A SriramaDesikan Reader

Extracts from his Literary Works

Ayurveda Bharati, Abinava Vishrutasushruta, Kalaimamani,

Samskritaratna

Pandit Sri Sirungattur Nadathur Sriramadesikan

Extracts from the works of Sriramadesikan (21.06.1921) - A great literary scholar in Sanskritand Tamil.He has a wide range of publications in Sanskrit, Tamil and English to his credit.He hasbeen striving untiringly for the cause of National and linguistic integration of India by renderingclassical and most popular Sanskrit works into Tamil and vice versa.A Sri-Vaishnava by practice and scholarship - his writings in English, Sanskrit and Tamil - intendto represent the mainstream Sri-Vaishnava syncretic views on the Indian Cultural Tradition1.

India's Cultural Heritage

The encyclopedic synthesis2 sponsored by the Ramakrishna Institute of Culture is a symbol of therenaissance of Hindu thought and ideals as well as a treasure house of ancient lore; and the wholerange of Indian civilization and the variegated products of Hindu culture have been dealt with inseveral volumes dealing with religious philosophies, literature and the arts and sciences from thetwilight of time up to the present day 3.The admitted achievements of India in the directions ofassimilation, adaptation and synthesis of various points of view surmounting all diversity and con-�ict will be illustrated by the movements recorded in these volumes.The religious, artistic and philosophical developments in India demonstrate India's consistent striv-ing towards Samanvaya, that is, reconciliation and concord.Culture patterns have been modi�edfrom time to time.Di�erent environments diversi�ed racial contributions and innumerable local andhistorical traditions have not a�ected basically the continuity of Indian Culture during more thansix thousand years.Volume II of this literary tour-de-force comprises studies of the Ithihasas, Pu-ranas and Sastras.This volume will be specially signi�cant in the light of present day Indian conditions and could beinvaluable for a proper solution of the problem of national integration which is now exercising theminds of Indian leaders.The conviction of the immanence of the Supreme Being in every animatebeing leading to a realisation of the dignity of each individual is the message taught by this volumeand would be of critical importance for creating those bonds of love and service which are indis-

1 This prefatory note and the extracts - compiled by sudarshan.therani@gmail.com - email for any clari�cations2 Ayurveda Bharati, Abinava Vishrutasushruta, Kalaimamani, Samskritaratna Pandit S.N.SRIRAMADESIKAN,

Siromani3 http://sriramadesikan.com/religious-and-literature-articles/

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pensable for to-day and tomorrow.From another point of view, the contributions contained in this volume would be of import as theywould put in proper perspective the values emphasised in modern civilisation.India, while not decry-ing economic advancement of social utility, has always stressed the importance of human personalityagainst all challenge to it.Neither stark individualism nor collectivisation can solve the problemsconfronting us and this lesson is specially conveyed by the Itihasas and the Puranas.The AmaraKosa, describing the main characteristics of the Puranas specially points out that the commands ofthe Vedas are like those of a master (Prabhu Samhita), whereas the teachings of the Itihasas andthe Puranas may be compared with the advice and counsel of friends (Suhrit Samhita).The EpicAge during which the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha received their �nal shape, was a periodof racial and ideological con�lict; and, historically speaking, this period produced the two greatEpics as well as the Manu Dharma Sastra, the Codes of Yajinavalkya, Narada and Parasara andthe earlier Puranas.Great mental expansions and new political outlooks were the characteristics of this age.Gradually,the idea was evolved that India, in spite of its various kingdoms, races and creeds was essentiallyone.This fundamental unity is enforced in several passages of the Mahabharatha.The Kurma Pu-rana, in describing Bharatavarsha emphasises such unity notwithstanding the diversities of raceand culture; and the earlier Vayu Purana strikes the same note.The Hindu scheme of life expressedin the formula, Dharma- Artha-Kama-Moksa, which had originated earlier was, during this period,perfected and codi�ed.Ideal types of character representing all stages of human life became epicheroes.Not only the ideal Sannyasi or the Rishi but ideal king, the loyal wife and brother, the dis-ciplined and diligent student, the citizen active in his avocation and the peasant as the guardian offundamental virtues and loyalties were each presented in the Itihasas and the Puranas as examplesand symbols of the variegated Indian life.The in�uence cannot be exaggerated of such examples of human potentiality and achievementas Rama, Lakshmana, Kausalya, Sita, Hanuman, Bharata, Yudhishthira and Bhima.The formulaafore-mentioned of Dharma-Artha-Kama-Moksa, became more than formal when it was illustratedby the innumerable lives of the characters described in the Puranas and the Itihasas.The stories,epilogues and parables contained in them were not put together for the purpose of furnishing achronologically accurate history.Subsequent researches have demonstrated that the Itihasas andthe Puranas are more accurate historically, geographically and chronologically than was at onetime supposed; but it can never be forgotten that they were composed rather to furnish examplesand models than to record speci�c historical incidents in dry detail. Moreover, while each Puranaexalts a particular deity, it must be noted that the catholicity and the uniformity of the Hinduapproach to the Supreme are a�rmed at every turn.For instance, Rama is described as a devotee ofSiva and Aditya and so was Arjuna.The Vayu Purana, in fact, asserts that he who a�rms superi-ority or inferiority among divine manifestations is a sinner.From the time of Macaulay, it has beena favourite pursuit of some critics to deride the geography and description of the Puranas and toaccuse them of exaggeration or distortion. Some special virtues are, in their opinion, grossly overaccentuated as in the case of Sibicakravarthi, Harischandra and Karna. In many ancient scripturesincluding the Egyptian Book of the Dead and the Old and the New Testament, there are to befound similar inherent improbabilities and historical contradictions.But it must not be ignored thatthese great products of the human mind were not intended to be substitutes for historical hand-books or for Directories like those of Baedaker or Murray.A proper interpretation of the Itihasasand the Puranas would be to regard them as the works of gifted seers, who availed themselves ofcertain ancient or recent historical and religious traditions and wove those traditions into narratives,

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anecdotes, episodes and homilies, these works re�ecting and reproducing certain attitudes towardslife.In truth, there are a body of writings which are popular expositions of inherited truths andmessages, their avowed purpose being to di�use their purport amongst the people at large.Thus, the Ramayana furnishes pictures of kings who led a spiritual life and of ascetics who playeda great part in the a�airs of nations. Di�cult situations are pictured, whose impact on severalhuman souls is brilliantly analysed.Dharma, as the chief factor for the shaping of human life, is theunderlying motive of the Ramayana and its many episodes.The Mahabharata is not only a pictureof a great internecine struggle illustrating the con�ict of human motives and human attributes buta repertoire of comprehensive secular and religious learning. It is not simply a great poem butalso a manual of ethics, politics and morality.It can well be asserted that the Ramayana and theMahabharata have throughout been the foundations of Hindu ethics and beliefs. Whatever therespective dates of the several Puranas may be, they embody ancient legends as the very namePurana signi�es.Whereas the Epics deal with the actions of heroes as mortal men and embody andillustrate both human virtues and frailties, the Puranas mainly celebrate the power and the workof various Super-human personages and deities.The Pancalaksanas described by Amara Simha as characterising the Puranas are not found in all ofthem.The contents of many Puranas are very old but many of the later ones have a de�nite sectarianbias.They are nevertheless valuable record of the several Hindu beliefs, which originated next inorder to the Vedas and which incorporated hero-worship as well as divine worship and they may berightly described as essentially pantheistic in character.Although a particular divinity may be es-sentially glori�ed, nevertheless, there is an underlying quest for unity of life and of Godhead.Almostall the Puranas are in the form of dialogues between an exponent and an enquirer.Thus, the VishnuPurana was a gift to Pulastya by Brahma.Pulastya communicated it to Parasara and Parasara toMaitreya.The Puranas are divided into three categories, viz.the Sattvic Puranas, the Tamasic Pu-ranas and the Rajasic Puranas.The Vayu Purana is the oldest of them.But perhaps the MarkandeyaPurana and the Bhagavata Purana are the most celebrated and latter ranks in popular appreciationas almost equal in value to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, expecially as it deals at lengthwith the Krishna incarnation and with all the activities of that Supreme Avatar.From the literary point of view, perhaps, the most perfect is the Vishnu Purana.These Purana andthe several Upa Puranas, of which eighteen are generally named, when rightly construed are neithermutually contradictory nor even purely sectarian.Regarded as a whole, they furnish a compendiousportrayal of human rights and obligations and as expressive descriptions of Hindu life, as it has beenand ought to be lived.The Ramayana, for instance, is a mirror of the highest ideals of Hindu cultureand civilisation.In his lectures on the Ramayana the Right Honourable Srinivasa Sastri declaredthat it furnishes impressive illustrations of cause being followed inevitably by e�ect, of Karma,re-birth and destiny and that it embodies generalisations of experience in private and public af-fairs enshrined in proverbs, maximum and rules of chivalry and state craft.The Mahabharata, asDr.Radhakrishnan has indicated, contains an illuminating account of the Indian genius both in thenobility and greatness and its tragic weakness and insu�ciency. The Mahabharata speaks of menand women who are animated by strong passions, both good and evil but the purpose of this Epicis to show the futility of the betrayal of ideals and the pursuit of evil.It stresses that an underlyingpurpose and guiding destiny are inseparable from human history.The appeal of the Bhagavata Purana is to the Bhakta. Devotion and detachment in several formsare embodied in attractive stories.The Sage Vyasa, having edited the Vedas and composed the Ma-habharata, had nevertheless not attained serenity and the Bhagavata was, as it states, composed onthe advice of Narada, who told Vyasa that he could attain peace of mind only by the contemplation

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as a true devotee of the deity and his incarnations.The Bhagavata, at the same time, recognises theprinciple of relativity, and its spiritual prescriptions are adjusted to the di�erent stages of individualdevelopment. The psychology of bhakti has been closely studied and expounded in this most popu-lar of the Puranas.The Itihasas and the Puranas are specially remarkable for the number of episodescontained in them. The most remarkable, of course, are the various Gitas, the most renowned ofthem being the Bhagavadgita.It was the revelation granted to Arjuna by Sri Krishna at a criticalperiod not only for the Kurus and the Pandavas but for India as a whole.It has been severallydescribed as embodying pure monism or quali�ed monism with the introduction of Prakriti.It has been described as the Sankhya Yoga and many commentators have made the Gita the basisfor their several and divergent interpretations. Rightly viewed, however, the Gita is not a weaponfor dialectical warfare.As Sri Aurobindo would show, it is a gate opening on the whole world ofspiritual truth and experience and the view it gives us embraces all provinces of the human mindand soul.It maps out, but does not cut up or build walls.The Gita came into existence after theperiod of the Vedas and the Upanishads.It starts with a freely conceived synthesis and constructsa harmony of knowledge, love and works (Jnana, Bakthi and Karma) through which the soul ofman can directly approach the Eternal.It truly seizes on the very obstacles to spiritual life andcompels them to become the means for richer spiritual conquest.The body and the mind are tobe utilised for the coming up of the divine life.In �ne, the Gita may be described as a gospel ofthe divine perfectibility of man.It may be remembered that, in addition to the Bhagavadgita, thereare interposed in our sacred literature other works entitled Gitas, notably the Astavakra Samhitabeing a dialogue between Janaka and Astavakra; the Avadhuta Gita being a conversation betweenDattatreya and Skanda, the Anu Gita found in the Asvameda Parva of the Mahabharatha and theUddahava Gita embedded in the Bhagavata and containing the last message and instructions of SriKrishna to his devotee, Uddhava.The basic message of all the Gitas is thus enunciated in the Astavakra Samhita.You, namely, theimmanent self, do not belong to the Brahmin or other castes nor to any Ashrama.You are be-yond visual perception and are detached (i.e. beyond attachment) and beyond forms.Witnessingall phenomena, you are happy (i.e.you preserve your equilibrium.It is in the Uddhava Gita that SriKrishna says: In the beginning men had but one caste known as Hamsa In the Bhagavadgita, theLord proclaims; The four castes were created by me to function according to individual qualitiesand inheritance.The conclusion is thus stated: He who does his duty in consonance with his innatepotentiality incurs no sin The main requisites are again declared to be detachment and faith in theultimate.The Dharma Sastras and the Artha Sastras and the legal treatises implementing their practicalapplication by means of a hierarchical judicial system comprise normative sciences devoted to thepractical methods by which life should be regulated; persons should be educated and trained; trade,commerce and economic progress stimulated and the right ends of human life secured.The ManuSmrti is the leading Dharma Sastra and Kautilyas Artha Sastra and Kamandakis Niti Sastra arecelebrated manuals on polity.The Mitakshara, the Dayabhaga and other legal treatises purport tobe based on the Dharma Sastras; and until recent legislation changed the law in some respects,these governed human and family relationships amongst Hindus.They expounded rules that out-lined rights and obligations which were enforced by means of speci�c sanctions.The king or ruler forthe time being was the �nal appellate authority, but he was bound by the dictates of Dharma andwas obliged to recognise usage and custom founded on the practice of good men in the various partsof the country.Such customs were recognised as valid even though they may be local or regional.TheKing was described as the fashioner of the times.This maxim meant in essence that the law was not

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static but could move with the times. The Manu Dharma Sastra contains the teachings expoundedby his pupil, Bhrgu.It purports to set out the rules of all sects and communities. Many verses ofthe Manu Smriti occur in the Mahabharata.Other Dharma Sastras were also compiled by Narada,Yajnavalkya, Gautama, Apasthamba and others.It is not possible, here and now, fully to discussthe contents or purports of these Dharma Sastras but they belong to a period when, after the Epicage, India had settled down into social and economic strata.E�orts were made by sages and seersto formulate the rules of life to be followed at each stage of human existence and by the varioussocial and economic groups.The Dharma Sastras present an analysis of man in society.The Manu Smrti and the succeeding Dharma Sastras treat social life from the point of view ofreligion and morality.On the other hand the Artha Sastras (of which Kautilyas is the most well-knitand logical) take account or all previous literature on the subject.In the words of Kautilya himself,Artha is an object of men and this Sastra aids in the acquisition and protection of property and thegovernance of each country.Kautilya himself refers to various schools of polity including those ofYamini, Badarayana and others. His Artha Sastra is undoubtedly based on the logic of the materialinterests of kings and monarchs and the means of securing them and it may be worthwhile to notethat later literary tradition has often assailed Kautilyas utilitarian point of view.Kautilya recognised the presence of small states and discusses their inter-relations. But basically hisoutlook is in favour of an expanded empire and he is remarkable in having envisaged the ChakravartiKshetra as the whole country stretching from the Himalayas to the Southern Ocean. As is wellknown, Vishnu Gupta or Kautilya, otherwise known as Chanakya, was not only celebrated as aking-maker but is now regarded as the greatest exponent of realistic policies of governance and ofmethods of diplomacy as applicable to a period of foreign impact and internal disunity.In generalperspective, the Ramayana may be regarded as describing the penetration of Aryan culture intothe whole of India.The Mahabharata not only re�ects the culture of a particular age but symbolisesvarious forms of struggle between the forces of good and evil.The Bhagavadgita is a great work ofsynthesis and the Bhagavata itself is marked by a great spirit of accommodation.The Manu DharmaSastra furnishes detailed instructions regarding social rules and practices.Manus system is based ondeliberate emphasis on the need and importance of the conservation of social order.It summarised and insisted upon custom and convention at a time when they were assailed.KautilyasArtha Sastra and the other Sastras prove that both the practical and theoretical problems of eco-nomics and politics were closely studied by our ancients.The Dharma and Niti Sastras containlessons invaluable to us relating to the nature and limits of sovereignty, the basis of local govern-ment and records of representative institutions, theories of punishment, the functions of the policyand the principles of taxation.A great deal of realism can be perceived in these works, side by sidewith the idealism underlying most Hindu literary and religious e�orts.In the Hindu view of life, ide-als and activities were not divided up but considered to be inter-dependent.Society was viewed asindividuals and on the reconciliation and equipoise of duties and obligations, whether of individualclassess or functionaries, was held to depend the harmony, not only of a particular community, butof the whole creation.Life, to quote Professor K.V.Rangaswami Aiyengar, in his Raja Dharma, was a continuum notinterrupted by death and so were deed and thought.In dealing with the Dharma Sastras it must beremembered that a great deal of misunderstanding has arisen from the mis-translation of Manusterm, Varna.It has always been translated as caste, whereas it should be, as rightly pointed out byVincent Smith, rendered as class or order.The Manu Dharma Sastra realises the distinction betweenVarna and Jati (Class and birth), a distinction accentuated in the Bhagavadgita, which speaks ofVarnas as dependent as much on mental equipment as on heritage.The �uidity of the institutions

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of caste has not been rightly appreciated in most studies of Indian institutions.

Vyasa and the Puranas

Tradition ascribes to Krishnadvaipayana Vyasa the authorship of the 18 major Puranas.This Vyasais the son of Parasara through Satyavathi. Since he was born in an island, he was Dvaipayana andsince he was of dark complexion, he was Krishna.It is still an unsettled issue as to which of the 18Puranas were authored by him.South of the Vindhyas, a verse is in vogue listing the 18 thus.Thereare two beginning with M � Matsya and Markandeya, two with B - Bhagavata and Bhavishya , threewith Bra - Brahama, Brahamanda and Brahama vaivarta , four with V - Varaha , Vishnu, Vamanaand Vayu, One with A � Agni, one with N � Narada, one with P � Padma, one with L � Linga onewith Ga - Garuda, one with Ku � Kurma and one with Ska - Skanda.The Sri Bhagavatha whichindicates the number of slokas in each Purana, omits Vayu purana and includes Siva purana.Butthe irony is that the Vishnu purana which gives this sloka count is held by some as the productionof a latter intellectual, probably Bhopadeva.They say that Devi Bhagavatam is, on the contrary,Vyasa's work.The orthodox view has no patience with what is described as a historical approach.The irony aboutPurana literature is that it has undergone additions, interpolations and mutilations of the textdown the centuries. These `modi�cations', if at all they can be so described are the out come ofboth scholastic and royal egos.The kings wanted their names to be included in the Puranic list ofdynasties to perpetute their memory as patrons of religion, arts and what not.The scholars whowere stumped for an explanation of some of their contemporary customs introduced into the textsnames of ascetics of particular orders as well as the Athivarnasramis.The chronological code of thePuranas su�ers from greater ambivalence than that of the Vedas � an ambivalence which is theoutcome of a reluctance to shed the pleasing mythology that had grown round the code.For exam-ple, the Vedic mantra used for aseervachana � Samjnanam, Prajnanam, Vignanam etc.is a codeabout the half thithis, but it is amusing to note because of the ignorance of priests and yajamanas,the obeisance which the repetition of the code elicits, as if a shower of the choicest blessings ofProvidence is being brought down for the bene�t of the yajamana and his family, not excluding thecousin of the fortieth remove living abroad who, the yajamana considers his potential refuge andsupport in his own lean years.This is mentioned not for amusement but to press the point that the code of the Puranas itself, inits exposition in diverse forms, has led to host of avoidable misreading and to the specious argu-ment, on the basis of that misreading, that the apparent inner contradictions were proof positiveagainst the commonness of their authorship.The Puranas have �ve characteristics, Sarga, Prati-sarga, Vamsa, Manvantra, Vamsanucharita.Of these �ve, the Sarga and Pratisarga are the rootsfrom which spring what are known as the Trithaya of Vamsa, Manvantara and Vamsanucharita.Ifthe �rst two are the basic characterstics, the remaining three are an extension, through interaction,of these basic characteristics.Thus the extension of the universe out of the Brahman through his sankalpa is expatiated uponin the stories of kings, Manus and dynastic and sacerdotal expositions.I hasten to stress this pointprecisely for calling o� satire - totally undeserved � which is heaped upon Puranas as constitut-ing nothing more than the understandably �ctional themes which are very good bedtime tales forputting children to sleep.The authors of this view go so far as to say that the dictum that the Pu-ranas are an elaboration of Vedic truths is a polite compliment paid to them to keep them alive and

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is nothing more than that.These will have us believe that the mighty intellect that Vyasa was whocould discern the imperceptible unity of the Vedic texts and could give them in very well arrangedfour samhitas of the Rig, Yajus, Sama and Atharva Vedas suddenly became so senile as to indulgein dishing out incredible mythological stories and well-spun out religious yarn of undecipherablecount.First let us take some of the alleged contradictions.Take Prahlada Charitra in Matsya, Vishnu andBhagavata.In Matsya Purana, the story is that, after the long trial and tribulations that Prahaladaunderwent, he was able to convince his father of the supremacy of Narayana.Hiranyakasipu callsa truce declaring that after all there is no need for quarrel between one who rules and who willrule after him.After such reconciliation, the father and son live in peace for some years.One day alion, � not man lion but a simple lion � appears at the court. The guards fail in trying to drive itout.It comes very near the throne.Hiranyakasipu asks Prahalada as to whether it was a real lion.The son stands up, folds his hands and worships the lion as re�ecting the Viswa Roopa of LordNarayana.Hiranyakasipu laughs and jestingly �sts the lion, gets killed and is succeeded by Prahal-ada.In Vishnu Purana, the su�erings imposed on Prahalada by the father are detailed.A truce en-sues.And the Purana ends the episode saying: After this, one day Vishnu slew Hiranya.In boththese versions, the killing is after Hiranyakasipu had called a truce and father and son were livingamicably.In Sri Bhagavata, the punishments in�icted on Prahalada are given in a single verse.Theavatara is described in magni�cent detail.The cynics put the question as to how the same event gotdescribed in three entirely di�erent ways.Another example of the alleged contradiction is the Daksha Yagna episode. In most Puranas whichdescribed it Daksha perishes after his daughter's immolation in her own yogagni in the sacri�cialyard.In Vayu Purana, Sati teases Siva about his meekness in the face of the insult her father hadcast on him by not inviting him for Yagna.Siva is calm. But Sati jeers at him still more.She doesnot go anywhere near the place of the yagna.But Siva unable to bear the hurt of her taunts appearsout of the sacri�cial �re as Veerabhadra, kills Daksha and destroys the sacri�ce.The traditional explanation of these contradictions is that Puranic events di�ered according toKalpa.It is like Bali becoming Indra in one Manvantara and Anjaneya becoming Brahma in an-other.But those who read the text closely will discover some astonishing bits of truth that helpunify the apparently diverse texts.The basic Veda mantra behind the Prahlada story, Kaya Adhavameant one who does not husband his body or does not care for his body.He is naturally in greatahlada or bliss Hiranyakasipu means one with a gold couch that is one who husbands body and goesafter luxuries that pander to the body and carnal instincts.Those who are eager for the pleasures ofthis world will stop at nothing to get them.But they do not get them.The pleasures on the contrarychase the one that spurns them.The eminence that Prahlada got is an instance in point.You may ask: What about the contradiction which consists in a mere lion, killing Hiranyakasipu inMatsya Purana and a Man-lion e�ecting that killing in other Puranas? I do not have to provide theanswer because Vyasa himself does.The lion is known as Panchasya - broad faced.The human bodyis �ve faced in the sense of being motivated by the �ve senses.Hiranyakasiputvam led to dominationby senses and destruction.Prahlada was sword to the senses and so transcended them.The lion-faceis only an allegory.Hence full lion or a lion-face does not constitute any worthwhile di�erence indescribing the overwhelming e�ect su�ered from the senses.In the Daksha episode, Siva is said tohave caused destruction easily because Siva is �re and through �re he burnt o� everything.Thesubtle reference is here to the �re of avarice which consumed Daksha and left him dull headed.Vyasa's insistence on allegory is clear from the elaborate manner in which, in every Purana of his,

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he describes the origin of the universe and its inhabitants.Like the spider spitting out the weband withdrawing it, Brahman by his sankalpa projects and absorbs the worlds.The rudder whichthe beings of the world cannot a�ord to lose hold of is the divinity which has shaped them andtheir destinies. The sum and substance of this basic teaching of his is contained in the interestingverses from the Bhagavata Purana.Daksha reborn as Prachetasa creates 10,000 sons known as asHaryaswas and asks them to do penance for multiplying creation.They are met by Narada whosays' there is a nation which is in the sole control of a ruler.There is an opening in the that countryfrom which there can be no getting out.There is a lady there who takes many forms and a male whoruns after her.There is a river in that country which �ows at the sametime from one and the samepoint towards opposite directions.Here are 25 shore huts.One hears sweet and attractively �ctionaland distinct music also there from the swans.There is a wheel ever spinning fast which has edgesas sharp as a lancet.Without understanding this, what is the point in languishing for creation?The puzzle when resolved is simply this: There is only one master for the world, namely, God.Thehole in the world is death out of which none can be extricated.The lady referred to is the play of �vesenses to which man is a prey.The river �owing in opposite directions is the river of life which leadsto mortality as well as immortality according to the conduct of the individual concerned. The shorehuts are the 25 tattvas.The music of swan is the attractive Vedic texts of Karma marga promisingthis, that or the other for doing this or the other yajna.The wheel is Kala chakara.Knowing thelimitations of the world in this manner, one should conduct oneself with its master namely God.Allother e�ort will be futile.No wonder, on hearing these words of wisdom, the Haryawas betook them-selves to the quest of the Lord.Vyasa is the author of Brahma Sutras, which are aphorisms proclaiming Vedantic truths.It is onlynatural that, in this Puranic works also, he took care to highlight the need for discriminatingbetween material welfare and spiritual well-being.The thread of expansion of the In�nite through�nite creations is displayed as the means to understanding the real roots of happiness that hap-piness.That does not consist in running away from the orgin but running towards it.Such runningtowards the origin calls for a constant remembrance of God.Says Vyasa through Suka.�Until you are able to discern God in all the in�nite creations of his around you, you will have todo Sthoola Dharma of God as constituting and indwelling in all such creation�.

Thus the story part of the Puranas has a validity which is ingrained in the Paramarthika textsof Vedantic literature.Even while describing the details of the the Hindu pantheon, the principleof unity as consisting in the oneness of God is not sacri�ced.Brahma comes out of the navel ofVishnu.Rudra comes out of the anger of Brahma.Everything comes out of the primordial watersindwelt by Narayana.Everything collapses in the wrath of Siva.The fundamental force operatingunderneath all creation is Sakti.Being feminine, It is made into a goddess to whom the other godsare vassals.But time and again Vyasa clari�es the symbolism behind all such description, whether itis the Krodhaakaraankusa of the Devi, the Kala charka of Vishnu or the Chandrahasa or thunderboltof Siva.Having been composed for less evolved souls like ourselves, the Puranas present the essenceof the formless in�nite through a diversi�ed spectrum of forms each of which has a bunch of qualitieswhich will appeal to the select core of its special worshipers.These forms are relatively unreal butthey help in leading the savant to the real.The ful�lment of the prayer �Lead me from the unrealto the real� becomes easier by cultivating such personal Gods.As regards the political code of the Puranas, the emphasis is on democratic monarchy where, ifthe king transgresses the guidelines of councillors representing public opinion he loses the right togovern and can stay only as an ornamental head.The Hindu concept is that he, who is devoid of Vishnu Amsa, cannot be born to rule.Since royalty

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is a birth right, the annihilation of the king is taboo.Most of the Puranas are one in reiterating thesentiment contained in the familiar verse of the Mahabharata.The state of the country is the directoutcome of the condition of its ruler.There can be no extenuating circumstance for the ruler fordeviating from the dharmic path.

Sage Veda Vyasa and Indian Culture

The great Sage Vyasa is the architect and upholder of our national culture.Our Bharatiya cultureis rooted in the extant Vedas and Upanishads, and our philosophies are di�erent expositions ofthe Brahma Sutras, all of which we owe to this Vyasa.We may hold that this universal thinkerstill meets the needs of di�ering view-points and ideals; This may be the �owering of his reputed`VISAALA-BUDDHI'. His birth is very signi�cant - the son of the redoubtable Brahmin Sage,Parasara and the maiden SATYAVATI � MATSYA GANDHI, brought up by a �sherman.As thechild was dark in colour he was called Krishna.At one stroke, the inferiority complex pertainingto the dark-complexioned humans is annihilated, paving the way for an integrated culture.In thelegends about the celestial antecedents of Satyavati, born inside a �sh and her previous births, wemay divine the integration of di�erent cultures of all regions � north and south; celestial, human,and sub-human too; manifest to us as the universal VYASA: PARASARA ignored the �shy odourof Satyavati and saw in her only a �t vessel for containing a while his immortal progeny � a �rststep in eradicating the prejudice of caste, colour, occupation and environment.Every human beingcan become `fragrant' in life, through the grace of a great and noble person, by-passing an apparentdishonour'. As Vyasa was born in an island � Dweepa � he was called Dvaipayana.But he couldnot be held in an island, even for an instant i.e., he could not be `insular' in any sense; he was tosoar into the empyrean worlds � wasn't he Vishnu himself? � `VYASAYA VISHNU - ROOPAYAVYASA ROOPAYA � VISHNAVE � NAMO - VAI - BRAHMANIDHAYE - VASISTHAYA - NAMO� NAMAH'.

He is credited with the authorship of all Puranas, the upa-puranas, and the epic MAHAB-HARATHA, which is an encyclopaedia of our national culture.Sage PARASARA himself exclaims:- `Who but Lord NARAYANA could have composed the MAHABHARATHA?'

Looked at simply as a story, there is no parallel to this epic in the world, in the multitude ofsharply � de�ned characters and the vast range of incidents, tragic and comic, embracing all partsof the land and even beyond.It canvas is indeed the whole world!

Again, what a wealth of subsidiary stories is treasured in this epic! It is enough to remindourselves of SAVITRI � SATYAVAN and NALA-DAMAYANTI, in this context, let alone the storyof SITA-RAMA and SAKUNTALA � DUSHYANTA in it.

That SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA and VISHNU SAHASRANAMA are but incidental portionsof this epic staggers the imagination! What about worldly and spiritual counsels expounded directlyin the SHANTI and ANUSASANA PARVAS? Need one goes elsewhere, even in modern times, forrelevant guidance, in sphere, including politics!

This epic also is a grand mosaic of all cultures and beliefs � worship of INDRA, VARUNAand other celestials evolving into the worship if UPENDRA � VISHNU! AGNI abiding in SIVA theprogenitor of KUMARA; the LINGA form of ADMIRATION: SIVA � SAHASRANAMA expoundedby SRI KRISHNA, SUN-WORSHIP; DURGA or KALI worship; GANESA POOJA; glori�cationof SRIMAT NARAYANA in the PANCHARATRA mode.

Like VISHVAMITHRA in TRETA-YUGA, VYASA of the DWAPARA YUGA was a universal

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friend.It is his `SNEHA' for all being pouring out of his `ARAVINDA LOCHANA' that is the oilthat keeps the MAHABHARATA ever glowing � `TAILA � POORNA � PRAJVALITO � JNAANA� MAYA � PRADEEPAH'. His is not a light to be a hidden in a bushel � it is the blazon from themountain tops!

But alas, VYASA ends the epic on a note of frustration that no one listens to the counsel of`DHARMA' � bestower of all the ends of life! This is valid to-day, more than even before!

We have alas to recall here the greatest book of DEVOTION � SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM �attributed to VYASA, as composed by him to gain peace of mind! It is a signi�cant pointer to usthat this has become deservedly more popular than VISHNU PURANA.

VYASA is the author of BRAHMA SUTRAS, which are aphorisms of VEDANTIC truths.It isonly natural that, in his puranic works also, he took care to highlight the need for discriminatingbetween material and spiritual welfare.The thread of expansion of the in�nite through �nite cre-ations is displayed as the means to understanding the real roots of happiness.That happiness doesnot consist in running away from the origin but running towards it.Such running towards the origincalls for a constant remembrance of God.Says VYASA through Suka:

Until you are able to discern GOD in all the in�nite creations of his around you, you will haveto do STHOOLA DHARANA of GOD as constituting and indwelling in all such creation.

Thus the story part of the Puranas has a validity which is ingrained in the PARAMARTHIKAtexts of VEDANTIC literature.Even while describing the details of the HINDU PANTHEON, theprinciple of unity as consisting in the oneness of GOD is not sacri�ced.BRAHMA comes out ofthe primordial waters indwelt by NARAYANA and everything collapses in the wrath of SIVA.Thefundamental force operating underneath all creation is Sakthi. Being feminine gender, it is madeinto a goddess to whom the other gods are vassals.But time and again VYASA clari�es the sym-bolism behind all such description whether it is the KRODHAAKARAANKUSAA of DEVI, theKALACHAKRA of VISHNU or the MANDRAHASA or THUNDERBOLT of SIVA.Having beencomposed for less evolved souls like ourselves, the PURANAS present the essence of the formlessin�nite through a diversi�ed spectrum of forms each of which has a bunch of qualities which willappeal to the select corps of its special worshippers.

As repositories of knowledge about arts and sciences, the PURANAS have no parallel.Astronomicalinformation relating to planets and their movements and other Zodiacal details are provided inBHAGAVA in the SISUMARACHAKRA VARNAM.The mountains and rivers of BHARATA andother varshas are also there but it is di�cult to identify them now because the names havechanged.Speculation about anti-matter which is today's scienti�c masterpiece is there in the BHA-GAVATA which speaks about the AADARSA TALOPAMA region.The huge holes that swallownebulae and other heavenly bodies are described also in interesting detail.When I read about themat college, I put it down for mere scienti�c �ction, but lo! Modern science vouches for its validity.

The VARAHA PURANA has a chapter on DHANURMASA.In modern language, the PURANAsays that the human body is kept in perfect health by a proper balance of infra red and violetingestion from the sun's rays.The ingestion is automatic for the body if you take a walk between4 and 5.00 a.m.in DHANUR MASA.BHAJANS may have been a later invention to forget the chillbesides soliciting GOD at the same time.

When any mention is made about GARUDA PURNA, people think that it speaks only aboutfuneral obsequies and the journey of the unliberated soul after death.The Purana has 3 parts �BRAHMA KANDA providing the usual Puranic stories, PRETA KHANDA speaking of unliberatedsouls and ablutions to them and ACHARA KHANDA which describes the various facets of MANI,MANTRA and OUSHADA.The Chapter on VAJRA PAREEKSHA or test of diamond is so simple

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to grasp that when I compared notes on it with a diamond merchant, the latter was amazed atthat accurate knowledge.The chapters on OUSHADHA supply information on common maladiesand remedies.The discussion on alchemy � that is conversion of base metals into gold � mentionsquantities of ingredients to be mixed.The quantities when added up become equal to the atomicweight of gold.There is mention about a method for measuring the noxious state of liquors whichcan be corrected by mixing certain fruit juices like those of wood apple and ginger.

The AGNI PURANA, like VARAHA PURANA, is a store house of information on secularand religious architecture.The lay-out of a city, a medium town and a village, road making, theselection of stones for idols, the planning and construction of Temples � even from one big rock asin ELLORA KAILASANATHA temple, the lay-out of rooms which will add to comfort and thelay-out which will breed white ants right in the heart of the drawing room are all presented inpithy passages. Special fumigants for mosquitoes and bugs are also indicated.The ingredients arenot easy to identify.But it is worthwhile identifying them because their application is described asbeing capable of keeping at bay fell diseases like TB & Cancer.

The BRAHMA VAIVARTA PURANA stands in a class apart.It consists of four parts theBRAHMA KHANDA of usual PURANIC lore, the PRAKRUTHI KHANDA glorifying SAKTIin her various forms, the GANESA KHANDA which gives inkling into the origin of GANAPATHIcult both in its pristine and degenerate form as also the battle between GANESA and PARASUR-AMA. The fourth KHANDA is KRISHNA JANMA KHANDA.This KHANDA will raise many aneyebrow � it has more than raised those of the famous litterateur and critic Mr.NIRAD CHOUD-HURY � because of the openly erotic narration of KRISHNA RADHA love episode.How much ofit has been composed by Vyasa and how much by later authors, it is di�cult to avert.But it canhardly be gainsaid that the VALLABHACHARYA SCHOOL of VAISHNAVISM which popularisedthe RADHA KRISHNA cult must have had a lot to do with the interpolation of the texts.Indeedthe text is erotically more audacious than the most sexy pieces in JAYADEVA'S ASHTAPADI.

Of course the PURANA says that all this is intended only for those who have controlled theirpassions.The SRI BHAGAVATAM is more straight forward.In BHAGAVATA, the KING PARIK-SHIT, after listening to the RASALEELA episode asks how it came about the KRISHNA, whocame to the world for establishing DHARMA indulged in adharma?

If, as some of the pundits of today say, the RASALEELA is an allegory and represents theGOPIS or JEEVATMAS pining for union with KRISHNA the PARAMATMA, SUKA should havesaid so.But what SUKA says is this: Transgression of DHARMA by the great is not unknown, noreven their inexplicable doings.But is may not tarnish them.But ordinary men are forbidden fromemulating them.Because RUDRA drank poison and survived, the ordinary man cannot expect sosurvive by emulating RUDRA. Indeed so far as the great are concerned, it is their precept and nottheir practice that should be followed.

Message of Lord Sri Krishna

Miracle and supernormal manifestations are associated sooner or later with the lives of all theworld's heroes.Buddha, Christ, Muhammad and Sankara and even later devotees like Nanda andTyagaraja have this halo around them.It is no wonder therefore that so many miraculous happeningscluster round the careers of Rama and Krishna.

Dealing with the Gopi story, it cannot be forgotten that throughout the literatures of the world,the love of man to his Ishta Devata is likened to the love of a woman towards her lover and the

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bliss of divine communion is likened to the joy of physical union.The Biblical Song of Songs, thesaying of Jesus Christ likening God to the bridegroom and the souls to virgins waiting for theirspouses, the recorded experiences of medieval Christian saints like St.Theresa and St.Gertrude whorecounted the caresses bestowed upon them by Christ, the assertion of St.Catherine that she wasbetrothed to Christ and was given a ring by him, fall into this class.

The Gopi episodes may best be regarded as symbolic of ideal devotion. Swami Vivekananda,dealing with this aspect of Sri Krishna's life has dealt with it as the delineation of a love that issupreme that does not care for anything in this world or the world to come. The Lilas in Brindavanamay be and have so been interpreted as an allegory of religious experience.Referring to the storyof the hiding of the clothes of the milk-maids, Sadhu Vaswani remarks that the critics forget thatthe incident relates to a time when Sri Krishna was less than ten years old.Some have expoundedthis incident as the approach of the individual soul � naked before its maker � without the Vastraor the external accompaniment, under which burden our life is sti�ed.

Mr.Sampatkumaran in his brochure on Krishna cities in connection with this episode what issaid of Jesus on one occasion, namely that in answer to a question of his disciples.�When wilt thoube manifest to us?� he replied �When you shall be stripped and not be ashamed�.

Sri Krishna is to us the greatest spiritual mentor and his teachings through the Bhagavadgita,the Anugita and the Uddhavagita embody the essence about the duties of life and the obligationsof the human soul in response to the impact of the seen and unseen words.

Everyone has his several and allotted duties.Sin arises not from the nature of the work but fromthe disposition with which the work is performed.When such work is performed without attachmentto results, it cannot tarnish the soul and cannot impede its quest.True Yoga consists in the laboriousand necessary acquisition of experience and knowledge and the passage through life in harmonywith the ultimate laws of equanimity of non-attachment to the fruits of action and of faith in thepervasiveness of the Supreme Spirit.Absorption with that spirit is possible of attainment alongseveral paths and no path is exclusively to be preferred and none is to be disdained.Sri Krishna'sdoctrines are also described in the handbook (by Mr.Sampatkumaran) as embodying a protestantmovement laying stress on the personality of God and his accessibility to devotion.Whilst followingthe Hindu ideal of the Asramas, the Gita stresses the importance of knowledge, charity penanceand worship and does not decry life as evil.�Na hi deha bhrta Sakyam Tyaktum karmani asestahYas tu karma phala tyagi satyagity abhidhiyate.(Bhagavat Gita � 18:11)

�Nor indeed can embodied beings completely relinquish action; verily he who relinquisheth thefruit of action, is said to be a true relinquisher�.

�Nityam sanga-rahitam Araga-dvesatah krtam Aphala-prepsuna karma Yat tat sattvikam ucy-ate� (Bhagavat Gita � 18:23) That action which is prescribed by scriptures and which is donewithout the sense of doership and without passion or prejudice, by one who does not seek its fruit,is said to be Sattivic.

(Bhagavat Gita � 9:34) �Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru mam evaisyasiyuktvaivam atmanam mat parayanah

(Bhagavat Gita �18:65) Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, adore Me and make obeisanceto Me, thus uniting yourself to Me and entirely depending on Me; your shall come to Me - This Itruly promise to you; for you are dear to Me.

These three verses may be said to be the quintessence of the teachings which are a logicalsequence of our ancient scriptures and an indispensable process in that evolution of thought whichbegan with the Vedas and was continued in the Upanishads.The knowledge of the self, the unionof that self with the Supreme Self and the processes by which such union can be implemented are

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all essential components of the Hindu solution of the riddle of the world.Yajnavalkya desiring tobestow his properties on his wives is asked by one of them, Maitreyi, �If the whole world with allits wealth be mine, could I become immortal?� The answer was and cannot but be, �Dear one,the life of the wealthy, thy life might become; by wealth however, there is no hope of (obtaining)immortality�.Then came the great teaching of the Brhadaranayaka Upanishad which is summarisedin the Second Chapter, Fourth Brahmana, Fifth verse, beginning with the worlds, �Sahovaca navaarepatyuh kamaya patih priyobhavati� etc.

Freely translated � He said � �Behold, not indeed for the husband's sake the husband is dear,but for the sake of the self, is dear the husband, Behold, not indeed for the wife's sake the wife isdear, but for the sake of self, is dear the wife.Behold, not for the Brahman's sake the Brahman isdear, but for the sake of the self, is the Brahman dear�.The Upanishad goes on to declare:- �Behold,not for the god's sake the gods are dear, but for the sake of the self are dear the gods.Behold, not forthe Vedas' sake the Vedas are dear, but for the sake of the self, are dear the Vedas.Behold, not forthe sake of the universe the universe is dear, but for the sake of the self is dear the universe.Behold,the self (Atman) is verily to be seen, heard, minded (and) meditated upon. Behold, O Maitreyi, byseeing, hearing, minding, knowing the self all this (universe) is comprehended�.

The teachings of the Gita are seen to be a restatement and an ampli�cation of the truths whichhave been the special heritage of our race.

The main characteristic of Hinduism may be said to consist in its continuity, its ordered evo-lution, its adaptability and its tolerance. Hinduism, in its varied aspects, recognises the inevitablevarieties of human life and human experience, the needs of individuals in several stages of evolutionand the natural reactions to life and destiny of persons in several stations.No religion makes so manyallowances for environment and heredity and for the too frequent falling away from the ideal.Whilerigidly adhering to the fundamental postulates of an all-embracing Dharma and of an in�exibledoctrine of Karma, it does not rely on any formal revelation as such for its validity. Miracles havebeen recorded in the sacred books but no miracle is an essential part of its tenets and belief inmiracles is not a condition precedent to salvation.It preaches that good and evil actions leave theirinevitable traces on human life.

The root theory of Karma has been felicitously adumbrated in a Buddhist scripture and Buddaand Krishna are truly kindred spirits and are united in their emphasis on Karma and reincarnationand Dharma.

The books say well, my brothers! Each man's life The outcome of his former living is; Thebygone wrongs bring forth sorrows and woes, The bygone right breeds bliss.

He cometh, reaper of the things he sowed, Sesamum, corn, so much cast in past birth; And somuch weed and poison-stu� which mar Him end the aching earth.

If he shall labour rightly, rooting these, And planting wholesome seedling where they grew,Fruitful and fair and clean the ground shall be, and rich the harvest due.

Such a faith if rightly appreciated cannot but lead to tolerance and understanding of all pointsof view and tolerance has been, in the main, the key-note of Indian history.A better example ofwide comprehension and toleration cannot be given than the prayer in the play of Hanuman nataka,which is set out below, wherein Saivites, Vedantins, Buddhists, Jainas and agnostics are regardedas following paths that must lead to the same goal.

�Yam Saivasamupasate, Siva iti, Brahmeti vedantine Bauddha Buddha iti pramana patavahKarteti Naiyayikah Arhanityatha Jaina Sesananatah Karmeti Nimemsakah Soyam vo vidadhatuvancitaphalam. Trailokyanatho Harih�

May Hari, the remover of sin, the Lord of the universe, whom the Saivas worship as Siva, the

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Vedantins as Brahman, the Buddhists as Buddha, the Naiyayikas clever in logic as the Agent, thefollowers of the Jaina doctrine as Arhat, the Mimamsakas as Karma � grant you the boon of boons.

A few thoughts on Mahabharata

I.VYASA BHARATHA Bhagavan Vyasa was an eye-witness to the great Bharatha war.After theclose of that war, he retired to the Himalayas and thought in solitude about the events that hadoccurred since creation, which he cognised by Yogic powers.Then, with many incidental episodesand the life-stories of several great personages, he composed the Mahabharatha, dealing primarilywith the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

It is said that there are one lakh of slokas in this work.There are 18 major divisions � Par-vas.�There is no new topic which would be learnt from any other work, which is not contained inthis.No other work also contains all that is dealt with in this�.This is a true statement testifying toits grandeur.

In the 64th chapter of the Adi-parva there is the story of Uparisravas. From this, the storyproceeds step by step to its close with the ascent of the Pandavas to the Celestial Region.Thispart alone was comprised in the original Mahabharatha of Vyasa.Here there is not to be found theusual technique of one person asking for a narrative and another retelling it.It is in the ancientform of a story being told direct to children.Vyasa himself taught his work to his son Suka andto his disciple Sage Vaisampayana.In response to an invitation from the king Janamejaya, Vyasawith Vaisampayana attended the Serpent sacri�ce performed by that king.When the king requestedVyasa to narrate the story of the Mahabharata, the later asked his disciple to recount the story aslearnt by him.When this narration was progressing, the bard suta, listened to it, and then went tothe Sages assembled at Naimisaranya.There requested by Sages like Saunaka, Suta began to narrateto them the story of Mahabharata as he had learnt at the court of Janamejaya.But he preferredthe narrative by speaking about (1) Where and how Vyasa composed the Mahabharata (ii) Whotranscribed it to Vyasa's dictation (iii) how it was propagated in the world, (iv) the number ofchapters and slokas, (v) detailed contents, (vi) the stopping of the Serpent sacri�ce by Astika, thusrescuing the serpents and (vii) the narration there of the Mahabharata by Vaisampayana in thepresence of Vyasa.This covers the �rst 51 chapters.Chapters 61-63 detail the events connected withthe Serpent sacri�ce.From chapter 64 onwards, the real story of the Pandavas begins and progressestill the victory of the Pandavas in the Great War.The whole pf the text, including the prefatory 63chapters, has been printed and is known as the Mahabharata.

II.VAISAMPAYANA'S BHARATA.When Vaisampayana is narrating the Mahabharata learntfrom Vyasa, Janamejaya interrupts him and asks for elaboration of particular episodes and Vaisam-payana complies. It is thus clear that Vaisampayana must have departed from the strict orderof Vyasa's composition, to meet Janamejaya's requests.He must have also departed from the textof Vyasa and narrated some portions in his own way.If there are no interruptions to a narration,one can recount a story he has heard, with little or no variation in detail or extent.But if thereare interruptions, it is common experience that the narration will vary in order, extent, etc.fromthe the original story.It should therefore be recognised that Vaisampayana's story could not havecorresponded exactly to Vyasa's text in order, number of slokas etc.

The position is di�erent in the case of Valmiki Ramayana.In the prologue to that work it isindicated that Lava and Kusa sang the 24,000 slokas, in the presence of the hero Rama himselfto the accompaniment of tala.It is also said that Rama listened silently to the recitation to the

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end, without any interruption by himself, with questions etc. So, Valmiki's text of 24,000 slokashas endured till now, with little or no variation, and is available in book-form.This is why specialsanctity is attached to the Ramayana which is prescribed for Parayana, to receive various bene�ts.

When one sings the songs on predecessors, without any alteration, we say that he is singing the`Kritis' of old composers.But if he gives merely the substance of the old `kritis', using his own words,we do not say that he is singing `kritis'. In many places, Vaisampayana, without indicating that heis following Vyasa, recounts many stories and puts words in the mouths of the characters. So, it isvery much like that only Vyasa's story has come down to us and not his actual slokas troughout.

III.SUTA BHARATHA Similarly, we may conclude with reasonable certainty that Suta usedhis own words in recounting the Mahabharata stories to the sages at Naimisaranya; in fact, hedoes not say that he is simply repeating Vyasa's slokas or those of Vaisampayana. But accordingto the present text, it appears that the Sages listened in patience to Suta's narration, withoutinterrupting him at any time with questions.So, Suta, might have closely followed in order andextent, the narration of Vaisampayana.There was no need for Suta to make any departures.Thisis the basic di�erence between (a) the narration of Vyasa's story by Vaisampayana and (b) thenarration by Suta of what he had heard from Vaisampayana.

IV.CURRENT VERSION Some sage among those assembled at Naimisaranya must have writtendown the story commencing from Suta's visit to the Sages at Naimisaranya and his subsequentnarration, without alterations.This has come down to us as Mahabharata.We are currently treatingthe whole work including the prefatory 63 chapters as Vyasa's composition.As already indicated,Vyasa must have told his disciple, only the part of the story coming from the 64th chapter andVaisampayana ampli�ed it in his narrative to Janamejaya; which was later recounted to the Sagesat Naimisaranya by Suta.In the circumstances, it does not appear appropriate to hold the currenttext as Vyasa's work alone.It would be truer to say that what we have now is many times removedfrom Vyasa's original version.It is perhaps on this account that Mahabharata has not been accordedthe sanctity attached to the Valmiki Ramayana as �t for `parayarna'.

V.SOMEDRAW-BACKS �Because Mahabharata contains many tragic events, con�icts of broth-ers, terrible war, etc., ordinary people do not come forward readily to expound it or listen to it�.Some put forward this plea and gave a story to support it.It is this - In the 15th Century A.D.therewas Ruler named �Varapati Aatkondaan� in Kongu Nadu.�Villiputtorar� was his state poet and agreat Vaishnavaite too.In response to the Ruler's request, this poet composed about 2,000 versesin Tamil, recounting in brief the story of Vyasa's Mahabharatha.This became famous later as �VilliBharatham�.The poet was �rst expounding his work in the assembly of the Ruler and the people,when he duly came to the portion in which Duryodhana refuses to yield to the Pandavas �even alittle space to thrust a needle in�.Just then, the poet's younger brother, who had been defraudedof his birth right � a share in the ancestral property � in his early years by the poet himself,interrupted the narration and exclaimed that the poet had no right to descant on Duryodhana'smisdeed, when he himself was guilty in the same way.The poet at once got confused and lost hispeace of mind.So he abruptly stopped his exposition.Further, he did not complete the epic.Eventoday, the incomplete work alone (upto the souttika parva) is available to us � I have heard thisstory from learned persons.

Mainly having regard to the fratricidal con�ict people refrained from reading or expoundingMahabharata, in later times! � They were afraid to do so!

The general statement that Mahabharata contains one lakh of slokas may, if at all, apply toVyasa's original version. It does not, and need not, apply to the subsequent version.No extantversion seems to have one lakh slokas; only a less number of slokas has been printed.

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There have arisen innumerable works based on the Mahabharata stories. No one expects thenumber of verses in such works to have any relation to the number in the original epic.

VI.Bhagavad Gita The famous Bhagavad Gita is only a part of of the Mahabharata.Even thathas passed through many hands in narration � Sanjaya, Vyasa, Vaisampayana, Suta etc.So, couldnot it have been altered at such ways? If so, there arises the question � `Is it wrong for us tohold that the extant Bhagavat Gita contains the actual slokas spoken by Lord Krishna? We mayconsider this in detail:

(1).Sanjaya had got the gift from Vyasa of televising the incidents of the war and explaining toDhritarashtra.Why could not he have got also the power of repeating the dialogue between Krishnaand Arjuna exactly?

(2).As the text of the Gita is in verse from like the Ramayana, it seems proper to hold that allthe persons � from Vyasa to the Suta at Naimisaranya � had reproduced the Gita slokas withoutalteration.

(3).Sanjaya was listening to the Gitopadosa of Krishna.He did not himself raise any doubt,during the dialogue.

(4).�What did the Pandavas and the Kauravas assembled at Kurukshetra do?� This questionwas put by Dhritarashtra to Sanjaya.Thereupon, Sanjaya expounded the Gita he had listened to,i.e.the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna � 18 Chapters and about 700 slokas.Dhritarashtradid not interrupt the narration with any question of his own.So, there is no doubt that the GitaSlokas had passed unaltered at each stage of narration � (a) by Vyasa to Vaisampayana, (b) byVaisampayana to Janamejaya and (c) by Suta to the Sages of Naimisaranya.

(5).When a story is being told inevitably, questions would be asked and to suit them, thesequence of the story would be changed and the narrator would be forced to use some words of hisown.Even now, it is the practice to have a parayarna done without change of text and to listen toit the same way, to get the desired bene�t.

(6).We may therefore believe from Sanjaya to Suta, all the 700 and odd slokas of the Gita havepassed unchanged and come to us also, through traditional upadesa in the same manner.

It is nothing to be wondered at that persons of great diligence pro�cient in Yoga, had memorised700 Slokas devotedly and passed them on to us.Even ordinary persons are able to memorise thetext nowadays.

Though Mahabharata as such has not come to us in the very same slokas of Vyasa, the Gitaportion alone has been preserved without the least change.This is why the Gita is esteemed so muchand treated as sacred.

Kalidasa Ramayana

Devotion to Sri Rama is Valmiki's gift to humanity. Sanskrit poets like Bhasa Bavabuthi, Kalidasa,Murari, Dinnaga Bhoja were all inspired by the ancient bard.Among their works the �Raghuvamsa�of Kalidasa is a unique composition.

Of the nineteen sargas those from the tenth to the �fteenth are matchless. The exploits of theancestors of Rama from Dilipa to Dasaratha are the theme of the �rst nine sargas.This may betaken as a preface to Kalidasa's �Ramayana�.

The verses from the sixteenth sarga to the end deal with the greatness of Kusa and twenty oneothers down to Agnivarman may be taken as the drawing of the great vamsavali to its logical end.

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The death of the sage's son caused by Dasaratha unwittingly (ninth Sarga) forms the �Up-odgatha� and runs parallel to the singing of the epic in the presence of Sri Rama by Lava and Kusain the original.The death of the Munikumara is mentioned in Valmiki's too (vide Ayodhya Kanda).Valmiki states that Dasaratha met the blind parents of the deceased. But Kalidasa is not explicitabout either the blind parents or the death of their son in their presence.

PARALLEL SARGAS 10 & 11The tenth and eleventh sargas epitomise the matter in the �Balakanda� of the original.The

twelfth repeats events contained in the �Ayodhya� to �Yuddha� Kandas in the original. Sri Rama,with Sita, takes an aerial �ight from Lanka to Ayodhya in a Pushpaka Vimana.Along the course,he points out many spots where they had spent memorable moments.All this is mentioned in thethirteenth sarga.The �rst �fteen slokas of the fourteenth sarga deal with the description of theLord's coronation and the rest of the slokas repeats events from �Uththara� kanda.

The episode of the death of the Munikumara in the original (�Balakanda�) has been beautifullydealt with by Kalidasa.Having described the death of the boy and the consequent curse of thesage in the ninth sarga, Kalidasa states in the tenth that, after ten thousand years Dasarathaperformed the �Puthrakameshti Yagna�. There is the scene of Devas describing their su�erings toLord Narayana in the Milky Ocean, and the prayers are studded with Vedantic dogmas. These areinnovations of Kalidasa.The Adikavya gives a di�erent version.The a�icted Devas report their woesto Brahma whom they met at the yagna of Dasartha.In Kamban the story is di�erent.The Devasreport the matter to Lord Paramasiva, who, joining hands with them and Brahma, seek the helpof Lord Narayana.

Kalidasa further elaborates the secrets of the birth of Ravana and says that Sri Narayanapromised riddance through Ramavathara.The secrets of Ravana's birth and his valour are reportedby the Devas to Narayana according to the original and Kamban.The episode of Lord Vishnu'sassurance runs parallel in both Kamban and Kalidasa.As seen from the original and the work ofKamban, the Devas are ordained to be born as monkeys by Brahma and Vishnu, whereas Kalidassays that the decision was made by the �Suras� themselves.

The distribution of the divine payasa among his concerts by Dasaratha is another illustra-tion.Valmiki states that the available quantity was divided into two of which one half went toKausalya.Of the other half, �fty per cent was the share of Sumithra, and of the remaining �fty percent, one-half went to the Kaikeyi and yet another was served to Sumithra second time.Accordingto Kalidasa, the available quantity was equally distributed between Kausalya and Kaikeyi who, intheir turn, shared half of theirs with Sumithra in accordance with the king's wishes.The �Padma Pu-rana�, �Adyathama Ramayana� and �Bhoja Champu� follow Kalidasa's version.That the quantityspilt over in the vessel was given again to Sumithra by the king is Kamban's version.

The queens, who conceive as a consequence, feel in a dream the grace of a divine dwarf with wheeland discus and enjoy the sojourn of the seven sages and Goddess Lakshmi.This is entirely Kalidasa'sinnovation.The �Padmapurana� and Kamban's �Ramayana� speak of Lakshmana, Bharatha andSathrugna as incarnations of Adisesha, Sankhu and Chakra, and it appears as if Kalidasa indirectlybrings home the point by reporting the �dream of the divine touch�.

The curse on Ahalya, according to the original, is that she should become invisible to the nakedeye.Kalidasa, on the other hand, seems to follow the �Padmapurana� and states that Ahalya wasturned into a stone image.

Sri Vedantha Desika also seems to agree with Kalidasa in this, whereas the narration in �Bho-jachampu� is in conformity with the original.

According to Valmiki, the arrival of sage Viswamithra coincides with the deliberations of

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Dasaratha over the marriage of his sons.Kalidasa slightly amends it when he states that the delib-erations took place together with the arrival of the Brahmin from the court of Janaka carrying thenews of the valour of Rama in breaking the Siva bow. The inauspicious signs such as the howlingof foxes, the �ight of vultures, and the halo round the sun on their return journey after marriageare all Kalidasa's innovations.

KAKASURA SARGA 12Barring the coronation, the twelth sarga is a �ne epitome of the original from the Ayodya to

Yuddha Kanda.Many interesting innovations occur however.According to Valmiki, Kaikeyi asksDasaratha for two boons, one, the enthronement of Bharatha and the other the banishment ofRama for 14 years.But Kalidasa emphasises the banishment and makes the coronation of Bharathasubsidiary.From the work of Kamban the duration of the exile, 14 years, is conspicuously absent.

The Kakasura episode actually belongs to an earlier period.The incident did happen at Chi-trakuta.Valmiki actually makes reference to it in the �Sundarakanda�, when Sita sends a messageto Rama through Hanuman.Kamban closely follows Valmiki. Kalidasa perhaps felt a deviationnecessary and appropriate and he narrates it in a di�erent context.He lists it with the experienceof Rama and Sita at Chittrakuta.He has drawn inspiration from �Padmapurana�.

SARGA 13In the thirteenth sarga, Kalidasa, with his vivid imagination and poetic skill, reiterates all the

interesting experiences that Rama and Sita had, experiences which one �nds in the original ofValmiki. Rama draws the attention of Sita to three speci�c events.He rests on Sita's lap after ahunt on the banks of the Godavari at Panchavati.He attempts to decorate Sita's cheeks with the�tamala� shoot near Chitrakuta.He renounces the jewelled head gear in exchange for matted locksat the abode of Guha, when Sumanthara bursts into tears cursing Kaikeyi.All these events arenarrated by Kalidasa in his intimitable style, but they do not occur in Valmiki.

The reference to the banyan tree, Shyama, which Valmiki describes in the Ayodya Kanda is notmade by Kalidasa, but Sita's attention is drawn to it on their way back to Ayodhya.In accordancewith the wishes of Sita, Rama is said to break the journey at Kishkinda, and then resume itaccompanied by a few vanara women.This event is described in Valmiki.Kalidasa makes no mentionof any such event,

SARGA 14The fourteenth sarga opens with a description of the Lord's coronation.It is celebrated in the

suburbs of Ayodhya according to Kalidasa, but in Ayodhya itself according to Valmiki.The newsthat Sita is deserted in the forest by Lakshmana in compliance with the orders of Rama is broughtto Valmiki by his disciples who have gone in search of Kusa grass etc.This is in Valmiki.A slight devi-ation occurs in Kalidasa who states that when he was collecting darba, Valmiki himself accidentallymet Sita etc.

SARGA 15The �fteenth Sarga is notable for its deviations from Valmiki.The kernel of Utharakanda, the

Lava-Kusa episode, has been woven in a di�erent texture by Kalidasa.The story according to the original, is that Sathrunga, on his mission to overcome Lavana-

sura stays at Valmiki's hermitage enroute, Sita gives birth to Lava and Kusa the same night.SinceSathrunga completed his mission, twelve years passed.He rests at Valmiki's hermitage on his re-turn journey to Ayodhya.He listens to the matchless recitation of Rama's story by the twins.He isimmensely happy.Reaching Ayodhya he tells Rama of his victory over Lavanasura, but not of hisexperiences at Valmiki's hermitage. The author does not seem to hint that this was deliberate.

Deviations

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Kalidasa, on the other hand, does not speak of Sathrunga's return to Valmiki's hermitageafter destroying Lavanasura. Sathrunga returns straight to Ayodhya, and he deliberately keepshis experiences at the hermitage a secret at the command of the sage. This is in tune with themain trend of the story.Perhaps Kalidasa felt the moment inopportune for posting Rama with theinformation. Had Sri Rama known of the birth of the twins, he might have asked Sita to returnwith her children to Ayodhya.If that had taken place Valmiki would have had no opportunity oftraining the children in recitation and the two purposes of the sage that Sita should be asked aboutimportant incidents in her life and that the twins should recite the great epic would have beendefeated by the violation of the time factor.Valmiki appears to have been waiting for an opportunemoment to present the children.The screening of information from Rama is, therefore, in perfectaccordance with the original text.It reveals Kalidasa's deep insight into the mind of Valmiki.

The sage, accordingly, takes the children to the court of Rama, who performs the asvamedha.Summonedby the Emperor, the children recite all the exploits from �Narada Valmiki Samvadha� down to thedeparture of Rama and his followers to Vaikunta, including their own life story in twenty fourthousand beautiful slokas.The recitation reminds Rama of his consort.Under the in�uence of themelodious recitation, he recognises the identity of the children and sends for his consort.This isthe story in the original.But Kalidasa's version is slightly di�erent.Moved by the recitation, Ramamakes enquiry of Valmiki and the latter informs him that they are his own children.

The Kalidasa innovation of the disclosure of the identity by the sage is signi�cant.It lends supportto the view of a certain section of scholars that the �Uthara Kanda� is not Valmiki's, for the LavaKusa episode is a means to an end, the end being the voluntary realisation of identity by Rama.

Sita, after making the vow, enters the bosom of mother earth.Rama is �lled with remorse.Heis in no mood to listen to the twins when Brahma induces him to listen to the completion of thestory.Valmiki says that the recitation was undertaken in two instances, one as a preface towards theend of the �rst four sargas and the other later, at the performance of the aswamedha after desertingSita in the �Utharakanda�. It raises a reasonable doubt which of the versions has been handeddown to posterity, whether all the verses are genuine and whether they are exact numerically.Thesequestions could be answered only after careful research by competent scholars.

Bhakthi Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Prapatti Yoga

Following the logic of religious intuition, it is concluded that the BRAHMAN of the UPANISHADSand BRAHMASUTRAS, the VASUDEVA of the GITA and the BHAGAVAN of the AGAMASconnote the same Supreme SELF-SRIMAN NARAYAN, to be known by BHAKTI-YOGA whichis the direct means.This meets the demands of metaphysics and satis�es the supreme call of love-Jnana turned to BHAKTI.The practice of Bhakti presupposes some elaborate disciplines for thesublimation of feeling as well as the training of the intellect and will.The opening sentence ofRamanuja's SRI-BHASHYA is signi�cant :- �May my Jnana blossom into devotion to BRAHMANor SRINIVASA whose nature is revealed in the UPANISHAD as the self that, out of the sportof love, creates sustains and reabsorbs the universe with a view to saving the souls that seek HisLove'.Brahman as indweller of the soul is both the means and the end.

Worship is the practice of the presence of the inner self, through the stages of �rm meditation,repetition and the orison of union. When the vision is turned inward, it will be realised thatVASUDEVA is in all beings � the life of all lives, nearer to the self than it is to itself.Thus spiritualintimacy and the unitive consciousness are promoted.

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As the righteous Rules of the universe, the Lord dispenses justice according to the `KARMA'of the individual without caprice or cruelty.When the moral self becomes desirous of liberationin moksha, the redemptive will of the Supreme is recognised; the egoism is e�aced in service.Theworshipper prays to the GIVER of all good, who confers the sweets of life and removes the bitters.Then comes the higher stage when the Atman is intuited.Here there is no bargaining; there is onlyconsecrated service.The Lord readily accepts the eight petalled �ower of devotion � non�injury,kindness, patience, truth, self-control, austerity, inwardness and jnana.Divine grace is to be reliedupon as the only means to liberation, �Whom the LORD chooses, unto him He reveals Himself�.When the devotee seeks God, God also seeks Him-the lover and the beloved are �nally united- thisis the realm of liberation � `mukti'.

The doctrine of love of God as inclusive of all nature and all living beings does not stop withthe negative ethics of mere non-hatred; it is really positive friendship and compassion (`Maitra' and`Karuna') for all.How satisfying!

The LORD is the supreme personality transcending all and holding all within the in�nite rangeof his glory.He is neither impersonal nor identical with all, nor a-cosmic.Devotional self surrenderis the sure way to redemption.

The philosophy of devotion is a ladder of love from earth to heaven and the philosophy of divinegrace is a ladder from heaven to earth. The subtimity of the whole design is only matched by itssymmetry. But this is too sublime for the ordinary human being to follow.Hence the �PRAPATTI-YOGA� has been devised as a universal panacea.

JNANA � YOGA What shall it pro�t a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his ownsoul? The realization of the inner self is the goal of Jnana yoga.This starts with the idea thatthe body is not the soul, though physical well-being is essential to spirituality. Even self-cultureand the formation of pure habits are only means to self-knowledge.Spiritual endeavor begins byself-renunciation to get rid of the spirit of ego.But this self discipline is not to be self � mutilationor self extinction.Then by entering into the inner sanctuary, consciousness does not act in the planeof the senses but returns to the center of being.By repeated practice, the soul is enriched and notannulled.

The Yogic Sadhana consists of the eight well known stages � (i) moral practice of truthfulness,non-injury, contentment, continence, poverty and the will to receive no favors or bene�ts.(ii) disci-pline of the mind � body, (iii) the practice of speci�ed postures � Asanas (iv) control of the vitalbreath in order to attain psychic control, (v) the arresting of the outgoing senses and attuningthem to the inner sense (vi) the focusing of the mind on an object, by withdrawing it from thedistractions of sense and the tumult of dispositions (vii) state of ceaseless introversion and (viii)contemplation of the soul by direct intuition � Samadhi.

The end as self � realization is also a social good in the sense that the progress of humanityhas no meaning apart from the spiritual growth of the individuals that contribute to society. Thisview is opposed to that of mere utilitarianism and humanism. Humanity is not the arithmeticaltotal of individuals; �likewise, the striving for a better world as a substitute for `other � worldliness'is a species of secular morality, not founded on spiritual values of life and will have no stabil-ity.Humanism may be a corrective to the materialistic and super naturalistic ideal of life, but itmay have its nemesis in exclusive individualism.The Vedantic ideal (according to Ramanuja) is thatof a spiritual community of souls, providing an opportunity for the gradual realisation of each selfas an atman and not as an object. The earlier progressive stages are (a) acquisition of wealth forthe welfare of all, (b) the disciplined satisfaction of desires and (c) the moral life of righteousnessas distinct from the asserti on of rights.Though the nature of a man's duty may be determined psy-

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chologically by his station in life and `Svadharma�, his ethical motive is derived from the universalideal of righteousness.

Ramanuja's ethics demands not only self � knowledge by the removal of error but also self �denial by the destruction of egotism.It therefore gives the deepest explanation of the philosophy ofthe spiritual and social self.The true meaning of brotherhood can be explained by the immanenceof the supreme reality in all souls and their essential similarity.

According to Ramanuja, the Bhagavat Gita starts with the morals of disinterested action andthe philosophy of the cognition of the soul and ends with the religious exposition of the yoga ofdevotion.The last stage BHAKTI YOGA is itself a disciplinary process involving di�erent stages;but in all stages, it is dominated by the single aim of seeking the LORD and seeking Him face toface.

PRAPATTI - YOGA The path of shastraic devotion is strewn with in�nite pitfalls and set-backsfor the ordinary person.It is likened to a bridge of hair over a river of �re, and the individual soulwith its load of ignorance and proneness to evil, has in this dark age of confusion very little chanceof reaching the goal of liberation. The way of `prapatti' �NYASA � VIDYA or full surrender is theultimate path open for the weak and the in�rm.

This preserves the essentials of devotion, dispenses with its pre-disposing conditions and omitsthe non-essentials like the need for ceaseless practice.It is in fact a direct and independent means toliberation. The only requisite is the change of heart or volition on the part of the aspirant and hisabsolute con�dence in the saving grace of the protector.�Repent and believe and ye shall be free!�The awareness of one's unworthiness and sin provokes the compassion of the LORD.Redemptionis a justi�cation by faith and not by works � not won by merit either.This path is universal in itse�ect � to all castes and classes � and guarantees salvation to all.It is natural and easy, securingimmediate e�ect as well.This path � Saranagati - is enshrined in the �nal teaching of Sri Krishna inthe BHAGAVAD GITA � �Renounce all dharmas and take refuge in Me; I will release you from allsins; grieve not�.But we have to recognise that even the will to serve the LORD by self � e�acementis only the gift of His grace: As already stated the LORD is ultimately both the endeavour and theend.Here is no call to abandon - duty, it is a call to renounce the egoistic motive.

This scheme of `prapatti' is elaborated by the later Acharyas in its six parts � (i) proper motiveto follow the will of the Master (ii) renunciation of what will be repugnant to Him (iii) Absoluteand �rm faith in the universal protector (iv) feeling of incapacity to follow the prescribed path ofaction knowledge and devotion (v) seeking the LORD'S compassion as the only hope for liberationand (vi) self � oblation to the Master with the conviction that this itself is a gift of His grace.

This is also considered under the aspects of the renunciation of the hedonistic, the moralistic andthe egoistic views of life.All these forms of sacri�ce or service are deduced from the �rst principlesof religious experience consisting in the love of

God and the love of man.It marks a radical or revolutionary change from the ego � centric viewto the Theo�centric view � Everything belongs to the LORD and is o�ered to Him.

Though as a moral fact sin is, in the religious realm, it ought not to be.Every soul is ultimatelyredeemable and can attain liberation. If the Lord cannot prevent evil and sin, He is not Almighty;if He can prevent it but will not, He is cruel.But it is the basic faith of redemptive religion that theLORD can and will prevent evil and sin.

While in Christianity, judgement follows redemption, in SRI VAISHNAVISM of Sri Ramanuja,justice is overpowered by redemptive love.

No gospel is more inspiring than the GITA call of compassion and its assurance of deliveranceto all souls that seek it.

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Sri Ramanuja and Vishistadvita

The great Vaishnava Acharya - Sri.RAMANUJA � is the supreme exponent of the philosophyof �VISISHTA �ADVAITA�- described as `Quali�ed MONISM' or `ORGANISMAL MONISM' asdistinguished from the ADVAITA (Ideal Monism) of Adi-SANKARA.

According to Adi Sankara, the ultimate a�rmation of the Upanishads concerns the identity of theindividual soul with the attributeless Brahman, which can comprehended only by Jnana, Ramanujadose not admit that there are any texts expounding an attributeless Brahman.Attributes are notlimitations; for in�nitude itself implies in�nitude of qualitative perfections.He does not subscribeto Sankara's theory of `avidya' or ignorance leading to the BRAHMAN with attributes (SAGUNA)and VIDYA or true knowledge leading to the attributeless Brahman (NIRGUNA).According tohim the all � inclusive theme of the UPANISHADS is BRAHMAN alone � discernment of Brah-man as real, conscious, in�nite and blissful (SATYAM- JNANAM-ANATAM-ANANDAM) � withexalted attributes and altogether free from any imperfection.He himself set out the characteristicsof the philosophical attitude as �devotion to truth, width of vision, depth of insight into whatis essential, and openness of mind�. He could hold no one as being outside the pale of redemp-tion.Utter humility matched the splendour of his learning.His spirit of devotion commingled withthat of knowledge (Jnaana), elevating both.VEDANTA is at once philosophy and religion, basedon the tripod of the UPANISHADS, BRAHMASUTRAS and the BHAGAVADGITA.Ramanujareconciled and harmonised apparently contradictory texts, by his unique suggestion of the `BodySoul' (SARIRA-SARIRI) relationship between matter and individual soul on the one hand and thesupreme Reality on the other � a revelation of far-reaching consequence, in the realms of mysticismand metaphysics.

Ramanuja's Commentary � SRI BHASHYA � on the BRAHMA SUTRAS of BADARAYANAhas received appreciation from modern scholars like THIBAUT.In regard to his commentary on theBhagavad-Gita also, the general tendency is now to concede his thesis of an activistic ethics, a the-istic conception of the Supreme Reality BRAHMAN-re-in-forced by the `last message' of the path-way of BHAKTI (Devotion) and PRAPATTI (Surrender to the DIVINE).In regard to the UPAN-ISHADS, his interpretation is incorporated in his SRIBHASHYA and the other work-VEDARTHASANGRAHA, instead of in formal and separate glosses.

It shall be my endeavour to deal brie�y as follows with the teachings of RAMANUJA in regardto the three fundamental texts aforesaid.Ramanuja lists the varied types of texts and expoundstheir coherent signi�cance. Brahman is the ultimate Reality, the ultimate good.Matter and �niteselves are real only as adjectival to the Supreme-they are parts of the splendour of Brahman.Thisphilosophy is a `Monism' that does not do away with the concept of the Supreme Spirit the HighestSelf.This enlarges the conception of Divine attributes, for the individual spirit (Jiva) is itself anattribute of `ISVARA'. The ultimate spirit holds all things within It self and abides in all things.

All that brings about the perfection of the �nite self forms a fundamental characteristic of theSupreme reality.What constitutes the �nal perfection for that self is the realisation, by way ofexperimental apprehension, of the In�nite Divine.

The central idea is that the LORD is the `Inner Soul' of all the Jivas (Souls) and PRAKRITI(Matter) constituting His `Body'. This analogy indicates:

1. The essential distinction between God and the Universe,

2. Their inseparable relationship,

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3. The eternal dependenceof the Universe on the will of God,

4. The casual e�cacy of God,

5. The immutable perfection of God's essential Being

6. The inclusive and consummate nature of God's relation to the Universe,

7. The character of God as a Supreme Person

8. The Universe being instrumental to the will of God.

9. Divine purpose

10. Reality of the Universe

11. Intimate accessibility of God to the `Jivas' and

12. God's supernatural transcendent body (APRAKRITA).

The point to be noted is that all sentient and non-sentient beings together comprise the body ofthe Supreme Person, for they are completely controlled and supported by Him for His own ends,and they are essentially and wholly subordinate to Him.

The Supreme Self is in no way subject to the limiting counter action of bodies outside His ownbody.He alone possesses a body with perfect immunity.His body is not determined by Karmic law;the Karma itself is under His control.The Lord does not will something to get some bene�t forHimself.His creative action is not compelled by any reserve outside His own blissful will.

Just as the devotee seeks to serve the LORD Himself, he should seek to serve his Lord's self-manifestation in the form of His universal body.This aspect has also to be stressed.

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1. AVVAIYAR NITI WORKS Sanskrit Translation

2. ELLU NADAKA KATHAIKAL (Short stories of Seven Sanskrit Dramas)

3. ETTUTHOKAI (Sangam Literature Paripadal) Sanskrit Translation

4. IRUMOZHI ILLAKIA INBAM - A collection of Literary Articles (in Tamil)

5. KAMBARAMAYANAM (Balakandam) Sanskrit Translation

6. NALADIYAR Sanskrit Translation (With Tamil and English Expositions)

7. PATTUPPATTU (Sangam Literature Thirumurgatrupadi and Mullaipattu) Sanskrit Translation

8. SANGA NULKALIL VAIDHIGA KALACHARAM (A Research work)

9. SILAPATHIKARAM (Pugar Kandam) Sanskrit Translation

10. S.N.SRIRAMADESIKANS 60 Years in Literature Services

11. SRI ANDALS THIRUPAVAI Sanskrit Translation

12. SRI DESIKAMANI SATAKAM Sanskrit Poetry (Life of Vedanta Desika)

13. SRI KRISHNA KATHA SANKRAHA Sanskrit Poetry (Stories of Lord Sri Krishna)

14. SUSRUTHA SAMHITHA UTHRASTHANAM (Ayurveda Text) Tamil Translation

15. TIRUKURAL - SANSKRIT SLOKAS (Arattupal)

16. TIRUKURAL Sanskrit Translation with Tamil English Exposition VOL- I

17. TIRUKURAL Sanskrit Translation with Tamil English Exposition VOL - II

18. ANDRA KAVI VEMANA PADYAMULU Sanskrit and Tamil Translations