Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra
Mahadesikaya nama:
The Famous Five--V (Concluding Part)
What is Strength to a King? Is it mere muscle, brawn and
vast armies? No, says Vidura, telling Dhritaraashtra that Strength is of Five
kinds? 1.
The availability of wise and
mature advisers?Amaatya balam 2.
A well-endowed Treasury?Dhana balam 3.
Descent from a
distinguished royal family?Aabhijaatyam 4.
Praggyaa
Balam or the strength of intellect
and 5.
Physical strength, as
represented by armies and abundance of brawn. Deities with Five Faces Gaayatri
Devi is said to have five faces, according to the Gaayatryashtakam??Gaayatreem Harivallabhaam trinayanaam panchaananaam?. Interestingly, the mantra is supposed to be divided into five during Japam, with breaks after
the Pranavam, the three Vyaahritis and the three parts of the Gaayatri mantra.
If Gaayatri japam is done in the prescribed manner, it would rid us of the
gravest of sins and if not, prove counterproductive, say
Shastras? ?Panchaavasaana
Gaayatree pancha paataka naasinee Panchaavasaana
heena tu pancha paataka daayinee?. Another deity
often depicted with five faces is Sri Hanumaan. Speaking of Siriya Tiruvadi, let us enjoy a beautiful
tribute by Kamban to the Vaanara
Veera, with a repeated and effective use of Number Five? ?Anjile ondru
pettraan anjile ondrai taavi anjile ondraar
aana aariyarkkaaga egi anjile ondru
pettra anangai kandu anjile ondrai
vaittaan avan nammai alitthu kaappaan? Though this appears cryptic, it is really simple, and is
based on the Five Elements or Pancha Bhootaas. ?Anjile ondru pettraan? refers to
Hanumaan being the son of Vaayu, one of the five elements. ?anjile ondrai taavi? portrays his act of
leaping across the skies?(Aakaasam,
another of the five elements)?to reach Lanka, in search of Sri Mythily. ?anjile ondraar aana Ariyaarkkaaga?-Though the brothers Rama
were only four at birth, Rama, in a display of His infinite love and mercy,
adopted the lowly hunter Guha as His own brother, saying ?Ninnodum iyvar aanom?. It is for this
Magnificent Monarch Rama, that Maaruti crossed the ocean to Lanka. ?Anjile ondru pettra Anangu? refers to Sita Devi, who
is none other than the daughter of Bhoomi Piraatti (another of the Pancha
Bhootas). ?Anjile ondrai vaitthaan?
commemorates Hanuman?s act of setting Lanka on fire (the fifth
element). Shiva is also
a deity with Five Faces, we are told by
the Sri Venkateswara Suprabhaatha Stotram, which says that all deities including
Shiva, Brahma, Shanmukha, Indra, et
al crowd the doors of the Tirumala temple, singing the praises of the Lord
of Seven Hills??Panchaanana abja bhava
Shanmukha Vaasavaadyaa: Trivikramaadi
charitam vibudhaa: stuvanti?. These faces of Mahadeva are known as Sadyojaatam, Vaamadevam, Tatpurusham,
Aghoram and Eesaanam. Five in Tiruppaavai The fifth
paasuram of Tiruppaavai eulogizes five forms of the
Lord? 1.Maayan, 2.Mannu Vada
3.Tooya peru
neer Yamunai turaivan, 4.Aayar
kulatthinil tondrum ani vilakku, 5.Taayai kudal
vilakkam seida Damodaran. The latter half of the paasuram depicts five forms of service or kainkaryam to
the Lord? 1.
Tooyomaai
vandu, 2.
Toomalar
toovi, 3.
Tozhudu,
4.
Vaayinaal
Paadi, 5.
Manatthinaal
chintikka. The close association of Tiruppavai with Number Five is
brought out in the verse, ?Iyyayndum
Iyndum ariyaada maanidarai vaiyyam sumappadum vambu?. When speaking of ten,
Sri Nammazhwar too puts it as a multiple of five??Iyndinoodu iyndum vallaar?. The Dvaya
Mantram, with its 25 letters, is described by Swami Desikan as five times four
plus five??Mukuundan isaittu arul seida
iynnaal iyndum? Five Holy Women ?Pancha kanyaa smaren nityam mahaa paataka
naasanam? says the Scripture, telling us to think daily of the glory of
five great specimens of womanhood? ?Ahalya Droupati
Sita Taara Mandodari tathaa Pancha kanyaa: smaren nityam mahaa
paataka naasanam? Another grouping of five deities which is supposed to be
an instant purifier, is as follows: ?Gaayatreem
Tulaseem Gangaam Kaamadhenum Arundhateem Pancha
maatroon smaren nityam mahaa paataka naasanam. Speaking of women, here is something to make their
hearts burn with envy: Paying tributes to Aamaruviappan at Terazhundur, Sri
Tirumangai Mannan incidentally comments on the beautiful womenfolk of Azhundur.
Their hair had five divine characteristics,
according to Azhwar? 1.
Fragrance (natural and not
due to the use of aromatics) 2.
Darkness (natural and not
owing to application of dyes) 3.
Density 4.
Silkiness/Suppleness
and 5.
Sweetness which attracted
bees in droves. It can be noted that all the desirable characteristics
of female hair, which women strive today to achieve or at least simulate through
the application of shampoos, conditioners, dyes, lotions, potions, etc., were
present naturally in the damsels of Azhundur, so much so that bees found their
hair more attractive than
flowers??Ambaraavum kan madavaar iympaal
anayum Azhundur?. Women?s hair is
also known as ?Iympaal?, as it is
tied in five different ways Bhaktisaara?s Favourite Number Tirumazhisai Piraan makes much of a play with Number
Five. His very first verse of Tirucchandaviruttam begins with ?Poo nilaaya iyndumaai?, referring to the
five characteristics possessed by the first of elements, viz., Earth. The second
verse too has a lot to say about five??Aarum aarum aarumaai, or iyndum iyndum iyndumaai?.
Three groups of five are referred to here.
1.
The Pancha Maha Yagyas, of which the
Lord is the object of worship 2.
The Five Fires which form His body, like
other sentient beings and non-sentient objects 3.
The Five Aahutis (?Praanaaya svaahaa?, etc.) with which
food is offered to His form as the Antaryaami. Azhwar refers to five more quintets in the third
paasuram? ?Iyndum Iyndum
Iyndumaagi?. The three more groups of five described here
are 1.
the five elements?Air, Water,
Fire, Earth and Atmosphere 2.
the five Gnaana Indriyas?Skin, Eyes, Ears, Tongue
and Nose 3.
the five Karma Indriyas?Speech, hands, legs and
the two excretory organs 4.
the five Tanmaatrams?Sabda, Sparsa, Roopa, Rasa
and Gandha Tanmaatrams 5.
the Five Shaktis of the
Lord?the divine form of Para Vasudeva is said to be of these five
shaktis. The Touch of Five According to the Vaartthaamaalai, Prapannas should avoid
the asociation of five items??Prapannanukku anju sparsam parihaaryam saiva
sparsam, Maayaavaada Sparsam, Ekaayaana Sparsam, Upaayaantara Sparsam,
Vishayaantara Sparsam?. The prescription for remaining unaffected by the
touch of these five is enumerated by the same work, as follows: ?Emperumaanudaya sarvasmaat paratvattai
anusandhikka saiva sparsam pom: samasta kalyaana gunangalai anusandhikka maayaa
vaada sparsam pom: Sriya: Patitvattai ninaikka Ekaayana sparsam arum: Upaaya
poorttiyai anusandhikka upaayaantara sparsam arum: Divya mangala vigrahattai
anusandhikka vishayaantara sparsam pom? The Mahabharata catalogues five types of sinners, with
whom we should not even converse?those who kill Brahmins, those guilty of
killing cows, adulterers, those living off women and those who are
insincere. Panchaaksharam The five letters which form the core, the very essence
of the Ashtaakshara mantram are
depicted by the Upanishad thus??Naaraayanaaya it panchaaksharaani?. In
Saara Sangraham, Swami Desikan tells
us the glory of these five letters??Iyndu
ezhutttile aparicchinnamaana parama
purushaarttha sambandhattai ugandu?. Another famous mantram of five letters is that relating
to Rudra. Five Ways of Distribution of
Wealth One?s Wealth is to be divided into and spent for five
purposes, if we are to lead a comfortable existence here in this world and in
the worlds above, says the Bhaagavata Puraanam. The first and foremost item for
which wealth is to be allocated is Dharmam or charity. One-fifth is to be spent
on earning fame, one-fifth on things of one?s desire, one-fifth on one?s family
and friends and the balance one-fifth should be saved for rainy
days? ?Dharmaaya yasase
kaamaaya svajanaaya cha Panchadhaa vibhajan vittam ihaamutra cha
modate? Secular Significance Wikipedia mentions several other reasons for the
significance of Number 5. The Five Pillars of Islam
is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. These duties
are 1.
Shahadah (profession of faith),
2.
Salah (ritual prayer),
3.
Zakat (alms tax),
4.
Sawm (fasting during Ramadan),
and 5.
Hajj (pilgrimage
Mecca). Muslims offer Namaaz or prayer five times a
day. The Bible
consists of five principal books?Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, which are collectively called the
Five Books of Moses. The Japanese names for
the days of the week, Tuesday through Saturday, come from the elements of
nature, via the identification of the elements with the five planets visible to
the naked eye. The Japanese calendar has a five-day weekly cycle that can be
still observed in printed mixed calendars combining Western and Japanese
systems. .
The Olympic Games have
five interlocked rings as their symbol, representing the number of inhabited
continents represented by the Olympians (counting North And South Americas as
one continent). To remind you of
elementary Geography, the Oceans in the world are again Five?the Indian Ocean,
the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Artic and the Antartic. The hand has five
fingers? ?Mani bandhaat aakanishttam
karasya karabho bahi: Pancha shaakha: saya: Paani: Tarjanee
syaat pradarsinee? (Amarakosham) Which of these fingers is
the greatest? Well, there was an argument among the fingers, as to their
relative importance. The thumb said, ?When the palm is closed, it is I who tower
head and shoulders above you people. So I am definitely greater than all of
you?. The finger next to the thumb said, ?People know of things only because I
point them out. As I aid in cognition, I am surely the greatest?. The third
finger said, ?I am the tallest of you all and this is itself testimony of my
superiority?. The Ring Finger retorted, ?Does anyone think of adorning any of
you with a ring? I am the automatic choice whenever anyone thinks of a ring.
Only the best is rewarded and so am I the greatest?. The Little Finger said, ?I
may not possess any of your superlative features. However, I am extremely
contented because whenever the palms fold in obeisance before the Lord, it is I
who lead the pack of fingers and stand first in expressing my devotion?.
Buddhism requires its
adherents to eschew Five Great Sins? 1.
destruction of living
creatures 2.
stealing from
others 3.
sexual
misconduct 4.
incorrect speech
and
Well, it would appear
that the possibilities of Five are indeed endless? if we scour the scriptures
sincerely, we would definitely come up with any number of items involving this
great number. As it is, I have had to discard quite a few clues dealing with
Five, for fear of too much elaboration, as this piece has already run to 38
pages and more than 10000 words. Because of this, Pancha Tantra, Pancha Sheela,
Panchaagni Vidya, Pancha Maha Paatakas, Pancha Dakshina, etc. have all faced the
guillotine. In view of all this, how
true is the Upanishadic saying, ? ?Paanktam vaa idam sarvam? (All this is
verily made up of Five)! Srimate Sri
LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra
Mahadesikaya nama: dasan,
sadagopan
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