The world of Bhajans

 Bhajans are a quite different world in themselves. 'Dakudin' 'Dakudin' so the mrdangas resound to keep the beats. And a voice soaked in anguish sings 'Hari Hari Vittala' Jai Govinda Hari Jai Gopala Hari... Radha Madava Mukunda MurarE... and the assembled hearts shedding their thousands of cares and worries and bickering all melt along to the one Govinda.

Is there Govinda? A picture or an idol is there but the emotions are very much real and throbbing. Bhajans was the weapon in the hands of Sri Krishna Chaitanya. And Sri Ramakrishna was losing himself chanting and singing about Ma, Bhagavan. He was lost in ecstasy but made Narendra into Vivekananda to save us from being lost in worldliness.

Usually Bhajans are attractive to me. They say that there are more than one paddhati in bhajans. I wanted to ask my Periyappa's daughter who is an expert in Bhajan systems about all these things. But she did not believe me so easily, She said ' you are a dry Vedantin. how come you are interested in bhajans?' I have heard there are many hurdles to Vedanta but that was the first time I realised Vedanta can be a hurdle in turn. But somehow, probing here and there and doing some studies I managed to update myself regarding the paddhatis and all that. What interesting fields have been going on in our land in different parts! But one thing we must give the credit. Many groups have been involved in bhajan traditions. And no difference anything was preventing anybody to contribute their part to bhajans. If anything has been near to the Hindu celebration of the Divine as a unified society I will say it is bhajans. In that area the contribution of the devotees of Sri Adisankara is phenomenal and continuous.

In Bhajans when we concretize our emotions and elations on the forms, what we are doing is really towards Paramatman but are we not approximating our ideal, may be, but even our thinking about the Supreme is only approximating and bhajans allow us to transcend easily all fragmentations of the concrete world. It is a melting impasse that is felt by the blend of music and emotions. Devotion becomes a very palpable power in uniting us before the Divine and magnetize our hearts towards the Transcendent. Whoever discovered Bhajans that person has done enormous good by that one action.

Sri Sudarsana Bhattar, who wrote the extraordinary metacommentary viz., Srutaprakasika over Sri Bhashya of Sri Ramanuja, in a sloka says this;

The Paramatman is something heard in the essences of srutis

It is mentally pondered over in detail in the Bhashya

In the heart-lotus it remains the object of meditation

But in Sriranga Daama He becomes visible to these eyes

As the very LakshmiPathi ! To that Divine Couple I surrender.

srutyantEshu srutam

bhAshyE matam

dyAtam hrudambhujE |

lakshmIpatim prapadyEham

drushtam sriranga dhamani ||

And Bhajans make eyes out of emotions and the hearts become retina to behold the Transcendent.

Can God be called a net?

 Can God be called a net? A net prevents you from escaping but does not prevent your seeing the beyond. It is not a gunny bag or a holdall. It makes visible your captivity; it makes the free space visible to you but not available. It allows light and wind but prevents your movement out. A net need not be necessarily negative. It can be positive like the beloved's net for a lover. A running man is chased and a net is thrown around. He is captured. But the falling man is saved by the net thrown under. Sometimes you are too smart for the net. Sometimes the net is too smart for you. And sometimes too much smartness itself becomes the net.

God is always a good net says Sri Vishnu Sahasranama; sutantu: is one of the names. And the divine net is always growing, becoming plenty, developing into more nuances. It is always incremental in goodness. Tantuvardhana: And freedom, rightly understood, is a net of responsiblities; self-willed initiatives. There is a net called Vasudevan - so says Nammalwar. How to illustrate by abinaya in dancing this portion of 5th Ten, 3rd Tiruvaymozhi, 6th pasuram.? Azhwar Thiruvarangapperumal Araiyar illustrated while dancing by actions like throwing a net and collecting it by strings and all that. 'akappattEn Vasudevan valaiyuLE' 'caught in the net called Vaasudevan'. But Emberumanar who was seeing that suggested by alternative abinaya, the beauty of eyes and demeanor. Vasudeva's net is his enchanting grace-pouring eyes; His charming demeanor. Just a look across ThirumaNatthooN is sufficient to tie you for ever. If you have doubts you can ask the Malla. But why that great Bhagavan allowed himself to be tied by petty, short shreds of thread by Yasoda? Who knows? And when He was bound at last by kaNNi nuN siRu thAmbu, He was so joyful as if He had won in a contest. By being tied He has bound all the hearts in devotion.

Learning a treasure to be cherished

 There is one line in 'inidu nARpadu', an old Tamil book of maxims and ethical advices. The book was written by the son of Madurai Tamizhaasiriyar, called Bootam Sendanar. There one line is coming like 'andaNar Otthudaimai ARRa miga inidu'. It is pleasant to see Brahmins studiously learning or chanting the Vedas. Paripadal says that in those days Madurai was waking up in the early morning with the Vedic chanting resounding. When I was studying in the college, one friend was there by name Ramabadran, of course a little younger than me. He was related to Sri U Ve Madurantagam Veeraraghavachariyar. Perhaps his grandson. I used to go to Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaitthurai frequently to meet Swamis and Brahmacharis there and sometimes I used to stay overnight, if it was a holiday the next day. During Sivaratri, it was happy time for me, so that I used to sit along with Brahmacharis and Swamis in the groves, in midnight, doing homam and japam. In a later jamam we would go to the temple and have darsan. Swami Chidbhavananda was there. To sit before him and chant the divine names was so thrilling. Kaveri on one side, trains going on the other side, intense groves and rustic weather all made my days then ethereal. I was talking about Ramabadran. He wanted to come along with me one day. So when I was about to start, I poked him. And he joined. When we were talking to Swamis there, this Ramabadran suddenly asked the Swami who was talking to us, 'I want your help in one thing. Can I ask?'. All were a bit curious. You see a small boy, then I was also not much bigger than the small, suddenly in all proper etiquette asking permission to ask a doubt! The Swami was jovial and said 'why not?'. Ramabadran told him his plight (see! plight of a small boy!) : I am learning Vedas under a teacher. He is not teaching me full quantums of the vidya. He is partial about another boy. What I can do?'. Of course the Swami was a little taken aback and he said something soothing to my friend and that changed to other matters and so on. But that incident comes to my mind along with the morning tea, (I told you you know there is some connection between the taste buds and archival memory) when I was reading this line from 'inidu nARpadu' - 'andaNar Otthudaimai ARRa miga inidu'. It is pleasant to see Brahmins studiously learning or chanting the Vedas - He was so literally worried about his lessons in Vedas. He was not complaining about money, play things, eatables, new shirts or cinema-ticket kaasu. He was genuinly worried that he should be given full quantums of his lessons. One important lesson for our youth is this: they must consider their learning when they are studying and even afterwards as their most cherished treasure. That is what the old literatures and the instance of my friend seem to tell me.

Consciousness - a state or a faculty? Science and Alwars

 Consciousness can be a state of existence and not merely a faculty of human being. The question arises if it can be a state of existence will it be subsisting in itself without any substance to form its base? If such a thing is possible how will it mean to itself independent of any neuronic bytes of computation or microtubules to talk the current language. If it is not material-dependent then any question of quantum characterization will not be arising. But the question will remain where will it be localised. Non-localisation to be understood as at present requires some material frame of reference even to talk about it. If it is only higher mathematics, then also some should be doing the maths and some should be there to whom it 'means' or 'is calculable'.

But in the poem of Thirumangaiyalwar, this particular question of whether consciousness is a state of existence or just a faculty of existent thing is raised in a peculiar manner. But the point raised is in the technical rigour even though the context is devotional-poetical. Either we can enjoy the poetry and devotion or we can delve into the technical metaphysical point put forth through theology or we can do both.

Now to the poem.:

'I was suffering sorrow.

shriveled by sorrow

mentally paining

born into this big havoc of sorrow

enjoying in the company of young ladies

always mindful of joining with them

I was running running and at last

by the saving providence

I came to know the great state of awareness

and then panged and panged for

at last I came to realise the Name

Narayana.'

( my trans of 'VaadinEn vaadi varundinEn' of Periya Thirumozhi)

'I came to know the great state of awareness' - uNarvenum perumpadam terindu'. In this can iuNarvu be called 'a state'.? The commentator has elaborated this point in an excellent fashion and along with the foot-notes called 'arumpadam' the point is clearly brought to full focus. What does the commentator say? What further the 'arumpadam' footnotes elaborate? This is what we are going to consider here.

The commentator, Sri Periyavacchanpillai, comments on this clause viz., 'uNarvenum perumpadam terindu', 'came to know the great state of awareness '- by just giving one quotation and one comment. The quotation is from JitantE stotram - 'vijnanam yaditam prAptam'; the comment is 'kitakkaip pAyilE veLLam kotthArp polE'. The arumpadam-author weaves out the full explanation with the help of these two notes.

The quotation means 'which awareness that should occur and be experienced'. It comes in jitantE stotram. The fuller line where this quoted part comes is the line 'vijnAnam yadidam prAptam, yadidam stAnam arjitam'. The commentator's immediate purpose is to show a pramanam, a reference-authority, to illustrate that 'uNaarvu' can be called 'a state'. For that his attention is on vijnAnam and stAnam. vijnAnam which is uNarvu in the poem, is called 'stAnam' in the quote. There his purpose is over and he has shown the reference for calling awareness to be a state of existence.

But in the quote vijnAnam is also described as prAptam. What is meant by prAptam? PrAptam is that which is attained without effort occurring of its own accord. Some example must be given so that we can understand what is meant by 'attained without effort occurring of its own accord'. That example is given by the commentator as 'kidakkaip pAyilE veLLam kotthArp polE'. It means 'like floods that come out from the place where beddings are laid in the ground and the water soaks the mattress.' The commentator has not openly written that to explain what is prAptam he is supplying the note 'kidakkaip pAyilE veLLam kotthArp polE'. He has just given the two notes one by one. It is only the arumpadam which helps us to unveal the connection between the two notes.

Now to explain what is meant by the second note which means 'just like floods rising from where the bedding mattress is laid'. Here no one has gone in search of the river or sea to bathe in. But water has of its own accord come out of the ground, where a person is lying in his bed and soaked his mattress. This case of the person attaining the water is due to no efforts of that person and it has occurred of its own accord. Say, imagine the person has gone to bathe himself in Ganga and thereby incur great punyam. But the person is unable to move out due to illness or some other reason. But the river Ganga suddenly in a flood gushes across the whole locality and rises up from the ground where the person is lying. In that case the person cannot claim to have taken efforts to reach the river and bathe. The river itself has come to him of its own accord and bestowed on him the punyam also in spite of his inability to move. All this go to explain the word 'prAptam'.

In the arumpadam 'pRaptam' is explained as 'ayatna labdam'. 'attained without any effort'. Why the arumpada-author chooses to explain prAptam, the word that comes in the quote (jitantE stotram) as 'ayatna labdam' as 'attained without any effort'? Because the commentator has given in his commentary 'kidakkaippAyile veLLam kottharp polE' - 'just like floods rising from where the bedding mattress is laid'

Now there is a silent dialogue going between the commentary and the arumpadam. The commentator wants to explain why 'awareness' uNarvu can be called a state of existence. How can it be called a 'padam'? For that he quotes 'jitantE stotram. 'vijnanam yaditam prAptam yaditam stAnam Arjitam'. In the referential quote that is pramana, vijnanam is termed as stAnam, as state of exitence. So there is a pramanam already which makes this expression 'uNarvenum perumpadam' as something in line with the pramanams that are available. But the commentator while making use of the word stAnam, he also wants to explain the description given in the jitantE stotram as yad idam prAptam. So to explain the adjective 'prAptam' he has given just a clue-note like 'flood in the bed soaking'. So we are able to understand the mind of the commentator fully only with the help of the arumpadam-author. He only connects the clues by being more expressive and giving the meaning of prAptam as 'ayatna labdam', which thereby explains the second note given by the commentator regarding the flood.

Just to illustrate how the manipravala commentaries are doing minute exegesis while bringing out the aesthetics of the poem, I have in some detail explained this. Our original question is - consciousness is it a faculty or a state of existence? And the approaches of science and vedantic theology may differ but the concern is nothing less serious in either.

On Kaviyogi Suddhananda Bharathi as an excellent translator

 'தமிழ்நாட்டின் இலக்கிய, ஆன்மீகவாதிகள் என்ற இரு சாராருமே சுத்தானந்த பாரதியாரையும் அவரது படைப்புகளையும் மறந்து விட்டனர் என்று தோன்றுகிறது.' -

Jataayu B'luru

The truth is not far from what is expressed with anguish by Sri Jataayu . Somehow we allow really great people to slip away so negligently from the collective memory. Another such catastrophe is Kotthamangalam Subbu. But the list is long and here I do not want to elaborate this list as a topic. But coming to Kaviyogi Suddhananda Bharati, my bench mark list of ideal translators was having only his name and the poet Thiruloga Sitaram until recently. But after reading 'anbu vazhi' the translation of Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist by Sri K N S (ka naa su) my list has become open and waiting. Sri K N S is excellent in this book as a translator.

Why I estimate Kaviyogi as a translator excellent is from books like 'Ezhai padum paadu', 'ILiccha Vaaayan' and books like that. He brings in the original ethos of the primary author so naturally into the target language. What is his magic should constitute our study of him as part of translation studies. But I think the translation studies in Tamil are quite happily ignorant of him.

I will illustrate the strength of Kaviyogi as a translator by quoting a piece from 'The Laughing Man' by Victor Hugo and the translation of that portion by Kaviyogi in his 'Illiccha Vaayan'.

"Ursus and Homo were fast friends. Ursus was a man, Homo a wolf. Their dispositions tallied. It was the man who had christened the wolf: probably he had also chosen his own name. Having found Ursus fit for himself, he had foundHomo fit for the beast. Man and wolf turned their partnership to account at fairs, at village fêtes, at the corners of streets where passers-by throng, and out of the need which people seem to feel everywhere to listen to idle gossip and to buy quack medicine. The wolf, gentle and courteously subordinate, diverted the crowd. It is a pleasant thing to behold the tameness of animals. Our greatest delight is to see all the varieties of domestication parade before us. This it is which collects so many folks on the road of royal processions.

Ursus and Homo went about from cross-road to cross-road, from the High Street of Aberystwith to the High Street of Jedburgh, from country-side to country-side, from shire to shire, from town to town. One market exhausted, they went on to another. Ursus lived in a small van upon wheels, which Homo was civilized enough to draw by day and guard by night. On bad roads, up hills, and where there were too many ruts, or there was too much mud, the man buckled the trace round his neck and pulled fraternally, side by side with the wolf. They had thus grown old together. They encamped at haphazard on a common, in the glade of a wood, on the waste patch of grass where roads intersect, at the outskirts of villages, at the gates of towns, in market-places, in public walks, on the borders of parks, before the entrances of churches. When the cart drew up on a fair green, when the gossips ran up open-mouthed and the curious made a circle round the pair, Ursus harangued and Homo approved. Homo, with a bowl in his mouth, politely made a collection among the audience. They gained their livelihood. The wolf was lettered, likewise the man. The wolf had been trained by the man, or had trained himself unassisted, to divers wolfish arts, which swelled the receipts. "Above all things, do not degenerate into a man," his friend would say to him.

Never did the wolf bite: the man did now and then. At least, to bite was the intent of Ursus. He was a misanthrope, and to italicize his misanthropy he had made himself a juggler. To live, also; for the stomach has to be consulted. Moreover, this juggler-misanthrope, whether to add to the complexity of his being or to perfect it, was a doctor. To be a doctor is little: Ursus was a ventriloquist. You heard him speak without his moving his lips. He counterfeited, so as to deceive you, any one's accent or pronunciation. He imitated voices so exactly that you believed you heard the people themselves. All alone he simulated the murmur of a crowd, and this gave him a right to the title of Engastrimythos, which he took. He reproduced all sorts of cries of birds, as of the thrush, the wren, the pipit lark, otherwise called the gray cheeper, and the ring ousel, all travellers like himself: so that at times when the fancy struck him, he made you aware either of a public thoroughfare filled with the uproar of men, or of a meadow loud with the voices of beasts—at one time stormy as a multitude, at another fresh and serene as the dawn. Such gifts, although rare, exist. In the last century a man called Touzel, who imitated the mingled utterances of men and animals, and who counterfeited all the cries of beasts, was attached to the person of Buffon—to serve as a menagerie.

Ursus was sagacious, contradictory, odd, and inclined to the singular expositions which we term fables. He had the appearance of believing in them, and this impudence was a part of his humour. He read people's hands, opened books at random and drew conclusions, told fortunes, taught that it is perilous to meet a black mare, still more perilous, as you start for a journey, to hear yourself accosted by one who knows not whither you are going; and he called himself a dealer in superstitions. He used to say: "There is one difference between me and the Archbishop of Canterbury: I avow what I am." Hence it was that the archbishop, justly indignant, had him one day before him; but Ursus cleverly disarmed his grace by reciting a sermon he had composed upon Christmas Day, which the delighted archbishop learnt by heart, and delivered from the pulpit as his own. In consideration thereof the archbishop pardoned Ursus "

(https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12587/12587-h/12587-h.htm)

Kaviyogi Suddhananda Bharati's translation :

”உர்ஸுஸ், ஓமோ -- இருவரும் இணைபிரியாத நண்பர். உர்ஸுஸ் மனிதன், ஓமோ ஓநாய். அவன் அதையே விரும்புவான்; அது அவனையே விரும்பும். இருவருக்கும் மெத்தப் பிடித்தம். இருவரும் ஒருவர் இயல்பில் இன்னொருவர் கடன்வாங்கிக் கொண்டனர். ஓமோ, பழகிய வீட்டு நாய் போன்று சாதுவாய் இருக்கும். தனது மனித நண்பன் குறிப்பறிந்து நடக்கும்.

உர்ஸுஸ் தனிமையிலே வாழ்ந்து, முதிர்ந்து, முடிவில் இந்த ஒரே நண்பனைக் கண்டுபிடித்துப் பழக்கினான். இருவருக்கும் உயிர் நட்பு ஏற்பட்டது. ”நான் இறந்த பிறகு என்னைப்பற்றி அறிய விரும்புவோர் ஓமோவைப் பாருங்கள்” என்பான் உர்ஸுஸ்.

உர்ஸுஸ் காட்டுத் தனிமையை விரும்புவான்; தனக்குத்தானே பேசுவான்; வேறொருவருடனும் கலக்க மாட்டான். “மஹாத்மா ஸோக்ரதரும் தனிமையில் தனக்குத்தானே பேசுவார். லூதரும் அவ்வாறே. அப்படியே நானும்” என்பான் உர்ஸுஸ்.

உர்ஸுஸ் உலகம் ஒரு பெட்டி வண்டிதான்; அவ்வண்டியை இழுப்பது ஓமோ; பாதை கடினமாயிருந்தால் இருவரும் சேர்ந்தே இழுப்பர்.

வண்டிக்குள் அவனது சிற்றுலகம் அடங்கியிருந்தது. அதில் ஒரு நீளப்பெட்டி யிருந்தது. அதில் அவன் புத்தகம், சட்டைத் துணி, லொட்டு லொஸ்குகளெல்லாம் அடக்கம். அவன் அதன் மேல் ஜமக்காளம் விரித்துப் புத்தகத்தைத் தலைக்கு வைத்துக்கொண்டு ஹாயாகப் படுப்பான். “எனக்கு இரண்டு தோல்கள் - இதுதான் உண்மைத் தோல்” என்று ஒரு பழைய கரடித் தோல் போர்த்துக் கொள்வான். அதனுடன் கரடித் தொண்டையும் கூடினால் கேட்க வேண்டுமா! அசல் ஜாம்பவான்தான்.!

உர்ஸுஸ் உலகை வெறுப்பான்; உலகோர் நடையைக் கண்டு சிரிப்பான். “நீ படைத்த உலகின் லட்சணத்தைப் பார்; தேனுண்ணும் உதட்டில் தேனீ கொட்டுகிறது. ரோஜாவுக்கடியில் முள் அடர்ந்திருக்கிறது; பொதுப் பணத்தைக் கொண்டு பிரபுக்கள் இடம்பக் கூத்தாடுகிறார்கள்; ஏழைகள் அனாதைகளாக வருந்துகிறார்கள்; பார் உலகின் அழிநாடகத்தை” என்று கடவுளை அவன் அடிக்கடி இடித்துரைப்பான்.”

(பக் 62 --69, இளிச்ச வாயன், (மொழிபெயர்ப்பு The Man who Laughs by Victor Hugo) கவியோகி சுத்தாநந்த பாரதி, அன்பு நிலையத்தார் இராமச்சந்திரபுரம், பிரமாதி, மார்கழி)

I hope I am driving my point home by putting in parallel the original and target language narration.

On Bharata Sakthi Mahakavyam of Kaviyogi Suddhananda Bharathi

 Bharata Sakthi Mahakavyam is a unique work of epic proportions in Tamil verses composed by KaviYogi Suddhananda Bharathi (my ref was 1969 edition of Suddhananda Noolagam, Yoga Samajam). The work is 1015 printed pages and the verse-lines are nearly 50,000. People who have praised this book form a long list of illustrious people. Mahakavi Bharathi, Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagavan Sri Ramana, Mahamahopadhyaya Sri Saminathaiyyar, Rt Hon Sri Srinivasa Sastry, Sri V O C Pillai, Sri V V S Iyer, Sri Rajaji, Sri Vaiyapuri Pillai, Thiru Vi Ka, Sri T K C and so on.

'A true poet is born with a vision and mission. You are such a poet. Your words spark out of the inner flame. Bharata Shakti is indeed a grand epic'. - so said Sri Rabindranath Tagore.

'We saw Bharata Sakthi. Wonderful. So deep and majestic! Iyer appreciated. We also extoll it. Iyer said that it is Mahakavya. It is a rare treasure of art and letters for Tamil. A fund of Adhyatmic reserve!' (trn mine) - so said Mahakavi Bharathi.

('பாரத சக்தியைப் பார்த்தோம்; அற்புதமாயிருக்கிறது; கம்பீரமாயிருக்கிறது; ஐயர் மெச்சினார்; நாமும் மெச்சுகிறோம். மஹாகாவியம் என்றார் ஐயர். அது தமிழுக்கு அரிய கலைச் செல்வமாகும்; அத்யாத்ம நிதியாகும்')

KaviYogi has dedicated his book to Sri Aurobindo Mother in this fashion. -

'You are my heart; you are my brain

Hail Auro--Mere supreme divine

This epic inspired by your grace

Is the story of your super race

Bharata Shakti is the voice

Of the New world of your choice;'

Annie Besant says - 'I gave you a Milton that day; I find a Milton today, In your epic of Godmen - Bharata Shakti.'

Mahatma Gandhi says - 'I appreciate your grand epic of Godmen. It seems a new Maha Bharatam'

KaviYogi translates the title of his own epic into English in this fashion - 'The Epic of God-men". And elaborating this further he is bracketing this further like - The Epic of one God, One World, and one Humanity'. He calls it 'Samayoga Vedam' in Tamil, meaning perhaps 'Veda which talks about intergrated yogas'.

There are totally five Kaandams. - 1 Siddhi Kandam, 2. Gauri Kandam, 3. Sadana Kandam, 4. Danava Kandam, 5. Suddha Sakthi Kaandam. There are in total 25+37+32+31+21 padalams, which are subdivisions.

KaviYogi says at the outset how he got the vision of Bharata Sakthi.

'In the cool hours of morning

when the early rays of the Sun

embrace the stream of Kaveri

when the flute-notes of the new age

resonate with the Pranava

Of breezes laden with new blossoms' aroma

when under the umbrella of sky

the greenish gold of nature

exudes a graceful ambrosial smile

when the bird of meditation rises high

and realises the dream of distant beyond

I saw the vision of Bharata sakthi.'

(translation mine)

And also he tells in details about the structure of the epic.

'The root is the Atma Tattva

Offshoot in the hearts of Great men

Blossomed as Yoga fruitful like Bhoga

Having the life-poorna as meaning

I sang this epic patala by patala

staying in hills, rivers, forests

temples, pond-banks and ashrams

sat I in meditative silence

and in awareness of the inner world;

revised this four times;

narrated this all in Atma Sodanai

siddhi, gauri, sadana, danava

suddha sakthi all these indicate five great stages.'

(translation mine0

His songs are resonating with sweet musics of meditation. Here some examples -

'He dances in the pleasant and ever-good hearts

just like Tillai and his dance is glorious;

He resides even in the hearts of those who deny

Let him enthuse my word and victory to Him.'

'Tune Thee my life-veena with the note

enrich with the heightening joy of art

show thee the way for the whole world

Your fame for ever Thee Tamil Vani !'

'In the philanthropic sky, in the scenes of hills and woods

in the jiggling rivers, in the encircling nature

you are pouring and pouring your poetry aloud

kindly pour it safe in my poetic heart also.'

(all three translation mine)

How from the primal 'Paazh' or entropy the creation has come about? KaviYogi's poem says -

'spiralling gyration before the beginning in the Paazh

Like the note from Yaazh the A sound wakes up the space

Living sound U makes manifest the atoms to grow

The circling M sound makes them speed up and spread.'

(trans mine)

Let us see his poems which talk about the ethos while in meditation

'Birds chirping, the breeze from the hill slopes

rejoicing fondling the tunes of falling streams

in the morning silence bloomed the sound of conch

Rare souls of inner journey assemble in meditation

and chant in unison Suddhoham in circle.'

(trans mine)

It is a rare gift to Tamil literature and it is up to us to cherish it.

Kamban's Hanuman metaphorical of Paramatman!

 What a metaphor Kamban sometimes chooses to indicate or connote or at least suggest The Transcendent Absolute !. Of course in Vedantic writings similes and examples are many which are used to explain Vedantic nuances. Say, 'the thread in darkness' or 'silver in nacre' or 'person in a pillar in dim light'. But Kamban is brilliant when he employs a new technique, a living character, an active soul to suggest the transcendent Brahman. And he chooses none other than Hanuman. How Hanuman can be used to suggest Brahman? When Hanuman jumps across the sea, his speed, his agility are very much evident in his being invisible to many. People, even great sages are at a loss to determine what is happening right before their eyes. It is only heresy when somebody tells you 'it is Hanuman in his mission going in such speed. So I have heard from reliable sources.' But can you at least infer from the resultant effects and activities that such a thing could have been possible? No no way. It eludes all known instances of perception. When perception is not there basically how can one employ inference, which is based basically on perception? So perception is of no help in this. And naturally inference is out of question. But what is this? The mystery alone is very palpable. Something is there, has occurred, but due to what? This mystery is so reminiscent of Vedantic analysis to Kamban and he in his genius employs this very similarity as serving both ways. Understanding Vedanta may help you in understanding Hanuman or understanding Hanuman may help you to know better your Vedanta.

There is one poem of Kamban, about which I am talking here.

'some someone said it is with form

some someone said it is just light

some someone said it is light but formless

some someone said it is jagat kanaranam

Ultimate Cause transcending the world

but creating and sustaining it;

and some some one said it is something else

all who said were great knowers of all the worlds

But all such have failed to ascertain

the state of Hanuman here.'

உரு என்றார் சிலர் சிலர்கள்;

ஒளி என்றார் சிலர் சிலர்கள்;

ஒளிரும் மேனி அரு என்றார்

சிலர் சிலர்கள்;

அண்டத்துக்கு அப்புறம் நின்று,

உலகை ஆக்கும் 'கரு' என்றார்

சிலர் சிலர்கள்;

'மற்று' என்றார் சிலர் சிலர்கள்;

கடலைத் தாவிச் செரு வென்றான்

நிலை ஒன்றும் தெரியகில்லார் -

உலகு அனைத்தும் தெரியும் செல்வர்.

(யுத்த காண்டம், மருத்துமலைப் படலம் )

When you can ascertain about God you can also know about Hanuman. Or when you can know about Hanuman you may get a clue about God. Is it what Kamban is trying to say? May be. May be not. How can I say when I do not know enough even this world?

On Vivekananda

 An Eastern sea is crossing the ocean

Sanathan Wisdom brimming, throwing waves across

Warlorn continents are laid with cyclones of devotion

Hearts sunk low are now singing I am He

But the sorrow of his own countrymen burns his heart

Go to any forest, worry wells forth rivulets of tears

Cutting bondages, becoming nonattached and wandering

But no freedom from the weighing load, worry about Bharath

An Eastern sea is crossing the ocean

Sanathan Wisdom brimming, throwing waves across.

This is a dream begot in the pangs of Kali temple pujari

Fate's own cradle of that Mother's care

Incarnating wisdom all over the world

Divinity coming in person to rectify the world

Mad with Western craze, dazed with pedantic religions

Raising the dust of separatist fever wasted with jealousy

Lusting for the sensual, blind with fury due to envy

Miserly greed become the run of daily chores

Making an end to all these ills,

The deep sane waking comes across

Heartful springs of compassion towards the human plight

Conviction profound that human beings are really divine

Plans conceived to make the mundane manifest divinity

It is the happy reach of lolling teardrops of Time in joy

Making rhythm with the melody of maturing souls

Singing the Vedic tune

An Eastern sea is crossing the ocean

Sanathan Wisdom brimming, throwing waves across.

A trade in which JIva bags one hundred percent profit !

 If we say vairagya, immediately people imagine grim scenes in which a cloth is torn into pieces and the person goes a pauper voluntarily. But actually vairagya is what should happen in the mind and perspective. Basically vairagya is giving something futile to get something full and lasting. It is not a bad bargain. It is an exchange where you get one hundred percent value giving something of no value in exchange. But the deal is rigged in such a way that we feel quite the opposite.

Of course the Upanishad clearly says the contract. But we are bound to short vision. We shudder at the thought to lose our makeshift personality. The real I is something we feel alien. 'All this should be seen from the perspective of the All-pervading Isa. Give up your blind vision, your personality. Merge in your own real inner being. Don't covet any alien ownings'. But who knows? How can one be sure? If any person has adventured into the deal then we can become more assured.

Manickavasagar says he has tried and found it literally true that you get one hundred percent value in return for no real value given. And he addresses the other party to the trade, Sankara :

"I have given myself

Gained You in return.

Sankara! who is shrewd after all?

I have got endless Ananda;

Can You say

what any single thing of value

You got from me in exchange?"

One spiritual master makes a poetic court case of the Divine's anxiety about the soul. Another spiritual master makes a poetry of a shrewd trade with the Divine. What all these great men are trying to tell us? Just this one thing ; this thick worldliness that we believe so passionately is not all that there is to it. We can well transcend our little self-images and gain our true being in the whole truth.

A court-case eternal between Bhagavan and Jiva !! (Parasara Bhatta's sloka Tvam mE aham mE)

 "You belong to me!

I belong to myself.

How is that?

Again how is -that-?

This by Vedic authority.

This has been so from time immemorial

and by continued experience.

But that has been opposed!

Opposed? by whom?

In the Sastras like Gita

by Myself in clear terms.

Who is the witness there?

Superb Jnanis are there.

Alas! HoHo! all of them Jnanis

are Your same-sided. Then?

In such a juncture in the case with human beings

You seem to have resorted to terrible oath

of waist cloth, tulsi garland

and water poured on the head!"

(my translation of Parasara Bhattar's single sloka on Thirumanjanam of Sri Ranganatha. 'Tvam mE aham mE' )

In one status dialogue I was referring to the mugdaga of Sri Parasara Bhattar during the Bath Ritual of Lord Ranganatha. Let me explain the mugdaga (solitary verse) so that others who may not know already also may enjoy.

One day Sri Parasara Bhattar was worshipping Lord Ranganatha during the Bath Ritual. The Lord will be donned in a waist cloth and a garland of Tulsi in the neck during the ritual. Sri Bhattar used to have mystic communions with the Lord. In that communion the Lord asked Sri Bhattar why he was smiling as if hesitant about something?

Bhattar answered : " My Almighty Lord! you just resemble in your present get-up a pathetic loser in the Court of Law, who is about to lose his hereditary property so dear to him. Such a pathetic loser (in those days!) will resort to the last desperate measure of donning just a waist cloth and a garland of tulsi leaves in the neck and pour some water over on his head and take a very terrible oath of true claim, saying if what he was claiming turns out to be false, not only he but all his clans and lineages will go to cruelest hell - like that. So you also in your losing battle with the soul, of claiming your possession of the soul as your own and unable to answer all the rational interrogations by the soul and all your much believed proofs turned just heresy and same-sided testimonies, you are about to lose your possession of the soul in the metaphysical court of Eternity. So as if to take the terrible oath available by hoary custom you also have donned yourselves in the same manner waist-cloth and Tulsi garland and about to pour the holy water on your head ! Alas! it is so resembling and the case is nearly similar!"

Is it? Come on what were the arguments between Me and the soul?

My Supreme Lord! You were saying to the soul that he belonged to you. You had a secret plan in that. You thought that this Jiva, (soul) is always non-submissive and rebellious. So if You say that he belongs to you, then immediately his tendency will be to refute that and in turn, as a tit for tat, to say that it was not he who belonged to you but really You, who belonged to him. You were anxious he must say so and immediately before he chooses to change his views you wanted to agree to his twist of the clause and get it signed on the spot by both of you, in the presence of great Sages.

But this Jiva, soul is clever like hell. What he did you know! He didn't say as you expected. What he said was 'neither you belong to me nor I to you. But I belong to myself.

Even at that step You became worried my Lord! How to win-over this soul became your killing passion. You immediately replied to him - Hi! I have strong documentary evidence to claim that you belong to me. Do you know that? Don't brag too much man!

But the Jiva, soul was doubly clever and adamant. He asked You, 'What! what is that evidence?'

You replied, 'It is the great Revelation, the Vedas, from Eternity!'

The soul pooh-poohed your authority saying, "Hey! Come-on, Don't be so innocent! The Vedas are only words of mouth you know! The great Revelations are not written evidence. They are only pronounced and heard in a cycle from eternity. How can that stand as a evidence in a court of law? So your claim that I belong to you is only your words against mine. Come-on show something better!"

Then you became worried and asked him in retort - "Hi ! how can you, in your turn, show evidence for your claim also, that you belong to yourself and not to me?'

The soul replied, 'Hurrah ! simple... I need not show any. I have been having uninterrupted experience of myself as mine. Continuous enjoyment of property itself is valid evidence, Old Man! Compose Thyself.'

Then You said, "Hi Hi,...wait wait don't think you are too smart... too smart....I also know some court matters boy! Even in continuous enjoyment of property, that property should not have been objected to by the owner or the PoAs. But I have myself objected to your claim many times in addition to my PoAs doing so every now and then.

But your PoAs? leave them you may call them your PoAs... but actually they are also souls and they also do remain as souls... so no bother on that account... but you were saying that you yourself have objected in person. Where and when? Come-on, this is something news to me! - so said the soul.

You were jubilant that at last You have made a dent in his case. You said :' why not buddy? I came as Krishna and in the battle-field in the presence of so so many persons I openly stated my claim on you. Don't you know?

The soul replied - Oh There.... ohohhhho you are so funny! I was a little afraid for a second. But your joke...hahahhaa...Old Man!... That was in a battle-field, definitely not any solemn place of oath or status-claim! a din of cacophony of spears, war-cries, conches, weeping and cries, horse-laughs, elephent-calls -- you mean to say in that wretched place of war and noise.. You were serenely and piously stating your claim on me? Come-on.... My Sweet Old Man! Cheer up..... Losing and winning are part of nature! Take them in good spirit! OK! You are saying so. But who were at least witnesses to your claim in that horrid place?

My Lord! all colour drained from your face and you looked bleak and anxious! You said: "all the great sages are witnesses... what can I say..."

The soul replied: 'My dear dear Man! who is a sage? come-on tell me! Is he not one who has decided in your favour and is always on your side eternally, Lord God? Can a sage ever say I am neutral to God? Then how can you cite the sages as witnesses? Oh poor...poor Old Man!"

Then in that grim moment when you were about to lose your claim over the soul unable to stand against his rational interrogations, an idea seemed to have striked you. Hence You adopted this measure of Customary Oath Taking. I am not saying that it is so.

But your get-up at the present moment, when You are about to take Your Bath is very much resembling that.....

Just I thought of that ..........and I couldn't control my laughter. Hence the smile.

***

(Of course the commentary of Sri U Ve PBA Swami is an essential aid in understanding the four-lined verse of Sri Parasara Bhattar)

Vairagyam is the key

 In one way it will be interesting to read Tiruvaimozhi starting from the second ten starting with 'Veedumin muRRavum'. That way, the first and foremost message of Nammalwar will be 'Give up in toto'. Renunciation seems to be the prime message of spirituality. But some persons seem to think that one cannot give up on one's own and even renunciation is excused by God if only you remain faithful to the creed you have subscribed to. Loyalty towards one creed takes precedence over anything. But many sages and holy people, especially of Hinduism, have been never tired of stressing dispassion as the prime-most step towards God. Of course there may be a practical difficulty, that you can talk all sense regarding dispassion, its indispensable nature and all that. But in reality to achieve dispassion in life may be a far cry for many and even in really sincere aspirants. Many sincere people pursuing the spiritual path have faced this embarrassingly rough and disappointing fact. And ultimately we have no choice but to earnestly pray for divine grace. Then what will the grace do to us? This is explained precisely by Nammalwar in this verse:

Doing away with the two types of karma

Cutting the ties of mysterious attachment

Tuning the soul in such a way

that the mind resolves firmly

and go towards Him

so He prepares a being for liberation

He who is the inner soul of all these beings

and who is wisdom engulfing light

and who pervades all extension

Down, above, endless everywhere

and who has form

and remains formless,

He All embracing Mal.

‘சார்ந்த இருவல் வினைகளும்

சரித்து மாயப் பற்றறுத்து

தீர்ந்து தன்பால் மனம் வைக்கத்

திருத்தி, வீடு திருத்துவான்

ஆர்ந்த ஞானச் சுடராகி

அகலம் கீழ்மேல் அளவிறந்து

நேர்ந்த உருவாய் அருவாகும்

இவற்றின் உயிராம் நெடுமாலே.’

'Where there is no dispassion

there where to find Deivam' so sings Sri Tayumanavar.

From Himalayas to Kanyakumari

 One Sukananda was there in Sindhu province who belonged to Sri Nanak's path. In 1806 a son was born to him. He was named Moolaram Sadhu. In his 14th year his (Moolram Sadhu's) spiritual sense wakens up and he begins to pursue his inner journey through Satsang, Sastraic studies and Vichara. Becoming adept in Hindi, Parsi he learnt Sanskrit from one Sri Krishna Dasa. At that time by providence, a great Vidwan from the South came there and resided. He was Sri Sesha Iyengar. Under him Moolaram Sadhu studied Vedanta and Nyaya. Becoming deep in adhyatmic studies and fervent in inquiry and ardent in Satsang and spiritual practice, he was called by others as Moolachandra Gnani. And he began to teach others. As a strict principle he never accepted money from his students and in turn he was spending for their stay and regular life with him. Fortunately what he inherited from his father was sufficient. He wrote many books in Hindi and his language was of Punjab regions.

There is an old book in Sanskrit, may be the author unknown, called Vedanta Samjna. In that book nearly all the philosophical points of Vedanta will be listed according to numbers. Say for example 2, then all philosophical concepts that can be counted as two like Iham Param, Papa and Punya, all such concepts will be listed under the count two. Like that for three, three Ishanas and other concepts, for four, four Vedas, four Purusharthas and like that for successive numbers. Moolchandra Gnani wrote a commentary in Hindi named Vedanta Padartha Manjoosha for this old book Vedanta Samjna.

Moolchandra Gnani attained samadhi in 1876. In 1916, Sri Kasikananda Gnanacharya Swami brought out a Tamil translation of Vedanta Samjna. It was published in Satchidanandam Press, Komaleswaranpettai. Chennai. The same Sri Kasikananda swami brought out a translation of the Hindi commentary by Moolchandra Gnani, Vedanta Padartha Manjoosha in Tamil in 1935.

May be you are thinking that I am just posting in data flash style tidbits of the old happenings. But what I wish is why not people who read just think about and understand the undercurrent of all these seemingly various info across places and times. So many sages, so many scholars from the southern end to the northern crest, their hearts have throbbed as one, one in their passions of knowledge and culture, one in their passion towards spiritual goals. A man from deep south teaches an aspirant in Punjab and Kashmir; a Nichaldas born in Rohta comes all the way to Kasi to learn Vedanta and what he has learnt and summarized in Hindi becomes the launcher for deep Vedantic studies in Hindi regions. And not even one or two decades pass before his Hindi works are translated in Tamil by Sri Kuppuswamy Raju of Thanjavur. Sri Sesha Iyengar of South India teaches Moolram Sadhu of Punjab in Vedanta. The learners and the teachers do not belong to one clime or region or one community. What connects them all together as the soul thread?

I have not indicated their community nor their race or clan. Because it is quite meaningless in Adhyatmic world any denominations like race, community or clan or even differences like male and female. That which underlies their various endeavours is Atman. They are one in their Athmic spirit, that is what is shown so consistently by all these great men and women down the time in Bharat. Sri Ramanuja goes in search of manuscripts to Kashmir. And before him Sri Sankara quotes from one Soundara Pandiyan in his Bhashya. And before that even, in Patthuppattu, Maduraikkanchi, Vedanta is symbolized, as per the commentary of Nacchinarkkiniyar. Seven hundred years ago Tatthvaraya and Swaroopananda anthologize in Tamil more than 2500 verses, all culled from various works, original and translated, numbering nearly about 145 works in Tamil. In the fifteenth century Sri Krishna Chaitanya coming to Srirangam and coming to know about Tiruvaimozhi and the commentaries, is impressed by the deep theories of the lovers' genre found in the songs of Nammalwar. And he shares his new found interests to Roopa Goswami on his return. A wrestler of Tamil King's court becomes an ardent devotee. Passion for the beautiful eyes of the beloved turn into pure bhakti towards the Divine Eyes of Ranga. Esoor Satchidanandam Pillai while walking down the streets is jokingly talked about as 'there Brahmam is going, here Brahmam is coming'. So much he is lost into his deep meditation even while walking and his advaitic deep state has become so proverbial. Sadhu Nithyanandammal by a stroke of fate is left to her own means and she begins her studies right from elementary school level after her twenty second year. And she by her perseverance comes up to the level of a Vedantic scholar and has in her ripe age anthologized two main works in Tamil on Vedanta. Swami Sahajananda was spotted early in his years and developed in studies by Karapatra swamigal. One atheist like Singaravelu Mudaliyar on being touched by Swami Vivekananda is totally transformed and becomes deep in yoga. The nephew of Yogi Parthasarathy Iyengar, Sri Alasinga becomes so very dedicated to Vivekananda. And when Sri Subramanya Bharathi expressed to Sister Nivedita that there was no one in Chennai to guide them in their Swadesi endeavours, prompt came the reply from the great Sister, 'why not? The great Alasinga is there.'

Having decided that he will not give initiation to anyone, Swami Brahmananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, finds himself totally changed in his perspective by seeing a drama on Sri Ramanuja rising to the top of a tower and initiating one and all, whoever interested, in the holiest mantra of Narayana. Next day he began giving initiation to devotees. Any ordinary devotee from South goes on pilgrimage to Badrinath, Kedarnath and stands awed in tears. A person belonging to Himachal treks all the way to the deep south, worshipping in Srirangam, Madurai and becomes ecstatic on having a darshan of Kanyakumari. Languages different; local practices different; customs varying from place to place; habits differ but the culture is resounding as one, deep in the tone of Om; yea Om, is it not the Om that is the shape and inner message of Bharath? Parama Gurubhyo Namaha Parama Rishibhyo Namaha.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Rambling remembrances

 It is indeed lucky to be born in a house steaming with aroma of literature, English literature, Tamil literature, Sanskrit and French literatures. My father Mr R Venugopal and his mentor friend Prof C S Kamalapathi, both made my early wake up surroundings team with characters from Shakespeare, songs of Bharathi, Will Durant, Kamban and Valmiki and what not. New and newer fields were opening always in their talks and a growing boy is already thrilled with so many dimensions of thought. Otherwise how can I explain a high-school going half trousers wrestling with Hamlet's soliloquy? Or with Prince of Morocco in Merchant of Venice? Or the meeting of Gandhi and Bharathi and the take off of the evanescent event? Should the poet be studied straight from his words or through the commentaries, if available and authentic? - why should this question be of such importance to a street playing boy, that he chose to forgo his street-outings and sat engrossed when the argument was in full gears between his father and one poet of Trichy, Tiruloka Sitaram? Of course there was a downside of it. I lost my natural play period of growth. But who regrets when the payoff was and is immense? When you become too early conscious of great values, you can afford to appreciate little tragedies with regard to regular life.

Will Durant's Pleasures of Philosophy, I happened to read by myself only much later. But I have heard it read and had been reading it to be heard by my father many and more times. Ursus of Victor Hugo's Laughing Man was an apparition of my day dreaming walking across West Chitra Street. And to make it more surreal wolf was always a kind animal and naturally I found the series 'Onaikkottai vaaliban' attractive. And another catastrophe was around the corner, my interest suddenly in reading the literature of Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. Starting with little booklets I was fond of buying in temple shops, some books by Swami Chidbhavananda and later to go running and walking to the Rock Fort shop to buy bigger books from the Chennai Math.

Sometimes when I measured myself by others' standards, I used to fight with, mentally, Sri Ramakrishna, 'why me of all other boys? my regular life lost, nothing have I got to balance off the other side, neither here nor there?'. Only passing moods, otherwise who am I to measure? To understand what he has done for me I needed to mature a lot and now no regrets. But he is terrible; when he catches no escape! Why am I rambling? Perhaps you need to sometimes. Otherwise what is life for? Perhaps all those who have gone away from my life and from this world, they.. they may also be thinking about me just I like what I do about them? Is it not? Or is it not so? Who knows? 'The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns'. So memory fumes sometimes and make good the distant land and there lies all the charm. Because the fumes of memory are occult and words are apt dry woods to keep it going.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

On Tulsidas Sri Ramacharitamanas

 How poetic and critical at the same time, is Tulsidas! In the world usually poets celebrate their own compositions and become inebriated with pride over their own compositions, whereas in reality, their work may be very poor by all standards. But those people are really rare, who become so much joyful while hearing others' compositions and realise the great merits and features of others' poems. Our Rambhola, or Tulsidas employs one simile here to drive home this social criticism of literate people. - there are wells and rivers, which become so full and brimming in themselves when water is added to their own volume. But when other wonders of nature, however full or excellent they become, say for example in the sky, suppose the moon is full and so bright, no ! these wells and rivers are very mean-minded and wantonly they take no notice of any excellence or brightness or fullness of moon, which is so very visible right there up above in the sky. They turn blind to all such greatness on the part of others. They become brimming only when something is added to their own content. But see the ocean! Just at the sight of moon becoming full and all bright, the ocean becomes so jubilant and turbulent and brimming with waves of joy !.

'nija kabitta kEhi lAga na nIkA

sarasa hou athavA ati phIkA

jE para bhaniti sunata harashAhIn

tE bara purusha bahuta jaga nAhIn

jaga bahu nara sara sari sama bhAI

jE nija bADi baDahin jala pAI

sajjana sakruta simdu sama koI

dEkhi pUra bidhu bADai joI'

(Sri Ramcharitamanas, Balakanda, pp 31 Gita Press)

In the world of devotion 'Name of Bhagavan' is always viewed in superior light. 'Name' is always considered with preference compared to the 'Named'. It seems to be nearly universal in the world of mystics that Divine Name enjoys a very special status. May be it is the way of the heart.

But the world of Tattvajnana is different. It has its own worries. Whether Ultimate with Form or Ultimate without Form, what is final? To reach either different methods or different approaches, but what is easier or practicable? But Tulsidas seems to be of a different view. He says that more than 'That with Form' or 'That without Form', Name is superior to both. So resort to Name and install the Name in your tongue, which is like the passage way connecting the outer courtyard and the inner of a house. If your human being is like a house then that which connects your inner world and the outer world is your tongue. Tongue signifies words. Words are basic to Texts. Texts house the world of abstraction. So if you install the lamp of Name in the connecting passage viz., Tongue then you get both the worlds lighted. Not only that. Name alone will solve your problem of 'With Form' or 'Without Form', 'Divinely Characterized' or 'Beyond all Characteristics'. But immediately he seems to be doubly cautious and says 'Hey please don't rush to make a theory of what I say. I just expressed my liking or opinion. Thats all.'

'aguna saguna dui brahma sarUpa

akatha agAdha anAdi anUpA

morE mata badha nAmu duhU tE

kiE jEhin juga nija basa nija bUtEn

ubhaya agama juga sugama nAma tE

rAma nAma manidIpa dharu jIha dEharIn dvAra

tulasI bhItara bAherahun jaun cAhasi ujiAra

(SriRamacharitamanas, Balakanda, pp 48, 49, 50 Gita Press)

Srirangam Mohanarangan

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