14. ITIHASA- PURANA

WITH  THE  GREAT

Arunachala Hill- An awe-inspiring view.Source: Sri Ramanasramam.
Bhagavan Ramana said: This Hill is the Supreme. The ocean of Grace.
கிரி யிது  பரம். அருள் நிறைவான அமுதக் கடலே .அருணகிரி  பரமான்மா.

14. ITIHASA- PURANA

Indians follow foreign views

We have lost touch with traditional ways of understanding. We have increasingly taken to English education, and through that to foreign ideas and views on everything., with a progressive decline in our knowledge and understanding of our traditions. Colonial rule, work of Christian missionaries, Macaulay's system of education etc have all resulted in a slavish imitative mentality among educated Indians. What the white skinners do is modern for us.

One manifestation of this is in understanding our Itihas and Puranas. Most 'educated' Indians cannot distinguish between the two and  do not understand their functional and conceptual differences. For them it is all just stories.

Itihas records history, while Puranas deal with philosophical themes  through allegory, symbol and other such devices. They may be based on a core historical incident, but the treatment is not historical or realistic.

Thus, Krishna of the Mahabharata is historical. But Krishna of the Bhagavata or Harivamsa is not entirely historical. Krishna stealing the butter symbolises Bhagavan claiming our innocent hearts. The Gopis were prepared to give up everything and run after Krishna. This is ananya bhakti that Krishna teaches in the Gita.

 But we are not gopis. We are modern.We want God (if at all) with so many other things. We don't seek only God. As Francis Thompson said in The Hound of Heaven:

For, though I knew His love Who followed,
             Yet was I sore adread
Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside.

The Gopis demonstrate pure Bhakti. Narada in his Bhakti Sutras mentions only Gopis as the example of Bhakti. Krishna taking away the clothes of the Gopis also has this deeper meaning that we must rise above all worldly notions before we can 'see' God. Thus the events of the Bhagavata can be seen from an entirely different angle.

Vastraharan.From: Hare Krishna sources.

We can also realise that though this is a puranic story, this is actually happening somewhere even now. Even now, true devotees are experiencing this kind of relationship with their God.


Modern history and fiction

In course of time, historical facts have also been interpreted with a generous mixture of fiction. This happens all the time. Historical figures like a Gandhi or Kennedy, Alexander or Napoleon, Ashoka or Caesar are also surrounded by legends. Careful scrutiny of the actual archival  material will show how much of our understanding of even recent historical figures like Gandhi or Kennedy is based on fictional accounts. But we know there was a historical figure behind them!

Philosophical truths behind puranic incidents
Burning of the three cities.

Our tradition has not claimed a historical status for Puranas. Puranas say that Shiva destroyed the three 'Puras'.  முப்புரம் யெரி செய்த  அச்சிவன், in the words of Arunagirinatha. Yet, is it a historical fact? Did it happen, really? No, it is an allegorical way of dealing with a theological or philosophical concept. Here is what Tirumular says:

அப்பணி செஞ்சடை ஆதி புராதனன்
முப்புரஞ் செற்றனன்  என்பர்கள்  மூடர்கள்
முப்புரம் என்பது  மும்மல காரியம்
அப்புரம் எய்தமை யார் அறிவாரே

Tirumantram, 343

(Tirumular says here that fools say that Lord Shiva burnt the three cities. The three cities stand for the three 'malas' or impurities (a Shaivite concept). Then who knows the truth of burning of the cities?)

Thus our elders were not idiots. They knew the truth behind such puranic narrations.

Story of Arunachala

There is another legend concerning Lord Shiva. Once, He manifested as a great column of  Fire/Light. Brahma and Vishnu wanted to investigate that, and it was decided whoever found its head or foot would be the greater between them. Vishnu took the form of a boar to dig into the earth to find the feet, failed, and confessed his failure. Brahma went up in the form of the Swan to find the head, could not find it , but lied that he had found it. This is supposed to have taken place in Tiruvannamalai.This is celebrated in so many hymns of the Nayanmars. Jnanasambandha sings about it in every ninth hymn of his decads.

விளவார் கனி பட னூறிய  கடல் வண்ணனும் வேதக்
கிளர் தாமரை  மலர்மேலுரை  கேடில் புகழோனும்
அளவாவணம்  அழலாகிய  அண்ணாமலை அண்ணல்

(The Lord of Annamalai who could not be fathomed/measured  by the one with the complexion of the sea (Vishnu) and the  one with faultless fame seated on the lotus of the Veda (Brahma).)

Yet, what is the truth of this incident?

Muruganar, the famous disciple of Ramana Maharshi composed a verse revealing the truth of this.

புத்தி அஹங்காரம்  புலம்பெய்த ஓங்கும்
மத்தி இதயந்தான் மறையவனும் மாலும்
நத்த அறியாது  நலங்குலைய அன்னார்
மத்தியொளிர் அண்ணா மலையினது மெய்யே

The Self which is the centre of one's Being  cannot be reached (understood) by the Buddhi (Intelligence) or Ego. This is the truth of Brahma and Vishnu trying to find out the truth of Annamalai. (This is just the gist. More poetic or philosophical renderings are possible.)

(Incidentally, it is an established scientific fact that Tiruvannamalai is of volcanic origin of incredible antiquity. It is more ancient than the Himalayas. There is therefore sense in associating it with Fire.)

How then can it be understood?  Bhagavan Ramana composed a verse in reply to Muruganar's and he revealed the secret:

இத்தனுவே  நானாம் எனும் மதியை நீத்தப்
புத்தி இதயத்தே பொருந்தி யக நோக்கால்
அத்துவிதமா மெய் அகச்சுடர் காண்கைபூ
 மத்தி யெனும் அண்ணா மலைச்சுடர் காண் மெய்யே

One has to give up the idea that the body is the Self. (Dehatma buddhi should be given up.) Intelligence should be merged with the  (Heart)Self by an inward effort. (One should focus inward.) Then one realises that Light which is the Oneness. This is the truth of the Annamalai deepam. (This too is only the gist- a more poetic and philosophical rendering is possible.)

(Care:1. Bhagavan used the word Heart not in the sense of the physical instrument. It is the centre of one's Being, whence the "I" thought arises. This is not a matter for verbal disputation but understanding by effort, inquiry and experience. "Buddhi idayattae porundhi akanokkaal" means merging the mind in the heart. This is the very essence of Bhagavan's teaching on sadhana.For those who felt that it was difficult, he said "surrender".

 2. The 'advaita' that he states in the third line above is not to be confused with the popular academic or philosophical notions of Advaita. It is that inexpressible experience of oneness , Atmanubhava.)

Bhagavan Ramana  on the Hill. Copyright: Sri Ramanasramam.Gratefully acknowledged.

Arunachala Hill is the original linga in the whole world. All other lingas in temples are just representations of this. In fact, linga means symbol. In most Shiva temples in the south, a representation of the Annamalai legend can be seen on the outside of the Sanctum Sanctorum in the form of lingotbhava murti. Yet the academics have floated many fancy theories.

(Picture on the right :Jean Pierre Dalbera.Flickr.
Creative commons.)

Thus, we see that puranic truths have a philosophical base.Theology attempts to bridge the two, so as to make it practicable. Thus, Arunagirinatha says:

புத்தியை வாங்கி நின் பாதம்புயத்திற் புகட்டி அன்பாய்
முத்தியை வாங்க அறிகின்றிலேன்.

This is a splendid statement, read in the context of what Bhagavan Ramana said above.

Bhagavan said , merge your buddhi in the heart. (buddhi idayattae porundi) Here, Arunagiri says, place your buddhi at the feet of the Lord, and take Liberation in exchange! This is the "surrender" that Bhagavan said. We must either investigate the truth of the Self, or surrender to God the Self! Arunagirinatha is an advocate of bhakti, ஆன பய பக்தி வழிபாடு பெறு முத்தி -  so he is asking us to surrender the buddhi to the Lord. But both paths actually involve the complete giving -up of the ego.

Arunagirinatha  and the legends of Krishna

Our master Arunagirinatha has no problems with itihasa or purana. He sings about them joyously in wonderful language.

கதைகன சாபதி கிரிவளை வாளொடு கைவசி வித்தநந்த
     கோபாலம கீபன் தேவிம ...... கிழ்ந்துவாழக்

கயிறொ டுலூகல முருள வுலாவிய கள்வ னறப் பயந்து
     ஆகாயக பாலம் பீறநி ...... மிர்ந்துநீள

விதரண மாவலி வெருவ மகாவ்ருத வெள்ள வெளுக்க நின்ற
     நாராயண மாமன் சேயைமு ...... னிந்தகோவே


(வதன சரோருக)

Taken from: kaumaram.com. Gratefully acknowledged.



In this hymn, our master is relating several incidents and details relating to Krishna from the Bhagavatam.

Gadai :   the Gada called Kaumodaki

Gana chaapam  : the  strong bow called Saarngam

Thigiri          : Sudarshana chakra

Valai       :  the sankha called Panchajanya

Vaalodu    : the sword called Nandaka

Kaivasiviththa   : bearing in His hands.

Here Arunagiri has detailed the 5 weapons (Pancha Ayudham) of Vishnu, as any Alwar would have done!

Nandagopalan makeepan devi  :  Yashodha, the queen of the chief Nandagopala, 

makizhindu vaazha      :   living happily

kayirodu vulookalam vurula  :  dragging the pounding stone to which he was attached with a rope

vulaaviya kalvan  : he wandered,this thief ( he stole butter and milk)

ara bhayanthu :  causing terrible fright, on sight

aakaaya kapaalam   : the roof of the sky

peera nimirndu neela :  piercing, standing tall and straight (as he straightened up and grew tall, he pierced the sky and extended his foot beyond it )

vitharana maavali veruva : Mahabali, excelling in bestowing gifts, becoming afraid

makaavrata  : with the form of vamana brahmachari

vella velukka ninra  :  standing openly for all to see

Narayana maaman  : Narayana, your uncle

saeyai muninda kovae  : his son (Brahma) you showed your anger.

It is easy to summarise this in a few words: that Krishna carried the five weapons, that he gave happiness to his parents, that he dragged the pounding stone, that he came as Vamana. But the full beauty of the verse comes out as we pause at each word and relish how Arunagiri is enjoying his description! 

From Patan. Gujarat.
By Sudhamshu Hebbar (originally posted to Flickr as Vamana Avatar) CC BY 2.0 creativecommons via Wikimedia commons

For him. Krishna is all the Avatars. Vishnu, Narayana, Vamana- all are Krishna.  He says, Vamana stood there for all to see- and as they were seeing, he became Trivikrama! He came as one following austerities ( maha vrata). He calls Mahabali vitharana-  he was so generous in bestowing gifts.He says Vamana went on straightening and growing, so that even the sky could not contain his form. And everyone became afraid. Earlier, he gave immense pleasure to Yashdha and Nandagopa. And even when he was tied to the pounding stone, he would not stay still! 

Vamana in stamp.

As we think of each word employed bu the master, we realise he must have actually seen those events to sing so graphically. That is why we are also witnessing those scenes now!

A 10th century depiction of Vamana.
Walters Art Museum.

10. TRAVERSING THEOLOGIES

WITH  THE  GREAT

Kalyanasundara from Ellora Caves-1. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via wikimedia commons.

10. TRAVERSING THEOLOGIES

Sri Ramakrishna used to say that only a few among even the religious people can help others. He would give the example of the piece of wood that would float on the Ganga, but would sink the moment a bird like crow sat on it. Yet there were huge ships carrying many people! He would say that only the  person who got a command from God could teach others.

Phalashruti

We have a huge store of religious literature of all types. And all types of claims are made about them.Who could vouch for their effectiveness? 

Most of them contain 'phalasruti'- verses promising or claiming the benefits that would follow if those are read or recited. Consider this from the Vishnu Sahasranamam:

itīdaṁ kīrtanīyasya keśavasya mahātmanaḥ |
nāmnāṁ sahasraṁ divyānāmaśeṣeṇa prakīrtitam || 1 ||

Thus was told,
All the holy thousand names,
Of Kesava who is great. 

ya idaṁ śṛṇuyānnityaṁ yaścāpi parikīrtayet |
nāśubhaṁ prāpnuyāt kiñcit sōmutreha ca mānavaḥ || 2 ||

He who hears or sings,
It all without fail,
In all days of the year,
Will never get in to bad,
In this life and after.

( From: www.swami-krishnananda.org.)

 One is not sure who wrote them- whether the original authors themselves, or some later ones. In the South we are aware of three authorities who  made such claims.

Three Big Claims

By Thiago Santos (Child Saint Sambandar. Uplpaded by nmadhubala)CC BY-SA 2.0 creative commons via Wikimedia commons.

The first is Jnanasambandha. He is so authoritative. At the end of every decad (பதிகம்) he includes a stanza which spells out what benefits would follow. In many, such lines come in the middle too. In some he says it is by his order 

ஆணை நமதே.

 In one he has promised it in the name of the Lord:

அவ்வினைக் கிவ்வினை யாம் என்று கூறுமதரிவீர்
உய் வினை நாடாதிருப்பதும் உந்தமக்கு ஊனமன்றே
கைவினை செய்து எம்பிரான் கழல் போற்றுதும் நாம் அடியோம் 
செய்வினை வந்தெமை தீண்டப்பெறா திருனீலகண்டம்

(You people who keep saying that our present suffering is due to past karma, are you not ashamed that you do not seek a remedy? We shall engage in the worship of the Feet of our Lord, with our hands (and other faculties). In His name, I promise that our past karma will not touch us.)

Compare here what Krishna says in the Gita 9.31: Kaunteya pratijaani: na mae bhakta pranasyati. Kaunteya! Proclaim boldly that my devotee is never destroyed!

We students of Tiruppugazh know that Jnanasambandha was an Avatar of Subrahmanya and so, such authority on his part is only to be expected!



Sri Tyagaraja is our next example. In one of his kritis he says:

"bhukti mukti galgu nani keertanamu bodhinche vaadu". 

That is, he says that the good (nani) keeratanas were taught to him by Rama. And these conferred on one both worldly welfare (bhukti) and liberation (mukti).(Ika-para saubhagyam  இக பர சௌபாக்யம் in the words of Arunagirinatha).

Tyagaraja's kritis reveal an austere person who was strict with himself. He did not even say 'he' ie "I" wrote the kritis. He always said Tyagaraja as if he was referring to someone else! He was so unselfconscious, he would not make any claims for himself. So those words escaped him of their own!

We have a clue to this. Once there was a discussion in the presence of Ramana Maharshi on music. Someone said that one could do "nadopaasana" and reach God and cited the example of Tyagaraja. Bhagavan asked them:

 பெற்றதைப் பாடினாரா, பாடிப் பெற்றாரா? 
( Did he sing of what he realised, or did he realise by singing?) Everyone fell silent. The implication was that Tyagaraja was a God-realised soul and he sang after the God experience. 

And the matter of "நாதோபாஸன" 'nadopasana'  is not so simple. In the Begada kriti நாதோபாஸன சே சங்கர  நாராயண விதுலு

.(Nadopasana che Sankara Narayana Vidhulu)Tyagaraja says  that Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma are doing nadopasana! So, it is something mystical, and not mere singing of the swaras and sahitya!  In the circumstances what Tyagaraja has claimed as the fruits of his kirtans must be taken seriously.

Note: 
There are two incidents connected with Bhagavan Ramana. When the first edition of his 'Collected Works' was being published, there was a discussion among devotees about a 'preface' to it, as was customary. But no one dared to write one.It was far into the night. Finally, Bhagavan asked T.K.Sundaresa Iyer why he could not write. So he wrote one and brought it to Bhagavan for approval.As he walked away with the approved sheet, Bhagavan called him back and changed one word. TKS had written that it was HOPED  நம்புகிரேன் that the study of the work would confer spiritual welfare. Bhagavan changed the word to CERTAIN.  திண்ணம்.We can  realise its importance now!

When Muruganar's 'Ramana Sannidhi Murai was published, it elicited  great admiration from the leading Tamil scholars of the day like  U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer,M.Raghava Iyengar etc. One resident devotee Vishvanathan also wanted to write a verse in praise. He started writing but could not proceed beyond .அகத்தாமரை மலர்மீதுரை அருணாசல ரமணன். He quietly left the sheet on the seat of Bhagavan when he was away, and left. When Bhagavan returned , he saw the sheet, took it up and completed the verse, and wrote below it: 'Visvanathan'! This is the verse completed by Bhagavan:

அகத்தாமரை மலர்மீதுரை அருணாசல ரமணன்
நகைத்தானுர  விழித்தான் அறச் செகுத்தான் எனதுயிரை
மிகத்தானருள் சுரந்தானென முகவாபுரி முருகன்
செகத்தாருய வகுத்தான்  முறை திருவாசக நிகரே

(It says that Arunachala Ramana residing in the lotus of the heart looked at me and smiled, and lo! my ego was felled. Mugavaapuri Murugan has composed this work, equalling Tiruvachakam, so that people would be saved.)

Muruganar with Bhagavan. Photo from Sri
Ramanasramam.
நமோ  ரமணாய  நலம் பெற வாழ்க
விமோசன மெய்யன் விரை மலர்த்தாள்  வாழ்க.

One can assess its importance. Did Bhagavan give his view, or expressed what was in the mind of Viswanathan? Bhagavan alone knows!

Our master Arunagirinatha comes between them historically.

In the Tiruppugazh hymns he states the benefits of reciting it.In the Alankaram, he says:










முடியாப் பிறவிக் கடலிற் புகார்முழு துங்கெடுக்கு
   மிடியாற் படியில் விதனப் படார்வெற்றி வேற்பெருமாள்
      அடியார்க்கு நல்ல பெருமாள் அவுணர் குலமடங்கப்
         பொடியாக் கியபெரு மாள்திரு நாமம் புகல்பவரே.   ...     33 

Those who chant the name of our Lord with the victorious spear, who destroyed the clans of the Asuras- they will not enter the limitless ocean of samsara. Nor will they be troubled by poverty here. Thus they will get both bhukti and mukti. Indeed, his two consorts symbolise this very fact.

There is one hymn where he says what would happen to those who ridicule the devotees who recite Tiruppugazh:

சினத்தவர் முடிக்கும் பகைத்தவர் குடிக்குஞ்
     செகுத்தவர் ருயிர்க்குஞ் ...... சினமாகச்

சிரிப்பவர் தமக்கும் பழிப்பவர் தமக்கும்
     திருப்புகழ் நெருப்பென் ...... றறிவோம்யாம்

நினைத்தது மளிக்கும் மனத்தையு முருக்கும்
     நிசிக்கரு வறுக்கும் ...... பிறவாமல்

நெருப்பையு மெரிக்கும் பொருப்பையு மிடிக்கும்
     நிறைப்புக ழுரைக்குஞ் ...... செயல்தாராய்

We know that Tiruppugazh is like fire that will destroy the heads of those who get angry with those reciting it. It will destroy the clan of those who oppose them.So will it destroy those who laugh at them and ridicule them.

On the other hand, it will grant one's wishes. It will melt one's heart. It will end rebirths, so that one does not have to enter the womb again as foetus. It is the fire which will destroy all other fires. It will powder the hills.  Lord, please so ordain that I will be engaged in reciting it.

In the three extraordinary hymns praising the Spear, Peacock and the Rooster,  ( Vel Viruttam, Mayil Viruttam. Seval Viruttam) he has packed details of their exploits. Vallimalai Swami has declared that they have the power to ward of evils and difficulties.

So the truth of claims made about the effectiveness of the hymns depends upon the integrity of persons making those claims! And our experience. Some sources are tried and tested over generations.  Valmiki Ramayana, Vishnu Sahasranama etc are proven to be effective like this. Tiruppugazh too belongs to this category.

Though Ramayana and Mahabharata are both Itihasas, it is remarkable that only Ramayana is used for Parayana! There is even a belief in the South that Mahabharata should not be read at home!  The Bhagavata is purana, but it has connections with the Mahabharata.

Somehow, Bhagavata has not become popular in Tamil Nad. It may have something to do with the cult of Ramanuja, which follows 'Visishtadvaita' philosophy. Though the Bhagavata deals with the various manifestations of Vishnu, it is Advaitic in import. Mainly Smartas study it, though parts of it are read by others. Alwars have sung of the individual incidents narrated there.

(Cover of a book from Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai)

Samudra manthan

Sri Arunagirinatha has no problems with any philosophy! He sings of many incidents from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavatam. References to them are strewn throughout his works.

ஆடக மந்தர நீர்க்கசை யாமலு ரம்பெற நாட்டியொ
     ராயிர வெம்பகு வாய்ப்பணி ...... கயிறாக

ஆழிக டைந்தமு தாக்கிய நேகர்பெ ரும்பசி தீர்த்தரு
     ளாயனு 

(வேடர் செழுந்திணை)

Here, Arunagiri talks about the churning of the ocean, dealt with in Skanda 8 of the Bhagavata.

Firmly fixing the golden Mandara mountain (as the churning rod) in the milky ocean, catching the Vasuki snake with a thousand heads emitting fire, churning the ocean , causing the nectar to surface, and feeding the many Devas so that their hunger was satisfied- this was done by this Vishnu who came in the Yadava dynasty!

Those who read it in the original , and study what our master has written-word by word- will marvel at the way he has described the matter with such details, in so few words.

வடப ராரை மாமேரு கிரியெ டாந டாமோது
     மகர வாரி யோரேழு ...... மமுதாக

மகுட வாள ராநோவ மதிய நோவ வாரீச
     வனிதை மேவு தோளாயி ...... ரமுநோவக்

கடையு மாதி கோபாலன் 


( அடைபடாது)

Our master is so fascinated with the incident, he continues with it. Here he gives one more graphic description.

The big mountain  in the North,with a wide base, was taken and fixed firmly in the ocean. In order to obtain the nectar, the seven seas with huge waves and the whales were churned, with the luminous Vasuki with its crown (as the rope), causing it intense pain. The moon which was fixed to the mountain also felt intense pain. The thousand petalled lotus which was the seat  of Lakshmi also felt the pain. So  the Original Gopala (Aadhi Gopala) churned the seas. (It can be taken also that Lakshmi is always with Vishnu.Here He is imagined as bearing her on His thousand shoulders, which also felt the pain. All this indicate the stupendous strain involved in the churning!)

The beauty of the Tamil passage can hardly be conveyed in English, by any type of translation or paraphrase. The expression "Aadhi Gopala" is fantastic. It means Gopala, the Original, the First. Which means our master is looking upon Gopala as the Original Cause ie Bhagavan! How freely he traverses the various theologies- and transcends them! 

Samudra manthan at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand.


NOTE:

Grateful thanks to kaumaram.org from whom the Tamil lyrics have been taken.