CESH

 The Kurukshetra war which lasted a mere eighteen days resulted in many losing their lives. The war could have been averted had Dhritarashtra been sensible and advised his sons to make peace with the Pandavas. But he did not. He realised his folly after the war was over, and the Kauravas were dead. He said to Sanjaya that he had had many indications that the war was going to end in victory for the Pandavas, and yet he had not paid heed to these indications. One of the indications was the support the Pandavas had from other kings. The Pandavas had the help of the Panchala king and the Matsya king. The Pandavas had been in exile for a long time, and yet they had the support of seven akshauhinis, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse.

What is an akshauhini? One calculation shows how an akshauhini is measured. A fundamental unit in the army had one chariot, one elephant, five foot soldiers and three horses. Three such units made up a senamukha. Three senamukhas made a gulma; three gulmas add up to a gana; three ganas made a vahini; three vahinis made up a brudhana; three brudhanas made a samu; three samus made an anikini and ten anikinis made an akshauhini. Another calculation of akshauhini says that one akshauhini had 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 1,09,350 soldiers and 65,610 horses.

The Pandavas had seven such akshauhinis. So these calculations give us an idea of the size of the Pandava army. The Kauravas did not have the support of as many kings as the Pandavas had. But they too must have had a large army. When the two armies clashed, the loss of human life was immense. This is what later left a victorious Yudhishthira unhappy. He could not celebrate his victory, for his subjects had lost dear ones. No one was left untouched by the horrors of the war.

cheta.

 This is the time for Pitru PakshaShradh , preceding the autumnal Navratras, when ancestors are worshipped, and prayers offered for the repose of their souls. The ritual is considered even more important than the worship of God, because a person owes his physical birth to his lineage. When Rama observed the Shradh for his illustrious ancestors, one sadhu ate so much that the Lord’s three brothers got tired of feeding him. They sought Ramchandra ji ’s help, who said that he would serve the sadhu himself. While doing so he recognized him as Shiva. The god smiled and vanished.

Pandit Shamboo Shankar, noted priest of Jaipur, used to point out that the Shradh were recommended by the religious text Karam Kand (which emphasizes homage to ancestors), and observed from the autumnal full moon to the following Amavasya (dark night) for 15 days. On Amavasya day, the worship is to unknown ancestors. The period starts with Parwa, Dwitiya, Tritya, Chauth, and so on, for the full fortnight and a day.

Black til (oilseed) for tilanjali, and chawal (rice) are among the main ingredients. Water is offered to the ancestors in front of the rising sun in the morning. Puja , havan , daan (prayers, fire offerings, and charity) mark the period, in which no festive functions are held, and devotees abstain from non-vegetarian food, and even onions and garlic.

During the Shradh , it is believed that ancestors appear in dreams, to warn of impending dangers in the coming year. Each day of the Shradh is equal to a year, and so the multiplication goes on to include all ancestors for 15 generations and beyond. Ancestor worship starts with the father and mother, and includes grandfather, grandmother, great-grandfather. and great-grandmother back to as many generations as one can remember, with reverence paid to both paternal and maternal ancestors. For the unknown ancestors, Rookha or Seedha (raw) food is offered in a thali that includes wheat flour, rice, kheer ( milk pudding) and sabzi (vegetables).

Homage to ancestors is as old as humanity. The belief is found worldwide. The Chinese practised it, so did the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. . The Jews remember them when they observe Passover, the Christians devote the full month of November to departed souls, the Muslims pay homage on Shab-e-Barat . The Buddhists and the Parsis too have ceremonies to honour their ancestors. The Parsi dawn prayer Hosh-Bam recalls the deeds of Iranian heroes of old, the names of whom are recited early in the morning. Tribals worship ancestors confined in the forest tree-trunks, like the spirit Arial in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest .

The South Indians, Bengalis, and North Indians have their own special ways of observing the Shradh . For the Bengalis, the climax is reached at Mahalaya, when the Chandi mantra is recited early in the morning. In the poem Kubla Khan by Coleridge, Kubla, the Mongol warlord, hears the voices of his ancestors at the capital Xanadu, prophesying war. Even a ruthless killer like him believed in mellowing down for ancestral worship.

An interesting story is told about the legendary physician Dhanwantri When he died, his disciples wanted to hold his Shradh . He had told them not to do so, but to eat his flesh so that they could become like him. As the disciples were preparing for that, Yama, the god of death appeared, and, fearing losing their souls, forbade them from eating the body. He cunningly told them to throw away the flesh that they had already cut out.

This, the disciples did, and three other living beings ate it: the ants, the kites, and a woman from the so-called cobbler caste, named Cheta. All three were blessed with longevity. Some say it was not the kites, but the crows. Hence, the practice of feeding crows at Shradh time, when the souls of ancestors are said to visit homes as crows. Incidentally, even today, Vaids begin their prescription with the word “Cheta” to assure long life for their patients.

During the Shradh all directions for travel are considered closed for 15 days because of the influence of Disa Sal , the spirit of the pathways. They are said to open up only after the Amavasya bath. The other days are utilized for offering prayers to ancestors, in which lies Moksha (salvation), both for those performing the rituals, and for the long departed ancestors.

Responsible.

 Good deeds are the means to reach a higher plane and likewise bad deeds lead to destruction and doom — is the ultimate message that the Ramayana teaches, said Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse. The truth that each one is responsible for his acts, good and bad and will have to face the consequences is strongly stressed. It is shown that even birds and animals will be of assistance to one who treads the right path; but to him who chooses the wrong path, even one’s kith and kin cannot be of any help. Ravana’s glories are innumerable and even Rama and Hanuman heap spontaneous praises on his attainments and achievements. But he commits the sin of coveting another man’s wife and scripts his own self destruction. Rama and Sita in their role as mortals show that human sorrow is inevitable and affects all, whatever may be one’s temperament, scholarship, lineage, etc. Lakshmana on many occasions ponders on the unfairness of the happenings in Rama’s life.

Rama too breaks out in despair when Virata carries away Sita in a trice. He tells Lakshmana, “This is unbearable. Kaikeyi must have known all this when she sent us to the forest.” Rama’s reaction only reflects the psychological reality of an individual in trying circumstances. Rama’s qualities of compassion and kindness, his readiness to lend a helping hand to all, his nature to pardon the faults in people, and his adherence to truth stand as the very basis of this grand epic. The Lord’s vow to protect those in distress is another straight message of hope to humanity. When Rama accepts Vibhishana against much opposition from Sugriva, Lakshmana and others, he quells their doubts about any possible foul play on the part of the rakshasas and states that even if it is Ravana in Vibhishana’s form, He would protect him.

cannot be done.

 Lord Narayana reveals His qualities to Alavandar, and a stunned Alavandar who had planned to praise the Lord is now diffident. Having witnessed His resplendent glory, he wonders if he will be able to do justice to it. Whatever he has seen must be described completely and as he has seen it. But how is this possible when there are so many aspects to the Lord’s greatness? Where does one begin? So, Alavandar is naturally hesitant.

The Lord is praised by the Taittiriya Upanishad thus: satyam jnanam anantam Brahma. This defines Brahman, said Valayapet Ramachariar in a discourse. The Supreme One is unchanging. He is always the same. The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad says He is satyasya satyam. He controls both cetana and acetana., that is sentient and non-sentient entities. Jnana is one of the attributes of the Supreme One. He knows everything and is referred to as Sarvajna. He supports all entities. He is not restricted by geographical boundaries or by time. He is present everywhere and is always present. Hence He is Ananta. The Lord is described by the Isavasya Upanishad thus: Isavasyam idham sarvam. That is, He is pervasive. This Lord is full of auspicious qualities (kalyana gunas).

Upanishads celebrate Him as heya gunarahithan — One without negative traits. He has no inauspicious qualities. He is present in everyone as antaryamin.

Alavandar talks of the Lord’s ocean-like glory. Why does he compare the Lord’s greatness to an ocean? Because an ocean’s depth is not easily known. Likewise, the Supreme One’s greatness is also not easily comprehended. Even one small part of one aspect of one guna of the Paramatma cannot be described. Alavandar says even Brahma and Siva have failed to describe His greatness. That being the case, how can he do it, wonders Alavandar.

swabhava.

In the Bhagavata Purana, there are many discussions on the ideals of the social system according to the Varna-ashrama dharma to help every individual attain his highest spiritual prospects. In the seventh canto, the narrative of the curse and redemption of the gatekeepers of Vaikunta, Jaya and Vijaya, is featured in the form of the conversation between Narada and Yudhishtira. Towards the end of this narration, Narada explains the many nuances of the Varna-ashrama dharma that have sustained and guided the moral and cultural aspects of society.

He also explains the general dharmas that are applicable to all, pointed out Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse. He lists many virtues like truth, compassion, austerity, viveka, vairagya, control of mind, ahimsa, charity, integrity, contentment and service by which every individual regardless of his varna, birth, or ashrama, state in life, can obtain divine grace. For instance, though the brahmana is placed in the highest scale in society, it is in view of the high character ideal he is to set and the important part he has to play in the welfare of the society. His means of livelihood were primarily through teaching, officiating at sacrifices and receiving gifts from those whose earnings are righteous.

Though the individual’s varna is based on heredity, it is also determined by one’s qualities. As a general rule, it is held that in all Yugas, for welfare in this life and hereafter, the pursuit of one’s own duty, swadharma, is important. This is also determined by the dominance of the gunas of Prakriti, satva, rajas and tamas inherent in all. When everyone acts in line with one’s nature, he adheres to his swabhava. He will gradually rise above the influence of the gunas when jnana and bhakti are generated in him.

Diksha.

 By Chinnajeeyar swamy 14.3.22

People take on a di:ksha to build internal strength and help attain their goals. Some di:kshas are for a duration of 1 week, 15 days, 18 days, 27 days, or 40 days, etc. The most common duration for di:ksha is 40 days and is called mandala di:ksha.

If the duration is short-term, both the resulting strength and the attained goal live temporarily. If you are looking for an ever-lasting strength and ever fulfilling goal, then you need a di:ksha that is life-long.

It is called Vyshnava Di:ksha or Pancha Samska:ra Di:ksha where one is qualified through a guru to heartfully believe in Lord as Sri Maha Vishnu, the ultimate protector, bond with him in every way, identify himself as Lord’s belonging by imprinting sankha and chakra marks on the shoulders, chant Lord’s name, always meditate on His form in his heart.

The secret to leading a life-long di:ksha is revealed by our a:cha:ryas in their teachings in a very beautiful way that elevates a person’s thought allowing every activity to be completed in a much more balanced and better way.

One who takes on this di:ksha conducts a ya:ga called ma:nasa ya:ga throughout their life-time without having to disrupt any of their activities.

Any ya:ga has a few components such as kunda (fireplace for sacred offerings), agni (fire), ho:tha (one who is offering), ladles, ghee, manthra.

The activity can be anything including and not limited to taking care of your children or working or even entertainment. Offer it to Lord through this ma:nasa ya:ga and you have realised yourself to be a tool in the hands of God in His creation.

Until you take up this di:ksha, you will be doing something that does not meet your natural state and thus bind yourself to karma. You end up taking births in different bodies over and over in an ever-ending cycle. You can step out of this cycle only with the grace of Lord. The step that makes you ready for accepting His grace is called Vyshnava Di:ksha, a di:ksha that prepares you for the ultimate goal. Vyshnavas are therefore respected by Yama at the time of their death, i.e. leaving the current body in the path to God.