Ramanisblog

Category: Hinduism

  • Kanchi Periyavar and Dr.Subramanian Swamy.

    Kanchi Periyavar.

    I have bowed before only one sanyasi in my life, and that is Sri
    Chandrasekhar Saraswathi, known to the world as the Parmacharya. It is
    not that I am arrogant or that I have no respect for sanyasis and
    sadhus. In fact I respect many sadhus in this country for their
    learning and social services. But my upbringing, first in an English
    convent school, and then ten years in USA had created a distance
    between me and traditional Hindu culture of bowing and prostrating
    before any elder, or anyone in saffron clothes. Therefore, I was the
    “modern” Indian, believer in science, and with little concern for
    spiritual diversions.

    In fact till the age of 30, I had not even heard of a god like human
    being called Sri Chandrasekhar Saraswathi. It was a chance meeting
    with an Indian student at Harvard in his room in the university
    hostel, that I saw a picture of Parmacharya on top of this student’s
    TV set. I asked him: “Who is he? And why are you keeping his picture?”
    The student just avoided the question. I also forgot about it, except
    that Parmacharya shining smiling face in that photograph got etched in
    my memory. Six years later, as my Pan American Airways plane was about
    to land at Delhi airport during the Emergency, I saw that smiling
    Parmacharya’s face reappear before me for a brief second for no reason
    at that time. I was coming to Delhi surreptitiously to make my now
    famous appearance in Parliament and subsequent disappearance, while a
    MISA warrant was pending for my arrest in the Emergency. At that
    moment, as the plane landed, I resolved that whenever the Emergency
    gets over, I shall search for Parmacharya and meet him.

    In 1977, after the Emergency was over, and the Janata Party in Power I
    went to Kanchipuram to see the Parmacharya. It was in sheer curiosity
    that I went. Some friends arranged for me to come before him. It was a
    hot June evening, and Parmacharya was sitting in a cottage, a few
    kilometers outside Kanchipuram. As soon as he saw me, he abruptly got
    up, and turned his back on me, and went inside the cottage. My friends
    who took me there were greatly embarrassed, and I was puzzled. Since
    no body including the other sadhus at that ashram had any idea what
    went wrong, I told my friends that we should leave, since Parmacharya
    was not interested in giving me “darshan”.

    From the cottage, we walked a few hundred yards to where my car, by
    which I had come to the ashram, had been parked. Just as I was getting
    into the car, a priest came running to me. He said “Parmacharya wants
    to see you, so please come back”. Again puzzled, I walked back to the
    cottage.

    Back at the cottage, a smiling Parmacharya was waiting for me. He
    first asked me in Tamil: “Do you understand Tamil?” I nodded. In those
    days, I hardly knew much Tamil, but I hoped the Parmacharya would
    speak in the simplest Tamil to make it easy to understand.

    He then asked me another question: “Who gave you permission to leave
    my cottage?” The Tamil word he used for “permission” was of Sanskrit
    origin, which I immediately understood. So in my broken Tamil with a
    mixture of English words, I replied: “Since you turned your back on me
    and went inside the cottage, I thought you did not want to see me.”
    This reply greatly irritated the priest standing in attendance on the
    Parmacharya.

    He said “You cannot talk like this to the Parmacharya”. But
    Parmacharya asked him to be silent, and then said that when he saw me,
    he was reminded of a press cutting he had been keeping in store inside
    the cottage and he had gone inside to fetch it.

    http://janataparty.org/articledetail.asp?rowid=18

  • கோவிலில் தானாக எரிந்து அணையும் விளக்கு -தேப்பெருமா நல்லூர்.

    Oil Lamp lit in Temple goes off and relights  itself .

    have this translated into Tamil and read.

    கும்பகோணம்: திருநாகேஸ்வரம் அருகே தேப்பெருமாநல்லூரில் நல்லபாம்பு அர்ச்சனை செய்த விஸ்வநாதசுவாமி கோவிலில் அம்பாள் சன்னதியில் அணைந்து, அணைந்து தானாக மீண்டும் எரிந்த தீபத்தை கண்டு பக்தர்கள் பரவசமடைந்தனர்.தஞ்சை மாவட்டம் திருநாகேஸ்வரம் அருகே தேப்பெருமாநல்லூரில் வேதாந்தநாயகி சமேத விஸ்வநாதசுவாமி கோவில் உள்ளது. இங்கு விஸ்வநாதசுவாமிக்கு ருத்ராட்சத்தால் மட்டுமே அர்ச்சனை நடப்பது சிறப்பு. விசுவநாதசுவாமியை வழிபடுவதால் மறுபிறவி கிடையாது என புராணம் கூறுகிறது.கடந்தாண்டு ஜனவரி 15ம் தேதி சூரிய கங்கண கிரகணம் நடக்கும் முன் காலை 10.30 மணிக்கு நல்லபாம்பு விசுவநாதசுவாமியின் மேல் இருப்பதை கோவில் சிவாச்சாரியார் சதீஷ் கண்டார். பாம்பு சுவாமியின் மேலிருந்து இறங்கி நேராக தலவிருட்சம் வில்வமரத்துக்கு சென்றது. அங்கு மரத்தில் ஏறி வில்வஇலையை பறித்துக்கொண்டு மீண்டும் சுவாமி சன்னதிக்குள் வந்தது. பின்னால் வந்தவர்களை பார்த்து சீறியது. பின் நேராக சுவாமியின் மேல் ஏறி தலையில் அமர்ந்து படம் எடுத்தவாறு சுவாமியின் மீது வில்வ இலையை இட்டது.

    இது அனைவரையும் மெய்சிலிர்க்க வைத்தது.இதுபோல் இரண்டு, மூன்று முறை இவ்வாறாக செய்தது. இத்தகவல் பரவியதும் கிராமமக்கள் முழுவதும் கோவிலுக்கு வந்து நல்லபாம்பை பார்த்து சுவாமியை தரிசனம் செய்தனர். இதுபற்றி கோவில் சிவாச்சாரியார் சதீஷ்குருக்கள் மற்றும் பிரகாஷ் குருக்கள் அப்போது கூறுகையில், “”ஒவ்வொரு கிரகணத்தின் போதும் தன் சாபத்தை போக்கிக்கொள்ள பாம்பு வந்து வில்வத்தால் விசுவநாதசுவாமியை அர்ச்சித்து வருகிறது. இதுவரை நம் கண்ணில் படவில்லை. இன்று தான் நேரில் கண்டுள்ளோம்,” என்றனர்.இந்நிலையில், கோவில் திருப்பணி வேலைகள் நடந்து வருகிறது. நேற்று முன்தினம் இக்கோவிலின் திருப்பணி உபயதாரர் கனடாவை சேர்ந்த ஜெனித்தா, அம்பாள் சன்னதியில் 11 சுமங்கலிகள், ஏழு கன்னிப்பெண்களை வரவழைத்து வேதாந்தநாயகி அம்பாள் சன்னதியில் சுமங்கலி பூஜை, கன்னிகா பூஜை செய்தார். முன்னதாக சுவாமி, அம்பாளுக்கு சிறப்பு அபிஷேகம், புஷ்பலங்காரம் நடந்தது.பின், சுமங்கலிகள், கன்னிப்பெண்களுக்கு புத்தாடைகள் வழங்கினர். மதியம் உணவு வழங்கப்பட்டது. நேற்று காலை கோவிலுக்கு சென்ற பக்தர் அம்பாள் வேதாந்தநாயகி சன்னதியில் தீபம் அணைவதும், பின் தானாக எரிவதுமான நிகழ்வை கண்டு ஆச்சர்யமடைந்தார். கோவில் அர்ச்சகர் சதீஷ் சிவாச்சாரியாரை அழைத்து வந்து, “”எனக்கு தான் பார்வை சரியாக தெரியவில்லையா. நீங்கள் பாருங்கள்,” என்றார்.

    அப்போது தீபம் அணைவதும், மீண்டும் தானாக எரிவதுமாக இருந்துள்ளது.அதற்குள் அக்கம்பக்கம் தகவல் பரவியதும் தேப்பெருமாநல்லூர் மக்கள் திரளானோர் கோவிலுக்கு படை எடுத்தனர். அவர்களும் தீபம் அணைந்து எரிவதை பார்த்து அம்பாளை தரிசித்தனர். இந்நிகழ்வு காலை ஏழு முதல் ஒன்பது மணி வரை நடந்தது. இந்த அதிசயம் நடந்த கோவிலுக்கு அம்பாளை காண சுற்றுப்புற மக்களும் வந்த வண்ணம் உள்ளனர்.

    http://www.dinamalar.com/News_Detail.asp?Id=228669

  • Teacher runs Flesh trade-Who is a Teacher?-Hindu Sastras

    Instances of Teachers’ moral depravity has been in the news quite frequently ,not only in India but throughout the world as well.

    Reasons for this has already been blogged under ‘Education’.

    There is no point in complaining about the conduct of Students if their Teachers,instead of being a role model, have descended to be models of bad behavior.( not all of them,still there are Teachers who are self-sacrificing and a model of sterling character,though  very few.)

    Hinduism accords highest Respect and importance to Teacher(loose translation of Guru from Sanskrit,Preceptor may foot the bill more)

    गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
    गुरुरेव परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥१॥
    Gururbrahmaa Gururvissnnurgururdevo Maheshvarah |
    Gurureva Param Brahma Tasmai Shriigurave Namah ||1||

    ‘The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is the Lord Shiva, the Guru is verily the Supreme Brahman. Salutations to the Guru’.

    Taittriya Upanishad declares ‘Mathru Devo Bhava,Pitru Devo Bhava,Acharya Devo Bhava’,giving importance next only to parents,even God is relegated.

    A Guru is one who imparts mundane knowledge as well as knowledge that will help one Spiritually.

    Sastras have indicated Two Gurus,one Vidya Guru and the other Gnana Guru.

    Vidya Guru enables you learn all the Vidyas and prepares you for mundane Life and lays down a path which you may not understand immediately but guides you in Gnana at a later stage in Life.

    He teaches you all the available knowledge through Vidyabyaasa,that is by imparting the Eighteen Vidyas explained in the Vedas.

    Contrary to what people think, The Vedas contain all that is needed to sail through Life .

    The Eighteen Vidyas are.

    The Vedas-4 -Rik,Yajur,Sama and Atharva

    Vedaangas-6-(Parts of Veda)

    Siksha,Vyakarana,Chandas,Niruktha,Jyothisha and Kalpa.

    Upaangas-(Sub-parts)-4

    Mimasa,Purana, Nyaya and Dharma Sastra.

    and

     Ayur Veda Arthasastra,Dhanur Veda, Gaandharva Veda

    These are called  Ashta  Dasa Ashta(18) Vidyaas.

    Fourteen are the ones that were initially indicated.

    The last four were not included originally as they are more empirical.

    ‘Angaani Vedach chathwaro Mimama Nyaya vistaraha l

    Puranam Dharmasastramcha Vidya heyadayach chatur dasal l

    –Manu Smriti.

    Purana Nyaya Mimamsaa Dharma Sastra angamistritha l

    Vedah sthanaani Vidyaanaam Dharmasya cha chatur dasa ll

    Yagnyavalkya Smriti.

    One may notice that all aspects Life are included.

    Will detail these in a separte blog.

    Vidya Guru teaches  students from the age of 7 till he attains the age of 19(as it takes minimum 12 years to have a a birds eye view of The Vedas).

    Having learned this the Student does not become a sanyaasi , but goes about life by getting married , begetting children and at the time when his Son is old enough to take care of the family,he enters Vaanaprasthaasrama and later a Sanyaasi.

    When he becomes a Sanyaasi , he seeks a Guru, called Gnana Guru who guides him in the path of realization.

    The Vidya Guru is mandated to be a married man ( generally,there are exceptions).

    He is to be one of exceptional character.

    He should be well versed in these 18 Vidyaas.

    ( for difference between Guru, Upadhyaya and Acharya please read my blog on the same filed under ‘Hinduism)

    He should not have riches nor should he money minded.

    He should accept what the student offers as fees after the student completes his course and not before.

    In exceptional cases, like Drona asking Arjuna to defeat Drupadha and Santhepani rishi asking Lord Krishna to save his son from Asura, Gurus ask of these things only to demonstrate to the world what their Sishyaas are capable of.

    The guru feeds the Sishyaas  from the food that has been obtained by them by begging(Bhikshai)

    This was practiced as a method to ensure Humility for the students.

    The students were treated more as children and not as students.

    Now read what teacher has descended to( not all of them)

    The headmistress of a pre-primary school run by Mahila Vidya Peeta , Hubli, has been arrested on charge of running a flesh trade.

    A team of police officers headed by ACP A R Badiger raided the headmistress ‘ house and busted the racket, police commissioner K Ramachandra Rao said on Monday. The accused, Sulomi Vijayakumar Zande of Hosur, had been running the racket for the past few years. But the school authorities weren’t aware of her activities, the police chief said.

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Headmistress-held-on-charge-of-flesh-trade/articleshow/9702583.cms

  • Lord Manjunatha,Dharmasthala does Yeddiyurappa in?

    There is a Legend that who take false oath before Lord Manjunatha, the Presiding Deity at Dharmasthala, shall suffer the consequences.
    Though Yeddiyurappa ,  after having declared to take oath, had backed out quoting BJP President’s advice, seems to have  paid the price, by losing power and now a FIR has been filed by Lokayukta against him.

    Does the Legend live on  or am I Superstitious?

    Along with some of my cabinet colleagues and legislators I would go to Dharmasthala on the said date but will not take any oath but just pray. I will pull all those who are levelling false allegation against me and my family will to the court and the law will take its course

    SOURCE: WEBINDIA1231 MONTH AGO

  • Wisdom Of Lord Krishna,Srimad Bhagavad Gita.Why? -2.

    I had gone through the vicissitudes of Life in full measure, more than what I thought  I could bear,be it losing wife at the age of 28,losing custody of the child,losing jobs,hunting for jobs, financial fiascos,seeing 12 deaths in the family in eight successive years,all very close ,separated from the family,reunited,being placed in a comfortable position now….

    through out,if it was one thing that sustained me was , it was The Bhagavad Gita.

    As I remarked earlier I was simply reading it with meanings explained by different Acharyas like Sankara,erudite scholars like Dr.Radha Krishnan,Professor.T.M.P.Mahadevan and others.

    If simple reading alone could help an individual to face problems of Life, nothing more can be said of the benefits that might accrue if one were to study the Bhagavad Gita.

    With the limited exposure I have of The Vedas,Six Systems of Indian Philosophy,Western Systems of Philosophy,Realism, Idealism,Solipsism,Pragmatism, Existentialism and Logical Positivism and the like,Modern Concepts in Physics,Astrophysics and most importantly my experiences in Life, I am now attempting to look at Gita from my stand point,more precisely the way it has affected me in the conduct of Life.

    This is by no means a commentary worth the name in its real sense for what more can one say than Adi Sankaracharya?

    There is bound to be mistakes  and I apologies in advance.

    Wherever my views or interpretations are at variance with established texts and commentaries, my views may be taken with a pinch of salt.

    Readers are welcome to share their views and comments.

    I welcome criticisms more.

    Srimad Bhagavad Gita  , may be looked at from different perspectives, even from an Atheist’s perspective.

    From Reason.

    Question is whether one would have had the time to explain 700 Slokas  in the midst the armies that were arrayed in the battlefield of Kurukshetra in The Mahabharata and whether the sworn enemies would have waited till Lord Krishna completed his exposition.

    It just looks to be beyond reason.

    Before jumping to any conclusion, let us look at some of the facts that speak of the highest cultural practices narrated in The Mahabharata,described by Veda Vyasa.

    Draupadi was being stripped in open court.

    While every one was keeping quiet,including Bhisma,Krupa and Drona, Duryodana‘s brother takes him to task and Duryodana allows him to have his say.

    When Kunti asks Karna to abandon Duryadana and join forces with Yudhistra,his brother, he replies that he would never  contemplate such an action for it was Duryodana who sustained him and saved him from the ignominy of being thrown out as an out cast.

    Still he promises not to attack/engage any one other than Arjuna in the War;that he would not use Nagastra( a type of Astra) more than once on Arjuna.

    He gave away his protective Armour,Kavacha and Kundala, though he knew it was Indra who came asking for them to protect His son Arjuna.

    In the battlefield, he gave away the Punyaas( Good results that accrue because of good deeds performed, including  his present deed), to Lord Krishna who sought for it ,appearing in the form of a poor Brahmin, despite knowing it was Lord Krishna.

    Bhima hits Duryodana, at the fag end of the war, below the waist, in Wrestling( which was not correct practice) and wounds him mortally.

    Krishna’s elder brother Balarama chides Krishna for ordering Bhima to attack Duryodana thus, and leavea for Kasi( Varanasi) for atonement.

    Duryadana lies dying.

    Aswaththaama, son of Dronachaarya, angered at the way Duryodana was felled and the way Dronacharaya was killed by Yudhistra declaring’Aswathtaama,killed,an Elephant while Krishna blew His Conch, The Panchchjanya at the precise moment when ‘elephant’ was pronounced,( which made Drona drop his Bow and Arjuna killed him), vows to wipe out the Pandava Dynasty and sends an Astra in the form of a ‘Dharpa'( a reed used by Brahmins for performing their daily rites) and it kills every one except the Panadavas( who were whisked to Safety by Lord Krishna).

    It killed the offspring of every one in the Pandava dynasty(except Parikshit, who was saved in the womb by , who else, Lord Krishna).

    Aswaththaama brags about this to Duryodhana that he has wiped out Pandavas, Duryodhana, furious, shouts at him” Do you know what you have done? Pandavas are my brothers.I have issues with them.What have the children to do with this? They as much my children and belong to my dynasty as they are to Pandavas.

    You are not a Brahmin,why, you are not even a human being.Get lost .I do not want to look at you any more”

    Aswaththaama leaves in penitence for Holy Pilgrimage.

    This is not all.

    Let us see some more examples of the Culture  practiced even by the sworn enemies.

    …………to be continued..