DEIVATHIN KURAL # 160 (Vol # 5) Dated 17 Apr 2012

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 160 (Vol # 5) Dated 17 Apr 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 993 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)

1065. Let them proffer any logic for Samatvam (equality) in our social life, but to say that it will cause unity, is only so much deceit and fraud! In other countries, wherein there is no VarNa Aashrama Dharma, is there unity and social cohesion? As many varieties of internecine quarrels and fights are there. The fact of lack of cohesion may remain hidden or subdued for whatever reason and explodes when the controlling element weakens. Everybody knows as to how united we have been in this Bharatha Khand for thousands if not millions of years, despite VarNa Aashrama Dharma, or was it due to it? Till it was a Dharma it had been a unifying factor than a cause for fissiparous tendencies. The problems have started only when the fairness of Dharma (social justice) has become Adharma (of immorality and injustice) or when external influences have affected the social fabric and not before.

1066. “That is all right Sir! In the existing social milieu in India, are the castes divided based on the work load? Everybody is actually doing all sorts of jobs, not necessarily what has been their allotted area of work, isn’t it? So, now what do you say about it?” I agree that you are right. Everybody has got into worldly materialistic aims of gains and competitiveness today. That does not mean that they were always like that. Earlier our individual and social life was so organized enabling some (a small minority) to work towards ‘Aatma Sreyas’ (Individual Spiritual Excellence) and in doing so also contribute towards Social Order, Convenience and Ennoblement, while the majority was mainly involved in making their ends meet that, by making materials and services available to others, was still being useful to the society. Thus these two aims were kept in view simultaneously. That was the way it was in VarNa Aashrama Vibhaaga (separation) in which there was no intended sectarianism or parochialism. You simply cannot compare that ancient order with the hotchpotch ‘Kitchdi’ (salmagundi) state of affairs that evolved, first due to evolution of Buddhism and Jainism and then after the influx of the Muslim / Arab invasions into India, followed by Western / Christian influences in to our midst at the social, religious and political levels of Governance in the whole sub-continent!

1067. So, our AachaaryaaL who spoke about equality did not say some hazy and muddled concepts for any personal or clannish gains, in the name of equality. He had come as an Avatara to repair and refurbish the VarNa Aashrama Dharma which had almost broken down as a system! Even if what I am saying here is felt as disappointing or painful or even disliked by some; even if you wish to talk about him at par with Gautama Buddha, Mahavira Jain and or Mahatma Gandhi and feel sad in not being able to do so; I have to tell the truth and cannot abstain from doing so! It is a truth that due to Buddhism, the Sanatana Dharma had taken a nose dive and Indian Ethos and Culture could recover from that only due to our AachaaryaaL’s efforts. Those who have read his writings know for certain and are very much aware that our AachaaryaaL has repeatedly emphasised strict adherence to VarNa-Aashrama system; even if they happen to lecture or write about these things differently, for sales of their books or for popularity in social and political circles or for whatever reasons!

1068. To find out what our AachaaryaaL says and as to the reasons as to why he says them and then follow them is really being devoted to him. If what he says is not to our liking, it is alright to criticise him or even curse him, to the extent we believe sincerely in what we have to say. That is what I feel. If you are not convinced by his logic, you can be truly critical of him. But to twist his statements to your convenience and somehow depict that he is following your concepts, will mean that in addition to disguising your true intentions, you are disguising his, isn’t it? That will be a double betrayal, trespassing and denying his freedom of expression! If we try to prove that we respect him by suitably misrepresenting his views that will be disrespect to him and a crime on our part! He does not need such cheap popularity and mass appeal by some fictitious round about means at all! For him it is enough if some three or four people like me keep standing our grounds, even at the cost of being declared as hard core obscurantists!

1069. The Samatvam as advocated by the so called reformists abetted by vested political interests is not the ‘Abhedha Vaadam’ as put forward by our AachaaryaaL or Sri Krishna or any of the Saastraas, for that matter. They talked about true love in the heart. They talked about true universal, unconditional love for all. Here AachaaryaaL has talked about the state of a true Gnaani, who has detached his mind and thrown it away. For him everything is equal, wherein transactional laws, rules and regulations have no relevance. This is what the Vedas themselves say. At the Gnaani level, age, wealth, education, status, and all such factors of evaluation, comparison and differentiation, have become nullified; therein Vedas are not Vedas, Panchaman is not a Panchaman, Tapasvi is not a Tapasvi; anything can be touched, eaten or done anything with. No rules and nothing is taboo. So says Bruhad AaraNyaka Upanishad (IV – 3.22). Where is that state of exaltation and where is this humdrum monotony of selfishness and crass crudeness of one-up-man ship of day to day existence in this world of desire for puny advantages? To claim that our AachaaryaaL recommended equality between all castes, in the functional world of transactions short of comprehending Gnaana; is simply Abhachaaram, that is, malevolency in action! I have no words to say further!

1070. In Gita, Sri Krishna says that a Gnaani has an equal vision towards both a learned Brahmin of excellent behaviour and a crude specimen of humanity who eats dog’s meat! That is to say, that he is only in the position of an unbiased witness – observer; from his personal view point and not that he expects them to behave similarly or anything like that at all! When it comes to action, did he not tell Arjuna, “You are a Kshatriya and it is your job to fight as a soldier in war”? AachaaryaaL is an incarnation of the highest principle of Adwaitam. He had established that principle in a wholesome way in the minds of people. But we are stuck in this world of duality inextricably mired. We have a long way to go to reach anywhere near. Till then we have to progress a lot within the duality and multiplicity of existence in this world of many tiered transactions. Knowing full well the pitfalls in the way, he has virtually paved a royal path for carefully guiding us with enough direction pointers installed enroute. Whereas, these days people who have no idea of what is Adwaita Anubhava, just interposing the concept in the everyday world, have made a mockery of noble ideas and ideals! To add insult to the injury, they further put the blame on the head of our AachaaryaaL, as though it is a dubious tribute!

1071. Without knowing head or tails, neither knowing what the Saastraas say on the subject nor knowing the comprehensive viewpoints of a person, these days, if they get to know a little bit that looks like or sounds like some of these revolutionary ideas, just a shade of semblance is made much of; leading to claims that so and so himself has said so; or the Saastraas themselves support our views and so on; and insist that what they say is ‘Veda Vakku’, meaning that it is inalienably right! It is a sad state of affairs that there is too much of a trend to say so these days. It is alright to object to a point sincerely but, to wrongfully claim validity on such grounds is actually an offence!

1072. If that Panchaman was identified as someone objecting on principles of a valid debate, our AachaaryaaL could and would have given him suitable replies and countered in a befitting manner, quoting suitable points of Saastraas. When that Panchaman asked, “Are not both the bodies of a Brahmin and Panchaman made of the same stuff such as skin and hair, flesh and bones etc., and is not the inner reality in both the same?”; he would have replied on the following lines. “Yes, you are very correct but, are you able to understand or comprehend the underlying reality in both? Why is it not apparent to you? It is due to ‘Samskaara Doshaa’. We have come through life in different ways in the past and have accumulated varied levels of inbuilt aberrations in our psych, understanding and comprehension. Our birth in this life happens according to those merits and demerits of our past. We have to endeavour to erase these doshaa / aberrations at least in this life by our actions and attitudes. While doing so, through us much of the varied requirements of the workloads of the society get done. That is why these duties of VarNa Aashrama Dharma have been worked out and apportioned. The Brahmin has to do Adhyayanam, Adhyapakam, Mantra Patanam, conduct poojas, religious functions and Yaagas and Yagnaas and so on. The Kshatriya has to do soldiering, policing and governance. The Vysya has to take care of agriculture, manage animals, produce goods, and do trade and commerce, making materials available to the society. The Sudra has to contribute by making services available. In doing these things, they mainly contribute for the common goals while also taking care of their own self and their families. So they should not be totally mixed. In mutual love and respect they should mix and stop there! Though bodily they are all the same, the subtle vibrations do differ based on the past Samskaara! They must stand apart to be able to pull together for the sake of all. At a level where all these differentiations of body, mind, soul and Samskaara are cancelled out; then what you say can be alright! That is an individual look out and not a collective movement!” That would have been his reply.

1073. But instead of being just another common man, as the Panchaman was evidently an entity much beyond the common ken, our AachaaryaaL, without any argument called him his Guru and prostrated to him with love and respect. We should also be ready to do so! Then only we can claim to be our AachaaryaaL’s disciples. Immediately the untouchable Panchaman vanished and gave a Darshan as Kaasi Viswanatha, the Presiding Deity of Kaasi; another form of Siva, who had come to test our AachaaryaaL as well as reveal his greatness to the world at large! That though our AachaaryaaL was his own Avatara and at his level was much beyond the need for persevering through life for personal refinement and ennoblement; to be an epitome for others to emulate, he strictly lived and demonstrated as to how his followers have to behave. Also since AachaaryaaL without even a tinge of pride will not talk about his own greatness, to reveal the same, Kaasi Viswanatha enacted this drama!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva