[sivacharya] Misconceptions on Pratyangira Homam

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

I just came back from my daily Chandi homam. Probably because this is a Chaturdasi, that too a Saturday night, the homam was more pleasant than usual. I cannot sleep after this one right away and so let me type one more mail.

 

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If one is an aghori who does not care about anything and is willing to go through any terrible experience and still take it as Her blessing, then several things can go into fire. But others should never put red chillies in homam fire. Those who throw red chillies in fire and think that their petty problems will go away are fooling themselves. Whatever you put in external fire is actually going into your internal fire also. People having awakened shakti and subtle perception may realize it and others may not realize it. But it is a fact. Now the impact of red chillies on your internal fire is not at all a desirable one. One may not be realizing it because the karma may be going at the end of a long pipeline of karmas and give its result in far future, possibly even in a future life.

 

My sincere advice to all: Never ever put spicy substances like red chillies and black pepper in a homam fire, even if you are worshipping a fierce deity. Respectfully ignore advice from anyone to use black pepper and red chillies to solve your problems. That practice does NOT solve any problems and in fact creates further problems in future.

 

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By the way, Pratyangira is not a ""bali kavar Deivam" (deity wanting animal sacrifice). It is what people of this age made her to be. Pratyangira, as I described earlier, is a powerful deity who can fill one with pure sattwa. Unfortunately, she is misunderstood and her mantras and vidya are so abused and misused these days. That is why I felt compelled to write the last mail. The allegory is actually quite appropriate.

 

I did not write the mail to criticize Pratyangira sadhana. I wrote the mail and the allegory to criticize Pratyangira sadhana *as done* by many people today and to put things in perspective. People don't even understand what Pratyangira is for and what she can do.

 

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Regarding balis (animal sacrifices), I want to say one thing. In the old days, yogis who sacrificed animals were capable of taking some karmas of the animal being sacrificed and give it moksha or atleast a much higher birth after the sacrifice. In other words, there was a give and take of karmas. Now-a-days, those who sacrifice animals have no such spiritual caliber. They are only taking the life of the animal (bodily life which is something very dear to every being that self-identifies with a body very strongly, i.e. animals and human beings) and not giving anything in return. This causes a big karmik debt that needs to be paid back later. Thus, one should think seriously before sacrificing an animal in this age.

 

Some places have sthala maahaatmya. The power of the place, the power of the sadhana performed by elevated beings there and the power of an alive deity there ensure that karmas are balanced even when animals are sacrificed. Such places are few. An example may be Kamakhya.

 

At other places, a yogi with no caliber to take on the animal's karmas and give it a higher birth should stay away from animal sacrifice.

 

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If you read Saptashati, the last chapter describes how the king and the vaisya kept chanting devi sooktam for 3 years on a river bank. It talks about the "bali" (sacrifice) they gave:

 

"dadatustau balim chaiva nijagaatraasrugukshitam"

 

It means "and they gave a sacrifice (bali) that was soaked with blood from *their own* bodies".

 

See, *that* would be something.

 

Best regards,NarasimhaDo a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamDo Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpanaSpirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org

 

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Radhakrishnan Jambunatha

sivacharya ; Narasimha P.V.R.

Saturday, September 13, 2008 9:42 PM

Re: [sivacharya] Misconceptions on Pratyangira Homam

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Sri. P.V.R.N.Acharyaji,

Namaskaram

Very well said. Now a days people seek quick solutions leaving aside the golden path of daily Sadhana. The result is that many temples particularly in Tamil Nadu with archaelogical importance are allowed to remain in ruins and people pour several lakhs in building new temples for Devatas like Pratyingira, Sarabeswara etc. and publish widely homams to propitiate these deities. As you have rightly said these deities occupy a special place. In fact, the greatest of Devi Upasaka Sri Abirami Bhattar of Tirukadaiyur of Abirami Andhadhi firm laments in his Andhadhi (meaning each stanza begining with the end of previous stanza's last word) that he shall not leaving the lotus feet of Sakthi, waste his efforts after "bali kavar Deivangal" ( who demand some weird occult sacrifice). That sums of what you have beautifully and tellingly exposed in your letter. Some Vaishnavite Scholars like Velukudi Krishnan Swamiji in his discourses decry such practices. Whatever be the purana behind Pratyingira, it is not ordined for the general mass to go after such devatas leaving the Bhagawath Githa saying "patram pushpam Yo me bhaktya" offers to Lord Narayana. It is not my aim to decry such practices. But when an easy path is shown in our scriptures, why invoke special deities purely for personal aggrandisement and mundane objects. In a famous place as Tirunageswara near Kumbakonam known from yore the Great Nageswara Temple known for its Raghu Sthala and Uppiliappan Temple (Oppilathaappan Temple= Purushothama=Sri Venkatachapathi), a small Pratyingira temple in its outskirts has shot into prominence where it is alleged a woman ex chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was reported to have performed homam with chillies on an amavasya day to gain political ascension and the priest therein has reportedly gained lot of prominence sporting toyoto van etc. More people flock to that place nowadays having their individual person specific agenda. In this scenario, you have pointed out the obvious. Many thanks for this service

J.R.Krishnan