DEIVATHIN KURAL # 173 (Vol # 6) Dated 18 May 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 173 (Vol # 6) Dated 18 May 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 1199 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)

937.                  Our ÃchãryãL, despite being the Avatara of Siva and Shakti, that too not just as any king or land lord or somebody, but as Jagat Guru Sankara; while being ever at the peak of Atmãnubhava, omniscient and omnipotent with the title of 'Sarvagna' as conferred by the intelligentsia of his time; having accomplished a monumental series of achievements within 27 years of life between 5 and 32, going around the whole of India covering its nook and corner by walk, participating in debates and causing a varied lot of other religious leaders to accept defeat; establishing a number of temples and reviving many others; generally improving the daily practices, attitudes, behaviour, understanding and comprehension of whole mass of people in varied walks of life, uplifting them religion-wise socially and humanely; showing kindness even to a 'Kapãlika' who came to cut his head; such a man is telling AmbãL, "Amma!  Please show kindness even to me, this poor good-for-nothing destitute"!  Why?

938.        I told you earlier that he is saying that on our behalf, as to what should be our approach and prayer!  We are the ones who having committed enormous sins are far away from the divine influence of AmbãL's Katãksha.  So, we should be the ones who should be praying like that.  But we do not know as to how to repent and as to how to pray.  Hence, he who is spotlessly clean is telling us to feel and say so!  Jesus is said to have received all our sins on our behalf and carried the cross.  Similarly ÃchãryãL is assuming the onus for all our imperfections and faults, praying to AmbãL "To immerse me also in your deluge of Katãksha"!  If we pray like this, she will do it.  She cannot but do so since, she is the one causing him to pray so!

939.                  Earlier, while talking about how all the Navarasa are pouring out of her eyes, ÃchãryãL who normally prays on behalf of all of us, instead of saying "na:" (to mean 'for us'), when he said "mayi" ('for me'), it was not very clear to us, isn't it?  The answer for that is very clear now.  That the 'KãruNya Katãksham' – 'the milk of divine kindness' there, is the subject of this complete sloka; is made clear here.  What do we understand from this?  Her loving glance as 'drãgheeyasyã', is by itself far-reaching and all-encompassing without anybody having to pray for it.  There we may have presumed that our ÃchãryãL must have said so, as he must have felt that he was the only one kept aside as a 'deena', who has to pray for it and hence used the word 'mayi'.   

940.                  People of the Sri Krishna Chaitanya tradition – and others of the devotional path of Bhakti too – emphasise and insist on the persuasive form of devotion (naichya bhãva).  This ÃchãryãL who beat the drum of Adwaitam that the Jiva and Brhmam are one and the same, beats all others in humility in the Bhakti Bhãva, hands down, when he says, "Me also, who is standing far apart from all others too, please bathe him in the flood of the flow of your Katãksha, Mother!"  If AmbãL at once asks, "OK that is alright.  You only said that, though by myself I take care of the whole universe; still you have said that I have classified you as 'daveeyãmsam' and have kept you as an out-cast.  So why are you now praying to me", what is the answer to be given to AmbãL?  To receive an intelligent and clever reply from him in the form of beautiful poetry, AmbãL may show some pseudo anger like that, isn't it?  For such an eventuality the reply comes in the second half of the sloka, when he says, "अनेनायं धन्यो भवति न च ते हानि: इयता

वने वा हर्म्ये वा समकर निपातो हिमकर:||"

941.                  "Yes, I do not deserve and should not be asking, as per decency!  But in pure unadulterated love there are no rules and no transgression of rules and regulations.  Without looking at justice and injustice, totally uncaring for whether someone deserves or not, there are people and things which are universally good to all, isn't it?  In 'Gita' this sense of balanced attitude is what has been declared the defining character of a Gnãni – 'sama darsinaha'.  Many great people have been like that I am sure.  Especially for example, there is the 'हिमकर:' the Moon.  Whenever he is referring to the moon in relation to AmbãL, he always uses this word 'हिमकर:' as the one that is pleasantly cool.  That moon is full and bright.  Does he discriminate as to where his brightness should reach and not reach?  He does not.  For him the temple in Tanjore and the sculptures in Mahabalipuram are equally the same; the living spaces of a town and the cremation grounds are at par!  Whether in a forest – 'वने वा' or 'हर्म्ये वा' – in the pent-house of a palace, he does not differentiate, showering all his moon-light – 'समकर निपात:' isn't it?  Just because the Emperor has got constructed a mosaic of marbles called 'moon-light fore-court', does he pour some extra moon-light there and just because there are thorny bushes in the forest does he restrict himself?  Can't such equality of vision be yours, my Mother?  So, though I am completely undeserving, even me too; like the moon soaks a cactus bush in his light; soak me in the divine kindness of your Katãksham, Mother!" says the poet! Thus he has answered the question as to how can he pray, when he does not deserve to pray!

942.                  Another question as though AmbãL is asking – 'What happens if I bless someone who is most undeserving?  If I look at someone unworthy of my kindness, will it affect my vision itself, like an infectious disease?  Will it?'  Having raised the question, he replies himself; 'न च ते हानि: इयता'.  By this – 'इयता', to you also there is no loss – 'न च ते हानि:' I can assure you.  For you also there is no harm and for me also that would be a great blessing, as I will be made holy.  Let me explain.  Your sight the subject will not be affected by the object.  The same example of the Moon the 'हिमकर:' will suffice in clarifying the situation.  By the fact that the moon-light fell in the forest, was it affected in any way?  Did the moon have to suffer any pin-pricks by the thorn or any abrasions by scraggy rocks?  By falling on cushioned and feathered bedding on the moon-lit fore-court in the top most open air terrace of the King's Palace, did the moon go to sleep?  The objects do not affect the subject Moon in any way!  So also your vision of kindness and compassion will not suffer in any way by me being an unworthy character.  Let me be however much unworthy – 'न च ते हानि: इयता' – for, you are also not to be bothered and suffer no loss.

943.                  What is that 'also' added in the above sentence?  So that he can further ask for something more 'also'?  He says, 'that in the bargain I will also be blessed and made holy – 'अनेन अयं धन्यो भवति'!  By being bathed in your Katãksha, I become 'dhanya' – consecrated, saved and exalted!  I am putting things slightly different from the order in which our ÃchãryãL has given it.  First he says that by your glance I am sanctified and then he says that because of it you have no loss either.  By this – 'अनेन' – instead of saying 'me' he says 'this' – 'अयं', as though he is referring himself as a piece of wood!  'This thing will become rich – 'धन्य:' – a person with money or rich is 'dhanya:'.  Because there is no greater or richer reward than getting the bounty of her glance, he calls himself lucky like hitting the Jackpot! 

944.                  "The moment your glance of 'karuNa Katãksham' falls on me, all my unworthiness is gone, life becomes successful, and I find myself in the ocean of peaceful Ãnanda.  Not only that you have no loss or affected in anyway, I am blessed, whatever may be my disqualifications earlier, is all gone just by your glance!  From being a pauper, a 'deena' I become 'dhanya:' with your blessings."  ÃchãryãL has blessed us all with this sloka, so that we may all be benefitted similarly!  If we all can chant this sloka with a melting heart, however we may be unworthy, AmbãL's glance that is cool like the Nilotpal flower and the light of the moon will lift us from penury and vileness. 

945.                  We feel happy with decorating ourselves in a number of ways with dress and ornaments.  Not only the bodily decorations, but also we run after name and fame, educational qualifications, wealth, position, power, titles and such decorations.  The biggest self-decoration is to become worthy of the Katãksham of AmbãL. This will make all other decorations unworthy of our consideration!  In this sloka our ÃchãryãL having started telling AmbãL to see everything as equal, has finished with 'samakara nipatho himakaraha' isn't it?  This equanimity, sense of oneness and balance is given by her Kataksham only says Sri Mooka in his Stuti Ãryã Sadakam (sloka No 48), from the Adwaitic point of view.  Mooka talks about these very royal residences and forests – 'vanam' here is 'vipinam' there and 'harmyam' here is 'Bhavanam' there and says that one who has received AmbãL's one look will treat them as one.  That is, the forests of lust, anger and fear are the forests that make human life miserable!  Those fearful forests become pleasant abodes.  Friend and enemy become one for him.  Once lusting after desires goes, young women's lips and scrap becomes equal. The bathing in AmbãL's Katãksha removes lust, fear and anger and the 'dhanam' so obtained is the Adwaitic equilibrium – as pointed by our ÃchãryãL also.

946.                  Thinking about these ideas, we should be repeatedly chanting this sloka every day!

      Sloka No 57:  –

दृशा द्राघीयस्या दरदलितनीलोत्पलरुचा

drushã drãgheeyasyã daradalita leelotpalat ruchã

दवीयांसं दीनं स्नपय कृपया मामपि शिवे |

daveeyãmsam deena snapaya krupayã mãmapi shive |

अनेनायं धन्यो भवति न च ते हानिरियता

anenãyãm dhanyo bhavati na cha te hãniriyatã

वने वा हर्म्ये वा समकरनिपातो हिमकर: ||

vane vã harmye vã samakaranipãto himakara: ||

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva