Preserving the Vedas : Why it is a Lifetime Mission

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Preserving the Vedas : Why it is a Lifetime Mission(by Jagathguru Sri Chandrasekharenda Sarasvati Swamigal )

" If

the divisions of labour on a hereditary basis is good for all society,

what specifically is the benefit gained from the vocation of Brahmins,

that is preserving the Vedas? " is a question frequently asked.

The potter makes pots for you; the washerman launders your clothes; the weaver weaves clothes for you to wear; the cowherd brings you your milk; the peasant

tills the land to grow rice for you to cook and eat. Everyone does some

work or other essential in the life of everybody else. The rice (or

wheat ) grown by the tiller sustains us all. The cloth woven by the

weaver is indispensable to our modesty, it is also needed to keep us

warm in the cold season. We drink the milk brought by the cowherd and

also use it to make buttermilk; we cook our food in the pot made by the

potter. We find that all jatis provide commodities useful for the

society. What is the Brahmin's contribution in this context? What

vocation is assigned to him by the Sastras which are the basis of varna dharma?

The

Brahmin has to learn the Vedas by listening to his teacher chanting

them; this is adhyayana. If adhyayana is chanting the Vedas, adhyapana

is teaching the same. The sastras have charged the Brahmin with the

additional duty of performing various rites including Vedic sacrifices.

 

The

Vedas contain lofty truths. People in modern times may not be averse to

the idea that these truths are worthy of being cherished. Society

requires knowledge, arts, etc. The Vedas are a storehouse of knowledge.

So the idea that we must have a special class of people to propagate

the truths contained in the Vedas may seem reasonable enough. According

to the sastras, however, such a special class is needed to preserve the

sound of these scriptures. This class is constituted by the Brahmins

and they perform their function on a hereditary basis. The idea that

propagating the truths of the Vedas will help mankind may be acceptable

to many, but not the belief that a small group of people can contribute

to the good of the world by preserving the sound of the Vedas. The

community stands to lose if the peasant does not till the land and the

potter, weaver, carpenter, etc., do not do their respective jobs. But

would you say the same thing about the work of the Brahmin? What

difference would it make to the society if he ceased intoning the

Vedas?

To

understand the questions raised above we must first try to find out the

nature of the Vedas. No purpose is served by approaching three subject

entirely on an intellectual level. We must accept the words of great

men who know the Vedas deep in their hearts. "How can we do that, sir?

" some people might protest. "We are rationalists and we can be

convinced of a truth or statement only on the basis of reason or direct

knowledge. "

What

do we do then? How can anyone claim, as a matter of right, that all

subjects ought to be brought within the ken of human reasoning? Man is

but one among countless creatures. Take for instance the experiments

conducted by a physicist in his laboratory. Does a cow understand them?

If the scientist formulates certain laws on the basis on his

experiments, does the cow say that "These laws of physics do not

exist"? But how are humans ignorant of physics to know about such laws?

They trust the statements made by people proficient in the subject.

To

illustrate, take the example of any common appliance. Let us assume

that you are told that it works on the basis of certain principles of

science. Don't you accept these principles by observing how the

appliance works? In the same way we must have faith in what great men

say about the Vedas, great men who live strictly adhering to the

sastras. We must also place our faith on our scripture on the basis of

the fruits or benefits yielded by them, the benefits we directly

perceive. One such "fruit" is till there for all of us to see. It is

Hinduism itself, the religion that has withstood the challenges of all

these millennia. Our religion has produced more great men than any

other faith. People have been rewarded with the highest inner

well-being [the highest bliss] as a result of their faith in the Vedic

tradition. There is no insistence on their part that everything on

earth must be brought within the realm of reason or direct perception.

"The

sages transcended the frontiers of human knowledge and became one with

the Universal Reality. It is through them that the world received the

Vedic mantras, " this is one of the basic concepts of our religion. If

you do not accept that human beings can obtain such Atmic power as

exemplified by these seers, any further talk on the subject would be

futile. One could point to you great men whom you can see for yourself,

great men who have perfected themselves and acquired powers not shared

by the common people. But if you think of them to be cheats or

fraudulent men, any further talk would again be useless. In your

present state of limited understanding, the argument that denies the

existence of anything beyond the range of human reason and

comprehension itself betrays the height of rationalism.

You

have come here to listen to me instead of going to a political meeting

where you can hear interesting speeches. So I believe that few of you

here are full-fledged rationalists. You may not therefore refuse to

listen to me if I speak to you about why the Vedas should be preserved

according to the time-honoured tradition. But it is also likely that

even if some of you happen to be rationalists, you may still be willing

to listen to me thinking that there may be some point in what the

Svamiyar has to say.

Some people are at a loss to understand why the sound of the Vedas is given so much importance. How

does sound originate or how is it caused? Where there is vibration,

where there is movement or motion, there is sound. This is strictly

according to rational science. Speech is constituted of vibrations of

many kinds. We hear sounds with our ears. But these are sounds that are

converted into electric waves and these we cannot hear. We know this

from the working of the radio and the telephone. All that we hear or

perceive others are indeed electric waves. Science has come to the

point of recognizing all to be electric waves- the man who sees and

listens, his brains, all are electric waves.

There

are countless numbers of inert objects in the world- land masses and

mountains, rivers and oceans, and so on. Also there are sentient

creatures of many kinds. All of them must have been created out of

something. During creation this something must have vibrated in many

different ways and given rise to all that we see today. If all

movements are sound, there must have existed numerous different kinds

of sound before creation. In this creation one is sustained by another.

In the process of mutual sustenance, different movements and sounds

must be produced. It is not necessary that vibrations should form a

part only of gross activities. Science has discovered that even our

thinking process is a kind of electric current or energy. Each thought

process is a form of electric current or energy and it must produce a

vibration and a sound. This kind of sound being very subtle we do not

hear it with our ears. Just as there are bacteria which we do not see

with our naked eye, there are many sound that our ears do not pick up.

According to science any physical or mental movement must produce a

sound.

The

idea that each movement produces its own sound may be put differently

thus: to create a particular sound a particular movement must be

produced. Take the case of vidvan singing. If you want to sing like him or creates birquas like him, you will have produce the same vibrations that he creates in his throat.

Sound

and vibration(or motion) go together. The vibrations produce either a

gross object or a mental state. We come to the conclusion that creation

is a product of sound. This ancient concept is substantiated by science

itself.

Creation,

the many things connected with it, thoughts and movements and the sound

associated with them fill space. What happens to the sound produced by

the clapping of our hands? It remains in space. Good as well as bad

action produce their own sounds as well as movements associated with

them. Conversely, the creation of these types of movements will result

in good as well as evil. To produce good thoughts in people, good

movements must be created: the sounds corresponding to them must be

produced. If we can generate such sounds for the good of mankind than

such good thoughts? The mantras of the Vedas are sounds that have the

power to inspire good thoughts in people.

One

more thing. We need food for our sustenance. And to grow food there

must be rain. The formation of clouds and their precipitation are

dependent on certain vibrations. Rainfall depends on the production of

particular sounds which, in turn, create particular vibrations. The

same applies to all our needs in life. It is true that unnecessary and

evil objects are also produced by sound. But the one and only goal of

the sound of the Vedas is the creation of well-being throughout the

world.

But

are sound and vibrations spontaneously produced? If vibrations arise on

their own they will be erratic and confusing and not related to one

another. But what do we see in the cosmos? There is a certain

orderliness about it and one thing in it is linked to another. What do

we infer form this? That a Great Intelligence has formulated this

scheme that we see, that it has created it from its own vibrations.

The

Vedas are sounds emanating from the vibrations of this Great

Intelligence, the Great Gnosis. That is why we believe that the mantras

of the Vedas originate from the Paramatman himself. We must take

special care of such sounds too ensure the good of the world. Yes, the

Vedic mantras are sequences of sounds that are meant for the good of

the world.

Doubts

are expressed on this point. People argue: "We hear the mantras of the

Vedic distinctly. But we do not hear the sounds in space, the sounds of

creation. How can the two be the same? "

What

exists in the cosmos in present in the individual being. The belief

that the "microcosm" inherits the "macrocosm" is not in keeping with

our commonsense view of things. But all people, including atheists,

will agree that there are "instruments" in our body in the form of the

senses that we can grasp what exists in the macrocosm. The sun in the

macrocosm is felt by our body as heat. We perceive the flower in our

garden through its scent. We savour the sweet taste of sugarcane with

our tongue. With our eyes we learn that one object is red, that another

it yellow.

Unless the macrocosm and microcosm are constituted of the same substance

the one will not be able to be aware of the other. Indeed the very

conduct of life will not be possible otherwise. If we go one step

further, the truth will dawn on us that it is not merely that the

macrocosm and the microcosm are constituted of the same substance but

that it is the same substance that becomes the macrocosm and the

microcosm. The yogins know this truth directly from their experience.

Whatever

is present in space is also present in the individual being. These

elements exists in the human body in a form that is accessible to the

senses. The sounds a person makes in his throat have their source in

space in a form not audible to us. The radio transforms electrical

waves into sound waves. If a man can grasp the sounds in space and make

them audible, he will be able to create with them what is needed for

the good of the world. Yoga is the science that accomplishes such a

task. Through yogic practice (perfection) one can become aware of what

is in the macrocosm and draw it into the microcosm. I shall not be able

to give you proof of this in a form acceptable to human reason. Yoga

transcends our limited reason and understanding. The purpose of the

Vedas is to speak about matters that are beyond the comprehension of

the human mind.

You

must have faith in the words of great men or else, to know the truth of

such matters, you must practise yoga strictly observing its rules. It

may not be practicable for all those who ask questions or harbour

doubts about the Vedas to practice yoga in this manner. Even if you are

prepared to accept the words of a true yogin, how are you, in the first

place, to be convinced that he in indeed a true yogin and not a fraud?

Altogether it means that you must have faith in someone, in something.

Later such faith will be strengthened from your own observations,

inference and experience. There is no point in speaking to people who

have either no faith or refuse to develop it through their own

experience.

There

is a state in which the macrocosm and the microcosm are perceived as

one. Great men there who have reached such a state and are capable of

transforming what is subtle in the one into what is gross in the other.

I am speaking here to those who believe in such a possibility.

When

we look at this universe and their complex manner in which it

functions, we realise that there must be a Great Wisdom that has

created it and sustains it. It is from this Great Wisdom, that is the

Paramatman, that all that we see are born and it is from It that all

the sounds that we hear have emanated. First came the universe of sound

and then the universe that we observe. Most of the former still exists

in space. The space that exists outside us exists also in our heart.

The yogins have experience of this hrdayakasa, this heart-sky or this

heart-space, when they are in samadhi (absorbed in the Infinite).

In this state of theirs all differences between the outward and the

inward vanish and the two become one. The yogins can now grasp the

sounds of space and bestow the same on mankind. These successions of

sounds that bring benefits to the world are indeed the mantras of the

Vedas.

These

mantras are not the creation of anyone. Though each of them is in the

name of a rsi or seer, in reality it is not his creation. When we say

that a certain mantra has a certain sage associated with it, all that

we mean is that it was he who first "saw" it existing without a

beginning in space and revealed it to the world. The very word "rsi"

means "mantra-drasta" (one who saw- discovered- the mantra), not

"mantra-karta" (one who created the mantra). Our life is dependent on

how our breathing functions. In the same way the cosmos functions in

accordance with the vibrations of the Vedic sounds- so the Vedic

mantras are the very breath of the Supreme Being. We must thus conclude

that, without the Vedas, there is no Brahman: To put it differently,

the Vedas are self-existent like the Paramatman.

The

mantras of the Vedas are remarkable in that they bring blessings to the

world in the form of sound- even if their meaning is not understood. Of

course, they are pregnant with meaning and represent the lofty

principle that it is the One Truth that is manifested as all that we

perceive. They also confer blessing on us by taking the form of deities

appropriate to the different sounds (of the mantras).

Sound

does not bring any benefits, any fruits, by itself. Isvara alone is the

bestower of benefits. However, instead of making the fruits available

to us directly, he appoints deities to distribute them in the same

manner as the king or president of a country appoints officials to

carry out his dictates. The mantras represent various deities in the

form of sound. If we attain perfection (siddhi) by constant chanting

and meditation of a mantra, it should be possible for us to see the

deity invoked in his physical form. The deities also arise if we make

offerings into the sacrificial fire reciting specific mantras. If a

sacrifice is conducted in this manner, the deities give us their

special blessings. We do not pay taxes directly to the king or

president. In the same way, we pay taxes in the form of sacrifices and

Vedic chanting to the aides of the Paramatman for the sake of the

welfare of the world. The sounds of the mantras constitute their form.

The

Vedas have won the admiration of Western scholars for their poetic

beauty. They bring us face to face with many deities- they bring us

also their grace. Above all, through the Upanisads they teach us the

great truths relating to the Self. The Vedas are thus known for the

profundity of the truths contained in them, but their sound is no less

important. Indeed their sound has its own significance and power. All

mantras, it must be noted have power, not only Vedic mantras.

The

sound of some mantras have greater value than their meaning. Their

syllables chanted in a particular manner create a special energy, but

their meaning has no special significance. Take the mantra recited to

cure a man stung by a scorpion. The words, the syllables, constituting

the mantra have no special meaning. Indeed, they say, the meaning is

not to be told. But by chanting the mantra, the vibrations are caused

in space and one stung by a scorpion will be cured: the potency of the

syllables of the mantra is such. The efficacy of sounds varies with the

difference mantras. Evil is caused by reciting certain mantras or

formulae: this is called "abhicara"[understood as the black magic in

the West]. In all this the clarity with which the syllables are

enunciated is important. There was the practice of knocking off the

teeth of those who practiced billi sunyam (a form of black magic). The

black magician, if toothless, will not be able to articulate the

mantras properly and so his spells will not have the intended effect.

If the syllables of the spell are not clearly and properly enunciated,

they will not give us the desired benefit. If we appreciate the fact

that sounds have such power, the question of the language of the

mantras loses it importance. It would be meaningless then to demand

that the mantras must be expressed in some other language [that we

understand]. It would be equally meaningless to wonder whether the

mantras of the sraddha ceremony should be rendered into English, Tamil

or some other language so that our departed parents would understand

them better.

The

Vedic mantras do good to all creatures in this world and the hereafter:

we must have implicit faith in this belief. It is not proper to ask

whether what we ourselves cannot here with our ears will be heard by

the seers. There is such a thing as the divine power of seeing and

hearing. Our sight is dependent on the lens in our eyes. Were this lens

different what we observe would also be different. Through the intense

practice of yoga we can obtain the divine power of seeing and hearing.

We

must not inquire into the Vedas with our limited powers of perception

and with our limited capacity to reason and comprehend. The Vedas speak

to us about what is beyond the reach of our eyes and ears and

reasoning- that is their purpose. There are things that we comprehend

through direct perception. We do not need the help of the Vedas to know

about them. What cannot be provoked by reasoning and what is beyond the

reach of our intellect- these the seers have gifted us in the form of

the Vedas with their divine perception. How do we learn about the

affairs of other countries? We are not eyewitnesses to them but we

depend on newspaper reports of these affairs. There is another kind of

newspaper which tells us about matters that cannot be known through any

worldly means and this newspaper is constituted of the Vedic mantras

that are the gift of the seers.

We

have to accept the Vedas in faith. Develop a little faith in them and

experience for your self the fruits yielded by them. In due course you

will be convinced about the truths told about them.

Even

today we see how mantras are efficacious though what we see is more

often their power to do evil rather than good. The very word

"mantrikam" inspires dread in us. If mantras have the power to do evil,

they must also have the power to do good. We do hear reports of how

mantras are beneficent, for instance how the mantras invoking the god

Varuna produce rains.

It may be that sometimes the "Varunajapa"

does not succeed in bringing rains. But this is no reason why all

mantras should be rejected outright as of no value. Sick people die

even after the regular administration of medicine. For this reason do

we condemn medical science as worthless? We have an explanation for the

patient's failure to recover: his illness and reached such an advanced

stage that no medicine could be of any avail. Similarly, no mantra is

of any help when it has to contend against the working of powerful

karma. There is also another reason. If you are not strict about your

diet, the medicine taken may not work. Similarly, if we are lax in the

observance of certain rules, the mantras will not produce the desired

result.

Yoga

is a science. In a scientific laboratory, certain rules have to be

observed in the conduct of experiments. If the electrician refuses to

wear gloves or to stand on a wooden stool during his work, what will

happen? So too, anyone practising yoga has to follow the rules

governing it. To return to Varuna japa. If the japa is not always

successful, it is because- as I have found out through inquires- of the

failure of those performing the rite to observe the rule of

"alavana"[taking food without salt].

In

Tirivanaikka (near Tirucirapalli) people have seen with their own eyes

a tree bare of foliage putting forth green shoots under the spell of

mantras. The sthalavrksa here [the tree sacred to a place or temple] in

the white jambu. That is why the place (Tiruvanaikka) is also called

Jambukesvaram. Once the tree was dead expect for one branch or so. Then

the cettiars- the trustees of the temple- had an Ekadasa-Rudrabhiseka conducted for it. And behold, by the power of mantras the tree put forth fresh leaves.

Each

sound has a specific impact on the outward world. Experiments were once

conducted by a lakeside by producing a certain pattern of svaras on an

instrument. It was observed that as a result of the vibrations so

created the light on the water shone as particles. Later these

particles took a specific shape. From such scientific proof it is

possible to believe that we can perceive the form of a deity through

chanting the appropriate Veda mantras. It is not that sound is

transformed into light alone in the outward world. It is pervasive in

many ways and produces various kind of impacts. The sound of the Vedic

mantras pervading the atmosphere is extremely beneficial. There are

ways in which sound is to be produced to make it advantageous to us.

Some notes are to be raised, some lowered and some to be uttered in an

even manner. The Vedas have to be chanted in this way. The three

different ways of chanting are "udatta", "anudatta" and "svarita". The

sound and svara together will turn the powers of the cosmos favourable

to us.

The

question that now occurs is why there should be a separate caste

committed to Vedic learning practices even if it is conceded that Vedic

mantras have the power to do good.

In

answering this question we must first remember that the Vedas are not

to be read from the written text. They have to be memorized by constant

listening and repeated chanting. The learner then becomes a teacher

himself and in this manner the process goes on from generation to

generation. Maintaining such a tradition of learning and teaching is a

whole-time occupation. Neither the teacher nor the taught may take up

any other work.

We

must also remember that the Brahmin is expected to master subjects

other than the Vedas also, like the arts and crafts and the various

sciences(sastras). He has in fact to learn the vocations of other jatis

(but he must not take up any for his own livelihood). It is the

responsibility of the Brahmin to promote knowledge and culture. He is

expected to learn the hereditary skills of all jatis, including the art

of warfare, and pass on these skills to the respective jatis to help

them earn their livelihood. The Brahmin's calling is adhyayana and

adhyapana (learning and teaching the Vedas). According to the sastras

he must live in a modest dwelling, observe strict rules and vows so as

to gain mastery of the mantras. He must eat only as much as is needed

keep body and soul together. All temptations to make money and enjoy

sensual pleasures he must sternly resist. All his actions must be

inspired by the spirit of sacrifice and he must pass his days

sustaining the Vedic tradition and practices for the good of mankind.

It

is the duty of other jatis to see that the Brahmin does not die of

starvation. They must provide him with bare necessities of life and

such materials as re needed for the performance of sacrifices. Wages

are paid to those who do other jobs or a price is paid for what they

produce. The Brahmin works for the whole community and serves it by

chanting mantras, by performing sacrifices and by leading a life

according to the dictates of religion. That is why he must be provided

with his upkeep. The canonical texts do not say that we must build him

palace or that he must be given gifts of gold. The Brahmin must be

provided with the wherewithal for the proper performance of sacrifices.

In his personal life he must eschew all show and luxury. It is by

taming his senses- by burning away all desire- that he gains mastery

over the mantras.

I

have said more than once that the Vedas are to be learned by constant

listening, that they are not to be learned from the written text. Let

me tell you why. The sound of the Vedas must pervade the world. This is

of paramount importance, not that the text itself should be maintained

in print. Indeed, the Vedas must not be kept in book form. If the

printed text is available all the time, we are likely to neglect the

habit of memorizing the hymns and chanting them. There is not the

slightest doubt about this. "After all it is in the book. When the need

arises we can always refer to it. Why should we waste our time in

memorizing the mantras? " Thus an attitude of indifference will develop

among those charged with the duty of maintaining the Vedic tradition.

Nowadays

we have what is called the "pancanngaran" (pancangakkaran), that is the

"almanac-man". We understand his job to be that of officiating at the

rites performed by members of the fourth varna.

But from the term "almanac"-man" we know that this is not his main

duty. The pancangakkaran or almanac-man is truly one who determines the

five angas" or components of the almanac. Each day has five angas:

tithi, vara, naksatra, yoga and karana. To find

out whether a particular day is auspicious or whether a certain work or

function may be performed on a particular day, all these five factors

have to be taken into account. Today astronomers in Greenwich

observe the sun, the moon and the stars to fix the timings of sunrise

and sunset. Three or four generations ago, every village had an

almanac-man who was an expert in such matters. He could predict

eclipses, their exact timings, with the precision of present-day

astronomers. He inscribed the five angas relating to the day on a

palm-leaf and took it round from house to house to help people in their

worldly and religious duties. In the past he had also another name

"Kuttai Cuvadi"(meaning "Shortened Palm-leaf").

How

have the present day almanac-men forgotten their great science? With

the advent of the printing press the almanac could be printed for a

whole year and made available to people. There was no longer any need

for the old, type of almanac to pancanga, an important part of

astronomy, is now on the verge of extinction.

The

Vedas would have suffered a similar fate had we stuck to a system of

learning them from written or printed texts. Their sound would not have

then filled the world and created all-round well-being.

Our

forefathers realised that to put anything in writing was not the best

way of preserving it since it bred indifference to the subject so

preserved. One who recited the Vedas from the written text

("likhita-pathaka") was looked down upon as an "adhama" (one belonging

to the lowest order among those chanting the Vedas). In

Tamil the Vedas are known as the "unwritten old text"(ezhutakilavi). In

Sanskrit the Vedas are also called "Sruti", which means "that which is

heard", that is to say not be learned from any written text. Since

listening to the Vedas as they were chanted and then memorizing them

was the practice, preserving the Vedic tradition came to be full-time

vocation. The teacher taught pada by pada(foot by foot) and the student

repeated each pada twice. In this way

the sound of the Vedas filled the whole place. It was thus that the

study of our own scripture, with all its recessions which are like the

expanse of a great ocean, was maintained in the oral tradition until

the turn of the century. This treasure, this timeless crop that

sustains our inner beings, has come to us through the ages as ordained

by the Lord. There can be no greater sin that that of neglecting this

treasure and allowing it to perish.

If

the Vedic tradition becomes extinct there is no need for a separate

caste called Brahmins. Nowadays the cry is often heard, "Brahmin, get

out". But do we hear cries like, "Potter, get out" or "Washerman, go

away? " If the potter and the washerman leave the village they will be

brought back by force and retained. Why so? Because the community need

their services.

So

long as the Brahmin possessed sattva-guna(the quality of goodness and

purity) and so long as he kept the Vedic tradition going and lived a

simple life, others recognized his value for society. They regarded him

with affection and respect and paced their trust in him. They realised

that if society was not afflicted by famine and disease (as in the case

today), it was because the sound of the Vedas pervaded everywhere and

the performance of Vedic recites created a healthy atmosphere around

and brought its own blessings.

This

was not the only way in which the Brahmin served society. His personal

example was itself a source of inspiration to people. They saw how he

curbed his sensual appetites, how he lived a life of peace, how he was

compassionate to all creatures, how he mediated on the Lord, how he

performed a variety of rites strictly adhering to sastric rules and

without any expectations of rewards. They saw a whole case living a

life of selflessness and sacrifice. Naturally, they too were drawn to

the qualities exemplified by its members. They emulated their example,

observed fasts and vows to the extent permitted by the nature of their

occupations. It is preposterous to accuse the Brahmin of having kept

other jatis suppressed. There is a special way of life that the

scriptures have prescribed for him and in remaining true to it he

becomes a personal example for others desirous of raising themselves.

It

is equally preposterous to suggest that other where kept down because

they were denied the right to learn the Vedas. I have already spoken to

you that preserving the Vedic tradition is a hereditary and lifelong

vocation. Any calling must be pursued on a hereditary basis. Otherwise,

there is the risk of society being torn asunder by jealousies and

rivalries. The maintenance of the Vedic tradition is a calling by

itself. There will be confusion and chaos in the system of division of

labour if people whose vocations are different are allowed to pursue

one common tradition. Also, as a consequence, will not the social

structure be disturbed? Every vocation has as high a place on the

social scale as any other. Why should anyone nurse the ideas that the

pursuit of the Vedic dharma belongs to a plane higher than all other

types of work?

Some

castes are not permitted to learn the Vedas but there is no bar on

their learning the truths contained in them. This is all that is needed

for their Atmic advancement. We need only one class of people charged

with the mission of keeping the sound of the Vedas alive in the world.

The ideas contained in them for spiritual uplift are open to all. The

songs of non-Brahmin saints like Appar and Nammazhvar are replete with

Vedic and Vedantic thoughts.

Were

it true that Brahmins had monopolised Atmic knowledge and devotion and

kept others downtrodden, how would you explain the rise among the

non-Brahmin jatis of so many great saints, not only the examples just

mentioned above, Appar and Nammazhvar, but a number of other Nayanmars

and Azhvars? The Nayanmars included men belonging even to jatis

regarded as "low". Where do you find men of inner enlightenment like

Tayumanavar and Pattiinattar? Apart from the fact that there were among

non-Brahmin men worthy of being lauded by Brahmins for other

enlightenment and devotion, there were individuals from the fourth varna

who established empires and gave new life and vigour to the Vedic

dharma. That Brahmins exploited other castes is a recently invented

myth.

I

do not claim that Brahmins are free from faults or are not guilty of

lapses. Nobody is free from faults. But on the whole the Brahmin has

done good to society and has been a guide to all its members. That is

why he was enabled to live with dignity all these centuries.

When

other communities now see that the Brahmin no longer serves society in

any manner, they raise the cry, "Brahmin, get out". If they do not

serve society and if all they do is to join others in the scramble for

money, where is the need for a separate caste called Brahmins? It

occurs to me that, if the caste called Brahmins serves no purpose to

society, I shall be the first to seek its destruction. Nothing has any

right to exist if it has no utility value. There is no need for a caste

called Brahmin if the world does not stand to benefit from it.

Now

there are "toll-gates" located in many places but often without any

"gate". In the past a toll used to be collected from people crossing

the boundary marked by these "gates". Later such a system was

discontinued and no purpose was served by the gate. Nothing exists

without a purpose. Now, if the Brahmin without Vedic learning has

become as purposeless as the toll-gate without any toll actually

charged, with what reason or justice can we say that he must not be

thrown out?

The

Brahmin today deserves to be reproved, if he expects to be treated with

any special respect. Criticism, however, should be it. The Brahmin must

be faulted for abandoning his dharma, but the dharma itself, the Vedic

dharma, is another matter. It is not proper to find fault with the

dharma itself and it is the duty of others to help the Brahmin practice

it. the Vedic dharma must be sustained so as to ensure the well-being

of the world. Other jatis must support the principle that there must be

a caste whose hereditary calling it is to maintain the Vedic tradition.

If they themselves have lost faith in the Vedic dharma, they cannot

find fault with the Brahmin for having forsaken it. If they believe

that the Vedic dharma is not wanted, then it would mean (according to

their own logic) that the Brahmin is not committing any offence by

giving up his hereditary vocation. It also follows that for the sake of

his livelihood he will have too take up some other job, competing with

the others for the same. So to hold that there is no need for the Vedic

dharma and that, at the same time, the Brahmin should not do any work

other than the pursuit of that dharma does not stand to reason. On the

other hand, it is proclaimed that the Vedic dharma is all wrong and

must cease to exist but, on the other, the man whose duty it is to

practice that dharma is hated for trying to do some other work. Is this

just? It is part of humanity to see that not even a dog or a jackal

goes hungry and it is a dharma common to all religions. Even those who

maintain that we do not need any religion speak for compassion and the

spirit of sacrifice in all our actions. So it is not just to insist

that a man must not pursue his hereditary vocation and that he must

not, at the same time, do any other work but die of starvation.

Others

can help greatly by making the Brahmin true to himself as the upholder

of the Vedic dharma. I have heard it said that in the old days some

Brahmins would go to the untouchable quarter and tell people there:

"You and we, let us become one. " Whereupon the untouchables would

reply: "No. no. You keep doing your work. That is for the good of both

of us. Don't come here again". They would prevent the Brahmins from

approaching them again by breaking their pots in front of them, the

pots which were their only asset. Though people then were divided in

the matter of work and did not mix together, they had affection for one

another and believed that each did his work for the common good.

Even

today the common people are not non-believers, nor have they lost faith

in the Vedas. I feel that they will continue too have respect for the

Vedic dharma and that the propaganda of hate [against Brahmins and the

Vedas] is all to be attributed to political reasons. People, I repeat,

do have faith in the Vedas, in Vedic rites and customs and if the

Brahmin becomes a little better [that is by being true to his vocation]

all hatred will vanish. As I said before, instead of expecting respect

from others, he must remain true to his dharma even at the risk of his

life. It is my belief that society will not allow him to suffer such an

extreme fate. But my stand is that, even if it does, he must not

forsake his dharma. Whatever the attitude of others, whether they help

him or whether they run him down, the Brahmin must uphold the Vedic

tradition for the well-being of all.

What

I have spoken for the Brahmin community applies in principle too other

also. The duties about which I have to speak to them (non-Brahmins) are

many. They too are eager to know about them and I am confident that,

things are properly explained, they will pursue faithfully their

respective dharmas. I must, however, be qualified to give them advice.

It is generally believed that I have a special relationship with the

Brahmin community. In the Matha a number of Vedic rites are performed.

So, rightly or wrongly, the impression has gained around that I have

much to do with the case whose duty it is to uphold the Vedic dharma.

That being the case, a question will arise in the minds of people

belonging to other communities if I speak to them on matters of dharma,

even if it is assumed that they will listen to me with affection and

respect. The question is this: "Brahmins are so much dependent on his support . Yet we don't see them acting on his advice and correcting themselves. So why should he come to speak to us of our duties? "

As

a matter of fact, both are same to me, Brahmins and non-Brahmins. I am

indeed more dissatisfied with Brahmins than with the others because

they have abandoned the Vedic dharma, the dharma that confers the

highest inner well-being on all. Even so, since it is believed that

Brahmins are specially attached to me, I keep admonishing them to go

back to the Vedic dharma with all their hearth, with all their

strength. If Brahmins observe in practice a fraction of what is

expected of them, then alone shall I be qualified to remind other

communities of their duties. Brahmins must try as best they can to keep

up the Vedic tradition. That is how they will help me to speak to other

communities of their duties.

All

mankind, all creatures of earth, must live in happiness. Everybody must

practise his allotted dharma for the good of all with the realisation

that there is no question of any work being "higher" than any other or

"lower". Preserving the sound of the Vedas must remain the duty of one

class so as to ensure plenty in this world as well as to create

universal Atmic uplift. To revert to the question I put to you first.

Leaving aside the vocation of the Vedic dharma, let us assume that the

hereditary system is beneficial in respect of all types of work. But

why should the preservation of the Vedic dharma be the lifelong

vocation of one class? It is now established, as I conclude, that

however it may be with the other vocations, whether or not they exist,

whether or not there is a mix-up in them, the pursuit of the Vedic

dharma must remain a separate calling. …………..End of Quote……………

Om Namo Narayanaya !!!!