DEIVATHIN KURAL # 137 (Vol # 7) Dated 22 Apr 2014

 DEIVATHIN KURAL # 137 (Vol # 7) Dated 22 Apr 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 1057 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)

27.           You know that there was a great Shepherd by the name of Sri Krishna Konãr isn't it?  (Konãr in Tamil is like a caste name for Shepherds.)  He collected all the Upanishads and made them into a cow.  He milked that cow by his own hands and gave it to all of us as 'Gita Upadesam'.  These two words join in Sanskrit as one word 'Gitopadesam' – 'गीत + उपदेशं = गितोपदेशम्'.  By the special effect due to his handling, that essence of all the Upanishads, instead of being just milk became the elixir Amrita that imparts immortality on the person who consumes it.  Instead of remaining in the mortal coil, the consumer of that milk becomes one with the very principle of eternity God!  Anyone with a right mental attitude can partake of that milk. As a representative of all such consumers of that milk is Arjuna, who heard it directly in the battle field of Kurukshetra.  There is a sloka with this above meaning: –   

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो, दोग्दा गोपालनन्दन: |

sarvopanishado gãvo, dogdã gopãlanandana: |

पार्तो वत्स:, सुधीर भोक्ता, दुग्दं गीतामृतं महत् ||

pãrto vatsa:, sudheer bhoktã, dugdam geetamrutam mahat ||

28.          Arjuna was an inseparable friend of Sri Krishna.  When Sri Krishna assumed the role of Gnãna Ãchãrya, Arjuna became his main student.  But Sri Rama got his personal servant as his Sishya.  Later this Sishya got a place in the Standard Flag of Arjuna, heard the whole of Gita and caused Arjuna to be victorious to deserve his name as Vijaya.  That is victory in the outer-worldly battle.  Brhma Vidya Upadesam makes one eternally successful in the inner battle of the mind and heart in reality.  The Upadesa of such potency meant for all the people of the world, as Sri Krishna imparted with Arjuna as the target audience and Dakshinamurthy Swami did so for the Foursome of Sanaka and three others; Sri Rama kept Hanuman in front and through him imparted the Upadesa to all, especially the Rishis and Munis who had come to listen in.

29.          Like Dakshinamurthy Sri Rama also shows the Chin Mudra.  Like him Sri Rama also sits erect with one leg hanging and one leg folded known as Virãsana, depicting the bravery of Gnãnam.  In the ancient drawings done exactly as per traditions, like in Tanjavur Paintings, that is how it is depicted.  While chanting Japa of Sri Rama Mantra, there is Dhyãna Sloka that is chanted as part of the prelude: – 

कालाम्बोदर कान्ति कान्तं अनिशं वीरासनाध्यासिनं

kãlãmbodara kãnti kãntam anisam veerãsanãdhyãsinam

मुद्रां ज्ञानमयीं दधानाम् अपरं हस्तांबुजं जानुनी |

mudrãm gnãnamayeem dadhãnãm aparam hastãmbujam jãnunee |  Meaning of the sloka is, 'Swami of the colour of Shyamal which is like the cumulonimbus cloud, is sitting in Virãsana with one hand holding the 'Chinmaya' Mudra and the other hand simply resting on his knee.  Point to note is that Sri Rama is depicted exactly the way Dakshinamurthy Swami is ever shown. 

30.          There is another sloka which is part of the MangaLa slokas chanted before doing PãrãyaNa of Ramayana in a formal manner.  There also it is mentioned that Sri Rama is sitting in Virãsana.  Chinmudra is not mentioned there but, what is described very clearly is the Tatva Upadesam being given to Anjanã Putra Hanuman primarily seated in front of Sri Rama with his right hand covering his mouth with reverence, with all the Rishis seated behind Hanuman, also facing Sri Rama.  The scene that I described about Hanuman receiving Upadesa from Sri Rama with all the Rishis and Munis listening in, is based on this sloka, which should be known to everybody: –   

वैदेहीसहितं सुरद्रुमतले हैमे महामण्डपे

vaidehi sahitam suradrumatale haime maha mandape

मध्ये पुष्पकमासने मणिमये वीरासने संस्थितं |

madhye pushpakamãsane maNimaye veerãsane  samsthitam |

अग्रे वाचयति प्रभञ्जनसुते तत्त्वं मुनिभ्य: परं

agre vãchayati prabhanjana sute tattvam munibhya: param

व्याख्यान्तं भरताधिभि: परिवृतं रामं भजे श्यामलं ||

vyãkhyãntam bharatãdhibhi: parivrutam rãmam bhaje shyãmalam ||

31.          Though Sri Rama sat in the Virãsana posture and gave Upadesa on Vedãntam like Dakshinamurthy Swami, like him Sri Rama is not a lonely entity.  Simultaneously he was a King and a Rishi, known as Raja Rishi doing both Karma and Gnãna Yoga he was with his wife seated in a golden hall on a seat inlaid with gems.  That is what is said, starting with 'Vaidehi sahitam' – 'वैदेही सहितं'.  Sita was born in the Videha Rajyam and so was known as 'Vaidehee'.  This name for Sita is most appropriate in the context instead of Jãnaki and Maithili, in the sloka in which Sri Rama is being described as Gnãna ÃchãryãL.  Vaidehee means a person who has given up the physical body, in addition to being from the State of Videha!  That means that she has given up the body consciousness and is of Ãtma Swaroopa.   That is for the Tattva or principle that Sri Rama is advocating, she is the very personification of such a state.  Or in other words the principle that she is personifying is what he is advocating.

32.          Sita is seated next to Sri Rama.  Around him are the other three brothers Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrugna, says the fourth line of the sloka as, 'bharatãdhibhi: parivrutam' – 'भरताधिभि: परिवृतं'.  Those brothers also are such that they thought of the other as their own very life.  Still Sri Rama did not give his Upadesa to any one of them as the Sishya.  The one to receive Gnãna Upadesa should be Ãnjaneya he thought and did so and that is what is mentioned in the Sloka as, 'agre vãchayati prabhanjana sute tattvam' – 'अग्रे वाचयति प्रभञ्जनसुते तत्त्वं'.  'Prabhanjana sute' – 'प्रभञ्जनसुते', refers to Ãnjaneya.  Like Tulasidas called Hanuman as the son of Vãyu Bhagawan by the term 'Vãtajãta', this 'Prabhanjana Suta' is another name for Hanuman, with the same meaning.  He is seated immediately in front of Sri Rama with implicit humility in front of his master ready to listen and absorb the Upadesa and that is what is mentioned as 'agre vãchayati'.  But we are not to think that all the Upadesa are meant only for Ãnjaneya.  It is meant for all the assembled Rishis as indicated by, 'तत्-त्वं मुनिभ्य: परं व्याख्यान्तं', meaning what is Para Vidya of Parama Tattva was being elaborated upon by Sri Rama for the sake of all the assembled saints and sages through his teachings to Hanuman.  Dakshinamurthy is said to be seated alone and imparting knowledge by his silence, whereas here Sri Rama is seated with his wife and brothers and is giving verbal Upadesa for all of them to hear.   

33.          A rare nugget of information is that, not only Sri Rama but, Sita also is supposed to have given Upadesa to Hanuman as revealed by a great Adwaita Grantha known as 'Sitãrãma Ãnjaneyam' – 'सीताराम आञ्जनेयं', in the Telugu Language and there is a speciality in that.  There are rarely any original works on such esoteric subjects as Adwaitam in the languages other than Sanskrit.   Mostly they are translations from original Sanskrit texts.  So as an exception to the rule, to find an original book on such subjects in regional languages is very rare indeed!  Such a book in Telugu is Sitãrãma Ãnjaneyam' also known as 'Sitãrãma Ãnjaneya Samvãdamu'.    In that Vaidehi completely devoid of bodily consciousness gives Upadesa to Hanuman.  First she gives him the Tãraka Mantra.  It is just too good to be a recipient of Tãraka Mantra from one who is the very life of Sri Rama, isn't it?  After that Sri Rama gives Upadesa to Ãnjaneya on Sãnkhya Yoga and Amanaska Yoga, in much detail in that book. 

34.          Sita and Sri Rama were like the capitalist bosses and Hanuman was the worker from the proletariat community.  However much they may give him all their wealth, they could not have given it all since, Ãnjaneya being highly matured was neither in need nor would he bother about any wealth or assets, being very happy and satisfied in being able to be of service and in being devoted.  It is only that pair of husband and wife Sita – Rama who were not satisfied in their giving to Ãnjaneya.  So evidently they decided to give that wealth of wisdom to Ãnjaneya, which can never be depleted however much you may give away!  So they intended to give to Hanuman all their assets of Gnãna and thus gave him Upadesa.  Who are they?  Are they only representatives of the capitalist bosses / property owners?  No!  They are the very Mother and Father of the world who shower the people of the world all their Love and Grace as their children.  So evidently treating Ãnjaneya as their first baby, they became his Guru also.  So thus Ãnjaneya was so uniquely lucky to have Sita and Sri Rama as, 'Mother, Father, Guru and Deivam aka God rolled in to that one couple' – 'माता पिता गुरु व दैवं' – 'மாதா, பிதா, குரு, தெய்வம்'!

35.          More than any other book in the world, what is said in the Upanishads – known as 'Sruti Siras' – 'श्रुति सिरस्', meaning the head of all metaphysical teachings of the Vedas, whatever is said in it has such unique and special value.  That way there are 108 Upanishads and amongst them all is this 'Muktikopanishad' – 'मुक्तिकोपनिशद', that is the one containing what Sri Rama advised to Hanuman.  It can be interpreted to mean 'A Upanishad that imparts Mukti' or 'A Pearl amongst all Upanishads'.  So it means that at the end of the Vedas, Sri Rama comes as the Guru with Hanuman as the Sishya.  If the name itself is one capable of imparting Mukti, it occurs at the end or head of all Upanishads, which are known as the Head of all Vedas!  That is how Sri Ramachandra Murthy is instructing and Ãnjaneya hears and receives it.  

36.          At the beginning of the Upanishad it is described as to how all the Rishis and Munis of the world have collected to listen to Sri Ramachandra Murthy preaching with Hanuman at the receiving end as the honoured Sishya.  It is said that Sanaka, Sanãtana, Sanandana and Sanat Kumãra; the four Rishis who received Upadesa from Dakshinamurthy were also there amongst the assembled lot.  Ãnjaneya kept asking questions one after the other, like milking the cow till the last drop, as the Upanishad proceeds.  He says, "Rama!  You, who are a personification of Satchitãnandam, is like an icon for me.  I am desirous of Mukti that is, release from the never ending cycle of birth and death and I am desirous of knowing the very form of 'Tattva'.  Please sanction my Mukti by telling me about that".

37.          In the first chapter of that Upanishad, as requested by Ãnjaneya, Sri Rama lists the names of all 108 Upanishads.  It has details of which Upanishad belongs to which branch of the Vedas.  It has information about what is the Shanti Mantra to be uttered with each Upanishad in order of its study of Adhyayanam.  Before this there are details how the Vedas are divided and as to which Veda has which branches.  For all the 108 Upanishads, it is like a ready reckoner!  For all of us this Upanishad is like a boon and blessing at the behest of Sri Ãnjaneya.

38.          We refer to Sri Rama as the 'Maryãdã Purushottam' – 'मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तं', as he is best among Ideals to be emulated.  In fact that epithet is equally applicable to our Hanuman / Ãnjaneya too.  Whatever greatness he had – physical power, mental acumen, strength of devotion, efficiency in work, fearlessness, service orientation, control of the senses, general knowledge par excellence and the quality of Vinaya – for all of those excellent character qualities of his, we should think of him as our Guru and follow his path.  As Tulasidas called him 'Sakala GuNa Nidhãnam', more than all this, his Gnãnam was the highest, like the end point of all his greatness.  In that, by getting Upadesa from his Master he has taught us all a lesson that, though till we are involved in these worldly activities however righteously we may be living with Dharma as the guiding principle, finally to reach the shore we have to aspire for Gnãnam as the Sri to be attained.  Such an aspiration should be in us already, is the lesson.

39.          Thus while he is like a Guru for us in so many ways, the most important lesson taught by him is that, we should know ourselves to be Sishyas throughout life and keep learning our lessons; by being a good student himself till the end!  Smilingly our PeriyavãL says, "He is a Guru for us all who teaches us as to how to be a good Sishyas!"  Guru Ãnjaneya in the garb of a Sishya and Ramachandra Murthy as his Guru – if we have their SmaraNam in our minds, it is enough – that by proceeding on the righteous path we will also attain to wellness.

(With that, these translations of Deivathin Kural going on since June 2006, comes to an end.)

Sambhomahadeva