HINDUISM

Symbols and ritual in Hinduism

Chelvatam Maniccavasagar

Hinduism is a very ancient living religion. It has no founder, no set of dogmas nor essential beliefs. But countless saints and sages have lived and propagated this Sanathana Dharma the ever present truth. Further, Hinduism asserts that Divinity pervades everything. That means everything comes out of Divinity, exists in Divinity and then gets reabsorbed into Divinity.

In fact, a highly evolved religion like Hinduism has four main features- a philosophy its epics, mythology, symbolism and rituals. The images of the different Hindu Gods and Goddesses are full of symbols.

Hinduism has tried to help the understanding of the world by explaining the truth of Divinity through various symbolic representation and rituals. Further deep within all religions is the stressing of unity of all beings. Christianity teachers Love and Charity, Islam teachers Brotherhood of man, Buddhism stresses Loving Kindness.

Love has been stressed by all religions, because love binds all and that bond reflects the innate essence of all beings in Divinity.

Deities form the objects of love and adoration, devotion and surrender. The more you develop a surrendering heart, your agoism vanishes, your sense of separateness from the rest of life ebbs away. You become an instrument of Divinity. In fact, that is high spirituality.

Lord Shiva is sometimes represented as the personification of the fullness of para Brahman.

The cosmic dancer Lord Shiva is depicted as the God of Creation, Sustenance and Destruction.

The drum in Lord Shiva’s right hand represents creation, the upper left hand holds a tongue of flame which symbolises destruction the right hand of Lord Shiva shows the granting of solace-Abhaya.

The sole foot fixed upon the body of a struggling dwarf who is the embodiment of all that veils truth from falsehood.

This dwarf or Muyalakan is symbolic of our own minds which prevent us from realizing our own essential Divinity, so the dancing of Lord Shiva denotes that all the world is a great cyclic dance from creation to destruction.

Furthermore, the peculiar manner in which we worship Lord Shiva by rapping at our forehead with our knuckles and pulling at the earlobes with cross hands helps Nadi Suddhi or purification of the Nadies and puts our psychic powers in proper tune for his worship.

The lighting of camphor before God symbolizes that we burn our illusion or Ego with the fire of true knowledge, prostrating before Gods signifies complete surrender of self, distributing Modakams to children in temples is recognition of the principle that cosmic life is immanent in all beings and the Nandi in front of Shivan temples signifies Dharma.

The four faced Brahma rising from the Navel of Lord Vishnu is symbolic of his creative power, the Chakra in one of the upper hands of Lord Vishnu symbolises the cycle of time (Kala Chakra), the conch signifies the destroyer of Avidya represented by darkness and silence, the lotus with the stem in one hand of Lord Vishnu represents Mother Earth, Nirai-Kudam represents fullness and auspiciousness and serves as a symbol of God, spreading harmony and holiness all around the area.

Aalaathi is meant to ward off the evil eye, coconut breaking signifies the exposure of inner purity of ones heart in prayer and the white kernel of the broken coconut symbolises the surrender of Ego to God’s will, the applying of sacred ash on our forehead symbolises the acknowledgement of immortality, the application of Sandalwood paste gives a cooling effect and reduces body heat and also confers the grace of Goddes Lakshmi.

The offering betel leaf and arecanut in temples signifies that Goddess resides in the betel leaf. The drawing of Kolam with rice flour symbolises the welcoming of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu respectively.

The covering of God with curtain during poojas in temples signifies that ignorance conceals Gnana and Maya conceals the God present within us. Only when the curtain is removed we see the Lord.

Hence, we have to remove our fetters in order to see God. As such rituals are performed to explain the philosophies of Hinduism.

Anjaneyar Jayanthi festival

Anjaneyar Jayanthi will be held on dark moon Kettai Star falling on January 2, 2011. Chariot festival will be commencing at 7 am from the temple and will be returning to temple at about 7 pm. Devotees from all over the world will be visiting the temple during this day to receive blessings from Lord Anjaneyar.

Srimath Chandrasekara Swamigal is the founder of the first temple for Sri Rama’s beloved devotee Sri Anjaneyar and pioneer in organizing the first chariot of Lord Anjaneyar in Sri Lanka. Swamigal while he was working as a purchasing officer at Swed Lanka Engineering Ltd also used to perform Anjaneyar’s prayer at home in Ranajeyagama, Dehiwela.

Swami Ji used to pray to Lord Anjaneyar and with the blessings of the Lord used to help people in guiding them to follow the right path and solve their problems.

The two epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, most valuable and precious gifts for Hindus. Hinduism has been called as Sanathana Dharma. Incarnation of Vishu in Ramayana as Sri Rama and in Mahabharata as Sri Krishna Thushta Nigraha Sishtaparipalana was to fulfill his mission of establishing the dharma and destroying demons. Siranjeevi Anjaneyar performed his duty according to Rama and Sri Krishna.

In the war held in Lankapura, Ravana had abducted Sita and confined her in Sita-Eliya which is situated at Nuwara Eliya. Sri Anjaneyar found Sita at Ashoka vanam (Sita-Eliya).

Sri Rama won the war and killed Ravana and the demons. Vibhishana, brother of Ravana who surrendered to Sri Rama had been crowned as king of Sri Lanka.

Sri Anjaneyar has depicted to the people of this world the real meaning of service to master. His belief in Lord Rama and passion of serving the lord and his devotees has been a great blessing for human kind.

He did not leave any stone unturned to find Sita in Ashok Vatika and helped his lord Rama to save Sita from the atrocities of Ravana.

In year 1998 the first ever chariot for Anjaneyar was launched in Sri Lanka. After ten days of yaga pooja Anjaneyar Jayanthi festival was grandly celebrated. The chariot procession began at 8 am and accomplished in the evening at 6 pm. Prior to the beginning of the chariot festival, holy water, soil and twig of tree from Seeta Eliya is brought to offer for the pooja.

In 2001 erection of Panchmukhi Anjaneyar temple was started and completed in nine to ten months.

Research on Ramayana in Sri Lanka was initiated with the help of North Indian missionary in association with the Sri Lanka Tourist Board.

Ashokkainth has been decided as a delegate to Ministry of Tourism in this regard. Ashokkainth with blessings of Sri Chandrasekara Swamiji executed the volunteer works with help of Sri Lanka Tourist Board. About fifty five places of Ramayana trails were found and recorded on video. These were released at Pragati Madan New Delhi.

After the release of this video all the devotees interested in coming to see these places have been invited by Swamiji to Sri Lanka. Presently, Ramayana research work is still going on.

Sri Chandrasekara Swamigal arranged to install the Rama Durbara statues at Seetha Eliya Amman temple and he also participated in the three day pooja. The statutes were taken on procession from Nuwara Eliya to Seetha Eliya temple in the presence of more than ten thousand devotees.

All the devotees are welcome to be a part of the festival and obtain blessings from Lord Anjaneyar.

Gift of unending wealth

Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam:

Thilaka V Wijeyaratnam

Kulapoodana Pandya was a pious king. He observed all the religious fasts and having gained a certain amount of spiritual wisdom, he thought it not necessary to care for the brahmins. He disrespected them.

As a result, the seasonal rains failed. The brahmins could not perform the Yagas according to the Vedas. Most of them left for other states to do whatever work – even manual work – they could do to eke out a living.

Seeing this the Pandya king was filled with remorse. He prayed, after breaking a thousand coconuts at the temple, first at the Pillayar temple then at the temple of Somasundarar.

“My Lord, all the living beings are suffering. I am grieved by their suffering. I have spent all my wealth on charity. Please save the country from these sufferings.”

Since he treated the Brahmins badly, God Siva did not respond to his prayers. The king went back and slept on bare ground. Then God Siva appeared in his dream in the guise of a Sithar (Mystic).

“Pandya I know the devotion you have for me. You are a just ruler – but there is a flaw in your rule. These days no Yagas are performed. No Mantras chanted. Vedas is a part of me – such Vedas are protected by the Brahmins.

They perform Yagas according to the Vedas, and concentrate on me. You have disrespected such Brahmins. Hence the rains failed. Hereafter treat the Brahmins as you would treat me. Do charity and rule Justly.

I will give you wealth that the more you take from it the same amount of gold will remain. You use this gold to lessen people’s sufferings.”

He then gave a bag of gold and disappeared. When the king awoke he saw the bag of gold that would never grow less and on an auspicious day showed this to his ministers and courtiers. He kept the bag of gold on his throne for the divine musical instruments and worshipped it.

He called for the Brahmins and spent enough money on Yagas and also to feed the people. No matter how much he gave from it, the amount remained the same. He made a roof in gold for the temple and also renovated the Meenakshi Amman temple.

As he performed all these, the clouds sucked in water vapour from the seas and returned it as rain to the earth. The paddy fields flourished and all was well in the country. The Pandya Kingdom was as prosperous as Alagapuri the land of Kubera – Lord of the riches.

This mythological story has a message for the Hindus, God Siva would bless those who live according to the Vedas, the Agamas and the Upanishas. Only those who live by the Vedas lead a good life and are blessed by God Siva.