Essential Works of Hinduism - III

We got introduced to some Hindu canonical works in earlier posts here. I’ve averred to share humbly a few things like bhakti, ecstasy, and devotional singing in lots of posts scattered here and in Sulekha. Currently the weeks through November and February are filled with lots of important festival days in the Hindu calendar. The cool Dhanurmasam (ధనుర్మాసము) starts with early morning recitals of devotional songs and decorating the front yards with flowers, colored powder, intricate patterns, and go-mayam (గొబ్బిళ్ళు), etc. Though every instant, week, month, and season is the ideal time for meditating and journeying inwardly towards Narayana, many Gurus suggest the cool winter months are uniquely suited for concentrating on religious matters and focused reflection. I still remember vividly some scenes from childhood: Listening to Tiruppavai hymns from neighbor’s compound in the wee hours before dawn. Weeks before the big festival (Samkranti) our street would be decorated with varied complex geometric patterns with white lime powder and seasonal flowers.

 

Now we’ll focus on just two small slim books, both in Telugu. There are equivalent English translations and details are provided in the footnotes. For the discussion we will focus on the essence of these books and I’ll confine to my reading of the Telugu versions as they are authentically close to the original (intent and import).

 

Apparently one devotee (bhakta) earnestly requested Sri Ramana (Maharshi)  to condense the essence of all the eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-Gita. In our home library we are lucky to have access to the following: 1. Very concise Telugu poetic translation 2. Sri Prabhupada’s English translation with commentary. 3. Swami Chidbhavananda’s commentary with original Sanskrit slokas. 4. Sri Ramana’s essence condensed to 42 slokas.

 

I find Sri Ramana’s condensation very straight and direct to the point. We can certainly spend more time on the Gita and go through each chapter leisurely. But for many adults time and energy are very limited and precious. Saddened to note that our skills with languages generally are very limited and often filled with ambiguities and imprecision. Here, in this slender book we see Sri Ramana explaining to the lowest common denominator (i.e., the least ill-equipped student unfamiliar with Upanishads and other hoary Hindu texts) with occasional reference to the statements by our Rishis (in Vedas and other scriptures). The estimable Guru graciously comes down to our level and tries to explain everything in simple terms.

 

For us all, the beginners (of Hindu faith) there are several questions: a) Can someone show us the Eswara (Devi) now? How am I to proceed in this mundane world with routine daily activities and still keep my focus on “the other” intact? What should be my food habits? What are my prescribed duties? Who will initiate me with a mantra, if needed? How many texts should I read? When one is in a desperate situation (financial trouble, loss of spouse, terrible disease, or dire family circumstances) is it possible to get help from the faith? And there may be a few more additional burning questions. But you (the reader) get my flow.

 

In these series of posts on “Essential Works of Hinduism” we will try to get to the answers or at least suggest pathways for finding reasonable solutions. The serious reader has to procure appropriate sources (texts) and study them. If you want to find out why turmeric can act as a pH indicator, you have to mix lime with turmeric and see the color change. Similarly if a reader is serious about “rebirth”, then she has to go and dig up original texts and evaluate the evidence herself. I can give you many instances but you may not accept them due to “prejudice” (forming an opinion without assessing the evidence carefully).

 

Now, let us come to the second text. This is a biography of Sri Ganapati Muni born near Vijayanagarm, AP. Here the great seer (Muni) demonstrates many times the efficacy of Vedas, mantras (Vedic Sanskrit chants), and the power of “tapas” (= burning quest with devotion). Many lingering doubts are cleared. No cheating or mesmerism involved here. I am very grateful to G.B. for kindling interest in this great extempore poet-healer-teacher, Sri Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni. He is also known as Vasistha Ganapathi Muni. The historical fact that two of the most unique Gurus hailed from Vizianagaram (about 180 miles from my native place) area is very touching and endearing to all Telugu people (It should exhilarate all Indians and real followers of Hindu faith). Incidentally Vizianagaram also produced extraordinary musicians like Ghantasala, P. Susheela, and Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, etc.

 

Finally I may offer one or two suggestions to the earnest reader. In general a student can advance swiftly in any field by the hand of a Guru. The Guru can appear on the scene as a classic book, suggestion, in a dream or in human form. This is the core reason why we often turn to the commentaries of Adi Sankara on Upanishads, Brahma-Sutras, and Bhagavad-Gita. The second point I want to emphasize is “the context”. Sri Ramana answers questions with the questioner in mind; a particular answer is aimed at a particular person in a specific context. Thus we should be careful not to distort the words of Sri Ramana (Guru) or for that matter any one else.     

 

1. The Bhagavad-Gita, English Book published from Ramana Asram, Annamalai, available at Archive.Org on Internet

2. “Bhagavadgitasaramu” by Sri Poluri Hanumajjanakirama Sarma (Telugu)

3. “Nayana”, a Biography of Kavyakantha Ganapathi Muni by G. Krishna and Gunuturu Lakshmikantham, 1978, 186 pp (English)

4. “Nayana” by Sri Poluri Hanumajjanakirama Sarma (Telugu)

Penultimate Slokas of Raja Yoga - I

श्री गुरुभ्यों नमः Salutations to Sri Adi Sankara. May I be always guided by divine grace. I seek inspiration from Gayatri mata and let the Mother guide me ever on the path of pure intellect and unbounded kindness. May She keep me free from silly arguments and vapid senseless logic. Rationality without compassion is like a sharp sword, leaving only gaping wounds and bitterness. I’ve looked at the Telugu (poetic) translation of Bhagavad-Gita by Dr. P. V. Satyanarayana Rao; the physician had translated the Sanskrit original Gita with utmost care – all the prose and poetical dialogues in toto while suffering from an incurable ailment during his last years.

32. Whether they are born of sin

Whether they are women, Vaisya, or Sudras

Whoever they be

When they seek (refuge in) me

They all obtain moksha

33. If that is so, what to

Talk about the pious, the Brahmins,

The devout Kings and rishis?

Though you’re born in this transient unhappy world

You too can obtain moksha by praying to me

        “कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ” Let us first annihilate the idea of “body” with a particular individual. Once we are totally shorn of our “physical and biological individuality”, now we can concentrate on the essence of these two stanzas. At least for once let us traverse beyond the rut of limited understanding and cross the morass of doubts, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.

        Two issues confront and baffle the modern skeptical (“rational”, doubting Thomas!) reader: a) Rebirth and its associated ‘karma’ phenomena. b) The “varna-asrama” system of Sanatana Dharma and the earlier Hindu societies. Sri Trilinga Swamy (I am fortunate to be born in the same Telugu community) kindly answered all the questions related to rebirth; he, in his inimitable gentle demeanor removed all the pestering confusion of his last disciple, Sri Umacharan. One has to patiently read the biography and pearls of advice of Sri Trilinga Swamy. His writings are readily available to Hindi, Bengali, and Telugu aspirants. Other venerable gurus also must have commented on the irrefutable (rather inscrutable) ‘rebirth’. Looked upon with an unbiased pure intelligence, rebirth appears as the most efficient instrument of the Lord (Eswara): Eswara does not have to keep on generating infinite sets of creatures like a potter – the inviolable ‘karma’ (coupled with the sakti) will keep on producing endless versions of living entities strictly according to their preferences and past deeds. Some times we may not like the outcome (ex: Yama born as Vidura) but it is best to obey, learn, and submit to the eternal dharma.

        Regarding the varna-asrama, the reader can gain a better appreciation if she refers to the writings of Sister Nivedita, Sri Kanchi Paramacharya (see Hindu Dharma), and other scholars. Spread over numerous millennia many societies developed their own distinct cultures, traditions, and faith (variants of very diverse Dharma). The modern individual (encumbered with his own biases and idiosyncrasies) viewing through a narrow slit of time (at best few decades) tries to understand the ancestors, the learned rishis, and their thinking. I would not go into this subject (i.e., varna) here, as it will take us astray. But if I may, point out one important aspect of life. In the US (perhaps it is occurring now in contemporary India too), parents often exhort their children thus: “Yes, you can do anything you put your mind to.” But as we mature in life we come to face the harsh truth. Not everybody can sing as sweetly as Lata Mangeshkar or P. Susheela, even if you practice for decades under the best music teacher.  Some can easily understand the Pythagoras theorem and even prove it readily on a paper napkin. But many will never get the essence of geometry, a theorem, or a rider – even if they spend their entire lives and monies. Similarly some may never learn to love water sports and enjoy swimming without fear. So, we should banish the thought that “all are equal in all aspects and everyone can excel at any (every) activity.”

[Of course miracles do happen some times to save the Sadhaka, to extricate the individual from a sticky predicament! But we must make ourselves noble, deserving for a miracle to intervene.] In the puranas sage Viswamitra, a born Kshatriya (a great rishi who bestowed us Gayatri mantra!) spent many years to become a Brahma-rishi with many pitfalls, sometimes hurting others on the way.  Perhaps our ancestors knew a thing or two about human heredity, innate talent, and predisposition towards to certain abilities. Every society has certain divisions or stratifications; high and low is prevalent across the world. Except in the movie Roman Holiday, the royals do not dine with the commoner normally.   

The reader need not get hung up on the phrase, “yoni”. In the larger universe and in the vast gamut of creation, we see a mix of sexual and asexual propagation. The gardener (or a scientist like Gregory Mendel) comes across the beauty of creation on the pumpkin vine, hibiscus, rose, or jasmine bush. Only in the last half a century we have begun to appreciate and understand human genetics; we are close to witnessing some progress in the area of “stem cell” for human species now, but the phenomena has been around in the plant species for centuries or even longer.  The serious Sadhaka may simply consider all such matters as part of “the holy act of creation” and leave it to the Mother. The maya, the energy, and the birth phenomena belong to Her. She decides how a great sage like Veda-Vyasa is born or how a great poet-dramatist like Kalidasa comes on the stage or how a musical composer like Annamayya strings floral garlands of thousands of melodious songs effortlessly. It is part of Her play in the ever-expanding (increasing entropy!) outward world – an elegant expression of the indescribable Brahman. (To be continued) Copyright by the author 2019