DEIVATHIN KURAL # 74 (Vol # 7) Dated 05 Dec 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 74 (Vol # 7) Dated 05 Dec 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL 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 middle of page No 569 of Volume 7 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 continually)

23.           Immediately on arrival in the presence of Kãndikya, Kesitdwaja spoke in all his sincerity.  "My Dear Sir, please do not be in a hurry and jump to conclusions.  I have come to you unarmed, for the sole purpose of learning a matter concerning Dharma Sãstrã known only to you.  There has been a mishap during the conduct of a Yagnya.  The Yagnya Pasu has been killed by a tiger and we do not know as to how to do Prãyaschittam and proceed further.  I have come to you begging for alms of knowledge to be able to complete the Yagnya that is pending.  I am ready to sacrifice my life instead of leaving the Yagnya incomplete.  So, either you leave your anger or shoot your arrow.  I welcome both."  The moment he said that he has only come to learn something not known to him, Kãndikya's anger and doubt simply vanished without a trace!

Indian 'PaNpãdu' / Culture

24.            The lectures we give about 'Indian Culture' that is remaining only in our talks, in fact is this.  To persevere for knowledge, even if it were to cost one's life, is Indian Culture.  Similarly, even if that other person is our mortal enemy, if he deserves to learn from us as per Sãstrãs, to give him knowledge of what we know, is Indian Culture.  If our 'PaNpãdu' is so well known all over the world as exalted and high in knowledge, the reason is that, when suitable deserving person is available, instead of hiding and holding it back, the flood gates of knowledge have always been opened without restrictions!  Conversely we should also mention that, if the person about to receive that knowledge happened to be undeserving, our ancients will not part with that knowledge, come what may!

Guru DakshiNa

25.          The fact that Kãndikya was about to impart the knowledge sought by Kesitdwaja, without any reservations was not to the liking of his ministers and Purohits who were living with him in the forest.  They told him their view in these words, "When the enemy who has grabbed your kingdom from you has come alone, you should consider this as an opportunity to defeat him and regain your lost kingdom.  Is this the man to receive your Dharma Upadesa?"  His response was, "If I now kill him, it is true that I will regain my lost kingdom in this world.  But by sacrificing his life for the sake of knowledge, his will attain to the world of Heavens and for me that path to the Heavens will be closed for ever, for having denied him the knowledge, when he has come in all trust! For the sake of this temporary gain of a kingdom of this world, I will not subject myself to the ignominy and eternal damnation!" 

26.          He told Kesitdwaja, "Ask your question and let me clarify your doubt."  Kesitdwaja told him about his quandary.  Kãndikya was knowledgeable about what should be done, if the cow providing the Yagnya Sãmagri is killed in the middle of the conduct of the same.  He told him without hiding anything back, despite the fact that his enemy will benefit immensely by doing the act of Prãyaschittam.  Kesitdwaja returned to his kingdom happily, did the necessary Prãyaschittam, completed his Yagnya and did the Avabruta Snãnam.  Though he had taken so much of pains for the Dosha Parihãra and completed the Yagnya, for some reason he was not getting a sense of fullness of accomplishment, as though something had remained incomplete.  Kesitdwaja thought about it deeply.  "There had been no glitch or insufficiency in materials or mantra.  Not only that.  For Yagnya as the ritual Purusha the counterpart is DakshiNa, that you give the conducting Ritwiks, Brahmins and the general public.  I have given them all to their heart's content in kind and money."  As he kept thinking on these lines, suddenly he was aware of where was the deficiency.

27.          'Whatever compliments and honour that I may have done to others for services rendered, I have forgotten one most important man.  Without him the Yagnya would not have been complete at all!  Him I have forgotten to give DakshiNa!  Till that DakshiNa is given, there will be a sense of loss and even the performance of Yagnya cannot be considered to have been completed!'  This was the analysis of the situation by Kesitdwaja.  In terms of biological relation Kãndikya was his cousin-brother, while politically he was an enemy.  Now the same man has to be paid respects to as a Guru who had given a very important Upadesa at a most critical time, for whom I have not yet given Guru DakshiNa, thought Kesitdwaja.  So he wished to do so now with due love and a sense of gratitude.  This is the Indian Culture, which gives importance to Arivu Dãnam, meaning Endowment of Education!

28.          Kesitdwaja did not decide as to what should be the DakshiNa.  He wished to leave that decision to Kãndikya.  ThiruvaLLuvar had said that, 'kãlathinãrseida nanri sirideninum gyãlathinum mãNapperidu' – 'காலத்தினாற்செய்த நன்றி சிறிதெனினும் ஞாலத்தினும் மாணப்பெரிது', meaning that 'a help in time even if it is only very small, is bigger than this whole world'!  If ThiruvaLLuvar has said so, in that too the help given in terms of endowment of knowledge can never be compensated for!  That is why, Kesitdwaja wished to leave it to Kãndikya to decide as to what should be the Guru DakshiNa.  To ask him about it, he again set out to the forest on his chariot.  Earlier he had gone with grown beard and moustache, dressed in black leather skin of a deer.  Now he went in all the regalia of a king.

DakshiNa Asked for by Kãndikya

29.          Just think of it, as to what must have been the reaction of Kãndikya, when he saw him again!  'Oh I see!  He came to us like a Sadhu because that was what his state supposed to be, while doing the Yagnya.  Having wangled the answer from us, he seems to have completed his Yagnya.  Now evidently, he is coming back to us with some other ulterior motive!  Having so decided Kãndikya was again prepared to fight holding the bow and arrow at the ready.  Like the earlier occasion, Kesitdwaja stopped him again and said, "My dear Sir!  I have come to give you the Sambhãvana that I owe you and not to fight.  Please do not misunderstand me.  You have given me the right advice and enabled me to complete the Yagnya that was interrupted.  I have come to give you whatever DakshiNa that you ask for with an attitude of SamarpaNam." 

30.          Kãndikya consulted his small circle of family and advisers.  They were of the opinion that this was the best opportunity to recover the lost kingdom.  Some of them went one step ahead and opined that, when Kesitdwaja had said that he may ask for whatever, Kãndikya should be bold enough to ask for not only his own kingdom back but, also ask Kesitdwaja to give his one also.  On deeper analysis, this suggestion did not seem to be acceptable to Kãndikya himself.  "It is the Swadharma of a man born as a Kshatriya to manage, administer and rule over the kingdom he inherits.  He could get more as per Kshatriya Dharma by fighting for it or as a gift for his bravery and exploits or through marriage and not as a DakshiNa.  Though this word DakshiNa has a noble connotation, it is still only like alms obtained through begging.   Such a source for income is applicable only to a Brahmin who does not earn any other way and not to a Kshatriya.  By teaching others the intricacies of Dharma Sãstrãs if I were to get a kingdom as a dole, I will be as good as having fallen from my exalted position."

31.          "In the fourfold Purushãrtha of Dharma-Artha-Kãma-Moksha, I do not have the desire now that I should get Artha for the Dharma Upadesa that I have given.  I am only interested Brhma Vidya that takes you directly to Moksha now.  As Kesitdwaja has learnt about Karma from me, in return I am interested only in Brhma Vidya.  As I have given him 'Vidya Dãnam', as DakshiNa I shall ask for another 'Vidya Dãnam', for which there are no restrictions to anyone."

(Kãndikya's analysis will continue in the next issue of Deivathin Kural.)

Sambhomahadeva