Date uploaded in London – 16 July 2024
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Let us take three more verses from Viveka Chudamani (VC)
https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/vivekachudamani/d/doc144464.html
अधिकारिणमाशास्ते फलसिद्धिर्विशेषतः ।
उपाया देशकालाद्याः सन्त्यस्मिन्सहकारिणः ॥ १४ ॥
adhikāriṇamāśāste phalasiddhirviśeṣataḥ |
upāyā deśakālādyāḥ santyasminsahakāriṇaḥ || 14 ||
14. Success depends essentially on a qualified aspirant; time, place and other such means are but auxiliaries in this regard.
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अतो विचारः कर्तव्यो जिज्ञासोरात्मवस्तुनः ।
समासाद्य दयासिन्धुं गुरुं ब्रह्मविदुत्तमम् ॥ १५ ॥
ato vicāraḥ kartavyo jijñāsorātmavastunaḥ |
samāsādya dayāsindhuṃ guruṃ brahmaviduttamam || 15 ||
15. Hence the seeker after the Reality of the Ātman should take to reasoning, after duly approaching the Guru – who should be the best of the knowers of Brahman, and an ocean of mercy.
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मेधावी पुरुषो विद्वानुहापोहविचक्षणः ।
अधिकार्यात्मविद्यायामुक्तलक्षणलक्षितः ॥ १६ ॥
medhāvī puruṣo vidvānuhāpohavicakṣaṇaḥ |
adhikāryātmavidyāyāmuktalakṣaṇalakṣitaḥ || 16 ||
16. An intelligent and learned man skilled in arguing in favour of the Scriptures and in refuting counter-arguments against them – one who has got the above characteristics is the fit recipient of the knowledge of the Ātman.
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Adi Sankara gives simple advice to novices,
Aspiration and qualification, then time and place are necessary for Success.
Tamil poet Tiru Valluvar also insists time and place but in a different context, i.e. a ruler who wants to win over his enemy; but it is a general advice too.
Next, Sankara advises to get a Guru; there also he says about the Guru’s qualification; Guru must be ocean of mercy. Sankara used a beautiful word for guru ‘DAYAA SINDHU’-Ocean of Mercy.
The third thing he insists is knowledge of arguments and counter arguments. This shows the age of Sankara. He lived in a time when arguments were held in big university centres like Varanasi, Pataliputra and Daksha Sila. Sankara won so many scholars and converted them to his side. We know how he won Mandanamishra and his wife Sarasavaani in a debate. When Buddhism and Jainism had the full support of the rulers, Sankara had a difficult time, yet won great scholars in debates. Moreover, if one argues his case again and again, he becomes firm in his belief.
Tamil poet Valluvar also insisted conviction, time and place.
அருவினை யென்ப உளவோ கருவியான்
காலம் அறிந்து செயின்.—483
Is there anything impossible if the right means are adopted and the right hour chosen – Kural 483
Can any work be hard in very fact,
If men use fitting means in timely act?- Kural 483
We may compare it with Shakespeare and Napoleon
Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools–Napoleon Bonaparte
And Shakespeare agrees
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on the fortune.( Macbeth of Shakespeare)
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Time and Place from Valluvar’s Tiruk Kural
ஞாலம் கருதினுங் கைகூடுங் காலம்
கருதி இடத்தாற் செயின்.– குறள் 484:
The pendant world’s dominion may be won,
In fitting time and place by action done.- Kural 484
Or
A man, aspiring to conquer the whole world too, will succeed
If he chooses the right time and place- 484
We know how Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and Hitler lost. Both invaded at the wrong time. Weather was against them
எய்தற் கரியது இயைந்தக்கால் அந்நிலையே
செய்தற் கரிய செயல்.–குறள் 489:
‘Use the right opportunity’– is a very important advice. If we miss the opportunity, we will regret later. Great Gurus were there even in the recent past. But we didn’t realise their greatness at that time. Now we regret that we did not meet them. When we become older and older we regret how we missed the Himalayan shrines. And now we regret how we missed Bharat Ratnam musicians Bhimsen Joshi and M S Subbulakshmi.
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About aspirations and attempts
முயற்சி திருவினை ஆக்கும் முயற்றின்மை
இன்மை புகுத்தி விடும்.–குறள் 616:
Effort brings fortune’s sure increase,
Its absence brings to nothingness.- Kural 616
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தெய்வத்தான் ஆகா தெனினும் முயற்சிதன்
மெய்வருத்தக் கூலி தரும். –619
Though fate-divine should make your labour vain;
Effort its labour’s sure reward will gain-619
Valluvar believed in Newton’s third law of motion
Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”.
Even if you involve yourself in bad actions, you will have proportional success. It is a natural law. The harder you try, more successful you will be. We see even bad opposition parties win in an election because of hard work. So an aspirant must try hard to go higher and higher.
In Tamil there is a proverb “if you want to climb palmyra tree one can lift you up to his height, then you must try to go up”.
—subham—
Tags- Viveka Chudamani (VC), aspiration, time, place, Guru, ocean of mercy., Newton, Macbeth
Tamil and Vedas 