points on piNdam 3

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Continuing the discussion on points on how piNdam came and its significance,

now, let us see how that supreme lord created pithrus and said 'I am the enjoyer

of offerings to the pithrus'. As already stated the slOkams are from mahaa

bhaaratham saanthi parvam chapter 333.

 

maryaadhaa sthaapanaartham cha thathO vachanam ukthavaan |

aham hi pithara: srashtum udhyathO lOka kruth svayam || 16

 

meaning: That foremost of deities then, impelled by the desire of establishing

rules of conduct for the denizens of the 3 worlds, said these words: I am the

Creator of the worlds. I am resolved to create those that are to be called

Pithrus.

 

thasya chinthayatha: sadhya: pithru kaarya vidhim param |

dhamshtraabhyaam pravinirdhoothaa mamaithE dhakshiNaan dhisam |

aasrithaa dharaNeem piNdaa: thasmaath pithara Eva thE || 17

 

meaning: Vrishaakapi, while saying these words, began to think of those high

ordinances that should regulate the rites to be gone through in honour of the

Pithrus. While thus engaged, he saw that the 3 balls of mud, shaken off his

tusk, had fallen towards the South. These balls [piNdam], shaken off my tusk,

have fallen on the Earth towards the southern direction of her surface. Led by

this, I declare that these should be known henceforth by the name of Pithrus.

 

Point: piNdam should be offered in the south direction is made clear here.

 

thrayO moorthi viheenaa vai piNda moorthi dhara asthu imE |

bhavanthu pitharO lOkE mayaa srushtaa: sanaathanaa: || 18

 

meaning: He then said unto himself, 'Let these 3 that are of no particular

shape, and that are only round, come to be regarded as Pithrus in the world.

Even thus do I create the eternal Pithrus.

 

pithaa pithaamaha: cha Eva thathaa Eva prapithaamaha: |

aham Eva athra vigyeya: thrishu piNdEshu samsthitha: || 19

 

meaning: I am the father, the grandfather, and the great grandfather, and I

should be regarded as residing in these 3 Pindams.

 

Point: the three generations being offered piNdam is now elaborated and it is

also very clear that the supreme lord himself is residing in these piiNdams. For

in the 22nd slOkam below it is clear that vrushaakapi, that gOvindha, who lifted

the earth says all these slOkams. Who is vrushaakapi is already clear from sree

vishNu sahasra naamam.

 

Om vrushaa kapayE nama: -- naamaa no. 102 occurring in slOkam 11

meaning: the embodiment of Dharma.

 

Continuing -

na asthi maththO adhika: kaschith kO vaa abhyarchyO mayaa svayam |

kO vaa mama pithaa lOkE aham Eva pithaamaha: || 20

 

pithaamaha pithaa cha Eva aham Eva athra kaaraNam |

ithi Evam ukthvaa vachanam dhEvadhEvO vrushaakapi: || 21

 

meaning: vrushaakapi said "There is no one that is superior to me. Who is there

whom I myself may worship or adore with rites? Who, again, is my sire in the

universe? I myself am my grandfather. I am, indeed, the Grandsire and the Sire.

I am the one cause (of all the universe)". Having said these words, that God of

gods, Vrishakapi by name, offered those Pindas.

 

varaahaparvathE vipra dhaththvaa piNdaan savistharaan |

aathmaanam poojayithva Eva thathraiva adharsanam gatha: || 22

 

meaning: O learned Brahmana, on the breast of the Varaaha mountains, with

elaborate rites. By those rites He worshipped His own self, and having finished

the worship, disappeared there and then.

 

Ethath artham subhamathE pithara: piNda sanjnithaa: |

labhanthE sathatham poojaam vrushaakapi vachO yathaa || 23

 

meaning: Hence have the Pithrus come to be called by the name of Pindam. Even

this is the foundation of the designation. Agreeably to the words uttered by

Vrishaakapi on that occasion, the Pithrus receive the worship offered by all.

 

yE yajanthi pithroon dhEvaan guroon cha Eva atitheemsthathaa |

gaa: cha Eva dhvija mukhyaamscha pruthiveem maatharam thathaa ||

karmaNaa manasaa vaachaa vishNum Eva yajanthi thE ||| 24

 

meaning: They who perform sacrifices in honour of and adore the Pithrus, the

deities, the preceptor or other reverend senior guests arrived at the house,

kine, superior Brahmanas, the goddess Earth, and their mothers, in thought,

word, and deed, are said to adore and sacrifice unto Vishnu himself.

 

Point: It is clear from these two slOkams that whatever is offered in the name

of piNdam to pithrus, in sraardhams - or dhivasam as they are colloquially

called - the ultimate - that supreme lord vishNu or gOvindha or krishNa - is the

one who is worshipped.

 

Just a gentle reminder to all - please do start doing the pithru kaaryam with

all sincerity, as they are not for our immediate pithrus, the dead father et al,

but part of the worship of that supreme lord. So that worship also will yield

results in its own way. [Concluded]

 

Dhasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.

 

 

 

 

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