Thunder/Lightning over New Delhi

By London Swaminathan
Post No 852 Date: 19th February 2014

“Da… Da….Da: The Thunder Said”- is the most popular story in the Upanishads. Most of you know it already. In our own times, Kanchi Paramacharya popularised it through his Sanskrit song Maithreem Bhajatha. Famous singer M S Subbulakshmi sang it in the United Nations in 1966. It echoed through every county in the world including India.

Before Kanchi Paramacharya (1894—1994), TS Eliot (1888—1965), the American poet, publisher and playwright made it known to the Western world in his famous poem ‘The Wasteland’. This long poem is regarded as one of the most important poems of the 20th Century.

But 3000 years before Kanchi Shankaracharya and T S Eliot, the Vedic seers of the Brihad Aranyaka (Big Forest) Upanishad wrote this episode. It explains beautifully well the nature of humans and demons in addition to the angels (Devas). Even before Homer wrote Iliad and Odyssey, even before other cultures had any philosophical book, even before the Buddha, Mahavira, Confucius and Lao Tzu, Jesus may be even Moses, appeared in the world, Hindus wrote the Upanishads.

The Da…Da….Da……episode found in the fifth chapter of the Brihdaranyaka Upanishad is very simple: Gods, humans and demons had their education under Prajapathi. At the end of their learning, they asked him to give a farewell message. Then the thunder said Da.. Da.. Da… Prajapathiy asked them whether they understood the message. All the three groups nodded their heads saying ‘Yes, Master, We understood it very well’.
Devas (angels) took Da for Damyata (self control). According to Hindu mythology Devaloka is a place for pleasures. So their conscience told them that they should have more self control.

Da meant Datta (Give, Donate) for humans. Human beings were miserly. They have to share the wealth. Even before Karl Marx and Engels spread the word, Hindus got it from the thunder!
Da meant Dayatva (practise compassion) for the demons. They were mercilessly cruel. So they needed compassion.

The amazing thing about this episode is even before 3000 years Hindus were experts in human psychology. More over this story exploded the Aryan—Dravidian myth. We clearly see the Asuras, Devas and Men took lessons from the same teacher Prajapathi. They were his sons!

Hindus were far advanced in literature and the quantity they produced 3000 years ago was incredibly voluminous. This highly quantitative and qualitative production showed that India was more ancient than most of the ancient countries. The literary production of a country shows its advancement in the civilisation. Greece and other countries followed India in its literary production. More over riddles and puzzles found in the Vedas show the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient society. If there was one country in the world that could compete with India, that was Greece. Greek writers said that they met Indian sages at various points in their history.

Now let us look at Kanchi Paramacharya’s Sanskrit poem to see how he spread this message to the world:

Maithreem Bhajatha , Akhila Hruth Jethreem,
Atmavateva paraan api pashyatha
Yuddham thyajatha , Spardhaam Tyajata , thyajatha Pareshwa akrama aakramanam
Jananee Prthivee Kaamadughaastey
JanakO Deva: Sakala Dayaalu
Daamyata Datta Dayathvam Janathaa
Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam
Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam
Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam

English Tanslation of Maithreem Bhajatha Akila Hrith Jeththreem –

Picture from Atlanta,USA

Serve with Friendship and Humility, which will conquer the Hearts of Everyone.

Look upon others similar to yourself.

Renounce War

Renounce unnecessary Competition for Power

Give up Aggression on others’ properties which is wrong

Mother Earth is wide enough and ready to give us all we desire like a Kaamadenu (Wish fulfilling Divine Cow)

God, Our Father, is very Compassionate to All

Daamyata – So, Restrain yourself

Datta – So, Donate your wealth to others

Dayathvam – So, Be Kind to others

Oh People of the World

Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam –
May All People of this World be Happy and Prosperous.

Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam –
May All People of this World be Happy and Prosperous.

Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam – May All People of this World be Happy and Prosperous.

My humble opinion is that this song should be made ‘World Anthem’ or the ‘National Anthem of India’.

T S Eliot’s The Wasteland

TS Eliot mentions the DA DA DA Upanishad parable in the final stanzas of his poem ‘The Wasteland’, where he links the Eastern Traditions with the Western Traditions:

“I sat upon the shore
Fishing, with the arid plain behind me
Shill I at least set my lands in order?
London Bridge is falling down falling down falling down
Poi s’ascose nel foco che gli affina
Quando fiam uti chelidon – 0 swallow swallow
La Prince d’Aquitaine a la tour abolie
These fragments I have shored against my ruins
Why then Ile fit you. Hieronymo’s mad againe
Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.
Shantih Shantih Shantih”.

Let us salute Kanchi Sri Shankaracharya, T S Eliot and the Vedic seers for this beautiful mono syllabic parable Da… Da…da.

Da…………….Da……………Da…………… Modern day men need all the three ‘Da’s.

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