Thiruvalluvar

By Sri Swami Sivananda

About two thousand years ago there flourished in Mylapore, Madras, a born Siddha and a born poet by name Valluvar or, as he is more commonly known, Thiruvalluvar, which only means, the devotee of the Valluva caste. Valluvas are Pariahs (now called Harijans) and their vocation was proclaiming the orders of the king by beat of drum. There is a tradition that Thiruvalluvar was the son of one Bhagavan, a Brahmin, and Adi, a Pariah woman whom he had married. Thiruvalluvar was born at Madurai, the capital of the Pandyas. He is regarded as an Avatara of Brahma. His wife Vasuki was a chaste and devoted lady, an ideal wife, who never disobeyed the orders of her husband, but always carried them out implicitly. Thiruvalluvar showed people that a person could lead the life of a Grihastha or householder, and at the same time, lead a divine life or a life of purity and sanctity. He showed people that there was no necessity to leave the family and become a Sannyasin to lead a divine life of purity and sanctity. All his wise sayings and teachings are now in book form and known asThirukkural. These sayings are all in couplets. Here are some of them: Just as the alphabet A is the beginning of all letters, so also, God is the beginning for this universe. Learn the Shastras completely and then act according to their injunctions. The Anicha flower will fade by smelling, but guests are more sensitive if the hosts turn their faces a bit.

Death is like sleeping in the burial ground; birth is like waking in the morning. These couplets are 1,330 in number. They contain the essence of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the six Darshanas. Thirukkural is regarded as a universal Bible. It is another Gita, Koran or Zend Avesta. Some aspirants repaired to Thiruvalluvar and enquired: "O sage, which Ashrama of life is betterGrihastha or Sannyasa?". Thiruvalluvar did not give any answer. He simply kept quiet. He wanted to teach them the glory of Grihastha Ashrama by example. Thiruvalluvar was taking cold rice in the morning. He said to his wife: "Vasuki, the rice is very hot. Bring a fan to cool it". Thiruvalluvars wife was drawing water from the well when Thiruvalluvar called her. She at once left the rope and ran to him with a fan to cool the rice. She did not say to her husband: "How can the cold rice be hot? Why do you want a fan now?". She simply obeyed his commands. The vessel that contained water was hanging half-way in the well unsupported, on account of her Pativrata Dharma Shakti. The aspirants noticed this phenomenon and the noble conduct of Vasuki and were simply struck with amazement. About midday, on another occasion, Valluvar called his wife and said, "Bring a lamp immediately, O Vasuki! I am stitching the cloth. I cannot see the eye of the needle. I cannot pass the thread properly". Vasuki did not say to her husband: "It is broad daylight now. Why do you want a lamp? You can see the eye of the needle clearly". But she implicitly obeyed his word. The aspirants were much inspired by the ideal life of sage Thiruvalluvar and the exalted conduct of Vasuki. They did not speak a word to the saint. They took leave of the saint and quietly left the place with profound satisfaction. They were deeply impressed by the practical and exemplary life led by Thiruvalluvar and Vasuki. They learnt the lesson that the life of an ideal householder was in no way inferior to that of an ideal Sannyasin who was treading the path of Nivritti and austerity in the Himalayan caves and that each was great in its own place, time and circumstances. Dear readers! Such ladies sit enthroned in the hearts of their husbands. No doubt they are hard to find, because such women never advertise themselves; but there must be many in our land of Rishis and sages; and unless we maintain such a high level of moral purity, we will all be going down in these days of modern civilization and scientific advancement. If the husbands of the present day behave like Thiruvalluvar, the wives will say, "My husband has become senseless. He wants to fan the rice when it is so cold! He wants a light when there is broad sunlight". The wives will rebuke their husbands and fight with them. That house wherein the wife serves the husband with sincere devotion and observes Pativrata Dharma is heaven on earth. That house wherein the wife fights

with the husband and disobeys his orders is a veritable hell on earth. Ladies who practise Pativrata Dharma need not go to temples. They need not practise any Vrata or penance. Service to the husband becomes worship. They can realise God through service to their husbands. Husbands also should be ideal persons with noble qualities. Husbands are the Gurus for their wives. The wives need not get any initiation from any Acharya. Glory to such exalted ladies who practise Pativrata Dharma! Related Links 1. Thirukkural

Sri Ramana Maharshi

By Sri Swami Sivananda

Introduction Flight From Home The Great Enlightenment Tapas of Maharshi His Divine Message The Light Shines Brighter Than Ever Related Links Introduction Sri Ramana Maharshi was born on 30th December, 1879. He was known as Venkataraman. Born in a pious middle class Brahmin family, he went to a mission school and learnt a little English. Flight From Home On the 29th of August 1896, Venkataraman left his home in the district of Madurai in search of his Father, Lord Arunachala, to whom he reported himself on the 1st of September 1896, thus: O Lord, obedient to Thy call Here have I come, deserting all, No boon I ask; no loss bemoan, Take me in and make me Thine own.

From that day till the end of his earthly sojourn, Venkataraman made Arunachala (Tiruvannamalai) his abode, transmitting through Mouna, the golden language of his egoless state, the Message of Eternal Truth, to the four corners of the globe. Venkataraman left a note behind to his rebuking brother: "I have, in search of my Father, according to His command, started from this place. On a virtuous enterprise, indeed, I have this day embarked. Therefore, for this action none need grieve or trace this one. No money need be spent for searching me". The Great Enlightenment "It was about six weeks before I left Madurai for good, in the middle of the year 1896, that the great change in my life took place" said Sri Ramana Maharshi, when asked by devotees as to how he was transformed, "It was so sudden. One day I sat up alone on the first floor of my uncles house. I was in my usual good health. But a sudden and unmistakable fear of death seized me. I felt I was going to die and at once set about thinking as to what I should do. I did not care to consult anyone, be he a doctor, elder or friend. I felt I had to solve the problem myself then and there. The shock of the fear of death made me at once introspective or introverted. I said to myself mentally, Now that death is come, what does it mean? Who is it that is dying? This body dies. I at once dramatised the situation. I extended my limbs and held them rigid as though rigor mortis had set in. I imitated a corpse to lend an air of reality to my further investigation. I held my breath and kept my mouth closed, pressing the lips tightly together, so that no sound could escape. Well then I said to myself, this body is dead. It will be carried to the crematory and there burnt and reduced to ashes. But with the death of my body, am I dead? Is the body I? This body is silent and inert. But I am still aware of the full force of my personality and even of the sound of I within myself as apart from the body. The material body dies, but the Spirit transcending it cannot be touched by death. I am therefore the deathless Spirit. All this was not a feat of intellectual gymnastics, but came as a flash before me vividly as living Truth, which I perceived immediately, without any argument almost. I was something very real, the only real thing in that state, and all the conscious activity that was connected with my body was centred on that. The I or myself was holding the focus of attention with a powerful fascination. Fear of death vanished at once and for ever. The absorption in the Self has continued from that moment right up to now". Tapas of Maharshi Ramana practised Tapas in the thousand-pillared Mandapam, near the Patala Linga, in Subrahmanyas shrine, in the Mango garden, the Sadguru Swami cave and Cora hills. From 1909 to 1916 he lived in the Virupakshi Cave.

During his days of Tapas, mischievous boys pelted him with stones and hurled tiles at him; and yet Ramana was ever peaceful and calm through the strength of meditation and penance. Ramana Maharshi was known as Brahmana Swami in Tiruvannamalai. Kavya Kanta Ganapathy Sastri, the great Sanskrit scholar, came to Ramanas Ashram in 1908 and stayed with Maharshi and wrote theRamana Gita. The life of the Maharshi was one continued meditation, Ananda Anubhavam. Maharshi established peace within. He lived in the Light of the Lord within. He encouraged others to do the same thing. To him all the world was one. Maharshi seldom talked, and whenever he did speak, he did so only because it was absolutely necessary. His Divine Message Ramana was a living example of the teaching of the Upanishads. His life was at once the message and the philosophy of his teachings. He spoke to the hearts of men. The great Maharshi found Himself within himself and then gave out to the world the grand but simple message of his great life, "Know Thyself". "Know Thyself. All else will be known to thee of its own accord. Discriminate between the undying, unchanging, all-pervading, infinite Atma and the everchanging, phenomenal and perishable universe and body. Enquire, Who am I? Make the mind calm. Free yourself from all thoughts other than the simple thought of the Self or Atma. Dive deep into the chambers of your heart. Find out the real, infinite I. Rest there peacefully for ever and become identical with the Supreme Self." This is the gist of the philosophy and teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Sri Ramana says, "The world is so unhappy because it is ignorant of the true Self. Mans real nature is happiness. Happiness is inborn in the true Self. Mans search for happiness is an unconscious search for his true Self. The true Self is imperishable; therefore, when a man finds it, he finds a happiness which does not come to an end. "In the interior cavity of the heart, the One Supreme Being is ever glowing with the Self-conscious emanation I...I... To realise Him, enter into the heart with an onepointed mindby quest within or diving deep or control of breathand abide with the Self of self". Sri Ramanas Who am I?, Upadesa Saram and Ullathu Narpathu are pearls of direct wisdom, expressed in aphoristic terseness.

Sri B.V. Narasimha Swami, the late President of the All India Sai Samaj, has published a thrilling life of Ramana entitled, "Self-realisation". Yogi Suddhananda Bharati has written the life of Sri Ramana in Tamil. Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi has set at naught the prattle of materialists that Selfrealisation and Samadhi are things of the remote past, and that in the present age, they are impossible of achievement to man. He has shown by his lifelong Samadhi that it is still possible to realise the Supreme and live in that realisation. Beloved aspirant! Take heart. Gird up your loins. Apply yourself intensely to Yoga Sadhana. You will soon attain Videha Kaivalya and shine for ever as an illumined sage. The Light Shines Brighter Than Ever Lieut-Col. P.V. Karamchandani, I.M.S., D.M.O., North Arcot District, attended on Sri Ramana when the latter suffered from a kind of malignant tumour in his upper left arm above the elbow. The Maharshi was operated four times. A meteor hit the sky at 8-47 p.m. on the 14th April, 1950, when Sri Ramana Maharshi left his mortal coil and entered Mahasamadhi. The all-pervading Light which shone through the embodiment of that Light in Maharshi Ramana had once again resolved itself into its original state. A lifelong proof of the Upanishads was what we called Maharshi Ramana. That proof will for ever exist, reassuring us of the Ultimate Reality. The saint is no more in his mortal frame. But the Light of his soul is now merged in every receptive individual soul. Maharshi Ramana lives in our heart. His passing away should not be grieved for. For he had fulfilled the mission of his life. He had achieved the highest goal, Self-realisation. So there is nothing to grieve for. The death of only those that are not able to achieve the goal of life or do their duty has any reason to be mourned. The Light of the Maharshis soul shines today brighter than ever. In the heart of humanity the saint shall live for ever, guiding, encouraging, goading and inspiring, so that millions and millions might seek and find the Great Truth that Ramana realised. Too well did Sri Ramana expound the Vedanta philosophy, not through bookish knowledge, but by practical experience. His teachings imparted through allabsorbing Silence embodied the highest ideals and the ultimate reaches in divine realisation. To ever assert ones latent divinity, to ever strive to live in the consciousness of the immortal Self and to remain as an unaffected witness of the transitory phases of life immersed in that Supreme Silencewas the clarion call of

the Maharshi. Dogmas and religious prejudices he cared not for! For he was far above those mundane limitations. With him lived orthodox Brahmin priests, Moslems and Christians and the so-called Indian untouchables. They were all alike to him. As an architect-supreme of Truth-transcendental, Ramana Maharshi led, and now leads on, the weary travellers on earth towards the Goal through his unfathomable Silence. To pay the most befitting homage to that saintly personality is to follow his teachings and to grow up in that ideal model. May peace be unto all!

Gems

Arunagiri Yogi is Victorious Over Allquote from The Glory of Arunachala

How to conquer destiny? A well-to-do lady told Ramana Maharshi, I am blessed with everything that a human being would like to have. Her voice choked. Controlling herself she continued slowly, I have all that I want, a human being may want but but I do not have peace of mind. Something prevents it. Probably my destiny. There was silence for a while. Then he spoke in his usual sweet manner: All right, you have said what you wished to say. Well, what is destiny? There is no destiny. Surrender, and all will be well. Throw all responsibility on God and do not bear the burden yourself. What can destiny do to you then? D: Surrender is impossible. M: Yes, complete surrender is impossible. Partial surrender is certainly possible for all. In course of time that will lead to complete surrender. Well, if surrender is impossible what can be done? There is no peace of mind. You are helpless to bring it about. It can be done only by surrender. D: Partial surrender well, can it undo destiny? M: Oh yes, it can. D: Is not destiny due to past karma? B: If one is surrendered to God, God will look to it. D: That being Gods dispensation, how does God undo it?

Sri Bhagavan descending the Hill

B: All are in Him only. Sorrow and Evil It is asked, why all this creation so full of sorrow and evil. All one can say is that it is Gods will, which is inscrutable. No motive, no desire, no end to achieve can be attributed to that infinite, all-wise and allpowerful Being. God is untouched by activities which take place in His presence. There is no meaning in attributing responsibility and motive to the One, before it became many. But Gods will for the prescribed course of events is a good solution for the vexed question of free-will. If the mind is worried over what befalls us, or what has been committed or omitted by us, it is wise to give up the sense of responsibility and free-will, by regarding ourselves as the ordained instruments of the All-Wise and the All-Powerful, to do and suffer as He pleases. Then He bears all the burdens and gives us peace. Devotion To a devotee who was praying that she should have more frequent visions of Siva, He said, Surrender to Him and abide by His Will, whether He appears or disappears; await His pleasure. If you ask Him to do as you like it is not surrender but command to God. You cannot have Him obey you and yet think you have surrendered. He knows what is best and when and how to do it. His is the burden. You have no longer any cares. All your cares are His. Such is surrender. That is devotion. Gods Grace Gods grace consists in the fact that He shines in the heart of every one as the Self; that power of grace does not exclude anyone, whether good or otherwise.Seekers should, overcome afflictions with a cool mind, and the firm faith that they occur by the grace of God, to help to steady the mind. Worship The man who has the sense of the body being himself cannot possibly worship God as formless; whatever worship he makes will be worship in form alone, not otherwise. Success and failure

When any act has become fruitful, do not become proud, thinking This was achieved by my enterprise; (on the other hand), become convinced that God is gracious.When the desired success is not won, it should not be thought that the action has proved unfruitful; the fruit (of it) is just the understanding that actions become fruitful (in the usual sense) by the grace of God, not by mere human effort.

Sri Bhagavan at Skandashram

After doing a wrong action, one should not hide it from self-love; one should resolve to act rightly in future, avoiding faults. Success and failure are due to destiny, and not to willpower or the lack of it. One should try to gain equipoise of mind under all circumstances. That is willpower.It is better for the seeker to be in a worldly position arousing compassion from other men, than for him to be in a state to be envied by them

Sri Bhagavan sitting in Old Hall

Secret of a happy life If a person overlooks the faults of others, and sees only their merits, and thus keeps his mind serene, his whole life will be happy. To be unconcerned in all things, with the mind cool, free of desires and without hate, is beautiful in a seeker. Attitude towards enemies The enemy hates the ego, which the seeker wants to kill; thus, like the anvil to the goldsmith, he is actually a friend.

Obtaining Grace in dream On account of some arbitrary standards about the duration of the experience and so on, we call one experience a dream and another waking experience. With reference to Reality both the experiences are unreal. A man might have an experience such as getting grace in his dream, and the effects and influence of it on his entire subsequent life may be so profound and abiding, that one cannot call it unreal whilst calling real some trifling incident in the waking life that just flits by, which is casual, of no consequence and is soon forgotten. Second death experience on the Hill I have been saying all along that the Heart Centre is on the right side, even when learned men differed from me. I speak from experience. I knew it even in my home during my self-absorption. Again during the incident recorded in Self-Realization, I had a very clear vision and experience. All of a sudden a light came from one side erasing the world-vision. I felt that the heart on the left had stopped and the body became blue and inert. Vasudeva Sastri embraced the body and wept over my death, but I could not speak. All the time I was feeling that the Heart Centre on the right was working as well as ever. This state lasted fifteen or twenty minutes. Then suddenly something shot out from the right to the left like a rocket bursting into the sky. The blood resumed circulation and the normal condition of the body was restored.

Instructions
The quintessence of Ramana Maharshis teaching is found in a small booklet called Who am I? This little booklet contains the first set of instructions given by Ramana Maharshi. They are direct from his unique experience of self-realization. The original set of questions was asked by Sivaprakasam Pillai which was later presented by Ramana Maharshi in prose form. The power of the teaching can be realized by anyone who puts it into practice. In Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi 80 we read Let him find out to whom are the thoughts. Where from do they arise? They must spring up from the conscious Self. Apprehending it even vaguely helps the extinction of the ego. Thereafter the realisation of the one Infinite Existence becomes possible. In that state there are no individuals other than the Eternal Existence. Hence there is no thought of death or suffering. The full teaching may be downloaded here Who Am I?. Here is an adapted version for easy reference.

Click to Download

Who am I? Every living being longs to be happy, untainted by sorrow; and everyone has the greatest love for himself, which is solely due to the fact that happiness is his real nature. Hence, in order to realise that inherent and untainted happiness, which indeed he daily experiences when the mind is subdued in deep sleep, it is essential that he should know himself. For obtaining such knowledge the enquiry, Who am I? in quest of the Self is the best means.

Who Am I? I am pure Awareness. This Awareness is by its very nature Being-Consciousness-Bliss (SatChit-Ananda). If the mind, which is the instrument of knowledge and is the basis of all activity, subsides, the perception of the world as an objective reality ceases. Unless the illusory perception of the serpent in the rope ceases, the rope on which the illusion is formed is not perceived as such. (This analogy is based on a traditional story of a man who sees a rope at twilight and mistaking it for a serpent is afraid without cause.) Similarly, unless the illusory nature of the perception of the world as an objective reality ceases, the vision of the true nature of the Self, on which the illusion is formed, is not obtained. The mind is a wondrous power residing in the Self. It causes all thoughts to arise. Apart from thoughts, there is no such thing as mind. Therefore, thought is the nature of mind. Apart from thoughts, there is no independent entity called the world. In deep sleep there are no thoughts, and there is no world. In the states of waking and dream, there are thoughts, and there is a world also. Just as the spider emits the thread (of the web) out of itself and again withdraws it into itself, likewise the mind projects the world out of itself and again resolves it into itself. When the mind leaves the Self, the world appears. Therefore, when the world appears, the Self does not appear; and when the Self appears (shines) the world does not appear. When one persistently inquires into the nature of the mind, the mind will subside leaving the Self (as residue). The mind always exists only by depending on something gross (physical body); it cannot exist independently. It is the mind that is called the subtle body or the soul. That which rises as I in the body is the mind. If one inquires as to where in the body the thought I rises first, one would discover that it rises in the Heart. That is the place of the minds origin. Even if one thinks constantly I, I, one will be led to that place. Of all the thoughts that arise in the mind, the I thought is the first. It is only after the rise of the I-thought that other thoughts occur. The thought who am I? will destroy all other thoughts, and like the stick used for stirring the funeral pyre, it will itself be burnt up in the end. Then, there will be Self-realization. When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them but should diligently inquire: To whom do they occur? It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should inquire with alertness, To whom has this thought arisen? The answer that would emerge would be to me. Thereupon if one inquires Who am I? the mind will go back to its source; and the thought that arose will subside. With repeated practice in this manner, the mind will develop the power to stay in its source. When the mind that is subtle goes out through the brain and the sense organs, the gross names and forms appear; when it stays in the heart, the names and forms disappear. Not letting the mind go out, but retaining it in the Heart is what is called inwardness. Letting the mind go out of the Heart is known as externalisation. Thus, when the mind stays in the Heart, the I which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self which ever exists will shine. Other than inquiry, there are no adequate means to make the mind permanently subside. If the mind is controlled through other means, it will appear to be controlled, but will rise again. Through regulation of breath, the mind will become calm; but it will remain calm only as long as the breath remains controlled. When the breath is no longer regulated, the mind will become active and start wandering.

Like the practice of breath-control, meditation on the forms of God, repetition of mantras, and restriction on diet, are temporary aids for stilling the mind. Through practice of meditation on the forms of God and through repetition of mantras, the mind attains one-pointedness. For such a focused mind self-inquiry will become easy. By observing diet-restriction, the quality of mind improves, which helps self-inquiry. However sinful a person may be, if he would zealously carry on meditation on the Self, how would most assuredly get reformed. The mind should not be allowed to wander towards worldly objects and what concerns other people. However bad other people may be, one should bear no hatred for them. All that one gives to others one gives to ones self. If this truth is understood who will not give to others? When ones self arises all arises; when ones self becomes calm all becomes calm. To the extent we behave with humility, to that extent good will result. If the mind becomes still, one may live anywhere. What exists in truth is the Self alone. The world, the individual soul, and God are appearances in it like silver in mother-of-pearl. These three appear at the same time, and disappear at the same time. The Self is that where there is absolutely no I thought. That is called Silence. The Self itself is the world; the Self itself is I; the Self itself is God; all is Siva, the Self. He who gives himself up to the Self that is God is the most excellent devotee. Giving one self up to God, means constantly remembering the Self. Whatever burdens are thrown on God, He bears them all. Since the supreme power of God makes all things move, why should we, without submitting ourselves to it, constantly worry ourselves with thoughts as to what should be done and how, and what should not be done and how not? We know that the train carries all loads, so after getting on it why should we carry our small luggage on our head to our discomfort, instead of putting it down in the train and feeling at ease?

Maharshi Vyasa
By Sri Swami Sivananda In ancient days, our forefathers, the Rishis of Aryavartha, went to the forest to do Tapasya during the four months following Vyasa Purnimaa particular and important day in the Hindu calendar. On this memorable day, Vyasa, an incarnation of the Lord Himself, began to write his Brahma Sutras. Our ancient Rishis did this Tapasya in caves and forests. But times have changed and such facilities are not common nowadays although Grihasthas and Rajas are not wanting who are able and willing to place at the disposal of the members of the fourth Ashrama such help and facilities as they can afford. The forests and caves have given place to the rooms of Sadhus in their own Gurudwaras and Mutts. One has of necessity to suit himself to time and place; and change of place and situation should not be allowed to make such a difference in our mental attitudes. Chaturmas begins from the Vyasa Purnima Day when, according to our Shastras, we are expected to worship Vyasa and the Brahmavidya Gurus and begin the study of the Brahma Sutras and other ancient books on wisdom. Our mythology speaks of many Vyasas; and it is said that there had been twentyeight Vyasas before the present VyasaKrishna Dvaipayanatook his birth at the end of Dvapara Yuga. Krishna Dvaipayana was born of Parasara Rishi through the MatsyakanyaSatyavathi Deviunder some peculiar and wonderful circumstances. Parasara was a great Jnani and one of the supreme authorities on astrology and his book Parasara Hora is still a textbook on astrology. He has also written a Smriti known as Parasara Smriti which is held in such high esteem that it is quoted by our present-day writers on sociology and ethics. Parasara came to know that a child, conceived at a particular Ghatika or moment of time, would be born as the greatest man of the age, nay, as an Amsa of Lord Vishnu Himself. On that day, Parasara was travelling in a boat and he spoke to the boatman about the nearing of that auspicious time. The boatman had a daughter who was of age and awaiting marriage. He was impressed with the sanctity and greatness of the Rishi and offered his daughter in marriage to Parasara. Our Vyasa was born of this union and his birth is said to be due to the blessing of Lord Siva Himself who blessed the union of a sage with a Jnani of the highest order, although of a low caste. At a very tender age Vyasa gave out to his parents the secret of his life that he should go to the forest and do Akhanda Tapas. His mother at first did not agree, but later gave permission on one important condition that he should appear before her whenever she wished for his presence. This itself shows how far-sighted the parents and the son were. Puranas say that Vyasa took initiation at the hands of his twenty-first Guru, sage Vasudeva. He studied the Shastras under sages Sanaka and

Sanandana and others. He arranged the Vedas for the good of mankind and wrote the Brahma Sutras for the quick and easy understanding of the Srutis; he also wrote the Mahabharata to enable women, Sudras and other people of lesser intellect to understand the highest knowledge in the easiest way. Vyasa wrote the eighteen Puranas and established the system of teaching them through Upakhyanas or discourses. In this way, he established the three paths, viz., Karma, Upasana and Jnana. To him is also attributed the fact that he continued the line of his mother and that Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura were his progeny. Vyasas last work was the Bhagavata which he undertook at the instigation of Devarshi Narada who once came to him and advised him to write it as, without it, his goal in life would not be reached. Vyasa is considered by all Hindus as a Chiranjivi, one who is still living and roaming throughout the world for the well-being of his devotees. It is said that he appears to the true and the faithful and that Jagadguru Sankaracharya had his Darshan in the house of sage Mandana Misra and that he appeared to many others as well. Thus, in short, Vyasa lives for the welfare of the world. Let us pray for his blessings on us all and on the whole world. Everybody knows that there are six important systems of thought developed by our ancients known as the Shad Darshanas or the six orthodox schools of philosophy, viz., Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa or Vedanta. Each system has a different shade of opinion. Later, these thoughts became unwieldy, and to regulate them, the Sutras came into existence. Treatises were written in short aphorisms, called "Sutras" in Sanskrit, meaning clues for memory or aids to long discussions on every topic. In the Padma Purana, the definition of a Sutra is given. It says that a Sutra should be concise and unambiguous; but the brevity was carried to such an extent that the Sutra has become unintelligible and particularly so in the Brahma Sutras. Today we find the same Sutra being interpreted in a dozen ways. The Brahma Sutras written by Vyasa or Badarayanafor that was the name which he possessed in additionare also known as Vedanta Sutras as they deal with Vedanta only. They are divided into four chapters, each chapter being subdivided again into four sections. It is interesting to note that they begin and end with Sutras which read together mean "the inquiry into the real nature of Brahman has no return", meaning that "going by that way one reaches Immortality and no more returns to the world". About the authorship of these Sutras, tradition attributes it to Vyasa. Sankaracharya, in his Bhashya, refers to Vyasa as the author of the Gita and the Mahabharata, and to Badarayana as the author of the Brahma Sutras. His followersVachaspathi, Anandagiri and othersidentify the two as one and the same person, while Ramanuja and others attribute the authorship of all three to Vyasa himself. The oldest commentary on the Brahma Sutras is by Sankaracharya; he was later followed by Ramanuja, Vallabha, Nimbarka, Madhva and others who established their own schools of thought. All the five Acharyas mostly agree on two points, viz., (i) that Brahman is the cause of this world and (ii) that knowledge of Brahman

leads to final emancipation. But they differ amongst themselves on the nature of this Brahman, the relation between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, and the condition of the soul in the state of release. According to some, Bhakti and not Jnana, as interpreted by Sankara, is the chief means of attaining liberation. Vyasas life is a unique example of one born for the dissemination of spiritual knowledge. His writings inspire us and the whole world even to this day. May we all live in the spirit of his writings!

Sage Yajnavalkya
By Sri Swami Sivananda Related Links The name of Yajnavalkya of Mithila stands distinguished both in the Srutis and in the Smritis. Yajnavalkya is especially known for his unsurpassed spiritual wisdom and power. The seer of a Veda Samhita from Bhagavan Surya, the revealer of Brahma Jnana to Janaka, Maitreyi and others, Yajnavalkya hails supreme among sages of sacred memory. As to his obtaining the Shukla Yajurveda Samhita from Bhagavan Surya, there is the following history. Yajnavalkya was the son of the sister of Mahamuni Vaishampayana, the Vedacharya of the Taittiriya section. He was studying the Taittiriya Samhita from Vaishampayana who was also his Guru. Vaishampayana had many other disciples too and they all were students of the Taittiriya Shakha. Once all the Rishis decided to form an association near the Meru mountain and made a rule that any Rishi who absented himself at the appointed hour should incur the sin of Brahmahatya (the sin of killing a Brahmin) for seven days. On that appointed day fell the Sraddha ceremony of Vaishampayanas father. Vaishampayana thought, "Somehow I have to perform my fathers ceremony. If the sin of Brahmahatyacomes to me, my disciples will observe the expiatory penance therefor". So Vaishampayana did not attend the meeting of the Rishis. And accordingly he incurred the sin of Brahmahatya. Then Vaishampayana said to his disciples, "Now I have to expiate this great sin of Brahmahatya. Therefore, you all will observe, for my sake, an expiatory penance for seven days". At once Yajnavalkya stood up and said, "O Guru! All these are poor-spirited young students. They will not be able to undergo such a hard penance. So, instead of all, I myself alone shall observe it in the manner in which nobody else can". Vaishampayana told Yajnavalkya not to undertake it alone. But Yajnavalkya persisted. The preceptor was offended at this audacious attitude of the disciple and said, "O proud one, you are very conceited. You get away from me. Enough of you who is disposed to despise wise Brahmins. Give back to me immediately whatever you have learnt from me". Upon the order of the Guru, Yajnavalkya, the son of Devarata, vomited out the collection of the Yajus in the form of food. The other disciples ate that food taking the form of the Tittiri birds, because they were very eager to receive the same.

They then had the direct revelation of those Yajurveda collections. As the Tittiri birds ate this Veda, it is thenceforth called the Taittiriya Yajurveda. It is also known as Krishna (black) Yajurveda on account of its being vomited substance. Then Yajnavalkya determined not to have any human Guru thereafter. Thus he began to propitiate the Sun-God, Surya. Yajnavalkya worshipped and extolled the Sun, the master of the Vedas, for the purpose of acquiring the fresh Vedic portions not known to his preceptor, Vaishampayana. Yajnavalkya said, "Prostration to the glorious Aditya, who in the form of the Atman, abides in all beings. I bow to Him who surrounds all like Akasa, who is one and not separated or distanced by limiting conditions. O Great God, O Creator, I contemplate upon that glowing sphere which lights and warms the whole world! O God who burns all miseries wrought by unrighteous activities, who burns ignorance which is the seed of activity! O Lord, I worship Thy lotus-like feet praised and worshipped by the rulers of the three worlds. Give me those portions of the Veda which are not known to others". The Sun-God, the glorious Lord Hari, pleased with Yajnavalkyas penance, assumed the form of a horse and taught the sage such fresh portions of the Yajurveda as were not known to any other. This portion of the Yajurveda goes by the name of Shukla Yajurveda. It is also known as Vajasaneya Yajurveda, because it was evolved in great rapidity by Surya in the form of a horse through his manes. Yajnavalkya divided this Vajasaneya Yajurveda again into fifteen branches, each branch comprising hundreds of Yajus Mantras. Kanva, Madhyandina and others learnt those branches. Yajnavalkya married two wives. One was Maitreyi and the other Katyayani. Of the two, Maitreyi was a Brahmavadini. When Yajnavalkya wished to divide his property between the two wives before starting for the fourth Ashrama of his life, Maitreyi asked whether she could become immortal through wealth. Yajnavalkya replied that there was no hope of immortality through wealth and that she would only become one among the many who were well-to-do on earth. On hearing this, Maitreyi requested Yajnavalkya to teach her what he considered as the best. Then Yajnavalkya elaborately described to her the sole greatness of the Absolute Self, the nature of Its existence, the way of attaining infinite knowledge and immortality, etc. This immortal conversation between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi is recorded in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The central theme of the discourse is this: "All things are dear, not for their sake, but for the sake of the Self. This Self alone exists everywhere. It cannot be understood or known, for It alone is the Understander and the Knower. Its nature cannot be said to be positively as such. It is realised through endless denials as not this, not this. The Self is self-luminous, indestructible, unthinkable".

The other wife Katyayani, the daughter of Bharadhwaja, was of common intelligence, and through her Yajnavalkya had three sonsChandrakanta, Mahamegha and Vijaya. Yajnavalkya, though a great Brahmajnani, was a great Karmakandi too. He caused many Yajnas to be performed and himself became the Acharya of those great Yajnas. He was a celebrated Srotriya and a Brahma-nishtha Guru. Once King Janaka of Videha wanted to know from which real Brahmanishtha to receive Brahma Vidya. In order to find out who was the real Brahma-nishtha, Janaka performed a hugeBahu-dakshina sacrifice to which all the Rishis from far and wide were invited. And he offered one thousand cows with their calves, all their horns being decked with enormous gold. Then he proclaimed to the assembled ones, "Whosoever is the best Brahmana amongst you may drive these cows home". None dared to get up and take away the cows as they were afraid of censure by the others. But Yajnavalkya stood up and asked his disciple Samasravas to drive the cows home. The other Brahmanas got angry at this and said to one another, "How can he declare himself to be the best among us?". Thereupon several Rishis challenged Yajnavalkya with many questions on transcendental matters to all of which Yajnavalkya gave prompt reply. There was a great debate in which Yajnavalkya won over all the others. Janaka was convinced that Yajnavalkya was the best Brahma-nishtha and received Brahma Vidya from him thereafter. The third and the fourth chapters of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad abound with the great philosophical teachings of Yajnavalkya. Yajnavalkya was also the author of the famous Yajnavalkya Smriti. His other works are Yajnavalkya Shakha, Pratijna Sutra, Satapatha Brahmana, and Yoga-Yajnavalkya. At the sacrifice of Janaka, there was an exchange of words between Yajnavalkya and Vaishampayana. But on hearing that Yajnavalkya had obtained a fresh Veda from the Sun-God, Vaishampayana was much pleased and he requested Yajnavalkya to teach that Veda to his own disciples also. Yajnavalkya consented and taught his Veda to the disciples of Vaishampayana. In the end, Yajnavalkya took Vidvat Sannyasa (renunciation after the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman) and retired to the forest. Yajnavalkya was one of the greatest sages ever known. We find him arguing with and overcoming even his teacher Uddalaka at the court of Janaka. His precepts as contained in the Upanishads stand foremost as the crest-jewel of the highest teachings on Brahma Vidya.

Dattatreya

Related Link Anasuya is generally quoted as the model of chastity. She was the wife of Atri Maharishi, a great sage and one of the Sapta Rishis. She was well established in Pativrata Dharma. She served her husband with intense devotion. She did severe Tapas for a very long time in order to beget sons equal to Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. Once Narada took a small ball of ironthe size of a gram-grainto Sarasvati and said to her, "O Sarasvati Devi! Please fry this iron ball. I will eat this iron-ballgram during my travel". Sarasvati laughed and said, "O Rishi Narada! How can this iron ball be fried? How can this be eaten?". Narada afterwards went to Mahalakshmi and Parvati and requested them to fry the iron ball. They also laughed at Narada Rishi. Then Narada said, "O Devis! See, I will get it fried by Anasuya, wife of Atri Maharishi, a great Pativrata who lives in the earth-plane". Then Narada came to Anasuya and requested her to fry the iron-ball-gram. Anasuya put the iron ball in the frying pan, meditated on the form of her husband and put a few drops of water which were used in washing the feet of her husband on the iron ball. The iron ball was at once fried. Narada went to Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati, ate before them the fried iron-ball-gram and gave them also a little of it. He greatly praised the glory of Anasuya and her chastity. Then Narada resolved to fulfil the wish of Anasuya to beget sons equal to Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.

Narada said to Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati: "You also could have fried the iron ball, if you all had done service to your husbands with faith, sincerity and devotion. Make a request to your husbands to test Anasuyas Pativrata Dharma". Then Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati requested their husbands to test the Pativrata Dharma of Anasuya, wife of Atri Maharishi, and ask her to give them Nirvana Bhiksha, that is, to give them alms in a naked condition. The Tri-Murtis, through Jnana-Drishti, came to know of the action of Narada and the Tapas and the wish of Anasuya. They agreed. The Tri-Murtis put on the garb of Sannyasins, appeared before Anasuya and asked her to give them Nirvana Bhiksha. Anasuya was in a great dilemma. She could not say No to the Bhikshus. She had to maintain her Pativrata Dharma also. She meditated on the form of her husband, took refuge in his feet and sprinkled over the three Sannyasins a few drops of water which were used for washing the feet of her husband. The Tri-Murtis were converted into three children on account of the glory of the Charanamrita. At the same time, there was accumulation of milk in the breast of Anasuya. She thought that those children were her own children and fed them with the milk in a nude state and put them to the cradle. She was eagerly expecting the arrival of her husband who had gone for taking his bath. As soon as Atri Rishi came back home, Anasuya related to him all that had happened during his absence, placed the three children at his feet and worshipped him. But Atri knew all this already through his divine vision. He embraced all the three children. The three children became one child with two feet, one trunk, three heads and six hands. Atri Rishi blessed his wife and informed her that the TriMurtis themselves had assumed the forms of the three children to gratify her wish. Narada went to Brahma-Loka, Vaikuntha and Kailasa and informed Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati that their husbands had been turned into children through the power of the Pativrata Dharma of Anasuya when they asked her Nirvana Bhiksha and that they would not return unless the Devis asked for Bhartri Bhiksha (Bhiksha of husband) from Atri. Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati assumed the forms of ordinary women, appeared before Atri and asked for Pati Bhiksha: "O Rishi, kindly give us back our husbands". Atri Rishi duly honoured the three ladies and with folded hands prayed to them that his wish and the wish of Anasuya should be fulfilled. Then the Tri-Murtis appeared in their true form before Atri and said, "This child will be a great sage according to your word and will be equal to us according to the wish of Anasuya. This child will bear the name of Dattatreya". Then they disappeared. Dattatreya attained manhood. As he had the rays of the Tri-Murtis, and as he was a great Jnani, all the Rishis and ascetics worshipped him. He was gentle, peaceful and amiable. He was always followed by a great multitude of people. Dattatreya tried to get rid of them, but his endeavours were all in vain. Once when he was

surrounded by many people, he entered a river for bathing and he did not come out of it for three days. He entered into Samadhi inside the water. On the third day, he came out and found that the people were still sitting on the banks of the river awaiting his return. He did not succeed in getting rid of the people by this method. So Dattatreya adopted another plan. He created a beautiful girl and a bottle of wine out of his Yogic power. He came out of the waters holding the girl in one hand and the bottle of wine in the other. The people thought that Dattatreya had fallen from his Yoga and so they left him and went away. Dattatreya threw away all his personal possessions, even the scanty clothing he had, and became an Avadhuta. He went out preaching and teaching the truths of Vedanta. Dattatreya taught his Gita, named Avadhuta Gita, to Lord Subrahmanya. This is a most valuable book which contains the truths and secrets of Vedanta and the direct experiences of Self-realisation. Once, while Dattatreya was roaming in a forest happily, he met king Yadu, who on seeing Dattatreya so happy, asked him the secrets of his happiness and also the name of his Guru. Dattatreya said that the Atma alone was his Guru and yet he had learned wisdom from twenty-four individuals and that they were therefore his Gurus. Dattatreya then mentioned the names of his twenty-four Gurus and spoke of the wisdom that he had learnt from each. Dattatreya said: "The names of my twenty-four teachers are:
1. Earth 2. Water 3. Air 4. Fire 5. Sky 6. Moon 7. Sun 8. Pigeon 9. Python 10. Ocean 11. Moth 12. Honey-gatherer 13. Bee 14. Elephant 15. Deer 16. Fish 17. Dancing girl Pingala 18. Raven 19. Child 20. Maiden 21. Serpent 22. Arrow-maker 23. Spider 24. Beetle

1. I have learnt patience and doing good to others from the earth, for it endures every injury that man commits on its surface and yet it does him good by producing crops, trees, etc. 2. From water I have learnt the quality of purity. Just as the pure water cleanses others, so also the sage, who is pure and free from selfishness, lust, egoism, anger, greed, etc., purifies all those who come in contact with him.

3. The air is always moving through various objects, but it never gets attached to anyone of them; so I have learnt from the air to be without attachment, though I move with many people in- this world. 4. Just as fire burns bright, so also the sage should be glowing with the splendour of his knowledge and Tapas. 5. The air, the stars, the clouds, etc., are all contained in the sky, but the sky does not come in contact with any of them. I have learnt from the sky that the Atma is all-pervading and yet it has no contact with any object. 6. The moon is in itself always complete, but appears to decrease or increase, on account of the varying shadow of the earth upon the moon. I have learnt from this that the Atma is always perfect and changeless and that it is only the Upadhis or limiting adjuncts that cast shadows upon it. 7. Just as the sun, reflected in various pots of water, appears as so many different reflections, so also, Brahman appears different because of the Upadhis (bodies) caused by its reflection through the mind. This is the lesson I have learnt from the sun. 8. I once saw a pair of pigeons with their young birds. A fowler spread a net and caught the young birds. The mother pigeon was very much attached to her children. She did not care to live, so she fell into the net and was caught. The male pigeon was attached to the female pigeon, so he also fell into the net and was caught. From this I learnt that attachment was the cause of bondage. 9. The python does not move about for its food. It remains contented with whatever it gets and lies in one place. From this I have learnt to be unmindful of food and to be contented with whatever I get to eat (Ajahara Vritti). 10. Just as the ocean remains unmoved even though hundreds of rivers fall into it, so also, the wise man should remain unmoved among all sorts of temptations, difficulties and troubles. This is the lesson I have learnt from the ocean. 11. Just as the moth, being enamoured of the brilliance of the fire, falls into it and is burnt up, so also, a passionate man who falls in love with a beautiful girl comes to grief. To control the sense of sight and to fix the mind on the Self is the lesson I have learnt from the moth. 12. Just as black bee sucks the honey from different flowers and does not suck it from only one flower, so also I take only a little food from one house and a little from another house and thus appease my hunger (Madhukari Bhiksha or Madhukari Vritti). I am not a burden on the householder.

13. Bees collect honey with great trouble, but a hunter comes and takes the honey easily. Even so, people hoard up wealth and other things with great difficulty, but they have to leave them all at once and depart when the Lord of Death takes hold of them. From this I have learnt the lesson that it is useless to hoard things. 14. The male elephant, blinded by lust, falls into a pit covered over with grass, even at the sight of a paper-made female elephant. It gets caught, enchained and tortured by the goad. Even so, passionate men fall in the traps of women and come to grief. Therefore, one should destroy lust. This is the lesson I have learnt from the elephant. 15. The deer is enticed and trapped by the hunter through its love of music. Even so, a man is attracted by the music of women of loose character and brought to destruction. One should never listen to lewd songs. This is the lesson I have learnt from the deer. 16. Just as a fish that is covetous of food falls an easy victim to the bait, so also, the man who is greedy of food, who allows his sense of taste to overpower him, loses his independence and easily gets ruined. The greed for food must therefore be destroyed. It is the lesson that I have learnt from the fish. 17. There was a dancing girl named Pingala in the town of Videha. She was tired of looking out for customers one night. She became hopeless. Then she decided to remain content with what she had and then she had sound sleep. I have learnt from that fallen woman the lesson that the abandonment of hope leads to contentment. 18. A raven picked up a piece of flesh. It was pursued and beaten by other birds. It dropped the piece of flesh and attained peace and rest. From this I have learnt the lesson that a man in the world undergoes all sorts of troubles and miseries when he runs after sensual pleasures and that he becomes as happy as the bird when he abandons the sensual pleasures. 19. The child who sucks milk is free from all cares, worries and anxieties, and is always cheerful. I have learnt the virtue of cheerfulness from the child. 20. The parents of a young girl had gone in search of a proper bridegroom for her. The girl was alone in the house. During the absence of the parents, a party of people came to the house to see her on a similar mission. She received the party herself. She went inside to husk the paddy. While she was husking, the glass bangles on both hands made a tremendous jingling noise. The wise girl reflected thus: "The party will detect, by the noise of the bangles, that I am husking the paddy myself and that my family is too poor to engage others to get the work done. Let me break all my bangles except two on each hand". Accordingly, she broke all the bangles except two on each hand. Even those two bangles created much noise. She broke one more bangle in each hand. There was no further noise though she

continued husking. I have learnt from the girls experience the following:Living among many would create discord, disturbance, dispute and quarrel. Even among two persons, there might be unnecessary words or strife. The ascetic or the Sannyasin should remain alone in solitude. 21. A serpent does not build its hole. It dwells in the holes dug out by others. Even so, an ascetic or a Sannyasin should not build a home for himself He should live in the caves and temples built by others. This is the lesson that I have learnt from the snake. 22. The mind of an arrow-maker was once wholly engrossed in sharpening and straightening an arrow. While he was thus engaged, a king passed before his shop with his whole retinue. After some time, a man came to the artisan and asked him whether the king had passed by his shop. The artisan replied that he had not noticed anything. The fact was that the artisans mind had been so solely absorbed in his work that he had not known the kings passing before his shop. I have learnt from the artisan the quality of intense concentration of mind. 23. The spider pours out of its mouth long threads and weaves them into cobwebs. It gets itself entangled in the net of its own making. Even so, man makes a net of his own ideas and gets entangled in it. The wise man should therefore abandon all worldly thoughts and think of Brahman only. This is the lesson I have learnt from the spider. 24. The Bhringi or the beetle catches hold of a worm, puts it in its nest and gives it a sting. The poor worm, always fearing the return of the beetle and the sting, and thinking constantly of the beetle, becomes a beetle itself. Whatever form a man constantly thinks of, he attains in course of time. As a man thinks, so he becomes. I have learnt from the beetle and the worm to turn myself into Atma by contemplating constantly on It and thus to give up all attachment to the body and attain Moksha or liberation". King Yadu was highly impressed by the teachings of Dattatreya. He abandoned the world and practised constant meditation on the Self. Dattatreya was absolutely free from intolerance or prejudice of any kind. He learnt wisdom from whatever source it came. All seekers after wisdom should follow the example of Dattatreya.

Biography of Avvaiyar

The Avvaiyars (Tamil: ) "respectable women" was the title of more than one poet who was active during different periods of Tamil literature. The Avvaiyar were some of the most famous and important female poets of the Tamil canon. Abithana Chintamani states that there were three female poets titled Avvaiyar. Among them, Avvaiyar I lived during the Sangam period (c. 1st and 2nd century CE) and had cordial relation with the Tamil chieftains Paari and Athiyaman. She wrote 59 poems in the Puanu. Avvaiyar II lived during the period of Kambar and Ottakoothar during the reign of the Chola dynasty in the 13th century. She is often imagined as an old and intelligent lady by Tamil people. She wrote many of the poems that remain very popular even now and are inculcated in school textbooks in Tamil Nadu. These books include a list of dos and don'ts, useful for daily life, arranged in simple and short sentences. There is a very famous legend that is associated with Auvaiyar (also Auvayar) (Tamil: ), a prominent female poets/ethicist/political activist of Sangam period (Tamil literature), and Naaval Pazham (Jambu) in Tamil Nadu. Auvaiyar, believing to have achieved everything that is to be achieved, is said to have been pondering her retirement from Tamil literary work while resting under Naaval Pazham tree. But she is met with and was wittily jousted by a disguised Lord Murugan (regarded as one of the guardian deities of Tamil language), who later revealed himself and made her realize that there was still a lot more to be done and learnt. Following this awakening, Auvaiyar is believed to have undertaken a fresh set of literary works, targeted at children. These works, even after a millennium, are often among the very first literature that children are exposed to in Tamil Nadu schools. Name Etymology The name Avvaiyar is a combination of Tamil word avvai with honorific suffix ar. Avvai refers to respectable elderly woman as the word ammai which means good woman in general term for a woman of any age. Thus the name Avvaiyar means a respectable good woman hence a generic title rather than a specific name of a person. Sangam age Avvaiyar The Avvaiyar who lived during the Sangam period is considered to be contemporary to poets Paranar, Kabilar and Thiruvalluvar. She is attributed as the author of 7 vers es in Naiai, 15 in Kuuntokai, 4 in Akanau and 33 in Puanu. Legend states that she was a court poet of the rulers of the Tamil country. She travelled from one part of the country to another and from one village to another, sharing the gruel of the poor farmers and composing songs for their enjoyment. Most of her songs were about a small-time chieftain Vallal Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji and his family. The chieftain had also used her as his ambassador to avert war with another neighbouring chieftain Tontaiman. The rest of her songs related to the various aspects of state governance. Although traditions claim that she was a sister of Kabilar, Thiruvalluvar and Athiyamaan, V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar refutes this claim based on his studies that all four of them were most likely of different walks of life, thus from different caste backgrounds and hence impossible to be siblings. Chola age Avvaiyar The medievaal period Avvaiyar was the court poet of the Chola monarch and was the contemporary of Kambar and Ottakkuttar. She found great happiness in the life of small children. Her works, Aathichoodi and Konraiventhan written for young children, are even now generally read and enjoyed by them. Her two other works, Mooturai and Nalvali were written for older children. All the four works are didactic in character they explain the basic wisdom that should govern mundane life. Shrine In Muppandal, a small village in the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu. there is an image of Avvaiyar. By tradition, this

is stated to be the spot where the great poetess left the mortal world. Avvai Vizha Annual Avvai Vizha is organized & conducted by Government of Tamil Nadu to commemorate Avvaiyar's contribution to Tamil literature. This festival is celebrated every year in the month of Panguni on Sadhayam star day. Avvai Vizha has been started by local community long time back and still continuing willingly. Now Govt of Tamil Nadu is continuing this function and adding more values. Local community, Tamil scholars and scholars from various fields participating with passion on this occasion and deliver their speech. Avvai Vizha is conducted in the temple Avvayar situated at Thulasiyappattinam village, Vedaranyam, Nagappatinam District, in the temple premises of Arulmigu Visvanathaswamy Thirukovil. Also this place is referred to famous interaction between Lord Muruga & Avvaiyar "Suttapazham Venduma Sudatha Pazham Venduma". This temple is under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. Legend Legend has it that once the great king Athiyaman gave an eternal amla Nellikani (gooseberry) fruit to Avvaiyar, this is a special and powerful fruit, whoever eats it will have a healthy and long life. Athiyaman wanted Avvaiyar to eat the eternal fruit as she was the right person who could serve the Tamil community. If she could live forever, so would the Tamil heritage and language. Publication in the U.S. In 2009, Red Hen Press published a selection of Avvaiyar's poetry from the 12th century, entitled Give, Eat, and Live: Poems by Avviyar. The poems were selected and translated into English by Thomas Pruiksma, a poet and translator who discovered Avviyar's work while on a Fulbright scholarship at The American College in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Avvaiyar's Works: Her famous works include: Vinayagar Agaval Aathichoodi Kondraivendhan Moothurai Nalvali

Avvaiyar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with the film Avvaiyyar.

Avvaiyar Statue in Marina Beach

The Avvaiyars (Tamil: ; English: Respectable Women) was the title of more than one poet who was active during different periods of Tamil literature. The Avvaiyar were some of the most famous and important female poets of the Tamil canon.Abithana Chintamani states that there were three female poets titled Avvaiyar. Among them, Avvaiyar I lived during the Sangam period (c. 1st and 2nd century CE) and had cordial relation with the Tamil chieftainsPaari and Athiyaman. She wrote 59 poems in the Puanu.[1] Avvaiyar II lived during the period of Kambar and Ottakoothar during the reign of the Chola dynasty in the 13th century. She is often imagined as an old and intelligent lady by Tamil people. She wrote many of the poems that remain very popular even now and are inculcated in school textbooks in Tamil Nadu. These books include a list of dos and don'ts, useful for daily life, arranged in simple and short sentences. There is a very famous legend that is associated with Auvaiyar (also Auvayar) (Tamil: ), a prominent female poets/ethicist/political activist of Sangam period (Tamil literature), and Naaval Pazham (Jambu) in Tamil Nadu. Auvaiyar, believing to have achieved everything that is to be achieved, is said to have been pondering her retirement from Tamil literary work while resting under Naaval Pazham tree. But she is met with and was wittily jousted by a disguised Lord Murugan (regarded as one of the guardian deities of Tamil

language), who later revealed himself and made her realize that there was still a lot more to be done and learnt. Following this awakening, Auvaiyar is believed to have undertaken a fresh set of literary works, targeted at children. These works, even after a millennium, are often among the very first literature that children are exposed to in Tamil Nadu schools.
Contents [hide]

1 Name etymology 2 Sangam age Avvaiyar 3 Chola age Avvaiyar 4 Avvaiyar quotes 5 Shrine 6 Avvai Vizha 7 Legend 8 Publication in the U.S. 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links

Name etymology[edit]
The name Avvaiyar is a combination of Tamil word av vai with honorific suffix ar.[2] Avvai refers to respectable elderly woman as the word ammai which means good woman in general term for a woman of any age.[2] Thus the name Avvaiyar means a respectable good woman hence a generic title rather than a specific name of a person. [3]

Sangam age Avvaiyar[edit]

The Avvaiyar who lived during the Sangam period is considered to be contemporary to poets Paranar,[2] Kabilar and Thiruvalluvar.[4] She is attributed as the author of 7 verses inNaiai, 15 in Kuuntokai, 4 in Akanau and 33 in Puanu.[2] Legend states that she was a court poet of the rulers of the Tamil country. She travelled from one part of the country to another and from one village to another, sharing the gruel of the poor farmers and composing songs for their enjoyment. Most of her songs were about a small-time chieftain Vallal Athiyamaan Nedumaan Anji and his family.[2] The chieftain had also used her as his ambassador to avert war with another neighbouring chieftain Tontaiman.[2] The rest of her songs related to the various aspects of state governance. Although traditions claim that she was a sister of Kabilar, Thiruvalluvar and Athiyamaan, V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar refutes this claim based on his

studies that all four of them were most likely of different walks of life, thus from different caste backgrounds and hence impossible to be siblings.[4]

Chola age Avvaiyar[edit]

The medievaal period Avvaiyar was the court poet of the Chola monarch and was the contemporary of Kambar and Ottakkuttar.[2] She found great happiness in the life of small children. Her works, Aathichoodi and Konraiventhan written for young children, are even now generally read and enjoyed by them. Her two other works, Mooturai and Nalvali were written for older children. All the four works are didactic in character they explain the basic wisdom that should govern mundane life.

Avvaiyar quotes[edit]
The following quotes from Aathichoodi illustrate the simplicity of her style and profoundness of the messages:
Uyir Ezhuthu English translation Desire to do good things Anger is to be controlled Help others in any way you can Always be charitable Do not boast about what you have Do not give up hope/effort Respect learning Begging is despicable Give alms before eating Be virtuous Do not give up learning

Do not talk bad about others Never cheat on food

"Thol Ulagil Nallaar Oruvar Ularael Avar Poruttu Ellarkum Peiyum Mazhai" - The rain falls on behalf of the virtuous, benefitting everyone in the world. "Nandri Oruvarukku Seithakkal An Nandri Endru tharum kol ena vaenda nindru Thalara valar thengu Thaalunda Neerai Thalaiyaalae Thaan Tharuthalal" -Don't wait for a return benefit as to when a good deed done will pay back, but be just like that tall and erect coconut tree that drank water from its feet gives the benefit of giving that sweet water by its head." Her quote "

" has been translated as "What

you have learned is a mere handful; What you haven't learned is the size of the world" and exhibited at NASA.[5] Her famous works include:

Vinayagar Agaval Aathichoodi Kondraivendhan Moothurai Nalvali

Shrine[edit]
In Muppandal, a small village in the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu. there is an image of Avvaiyar. By tradition, this is stated to be the spot where the great poet left the mortal world.[6]

Avvai Vizha[edit]
Annual Avvai Vizha is organized & conducted by Government of Tamil Nadu to commemorate Avvaiyar's contribution to Tamil literature. This festival is celebrated every year in the month of Panguni on Sadhayam star day. Avvai Vizha has been started by local community long time back and still continuing willingly. Now Govt of Tamil Nadu is continuing this function and adding more values. Local community, Tamil scholars and scholars from various fields participating with passion on this occasion and deliver their speech. Avvai Vizha is conducted in the temple Avvayar situated at Thulasiyappattinam village, Vedaranyam, Nagappatinam District, in the temple premises of Arulmigu Visvanathaswamy Thirukovil. Also this place is referred to famous interaction between Lord Muruga & Avvaiyar "Suttapazham Venduma Sudatha Pazham Venduma". This temple is under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.

Legend[edit]
Legend has it that once the great king Athiyaman gave an eternal gooseberryNellikani fruit to Avvaiyar, this is a special and powerful fruit, whoever eats it will have a healthy and long life. Athiyaman wanted Avvaiyar to eat the eternal fruit as she was the right person who could serve the Tamil community. If she could live forever, so would the Tamil heritage and language.[7]

Publication in the U.S.[edit]

In 2009, Red Hen Press published a selection of Avvaiyar's poetry from the 12th century, entitled Give, Eat, and Live: Poems by Avviyar. The poems were selected and translated into English by Thomas Pruiksma,[8] a poet and translator who discovered Avviyar's work while on a Fulbright scholarship at The American College in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Auvaiyar & her Writings

"

"

" By considering universally acceptable values in just one line Auvaiyar even excelled ThiruvaLLuvar's brevity and succeeded in making them stay in memory for the rest of one's life... (she) directed her moral instructions at children who have open minds and are more receptive.."
' ?' ' . ' ?' ' .

Professor C.R.Krishnamurti on Auvaiyar in Tamil Literature through the Ages .. In Thamizh literature there are many poetesses with the name Auvaiyar ( ). One of them lived during the Sangam period and was a close friend of the Kings, PAri and athikamAn ( , ). She wrote 59 poems in PuRa n^AnURu ( ). The other Auvaiyar ( ) was a contemporary of Kampan and ottak KUtthar( ). She was the elderly figure most familiar to Thamizh people ( ). Anyone who was educated in the Thamizh region would have studied and memorized ouvaiyAr's poems early in school. Her list of Do's and Don'ts, useful for daily life was arranged in simple and short sentences. The recital of these poems by groups of children with a characteristic melody would always bring nostalgic memories of childhood days. One of the major criticisms of Thamizh poets and authors is that, in their zeal to display their literary skills, they made their style very difficult. Only after attaining a certain level of proficiency, one would be able to understand the meaning or appreciate the finer points of literary maneuvers. In these days of technical specialization, many do not ever reach this stage so that our own literary treasure becomes a closed chapter for them. ouvaiyAr's motto can very well be phrased as short and effective following the n^annUl addict
" "

Secondly ...all the social reformers up to this time were focusing their efforts in conveying ethical messages at adults with varying degrees of success. Auvaiyar followed a different strategy and directed her moral instructions at children who have open minds and are more receptive. Her important works are Athisoodi , Konraiventhan ,

Muthurai -

and Nalvazhi -

7.4.1.3. Salient Features of ouvaiyAr's Literary Works a) By considering universally acceptable values in just one line ouvaiyar even excelled ThiruvaLLuvar's brevity and succeeded in making them stay in memory for the rest of one's life. The following quotes from Atthi ChUdi (~tftiVF) will illustrate the simplicity of her style and profoundness of the messages:

Enjoy giving alms Anger is to be controlled Never stop learning Don't prevent charity Avoid injurious words Don't give up persevering Don't despise learning Accepting alms is despicable Eat after donating Act virtuously Don't give up prayers Don't carry tales b) It is difficult to match ouvaiyAr's similes for their appropriateness or simplicity. The first two lines in the following MUthurai ( ) poem give the upamAnam ( ), the example in the simile taken from the social environment and the next two lines state the upamEyam ( ), the concept to be simulated.
( )

In the next example the first two lines depict the concept and the next two denote the simile. When you do a good deed to someone else, you should do so without expecting when it will be repaid. The analogy is the coconut palm tree which takes in water from the ground and gives it back through the coconut milk without expecting any thanks.

c) Auvaiyar used the same literary format even to drive home certain weaknesses in the society. In the following example, the evils of the caste distinctions were pointed out in the clearest possible manner. She states that human beings can be divided only into two divisions, high and low, depending upon how much they are willing to share their fortunes with others.
( )

Two lessons could be learnt from this 12th century poem: i) the caste distinctions were in existence for a long time and people realized how it could be a source of social turmoil and ii) the word mEthiniyil ( ) would extrapolate the application of these concepts to the whole world. The stratification of people into high and low was not desirable whether it was based on caste, religion or wealth. The pulavar ( ) community, like so many other segments of the society, was a male dominated one even in those distant days. When Kampan tried to put Auvaiyar on the spot with some disparaging remarks, she proved that she could be as ruthless as the next person. Without actually calling him names, Auvaiyar recited a poem which, on the surface, gave the impression that she was praising Kampan.
f ( = = = ) = , = , , . , -

Auvaiyar had a tremendous capacity in expressing profound concepts in a simple but

convincing manner. She said, "art can be mastered by practice; Thamizh can be mastered by speaking; one can become learned by cultivation of mind; good behavior can be developed by practice; but friendship, grace and philanthropy are inherent".
.f

It is amazing that with a short but effective minor poems, Auvaiyar gained fame and remained in the hearts of people for over a millennium, a feat not accomplished even by poets who have great literary works to their credit. The fact that this was done by a woman is something Thamizh people can really be proud of. The surprise is why her advice has fallen on deaf ears.

Sadhvi Auvaiyar Ma in Loving Ganesa, Himalayan Academy A long time ago in the ninth century, there lived in the south Indian Tamil land a woman saint known as Auvai or Auvaiyar, a Tamil appellation for a respected senior mother or lady. Abandoned by her parents at birth, Auvaiyar was raised by a family of Panars, who were wandering minstrels. As a young girl, she was deeply devoted to religion and literary pursuits and wanted to serve the people. Known for her intelligence and extraordinary beauty, she had many aristocratic suitors, and pressure was brought to bear for arranging her marriage. While most young women would welcome such attention, it was for Auvaiyar more threat than opportunity. Her interests were philosophical and devotional, and her life revolved around her love of Siva. She did not want to make a man the center of that universe. Faced with the impending marriage that her family would surely arrange, Auvaiyar wept and prayed before her chosen Deity, Vighneshvara, to save her from this fate: Oh, my Lord, these people are only after my youth and beauty; but I want to dedicate myself to the Goddess of learning and to the spread of learning. Please take away my youth and my beauty so that I can have peace and follow my chosen way of life. Ganesha heard her prayer, and in the days that followed her skin wrinkled, hair grayed, eyes dulled, limbs stiffened and breasts sagged. Looking at her reflection in the village well, the maiden was overcome with joy, knowing she was safe from the world, knowing that her loving Ganesha had graciously answered her prayers. Auvaiyar left the shelter of home, where most people find security, and wandered far and wide in the palmyra-covered Tamil kingdoms of Chola, Pandya and Chera. Her life was simple, dedicated to the practice of yoga and to following her guru's instructions. As her

spiritual sadhana bore fruit, she slowly matured into spreading the tantras, the mystical teachings of the siddhars, the wisdom of God Siva and the Gods. Her innumerable literary and philosophical works, for both children and elders, cover the entire gamut of human experience and testify to her profound wisdom. Her royal benefactors, among whom were Shri Shri Shri Adiyaman, Pari, Kari and Seraman, are historical figures distinguished by their bravery and benevolence. These maharajas patronized her cultural works so that her fame spread far and wide. She is now acclaimed as the wisest woman of all ages in the chronicles of Indian culture. Auvaiyar Ma was a contemporary and close associate of two noble Siva bhaktas, Sundarar and Seraman Perumal, ruler of the Chera kingdom, both extolled as great Saiva saints in Sekkilar's epic hagiography, the Periyapuranam. One day, near the end of her life, it is said that Auvaiyar was in the midst of her daily worship of her beloved Ganesha. She had a vision in which Saint Sundarar was proceeding to Mount Kailasa, Siva's abode, with his comrade, King Seraman. Sundarar was riding a white elephant, and Seraman was on a white horse. They were as aware of her as she was of them. She became disturbed and tried to rush her worship, filled with a yearning to join her spiritual friends on their last journey. But Lord Ganesha appeared and told her to finish her rituals calmly and without haste, with the promise that she would be taken to Kailasa ahead of her two friends. Thereupon she entered her trance even more deeply and sang the renowned hymn of praise entitled Vinayaka Ahaval. (This great song of religious devotion to Ganesha is sung to this day throughout the Tamil land at the time of Ganesha worship, particularly during the annual Ganesha Chaturthi festival.) As she finished her worship and placed the sacramental offering at His gracious feet, Vinayaka appeared before her, lifted her in His gentle trunk and delivered her to the Sivaloka, to Mount Kailasa, before the two friends arrived. When Seraman Perumal inquired how it was that she had arrived ahead of them, she sang this in her unique and charming Tamil: O king, is there anything unattainable To them who intensely contemplate On the fragrant feet of the son Of Ummaiyal, of sweet and comely speech? The thunderous thud of the swift elephant And that of the agile horse must give place To that of the rider of this old dame! He is none other than the mighty Mahaganapati. Vinayaka Ahaval, Adoration to the Remover of Obstacles Translated from Tamil by Tiru K. Swaminathan, (From Om Ganesha, the Peace of God) Cool, fragrant lotus feet with anklets tinkling sweet, gold girdle, flower-soft garment setting off the comely hips,

pot-belly and big, heavy tusk, elephant-face with the bright red mark, five hands, the goad, the noose, blue body dwelling in the heart, pendulous jaws, four mighty shoulders, three eyes and the three required marks, two ears, the gold crown gleaming, the breast aglow with the triple thread, O Being, bright and beautiful! Wish-yielding elephant, born of the Master of Mystery in Mount Kailasa, mouse-rider, fond of the three famed fruits, desiring to make me yours this instant, you like a mother have appeared before me and cut the delusion of unending births. You have come and entered my heart, imprinting clear the five prime letters, set foot in the world in the form of a guru, declared the final truth is this, gladly, graciously shown the way of life unfading. With that unfailing weapon, your glance, you have put an end to my heinous sins, poured in my ear uncloying precepts, laid bare for me the clarity of ever-fresh awareness, sweetly given me your sweet grace for firm control of the senses five, taught how to still the organs of action; snapped my two-fold karma and dispelled my darkness, giving, out of grace, a place for me in all four states; dissolved the illusion of triple filth, taught me how to shut the five sense gates of the nine-door temple, fixed me firm in the six yogic centers, stilled my speech, taught me the writ of ida and pingala, shown me at last the head of sushumna. To the tongue of the serpent that sinks and soars you have brought the force sustaining the three bright spheres of sun, moon and fire -the mantra unspoken asleep in the snake -and explicitly uttered it; imparted the skill of raising by breath the raging flame of muladhara; explained the secret of immortality, the sun's movement and the charm of the moon; the water lily's friend, the sixteen states of the prasada mantra;

revealed to me in thoughtful wisdom the six-faced form and the meanings four; disclosed to me the subtle body and the eight separate modes of being; the orifice of Brahman opened, giving me miraculous powers, by your sweet grace, and mukti, too; revealed my Self to me and by your grace swept away accumulated karma, stilled my mind in tranquil calm beyond speech and thought; clarified my intellect, plunged me in bliss which is the common ground of light and darkness. Boundless beatitude you have given me, ended all affliction, shown the way of grace: Siva eternal at the core of sound, Sivalinga within the heart, atom within atom, vast beyond all vastness, sweetness hid in the hardened node. You have steadied me clear in human form all besmeared with holy ashes; added me to the congregation of your servants true and trusty; made me experience in my heart the inmost meaning of the five letters; restored my real state to me; and rule me now, O Master of Wisdom, Vinayaka. Your feet alone, O Master of Wisdom, Vinayaka, your feet alone, are my sole refuge.

Saint Auvaiyar's Approach to Vinayaka - Ratna Ma Navaratnam Saint Auvaiyar's ode to Vinayaka is one of the most popular canonical hymns of adoration, noted for its poetic diction, vivid imagery and yogic insights. It is a work of paramount importance, as it communicates the quintessence of the worship of Ganesha. He confers power and peace of the Supreme Para-Siva to His votaries. In the Ahaval (p. 329 -- 331), lines 1-14 delineate the form of Vinayaka. Lines 15-72 depict the detailed action of divine grace bestowed on His devotees. In the whole poem Saint Auvaiyar addresses Ganesha in three places only. "O... wish-fulfilling elephant!" is followed by "The one who rides the mouse," and finally comes "Peerless Vinayaka, Master of Wisdom." She describes in great detail the way His grace worked on her and transformed her life. She shares her enthusiastic experience of grace with the world just before she departs from this life.

The symbol of divine grace is conveyed by the image of the feet of Ganesha. She commences her poem by extolling the feet in words that vibrate with melody. In the middle and at the end of the poem, too, we find the allusion to the sacred feet of grace, signifying that the poem has been based on the foundation of grace, outflowing from the elder son of Siva, Vittaka Vinayaka. Thus the hymn Vinayaka Ahaval is a highly mystical work. It consists of seventy-two lines of poetry. The author begins the poem with a salutation to the holy feet of Ganapati. His feet are mystically placed at the tail end of the spinal column called muladhara, which generates the heat necessary for the functioning of the inner organs. His feet guard, as it were, the source of the bodily energy from extinction and are a symbol of grace. From His feet emanate the seven modulations of the musical notes, giving rise to the succinct vibrations of mantras. The primordial vibration from the muladhara, the eternal substratum, gives rise to the cosmic dance full of dynamic motion around and within. So potent are His lotus feet of grace. Meditating on His feet, the poetess describes the vision of the beauteous formation of the body of Ganesha, so symmetrical and subdued, radiating light with the golden hip-chain and white, silken attire. He is a living presence to Mother Auvai and not an image of stone. Ma Auvai sees, in her yogic perception, the impressive nature of Vinayaka's countenance. She sees one tusk broken and kept in one of His hands, while the other tusk adorns His comely elephant face and is the source of mitigating countless malicious forces. Eka dantaye vighna vinashine. Ganesha's elephant face, adorned with the red mark on the forehead, beams with beauteous smile at the votary who sings His praise. The twinkle in His eye symbolizes His auspicious nature. His five hands signify the five-fold activities of the manifested cosmos. There is ceaseless creation, vigilant preservation followed by dissolution of all that is transient. Then occurs the phase of involution, a subtle veiling leading to the stage of anugraha, revelation. It is the reemergence, through grace, with sound and light. It permeates the outer cosmos as well as the inner realm of "Being." In this context, the divine mother views Ganesha's five arms. She sees in one hand the displaced tusk ready to be used as a writing stylus, symbolizing the creative function. The other hand, holding the modaka sweet, indicates the ever-watchful, protective care and the assurance of the reward of fulfilment. The goad and the noose in the other two hands are the deterrent weapons to safeguard man from the pitfalls of disillusionment caused by pernicious desires and egoism. The lofty trunk is the fifth hand, which holds the water pot in an act of oblation, signifying His perennial grace and the Pure Awareness of the One in many. His countenance glows in sky-blue hue. His shoulders appear strong and balanced. The gleam of the sun, moon and fire emanates from His triple eyes, illuminating the caverns of the heart and the crevices of the outer world. The light of Truth radiates in His countenance as the principle of delusion recedes, leaving its pronounced marks on the face of Ganesha. How wonderful are His expansive ears, reminding us that, "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter." So muses the saintly poetess who experiences the wordless music of the primordial Aum, wafting from His fan-like ears and awakening her to the sublime awareness of Reality. The splendor of His crown and the insignia of the triple strand of initiation on His chest mark the extending vistas of light and sound mingling in the oneness

of Ganesha. Auvaiyar Ma thus is transported in bliss at the vision of the wish-fulfilling elephant-faced form of Vinayaka. Lest the grandeur of the supernal light dazzle her, she turns her gaze at His immanent form again. Ma views Him enjoying the triple delicious fruits and is amazed at the incongruity of Pillaiyar's riding on His rat mount! It reminds her that life is a bundle of contradictions and contrasts. The massive elephant with His immense strength and prudence is no less important than the humble mouse. All come within the purview of the all-knowing God Siva and are either scourged or saved by their own actions. His main intent is to wean the heart of man from the darkness of ignorance to the light of wisdom and Truth. The divine mother recollects the immense love bestowed on her by Ganesha. He pointed the way, and fortified with the mystic mantra of the guru, she communicates the inevitable bliss of realization when she exclaims "He, my true Self, filled my whole being." In this poem, Mother Auvai melts in love, like Saint Manikkavasagar, as she recalls in tranquility her yogic vision and the experience of the inner self mingling in the greater Self! To experience the Reality of the Supreme Self and communicate it to the world of suffering humanity -- here where men sit and hear each other groan -- is the noblest service of all the realized seers in the fold of Hinduism. Problems arising from the origins of Lord Ganapati, son of Siva, His place in the Hindu pantheon and the truth of the many legends that have grown up around Him all pale into insignificance before the living testimony of the noble poetess Auvaiyar in her wonderful praise of Vinayaka. Who can deny the truth of her awareness of the Supreme Being and dismiss her translucent experience as ephemeral outpouring of an overworked mind? Mother Auvai is the witness, and her poem is the living testament of Ganesha's grace and how He came into her inner being as a guru and endowed her with insight of truth by placing His gracious feet on her head. Faithfully has she recorded the steps of the religious practice (sadhana) that took her from the grip of the mundane world to the absorption in bliss divine. Deep concentration is the secret of mastering the avenues of the deluding senses. And the more she meditates on the oppressive limitations exercised by the principles of time and space and the sway of the thirty-six categories (tattvas) of manifestation, the deeper is her withdrawal into the interior of her being, where the phantom of duality ceases to lure her. The mystic mantra Aum permeates her whole being. Her japa is impregnated with ceaseless remembrance of the vibrant word. We follow her from behind, rapt in mute wonder, as step by step she leads us into the mysteries of the yoga marga, so ably propounded by sages like Patanjali, Vasishtha and Narada. The dormant shakti, once ignited by the grace of Ganesha, floods all the six psychic centers of consciousness within Auvai Ma and consummates the supreme awareness of the Self. Such is the mystic import of the mother's poem on Vinayaka, which starts like a catalog of His iconographical details and consummates in the highest communion with Aum Ganesha. From lines fifty-five to the end, the pendulum of the individual being swings in harmony to the symphony of the universal being. Neither discord nor limitation nor separation can be

sensed in the experience of the divine mother from this stage. Auvai Ma's descriptions of illumination are highly mystical and elude the comprehension of those who have not yet experienced such yogic fulfillment. Yet, her communication of the intangible rings of sincerity and sublimity. The steps to control the inhalation and exhalation by suitable chanting of mantras, leading the vital force from one center of consciousness to the other centers gradually, have all been made so vividly clear to Mother that her perception intuits through the yogic cord to the highest center at the crown of the head. The serpent power, kundalini shakti, as this subtle fire is termed, once awakened can effect wondrous transformation in the personality. The tongue is made so potent as to experience infinite power of expression. Yet, at the same time, the inexpressible, inaudible mantra known as ajapa is also made vividly clear to her as the gravitational prana, or life force. Beyond Aum is the silent melody of ajapa, heard and yet unheard, in the vibration of inhaling, retention and exhaling of the life breath every fractional second of our existence. That is He: the ever-elusive, life-giving, immortal and immaculate Ganesha. Many have been the expositions on this aspect of meditation by the rhythmic modulation of the life breath. Mother Auvai reveals in unmistakable terms of poesy the indefinable and subtlest of the subtle aspects of experiential awareness of the Supreme Sat. The fire in its dormant state has been ignited by the spark that blazoned from the inhaling breath. We perceive the awakened kundalini in Auvai Ma arising as a coiled snake at the touch of the flame. It ascends up the mystic center of consciousness, experiencing the most inexplicable powers at each of the centers. Finally, it reaches the zenith, where bliss ineffable transmutes her whole being into the radiance of light eternal, whence the light of the sun, moon and stars appear but reflections of the true glory of the effulgent Self. Blessed is the saint whose attainment is so absolute and perfect. The Mother resumes her normal consciousness and recalls her vision of ecstasy. What has my Ganesha done to me? She ponders and is filled with an unquenchable devotion, as she proclaims the greatest of her utterances in the whole of this magnificent poem: Given me miraculous powers by your sweet grace, and mukti too; revealed myself to me, Stilled my mind in tranquil calm. The perplexing question of who am I, which has baffled humanity down the ages, has been solved by Saint Auvaiyar: By His grace beatific, He makes me know my Self. That art nondual, eternal, real, pure existence, pure consciousness and everlasting bliss. Gone forever are the network of limitations exercised by actions of past births, and the roots are exterminated forever and ever by the power of Ganesha. Mother Auvai finds herself in

tranquil quiescence: "speechless, mindless, immersed in the glory of illumination within." No more opposing factors of dualism, no more darkness in the transcendent luminosity of Ganesha! Absorbed in divine bliss, afflictions recede. It is the way of grace, and we follow her from afar as she ascends on wings of self-knowledge. The immanent and all pervading intermingle in Auvaiyar Ma's cosmic vision as she swims in the ineffable experience of the undifferentiated Supreme. She can only communicate with us in the language of symbols. "Sweeter than ambrosia and subtler than the subtlest of the atoms is it." Who can know the Real? Only those who have experienced it. Having entered into the beatific bliss of the "liberated," it is the nature of such experience to seek and abide in an everlasting allegiance with all who have attained. Their insignia of renunciation and purity are self-evident. Saint Auvaiyar's outpourings, embodied in the purest form of poesy, tug at our heart strings, as her worship of the image of Ganapati transcends from the physical and subtle phases to the state of supreme awareness of Oneness. The radiant wisdom has been her priceless boon from the one-pointed worship of Ganesha. It overwhelms Auvaiyar with such a surging love for humanity that she communicates the incommunicable by the assurance so positive and veritable to take up the incantation of the mantra of Five Letters, Panchakshara. It is the panacea for the ills of human existence. Ganesha will be the illuminator, the guru, who can effect this transfiguration. Therefore, the mother bids one and all to surrender all at the gracious feet of the Lord of Wisdom. All the Hindu seers proclaim the one supreme Truth of realization by the act of self-surrender before the self-luminous Siva -- one of whose rays divine is Pillaiyar, the honored son with manifold names who is testified in diverse forms of worship. Thus the worship of Aum Ganesha by the renowned seer Auvaiyar reveals the wondrous Truth that the self has been illumined by the Self and abides in the Self. Then all appearances of otherness and of dualism (dvaita) vanish. There only remains the real Self within as well as outside the ego-self. Divine Mother Auvai's poem on Vinayaka gives a super experience (anubhava) of reality by means of the spiritual practice enjoined in the yoga pathway. The sun is hidden from our sight by the clouds. So, too, the reality of the Self is obscured by illusion. The ego can hide our real Self from our consciousness. Yet, human life cannot exist without our real Self, even though apparently hidden, just as day cannot exist without the diffused light of the sun, however hidden by fog or mist. The dominance of the ego by thoughts raised by the mind (manas) can conceal the real Self from our consciousness. The ego is the I-maker (ahamkara) and is inseparable from the Self (atma). Aum is the symbol of reality when we start from the inner being, and Namah Sivaya is the reality when we start from man's experience of the outer world. The Mother's incantation in her immortal poem validates her experience of the truth of Pashu-Pati. Their common symbol is Aum, and the form is that of Ganesha. Mother Auvai explains in her poem that Ganesha is the Deity of yogis. He typifies the coupling of two mutually complementary elements yoked together with a view to obtaining unity in being and in action, the unification of the respective individual and universal aspects, of the jivatma and the Paramatma. It is the drawing together of man to his inner ruler

(antaryamin) enthroned in his own Self. The theme of kundaliniis intimately connected with the cult of Ganapati worship. The human body consists of the five elements, and these merge into one another by the control of the breath, and through the reciting of the formulae, until consciousness dissolves into the original matter. Yoga is the disciplined effort that draws the individuality of man, united with his personality, to the Lord (Isha) pervading beyond and to the all-Knower (ayamatma) who comprehends from within. He who reaches this end is a yogi. According to Auvaiyar Ma, consciousness in the form of a serpent sleeps within the body and can be awakened by japa techniques to penetrate, one after another, the six chakras, or superimposed circles of the body, until it reaches the opening of brahmarandhra, on top of the head, where it brings about the union of the being with Siva. The vital power of the vibration of the litany of Omkara, the word symbol of Ganesha, brings about the cooperation of the Divine and effects the union with Siva at sahasrara. It is the goal of all types of yoga. The way of yoga leads to the immortality of the liberated one, supplemented by the infusion of bhakti. Saint Auvaiyar Ma attempted the yoga, the bhakti and the jnana pathway in the worship of loving Ganesha in order to gain the apperception of Reality. We discern in the poem on Vinayaka the underlying principle of the One in the many, and the many converging into the One. The iconography of Lord Ganesha accentuates the resonance of the sacred syllable Aum, culminating in the experience of the oneness of Truth. Rishi Tirumular, who lived before Saint Auvaiyar, had given immortal expression to the efficacy of the mantra Aum in a gem of Tirumantiram. Omkara abides as the Primal Word. Omkara manifests in the many forms. Omkara activates all true experiences. Omkara leads to final liberation. By the Grace of Ganesha, the Supreme is revealed to Auvaiyar as self-luminous and selfevident. His grace is the alchemy that transforms the wise language into wisdom itself, where all means of expression merge into "That which is," Aum Tat Sat. The divine mother Auvaiyar attained the goal of the highest awareness of the Supreme Siva by her earnest worship of Vinayaka. In the footsteps of this votary, let us, with one accord, sing her litany of love and walk in the presence of Pillaiyar, the Son of Siva, and realize His grace within our own real Self.
( ) ( ) ( )

He asked what is the most awful thing in the world

Kodiyadhu Kaetkin Nediyavev Veloi Kodithu Kodithu Varumai Kodithu Adhaninum Kodithae Ilamayil Varumai Adhaninum Kodithae Aatronaak Kodunoi Adhaninum Kodithae Anbila Pendir Adhaninum Kodithae Inbura Aval Kayil Unbadhu Thaanae

meaning, If You ask what is the most awful thing in the world, my Lord with the long spear (Vel) Poverty is awful, Even more awful is poverty during youth Even more awful is incurable disease Even more awful is women without kindness The most awful to take the food served by her

Then He asked what is the most pleasantest thing in the world. Avvaiyar sang the following

Iniyadhu Kaetkin Thaninedu Veloi Inidhu Inidhu Ekantham Inidhu

Adhaninum Inidhu Aadhiyai Thozhuthal Adhaninum Inidhu Arivinar Saerdhal Adhaninum Inidhu Arivullorai Kanavinum Nanavinum Kaanbadhu Thaanae

meaning, If You ask what is the pleasant thing in this world, my Lord with the unique spear (Vel) Being independent and alone is pleasant Even more pleasant is to worship the Supreme Being Even more pleasant is to be in touch with the learned and knowledgeable Even more pleasant is to see their presence in reality and in the dreams

Then Lord Murugan asked what is the most biggest thing in the world. And there came the next song

Periyadhu Kaetkin Yerithavazh Veloi Periyadhu Periyadhu Bhuvanam Periyadhu Bhuvanamo Naanmugan Padaippu Naanmugan Kariyamaal Undhiyil Vandhon Kariya Maalo Alaikadal Thuyindron Alaikadal Kurumuni Angaiyil Adakkam Kurumuniyo Kalasathir Pirandhon Kalasamo Puviyir Sirumann Puviyo Aravinukku Oruthalai Baaram Aravo Umaiyaval Siruviral Modhiram Umaiyo Iraivan Baagaththu Odukkam Iraivaro Thondar Ullaththu Odukkam Thondartham Perumai Sollavum Peridhae

meaning, if You ask me the biggest thing.

The world (landscape) is a big thing The world is a creation of Lord Brahma Lord Brahma came from the umbilical cord of Lord Vishnu Lord Vishnu sleeps in the big ocean The big ocean was contained within Agathiar's kamandalam (small vessel) Agathiar was born in a small pot (Kalasam) The pot is a small portion of this earth The earth is a burden for one of the heads for the Aadhi Seshan - The snake with a thousand heads The Aadhi Seshan is a ring in Goddess Parvathi's finger Goddess Parvathi is a part of Lord Shiva Lord Shiva is inside the hearts of his devotees So praising the devotees of Lord Shiva is a big thing

Though the comparison Avvaiyar made might be logically questionable, but when we observe the beauty, the comparison goes on increasing in size until in gets into the small heart of the devotees

The last one asked by Lord Murugan was about the rarest thing. Avvaiyar responded with the song below

Ariyadhu Kaetkin Varivadi Veloi Makkal Yaakkaiyir Piraththalum Aridhae Makkal Yaakkaiyir Pirandha Kaalaiyum Moongaiyum Sevidum Koonum Kurudum Paedum Neengip Piraththalum Aridhae Paedu Neengi Pirandha Kaalayum Gnanamum Kalviyum Nankural Aridhae Gnanamum Kalviyum Nankurum Aayinum Dhananum Dhavamum Thariththalum Aridhae Dhananum Dhavamum Tharithaark Kalladhu Vaanavar Naadu Vazhi Thiravaadhae

meaning, if You ask me what is the rarest thing, my Lord with the spear (Vel) Being born as a human is rare Even if born a human, it is rarer To be born without being dumb, deaf, humpback, blind Even if born without disabilities, it is rarer To have knowledge and education Even if one has good knowledge and education, it is rarer To have benevolence and ethics Without those benevolence and ethics Heaven would not open its gates to give to people

A Moral Education: Give, Eat, and Live: Poems of Avvaiyar

BY

Akshay Ahuja

Give, Eat, and Live: Poems of Avvaiyar

TRANSLATED FROM THE TAMIL BY Thomas H. Pruiksma

(Red Hen Press, 2009)

M
poems:

oral instruction is one of poetrys oldest functions, but it is often hard for modern

poets to muster the confidence that earlier writers must have felt, both about their own wisdom and their position in society, to tell us how to live. So it can be startling to encounter an unknown work that speaks directly to us with this lost confidence. Here is a poem by the 12th century Tamil poet Avvaiyar, in Thomas H. Pruiksmas beautiful translations of her short, aphoristic

As long as they can, the wise help Even those who do wrong. Till the day they chop it down, a tree grants People shade.
p. 41

There is a sense of authority here usually found only in sacred texts. But unlike the other ancient Indian poets who have been translated into English Kabir and Mirabai, for example Avvaiyars work is not primarily devotional or mystical. These poems are plain and durable, suitable for everyday use. They deal with the basics: the bodys desires, dealing with adversity, how to spot a true friend.

A doctor who ends a tigers disease Becomes his next meal. Good done To a man who lacks gratitude and sense Is a pitcher cast upon rocks.
p. 33

Very little is known about the woman who wrote these untitled, numbered poems even her name, Avvaiyar, is only a polite way of saying older woman, and there is even an earlier Tamil poet who is given the same honorific.

The stories that exist about her life are apparently unreliable. One can learn a few things from reading the poems: she was clearly devout, well-traveled, and intimately acquainted with the natural world. She was also proud of her role as a poet, and her rare hints of ill-temper come when discussing Idiots / without learning, on whom knowledge and art are wasted. An ignorant man who learns a great poem, she writes, is like a turkey who sees a forest peacock and spreads his ugly wings / And struts.

Her warnings, it seems, have not scared many people away. The introduction tells us that everyone in Tamil Nadu who can read has read her poems. Children grow up learning the

alphabet through her acrostic poems, and then move on to the quatrains translated in this book. Many adults, the translator tells us, never forget them not just because of early training, I suspect, but because they are worth remembering. Unlike ossified precepts in English like A friend in need is a friend indeed, they retain their power to reach us, and grow with thought.

Look at the two poems quoted above, for example. Youll notice that they appear to be recommending exactly contradictory courses of action. Should you try to help apparently bad people or not? If the poets only intention is to instruct children, she is not doing her job in straightforward fashion. Read the poems again, though, and the dissonance becomes more complex. A tree does not have a choice in granting people shade. Is the poet implying that wisdom consists in cultivating this higher indifference, this refusal to discriminate between individual merits, even in the face of the axe? Also, a tiger is not necessarily doing wrong by eating a person, but simply following its nature who, then, is responsible for what occurs, the doctor or the tiger?

These reflections grow fruitfully as you absorb more of the verses. Since similar images, often from the natural world, fill many of Avvaiyars poems the broken clay pitcher appears again, as well as other animals dangerous to man constellations of opposing concepts, all vividly rendered, begin to interact with each other in the readers mind. Eventually I saw that Avvaiyar was not merely confused, but that, like all great artists, she was giving us tools to think about how to resolve these apparent contradictions, or exist happily between them. This is the same sort of education that collections of folklore once gave to the communities that created them: simple moral tales that are never outgrown because they are finally as profound as a persons desire to think about them.

The water that runs from the well to the rice Also waters the wayside grass. If on our old earth There walk one upright man, for his sake Everyone receives rain.
p. 31

I do not know a single character of Tamil, so I cannot judge the accuracy of these translations. Pruiksma has, at least, a beautiful sense of where to break lines, and how to use a vocabulary that suits the era and culture of these poems upright, for example, instead of righteous, which would have the wrong associations in English. And his lines have a purity and flow the delicate assonance of runs-rice-wayside, in the poem above, that mirrors the movement of the water which help place them quickly in the memory. Further, although this may seem like faint praise, Give, Eat, and Live is the only set of translations easily available in English. Since Avvaiyar strikes me as a poet of world stature, whose best verses merit a place beside the Tao Te Ching or the Dhammapada, Pruiksma deserves our thanks for giving her to us in any form at all.

The only possible complaint is that this is a slim collection which does not contain the totality of Avvaiyars work. If you subtract the facing Tamil pages, there are only about twenty pages of poetry. But Avvaiyar has already written a response to my petty concern:

Magnolias have large petals; honeysuckles, a sweet fragrance. Dont judge a man small by his body. The sea is vast Yet cannot clean hands. Beside it, the little spring Yields sweet water.
p. 31

Biography
AVVAIYAR is thought to have lived in the 12th century, but very little is known about her life. Among her works are the Atticuti, an alphabetical acrostic still used to teach children, and the quatrains in the Muturai and the Nalvali, which are translated in this collection.

THOMAS H. PRUIKSMA is a writer, poet, and translator from Seattle, Washington. His other books include A Feast for the Tongue: Forty Servings of Spoken Tamil with Helpings of Equally Spoken English, (co-authored with Dr. K.V. Ramakoti, Oberlin Shansi, 2002), and The Body and the Earth: Notes from a Conversation, (co-authored with the artist C.F. John). He currently lives on Vashon Island.

AKSHAY AHUJA grew up in New Delhi and Maryland. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Guernica, The Gettysburg Review, The Baltimore Review, and Ploughshares, among others. He lives in Boston and blogs occasionally atThe Occasional Review.