HINDUISM

Nanthi flags – their significance

Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar

In the history of the world every nation has stood for a particular idea which it has sought to weave into the fabric of the lives of the people. The Germans made the concept of beauty essentially their own, the rule of law moulded the patern of the Britishers. Likewise, long before the Greeks and Britishers, the Hindus were told to govern their lives by the norms of Dharma which comprehends all the excellences which makes for an ideal humanity.

Further, Dharma is an internal discipline by which a given social order is protected. It is by Dharma that civilization is maintained.

Therefore, Dharma may be defined as social norms or moral law. Since Nanthi or the Sacred Bull is said to be the vehicle of Lord Shiva, it also means that Dharma is the vehicle of Lord Shiva. To ordinary Hindus, Nanthi represents the physical of Shiva in the form of a Bull. Lord Nanthi is a manifested energy or dynamic motion that is felt in the invisible and partly visible nature of the micro or macro cosmos and in the visible objective nature it is a vehicle.

Indeed, there is a flag for every nation, every religion and every political party without any exception. They hoist their flags during all important occasions and celebrations and the whole world comes to know their respective celebrations on account of their flag hoisting ceremony. But, there is no such flag common to Hindus hoisted during festivals or ceremonies anywhere in the world.

Nanthi stands for sacrifice, devotion, detachment, perception, tolerance, humility, service and what is more, it is hailed as God himself. Therefore, the Nanthy flag signifies all such lofty values of the Saivites. That really is the significance of the Nanthi flag.

Whenever and wherever Lord Shiva appeared before his ardent devotees to bestow a boon, he gave dharshan as appearing on his vehicle, Nanthi. When saint Gnanasampanthar had Siva’s Dharshan for the first time in his infancy, what he saw was Lord Shiva with his consort on his vehicle Nanthi. It has been so with all saints and devotees.

Furthermore, in Hinduism every God has an associated vehicle. For example Lord Ganesha has the rat, Goddess Saraswathy has the Swan and Lord Muruga has the peacock.

In fact, the flag hoisting ceremony in temples indicates that the descended Kundalani Sakthy at Moolatharam of our spinal chord should rise to the head.

The flag lowering ceremony indicates that the supreme consciousness descends down from the head to the body (Creation) and reach the end of the Spinal Chord (Moolathanam). Further, the hoisting of Nanthi flag at the top of the Rajagopurams of the temple and in any other religious organizations will undoubtedly explain the principles and philosophies of Saivism to achieve the goal of life.

Undoubtedly, the Nanthi flag encapsulates the essence of Hindu-Saiva thought. It portrays reality, moral and ethical norms.

As such, the Nanthi flag is an apt representation of the Hindus who are passive yet perceptive, hale yet humble and deep, devout and detached. Indeed, the hoisting of the Nanthi flag at the top of the Rajakopurams of the temples and other places of prayers and Meditation Centres will undoubtedly explain the principles and philosophies of Hindus in order to achieve the goal of life.

Aspects of Hindu culture

K S Sivakumaran

Being a Hindu by birth and practice I am always in search of understanding all aspects of the great religions. This leads me to engage in comparative studies of religions. To do this I must first know the fundamentals of my own religion. There are many who have expounded theories and practice of Hinduism. I stand to gain by their sayings. Among the great Souls that inspired me was the recently moved out of the mortal body – the Soul of Sri Sathya Sri Sai Baba. According to Hinduism the Soul never dies until it merges with the Almighty.

The Almighty himself or herself takes different forms from time to time to be born on the earth as mortal human beings to salvage the humanity from the decadence of evil. If my faith proclaims that the Sathya Sri Baba was indeed a Divine representative on the earth, I should believe it. So the Soul takes a different form and is born on the earth in some place or the other, then we could conclude that Evil persists still.

I have to find information and knowledge in all these matters from the sayings of seers and Sages. Swami Chinmayananda was one of the sages. I would like to share with you what I gleaned from this wise Guru. In fact some of his golden words have been included in a booklet published by the Central Chinmaya Mission Trust in Mumbai.

 What does the Swamiji say about Hinduism?

“Hinduism is a dynamic philosophy of man showing him the sure way to live a glorious and successful life.” It applies to the woman too. As he says the content of Hinduism is really: “How an individual can consciously by his self-effort purify and evolve to regain the status of his real nature” What he adds is also true as far as I am concerned. Says he:” We miss many of our beliefs which are taught to us as the very backbone of Hinduism.”

We know that there are two aspects of Hinduism: Siththaantham and Vedantham. But what is Vedantham?

Swamiji goes straight into the subject and explains clearly that “ Vedanta is not in any sense of the term a pessimistic negation of life. It is a healthy philosophy which plans the growth and happiness of man in his individual and communal living; it points out a way to the beyond in and through life. Godhood is the goal of Vedanta.” Remember? If we have led a pure, sincere life of love and had been true then our soul will leave our own bodies and merge with what we call God. In our old age we gradually renounce our worldly life and begin to think spiritually. That’s Vedanta - the religion of detachment.

This is what the ‘end of the Vedas’ (Vedanta) preaches us: “Spit out the contents of thy heart; taste the sugar of divine life, which is nothing but sweetness. End all thy fears, limitations, disappointments and come to enjoy the joyous unlimited hopeful existence.” I love the humankind irrespective of differences. Universal love is attainable. In fact Love and Truth is really the God. The God is within us. This is what all religious leaders have said. Swami explains: “Unless one has practised love sufficiently for long, one cannot expand oneself.”

Swamiji rightly says that “You become truly religious not by rotating ‘malas’ (garlands), not by reading books, not by merely singing the glory of the God, but by sincerely living with the ‘higher’ in you, the greater and the nobler in you.” I came across this fine elucidation by the sage on ‘Maaya’ (Illusion). It’s worth remembering it: “In God-Consciousness the God-man comes to relies that the world is a total delusion myth; a wild creation of his mind at unrest, a meaningless long dream, a mysterious magic vision, a non-existent ghost seen in the dusk on the wayside post. There is no ‘world’ to the intelligent enquirer, it has a seeming existence only to those who dream with a heart and not think with a head.”

God whispers His deafening message: “I am you –you are me”. (Tatvamae Masi).

“To spiritualists our present life is one of the innumerable incidents in our eternal existence. Life is a continuous process with a set purpose, a glorious pattern and rigid logic”, says Swamiji.

As a literary critic I normally see the goodness in all and ignore their faults. This is endorsed by the Swamiji who adds “keep cheerful in mind. Teach the mind to smile forth in joy. In a smiling joyous mind, divinity seeks its shelter.”

Let me conclude this piece with a quotation from Swami Chinmayananda: “Seek Him in the smile of your friends, in the glow of the angry eyes, in the throb of love, in the storm of passions. Everywhere it is His glow that is gleaming through different emotions, thoughts and actions.”

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Homage to a divine soul

This humble tribute with devout prayers to a much splendorous heavenly being which for more than six decades magnetised millions, great and small, with his pristine purity, divinity, spiritual and godly fervour to every race, religion and region leading all along the righteous path to salvation.

His supremely sainted activities confined not merely to the righteous living but extended towards spheres educational, health, people’s welfare and national development as well with his ideals of: “Help ever; Love all; and Hate none” striking the golden mean of unity in diversity.

Indeed, he is a Maha Purusha, an incarnation most divine of our times. Millions upon millions, in person and otherwise received his blessings, solace and comfort. To all, he was a saint who guided, relived and blessed them. Instances of his grace and magnificence speaks volumes of his divinity. The many researched and scholarly works on his life and mission have been living testimony to his super human powers. His own writings under the title “Sathiya Sai Speaks” is a panacea for all troubled souls. It is a wonder of wonders, astounding all!

This Godman of our times was not without his critics and agnostics. Many who did not take him seriously subsequently fell prostrate at his feet when they realised his divinity and super human powers. That was another miracle!

Puttaparthi, then, which was an undeveloped land mass of over 100 acres, arid and dry, infested with snakes is now a spiritual paradise with all modern comforts, a place of pilgrimage to all from east and west.

As all have a date to end our eventful lives, Bhagavan Sri Sathiya Sai Baba chose like Christ, the King, the Easter Sunday, to merge with the Lord but his soul still remains with us to bless and succour us as revealed in our scriptures.

Sri Sai Ram in glory remains as powerful as he was on the earthly paradise to continue to cleanse our mortal sins and to stimulate generations to come on the significance of our lives. The Omniscient Sai with his greatest manifestations will live for ever! He is, indeed, GOD INCARNATE as there are still many before him. OM, SAI RAM!

While we offer our homage to this Sainted Soul, we pray for His Eternal Glory.

T N Punjaksharam

Jaffna.