several view L

 We sit in silence: with our lips we pray to God, but our minds, alas, stray; things and thoughts, to which we pay the least attention during waking hours, rise out of nowhere, and, like swarms of mosquitoes, disturb our peace. The more we try to brush them aside, the more formidable they become.

What shall I do? Do nothing. Let me but sit still, as a silent spectator viewing the shifting scenes of a fickle mind. Let me keep looking on at the thoughts that rush out of the unknown deep in a seemingly endless procession. They are not my thoughts. I have naught to do with them. They come: let them come. They will soon pass out, leaving the chamber of my mind cleaner and brighter than before.

They are the dirt and filth that have accumulated within the cells of my mind during a lifetime, or, maybe, during many long ages. If the dirt and filth are washed off, I have every reason to rejoice. In due course, the mind will become calm and clear as the surface of a lake on a windless day. Such a mind will become a source of indescribable joy and peace. To sit in silence, I must learn to be still – to do nothing. To be still, I must learn the art of separating myself from the changing moods of the mind, from its flights, which are faster by far than the fastest supersonic jets.

Man’s life is so crowded with mundane activities that he rarely has time for self-study and introspection. He seldom finds himself in that expansive, tranquil mood of silence and reflection, where he can listen to God, and chant the Name Divine in the heart within.

In ancient Indian scriptures, we are told the story of an old woman, bent double with age, walking along the road with only a stick to support her. Some men who met her on the way, asked her out of kindness and curiosity, ‘Mother, where are you going, all alone, on this long and lonely road?’ The old woman smiled at them — and her eyes smiled too — as she replied, ‘I am going to where I came from!’ Rare is it for any creature to achieve birth as a human being; even rarer is it to be blessed with good health and strength; and yet, what do we do with these gifts?

Alas, we chase after shadow shapes of power, pleasure and possessions. Born in this world to seek our true Home, we are lost in worldly activities and are chained in bonds of worldliness. By all means, do your work sincerely. Work is essential for a human being. It disciplines his mind and exercises his body. Work is a great boon. But we must remember, work is a means, it is not an end. Livelihood must never be confused with life.

Do not make your work the objective of your life on this earth. The purpose of your life is to cultivate the soul. Hence, even while you are attending to your work, stay connected to the Source of all Life; stay in constant touch with God.

The  XIV Dalai Lama

All of us, including animals, insects and microbes, are the same in wanting happiness and in wishing not to suffer. As human beings, we have sharp intelligence, which is one of the principal factors for bringing us peace of mind and joy. However, just as it can bring us hope, our intelligence can also bring us fear. Therefore, what we ultimately need to do is find peace of mind. Inner peace is something we achieve within the mind, by cultivating the mind. If we have that, we can even withstand physical pain without being overly disturbed by it.

Those who cultivate the altruistic awakening mind of bodhichitta, by engaging in the practice of equalising and exchanging self and others, are prepared to take on the suffering of others. Their experience of peace and joy can help them transform adverse circumstances into favourable conditions for wholesome practice. So, we should employ our human intelligence and emotional hygiene to develop happiness and peace of mind.

These days, we are faced with the coronavirus pandemic, which is very sad. People working in the health system — doctors, nurses and others — as well as scientists doing research are doing their best to help. I really appreciate their effort and dedication. As a monk following in the footsteps of the Buddha, I cultivate the altruistic awakening mind of bodhichitta and I rejoice in the way you are selflessly serving those who are sick and in need. Every morning, I recite mantras and pray that this pandemic will come to an end as soon as possible. I dedicate these practices for the good of the world, especially India.

By THICH NHAT HANH

According to Buddhism, ‘to be or not to be’ is not a real question. Meditation takes us beyond fearlessness. We’re too busy, so we become victims of anger and fear. If we have really touched our nature of no birth or death, we know that to die is one of the root conditions to realise oneself. We have to learn how to ‘die’ in every moment in order to be fully alive.

We should be able to release our tensions. We are the karma we produce every day. Treasure the time you are left with, for it is more for you to practice. Generate energy of love, compassion and understanding so you can continue beautifully. Buddha’s disciple Sariputra Ananda and other friends went to see Anathapindika, a lay disciple, who was a businessman and dying.

He had made time to come to dharma talks and weekly practice. They asked him whether the pain had diminished. He replied that it was increasing. The monks led him on a meditation on the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. After a few minutes, there was no more suffering and he smiled.’ Help the dying person not to cling to his body. If there is regret, help them to see those are not his feelings. When conditions are manifested, this body manifests, and when not, it goes. The nature of this body is not birth, death, coming or going — not hurt by notion of being or non-being. I am free from birth or death. That practice helps me.

By Narayani Ganesh

Carl Jung, psychiatrist, and Wolfgang Pauli, quantum physicist, would often sound each other out on the nature of reality and of meaningful coincidences, writes Paul Halpern in his book, Synchronicity: The Epic Quest to Understand the Quantum Nature of Cause and Effect. Do things happen due to cause and effect — or are they simply random occurrences and coincidences?

These questions have engaged not only physicists and psychologists, but philosophers as well. Are we living in a reality that allows for free will or is everything in the universe predetermined? Do things happen according to plan or is there a prefixed matrix in place? Do we live in a predictable or unpredictable universe?

In an interconnected world, that Buddhists relate with Pratityasamutpada, the theory of dependent origination, all phenomena arise in relation to other phenomena. In quantum mechanics, any particle is hypothesised to have its mirror particle somewhere, giving rise to the possibility of the existence of mirror universe, or parallel reality.

Whether in the classical theory of general relativity or modern quantum theories, physicists are still figuring out stuff to explain the true nature of reality. Nor have neuroscientists, who study the brain, and psychologists, who analyse the mind and human behaviour, been able to explain succinctly why one man’s reality is so different from another’s. Indic sages allude to Maya, Illusion; that the universe is nothing but a grand illusion, a play. And Jain Arihants have talked of Anekantavada, that there is no single, all-encompassing truth but many, many truths.

By Sant Rajinder Singh

Scriptures tell us that we are born into this world with a limited number of breaths. Breaths are like capital, a bank account given to us by God. Every moment, we make a choice about how to spend our breaths. We can choose to spend our capital wisely or foolishly.

When we wisely invest our capital — the time that we have been given in this world — in God, we are making a true investment, one whose rewards are tremendous. This investment brings with it a sweetness that cannot be found in any objects of this world, and it is one that lasts. We focus our attention in the right direction and use our time to fulfil the sole purpose for which we have come into this world: to realise ourselves and the Power. We do so through meditation.

As we focus, we commune with the Power that brought all creation into being. Our soul gets consumed with unimaginable love, joy and happiness. If we wish to uncover the luminosity and riches of our soul, spending some time daily in meditation can help. By sitting in meditation for some time each day, we would be using our time for lasting spiritual gains.

This spiritual awakening leads to a transformation from within. We become imbued with divine love, shedding the layers of mind, matter and illusion that cover our soul. Our attention shifts from the world outside and we begin to utilise the mechanism of meditation. So, with the help and guidance of a spiritual adept, we unravel the mysteries of life and death and help our soul find its way back to its Source.

BY SWAMI CHIDANAND SARASWATI

Mantras and japa help us to concentrate. We live in a world that is overflowing with sensory pleasures and stimulation.

Our lives are so busy with work, errands, chores and other things. Therefore, it is very difficult to simply still the mind. (The mind is always in a state of agitation.)

Mantras and japa serve as a bridge between this world and the divine realm. They offer us a way to transverse the water that may seem impassable.

In dharana, that is, concentration, there is a subject and an object. You, the subject, are concentrating on a mantra. This is the object of your concentration.

In meditation, the object disappears. The subject disappears. All become one. Rather than focusing on a mantra, you and the mantra become one.

In meditation, all borders, boundaries and separation between us and the universe begin to disappear. Once we develop that close, intimate bond with God, mantras and japa become less necessary.

Imagine that you love someone with all your heart. You don’t need to take a mala and recite her name over and over again with the beads of the mala in order to remember her.

Your heart automatically remembers. Similarly, once we have that deep love for God, we don’t need to continue doing japa to bring us into contact with Him. We will be in contact all the time. Our lives will become our japa.

IS NESS

 The essence of all knowledge is summed up in the statement, ‘By knowing the Lord one knows all,’ and the Lord can be known only if He chooses to reveal Himself to us. In the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord reveals His glories and explains in detail the subtle aspects of His Supreme Self that lie beyond the limits of Time and Space, said Swamini Satyavratananda in a discourse.

Sat, Existence and Chit, Consciousness are the exclusive principles of Brahman, distinctive and absolutely independent. They are not the part, product or property of anything in the created universe. Sat is existence or the ‘Is-ness’ while Chit is the consciousness principle, lending sentience to the created world. He says ‘I am the Self dwelling in the heart of all beings, who constitute my body.’ God is the soul of all the beings; all the sentient and non-sentient aspects of the universe together constitute His body. It is clear that the Self is the controller and supporter of the body. 

 If all things and beings exist with their distinctive names and forms, it is owing to Brahman who is present as the antaratma in their inner selves. The inner self, the atma in each being is imperishable and is independent of all the variety of nama and roopa in creation that is available to the human senses, mind and intellect and survives even after the body falls. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad explains this truth thus: “He who dwelling in all beings is within all beings, whom all beings do not know, whose body all beings are, who controls all beings from within, is your inner controller, Immortal self.” Brahman is the creator, preserver and destroyer of all and hence He is described as beginning, middle and end. This Existence and Consciousness Principle survives even after time of dissolution in this Vibhuti.

DW AG

The word Azhvar means one who is deeply involved in something. To be involved in something, one must like it. Secondly, one must get an opportunity for involvement. And finally, and most importantly, the thing one is involved in must be something that engages one for a lifetime. It must not be something temporary, here now, gone the next minute. And given the nature of the mind, it is difficult for us to find something that holds our attention always. The mind has, after all, been likened to a monkey, which cannot stay in one place for long, but keeps jumping about here and there. The only thing that is capable of lasting forever is attachment to Lord Narayana. Once one realises that there is nothing worth thinking of than the Lord, the involvement begins and never goes away.

 We see this in the case of Pillai Urangavilli Dasar, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. Initially, he was enamoured by the beauty of his wife’s eyes. He would walk in front of her, holding an umbrella to shield her eyes. Ramanuajacharya asked him if he would give up this obsession, if he (Ramanuja) showed him something more beautiful. Pillai Urangavilli Dasar agreed. Ramanuja showed him the beauty of the eyes of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam, and Pillai Urangavilli Dasar became a slave to Ranganatha’s charms. So, he reached the point where he focused on the indestructible, whereas earlier he had focused on the temporary. But God’s guiding hand is what takes us to the point where we see Him as our only refuge. If Dasar had not been in Srirangam, and if Ramanuja had not witnessed the odd sight of a man guarding his wife’s eyes, the transformation of Dasar would not have happened. Both divine will and an Acharya’s guidance are necessary for us to take the right path.

swabhava

 The Sarira-Sariri tenet is central and exclusive to the Visishtadvaita philosophy. It explains the relationship between the Lord and the entire creation. The Lord is the Sariri and the entire creation comprising the chetana and the achetana beings and objects is His Sarira. As long as the chetana and achetana beings exist, He supports them and keeps them under His control. They cannot exist independently and are bound to Him seamlessly.

the Phala Sruti verse in the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra that captures the essence of this bhava. The heavens, the moon, the stars, and all the heavy objects in the entire creation are kept in their respective places and supported and made to function owing to His Sankalpa. In the individual chetana and achetana beings and objects, the body exists as along as the jivatma exists. It becomes lifeless when the atma exits. Just as a jivatma directs his body, mind, intellect, etc according to his will, the Lord is the sole master. All others in creation are His possessions and exist to serve Him as Sesha bhutas. Brahma, Rudra, Indra, etc, are subordinate to Him. There is none who can equal His supremacy nor is there anyone who is above Him. This supremacy is His natural swabhava. When in life there are masters with servants to work for them, these are roles that are obtained by circumstances and for limited periods of time. But the Lord is the Master at all times and for the entire creation. It means no one can be His master and He is not obliged to serve anyone. Still, out of His own Sankalpa, as in Rama and Krishna avatars, He willingly plays the role of a Seshi, when He serves Vishwamitra and fights Tataka, or when He drives the chariot for Arjuna, or goes as a messenger for the Pandavas.  

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 Azhwars are believed to be incarnations of the Nityasuris in Vaikunta, and having been constantly in the Lord’s service they exemplify the highest form of bhakti yoga Nishta. They teach us how to practise this bhakti yoga, which is very demanding in terms of meditative competence and uninterrupted engagement with God, pointed out Aasuri Sri Madhavachariar in a discourse. A normal jivatma is drawn to bhakti when he is initiated to savour the auspicious qualities of the Almighty. But the jivatma is also under the laukika pressures of daily living and it requires tremendous effort to attain oneness with the Lord.  

Moreover one has to contend with the pulls of the indriyas and in all spiritual literature, such as the hymns of the Azhwars and the Stotra granthas of acharyas, this is frequently stressed. It is very easy to get deceived by the senses and their wily ways and hence much effort is needed to gain control over them. The spirit of bhakti and involvement with God is best illustrated in the way of life of the Gopis for whom there is no thought except Krishna. They are not learned in the sastras, yet they have achieved the state of selfless love for Krishna that is explained as the essence of bhakti yoga. It is bhakti for bhakti’s sake about which the Lord speaks in glowing terms in the Gita 

It is also shown that Vasishta, Hanuman and rishis of yore are still engaged in bhakti yoga. It does not mean that Vasishta or Hanuman is not eligible for moksha. Vyasa says Vasishta has been ordained to accomplish certain things in this world and that his prarabdha binds him to bhakti yoga till date. So too, it is held that Hanuman, declining Rama’s offer of Vaikunta vasa, chooses to live in this world to meditate on Rama, chant Rama Nama, and listen to Ramayana.

Sri Golwalkar

 Each nation has its own key-note in life and marches ahead in tune with that national ethos. Our Hindu Nation has also preserved a unique characteristic since times immemorial. To us, the aspects of material happiness, i.e., artha (the amassing of wealth) and kama (the satisfaction of physical desires) are only a part of man’s life. Our great ancestors declared that there are two more aspects of human endeavour, dharma and moksha. They built up our society on the basis of this fourfold achievement, the chaturvidha purushartha of dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

Since hoary times our society has been known not merely for its wealth and affluence but more so for the other two aspects of life. We are therefore called a highly moral, spiritual and philosophical people, who have kept as their ultimate goal nothing short of direct communication with God Himself, i.e. moksha. If this final aim of human existence is left out, then what remains except the feeding of the brute in man? If it is a fact that there is a difference between man and the animal, then the concepts of prosperity and happiness for the two also must differ. If to eat, drink and enjoy abundantly is the only criterion for both, man will have to be equated with a mere beast. Therefore we say that we have also to feed the spirit of man. It is only when we do that, that we can look upon our national existence as being really great and glorious.

So, when we think of the greatness and glory of our nation, we not only think of its wealth and affluence, of all the means of satisfaction of the necessities of the body but also of the mind of the individual which should be made to gradually rise above all these things and place him in a position to which he is entitled as a human being, that is, in direct relation with divinity. It has been said, धर्मादर्थश्चकामश्च, that is, first follow dharma, and dharma will also give artha and kama.

Role of Dharma

When we say that we want to protect and rejuvenate dharma, do we mean the revival of its external form of rituals and formalities? In our country, some people wear the sacred thread – yajnopavita – while some do not. Some keep a tuff of hair, some do not. Some worship idols, some do not. These things have meaning for those who have faith in them. And they are just small external signs of our all-comprehensive dharma. They must not be confused with dharma itself.

Our definition of dharma is twofold. The first is proper rehabilitation of man’s mind; and the second is adjustment of various individuals for a harmonious corporate existence, i.e., a good social order to hold the people together.

Let us take the first aspect. What is meant by the rehabilitation of mind? We know that the personality of man is only a projection of his mind. But the mind is like an animal, which runs after so many things and it is so constituted as to be one with all the desired things. Ordinarily, man’s mind does not stop to consider what is right and what is wrong. It stoops to any level in order to fulfil its desires. With such a mind, man is not likely to rise higher than the level of an ordinary animal. Therefore the mind is to be cultivated in self-restraint and certain other great qualities. Those attributes of good conduct are mentioned in various contexts in the Bhagavad-Gita and our other holy scriptures. They have described five yamas for the body and five niyamas for the mind.

The other is the social aspect. Man’s life has to be attuned to the wider interests of the people as a whole. Both these aspects are complementary to each other. The first aspect is defined as –

यतोभ्युदयनिःश्रेयसिद्धिः स धर्मः ।

which means that the arrangement which enables and encourages man to control his desires and create within himself the competence to realise the Divine Essence or the Eternal Reality even while enjoying a rich material life, is dharma. The second aspect is –

धारणात् धर्ममित्याहुः धर्मो धारयति प्रजाः ।।

which means that the power which brings individuals together and sustains them as a society is called dharma. A combination of these two definitions shows that the establishment of dharma means the building of an organized social life wherein each individual has realized his oneness with others in society and is imbued with a spirit of sacrifice to make others’ material life richer and happier, and develops spiritual strength which leads to the realization of the Ultimate Truth.

There is one more way of looking at this blending of the development of the individual with the integrity and welfare of the society. We have been told by our great thought-givers to discriminate between what is permanent and what is impermanent. Shankaracharya has called it nityanitya-vastu-viveka. Let us, for the time being, keep apart its high philosophical interpretations and apply to our national life. Individuals come and go. Countless generations have come and gone. But the nation has remained. Drops of water come, stay for a while and evaporate; but the flow of the Ganga goes on ceaselessly. So is the eternal flow of our national life. We, the individuals, appear on the surface like bubbles or drops for a moment, and disappear. The `permanent’, therefore, is the national life. The ‘impermanent’ is the individual. The ideal arrangement would therefore be to transform the impermanent-the individual-into a means to attain the permanent – the social good – which would at the same time enable the individual to enrich and bring to blossom his latent divinity. This is dharma in its twofold aspect, which leads mankind to its ultimate goal of Realization of Godhead-moksha.

alabandra and others.

 Ramanuja used to go round the streets for his Biksha.  An evil-minded fellow  had mixed poison in the biksha.  His wife while serving the biksha fell at  Ramanuja’s feet with tears in her eyes.  Ramanuja understood that there was  something wrong.  When the Sishyas sorted out the biksha for cooking, they found  out that poison was mixed with it.  Ramanuja went on a fast with a view to  cleanse the mind of the evil-doer.  On hearing this, Tirukkoshtiyur Nambi rushed  all the way to Srirangam.  When Ramanuja heard of the coming of his Guru, he  rushed to the banks of River Kaveri to receive him.  It was the height of  summer.  Ramanuja ran towards him in the hot Sun to receive him and fell at his  feet on the burning sands on the banks of river Kaveri.  Such was his Acharya Bhakti.  Nambi did not ask him  to get up. At that time , Kidambi Aachaan, who  was nearby told Nambi ” Your action (in not asking Ramanuja to get up) is worse  than the poison mixed in the biksha”.  Such was the Acharya bhakti of Ramanuja’s  Sishya !(Like master, like pupil !).  Tirukkoshtiyur Nambi exclaimed, ” After  all, now I can cast off my physical body since I have found one who would take  the greatest care of Ramanuja"

one more repeated but worth the read again.

In the south of India many great devotees have appeared to spread the glories of the Lord. Of all these devotees, perhaps the most famous is Sri Ramanujacarya. However, just before Ramanuja there lived another great Vaisnava whose life and teachings had a tremendous influence on Ramanuja. This was Sri Yamunacarya, also known as Alabandara – “The Conqueror.”

Yamunacarya was born around AD 918 in the city of Madurai in south India, which was then the capital of the mighty Pandya kings. After the untimely death of his father, Yamunacarya was left to be brought up by his mother and aged grandmother, living a life of great poverty.

THE CHALLENGE

When he was five years old, Yamunacarya went to study at the school of  Bhasyacarya and quickly won his teacher’s affection, both for his sweet nature and his ability to learn quickly. He studied hard, and by the time he was twelve years old he was Bhasyacarya’s best student.

In those days in India, great scholars used to challenge one another to see who was the more learned in Vedic scriptures and more skilled in the science of logic. While Yamunacarya was studying at the school of Bhasyacarya, there was a great scholar who lived at the court of the Pandya king. His name was Kolahala, and he was a great favorite of the king because he could defeat any other scholar in a debate. In fact, the king had passed a law decreeing that every scholar who had been defeated by Kolahala must pay a tax to him every year – if anyone refused he would be put to death.

Now Yamunacarya’s teacher, Bhasyacarya, had also been defeated by Kolahala, and so he too was obliged to pay this tax. However, because he was a very poor man, he had not been able to pay for the past two years. One day, when Bhasyacarya was away on business and all the other students had gone home, Yamunacarya was left alone in the school. At that time one of Kolahala’s disciples came there to collect the overdue tax from Bhasyacarya.

“Where is your teacher?” he demanded in imperious tones when he saw that Yamunacarya was alone in the school.

“Might I know, sir, who has sent you here?” replied Yamunacarya in a very gentle voice, anxious not to give any offense.

“What!” exclaimed the disciple, “do you not know that I am a disciple of the greatest and most erudite scholar in all of India? Kolahala is the terror of all other scholars, and even the great Pandya king is his obedient servant. All those scholars defeated by the great Kolahala must pay a yearly tax or else forfeit their lives. Has your teacher become insane that he dares to withhold payment for two years? Or is it that he intends to challenge my master again, just as a moth rushes into a blazing fire.”

Yamunacarya was by nature very kindhearted, and he hardly ever quarreled with his fellow students. However, he also had great love and respect for his teacher. Therefore, when he heard Bhasyacarya being spoken of in that contemptuous manner, he felt such pain at heart that he could not restrain himself and replied very strongly to Kolahala’s messenger. “How foolish you are and how foolish your teacher is as well, for who but the greatest fool would  train his disciple to possess such monumental pride, instead of removing such qualities from his heart. Why should my noble teacher waste his time debating with such a man? Go and tell your master that the lowest disciple of the great Bhasyacarya challenges him to a debate. If  he dares to face me, let him send his reply at once.”

PREPARATIONS FOR THE DEBATE

Kolahala’s disciple was so astonished and indignant that he could not think of anything to say, but left in a furious rage to inform his teacher of this insult. When Kolahala heard what had happened, he could not help but laugh on hearing the age of his rival. The Pandya king decided to send another messenger to the boy to see whether he was insane, and, if he was serious about the debate, to bring him immediately. When the royal messenger came and told Yamunacarya of the king’s command, the boy replied, “I will certainly obey the command of his majesty the king; but if I am to be accepted as a proper opponent of the great Kolahala, then surely a conveyance should be sent to bring me to the palace”

After discussing Yamunacarya’s reply, the king and his courtiers agreed that the boy’s statement was fitting and sent a costly palanquin and one-hundred soldiers to conduct him to the palace. In the meantime news of these events had spread all over the city of Madurai, and Bhasyacarya heard the whole story as he was returning home. He was very unhappy to learn of the danger his favorite student was facing, for though the king was generous by nature, it was well known that he dealt very severely with anyone who insulted the court pandita.

Yamunacarya, however, was not in the least concerned. “There is no reason, revered sir, for you to be alarmed,” he consoled his teacher when he returned to the school, “for you can be certain that, by your grace, I will smash the pride of Kolahala.”

While they were thus talking, the king’s men arrived at the school with the palanquin. Yamunacarya worshipped the feet of his guru and calmly climbed into the palanquin, preparing himself for the great debate that was about to take place. A large crowd of people had gathered along the way, for it was unheard of that a twelve-year-old boy should challenge the court pandita and everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the wonderful child. The brahmanas, many of whom had already been defeated by Kolahala, offered him blessings, saying, “May you defeat this insolent pandita, just as Visnu in the form of a dwarf brahmana displaced Bali Maharaja, the king of the asuras.”

Meanwhile, in the royal court a difference of opinion arose between the king and queen about Yamunacarya. The king said, “Just as a cat plays with a mouse, so will Kolahala defeat and destroy the boy”. But the queen was more thoughtful, realizing that Yamunacarya was no ordinary child. “Just as a small spark,” she said, “can turn a mountain of cloth to ashes, so will this boy destroy the mountain-like pride of Kolahala.”

“How can you really believe that this is possible?” exclaimed the king in amazement. “If you truly have faith in the child, then you must make a wager to back your words”. “Very well,” replied the queen, “I will make a wager. If the boy does not defeat and humble the proud Kolahala, I will become the servant of your maidservant.”

“This is certainly a mighty wager,” said the king, “but I will match it. If the boy defeats Kolahala, as you say, then I will give him half of my kingdom.” While the king and queen were thus exchanging wagers, the palanquin arrived and Yamunacarya entered the palace. When Kolahala saw him, he looked at the queen and smiled sarcastically. “Ala-bandara,” he said, meaning, “Is this the boy who will conquer me?”

“Yes,” replied the queen quietly, “Ala-bandara. This is he who has come to conquer you.”

THE  CONTEST

When the contestants were seated, Kolahala began the debate by putting simple questions on Sanskrit grammar to Yamunacarya. When, however, he found the boy could answer them with ease, he began to pose really difficult grammatical problems; but still, Yamunacarya replied to them all without difficulty.

He then spoke to the great pandita with a playful smile on his lips. “Because I am just a boy, you are insulting me by asking these simple questions. Remember that Astavakra was no older than myself when he defeated Bandi at the court of King Janaka. If you judge a person’s  learning by his size, then surely it follows that the water buffalo will be a greater scholar than yourself.”

Although Kolahala winced at these words, he controlled his anger and replied smilingly, “Well answered. Now it is your turn to put questions to me”.

“Very well,” Yamunacarya responded, “I will put three propositions before you, and, if you can refute them, I shall accept defeat.” Kolahala agreed and prepared to refute Yamunacarya’s statements. “My first proposition is this,” Yamunacarya spoke out clearly and boldly, “that your mother is not a barren woman. Refute this if you can.”

Hearing this, Kolahala remained silent. “Had my mother been barren, my birth would not have been possible,” he thought. “How can I refute his statement” Seeing Kolahala as silent as a dumb man, all the courtiers were astonished. Although the great pandita tried to conceal his anxiety, he could not prevent a flush from crossing his cheeks.

Yamunacarya spoke again, “Sir, if in spite of your all-conquering intelligence you are unable to refute my first proposition, then please hear my second. It is this, that the Pandya king is supremely righteous. Refute this if you can.” On hearing this Kolahala, was deeply disturbed, sensing his imminent defeat. With the king seated there in front of him, how could he deny the boy’s statement? Again he remained silent, the color draining from his face as he was scarcely able to control his anger.

Yamunacarya spoke again, “Here is my third proposition-that the queen of the Pandya king is as chaste and faithful to her husband as was Savitri. Refute this if you can.”

Seeing how he had once again been trapped by the intelligent boy, Kolahala could no longer restrain his anger. “You rascal,” he screamed, “how can any loyal subject say that his king is unrighteous or his queen unfaithful to her husband? It is true I have not replied to your statements, but that does not mean I am defeated. First you must refute your own propositions, and, if you cannot, you should be put to death, for the implications of your words are treason against your king and queen.”

When Kolahala shouted out these words, all his disciples and supporters cheered; but all those who favored Yamunacarya cried, “No, Kolahala is defeated. He is simply letting forth his anger, because he could not refute the statements of Yamunacarya as he promised to do.”

Thus an argument broke out in the palace, but in the midst of the contention Yamunacarya quieted them all by saying, “Please stop this argument, for it is unnecessary. I shall refute all my propositions one by one. Please hear me” At this everyone fell silent and turned their attention to Yamunacarya, wondering how he could possibly do this and yet not offend the king and queen.

“My first statement,” he continued, “was that our great pandita’s mother was not a barren woman. However, it is stated in the Manusamhita that a woman who has only one child is to be considered barren. As your mother gave birth to only one son, even though he is a man of such merit as yourself, according to the sastra, she must be considered barren.  Secondly, I stated that the king of the Pandyas is a most righteous man. However, the Manu’ samhita states that a king enjoys the benefit of one sixth of the religious acts of his subjects, but also has to bear the burden of one sixth of their sinful deeds. Because in the present age of Kali men are more prone toward sinfulness than piety, it must follow that our king, although flawless in his own character, is bearing a heavy burden of unrighteousness. And now to my third proposition, which stated that our queen is as chaste and faithful as was Savitri. But again, if we consult the laws of Manu, it is said that the king is the representative of Agni, Vayu, Surya, Candra, Yama, Kuvera, Varuna, and Indra. Therefore, the queen is married not just to one man, but to these eight demigods as well. So how can it be said that she is chaste?”

On hearing these wonderful answers, all the people were filled with amazement and the queen joyfully cried out, “Alabandara! Alabandara!- He has conquered! He has conquered!”

The king immediately came forward and embraced Yamunacarya. “Just as on the rising of the sun,” he said, “all the insignificant stars fade away, so you, 0 learned Alabandara, have conquered the proud Kolahala by your learning and skill. This fellow just a short while ago was demanding your death, now you may deal with him as you see fit. I have also promised to give you half my kingdom as a prize for this victory, and that promise I will certainly fulfill.”

Of course, Yamunacarya forgave Kolahala, and, although he was but a boy of twelve years, he began at once to rule the kingdom he had won. Thus his days of poverty were over.

This has been taken from the excellent book titled, The Life of Ramanujacarya, by Sri Naimisaranya das.