Don't abandon them!

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

HH Sri Rangapriya Swamy is one of the most compassionate

and erudite VaishNavite AchAryaas . Those who are in Bangalore

are fortunate to listen to His anugraha BHAshaNam on

different topics and capture them . These messages need a wider

dissemination since they contain unique insights .

 

As a member of this group , I recieve the anugraha BhAshaNams and I

will share them with you and I am sure that the sishyan or Sishyai

who posts these messages would mind

the upadEsams of this great AchAryan benefitting a wider set of saadhakaas.

V.Sadagopan

 

Tuesday, December 14, 2004 4:09 AM

 

Yesterday Swamiji after morning Pooja gave a short discourse on this subject.

 

There are many practices,he said introducing the subject,

which have been part of our culture since time immemorial

but which are being abandoned by the present generation

for the ostensible reason that they have not been mentioned

in the Sruti or Smriti and hence are without Authority.Not

everything needs to be mentioned by Aswalayana or

Apasthamba.Our elders have established many practices

because they are beneficial to the individual or society.

 

In the South Indian marriages there is a function called Nalangu

where the bride and groom sit face to face to and roll sacred

coconuts towards each other to the recital of Sri Andal's

"VAraNamAyiram" .Swamiji quoted Sri Guru Bhagawan Himself

to clarify that this practice is the tantra manifestation of

the Yajur and Sama mantras (which he quoted) meaning

"I send my heart to you and recieve yours and thus our hearts

become one and we understand each other". This serves the

same purpose as,say,exchanging garlands in the marriage.

Then the recital called "Seer-pADi"which comes alongwith

was meant to acquaint the newlyweds with the various members

of each other's families and their proper relationships.This is

both an individual and a social benefit.And all the more needed

in the present day world wherein all relationships have been

reduced to "uncle and auntie" or what is worse everyone calls

everyone else by their proper names.Such a negligent attitude

has been the main cause for the gradual disintegration of our

once well-knit social structure.

 

Again Seer meaning presents are an essential part of any happy

occasion.They serve to strengthen personal relationships,and

keep reminding the reciever of the persons who showed affection

or respect.Hence the present footnote in most invitations,"Please

avoid presents" is as bad as insisting that everyone must come

with a present like some societies do.

 

In Ramayana when Lava and Kusa recite the poem in Rama's

court even the Rshis who were there became so emotional that

they showered the children with presents to show their happiness.

Swamiji asked the question as to how the Rshis who had conquered

their senses could exhibit any emotion at all ? and answered by asking

us to note carefully the words used by the poet.Valmiki says that

the boys sang the poem in the mArga mode and not the Desi mode.

Human beings can access only the Desi mode whereas

Devatas and Rshis who have gone beyond their senses could access

the full beauty of the children's singing.

 

Thus giving presents during happy occasions is an ancient and natural

human practice and should not be abandoned based on some fallacious

reasoning.

 

Swamiji next touched upon the practice of Navaratri Kolu (display of dolls)

which is also being abandoned by many people these days.This practice

served two basic puposes.

 

Firstly the display exhibits which used to include people from all levels and professions

from the King downwards would acquaint the children,who were the major

participants of the function, with the structure of our society.It would also tell them that

each person,whatever his profession or station, was an integral part of the

world they would grow up in and hence should be treated with respect.

That is where the Pooja aspect came in.

 

Secondly since the Kolu was kept in all houses and people visited other

Kolus there was a good intermingling of society and amity.

 

Swamiji said,in the past in all villages Ramayana was being recited in every

house and on Pattabhisheka day the whole village was invited for food.The

purpose was the same. He jocularly refered to the case of an extreme

SrOtriya who,it seemed refused to attend Rama Pooja on the apparently

valid ground that Rama was a Kshatriya and he a Brahmin and hence the

direction of the Pooja should be the reverse!

 

Swamiji remarked that this was like a sculptor saying that the consecrated

image was his own product and hence he need not worship that murti in

the temple.Or in the present case that the Navaratri dolls were afterall

bought by us in shops and so they need not be worshipped by us.

He emphasised that it is not the individual but the position he occupies

which creates reverance.Thus when it is said that a king is like Vishnu

(NA-vishNuh Prthvipatih) it means that once he occupies that seat he

should act with the same impartiality towards all.Swamiji asked us to

note that unlike as in English the Sanskrit word PrajAh means both

children and subjects.(Like the Tamil word makkal) Thus the king should

discipline the subjects (Siksha means both teaching and punishment)

the same way he would his children.

 

There are so many aspects of our culture which have stood the test of time

but which are being abandoned by us because we do not bother to inquire

into their purpose.

 

SRI RANGPRIYA MAHAGURAVE NAMAH!

 

"Of all activity, this is the supreme dharma: to perceive the Self

through yoga." -- Yoga Yajnavalkya