DEIVATHIN KURAL # 144 (Vol # 5) Dated 16 Mar 2012

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 144 (Vol # 5) Dated 16 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 middle of page No 893 of Vol 5 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)

926. Having said here that Lakshmi the power that is seen as various forms as Saraswathi, Parvathi, AmbaaL, Saakambari, Thaayaar and so many other persons and names; can you leave Brhma, Siva, Vishnu as separate entities? That is why, in the finishing stages of the Kanaka Dhaara Sthavam, he says that she is, ‘tri bhuvanaika guros tharuNyai’ the loving wife of one Guru of all the three worlds of ‘here, there and everywhere; past, present and future; lower, middle and upper’, Maha Vishnu! When we say that, again the sense of differentiation comes in between Vishnu and Siva. However, DakshiNa Murthy is the basic Guru and when you refer to Vishnu as the Guru from that root cause, the oneness of Vishnu – Maheswara is also established. Then as the power / Shakti of the Guru, she is not only the provider of wealth but also makes you aware of Gnaana.

927. As the Guru Parampara starts with Narayana, AachaaryaaL called Vishnu, the ‘Tri Bhuvana Guru’. Looking at the Ashtotra-s (the 108 names of God by chanting which you express your sincere obeisance and do Pooja), for Siva, Krishna and Rama, we note that in all of them one of the Mantras is, ‘Jagat Gurave Namaha’. When AachaaryaaL says, ‘tri-bhuvaneika-guros-taruNyai’, instead of taking him as the Guru or Preceptor for all the three worlds, he could be taken as the Father of all worlds too. As she is the Thaayaar that is, the Mother of all, he could be taken as the Father of all existence! In Lakshmi Ashtotra, the last but third mantra is ‘Brhma – Vishnu – Sivaatmikaayai Namaha’. It is this very meaning that is conveyed in the sloka that we have analysed.

928. Let us look at the next sloka – ‘srutyai namo astu subha-karma-phala-prasutyai ratyai namo astu ramaNeeya-guNaarNavaayai I saktyai namo astu sata-patra-niketanaayai pushtyai namo astu purushottama vallabhaayai II’. Sruti that is, the Vedas are our AachaaryaaL’s very breath. Non-Vedic and contra-Vedic etc, were driven away by our AachaaryaaL and clean and pure Vedic methods were resuscitated by him. His coming down to the earth as an Avatara was for that very purpose. We pay our respects to our AachaaryaaL by saying, ‘Sruti – Smruti – PuraaNaanaam Aalayam KaruNaalayam’, meaning that he is the temple or abode of all Vedas, Saastraas and PuraNas! Will he finish a prayer to the Thaayaar, who is the very embodiment of all Vedas, without mentioning her, this specific property? He starts by calling her, ‘Srutyai namo astu’. Though he was a Gnaana Avatara, he had persevered to get the rightful place for Karma Anushtaana, isn’t it? So, having described her as the very form of the Sruti as ‘Srutyai’, he is saying that she is the one giving birth to the necessary fruits that comes of the Karma Anushtaana as given the Vedas –‘subha-karma-phala-prasutyai’. Here there is a clear refutation of the philosophy of Meemaamsakaa-s.

929. Please do not get away with an impression that the philosophy of Meemaamsakaa-s is some belief of some crude sect of an ancient past of Indian culture! It is very much a concept much adhered to by people who believe that they are secular, scientific and ultra-modern! They believe that actions generate reactions without having to interpose an element of the Lordship of God. So rituals as per Vedas will do most sufficiently, thank you! For ‘rituals as per Vedas’, read ‘research and analysis in the laboratories and production on the shop floor’, will do most sufficiently thank you! As the Mother is full of good and salubrious qualities, she is like an ocean full of valuable gems. So, he says, “ratyai namostu ramaNeeya guNaarNavaavai”. The basis of all our actions should be the Sruti. That is to say that all our actions should be as approved by the Vedas. Then only our actions will be ‘subha karma’ that is, simultaneously giving us pleasureful experiences while cleansing our inner being. Otherwise our actions will be motivated by personal, selfish, clannish and parochial considerations of narrow mindedness and vested interests, corrupting both the inner and outer environments of our being!

930 There are two things, namely GuNa and Karma, the first one being related to approach and attitude; while the latter is related to behaviour as initiatives, reactions and responses. In Bhagawat Gita, Chapter IV, Sloka 13, Bhagawan Sri Krishna says, “by using the GuNa – Karma combination, I have created the four VarNas or castes /Jaati. Karma goes generally by the promptings of one’s GuNa or character. But if you do your actions as per the dictates of the Saastraas and make them as an offering to God each and every time, by ‘Subha – Karma – Visesha ‘ qualification, whatever the action, it will have a positive effect on the situation! So, our AachaaryaaL has connected the two aspects of GuNa and Karma, by describing Maha Lakshmi Thaayaar first as the ‘provider of beneficial effects of all our actions (Karma)’ and then as the ‘ocean of all salubrious qualities (GuNa)’. Then, since it is the power that is needed for all our actions, he is saying that she is also that Power and conveys his obeisance to her by saying, “saktyai namo astu”. Then he says that she is, “sata-patra-niketanaayai”, which means that she is seated in the lotus flower. ‘Sata patram’ is having a hundred petals or leaves. You do not have to restrict the meaning of ‘satam’ only to a hundred. It can indicate any big number. The lotus is considered as having a thousand petals also. In every individual human being, AmbaaL Parasakti is supposed to be seated in a combined posture with Siva, in the lotus with thousand petals in the peak of our head, as per the symbolic representation of the Kundalini Yoga.

931. Here AachaaryaaL while describing Lakshmi as the in-dweller of the lotus flower, is calling her as the ‘Sakti’ – ‘Saktyai namo astu’ – ‘paying his respects to the Power Being‘. Then he says, ‘Pushtyai namo astu’, meaning ‘my respectful obeisance to the nourishing power of Maha Lakshmi, as the wife of Maha Vishnu the executive and governing authority of the three worlds and she is the Mother of all. One after the other, he conveyed the idea that, all the pleasure, enjoyment and nourishment should be as approved by the rightful ways of binding rules of Dharma and Morality as enjoined by the Vedas; by paying his respects to ‘Srutyai, Shaktyai, Ratyai and Pushtyai’. He pays respects to her repeatedly as the inner state of happiness in all, as the power to act, as the ways of enjoyment and the very nourishment for our sustenance and well being! Then using the unique name of Maha Vishnu as the Best of all Beings as ‘Purusha + Uttama = Purushottama’, he describes her as his consort, ‘Purushottama Vallabhaayai’! Thus this child AachaaryaaL, finished his very first song inputting all the future, yet to be fully developed Points of Principles in seed form!

932. The moment he finished the song, Maha Lakshmi just caused a rain to pour on that hut and its surrounding areas included in its ‘adhruti’. Instead of water drops, the rain contained only golden nuggets in the shape and size of goose berry fruits, for a period of one Muhurtham of some 48 minutes! One slightly smudged and spoiled goose berry fruit given as alms returned to the donor as millions of golden nuggets! First the Brahmin Lady poured her heart out in tears. Then there was a down pour of AachaaryaaL’s words of praise for Maha Lakshmi. This was followed by a deluge of golden goose berries by Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity! That Stotram came to be known as ‘Kanaka Dhaara Sthavam’, to mean ‘a sloka that caused a pouring out of a flow of gold’.

933. AachaaryaaL did not have to put his views in to words and pray at all. It was enough if he wished well for that Brahmin Lady, and Lakshmi would have done the needful. But, a song had to come out of his power of verbal expression, which Lakshmi Devi had to hear and enjoy! Not only that, a whole lot of people for generations yet to be born, were to read, understand, enjoy the meaning and be motivated by committing it to memory, be rid of poverty and penury and enjoy the pleasures of plenty and contentedness. Basically She, Lakshmi Devi, wanted to get the pleasure of listening to his poetical brilliance and power of expression. She could very well have responded, the moment he said, “draviNa ambudhaaraam dhadyaat!” But instead she waited for many more slokas to be sung, and enjoy listening to them before she did the needful for the sake of that Brahmin Lady! Let also chant this sloka and benefit getting a relief from the ‘karma garma’ of the ‘heat of sinful activities’, since after all AachaaryaaL has given this Sloka for all of our sake with that lady only as a pretext.

934. Generally a sloka that gives material and financial benefits will be rather popular and famous. So is this ‘Kanaka Dhaara Sthavam’, being quite famous out of his writings. But, in it our AachaaryaaL has not only given this -worldly benefits but has blended into it some important benefits of the spiritual well being also! Similarly for freedom from diseases, it is SubrahmaNya Bhujangam and for all sorts of success in endeavours, it is ‘Soundarya Lahari’ that are famous. They are all very useful for wealth, health and all types of endeavours, while also being spiritually very inspiring. But it so happens that, it is ‘Baja Govindam’ which is the most popular despite being solely devoted to Gnaana, Vairaagya of total dispassion and renunciation! Its popularity is entirely due to the fact that it is a pure reflection of our AachaaryaaL’s mind and heart.

935. There was a rain of gold. AachaaryaaL did not even touch a grain of it and left it all for that Brahmin couple. The village where the golden rain had occurred is located very close to Kaaladi. Since an over ripe fruit was the cause of the golden rain, the place is known as, ‘Pazham Thottam’ to mean, ‘Fruit Garden’. There is a family known as ‘SwarNaththu Manai’, believed to be descendants of the Brahmin couple who had the blessings of our AachaaryaaL as described heretofore!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva.