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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00030 Dec 2002

 
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Dear friends,

The 'vedA-vidyArtee-s' of SrimAN IVK Chary, Kuwait, concluded their
'adhyAyana' of the Taittiriya and Mahanarayana Upanishad curriculum
today (Friday, 20th 2002) in a very grand and fitting manner at the
residence of SrimAn IVK Chary and Smt.Padma Chary. Today was an
auspicious "dhanur mAsa" day, coinciding as it did with the day when
the TiruppAvai 'pAsuram', "mAyanai mannu vada madurai mainthanai..."
is sung. The "visEsha sAtrumarai" performed today was a fitting
finale to a great Vedic academic session. 

Under the tutelage of SrimAn Chary, 13 vidyArtees, who underwent
formal and rigorous training for the past 24 months, are now the
proud recipients of "vEda dhanam". There is no way of adequately
expressing gratitude to SrimAn Chary. The students' ability to recite
these two great Upanishads from the Taittriya Aranyaka is a reward in
itself -- it is their "neenggAda selvam". This wealth they have
secured, they will surely realize by and by in life, is going to
stand them in good stead all their lives, here and in the hereafter
as well.

Today, the vidyArtee-s have all learnt to recite only a miniscule
portion of the vast Vedas. By no means have they become full-blown,
well-qualified 'poornAdhikAri-s'. But they have all taken a small
step in a long journey and the journey is really well begun. The
important thing is to keep going ahead on the journey and not stop
here thinking that with this milestone reached, it is all there is to
Vedic learning. The Vedic journey never ends. It is perennial quest.

The recitation of the Veda demands life-long committment. It is not
to be regarded as a part-time hobby or leisure activity. One should
not even ask what benefit is to be derived from its continuation.
Veda 'shabdha' is reward and benefit in itself. As long as life
courses in our veins we should keep reciting the Veda.

The 'prashnA-s' and "anuvAkA-" that the 'vidyArtees' have now so ably
learnt are to be recited by them, in parts if not in whole, every day
of their lives from hereon. There is simply no escape from this. It
is said that the Vedas do not treat kindly one who has spent time and
effort in "vedadhyAyana" only to later neglect it all once the study
has been successfully prosecuted. If after learning to chant the
Taittriyam (and that too so well under the tutelage of a patient and
painstaking teacher such as Sri Chary) the vidyArtees in future
neglect to continue and persevere with it for whatever reason ...
then it will all amount to "veda-dhanam" being wasted away and let to
rot. It would be a real crime. It would be "pApam", mortal sin. For
it would mean disrespect for the Veda, disrespect for the teacher and
disrespect for our fellow-vidyArtees.

In today's "tiruppAvai pAsuram" ANdal sings "vaayinAl pAdi,
manathhinAl sindikka...". First one must learn to sing the praises of
of God. Then must follow the contemplation of God. Without one there
cannot be the other. And their order too cannot be altered. First
"vaayinAl pAdi" and only then "manatthinAL sindikka". Contemplation
of the mystery of God is well nigh impossible without first learning
the discipline of how to "sing His Glory" and get intimate with Him. 


This business of "vaayinAl pAdi" takes many forms. It includes
"stuti", "sankirtanam", "nAma-smaranam" etc. It also includes
"vEdadhyAyana". Chanting the Veda is also a sort of "vaayinAl pAdi". 


Having now learnt to sing the Glory God, there is no use if we do not
proceed next to the task of "manatthinAL sindikka" i.e. to
contemplate upon Him. Now that the 'vidyArtee-s' have learnt so well
to chant the Upanishad, they should thus proceed next to learning its
meaning, its inner significance and absorb the great truths and
lessons enshrined in it. This is what will give whatever they have
now learnt eventual "pUrnatvam" or wholesomeness.

To learn the meaning of the Upanishads is even more difficult than
learning to chant it. But once you know how to chant it, half the
battle has been won. The second half of the battle only requires a
proper "guru" --- one who has spent years and years studying it and
living the Upanishad. The difficult part is in being able to find
such a guru. It too needs the Grace of God ! It is said that one does
not go in search of a Vedantic guru. Such a guru himself will come
one day in search of a genuine student, thanks to the Grace of the
"Veda-purushan". 

Now, all we vidyArtee-s here in Kuwait had the good fortune to have a
teacher like SrimAn IVK Chary amongst us. By the same stroke of luck
and God's Grace, perhaps, who knows, we will all in good time find
too a similar guru -- somewhere, sometime, in some other
circumstance -- a guru who will teach us the message of the
Upanishads and lead us onto the next great milestone of our Vedic
journey... Let us live in hope and good cheer!

Until then, all that we 'vidyArtee-s' must do is to promise ourselves
("svappratignyyai") that we will faithfully and daily chant until the
very end of our lives what we have learnt so well: the
Taittiriya-MahanarayanOpanishad.

Adiyane's best wishes and thanks to all my fellow-vidyArtee-s. It has
been a wonderful 2 years with you all! May that Great Lord of
Tiruvengadam, the "sAkshAt vEda-pUrUshan" bless us all!

Regards,

dAsan,
Sudarshan






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