The Christian Saints are very well known to the Christian World but I feel that the people from the West know very little about the great sages who were born in India. Each sage was a kind of institution in himself. As I read about the Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and other prevalent religions in the world, I believe that more and more people will start reading about the great sages without any prejudice. I hope you will really enjoy and learn from the lives and works of the Great Sages from India.
Rajasir
Great Saints
Great Saints from India
Kabir
Compiled by Rajasir
Kabir can be called a singing philosopher, for he sang his philosophical thoughts while weaving. If Eknath established a close link between Sufism and Hinduism, Kabir blended both Islam and Hinduism. His rich poetry is an outpouring of his heart. One is amazed on how a simple man with no scholarly knowledge can write so wonderfully. Maybe that can be explained by his verse:
'I have stilled my restless mind, and my heart is radiant, for in Thatness I have seen beyond Thatness.
Kabir was born in Kashi(now known as Benaras) in 1440 to Muslim parents. He approached Guru Ramananda numerous times for initiation but each time he met with refusal. One day, he hid near the steps leading to the Ganges river anticipating to confront Ramananda again. Ramananda, however, by mistake stepped on Kabir and uttered 'Ram, Ram.' Kabir took this as a sign of initiation and Ram as his mahamantra. Ramananda is said to have accepted this.
Kabir never retired from the world to become a recluse. He was married, had children and was a weaver by profession. He saw life filled with God in the form of love and joy. However, Kashi, being an orthodox city, considered him a heretic and ordered him to leave in 1495. Unfazed, Kabir spread his joy of divine love through various songs throughout his travels in North India. In 1518, his health broke down and he left his body, but never did he forget the love of Ram.
Several of Kabir's verses are sung to this day in India. One can find many of his poems and songs translated into English by the famous poet, Tagore.
Kabir was a contemporary of the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak (possibly his mentor). A weaver by trade, and a mystic by nature, his spiritual vision accepted no division between Life and Creator, man and God, as evinced by the following excerpts:
"I Laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty: You do not see that the Real is in your home, and you wander...listlessly! Here is the truth! Go where you will...if you do not find your soul, the world is unreal to you."
and
"Kabir says, God is the breath of all breath".
Many of the songs of Kabir contain criticism, not of "worldly" people who lived materialistically, but of renunciates who sought God outside of life and relationships;
"The infinite dwelling of the Infinite Being is everywhere: in earth, water, sky, and air...He who is within is without; I see Him and none else".
Guru Nanak
The founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak was born on April 15, 1469 in the Western Punjab village of Talwandi. He was born to a simple Hindu family. His father Mehta Kalian Das was an accountant in the employment of the local Muslim authorities. From an early age Guru Nanak made friends with both Hindu and Muslim children and was very inquisitive about the meaning of life. At the age of six he was sent to the village school teacher for schooling in reading and writing in Hindi and mathematics. He was then schooled in the study of Muslim literature and learned Persian and Arabic. He was an unusually gifted child who learned quickly and often question his teachers. At age 13 it was time for Guru Nanak to be invested with the sacred thread according to the traditional Hindu custom. At the ceremony which was attended by family and friends and to the disappointment of his family Guru Nanak refused to accept the sacred cotton thread from the Hindu priest. He sang the following poem;
"Let mercy be the cotton, contentment the thread, Continence the knot and truth the twist. O priest! If you have such a thread, Do give it to me. It'll not wear out, nor get soiled, nor burnt, nor lost. Says Nanak, blessed are those who go about wearing such a thread" (Rag Asa)
As a young man herding the family cattle, Guru Nanak would spend long hours absorbed in meditation and in religious discussions with Muslim and Hindu holy men who lived in the forests surrounding the village. Thinking that if bound in marriage Guru Nanak might start taking interest in household affairs a suitable match was found for him. At age 16 he was married to Sulakhani daughter of a pious merchant. Guru Nanak did not object as he felt that married life did not conflict with spiritual pursuits. Guru Nanak was happily married, he loved his wife and eventually had two sons Sri Chand in 1494 and Lakshmi Chand three years later. Now that he had a family of his own Guru Nanak was persuaded by his parents to take a job as an accountant in charge of the stores of the Muslim governor of Sultanpur Daulat Khan Lodi. Guru Nanak agreed and was joined by his family and an old Muslim childhood friend Mardana, a musician by profession. Guru Nanak would work during the days, but early in the mornings and late at nights, he would meditate and sing hymns accompanied by Mardana on the rabab ( a string instrument). These sessions attracted a lot of attention and many people started joining the two.
Early one morning accompanied by Mardana, Guru Nanak went to the river Bain for his bath. After plunging into the river, Guru Nanak did not surface and it was reported that he must have drowned. The villagers searched everywhere, but their was no trace of him. Guru Nanak was in holy communion with God. The Lord God revealed himself to Guru Nanak and enlightened him. In praise of the Lord, Guru Nanak uttered;
"There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now." (Japji)
These words are enshrined at the beginning of the Sikh Holy Scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak did not believe in a Trinity of Gods, or the belief that God can be born into human form.
After three days Guru Nanak appeared at the same spot from where he had disappeared. He was no longer the same person he had been, there was a divine light in his eyes and his face was resplendent. He remained in a trance and said nothing. He gave up his job and distributed all of his belongings to the poor. When he finally broke his silence he uttered "There is no Hindu, no Muslim". Daulat Khan asked what he meant when he said to Guru Nanak, "Perhaps the Hindus were no longer Hindus but the Muslims remain devout to their faith." Guru Nanak replied,
"Let God's grace be the mosque, and devotion the prayer mat. Let the Quran be the good conduct. Let modesty be compassion, good manners fasting, you should be a Muslim the like of this. Let good deeds be your Kaaba and truth be your mentor. Your Kalma be your creed and prayer, God would then vindicate your honour." (Majh)
Guru Nanak was thirty years old at this time in 1499. The next stage of his life began with extensive travels to spread the message of God. Accompanied by his Muslim rabab player Mardana for company, Guru Nanak undertook long journeys to convey his message to the people in the form of musical hymns. Guru Nanak choose this medium to propagate his message because it was easily understood by the population of the time. Wherever he traveled he used the local language to convey his message to the people. He traveled throughout the Indian Subcontinent and further east, west, and north to spread his mission. Wherever he went he set up local cells called manjis, where his followers could gather to recite hymns and meditate.
Once when Guru Nanak came to the small town of Saidpur in West Punjab he choose to stay there with Lalo, a low caste carpenter. At the same time the local chief of the town Malik Bhago, who was quite wealthy and a very proud man was holding a feast to which all holy men were invited. When Malik Bhago found out that Guru Nanak would not attend his feast but instead partook of the simple fare of his host Lalo, he was quite angry and had the Guru brought to him for questioning. When asked why he didn't join in the feast, the Guru sent for the meal served by Malik Bhago and also some of the simple meal served by Lalo. Holding these in separate hands he squeezed them, blood appeared out of the rich food of Malik Bhago, while milk oozed out of Lalos simple fare. Malik Bhago was put to shame and realized that his riches had been amassed by exploiting the poor, while what Lalo offered was the milk of hard earned honest work.
Another time while camped out at a town during the rainy season, several devotees would come to the Guru on a regular basis. One of them while on the way to see the Guru, came across a prostitute and was allured by her. Thereafter he would leave home on the pretext of going to see the Guru, but instead visited the prostitute. A few days later his friend who daily came to pay homage to the Guru was pricked by a thorn, while his neighbor, who visited the prostitute, found a gold coin in the street. The incident bewildered the Guru's devotee who came every day religiously. He mentioned it in the morning prayer meeting where Guru Nanak heard it and was amused. He told the Sikh;
"Your friend was destined to come across a treasure but due to his evil ways, it has been reduced to a single coin. While on the account of your past karma you were to have been impaled with a stake, but having reformed yourself, you have been let off with the mere prick of a thorn." (Janamsakhi)
When the Guru visited Kurukshetra in Haryana, a big fair was being held at the holy tank to celebrate the solar eclipse. There were a large number of pilgrims all over the country. On his arrival at the fair, Guru Nanak had Mardana cook them a meat dish of a deer presented to them by one of his followers. Upon finding that meat was being cooked on the holy premises, a large angry crowd gathered in anger to attack the Guru for what they thought amounted to sacrilege (Bhai Mani Singh, Gyan Ratnavali, pg. 123). Upon hearing the angry crowd Guru Nanak responded;
"Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is meat and what is plant? Who knows where the sin lies, being a vegetarian or a non- vegetarian?" (Malhar)
When Guru Nanak stopped at Hardwar a pilgrimage center on the Ganges river he found a large gathering of devotees. They were taking ritual baths in the holy river and offering water to the sun. When the Guru asked "Why do you throw water like that?" The pilgrims replied that they were offering it to their ancestors. Guru Nanak upon hearing this started throwing water in the opposite direction towards the west. When the pilgrims asked him what he was doing?. Guru Nanak replied "I am sending water to my farm which is dry". They asked, "How will water reach you crops so far away?". Guru Nanak replied, "If your water can reach your ancestors in the region of the sun, why can't mine reach my fields a short distance away?" The pilgrims realized their folly and fell at the Gurus feet.
On an eastern journey Guru Nanak visited Gorakhmata where he discussed the true meaning of asceticism with some yogis;
"Asceticism doesn't lie in ascetic robes, or in walking staff, nor in the ashes. Asceticism doesn't lie in the earring, nor in the shaven head, nor blowing a conch. Asceticism lies in remaining pure amidst impurities. Asceticism doesn't lie in mere words; He is an ascetic who treats everyone alike. Asceticism doesn't lie in visiting burial places, It lies not in wandering about, nor in bathing at places of pilgrimage. Asceticism is to remain pure amidst impurities. (Suhi)
After his first long journey, Guru Nanak returned home after twelve years of propagating his message. He then set out on a second journey traveling as far south as Sri Lanka. On his return north he founded a settlement known as Kartharpur (the Abode of God) on the western banks of the Ravi river. Guru Nanak would one day settle down here in his old age. It was also here that he met a young devotee who would later go on to serve five of the following Gurus, Baba Buddha (the revered old one). On his third great journey Guru Nanak traveled as far north as Tibet. Wherever Guru Nanak traveled he always wore a combination of styles worn by Hindu and Muslim holy men and was always asked whether he was a Hindu or Muslim. Guru Nanak visited Sheikh Ibrahim the muslim successor of Baba Farid the great Sufi dervish of the twelfth century at Ajodhan. When asked by Ibrahim which of the two religions was the true way to attain God, Guru Nanak replied; "If there is one God, then there is only His way to attain Him, not another. One must follow that way and reject the other. Worship not him who is born only to die, but Him who is eternal and is contained in the whole universe."
On his fourth great journey in life Guru Nanak dressed in the blue garb of a Muslim pilgrim traveled to the west and visited Mecca, Medina and Baghdad. Arriving at Mecca, Guru Nanak fell asleep with his feet pointing towards the holy Kabba. When the watchman on his night rounds noticed this he kicked the Guru, saying, "How dare you turn your feet towards the house of God". At this Guru Nanak woke up and said, "Good man, I am weary after a long journey. Kindly turn my feet in the direction where God is not." When pilgrims and the holy men of the shrine gathered to hear Guru Nanak and question him, he sang in Persian;
"I beseech you, O Lord! pray grant me a hearing. You are the truthful, the great, the merciful, and the faultless Creator. I know for certain, this world must perish, And death must come, I know this and nothing else. Neither wife, nor son, nor father, nor brothers shall be able to help. I must go in the end, none can undo what is my fate. I have spend days and nights in vanity, contemplating evil. Never have I thought of good; this is what I am. I am ill-starred, miserly, careless, short-sighted, and rude. But says Nanak, I am yours, the dust of the feet of your servants." (Tilang)
While in Baghdad contradicting the Muslim priests views that their were only seven upper and as many lower regions Guru Nanak shouted out his own prayer saying,
"There are worlds and more worlds below them and there are a hundred thousand skies over them. No one has been able to find the limits and boundaries of God. If there be any account of God, than alone the mortal can write the same; but Gods account does not finish and the mortal himself dies while still writing. Nanak says that one should call Him great, and God Himself knows His ownself." (Japji)
In 1916 a tablet with the following inscription was uncovered in Baghdad, "In memory of the Guru, the holy Baba Nanak, King of holy men, this monument has been raised anew with the help of the seven saints." The date on the tablet 927 Hijri corresponds to A.D. 1520-1521.
On his return journey home he stopped at Saidpur in western Punjab during the invasion of the first Mughal Emperor Babar. On seeing the extent of the massacre by the invaders, Mardana asked Guru Nanak why so many innocent people were put to death along with those few who were guilty. Guru Nanak told Mardana to wait under a banyan tree and after a while he would return to answer his question. While sitting under the tree Mardana was suddenly bitten by an ant. In anger Mardana killed as many ants as he could with his feet. Guru Nanak said to him, "You know now Mardana, why do the innocents suffer along with the guilty?"
Guru Nanak and Mardana were both taken prisoner by the Mughal's. While in jail Guru Nanak sang a divine hymn about the senseless slaughter of the innocents by the Mughal invaders. Upon hearing it the jailer reported it to his king. Babar sent for the Guru and upon hearing him realized that Guru Nanak was a great religious figure. He asked for the Gurus forgiveness and set him free offering him a pouch of hashish. Guru Nanak refused saying the he was already intoxicated with the love and name of God.
After having spent a lifetime of traveling abroad and setting up missions, an aged Guru Nanak returned home to Punjab. He settled down at Kartharpur with his wife and sons. Pilgrims came from far and near to hear the hymns and preaching of the Master. Here his followers would gather in the mornings and afternoons for religious services. He believed in a castless society without any distinctions based on birthright, religion or sex. He institutionalized the common kitchen called langar in Sikhism. Here all can sit together and share a common meal, whether they were kings or beggars.
While working the fields one day in 1532 Guru Nanak was approached by a new devotee who said, "I am Lehna," Guru Nanak looked at him and replied, "So you have arrived Lehna - the creditor. I have been waiting for you all these days. I must pay your debt." ("Lehna" in Punjabi means debt or creditor.) Lehna was a great devotee of the Hindu God Durga. One day having hearing about Guru Nanak and his teachings, he decided to visit and see the Guru for himself. Once Lehna met Guru Nanak he left his previous beliefs and became an ardent disciple of the Guru. Lehna's devotion to Guru Nanak was absolute, when he was not working on the farm, he would devote his spare time to the contemplation of God. Over time he became Guru Nanak's most ardent disciple. Guru Nanak put his followers to many tests to see who was the most faithful. Once while accompanied by Lehna and his two sons Guru Nanak came across what looked like a corpse covered with a sheet. "Who would eat it?" asked Guru Nanak unexpectedly. His sons refused, thinking that their father was not in his senses. Lehna though agreed and as he removed the cover he found that it was a tray of sacred food. Lehna first offered it to Guru Nanak and his sons and then partook of the leftovers himself. Guru Nanak on seeing this replied;
"Lehna, you were blessed with the sacred food because you could share it with others. If the people use the wealth bestowed on them by God for themselves alone or for treasuring it, it is like a corpse. But if they decide to share it with others, it becomes sacred food. You have known the secret. You are my image." (Janamsakhi)
Guru Nanak then blessed Lehna with his ang (hand) and gave him a new name, Angad, saying "you are a part of my body". Guru Nanak placed five coins and a coconut in front of Guru Angad and then bowed before him. He then had Bahi Budhha anoint Angad with a saffron mark on his forehead. When Guru Nanak gathered his followers together for prayers he invited Angad to occupy the seat of the Guru. Thus Guru Angad was ordained as the successor to Guru Nanak. Feeling his end was near, the Hindus said we will cremate you, the Muslims said we will bury you. Guru Nanak said; "You place flowers on either side, Hindus on my right, Muslims on my left. Those whose flowers remain fresh tomorrow will have their way." He then asked them to prey and lay down covering himself with a sheet. Thus on September 22, 1539 in the early hours of the morning Guru Nanak merged with the eternal light of the Creator. When the followers lifted the sheet they found nothing except the flowers which were all fresh. The Hindus took theirs and cremated them, while the Muslims took their flowers and buried them.
Thus having spread the words of reform throughout his lifetime, Guru Nanak successfully challenged and questioned the existing religious tenants and laid the foundations of Sikhism.
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
[1863-1902]
Swami Vivekananda is regarded as one of the greatest scholars of Hinduism and Vedas. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S inspiring personality was well known both in India and in America during the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth. The unknown monk of India suddenly leapt into fame at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, at which he represented Hinduism. His vast knowledge of Eastern and Western culture as well as his deep spiritual insight, fervid eloquence, brilliant conversation, broad human sympathy, colourful personality, and handsome figure made an irresistible appeal to the many types of Americans who came in contact with him. People who saw or heard Vivekananda even once still cherish his memory after a lapse of more than half a century.
In America Vivekananda's mission was the interpretation of India's spiritual culture, especially in its Vedantic setting. He also tried to enrich the religious consciousness of the Americans through the rational and humanistic teachings of the Vedanta philosophy. In America he became India's spiritual ambassador and pleaded eloquently for better understanding between India and the New World in order to create a healthy synthesis of East and West, of religion and science.
In his own motherland Vivekananda is regarded as the patriot saint of modern India and an inspirer of her dormant national consciousness, To the Hindus he preached the ideal of a strength-giving and man-making religion. Service to man as the visible manifestation of the Godhead was the special form of worship he advocated for the Indians, devoted as they were to the rituals and myths of their ancient faith. Many political leaders of India have publicly acknowledged their indebtedness to Swami Vivekananda.
The Swami's mission was both national and international. A lover of mankind, be strove to promote peace and human brotherhood on the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of existence. A mystic of the highest order, Vivekananda had a direct and intuitive experience of Reality. He derived his ideas from that unfailing source of wisdom and often presented them in the soulstirring language of poetry.
The natural tendency of Vivekananda's mind, like that of his Master, Ramakrishna, was to soar above the world and forget itself in contemplation of the Absolute. But another part of his personality bled at the sight of human suffering in East and West alike. It might appear that his mind seldom found a point of rest in its oscillation between contemplation of God and service to man. Be that as it may, he chose, in obedience to a higher call, service to man as his mission on earth; and this choice has endeared him to people in the West, Americans in particular.
In the course of a short life of thirty-nine years (1863-1902), of which only ten were devoted to public activities-and those, too, in the midst of acute physical suffering-he left for posterity his four classics: Jnana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, and Raja-Yoga, all of which are outstanding treatises on Hindu philosophy. In addition, he delivered innumerable lectures, wrote inspired letters in his own hand to his many friends and disciples, composed numerous poems, and acted as spiritual guide to the many seekers, who came to him for instruction. He also organized the Ramakrishna Order of monks, which is the most outstanding religious organization of modern India. It is devoted to the propagation of the Hindu spiritual culture not only in the Swami's native land, but also in America and in other parts of the world.
Swami Vivekananda once spoke of himself as a "condensed India." His life and teachings are of inestimable value to the West for an understanding of the mind of Asia. William James, the Harvard philosopher, called the Swami the "paragon of Vedantists." Max Muller and Paul Deussen, the famous Orientalists of the nineteenth century, held him in genuine respect and affection. "His words," writes Romain Rolland, "are great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of Handel choruses. I cannot touch these sayings of his, scattered as they are through the pages of books, at thirty years' distance, without receiving a thrill through my body like an electric shock. And what shocks, what transports, must have been produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!''
Tulasi Das
Swami Tulasi Das is regarded as one of the greatest poets of ancient India. His verses were written in Hindi and accessible to everyone. He is well known for the work, which was referred to as the greatest book ever written by Gandhiji, 'Ramacharita manasa' It is impossible to write a brief note about Tulasidas and be content about it. The reader is kindly advised to read in detail Rama charita manasa for a deeper appreciation of Tulasidas, the person, the poet, the philosopher, the saint and, more importantly, the devotee of Lord Rama.
Tulasidas was born in the year 1532 to a brahmin family in the town of Rajapur. He suffered separation from his parents at a very young age and was not taken care of by his relatives. He came into contact with some saints who advised him to surrender to Lord Rama. Thus, he got associated with a Hanuman temple and ate whatever was given to him. Not much is known about Tulasi's guru, but he met him in Sukarkheta. Since tulasidas was not mentally equipped at that time for complex philosophies, his guru advised him to take up the path of devotion to Rama. As time grew on, Tulasi's love for Rama grew deeper and deeper.
However, in his youth, he got married to a woman named Ratnavali. Once his wife went to stay with her parents for a while. Tulasi, not being able to bear the separation, went to meet her. Ratnavali is said to admonished Tulasi by saying 'I am just a bag of flesh and bones. Why are you so attracted to it ? Why don't you love Lord Rama with the same fervor?' This type of retort is not typical of Indian wives (atleast during that time). One wonders whether Ratnavali was itself spiritually inclined or whether God determined it was the appropriate time for Tulasi to leave the family life. Anyway, Tulasi contemplated on this remark and left all connections with the family life.
After bidding goodbye to family life, he lived in Chitrakuta for some time before 1564. He used to go around houses for alms. One day, he came to the house where his wife and father-in-law lived, but he did not recognize them. Though the wife recognized him, she just gave him alms and food. When she insisted that he partake spices like pepper, salt etc, he replied that he had his own supply of spices in his possession. Early next morning, when Tulasidas was preparing to leave the house, his wife requested him to take her with him. But, he refused saying that he has renounced family life. Ratnavali was angered and remarked, 'You have spices in your possession, but not wife. What kind of renunciate are you ?.' Tulasidas recognized the folliness of being attached to food, and thanked his wife for the lesson and threw away all his remaining possessions. He, then, migrated to Kashi. Scholars have rightly pointed out that Rama charita manasa would never have been written if not for Ratnavali's remarks. Though he made several pilgrimages throughout the country, his permanent residence was in Kashi. He commenced writing rama charita manasa in Ayodhya but came back to Kashi.
Nabhaji, the author of Bhaktamala (1600), writes that Tulasidas was an incarnation of Valmiki itself born again to explain Ramayana in the vernacular langauge. This raise in his fame naturally created many enemies, who attacked his caste, his asceticism etc, but Tulasi does not seem to have been bothered by this.
Tulasi was a personification of humility. He declares in the Manasa that he is no poet and he is imperfect and only sings the excellence of Rama according to his poor wit and understanding. This is the case in his other works Gitavali (1571), Kavitavali (1612), Barvairamayana (1612) and one of the best works, Vinaya Patrika (request to Rama). Tulasi, should not, however, be considered partial to Rama in exclusion to others. He appreciated the diverse tenets of Saiva, advaita and samkhya philosophies. He authored 22 different works. He never became attracted to miracles or money. Once the powerful king Jahangir offered him money in return for the performance of some miracles. Tulasi retorted 'Who needs money when one has the love of (and for) Rama ? What use is miracles before his glory ?'
In Kashi, he became the head of the monastery in lolarka kunda and was designated 'Gosain.' Around 1612, he started to suffer from acute arm pain, boils causing uprooting of his hair and also seems to have suffered from the epidemic in the local area. Having dedicated his life to Lord Rama, these were considered to mere trifles and Tulasi passed away on the third day of the dark fortnight in the month of Shravana in 1623.
Rama charita manasa
Having examined the life of Tulasidas, let us encounter the work 'Rama charita manasa.' There is no book which is considered more valuable by millions of devotees of Lord Rama in North India. The Manasa ministers munificently to the fancy of millions of Indians whose companion is Tulasi's poetry. Many a friend of mine utter tulasi's kritis when idling or hum his verses during monotonous work.
When the country was plunged in a gloomy atmosphere during the Muslim rule, the bhakti movement which inspired hundreds of people arose. Whether it was Chaitanya, Ramananda, Vallabha, Mirabhai, Tukaram, Ramanuja, Madhva, Kabir, Suradas etc.., the common thread was the bhakti exhibited toward Rama or Krishna. But the epic Manasa brings the common people hope even nowadays in the darkness of Kali yuga.
Tulasi is so magnificent in telling the episodes, whether it is Bharata's lamentation on arrival at Ayodhaya, kaikeyi in the chamber, or the conversation of Narada and Rama, that it is extremely moving and coherent. Tulasi is so passionately devoted to Lord Rama that by the sheer liveliness of his poetic imagination, he brings into life Rama, not as a son of Dasartha but as a qualified incarnation of Vishnu and also as Brahman itself. Yes, the same Brahman which the vedas and upanishads struggle to define and comprehend and resort to negativity as 'neti neti' (not this, not this). The basic religious principle of Tulasi can be found in the Uttarakanda of the Manas in the dialogue between Garuda and Bhushundi. As Tulasi points out, the name Rama means 'like a sun who dispels the darkness of ignorance.' Tulasi's Rama is thus Satchitananda. He is the all prevading Brahman and as Shiva says 'the story of Rama is an axe which fells the tree of Kaliyuga.'
Though bhakti in all its glory, it is also advaitic. Often, he lets debates and long verses interrupt the storyline to pour a whole philosophy of advaita. However, neither the intregity or the unity of the story is ever lost. Tulasi cries out 'I am the servant and He my master.. Hold fast to this doctrine and worship the lotus feet of Rama.' but in the same breath, he says 'I am That - this unbroken mental state is the flame which burns away the ignorance. No distinction is possible at this state.' When there is genuine faith in Rama, the material objects does not lead one astray. When the senses are controlled, discrimination is cultivated. With discrimination, the essence of real and unreal is ascertained and with this and the Grace of Rama itself -mukti is obtained. Tulasi stresses the importance of loss of the individual in attaining the supreme state of bliss.
Some western scholars have alleged that this work is just a translation of the sanskrit ramayana by valmiki. One should remember that both Rama charita manas and ramayana are both biographies of Lord Rama. Naturally, there should not major changes between the two. Tulasi is an independent poet who creates a world using metaphors and similes which though overall consistent with Valmiki's rendition differs considerably in many places. For example, the uttarakanda in the Manas does not even resemble the Valmiki's Ramayana.
Some scholars have noted that Tulasidas is Kalidas of Hindi literature. Actually, he is much more. Kalidas was a great sanskrit poet, and there is no doubt of that, but he did not spread a social and bhakti movement. Whether it is in usage of rasa, similes or metaphors, Tulasidas parellels and even exceeds the versatality of Kalidas. Another issue is the use of various chandas (meters). Kalidas is a deft poet who in his Raghuvamsha literally plays with the language. Tulasi is not far behind, he also uses many meters including anushtubh, totaka, vamshastha, to name a few.
The Manasa abounds in metaphors. For example in the balakanda, the devotion of Rama is the season of rain, his faithful servants are the growing rice. Right thoughts are the earth and the heart a deep place within it. Vedas and Purana-s are the sea and the saints the clouds which rain down praise of Rama's glory in sweet, refreshing showers. The rain refreshes the rice-fields (and thus the life of his devotees). The cleansing waters falls on the earth of understanding and flows in one stream and fills the lake (mind) and settles there bringing it permanent bliss.
Tulasi, as many who preceded him like Abhinavagupta, holds that rasa is the main characteristic of a kavya. Among the many rasa (sentiments), the common ones are love (rati), grief (shoka), hasya (humor), krodha (anger), utasha (energy), bhaya (fear). He brings out the beauty of love when Rama and Sita meet in the garden of Janaka, the grief in the separation of Rama from Sita, the energy when Rama encounters the demons, the anger in Kaikeyi, the fear when describing the evil spirits. These are just a small sample of the various rasa-s described by Tulasi.
Next is the use of similes. Rama's wedding, according to Tulasi, is in spring; his departure to the forest is in the heat of summer; a blessing to the gods is in the rainy season (indicating showering); the rule of Rama in the season of pleasantness - autumn; the character of Bharata is that of coolness (equanimity) etc. Even the constant repetitions of certain phrases like 'lotus feet', 'streaming eyes', 'quivering frame' etc have their use. Tulasi's ramayana is not meant for recitation or debating but for reading and rereading. It is an epic which moves the reader so much that one is marvelled by the skill of Tulasidas. He, not only provides hope and security in the midst of an ever-changing world, but also provides a sanctuary of love and peace. Tulasi shines like a lamp of divine guidance and by the light generated by Manasa dispels the ignorance into knowledge and wisdom.
Tulasidas was not writing a biography of Rama, but expressing a love towards Lord Rama in his work. All of Tulsidas's Rama charita manas is inscribed on the marble walls of Tulasi Manasa Mandir in Kashi. Even his sandals and couple of his minor possessions are preserved in this mandir. When I stood at the mandir, eyes closed and hands folded, I understood the real meaning of Rama charita manas, nay, life itself. Whatever the trials and tribulations, successes and elations the mind feels, they are all completely unreal and everything happens only due to the Will of Rama. But life is not just an abject surrender to the will of Lord Rama with a mere acceptance of both good and bad as consequence of karma but a positive affirmation of 'I am That.'
SHANKARACHARYA
Shankaracharya is also known as Adi Shankaracharya, meaning the original Shankaracharya. He is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers and savants of India. Though he lived for only thirty-two years, his achievement was unparalleled. He propounded the vedantic tenet that Brahman the Supreme and man are of one essence and that all people should strive to cultivate this vision of oneness. He established four spiritual centres in the four corners of the country, thus upholding the underlying unity of the holy land of Bharat." - Author - K.B.Ramakrishna Rao
Scholars believe that he belonged to the period between 788 and 820 A.D.
(O Goddess, You live in the lotus of purity,
You make the mind pure, and You are known by the inner mind.
You are beautiful as well as virtuous.
I offer my salutation at Your lotus feet at all times.)
"It is not possible to describe His form in any specific way. But great is His Glory."
The above statement is made about God. It occurs in Vedas. The same thing may be said of sages, seers and philosophers-the most glorious personages who were responsible for the growth and development of our national culture. They did not want to fill the pages of Indian history with physical and material information such as dates, place, birth, period of life, etc. This is the characteristic of our culture. Their vital spirit is still present all around us. Their works alone testify to their spiritual, intellectual and creative powers. These great men will appear to us as God-men, when we understand their works. Their actions appear as superhuman. As they are beyond our ability to understand, we tend to think of them as miracles. But these extraordinary men are far above those miracles also. Leaving aside these miracles, if we just take their life story, even that would be wonderful and interesting. The lives of such persons with their pristine purity . reveal the very heart of Indian culture. Sri Adi Shankaracharya belongs to the galaxy of such men. The history of Indian culture, in fact, is the stream of lives of such great souls. In order to recover from the crises-the religious, moral, that crop up ideological or political in the society from time to time, the country anxiously awaits the help of inspiring and glorious personalities. It may be said that Sri Shankaracharya's birth took place in the same way, as a result of India's spiritual longing for redressal of its all-round suffering.
Doctrine of Advaita or non-dualism
Adi Shankaracharya taught the doctrine of ADVAITA (A = not; dvaita = dual) which means nondual, i.e. of one nature, unchanging; a philosophy stressing Unity. Advaita is referred to as absolute monoism of Shankara.
This doctrine teaches that nothing exists apart from the Spirit, but everything is a form assumed by the Spirit.
Please note that the principle doctrinal division among the Hindus is between the schools of Advaita and Dvaita. The Dvaitists or Dualists worship a Personal God separate from the worshipper. The Advaitists, while recognising the truth of this conception on its own plane, go beyond it to the conception of the Absolute in which man is absorbed back into THAT which is his Source and real Self, enjoying the pure Bliss and boundless Consciousness of Being.
The following is quoted from "Shankara: Why is he India’s greatest philosopher?" By M.S.N. Menon published on www.organiser.org.
Shankara was essentially a unifier of India, not one who sought to divide our people. He tried to carry with him almost all streams of our civilisation.
Because he reflects, as no other son of India, the quintessence of the Hindu outlook. He was not partisan like Ramanuja and Madhava. He corrected our failings and set the country on a new course. We are still on that course.
But he has his critics in this country. Some want to bring him down. Others are partisan—pleading for their favourites. For example, it has been said that Shankara drove Buddhism out of the country (he is also called a crypto-Buddhist) and gave new life to Hinduism, which was almost dying. True, he played a major role in reviving Hinduism, but he was not hostile to any other faith. In fact, he absorbed the best elements from all faiths into Hinduism.
It has also been said that he was wrong in choosing jnana as the supreme path to salvation. He certainly gave great importance to jnana. In fact, he believed that jnana was the royal road to liberation. And he himself put into the hands of those who were travelling along that road his immortal commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahmasutras and the Bhagavat Gita. To make them easy to understand, the prepared manuals like Vivekachudamani, Atmabodha and others. No wonder he was called Bashyakara. But he knew that jnana (vichara marga) was not for the common men but only for the educated. For men like him.
Was Shankara, then, indifferent to the common men? He was not. He declares that among the techniques for emancipation, devotion (bhakti) alone holds the supreme place for the common people. Why? Because the common man wants to surrender to God, he wants to worship Him, not meditate upon Him.
So, was he a bhakta? He was not. He was in fact the author of a huge literature on bhakti. They are among the most profound. What is more, they are so musical that they charmed the Indian humanity. Sivananda Lahiri and Saundarya Lahiri are monumental works, showing his abiding efforts to draw the poor and the wretched to the divine.
But bhakti was many negative features. It makes a distinction between the lover and the loved. In other words, it goes against our philosophy of Advaita. In Monism, there is no scope for love, worship and emotion. It is surprising that Shankara let the black spots pass.
Did Shankara do away with the meaningless Vedic rituals? He did not. He did what he was best at. He created six new forms of worship. He merely purged the old ones of their excrescence. If today we have more refined forms of worship, we must be thankful to Shankara.
As an Advaitist, he did not believe in and anthropomorphic God. Nor did he believe in worship. But he knew that the common men wanted a deity of their own—an Ishtadevata. So, Shankara introduced and Ishwara into his system as a compromise. It was a major concession.
And he himself visited the famous temples of India. For what purpose? To convince the common man that his Ishtadevata has a place in his evolution to Advaita.
Was Shankara less enthusiastic about mediation? It is true he had chosen an active life. We cannot think of another person in our history, who was more active than Shankara. He made the whole of India his theatre of activity, walked from end to end of the country, debated with scholars of all faiths, and met with the ordinary people. He set up mutts (hermitages) in the four corners of India and created armed forces to protect Hinduism—all in the 8th century AD when there was not even any transport. And do you know that he chose the Shudras for these para-military forces and not the Kshatriyas? Even today the role of the Nagasadhus is to protect Hinduism.
Even after this, he was not sure whether he had done enough for the common people. So he composed popular songs for propagating bhakti. Who has not heard the bhajan “Bhaja Govindam?â€
Shankara was essentially a unifier of India, not one who sought to divide our people. He tried to carry with him almost all streams of our civilisation. In the process, he might have made compromises. In fact, he even accepted the best features of tantra!
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