DEIVATHIN KURAL # 120 (Vol # 7) Dated 15 Mar 2014
DEIVATHIN KURAL # 120
(Vol # 7) Dated 15 Mar 2014
(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 page No 916 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)
One Doing Namaskãr is More Lucky
39. So far I have been describing the fate
of the person, who has to receive the expression of respect and veneration, as
the head of a religious organization like this Matam of Kanchipuram, Kãmakoti
Peetam. On the other hand, looking at
the one doing Namaskãr, he seems to be the luckiest! That is one of shedding his own load in front
of one who seems to be elder that, while doing Namaskãr he has already decided,
"From now it is not our own problem.
He will take care." That is
to say, 'na mama' – 'न मम', to hand over your problems to the competent authority
as 'not mine' is the true meaning of Namaskãra,
if it is done with the right attitude!
40. Mostly the Namaskãra done, may not be
with that 100 % attitude of handing over the entire problem as 'not mine', and
may range anywhere lower down to the 'pass mark' level. Still at least at that moment, he would have
got rid of his load and be that much relieved as seen practically. I have lost this facility and privilege of
handing over my care, concerns and problems to somebody else happily lying flat
on the ground that has been denied to me from the very early childhood! The 'Sthãnam' – 'स्थानम्' aka Position has arrived snatching away my facilities
and privileges! (KTSV adds: - 'This I
have mentioned at least twice before in the course of Seven Volumes of
Deivathin Kural that, PeriyavãL had to suddenly take over as the Jagat Guru,
sans any preparation mental or physical as the previous Pontiff whom he had
replaced had suddenly died within ten days of being installed. For that matter, he had also been installed
as the Head of the organization, due to the sudden demise of the one in office
at that time!')
Ascetic's Namaskãr
41. For a true Sanyãsi – whom I would call
a 'Jivan Muktan' that is, already realised while still living in the body; will
not care about doing Namaskãra to anybody nor bother about anybody else
prostrating before him in supplication or subservience or whatever. That is because of the fact that he is not
aware of the differences between his self and others; or between me, you and
him, as everything from his perspective are one and the same Brhmam. Then who is there for him to do Namaskãr
to? Our ÃchãryãL asks the question 'praNamet
kam' – 'प्रणामेत कं'
in Upadesa Sãhasri, as to who should do Namaskãra to whom? (Here there is a
sloka quoted from the Upadesa Sãhasri.
But since the correct reference could not be identified, here we are
giving only the meaning of the sloka.)
For a person who has correctly and exactly identified the one Ãtma
without a second, and established himself in the total self-rule beyond the
constraints of names, place, position and status, what has he got to do with
any action anymore? Since all actions
are interactions between one thing and another in the non-absolute entities of
time and space; and this one has nothing other than his self anywhere, he has
nothing to do with any action anymore. In such a situation who is there for him
to do Namaskãra to?
42. But such a cent per cent ascetic will
rarely be there. Those aspiring and
endeavouring in the Sãdhana way for Self Realization will either be still short
of it or often just touching and slipping back, mostly. So, most of the Swamiji-s can and should be
physically expressing their surrender and subservience by way of Namaskãra to many
of the Devatas and elder Sanyãsis and there is no bar on that. Here too except for some rare occasions,
Sãstrãs do not allow us to do physical prostrations of the body on the ground
while doing Namaskãr. We are supposed to
do what is known as 'Danda Vandana', by making use of the stick in our hands in
a certain way by which we are to express our Anjali.
What is 'Dandan Iduvadu' / 'தண்டன் இடுவது'?
43. The Ashtãnga Namaskãra men do and the
Panchãnga Namaskãra that women do, are both known as 'dandakãra Namaskãra' – 'दण्डाकार
नमस्कार:' in Sanskrit and 'தண்டன் இடுவது' in Tamil. This word Dhandan in Tamil means standing like
a wooden pole. When the pole is held
vertically it just stands without even the slightest indication of
bending. Don't we tell people lacking
humility, 'Why are you standing like a ram rod, don't we?' The same rod when not being held, that is
with the removal of pride and conceit, falls flat on the ground, virtually
hugging the ground, isn't it? That is the difference between the presence of
'Aham Bhãva' and its removal. Once the
tight hold of pride and 'Aham Bhãva' is there, you are standing like a pole and
the moment the pride is gone, you are flat on Mother Earth! Mind will get humble and at the same time
attain to the highest of peacefulness!
If you understand this principle of doing Namaskãra, the act of
Dandakãra Namaskãra would have borne the most effectiveness. Otherwise the act of prostrating your body
on the ground is a sheer waste, that is, another 'Dandam' – 'தண்டம்', in Tamil meaning 'sheer waste'.
44. As I said this Tamil word 'Dandam' means
a wooden pole and also means 'good for nothing'. When it was a branch of the main tree, it drank the sap
partaking and absorbing the inputs into the system including the Sunlight, sprouting
with leaves, flowers and fruits and was thus a useful part of the tree. But now
having come away from being a part of the society, it has become lifeless and
good for nothing. That is what is called
'Dandam' in Tamil, a mere wooden pole.
Often we were claiming, I / me / myself and mine; taking care of the
body, eating, drinking, decorating ourselves and feeling mighty proud about our
body. But just for a moment think that,
this body is also like that 'Dandam' only if there was no life in it! This body is just a cadaver good only for
being buried or cremated or being dissected on the table for the medical intern
for studying body parts! So it is laid
on the ground in front of God and or those elders who have some or more of
those divine virtues in them and do Namaskãram. Generally Vaishnavites instead of using this
phrase of 'doing Namaskãra' call it 'sevippadu' – 'சேவிப்பது', as an act in service of the God! Further
endearingly some people say 'dandam samarpippadu' – 'தண்டம் சமர்பிப்பது' to mean that your Namaskãra is paying obeisance.
That is the way they start their letters by first saying that they are
'offering their Dandam' instead of the 'Hi' / 'Howdy' / Best wishes, as we do
these days!
45. Till very recently even the most uneducated poor people
would say 'kumbidaren or swami dandam' – 'கும்பிடறேன்
or ஸ்வாமீ
தண்டம்' and
Telugu people used to say – 'dandam pettedhi'!
Sri Rama's famous Bow was known as Kodandam and his name deriving from
that is 'Kodanda PãNi' – 'कोदण्ड पाणि', as he is often depicted to be
standing with his weapon held in the right hand. To that 'Kodanda PãNi' Thyagaraja Swami has sung Keertana saying, 'Dandamu
Pettedurã'. If the body is called
'Dandam', in fact it is the mind that is controlling, directing and dictating
the body to see, or hear or do whatever; that is the real 'Dandam', the good
for nothing character. If all the great
achievements of life are by the mind, all the heinous and despicable actions
are also by the mind only. So it is clear
that one of the most important steps to be achieved in any endeavour including in
the Ãdhyãtmic field, is to win over the mind to be able to channelize one's
efforts which are individually and collectively ennobling and elevating for the
individual and the society! So this body
is only a tool and it is the mind that is the controller, director.
45. If the mind is the controller, director of the body, God is
the only power that can control this mind of ours and make it do things for the
benefit of the community, society and the whole world. He is the one who can not only control the
mind's vacillations but make it also peacefully quiet. So this 'Manas' that is constantly running
out has to be turned back from its tendencies as 'Namas' and that action is
Namaskãram. (It is interesting to note that the same act
of submitting to the power of divinity is called 'Namãs' by Muslims and is called
the Mass by Christians). To cause the
mind to lie down quietly like a piece of log of wood – 'Dandam' in
the divine presence is this act of Namaskãram. The mind does this act making use of the only
tool it has, that is the body. Thus mind
enables the body to get some merit and benefits itself in expiation of all sins
it has caused the body to do in the past!
46. Though Dandam is decried as 'good for
nothing', for the people unable to walk, it is this stick that comes in
handy. So, to progress in the path of
Ãtma Gnãna, this lying flat on the ground as 'Danda Namaskãram' comes in handy
as the walking-stick. With a chuckle
PeriyavãL says, 'The action is to lie flat on the ground doing nothing, while
its effect is as a Walking Stick in the most important journey of Ãtma
Gnãna!' Anyhow the idea is to, somehow
stop and arrest this mind to nullity as sheer 'Dandam' and submit to Him. When we are ill with fever we feel totally
debilitated devoid of any power, isn't it?
Where was that power come from?
If it is clear that all the power on the Earth is from the Sun, all the
power of the Sun and Universe is from one source only. It is all alms from God! So to tell Him, "All this power of mine
is in fact yours only. So I surrender
all my bodily powers, and the mind and the body – unto You, Oh God as the only
source of all powers anywhere!"
That is Namaskãram.
Sanyãsi's Dandam
47. We Sanyãsis have been divested of all
decorations and accoutrements. But we
are required to carry a 'Dandam', that is meant to keep our minds under
control. The stick or Lath is used for
controlling a crowd by the Police as an effective weapon. Lord SubrahmaNya is having a Dandam as his weapon
and he has a name as 'Dandãyudha PãNi' – 'தண்டாயுதபாணி'.
In Tamil the punitive powers of the government is known as 'dandanai' –
'தண்டனை' which is derived from this word Dandam only. To control and
prevent the citizen from going on to the wrong ways and to guide them on to the
lawful ways and to prevent the enemies of the state from raising their heads is
the main job of governance. This very
subject of Governance as a Science is known as 'Danda Neeti' – 'தண்ட நீதி' – 'दण्ड नीति'! Similarly for us to keep our mindsin line, symbolically
we are required to carry a stick, not for use against others, but to control
our own minds only. It is not only a
symbol but a thing on which necessary Mantras have been invoked and instilled
for it to be effective on our minds, preventing us from going astray! Then when
the Guru does Anugraha to others this Dandam becomes really effective in 'Mano
Nigraha' – 'मनो निग्रह:' of not simply mind control but erasing
/ destruction of the Mind!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva
Labels: posted by Lt Col KTSV Sarma
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home