DEIVATHIN KURAL # 98 (Vol # 5) Dated 17 Dec 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 98 (Vol # 5) Dated 17 Dec 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 599 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)
460. For Maha Vishnu to sleep the snake is the bed. Then when he sits up, it will become the throne and when he walks it will become the decorative umbrella! But Maha Vishnu does not dance. How can the snake do any service to someone who is dancing? So in the case of Nataraja, the snake becomes the decorative ornament in the hands and necklace and anklet! Because Adisesha had gone to Siva as the Patanjali Maharshi does not mean that Vishnu was deprived of his bed! Continuing to do his service to Maha Vishnu he took an Avatara Roopa also on earth.
461. He took an Avatara as the son of Athri Maharshi and so came to be known as Aathreya. We have already seen earlier that our AachaaryaaL is also from the same Aathreya Gothra. He is also known as KoNika Putra. As per some PuraNas KoNika was a Tapswini who holding her hands in the Anjali mudra, with the palms touching each other prayed to the Sun god for a noble son. At that moment Adisesha fell on her Anjali hasta as a child. The word ‘path’ in Sanskrit means ‘to fall’. So, having fallen through the Anjali hasta, he came to be known as ‘path + anjali =patanjali’! He is also known as ‘Charaka’. His main wish was to witness Siva’s Thaandava Nrutya. That wish was completely fulfilled. Living in Chidambaram, witnessing his dance repeatedly, he became one of the two main devotees of Siva. Maha Vishnu having fulfilled his wish, had also expressed his wish that Patanjali should write the VyakaraNa Bhashyam, isn’t it? That was also fulfilled fetching him much name and fame!
462. His social service did not stop there. When we talk of someone’s personality we think about three things namely, mind, speech and body – (mano, vaak and kaayam). He created the basic Saastraas for cleansing all these three aspects of personality, (for tri-karaNa Suddhi). There is a sloka thanking him for this: “yogena chittasya, padena vaachaam, malam sareerasya cha vaidyakena I Yo apaakarot tam pravaram muneenaam patanjalim praanjali – raanatosmi II” People of Saiva Siddhaanta talk about ‘mummalam aruppadu’ to mean ‘three fold cleansing’ in a different way. In another way, Patanjali has written books in three different disciplines. The word ‘malam’ means dirt or feces. It could happen to come out of mind, speech or body, due to illness. (We are not talking about the natural process of expulsion of dirt.) Good health is only when one is rid of illness. When a patient goes to the doctor, isn’t one of the first question to be asked is, ‘Are the bowel movements alright?’
463. The ‘malam’ that occurs in the mind are wrong thoughts, evil intentions, hate, greed, jealousy and so on. Only when the mind is rid of wrongful ideas, we can turn the corner towards healthy thoughts and hope to get ‘Easwara Anubhava’ eventually. MaNikka Vaachagar says, ‘chitta malam aruvittu sivam aakki’, to mean ‘clearing the dirt of my mind and converting me in to Sivam’! Initially bad thoughts are malam and good thoughts are OK! As we progress we will get to know the Mind, Manas, Chittam and Ahankaara are all intimately connected. Then we become aware that the very mind is the culprit! The dirt that occurs to the Aatma through Maya is this Mind! It is this malam that MaNikka Vaachagar is talking about. At one stage, instead of being concerned about the dirt of the mind, mind itself is identified as dirt. With that realization, thoughtlessness happens and we remain as just the Aatma and that is ‘sivam aakki’!
464. That is, ‘to rejoin with the source’ – is Yoga. This is what is meant by the first phrase in the first line of the sloka ‘yogena chittasya’. The basic reference book on Yoga is Patanjali’s ‘Yoga Sutra’ also known as ‘Patanjala Yoga Sutram’ or simply Paatanjalam! As the mind is controlled and we are enabled to rejoin with Paramaatma, it is called Yoga – to mean ‘to couple with reality, with no residual separateness or separate identity’. Today, all the people of the world are very concerned about finding a relief from the chaotic confusion of our daily life and are looking forward to peace and balance. All other types of exercises build up further tension into our bodies and minds. It is only Yoga that is the correct antidote! The procedure for Yoga has been analysed to the minute details, in the most scientific manner as recognised the world over that Patanjali’s Sutras are known as the Raja Yoga that is, the Right Royal Yoga method. That is his major contribution, enabling the Jeevatma to realise his oneness with the Paramatma! This is addressed towards the Mind out of the three. Next is ‘Vaak’ or speech.
465. To remove the ‘malam’ of speech Patanjali wrote the VyakaraNa Maha Bhashyam – ‘padena vaachaam’. The ‘chitta malam’ was cleansed by Yoga Sutra and speech was cleansed by ‘padena vaacham apaakarot’. Padam means the word that was cleansed by VyakaraNa Saastra that is, the Grammer book. As it is said, ‘yogena’, meaning ‘by yoga’; why is not said as, ‘vyaakaraNena’? The very word ‘padam’ means ‘vyaakaraNam’, or the ‘grammer book’. So, we can say ‘padaanusaasanam’, to mean ‘as organised by the padaa’. What is the need for grammer? To organise a language systematically and set the rules for it is the purpose of grammer. The language is made up of so many words connected into so many sentences conveying some meaning. So the word or ‘padam’ is itself a definition.
466. In Sanskrit books and edicts, while referring to persons who are very learned authorities in the language and it’s usage, will give out their name, fathers name, place of birth or where they lived, and say, ‘iti Srimad pada – vaakya – pramaaNa – paaraavaara – paareeNa’, like a long suffix. In truth, to deserve such a suffix, that gentleman should be really variously qualified for such an addendum after their names! In that ‘pada – vaakya – pramaaNa – paaraavaara – paareeNa ‘, ‘pada’ means VyaakaraNam. The next word ‘vaakya’ means Poorva Meemaamsai. The Poorva Meemaamsai Saastram, taking the words of the Vedas, exploring all its meanings, individually and put together in sentences, finally gives out its verdict as to what could be the purport. That verdict ‘Vaakyam’ in English is called the Sentence, isn’t it? The next word in the phrase is ‘pramaaNa’, which means ‘Nyaayam’ or the Tarka Saastram, as it gives out the authoritative meanings beyond any further discussion or argument. Now, the next word in the series is ‘Paaraavaara’, meaning an ocean and ‘paareNa’, means ‘the one who has crossed. Put together the title ‘pada – vaakya – pramaaNa – paaraavaara – paareeNa’, conveys the idea that person so referred is an expert in VyaakarNam, Poorva Meemaamsai, Tarkam and has crossed and found the other side of these oceans!
467. Adding Vedaanta as one more parameter for the above, they are called the ‘chatus – saastraas’, including ‘Tarkam, VyaakaraNam, Meemaamsai and Vedaantam’! In it changing the order of the first three, ‘pada – vaakya – pramaaNa – paaraavaara – paareeNa’ is used as a suffix for very qualified scholars. I was explaining as to how Patanjali is said to have erased the ‘malam’ in speech by ‘padam’ and as to how that refers to his book on VyaakaraNam.
468. There is a special value for his book on grammer in which he has gone deep into subtle aspects of variations in that most scientific of the languages known as Sanskrit, the most classically and correctly organised of all languages of the world! Sanskrit is known as the Deva Bhasha, the language used by deities and angels! The language spoken by the English people in England is called the English. In France, Germany, Japan; and here in India in Bengal, Maharashtra and so on, the name of the language evolves from those place names. Hindi has variations based on the place names such as Vraj Bhasaha, Maithilee and so on. Similarly, the Deva Bhasha is the language spoken by Devatas in Deva Loka or the Heavens. When this country was ruled by the Englishmen, we all had to learn their language, isn’t it? Exactly similarly, as the world over, the subtle reins of power are in the hands of the Devas, we have to know their language also correctly and systematically, is it not so? So, to learn and correctly speak and chant the mantras in the Karma Anushtaanaas and Slokas; is as good as talking to and conversing with the Devatas. For this knowledge of VyakaraNam is essential, is it not so?
469. Gnaanam is beyond languages. Devotion and love can be expressed in any language or even without a language! But we are in a state of having to do much Karma as per the Saastraas to cancel out the past accumulation of negative balances, isn’t it? For that to be done correctly and faultlessly, we have to learn the Sanskrit language, don’t we? Moreover, to chant the mantras faultlessly, knowing the rules of grammer becomes Mantra Yoga which cleanses our nervous system and gives us Chitta Suddhi! Further as knowledge of English has become necessary for modern science, to learn Aatma Saastraas and know the ins and outs of Indian culture, knowledge of Sanskrit becomes critically essential! For all these reasons, we can forever be thankful to Patanjali for his Maha Bhashyam of PaaNini’s VyakaraNam.
470. So now, we have covered the immensity of Patanjali’s contributions in cleansing of our minds and speech, (‘Mano – Vaak’)! What has Patanjali done about removal of bodily malam? In the sloka quoted in para 462 above the first line finishes with the words, ‘malam sareerasya cha vaidyakena’. For the human body, the dirt is ‘disease’. (KTSV adds: Actually Ramana Maharshi calls the body itself a disease! So, he says, when you fall sick, be happy that the very disease is diseased!) Short of such understanding, to be rid of physical bodily illness is the third prong of ‘tri karaNa Shuddhi’, which is again Patanjali’s contribution for the well being of the world at large! Ayur Veda’s basic book is his, called the ‘Charaka Samhita’. As I said earlier that one of his names is ‘Charaka’. As his name is also ‘Aathreya’, the same book is also called ‘Aathreya Samhita’.
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.