DEIVATHIN KURAL # 138 (Vol # 6) Dated 08 Mar 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 138 (Vol # 6) Dated 08 Mar 2013

(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 page No 945 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)

564.  From the Sunlight which cannot be classified as any colour, when Red separates, then the other six colours will separate and come out.  It is listed as VIBGYOR in which the last letter R is for Red. Once this colour is separated first from the white light, then Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and finally Violet will separate in that order.  On right hand corner of the spectrum is the White Light which contains all the colours and on the left hand corner of the spectrum is the Black which is absence of light!  White and black are not included as colours because of the following reason.  We see a variety of colours of objects.  The leaves are green, bark of the tree is brown and some flowers are blue.  What does it mean?  Absorbing other colours, the leaves are emitting or reflecting only the green colour.  Similarly the blue flower is absorbing the other colours and letting out only the blue colour.  So also it happens with all colours of various objects.  The colour you see is the one being reflected by that object from the Sunlight (that is permeating the whole solar system), while absorbing all the other colours. 

565.  So, simultaneously these two activities are going on, namely absorption and reflection.  An object is white when it reflects all the light without absorbing any.  All the reflected colours put together seems to be white.  In the case of black, that object which seems to be black is absorbing all the light and is not reflecting any.  Whatever we are calling as the colour are all being digested or imbibed inside without reflecting any of the light waves, in that object which looks black.  When there is partial absorption and partial reflection, then only it is a colour.  Hence this white and black are not included as colours, since in their case it is either total reflection or total absorption.

566.  With regard to basic attitudinal characteristics of all living beings and things, we know that they are classified as either pure or a mix of three basic qualities or GuNa-s, namely Satva, Rajas and Tamas.  Amongst them that which does not grab anything and reflects everything without keeping anything as its own, and shines as pure white is 'Satva' GuNa, that is symbolically representing Brhma Gnãna Swaroopa and Para Brhma Swaroopa.  Absorbing everything unto itself and not letting anything out is the dark and black 'Tamo GuNa' that is, totally Agnãna.  The red Rajas is the active and dynamic Kriya Shakti power, that generates all the manifestation as so many individual Jiva-s as the process of creation aka 'Srushti' – 'सृष्टि' and finally pull them back unto oneself as part of the process of re-absorption or 'Samhãra' – 'संहारा'!

567.  Starting from the clean Siva-Gnãna of pure whiteness devoid of any action, the first thought-action-potency sprouts as Parãsakti and manifests as the red Kãmeswari.  Following that the whole process of creation and manifestation starts off and goes on right up to Agnãna Tamas of extreme selfishness and dullness as R, O, Y, G, B, I, V; in that order.  This VIBGYOR is not only indicative of diffraction of colours from while light, but also the series of steps in 'सृष्टि क्रम' – 'srushti krama' – in the coming into being of the creation!  As all the colours are from the white; so also all the manifestations are from 'Suddha Brhmam', which have to end in the same source as the destination!  The original cause of all that emerged from it is the first emergence of the Red Kãmeswari and hence the special importance of that Red Colour.  To turn around the same logic, for us who are hardened in the black morass of Tamas to melt and dissolve in the whiteness of Satva, it is that Red Kãmeswari who has to pave the way!

569.  This process of re-joining and Aikyam and experiencing supreme bliss can happen only when there is separation.  Without separation if you remain unified as one, there can be no pleasure of re-union!  There is a Tamil proverb which says, "பிரிந்தவர் கூடினால் பேசவும் வேண்டுமோ" – thereby meaning, 'on re-joining after separation is there a need to talk'?  That is why, the basic principle first separated as Siva and Shakti and then as Kãmeswara and Kãmeswari and then in Srushti separated as so many people and life-forms of the world!  From this point of view, it is clear that the purpose of diffraction of white light in to red and so many colours and for the basic principle to become so many others is all for experiencing and sharing of Love – Anbu and that too especially the passionate and romantic variety. 

570.  (Para Brhmam is beyond all GuNa-s including the Satva variety that is referred as 'Satva – ateetam' – 'सत्वातीतं'.  As it is closest to the GuNa of Satva, more out of formality, it is said that, 'शुद्ध सत्वं is ब्रह्म स्वरूपम्'. PeriyavãL used to say that Satva GuNa is white like the milk and the state of being void of the three GuNa-s namely Satva, Rajas and Tamas is transparent like the Crystal – Sphatika.  Connecting the colours with divine principles, PeriyavãL has spoken in Deivathin Kural Volume 1, under headings such as, 'Siva Mayam; Sarvam Vishnu Mayam Jagat', 'Aranai Maravel; Thirumalukku Adimai Sei', 'Kamakshiyin Sivappu', 'Karuppum Sivappumaana Kamakshi', and 'Kamkshiyin Karumai', which may be referred quite usefully in understanding what is being enunciated here.) 

571.  The basic root colour of creation is Red.  In the original stuff of the source that was sans thoughts and actions; the first emergence is a thought.  So, the whole of creation is said to be Red.  The Creator Brhma is of the Red hue only.  As long as the blood is flowing in our body there is life.  If the flow of blood stops, life in us also stops!  And this blood is also red!  Blood in Tamil is 'ரத்தம்' and in Sanskrit, it is 'रक्तं' and it is interesting to note that, this word रक्तं means Red!  What do the poet and litterateur do?  They start with an idea, make use of the words to create and share their views and experiences with others with life like characters and picture painting.  That is how, the power of the poet is also considered as full of life – 'செம்மை' – 'சிவப்பு' – 'and so it is also Red'!

572.  The matured form of love is kindness aka Grace or 'கருணை' or 'कृपा'.  It is the highest form of love flowing from Parama Ãtma.  So, in Soundarya Lahari itself, later much later, in sloka No 93, it is said that, 'That which was just being Para Brhma Swaroopa without any colouration as Sambu, for safe-guarding the whole world, becoming the very form of Grace and AruNa of the early morning red is doing a victorious march' – 'जकत्रातुं शम्भोर्जयति करुणा काचिदरुणा'.  One sloka previously, the red colour is being treated as a decorative, when the poet says that, 'On Sadasiva, who is like the transparent Sphatika Crystal, when your red hue falls, he becomes almost like an embodiment of the essence of amorous romanticism'!

573.  Satva is white and Rajas is red and slightly lower in order.  So now, why are we giving so much the pride of place for the red colour?  For love to be given and reciprocated there has to be the duality of Dwaitam, isn't it?  Even without that duality, in that high state of being above Satva, in that pure whiteness of the Brhmam when there sprouts pure love, that itself is seen to be uppermost and excellent Rajas as reddest red!  For the Jiva, to be peacefully without any work, urges and tendencies in Satva is contentedness.  When he is actively working in Rajas, he is less peaceful or loses it completely.  But the ever peaceful Parama Ãtma, when involved in running the world affairs, does all the multifarious and dynamic activities without losing his cool.  His body remaining transparent like the Sphatika crystal – 'शुद्ध स्फटिक शङ्कासं', the red hue is just being seen through and so there is no change of complexion and its fullness.

574.  We have to raise ourselves from the crass levels of Rajas, through Bhakti and love for Easwara to the higher levels of incessant aspirations for realising divinity and with God's Grace and Krupa, go beyond the GuNa-s.  There are three types of fruits known as KundumaNi, Pãgarkãi and Pãdiri, which are all deep red in colour.  (I am afraid that I do not know their English names except the middle one which is called the Bitter Gourd.)  In them this KundumaNi fruit is pure poison.  Its seed was made use of in weighing gold ornaments in olden times and to depict the eyes of GaNesha, when we made a clay model for GaNesa Chathurthi celebrations.  Pãgarkãi is bitter in taste but is good for health.  But this Pãdiri fruit is very sweet in taste and is also very good for health.  Similarly in the redness of Rajas also there are gradations in terms of their being beneficial – as the one that gets us bogged down and the variety that is ennobling.  The redness of the Rajas of Kãmeswari is that latter variety.  Such redness which is lifting us out of getting mired in attachments should not be equated to the simple power of allure and attractiveness as 'vashya shakti' – 'वश्य शक्ति'!

575.  That red hue of AmbãL should be thought of and meditated upon as extending from the heavens to earth and below as a 'श्री सरणि' – a continuous path of lustre, the poet says in the 18th Sloka.  'Sri' is all salubrious, capable of filling your whole self with totality of well-being!  It is AmbãL's beauty that has been described as such a 'Sri'.  SaraNi is also Lahari only, the flood.  One of the early slokas has started with the very words – 'tvadeeyam soundaryam' – 'त्वदीयं सौन्दर्यं', meaning 'Your Beauty'!  So, here as a synonym for the title 'Soundarya Lahari' is this phrase as, 'Sri SaraNi'.  Thus these portions of 'Ãnanda Lahari' are also seemingly with the intention of fetching us to the 'Soundarya Lahari' portion only.  All the Yantram, Mantram and the subtle Tatva Artha are all with the purpose of darsan of the very beauty of AmbãL's being, body and form.  As for the form, the Roopa or figure is within head to foot or 'Keshãdi Pãdam'.  But the red effulgent and brilliant lustre is permeating the whole of the Universe!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva