DEIVATHIN KURAL # 58 (Vol # 5) Dated 27 Sept 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 58 (Vol # 5) Dated 27 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 page No 348 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)
101. Even in this reign of Kali, including in the time of our AachaaryaaL, there were and are some good, sincere people doing their Karma Anushtaanaas meticulously but without any aspirations for reaping benefits out of such Karma. (That is, people who are doing their Karma not as those classified as Poorva Meemaamsaka did, but as Karma Yoga.) With true devotion to duty and clear comprehension of ‘what all this is about’, have been there and will continue to be there forever. The Guru – Sishya tradition has been going on without a break in all the paths of Karma, Bhakti, Yoga and Gnaana. Without a Guru there can be no Adhyayana in the early stages and no Sanyaasa Deeksha at the end stages. The tradition of Guru as a student in his youth, taking instructions from his Guru and then passing on the Upadesa to their own disciples has been going on for ages, without a gap.
102. In many places in his Bhashyas, our AachaaryaaL has reiterated that education obtained by this system of Guru – Sishya tradition only will have real value and none other. That would mean that till his time such a tradition was continuing. It is not only true that he got Adwaita Vidya thus from his Guru Govinda Bhagawat PaadaaL, but it is a fact that, till his time there had been many other teachers of Adwaita Vidya too. For example there were, Kasakrutsnar, Dravida AachaaryaaL, Brhma Nandi, Bartru Prapanchar, Bartruhari, Brhmadatta, Soundra PaaNdyar and such who were all instructors of Adwaita in their own rights. Similarly, in his time there were many temples where the daily and periodic poojas were going on as per the Vedic and Aagama systems. Though it is said that, while going around the whole of India thrice, he did correct the crude, fierce and violent procedures for worship that were in vogue in a number of temples and installed more civilized methods; not all temples needed such corrections! Before his birth, his own parents had gone on a visit to a number of temple-towns including Trichur and are said to have got him as a Vara Prasada (as a blessing from God).
103. Then why is it touted that, ‘Gone, everything is gone. Even if something is still there, that will also disappear with passage of time’ and things like that, by these PuraNas? May be the reason for the PuraNas to cry foul is, so that we may be well prepared for all such changes likely to happen, instead of being too complacent. May be because, we are not easily motivated to act positively. It is wrong to say, ‘If Kali Yuga is full of Adharma, let us also be like that’. If the police announce that there is a greater threat of dacoity, what will we do? Will we simply put all our property on the road to abet and encourage the thieves? To the extent we will endeavour to ensure our protection isn’t it? That is the purpose of the police notification too. Similarly, when the Saastraas say that there is a general loosening of values in the society in the Kali Yuga, we should be a little more observant of the rules of the Saastraas and not become more careless.
104. If someone stands firm like a rock against the flow of Adharma in this Kali Yuga, his actions will be many times more beneficial than in the other times. (With a slight smile) Periyava says, ‘In the earlier Yugas, God is likely to be surrounded by many of the ardent devotees and he may not have time for each one, to enquire about their welfare. But now, in the Kali Yuga, he is likely to be waiting to receive and take care of their needs, as their numbers are likely to be less. So, our prayers are likely to be more powerful now. Because of the fear of total collapse of systems lest people may completely give up all efforts of Saadhana, in the same Saastraas, there are some encouraging indications about the value of sticking to our Karma Anushtaanaas. If much elaborate procedures are to be followed in the other Yugas, in the Kali Yuga, simple repetition of God’s names (naama Sankeertana) itself will bear much fruits. So in the Saastraas where we are warned of much chaos, we are also told “Kali Saadhu: Kali Saadhu:” as reiterated by Vyasa Bhagawan.
105. Sankara Vijayam. We were considering how the Kali is not very Saadhu. I told you about how the people were being confused by as many as 72 non-Vedic religions, which were prevalent as given in the books, at the time of arrival of Sankara on the scene. Those books are about Sankara Vijayam, talking about his birth and exploits. ‘Jayam’ means victory and ‘Vijayam’ means special victories on the lines of, ‘He came, he saw and he conquered’! In the earlier days, the Kings used to visit other states in all directions and if need be, fight and win. That was known as ‘Digvijayam’. On the same lines nowadays, when some leaders visit places and win over people’s minds by the power of their talks, sense, intelligence, erudition and sincerity of purpose, it is called a ‘Vijaya Yatra’. Throughout one’s life, if one has fought a relentless battle with the internal enemies of negative and nefarious thoughts, not letting their heads to raise that is a great victory of ‘Aatma Vijayam’. With ‘Aatma Vijayam’ if someone has also won over the hearts of erudite scholars as well as the unread or not so well read common man, by their bearing, speech, love and compassion; their life history is called a ‘Vijayam’, rightfully so! So also, the life history of our AachaaryaaL is known as ‘Sankara Vijayam’.
106. Many people have written this ‘Sankara Vijayam’. In some of them, this matter of there being 72 anti-Vedic religions at the time of his birth is mentioned. So also, in the ‘Ashtottara Sata Namaavali’ addressed to our AachaaryaaL, there is this mantra “dvisaptadi madochchedre namaha”, meaning ‘the destroyer of 72 religions! Despite all the search and research, not all the names of those religions could be discerned. Please do not object at once that it is our practice to create myths sans proof, instead of writing authentic history! Though we do not know the names of all 72 of them, we could identify at least 45 of them. Many of them have a number of books on which they are based. There is also irrefutable evidence that they have been in practice some time or the other in the past. Amongst them as some of them like Meemaamsai, Nyaayam, Vaiseshikam and so on are even now referred on occasions in this Vedic Religion itself, we can safely assume that they must have been in vogue in the past. As more than half of those 72 are known even now, we can safely assume that there may be no bogus fictitiousness about them.
107. Amongst the books of his time which talk about his life, there are many names of religions mentioned which are said to have been repudiated and abrogated by him, there are for example, (like Saivam taking after Siva and VaiNavam with Vishnu as the Primordial God), religions that considered Brhma, Indra, Kubera, Manmatha (the Cupid) and even Yama (the God of Death) as the ultimate God! Then there were religions which followed Pithrus (ancestors), Ghosts and Ogres, GuNas (that is, defining characteristics of Rajas, Tamas and Saatvic as God), with elaborate procedures of worship for those as the God Incarnate! There was for example one which considered Kaala the Time as God!
108. Other than these about which much was unknown, there were some 20 or 25 religions about which all the details of principles and procedures of Saadhana and worship were known. In this our AachaaryaaL revitalised six off shoots known as Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaaya, Vaiseshika and (Uttara) Meemaamsai. Then there were Pasupada, Kaalamuka, Bhagawata – Paancharatra; the last mentioned always clubbed together as one. The six that he combined as ‘Shanmada’ were namely GaaNaapatyam, Koumaaram, Saaktam, VaiNavam and Souram; till then these were being considered and pursued as separate non-Vedic religions; whose followers would not see eye to eye with each other on any issue! He established these six as inherently part of the Vedic Religion. Then there were Buddhism and Jainism which had started virtually on the basis of severing all relation to the Vedic Religion. Then there was the ‘out and out’ materialistic Lokayatam (this worldly) religion also known as Saarvaaka or Barhaspadam. All told these religions will add up to some 40 in number. Out of the balance thirty or so, we do not know even the names and amongst some whose names are known, the basic books or scriptures are not available. Whatever it is, none of them are in practice in the country today as a religion by itself!
109. Though Buddhism has spread all over the world, there is hardly any who are practicing it as true followers of that religion in this country any more. The Jain religion is there but having accepted most of the Hindu religious methods of worship. There are many with the name as ‘Jain’ rather freely mixing with Hindu society, participating in their customs and traditions. In AachaaryaaL’s Bhashyams we will not see much of discussion of the Jain religion’s philosophy, traditions and customs. Even the Buddhist religion is not much criticised, surprisingly. Similarly even Saivam and VaiNavam are not exactly as they were at his time. May be some of the defunct methods of the past might have been refined and given a fresh look subsequently. In the VaiNavam as revived by RamanujachaaryaaL some of the Paancharatra ideas have found a place. Anyhow all these have a new look as given by some of the later day leaders of those religions, different to what it was at the time of our AachaaryaaL.
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.