Kaavadi—The Symbol of Tapasya And Courage 1

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Om Namah Sivaya Lord Subramanya (Shanmukha) is the Pratyaksha Devata of this Kali Yuga. He is readily pleased with His devotees to whom He grants both Bhukti and Mukti (enjoyments here and Moksha hereafter). Millions are still living who can narrate instances in their own lives to show the miracles brought about by propitiation of Lord Shanmukha. Perhaps the most potent propitiatory rite that a devotee of Shanmukha undertakes to perform is what is known as the Kaavadi. The benefits that the devotee gains from offering a Kaavadi to the Lord are a millionfold greater than the little bit of pain that the devotee inflicts upon himself. Generally people take a vow to offer a Kaavadi to the Lord for the purpose of tiding over or averting a great calamity. For instance, if the devotee’s only son is laid up with a fatal disease, he would pray to Shanmukha to grant the boy a lease of life in return for which the devotee would take a vow to dedicate a Kaavadi to Him. Though this might, on the face of it, appear materialistic, a moment’s reflection will reveal that it contains in it the seed for the

Supreme God-Love. The worldly object is achieved; and the devotee offers the Kaavadi. After the ceremony, he gets so much intoxicated with the love of God that his spiritual, inner chamber is opened now. This, too, ultimately leads to Para Bhakti. Kaavadi: From the simple shape of a weighing balance, or the street hawker’s storehouse—a heavy wooden stick to rest on the shoulder, to the two ends of which are tied two baskets enclosed in cloth—the Kaavadi varies in its shape and type to the costly palanquin superstructure, profusely flower-bedecked and interwoven with peacock feathers (a feather that is of very great significance in Shanmukha worship). In all cases the Kaavadi has a good many brass bells adorning it and announcing it as the Kaavadi-bearer moves along. As, very often, the Kaavadi-bearer

observes Mouna or the vow of silence, the bell alone is eloquent of the Kaavadi-procession. Now, the two pots hanging at either end of the Kaavadi might contain rice, milk or other articles which the devotee has vowed to offer to Lord Shanmukha. The more devout among the Kaavadi-bearers and especially those who offer the Kaavadi to the Lord as a measure of propitiating the Lord for spiritual development, as a part of their Sadhana, collect these articles by begging. On foot they travel from village to village, and beg from house to house. The people offer the articles direct into the pots of the Kaavadi. The Kaavadi-bearer continues this way till the pots are full or until the avowed quantity is reached and then offers the Kaavadi to the Lord. Sometimes the devotee takes the vow that he

would walk barefooted from his home to one of the shrines of Lord Shanmukha, bearing the Kaavadi and collecting the materials for the offering. He has sometimes to walk nearly one hundred miles! Those who offer milk, rice or any article into this Kaavadi also receive the Lord’s blessings. --Sri Swami Sivananda Sivaya Namah

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