ACHARYAS'S CALL PART 2.pdf

Acharya's Call Part-II

H.H. JAGADGURU’S Madras Discourses (1957-1960)

Part II

Index

1 Preface

2

Foreword

3 Publisher’s Note

4 Introduction

5

6 Shrimukham

7 SANATANA DHARMA - ITS UNIQUE FEATURES

8 PRESERVATION OF VEDIC LORE

9 Temple Worship

10 Heritage of South India

11 Blending of Jnana and Bhakti

12 Development of Kshatra Dharma

13 Cultural Unity of India

14 Drama in Ancient India

15 Hindu Religious Practices

16 Linguistic and Religious Concord

17 The Roots of Religions

18 Sanyasins and Duty of Society

19 Religious Reform Movements

20 Soldier of Vedic Religion

21 Keep the Epics Green

22

Welfare of Society

23 Spiritual Values

24 Intellectual Comradeship

25 Education and Gurukula System

26 Silent Meditation before Lessons

27 Knowledge of Sanskrit

28 Akshamaala

29 The Path of Good Life

30 Lead Simple Life

31 Our Food Habits

32 Exercise of Control

33 Simple Living

34 Simple Living Habits

35 Disciplined Life

36 Purity of Food

37 Purpose of Life

38 Clean Way of Life

39 True Guide to Conduct

40 Way to Get Rid of Evil

41 Preservation of Virtue

42 Attainment of Saanti

43

The Significance of Maunam

44 Observance of Silence

45 Universal Love

46 Prema and Ahimsa

47 Praise and Blame

48 God-Realization through Music

49 Popularization of Devotional Songs

50 Efficacy of Naama Bhajana

51 Tiruppavai-Tiruvembavai

52 Evils of Dowry System

53 Marriage and Parental Responsibility

54 Bank to Finance Marriages

55 Utilization of Surplus Funds of Temples

56 Care of Cows

57 Manual Labor for Public Purposes

58 Religious Needs of Destitutes

59 Righteous Living

60 Battle against Adharma

61 Interview with His Holiness

62 Kumbhabhishekam at Adayapalam

63 Teaching of Spiritual Values

64 Japanese Professor’s Interview

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H.H. JAGADGURU’S Madras Discourses

(1957-1960)

Part II

1 Preface

The Paramacharya's stay in Madras in 1957-58 produced a treasure trove of words of eternal wisdom, which were reported in The Hindu then and were later, in 1964 and 1968, brought out in book form, in two volumes. These books have been out of print for long, and The Hindu reports are not available to the general reader.

As part of the centenary celebrations of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, the Acharyas of the Kamakoti Peetam, Sri Jayendra Saraswati and Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, launched a programme of making available the Paramacharya's discourses as widely as possible in the form of books/booklets and audio-video cassettes. It was their desire that the Madras discourses, made nearly forty years ago, be reprinted, and The Hindu's publisher, Sri S. Rangarajan, and Editor, Sri. N. Ravi, readily agreed to underwrite the publication.

The original two volumes have been completely revised and reset. The earlier chronological order has been changed to subject-wise regrouping. Some minor editing has been done, taking out some portions which are now out of date. All this was done under the guidance of Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, who also set a timeframe for the work. I consider it my good fortune and a blessing that this task was, by chance, entrusted to me. And in fulfilling it, valuable assistance was rendered by Sri N.S. Parthasarathi, who took care of the technical aspects of the production, so ably done by Sri Maruthy Laser Printers. Sri. T.T. Vasu was of great help in procuring rare photographs, which have also been drawn from The Hindu Library, and from the collections of Sri Kumar (Vignesh) and Sri Om Subramaniam, photographers. The cover was designed by Sri Uday Shankar while Sri. R. Ranga Rao and Sri Vijay Anand worked on the layout for the picture pages and Sri, P.C. Jayaraman assisted in correcting the proofs Sri. N. Sivaramakrishnan, son of Acharyasevaratna K. Nilakantan of B.G. Paul and Co., who brought out the late V. Ramakrishna Aiyer's reports in book form for the Kamakoti Kosasthanam, readily consented to the reprint of the volumes.

K. Narayanan

Madras

February 1995

Book Compiled by

V. Ramakrishna Aiyer

Retired Deputy Chief Reporter

The Hindu, Madras

Publishers

Sri Kamakoti Peetam

Sri Sankaracharya Swami Mutt

1, Salai Street, Kanchipuram – 631 502


(1957-1960)

Part II

2 Foreword

(First Edition, Part II) All over the world, during the ages, several thinkers have attempted to define the purpose of life, the relationship between man and his Creator, and to understand the Creator. It is only through devotion that man can know or experience his Creator or God. To attempt to explain God is well nigh impossible. The great Buddha maintained silence when he was questioned about the nature of Reality. Jesus Christ maintained silence when Pontius Pilate questioned him as to the nature of Truth. To understand God one should cast off force, fear, arrogance, desire, anger, sense of possession and ego and should be devoted to his duty with a feeling that he is discharging his divine functions. To succeed in such an effort, divine grace is essential.

To help man to reach God many saints have made their appearances in our holy land. One of the foremost in that distinguished order is Sri Sankara Bhagavatpadal. Sri Adi Sankara’s Advaita philosophy is considered one of the greatest expositions of Hindu thought and philosophy. Such great men guide us in our search for God. Our Kanchi Kamakoti Peetathipathi Jagadguru Sri

Sankaracharya belongs to the distinguished line of successors of Sri Adi Sankara. This saint, whose seventy-fifth Jayanti we are celebrating, is one of the foremost religious teachers and preceptors in our present day world. To meet him is a thrilling experience and to know him is a rare privilege. He is overflowing in his affection and sympathy and words of encouragement for the countless people who flock to him with their tales of woe. His benign smile and sparkling eyes are sources of great solace to his devotees. By his soft and kind words the thoughts of people are turned towards making themselves better men and women and for invoking the grace of God.

The sanctity of a religion depends upon its Holy Men. The Hindu religion owes its pre-eminence to the great saints it has produced throughout the ages. It is our good fortune that in our midst we have the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetathipathi whose exposition of God and religion is unparalleled.

It is fortunate that Sri V. Ramakrishna Iyer recorded the discourses of the Kanchi Acharya during his visit to Madras City in 1957. The subjects covered by His Holiness are varied and with sincere zeal and devotion and with the blessings of the Acharya, Sri Ramakrishna Iyer has fulfilled his assignment with great credit. This is the second of the two very precious volumes of the Acharya’s discourses that is being published by Sri K. Nilakantan. The public owe a deep debt of gratitude to Sri Ramakrishna Iyer and Sri Nilakantan.

On the seventy-fifth Jayanthi of the Kanchi Acharya let us all pray for his long life and perfect health so that he may continue to shed divine light to guide us along the path leading to God.

“Muruganadi” Kasturi Ranga Iyengar Road, P.S. Kailasam Madras Judge, Madras High Court 12th May 1968.


(1957-1960)

Part II

3 Publisher’s Note

(First Edition, Part II)

We consider it a great privilege and blessing to bring out this Second Part of the collection of the discourses delivered by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha, during his stay in the City of Madras from September 1957 to the end of 1959. It is a matter of supreme satisfaction that the release of this volume coincides with the 75th Birthday of His Holiness on 2nd May 1968.

We wish to place on record our gratitude to the Hon’ble Mr. Justice P.S.Kailasam, Judge, Madras High Court, who has contributed a valuable forward to this volume.

Our thanks are also due to the Management of The Hindu, for permitting us to use, in the preparation of this volume, the discourses that were published in the columns of The Hindu.

Madras, B.G.Paul & Co. 24-5-1964 Publishers


(1957-1960)

Part II

4 Introduction

(First Edition)

I am greatly indebted to Mr. K. Nilakantan of Messrs. B.G. Paul & Co., for having entrusted me with the task of editing and preparing manuscripts of the discourses of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, which appeared in the columns of The Hindu, for publication of the same in book form.

Consequently, I am faced with the task of preparing a short introduction to this collection of Upadesas. But it is not possible to write an introduction in this case without striking a personal note and without making a public confession.

On September 23, 1957, I was “assigned”, to use a journalistic expression, to report the arrival of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam at and his ceremonial entry into the city of Madras. As I had not the good fortune of receiving the darshan of His Holiness previously, I went to my “duty” in a professional attitude, little realizing the unique experience that awaited me. The first sight of His Holiness sent a thrill through my body and brought about an indescribable mental revolution. A glance from that shining benevolent eyes and a comforting gesture from that hand, which caused a wave of peace to engulf one, made me to surrender to him unreservedly.

I could have discharged the duty assigned to me that day to the satisfaction of my office, by covering the reception accorded to His Holiness at “Farm House”, by Mr. Kasturi Srinivasan and the members of his family and prominent citizens constituting the Reception Committee, and then winding up my report by mentioning that His Holiness and Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swami were taken in procession in decorated palanquins to the Sanskrit College, indicating the route taken by the procession. But I found myself unable to move away from that divine presence and without any conscious effort on my part, I followed the procession, noting down everything that happened en route. It was only after His Holiness retired late in the night at the Sanskrit College that I managed to drag my feet home.

From then on began my regular visits to the Mutt every day. For the first few days, I contented myself with watching the pooja from a distance and offering my obeisance to His Holiness physically, whenever possible, and mentally always. I had not the courage to push myself forward to be in his close quarters. The more I saw that frail body radiating spirituality, and those eyes filled with concern for the welfare of humanity, the more I realized my default in not having come under his benign charm earlier. For, though His Holiness had stayed at Madras for a considerable time 25 years ago, it never even once occurred to me then to see him. It is this feeling of having committed an apachara that pricked my conscience every time I saw him. This is the confession I have to make openly in order to lighten the burden of my heart.

But after His Holiness began his daily discourses, I was pushed to the front by my good friends Mr. K. Nilakantan and Prof. P. Sankaranarayanan. I took down notes for the first few days, without venturing to produce reports for The Hindu myself, due to the sincere feeling that I was ill-equipped for such a job. Therefore, The Hindu carried the reports kindly sent by Prof. Sankaranarayanan, trimmed by me to meet the space requirements of the paper. After a few days, I was emboldened to produce the reports myself. I, however, took care to have them revised either by Prof. Sankaranarayanan or by Swami Anandananda of the Kamakoti Mutt. My anxiety all along had been that I should not mis-report His Holiness in my ignorance. I subsequently learnt that some of the reports which I left with Swami Anandananda for revision were actually

perused by His Holiness, touched up and approved. What a great honor and what a blessing! Subsequently also I sought the help of Prof. Sankaranaryanan for preparing the reports of discourses involving intricate philosophic ideas.

The reporting of the speeches of His Holiness for The Hindu was not an official assignment. It was an additional duty gladly and voluntarily undertaken by me. When typing out the reports I had a unique experience which I would like to share with the readers. Every day I used to sit at my typewriter offering my obeisance mentally to His Holiness. Ideas and expressions would pass through my mind as if somebody was dictating to me from behind. My reports used to take shape in that way and even today, I am conscious that I could not have produced those reports without the abundant grace of His Holiness. For the publication of the reports in the columns of The Hindu, I am thankful to the late Mr. Kasturi Srinivasan, who encouraged me to give those reports and also directed that they should not be “killed” for want of space, but should be published when space was available, no matter even if there was an interval between the date of the speech and its publication.

This is the personal note I have to strike before coming to the point. The speeches appearing in this volume are reproductions off the reports which appeared in The Hindu. What I have done is to change the indirect form of the newspaper report to the direct form, to alter a word here and a word there to bring out the meaning more clearly, and to add Sanskrit verses and Tamil sayings quoted by His Holiness. If any mistake has crept in, it should be attributed to my ignorance and if any speech is appreciated, it should be regarded as the outcome of the grace of His Holiness. For, at no time have I entertained the feeling that I have reported the speeches of His Holiness on account of my ability.

My hearty thanks are due to The Hindu for permitting me to reproduce the articles in book form.

Finally, I have to thank Mr. Nilakantan once again for undertaking to publish the speeches in book form.

V. Ramakrishna Aiyer

Retired Deputy Chief Reporter,

The Hindu.


(1957-1960)

Part II

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(1957-1960)

Part II

6 Shrimukham

Sri Chandramouleeswaraswamy Namaha

Sri Sankarabhagavadpadacharya Paramparaagatha

Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peedathipathi Jagadguru

Sri Sankaracharya Swamigal Avargal

Sri Matam Samasthanam

No. 1, Salai Street Kanchipuram 631502

Camp: Chetpet, Madras 26.2.1995

In the unbroken line of preceptors from Adi Sankara Bhagavadpada, our beaconlight in the Sanatana Vaideeka Marga, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, the 68th Sankaracharya, shone as bright as Adi Sankara. It was the good fortune of his devotees, and of his century, that he was the exemplar for promoting people’s knowledge, faith and interest in the Karma-Bhakti-Jnana marga. For the learned and the layman he expounded words of wisdom. These run to over 4000 pages and are being published in various languages. His discourses, during his 1957-58 stay in Madras, were then published in The Hindu and later in book form. We are happy that The Hindu family and in particular, Rangarajan and Ravi, are planning to reprint the book. K. Narayanan, Deputy Editor, Frontline, has done the compiling of the volumes. We pray to Mahatripurasundari Sametha Sri Chandramouleeswara that devotees should read and benefit from this book and that those engaged in this noble task should be the recipients of all bounties, and offer our blessings.

Bhava Varsham Magha Krishna Dwadasi Narayanasmriti Bhanu Vasaram


(1957-1960)

Part II

7 SANATANA DHARMA - ITS UNIQUE FEATURES

We have the rare privilege of being born as human beings and we desire to live happily in this world. Pain and sorrow, trials and tribulations, these provide the incentive to think about the course of our lives, about the causes of our grief, and the way to overcome them. Our present troubles are the effect of some cause, near or remote. This ultimate cause of our suffering must be spotted out and destroyed. All other remedies will be only temporary and palliative. If the root cause of the suffering is not tackled, the suffering is bound to recur, if not in the same form, in some other form.

Great religious leaders directed their attention to the discovery of the root cause of suffering, and each of them offered a solution, which he felt, was the best to eradicate the root cause. The Buddha was oppressed by the sufferings he found all around him. He wanted to find a solution and help mankind to overcome those sufferings. He realized that he could help others only if he found enlightenment in himself. He went in quest of this enlightenment. He sought out various teachers; but none of the methods suggested by them appealed to him. Finally he sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree and enlightenment dawned on him. He formulated his theory of illusion (soonya vaadam). He felt that the only way to remain unaffected by any trouble is to realize that everything in the world is an illusion, and, in that realization, to remain unaffected by pain as well as pleasure.

Christianity did not correlate sin and sufferings as cause and effect. According to it, men are sinners, and can expiate their sins only by believing in Christ. It also averred that the present life is the only life vouchsafed to us, and salvation is a case of now or never. There is no future or past life according to that religion. It is the same with Islam also. Belief in Christ or Prophet Mohammed, as the case may be, is the only way to go to heaven. According to both these religions, the unbelievers went to hell. As these two religions did not believe in another birth after the present one, the entire emphasis in their teachings was on going to heaven after death.

Hinduism, on the other hand, postulates a series of births, and proclaims that the sorrows and sufferings of each life, like its joys, are the result of our karmas (deeds) in our past lives. Consequently the Hindus do not speak of eternal damnation, as the Christians and Muslims do. The Buddha too believed in karmas and cycle of births because he was the product of the Vedic tradition.

The logical consequence of the assertion that only those who believed in Christ or in Prophet Mohammed, as the case may be, will go to heaven, is that those who were born in the world before the advent of Christ or Prophet did not attain salvation. This position cannot be acceptable. Moreover, these two religions did not give a rational explanation for present sufferings or provide a remedy for them. The Hindu theory of karma and cycle of births and deaths alone offered a satisfactory explanation. Each person has "earned" the sorrows of his present life, as he has "earned" its joys, by his karmas in a previous life, and can "earn" happiness in his present and future lives, by the performance of good karmas.

The special feature of Hindu religion is that there is no sanction in the Sastras for proselytisation. But other religions believe in conversion. Some people are genuinely worried over the gradual depletion of the Hindu fold by conversion to other religions and ask whether we should not also do propaganda for our religion and adopt the method of congregational worship prevailing in other religions. This view led to the founding of the Brahmo Samaj, the Arya Samaj, and the Hindu MahaSabha. But their hold on the public has weakened after the passing away of the founders of these movements.

If there is no suffering in this world, there can obviously be no scope for religious propaganda or for conversion. A passenger getting down from a train is besieged by drivers of a variety of conveyances, each claiming merit for his conveyance and trying to get the "fare" for himself. The object of all of them is to take the traveler to his destination. Similarly missionaries of each religion try to get at the suffering man and tell him that by embracing that particular religion, he will go to heaven. Christianity has spread in the world through the enthusiasm of the evangelist missionary, who sincerely feels that his is the last and truest word in religion. To save the

heathen soul, he uses the unlimited monetary resources behind him, feeling that there is nothing wrong in offering inducements like jobs, medical relief and education, in order to get converts, whose souls, he sincerely believes, will thereby be saved. According to historians, Islam forged ahead with the help of the sword. The Muslim religious leaders obviously felt honestly that even threat can be employed to rescue the unbeliever.

Buddhism preached ahimsa and universal love. The love (anbu- ) that overflowed the heart of the Buddha and his sincere disciples, attracted people to that religion. The spring of life or 'uyirnilai' ( ) of Buddhism is this outflow of love. The uyirnilai of Hinduism is the generation of love in others by the precept and practice of highly developed individual souls. The scrupulous adherence to karmaanushtana (observance of religious discipline and practices) and the moral excellence (aatma guna) of great men account for the survival of Hindu religion in such large measure, in spite of vicissitudes. The spiritual eminence of these few men and their all-embracing love, sustained the faith of the multitude, who felt drawn towards them, like bees to flowers and bats to fruits. Buddhism laid emphasis on the practice of love to all; in Hinduism, the cardinal principle is to develop that love in oneself as the fragrance of the soul. The great men of the Hindu religion did not profess to uplift or save others by their teachings; they made themselves pure and their precept and practice made for the spiritual education of those who came in contact with them. One, who is not himself pure, cannot teach others to be so.

There is evidence to show that the Vedic religion is the most ancient religion and was once current in most parts of the world. Now it has shrunk within the confines of this country, as new religions gained their hold in other lands. Why and how did these new religions appear and how did they grow? The reason is to be sought in our faltering allegiance to the Vedic religion and our fitful observance of its practices. The "weakness" of our religion, about which people are worried, is not due to our not doing propaganda for it, but to our own lack of faith in it and our own failure to conform to its tenets. In fact, propaganda is not sanctioned, for, it is enjoined that one should not be told unasked and one who has no devotion, should not be told the truth (Naaprishtah kasyachit brooyat, naabhaktaaya kadachana ( :

). The strength of a religion does not lie in the numbers of those who practice it; but in the conduct of those who practice it. The best "propagandist" for the Hindu religion is the Hindu who lives up to its tenets. It is on account of such great men that our religion survives even to-day.

Another significant feature of our religion is that it has no name, because at one time no other religion existed. As it taught the practice of eternal dharma, it was referred to only as Sanaatana Dharma. When other religions came into existence, they were called by the names of their founders, to distinguish them from the prevailing Vedic religion. To preserve our religion, it is

wrong to resort to the methods employed by the competing religions. On the other hand, we should fall back on the uyirnilai (life breath) of our own religion, i.e., on karmaanushtaana as taught in it. There is no need even to combine in congregational patterns. Ours is purely a religion of the individual. When an individual perfects himself, his example will be emulated by others. The true prayer is not for getting relief from suffering, but for keeping out evil thoughts from the mind and for making good thoughts always dwell there. When misfortunes one after another overtook the Pandavas, Kunti prayed that they should be vouchsafed strength to remember God constantly. According to Hinduism, the only way to get rid of sin is to perform the prescribed karmas by which the accrued sins will be expiated and fresh sins will be warded off. The discipline of karmaanushtaana will make for health and for purity of body and mind. The way of religion is not to grieve over suffering, but to pray that evil thought may not get a foot-hold in the mind in moments of distress. Then the power of endurance will develop and suffering itself will lose its sting. Such a perspective is the outcome of jnana and jnana has to be acquired by each individual by his own efforts. That is why our religion is individualistic and not congregational in nature. Even when untouchability is observed, there is no hatred behind it, like the racial hatred of Africa. Universal love always prevails and that is the reason why in spite of strong temptations, a large section of the Hindu community refuses to change the faith. This should make us bestir ourselves and to see that this climate of love is felt by all. This can be done by our getting over our spiritual bankruptcy and producing living examples of austerity and devotion (karmaanushtaana bhakti). The vitality and endurance of our religion depend on our individual purity. If it declines due to lack of propaganda or due to conversion, there is no need for alarm. But nothing will hasten the decay of Hinduism so much as the moral weakness and spiritual bankruptcy of each one of us.

A religion that depends for its propagation on the power of wealth or force must decline when another religion which has the backing of greater wealth or mightier force comes into existence. But a religion like ours, whose strength is derived from the purity of the individual adherent, has no such fears. We require enthusiasm not to save others, but to save (purify) ourselves. If we purify ourselves through prayer, meditation, and other forms of discipline, enjoined by our religion, Love, that is God, will dwell in our hearts and direct our deeds. That will give us the enlightenment to realize the oneness off the Seer and the Seen. Living examples of such realized souls will help our religion to withstand all vicissitudes and promote universal welfare.


(1957-1960)

Part II

8 PRESERVATION OF VEDIC LORE

(Speech delivered by His Holiness at a special meeting convened by the Mutt, which was attended by a large and distinguished gathering, including those connected with Veda and Sastra patasalas in the moffussil.)

It is more than one year since I came to Madras. Compared to others, who came here after me, I have become an 'old' resident of Madras. In one sense I am glad to be here. Even before I came to Madras, the work of renovating the gopuram of the Sri Kapaleeswarar temple was undertaken and I had the opportunity of having darshan of this gopuram. After my arrival in Madras, the renovation of the gopurams of the Sri Kesava Perumal Temple and the Sri Madhava Perumal Temple was undertaken and the work on the former has been completed. Recently the work on the renovation of the gopuram of Sri Anjaneya Temple, near the Sanskrit College, has started. Such acts of devotion have considerable significance in the life of the people. The atmosphere may be filled with thoughts of hatred; but when a few people engage themselves in such noble deeds, the beneficent effects of their deeds will bring about a climate of peace and harmony.

Madras State is a land of temples and gopurams. It is but right that this State should adopt the gopuram as its emblem. Our Government has adopted the Upanishadic saying, Satyameva Jayate as its motto. I am glad that it finally decided to stick to the Upanishadic form and retained the word, Jayate and did not change it into Jayati. It is not enough to have a motto; it should be put into practice. I am, however, hopeful that when once a right motto has been chosen, it will come to be practiced in due course. It is also significant that the wheel of Dharma adorns the centre of the National Flag. It may be asked whether the Dharma Chakra is not a Buddhistic emblem. The wheel is a Hindu idea and you will find in the Gita the reference, Evem pravartitam chakram - so functions the wheel. God Narayana holds a chakra, a wheel in His hand. Ancient Tamil literature speaks of the Aravaazhi ( ) or Dharma Chakra. It is possible that the Buddhists borrowed this idea of the wheel from the Gita. There is no reason to feel that we are imitating Buddhism.

Huge gopurams came to be constructed for temples, mentioned in the devotional songs of the Saivite and Vaishnavite Saints, namely, the Naayanmaars and Aazhvaars. When philanthropic members of the Nagarathar community and the Thengalai Chettiars of Madras thought of renovating temples, they selected the temples about which these saints had sung. Most of the temple gopurams came into existence towards the end of the Chola dynasty and the Vijayanagar dynasty. Most of these were constructed in brick and mortar. Achyutadeva Raya, who succeeded the famous Krishnadeva Raya, wanted to construct gopurams in granite for 64 temples. Foundations were laid for them and his direction was that all of them should be completed by the time he returned from a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. Two of the temples selected were those at Srirangam and at Tiruvanaikoil, lying within a distance of one mile from each other. Both the places are in the Srirangam island, and granite for constructing the towers had to be conveyed across rivers. However, the ambition of Achyutadevaraya could not be fulfilled. The gopuram at Srirangam rose only to the first tier, and even now it is called the "Raya Gopuram". Huge granite pillars intended for the gopuram can be seen standing at Tiruvanaikoil. There are, however, Vimanas in granite in a number of temples. Vimana is the roof over the sanctum sanctorum of a temple. One such Vimana is at Gangaikonda Chozhapuram. In recent times a philanthropic gentleman completed the construction of a stone gopuram for the Sri Sukhavaneswarar temple in Salem. Speaking of gopurams, four tall gopurams in the South come to our mind. They are the gopurams of Sri Virupakshesvarar temple at Hampi, of the temple at Kalahasti, of the Sri Ekamresvarar temple at Kanchipuram, and of the Sri Sarangapani temple in Kumbakonam.

There is an interesting story connected with the gopuram of the Sri Sarangapani temple. The work was undertaken by a bachelor by name Lakshminarayana. He made it his mission in life. When pressed by his relations to marry, so that he may beget a son for performing his obsequies, he is said to have replied that if his devotion was sincere, God himself would perform the necessary ceremonies and enable his soul to ascend to heaven. It is said that on the death of Lakshminarayana, God took the form of a boy and performed his obsequies. This tradition is being maintained to this day, and every year the sraadha of this devotee forms part of the temple rituals.

How did the temples come into existence? From what do they derive authority for their sanctity? What is it that invests the minds of millions of devotees who behold the gopuram with a sense of reverential awe and piety? The temples derive their authority from the several South India Aagamas. The deities installed in them are sanctified through Vedic Hymns. Vedattin mandirattal ven manalum Sivamahi (

) - the white sands of the river bed raised to the dignity of Godhead by being sanctified by Veda mantras. Those who sanctified these deities were persons who strictly adhered to the prescribed observances, like niyama, aachara, aahara, and dhyaana. They dedicated and offered the fruits of their rigorous penance to the deity installed in the temple, and thus sanctified the image of God. They did this, not for their individual benefit, but with the object that the deity so sanctified may bestow grace on the worshipping public. Thus the Vedas, the spiritual life that they ordain, and the holy men who exemplified that ideal in their lives, constitute the very basis of the temple, not merely as a structure in brick and mortar, but as a religious institution making for the spiritual education of the people. The Archaeological Department spends time and money to study and explain the architectural and other external features of temples. But hardly any thought is bestowed on the ultimate basis of the temple institution, namely, the Vedas.

The Vedas are the roots of all Dharmas—Vedokhilo dharma moolam ( ). If the roots of a tree are exposed, the tree withers and dies. The Vedas are the hidden source of strength for everything. But, what are we doing to preserve this source? In South India, Kerala ranks first in the matter of Vedic studies. This is because the Upanayanam of a Namboodiri Brahmin is performed in his seventh year and within the next five or six years, he is made to master his branch of Veda. During this period the Namboodiri boys lead a life of rigorous discipline wearing only a loin cloth and sleeping on a deer skin. The present Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri Sankaran Nanbudiripad, is said to have undergone such a course of study. The next place in the matter of Vedic studies goes to the Telugu region. The encouragement for Vedic studies was provided by annual examination and Vidvat Sadas, held at Vijayawada during Navaraatri. Scholars were honored with cash presentations on this occasion and also given certificates testifying to their scholarship. These scholars used to return to their homes on foot, and en route, grihasthas, to whom they showed these certificates, also gave them generous gifts. At every marriage an amount was earmarked for making presents to Vedic Scholars. Tamil Nadu ranks third in Vedic studies. Now-a-days not many among us are devoted to Vedaadhyaana. We are exchanging landed properties for university diplomas.

All the Vedas centre on God. The Lord says in the Gita: Vedaischa sarvairahameva vedyah( :). This is an echo of a well-known passage in the Kathopanishad. There

is only one God and He is the Paramatma. He is the author of creation, preservation, and destruction. A tree springs to life from the earth; it is nourished by the earth; and becomes part of

the earth when it dies by decay. Similarly the entire Universe derives its being from God, is sustained by Him and finally merges into Him. The only unchanging and indestructible Being in the Universe is God. Other religions also proclaim the existence of only one God. If the God of another religion answers the attributes mentioned above, He must be accepted as that one and only God, but known by a different name. It is said that if this view is accepted, the bond of religions would become loose and the chances of conversion to other religions would increase. But that is not true. If the adherent of one religion comes to believe that the God proclaimed by his religion and the God proclaimed by another religion are the same, he will not change his religion; for, such an action will be tantamount to denying the God of the religion he professes, who is the same as the God of the religion which he proposes to embrace. He will thus be a traitor both to his former religion and to his new religion.

The Vedic religion is anterior to all religions which adopt this definition of God. Any person who thinks of forsaking the Vedas becomes untrue not only to God, but to his own self. If, in any two religions, God is defined in common as the Creator, Preserver, Destroyer, Forgiver and Liberator, for one belonging to either religion to give it up for the other is the greatest act of blasphemy and is, therefore, the grossest sin. The Vedas contain the immutable rules by which the Universe functions for all times, the past, the present, and the future. They determine the entire range of human relationship and activity. The Vedic injunctions govern our entire life from birth to death – nishekaadi smasaanaantam( ). We are now at a stage when we follow the Vedic injunctions by habit, without understanding their meaning or significance. If this attitude is allowed to continue, there is the danger of our losing the Vedic traditions, a loss not only to this country, but to the whole world. It is our duty to produce in sufficient numbers persons who make the Vedas their life-study and who are able to explain the Vedic mantras. According to the statistics available, the number of students learning the Vedas either privately or in patasalas is very small. More could be induced to take to Vedic studies by introducing a system of awarding cash prizes for every completed panchaadi. To produce persons understanding the meaning of the Vedas, a series of ten half-yearly tests have been introduced. The sixth test in the series was held recently and 50 scholars appeared for it. A sufficient cash present has to be given to keep these scholars going for the next six months, so that they can continue their studies. This scheme of examinations has been introduced and is in vogue under the auspices of the Math. With sufficient inducement, more scholars may come forward to make a life study of Veda Bhashya. The Vedas have to be studied from the mouth of a teacher. If their purity and efficacy are to be maintained, a dedicated and strictly disciplined life is necessary. That is the significance of the verse: Sikhaam pundramcha sootramcha samayaachaarameva cha, poorvairaacharitam kuryaat anyathaa patito bhavet (

).

It is distressing to find that most of the Veda Patasalas have now become defunct due to scarcity of students. It is the duty of the public to give a fillip to the Vedic studies, and help in their revival by providing livelihood for the Vedic students and the possibility of future prospects.

They should be given a respectable status in society, and the sense of frustration which they suffer should be removed from their minds. Astikaas all over India should create organizations suited to their own regional conditions to arrest the decline in Vedic study and knowledge and bring about their rejuvenation.


(1957-1960)

Part II

9 Temple Worship

One of our duties as human beings is to avail ourselves of every opportunity to do good to others. The poor can serve others by their physical labor and the rich by their wealth. Those of you who are influential can use your influence to better the condition of others. That way, we can keep alive in our hearts the sense of social service.

India is a poor country; but it is the poor that joined together in ancient times and built the grand temples and towers which we find today in every town and village of South India. The economy of those days was different from what it is now. People's wants were few and the surplus produce of the land was utilized to hire labor to build these great structures of public utility and spiritual admiration.

In the present day, social service is viewed in a different manner. Schools and hospitals are built and banks organized on a community basis with the object of eradicating ignorance, diseases and poverty. But it is evident that these forms of social service have not been an unmixed blessing. Education has not eradicated falsehood and corruption. On the other hand, unsophisticated tribal people, whom modern education has not reached, are found to be more honest than the so-called educated people. Confidence of obtaining cure in hospitals has made people lead reckless lives. All the banks that have come into existence have not succeeded in eradicating poverty among the masses.

In our modern mode of life, we have multiplied our wants. This will lead only to perpetual discontent. A life of extreme simplicity alone can bring contentment and happiness to the people. In this country, there are, what may be called, community temples. For instance at Avadayarkoil, it is the custom to offer large quantities of cooked rice to the presiding deity and this rice is made available to all at a nominal cost. In many temples the sense of community life is fostered by devoting special days and occasions for it. Consecrated food is made available through them to all those in need.

Gratitude for help received is a cardinal virtue. The taxes that you pay to the Corporation of Madras and to the Government are your expression of gratitude for the services rendered by those agencies. There are super-human agencies which confer benefits on us. We must express our gratitude to those agencies in the manner prescribed in the Vedas. This expression of gratitude is known as yagna. Though schools, hospitals and banks and such other social service organizations may be necessary in the context of our present times, these institutions cannot serve their respective purposes in the absence of devotion. The one cure for all human ills is the power to endure them with faith in God’s grace. Bhakti alone can give that power of endurance. Temples are the agencies for the cultivation of bhakti. Hence the obligation to build temples in every place.

What is the significance of making offerings to the idols installed in temples? This is done as an expression of gratitude to the Power that created all things. Man by himself cannot create even a blade of grass. We will be guilty of gross ingratitude if we do not offer first to God, what we eat or wear. Only the best and the choicest should be offered to God. It is not everyone that can do

pooja at home and make these offerings to God. It is here that temples come into the picture. Offerings are made to God in the temples on behalf of the entire community.

It is not even necessary that every one should worship inside the temples every day. Gopura darsanam will itself elevate our minds and make us remember the source from which we derive all the earthly benefits. At the same time, it is necessary for the community to see that worship at the temples is conducted properly. We should make it a point to see the temple tower every day and thereby concentrate a while in the contemplation of God. At least once a week we should go round the temple, reciting naamaas (God’s names) and doing bhajan. If we do so, we will derive real and lasting benefit.

October 7, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

10 Heritage of South India

In the course of my discourses during the past few days, I have been endeavoring to point out that we are the inheritors of the Vedas, the Puranas, the Dharma Sastra and the numerous devotional works both in Sanskrit and in Tamil. Our Nayanmars and Alwars have poured out devotion from the bottom of their hearts and given us works unsurpassed in beauty and in their wealth of knowledge. We have also in our land innumerable temples, the like of which the world has not seen. If we take a census of the places of worship in this world, we will find that India contains more temples than the places of worship in the rest of the world put together. Nearer home, Dravida Desa contains more temples than the rest of India put together. Similarly, in respect of devotional, philosophic, ethical and religious works, India has produced more works than the total output of such works in the rest of the world. In this respect too, Dravida country leads the rest of India and tradition has it that Vedic religion, philosophy and dharma, and bhakti are preserved much more on the banks of the Kaveri and the Tambraparni than anywhere else in India. Great men, in the abundance of their devotion, built temples and also endowed them with considerable properties. In some temples, the quantity of naivedyam (offerings) is in such generous proportion that a devotee can get sumptuous food by paying merely an anna. The Annapurneswari Temple in Cherukunnam (Kerala) will be closed every day only after ascertaining that no one has gone without food. There is a custom there to tie a bundle of cooked

rice to the branch of a tree near the temple in the night. This practice is to ensure that even a thief does not go hungry.

It is also noteworthy that there are more devotional books in Tamil than in any other regional language. But it is a matter for regret that many people in Tamil Nadu know more about Milton and Shakespeare now than the wonderful compositions of our own great scholars and saints. If to-day the names of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru are better known in other parts of the world, it is due to the fact that they are the products of a rich and pulsating culture that has been preserved by methods which have won the admiration of the world. Being inheritors of such rich traditions, it is our duty to take steps to preserve all this wonderful heritage for prosperity.

October 15, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

11 Blending of Jnana and Bhakti

Tiruvasagam is the composition of Saint Manickavasagar. Its unique feature is the blending of Jnana and Bhakti. That is why it is known as Tiruvasagam. Manickavasagar’s songs are outpourings from a heart overflowing with devotion. It is through his Tiruvembavai and through Sri Andal’s Tiruppavai that children are deriving the spirit of devotion.

Temples dedicated to Siva and Vishnu are to be found dotted all over South India. There are also such temples in North India; but they are neither as numerous or as big as in South India. These temples are intended to remind us of the tatva or principle of Parabrahmasvaroopa, the Ultimate Truth. There are also such temples in countries like Cambodia and Siam, where some of our ancestors had carried our culture and civilization. The special feature of South Indian temples is that they are constructed according to certain accepted principles of architecture and the worship therein is conducted according to aagama sastra. The knowledge of temple architecture and aagama sastra is slowly disappearing. Steps should be taken to preserve this knowledge. It is also highly desirable to make officers in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to pass a test in these two branches of knowledge to qualify themselves for their

posts. This would be useful to them, particularly executive officers of temples. If this knowledge becomes widespread, the fountain of bhakti will not get dried up.

Another special feature of South India is that a place is assigned to Siva in most of the Vishnu temples and vice versa. The shrine of Vishnu in the Siva temple at Kancheepuram is among the places described as holy to Vaishnavites. There is thus a sincere effort at identification of the two manifestations of God with Paramatma, the Ultimate Truth. That is why in the sayings of Avvaiyar, Tirumalukku adimai sey, (serve Vishnu) occurs immediately after Aranai maravel ( do not forget Siva).

In the Tamil language the prefix “Tiru” is added to the names of two out of the 27 stars. The stars are Tiruvatirai and Tiruvonam. In Sanskrit these two stars are called merely Aardra and Sravana. The deity of Tiruvatirai is Siva and hence the conjunction of that star with the full moon in the month of Maargazhi is important for Siva and is observed as Aardraa Darsanam. Similarly the deity of Tiruvonam is Vishnu and Onam is an important festival associated with Vishnu in Kerala.

While Andal’s Tiruppavai makes one’s heart melt in devotion to Vishnu, Saint Manickavasagar’s Tiruvembavai fills the hearts of people with Siva Bhakti. Gems of devotion are strung together to make this garland of Tiruvembavai. The thought of Siva never left the heart of Manickavasagar, however trying the situation was or however hard his suffering. There are instances of people undergoing hardships and suffering imprisonment for the country or for a party; but Manickavasagar bore sufferings and imprisonment for Siva, the God of his heart. He realized and proclaimed the truth, “God is in all and all is in Him”. That is also the truth taught by the story of Sri Sundareswarar assuming the form of a laborer for the sake of an old woman devotee of Madurai. According to this story, the blow struck by the Pandyan king on this laborer with a cane was felt by all created beings, including the king himself.

Those who lived in the time of the great saints like Manickavasagar and Andal were really blessed. These devotees are like perennial springs providing the water of Jnana and bhakti to all seekers. Their service in the form of devotional songs have kept the flame of bhakti burning in the hearts of succeeding generations. Let their memory remain green in our hearts and let their blessed words help us to turn our thoughts to God so that we may find peace and, through peace happiness.

April 7, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

12 Development of Kshatra Dharma

(The following is the gist of the message given to the members of the R.S.S., at the rally organised by the Sangh to pay homage to His Holiness, at the Sanskrit College, Mysore.)

Each country or Rashtra has its distinctive culture, which is rooted in its religious traditions. These are, both in the East and in the West, heads of religious institutions who are the custodians

of the country’s culture and traditions. For example, His Holiness the Pope is the custodian of Catholic traditions. The Caliphate was the institution which symbolized the Islamic traditions. So far as South India is concerned, there are four main schools of Hindu religious thought, and there are also four main Mutts to represent these denominations. I regard this evening’s function as a homage paid not only to myself but to all the heads of Mutts upholding Hindu dharma and culture.

The Rashtreeya Swayam Sevak Sangh is an organisation owing no allegiance to any political party, but dedicated to service. They render real service. You should uphold truth and dharma, on the one hand, and eschew fear, on the other. Fearlessness does not imply violence or himsa. The tradition of true fearlessness is found embodied in Anjaneya, Samartha Ramadass (regarded as an incarnation of Anjaneya), and Shivaji. It is a virtue born out of physical prowess, wedded to ahimsa, which enables one to rush to the succor of the weak and the oppressed, unmindful of personal consequences. This is signified by the expression Kshatra Dharma (kshataat kila traayate iti kshatram ). The quality of a kshatriya is rescuing the oppressed.

But unfortunately we have developed the trait of fearing the bully and oppressing the meek. This is the sign of fear complex. This weakness of the people is found reflected in the Government also. If this weakness is to go and if we are to hold our heads erect and walk as fearless citizens of a free country, we must once again develop Kshatra Dharma. This implies the development of individual strength, disciplined unity and will to resist evil and oppression. We should bear in mind the maxim paropakaartamidam sareeram . The human body should be developed to protect and help others. Our strength is not to be utilized to oppress others – to do himsa. Our aim should be the welfare of all – Loka kshemam, .If the individuals in the society rise to such high moral stature, the Government of the country will also rise to a similar stature.

You, the members of the R.S.S. must make use of your organizational unity to develop physical and moral strength and to lead a pure life based on the eternal dharma of the land, as expounded by Hindu religion. Let each member try to convert at least one other person to his point of view. In that way, let the message of the Sangh spread throughout the land. Let your dedicated service lead to the prosperity of the country and to purity in administration. February 23, 1959.


(1957-1960)

Part II

13 Cultural Unity of India

In the immediate presence of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, the disciples and admirers of Sri Reva Shankar Bacherbhai Trivedi, the reputed Vedic Scholar of Gujarat, offered him an Abhinandana Grantha (commemoration volume). On that occasion, His Holiness made the following speech.

Sama Veda occupies a high place among Vedas, as can be seen from the various references to it occurring in our sacred books. For instance, Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita “I am the Sama veda among the four Vedas” (Vedaanaam saamavedosmi, ). In Lalitaa Sahasranaama, Devi is referred to as saamagaanapriya. In the Siva ashtottara, Siva is addressed as saamapriyah. Thus, this Divine Trinity is associated with the glory of Sama veda. In these days, when the number of persons engaged in veda adhyayana (study of the Vedas) is getting fewer and fewer, the number of persons devoted to the study of Sama veda is extremely few. Sri Trivedi is one of those rare scholars who has made a life-time study of the Sama Veda and

mastered it. He is also proficient in jyothisha sastra (astrology). Honouring Sri Trivedi is honoring Sama veda, which again means worshipping Sri Krishna, Sri Lalitambika and Sri Parameswara.

The function at which tributes were paid to Sri Trivedi in seven languages is a notable one in certain respects. Rich merchants, hailing from far-off Gujarat participated in honoring a Vedic scholar, who combined scholarship with aachaara and anushtaana (conduct of life and observances enjoined by Sastra) like our ancient rishis. This should provide a great lesson to the people in the south. We relegate people who have made veda adhyayana to the background and to an inferior status in society. We do not show them due honor. But, these merchants have set us a worthy example. We should feel happy and thankful for it. It is also a happy thing that this function is held in our midst. Our part of the country is spoken of as Dravida desa, as distinct from the northern parts. Such a distinction is wrong; for, we are not the only Dravidas in the country. Our saastraas make mention of the pancha dravidas, and these five Dravida groups are the Gurjaras, the Karnatakas, the Andhras, the Maharashtras, and the Tamilians. Though Western philologists say that Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada alone are Dravidian languages, our saastraas have included other groups also among the pancha dravidas. Gurjara of Gujarat is also Dravida, and so. in honoring Sri Trivedi, we are also honoring a Dravida scholar.

It is also wrong to classify the people of this land into Aryan and Dravidian. In Sanskrit, Arya means, worthy of respect, and anaarya means, not worthy of honor or worship. Whoever is worthy of respect or honor is Arya, and, therefore, Aryans are not people belonging to any particular part of the country.

Our country, stretching from the southern ocean to the Himalayas, has often been broken up into numerous States, big and small. Yet there is always the belief that ours is one country. That belief is rooted in the Vedas, our common heritage. The Vedas are expressed in Sanskrit. The Sanskrit language is not confined to the shores of India alone. It was once prevalent in distant Siam, Cambodia, Java, Bali, and other countries. Sanskrit language and literature are studied with interest in those countries, and also in Western countries, whose languages have Sanskrit roots. It is sad to contemplate that instead of preserving and promoting this language, which is so rich and which was once so universal, attempts are made in this country to discourage its study. Sanskrit has been a unifying force wherever it was prevalent and Sanskrit alone can knit our country together and keep it as one. It can unify all Asian countries and the world as well.

Apart from our common heritage of the Vedas and the Sanskrit language, there is another significant fact. The Tolkappiam and the Silappadikaaram are the oldest works in the Tamil language. Tolkappiam refers to what are known as Aintinai ( ), five Tinais. One

Tinai is connected with Sri Durga, and another with Balarama and Sri Krishna. In Silappadikaaram there is a reference to the chorus music of shepherdesses, known as Aachiar Kuravai narrating the story of Sri Krishna. Thus from the Himalayas in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, the story of Krishna, his baalya leelas (exploits as a child) and his jnaanopadesam (advice of enlightenment) are the common themes of folk songs throughout the country. It is very appropriate that we, in Tamil Nadu, who are accustomed to the recital of Sri Krishna Leela in our folk songs, should gather to honor a great Vedic scholar who hails from that part of our country where according to tradition, Sri Krishna lived.

January 26, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

14 Drama in Ancient India

By reading books and hearing lectures, ideas get impressed in our mind. If the oral exposition is made to the accompaniment of music, as in katha kaalakshepa (musical discourse), the subject matter becomes more interesting and has a better appeal. The sravya kaavyaas (classics intended for study) of mahaa kavis (great poets) are embellished by a good style and enriched with alankaara, praasa and a vivid description of nature and so our minds love to linger over them and to drink in the beauty of expression. These great poets have also composed drisya kaavyas (dramatic works). Visual representation on the stage has a more direct and more vivid appeal than any amount of descriptive writing or talks.

Among the great poets who have written dramas are Kalidasa and Bhavabuti. Every drama portrays all the moods of the mind, or emotions, known as the nava rasaas, in a greater or a lesser degree. But there is one predominant emotion in each drama, which is its overtone. For example, Mahaaveera Charitam and Veni Samhaaram specialize in veera rasa (valor). In the same way, soka (grief), haasya (humor), and other rasaas are portrayed in the main in other dramas. Of these nine rasaas the last and the highest one is saanta rasa. Writers on Alankaara

Sastra have been divided on the question whether saanta rasa deserves to be included among the rasaas, since it is a state of equipoise, not ‘affecting’ the mind in any manner, as any of the other rasaas do. The other rasaas are transient in their hold on the mind; they cause agitation and affliction to the mind for the moment. They do not conduce to permanent joy and peace. But saanta rasa, on the other hand, gives an abiding satisfaction, as a result of which the mind is at peace with itself and with the world. The effect on the mind endures without diminution or disappearance. As Sri Thyagaraja has expressed in one of his songs, Saantamuleka saukhyamu ledu, there can be no bliss if there is no saanti. So, though saanta rasa is not colorful and activating as the rest, it has been considered as a rasa in its own right.

There are six tastes, shad-rasas, like saltish, sweet, sour, bitter, etc, which stimulate the palate by their distinctive features. Apart from the fact that they can be “enjoyed” only in combination in proper proportion with articles of food, they are not saatvic by nature. They may “please” the tongue but they do not give “peace” to the mind. On the other hand, they “irritate” the tongue and “agitate” the mind. Sweet, which is one of the shad-rasas, and which is associated with an article like sugar, palls on the tongue when experienced in excess and becomes insipid. But there is another kind of sweetness which does not satiate. It is known as the madhura rasa andis to be found in substances with which the other gustatory rasaas cannot associate, namely, fresh butter and sweet curd, which Sri Krishna enjoyed. Butter and curd are pure white in color without any admixture, and as Sri Krishna’s mouth filled with butter, His heart was filled with joy. The madhura rasa of butter is saanta rasa.

We speak of black color and white color, but they are not primary colors according to science. The puranaas speak of the Sun as riding in a chariot drawn by seven horses (saptaasva ). The word asva according to the Niruktam, means kirana (rays). So the meaning of saptaasva is one who has seven rays. We are aware that there are seven colors in sunlight. The spectrum splits this light of the sun into its seven component colors. Scientists have determined the quantum of each of the constituent colors in sunlight. These colors, when combined in the same proportions, produce whiteness. The flame of the oil lamp is reddish, because the element which makes for red is in excess in oil, while the flame of the lamp fed by pure ghee does not have this red tinge. It is pure white light and that is why ghee lamps are lit in the sanctum of our temples nearest to the Deity. Sunlight, which is also pure white, is in fact, colorless.

If each of the elements like gold, silver, iron, copper, etc, is heated to incandescence, it will emit a particular color peculiar to it. The spectroscope also reveals the existence of these elements in the constitution of the sunlight. In addition to these, an element known as Helium is also found in the sunlight. In Sanskrit Helih is one of the names of the sun. Helium is an element found in the rays of the sun, but not found on earth.

Like the sunlight, which is colorless, the crystal (sphatika ) too has no color. In fact, water has also no color. The test of a good sphatika is that it should become invisible when immersed in water. Among visible objects, the sphatika is pure and white. Among tasteable articles, butter is pure and white. Among mental states, saanta is pure and peace-giving. Saanta rasa is that in which the mind rests in peace and repose.

Among dramas, those that are devoted to saanta rasa are not many. This is especially true of modern dramatic works, which seek to exploit the instincts of kaama and krodha (lust and anger) and degrade human nature, instead of elevating it. No modern drama has saanta rasa for its motif. But there is a classical drama which is devoted to the promotion of saanta rasa. That is the Prabodha Chandradaya Naataka of Krishna Misra, a dramatist of Rajaputana, who lived about a thousand years ago. It is an allegorical play devoted to the establishment of the supremacy of jnana as the means to moksha (salvation). The dramatis personae in it are Viveka, Vishnu, Bhakti, Sradha, karuna, dharma, vairagya, ajnana, mamamoha, paapa, asatya etc, and the drama itself delineates the conflict between these contending forces for the Saamrajya of Prabedha. The forces making for asaanti are vanquished and saanti of jnana comes out victorious. On the same model, Sri Vedanta Desika has written the Sankalpa Suryodaya, which is devoted to establishing the supremacy of Bhakti and its consummation in evoking the grace of God.

The dramas that ought to be acted on the stage are those that are calculated to elevate the mind, rather than corrupt it, and which leave the spectator at peace with himself and with the world, and do not agitate his mind and rouse his passions. At the present time we have any number of dramas and pictures that pander to lower human passions and some are intended to set one set of people against another, producing as they do, ridicule, resentment and anger. The danger to society from such corrupting dramas has increased now, because cinematography has enabled us to multiply the screen version of a drama and to exhibit the same simultaneously at a number of places and a number of times.

In olden days, acting on the stage was restricted to a certain community known as Bharataputras. Dramatization was their svadharma and their perquisite. If others who have other dharmas take to acting, they will not only encroach on the dharma of those who have a right to act, but will be obliged to give up their own svadharma, with deleterious consequences to themselves and to society. Even while acting, Bharataputras have to observe certain rules. A man should not act the role of a woman. Any man and any woman cannot take the roles of husband and wife; a husband and wife on the stage must also be a husband and wife in real life. But unfortunately this restriction is not observed now by those who take to the stage and the screen, and the absence of this restriction and restraint tends to degrade the morals of our people both in public life and in private life.


(1957-1960)

Part II

15 Hindu Religious Practices

When we analyze the personal discipline and religious observances (anushtaanam) prescribed in the Vedic religion, we find that no other religion contains such rigid regulations. At the same time, apart from the good sense of the people, there is no special sanction for enforcing these religious practices. This paradoxical situation has led people to regulate their life as they liked. When there was a strong village community life, there were elders in society who pointed out if any deviation occurred from the time-honored practices and their personal influence and authority helped society to keep itself within bounds. Even if people did not do what should be done, they at least abstained from doing what ought not to be done, for fear of incurring the displeasure of the elders in society. The disintegration of village life and the migration of people

to cities and towns, and, even to far off places, have resulted in the gradual disappearance of many wholesome observances. In political life one is bound by party discipline; but in religious life even that amount of discipline has ceased to exist.

As I explained on another occasion, I am of the view that at one time Vedic religion prevailed all over the world and people everywhere observed the same practices. With the rise of Christianity and Islam, religious life came to be understood to consist chiefly in offering prayer to the Supreme Being on a specified day in the week. So far as Buddhism and Jainism are concerned, except in the conception of the ultimate goal, there is not much difference between them and the Hindu religion. But, we, Hindus, are so steeped in religious traditions that we often feel that we should keep up certain observances, though we are not able to give effect to this feeling always, either on account of circumstances beyond our control, or on account of the general laxity that has come to prevail in such matters. In the circumstances, it is worth pondering why our Vedas and Sastras prescribed so many strict codes of personal conduct and religious ceremonies.

Let us take the institution of marriage. No other religion has insisted on post-puberty marriage as Hinduism. Even when custom did not insist on post puberty marriage, there is restriction in the freedom of the movement of unmarried girls, who have attained puberty. There was the practice of women immolating themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands. Rajput ladies threw themselves into the fire when they found that the fortune of war was favoring the foreign enemies. Sita preserved her life in captivity; but ordered a fire to be lit for immolating herself when she found that Sri Rama would not accept her as a result of her captivity. Even in the present times, when Sati has been abolished statutorily, we read in the newspapers stray cases of Sati occurring in North India. Why should there be all these restrictions and hardships in the name of religion? The answer is that to the extent we make sacrifices in performing acts which we sincerely believe to be good, to that extent will our soul or atma get elevated. Even acts done in ignorance, but with faith, will produce spiritual reward. The moment we begin to question why a particular religious practice should be observed, the moment we are beginning to lose faith or bhakti.

In other religions, marriage is a contract by which the contracting parties pledge to be faithful to each other during the period of the contract. Both parties are free to obtain divorce. A widow is also free to marry again. Thus, marriage in such societies is an institution to get over social complications and also to keep sex life within bounds. In Hinduism, on the other hand, marriage is a sacrament intended for the elevation of the soul. So far as men are concerned, marriage is intended to restrict and regulate their physical desires. For their spiritual realization, man must seek and obtain a preceptor (guru). But so far as women are concerned marriage is both a regulator of physical desires and a means for spiritual elevation. By the sacred ties of marriage, a woman surrenders herself completely to her husband and in serving him she serves God. In fact, she regards her husband as God. There are numerous stories to illustrate this principle. As novels reflect the spirit of the times, these puranic stories reflect the ideals behind the social and religious practices of our ancients. A woman who has dedicated her body completely to her

husband in the firm faith that he is God, finds no use for it at the death of her husband. That is the principle behind the practice of sati. Marriage is the upaakarma, initiation into spiritual life, for a girl. For widows who cannot sacrifice themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands, because they have certain duties to discharge, like the care and bringing up of young children, certain codes, known as Vidhava Dharma, have been prescribed.

We tie up a cow which is prone to graze in other people’s fields. This is done to save the crop of the neighbors and also to save the cow itself from coming to grief by getting beaten for trespassing into fields. Similarly we have also to bind ourselves with certain cords voluntarily, so that we may not go wrong, goaded by passions like kaama (desire) and krodha (anger), and so that our atma may get elevated higher and higher. A cowherd knows when to untie a cow. Similarly, Isvara, who is called Pasupati (literally cowherd), knows when to release us from bondage. When a bale is tightened with iron loops in a press, the rope with which it was tied before it was placed in the press, becomes loose and slips down. Similarly, if we bind ourselves tightly with the rope of jnana (true knowledge), we get rid of the shackles of kaama (desire), krodha (anger), and other passions, which bind us to earthy pleasures and which are the causes of births and deaths. Yajna, daana, tapas and karma lead to jnana. When we perform with faith the prescribed karmas and anushtaanas, and dedicate them to God, as taught by the Vedas, we attain jnana, which clears the way for God-realization. Let us bind ourselves with punya,accruing through making sacrifices inherentin the adherence to our anushtaanas, so that we may be released from the lesser bond of sins, and thus be enabled to transcend birth and death by realizing the Supreme Being.

December 30, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

16 Linguistic and Religious Concord

It seems to me that greater troubles and greater conflicts are being caused by the language issue on the one hand, and political ideologies on the other, than by caste and religious differences. Taking the case of Madras State, the language issue seems to have provoked greater opposition than issues based on caste. Fortunately the language controversy has so far taken only the form of protests, as far as this State is concerned. But in the North, the quarrel over languages has resulted in serious rioting.

In former days the greed of kings to extend their sovereignty led to wars. Now, countries are ranged in opposing camps on the basis of the form of administration or political ideology. All are agreed that the administrative setup must be democratic; but the dispute is whether the American form of democracy, branded by Russia as capitalistic, or the Russian form of democracy, branded by America as Communist, should prevail. The personal ego of former kings has now given place to the ideological ego of party bosses. No doubt, some countries like India are remaining outside both the ideological camps. However this is a political matter, the solution of which is not my concern.

We require a language or languages to communicate our thoughts to one another. If we take the case of India, we will find that the language of the region changes roughly for every 500 miles. Similarly the same language underwent drastic changes in the course of every 500 years. This can be verified if we survey the incidence of language from Kanyakumari to the Himalayas and from the remote past to modern times. Languages serve a very useful purpose and no one will subscribe to the proposition that because languages gave room for controversy, there shall be no languages at all. Languages have come into existence, not for the purpose of creating linguistic quarrels, but for serving mankind. Therefore, a rational mind will try to probe into the causes which give rise to linguistic controversies and tackle those causes with a view to eliminating them.

The genius of Tamil is its hospitality for other languages. People from the South have gone to the Telugu and Maharashtra areas long ago and settled there. In the Telugu country they are known as Dravidas; but they know not a word of Tamil now. Similarly there are Dravids in Maharashtra, who have adopted Marathi as their mother tongue. But in Tamil Nadu, there are people from Andhra, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other places. Though they are here for generations, they continue to talk among themselves in their respective mother tongue. They are also proficient in Tamil. In fact several non-Tamilians have composed Tamil works. Tamilians have also the capacity to pick up the language of their surroundings in a short time. Tamil Nadu can be compared to a refrigerator, capable of preserving all the languages existing in its midst, whereas in other areas alien languages have disappeared with the passage of time. Therefore, over this language issue, Tamilians have a great responsibility of maintaining their praiseworthy tradition of hospitality. We should not approach the language problem with the notion that one language is superior to another. A spirit of camaraderie and a liberal outlook in adopting the noble ideas contained in one language by the other languages, will result in the enrichment of all languages and in the development of mutual respect and regard among the people speaking different tongues. That is the way to abolish linguistic fanaticism.

If a thing is good basically, but for some cause evil resulted from it, the sane view is to retain the thing for its good and to eliminate the root cause of the evil result. This principle is applicable in the case of religion and caste also. If we take caste into consideration, we will find that the system was devised for the smooth functioning of society and not for the exploitation of one caste by another. It is a functional division, each doing his allotted duty, and all together contributing to the general welfare of the community. According to the nature of the function, the nature of food, the forms of daily anushtaanaas, and the way of life, were adopted. Aasramaas (stages of life) have also been prescribed for a similar purpose. There is no justification for one caste regarding itself as superior to another. Restrictions that were imposed pertain to marriage and personal observances, and not to social life. Such restrictions prevail everywhere. The origin of the trouble can be ultimately traced to egoism and selfishness, one caste regarding itself superior to another. Each of us must develop an outlook that will make us

regard the troubles, sorrows, and difficulties of others as our own. If a member of another caste is in difficulties, our duty is to go to his aid first, before attending to our own needs. If we develop this broad outlook, which is both correct and sastraic, there will be proper understanding among the castes and a harmonious and integrated social life. Sarve janah sukhino bhavantu :

) – the happiness of all should be our guiding principle.

As for religious concord, we should first of all stop criticizing and finding fault with other religious and religious sects. We should examine ourselves first and see if we have lived up to the requirements of our religion, before we proceed to criticize the other man’s religion. Religion is intended to elevate man spiritually and to bring him nearer and nearer to God. Before we begin to advise others, we should conquer kaama (desires), krodha (anger), and dvesha (hatred). We should approach all religions in a spirit of humility and appreciate the good points in all religions. Such a friendly approach will remove the edge of all controversies and religion will become a source of strength and inspiration, instead of degenerating into a bone of contention.

Take an illustration. Here is a bundle of faggots. There are a number of individual faggots in it; but all of them are tied up together with one string. If I remove one faggot from the bundle, the bond will immediately become loose and the other faggots will slip out automatically. Supposing the faggots are first tied into four or five smaller bundles, then all these four or five smaller bundles are tied together with a common bond, then even when one faggot gets loose, the bundle as a whole will remain unaffected. Similarly members of society are tied together in a number of cohesive bundles called castes, and all these bundles are tied together with the common bond called religion. Caste and religion are meant to keep society together in a strong bond of camaraderie so that all the component members will strive for the general welfare of the community as a whole, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and co-operation, and not meant to create hatred and conflicts. We should strive to lead a sinless life, uphold human brotherhood, and earn the grace of Isvara.

January 20, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

17 The Roots of Religions

Prince Gautama, who came to be known as the Buddha, was born in Kapilavastu, about 2500 years ago. His life of sacrifice and renunciation profoundly influenced the mind of every one. Kapilavastu is situated about 300 miles away from the kingdom of ancient Videha, which was ruled by a succession of kings beginning from Janaka, who were noted for their Brahmanishtha. The modern Darbhanga derives its name from the word Dhanurbhanga and is identified as the place where Sri Rama broke Siva’s bow and obtained the hand of Sri Sita in marriage. (The literal meaning of Dhanurbhanga is breaking the bow).

The life story of the Buddha evokes in us peace, compassion and bliss. The innumerable images of the Buddha found in all parts of the country produce in us the triple effects of saanti (peace), karuna (compassion), and aananda (bliss). Somehow an impression has been gained that Buddhism stood for atheism. We were also told by some historians that this religion was driven out of India. But the numerous Buddhist works in Sanskrit and Pali, and the Asokan edicts have revealed to us the nobility of the Awakened One (the Buddha) and have filled us with pride that this great soul was born in India. Edwin Arnold has sung the glory of the Buddha in his

composition, Light of Asia. At one time, this religion had spread in Tamil Nadu also, and, as a result, we find Buddhist doctrines incorporated in several Tamil works of those days. When our hearts are filled with great respect for this religion, we may wonder why such a good religion is said to have been “driven out” of our country.

When we view events in retrospect, we find that so far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, Jainism was much more popular than Buddhism. Tamil literature abounds in works dealing with Jainism and in works by Jain authors. Jainism has also a good hold on people in Gujarat and in certain other parts of North India. Both Buddhism and Jainism proclaimed Ahimsa as their cardinal principle – Ahimsa paramo dharmah, : Buddhists were not so uncompromisingly committed to ahimsa as Jains, and had no scruples in eating the flesh of animals killed by others. The good support Jainism had in this country is evidenced by the numerous statues and images pertaining to that religion in several places.

Saankhya is another great and ancient religion of this land. This religion has produced more ascetics and jnanis than either Buddhism or Jainism. Yet, we find neither images in honor of those ascetics and jnanis, nor an abundant literature in the form of songs and stories. However, we find more reference to Saankhya than to either Buddhism or Jainism in philosophical works.

Saiva and Vaishnava Siddhaantaas are two other forms of the Vedic religion which are current among us in the South. Vaishnava Siddhanta expressed itself through the teachings of Sri Madhwa and Sri Ramanuja. The Vaishnavism of Sri Ramanuja and the Saivism of the Saiva Siddhaanta School, have each a large following in Tamil Nadu. In every Vaishnavite temple, we see installed the images of Sri Ramanuja, Nammalwar, Manavala Mamunigal, Vedanta Desikar, and other Alwars. Similarly, in Saivite temples, we have the images of Appar, Sundarar, Manickavasagar, and other saints. The more important Siva temples have the images of all the sixty-three Nayanmars.

Temple inscriptions refer to gifts of landed property for conducting recitations of Vaishnava Prabandhaas and Saiva Tirumurais. Coming to Advaita, we do not find for Sri Adi Sankara even a thousandth of the number of images that exist for Vaishnavite and Saivite saints. There are no images at all for Sri Sureswaracharya and Sri Appayya Dikshitar, two great exponents of Advaita after Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada. A high officer of the Archaeological Department once told me that if history is reconstructed only with the aid of inscriptions, images and other archaeological materials, there may not be any reference either to Sri Sankara or to Advaita.

It is to be noted that the founder of each religion criticized the religion that was in vogue in his time and which he sought to replace by his own religion. Buddhism criticized the Vedic religion; Jainism criticized Buddhism, and so on. Each of these religions, including Vaishnavism of Sri Ramanuja and Saivam of Saiva Siddhaanta, has a distinct feature of its own. There are also points of differences between one religion and another. Even in a matter like idol worship, on which both Vaishnavism and Saivism agree, the former insists on Moorti Upaasana, or worship of the form in which God is conceived, while the latter is satisfied with the worship of a symbol, like the Linga. Christianity and Islam inveigh against idol worship, as also the Arya Samajists. While Hinduism is based on the Vedas, both Buddhism and Jainism revolted against the Vedas. Each of these religious teachers, in his time, gathered around him a huge following.

When we survey the position of religions at the present time, we find that nearly half the world’s population professes Christianity and almost an equal number professes Buddhism. The population not covered by these two religions follow the other religions. Several religions have risen and fallen in this world and some of them have practically disappeared. How did they rise and why did they fall, is an interesting question. Each religion, as it arose, claimed the monopoly of Truth and proclaimed that it alone was the last world in true religion. Truth is only one; there cannot be two Truths. Yet, each religious leader was able to attract to himself a very large following. Is truth to be judged by the number of people claiming allegiance to a particular religious system? If so, how did it come about that a number of religions claiming monopoly for Truth, and which in their time commanded a very large following, ceased to be popular?

This gives rise to a number of other questions. Is a religion popular because it is true, or it is true because it is popular? Did people embrace a religion because it is true, or did a religion disappear because it was not true? When we ponder over these questions, it becomes apparent that the endurance of a movement, or the validity of the views on which that movement is based cannot be judged by the number of its adherents. In our own life time we have seen how Gandhism appealed to thousands of people who were prepared to fast, court imprisonments, or die at his direction. There were also people who rejected Gandhiji’s religious philosophy and were indifferent when he undertook his fasts. We are also seeing that the votaries of Gandhism are now gradually dwindling n number. A consideration of all these factors leads one to the inevitable conclusion that a religion does not flourish merely on account of the truth it proclaims. The key to the growth of a religion lies in the cause for its subsequent decay. In a farce (prahasana) known as Mattavilaasa, written by King Mahendra Varma, who is responsible for the rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram and other places, there is a reference to the licentious habits of the Buddhist bhikkus of his day, and to their swerving from the high code of personal conduct laid down for them. The Buddha himself, when admitting women to his order of bhikkhus, foresaw the inherent danger of having both men and women in the order. The decline of Buddhism was, therefore, due to the failure of its adherents, particularly those who have to set an example for others, to rigorously adhere to the precepts of that religion. Conversely, a religion will continue to flourish, if it can continuously claim among

its adherents, particularly those who, by their personal example, are charged with the propagation and preservation of that religion, men of high spiritual attainments, with a large heart and without any blemish in their character.

While the initial impetus to any religion is given by its high-souled founder, its subsequent strength and popularity depend on the fervour, devotion, discipline and purity of succeeding religious heads, and the fidelity and character of its followers. Common people are drawn to a religion by the personality of the teacher, rather than by a firm conviction of the truth it teaches. The truth or otherwise of a religion is a matter of academic discussion, confined to the intelligent few. The reason why some religions, though they had a long history, gradually and inevitably lost their hold on the people, and eventually disappeared, can be traced to the decline in the standards of the teachers. In his own life time, Gandhiji had to close down the Sabarmati Aasram, when he found that its inmates deviated from the strict rectitude he had imposed on them.

Therefore, if a religion is to be popular and powerful, its followers should observe its tenets faithfully and well. It is not in numbers or in demonstrations that the vitality of a religion lies. For that matter, Saankhya and Advaita are the least demonstrative of all religions. That in spite of the numerous and trying vicissitudes, the Vedic religion, the date of whose origin is undetermined, survives today, and has such a large following, is due to the fact that in it were born, from time to time, great souls, unselfish, pure and godly, who had deep devotion and earnest fervor, and who unswervingly adhered to the ordinances of its practices. And so, if we desire, as we must, that our religion should continue to influence humanity for all times, we, its followers, must be good and pious, pure in character, and continuously affirm its tenets in our thought and action.

January 2, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

18 Sanyasins and Duty of Society

There are lakhs of Sanyasins of all denominations in our country. They do not earn their livelihood by engaging themselves in “productive work” as that is understood ordinarily, but live on the alms they get from householders. That sanyasins, like ordinary beggars, do not contribute to the national wealth, but prey upon society, is the view entertained by certain persons in governmental authority in our country. It has been recently resolved to start an organization known as the All India Sadhu Sangh, and to utilize the services of its members, that is, the manpower of sanyasins, in social welfare movements. Some persons belonging to the order of sanyasins are to be employed as traveling pracharaks (propagandists) for that purpose, paying them substantial honoraria and allowances.

Taking an overall and impartial view of the situation, one has to agree that there are far too many sanyasins, and that some of them are parasites on society. This may not be desirable. But on that account can we subscribe to the proposition that sanyasins as a class are parasite-beggars and should therefore be liquidated? Can we by statute prevent begging by sanyasins in the face of the injunction that sanyasins should beg their food?

In the way of life prescribed by the Sastras, every individual has to pass through the four stages of life known as brahmacharya aasrama, grihastha aasrama, vaanaprastha aasrama and sanyasa aasrama. Of these four aasramites, brahmacharis and sanyasins alone have both the right and the obligation to beg. During his student days, under the roof of a teacher, or gurukulavaasa, a brahmachari should beg for cooked food, both for himself and his guru (teacher), going to a few houses each day and asking the lady of each house to give him alms by saying bhavati bikshaam dehi ( ). The object of this begging for food is two-fold. One is to conserve the time and energy of the student for the arduous task of learning, and the other is to instill in him the sense of vinaya (humility), without which no vidya (knowledge) can be received and can fructify in the mind. Begging is compulsory for all pupils, including the sons of royalty. The food so collected is handed over to the guru, who distributes it to all his disciples. There were no tuition fees in those days. At the end of the course of education, the students were required to give a consolidated remuneration, or guru dakshina. The kings and the nobility of the land helped poor students to find this remuneration, which the pupils offered with true bhakti.

The sanyasi is also enjoined by the Sastras to maintain himself on the alms of cooked food collected by him. His duty is to engage himself constantly in meditation of the Paramatman, giving up all other mental activities (chitta vritties), which will entice him to worldly pursuits. If sanyasins are to take up a profession to find the means for their livelihood, or engage themselves in other “productive activities”, they could not become brahmanisthtas (persons with their minds fixed in the Paramatman), which is their only avocation, according to the Sastras. It is specifically laid down that a sanyasi should go only to seven houses each day, stopping at the gate of each house only for the duration of the time necessary to milk a cow (godohana kaala) and be satisfied with whatever he is able to gather in this manner. If he gets nothing, he must fast. It is to be noted that while a sanyasi can and must be content with a little food (alpaahaaram) the brahmachari, who has to engage himself in the arduous task of learning, needs a substantial quantity of food.

Thus, while the brahmachari and the sanyasi have the duty to beg, society has the reciprocal duty to maintain them by giving them alms of cooked food. Yatischa brahmachaareecha pakvaanna swaminaavubhau , is the saying. Society, far from being harmed by these two classes of people begging for their food, stands to gain in an immeasurable degree. In the process of begging, a brahmachari acquires vinaya (humility) and also the saanti (peace) necessary to give his undivided attention to studies, by which he will become a useful member of society in due course. A true sanyasi is he who gives up his wealth and position and takes to sanyasa, and not he who becomes a sanyasi to escape from the worries of family or to find an easy means of livelihood by taking to begging. Biksha (alms) ought to be given only to the former category of sanyasins and not to the latter. It is not every one who can

become a true sanyasi in the approved manner. The world has need for such spiritual stalwarts who always spend their time in the contemplation of the Supreme. They show the way to a higher life. Such sanyasins will not be many, and society will not find it a burden to maintain them.

All the sanyasins we see around us do not come up to the requirements of true sanyasa. In Buddhist times, it was obligatory for every one to become a bikshu (sanyasi) for a prescribed period, as a form of spiritual discipline. A bikshu can, if he so chooses, revert to secular life after that period. Not a few Buddhists, however, remained bikshus all through their life. The example of the Buddhist monks was followed by any others in the land as it provided for them, who had no pretensions to spirituality, an easy means of livelihood, without the obligation to work for a living.

This historical factor accounts for the numerous paradesis in the South and for the sadhus in the North. These paradesis and sadhus, not having the requisite qualification for true sanyasa, and not having been initiated into an approved sampradaaya, or order, by any competent preceptor, are not able to concentrate their minds on the Supreme, but go about begging, like worldly men, in quest of food. It is these mendicants who are parasites on society and they must be liquidated. But in the attempt to pluck out the weeds, we should not pull out the stalks which bear grain. The true sanyasin, who is an asset to society, should not be condemned as an unproductive dependent on society. He can be identified by his danda and kamandalu and the manner in which he conducts himself.

A sangha or association is not contemplated for the order of sanyasins. Forming a sangha is not sanyasi lakshana. A sanyasi must live in solitude, and, as far as possible, away from worldly life. Forming an association pulls down the sanyasins to the level of worldly men, and deflects them from the duties pertaining to their aasrama.

I agree with the proposition that no one should have to eke out his livelihood by begging unless he is a student or a sanyasi. Two solutions for the problem of able-bodied beggars are: (1) The provision of opportunities for widespread employment, and (2) the removal of disparities in the standard of living between the rich and the poor. The former is the duty of the state and the latter that of the people themselves. Raising the standard of living, which is the slogan of the present times, only results in luxurious life for a few. Real socialism lies in giving up luxuries, leading a frugal life, observing simplicity in food and clothing, and observing a standard which will approximate to that which a common man can afford. Our dress requirement should be only as much as is needed to observe decency and to provide protection from heat and cold. Food must be taken only to satisfy hunger and not to please the palate. Eating the minimum one needs is

real aparigraha. National wealth should be utilized in productive scientific advancement, and for the defense of the country, and not in tempting people to live a life of luxury. The standard should be lowered to the level of plain living, instead of raising it to a luxurious level. Then there will be sufficient wealth in the country to go round to everybody.

Excess wealth in the hands of individuals should be diverted to help the indigent persons in the community, and excess wealth in the hands of a nation should go to better the conditions in indigent and backward countries, and not to help those, as is being done now, who subscribe to one’s ideology or to those who may be depended on to be one’s allies in case of war. If the people of every country make up their minds to live on what the country produces, there will be no artificial rise in the standard of living. Countries with a high standard of living, depending on the markets of other countries to keep up that standard, always stand in perpetual fear of a depression. Having risen sky high in their standard, they are afraid of a fall. That will be our fate too, if we imitate other nations in this respect.

A sanyasi sangh is a contradiction in terms. It is the obligation of society to maintain the true sanyasin. All those who have taken to begging, as a profession, must be provided with employment. It is improper to condemn those few who have embraced the sanyasa aasrama, in the standards prescribed for that aasrama, as parasites living at the expense of society. Nor is it proper to institutionalize the sanyasins into an organization for performing the functions that appropriately belong to the State.

December 29, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

19 Religious Reform Movements

Different schools of Hindu philosophy, like Saankhya Yoga, Paasupata and Vaishnava, came into existence to satisfy the needs of varying temperaments and tastes – rucheenaam vaichitryaat, - in the words of Pushpadanta. There have also been subsequent religious reform movements. Though the ostensible purpose of those reform movements was to purify Hinduism, in reality, they were movements to defend Hinduism against the attacks of alien religionists. They came into existence because the truths of our religion were not understood by the generality of our people, for lack of presentation in the proper manner. The Brahmo Samaj, the Arya Samaj and the Theosophical Society began with the object of stemming the tide of Christian and Muslim conversions. Seeing that Christian missionaries ridiculed our Karma kaanda practices, the Brahmo Samajists, unable to justify these practices, came to proclaim that the Karma kaanda is no part of real Hinduism. The Arya Samajists went to the extent of saying that the Veda portion alone was valid in Hinduism and nothing else, not even the Upanishads. Both these movements inveighed against idol worship influenced largely by Christian and Muslim criticisms of it.

It was left to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda to vindicate idol worship; for, they were devotees of the Divine Mother in her manifestation as Kaali ( ) and had attained their realization through the worship of the Mother in that form. They accepted the authority and the efficacy of the Vedas, the Vedanta, the Smritis and the Puranas in their entirety. Among modern Hindu religious movements, they are the nearest to classical Hinduism, in spite of a few deviations from the orthodox practices of our forefathers. The Theosophists went to the opposite extreme and said that Varna ( ) differences existed even among astral bodies – sookshma sareera. This is not the traditional view. Mahatma Gandhi subscribed fully to all aspects of Hinduism, except untouchability, which he considered a blot on our religion. When one or other aspect of Hinduism is taken out of context by alien religionists and made the target of attack on Hinduism as a whole, reformers, in their anxiety to defend our religion, dubbed those criticized aspects as “weeds” that had grown in our religion.

None of these accommodations and dilutions of Hinduism will be necessary if one understood its principles perfectly. All the difficulties arise on account of the lack of correct comprehension on our part of our Vedic religion as a whole. But from the days of the Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj, we have made considerable progress in our understanding of our religion. Faith in our religion has increased and the younger generation is full of good intentions. But they are unable to discipline themselves along the prescribed forms of conduct. Sraddha ( ) and tapas

( ) are the means by which enlightenment will dawn in our minds and help us to lead our lives in conformity with that enlightenment.

November 21, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

20 Soldier of Vedic Religion

Saivism or Vaishnavism or any other system of Hindu religious thought has the Vedas as its basis. The Vedas represent the cumulative wisdom of the ages. In the stream of Veda Neri, Vedic Dharma, the various systems of religious thoughts are like bathing ghats. The principles enunciated by the Vedas are elucidated in stories and simple songs which used to be sung in olden days by every housewife while at work. The children who listened to these stories or heard the songs used to get saturated in the Vedic spirit unconsciously. Times have changed and those wholesome traditions have begun to disappear to our detriment.

It is being argued in some quarters as to why we should continue to hug these ancient ways when science has advanced so much as to enable man to create even artificial satellites and to make them go round the earth. But such people ignore the fact that all these material advancements are of no avail, when there is no peace within oneself. What is the use of the entire world to a man, if in the process of acquiring it, he loses his soul? It is also worth remembering that the country which has created the Sputnik, is also getting the Mahabharata translated and that this great Indian epic is being taught in their schools, even though religion is not. It will not be a surprise if the Russians begin to treasure the Mahabharata with great enthusiasm.

The Vedic religion commands the allegiance of millions of people, in spite of the absence of propaganda or missionary institutions to propagate it. It is the example of great men who lived that religion that sustains the faith of the people Good men, who had attained a high level of jnana, won universal respect, irrespective of the caste in which they were born. Godliness and love for all are the qualities by which the greatness of a person is judged. So long as such great men continue to illumine the dark corners of the human heart, the Vedic religion will wield its influence, not only in this country but outside it also. It is only when we regularly and faithfully practice the anushtaanaas enjoined upon us, that society can produce outstanding persons, who will be beacon lights of Vedic religion to guide the multitude along the right lines. If even one in a thousand rises to great spiritual heights by such anushtaanaas, he will be a gain to society and a source of strength to our religion.

Our religion has grown and spread though the spiritual influence of such perfected souls. Even in the recent past, persons like Kabirdas and Masthan Saheb have been influenced by Vedic thought. Threats from disturbing unsocial elements need not distract us from doing the right. Troubles may come if it is His will. Do not floods and epidemics take a heavy toll of human lives occasionally? The oppression of Aurangazeb produced a Sivaji and an Ahalya Bai. God is both bhayakrit ( ) and bhayanaasana ( :). Therefore, we need not feel disturbed. Whatever happens will be for our good. We must act in the faith, “God’s will shall be done”. If each of us performs the anushtaana prescribed for him, the cumulative effect of the anushtaanas of all will be welfare of society. One does one’s religious duty in the interest of all. In order that each may do his part well, different duties have been prescribed for different persons. The anushtaanaa prescribed for one is neither superior to, nor inferior to that prescribed for another. On the other hand, one who is enjoined to do bhajan only, may reach the ultimate goal earlier than another who has to perform elaborate rituals. Therefore mutual respect and mutual love should prevail in society. Each person should do the anushtaana prescribed for him, respecting and cooperating with the others, so that the collective efforts of all may result in the welfare of society as a whole. The man doing devoutly the anushtaana prescribed for him is the true soldier of Vedic religion.

November 12, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

21 Keep the Epics Green

We are indebted to a great extent to the sages Valmiki and Vyasa for the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavatam. The influence of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata had at one time spread even to the Far Eastern islands, like Java, Sumatra and Bali. Though the population of most of these islands is predominantly Muslim now, the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are being enacted on all important festive occasions even to-day. Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada has given us several works for widening our jnana and we are indebted to him also. Besides these, there are the Smritis and the Sutras for our guidance.

The puranic stories which teach us right conduct in thought, words, and action, are regarded by some as mythology or legends. There is a tendency on the part of some of the people to treat them as imaginary tales. It is human nature to regard a thing which we cannot comprehend as false. Yet, in modern days, people are ready to believe such news items appearing in newspapers, as the find of leg bones several feet long, or the birth of child with two heads, or a woman giving birth to a snake. If that were so, why should we disbelieve if a puranic story tells us of a person as tall as a palmyra tree or a man with more than one head?

There is sthalapurana for each temple. The Saivite and the Vaishnavite saints have also sung about many of our temples and places of pilgrimage. This temple literature contains a fund of information which, when understood properly will help us to approach the Puranas with the reverence they deserve. There is need to equip our boys and girls with a certain rudimentary knowledge of Sanskrit and classical Tamil so that they can easily understand when they hear the Ramayana or the Mahabharata recited either in Sanskrit or in Tamil. In the past there was a custom to make boys and girls learn by heart certain easy verses in Sanskrit like the Neetisaara. With the disintegration of village life such wholesome practices have disappeared. The Kamakoti Mutt has prepared books both in Tamil and in Sanskrit containing easy verses which will pave the way for understanding the epics. If this knowledge about the Puranas and other ethical works spreads among our women, they will be in a position to pass on their knowledge to their children and thus ensure a continuity of Puranic knowledge. It is possible to form study groups of women even in Madras.

October 12, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

22 Welfare of Society (Speech made by the Jagatguru in reply to an address presented by Srilasri Somasundara Thambiran at the Dharmapuram Adeena Madalaya Devalaya Samaya Prachara Nilayam, Usman Road, Thiagarayanagar, Madras.)

When we think of the Dharmapuram Adeenam, it will be ingratitude not to remember the Lord of Vaideeswaran Koil. According to the traditions of this temple, Jatayu has sung the praise of Sri Parameswara enshrined therein, and the deity itself has been sanctified by Rig Veda. This place is known as Pullirukvetoor, Pul meaning bird (Jatayu), and iruk, Rig Veda. There are, in Tamil Nadu, temples sanctified by other Vedas also. It is the sanctification, through Veda mantras, that gives divinity to an idol or a linga installed in a temple. Great saints have, in the past, dedicated all the spiritual powers they had accumulated through their tapas (penance) to these temples, so that lesser mortals, who worship at these shrines, may get the benefit of their valuable spiritual achievements. In some temples the Linga is of sand; but the spiritual power that has been poured into them by the great saints has sustained the sanctity of these Lingas. Hence the expression (Ven manale sivamaahi) which occurs in one of the Saivaite songs.

We require the grace of God for the removal of our physical and mental ailments. That is the significance of the expression (ara naamame choozhga). I am finding that the name of Hara (Siva) has begun to pervade everywhere in this city.

The Madaalaya Devalaya Samaya Prachara Nilayam is the gift of the Dharmapuram Aadeenam to Madras and it has been doing very useful work, in spreading religiousness among the people. When we think of some of the flourishing Adeenams (Mutts), like the Dharmapuram Adeenam, we have to remember with gratitude the service, sacrifice, and tapas of the great founders. Those now in charge of these Mutts can do nothing better than follow the footprints of those great founders.

Good results flow even when a person pretends to act as if he were deeply religious. There is a verse in Sanskrit whose meaning is that it is the effect of worshipping Siva that endows a person with all worldly riches, like elephants and horses at his door-steps, and a number of beautiful women to serve in his house. The expression Siva poojaa vidheh phalam ( : ) which occurs in that verse is also construed to mean that all the riches are due to performing pooja in the wrong way (avidheh :) signifying that when pooja is performed in the right way, a person realizes God. There is a story that a robber chieftain pretended to be a great devotee and was performing elaborate pooja to Lord Siva every day, in order to attract the attention of the king of that country. After a few days, the king himself came and paid his respects to this pretender. This opened the eyes of the robber to the Truth, and he realized that if by pretending to be a devotee he could make the king come to him, he could attain God Himself by becoming a true devotee.

That is why we say that the tongue should be trained to utter the name of God constantly. What we think of in our wakeful moments, we see in our dreams. So also if the tongue is trained to utter God’s name under all circumstances, it will automatically beseech God, at the moment life departs from the body, when it will not be possible for the dying man to remember God consciously.

There are some people who think that all that is necessary for a person is good conduct (ozhukkam - ) and not divine grace ( - arul). This is a mistaken view. Good conduct without devotion to God is like a flower without fragrance. When people of this country were fighting for independence, making immense sacrifices, the watchword given to the people was “country first, everything next”. I had occasions to talk to some of the leaders and I asked them whether it was right to place all the emphasis on country, relegating God and religion to the background. Their reply was that if the country became independent, everything else would follow. That has not happened and the effect of this wrong approach is being felt today in all spheres of life and it has become difficult to control even a child.

History has seen the rise and fall of many empires. We have seen recently what happened to Hitler’s nationalism in Germany. Political status is a fluctuating factor. Therefore, the emphasis on country is all right only up to a certain point. Political power once lost can be regained; but if we lose our soul, everything is lost. If the soul force (atma balam ) is lost, no country can survive for long. I was told that at a school function, some years ago, Prime Minister Nehru asked everybody to be seated when a prayer song was being sung, but called upon everyone to stand up, as they naturally ought to, when the National Anthem was sung. This illustrates the undue emphasis laid on politics. At least during Gandhiji’s time, people used to sing Rama Naam. Even that has disappeared now.

We require God’s grace to get rid of our mental ailments. Our heart should be filled with love if we are to banish evils like lust, anger, hatred and greed from our heart. God resides in everybody’s heart; but He is being elbowed to the background by our selfishness and the various passions. By driving out these passions with the help of love (anbu - ), we will succeed in making our heart pure for God to reside. It is only by developing our force through devotion to God that we can hope for the lasting prosperity of the individual, society, the nation, or the world. Let us, therefore, develop devotion to God for the welfare of ourselves and the world.

March 30, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

23 Spiritual Values

(The following is the advice tendered to journalists and writers when they paid their homage to His Holiness at the Sanskrit College, Mylapore, on February 8, 1959.)

According to our Sastras, the most important branches of knowledge are the four Vedas and the six Vedangas. The Vedangas include sciences like higher mathematics, astronomy and astrology. In ancient days, there were scholars, who though not able to write their own names, were able to solve even complicated mathematical problems with the aid of beads (Chozhi ). All knowledge was expressed in verses, and pupils listened to their teachers and committed these verses to memory. As a matter of fact, the Vedas are intended to be learnt by hearing. Likhita paathah. : (learning from manuscript) is considered an inferior method of learning the Veda. In that way, every person learnt from his elders or teachers a trade for earning his livelihood. As everything was memorized, much attention was not paid to reading and writing. Whatever writing had to be done, was done by scribes who specialized in writing on palm leaves.

A few people, who specialized in writing, wrote only such works as were required to be read everyday.

One charge leveled against the ancient system is that general education was denied to some classes of people and that the majority of them knew only some trade and nothing else. This is an unfounded charge. While the preservation of the four Vedas was entrusted to four sages by Veda Vyasa, the Mahabharata and other Puranas were entrusted to Suta, who went about explaining these Puranas to the public. There are inscriptions which show that exposition of the Puranas was made compulsory in temples every day. The truths expounded by the Vedas, relating to spiritual knowledge, rules of conduct and forms of righteous living, and other branches of general information were thus conveyed to the public through the exposition of the Puranas. In that way, culture permeated the masses. Though illiterate, the masses were highly educated and cultured.

With the invention of printing, the old order underwent a change. The role of the pauraniks (those who discourse Puranas) of old is now taken up by journalists and writers. It should be the endeavour of journalists not only to purvey what would please the readers, but also to give them some fresh knowledge of an ennobling kind. For that purpose, journalists should be students all their life. They can convey truth in a palatable form; but care should be taken to see that what they give us is just sugar-coated and not mere sugar. On the plea that readers have a liking for a particular type of information, they should not concentrate on ephemeral things and matters purveying to the senses. They have a duty to educate their readers and, therefore, journalists, besides catering information pertaining to mundane life, should also convey knowledge having eternal and spiritual values. If journalists persist in this task, they will be able to create in their readers a taste for this kind of writing also.

In this way, journalists can serve the public truly and contribute not only to the welfare and prosperity of the people of this country, but also to world peace and happiness.

February 8, 1959.


(1957-1960)

Part II

24 Intellectual Comradeship

(The following is the speech of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, on the occasion of the release of Vaiseshika Rasaayana, written by Sri Uttamur T. Veeraraghavachariar, at the Sanskrit College, Mylapore.)

In the past, there was the custom of arangetral of the works of eminent authors in learned assemblies convoked for the purpose. That was an occasion for competent scholars to speak on the book released and about its author. The term Rangam denotes stage; the arangetral was done in temples, particularly in the temple at Chidambaram, which is known as Sabha, and in Srirangam, where the presiding deity is Ranganatha – Lord of Ranga. The purpose of an arangetral is to get the opinion of qualified judges on the work. True to the definition of a scholar – Vidvaan vipaschit doshajnah, : - the assembly of scholars will point out faults, if any, in the work. From the point of view of the promotion of real scholarship, such healthy criticisms are more valuable than praise. Works which emerged from the fire of criticism in a learned assembly can stand the test of time, unlike those which received

praise after a superficial perusal. It is only when faults are known and they are rectified that any work can become imperishable.

In modern days, when the number of scholars capable of spotting out mistakes in a work on the Sastras, not to speak of appreciating it, is dwindling in number, it is necessary to convene a sadas like the one convened today, whenever a book of this kind, intended to stimulate the thought of readers in the direction of eternal truths, is released. Speeches made at this sadas show that the speakers have taken the trouble of going through the book before speaking.

Though both Sri Anantakrishna Sastrigal and Sri Rama Sastrigal (Mahamahopadhyaya N.S. Anantakrishna Sastrigal and Sastraratnakara Polagam Rama Sastrigal) differed from Sri Veeraraghavachariar in regard to their philosophic affiliations, their respect and regard for Sri Veeraraghavachariar increased by contact. That is the proper way of developing friendly rivalry in scholarship. There are different Sidhaantas and each Sidhaanta should develop in the larger interest of the spiritual welfare of the community as a whole. Each can learn much from the other, and, in that way, the light of knowledge can be kept burning brightly. Nothing promotes knowledge so much as a debate on the differing points of view – spardhayaa vardhate vidyaa, ( ). But such exposition of opposite views should be in a spirit of healthy co-operation, with the object of discovering the truth, and should not breed a feeling of faction and fanaticism. I will suggest that, after having written a book on any Sastra, its author should go to a scholar upholding a different view, obtain his criticisms and include them in the publication. That way, a healthy co-operative enterprise in scholarship will grow.

I may also suggest that the opinion of a Visishtaadvaitin should be obtained for a work on Advaita and vice versa. Similarly, a scholar of a particular philosophic persuasion should study and write works pertaining to the other schools of philosophy also. By this process, all acerbities, attaching to the exposition of varying schools of thought, will vanish. Vachaspati Misra and Appayya Dikshitar have written monumental treatises on darsanas, other than their own, with a remarkable fidelity of presentation.

I am happy that this sadas has been convoked to honor a scholar of repute, who has to his credit works relating to darsanas besides his own. In handling other darsanas, Sri Veeraraghavachariar has displayed a remarkable spirit of catholicity. By his Vaiseshika Rasaayana, a commentary of Kaanaada’s Vaiseshika Sutras, he has done a great service to the world of scholarship, for, it has been very properly declared that Kaanaada’s Vaiseshika Sutras and Panini’s Vyaakkarana Sutras are helpful to the study of all Sastras – Kaanaadam Paanineeyam cha sarva saastropakaarakam, ( ). Such scholars deserve every encouragement.

Sri Rama Sastrigal had remarked that pandits are specimens of poverty incarnate. It is deplorable that our sastraic scholars do not have the financial resources to engage themselves in research work and to publish books of this kind. In foreign countries, there are endowments to promote research into even such tiny subjects as ants and bees. But in our land, scholars languish for lack of such assistance. The research into aatma vidya is more important from an ultimate point of view than the research into material subjects, and has to be generously provided for in our country.

August 10, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

25 Education and Gurukula System

At present, the Government of this country is striving to bring about universal education. In this context, it will be useful to consider what the purpose of education is. Great men of this land have declared that education should foster character, help the acquisition of good qualities, or seela, and eradicate vices. Knowledge should also enable us to understand the truth about things. Saivite and Vaishnavite saints have proclaimed that God alone is Truth, and the rest is maya or illusion. These sages and saints endeavored to realize Truth, that is God. In Him they found their supreme joy. They looked at everything else as the sources of evil and suffering. In the Vedas, the Paramatman is spoken of as Truth. When it is declared that everything connected with this world is mithya, or false, it is not so much to condemn the world as to affirm that the Paramatman alone is true.

Right education should make us know that God is the Truth. Knowledge must fill one with good qualities through which alone one can realize the Truth, that is God. Therefore, the goal of knowledge is the understanding of the Ultimate Truth. The first fruit of education must be humility and self-control. Education that does not produce these qualities is useless. We find that

people in countries where modern education has spread are not as virtuous as they should be. Unsophisticated illiterates, like those living in the tribal areas of South African jungles, are found to be more honest than those who have received the doubtful benefits of modern education. It is sad to note that in our own schools and colleges, indiscipline is rampant nowadays. Even girls, who are by nature docile, have caught this infection of indiscipline. All these developments give rise to the question whether this kind of education is after all necessary or useful.

From time immemorial, the necessity to acquire knowledge is being emphasized and he who has had no education is considered an animal. Vidyaa viheenah pasuh : :says Bhartruhari. But what is the type of education our ancients had in mind when they said : Vidyaa vinaya sampanna? A thing can be done either in the dharmic way or in the adharmic way. Good results will flow when a thing is done in the right way. The Brahmacharya period, the years before marriage, commencing from the age at which a boy has learnt to discriminate, is prescribed for learning. The student is enjoined to go in search of a teacher (guru) and learn at his feet under his roof. The guru, in his turn, is forbidden to receive any remuneration for teaching. In modern days, the pupils go to a school paying fees and the teachers receive salary for teaching. As teachers are paid out of the fee income, the students think that they can call the tune. The manner of teaching has also changed, for the teacher now teaches standing and the students listen sitting. Indiscipline and other evils of modern days can be traced to this changed approach to education.

In ancient days, students went to a guru and requested him to teach them. Now, we have schools for every branch of knowledge, except, perhaps, nadaswaram. According to the ancient system, the pupil must forget his home during the period of his gurukula, and study under the roof of the teacher’s dwelling. He had also to maintain the teacher and himself by obtaining alms (bhiksha) of cooked food. The whole of the food thus obtained was placed before the guru and the pupil can take only what the guru sets apart for him. In this way a guru, who had a number of pupils, was able to secure enough food for the maintenance of himself and his disciples and also to spare to those in need. The salutary effect of begging is that it helps to destroy ahamkaara. Another feature of our ancient education is that if a student misbehaved, the guru could send him away or subject him to an appropriate act of atonement, praayaschitham.

The modern system of education was introduced in this country to enable the foreign government to secure employees, who would serve them loyally. Therefore, students went to schools and colleges with the sole object of securing employment under the government. But in the system of education as conceived by our ancients, there is no connection between earning and learning. The true type of education is that which was obtained in the gurukula system. The students supported themselves and their teachers by alms and gave a guru dakshina or present at the end of their scholastic career. In those days, kings and rich and prominent persons of the land

willingly helped the students to find the guru dakshina asked for by the teacher; in fact, guru dakshina was considered a legitimate charge on the community. Modern residential institutions are parodies of the ancient Gurukula system and are not what they ought to be. It is through the gurukula system, that the several branches of knowledge came to be fostered and preserved in our land in their variety and intensity. The modern method of education is faulty. We have gone too far and it may not be possible to revert to the ancient system at once. But a beginning has to be made and if that is done, slowly the present system can be changed, so that the true purpose of education can be achieved.

There is proposal to start a Sanskrit University to commemorate the completion of 50 years of my sanyasa. As the proposal stands at present, I am afraid it will only be a replica of existing colleges and universities. On the other hand, a more proper approach will be to find out competent gurus in every branch of ancient learning, irrespective of the linguistic area, in the several parts of the country and make willing students go to them and learn. These gurus may be given honoraria so that they may not have the necessity to engage themselves otherwise, to earn their living. Students who volunteer to go to these teachers can be financed to maintain themselves during the period of their study. At the end of the gurukulavasa, these students can be put in possession of a handsome amount to offer guru dakshina and also to make a start in life. Students who volunteer to maintain themselves by seeking alms should be given special encouragement. In this way, the old gurukula method of learning can be gradually restored, resulting in the development of character and the disappearance of indiscipline. Funds for this purpose can be raised by donations. Even people who are not so well off can participate in this scheme, by taking out insurance policies, assigning half the value of the policies to those dear to them and the other half for this cause. In this way, the scheme can be placed on a permanent and stable financial basis.

October 9, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

26 Silent Meditation before Lessons

Worship of Goddess Saraswati in silent meditation for a few minutes before the commencement of classes every day, an earnest effort from an early age to preserve and foster the Hindu religion and its tenets, spread of the study of Sanskrit – these are some of the practices which His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam advised students of the P.S. High School to put into effect, when he addressed them and replied to addresses presented to him.

The following are the other points from the speech: The Pandits and the boys have read the addresses in an excellent manner pronouncing the words correctly and clearly. There may be nothing strange in the excellence of the Pandits. The manner in which the Tamil address was read by a boy may also be regarded as what we can expect from a Tamilian. But we cannot help appreciating the fluent manner in which the boy who was entrusted with the task of reading the Sanskrit address acquitted himself. The best among the boys may have been selected for the purpose. But the point is that every one of the boys must be

able to read Sanskrit with equal fluency. Those who are not so fluent in Sanskrit can take a resolve now and here to become as proficient in a year’s time as the boy who read the address. I am sure that teachers will also help the students to achieve this objective. Only when you fulfill this desire of mine can you treat the address as having been accepted by me. If the boys of the P.S. High School make such a resolve, the boys in other schools will emulate them. When every boy in this land attains that much proficiency in Sanskrit, the country will register spiritual advance and prosperity will follow.

Before you commence your lessons in the morning each day, you should worship Goddess Saraswati for a few minutes in silent meditation. It is not recitation of prayer verses that matters so much. I may tell you that the essence of prayer lies in sincere devotion to Goddess Saraswati and the Guru (teacher) through silent meditation for a few minutes. This practice will develop in you a spirit of homage and aid you to drive away all evil thoughts from your mind.

Hindu religion or Vedic religion is the oldest religion in the world. Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and other religions are of a later origin. It may well be that in the dim distant past, there was only one religion in the world and that religion was Hinduism. It is our proud privilege to belong to that ancient religion. Consequently, a duty is cast on us to make all possible efforts to preserve and foster it. This can be achieved only by practicing and living up to the tenets of Hinduism and learning the truths embedded in the Vedas. It may be that by the efflux of time some cobwebs have formed which have to be removed. Young boys should learn the fundamentals of our religion from the elders and strive to keep aloft the glories of this ancient Vedic religion.

October 12, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

27 Knowledge of Sanskrit

When Sanskrit poetry is recited or when a speech is made in Sanskrit, everyone must be in a position to follow it, without the help of a translator. About 800 years ago, Sanskrit was the language of administration not only in India, but also in Greater India, namely, countries of the Far-East like Siam, Cambodia, Java and Bali. In those places, there are to be found even today, Sanskrit inscriptions on stones and copper plates. What is more, the Tamil inscriptions found in some of the Southern Tamil districts start with the words “Swasti Sri”, which are the opening words of every Srimukham in Sanskrit, emanating from the Kamakoti Peetam.

In the days I am referring to, the Vyavahara Kanda of the Dharma Sastras was being followed in the administration of justice. In fact, even during the brief period of Muslim rule in South India, prior to the advent of the British, the services of pandits were requisitioned to decide cases, to which Hindus were parties, coming up before courts known as Sadar Amin and Sadar Adalat, just as the services of kazis were requisitioned to administer Muslim law. These pandits found themselves without employment only after Maine’s Hindu Law came to be written. Families in villages on the banks of the Kaveri are able to trace ancestors whose scholarship found

recognition in the court of the Maharajas of Travancore. The Pudukottai Durbar also, in a small way, honored these pandits. These were also pandits from South India who received presents in the sadas of the Peshwas in Poona.

We can no longer look to kings and zamindars to encourage and patronize scholarship, because the princely states and zamindars have been liquidated. Democracy implies that every individual citizen is a king. Kingship has thus been fragmented and is vested with the people as a whole. Therefore, it behooves all of us to take steps to foster Sanskrit scholarship so that the wealth of knowledge, both secular and spiritual, preserved in the ancient books, is not lost to the country and to the world.

While Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada was engaged in instructing his disciples everyday, a particular disciple, who later became famous as Sri Thotakacharya, for all outward appearances, seemed not to follow the lessons. This gave rise to a mild contempt towards him in the minds of the other disciples. Sri Sankara sensed this and because such an attitude towards a fellow-student is harmful to those disciples themselves, he decided to disillusion them. The moment this thought entered the mind of the Acharya, the seemingly “dull” disciple burst into ecstatic poetry and came dancing and singing verses in Thotaka meter, beginning with “

....” “Vidita-akhila sastra-sudha jaladhe……”. The other disciples realized their error and prayed for forgiveness with tears in their eyes. The verses then sung are known as Thotakaashtakam and are held in great reverence.

This fine composition expounds some of the finest philosophic ideas. Sri Thotakacharya understood Sri Sankara perfectly, as also the purpose of his mission in this world, and recognized that just as the rising sun dispels the enveloping darkness, Sri Bhagavatpada dispelled the darkness of ignorance and illumined the minds with jnana, which will lead us to the realization of the Ultimate Truth.

Knowledge can be classified into Vyaavaharikam and Paaramaarthikam. So long as the human mind is subject to passions like desire, anger, etc., it is not in a fit condition to receive the Paaramaarthika jnana. By doing good karmas and keeping good company, the mind has to be made to distinguish between the Real and the Unreal. When knowledge of the Real dawns, the steps by which this knowledge is gained will automatically get effaced. On the other hand, if an unprepared mind is given the knowledge about the Real, the result will be only evil. Even a boy belonging to the villi community will be able to pull out a cobra from its hole dexterously. If we attempt this feat, we are sure to be bitten by the cobra. In the same way, an untrained and unprepared mind will only lapse into evil path if knowledge about the Real is presented to it.

That is why we are enjoined to keep this Supreme Knowledge confidential as enjoined in the Gita verse, “Raaja vidya raja guhyam. Pavitramidamuttamam..” (

)

It is, therefore, very essential that the human mind, which is subject to weakness, must be prepared through practical knowledge, vyaavahaarika jnana, to receive the Real and True knowledge, paaramaarthika jnana. The variety and richness of the knowledge contained in our ancient works are beyond description. Even before the advent of modern science, our astronomers have adduced convincing reasons to establish that this earth is globular in shape and revolves round the sun. Another school of thought is equally vehement that the sun travels round the earth. Surya Siddhaanta speaks of aakarshana sakti or gravity, and this force has been discovered long before Newton established the Theory of Gravitation. All this shows the amount of knowledge enshrined in ancient works which is at our disposal if only we care to study them.

While each of us must become proficient in his or her mother tongue, all of us must acquire a working knowledge of Sanskrit. Without going into the intricacies of Sanskrit grammar, it will be possible for every one of us to acquire in a year or two, as much knowledge in Sanskrit as will enable us to follow a Sanskrit speech or to understand the substance of a simple Sanskrit verse. For that purpose, study circles should be organized. I am glad that the Adhyayana Sabha, started when I was here 25 years ago, is still functioning, though attendance in it may not have increased. I hope many study circles will be formed to learn Sanskrit and that, as a result, all of you will be able to derive benefit from the wisdom that has fallen from the lips of great seers of old and to contribute to the general welfare of humanity.

October 30, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

28 Akshamaala

The best among the five ancient classical Sanskrit poetical works are known as the Pancha Kaavyaas. There are such Pancha Kaavyaas in Tamil and Telugu also. In Tamil language, kaavya becomes kaappiyam (<Tamil> …). Maagha is one of the Pancha Kaavyaas in Sanskrit and is so called after its author, Poet Maagha. The theme of the composition is Sisupala Vadham. The narrative opens with Sri Krishna sitting on a throne in an open place of Dwaraka, surrounded by his courtiers. The poet then describes the arrival of Sage Narada from a great height, from the heavens above. The poet says that at first the courtiers see only a bright vision. They begin to wonder what that scintillating brilliance can be and by that time the phenomenon has come nearer. Then, in the centre of that vision, they were able to distinguish the outlines of a human form; but they are not sure whether it is a male or a female. As they stand gazing, the object gets still nearer and they are able to identify the form as that of a man. A little later, Sage Narada appears before them in all his radiating splendor. This episode is expressed by Maagha in the following verse :

:

:

Chayastvishaam-ityavadhaaritam puraa, Tatah sareereeti vibhavitaakrtim; Vibhur-vibhakta-avayavam pumaaniti, Kramaadamum naarada ity-abodhi sah.

In this verse, we see the ability of a great poet to clearly portray a natural phenomenon in its correct sequence, with a dramatic effect. That is why works of inspired poets like Maagha retain their popularity and attraction, in spite of the passage of centuries. The next verse describes the manner in which Narada presented himself.

:

Ajasram-aasphalita vallakee-guna- Kshatojjvala-angushta-nakhaamsu bhinnayaa; Purah pravaalai-riva poorita-arddhayaa, Vibhaantam achhasphatika-akshamaalayaa.

By constantly vibrating the strings of the veena, the tip of the thumb of Narada has become red on account of the clotting of blood and this is in contrast to the whiteness of his thumb nail. To give the paining thumb a little rest, he is counting the crystal beads of his akshamaala and repeating the naama of God. While so rolling the beads, with his thumb and index fingers, the red patch in the tip of the thumb gets reflected on half of the number of beads of the string in his hand, and consequently appear as if they are coral beads.

The Sanskrit term for coral is pravaala ( ). It becomes pavazham in Tamil, pagadalu in Telugu and havala in Kannada. If we analyze some of the words in different languages, we find that certain letters in one language get changed in another language. For example, if we take the equivalents of coral in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, we find that zha in Tamil, becomes da in Telugu and la in Kannada. There seems to be a Vedic basis for the transformation of zha into da and la. We find that the Brahmins of Maharashtra and Karnataka are mostly followers of Rig Veda and those of Telugu and Tamil areas are predominantly followers of Yajur Veda. In Telugu area, Sama Veda is practically not in vogue. In Tamil area, only 15 per cent profess Sama Veda and only 5 per cent Rig Veda. But there is evidence to infer that at one time, Sama Veda had larger affiliation in the Tamil area because it is found stated that it has one thousand saakhaas or branches. This can be inferred from the reference in Thevaram to Isvara as Aayiram saakai udaiyaan ( ). But at present, we meet with only one Gautama branch of Sama Veda in the Tamil country. The Chozhias of the South, who profess Sama Veda, follow the Jaimini or Talavakaaram ( ) branch. In Malabar too, there are some Nambudiris who belong to the Talavakaaram branch of Sama Veda. But Sama Vedins among the Vadama sect follow only the Gautama saakha. The term Vadama itself denotes that the members of this sect originally belonged to the North, either the Telugu country or the region on the banks of the Narmada. This inference is justified by the prayer to the Narmada, which these Vadamas have included in their Sandhya prayers. That prayer is:

:

Narmadaayai namah praatah narmadaayai Namo nisi, namostu narmade tubhyam.

To come to the Vedic basis for the difference in the pronunciation referred to above, we find that wherever zha occurs in the Vedas as recited in the Tamil area, the Telugu people pronounce it as da and the Kannadigas as la. Da ( ) occurring in Yajur Veda becomes zha in Talavakaara Sama and la in Rig Veda. It may be that following this Vedic tradition, pagada became havala in Kannada and Pavazha in Tamil. In North India, there is one branch of Sukla Yajur Veda wherein the sound ya occurring in the Vedas gets transformed into ja. This accounts for Yamuna becoming Jamuna and Yogi becoming Jogi.

From an inscription dating back to B.C. 1400, we find that in the Semitic countries like Palestine, the Vedic Gods Mitra and Varuna were being worshipped. This indicates that the Vedas must have had currency in those parts of the world at one time. In those countries also we find this transformation of Ya into Ja, as in North India. Jehova, Joseph and Jesus for Yahova, Yoosuph and Yesu respectively are examples. From this, we may deduce that a significant sound in the Veda current in a country also became the significant sound in the spoken language of that country.

In the sloka I have just now quoted describing the appearance of Narada, the expression Sphatikakshamaala ( ) occurs. Akshamaala signifies the series of 51 letters of the

alphabet from a ( ) to ksha ( ). In a string of prayer beads, also known as akshamaala, there

are 51 beads, the 51st bead being slightly larger than the rest. This bead is known as Meru ( ). Sometimes in a string of crystal beads, a coral bead is made to form the meru. In the string I am holding in my hand, the meru is a coral bead. That is how my thoughts went to pravaala ( ) and to the other topics I have been speaking about. When counting the beads while repeating God’s name, one does not “cross” the meru. When the meru is reached after rolling the 50 beads of the string, we reverse the string and count the 50 beads again. Thus, we avoid counting or crossing the meru.

The letters from A to Z in the English language are called the alphabets. It may be noticed that in all the languages, the initial letter is a ( ) or a symbol denoting the sound “ah”. In Greek, the first letter is called alpha and in Arabic, it is aliph. The sound “Al” is common to both and it also occurs in “alphabet”. If the view is taken that all languages originated from Sanskrit, the question that has to be answered is whether the expression Al occurs in Sanskrit.

The tradition is that when Sri Nataraja performed His cosmic dance at Chidambaram, 14 sounds emanated from his rattle or dhakka ( ) ( ) and these 14 sounds came to be referred

to as 14 Maaheswara Sootras. On the basis of these sootras, Panini compiled his Vyaakarana (grammar) Sootras, and Patanjali, in his turn, wrote Mahaabhaashyaas or elaborate commentaries to the Panini Sootras. It is interesting to note in this context that Patanjali provided treatment for all the three karanaas ( ). He wrote the Yoga Sootras to treat the mind; Vyaakarana Bhaashya to correct faulty speech; and Charaka Samhita to cure bodily ailments.

The 14 Maaheswara Sootras conclude thus : (Hal iti Maaheswara Sootrani) “Hal” is a symbol to denote the consonants coming in between “ha”, the first sound in the Sootra, ( ) ha-ya-va-rat and “l”, the last sound in the last Sootra, ( ) Hal. Similarly there is another Sootra in grammar, which is ( ) (Alo antyasya). This is a symbol to denote all the letters of the Sanskrit Alphabet, derived by combining the first sound “A” ( ) in the first Maaheswara Sootra, (a-i-u-n) and the last sound “L” in the

last Sootra, . Hence (al) came to stand for aksharam or letter of the alphabet in the Vyaakarana Sastra. My view is that “al” in alphabet, “al” in alpha, and “al” in aliph came from the Sanskrit (al), which means a letter of the alphabet.


(1957-1960)

Part II

29 The Path of Good Life

Each one of us know to the full extent the mistakes and sins committed by him or her. But outsiders become aware of only a fraction of these faults and they criticize us for that. We try to hide our faults before others and to show off only our merits. Sometimes we even shed tears over our faults. There is no use of merely weeping. On the other hand, we should remind ourselves of our faults at the end of each day and pray to God to give us strength to resist evil thoughts and deeds and to help us not to repeat the mistakes we have committed. It is human to err or to slip from the right path. A man who has swerved from the right path is called patita and the Tamil expression used in respect of a woman who has erred is cherukki, meaning, one who has slipped. We must overcome this tendency to slip and rise to the noblest heights of virtue. This can be achieved only by praying to God in a spirit of repentance. Even if one in a hundred succeeds in rising to great heights, that one will be an ornament to the entire community and a beacon light to society.

When adversities overtake us, we blame God and complain that He is blind to our misfortunes. But if we indulge in a little introspection, we will realize that our faults are so enormous that we are utterly unworthy of His grace and, if in spite of that, we are able to get food, shelter and clothing, it is due to the abundant mercy of God. We must consider the difficulties we encounter

as a blessing in disguise. A mother may tie the hands of her child who has the propensity to pick up and eat mud. This seeming cruelty of the mother is for the good of the child. Similarly, troubles are verily God’s grace to save us. In the entire picture of life, troubles form but a tiny spot. In our inability to visualize the past and the future, we complain when we suffer in the present. A proper perspective will enable us to understand our present plight in its proper setting.

You may have heard of the incident of Saint Manickavachagar making the dumb daughter of the Buddhist King of Ceylon respond in verses to his philosophic questions, before Sri Nataraja of Chidambaram. This Saint was able to convince the Buddhist King that the ultimate end was not nirvana or state of nothingness. Sri Manickavachagar illustrated this with the help of vibhuti or sacred ash. When any object is consumed by fire, it becomes charred. If that black residue is burnt again, it becomes white ash. White ash continues to remain white even when burnt again. This shows that white is the ultimate and black is proximate to it. Science tells us that diamond and coal are basically one. White and black are not mentioned in the seven primary colours. So, white and black are not colours. The primary colours get separated from the objects to which they are attached when subjected to the test of fire and the objects themselves turn black first and ultimately white. Similarly, in the mental and spiritual plane, the Ultimate Reality is Siva, who is white, and proximate to Him is Parvati, who is dark. When we test everything in the fire of jnana, or true knowledge, the residue is white Siva. Ash in the material plane corresponds to Siva in the spiritual plane. We smear ours bodies with the sacred ash to remind ourselves of Siva and the fact that the ultimate goal of life is Siva.

Right conduct or seela, which is necessary for the ultimate realization of Siva, has to be acquired through the process of anushtaana, discipline, etc. All these actions done in a spirit of dedication to God, enable us to keep our hearts clean and single-pointed (chitha sudhi and ekaagrata). It is only in such a heart that God presents Himself. We secure a good reflection only in a clean and steady mirror. Everything must be burnt in the fire of jnana. If we regressively trace the cause of things, we will find that one eternal substance is the sole and universal cause of all the variety and multiplicity of this world. It is to symbolize that Ultimate that we put on tiruman, signifying the earth, that is the source of all animal and vegetable life, or vibhuti, the substratum of all material objects. The tiruman worn vertically tells us to strive to reach the heights of spirituality. The vibhuti smeared all over the body reminds us that everything is Siva Mayam. To obtain the grace of God, karmaanushtaana, seela, upaasana, and jnana are necessary. We must acquire these means to moksha and foster them in our children. Thus will we obtain the grace of the Supreme Mother and be happy here and hereafter. Doing our appointed task, filled with love, let us burn all our troubles and desires in the fire of jnana and be happy in the consciousness of the abiding grace of the Supreme.

October 10, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

30 Lead Simple Life

The aim of every man should be to know the Truth and if any one dies before realizing the Truth, he will not have achieved the purpose of his birth. In the ultimate analysis, Truth is Isvara or Paramatma. When we realize the Paramatma, the ego in us will vanish. The jeevatma in us will get merged with the Paramatma, even as all rivers lose their identity in the ocean. This is what Vedanta teaches us. But the realization of the Truth or Paramatma is not an easy process. A course of preliminary discipline has to be gone through. Eight steps or ashta angaas, like yama, niyama, praanaayaama, dhyaana, etc., have been prescribed. Without climbing these eight steps, one by one, it is not possible to achieve realization, or, Brahma saakshaatkaara.

The first step, yama, consists of five observances pertaining to ethical codes of conduct. In other countries, ethics is an end in itself. But, in Hindu philosophy, ethics is one of the means to knowing the Truth. If children are trained to observe high ethical standards, many of the administrative worries of the government will cease to exist. Unfortunately, the governments believe that their responsibility is over if they make provision to give children education in the three R’s and in subjects like history, geography and science. This policy is causing the country several head-aches. Police protection has become necessary to enable people to exercise even their fundamental freedom of worship. If money is spent in building up the character of our people and in instilling devotion in them, the state will be able to economize in the police budget.

In the context of religion, we are concerned with ethics only as one of the necessary steps for realizing the Truth. Aparigraha is one of the observances enjoined in the first step, yama. Aparigraha literally means non-taking. But it should be understood, in the present context, as not taking more than what is absolutely necessary. For maintaining life, we require water, food, clothing and shelter – chhaaya, toyam, vasanam and asanam. If a careful scrutiny of the cloth budget of a family is made, it will be seen that much more than what is absolutely necessary is being spent. Our clothes should be durable and simple and should not be above the standard worn by the generality of the people. We are particular in observing ahimsa, non-violence, in the matter of our food; but we do not pause to consider how much himsa, violence, has been committed to produce a silk cloth we desire to wear. In the process of producing silk yarn, millions of silk-worms are killed. Coffee is another habit which is making a heavy inroad into the budget of even poor families. If we resolve not to go in for silk sarees and coffee seeds, the money now required to maintain one family will be sufficient to maintain five families. India is reported to be a country with the lowest average income. Plans are being conceived and executed with the object of raising our standard of living. This itself is a wrong approach. Western countries are able to have high standards of living because of their colonial possessions or trade monopolies. With more and more countries becoming independent, the scope for one country to exploit another is getting less. In such a situation, the emphasis should be on plain living. In saying this, I am not discounting the need for machinery and fast means of transport. But in the ultimate analysis, it will be better if we do not multiply our wants in respect of food, clothing and shelter. There is no advantage in creating flats in the name of high standard of living. A small hut is much more healthy than a cramped flat. Going back to the way of living that existed some 50 years ago will be a national gain and will reduce the problem of administration. Above all, the obstacles in the path of a man’s salvation will also be reduced.

Message of Vegetarianism

The following is the English version of the Sanskrit message given by His Holiness to the delegates of the World Vegetarian Conference, who had an audience with him, for being carried by them to their respective countries:

“Even as cannibalism is despicable compared to eating animal flesh, so too the latter is despicable compared to eating leaves and fruits of trees. As men abhor cannibalism, let them avoid eating other animals for food. Such abstinence cannot come about in a day. It should be developed by stages. Let people start abstaining from meat on holy days. Let them then extend that habit to certain days in a month. Let them adopt total abstinence after a certain age. The practice of this by degrees will strengthen the virtue and develop a sense of kinship, sneha bhaava, with all creatures. The Father of the world is one only. When there is one God, whose children we all are – man, bird and beast – if the flesh of other animals is eaten by man, the word, “brotherhood” loses its meaning. If it should retain its meaning, eating meat must be necessarily avoided.”

November 27, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

31 Our Food Habits

The emphasis, in Basic Education now-a-days, is on self-reliance and this is attempted to be fostered even from childhood. But the important thing on which each one of us must be self-reliant is in respect of the preparation of food. In this regard, we, in South India are dependent on others. It is not uncommon to hear that the justification for a person marrying a second time, even after he is 50 years of age, is that he wants a wife to cook his food, though there is a prohibition in the Sastraas of one marrying after that age.

Sanskrit and Veda Patasalas are very few in South India, compared to their number in North India. In undivided Madras, before Andhra and Kerala separated, there were only 140 such Patasalas, while in Bengal and Uttara Pradesh, their number exceeded 1,500. In the Punjab and in Madhya Pradesh too, their number exceeds 1,000. It is strange that in South India, the number of Patasalas should be so few. It cannot be due to want of sraddha (desire to learn) among the people here, or to lack of ability to study Sanskrit. The reason has to be sought in the cost of maintaining the Patasala kitchen, with all its paraphernalia of provisions and utensils, cooks and managers. The cost and the trouble of running a kitchen stand in the way of starting and

maintaining such Patasalas. In the North, kitchen presents no problem in the running of Patasalas. For one thing, cooking is not such an elaborate process there, as it is here. For every Patasala in North India, there will be one provision dealer willing to supply atta (flour), required both for the students and for the teachers. Each person will draw his share of atta, knead and flatten it, and bake the rotis (bread); so prepared directly over the fire which is kindled with a few dry sticks. The rotis are eaten with a little boiled dhal or buttermilk and washed down with a glass of water. This is a practice which we, in South India, may do well to copy. We must make a beginning by simplifying our food habits to such an extent that each of us can cook his own food, without having to spend much time and thought over it. Learning to cook must therefore form an essential part of Basic Education.

A number of problems will get automatically solved if each person gets into the habit of cooking his own food. None of us need feel worried about arranging for food wherever we may go. It is only when many sit down to a meal, which is prepared in common, that the question of inter-dining with the vexatious problem of high and low castes come in. This will be avoided if each one makes it a point to cook what he wants to eat. Many persons complain of hotel meals being unwholesome and unhealthy. With the best will in the world, the food, even in the finest of hotels, cannot be cent per cent wholesome. If each eats what he himself has cooked, it will be conducive to his health and will preserve his aachara, which makes for cleanliness, a very important consideration in food.

Where all sorts of people eat together indiscriminately, there is the danger of all of them reconciling themselves to eat a common food. This will be a serious threat to vegetarianism. Our country is the one country in the world where a large majority of the people is vegetarian by tradition and choice. But modern conditions of life, under which our young men join the army and other professions, necessitating them to go to distant parts of our own country and also to foreign places, compel them to eat with anybody, food cooked by somebody. At this rate, there is the danger that vegetarianism may gradually diminish from the food habits of our people. Let us not forget that vegetarianism is India’s national pride and a lesson which it has to offer to the rest of the world. Therefore, let everyone of us learn to cook his own food, which practice will be good to us from every point of view, so that eating in a common mess with its inherent danger of acquiring taste for non-vegetarian food may be avoided. The only persons who may not cook are the Brahmachari and the Sanyasi. A Brahmachari may cook for his teacher; but he ought to obtain his own food by bhiksha (alms). A Sanyasi is prohibited from kindling a fire and so he too cannot cook. He should maintain himself by bhiksha obtained from grahastas, house-holders.

More than all these, it should be borne in mind that the best and purest offering to God (naivedyam) is the food cooked by oneself, i.e., the person performing the worship. In that case, you can be sure there is no contamination of any kind in the food. Such food alone is worthy of being offered to God and when the naivedyam so offered is eaten by us, it will make for our

chitta suddhi (purity of heart), and will be productive of spiritual power or sreyas arising from Isvaraanugraha or grace of God. In this connection, it is worthy of remembering that when people of Andhra Desa sit for a feast, the food is first offered as naivedyam to God. It is only after that the people sitting at the feast will perform praanaahuti – the observance preliminary to eating.

December 5, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

32 Exercise of Control

Control over expenditure, which implies not only a limit in spending, but also avoidance of wasteful expenditure, is as important to the individual as it is for the state. The Tamil expression, kanakkaa irukkanum ( ) is a very significant one. Applied to day-to-day life, it denotes economy in and control over expenditure. There is an old Tamil saying that if we spill water unnecessarily, we will be afflicted with poverty. If we avoid waste and spend money only on what are essentials, we will be able to live within our means, and also to put by something for a rainy day. Thereby our domestic life will be free from anxiety. We will also be able to spend on items contributing to our spiritual welfare. As a matter of fact, a rich man is obliged to spend very much on items that go to keep up his prestige, so that he is hardly able to spend for really deserving causes and for his spiritual welfare. A poor but thrifty man will be able to manage to spare something for a good cause.

There is a reference to Kanakku in one of the songs of Tirumoolar in his Tirumantiram, (verse 316) and the import of that reference is that, that alone is true learning which enables one to understand the Supreme in the full and proper measure. The song runs:

.

Kanakkarindaarkanri kaanavonnadu, Kanakkarindaarkanri kai koodaakkaatchi; Kanakkarindunmaiyaik-kandanda nirkum, Kanakkarindaar kalvi katrarindaare.

The principle of economy is applicable in the case of speech also. Unbridled tongue often leads to misunderstandings and troubles. If our speech is confined to topics spiritually beneficial to us, and if we avoid speaking words likely to cause pain to others, much of our troubles can be avoided. That is the significance of the statement that there should be kanakku (account, meaning

control) even in speaking. The same principle of kanakku will apply to our actions also. We must perform only such deeds as will conduce to our physical and spiritual well-being. In the same way, we should train our minds to dwell only on good thoughts. That is the significance of the teaching in the Gita that saankhyam, ,(which is derived from sankhyaa, ,

numerals) and , Yoga, which is the means to salvation, are one. Thus the need for kanakku (a sense of measure) in every aspect of our life is apparent.

February 9, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

33 Simple Living

In all ancient Tamil works, wherever reference is made to a good king, he is described as one who “does not deviate from Manu neeti (duties of kings as laid down by Manu) and as one who collected only “one-sixth” of the produce from his subjects. When agriculturists in olden days paid kist in kind, and when the quantum of the kist was fixed as one-sixth of the produce actually harvested, there was plenty and contentment in the land. All kings constructed capacious granaries in their forts, and grain collected as kist was stored therein. With the advent of the British rule, revenue settlements were effected, and kist was fixed in terms of cash. The foreign ruler had a motive in changing the kist from kind to cash; obviously he could not transport grain to his country. But the introduction of the system of paying kist in cash worked havoc on our agricultural economy. When prices fell, a cultivator, in spite of a good harvest, was obliged to borrow to meet kist dues, even after selling out the entire crop. This changeover from kind to cash has been responsible for many of the ills from which we are suffering.

In ancient days, the bulk of the internal trade was carried on through a system of barter. Grain was the wealth of the people. Gold or silver figured only in our trade with foreign countries, and hence, the saying, tiraikadal odiyum diravvium tedu (

). Kings and the merchant community alone possessed wealth in the form of gold, silver and precious stones. The Brahmins lived, like the common man, in a hut, parnasaala, used mud pots (chatti and paanai, , ) as utensils, and wore the most ordinary kind of cloth. The women of the community had only black beads around their necks. The names like venkalapaanai ( ), kal-chatti, and vaira olai ( ) now in vogue, remind us of the old customs and ways of life. It is also to be noted that in Navaratna maala, Kalidasa describes Ambika as wearing earrings made of palm leaves (taaleepalaasa taatankaam, ). The Brahmins of old who lived such simple lives were neither envied nor hated by others. A Brahmin, who strictly adhered to his varnaasrama dharma, was welcomed everywhere, and society saw to it that the Brahmin families, which had settled down in any village, found no necessity to move away.

When the Brahmin discarded his traditional ways and succumbed to the glamour of an artificial life, he not only swerved from aachaara (observances pertaining to his station in life), but also laid himself open to envy and hatred. He is now wanted nowhere, and instead of being welcomed as a necessary part of society, he is being despised, if not driven away. A chain of evil consequences has resulted from his deviation from the path of dharma.

If we examine how society fared in the old system, under which the tax or the king’s share was fixed as one-sixth of the yield, we will find that each producer had with him much more than he could consume and consequently, he diverted his surplus produce for religious and charitable purposes. No one went hungry in those days. When famine conditions prevailed, as a result of drought or other natural calamities, the king’s granary was thrown open for feeding the needy. We also find that the five-sixth of the crop retained by the producer was spent on a well-defined basis. The Kural provides us with the clue to understand the Vedic injunction in this regard. According to the Kural, of the grain retained by him, a producer sets apart a fifth for the tenpulathaar, meaning as offerings to the manes (souls of the ancestors), a fifth for deivam (religious purposes), a fifth for guests, a fifth for relations, and the remaining fifth for himself and the members of his family.

The Kural in question is:

.

Tenpulathaar, deivam, virundu, okkal, taanenrangu Aimbulattaar ombal talai.

The region of the South is believed to be the direction in which the souls of the dead, destined to be born again, travel. From that, the term tenpulathaar, the occupants of the southern region, came to be used to denote the dead ancestors. The dictum of Tiruvalluvar in the Kural is also in accordance with the Vedic teachings. According to the Vedas, we are required to worship Isvara by doing our duties to the devas (gods), and the pitrus (deceased ancestors). That is why in all our karmaas, designed to propitiate the gods, we say in the sankalpa or the preamble portion of the mantra, that we are doing such and such a thing for propitiating Naarayana or Paramesvara (Naaraayana preethyartham or Paramesvara preethyartham). God is One, but He manifests Himself in different forms according to the nature of the functions. As the tax to the government has to go through the tax collector, our offerings to Isvara have also to go through these functional deities. It is this feature that distinguishes Vedic religion from other religions.

From the identity in the injunctions of the Vedas and the Kural, it is clear that there is nothing like a separate Tamil culture or a separate Aryan culture. We have only one culture and one religion and that is Vedic culture and Vedic religion. If this basic principle is understood, many of the present misunderstandings will disappear.

There is an inscription of Karikala Chola which reads

Paatraakalita vedaanaam saastramaargaanusaarinaam, Tadetu arikaalasya karikaalasya saasanam.

This inscription means that the order of Karikala, who is the kaala (death) of enemies, is that those who follow the Vedic path should be protected and those who pursue evil paths should be punished. Unfortunately, we forget the basic unity of the country and quarrel over words. The First Book in Tamil, i.e., Kural, and the First Book in Sanskrit, i.e., the Vedas tell the same thing. The same kalaachaara prevails from Kanyakumari to the Himalayas. In fact, archaeological findings confirm the view that at one time the Vedas prevailed all over the world, each country following a particular branch of a particular Veda.

There can be no better communism than the injunctions contained in the Kural regarding the utilization of one’s wealth, than in the form of grain. By the performance of the various karmaas, both daiva and pitru karmaas, a portion of the grain is distributed among different sections of society. The feeding of the guests, namely, atithi, , meaning those we invite) and

abhyaagata, ( ) meaning those who come to our house accidentally. By feeding the guests also there is distribution of wealth. A householder is further enjoined to provide for his indigent relations. It is only what is left over after meeting all these requirements that a person can utilize for his personal and family use.

If life to-day has become complex and out of gear with the Vedic conception of an integrated social and political life, it is because we have allowed ourselves to deviate from the Vedic path. In absolute reliance of the Vedas, let us try to retrace our steps. First of all, let us simplify our food, clothing and shelter requirements, by sticking to mere essentials and giving up all non-essentials. This change cannot come all on a sudden, but a beginning in that direction has to be made. That is the only way for each community rehabilitating itself in the eyes of society. There is no question of one caste being superior to another. This complex of superiority and inferiority will disappear only when Brahmins revert to the life of the rishis to whom they trace their origin. Thereby we will retreat from sinful acts, gain the grace of Isvara, and contribute to lokakshema,

- welfare of the world as a whole.

February 12, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

34 Simple Living Habits

As we desire to be happy and free from wants, we should wish the same for others also. For this purpose we must focus our thoughts on the Divine Mother’s feet at least for a few moments every day. We are all Her children and we should develop the consciousness that the world is one family, and we are all members of that human family. Then alone can there be happiness in this world.

From this feeling of human kinship flows the obligation that each one should render what little help he can to the less fortunate in society. In this matter-of-fact world, one will have the inclination to help another only when one is oneself free from all wants and worries. But there are a few people who have developed the strength of mind to bear their own difficulties, to go to the succour of those in need. The impact of Western civilization has brought about several changes in our society. The love for one’s neighbor has given place to individualism. We are trained to look upon the state to provide institutional care to the sick and the aged, the widow and the orphan. Some families have begun to depend on hotels for their food requirements. We have also multiplied our wants; and most of us have become indebted. If we are to recapture the

concord and contentment of a past generation, we must change our entire outlook and learn to depend less and less on the state.

If we examine the food habits of olden days, we will find that irrespective of caste or wealth, all people were satisfied with millets and other food-grains available in their locality. No indignity was attached to taking even ragi gruel. Raw rice was used only for special occasions and for making offerings to God. Now, everyone wants only raw rice. The result is rice shortage with the possibility of the reintroduction of ration for this commodity. In olden days, with the exception of kings and merchants, all people lived in huts, and in this respect, and in this respect there was no difference between a Brahmin and a Harijan. Cloth requirements were also limited. One used only cloth sufficient to cover nakedness and to obtain protection from cold. Men were satisfied with a cloth around the waist and a cloth to cover the body. Even well-to-do women went in only for cotton sarees worn by an ordinary peasant. This ideal was kept up by Gandhiji.

The disappearance of these simple habits, besides loading the family budget, has also widened the gulf between sections of society, resulting in ill-feeling and bitterness. Because the people have changed their outlook and also multiplied their wants, the Government is also obliged to borrow and plan for increasing the standard of living. India has the proud privilege of being the country in the world with the lowest cost of living. But things are changing. Before it is too late, we should pause and take stock of the situation. To begin with, we must put a stop to coffee and other drinks which are heavily draining the family purse. Our women should cease to wear silk sarees. By imitating the West in our clothing and other habits, we consume more cloth and also incur additional expenditure by way of tailoring, laundrying, hair-cutting, and toilet. A few started these wrong habits which have gradually spread among the rest of society. Let a few make a beginning in the right direction by giving up coffee and other costly habits, and in course of time others will follow them. In this respect the responsibility of rich people is great. They can set an example in plain living and utilize what they are able to save thereby to help the needy.

April 3, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

35 Disciplined Life

Having obtained from Mother Earth the food that sustains us, it will be sheer ingratitude if we do not, in return, do some act of charity that will endure after our death. In olden days, people built temples, rest houses or mantapams, or dug tanks or wells. Some people constructed resting stones on which those carrying loads on their heads placed their burden and rested for a while before resuming their journey. Yet others erected rubbing stones on which cattle could rub their itching hide. Public benefactions have now taken the forms of schools, colleges and hospitals. Co-operative banks and stores are institutions where a number of people can work together for the common good. Gujaratis and Marwaris have founded “gosalas” for taking care of dry and decrepit cows. Pasumatams are being maintained in some places in Tamil Nadu for obtaining milk for worship in temples. The usefulness of these cowsheds can be extended by taking in dry cows also.

We regard the cow as the abode of Sri Lakshmi and show to her the reverence due to a mother. Therefore, cow slaughter is regarded as a heinous crime. Some states have passed legislation banning the slaughter of cows. It is significant that Afghanistan, a Muslim country, has passed

such legislation. In India, the Hindu-Muslim differences were made an excuse in the past for not bringing forward any such legislation. After the attainment of freedom, the States have been empowered to legislate on the subject. The Madras State has under consideration a Bill to prevent the slaughter of milch cows. The difficulty in making the legislation applicable in respect of all cows seems to be the problem of taking care of decrepit animals. This is a field in which voluntary organizations can function, and if a movement for taking care of dry and decrepit cows was started, it will gain strength. This will also receive the support of other religionists.

Even today there is need for providing wells and tanks and for constructing temples. If every Hindu makes it a point to go to a temple everyday, as he ought to, many more temples will be needed. There are many dilapidated temples which can be renovated. Fortunately, these temples are so strongly built that they have withstood the ravages of time and neglect. The purpose of a temple is to remind us of God. Some may say that belief in God is superstition; but in the very process of denying God, they remember Him. Atheism, in this land, is mostly a political move; even the so-called atheists think of God when they are in difficulties. Not even a single blade of grass can grow without His grace. The food we take should be offered to God first, as a token of our gratitude for his mercy. Such offerings of food are made in temples for the community as a whole. There are even now a few persons in villages who will not touch food until they hear the ringing of the temple bell, which signifies that offerings have been made to God. Real happiness comes from peace of mind which we can secure only through bhakti. Bhakti will remove our ignorance, poverty and worry. One will be inspired with bhakti only if one leads a well-disciplined and regulated life.

While the purpose of education is to make us cultured and disciplined, it is rather paradoxical that there is, among the educated, much more indiscipline and disregard for the way of life that has earned for us, in the past, the reputation of being a highly cultured people, than among the unsophisticated illiterates. During the last few years, indiscipline has developed among students to a degree never before known in the history of this country. While this is to be regretted, we must attend to some basic matters which can change our mental outlook. We must introduce simplicity in dress and each one of us should make it a habit to wash his own clothes. If some pioneers ventured to attend offices in dhoti and upper cloth, the fashion will soon catch on. Pure food contributed to purity of heart. The majority of our people are vegetarians, and that is responsible for making us a peace-loving, contented and tolerant nation. It is these qualities that have won us respect in the eyes of the world. We must simplify our food habits further. The practice of each person cooking his own simple food that prevails among some people in the North is a wholesome one. This will prove highly useful in life and obviate the necessity for indiscriminate eating. A beginning in this direction can be made by each one cooking his food at least once a week. Butter-milk or kanji can be substituted for coffee and tea. Thereby we will avoid incurring debts and also save something, which can be utilized for charitable purposes.

We must develop devotion to God and a disciplined way of life (ozhukkam - ) and render service to the poor and the needy, thereby contributing to the welfare of this country and the world at large.


(1957-1960)

Part II

36 Purity of Food

(The following is a summary of speech in Sanskrit delivered to the students of the Hindu Theological High School, when His Holiness visited that institution on May 1, 1958).

Purity of mind (Chitta suddhi, :) is the basis on which sanatana dharma rests. While every one of us is very much attached to our Dharma and feels proud of it, very few actively practice the principles enunciated therein. Several factors contribute to purity of mind. Of this, purity of food is an important one. The maharshis have declared that purity of food leads progressively to the cultivation of several virtues. The taking of food is a physical act. What bearing could it have on purity of mind? This is a doubt that is likely to arise. By means of an example, not quite edifying, the relationship between the nature of food taken and the quality of mind may be illustrated. Let us take the example of liquor. Does not its use definitely affect the mind and bring about its distortion? Thus some articles of food exercise wholesome influence on the mind, while others evoke unhealthy tendencies. There is no doubt that the quality of food has a subtle psychic and psychological effect. That is the reason why we have in our land a comprehensive code of restrictions relating to food.

Right choice of food definitely brings about purity of mind. This in turn leads to the promotion of bhakti and jnana – devotion and wisdom. One practical way of ensuring purity of food is to prepare it ourselves. We have the shining example of large numbers of people in our holy land, who prepare their food themselves, offer it to God, and then take it for the sustenance of the body. Pupils and teachers will do well to take to self-cooking (swayampaaka, :). They can practice it on Sundays which are holidays. They should cook their food themselves and offer it to God within. Sri Krishna has stated in the Gita that He is the Jataraagni, the vital fire within, that consumes or digests the food taken. When the food taken becomes thus an oblation to God, it becomes incumbent that what is offered to Him should be uncontaminated. It is improper to offer impure food to God.

If only students and teachers get into the habit of preparing their own food and taking it as a sacred offering made to God, they would have practiced an essential principle of Sanaatana Dharma. If the root is nourished properly, the tree will grow, of its own accord, to huge proportions, bearing flowers and fruits. There is no meaning in watering the leaves and stems from above. Purity of food is the basis on which the superstructure of a good life has to be built. In the new basic schools started by Government, pupils are required to cook their own food; but there each person does the cooking by turns and the food cooked by one is shared by all. Instead of each pupil getting his turn once a way, it is better that every one prepares his food every day. This practice will be helpful to us when we go on pilgrimage or travel. As it is, when people are away from homes, they have very often to take impure food out of necessity. But if they practice swayampaaka, they can easily avoid that difficulty. They will be happy themselves; their spiritual tempo will also improve and there will be no disturbance to the daily observance of their religious duties.


(1957-1960)

Part II

37 Purpose of Life

God has endowed us with some special powers which insects, birds, and animals do not have. We are able to think, to speak, to meditate and to probe into the secrets of nature. We are capable of great achievements, with the aid of the machines we ourselves invent. Generally speaking, the lower order of creation, like insects, birds and animals, live happily in furrows, nests or caves. They eat, grow, multiply, and then die. They do not live in constant fear. They are affected by lust (kaama) and anger (krodha) only occasionally. On the other hand, human beings are subject to constant fears, some real and some imaginary. We are afflicted by lust, anger and hatred. We also suffer pain and grief.

In God’s creation, there is a purpose in everything. Flowers that blossom at dusk are white, which is the only color distinguishable in darkness, and bees are attracted to them both by their

whiteness and their fragrance. The immense powers with which we are endowed are similarly intended to serve some purpose, because they are unnecessary if we are merely to eat, grow and die, like the other forms of creation. It is our duty to use our intelligence and find out the purpose of God in blessing us with those special powers. Such an intellectual enquiry will lead us to think of the purpose of life. Great saints and thinkers who have conducted such an enquiry have all come to the identical conclusion that the purpose of the present life should be to strive for eliminating future births. That is Vedanta.

A ball rebounds from a wall with the force with which it is thrown at it. Similarly every thought and action has its own reaction, which again leads to further thought and action. This process of action and reaction will go on endlessly, unless checked in time. Therefore, our concern should be to end this cycle of action and reaction. Mind is the cause of both bondage and liberation – Mana eva manushyaanam kaaranam bandha mokshayoh

:. We must learn to control our mind, thought, speech and action, conquer kaama (desire) and krodha (anger) and not succumb to fear and sorrow. This can be done by listening to and digesting and practicing the advice of good men, eschewing evil thoughts, and meditating upon goodness and the source of all goodness. He, who is able to achieve this, even when he is alive, gets liberated from further births and attains bliss. Sri Krishna says in the Gita:

:

: : ||

Saknoteehaiva yassodhum praak sareera-vimokshanaat; Kaama–krodhodbhavam vegam sa yuktah sasukhee narah.

After death, a man is what he has been just before his death. If he has not controlled lust and anger in this life, and acquired peace of mind and joy, he cannot have them after death. That is why Sri Krishna said ihaiva (here, in this life itself) and explained the meaning of ihaiva

by saying praak sareer vimokshanaat (before the body is cast off). Such a moksha before death will alone bring about moksha after death.

It may be asked whether it is not necessary for the average man to go through the avocations of his life in order to fulfill his worldly obligations and whether he could afford to spend his time and energy in meditation. One is not asked to give up one’s legitimate pursuits necessary for one’s livelihood. But, while being so engaged, one should not lose sight of the essential purpose of life. One should constantly endeavor to purify one’s thoughts and speech and seek the grace of the Divine Mother, by which alone one can get the strength to control kaama and krodha. A dancer balancing a pot on her head, while going through the various movements of the hands and the feet to the accompaniment of music, never for once forgets the pot on the head. Similarly, we should not lose sight of the purpose of life while engaged in our day-to-day activities. This idea is brought out in the following verse:

:

Punkhaanupunkha vishayekshana tatparopi Brahmaavalokana dhiyaam na jahaati yogi; Sangeeta taala laya nritta vasamgatopi Maulistha kumbha parirakshana dheeh nateeva.

We should all invoke the grace of the Divine Mother to enable us to fix our aim on the ultimate goal of life and to make ourselves qualified to achieve the state of Eternal Bliss.

May 23, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

38 Clean Way of Life

The expressions, Vaazhkai murai and Vazhkaittharam (

) are recent additions to the Tamil vocabulary, being the translation of the English terms “way of life” and “standard of living”. What we should do, think and say, from the time we get up from bed in the morning till we go to sleep in the night, are determined in our Saastraas and goes by the name of Aachaara-anushtaanam. But, as this has a religious bias, secular-minded people have come to prefer the expression, vaazhkai murai.

It has been laid down that when we get up in the morning, we must do Narayana smaranam (thinking of Sri Narayana and uttering his holy name). Thereafter follow the duties of the day (like saucham, snaanam etc. for cleansing the system of all impurities internal and external).

There are rules, methods and time for each duty. But these aachaaras (daily practices) vary according to the region of the country. If we take an overall picture of the whole of India, we find that each part of the country lays emphasis on a particular aachaara. For example, in Kerala, almost everyone bathes only in tanks or rivers and people go to temples wearing wet clothes after bathing. In Bengal, widows of all communities shave their heads. They observe complete fast on Ekadasi day, without taking even a drop of water. They also cook their own food and will not touch fish, a common article of food in the Bengal diet. In some parts of the country, people wear a separate cloth known as madi, when taking food. In Uttar Pradesh one person will not drink from another person’s vessel. Each person will carry his drinking bowl wherever he goes. These and other observances constitute the aachaaras and anushtaanas of the country; but, as in the story of the blind men and the elephant, people in each part of the country firmly believe that only what they observe is aachaara, and that a differing practice is anaachaara.

The Sastras give directions not only for living a clean and healthy life, but also for earning our livelihood, without violating dharma. But the tragedy of the present situation is that we have practically forgotten, and consequently given up, our anushtaanas and aachaaras. Even most of our purohits know only the mechanical aspect of the anushtaanas. We have begun to imitate the West in many matters, without realizing that their ways of life are absolutely unnecessary for us. The reformists condemn aachaaras without caring to understand their significance, purpose and effect. It is like condemning a language even before learning it. The effect of the present situation is that we have given up our hygienic, simple and frugal ways of life and adopted extravagant habits. This has taken us away from our ancient moorings on the one hand, and landed us in perpetual indebtedness on the other hand. We have forgotten the high medicinal effect of mud bath (mrittikaa snaanam ), particularly with the mud gathered from the roots of the tulasi plants. We have ceased to think of the connection which the food a man eats has with his character. Effective home remedies for ailments are rejected as quackery, with the result that each family is facing mounting medical bills. We are caught up in the slogan of raising the standard of living, and are going in for articles which can be easily avoided. In fact, we have become slaves to certain foreign goods. This increase in our wants will only add to our indebtedness. On the other hand, if we sincerely try to minimize our wants, in all directions, we will be not only free from debts, but will also be able to save something, which savings can be utilized for helping the needy. By living the saastraic way of life, we will get rid of both poverty and disease. We will also achieve aatma suddhi or internal purity.

The Saastraic observances are known as aajnaakainkaryam ( ). They are compulsory observances. First of all, we should try to find out what exactly these observances are. Having understood them, we should put them into practice, if not all of them at once, at least step by step. To say bhakti is enough and that karmaanushtaanam is unnecessary, is to disobey the saastraic commandments. True bhakti consists in doing our duty, and dedicating all our actions to God. That is why Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada, after compiling all his philosophical

works, wrote the Sopaana Panchakam ( ) emphasizing the study of the Vedas and observing the karmas mentioned therein, in a spirit of dedication. Says he:

:

Vedo nityamadheeyatam taduditam karma svanushteeyataam Tena eesasya vidheeyataam apachitih.

May 24, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

39 True Guide to Conduct

The Sastras are the final authority for deciding what one should do or should not do. It is our duty to understand the sastras and follow the injunctions contained therein.

All religions guide us towards salvation, the ultimate goal of life. In fundamentals like devotion to God, speaking the truth and helping others, there is no difference between one religion and another. The difference between religions is mainly in regard to certain doctrines and practices, which are the outcome of the varying experiences (anubhava ) of each religious teacher. That is why Hinduism does not advocate conversion. We believe that if a person faithfully follows the teachings of his religion, he will obtain salvation; which is the goal pointed out by all religions. There is, therefore, no need for extolling one religion or decrying another; wisdom lies in developing the spirit of tolerance (samarasam, ).

The doctrine of equality has begun to invade every aspect of our social behavior. Modern reformists seek to obliterate all differences between man and man, and, in their zeal, they seek to decry the orthodox practices observed by those who wish to adhere strictly to the injunctions contained in the sastras. In support of their stand, they quote the authority of the following verse from the Gita:

: :

Vidyaa vinaya sampanne braahmane gavi hastini, Suni chaiva svapaake cha panditaah samadarsinah.

1. The meaning of this verse is that a pandita views alike a Brahmin endowed with knowledge and humility, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a person who eats dog’s flesh. This enumeration comprehends all grades of creation. But those who quote this verse for their own purpose conveniently ignore the significance of the two key expressions, panditaah ( :) and samadarsinah ( :). Panditaah are those who have attained aatmajnaana. In their eyes, all are one. It is only such realized souls that are able to “see” the one Brahmam ( ) which is not affected by satva and other gunaas or their effects, in all the creations mentioned in the verse. This position implies that, before one claims to treat all things as equal, one must have realized this aatmajnaana, entitling one to the title of panditaah. It is, therefore, unwarranted to conclude that this verse provides a clue as to how ordinary mortals should act.

Samadarsana comes in naturally to an aatmajnaani ( ). What is possible for him will not be possible for others. He may eat anything; he may take a plunge in a drain with as much unconcern or reverence as when he takes a plunge in the Ganges; he may drink a cup of molten lead with as much ease as when he drinks a cup of water. Others cannot do the same. Therefore,

a panditaah, or the perfect one, alone can have samadarsana, and not the ordinary mortal. What is applicable to a panditaah cannot obviously apply to an ordinary person.

It is also significant that the word used in this verse in question is samadarsinah and not samakaarinah ( :). The samatva or advaita (non-difference) referred to in the verse pertains to attitude and not to activity. The verse speaks of looking at all with an equal eye; not acting equally or identically in all cases. If the reformist’s interpretation of samadarsana, advaita or non-difference in action also is pursued to its extreme, absurd consequences will follow. We can have the same feeling of tenderness towards the mother, the wife and the daughter; but we cannot treat them identically. The advocacy of equality on the wrong interpretation of the Gita verse in point will result in inconsistency, to say the least. That is why it has been laid down, and very properly too, that Bhaavaadvaitam sadaa kuryaat, kriyaadvaitam na karhichit –

. In our attitude we should develop advaita bhaava; but behavior patterns should differ according to difference in objects. In fact, the adoption of kriyaadvaita will make difficult the development of bhaavaadvaita, which is most vital. There must be distinction in kaarya, even as there must be no distinction in bhaava.

So long as we are caught up in the whirl of samsaara and are subject to feelings like kaama, krodha and dvesha and are afflicted by pain and sorrow, we cannot venture to adopt advaita in action. Such a course will only lead us to grief. But this differentiation will get automatically extinguished and bhaavaadvaitam will develop, as we acquire jnana, by refraining from evil thoughts and deeds, and by thinking of and practicing only good deeds. When we become truly aatmajnaanis, both our outlook and conduct in regard to all men and things in all the three worlds will become advaitic in content and character (advaitam trishu lokeshu –

). But there is one exception, and that is, na-advaitam guruna saha (Do not practice advaita towards your guru). That will take away the very foundation of upadesa

and anugraha :, :) .

The next question is how to determine what to do and what not to do. Some people say, “let your intelligence be your guide” in this respect. As no two people hold the same view, and as the views of the same person change from time to time, we cannot adopt the shifting criterion of buddhi (intelligence) in such a vital matter. That is why Lord Krishna says later on in the Gita:

Tasmaat saastram pramaanam te kaaryaakaarya vyavasthitau, Jnaatvaa saastravidhaanoktam karma kartum ihaarhasi.

Our sastras are without beginning. They are the final authority in respect of human conduct. They embody the anubhava ( :) of humanity and are firmly established in verified human experience. They have survived the onslaughts of hostile criticism and the vicissitudes of doubt and defection. The mark of prudence is to rely on the inviolate injunctions of established sastra, than on the inconstant intimations of our little minds. If we lead our lives with this faith in sastra, we shall not come to grief.

Some people advance the argument that, though there are some good things in our sastras, they are encumbered by weeds, which should be removed. This process of removing weeds is a dangerous one. No two people are agreed on what is weed and what is crop. What is crop to one may be weed to another. So, in the name of removing weeds, there will be indiscriminate uprooting of everything, and there may be nothing left which we can call religion.

And so, in the craze for a false equality, let us not obliterate every difference. Do not twist scripture to suit your views. Understand it properly and act accordingly, with faith and devotion. Do the duties prescribed by sastra, not to the extent possible, but “wholly”. If inevitable, you may do so gradually. “To the extent possible” is a dangerous concession to the faltering and the faithless. It will lead, in their cases, to “nothing”. Even if you apparently come to grief by allegiance to sastra, it does not matter. For, you can be sure of one thing, namely, that you have not done anything wrong. The practice of the sastraic injunctions will remove our sins and cleanse our hearts. In the heart so kept clean, God will manifest Himself and guide us to the higher realms of realization, when all differences will automatically drop off.

May 25, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

40 Way to Get Rid of Evil

There has been no dearth of good and pious people in this holy land of ours. Some of these great men, whose names come to our mind effortlessly, are Samartha Ramdas, Tulsidas, Thayumanavar, Pattinathar, Appayya Dikshitar, Appar, Tirugnanasambandar and Ramalingaswamigal. These saints and devotees of God devoted all their time to doing good deeds only. They have left behind a wealth of devotional and metaphysical literature which is a perennial source of inspiration to us.

These good personages were incessantly engaged only with goodness in thought, word, and deed. Nothing evil came anywhere near them. The only way to avoid evil is to engage our minds

fully and always in good things, without giving thought to evil, even in a negative way. If a person takes a resolve not to think of, speak, or do evil, (which is thinking of evil in a negative way) he is likely to lapse into evil immediately and powerfully, as he will be reminded of evil, by the very fact of his resolve not to think of evil. An old sanyasin was once asked how he overcame the promptings of kaama (desire). His reply was that when kaama knocked at his mind’s door, it found his mind so busy that it withdrew of its own accord. A vacant mind provides opportunities for evil thought, temptation to gossip, etc., to enter it. When once an evil like kaama enters the mind, it will establish its sway there. But, if the mind is filled with good thoughts always and we are also consequently engaged actively in doing good deeds always, evil influences dare not come anywhere near us. The sure way of getting rid of dus-sangam (bad company) is sat sangam (good company).

Mere meditation and japa may not fully help us to avoid evil. By habit they may tend to become automatic, resulting in the consciousness being enticed away by evil. Therefore, one has also to engage himself continuously in good things. One way of keeping the body and mind engaged in the right way is to copy the stories about and the teachings of great saints and devotees. The more one engages one’s mind in good direction, the less will be the opportunity for evil to enter it. Singing of Sri Varadaraja of Kancheepuram, Sri Appayya Dikshitar said,

:

Manye srjantyabhinutim kavi-pungavaaste, Tebhyo ramaaramana maadrisa evadhanyah; Tvadvarnane dhrtarasaa kavitaadhimaandyaat, Yattatvadang chirachintana bhaagyameti.

The meaning of this verse is: “There may be other poets, O! Lord, who can compose verses in Thy praise quickly. I am slow. But my good fortune is greater than theirs; for, while I struggle to put Thy praise in verse, my mind lingers longer on thy resplendent features.”

In the very process of doing good, evil automatically vanishes from one’s consciousness. That is the lesson the lives and examples of the great sages of our land teach us. Therefore, the way to keep ourselves free from evil is not by merely saying ‘evil must go’, but by always thinking of good, speaking about good deeds, and keeping the company of the good.

January 25, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

41 Preservation of Virtue

If virtues like devotion to God, chastity, honesty, respect for elders and affection and reverence for parents have still managed to survive in India, it is the result of the influence of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavatam.

The Ramayana teaches us that we should not swerve from the path of truth, and also presents to us the picture of an ideal son, a model brother and an ideal wife, besides expounding several other principles of moral conduct. In the Mahabharata, we come across persons worthy of emulation, like Yudhishtira, Arjuna, Vidura and Akroora, who are all embodiments of dharma. The Bhagavatam is a perennial spring of bhakti. While reading it, or listening to its exposition, one’s heart melts with bhakti. There is an unfading freshness about it every time we listen to an exposition of the Bhagavatam.

About the Bhagavatam, it is said:

:

Nigamakalpatarorgalitam phalam, Sukamukhaat-amritadrava samyutam; Pibata Bhagavatam rasam-aalayam, Muhuraho rasikaa bhuvi bhavukaah.

The Vedic tree (nigamakalpataru, ) has several branches, and they are karmaas,

duties like yajna, anushtaana, etc. Its fruit (phalam, ) is bhakti. The sweetest fruit of a tree

is the one which is bitten by a parrot (suka, ) or a squirrel. The juice from the fruit of the Bhagavatam flows through the lips of Sri Suka, the sage who narrated the Bhagavatam. If we have a soft heart, it cannot but melt when listening to the Bhagavatam. Tears of joy and bhakti will flow from our eyes.

Devotion is the only wealth of enduring value that we can acquire in this life. It is, therefore, necessary that we should not miss any opportunity to listen to the exposition of the Bhagavatam and the Puraanaas, so that we may develop devotion. The study or exposition of the Bhagavatam is much more in vogue in North India than in the South. It is regarded by North Indians as the Book of Books. A publication containing only topics of devotion is being published from Gorakhpur. The publishers are very particular that its pages should not be marred by commercial advertisements. Therefore, from cover to cover, this publication contains only articles dealing with bhakti, mostly drawn from the Bhagavatam. It also contains color pictures depicting the stories in the Bhagavatam. Though there is no other attraction in this volume, being solely devoted to the propagation of bhakti, it is sold in thousands.

The Ramayana speaks about the sanctity of Ramanaama. The Bhagavatam, though dealing entirely with Vishnu bhakti, tells about the sanctity of Siva naama in the Daksha Yagna episode. Let us continue to be devoted to Rama naama and Siva naama, and let the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavatam continue to inspire and guide us in our day-to-day life, as they have been doing for countless years in the past.

February 10, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

42 Attainment of Saanti

We can attain saanti, or state of eternal bliss, only when we are able to overcome the cycle of births and deaths through jnana. When we attain that saanti, we become one with the Paramaatma, who is limited neither by time, nor by space nor by form. We commence our journey to this spiritual goal by meditating upon any one manifestation of God. In this context the form of Isvara with His uplifted leg, third eye, and crescent moon has special significance. Kaala, the god of death, is the destroyer of our material bodies. The term Kaala denotes time also and time is also both a destroyer and a healer. Isvara vanquished Kaala with his left leg and therefore his uplifted leg should serve to teach us that God is neither bound by time nor touched by death – He is eternal without having a beginning or an end. Kaama, or desire, is the cause of births, and Isvara destroyed Kaama by his third eye. We perceive external objects through our physical eyes. But we require jnana to turn our vision inwards and realize the presence of God within. It is through jnana that we can get rid of future births. Isvara’s third eye is symbolic of this jnana. We strive to obtain the soothing bliss of saanti, which should progressively increase day by day. How better can the conception of saanti be portrayed than by the crescent moon adorning the head of Siva? What can be more soothing than the cool nectar rays of the moon? Isvara is also bearing the Ganges on His head, indicating that the welfare of the world is His concern. If we meditate upon Isvara, understanding the full significance of His uplifted leg and the third eye and the crescent moon, we shall be able to avert apamrityu ( premature death) and other doshas (evils) and find eternal peace and happiness.


(1957-1960)

Part II

43 The Significance of Maunam

Maunam is the attribute of a Muni. But the ordinary meaning of this word is silence. Our Dharma Sastras have prescribed the observance of maunam ( ) on various occasions. We are asked to observe maunam when taking food. In this context, maunam means only non-speaking (silence). Controlling the urge to speak is one among the many steps leading us to our spiritual goal.

Those in charge of the administration of education in this State are having under consideration the question of commencing the day’s work in schools with prayer. As the students are drawn from different denominations, one difficulty confronting the authorities is to find a prayer acceptable to all denominations. Besides that in the higher rungs of the administrative hierarchy, there are some who have no faith in God, and to whom prayer is something which goes against their conscience. So, it has become difficult to take any decision in the matter. As the propaganda of certain parties is beginning to poison young minds, the Government is anxious to do something to retrieve the situation. So, it appears to have hit upon a compromise, and there is

a proposal to assemble all the children and make them observe silent prayer for two or three minutes before the commencement of the day’s work.

Maunam is an important method of worshipping God. Maunam in this context does not mean merely silence. It is also the process of keeping the mind free of all thoughts. It implies that we should keep all our senses under perfect control, so that during the period of silence, the limbs may not move even involuntarily. Such a maunam will enable the divine spark within every one of us to become active in its progress towards the realization of the Paramaatma. The waves of thoughts that continuously rise and fall in our minds keep the all-pervading Atma hidden from us. Once the flow of thoughts is checked, the Atma begins to function. This kind of maunam is also an attribute of a muni. That is why we have been enjoined not to think for a while every day – tooshneem kinchit achintayan .Therefore, the decision of the Government in favor of observing silent prayer, though a compromise, is really a step in the right direction and a blessing in disguise.

This practice of maunam need not be confined to students alone. All of us are students all our life. If we do not make a conscious effort to practice maunam, to keep all thoughts away, we will regret later for having lived a purposeless life. From “no thought”, we can develop the practice of “God thought”, thinking of God. We can repeat the name of God and also concentrate our mind on the Divine Mother, or Lakshmi Narayana, or Uma-Maheswara. A person who has fallen into bad company has to seek the help of a policeman to free himself from that association. Once he is assured that his former evil associates will no longer trouble him, he can discontinue the police protection. Similarly, we seek the grace of one or the other manifestation of the Supreme Being to purge our hearts of all impurities, so that the Atma within us can easily realize the Formless and All-pervading God. Good association leads to “no association”, which in its turn leads to realization of the Ultimate Truth or the Supreme Bliss. Thereafter the Atma is freed from further births. That is the import of the following Bhaja Govindam verse:

:

Sat-sangatve nissangatvam, nissangatve nirmohatvam; Nirmohatve nischala tattvam, nischala tattve jeevan muktih.

When we associate ourselves with the Sat, the identification of the “I” with this human frame will cease, and the “I” in each of us will get identified ultimately with the Brahmam. The “I” feeling will persist only so long as we regard ourselves as something separate from “He”; it will get itself obliterated with the dawn of the consciousness of the Oneness of God.

April 28, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

44 Observance of Silence

The progress and culture of a nation is found reflected in its art. It is, therefore, natural that the people of this country should be evincing increasing interest in the promotion of the various forms of art, denoted by the Tamil expression kalai ( ). It is also appropriate that institutions like the Sangeetha Akademi and the Nataka Akademi should have been started and that the Government should be giving awards to the best artists and actors.

Though there are several forms of art, we associate the term vidya with magic and allied feats and kalai with dancing. There are two very difficult feats known as gajakarnam and gokarnam. Gajakarnam is the capacity of a person to perform, like the elephant, a fanning motion with his ears. To emphasize the impossibility of any job, we say in Tamil “one cannot do it even if one were to perform gajakarnam”. If we touch the back of a cow, it gets a tickling sensation, which we see moving in concentric circles like the ripples in a calm pond. A person may be able to imitate the other motions of a cow; but it is difficult to display this tickling sensation, which goes by the name of gokarnam. There is a story that a certain person was able to reproduce this sensation also.

There is a place named Gokarnam on the West Coast. There is a famous temple of Siva there, and the deity is known as Mahabaleswara. The tradition is that even the mighty Ravana was unable to move the deity installed there. Gokarnam is an island like Dwaraka and Rameswaram. I am told that the Brahmins of this place lead a poor and simple life, according to the strict injunctions of the Sastras.

There is one form of art which is superior to all other forms and that is the art of remaining quiet and silent. If one begins to practice this art, one will find how difficult it is. Hence it is called Brahma Vidya. If a person claims to have done a most difficult feat, we ask him in Tamil, “Is what you have done a Brahma Vidya”? Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada gave to the world Brahma Vidya in the form of Advaita. It has now been recognized that it is only through experiencing advaita (advaitaanubhavah, :) that one can realize the Ultimate Truth. Sri Adi Sankara had mastered all the arts during the brief span of his life, and, with that experience, he proclaimed advaita as the highest of all achievements. There is a story that the disciples of Sri Bhagavatpada wanted him to ascend the Sarvajna peethah :), an honor reserved for one who has mastered all knowledge. Each step to that throne represents different branches of knowledge. The steps have to be ascended after answering questions pertaining to the different arts and branches of knowledge, asked by experts in each subject. According to the story, a cobbler enquired whether Sri Bhagavatpada knew how to stitch a chappal. It is said that Sri Acharya took the cobbler’s needle and rubbed it against his nose, before starting to stitch. This is a characteristic action pertaining to the trade, and cobblers do this to grease the needle with the oily substance found on the sides of the nose, to enable the needle to penetrate the leather easily. The cobbler in the story was surprised and satisfied at this preliminary action of the Acharya and conceded that he knew the cobbler’s trade.

There are several arts or vidyaas including the art of earning money. But all these arts serve a limited purpose and provide only momentary joy. One may amass wealth without finding real happiness in life. But the art of silence, and the resultant saanti (peace), ensure perennial joy and permanent happiness. One who can bring his mind to a state of saanti can find joy even in the midst of troubles. It is this art of remaining quiet with peace within that all of us should cultivate.

May I suggest to the devotees assembled here to observe silence during the duration of the pooja? They can recite prayers mentally or concentrate on the form of God according to the dhyaana slokah ( :) of the mantra into which they have been initiated. The majesty and resplendent charm of some of the idols in our ancient temples remain unsurpassed. This is because the sculptors who were initiated into the appropriate hymns by constant meditation, formed a mental picture of the deity with all the attributes mentioned in the hymn and then

transferred that mental picture into stone. The contemplation of a particular form of God is intended to make us meditate on the qualities attributed to that form. So, devotees can contemplate on their ishta devata (deity of their heart) during the pooja time. The best form of meditation is to avoid thinking of anything. In the mind so kept clear, God will manifest himself as an image in a clear mirror. That is the meaning of the expression svayamprakasah ( :). Then we will be led to the Advaitic realization of Oneness of God. That is the significance of Saint Thayumanavar’s injunction, “chindai adakkiye summa iruppadu” ( ).

May 22, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

45 Universal Love

Love and compassion to all beings should fill our hearts always. Where there is love, there is the expression of divinity, for God is love. Even as a light behind a screen becomes visible in all its splendor when the screen is removed, so too, there is an effulgence of jnana and prema when evil desires, hatred and anger are removed from the mind. This truth has been brought out in songs of saints like Pattinathar and Ramalinga Swamigal. God also appeared as Mother. He was Thayumanavar ( ) embodying and expressing the natural and spontaneous love of the mother to all children. God has love for all and all things; He is the ocean of love (kripaa samudram ).

Love between equals is called maitri ( )or friendship; love shown to God and to superiors is bhakti and love to inferiors is kripa. A house cannot be built, nor can it stand, except on a strong and enduring foundation. The edifice of our life ought to be raised on the foundation of universal love. We frequently come across the expression “Dharma ensures success” (dharmamejayam

). This dharma should be basis of our life. Katchaleswara Agraharam and

the adjoining parts of Madras are known as Kandakoshtam, like Kumarakoshtam in Kanchi. And Sri Ramalinga Swamigal has praised Madras in the words, Dharmamihu sennai (

). Madras is justly renowned for its charity. He taught us the unity of grace and love

– the arul ( ) of Siva and anbu ( ) of the Divine Mother – both of which can be

earned only by leading the dharmic way of life (nanneri ). If our heart is filled with love, we will qualify for the grace of God.

April 2, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

46 Prema and Ahimsa

Life without love is a waste. Every one of us should cultivate prema or love towards all beings, man, bird and beast. If we are full of this universal love, we shall feel no sorrow. Children overflow with prema; but as they grow older, prema decreases. Prema is exemplified in the mother’s love for her child. As the saying goes, an unaffectionate son may be seen in this world; but never an unloving mother. Like the mother’s attitude towards her child, we too should be prepared to consider the happiness of every creature as of more value than our own happiness.

That which has a beginning must have an end, is an inexorable rule. Prema is no exception to this rule and so prema is not unmixed with sorrow. When a beloved one dies, the survivor suffers grief. On that account is it wrong to cultivate love towards others? No. But there is a prema which does not produce grief in the end. We should seek this prema that is indestructible, namely, prema to God, who is indestructible. All things on earth and in heaven may die out; but God is eternal. Everything else springs from Him, lives by Him, and, at death, goes back to Him. Loving God, if we look upon all things as God, we shall have in effect loved them as intensely as we love God. To consider things as God, we should remember that they are all Isvara-

svaroopam, possessing the chit and the sakti of God, without which none of them can exist or function. A non-luminous skylight illumines a dark room when the sunlight falls on it. So too do all objects of the world obtain their intelligence and power from the Omniscient and Omnipresent God. If we love everyone and everything around us as God, even if they disappear, we will not be afflicted by grief, because our love of God will continue to remain.

Ahimsa in thought, word and deed is the outward expression of this universal love. But desirable and necessary as ahimsa is, it seems to be impracticable at all times and at all places and in respect of all beings. Even Gandhiji, the apostle of ahimsa, had to permit himsa to a diseased calf, so that its sufferings may be terminated. He is also reported to have approved the military action in Kashmir, which was himsa. The followers of Gandhiji had to do himsa to his murderer, when they carried out the life sentence passed on Godse. Jesus Christ asked his followers to show their left cheek also if anyone smote them on their right. But it is the Christians of the Western world that brought about the holocaust of two world wars and are even now racing with one another in piling up armaments for committing himsa on an unprecedented scale. The Buddha inveighed against himsa of animals in Vedic Yajna, but it is a tragic irony that he died as a result of eating pork contained in the alms given to him, and that in the countries where Buddhism is the main religion, people are non-vegetarians, tacitly abetting the killing of animals for food. All this shows that excellent as ahimsa may be as a theoretical ethical maxim, it cannot always be put into practice.

It can be pointed out to the credit of Hinduism that orthodox Hindus are vegetarians. Orthodox widows of Bengal are strict vegetarians, though Bengalis as a class eat fish. These widows do not drink even a drop of water on Ekadasi day. In the South, many people among non-Brahmins have adopted saiva (vegetarian) food and on certain sacred days non-vegetarian food is taboo for the generality of non-Brahmins. The objection to meat is himsa to animals. By the same token, cutting vegetables too is himsa. By cooking grain, you scorch the garbha (seed) within it and that too is himsa. It has been laid down that ripe fruits and leaves which fall off plants and trees will have to be eaten if one does not wish to injure any living being. The Rishis of olden days took only such food and cow’s milk after the calf had its fill. If one lives on this kind of food, one will be free from kaama (lust) and freedom from lust is a more potent means for family planning than the methods recommended in modern days.

It is obvious that this injunction to eat only fruits and dried leaves cannot be universally followed. Certain people qualified for it must adopt it, while the others may eat food which causes the minimum himsa. Thus ahimsa, at whatever level, must be an ideal for the generality of mankind, but actually practiced by a selected few qualified to practice it. The Buddha, Christ and Gandhiji recommend ahimsa for everybody, without consideration for differences in aptitude or capacity. Hinduism, on the other hand, recognized adhikaarabheda and hence recommended it only for sanyasins, who are free from every family and worldly obligation. The others are

hedged in with so many social obligations that they cannot practice ahimsa as uncompromisingly as a sanyasin. The Hindu practice of dharma is based on the individual’s status and the duties pertaining to it. That is why Sri Krishna commanded Arjuna to fight when Arjuna was in two minds on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, while in another context he told Arjuna to adopt ahimsa. A judge’s duty is to sentence a criminal to death or to other forms of punishment, which is himsa. We put one dear to us in chains if he becomes a lunatic and violent. The Buddha, Christ and Gandhiji failed to take note of this principle of adhikaarabheda and so failed to make people practice what they taught. By practicing dharma with due regard to adhikaarabheda, all the high ideals will be preserved, wrongs will not be committed unnecessarily, and even necessary wrongs will be reduced to the minimum.

October 23, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

47 Praise and Blame

I see in front of me, in the pandal, a number of placards containing the wise sayings of poets, saints and sages. There is also one unnecessary notice, at the entrance of the pandal, the first to meet anyone on arrival. This asks people to remove their shirts before entering. Most people are aware that they should not come to this place of worship with their shirts on, and they willingly submit themselves to this restriction and discipline. But there may be others, coming here straight from their place of work, anxious to watch the pooja at least from a distance. They may not have had the time or facility to change their attire. The placard I refer to may discourage such persons from coming here. Such people should also be given an opportunity to participate in the worship, even if they have to remain a little removed from the actual place of worship. In any case, there is no need for that placard or notice.

People may be told to observe certain rules; but it should be left to their good sense to observe them. Matters like removing the shirt, while entering a place of worship, should remain in the realm of “unwritten law”, a law observed by convention rather than by compulsion. When a rule like this is put in writing, all sorts of difficulties may crop up in the matter of enforcement and

interpretation. That is why it has been wisely said sahasram vada, ekam maa likha ( ) say a thousand things, but do not commit even one to writing. I am mentioning

this not so much to find fault with you, as to prevent the commission of the mistake in future.

In making this criticism, I have allowed myself to violate the wholesome principle that one should not ordinarily speak about the defects of others. There are bound to be defects everywhere, because perfection is almost impossible in this imperfect world. A truly learned man has the capacity to see both the good and the bad side of a thing. That is why the term, doshajna ( :)one who is capable of spotting defect, is made synonymous with the term, vidyaan

( ) , learned man. The virtues one finds in another should be proclaimed; but the defects should not be mentioned. By proclaiming the virtues, we encourage the growth of goodness in this world. It does nobody any good to dwell upon the defects of a person. This is effectively brought out in the following invocatory verse in Dandi’s work on Alankaara:

:

Guna doshau budho grihnan Indu-kshvelaaviva Isvarah; Sirasaa slaaghate poorvam Param kanthe niyacchati, (Learned men should treat virtue and fault in the same way as Isvara treated the crescent moon and poison. The former, He bore on His head, and the latter, He retained within His throat.)

In appreciation of the soothing qualities of the crescent moon, Isvara raised it to His head and danced. When poison emerged on churning the milky ocean, He realized its dangers, and kept it confined to His throat. That should also be our attitude towards virtue and defect.

This general attitude to be taken in regard to faults does not imply that we should always be blind to the fault of others. There are occasions when it is our duty to point out to a person his defects, in order to correct him. Such corrections should be done by persons whose authority is accepted, and who know that their advice will be accepted. The effects of pointing out the defects of those who have no respect for the person tendering the advice will be harmful. They may become defiant and persist in their wrong ways. Therefore, one has to be careful in such a delicate matter. If we mention to another the defects of a third person, it will amount to scandalizing.

In praising others also, certain principles have to be observed. A relevant verse runs as follows:

: :

:

:

Prathyakshe guravah stutyaah Parokshe mitra-baandhavaah; Karyaante daasa bhrityaascha, Na svaputraah kadaachana.

The guru (God is also signified by this term) should be praised in his presence. Friends and relatives should be praised in their absence. Servants should be complimented when they have completed the work assigned to them. But a son (which term includes a sishya, student) should not be praised at any time, either in his presence or in his absence.

God has created many things known and unknown in the universe. The stars created by Him are reckoned as being thousands of light years away from the earth. We are incompetent to express in words the wonders of God. So the praise of God will never become an exaggeration. A guru (preceptor) also stands in the same position. Praising a friend or a relative in his presence will become flattery. We may praise his good qualities behind his back. Though he may come to know of it through others, we should not praise him with the motive that our praise should reach his ears. That will take away the sincerity from the praise. When a person does a work for money or reward, we should express appreciation of the work only after the work is completed, in the same way as we pat a horse at the end of a journey. But a son or a sishya (disciple) should not be praised either directly or indirectly. But his faults can be pointed out so that he may correct himself.

June 17, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

48 God-Realization through Music

The divine musical instrument, Veena, is usually associated with Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning. But in the Navaratnamaala of Kalidasa, the Divine Mother, whom he addresses as Siva Kaanta, is also depicted as playing on the veena, and as being immersed in the melody produced by the flight of the musical notes, sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni, as the tips of Her charming fingers glide over the strings of the veena. In that state of ecstasy, Her heart is tender (mridula, ) as a delicate flower, and she becomes the embodiment of peace (saanti, ). In this form in which She is conceived, Ambika is known as Syaamala. The bliss that flows as a result of that internal peace is indescribable. While She is immersed in that bliss, the devotee who conceives of and concentrates of Her in that attitude of bliss, experiences the mercy (Karuna, ) that flows from Her tender heart. The verse that gives expression to this sentiment is:

Sarigamapadhani rataam tam Veenaa-sankraanta-kaanta-hastaanntaam; Saantaam mridula-svaantaam Kuchabhara-taantaam namaami siva-kaantaam.

By surrendering ourselves to Siva Kaanta, radiating peace and bliss, in an atmosphere permeated with celestial music, our souls also find peace and happiness. The God realization achieved through the hard path of Vedic study, yoga, dhyaana, etc., is also achieved, when the mind gets soaked and lost in divine music. Saint Thyagaraja and other devotees, who surrendered their hearts to God through the musical medium, are witnesses to this truth.

Among compositions in praise of the Divine Mother, Soundarya Lahari of Sri Sankara, occupies a pre-eminent place. In that composition, the following verse occurs:

:

Gale rekhaastisro gati-gamaka-geetaika nipune,

Vivaaha-vyaanaddha-triguna-guna-samkhyaa-prati bhuvah; Viraajante naanaavidha-madhura-raagaakara-bhuvaam, Trayaanaam graamaanaam sthiti-niyama-seemaanaiva te.

In this verse Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada’s profound knowledge of the theory and practice of music is evident. He refers to the three lines shining in the region of the throat of Ambika (gale rekhaastisro, ) and says that they are the marks of the triple threads (triguna guna,

) with which maangalya was tied round Her neck, at the time of Her marriage, and also indicates Her mastery of the three elements in music, gati, gamaka, and geeta, and the three graamaas (trayaanaam graamaanaam, ) or scales of melodious music, as well as the origin and boundaries of the musical notes of each graama.

The lines on the throat of a woman take the place of Adam’s apple in the throat of a man. Adam’s apple is symbolic of the poison which Isvara retained in his gullet without allowing it either to come out or to get in. The lines which Ambika has on her throat are found on the throats of women. These are symbolic of the all-pervasiveness of God. Another illustration of this all-pervasiveness is to be found in the Madurai legend, according to which, Sri Sundareswara assumed the form of a boy worker and carried earth in a basket to oblige a devout old lady. When the Pandyan king dealt a blow with a cane on the back of this boy for his apparent sluggishness, it is recorded that this blow was felt on the back of every person in Madurai, including the king himself.

Both the verses I have quoted bring out the fundamental principles of advaita, the One-ness of God. Ambika or Sakti is absorbed in music or sound, which is Isvara or Brahmam,and thereby the identity of Ambika and Isvara is signified. Being merciful by nature, She showers Her grace on the devotee, who forgets himself in his devotion to Her through music, and that grace enables his atma to get merged with the paramaatma, or the Ultimate Truth.

February 7, 1958.


(1957-1960)

Part II

49 Popularization of Devotional Songs

Every year there are two Vishus and two Ayanaas. The two Vishus are Chaitra Vishu and Tula Vishu. On these two days, the duration of the day and the night is equal, i.e., exactly 12 hours in the day and 12 hours in the night. The two Ayanaas are Makaraayana and Katakaayana. The former is the day in the year when the night is the longest, the difference between the duration of the day and that of the night being about 40 minutes. The latter is the day in the year when the day is longest. The maximum difference between the duration of the day and that of the night increases as we go further north. These four days, the two Vishus and the two Ayanaas, are considered very auspicious. Devoted persons perform tarpanam ) to their deceased ancestors on those days. It is also considered meritorious to bathe in holy rivers and to give charity on these occasions.

There was a time when Chaitra Vishu and Tula Vishu corresponded to the days on which the Sun enters the zodiacal signs of Aries (Mesha) and Libra (Tula) respectively. Similarly,

Makaraayana and Katakaayana corresponded to the days on which the Sun enters the signs of Capricorn (Makaram) and Cancer (Katakam) respectively. But due to changes that come about in the planetary motions in the course of thousands of years, these four events now occur about 22 days earlier than on the dates given in Panchangams, though we continue to observe these days according to the original calculation. Astronomically, Uttaraayana commences today (December 22, 1958), and that accounts for the observance of Makaraayana today by the Mutt, though the popular observance falls only on January 14.

All of you are aware of the movement to familiarize children with Tiruppavai and Tiruvembavai. The present trends in education and social life make one apprehensive whether the future generation of children will be able to imbibe the religious traditions of this land. Atheistic propaganda has already begun to poison young minds. If the seed of devotion is sown in the mind of a child, it is bound to germinate one day or other. That is the reason why propagandists of political and other ideologies try to catch hold of students, though professing outwardly that students should not take part in politics and other movements.

There are special occasions when children belonging to other religions are provided with opportunities to think of God and to repeat His name, like Christmas for Christians. Such dedicated occasions must be provided for Hindu children also, for enabling them to think of God and to prayerfully repeat His name. But it now looks as if our children will grow up without any knowledge of our religion. Therefore, it is necessary, at the appropriate stage in their scholastic career, that these children should be familiarized with devotional works so that the seed of bhakti may be firmly embedded in their hearts. For this purpose, what better works can we think of than Tiruppavai, Tiruvembavai and Tiruppalliyezhuchi.

I will, therefore, suggest that we should place in the hands of each boy and girl, studying in the fourth or fifth standard, a book containing all these three devotional songs, Tiruppavai, contains 30 songs, and both Tiruvembavai and Tiruppalliyezhuchi together contain 30 songs. The distribution of the book should be done just before the commencement of the Maargazhi

month (December-January). Each boy or girl can be given the option of memorizing either Tiruppavai, or both Tiruvembavai and Tiruppalliyezhuchi or all the three. A recitation competition can be arranged during the Maargazhi month, and silver or gold coins ( ) bearing the imprint of Sri Ambikai, distributed to all those who recite the songs without faltering. Special prizes can be instituted for those who recite the songs musically, and for those who are able to explain their meaning. The annual expenditure involved in printing the books containing these songs and the cost of the prizes can be worked out for each area, and land endowments capable of bringing in an income sufficient to meet the estimated expenditure may be invited from the public. The present is an opportune moment for obtaining such land gifts, as far-

reaching land reforms fixing ceilings on individual holdings are in the offing. Those who have lands can endow property for this noble cause and earn the grace of God.


(1957-1960)

Part II

50 Efficacy of Naama Bhajana

Advaita Vedanta has clearly explained the conception of Paramatma ( ) as the Supreme Reality, the Ultimate Truth and Limitless Bliss, and also indicated the path of God-realization. Sri Adi Sankara has clearly expounded this bhakti and jnana maargaas (paths) in his numerous works. Sri Ramanuja laid emphasis on absolute surrender, saranaagati ( ). Some evolved souls, in their natural humility, even wondered whether they are sufficiently enlightened

to say “Thou art my only hope”, which is the essence of saranaagati, and so concentrated on naama japa ( ) athe repetition of the names of God. These great teachers in effect said: “We have the tongue and there are the two sacred words, Rama and Siva. That is enough for us”.

Saint Jeyadeva of Bengal was the pioneer of the Bhajan school. It is said that while Jeyadeva sang his heart-melting songs in praise of the Lord, his wife, Padmavati, danced and Lord Krishna, appearing in the form of a child directed the steps of dancing Padmavati. Hence, Jeyadeva addressed Lord Krishna as “Padmaavateecharana-chaarana-chakravarthi” ( ). The path blazed by Jeyadeva was followed by Krishna Chaitanya, Tukaram, Meera Bai, and others in North India. Correspondingly there lived in South India, Purandaradasa, Bhodendra, Ayyaval, Sadguru Swami and others. Purandaradasa proclaimed to the world, Ninna naama ondu iddare saaku, “Your name is enough for me”. Bhodendra has written a number of works stressing the efficacy of naama japa. Even to-day, at the commencement of a bhajana or a kalakshepam, the blessings of Bhodendra, Ayyaval and Sadguru Swami are invoked. Great Saivite saints, who have sung the praise of Siva naama, also graced South India. Lord Krishna has given humanity, through Arjuna, the solemn assurance that He will liberate all persons from their sins – : Aham-tva sarvapapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa-suchah. If you are liberated from sin, you need not worry about or fear anything else, because you will remain unaffected by trials and grief. That is why Rama naama is called taaraka mantra ( ) taaraka meaning steering clear of sins). He who takes to the path of naama japa should do so in all humility, maintaining a high standard of personal conduct. He should not think or say that jnana and bhakti are not necessary and that naama japa alone will do. On the other hand, he should feel in all humility that because he is incapable of jnana and bhakti, he has taken to naama japa. To add interest or attraction to naama japa, music and instrumental accompaniments have come to be introduced. That is how the bhajan system has come to be in vogue. By doing naama japa with single-minded devotion, we can achieve the spiritual purpose of our life.

November 28, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

51 Tiruppavai-Tiruvembavai

Visitors to Cambodia can see even today dilapidated temples dedicated to Siva, Vishnu or Ambikai, mostly to Siva, in the forests of that country. They bear testimony to the fact that our civilization and culture had penetrated those parts of South-East Asia more than a thousand years ago. What is more, valuable Sanskrit inscriptions on stone, about 800 in number, have been recovered by French archaeologists from the walls of those temples in ruins. From the point of view of diction and substance, these inscriptions are even superior to those found in India. Various trading communities from India traveled in their own ships to these parts of the world in ancient times, and carried on a flourishing trade according to the dictum, Tiraikadal odiyum diraviyam tedu ( ). They also established our culture and civilization in the lands in which they carried on their trade. One inscription in Tamil has also been recovered from Siam.

Western scholars, with their enthusiasm for research, have made a detailed study of the origin, habits and customs of the people of these lands. One writer has given a very interesting account of an annual festival in Siam, in which the rich and the poor, the king and the peasant alike

participate. He has recorded that during this annual festival, a swing, having a long range, is erected and a person, in the make-up of Sri Dakshinamurti, whose image is found in our temples, comes from the north-east direction (eesaanam) and sits on the swing. As he swings to and fro taking care not to touch the ground with his feet, some persons recite certain verses. This author says that these verses end with the expression “Trembavai”. This festival, which lasts ten days, terminates on the full-moon day. The King of Siam attends it with all his paraphernalia, including weapons from his armory. In recent times, the weapons include bren-guns, and aeroplanes also take part in the festival.

We are reminded, from this account of the Siam festival, of the Oonjal ( ) (swing) festival observed in some of the South-Indian temples for 20 days terminating with Tiruvathirai in the month of Maargazhi (December-January). During this festival, Lord Siva is placed on the swing and the temple Oduvar sings the Tiruvembavai. Evidently this custom has traveled to Siam from South India and the verses recited must be from Tiruvembavai. It will be worthwhile to send some one to investigate and find out whether what is recited in Siam during the said festival is from Tiruvembavai, ( )and if so, how many of these verses are in vogue there and whether the people know the meaning of the verses they sing.

The month of Maargazhi, which precedes the Uttarayana is the ushah-kaala (the short period just before dawn) for Devas, for whom a human year is one day. Therefore, the period just before dawn in this month is ushah-kaala both for us and for the Devas. So it must be regarded by us as sacred. In Malabar, even today, girls go in batches to a nearby river or tank in the early hours of the morning, all the 30 days of Maargazhi, take their bath, singing the praise of the Lord and return to their homes singing. When Saint Manickavasagar sang the Tiruvembavai, he has recorded that he found women bathing in a spring in Tiruvannamalai in the early hours of the morning. There is a reference in Sangam literature also to girls and young women bathing in tanks early in the morning during this month. In the Bhagavatam, there is a reference that Gopis bathed in the Yamuna and worshipped the Divine Mother in the form of Kaatyaayani, in order that they may obtain Sri Krishna as their husband. Sri Krishna took Rukmini away in his chariot, when she came out of the temple after worshipping Sri Gouri. All these show that this practice of bathing singing the praise of the Lord in the early hours of the morning during this month (Maargazhi or December-January), has come down to us from time immemorial. We must continue this practice. The verses sung may either be the Tiruppaavai or the Tiruvembaavai, according to the faith of the people. Saint Manickavasagar has also composed verses entitled Tiruppalliyezhuchi, or verses for waking up the Lord. The pooja offered in temples before dawn in Maargazhi is known as Tirupakshi. It is obviously an abbreviation or corruption of Tiruppalliyezhuchi.

We should not give up this ancient practice of bathing in the early morning and singing the praise of God. Girls in a locality can join together and go round one or two streets everyday singing the Tiruppaavai or the Tiruvembaavai. They can at least cover about ten houses each day. This practice is intended to rouse the latent spiritual powers in each individual. By reviving this practice, we can derive the blessings of God, for our benefit and for the benefit of society as a whole.

December 3, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

52 Evils of Dowry System

As we have puraanaas for rivers, like the Kaveri Puraana there are also puranaas pertaining to the months of the year. According to the latter puraanaa, the gift (daana ) of woolen clothing in the months of Kaartigai and Maargazhi, (the cold months of November-December, and December-January) is considered beneficial. Similarly we are enjoined to make gifts of water, fan, and umbrella during the summer months. During famine, importance is attached to gift of food, and during days of plenty we are directed to make gifts of gold. (Durbhikshe-cha-anna-daataaram subhikshe kanakapradam ). The significance of any gift is that we give away something we possess in the spirit that it is not ours-we should make the gift with the sincere faith that what is given is not ours.(namama <Sanskrit> not mine). That is also the idea behind offerings made in fire. To the extent we make willing sacrifices, to that extent we shall fare well in this world and progress towards the goal of God-realization.

A generation or two back, the Nattukottai Nagarathar community, who made profits in their business overseas, utilized their wealth to endow Veda Paatasaalaas, and to renovate dilapidated temples. In that way they rendered a signal service to our religion. Many temples built in the days of the Chola and the Pandyan kings, which came to be neglected by passage of time, profited by their philanthropy. The Paatasaalaas founded by them, however, did not function as they ought to and some of them were even closed, because they did not attract sufficient number of students. On account of the problems arising from the struggle for existence in modern days, even poor boys either flock to modern schools or go to serve in hotels. A few are attracted by the glamour of cinema and find employment, at the worst, as ticket collectors, in theatres. In this way our social life has got disrupted and many evils have crept in.

In this setup, what is the kind of sacrifice that will help to tone up society? One feature in our social life which pains me more than anything else, is the sight of grown-up unmarried girls. These girls are undergoing untold mental sufferings and, some of them, with tears in their eyes, have asked me whether they will ever get married. Such a situation is fraught with disastrous possibilities for the next generation. The problem has reached a stage when it has become imperative to devise a solution and find a remedy.

It is not right to throw blame for the present state of affairs on the Sarda Act, as it is not right to throw the blame for the other anaachaaraas (wrong practices) that have crept in, on social reformers, or on atheistic propaganda. Boys living away from homes, in hostels and lodging houses, for pursuing their studies, drift into wrong ways, particularly in respect of their food habits, and their conduct has infected society as a whole. Discipline in matters like aachaara and anushtaana has appeared and its place chaos prevails. Railway travel has also resulted in breaking our discipline in respect of food. If legislation has been solely responsible for

postponing marriage for girls, then why is that people are not performing Upanayanam at the proper age, though there is no legislative prohibition in respect of Upanayanam? The answer is that marriage has become an economic problem in these days. It seems to me that even if the Sarda Act had not come into force, economic reasons would have compelled parents to postpone the marriage of their daughters.

It has to be admitted that many parents are unable to meet the demand for dowry made on them. There are in our society some parents who are suffering badly on account of their inability to repay the debts incurred for the marriage of their daughters. In the circumstances in which they find themselves, a few parents are obliged to permit their unmarried daughters to seek employment. Women have been the custodians of our religion and the aachaaraas and observances pertaining to our religion. With the way of life that has developed now, the outlook for the future in this respect appears gloomy.

The dowry system, therefore, has not only created problems for the present, but has also paved the way for the deterioration of society in the future. It is incumbent on the part of all those who wish well of our society, our culture, and our dharma, to take steps to put an end to dowry. The father of every marriageable boy should be prepared to make this sacrifice in the interest of the future generations. If the parents of a boy are satisfied about a girl and her family, they must come forward to conclude the alliance and celebrate the marriage, without expecting anything from the girl’s parents. Such a course will not lead to any lowering of prestige. On the other hand, this small sacrifice on the part of parents of boys will help to preserve the purity of society and the culture of the nation, and to ensure the welfare of generations yet unborn. When we have undergone sufferings and made enormous sacrifices for the freedom of our country, can we not make this small sacrifice – non-receiving of dowry – for the preservation of our dharma?

February 20, 1958


(1957-1960)

Part II

53 Marriage and Parental Responsibility

In former days, a widow was never considered a burden. She was regarded an asset to the family. She helped to bring up children properly. She was a store-house of Puranic lore and, through these stories, she prepared the minds of children to distinguish between “right and wrong”, and guided them along the righteous path. Her disciplined life – aachaaram, vritam, upavaasam, etc. – modeled the conduct of the younger members of the family also.

On account of the existence of many social problems, voluntary organizations have become necessary to mitigate the sufferings of women. Institutions like the Seva Sadan have been giving succour to young women in distress, such as deserted wives, destitute widows, and unmarried girls in search of employment. Such social service institutions, however, offer only a temporary palliative to the problems. We must tackle the disease at the root. A tree has to be watered at the roots and not at the top. If we pay attention to the marriage of girls at the proper age, most of the problems will get automatically solved, and the necessity for institutions like the Seva Sadan may disappear gradually.

Only a god-fearing person can view things in their proper perspective. It is only devotion to God that will give the strength necessary to face adversities with equanimity, and to bear sufferings with fortitude and resignation. A worshipper of Mammon will be terribly upset even by a small pecuniary loss, whereas a devotee will reconcile himself even to a heavy loss, by the thought “God gave it and He took it away”. To foster devotion to God, we must perform the Upanayanam of boys and the marriage of girls at the proper age. The interest of future generations requires it.

The Puranas are intended to teach us dharma. The emphasis in Puranic stories is not on the abnormalities of the characters, but on right and wrong, so that we may regulate our lives according to the injunctions contained in the Sastras. Because we are unable to appreciate, with our limited knowledge, how a person can be as tall as a palmyra tree, or can have three or four heads, we should not reject these stories as false or imaginary. Archaeological and geological excavations are bringing to light more wonders than what the Puranas contain and we also read occasionally reports in the Press of freaks in human birth and finds of out-sized human skeletons. So, it is wrong to label as “false”, anything we do not know or are unable to comprehend with our limited intelligence. In any event, the dharma imparted by the stories is of eternal value.

In the way in which things are moving, I doubt whether in the coming years the younger generation will have an opportunity to study our inspiring sacred literature, and whether there will be Pandits capable of properly interpreting them to the people. We should take steps even from now to preserve for posterity the spiritual and cultural treasures of this land. That can be done only by giving encouragement to boys willing to learn them. Some provision should be made to give scholarships to boys ready to go to a teacher and learn under him Sanskrit and the Vedas, and also some remuneration to the teacher, to keep himself going. An indigenous gurukula system should be evolved on these lines.

Every individual, even though he is not in affluent circumstances, by setting apart a small portion of his savings, can help students who are ready to pursue this kind of education, risking the secular prospects, their teachers, and poor parents, who are ready to get their daughters married at the proper age. This is a service which we will be doing to preserve the seeds of Indian culture. The help we give for the education of deserving boys and the marriage of poor girls, will surely benefit our own children and help them to develop along proper lines – ooraar kuzhantaiyai ootti valarthaal tan kuzhantai taanaaka valarum,

.


(1957-1960)

Part II

54 Bank to Finance Marriages

The gathering of the staff of the Indian Bank here reminds me of the late Mr. V. Krishnaswami Aiyar. He was associated with three institutions which continue to keep his memory green, more than the statue that has been erected in his honor. In Tamil, we speak of the triad, udal, porul, and aavi ( ) which in Sanskrit are referred to as sareeram, arttham and praanan. Jiva, which is atman, includes the manas and the praanas. A sound body and wealth so necessary for a good life, depend for their maintenance on a pure mind free from the taints of kaama and krodha, lust and anger. Realizing that this can come about only on a foundation of sastraic training, Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar established the Sanskrit College at Mylapore, with the intention that sastraic learning and tradition should be preserved from extinction. For the upkeep of the body and rescuing it from ill-health and disease, he founded the Venkataramana Vaidyasala, named after his father. Knowing fully well that wealth is the

foundation for a successful life in this world and that, without it, physical health and the means for a disciplined mind cannot be secured, he, in cooperation with other eminent men of Madras, helped to found a Bank after the crash of the Arbuthnot Bank. He had the courage to call it the Indian Bank, at a time when the British referred to us as ‘natives’.

To vindicate the high culture of the Hindus, Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar published “Arya Charita”, containing a number of moral stories from the Mahabharata. He was one of the leading men of Madras, who sponsored the visit of Swami Vivekananda to America to attend the Parliament of Religions at Chicago. The Rt. Hon. V.S. Srinivasa Sastry, who was a leading personality of the last generation, used to visit him frequently and receive from him constant guidance and counsel.

The position of Madras, referred to in all ancient works as Sennapattanam, is unique as the central place of Tamil Nadu, with its four kshetras (temples) sung by Nayanmars and Alwars,namely, Tiruvotriyur in the North, Tiruvanmiyur in the south, and Tiruvallikeni and Tirumayilai in the centre. It is worthy of note that the consort of Sri Adi Kesava in the Mylapore Temple is known as Mayuravallithayar and in Sri Kapaleeswara’s temple close by, tradition has it that Sri Parvathi worship Her Lord, Siva, taking the form of a mayuri (pea-hen) ( ). Madras, which is thus sanctified by being the abode of Siva and Kesava, is also famous for the intellectual giants who lived in it. Among them was the late Mr. Krishnaswami Aiyar, well-versed in law and advocacy, which correspond to the vyavahaara kaanda of our ancient lore.

All dharmas depend on women for their maintenance – streemoolah sarva dharmah. It is sad to see girls nowadays remaining unmarried till a late age, due to the indigence of their parents, to the exorbitant demands of dowry, or due to the inability to get proper bridegrooms. The Parsi community has an organization to help the less rich among the community. It is desirable to organize a bank to aid the marriage of unmarried girls belonging to poor families, who have attained puberty, but whom their parents are obliged to keep at home, because of their sheer inability to give them away in marriage. It is also necessary to perform all marriages as economically as possible, without, however, omitting the prescribed religious rites. It should be our endeavor to avoid wasteful expenditure in marriages as well as in other ceremonial occasions.

The Brahmin community has forgotten its tradition of plain living and high thinking and taken to expensive ways of living. Time was in our land when Brahmins lived the same simple and unostentatious lives as other communities. This ancient identity of life of different communities is exemplified in some of the expressions we still use. The cooking pot in our house is called Vengala paanai, and the diamond ear-rings, which rich women wear, are called vaira olai. The

words, paanai and olai underline this affinity among all communities. We should avoid the costly new fangled habits, wear only simple apparel, and live frugal lives.

November 17, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

55 Utilization of Surplus Funds of Temples

We of South India can be proud of our temples and it behooves us to see that the daily worship in, and special festivals of, these temples are conducted properly and well. Some time back, an

idol of Vinayaka was found neglected in a small village about a mile and a half from Tirunallam or Konerirajapuram. The people of Tirunallam decided to construct a temple for this Vinayaka. They began investing the surplus funds of the Tirunallam temple and from the income derived from such investments, a beautiful temple for Vinayaka was constructed. Necessary provision was also made for conducting the daily worship at this temple. Similarly, it is very desirable that the surplus income of one temple is utilized for renovating other temples found neglected and for re-establishing the daily worship and festivals in such temples. But it is important to remember that the surplus of a rich temple should be determined only after amply providing for the daily puja and seasonal festivals of that temple in full measure.

It is a matter for gratification that the Government of this State and those in charge of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments are anxious to administer the affairs of our temples along right lines. The order passed recently by the authorities not to have electric light inside the sanctum sanctorum is to be heartily welcomed. Some people may think that there is no virtue in sticking to practices which obtained in days when electricity had not come to be discovered. But the matter has to be viewed from an entirely different angle. We attach divinity to the idol installed in a temple and look upon it not as an image of stone but as the deity which the image represents. We believe that by sanctification, God, in the manifestation of which the idol is a symbol, is constantly present in the sanctum sanctorum. Does it not therefore stand to reason that it is improper to expose the deity to the glare of tube lights and high-powered bulbs all the 24 hours of the day and the night, when no human being will submit himself to a similar treatment even for a few minutes? By electrically illuminating the sanctum sanctorum, we will be committing apacharam and not doing upacharam to God.

Another welcome change in the administration of temples is the direction issued to the staff of the Department that inside the temples they should do their work sitting on the floor and using a low desk, instead of using chairs and tables hitherto. Directions have also been given to keep clean the cloth used for decorating the deity. When the daily worship in a temple is conducted according to correct schedule, and the premises are also kept tidy, more devotees will be attracted. Public opinion voiced by the devotees will make those in charge effect further improvements. The two are inter-related and it is the duty of worshippers to be watchful in order to prevent slackness on the part of the archakas and others rendering service in temples.

The surplus funds of one or more temples in a particular area can be pooled to renovate dilapidated temples in that area and to make provision for regular daily worship in them. This will provide employment for a number of poor people. The assistance given to such “orphan” temples is as meritorious as starting orphanages or aiding existing orphanages. Oriental schools can be started at convenient centers for groups of ten or more big temples. These schools can impart education to the children of archakas and other temple servants, who are proverbially poor. In these schools, general education up to S.S.L.C. standard should be given. The special

feature of these schools should be to give training to boys in the aagamas and other aspects of temple service, and teaching of the Vedas, Prabandhas, Tevarams, etc., conducting classes in singing devotional music, and playing musical instruments in vogue in temples like suddha maddalam, and giving training in sculpture, temple architecture, iconography, etc. Pupils taking these special subjects can be given special encouragement by providing boarding, scholarship and other facilities. Boys who are not inclined to take up service in temples as a profession can benefit by the general education imparted in these schools and find employment elsewhere, and boys who show an aptitude for aagamas, etc., can be fully equipped to do temple service properly and in the traditional manner. Those who become proficient in geetam, natyam, vadya, silpam, etc., can maintain and pass on to the next generation the highest traditions in those arts. Oriental schools run on the above lines are bound to attract more students than purely Veda Patasalas or Aagama Patasalas. The Archakas can be induced, by giving a small addition to their remuneration, to learn the sthalapurana (local legend) of each temple and the songs and verses composed by devotees of old in praise of the presiding deity, so that they can enlighten worshippers about the sanctity of these temples. A medical section can also be attached to these oriental schools. Poojaris, who by tradition are trained to recite Mahabharata stories in temples, can also be given encouragement. By expanding the activities of our temples, in these and other directions, we will be able to inculcate in the younger generation the spirit of devotion and respect for temples and temple worship.

December 19, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

56 Care of Cows

(The following is a message given by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam on July 1, 1958 on the occasion of Vyasa Pooja.)

Though we have a tradition of worshipping the cow, most of us do not care for cows in the proper manner. Our country has the largest number of cows in comparison with other countries. But the milk yield is very poor, and the average quantity of milk we drink is the lowest in the world. Most of the cows which are slaughtered are bought from Hindus by butchers.

One of the main reasons for this thoughtlessness is the want of fodders for cows. We have also forgotten our religious obligations in respect of the cow, on which the economy of our country is based. Even those who maintain cows in their own homes are not completely free from the sinful omission to take proper care of them. One easy method of providing fodder for the cows without any cost is for housewives, hotel-keepers, and hostel authorities, to carefully preserve every day,

in a neat and sanitary place, their kitchen garbage, such as wastage from plantain leaves, skins of all fruits and vegetables, the water after washing rice, and the kanji. Now-a-days these are thoughtlessly thrown away in the street and roundabout dust bins, adding to the work of our patient sweepers.

If our people will only take a little trouble to preserve them, and, if an organization like the Pinjrapole or a group of cow-owners can arrange to come round daily and collect them, the amount of fodder that will be thus available to our cows will be considerable. This small thoughtful action in our homes, hostels, and hotels, will go a great way to provide for the cows and augment the cattle wealth of our country. In addition to serving to removing the slur on our nation that we do not care for our cows, it will also obtain for us untold religious merit by the performance of this holy duty.


(1957-1960)

Part II

57 Manual Labor for Public Purposes

In the Upanishads and in the Dharma Sastras, we frequently come across the two terms, Ishtam and Poortham. Amara Kosa gives the meaning of Ishtam as yaga and allied observances and rites, and of Poortham as digging (Khaatam, ) etc. Yagna and other ceremonies performed with offerings in fire (homa) demand severe austerity, considerable mental and physical discipline and knowledge and qualifications of a high order. Moreover, should any lapse occur, sin will accrue to the person performing these ceremonies. It, therefore, follows that it is not every person that is entitled to or qualified for performing yaga. But every person can participate in the kind of service denoted by the word, Poortham. Poortham can take the form of digging wells and tanks for public use, building temples, planting avenue trees, tending temple flower gardens, laying foot-paths and roads, raising community topes, cleaning tanks and roads, and similar services.

During the Brahmotsavam of any temple, we see all persons participating in dragging the temple car, ratha, ( : ) all persons, high and low, rich and poor, without any distinction of caste.

Similarly, in the variety of services known as Poortham, all of us can and must participate. The emphasis in this kind of service is on manual labor, a person’s physical participation in the service. For example, when a public tank is being dug, it is obligatory on the part of even rich and highly-placed persons to dig and remove at least a few baskets of earth. This is the least that one can do to express gratitude to God for having endowed one with health.

Valuable and informative stone inscriptions are to be found in many South Indian temples. Similarly, valuable inscriptions are found on the parapet walls of wells in Rajasthan. Water is scarce in Rajasthan deserts and often five to seven miles separate one well from another. A well in this area may cost as much as a big temple in the South. So, considering the benefit accruing to thousands of people, wells were dug in a spirit of public service by the joint efforts of all people. It is an interesting feature of human nature that people, born in areas where water is scarce and land is not fertile, are very enterprising. They often migrate to other places and become rich by their hard work, richer than people living in areas blessed by the bounty of nature. That is why we see the Marwari community thriving everywhere. The adventurous spirit of the British people, which enabled them to conquer a good portion of the globe in the past, is attributable to the fact that land in Britain was insufficient to support the population and satisfy all their wants. When water is available in abundance in an area and the land is also rich and fertile, the inhabitants of such an area tend to become lethargic.

When any person does not respond quickly when he is called, we remark in Tamil, avan vettarana ( ) – is he digging? This common saying stresses the importance of digging and conveys the idea that if a man is engaged in digging, he should not be disturbed. Unfortunately, in modern days, especially in big towns and cities, there is a tendency to fill up the tanks with earth and to close the wells. This is done due to ignorance, without knowing that tanks especially are intended to meet the needs of animals and birds also.

It will be useful and also an act of devotion if every one of us devotes an hour or half an hour, at least once a week, for doing manual labor for a common cause. If one is interested and looks about, one can find ample scope for such service everywhere. In cities one can engage oneself in street-cleaning, cleaning the precincts of temples and tanks, or planting and watering flower plants in temple gardens. Where a temple is under construction, one can volunteer to carry bricks for masons to build. Such a kind of labor will open up the springs of compassion in our hearts and develop in us a sense of camaraderie with our fellow-beings. People of four or more villages can join together and dig tanks for each village by turn. They can also form roads wherever necessary. We will be able to shed our vanity and egoism by such physical labor and develop a feeling of oneness with others. Our minds will thereby be disciplined and cleansed of impurities, and be in a proper condition to receive and enshrine the Paramatma, which is the ultimate purpose of life. That is the significance of srama daan, advocated by Vinoba Bhave. I am not

stating in this talk anything new or novel; I am only bringing to your notice what our Sastras contain.

December 2, 1957.


(1957-1960)

Part II

58 Religious Needs of Destitutes

Temples for Muruga, Vinayaka, Droupadi Amman, Dharmaraja, Maari-Amman and Ayyanar or Saasta, can be regarded as the special features of Tamil Nadu. Besides these temples, we find

also temples for village deities. The management of some of these temples has got disorganized for various reasons. But in recent times, bhajana matams have come into existence in almost every village. In a city like Madras, several bhajana groups are actively functioning. These bhajana matams and bhajana groups seem to have been well organized. These organizations may well extend their activities in other directions also and undertake services for the benefit of the community as a whole, by taking in willing workers qualified to render such services, but who may not be able to sing and participate in the bhajana activity proper.

For instance, let us take the case of persons who die as destitutes. Churches and mosques have been taking care of the dead bodies of Christian and Muslim destitutes and giving them burial in a proper manner as enjoined by their respective religion. But there is no agency to take care of the dead bodies of destitute Hindus and to dispose of them according to Hindu rites. Members of the bhajana groups can undertake this desirable social service. They can also render monetary help or personal service for the funeral of poor Hindus. The disposal of unclaimed Hindu dead bodies in jails and hospitals can also be attended to.

These bhajana groups or separate organizations formed for the specific purpose can minister to the religious needs of prisoners in jails and patients in hospitals. Permission has now been accorded for conducting religious classes inside jails by Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Hindus are not taking advantage of this concession, while others are. Steps must be taken to remedy this defect. Distribution of booklets and pamphlets containing the life and teachings of pious men or religious stories, the organization of kalakshepams, and the holding of discourses, can be undertaken for the benefits of the prisoners. If we are able to reform even one in a hundred by this means, it will be a great achievement for society. It will also create a healthy feeling in the prisoners that society has not neglected them.

For the benefit of patients who are obliged to remain in hospitals for long periods, voluntary organizations can arrange weekly poojas in some reputed temple and distribute the prasadam from this temple among the patients. They can also be given specially written pamphlets or booklets calculated to promote faith and devotion in their hearts. These patients, even if they eventually succumb to their ailments, will die with the name of God on their lips.

When a start is made in the above directions, we can take up the question of religious instruction in schools. India being a secular state by choice, religious instruction does not form part of the regular curriculum in state schools, though religion continues to be taught in Christian mission schools. The result is our children are unfortunately growing up in ignorance of our great religious traditions. If missionaries are finding a happy hunting ground in Hindu society for securing converts to their religion, we are ourselves to blame. If we put our house in order, and

create a feeling that Vedic religion is not a neglected religion, but there are people to take care of it, then even those who have gone out of our fold, for a variety of reasons, will be induced to come back. Organizations for taking care of our religion, as indicated above, will be hedges protecting our religion from depredation. Our religion will thereby be strengthened and people will be able to practice it with self-respect.

When a marriage is celebrated in a house, all relations attend it. This is a desirable custom. Such assemblage of relations should take place in cases of death also. Under modern conditions, the expenditure involved in satisfying all the relations that attend a marriage will come to a sizable amount. It is this fear of expenditure that induces people to celebrate marriages in some out-of-the-way place. Every person who attends a marriage, be he a friend or relation, must consider it a social obligation to make a cash present. These cash presents will go a long way to lighten the burden of the person conducting the marriage. In these days, costly presents are made at marriages in which the contracting parties are either rich, influential or celebrities. The procedure should be reversed. The spirit of mutual co-operation, symbolized by cash presents, will have a healthy check on dowry, which now obeys the laws of supply and demand. A similar co-operative help in respect of funeral rites will also lighten the financial burden of persons and enable them to go through these rites with sraddha (devotion).

The service to religion and the system of mutual co-operation indicated by me will promote the happiness of all. You will also be rendering a service to the Mutt.

October 31, 1957


(1957-1960)

Part II

59 Righteous Living

APPENDIX I (Sri Sankaracharya’s Farewell Message)

Devotees of His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam gathered in their thousands on the spacious grounds of the Sanskrit College, Mylapore, on the night of March 16, 1959, to pay their respects and homage to His Holiness, on the eve of his departure from the City, after staying in one part of the City or other, or its suburbs for 540 days. Addresses were presented to him in nine languages, expressing the gratitude of the citizens of Madras for the efforts of His Holiness in guiding the people along the path of righteous living and for strengthening in the hearts of thousands of devotees a living faith in God and for spreading the message of bhakti (devotion) among the people.

His Holiness was seated on an elevated dais, well decorated and illuminated, commanding the view of a record gathering of men, women, and children, who had come from different parts of the City and suburbs, to pay their respects to him. His Holiness Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal was also seated on the dais, a little behind the Acharya. The entire gathering witnessed the proceedings which lasted nearly four hours, in pin-drop silence.

The proceedings commenced with the recitation of the Mangala Sloka (benedictory sense), pertaining to the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, and the singing of a Thevaram (prayer song) and an invocational song.

Speeches offering homage to His Holiness were made.

Mr. C. Rajagopalachari, the last Governor-General of India, prefaced his speech with the observation, “I am the least qualified among the thousands present here to speak on the occasion”. Being the metropolis, he said, Madras City was an important place in the State and consequently there was more evil here than elsewhere. It is true that God in His mercy incarnated Himself, or an Avatara Purusha is born, where evil is rampant so that righteousness may be re-established and people redeemed of their sins. The citizens of Madras are, in one sense lucky, because they have the good fortune of having in their midst this Yatindrna (greatest of all saints), Sri Sankaracharya. But Sri Acharya does not belong to Madras City alone; other places have also an equal claim on him. Therefore, we must reconcile ourselves to his leaving Madras, in the faith that his grace will continue to protect us wherever he may be.

The beneficent influence exercised by a Jnani like His Holiness is not confined to this country alone. It reaches the far corners of the world. India is rightly called a punya bhoomi (land of righteousness), because this is a land where great Rishis (sages) and great saints have had their being and have given their immortal message to humanity. This land, which had been adhering to the path of Dharma, has of late strayed into the path of Adharma. We are the poorest people in the world. Greed easily enters the mind of a poor man. Greed and the desire for possessing even things we should not possess are not confined to the educated people alone. Even the unsophisticated villagers, who were once free from this evil, are getting spoilt. All of us are responsible for it, including the Government, whose plans and policies only tend to make people more and more greedy. Probably I might have also come forward with such plans and policies were I in charge of the administration.

We must try to escape from the moral deterioration that is fast setting in and arrest the growth of evil. This is a disease for which there is only one doctor and that doctor is God. Bhakti or devotion is the medicine for curing the disease. We may master all the ancient Sastras and also learn new Sastras. All that cannot provide any remedy for the disease from which the country is suffering. Devotion to God alone will be of avail and devotion cannot enter our hearts without His grace. We have even forgotten how to pray; our prayers are confined to appeals to Government to give this help or that help. We are in this predicament because we have forgotten the duties and dharmas enjoined upon us by the Sastras. Let us, therefore, request His Holiness to pray to God to implant in us the seeds of bhakti and to pray for the welfare of the country.

His Holiness then addressed to the gathering. He said: “The addresses read and the speeches made are marked by enthusiasm and fervor. So many good things have been said. But there is one drawback in all the speeches and addresses. Everyone repeated one sentiment and that is ‘you should show your gratitude to me by following my advice’. It would have given me greater satisfaction if this sentiment had not been expressed at all by any of you. But you having expressed it, I cannot now usefully say, ‘do not say so’. I can only say, ‘do not think of it’.

“The logical conclusion of the sentiment expressed by you is that there is something still to be observed and that what you have not done so far, you are going to do hereafter. That is a wrong understanding of the situation. It is not possible for everyone to do everything I might have said. First of all, you must get faith. Even when there is faith, you may find it possible to observe only a few things. One cannot start with the hope of bringing about a complete change in everyone’s life. If one starts with such a presumption, it only shows that one is unable to plan properly. It is not possible to reform the ways of life of people through advice, either spoken or written, or even through propaganda. All these may have a temporary effect; but not lasting benefit. Anything achieved through pressure will disappear the moment the pressure is withdrawn.

Discourses are of no avail when what we desire is to reform a person’s mind and to make him give up the wrong habits that he has come to acquire. It requires a power other than the temporary influence of a discourse, however eloquent it may be. If founders of religions have succeeded in revolutionizing thought, it is because they lived in their own life what they preached. It is this power of personal example that brought about a change in the hearts of others. In our own country, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo exercised a profound influence over the minds of other people, though they themselves did not move out of their respective places. It is the example of the preceptor that engenders faith in you, and when faith gets a firm hold on your heart, you are able to correct yourself. I will be able to bring about a change in you only to the extent to which I am able to develop my inner power. If I desire to reform you more, I must purify myself to the extent necessary.

“It is true I had imposed certain conditions which had to be fulfilled for my coming to Madras. But I felt than the reforms brought about under stress will not be lasting. I did not want to be obstinate and so I came to Madras, for the second time, about 18 months back without waiting for the fulfillment of the conditions I had imposed. I hold certain views and the discourses I have been delivering provided me the opportunity for testing my own views. The discourses themselves, and the exchange of views with scholars I indulged in during the course of the discourses, have helped to clarify my own views on several matters. If you have followed some of my advice, it is because of your faith in me. If you are not able to follow my advice fully, it only shows that I have to develop my own inner strength still more through prayer and meditation so that I can infuse greater faith in you.

“You should not grieve because you are unable to reform yourselves to the extent I desire. But ponder over all that I have said. If you feel unable to put into practice anything you regard good, repent sincerely for your inability to do it, with the determination to practice it when you are in a position to do so. The former Governor-General of India requested me to pray for you all. All of you are part of me. What I must pray to God is to bless me to develop my own internal strength. When I achieve that, you will reform yourself automatically. So, when I pray for myself, I pray for you all.”

The function terminated with the recitation of Thotakaashtakam.


(1957-1960)

Part II

60 Battle against Adharma

APPENDIX II (His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and His Holiness Sri Viswesa Theertha Swami of Pejawar Mutt, Udipi, the former upholding the advaita school of thought, and the latter upholding the dvaita school of thought, spoke from the same platform on October 29, 1958, at the Sanskrit College, Mylapore, appealing for a co-operative endeavor, to enshrine dharma and bhakti in the hearts of the people. Mr. S. Satchidanandam Pillai, as representative of the Saiva Siddhaanta, also addressed the gathering. The gist of the three speeches is given below.)

His Holiness the Swami of Pejawar Mutt said: For my part, I am happy at this coming together of the Heads of two different Mutts, and I have no doubt the public are also enthused by it. My only regret is that such occasions are rare and not frequent, for, there is an urgent necessity for Heads of Mutts, upholding different Vedantic traditions, coming together in the common interest of the spread of dharma and bhakti among the people.

There is a story, according to which a Rakshasa (demon) obtained, by his penance, a boon that he should not be vanquished or killed by any person singly or by a number of persons joining together. On account of this boon, he became a tyrant and began terrorizing people. So God, in His mercy, took the form of Harihara, and punished the demon. Harihara is neither a dual personality, because there is only one body, nor a single personality, because He combines in Himself the attributes of both Vishnu and Siva. This reference is found in one of the verses sung by Sri Vadiraja Swami in praise of Harihara, whose temple he visited.

Adharma is gaining the upper hand in this world and it cannot be driven away by the efforts of any school of Vedanta working alone, or by the efforts of different schools of Vedanta, each working in its own particular way. The task requires the cooperative efforts of all schools of thought coming together to carry out an agreed programme. We must develop the strength necessary to vanquish the demon of adharma by such concerted action. If the devotees of both Hari and Hara, represented by the two Mutts, which have come together on this platform, in the common cause of enthroning dharma once again in this land, bear this in mind and work in harmony and cooperation, then our cause is bound to succeed and the welfare of humanity is assured.

Students of the Mahabharata are aware that Aaranya Parva is followed by Ajnaata Parva and Udyoga Parva. Like Dharmaraja of the Purana, dharma is now in exile in the forest in this land. Even in the forest, friends and supporters of Dharmaraja were able to meet him and live in his company. Similarly, though dharma was in exile, dhaarmikas were able to keep the company of dharma, till recently. That stage has passed, and dharma has gone into ajnaata vaasa <Sanskrit> (living incognito). Even dhaarmikas are unable to locate where dharma is. Therefore, the time is now ripe for the next stage, Udyoga Parva. We must awake, arise, and act in unity to enthrone dharma once again in our heart.

I have great pleasure in associating myself with His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya Swami of Kamakoti Peetam whose heart is broad enough to accommodate different schools of Vedantic thought for the welfare of humanity. India is a country with a tradition of religious toleration. There is freedom in this land for preaching not only different sampradaayas of the Vedic religion, but are also preaching religions antagonistic to the Vedic religion. Not only that, there is freedom even to those who deny God. His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya Swami is the personification of that tolerant culture and tradition. In association with such a great soul, it is possible to work and re-establish dharma in this land.

The Vedas speak of God as having a thousand heads and a thousand arms; but nowhere it is said that He has a thousand hearts. There is one and only one heart. Similarly, Advaita, Dvaita, Vishistaadvaita, etc., are nothing but different facets of the same truth. They have a common heart and that is the Vedas. Such being the case, there is no difficulty for people owning allegiance to different schools of Vedantic thought coming together, and working for the establishment of dharma and bhakti, a task which all of us should perform.

His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam said: The Madhwa Acharya who has just addressed you comes from the Western shores, to the eastern shores to observe chaaturmaasya this year. The full name of Udipi is Udupateeswaram. There is an ancient temple of Udupateeswara or Chandramauleeswara there. Sri Madhwacharya, who propagated the Dvaita philosophy, with its emphasis on bhakti, also built a temple for Sri Krishna at Udipi, and installed therein the idol of Sri Krishna, which was found in a ship that came from Dwaraka. He also established eight Mutts, and directed the Head of each Mutt to perform worship at this temple by turns. It is noteworthy that Sri Chandramouleeswara is also worshipped by them. During the period when it is not their turn to perform pooja, the Heads of Mutts travel in different parts of the country, preaching the Dvaita Siddhanta, and collecting funds and materials for performing pooja and feeding people, when their turn to perform pooja at the Udipi temple comes.

I have nothing new to say to you today. I only wish to say a few words by way of Bhaashya (commentary) for the sutras (principles) enunciated by the Swami of Pejawar Mutt. The Swami has been exhorting all Hindus to work together in harmony, and not to be, to use a common parlance, like a bag of aamalaka fruits (<Tamil>). You know that when a bag of aamalaka is emptied, each aamalaka rolls in a different direction. There is no cohesion amongst them. That different schools of philosophy co-existed in this land is evident from the fact that all of us speak of the four Vedas and the six Sastras. There is a branch of Saankhya, known as Nireeswara Saankhya, which denies the existence of God. While Nyaaya declares that jivaatma is different from Paramatma, Meemaamsa, on the other hand, attaches no significance to bhakti and jnana, but lays emphasis on the performance of the karmas prescribed in the Vedas. While one school of thought criticizes the other, the founders of these schools of thought are held in respect and esteem by all. We find that Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada, the founder of the Advaita philosophy, adopted the acceptable theories advanced by the other schools of thought and respected Gautama and Sabaraswami, the expounders of Nyaaya and Meemamsa Sastras (as Acharyas). These different siddhaantas have come into existence, not to divide people into warring camps, but to cater to differing tastes, so that no one will lose sight of the fundamentals.

In North India, a sanyasi is also called das naami. This is because, according to the Dharma Sastra, sanyasins come under one or the other of ten different classifications, like Theertha, Aasrami, Saraswati, Saagara, etc. Sanyasins who suffix the term Saagara to their names, are not

to be met with now. But I found an inscription in the Sri Varadaraja Swami temple at Kancheepuram in which the name Vedendrasaagara, occurs. This Vedendrasaagara and his disciples seem to have engaged themselves in the recitation of the Vedas in the temple. Now, this classification of the sanyasins is again meant not to create separatism, but to maintain the purity of the line, so that we may know the originator of a particular order of sanyaasa.

All these facts emphasize the underlying unity in Hindu religious thought. More than one agency is created for the preservation of Hindu dharma, so that, even if one agency becomes defunct, the other agencies may keep the torch of dharma burning. Dharma is the root of our religious tree; bhakti and jnana are its flowers and fruits. It is our duty to preserve the root from getting dry. We should work on the basis of the greatest common measure of agreement for the preservation of dharma. This involves some measure of sacrifice. In the story narrated by the Swami of Pejawar Mutt, both Vishnu and Siva sacrificed a part of their identity in order to incarnate as Harihara, so that dharma can be vindicated. As mentioned by the Swami, the heart is common for the thousand heads and the thousand arms of God. Because the Swami of Pejawar Mutt and myself have the common object in view, we have come together to tell the people what dharma is. That is also our duty. Perhaps, the present state of affairs is due to our neglecting our duty in the past. There are four main siddhaantas in this part of India – Advaita, Dvaita, Visishtaadvaita, and Saiva Siddhaanta. I thought that at least the Swami of Pejawar Mutt and myself can come together in the task of propagating dharma. But we have received the support, for this work, from the Swami of the Ahobilam Mutt (Vishistaadvaita Siddhaanta), and also the Head of the Gnaanasambanda Mutt, Madurai (Saiva Siddhaanta). Thus a coordination of the representatives of all the four main siddhaantas has been achieved. It is proposed to distribute widely pamphlets dealing with dharma under the authority of all the four Mutts. In this work, the services of the organization known as Hindu Dharma Prachara Sabha, which is in existence in the City, will be utilized. The main task before all of us is to spread dharma and bhakti among the people. Bhakti is inherent in dharma, and if dharma comes to prevail, bhakti will automatically spread. I hope God’s grace will attend our task and help us to attend our mission.

Mr. S. Satchidanandam Pillai, as representative of Gnaanasambanda Mutt, Madurai, said : When we are being threatened to be engulfed by Adharma, the two Heads of Mutts, now present before us, have come forward to protect us and remove our fears. India is the only country that has held aloft the ideals of spirituality and a higher purpose of life, through ages unknown. There may have been occasional lapses; but great teachers like Sri Sankaracharya have appeared from time to time to guide our erring feet along the dharmic path. The harassed Western world is looking to us for guidance. Signs are not wanting to show that people in this land are once again turning their eyes to the path of dharma and bhakti. The Chief Justice of India, whose speech has been reported this morning, has made a strong plea for a system of education which will inculcate right conduct and devotion in the minds of pupils. Archbishop Mathias has paid a tribute to the Gurukula system of education, and pleaded for pleaded for preserving this ancient tradition. I hope the secular Government of this country will take note of these views. This is a country which regards dharma, artha and kaama as steps leading to moksha or salvation. The family life

itself is led in a pure manner so that it may not hinder the pursuit of salvation. This is also a country which regards sacrifice and meditation as priceless virtues. Symbolic of this, Siva sitting in meditation enveloped in sublime peace, in the Himalayas, and Sakti performing penance at Kanyakumari (the northern and southern ends of the country), are protecting the people of this land with their overflowing kindness. It is our duty to follow the advice tendered by their Holinesses and stick to the path of dharma and bhakti.


(1957-1960)

Part II

61 Interview with His Holiness

APPENDIX III

Sir Paul Dukes and M. Philippe Lavastine Interview with His Holiness

The following is an account by Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan, University Professor of Philosophy, of the interview which Sir Paul Dukes and M. Philippe Lavastine had with His Holiness Sri Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam on Wednesday, February 26, 1958.

A British Knight and a French savant had an interview with His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam on Wednesday, February 26. The time fixed for the interview was 9 p.m. Sir Paul Dukes arrived at His Holiness’ camp at Theogarayanagar at 8.30 p.m. He was conducted to the place of the interview, which was an open space, beneath a row of palms. There was a stack of hay in the centre of which was placed a wooden plank which was to serve as the seat for His Holiness. Struck by this, for him an unusual situation, Sir Paul remarked that this was a romantic setting for the new experience he was looking forward to. Presently, the Frenchman, M Philippe Lavastine, arrived escorted by a few Indian friends. He seemed evidently moved at the prospect of meeting a great scholar saint.

It was a little past nine. Our attention was drawn to the direction from where a mild torchlight flashed. His Holiness was coming slowly, with those unselfconscious steps which are uniquely his. About half a dozen devotees who were following him stepped back as His Holiness sat on the wooden plank, asking the group that was waiting for him to sit down, by a graceful gesture. The two guests sat at a short distance from His Holiness, with the interpreter in between. The stage was set for the interview.

Sir Paul Dukes was the first to be introduced, as the author of two books whose titles are: “The Unending Quest”, and “Yoga for the Western World”. His Holiness asked Sir Paul as to what he meant by “the unending quest”. The Englishman said that in his own case, the quest had not ended yet. In the case of the average Westerner, he added, it is thought that the quest ends once a particular Church was accepted. Sir Paul’s view was that this was not so.

Explaining the meaning of the expression “unending quest”, His Holiness observed:

“If the quest is external, there would be no end to it. It would be like the quest after the horizon – a hallucination. If the quest is inward, then it would end with the discovery of the true Self. In a sense, even this latter quest may be said to be unending in that, its object is infinite”.

The Frenchman was now introduced as one interested in the study of our temples and the puranas, in connection with his researches into the institution of kingship. M..Lavastine himself explained what his central problem was. In ancient times, the temporal and the spiritual were united in the institution of kingship. There was no division of the secular from the sacred. Probably, most of the ills of the modern world are traceable to this division which now obtains. The French scholar thought that a study of the history of the South Indian temples would throw light on the question of the relation between temporal power and spirituality.

His Holiness enquired if M. Lavastine had heard of the saying, Raajaa dharmasya kaaranam - <Sanskrit> (The king is responsible for dharma). As His Holiness was giving an illuminating explanation of this saying, the two visitors were observed moving close to him, with their attention fixed on every word of his. Although His Holiness was speaking in Tamil, he used a profusion of English words to help the interpreter in his task, and also the visitors in their understanding of him. Not accustomed to squat, the Western visitors were assuming all sorts of awkward postures. The interpreter touched the knees of the Frenchman, in order to indicate that he should fold his legs. Observing this, His Holiness told the interpreter that there was no need for this restraint. It was difficult for the average Westerner to squat. The way in which the visitors sat did not matter. They were like children in this respect. Why restrain them? How gracious of His Holiness to have made this observation! Is this not a true sign of a Mahatma?

Explaining the Sanskrit saying, His Holiness said: “It is natural that man should seek to satisfy his wants like hunger, thirst and a place to rest. There are duties which an individual has towards himself, the social group, and the nation. Ordinarily the performance of these duties remains on the level of satisfying the creaturely wants. But there is a way of performing these duties which will elevate everyone concerned spiritually. That is dharma. And it is the duty of the king or the state to see that the citizens are provided with every opportunity for spiritual growth and progress. That is the meaning of the saying, Raja dharmasya kaaranam.”

The Frenchman said that he wanted to study Sanskrit in the traditional Indian way, directly from a teacher, without the aid of books. His Holiness expressed his appreciation of this wish, and remarked: “Even in India, that tradition has all but disappeared. The old way was not to confuse the ability to read and write with scholarship. Even the greatest scholars did not know how to read and write.“ Here, one of the visitors cited the instance of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa who could not even sign his name properly in Bengali. His Holiness continued: “I am referring

to even secular scholars. Writing was the special art of a small class of people called kanakkars. They were good calligraphers. But the rest of the people, for the most part, were not literate. Eminent mathematicians, astronomers, physicians, Vedic scholars – these could not read and write. Learning was imparted orally and was imbibed by rote. The method has its own excellences, and could be revived with profit, within certain limits.”

Would His Holiness favor the revival of all that is old and ancient, asked Sir Paul Dukes. His Holiness replied that what was good and of value was worthy of revival. There was no need for any propaganda. This is not to be done that way. If a few people would set an example in their personal lives, this would catch on; and a time may come when the West also would emulate. And, when there is recognition from the West, our people may wake up and see something grand in their own past.

One last request, said Sir Paul. What would be the message from His Holiness that could be carried to the West? His Holiness remained silent for a considerable length of time. He was in-drawn, with eyes half-closed, and lost in contemplation. At the end of that period, he spoke in slow, measured tones:

“In all that you do, let love be the sole motive. Any deed must be with reference to another: Action implies the acted-upon as much as the agent. Let action be out of love. I am not here referring to the Gandhian gospel of ahimsa. There may be situations which demand violent action. Punishment, for instance, may be necessary. Even wars may have to be waged. But whatever be the nature of the action, the agent must act out of love. Passions such as desire and hatred, anger and malice must be totally eschewed. If love becomes the guiding principle of all deeds, then most of the ills of the world will vanish.”

“This you may carry with you as the message of the sages and saints of India,” His Holiness added.

Thus ended a memorable interview with one who is the embodiment of all that is most noble and sublime in the spiritual culture of India. Enjoying the aroma of the virtues of gentleness and courtesy, one could see the light of wisdom beaming from those enchanting eyes, as one listened to words which were true, and at the same time, pleasing.


(1957-1960)

Part II

62 Kumbhabhishekam at Adayapalam

APPENDIX IV

The tiny village of Adayapalam, near Arni in North Arcot district, which has secured a lasting place in the cultural and religious history of South India on account of its association with the great Appayya Dikshitar and the Sri Kalakanteswara temple built by him, hummed with intense activity on March 16, 1960, when the Mahakumbhabhisheka of that temple was performed in the presence of His Holiness Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal. The descendants of Sri Appayya Dikshitar, as well as devotees living in different parts of the State, were among the gathering of nearly 5,000 persons who witnessed this unique ceremony.

The function evoked wide interest for more reasons than one. There was the greatness of the builder of the temple, who has made a lasting contribution to Saivism through his works numbering over 100 and who was described by one of his descendants as the “ocean of wisdom and knowledge, unfathomable in its depths, crystal clear, imperturbable, boundless in its expanse, impossible to cross over, and ever surging up with insurmountable waves”. The presence of Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam furnished the coping stone for popular enthusiasm and religious fervour and as Sengalipuram Sri Anantarama Dikshitar observed, the gathering felt as if “Lord Siva Himself was present at the Kumbhabhishekam of His Temple.

The Parvati Ambal Sameta Sri Kalakanteswara Temple built about the year 1582 by Sri Appayya Dikshitar, who devoted for it the gold with which he was showered by Chinna Bomma Naik, Ruler of Vellore, in appreciation of his monumental work, “Sivarkamani Deepika”, was in need of repairs. An impetus to the renovation of the temple was given by His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya of Kamakoti Peetam, while he was at Madras. The renovation included the construction of a separate sanctum sanctorum for Sri Parvati Ambal undertaken by Mr. Jagannatha Aiyar, a retired businessman of Triplicane, who, while sleeping, after reading a discourse of His Holiness on the “Unmatta Panchasato” composed by Sri Appayya Dikshitar, and an appeal for funds for the renovation of the temple, received a call in his dream to undertake this work. An image of Sri Appayya Dikshitar, which was in the temple and the identity of which was revealed in a dream to one of the organizers of the renovation work, was also installed.

The preliminaries connected with the Kumbhabhisheka commenced on March 12. On the morning of March 16, yaga Pooja, Homam, Dravyahuti and Poornaahuti were performed in the presence of His Holiness. Music from six different kinds of instruments heralded the final function. The water from sacred rivers, consecrated by the preliminary rites, was taken in decorated pots in procession shortly after 10 a.m., and the kalasa on the dome of the sanctum sanctorum was anointed with this water to the accompaniment of music and cries of “Hara Hara Mahadeva” from the assembled gathering. Sengalipuram Sri Anantarama Dikshitar recited the composition of Sri Dikshitar commencing with the words “Sambho Mahadeva Sambho”. Abisheka was performed to the kalasa on the dome of the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Parvati Ambal and also to the deities, Sri Kalakanteswara and Sri Parvati. His Holiness witnessed all these rites and also worshipped at the shrines.

Speaking first in Sanskrit and later in Tamil, His Holiness said that in places like Poona and Satara in Maharashtra, and in places like Jodhpur in Rajputana, there were persons who added the suffix “Dravid” to their names. Though they were not conversant with any of the Dravidian languages, but spoke only the regional language, they claim to have migrated from the South. Many of them traced their ancestry to Sri Appayya Dikshitar. Similarly there were several

families in many villages on the banks of the Kaveri and the Tambraparni, who claimed that they originally belonged to Adayapalam. All of them belonged to the Bharadwaja Gotra, the Gotra of Sri Appayya Dikshitar.

It was also a matter of remarkable significance that these people were uniformly learned, either in the Sastras or in branches of modern knowledge. The heart of all these families, from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, would be filled with joy when they heard about this kumbhabhishekam and prosperity would also flow to them.

His Holiness then referred to the greatness of Sri Appayya Dikshitar and his contributions to Saivism and knowledge of Advaita and said that his “Sivarkamani Deepika” was a great work and was instrumental for the kanakabhisheka (shower of gold), performed to him by the then ruler of Vellore, Chinna Bomma Naik. This gold, Sri Dikshitar utilized for the construction of this temple and for popularizing “Sivarkamani Deepika” and for teaching the Vedas and the Sastras to 500 students. There were many people well-versed in the Sastras and who also taught the Sastras to others. But usually it did not occur to them to undertake such works of religious benefit to the public (tiruppani). But Sri Appayya Dikshitar was of a different caliber. He offered everything he earned at the feet of Lord Siva and undertook services like construction of a temple for him. As a result, the family of Sri Appayya Dikshitar had spread and settled in different parts of this country and lived happily. Sri Dikshitar lived the life of Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga and became a model for posterity to follow.

The people of Adayapalam, big and small, and other devotees had taken part in this sacred task of renovation. May Sri Kalakanta bless them all with happiness. May they be imbued with love, spirit of service, learning and devotion, His Holiness concluded.


(1957-1960)

Part II

63 Teaching of Spiritual Values

Appendix 5

The speech delivered by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam at the Tiruppavai-Tiruvembavai Conference held at Kancheepuram on Sunday, January 31, 1960.

In recent times, the Nattukottai Nagarathar community served our religion and earned merit (<Tamil>) by renovating several temples, including those about which our saints have sung praise. This sacred service (<Tamil>) was undertaken in the past by the Chola Kings. The service done by those kings were continued by these Nattukottai Chettiars. But for them, several of our temples would have gone into ruins. I am telling this not to praise any particular person present in this gathering – I am telling this because by expressing appreciation of the good work done by others, a little of the merit (<Tamil>) earned by them will attach to us also.

A person who has done a meritorious deed will lose the resulting merit if he listens to the praise of others or himself boasts of his deeds. I am praising the community because those responsible for the renovation of temples and other meritorious deeds are not present here.

How did the community get the incentive to perform such merit-earning deeds? Forty or fifty years ago, it was difficult to find even a single Nattukottai Chettiar without smearing sacred ashes and without wearing a rudraksham around his neck. For that Sri Sundaraswamy, who was living on the banks of the Tambraparani, was responsible. He was a great devotee of Siva and had gained spirituality by his religious observance (<Tamil>). There was none to equal him in devotion and performing sacred services (<Tamil>). He was responsible for the Kumbhabhishekam of seven temples in Tiruvarur on a single day. Several Gujaratis who had settled down in the Sowcarpet area of Madras City were his disciples and they also used to wear Rudraksha round their neck. This Swami has his Samadhi at Chettinad. The seed of devotion to Siva sown by him grew into a tree and bore fruit.

About 50 years ago, there lived in Koiloor in Chettinad, another equally great Swami, known as Veerappa Swamigal. He was also a person of great devotion and purity of life. But he was subject to fits of anger (<Tamil>).If he cursed any person in his anger, it had disastrous effect. So the Nattukottai Chettiars dreaded him. If he directed any person to do a particular service, like renovation of a temple or the starting of a Veda Patasala or the endowment of a choultry, that person implicitly carried out the direction. In that way, through the instrumentality of Veerappa Swami, several temples were renovated, several patasalas started and several choultries founded. The seed of devotional service implanted by Sri Sundaraswamy grew and flourished because of the influence of Veerappa Swamigal.

As I said, this Veerappa Swamigal had one drawback and that was his susceptibility to temper. We pray God that we should have no enemies. But what greater enemy can a person have than anger? Veerappa Swamigal was greatly worried over this drawback and was wondering how he could overcome this internal enemy, temper. Now, this Veerappa Swamigal had a Brahmin companion named Subbaraya Iyer. This Brahmin used to read out to Veerappa Swamigal the Puranas, Nyaya Sastra and other works. Veerappa Swamigal asked this Brahmin whether he had come across in any of the Puranas or temple legends (Sthala Purana) a method to get rid of anger. This Brahmin said that he was acquainted with several Sthala Puranas and there was one particular legend which may be applicable to the Swami.

Now, it is a pity that there is a tendency to dub Sthala Puranas as fiction, invented to exaggerate the importance of each temple. Even some Asthikas (religiously minded persons), fall for this kind of argument and regard these Sthala Puranas as having no particular significance. But the fact is that these Sthala Puranas contain a fund of information and supply many a missing link. The story of a particular event in one Purana may be found amplified in another Purana and the version in a Sthala Purana may confirm and provide evidence for the veracity of this story. That is why great Tamil poets in the past took trouble to sing in Tamil a number of Sthala Puranas written in Sanskrit. In fact, these temple legends will provide particulars establishing close connection, say, between temples in widely separated places like Benares, Mayavaram, and Kuttalam.

The Brahmin mentioned to Veerappa Swamigal the legend associated with the Tirukkoilar temple near Tiruturaipundi. If you go to that temple, you will find the figure of Sage Durvasa facing the deity. The story is that Durvasa worshipped at this temple and got rid of his anger. The figure of Durvasa radiates peace.

Veerappa Swamigal proceeded to this place and through his efforts the temple was renovated, and its tank was repaired. Houses also sprang up all round the temple. The Swamigal himself residence in a hut in the street to the north (<Tamil>) of the temple. The Swamigal found that the temple lacked a car (<Tamil>). So he had a beautiful car made. The artisans who constructed the car desired that before putting it into service, a goat, or at least a fowl, should be offered as sacrifice, so that the car may move smoothly and without interruption. Veerappa Swamigal who was opposed to such a sacrifice, directed that the car should be dragged without any such offering. On the appointed day, the deity was placed inside the decorated car and the people of the place dragged the car. After moving a short distance, the car came to a stop and would not budge an inch in spite of the best efforts of the devotees. They came to the Swami and entreated him to permit an animal sacrifice so that the car may move and return to the starting point.

The Swamigal told them: “If a lamb or a fowl is killed, there would be its mother to weep over it. While you take away one life, you also cause grief to another life. Therefore, it is better that all of you go to the temple and pray with sincerity that the car may move uninterruptedly. If the car does not move even then, and if there is no other way, then I will offer myself to be sacrificed under the wheels of the car, for, there is no relation to shed tears for me.” The devotees prayed to God accordingly and pulled the car again. To the great relief of all, it moved again. When it came opposite his hut, the Swamigal was overwhelmed by this manifestation of divine grace and he stood before the Lord and praised His solicitude for the welfare of these devotees. At the moment, lighted camphor was waved before the deity and Veerappa Swamigal shedding tears of

joy, praised the great mercy of God and collapsed dead in the arms of Subbaraya Iyer who was standing behind.

This instance of divine grace and mercy is within the personal knowledge of many people. Even those who treat puranic stories as imagination and fiction cannot deny this incident narrated by me. Veerappa Swamigal conquered his only weakness, temper, and divine grace fell on him and he got freed from future births and deaths.

There is also the story of Mooka Kavi. He was dumb from birth; but obtaining the grace of Sri Kamakshi he burst forth into exquisite poetry. He sang 500 verses in praise of Sri Kamakshi in five satakas of 100 verses each. In the first sataka, known as Arya Sataka, occurs the following verses: <Sanskrit>

Siva Siva pasyanti samam, Sri Kaamaakshee kaatahshitaah purushah Vipinam bhavanamimitram mitram Loshtom cha yuvathi bimoshtam.”

Great men, blessed by the Kataksha (Grace) of Sri Kamakshi, regard with equal unconcern forest and palace, foe and friend, a piece of stone and the captivating lips of damsels. What a wonder O! Siva O! Siva.

In this verse, the poet indicates the test by which we can find out whether a person has been purified by the benevolent look of the Divine Mother or not. If he has received the grace of the Mother, he will be in a state of mind free from anger, enmity, desire, and fear, and such a man will view with equal indifference a piece of tile and a piece of gold or a young woman. He will be attracted by nothing, desire nothing, hate nothing, and fear nothing. God alone can work this miracle of ridding us of all passions. We need not go to puranic stories to find instances of such divine grace; we can see such instances even in the present times. That is why I narrated to you the story of Veerappa Swamigal.

We speak of Siva as He who burnt Kaama by the look of his eyes and kicked Kaala with his leg (<Tamil>). Kaala and Kaama are responsible for our endless births. One feels hungry and is unable to find food in the right way, i.e., earning food by honest labor. So he takes to wrong paths to satisfy his hunger. He suffers for his wrong deeds and is born again and again. Kaala is responsible for our birth and death and Kaama is responsible for our various desires prompted by our senses. If we surrender our hearts to Siva, the destroyer of Kaama and Kaala, we will become free from the promptings of the senses and when we are so free, there will be no more births. We will get merged with Isvara. That is why our seers have asked us to worship Siva, the Liberator from birth and death. (<Tamil>).

Some may argue that they can, using their intelligence and effort, control their passions. Such an attitude puts a premium on the ego and such persons will come to think highly of themselves. Instead of enthroning God in their hearts, they will putting the feeling of “I” there. It is like putting in a place reserved for a great man (<Tamil>) a foot-wear (<Tamil>).

God is the embodiment of knowledge (<Tamil>) and love (<Tamil>) and He alone is capable of filling us with that knowledge and love. Veerappa Swamigal had faith in the puranic story. He placed trust in God and conquered his temper. The result was that his soul left the mortal coils just when deeparadana was being performed to God. The inner light in him got merged with the divine light that pervades the Universe.

It is this faith in God and adherence to path of righteousness that had earned for India the reputation of a land free from thefts and also produced great men who spurned the transient joys of this world. One of the persons who accompanied Alexander the Great to India, 2500 years ago, has recorded in the Greek language that if any valuable article is dropped on the wayside, it will remain untouched. He has also recorded the existence of a great man (<Tamil>) who consigned to the flames valuable gifts presented to him.

We must train our people from an early age to study the lives of great men who led an unattached life, free from debasing passions like lust, anger, greed and fear and, following their example, develop faith in God. This will help them to grow up into dutiful and honest citizens, disciplined to lead a moral and ethical life. If the Government also takes sufficient interest in making provision for teaching moral and spiritual values to children, it stands to gain much. For one thing, expenditure on police and law courts will get reduced. They will also be free from the troubles arising from strikes and other forms of student indiscipline.

On the ground that free India is a secular state, the Government failed to make provision for religious and moral instruction in educational institutions. One line of justification adopted for this failure is that India being a land of many religions, the state cannot favor any particular religion. The mistake has now been realized. A few days back a committee appointed by the Government of India (Sri Prakasa Committee), has submitted its report. The committee has expressed the view that “many ills in the educational world and in society as a whole today which have resulted in widespread disturbances were mainly due to gradual disappearance of the hold of religion on the people.” The committee wants “the inculcation of moral and spiritual values in the minds of the people from the early years” and has emphasized “that it is most desirable that provision should be made for the teaching of moral and spiritual values in educational institutions. “

Love of God should be implanted in our people during their impressionable age. We must bring up our children with faith in God. Then alone will get the courage to resist evil thoughts and to stand firmly by moral and spiritual values. It is with this object in view that our ancients introduced the Pavai Nombu (<Tamil>). It was this training that was responsible for the absence of theft in the land about which the Greek visitor has recorded. Twelve valuable years after the attainment of freedom have been lost. If teaching of spiritual and moral values had been introduced as soon as India became free, the Government, whichever party may be in power, would have been saved the troubles which arose from language differences and student indiscipline. It is only now that the Government has realized its mistake, and feels the need for religious hold (<Tamil>) on people. We have attained freedom. We must retain it. The reason why nations have lost their freedom in the past can be traced more to the internal enemies (<Tamil>) that got established in the people’s heart, than to external enemies. The removal of mental dirt (<Tamil>) is as important as the removal of bodily dirt. The soap that can remove internal dirt is faith in God (<Tamil>). If we keep God constantly in our heart, no internal enemy can approach us. We have a duty to drive out our internal enemies (<Tamil>). The attempt in this direction should be made by teaching our children faith in God. That is the significance of the Tiruppavai-Tiruvembavai movement.


(1957-1960)

Part II

64 Japanese Professor’s Interview APPENDIX VI His Holiness Sri Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam granted an audience to Professor Hajime Nakamura, Professor of Indian philosophy, Faculty of Letters, University of Tokyo, on Friday night, January 22, 1960, at His Holiness’ Camp at Numbai. He was accompanied by Prof. Miyamoto, Professor of French, of the same University. The interview took place in a cottage detached from the main camp, where the visitors were taken by Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan, Mr. T. Balakrishnan Nair, Principal of the Presidency College and Prof. S. Ramaswami. When His Holiness came to the place after the pooja at about 10.30 p.m., the visitors stood up in reverence and paid their respects in the traditional Indian form of prostration. His Holiness directed all of them to be seated. Prof. Ramaswami and Mr. T. Balakrishnan Nair introduced the visitors. Professor Nakamura, His Holiness was informed, has translated into Japanese many books on Indian Philosophy, including Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada’s Bhashya on Brahma Sutras. He has also written about pre-Sankara Vedanta. Prof. Miyomoto has translated into Japanese from French, the life of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda. Professor Nakamura opened his conversation with His Holiness in Sanskrit. He said that he felt blessed (dhanyosmi), on being able to meet and talk with His Holiness.

Prof. Nakamura informed the Jagadguru that he was acquainted with the works of the famous (prasiddha) Gaudapada, and with works like Mandukya Karika, Vakya Padeeya, etc. When His Holiness pointed out that there were several such works, Prof. Nakamura mentioned the names of Bodhayana, Dravidacharya, Mandana and others. The Acharya enquired what materials pertaining to pre-Sankara Vedanta he had collected. The Professor said that he was able to come across fragments of manuscripts in Chinese and Tibetan pertaining to early Vedanta philosophy. He had collected all the materials available and arranged them in chronological order in four volumes. He believed that these four volumes would give a complete history of pre-Sankara philosophy. The Professor told His Holiness that there were many Japanese scholars studying Sanskrit and Sankara’s philosophy. He had translated the whole of the Sankara Bhashya to the Brahma Sutras. The difficulty was to get the books published. For a foreigner like him, some of the later works, for example, Khandana Khadya, were difficult (khadinam) to understand. The Japanese Professor then asked His Holiness whether he would be permitted to put one or two questions. On receiving permission, he said that he was anxious to know what exactly is the meaning of Upasana, a term he came across in Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada’s works. Was it any special practice, and was it practiced in the Mutt? Dhyaanameva Upaasana, His Holiness replied in Sanskrit. Upaasana is dhyaana or concentration or meditation. A form is required for concentration. For example, you can meditate on a God with two hands or on a God with eight hands. Reality is always the same and changeless. God, as the Ultimate Reality, is Formless. But Upaasana of a form is done with a purpose, namely, the attainment of a given benefit. The purpose to be attained by worshipping or concentrating on a form with two hands is not the same as that to be attained by worshipping a form with eight hands. The scriptures tell you how to meditate and on what all forms and with what results. For Upaasana, you have to follow the Sastras or scriptures. The different Upaasanas are all aids in the path to the ultimate goal, namely, understanding Reality. Scriptures prescribe Upaasana in order to train the mind to concentrate. The Professor asked whether the Mutt observed Upaasana and what they were. His Holiness said that in the scriptures we meet with varieties of Upaasana. It is not necessary or possible to follow all of them. Usually one or two methods of Upaasana are chosen and followed and worship offered at a fixed time. Upaasana is the affair of the individual; there is nothing collective about it. The Upaasana followed depends on the family tradition of the individual or the initiation given to him, by a Guru. “What work will Swamiji recommend to foreigners to understand Advaita Vedanta”, the Professor asked. His Holiness: You can study Viveka Chudamani.

The Professor said that he found it to be an easy work and that it had impressed him. His Holiness said that Viveka Chudamani is the best introductory work. The next step is to study Aparokshaanubhuli. If you study these two, you will get a general idea of Advaita Vedanta. The Japanese philosopher said that he had studied some of the works of Madhavacharya or Vidyaranaya, including Panchadasi. His Holiness then asked Dr. Mahadevan to inform the visitor that he had been desirous of meeting scholars from Japan and that he was glad to have met and spoken to Prof. Nakamura. Prof. Nakamura expressed his supreme joy in having met and talked to the Jagadguru. The conversation then turned on some of the books studied in India to understand Advaita Vedanta. The Professor felt that Sri Sureshwaracharya’s Varthika was voluminous and His Holiness said that it was generally utilized as a reference book when studying Brhadaranyaka Upanishad and its Sankara Bhashya. After the advent of Vedanta Paribhasha of Dharma Raja, about two centuries ago, Vedanta Sara of Sadaananda, which was used as a primary text of Vedanta in earlier years, came to be used as a book of reference. The Stotra works of Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada were next referred to y the Professor. He said that he had gone through some of them. Asked whether he had studied Bhaja Govindam, the Professor replied in the negative. His Holiness told the Professor that of all the Stotra works of Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada, Bhaja Govindam was the most popular. It was studied by all people, whether they belonged to the Saivaite school of philosophy or the Vaishnavite school. When the name of Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada is mentioned, its is Bhaja Govindam that will come to the mind of any Indian. There is a combination of ethics and morals with religion in that composition. Professor: I have read Sri Sankara’s Bhashyas of the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. Nowhere in them is any reference to Siva. They deal all about Vishnu. But all the followers of Sri Sankara are Saivites. This is a puzzle to me. His Holiness: How do you know that all the followers of Sri Sankara are Saivites? Professor: Because all of them worship Siva and wear marks with Bhasma (ashes). His Holiness: This is an interesting question and to give a satisfactory reply, I will have to go into some historical facts. Before the advent of Sri Sankara, there were mainly two religions in India, Bharata Desa namely, Sanatana Dharma or Smartha, and Bauddha. This was the case not only of India, but of greater India also; i.e., countries of South-east Asia, like Siam and Cambodia. Before the advent of Buddhism, there was in existence the Sanatana Dharma. From the finding of images of Ganapathi, Saraswati and Indra in Japan, there is reason to infer that Sanatana Dharma was in vogue in Japan also.

At this stage, the Japanese Professor interrupted and said that Shintoism was the pre-Buddhist religion of Japan and that Shintoism was Brahminism. His Holiness: When Buddhism came to be established in India, it spread to Greater India, including China and Japan. Then in India, Kumarila Bhatta, the great Mimamsa scholar, wrote his Vartikas, upholding the authority of the Vedas – Veda pramana. Udayanacharya, the great logician of Bihar, counteracted the spreading atheisitic tendency of Buddhism by asserting the existence of God through his argumentative treatise. Sri Sankara synthesized the Veda pramana and the knowledge of Isvara by his Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Sarvam Brahma – God is in everything and everything is in God, in other words, everything is God, and ultimately established the identity of Jivatma and Paramatma. Thereafter, Buddhism declined in India. Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada is credited with having attacked Buddhism and driven it out of India. But if we examine the Sankara Bhashyas, we will find that there are comparatively very short criticisms of Buddhism in them. His attacks were mainly directed against Meemamsa and Saankhya. On the other hand, the real intellectual crusade against Buddhism was carried on by Kumarila Bhatta and Udayanacharya. That bore fruit with the spread of Advaita, with its emphasis on Jnana or God-realization. So far as Upaasana is concerned, people continued the worship of Siva, Vishnu or Sakti, according to their family traditions. Sri Bhagavatpada tendered the hereditary Vedic form of worship to his adherents. According to his Advaita philosophy, there is only one Paramatma, and Siva, Vishnu, and Sakti are all one. There were Vaishnavites who would not even enter a Siva temple – teevra vaishnavas – but who were yet followers of Advaita philosophy. They will not touch bhasma (sacred ashes) and will put on their forehead and body only the vertical marks, proclaiming their devotion to Vishnu. There wer also followers of Advaita philosophy who worshipped Siva and smeared their bodies with bhasma. Thus there were among the followers of Sankara’s Advaita Vedanta, Vaishnavites and Saivites. But the numbers amongst the former are very few now. The reason for the impression that all Advaitins are Saivites is this. After Sri Sankara, came the Vaishnavite Acharyas, Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhwa, Sri Vallabhacharya and Sri Chaitanya. Vaishnavites, who were so long Advaitins, became the followers of one or the other school of Vaishnava philosophy. Those who continued to remain followers of Sri Sankara were then mostly worshippers of Siva. Ther are still a few Vaishnava Advaitins, who will pay respects to me as Sankaracharya, but who will not enter a Siva temple. They are more anti-Saivite than the Vaishnavas who are nor followers of the Advaita philosophy. The result is that the Advaitins today are predominantly worshippers of Siva. Now, take the case of this Mutt itself. When ever a Srimukha is issued, it concludes with the Acharya’s mark, “Narayana Smriti” – Narayana or Vishnu is invoked though I perform pooja to Siva and smear my body with bhasma. Whenever any person prostrates before me, I respond by uttering “Narayana, Narayana”. Recalling the mention about Bodhayana by the Professor, His Holiness enquired of him whether he had come across manuscripts attributable to Bodhayana. The Professor said that he had with him a few Varthikas, whose authorship could be trace to

Upavarsha, who is being identified as Bodhayana. The Professor also informed His Holiness that he had looked into some works of Brahmanandi of Atreya and of Dravidacharya. He desired to know why Vaishnavite works used the term Dramidacharya, whereas Advaita works referred to him as Dravidacharya. His Holiness said that in this country, Dravida and Dramida are synonyms, though people in North India use the letter “m” in the place of “v”. The Professor asked whether it will be correct on his part to assume that Advaita has been responsible for the spirit of religious toleration in India. The Acharya agreed it was so. He also agreed with the Professor’s inference that the majority of the Pandits in India are students of Advaita Vedanta. His Holiness next asked for information as to how Sanskrit came to be studied in Japan. The Professor said that with the advent of Buddhism, the need for learning Sanskrit was realized by students of Buddhism. That is how interest in Sanskrit was created. In recent times, some 70 or 80 years ago, a few enthusiastic students went to Oxford, studied Sanskrit under Max Muller and other Orientalists, came back and popularized it in Japan. A few others studied Sanskrit in Germany. In all Buddhist denominational universities in Japan, the students are required to know the rudiments of Sanskrit. His Holiness: How many people are there in Japan who can read and understand a simple Sanskrit work like the Ramayana? Professor: They may be about 200 persons there. They are to be found mostly in Tokyo and Kyoto. In reply to another question, the Japanese Professor said that there are about 200 universities in Japan. We call a college a university, as each college is autonomous, prescribes its own course of studies, conducts its examinations, and awards degrees. His Holiness: Does the order of the alphabets in the Japanese language follow the Sanskrit pattern or the Chinese pattern? Professor: The alphabets follow the same order as in Sanskrit. The vowels come first and then the consonants. Each character is a combination of one consonant and a vowel. We use many Chinese characters also in the same way as you have adopted Sanskrit in Tamil. His Holiness remarked that when we examine the alphabets and other relevant factors, we can conclude that at one time, the same religion prevailed in India, Japan, Siam, Cambodia and other places. His Holiness: Why did you prefer the Sanskrit order of the alphabets to the Chinese?

Professor: Chinese characters of the alphabets did play an important part. But the Sanskrit order of the alphabets was found more convenient. Sanskrit knowledge was confined to Buddhist monks and a few intellectuals. But the evolution of the alphabets in the present form is purely a Japanese invention. His Holiness: How many chairs in Indian Philosophy are there in Japan? Professor: Chairs have been established in about ten national universities and in ten Buddhist denominational universities. His Holiness: How many chairs are there for Buddhism? Professor: Much more. His Holiness: What is the language employed for the study of Buddhist philosophy? Professor: A knowledge of Sanskrit is necessary for studying Buddhist philosophy, as some important works are in that language. But the medium of instruction is Japanese. His Holiness: Is Siva Linga found anywhere in Japan? Professor: No. there is neither Siva Linga nor images of Vishnu. But there is Ganapathi, Saraswati, Indra, Brahma, and even Varuna. But there is also a crocodile, which is regarded as the vehicle of the Ganges. The meaning of the Japanese names for Ganapathi, Indra, Saraswati and Varuna are respectively, Arya Deva, Sakra Deva, Goddess of Eloquence, and God of Water. Reverting to the topic of knowledge of Reality or Jnana, and Upaasana, the Jagadguru said that the two are entirely different. While Upaasana is mental action, Jnana, which also belongs to the realms of the mind, is not action. Action is something done in obedience to an injunction. When the knowledge of Reality is comprehended, the mind continues to dwell on that Reality and does not respond to any injunction, whether that injunction comes from any external agency or is the result of the prompting of the senses. The concept of action can be explained by a simple illustration. Here is a bunch of fruits, yellow in colour. When I say, “see, this is yellow”, you concur and manifest no reaction, because in reality, it is yellow. On the other hand, if I say, “see, this is red”, or “see, this is black”, you react immediately and reply, “no, it is yellow”. But if I say “imagine this to be red”, you are able to follow that direction. Therefore, action is related to the sphere of injunction. Upaasana belongs to this category of mental action. You concentrate on God, imagining He is like this or that, until real Jnana dawns on you and you understand God as He really is. Thereafter you do not react to any direction to worship this or that form. His holiness then made enquiries about Prof. Miyamoto and he was informed that he was interested in Indian civilization. He has translated into Japanese the books of Romain Rolland on Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. He has also translated Tagore’s works. His Holiness was also informed that the younger generation of Japanese are keenly interested in Indian civilization.

The interview lasted over 90 minutes. The two Japanese Professors withdrew after doing obeisance to His Holiness and receiving prasadam at his hands.

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