Kaisika Ekadasi- significance - why that name?

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SrI:

SrimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Today is Kaisika ekadasi.

 

What is this Kaisika and why this name?

[Extract from archives -[Thanks to Sri MN Ramanuja, Sri TSSundararajan Swami and

Sri Malolan Kadambi]

 

]

 

It has already been pointed out that the SrirAmAyaNa reference to 'kAiSikam' is

found in sundara-kANDam.

 

[1:174] *sEvitE vAri-dhArAbhi: pataGaiS-cha nishEvitE, charitE

kaiSikAchAryai: airAvata nishEvitE*

 

Two of Sri-rAmAyaNa commentators, Govindaraja and Ramanuja (?), explain

" kAiSikAchAryA: " as the celestial vidyAdharas like tumburu who are masters

of the rare melody (rAGa-viSEsha:) known as 'kAiSikam'. [The succeeding

epithet " AirAvata-nishEvitE " does not have to do with Indra's famed albino

elephant. The phrase paints a rainbow ~~ AirAvatam ~~ across the skies

which Hanuman was traversing.]

 

Here is a link on Kaisika Puranam and nampAduavan

http://www.narthaki.com/info/intervw/intrvw35a.html

 

Sometime back Sri M N Ramanuja of IISc, Bangalore posted a note on Kaisika

Ekadasi. I am requesting him to share his reflections on this topic.> >

 

It was a pleasure to go through the link posting the interview of Prof

S.Ramanujam of Thanjavur University regarding the revival / reconstruction

of the almost lost art of Kaisika Natakam running to five hours duration

which was conducted with great fanfare and attendance at Tirukkurungudi

till 1955 with the efforts of Sri T.V. Sundaram Iyengar.

 

It is unfortunate that no records or scripts are easily available, we have

to be grateful to the efforts of Prof S Ramanujam who could collect relevant

manuscripts from Sri Tirunarayanaiyengar. We hope that the Prof and Smt Anita

Ratnam team will be able, with their theatrical and dramatic expertise, to

reconstruct the Kaisika Natakam and play it regularly at various places.

 

> What is the origin of this word kaisika? Was NampAduvAn the opener of

this word?

 

> Has it been cited in any reference before? Why is the name kaisika

ekadasi/dvadasi given to that day?

 

>It will be great if some bhakta can throw some light on these? Meanwhile,

adiyen has some clues about this, which have to be authenticated by very

enlightened members of the list.

 

This word kaisika has appeared first of all in Srimad Valmiki Ramayana in

the first canto of Sundara kanda [1:174] *sEvitE vAri-dhArAbhi:

patagaischa nishEvitE, charitE kaiSikAchAryai: airAvata nishEvitE*

 

Hanuman flew in the skies which had a number of waterfalls, and various

birds frequented. where the great order of gods or preceptors who were expert in

singing the raga or svaras of kaisika cruised; where airavata or indra's

elephant resorted to. Here 'kaisika' is already referred to as well known in

treta yuga as a special kind of singing or raga or svara.

 

In the introduction of kaisika purana vyakhyanam by Sri Parasara Bhattar,

there is no reference to the genesis of the name kaisika purana. It is only

referred to as 'bhagavad guna apadAna gAnam' or singing in praise of

the qualities and heroic deeds of Lord Narayana. Sri Bhattar makes an

interesting remark about the holding of nampaduvan (singer to god) or the

chandala (shvapacha, dog-cook or dog eater) by the brahma rakshasa.

 

" Avan brahmananallAmeyAle oru panjAdiyai chcholli tannai viduvittuk kolla

mATTitthilan. durbalanagaiyAle parakramatthAle viduvitthuk kolla

maTTitthilan. Avan nam pakkalile bharanyAsam panninAn kANum, "

 

as said by Sri varaha nayanar to bhoomi piratti. Not being a brahmin he

(nampAduvan) could not recite a panjAdi from veda and get himself freed from the

brahma rAkshasa and not being strong he could not fight his way free from the

captor. He did only surrender to Me and waited.

 

After sixteen shlokas of various swearings taken by nampAduvan promising to

return to him after singing till daybreak, brahma Rakshasa allows nampaduvan on

his mission. He returns after daybreak and offers himself as food to the demon,

when he changes his mind and requests him to transfer all his merits earned by

singing throughout the night of kaisika ekadasi and help him be released from

the janma as a demon.

 

Nampaduvan refuses to part with any punyam and finally after listening to

the story of previous birth as a vile brahmin and death during a sacrifice

and consequent birth as a brahma rakshasa, nampaduvan's heart softens and

offers to give the punyam of singing the last song. " yanmayA pashchimam

gItam svaram kaisika samjnakam; phalena tasya bhadram tE mokshayishyAmi

kilbishAt " . Here what he said is to be noted. He said that he sang a last

song with the svara named kaisika. This single song earned so much merit

as to release the brahma rakshasa from his mean life and send him to

heaven. Perhaps, to point out the significance of this song, the whole

episode was named as kaisika puranam.

 

We know that in music, kaisika is associated with the svara nishAda as

'komala kaisiki nishAda and kaisiki nishAda' which is a part of several

enchanting ragas as nathabhairavi, kharaharapriya, rathnangi etc, of which

bhairavi etc, are janyaragas. Perhaps one of these ragas was sung by

nampaduvan. We do not know if any specific song was sung or any song in

those ragas could be sung concerning His praise.

 

We have to wait and see what the research of Prof S.Ramanujam will reveal

regarding Kaisika puranam from the manuscript obtained from Tirukkurungudi.

 

The photos of nampaduvan's and brahma rakshasa's roles posted in the website in

the kaisika nataka are very interesting and we all

do wait eagerly to see the drama and enjoy it.

 

As srivaishnavas, though, we do not think in terms of the other angles

viz., societal and social aspects as mentioned by the Prof. For us, it is

forbidden to inquire into the birth aspects of a srivaishnava devotee,

as in " vIttinba inbappAkkaLil dravyabhAShA nirUpaNa samam inbamAriyil

ArAychi " and " mlEchchanum bhaktanAnAl ... pUjai konDu, tIrthaprasAdanAm "

and " janma vritta vidyAnaipuNAdigal ... shava vidhavAlamkAram enRu

kazhippargal " .

 

It may be of academic and political interest to say that a svapacha gave

moksha to a brahmin, though in fact it was the power of kaisika mahatmyam

that cleansed the sins of the brahmarakshasa.

 

Kaisika Ekadasi is a sacred day for the devotees of the Lord.

Devotees fast that day and listen to kaisika puranam. This Puranam is the 48th

chapter of Sri Varaha Puranam.

 

This chapter explains and emphasises the importance of singing the HIS glory.

 

One Kaisika Ekadasi day Sri Parasara Bhattar chanted the

Kaisiki Puranam before Lord Ranganatha (with his interpretations). Lord was

immensely pleased and this has become a tradition in Srirangam.

To this day the direct descendants of Sri Parasara Bhattar Swami

chant Kaisika Puranam on Kaisika Ekadasi day to the LORD at Srirangam

 

Regards

namo narayana

dAsan