Spare the rod and Spoil the child

Spare the rod and Spoil the child - An Indian Perspective

Maha-Nirvana-Tantra :

चतुर्वर्षावधि सुताँल्लालयेत् पालयेत् पिता।
ततः षोडशपर्यन्तं गुणान् विद्यां च शिक्षयेत्॥

लालयेत् पञ्च वर्षाणि दश वर्षाणि ताडयेत् / प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे पुत्रं मित्रवदाचरेत्

"Indulge our children upto the age of five years, teach them to be disciplined between five to fifteen years, and beyond sixteen years we should treat them as a friend."

Many descriptions even in the internet about the above verse impresses the word 'Taadayet' to mean discipline by the stick. Something that seems to have come as 'parampara' from "Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child" hypothesis.

If we avoid & keep aside those kind of interpretations, and try to find the real meaning of the word 'Taadayet', we may like to understand as below.

The Dhyaana Shlokam of Bhagawad Gita has the mention of this word 'tata':
भीष्मद्रोणतटा जयद्रथजला गान्धारनीलोपला
शल्यग्राहवती कृपेण वहनी कर्णेन वेलाकुला।
अश्वत्थामविकर्णघोरमकरा दुर्योधनावर्तिनी
सोत्तीर्णा खलु पान्डवै रणनदी कैवर्तकः केशवः॥६॥

"Bhishma Drona tataa Jayadratha jala Gandhara Nilotpala
Salya Grahavati krpena vahant karnena velakula
Asvathama Vikarna ghora makara Duryodhanavartini
Sottirna khalu Pandavai Rana nadi Kaivartakah Kesavah.

The battle (river) whose banks were Bhishma and Drona, whose water was Jayadratha, whose blue-lily was the King Gandhara, whose crocodile was Salya, whose current was Kripa, whose billow was Karna, whose terrible alligators were Asvatthama & Vikarna, whose whirlpool was Duryodhana - even such was crossed over by the Pandavas, with Kesava as the ferry man".

It describes Bhishma and Drona of the Mahabharata epic, as the 'tata' or bank of the waters.

The word 'Tada' may have come from the word 'Tata' meaning bank/embankment or bund. (Perhaps that sounds more appropriate.) For a fish swimming in the river, the bunds create obstacles inorder to direct/re-direct, prompting it, sometimes to flow over and sometimes to adopt diversions. Therefore it educates the little one about the nuances of proper learning and living. The bunds are also obstacles purposefully created so that the young one overcomes it, finding ways genuine to its intellect. Therefore, the word 'Taadayet', may not have a negative significance at all as many pandits believe it to be; rather may have a purely positive meaning, enough to prove that the "rod is not at all required, but only the bund".

One could imagine a small tiger cub being caressed by its mother until a few days later, when it starts fighting with its fellows, helping itself experience and gain that knowledge about living. While the elder looks on and occasionally moves its paws to create obstacles when straying away. That is perhaps the real meaning of 'Taadayet' is my opinion.

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Vyasa Vishaala-Budhe

Namostu Vyaasa Vishaala Budhe

I have wondered often as to why Indians have so many gods and why there are so many religions in this world.

Maharishi Vyasa is addressed as 'vishaala-budhe' thanks to his superior intellect. Certainly, he is the only one of the kind in the history of mankind who exhibited exceptional intellect.

He compiled the four Vedas, he wrote more than 108 (known) Upanishads and multiple Puranas including the great, Mahabharata, MahaBhagavata, Adhyatma Ramayana etc., so much so that people wonder whether he indeed was a human or not!! While the Vedas and the Upanishads seem to be focused in same direction, the Puraanas may quite confuse common seeker because, each Puraana exemplifies a different God; while the puraana itself is, usually named by that referred God.

It would indeed have been a herculean task for him to create so many gods. I was told that similar attempt in not so far off times, was made by the author of the many Theyyams of North Malabar (& thottams including their unique facial-drawings, so that each one was different from all others in the specifics & story) as it seems, all those were written in very short time.

There is virakti in abundance or plenitude, whereas attachment in scarcity. In attachment there is selfishness. In selfishness there is clash of egos. In egoism there is hatred. In hatred there is conflict. In conflict there is fight. In fight there is disaster. In disaster there is chaos. In chaos there is annihilation/death.

Veda-Vyasa understood the psychology of humans very well and therefore prescribed multitude of gods to attend to the _monkey_ like mind of humans. Mind is easwara (commander) of the body. Hence, if the mind is controlled, everything falls well in place. Concentration is certainly a big difficulty and therefore not very easy. Multi-tasking is inherent in humans. Hence, one light is not enough, rather, many lights are needed to focus towards one's progress (pragati). Each such light is known as divine or Deva or Devi (div = that which shines and emits / blesses). Just as there is a lot of difference between one LED & group of LEDs - and lo! what a beauty! if all were twinkling !!

Vyasa therefore bestowed upon us 'Twinkle-twinkle wonderful gods' thru the various Puraanas!! Though the essence is vedaanta (Upanishads) and the Vedas (science). Just as we don't need to know the chemical composition of LPG inorder to cook our daily meal, though however, knowing it definitely would only enhance our 'love', appreciation and affection for that LPG; and not knowing however, will not starve us from the experience of having sumptuously!!

At the same time, the connoisseur of food needn't ignore the properties of his intake and get into health issues thru consumption of junk food that is not backed by a scientific (Vedic) culture!!

We are indeed fortunate to have had the benefit of the benevolence of the great Maharshi Veda Vyasa who encoded the entire concepts in the most cultured & scientific language called Sanskrit - especially designed for such purposes. (Today we have many computer languages each capable in its own way and competent to handle our commands according to the requirement & use of the technology prevalent of that time. From simple procedural language to object oriented and purely object, loaded with statistical & analytical capabilities for artificial or machine learning intelligence and so on and so forth). The Sanskrit language is the language of science and spirituality as both can be expressed simultaneously using similar words that provoke intellectual activity and resolve their meanings unambiguously. It understands the language in which God codified His creation, so much so, that it is also called Deva-Bhaasha and usually written in Deva-Nagiri script.

The saints, pious and the learned from Kerala were perhaps the least affected by the onslaught of various religions that mis-interpreted or were not properly understood in the correct sense as proposed by Veda Vyasa. Ezhuthachan, the Father of Malayalam literature, Poonthanam, Melpathur etc., were the few who understood Maharshi Veda Vyasa rightly, that their contributions reflect the original thought and his Prescription. That is why, Poonthanam uses Soham as the ultimate understanding in his 'Poetry of Nectar of Knowledge'.

"മോഹംതീർന്നു മനസ്സു ലയിക്കുമ്പോൾ
സോഹമെന്നിട കൂടുന്നു ജീവനും".
"Desires having saturated, the mind dissolves,
That the Soul merges as HE = I".

Two great symbols of India are the Hamsa and the Padma.

Hamsah may be closely translated as Swan, which is attributed with the capabilities of even separating essence of milk from water!! Great saints are referred to as 'ParamaHamsas'. It is said as per himdu mythology that in the Manasarovar (= pool {Sarovar} of the mind {Manas}) in Kailasa mountains, many swans live with that quality.

Going by the Sanskrit language technique of swapping letters, we see that Hamsa हंस: is that which identifies things separately - like the swan (meaning Dvaita bhava) while (स: + अहम् = सोहम्) soham means one with HIM (Advaita bhava).

Further, Paramahamsa may be seen as Param + Aham + Sa (परम् अहम् स: = परमहंसः ) meaning ultimately I is HE.

Padma (=lotus) blooms in dirty waters. People generally tend to see dirt more clearly. An exception to that is when they look at lotus bloomed in dirty waters - when they tend to admire only the lotus and ignore the dirty waters.

That is why, Lotus has lot of meaning in Hindu philosophy. Our happiness lies in seeing the lotus in everything (be it dirty or clean). He who wears spectacles of such (lotus) vision over his eyes is the one who is Lotus-eyed. He who sees the lotus (niceties, goodness) even in the foot (dirty, beneath, down and trodden) is to be known as Padma-paada (with the Lotus Feet).

Happiness is when Lotus blooms in all of us and we can see the Lotus even in the feet of others!!

And that may come from soham (identifying the other as oneself) by inclusiveness of all that living or non living. Then we become Paramahamsa.

I therefore salute the Lotus eyed Vyaasa who is indeed Paramahamasa.

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