HINDUISM

The annual festival of historical Vallipura Alvar Vishnu Temple

Kalabhooshanam Chalvatamby Maniccavasagar

The annual festival of the ancient and historical Vallipura Alvar Vishnu temple at Point Pedro commenced with the hoisting of the flag on Tuesday 30.09.2008 and will conclude with the water cutting ceremony on 14.10.2008 in the sacred tank (kerni).

According to history 3000 years ago before Christ, Sri Krishna took a Divine Birth in the Indian City of Madura, scriptures call him Purna Avatara, that is the full manifestations of God Lord Krishna was a teacher and loves of mankind. He is most accessible to the pure hearted who have cultivated true love for him. The simple, rustic cowherd boys and girls took liberties with Sri Krishna who engaged the sport in this company.

Further, Sri Krishna is the greatest Karma Yogi of all times. He was the friend of the poor whom he protected from the oppressors. He was the embodiment of humility. His immortal teachings and Karma Yoga, Bhakthi and Gnana have no parallel in religious literature.

The Bhagavata Purana, the Vishnu Purana and the Mahabharatha proclaim that there was none to match Sri Krishna in beauty, in wisdom and perfection. His enchanting form with flute in one hand is worshipped by millions in India and Sri Lanka.

Sri Krishna was the towering genius of his age. He embodied in himself all the great qualities of the head, heart and hand. Every word of his teachings and every act of his life was full of substance and meaning. In the Mahabharatha battle he was a charioteer to Arjuna and when Arjuna saw his relations and cousins Duryodanas in the battle ground he was reluctant to fight and absolutely paralysed by doubts.

At that time, Lord Krishna got rid of his doubts and taught him the immortal teaching of Bhagawad Geetha and enlightened him.

The annual Chariot Festival of Sri Muthukumaran Temple Hunupitiya Wattala was held recently. O.I.C. Kiribathgoda Police Chaminda Edirisinghe, P.S. Senadeera and Temple Trustee Board member M. Mani were also present. - Pic. by Nimal Perera, Wattala group corr.	The annual “Ther” Festival of Sri Sarvartha Sithi Vinayagar Kovil took place recently. Here the colourfully decorated chariot is being taken in procession from the kovil premises around the street. - Pic. by A. Maduraveeran

Further Lord Krishna was considered to be the preserver of the universe, the embodiment of the qualities of mercy and goodness.

As the preserver of the universe Lord Vishnu is the object of devotion. he descended to earth as a great Hero to save mankind establish Dharma.

Furthermore, during the chariot or Ther festival the statue of Lord Vishnu is decorated and illuminated and taken along the streets in a chariot followed by Poojas and Bhajans. When the chariot carved out of pure silver and laden with gold deities studded with diamonds, rubies, amethyst etc. moving slowly from the temple, will symbolise peace, communal harmony and prosperity.

The chariot symbolises human body and the statue of Lord Vishnu is the soul. In front of the chariot are the wooden horses depicted as galloping and the ruins attached to this mounts are held in the hands of the image of Lord Vishnu.

These horse represent human passion and the reins symbolise the necessity of restraining and guiding these passions. The journey of the chariot through the streets symbolises the progress of life. This shows that throughout his life a man must control and guide his passions.

Furthermore, the Chief Trustee of Sri Vallipura Alvar Swamy Kovil E. Annalingam and members of the Board of Trustee, Hindu priests and all other officials of this temple are rendering remarkable spiritual serve to the devotees irrespective of caste and creed.

In fact, the people of Vadamarachchi fervently hope and pray that Lord Vishnu will show His universal love and compassion, so that we may be bathed by His Divine glory and spiritual splendour to welcome the present agony prevailing in this country and acquire spiritual attainments, peace, happiness and prosperity.

Understanding Hinduism – 6:

Rituals are not redundant

K.S. Sivakumaran

The average Hindus consider God as tangible. The reality for them in this world is illusion. They do not have an ulterior motive in loving God. They love Him or Her as lover. They offer flowers, incense and the like when they are emotionally mad in love with the Almighty. Except for a few the others who would fall back to some sort of rituals.

From birth to death the Hindus follow a series of rituals and ceremonies. If the individual is of a very high birth that person has to observe a greater number of rituals. These are followed even after the person’s death.

As a rule the sons should perform certain rites for the benefit of the departed soul of their parents. The rituals form an integral part of the daily life of the Hindus. These rituals are meaningful and are necessary for the well-being of the ancient Hindus particularly.

The external nature surrounding them influenced them immensely. Sometimes it was favourable to them, but at times it was antagonistic. Therefore they thought it was necessary to keep it in good form. All manifestations of nature were personified. Mythology and rituals followed.

The Puranas speak of 330 million Devas and six million Manthras, Yanthras and innovations. From the time of the Rig Vedas to the present is a very long period. But within this period human thought and conceptions have considerably changed.

The great Yagas of the ancient Hindu are practically extinct now. At the same time some are continued in an abridged form even to this day in the temples, at weddings and funerals and on ceremonial occasions like house warming jut to mention a few.

The sophisticated Hindus at present who hold rationalistic views may consider the rituals as necessary evil. But the truth is the humankind is not only a bundle of bones and flesh but also mass of emotions. If we look deeply emotion is much pronounced in the refined persons than in the savages.

We all know that if a religion is rich in mythology and rituals then it would be a source of sublime poetry music dancing painting etc. It will give birth to refined sciences like Mesmerism, Hypnotism, Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Magic, Trance, and Philosophy. And it will help the mind to concentrate for a considerable time on a given subject.

Concentration is the key to knowledge. And it would appear that the great truths revealed by the Rishis of old came as inspiration and were the direct outcome of these mythologies and rituals.

We do not know how the human mind works and how these mythologies and rituals triggered the power house of wisdom to open.

The fact remains that the greatest of spiritual giants, poets, artistes, Yogis and Gnanis were the production of this mythological and ritualistic religion.

Stop for a moment and think of the Upanishads and Brahma Sutras on the philosophical level:

The Mahabharatha and the Ramayana on the epic level and the innumerable works of art and the sciences, music and the like of the ancients have left behind a heritage. The wealth of knowledge in the religion is the standing witness and the continual existence of Hinduism. The religion is sustained by rituals and mythologies. They give sustenance to a Hindu.

[email protected]
 

Saint Manikavasagar an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva

Hindu Saints and Bakthi Cult - 3:

T.V. Vijayaratnam

Dr. Saravapillai Radhakrishnan said of Hinduism, “Hindu religion can be described in one sentence that is do the right.”

That was exactly what the Saiva saints said in all their Thevaranms or Hindu hymns. Venning said of saints, “Some rivers pass through others without mingling with them. Just so should a saint pass through this world.” So did the sixty three canonised saints of Saivasm and the Alvars (Vaishnava Saints). Their lives exemplified this principle.

The Saiva and Vaishnava Saints extolled the virtues of Hinduism as Sanadana Dharma or eternal religion. And in Swami Dayananada’s words, “It is a set of universal doctrines which belong to all countries and all men, which were accepted in the past, are being accepted in the present, and shall be accepted in the future......”

Saint Manikavasagar

Likewise Saint Manickavasagar the fourth Archarya or Preceptor of the Saiva Canons lived in exemplary life, and like the other saints moved in the world without mingling with the crowd, but leading men on the righteous path of worshipping Lord Siva and living righteously.

Saint Manickavasagar was born in Thiruvadavur near Madurai in a Brahmin family. He was known as Thiruvathavurar as his proper name was not known. He grew up as a well versed man in both secular arts and sacred lore.

The Pandiya ruler at Madurai heard of his sacred knowledge and appointed him as his Chief Minister. The title of Thennavan Brahma Rayar (Prince of Spiritual Wisdom) was conferred on him by the Pandya King.

By 846 AD the Chola dynasty was re-established and in the following century it became one of the greatest empires of South India.

The Pandya King’s new minister whose natural name was Thiruvathavurar because of his birth place, did well in the new post. Legend has it that when he sang songs in praise of Lord Siva, each of his words was gem-like (manickam) and so Lord Siva named him Manickavasagar (one who utters gem like words).

Once the Pandya ruler sent him with a good amount of money to purchase a large number of war horses that had arrived from Arabia in a sea port on the Pandiya coast.

By now Thiruvathavurar was deeply immersed in his thoughts of Siva. He was longing for a Guru to gain spiritual enlightenment. Saiva religion says enlightenment comes only through a Guru who is the embodiment of the Lord Good Himself. A Guru therefore is a must for those seeking englightenment.

As the young minister passed through a place called Perunthur he heard the chanting of the scriptures. He went towards it and saw seated under a sacred Kurundu tree, a preceptor surrounded by disciples. The preceptor was no other than Lord Siva Himself in the guise of a Guru - Thadchana Murthi - to impart divine knowledge to the seeker - the young minister. Thiruvathavurar recognised the Guru and he too surrendered himself to Him. He forgot all about his mission - the king and the horses.

According to Saivaism the Guru confers all spiritual knowledge on the disciple by merely looking at him. This is called Nayanadiksha. He not only got spiritual knowledge and experience but he also got the gift of posey.

Thiruvathavurar found himself in a state of ecstasy drunk with the pleasurable knowledge of spiritual wisdom and from his lips flowed the most beautiful verses and rare charming lyrics - his gem-like utterances which earned him the title of one gem-like words Manickavasagar. Hereafter he will be referred to as Manickavasagar.

The Minister then became a mendicant and distributed all the funds for the feeding of the devotees and for renovating the Siva temple in that place.

This was duly reported to the king. He summoned Manickavasagar to his presence. Lord Siva, his Guru and Master had given a gem to be given as present to the king.

He was also asked to tell the king that the horses would be at Madurai on a particular day - Avani Moolam. The star Moolam in the Tamil month of August (Aavani) mid August - mid September.

The king was pleased but as the horses did not come on the day, he threw Manickavasagar into prison as a punishment. He prayed to God Siva to save him. However, on that particular day Lord Siva came in the guise of a horse rider and the legend says,

Lord Shiva in Nadarajah form

He converted some jackals into war horses. When the horses were paraded in front of the King by the horse rider (Lord Siva) and his retinue, the king was very much pleased. Manickavasagar was released and honoured.

The happiness of the king was short lived for at night the horses took the form of jackals and ran away from the stable after hurting the horses there.

This made the king to conclude that Manickavasagar had played a trick on him, the king. He was more severely punished. Manickavasagar again prayed. Lord Siva performed a miracle.

He caused the river Vaihai to breach the bunds and the city was under water. The citizens were allotted certain areas of the bund to repair it. There lived then an old woman by the name of Vandhi who made and sold pittu for a living.

As she was too old she could not repair the portion allotted to her. She beseeched the Lord God to send a helper and Lord Siva took the form of a labourer and offered to work for her, if she would give him a meal of pittu. She readily agreed.

But the labourer was idle. He would take a basket of sand to the spot and then play around the sleep. The labourer was reported to the King. And the furious king thrashed the idle labourer with a cane. The stroke of the cane was felt on all living beings including the king himself. The king realised that it was the act of God to show His intercession on behalf of Manickavasagar or Manivasagar and released him from his services to the state.

So, like his processors Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar the mendicant Manivasagar also visited the Siva shrines in the country singing the praise of God.

His creations are collectively called “Thiruvasagam”.

It is said of Thiruvasagam, “One who does not melt at the words of Thiruvasagam can melt at now other composition.”

Thiruvasagam is such a soulful rendering of songs. In one of his compositions he challenges God, “God in this life I got you the Almighty, the Transcendent, the Glorious, the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent trapped in my heart but O! Lord thou got only me, the insignificant drop in the ocean of life.” “Who is the winner pray?” asks the Saint. These lines show the love, devotion and dedication he had for Lord Siva.

The Saint, it is said lived for thirty two years and the day when he merged with the Pramathama is said to be a day in the Tamil month of Aani - June (between June 15 - July 15). Under the auspices star of Maham He attained Moksha.

Saint Manickavasagar too performed miracles but the incidents are not that many as in the lives of the other saints. Manivasaga had sung 51 poems in Thiruvasagam with 656 verses in 3394 lines.

His last days were at Chithambaram in the Chola country. His compositions Thirupalli Eluchi and Thiru Empavai have a ritualistic and social value among the Saiva people. These songs are sung in the Tamil month of Margali, mid December - mid January. This tradition is followed by Saivaites even today.

The saint has in his living and songs led the followers in the path of gnana or realisation of God through wisdom born of His own grace. In the Sivapuranam the Saint says it is by the grace one can even pray to thee.

Manivasagar’s songs collectively called “Thiruvasagam” are distinct from the Thevaram songs. Thevarams sing the praise of God, but Thiruvasagam is the yearning of the soul in agony who wants enlightenment.

Thus the four main preceptors or Achariyas of the Saiva tradition are Sambandar, Appar, Sundarar and Manickavasagar. These Achariyas are followed by a further number of 59 Saints including two women Saints namely Karaikal Ammaiyar and Thilakavathiar.