Holy Kural with Commentary by "Phd" Siva

#KROM 60. "Immediate Execution of Karma!" Even if it is for a split moment, withstanding the wrath (power) of the realized saints of high caliber is extremely difficult! குணம் என்னும் குன்றேறி நின்றார் வெகுளி கணம் ஏயும் காத்தல் அரிது. 29 guNam ennum kunRu ERi ninRaar veguLi gaNamEyum kaatthal aridhu. It is quite rare to provoke a truly realized soul. However, if any misadventure ends up provoking such a saint, the execution of the karmic justice is immediate. The following story about Swami Trailanga of Benaras, from "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Sri Paramhansa Yogananda, illustrates this point: --- In spite of his round face and huge, barrel-like stomach, Swami Trailanga ate only occasionally. After weeks without food, he would break his fast with potfuls of clabbered milk {Butter milk} offered to him by devotees. A skeptic once determined to expose Trailanga as a charlatan. A large bucket of calcium-lime mixture, used in whitewashing walls, was placed ...

#KROM 59. "Yoga Technique for Sense-Control!" An adept who can control his (unruly elephants-like) five senses by using the "goad" of strongly magnetized energy flow will plant a seed for himself to be born in a world that is most elevated and sought after! உரன் என்னும் தோட்டியான் ஓர் ஐந்தும் காப்பான் வரன் என்னும் வைப்பிற்கு ஓர் வித்து. 24 uran ennum thOTTiyaan Or aindhum kaapaan varan ennum vaippiRku Or vittu. (uran = strong; thOTTi = anukusha = goad, elephant hook; varan = most elevated, desirable; vaippu = land) The master yogi Sri Valluvar encoded a yoga technique, in this Kural, for performing sense-control by using certain keywords (thoTTi, uran) . The shape of "goad" (elephant hook) resembles closely to the energy flow from spine to the spiritual eye - See the picture. Many advanced yoga techniques (1) follow this method of withdrawing the downward energy flow outgoing through senses into the spine and reverse it to flow upward. This is...

#KROM 58. "Security is Primarily Internal!" What a well-guarded shelter would do (to a porous, disloyal heart)?  Only the self-protection that stems from consummate integrity of women is the foremost security! சிறை காக்கும் காப்பு  எவன்செய்யும் மகளிர் நிறை காக்கும் காப்பே தலை. 57 siRai kaakkum kaappu evan seiyyum magaLir niRai kaakkum kaappE thalai. Culturing of internal consciousness was given utmost importance by Sri Valluvar throughout in his entire Book of Kural and the external factors were assigned secondary or no importance. Being completely satisfied does not imply complacency here instead it places oneself in the path of excellence by competing against oneself to do better than before, instead of against others. The Perfection can only be sought inside, not externally. #108GURU 24. ॐ हेयोपादेय वर्जित सम्पूर्ण हृदयाय नमः ஓம்  ஹேயோபாதே3ய வர்ஜித சம்பூர்ண ஹ்ருத3யாய நம: #KURAL 57 Recently Occurred in Mind --- #PHD Jai Gurudev! AU...

#KROM 57. "Love is a Prerequisite for Service!" What use is there if one wields all kinds of authority and power outside but devoid of love inside! புறத்து உறுப்பு எல்லாம் எவன்செய்யும் யாக்கை அகத்து உறுப்பு அன்பு இல் அவர்க்கு.  79 puRatthu uRuppu ellaam evan seiyyum yaakkai agatthu uRuppu anbu il avarkku. Many desire to become famous by offering their energy to the needy. It is a good thing! However, Sri Valluvar says that it is essential to have genuine love inside first. The trio: Love, Wisdom, and Energy must be balanced in order to have them expand perpetually. In this trio, the love and the wisdom one can strive to develop, however the energy is given based on the capacity one develops on the first two. If one does not have the love, the spent energy diminishes away without getting replenished and the unused energy is "spent" somehow by illness, financial loss, mental inharmony, etc, #108GURU 23. ॐ स्वान्त प्रेमावताराय नमः ஓம் ஸ்வாந்த ப்ரேமாவதாராய...

#KROM 56. "Do No Evil if You Love Yourself !" One who is a lover of one's own (true) self, should not undertake any evil action! தன்னைத்தான் காதலன் ஆயின் எனைத்து ஒன்றும் துன்னற்க தீவினைப் பால்.  209 thannait thaan kaadhalan aayin enaitthu onRum thunnaRka theevinaip paal. (thunnutal = undertake, perform) An evil action is not something determined by some authority arbitrarily! An action is immediately determined as good or bad in the consciousness whether one is aware of it or not. Any evil action, which is nothing but an erroneous action, takes the performer's consciousness away from the balanced state (the natural state of the soul). Once moved away from the center, the consciousness must return back by the corresponding compensatory good action. In this KuRaL, Sri Valluvar advises to abstain from evil to begin with so that the energy can be conserved for expansive action. #108GURU 22. ॐ दुष्कर्म रहित स्वात्मप्रेम्याय नमः ஓம் துஷ்கர்ம ரஹித ஸ்வாத்மப்ரே...

#KROM 55. "Aspiration and Integrity - Recipe for Greatness!" Be loyal to your own (higher) self in a manner women with integrity conduct themselves. This is the way to attain greatness! ஒருமை மகளிரே போலப் பெருமையும் தன்னைத்தான் கொண்டு ஒழுகின் உண்டு.  974 orumai magaLirE polap perumaiyum thannaith thaan koNDu ozhugin uNDu. Sri Valluvar emphasizes the principle of "inside out" here as he has done elsewhere. In order to achieve greatness, which is outwardly recognizable, one must possess the characteristics of a chaste woman, who is a symbol of inner strength. In addition, he also recommends an organic, holistic, continuous development to improve oneself by aspiring for the best one can achieve.     #108GURU 21. ॐ महिळभाव एकाग्रपूर्णचित्त स्वात्मानन्द महिमाय  नमः ஓம் மஹிளபா4வ ஏகாக்3ரபூர்ணசித்த ஸ்வாத்மானந்த3 மஹிமாய நம: #KURAL 974 Recently Occurred in Mind --- #PHD Jai Gurudev! AUM! http://kromphd.blogspot.com (in English) http://soukro...

#KROM 54. "Talk Straight with No Hidden Agenda!" It is better if one can talk straight without convolution and is still better and balanced if there is no trace of conflict of interest inside. சொற்கோட்டம் இல்லது செப்பம் ஒருதலையா உட்கோட்டம் இன்மை பெறின்.  119 soRkOTTam illadhu cheppam oruthalayaa uTkOTTam inmai peRin. (kOTTam = kink; cheppam = best quality, balanced; oruthalai = certainty) If you look at any relationship issues, there will be some form of broken promise, either explicitly made or implicitly assumed, at the root of the issue. The degree of violation and the corresponding pain differ in a rather wide spectrum, from a trivial issue to a life-endangering issue. It is said that "Loyalty is the greatest virtue and betrayal is the worst sin." The saint-poet Avvaiyaar has defined chastity or loyalty as not breaking the promise ("kaRpu enappaduvadhu sol thiRambaamai")! #108GURU 20. ॐ वक्रहीन मितभाष वक्त्राय नमः ஓம் வக்ரஹீன ம...

#KROM 53. "Loyalty is the Greatest Virtue!" There is nothing else a man would need than a virtuous woman with hard-core loyalty, as his wife. பெண்ணின் பெருந்தக்க யாவுள கற்பென்னும் திண்மை உண்டாகப் பெறின்.  54 peNNin perunthakka yaavuLa kaRpennum thiNmai uNDaagap peRin. All human beings (Jeevathmaas) are considered as "female" companions to the only "male" God (Paramaathma)*. Loyalty to the Truth (i.e., God)  is the utmost virtue every human being must cultivate and adhere to in order to attain rapid progress in spirituality. #108GURU 19. ॐ मातृका विशेष्य विश्वास सत्भावाय नमः ஓம் மாத்ருகா விசேஷ்ய விச்வாஸ ஸத்பா4வாய நம: #KURAL 54  Recently Occurred in Mind --- * -  This evening Bhaduri expounded various philosophical points connected with the life of Mirabai, a medieval Rajputani princess who abandoned her court life to seek the company of sadhus. One great-sannyasi refused to receive her because she was a woman; her reply brought him hum...

#KROM 52. "True Experience is the Antidote for Doubt!" The heaven (salvation) is nearer than the earth to an adept who becomes free from doubt based on the true experience. ஐயத்தின் நீங்கித் தெளிந்தார்க்கு வையத்தின் வானம் நணியது உடைத்து.  353 aiyatthin neengith theLindhaarkku vaiyatthin vaanam naNiyadhu uDaitthu. Doubts are of multidimensional nature. At the fundamental level, there will be lingering doubts about the nature of God, soul, relationship to the world, karma, reincarnation, etc. Different religions define these concepts using different terms by emphasizing certain aspects in them which leads to differences between them. In the initial phase, it is quite difficult for an aspirant to sort out the differences himself. However, these differences can be reconciled through the maturity one gains from his personal experience by following the true teachings of a Guru. With this mature understanding in the universality of the truth, the flashy world no longe...

#KROM 51. "Joy Multiplies in Sharing Knowledge!" The learned get motivated to learn more when their learning results in giving joy not only to them, but also to others. தாம் இன்புறுவது உலகு இன்புறக் கண்டு காமுறுவர் கற்றறிந்தார்.  399 thaam inbuRuvathu ulagu inbuRak kaNDu kaamuRuvar kaRRaRindhaar. Learning helps to improve one's standard of living, in the near future, and leads to salvation, eventually. Moreover, while learning itself, one derives pleasure from appreciating the artistic verbal and visual expressions of the subject matter. A noteworthy, meritorious study gets duly praised and recognized everywhere. Since the knowledge is not a limited resource like material wealth, the acquisition and protection of it is less painful and does not attract intense competition and rivalry as in the latter. When others benefit from your learning, their sincere appreciations and gratitude will give you a refined joy that will fuel further quest in you for learnin...

#KROM 50. "Knowledge is Endless!" A person with professional getup who does not have acumen for learning to cover depth and breadth with a penetrating intensity is like a well-decorated clay-toy! நுண் மாண் நுழை புலம் இல்லான் எழில் நலம் மண் மாண் புனைபாவை அற்று.  407 nuN maaN nuzhai pulam illaan ezhil nalam maN maaN punaipaavai aRRu. Many hit a plateau of boredom after a comparable material success since they typically are unaware of the wide variety of subjects where they can usefully utilize their time. The knowledge is endless. One must have capability to dive deep, to a tiny particle level, and to cover breadth, as vast as the sky, with a penetrating intensity. The more one learns the more vistas open up! The great poet-saint Avvaiyaar echoes this Kural in her Vinayagar Agaval: "அணுவிற்கு அணுவாய் அப்பாலுக்கு அப்பாலாய் கணு முற்றி நின்ற கரும்புள்ளே காட்டி" There are several bodies of knowledge in the Sanatana Dharma (traditional name for Hinduism) w...

#KROM 49. "Keen Listeners Only Speak Humble Words!" A person's speech will lack humility if he is not an astute listener to the fine, lofty topics! நுணங்கிய கேள்வியர் அல்லாது வணங்கிய வாயினர் ஆதல் அரிது.  419 nuNangiya kELviyar allaadhu vaNangiya vaayinar aadhal aridhu. By listening to the lofty ideals, one would automatically find himself to be infinitesimal in comparison with vastness of the ideal. Also, by nature, the hearing capability precedes the speech as a born deaf cannot speak. Similarly, without hearing proper subjects, a person's speech will lack its propriety. #108GURU 15. ॐ श्रोत्रिय विनयसम्पन्न भाषिताय नमः ஓம் ச்ரோத்ரிய விநய ஸம்பன்ன பா4ஷிதாய நம: #KURAL 419 Recently Occurred in Mind --- #PHD Jai Gurudev! AUM! http://kromphd.blogspot.com (in English) http://soukromphd.blogspot.com (in Sourashtra)

#KROM 48. "All Knowledge is Inside!" As you dig deeper (and remove the blocking crusts) in the well, the water oozes out. So does the fount of knowledge oozes out as you learn deeply (and remove the growth-blocking negative tendencies)! தொட்டனைத்து ஊறும் மணற்கேணி மாந்தர்க்கு கற்றனைத்து ஊறும் அறிவு.  396 thoTTanaitthu ooRum maNaRkENi maandharkku kaRRanaitthu ooRum aRivu. Through this beautiful analogy, Sri Valluvar figuratively conveys that the knowledge is truly inside and external aspects aid it to unfold. Here, the word "thoTTu" literally means "touching" that can be taken as either digging or removing the blocking deposits or both together, as done above. It is said, all-knowing intuitive knowledge is rooted in every heart with its circumference nowhere. It is also said, the true learning is really "unlearning" of what was learnt wrongly so that the all-knowing true nature of the soul shines forth. #108GURU 14. ॐ स्वयंप्रकाश आत्मत...