Material Pursuits and Sri. Vedantha Desikar

[Guest guest]

Sri Raamajayam

 

Dear Bhagavathaas,

 

We were pondering Sri.Mani's question on "Material Wealth Vs

Spiritual Health", at Sri.Madhavakannan's residence in

Singapore. Adiyen's views are, Vedic life starts and

culminates in Understanding the Divine. To this effect we have

different stages of life, as a son/daughter, as a disciple, as

a spouse, as a father/mother, as a friend etc. We learn to

accept and understand these relationships and delink from these

relationships when we complete our duties/bindings in Samsaara,

constantly reminding ourselves of our everlasting bond with

Perumaal & Thaayaar(personified in our Acharyan). This

maturity comes when we remove 3 major obstacles from our

'self'. One is Impurity in thoughts/action, Second is

wandering focus and the third is Ignorance. After this a seed

of Bhakthi takes us to our goal.

 

I think Vairaaghya to lead a simple life, may be a wishful

thinking, but a tough thing to practice. Maturity develops if we

conduct our duties(like Nitya karmas & other duties as a

kin/spouse/parent) and have immense Acharya Visvaasam and Bhakthi

and continue to nourish his causes with the material wealth you

earn. When Samsaaric duties/bindings are completed, simple life

with Vairaaghya is practical.

 

Adiyen's conclusion is that Material Wealth should focus as a

chisel to shape the rock to carve an idol(Spiritual Health). If

the chisel is too small, the image will never form and on the

other hand if the chisel is too big, it will break the idol.

When the idol is done, we do not need the chisel anymore.

Material wealth should be used in a simple way to fulfill our day

to day needs such as Food, Clothes, Transport(Physical needs) &

Charity, Education(Mental needs) all to be treated as a

nourishment to our soul to surrender to our Perumaal in good

realization. Once it is done, we could lead a simple life.

 

Now the Grand Question is "Are we leading life this way?" The

answer is generally No. Many balance their career higher above

their family seeking a bigger chisel(Career or Wealth) forgeting

the size of the rock to form the idol. "What can we do?" I

guess we need a re-orientation as a Sri Vaishnavite community,

and that way we can get rid of some fears of tomorrow(we fear if

I do this, I may suffer this. My children may not get their

education or get married, if I take farming/teaching and lead a

simple life). as a society and involve ourselves in Vedic

Education in addition to formal education. I am reminded of

Srimad.Andavan's Srimukham to NAMA conference in USA("ethaikondu

uivathu enraal, ivargal NAMA enrargal") as well as that of the

famous Sloka from Adishankara "Sathsangathvay

Nithsangathvay......Nitschalachithaey Jeevan Mukthihi" which

reminds me of the importance of a Sathsangam towards Spiritual

Health.

 

Sorry my answers may not be in line with Sri Vaishnavam, these

are my personal views which I need to clarify with an Acharyan.

 

-------------------

Replying to Sri.Mani's question, of the origin of the stories

around Swami.Desikar being harassed, I believe it is passed on by

oral tradition, during Upanyaasam. I heard the same story posted

by Sri.Sudarshan Madabushi as follows which I present for other

Bhagavathaas to enjoy,

 

1.Desikar's simplicity in leading life

 

A few Advaitins, wanted to test Sri.Desikar's resolve to lead a

simple life, offered him rice grains of solid gold and put it in

his bag during his daily rounds of Bhikshai. When Sri.Desikar

returned home, his wife, who has never seen gold questioned Swami

Desikar innocently, what strange rice grain it was. Swami

Desikan replied calmly, "this is a strange grain indeed. It

strangles your leg, wraps your waist and finally strangles your

neck. Do drop it at the street corner at night, so that no other

person gets afflicted of this strange grain". Swami's wife

implicitly complied.

 

2.Grace of God on Swami Desikar's family

 

Swami Desikar, as we all know led very simple life, that he

performed Nitya Aaradhana with wooden vessels. He maintained

strict code of simple life, and his family followed his way

perfectly. It was one sunny day, that his wife was going to the

temple, and on the way many neighbours mocked at her poverty.

Unperturbed, the great lady offerred her prayers to Thayaar with

Swami's Sri Sthuthi, and returned home. The neighbours were now

noticing Swami Desikar's wife bedecked with gold and diamonds,

and were trembling with fear of Bhagavatha Apachaaram on Swami

Desikar and his family, that they all joined the Sri Vaishnavite

fold with complete faith. In reality Swami Desikar's wife was

still adorning her simple clothes. ....there are many more in

the context of Desikar's works.

 

Adiyen,

 

Sudarsan