HINDUISM

Annual homage to Lord Muruga

Chelvatamby Manikkavasagar

Selvasannithi temple which is dedicated to Lord Muruga is situated at Thondamanam in Vadamarachchy in the Jaffna district. The Mahotsavam of this temple commenced recently. The worship of Selvasannithi Murukan temple is unique and regular poojas are conducted by priests covering their mouths with clothes.

God Muruga's peacock feather

It is very often said that “the creator of the universe Brahma resides in the Naval of Lord Vishnu. Similarly in the hearts of men reside the creative urge and faith. This is clearly evident from the manner the people of Jaffna pray to God Muruga at Selvasannithi Temple at Thondamanam.

Muruga means beauty and knowledge and he is often represented as a type of perennial youth, sometimes as a Divine child and also as Aammugan.

The great scholar and patriot Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam described that Muruga would thus appear to be a Deity who was rich with many legends and traditions, many aspects of religion and modes of worship.

The origin of God Muruga and the story of his veneration are of great interest. Muruga as a valorous youth is said to have performed several brave deeds including the imprisonment of Brahma. God Muruga fought with Asura leader Surapadman and defeated him.

Though Surapadman assumed several monstrous forms and shapes he finally sought refuge in the form of a mango tree.

Surapadman was ultimately defeated, not slain, but was commanded to serve God Muruga in the form of a peacock and was also given a place in his banner as a rooster cock. Therafter the Devas were released and they celebrated the victory.

Overcoming evil

Further, the leaf shaped Vel is God Muruga's weapon for overcoming evil.

Vel in his hand also signifies that a man's knowledge should be sharp like that of Vel and it should not only be sharp, it should also be broad and deep.

This shaws that a man may be intellectually superior, but he should be humble and simple in his life.

Lord Muruga is represented as having two consorts namely Valli and Deivanai on either side of him. In fact “Valli” stands for “Ichchasakthi”, the driving energy of the will, and “Deivanai” stands for “Kriyasakthi”, the energy of the action. Both these energies are essential for the embodied soul to live in this world. Without these energies, the whole universe would be in a chaotic condition.

Furthermore, during the annual Temple festivals particularly at Kataragama, Nallur and Selvasannithi, “Kavaddy-bearers” are a common sight. The “Kavaddy” in its essence is a head-gear comprising two arches ending in four legs. At the tip of each leg are fastened peacock feathers to represent the Deity's “Vahana”, on a beam across the front arch is suspended two brazen pots of milk which are offered to Skanda on arrival at his shrine.

Rites

In fact, before a devotee dons the Kavaddy, he is purified for this honour by a series of rites performed by the priest of his village temple. He himself observes fasting and abstinence.

The ceremony accompanying the placing of the Kavaddy on his shoulders, he undertakes his trudge to the venue of his vow, performing a ritual dance to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The route may be anything from a mile to ten miles or more in length.

Selvasannithi temple

On arrival at the Temple of Skanda, he walks round it once, beginning from the right.

After this, the Kavaddy is removed from his head and the milk handed over to the incumbent priests who perform the “Abishekam” ceremony.

During the festivals, we can see “Seddil” Kavaddy. In this the devotee, in addition to carrying the traditional headgear, inflicts upon himself considerable torture by setting himself pierced with as many as 1,008 spikes representing the weapons of Skanda.

Yet, another type of Kavaddy is what has been termed the “Anga Pura Thadchana” Kavaddy in which the devotee finds his way to the temple, rolling on the ground.

As he cannot dance in this case, the accompaniment is the chanting of devotional songs.

Furthermore, unlike any other temples in the Jaffna peninsula, one can see several Madams at “Selva Sannithi” temple where several Sannyasis reside and meditate.

In this temple “Anna Danam” is served daily to the devotees. According to Puranas, Lord Muruga is worshiped as the God of wisdom by those who seek spiritual enlightenment.

The spiritual atmosphere at Selvasannithi temple heals physical and mental ailments of his devotees.

During the Chariot or Ther festival the statue of Lord Muruga is decorated and illuminated and paraded along the streets followed by poojas, Bhajans, Devotional Songs and Archanai offered by devotees.

Religious works during the Vijaya Nagara period

K S Sivakumaran

The Vijaya Nagara Period in South Indian History is as fascinating as the preceding periods. I found an article written by a great Tamil scholar and writer from Thamilnadu the late Prof. M Varatharasan that gives a lot of information on religious works belonging to the period. This article in Tamil is included in a publication titled *Vijayanagara Per Arasum

Kalasarara Maru Malarchiyum ( The Vijayanagara Empire and the Cultural Rennaisance) published by the Hindu Cultural Department of Lanka. Since the article is in Tamil, I wish to give the main points for the benefit of readers in English.

The Period concerned is between 1100 B.C. and 1700 B.C. The Vijaya Nagara Regime originated in Andhra Pradesh and spread to the whole of South India. In Mathurai with the backing of the rulers of Vijayanagar, the Naayakkars established a reign. Since the Naayakar rulers patronized religious arts and literature some great works were written during the period. Commentaries on previous religious works, establishment of mutts to protect religion, scholarly poets wrote on temple based eulogies, little works came to be written in praise of chieftains, some works were on themes of lust, and simple philosophical songs by Siddars, a kind of foresighted sages works were also written.

Among the writers were Arunagiri Naathar, Villi Puthurar, Kaala Megam, Kumara Kuruparar, and Sivaprakaasar. Most of the Siddars were Saivaites, but generally they transcended all barriers of division.

They didn’t belief in rituals and the like. They only expressed what they felt as experiences. They were not conformers and were rebellious in their views. They used conversational language and folk poetry.

Some of the popular Siddars were: Paampaaddi, Ahapei, Alukani, Kuthambai, and Kaduveli. Poiya Moliyaar wrote a compilation called Thanjai Vaanan Kovai. It had 400 verses which give information on a petty ruler.

There was revival and refurbishments of temples, big buildings, small halls, religious works were broadly explained, commentaries on previous great works were lucidly presented.

Nakkeerar wrote a critical commentary on Kalaviyal in the 8thcentury. Ilampooranar wrote a complete commentary on Tholkaapiyam. Adiyaarku Nallaar wrote a commentary on Silapadikaaram. One gets a lot of information on ancient dramatic and music works.

Manak Kuviyar was among the 10 commentators on Thirkkural. Sanskrit Puranas were translated into Tamil. Kachi Appar’s Kantha Puranam is excellent. Sevvaich Chooduvaar translated the Sanskrit Mahabharatha in 5000 verses.

Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsam was translated by Arasakesari. Puhal Aenthi sang the story of Nalan. A Paandyan descendant Athiveera Ramar wrote the same in virutha metre.

Several other Sanskrit Puranas were translated into Tamil. The article by Prof M Varatharasan continues. Readers who could read in

Tamil can benefit by reading these articles and the rest of the 12 studied essays found in this volume.

Students of Hindu Civilization and Medieval Tamil Literature are bound to gather valuable information in this compendium.

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Kali:

The Dark Mother

The love between the Divine Mother and her human children is a unique relationship. Kali, the Dark Mother is one such deity with whom devotees have a very loving and intimate bond, in spite of her fearful appearance. In this relationship, the worshipper becomes a child and Kali assumes the form of the ever-caring mother.

“O Mother, even a dullard becomes a poet who meditates upon thee raimented with space, three-eyed, creatrix of the three worlds, whose waist is beautiful with a girdle made of numbers of dead men's arms...” (From a Karpuradistotra hymn, translated from Sanskrit by Sir John Woodroffe)

Who is Kali?

Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of the mother goddess. She assumed the form of a powerful goddess and became popular with the composition of the Devi Mahatmya, a text of the 5th - 6th century AD. Here she is depicted as having born from the brow of Goddess Durga during one of her battles with the evil forces. As the legend goes, in the battle, Kali was so much involved in the killing spree that she got carried away and began destroying everything in sight. To stop her, Lord Shiva threw himself under her feet. Shocked at this sight, Kali stuck out her tongue in astonishment, and put an end to her homicidal rampage. Hence the common image of Kali shows her in her mêlée mood, standing with one foot on Shiva's chest, with her enormous tongue stuck out.

The fearful symmetry

Kali is represented with perhaps the fiercest features amongst all the world's deities. She has four arms, with a sword in one hand and the head of a demon in another. The other two hands bless her worshippers, and say, “fear not”! She has two dead heads for her earrings, a string of skulls as necklace, and a girdle made of human hands as her clothing. Her tongue protrudes from her mouth, her eyes are red, and her face and breasts are sullied with blood. She stands with one foot on the thigh, and another on the chest of her husband, Shiva.

Awesome symbols!

Kali's fierce form is strewed with awesome symbols. Her black complexion symbolizes her all-embracing and transcendental nature. Says the Mahanirvana Tantra: “Just as all colors disappear in black, so all names and forms disappear in her”. Her nudity is primeval, fundamental, and transparent like Nature — the earth, sea, and sky. Kali is free from the illusory covering, for she is beyond the all maya or “false consciousness.” Kali's garland of fifty human heads that stands for the fifty letters in the Sanskrit alphabet, symbolizes infinite knowledge.

Her girdle of severed human hands signifies work and liberation from the cycle of karma. Her white teeth show her inner purity, and her red lolling tongue indicates her omnivorous nature — “her indiscriminate enjoyment of all the world's ‘flavors'.” Her sword is the destroyer of false consciousness and the eight bonds that bind us.

Her three eyes represent past, present, and future, — the three modes of time — an attribute that lies in the very name Kali (‘Kala’ in Sanskrit means time). The eminent translator of Tantrik texts, Sir John Woodroffe in Garland of Letters, writes, “Kali is so called because She devours Kala (Time) and then resumes Her own dark formlessness.”

Kali's proximity to cremation grounds where the five elements or “Pancha Mahabhuta” come together, and all worldly attachments are absolved, again point to the cycle of birth and death. The reclined Shiva lying prostrate under the feet of Kali suggests that without the power of Kali (Shakti), Shiva is inert.

Kali's guises and names are diverse. Shyama, Adya Ma, Tara Ma and Dakshina Kalika, Chamundi are popular forms. Then there is Bhadra Kali, who is gentle, Shyamashana Kali, who lives only in the cremation ground, and so on.

The most notable Kali temples are in Eastern India — Dakshineshwar and Kalighat in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Kamakhya in Assam, a seat of tantrik practices.

Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Vamakhyapa, and Ramprasad are some of the legendary devotees of Kali. One thing was common to these saints — all of them loved the goddess as intimately as they loved their own mother.

“My child, you need not know much in order to please Me.Only Love Me dearly.Speak to me, as you would talk to your mother,if she had taken you in her arms.”

- hinduism. about. Com

Paying tribute to God Ganesha

G Arulananthan

The Sri Sarwartha Siddhi Vinayagar Temple at Modera is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Its annual festival which commenced with the flag hoisting ceremony on August 13 concluded with the chariot festival on August 21 and water-cutting ceremony on August 22.

Further, all the religious rituals during this festival were performed by the chief priest of this temple “Sivagama Kiriya Youthi,” “Sivagama Kiriya Rathnam”, “Siva Sri” Kumaraswamy Somasundara Kurukal (JP) with the assistance of several other Hindu priests.

God Ganesha

Infact, the late S Sellamuttu who was the former mayor of Colombo, Mr A Sinnathamby, Mr Ramana Sellamuttu, son of late S Sellamuttu and Dr A S Kunasuigam were responsible for the reconstructions and restoration of this temple which was in a state of dilapidated condition. In 1992, a major repair was done to the roof of the main Vinayagas Temple. Even the Vasantha Mandapam was re-done and in 1993 Mahakumbalisekham was performed.

When Dr A S Kunasingham became the trusted of this temple, he took all possible steps to give a new look to the temple. In 1994, the construction of the Rajagopuram was completed and subsequently the Mahakumbalisekham was held on 10 June 2005. The temple is now having a dignified and magnified look, facing the sea. Indeed, Dr Kunasingham's selfish divine service to this temple is immensely appreciated by the people of all communities.

Indeed, the Hindu Temples are intended to instruct men in the art of removing the veil of attachment that covers this hearts. Thus, the renowned poet Thiyagarajah cried in the temple of Thiru Pathy, “remove the veil, O! Remove the veil of attachment, the veil of pride and hatred”. Further, the temples are meant for the testing of the values of life and to awaken the divinity and humanity inducing men to believe that the physical from in which he lives is itself the House of God.

Every Hindu temple has a sanctum dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Hindus low this heads in reverence and make this first offering to Lord Gautha in all ritualionic worship, be it pilgrimage, wedding, yagama as housewarming. Lord Ganesha is the first Deity to be worshiped at the beginning or any ceremony.

Different names

Vinayagar, Ganadathy, Vigneswara, and Pillaiyar are some of the common appellations given to Lord Ganesha, the God with an elephant head. The bulky body of Lord Ganesha stands for the cosmos in its entirstes. The huge pot belly signified space certaining all things and beings of the world. The trunk represents the sensitives reception of stimuli and cognition. It also signifies the faculty of discrimination. The broken tusk signifies that he has broken away from ignorance which guides the path of God. The single tusk also denotes single mindeduces in action. The other tusk indicates highest knowledges.

His broad ears signify that hears everything communicated to him. They indicate omniscience. The three eyes of Lord Ganesha represent the moon, the sun, and fire which in turn medicate the three phases of creation, substance and destruction. The third eye is a symbol of intuitive knowledge. He has four hands which signify supernatural powers.

In one of his left hand he holds an “Ankusa” or the whip which denotes the destructive phase of cosmos. The spear like weapon also indicates that he used it to destroy ignorance in his devotees. The third hand holds a dish of “Modhakam”. This signifies the fullness of Brahman.

The fourth hand of Lord Ganesha represents Abhaya Lord Ganesha uses his little mouse as his vehicle. This shows all beings high and low, big and small are the vehicles of the divinity enshrined in the hearts of the little mouse also stands for time. God is beyond time. The mouse is the appropriate symbol of time.

Forms of worship

a common form of worship of Lord Ganesha is rapping at the forehead with knuckles and pulling earlobes with cross hands. This act helps in the purification of Naadis.

The smashing of coconut shows that the hard nut of ego should be cracked and got rid of before God and subsequently prostrated for complete surrounder. Further, the campliar that is in front of Lord Ganesha signifies that we have to boon our illusion of Ego with the fire of true knowledge and leave no so that we may merge with God.

The chariot or Ther symbolizes human body and the statue of Lord Ganesha is the soul. In first of the chariot are the wooden horses presenting in a galloping positive with the revive attached to this months held in the hands of the image of Lord Ganesha. These horses represent human while the symbolise the necessity of restraining and guiding these passion by the soul. The Journey of the Chariot or Ther through the streets is an emblem of the of life. This show that throughout his life a man must central and guide his passions. These positions are the motive power, the driving force or life, but unstrained and not properly suited, they will wreck a main life. This is the symbolic meaning of the chariot or Ther festival.