SrI:
HH Sri Rangapriya Swamy is one of the most
compassionate
and erudite VaishNavite AchAryaas . Those who are
in Bangalore
are fortunate to listen to His anugraha BHAshaNam
on
different topics and capture them . These
messages need a wider
dissemination since they contain unique
insights .
As a member of this group , I recieve the anugraha
BhAshaNams and I will share them with you and I am sure that the sishyan
or Sishyai who posts these messages would mind
the upadEsams of this great AchAryan benefitting a
wider set of saadhakaas.
V.Sadagopan
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 4:09 AM
Yesterday Swamiji after morning Pooja gave a short
discourse on this subject.
There are many practices,he said introducing the
subject,
which have been part of our culture since time
immemorial
but which are being abandoned by the present
generation
for the ostensible reason that they have not
been mentioned
in the Sruti or Smriti and hence are without
Authority.Not
everything needs to be mentioned by Aswalayana
or
Apasthamba.Our elders have established many
practices
because they are beneficial to the individual or
society.
In the South Indian marriages there is a function
called Nalangu
where the bride and groom sit face to face to and
roll sacred
coconuts towards each other to the recital of Sri Andal's
"VAraNamAyiram" .Swamiji quoted Sri Guru Bhagawan
Himself
to clarify that this practice is the tantra
manifestation of
the Yajur and Sama mantras (which he quoted)
meaning
"I send my heart to you and recieve yours and thus
our hearts
become one and we understand each other". This
serves the
same purpose as,say,exchanging garlands in the
marriage.
Then the recital called "Seer-pADi"which
comes alongwith
was meant to acquaint the newlyweds with the
various members
of each other's families and their proper
relationships.This is
both an individual and a social benefit.And all the
more needed
in the present day world wherein all relationships
have been
reduced to "uncle and auntie" or what is worse
everyone calls
everyone else by their proper names.Such a
negligent attitude
has been the main cause for the gradual
disintegration of our
once well-knit social structure.
Again Seer meaning presents are an
essential part of any happy
occasion.They serve to strengthen personal
relationships,and
keep reminding the reciever of the persons who
showed affection
or respect.Hence the present footnote in most
invitations,"Please
avoid presents" is as bad as insisting that
everyone must come
with a present like some societies do.
In Ramayana when Lava and Kusa recite the poem in
Rama's
court even the Rshis who were there became so
emotional that
they showered the children with presents to show
their happiness.
Swamiji asked the question as to how the Rshis
who had conquered
their senses
could exhibit any emotion at all ? and answered by asking
us to note carefully the words used by the
poet.Valmiki says that
the boys sang the poem in the mArga mode
and not the Desi mode.
Human beings can access only the Desi mode
whereas
Devatas and Rshis who have gone beyond their senses
could access
the full beauty of the children's
singing.
Thus giving presents during happy occasions is an
ancient and natural
human practice and should not be abandoned based on
some fallacious
reasoning.
Swamiji next touched upon the practice of Navaratri
Kolu (display of dolls)
which is also being abandoned by many people these
days.This practice
served two basic puposes.
Firstly the display exhibits which used to
include people from all levels and professions
from the King downwards would acquaint the
children,who were the major
participants of the function, with the
structure of our society.It would also tell them that
each person,whatever his profession or station, was
an integral part of the
world they would grow up in and hence should be
treated with respect.
That is where the Pooja aspect came
in.
Secondly since the Kolu was kept in all houses and
people visited other
Kolus there was a good intermingling of society and
amity.
Swamiji said,in the past in all villages Ramayana
was being recited in every
house and on Pattabhisheka day the whole village
was invited for food.The
purpose was the same. He jocularly refered to the
case of an extreme
SrOtriya who,it seemed refused to attend Rama Pooja
on the apparently
valid ground that Rama was a Kshatriya and he
a Brahmin and hence the
direction of the Pooja should be the
reverse!
Swamiji remarked that this was like a sculptor
saying that the consecrated
image was his own product and hence he need not
worship that murti in
the temple.Or in the present case that the
Navaratri dolls were afterall
bought by us in shops and so they need not be
worshipped by us.
He emphasised that it is not the individual
but the position he occupies
which creates reverance.Thus when it is said that a
king is like Vishnu
(NA-vishNuh Prthvipatih) it means that
once he occupies that seat he
should act with the same impartiality towards
all.Swamiji asked us to
note that unlike as in English the Sanskrit word
PrajAh means both
children and subjects.(Like the Tamil word
makkal) Thus the king
should
discipline the subjects (Siksha means both teaching
and punishment)
the same way he would his children.
There are so many aspects of our culture which have
stood the test of time
but which are being abandoned by us because we do
not bother to inquire
into their purpose.
SRI RANGPRIYA MAHAGURAVE
NAMAH!
"Of all activity, this is the supreme dharma: to perceive the Self through yoga." -- Yoga Yajnavalkya
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