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Author
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Topic: Hindu Gems
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Webmaster Administrator Posts: 1060 From: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Registered: Feb 2001
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posted May 07, 2004 02:23 AM
CONTENTS - this page 1. Tirukural on Wisdom
2. Tyagaraja on Music 3. Basavanna 4. Shruti on Vocations 5. Vivekananda on the Past 6. Vemana 7. Gandhi on Caste 8. Meaning of Varna in Rig Veda 9. Bhartrhari 10. Purusha Sukta 11. Tirumular 12. Tantras in Tirumandiram 13. Chandidas 14. Andal 15. Raja Ram Mohan Roy 16. Myth: Cow Worship 17. Vallabha 18. Marriages 19. Keshab Chandra Sen 20. Swami Agehananda Bharati 21. Yalpana Nayanar 22. Harmony in Nature - Nandanar/Periapuranam 23. Enlightened Universality - Yaadum Oore/Kanian 24. Tamil Vaishnavism and Alvars 25. Set Aside the Shastras - Tirumular 26. Murugan and Kanda Puranam 27. Tirumoli by PeriAlvar 28. Bengali Gems by Chandidas 29. A SImple Scene - Sangam Literature 30. Tirupugal - Arunagirinathar 31. Tolkappiam 32. Civakacintamani - First Tamil Epic 33. Kuruntokai 34. Gratitude - Tirukural 35. Appar 36. Nature in Sorrow - Kampan Ramayana 37. Tayumanavar 38. Sundarar 39. Tirumangai Alvar 40. Hanuman - Kampan Ramayana -------------------------------------------------------------
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. aRivinuL ellAm talaiyenba tIya ceRuvArkkum ceiyA viDal They say, of wisdom all, on top this goes Not doing evil even to foes. This couplet from the TirukkuRaL (21.3) is one of those pearls of wisdom which is being pushed more and more into the corner these days, and not just in intolerant non-Hindu societies. In the Hindu world too those who preach such values are being considered morons. Yet, it is an affirmation of a an ancient insight which even some non-Hindu spiritual leaders have articulated. To hate and to hit back, to seek revenge and to subdue the enemy are the natural instinctive modes, and therefore are practiced by a vast number of people. The attack on enemies and their subjugation has even proved to be effective in many instances. But the other way, not driven by our animal nature, and instigated by sophisticated cultural and ethical maturity, has also borne fruit, and has elevated the human spirit to higher levels. Though followed by only a minority of people, the best potential of the human spirit has been reflected in the actions and attitudes of such people. To hate and to vilify the enemy is normal and natural, but the enlightened guides of many peoples have often articulated ideals which may seem to be beyond the reach of the majority. It is such guides, as TiruvaLLuvar here, who have kept the torch of civilization alight. So, even in an age when we are intoxicated with the raw passions of anger which instigate us to harsh words and dreadful deeds towards our enemies, real or perceived, it is good to be reminded of these ideals.
V. V. Raman [This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited June 09, 2006).]
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Webmaster Administrator Posts: 1060 From: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Registered: Feb 2001
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posted May 07, 2004 02:23 AM
nAdalOluDai brahmAnandamandavE manasA svAdu phalaprada saptasvara rAga nicaya sahitaMerge yourself in music and experience the divine bliss, Oh mind! (Music is) the bestower of delicious fruits: the ragas which arise are combinations of seven-notes. This is from one of the many kritis of Saint TyAgarAja (18th century), a giant of classical Karnatic music, whose compositions have not only given immense aesthetic delight to countless people over many generations, but also lifted up their hearts to spiritual joys. For TyAgarAja was no mere composer. He was a devout bhakta also. In Indic culture we often speak of j?, bhakti, and karma as the three mArgas or paths for spiritual fulfillment. But there is also a fourth one: the gAna mArga or path of music by which the aspirant might taste a bit of the divine. In the performance and experience of music the participant forgets the world of pettiness and self, of anger and hate, or creed and sect, and merges into the melody that does the magic of transporting one to an altogether ethereal realm where pure joy reigns. If the music is of the devotional kind, as TyAgarAja's was, then we are also transformed, even if transitorily, into purely spiritual beings. In these lines from a kriti entitled NAdalOluDai, the divinely-inspired poet tersely formulates the gAna-mArga principle by which he lived and taught, and through which he also grandly enriched our culture. V. V. Raman
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posted May 07, 2004 02:25 AM
Basavanna (1131-1167 CE)Basavanna was a profound thinker, a great social reformer, a great saint and a religious teacher. Basavanna is regarded as the originator of Lingayatism, however according to some scholars he revived this already existing creed. Shree Basaveshwara was born in a brahmin family, to Madarasa and Madalambe in 1131 AD in Bagewadi. Madarasa was the chief of Bagewadi, which is now known as Basavanna Bagewadi in Bijapur district, Karnataka, India. From his childhood, Basavanna was a brilliant child & was always showing his objections to many customs, rituals, discriminations in day to day affairs. He was much pained by many drawbacks in Hindu Vedic Systems and brought reformation. For example: *Due to untouchability system prevailing the lower caste people were treated as animals. *Female were not given equal rights. *The widows had to follow many rigid rituals & customs. *The animal sacrifies in the name of satisfaction of gods. *The rigid caste system treating the person by birth as superior or inferior. *Following blind rituals which were meaningless. *The Statue worship and exploitation of innocent people by worship class like pujaris, maThapatis etc. The Brahmin class was opposing the learning of Vedas by people of other castes and all temples, maThs were in their stronghold . Exploitation of innocent lower caste people in the name of god & religious ceremonies rituals pained Basavanna very much & in his boyhood he opposed "Upanayana Samskara" which was not permitted to females. At the age of 16 years Basava broke away from the brahmanical religious traditions. He then proceeded to Kudala Sangama, which is now a village in Hunagund Taluk of Bijapur District and situated at the meeting place (Sangama or Junction ) of two rivers, the Krishna and its tributary the Mahaprabha. Basava found his guru at Sangama and with his guidance, he put himself into study and devotion to Sangameshwara the presiding deity of Sangama. He spent 12 years which was the most significant period of his life at Sangama. He also started preaching that God is only one & he is "Shiva", who has no shape but dwells in every one. The symbol of "Linga" a semi round object was made compulsory to be worn in the neck after "Shiva Diksha" and this was equally applicable to both Males & Females. All such persons who believed that God is only one and he is Shiva were given "Diksha" and wore that Symbol Linga. They were called as Veerasaivas or Lingayat. Basavanna become Prime Minister to King Bijjala who was a follower of Jainism, but Basavanna married the sister of King Bijjala and since the king was not opposing Basavanna for his activities, all caste people under took Shiva diksha & became Veerasaivas by putting on Vibuthi on their forehead, & other parts of body & wearing Linga in the neck. The Veerasaivism not only brought all class of people under are stray fold irrespective of Caste & its popularity prejudiced the minds of Brahmins & their followers who believed in day old customs & procedures. "Anubava Mantapa" established under the chairmanship of Allama Prabha included females & it became so popular all the participants were given to voice their opinions it was guiding Veerasaivism to right paths always by performing as a governing council.It included leaders & stalwarts like Channabasavana, Akka Mahadevi & other Sharanas. The Veerasaiva are known as sharanas & Vachanas are the form simple Kannada poems were written by all sharanas. Basavannas Vachana became so popular, and study and recitations made people adhere to right path. Here's is one of Basavanna's Vachana: ivanArava ivanArava ivanAravaneMdu enisadirayya. iva nammava iva nammava, iva nammavaneMdu enisayya. kUDala saMgamadEvA nimma maneya maganeMdu enisayya. Meaning: Don't make (me) think, "Whose is this man ? Whose is this man ? Whose is this man ?" Make (me) think, "This is our man. This is our man. This is our man." Oh the Deity of kUDala saMgama, make (me) think that "I am a son of Your house." Note: 1. Our Lord stands as the Supreme Flame that transcends all boundaries. To that God without a second, who is related and who is not? People of which color, race, caste, gender, language, region are His liked-ones and which ones are not? The One God for this entire universe does not push away any section of society. If there were two Gods may be there could be preferred ones of each one. There is only One and He is the source of Bliss for everybody. Whoever is the devotee of our beloved God, they are our own. There should be no discrimination of the devotees in anyway. We are all the sons of that Great House! Sources: http://www.lingayat.com/alingayat/basavanna.asp http://www.shaivam.org/vacsl004.htm *Content has been edited* Gautham.
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posted May 07, 2004 02:26 AM
Scruti on Vocations There are several references to the caste system in all the smirthis. The very existence of the manu shastras is fact of the existence of a hierarchical caste and untouchability, and is a disgrace to us, whether the jurisprudence part was implemented or not. The brahmins certainly implemented the rituals and rules set our for them in the MS, especially those part containing rituals when in contact with harijans. Perhaps the muslims and british built upon the social divisions and made it worse. There are a very few references in the brahmana sections of the vedas and in some upanishads, as well as some in the agamas (as to who should conduct worship in the moolasthanam), but here it appears as an observation of the already existing social structure of those times. It neither condones or condemns the social divisions. Here in the scruti, there is clearly no untouchability and neither is there a hierarchical system. Indeed we are told again and again in the Yajur Veda that all part of society are equal, and there is no one inferior or superior, and no one is more or less important then a pebble. By delving into the past, into the smirthi again and again, we will not solve the problem, and it obscures the scruti. Smirthis are sectarian and divisive. It is for this reason I suggest that we bring the scruti in front in academic discussions, and point out verses that there is no hierarchy and no biasness on gender or birth, let alone untouchability. Here is one to start with: Taittiriya Samhita, Shukla Yajurveda Namastakshabhyo rathakaarebhyasca vo namo namo kulalebhya karmarebhyasca vo namo namo nisadebhya punjisthebhyasca vo namo nama isukrdhbyo dhanvakrdhbhyasca vo namaha Salutations to carpenters/woodcutters, and chariot makers, Salutations again and again to potters and blacksmiths, Salutations again and again to fisherfolk and fowlers, Salutations again and again to makers of arrows and bows. EXPLANATION 1. Here the Lord is identified as everything, as all workers and as all vocations and as all actions, and the seer prostrates to all workers/the Lord. 2. Here, all occupations/vocations are respected, none higher or lower, all play a part. 3. Here there is a recognition of the different classes of workers that existed then, and that will always exist in any society and in anytime, and that exists today, and will exist in the future. Here there is acceptance of the different vocations of mankind. 5. Here we are 'told' to emulate the seer and prostrate to all workers, everyone, without exception. We are told to accept all people with reverence. Now this is a just and equal society. How better does it get? Pathmarajah Nagalingam
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posted May 07, 2004 02:27 AM
"This is the ancient land where wisdom made its home before it went into any other country, the same India whose influx of spirituality is represented, as it were, on the material plane, by rolling rivers like oceans, where the eternal Himalayas, rising tier above tier with their snow-caps, look as it were into very mysteries of heaven. Here is the same India whose soil has been trodden by the feet of the greatest sages that ever lived.
Here first sprang up inquiries into the nature of man, into the internal world. Here first arose the doctrines of immortality of the soul, the existence of a supervising God, an immanent God in nature and in man, and here the highest ideals of religion and philosophy have attained their culminating points. This is the land from whence, like the tidal waves, spirituality and philosophy have again and again rushed out and deluged the world, and this is the land from whence once more such tides must proceed in order to bring life and vigor to the decaying races of mankind. It is the same India which has withstood the shocks of centuries, of hundreds of foreign invasions, of hundreds of upheavals of manners and customs. It is the same land which stands firmer than any rock in the world, with its undying vigor, indestructible life. Its life is the same nature as the soul, without beginning and without end, immortal, and we are the children of such a country (culture). ".. Many times have I been told that. looking into the past only degenerates and leads to thing, and that we should look to the future. That is true. But out of the past is built the future.. Look back, therefore, as far as you can, drink deep of the eternal fountains that are behind, and after that, look forward, march forward and make India brighter, greater, much higher than she ever was.." This was the inspiring beginning of the speech by Swami Vivekananda from which I quoted another section last week. We see in these words the passion and eloquence of a brilliant man deeply connected to his heritage who fully understood its sturdy roots, and also their true strengths. He made no awkward claims about modern physics being in the Vedas, but he well knew those elements of India's long and rich history of which we can all be justly and genuinely proud. He reminds us in these uplifting lines of a past that was legitimately glorious, and of an inner resilience that has not allowed intruding forces to demolish or weaken it. This ancient civilization has to reaffirm itself, but in order to do that it must look into its past. And from that retrospection it must learn not only about its richness, but also about its not so bright periods. Furthermore, it is not enough to bask in the sunshine of past achievements, the emerging generation must do more than sing the glories of its ancestors, even as, for a person to gain respect, it will not do to keep saying ,"My grand uncle was a high-court judge." At this juncture, it so important to know why some things went wrong at some time. But it is urgent to correct the wrongs and to repair the damage. While being anchored to the best and the most nourishing elements of our heritage, we must get on with the task of rebuilding a civilization that will become, in the words of Vivekananda "brighter, greater, much higher than she ever was," . [Personal note: Last week, in my lecture at the Chicago Center for Science and Religion on "Science and Religion for the 21st century," I stated that the vision of multiple-paths of Hindu seers was the only way for establishing harmony and sanity in the coming century in a world reeling with mutual animosity, hatred, and conflicts. I quoted the Sloka "AkAsAd patitantoyam." After my talk a Christian scholar said, "Thank you for bringing this insight of your tradition to us. More than a hundred years ago the great Swami Vivekananda came to our city with this message. The people of this city were so moved by his speech that they honored his name with a plaque right in front of the Arts Institute of Chicago where he spoke." This confirmed my view that, in our own times, not all Hindus are caste-bigots, and not all Christians are missionaries.] V. V. Raman
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posted May 07, 2004 02:29 AM
VEMANA (15th century) Vemana is the name of an author that appears in classical Telugu literature. So little is known of this sage-poet that some have suspected that Vemana is but the collective name given to a group of village wise men. Others have spun interesting tales about the man and his origins. It has been told that he was born to a ruling king, and that after a youth of playboy pleasures, he turned into a philosopher-poet. Some say he became a yogi who performed miraculous feats, like growing sweet melons with seeds of gold. Rumors spread that his urine and excrement turned to precious metals in the homes of those that received him with respect. More careful probing has concluded that these stories are trees in a forest of fantasies, providing cool comfort to some, but devoid of factual roots. His modern biographer V. R. Narla, armed with the tools and strengths of dispassionate scholarship, suggests that "Vemana was no scion of a royal family. What looms large in the background of his life is not a palace but a farm." He also suspects from extant writings that Vemana was attracted first to pretty damsels, and then to alchemy, and that he (Vemana) discovered that the transmutations should be, not from base metals to gold, but from base human nature to a noble one. The collection of Vemana's writings, known as Padyamulu, covers a wide range of topics. It embodies an extremely tolerant theology, with such nuggets as: Cows may come in different colors, but the milk they give is always white. Flowers vary in forms and fragrance, but they all may be used to worship God. Faiths may be different in forms, but the God they preach is one and the same. His thoughts are non-sectarian. He refers to God as "He whose form is universal, who is eternal, who Himself witnesses all that passes in every heart, who exists immutably throughout the world, who is free from all shadow." Vemana speaks out against the common modes of worship in his tradition: "Neither in earth nor metal, in wood or stone, painted walls or images, is where we can perceive the great Spirit." He ridicules the obsession for pilgrimage to Varanasi: "Varanasi! Varanasi! you cry, eager to travel there. But is not God everywhere? If you have the right heart, He must be there and here too." Vemana is wise on secular themes too. He pokes fun at the miser: "If you wish to kill a miser, do not poison him. Simply ask him for a penny, and he will die." He has no regard for the pompous bureaucrat who tries to impress the simple-minded: "If you get hold of a monkey and dress it up in a fancy manner, the other apes will worship it." He counsels magnanimity toward a fallen enemy: "Though a foe that deserves to be killed fall into your hands, do not afflict him. Conciliate him with your kindness, and let him go. This itself will be death to him." Long before Thomas Jefferson, Vemana wrote, If we look through all the earth, Men, we see, have equal birth, Made in one great brotherhood, And equal in the sight of God. Again and again we see the amalgam of commonsense and wisdom in Vemana's verses. He called a spade a spade. Provoked perhaps by rules by which "the work of a shudra poet should be rejected without examination," - a rule enunciated by the Telugu literary authority Appakavi - Vemana did not mince words when it came to ridiculing orthodoxy. He had little respect for ostentatious Brahminism: "How do you become superior by merely smearing your bodies with ashes? It is your thoughts that must turn to God. Even an ass can wallow in dirt." Because of such temerity, the establishment made every effort to suppress the name and writings of this bold thinker. Not only were Vemana's poems scrupulously excluded from general publications of Telugu poetry, but his name was not even mentioned by scholars and compendia of great Telugu writers. Sadly, it was a European scholar who re-discovered Vemana and brought him to the attention of the modern world. It is shocking to read that when "The Verses of Vemana: Moral, Religious and Satirical" was first published in 1829, 450 of the 500 copies "were rolled up as waste paper and tucked away in the lumber room of the College library." In his satire and €Őasez l' inf? attitude, Vemana was a Voltaire of his times. Instead of the Bastille, he suffered oblivion. He was cryptic in his sayings, and was not without a touch of humor. Yet, he was no cold rationalist. Only he who has compassion for his fellow-men's sufferings deserves to be called a human being, he declared. Angry orthodoxy may call him a non-Hindu, but he was as much a Hindu as any Veda-chanting, yaj?erforming, caste-respecting dharmi. Herein lies the strength, sanctity, and security of Hinduism. May we never forget that. If the likes of Vemana had held the day, who knows what intellectual revolutions Indian society might have undergone in earlier centuries! The battles in human civilization are not just military, nor even only between good and evil. Often they are between enlightened and obscurantist ways of looking at the world. And Vemana was on the side of light. V. V. Raman
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posted May 07, 2004 02:30 AM
"If the inhuman treatment of the Panchamas were a part of Hinduism, its rejection would be a paramount duty both for them and for those who, like me, would not like to make a fetish even of a religion, or condone every evil in its sacred name. But I believe that untouchability is no part of Hinduism. It is rather its excrescence to be removed from every effort... If it was proved to me that it (untouchability) is an essential part of Hinduism, I for one would declare myself an open rebel against Hinduism itself"These are the words of Mahatma Gandhi, written and spoken more than eighty years go. We respect Gandhiji for these sentiments, but sadly they are not really original thoughts. All through the ages, the true lovers of the tradition, countless Hindu sages and saints, have spoken out with even greater vehemence and harshness against a system that considers one group inferior, indeed too lowly to be touched. Whether it is the inertia of centuries, the spiritual blindness of dvijas, the perversion of pundits, the attitudes of the AcAryas, or the curse of some sinister spirit, we do not know. But the fact is that for generations the scourge of casteism and untouchability has disfigured the fair face of Mother India. One may wonder if the religion will ever be cured of this age-old ailment that has been maiming the fabric of Hindu society for a good many centuries. By some magical transformation, the same Hindus, when they are transported to distant lands, from Malaysia to Madagascar, Singapore to South Africa, from Australia to Arizona, soon rid themselves of this dreadful and shameful disease. And there seems to be some hope now. Now that some of these expatriate children and others in India who have been awakened to the values and worldviews of a different century, have begun to stir the stagnant waters, and splash their outrage on the wonder of the internet, things might change after all. It is ironic that the greatest salvation for modern Hinduism could well be instigated by voices of light and reason from distant shores. [In the meanwhile, obsession with sectarian hegemony seems to be on the rise, even in Navyashastra circles. Not unlike Christians and Muslims who claim primacy for their respective prophets, ancient Hindu rivalries seem to be coming back to the fore: Which is preferable and superior? The Shaivite metaphysical insight that is above all else, or the Vaishnavite personification of the Divine Who is the savior of all humankind? To claim that Hinduism proclaims multiple paths to spiritual fulfillment and is above sectarian squabbles, may be, like other ideals of the tradition, soothing and self-serving in philosophical discourses, but in practice, more often than not, we are no better than the religion of the mlecchas. When it comes to our enlightened visions, they are, as Shakespeare said somewhere, "more honour's in the breach than the observance."] V. V. Raman
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posted May 07, 2004 02:31 AM
Crossposted: In the Rg Veda color (varna) means the color of the banner of the god the family follows. It has nothing to do with cast, ethnicity or god. One has to link this word (varna) to words like rupa(form) or varlas (concrete form) to understand the fluid and inconcrete character character of those words in the Rg
Veda. In general the three words correspond to an effect (form) poduced or being produced and therefore classifiable only according to the aspect or the stage of the manifested external activity. As in R.V. 5.81.2., of Savitara, or Visvarupa, or the changes of Soma in the ritual, R.V. 2.13.3.or Indra in R.V.3.53.8. In the same sense that it is said of the wind and its forms which appear with force R.V. 1.164.44 or simply as whisperings R.V. 10.168.4. All beauty resides in the color (varna) of Agni R.V. 2.1.12. And the "cows follow the color of Agni" AND THE Rivers the color of Varuna as in Rg Veda 10.124.7 or even the poem of the poet is sukravarna (clear color). In every instance varna is a manifestation of an state of being active...not fixed as a cast. OM SHANTI Antonio de NICOLAS > Why is Lord Muruga red? lemme try an arrow
agnirnaH paatu kR^ittikaa . nakshatram devamindriyam . (nakshatra suukta - originally in TB--shruti)
Now krittikaa <==> kaartikai <==> murugan any guess what colour agni is? Rajagopal Iyer Prof. Nicolas is right in that varna has to be associated with rupa and nama. All gods have a name and form as well as color. All form is color. Color is light. It is energy. It is dynamic. Color is Vibrations, and it is Sound too. Combinations of colors manifest as different gods. That color (varna) is also the emanation, effulgence, power, effect or shakti of that god. When seen in this sense, there is unity of the gods as well as creation, while the distinctions remain. Colors are the same One Light vibrating in different frequencies. But all these have nothing to do with the varna system. Insofar as the vedas, varna is color - of the gods. Now see how in the puraanashastras, say the BG, that scholars and archaryas, even saintly names from the past, over long periods of time have been explaining that varna is 'based on guna not janma'. And see how far these puraanashastras have deviated from the vedas. Embarassing isn't it? And when the bakti saints admonished the people to disregard varna and jaati, that admonishment itself is used now to validate the 'ever existence' of varna system. Doctrinally the bakti saints were closer to the vedas than the puraanashastra authors. It is in this sense that I have always maintained that we should eject all smirthis, as it is clouding our views and judgements. The smirthis ARE in major conflict with the vedas. We now see clearly as Rajagopal writes that Lord Muruga is indeed Agni, and Agni is His color, and He is the most worshipped god of the rig. >if one has internalized the view that > the PurANas as no more than stories, legends, and parables) and one is still > religious, then one has attained a higher level of spirituality than most > ordinary Hindus. In that case, it should make little difference in what color > Krishna, KAli, or KArtikEya is represented. These puraanashastras are indeed an impediment to spiritual progress. I urge all to mentally eject them as stories, legends and parables and be relieved immediately, and be caste free, be sect free, and be open to receive and explore new, higher and loftier avenues of thinking and realisations.
Unless we all in the forum do that, and take the higher path, and boldly declare so openly, only them can we lead Hindu soceity out of the morass of caste. Only them will we have the conviction to lead.
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posted November 15, 2004 06:57 PM
BHARTRHARIBhartRhari is an illustrious Sanskrit writer who probably lived in the seventh century. Scholars have argued about his identity, some suggesting that the name probably refers to two different persons. Some have said that we was king, and ruled in Ujjaini. Be that as it may, we do have pleasing poetry and insightful ideas bearing the name of BhartRhari. At least three works are credited to him: Vairagya Satakam (Hundred Principles on renunciation). Niti-Satakam (Hundred Principles on Ethical Codes) and Sringara-Catakam (Hundred Principles of Physical Love). Whether he was Buddhist or Hindu we may never know. But he wrote on love and renunciation, on morals and wisdom. Certain works on Sanskrit grammar are also attributed to him. Sometimes he is pragmatic, as when he notes that in life, more important than caste and venerable virtue, are material riches: "Let high birth go the nether world, and all merits sink even lower. Let virtue be flung from a precipice, and pedigree consumed by fire. Let lightning strike our valor. But let us not lose our riches!" He recognized the role of our environment in determining our worth when he noted that a drop of water on a heated iron loses its very identity while the same droplet on a lotus leaf shines like a bead of pearl. The ancient notion of woman the temptress was expressed by BhartRhari in his writings. He wrote, for example, that all the "rightness of wisdom is dimmed when it meets the lovely eyes of an enticing woman." Were it not for woman, he suggested, the sorrowful voyage of life could be completed much sooner. Yet, BhartRhari also spoke of woman as the ultimate reason for life. The grand purpose of the faculty of vision, he said, was to enjoy woman's beauty, as that of the faculty of hearing was to hear her voice. Indeed thought itself was meant to contemplate on the pleasing features of woman. Few thinkers have been spared the thoughts of fleeting time, of old age and eventual death, of familiar scenes long since gone, and of happy days recede d into the irrevocable past. Thus, like other poets, BhartRhari also wrote serenely on the unstoppable passage of time: "Day by day, with sunrise and sunset, life fades away. In arduous labors time spent unnoticed as we carry the burdens of manifold tasks...Those that bore us have passed away. Those we grew up with us have also slid into the path of memory. We alone are left, like trees on a sandy bank, each passing day making us ever more ready to fall." He spoke wearily of the spent-up state of human existence: "The yearning for delights is over; the pride of manhood is no more; close and dear friends have all departed; and there is a gradual loss of sight. The spent-up body is dreading the approach of death." There is sadness here, but also food for thought when one is submerged in blinding enjoyments. Like Shakespeare, but centuries earlier, BhartRhari spoke of the stages of Man: "Child for a little while, then briefly gallant youth; then for a while in need of substance, followed by a passing phase of wealthy estate; then with emaciated body and limbs; and at last like an actor with a wrinkled mask he leaves the stage behind the curtains to go to the nether world." He gives some rules for life: "Anonymous charity, enthusiastic courtesy to a visitor, silence after performing an act of kindness, and public recognition upon receiving one, modesty in the face of fortune, and conversation without rudeness." BhartRhari states that the following are among the stabs that his heart has received: "The moon darkened by day, the bygone youth of the mistress, the pool whose lilies have faded away, the speechless mouth in a pretty face, the prince whose only concern is his wealth, the good person in constant distress." Sometimes he adopts a fatalistic philosophy: "Is it the fault of the spring that no foliage stands on the bush? Is the sun to be blamed if the owl can't see in broad daylight? Are the clouds to be condemned if rain drops do not fall directly into the mouths of the birds? Who can erase what Fate has ordained?" BhartRhari reflects on how fluctuations in one's economic status can change everything: "Strange it is that the man who has the same five senses, the selfsame name, the same strong mind, and the same speech, can yet become in an instant a quite different individual if deprived of his wealth." Yet, in another work, BhartRhari wonders about success and wealth. "Even if you achieved all you ever wanted, including everlasting potential for pleasure and enjoyment, what then?" How could a man write so solemnly on wisdom and morals, on life and death, and also rhapsodize on woman and erotic love? Some say that BhartRhari, went in and out of a monastery seven times. This may have made him recognize that life is like a pendulum swinging between mundane delights and spiritual discipline. V. V. Raman
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posted November 15, 2004 06:59 PM
On Purusha Sukta The Purusha sUkta (19th hymn if book X of the Rig Veda) has been repeated perhaps more often than any other hymn of the Rig Veda. When, as a youth, I learned it by rote, I had no idea of what it meant, but it sounded (and still sounds) majestic and serene, as recited by the pundit who initiated me into this.
In later years, when I approached it from a historical perspective, rather than as a traditional-spiritual exercise, I discovered that some scholars who have examined the linguistic aspects of the Rig Veda suspect that the Purusha sUkta was a later interpolation into the much more ancient Rig Veda, and that this is the only place in the entire Rig where the word Shudra occurs. No untouchability here. My own view is that the hymn is a vision of cosmology articulated by one of our countless sage-poets, and that, aside from presenting a lofty picture of how it all came to be, the hymn also describes metaphorically the role of various sectors of society, with an analogy to organs of the body which perform various functions. The most uncomfortable lines, for modern Hindus, are: brAhmaNo asya mukhamAsIt | bAhU rAjanya: krta: | Uru tadasya yad vaishya | padbhyAm SUdro ajAyata The Brahmin from the mouth and royalty from arms were made, From His thighs the Vaishya and from His feet the Sudra were born. One may say that the phrase also reminds us that society cannot stand without the Sudras, as the body cannot stand without its feet. This is interesting, but is no consolation for the caste that has been held in the lowest esteem for ages. I don't see the Purusha sUkta as giving any support or justification for the caste system. Rather it describes the then current social stratification, and paints its origins in a mythopoetic way . It has been said that Manu was inspired by this in the formulation of his code.But all this is ancient history. At the risk of offending the more orthodox in the group, I will say that to me the PS is magnificent ancient poetry, and deserves respect as such, and is certainly not the word of God and even a great revelation about anthropogenesis. V. V. Raman May 20, 2003
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posted November 15, 2004 07:02 PM
TirumUlarIn the Tamil Saiva tradition, divinely touched souls who live amidst us for the welfare of humankind are known as Siddhars (Perfected Ones). A Siddhar is in communion with the Supreme, and yet lives in the chaotic and contradictory world of human activities. It is said that Siddhars attain their state by actualizing the power of the kinDalinI. In this framework, spiritual liberation (mukti) may occur in four ways: In the first one (sAlokya), the individual lives in God's realm. In the second (sAmIpya), one is living near God. In the third (sArUpya), one acquires the form of God, and in the fourth (sAyujya), one merges with God. The first three modes of mukti (liberation) are described as padamukti. What is remarkable about the Tamil Siddhars is that they were not other-worldly mystics who rejected the world as mAyA, but very much for neighborly love and social service. They believe in bringing knowledge and experience to the common people. Their sacred mantra, SivAya nama has been interpreted to mean: bliss (Siva) results (aya) from sacrifice (nama). To them religion is an awakening into the nature of the Supreme, rather than a set of doctrines to be accepted. TirumUlar was one of the most eminent of Tamil Siddhars poets. He was the author of Tirumandiram (Sacred Chant) which is an extraordinary esoteric compendium of spiritual utterances. It embodies insights of immense significance to the Tamil Saiva tradition. The poet describes mandarin (mantra) as the single path which the mind follows: manam oruvazhippattadu mandarin, i.e. that on which the mind is intensely focused. The Tirumandiram contains the tenets of the Agamas of the Saiva tradition, and is placed as the tenth book of Tirumurai. What the NAlAyiradivyaprabandam is to the Tamil VaishNavA school, the TirumiRai is to the Tamil SaivA school. It enjoys the same respect and reverence as the Upanishads to in the Sanskritic tradition . Unlike certain other-worldly philosophers, TirumUlar did not look down upon the physical body. He declared that ever since he recognized the divine essence in his body, he began to regard it as a temple, and not as something dirty and lowly as he had once imagined: UDambinai munnam izhukenRu irundane UdDambinukku uLLe urupoRuL kanDane Undambile uttaman koyil konDAn enRu UnDambinai yAniruntu ombuginDane. He noted that the gross physical dimension of the world often hides from our vision its deeper essence which is magnificent. Only mystics, with clear and pure minds, can see through the veil of ignorance. He explained this by means of an analogy: With an elephant was playing a child with joy It was in fact a wooden toy. Only a chunk of wood did a man there find, The elephant's form eluded his mind. So the elements veil the Real from view, But the mystic's eye sees God right through. He said pithily anbE sivam: Love alone is God, and explained further anbum sivamum iraNDenpar aRivilAr Who say Love and Sivam (the Divine) are two (separate entities) are ignorant. The voluminous work includes the core doctrine of paSu-pati-pAsam, as well as tAntric analogies between orgasmic pleasure and spiritual ecstasy. According to one school of thought, based on Indic Boreo-centrism (every spiritual insight in India had its origin in the North) and the principle ofArcheo-valorism (the older something is, the greater must be its intrinsic value) a rishi by the name of Sundarar climbed down from Himalayan peaks in 3000 B.C.E. to meet Saint Agastiyar who had likewise brought knowledge and culture to the people of the South from Sanskritic realms. On the way, the sage is said to have come across a cowherd who had died from snake-bite, leaving the animals unattended. Out of love for the cows he left his physical frame and entered into that of the expired caretaker of the cows. The name of the man who had died was MUlan, and that is how Sundarar acquired the name of TirumUlar. It is difficult to reconcile this mythological antiquity with the following statement from one historian of South Indian Shrines: "The epigraph on the north wall of the central shrine of Manatunai-isar of Valivalam (Negapatam taluk, Tanjore District: 9-13 centuries) records sale of land to the matha of this saint (TirumUlar)." There are always significant discrepancies between the accounts of sacred history and of secular history: another reason why the orthodox are not enamored of secularists. In any case, Saiva siddhanta, which many of its adherents regard as pre-Vedic in origins, is undoubtedly one of the Universalist religious visions in human history. And TirumUlar is a sparkling gem in the crown of this Tamil tradition wherein one finds a marvelous blending of profound bhakti and grand poetry, of sophisticated metaphysics and deep spirituality, as in few other contexts in humanity's rich cultural history. V. V. Raman
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posted November 15, 2004 07:07 PM
One who reads Tamil can read the entire Tirumantiram on line in Project Madurai. Here is an intro from that link:http://kumar.bse.vt.edu/projectmadurai/pub/pm0004/tmdrint.html The Tirumandiram has been reckoned as the tenth of the 12 Tirumurais of Saivism. It has been divided into nine sections called Tantras, containing the quintessence of the Saiva Agamas. Sekkizhar, the author of Periyapuranam, designated this Tamil classic as "Tamizh Moovaayiram" since it possesses 3000 poems each of which has unique metrical structure, each line consisting of 11 or 12 syllables, depending upon the initial syllable. It is the earliest exposition of Saiva Agamas in Tamil, discussing in detail the four related steps of spiritual progress viz., Carya, Kriya, Yoga and Jnana. Tirumoolar, the author of the text, has been hailed as one of the 63 Nayanmars. He was a great mystic and Yogi. For a very long period he was absorbed in meditation and contemplation beneath the shade of a Bodhi tree at Tiruvavaduthurai and delivered the poems which are collectively called the Tirumandiram i.e. the divine incantations. Historically, the author belonged to 500 A.D., long before the period of the Thevaram trio. In the Tirumandiram, various layers of philosophical thoughts and religious doctrines are embedded. It has been considered to be the earliest text on Saiva Siddhanta. The concept of Pati, Pasu and Pasa and fourfold sadhanas, peculiar to Saiva Siddhanta are adumbrated in the text. Equally the author has given importance to Vedanta, since in many poems the esoteric substance of the Upanishadic Mahavakya, "Tat tvam asi" has been interestingly interpreted through the grammatical technique of "Lakshanatraya". Further, he refers to the Vedantic concept of sevenfold adjuncts (Upadhi) of Jiva and the same number of Upadhis of Isvara and describes the absolute and transcendental Reality as Sunya, devoid of any attribute. There are portions in his treatise, to be identified as Tantrasastra, since they provide rich materials on the basic principles of Shakti worship, diagrams, Chakras, magic spells and their accessories. The third section of the text is an elaborate exposition of the eight- limbed Yoga. Since Tirumoolar claims in the prefatory portion that Patanjali, the devotee of Nataraja, was his colleague, it is quite reasonable to suggest that he has been inspired by his Yogasutra. The ethical preparations, embodying the avoidance of vices and adoption of virtues, technically known as "Yama" and "Niyama" are presented with additional details, not found in the Sanskrit text of Patanjali. Similarly particulars of "Asanas", the physical postures and "Pranayama" i.e., the breathing exercises, "Pratyahara" i.e., withdrawal of senses from going astray, "Dharana" i.e., fixing the mind on the point, "Dhyana," meditation and "Samadhi", or absorption are adequately expounded. He has also delineated the attainment of supernatural powers, as a result of practising Yoga. It is his firm conviction that the practice of Yoga should culminate in the realisation of the oneness of Atman and Brahman. He calls this method as Sivayoga. Tirumoolar has also been considered to be the founder of the Tamil Siddha system. He describes the ways and means of attaining immortal body, called "Kayasiddhi". Unlike the homogeneous and heterogeneous systems of Indian philosophy which emphasised the ephemerality of the physical body, the Siddha system of Tirumoolar advocated a fresh theory of preserving the body so that the soul would continue its existence (Udambai valarthen uyir valarthenae). Tirumoolar was a moral philosopher. In a separate section, he teaches the ethics of ahimsa, abstinence from slaughtering, meat- eating and drinking. He condemns coveting another man's wife. Like the crow inviting its group to partake the food, people should be liberal in exercising charity, without any discrimination. He declares that "love is God". He proclaims the unity of mankind and God. He stresses on the acquisition of knowledge through learning and listening. The final section of the Tirumandiram is named "Sunya Sambhashana", meaning esoteric dialogue. The poems are full of metaphorical sayings communicating mystical and speculative thoughts. One illustration is enough: *"There are five cows (Indriyas) in the house of Paarppaan (Paar-to see; seer i.e. body of man) which wander everywhere without a cowherd (preceptor). If they were controlled by him and their thirst quenched, then they would spill out all milk (bliss)." Love, Kumar
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posted November 15, 2004 07:11 PM
Chandidas (15th-16th Century)Chandidas was the first great poet in Bengali literature. He wrote devotional poetry that elevated the spirits of those who sang them. It was largely due to such effects of his lyrics on the influential saint Sri Chaitanya that Chandidas is remembered to this day. For Sri Chaitanya not only popularized by his singing the verses of the joyous poet, but in the process he also made Chandidas a memorable hero in Bengali culture. Many of Chandidas's poems are love songs, frank and simple. "Love is the nature, the riches of the arts, love is the air we breathe," he sang joyously. His verses became part of the most revered religious music of the Bengali people. These lyrics were often in the metaphor of Krishna's love for Radha. In this framework, carnal intimacy and even the thrills of illicit adultery and unpermitted union could be conveyed through poetry which, to all appearances, expresses the lofty love between the God and gopis. Much erotic poetry came to be written by this device. Chandidas was born of Brahmin parents, but he is said to have been infatuated with a woman of "lowly" caste. Rami was her name, and she was a village washerwoman. Fearing the wrath of society, Chandidas and Rami used to meet secretly. In his torments for her he composed some beautiful poetry. Artists do not always realize their indebtedness to the sources of their fruitful frustrations: bigoted Brahmins in this case. He wrote odes to her, calling her the light of his eyes, proclaiming she was as proximate to his heart as the garland he was wearing, and declaring her the goddess of all gods. Soon the people came to know about the affair. This created a scandal, the caste-pure Brahmins were appalled by the depravity of Chandidas's caste-breaking sin. In an effort to appease them, to bring the matter into the open, and to seek permission from the establishment for his unorthodox alliance, the poet's brother or cousin (Nakul by name) arranged a hearty feast for the upper caste wielders of authority. When the learned pundits were seated for the feast, in walked the low-born woman, creating much consternation among the pure-of-caste. How dare a defiling washerwoman, temptress of a high-born youth, barge into the presence of the God-knowing Brahmins? It created a terrifying scene. Unfortunately, we don't know the details of what ensued, for the translator of Chandidas sadly informs us that "the manuscript from which these songs were copied, comes to an abrupt end here. The pages that followed the description of the feast were eaten by white ants..." This gave free room for imaginative legends. According to one tale, the Brahmins rose in fury, the woman rushed to her lover's arms. His arms increased in number, Vishnu-like, to four: two were used for serving food and two for embracing the damsel in distress. Thus, Chandidas revealed himself as the Supreme Principle, and Rami became Sakti. The wonder-struck pundits are said to have taken to their heels. Another popular story that became current says that the local ruler employed the poet as court composer. When news of his affair with the lowly woman came to light, he was dismissed from court, and ostracized. The local ruler hoped Chandidas would give up his misguided infatuation for the shudra female and return to his purer fold. When this did not come to pass, the king sent out a messenger (perhaps Nakul) to persuade the errant poet to proper behavior. The messenger discovered, so the story goes, that Chandidas and Rami were no ordinary lovers, but individuals who had attained a high level of spiritual awakening. The chieftain was persuaded, and Chandidas was invited back to the court. But one day, while the poet was reciting his sublime compositions with a group of singers at the court, the ruler's wife spied the poet from a secluded place and lost her heart, for the creative rhapsodist was as charming as his work was enthralling. When this was discovered, Chandidas was condemned to be crushed by an elephant. The singer appealed in song to his beloved: "Listen, dear Rakakini girl, I am going to die for the queen's infatuation. Now you have to save me." To which his Rami answered, "'For love of the queen, O my dearest, you have lost your life; this heartless king has killed you." We have no way of knowing how much of these stories are true. But they have become part of the folk legends of the land. Painstaking scholarship tends to explode beautiful myths. Some scholars tell us that there were at least three major poets bearing the name of Chandidas, and many more of minor talents also usurped that name. Only some two hundred poems are regarded as being authentic from the creative genius of the original one. Looking upon the man-woman relationship on the physical plane as a reflection of the soul-god merger on the spiritual is the essence of a poetic tradition in Bengali literature known as the sahaja. It is also part of the tantric framework. The works of Chandidas belong to the rich body of sahaja compositions which have been in vogue for many centuries in Bengal. We see in the story associated with Chandidas's love the ancient theme of the wrath provoked on the guardians of class purity when someone breaks the rules of endogamy. This is a recurrent phenomenon down to our own times, in every culture, religion and society, but one which, like other constraints of narrower visions, is slowly beginning to be eroded in our own times. V. V. Raman
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posted November 15, 2004 07:14 PM
AnDAL (9th century?)In the history of Tamil literature we speak of the AzhvArs : a group of twelve devotees of Vishnu who wrote hundreds of songs and poems in praise of Vishnu or one of His avatAras. So intense was their devotion to Vishnu that some of them even spoke ill of Jains and Buddhists and of the followers of Siva. Perhaps the greatest of the AlvArs was PeriyAzhvAr: the Elder Saint, who wrote profusely on Krishna and his leelas, as well as on Vishnu and Rama. One day, when PeriyAzhvAr was in the garden to pick flowers for worship of Vishnu, he came upon a female child under a Tulasi tree. He brought the child home and adopted it as his own daughter. This daughter, who later came to be called AnDAL, began praying for many hours in the great temple of SrIrangam even at a tender age. She gradually developed such great devotion for the God RanganAtha of that temple that, because of her intense bhakti, she imagined she had fallen in love with the deity. It is said that AnDAL used to wear the flowers on her head before they were sent to the temple for her father's worship. She wanted to know, by viewing herself in a mirror, if she was attractive enough for the Lord. This practice was discovered by the priests one day when a strand of hair was found with the flowers. When it was brought to the father's attention, he was quite upset, and he reprimanded his daughter severely for the sacrilege. But that night, God appeared in PariyAzhvAr's dream and assured him He rather preferred the flowers that had been tried out by his daughter, for her unadulterated devotion added fresh fragrance to the flowers. This made the man realize that his daughter was no ordinary woman. He called her AndAL: the redeemer. AnDAL's passion for God found expression in verses. From her heart and lips flowed magnificent words of supreme beauty, all as soothing poetry and music. She wrote two masterpieces known as TiruppAvai and NaicciyAr Tirumozhi which are lyrical dedications to Lord Krishna, exuberant expressions of an aspirant in longing love for her chosen beloved. TiruppAvai describes how on a festive morning which had been preceded by a night of fasting, a bevy of gopis (milkmaids) marched cheerfully to the local river for a refreshing dip as part of certain rites that would win them good husbands. As they advance to their destination they stop from house to house to invite more of their kind of join in the jubilance. And when they knock at one of the doors, none other than Krishna's wife Nappinnai responds. Krishna had been resting on her breasts, AndAL speaks to her: O Sri, O lady Nappinnai with cup-like tender breasts, red-mouthed and with slender waist! Wake up from your sleep! Give fan and mirror to your spouse and let us bathe now...! In another poem, AnDAL recounts a most magnificent dream in which she had been wed to Krishna. The song narrates beautifully the colorful series of rituals for the wedding, with references to Krishna's teasing naughtiness. One of the hymns in this poem has become part of Tamil tradition in (VaishNavite) weddings. Here poetry blends with spiritual longing and has subtly entered the culture of the people. The vigorous sensuality of AnDAL has been seen differently by different people. Most Tamil devotees, who may not even fully recognize the literal meanings of the archaic Tamil, sing the songs and enjoy their sheer musical tones. Some critics have considered this infusion of sensuality in a religious theme to be a fault. Two scholars complained that "her passion for her divine lover is the passion of a voluptuous woman for a man, hardly the delicate, ethereal longing of a maiden for the man she is to wed. It is not the unblushing confession of the feeling that is at fault, though that could be called indelicate in a woman. It is the feeling itself, the translation, at times, of the divine into grossly physical values." On the other hand, another scholar feels that there is a striking contrast between "the delicate sensualism of AnDAL and the unblushing eroticism of (a related) Sanskrit Stanza." When AnDAL came of age, she refused to marry anyone but Lord RanganAtha of the temple. She insisted moreover that a formal wedding be arranged between her and the mUrti with all rites and rituals. The father and the priests, recognizing they were dealing with an extraordinary devotee, agreed. AnDAL was decked with flowers and ornaments and ceremoniously guided into the holiest precincts where, so it is said in the lore, she merged with the magical mUrti. Not only sublime thoughts and insightful reflections, but also the moving poetry and stirring songs of our sage-poets make Indic culture grand and glorious. Through her inspired writings and devotional outpourings, AnDAL has not only attained immortality in the history of Tamil literature and in Tamil culture, but also secured for herself a permanent place in the spiritual legacy of India. V. V. Raman
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posted November 15, 2004 07:16 PM
Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833)Ram Mohan Roy was born in an orthodox Hindu family in Bengal. As was customary then, he was subjected to child-marriage. He became a widower twice, and was married thrice before the age of ten! This was a period in India's history when Islam was a major force, and Persian the language of the elite in Northern India. Ram Mohan was influenced by Islamic thought, and soon began to reflect dispassionately on some of the beliefs and practices in Hindu society. At sixteen he wrote a book in Persian in which he spoke out against idolatry, and urged his people to study different religions from a comparative point of view. His ideas did have a touch of heresy, and shocked many, including his parents. It resulted in a rift between him and his father. Later, Ram Mohan also came under the spell of Christian world views. In the early part of the nineteenth century, with the increasing dominance of the British in India, Ram Mohan Roy pondered over the fact that alien cultures such as Islamic and Christian were gaining supremacy over Hindu India with relative ease. Instead of being just upset and angry and this, he sought to discover the ultimate sources of the strengths of these intruding cultures. He did not jump to the superficially acceptable, but intrinsically questionable view, that military might alone was responsible for the earlier Islamic and the then British superiority. Instead, he decided to study in depth the languages, and through them the basic thoughts and philosophies, of Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions. In the ensuing years, he acquired more than a working knowledge of Hebrew, Latin, Greek, French and English, besides the Persian and the Arabic that he already knew, and the Bengali that was his mother tongue. Such scholarship opened up his mind and perspectives to vast horizons. He began to view the human condition in global rather than in parochial terms. He did love the culture and tradition of his own people, but he also openly condemned some of the absurdities and pernicious practices of the Hindu society of his day. When his own sister-in-law was burnt on the funeral pyre along with the corpse of her husband, while the rest of his family, like most orthodox Hindus of his community, regarded the event as an expression of commendable wifely devotion, Ram Mohan was disgusted. But he was not tempted to explain away the practice as resulting from Islamic invasion of India. He pleaded with Lord Bentinck (then Governor-General of India) to outlaw the ignoble practice. This won him little sympathy and less respect from many of his zealous compatriots who looked upon him as a Eurocentric Christian-indoctrinated Hindu. [They could not call him a Macaulayite because Macaulay had not yet arrived.] We must not forget the early pioneers who set the wheels of positive change rolling in the face of name-calling from the mindless glorifiers of everything of the past. Deep in his heart, Ram Mohan was as much a Hindu as any of his narrow critics. He could recognize what is best in Hindu thought and culture. But he also realized that like all ancient creeds we had our share of superstition and irrationality. He sensed that the essence of the great religions of humankind was noble and magnificent, but that the rites and rituals, the time-worn customs and blind beliefs, needed to be modified or rejected. He was also convinced that much enrichment and greater understanding amongst peoples could result, not by unswerving devotion to one's own religion, but by mutual sharing, and from attempts to discover the fundamental unity behind all religions. Such points of view inspired Ram Mohan Roy to establish an organization called Atmiya Samaj which later became the Brahmo Samaj (1828). The members of the Brahmo Samaj used to meet on Saturday evenings. They would recite Vedic hymns and listen to expositions of the Upanishads in Bengali. But they were not simply mantra-chanting ritualists. They were equally concerned with social and dogmatic questions. They repudiated casteism and bigotry, and argued for progressive changes. Ram Mohan Roy was more than a religious reformer and social revolutionary. He was also an educationist and political philosopher. He appealed to Lord Amherst to introduce English in Indian schools, and called for science education, perhaps a terrible thing to do from the perspective of some Neo-cultural-patriots, but ultimately enormously beneficial to India from the point of view many other Indians of our own times. He corresponded with international groups, he initiated journals in Bengali and Persian. He even sent some aid to Ireland during the terrible famine there. He hailed the independence of Latin American nations from the colonial shackles of Spain. He wrote a long letter to the Foreign Minister of France on the absurdity of the passport system, and also suggested in that letter the establishment of an international court of justice. Notwithstanding opposition from orthodox Hindus, the British gave substance to many of Ram Mohan Roy's ideas and initiatives. Thanks to his insistence and Macaulay's eloquence, English was brought into the Indian educational system, with some negative effects no doubt, but also with many positive consequences. Thanks again to his appeals, the practice of suttee was abolished in Bengal and elsewhere. But one may still wonder about the persistence of casteism which he condemned, and animal sacrifices at the Kali Temple in Kolikota. A great many religious reformers and revolutionaries in our tradition have been transformed into an avatara, or periodically worshipped. But when it comes to practice, their precepts are not taken as seriously. It is good that saints, poets, and philosophers spoke and wrote against unconscionable practices, for when we still see casteism, injustice and inhuman practices in the Hindu world, we can at least quote from our sages and saints, and argue that Hinduism is in principle tolerant and enlightened. The current mantra is that, unlike the Abrahamic faiths, Hinduism is not a religion of the Book. However, in the face of some of its objectionable practices, we quote from our sacred books no less than practitioners of most other religions do to defend the integrity of our religion. Raja Ram Mohan Roy quoted from the shastras to show that widow burning and female infanticide are not sanctioned by Hinduism. He was the first Navyashastrin of modern India. V. V. Raman June 22, 2003
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posted November 15, 2004 07:18 PM
Q: Do Hindus worship cows?A: No, we worship the Supreme God, the creator, preserver and destroyer of all that exists. We also worship several other 'gods' or 'Mahadevas' who assist us in our evolution. We also revere our ancestors, guru and holy men of our tradition, as well as the plant and animal kingdom, as we recognise all of life as sacred and a part of IT and Us. Specifically we have come to revere cows more than any other animal as it has traditionally been a part of our lives during the agricultural age. This 'reverance' is thanksgiving, and should not be confused with worship. Pathma
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posted November 15, 2004 07:20 PM
Vallabha (1478?-1531)Vallabha was born of Telugu Brahmin parents. His birth is said to have occurred in the small town of Champaranya in Central India when the parents were on a pilgrim path to the sacred city of Varanasi. He is said to have mastered the scriptures before he was a teenager. Later he served in the court of Krishna Deva Raya Vijayanagar where he came to be known as VaishNavAcArya. Then he spent some time in Brindavan and in Mathura, two places with which the name of Krishna is associated, and moved on to Ujjaini. Among the works attributed to him are: Pushti Pravala Maryada and SiddhAnta Rahasya. One night Vallabha dreamt that Lord Krishna was incarnate again along with the gopis of the glorious Puranic age. In the same dream, Krishna beckoned Vallabha to the Govardhana hills. So the next day Vallabha went to the appointed place. Lo and behold, Krishna was there manifest as Nathaji! He commanded the wonder-struck devotee to construct for worship a holy shrine at that very spot. Inspired thus, Vallabha set out to establish what evolved into one of the most powerful sects in the panorama of Indian culture: the Krishna Gokula sect. In its practical aspects, it has drawn millions into ecstatic modes of song and dance in the name of Krishna and his deeds. At the same time, Vallabha also developed a fairly sophisticated metaphysical doctrine to go with it. These constitute the Suddhadvaita (pure-non-duality) system of classical Indian philosophy. In Puranic works, it is stated that even higher than the abode of Siva and Vishnu there is a heaven where dark-hued Krishna, clad in golden yellow dwells in eternal youth, playing his enchanting flute. Bored by his solitude he once let Maya emerge. The world arose from their union. What a beautiful cosmogony! Vallabha elaborated this theory: There was in the beginning God and God alone. And He created a world just for the fun of it, simply to amuse Himself. This physical universe of ours is thus nothing more than a transformation of His ultimate essence (svarupa-parinama), the art work of a Cosmic Doodler, as it were. The souls in it are like sparks emanating from a central fire. In the process, however, God remains completely unchanged. There are, Vallabha goes on to explain, three components to this Creation: the one which is manifest is called sat (existence). The two which are potential are known as chit (consciousness) and ananda (bliss). The world, he insists, is not mAyA (illusion), but lIlA (a play of God). But the notions of I-ness and mine-ness are non-real. True realization consists in ridding this perception of the ego. Souls, in Vallabha's view, may be in one of three states. They may be lost in the experience of their ego-ness. Such souls are referred to as being in pravaha (stream of the world). Or, they may have taken up the path of the Vedas in their efforts to understand godhead. Such souls are said to be in the maryAda (scriptural knowledge) state. Or again, a soul may have recognized its link with God, worshipping Him with boundless love. To the third category belong those who have received grace (pushti). The gopis of Brindavan had achieved pushti. Those who dance in spiritual ecstasy singing Krishna's name have attained pushti. Vallabha expounds the various kinds of souls in great detail, using many technical terms in his classification. Like Democritus, Vallabha speaks of the atomic nature of the soul. Yet it is believed to permeate all through the body even as the fragrance of a flower is not confined to just one small portion of it. Normally the soul endowed with certain divine qualities. But occasionally God decides to play a little. Then He suppresses these divine attributes. This leads to suffering and misery, bondage and ignorance. Vallabha lists nine stages in God realization: hearing, reciting, remembering, prostrating, worshipping, saluting, doing service, being friends with, and dedicating oneself fully. The saint-philosopher taught further that there is no other way to reach God but by total surrender to Him. We must recognize our total spiritual emptiness and fall at His feet, begging for His grace. In the process there must be unconditional love rather than fear, an intense desire to belong to and to merge with, rather than worship for this or that paltry favor. Radha and the gopis merged into Krishna by their amorous longings. They experienced an eroticism that was divine in nature. Vallabha saw a similar union between the souls and the ultimate divine principle, which are like the individual souls profoundly preoccupied with the Supreme. Vallabha also preached that it was not necessary to deprive oneself of good food and clothing, nor indulge in self-mortification in order to get god-intoxicated. On the contrary, hearty meals, colorful dress with ostentatious ornaments, and cheerful company are even to be recommended to his followers. For the recognition of divinity is a matter of joy and sharing, not pain and solitude. Such life-asserting views became very popular. Vallabha's son and seven grandsons propagated the practices, and their descendents (generally known as GosvAmi or MaharAj) still lead the groups. Vallabha, his son, and grandsons also came to be worshipped. The elaborate ritualism prescribed for this routine could tire all but the most persistent. It has been said in the tradition that Vallabha ascended to heaven directly from the Hanuman Ghat in Varanasi in full view of hundreds of spectators, not unlike the launching of a space vehicle in our own times. Vallabha was among the more illustrious of the countless saints and spiritual guides who have illumined the Hindu spiritual landscape in a variety of ways. They have expounded different perspectives, taught different modes, and touched the hearts of different people, but invariably they have taught that beneath and beyond our physical existence and experience of the ephemeral material world there is something subtle and everlasting, and that life is enriched and fulfilled when we have that spiritual substratum in the back of our minds in whatever we do or say. V. V. Raman 29 June 2003
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posted November 15, 2004 07:43 PM
On MarriagesHistorical/cultural aspects of Marriage in the ancient India Scholarly/historical studies, based on written records and references in our epics and Sastras give detailed accounts of the framework of various modes of marriage in classical Hindu society. Except for a reference in the Mahabharata to a primitive state when sexual promiscuity was in vgue, the marriage institution of whichever sort was very much a part of Hindu society from Vedic times onwards. The eight modes of establishing marital union (listed by Sri Bhattar in the reverse order of sophistication: brahma, daiva, Arsha, prAjAptya, Asura, gAndharva, rAkshasa, and paiSAacha) each had its own peculiarities, such as: In the paiSAacha mode, fraud was involved in the acquisition of the bride. According to Manu, "When a man cohabits with a girl in loneliness when she is sleepy, mad or intoxicated, it is called paiSAcha." In the rAkshasa mode, according to Manu, there is "capture of a girl by force while she is weeping, having scattered, injured, and killed her relatives." Manu's definition of gAndharva marriage: "Where the bride and the groom meet with each other on their own, and the meeting is consummated by intercourse born of passion." In the Asura mode, the husband pays money to the bride's family and to her, but no force is used. In the prAjAptya mode, there is a clear understanding that the married couple would follow dharma together. In Arsha, according to Manu, "the relatives do not accept price for the girl, for it is not a sale." But they do take some symbolic gifts." Some suggest that in this type of marriage the groom was a rishi. In the daiva mode, the bride, well attired, was given by the father to the priest who conducted a sacrifice for the father. BaudhAyana says that she was offered as a dakshiNa. The most sophisticated marriage mode, one that is also widely practiced to this day, is the brahma, so called because it was deemed appropriate for Brahmins. The smRtis consider this the most honorable type. The marriage of SUrya and Soma, described in the Rig Veda, is the model for this. It is here that we have the rite of kanyAdAna. In the VivAhapaddhati, this is the saNkalpa that the father (guardian) of the bride says: "For the obtainment of absolute happiness, as the consequence of kanyAdAna, for our forefathers, for purifying my twelve preceding and twelve succeeding generations through the progeny born of this girl, and for the propitiation of Lakshmi and NArAnaNa.. I make this gift (kanyAdAnam ahaM karishye)." In current marriage rituals the father of the bride says: "mahato puthro bhavAn bhavAn ap ca mahAn iyam kanyAtvayi samarpitA tasyaguNasca prashansa nIyAh." [Rough translation: The noble son that you are, And from a noble family too, Our daughter we entrust to you this day Keep her with such qualities and cheerful this way.] As I see it, the goal of NS should be three-fold: (a) To clarify and re-affirm whatever is best in the Hindu tradition. (b) To reject and remove whatever is socially and spritually misgruided and untenable any longer. (c) To improve, modify, and make more just (when possible) those aspects of the tradition which are beautiful and meaningful. In this context, we may add to the kanyAdAna ritual a putradAna one in which the father of the groom is asked to repeat the same mantra substituting puthri for puthro. Thus the gifts are mutual, each parent entrusting the offspring to the love and care of the incoming spouse. [I have introduced this in the few weddings that I have conducted, much to the delight of both bride and groom and their parents.] V. V. Raman June 10, 2003
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posted November 15, 2004 07:44 PM
"English education unsettled my mind and left a void.I had given up idolatry, but had received no positive system of faith to replace it. And how can one live on earth without a system of positive religion?"These words were written by Keshab Chandra Sen (1838 - 1884), one of the growing numbers of Anglicized Hindus in the 19th century who, having gone to Westernized schools and come under the influence of Christian thought. To this day countless Hindus are tormented by a similar predicament. K. C. Sen and many like him began to lose faith in the traditional modes of worship of their own heritage. But neither could they abandon totally the deepest elements of their faith. When they did, they felt they had lost their mooring, for they felt they belonged neither to the East nor to the West. They saw little meaning in idol worship - as mUrti pUja is described in English - but neither were they introduced to the subtler realms of yogic meditation. Inspired by alien models, some of them tried to fashion their own navyashastra (like the Brahmos of Bengal), but they were at best a small and elite class of sophisticated intellectuals. They realized that their religion has far deeper roots than a generation's new modes, but they could not accept everything in their society either. At its core Hinduism, with all its superficial faults, is an enormously powerful system with great cultural value, civilizational impact, and spiritual depth. Individuals may sneak away from the constraints of traditional customs and beliefs, but no one who has grown upon the Hindu world, no one whose soul and spirit have been shaped by Hindu culture, can formulate a rebel-religion that does not incorporate some of the basic elements of the ancient roots. Whether Buddha or Guru Nanak, or any of the other saints and yogis who have gathered disciples to spread their own messages, they invariably preach around the insights that were articulated millennia ago by Vedic rishis. Such has been the power and impact of the originators of Hindu culture. Their essential visions have lasted millennia, leaving indelible imprints even on those of the Hindu faith who have embraced religions that are not indigenous to India. V. V. Raman
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posted November 15, 2004 07:46 PM
NUGGETS FROM INDIC SAGES"I think there is a way of atoning for one's faith: one must radically criticize the doctrine with which one identifies, pointing out its weaknesses, its foibles, and the clay feet of its founders and sustainers, at every step." This was the view of Swami Agehananda Bharati, one of the most scholarly and controversial modern converts to Hinduism. Bharati was not just an analytical philosopher and professional sociologist, he was more than a polyglot and mantra-chanting Hindu: he was also a mystic, i.e. one who had had the mystical experience. He was not universally liked, either by Western scholars or by orthodox Hindus, but he had some profound insights into the nature and significance of the religious experience, especially of the Hindu kind. The opinion he expresses here is clearly that of a radical thinker, and though it is stated in the context of faith and spirituality, it is no less valid for customs and culture. Those who critically speak and write about the beliefs and practices of their society and values often do more good for their people than those who simply sing its glories and mindlessly mimic the practices and patterns of past generations. Any careful student of history will realize that societies that discourage auto-criticism and constantly venerate the past tend to stagnate, rather than change. However, just as not every defense of age-old beliefs is good for a culture's continuing health, not all the change that comes from repudiating the past is necessarily for the better. Cultures and religions are rooted in visions and doctrines that carry the weight and wisdom of centuries. The purpose of criticism should not be to uproot the bases, but to cut out the dead branches that harm the organism. This is what thoughtful thinkers try to do. In Hindu history, a great many sages and saints have engaged in this pruning endeavor, which accounts for the resilience of the system. But most revisions of doctrines have occurred at the metaphysical level, leading to a variety of schools of philosophy and sectarian paths to spirituality. There have not been as many calls to change the social structure, at least not to great effect. Perhaps one reason for this is that in the Hindu framework religion has often been a separate endeavor, devoted to one's own spiritual advancement, rather than for the betterment of the human condition at large. The pilgrim who flings a coin at the hungry mendicant in the precincts of a temple often does so, not for improving the plight of the indigent, but for gaining punya. Fortunately, of late the linking of religion to social and humanitarian commitments has been occurring with greater vigor in the Hindu world. V. V. Raman July 12, 2003
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posted November 15, 2004 07:54 PM
cIrADa eTRa vairavan vAkanam cEra vandu tARARu nAn mugan vAkanam tannai paTRikonDu nArAyaNan uyaru vAkanam AyiTRu. nammai mukam pArAn. maivvAkanam vandE en vayiTRil paTRinanE.The vehicle of Bhairava deserving of praise came and took away the vehicle of the four-faced one. It became NArAyaNa's vehicle on high, and nobody looked at my face. But the sheep-vehicle one Burnt in my stomach when this was done. This poem sounds like a riddle, and it can be understood only when one is familiar with the mythopoesy of the Vedic/PurANic framework. In particular, we need to know that the vehicle (vAhanam) of Bhairava (Siva) was a dog, of BrahmA (the four-faced one) was a swan, of NArAyaNa was a vulture, and of Agni (Fire) was a sheep. Note the ingenious away in which the poet has brought together the three primary divine principles (trimUrti: BrahmA, VishNu, Siva) of Hindu vision as well as the primary deity (Agni) in the Vedic framework. The context of the poem was very mundane: Once, when this poet was on a pilgrimage, carrying some food, he stopped by a river to take a bath. When he was in the water, a passing dog ate off the cooked rice he had kept as meal after his bath. The food flew away, as it were, like a bird. The result was that the poet was left ignored by all, and he began to feel the fire (pang) of hunger in his stomach. The imaginative and verbal richness of Tamil and the countless allusions of the poets to the broader Indic tradition are reflected in this verse. But equally it is an instance of the word-plays we find in Tamil literature. Here, for example, aside from the allusions, there is a bi-lingual pun. The Tamil word for swan is annam (from the Sanskrit haMsa). But in Tamil, annam also means cooked rice. So instead of saying his rice (annam) was taken away, the poet says that the vehicle of BrahmA (annam) was taken away. This poem is credited to a little known, but highly esteemed Tamil poet by the name of Andakkavi VIrarAgavar. Andakkavi means the blind poet, for he is said to have been blind. He once declared that he could see more with his inner eye of wisdom that most people see with their ordinary eyes. Andakkavi VIrarAgavar is regarded as a saint-poet of the Saiva tradition. He is also known as YazpANanAyanAr. According to tradition, many centuries ago this poet from the ChoLa country went to Sri Lanka. The local king was so impressed by his poetic gifts that he ceded to him the region of Jaffna to which many Tamil people migrated in the distant past. The word yAz is the name of a musical instrument (somewhat like the lute). One who plays on that instrument is a yAzpANar. The Tamil spoken in Jaffna is also referred to as yAzpANattamiz. All too often, the poetic imagery and subtle humor of Tamil (and Sanskrit) writers are lost sight of in the heavy emphasis on spirituality and religiosity on which most commentators tend to dwell. The frequent association of all major works with spiritual/religious weight makes it difficult for lay (secular) scholars to study them in schools and colleges as works on philosophy, literature, or pure poetry. It is an unfortunate fact of Indic culture that to this day (more than fifty years after India's independence from foreign yoke), people in India can get degrees from colleges and universities without ever having studied in a systematic way even selections from Kamba RAmAyaNam or Ramacaritra Manas, let alone the Vedas, the Upanishads, or the Gita. We are more interested in whether the Vedas have reserved this or that rite and ritual for Brahmins alone, than in appreciating their poetic, aesthetic, and literary merits. V. V. Raman October 13, 2003
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posted November 15, 2004 07:57 PM
Harmony in NaturenITRu alarpEr oLinerungGum appadiyin niRai karumbin cATRu alaivan kulai vayalil tagaTTUvarAl ezappakaTTU Er ATRualavan kozukkizitta cAlvaziyOi acaindu ERic cETRu avalan karu uyirkka muruku uyirkkum cezum kamalam In the shimmering light of the ashen waters, In that region of sugar-canes, full, Within the banks of the juice-filled field Constrained by ramps is the plowing bull.
To bear its tiny progeny A crab from the mud moves and climbs Over a furrow by plowshares torn. A lovely lotus exudes honey For the little ones that are born. This is a snippet of a scene in the sugar cane field bordering the small town of AdanUr. There are the furrows made by the plowshares drawn by an ox. In that marshy land one sees a mother crab slowly finding its way to a safe spot where it gives birth to its little ones. When this happens, a lotus plant gives out some nectar on which the new-born creatures feed. Only the keen eye of one who has great sensitivity for all creatures great and small could make this careful observation, and only a gifted poet could express it in rhythmic verse that unfortunately loses its original charm in translation. Aside from the beautiful description of an insignificant episode in nature, the poet is trying to say here that all nature is in harmony, and that in the village he is describing, everyone cared for one another. What makes this utterly worldly verse even more remarkable is that it occurs in what is regarded as a sacred work in the Tamil world. It is in the Periya PurANam which is a compendium of the lives of sixty-three Tamil saints of the Saiva tradition, referred to as NAyanArs. The saints come from every caste and creed: from cEkaliyars and Cekkars to VeLLALars, and BrAhmaNars. Thus they included washer men, fishermen, hunters, weavers, and more, revealing a glorious side of a caste-ridden society. The author of this immortal work was CEkkizAr PerumAn (11th-12th centuries), and his work is credited with the arrest of the Jain faith in the Tamil kingdom, and the propagation of the Saiva sect. The verses quoted above are from the life of Tiru-nALaippOvAr-nAyanAr, popularly known as NandanAr. The story of how this massive poetical work of 4286 stanzas came to be written is fascinating in itself. We will look into it on another occasion. V. V. Raman October 16, 2003
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