DEIVATHIN KURAL # 90 (Vol # 6) Dated 28 Nov 2012

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 90 (Vol # 6) Dated 28 Nov 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 going ahead from the last paragraph in page No 610 of Volume 6 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)

50.    There is a custom by which the Goddess is referred to as 'Pattãrika' that will become 'Pattãrikai' in Tamil, meaning 'someone who is worthy of our respect to be worshipped.    Possibly 'Pattãrakar' refers to a male titular head and 'Pattãri' is for the feline counterpart which with some more respect added becomes 'Pattãrika'.  In olden times the endowment made to village temples are recorded on stone / metal plates known as 'sãsanam', is recorded as 'Pattãrika Mãnyam'.  It is this word 'Pattãrika' that has morphed in local slang as 'Pidãri', possibly!

51.    AmbãL is Pattãrika and so three of her most important devotees have been given a special title as 'Pattãrakar'.  One is Easwara himself, known as 'Paramasiva Pattãrakar'.  Second one is Mahãkavi Kãlidãsa.  He is the one to get 'Vãk Siddhi' that is expertise in word usage and erudition by his devotion to KãLi in Ujjain.  If you think of stotras for AmbãL, the first few that will come to one's mind are 'SyãmaLa Dandakam' and 'Navaratna Mãlã', which were his compositions.  He was famously known as 'Sringãra Pattãrakar'.  There are two things known as 'Ganam' and 'Laghu'; in which 'Ganam' stands for heavy and 'Laghu' for light.  There is one 'Laghu Pattãrakar' who is said to have written a work known as 'Panchastavi' of five stotras on AmbãL.  There is a view that this 'Laghu Pattãrakar' was Kãlidãsa only.  If 'Gana Pattãrakar' is Easwara from the divine beings and the 'Laghu Pattãrakar' was Kãlidãsa from human beings, the third one had to be from the lot of Rishis.  Within Rishis also there are Deva Rishis such as Narada and Manushya Rishis from human beings. 

52.    From whichever class, if they were so refined and sensitised by years of Tapasya (that is, severe penances coupled with deep meditation) and so were capable of cognizing and detecting the eternal mantras that are present in the Ãkãsa in a very subtle form; and could catch these Mantras with photographic memories and make them available for the use of the common man; were known as Seers, also known as a class apart as Rishis.  In Vedic rituals like when doing 'TarpaNam', such a classification as Devas, Rishis and human beings that are dead and gone as Pithrus, has been recognised.  So, from the three Pattãrakars, Easwara is from the Devas, Kãlidãsa is from human beings and the third had to be from amongst the Rishis.  Then only it will be correct, isn't it?  Who is that Rishi?  He is none else but, Durvãsa, who had obtained the complete approval and Prasada of beneficence of AmbãL.  He was also famous for his extreme anger, as you may know already.  So, he was known as 'Krodha Pattãrakar'.  So, we have Easwara as the 'Paramasiva Pattãrakar', Kãlidãsa as 'Sringãra Pattãrakar' and Durvãsa as the 'Krodha Pattãrakar'; completing the trinity.

53.    Krodha Pattãrakar Durvãsa Rishi is the first earthling to have composed and sung in praise of AmbãL.  With Dvisati, he has also composed a poem known as 'Shakti Mahimna Stotram', a really high class poem.  Other poets' works became known only after his.  Those who read his works with true devotion would virtually experience AmbãL's true personification in their presence.  Around a central dot 43 triangles are formed in tiers with pentagonal and heptagonal outer peripheries, with a number of Devatas surrounding the centre, the whole arrangement rises to conical top like a mountain at the top centre of which Kãmeswari aka Rãjarãjeswari is seated on the left lap of Kãmeswara.  The poem describes all the 'ÃvaraNa Devatas' step by step.  The whole arrangement of the structure is known as Sri Chakra, a three dimensional edifice of highly esoteric and spiritual significance.  Reading this excellent poem as a PãrãyaNam is very beneficial to the devotee, especially for written, spoken expressions as well as poetical genius.

54.    Certainly Ambikai aka AmbãL sanctions enormous varieties of benefits to her devotees.  Out of them the most important is the powers of speech and written expression that she bestows on the devotee.  It is this Anugraha that enables the devotee to share his experience with all others, isn't it?  To a dumb man she endowed this most powerful ability in the Kãmãkshi temple in Kanchipuram.  It may be noticed that generally deafness and dumbness are together the afflictions in people.  As the child knows no sound, it does not feel the urge to so express itself by sound I suppose!  We know him as 'Mooka', meaning 'the silent dumb man' whose name is not known to anybody!  The moment he got AmbãL's Anugraha, not a hundred or two hundreds, he poured out 500 songs of pure brilliance!  Durvãsa wrote the 'Ãryã Dvisati' in the Ãryã Metre, isn't it?  Similarly in the Panchasatee composed by Mooka, the first 100 are 'Ãryã Sadakam' also in the Ãryã Metre.  The next 100 slokas (Second) describing her adorable feet are known as 'Pãdãravinda Sadakam'; the next 100 poems (Third)are the 'Stuti Sadakam'; the next 100 slokas (Fourth) are about Mother's side- long glance known as 'Katãksha Sadakam'; and the fifth lot of 100 poems describing her very light mysterious smile is known as, 'Mandasmita Sadakam'.  Thus Ãryã Dvisati and Mooka Panchasati, like the work of an expert painter bring before our eyes the beauty and form of Ãryã AmbãL.  What is beyond the reach and comprehension of the human eyes and mind, is made an intimate experience; by those two works of Durvãsa and Mooka.

"நூற் சிறப்பு – The Greatness of the Book"

55.    Now, coming back to Soundarya Lahari, it is clear that from the time 'stones had come into being and sand was yet to be', there has not been poetry of such order of brilliance in terms of beauty of word selection, conceptualization and picture painting!  You may hear it 'n' number of times or read it as many times that it is so captivating and energising that one can never tire of it.  There is so much sweetness, softness and gravity.  Mooka Panchasatee is also very sweet and soft, but the Soundarya Lahari is more known for 'Gãmbeeryam' (गाम्भीर्यं), that means gravity and power.  Though there is no lack of softness, the deliberation in selection of words are, heavier in terms of seriousness.

56.    In terms of simplicity in all of ÃchãryãL's writings, it is 'Baja Govindam' that is tops.  Soundarya Lahari is not so simple.  Some hard words will be there.  When it comes to description of subtle and delicate matters, precision is more important.  To that extent he has made use of some difficult words.  May be more difficult for understanding, still the words will be sweet for uttering.  Once we understand the meaning, we will be full of appreciation of the aptness of the words with reference to the context.  Baja Govindam is like the primary class book on spiritual matters and hence has very little descriptions and decorative words in simple poetical metre.  Here as the purpose is to describe the ethereal beauty of AmbãL herself, using the poetical nuances intricately, the style and metre had to change accordingly.  Using the 'SikhariNi' metre of four lines each with six and eleven 'Aksharãs' this 'Chandas' that is, poetical metre, has given him full scope for taking us to the high pinnacles of beautiful descriptions!  (The very word SikhariNi as the name of the poetical metre means 'pinnacle', as I told you earlier!)

57.    Starting from the 42nd till the 100th sloka, in the description of AmbãL's form, our ÃchãryãL has put in as much of his poetical genius as he could, in trying to bring Her form before our eyes, as though She is giving us a personal interview.  A renowned artist of the Art of sculpture, when he puts the chisel and hammer to the stone with respectful adoration and devotion and carves out a divine form, the divine being comes to reside there, it is said.  Similarly to enjoy God's vision repeatedly, with the very power of words that God has granted, when our ÃchãryãL has composed this poem as an offering of love to Her the very Stotra is in Her form!  Like the Flower Artist who picks up each flower ties them up with the thread made of veins of plantain trunk, adding ribbons of colour to it; select the letters forming words, connecting them with verbs, nouns and adjectives; stringing them in to sentences; our ÃchãryãL is seen here as a poet of superlative competence.  In the Tamil languages we have parallel words as 'பூமாலை' and 'பாமாலை' for garlands of flowers and poems of words strung together.  One is for the eyes and mind, while the other is for the ears and mind!  Like the fragrance for the garland of flowers, is the meaning for the poetry.  One major difference is that the பூமாலை will wilt and the பாமாலை wont.

அருட்கவி: இரு பொருளில் – Divine Poet With Two Meanings

58.    Between the normal poets of the world and divine poets who are great Mahatmas there are some differences.  Thiru Gnaana Sambandar, Nammaazhvaar, Sadasiva BrhmendraaL, VaLLalaar, AruNagiri Naatha and such poets are not only just simply poets but have the Grace of God.  If the poet has the God given inspiration of 'அருள்' – 'AruL', he is called the அருட்கவி, meaning a divine poet.  He does not write poems with his brains, memory, imagination and experience; but with God given Gift of inspiration and intuition, beyond his own abilities.  In another way also the writings of great Saints are out pouring of divine grace.  Such poems, in addition to being sources of enjoyment of literary pleasures also have the power to give the reader Anugraha of 'அருள்'.  If normally அருட்கவி is the one who is a divine poet, his poems are capable of imparting the same to the readers.  Like VaLLalãr's poems are known as, 'திருவருட்பா', for their, this ability.     

59.    The great Saints who have composed and written these poems, in such extreme state of bliss, without any awareness as an individual human being, under the complete inspiration by God, they are really poems of Grace.  Thiru Gnaana Sambandar says so in his writing when he says "என(து) உரையே தன(து) உரையாக", in the padigam that starts with words 'மலையினார் பருப்பதம்வாழ்'.  Our ÃchãryãL also echoes the same sentiment when he says, "त्वदीयाभिर्वाग्भिस्तव जननि वाचां स्तुतिरियम्", in the 100th poem in Soundarya Lahari. So such Saints by being capable much beneficence themselves, in addition to being poets by God's Grace, are also imparting the same to all and sundry!

60.    Such great Saints do not have to impart their Grace only through their poems, when they are capable directly passing on the Grace! But they have anyhow granted this additional bounty for the sake of posterity, so that those who do not live in their lifetimes may also benefit.  Though it is a fact that such Mahatmas continue their service to the humanity in their subtle form, we are gross enough that we are not capable of receiving their transmissions.  When any such great Saints name is mentioned, we look at some photograph or drawing or sketch and say, "Oh I see!  That was Tulasi Das, is it?"  Those who had the 'darsan' of our ÃchãryãL or Thiru Gnaana Sambandar would have received Grace just by that undoubtedly.  But as our luck would have it, he lived on this earth only for 32 years.  In the case of Sambandar he lived for only half that time!  So that coming generation of people may benefit, such people have concentrated their power of Anugraha and put them in poetry for the sake of posterity to read and benefit in the years to come, even after they have dropped their human coil, to remain as conduit for divine Grace!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva