GEMS of Truth shine in all religions

    “Awake in God true saints effect changes in this dream world by means of a will harmoniously attuned to the Creative Cosmic Dreamer.” So presents Paramahamsa YOgAnanda. Once the Persian mystic Abu said, “A true man is he who dwells in righteousness among his fellowmen, who may buy and sell, yet is never for an instant forgetful of god.” This remark he passed after his gentle scorn about certain fakirs feeling proud of their miraculous powers, over elements like air, water and space.” Birds too fly in the air; devil is simultaneously present in the East and the West! “ says Abu. He tries to stress that one should not miss the chiseled out goal, soul’s reach out close to God, because of any other worthless diversion. Constant thought of God, the creator, under 365x24x60x60 seconds schedule all through one’s life, should be the backdrop behind all transactions. The Persian mystic Abu, simply flags brightly love for God and submerges any other value as worthless.

     “KALi-represents, eternal principle in nature that boils down to essential duality of matter or creation.” A saint whom Sri YOgAnandaji met while he was silently standing beforethe KaLi image, at a KALi temple. This saint is known as A Perfume saint. His statements are worth reflection. He observes, “True self analysis mathematically operates to produce seers.”

     In the life of Sri Paramahamsa YOgAnanda, even before his birth, from the very conception it was the great Guru-Sri LAhiri MahAsayA, who had directed that this child Mukunda (4^th child in the family) was to become a great Yogi Who will work out the salvation of souls in great masses across, from the worldly life to Higher planes of existence.  So because of the divine momentum that lead him aloft, he felt a detachment to his family. The boy Mukunda had just completed his high school studies. When his mother died Mukunda felt is as his greatest loss. He did feel deeply affectionate towards his 2 younger brothers and his youngest sister. Divine forces take their course for better good for himself and that the boy Mukunda blossoming as a Yogi was the Divine plan. That divine launch goes picking up it’s own orbit. HIS OWN DETACHMENT TAKES Mukunda by surprise. Mukunda expresses his own mental frame clearly thus:- “All attachment disappeared; My resolution to seek god as the Friend of Friends became adamantine.” Father, brothers and sisters were disressed.

     Mukunda takes leave from his family with an assures, affectionate positive note, thus:- “Revered father, how can I tell my love for you? But even greater is my love for the Heavenly Father, who has given me the gift of a perfect father on earth. Let me go, that I someday return with a more divine understanding.”

     Alongside the Yogi enlightens us with the love of a true Guru. He pours the flood light of the shastras, for us to reflect and reach the shore of wisdom. (P84-F.N.A.Y.)

    Hindu scriptures teach that family attachment is delusive if it prevents the devotee from seeking the giver of all boons, including the one of loving relatives, not to mention life itself. Jesus similarly taught:-“He that loveth father or mother more than ‘ME’ is not worthy of ‘ME’._Mathew 10:37(Bible).

     Saints of all religions have attained God realization through the simple concept of the Cosmic beloved. Because the Absolute is nirgunau, “without qualities” and achinthya, “inconceivable” human thought and yearning have ever personalized It as the Universal Mother.A combination of personal theism and the philosophy of the Absolute is an ancient achievement of the Hindu thought, expounded in the Vedas and the Bhagavad- Geetha. This “reconciliation of the opposites” satisfies the heart and the head: bhakthi (devotion) and gnana(wisdom) are essentially one. Prapatti, “taking refuge” in God and SharaNAgati, “flinging oneself on the Divine Compassion,” are really paths of the highest knowledge.

     The humility of Master Mahasaya and of all other saints springs from a recognition of their total dependence (seshatva) on the Lord as the sole Life and Judge. Because the very nature of God is Bliss, the man in attunement with Him Experiences a native boundless joy. “The first of the passions of the soul and the will is joy.”

     Sir Francis Young husband (Atlantic Monthly, Dec.1936) told of his own experience of cosmic joy: ”There came upon me what was far more than elation or exhilaration; I was beside myself with an intensity of joy, and with this indescribable and almost unbearable joy came a revelation of the essential goodness of the world. I was convinced past all refutation that men at heart were good, that the evil in them was the superficial.”      

     “Man has in him 2 levels of consciousness. The subconscious mind, then superconsciousness; the latter in it’s grandeur is the exact opposite of the subconscious mind as conceived of by Freud; super consciousness comprises the faculties that make man really man and not just a super-animal.” Professor Jules-Bois of Sorbonne said in 1928 that French psychologists have investigated and accorded recognition to the superconsciousness. All these along the steps of the ladder of evolution of Life and evolution of Mankind. Scientific advancement is trying to keep pace with philosophy. The French Savant explained that “philosophy had long back recognized the existence of a superconsciousness, being the Over-Soul spoken of by Emerson; but only recently has it been recognized scientifically”. (p.58,59-Foot  Notes, Of The Autobiography of a Yogi)

      In “The Over-Soul”, Emerson wrote: “A man is the façade of a temple wherein all wisdom and all good abide. What we commonly call man, the eating, drinking, planting, counting man, does not, as we know him, represent himself, but misrepresents himself. Him we do not respect; but the soul, whose organ he is , would he let it appear through his actions, would make our knees bend…….We lie open on one side to the deeps of spiritual nature, to all the attributes of God.” (P.58, 59-Foot notes of The Autobiography of a Yogi)

     Kebalananda (otherwise called as Master MahAsayA) was fortunate enough to stay with Sri LAhiri MahAsaya for 10 years. How a dedicated devotee of a True Guru was benefited, can be understood through the experience expressed by Master MahAsayA. “ To be with him, even without exchanging a word for days, was experience that changed my entire being. The master was a living temple of god, whose secret doors were open to all disciples through devotion.”(P.35,36-A.Y.)

     “LAhiri MahAsaya was no bookish interpreter of the scriptures. Effortlessly he dipped into the ‘Divine Library’. Foam of words and spray of thoughts gushed from the fountain of his omniscience. He had the wondrous clavis that unlocked the profound philosophical science hidden ages ago in the Vedas.”(P.36)

     Over 100 canonical books of the ancient four Vedas are extant. In his journal Emerson paid this tribute to vedic thought: “It is sublime as heat and night and a breathless ocean. It contains every religious sentiment, all the grand ethics which visit in turn each noble poetic mind…..It is of no use to put away the book; if I trust myself in the woods or in a boat upon the pond, Nature makes a Brahmin of me presently: eternal necessity, eternal compensation, unfathomable power, unbroken silence……this is her creed. Peace she saith to me, and purity and absolute abandonment- these panaceas expiate all sin and bring you to the beatitude of the Eight Gods” (P.36-F.N-A.Y.)

    

The Power of Gurus

                                                                                                         

     This subject is vast, multifaceted. I am neither qualified nor capable of handling this subject. But I just wanted to help one to gain some little bit of idea of what is what of the term “Guru”. Sri Paramahamsa YogAnanda, hails from under the line of gurus, Sri MahAvatAr BABaji and Sri Lahiri MahAsaya. Then follows Sri YuktEswar Giri who was the revered Guru of Sri Paramahamsa YOganandji. 

     As presented by Sri Paramahamsa YogAnanda in his autobiography, his own parents “were blessed with saintly nature.” By the power of providence they were blessed by Sri Lahiri MahAsaya through Abinash, a friend of  Sri Bhagabhati CharaN Gosh, YogAnandji’s father. AbinAsh was a great devotee of  Sri LAhiri MahAshayA. The parents named their son Mukunda Lal Ghosh. Later when Mukunda was initiated to SanyAsAshram, he was given  the name Paramahamsa YOgAnanda. The parents were initiated in the spiritual practice of ‘KRIYA YOGA’. More over,” the guru LAhiri MahAshayA took a definite interest in the birth of this child , Mukunda.” This fact was given as information to the Boy Mukunda, when his father’s friend AbinAsh Babu was telling the context of how memorably the two, himself and Sri Bhagabhati CharaN Ghosh, became close friends and brother disciples of the Guru, since some occasion, when they both were blessed with a vision of the great Guru.

     Now  I come to the main point to present which I had given the required basic details above. Mukunda was born on 5^th January. 1893. He was the 2^nd son and the 4^thchild, among the 8 children in the family 0f 4boys and 4 girls.  We see the boy Mukunda giving expression to his very deep love for his mother, thus”I loved Mother as my dearest friend on earth.” When Mukunda was just 11 years old, his mother passed away just before the betrothal of his eldest brother Ananthan. After 14 months, Anantha conveyed mother’s momentous message to Mukunda, which was deposited with him by mother since at the time of her death she was planning actively her first son’s betrothal at Calcutta. MukundA was at Bareily with his father. I am trying to give the very important message of deeper dimension conveyed by the mother to her son, Mukunda who became the Guru Parama Hamsa YOgAnanda in his later years.       

     The mother is relating the event with all it’s depth shining in her soul. She conveyed through Anantha, 14 months back thus about how she carried the baby Mukunda to the home of her guru         Sri LAhiri MahAsaya in BanAras. While patting the baby on hand, she was praying that the great guru take notice and bestow a blessing. The message of mother to Mukunda recorded by Ananta, runs thus:-“As my silent devotional demand grew in intensity, he opened his eyes and beckoned me to approach.

The others made a way for me; I bowed at his sacred feet. LAhiri MahAshayA, seated you on his lap, placing his hand on your forehead by way of spiritually baptizing you. ‘Little mother, thy son will be a Yogi. As a spiritual engine, he will carry many souls to God’s kingdom.’                                                            

     My heart leaped with joy to find my secret prayer granted by the ‘OMNISCIANT’ Guru. Shortly before      

Your birth, he had told me you would follow his path”

      I have taken only a little bit of the mother’s message just to give an idea about the perfection  that pervades the field of spirituality and the divine operations. The entire network of Divine functions that come into play, are amazingly wonderful.  Unless and until one develops ones inner faith to grow, expand, and ripe into devotion we should only leave the spiritual field to function along, without meddling it with our poorly equipped clownish intellect. We were trying to understand the power of Guru-disciple, relationship and it’s major role in the evolution of jeevAthmA.                                           

SAdhu Sangam. Association with great souls who had worked out God realization.

     “The books are mere faggots, it is the Guru and the SAdhus whose contact gives the igniting spark.” This is a truth equal to a bullet shot for many of us, who try to acquire knowledge just by getting a text-book, going through it with real enthusiasm. The above cited quotation is from the book ‘The Spiritual Heritage of ThyAgarAjA’. Herein ‘An introductory Thesis' by Dr.V.RAghavan gives enlightening guidance to enjoy the real, actual frames of mind of the devotee Sri ThyAgarAja swAmigaL. The devotee expresses his adoration, intimate discussions, feeling of desolation, representations, elation with joy of experiencing RAma’s grace etc. SwAmigaL shared his moods of joy, his sympathy with those who have not chosen the dhArmic way of life which alone is capable of awarding ‘Athma-udhdharaNam’ uplifting the soul to higher and higher planes of evolution. 
At the social level we feel sympathy for people who miss the opportunity of education, who live not realizing the value of health, cleanliness and the looming social damage because of poverty etc. At the spiritual level SwamigaL realized the dangers of being evil minded, robbing, killing, being greedy etc all of which submerge the human soul in a mire of sins. As a result we have no choice but to take a birth or chain of births. Our awareness as well as understanding of this problem is quite poor, because none of those aspects fall within the field of our sense perceptions. And that is today's unfortunate reality!

     Now we will go through the enlightening meaning of the Kruthi, “Buddhi rAdhu buddhi rAdhu pEddhala shuddhulu vinaka” by swAmigaL, in the Raga shankarAbaraNam. (p.32 of the “Text and Translation “- section of the book , “The spiritual Heritage ofThyAgarAjA”.

  P.-Buddhi RAdu buddhi rAdu pEddala shuddhulu vinaka                         (Bu)                                
In the pallavi Sri SwAmigal clearly vouches,”One cannot hope that true wisdom will ever dawn unless and until one is inspired by the words of the great saints”.
In the anu pallavi and 3 charaNams, swAmigal clearly guides us further so that we do not undertake any fruitless efforts under some or other misconceptions.

A.P.-Buddhi radu buddhi rAdhu-bUri vidhyalanErchina                                                                (Bu)

Ch.1.DhAnyadhanamula chEta dharma mEntayu jEsina

          NAnyachittha bakthula vAgamruta pAnamu sEyaka                                                            (Bu)

 A.P.     Just mastering all the great branches of learning one will not secure wisdom.

 Ch.1.One may do any amount of charity with grains and money. Certainly he will not secure wisdom.

          Only if one drinks the nectar of the speech of the single minded devotees one will be blessed with true wisdom.  

Ch.2.Manaka BAgavathAdi RAmA-yaNamula jadivina

          MAnushAvatAracharita-marmagnyalu jatagoodaka                                                               (Bu)

Ch.3.Yogamu labyasinchina bOgamulentO  galigini

          ThyAgarAjanuthudau RamadAsula chElimi sEyaka             (Bu)                 

     2. Though one may have read RamAyaNa, BAgavata and other purANAs ceaselessly, he will have wisdom only if he associates with those who have the knowledge of the significance of the avatars in human form.

     3.Even though one may have practiced Yogas and even if one has secured all enjoyments, he must successfully gain the friendship of devotees of RAmA to have access to wisdom.

ThyagarAja swAmigal clearly points out that to yearn for wisdom one must gain the qualifications to deserve that yearning. It, that is true wisdom cannot be had for the asking, like any other commodity.

Our swAmigal clearly reveals that the lore of those ‘MahAthmAs’ who were awarded god realization had dedicatedly chosen that differently difficult spiritual highway, and have succeeded. They are all under the direct high command of Almighty, executing the service to the humanity at large. All of them function at the hand of God Almighty as simple , sincere ‘INSTRUMENTS’. Perennial love for humanity, and service to humanity are the blessing showered on those great souls.

It is my bounden duty to lay stress on 2 aspects. 
1. Each one of you is free to reflect upon whatever I have tried to convey. 
2. There may be some deficiency in my expression of what I wanted to convey by thought. 
Bearing these aspects in mind kindly proceed all by yourself to understand the taste of spirituality.We have to take our support in the golden words of the great saint MaNikkavAchakar in his adoration of ShivA, in Shiva PurANam “AvanaruLAl Avan tAL vaNangi”. Even Sri ThyAgarAja SwAmigal in many kruthis fervently prays for RamA’s boon to constantly love and adore RAmA. 

GURU

     Sri Paramahamsa YOgAnanda, in his ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ glorifies in the very first sentence, about the GURU-DISCIPLE relationship. He records thus:- ‘The characteristic features of Indian culture have long been a search for the ultimate verities and the concomitant disciple – Guru relationship.’

     To get at the frame of mind of Sri YogAnandaji, we have to try to understand the dimension of the meaning of the wonderfully adorable relationship. Not only the relationship is adorable, but the terms themselves have their individual deep and shining dimensions. The topic that swAmiji is presenting is none other than our Indian culture. None of us bharathians chose the country of our birth. It was the creator who allots the country of one’s birth. We bhArathians must be proud of our mother land. We must understand our culture, and it is the bounden duty of each one, to be proud of their motherland and her culture. Even at the Global level it is true. If only we rightly understand our culture, that itself is the foundation to be proud and for it’s glorification. No doubt about it.

       Now we will try to understand the deeper dimensions of the 2 terms, guru and sishya or disciple.

We easily understand the pair of terms like father – son, mother-child, etc. But guru, this word is loosely used in an equated manner with the term teacher. Teacher is the torch bearer at the L.K.G. level as well as Ph.D. level, no doubt about it. We will go into the.details of how guru VasishtA was functioning as the Guru of the king DasarathA.  All matters of administration, and other functions of the king take place as advised by Vasishta. VasishtA’s responsibility is to establish the 100% welfare of the king, administration, all the subjects, and must make everything function totally adhering to the dharma or codes of righteousness. There cannot be and there won’t be any complaint from any subject; even the peoples’ thoughts and actions are reinforced by the fortress of dharma. Vasishta will not hesitate to point out any transgression of dharma in the kingdom by the king or subjects.

        In our ordinary life, the teachers’ responsibility starts and ends with teaching the subject, help the student to go to the next higher level in education. But a guru’s responsibility towards his disciples, spreads over cleanliness, food requirements, health education, good manners, excellence in studies, living dhArmic way of life and unfailingly workout the welfare of the soul of the disciple/disciples. By welfare of the soul, it is meant up to the disciples’ inner choice to pursue the search for Brahman or enter ‘grahasthAshrama’-way of life as prescribed by the codes of dharma. All these are the underlying currents of protection of society, individual, country and people at large. So much of responsibility is  handled and executed by the guru-disciple unit, which was the very pillar of the social structure for unknown ages in the human evolution. Even right from ages along the cycle of the wheel of ‘Time’, this pillar of guru-disciple contributed and maintained human welfare.

        Without having an iota of understanding about reinforcement power of social welfare and even the pivot of human life this worthy limb of Guru-disciple unit,if some play drama or film or story book purely exploits for easy benefit of attraction, name and fame byproducts, misuse those terms guru-sishya, will it not pain many, many honest sincere souls for the scant respect being exhibited by pitiable social limbs? More over it also trumpets the very poor understanding of the roots of our cultural base, which  is by itself the very first crime. Next comes the crime of misuse of a highly laudable field- specific, spiritual life-oriented terms, occurring in our age old epics, purANas, Upanishads and spiritual literature. It is just a streamline of thought to help all of us to educate ourselves as to how to give respect to the spiritual lore which were followed with complete dedication by our own great grandparents, till 8 generations before. Our own great grandparents will surely  guide us and lead us towards the a golden period.          

Thannai maRandu sakala ulaginaiyum

The thought of saints always won my deep respect and unquenching thirst  to learn more about their life, thoughts, ideals as well experiences in their lives. They poured out through their souls what they learnt, studied, reflected on their own through their linguistic expressions embellished as poems or in prose forms or as music categories. Whatever forms, in whichever language their souls’ outflow were clothed, all were showered by the grace of that one Almighty or the Supreme Being.  

                   But we should not fail to remember that neither God Almighty nor those great saints, saint poets, saint singers ever bothered about humanity having belief in them or having trust in their  words and actions, or not. A good worthy doctor, whose only concern is patient’s welfare and cure of his disease, does not bother about the patient’s trust in himself or the medicine. He is determined in his ideal to do his duty to treat his patient and work out his well being.

                   We must definitely try to grasp the personality or the inner being of a saint. A true saint is far, far away from I-ness (Ego) and mine-ness.The saints’ age old Love for God has undergone the metamorphosis of out flowing love towards the entire creation. All that they are conscious of is nothing beyond ‘THE WELL BEING OF  THE ENTIRE CREATION, WITHOUT MISSING EVEN an IOTA’. At this juncture, I am not able to resist my desire to convey, to share the most enlightening statements by some 2 great souls.

What a saint/A mahAthma can award no one can say.If a saint happens to pass by A dead body on it’s last journey, and he thinks” may this soul attain salvation!”, that fortunate soul will never be born again.      
In his “Entharo mahAnub avulu….” the saint appreciates the different saint lore , who by their nectarine grace dripping look will mount the welfare of the whole world, and salutes all of them saying”Andhriki vandanamu”.

When I wanted to share some wonderful thoughts of MahA kavi Sri Subramanya Barathiyar, I had to prepare the grounds for us to have the right frame of mind to take that poet’s spirit of thoughts.                                

Source: http://www.mahakavibharathiyar.info/kavithaigal/poem165.htm

MahA shakthi VeNbA.(ThoththirappAdalgaL)

1. Thannai maRandu sakala ulaginaiyum       

Manna nitham kAkkung mahAshakthi-Annai

    avaLE thuNaiyenRu anavaradam nenjam
    ThuvaLAdiruththal sukam.
2. NenjiRkavalai nithamum payirAkki,                    

     Anji Uyir VAzdal aRiyAmai:-thanjamendre
 VaiyamellAng kAkkum MahAshakthi nallaruLai            

    IyamaRap patRalRivu.
3. Vaiyagaththukkillai! manamE ninaikkunalanj
Cheyyak karudiyilai cheppuvEn_poyyillai               

   EllAr purakkum IRainamaiyung kAkkumendRa
Chollal aziyum thuyar.
4.ENNiR kadangamal engum parandanavAi                      

   ViNNiR chdargindRa meenaippaNNiyadOr                                                                

  shaktiyE nammaich chamaiththdukAN, NURANdu                                            

 Bakthiyudan VAzhum padikku. 

The Supreme divine Energy-MahAshakthi supports the entire creation. She is also known as the ‘JaganmAthA’. She functions forgetting herself. That mother is the prop of one and all, and thinking of Her the mind should never be in it’s low ebb.That is only real peace and comfort.

CultivEting fear every moment in life developing different concerns and worries while living is,utter foolishness.Simply one should surrender oneself to the glorious sun shine of the Divine grace, which had been administering, nourishing the whole creation for unknown ages in the past, and continuing in the  present,  is also going to continue the  same in future for unknown ages to come. One should simply surrender completely, throwing away reservation of any colour, like the new born babe under the care of it’s mother. Yes it is difficult to believe, but that is what is expected of us. So inculcate those great souls  who kept themselves away from what we all normally pursue and loose ourselves.Our strong hold is that true and sincere unflinching faith in Her motherly care. Entrusting our whole being to Her loving care is real wisdom says MahAkavi BhArathiyAr.

In this 3^rd stanza of this poetry BhArathy addresses his own mind and advises his mind thus:- 
“ManamE! (My dear mind!). I am not telling this to the people of the world. I am deeply concerned about your well being in the mind and body, and am conveying this. What I am telling is no false truth as well not a lie. That ‘IRai,-Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Divinity which cares lovingly one and All will unfailingly take care of us also, should be our thought, faith and word. That alone annihilates our fear and woes and we are just truly free..” I mean, You (my mind), and me your boss. BhArathiyAr has indicated his untold statement ”understand and do as I have advised you”.

He further elaborates his  statement thus.

”My dear mind! Do you know who created us? I tell you. 
Who ever created all those millions and trillions of stars
you see sprinkled, in the vast sky spread in the edge less space, only that same Supreme Power, unequaled as well never excelled, has created us too. Yes, it is true. 
Do also understand that It’s project stands fulfilled only, nay, if only we all live 100 years in constant love and adoration of It. We can never forget the purpose of the very project of the One Creator”.

KaruNa yElAgaNtE nii vidamE

Along the same spirit of dedication, we will look into one kruthi of sri ThyAgaraja SwAmigaL wherein the saint singer vouchsafes the blessings that stand automatically showered on a devotee of Sri RamA who realises the onenessof the ParamAthmA and  the jivAthmA. He stands on the unique platform of his own true, firsthand experience and stresses, the following truths commanded by the Upanishads.The statements of SwAmigaL in the anupallavi and the 5 charaNams glorify themselves as well as the total dedication of 
SwAmigaL at the feet of Sri RAmA.

The kruthi:-

Pallavi-

KaruNa yElAgaNtE nii vidamE; KalyANasundaraRAma!                                     (ka)

This kruthi is set in the RAgA-VarALi. I will first try to present the thought-treat in this by SwAamigaL.The staunch devotee, Sri ThyAgarAja, affirms beyond any doubt within himself, that Lord RAmA’s grace manifests itself in his devotee in the following manner:-  

Anupallavi- ParamAthmudu  jeevathmudu yokadai

varaguchuNdu bakthaparAdeenuni…………………………………………………………….(ka)

‘BakthaparAdheenuni’-is a wonderful and beautiful word that is the essence of spirituality. The Lord of the devotee’s heart comes to exist with the devotee, arrested by the ‘ananya bakthi’ undivided, single minded devotion of the Bakthas.  Examples of such devotees are there in BhAgavatham, RAMAyaNam, in shaivism, VaishNavism, shaNmathas. In MahAbAratham, Vidura, SahAdevan, Kuchelar, etc. are wonderfully interesting examples. The Lord is at the sevice of such a devotee and the divine grace manifests itself in him.

charaNam1.Anrutham badadu alpula vEdadu;

                      sunrupula kolavadu sUryuni maravadu                                              (ka)

The recipient will transact with the world with an invisible unique ID. He will not utter a lie, will not go to low people requesting help, will not serve even kings. Reinforced with RAmA’s grace, he regularly worships Sun God.

                  2.MAmsamu muttadu maduvunu drAgadu; para-

                     Himsala sEyadu yErukanu maravadu                                                    (ka)

He will not eat meat, will not drink ,will not injure others, will not give up learning.

               3.MUdeeshaNamula bAdadu, jeeva-

                Nmukthudai thirugu mudhamunu jUpudu                                              (ka)

                     4.          Vanchana sEyadu parulathO Bonkadu

                Chanchala chiththudai sowkyamu viduvadu                                          (ka)

That devotee will not have the 3 desires (for wife, wealth and projeny), will not exhibit any exultation even should he become a jivanmukta, will not prove deceitful ortrecherous, will not be fickle minded and make himself unhappy.

              5.SAkshiyani delisi yandu lakshyamu viduvadu kam-

                 Jakshuni ThyAgaraja rakshakudainavAni                                                  (ka)

He will not swerve from his aim believing full well that the Lord is eternal witness.

He understands that the lotus eyed Lord is the wholesome protector of swAmigaL.

This firsthand experience of SwAmigaL lends the unique unfailing light of Truth to the saints’ and saint singers’ proclamations.

If we, in our deep ignorance, reinforced purely by our power of senses alone, fail in harvesting the benefit of the loving guidance, by great souls like Sri ThyAgarAja swAmigaL. Time alone must come to our rescue. 

Our respect and adoration  for the great “MahAnubAvAs” like PrahlAda,  the multitude of bakthas, azvArgaL, 63NAyanmars, and others who spent their life time in the thought of god Almighty, are sure to be with us to take us in the “Bakthi MArgam”; they are ready to be ever with us to slowly tread their path.   Their love for the emancipation of each soul knows no limit. 

Sri ThyAgarAja swamigal and his devotion to Sri RAmA.

Sri ThyAgarAja swAmigal and many of his keerthanas are known and heard by many of us. There are many who enjoy listening to the kacheris of famous musicians and love to devote more time, feel satisfied in listening and learning about sangeetam, the musician, the composer and  the nuances of ragas etc. 

I never learnt sangeetham at the 'right' age. But very late in life, my interest in many of the saints automatically led me to the saint singers, their thought core and their adoration of the omnipotent Supreme Power by NAdopasana. Whatever little I tried to enjoy, I tried to understand; I love to share.

The first ThyAgaraja kruthi I heard was “Nagumomu gana leni nAjali delisi..” in the raga Aberi. The kirthanai will float in the early morning in full throated good voice with sincere devotion. I felt the meaning of the kruthy at the point where the pitch touched a high, at the words in the 3^rd line in the charaNam -

“jagamElE paramAthma! Yevari tho nE moralidudu?”

The meaning of it, I was able to understand with the frame of mind of the composer. Saint ThyAgarAja almost feels dejected at his own pitiable condtion thus:-

“Oh Lord of the whole Universe! To whom am I to appeal?”.

“Ulaganaithththayum ALbavane! En kuraiyai yAridam muRaiyiduvEn?”

When I was able to understand the meaning of that line of the composition, that moment marked the beginning of my pursuit of the devotional and the musical compositions of the many many saints and saint singers. Already I was a Sanskrit- student (Sanskrit chosen as the 2^nd language from 9^th std). With my love for the Sanskrit language, I was trying to learn all sthothras with meaning. So I began to accumulate the text and the meaning of as many as i could. Now with those treasures I added the texts, meaning of the compositions of the saint singers; I also collected the biographical details of the saints as well as that of the saint singers. Now I feel that all those efforts are worthwhile. All those peripherals had helped me a lot in enjoying the vast music-lyric field and the spirit of their inner dimensions.

Broadly speaking all saints and saint singers stand on the platforms which sprout from the roots of the Vedas, dharma shAstrAs, epics and the PurANAs. So, it is no wonder that they all award the same essence of bliss. Kindly excuse the rather long introduction which i offer in my effort to help you to share what I enjoy(ed).

PALLAVI -
Nagumomu gana lEni nA jAli delisi

Nannu brOvaga rAda! Shree RaGuvara! Nee                              (Na)   
Meaning:- Can you not realize the distress I am undergoing because of the fact that I am not privileged to see your smiling face, and that you are not blessing me.

Sree Raguvara! (The best of the kings of the dynasty of Ragu!)

Anupallavi - NagarAjadhra! Needu parivAru lElla

Ogibodana jEsEduvAralu garE? yituluNdudurE? Nee                (Na)

Meaning:- Your attendants who regularly remind you of what you have to do are not at all likely to be partial and interested. Have they forgotten their duty? You who protected one and all in Ayarpadi-Gokulam from 7 days of lashing rains holding up the mountain Govardan! (ThyAgarAja swamigal says, your attendants are good and they would not have failed to draw your attention to my distress. The reason for my distress must be something else, I think). 

Then SwAmigal brings out the possible reasons, in the first 2 lines of the charaNam.

charaNam:-KhagarAju nii yAnathi vini vEga chanalEdO?

GaganAni kilaku bahu dUram BaninAdO?

Meaning:- Does not Garuda obey your orders and act propmtly? Or does he say that

the earth is too far away for him from Vaikuntam?

JagamElla ParamAthmma!yevari thO nE moralidudhu?

Vaga chUpaku thALanu nannElu kOrA ThyAgarAjanutha!                   (Na)     

Meaning:- In these 2 lines SwamigaL addressing Sri RAmA, as The Lord of the whole world, submits to Him, ”To whom can I complain for my redressal? No more cunningness, my Dear! I cannot tolerate any more. Come and bless me. One who is adored by ThyAgarAja!”

First I would like to stress that whichever word, thought-drops, or appealing expressions draw your attention the entire credit goes to some or other of the many great scholar cum bhakthas who had composed much of the appreciative literature on bhakthi .The adoration of bhakthi, or god-love straightaway blossomed as the off shoot of saints’ and saint-singers’ soulful experiences of the Divinity Itself. 

A leading dedicated soulful musician properly stressed effacing her ego, “I have not done anything new or extra. The lore of those saints , saint singers, as well the self less lovers of the whole creation, and  God-loving children of God have all laid the High way of bhakthi  as well the welfare awarding highways for the man kind to use those Royal highways for each one’s emancipation.” 
None of us can say "I have added something new”.

The dimensions of Bhakthi and Bhakthi-mArga are vast and varied. Here we are going to enjoy the treat offered by SwAmigal, “RAMABAKTHI”. Sri SwamigaL leads one by taking one’s hand and leaves them in the L.K.G. class to learn what Bhakthi is. In his kruthi “adhi kAdu bajana, manasA!...” He demands one to be true and sincere if he sits and does bhajan. He is a hard task master and is not ready to accept lighthearted tick against bhakthi. 

The kruthi:- Pallavi-

adhi kAdhu bajana, ManasA!........................................(a)

The saint strongly objects saying it is not at all bhakthi if one does not contemplate on his heart’s deity and allows his mind to wander on sense objects. SwAmigaL reprimands his own mind, addressing it thus, ”ManasA!- Oh,Mind! You should not  wander with thirst on sense objects, without contemplating on your heart’s deity. I  don’t believe that you are doing bhajan.” That is how that great devotee of LordSri RAmA prescribed codes of bhakthi in the line of the spirit of our Vedas,the great epics,  BhAgavatha, and the PurANAs.

ThiruvaLLuvar on Truth

குறள் பால்: அறத்துப்பால். குறள் இயல்: துறவறவியல். அதிகாரம்: வாய்மை.

வாய்மை எனப்படுவது யாதெனின் யாதொன்றும் 
தீமை இலாத சொலல்.
291.Vaymai yenappaduvaduva dhiyAdenin yAdhondrun

    Theemai yiladha solal.

1.     Sathyam-Truth is that talk in which words do not cause any harm to anybody in body or in mind


பொய்மையும் வாய்மை யிடத்த புரைதீர்ந்த 
நன்மை பயக்கும் எனின்.

 292.     Poymmaiyum vAymai idaththa puraithirththa                                                              Thanmai payakku menin.                                                                                                        
If because of the untruth spoken by a man, some one happens to be

              benefitted that untruth does acquire the status  of truth itself.

       
புறள்தூய்மை நீரான் அமையும் அகந்தூய்மை 
வாய்மையால் காணப் படும்.

298.  PuRaththUymai NiirA namayu magaththUymai

             vAymamaiyAR kANappadum.                                                                                                     
Cleanliness of the body is achieved by water. (The same way) The purity of the mind(‘ULLAM’) is achieved by talking the truth.                                                              
எல்லா விளக்கும் விளக்கல்ல சான்றோர்க்குப் 
பொய்யா விளக்கே விளக்கு.

299. EllA viLakkum viLakkalla chAndrorkkup                                                                      poyyA viLakkE viLakku.                                                                                                                  

All lights which dispels darkness are not lamps. For the great souls only the        

                  “ Truth” is the bright lamp that floods light.       

ThiruvaLLuvar on Education

பொருட்பால் - அரசியல் - கல்வி

உவப்பத் தலைக்கூடி உள்ளப் பிரிதல் 
அனைத்தே புலவர் தொழில்.

394.Uvappth thalaikkUdi uLLappirida

lanaiththE pulavar thozil.

The very natural poise of a well learned, wonderfully educated scholar will only embrace pleasing manners and interaction  with one and all.Just The other must be lead to reflect, ‘when can I get the earliest opporuniy to enjoy the spring-like company of this preciously pleasant comrade?’ Only this is prescribed as his profession.  

ஒருமைக்கண் தான்கற்ற கல்வி ஒருவற்கு 
எழுமையும் ஏமாப் புடைத்து.

398.Orumaikkat tAnkatra kalvi yoruvaR

Kezumaiyu mEmAp pudaiththu.

                                                                                                                                 

If one learns rather studies in his one birth a branch of knowledge/an aspect of it, it carries over with him through all his 7 births.

    This is a gift/a boon, since the person will automatically take over his learning /study, from where he left in his previous birth. The benefit of this gift can drive into one’s  consciousness only if one is convinced about the law of life after death, as well life before death and the unit of 7 births playing it’s role in the journey of a JeevAthmA througghe the programmed 84 lakhs of births.

                                                                         

கேடில் விழுச்செல்வம் கல்வி யொருவற்கு 
மாடல்ல மற்றை யவை.

400 KEdil vizuchchelvang kalvi yoruvarku)

mAdalla matrai yavai.

       ThiruvaLLuvar has given his definition of wealth staying in his lofty spiritual frame of exploration. In the above cited kuraL he gloriously defines, that possession ,which is  indestructible, unlootable and everlasting as the best wealth. He says for one, education (kalvi) proper is the best wonderful wealth which cannot be plundered, nor is it destructible. The other forms of wealth, normally sought after by people like gold, gems, land and house are not so glorious as the best education.     

        Have 100% faith in the great soul named ThiruvaLLuvar, in his immortal “KURAL’.think deeply, how much wealth the author could have amassed if only he chose to charge 1000/-Rs. Or 100$ per each ‘KuraL’. They did not dare to touch the $ or the rupee, (even with a  pair of Tongs.)