from vedas to conscience or from conscience to vedas

[Guest guest]

**********************************************************************

*

 

FROM VEDAS TO CONSCIENCE OR FROM CONSCIENCE TO VEDAS

 

What is to be done when we are unable to sort out the right from the

wrong, when we are unable to comprehend whether what we are about to

do carries the sanction of dharma or not? As one walks along the

Advaitic path in quest of realisation, this conflict often gets into

the mind causing confusion and misery. Any act done by one should

necessarily carry the seal of approval of dharma. Remember even

Arjuna, who was close to the Lord throughout his life was beset with

such a problem, ironically at the most crucial point of his life. He

found out that decision making was a big problem and he tried to pass

over the decision to the Lord's court. And the Lord of course, in

His own inimitable style passed the ball to his court after giving

him the eternal upadesa, namely the Bhagavat Gita. Knowing dharma

from adharma may sound to be a simple but it is as hard and elusive

as attaining realisation. After all dharma is not written in the

constitution, neither are there lawyers or consultants who are

specialists in this field.

Let us consider the step-by-step solutions that the most revered

Kanchi Seer (Sri. Chandrasekhara Saraswathy of Kamakoti Peetam) gives.

 

Step No: 1

Consult the Vedas.

"Vedo akhilo dharma moolam"

Veda is the pillar on which dharma stands. This is reflected in a

Tamil proverb - "Enna Veda vakko!" Whenever one disagrees with

either the arguments or statements of the person very often this

proverb is very often used - meaning since what you utter is not a

Veda pramaanam I need not agree with you! So traditionally people

have had enormous faith in the Vedic pronouncements and it is quite

obvious that Vedas have been considered the ultimate authority in

matters of dharma.

The advice seems to be easy in theory, but in practice it is not easy

to implement. I have no understanding of the Vedas. How can I

consult the Vedas this being the case? And the Vedas are huge and

complicated. Even scholars are finding it very to difficult to

understand and assimilate. And how am I to know which Veda and which

part of that Veda is to be consulted! Where in the Vedas could I

find the answers to my questions! After all you "AnathA hi vedhA"!

(there is no end to the Vedas)

Veda is huge and unlimited. Sama Veda for example contains thousand

branches. If you take Yajur Veda it contains 101 branches. Rig has

2 and Adharva Veda contains eleven branches. So referring to the

Veda is out of question. And neither is it possible for me to find

out a person who is well versed even in one of the Vedas.

Here Kanchi seer tells the incident when Rishi Bharadvaja performed a

severe and prolonged tapas and the end of which Iswara appeared

before him and asked him what he wanted. Bharadvaja requested Iswara

to endow him a long life so that he could master the whole of the

Vedas. Iswara took up a handful of sand from the earth and showed it

to the rishi. "Oh! Rishi, understand that the quantity of what you

have learnt so far in your present this life would only equals to the

amount of sand here in my hands. What you have to learn if it could

be quantified would amount to a measure of sand that could fill up

and cover the whole of this mountain. This being the situation how

much more life would you need to fulfil your quest?" There is

another proverb in Tamil which goes to say - Katradhu kaimman alavu

kalladadhu malaialavu - if what one has learnt amounts to a handful

of sand what remains to be learnt amounts to a mountain of sand!

Incidentally this proverb is a very popular one here in Tamil Nadu.

Incidentally the hill on which the rishi performed the tapas is

called the Vedachala nagar, and the Iswara in the temple is called

Vedagireeswarar.

But let me not digress. I am not an expert in the Vedas neither can

I find such an expert. Let me go to the next option!

Veda akhilo dharma moolam

Tadvidam cha smrithiseele

Smriti is that which is written from memory. Incidentally vimsriti

means "madness"! Various rishis have recorded the various Vedas in

their smritis. We can learn from these smritis. But then I being a

doubting Thomas could always ask - How do I know that smritis are

exact recordings of Vedic statements?

Kanchi seer says - just look into some mahakavi's works and see what

the kavyakarta has to say about smritis. He then illustrates an

example where mahakavi (great poet) Kalidasa has made a reference in

one of his maha kavyas. (Probably Kanchi seer refers to the Raghu

vamsa of Kalidasa)

Dilipan a forefather of lord Rama was issueless for a long time. His

guru Vasishta presented him with a divine cow and instructed him to

take good care of it and further told him that he would beget a son.

As instructed by his guru Dilipan took excellent care of the cow. He

used to take the cow himself personally to the forest everyday so

that it could peacefully graze. Dilipan's wife being a devoted lady

followed her husband to the forest by following the dust created by

the hoofs of the cow. Kalidasa is impressed with such devotion shown

by Sudakshina. He says:

Tasya kuranyasa pavitra pamsun

Apamsulaanam dhari keerthaneeya

Margam manushyeswara dharmapatnee

SrutherivArtham smruti ranvagachAth

The very pure Sudakshina followed the footsteps of the cow just as

smrithis written by the great rishis follow the vedaas.

So it is evident that smrithis are exact reproductions of the Vedas.

They are not the individual works of rishis written by their own

ideas or imaginations.

Coming back to the dilemma - when referring the Vedas are impossible,

look into the smrithis.

But what to do even when smriti is not giving the solution?

The next alternative:

Follow the example of great persons or Acharyas who have lived a

dharmic life - AchAraschaiva sadhoonAm - just follow the path

specified by the great Acharya's and sadhoos. (lives of great men

remind us how we can make our lives sublime-Cardinal Newman)

But it is quite possible that even this doesn't help me out. Then

what am I supposed to do? It is then the last alternative is given.

The last alternative:

Aathmanasthushtihi - meditate in the lord. Tell Him that you are

unable to know the right from the wrong. Tell Him that you are going

to act according to the dictates of your conscience. So without any

ill will, as a last resort go by the guidance of your conscience.

What is to be noted here is that conscience comes as a last resort.

Kanchi seer makes fun of the modern trend where it has become a

fashion for most of us to say: I go by my conscience. He deplores

this trend. He implies our conscience is not as dependable as the

Vedas, smritis and the Acharya's.

These thoughts are based on an upanyasa - in Tamil delivered by Sri

Chandrasekara - the Kanchi seer. Can upanyasa mean lecture? Or is it

upadesa? Can anyone give a comparative study of the words- upanyasa,

Upanishad, and upadesa?)

Since it had become extremely difficult for me to translate the Tamil

version due to the nuances and the extremely simple but highly

thoughtful material provided by the great sage, I have made just an

attempt. But I hope the members catch the point and meditate on the

message.

with pranams to advaitins

shankar p. - chennai

Om, Shankaraya namaha.

 

**********************************************************************

*