Vedam Parama Pramaanam 
(Mukkur Sri Lakshminarasimhachariar)

– Part 4-

Next is Apaurusheyathvam . This is another fundamental attribute of the Veda. It means ‘not authored by any Purusha’ (non-human origin).

Vidyaranya Swami, the author of the Veda Bhashyam, who adorned the Sringeri Peetham as its 13th Peetadhipathi, explains this beautifully. He was someone who had fully received the kataksham (grace) of Mahalakshmi.

Speaking of Mahalakshmi’s kataksham, in our Acharya Parampara, there are three great seers to whom Mahalakshmi appeared directly (pratyaksham): Swami Desikan, Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada, and Vidyaranya.

Swami Desikan lived his life strictly practicing Unchavritti (gathering alms day by day). He was a supreme Vairagya Nidhi (treasure of dispassion) who never hoarded anything for the next day. He would gather rice from various places and hand it over to his Dharma Patni (divine consort). She had to clean the rice, cook it, and offer it as naivedyam to Bhagavan, didn’t she? For this, she poured the gathered rice into a winnowing fan (muram).

What had happened that day? While passing by the house of a very wealthy man, the man saw this great Mahan, this unparalleled Vidwan, walking in the hot sun begging for alms in the middle of the street. Feeling deeply distressed, he thought, “Is it right for us to just offer him ordinary alms?” and out of pity, he mixed a measure of gold rice (thanga arisi) and poured it into Swami’s bowl. The gold rice fell into the bowl with a clinking sound. Seeing that, Swami Desikan immediately said, ‘Keedavat bhaathi me’ (This looks like worms to me). “You have poured worms into my bowl! How can I offer this to Bhagavan now? The rice is at the bottom and this gold rice has fallen on top of it!” Saying so, he dumped the entire offering right there at their doorstep..!!

He then took alms from other places, brought it home, and gave it to his wife. When she poured it into the winnowing fan, a single grain of gold rice had remained in it. The Swami, who was standing nearby, called out to the Lord. His wife asked, “Swami, what is this?” He replied, “That is a worm, throw it far away..!!” She pushed it away, and only then was the food offered to Bhagavan.

To test his dispassion, some people sent a Brahmachari (bachelor) who needed money for his marriage to Swami Desikan. They mockingly told the boy, “Go to him, he will give you bags of rice, you can get it from there.” The boy came and asked him. What did he have with him? He was someone who didn’t even save a grain for the next day!

Such was his greatness. He declared:

Kshoni kona shatamsha paalana kalaa dhurvaara garvaanala
kshubhyath kshudra narendra chaadu rachanaam anyaam na manyaamahe
dhevam sevithumeva nicchi numahe yosau dhayaalu: puraa
dhaanaa mushti muche kuchela munaye dhatthesma vittheshatham

At that time, Vidyaranya was the Asthana Vidwan (Royal Scholar) in the Vijayanagara Empire, and he was a contemporary of Swami Desikan, who was in Kanchipuram. Vidyaranya wrote to him, “You are such a great scholar. Why don’t you come here and be the Royal Scholar in the Vijayanagara Empire?” This verse was Swami Desikan’s reply!

He said: “A king rules over a tiny fraction of a corner of the earth, yet is consumed by the fire of uncontrollable arrogance. I will not waste my words uttering false praises comparing him to Indra or Chandra..!! For the sake of a handful of beaten rice (aval), the Lord gave Kuchela all the wealth of the universe. That Dhananjaya syandana bhooshanam (the ornament of Arjuna’s chariot) is my true wealth!”

That Krishna, who sat on the front of Arjuna’s chariot:

‘Indhiran siruvan thermun nindraanai thiruvallikkeni kandenennar’.
‘Paarthan maamani thervodum paagamnar’ (as praised by Srivilliputhurar).
“When I have that Krishna as my supreme wealth, I do not need any other wealth!” he declared.

The 44th Peetadhipathi of the Ahobila Mutt, Mukkur Srimad Azhagiyasingar (who built the massive Rajagopuram at Srirangam), used to say something very humorously. He was constantly traveling on his palanquin (Doli). He would say, “I am hoarding this ‘Krishna dhanam’. Let’s see who can catch me!” For a moment, nobody understood. If you literally translate ‘Krishna dhanam’ into Tamil, it means ‘Black Money’..!! He humorously punned, “I am carrying this Krishna Dhanam (Black Money), who can arrest me?” What he truly meant was, “I am holding onto the wealth (dhanam) that is Krishna.”

Therefore, Krishna is the true wealth. Swami Desikan held onto the wealth sitting on Arjuna’s chariot. He goes on to say:

Kilam kimanalam bhaveth anala moudharam bhaadhithum
Payaha prasuthi poorakam kimuna thaarakam thaarakam
Ayathna malamallakam pathi padacharam kacharam
Bhajanthi vibudhaa mudhaa ahaha kukshitha kukshitha

He uses the word ‘ Ahaha ‘ in pure mockery. “What kind of stomach is this? Ahaha!” he laughs. “Are there not grains scattered on the harvested fields? Small birds pick them up with their beaks. Does this digestive fire (jataragni) really need more than those scattered grains?” In ancient times, great sages never stretched out their hands to beg. They would glean the scattered grains from the fields, cook them, and eat.

“To quench one’s thirst, are there not rivers flowing in this land? Is a palmful of water not enough? To protect one’s dignity, is a yard of torn cloth found on the street not enough? For the sake of this clothing, this food, and this water, must one go and show their teeth in a fake smile to someone? Must one falsely praise a man for qualities he doesn’t possess?”

He concluded:

Naasthi pithraarjitham kinchith
Na mayaa kinchith aarjitham
Asthime hasthi sailaagre
Vasthu paithaamaham dhanam”

“I have no wealth inherited from my ancestors. I have earned nothing myself. But I do possess the supreme ancestral treasure that emerged during Brahma’s Ashwamedha Yajna on the Hastigiri hill—Lord Varadaraja! I need no other wealth.” Thus, he completely refused to go to the Vijayanagara Empire. What material wealth would such a man, who rejected royal honors to live on daily alms, possess?

Yet, when that Brahmachari came and asked for money, Swami Desikan looked up and said, “Mother, is this your divine play?” and began to sing:

Maanaatheetha prathitha vibhavhaam mangalam mangalaanaam
Vaksha peetam madhu vijayino bhooshayantheem svakaanthya
Prathyaksha anushravika mahima praarthineenaam prajaanaam
Sreyo moorthim sriyam asarana thvaam saranyaam prapadhye”

This is called the Sri Stuti, a hymn praising Mahalakshmi.

Yasyaam yasyaam dhishi viharathe
Devi dhrushtis thvadheeyaa
Thasyaam thasyaam aham ahamikaam
Thanvathe sampadhogaa

“In whichever direction Mahalakshmi’s compassionate glance falls, in that very place, the Ashta Aishwaryas (eight forms of wealth) rush in, competing with each other saying, ‘Me first! Me first!'”

As he chanted these verses, a rain of gold poured from the sky! The Navanidhis (nine treasures) showered down..!! He looked at the Brahmachari and said, “Tie up what you need.” The boy tied up a huge bundle and said, “Swami, this is enough for me.” Desikan replied, “Take the rest to whoever sent you here.”

Swami Desikan considered gold rice to be worms. His wife didn’t even know what it was. Yet, when such a supreme renunciate utters a sloka, it rains gold! Will it rain if we recite it..? It is precisely because he was such a Vairagya Nidhi that Mahalakshmi Herself came down and showered such special grace.

Similarly, when Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada went for Bhiksha (alms), it was a Dwadasi day. Feeding a Brahmachari on Dwadasi yields the merit of feeding a thousand knowers of Brahman. Giving alms to Sannyasis is even more special. But there was absolutely nothing in that house except a single dried amla. Seeing their immense poverty and suffering, he sang the Kanakadhara Stotram, starting with ‘Angam harehe pulaka bhooshanam aashrayantheem’. As he sang, a rain of golden amlas poured down! Adi Shankara transformed that impoverished family into one of great wealth. He didn’t pray for himself; the gold rained for them.

In the same way, Vidyaranya prayed to Mahalakshmi. She appeared before him. “What do you want?” she asked. “I need immense wealth,” he replied. Mahalakshmi said, “You do not have the fortune to attain wealth in this birth. I will give it to you in your next birth.” Vidyaranya thought about it. “She says next birth. How long will it take for me to die and be reborn?” He was known as Apara Shankara (another Shankara) for his brilliance. He immediately made a decision to bring his ‘next birth’ into the present moment by taking Sannyasa!

Taking Sannyasa is considered a new birth, a fresh life. That is why a Sannyasi’s age is calculated purely based on their Chaturmasya Sankalpam (monsoon retreats), determining who is senior or junior. Vidyaranya became a Sannyasi, donned the saffron robes (Kashayam), and prayed to Mahalakshmi again. She appeared. “What do you seek?” she asked. “I need wealth,” he said. “Didn’t I tell you I would give it in your next birth?” she reminded him. He pointed to his saffron robes and said, “My next birth has already arrived!”
“Oho! If it has arrived like this, I am happy. Here, I grant it to you,” she said. And the gold rained down! It poured endlessly. “Is this enough?” she asked. “Enough, enough,” he said. “Shall I leave?” she asked. He simply agreed, because who would ever tell Mahalakshmi to go away? He just kept his mouth shut, and she disappeared.

Then he looked at all that wealth and lamented, “Aiyyo! I have been cheated! I shouldn’t have asked her for this!” Why? “Before this, I was in an Ashrama (Grihastha) where I could have asked. Now, I have entered an Ashrama where I am not even allowed to touch this wealth with my hands! What do I do with this now?”
He then decided to use all that wealth to rebuild and restore the countless temples that had been destroyed during Malik Kafur’s invasion. Using that vast wealth in the Vijayanagara Empire, Vidyaranya established many great Dharma karyas (righteous institutions).

Only after that did he write the Veda Bhashyam. Adorning the Sringeri Peetham, he worshipped Lakshmi Narasimha. It was solely due to his Narasimha Aradhana that he was able to extract and explain the profound meanings of the Veda. In the very first Mangala Sloka of his Veda Bhashyam, he meditates:

Kamalaa kucha kasthoori vaasithorasam
Sampoorna shubhagam dhevam bhaje naraharim harim

He begins his commentary on the Veda by meditating on Narahari, who is united with Lakshmi, the bestower of all auspiciousness.

Is writing a commentary on the Veda an easy task..?

He writes: “Nanu koyam vedo naama? Keva thasya vishaya prayojana sambandhaadhikaarinaha? Kathamvaa thasya praamaanyam athrochyathe?”

What is the Veda? Who is connected to it? How does it become a Pramaanam (authority) for us? He raises these questions and answers:
‘Ishta praapthi anishta parihaarayoho alaukikam upaayam yo grantho vedayathi sa vedaha’.
The text which reveals the supernatural/unseen means to procure what is desired (Ishtam) and ward off what is undesired (Anishtam) is called the Veda.

In this world, we clearly see what is desired and undesired. Everyone desires a healthy, well-nourished body.
To chant the mantra ‘Pushtim thattho thattha pushtim pushtim thattha pushyathi pushyathi thattha pushtim pushtim thattha pushyathi’, one must have physical strength (pushti). If there is no strength, can one even chant this? So, everyone desires health and strength. That is Ishtam.

What is Anishtam? Ill health, disease. Panting for breath just by getting up or sitting down, feeling dizzy after walking two steps, unable to rise, unable to sit. Such suffering is Anishtam.

The removal of this undesired state and the attainment of the desired state is what we seek. This disease must leave us. So, we immediately go to a doctor and show our hand. He checks the pulse and says, “Take this medicine.” As soon as the medicine is consumed, the disease disappears. We are freed from the illness. But because the disease occupied the body for so many days, the body feels weak and exhausted. “I can’t get up, it’s very difficult,” the patient tells the doctor. The doctor prescribes a tonic. Consuming that, he regains his energy and starts running around like before.

Now, pay close attention. If you look at the medicine we bought, it has a manufacturing date and an expiry date written on it. The day it was created, and the day it ends. If you use it after that date, the medicine has no power. A time limit is stamped on it. After that, it is useless.
Similarly, this physical body also has a manufacturing date and an expiry date stamped on it! We just cannot see it with our eyes. We created the medicine, so we wrote the date on it, and we can read it. Bhagavan created this body, and He has written the date on it, but it remains invisible to us. Yet, the expiry date is definitely written.

So what are we doing? Using a temporary, perishable medicine with an expiry date, we are trying to protect a temporary, perishable body! Both are ultimately perishable.

In Srivaishnava Paribhashai (traditional orthodox vernacular), when inquiring about someone’s health, they ask, “Thirumeni paangaa?” What does that mean? Are you healthy? In Sanskrit, they ask “Abhi kusalam?” The true, inner meaning of asking “Are you healthy?” is actually: “Is the perishable object that you are currently possessing doing alright?” When we ask “Thirumeni paangaa?”, we are literally asking, “Is the temporary vessel you are holding doing okay?”

In this world, all our anxieties are entirely focused on this perishable object. There is absolutely no one who worries about the imperishable entity—the Atma (soul)—that we truly are! It remains invisible to our eyes. We only see this body. “Oh, you’ve lost so much weight! You looked so healthy back then, now you’ve become so thin!” All our worries are about the body. But the medicine is perishable, and the body is perishable too.

Therefore, the Veda is not talking about this.

Oonidai suvar vaithu enbu thoon naatti
Romam veyindhu onbathu vaasal
Thaanudaik kurambai piriyum pothu
Undhan saraname saranam endru irundhen
Thenudaik kamalath thiruvinukku arase
Thirai kol maanedungadal kidandhay
Naanudai thavathaal thiruvadi adainthen
Naimisaaraniyathul endhaay “

A great Yajna took place in Naimisharanyam. The forest itself is the deity there. Emperuman is present there in the form of the forest (Vana roopi). In Pushkaram, He is present in the form of water (Jala roopi). In Tirumala, He is in the form of the mountain (Parvata roopi).
“Jyotimshi vishnuhu bhuvanani vishnuhu salilani vishnuhu sarvatra vishnuhu” says the Vishnu Purana. He is the light, He is the forest, He is the water, everything is Vishnu.

When Thirumangai Azhwar saw the Lord as the forest in Naimisharanyam, his body trembled. Trembling with deep spiritual realization (Nirvedam), he sang this Pasuram:

“Oonidai suvar vaithu enbu thoon naatti” – This body is a wall built by mixing flesh and blood. To hold it up, pillars of bones have been planted. A roof is needed, so it has been thatched with hair. According to Vastu Shastra, nine doors have been placed in this house. The soul inside is called Kshetrajna (the knower of the field, also a name for Paramatma).

What does He do? He gently brings this soul, builds this beautiful house for it, and makes it enter. We perform Gruhapravesam (housewarming) for a new house, don’t we? As soon as the soul enters this newly built house, it completely forgets the one who built it for him! It becomes an ingrate (Krutaghna) with no memory of the Creator. As soon as it sits inside, it assumes this body will protect it, that this body is its ultimate relative, and it forgets its true self. It thinks this body is strong. But does this body really stand strong?

“Thulava thulava vengira sollum sorpoche
Alavin nedu moochumaache kannum panjaache
Arangaa irangaayo ini”

Pillai Perumal Iyengar looks at Ranganatha and cries, “Thulava thulava…”
“Gagana chara kanaka giri kari madha ra nigama maya nija garuda garuthanila lava kalitha bhasha pathana chara kathana..!!”
“Once upon a time, I could sing such majestic, tongue-twisting verses! But now, I cannot say a word. ‘Thulava thulava vengira sollum sorpoche’ – I can’t even say the word Tulasi anymore. ‘Alavin nedu moochumaache’ – Just getting up or sitting down leaves me panting heavily. ‘Kannum panjaache’ – My vision has blurred, I can’t even recognize who is walking towards me. Ranganatha, do you have no pity on me?”

What does this mean? Does it mean, “Give me back my strength, give me back my eyesight”? No! It means, “Why are you still keeping me here? Won’t you take me to your divine feet? Do you have no pity on me?”

As we keep watching, our strength diminishes. One by one, things leave us. The ears stop working properly. We can’t sit properly. It causes so much struggle. We clearly see this happening. Therefore, one must not place attachment on this body.

The Veda does not need to teach us this either, because everyone knows this. The Veda speaks of the invisible Atma, which is entirely different from the body. This Atma has no destruction. That is what Bhagavan declared:

Na jaayathe mriyathe vaa kadhaasith
Naayam bhoothvaa bhavithaa vaa na bhooyaha
Ajo nithyaha saasvathoyam puraano
Na hanyathe hanyamaane sareere

Only the body perishes; the Atma within never perishes. It has no birth, and it has no death. The Atma undergoes Dehaanthara praapthi—it keeps taking on new bodies. In between, something called ‘death’ occurs. What does death mean? It means the Atma takes on a body according to its Karma. Once the fruits of that Karma are exhausted, leaving that body and moving to another is called death. Right now, we are sitting here. Then we go outside. Moving from here to outside, what do we call it? Moving from one body to another is called death.

Vaasaamsi jeernaani yathaa vihaaya
Navaani gruhnaathi naroparaani
Thathaa sareeraani vihaaya jeernaani
Anyaani samyaathi navaani dehi

Just as we discard a torn shirt and put on a new one, this Atma discards a worn-out body and takes on a new one. This is the truth. This is what the Veda reveals. This is invisible to the naked eye. Therefore, the Veda is the Pramaanam (Supreme Authority). Whatever the Veda says is the absolute truth. One must never doubt it. The Mahans have elaborated this for us. We must understand this and elevate ourselves.

“Doshas (flaws) can occur in Pratyaksha (Direct Perception) and Anumana (Inference). But for the Sabda (The Word/Veda), there are absolutely no flaws! ‘Eshathu dosha rahithaa mahithaa puraanee’. No dosha can ever be attributed to the Veda.

Look at how Pratyaksha (direct perception) can be flawed. A man gets jaundice. Everything he looks at appears yellow. He looks at a pure, bright white jasmine flower and says, “Why is this yellow? Is this a chrysanthemum?” Why? Because his vision is tinted yellow. His own perception has been corrupted by a dosha. Pratyaksha failed to give him the truth.

Anumana (inference) can also deceive us. Sometimes our inferences are completely wrong. How? Consider this: Four people are standing at a bus stop in T. Nagar, Madras, waiting for a bus after attending a Brahma Sutra Kalakshepam (spiritual discourse) in the morning. Suddenly, a taxi arrives. From that taxi, a highly orthodox Srivaishnava wearing twelve bright Thirumans (Urdhva Pundram) and a traditional shawl steps out. He walks straight into a massive, grand hotel!
The four people at the bus stop see this. “What an atrocity! They said Kali Yuga is 4,32,000 years long… we are only 5,000 years in, and already such atrocities are happening! In broad daylight, such an orthodox man is confidently walking into a hotel! What is he going to eat in there?” They start deeply analyzing and inferring what he must be eating inside.

But let us see what actually happened (Pratyaksham) there. He had handed a 100-rupee note to the taxi driver. The driver said, “Swami, I don’t have exact change. It would be good if you could get it changed.” The Swami said, “You go and get it changed, appa.” The driver replied, “If I go, the hotel owner won’t give it to me. But you look exactly like Lord Venkatachalapathy! The moment you walk in, he will give it to you out of respect. Please go and get it.”

Having no other choice to get change for his 100-rupee note, the Swami walked into the hotel. But everyone standing outside used Anumana to deduce what he was eating inside! See how their inference led them completely astray? So, Anumana also has doshas. If we assume something based on inference, it can totally flip on us.

Pratyaksha has flaws. Anumana has flaws. But the Sabda—the Veda—is completely devoid of flaws! It will never deceive us. It doesn’t speak just for the benefit of one person or one particular group. ‘Sarvaa prajaa prabhinandhanthi’ – it rejoices in the welfare of all beings. Not just for humans, not just for one caste among humans, not even just for the human species! The bird kingdom, the plant kingdom… whatever living beings exist in this world, including the Devatas… the Veda seeks the absolute welfare of them all.

For instance, we can practically see this in a place called Sholapur. People from abroad, from America, came and learned the Agnihotra ritual. A group of about 20 foreigners sit daily in a garden in Sholapur and perform Agnihotra. When Adiyen gave an Upanyasam in Coimbatore, one of those foreigners actually brought his Homa Kundam to show me. It was a beautiful copper vessel, this big. Wherever he goes, he carries it and performs the Agnihotra homam. He chanted the mantras with perfect swaram right in front of me!
In that garden in Sholapur, they planted saplings and performed Agnihotra sitting right opposite them. They practically demonstrated that the plants growing in that specific area grew far more robustly and yielded far greater results than those in other areas! The Vedic statement ‘Agnihotra phala vedaah’ is physically manifesting there. See how much immense power is embedded in those mantras?

Whether it is for the plant kingdom to thrive, for the animal kingdom (cows, birds, etc.) to be healthy, or for humanity to prosper, the Veda explains the path to the ultimate welfare of all. Because there is nothing that the Veda does not encompass, and because it brilliantly reveals Paroksha matters (unseen, supernatural truths) that our eyes cannot perceive, it possesses Apaurusheyathvam.

What does Apaurusheyathvam mean? Vidyaranya says, ‘Not like the verses of Kalidasa.’ If we take the Raghuvamsham, who authored it? Kalidasa. Kumara Sambhavam, who authored it? Kalidasa. Yadavabhyudayam, who authored it? Swami Desikan. The Ramayanam in Tamil, who authored it? Kamban. Soundarya Lahari, Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada. If we take any text, we know its Grantha Kartha (the author).
But who authored the Veda? ‘Karthru abhaavaath’ (Due to the absence of an author). No one authored the Veda! It is called ‘Ozhai padaa pramaanam’ and ‘Ezhudhaakkilavi’ (the unwritten word). Only nowadays we have printed books with all the swarams marked. In ancient times, there was no such thing. It was strictly memorized, held in the heart, and passed down orally from one person to another.

Therefore, Apaurusheyathvam means it was not composed by any human being. It was not composed by the Maharishis. And here, the word ‘Purusha’ does not just mean ‘human’. ‘Purusha’ also means Bhagavan (as in Purusha Suktam, Narayana). It means the Veda was not even authored by Him! Rather, because it is His very breath, we must realize that the Veda exists eternally alongside Him. Therefore, the Veda possesses the supreme attribute of Apaurusheyathvam.