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Book: Hindu Dharma, Written by Swami Chandrashekarendra
Saraswati |
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I could live in solitude in some village somewhere, performing puja and
meditating. For the conduct of the Matha it is not at all necessary to
have
so much money as I receive from people in the cities. In my opinion the
mathas ought to have only the minimum of strength in terms of money
and men. A large entourage and a battalion of hangers-on are not
essential to their maintenance. A matha's financial support and strength
are nothing but the quality of the individual presiding over it.
If I leave my life of solitude and come to the city it is not because
you give
me a lot of money. You have great affection and devotion for me and you
are so glad that I am present here at your request. You wanted me to
come here and you are happy that I am in your midst. This is your
business. But I have my own business, my own work, in coming to this
city . What is it?
I have come with the hope of making some arrangement according to
which Brahmins will not give up the Vedic dharma and will continue to
practise it without a break. The purpose of my being here is to ask to
prepare a scheme for the promotion of the Vedic dharma which is the
source and root of all our systems of thought and ways of life; the
scheme
must ensure that the dharma does not become extinct in this generation
itself. The Vedas which know no origin should be kept shining for ever
their original authentic form. The Brahmin must be a servant who will
keep holding up this light, this torch, to illumine all the world. This
is a
duty he cannot but perform not only for today but for the generations to
come.
"Brahmanya" or Brahminhood did not come into being for Brahmins to
lord it over others or for their own individual advancement. Its purpose
is
that the Brahmin should serve as a peon to hold up the Vedic lamp and
show the path of Vedic dharma to mankind. If I come to the cities it is
to
urge the Brahmin community there not to extinguish this lamp, for to put
out this light would be to plunge the whole world in darkness for all
time.
In the towns and cities people come to listen to me in their thousands.
So
I am able to talk directly to a large number of people. It is with this
idea in
mind that I come to the big towns though it means some detriment to the
observance of the rites associated with the Matha.
You spend a lot of money on constructing pandals in locality after
locality
for people to gather and listen to me. You come to hear my discourses in
the midst of all your problems. However, my conscience does not permit
me to give an entertaining talk without speaking to you about what is
wrong with your way of life and perhaps causing you hurt thereby. It
would serve you no purpose if I take all your money but fail to tell you
about what is good for you and the world. That is why I keep asking you
again and again to protect the Vedic tradition and to practise the
ancient
dharmas. Whether or not I will succeed, I have come here to urge you
again and again to do it.
You honour me with a "shower" of gold coins and celebrate with much
pomp the day of my installation on the Pitha. You do so because of your
great affection for me. You appoint committees, collect money and toil
day and night for the purpose. But how are we to be sure that the
acaryas
who will succeed to the Pitha in the future will also be similarly
honoured? If the Vedic dharma becomes extinct why should there be a
matha at all or a mathadhipati ( head of the matha)? So I tell you: "I
see
that you are so enthusiastic about honouring me with a shower of gold
coins to celebrate the day of my ascending the Pitha. Why don't you have
the same enthusiasm to work for the preservation of the Vedic dharma?
Why don't you appoint committees for the purpose, draw up schemes,
raise funds?
"It does not matter if you are unable to create conditions in which
Brahmins henceforth will make the pursuit of the Vedic dharma their
lifelong vocation. All I ask you is the minimum you can do, make
arrangements to impart to your children the Vedic mantras, to teach
them the scripture for at least one our a day from the time they are
eight
years old until they are eighteen. Teach them also the prayoga (the
conduct of rites). Do this on a cooperative basis in each locality. If
you
succeed in this you will have truly honoured me with a shower of gold
coins."
Nothing is achieved without effort. If we take up some work for own sake
we are ready to suffer any amount of hardship. There is a university in
a
distant land and you are told that if you take a degree from it you will
get
a very attractive job. What do you then? You get the syllabus from that
institution by post at once, manage to go and study there. Must we
abandon our dharma on the plea that its pursuit involves a great deal of
trouble? If there is trouble it means the benefits yielded will be
proportionately greater- also it should be a matter of greater pride.
I have come to give you trouble in this fashion. I wonder why I should
not
stay here and keep giving you trouble until you agree to complete the
arrangements to carry out my suggestion. After all, I have to stay
somewhere, so why not here?
It gives me joy that more and more bhajans are conducted in the towns
than before, that work connected with temples is on the increase and
that puranic discourses are given more often than before. But we must
remember that the Vedas constitute the basis of all these. If our
scripture
suffers a decline, how long will the activities based on its survive?
The
Vedas must be handed down from father to son, from generation to the
next. It is because we have forgotten this tradition that our religion
itself
has become shaky. All the trouble in the world, all the suffering and
all
the evil must be attributed to the fact that the Brahmin has forsaken
his
dharma, the Vedic dharma.
I am not worried about the system of jatis destroyed, but I am worried
about the setback to the welfare of mankind. I am also extremely
concerned about the fact that, if the Vedic tradition which has been
maintained like a chain from generation to generation is broken, it may
not be possible to create the tradition all over again.
The good arising in a subtle from the sound of the Vedas and the
performance of sacrifices is not the only benefit that constitutes
"lokaksema" or the welfare of mankind. From Vedanta are derived lofty
truths that can bring Atmic uplift to people belonging to all countries.
How did foreigners come to have an interest in our Vedanta? When they
came to India they discovered here a class of people engaged in the
practice of the Vedic dharma as a lifetime calling. They were curious to
find out in what way the Vedas were great that an entire class of people
should have dedicated themselves to them all their life. They conducted
research into these scriptures and discovered many truths including
those
pointing to the unity of the various cultures of the world.
The Vedas bring universal good. This is not all. In the beginning, in my
opinion, the Vedic culture was prevalent throughout the world. Others
also, it is likely, will arrive at the same view on a thorough inquiry
into the
subject. The fact that there is something common to all mankind should
be a source of universal happiness and it should also contribute to a
sense of harmony among the various religions. Apart from this, I feel
that
people belonging of the truths of the Vedic religion.
If a separate class of people ready to sacrifice everything for the
cause of
the Vedic tradition did not exist, how would you expect people of other
countries to become interested in this tradition? If we ourselves
discard
something that is our own, thinking it to be useless, how can we expect
others to take an interest in it? Because of our neglect we have been
guilty of denying others the benefits to be earned from the Vedas. It is
the responsibility of the present generation to ensure the continuance
of
the Vedic tradition not only for the happiness of people belonging to
all
castes in this country but for people throughout the world. Without this
task accomplished, no purpose is going to be served by honouring me
with a shower of gold coins.
Why then did I agree to the kanakabhiseka? Had I not agreed to it, would
you have gathered in such large numbers to listen to me?
To dispel the hatred, anger and bitterness that vitiate our social life
people whose duty it is to sustain the Vedic dharma must remain true to
it and set an example to others by living a life of virtue and
tranquillity.
The benefits that come from such a life may not be immediately
perceptible. What happens when there is a hartal? All shops are closed
and people have to suffer much inconvenience. Think of what will happen
when the work of preserving the Vedic dharma come to a stop? The ill
effects suffered by society will not be felt immediately but over a
period.
People then will realise the advantage of having an exclusive class that
is
devoted to Vedic learning as a lifelong mission. If you (Brahmins) alone
do
not fall in your duty, one day all the present hatred in society will be
wiped away and happiness will reign instead.
In the hoary past it was in the Tamil country that Manu lived. It was
here
that Vedic learning, Atmic enlightenment and devotion attained their
heights of glory. "Dravidesu bhurisah," they say. We had not only saints
like Tayumanavar and Pattinattar in Tamil Nadu, but also great men
belonging to other religions like Vedanayagam Pillai and Mastan Sahib
who became Vedantins because of the special quality of the Tamil soil.
The original home of the Vedas is this land. It is believed that, as the
age
of Kali comes to a close, Kalki (the tenth incarnation of Visnu) will be
born
in the Tirunelveli region of the Dravida land with the mission of
protecting
the Vedas. He will be born the son of a Brahmin who will be steadfast in
performing the duties of his birth- so it is mentioned in the Puranas.
In a
land like this there ought not to be any opposition to the Vedic dharma.
I
have come here, to this city [Madras], to remind you that Brahmins hold
the key to the Vedas, to the continuance of the Vedic tradition.
Our religion places on its followers more restraints than any other
faith
does on its, but these are meant to elevate man to his true state, to
take
him to his true destination. There are restraints to be observed by the
individual as well as by the community. Any restraint is like the
embankment of a lake or a river. If the embankments are damaged, or if
they are swept away, the whole area will be devastated. Today there are
no restraints at all in the life of the individual or of society, no
restraints
in a religion that once imposed the maximum number of restrictions on
its followers.
I go from place and keep giving discourses. I do so to keep Brahmins
under some check or restraint because they are expected to be
pathfinders for the rest of the entire society. There is a general
belief that
Brahmins are more attached to me than are others- whether or not
Brahmins themselves think so or I think so. So, if I first succeed a
little in
binding them to their dharma, I will have the strength to teach others
their dharma.
In brief, what do I ask of Brahmins? Before giving up his mortal frame,
the
Acarya composed five stanzas that contains the essence of his teachings.
I
keep telling Brahmins today what the Acarya says right at the start:
Veda
nityam adhiyatam". The same exhortation is made by the saint-poetess
Auvvaiyar. It reads almost like a Tamil translation of the words of the
Acarya- "Odamal orunalum irrukkavendam". What the Acarya says in a
positive manner ("You must chant the Vedas every day"), Auvvaiyar puts
in a negative way ("Not a single day should you pass without chanting
the
Vedas"). In Tamil the Vedas are called "Ottu". The Thirukkural has also
the
same term. The place where the Vedas worshipped Isvara is known as
Vedapuri: in Tamil it is "Tiruvottur" ("Tiru-Ottu-ur"). Vedic chanting
has
survived up till now from the time of Brahma's creation. I keep visiting
places to give people trouble and make them spend money during these
visits. I do so only to impress upon them that the chanting of the Vedas
must go on for ever.
So many thousands of you are gathered here. It is my hope that my words
will have made an impact on at least ten or twenty of my listeners and
that these ten or twenty will remember them and try to act according to
them.
It was only after people emigrated to the big towns and cities that they
found themselves compelled to lead a life contrary to the teachings of
their dharma. It is in urban centres that you see some of the worst
aspects of modern civilization. That is why I had decided not to come to
such places, preferring to stay in the villages. But people from these
urban centres insisted that I should visit them and, though I was
touched
by their affection, I was at first reluctant to accede to their request.
I told
them: "I shall come if you agree to return to our old ways of life, even
if it
be to a small extent. You need not take lessons in the Vedas all at
once.
But, as a beginning, you must adopt the external symbols of our Vedic
dharma. The peon wears a uniform, doesn't he? The Brahmin must wear
the pancakaccha and sikha. There are not symbols proclaiming his
superiority; on the contrary, they denote that he is a servant of all
other
communities, a servant of the Vedas. You must wear these symbols if you
want me to come to your city."
It was in vain that I had laid down these conditions. Perhaps there was
no
desire on the part of the Brahmins. I had spoken to change their style
of
dress or their outlook or perhaps they did not have the courage to do
it.
But they requested me again and again that I should visit them.
Eventually, I reconciled myself to accepting their invitation even
though
they had not acted on my words. "They still have some respect and
affection for me, "I told myself.”I will agree to their request and see
whether my purpose will be served if I go into their midst and speak to
them directly again. After all, what is the Matha for? It is meant for
the
welfare of the people, to cure them of their ills and turn them to the
right
path. It is my duty to speak to them again and again- whether or not
they
like it- about how in my opinion they have gone wrong".
Thus I started visiting the towns again. When people welcome me in great
joy, honour me wherever I go, decorate the roads with bunting, how can I
wound their feelings by speaking about what is wrong with them?
Everybody has problems in life. The world is plunged in turmoil and
people face all sorts of hardships. In the midst of all this they come
to me
hoping to forget their problems. Is it right for me to remind them of
their
faults? Or am I to keep everybody happy by turning my religious
discourse into an entertaining performance?
Am I to speak to people about what is good for them, what is good for
society, or am I to make them happy for the moment by making my talk a
kacceri-like performance? But there are musicians for kacceris and why
should I be invited to perform something similar? If I were to give a
kacceri-like performance for the sake of money, I would have to make the
listeners happy for the time being. But my purpose is not money. If
money comes, it is spent in feeding more than the usual number of
people, in holding assemblies of the learned, etc. The affairs of the
Matha
could be managed with the smaller amounts received in the villages.
However, an effort must be made, all the same, to speak to the entire
community of people about what is good for them, for their life. Is this
not the very purpose of the Matha?
Thinking on these lines, I came to this conclusion: "It is up to them
(the
people I am to address in the towns) to listen to me and act on my
advice.
Whether or not they like it, I will speak to them about their duties,
about
what they should do for spiritual uplift as well as for the happiness of
mankind. "I can do no more than speak to them about their duty. I have
no authority to punish them if they fail in this. Even in political
parties
which believe in the oneness and equality of all, disciplinary action is
taken against erring members- some are expelled like untouchables. I
have no authority to excommunicated anyone for any of their offences.
Nor do I ask for myself such authority to be exercised over men. The
only
right I ask for is to have the ears of people. I cannot but do what I
can dothat
is why I am here.
Sufficient it would be even if a single individual somewhere paid heed
to
my words and acted according to them. He would be the starting point in
the direction of the desired growth. Have not movements that do not
have an iota of justification behind them grown with just ten people to
start with? For a good cause also it would be enough if ten people
joined
together initially.
I keep speaking in the hope of finding such people. You must not feel
unhappy thinking that I am very much dissatisfied with you. I am not
unaware of the complexities and problems of modern life. If one is
trapped in it, I know how difficult it is to be freed from it. In the
midst of
all this, you make arrangements in a big way for kumbhabhisekas,
bhajans, discourses, etc. I am happy about it all. I feel encouraged by
it to
speak to you about that which is the very basis, the very life-breath,
of
these activities of yours. It is that of fostering the Vedic dharma.
Though there is much room for offences against the sastras in the
present
way of life and though there is cause for worry about the future. I am
reassured by certain signs that promise our well-being. Instead of
lamenting that "all is lost", the proper thing to do is to promote the
good
aspects in present-day life and to speak about what still needs to be
done. In this way those who have taken the wrong path will sooner or
later see the light and turn to the path of wisdom.
All this gives me the confidence to speak about the old ways of life and
the old customs. I do not claim that all that is old is necessarily
good. At
the same time, I feel that nothing should be rejected merely because it
is
old. An object (or deed) is to judged not on the basis of whether it is
old
or new; it is to be accepted or rejected after finding out how useful it
is.
Let us accept what is good in the new and reject what is bad in the old.
Likewise, let us reject what is bad in the new and accept what is good
in
the old. Kalidasa says the same thing.
You have invited me with much affection and treated me with much
honour. So I feel reluctant to tell you about what is bad in your
present
way of life. I have dealt with many subjects- about devotion, jnana,
culture, and so on. True, they are edifying topics. But they are all
like the
branches, flowers and fruits supported by something deeper, supported
by the root constituted by the Vedas. Nothing grows with this root,
without the Vedic tradition being nourished. It is pointless to speak
about
other matters after leaving out this vital subject. The preservation of
the
Vedic dharma is the basic service we render to our religion, and while
on
the subject, we have necessarily to do well on the drawbacks in the
present way of life. After speaking to you about other matters, about
mixing with you. I have become friends with you and I feel I could take
up
then topic of the Vedas since I feel I need not be as reluctant as I was
before in telling you about what is wrong with your way of life.
The very purpose of my visit is this. But is it proper for me to speak
about
it right at the start? Since you have done your job by honouring me and
pleasing me, I feel I can now do my job by speaking about the importance
of sustaining the Vedic way of life. I have given you so much trouble
for
this purpose and put you to a lot of expense. As if this were not
enough, I
am asking you, like Vinoba Bhave, for "sampatti-dana".
Every Brahmin must learn the Vedas and teach his sons the same.
Necessary though this is, there is something even more important to be
done as a matter of priority: it is to make sure that the schools that
teach
the Vedas (the pathasalas) which are gasping for breath as it were are
not
closed down but given new life. For this purpose both teachers and
taught must be given monetary help. More Vedic schools must also be
established not only to teach the mantras but also their meaning and to
conduct examinations. During the years of study the students must be
given a stipend. On passing their examinations they must be given
substantial awards, the amount depending upon their marks. You have to
do all this to maintain the Vedic dharma. Naturally, you need capital
for
it.
Trusts have been created for this purpose. A number of people have
made gifts of land (bhudana)- like Vinoba Bhave I too have received
bhudana. Now ceilings of landowning have come into force. It is
difficult
to foresee how the rights of landowners will be affected in the future.
That is why I am asking for sampatti-dana.
Everyone of you must put one rupee in a piggy bank every month on the
day on which your janma-naksatra falls. Think of me as you do it for,
after
all, it is I who am asking you to do it. After twelve months you must
send
the Rs 12 so collected to the Veda Raksana Nidhi. On your janmanaksatra,
the Matha will send you prasada (vibhuti-sacred asheskumkum,
mantraksata). You will be the recipient of the blessings of
Candramaulisvara if you contribute to the Veda Raksana Nidhi year after
year.
You pay taxes and spend so much on so many things. Take this contribute
to the Veda Raksana Nidhi as a tax imposed by me: pay one rupee every
month for my sake. If everyone agreed to do so, it would mean great
support to the task of preserving the Vedic dharma. The maintenance of
the Vedic tradition is uppermost in my mind and it is a duty we have to
carry our for the good of future generations.
If you ask me why the Vedic dharma must be perpetuated, the answer is
that the sound of Vedic mantras and the conduct of Vedic rites like
sacrifices will bring universal material and spiritual well-being.
Second, if
people in every country of the world are to know that the Vedic religion
was once a universal religion and, if unity and peace are to be achieved
on the basis of such awareness, there must be a class of people in our
country who will devote themselves solely to Vedic learning. I maintain
that fostering the Vedic dharma is of the utmost importance because it
will bring prosperity and inward tranquillity to people not only in our
country but all over the world.
There should not be even a single Brahmin in the next generation who
will not be able to chant the Vedas. We need the Brahmin not to exercise
authority over others, but to carry out the duty of protecting the
primordial dharma- and this not only for the unity of our land but for
the
oneness of the whole world.
How can we claim that a small group of people in this country (dedicated
to maintaining the Vedic tradition) can create happiness throughout the
world? Well, take the case of a powerhouse. Only four or five work in it
but the entire town receives light. If these four or five people do not
work, the whole town will be plunged in darkness. In the same way only a
few people are required to keep the auspicious world lamp of the Vedas
burning. My mission here is to protect somehow the seed capital
necessary for it. For the sake of this, I agreed to all the festivities
you
conducted in my honour. The chant of "Jaya-Jaya Sankara, Hara-Hara
Sankara" heard during these festivities brought so many people here to
listen to my discourses. Those who conducted the festival in my honour
must pay heed to what I wish to say. You exert yourself in many ways in
the cause of so many things. Why not to exert yourself a little for my
sake
also? You do so much for yourself: you go to your office; you have your
own pastime; and you conduct all kinds of businesses. For my sake do
this
job of protecting the Vedic dharma.
Why should I speak differentiating between you and me ["For your sake"
and "my sake"]. My work is also your work. Maintaining the Vedic
tradition is the one job that ensures the supreme good of all. Doing
this
duty means well being for you- and I shall be earning a name as a
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