Non-antagonistic Awareness....

I am going to tell you a unique story. Story..? Nay.... it happened in reality. So how can it be a story? But while narrating about it we have to make some story-line you know. Some 700 hundred years ago (some may say no no 600, some others 500, some again 400...) but as per the editors of the book 'Sivappirakasap Perunthirattu' K Vadivelu Chettiyar and M Shanmuga Mudaliyar, the book of anthology of Vedantic verses available in Tamil some 700 years ago was made by one Swarupanandar in the name of his Master Sivappirakasar. Hence the name Sivappirakasap Perunthirattu - which means 'The Great anthology of Sivappirakasa'. Swami Swarupanandar has made this anthology of Vedantic poems and verses out of nearly more than 140 Tamil works of Vedantha which were all available then. How many of those have survived the flow of Time, nobody knows. But whatever verses have been included in this anthology are a net gain to us. This anthology was published in 1912, printed in Chennai Komaleswaranpettai Press. Nearly all the poems are nuggets of gold in Vedantha. We can be really proud of our Vedantic heritage in our Tamil. One verse caught my attention somehow. It is this.

’எடுத்த எம் மதம் எந்நூல்கள் யாவையும் தமதாய் ஆங்கு
வடித்த நற்பொருளே கொண்டு வளம்பட மகிழ்வதல்லால்
படித்து ஒரு பொருளைப் பற்றிப் பாங்கினால் அதில் ஒதுங்கிப்
பிடித்தது பிடித்துக் காதும் பேதைமை பெரியோர்க்கு இன்றே.’

Meaning -
'Great men consider whatever ideologies and whatever books they come across, they read those books deeply and make whatever good thoughts in those books and ideologies they are able to find, their own and rejoice in such good things. Such men never become partisan and take sides with any single thought in the books they read and they never make quarrels based on their likes and dislikes.'

What great sentiments and mature approach !

And by the by this verse comes in an old Vedantic Tamil work, viz., 'avirOdabOdam', meaning may be 'Non-antagonistic Awareness'

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"If there is one feature more than another, which characterises Hindu thought, it is its hospitality to the different conceptions of reality. Man's attempt to comprehend the truth, which is limitless, is bound to result in different views. To take our stand on one limited view and make it adequate to the vast reality is the mistake which all dogmatists make. The acceptance of a limited view becomes a barrier to the understanding of truths. A seeker should recognise the immensity of reality and the inadequacy of limited views and formulas."
(Sir S Radhakrishnan, Foreword to Darsanodhaya of Mahamahopadhyaya Panditaratnam Lakshmipuram Srinivasachariar)

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