A morning tea with Ranga !

 After retirement my Chennai life was over. 'Roaming everywhere, reaching Rangan over there' so goes a saying. By Mother's grace I reached back my Srirangam. That is some four years gone. When it was new, after a long long time, one morning I woke up to see bustling people across my door telling me, 'are you not coming? Perumal has come over there next door. Come come'. The Ranga Alimighty, is next door! Wow.. what these people talk! Next door is a doctor. Of course Narayana himself is a Doctor, curing the disease of worldliness. Yea why not? it suits Him. I was busy preparing tea then. But I heard the bustling feet so close to the side door where my oven was alive. I was curious. Opened it to see the Supreme Bhagavan smiling in his special Rangic style as if to say, 'hi! fool! Lazy crackpot! what? busy with tea?' I was so embarrassed. I was about to ask him, 'why not a cup?' to my own utter dismay. But anyhow I ran to the side isle to snatch a darshan across the streaming, milling crowd. But the hiatus of agony and shyness and joy, all rolled into one stunning time, I made it a poem and only then I was back to normal moods.

*

'That day, sleeping beyond time,

getting up and ablutions done, taking bath

I was busy with my tea

and intended to sip it in all lazy cozy fold back

in a corner as if to see eternity passing by.

But out in the veranda people bustled here and there

calling me also to come and have darshan

'Perumal has come over there next door!

aren't you coming man?'

What! Perumal! The Supreme Ranga? over there just next door?

How is it? Is it not that we must go to the temple?

how come here next door?

Yea next door is a doctor.

and of course Ranga is also a doctor;

it suits: Vaidhyo Narayano Hari:

But how come..!

But the bustling new dresses

and trepid loving feet

are already all over the isle;

with the pulses beating

I opened the side door

to see Lord Ranga in all his bewitching smile

as if to ask : Hi lazy tard!

I was taken aback in the nearness

and lost ground a moment

about to offer him the tea at hand

and why not tea with Ranga?

I was catching myself. thank God !

next moment with the thought

hey it is some ubhayam;

so He is visiting over there;

it is routine this time of year

part of that day's table.

But somehow I felt

he should be spying me;

what spying? me? what for?

He is everywhere; and

how am I thinking anything before He knows it first?

But I think He likes my company

and many people doesn't like I know.

But why He alone.. should like me..

but perhaps it is new..

so by and by, over time He will learn

and come to shun me cool

but new? nay how come..

it comes all the way long

down the time, from the beginning,

and even before, I don't know when;

He knows it all

and He knows me the lazy tard;

sure He likes my friendship

and if not how come in strange hours

He calls me and ..

and even in hours strange to street-dogs..

surely He must be loving me

but what is there in me, a nothing..

strange! this love between a Everything All

and a just nobody puny nothing lazy fellow

perhaps He is so starved of company?

hey... come on... it is nonsense...

But don't you hear? He is hissing 'Rascal'

do I alone hear? yea perhaps to the internal ear.

or the ear of consciousness... leave it.

Yea that day I was about to share with him in a tumbler

the tea I had in hand

but if I would have done like that

oh what a shame would have I been

in others' eyes, a mad-cap perhaps

'that is why Sir, these mad men like this fool

should not be allowed free

they should have been put behind locked doors

but what to do? people would have thought

'how to manage cracks like these

and let them at large upon the world'

so perhaps the people would have

epitaphed my life rest of my living.

Thank God! I just escaped

by feeling down to earth

'it is after all somebody's ubhayam'

But down to earth? yea

'earth she sits upon and takes the sand in hand

and say this earth belongs to Vaman;

so says my dear'

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Tea and the horses

 Tea on the horse! Yea horses.. something interesting. Their gaits, snorts, whinny or neighs.. An old book on horses was brought out by Saraswathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur. One Asvasastram by Nakula. Nakula of Mahabharata? May be. So says the old book. It seems to derive lots of information from earlier authors like Salihotra, Garga, Susruta. There is a Tamil translation by Sri Subramanya Sastrigal. With a lot of illustrations in colour about the gaits and features, instruments and accessories all make the book a good reference. Horses do have smells and the smells do have their own meanings perhaps. And of course predictions combined with what happens to horses or how the horses behave or what sounds they make all make the book interesting. And to cap the whole story, there is an addenda from Salihotra Vaisampayaneeyam or Sarasindhu as it is called, about the psychology of horses. Horses do laugh sometimes it seems!. That too when a 'bravado' or a snob tries to get on the horse with over-confidence and falls down. Being neither a horse nor a bravado how am I to verify? No need. I have had many such moments with my mind-horse. Effect is the same even though the neigh is too naive.

Another interesting detail, when a horse not of equal calibre is made to run along with a hero-horse, the horse is irritated and tries to kick back sand-splashes. My mental horse is not of hero type and being only a plebian, it is compassionate towards all. And there are, the book says, nine types of horses - mattham, avi, kaasyam, asmageyam, maalikam, swetavaahanam, mesakam, swetagirijam, vaidarbam. All these nine are collectively called 'kodakam'. Modern books on equine themes, I must study and verify with the old.

Do the horses like tea? My belief is they should.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Sri Subramanya Karnamrutham

 Karnamrutham type of compositions have been many and varied it seems. On Sri Krishna, SriKrishna Karnamrutham is well known. On Sri Rama, one Ramabhadra Dikshita, who lived at Thruvisanallur in the later part of 17th century, has sung Ramakarnarasayana. The book has been brought out long ago by Sri Vani Vilas Press.

In this class of compositions, Sri Subramanya Karnamrutham is a work by Sri Gopalakrishna Kavi, who lived in the early part of 17th century. He was born in Pitchandar Kovil of Thiruchirappalli. He was also called Mahabhashyam Gopala Sastrigal. He was a contemporary of Sadasivabrahmendra, Ayyaval of Thiruvisanallur and Mahakavi Ramabhadra Dikshitar. When Vijayaraghunatha Thondaiman of Pudukkottai wanted to study Sastras under Sadashivabrahmendra, the great saint wrote something on the river sand and asked the King to continue with Mahabhashyam Gopala Sastrigal. If such is the case we can well understand the greatness of Sri Gopalakrishna Kavi. To help the devotees of Kumara and to help all the pious in getting the grace of Subramanya, the great Kavi has sung this Karnamrutha on Subramanya. It is also called Surapushpamala of Gopalakrishna Kavi. Kumara worship is quite ancient as generally all divine worships in Hinduism. Sanatkumara was thought to have become the son of the great God Shiva. Sri Sankara Bhagavadpada refers to this tradition in his Brahma Sutra commentary in the third adhyaya. The Karnamrutha on Subramanya consists of 116 slokas and it has been well explained by a commentary by Sri Guruswami Sastri of Thiruvananthapuram in 1978.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Kumara and Vedanta

 In 1881, in Thanjavur, there was a publication from Sakalakala Nilayam Press of Sri Chinnakannaiyya Chettiyar. Thirumayilai Vaidhilinga Desikar and Thiruththanigai Sitthaiyyar brought out a collection of compositions by Vedasreni Chidambara Swamigal. Ten stanzas on Dandapani, Updesa Unmai, Upadesa Unmaik kattalai. All these formed one neat small book. May be you were doubting when I was saying Hinduism consists in various different worships explaining themselves philosophically through Vedanta, Vedanta forming the general common philosophical basis and structure. Here is an instance of how the worship of Kumara or Muruga is expressed in terms of Vedantic common language. One verse -

'Setting aside the various principles ninety six

and the resultant terms residual Tat and Tvam

Leaving the two even and focusing on the term Asi

and its meaning profound brought home so clear and tangible

just like a fruit on the palm, your grace O Siddha

when will I reach thy excellent feet? tell me

O Thee of Mukti! the Transcendent residing in Vedasreni

The Ultimate! O my Dandapanian !'

(trn mine)

’தத்துவம் தொண்ணுற் றாறையும் கழித்துத்

தத்துவம் எனும்இரு பதமும்

கொத்தற விடுத்தங்கு அசிபதப் பொருளைக்

குடங்கையில் கனியென அருளும்

சித்தனே உன்றன் திருவடிக் கடியேன்

சேருநாள் எந்தநாள் புகலாய்

முத்தனே வேத சிரேணிவாழ் பரனே

முதல்வனே தண்டபா ணியனே.’

Tat and Tvam - That and Thee are meaningful only in mutual related contexts. What remains nondependent on related contexts is just 'Asi' 'to be'. Perhaps that is what Thayumanavar says when he sings 'if one becomes that, one just remains as that and that just being will be saying about it enough'. So the whole gamut of sravana. manana, chintana and nidhidhyasana of Vedantic process is replaced by the Divine Grace of Dandapani when he shows the pristine and precise meaning of 'Asi' term just like a fruit on the palm.

And Chidambaram Swamigal captivates our hearts when he explains Vedanta, its purpose, its raison de etre. Why should we do the undaunted investigation of philosophy? why should we do first of all Sadhu sanga? why should we do study ever so many books of Jnana? And why should we ever take pains at all to know the ajapa? And why in the world or anywhere should we aspire for bliss? It is all with the ultimate aim of 'to be just 'be'' To remain as the eternal witness. To be Sakshi.

’நல்லார் இணக்கம் செய்வதுவும்

ஞான நாட்டம் கொள்வதுவும்

கல்லா வனைத்தும் கற்பதுவும்

கனத்த விசாரம் புரிவதுவும்

சொல்லாச் சொல்லை அறிவதுவும்

சுகமாய் வாழ நினைப்பதுவும்

எல்லா மாயல் லவுமாகி

இருந்த சாக்ஷி ஆவதற்கே.’

What is being just Sakshi? just perceiving witness? All things seen by us are drisyam. What is that which sees the seen is the seer, Drik. Just don't be ever any drisyam at any time. Nay nay let it go. No drisyam is you. Ultimately what remains as that Drik which in turn cannot be made into a drisyam, that is the Drik proper. And remaining that Drik, just that as ever is what is called remaining as witness.

’உன்னால் அறியப் படும்பொருட்கள்

உன்னை யறிய மாட்டாதால்

உன்னால் அறியும் பொருளெல்லாம்

உனக்கு விடய மாம்கண்டாய்

உன்னால் அறியும் பொருளழியும்

ஒருகா லமும்நீ அழிவதிலை

உன்னால் அழியும் பொருளைவிடுத்து

உன்னை விசாரித்து அறிவாயே.’

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Vedanta in Tamil - from Puratthirattu

 Darkness, Light and Grace

Darkness is the nature of this world. Knowledge and wisdom being the light, compassion in the heart and grace of the Divine make one cross darkness. But darkness is approached in a different way also. There is a verse in the collection, Puratthirattu. This body is an earthern lamp. Thiri is the patience or abhyasa. Ghee is the concentration practice. The ultimate flame is the grace or compassion. This verse belongs to an ancient collection of Bharata venba that has found a place in the 500 year old anthology viz., Puratthirattu. And the verse is not over. It also talks about what happens when the cross-over is made from here to there with the help of the lamp. With the flame of grace or compassion lit by abhyasa and tapas, when one reaches the beyond, the darkness is transformed into open space. How to understand this? Darkness is there, being the nature of the world in which we find ourselves. One has the lamp, the body, the patience, the undaunted practice of concentration. At last the flame is lit. Darkness disappears and should you not see the objects various? But instead what happens? Darkness disappears and in its place you find open space, just open space, no observer, no observed, no interrelation or contexts. To understand this anomaly Sri Adisankara is helpful. In one sloka Sri Adisankara says - this transcendent light! what a surprise and what a mystery! Usually in the light things will be seen and in darkness things cannot be seen. But in the darkness of avidya various objects were seen but when the light of Jnana shines all the various objects are nowhere in sight!

'Body as the lamp; patience as the thread;

concentration as the ghee, the flame of grace is lit;

With it when one goes over to the beyond

Darkness is gone and only open space remains'

’மெய்தகளி யாகப் பொறையாம் திரிக்கொளீஇ

நெய்தவ மாக நிறைதரப் - பெய்தாங்கு

அருளாம் விளக்கேற்றி அம்மைப்பாற் செல்ல

இருள்போய் வெளியாய் விடும்.’

(Puratthirattu, Bhaarata venba)

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Vedanta in Tamil - from Aranericcharam

 You may tell me that since I am interested in Vedantic thoughts and methodology, I wish to see such being reflected everywhere, in ancient Tamil literature and culture. But how can you account for a work like Aranericcharam expressing beautifully the whole process of Vedantic analysis in a simple venba?

'There is no God replacing one's own Self

If you can realise the Self shedding off the mind;

What! you have just to learn to behold

through Texts and Logic

And understand both the here and the hereafter

And be able to surrender oneself to the Grace;

Such is wisdom.'

(translation mine, Aranericcharam venba)

The original -

’தன்னொக்கும் தெய்வம் பிறிதில்லை தான்தன்னைப்

பின்னை மனமறப் பெற்றானேல் - என்னை

எழுத்தெண்ணே நோக்கி இருமையும் கண்டாங்கு

அருட்கண்ணே நிற்பது அறிவு.’

You have to think twice before having second thoughts about the hoary heritage of Vedantic analysis in Tamil.

Again from Aranericcharam -

A dark way going before. To cross, you need a torch. In our days we need batteries for the torch. But when the venba was written, oil or ghee was needed. To get ghee you need milk. And milk is a medicine curing your ailments. So the poet while talking about the torch, is able to talk the whole ethics of liberation.

'Dark indeed in the nature of this world!

Dispelling darkness the handy torch

is one's own learning and wisdom;

Ghee needed for the flame is compassion and grace;

Milk, out of which ghee is obtained,

such milk-white should be the conduct and ethical behaviour

Then surely one can transcend the sorrow

and reach the Transcendent.'

(translation mine; Aranericcharam)

‘இருளே உலகத் தியற்கை இருளகற்றும்

கைவிளக்கே கற்ற அறிவுடைமை கைவிளக்கின்

நெய்யே தன்நெஞ்சத் தருளுடைமை நெய்யமைந்த

பால்போல் ஒழுக்கத் தவரே பரிவில்லா

மேலுலகம் எய்து பவர்.’

Why this world's nature is conceived as that of darkness? Because in this world the real abstract principle is not evident to perception and you have to go through a process of understanding and cogitation to arrive at the sustaining principles. 'To see' according to Vedantic parlance is not this optical function but the ability to visualize the distant and hidden abstract principle. That is why such a process was called 'darsana', a term literally having all to do with opthalmic connotations.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

A 'sUkti' and Hinduism

 In Sanskrit 'sUkti' means 'a good saying'. su - good; ukti - saying. A sUkti says like this :

"we can desire to paint

the image, colours and the form of the Sun;

But how to paint the rays

not reflected and not seen in a background?"

This is an abstract idea. I have tried to translate. The original is :

"kAmam likatu samstAnam

kaschit roopam cha bhasvata: |

abhiddhi vihitAlambam

AlOkam vilikEt katam ||"

(sUktimAlA, anthologized by Vaidhyasri S V Radhakrishna Sastri)

We can paint the light seen in a background. We can paint the reflected objects. But a pure ray..? Just think about it? How to image it first of all? But all our world of images, colours, objects, form everything visualized just depends on that simple pure ray. Is it not? So even optically speaking, our knowledge happens only in relational contexts. The knowing principle, though prior to all happenings of knowledge and inherent in all relational contexts is itself evading any relational fixing. So comparable to the pure ray. Is it not slightly intriguing, that which has gone prior and basic to perception comes to be understood by inference?

When such is the case for even a strictly scientific topic like optics and epistemology, what to say about the Ultimate Transcendent which is the Supreme Principle? When the objects are relatively existent, that Principle is absolutely and independently existent. When the lights which we know are relationally functional, that Supreme Light is preeminent and unrelatable. Hence it is Paravastu and Paramjyotis. That is why perhaps even Nammalwar exerts so much to express the Transcendent Light:

’அரவணைமேல் இருள்விரி நீலக் கருநாயிறு சுடர்கால்வது போல் இருள்விரி சோதி பெருமான்’

'on the snake-bed, abounding dark

bluish black Sun, as if aflame all around

extending darkish Light, Peruman'

Hinduism should be found in this richness of detailed depths and abounding mystery of endless expanse. So are we given to understand when a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Abhedananda explains like this :

"The religion of Vedanta does not teach the worship of many gods, but of one God, who is called by many names and who is free to appear in any form in accordance with the desires of the worshippers. The God of the Hindus has no particular name nor any particular form. Thousands of names are given to that Supreme Being who is nameless and formless. He is not extra-cosmic but intra-cosmic, and immanent as well as transcendent. He appears as with form to a dualist and without form to a non-dualist. He is one, yet His aspects are many. He is personal, impersonal, and beyond both. He appears as personal to a dualistic or monotheistic worshipper, and as impersonal to a qualified non-dualistic believer or one who believes in the immanency and transcendency of God; while to a pure non-dualist, the same God is the one Infinite Ocean of absolute existence, intelligence, bliss, and love.”

(Religion of the Hindus, 1901)

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Yogavasishta or Gnanavasittam in Tamil

 Compositions which explain Tatthvartha have been written down the time in Tamil. Sanskrit words were used aptly and also suitable words created to enrich the philosophical vocabulary. Commentaries and original works in SriVaishnavaite sampradaya are a treasure house for such vocabulary. Nearly all the schools of thought have tried to bring out works big or small in Tamil. Saiva siddhanta sastras and the commentaries on Sivagnanabodham and Sivappirakasam are great instances of Tamil philosophical output. Along with these and not in any way less eloquent, is the great work called Gnanavasittam. Originally in Sanskrit Mahayogavaasishtam was an extensive work, composed as the teachings of Sage Vasishta to Sri Rama. The great work was condensed to Laghuyogavaasishta by SriKashmira Pandita. This condensation was done into Tamil verses 6000 by one Veerai Sri Alavandan Munivar, son of SriKaviraja Pandithar. There was one commentary in Sanskrit on Laghuyogavaasishta. It was translated into Tamil as Samusaratharani by SriNithyanandar in 1870. Referring various works in Sanskrit Sri Subbaiyya Gnanadesikendrar wrote a commentary called SriVeerasekaram. The verse composition in Tamil of 6000 verses, along with the commentaries Samusaratharani and SriVeerasekaram, all coming together adding to 1800 printed pages of small print in Tamil were brought out in 1928 by Chennai Anandabodhini Press.

It was one of the books fondly quoted by Bhagavan Sri Ramana. A verse which almost teaches verbatim Sri Ramana's upadesam is this one in Upasamappirakaranam, 12

அகம் அகம்என்று

அனைத்துயிரினிடத்தும் இருந்து

அனவரதம் உரைப்பதாகி

நிகழ் ஒளியாய்

ஆன்ம தத்துவமான சொரூபத்தை

நினைத்தல் செய்வாம்.

திகழ் இதயக் குகை உறையும்

தேவதையை விட்டு

அயலே தெய்வம் தேடேல்.

மிக அரிய கௌத்துவத்தை எறிந்து

சிறுமணி தேடும் வேட்கை போல் ஆம்.

Let us behold the nature of Atma Tattva

which is always internally present illuminating

and that which in every being

sounds forth as I, I ;

Leaving this shining deity

which resides always in our heart

and to search for any God outside

is like throwing away the rare gem of Kausthuba

and searching for some gemstone passionately.

You can see how a sophisticated language of philosophy was being wrought by savants in Tamil. While bringing out in 1928 the great book of 1800 pages, SriSubbaiyya Gnanadesikendra says about the commentary Samusaratharani, translation by SriNithyananda. That such a commentary was done some 60 years prior to 1928 and it was being handed down as 'hearing and studying tradition'. That means Vedanta taught and heard and studied by earnest people well before and well after the time of our concern. What a tradition of Vedantic thinking in Tamil!

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

On coming across some portions of 'Venmurasu'

 "O! Thou Valiant of the reddy rays! What else can be the hiding place for one who is chased by his own shadow? His own eyes sharp are but his enemies? Just a mirror terrifies him as death?

.........

"Risen in the East, standing in the zenith and protecting, relaxing in the West, He disappears into the darkness. His form of non-being, is it not the very night that comes to be? Darkness, is it not his protection verily being present in the form of his non-being? Longlive He! Food for the common beings, pleasure for those able to fly, wisdom for the thinking, Brahmam for those whose forehead-eyes become open - let us praise and worship Him who has become all these respectively."

(translation of some opening lines of the section Veyyon of Venmurasu of Sri Jeyamohan - https://venmurasu.in/veyyon/chapter-1 )

I am a fan of his early books like 'pinthodarum nizhalin kural', 'kaadu', 'ezhaam ulakam'. After a long time when I came across these lines from Venmurasu, it is happy to see such philosophical writing in Tamil pouring forth pages after pages. My good wishes to the great author.

The incident of Alarkka, the wasp, in Mahabharata, is a very crisp note. But the recreation or rather embellishment of the same akhyana by Jeyamohan is awesome. The characterisation of Kyati (literally 'fame'), finds unending overtones of suggestion as it is found in Veyyon.

'Kyati, since she was born in the mature poetic moment of aesthetic fullness, was incomparable in beauty in all the petals after petals of blossoming worlds of Brahma.'

'My anxious craving! the dream of my forefathers, fond memory of my sons!' so said thrice mystically the Sage and created a fascinating shadow-form for her.'

'Flame-formed! Fame is capable of flying everywhere. It is the fire that erupts out of word brazing word. She who is named Fame, who can really hide her?'

(Translation of some lines in Veyyon, Venmurasu https://venmurasu.in/veyyon/chapter-2 )

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Sri Ramakrishna - the Divine Incarnation !

 Sarat Chandra, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, has done an act of wonderful Daanam, 'giving to others the spiritual knowledge'. He recorded his conversations with Swamiji. In one of the conversations, he is asking, perhaps representing all of us:

“Disciple :—Did Sri Ramakrishna out of his own lips ever say that he was God, the all-perfect Brahman?”

And what was Swamiji's reply?

”Swamiji:—Yes, he did so many times. And he said this to all of us. One day while he was staying at the Cossipore garden, his body in imminent danger of falling off for ever, by the side of his bed I was saying in my mind, “Well, now if you can declare that you are God, then only will I believe you are really God Himself.'' It was only two days before he passed away. Immediately, he looked up towards me all on a sudden and said, “He who was Rama, He who was Krishna, verily is He now Ramakrishna in this body. And that not merely from the standpoint of your Vedanta !”* At this I was struck dumb.

"Even we haven't had yet the perfect faith, after hearing it again and again from the holy lips of our Lord himself —our minds still get disturbed now and then with doubt and despair—and so, what shall we speak oi others being slow to believe? It is indeed a very difficult matter to be able to declare and believe a man with a body like ours to be God Himself. We may just go to the length of declaring him to be a “perfected one,” or a “knower of Brahman.”

Well, it matters nothing, whatever you may call him or think of him, a saint or a knower of Brahman, or anything. But take it from me, never did come to this earth such an all-perfect man as Sri Ramakrishna ! In the utter darkness of the world this great man is like the shining pillar of illumination in this age I And by his light alone will man now cross the ocean of Samsara I"

(Talks with Swami Vivekananda, pp 43, 44 , 2nd Ed., 1946, Advaita Ashrama )

If even such a soul like Swami Vivekananda expresses the difficulty in such a manner, you should not blame me then, if I run into dejected moods of negation and doubt. Poor me! Manifestation of Divinity in human being! Not a wonder if SriKrishna calls this knowledge special and Raja Vidya Raja Guhyam, the great secret and the great science.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Sri Krishna and Swami Vivekananda

 Many times a close resemblance strikes eloquent between Srimad Bhagavad Gita of SriKrishna and the Lectures from Colombo to Almora of Swami Vivekananda. If you are earnest to see a great integral act of comprehensive statement down the ages by Hinduism you can never fail to see the resemblance, a great attempt of summary millennia ago on the Chariot and an equal effort of summary by the itinerant monk, the Hindoo Monk as he was called by the papers overseas. Both books do the same mission, I think, in different semiotics.

In one of the lectures, Swami Vivekananda starts like this:

"The subject is very large and the time is short; a full analysis of the religion of the Hindus is impossible in one lecture. I will therefore, present before you the salient points of our religion in as simple language as I can.”

And he proceeds to explain and extract the salient integral features of the great living system, viz., Hinduism. Once upon a time I was so mad after this book. Then when I embarked on the studies of the traditional schools and their works, I developed a strange audacity to think 'after all Swamiji has done oversimplification, perhaps out of his enthusiasm.' When I did enough home work on my own, it dawned slowly on me, a realisation with an embarrassment, that Swami Vivekananda has drawn out the creamy essence of Hindu scriptures, which nobody else could have done so effectively. The realisation was a punch in my nose and of course, I began to know the value of his thoughts in first hand. And coming to what I am trying to say - towards the end of his lecture he is stressing something, the value of which is so immediate and again immeasurable.

”1 have finished what I had to say about our religion. I will end by reminding you of the one pressing necessity of the day. Praise be to Vyasa, the great author of the Mahabharata, that in this Kali Yuga there is one great work. The Tapas and the other hard Yogas that were practised in other Yugas do not work now. What is needed in this Yuga is giving, helping others.

What is meant by Daanam ? The highest of gifts is the giving of spiritual knowledge, the next is the giving of secular knowledge, and the next is the saving of life; the last is giving food and drink. He who gives spiritual knowledge, saves the soul from many and many a birth. He who gives secular knowledge opens the eyes of human beings towards spiritual knowledge, and far below these, rank all other gifts, even the saving of life. Therefore, it is necessary that you learn this, and note that all other kinds of work are of much less value than that of imparting spiritual knowledge. The highest and greatest help is that given in the dissemination of spiritual knowledge."

Gift of knowledge is the very need of our age. Has not Bharathi coming in the line of Vivekananda, Nivedita sung?

"Should we indeed develop knowledge

for the sake of all the people

and all the people as one"

Again what is spirituality? Is it any big show? or any intellectual fanfaronade? Never.

”Talking is not religion ; parrots may talk, machines may talk now-a-days. But show me the life of renunciation, of spirituality, of all-suffering, of love infinite. This kind of life indicates a spiritual man.”

And what should be avoided?

“And above all, one thing is necessary. Aye, for ages we have been saturated with awful jealousy; we are always getting jealous of each other. Why has this man a little precedence, and not I? Even in the worship of God we want precedence, to such a state of slavery have we come. This is to be avoided. If there is any crying sin in India at this time it is this slavery."

(The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Part III, 3rd Ed., 1922 pp 133, 134)

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Satsang - what is it?

 Satsang. What is that? It is the slim passage-way connecting the courtyard with the main hall, the passage way of Thirukkovalur. Space for one to sleep, two to sit and converse, three to stand and chant. May be the fourth, the Divine Couple may join. It is the space of consciousness. When devotees gather, divine presence has already arrived. The first gate of spirituality is satsang. Measuring its greatness is futile. Sri Adisankara sings : By satsang all other connections snap; when the mind is devoid of worldly contacts delusion stops. When no illusion is there, Reality shines. When Reality is full and bright it is Liberation even in one's own life.

Satsang has the ability to fetch the Beyond back over here. Satsang is the Krishna's feet on the heads of our Ahankara, the dreadful Kaliya. Satsang opens the sealed cover over our inner eyes. May be we can understand the greatness of Prema, the Divine Love then. or we can understand the power of Divine Name or perhaps see the divine reality hidden from our domestic banal eyes. Puri Jagannath, the rice prasad of which is called mahaprasad, is such a great place for Sri Ramakrishna. For us may be another tourist spot. But the sage of Dakshineswar saw the two brothers of Krishna Consciousness, viz., Gauranga Nityananda, dancing, singing Krishna when he visited the place. May be when we visit, we see the monkey over there at work in breaking a shell against a hard stone. At the most we will like to see the Beyond as only an extension of our well familiar daily life, drawn with a big brush. But the secret is the reverse. It is learning to see our domestic daily as derivation of the Beyond. Perhaps satsang is a good way to hiss a clue over to that secret if we care enough to pay heed.

A poet sings in Tamil :

Let the blossoms bloom and open

Let the time of dawn come at last

Let the divine petals of thine eyes be graceful

Yea such moments are inevitable when the time comes. Perhaps satsang quickens such a moment who knows!

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Vedanta in Tamil

 The philosophic methodology of arriving at theological conclusions on the basis of Vedanta, viz., Upanishads seems to be a very familiar practice in Tamil. Traces of such practice are seen even in Patthuppattu, Ten Songs of Sangam. In the ten songs, Maduraikkanchi seems to indicate even a rare genre of 'Vedantic themes masked in warring characters' to illustrate the philosophical battle of life. Such compositions like Prabodhachandrodayam, translated from Sanskrit in later times are book length illustrations of the unique genre. But the genre itself is familiar at least to the Patthuppattu poets, as per the commentary of Nacchinarkkiniyar.

Maduraikkanchi lines 206 to 208 :

ninnodu munnilai evanO

konnonRu kiLakkuval adupOr aNNal

kEttisin vAzhi keduka nin avalam

(நின்னொடு முன்னிலை எவனோ

கொன்னொன்று கிளக்குவல் அடுபோர் அண்ணல்

கேட்டிசின் வாழி கெடுக நின் அவலம் )

Naacchinarkkiniyar's commentary for these lines run like this -

'munnilai ninnodu evanO - the objects of the five senses, viz., this world which stands objectified before 'you as a subject', what relationship is there between you and this world, which derives its existence only by being understood by you

nin means Jivatma; second person metonymic pronoun

konnonRu kiLakkuval atumpOr aNNal

kEttisin vAzhi keduka nin avalam

nin avalam keduka - the maya that has arisen in you let it be destroyed

adupOr aNNal - you that are an adept in waging such wars against illusion, viz., maya

kon onRu kiLakkuval - I will state a great philosophical principle (you have to understand it only by intuition) I cannot make you understand the principle by giving demonstrative arguments

the principle mentioned here is the principle of kandazhi. '

What is kandazhi? For that the footnotes direct us to go to the commentary given for some lines in Thirumurukarruppadai. What explanation is given there?

'kandazhi is the transcendent truth beyond all forms and relationships. That is, as aptly explained by the stanza which says : 'No reference can indicate it but itself forms the ultimate reference for all objects and it is always blissful; it is the pure, unblemished light that cannot be known by means of words, bodily actions and efforts of the mind. It is verily that Supreme Light' (Tolkaappiyam Puratthinai 33, Nacchinarkkiniyar's quote)

The original for reference -

பத்துப்பாட்டில் மதுரைக் காஞ்சியில் வரிகள் 206 - 208

நின்னொடு முன்னிலை எவனோ

கொன்னொன்று கிளக்குவல் அடுபோர் அண்ணல்

கேட்டிசின் வாழி கெடுக நின் அவலம்

நச்சினார்க்கினியர் உரை -

”முன்னிலை நின்னொடு எவனோ - - ஐம்பொறிகளுக்கும் நுகரப்படுவனவாய் முன் நிற்கப்படுவனவாகிய இந்நுகர்பொருள்கட்கு நின்னோடு என்ன உறவுண்டு

நின்னென்றது சீவான்மாவை; முன்னிலை ஆகுபெயர்

கொன்னொன்று கிளக்குவல் அடும்போர் அண்ணல் கேட்டிசின் வாழி கெடுக நின் அவலம் --

நின் அவலம் கெடுக - நின்னிடத்து உண்டாகிய மாயை இனிக்கெடுவதாக

அடுபோர் அண்ணல் - அம்மாயையைக் கொல்கின்ற போர்த்தொழில் வல்ல தலைவனே

கொன் ஒன்று கிளக்குவல் - பெரிதாய் இருப்பதொரு பொருளை யான் கூறுவன்; அஃது என்னால் காட்டுதற்கரிது;

என்றது கந்தழியினை. ”

கந்தழி என்றால் என்ன? அடிக்குறிப்பு நம்மை திருமுருகாற்றுப்படையின் உரைப்பகுதியின் இறுதிக்குச் செல்லச் சொல்கிறது. அங்கு என்ன விளக்கம் தரப்படுகிறது கந்தழிக்கு?

’கந்தழியாவது ஒரு பற்றும் அற்று அருவாய்த் தானே நிற்கும் தத்துவம் கடந்த பொருள்; அது “சார்பினால் தோன்றாது தான் அருவாய் எப்பொருட்கும் சார்பு என நின்று எஞ்ஞான்றும் இன்பம் தகைத்தரோ, வாய்மொழியான் மெய்யான் மனத்தான் அறிவிறந்த தூய்மையதா மைதீர் சுடர்” (தொல்காப்பியம் புறத்திணை சூ 33 நச்சினார்க்கினியர் மேற்கோள்)

We must understand that Vedantic understanding and methodology has been there in Tamil cultural practice for ages quite ancient. Nearly all the schools of Vedanta seem to have brought out works and translations in Tamil. Regarding Advaita, the anthology by Swarupananda lists some 150 works current in Tamil at least some 500 years ago. Another great school of Vedanta viz., Visishtadhvaita has been without a break bringing out original compositions and translations in Tamil from quite very ancient times. Regarding Dvaita school of Vedanta, I think it should be the case, even though I have not personally come across very many works. The arguments against Advaita has been given in a civil suit form by Srimad Sathyadyana Theerthar. He has also written a commentary for Srimad Bhagavad Gita which has been translated in Tamil by Sri Sathyanandam Krishnacharyar.

Not only the books on Vedanta, but even the ancillary studies viz., Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Mimamsa, Grammar, Nigantu have found able compositions and translations at the hands of various groups of persons in Tamilnad. I have already written about the translations of all the four great works of Swami Chidgananandagiri even by 1917 in Tamil by Kovilur saints and others. But do we ever care for our real history? If we do then it is great.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Tea with the giants...

 Let's have some tea with the giants. May not be in the 'giantly' way, but we with whatever little cups we take along.

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'

*

People are wondering, 'can a single man write so much? is he one author or many called by the same name?' All such bewilderment is meaningless. For one Vyasa, you are thinking like that. What about such persons of extensive calibre, not one but many down the time? Some persons write one or two books in their lifetime. But some write not one or two, but libraries of books. Occasions have been many even till our own time. Otherwise how can you explain a Ganganatha Jha? Do you know what he has produced?

A scholar who has translated into English the tough commentary of Logic, Vatsyayana's Nyaya Bhashya. And he has written his own commentary. In our scale, simply a job of lifetime. Even this alone.

And again he has translated that still more tough and dry commentary of Purva Mimamsa, Sabara Bhashya. In my scale it is a job of two lifetimes. Not only that. There is a commentary on Sabara Bhashya by Kumarila Bhatta. One commentary? Nay but two. Slokavartika and Tantravartika. All these are running into more than 1000 pages 1500 pages or 2000 pages when translated and put into printed pages. Can you imagine the tediousness of translating, that too from a highly technical treatise in Sanskrit? It is a real challenge to your powers of imagination.

The giant is not satisfied with doing all these immense jobs. He has translated Manusmriti with commentaries in five volumes. And of course he has also translated Yoga Sastra with its commentary. And there is another book, Buddhist, Tattva Sangraham by Santarakshita with the commentary of Kamalasila. Our G Jha has translated the whole text and commentary into English in two volumes, all more than 1500 pages. And Chandogya Upanishad with the commentary of Sankara translated. I am trying to list only what comes to my mind. There are many more.

In addition to all these herculean tasks, our 'Vyasa' has written a lot of original treatises, which are superb and sine qua non. Books like Purva Mimamsa in its original Sources, Sources of Hindu Law, Prabhakara School of Purva Mimamsa and again many more.

In addition, yea, in addition to all these, he has edited innumerable texts. And not to speak of hundreds of articles written for scholarly journals.

As for me, Vyasa has always been a Present Tense in our history. And perhaps hopefully will remain so for ever.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Preface to Grace?

 We are familiar with 'preface'. 'Preface' is really what bridges the familiar to the non-familiar. It should not replace the non-familiar and it should just remain only the familiar alone but create a space in the expectations of the would-be reader to house the unknown at least temporarily. Any 'preface' which does this well adorns the main opus and is a sine qua non of any serious and meaningful composition. Do only the works which are structured with intentions, do only such alone need 'preface'? Or have we ever come across a natural event in need of any kind of 'preface'? But take the case of 'blossoming of flowers'. Is not the aroma a kind of preface? Or the twilights the foreword and the afterword of the daily solar magnum opus? Anyhow 'preface' has been thought in some such vein, if not so elaborately as we have prefaced by our 'buddy's in the past.

Preface and Grace. What connection is there between these two?

Preface introduces a book that follows. Grace introduces you to the God who follows. That is, before you are about to get realisation of God, Grace of God ccomes prior to that and prepares you for the great moment.

Preface comes to your level and takes you to the level of the book. In the same way Grace comes to your level and takes you to God's level.

This point is used as a simile by the author of Maran Alankaram, Thirukkurukur Perumal Kavirayar. Maran Alankaram is an old Tamil book about structural beauties and embellishments of a composition, mostly in verse. We can say it is an old form of structural literary theory in Tamil. In that book the author wants to impress on the minds of readers the necessity of a preface in any work. Any work big or small should be having a preface to facilitate the understanding of those who study the work. There in that work he says

'Just like literary features of any poem

And like truthfulness in the words of those who are well-read and clear in their understanding

Just like Grace which suits the God Narayana

So is apt and a must, a preface for any real book.'

பாவிற்கு அணிபோல்

பனுவல் தெளிவுணர்ந்தோர் நாவிற்கு வாய்மை போல்

நாரணம் ஆம் - தேவிற்கு

வாய்ந்த அருள்போல வாய்ந்ததே நூலகத்தாய்

ஏய்ந்த பொருட் பாயிரம்.’

(பாயிரம் - preface)

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

On 'poetic Justice'

 We have heard this term 'poetic justice' parleyed across very many tables, not necessarily literary and even in literary circles not necessarily in the full know of the term. Perhaps you are even thinking now while reading this, 'is there any poetic justice in what I say'. There are certain terms we know only too well to know in any clear grasp and may be 'poetic justice' is just one such.

Poetic justice is not a term which is specifically related to poetry as such. It was a phrase first coined perhaps and used by Thomas Rymer in the 17th CE. Good people must be rewarded and the bad punished, if not in reality at least in literary creations. No character portrayed as bad can be given undue good treatment by the author. This was the original sense which was ruling regarding poetic justice. But of course, this sense is highly didactic. Later the sense of twist of fate was also added to the meaning to account for naturalistic portrayals. That is the justice as available in hard reality is reflected in literary creations.

But William Shakespeare eludes all these senses in some of his characters. His was one of experimentation. He thought why not a bad fellow has a change of mind and become good. This transition also happens in reality. So his good treatment of some of his characters portrayed as bad in the beginning gave rise to a lot of criticism. 'He has flouted poetic justice!'. And also there is another sense which is more technical. That is: poetic justice has everything to do with architectonics, that is, the structural. You can't just portray a character in one way, their actions in another way, the plot in yet another way, where there is no inherent logic in the overall structure of your literary product. That lack of or presence of overhauling logic in a literary construction is the sense which I see more meaningful for the phrase 'poetic justice' whereas the other meanings of didactics, realism, twist of fate or irony have been, so to say, historical.

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Sometimes when you look at yourself

 On introspection I do find a habit or temptation in me, whatever you call it, I do read various theories, thoughts, schools and ideologies with avid and deep interest. But the 'renegade' in me is always there, clever enough to slip out when the syllabus is over. Then who is to blame when I begin to feel that life is sometimes boring. All systems are laid up with patches and no-answer-spots. Just to go through and analyze and sift, how long can it go like this? But who cares? I like this rather than getting stuck up anywhere. But the hard thing is you end up a loner in the long of the journey. Sometimes when you get company, of course, you may be getting interested with no binding. But the eternal companion is to be content in loneliness. As if this is not enough, the question of reason vs faith has been always intriguing me and the altercation does not end even when I make it reason 'and' faith. But no regrets and never complaining, I like this tussle.

Sometimes what others tell about you may prove convenient and you may be all the more wise to just let it go. Some years back when I was deep into the studies of Sri Vaishnavism as part of my personal interests, I used to hear one stanza from SriSri Manavala Mamunigal often mentioned as some kind of a dig at me or perhaps I imagined so. Once when that stanza which talks about astika, nastika, astika-nastika, I was stealing their show by openly saying that that stanza very beautifully explains me. People who were quoting the said stanza were nonplussed and explained why they were quoting that stanza in that context. Only then I understood the full import of that stanza and Periya Jeeyar was referring to people who were astikas yet not convinced about the unique and singular way of Prapatthi, by the term astika-nastika. Of course it tallys with another Word or Saying anthologized in Varthamalai, viz., one can be a nastik or a prapanna; no interim stage is possible. Let it rest. It is a theological nuance of Sri Vaishnavaite path. But for our reference it does serve well to denote people who are interested in religious ideas and never subscribe to any path as commitment. And any well-meaning person will not like to show oneself as what one is not. And also every time you cannot be floating disclaimers about yourself and sometimes what others tell of you may prove handy, just to let it go at that. Just casual recaps over the tea. Is there a word like 'tea-teller'?

Srirangam Mohanarangan

***

Sri Ramana Maharishi and my father

 Sri Ramana Maharishi, I came to know when I was a boy through the book of Sri Ramana Vijayam, written by Yogi Suddhanandha Bharathi in Tamil. Excellent photos of Bhagavan and the Arunachala Hills and caves were enchanting to the eyes and engaging the mind. In the front even Yogi's photo was such an aura.

Invariably, all spiritual personages were given those days in books, a circular-light background to the head. So in the school days, the natural idea was spirituality means something fantastic, suffusing with brilliance, light and rays. It was more optical and luminary. After reading epic-like narrations of Yogi about Maharishi it added all the more to the irradiance. Even now Yogi's 'language' is unforgettable. And that too, appended by my father's memory of meeting Bhagavan, added still more to the depth of the event of my getting introduced to the Ramana's loka. My father Mr R Venugopal, used to have a photo of himself acting the part of Prince of Morocco from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, , where the still portrays the moment of the dialogue -- "Hey pluck the young sucking-cubs from the she-bear"- when he was showing the action of gripped right fist across his chest, along his left eye.

I asked him one day, 'why do you keep this photo always in your purse?' Then he was telling it carries a story, associated with Sri Ramana Maharishi. I was all eager and babbled out - 'have you seen him? did you talk to him? what did he say? what did you ask?'

My father was saying, "cool boy cool. There was no talk and questions. Once I went to the Hills to have his Darshan. First day it didn't click. Second day I tried, thinking, if not that time then to return back home, visiting temples. Fortunately I found entry among the devotees sitting in front. It was uniquely calm to watch him and just sit there. For some purpose, I took out my purse to take or place something there. Perhaps Bhagavan was seeing that, I do not know. This photo, a still of the just-staged play, I was keeping it there. He asked for the photo and stared at it for a moment. Then doing the same action in the photo by folding his fist and looking at me, he returned it. I consider this as his blessing and am keeping it as the sacred memory."

Srirangam Mohanarangan

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