Versatile Genius

Sri Sastriar and the Maharshi

(By S. Shankaranarayanan)

Once I asked Sri Kapali Sastriar—"When I bow down at your feet, apart from getting your Blessings, do I not get the Blessings of Sri Vasishtha Ganapati Muni, Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo at the same time?"

"Of course, you do," affirmed he in his characteristic way.

The three mighty rivers of spirituality rising from these three fount heads of this century, inundating and vivifying this land with their divine waters of grace, had their confluence in Sri Sastriar.

Sri Visweshwara Sastri, the father, taught Sastriar Sanskrit, launched him in the adhyayana of Sama Veda and initiated him into the cult of Sri Vidya. As a result of his intense Mantra Sadhana over the years, he found his Guru in Sri Vasishtha Ganapati Muni—Kavyakantha Ganapati Sastri—Nayana, as he was affectionately called by his disciples. Nayana led Sastriar to Sri Ramana Maharshi. The Maharshi's spiritual influence on Sastriar paved the way for his finally taking refuge at the feet of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

To quote the words of Sastriar himself: "Vasishtha Ganapati Muni—,Nayana as we called him—was of course my Guru. In fact, I looked upon him as my God. I looked to him for help and he always responded. But when it came to giving me the needed turn for delving into the depths of the spirit, he directed me to the Maharshi. I hesitated because I feared advice of renunciation etc. But after repeated hints from Nayana for four years, I approached the Maharshi (1911-1912) and what a meeting it was! The very first day wrought a remarkable change in my being and no amount of tapas or japa would have given me an indubitable knowledge of spiritual consciousness and a correct appreciation of the truth of spiritual life that the Maharshi gave me. In fact, I could not have come to Sri Aurobindo, if I had not got the faith awakened in me in the spiritual life which I got from seeing Sri Maharshi."⁴⁸

As the disciple of Nayana, the foremost of Sri Maharshi's disciples, Sastriar came within the aura of the Maharshi's personality and influence. Thus Maharshi became Sastriar's Parama Guru, the Guru of his Guru. But Sastriar, with his characteristic spiritual honesty and utter sincerity of purpose could declare—"I met the Maharshi. The personal attraction was irresistible. But I found his teaching, too direct, immediate, seemingly simple, having no steps in between, that is, the starting point and the goal, at any rate not practicable to people circumstanced like myself".⁴⁹ But his reverential attachment and deep gratitude to the Maharshi who had sown in him the seed of spiritual consciousness were beyond question. In his poem of praise Sri Ramananjali, an offering of Sanskrit verses to the sage of Arunachala, Sastriar calls himself as ramaṇānghri sarojāta rasajna one who knows the taste of nectar in the lotus feet of Ramana. Also, the Maharshi held Sastriar, as he held Nayana, in great affection and esteem. In fact, the Maharshi used to refer to Sastriar as 'Chinna Nayana' (Little Nayana). The understanding between them was perfect.

It is no exaggeration to say that those who want to understand the message of the Maharshi in its pristine purity have to drink deep at the fountain sources of Vasishtha Muni's and Sastriar's writings on the Maharshi.

The Maharshi's Tamil poem Ulladu Narpadu was according to Vasishtha Muni an epoch-making work. But it was in Tamil and could be appreciated only by those who understood the language. Ganapati Muni undertook to render it in the Sanskrit language so that it might reach a wider audience and find a permanent place in the spiritual literature of India. The result was Sat darsanam in mellifluous Sanskrit verses in the beautiful upajāti metre, which is a faithful rendering of the Tamil text and yet appear almost like an original composition of the Muni. Ganapati Muni's other work on Maharshi's teachings, equally famous and significant, Sri Ramana Gita records the instructions of the Maharshi on various subjects of spiritual importance in answer to ardent queries addressed by devotees and disciples. Both these great works of Vasishtha Muni have been put in proper setting by the learned commentaries of the Muni's illustrious disciple Sastriar.

Sat darsanam was composed by Sri Vasishtha Muni during his sojourn in Anandashrama, Sirsi, along with his disciples. As soon as the work was finished by the Muni, it was followed by the commentary Sat darsana Bhashyam of Sastriar who also was staying at that time in Anandashrama, along with the Muni. The importance attached by the Muni to his disciple's Bhashya is revealed by the letters written by Ganapati Muni from there to the Maharshi.

The letter of 7th April 1931 says: "Child Kapali has started his tīka (notes) on Sat darsana. I have indicated that considering the greatness of the original text, the appellation, Bhashyam (commentary) only will be appropriate. Says Kapali, 'The more one studies, the more profound appears Sat darsanam'...In order to explain, the commentator has a lot of things to bring out. A lot of new light has to be thrown. And the work should not become unwieldy. Topics should not be left out, their importance has to be demonstrated. Child Kapali can bear all this burden quite ably provided a ray of the peerless glance of Bhagawan is there".

In the letter of 28th April 1931, the Muni wrote that 'Kapali's commentary written so faris replete with an uncommon beauty.' And in the letter of 1st July 1931—"The commentary of child Kapali gave me special satisfaction. I trust that it will touch the heart of Bhagavan as well".

On 30-7-1931, when Sastriar arrived at Tiruvannamalai the Maharshi said:

''இப்பொழுதுதான் ஸத்தரிசன பாஷ்யம் படித்து முடித்தேன், நீயும் வந்தாய்".

(Just now I finished reading Sat darsana Bhashyam and you have come).⁵⁰

The commentary on Ramana Gita, Ramana Gita Prakasha verily throws a flood of light on the philosophical concepts and spiritual import that are embodied in the grand teachings imparted by the Maharshi. One of the important chapters in the Ramana Gita also contains Sri Maharshi's answers to Sastriar's significant questions.

Both the commentaries, one on Sat darsana and the other on Ramana Gita, written in charming Sanskrit are refreshingly original marked with rare clarity and profoundity. Here Sastriar is at pains to prove that it would be a great injustice done to the Maharshi, if he were to be treated as one of the wise men India has produced and his teachings nothing but a reiteration of old previous systems. Says he in his Sat darsana Bhashya:

"It is needless to say that this Shāstra is not intended either to refute or to support the current systems, such as the Saivite and the Vaishnavite, the Dwaita and the Adwaita. It does not follow the method of metaphysical systems of the Sutra period. Nor does it purport, like the two mimāmsas of Jaimini and Badarayana to harmonise and to remove doubts or misconceptions in scriptural texts or other authoritative utterances of great souls. Like the sacred words of the Tamil Veda of Saint Nammalwar or of Manikya Vachaka and like the texts of the Upanishads, the words of the Maharshi are an original and independent utterance based upon personal experience, and though they support and elucidate authoritative pronouncements both of the scriptures and of exalted souls, they have really an independent origin and validity, coming as they do directly from himself."

The third commentary of Sastriar in Sanskrit, Arunāchala Pancaratna darpaṇam is verily a mirror faithfully reflecting the glory of the five gems on Arunachala. The Maharshi did not know the intricacies of the Sanskrit language and its poetics. But at the request of Nayana, the Arunāchala pancaratna welled out from his heart in beautiful Sanskrit in the form of well chiselled Arya verses. Knowing the importance of the cardinal teachings of the Maharshi embodied in the verses, Nayana wanted to write a commentary on the exquisite pieces. But it was not to be. His llustrious disciple Sastriar fulfilled the desire of his Guru in writing the commentary, darpaṇam.

All the three commentaries were submitted to Bhagawan and were accepted by him. Sat darsana Bhashya was done under the direct inspiration of Nayana and the grace of the Maharshi. Sastriar's article in English 'Dedication of Ramana Gita Prakasha' gives a graphic account of the Maharshi's approval and acceptance of the commentary Prakasha and his unfailing Grace towards Sastriar. The Darpanam was published in 1943 by Sri Ramanashram as a significant contribution to the Maharshi's cardinal teachings. Sastriar himself translated his Sat darsana Bhashyam and Introduction to Ramana Gita Prakasha into English and these have been published.

Under the urge of an inner development in Sadhana, Kapali Sastriar finally took refuge at the feet of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and followed their yoga. It is very significant that Sastriar's outstanding contribution to the propagation of Sri Maharshi's Teachings in the form of Sat darsana Bhashya and its English rendering, Ramana Gita Prakasha and Arunachala Panca Ratna Darpanam were written after he had definitely accepted Sri Aurobindo and adopted his Sadhana.

Sastriar could find no conflict in his conduct or ideologies—neither could his mentors. The Maharshi was a part and parcel of his being. To quote his words: 'The Maharshi is unique in the history of the world's saints. To have lived for full fiftyfour years after Realisation, to have influenced so many from his seat in one place, to have been accessible to all at all hours, to have stemmed the tide of secpticism as he did, is something truly unprecedented".⁵¹