Life Of Ramana Maharshi - 3

[Guest guest]

December 24, 2000

 

Last week:

[To devotees of RM, the birth of RM at the time of climax of procession

festival is a serious indication of the advent of the Master. To really

understand their feelings it is important to know something about how

procession festivals are celebrated in Saivite-temple-towns of TamilNadu,

which I will endeavour to elaborate – for the benefit of those who do not

know what it might mean. I will do it in Part – 3].

 

This week:

 

AtmA tvam girijA matih sahacharah prANAh SarIram gR^ham

pUjA te vishayopabhoga rachana, nidrA samAdhi sthithih

sanchArah padayo pradikshiNa vidhih, stotrANi sarvaghiro

yatyat karma karomi tattat akhilam shambho tava ArAdhanam ||

 

Oh Lord Shiva, Thou art the Atman (the indweller in me),

Thy Consort Girija is the mind

prANAs (vital-airs) are the attendants,

My body is Thy Home

Every sense perception of mine is really a pUja (offering) to Thee (the

indweller)

My sleep is Thy state of samAdhi

Every path that I traverse is really a pradakshiNa (circum-ambulation) of

Thee

Every word that I speak is a hymn in Thy praise

Whatever actions I perform, is a worship unto Thee,

Oh Lord Shambhu, my salutations to Thee.

 

- Excerpt from Siva mAnasa pUja.

 

Procession festival is called “Urvalam” in Tamil. I give here a brief

description of how it is conducted. South India is considered by some as

“Siva’s own land”. Many towns and villages are centered around a big

temple. All the cultural and religious activities have the temple deity and

the temple environs as their locus. Many villages are named after the

presiding deity of the primary temple in the village. In those villages

where the presiding deity is Siva the place is considered “Siva sthalam”

(place of Siva).

 

During major festivals particularly those ascribed to Lord Shiva like Arudra

darSanam, along with other preparations, an elaborate chariot procession

(those temples that cannot afford have palanquins) is conducted. Most

temples have in their storage a chariot – “ratham”. On the day of the

festivals alone the chariot is taken out. Every temple has a primary deity

that is permanently seated in the “garbha-gR^ham” (womb-chamber) called

“moolavar – in Tamil it means the main (base) deity” and a replica of that

deity called “utsava-mUrthy” (procession deity in Tamil). It is the latter

that is taken out in procession. The former is permanently stationed inside

the sanctum and is never removed. Some representative images of other

deities like Ganesha and SubrahmaNyam are taken out also. All deities are

taken out for a procession along with their consort. Never are temples

constructed with the primary deity without His / Her Consort. In the case

of Siva, the utsava-mUrthy of both Lord Siva and Parvati are taken.

 

Preparation starts weeks prior to the festival. Chariot is brought out of

storage, repaired and made fit for the procession. A route is determined

through which the deities will pass through. The whole village wears a

festive look. The temple environs are cleaned and whitewashed.

Mango-leaves are strung at different places of the temple. Musical plays on

the traditional instruments like Nagaswaram can be heard as one sets foot in

the temple. The temple animals like elephants and camels are bathed and

decorated.

 

On the appointed day, the people of the village gather at the temple and the

priests after performing the appropriate pUjAs for the mUla-mUrthy, amidst

the chants of Vedas place the utsava-mUrthy-s on the chariot. The

procession starts. The procession is lead by a few people who carry torches

or gas-lights. They flank the procession on either side in well distributed

way, lighting the path of the entourage incase the procession goes well

beyond dusk. Sometimes, the temple elephant walks in front of the

procession. A group of brAhmaNa-s lead the procession with pUrNa-kumbhAm-s

(a kalaSa with water in it covered by a coconut and mango-leaves, that had

been worshipped with appropriate chants like ekAdaSa-rudra-japam,

panchAkshara-japam etc). A group of musicians playing the instruments also

walk in the front. Along with them walk the priests who chant Vedic mantras

and either the chariot or the palanquin follows them. The chariot is pulled

using ropes by people (there is always a competition to get a spot to pull

the ropes as it considered an unique opportunity to “lead” or “take” Siva

-J). Lord Shiva is decorated well with jewellery and flowers and so is His

Consort the Divine Mother. They are taken along the lanes of the village.

People consider it a great fortune for the chariot to pass through their

homes. The streets are cleaned and “kolam” (rangoli) is laid on the home

fronts and building fronts and other mini-temple fronts.

 

Women also participate in the festival. They carry essential items for the

pUja – flowers, fruits and other articles of worship. The whole scene

reverberates with devotion. One has to imagine the scene to take it in.

The smell of vibhuti, kumkum, flowers, incense sticks and other perfumes

could be sensed in that atmosphere. Women dressed in silk sarees befitting

their respective tradition and state in their lives. SumangalI-s (married

women) with all the marks of marriage like bangles, ear-rings, nose-studs,

vermillion mark on their foreheads and flowers on their braided hair walk in

groups singing glories of Lord Siva and His Consort. Widows who have lost

their husbands and have chosen to take the path of devotion, also

participate in that procession, with their heads shaven, sarees covering

their heads and vibhUti applied over their forehead indicating renunciation

from samsara and determination to lead a virtuous life of loving devotion to

Lord Siva.

 

Men young and old all apply vibhuthi on their foreheads. Married men wear

traditional dhotis with angavastram (shoulder-cloth) all follow the chariot.

One can hear chants of Vedas, hymns like Thevaram (Tamil songs in praise

of Lord Siva), silent murmur of “Om Namah Sivaya” all at the same time, when

one walks along with the chariot. Children frolicking around enjoy

themselves as this is a wonderful playtime – their parents are “busy in

devotion”. Sometimes they are asked to carry around huNDIs (money boxes) to

collection small donations.

 

Whenever the chariot passes another temple or the other entrances to the

main temple or the prominent buildings or houses, the chariot is stopped and

the priest offers “Arati” to the deity seated in the chariot. Lord Siva

with His Consort seated in the chariot is very majestic to look at with all

the shining jewellery and decorations. It seems as though the King has come

out His palace to see His subjects. It is as if the King has come to see if

His people are happy and what their wants are. He seems to relish the

blandishments offered to Him.

 

For students of Vedanta, this a wonderful exercise in the seeing the

practical demonstration of how to go about living life. Lord Siva though

SEEMS to enjoy all the offerings given to Him, He is internally untouched by

any of them. He smiles cheerfully, but only as a Witness. Just as the sea

though tumultuous in the shores is calm deep within, so does the Lord go

through all this jubiliation, unaffected inwardly even though the devotees

feel that He is enjoying all that is offered. For One who is the entire

Universe Himself, what can be offered? For One who destroyed Kama with one

look of His, how can the temptations of praise and offerings of worship

disturb His equilibrium?

 

At the end of the procession, the deity is taken back to the temple. The

re-entrance into the temple and the re-installation of the deities are also

a very important milestone in the event. All people in the village gather

to witness the final Arati of their beloved Lord, whom they endeavored to

please with their fervent devotion. Spiritual seekers seeking help and

guidance in their sAdhanA, rich and powerful seeking furtherance of their

prospects, poor and helpless seeking refuge and relief, sick and suffering

seeking cure and comfort, mothers seeking welfare of their children, fathers

seeking welfare of their families all gather at the court of Lord Siva on

that day.

 

When the final Arati is performed all the above without any distinction bow

their heads in salutations, mentally praying to the Lord to have mercy on

them:

 

“kara charaNa kR^tam vAk, kAyajam, karmajam vA, SrvaNa-nayana-jamvA,

mAnasam-vA, aparAdham vihitam avihitam –vA sarvametat kshamasva jaya jaya

karuNAbde Sri Mahadeva Shambho !!

 

Whatever I might have done with my hands, feet, speech, actions, hearing,

sight or through my mind either deliberately or in ignorance, I beseech Thee

Oh Compassionate Lord Shambho, to pardon my transgressions.

 

Looking back one feels that on the night of Dec 29/30 of 1879, the devotees

must have prayed ardently. Siva having witnessed the sufferings of His

children, must have been moved to pity at their plight, decided to respond

to their prayers. Instead of answering their prayers one at a time, He

decided to give one response to all the prayers that were submitted Him.

His response to their prayers was:

 

Bhagavan RamaNa Maharshi.

 

For RM was born at the same time when the temple deities re-entered the

temple premises.

 

For in the years to come, men and women from distant lands would gather at

His feet, the same way the devotees gathered in front of Siva. Men and

women, rich and poor, weak and strong all would seek Him in His simple Asram

at aruNAchala. SAdhakas who were confounded by their philosophical studies

would find confirmation of their understanding, wise men seeking a way out

of this samsArA would find guidance and help, children, the weak and the

poor would find a compassionate friend in Him. Even birds and animals

gathered around Him.

 

Just as Lord Siva blessed His children silently without them even knowing

about it, so too RM blessed all those who gathered around Him with one

invincible, unfailing panacea that was to become the hallmark characteristic

of His personality

 

– deep, devotional, peaceful, absolute SILENCE.

 

 

We will see about His family background in the next part.

 

Continued in Part – 4 ...

 

_______________

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[Guest guest]

--- "S. V. Subrahmanian" <svskotra wrote:

> December 24, 2000

>

>

> Procession festival is called “Urvalam” in Tamil. I

> give here a brief

> description of how it is conducted.

 

Dear shri subramanian,

 

Your description of the procession festival brought

back to my memory my childhood days, way back in

Trichy, more than five decades ago! It brought back to

my memory how all of us at home(we lived in a chawl

called 'stores'consisting of a long passageway with

five or six one-room tenements lined on one side,with

a common bathroom and watercloset facilities at the

far end for all the tenents)used to wait for the

procession to pass through our street. My Uncle and

Aunt, with whom I was lodged in those days for

pursuing my school studies, would be ready with Aarti

saamagries like karpuram, coconut ,vettalai pakku,

fruits,kumkumam and vibhuti.Invariably it would be

past ten in the night by which time the procession

would enter the far end of our street. With the

naayanam and melam proclaiming loudly the entry of

the Deity into our street there would be a sudden

spurt of activities in every home. The kids including

me would have gone to sleep by this time on the pattu

pai(mat)generally spread out on the floor for the

little ones in the household to rest while the elders

were busy attending to household chores. My aunt would

tap the botties of the kids crouching on the mat and

vehemently shaking them and pronouncing,"Hey,get up,

God has already come! Wow ! we all used to scramble

and run out to the front of our house and parepare

with great respect for the Deity to come and stop in

front of our store. Yes. God verily, comes to us on

these festival days instead of our going to the temple

to have His darshan there!

 

Subramaniam,please do post such thought provoking

notes

more often. Atleast this one of yours has given me an

inspiration to revive these type of festivals when I

get back to Chennai in a congenial way by introducing

variations to suit the modern environment.The essence

and the spirit can never change!

 

Hari Om!

 

Swaminarayan.

 

 

 

Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.

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