DEIVATHIN KURAL # 73 (Vol # 5) Dated 27 Oct 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 73 (Vol # 5) Dated 27 Oct 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 438 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)
226. Though generally thus it seems that the management of all the activities of the world of Maya is that of Mahavishnu and the granting of Gnaana and Moksha is that of Parameswara, the whole Leela of existence is based on the principle of Unity in Diversity, isn’t it? So often they will reveal their oneness and to the extent of inter changing roles and or exchange of responsibilities! That is also part of the play acting Leela! When we say that, in all his Avataras, Mahavishnu did ‘Dushta Samhara’ and those who were sorted out by his hands went to Moksha, does it not look as though he did the job of Siva as Rudra?
227. Veda has given some Suktas and Yagnas oriented towards Siva and also has given Suktas and Yagnas oriented towards Vishnu. Both have been given similar adjectives revealing that there is no difference in reality. In Sruti-s and Smruti-s too such similarities in their functions can be seen. When we look at PuraNa-s oriented towards either one of them, it will look as though, that particular one is comparatively greater or the Ultimate One! Still when we look at their level and order of authority, it will be seen that, the first is ‘Sruti’ (Vedas), then ‘Smruti’ (Remembered or Recollected) and then the PuraNas. Even in the PuraNas if you search for it, there will be places where it is confirmed that without any difference Saivam and VaiNavam are one and the same. Not only that they will be like some instruction of principle (‘Tatva Upadesa’), it would have been depicted in the form of a story so as to make a deep impression on our minds. It will become clear also that, the purpose of praising one particular Devata to high heavens is to inculcate deep devotion to that one as ‘Ishta Devata’! It does not mean that other Gods are being ridiculed at all!
228. Actually it is very wrong to create schisms based on our devotion to Siva or Vishnu or any other for that matter. In the tradition of ‘Smartha Sampradaya’ established by our AchaaryaaL, it is a crime to think of Siva or Vishnu as though they are competing for popularity! As Krishna he has proved that he is no different from Easwara. Despite being a Vishnu Avatara, he executed Gnaana Upadesa and Samhaara with equal felicity. Though he has been the Samhaara Murthy in all his Avatara-s, here he has underlined this aspect of oneness between Vishnu and Easwara while displaying his ‘Viswa Roopa Darsana’. In Gita XI – 3, he says, “divyam dhadhaami te chakshuhu, pasyame yogam aiswaram” – meaning, “I am giving you divine eye sight by which you may see in me the power of Easwara’s Yoga”! Here while calling himself Easwara did he talk about the SaguNa Brhmam that Vedanta talks about or did he mean the Parama Siva who is referred as Easwara?
229. For long it is Paramasiva who is referred as Easwara. In the Sanskrit dictionary cum encyclopaedia ‘Amara Kosa’ while listing the names of Siva it says, “easwaraha sarva easaanaha”. The noble voice of KaaLidaasa in Raghuvamsa (III – 49) says, “harir – yadaikaha purushottamaha smrutaha maheswaraha thrayambhaka eva naaparaha” – meaning, ‘the way Vishnu is the only one referred as Purusha Uttama and the three eyed Siva is the only one called Maheswara and none else’. Here KaaLidaasa is not on the subject of who Hari is and who is Hara, but is talking about some other matter. Paramasiva is never referred as Purushottama. It is this word Purushottama that has literally been translated as ‘PerumaaL’ in Tamil. When we say ‘PerumaaL Koil’ in Tamil we mean the temple of Vishnu and not that of Siva. When we say ‘Easwaran Koil’ it is that of Siva only.
230. Thus by local folk lore, definition in Amara Kosa and Amara Kavi KaaLidaasa-s words, if the word Easwara stands for Siva, then who is the one referred in the Bhagawat Gita by Krishna as Easwara? Is it Siva or as defined by the Vedanta, the SaguNa Brhmam? He also is calling himself as Easwara and by what follows later it is clear that he is referring to Siva that is Rudra. He shows Arjuna the Viswaroopa. In it he did not depict himself as the Maya Mohana – Jagat Paripaalana – Maha Vishnu but as the Pralaya Kaala Rudra! He says himself that he is, “kaalo asmi loka – kshaya – krut pravruttaha (Gits XI – 32) – meaning that he is the Maha Kaala capable of destroying all the worlds! It is Paramasiva who as Rudra is known as Maha Kaala. In Ujjaini he is the Jyotir Lingam with that name of Maha Kaala.
231. To see that very beautifully attractive Krishna who plays fetchingly on the flute, in that horrendous form of Ugra Roopa, Arjuna was shaken to his very roots! As Samhaara Murthy, he was extending from the nether worlds to beyond the reach of the skies! Arjuna was shaking in utter fear and was saying, “Looking at your, this vast fearfully awesome form all the worlds are shaken up with fear and so am I! Looking at your eyes throwing out a stream of flames, my courage seems to have vanished. Looking at your canine teeth and mouth spouting hot lava like the volcano I am flabbergasted! All the kings assembled here in the battle field including Bhishma, Drona, Kouravaas and Pandava-s are seen to be flying in to your mouth and are getting grinded like some horrendous monstrous machine at work!” This is not the amiably pleasant Vishnu but the Samhaara Murthy being described!
232. Bhoomi Devi the Goddess of Earth went and complained about tyrannical kings whose cruelty and misrule was intolerable for her. It is for that reason that Krishna Avatara came into being with the purpose of reducing the sinful weight on Earth. The Rudra Samhaara task of eradicating the die-hard sinful characters did happen in all the previous Avatara-s too. But in Krishna’s life time starting with the Samhaara of Putana, Trunavarta, Nalakubara, Manigriva, Vatasura, Bakasura, Aghasura, Dhenukasura, followed by subduing Kalian, and then killing of Pralambasura in his childhood, it went on almost throughout his life in Krishna Avatara. In Matsya, Varaaha and Nrusimha Avatara-s, suddenly an appearance followed by instant destruction of an Asura singly or an Asura with his caboodle and instantly it will be over. The job in Koorma Avatara was over with holding the Mandara Hill up for it to be used as the churning stick. In Vamana Avatara, having been a Brhmachari for some years, instead of real Samhaara, he only recovered the Bhoo Loka and Swarga Loka from him, while assigning Maha Bali to the nether worlds.
233. As Parasurama for a long period he sorted out many a king who was famous for cruelty and misrule, individually. Rama as a young man got rid of Subaahu and Mareecha with a small army of Asuras. Later in Dandaka Aranyaka he killed Virada, then Kara and Dhooshana with 14,000 Raakshasaas and then Ravana with his army of soldiers, were killed on four distinct occasions. In between, Rama sorted out Kabanda and Vaali, individually. Then later Lavanasura was killed by Shatrugna. It was only in Krishna Avatara that starting from Putana till Kamsa a whole list of Asuras had been cleared. Then for some 70 to 80 years, one after another many Asuras had been disposed, Jarasanda’s army was repeatedly destroyed, then Kalayavana was indirectly killed and then there was fight with his brother-in-laws during his marriage with Rukmini followed by fight with Narakasura and then the Maha Bharata war with the Pandava-s as the instruments. Then even after becoming an old grandfather, he fought with BaaNaasura who had jailed Aniruddha. Thus it was in Krishna Avatara he fully proved himself to be ‘the Maha Kaala’ the Rudra. He himself had clearly stated that he is the powerful Kaala who destroys the worlds and has come to the earth for that purpose, when he says, “kaalosmi loka kshaya krut pravruttaha I lokaan samaahartum iha pravruttaha II”.
234. Of course the above is an over statement. He did not destroy the whole worlds. By the time he had finished his Avatara Lacs of soldiers from both the armies of Kouravaas and Pandavaas had died and the whole of Yadu Vamsa had perished. Still there were many citizens alive for whom Parikchit had become the king. Then if you ask me as to why he exaggerated, my observation is that......while he himself had played the part of the charioteer and brought the chariot with Arjuna in battle readiness and Arjuna dropped all his weapons and said, “I will rather not fight”! He had to tell him, “My dear boy, even without you, I can sort out all of them. I selected you as a tool for my job so that you may get name and fame as the victorious soldier.” So that, this may be understood clearly by Arjuna, he had to use some exaggeration. There is good cause for which we need some money say a thousand bucks. Though we are capable of putting up all that money our self, so as to involve others we are approaching some gentleman say. On being requested he is crying through his nose, let us say. At that time do we not say, “Hey? Without your help I can put in even a Lac, I say! What is this you are making a big fuss about?” That is how Bhagawan is saying that he has come to sort out the whole world!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.