Review

Years before, just before my marriage, i wrote a blog questioning the relevancy of marriage mantras. Those who plan read this blog, please read that first. Because, this is my rethought on the same topic. 

 https://fieryblaster.blogspot.com/2005/10/marriage-rituals-study-by-novice.html?m=1

 I am really thankful for what i have learnt all these years. Looking back, i know the answers now.  Pranaams to the lotus feet of my Guru, Parama poojya Swami Omkarananda Saraswathi.

Marriage was never for sensual pleasure.  It was for discharging vedic duty.  Since the bridegroom would have completed his brahmacharya vratham under a godly Guru, and would have learnt Vedam, he enters grihasthasram with tapas.

As a brahman, who has learnt vedam, as a person who lived on bhiksha alone in the company of his saintly Guru, the bridegroom is treated on par with Mahavishnu.

These tapas only entitles him to purify the bride.  (Nugathadi ritual).  

With my current state of mind, is it right to ask for a male progeny?  If materialism is my only goal, definitely i am not discriminating .  But if i am a man practising my dharma, constantly engaged in keeping my mind pure and learning and teaching vedam and upanishads, definitely , i would wish for a son to whom i can pass on all these samskaarams.  For he can be my true sishya.

Religion, Gandhiji......

 Congress was formed by an Englishman. The main motto was to avoid any mutinies like 1857.  The govt. wanted to appease Indian masses and congress was addressing problems faced by masses due to British administration and its officers. Independence was not its agenda.

Gandhiji had accepted the situation in India as it is. He had no hatred towards Englishmen.  The vision of Gandhiji was broad. He did not limit himself. 

His experiments on food and acceptance of Brahmacharya, equipped him with courage and selflessness.  Hence Gandhiji was truthful only to his conscience.  

Wherever Gandhiji worked, he had two weapons. Truth and non violence. The transparency with which he worked with Britishers completely knocks us down. When ever working for people's cause, if legal provisions were unfavourable for his course of action, he was capable of making the judge understand his intentions and convince why he could not follow law in the particular issue. All his actions were always open. Even if policemen or CID were suspociously lurking around, they were welcomed to see their activities. 

Inshort, Gandhiji did two things simultaneously. Knocking Britishers conscience and also awakening Indoan masses.  

Be it Champaran or Kheda satyagraha, Gandhiji was successful in pointing Britishers their atrocities and need to fix the situation.  Also, he made the locals understand that atrocities against them should not be tolerated. They could raise their voices in honest and non violent but firm way.  

Gandhiji acted as ray of hope of Indian people.  He made them understand that atrocities against them should not be tolerated. He led them and guided them in their fights.  

Gandhiji was a phenomena.  The work which Ga dhiji did was deeper than that done by revolutionaries.  He gave Indian masses the necessary morale boost and self confidence.  My words fail.  

Will write more if God wills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Religion, Gandhiji and freedom struggle

Earliest known Hindu King about whom we have proof is Chandragupta Maurya.  The dynasty lasted only for close to 140 years. 

If we read epics like Ramayana, lineage of Lord of Rama  (Raghu Vamsam) is stated clearly.  Wikipedia says Lord Rama belonged to 81st generation.

Any dharma can be passed on to next generation only when religious duties are performed meticulously. A person himself may be a great warrior. He can make his son a warrior only if his religious duties are performed with fervour. 

As we saw earlier in case of Chandragupta,  dharma could not be transfered even before 2000 years. Hindu dharma was already declining during his period.

Decline in Kshatria dharma only caused invasions in Bharath.  Or we can say, non inherence to dharma was cause for decline of sanatana dharma, for every foreign invasion was a blow to our religion.

150 years ago, Hindu society was in a pathetic state. Skeleton of dharmic rituals were held tightly, forgetting the heart of our religion, dry rituals and beliefs were held tightly.

Savarkar narrates how easily a Hindu got converted. In Andaman jail, mohammadeans forced Hindus to dine with them. Only that was needed for other Hindus to banish him. He was not accepted as a fellow Hindu. Thus he automatically, had no choice but to become a muslim. 

This only shows that Hindu society had lost its discretion and humanity.  

Women were illtreated. Atrocities on harijans were at its peak.  Mutual respect among human beings were long last.  

Spiritual leaders of that time were interested in establishing dharma among Hindus. They cared less about freedom struggle.  

Very few seers participated in freedom struggle like Aurobindo.

Gandhiji was a saint. Our freedom movement was guided by this great saint.

I will try to place the facts as to why he should be considered a saint. 

Varnashramam 3

 Our vasanas decide the direction in which we will lead our life.  If in one's past life one was addicted to alcohol, such vasana will not vanish on one's death. It will continue on his next birth also.  So according to one's vasana the soul takes next birth in such an atmosphere which is conducive for its growth.

So it is only logical that only God decides our birth atmosphere, since we mortals have little knowledge about our vasanas.    That said, with faith in God, the given varna should be accepted. 

As a shudra, i am free to travel abroad for material prosperity. It is not allowed for other varnam people.   Though Ovvayar says "Thiraikadal oodiyum thiraviyam thedu" , Manudhrmam recommends staying with in dharma bhoomi for these three varnams.

In spiritual terms, to a shudra and also to a woman,  bhakthimargam is open freely. We see immense love of Kannappar and Nandanar towards God.  

In Nandanar puranam, Nandanar reaches Chidambaram. But he is unable to enter the city as through out the city priests are conducting homams and yagyams. As an outcast, Nandanar does not have courage to enter the city. He circumabulates the city and sleeps out of exhaustion.  

Lord Shiva instructs the priests in their dreams  to  lit fire and expect Nandanars arrival. At the  same time, He  instructs Nandanar to enter the pyre to purify his body and to come out as a brahmin, so that he can enter the temple.

This point troubled me heavily. Why should God dislike shudra body? Why brahmin body is required to enter temple? If brahmins say that, we can understand that as a lowly act of a group of people. But why did God insist on such an act?

Gnana margam is open to all other varnams. They can learn vedam and acquire knowledge through vedantic analysis. But as an outcast, Nandanar reached God through pure love.  The only thing which separated him and God was Gnana.  

Here the  brahmins symbolise gnanam.  By making him go through the pyre, God bestowed Him with Gnana. As a person with Gnanam and bhakthi, Nandanar took a new birth as brahmin. Here brahminhood only symbolises Gnanam, just as coconut and flowers symbolises prosperity. Coconuts and flowers are in no way superior to the person doing worship, but they are required for worship. Similarly, the Chidambaram brahmins were in no way superior to Nandanar. Brahminhood simply symbolised attainment of Gnana by Nandanar.

I  front of very eyes of all brahmins, Nandanar became one with God.

Varnashramam 2

Veda is eternal truth. We find it difficult to believe in it because we have comfortably lowered our standards.  

Four varnas are for concentrated growth of human beings. It is dharma which is important, not the material comforts or recognition or respect from society.   

If i am a shudra, i may accept my low status if i see higher qualities in people of other varnam. Only when the whole society moves together towards God, varnashrama dharma can be understood properly.

Let us take this following Thirukkural.

உலகத்தோ டொட்ட ஒழுகல் பலகற்றுங்

கல்லா ரறிவிலா தார்.

 Its meaning "those who know not how to act agreeably to the world, though they have learnt many things, are still ignorant".

In current terms, will it be relevant? None wants to give. None wants to help. Even if we follow our religious custom vigorously, we are seen as strange creatures. 

But Parimelazhagar explains the world உலகம். 

Ulagam means people with wisdom and not common people.

In earlier days, when we followed our dharma, society was filled with dharmic people.  

Thus though we outwardly think that shudras are abandoned by Veda, actually it did not.  The rest of the society which followed dharma were morally and ethically taken care, so that shudra is not abused or teased.  Moving one varna upper means living more disciplined and righteous life. 

Still if an yearning person was born in shudra community, it was tough for him.  As long as we grow within the system, things will be smooth. When we want to grow beyond the system, we have to face challenges.  Such a challenge was definitely faced by every yearning shudra of those times.  Nandanar is a classic example for it. 

But exceptional people strived. 

Will continue....

Varnashramam

 Sanskrit and Tamil are beautiful as a couple.  One devoid of other always causes confusion.  Anyone wanting to learn Hindu religion should learn these two together.  

Hinduism, as we call now, insists on varnashrama dharma.  Progressive growth is ensured by varnashrama dharma.  

In our present materialistic life also, there is discrimation. It is based on material possessions and prosperity. We accept it because, everyone is given an opportinity to compete in material world.

But Hinduism does not believe in competing for worldy comforts. Even if we want to compete materialistically, we need basic training and transformation.  A mean and characterless man with welath is dangerous, according to our shastram.  

Initially, desires should be controlled by doing karma. That is practised by a Shudra. The animal instincts in a man should be killed by obedience and karma.  If the discrimation done by God is accepted by shudra, he accepts it to over come his weakness.

It is ok for a Shudra to consume meat and alcohol early in the morning. Shasthram does not condemn them only because the inherent weakness in human being is recognised by it. That is why sashthram eliminates them from  vedic rituals.

But how their spiritual growth is ensured?  The traditions and custom followed ensures their spiritual growth.  

  God reaches out to them more lucidly. They have village God or Goddess who accept whatever they eat. There are temples which allow bali poojai. We even witness people possessed by village deity and giving guidance to others. 

While a rational mind negates all this, it has to be understood that when our heart is full of obedience and faith, devoid of any reservations caused by knowledge, it is easier for higher force to direct the human being.  

So while shasthram disowns them, God possesses them.  It can be understood only when we live with village people.

Does that mean that all shudras are people with low qualities? Definitely not.  Nandanar is one such example. Though there are many.

 Will continue..

  

எழுத்து

 எந்தன் நெஞ்சம் கனமாக

வாழ்க்கை ஒழுக்கம் தடுமாற

போதை சுகமும் மனம் தேட

பேனா பேப்பர் எடுத்து விட்டேன்.

சுமைகள் சற்றே வெளியேற

மையைக் கரைக்க முடிவெடுத்தேன்.

எண்ணக் குப்பைகள் தன்மீதேற

அமைதியாய் பொறுத்தது காகிதமும்

காகிதம் போலக் கடமையினை

வருத்தமின்றி செய்திடவே

கரும யோகம் வாய்க்காதோ?

பக்தியும் கைகூடாதோ?

Significance of Sastram 2

  A brahmin has been reduced to a mere vegetarian nowadays.  They have moved far away from swadharmam, running behind materialistic desires. I feel pathetic when i see the eaten plates (echal plates) are happily washed in kitchen sinks.  

Many customs and rituals followed by older generation are followed only on occassions. Otherwise, our daily life is divorced from any sort of religious restriction or requirements.

Ladies were the guards of dharma in earlier generation. With the men folk abandoning Sandhyavandanam and other nithya karmas and running behind money, women still held on to sastram.

They considered kitchen as a divine place. Definitely it was place of worship. Entry without bath was a strict no no. Previous days left over were carefully kept in a corner, removing them from fresh items.  Provisions and oils were separated from cooked food. Food was never tasted while cooking. 

Also women observed three days of seclusion during their periods. Now this practice is often discouraged by all parents.  While a muslim woman happily wears a parda, a hindu finds it backward to follow these injunctions.

 

These nithya karmas and sasthram followed by men and  women had an adhrishta palan. It lays the basic step for spiritual cleansing.  Because, these duties are not transactional in nature. Other dharmic rituals like shrardham, marriage etc are transactional and with some purpose and expectation. But with nithyakarmas, we do not attach any such expectation. Tberefore, they are purer and takes us closer to God.  

These customs along with daily pooja to chosen deity, increases the quality of a human being.  Makes us more sharper and clearer. When we leave all these rituals, quality of our offsprings will decline invariably.

Hindu religion is not for individuals with only materialistic ambitions. It is for those who want to go closer to God. There is no meaning to our religion  if these subtle practices are lost.  

 

  

Sashthram and significance 1

 We use the term sashthram loosely in our day to day life. If we analyse, we will know that we do not know the meaning of this term.  Because, it has lost its relevance in our daily life. 

Though there may be many books about various shathrams, Manu Dharmam is main book on shathrams.  But the prescribed rules can hardly be followed in this time.  Then when we say sashthram, what do we mean, why should we follow?

We progress spiritually using two things.  Faith and knowledge.  Faith is the foremost quality one must earn to be nearer to God.  That is the qualification for gaining knowledge.  Till a man is materialistic, i mean with materialistic goals and needs, he is denied the path of knowledge.  Faith is the path in which he has to travel.  

Qualities required to obtain knowledge can be acquired by doing the shastric karmas with faith.  Without performing shasthric or dharmic karmas, it is difficilt to grow qualitatively. Materialistic success is quantitative in nature.

To understand anything, one way is to question.  Another way is to simply practice.  Practice gives perfect understanding of our religion. Currently, though we stick on to the frame work of sanatana dharma, we hardly practice it.  

Shasthram sets out the rules which we should follow to understand our religion.  Without sashthram our religion is meaningless. 

That said, what can we follow? Having lost all our practice to our materialistic desires, can we revive it?   

We just need to follow that which was passed on to us by our parents and grand parents. Those old rituals, which were forgotten, should be dusted and brought back to life. 

Will continue....

Thoughts

 உணவு ஆக்கி,

உணவாய் ஆகி, 

இன்பம் வாங்கும் பெண்ணே,

உணவாய் ஆகும் கீழ்மை விடுத்து,

உலக இன்பம் சற்றே விடுத்து,

அன்பை மட்டும் மனதில் தேக்கி, 

சேவையாக வாழ்ந்து விட்டால்,

இவ்வுலகம் உந்தன் பின்னே!!