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Visishta Nirvachana Vaani
Visishta Nirvachana Vaani means … Superior voice of definitions!
Master Ekkirala Krishnamacharya (Master EK) is one of the greatest Sanskrit – Telugu – English – scholars and also one of the “Saint-Masters” of our time from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. I happened to live very near (a minute’s walking distance) to where he lived in Guntur during my boyhood and teenage days – absolutely oblivious to the fact that I will be venerating him one day – in my later part of life.
Master EK had authored many books in varying subjects, lectured and taught people – on Sciences, Yoga & Spirituality. I have studied quite a few of them, heard his recorded speeches on variety of subjects with great interest – learnt a lot and benefited from that learning. For this benefit obtained by me – I owe my debt of gratitude to my close childhood friend – Shri Vavilala Umapathi (S/o Shri Vavilala Somayajulu – a contemporary and a very close friend of Master EK) who supplied me with the books and CDs of Master EK from his personal Library.
Mandra Gita & Shakharavam are just two of many books that have flown from the ocean of outpourings from this great Master EK. His daughter Smt. P. Lakshmi Devi, picked up some important and very useful definitions from the above two books to present them in one lot – for the benefit and convenience of those who seek greater clarity in understanding the ancient philosophical scriptures. “Visishta Nirvachana Vaani” is probably the smallest booklet written and published in Sanskrtised Telugu – and flowing from the very own daughter of this great “Man-Institution”. This booklet encapsulates in a nutshell most of the clarity needed on definitions of words in order to comprehend clearly (without the normal confusion) the essence of – Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and Bhagavat Gita.
Those who have studied Indian scriptures to some extent and understand at least some words of Sanskrit but have no full clarity on them (due to lack of clarity of definitions) – will get greater clarity form these “Capsules of Wisdom”. For the benefit of the English readers (who cannot read Telugu original) – I am attempting this transliteration (plus very little of translation) from Telugu to English. I have tried to preserve to the best of my ability – the original flavour of Master EK’s style and that of Smt. P. Lakshmi Devi – which is inimitable for its precise brevity. This is done so – notwithstanding the fact that it is extremely difficult to totally convey the complete, extensive and voluminous meaning of what is said in Sanskrtised Telugu into another and grammatically different language like English – with the same or identical precision & brevity.
I had gone occasionally – beyond the “strict script” in my transliteration – wherever I thought the additional information given in brackets is essential to ensure the conveyance of the full purport to the English reader – to help proper understanding. I also kept the Sanskrit words bold for easy noticing with their English meaning given in the brackets – for quick references later. Here are 224 Invaluable Gems of definitions (Delivered in some form of axioms or aphorisms) – each one containing the equivalent “substance-content” of a text book – if only to be elaborated for simplification or for elucidation.
These Nirvachanas (Definitions / Axioms / Aphorisms – call what you may) are individually capsules of wisdom and also clarifications by themselves. They have been picked up at random only from the 2 books of Master EK’s works. They are not organized in any particular order to establish or accomplish any kind of connectivity serially – or in accordance with any predetermined flow as you proceed sequentially. This will be similar to a dictionary that is not alphabetically organized – but meanings clearly defined. Hope the readers will benefit as much as I did – reading the original Telugu works of Master EK.
Karma – Janma
Life, when examined deeply, will appear to be an endless chain of “causes & effects”. Every effect becomes the cause for further downstream effects. After considerable time passes (decades, centuries, millennia) – the cluster of effects are so large in number with random inter-relationships – one cannot make out which is the cause and which is the effect. It then becomes “chicken-egg” or “seed-tree” puzzle as to which came first. The original puzzle that preceded all puzzles of human mind is the cycle of “Karma-Janma”. Karma is dynamic thought & action – while Janma is physical birth … which came first? This can be left to any one’s own imagination and self conviction – as no convincing is possible by others.
What I am going to attempt now is to get some clarity on the definition & theory of Karma itself – which often is very nebulous, when one tries to get some insights into it. Sri Malladi Venkata Krishnamurthy – a Sanskrit scholar has drawn extensively from “Niralambopanishad” to give us some clarity on Karma-Janma – I am grateful to him.
1. What is Karma…?
Kriyate Anena Iti Karma! This means everything that gets done is Karma. The word Karma originates from the root word “Kru” meaning dynamic thought & action. Karma means an action committed by mind or body! The completed work is called “Karma”, while the work in progress is called “Kriya”. Hence the seed of Karma lies in the Kriya.
Niralambopanishad defines Karma as – “Any action by mind or body with full involvement of all 5-senses and awareness of –“I am doing” – is Karma. There is never a moment in human life – that one is not involved or engaged in doing some type of Karma or the other. Hence there is no life without Karma.
12 principles for great grand success in life!
1. Communication
All indications are that willful decisions not to communicate were a significant part of the
original factors which caused us to deteriorate. In any situation where you are unsure as to whether to say something or not, your best course (lacking any other reasons) would be to communicate rather than to keep your mouth shut. One of Hubbard’s most famous quotes is – “When in doubt, communicate”. And if you do get in trouble for communicating, the solution is often to communicate more rather than to back down.
2. Confront
Flinching at things and backing down from them leaves them free to operate against you.
That which is not confronted tends to persist. That which is fully viewed tends to come back under one’s control and ceases to affect one adversely. And so it is generally better to face up to things rather than to suppress them or hide them.
3. Forgiveness
We have been at each others throats for a long time, in a mutually destructive tit for tat. We have taken turns for lifetime after lifetime playing good guys and bad guys. Both Jesus and Buddha saw this one and it is an important part of the road out. If you need more encouragement, then please realize that forgiving others lessens the weight of your own karma, for in forgiving them you forgive yourself as well. And we have all been around long enough to have tried every possible role and committed every dastardly deed at least a few times. The only way out is mutual forgiveness and an abandonment of vengeance and getting even.
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