Kanchi Paramacharya Community - Stories Told by Sri Kanchi Mahaswami - eBook #1

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Stories told by Sri Kanchi Mahaswami Part - 1

Volume : 1 Published: 25 May 2013

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Table of Contents Foreword ......................................................................................................................... 3 Srirangam......................................................................................................................... 4 Story of Padma Paada – The Value of the Hunter ............................................................ 9 History of Kerala............................................................................................................. 15 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 23 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ 25

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Shri Kanchi Mahaswami Thiruvadigal Saranam Foreword Hari Om! We are pleased to bring you our First E-book from the Kanchi Paramacharya Community on Facebook www.facebook.com/KanchiParamacharya. This group is dedicated to spread the life and teachings of His Holiness Sri Kanchi Paramacharya, more affectionately known to His devotees as Sri Maha Periyava. The Community is also on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/1/116160513796892415779/posts. Just look for Kanchi Mahaswami in Google+ and add us to your circles to receive the ‘Gems of Paramacharya’ in your mail box every morning. We have been constantly witnessing Sri Maha Periyava's divine grace in the way He has been drawing His devotees to read and cherish His teachings which we have been publishing regularly in our group, with His blessings. Again, it is only due to HIS Blessings that we have been able to release this Ebook on this auspicious day – Sri Maha Periyava’s 120th Jayanthi. All of us are aware that the Mahaswami’s discourses captured in the seven volumes of Deivathin Kural/ Voice of God is also known as the common man’s Veda. Our Maha Periyava has given us a wealth of information through these books, and every single page is a pokisham (treasure) for us to cherish and relish. The Paramacharya has narrated several stories from ancient times in Deivathin Kural/ Voice of God, and in this E-Book, we attempt to bring you a few of those interesting stories narrated in His own sweet, simple and lucid style. We are sure this E-book will be a feast to your eyes and we request you to forward this to all your friends, relatives and other devotees of the Mahaswami. Although this e-book is for restricted circulation among like-minded members of the society, it is a free publication which can be downloaded from our Facebook Page. We humbly submit our First E-book at the Lotus Feet of Sri Maha Periyava, seeking His blessings and guidance to continue to spread His Light far and wide. Any feedback may be sent to us at [email protected] Administrator Kanchi Paramacharya Community www.facebook.com/KanchiParamacharya

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Srirangam Source: Deivathin Kural/ Voice of God – Volume 7

Although there are not as many Vaishnava temples as Siva temples on the banks of Kaveri, the most important temple of the Vaishnavas, namely Sri Ranganatha is in Srirangam on the banks of Kaveri. In fact, Srirangam is in between Kaveri and its branch called Kollidam and Sri Ranganatha is called Kaveri Ranga and Rangaraja. In ancient times, Sri Ranganatha was being worshipped as family deity by the kings of the Ikshvaku dynasty in Ayodhya. The story of how the Lord came to be established in Srirangam is linked to Ramayana and a lila played by Vinayaka. When the monkeys and the rakshasas were leaving Ayodhya after witnessing Sri Rama’s coronation, Sri Rama gave all of them costly and liberal gifts as a token of gratitude for the service rendered by them. He wanted to give something big to Vibhishana who had abandoned his brother and surrendered to Rama. Unlike Sugriva who took refuge in Rama for retrieving his wide and kingdom, Vibhishana had done genuine surrender without any expectation. It was when accepting him Rama made the famous vow: Sakrudeva prapannaya thavasmithi cha yachathe Abhayam sarvabhuthebyo dhadhamye thadh vratham mama "ஸக்ருதேவ ப்ரபந்நாய ேவாஸ்மீ ேி ச யாசதே ! அபயம் ஸர்வபூதேப்தயா ேோம்தயேத் - வ்ரேம் மம !!

Rama thought that he must give him a very valuable gift. Supreme ‘thyagi’ that he was, he gave Vibhishana the idol of Ranganatha which had been their family deity and family wealth along with the (Pranavakara) vimana to be taken to Lanka. Carrying the idol along with the vimana, Vibhishana reached the banks of Kaveri. Vinayaka who was watching this decided that Sri Ranganatha should not be allowed to leave the banks of Kaveri, Tamilnadu and Bharat. He ensured it by enacting a lila.

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Rama had told Vibhishana that the idol and Vimana should not be placed anywhere on the ground and that they should be carried directly to Lanka. He had also warned him that if they happened to be place anywhere, they would get established at that place only. Kaveri was in floods. Vinayaka created in Vibhishana the desire to have a dip in Kaveri. He went as a bramachari boy and stood before Vibhishana. Vibhishana told Vigneswara, ‘I shall go and have a bath in Kaveri. Will you keep these (the idol and vimana) in your hands without placing them on the ground till I return?’ Vigneswara told him, ‘I shall do it. But if at some stage my hands cannot carry them any longer, what should I do? I will call out for you three times. If you do not come, I shall place them on the ground’. Vibhishana agreed to the condition. When Vibhishana had gone far into the kaveri swimming, Vinayaka called out thrice in quick succession. Vibhishana could not come. Vigneswara said to himself, ‘I have called out thrice. You did not come as agreed to. I am keeping this down’ , and placed the idol with vimana on the ground. The idol with the vimana got firmly established there. Looking at the story, it would appear that both the idol and vimana could have been of a size which was kept for prayer by the kings of Ikshvaku dynasty and must have been handy. It is possible that after being placed on the banks of Kaveri, the Lord must have taken a bigger form and the vimana also must have become suitably bigger. When Vibhishana returned, he was disappointed and felt angry. He tried to lift the idol. But however much he tried, he could not. He was angry with the bramachari boy. He advanced towards him to give him a knock on his head. Vigneswara ran and sat on top of the Rock Fort hill. Then, out of compassion for Vibhishana, he submitted himself to him. We cannot get hold of the Lord. The Lord has to make himself held by us as Krishna did with Yasodha. Vibhishana gave a knock to the bramachari boy on his head. At that very moment, the boy showed his true form as Vinayaka. The moment Vibhishana had Vinayaka’s darshan, his anger and sorrow disappeared. Vignehwara told him, ’Do not feel that I have not allowed the Lord to go to Lanka. I have kept him in such a manner that from here he will be looking at Lanka and extending his grace. Although it is not the normal practice to install the idols of the Lord so as to face the South, I am doing in here’.

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It Is Parameswara as Dakshinamurthi and Nataraja who face the South. Now Vigneswara has made Maha Vishnu also face the South. Dakshinamurthi sits like a statue ‘in dhyana’. Nataraja keeps dancing and makes the entire affairs of the world a happy dance. Maha Vishnu who is in the reclining posture is also in the state of ‘samadhi’ like Dakshinamurthi but with the name of sleep. Why then this state is not called ‘samadhi’ but is called sleep? He is a great magician who does all indrajals which we cannot understand. Therefore, even when he is in ‘samadhi’, he will do the srushti of this universe just as we create people, places, incidents, etc in our dream state. That is why the universe is said to be his dream. There can be dream only when there is sleep. That is why the samadhi is called sleep. Another reason is that instead of being in samadhi sitting erect, he is in reclining posture. But in order to distinguish his sleep from ours, it is said to be ‘Yoga Nidhra’. Due to the greatness of Vigneswara’s hands and his great thought that what applied to Siva should apply equally to Vishnu, Rangaraja who he installed became the king among all deities of all the Vaishnava holy places. The place where he got established came to be called Srirangam. I think I have said it slightly differently. It is not correct to say that the place became Rangam because of Rangaraja being there. Because the place is called Rangam, the one who rules as the king there is called Rangaraja. When the kings of the Ikshvaku dynasty upto the time of Rama were worshipping him, his name would have been Narayana or Vishnu or Seshasayi or Ananthasayi. Only when Vinayaka created a Rangam for him between the Kaveris, he must have got the name of Rangaraja. Rangam (or arangam in Tamil) is a stage where dance or drama is performed along with the hall where people gather to witness it. The great drama actor who conducts the drama of the world as an imagination of his dream has to stage the drama in a Rangam. When as Parameswara he does the same thing as dance in Chidambaram, his sannidhi is called ‘Sabha’. It is called ‘Chith Sabha’. Ordinary people call it ‘Kanaka Sabha’. Here Sabha has the same meaning as Rangam. Vigneswara thought that if his father who is dancing has a Sabha for his temple, his uncle (Vishnu) who enacts the drama of the universe through dream should also have one. He thought that although the principle is the same, there will be beauty only if there is difference in names and therefore gave the name Rangam to the sannidhi of the Murthi which he installed. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Paramacharya Community - www.facebook.com/KanchiParamacharya

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We have seen that Vigneswara ran to the top of the Rock Fort. Vibhishana chased him and gave him a knock on his head. In support of this version, we find that on the idol of Vigneswara on top of the rock Fort there is the mark of the knock. It is rare that Vinayaka remains on top of a hillock. It is appropriate to say that he ran to the top of the hill so that he would not be caught by Vibhishana. There is also in this a great metaphysical meaning related to Yoga Sasthra. It is the principle of the ‘Muladhara’ being joined with the ‘Sahasrara’ in the top. There is one more thing appropriate about Sri Ranganatha having connection with Vigneswara. It was Vigneswara who made Kaveri flow by tilting Agasthya’s Kamandalu. He did it be taking the form of a crow. Agasthya went chasing the crow. The crow then changed its form to that of a bramachari. In Vibhishana’s story also, we find that Vigneswara became a brahmachari. Agasthya had chased him only to give a knock on the head, but before he could do that, Vigneswara showed his true form. It was then that Agasthya reacted. ‘ Oh! It is you! And I was going to deliver a knock on your head,’ and knocked himself on the head. The story goes that it was after this incident that Vigneswara made this (knocking on the head) as an important part of worship. When Vigneswara had tilted Agasthya’s kamandalu and made the Kaveri flow, it was in Sahyadhri from beneath a tree of ‘amla’. The source of Kaveri is beneath the amla tree. That amla tree is Maha Vishnu. It was an aspect of Vishnu-maya that became the woman ‘Lopamudhra’ who became Agasthaya’s wife and then became the water in Agasthya’s kamandulu. When Kaveri flowed from the feet of Bhagawan, he told her. ‘Ganga also flowed from my feet. But you are more beloved of me than her. She had only the touch of my feet. I now bless that you should get the touch of my whole body. When you flow as a great river, you will separate into two and then on the island where you become one again, you will embrace me with both hands’. There is another incident which balances Saivam and Vaishnavam. If Vibhishana had obtained from Rama the idol of Ranganatha (who is his own original form), Ravana had obtained from Parameswara the ‘Athma Lingam’ which is Parameswara’s own form. When he carried it to Lanka, the Lord had told him that he should not keep it anywhere on the ground before reaching Lanka. Then also it was Vigneswara who played sport and ensured that the Lingam did not leave this country.

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The place where the Lingam got established is Gokarnam. It is a holy place on the Western shore in Karnataka. It is an island like Dwaraka and Rameshwaram. The Lord there is called ‘Mahabhaleswar’. Once Vigneswara installed the Lingam there, Ravana with all his might could not take it off from the ground. Since even Ravana was made powerless, the Lord is called Mahabhaleswar. Vigneswara did not allow the Lingam to be carried away to Lanka. Would he allow Vibhishana to carry away the idol of Ranganatha to Lanka? There is therefore truth in the story about the role played by Vigneswara in regard to Ranganatha having been established in Srirangam. Why did Vigneswara think that the idols of deities should not go out of Bharat? Is it fair or just? When a plant or tree is watered, it is not the branch or the flower that is watered, but the root. So far as matters of divinity are concerned, our Bharat is like the root of the huge tree called the world. It is only the watering of the root that provides the energy to all parts of the tree. In the same manner, it is only the puja performed in Bharat that will provide the strength and vitality for other countries also. In his creation, the Lord has ordained that there should be good climate in a particular country, good crops and greenery in some, diamond, gold and other valuable minerals in some, etc. In some countries, it will be extremely cold, and in some other extremely hot. Some countries are prosperous due to the fertility of the soil. Countries which have plenty help others by exporting to them. In matters of divinity and spirituality, Bharat is like the powerhouse for the whole world. Just as the heart supplies blood to the body, it is Bharat that provides the life force of spirituality, dharma and soul. This does not mean that there need be no worship in other countries. Just as we apply medicines to individual parts of the body to cure the ailment of the particular part, worship has to be done in other countries too. But just as the heart has to be in good condition for any ailment to be cured, only if worship is done in Bharat according to the rules laid down, it will produce good not only for our country, but for all other countries. Original Tamil version available at: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/7dk5.htm

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Story of Padma Paada – The Value of the Hunter Source: Deivathin Kural/ Voice of God – Volume 5

One of the main disciples of our AachaaryaaL was Padma Paada who joined our AachaaryaaL, when he was not yet 16 years of age, and was living in Kaasi. Padma Paada’s earlier name was ‘Sanandana’. He was from the Sozha Desam. Let me tell you a story about him. When he was still living in his native village, a great Mahatma gave him a Mantra Upadesa, on Narasimha / Nrusimha Swami. As he kept doing Japa of that Mantra, he had a desire to meet that Nrusimha Murthy! He walked out of his house, went to a lonely forest. Climbed a far off hill and sat in a cave there, doing his Japa! A hunter came there. Looking at the Brahmin that physically hardened rustic simpleton was moved to pity! He asked our Sanandana, “Hi Sami! What have you come here for? We are physically fit and capable of taking care of ourselves in a place like this forest! What will you do here? What for have you come here?” Sanandana thought about giving him a suitable reply. If I talk about Japa and Nrusimha Mantra; it will make no meaningful impression on this man, he thought. So he answered him in the following words! “There is an animal in this forest with a body like a human being below the hips and looks like a Lion above the hips. I came for that Nara (human) + Simha (lion) = Narasimha being!” Now the hunter was in a quandary! For many years he had been a hunter in these parts of the world and he almost knew each and every animal of that forest! So he replied in all his innocence, “My Dear, Iyer Sir! I hope you are telling the truth. I have never seen such an animal in this forest! If you are telling the truth, which you must be, it is below my dignity and prestige that this animal has been eluding me! I am not going to let such a state of affairs to continue. If you are true, tell me and it will be my task to catch hold of him and bring before you. You only have to confirm and I am off”, he said. Though the people of the forest seem to be rough and tough and we seem to be nice and gentlemanly; in fact their simplicity, hard work, sincerity, bravery and helpful attitude are all alien to us and our skulduggery is not in their bloods! However, he could not control his smile at the idea of Narasimha Murthy becoming a prisoner in the hands of this character.

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But the hunter was quick to react. “Why are you smiling? Are you having a joke at my expense?” Sanandana had had enough of diversion. He was getting fed up with this invasion of his privacy and told the hunter that, the fact of the existence of Narasimha Swami was anyhow the truth and that the hunter can carry on with his business as it is not an easy task to catch hold of this Nara Simha Murthy! But this was too much of an insult to the ego, for the Hunter! He told Sanandana, “What? By tomorrow evening see if I bring that animal before you or not! If I cannot bring that half a lion / half a man, before you; I do not deserve to live in this forest anymore, claiming myself to be a great hunter! When you have taken the pains to come all the way up to my forest in search of him, it is my duty to assist you. Otherwise what is the use of my being here at all?” Sanandana could not say anything anymore. “What can I do, if you start out that you will achieve the impossible? It is your sweet will and pleasure! Please go ahead!” The hunter went searching for this half human / half animal Nara Simha Murthy. He did not leave any place unsearched. He was not thinking of food or his tiredness. The whole day was over. Next day also passed. It was the evening of the second day! He did not give up his search, all the time thinking only of the Nara Simha Murthy. “OK. I have not been able to keep up my word given to that Brahmin. It is evening already and I have failed to live up to my promise. I should now give up my life, as the time limit is over” he thought to himself! He cut some creepers and hung it from a tree and was about to hang himself, to commit suicide. Lo! There was Nara Simha Murthy standing in front of him! “He has relentlessly thought of me only, in trying to maintain his promise so sincerely, uncaring for food or rest! I have to give him my Darshan!” Thinking on these lines, Narasimha Swami just stood there happily to let the hunter do whatever he wanted with him! The hunter pounced on him, “You wretched animal, how much of a problem you have proved yourself to be! I have to thank my stars, that I have been able to find you!” He immediately tied him up in knots and dragged the Nara Simha to where that Brahmin was. Nara Simha Swami remained bound in more than the literal way! The hunter asked the Brahmin Sanandana, “Is this what you were looking for? Here, take him to wherever you wish to take him to. My job is over.” Sanandana was flabbergasted beyond speech! What is this man talking, he was wondering as, he could not see any Nara Simha Swami. Only some pieces of creepers going round and round, hanging in mid air! For a flash it occurred to him if the hunter was just bluffing and just that moment Nara Simha Swami roared like a Lion does, proving his existence beyond any doubt!

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Sanandana felt like crying. “Here I am chanting the Nrusimha Mantra day in and day out; and I cannot see this Nara Simha Swami and this country brute of a character hunter, goes in search of him and catches hold of him, ties him up in some creepers and says, ‘Here take him’! What can I say?” There was an Asareeri (bodiless inhuman announcement) in the skies. “The one pointed devotion and concentration of mind that may happen only after millions of years of effort, could happen in this man’s case within a day! Without caring for hunger, sleep and physical exhaustion; this man searched every inch of this forest with utmost sincerity, ready to sacrifice his body and life to keep up his promise. This has never been matched before by any Rishi, worth his name! It is his Satsang (association) by chance, that has ennobled you also that though you cannot see me, you could at least hear me roar and this announcement! By this very incident, you have been blessed and attained your Mantra Siddhi! At the required time I will come and take care of you”, ended the announcement in the skies! On an important occasion momentarily once, Padma Paada was spiritually over taken by the Nrusimha Swami and acted very violently as the Nrusimha Avatara! Let me tell you that story also! That happened many years after he had become our AachaaryaaL’s disciple. There was set of people known as Kapalikaas, who used to live in cremation grounds, eat human flesh like cannibals and follow ‘Vaama Aachaara’ methods of worship including drinking liquor and experimenting with hallucinating drugs and random sex experiments! Their religion was known as Kaapaalikam. Our AachaaryaaL was pointing out the mistakes in their methods and was advising them to come back to the Saatvic methods of Vedic Saastraas. Many of the Kapalikaas had a change of heart and were giving up their crude methods of worship of Siva and Durga wearing garlands of human skulls as ornaments and things like that. Some of them were nurturing hatred for our AachaaryaaL, as they could not put up any counter argument against AachaaryaaL’s, and found their own numbers dwindling. One of them was planning ways and means of getting rid of our AachaaryaaL. He hit upon an idea. “This man is very kind and compassionate. Let me request him to be considerate to our viewpoint. May be he will agree. Let us try.”

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So, when our AachaaryaaL was alone he went to him and did Namaskar (prostrated) before him. He said, “My Dear Sir! Till date despite many types of Bhali (sacrifices of living things by chopping off the head), I have not had the Darshan of Kapaali (Siva as their God)! I am told that if we sacrifice the head of a King who has been crowned as an Emperor or some great Gnaani who has attained to the Ashta Maha Siddhi (eight great powers) then God Kapaali will certainly reveal himself. If I go to any king, before I can even make a request he will execute me! But you are a great Gnaani, Yogi and a kind hearted person. I am sure that you will accede to my request. Please permit me to behead you!” If you wonder as to how could anybody dare make such a horrendous and outlandish request, the only answer can be that, our AachaaryaaL was such a considerate person that you could ask for anything that you need and he will most condescendingly oblige! In fact our AachaaryaaL was very happy with the request of that Kaapaalika! ‘What we thought as the most useless material, this human body, if it can be useful to someone that too, to get the vision of God; nothing like it at all! When the tree dies, it is useful in making furniture or as firewood. The horns of cattle are useful for Abhishekam that is, pouring oblations on sacred idols. Elephant’s bones and tusks are ever valued as Ivory. Deer skin and even the cruel tiger’s skin are used to cover the seat when you do Yoga Aasana! I thought only this human body is good for nothing and this man is asking for it to be given to him as donation! That is very good’, he thought. He told the Kaapaalika, “As you wish you can have my head but, my disciples should not know about it! They can be very dangerous. So, when I am sitting in meditation all alone, you can come and take away my head. Now, there seems to be somebody coming, you better hurry up and leave!” Saying this he closed his eyes. Kaapaalika did not want to wait. He thought this very moment to be opportune enough and pulled out his sword. From somewhere Padma Paada materialised there. There was a huge roar and noise that sounded like, “Haa, Haa”. AachaaryaaL opened his eyes. Kaapaalika was lying on the ground with his stomach torn to pieces with his intestines pulled out, dead! Padma Paada was standing nearby. Our AachaaryaaL asked him, “What happened? Who has done this?” Padma Paada said, “I do not know. I was near the river Ganges. Something happened and only now I have regained my consciousness.” AachaaryaaL said, “Oh I see! Were you ever given the Nrusimha Mantra as Upadesa?” © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Paramacharya Community - www.facebook.com/KanchiParamacharya

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“Yes”, he replied, “But there was no use. Nrusimha Swami duped me and gave Darshan to a hunter. He said something like ‘I will come to you sometime when you need me!’ As he was answering, it became clear to Padma Paada. “Oh, Nrusimha Swami has done as promised! He must have come over me that this man has been sorted out! There could not have been a better time than this for his coming over!” Saying so, he did Namaskar to both his AachaaryaaL and Nrusimha Swami. Let me tell you another story that happened, within a few days of his becoming one of the disciples of our AachaaryaaL, as to how he got the name as Padma Paada! It is the normal custom to add the suffix ‘Paada’ to the names of Mahatmas like Gowda became Gowda Paada. You dare not look at their face and whole body but look only at their feet with respect. In this case, Padma Paada did not get his name like that. It is a name with a reason and logic of its own, with a story behind it. One day Sanandana was on one bank of the River Ganges and our AachaaryaaL was on the other bank. AachaaryaaL was having a bath and so his clothes were dripping wet. He wished to demonstrate Sanandana’s respect and devotion to the Guru, for the world and other disciples to note, it seems. AachaaryaaL told Sanandana to bring the fresh dry clothes to him. Guru’s orders are to be obeyed implicitly, was the only response by Sanandana. In responding to his Guru’s call, he completely forgot that there was the deep River Ganges flowing in between! He just started walking, as though on plain ground. Then what happened was that, there was a lotus flower bearing his weight wherever he put his foot down and Sanandana was this side of the River in a trice, handing over the dry clothes to his Guru! As the man whose feet were borne by the lotus flower, he got the name as ‘Padma Paada’ from then onwards! Other disciples of our AachaaryaaL collected there in admiration of this miracle, where Ganga Devi (The River Ganges as the Goddess Ganga) had put up a lotus flower for each one of his steps, for bearing his weight across the whole breadth of the river, appreciating his devotion to his Guru! But without feeling proud of his devotion he said, “This is nothing. Just a thought of my Guru, can cause the Ocean of Life to become a puddle of knee deep water only! When he himself has ordered, what is the breadth of this river?”

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Padma Paada was a Vishnu Amsam and a man who had the realization of Nrusimha Mantra. So, he could recognise another Vishnu Amsa Avatara Vyasa, even before our AachaaryaaL could do so! Original Tamil version available at: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/d-san137.htm http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/d-san138.htm http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/d-san139.htm

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History of Kerala Source: Deivathin Kural/ Voice of God – Volume 5

Despite the Avedic environment that was surrounding the whole of India those days, there was one place where Vedic Anushtaanaas had not been given up completely and that place is Kerala. God had pre-decided that he would be born as a son to a very pious Brahmin couple in that Malayala Desam of Kerala, in a place known as Kaladi, as it may be known to most of you all. You may also know that the Avatara’s parents were Siva Guru and AryaambaaL. The Malayala Desam is located on the west of the long series of hills known as Western Ghats. KeraLam is the Sanskrit name. ‘Kera’ is coconut and that entire area is full of coconut trees, hence the name KeraLam. One the one side are the hills – that is Malai and on the other side is ‘aazhi’ or ‘aazham’ so the Malayalam = Malai + Aazham! There is a story about how this narrow strip of land came into being. Parasurama killed and vanquished 21 generations of Kshatriya kings and took their lands all over India, as you may have heard about. The whole world was virtually under his control. By that time he was seized by dispassion and regret! ‘Having taken birth as a Brahmin, it is sad that instead of doing things for the good of the society I have ended up killing so many people! OK, whatever has happened, I can’t even let the past be permitted to be by gone. How can I get away from the responsibility of having to rule all these lands? It is not correct to further get mired in the worldly affairs of administration and management!’ So, he donated all the lands to Kashyapa Maharishi. Why Kashyapa? Because all the animate life forms of this world came into being from him only. People born in Manu’s lineage are human beings aka Man or Manushya. Manu’s father was Vivasvan and his father was Kashyapa. Not only that, he was the forefather of Devas, Dhaityas, Dhanavas, Raakshasaas, Nagas and many others! Though there are many Prajapathis, only he is specially called the Kashyapa Prajapathi. So, ‘let him manage all these men and lands or do whatever’, was how Parasurama thought and donated it all to Kashyapa! If you have a house and given it as a donation to somebody, can you continue staying there after that? That is how Parasurama thought about the situation. “Having given away this land as a gift, it is not correct for me to stay here anymore. Let me find a suitable place for me to stay and do Tapasya”, he thought. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Paramacharya Community - www.facebook.com/KanchiParamacharya

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Instinctively Kashyapa could read his mind. So, he further escalated the situation by saying, “Please do not think of claiming ownership on any part of the land that you have gifted away. Better go outside the outer borders of this land.” Parasurama started out. He went to the Western Ghats on the western borders of the whole of South India and reached the Sahayadri Mountain peak known nowadays as Aanaimalai or Elephant Top. Close to the western side of the mountains was the sea. Those days there was no Kerala or Malayala Desam, but only water of the seas. Parasurama spoke to the Samudra Raja (the Lord of the Oceans), “All the lands that I had captured have been given away in charity, as I have endowed them to Kashyapa. So I cannot live anywhere on the existing lands. I cannot also die or go to the heavens as I am one of the Chiranjeevis! There is a command of God that I should do Tapasya forever for the sake of the well being of the whole world. Under the situation I seek your benign help for some spatial adjustment. By withdrawing yourself a little away from these mountains, can you kindly create some ground on the west of these ranges of mountains, for me to live?” Samudra Raja who was ordered to control his waves when Rama had to construct the land bridge on the straits between India and the island of Lanka decided to help Parasurama. Knowing Parasurama to be a Brahmin very quick to take offence, he wished to give Parasurama as wide a margin as possible. So, Samudra Raja told Parasurama, “Dear Sir! In your hands you hold that Parasu (Axe) which you got from doing Tapasya to Parameswara. Throw it as far as possible in the ocean and I shall recede that much away, up to the point beyond where the water drops are thrown up to by the impact of the axe and make all that land available to you.” Accordingly Parasurama threw the axe in to the ocean as far as possible. Water from the impact splashed in all directions many miles in the N-S direction and less in the E-W axis. All that area was exposed to the Sun and the sea withdrew. That is the Malayala Desam or Kerala aka Parasurama Kshetra. Initially populated by fisher folk talking an unorganized cacophony of languages. Parasurama did not wish to be the only one doing Tapasya in such a vast area. So he decided to bring in and settle a whole lot of Brahmins who would be doing their share of Vedic activities of Homa, Pooja, Japa, Upaasana and other such Karma Anushtaanaas. From the land of the Sozha Kingdom he invited Brahmins known as Sozhiyas to this new land of his creation. They were Tamil speaking Dravidian Brahmins as any other community in Tamil Nadu. The Brahmins from Tamil Nadu are comfort loving, used to the moderate climate of the area. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Paramacharya Community - www.facebook.com/KanchiParamacharya

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Those comfort loving Sozhiyas from the banks of Cauvery River on arrival in Kerala were out of their elements literally. Endless rains, overflowing rivulets, with wet grounds full of mire everywhere, it just did not suit them at all. They were afraid of telling Parasurama who had a reputation as being quick to take offence. They were actively considering running away from there, secretly on the quiet. He knew all that. Let us just change one of their customs and they can never get back to their mother land after that, he thought. On the pretext of giving them a special identity, he made them wear their hair in their head differently. Normally Brahmins in Tamil Nadu shave off the front portion of their head above the temple and let the hair at the back grow abundantly long. Their long tresses are then cared for, oiled, braided and rolled into a knot at the back of their heads. This is known as Kudumi which would typically identify them. Parasurama introduced a twist in this custom. He made them wear what is known as ‘Oordva Shika’, in which the back of the head is shaved off and the hair on the peak of the head is permitted to grow long, which is tied in to a knot to fall forward just on top of the temple! Till date Namboodri Brahmins of Kerala follow this system only. But the Sozhiyas thought that this one small change in the identity will not be such a hindrance in their acceptance back in Tamil Nadu, when there is no difference in the other customs and traditions. So, most of them did go back to the banks of Cauvery River once again and were accepted with open arms as expected. But the Oordva Shika remained on top of the head, giving raise to the proverb, ‘Sozhiyan Kudumi does not shake easily’, to mean that he does not listen to others suggestions and also that he is not easily ruffled! Parasurama’s plan however, had back fired. So, he imported Brahmins from Andhra and Karnataka en-mass and as a precaution, out of the 108 Aachaaraas that are there for the Brahmin, he changed some 64 of them to give them totally a new traditional identity. This worked and for generations they started staying there. They are known as Namboodri Brahmins, stricter in their observance of traditional Aachaaraas, than Brahmins elsewhere in the whole of India! There is a book by the name of ‘Keralotpatti’. I have given you the details from that book and a few PuraNas.

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There could be one question in your minds. If the Namboodri Brahmins were mostly from Kannada and Telugu background and others were mainly fisher folks from the Arabian Sea islands with some local dialects; how is that Malayalam as a language contains a mix of words from mainly Tamil and Sanskrit languages? The Malayala language evolved some 1,000 to 1,200 years back only. Before that Tamil was the main stay. Still some of you can say, ‘How can it be?’ I will answer that. No society can be complete only with Brahmins and fisher folks. There has to a king, army, traders and so on. Most of these were Tamilians only. The mountain ranges of Western Ghats are literally hugging the Tamil Nadu from North to South with many passages between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. From time immemorial Tamilians are known to trade across the oceans and their reach included Sri Lanka, Burma, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, most of East Asia and Western shores of Africa and the islands in between. So, the point to be noted is that the major population in Kerala after Parasurama created were Tamilians who had moved there from across the Sahayadri Mountains. When I said that Tamilians are too fond of their comforts, I meant only the pulse-eating-brahmins and not the non-brahmins! (PeriyavaaL smiles while saying this.) Others are very hard working capable of high levels of tolerance. They knew all the tricks of agriculture and capable of doing aggressive marketing of their produce. So it was the Tamil non-brahmins who populated Kerala in a big way and started planting and cultivation of Black-Pepper, Oak trees, Coconut, Sandal Wood and a variety of Spices in a big way, making use of the plentiful water supply. Then fish was available both from the seas and a number of rivers, rivulets and ponds. Life was plentiful and satisfying. The Chera Kings were all of Tamil origin only for long. So, a parallel civilization came into being as in Tamil Nadu. As the majority was Tamils, others also spoke the same language. All this happened even before the historical times till Sozha, Chera and Pandya dynasties were alternately predominant at various times. When others from the East went there some Brahmins also must have migrated to Kerala due to divine interest as many temples and temple towns came into being in that land. Parasurama himself created some of them. Initially there was a restriction against immigration as imposed by Parasurama which got diluted over time. Anyhow he himself went incognito, not seen by anybody and after that some Brahmins from the mainland could have gone on visiting the religiously important temple towns and settled there.

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Historically recorded period starts around Asoka’s time. In his Saasanam inscribed on stone slabs, about places where he spread his views on peaceful co-existence, there is mention of Kerala also along with other places of India. This is proof of the fact that there was civilized social life in that part of the country already. It was part of Chera Kingdom and Tamil was the language there. Silappadigaram a Tamil classic literature is from that land only. Cheramaan PerumaaL Naayanaar, who sang the Tamil divine songs of Thirumarais as part of Saiva Thevaram collections was a King in Kerala. So also Kula Sekhara PerumaaL, who sang the poems as part of the Vaishnava’s Nalayira Divya Prabhandam collections in Tamil was a King in Kerala. Therefore our AachaaryaaL also in his time must have spoken Tamil. All Brahmins those days must have been well read. There could not have been any Brahmin who had not done Adhyayanam and knowledgeable in Tamil and Sanskrit. Within themselves they must have spoken in Sanskrit and with others used the Tamil language. Though our AachaaryaaL came down to the Earth as an Avatara for rekindling and rejuvenating the Sanaatana Dharma and did his all for re-establishing it on very strong footings, with the passage of time there was deterioration set in once again! In that flow of events, suitably misusing some of the traditions introduced by Parasurama, other than the first son of the families even amongst Namboodri Brahmins, started resorting to marriages with women of other castes. When such relationships were created, a mix of Sanskrit and Tamil did come about, which could have been the seeds of for a new language to sprout. By this intermingling causing some dilution of standards of austerity, some good by-products were also there. By this, in Kerala all castes became knowledgeable in Saastras and Puranas. The education standards did improve especially fluency in use of Sanskrit words. For example more than any other part of India, taking a bath early in the morning and visiting the nearby temple wearing clean clothes with much noticeable devotion and piety is the practice by people of all castes in Kerala. I do not for a moment wish to say that non-brahmins are uneducated, unclean and things like that at all. Due to the type of work that they have to do especially the proletariat, cannot afford to care for cleanliness so much. Whether a factory worker or involved in agriculture or in the job of clearing the garbage, they just cannot be too finicky about cleanliness as a Brahmin is required to be in his duty!

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Then if you take any of the craftsmen, their children learn their trade from childhood from their elders, whether it is carpentry or masonry, separating and spinning the silk thread or sculpting a stone in to shape! Going to school would be a double unaffordable loss as it would mean, missing on the job training and being coached by one’s grandfather / father / uncle, and loss of cheap labour. So generally they would send one of the children to school so that he could act as the in house accountant, manager and correspondent, while others would be given on-the-jobtraining! Since such people contribute substantially to the well being of the society, the very Saastraas have been liberal in the standards of cleanliness expected of them and in their case Adhyayanam is also not a requirement. Still, the fact that in Kerala the standards of education, knowledge of the Saastraas and Do’s and Don’ts of the Sanatana Dharma, are way ahead of the rest of the country; indicates the apparent effect of the brahmin influence. Though it was not an island all by itself, when it was not so well connected by means of transportation, Kerala was having certain benefits of inaccessibility and isolation from the Mainland, unaffected by some of the social irreligious tendencies! So, when a typical local lingo, developed into a full-fledged language by its own right, all people of Kerala accepted it with pride as their mother tongue. This is how the language Malayalam came into being. Having spoken so much about the story of Malayalam let me tell you the balance also. After Malayalam had become well established, for some reasons some brahmins from Tamil Nadu migrated there and settled closer to the Tamil Nadu instead of going deep inside Kerala. Some shifted from the area of Coimbatore to Palghat and settled near Pallasena. Others from Tenkasi through Sengotta went near Trivandrum. Their Tamil is another version with a scattering of Malayalam in pronunciation. When I said that Kerala developed with its own culture unaffected by the happenings in the Mainland, you should not think that it was totally isolated and that its culture was alien to that in the Mainland. The Vedic culture is the culture of what is India. Like a main river in which a number of tributaries come and join, many flows such the different cultures of Kashmir, Punjab, Central India, Rajasthan, Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu joined to make what is the Indian Vedic culture. To give yet another example, if you think of Indian culture as a tree, these were its branches and the roots were the Vedic one. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Paramacharya Community - www.facebook.com/KanchiParamacharya

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So when Parasurama settled brahmin-s from Tamil Nadu as the original citizens, he ensured that Indian Vedas, Puranas, Temples, Yagnas, Vratam-s such as for Shivaratri, Ekadasi, and Somavaaram; Karma Anushtaanaas, Adhyayanam, Adhyapakam, chanting of Veda mantras and establishment of Veda Patashaalaas were all brought in. So, even when elsewhere in India these were not being observed or becoming subdued, with the expanding influence of Buddhism and Jainism (Muslims followed by Britishers were to come much later), in Kerala these were more assiduously being observed. So, it was in the rightness of things that our AachaaryaaL’s Avatara also took place there. Later, things happened topsy turvy, trending in the opposite way and I must mention that also. Since the whole of the eastern border of Kerala was the range of mountains, it was not much affected by the upheavals that occurred in the Mainland India alright. But what was in the west of Kerala? It was all the Arabian Sea. So with the thriving trade of Black Pepper, Cardamom, Sandal Wood, Oak timber and Ivory, there was also in influx of traders and visitors from the west and they started settling there. For many Jews, Christians and Muslims, Kerala became the Mother Land! Though unaffected by the changes in the mainland, they ended up accommodating all and sundry! Anyhow, all this is part of the side effects of our own culture which believes in ‘Atiti Devo Bhava’! Let me tell you one more surprising thing. Though the people of Kerala accepted foreign religions, when it comes to Hinduism, after our AachaaryaaL, they did not accept the other Sampradaaya-s of Vaishnavas and Madhvas. Do we not see that even in Padmanaabha Swami Temple or Guruvayoorappan Temple they do not have Vaishnava Bhatta-s, but only Namboodri brahmin-s including in Sabarimala Aiyappa Temple. This can only be considered as their devotion to our AachaaryaaL who took Avatara there, after searching for a suitable place in the whole of India. In recent times with the laying of roads and rail communications to and fro between Kerala and rest of the country and advanced education available all over, the somewhat secluded society of Kerala has started spreading all over the country as well become more international. In every foreign country today among expatriate Indians, Keralites form a major chunk. Without standing on prestige, they are ready to go anywhere and do any sort of work and thus have proved to be as industrious and ubiquitous as the Sardarjis of Punjab, making their presence felt in every nook and corner of the world! © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Paramacharya Community - www.facebook.com/KanchiParamacharya

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People from that part of the country where our AachaaryaaL was born are leading in literacy, today in the whole of India! There are still those in Kerala who are assiduously safe guarding our oldest religious traditions of Sanaatana Dharma on the one hand and on the other, it was there that ‘Aalaya Pravesam’ was done for the first time (entering of the temple by those not traditionally permitted from times of yore) and the first communist Government was installed democratically! Original Tamil version available at: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/d-san100.htm http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/d-san101.htm

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Conclusion We conclude this E-book with some thought provoking lines from the Tamil Poet Shri "Kaviarasu" Kannadasan on Sri Maha Periyava. ‘அர்த்தமுள்ள இந்து மதம்’ எட்டாம் பாகம் நிறைவு பகுதியில், கவியரசர் கண்ணதாசன் அவர்கள்: இப்படிப்பட்ட தயாகம் கக வந்ே ஒருவர், காஞ்சி பபரியவர். அதோ, அவர் எங்தக தபாகிறார் என்று பசால்லாமதலதய தபாய் பகாண்டு இருக்கிறார். இந்ே வயேிலும் எந்ே வாகனத்ேிலும் ஏறாமல் தபாய்க்பகாண்டிருக்கிறார். ககப்பிடி அவலில் காலபமல்லாம் வாழும் அந்ே மகாதயாகி ேள்ளாே வயேிலும் வாலிபகன தபால் புனிே

யாத்ேிகர

போடங்கி இருக்கிறார்.

பேய்வ

நம்பிக்கக

உச்சத்துக்கு

தபாய்

விட்டால் வயது தோன்றாது, பசி தோன்றாது. உள்பளாளி

ஒன்று

பரவி

விரவி நிற்கிறது. அதோ, அந்ே

ஒளிதயாடு

அந்ே

மகாதயாகி

தபாய்க்பகாண்டு இருக்கிறார். அது பவறும் மானிட ஸ்தூலத்ேின் யாத்ேிகர அன்று. அது ஆன்ம

யாத்ேிகர.

தலாகாேய சுகத்கே

முற்றும்

துறந்துவிட்டு

ோர்மீ க

வடிபவடுத்து

அவர்கள் புறப்படும்தபாது ேர்மம் நகடபாகே விரிக்கிறது. மகா தயாகம் மலர்கள் தூவுகிறது. மகாராஜாக்களுக்கு இல்லாே மரியாகே அவர்களுக்கு கிகடக்கிறது. ஆந்ேிராவில் ஒரு

தகாயில்

கவக்கப் படவில்கல.

கட்டப்படுகிறது.

அங்தக

தபாய்

அேன்

காஞ்சி

மூலஸ்ோனத்ேில்

பபரியவர்

ஓரிரவு

இன்னும்

சிகல

ேங்கினாராம்.

சிகல

பிரேிஷ்கட ஆகி விட்டது என்று ஆந்ேிர மக்கள் எல்லாம் மகிழ்ச்சி அகடந்ோர்களாம். அவர் பிராமண ஜாேியின் ேகலவரல்ல. பிராமணர்கள் அப்படி ஒரு நிகலகய உண்டாக்க கூடாது. உலபகங்கிலும் உள்ள அக்ஞாநிகளுக்கு ஞான கண் வழங்கும் தபபராளி. அவரது பபருகம இப்தபாது பேரியாது. இன்னும் ஐம்பது வருஷங்கள் தபானால் ‘இந்து மேம் என்றால் என்ன? என்ற தகள்விக்கு ‘ஸ்ரீ சந்ேிர தசகர சரஸ்வேி சுவாமிகள் என்ற சங்கராச்சாரிய சுவாமிகள்’ என்று எேிர்கால மாணவன் பேில் எழுதுவான். அந்ே

ஞான

பழத்கே ேரிசித்ேதபாது

நான்

பபற்ற

உள்பளாளிகய

விவரிக்க

முடியாது.

தகாடியில் ஒருவதர எப்தபாோவது இப்படி ஆக முடியும். பசஞ்சி தகாட்கடக்கு தபாகிறவன் எல்லாம் தேசிங்கு ராஜா அல்ல. காவி கட்டிய எல்தலாருதம மகா தயாகிகள் அல்ல.

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Page 23 of 25

ஞானம், வித்கே, ஒழுக்கம், பண்பாடு

ஆகிய

அகனத்தும்

தசர்ந்ே

மகாதயாகி

எங்தகா

எப்தபாதோ அவேரிக்கிறார். அதோ, அவர்

நடந்து

தபாய்

பகாண்டு

இருக்கிறார்.

இகறவன் கருகணயினால்

நமக்கு

கிகடத்ே அந்ே வரம், இன்னும் பல்லாண்டு வாழ தவண்டும். ோய், குழந்கேக்கு ோலாட்டு பாடும் தபாது அவகர பற்றி பாட தவண்டும். பள்ளிக்கூட பாட புத்ேகங்களில் அவகர பற்றி குறிக்க தவண்டும். ஒரு

உத்ேமமான

தயாகிகய

‘பிராமணன்’

என்று

ஒதுக்கி

விடுவது,

புத்ேியுள்ளவன்

காரியமாகாது. தமகேகளும் கற்பு அரசிகளும் எந்ே ஜாேியிலும் பிறக்கலாம். தயாகிகளில் ஒரு சாோரண தயாகிகய கூட ஒதுக்க கூடாது என்றால், இந்ே மகா தயாகிகய பிராமணர் அல்லாோர் ஒதுக்குவது எந்ே வககயில் நியாயம்? அதோ அவர், நடந்து தபாய் பகாண்டு இருக்கிறார். புத்ேன் பசான்னகே விட, அவர் நமக்கு அேிகமாக பசால்லி இருக்கிறார். இதயசுவின் ேத்துவங்ககள விட அேிகமான ேத்துவங்ககள வாரி இகறத்து இருக்கிறார். அவர் ஜாேி பவறியர் ஆகதவா, மே பவறியர் ஆகதவா, ஒரு நாளும் இருந்ேது இல்கல. அரசியல் வில்லங்கங்களில் மாட்டி பகாண்டது இல்கல. பகவான் கீ கேயில் பசான்னது தபால் வாழ்ந்து பகாண்டு இருப்பவர் அவர் ஒருவதர. அதோ, அவர் நடந்து தபாய் பகாண்டு இருக்கிறார். அந்ே காலடி சுவடுககள போடர்ந்து பசல்லுங்கள். அதுதவ உங்கள் தயாகமாக இருக்கட்டும்...

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Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge the following books, blogs and websites which contained relevant information for compiling this E-book on Stories narrated by Sri Kanchi Mahaswami. 1. http://kamakoti.org/ 2. http://advaitham.blogspot.in/ 3. Voice of God - Published by Sri Kanchi Mahaswami Peetarohana Shatabdi Mahotsava Trust

Sri Mahaswami's Brindavan at Kanchi

Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!

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