Periyava Golden Quotes-500

By Sai Srinivasan on February 26, 2017

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The same distinction (between actions motivated and not motivated by religious guidance) can
be observed even when the purpose of our actions is achieved. A religious person, on being
blessed with the fruits of his efforts, feels he should not trouble the Divine Force anymore. There
is atleast a little thought that God has been kind enough to grant him his desire and he should aim
to repay God with true devotion and love. He should reduce his desires. He feels embarrassed to
pray for fulfillment of more desires. So there is some cleansing of the mind. But what happens
with the purely materialistic demonstrations? Once success is tasted, it goes into the head. It is
felt that the authorities have succumbed to the threats and more and more rights can be acquired
in this manner. If defeat results in hatred, success results in expansion of the ego and the greedy
growth of desires. This is indeed corruption of the mind. Jagadguru Sri
Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-501

By Sai Srinivasan on February 27, 2017

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What is the status of those religious reform movements which claim to be aimed at spiritual
upliftment? They also create unbridled freedom in the name of equality, making people feel they
can do anything in the name of freedom and a loss in the sense of humility. By motivating people
to break free of anything orthodox by terming that as conservative or superstitious, these
reformist leaders inspire them with a kind of bravado to break free of even the newly formulated
code of conduct. It is indeed true that in some cases, where the followers of these movements are
organized, they do follow the new rules and rituals scrupulously. But those individuals who are
not part of such a colony tend to go astray, without following even the new code of conduct.
Another funny thing is when the birthdays or the centenaries of the founders of these movements
are observed, the Government leaders, the intelligentsia, and the Press write and talk a lot about
them. Stamps are released and statues are erected on these occasions. But how many dedicated
followers these movements have? One comes to know that ninety percent of the Hindus still
cling to the supposedly old, crude, and obsolete Hindu religion and are reluctant to embrace the
new intellectual groups.

When I boast of this situation I also realize that this is something to be sad and ashamed about.
These people remain within the folds of the traditional Hindu religion heap praises on the
reforms and reformists. This only shows that such people are neither truly attached to the
traditional religion and nor they have the courage to join the reformists. In short, they have no
conviction. They harm the religion in which they were born by encouraging the dilution of
traditions, while remaining within the religion itself.

It is not as though only the common populace is guilty of this mistake. The new religious leaders,
who the people follow in the belief that they are noble and divine in nature, are also responsible
for this blunder knowingly or unknowingly. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra
Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-502

By Sai Srinivasan on February 28, 2017

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Since I am heading an ancient peetam-religious seat, Im aware that I may be accused of vested
interest if I broach this subject. But if I failed to do so, it will be a serious lacuna (dosham) on my
part of not expressing my true feeling. Many God men have appeared today on the scene. But
they do not claim to have founded a new religion, away from the sanctum sanctorum of the
Hindu religion. Though they have establishments and missions of their own, they do not claim to
be outside the mainstream of Hindu religion, as a separate body, like the reformist movements of
Brahmo Samaj or Arya Samaj. They still claim to represent the traditional religion to which
many people still belong and are afraid of giving up. They do propaganda about our Vedanta and
epics through their speeches and pamphlets. They celebrate our festivals. They teach everything
from Bhajans to Yoga. On seeing them, it is even felt that these people are doing more for the
propagation of the Hindu religion and its rejuvenation than the traditionalists like us and they
seem to successfully attract people to the religion. They are such crowd pullers. Many of them
possess a facile linguistic skill. They are able to present deep spiritual matters in an easy,
appreciable way to the masses. The public are drawn to some in the hope that they will find a
relief for their illnesses and other troubles. Some of them possess such Sidhdhis-power. The
public, while profiting from such powers also start following some of the religious traditions.
Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-503

By Sai Srinivasan on March 1, 2017


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Not only the traditional seats of religion but also these God men are doing some good to the
religion. To be frank, the political leaders and intellectuals have created a prejudice in the mind
of an entire generation against traditionalists like us calling us retrograde. Under these
circumstances, these God men have been responsible for at least a little religious loyalty in the
minds of the people who have not turned complete agnostics or atheists. They may possess some
kind of power but they solve the problems of people, create humility in them, and propagate
spiritual matters so one should think good of such God men.

Many duplicates might have also appeared on the scene with the belief that this is a profitable
profession. The public may also get cheated by them. If one comes across Messiahs wherever
one turns around, carrying the Divine message of God, claiming to be Godly in aspect, people do
get confused about the genuineness of all these people. But still, desperate for a remedy, they
seek solace and solutions from these God men. Westerners too, in spite of mocking about
Gurudom and Swamidom swarm to these God men as disciples. Jagadguru Sri
Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-504

By Sai Srinivasan on March 2, 2017

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Because there are many duplicates, all God men cannot be dismissed so. The God man may be
genuine or not, but the fact that the devotee gets some kind of peace of mind cannot be denied,
even if the God man has not offered a direct solution. Even if the God man does not follow what
he preaches has not the devotee got some clarity of thought? However the God man may be, the
devotee approaches him with conviction, negating his ego, pays obeisance to him, and in the
process gains some good, acquires some faith in God, and starts following some religious
practices so far so good.

But what happens to the rules and regulations prescribed by our scriptures? Most of these new
fangled God men are against the distinction of duties dictated by our Saastraas and have given up
most of the practices prescribed by our sastras. Claiming to make a distinction between the
essence and the husk, they choose to accept what is convenient to hem as the essential essence
and discard what is inconvenient for them as the non essential husk. They accuse traditionalists
like me of ignoring the spirit of the religion and clinging to the skeleton and give up ninety
percent of our religious traditions. Without weaning away from the parent body like the reformist
movements, these God men create an illusion that the Hinduism they follow is the right one and
thus mislead the public. In this aspect, I think the reformist movements who separate themselves
from the traditional religion are better than these people. Jagadguru Sri
Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-505

By Sai Srinivasan on March 3, 2017

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There is another kind of people who claim to be custodians of Hinduism without branching out
as a reformers. Highlighting Vedanta or the philosophical aspect of Hinduism, these leaders
discard the rituals or karma aspect of the religion as sheer husk. But, practically speaking, there
is no way to elevate the quality of the common man other than by karma or action. It is precisely
for this reason that even those reformers who had given up religious practices, emphasized on
some kind of action like spinning the charka (spinning wheel) or making of handicrafts. I am
stressing on this point again and again it cannot be repeated enough there can be no
purity of mind without constant action and labor. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra
Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-506

By Sai Srinivasan on March 4, 2017
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Taking into consideration the mental make-up of the common man, our sastras have prescribed
the action oriented rituals initially only for the purpose of attainment of earthly and other worldly
joys. But, as these rituals are performed, the mind is slowly weaned away from these
materialistic desires and the mind gets purified. One is able to meditate without any materialistic
objective in mind. But what happens when philosophy (Vedanta) and meditation is directly
advocated without any action? I prefer to quote the words of Lord Krishna himself here:
Karmendriyaani SamyamyaSa Uchyathe. (Srimad Bhagawad Gita 3.6). What happens
when no work is allotted to the Karmendriyaas (the parts of the body designed for action) under
the belief that enlightenment has got nothing to do with action? There may be an attempt to fix
the mind on the Ultimate Divine, but what actually happens is that the mind still strays towards
the worthless physical pleasures. Indriyaarthann Manasa Smaran Till the karmendriyaas are
not cleansed by the performance of karma or action as prescribed by the scriptures the mind will
also not be cleansed. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-507

By Sai Srinivasan on March 6, 2017

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A person may be a great philosopher or a holy man-rishi (in these days of numerous magazines,
hyperbole has become the order of the day) excelling in writing books and lecturing but if he still
is of impure mind, Lord Krishna dubs him as Vimoodaathma. The person whom the common
man extols as the intellectual who has come to rescue him and the religion from the drudgery of
action is condemned as Vimoodaathma by Lord Krishna a slur on his intellectual capacity.
The Lord does not rest with this. Such a person is also accused of being Mithyaachaaraha by
Bhagawan.

Mithya is hypocrisy an assumption of truth by the person while the reality is something
different far away from the truth sheer acting by the person. The oral philosopher who
questions the need for action is called Mithyaachaara by the Lord. This philosopher has given
up action. He extols the importance of the purity of mind. But his mind itself is polluted by
impurity. He dons the role of a philosopher outwardly. There is a dichotomy between the words
and the deed. Apparently his goal is noble, but practically his conduct is ignoble he is called
Mithyaachaara by Lord Krishna. The equivalent word is hypocrite. Such people have
lethargy towards action and an unwillingness to subject themselves to discipline. This is the
reason they eulogize philosophy. But when one studies them one is very sorry to find so many
lapses in them, due to the lack of any discipline. The traditionalists may be intellectually inferior,
self centered, and even pitiless people. But one cannot find such lapses in them. That is the
power conferred by discipline. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-508

By Sai Srinivasan on March 7, 2017


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In short, if we think about religious reforms, when old discipline and practices are replaced by
the new, the latter are also breached because people are used to the indiscipline of giving up the
traditional discipline and practices. Their actions are entirely motivated by self interest. When
traditions are diluted and made fashionable the fruits are also diluted and weakened. The
cleansing of the mind does not take place. When emphasis is laid on philosophy (Vedanta) and
not on actions, a person becomes lazy. Then not only the mind does not get purified, it gathers
more impurities. The lack of traditional discipline results in anaachaaram (uncleaniness), the
consumption of all sorts of eatables, drinking, rioting and indulgence in other greater sins.
Hypocrisy or Mithyaachaaram flourishes. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi
Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-509

By Sai Srinivasan on March 7, 2017

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The common populace is action oriented. They perform actions desiring certain fruits. Lord
Krishna states that when we advise them to perform actions without expecting any results and
advocate meditation and enlightenment to these people, it will not be effective. He calls such
people avidwamsa- those who have not yet attained the true knowledge.

Then what is the duty of Vidwans or those who are the repositories of true knowledge? Should
they reduce the number of ritualistic practices prescribed by our sastras, thus rendering them
easy for the people to follow? Should they advise the superiority of knowledge over actions and
advise people to give up action? Bhagwan Himself eventually advocates the giving up of all
action, the burning of action in the Fire of Knowledge. But this is at the very last stage and not at
the initial stages. Then what should a Vidwan do in the beginning? The Lord calls Arjuna
Bharatha and advises something peculiar. Generally, people advise the less knowledgeable to
follow the path set by the knowledgeable- that is the worldly advice the Vidwan sets the
example and he should be followed. But here the Lord says something opposite that the
Vidwan should try to do like the Avidwan or the one without the knowledge! Lord Krishna is
very clear in this matter.

The ignorant or the unenlightened is interested only in the attainment of his worldly desires. He
performs the rituals prescribed by the scriptures only with this goal in mind. The Lord instructs
the enlightened ones also to perform these identical rituals. Naturally the question arises as to
whether the enlightened ones should also have such an attachment to worldly desires is it not
the pathway to hell? Bhagawan adds a qualifying clause I am instructing the enlightened ones
to perform these Karmas not with an eye to the worldly desires He adds the word Asaktaha.
Asaktaha means without any attachment. When He talks about the unenlightened ones the very
first word He uses is the word saktaha- the one who is attached to worldly desires. He instructs
the enlightened ones to perform the very same rituals which the unenlightened ones perform with
a desire to enjoy minor worldly desires. Why? Gnani is one who has attained true knowledge. He
does not have anything further to attain. So why should he perform these actions, if he has
nothing to achieve? It is not for any selfish motive. It is for Sikeershu loka Sangraham.
Sangraham means to hold on tightly to save somebody by holding on to him strongly. Loka
Sangraham means to save the world with supreme love and guide it in the right direction. The
world comprises only of the unenlightened ones. The enlightened one has sublimated the world.
Sikeershu means to desire here the desire of the enlightened one should be to guide the
world towards a higher path. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-510

By Sai Srinivasan on March 8, 2017

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Though Gnani (the enlightened one) is supposed to have given up all desires, the Lord Himself
sees to it that the spring of compassion flows in the heart of the Gnani, thus motivating
(sangraham) him to save the world which is suffering due to the misguided path it has chosen. So
it is only to guide the common populace to a higher plane, the enlightened one should perform
the rituals like them. He should, out of his compassion, come down to their level the lowest
step of the ladder and taking a tight hold of their hands should take them along with him to the
sublime plane. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-511 By Sai Srinivasan

on March 9, 2017

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The enlightened one should serve as a model for the rest of the populace for the rituals they have
to perform he should perform these rituals in the prescribed manner and induce them to
perform accordingly. He should inspire them with his knowledge and devotion only afterwards.
Now they will not have any taste for knowledge or devotion. So the enlightened one (this
includes the Gnani as well as the Bakthimaan or the great devotee) who has indeed crossed this
stage of rituals should encourage the rest of the populace to perform these rituals. He should
become like them (act) in order to make them become like him. He who occupies a sublime
status, unattached to any karmas or action, should still perform these actions. But, nowadays,
those who are apparently Vedantists or philosophers act in a similar manner. So how will the
Gnani escape from the failing of Mityachaaraa or hypocrisy?

The enlightened one has no distinction of the exterior and the interior. He is above all
attachments. So how can this sin of hypocrisy cling to him? There is another explanation. Unlike
the hypocrite philosopher, the enlightened one does not act so with the wrong desire to achieve
worldly fame or due to an incapability of subjecting himself to a proper discipline of rituals.
Instead of remaining himself peacefully in a desire less, action less state, he comes down to the
level of a Karmi (the action oriented one) and performs these (unnecessary as far as he is
concerned) actions out of a great compassion for the rest of the mankind. This is sacrifice and not
hypocrisy. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-512

By Sai Srinivasan on March 10, 2017

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Why the enlightened one performs the rituals prescribed by the sastraas? The world holds him in
high regard as a noble being. The people always desire to act like these noble men. Though this
desire may be there, if the Gnanis ideals are indeed very high, people may not be able to follow
them and they may be defeated in their purpose. They may try to hide their defeat by pretence.
So the noble being comes down to the level of common man and shows the path of discipline
they have to follow. Though it is a lower level for the noble being, for the common man it is still
a slightly higher level which can be achieved by him. If he gives up this path of saastroktha
karma (the rituals and actions prescribed by the sastras) he will slide down to a level of
destruction. If he follows the dictates of the senses and indulges only in sensual pleasures, he will
be caught in such a quagmire from which it will be difficult even for the noble soul to retrieve
him. So the Gnani should set an example by performing those rituals, without getting attached to
them, so that even if small worldly benefits are accrued to the unenlightened ones, it is done so
with a certain control as the mind gets purified by these rituals. The common man who desires to
follow the Gnani will also be able to do so. It is not as difficult to perform these rituals as to go
in for meditation soul searching self examination. Since the fruits for these rituals are like
liberation or dissolution of the worldly bondage which are unappealing, people will perform
these rituals if the results are desires from their own heart. They will do it even if there are some
rules to be followed and difficulties to be overcome. Since a discipline is adhered to even with a
certain difficulty, not only their immediate desires are fulfilled but without any conscious effort
on their part, the impurities of the mind start getting cleansed and the desires start getting
reduced. Afterwards, they will continue to perform these karmas not with a worldly desire but
with the intentions of social, familial, and individual discipline. This is Nishkaamya Karma
action without any selfish motive and an initial step to the same is kaamya karma, the
performance of rituals with certain immediate benefits in mind. Jagadguru Sri
Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Periyava Golden Quotes-513

By Sai Srinivasan on March 11, 2017

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The person who is spiritually superior to the rest, the noble one should perform the Karmas
prescribed by the Sastraas without any desire in order to induce the common people to perform
these Karmaas at least with certain desires in mind. When Bhagawan says the ordinary persons
should perform these rituals as Sakthaha it is Kaamyam; when he says the noble one should
perform them as Asaktaha, it is Nishkaamyam.

Even if the Vidhwan or the learned one does not show the way, the common people will be going
on performing certain actions. Nobody rests without performing some actions to achieve certain
goals. Na hi kaschit. karmakrut. It is because the illusion or Maya of Prakruthi binds the
soul with three qualities of Satva. Rajas and Tamas and goads him to continue doing one thing or
other involuntarily. KaaryateGunaihi (3.5)

Hence even if the enlightened, learned one does not set an example, the others will be doing
some action or other in order to fulfill their desires. The Vidwan induces them to perform these
actions according to the rules and regulations laid down by the sastras. Even if the action is
motivated by the objective to achieve certain benefits, if it is performed according to the
scriptures, the very means changes the fundamental nature of the action. What is lowly is
transformed into the sublime. Even if the action is done for the accretion of certain worldly
benefits, a certain discipline is imposed by the restrictions one has to get up at a certain time,
have a bath, eat only certain types of saatvik (mild) food, perform homams sweating it out, ring
the bell, and so on. These restrictions are not there when the actions are performed according to
ones own methods and not regulated by the rules of the sastraas. Lack of discipline increases the
desires and the impurities. But discipline leads to purity of mind and peace. When one acts
according to his wishes only the ego gets bloated. There is no humility. When it is pointed out
that it is the Eswara who grants the desires sought by the performance of rituals, a direction is
given to pray to Him and submit oneself to Him to get these desires fulfilled, ones devotion and
humility grows and the mind gets purified. Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi
Swamigal