HINDUISM

Sri Hanuman - embodiment of moral splendour

Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar

Our ancient Hindu culture has been known since time immemorial for the spiritual wisdom, the knowledge about the higher dimension of the human personality. Many a time in the past whenever this perennial river of spiritual knowledge was showing signs of drying up due to exigencies of historical condition, a great spiritual master appeared to rejuvenate and replenish the springs of spirituality in the land.

Indeed, Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda stands in the forefront among the great and glorious men who deluged the Holy Bharatha with spiritual ideas.

Prompted by the inspiring faith in the divine, spontaneous unselfish urge and truly voluntary effort combined with spell binding united action cutting across religious denominations and political ideologies, an idea to build a temple for Sri Hanuman (Anjenayar) came to the mind of Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda when he visited Ramboda, a hamlet 4000 feet above the sea level surrounded by luscious tea estates in the District of Nuwara Eliya.

This village is considered to be the place where Sri Hanuman set foot in his search for Sita. Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda was tremendously fascinated by the scenic beauty and serenity of the location that he felt that the site was ideal for Sandeepam Lanka and Chin Maya Mission of Sri Lanka with the consent and Blessings of Gurudev purchased a plot of ten acres. “Swami Chinmayananda” named it “Ramboda” to signify its association with Ramayana.

Even the former Minister S Thondaman donated a five acre plot to the mission. He further provided at his cost, a motorable road to have access to the temple.

With the blessings of Gurudev Pujya Swami Chinmayananda, the Hanuman Temple at Ramboda was constructed when Pujya Guruji Swami Te Jomayanan Daji was in October 1996.

In fact, D Eeswaran, Trustee of the Gintupitiya Murugan Temple, N Somakanthan, Somasundaram and several others who were very much attached to Chinmaya Mission took tremendous effort in constructing this temple.

Further, I have to mention here that Somakanthan, who was the Vice President of Chinmaya Mission and ardent devotee of Gurudev Chinmayananda Swami took an active interest in the establishment of the Temple at Ramboda. Despite his heart condition, he worked very hard and succeeded in making this kumbabishekam a great success. On his initiative a quarterly bilingual journal titled “Voice of Chinmaya” was published and he was the Editor of this Journal. His publications are “Sri Lanka and Ramayanam” which contained research articles on ‘Sita Eliya” Temple and the Temples of Siva in Sri Lanka, where Somakanthan was the Executive Editor and Professor S Pathmanathan was the Chief Editor. On the day of the Kumbabishekam of Hanuman Temple at Ramboda, two books namely “Hanumantha Maharantham” and “Bhaktha Hanuman Katha” written by Somakanthan were released. Further, Srimathy Padma Somakantha played a very important role in not only forming the Bala Vihar classes at Ramboda, but worked very closely with her husband in all his activities.

“Bhaktha Hanuman is the embodiment of physical prowess, mental spiritual, and intellectual uprightness, emotional balance and moral splendour. As a devotee of Sri Rama, he asked Rama only one thing in life,” Please give me this Blessing that “my affection for you should never diminish.” As a great warrior, a great scholar, a sincere friend, a Minister and as one wedded to truth, as servant and an outstanding devotee Sri Hanuman exhibited the traits that no one has done in their life time. Indeed, Sri Hanuman is one of perfection, a personification of erudition, culture and efficiency. His strength was born out of humility and his devotion to Lord Rama was pure and his whole life lent itself into one white flame of faith and devotion. To him, the name of Lord Rama was more potent than the Lord Himself.

Skanda Shasti fast

G Arulananthan

The world today is suffering from overspecialization in material science and compartmentalization of knowledge and wisdom. Further, man has completely forgotten his fundamental divine nature. As such, the most urgent need of the hour is peace and love. Love brings unity of all mankind and this unity combined with spiritual knowledge will undoubtedly bring world peace.

Peace is essential for eve ryone and that was the reason Swami Vivekananda in his address to the Parliament of religions in America said that man is a victim of his own desires and is caught up in his passions of hatred and violence, thereby forgetting his inner spiritual life of faith, love and harmony.

Skanda Shasti fast which is observed by Hindus for six days in temples particularly in Murugan Temples will undoubtedly bring peace and prosperity in our society which is overpowered by forces of darkness of ignorance and egoistic arrogance, weighed down by trials and tribulations, and conflicts and contradictions.

Skanda Shasti fast illustrates the conquer of evil forces by good nature of human beings. The Demon by the name of “Suran” wanted to fight with Lord Muruga. The Lord Muruga used his “Gnanavel” which symbolizes knowledge and wisdom and conquered the “Demon Suran.”

In the “Puranas” good virtues are personified as Lord Muruga and the Evil virtues are personified as Demon Suran. This is to illustrate to the people the inner significance that the demonic desires, thought, word and deed of the Demon have been defeated and it was a victory for the good virtues.

Indeed, the Skanda Shasti fast is observed for six days with fervent prayer, concentration and meditation of Lord Muruga. During this period devotees generally abstain from food and after the pooja in the evening they have meal of fruit, milk or coconut water. This fast is called ‘Upavasam’ which means drawing oneself close to God where the mind is detached from the material world for spiritual progress.

This fast is observed at Kataragama Murugan Temple, Nallur Kandeswamy Temple, Selvasannithi Temple at Thondamanaru, Arul Mighu Sivasubramaniya Temple at Slave Island and various other Murugan Temple in Sri Lanka.

Further, on the sixth day of Skanda Shasti Fast there is a grand festival called “Soorasamharam” which is enacted outside the Murugan Temple. This is a battle between “Asuras” and “Skanda”. This battle is between the animal-nature of man and his divine-nature culminating in the final conquer of Ego by knowledge and wisdom.

The puranas extol Lord Muruga's legendary origin Devas when they proceeded to Mount Kailas to complain to Lord Shiva of their persecution by the Asuras, found him in deep meditation. On being awakened, a Divine Spark emanated from his frontal third eye. This was received in lake “Saravanapoikai”. There it was nurtured by constellation Pleiads (Karthikai) and became six infants. They became one when they were fondly embraced by Divine Mother Goddess Parvathy. Therefore, he is also known as “Karthikeya.”

Lord Muruga is said to have performed several brave deeds including the imprisonment of Brahma. Before the battle, Lord Muruga sent “Virapahu” as an emissary to persuade “Surapadman” to lay down arms and release the Devas. But, “Surapadman” refused to lay down arms. Finally a battle between “Surapadman” and Lord Muruga took place and ultimately “Surapadman” was defeated, but was not slain. Surapadman accepted to serve Muruga in the form of a peacock and he was also given a place in Lord Muruga's banner as a Rooster Cock. Thereafter, the Devas were released and they celebrated the victory. Indeed, the battle between Lord Muruga and Asuras signifies a battle between ‘Divineself” and the “Ego” in man.

To maintain peace, tranquility, serenity and equanimity we have to get rid of desires and lead a life of detachment, faith and love. As such, let us pray Lord Muruga and receive His Divine Blessings to lead a peaceful life.

From tradition to modernity

K S Sivakumaran

One of the oldest languages in the world – Thamil is not dead and still lives assimilating modernity. So is what is known as Hinduism. Aspects of tradition and modernity are the key factors in keeping them alive. This was evident in the recently concluded full three-day research seminar organized by the Department of Hindu Culture and Religious Affairs that come under the purview of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Minister of the country.

Ably and farsightedly conceived by one of the eminent academics in the country emeritus professor of history, Dr C Pathmanathan and efficiently executed by the Department Head Shanthi Thirunavukkarasan and her dedicated staff, the seminar was held at the Kolumbu Thamil Sangam during 14, 15 and 16 of this month.

The topic of discussion under various heads in this year's seminar was appropriately (Brithania Aaadchiyum Navvena Mayamaakalum) (The Briitsh Rule (in Lanka) and Modernization). Eminent Indian, Malaysian and Lankan scholars and academics mingled together and exchanged new thoughts on various aspects of the findings in research on the main theme.

The subjects chosen to be discussed varied from Mythology to Modernity and indicate the framework within which Prof Pathmanathan and other intellectuals designed the relevant subjects.

Let me list some of the subjects discussed for the benefit of the readers.

Thamilology and Archaeology, Research on Inscriptions, Economic changes under the British rule, The British rule and Nationalism, Plantation Workers Settlement Plan and Malaysian Thamilians Living, Social Change in British India, Dravidian Movement and Space for people in India, Aarumuga Naavalar in Revival of Saivaism, State of Religion during British Rule: From conflict to Compromise, Decolonizing British Colonialism and Modernity in the backdrop of Hinduism, Aarumuga Naavalar, Gandhism in Thamil Environment, Aravindiar, Ramanar, Ananda Coomaraswamy, The Birth of Modern Literary Criticism in Thamil, Modernism, and Change of thinking on Feminism in Lanka, Modernity in the contributions of Christian Missionaries, The Role of Vallaar in the Formation of Modernity in Religion and Society, Contribution by Sir John Woodraw in the Efforts of Indian Tantric Practice, Institutions that tried to preserve Traditional form of Education, The contributions by Hindu Religious Institutions to the development of Lankan in Saivaism during the British period, Modernity in the History of Publication of Thamil Books, Modernism in the World of Publication in the context of the contributions by C Y Thamotheampillai, Attempts in Lankan Publications of Books, Efforts in Publication of Folk Literature in the 19th century, Bharathi in the context of Trends in Thamil Literature, The Development of Prose in Thamil Literature, The development of Thamil Poetry, Chennai Lowkika Sangam in Revivalist Movements in Thamil Naadu in the 19th century, The Development of Arts and Culture among Malaysian Indians after the arrival of the Britishers, What Swami Vivekananda emphasized on Decolonization and Modernity during British colonialism.

There were many other subjects discussed simultaneously in two places. I mentioned above only what I witnessed.

This report would be incomplete without the names of the scholars who participated as speakers. The list includes such eminent researchers as C Pathmanathan, Pushpratnm, V Maheswaran, A Subbaryalu. R Muthiah, Krishnan Maniam, V Arasu, B Gopala Krishna Iyer, K Raghuparan, S Saravanan, Shanthi Naavatkarasan, Krishnaveni Nobert, K A Sachithaanantham, S Thillainathn, K Panchangam, Chritralekha Munaguru, S Jebanesan, Kalaivaani Ramanathan, S Mukunthan, E Kumaran, K Arunthavaraa, ShriPrasanthan, S Sivalingarasa, Ammankili Murugadas, M A Nuhman, Thurai Manoharan, K Muthiah, Kumaran Subramaniam, Saravanan, Dhammika Jayasinghe, K Arunthakaran, M Vethanathan. Vigneswari Bavanesan, Shanthi Kesavan, V Gunabalaingam, Nachchiar Selvanayagam, S Dushyanth, M Rupavathanan, Mekala Sivakumaran, Suganthani Shri Muralidharan, Ruby Valentina, C Selvarathnam, P Santhirasekeam, Anushya Senathirajah, S Selvakumari, N Vaaman, K T Ganeshalingam, Sivagowri Sivagurunathan, Anushya Sathiyaseelan, Meera Villavarayan, Saba Jeyarasa, S Jeyasangar, C Maunaguru, S Yogarasa, Ramesh Abdullah and Vasantha Vaithianathan.It was refreshing to attend these intellectual discourses in which the audience too participated.

[email protected]