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
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