DEIVATHIN KURAL # 32 (Vol # 7) Dated 28 Aug 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 32 (Vol # 7) Dated 28 Aug 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 page No 222 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)

312.            The sloka starting with 'गुरुर ब्रह्मा' is very famous         alright, but there is an equally good one by Thiru Moolar in Tamil, which is just the thing for melting one's heart in devotion and adulation for the Guru: -

"theLivu guruvin thirumeni kaaNdal

"தெளிவு குருவின் திருமேனி காண்டல்

(Clarity it is - to see the personage of the preceptor.)

theLivu guruvin thirunãmam cheppal

தெளிவு குருவின் திருநாமம் செப்பல்

(Clarity it is – to take his name.)

theLivu guru uru sindittal dãne"

தெளிவு குரு உரு சிந்தித்தல் தானே".

(Clarity it is – to meditate on his form.)  Having said some such sloka on Guru, one can start ones prayers or PãrãyaNam.  Here also a word of caution.  Some slokas are very powerful such as Lalitha Sahasranãma, Lalitha Trisati and Thiru Murugãrruppadai. It is better if they are received through a Guru or some such elder who is known to lead a pious life.  It is good to do so three times, for him to say and for you to repeat or at least once.  The idea is that a Mantra or some such sloka received 'guru mukamãga' – 'குரு முகமாக', is much more powerful and effective.  In the case of Lalitha Trisati, one of the 'Moola Mantra-s' of AmbãL should be formally ('kramamãga' – 'க்ரமமாக') obtained as an Upadesa from a Guru before learning to chant that Sloka.

313.            Even Slokas with Mantra Shakti, if we are ordered by a Mahatma to chant, such an order itself can be taken as Upadesa and obeyed.  Point I am making is that everyone can and should chant most of the slokas on their own and they are meant for such common chanting only, to enable the masses to get acquainted with those slokas and thereby become devotionally oriented.  Similarly in each household we could have a Pooja after a Guru Dhyãna as a simple procedure.  The Sãstry or Purohit, who takes care of the family in conduct of religious functions, could be the Guru to start the Panchãyatana Pooja in your households.  Even simple chanting of slokas, it is preferable to have someone as a Guru to initiate the process, as most of them do have some Mantra in them.  To feel that 'He is the Guru and we are the disciples', that attitude is important so as to obviate the feeling, that, 'I am doing a Pooja' or 'Do you know that I have been doing that Pooja for 25 years?'

314.            I am having two opposing thoughts.  On the one hand I look at the primary importance given to the Guru in our Sãstrãs when related to the scant courtesy shown to elders in the present day world, I wish to emphasise the 'Guru is needed and essential'.  On the other hand I do not want to deprive the common man an opportunity to be inculcating Bhakti, just because he could not find a suitable Guru, that in the bargain they will not chant even the simple slokas, and not do any pooja or stotra PãrãyaNam!  So I am tending to compromise as much as possible!  Normally, people in such positions as me, as the Head of Dharma Peeta-s, should not be compromising on matters of Sãstrã at all.  Because if Heads of such institutions start compromising, then people further down the channel or Heads of other such organizations will continue doing the same, so that there will be nobody observing or following the rule of the law whatsoever as given in the Sãstrãs.  So, as far as possible, we are supposed to be strict in the application of Rule of the Law as far as the Sãstrãs are concerned.  That is how I am persevering about which many may be feeling bad that I am not very practical!  May be many are sad or even annoyed that I am too conservative.  They may be feeling, "What is this Swãmiyar!  Not understanding the plight we are in, not understanding the changed circumstances of life today, he is just talking about some eerie past!"  Whereas I am in the state of an ant running between either ends of a piece of wood, both of which are burning as the Tamil adage says, 'iru thalaik koLLi erumbu pol' – 'இரு தலைக் கொள்ளி எறும்பு போல்'! 

315.            My view is like this.  Anyhow depending on present conditions people will do some compromises on their own.  Why should I make it official?  May be when conditions permit, they will return to doing things as required in the Sãstrãs.  But my giving them licence to go against the Sãstrãs may prove to be deleterious in the long run in that, they are likely to have a convenient excuse, "PeriyavãL himself has approved!"  If some of them are thinking of returning to the ways of Sãstrãs, I would prove to be the one to give them licence not to do so!  So, I am running the risk of being called 'too conservative'!  It is alright.  So, I am saying a few things keeping the changed present day circumstances in mind.  Then I am also insisting on a few things as inviolable as per the requirements of the Sãstrãs.

316.            In the Sãstrãs themselves there is one proviso as 'ãpad kãla dharma' – 'आपद काल धर्म', that is, relaxation in rules that one is permitted in the times of peril.  These days are known as Kali Yuga in which the whole world has been deeply submerged in blatant materialism.  These times can be taken as really dangerous periods for Dharma and the partial relaxations that I have suggested as 'आपद काल धर्म' licences.  Ashtotras and Sata Namãvalis can be learnt and chanted or done with Archana on one's own.  But, some of them if starting with 'Bija Akshara' Mantras they should be learnt and started with Guru's permission only.  Anyhow whatever it is the value of chanting and PãrãyaNam is more if done through the aegis of a Guru.  In times of trouble and when one is unwell, some strict rules may be relaxed.  But once clear of such 'ãpad kãla' periods, it is prudent to go back to the old way as per Sãstrãs.  You might have heard of something known as 'ãpad Sannyãsa'.  When a person knows that his death is imminent, he may feel that is better that before his mortal coil drops off, he should take Sannyãsa.  At such moments he may do so on his own.  But, after some time if he is still alive, it would be better that he approaches a suitable Guru and take Sannyãsa in a formal manner.  So, I hope that I have made myself clear on this issue of when to and when not to relax the rules of the Sãstrãs. 

317.            Anyhow, there is one medicine for this Kali Yuga especially, the sweet medicine of Nãma PãrãyaNam and Bhajan.  These things can be done quite informally.  Nãma PãrãyaNam of 'Siva, Rama, Govinda, Narayana' and such can be done without the PraNava Mantra, at any time.  Even in this it is preferable to do a small Dhyãna and think of your Guru, before you commence.  That itself will instil Vinaya on the one side and also work as a tonic.  Of course even in the case of simple Nãma PãrãyaNam, it is best to start doing so at least the first time through verbal initiation by some elder who is known to be all the time chanting those divine names.  That is why even Bible debars taking the name of God in vain!  Anyhow, you do not have to postpone taking God's name because of this embargo.  The embargo is against 'taking God's Name in vain and not against taking God's name with love and Shraddha'!

Guru for Public at Large – If Not a Personal Guru

318.            All the people should think of God constantly.  For this there should be more prayers, Bhajans, PãrãyaNam, and Pooja and such activities should all the time be increasing.  At the same time PaNivu and Adakkam as a quality in people should be imbibed for one to be able to conquer one's own ego and pride.  That does not mean that one should be lacking in self-confidence.  It is the conceit that has to be won over.  For that you need a Guru to whom with genuine respect we should be devoted.   For this all the lakhs and crores of the populations of the world need to have a Guru.  To cultivate each and every individual like that, will there be people to hold that position and status as a Guru?  That too, in the present day world, when it has become the in-thing to accept any 'Tom, Dick and Harry' as leaders and idols if there is enough following (like in face-book or twitter) and question the credentials if anybody is known as a religious Guru; even if there are worthy Gurus, to know such worth and approach them with humility, how is it all to happen?  It is still a million dollar question as to whether all the millions will find a suitable Guru to have the intimate relationship with, as it is supposed to be between a Sishya and Guru, I wonder!

318.            At the same time, we also note that, all the people of the world believe in someone or the other, as a Great Mahatma, a saintly man or some such thing.  Though this period in history has got a sobriquet as the 'era of distrust and disbelief', if a cinema actor can have millions of followers, everyone who calls himself a Guru has enormous following.  People in hordes collect around the so called God-Men of this world in countless numbers.  Though they do collect around in such masses not all of them are truly believed and followed!  While it is also true that many of them are truly great and many of their followers do sincerely follow them in word and spirit!  Those saintly persons do advice their followers the value of making one's own life divine and how to make one's life religiously effective.  Though initially people go to them for solving their problems or to get their wants and desire fulfilled, as time passes there is noticeable and substantial good in such an arrangement as they do try and follow the Upadesa practically in their lives.  It is here that Mahatma becomes their Guru and their followers their disciples. 

319.            If the followers are many those Gurus cannot have individual relationship with all of the followers.  But they generally give Upadesa to the masses.  If the devotees decide to follow the Upadesa in letter and spirit, they become the followers automatically in the true sense.  They may not get individual 'Mantra Upadesa', but he says in the loud-speaker and the whole lot of them repeat the Mantra and that is as good as each one getting a Guru of his own and getting 'Guru Mukha' Upadesam.  You see I am here in Kãmakoti Peetam as Jagat Guru and there are others like me in the other such Peetams established by our ÃchãryãL with the same title as the Jagat Guru.  But do we separately and individually give Upadesa to each and every man?  It just cannot be done.  What we do is to generally tell you all about what our ÃchãryãL has spoken about divinity and how to conduct oneself in this life that gets conveyed to the other people of the world through the Newspaper / Magazines / Television and other such media.  So, many people of the world are considering us as the Guru and themselves as our followers. 

320.            Thus a 'Mahatma' should be approached as one's Guru and whatever we do in terms of Bhajan or PãrãyaNam, should be done after paying our respects to that Guru and all the Gurus of the world.  Thyagaraja SwamigaL paid his respects to – 'entaro mahãnubhãvulu', meaning 'many great people of great experience' and I am saying 'எவரோ மஹானுபாவுலு', as to whosoever he may be of the past present and future would-be greats, we should pay our regards to them also before we start our Pooja or Bhajan. 

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva