Serve All

I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Never fear. Whenever you are in distress, say to yourself, 'I have a mother.

Sarada Devi

My mind travels back to my last visit to the first shrine at Sri Ramakrishna Math. It was about a month back. Don't recollect the exact date. Realize how important it's to document. Documentation is a buzz word in accounting circle. Also how true it was when a senior said, "Record, note down. ...your mind is not a computer.'  With reverence I quoted John F Kennedy, "Man is super computer'.  Sad fact is it fails to remember the chronology, though it can.

As I came down the stairs from the First floor sanctum, the first thing that fell on my eyes was the above quote of the Ma Sarada Devi. It was written on the girder backing the celing.

Mind has a wonder. It maps, connects dots.

The story, which I read leisurely this morning in Dinamalar, here has a resonance to the above quote of Ma Sarada Devi.

Well over to the article in Dinamalar today:

Maha Swamy always emphasizes how essential it is to live the way our Sastras codify.  Blaming practical life situation today, we aren't in a position to follow the same in its entirety.  This triggers some kind of lurking sense of guilt.

In 1962,, Maha Swamy was staying at Mundiyambakkam Village in Tiruvarur District. He stayed there for His satur madya vratam. That time, Dr Ramamurthy, resident of that village asked Maha Swamy, " Being born as a Bhramin, I wear my sacred thread, do Sandyavanthan.  But other dharmas which a Bhramin is supposed to do, I don't. What punishment will I get for this omission?".

Maha Swami is soul saver. Will one not get a remedy? Maha Swami answered the Doctor, "while rendering your medical service, never differentiate like poor, rich..a thief, dacoit. Let your service be akin to all types of patients. Never refuse your service based on caste, religious difference.  And just accept how much a patient can give."

What a sagely advice! Never give thrust for money. And service be your motto.

This conversation became life changer for the twenty eight old Doctor then in 1962.  Now Dr Ramamurthy is 88. Maha Swami's words were Maha Mantra. 

May we feel happy we are living contemporaries and wish and pray all good to Dr Ramamurthy and his family.

These days post 60, not a single day passes without reading a good thought, listening some soul enlivining good, all of Maha Swami and His Shresta devotees.  This softens and lightens any heaviness.

Hara Hara Sankara.

 

tat tvam asi - Who am I?

தன்னைத் தான் அறியும்

ஆன்ம விசாரம்.

தான் ஒரு

தேஹமா,

மனதா,

அன்றி புத்தியா?

எல்லாம் கடந்த நிலையா?

இன்பமும்

துன்பமும்

யாதொன்றும்

செய்யா

பேரானந்த ஆன்ம நிலையான

நிலை.

See who the Seer is.

tat tvam asi -

Thou art that.

- Chandogya Upanishad (c. 600 BCE)

.

மனோ நிலை

When I post Bhagavan's messages, most of them are forwards in English. Couple of friends, fond of Bhagavan, said, "we are happy to see Bhagavan's face full of Tejas, but it would be nice if you could parallelly give the Tamil version of the message".

Thus began my challenge.

On one hand the fear that would I present it in Tamil exactly as it is. Hence it's just humble trial only. With pranams to Bhagavan, I shall try to present the  essence as far the  best possible way. Thank You.

Today's:

ஸாத்விக் மனம் - சஞ்சலமற்ற மனோ நிலை

ரஜஸிக் - அலை பாய்கிற மனோ நிலை.

ஸாத்வீகமான மனம் ஓர் நிலையில் - அமைதியாய், சஞ்சலமற்ற - (இறைத்) தன்வயமே  இருக்கும்.

கடலின் மேற்பரப்பில் அலைகள் குமிழ் குமிழ்களாய் தத்தளிக்கும். சஞ்சல மனோ நிலை.

குமிழ்கள் உள் நோக்கி செல்கையில், அளவு சிறிது சிறிதாய், சிறிது சிறிதாய், ஓர் நிலையில்,  இரண்டற தன் வய ஆன்ம, - சஞ்சலமற்ற - பேரானந்த (blissful) நிலையிலேயே ஆழ்ந்திருக்கும். 

Sanatan Dharma

When someone finds fault with us, we feel sad. And also angry. This - thought of the hurt - keeps rippling for a few days. See, nowadays a few derive pleasure out of finding fault with the value systems, our culture, tradition and good conducts handed down to us by Rishis. Irony is we are indifferent to such hurt hurlers.  Why?...the reason is lack of knowledge of Hindu Religion.

The name, Sanatan Dharm itself is a puzzle to many of us. What began with the emergence of the world, stays, remains and will be forever is Sanatan Dharm.

It's eternal, Swami Omkarananda cites, a ceaseless value system.  The system to enable humanity to live a good life, lead good conduct is this Sanatan Dharma. The same way, Maha Swami says, to identify our Religion out of many others in the world, we call our Sanatan Dharma as Hindu.

What's made up of good conduct? -

Not to speak lie,

Not to speak ill of someone, especially the latter is not around,

Not hurting anyone.

Etc.

To sum it up and say straight is Sanatan Dharm is the guide for living a good life.

When every other Religion made entry here, each one had its unique name. Alas! We didn't have one. The English who invaded thought it expedient to christen our Religion. Thus, the baptizing of ours as Hindu Religion.

Bhagavan Adi Sankara brought in a prayer system, in which He combined the prayers for six Deities, viz.,

Vinayaga - Maha Ganapati 

Murugan - Subramanya

Easwar - Lord Shiv

Parvati - Maha Shakthi

Vishnu 

Surya - Sun God.

When there are two men with the same name, say 

Sivaraman, lest we confuse, we would find a way to differentiate each Sivaraman. One living in the first floor and the other in the ground floor.

Under the Karmic bondage, human life subject to be born again and again until one reaches the ultimate divinity.  To shed the still lurking animalistic impetuosities and lead a life full of love and compassion, the Sanatan Dharma shows the way.

Sanatan Dharm is not just the way of worship.

But, it's guiding us in every inch of our practical life, yes,...

It shows how of all,

How to take bath,

How to eat

How to live cohesively as a society, community

How to earn in righteous manner.

It's a duty to realize, experience all the riches of Sanatan Dharm and pass on this legacy to posterities.

Sanatan Dharma is not just about human well being. It encompasses all creatures, species. Thirugnanasambandar, 7th century poet who sang in praise of Lord Shiva writes, வையகமும் துயர் தீர்கவே - meaning may the world be free of all strife. Another poet, தாயுமானவர் writes, ' எல்லோரும் இன்புற்றிருக்க நினைப்பதுவே அல்லாமல் வேறொன்று அறியேன் பராபரமே ' - meaning my only thought is that all should be happy and nothing else. Yet another sage and poet, Kachiappa Sivachariyar sings, ' குறைவிலாது உயிர்கள் வாழ்க' - let all creatures live fulfilly. Ramalinga Vallalar expresses His compassion, ' வாடிய பயிரைக் கண்ட போதெல்லாம் வாடினேன்' -  he couldn't stand the sight of plant dehydrating. They all reaffirm their staunch faith in Sanatan Dharma.

Let's wrap praying

Loka samasta sukino Bhava.

लोकः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु

May All be Happy and live a healthy life.

P.s. a humble trial to get an English version of beloved Ilakkiya Megan Srinivasan 's series on the subject - Part 1 - ஆன்மீக மலர் - தினமலர் 22 Sep 2023.

விநாயகர் துதி

அல்லல் போம் வல்வினை போம்

அன்னை வயிற்றில் பிறந்த தொல்லைபோம்

போகாத் துயரம் போம் - நல்ல

குணம் அதிகமாம் அருணைக் கோபுரத்துள் மேவும்

கணபதியைக் கைத்தொழுதக் கால்.

- விவேக சிந்தாமணி

Tiruvannamalai has the magnet.

Magnet to attract all Seekers -

Bhagavan Ramana, on hearing the

Name Arunachala, 

The Lord ruling here, 

Craved to reach this holy kshetra.

The beginning of clarity

Starts the moment you

Put your first step

Inside the Mahadwara -

Skyward Tower -

கோபுரம்.

கோபுர தரிசனம் கோடி புண்ணியம்.

When you look at the top kalasa,

You go into yoga.

It's not just worship -

But an activation of neck movement.

Neck gets a good excercise.

As any good beginning starts 

With obeisance to Vigna Vinayaga,

The Lord blesses you from the

Wall on the left side

As you walk into the

Mahadwara.

This psalm is an offering

To the Lord Vinayaga here in

This Tower.

One can see how Puranic is

This Temple.

Also how far back this song

Was written. The beauty of விவேக சிந்தாமணி is we still do not know who the Author is. There were plethora of commentaries - பாஷயங்கள்.

As is the case with Vedas.

Well,

The Human soul seeks liberation -

Liberation from all our

Karmic - Karma of past, present and karma hereafter.

This very song is to liberate.

Liberation from 

அல்லல் - all troubles paining us;

அன்னை வயிற்றில் பிறந்த துன்பம் - the unbearable pain we gave when our Mothers went through to deliver us;

And May Lord Maha Ganapati enhance all our good deeds.

Om Ganapataye Namaha.

- 

Bhagavan arrives ................at His Abode....

The day:

01^st September, 1896.

 

Bhagavan arrives….

At His Abode ………

Abode of the Father

Lord Shiva,

Arunachala in

Tiruvannamalai.

 

The space that

Stretches its

Compassionate arms to

Welcome and embrace

All Souls

Soaking in Bliss

And radiating

The same effulgence.

 

Any one in its

Radar

Could feel

Lightened of all

One’s burden,

Burden of

Karma.

 

The touchdown space

Now is

Bhagavan’s Abode,

His Ashram.

May all be Blessed,

Bhagavan

And here is,

Bhagavan,

Your own gift of

Soulful saying,

Nay, it’s not a

Saying;

But an Empowerment.

Empowering a

Sincere seeker –

A Devotee –

To Seek.

Over to Bhagavan:

 

Bhagavan on

Characteristics of a jnani –

An Enlightened Soul:

 

“They are described in books, such as the Bhagavad Gita,

But we must bear in mind that

The jnani’s state is one

Which transcends the MIND.

It – the characteristics of a jnani –

Can not be described by the MIND.

Only SILENCE can correctly

Describe this State and

Characteristics –

Characteristics of a jnani.

SILENCE is more effective

Than SPEECH.

So if SPEECH is effective,

How much more effective

Must be its original

SOURCE –

Source beyond,

Transcending MIND.”

 ஓம் நமோ பகவதே ஸ்ரீரமணாய!