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Mahatapah (mahaatapaahaa)- Word No.122 in the VS-
Yasya jnaanamayam tapah-Mundakopanishad 1-1-9
Tapas is nature of knowledge.
Or The austerity connected with creation which is nature of knowledge is of great potency.
We may compare it with Tirukkural
தானம் தவம்இரண்டும் தங்கா வியன்உலகம்
வானம் வழங்கா தெனின் -குறள் 19
Alms to the needy and penance for spiritual uplift cannot be sustained
If the heavens will not give of their bounty
Or
Unless the heavens grant their gifts, neither the giver’s generosity Nor the ascetic’s aloofness will grace this wide world.
There are two points:
1.Tiru Valluvar was a great Sanskrit scholar who never hesitated to use the Sanskrit pair DHAANAM and TAVAM. This pair is found throughout Vedic scripture; also Bhagavad Gita.
2.Second point is connection of Tavam/Tapas with rain. This already in Bhagavad Gita:
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भव: |
यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञ: कर्मसमुद्भव: || 14||
annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
BG 3.14: All living beings subsist on food, and food is produced by rains. Rains come from the performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is produced by the performance of prescribed duties.
Tiruvalluvar mentioned also the potency of Tapas. If the ascetics become angry even the governments will be thrown out.
ஏந்திய கொள்கையார் சீறின் இடைமுரிந்து
வேந்தனும் வேந்து கெடும்.-899
If principled men of lofty spirituality and penance are angered
Even a king will be ruined and destroyed – Kural 899
In chapter 90 titled Not offending the Great, Valluvar explains the power of ascetics in ten couplets.
We know how a poor Brahmin Chanakya brought down the mighty Nanda Empire.
It is interesting to see that great Sanskrit scholar valluvar used Tavam (tapas=penance) in19, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 274, 295 and Dhaanam in 19, 295
As I mentioned earlier there is no Tirukkural chapter without a Sanskrit word; Sanskrit words are found in more than 600 Kurals.
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Kaamah, Kaamakrt , Kaamah , Kaamapradah – Word No. 294 to 298
VS has four words together on Kama(kaama) that is desire. Tiru Valluvar has ten couplets on desire in chapter 37 titled Elimination of Desire .
VS says Vishnu is the one who destroys desire in seekers of liberation. Another meaning is one who fulfils the desires of devotees.
The similarity lies in the principle that desire is the root cause of evil, that is the cycle of birth and death. So those who seek liberation must give up all desires.
The chapter by Valluvar on the ‘Elimination of Desire’ is the gist of Hindusim . Valluvar speaks about the Karma Rebirth and Moksha.
I used to tell my friends that even if all the Vedas,Puranas, Itihasas and Tamil Thevaram and Divya Prabandham by anti Hindu elements, 130 Kural couplets are enough to teach Hinduism. All that is said in the ancient scriptures is summarised here.
About desire and elimination following four couplets are important:
அவாவறுத்தல்‘Elimination of Desire’
அவாவென்ப வெல்லா வுயிர்க்குமெஞ் ஞான்றுந்
தவாஅப் பிறப்பீனும் வித்து. 361
***
வேண்டுங்கால் வேண்டும் பிறவாமை மற்றது
வேண்டாமை வேண்ட வரும். 362
***
அவாவினை யாற்ற வறுப்பிற் றவாவினை
தான்வேண்ட மாற்றான் வரும். 367
அவாவில்லார்க் கில்லாகுந் துன்பமஃ துண்டேற் றவாஅது மேன்மேல் வரும். 368
இன்ப மிடைறா தீண்டு மவாவென்னுந்
துன்பத்துள் துன்பங் கெடின். 369
Desire is for all beings the seed out of which,
Is born the endless cycle of birth and death
Or
Desire is the seed which, for all lives,
unfailingly, leads to an endless cycle of birth. 361
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there is nothing worthier to be desired than release from births
and this comes only out of the absence of all desires
or
If you desire, desire for freedom from birth;
desiring not to desire, too, leads to that freedom. 362
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if one roots out all desire fully , the soul’s ultimate earning
for a good and spotlesslife, will be realised easily
or
One can do flawless deeds the way one wants to do,
when desire is destroyed completely. 367
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if the sorrow of all sorrows, which is desire, is destroyed
continuous happiness will ensure even in this life .
or
When desire, the misery of miseries, is decimated,
unending joy abounds. 369
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it is needless to say that the Bhagavad Gita mentioned desire lessness in umpteen places as control of senses.
Manu Smriti puts it beautifully,
न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति ।
हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मैव भूय एवाभिवर्धते ॥ ९४ ॥
na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānāmupabhogena śāmyati |
haviṣā kṛṣṇavartmaiva bhūya evābhivardhate || 2-94 ||
Never is desire appeased by the enjoyment of desires; it only waxes stronger, like fire by clarified butter.— Manu-2-94.
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श्रुत्वा स्पृष्ट्वा च दृष्ट्वा च भुक्त्वा घ्रात्वा च यो नरः ।
न हृष्यति ग्लायति वा स विज्ञेयो जितैन्द्रियः ॥ ९८ ॥
śrutvā spṛṣṭvā ca dṛṣṭvā ca bhuktvā ghrātvā ca yo naraḥ |
na hṛṣyati glāyati vā sa vijñeyo jitaindriyaḥ || 2-98 ||
That man is to be known as having subjugated his sense-organs, who, on having heard, or touched, or seen, or tasted, or smelt, anything, neither rejoices nor grieves.—Manu-2-98
To be continued…………………………
Tags- Manu Smrti, Desire, elimination, rebirth, root cause, misery, grief, Valluvar, Tirukkural , Vishnu Sahasranama
Tamil and Vedas 