Gurucharanam Saranam
Astral Pollution of Atmosphere(Sacred words of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru)
Translated from the original Malayalam
Whatever our ancestors have established, let it be truth or untruth, is the ethics. How did we conduct ourselves in it? Kali is the fourth era. When we say Kali we are made to believe that it is the age of ignorance or the age of ignorant people. But this concept is absolutely incorrect.
There are four Vedas which have been divided for the four yugas. This division has been made by a person called Vyasa or Krishnadwaipayana. However that may be, this Knowledge has astonished us. How can we now observe the Dharma of Kali?
By telling that ‘Kali is with Sudra’, the Sudratwa (the quality of being Sudra) has been irrevocably established. When it was pronounced that Kali is with Sudras, some people felt superior and some others felt inferior. Some thought that they were a group of the downtrodden.
What is the Dharma of Kali? The other three yugas have been actualized. If any shortcomings have occurred in that actualization, the Kali Yuga and its heir the Sudra are there for its correction. For that, the Sudra has to acquire knowledge. Thus the Sudra who acquires the knowledge is also becoming the authority of the Satya Yuga. No one becomes an authority just like that. For that one has to acquire wisdom, ability and efficiency. It should be based on knowledge given by divine dispensation. Ignorance about this divine dispensation has resulted in branding Kali as bad. The whole world has been functioning on this wrong assumption. This malfunctioning has come through the course of many ages; to be exact it is as old as twenty five chaturyugas. Therefore, it is not possible to grasp it by calculating. It is not possible to measure it even by going to the moon and studying. The length of a chaturyuga is 12000 divine years. One divine year is 365 human years. How could one comprehend it by calculating?
After living in this world we will go, leaving the body here itself. We are learning things till that time. Each day, small and great things will be learnt. It is a great act in the Ashram culture, wherein we first, praying a bit, respecting a bit, accept each other and regard the teachers, parents and preceptors. With such action, we ourselves can accomplish many things. The remaining is a great wisdom that is learned from the institutions of family, society and the nation when we grow up. That is the knowledge which we should cultivate materially and spiritually. But be careful in the exhibition of deception and pretentious frenzy in the name of that knowledge. Those who have stayed in the Ashram even for a day observing all this will realize that it (pretentious display) is not good. If those who are experienced in ashram-life were to join with them in the frenzy, they will become worse than the latter, because they will do all undesired things to outsmart them and thus become unbefitting to the country.
In the Ashram and through learning in the Ashram, we, with our wisdom, sacrifice, suffering and actions are compensating and fulfilling whatever lapses (are there) in our house and the country. This is the spiritual knowledge which we get from the Ashram. This is not sanyasa. It is not for adopting sanyasa one is coming to the Ashram, having faith or staying (in the Ashram); but it is for learning with their lives. That was what ancient kings had done. Even Lord Krishna studied in an Ashram. An Ashram is such a great institution where (great souls like) Krishna learnt.
‘Aa’ (‘Aa’ means that), ‘Shram’ (‘Shram’ is effort) – Ashram. The core aspect of every Ashram is to work transmitting love, respect and humility for the good of the world. This is the education which is gained from the Ashram. Instead, there is no meaning in saying that ‘I had been to the Ashram for the sake of it and learnt Vedas, Vedanta, music and dance’. All these can be got from anywhere.
There is a relief from all sorts of problems after the present prayer (Akhandanama) was started without interruption in the Ashram. When the Trimurthi system was relied on, there were results in the early stages. Gradually, there began occurrences of failures; nothing worked including the curing of diseases. The present prayer was received by two persons as oracle. It was received at Varkala itself. But since my name appears in it, I did not permit to do it. But a message (oracle) was received that it should be chanted and strengthened. I referred this to Pattani Swami (the spiritual guide of Guru). Then he said: ‘At present, you will not know who you are. For that, a time will come. Only after your time, it will be understood sufficiently. It is for the whole universe’.
It was in 1973 it was realised that the Akhandanamam is the most appropriate thing. The conviction is that Nature had been preparing for this for a long time in advance. There are people here who have been praying this daily from the very beginning. But most of them have not understood what it is being done for. There are many reasons for it. Most people have come to think (of prayers) that if the blessing of a god or goddess is received, everything is attained.
Another type of awareness is the practice of satiating (the deity) with one-day ‘ahuti pooja’ or ‘adakki pooja’ (certain prayer offerings to the deity) accompanied by vows and offerings. There are many temples in Travancore and Malabar which conduct this type of one-day ‘adakki pooja’ as the most important ritual. There are such temples in Thiruvananthapuram, Vaikkam, Ettumanur in Travancore and from Kodungallur to Kasargode in Malabar. These include the temples of Parasurama. Neither we nor the people with higher wisdom than us know why these have been built as such big temples with outer and inner courtyards filled with ornamentation works. Our forefathers, or let us so consider that Kshatriyas, have done it with a mind to show off their power.
An attempt has been made here to unite us by the Vaishnava, Saiva and Saktheya cults. But people will not get united in that manner because these three cults have come with three different characters. What is required for unification is certain wisdom. What knowledge can we get from these (traditions) which have been led into decay with embellishments, music, dance and din? Let us take Kathakali itself. It has been acclaimed as Kerala’s own original (art form). Absorbing the consciousness of coining names for each sect and sub-sect, categorizing them into many folk arts like Theyyam, which even the government promotes - in such a situation, how much have we progressed, how much have we taken, how much could we understand? Do we have time even to think about this? Even if we have thought about it, it is as if a cruel fate of time that never allows us to unite has entangled all people, leading to the path of annihilation.
All of us know about the Dharma called Sanatana. But what is Sanatana, what is Haindva - we are in a quandary unable to know it with discernment. Sanatana means to function with the knowledge of the Ages. But we do not know what these Ages are. We do not know how to adapt to these Ages. The Satya Yuga has gone with its innate goodness. From the Treta Yuga, we have lived according to the dictates of the karmic propensities.
We have come to this world after many generations. We have very little time in this life. What can we learn during this short span of time? Can the wealth of knowledge left behind by the ages be learnt to exhaustion? Therefore, the subject we should learn is the Dharma of Kali. The Dharma of Kali is not based on caste or religion. It is a benevolent aspect that should come about in the dharma of mankind all over world. Though attempts are made to suppress it to the extent possible in the name of freedom or whatever else, one should realise the changes that have occurred during the past fifty years.
Especially, when we evaluate the intelligence of the children born during the past twenty years, be it good or bad, we will find that they are more intelligent than us. This can be observed visibly in the children of the age of two to three years. Even though all these changes have occurred empirically, we have been informed that Kali is bad and ruinous. And this misconception has been ‘served’ all over the world. How can we change this concept? Many people are convinced that we cannot change this. But, we can change it. It is for that purpose, we have to work hard. If we are unable to change it, what is the benefit to the next generation? In the past twenty five chaturyugas itself, how many great men have come; they themselves could not change according to the Dharma of Kali or change others. Then what is the fate of ordinary people?
There are millions and millions of souls, of those who have died after worshiping in a wrong manner either evil or benign powers, existing like a scourge in the atmosphere. They exist as atmospheric pollution (or astral pollution). The scourge of this atmospheric pollution indeed affects all of us equally. It is said here about the whole human world. I do not know how many of us are aware of this aspect of truth. I am saying that this can indeed be changed even when the atmosphere exists in this manner. Of course, this is a big issue.
When we talk about the knowledge of our ancestors, whether they have the karmic attainments in the measure of ten, five or ten thousand years? How can we tell them about how the karmic propensity of a yuga is interlinked with dharma. That which is described as the ‘karmic propensity of a yuga’ exists as long as the soul exists. In what way can we transform it?
We should transfer this knowledge to our children. The children growing in front of you should not be thrown to the ‘knowledge’ evolved in the past. Children below the age of twenty to twenty five years, irrespective of gender, caste or creed should be enabled to effect a transformation which will lead all people to a benevolent destination. Within a period of a hundred years, how many millions of souls who have come and lived in this world and gone back with ‘karmadosha’ (karmic error) exist as atmospheric pollution! It is not the pollution of a thousand or ten thousand years. The pollution of indeed twenty five chaturyugas is here. Though we might have to face a lot of difficulties and hardships, this pollution can be removed. For that there is a God-given benevolence here.
It is not for a (particular) caste, religion or doctrine. If one doctrine is concentrated upon, what shall we do with the others? Kali Yuga is the most appropriate time for actualizing this. I have realized this truth, perceiving and experiencing with my life. God has permitted to accept this Kali-Dharma in all its certitude. In order to take it up in its absoluteness through the children growing up in front of you, and in order to beget the ability in each one for actualizing it, you accept this. Melt in sorrow to whatever extent though you may, this characteristic of accumulated pollution cannot be removed by you from them. It is a great fortune if you can take it up as a great Dharma.
What we have so far seen and heard are all a series of miraculous acts inspired by a whole range of subtle beings from demon to deity. The frenzy trance which is a ‘test’ (pariksha) of the presence of the deity worshipped is one such phenomenon. All that was said and done to myself by those who were possessed by deities while at Santhigiri Varkala comes to my mind. A girl had come there who was possessed by an evil spirit (which she said, was) ‘Madhura Meenakshi.’ Another person was possessed by an evil spirit called Kalliyankattu Neeli, as advanced and powerful as the first. In Southern Kerala this spirit is known as Yakshi. There are numerous similar spirits based on tombs and mausoleums.
If you concentrate upon them, then these evil forces will appear in front of you. They would utter certain words of greetings outwardly and inwardly, and making certain odd sounds, tell us about matters which we have never thought of or heard of. They would speak of things we have done in the distant past and forgotten; and of the deeds done by our forefathers. They would express an exact knowledge about our objects of worship as well. If the soul is that of a person who belonged to a prophetic religion, it would quote a few words from the prophet and continue on its own illustrating the points.
All this is the perversion of an evil spirit who does not have any knowledge or attainment in that path (that prophet´s path). If it happens to have some knowledge, the performance would be more convincing. If this is the case with a lower spirit, how much more impressive would be the words of spirits which have attained the stages of a deva (deity) or a rishi (sage). It may be difficult for us even to understand. The reason for this is the ignorance of the essence of the four enunciations that came through a preceptor in the line of the Manu: ‘Aham Brahmasmi,’ ‘Ayameva Brahma,’ ‘Ayamatma Brahma,’ ‘Tat Twam Asi.’
Those who think on how these four enunciations got formed or how they were spread could be very few. What can we do then with the knowledge produced by a kind of scholars who do not have any knowledge? In this way, rights and wrongs have got mixed up through the ages. It is impossible to tell how many souls are there who have evolved into the stages of deva, devi and rishi following countless paths of yoga and jnana, against this background.
It is not humanly possible to tell one from the other and act accordingly. During Sri Rama’s time, it was a Brahmarakshas (a powerful being in the subtle plane) who came to block the fire sacrifice of sage Viswamitra. This has been included in the myriads of miracles of Hanuman in the Ramayana; this is an example. There is an account of an incident in which Hanuman carried and brought a hill of medicinal herbs (Marundu vazhum mala – Maruthua mala) and so souls like this will appear in front of a man of deep devotion and say that a particular thing will happen in a particular way; it will exactly happen as predicted. Would it be surprising then if the devotee develops a pride about himself when four or five such incidents have happened exactly as predicted? The reality which the devotee has experienced would eventually lead to dosha (bad effects).
Souls like these present in this atmosphere are not two or four thousand but millions and millions. We should understand that they are capable of misleading growing children in any way (they like). The phenomena of becoming a medium of Hanuman or of various male and female deities and the paths of miracle working of rishis (ascetics) are all marks of being led astray thus.
Any man who follows these paths will be led astray. The realities submerged here and there in the story of Sri Rama are indicative of such straying. Rama Teertha and Shirdi Sai – are they lesser people? There is a story among Christians, a handful of water was taken from a pool of water and a cavity formed up to the extent of the water taken.
The human mind can magnify small matters and store them within. If such matters as quoted above enter into the mind, what would happen, can be (easily) guessed. Such matters of jnana and siddhi (miracles, predictions, etc.) happen in abundance not only in India but the world over. What is more, all these are matters that occur amongst people always. Whether people believe in them or not, they give great importance to this. Agnikkavati, Garudakkavati, Manushya Kkavati etc. are rituals celebrated widely among Hindus. There are people, possessed by deities, who can dance wearing a chain of red hot iron around their body and work miracles. How could one not be wonder-struck when all this is practiced on an ordinary human body? This is considered highly divine; this is our knowledge.
Walking over water and walking through fire are similar practices. How is the rationalist to know the inner impulse of this? A. T. Kovoor lived in Ceylon amongst those happenings; why did he not put an end to those miracles there? Would it not have been better to bring about changes in these practices there than coming to India and giving lectures? What to say except that all this is worse than bursting fire crackers in the presence of deaf people. The witnessing of one such ‘achievement’ is in my memory. It was an occasion when some pooja was going on in my family shrine. The man who conducted the worship (shanti) was an oracle (velichappad) who came from a distance of a kilometer. After blessing (the crowd), he hacked his face with a ceremonial sword in his hand and the flesh was hanging from that cut. People wanted to take him for getting some medical treatment but he would not agree. When he came out of the temple, his face was intact. Who would not be wonder-struck by seeing this?
A big spear will be taken and a thread will be run through it first; this will be pierced through the cheeks of the devotee. This will be handed over to the next devotee. He would pierce through a lemon and then he would pierce his cheeks also and hand it over to the next one. I have seen three or four persons pierced through with one spear like this. This happens mostly in Subrahmanya temples. This is the way we make projections as the divine. How many illusions could a mere magician create before us! Who does not know there is no good, either big or small, coming from miraculous feats? (The so called) manifestation of God has been happening in the midst of us in this manner. What should we do? How should we go forward? The man who gets into the frenzy this way turns into an evil spirit after death, an extremely evil spirit. Staying in a variety of places of prayer, they would act in many ways. Their acts would appear to be real also.
If you go to Nagore, Beema Mosque and the resting place of Peerukkannu Sahib in Takkala, you can see continuous frenzy trances in dance from 6 in the evening to 3 after midnight. It would stop after 3. In case it continues, it would be a consciously created movement of the body, an act merely put on. If philosophers and scholars engage in scholarly elaborations, ignoring all this (reality), do you think it would disappear? This matter cannot be wished away by saying that it does not exist. Asserting the reality, without doing anything about it, cannot make anyone a jnani – a man of true knowledge- either. For, it has particular characteristics filling the atmosphere as astral pollution. It would not be removed by giving lectures, only in front of a jnani does it – the spirit possessing a person- get subdued completely.
The jnani would not exhibit frenzy trances or any tactic. In his presence the evil vanishes. This would happen in slow course without doing anything in particular. The power of the evil decreases in time and would depart. However, if the members of the person´s family do not recognize and value the grace received, the evil could return. Or another being of the same nature could take charge of the person.
Millions and millions of evil spirits are present in the atmosphere as astral pollution. This is what the condition of the world is. If a person gets possessed intensely for a few days continuously, he would behave like a madman who has lost his senses. When it becomes severe after several attacks, the person could bite his own tongue and lips or grind his teeth and can even pass away. Is it possible for any rationalist, scholar or philosopher to say that such severe convulsions do not happen? Would it be possible for the doctors who look after the sick to say that? It is such a negative force that had inspired the killing of Sri Krishna.
It is this force that caused the Prophet Mohamed to regret: ‘Oh the world is ruled by jinns!’ Thereafter the Prophet resorted to austerities for three months and left his body. That is the only course he could possibly take. Is it not known to the religious scholars and theoreticians? It has no benefit for us to either prove or disprove the reality through argument. We should have at least the knowledge to say that such influences cannot be removed.
Status epilepticus which creates convulsions as in tetanus is a result of severe epilepsy. This is one among the many afflictions caused by the influence of evil (spirits). This sort of disease is seen in most upper class families. Some children influenced by spirits go blind or deaf; some others – both male and female- turn mad and have to live with the symptoms of madness till the end because of this spirit influence. Many instances of these maladies can be seen among the children of the present generation. What do we gain from Yuktivada –rationalism - and Muktivada – liberation theory - in such a situation?
More people affected by the diseases from spirit influence are found in countries outside India. Who knows where the souls of all these people go after death. I wish the arguments for and against the existence of spirit influence is dropped, knowing the kind of diseases it causes stationed as it is in the atmosphere. People have a habit of dismissing the symptoms of spirit possessions as madness or lunacy. There are retarded children in the families of many doctors. Treatment for their abnormal behaviour and enlargement of head is not effective even when they are in their childhood. If at all it is effective, it could only be described as God´s Grace. In other cases, they have no way but to live with their condition.
What do the patriarchs, rationalists and scholars have to say about this. This is characteristic of the diseases affecting the children of the wealthy. It would be better to take care not to transfer this ‘wealth’ to the coming generations and destroy them. Think if you happen to read this note of objection, being written to bring to light the ignorance of generations. The children might be playing the roles of father, uncle, husband or wife. Will there be any change if you call them scoundrel, mean minded or in a literary way Bhadrakali. These mean souls adapt to fashionable ways and the foolish call this sophistication. Such people are groomed as tigers and lions by the ignorant knowledge mongers of despicable character, who have learned to oppose everything. Each of us needs to think about the title that should be given to this (kind of) human being.
As a solution there is only one thing we need to acquire through the Grace of God. Without any denial, by arguing that it is true or untrue, try to assimilate the truth that exists. When you perceive any such feature, obey the Great Soul who has informed this to us. In order that the mistake exemplified through the lives of Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Rama Teertha, Jesus, Prophet Mohamed and others be cleared from our midst there is only one way. That has been already mentioned. In order to wash away the atmospheric pollution, maintain a Guru-Disciple relationship with the Great Soul who has come as your contemporary. There are a lot of things that can be understood through such a Guru-Disciple relationship.
(Courtesy: Janmadina Padippu, Santhigiri Publications)
