SNS12Sound&Light
சேஷாத்ரிநாத சாஸ்திரிகள் Śēṣādrinātha Śāstrigaḷ
ஆதியும் அந்தமும் - 12 - மறை சொல்லும் மகிமைகள்
Ādhi & Andham – 12 – Vedas Great Sayings
ஓவியம்: மாருதி Image: Maruthi
Published: Sep 10, 2019 at 8 PM Updated: Sep 10, 2019 at 8 PM Sakthi Vikatan
 1. Sound is that which is uttered by mouth and heard with the ears. It is impossible to render sound in words.
 ஆதியும் அந்தமும் Ādhi and Andam
                                                                     
 2. In the days of Vedas, sound, and light only existed. Vedas, Itihāsas, Purāṇas, and Āyurveda: They all existed in an ‘Oral-Aural’ tradition.
 3. Sound is the creation of God. Men used their imagination to give the sound a letter-form (and a name) and pronounced the sound. After the ears heard the sound, people gave it a letter-form or a symbol. The symbols created by men may not all be right. Do you know why? It is impossible to represent a sound by a letter. A proper sound is best said by the voice box and heard by the ears.
 4. Let me bring your attention to an incident.
 5. Ratnakar lived in the forest with his wife and children. He had no money and to support his family, waylaid the travelers in the woods and robbed them of gold, valuable goods, and cash. The robbery was his only occupation to support his family.
 . 6. One day, Narada Muni was on foot in the jungle path. The robber waylaid Narada Muni and found nothing other the Tamburā (Keynote Guitar). The robber had no use for the musical instrument and so let the Muni go.
 7. Narada Muni played on his guitar to communicate with the robber. He heard it and because he pronounced the sound, he received the vision of the Supreme Lord.
 8. To reform the robber, Narada Muni asked him, “Is it not a sin to rob people?” The robber retorted, “Sin, who said it? Virtue is to serve and protect my family. In observance of virtue, I do what I do. The robbery will not earn me any sin.”
 9. Narada Muni, hearing the defense of his profession, said, “Your defense is correct. You do not serve and protect your family by hard work, and instead, you support them by earning a living by illegal means. You will accumulate sin.”
 10. Ratnakar said, “I have no other way to earn a living. This is what I could do. That is why I rob people. Robbery is my virtue.” Ratnakar gave a new explanation of what he meant by virtue.
 11. Narada Muni, attempting to rehabilitate him, said, “Appā, do you know how hard people work to make a living, save and serve the needs of the family? You rob their hard-earned gold and valuables. It is not a virtue. These errors will bring sin and hell to you.”
 12. Ratnakar hearing Nārada said, “If I am subject to sin, will my family members enjoying my ill-gotten wealth partake the sin of my ill deeds?”
 13. “Narada muni said, “You think wrong. Your family members have the right of use and enjoyment from your ill-gotten wealth. But they do not partake of your sin. They will live happily. Your life will be hard. Since they did not commit evil acts, they will go to heaven after death. Since you accumulated sin by robbing people, you will suffer severe consequences in hell.”
 14. Ratnakar said, “I cannot accept what you say.” He was firm in his belief.
 15. Narada Muni suggested to him, “You don’t seem to understand me. If it pleases you, do one thing. I will wait for you. You go to your wife and pose the question of her partaking of your sin of ill-gotten wealth.”
 16. Ratnakar went to his wife and asked her, “Don’t you have a share in all the things I do?”
 17. Wife: “What doubt could there be? Yes, I partake.”
 18. Ratnakar: Do you have a share in my earnings?”
 19. His wife said, “I do share your earnings. You must support me. The day you took my hand as your wife, from that moment, it was your duty to support me.”
 20. Ratnakar: “Does that not mean you have a share in my sin?”
 21. The wife said to him with determination, “How could that be? Mistake, you did. That sin will cling to you. I am free of it.”
 22. Ratnakar came back to Narada Muni and told him, “Aiyā, what you said is correct. My wife told me that she has no share of my sin. I don’t understand it. All these days, I became the sole participant in the sins. Is there redemption?”
 23. Narada said, “No reason to worry. You do Tapas.”
 24. The erstwhile robber had no clue what Tapas was. He asked for an explanation. Narada initiated him with a Mantra. The Mantra was a tongue twister for him. Narada immediately pointed to the trees in the vicinity and asked him, “What are they?” Ratnakar said, “Maram.”
 25. Narada instructed him, “Don’t close your mouth after saying, “Maram. Say ‘Marā.’”
 26. Ratnakar likewise chanted, ‘Marā, Marā’ That enunciation morphed into Mantra, ‘Rāma.’ Ratnakar became the Vālmīki Muni and gave us the incomparable Ityhāsa Rāmāyaṇa.”
 27. What is apparent in this story?
 28. The written letter did not bring the result. Narada uttered it in the sound mode. Ratnakar heard that sound. He chanted it. He, because of it, perceived the Light of the Supreme God.
 29. ‘Ṛṣi’ in Sanskrit means, ‘God Perceiver or Seer.’ Here ‘Seeing’ (Darśan) means ‘Appearance is like seeing in the mirror.’ He is the Seer of the Supreme God: Ṛṣi.
 30. Ṛṣi Parāsarar is from the same mold. Once, he was to cross the Ganges River. There was a boat. There was a girl to ply the boat. Parāsarar climbed into the boat. As the boat was floating in the river, there occurred a thought in him, ‘Now, a Mahāṉ should materialize.’
 31. Do you know what happened?
 will continue.
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