Date uploaded in London – 4 July 2024
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan
xxxx
VC= Viveka Chudamani
Let us see what Bharatiyar, Tiru Valluvar and Tirumular say!
दुर्लभं त्रयमेवैतद्देवानुग्रहहेतुकम् ।
मनुष्यत्वं मुमुक्षुत्वं महापुरुषसंश्रयः ॥ ३ ॥ -Viveka Chudamani (V C )
durlabhaṃ trayamevaitaddevānugrahahetukam |
manuṣyatvaṃ mumukṣutvaṃ mahāpuruṣasaṃśrayaḥ || 3 ||
3. There are three things which are rare indeed and are due to the grace of God –namely, a human birth, the longing for Liberation, and the protecting care of a perfected sage.
Rare Three: Human Birth, Longing for Liberation and Guru’s grace
लब्ध्वा कथंचिन्नरजन्म दुर्लभं
तत्रापि पुंस्त्वं श्रुतिपारदर्शनम् ।
यस्त्वात्ममुक्तौ न यतेत मूढधीः
स ह्यात्महा स्वं विनिहन्त्यसद्ग्रहात् ॥ ४ ॥
labdhvā kathaṃcinnarajanma durlabhaṃ
tatrāpi puṃstvaṃ śrutipāradarśanam |
yastvātmamuktau na yateta mūḍhadhīḥ
sa hyātmahā svaṃ vinihantyasadgrahāt || 4 ||
4. The man who, having by some means obtained a human birth, with a male body and mastery of the Vedas to boot, is foolish enough not to exert himself for self-liberation, verily commits suicide, for he kills himself by clinging to things unreal.
After getting the Rare Three, Don’t Cling to Unreal; that amounts to suicide.
इतः को न्वस्ति मूढात्मा यस्तु स्वार्थे प्रमाद्यति ।
दुर्लभं मानुषं देहं प्राप्य तत्रापि पौरुषम् ॥ ५ ॥
itaḥ ko nvasti mūḍhātmā yastu svārthe pramādyati |
durlabhaṃ mānuṣaṃ dehaṃ prāpya tatrāpi pauruṣam || 5 ||
5. What greater fool is there than the man who having obtained a rare human body, and a masculine body too, neglects to achieve the real end of this life?
You are a Fool, if you don’t use your Rare Things
xxx
TIRUMULAR in TIRU MANTHIRAM
Tamil saint of eighth century CE, Tirumular also said it:
2090 Human Birth is Rare; Yet They Seek Not Lord’s Feet
Rare is human birth,
Yet they seek not Lord’s Feet,
So rare to reach;
They attained the rare human birth,
Yet missed this Treasure Rare,
They are but crawling creatures, indeed.
பெறுதற்கு அரிய பிறவியைப் பெற்றும்
பெறுதற்கு அரிய பிரானடி பேணார்
பெறுதற்கு அரிய பிராணிகள் எல்லாம்
பெறுதற்கு அரியதோர் பேறுஇழந் தாரே.
2089 They Pursue not the Way of Bliss
Born in bliss, grown in bliss
Steeped in thoughts of bliss
This way, they forget;
Instead,
Hankering after food and raiment
In sorrow steeped they are;
And in sorrow steeped, they insensible slumber.
2089. இன்பத்து ளேபிறந்து இன்பத்து ளேவளர்ந்து
இன்பத்து ளேநினைக் கின்றது இதுமறந்து
துன்பத்து ளேசிலர் சோறொடு கூறையென்று
துன்பத்து ளேநின்று தூங்குகின் றார்களே. 6
xxxx
Valluvar says
கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல் வாலறிவன்
நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின்.- குறள் 2:
Transliteration(Tamil to English):
Katradhanaal aaya Payanen kol VaalaRivan
natraal Thozhaaar enin
Meaning
Learning and scholarship are of no avail if they do not lead
One to worship at the wise one’s divine feet- Tiruk Kural 2
Or
Of what avail is a man’s learning if he does not pray to God- Kural 2
Or
What use is lore, if the learned will not bow
Before the feet of Him – the All Wise One?- Kural 2
0r
No fruit have men of all their studied lore,
Save they the ‘Purely Wise One’s’ feet adore- Kural 2
xxxx
Krishna in Bhagavad Gita says
Bhagavad Gita 2-61
तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्पर: |
वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 2-61||
tāni sarvāṇi sanyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ
vaśhe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā
BG 2.61: They are established in perfect knowledge, who subdue their senses and keep their minds ever absorbed in Me.
xxxx
Subrahmanya Bharati says
Bharatiyar, Greatest of the Tamil Poets of Modern Age, sang about Liberation from British Rule. The same poem fits very well in the Liberation of Soul:
Liberty
Those that set their brave hearts on liberty
Will they take aught else thereafter?
Thirsting for the nectar of Gods,
Would they think of today?- 1
Dharma alone lives; All else is transient.
Those that have seen this truth,
Would they seek to live thereafter
In servitude dishonourable? – 2
Everyone that is born must surely dies;
Those that have realised this law,
Would they deem to pleasure to live,
Disregarding honour and duty? – 3
To be born as man is rarest privilege:
Those that have realised this truth;
Would they agree to enslave their souls,
Even if their bodies be thrown into fire?- 4
Would you barter the sun that shines in the sky
For a glow worm to play with?
Losing freedom dearer then eyesight
Can you live in servitude bowing? – 5
Thinking to enjoy comforts
Would you give up freedom?
is it not foolish to buy a picture,
selling both your eyes for the price? – 6
Having said Vande Matarm and bowed to the Mother
Can you offer worship to Maya?
How can you ever forget that Vande Matarm
Is the true song of salvation? – 7
Translated by C Rajagopalachariar (Rajaji, First Governor General of India)
(maayaa= illusion, unreal)
My comments
Bharatiyar was influenced by the Upanishads and teachings of Sri Adi Sankara. He himself praised Sankara in another poem.
Personal note:
My father V Santanam, News Editor of Dinamani, Madurai was arrested by the British police in Madras during the Independence Struggle. My mother used to tell us, he along with other freedom fighters, went in procession along the Mount Road Madras, singing this song Veera Suthanthiram………. When the police found a note on my father that ‘Kill the British Rulers’, he was arrested in Marina Beach and sent to Vellore Jail. He was there with Freedom fighter K Kamaraj for six months. India became free in 1947. in the 1960s when Kamaraj came to Madurai , he wrote two lines on a paper saying that Thiru Santanam was with me in Vellore Jail. When it was shown to the Collector of Madurai , he gave my father a copper plate meant for Thyaagis. That enabled my father to get a monthly pension for freedom fighters. After my father’s death my mother received the pension. After her death my sister is receiving it till this day.
வீர சுதந்திரம் வேண்டி நின்றார் பின்னர்
வேறொன்று கொள்வாரோ?-என்றும்
ஆரமு துண்ணுதற் காசை கொண்டார் கள்ளில்
அறிவைச் செலுத்துவாரோ? (வீர)
புகழுநல் லறமுமே யன்றியெல் லாம்எவறும்
கொய்யென்று கண்டா ரேல்-அவர்
இகழுறும் ஈனத்தொண் டியற்றியும் வாழ்வதற்கு
இச்சையுற் றிருப்பாரோ? (வீர)
பிறந்தவர் யாவரும் இறப்ப துறுதியெனும்
பெற்றியை அறிந்தா ரேல்-மானம்
துறந்தறம் மறந்தும்பின் உயிர்கொண்டு வாழ்வது
சுகமென்று மதிப்பாரோ? (வீர)
மானுட ஜன்மம் பெறுவதற் கரிதெனும்
வாய்மையை உயர்ந்தா ரேல்-அவர்
ஊனுடல் தீயினும் உண்மை நிலைதவற
உடன்படு மாறுள தோ? (வீர)
விண்ணி லிரவிதனை விற்றுவிட் டெவரும்போய்
மின்மினி கொள்வா ரோ?
கண்ணினும் இனிய சுதந்திரம் போனபின்
கைகட்டிப் பிழைப்பா ரோ? (வீர)
மண்ணிலின் பங்களை விரும்பிச் சுதந்திரத்தின்
மாண்பினை யிழப்பாரோ?
கண்ணிரண்டும் விற்றுச் சித்திரம் வாங்கினால்
கைகொட்டிச் சிரியாரோ! (வீர)
வந்தே மாதரம் என்று வணங்கியபின்
மாயத்தை வணங்குவ ரோ?
வந்தே மாதரம் ஒன்றே தாரகம்
என்பதை மறப்பாரோ? (வீர)
—பாரதியார்
To be contined…………………….
Tags- Research Notes, Viveka Chudamani, Part 3, Human birth, Bharati, Tirumular, Valluvar, Veera Suthanthiram song, My father, V Santanam, Vellore Jail, K Kamaraj
Tamil and Vedas 