Hinduism
Theory and practice of Hinduism
K S Sivakumaran
Is God outside the world? No. The Almighty is within us. A God may be
a female or a male. It depends on who we are. Let’s call God the
Almighty without gender bias. The omnipresence and omnipotence is
generally accepted by the Hindus.
However, that God was revealed by the sacred books- Vedas and not by
intuition of the humankind. But this fact is not taken seriously by most
of us. This is because the holy books were written by people like us.
The most we can accept is that such books were written by inspired
people. If inspiration is the source of our religious beliefs, reason
cannot aspire to sit on judgment. That is to say that we should believe
and act according to those injunctions whether we like them or not.
Unfortunately this is not practical. Every one interprets the sacred
books according to his or her knowledge and experience.
It is a fact that in Hinduism there is a great amount of tolerance
for any school of thought. There is room for the savage and the noblest
and highest saint. In fact the savage and the saint are only reflectors
of the omnipresence and have no intrinsic merits or demerits of their
own. They are only masks and the anonymous actor is the omnipotent God.
This is the general attitude of the Hindu in justification of his belief
that there could not be anything beside God.
Unfortunately this theory is not practiced by most of us. Intolerance
is observed everywhere. Each sect claims superiority over the other
sects not on open warfare but in secret contempt.
I have a feeling that Hindu Religion as practised today is more
Tantric than Upanishadic. The Tantric system does obliterate the
abstract ideal of the formless Nirguna Brahman a True Ramakrishna
Paramahamsar was Tantric in practice. But his chief disciple Swami
Vivekananda spread the Vedantic philosophy of the Upanishads in the
West. In theory the Hindus are Monists but in practice they are
Dualists.
This is because it is not easy for them to give up old traditional
beliefs that are part of the culture, temples, gods, rituals, priests
and ceremonies are indispensable for worship. That is why there is a
World for them. They have their individuality and a personal God. The
Bhagavad-Gita gives the necessary authority to lead a worldly life and
yet remain spiritual by surrendering to God everything.
One fact emerges from this analysis. Ramakrishna favoured the worship
of Kaali (Durga, Paarvathy, et al) rather than lose himself in Brahman.
He preferred to eat sugar and become sugar (Like the Being merging with
the ONE). However Ramanar favoured the Advaitha (Monism) system. Both
are considered saints by the Hindus. The important fact is that they
lived their lives that they practiced.
It is therefore clear that, that a truly religious life does not
depend on the system we follow. To some the path of devotion comes
naturally. To the others the path of analysis is easy. In fact a mixture
of both appears to be the best. That is what the great Thaayumaanavar
advocated and practiced.
The paradox is that all those saints renounced the world and led the
life of hermits.
Periya Anaikutty Swamy
Thilaka T. Wijeyeratnam
Periya Anaikutty Swamy’s Samadhi is in Mutwal, Colombo. This Swamy in
his young days was residing in Kandy. He used to roam about along the
streets in the shopping area. There was a launderer near the Kandy Lake.
He took this young boy to his house and brought him up like his own
child. The boy too helped him in his business.
The launderer gave him the nickname of Anaikutty (baby elephant).
Once when this boy went to the compound behind the house, he shouted
“snake snake.” All rushed to see it was a hoax. Three times he did this,
but no one was alarmed. The last time he went behind the house, he
didn’t come out for a long time. The launderer and others went to see if
he was there.
Heap of gold
He was not there, instead they saw a heap of gold pieces there. The
homefolk took the gold and then went in search of him. Later they found
him sleeping on the steps of a temple nearby. They begged him to come
home. He told them, “In my last birth I had to pay you a debt. That
mission is done. Now who are you? Who am I? We have nothing to do with
each other.” He was silent thereafter. The priest who saw this told them
to leave him alone and go. They did so.
Daily the boy would go to the shopping area and scraping the morsels
of food left on plantain leaves thrown away, would eat that and go back
to the temple steps. This way he brought his ego under control. By this
time he had become a Jeevan Muktha. He became a Sithar. Then he went to
India.
There he met Navanatha Sithar. Both of them and a few ‘sanyasis’ got
into a train. The station master saw this and allowing Anaikutty Swamy
and Navanatha Swamy to be in the train ordered the sanyasis to get down.
The two Sithars also got down saying they would all go or stay together.
They lit a fire in the jungle and sat around it. The train engine was
started, but the train wouldn’t move. The engine driver did his best -
the train wouldn’t move. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the
engine. But it wouldn’t move.
Realised the Cause
The station master felt that the cause must be his refusing to let
the ‘sanyasis’ travel. The railway engineer was a white man. He and some
officers went in search of the hermits, found them and fell prostrate at
their feet and begged to forgive them. “We will do as you wish,” they
said. “If you are prepared to let us travel free, give it in writing,”
said the sages. They did so. Swamy took a cigarette from the engineer,
lighted it and took a puff. The train that wouldn’t move for 3 or 4
hours puffed and started moving. This was one of the miracles performed
by the ‘sanyasis’ and the Sithars.
Lying motionless
In a place called Kapitawatte in Colombo, there was one rickshaw
puller by the name of Eanamuthu. He was a great devotee of Periya
Anaikutty Swamy. He would somehow find money to feed the Swamy.
Eanamuthu was a drunkard. And he would give Swamy what he ate and drank.
Dispassionately Swamy would consume what he gave. Eanamuthu was in
financial straits. Still he managed to feed the Swamy. Once when he
returned to his hut, he found Swamy lying motionless like a dead person.
Eanamuthu shook him but to no avail. He concluded Swamy had breathed his
last. He had no money to cremate the Swamy’s lifeless body. He thought
of setting fire to the hut itself and thought of answering questions
from the police too.
He came back ready to set fire to the hut. Before that he looked at
Swamy with tear-filled eyes. Suddenly Swamy opened his eyes and asked
why he was deep in thought. Eanamuthu fell prostrate at His feet and
cried bitterly. “Do you think I wad dead?” asked Swamy with non-chalance.
“Forgive me Swamy. I almost committed a sinful deed.” Swamy changed the
topic. “What is this? Arrack? Let us both drink.” Eanamuthu drank the
contents of the bottle. It was just cold water. Eanamuthu again cried
out of joy. “Now you will get money. Rich people will come this way,”
said Swamy. The next day rich people, traders and “mudalalis” came to
worship Swamy. Money came in plenty. Eanamuthu’s difficult days were
over. With the money received, rice would be cooked in large vessels and
the poor would be fed. Swamy also would sit among the beggars and take
part of the meal.
Eyesight restored
Once somebody brought a blind “brahmin” and left him in the hut.
Other ‘brahmins’ would send him food. He would sleep during the day and
keep up in the night. For him day and night were the same. He had some
ola leaves on which the Vedhas were written. He was able to read once
upon a time.
Eanamuthu complained to Swamy that the brahmin was a nuisance as he (Eanamuthu)
had to take him around. Swamy smiled and got some soup made. He drank it
and giving it to the brahmin told him, “You can drink this. Drink with
your eyes open.” The brahmin immediately got his eyesight. He worshipped
Swamy while tears trickled freely from his eyes. “Iyer, read the Vedhas
from those ola leaves,” told Swamy. The brahmin read aloud.
Periya Anaikutty Swamy was a regular visitor to the house of Sir Pon
Arunasalam. He would be served a meal there. One day Sir Pon Arunasalam
asked the Swamy to reveal his greatness. Swamy made him see each of His
organs separately. After that the respect Sir Pon Arunasalam had for the
Swamy rose.
The time had come for Swamy to attain Samadhi. Swamy attained the
state of Samadhi in Mutwal, Colombo. At that time, His disciple
Chithanaikutty Swamy saw an effulgence in Munneeswaram.
Sir Pon Ramanathan, Sir Pon Arunasalam and other wealthy chettys
built a Samadhi for Him at Mutwal. They also built a Pillayar Kovil over
it. (T.V.W)
Source: N. Muthiah of Athmajothi
Nakuleswaram temple in Jaffna
Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar
The chariot festival at the Nakuleswaram temple
is celebrated in an elaborate manner where devotees belonging to
different castes and religions participate in large number. The chariot
symbolises human body and the statue of Lord Shiva is the soul
Nakuleswaram which is an oldest sivan temple in Sri Lanka is situated
in the north of the main town of Jaffna and is closer to the Port city
of Kankesanthurai. It is dedicated to main deity in Saivism Lord Shiva
and is very closer to a mineral water spring called Keerimalai reputed
for its curative resources. There is also a cave complex nearly believed
to have been used for meditation by a mythical sage called Nagula Muni.
God Siva |
A local myth states that a Pandiyan Princess named Maruthapura
Veeravalli built the nearly Maviddapuram Murukan temple after she was
cured by the Keerimalai Springs.
The entire temple complex seems to have been built around the cave
and the curative springs indicate the pre historic origin of the shrine.
The antiquity in this temple is evidenced by the writings in many
Indian religious treatises, such as Dakshina Kailasa Puranam and Skanda
Puranam and also it states that the temple was a pilgrimage centre for
the South Indian Hindu.
Some traditions relating to the origins of Nakuleswaram were recorded
in the Yal Panam Vai Pavamalai. During the 18th century when Yalpana
Vaipavamalai was written, there was no temple at Keerimalai. The old
temple at the site had been destroyed by the Portuguese. but, memories
of that temple had persisted in the minds of the people and the site
where it had stood was venerated as a sacred one. Though this temple was
destroyed in 1621, the local Brahmin priests are said to have hidden the
main idols before fleeing the temple.
After a gap of 400 years in 1894 local Hindus under the guidance of
Srila Sri Arumuganavalar built the present temple.
At Naguleswaram temple, the daily rituals and festivals are conducted
according to the prescriptions of Agamas. The activities at the temple
commence during the early hours of the morning with Thirupallie Elichi
and worship accompanied with rituals are conducted six times daily.
A chariot festival. ANCL file photo |
The annual chariot festival at the temple is held at the beginning of
the first week of February with the flag hoisting ceremony in next week.
A large number of pilgrims congregate at the temple premises during the
festival season.
At this temple Kandapuranam, Periyapuranam and Nakulalaya Puranam are
recited during the annual festival.
In the Nakulalaya Puranam, the legends pertaining to Keerimalai have
been recorded in elaborate form.
The Hindu temples are intended to educate men in the art of removing
the veil of attachment that covers their heads. Thus, the renowned poet
“Thiyagarajah” cried in the temple at Thirupathi remove the veil, O!
remove the veil of attachment, the veil of pride and hatred.
The chariot festival at the Nakuleswaram temple is celebrated in an
elaborate manner where devotees belonging to different castes and
religions participate in large number. The chariot symbolises human body
and the statue of Lord Shiva is the soul. In front of the chariot are
the wooden horses depicted as galloping and the reins attached to this
months are held in the hands of the image of Lord Shiva.
These horses represent human passions and the ruins 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.
These passions are the motive powers, the driving force of life, but
if unguided they will wreck a man’s life. This is the symbolic meaning
of the chariot festival.
Principal universal architect of Hinduism Continued from January 15
Through the four yugas (aeons of Hindu mythology), he had built
several towns and palaces for the gods. In chronological order, these
were Swarglok (Heaven) in Satya Yuga, Lanka in Treta Yuga, Dwarka
(Krishna’s capital) in the Dwapar Yuga and Hastinapur and Indraprastha
in the Kali Yuga.
The Jagannath Temple is a sacred Hindu temple in Puri, famous for its
enormous statues of Krishna and his siblings Subhadra and Balarama, of
which Vishwakarma is considered the sculptor.
Sone Ki (of Gold) Lanka According to Hindu mythology, ‘Sone ki Lanka’
or Golden Lanka was the place where the demon king Ravana dwelled in the
“Treta yuga.” As we read in the epic story Ramayana, this was also the
place where Ravana kept Sita, Lord Ram’s wife as a hostage.
There is also a story behind the construction of Golden Lanka. When
Lord Shiva married Parvati, he asked Viswakarma to build a beautiful
palace for them to reside. Viswakarma put up a palace made of gold! For
the housewarming ceremony, Shiva invited the wise Ravana to perform the
“Grihapravesh” ritual.
After the sacred ceremony when Shiva asked Ravana to ask anything in
return as “Dakshina”, Ravana, overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur
of the palace, asked Shiva for the golden palace itself! Shiva was
obliged to accede to Ravana’s wish, and the Golden Lanka became Ravana’s
palace. Again, the traditional sources point to Mahamaya as the
architect and his daughter Mandodri married Ravana.
Dwarka Among the many mythical towns Viswakarma built is Dwarka, the
capital of Lord Krishna. During the time of the Mahabharata, Lord
Krishna is said to have lived in Dwarka, and made it his “Karma Bhoomi”
or center of operation. That is why this place in northern India has
become a well known pilgrimage for the Hindus.
Hastinapur In the present “Kali Yuga”, Viswakarma is said to have
built the town of Hastinapur, the capital of Kauravas and Pandavas, the
warring families of the Mahabharata. After winning the battle of
Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna installed Dharmaraj Yudhisthir as the ruler of
Hastinapur. This is a local legend not borne out by Mahabharata.
Indraprastha Viswakarma also built the town of Indraprastha for the
Pandavas. In Mahabharata, the creator is Maya, the other divine
architect. The Mahabharata has it that King Dhritrashtra offered a piece
of land called ‘Khaandavprastha’ to the Pandavas for living. Yudhishtir
obeyed his uncle’s order and went to live in Khaandavprastha with the
Pandava brothers.
Later, Lord Krishna invited Viswakarma to build a capital for the
Pandavas on this land, which he renamed ‘Indraprastha’. Legends tell us
about the architectural marvel and beauty of Indraprastha. Floors of the
palace were so well done that they had a reflection like that of water,
and the pools and ponds inside the palace gave the illusion of a flat
surface with no water in them.
After the palace was built, the Pandavas invited the Kauravas, and
Duryodhan and his brothers went to visit Indraprastha. Not knowing the
wonders of the palace, Duryodhan was flummoxed by the floors and the
pools, and fell into one of the ponds. The maids of the Pandava wife
Draupadi, who witnessed this scene, had a good laugh! This insult from
the maids of Draupadi annoyed Duryodhan so much that later on it became
a major cause for the great war of Kurukshetra described in the
Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.
Concluded - Courtesy - Hinduism (Internet) |