Pithru lokam -5

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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

 

 

Continuing from the previous mail, this land of Pithrus in the south, centred

somewhere in the constellation of Virgo (kanya rasi) is the central part of the

Sun's southward sojourn. In its southern sojourn from the month of Aadi to

Margazhi, the kanya raasi or the constellation of Virgo occurs exactly in the

middle of the journey- fit enough to be called as South Proper. We know that

directions are only with reference to fixed state. They actually keep changing

with the rotation of the earth. Hence the reference to the direction South can

be in this way.

 

 

 

This part of the sky is the central one around which our galaxy rotates,

 

This part of the sky or rather the alignment of the Sun to this region marks two

events important for pithrus, namely MahaLAya paksham and MahaLaya amaavasya.

 

 

 

It is on MahaaLaya amavasya day, the sun and the moon align with the center of

this southern sojourn, of the constellation of Virgo, with the earth in front of

them. The alignment takes place in the order, earth, moon, sun and some center

far-off.

 

 

 

>From the book of astronomy, we get to know that the moon is away from the earth

by a distance that is 108 times the diameter of the moon.

 

The sun is away from us by a distance that is 108 times the diameter of the sun.

 

By same logic, this center, special for pithrus may very likely to be away from

us by 108 times the diameter of itself (the pithru loka)!!

 

On the day of MahaaLaya amavasya, The sun holds us by its polar rays and holds

also the moon in between. If the same trend were to be applicable for all such

centers (discussed in a previous mail), the Pithru loka also must be holding

all of us on that day by way of single alignment. It is on this day the pithrus

who had spent their time in our homes depart after taking the tarpaNam.

 

 

 

It is by the rays of sun they travel to earth on the Pournami day in the month

of Purattasi (virgo) (texts say so) and it is by the rays of the sun they

depart. In the month of Purattasi, the circuit is complete, the distance is also

the least when compared to other times.

 

 

 

And what science has recently discovered!

 

Science has detected a long arm of particles stretching from outer space

(origin unknown), touching the sun and the moon as though enveloping them.

 

 

 

But this fact already exists in Upanishads. They even give more details of this

'holding' of beings!!

 

The sun not only brings the pithrus through its rays. It also acts as a

connecting link to human beings to worlds beyond the sun.

 

 

 

According to scriptural texts, there is mutual connection between arteries and

the rays of the sun. The human beings are held or connected by the rays of the

Sun. There are 101 naadis (arteries) of the heart and the one that pierces

through the head is the 101st which is connected to the sun's rays. Just as how

the sun holds the earth with its polar arms, its numerous rays also are

connected to each individual. This is expressed in one of the Upanishads as 'He

sees me only, he sees me only." The sun's radiance is such that every being on

this earth thinks that the sun is seeing him/ her only. But the connection

exists as per Chnadogya Upanishad. (the text of this portion is furnished at

the end of this mail.)

 

 

 

The Knower (the one who is a Realised soul and is about to reach Brahmanhood)

follows this naadi and is taken up by the sun's rays to the places 'yonder the

sun'. The others and those who depart at night and during the Sun's southern

sojourn, also are taken by the sun's rays (to the land of manes or moon) and if

such a person happens to be one eligible for Release, he is further guided to

yonder the sun, after the sun completes the southern journey. How the person is

still held even at night times has been given by Bhagavad Ramanuja in his

bhashyam to Brahma sutras 4-2-17 to 19 (available on net).

 

 

 

Texts say that even during sleep every person wanders through this ray of the

sun. But the point I wish to make here is that every being on this earth is

being held by the Sun and the earth itself is being held by the sun.

 

 

 

Science still believes that it is gravity that holds the objects clinging to the

sun and making them going around it. But doubts are being raised about this in

some scientific quarters. As per upanishadic knowledge, it is something else

that holds them to it. It is the rays that hold them to it. One body holding the

other seems to exist at every level.

 

 

 

The sun and the moon are not just two celestial bodies.

 

The sun stands for fathers, as pithru kaaraka.

 

The moon stands for mothers, as mathru kaaraka.

 

 

 

It is perfectly logical that the day of their alignment closer to each other

(amavasya) is considered as the right day to offer them oblations.

 

The day when they align with cosmic center is again the best time to offer them

the oblations.

 

 

 

And this oblation has to be done with shraddha, a commitment, a faith and

devotion which is possible only if the mind thinks what the Atma desires.

 

No wonder

 

The sun is also known as Atma kaaraka,

 

the moon, the mano kaaraka.

 

And the day the Atma and the mind align together, this oblation is offered with

shraddha.

 

A day for pithrus is equivalent to 1 month for us. When we complete 1 year they

complete just 12 days. So the MahaaLaya paksham is just half a day - it is

night for them and in their morning of next day they leave for their abode. When

oblations are offered at every amavasya, it means they receive their food at the

dawn of every day of their world. When oblations are offered on Grahana kaalam,

the route is almost straight and short and it is like serving them from close

quarters directly.

 

When they complete 1 year, it is roughly around 30 human years, a sufficiently

long time for humans who are destined to start tarpanam from a very young age,

to continue to do it without losing faith and shraddha.. Because they are

waiting..to be released from 'Pu' the hell and waiting so that our children will

be able to live long and disease-free.

 

Because texts declare that the one who serves the oblations in all faith

releases 12 generations of his pithrus and 12 generations of his future

generations as well from hell.

 

 

 

TarpaNam ensures that they (pithrus) would not "Punish us not for any sin, O

Fathers, which we through human frailty have committed." (Rig veda - XV -6)

 

 

 

It ensures that the doer gains energy

 

"Lapped in the bosom of the purple Mornings, give riches to the man who brings

oblations.

Grant to your sons a portion of that treasure, and, present, give them energy,

ye Fathers." (Rig veda XV -7)

 

 

 

It also ensures that they " grant riches with a multitude of hero sons." (Rig

veda XV- 11)

 

And what do they get in return?

 

They are given their own body

 

"Grant them, O Sovran Lord, the world of spirits and their own body," (Rig veda

XV 14)

 

 

 

Are these just prayers?

 

Are these just wishes?

 

No there is unseen science working behind all this. Brahma sutras hold the key.

Upanishads show the way.

 

The rationale will be discussed in the next mail.

 

---------

 

PS -1:-

 

From the book on astronomy, 108 represents the distance in cosmos. By the same

logic, this pithru loka must be away from us by 108. The 108 beads of the

rosary is held by 107 joints, which is the number of marmas or weak spots of

the body according to Ayur veda. One has to overcome 107 kinds of obstructions

(or something like it) to reach this magic number 108 which is the Moksha

sthaanam. 108 is the number allotted to the Vaikuntham in the series of divya

desas. 108 is the number of times japas are repeated. As per texts the

brahmacharin and the gruhastha must chant the Gayathri japa 108 times. This 108

must therefore be the distance between the seeker and the Sought, the Lord.

This perhaps represents the distance of the inward spiritual journey.

 

PS -2 :-

 

>From Chandogya Upanishad, part 8, chapter 6

 

1.Now, those arteries of the heart are filled with the essences of brown, white,

blue, yellow and red liquid substances. Verily, the sun yonder is brown, it is

white, it is blue, it is yellow, it is red.

 

2 As a long highway runs between two villages, this one and that yonder, so do

the rays of the sun go to both worlds, this one and that yonder. They start from

yonder sun and enter into these arteries; they start from these arteries and

enter into yonder sun.

 

3 When a man is asleep, with the senses withdrawn and serene and sees no dream,

then he has entered into these arteries Then no evil touches him, for he has

obtained the light of the sun.

 

4 And when he becomes weak, then those sitting around him say: "Do you know me?

Do you know me?" As long as he has not departed from this body, he knows them.

 

5 When he departs from the body if he is a mere ritualist and ignorant of

Brahman he then goes upward by these rays toward the worlds which he has gained

by his meritorious work. Or if he is a knower of the doctrines of the akasa in

the lotus of the heart, he then meditates on Om and thus secures entrance into

Brahmaloka. Or if he is ignorant he attains lower bodies. The knower attains the

solar orb as quickly as one directs one's mind from one object to another. This

indeed is the door to the World of Brahman for those who know; for the ignorant

it is closed.

 

6 On this there is the following verse:

"There are one hundred and one arteries of the heart, one of which pierces the

crown of the head. Going upward by it, a man at death attains immortality. Other

arteries, going in different directions, only serve as channels for his

departing from yea, only serve as channels for his departing from the body."

 

PS -3 :- Chandogya Upanishad- Part 5 - Chapter XII - Instruction by the

Southern Fire

(Agni says) 1 Then the Anvaharya (Southern or Dakshina ) Fire taught him (Satya

kama Jabali) : "Water, the quarters, the stars and the moon are my forms. The

person that is seen in the moon-I am he, I am he indeed.

 

2 "He who, knowing this, meditates on the fire frees himself from sinful

actions, obtains the World of the Anvaharya Fire, reaches his full age and lives

brightly. His descendants do not perish. We support him in this world and in the

other who, knowing this, meditates on the fire."

 

(Unquote)

 

The above one is about pithru loka, the path of moon and the land of manes. This

is described as one foot of Brahman. How Brahman is connected to pithru loka is

explained in Mahabharata, Shanti parva, in the dialogue between Nara- Narayana

and Narada wherein Bhagavan says that it is He who receives the oblation in

Pithru tarpanam. Details at another mail at appropriate context.

 

The other foot is described like this:

 

"The swan said to him: "Fire is one quarter, the sun is one quarter, the moon is

one quarter, lightning is one quarter. This, dear friend, is one foot of

Brahman, consisting of four quarters and this foot is called Jyotishmat

(luminous)."

 

This is about the path of Light.

 

It is to be noted that the Sun plays a role at both levels of guiding the beings

to and from pithru loka and to yonder its domain - to Brahma loka et al.

 

It is this at the center at every level of existance for us.

 

Regards,

 

Jayasree saranathan

 

 

 

(to be continued)

 

From Surya Upanishad:-

 

 

 

Om ! O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious;

 

May we see with our eyes what is auspicious, O ye worthy of worship !

 

May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas,

 

Praising them with our body and limbs steady !

 

May the glorious Indra bless us !

 

May the all-knowing Sun bless us !

 

May Garuda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us !

 

May Brihaspati grant us well-being !

 

Om ! Let there be Peace in me !

 

Let there be Peace in my environment !

 

Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !