Title - MANUMURAI KANDA VASAKAM Translater - R.G.Rajaram Paper - 70 gsm Maplitho Pages - 204 Pages Copies - 1000 Prize - Rs. 100
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MANUMURAIKANDA VASAKAM
(ESSAY ON ESTABLISHING THE JUSTICE OF MANU)
BLESSINGS FOR THE TRANSLATION OF BOOKS OF GNOSISKAAGABUJANDAR Hails Thee! Hail Thee! Gnani Arasu!
Hail Thee! Desika, King of charity,
Hail Thee! The great preceptor of Pranava,who Established the Suddha Sanmargha in this Universe. Rajaram is a blessed soul of thine,
Oh! Master preceptor
The parents who begot him to this world, Gopalakrishnan is his venerable father,
Renganayaki the noble mother, Worthy parents are they; With the Blessings of Arangan. Lend your ears,
In the service of Arangan with Honour To translate the books of Gnosis With meanings without fail, In this Universe! Lend your ears. Spiritual advancement doth occur Doth occur to those who are drawn Unto service and Are in service. Scholars do appreciate .
Rajaram, the son hails from the lineage of service, He was in the service of Sivarajayogi
For a birth or two wholeheartedly, And hails from the path of gnosis.
I shall tell thee now, continuing this, shall translate The holy books of gnosis with consummate perfection, And the world to study and bring laurels to Arangan. Indeed is a task of nobility to achieve the glory as longed Our Blessings
Blessings are there! With the Blessings of Master Preceptor Identify the interpretation perfect,
And translate with no error and To attain the glory – Our Blessings. Let us add glory to Arangan’s abode The service of this son will add,
Glory to his own family also perfectly, And to lead with growth of dignity. To lead is our Blessings!
We the Gnanis be with you In all services of perfection
Rendered with our Blessings in this universe With our benign Blessings, this son
Get initiated at an opportune time From immaculate and matchless Siddha Yogi of Thuraiyur. Take the initiation and offer Grains of thy weight for charity
Get blessed; chant the name of Arangan, happily, Piously to carry out the task blemishless.
Translation becomes perfect,
The mind becomes calm and composed, And love, compassion towards living being And prosperity be showered on those who study. And hidden secrets of Gnana are revealed. Blessed all rush to Arangan’s path
And attain the life of gnosis blemishless, And reach the state of Bliss in this Kaliyuga. Thus is our Blessings .
Subham.
1. Om Ramalinga Swamigal Thiruvadi Potri
Om Hail the Holy feet of St. Ramalinga Swamigal. 2. Om Ramalinga Swamigal Thiruvadi Potri
Om Hail the Holy feet of St. Ramalinga Swamigal. 3. Om Ramalinga Swamigal Thiruvadi Potri
Om Hail the Holy feet of St. Ramalinga Swamigal. 4. Om Ramalinga Swamigal Thiruvadi Potri
Om Hail the Holy feet of St. Ramalinga Swamigal. 5. Om Ramalinga Swamigal Thiruvadi Potri
Om Hail the Holy feet of St. Ramalinga Swamigal. 6. Om Ramalinga Swamigal Thiruvadi Potri
Preface
BySIVARAJAYOGI,PARAMANANDA SADASIVA SARGURU HIS HOLINESS
RENGARAJA DESIGA SWAMIGAL
(Tamil Version)
The Supreme Grace Light the compassionate to all living beings, the Chief of Gnosis, St. Ramalingar’s “Manumurai Kanda Vasakam” has forty three aphorisms. He discusses very clearly the merits and demerits of virtue and evil (punya and papa).
The list of evil that men shall abhor are listed.These are the sins which subject men into irredeemable mundane bondage. By calling out “did I ever commit…….” He lists out sins of the society and advises us to get salvation from them.
Moreover if one wants deliverance from those sins, he suggests ways and means also. If one gives up killing and meat eating and prays unto him wholeheartedly, the very moment St.Ramalingar, the supreme grace of light joins him and remedies his sufferings and he will make them realize also.
I have explained the “Manumurai Kanda Vasakam” of such a powerful Saint. Ramalingar who is capable of protecting any living being with utmost compassion, on the basis of the teaching and preaching of my venerable Preceptor Shri. Chinnasamy Sastrigal of Thuraiyur. Tiruchchirappalli District in Tamil Nadu.
The serial which appeared in the “Sanmarga Unmai”magazine has been compiled as the present book. I beseech the Blessings of St.Agatheesar and St.Ramalingar for a long peaceful life and I personally and thankfully Bless Shri.Madhavan, the Editor of “Gnana Thiruvadi”, all the members of the Omkarakudil and Vanchi Maruthondri press Thuraiyur, for their elegant printing.
I request the humanity to study and get deliverance from the mundane bondages. This is a very precious gift for all the spiritualists. Saint.Ramalingar Himslelf takes His abode at the place where it is kept is certain.
Yours, Rengaraja Desikar
PREFACE
(ENGLISH VERSION)
MANUMURAI KANDA VASAKAM
(i)
Arul Jothi Ramalinga Swamigal - A Short
Sketch on his life and Teachings
The Nineteenth Century was a remarkable period in the history of our country in that it produced some of the greatest personalities who moulded and shaped the destiny of the country. In this century was born Chidambaram Ramalinga Swamigal, popularly known as “Arutpragasa Vallalar”. He was a spiritual giant and he spoke in a language intelligible to the most common man. It was a period when the British power was in its full zenith and inferiority complex had come to stay in the Indian way of living. Great masters like Bhagwan Ramakrishna and his worthy disciple Swamy Vivekananda were followed by the Father of the Indian Nation, Mahatma Gandhi and there was a remarkable upheaval both in the spiritual and the political fields. The great Aurobindo Ghosh migrated from the North to the South and the great Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore had flooded the country with patriotic songs couched in a touching language urging Indians to certain ways of action. In such a period entered the great MAHATHMA Ramalinga Swamigal as the pre-cursor of the coming age. He took His Holy birth in the year 1823 on the fifth October.With the spontaneous grace of Lord Nataraja he composed songs which led devotees to unknown realms of ecstacy.He was unlettered. His brother Sabapathy pillai appealed to him to learn the traditional and customary lessons from a neighbouring scholar. The boy did not evince any interest. Ramalingam was a child of less than nine years and he was wandering in the streets of Madras when his devoted sister-in-law took compassion on this Divine Child and stealthily fed him at odd hours when her husband was away from the house. On one of these days fell the annual death anniversary of his father. Ramalingam as usual entered the house through the back-door and was taking the food separately preserved
for him. Sabapathy Pillai’s wife, a very compassionate and good natured lady, was touched and moved at the pitiable plight of Vallalar and with tears in her eyes pleaded to him with all affection and motherly love to take up to studies .Our child saint was moved by the pleadings of this great lady and promised to learn the lessons of wisdom,not through human medium but through the grace of Lord Muruga, the presiding deity of Thanikachalam at Thiruttani. At his request a separate room was provided, a full size mirror was installed in front of a lighted Kuthu-vilakku. Our boy-saint sat in front of the mirror and the light and got inspiration from the Lord of Thanikachalam and sang the first song on the glory of Lord Muruga.Vallalar had a mortal existence of over fifty years and shuffled his physical coil in the year of grace, 1874 on 30th January. During the short span of fifty years he had left a legacy, remarkable legacy, of Indian thought to echo forever. He had founded the Samarasa Sudha Sanmarga Sathya Sangam which is the association of elevated souls who have deliberately vouched to a definite way of living. It is here that the ideas of Vallalar are propagated and his universal message made to reach the different corners of the globe. Vallalar was not satisfied with merely preaching dry philosophy. To a starving and suffering man God comes in the form of food and service. He said that no philosophy and no religion should be preached to the starving and suffering millions. He, therefore, wanted to give a practical shape to his philosophical and spiritual ideas. He founded the Dharmasalai where the fire lit in the year 1867 on 22nd May is still burning with greater glow. Any hungry man is treated to food with great affection and the message of Vallalar to practice ‘Jeevakarunya’, is given a practical shape. The dharmalsala is for the satisfaction of the physical needs but the Sathya Gnanasabai is for the fulfillment of the spiritual needs, constructed in a vast expanse of 80 acres of land in an octoganal shaped structure, this temple of universal love does not possess an idol but is covered by seven ‘Thirais’ (Screens) otherwise known as layers of ignorance. The human soul now on its march in search of God-head, must discriminately and devotedly transcend the inhibiting
‘Mayas’ and eventually enter the portals of surpassing bliss of Ananda in direct communion. Here, there is no worship of a personal God and all distinctions of high and low, the lettered and the unlettered, the rich and the poor, are obliterated and all are in the divine presence of one unseen power in transcendental effulgence (after the seven layers of ignorance are removed). Thus Vallalar has given us three great Institutions for our emancipation in the social, the physical and the spiritual fields. Now, let us just parenthetically skip over his great teachings. Vallalar believed in universal brother-hood, Divinity of man and the Unity of God-head. He felt very strongly that the religions as they existed in the 19th Century studded and super-imposed by unhealthy superstitions and meaningless ritualism were more to the detriment of man than to homogeneous living. He felt that if religion divided man and man, promoted ill-feeling , resulting in murders and massacres which we had witnessed in recent past, it is better to do away with religions and establish a society untainted by the corrupting influence of Pseudo-religions. His great writings both in prose and poetry are now available in convenient volumes and contain about 7,000 poems divided into six “Thirumurais” by his very worthy disciple, the late Thozhuvur Velayutha Mudaliar. The first five-”Thirumurais” were published in his life time and contain poems in edification of the different deities of the Hindu pantheon. His poems couched in ten simplest of language have appealed to the common man in South India and even today they are sung in all the villages of South-India with deep reverence. In the earlier “Thirumurais” he has often followed the devotional path of the four ‘Saiva Kuravas’ but this did not fully please him. He had grown into vast spiritual dimensions and had now transcended the frontiers of every religion and entered into the presence of the one Universal Power. There is a marked and striking contrast between his writings upto the fifth “Thirumurais” and his sixth Thirumurai is preeminently esoteric for the select few in search of the Supreme. The very language differs. Thoughts soar very high and often he speaks in the first person with authority. He feels and says that he had now been commissioned by the great Lord Nataraja
to spread the message of Samarasa Sudha Sanmargam. He feels that a man is not born merely to perish, die and dis-integrate and that immortality and deathlessness are his birth-rights. His message will live till eternity and posterity will record him as the moulder of human history and destiny. May the light of Ramalingam guide us all to fraternal love and selfless service.
Teachings
The path of Samarasam contains four disciplines :
1. a.Gnana Indriya Ozhukkam (Ozhukkam means self - control):
(Listening to the praise of God
(Preventing bad words entering our ears (Avoiding looks of harshness and wickedness (Abstaining from touching evil things
(Abstaining from gluttony etc.
b. Karma Indriya Ozhukkam:
(Speaking sweet words (Telling no lies
(Resisting by all means from harmful deeds to other living beings
(Leading a religious life
(Associating ourselves with people of saintly character (Maintaining a healthy body
2. Karma Ozhukkam
( The mind has to be directed to the Cit Sabhai by taking it away from other objects (Cit Sabhai is the heart in which the Divine abodes)
( Not to enquire into the faults of others ( Not to be wicked
3. Jiva Ozhukkam
( Jiva Ozhukkam is the discipline that teaches one to treat all human beings as equal, and feel the presence of oneself in all human beings.
( One must not be affected by the various distinctions as social, national, linguistic, caste, religion, etc. because t h e s o u l b e l o n g s t o a d i ff e r e n t s p h e r e w h e r e n o differences exist.
4. Anma Ozhukkam
( Anma Ozhukkam is further development of Jiva ozhukkam. Here the soul looks upon all living beings alike ( not only human beings but also other beings). Here the soul feels great compassion for all the beings, considers ‘Anma’ as the ‘Sabhai’ and the ‘Inner Light’ as God.
(ii) MANUMURAI KANDA VASAKAM- A Study
Manumurai Kanda Vasakam was written by St. Ramalingar taking the Manu Neethi Chozhan’s story from Periya Puranam as his first book.This book was published in 1854.
Poraiyaru Chidambaram Swamigal states that the Saint wrote the essay “Manumurai Kanda Vasakam” in his early years at the instance of his teacher Kanchipuram Sabapathy Mudaliyar. He was endowed with the high sense of compassion and that it was his inner urge to propagate it among the people, and when his teacher Kanchipuram Sabapathi (mudaliar) requested him to write a prose book for the use of children, he thought it fit to instill the sense of compassion even in the minds of children and hence in the course of giving the characteristic traits of the HERO of the story, he specifies that he would do good for all beings without any discrimination, whatever.
In another place of the same book, the hero weeps for the demise of a calf which was crushed accidentally to death by his son, while he passed a chariot in the street. Coming to know of this, he became very grave with such thoughts as would
create mental obsession. He thought that he must have done unknowingly such unjust acts as LEVYING ENORMOUS TAXES ON THE PEOPLE CAUSING HEART BURNINGS O F T H E P O O R , E X T R A C T I N G W O R K W I T H O U T GIVING PROPER wages” and so on. This shows clearly that Ramalingar use his pen for propagating humanitarian outlook. He teaches the people the indispensability of compassion for l i f e i n t h i s w o r l d a n d f o r t h e e t e r n a l l i f e l i v e d i n
INSEPARABLE UNION WITH THE ULTIMATE REALITY.
But Sri Balakrishna pillai quotes the remark found in the edition of the year 1854, which says that it was written at the instance of the members of “Sastra Vilakka Sangam”.It does not mention the period of its composition.
Izhavalaganar opines that it was in the Saint’s early years.Since the Saint’s name is mentioned as Chidambaram Ramalingam pillai, in the 1854 edition it should have been written just a few years before the Saint left for Chidambaram. This book is considered to be a prose work. But any reader will accept that this work has transcended such limitation and it is something more than that. One casual reading gives the reader an impression that this work is a prosaic poetry or a poetic prose.The long tailed sentences do not find equals in contemporary Indian literature. The nearest equal to my little knowledge could recognize is Thomas Carlyle’s “Heroes and Hero worship” in English. The long tailed Homeric simile can be another parallel. The long soliloquies remind one of Shakespearean blank verse of Julius Caesar. The listing of various names for Lord Siva is Equal to Sanskrit’ s “Rudram”
This work is with 32 sub titles and with 162 sentences. The shortest sentence is single worded and the longest is with 625 words. My arithmetic accuracy may be at wrong, however the whole text has about 10,541 words. The text under translation with its profound explanation of Swamiji is found in the Eighteenth sub title “Knowing the predicament was
caused by the prince, the King enters into irretrievable sorrow” and in sentence 92. While the whole sentence comprises of 185 words the aphorisms alone comprise of 176 words.This has all the characteristics of a stage play and can very easily be staged with no work or less work for a script writer.With a high degree of literary acumen Swamiji has made a diligent attempt to give us the accurate details.
The sub titles on “the Greatness of Chozha Kingdom”, Greatness Of TIruvarur where the story takes place, and in The greatness of Manu Chozhar, Swamiji gives us an account of the fertility of the land, and describes it as the face of the mother Earth, and the capital of Chozha is described as the vermillion in the face of the mother earth.
The kingdom of Chozha was widespread and there were lot of princely states under the administrative control of Manu. The subjects felt that they had no short coming under the reign of such a virtuous and kind hearted king.
“The saint by this extraordinary exposition has set in motion an excellent precedent for the highest jurisprudence unknown in the annals of world’s legal system. The deliberation is not a simple demonstration of mere linguistic eloquence and an erudite jurisprudence. There is no sign of judicial activism, no sign of judicial innovation, no sign of travesty of justice in excess of any jurisdiction but the deliberation has all the excellence of justice which is a shrine where truth presides over in its sanctum. There is a saying in the legal system that justice is not the handmaid but it is the mistress of law. In the same manner, Vallalar has held that truth is not the handmaid but it is the mistress of compassion.Vallalar is guided neither by American jurisprudence nor by British jurisprudence but by the principles of compassion natural to all the species occupying the crust of this earth. Just as Vallalar holds that the experience of soul, the truth of nature is the life of excellence, so also Vallalar emphasizes that the principles of natural justice are constructions on the foundation of grace
manifest by the Almighty to all His creations alike. In his court, Vallalar does not permit either preponderance of probability or the proof beyond any reasonable doubt. The degree of proof expected in his court is the degree of compassion irrespective of the degree of intelligence inherent in a human being in his sixth sense and an animal in its fifth sense brought together in the trial for securing ends of justice. It is the common code of compassion built on the principles of “jeeva karunya”. Vallalar seeks the convergence of liberty, equality and fraternity made applicable exclusively to humanity as such by the founding fathers of the constitutions of different countries to be extended to all beings in their entirety irrespective of their state of existence in the scheme of living.”Manumurai Kanda Vasakam” is not concerned with the justice meted out to the cow. The arguments advanced by the king against his descendant, the only legal heir to the state, on the ground of equality between the souls, exhibits the infallible instrument of peace required by this world today. When the compassion of the compatriots is concerned with the injury caused to human beings, Vallalar has struck the death knell to the legality of dispensing justice according to the status of the species. It is to be celebrated as the hallmark of “sanmarkkam”. Justice done in “Manumurai Kanda Vasakam” is not simply justice seen to have been done but justice ought to have been done with a view to dispensing with disparity between the souls.”
Let us read “Manumurai Kanda Vasakam” once again and sit in “sat vichara” as to what exactly the interaction between the king and his ministers as designed by Vallalar in the year 1854, relays to us living in the year 2013.
(iii) THE STORY OF MANUNEETHI CHOZHAN
IN “PERIYA PURANAM”
This incident in Periya puranaam explains an event that happened in the life of the Chozha king who became known as Manuneethi Chozhar because of the glorious justice he made.
This exemplifies the impartial judicial practice the ruler or the ruling system in the land should follow. When the king is that much involved in spirit and action in upholding the justice irrespective of the personal agony he would get, the people would live in love and the land would prosper.
In the Solar tradition of Chozhas was this king born. He lived like the eye and soul of the lives in the land. He propitiated the powers of the nature with a numerous rituals. Devoid of enemies the land prospered. His name itself became known as the chozha of manu justice. He donated a lot for the worship of the Bull flagged Lord of Thiruvarur. He got a son who was like a lion-cub in valor, skilled in various arts, disciplined and had the lovable characters. With the king feeling proud of his loving son he grew up as a youth who would deserve to be entitled as the prince. One day that young son of the king was riding his chariot on the main roads of the Capital Thiruvarur along with the friends and the forces. That time a calf which did not realize the movements on the road suddenly entered in between. Alas, that small creature got hit by the wheel of the chariot and was crushed to death. The cow which saw its calf killed on the street was stricken with grief. It licked, cried and sat in grief near the dead calf.
The son of the king was appalled at what had happened. He couldn’t come out of the shock of what happened and felt he had born to defame his father who stood for justice. He rushed to the scholars in order to do the deeds of penance for this deed before facing his father. Meanwhile the grief stricken cow went to the palace and rang the bell hanging in the front with its horn. (Calling the king to do justice). The king rushed to the gate and saw the crying cow ringing the bell. A minister of keen knowledge told the king about the death of the calf when it entered beneath the chariot abruptly. On hearing that, the king underwent unexplainable sorrow. Unable to bear the sight of the crying cow he sat there in sadness and asked the ministers what he could do to correct the misdeed. The
ministers said he should make his son undergo the penance that the Vedic scholars made for the killing of cows.
The king who did not follow the rules of justice just for the sake of following but who ruled involving himself in the essence of them was irked by the answer of the ministers. “How could I do injustice to this poor cow because it was my son who did the misdeed? When I do not leave somebody who kills a life how can I show a different attitude and system of justice be scoffed at?” the king shouted. towards his son. “Isn’t it the responsibility of the king to ensure that the lives that live in his kingdom are protected against the fear of him, his associates, enemies, thieves and other creatures? If I make another rule for my son won’t the ancient find injustice in my approach?” The ministers told that the practice had been that the penancial rites are done in order to come out of this sin and hence it would be just to observe that tradition. The king was annoyed at their response and said, “You speak not understanding the spirit and truth behind the justice. A big sin has been committed by killing the creature that was associated with the appearance of the holy abode of Lord Shiva at Thiruvarur. The compensation for this deed would be to execute my loving son the same way the calf was killed.” The ministers were terrified and went away. The king ordered a son of a minister to run over his son with the chariot. Unwilling to do that, he committed suicide.
The king not bothering that his son was only one for the royal family, he himself overran his son under the wheels of the chariot. That splendid king stood in the history for doing justice to all creatures living in his kingdom. The subjects of the land wept wondering the king’s stand on justice; The Lord who raised the Flag of Bull indicating the divine justice that Lord of Thiruvarur appeared in the horizon amidst the praise of the divines with His consort Parvati. The king saluted the Lord of living beings. The Supreme blessed the king for his sincerity towards justice and by His grace the calf, son of the
king and the minister came back to life. The cow and the king got relieved of their agony. The devotees for whom such m a g n i f i c e n t d e e d s w e r e p o s s i b l e l i v e d i n t h a t h o l y town Thiruvarur. Let the adherence of the great Chozha king to justice in its true spirit stay in the mind.
(iv) SIVARAJAYOGI, PARAMANANDA SADASIVA
SARGURU HIS HOLINESS, RENGARAJA
DESIGA SWAMIGAL- A short Biography
“Some are born great . Some achieve greatness
And some have greatness thrust upon them”
-William Shakespeare.
A personification of this universally accepted dictum is profoundly found in the life and teachings of His Holiness Swami RENGARAJA DESIGA SWAMIGAL. Like the new born Sun in the morn spearheading out of the Ocean, like that of a fullmoon coming out of dark clouds, like the sweet fragrance sprouting out of blossoming Mullai, Swami was born on13th march1936 as the third son to Shri Balakrishnan and Srimathi. Meenakshi Ammal. Swamji led a very simple life right from his childhood days and was not in favour of gaudy and pompous living. At the age of Thirty Five he lost hisfather .After the demise of his father, mother Smt. Meenakshi Ammal was of great assistance to his ascetic life. Swamiji was undertaking the avocation of a weaver in a small village Manal medu near EEngoimalai .Swamji understood through the friends of IraiMaiyam that Bakthi alone cannot lead to salvation without Yoga.
In 1955 Shri Chinnasamy Sastri,an exponent of Siddha m e d i c i n e a n d S i d d h a p h i l o s o p h y w a s w o r s h i p p i n g St.Agastheesar and other saints and Swamiji was initiated by him and taught him the methodology of worshipping Saints and the hidden secrets of Idakala, Pingala and Suzhumna.The spiritual thirst of Swamiji grew him up very fast in spiritual
awareness. Swamiji was very well aware of the predicamens of working class being born as one among them.
The sufferings of poor people in hutments made him sick and was very much concerned and worried about the hungry of such folk.He found his answer for the reality of human life in the songs of His Holiness Swami Ramalingar.His natural yearning to appease the hungry poor was escalated by St.Ramalingar’s mellifluous verses. Swamiji dedicated his thoughts for the spirituality and his service for the society for the past fifty years.In the name St. Agastheesar, the Meru of Gnosis, Swamiji established a Charitable institute for the benefit of poor. Swamiji is the centre of piece and solace for all those approach Him.
Omkara Kudil has been alleviating the sufferings of Thousands of devotees daily and has undertaken the noble task of poorfeeding right from 1975.The Kudil has been supplying free drinking water for the past Thirty years to all the villages in and around Thuraiyur.Thousands of marriages have been arranged and ray of hope and lively hood has been extended by His Holiness. His Holy mother attained celestial abode on 18-06-1995.
His Holiness always claim that whatever he does has been done only with the blessings of St.Agastheesa and he always places Blessed Souls like St. Agastheesar, St. Nandeesar, St.Tirumula Thevar and St.Karuvoorthevar as His Guide. As a descendent of St. Ramalingar, Swamiji to day is the leader of the entire universe, and is the leader of nine crore Siddhas.He worships St.Agastheesa who created Tamil Language as his preceptor.In colleges and universities Social service and philosophy are taught only in class rooms but the Omkara Kudil has taken them to the neighbourhood of Thuraiyur through their poor feeding and supply of free potable water which is more essential for day to day livelihood.
St. Agastheesa Sanmarga Sangam is a symbol of universal fraternity and the relationship between the Preceptor
and His disciples are exceptionally parental.The disciples go to villages and disseminate the message of Compassion, Love, Affection and Non –Killing.
Swamji is easily accessible and is a souce of solace for all the suffering living beings. Swamiji’s literary acumen is extraordinary and is evident in the present text.
(V) SWAMIJI’S TREATISE ON “MANUMURAI KANDA VASAKAM”
Eradication of illiteracy and enhancement of educational quality is the bare necessity of a society. A disciplined society lives peacefully and there exists a co-existence of love and amity. Saint Ramalinga Adigalar @ Vallalar of Tamilnadu, India was an enlightened soul who devoted his life time to create a society of mutual love and fraternity. Of his spiritual literary contribution to the humanity are crisp maxims of “Manumurai Kanda Vasakam”.
This great epitome of spiritual awakening has been explained in detail by Swami Sivaraja Yogi, Paramananda Sadasiva Sadguru Rangaraja Desigar. These 43 utterances summarise the ‘Don’ts of humanity. Saint Vallalar addresses to Lord Almighty, whether He was gullible with any of these inhuman qualities and thus driving home, the benevolence of Lord Almighty descends spontaneously on those who are devoid of any of these qualities. Swamiji effectively employs the contemporary literary forms to explain the meaning and hidden treasure of his utterances.
He has used Twenty one poets and Saints and their works ranging Thirty Three. He has used the interpretations of six eminent scholars to explain Thirukkural and Thirumanthiram. The deep delved knowledge of Swamiji and pains he has taken to explain the maxims is evident throughout the work. The examples to explain have been drawn from the day to day living intelligible to ordinary living beings. The following table explains amply the benevolent work of Swamiji :
S. Author Book No. of
No. verses
1 Thiruvalluvar Thirukkural 114 (9 used twice & 2 used thrice.)
2 Thirumoolar Thirumanthiram 25 3 St.Ramalinga Adigalar Thiruvarutpa 3
-do- Arutperumjyothi 3
Agaval
4 Saint Manikkavasagar Thiruvasakam 1 5 Kaduveli Chittar Ananda Kalippu 2 6 Ulaganatha Pulavar Athichoodi 2 Ulaga Neethi 3 7 Saint Siva Vakkiyar Collections 2 8 Athi Veera Rama Pandian Vetriverkai 4
9 Jain Poets Naladiyar 2
10 Thayumanavar Collections 2
11 Avvaiyar Kondrai Venthan 5
Nalvazhi 3 Moothurai 1 Kural 2 Nadi Dharanai 10 12 Pattinathar Collections 3 13 Arunagirinathar KandarAlangaram 2 14 Duraimangalam Sivaprakasa Samigal Nanneri 2 15 St.Azhugannar Collections 1 16. St. Sattamuni Nathar Collections 1 17 St. Roma Rishi Collections 1 18 St. Mastan Sahib Ananda Kalippu 2 19 St. Kongana Maharishi Kadai Kandam 1 20 St. Kudhambai Chittar Collections 1
INTERPRETERS
1 Parimelazhagar Thirukkural 2 Manakkudavar Thirukkural 3 Parithiyar Thirukkural 4 Kalingar Thirukkural 5 Dr. M.Varadarajan Thirukkural 6 J. Varadarajan Thirumanthiram S w a m j i h a s q u o t e d O n e h u n d r e d a n d f o u r t e e n Thirukkurals to explain the maxims. He has quoted Nine, Twice and Two, Thrice. He has also quoted Thirumanthiram(25 verses). Though Thirukkural has been translated nearly hundred times in English, for the benefit of English reader, translation by a Tamil student Rev. G.U. Pope has been used as it is spiritually oriented. Thirumanthiram also has been translated into English by many Scholars. For our better understanding, a translation by spiritually oriented Himalayan Academy has been used. For an erudite English scholar the translation may appear to be very simple, but it is my endeavour that even a beginner should be able to follow and understand. While all precautions have been taken to bring nearest perfection in translation, it is universally acknowledged that such a work is yet to come. All the interpretations are Swamiji’s only. I have made a small attempt to annotate some terms for the benefit of English reader. The spiritual community shall make use this book and be blessed.That was Sri.Saravanan,a sincere servitor of AYYA from Tirunelveli who brought this Sacred text for translation through Smt.Sarada of Aravind Eye Hospital Tirunelveli and her noble father Brahmashri. R.V.Doraisamy of Sankarashramam Five falls courtallam and I profusely thank them for giving me an opportunity to have Darshan of AYYA and undertake the translation.
I also place on record the yeoman services rendered by S r i . K . S . K a i l a s a m , C h i e f E x e c u t i e . S a b a Tr a d i n g P v t Ltd.Chennai and a very great servitor and follower of AYYA in fructification of this endeavour.
I a c k n o w l e d g e w i t h p r o f o u n d t h a n k s S w a m i j i ’s confidence instilled in me for this noble work. My good friend Sri. Ramesh Babu stood with me in assisting unhesistantly in typing. I whole heartedly beseech the Blessings of Swamiji and Lord Almighty.My family members Smt.Dhanalakshmi, Sri.R.Harishankar, Sri.R.Dwaraganath, Dr.R.Ramkumar, D r. R . G u r u k i r u p a , S m t . R a m y a , S m t . Ve n k a t a l a k s h m i , Sri.Shankara Prathapa Chandra and Sri.Rishinathshankar also need to be thanked for their unfailing co-operation during the period of translation.
But for the keen interest evinced by Shri. Muruganandam and members of the Kudil, Shri Madhavan, Editor “Gnana Thiruvadi, and the elegant printing by Vanchi Maruthondri Achagam, Thuraiyur, this task would not have been completed.
I pray unto the Lord and our Guru for their blessings. R.G.Rajaram
INDEX
S.N. Content Pages
1 Blessings For the translation of Books of Gnosis 2 PREFACE Tamil Version
3 PREFACE- English Version
i) Arul Jothi Ramalinga Swamigal A Short Sketch On His Life And Teachings
ii) Manumurai Kanda Vasakam- A Study
iii) The Story Of Manuneethi Chozhan In “Periya Puranam”
iv) Sivarajayogi, Paramananda Sadasiva Sarguru His Holiness, Rengaraja Desiga Swamigal- A Short Biography
v) “Swamiji’s Treatise On “Manumurai Kanda Vasakam”
4 The Text
1. Did I ever, Throttle the mind of the Samaritans? 2 . D i d I e v e r , P u l l t h e m t o c o u r t o n f a l s e
allegations and spoil their reputation? 3. Did I ever, Prevent people giving alms? 4. Did I ever, Divide the Friends united? 5. Did I ever, Was deceit for true friendship? 6. Did I ever, Enhance tax and burgle?
7. Did I ever, Starve the hungry poor?
8. Did I ever, Punish any one without compassion? 9. Did I ever, Partial in land disputes and spoil their
livelihood?
10. Did I ever, Assist Killers?
11. Did I ever, Was a spy for thieves? 12. Did I ever, Enamour the things and lie? 13. Did I ever, Lure and cheat?
14. Did I ever, Close the thorough fare to prevent trespass?
15. Did I ever, Reduce wages for work?
3 6 7 7 11 14 17 19 23 30 31 33 34 34 35 35 36 37 39 44 45 48 49 49
16. Did I ever, Ignore the hunger stricken? 17. Did I ever, Refuse alms for beggars?
18. Did I ever, Carry tales and spoil the relationship? 19. Did I ever, Desert in the midway?
20. Did I ever, Expose the refugees under distress? 21. Did I ever, Be in the company of unchaste? 22. Did I ever, Seduce the modest girl under guard? 23. Did I ever, Rape a Housewife?
24. Did I ever, Abort and enjoy?
25. Did I ever, Feel reluctant to worship my preceptor? 26. Did I ever, Forget to pay preceptor’s fee? 27. Did I ever, Exhibit displeasure of countenance to
the learned?
28. Did I ever, Find fault in the composition of great men?
29. Did I ever, Enslave a bird trembling in a cage? 30. Did I ever, Prevent the calf to feed on the mother? 31. Did I ever, Grow my body eating flesh? 32. Did I ever, Sell mixing up paddy and sand? 33. Did I ever, Harm loved ones?
34. Did I ever, Close down potable water pond? 35. Did I ever, Fell shady trees used to rest in scorching sun? 36. Did I ever, Destroy others’crop out of enmity? 37. Did I ever, Demolish Public Hall?
38. Did I ever, Keep the doors of temple closed? 39. Did I ever, Scold violently the disciples of Lord Shiva? 40. Did I ever, Belittle the people on penance? 41. Did I ever, Ignore great Saints?
42. Did I ever, Ignore the advices of parents? 43. Did I ever, Abuse Gods and become Egotist? 5 SIDDHARKAL POTRY 6 GLOSSARY 50 54 61 64 67 69 70 71 71 72 73 75 76 80 81 82 84 85 87 88 89 90 91 97 99 102 105 121 126 131
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bu§fuh# njáf RthÄfŸ
mUËa És¡fîiu
mU£bgUŠn#hâ M©ltU« étfhU©a tŸsYkh»a kfh‹ ïuhkȧf RthÄfŸ mUËa kDKiw f©l thrf¤ij äâa ghuhaz« brŒgt®fŸ K‹brŒj ght§fŸ Ú§» ò©Âa§fŸ bgWth®fŸ. nkY« thœ¡ifÆš vJ ò©Âa«? vJ ght«? v‹W m¿»‹w áw¥g¿î c©lhF«. ght ò©Âa¤ij m¿»‹w m¿îjh‹ áw¥g¿thF«. áw¥g¿î cŸs k¡fŸ jh‹ j‹idí« jiytidí« m¿ªjt®fŸ Mth®fŸ. j‹idí« jiytidí« m¿ªjt®fŸ jh‹ PhÅfŸ Mth®fŸ. vdnt kDKiw f©l thrf¤ijí«, á¤j®fŸ ngh‰¿¤ bjhF¥igí« g¡â ÉRthr¤njhL ghuhaz« brŒgt®fŸ thœ¡ifÆš gy K‹nd‰w§fŸ c©lhF«. PhdK« ifTL«. ngh‰Wnth« mU£bgUŠn#hâ M©ltuh»a ïuhkȧf RthÄfis! bgWnth« bgUik¡FÇa thœit!!
F¿¥ò : kDKiw f©l thrf¤ijí«, á¤j®fŸ ngh‰¿¤ bjhF¥igí« âdrÇ ghuhaz« brŒJ tUgt®fŸ j‹idí«, jiytidí« m¿ªJ kuz« ïšyh bgUthœî bgWth®fŸ.
kDKiw f©l thrf«
eh« ò©Âath‹ Mtj‰F, mU£bgUŠnrhâ M©ltuh»a Mrh‹
ïuhkȧf RthÄfŸ
mUËa mUŸ th¡F 1. ešnyh® kdij eL§f¢ brŒnjndh!2. tÈa tH¡»£L khd§ bfL¤njndh! 3. jhd§ bfhL¥nghiu¤ jL¤J Ënwndh! 4. fyªj ánd»jiu¡ fyfŠ brŒnjndh! 5. kdbkh¤j e£ò¡F tŠrfŠ brŒnjndh! 6. FotÇ ca®¤â¡ bfhŸis bfh©nlndh! 7. ViHfŸ tÆW vÇa¢ brŒnjndh! 8. j®k« ghuhJ j©lŠ brŒnjndh! 9. k©nzhu« ngá thœtʤnjndh! 10. cÆ®bfhiy brŒnth®¡F cgfhuŠ brŒnjndh! 11. fsî brŒnth®¡F csî brh‹ndndh! 12. bghUis ï¢á¤J¥ bghŒbrh‹ndndh!
13. Mir fh£o nkhrŠ brŒnjndh! 14. tuîngh¡ bfhÊa tÊail¤njndh! 15. ntiyÆ£L¡ TÈ Fiw¤njndh! 16. gá¤njh® Kf¤ij¥ ghuhâUªnjndh! 17. ïu¥ngh®¡F¥ ã¢ir ïšiy ba‹nwndh! 18. nfhŸ brhšÈ¡ FL«g§ fiy¤njndh! 19. e£lh‰¿š ifia eGt É£nlndh!
20. fy§» x˪njhiu¡ fh£o¡ bfhL¤njndh! 21. f‰gʪ jtis¡ fyªâUªnjndh! 22. fhtš bfh©oUªj f‹Åia mʤnjndh! 23. fzt‹tÊ Ã‰nghiu¡ f‰gʤnjndh! 24. fU¥g kʤJ¡ fˤâUªnjndh! 25. FUit tz§f¡ TáËnwndh! 26. FUÉ‹ fh¡if bfhL¡f kwªnjndh! 27. f‰wt® j«ik¡ fLfL¤njndh!
28. bgÇnah® gh£o‰ ãiHbrh‹ndndh! 29. g£áia¡ T©oš gij¡f mil¤njndh! 30. f‹W¡F¥ ghÿ£lhJ f£oit¤njndh! 31. C‹Rit í©L clšts®¤njndh! 32. fšY« bešY« fyªJ ɉnwndh! 33. m‹òil at®¡F¤ J‹gŠ brŒnjndh! 34. Fo¡»‹w ÚUŸs Fsªö®¤njndh! 35. btŒÆY¡ bfhJ§F« ÉU£r kʤnjndh! 36. gifbfh©L manyh® gÆuʤnjndh! 37. bghJk©lg¤ij¥ nghÆo¤njndh! 38. Mya¡ fjit mil¤J it¤njndh! 39. átdo ahiu¢ Ó¿ itnjndh!
40. jtŠbrŒ nthiu¤ jhœî brh‹ndndh! 41. R¤j PhÅfis¤ öõzŠ brŒnjndh! 42. jªijjhŒ bkhÊia¤ jŸË elªnjndh! 43. bjŒt ÄfœªJ brU¡filªnjndh!
v‹d ght« brŒnjndh! ï‹dbj‹ w¿nand!
kDKiwf©l thrf¤â‰F mU£bgUŠnrhâ M©ltuh»a kfh‹ ïuhkȧf RthÄfŸ âUtoia óá¤J mtuJ kDKiwf©l thrf¤â‰F ciu vGj¥gL»wJ. F‰wÄU¥ã‹ kfh‹ Mrh‹ ïuhkȧf RthÄfŸ bghW¤jUs nt©L«.
THE EXPLANATORY NOTES RENDERED BY
SIVARAJAYOGI, PARAMANANDA SADASIVA SARGURU, HIS HOLINESS
RENGARAJA DESIGA SWAMIGAL
FOR
“MANUMURAI KANDA VASAKAM”
OF
SAINT. RAMALINGA SWAMIGAL
Those who chant daily, the “MANUMURAI KANDA
VASAKAM” of the supreme grace light, and patron of
compassion for all living beings, SAINT.RAMALINGA SWAMIGAL will be absolved of all the sins of the past and m o r e o v e r t h e y g a i n t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y i n t e l l i g e n c e t o discriminate virtues and evils. Discrimination of virtues and evils is the best intelligence. Only the men of special i n t e l l i g e n c e i d e n t i f y t h e i r o w n s e l f a n d t h a t o f t h e i r preceptor.Gnanis are those who had understood their SELF and their preceptor’s. Hence many advancements will take place i n t h e l i f e o f m e n w h o c h a n t “ M A N U M U R A I K A N D A
VASAKAM” and “Sidhdharkal Potri’ with utmost piety. They
attain “Gnana”.Let us Hail the Supreme Grace light of St. Ramalingar and add dignified life.
Note : Those who chant daily “MANUMURAI KANDA
VASAKAM” and”Siddharkal Potri’will realize their “self”
“MANUMURAI KANDA VASAKAM”
(ESSAY ON ESTABLISHING THE JUSTICE OF MANU) Holy utterances of SAINT.RAMALINGA SWAMIGAL for us to become righteous persons
Did I ever,
1. Throttle the mind of the Samaritans?
2. Pull them to court on false allegations and spoil their reputation?
3. Prevent people giving alms? 4. Divide the Friends united? 5. Was deceit for true friendship? 6. Enhance tax and burgle?
7. Starve the hungry poor?
8. Punish any one without compassion?
9. Partial in land disputes and spoil their livelihood? 10. Assist Killers?
11. Was a spy for thieves? 12. Enamour the things and lie? 13. Lure and cheat?
14. Close the thorough fare to prevent trespass? 15. Reduce wages for work?
16. Ignore the hunger stricken? 17. Refuse alms for beggars?
18. Carry tales and spoil the relationship? 19. Desert in the midway?
20. Expose the refugees under distress? 21. Be in the company of unchaste?
22. Seduce the modest girl under guard? 23. Rape a Housewife?
24. Abort and enjoy?
25. Feel reluctant to worship my preceptor? 26. Forget to pay preceptor’s fee?
27. Exhibit displeasure of countenance to the learned? 28. Find fault in the composition of great men?
29. Enslave a bird trembling in a cage? 30. Prevent the calf to feed on the mother? 31. Grow my body eating flesh?
32. Sell mixing up paddy and sand? 33. Harm loved ones?
34. Close down potable water pond?
35. Fell shady trees used to rest in scorching sun? 36. Destroy others’crop out of enmity?
37. Demolish Public Hall?
38. Keep the doors of temple closed?
39. Scold violently the disciples of Lord Shiva? 40. Belittle the people on penance?
41. Abuse great Saints?
42. Ignore the advices of parents? 43. Abuse Gods and become Egotist?
The explanatory Notes for “MANUMURAI KANDA
VASAKAM” is rendered with obeisance to His HOLY FEET.
SAINT.RAMALINGA SWAMIGAL may kindly bear with me for deficiencies and inaccuracies.
1. Did I ever throttle the mind of the Samaritans ?
“Thou shall not commit sin Oh! Mind,
Tomorrow the angry Yama may flee with thee”
Saint Kaduveli Chittar, Ananda Kalippu Pallavi
Consequences of Abusing the Good,
The virtuous wife, devotee true, and Jnani Great Those who have done exceeding harm to shock them Their life and wealth will in a year disappear,
True this is, Upon Holy Nandi, I swear.
Thirumanthiram 532.
The Chaste woman would rather starve and die with their children and conduct themselves to protect their chastity from the blemish of unchastely than otherwise. They have not transgressed the path of Chastity.Thus pronounce the great men of chaste woman.
No God adoring, low she bends before her lord; Then rising, serves: the rain falls instant at her word! If she, who does not worship God, but who rising worships her husband, say, “let it rain,” it will
Thirukkural 55
Those who cause injury to the blessed disciples of the great preceptor of gnome, are punished by the great father (Lord Muruga) Philosophers are those who have mastered the 96 Tatvas with the Blessings of great preceptor of gnome. If any one cause harm to these, everlasting harm will be wrought. Hence, those who cause harm to chaste woman, pure disciples, philosophers who have mastered philosophies will lose their ancestral property and property earned by self, will be inflicted by diseases and die within a year. This is true. Saint Thirumoolar so swears upon the everlasting and destruction less preceptor Saint Nandeesar.
If, ere the noontide, you to others evil do, Before the eventide will evil visit you.
If a man inflicts sorrow upon others in the morning, it will come upon him unsought in the very evening.
The world abides; for ‘worthy’ men its weight sustain. Were it not so,’ twould fall to dust again.
The (way of the) world subsists by contact with the good; if not, it would bury itself in the earth and perish.
Thirukkural 996
We shall not do anything that scares the men of character. If it is done so is a sin. Men with character are heavenly; the duty to protect the heavenly rests with the great preceptor of gnome.
Only with the men of character, the world still remains active; otherwise it would have extinct long back. We should not cause hindrance to such good people, like men with character. Such of those blessed are Devas (Angels and Gods). If any one causes their mind to tremble, they become Asuras (Demons).
Suras are people of very high strength. If such of those Suras with high strength cause hindrance to noble men, they lose their strength and become Asuras.
Ravana, the Emperor of Lanka in Ramayana attained the title of Easwara and got the status to be known as Ravaneswaran as a result of his strenuous and committed penance. Ravana was a very great penant. He is known to be the grandson of the great Saint Pulathiar. The grandson of Rev. Pulathiar and the penant , and a man who attained the title of Easwara, the Ravana lost all the powers of his Penance as he caused harm to the noble men, became an Asura and finally was killed by Lord Sri Rama.
2. Did I ever Pull them to court on false allegations and spoil their reputation ?
Men of Strength with muscle power and money power, cause their rivals to come to court unnecessarily on false allegations even if they are quiet and cause mental agony. Their public reputation also is under stake. This is a Sin.
Though unprovoked thy soul malicious foes should sting, Retaliation wrought inevitable woes will bring. In an ascetic inflict suffering even on those who hate him, when he has not done them any evil, it will afterwards give him irretrievable sorrow.
Even if rivals abuse us out of ignorance, we must tolerate. Except these, if we file cases with false allegations, their public reputation will be tarnished. They will be subjected to the wrath of God of Dharma (Aram) the preceptor of Gnome. Hence filing cases wantonly against rivals is a Sin.
Though good thy soul forget, plot not thy neighbour’s fall, Thy plans shall ‘virtue’s Power’ by ruin to thyself forestall. Even though forgetfulness meditate not the ruin of another. Virtue will meditate the ruin of him who thus meditates
Thirukkural 204
They will incur wrath of the God of Dharma (Aram) the preceptor of Gnome. If you cause disturbance and harm to men of character, you should understand that you will be subjected to the wrath of the God of Dharma (Aram), the preceptor of Gnome. It is a crime to harm and file cases against Men of character.
Men of Character are Devas (Angels and Gods). It is the duty of the preceptor of Gnome to protect and bless such men of character. Such of those who harm men of character are considered to be Asuras. It is the routine of the preceptor of Gnome to injure those Asuras.
Hence, even for rivals you shall not cause disturbances. If we disturb rivals when they have not done anything harmful to us, everlasting evil shall befell on us.
The most merciful of God of Dharma has the bountiful sympathy even to feed the frog inside a rock to its requirement. This men of lofty sympathy is the God of Dharma. Frog is an ugly creature. If its saliva is spilt on our body we get eczema and moreover this is poisonous. Even such useless poisonous frog is also fed and protected at its own place by the God of Dharma. When others have not harmed us, even if they are our enemies, we shall remain non-harmful to them and protect us from the wrath of the God of Dharma and everlasting evils.
3.
Did I ever prevent people giving alms?
Affluent people offer material assistance for food shelter and health to downtrodden and poverty stricken. The aim of rendering material assistance is only to get Blessings of the Almighty. Such blessed people will have unity amongst the family members, children of good character a n d m o r e o v e r, b u s i n e s s , C o m m e r c e , P r o f e s s i o n a n d Agriculture will all prosper comfortably. The Almighty is p l e a s e d w h e n p o o r i s h e l p e d . H i s p l e a s u r e y i e l d s u s spiritual wisdom. Deathless longevity becomes imminent. With the Blessings of the Master Agastiya, Nine Crore Gnanis have attained spiritual enlightenment. (Gnani is in short a person who has attained self realization.) Unless y o u h a v e d o n e v i r t u o u s d e e d s i n p r e v i o u s b i r t h s (Punniyam), Spiritual wisdom may not dawn. Moreover, more and more you do virtuous deeds; all Sins of previous births are absolved and special knowledge dawns. People with special knowledge only can realize his “self” and the A l m i g h t y. P e o p l e w i t h a c l e a r m i n d , i . e . , p e o p l e w i t h helping tendencies only can understand the problems of others and continue to render help. If any one is jealous of their activities and prevent offering alms, they will incur the wrath of the Omnipotent. Hence prevention of alms is a very big Sin.
Who scans good gifts to others given with envious eye, His kin, with none to clothe or feed them, surely die. He who is envious at a gift (made to another) will with his relations utterly perish destitute of food and rainment.
Thirukkural 166
Let man relieve the wasting hunger men endure; For treasure gained thus finds he treasure-house secure. The removal of the killing hunger of the poor is the place for one to lay up his wealth.
4. Did I ever Divide the Friends united ?
In villages, we can find families with friendship for generations together. If there is any auspicious occasion in a family, the other families will also participate. It is reciprocal when there is a similar one in other family. They mutually help each other. Every one of them moves very friendly. In almost all the occasions, they perform the functions jointly. Out of Jealousy, by carrying tales, if the friendly family of generations is separated or divided is a sin.
What so hard for men to gain as friendship true? What so sure defence ‘gainst that entire foe can do? What things are there so difficult to acquire as friendship? What guards are there so difficult to break through by the efforts (of one’s foess)?
Thirukkural 781
5. Was I ever a deceit for true friendship?
In villages and towns, people have mutual friendship. Among these one may have total faith and other may have no friendship at heart and may be ritualistic. The true friend with faith may consult the other for all the auspicious functions at his home, for example, for the marriage of his daughter, and may request him for financial assistance for successful conduct of marriage. And the pretentious friend also may agree and promise to assist. Believing in toto, his promise, the faithful friend may fix up the marriage and approach him for assistance, but the latter may refuse though he may have means to assist. This may cause disruption to the marriage. Like this taking back the promise at the appropriate time after having promised is a breach of trust for the friend who believed in us. This is a Very big Sin. The very purpose of friendship is to help those to get out of troubles whenever they are facing. That is true friendship. Some may get their problems sort out by their own friends moving closely with them and when the same friends approach them, they keep themselves apart. This is a breach of Trust.
What though you gain or lose friendship of men of alien heart, Who when you thrive are friends, and when you fail depart?… Of what avail is it to get or lose the friendship of those who love when there is gain and leave when there is none ?
Thirukkural 812
6. Did I ever Enhance tax and burgle?
Taxing the affluent people is not a crime. But taxing the poverty stricken is a Crime. This is also a type of sin.
As ‘Give’ the robber cries with lance uplift, So kings with sceptred hand implore a gift.
The request (for money) of him who holds the sceptre is like the word of a highway robber who stands with a weapon in hand and says “give up your wealth”.
Thirukkural 512
7. Did I ever Starve the hungry poor?
Some may cultivate in sprawling acres of land. Poor peasants may be working with them. These peasants may go for work even foregoing breakfast. After extracting work from morning till evening, at the end of the day, without disbursing their wages either in money or in kind, they may come out with lame excuses of darkness setting in and the light is lit. Without any iota of sympathy the landlords may ask them to come for wages next day. (It is the practice and custom in some traditional Hindu families not to part with anything after the sunset)
But the peasants may be in a position to make up his dinner for his wife and children only with this wage. The children at home may be eagerly waiting for the father to bring something for the dinner. And the wife may be in preparedness to cook the same. The family members on seeing him empty handed may become desperate and with heartburns that they have to starve that night and may go to
bed with an empty stomach. Delaying the wages without disbursing at the appropriate time for the labour and causing hardship is a sin.
8. Did I ever punish anyone without compassion?
Who punishes, investigation made in due degree, So as to stay advance of crime, a king is he.
He is a king who having equitably examined (any injustice which has been brought to his notice), suitably punishes it, so that it may not be again committed.
Thirukkural 561
Harsh words and punishments severe beyond the right, Are file that wears away the monarch’s conquering might. Severe words and excessive punishments will be a file to waste away a king’s power for destroying (his enemies).
Thirukkural 567
Who leaves the work to those around, and thinks of it no more; If he in wrathful mood reprove, his prosperous days are o’er! The prosperity of that king will waste away, who without reflecting (on his affairs himself), commits them to his ministers, and (when a failure occurs) gives way to anger, and rages against them. In time of war shall fear and swiftly die.
Thirukkural 568
The ignorant king and Death are cast in equal mould; Nay, truth to tell, more justly than foolish King, Death claims his due; The Witless tyrant no law obeys but in murderous fury kills But Death, cast in finer mould, nears not the good men true.
Thirumanthiram 238
Senseless King is equivalent to Yama. The Yama is better than a king bereft of knowledge in ruling. This is so because the king without knowledge of ruling and dharma, without applying the essence of the same may order killing of good men. But Yama does not approach the good men.
D u r i n g t h e r u l e o f m o n a r c h y, s o m e k i n g s t o o k decisions in consultation with their ministers and courtiers. But some took decision independently without consultation. In their regime even good people were killed. Their rule was unjust and cruel.
During the period of monarchy, the accused will be b r o u g h t t o t h e c o u r t a f t e r t h o r o u g h i n v e s t i g a t i o n , a n d consultation with the Ministers and courtiers, the accused will be punished. The punishment without consultation is illegal. This is without any morality. The accused shall be thoroughly examined and punishment shall be imposed afterwards. It is just to impose punishment, pertinent to the offence. If punishment is not in consistent with the offence, and arbitrary, it is a Sin.
9. Did I ever, was partial in land disputes and spoil
their livelihood?
In villages, peasants used to have an acre or two of land and lead their livelihood through the income of cultivation. Some may have only one acre of land and lead their livelihood through agricultural income from it. This land might have been their’s for two three generations. The neighboring landlord may be a wealthy man with sprawling acres. He will annex this piece of one acre land also with his. This poor peasant may appeal to the landlord that that piece of land was his and grabbing the same is illegal. But the landlord may unjustiably justify that that piece of land is also available in his land document. Moreover, he may challenge him to do whatever he can. This poor peasant may not be able to oppose him and plead for justice from the village head man.
This head man may be a relative of the landlord. Without application of justice the head man may give a detrimental judgment claiming that that was finding a place in the landlord’s land document. So the affected peasant and his
family members will shed tears as their means for livelihood has been grabbed. That sorrowful tears become a sharp edged sword and kills the man rendered unjust judgment and his descendents. Like this Avvaiyar also has sung about land grabbing in Athichoodi
“Do not grab land and live”
Athichoodi line 23
Avvaiyar says that it is sin to grab others land. “Do not be partial”
Athichoodi line 109
The poet Ulaganathar in his book “Ulaga Neethi” also tells as under:
“Thou shall not be partial in land disputes, Thou shall not wander with distracted mind,
Thou shall not misinterpret and exhibit sorrowfulness, Thou shall not concoct what you have not seen, Thou shall not hurt by your utterances ,
Thou shall not keep company of people carrying tales. Hail Thee O! Mind! My Lord
Son of Uma , sister of Lord who measured the land.
Ulaga Neethi . 9
We may not mind to grab others land and live. If we do so it is a Sin.
Athiveera Rama in his” Vetriverkai “ writes
“Both their versions be heard seven times, If justice delivered is not agreeable to both The tears of the lost in manu’s path
Even if the triad protect, It is a sword for the posterity Of the man delivered judgment
The accused and the affected shall be summoned several times and thoroughly enquired and judgment pronounced after that. Without doing so, if justice is rendered incorrectly, the posterity of the men who delivered such judgment will be perished forever.
To stand, like balance-rod that level hangs and rightly weighs, With calm unbiased equity of soul, is sages’ praise.
To incline to neither side, but to rest impartial as the even-fixed scale is the ornament of the wise
Thirukkural 118
10. Did I ever assist Killers?
Some people with helping mind take poor feeding for poor with whatever they possess. When they do not have materials, they approach people with facilities and helping mind, take help and cook quality food, first taste themselves and then feed the poor. Blessings are showered on the people who have offered material assistance. Some seek assistance for offering ram sacrifice to their family. If we help them, we become a party of their sin. Hence, helping such people offering life sacrifice is a sin. If we help people doing service of Dharma, it is a Punniyam. If we help people killing, sins accrue. If the head man of the family, his wife or children become sick, some people without understanding that that was due to the misdeeds of the past, pray to minor deities and offer life sacrifice. By doing so, instead of the disease getting cured, it aggravates and sins also get accrued. Persistent killing offer to minor deities, only bring everlasting enmity and incurable diseases. If there is sickness in family, if poor feeding is given for five or ten persons within their reach, the disease get cured and prosperity develops in family, enmity becomes friendship and moreover, health also improves. Except this if killing is offered only sins accumulate.
Sri Ramalinga Swamigal, the supreme grace light with a painful heart prayed the Almighty to grant these people grace towards living beings .
“Ferocious deities in names different exist in the country, To sacrifice they conduct the decorated
Goat, Pigs, Cock and Ram,
My intellect was hurt and my heart trembled on such sight And I was afraid to see such temples”
Tiruvarutpa VI canto 275
In those days, if anyone become sick they used to offer pongal(a mixture of Rice & Dhall boiled with Jaggery and other condiments) in Pidari Temple and give a life sacrifice in order to get cured. As you go on continuing sacrificial killing, your hands, legs and body bleed and they become diminished
“When your body become sick, Thou offer pongal And sacrificial killing of goat and cock, In Pidari temple And derision built up and day by day
Thou become weaker and weaker, And become like a musk-rat.
This is the thing wrought, is the truth by your Deity”
St. Siva Vakkiyar 535
Hence, if you help those who do good deeds, you also get punniyam in return. And if you assist life killers, only Papam comes to you.
What is the work of virtue? ‘Not to kill’; For ‘killing’ leads to every work of ill.
Never to destroy life is the sum of all virtuous conduct. The destruction of life leads to every evil.
Thirukkural… 321
The best among all virtuous acts, is non killing. If anyone kills all miseries befell on him. Some people kill their enemies by their anger. This creates an indelible reproach. If any one kills, poverty and sickness accrue. Poverty leads to stealing. If there is any hindrance during stealing, they commit murder. The Government will punish them with a rigorous punishment. Moreover, the blame will fall on them for crimes not of their
own. They undergo poverty, sickness and blame for the crimes of not their own and rigorous punishment and may desert their wife and children. This may lead to their wife and children undergoing miseries of poverty.
Killing may bring misery, poverty, sickness, punishments and blame for crimes of not their own.
Virtue means non killing of any living beings. People, who kill out of anger, get reproach and punishment. If anyone commit killing for minor deity worship, not only poverty, sickness, disunity in the family, burden of everlasting debts accrue but also multivarious miseries and suffer.
Who lead a loathed life in bodies sorely pained,
Are men, the wise declaring, by guilt of slaughter stained. (The wise) will say that men of diseased bodies, who live in degradation and in poverty, are those who separated the life from the body of animals (in a former birth).Its loss, as throngs dispersing, when the dances cease. The acquisition of wealth is like the gathering together of an assembly
Thirukkural 330
Parimelalagar interprets that the people who are with pitiable disease and poverty stricken and degraded are those who terminate life of the living beings in their earlier birth. The same aspect has been stressed in Naladiyar
“Like fire their palms shall glow Their fingers rot away, who Loved in other times on crabs to Feed and broke their joints
What time the guilt of “olden deeds”
Comes home and leprosy”s fears pangs assail
Naladiyar 123
This will be followed in future births also.
By these two verses, the evil that befall on the killers are explained.
From (Chapter 25 to 33) Compassion to Non killing of Thirukkural apart from what has been discussed, the hidden vows (Other Voluntary religious observance /rituals) will also be included. Understand those and observe thus extends the interpretation.
Manakkudavar interprets that people with deformity in body and who do not take food and have imperfect marital life are those who terminated life of living beings in their earlier births. This is a sequel to the crime of killing.
Paridiyar interprets that they shall be known as killers in the earlier birth because of their diseased body and poverty.
Kalingar interprets that they are those who unmindful of their suffering culled the life from the body.Such of those‘s suffering which never leave the body and lead a life of dreaded hell.
In the name of God, or for flesh eating, one who kills suffer from diseases beyond cure, gets ugly body and dies not immediately but only after being bedridden for long years. They will suffer due to unbearable foul smell during their bedridden. If foul smell persists at home, they may not bear the same while eating at all time and suffer. The dear wife and lovely children will yearn for his death.
“Path of non killing is the path of preceptor For ages Oh! true Siva, thou said unto me”
Arutperumjothi Agaval …964
“It is my will, Oh! Omniscient to spread the Vow of Non killing to all throughout the Universe.”
Thayumanavar .. Para para Kanni -54
“Oh! Omniscient, the men with Vow of non killing are only good. Others, I do not know who they are!”
Thayumanavar .. Para para Kanni 192
Though thine own life for that spared life the price must pay, Take not from aught that lives gift of sweet life away. Let no one do that which would destroy the life of another, although he should by so doing, lose his own life.
People advise to take soups of goat legs and meat as a cure for diseases inflicted on them. For the diseases wrought by evil deeds of earlier birth, suggesting meat eating as a medicine is also a sin. Hence, tolerating the disease is best virtue. Killing other living beings to cure diseases may bring papam and suffering.
Though great the gain of good should seem, the wise Will any gain by slaughter won despise.
The advantage which might flow from destroying life in sacrifice, is dishonorable to the wise (who renounced the world), even although it should be said to be productive of great good.
Thiurukkural 328
The great man may not choose to kill living beings in the name of worship, even if they were to obtain the post of king in heaven. They consider killing as a shameful act. Non killing is the best virtue.
Don’t Kill Even an Atom of Life
Flowers many to dear, loved Master’s worship; Even one atom of life, kill not:
The lovely garland, the steady flame, the firm will, The passionate heart—such the worship’s crowning part
Thirumanthiram 197
Those who worship the holy feet of Gnanis who have attained deathless grand life, and have understood all the three periods of time and are enlightened shall not worship their holy feet offering part of grass, plants, twigs, trees or their flowers. This is not an act of those who want to get rid of this birth.
“Thou shalt strew flowers best On the holy feet of Devi beatitude With happiness of soul and body
To cross this birth, search here with love”
The preferred flower for worship of the preceptor is “love”. This Love only can be of assistance to get the Blessings of the Guru. Moreover those who want to cross this birth, if they worship the holy feet of preceptor, the karana Guru with his blessing, idakala or the Chandrakala and pingala or Suryakala, if sent through bhrumadhya (the centre of the forehead), the suzhumna, the heat of the root appear and the gates of suzhumna opened. Once the doors are opened, there appears the effulgence. Then drops the Amrita (Ambrosia). Deathless grand life materializes. This is the biggest blessing and gift received by the people, who wholeheartedly pray the holy feet of the preceptor.
11.
Was I a spy ever for thieves?
A poor fifteen year old joined as labour with a rich man. That rich man was cultivating 10 acres of land apart from doing business. This servant was residing with the owner assisting his business and agriculture.
That business man trusted him and treated him as a family member and as his own son and took care of him in his house with food, clothing and Shelter.
As the days went on,on attaining marriageable age, they engaged a girl for him and got him married and settled them in one of their own houses and maintained as their own family. In the festivities of his family, they gave him necessary assistance. They shared their own food with him and his family. They believed him to that extent, as he knew the staking places of agricultural products and business gains.
But the servant had contact of thieves. The thieves approached the servant and asked “Your owner is a very big rich man. Do you know the place of the treasury? If you know, we may jointly steal and we will give you a part of the booty” The servant accepted the deal and committed a breach of trust, he took the keys of the safety lockers, joined hands with the thieves and burgled the jewels, money etc. He took a part of the booty as his share.
