Charity: Trying to play God?

The kindly visitor from a foreign country visits the orphanage. Trim and tanned descends the actress, her presence preceded by the wafting perfume that bears her name on the label. Her personal photographer, having graphed out the perfect spots, is busy sushing the curious onlookers away from his tools that probably cost more than the collective lifetime earnings of many of them. Uniformed security guards stand at the perfect distance to avoid spoiling the visuals. As the star alights from her bullet-proof Suburban, the television anchor races to meet her, keeping her breathless monologue going. A brief interview, the right words about caring and sharing, which had been vetted by the publicist and, of course, the lawyer. Clicks, clicks, and more clicks– the picture of the outsized check with the donation figure perfectly legible, the benevolent celebrity, the beaming staff, the handpicked boy and girl are instantaneously transmitted to the living rooms, laptops, and cell phones of a world craving for a feel-good story. All world hails the philanthropist star. The children say goodbye to their angel; the parents thank God for sending His ambassador. The earth is a better place today than it was yesterday! But, what about the benefactor?
Many an altruist has fallen prey to the temptation of playing God. Philanthropy, no doubt, is a pillar of the society. The community usually benefits from it irrespective of the true intentions of the giver. The gains are not so straightforward for the giver. Sharing our blessings with the needy is, indeed, insisted upon by every major religion– Charity in Christianity, Tzedakah in Judaism, Zakat in Islam or Dhaana in Hinduism, to name a few. Benefaction, however, carries the risk of leading us into the jungle thicket of self-righteousness and arrogance.
Kannadasan's song: மனிதன் என்பவன் தெய்வமாகலாம் Manithan enbavan deivam aagalaam,  starts seemingly with a naive premise–Man can become God through charity.

மனிதன் என்பவன் தெய்வம் ஆகலாம்
வாரி வாரி வழங்கும்போது வள்ளல் ஆகலாம்
வாழை போல தன்னை தந்து தியாகி ஆகலாம்
உருகி ஓடும் மெழுகு போல ஒளியை வீசலாம்

Loosely translated, Man can become God. By donating endlessly he can become a philanthropist, by giving of himself a martyr and exude a glow as a melting candle.

This appears to be directly contradicted by Sri Adi Sankara in Bhaja Govindam (verse 17) as he exhorts, nay whips the seeker into his senses.

कुरुते गङ्गा सागर गमनं
व्रत परिपालनमथवा धानम्
ज्ञ्यान विहीनः सर्वमतेन
भजति न मुक्तिं जन्मशतेन

Pilgrimages to where the Ganges meets the ocean, observance of vows, gifts of charity, in hundreds of lives cannot be your deliverance if done without the right knowledge.

King Bali, in Bhagavatham, lords over the three worlds with his immense prowess and valor. Wealth, possessions, fame, and pride, unbeknownst to him, had condensed into a dense cataract obscuring his spiritual perception.

Who else but the Lord to clear Bali's vision! Assuming the role of a dwarf Brahmin boy, Lord Vishnu descends into Bali's palace. Bali, as is the custom, offers anything that the boy wishes for in charity.  The Lord asks for three steps of land.

It doesn't take Bali's guru long to recognize the threat. He warns Bali,"This boy is none other than the Lord Himself. With His first step, He will take away the earth with all the wealth that you have earned. With His next, you will lose the heavens that you have suzerainty over. Left with nothing more to offer as the third step, you will suffer ignominy and shame as a defaulter on your promise."

Bali now runs the risk of losing his material wealth, his fame, and also the spiritual virtues that he had earned. At this moment of reckoning, when everything that he had strived and earned, cherished and protected was at risk of being forfeited, Bali stands firm. The boy will get his three steps as promised. His guru curses Bali that he would go to hell, literally!

As the Lord, in His majestic glory, straddles the earth and the heavens with two strides, Bali has nothing more to offer but his ego. He kneels and offers his head as the landing ground for the third step. Bali, thus, stoops to conquer his ego and gets liberated from its shackles.

If right attitude is the prerequisite in our spiritual sojourn, what does Kannadasan have to say?

...யாருக்கென்று அழுத போது தலைவன் ஆகலாம்
மனமிருந்தால் பறவைக்கூட்டில் மான்கள் வாழலாம் 
வழி இருந்தால் கடுகுக்குள்ளே மலையைக்காணலாம் 
துணிந்துவிட்டால் தலையில் எந்த சுமையைத்தாங்கலாம் 

A leader he becomes when he sheds tears for another. Never shy of hyperbole, with unapologetic poetic licentiousness, he declares: If you have the heart, a deer can be accommodated in a bird's nest. A way can be found to see a mountain in a grain of mustard.

Take pity on those around you. Fear not. The challenge may be immense. A noble heart, with a zeal, can find a way, appears to be the unspoken message.

What is then the benefit to the giver? As Kannadasan avers, மனம், மனம், அது கோயில் ஆகலாம்– The heart verily becomes a temple. Charity, when done with the right attitude of service and surrender, cleanses the heart of its self-absorption to allow the Lord to descend into and take residence.

My Second Inning

My Second Inning

Padded up and ready to go,

I walk with my partner by my side.

Afraid, nervous? – not really,

But a smidge anxious? Sure as hell.

I am thankful to the Captain

For His confidence in me,

Giving me a second chance in spite of

My middling first inning.

 “Don’t watch the scoreboard!

Don’t be scared!

It is just a game;

Go have fun!!”

His words had been simple,

And straight to the point.

Hadn’t grasped their import,

Glad I can do so now.

I realize that, all along,

My partner had been the steadying hand

That anchored our innings
And helped me play.

I plan on giving her

More of the strike,

Support, stand back and admire

Her day in the middle.

There is a crowd, no doubt

Family, fans, and quite a few friends

To clap and cheer and egg me on

And to stand by me come what may

The pitch is imperfect–

It was never pristine and looks more worn now,

With ugly scuffs and threatening cracks;

No chance of an even bounce

The field is different–

That’s for sure.

What was once a deep point

Is nothing but a silly point

The harmless, deep fine leg,

Which favored my sideward glance,

Is, now, I find out,

A treacherous crouched short leg.

Time, time,

Time is the key.

I’ve got to bat time;

Can’t ever forget it.

The ball may reverse,

Stop, turn, and soar,

Or, like a hissing cobra

Skid and strike.

I am smarter now

Than the first go around;

I won't be fooled by a half volley

That lands just short and swings away.

The spinner, Ah- I can handle,

I don’t mind the flipper,

And his googly, I can pick

From a mile afar

There is no shame in blocking,

For, survival is the key;

If I miss a loose ball,

I won’t fret but wait for the next.

But, I know for a fact

That there will be

A straighter one

Right in my reach.

I won't be scared to step forward,

Bend my knees if need be,

To drive it with all that I’ve got

To pierce the cover and extra cover too.

…Venkat Srinivasan

The Devil Can Cite Scripture: Deivam Thantha Veedu

The prince had a moment of epiphany. He woke up in the middle of the night, abdicated his throne and abandoned his wife and young son. Having sat down to meditate under perhaps the most famous tree in the world, he returned as the Buddha, the enlightened one.  Billions have been and continue to be inspired to walk the trail blazed by this great soul. 

But not every dead-beat dad that abandons his family is a Sidhartha; not every homeless wanderer is a Buddha.  Many an escapist in life has attempted to justify their actions with words that sound philosophical. But, as Shakespeare unmasks their hypocrisy, declaring, "Even the devil can cite scripture for his purpose;" they are nothing but "a goodly apple rotten at the heart."

Kannadasan's தெய்வம் தந்த வீடு Deivam Thantha Veedu takes the listener down the tempting path of sweet justification that every loser would love.

தெய்வம் தந்த வீடு வீதி இருக்கு 

தெய்வம் தந்த வீடு வீதி இருக்கு 

இந்த ஊரென்ன? சொந்த வீடென்ன? ஞானப்பெண்ணே 

வாழ்வின் பொருளென்ன, நீ வந்த கதை என்ன?

God given home, the street there is

God given home, the street there is

What is this town, what is this home, my enlightened lady

What for this life? Whence is your story?

Disheveled, dirty, inebriated, and stubbornly insolent, the protagonist feels the need to justify himself with a seemingly logical sense of intellectual honesty.  Thus, from the pulpit of the dusty streets, he waxes eloquently on his philosophy.  He absolves himself of any moral responsibility towards his family. 

நான் கேட்டு தாய் தந்தை படைத்தாரா, இல்லை 

என் பிள்ளை எனை கேட்டு பிறந்தானா...

Did my parents create me with my consent?

Or did my son ask me before he came

கொண்டதென்ன கொடுப்பதென்ன 

இதில் தாயென்ன மணந்த தாரம் என்ன 

What is that we had and what is that we give

In this, who is the mother and who is the wife

In the Bhaja Govindam, Adi Shankaracharya lovingly whips a sense of urgency in the deluded. He indicates a line of inquiry to get over our misguided attachments:
काते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः
संसारः अयमतीव विचित्रः
कस्यत्वं कह कुतायात
तत्त्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः
Who is your wife? who is your son?
Very strange is this world that we are in
Of who are you? Whence do you come?
Ponder thus my dear brother

Continuing later, Sankara asks:
कस्त्वं कोहं कुत आयातः
का मे जननी को मे तातः
Who are you? Who am I? Where do I come from? Who is my mother? Who is my father?

The lines sound eerily similar. On the surface, the drunkard's words seem to echo Adi Sankaracharya–one of the greatest poet-saint-philosophers that ever lived. However, it would be blasphemous to even consider comparing the two speakers.

Sankara and his disciples have seen the likes of this aimlessly wandering, empty vagabond. They are merciless in dismissing the hypocrite, who attempts to cloak his laziness with the entrapments of sainthood.
अग्रे वह्नि पृष्ठे भानुः
रात्रौ चुबुक समर्पित जानुः
करतल भिक्षस्तरुतलवास
तदपि न मुञ्चति आशापाशः
Fire in front, Sun in the back
Sits crouched at night with chin drawn to knees
Begs with open hands and lives under a tree
Yet he lives bound by his endless desires

How are we to identify a saint? How does he look? On the surface, a yogi's appearance may not be very dissimilar to the wandering madman. One could visualize a Ramakrishna Paramahamsa walking in an ecstatic trance as we read the following verse:
रथ्याचर्पट विरचितकन्थः
पुण्यापुण्य विवर्जितपन्थः
योगी योगनियोजनाचित्तः
रमते बालोन्मत्तवदेव
Wearing a garment made of nothing but rags
Walking the path free of virtue and vice
The yogi with his mind fixed in nothing but yoga
Enjoys verily like a child or a madman

The yogi and the drunkard could walk side-by-side and we may not be able to tell the difference.  So, how are we to distinguish the saint from the charlatan? Obviously, it is not from the external markings.

We go back to Sankara to explain the true saint:
योगरतो वा भोगरतो वा
संगरतो वा संगविहीनः
यस्य बृह्माणी रमते चित्तम
नन्दति, नन्दति नंदतत्येव
Reveling in meditation (yoga) or rejoicing in pleasure, 
Frolicking in company or content in solitude,
One whose mind is riveted in the Supreme
Enjoys, enjoys, verily he enjoys!!

A saint is he who is happy; nay, he is delirious with joy. A Vedavyasa living a Spartan life in the forest or a Janaka with all his royal entrapments in Mithila, a Ramana Maharishi staying rooted in a cave in Thiruvannamalai or a jet-setting Chinmaya. Their one distinguishing mark? very simple- they are truly happy!!

The Unfairness of Having a Conscience: Ullaththil Nalla Ullam

Conscience is cruel– it is unforgiving, not amenable to any apologies– sort of a Professor Snape wth his piercing, emotionless eyes.  The diabolically evil, unrepentant souls rest assured in their perverted sense of righteousness. Be it the Nazis, who attempted to cleanse their nation of their "racial inferiors," or the ruthless aggrandizers, who don't hesitate to eviscerate the community financially, clothing their naked ambitions in the garb of capitalism, they seem to be unaware of even a whisper from their conscience.  And yet, the very same inner voice becomes an unbearable scream to the solitary traveler on the path to self-improvement.

The noblest of hearts weighed down by guilt, squirms in moral misery. This seeming injustice is highlighted by Kannadasan in his song, உள்ளத்தில் நல்ல உள்ளம்... Ullaththil Nalla Ullam

உள்ளத்தில் நல்ல உள்ளம்

உறங்காதென்பது

வல்லவன் வகுத்ததடா , கர்ணா,

வருவதை எதிர்கொள்ளடா

That the purest of the hearts

Doesn't rest well

Is fixed by the Skilled One, Karna,

Behold what is to come.

Stars were aligned to create an immortal moment of magic– the grand stage of Kurukshetra, the mythical characters of Lord Krishna and Karna, the majesty of NT Rama Rao and Sivaji Ganesan, who were the closest to royalty of 20th century South Indian cinema, the heart-rending rendition of Sirkazhi of MSV's magical melody, and to cap it all– the inspired genius of Kannadasan. It is a privilege to be familiar with the Tamil language and our hearts plumbed to its depths by this song.

Karna was not a perfect man– Unlucky? Most certainly: denied of his legitimacy, derided by his peers, disrespected by the public. Political expediency had created a friendship with Duryodhana. Misplaced loyalty had resulted in Karna not only accepting, but also actively encouraging and exhorting his friend's repugnant acts. An emperor should have been, a mercenary had become.

Karna lay sprawled on the lap of Kurukshetra, braced against the wheel of his chariot. His heart had been pierced, both physically and metaphorically by the arrows of Arjuna, his brother, and bitter rival as also history's anointed hero. The proud embers of his spirit, however, refused to die down. Unsurpassed martial skill, unfettered courage, unparalleled acts of charity, and unflinching loyalty had come to this– all because of a debatable sense of ethics.

The valiant warrior who had battled and overwhelmed his opponents had to feel a sense of remorse for his share of mistakes– the indefensible attempt to publicly disrobe Draupadi, the lying to Parasurama, and the slaughter of Abhimanyu.

It is easy to blame circumstances for our acts– it is easier on the soul. It is the handiest tool in the drawer to white-out our dark spots that are too stubborn to erase. The conscientious few are painfully aware of their blemishes, even if they are unseen, considered irrelevant, or, surprisingly, admired by others.

Humans are mortals; to live is to be pock-marked by our decisions. Perfection is never accomplished. Yet, the striving for perfection is enjoined upon every one of us by our scriptures. Once a seeker sets out on this path, he is verily a saint.  To be led by the Divine, to walk along, the soul has to be ready to give up its attachments, both tangible and intangible, to the mortal world.

The noblest of the chains tethering us to the cycle of births and deaths is the sense of comfort that we feel in our own virtues (Punyas); it leads to smugness resulting in spiritual complacency. Many a seeker considers them as the positive balance in the spiritual bank. They are considered the currency to enter the gateway of heaven. According to our scriptures, even these are considered temporary. The ego is forced to crash back into the mortal world from the heavenly worlds upon exhaustion of these Punyas– क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्य लोकं विशन्ति

Sins and virtues are, no doubt, very useful coordinates in the initial part of the spiritual voyage. But, to reach the unchartered land of Immortality, the brave traveler has to abandon them. If he needs help in doing so, the Lord with His infinite compassion comes and rip them off, to lead the soul to immortality.

The Lord adopts any role in leading the sincere seeker– be it the role of a son (Yasodha), a friend (Sudhama), a lover (Radha). Why not a cheat? வஞ்சகன் கண்ணனடா!  Assuming the risk of being caviled as a crook that would plunge to any depths to help his friend, Arjuna, Lord Krishna sets out to offer the highest possible gift to Karna- liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. As He advises Arjuna: போற்றுவார் போற்றலும் தூற்றுவார் தூற்றலும் போகட்டும் கண்ணனுக்கே

Let all praise and insults go to Me (Lord Krishna)

Lord Krishna, assuming the form of a poor Brahmin, approaches Karna and asks for his Punyas as charity. It is a tough ask– Karna had lived his entire life based on a few simple premises, one of which being an unfailing commitment to charity.  As his life draws to an unfulfilling and disappointing end, cursed by fate and plagued by ill luck, all he can look forward to is a better providence in his next birth as a reward for all his good deeds. Even that opportunity would be lost if he were to donate his Punyas.

Karna, however, takes the giant leap of faith and is unafraid to renounce his attachment to even his Punyas. Knowing fully well that it is Krishna who has come in disguise, unhesitatingly, he acquiesces to the Lord’s solicitation. In return, he gets rewarded with the divine vision of the Lord in all His glory– the Viswaroopa Darsana

सर्व धर्मान परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज

अहं तवां सर्व पापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि माशुचः

Renounce all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins; grieve not (Gita XVIII: 66)

Surviving the tempest: The Boat, the Tree and the Reed– Kannadasan's Amaithiyana Nathiyinile

The scene is idyllic. A romantic couple seated on a boat in calm waters rowing away with not a care in the world. Just the image that allows a poet to open his heart with unabashed hyperbole. But Kannadasan has his own methods. For some reason, he makes the hero's words seem more like a warning than an expression of love.

அமைதியான நதியினிலே ஓடும் - ஓடம்
அளவில்லாத வெள்ளம் வந்தால் ஆடும்
காற்றினிலும் மழையினிலும்
கலங்க வைக்கும் இடியினிலும்
கரையினிலே ஒதுங்கி நின்றால் வாழும்

In a quiet stream plies a boat; this boat rocks in the face of a flood. In violent winds, rain and terrifying thunder, the boat would survive if it takes shelter in the banks. 

Not exactly romantic– not even remotely close. We should remember that this is not an amateur poet but the maestro himself who has penned these lines. Who are we to question him? Let us just enjoy where he takes us.

But to better understand the context, we may have to as always take help from the Master of this maestro, Lord Krishna, to fill in the blanks.

In the second chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna paints a picture of the man of perfection- the Sthitha Pragna. While doing so, He cautions Arjuna about the potential dangers lurking in the spiritual voyage.

इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां
यन्मनो अनुविधीयते
तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञ्यां
वायुर्नावमिवाम्बसि

A person, whose mind wanders among the sense organs can be blown away like a helpless boat in the face of violent winds.

One way to escape the onslaught of the senses is to seek shelter in the banks- run away from the temptations. It is a temporary measure, but certainly effective in the short term.

विषयाविनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः
The sense objects turn away from the person who refuses to entertain them.

Running away cannot be a permanent solution. It would defeat the very purpose of living. Hence the boat which seeks shelter in the banks eventually will still have to get back into the water.

Kannadasan brings forth his second metaphor in facing this onslaught.  A powerful coconut tree is seen on the banks– deep rooted, sturdy and seemingly unfazed by the howling wind.  However, even this tree has its limits; a powerful cyclone can uproot and cut the proud tree asunder.

தென்னை இளம் கீற்றினிலே
தாலாட்டும் தென்றல் அது
தென்னை தனை சாய்த்துவிடும்
புயலாக  வரும் பொழுது

Vairaagya or dispassion helps a person stand up to temptation with courage and conviction; however, desire is so powerful that the strongest amongst us can still be overwhelmed by it. In fact,  Lord Krishna acknowledges the difficulty of the task by stating निग्रहः किं करिष्यति What can restrain do?

If this is the fate of the mighty, what are we to do? Should we even try to put up a fight? If so, how?

Comes the third metaphor of Kannadasan:

ஆற்றங்கரை மீதினிலே
ஆடி நிற்கும் நாணலது
காற்றடித்தால் சாய்வதில்லை
கனிந்த மனம் வீழ்வதில்லை

On the banks of the river stands the dancing reed. It does not collapse when the wind blows and the mature mind does not fall.

Isn't this also an echo of the famous statement in the Holy Bible?– Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (Mathew 5:5)

Hence, bow down, surrender to the Lord Almighty. Seek refuge in Him.

Lord Krishna exhorts Arjuna not once, but twice, – almost at the midpoint of the Gita (Chapter IX, verse 34) and towards the end seemingly to make sure that he does not forget (Chapter XVIII, verse 65)

मन्मना भव मद्भक्तः
मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु
Surrender your mind to Me, become My devotee, worship Me, offer your obeisance to Me.

What then happens to such a devotee?  We have an iron-clad guarantee from Lord Krishna Himself:

कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि नमे भक्तः प्रनष्यति
O son of Kunti, know this with certainty, My devotee never perishes.

Kannadasan, Barry Schwartz and Lord Krishna: The Tyranny of Choice

More than 8 million people have viewed this talk. It has made us pause, reflect and reconsider our values. It has the potential to explain the depression and despair faced by today's society in the face of prosperity unmatched in history; it can provide a rational reason for the need for moral values; most importantly it can even explain the success of arranged marriages. It is the famed TED talk by Barry Schwartz on The Paradox of Choice. 

According to Schwartz, we as a society are conditioned to accept that "More choice means more freedom; more freedom means more welfare." However, he argues that this dogma is false. More choice actually leads to regret and despair and an inability to enjoy what we have.

Choice forces us to choose-to make a decision. By choosing one, we run the risk of missing out on the other. If it is a question of picking a box of cereal in a grocery store aisle, well, no big deal. However, if it is a question of deciding between the lawyer on the right and the stockbroker on the left to be your life's partner– the decision making process can be downright cruel. 

One real possibility of a dilemma is to end up being paralyzed- like the proverbial Buridan's ass. According to the French philosopher Buridan, if an ass is placed in the middle with a stack of hay on one side and a pail of water on its other side, both at the same distance from it, the ass would starve to death as it would not be able to make a decision on which one of them to choose. The choice here paralyzes it. While this is a hypothetical situation, versions of this probably occurs not infrequently as when a person freezes in the middle of a railway track, not being able to decide whether to go forward or backward, in the face of an oncoming train.

Schwartz explains the cruelty of making a choice: What if I miss out on the perfect choice? What if my choice does not meet my expectations? What if I end up regretting my choice? Who else but me to be blamed for this choice? This is nothing less than, as Schwartz labels, the tyranny of choice. 

More than 30 years before Barry Schwartz took the stage in his khaki shorts and T shirt at the TED podium, Kannadasan explained this tyranny of choice in one of his songs: Irandu Manam Vendum இரண்டு மனம் வேண்டும் 

 

இரண்டு மனம் வேண்டும் 

இறைவனிடம் கேட்டேன் 

நினைத்து வாட ஒன்று 

மறந்து வாழ ஒன்று 

இரவும் பகலும் இரண்டானால் 

இன்பம் தும்பம் இரண்டானால் 

உறவும் பிரிவும் இரண்டானால் 

உள்ளம் ஒன்று போதாதே 

Two minds is what I need

I asked of God indeed

One to pine, wallow and wither

The other to forget and live thither

If days and nights are an either or 

A similar pair if pleasure and pain are

If passion and separation are not one but two 

A single mind is one short too

Life is a series of choices: whether we like it or not, we are forced to choose. It has to be or not to be as in the immortal words of Hamlet. One can either have the cake or eat it; can't do it both ways. Having to choose is not necessarily a blessing; it can veritably be a curse. 

In the poem The Road Not taken, Robert Frost came upon the two roads that "...diverged in a yellow wood", and chose the one that was less travelled by. However he felt "Sorry that I could not travel both" and therefore had to title the poem more so for the road that he had missed out on. In his poem he seems to indicate that even as he chose the road less travelled by, he was hoping to try the other one later and so had "kept the first for another day." 

Frost made his choice. But what if we are unable to choose? The very choice then becomes a tyranny as Schwartz says, and punishes us. 

Kannadasan writes

கண்களின் தண்டனை காட்சி வழி 

காட்சியின் தண்டனை காதல் வழி 

காதலின் தண்டனை கடவுள் வழி

The punishment of the eyes is through sight

The punishment for sight is through passion

The punishment for passion is through God

This God does seem to have a warped sense of humor. He gives us options but denies us the possibility of enjoying both. 

Well, why don't we let God Himself do our choosing? That seems like an easy enough proposition. We can blame the outcome on Him then, right?

Arjuna, in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, had to choose between the better of two evils- To kill his grand father, teacher, cousins and uncles in a blood bath of a civil war or desert his brothers subjecting them to sure slaughter and allow injustice to prevail. Unable to come up with the right answer, he surrenders to Lord Krishna, who is acting as his charioteer, and says

कार्पण्य दोषो पहतः स्वभावः 

पृच्छामि त्वां धर्म संमूढ चेताः 

यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे 

शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् 

My nature is overwhelmed by a sense of pity; I know not as to what is right. Take me as your disciple and please tell me decisively as to what is ultimately good (shreyas)  for me to do.   

It cannot be a coincidence that the divine sage Veda Vyasa places the word Shreyas in Arjuna's mouth. It rather is quite possibly a nod to the great Katha Upanishad which very likely inspired the Maharishi to compose the Bhagavad Gita. In the Katha Upanishad, again Lord Yama instructs his disciple, Nachiketas, about life being a series of choices- the path of pleasure (Preyas) versus the path of Ultimate good (Shreyas)

Lord Krishna delivers the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, pointing out the highest potential that a human being can realize, elaborately painting the picture of perfection and also meticulously detailing the path to reach there. After nearly 700 verses of instruction, the Lord, who is not above mischief, stops short of telling Arjuna what to do. He leaves Arjuna with the burden of choice.  Lord Krishna concludes with his famous advice

यथा इच्छसि तथा कुरु: Do as you please

No doubt Kannadasan ends his song with this rhetorical question

கடவுளை தண்டிக்க என்ன வழி 

How do I punish this God?

The First Steps in a Spiritual Journey: Kannadasan and Bhaja Govindam

The paradox in life is this: to appreciate the beauty of life we have to become acutely aware of its ugliness.  To be at peace in a family, we have to know the boundaries of our relationships.  To enjoy the blessings of wealth, we ought to have a thorough appraisal of its limitations. Otherwise, we are bound to feel extremely disappointed and bitter with the very people and possessions that were the objects of our pursuits, passion and devotion.

Kannadasan brings this idea to expression in his famous song வீடு வறை உறவு 

வீடு வரை உறவு 

வீதி வரை மனைவி 

காடு வரை பிள்ளை 

கடைசி வரை யாரோ 

ஆடும் வரை ஆட்டம் 

ஆயிரத்தில் நாட்டம் 

கூடி வரும் கூட்டம் 

கொள்ளி வரை வருமா ....

விட்டுவிடும் ஆவி 

பட்டுவிடும் மேனி 

சுட்டுவிடும் நெருப்பு 

சூனியத்தில் நிலைப்பு 

Translating this song is to transfigure it.  For people who do not understand Tamil, please understand that this song, which stings with its cold brutality, eludes even an expert translator, leave alone an amateur writer like me. (I have chosen to go with the spirit of the song rather than the literal word-to-word translation)

The relatives stay behind in the house

The wife comes up to the street

The son accompanies you to the ground

But who comes with you till the end?

You dance while you can, 

With your eyes on the millions

The posse fuss about you

But where are they when they burn you?

Your life quits on you

Your body wilts soon 

The fire burns it down

You end up in eternal nothing

It is probably a divine coincidence that these verses of Kannadasan echo the thoughts of one of the greatest saints that ever lived- Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavadpada.  In his Bhaja Govindam, Sri Sankara lovingly exhorts us, delivering one stinging rebuke after another, to re-appraise, re-analyze

 and recalibrate our relationships with our possessions, passions and pursuits. 

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं 

गोविन्दं भज मूदमते 

संप्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले 

नहि नहि रक्षति डुक्रुन् करणे ...

यावत्वित्तोपार्जन सक्तः 

तावन्निज परिवारो रक्तः 

पश्चाद जीवति जर्जर देहे 

वार्तां कोपि न पृच्छति गेहे 

यावत्पवनो निवसति देहे 

तावत्पृच्छति  कुशलं गेहे 

गतवति वायो देहापाये 

भार्या बिब्यति तस्मिन् 

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं 

गोविन्दं भज मूदमते 

Seek Govind, seek Govind

Govind alone you seek O fool

Once your time is done and gone

Not will rescue you, your grammar rules

So long you are strong and can build the fortune of yours

They love and swarm, this family of yours

When your spirit withers and your body dithers

Ain't there anybody that even bothers 

As long as your breath stays in you

You are liked and loved and they ask about you

But alas, once your breath deserts you

Even your wife recoils with what is left of you

Seek Govind, seek Govind 

Govind alone you seek O fool

Unlike Sri Sankara, Kannadasan, in his song, does not offer the positive exhortation to surrender to and seek the Almighty; he gets there, however, in another song which starts with the same theme after the death of a loved one: 

போனால் போகட்டும் போடா (Ponaal pokattum poda)

போனால் போகட்டும் போடா 

இந்த பூமியில் நிலையாய் வாழ்ந்தவர் யாரடா 

If it's gone, let it go

Who has lived forever in this world? 

Didn't Kannadasan's Lord, Sri Krishna Himself, advise a despondent Arjuna?

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युः ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्मादपरिहार्येते नत्वम् शोचितुमर्हसि

Death is certain to all those born, certain is birth to all those dead
What you cannot help is not worthy to be grieved upon.

Continuing, Kannadasan reassures us that there is a Divine Hand at play

நமக்கும் மேலே ஒருவனடா 

நாலும் தெரிந்த தலைவனடா - தினம் 

நாடகம் ஆடும் கலைஞனடா  

There is a Guy above us all

The Captain, He, verily, knows all 

An artist, He directs the play of us all

He alone is Real.  He alone is Permanent. He alone is worth seeking.

Hence coming back to Sri Sankara's exortations: Seek Govind, seek Govind, Govind alone we shall seek