Summary of Dharma Saasthram : VarNAsrama Dhrma KaaNDam Part I

April 3, 2008

Dear AasthikAs :

SrI VaishNava Kendram Deevalur N.V.SrinivAsAcharyiar Swamy is posting the original Text in Tamil of the 1937 monograph by SrI Mutthuswamy Iyer for our benefit . adiyEn offered to translate this valuable information into English for the benefit of those , who may not be able to access the Tamil Text .

Before adiyEn gets on with the main text of Sri Mutthuswamy Iyer , let me include here some preliminary remarks about Dharma Saasthrams . These have their roots in the VedAs . It has been stated therefore : " VedhO akhila dharma moolam ". Vedic Rishis like Manu , AapasthambhA ,

Gauthama , AasvalAyana and Yaajn~avalkya have blessed us with Dharma Saasthrams for

enhancing our Vaidhika SrI thru the knowledge about and practise of the tenets of Dharma Saasthram . Their works are hence saluted as " Krupayaa Muninaa krutham " . These are largely a set of Dos and Don'ts . These are dharma Saasthrams to which the Lord invites our attention in Srimad Bhagavath GitA : " TasmAth Saasthram PramANam tE KaaryAkaarya Vyavasthithou ".

There are many kinds of dharmams which these Saasthrams cover : Pravrutthi roopa dharmam for householders , Nivrutthi roopa dharmam for sanyAsis , Sthree dharmam for women , Sva dharmam and Para dharmam for different varNams and Aasramams . SrI GeethAchAryan instructs us all on Sva-dharmam and Para-dharmam using Arjuna as a vyAjam in the battle field of Kuru KshEthra .

We will now cover the Dharma Saasthram monograph of Sri R. Mutthuswamy Iyer released in 1937.

1. VedAs , their divisions and Soothrams

* VedAs are four in Number : Rg, Yajur, Saama and Atarva Vedams .

* The two Soothrams for Rg Vedam are: AasvalAyanam and Koushitheekam .

* Yajur Vedam divides into KrishNa and Sukla Yajur Vedams .

* There are Five Soothrams for KrishNa Yajur Vedam : BhOdhAyanam , Aapastampam ,

BhArdhvAjam , SathyAshAdam and VaikhAnasam .

* Sukla Yajur Vedam has only one soothram : KaathyAyanam .

* Saama Vedam has two Soothrams : DhrAhyAnam and Jaimineeyam .

2. VarNam

* There are four VarNams : Brahma , Kshatriya , VaiSya and Soodhra ,

3. YugAs

* There are four Yugams : Krutha , TrEthA , DhvApara and kali Yugams .

* In Kali Yugam , ParAsara Smruthi is the most important .

4. Kali Yuga Nishiddha Dharmams ( Prohibited Dharmams in Kali Yugam )

4.1 : If a Brahmin bathes in well water for 12 years , he loses his BrAhamaNyam .

4.2 : Other prohibited items in Kali yugam : Giving JyEshta Paakam , entry into sanyAsam on their own , minimizing theetu (asoucham) , Being a Bachelor for a long time , Married persons going on theertha yaathrai to distant lands , SanyAsis staying at gruhasthar's house during Saayam sandhyA Kaalam ( evening sandhyA) , Brahmins going to far off lands and undertaking sea journeys ( crossing oceans) .

5. Restrictions on Directions while performing a Vaidhika karmaa

* If there are no specific instruction , one should use East , North or North East .

* If there are no ispecific instructions on sitting or Standing , while doing Vaidhika karmaas ,

One should be seated to engage in that karmaa.

6. BrAhmaNa Dharmam(6) :

6.1 : Undertaking Adhyayanam (Learning) of Vedam as a student

6.2: Performing adhyayanam (Teaching) for a student

6.3: Performance of Yaagams

6.4: Assisting others in the performance of the Yaagams

6.5: Giving DhAnams

6.6: Recieving DhAnams .

7. Agni Hothram

If the Father and the elder brother do not perform Agni hOthram , then the youngster has no fitness ( adhikAram) for performing Agni hOthram .

If the elder Agni hOthri brother permits , the younger one can perform . One should not perform Agni hOthram even if the non-performing Father gives permisison .

8. Adhyayanam ( recitation ) of Vedams

8.1 : One should not learn and recite Vedam other than one's own . After learning of one's own Vedam , the student can initate adhyayanam of other Vedams .

8.2: One should not sleep after getting up and reciting VedAs at dawn .

8.3: One should not recite VedAs within earshot of those , who are not adhikAris for learning

VedAs .

9. UpAkarmam

9.1: UpAkarmA should not be performed during the times of eclipses ( grahaNams) and during the time of the birth of a new month ( SankramaNam) . Yajur Vedins should perform upAkarmA during udhaya VyApi parvam ( Soorya Udhayam on a PourNami day ) , Rg Vedins udhaya VyApi SraVaNa

nakshathram day and Saama Vedins during the Hastha Nakshathram .

9.2: The boy who has undergone upanayanam should not shave himself before the passage of six months . If upAkarMaa happens before six months , then he can shave himself on the day of UpAkarmaa .

9.3: If Sraaddham and UpAkarmA falls on the same day , Sraaddham should be done after upAkarmaa . BrahmachAris should shave on that day. Many hold the view that Sraaddham should proceed upAkarmaa . For Saama Vedins , Sraaddham comes first .

10 . Anadhyayanam ( Times when Vedam can not be taught : No adhyayanam)

10.1 On Prathamai . ashtami , Chathrudasi , AmAvAsai and PourNimi tithis , Veda can not be taught. Same rule for the evening preceding these tithis .

10.2 No adhyayanam on GrahaNam and during the junction of ruthus ( Ruthu sandhi).

10.3 No adhyayanam on days of NimintharaNam ( BrahmaNArtam ) and Prathigraham ( day in which dhAnam was recieved ) .

10.4 No adhyayanam on days of dhvajArOhaNam and avarOhaNam ( Flag raising and lowering days of an uthsavam at the temple ).

10.5 No adhyayanam on Mahaa Navami , SravaNa dhvAdasi , Akshaya Trutheeyai , raTa sapthami, Mahaa BharaNi , YugAdhi and manvAthi dinams .

11.0 Aapath Vruthti Krushi for Brahmins

11.1 Bulls used in ploughing ( for veda karmAs) can be engaged only during the first half of the day for farming . Once the ploughing is completed , the bulls have to be bathed .

11.2 Males should not marry after fifty years in age . They should also not engage in nimintharaNam in Sraaddham after 50 years of age .

12.0 There are 40 SamskArams for BrahmaNAs

12.1 The soothrAs relevant to their VedAs prescribe 40 or more samskArAs .The most important among them are thsoe upto Upanayanam .Rest can be done as desired . The reason is that one can accept SanyAsam from Brahmacharyam . SanyAsa Aasramam has no agni kaaryams .

12.3 The fourty samskArams are : 14 SmArtha KarmAs and 26 Sroutha KarmAs .

12.3.1 SmArtha KarmAs are : GarbhA DhAnam , Pumsavanam , Seemantham , Jaatha Karmam , Naama KaraNam , Anna PrASanam , SouLam , Upanayanam , PrAjApathyam , Soumyam , AagnEyam,

VaisvadEvam , SnAnam and VivAham . The last four from PrAjApathyam to snAnam are part of

VivAha KarmAs .

12.4 Sroutha KarmAs : Five dEva Yajn~ams , 7 Paaka Yajn~ams ,7 Havir Yajn~ams , 7 Soma samsthais .

12.6: Paaka Yajn~am : Seven are Ashtakai , STAli Paakam , Maasi Sraaddham , SrAVaNee , AagrahAyaNee , Chaithri and AaSvayuji .

12.7 Seven Havir Yajn~am : AgnyAdhAnam , Agni HOthram , DarSa PoorNa mASam , AagrayaNam,

ChAthurmAsyam , NirooDa PaSu Bandham , SouthrAmaNee

12.8 Soma Samsthais: Seven are : AgnishtOmam , athyagnishtOmaam , Ukthyam , ShOdasee , VaajabhEyam , athirAthram and abnOryAmam.

12.9 Some say that the total of SmArtha-Sroudha KarmAs as 44 based on adding chandra and Soorya darsanam ; others add prEtha karmam and SapiNDeekaraNam .

13. Ruthu Kaalam ( Veettu Vikaku kaalam: Bahishtai)

There is a great DhOsham if the husband does not unite with his wife during Ruthu Kaalam

except for the first 4 days . From the first day of Bhishtai to the 16th day is called ruthu kaalam .

Amongst the allowed 12 days , Ashtami, YekAdasi , TrayOdhasi , chathurdasi , AmAvAsai , PourNami , chathurthi and Shashti have to be avoided for union. Among the days of ruthu kaalam,

Thursday , Saturday , Wednesday , specific nakshathrams ( SravaNam , RohiNi , Hastham , Anusham , SvAthi , Revathy , Moolam , Utthiram , Satayam ) and specific laganams( Vrushabham ,

MiTunam , KaDakam , Kanni , TulAm , Danus , Kumbham , Meenam are superior for NishEkam

(Saanthi MuhUrtham) . Kettai , Mrugaseersham Punarpoosam are middling . During the Ruthu Kaalam , even numbered days would yield a boy and odd numbered days would lead to the birth of a girl .

Please direct your questions on areas that need clarification to Sriman Vaasu VaadhyAr

( vaideekam@gmail,com) and look for the tamil version of these postings at

vaideekam

NamO Veda PurushAya ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan