III – 26.)
10. The reason for their preoccupation with work is the variety of desires that they have. To fulfil those desires, they will keep on persevering, duping, cajoling, encouraging or hood-winking others. If we simply keep sitting down doing nothing, what we desire will never come about, isn’t it? The only thing, for which we do not have to work, is the already ever present Aatma. For everything else we have to work. To get to know Aatma, that is for self – realization, we have to cease all actions. So, we may note that the greatest Upadesa by their Guru for well known and famous disciples such as Thayum Aanavar and AruNagiri Naathar was simply, ‘Summa Iru’ (meaning ‘keep quiet’)! This logic means that our every action further distances us from our reality. That is, we are repeatedly going out from our inner Aatma for every action of ours – this is the meaning of ‘Pravrutti’.
11. The antonym for Pravrutti is ‘Nivrutti’. What is the opposite of going – out? To return to where we were, as we were, isn’t it? This return to Aatma is Nivrutti. So, involvement in actions is Pravrutti and to cease such involvement is Nivrutti. Majority of people of this world will be such out – going extroverts only. We cannot tell them, “Do not do that! Sit down and do ‘Aatma Vichaara’.” They are likely to ask, “Aatma? Where is it available and at what rate for a kilogram?” Even if we force them to sit down doing nothing, when they do not have this Mumukchutvam, this inner urge for release when all worldly desires are no more and there is the only sincere wish to obtain or reach or realise the TRUTH in capital letters; what is the use of such force?
12. So it is alright, but should we let them do whatever to fulfil their desires in every which way they can? Then the whole world will be a free for all, order less chaos, isn’t it? Even for God, the world instead of being a drama of ethos will become good for nothing fiasco! So, what should we do? For this reason, Vedas while letting people to go on the Pravrutti Marga of his natural tendency, brings in some control and discipline, enabling them slowly but steadily to master their tendency for unrighteous actions. Then for the smaller percentage of people who are interested in making an about turn, there is the Nivrutti / Gnaana Marga of inversion. That is the fairness of Dharma as laid down by the Vedas and Saastraas. What is the meaning of what the Vedas lay down? They are the God’s own commandments in the form Veda Mantras given to us through the Rishis. As after all, both extroverts and introverts are god’s creation only, both have to be guided properly, isn’t it? If there are more ‘Karma Sangis’ and less otherwise, even that state is still God’s creation only. In Bhagawat Gita XVIII – 46, it says, “yata: pravruttir bhootaanaam yena sarvam idam tatam”, meaning ‘by which all these are permeated’. By that statement it is clear that both extroversion and introversion are God’s creation only. AachaaryaaL in his Bhashyam further clarifies that it is God as the Antar Yaami who, causes people the way they are!
13. Initially, in the earlier chapters while talking about Karma Yoga, Bhagawan was saying that people are ‘Karma Sangis’ (that is, having the tendency to be extroverts), due to their Nature, that is Prakruti. That word Prakruti is a synonym for Maya. Even Maya for that matter is not an independent entity, but only God’s power. Swetaaswaropanishad - IV says, ‘Know that Prakruti (Nature) is Maya. Know that the owner of Maya is Maheswara.’ In Bhagawat Gita too, Sri Krishna says, “mama maaya duratyayaa”, meaning, ‘not easily crossable Maya that is my power’! So, it can be discerned that God intentionally wills the majority to be ‘Karma Sangis’ so that the drama on the stage of this world, His Maya Leela may continue to be enacted!
14. Think of an opposite scenario. If all the people are to become the travellers on the path of Nivrutti, by Gnaana they will all break though the curtain of Maya and call it quits. They will all merge in the Parabrhmam and intended ‘prapancha Leela’ of this ‘Universal Opera’ will cease to be! The world stage is evidently His Game plan, in which the majority will have to go in every which way of the Pravrutti Marga and some miniscule minority, the opposite way of Nivrutti Marga, that is, the Path of Gnaana. As given in the Bhagawatam, note clearly that the first four Maanasika Putras of Brhma, Sanaka and three others went by the Nivrutti Marga. So Brhma had to create Mareechi and nine others, specifically with the name of ‘Prajapati-s’ (meaning the heads of clans), to people the world by procreating and fill it up! So you can see the obvious that the whole world of people were not meant to go by the Nivrutti Marga of Gnaana and empty the drama stage of the world!
15. Still, all the cast of characters were not to be given a free hand to do as they please, sans any control and direction. If all of them go in the Pravrutti Marga, the bit of freedom given to them is likely to result in all the social fabric going awry and corrupted in sinful monstrosities. All should neither become merged in Brhmam, nor should it result in total unfettered corruption and sinfulness. The idea is that the show must go on with comparative freedom while the Director still retains the essential control. Though by Karma the eternal bliss is not attainable certainly, it should not become too arid and dry. So, individual life and the social life will have to contain in it some order, pleasure, mutual love and mutual assistance and helping of each other. It is out of his infinite love and Grace that God willed it so. Through Vedas thus, the Pravrutti Marga was streamlined with various Do’s and Dont’s so that, everyman may progress from the point where he found himself at the time of birth in this world. The idea is that as the man progresses, he also does his bit for the welfare of the society and the world! This was to further motivate and cause man to aspire for the greater pleasures of heavens and such. This part of the Vedas is known as the Karma Kaandam in which is included all the Yagnas and Anushtaanaas.
16. In the same Vedas, are the end parts known as Upanishads which talk about the Nivrutti marga for attaining to Moksha that is the Gnaana Kaandam. That will be full of esoteric ideas and principles. Moksham is different and Swarga is something else. It is only through Moksham, we can hope to be freed of this worldly involvement. That is the point of total bliss. Swarga is still only a transit point where, depending on the quantum of our meritorious acts of PuNya, we experience many types of pleasures for the Body, Mind and Intellect complex (call it the BMI, an acronym coined by Swami Chinmayananda). In this world we are experiencing the pleasures of the Gross BMI complex while in Swarga, it is the more subtle BMI complex going through the experiences.
17. The karma Marga that God has made available through the Vedas has one special facility. What is that? Often at various points of our lives, we notice that there is a nagging suspicion, doubt or some clarity in flashes. Often we start wondering within ourselves. ‘What is this that we are endlessly running after these small and silly pleasures of life, while there is something which is constantly reminding us that, these are all only temporary and transitory? The inner core of ours knows that these pleasures of life are all only peripheral’ Even when we get this idea, by dint of habit we ignore this inner voice and go back to our time tested ways of running after the small pleasures. These flashes of disenchantment are not permitted to grow into total dispassion, by our telling ourselves that we have not reached that stage yet! Temporarily we decide, ‘No more’, like when we meet some huge loss or see some beloved person dying or witness the agony and pangs of a baby’s birth! These two senses of dispassion are known as ‘Prasava Vairaagyam and Smasaana Vairaagyam. Even that becomes a forgotten thing of the past when we get involved in day to day affairs, like a ‘writing on water’!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.