वेदम् परम प्रमाणम् – Vedam Parama Pramaanam
( Mukkur Sri Lakshminarasimhachariar )

– Part 2 –

The word ‘ Veda ‘ is a Sanskrit term. What does Vedah signify? ‘ Vedayati iti Vedah ‘—that which reveals or makes known is called the Veda. It reveals the Parabrahman (the Supreme Absolute).

What is its name in Tamil? It is called ‘ Marai ‘ (மறை). Marai means to hide or conceal. It gets this name precisely because it conceals.

But to whom does it reveal..? And from whom does it conceal..?

Observe this carefully. It conceals its truths from those who lack the kataksham (divine grace or compassionate glance) of the Acharya.

But what about those who have received that Acharya kataksham..?

Imagine a divine mansion built entirely of pristine crystal. If you light lamps on all four sides and pour the Navanidhi (nine cosmic treasures such as navarathnams) right in the center, imagine how brilliantly and dazzlingly it would shine! In that exact manner, the profound esoteric meanings hidden deep within the texts become crystal clear. It is understood by the great Jnanis, but through the grace of the Acharya, these profound truths are made easily accessible and comprehensible even to ordinary people.

One cannot understand these truths simply by looking at a book. Furthermore, one should not attempt to learn them that way. One must surrender at the feet of great Mahans and learn the subject by listening to them.

If a person reads and acquires knowledge entirely on their own, what is the nature of their scholarship? The Shastras declare, ” Jaara garbha iva striyah ” (Like the child of an adulterous woman). Just as such a child receives no honor in a dignified assembly, a person who acquires knowledge merely by reading books will never be respected in a Sabha (assembly) filled with learned pandits. He will never be able to speak with majesty or authority.

Swami Desikan strictly questions this: “स्वयं तर्तुमक्षमः किमपरान् संतारयेत्?– Swayam tartum akshamah kimaparaan santaarayet?” (When one is incapable of crossing the ocean of samsara oneself, how can one help others cross?). He compared this bookish knowledge to “_kalavu kondu aabharanam poondaa pole” (wearing stolen jewelry).

Consider this scenario: A grand wedding is taking place, and everyone is busily engaged in various tasks. A woman goes to the bathing quarters. Someone who had bathed before her had forgotten a beautiful kantha haaram (necklace) and left it hanging there. Seeing the necklace, this woman immediately takes it and goes straight back to her home.

Once home, she beautifully adorns herself with the stolen necklace. She looks in the mirror and admires how lovely it looks. For two whole days, she stays inside her house, repeatedly wearing it, admiring herself, and feeling deeply satisfied.

Four days later, she has to attend another wedding. She decides to wear this necklace to the event. However, all the guests from the previous wedding are also present here. The moment she arrives wearing it, she realizes she cannot show it off openly. She constantly pulls at her saree to conceal it.

Not only that, but she is utterly terrified of everyone she looks at. She lives in constant fear: “Will someone grab my hand and question me?” She is afraid of whoever stands opposite her. She cannot converse freely with anyone. She finds no real joy in wearing the necklace, yet she cannot display it to the outside world either.

Whose state is this..? This is the exact state of the one who has acquired knowledge only by reading books..! Without an Acharya’s grace, if a man simply memorizes texts from books and climbs onto the speaker’s seat, he will be terrified of everyone in the audience. “What will he ask? What will this person ask? If they ask a question, will I know the answer? Is what I am saying even correct?” If the speaker himself harbors such doubts, how can he impart matters to others? How can he convince or satisfy them with his explanations?

Therefore, such knowledge will never shine. It is precisely “like wearing stolen jewelry.”

Instead, one must surrender at the feet of Mahans and listen to their teachings over a long period. “बहुधा श्रोतव्यम् बहुभ्यः श्रोतव्यम् – Bahudha shrotavyam, bahubhyah shrotavyam” (One must listen in many ways, and from many preceptors). One must repeatedly listen and carefully retain those teachings. Therefore, since the Veda is the supreme authority (Parama Pramaanam) in revealing the glories of Emperuman, one must sit humbly beside the Acharyas and study it flawlessly with immense dedication and effort.

In the Brahma Sutra Bhashyam, a question is raised: “Vedadhyayanam nama kim..?” (What is the study of the Veda?). The answer given is “Akshara raasi grahanam“—grasping the multitude of syllables. Is it just one syllable or two? How many syllables are there in the Veda?! How many swaras (intonations) does it have? Thus, it is a vast multitude of syllables.

Every syllable has its designated swaram. Take the phrase, “Pratyang shadago bhavati“. In that specific place, one must pause for exactly one matra (a measure of time)—an eka maatra virama. If we analyze it, there are so many incredibly difficult passages like this. Phrases like “Anubhogam bhogam anvanu bhogam maanada” consist of complex, hard-to-render terms.

Then there are sequences like: “Praagapaag apaak praak praak apaagudagudagapaak… praak praak apaagudagu… apaagudagudaga paaga paagudagudha raagadha raagudha gapaaga paagudagadha raagu“. Can anyone easily figure out what words are hidden within this chanting..?

When we break down the sandhi (conjunction of words), the root words are: Praak, Apaak, Udak, and Adharaak. Praak means the Eastern direction. Apaak means West. Udak means North. Adharaak means South. When the Veda mentions these four directions, and when it is chanted in the complex Ghanam style, it sounds like: “Praak apaak apaak praak praak apaak apaak praak praak apaagudagu dagupaaga paagudagudha raagadharaa udagapaaga paagudagadharaagu“. The words intertwine seamlessly. Such deeply interwoven, perfectly intoned sounds can only be mastered if the student sits directly opposite the Acharya, listens to him utter them with the correct swaram, and perfectly reproduces them.

Consider this chant: “Avarun therrun thae……. Earkkae… Oarkko… Oarkko earkkae erkka kachcheeyathae theeyathae thearkkae… Earkko oarkkor kachcheeyathae…” How can one possibly write this down? “Earkkae…“—how much of that drag can you capture on paper? “Oarkko…“—even if you manage to write it down, can you pronounce it correctly just by reading it? Never. Only if a master utters it, and the student meticulously listens to exactly how he says it, can the student repeat it. It takes many, many days of such practice…!

To grasp this sandhi, to master this kampam (vocal vibrato/modulation), one might get thrashed for fifteen days! When the student incorrectly chants “Thearkkae… Earkko…”, the Acharya would firmly smack him on the cheek, correcting him: “No, it is Earkkae… Oarkko…”. The physical force of that correction would literally shake the boy’s head.

Imagine a boy who studied as a Brahmachari (student) at the age of fifteen. He is now ninety years old. He comes to the bhajana matham here for Veda Parayanam. Whenever he reaches that specific passage in the chant, his head still shakes! Someone sitting opposite him once asked, “Why is his head shaking like that?” It is because, at the age of fifteen, his Upadhyaya (teacher) gave his head such a jolt. The shake he received then makes his head tremble even today! His head naturally moves to the exact rhythm of that swaram. In Vedic education, the teacher makes the student sit right next to him, constantly observing closely to ensure he is chanting it perfectly.

Once, an Acharya chanted a Vedic phrase: “Yadurgu rudayachchathu“. The young student, however, was looking elsewhere. If a student doesn’t repeat the phrase properly, the Acharya would kick him! When asked to repeat “Yadurgu rudayachchathu”, the distracted boy blurted out the Tamil phrase: “Yeruthu kuthiraiyai ochchathu..!” (Meaning: The bull drove the horse)! Both sound phonetically identical. But will he ever learn the Veda this way?

The Veda will only be internalised if one listens with intense focus. Therefore, one’s hearing must be sharp. One must listen to the Acharya’s words saavadhaanamaa (with absolute concentration) and care. Only then can the Vedic sounds be successfully grasped. Hence, one must never chant it inauspiciously, nor with apaswaram (incorrect intonation). There is a strict rule that it must be chanted entirely with the perfect swaram. Therefore, the Veda is a Vidya (sacred knowledge) that must be earned with immense effort and hardship..!