never demand knowledge

 

I was rather piqued when someone suddenly dropped in a query in a group on a difficult subject, in this case, Sanskrit.

Demanding bluntly to give meaning and analysis of some portion or quote from some important religious text is a thoroughly unsettling experience.

The subject is actually very tough. It has generated varied opinions among even the best of scholars.

When no reply appeared immediately, the person highlighted the query for the second time, declaring that he was putting the matter for the second time implying that he is irritated because the answer did not come in the first instance itself.

People tend to assume that it is the bounden duty of the person who knows the subject that he should to answer all and sundry questions.

There is no such obligation.

Why should anyone care to answer?

Therefore, after attempting to address the issue at least partially, I just expressed my discomfort about such demanding questions. He understood it.

I give below my explanation and my personal views on the issue that I expressed.

_____________________________________________

It was not a personal attack Sir...

I am often ruffled by the attitudinal changes that social media has ushered in.

I have been, in my own very inadequate way, trying to learn many things over the last half-century or more, and Sanskrit is one of my favourites or passions.

But the tradition in study at least as I could understand from the way I studied, (I may be wrong, but then that is what I have gathered) is that knowledge is acquired by putting things to a forum in a very submissive and polite way.

Gita Talks about Dandavat Pranipaatena Pariprashnena Sevayaa..

दण्डवत् प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया

The Anujna ceremony which precedes every Vedic and religious session, is prescribed in a very apt way.

The student or the Kartha just says.

Asheshe hey parishad, bhavat paadamooley samarpitaam imaam taamboolam, dakshinaam, yat kichidapi dakshinaam, yathokta dakshinaam iva sweekrutya .. maam anugrihaana..

अशेषे हे परिषद् भवत्पादमूले समर्पितं इमां दक्षिणां ताम्बूलं दक्षिणां यत् किञ्चिदपि दक्षिणां यथोक्त दक्षिणां इव स्वीकृत्य मां अनुगृहाण

The gita instruction means. 

The seeker or student obtains instructions and Knowledge by just prostrating like a rod before the guru, and beseeching the knowledge with humble questions and offering a lot of service.

The Anujna mantram goes on

It is submitted before the most learned Parishad, to one and all of the members 

( for every congregation, the learned Vedic scholars of the locality would be present as a group and any ritual could be conducted only with their permission or Anujna. and learning is also just a Yajna)

May the most enlightened  Parishad be pleased to accept the Tamboolam and Dakshina that I offer at the tips of your exalted feet. Even if the Dakshina is a little, the Parishad consider and treat it as that prescribed by the Shastras, and bless me, and accord permission to proceed with the ritual.

That was our tradition.

At present, we start study groups, post any sort of blunders, and do not stop there.

We are putting requests for knowledge as if it is the duty and privilege of whoever it is to answer and clarify our queries or doubts and we may leave quietly even without acknowledging or thanking.

I admit with utter humility that I am not a learned person, but I find that I am able to answer or at least participate in almost all the threads.

Usually I do not ask for any clarification from anyone.in social media because I have already exposed myself to some great gurus and great and worthy books for very long periods. A lot of things have already entered and occupied my skull area already, and It is Vanaprastham or Sannyasam for me.

Anyway, I know how much I have struggled in life to get clarifications, to get books, to get trained and so on. And invariably the gurus and masters were stern and stiff..

They possess the Vidya, and I am the consumer, so I have even to beg, and definitely not demand.

I do not believe in the right to education.

We have only right to beg to the Guru and seek education and enlightenment. Moreover, it is His sweet choice, whether to answer or not.

There is nothing personal in this matter

I cannot even give an answer if you say that I have intervened when you have not put to me any query personally. If you make such a retort, you are right. I have no defence.

I have just to go back to my books. Namaskarams.

I just used the forum to express my anguish against the present system of communication.

It is not directed against you personally..

People want to be goody-goody and usually keep quiet even when they are insulted directly or indirectly..

I am frank that way.

When I find something that does ruffle me, I speak out.

I have no intention to hurt anyone.

I get no benefit from that and most of the members and unseen entities.

If I start fighting, with people whom I know in Social media alone, it will be like Don Quixote doing a sword fight against a windmill.

treasure troves of knowledge

Motilal Banarsidas, Mumbai, publish many Sanskrit books.

But the textbooks in Ordinary level Sanskrit are too ordinary and oft repeated,, and no publisher ventures to introduce any new edition..

A book will be published only if there are buyers..

And for PG and Doctoral Studies people depend on libraries..

They say there is a very good library for Sanskrit in the Patashala High School, Chittur, but I read in a newspaper that the valuable books are facing destruction for want of proper preservation.

The University Library Trivandrum is a treasure house.

In Chennai, Connemara, Kuppusamy Sastrigal etc. libraries are very valuable.

However, no one is interested much in reading. People just read the back cover of a book, or a recorded upanyasam and then simply reel out their self-assumed wealth of knowledge, as if they are Vyasa, Brihaspati, Bharadwaja, Manu, Valmiki all bundled together..

Gita Press is doing great service in furthering the cause of Sanskrit language.

. More worthy of great reverence and praise is that the

Maha Sannidhanam of Sringeri Bharathiteertha SwaminaH

is a great Scholar in Sanskrit and he conducts Vidvat Sadas and Durbars, and honours great scholars.

Sometimes even the greatest scholar shrinks before the light of knowledge of our great Guru

Knowledge is in understanding.. Not in copying and pasting.

In our formative years, about thirty years ago,we were struggling for references and quotes, books and articles, on any subject.. in our pursuit of knowledge..

There were people who would go to any extent to lay their hands on authentic materials..

They would travel, they would spend hard earned money and others resources, and some may even steal books or materials.. Some might even cheat people while taking away reference materials from them.. especially when the one who did have it had little idea about its value and antiquity..

But internet and storage in world wide web has revolutionized our modes of acquisition of knowledge..

No materials is unreachable for anyone, if he has an internet connection..

But now the problem is that people expect everything at fingertips, everything to be spoon fed to them.. Some just copy from the web without knowing what they are doing..

It is impossible to read and digest even one millionth of what we get from internet..

But if we try to understand even that tiny part, we, the ordinary men would be far more learned that many of the most learned scholars of yonder years..

From oral rendering and memorizing we tried with books or crude writing materials with very crude recording techniques.. Then the paper and printing were discovered and our horizons of knowledge widened substantially..

But now the width of that horizon is just infinity.. Can we, are we really, making use of that effectively?

Knowledge is in understanding.. Not in copying and pasting.. and forwarding messages..

priorities..

अर्थातुराणां न गुरुर्न बन्धुः

कामातुराणां न भयं न लज्जा।

विद्यातुराणां न सुखं न निद्रा

क्षुदातुराणां न रुचिर् न पक्वः॥

arthāturāṇāṁ na gururna bandhuḥ

kāmāturāṇāṁ na bhayaṁ na lajjā|

vidyāturāṇāṁ na sukhaṁ na nidrā

kṣudāturāṇāṁ na rucir na pakvaḥ||

For people who are desperately running after money, there is no consideration for even their elders, preceptors or relatives.

For people obsessed with carnal desires and who run after bodily pleasures, there is neither fear nor shame

For people eager to acquire knowledge, there is no question of considering physical comforts or even sleep

and 

For people who are hungry, there will not be any concern as to whether the food is tasty or whether it is rightly cooked

Those who run after money would not care for the welfare of their kith and kin, and would not hesitate even to cheat them if that would mean getting more money. 

Those who are after sensual pleasures say goodbye to fear of law and bad name and also to any sense of shame. 

Knowledge can be acquired only through a lot of efforts and in that process, sleep and other physical comforts would have to be set aside..

And for the hungry man, it is some food to fill the stomach that matters and taste and other culinary qualities are not of much concern..

uninhabitable terrain

यस्मिन् देशे न सम्मानो नवृत्तिर् न च बान्धवाः।
न च विद्यागमोऽप्यस्ति वासस्तत्र न कारयेत्॥
(चाणक्यनीत्यां)
yasmin deśe na sammano navṛttir na ca bāndhavāḥ|
na ca vidyāgamo'pyasti vāsastatra na kārayet|| cāṇakyanītyāṁ
 

another nugget  from Chanakya, the down-to-earth realist

His advise is that
"One should not venture  to reside in a place
where he gets no respect,
where he has no job opportunities,
where he has no relatives
and
where there are no avenues  to gain knowledge"

The urge to strive hard to gain  the approval and if possible respect  and even accolades from  people around is the distinctive trait that makes human beings  so different from other beasts.. 

Life for us  is not just a process of  eating and living..

For a human being with self respect, dexterity in some profession and the opportunity to apply such skill and gaining the means of livelihood from such exertion is the most noble and desirable way of life.. 

For this the opportunity to put to use one's own  skills is as important as the skills themselves.

A human being is never an island in himself

..He can never live alone..

 He yearns to be in the company of parents, siblings, wife, children, and other relatives and friends..

 Life for a human being will be dull and apparently purposeless if he cannot enjoy the company of  close  relatives or friends  with whom he can share his joys and sorrows, gains and losses.

And education for a decent human being is a continuous process.. A place without schools, colleges and libraries is worse than a desert.. Learned men who are capable of enriching our  knowledge could be found  only in places where there are universities and libraries .. An Alexandria or Nalanda or Takshasila was always a coveted place for all to live because learned men and temples of knowledge were located there..

One may ask. "What is so special in this statement of Chanakya?
The specialty lies in the very fact that Chanakya has put it so crisply.. he has enumerated all that is there for one's life to be of any meaning ..

What a nice study in effective management of knowledge !

What a nice study in effective management of knowledge !

(A case study adapted from Panchatantram.)

Those were not the days of strict family planning. So a learned but poor Brahmin had four sons. The siblings were usually much devoted to one another. The first three of them were enterprising and managed to master all the lore, crafts and science of the day and has reasonably established themselves as scholars. The youngest of the lot, called Subuddhi, though quite adequate in practical wisdom, did not engage himself much in study of books.

The three brothers, after a review meeting, came to the conclusion that the place they were living in was not good enough to showcase their talents and erudition, and to earn money out of it. They were of the considered opinion that they should migrate eastwards. The two elder brothers had another point to make. " Our youngest sibling Subuddhi, though intelligent has not acquired any academic degrees. So if he clings on to us, it would be a serious liability. We would have to share our earnings with that fellow for nothing. So it would be better that we leave without his company".

The third brother was more kind. " All these years, we have lived together, played together and shared our joys and woes together. It would be heartless to ditch him." Though this opinion was that of the minority, it was accepted with much reluctance and the four brothers set out eastwards together. 

They had to negotiate a thick forest in the way. They saw the skeleton of a beast in their jungle path. The three brothers who were learned and prided themselves as experts in their subjects of study and training, huddled together and had a formal meeting , well-documented. "We pride ourselves as learned, We are in front of a skeleton in the open. The normal place for skeletons are in the cupboards or in laboratories. Anyway the lifestyle authors have opined that when you get a lemon, you should make a lemonade out of it. Now we have a skeleton. Why don't we make an animal out of it?" 

The discussion was recorded, minutes circulated and approved. So the first expert, after due survey decided that the bones belonged to a lion.. and meticulously he arranged the various parts as if solving a jigsaw puzzle, put rods and wires in the proper places and the frame of the lion was ready as a masterpiece of art and craft. 

The second one improvised upon it by providing flesh, marrow, blood and other vital requirements for the beast to be kept alive. 

The final flourish lay in the hands of the third one....giving the life to the lion. 

The youngest brother was watching the entire proceedings with interest. He though it proper to intervene at this stage and warn his elder brothers that if the lion gained it life all the four of them would become the first dinner for the Royal beast. The brothers were enraged.

" You fool and imbecile. We made a grave mistake in dragging you along with us on our journey to fame and riches. You are an idiot and a roadblock. You are jealous of our knowledge.. Keep quiet or you will be driven away." 

The youngster realized the futility of an argument by a layman with erudite academicians. But his sense of self-preservation worked right. He ran away and perched himself atop a tall tree and watched the proceedings. 

Indeed, through his exacted knowledge in theory and practice, the third brother infused life into the beast. Slowly and with definite sense of purpose the lion woke up, opened its eyes and surveyed the environments with keen interest. 

His three creators were in the seventh heaven of ecstasy on their achievement. 

However, the lion did not wait for long. He saw three sacks of flesh in human form ready for consumption. And he was lying dead and hungry for a long period. Now a nice dinner had manifested itself in the shape of three fat tufted Brahmin youths. He had no reasons to think twice. The dinner went off well. Nothing but a few bones and hair was spared.

The Subuddhi, perched atop the tree had a nice practical lesson in life, and with a heavy heart, retraced his steps to his father's house. 

What a nice study in effective management of knowledge !

intellect is Her bounty

मेधा म इन्द्रो ददातु मेधां देवी सरस्वतीः
मेधां मे अश्विनावुभावाधत्तां पुष्करस्रजौ॥१॥
अप्सरासु च या मेधा गन्धर्वेषु च यन्मनः
देवी मेधा सरस्वती स मां मेधा सुरभिर्जुषताग्ँ स्वाहा॥२॥
महानारयणोपनिषद्॥ ४२॥
आ मां मेधा सुरभिर्विश्वरूपा हिरण्यवर्णा जगती जगम्या।
ऊर्जस्वती पयसा पिन्वमाना स मां मेधा सुप्रतीका जुषताम्॥१॥
महानारयणोपनिषद्॥ ४३॥
medhā ma indro dadātu medhāṁ devī sarasvatīḥ
medhāṁ me aśvināvubhāvādhattāṁ puṣkarasrajau||1||
apsarāsu ca yā medhā gandharveṣu ca yanmanaḥ
devī medhā sarasvatī sa māṁ medhā surabhirjuṣatāg svāhā||2||
mahānārayaṇopaniṣad|| 42||
ā māṁ medhā surabhirviśvarūpā hiraṇyavarṇā jagatī jagamyā|
ūrjasvatī payasā pinvamānā sa māṁ medhā supratīkā juṣatām||1||
mahānārayaṇopaniṣad|| 43||

This is a prayer found in Mahanarayanopanisat, Taittariiyaaranyakam and partilally in a slightly modified form in Rgvedakhila.  This is also chanted as part of Medhaasooktham, prayer to the Universal Mother  for kindling our intellect.

"May the leader of Gods Indra bestow on me the greatest Intellect.  May the Goddess Saraswathi grant us intellect. May the divine twin master physicians Ashwins wearing beautiful garlands, enhance our intellect.
I hail the sacred divinities.May the intellect that is present in the dancers of heaven the Apsaraas,  visit me.  May the intellect that is present as discretion and stability of mind in the divine singers called  gandharvaas, visit me. May the Goddess Saraswathi  who is fragrant and pure, be with me in the form of the sacred scriptures,

May that goddess of muses Saraswathi come me with Her most pleasant demeanour and bless me with success,.  That Goddess of intelligence pervades the entire universe like fragrance. She is the one who is possessing the  letters(sripts) resplendent in golden colours, Her vision covers the entire realm of knowledge.,She is   the  dispenser of all that a man can desire...dharma, artha, kama and moksha and  she is waited upon always by the seekers. She is the origin of all positive energy.  She nourishes me with all elixirs like milk. and makes my life eminently pleasant  for me with  wealth and prosperity. "

All that is great in our lives  ultimately comes to us through  Divine favour alone . The greatest faculty that contributes to our  wholesome existence is  our intellect which is kindled in us by the mother of Muses  Devi Saraswathi, who is also addressed as Devi Medhaa or intellect personified. The faculty of fine arts are manifested in the Apsaras and gandharvas and in the divine manifestation of intelligence in  golden scripts (through which we communicate).  That beloved mother's blessings are sought throught these vedic mantras
We are praising the mother only with the faculty of intellect that is bestowed upon us  by Her through her most benign will.  Without her motherly nourishment neither our individual intellect or the collective intellect of the universe can function. 
Let us pray  the most benign mother to  be with all of us for ever.
--
।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
(kanfusion)
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|

prayer for knowledge

prayer for knowledge

ॐ यश्च्छन्दसामृषभो विश्वरूपाः।
छन्दोभ्योऽद्यमृतात् संबभूव।
समेन्द्रो मेधया स्पृणोतु।
अमृतस्य देवधारणो भूयासं।
शरीरं मे विचर्षणं।
जिह्वा मे मधुमत्तमा।
कर्णाभ्यां भूरिविश्रुवं।
ब्रह्मणः कोशोऽसि मेधया पिहितः।
श्रुतं मे गोपाय।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः।
तैत्तरीय आरण्यकं  ७-४
om yaścchandasāmṛṣabho viśvarūpāḥ|
chandobhyo'dyamṛtāt saṁbabhūva|
samendro medayā spṛṇotu|
amṛtasya devadhāraṇo bhūyāsaṁ|
śarīraṁ me vicarṣaṇaṁ|
jihvā me madhumattamā|
karṇābhyāṁ bhūriviśruvaṁ|
brahmaṇaḥ kośo'si medhayā pihitaḥ|
śrutaṁ me gopāya|
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ|
taittarīya āraṇyakaṁ  7-4
"That Pranava ( Omkara) (1) which  is verily called as Indra,(2) which is the most revered among metres (chandas), (3)  which spreads the entire universe in the form of sound (Naada brahman), (4) which is foremost in importance above all  other vedic metres,  may enlighten me with the power of  intellect to fully understand all the vedas and related scriptures. Oh Divinity in the form of pranava, please kindle my faculties for  grasping the vedas which are immortal. Render my body capable of acquiring such splendid knowledge. May my tongue be the source of the sweetest of the sweet words from  the scriptures . May my two ears be blessed with the opportunity  and capability of hearing and understanding the sublime meaning of various scriptures. You are the source of the eternal Brahman. You have spread yourself all over the universe through the supreme intellect. Oh pranava, who is Brahman itself, may you protect me who has learned the scriptures from the mouth of my guru( preceptor) through my ears blessed by you.  Om Peace, peace, peace

This is a prayer to the Pranava, the source of supreme intellect (though addressed  in this mantra as Indra also, we have to consider this prayer as addressed only to the supreme brahman.   There are various metres used  in rendering vedas  but the pranavam is in the metre Gayatri and it is supreme.  It is the supreme sound which  became the cause for everything in the universe. 
The mantra is a prayer by the student that he may be blessed with the physical and intellectual faculties to enable him to learn and understand the sublime vedas  and  in general all great knowledge.  For a student, healthy body, sweetness in words and speech, and  unimpaired capacity to hear and grasp the meaning of what he hears are essential. 
The holy word is here described as the treasure-house  from which the entire universe and its knowledge sprang up.
The tradition that the knowledge should spring from the mouth of the Guru and should be grasped through the attentive  hearing of the disciple is highlighted in this prayer.

This mantra is chanted as the first part of Medhaa Sooktham by the initiates,   and it is considered to be a potent  vedic  prayer which should be chanted by all seekers and also by students who are in pursuit of any knowledge.

--

knowledge is the light

गुणदोषानशास्त्रज्ञः कथं विभजते जनः।
किमन्धस्याधिकारोस्ति रूपभेदोपलब्धिषु॥
दण्डि
guṇadoṣānaśāstrajñaḥ kathaṁ vibhajate janaḥ|
kimandhasyādhikārosti rūpabhedopalabdhiṣu||
daṇḍi

This is a quote from the great poet Dandi of Dasakumaaracharitam  fame. 
How can a person without proper knowledge of the saastras  reach a decision as to what is good and what is bad?   How can a blind person be able to have authoritative views  about the beauty of objects.

My apologies to the visually impaired..Definitely the intention of the poet was not to hurt the sensibilities of any such people.  There are really very great human beings who have reached the highest level of aesthetic cognizance  despite visual impairment.  The greater misfortune is the blindness of the brain  because of the adamnant  denial of entry of any light  of knowledge..The master poet must have meant such blindness.

--

knowledge is supreme

विद्वत्त्वञ्च नृपत्वञ्च नैव तुल्यं कदाचन।
स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा विद्वान् सर्वत्र पूज्यते॥
चाणक्यः
vidvattvañca nṛpatvañca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana|
svadeśe pūjyate rājā vidvān sarvatra pūjyate||
cāṇakyaḥ


wealth of knowledge
 and the position and status  as a king should never be compared.
 The two are never equal .
 The king, at the best, is honoured in his own kingdom, but the scholar is honoured everywhere.
This famous quote  underlines the value of knowledge..  It has to be mentioned here that sheer luck can make a person the leader of all and give him wealth and royal powers too.  But education just comes only through hard work coupled with  dedication and alacrity.
A Kalidasa, an Einstein or  a Tolstoy would find respectful mention anywhere where human beings live,  but even the most powerful leader would vanish into oblivion after some time...
Of course there were kings like Janaka who were scholars too.. But such great human beings are ever remembered for their  erudition.

വിദ്വത്വം ച നൃപത്വം ച നൈവ തുല്യം കദാചന
സ്വദേശേ പൂജ്യതെ രാജാ വിദ്വാന്‍ സര്‍വത്ര  പൂജ്യതെ
ചാണക്യന്‍

ഒരു ധിഷണാശാലിയായ പണ്ഡിതന്‍റെ സ്ഥാനവും  രാജ്യം ഭരിക്കുന്ന രാജാവിന്റെ സ്ഥാനവും തമ്മില്‍ ഒരിക്കലും താരതമ്യം ചെയ്യാന്‍ ആവില്ല

ഒരു തരത്തിലും അവ രണ്ടും തുല്യമായവ അല്ല.

ഏറിപ്പോയാല്‍ ഒരു രാജാവിന് അയാളുടെ സ്വന്തം രാജ്യത്തില്‍  ആദരവും സ്വീകാര്യതയും ആരാധനയും എല്ലാം ലഭിക്കും   പക്ഷെ ഒരു വിദ്യാ വിചക്ഷണനെ ജനങ്ങള്‍ രാജ്യങ്ങളുടെ അതിര്‍ത്തികള്‍ക്കുമപ്പുറം  ലോകം മുഴുവന്‍ ആരാധിക്കും  

വളരെ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ഈ ചാണക്യവചനം  അറിവിന്റെ മഹത്ത്വം വിളിച്ചോതുന്നു.  ഇവിടെ ഒന്ന് പറയട്ടെ.  വെറും ഭാഗ്യം കൊണ്ട് പോലും ഒരാന്‍ ജനങ്ങളുടെ നേതാവോ  പണക്കാരനോ രാജാവ് തന്നെയോ ആയിത്തീര്‍ന്നു എന്ന് വരാം.  പക്ഷെ അറിവും വിദ്യാഭ്യാസവും നേടണം എങ്കില്‍  അത്  വളരെ പ്രയത്നവും ശ്രദ്ധയും അര്‍പ്പണബോധവും എല്ലാം  ജീവിതത്തില്‍ പകര്‍ത്തി മുന്നോട്ടു പോയാല്‍ മാത്രമേ സാധ്യമാവൂ.

ഒരു കാളിദാസനോ ഐന്‍സ്റ്റീനോ ടോള്‍സ്റ്റോയിയോ  ലോകത്തിന്റെ ഏതു മൂലയിലും  എക്കാലത്തും മനുഷ്യന്‍ ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നിടത്തോളം കാലം സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടും.  പക്ഷെ ഏതു കൊലകൊമ്പന്‍ രാജാവും ഭരണാധികാരിയും  കുറച്ചു കാലം കഴിയുമ്പോള്‍ ചരിത്രത്തിന്‍റെ  ചവട്ടുകുട്ടകളില്‍ ഇടം പിടിക്കും 

.

ജനകനെപ്പോലെ മഹാന്മാരായ ചില രാജാക്കന്മാര്‍ എന്നും സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. പക്ഷെ അതേ അവര്‍ ജ്ഞാനികള്‍ ആയിരുന്നു എന്ന ഒരേ ഒരു കാരണം കൊണ്ട് മാത്രമാണ്.

tribute to mother of muses 2

त्वया जुष्ट ऋषिर्भवति देवि त्वया ब्रह्मागतश्रीरुत त्वया।
त्वया जुष्टश्चित्रं विन्दते वसु सा नो जुषस्व द्रविणेन मेधे॥
tvayā juṣṭa ṛṣirbhavati devi tvayā brahmāgataśrīruta tvayā|
tvayā juṣṭaścitraṁ vindate vasu sā no juṣasva draviṇena medhe||

महानारायणोपनिषत् ४१------------२
mahānārāyaṇopaniṣat 41------------2



this is the second manthra praising the mother of muses. 
Oh Mother, one who has the fortune of having a glimpse by your sacred eyes becomes a seer, he becomes the knower of Brahma, blessed by you he  comes into possession  of bounteous riches,,, Therefore, Mother Intellect, please be kind on us.

This manthra again is a reinforcement of the staunch belief of the vedic man that knowledge flows from the godhead and wealth and fame flows from such knowledge.  The loftiest intellectual of the period must have discovered such manthras but he is humble enough and bereft of any arrogance... he acknowledges the source of what he has very sincerely.. a full and true disclosure.

tribute to the mother of muses

मेधा देवी जुषमाणा न आगाद्विश्वाची भद्रा सुमनस्यमाना I
त्वया जुष्टा जुषमाणा दुरुक्तान्बृहद्वदेम विदथे सुवीराः II
महानारयणोपनिषत्  ४१     १
medhā devī juṣamāṇā na āgādviśvācī bhadrā sumanasyamānā
tvayā juṣṭā juṣamāṇā duruktānbṛhadvadema vidathe suvīrāḥ
mahānārayaṇopaniṣat  41     1

മേധാ ദേവി ജുഷമാണാ ന ആഗാദ്‌ വിശ്വാചി ഭദ്രാ സുമനസ്യമാനാ
ത്വയാ ജുഷ്ടാ ജുഷ്ടമാണാ ദുരുക്താന്ബ്രുഹദ്വദേമ വിദധെ സുവീരാ:
മഹാനാരായനോപനിഷത്

May the all embracing goddess of intellect who is always showering benefits on us, who is always pleased with us and who is delighted by us her children,  be with us.  Oh Goddess of muse and supreme intellect, may we the silly humans who spend our days recklessly in worthless talk till you visit us and kindle our intellect, as a result of your affection and compassion to us which is manifested by your visit to our mind, become enlightened and also capable of expressing and sharing the Supreme Truth along with our heroic sons and disciples.

This is a prayer every guru makes to the goddess of intellect to kindle his intellect so that he is weaned away from meaningless harangue and is visited with Supreme Wisdom... He wants to share the wisdom with his disciples and sons. 
The most important aspect we have to notice is that the learned guru is well aware that his wisdom is flowing from the sweet grace of the Goddess of Knowledge and that he will be worthy of only empty speech if the Goddess is not in his company.
The vedas (this mantra will be found in rgveda and atharvaveda also)  have recognized the goddess, a woman, as the embodiment of all knowledge, even though we worship Krishna , Dakshinaamoorthi and Sankara as the preceptors of the world.  The personification of Mother Gayatri as a woman is another tribute to their lofty thoughts. The woman embodies the knowledge and the man disseminates the knowledge through the blessing of that great mother. The idea that prakruti the woman and purusha (male) the doer compliment each other to turn the wheel of universe is delightfully acknowledged by our ancestors.  No male chauvinism.
For the preceptor his own son and his disciple are on equal footing.  He prays for the acquisition of knowledge so that he can impart the same to his own sons and his disciples. The gurus eagerness  to attain brilliant disciples is also a glorious feature of our ancient traditions. Vide taittareeyopanishad...आमायन्तु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहाः...
āmāyantu brahmacāriṇaḥ svāhāḥ .... etc.,
Finally one can notice with awe the complete lack of arrogance on the part of  the Guru... he simply attributes all that is great to the bounty of the Goddess of Muse.
This manthra along with one more mantra following it is worshipfully chanted like the Holy Gayatri by the devotees of Knowledge

[my learned friends must forgive me if I have skirted  the terse interpretation of the greats like Sayana because a manthra from vedas (the Mahanarayanopanishad is for all practical purposes a part of Yajurveda..) if translated verbatim may carry little meaning to the  non-pedantic readers of our generation.. but the essence is not lost, I hope]

how to determine the right law

९ युधिष्टिर
      प्रत्यक्षं लोकतः सिद्धम् लोकाश्चागम पूर्वकाः
      शिष्टाचारो बहुविधो ब्रूहि तन् मे पितामह
  १० भीष्म
     धर्मस्य ह्रियमाणस्य बलवद्भिर् दुरात्मभिः
     संस्थायत्नैर् अपि कृता कालेन परिभिद्यते
 ११ अधर्मा धर्मरूपेण तेणैः कूपा इवावृताः
     ततस्तैर् भिद्यते वृत्तम् शृणु चैव युधिष्ठिर
 १२ अवृत्त्या ये च भिन्दन्ति श्रुतत्यागपरायणाः
     धर्मविद्वेषिणो मन्दा इत्युक्तास्ते न सम्शयाः
 १३ अतृप्यन्तस्तु साधूनाम् य एवागम बुद्धयः
     परमित्येव संतुष्टास्तान् उपासस्व च पृच्छ च
 १४ कामार्थौ पृष्ठताः कृत्वा लोभमोहानुसारिणौ
     धर्म इत्येव सम्बुद्धातान् उपासस्व च पृच्छ च
 १५ न तेषाम् भिद्यते वृत्तम् यज्ञस्वाध्यायकर्मभिः
     आचाराः कारणम् चैव धर्मश्चैवत्रयम् पुनः
9 yudhiṣṭira
      pratyakṣaṁ lokataḥ siddham lokāścāgama pūrvakāaḥ
      śiṣṭācāro bahuvidho brūhi tan me pitāmaha
  10 bhīṣma
     dharmasya hriyamāṇasya balavadbhir durātmabhiaḥ
     saṁsthāyatnair api kṛtā kālena paribhidyate
 11 adharmā dharmarūpeṇa teṇaiaḥ kūpā ivāvṛtāaḥ
     tatastair bhidyate vṛttam śṛṇu caiva yudhiṣṭhira
 12 avṛttyā ye ca bhindanti śrutatyāgaparāyaṇāaḥ
     dharmavidveṣiṇo mandā ityuktāste na samśayāḥ
 13 atṛpyantastu sādhūnām ya evāgama buddhayaḥ
     paramityeva saṁtuṣṭāstān upāsasva ca pṛccha ca
 14 kāmārthau pṛṣṭhatāḥ kṛtvā lobhamohānusāriṇau
     dharma ityeva sambuddhātān upāsasva ca pṛccha ca
 15 na teṣām bhidyate vṛttam yajñasvādhyāyakarmabhiaḥ
     ācārāḥ kāraṇam caiva dharmaścaivatrayam punaḥ


MahabharathamYudhistira asks Bheeshma 
'Tell me, O grandsire, which among these (four) is most authoritative, viz., direct perception, inference from observation, the science of Agama or scriptures, and diverse kinds of practices that distinguish the good.'

"Bhishma said, 'While Righteousness is sought to be destroyed by wicked persons possessed of great might, it is capable of being protected for the time being by those that are good exerting themselves to the best of their capabilities  with care and earnestness.

 Such protection, however, may not hold fast  in the long run, for destruction does overtake Righteousness at the end. 

Then, again, Righteousness often proves a mask for covering Unrighteousness, like grass and straw covering the mouth of a deep pit and concealing it from the view.

 Hear, again, O Yudhisthira! In consequence of this, the practices of the good are interfered with and destroyed by the wicked. 

Those persons who are of evil conduct, who discard the Srutis--indeed, those wicked wights who are haters of Righteousness,--destroy that good course of conduct (which could otherwise be set up as a standard). Hence, doubts attach to direct perception, inference, and good conduct.  

Those, therefore, among the good that are possessed of understanding born of (or cleansed by) the scriptures and that are ever contented, are to be regarded as the foremost. Let those that are anxious and deprived of tranquility of soul, approach these.

 Indeed, O Yudhishthira., do thou pay court to them and seek of them the solutions of thy doubt! 

Disregarding both pleasure and wealth which always follow cupidity and awakened into the belief that only Righteousness should be sought, do thou, O Yudhishthira, wait upon and ask those persons (for enlightening thyself). 

The conduct of those persons never goes wrong or meets with destruction, as also their sacrifices and Vedic study and rites

. Indeed, these three, viz., conduct as consisting of overt acts, behaviour in respect of (mental) purity, and the Vedas together constitute Righteousness.'

In the anusaasika parva  these questions are raised by yudhistira to bheeshma,  under the advise of Lord Krishna himself.  The enforcers of law have a tendency to hold on to citations favourable to them and their interests and by passage of time the original fundamental principles get obliterated.  In such situations reference to the original texts and taking the advise of the impartial judges alone is the right way.  Sticking to redundant precedents will often given benefit only to vested interest.  This is relevant as an argument even in a modern court of law.

Fwd: Read It, Think It, Feel It

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Srinivasan Ravi

I think these are great thoughts..... We love ourselves even after doing many mistakes. Then how can we hate others for their one mistake. Think before you hate someone or hate yourself.   Swimming along the flow is effortless but swimming against it needs effort. Don't go the way life takes you, but take life the way you wanna go. Dare to be different.   A beautiful saying: If your eyes are positive you would like all the people in the world. But if your tongue is positive all the people in the world like you.   Life is about the art of drawing without an eraser, so be careful while taking decisions about the most valuable pages of your life.   A nice thought: I met money and said why everyone runs behind you, you are just a piece of paper. Money smiled and said of-course I am just a piece of paper, but I haven't seen a dustbin yet in my whole life.   Life is like a coin. Pleasure and Pain are the two sides. Only one side is visible at a time. But remember other side is also waiting for it's turn.   If you like someone, show it. It will be sweeter then telling. But if you don't like someone. Just tell it. It will be less painful then showing it.   A very true but strange quote: Love doesn't start in the morning & end in the evening. It starts when you don't need it & ends when you need it most.   What's greater then mom's love? Which pillow is better then lover's lap? Which company's better then friends? There are some things in life with no substitutes. Love them forever.   Tragedy of moon: So simple but so attractive. So enlightening but so cool. So moving but so still. So quiet but so popular. So romantic but still single.   A cute story: A man daily sent a rose to his wife. One day he died, but his wife still received roses. She asked the floweriest. He said, your husband paid advance for your whole life. Moral: Love someone forever   A boy loved a girl so much. One day he proposed to her. But she refused. Still he was not sad. His friends asked him, didn't you feel bad? He said, why should I feel? I lost the one who never loved me. But she lost the one who really loves her

The greatest advantage of speaking the truth is that you don't have to remember what you said.

--
S Ravi

greatest treasure among treasures

ऋतस्य दातारम् अनुत्तमस्य निधिं निधीनां चतुरन्वयानाम्

ये नाद्रियन्ते गुरुम् अर्चनीयं पापान् लोकान् ते व्रजन्त्यप्रतिष्ठान्

ṛtasya dātāram anuttamasya nidhiṁ nidhīnāṁ caturanvayānām 

ye nādriyante gurum arcanīyaṁ pāpāān lokān te vrajantyapratiṣṭhān 

Mahaabharatham Aaadiparvam (Sambhava parvam) chapter 71 

ഋതസ്യ ദാതാരം അനുത്തമസ്യ നിധിം നിധീനാം ചതുരന്വയാനാം 

യേ നാദ്രിയന്തേ ഗുരും അര്‍ച്ചനീയം പാപാന്‍ ലോകാന്‍   തേ വ്രജന്ത്യപ്രതിഷ്ഠാന്‍ 

They that, having acquired knowledge, injure their preceptor who is always an object of worship, who is the giver of knowledge, who is the most precious of all precious objects on Earth, come to be hated on Earth and finally go to the regions of the sinful.' 

This is a statement by Kacha as told to his guru, Sukraacharya. Kacha has come to learn the 

Sanjeevini Vidya (bringing back to life a dead person) from Sukracharya. The asuraas knowing that Kacha the son of Brihaspathi was a deva and hated him. They tried to kill him in many ways, but through the intervention of Devayani Sukra's daughter, the guru rejuvenated him to life. Finally, the asuras killed him, burnt him to ashes, and mixed these ashes to the intoxicant drink which Sukracharya used to take. Sensing the absence of Kacha and the evil attitude of the asuras, Devayani once again requested her father to bring back Kacha to life. But now the acharya realized that the remains of Kacha were lying in his stomach and if he used the  Sanjeevani vidya, Kacha would come out destroying Sukra's body and causing his death. So after much deliberation Sukra taught the Sanjeevini Vidya to Kacha whom he had revived in his stomach and asked him to come out splitting the Guru's body but requested that he should use the Sanjeevani vidya to revive Sukra. While assuring that he would definitely do it, Kacha says these words. The Guru, who is the greatest treasure one can have, who has imparted all the knowledge to the disciple, is an object of worship, and if his desires are not fulfilled by the disciple the latter would be berated by all while he is alive and on death finally he will reach hell. And Kacha kept his promise and revived Sukra.

the real law of Aarshabharatham

the real law of Aarshabharatham

श्रदधदानाः शुभां विद्यां आदेयादवरादपि।
अन्त्यादति परां धर्मं स्त्रीरत्नं दुष्कुलादपि।।


sradhadhadhaanah shubhaam vidhyaam aadheyaadhavaradaadapi
anthyaadapi param dharmam sthreerathnam dushkulaadhapi

ശ്രദ്ധദാനാഃ ശുഭാം വിദ്യാം ആദേയാദവരദാദപി
അന്ത്യാദപിനപരാംധര്‍മ്മം സ്ത്രീരത്നം ദുഷ്കുലാദപി

we in India have always learned to decry all our old thoughts as conservative, pro-elite, and inflexible.  This edict one from one of the master lawmakers, (I find from my references) 
Aapasthamba.

those who have intense yearning and interest in learning should not hesitate to go and learn from a person with knowledge in the field even if he is not of matching caste, status etc.,  the ultimate dharma of life should be begged and acquired even if the source for such knowledge is the lowest born human being if the latter is capable of imparting it. And one should not consider about the bad name or status of the family while accepting a gem-like girl in marriage

What else can you expect from the most mature civilization in this world?  We have heard only about jathibhedam and mathadwesham but ours was always a country without such discrimination as proclaimed by the greatest Narayana guru.  If the evil souls manipulated the noble thoughts and law to suit their ulterior motives it was only the failure of the system.  
Not the noble preceptors. 
All know the experience of sankara before a chandala  with four dogs who appeared before him in his path and Shankara asked Him to move away from the path because the Chandalas proximity was polluting. Then Chandala asks about who was impure, whether the body of the Chandala or the Atman residing inside him.Shankara is humbled and it so happens that the Chandala was Lord Shankara Himself, and the four dogs he was leading were the four Vedas..

Friends, I would request you to forward this one to every friend of yours who  loves India and I may be given a copy of it.  I am sure such simple bul unadulerated law can arise only in this great sacred land

the real law of Aarshabharatham

श्रदधदानाः शुभां विद्यां आदेयादवरादपि।
अन्त्यादति परें धर्मं स्त्रीरत्नं दुष्कुलादपि।।


sradhadhadhaanah shubhaam vidhyaam aadheyaadhavaradaadapi
anthyaadapi param dharmam sthreerathnam dushkulaadhapi

ശ്രദ്ധദാനാഃ ശുഭാം വിദ്യാം ആദേയാദവരദാദപി
അന്ത്യാദപിനപരാംധര്മംസ്ത്നീരത്നം ദുഷ്കുലാദപി

we have alway learned to decry all out old thoughts as conservative, pro-elite, and inflexible.  this is one from one of the master lawmakers, i think aapasthamba.

those who have intense yearning and interest in learning should not hesitate to go and learn from a person with knowledge in the field even if he is not of matching caste status etc.,  the ultimate dharma of life should be begged and acquired from even the lowest born human being if the latter is capable of imparting it. And one should consider about the bad name or status of the family while accepting a gem like girl in marriage

What else can you expect from the most mature civilization in this world.   We have heard only about jathibhedam and mathadwesham but this was always a country without such discrimination as proclaimed by the greatest Narayana guru.  If the evil souls manipulated the noble thoughts and law to suit their ulterior motives it was only the failure of the system.  Not the noble preceptors. All know the experience of sankara before a chandala

Friends, I would request you to forward this one to every friend of yours who  loves India and I may be given a copy of it.  I am sure such simple bul unaulerated law can arise only in this great sacred land