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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00065 Apr 2005

 
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Show grace please

Post 4

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

Before we continue the link between ST krithi and sreemadh 
bhaagavatham, in this paarthibha new year, I would like to give the 
following points on performing the `namaskaaram' or `praNaamam' 
or `dhandan' in front of elders and aachaaryaas. This extract is from 
an article by the late maha periyavaaL sri sri chandhra sekarEndhra 
saraswathy of kaanchi peetam. The points given are of very high order 
for our learning. Hence I am including here.

"The namaskaara kriyaa is the best aid for getting that `load' off 
you. That is how in the namaskaaram, the head, which is at the top, 
is brought on level with the other parts of the body. It is no more 
the "head dominating the body" but just one of the many parts of the 
body. If others bring down the head, it is a disgrace. If we bring it 
down ourselves, it is reward, honour. This is vinaya sampath 
(humility that is wealth itself). It is to get away from "head 
weight" and mental conceit that the namaskaaram one performed with 
the head. Appar Swami sings: "Bow down, bow down, O Head!" ?
 `thalaiyE thaaL vaNangaai'

In order that this kriya is done with single pointed attention, and 
one does not look to this side and the other, the namaskaaram is 
always done with face to the ground. The indhriyas (sense organs) 
face towards the outer world when we lie flat. But when we are 
prostrate on the ground with face to the ground, they are also turned 
away from the outer world. Heights are not wanted. Being humble is 
what is wanted. If our minds are in this mode, the Grace of the 
Almighty (kripaa varsha) will flow freely and fill us. Just like, 
water does not remain at altitudes but flows to level ground and fill 
it. As a symbol of this mental move, the body is lowered prostrate to 
the ground head to foot. 

This is called "Saashtanga Namaskaaram". Saashtaanga is `Sa Ashta 
Anga' that is 8 parts of the body are in contact with the ground. The 
8 parts are: 
·       forehead, 
·       2 shoulders, 
·       2 hands, 
·       torso, 
·       2 legs. 
You also know that women do not do the namaskaaram in this way. In 
their case it is called "Panchaanga". Panchaanga here does not mean 
the almanac. Leaving out the 2 shoulders and the torso, only 5 angas 
are in contact with the ground in their namaskaaram. So it is called 
Pancha anga Namaskaaram. Our rule makers (makers of saasthrams) while 
making the rule that namaskaaram should be by lowering the body 
prostrate on the ground, eschewing every thought of self importance 
and finding the lowest level with the ground, they duly thought of 
the Universal Mother aspect (maathruthwam) of Paraasakthi (Ambaal) 
which is a distinguishing divine principle in women, and took care 
not to imply any suggestion of lowering its importance. 

They ruled that the part of the body, which sustains the growth of 
the foetus during pregnancy, and the part, that creates within itself 
the nourishment for the newborn and feeds it, should not be allowed 
to come in contact with the ground. If the torso should not touch the 
ground, then the shoulders have to be excluded so that the 
namaskaaram can conveniently performed. Thus, excluding the 3 angas, 
in their case it becomes `pancha anga'. This also symbolises the need 
for women to have a "bending" nature. Bowing down itself means 
bending and it seems that the namaskaaram performed by women is real 
bowing down. Men sometimes may use the hand only instead of lowering 
the body for "bowing" but women always do sarva anga namaskaaram". 

Point: If prahlaadhan has done this, with heart and soul in 
the `namaskaaram', which we have seen in previous post, will the lord 
narasimha still be angry with him? Will he not cool down and start 
saying `dhayaa is already given to you my boy' when asked `raamaa 
dhayaraanee'. 

Dear bhakthaas, please excuse me for those references to `ambaal and 
paraasakthi', the anya dhevathaas in the vaishnavaas lists, since the 
article is just as given out by sri periavaal. The context I thought 
is more important than such minor points.

Next charaNam of ST krithi is 
kanugonan aanandhamai kanneeru nindhEnu raamaa
meaning: As I found your glory, I became blissful, my eyes are filled 
with tears. 

Slokam 14 of chapter 9 of seventh skandham reads

thadh yaccha manyum asuras cha hathas thvayaa adhya
modhEtha saadhur api vrschika-sarpa-hathyaa
lOkaas cha nirvrthim itha: prathiyanthi sarvE
rupam nrsimha vibhayaya janaa: smaranthi

thath - therefore; 
yaccha- kindly give up; 
manyum- Your anger; 
asurah- my father, hiraNyakasipu, the great demon; 
cha- also; 
hatha: - killed; 
thvayah - by You; 
adhya - today; 
mOdhEtha - take pleasure; 
saadhu: api - even a saintly person; 
vrschika sarpa hathyaa - by killing a snake or a scorpion; 
lOkaa: - all the planets; 
cha - indeed; 
nirvrthim - pleasure; 
ithah - have achieved;
prathiyanthi - are waiting (for pacification of Your anger); 
sarvE- all of them; 
rupam- this form; 
nrsimha - O Lord Nrsimhaa; 
vibhayaya - for mitigating their fear; 
janaa:- all the people of the universe; 
smaranthi- will remember.

Summary: My Lord Nrsimha, please, therefore, cease Your anger, now 
that my father, the great demon hiraNyakasipu, has been killed. Since 
even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a 
snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the 
death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and 
they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be 
free from fear.

Point: oh raamaa, when all are happy that the demon is killed will I 
not be happy. On seeing that happiness of all, I am also happy for I 
am releieved of the threat from my own father, all because of you, oh 
raamaa ? kanugonanaanandhamai kanneeru raamaa.

Again since the length has increased we will continue enjoying this 
krithi in next post.

 Dhasan
Vasudevan m.g.






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