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Post 4

 

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Before we continue the link between ST krithi and sreemadh

bhaagavatham, in this paarthibha new year, I would like to give the

following points on performing the `namaskaaram' or `praNaamam'

or `dhandan' in front of elders and aachaaryaas. This extract is from

an article by the late maha periyavaaL sri sri chandhra sekarEndhra

saraswathy of kaanchi peetam. The points given are of very high order

for our learning. Hence I am including here.

 

"The namaskaara kriyaa is the best aid for getting that `load' off

you. That is how in the namaskaaram, the head, which is at the top,

is brought on level with the other parts of the body. It is no more

the "head dominating the body" but just one of the many parts of the

body. If others bring down the head, it is a disgrace. If we bring it

down ourselves, it is reward, honour. This is vinaya sampath

(humility that is wealth itself). It is to get away from "head

weight" and mental conceit that the namaskaaram one performed with

the head. Appar Swami sings: "Bow down, bow down, O Head!" –

`thalaiyE thaaL vaNangaai'

 

In order that this kriya is done with single pointed attention, and

one does not look to this side and the other, the namaskaaram is

always done with face to the ground. The indhriyas (sense organs)

face towards the outer world when we lie flat. But when we are

prostrate on the ground with face to the ground, they are also turned

away from the outer world. Heights are not wanted. Being humble is

what is wanted. If our minds are in this mode, the Grace of the

Almighty (kripaa varsha) will flow freely and fill us. Just like,

water does not remain at altitudes but flows to level ground and fill

it. As a symbol of this mental move, the body is lowered prostrate to

the ground head to foot.

 

This is called "Saashtanga Namaskaaram". Saashtaanga is `Sa Ashta

Anga' that is 8 parts of the body are in contact with the ground. The

8 parts are:

· forehead,

· 2 shoulders,

· 2 hands,

· torso,

· 2 legs.

You also know that women do not do the namaskaaram in this way. In

their case it is called "Panchaanga". Panchaanga here does not mean

the almanac. Leaving out the 2 shoulders and the torso, only 5 angas

are in contact with the ground in their namaskaaram. So it is called

Pancha anga Namaskaaram. Our rule makers (makers of saasthrams) while

making the rule that namaskaaram should be by lowering the body

prostrate on the ground, eschewing every thought of self importance

and finding the lowest level with the ground, they duly thought of

the Universal Mother aspect (maathruthwam) of Paraasakthi (Ambaal)

which is a distinguishing divine principle in women, and took care

not to imply any suggestion of lowering its importance.

 

They ruled that the part of the body, which sustains the growth of

the foetus during pregnancy, and the part, that creates within itself

the nourishment for the newborn and feeds it, should not be allowed

to come in contact with the ground. If the torso should not touch the

ground, then the shoulders have to be excluded so that the

namaskaaram can conveniently performed. Thus, excluding the 3 angas,

in their case it becomes `pancha anga'. This also symbolises the need

for women to have a "bending" nature. Bowing down itself means

bending and it seems that the namaskaaram performed by women is real

bowing down. Men sometimes may use the hand only instead of lowering

the body for "bowing" but women always do sarva anga namaskaaram".

 

Point: If prahlaadhan has done this, with heart and soul in

the `namaskaaram', which we have seen in previous post, will the lord

narasimha still be angry with him? Will he not cool down and start

saying `dhayaa is already given to you my boy' when asked `raamaa

dhayaraanee'.

 

Dear bhakthaas, please excuse me for those references to `ambaal and

paraasakthi', the anya dhevathaas in the vaishnavaas lists, since the

article is just as given out by sri periavaal. The context I thought

is more important than such minor points.

 

Next charaNam of ST krithi is

kanugonan aanandhamai kanneeru nindhEnu raamaa

meaning: As I found your glory, I became blissful, my eyes are filled

with tears.

 

Slokam 14 of chapter 9 of seventh skandham reads

 

thadh yaccha manyum asuras cha hathas thvayaa adhya

modhEtha saadhur api vrschika-sarpa-hathyaa

lOkaas cha nirvrthim itha: prathiyanthi sarvE

rupam nrsimha vibhayaya janaa: smaranthi

 

thath - therefore;

yaccha- kindly give up;

manyum- Your anger;

asurah- my father, hiraNyakasipu, the great demon;

cha- also;

hatha: - killed;

thvayah - by You;

adhya - today;

mOdhEtha - take pleasure;

saadhu: api - even a saintly person;

vrschika sarpa hathyaa - by killing a snake or a scorpion;

lOkaa: - all the planets;

cha - indeed;

nirvrthim - pleasure;

ithah - have achieved;

prathiyanthi - are waiting (for pacification of Your anger);

sarvE- all of them;

rupam- this form;

nrsimha - O Lord Nrsimhaa;

vibhayaya - for mitigating their fear;

janaa:- all the people of the universe;

smaranthi- will remember.

 

Summary: My Lord Nrsimha, please, therefore, cease Your anger, now

that my father, the great demon hiraNyakasipu, has been killed. Since

even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a

snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the

death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and

they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be

free from fear.

 

Point: oh raamaa, when all are happy that the demon is killed will I

not be happy. On seeing that happiness of all, I am also happy for I

am releieved of the threat from my own father, all because of you, oh

raamaa – kanugonanaanandhamai kanneeru raamaa.

 

Again since the length has increased we will continue enjoying this

krithi in next post.

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.