Kollam: APRIL 14 – 15, 2012

The Jagadguru Graces Kollam

On the evening of 14th April, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji reached Kollam. In His Anugraha Bhashanam, the Jagadguru said that if one does a mistake without knowing, we attribute the cause to his ignorance. But there are also times when man makes a mistake due to an external impetus. A young student does not wish to cheat in an examination; however goaded by others who are used to cheating, he ends up cheating.

However there are many instances when there are no external forces to make man commit sins. So who makes man commit sins even when he does not desire to do so and there are no external factors to influence. This was one of the questions Arjuna asked the Lord in the Bhagavad Gita

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥

The Lord replies that the cause are desire and anger that are present in the minds of people.

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।
महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्धयेनमिह वैरिणम् ॥

The Jagadguru illustrated the effect of anger from the Sundara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayanam. After Hanuman had had Darshan of Mother Sita, he had been captured by Ravana and his tail had been set on fire. At that time, Mother Sita prayed for his well-being thus –

यद्यस्ति पतिशुश्रूषा यद्यस्ति चरितं तपः |
यदि वाप्येकपत्नीत्वं शीतो भव हनूमतः || २४||

If I have not thought of anyone else but my husband Sri Rama, and have served him well, let not Hanuman be burnt by fire. Meanwhile, Hanuman unaffected by his burning tail had set fire to Lanka. For an instant, Hanuman felt happy that he had burnt all of Lanka. However, he immediately felt that he had committed a blunder. He wondered if some harm would have befallen Mother Sita due to the fires he had set. He was crestfallen when this thought struck him and felt the purpose of his mission might have become a failure. He then reflects on the effects of anger that made him burn Lanka, expressing thus:

क्रुद्धः पापं न कुर्यात् कः क्रुद्धो हन्यात् गुरूनपि ।
क्रुद्धः परुषया वाचा नरः साधून् अधिक्षिपेत् ॥
नावाच्यमस्ति क्रुद्धस्य नाकार्यं विद्यते क्वचित् ॥

“What act would an angry man abstain from? What words would he not use? Seething with anger, He would not hesitate to insult a saint. He is likely to commit any kind of sin and may even harm his Guru.”

Hence anger and desire must be won over. It may seem that this advice is quite right but not easily achievable, and may even seem impossible. However one must not relent. The Jagadguru pointed out a There is a man who struggled to clear the Chartered Accountancy examination and cleared in the 36th attempt! His efforts and will helped him though it took him a long time. Hence determination and perseverance will help man overcome the internal enemies of Kama and Krodha.

The Jagadguru concluded the Bhashanam saying that it has been the tradition of the Sringeri Jagadguru to grace Kollam when traveling from Kalady to Thiruvanantapuram or from Thiruvanantapuram to Kalady.

It may be mentioned that in many places including Kollam, Ernakulam, Kalady, rains poured where the Jagadguru was camping. At Kollam, the Jagadguru mentioned the fact that Sage Rishyashringa after whom Sringeri is named, brought about rains to Anga-desha that had been suffering from acute drought for 12 years, and that this attribute is observed in the Acharyas of Sringeri.

On 15th April, the Jagadguru had Darshan of Ganapati temple at Kollam and proceeded towards Thiruvananthapuram.