Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Acharya describes piousness and sins elaborately, pious deeds are righteous deeds which is  the source of happiness, contentment, and peace,  any immoral acts cause sins which  results in  mental and physical ailments, miseries, sorrows, grief, and pain of separation etc…  human beings are constantly engaged in various activities to earn necessities of life such as food, clothing, and shelter, none of the creatures are  idle on the Earth, first of all, it is impossible to remain idle, so they keep engages in activities, some people spend their life earning with an intention to perform charities in the future or after retirement from the work, and it is far better than people who spend their life in worldly matters, lazing, and spreading rumors.  The interesting fact is that if a person decided to do some charitable work, he will see all the possible ways to make it work; all that we need is enthusiasm.  The practice of recitation of sacred names of Lord while commuting to work would keep the person away from worldly matters; it is an act of piousness.  We can do pious deeds with the body, speech, mind, and money.   We are constantly committing various sins with the body, mind, intellect, and words; it has become a habit in us, therefore we should make effort to destroy those sins with the above four means itself.     The greatness of supreme spirit lies in liberating a soul from its sin; hence we should engage ourselves in constant remembrance of Lord.  Bhagavan Krishna says to Arjuna, there is no one on the Earth free from sin; therefore the ocean-sized sins can be easily crossed with the wisdom like a ferry.  Mahanarayana Upanishads says to destroy sins with the performance of righteousness.  Any deed is performed out of personal reason or desire is the sinful deeds which could bring miseries and grief, all the forbidden acts are sinful, all the good deeds are a pious act, giving is a joy, act of goodness brings happiness.  All are aware of the end results of piousness and sins; unfortunately, we are compelled to commit various sins as it was innate in us, in this way we have accumulated huge bundle of sins through various births, even though none of us wants to commit sins or undergo miseries and sorrows in life.  Arjuna asks Krishna ‘who force us to do all those sinful deeds?’ Who is responsible for that?’ Lord Krishna explains that endless desires are the driving force behind various sins, everyone wants to fulfill their desires, if it is not possible to accomplish them in an ethical manner, they will make all efforts to achieve the same in a dishonest way, in this way living beings on Earth accumulates their sins.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Vedas and sacred scriptures describes the Sthree Dharmam/duties of a woman in a precise manner, a woman in the family attains all the piousness and abundance of meritorious reward by serving her husband, she need not required to perform Sandhyavandham or recitation of Veda, other than offering water to sun deity on a regular basis, a simple deed of prostration before her husband would remove all her sins, even the deities and Pithrus get highly pleased with this act.  She should not be a spendthrift, she should have thorough knowledge about the income of the family, she should be smart enough to run the family within that income, moreover she should be able to keep a certain proportion of the income for the charity.  A woman is often compared to Mother Earth for her forbearance and love, everything is possible with love, and she should spread love and happiness within the family and in the outside world as well.  It is always good to rise early in the morning before sunrise, it is good for mental as well as physical health, cleanliness is essential, and purity at home brings the eternal presence of all the deities, which removes impurities of mind, conflicts, arguments, and unhappiness in the family.  Lightening earthen lamp in the morning and evening with simple prayers are considered highly auspicious, decorating the room of deity and front door with the rice powder/Rangoli is an act of generosity, in this way the insects and ants get fed on regular basis.  Our Sanatana Dharma strongly recommend  that a married woman should be presentable always, she should decorate her eyes with Kajol, hair with flowers, forehead with vermilion, hands full of glass bangles, ornaments on the chest and waist,  anklets, an ornament on the toe.  A married woman should not leave her hair untied, it is treated as inauspicious.  Cooking is an indivisible part of her work while cooking listening or recitation of sacred chants would bring an abundance of goodness in the meal, it removes any impurities so that it can keep the members of the family free from mental as well as physical afflictions.  She should make sure that all are leaving to bed early by 9.00 PM, so those mornings will be fruitful.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Veda praises the distinctive nature of a woman ‘Mathrudevo Bhava’, secondly ‘Pithrudevo Bhava’ and finally ‘Acharyadevo Bhava’, hence the rank of woman is considered as supreme, it is obvious that a woman do not require any comparison.   There are four types of Ashramadharma known as Bhramacharya, Grihasthashrama, Sanyasashrama and Vanaprasthashrama.  A woman takes stronghold in Grihasthashramadharma, she holds significant role in the smooth functioning of the family.   Husband and wife are considered as two wheels of a chariot, if anyone of the wheel gets damaged, it will definitely affect the functioning of the whole family.  The Sanskrit word ‘Griham’ derived from the word ‘Grihini’ who is  Grihalakshmi/Grihadevatha as well.  She is born with uniqueness like motherliness, compassion, forbearance, kindness, love and intelligence.  Our sacred scriptures highly praise the chastity of a woman, illustrious women like Ahalya, Seetha, Thara, Panchali,   Mandodhari, Dhamayanthi, Nalayani, Savithri and Maithreyi and many more chaste Rishi Pathnis who have earned highest of the status with their perseverance.  Therefore, Acharya firmly state that a woman should not take up any extra-ordinary position in the society other than leading prime role in her family, in this way she is contributing a good citizen to the society, protecting the righteousness and preparing the younger generation to carry out the responsibilities of Sanathana Dharma.  A woman should be a Karmayogi, it is her responsibility to contribute selfless service to the family and society as well.  Some may feel that they are well capable to manage social as well as family life, but the undeniable truth is that they cannot be ingenuous to both.  She is indispensable part of the family; none can carry out the spiritual as well religious rite in her absence, she is the main source of serenity, peace, and happiness in the family.  In the same manner men of the family should perform all those responsibilities for the smooth functioning.  Acharya relates woman as Universal Mother who is immeasurable, she is the source of Icchashakthi/conceiving ideas, Gnanashakthi/wisdom and Kriyashakthi/execution of tasks as well, and as a result she should not dissipate all those indescribable qualities, she should utilize all those qualities for the protection of righteousness/Sanathana Dharma and  bringing peace and serenity in the family.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Sri Acharya speaks highly about the Sthree Dharmam/duties of a  woman who is  stronghold and persistence of righteousness, hence woman cannot be compared with man in any matter, she is beyond comparison, scriptures and Veda highly praise the perseverance, duties and responsibilities of a woman, she was often compared to Mother of Universe and Goddess Annapoornna as well, she is the source of living force, she carries out smooth functioning of the family, serving the family members with sumptuous meal and taking care of all the necessities of elderly people in the family, she is  a pillar of righteousness who stands beside her husband in the performance of spiritual, religious, and  traditional family rites, none of the rites becomes impossible in her absence.  She takes complete control   of initial preparation for all the religious rites with utmost dedication and faith, she stands beside her husband throughout the performance of rites by providing relentless support, she is serving guests, Sanyasins, and Bhramacharins.  It is the duty of woman to carry out charities, she should make all the possible effort to spend one tenth of the family’s income for the charity purpose, a woman should not be a spend thrift or obsessive of worldly matters, she should have thorough knowledge of income and source of income, her expenditure should not exceed the income of the family.  She should strictly follow the daily rites and should be able to cultivate the habit of spiritual and religious practices in her children as well.  A mother is not a cook, she is all – in – all, she is the first teacher to her child, she is the one initiate her child to spiritual path and brings nearness to preceptor, she is Annapoornna who  serves sumptuous meal after offering to deity, and therefore it turns out divine and keeps the family members hail and healthy.    She should make sure to bring discipline, moral conduct, humility, simplicity, compassion, love, care and kindness, along with the formal education in her child’s life; she should be able to provide a responsible citizen to the society.  She should serve the elderly members of the family with respect, care and love.  She should serve her husband sincerely and provide all the assistance for the performance of various spiritual and religious rites.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Paramacharya describes the significance of homage to ancestors, it is more important than the worship of deities, sacred scriptures affirms that people who do not follow the  homage  to ancestors  would take birth in low class, we need perpetual blessings of our ancestors to have a peaceful, healthy, wealthy and happy life.  It is believed that during the fifteen days of Mahalayapaksha our ancestors hunger and thirst would increase considerably, therefore offering oblations to ancestors during these days are treated as highly propitious. Garuda Puranam describes Pithrus/ancestors are people who lived a self-less life, performed abundance of charities, service to humanity and sincerely performed daily rites to deities during their life on Earth, after the death they ascend to the abode of Pithruloka.  They have made lot of sacrifices during their life time on Earth; therefore it is our responsibility to show gratitude by performing homage during the days Mahalayapaksham and Amavasya after following strict austerities.  Offering charities of sesame seeds, salt, gold, cotton clothes, iron metal on Uththarayanapunyakalam, Shuklapaksha Pournami, Krishnapaksha Dwadhashi day during the month of Karthik is considered as highly auspicious.  Charities should be performed with utmost humbleness, any contributions made with pride or to attain fame or publicize the same will take away all the merits.  It is compulsory to worship ancestors before conducting any auspicious events like marriage and Bhramopadhesham in the family, in order to attain their perpetual blessings.  Person who performs homage to ancestors on Dwadhashi would attain gold as wealth, person who performs homage to ancestors on Thrayodhashi would attain supreme intellect, wisdom, cattle as wealth, good health, freedom of living, long life, prosperity, wealth and all kinds of auspiciousness, person who performs homage to ancestors on Chathurdhashi would please his ancestors died of accidents.   Mahalaya Amavasya is the most propitious day to worship ancestors, worshiper would be blessed with all kinds of auspiciousness, and person who performs homage on all these sixteen days of Mahalayapunyakalam would attain higher status in life, recitation of sacred chants while the performance of homage to ancestors are highly significant, performer should be aware of the meaning of these chants and pronounce it with good clarity and intense faith.  Performance of homage to ancestors on the sea shore, near the ponds or shrines would be treated as highly auspicious. 

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Paramacharya strongly recommend the regular performance of homage to ancestors and the basic principles to follow before performing the rite.   Humans are born with four types of debts, such as Devarina, Pithrurina, Rishirina and Manushyarina.  Though it is our primary duty to pay off all the debts we are born with, scriptures speaks highly about Pithrurina/homage to ancestors,  debts to ancestors cannot be disregarded because it can bring severe consequences in the family of the debtor, and performance of the rites needs utmost dedication and reverence to obtain the fruit of Karma.  If a family is not enthusiastic in performing the rite to ancestors is equivalent to leaving one’s parents without basic necessities like water, clothing and food, and serving the world with sumptuous meal.  It is traditional not to celebrate any other Kamyakarma/ rites performed for the personal benefit, in the house of a person other than daily rituals to deity, after performing homage to ancestors.   The person who is performing rites should follow strict austerities, even the daily rituals to deity are not allowed to perform on the day of performance of homage to ancestors, usually worship of deities are carried out after the performance of rite to ancestors.  Amavasya is the day of lunar phase of New Moon, highly auspicious to worship ancestors, performing charity, offering meals, and clothing to needy, it  is considered as highly meritorious, it is believed that our ancestors will be suffering from extreme hunger and thirst on this day, therefore performance of annual rite and oblation to ancestors keep them out of hunger and thirst, in return they will get immensely pleased with the worshiper, and bless the family.  New Moon day is the day to worship our ancestors, it is highly auspicious to perform charities and performance of homage to ancestors,  it is the day to remove the hunger and thirst of our ancestors, it is assumed that on this day ancestors of the each family would be waiting  at the front  door with great expectation that the family would serve them with meal and quench their thirst, if the family is not taking these matters seriously, the ancestors would get deeply dejected and return their abode with the extreme  hunger and thirst, and some may curse the family.  People who do not follow any of these rites may undergo curse of ancestors and the family undergoes constant struggle, afflictions, conflicts, illnesses etc.. Even the deity refuses to accept offerings from the worshiper.   Therefore performing rite to ancestors is important as taking greatest care of one’s own family progress, it is customary practice to cook particular type of meal, performance of fire sacrifices and offerings to ancestors, it is an opportunity to present substantial amount as contribution and serve  the performing priest, which could bring abundance of meritorious reward.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Paramacharya insists that a married woman should not leave her forehead empty, other than during the ceremonial rites like homage to ancestors, that too if it is applicable for her; she should have the symbolic mark with vermilion on her forehead and middle of the partition of hair as well.  She has the primary right to lighten the lamp in the house, men can do in her absence.  It is traditional to decorate the room of the deity and the door step with the rice powder mix; it is another form of charity, feeding the tiny creatures like ants and insects.  The preparation of meal should be done after bath with simple prayers, while cooking it is important to memorize the sacred chants or listening to Vedic chants, it would purify the meal and it turn out to be an offering to Lord.  It is compulsory to offer the meal to deity before it is consumed, otherwise we would remain thieves and selfish in all our lives.  Once the offering is over, it should be offered to crows, Lord Shaneeshwara will be highly pleased with this act, and it is believed that ancestors will accept the offerings and bless the family.    The meal consumed after offering to deity would turn out divine, and it will keep us hail and healthy.  A woman need not do recitation of any Vedic chants, other than simple prayers; she has become already a prime beneficiary of half of the piousness of her husband, if she makes sure that her husband is following the daily rituals meticulously, helping him with the preparation for the performance of daily rituals are considered as her primary duties.  According to the principle of Manu, men cannot perform any of the spiritual or ceremonial rites without the assistance of a woman, or any rites performed in her absence are considered as not a righteous deed. Thus Acharya beautifully described the Sthreedharma/prime duties of a woman, it is always good to follow our Acharya’s advice in all possible ways, he plays the role of father and mother as well, and none of the parents will leave their children in troubles, if we sincerely follow their uncomplicated advises with good heart.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Sri Paramacharya highly speaks about the indisputable truth, that women are the beacon for righteousness, our scriptures and Veda highly admire the contributions of a woman in various Dharmic rites, woman is the initiator to all fire sacrifices, she protects the family rituals with her attentiveness, dedication and faith, she is over and over compares with the Mother Universe for her forbearance, mental strength and physical abilities.    Her husband shares equal half of the results of her sinful deeds, in the same manner she would be the beneficiary of half of the pious deeds of her husband.  A woman   in the family holds vital position in carrying out all the Dharmic rites, she should have thorough knowledge of her family traditions, rites and customs, and so that she can pass it on to younger generation and in this way the family traditions can be kept intact.   Families where women are treated with respect and kindness will be the permanent dwelling place of Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Saraswathi, even the five essential elements  would wait for her command.   Acharya was a walking University, he kept travelling from one place to another by foot and seldom in the palanquin, so that he can educate the people of remote villages like a mother who affectionately feed her bosom milk to her child; he was always concerned about the well-being of his attendants while moving through the toughest routes from villages to villages, those days devotion to preceptor was intense and pure.  Acharya’s compassionate grace was enough to cure the distress and afflictions of the people; wherever he goes  a large crowd would be patiently waiting to get a glimpse of this Godly saint.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Sri Paramacharya conducted various Vidhwath Sabha, religious and spiritual programs in the revered Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peedam, it was always crowded with wise, scholars and intellectuals from various places, it gave an excellent opportunities to the scholars for sharing their knowledge in Veda, Vedanta and sacred scriptures, those activities are still taking place under the benefaction of 7oth pontiff of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peedam Sri Shankara Vijayendhra Saraswathi Swamigal.  Acharya put in simple words about the existence of ocean sized supreme bliss which is the real nature of soul, unfortunately we often forget to realize the true nature of soul while chasing for fame, wealth, and material happiness which are flimsy in nature.  Intellectuals who are well aware of the nature of material happiness will not chase for those things.  Paramacharya explained the need for mediation on regular basis, bathing cleanse the physical impurities, we concentrate on washing away the dirt accumulated on the physical body on regular basis, in the same manner our inner self also get polluted with various sensations which needs to be cleansed on daily basis with meditation upon supreme Lord, it helps to wash away the wicked thoughts before it get out of control.   Happiness is like streak of sun light passing through the woods while the movement of branches takes place and it is momentary; therefore contemplate upon permanent happiness which is the nature of supreme soul.  Acharya beautifully described quintessence of ‘Oneness in All’ with a simple illustration, human are born with sense of intelligence, while seeing one’s own image on the mirror, no one will react to it outrageously, whole Universe is the creation of supreme spirit, it reveals the nature of all-pervading Bhramam which resides as soul in living beings, the knowledge about Oneness in All sow the seed for compassion towards each other, it removes grief and unknown fears, ultimately worshiper would be freed from rebirth.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya –

Sri Paramacharya describes that sufferings and happiness are the grace of supreme spirit, we have limited vision, we are unaware of the infinitesimal reason for both, we should always have faith in Universal Mother, that she won’t do anything to harm us, and therefore it is ideal to accept them as the grace of supreme spirit.  We easily accept  happiness, but sufferings are always tougher to absorb, though it is difficult to admit in the initial period with so much of heartache, frustrations, and confusions, later we will learn to accept them as well.  Acharya was a Mahayogi, a renounced soul/Jeevanmuktha, he was void of passion or sorrow, whose intellect was sharp like a sword, he was in a state of bliss always, he was aware of all that happening around.  Paramacharya relates to passion and time as the reasons for birth and death, passion causes birth and time cause death, every creature born in this Universe has to die, depth of the attachment causes the intensity of the sorrow.  Everything in this Universe has to undergo constant changes and ultimately vanishes.   The supreme spirit which is the essence of creation, preservation, and destruction remains imperishable.   Therefore contemplating upon supreme Lord Shiva who has won over death as well as desire/Kama removes the worldly bondage and liberates the soul from repeated births.  Our devotion towards the supreme soul should be intense that of a chaste wife to her husband, a creeper that embrace the tree, and a river that confluence with the ocean.   A ripened fruit voluntarily detach itself from the tree; in the same manner as we grow older we have to learn to detach ourselves from worldly affairs and impurities of the mind, it can be achieved only with intense practice of meditation and performance of duties.  Acharya taught us the essence of ‘Oneness of All’, generosity, humility, kindness, compassion, and simplicity, nine types of the practice of devotion, Sravanam/listening to the glorious myths and verses of Supreme Lord, Keerthanam/recitation of glorious myths and sing praising the endless attributes of Supreme Lord, Smaranam/contemplating upon the sacred names of Lord/visualizing the glorious form of supreme Lord and contemplating upon him, Padhasevanam/veneration at the lotus feet of preceptor and supreme Lord with intense devotion and faith, Archanam/veneration of supreme Lord and preceptor with flowers and various offerings, Vandhanam/prostration before preceptor and Supreme Lord, Dhasyam/veneration of preceptor and supreme Lord selflessly as a servant, Sakhyam/veneration of Supreme Lord as a constant companion, and  Athmanivedhanam/surrender at the lotus feet of Supreme Lord and preceptor are the nine types of devotion which leads to liberation.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Sri Paramacharya recommended a simple way of living, excessive desire is the major cause for grief and sufferings, our desires, and dreams for accumulating wealth grow endless, it often leads to disappointment and failure, hence Acharya advised people to put up with  the necessities of life and lead a simple life, he strongly recommended joy of giving, the practice of giving away to needy people who are lacking essentials of life which leads to end sufferings of worldly existence and liberation from repeated births.   Impurities of mind like desire, anger, ego, pride, jealous, and lust multiply sins and grief, therefore Acharya advised people to contemplate on the supreme spirit, that would wash away the sins and impurities of the worshiper.  Scriptures and Dharma Shasthras taught us exemplary methods to attain salvation and relief from miseries and sorrows once for all, the person who meticulously follow the ideology of scriptures attain immense bliss, these scriptures written by illustrious Rishis  are not meant to create any anxiety in the worshiper, they describe the pros and cons of all the deeds in detail, they recommend the methods to achieve goodness in life by following Yogic practices, meditation, observance of vows and austerities, the performance of religious practices, and carry out the duties and responsibilities which are the essential means to attain liberation from repeated births.  Our body is an instrument/vehicle/shrine to achieve the above purpose; it is the shrine where the supreme soul resides, therefore strictly adhering to discipline is essential to ward off illness and that is how the science of Medicine/Ayurveda came into existence.  There are three types of meditation to keep our mind cluster free; keeping mind without any distraction and focusing on a specific object is called ‘Savikalpa Samadhi’.  The natural state of realization of ‘self’ followed with inquisitiveness to search for bliss is called ‘Sahaja Samadhi’.   ‘Nirvikalpa Samadhi’ is the highest of the state and final objective of meditation, where the mind completely stops functioning and unites with the supreme consciousness.  These are practiced for self- purification and attain self-realization and God-realization as well.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Sri Paramacharya highlighted the importance of Karma – Bhakthi – Gnana Yoga.  Acharya well-defined the significance of worship of Lord Hari and Lord Hara without any differentiation, supreme spirit manifested in various forms but remains the same, we have various forms of deities, because our intellect seeks dissimilarity in whatever we see, in other words hunger is only one of its kind and remains the same for all, we need to pacify hunger by consuming meals, we do not stick with the same food on regular basis, if so we will get bored with the same, we seek various sorts of taste to appease our palate. It is absolutely individual interest to worship any deity of his/her own choice, but when following the custom and ceremonial practices in the family one should abide by the set of rules followed by the ancestors in the family for several years, it is applicable for wearing auspicious symbolic mark on the forehead too.    Acharya pointed out the need to achieve self-realization/knowledge of self/knowledge about the concept ‘I’ / and God- realization, all the creatures on Earth grows horizontal except human, and humans are innate with intelligence which is the prime instrument to understand the nature of Bhramam/supreme spirit.  Reading scriptures is the way to attain knowledge/Gnana Yoga, following one's own duties and responsibilities towards family and society, meditation, participating in religious and spiritual services are righteous deeds/Karma Yoga, the performance of duties with sincerity, dedication, and selflessness is Bhakthi Yoga.  Life without purpose is like an abandoned ship in the middle of the ocean, we are born with a specific purpose in our lives, let our objective to achieve freedom from constant miseries, grief, sorrows, pain, and afflictions of worldly existence,  freedom from worldly bondage, ultimate liberation from repeated births which are attainable with dedicated spiritual and religious practices, and meditation.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Paramacharya emphasizes the practice of constant recitation of sacred names as a part of daily routine.  A person need not be an ascetic or leave duties and responsibilities or go to woods  to do meditation or recitation of sacred names, it does not require the entire day or night, all it requires a few minutes of our precious time,  recitation or listening to  sacred chants while performing ordinary household tasks, introducing the habit of recitation of sacred names to children from early years of childhood,  make them familiar with the simple religious practices and bringing up children listening to stories from scriptures, accompany them to shrines would do wonders in their lives, it purifies their intellect and it will help them grow responsible citizen.   We never stop consuming meal till death, or we do not stop  sleeping when it required or we do not stop breathing until the last call, we are not aware of the truth that the Lord of death is chasing us in every second, our nearness to death is getting closer in every moment, all the creatures born on Earth have to face death which is undeniable truth,   it is an inevitable part of life,  therefore   practicing recitation of sacred names of Lord would remove the fear of death, it would bring liveliness and divinity in the work.  Contemplating upon the supreme spirit would remove the excessive interest in worldly affairs, it avoids unnecessary arguments and conflicts, it removes impurities in the worshiper, constant recitation of sacred names of Lord would enhance the optimistic ambiance which is highly beneficial for the doer as well the people surrounded by him/her, it purifies the intellect of doer, it brings discipline and all new perception, it will provide a clear idea of good and evil.  We ordinary people required focusing on a particular image of Lord to achieve concentration, meditating upon one’s own favorite deity or preceptor would remove the cluster of mind.   Acharya highlighted the importance of worship of the family deity, in every village there will be a shrine for Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Lord Subramanya, Goddess Adhishakthi and Lord Vishnu, or all the deities under one roof, the village deity is believed as the protector of the clan, hence regular worship of the family deity is very important.

Sage of Kanchi –

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Paramacharya !

Yogis, Mahasiddha Purushas and Yoginis have neither birth nor death, they take the form of a human to teach us the greatest of the lessons, they are void of sorrows, and pains, grief and worldly bondage and they are negated from piousness or sins.   These noble souls take the form of humans to protect the ordinary soul from constant miseries and sorrows of the unfathomable ocean of worldly existence.   They take all efforts to awaken the supreme consciences in the soul, they purify the soul and guide them through the righteous path, they enlighten the soul about the importance of one’s own duties and responsibilities, they urge the soul to attain supreme wisdom and knowledge, and they make all the initiative to take the soul nearness to supreme consciousness.  Paramacharya had traveled throughout the breadth and length of the country giving lectures on the importance of daily rite, and religious practices, he stood as a great role model before the ordinary people, he practiced all that he had preached.  He followed all the religious practices scrupulously with the objective that others may follow him with sincerity, he barely slept or ate, and he was always at the service of people who seek his shelter and guidance.  Devotees find immense comfort in his presence, people from various parts of the country crowded to have a glimpse of the Sage of Kanchi, all had great reverence to this Sage.   He taught us the need for being disciplined, kind, compassionate, and caring; which are basic qualities to immerse in the unison with the supreme spirit, a wandering soul always get into trouble, he affirmed the practice of meditation which stops the doer from the constant search for sensual pleasure and keep away from evil deeds, he urged people to contemplate upon the supreme soul which purifies the soul from accumulated sins and sorrows and grief of mundane matters.  He emphasized the purpose of human life as even though a river has many tributaries,   ultimately it will make their way to the confluence with ocean water, and it should be the purpose of human beings, although we belong to different class, countries and religious practices, our ultimate aim should be united with the supreme soul which has the nature of supreme bliss, it could prevent the soul from falling into sins and repeated births.   

Sage of Kanchi -

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Sri Paramacharya!

Sri Paramacharya/Sri Mahaperiyava , Sri Chandhrashekarendhra Saraswathi Swamigal who was the 68^th pontiff of revered Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peedam.  He was a Mahasidhdha Purusha, supreme preceptor/Jagathguru and illustrious Deviupasaka of the century.   Sri Paramacharya was known as Swaminatha in his early years of life, Swaminatha was born on 20^th May 1894 to Sri Subramanyashasthrigal and Mahalakshmi Ammal, a pious couple from Karnataka.  He was born as the second son to this couple with the birth star Anuradha, in a small village called Vilippuram, South Arcot District, Tamilnadu.   This second child Swaminatha was named after their family deity Lord Swaminatha of Swamimalai.   Swaminatha finished his early education in the Arcot American Mission High school in Dindivanam, where his father was a teacher.    He was a studious child who excelled in all the subjects and religious texts.  In 1905 he was initiated to Upakarma, thus Swaminatha was introduced to Bhramacharyashram to attain Vedic knowledge.   Once the astrologer after viewing the horoscope of Swaminatha, was overjoyed to witness the divine symbols in the horoscope, he immediately prostrated before Swaminatha and murmured in ecstasy ‘One day the whole world will pay obeisance before Him.”   Swaminatha was introduced to Mutt in the year 1906 when the 66^th Acharya was performing ‘Chathurmasya Vratham’ in Dindivanam, later he accompanied his father whenever the family make a visit to Mutt.    During February 1907, Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt informed Subramanyashasthri about their decision to initiate the first cousin of Swaminatha as 67^th pontiff, due to the severity of illness of present Acharya.   Swaminatha and his mother Mahalakshmi Ammal preceded their journey to Kalavai to console the widowed mother of his first cousin who was initiated to Sanyasa a few days back, soon he also had fallen ill.  One day Swaminatha was taking bath in Kumarakoshtatheertham, a carriage was abruptly stopped at the steps of the pond, the people in the cart were purchasing the requirements for the performance of the final ceremony of previous Acharya, and one person from cart approached Swaminatha and asked to accompany him.  The other cart was vacant in which the entire family occupied.  On the way, he received a hint from the person that he probably will not return home in his whole life; he has to continue life in the Mutt.  Swaminatha was in utter astonishment at the sudden turn of events, all he could utter ‘Rama, Rama’, later his mother was at the end of receiving consolation from others.   The 67^th pontiff continued to be seer of the mutt for a brief period of seven days, immediately after his demise, Swaminatha was declared as 68^th pontiff of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peedam.   It was in the year 1907, on February 13^th at the age of 13 Swaminatha was initiated to Sanyasashrama with the holy name Sri Chandhrashekharendhra Saraswathi, an elaborate ceremony was conducted at the Kumbakonam Mutt, where ardent devotees like Shivaji Maharaj of Tanjore and dignitaries were present.   He was divine personified on Earth symbolizes simplicity, compassion, kindness, love, and always worked for the welfare of the people, he advised people about the importance of protection of Veda and Vedic way of living, he emphasized the strict observance of religious rites, vows, and Vedic practices, he guided people to follow one’s own Dharma according to their Varnna, he highlighted the importance of recitation of sacred scriptures and acquiring knowledge in scriptures, he introduced good morals and disciplines, he emphasized the importance of daily rituals of a Bhramin and most importantly Sun worship/Sandhyavandhanam, Panchayathana Puja/worship of five deities /Surya, Ganesha, Subramanya, Vishnu, Shiva and Shakthi, worship of Sri Chandramaulishvara and Goddess Kamakshi.  He lived in sheer simplicity, he traveled by foot and used a simple palanquin for travels that too whenever his attendants’ insists, all that he was owned a Dandam/stick,  a small wooden vessel, and a pair of eyewear.  During his visits to unknown lands, he preferred to stay under the shade of trees, dilapidated shrines, or somewhere close to woods.  He had no requirements at all, all that he wanted to perform his regular religious practice for several hours, he rarely consumes any meals and that too handful.    He was popularly known as ‘Mahaperiyaval’, he had a large number of disciple and ardent devotees from all over the world, still continues to be the same.  His fame crossed over several thousand miles, oceans, countries, languages, and people from all over the world were yearned to have a fleeting look of this great Sage.  His splendor rose from the preceptor to Universal preceptor, with his precise vows, strict austerities, meticulous religious practices, dedication, wisdom, and knowledge.  He was a master in all subjects; he conducted regular assembly of wise, intellectuals, and scholars in various fields of knowledge.    He was most promising to people who belong to the non-Bhramin community as well, he taught them how to practice simple religious deeds.  He attracted all classes of people with his childlike innocent smile revealing beautiful line of teeth, well smeared sacred ashes on forehead and body, garlands of Rudraksha, sparkling eyes completely soaked in kindness, the crisp and clean saffron robe which itself too considerate on his thin limbs, simple gestures, soft and humorous talks, he was always followed by large crowd like honey bee. 

Paramacharya conducted vast expedition throughout the breadth and length of India visited various sacred shrines.  It is imaginable about the endless hardships and difficulty in commuting from one place to another through the woods and hills, there were no proper roads or means of transportation in those days, our Acharya made it through those perilous ways that too by foot.    There is a book in Tamil ‘Deivaththin Kural’ /The voice of God/Deiva Vani has it all about the greatness of Paramacharya, all I can wish that everyone should be fortunate enough to read it once.    He performed various religious and social services for the welfare of the world; he installed Ardhdha Meru Srichakra in the famous temple of Mangadu Goddess Kamakshi that was in a dilapidated state, in which Goddess Kamakashi can be seen undergoing extreme penance.  Sri Paramacharya revived the famous Navavarana Pooja of Goddess Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram with the assistance of Pandit Sri Chidhanandhanathan, he contributed magnificent ‘Thadangam’ ear ornaments to Goddess Akhilandeshvari of the famous temple of Thiruvanaikka.   Sri Acharya performed an abundance of contributions to various temples and put great effort into reviving old and prescribed rite of veneration in the temples.

The following are the golden rules emphasized by Paramacharya for the betterment of society and its people.  He insisted everybody is responsible to contribute their own part for the welfare of the country; rich people should give a substantial amount of money as charity and contribution for the promotion of Veda and Vedic way of life, building and maintenance of temples, ponds, digging wells, gardens, etc…  The poor people should serve the society with dedication and sincerity; influential people should make use of their power for the service of people who are in real need of it.  Human are incapable to produce even a single grain, therefore it is our responsibility to offer all that to Almighty before consuming, otherwise we will remain thieves and selfish in our lives, in this way Paramacharya taught us the importance of the sense of gratitude.  Paramacharya taught us to be loving, kind and caring, he taught us the essence of charity which enhances the happiness of giver, until and unless it was kept as top secret, he taught us to remain humble and obedient servant of God.   Paramacharya pointed out that grieving over the past deeds will do no good; therefore it is good to have thorough knowledge of good and evil, and stay away from evil deeds, feeding on sensual pleasure do nothing other than accumulate sins, following one’s own duties and responsibilities with utmost dedication and faith, gaining knowledge of self and God-realization will provide permanent bliss, it removes sufferings, miseries, pain, agony, afflictions, and sorrows, finally liberate the souls from repeated births. 

Hara Hara Shankara | Jaya Jaya Shankara ||