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.)                                

RAma-RAvana yudhdham

Most of  us are capable of thinking about similes, at sometime or other. A situation does arise when what we are at, a scene or a thing is unique in it’s own way and deserves to be left by itself.

Yes the great, epic poet,  Valmiki encountered that state when he was describing RAma-RAvaNa yudhdham in RAmAyaNa. He presents:-

गगनं गगनाकारम् सागरम् सागरोपम:।

रामरावणयोर्युद्धम् रामरावणयोरिव ॥   

“gaganam  gaganAkAram sAgaram sAgaropamaha|

Rama-RAvaNayoryudhdham Rama-RAvaNayOriva”||

        Here Valmiki says, “ The ocean cannot be compared to anything else but the ocean itself. The same way the vast space, AkAsham can be compared only to Akasham. The battle fought, between Rama and RAvaNa stands unique and it can be compared only with itself.

       That was a battle fought according to the codes prescribed for dharma yudhdham and the ultimate goal of the battle was to uphold ‘DHARMA’ which alone can protect an individual, society as a whole and as well as the creation itself.

       ‘DHARMO RAKSHATHI RAKSHITHA:’. If at all we fight, we need fight only to protect the codes off righteousness, and this Protected DHARMA protects one and all.