74. मर्यादापरिपालकः Maryādā-paripālakaḥ

One who was the protector of propriety of conduct

Regulations that govern one’s life are prescribed by the Śāstras in two ways, as sāmānya and viśeṣa dharmas. Sāmānya-dharmas are taken up in nāma 105. Viśeṣa-dharmas are prescribed in the form of varṇa-āśrama-dharmas, that is dharmas appropriate to one’s birth and stage in life. On the importance of adhering to one’s dharma, the Lord says, “It is more beneficial to die while following one’s own dharma (than another’s); following the dharma of another is fraught with fear.”²⁰⁹ Viśeṣa-dharma also includes dharma based on one’s sampradāya or tradition, be it familial or regional. It is said, “One who does not know tradition is to be shunned as a fool, even if he were to be a knower of all the Śāstras.”²¹⁰

‘Maryādā’ refers to code of conduct. A person who follows his dharma and also conducts himself in accordance with the societal norms of propriety, decorum and dignity in consonance with his station in society, is said to be following maryādā, while a ‘pālaka’, protector of maryādā, is one who additionally induces others to follow the same. Hanumān gives Sītā the reason why Rāma is referred to as maryāda-puruṣottama: “He follows the codes of conduct and induces others also to do so.”²¹¹

Here, His Holiness is described as a ‘pari-pālakaḥ’, One who completely protects, maryāda. He impeccably followed the viśeṣa-dharmas applicable to Him at every stage and circumstance of life – prior to saṁnyāsa, His dharma was that of a son to His parents, a student to His school teachers, etc.; after His upanayana it was that of a brahmacārin; after He became an ascetic, it became that of a saṁnyāsin. He maintained the dignity of the pīṭha while also mingling with the masses, and was the epitome of poise and propriety. Finally, He also induced and guided others to uphold the code of conduct appropriate to them.

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Even as a young boy, Sri Srinivasa Sastry made it a point to help His mother every day. He conscientiously performed various domestic chores, such as cleansing of vessels and sweeping. He also took care of His younger siblings. When once asked about His attending to His brother like a foster-mother, He said, “My mother is busy in the kitchen and my elder sister is assisting her. Who will attend to this young one? If I do not do so, it will add to my mother’s strain.”

He was an obedient and conscientious student and every morning would see Him trekking on time to His school in the prescribed uniform, which included a cap and a coat. He was sociable and friendly.

He was a bright student. His father, a primary-school teacher, was a strict disciplinarian and students feared him. Consequently, several young boys of the primary school sought Sri Srinivasa Sastry’s help to clear their doubts. Never did He grudge them help though such tuition demanded that He regularly spare time for them.

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Once Sri Srinivasa Sastry’s upanayana was completed and He stayed back at Sringeri to pursue śāstraic studies, He developed the habit of waking up at around 4:30 a.m. After taking a bath, He used to perform His nityakarma (scripturally-ordained religious observances to be practised regularly) with meticulous care. He then partook of light tiffin and some milk. Thereafter, He set Himself to studies. In the afternoons, after His mādhyāhnika, He used to go for a meal. He was not in the habit of taking recourse to any siesta in the afternoons and was mostly engaged in studies. It used to be around 10:30 p.m. before He retired for the night.

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Once, standing in for His Guru’s attendant, when His Holiness held a large ceremonial umbrella over the senior Jagadguru in the place of an attendant, He stood with one leg off the ground. When later asked about this, He clarified that He stood that way for, otherwise, His foot would have touched His Guru’s shadow that day. Even His Guru’s shadow was sacrosanct for Him. His walk was swift, almost a sprint, and His attendants had a hard time keeping up with Him; the senior Jagadguru’s was sedate. Yet, when accompanying the senior Jagadguru, not once in the over two decades that They were together did He, even inadvertently, overstep His Guru.

He told a disciple decades later, “It is not that I took care not to move ahead of Him; it was impossible and inconceivable for me to do so.” Even before He learnt of them, He spontaneously followed to the letter the injunctions, “The disciple must not cross over his Guru’s shadow,” and, “When the Guru is walking, the disciple should follow him (not move ahead of him).”²¹²

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The following account of Sri D. S. Subbaramaiya illustrates how very respectfully His Holiness conducted Himself towards His Guru.

“In 1946, His Holiness once went to behold the senior Jagadguru, taking me with Him. As He approached the door of the senior Jagadguru’s room from one side, He noticed that His Guru was reading a book. Not only did His Holiness not enter, He did not even want to stand next to the door on the side where He could be seen. Hence, He walked round Sacchidananda Vilasa and tiptoed to the other side of the door. He then moved slightly forward, leaned, peeped in and, finding that the senior Jagadguru was still reading, immediately stepped back. Thereafter, He stood motionless and silent. After a few minutes, He again looked inside as before and withdrew. About 15 minutes passed thus before the senior Jagadguru chanced to notice Him on unexpectedly looking up prior to turning a page. Immediately, He called His Holiness in. He entered and respectfully submitted that I had come for darśana. The senior Jagadguru rose, walked out of the room and began talking with me. To enable us to converse in private, His Holiness moved out of earshot and waited.

“The senior Jagadguru was scheduled to take a Vedānta class for His Holiness that day. As He approached after some time to have a necessary word with His Guru about the class, the senior Jagadguru told me, ‘The Guru is coming. Do namaskāra.’ As instructed, I prostrated before His Holiness. The senior Jagadguru and His Holiness then conversed for a few minutes. Thereafter, His Holiness walked backwards till He was out of His Guru’s range of sight; He was unwilling to turn His back towards His Guru. Such was His reverence for His Guru.”

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His Holiness desired to follow the teaching that the śiṣya should not eat prior to his Guru. Though the senior Jagadguru partook of His bhikṣā late in the afternoon, His Holiness consistently waited for Him to do so. He did this even though a separate kitchen had been arranged for Him, so that the time of His bhikṣā could be independent of that of His Guru. Later, out of concern for His Holiness’s health, the senior Jagadguru cancelled the extra kitchen and Himself started going for bhikṣā earlier than before.

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