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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

A garland of verses by Adi Sankara

 

CHENNAI, JULY 23. How the deterioration in moral values and

valuable spiritual tradition can be arrested and the craze to

adopt western civilisation be stopped, are questions which are to

be given serious consideration at present. People are seen

blindly following the customs which the foreigners were

practising here and had left them, not realising how rich their

own Indian heritage is. The remedy lies in making people resort

to religious ways reminding them of the glory of the traditions

which had been bequeathed to us by our sages and saints.

 

They should be taught to render hymns in praise of God thereby

weaning them away from the current unfortunate trends. The

``Soundarya Lahari'', a garland of verses by Adi Sankara,

contains both ``Mantras'' and philosophy, besides adoring God

spelling out the grace that He showers on devotees. During his

Chaturmasya Vrata camp (in East Tambaram) steps are to be taken

to teach such slokas to devotees, particularly women, to make

them realise the rich treasure that had been handed over to us,

said Sri Sakatapuram Sankaracharya in his Anugraha Bashanam.

 

The manner in which people have been deviating from the path laid

down by our ancient wisdom is such that even the terms used to

address parents have been changed to ``mummy'' and ``daddy''.

They will shun to use the former, as in Egypt, it refers to the

bodies laid to rest in pyramids and if this is explained, will

they allow the children to use the word to call their mother?

During their rule here, the foreigners had changed the original

names of even places like the one honouring Dronacharya into

Dehradun and ``Kudagu'' into Coorg. People forget that even

calves utter the name ``Amma'' to call their mother. Our cultural

glory is such that on arrival of a visitor to our house, we

honour him and offer him ``Gangodakam'' (water), showing the

respect that we had even for the sacred rivers like Ganga.

Devotees saw God as the in-dweller in rivers and all the elements

of Nature. The Mahabharata presents us the origin and sanctity of

the river Ganga.

 

Indians should not lose their religious moorings and should

reflect how the lives of Divine characters like Rama should guide

them and how a sip of Ganga water would purify them. Adi

Sankara's ``Soundarya Lahari'', a part of which is studded with

incantations, when recited, would fetch spiritual benefits. So

too is the chanting of Lalitha Sahasranamam. Both these hymns

should be sung by women to obtain prosperity.

 

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