“Beauty is in the beholder’s eye.” This statement is true not only in aesthetic experiences but also in our approach to every field of human activity. For instance, if one approaches religious scriptures solely to uncover anthropological, sociological, political, historical, ethical, or moral issues, they may miss the very spirit of the scripture. However, there is nothing wrong with exploring these other aspects if they align with one’s research interests. Nonetheless, a votary of any particular sampradaya who seeks to extract interpretations beyond what supports their faith or bhakti may overlook the essence of the scripture intended for that tradition. The authors of any scripture wrote with a focus on the faith and devotion of their followers, not to cater to all human needs.
This tendency to search for non-spiritual messages in scriptures is not new. Supra-rationalist followers of any faith who approach texts with dry intellectualism risk missing the scripture’s spiritual essence. For example, examining a few poems from Divyaprabandam, Tiruvasagam, Surdas, and Meerabai—or in our case, Muktiveda—reveals that if a votary cannot find teachings and guidance pertinent to their faith, they cannot claim to be sincere followers of that sampradaya. The most concerning scenario arises when such individuals advocate their interpretations in the name of guiding others, potentially complicating and harming the understanding of those seeking spiritual advice. While it is impossible to stop these supra-rationalists, those seeking guidance should be discerning and protect their faith from such intellectualism.
An illustrative example is the ‘Dead Sea’ in Israel, known for its extreme salinity. While it appears as a water body, it has lost the qualities of natural water, which can support life. The Dead Sea’s condition reflects that even small amounts of natural water quickly become supersaturated and disappear. Supra-rationalists can be likened to the Dead Sea. They may claim to follow a particular sampradaya and study its scriptures but, lacking spiritual nourishment, their intellectualism becomes dry and sterile. They may possess impressive analytical skills, but as the Gita notes:
“Arjuna, those who are obsessed by desires, who look upon heaven as the supreme goal and argue that there is nothing beyond heaven and pleasures and who are devoted to the letter of the Vedas, are unwise. They utter flowery speech recommending many acts of various kinds for the attainment of pleasure and prosperity with rebirth as their fruit. Those whose minds are carried away by such flowery speech (viz. who are attracted towards pleasures) and who are deeply attached to pleasure and prosperity, can’t attain the determinate intellect concentrated on God.” — Bhagavad Gita 2:42-44, Swami Ramsukhadas, Srimad Bhagavadgita Sadhaka Sanjivani, vol. 1, p. 114-115.
Of course, the context of these slokas in the Gita is entirely different from the way I am using them here. This demonstrates how easily we can take a scripture out of context and impose our own interpretations on it. While the Gita critiques actions performed mechanically or intellectual pursuits devoid of devotion, I am using it to serve my own purpose—just as many supra-rationalists often do when searching for validation for their particular themes of research in sacred texts.
Faith and bhakti transcend rationalism, and scriptures meant for spiritual guidance cannot be rationalized. Those who reduce their sampradaya’s scripture to mere historical or ethical information become like the Dead Sea—superficially appealing but lacking spiritual depth.
This principle extends to everyday relationships as well. For instance, if one views their mother merely as a human, person, or woman, they miss the true essence of her role as a mother. While an anthropologist, psychologist, or feminist might analyze her from different perspectives, children know their mother through a personal relationship that goes beyond objective analysis. Similarly, faith and bhakti are not merely emotional experiences but personal relationships with the divine. Rationalizing scripture into historical or ethical terms misses this deeper connection and risks reducing the richness of spiritual experience to intellectual dryness.
The translations of scriptures often fail to capture their original spirit. For instance, Tirunavukkarasu’s Tamil verses, Surdas’ poetry, and the Muktiveda in Tamil convey a spiritual essence that translations may miss. The feeling and experience of these scriptures can be understood fully only in their original languages. Supra-rationalists might argue that this is due to linguistic affinity, but those who understand the original text agree that the spiritual message is paramount.
For example, Tirunavukkarasu’s verse, translated by F. Kingsbury and G.E. Phillips, expresses a deep sense of personal failure and devotion that resonates more profoundly in the original Tamil1:
“Evil, all evil, my race, evil my qualities all,
Great am I only in sin, evil is even my good.
Evil my innermost self, foolish, avoiding the pure,
Beast am I not, yet the ways of the beast I can never forsake.”
— Hymns of the Tamil Saivite Saints, Calcutta, Association Press, 1921, song 35, p. 44.
Similarly, Kulasekara Azhvaar’s verse from the Nalayira Divya Prabandham speaks to a state of divine ecstasy and devotion:
“Letting the tears of joy to pour continuously; and the hair stand still on the body; heart melting and becoming tired and dancing; not stopping on the same place but dancing, singing songs and worshipping, only those who become slaves to my Lord Ranganatha are the only ones who have not become lunatics; the rest who live without bhakti are lunatics indeed.” 2
— Kulasekara Azhvaar, Perumal Thirumozhi, Commentary by R.V. Kamalakkannan, Chennai, Vardaman Press, song 666, p. 974.
Surdas’ reflections on his own imperfections highlight the same theme of spiritual humility and devotion3:
What did I ever not do?
Think of my actions one by one
And tell me how you can advertise yourself
As Purifier of the Fallen.
Ever since I was born into the world
And called a living being,
Aside from the evils and errors I’ve done,
I’ve simply done nothing at all.
Those who are virtuous, obedient, pure—
How can you help but be drawn towards them?
But to shield someone burdened with fear
Proves the lordliness of the Lord indeed.
Oh beautiful dark one, lotus-eyed,
Who knows us all inside,
What kind of prayer can be made to you by Sur,
Who is cruel, who is crooked, who craves?— Sur’s Ocean, eds. Kenneth E Bryant, trs. By John Stratton Hawley, Massachusetts, Murty Classical Library of India, Harvard University Press, Song 397, p. 689 [italics original]
From Muktiveda:
Read from Romans 11: 33 to 12:1-2; I cor. 13; Phil. 2: 1-11.
In conclusion, engaging with scriptures solely through a rational or intellectual lens can strip away their spiritual essence. The real beauty of scripture, much like the genuine relationship with a mother, lies in its ability to sustain and nourish faith and devotion. Those who miss this spirit risk becoming intellectual ‘Dead Seas,’ devoid of the living water of spiritual insight.
— DB, Mathigiri, 28-10-16, Revised on 16-9-2024, Gurukulam
- குலம்பொல்லேன் குணம்பொல்லேன் குறியும்பொல்லேன்
குற்றமேபெரிதுடையேன் கோலமாய
நலம்பொல்லேனான்பொல்லேன் ஞானியல்லே
னல்லாரோடிசைந்திலேனடுவேனின்ற
விலங்கலேன்விலங்கலாதொழிந்தேனல்லேன்
வெறுப்பனவுமிகப் பெரிதும்பேசவல்லேன்
இலம்பொல்லேனிரப்பதல்லால் ஈயமாட்டே
னென்செய்வான்றோன்றினே னேழையேனே–
Tirunavukkarasu, F. Kingsbury, and G.E.Phillips, Hymns of the Tamil Saivite Saints, Calcutta, Association Press, 1921, song 35, p. 44
2 மொய்த்துக் கண்பனி சோர மெய்கள்
சிலிர்ப்ப ஏங்கி இளைத்து நின்று
எய்த்துக் கும்பிடு நட்ட மிட்டெழுந்
தாடிப் பாடி இறைஞ்சி என்
அத்தன் அச்சன் அரங்கனுக்கு அடி
யார் களாகி அவனுக்கே
பித்த ராமவர் பித்த ரல்லர்கள்
மற்றையார் முற்றும் பித்தரே.
–குலசேகராழ்வார்., பெருமாள் திருமொழி
நாலாயிர திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம். உரையாசிரியர்: இரா. வ. கமலக்கண்ணன். சென்னை, வர்த்தமானன் பதிப்பகம். வருடம் குறிப்பிடப்படவில்ல. பாடல், 666, ப. 974
பொருள்: “ஆனந்தக் கண்ணீர் இடைவிடாது சொரியவும், உடல் மயிர்க்கூச்செரியவும், நெஞ்சு தளர்ந்து களைத்துப்போய் நிலை தளர்ந்து கூத்தாடி, நின்ற விடத்து நில்லாமல் ஆட்டங்களாடிப் பாட்டுக்கள் பாடி வணங்கி, எனக்குத் தந்தையும் தலைவனுமான அரங்கநாதனுக்கு அடியவர்களாய் அவனுக்கே பித்தேறித் திரிகிறவர்கள் பைத்தியக் காரர்கள் அல்லர், பக்தியிலாத மற்றவர்கள் எல்லாம் பைத்தியக் கார்கள்தாம்” என்கிறார் ஆழ்வார்.–ப. 974, பாடல், 666
3 सो कहा जु मैं न कियौ
सोइ सोइ चित धरिहौ
पतित पावन बिरद प्रगट
कौंन भांति करिहौ
जब ते जग जनमु आइ
जीव नाउं पायौ
तब ते अपराध बिना
और न करि आयौ
सुकृती जनु सेवक सुचि
काहि न जिय भावै
प्रभु की प्रभुता इहै जु
भीत सरन पावै
स्याम सुंदर कमल नैन
सकल अंतरजामी
विनित कहा करै सूर
कूर कुटिल कामी—— Sur’s Ocean, eds. Kenneth E Bryant, trs. By John Stratton Hawley, Massachusetts, Murty Classical Library of India, Harvard University Press, Song 397, p. 689 song 397, p. 688
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