Posted on 2 Comments

Twin swords of Hindus

From: V Muralidharan

To: 4 Brahmins and USBramins Yahoo Groups

This is to all Hindus:
Recently I heard some people criticising Aiyappa Bhaktas and Bangaru Adigalar devotees. They were telling that it has become the fashion for every one to take a van or bus and go to these temples etc; These are dirty low cost people etc.

But actually these two groups are serving a great purpose which all the Hindu saints and RSS and VHP and BJP etc could not achieve! They have most effectively brought the christian/muslim conversion activities to a grinding halt, wherever they are there.
The aiyappas are spread over all castes and is a massive movement of Bhakti. The Melmaruvattur Adi Parashakti movement is well rooted among Backward classes and schedule castes. Both these groups will have to wear a mala, special clothing and do fastings and pujas for about 48 days after taking bath every day. They do it with such intense devotion without any daily sermons. They do not drink or smoke or eat non-veg items in those days. They also avoid sex. (there may be a few cases of violaters of the codes, which can be ignored).

They spend their own savings and make a trip to Sabari mala or Melmaruvattoor. On the way they visit hundreds of temples and there is an atmosphere of sanctity all through. Many daily drinkers have given up the habit after a visit to these places.
Every slum is now having a small Adi Parashakti shrine and every locality a Aiyyappa centre. The christiam missionaries are helpless in these areas. They are not able to do anything with their money inducements.
These Bhaktas are the twin swords of Hidus against conversion activities.
All Hindus should realise the importance of such mass movements in social transformation and in protecting our culture and civilisation.

Regards,
V.Muralidharan.

Posted on 7 Comments

A disrupted dream and a devastated melody‏

FThe Lord of seven hills, have enough golden crowns to adorn the Divine head for another seven or seventy incarnations and he will be too happy if the money spent on the gem-packed golden head- wear, donated by the Kanchi Aacharya  is utilized for alleviating the hunger of millions of his deprived and discarded subjects or to uplift them from the depth of ignorance and ill health.  But who am I to comment on the action of His Holiness, the head of a Mutt?
But I can dream. And dreaming knows no boundary and is not governed by the stringent rules of any Agamas or Sastras. Nor those with huge brains can frighten my silly, small brain with any gratuitous display of mental superiority  and threaten  to  pulverize me or call me a psychopath, because dreaming is a purely personal experience.
I see a saffron-robed young Namboodiri, standing in front of a small hut surrounded by lush green landscape in Kerala, seeking a handful of rice just sufficient to satisfy his hunger for the day..The house-lady, paces up and down her small dwelling, struggling to find some eatable material, which can be dropped in the cloth- pouch hanging from the shoulder of the handsome young yogi, but alas, she has none with her. With moist eyes she searches again and thanks to the Lord Vadakkunathan, Siva, she is able to locate a small gooseberry fruit, which she drops, with shaking hands, inside the kamandalu, the  pitcher,  as the size of the fruit is so small that it will be difficult to pick it up from the spacious pouch.
The young sanyasi, expected to be miles away from emotion and attachment, now weeps silently. What a pity ! He cannot even expel his crushing mental burden by expressing his anguish through tears. He uses the only skill he has, the only language he has learned-he prays.
‘Angam hare pulakabhooshanmasryanthi—“
Thus he pours out his anguish in words after words, eulogizing the ‘karunakataksham ‘,  compassionate glance of the Goddess of wealth , again and again and seeking her blessings for showers of wealth.
Right from the first line and first stanza of the ‘Kankadhara’ stotram,   poetic  beauty and fragrance blossoms and spreads  in waves after waves on the ocean of compassion in the tender heart of Adi Sankara
His heart- beats become faster and faster and pearls of tears rolls more and more from his eyes,  when he sings:
**“Dhadyaddhayanupavanopi dravinambhudaraam,
Asminna kinchina vihanga sisou vishanne,
Dhushkaramagarmmapaneeya chiraya dhooram,
Narayana pranayinee nayanambhuvaha.
Please send your mercy which is like wind,
And shower the rain of wealth on this parched land,,
And quench the thirst of this little chataka bird,
And likewise ,drive away afar my load of sins,
Oh, darling of  Narayana, by the glance from your cloud like dark eyes.”
(**Translation by sri P.G.Ramachander-  copied from his website  www.sthothrarathnas.com )
The melody uninterruptedly flowing from the Kaladi river, enthralls the celestial couple in the holy seven hills and they wonder why this aditional head weight ,  glistening with gems and pearls, for them.
Let this article be my  goosebery reverently placed on the devine palms..
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Re: FW: A disrupted dream and a devastated melody‏
From: SRINIVASAN S ([email protected])
Sent: 12 July 2009 21:51PM
To: Sivasubramanian Perinkulam ([email protected])

கண்ணில் தாரையுடன் படித்தேன்.
affectionate thambi @ coimbatore
————————————————————————————-

Posted on 10 Comments

Hindu temple in Minneapolis


As posted by Shri S Narayanaswamy Iyer in Yahoo groups

Dear fellow-Brahmins

May I respectfully enquire what is the main “deity” worshipped in this Minneapolis temple?  According to which agama are rituals there performed?  What are the qualifications for priests there?

I have been to several so-called “Hindu” temples during my peripatetic sojourns in the US, UK and Europe.  Quite a lot are not to dedicated to any recognized deity found in our scriptures, whether Vedas, Puranas, or songs.  They are dedicated instead to some deified humans, often deviationists whose highly emotional followers encourage adoring these “manufactured deities” rather than divinities we are familiar with.  The ornate, conscipuous and mushrooming “Swaminarayan” temples are examples.  Others are to various “sadhus” or “gurus” or meat-eating, drug-taking, alcohol-consuming, tobacco-smoking “village-guardian” dark spirits that inspire terror rather than piety.

Some of these temples encourage “going into trances” when the mediums (both men and women) move about erratically and screech or scream and utter gibberish, till quietened down, for example by whip-lashing or by having lumps of camphor lit on their tongues or other tender parts of the body.  A few hack themselves with knives, or pierce themselves with skewers, while shaking and shivering uncontrollably.

S Narayanaswamy Iyer

Posted on 4 Comments

Crack a coconut

I refuse to believe that the departed souls, need a walking stick or bed and pillow or even a lamp, towards their journey upward. I laugh at the Vadyar when he says that they cross the ‘Vaidharani’ river, holding the tail of a bull-calf! But still, I buy all the stupid items in his list and gift them to him realizing pretty well that on his way home, he would sell them in a retail shop. And I won’t blame him. He needs money. Who doesn’t? I won’t also blame him when he demands cash payment for the cow to be gifted .How will he accommodate that animal in his flat? Who will wash the cow and remove its dung, however sacred it might be? Who will milk the cow? Why make life complicated when pasteurized milk is made available at the door –front? In the olden days more cows you gift to a Brahmin merrier he was, richer he was. Not now.

What a pity if the departed soul had to depend on the few drops of water and a few sesame seeds we throw on the floor once a month or a couple of rice balls we place on the dry grass spread on the floor once a year! In what way they are then different from other spirits which, according to their religious belief, wander all over the space and return to their burial spot for night rest?

But how do we say that they exist at all, even in another firm? “How to trust death?” asked Omar Khayyam, “who knows that there is nothing but desert on the other side too?”

“Nerkku maru karayilum verum marubhoomi yallenn-

Arkkariyam maranathe vishwasichalo?”

Does my journey in this world, ends with my last breath?If there is a hidden external agent, which entered the body at its formative stage, called soul and in death, if that gets released where does it go? Our scriptures say that It amalgamates with the ultimate Origin or return to the world in a different form. If there is a delay in this process, the needs of the soul have to be taken care of during the transition period and hence our rites and rituals. How long does the departed soul remain in interim?

These questions were asked again and again and will continue to be asked ever, hoping to get a satisfactory answer.

We perform ‘shraddam’ for the manes of the past three generations. It becomes impractical to go beyond that. Magnanimously we give offerings to known and even unknown souls, as we are uncertain who all remain in the transition stage. My Telugu Panthalu extends the list to my uncles, cousins. teachers and many others. The Haridwar Panditji in the Greater Baltimore temple asks me to offer floral tribute(archana) to Bhishmapitamaha, Prahlada and several Rishies also. There was no gloominess in the rituals guided by the Pandits of north, whether in US or Brahmakapal and I enjoy that cheerful ambience. And trust me, they prune their finger nails and wear clean dress! One reason why the younger generation hates our vadyars and temple priests is that their nails and dress are dirty. Most of our temples are unclean and unhygienic. One reason for the deterioration of our religious practices is the attitude, appearance and behavior of those who are expected to maintain and promote our culture and habits. Our mutts and temples, music sabhas andreligious discourses should attract younger generation. Now, they are abode for the retirees.

Despite my scientific background and rational thinking why do I continue to perform ‘shraddam’? Is it because of the fear that the departed souls, will curse me if I fail to provide them the paltry feeds once a while? Certainly not. 

Like other things, spiritual or religious thoughts also have limitation. Similarly, science and logic too are blind beyond certain level. There are several grey areas beyond human comprehension. “The Indian mind was extraordinarily analytical and had a passion for putting ideas and concepts into compartments” says Nehru. I do believe that a lot of thinking have gone in formulating various steps in the ceremonies prescribed for wedding, obsequies etc.

The bridegroom, holding the right toe of the bride, helps to place her right leg on a small granite stone kept on the right side of the sacred fire and requests: “ Mount on this stone; be firm like this granite ; defend against attack and criticism but be tolerant to those who oppose”

(“ Aadhistemam asmanam asmeva thvam sthira bhava.

Abhithista brithantatha: sahaswa brithanaayatha:”

Those who lived in combined families will tell you how meaningful these encouraging words are for a girl to be transplanted to an unknown alien soil. The words reflect practical wisdom and pragmatic approach.Similarly the bride-groom’s open declaration in the presence of his whole family addressing the bride is remarkable:

“May you be the queen for your father-in-law; may you be the queen for your mother-in-law may you be the queen for your brothers and sisters- in- law”

“Samrajshree swasurea bhava; samrajshree swasuram bhava.

Nanandhari samrajshreebhava; samrajshree adhithevrishu”

When you go to attend a wedding next time, please explain this to the mother-in-law of the bride. You can’t find a better gift to the couple.

Remember this mantra, while offering ‘haviss’ (ghee-soaked cooked rice) to ‘Agni’, while performing’shraddam’?

“ Yam ne matha pralulobha saratyananu vrada thanme retha:pitha

Vringtha mapuranayo papathathamam”

I am sure you know what it means?

“My mother would have failed in her duties as a pathivratha; Still I want this offering reach my biological father”

How deep the vedic mind has gone in framing the rules ?

Keeping this factor in mind I perform ‘sharddam’ to the extend possible depending on the circumstances. I am not rigid but whatever I do, I do wholeheartedly.

The second and more important reason for me to follow the steps suggested by my forebears is that, I derive immense pleasure and satisfaction in following most of them. When I lift a small quantity of water in my cupped hands and pour it reverently on earth or back into the river from where it was drawn, thinking my parents their parents and so on, I attain a peace and satisfaction unexplainable in words; The few drops of water which I pour is just to express my gratitude to them for gifting me an opportunity to live in this wonderful world. Life certainly is a bliss with all its rocks and caverns. I cannot repay for all their sacrifices but at least when I get an opportunity to say ‘thanks’, I should do it.

But how do you know that ‘they’ have heard it? I know because I have heard it. When a clarion call goes from the cavern of my heart, “Ente Guruvayoorappa!” every micro cell in my body pulsates and it reverberates through the macro cosmos. Similarly, when I welcome the souls of my parents and their parents, ”AAyadappitharah: sowmyagambhherai’, I feel that they are entering my house to accept my offers, from some outer space, which my scientific mind tells me, is not true. Perhaps, my accumulated vasanas, my “preconceived notions,inherited beliefs and traditions which come in the way of dispassionate criticism” as Nehru says or simple delusion, overtakes my rational thinking. I am happy to accept my delusions. But if you get the same satisfaction by placing humbly a flower bouquet before the photograph of your father or mother, fine. Otherwise, better start, “apavithrappavithrova”. You will enjoy doing it.

I tell my children :” When you are under the vice-like grip of problems, stress and strain,go to a Ganesh temple. Don’t enter, if you don’t want to. Stand before the main door and throw forcefully a coconut to strike at the granite near the entrance in such a way that it breaks into pieces. Develop a feeling within that it was not the coconut seed that cracked into pieces,but the Himalayan problems which were crushing you. Just feel. You will see the result instantly. You can drive back home more peacefully.

I don’t know whether they tried or not. But I suggest you do that. It is definitely a better thing to do than shouting at your subordinates in the office. We, the older generation had another pressure-relieving mechanism : Shouting at our wife. You are deprived of that. So, go to a Ganesh temple and creak  a coconut- as forcefully as the situation demands.