DEIVATHIN KURAL # 137 (Vol # 5) Dated 04 Mar 2012

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 137 (Vol # 5) Dated 04 Mar 2012

(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 858 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)
SUPER HUMAN INTELLIGENCE OF THE CHILD
865. Sankara Avatara was born and grew up as the baby of the couple Siva Guru and AryaambaaL. Even as a child he was noticed to be of super human intelligence. Till the age of three he learnt the national languages of local, regional and national usage. It is said that by five he had a good grasp and mastery of Sanskrit! Till five means that, by then he was already a master! The important National Language must have been Tamil. Please note that Thiru Gnaana Sambandar started composing songs known as, ‘Tamizh Marai’ i.e., Tevaaram at the age of three. Super human intelligence automatically derives from Divine Grace!

866. Can we say that all this is blind beliefs? No, since we hear even today, more surprising than fiction, some children endowed with such super abundant abilities, do we not? Small children seen as capable of multiplying ten and 15 digit numbers quite nonchalantly, without any hesitancy, in a fraction of a second without the aid of a slate, paper or pencil, let alone calculators and or cell phones! In schools they demonstrate such children. We call it ‘janma – antara – vaasanaa’ ‘memories / abilities of the past recovered’! What else can you say? Some children remember that they were born in so and so village, with such and such neighbours in their previous life and when you take them there may be thousands of miles away, it is proved to be true!

867. In the name of science people research such cases and call it Para-Psychology. Have you noticed that unbelievable occurrences become believable, once you name them as so and so phenomena! In the Avedic religions of Jainism and Buddhism too there is belief in ‘janma – antara – vaasanaa’. Buddha himself has told of stories of his previous lives and the collection of those stories, are known as ‘Jaataka Tales’. For our AachaaryaaL and Thiru Gnaana Sambandar, ‘janma – antara – vaasanaa’ will not be the right nomenclature. If normal human beings can attain to such abilities of brain and memory over life times to be called a ‘prodigy’, what cannot be done by Divine Grace of God and why can such a child with Divine Grace not have super human abilities?

868. The Value of Early Upanayanam. Our AachaaryaaL was given ‘Brhma Upadesa’ at the age of five. In the case of Sambandar also, after he started singing Tevaaram at the very young age of three, he visited some other Siva Kshetra-s and on return, he was given the Upanayanam, as reported in Periya PuraaNam. It is given there, “Upanayana – paruvam – eida”, meaning, ‘on reaching the age for being given Upanayanam’. So, evidently he was given the ‘PooNool’ or ‘janeoo’ at the very young age of five. For ‘nitya Upanayanam’ the minimum age is eight and for ‘kaamya Upanayanam’ it is only five!

869. There are two things as ‘Nityam’ and ‘Kaamyam’. The effect of ‘Nitya Karma’ is the inner Aatma Shakti, that is, the Power of the Presence. By that you cannot attain to any desired gain. By telling the truth, is there some advantage or gain? What we normally see in the world is by that lying and untruth we get a lot of profit! Still, there is a rule that we should utter only the truth. Why is it so? It is so because by bluffing we accumulate sin. By that action of sin, there is inner discard, corruption and agitation. Nitya Karma is like that. Doing it does not give any apparent gains. Unknowingly there is inner purification and any gains such as acquiring of wealth, progeny are not directly relatable. Kaamya Karma on the other hand is done for some gain. Dasaratha did ‘Putra Kaameshti Yaaga’ for getting a progeny. If you perambulate around the ‘Nava Graha’ enclosure in the Temple for promotion, that action of yours is known as ‘Kaamya Karma’. It is not a must. Nitya Karma has to be done and not doing it is a sin!

870. Nitya Upanayanam has to be done by the time the child is eight years of age, including the period in the mother’s womb. That is, after birth at the age of seven years two months Nitya Upanayanam has to be done. This is the minimum and the maximum age as per the Saastraas. Still if unavoidable for some reasons, another eight years time gap is given. That is, by the time the boy is 16 years of age, he should have been given the PooNool. We just should not cross this limit. To do so is a gross mistake and sin. For no rhyme or reason many parents are postponing this important duty of theirs and committing a sin in the bargain. The above is true for Brahmins. The minimum and maximum time frame for Kshatriyas it is 11 & 22 and for Vysyas, it is 12 & 24.

871. Point to note is the fact that, before physical bodily attractions as a trend known as ‘Kaamam’ enters the mind of a Brahmin boy, Gayatri Mantra has to enter and he should be chanting a thousand mantras every day and get the Mantra Siddhi, if he is to have the clarity of the heart and mind thereby to get ‘Chitta Suddhi’ himself and generate and radiate the vibrations for the others benefit. If the father does not so enable his son, is it not a failure of parental responsibility towards his own son and denying the benefit that would accrue to the society? Eight is the age known as ‘Mukhya Kaalam’. Then the margin or leeway for unexpected eventualities up to 16 years is called ‘GouNam’. Beyond that the boy gets to be known as a ‘Vraatyan’ that is, as good as being thrown out of the Brahminhood!

872. There are age limits for admission to school or college and for various jobs or service, isn’t it? Then we are so particular about it and go to any lengths of effort to meet those conditions, do we not? Then why are we being careless and taking liberties when it comes to meeting the conditions of the Saastraas? I keep repeating this and such points, hoping for touching their sense of responsibility and good sense, at least in some! If nowadays we are being rather unconcerned, in olden times parents of brainy and intelligent children with good grasp, used to wonder if they have to delay Upanayanam till eight year of age! That is why there is a leeway on the lower limit as ‘Kaamya Upanayanam’ at five years of age.

873. Generally, more than one’s duties as required by the Saastras as ‘Nitya Karma’, the deeds done for some personal benefit are called ‘Kaamya Karma’ and considered as secondary in status and importance. But in this case of Upanayanam at five years of age is addressed towards overcoming the effect of ‘Kaaman and his Kaamam’ or the Cupid and his five arrows of desires. As the Smruti-s say, ‘brhma varchasa kaamasya panchame’, the boy has to go on to attain Brhma Tejas for himself and also help others in the bargain and that is the purpose of giving him early Upanayanam, isn’t it? Then how can it be considered at par with actions taken for the fulfilment of other worldly desires?

874. For a naturally talented child Gayatri Devata goes in and embellishes the already existing innate abilities. In addition She, the Gayatri Devata also ensures that the child does not go astray and remains on the path of Dharma. Even average children who are not so very brilliant, it is the effect of Gayatri that their abilities and talents are sharpened and channelized in the path of righteousness. Thus that mantra helps every child as required to the extent and in the way that is required.

875. AachaaryaaL and Sambandar were powerfully divine Avataras. Still, they were not all the time showing off their being Avataras except when required to do so. As it is, the Avatara of Gods are said to be, ‘leela manusha vesham’, meaning ‘play of coming in human disguise’ as in a drama, showing their divinity only in flashes. They have come down on earth to show the way for the common general public. So they demonstrate as to what all can be achieved simply by human abilities and efforts, applied in the correct manner. By such humane behaviour, their intention is to encourage other human beings to follow suit.

876. Then there is the innate wish for the Divine beings to closely cooperate and interact with common human beings. If instead, they stand apart as too divine, will the common folk come anywhere near them? They will stand with difference at a distance, and show all their respect and awe! If AachaaryaaL were to reveal he to be Parama Siva apparently, how could his parents have shown the parental love and affection? (KTSV adds – Parental love has a special name in Sanskrit as ‘Vaatsalya’. I do not know if there is an exact synonym in English for that word!) In all Avatara-s we see that normally they remain humane in their behaviour and display their divinity only occasionally and cause the closely interacting society to forget their divinity easily. That is, their super human abilities are as though taken for granted!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva.