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!!

Religion, Veer Savarkar and Gandhiji.

I visualise Sarvarkar as a warrior.  Veer Savarkar though belonging to Brahmin community, was a kshatria in thought word and deed. Gandhiji on contrary, though belonging  to Vaishya community, was a brahmin, in his words thought and deeds.  

Gandhiji looked at the morale paucity in Indian community. He understood clearly that it was fall of dharma among Indian masses that caused invasions. These barries should be countered only by establishing dharma. Hence Gandhi advocated fighting with ahimsa.  He thought  as a typical sadhu and not as a political leader.  Though he understood problems in muslim community and their inability and unwillingness to get along with Hindus,he supported them. 

Even during Khilafat movement,he was successful in motivating Muslims leaders to fight in a non violent way. In fact, no one could have induced that feeling among muslims,but for Gandhiji. Ultimately, violence erupted in Khilafat movement. But a change was brought in muslim leaders thought. This encouraged Gandhi to think that he will be able to make changes in muslims thought. 

On the contrary, Veer Savarkar was clear that Muslim mind cannot be ment. It was clearly agai st his logics for  India  to be a part of Khilafat movement. Because it was a religious demand by muslim community.  He saw it as a move which does not go well with our freedom struggle.

Also, the soft corner of Gandhi towards muslim was a matter of concern for Veer Savarkar.  Definitely it was against the welfare of Hindu community.  But Gandhiji, was confident of his ability to influence mankind.  He thought that his selfless way of working will change others heart. 

Even now, Gandhiji is blamed for the appeasing policy followed by congress. It is definitely correct that Gandhiji was responsible. But, whatever Gan dhiji did was based on his Aaathma balam or his dharmic confidence.

While Veer Savarkar fought for Hindu unity, he did not accept all hindu customs.  He questioned various rituals and also did not mind giving up the religious injunction of being a vegetarian in his London days.  While he accepted cow should be protected as she feeds us, he did not think that cows needed to be worshipped.

Thus  though he fought for Hindu people and despite his clear understanding that only a Hindu can be a nationalist,he could not be a good Hindu. Or that is what i think.

Similarly, overdose of ahimsa by Gandhiji too did  not yield much result after some point t of time.  That was why he was sidelined by his own party in later years.

In conclusion, a kshatria unguided by a guru or a saint without the practicality of a Kshatria cannot bring success. Only when they function together as a unit,complementing each other, can success be reaped. Like Chanakya and Chandragupta.  

Study of Indian freedom movement clearly gives the idea about Hindu religion. If God permits, wil write more.

 

Religion

 While the purpose was to write about Veer Savarkar and Gandhi, I thought that there is a need to write about our religion first.  The way in which our religion is built is so unique.  

It is a roof for all kinds s of people. Islam speaks about formless God. Bhuddism teaches non violence and detachment. 

But no religion dissects the concept of God like Hinduism does.  We have Gods with form, we have advocates of formless nameless God,  we have people who worship God by offering alcohol and meat, we have people who worship God by fasting and by offering fruits.  

Hinduism does not tell the whole world about how God is.  Instead it teaches each community to worship God in a particular way,according to their varnam or  தொழிற் குழு.  

According one's life style and habits, one perceives God. According a persons' evolution, he  moves from one belief to another.  

Caste system helped the community to flourish spiritually and economically.  

When we have faith in God, caste system is not at all a problem.  Our journey in earth is a continuous one.  It does not end with this one incarnation. 

A person born as kshatria in one incarnation may become a soodra or vysya in another incarnation.  That means, the only way to grow is to accept the given birth as it is and to make use of it wisely. If materialistic growth is the only motive of human birth, caste system is not needed. But grooming people characteristically according to their capabilities can happen only if we follow varnashrama dharma.  

Brahmin was respected by all in Hindu dharma because he lived for religion and God.  He is prohibited by religion to flourish materialistically. He cannot indulge in dense pleasures.  He has to live for others.  Definitely,  when a person with capabilities,  restrains himself from worldly pleasures and lives for the society,  he will be respected.  

Today's brahmins are nowhere close to that.  Though most of the cruel practices manifested in caste sysrem are almost done away with,still we fail to accept brahmin as a respectable person because we hardly find any such selfless person.  

But the very few brahmins who study veda and are willing live a dharmic life should be encouraged tremendously even though they lack selfless motive. Because upholding dharma is very backbone of Hinduism.  Anyone who is willing to live for veda needs encouragement despite their very low standards.

Every Hindu should understand about the caste system.  Every Hindu should know about dharma. Every Hindu should start reading our glorious history.

Hinduism is not just about bad uppercase people bullying so called lower caste people. It is about sharpening the people through rituals and beliefs.  

Though lot more can be written,I am keeping it short to catch Veer Savarkar.

Veer Sarvarkar and Mahathma Gandhi

 Veer Savarkar and Mahathma were poles apart ideologically. But they both did their best for the nation. Savarkar was bitterly critical of Gandhijis approach.  Gandhijis secularism and the so called Muslim pleasing attitude irritated Savarkar.

A brahmin by birth, Savarkar was fiery like a Kshatriya. He was intelligent and honest and full of confidence.  He thought of practical ways to achieve freedom while ignoring the base in which Hindu religion is built.  For example, he did not care about eating a veg. meal and believed that non veg. is essential for being fit. Similarly, though he felt grateful towards the cows, he still could not a accept worshipping them. Ofcourse he was against caste system. 

At that time and even till now,caste system remai s as a  burden to Hindu religion. But at the same time it should be understood that materialistic mindset of Brahmins and other communities who supported them was the main reason for all the  anarchy which caste system manifested.  

We should analyse our religion deeply and without any bias to understand the caste system. No doubt brahmin is the backbone of Hindu religion. He is expected to live a life of a renunciate without expecting anything in return. It was the other three communities which supported Brahmin, who was not expected to accumulate wealth or live with materialistic desire.  

It is hard to find such a brahmin  today.  That is why people fail to understand the difference between a brahmin and non brahmin.  The way of life prescribed for him allowed him to be closer to God a d a person in touch with divinity, he was in a position to guide others. People revered him.  

Brahmin became materialistic, used his intellect to earn money. It is a great sin.  When one gives up everything for the sake of God, great knowledge is bestowed upon him.  Because knowledge given to him will be used by him for the societal good. It should not be used for materialistic reasons. 

But as Mughals and Britishers invaded India, he became materialistic, used the knowledge gained by following dharma for petty reasons. He lost his own nobility.  Just as he degraded himself, other people who looked upon him also degraded themselves,bringing all the corrupt and cruel practices in the name of caste.

But for the greediness which crept in,caste system is highly valuable to the community.  

Caste system developed highly skilled and sharp individuals.  The temples which stand tall in South India could not have been built,but for the caste system.  

The knowledge of local physicians about the medicinal herbs is long last. Highly knowledgeable farmers with intuitive knowledge are no longer seen.  

We do not have a king like Rajaraja Cholan now. On the contrary,we are corrupt politicians.   Neither we see  great brahmins like Saint Ramadoss who guided Chatrapathi Shivaji.

Great kings like Rajaraja Chola, Saint Ramadoss ,the great sculptors,were all gifts of caste system. 

Caste system trains people to be best, in whatever they do.  

Will continue..