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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00096 Oct 2004

 
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Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

The following information is quite interesting. I read this in the book 
‘kOdhaiyin paadhai’ by vaikunthavaasi sriman mukkoor lakshmee 
narasimhaachaariaar [ref page 156 volume 1]. I thought I can share with you all.

 

Few dhEvathaas were discussing under a tree, on the gaayathree manthram saying 
this manthra is 

*       thripadha gayathree,  
*       ashtaaksharaa gaayathree, 
*       chathurvigumsath aksharaani gaayathree etc.  

This means gaayathree manthram has three parts. One part has eight aksharaas or 
letters; in all there are 24 letters in the manthram etc. The tree under which 
these dhEvathaas were talking was having circular leaves. When they were 
talking like this, the leaves suddenly changed themselves into three in one 
place on a sprout and three part leaves - [3 ilai oru kambil or oru koththil, 
oru ilaikku 3 kooRu]. the dhEvathaas discussing were taken by surprise on this 
sudden change. Since dhEvathaas said thripadhaa gaayathree – these leaves also 
changed into three, having three parts. 

 

That tree is the palaasa tree. The leaves are called dharvee, which we use in 
the homams and in our religious rites. The person who uses these dharvees will 
not hear 'amangala' words – meaning- the words that are inauspicious. Because 
it is connected to gaayathree. Since the tree had good hearing capacity the 
tree changed like this when the dhEvathaas were discussing. 

 

That is why a palaasa dhandam – a stick of palaasa tree is given to the 
brahmachari during the upanayanam and during the thalai aavaNi avittam. 
[Upanayanam means leading]. The meaning for giving this palaasa stick to the 
brahmachaari boy is to signify he must also receive or have the capacity to 
receive the vEdha and the teachings from the guru like the palaasa tree which 
changed.

 

This also adds to the theory that trees and vegetation also has life and 
hearing power etc. by hearing music trees grow well is also a modern theory. 
that has some basis is clear from this point  given by sree swamy.

 

Many a times we do some thing without knowing the meaning. One such is holding 
the palaasa stick during upanayanam. Perhaps after this we will do it more 
consciously, and knowing the meaning of such rituals.

 

Dhaasan

 

 Vasudevan m.g.

 

 



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