Talk:The Vedas:My Duty

By Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami

My duty is to impress upon you again and again that it is your responsibility to keep the Vedic tradition alive. Whether or not you listen to me, whether or not I succeed in persuading you to do what I urge, so long as I have the strength, I shall continue to tell you tirelessly: "This is your work. This is your dharma."

It was for the sake of the Vedas that the Ācārya established this Maṭha. Therefore, whatever else I may fail in, as one who bears his name I would be guilty of a grave offence if I did not sincerely fulfil the responsibility placed upon me of protecting Vedic dharma. That is why I speak again and again, without concern for repetition or tedium, about the need to preserve this dharma.

Nor has it been merely talk. We have already implemented, and continue to implement, a number of concrete schemes in pursuit of this ideal. I have come before you to beg for your help. If you do not wish to regard this as a plea, then take it as my command that you serve the cause of the Vedas. However you choose to look upon it, the work that I have undertaken must be carried forward.

Vedam ōdiya Vēdiyarkkōr maḻai Nīti maṉṉar neṟiyiṉarkkōr maḻai Mādar kaṟpuḍai maṅgaiyarkkōr maḻai Maḍam mūṉṟu maḻai eṉap peyyumē.

According to this well-known Tamil verse, the earth becomes cool and the crops flourish only when rain falls three times each month. One shower falls for the Brāhmaṇa who chants the Vedas correctly; one for the king who rules according to dharma; and one for the woman who remains steadfast in fidelity to her husband.

It is not within my power to ensure that rulers govern justly in accordance with dharma. A saṃnyāsin such as I has no role in the affairs of government. Yet, as the head of a Maṭha entrusted with protecting dharma, I do bear responsibility for the other two matters.

How does the head of a religious institution help women remain steadfast in their strīdharma? The tendencies visible today run contrary to that dharma. Since I bear the title of guru, it is my duty to warn women against those influences that weaken their adherence to it. When child marriage was prevalent, there was little opportunity for women to stray. If a girl were married before attaining puberty, she would naturally develop deep attachment to her husband. If she were not married at that age, she might become mentally disturbed. Yet our hands have been tied by the Śāradā Act.

Still, I have not entirely given up on this matter because I hope that public opinion may one day arise against the Śāradā Act and persuade the government to reconsider it. After all, many other laws have been changed in response to public opinion. Unfortunately, the attitude of parents and of women generally has itself undergone an unfortunate change. Instead of arranging their daughters' marriages at the proper time, parents send them to co-educational colleges and later into workplaces where they work alongside men. Whenever I witness this, I shed tears of blood within myself. I find my confidence diminishing that I shall be able to arrest this trend.

If Brāhmaṇas continue to chant the Vedas, rulers will govern justly and women will remain steadfast in their wifely dharma. It is with this hope that all my efforts are directed towards preserving Vedic dharma.

You must dedicate your sons to this cause, and you must also contribute your wealth. Those who are well-to-do should assist the children of poor families so that they may be encouraged to study the Vedas. We need funds to support teachers, purchase books, and administer Vedic pāṭhaśālā-s. For this purpose, we have devised a modest scheme. Contribute one rupee each month, and in return you will receive—not only the blessings of Veda Mātā—but also the prasāda of Śrī Candramaulīśvara after the worship performed for Him at the Kāñci Maṭha. If, when sending your contribution, you mention your nakṣatra, the prasāda will be sent to you each month on the day on which your birth nakṣatra occurs.

Nowadays, chain letters circulate in the name of Śrī Veṅkaṭācalapati, warning that unless copies are sent to a prescribed number of people, blindness or some other misfortune will follow. Out of fear, many people faithfully copy and circulate such letters. At times I have wondered whether something similar might be done for the sake of preserving Vedic dharma.

I ask very little of you—only one rupee each month. Do you not pay taxes to the government, whether willingly or unwillingly? Regard this rupee in the same way—as a levy imposed by me. It is a tax paid to sustain my government, my sarkār, though it is no larger than a mustard seed. Deny yourself a small pleasure—a visit to the beach or an evening at the cinema—and contribute that rupee instead. In doing so, you will have fulfilled a small part of your duty, and I, in turn, shall have fulfilled mine.