Hinduism

‘Vaikuntha Ekadasi’ and its importance

“Kalabhooshanam” Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar

The “Vaikuntha Ekadasi” fast will be observed at Arulmiku Sri Poomineeladevi Pathmavathy Kothanayaki Samatha Sri Venkatesvara Maha Vishnu Thevasthanam, Mutuwal, Colombo 15, from Tuesday 06.01.2009 to Thursday 08.01.2009. The members of the Board of Trustees have made elaborate arrangements in view of this Ekadasi fast.

Furthermore, the Vaikuntha Ekadasi which falls in the month of Markazhi - December is devotedly observed particularly in all the Vaishnava temples. On this sacred day, the devotees fast the whole day without drinking any water and vigil throughout the night singing Vaishnava bhajans, Kirtans leading to prayer and meditations.

The vigil at night helps man to remain wakeful in the midst of the darkness of ignorance.

In fact, this Vaikuntha Ekadasi fast is also observed at Sri Vallipura Alvar Vishnu temple in Point Pedro Varatharaja Venkatesa Perumal kovil in Jaffna, Nedimal Kovil in Dehiwela and various other Vishnu temples in Sri Lanka and abroad.

According to historians 3,000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Sri Krishna took a Divine birth in the Indian City of Madurai. Scriptures call him “Purna Avatara”, that is the full manifestation of God. Lord Krishna was a teacher and loves of mankind. He is accessible to the pure hearted who have cultivated true love for him.

Sri Krishna is the greatest Karma of all times. He was the friend of 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.

In fact, 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, he is the object of devotion. He descended to earth as a great Hero to save mankind and to establish Dharma. The Padma Purana mentions the importance of Ekadasi fast and how Lord Vishnu destroyed the Demon Mura.

The demon Mura had gained great strength with which he terrorised the devas and the sages. As such, they appealed to Lord Shiva for protection. Shiva wanted them to approach Lord Vishnu who promised to protect them.

The war began and was raging as Vishnu wielded His weapon, the Chakra against Mura and retired to the cave Simhavati in the Badrika Ashrama and lay asleep. Mura pursued and attacked Him. Herer a beautiful girl Sakthi emerged from Vishnu’s body, challenged Musa, who defiantly pushed her aside.

But at a sound from Sakthi, the Asura was burnt to death. When Lord Vishnu wakeup, he saw the exploits and named the Sakthi as Ekadasi. It is further said that the first Ekadasi appeared in the dark half of Margali.

Lord Vishnu in this story signifies the life principle, while Mura represents the Tamo Guna, the ignorance which surrounds one. When the tamasic and rajasic qualities within are subdued, through fast and prayer, are develops, a great deal of strength which helps to remove the asuric forces within and evils around.

Indeed, Fastings denotes abstinence in food combined with prayer and meditations. Further, fasting purifies the mind and heart and thereby make one to become conducive to prayer and meditation. Thus our ancients designed fasts like the Vaikuntha Ekadasi as a training period, as a means of tapas, which would help develop a more purposeful life and ensures a healthy constitutions and spiritual progress.

Furthermore, he who observes Ekadasi with piety and solemnity will Vaikuntha and ultimately becomes one with Sri Krishna.

Understanding Hinduism 11:

Spirit - another factor

K S Sivakumaran

The humans should consider themselves as someone separate from the body and mind. All sages have insisted on this reality. This is perhaps the recurring theme in Hinduism. The teachers repeat this observation. But the materialists find it almost impossible even to imagine such an attitude.

This proposition would appear an absurd theory to many of the materialists.

A Being with Body and Mind could only be a non-entity. Assuming such a Being would result in non-feeling and non-thinking. The materialist would say that it is as good as non-existence. At the same time no one can dispute the force of this reasoning.

Birth is the continuation of certain materials and forces. And death is the destruction of the same materials and forces. It could be demonstrated and easily understood- - all physical sciences point to this conclusion.

To the materialist the scientists are as good as seers of truth. But we can reverse to another factor. Reasoning is the result of thinking. Thinking is a result of feeling. It is also possible to push our argument a little further and assert that there could be a stage when feeling too is absent.

To illustrate: a child in the final stages of forming inside the mother’s womb. The child may be a Yogi in Nirvihatpa Samadhi. In that stage all animation had been suspended but not non-existent. Memory had not developed in the child when it was in the mother’s womb. Therefore it cannot remember things. What the child thinks and feels is beyond our own experiences.

But examples of our direct experience we can point out that when we sleep sometimes we have dreamless sleep. Even when the doctor certifies that a person is dead it is only an apparent death. In all these instances we cannot use the word non - existence because when the obstacles are removed the Being is recognised. The argument of the materialist is therefore not as formidable as it first appeared to be.

The sages probably did not want the humans to identify themselves with body which is destructible and a mind that is not stable. Body and mind are useful in acquiring bondage but have to be abandoned at the inevitable hour. The suggestions of the sages were to break a restraint - to return to reality and freedom casting away the sheets that have the real humans.

This is a work of a lifetime and constant practice. We have neither the time nor the brain to understand until the last moment or movement. What we care for and experience is the struggle of animal existence. In the full blaze of reality which the sages perceived the substantiality: shadows of body and mind disappear. It is the Spirit alone that matters.

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The six abodes on earth of God Murugan

Thilaka V. Wijeyaratnam

Swamimalai or Thiruverakam is in the Tanjore District. The mythology concerned with this sacred shrine is as follows:

Once at Mt. Kailas Lord Murugan and His celestial playmates were playing, when all the devas came to worship God Siva. Seeing the boy God Murugan, they worshipped Him and went. But Brahma ignored Him because He was a child and left. In order to teach him humility Lord Murugan called him and asked him to chant the Vedas. Brahma started to chant the Vedas by saying ‘Aum’.

Then Lord Murugan asked him the meaning of the Pranava Mantram ‘Aum’. Brahma could not explain it. Lord Murugan asked him how he could perform the function of creation without knowing the meaning of ‘Aum’.

Brahma hung his head ashamed. Lord Murugan knocked on each of his four heads and put him in prison. He then undertook to perform the function of creation. Devotees say people created by Brahma had different skin colours while in Lord Murugan’s creation all were fair skinned.

The devas were worried about Brahma being in prison. They appealed to Lord Siva and on His intervention Brahma was released. By this incident in mythology one comes to understand that ego leads to downfall.

God Siva was much amused by His young son’s action. He asked Lord Murugan whether He knows the meaning of the Pranava Mantram ‘Aum’. Lord Murugan answered in the affirmative. God Siva asked Him to tell Him the meaning. Lord Murugan agreed to do so provided He be the Guru and God Siva in the stance of a disciple. Amused God Siva bent His head and listened to the child God preaching.

This incident happened at the shrine at Thiruverakam or Swamimalai. As Lord Murugan played the part of a guru it is also known as Gurumalai. As Lord Murugan preached to His father (Thanthai) He got the name of Thahappan (father) Swami and also Swaminathan. On the inner walls of the temple this mythological story is beautifully illustrated.

Lord Murugan did not punish Brahma for ignoring Him. He wanted to insist on the fact that ego cannot lead one to God. Only if the soul is free from impurities can it reach divinity. The worst of the impurities being ego. This is only personified in most of the mythological stories as Asuras who are finally vanquished by the Gods Siva, Vishnu, Ganesha or Lord Muruga and the Goddesses Durga, Aadiparasakthi with their weapons of knowledge.

Once they gain true knowledge, ego vanishes. Even as light dispels darkness so does knowledge dispels the darkness of ignorance which is symbolised by ego. Most Hindu festivals are celebrated with lighting of lamps for this reason.

The fifth abode of Lord Murugan is a series of shrines in mountainous areas. Of these the famous one is Thiruthanikai.

It is in the chengalpat district. There is a belief that God Murugan in this shrine grants the boons His devotees ask for.

It seemed once when saint Arunagirinather and his team of devotees were on their way to this shrine singing devotional songs. Certain individuals scoffed and scorned them and their songs. Hurt by these insults saint Arunagirinather sang a song meaning -

Thou who would destroy the bullies, enemies, Those who laugh and scorn us,

May this song called “Thirupuhal” be fire to them Even as he completed the first four lines of the song the offenders were all burnt to ashes. When the saint sang the next four lines meaning Lord Murugan will vanquish fire, the bad lot came back to life and became His devotees. Such is the power of that place. Many miracles are said to have happened in this shrine.

There is an amusing incident that seemed to have happened here. Some devotees were going in a group singing devotional songs and one devotee who was very hungry was staggering unable to walk.

When the devotees shouted in a chorus “Haro Hara to Murugan” this hungry man shouted, “Haro hara to idly and coffee.” They had hardly gone a few steps when an old man stopped them all and distributed parcels of food (idly and coffee) to them. He later disappeared. Devotees averred it was Lord Murugan in the guise of the old man who fed them. This seemed to have happened in circa 1950.

There is a reason for the name Thiruthanikai. “Thanithal’ means cooling down. Lord Murugan after His war with Surapathman was seething with fury. He got over His anger in this shrine which was originally known as Cheruthani (cheru - anger, thani - cool down). It is now Thiruthanikai. Here the deity is an embodiment of peace. So those who are troubled in life find peace (shanthi) here.

Of the festivals of this temple, the most famous is the one in July (Aadi-July to August).

Lakhs of people crowd there during the Tamil month of Aadi with varieties of cavadi shouting “Haro Hara”.

Fireworks are also displayed and people say at no other shrines of Lord Murugan is the festival conducted so wonderfully as in this temple.

The sixth and the last abode of Lord Murugan is at Palamuthirsolai, also known as Alagar Kovil. It is in the Madurai District.

A garden where ripe fruits drop in plenty. This is the shrine where temples for Lord Vishnu and Lord Murugan are found proving the fact that there is unity between Saivaism and Vaishnavaism.

Towards the Sanga period - the last one, there was a woman poet called Avvai. She was a Tamil scholar and poet. She was an ardent devotee of Lord Muruga. Once she was going down this place - Palamuthirsolai, when she thought of resting under a tree. There was a small boy on the tree. He looked down and calling her ‘grandmother’ asked if she wanted fruits to eat. She wanted.

Then he asked whether she wanted hot ones or cool ones. Thinking he was joking she answered, “Drop me hot ones”. The boy shook the branch of the black berry tree (Naval - Dhang tree).

The black berries ripe ones fell down. As they fell on the sand, Avvai took them and blew the sand stick to the fruits.

The boy asked, “Grandmother are the fruits so hot” - Avvai realised the boy has out - witted her. When she asked who he was, Lord Murugan revealed His form on a peacock. It is through her Lord Murugan gifted so many moral proverbs and songs Avvaiyar composed.

By asking her questions Murugan brought out some gems of philosophy for the people. For instance He asked her what is the cruellest thing? She answers:

“Asks thee what is cruel O thou with a long spear.

Cruel it is to be poor,

That too poverty in youth, Worse still is an incurable illness, Worse than that is a loveless woman, Worst of all is to accept food from her hand”

He further asks - What is sweet?

Dost thou want to know what is sweet, O! one with a single long spear, Sweet it is to be alone, Sweeter it is to worship God, Yet more sweet to associate with the learned, Sweetest it is to be with them in dream and life. He asks a third question. What is great?

Thou dost ask what is great? O! one with a single long spear like a fire brand,

Great is the world.

But the world is created by Brahma, And he originated from Vishnu’s Navel, Vishnu sleeps in a large ocean, This ocean was contained in the palm of the dwarfish sage Agastiyar, Agastiyar manifested from a pot, So the pot is great but even that is made of clay - earth Which is borne on the head of the snake Aadiseshan Who is like a ring round Uma’s little finger

Uma is the left side of Lord Siva, So Siva is great but He too is found within the heart of a devotee, So finally the devotees are really the great ones.

Lord Murugan further questions her.

What is rarest?

She answers, “Ask thee for the rarest, O! owner of a linear spear, Rare Oh rare is to be born a human And that too from being stooped, blind, deaf and be born an ali (hermaphrodite), Even then learning and knowleddge are rarer still, Rarer still is one to do charity and tapas by oneself.

If that happens, Heavens will open the doors to one!

Thus through Avvai, Lord Murugan has taught what is most cruel on earth, what is sweetest on earth, what is great on earth and what is rarest on earth. It is food for thought to all readers.

Here too the ripe fruits dropped down, so the name for the place. This sacred place is not only famous for the Vishnu Temple and Murugan Temple and for the ripe fruits dropping down but also the place where through the poet Avvai, Lord Murugan has given a lesson to the people of mundane desires.

The six shrines are not sat up as camps to lay siege on any Asura. In each sacred shrine Lord Murugan has enlightened the people on the truth - As long as there is ego no man can realise God. Besides He abides there to grant boons to His devotees and to bestow grace upon them.

So like one experienced poor who can guide his fellow men to where and where are there generous men, an experienced devotee can guide fellow devotees to the particular shrine that can grant their particular wish.