Watering down to a Worldly life?

Carnatic Music is a form of art that is majorly representative of Bhakthi yoga, more specifically, Charanagatham or Path of complete surrender to the Paramatma.

What would be more appealing to a devotee among the following?

1. A Discourser preaching ' God is present everywhere. But we haven’t realised that'

or

2. Second Charanam of the Pancharatna krithi 'Dudukugala' that reads as:

                       "Sakala Bhuthamula Yandu Neevai Yunda ga Mathile ka poyina "                                

                         "Even though you exist everywhere, I didn’t realize your presence. "

Indubitably, it is the second.

That explains why ascetics like Sadhasiva bramendral, Surdas, Narayana Theerthar and other great Vaggeyakaras , who were said to be remained in the blissful state most of the times experiencing the  saanithyam of paramatma chose to document their philosophical thinkings as Carnatic compositions.

But today in the garb of several  panis or styles, if we are compromising on the impression that sahityams could make on us by accentuating on technical aspects, I think we are missing something.
And that something is what the ancient composers had regarded as larger than their life.

It is not my inclination towards music, which sowed the feel of  Charangatham in me. But it was the other way round. In fact, compositions like Pibare ramarasam, Nanadi bradhuku took me a step closer  to Charanagatham.

But with the onset of sophisticated taste, have we become more worldly and material that we inadvertently shift our attention on lighter things.? I think, this is a question that should be asked periodically to keep a check on unrestrained digression to the material world by feeding our ever-thriving taste . Nonetheless, Carnatic music is the best way to de-stress, given that it can never sow a single mean thought as is the case with other forms of entertainment today .

Realism in Religion

    ‘ Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam

     Punarapi Jananii Jathare Shayanam

     Iha Samsaare Bahudustaare

    Kripayaa Apaare Paahi Muraare’

This is the 22^nd verse of Bhajagovindham. When strictly interpreted this sloka gives the meaning ‘ Oh Lord Murari ! Please relieve me from the burden of life in this material world, where birth, death, nap in the mother’s womb happens again and again’.

When we were at our kindergarden our teachers would have taught us the English Alphabets in the fashion “ ‘A‘ for ‘Apple’ “ , “ ‘B’ for ‘Boy’ “. The end was to make the students memorise ‘A’. ‘Apple’ was just a means to support their memorisation of the alphabet ‘A’.  At the end of the day, the teachers would have ensured that the alphabet ‘A’ has got established in our mind.

In the similar lines, is it sensible on our part to interpret the words of the Shri Adhishankara so emblematically that the metaphor stands in our mind more alive than the central point.

There arises the question what can it mean more? What else can be its central point?

Can’t we have this way?

Given that none has had the fortune of verifying the thesis of ‘Life after death’, why don’t we construe it perceptibly around human emotions, which very much analogically to the stated metaphor of birth and death undergoes crests and troughs. We feel on cloud nine one day and dismal the other day. This is a cycle, which everyone undergoes regularly.

Why not we interpret “Oh Murare! Rescue me from the upsurge and declension of my emotional cycle and help me stay equanimous in all circumstances”

In fact , Sloka 38, Chapter 2 of Bhagavath gita makes a similar proposition

                           " Sukha dhuke same krithva Labalabhau jayajayouv                            
Thato yudhayayujyasva Naivam paapamavapsyasi

          Treat pleasure and sorrow and gain and loss equally.
 Don't fight for the sake of winning the war.

        By following this path you will not end up with sins.      "

Religions are institutions developed by human beings to facilitate an comfortable life freeing ourselves from the shortcomings associated with the qualities we inherited from our origin, a nomadic savagery. The end goal of every religion is to help peaceful coexistence of beings and sustenance of life through establishing emotional stability. Put simply, to make Man’s living on this earth seamless. To that end, sacred scriptures should be interpreted. Not to complicate things by thinking things beyond comprehension and to miss the practicable lessons for life that could be easily banked on with the help of the great treasures like Vedas and Upanishads.

                                                                               

ஸ்தம்பித்த ப்ரவாஹம்

சில வரிகளின் தாக்கம் நம்மை ஆழ்கடலின் அடியில் அமையும் அமைதிக்கு நம்மை இட்டு செல்லும் வரம் பெற்றவை.

சென்ற வாரம் பாரதியின் கவிதைகளை புரட்டிபார்த்துகொண்டிரிந்தேன். அவரது ஸ்வயசரிதையின் தொடக்கத்தில் அவர் குறிபிட்டுள்ள இந்த பட்டினத்து பிள்ளையின் ஒரு வரியும் என்னை அந்நிலைபடுதியது.

" பொய்யாய் கனவாய் பழங்கதையாய் மெல்ல போனதுவே "

தியாகராஜரின் பஞ்சரத்ன கிருதிகளில் ஒன்றான " ஜகதானந்தகாரக" - வில், ஸ்ரீ தியாகராஜர் 4-வது சரணத்தில் ராமனை " பாதஜித மௌனி சாபா" என பாடி இருப்பார். அதற்கு பொருள் பாதத்தல் சாப விமோசனம் அளித்தவன் என்பது.

பாரதியின் வரிகளையும் அவரது எண்ணவுலகின் மகத்துவத்தை எண்ணி பார்கையில் எனக்கு பாரதியை "பதவிஜித மௌனி சாபா" (பதம் - சொற்கள்) என  அழைக்க தோன்றுகிறது.  

As Life says...

We learn until we live. Life is all about widening the spectrum of understanding about the programmes that happen around us daily. In this first non-technical write up of mine, I write my personal notions,lessons and understandings about life, which I have documented as I get exposed to the flavours of experiences and evolved thoughts of thinkers in the very limited distance that I have come across, in the ever enchanting voyage of life .

1. Whatever anguish you suffer it is because of God's wish. Don’t think why I alone should suffer like this while others lead a great life. Even if you don’t think the aforesaid way it is because of his wish and just consider it as the way god leads you to salvation. Surrender the past, present and future to him.

2. You will have your own plans for the future. But it may not sync with the divine desire and it might even turn out exactly the other way round. Developing the ability to pursue life even after such turn outs is the real maturity, enlightenment and majesty. We could take heart from the fact that god's plans for the future are much better designed than our plans.  You can’t get a holistic picture about a movie unless you watch a movie from the first to last scene. In the similar lines, until you live your life fully there is no point in getting disappointed with life. The mysteries and miracles that the next second has enveloped in itself are myriad in number.

3. The moment you feel humiliated by someone, start wishing goodness to that person with a forgiving heart. Believe me, it really does the magic of immunizing us from the feeling of humiliation through dissolving the self.

4. There is no need to think on every thought that passes by our mind. Thoughts and our thinking are two different phenomena. Surge of thoughts are involuntary. But to think on those thoughts are actions induced by us and controllable. Exercise the right control and consciousness before you think on a thought.

5. After all in a Costing problem (being my curriculum, I use this parlance) we tend to commit eight mistakes. Then how natural is it to commit mistakes in life, be it relating to virtue or tact. Life is all about trial and error. We are in the right path as long as we keep resurrecting the pledge to lead a desirable life in terms of virtue.

6. Neither own pride nor own humiliation. Every aspect of life and every job we handle in life would be at its epitome of beauty only at anonymity. 

7. Never let a negative thought to survive in your mind. The moment you get a negative thought counter it with five self induced positive thought. This way you can stay happy forever.

8. No part of the life is unnecessary. Every experience we encounter is indispensable for the balanced functioning of the system. The real essence of the thrill and ecstasy in the puzzle of life lies in perceiving the way life takes shape as it slowly unravels itself. Never lose faith on life.

Here is a profound poem by Kannadasan that dispels any doubt of redundancy of any part of life.

பிறப்பின் வருவது யாதெனக் கேட்டேன்

பிறந்து பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

படிப்பெனச் சொல்வது யாதெனக் கேட்டேன்

படித்துப் பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

அறிவெனச் சொல்வது யாதெனக் கேட்டேன்

அறிந்து பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

அன்பெனப் படுவது என்னெனக் கேட்டேன்

அளித்துப் பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

பாசம் என்பது யாதெனக் கேட்டேன்

பகிர்ந்து பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

மனையாள் சுகமெனில் யாதெனக் கேட்டேன்

மணந்து பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

பிள்ளை என்பது யாதெனக் கேட்டேன்

பெற்றுப் பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

முதுமை என்பது யாதெனக் கேட்டேன்

முதிர்ந்து பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

வறுமை என்பது என்னெனக் கேட்டேன்

வாடிப் பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

இறப்பின் பின்னது ஏதெனக் கேட்டேன்

இறந்து பாரென இறைவன் பணித்தான்!

அனுபவித்தேதான் அறிவது வாழ்க்கையெனில்

ஆண்டவனே நீ ஏன்' எனக் கேட்டேன்!

ஆண்டவன் சற்றே அருகு நெருங்கி

அனுபவம் என்பதே நான்தான்' என்றான்!

                                                                   

To put simply for the benefit of non-Tamils, the essence of the poem is ' God is none other than the experience of life.'

9. Lead a life of sacrifice. To quote my favourite sloka in Bhagavat gita...

                         

                             " Sukha dhuke same krithva Labalabhau jayajayouv
                                    
                             Thato yudhayayujyasva Naivam paapamavapsyasi"

                              "Treat pleasure and sorrow and gain and loss equally.

   

                              Don't fight for the sake of winning the war.
                              

                              By following this path you will not end up with sins. "

                              

                                                                                - Sloka 38, Chapter 2.

      Neither be frustrated nor be too excited with the life. 

10. Life is a good and maverick teacher. It is good for it keeps teaching until we learn and maverick for that unlike other teachers, it conducts exams and then teaches the lessons from the exams. 

PS : The aforesaid notions might not sync with the ideas of Atheists. For such, I would like to quote Voltaire:

                  If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him.

The emphasis on God led me to receive a critique that the post is too strait-jacketed by suggesting that only believers of God deserve succour, when I posted this in Quora.

The comment I received:

Whatever anguish you suffer it is because of God's wish. Don’t think why I alone should suffer like this while others lead a great life. Even if you don’t think that way it is because of his wish and just consider it as the way god leads you to salvation. Surrender the past, present and future to him.

You've taken lock, stock, and barrel . . . and swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
Anguish comes from loss or cruelty. Some of this is a natural part of life: some of it is avoidable. As you deal with these tragedies, you gain valuable experience: as you are tested you gain confidence. As long as you're not a weak quitter, you'll work through the hardships with, or without, God's help. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Or do you think that only happens for believers?

The reply to the comment, which made me realise the scope to improve the answer is as follows:

Without getting deep into the technicalities, in mathematical topics like Linear Programming , u introduce artificial variables. The purpose is to solve the equation and identify the optimal solution. In the similar lines, Why not have God as a ad-hoc aid to develop the heart to push one's limits. It is just a psychological facilitation, I mean in this context.
With due respects, it is upto you if you think you can catch up on your own strength.
As a non-conformist (If you are one), at the best you can refute the profligate practices of humans in the course of his worship. But not the God himself, so long as the hypothesis is materially harmless.

Bibliography :

1. Tamil Movies like 'Anbe shivam', 'Bhama Vijayam ', 'Saamurai'.

2. Robin Sharma's  ' Who will cry when you die?'

3. Victor Frankl's ' Man's search for Meaning'