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 __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
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