When great gnAnis like jyeshta Mahasannidhanam makes a statement, we need to be very watchful. It will take a Janma at a minimum to get to understand and several to implement in our lives. I took some 40 years to understand his direction to witness Agni Karya.
I wondered for years as to why so many Agni Karya were given, why burn things in fire and pollute the environment; laughed at the belief that burning valuable food like grains, herbs , ghee and milk is good for people . Why waste them instead of giving to the needy?
After 40 years of thinking I understood that food was actually being delivered to living beings through Homa! When the forefathers said Agni will take the food to all the world, it was based on facts. How they discovered that method without modern science is very impressive.
The simple mantra of Agnihotra was the key that opened up the treasure trove of knowledge. To restate -
In the morning : सूर्याय स्वाहा सूर्याय इदं न मम | प्रजापतये स्वाहा प्रजापतये इदं न मम ||
In the evening : अग्नये स्वाहा अग्नये इदं न मम | प्रजापतये स्वाहा प्रजापतये इदं न मम|| Loosely translated it means : “I offer to Surya- all these belong to him and not me . Offer to Prajapati , all belong to him and not to me”. The same thing in the evening, except that we offer to Agni instead of Surya, the sun.
Who are the Surya , Agni & Prajapati to whom offerings are made and why? Why do we say all these are not mine and yet offer oblations?
Why is it stipulated that once started Agnihotra fire should not be allowed to die out ? Why start it with wooden friction tools without any fuel? Why use cow dung cakes in the homa pot? Why offer ghee and unhusked brown rice as oblations ?
We all know that without Sun entire Universe will disappear. Agni is representation of heat. If the heat gets to Absolute zero ( Zero kelvin) several strange things happen.Matter are no longer discrete and get into “Fifth” state known as Bose Einstein Condensate. All atoms behave like waves, get entangled ( Quantum entanglement) and act as if they are single entity. This almost borders of the advaitha theory of Brahman as the only single valid entity as substrate. Who is Prajapathi? Various Brahmanas describe him as the only self created , first born. He felt alone, found only vast sheet of water, and created all other beings.
आपो वा इदमग्रे सलिलमसीत् .. (TB)
एकह वाव देवता स्वयंभूः प्रजापतिरिव
प्रजापतिरिव वेदं अग्रासीत् | सो कामयत बहु संप्रजयेय | बहुनाम् गच्छेयं इति (JUB)
So, it makes perfect sense in recognizing and offering to Sun, Agni & Prajapati - the origin of physical universe, raison d’etre Agni and first born Prajapati. Agni is the carrier who we request our offerings to entire universe-which is fueled by Sun and owned by Prajapati ,the first born.
What is striking is that we add इदं न मम, ie, ‘all these are not mine’.
It is a three words summary of ultimate knowledge-that we are not body or its faculties and do not possess anything in this world.That is why very strict agnihotris do not earn a livelihood nor do they seek any alms.
How does the Agni take our offerings to every one in the universe ? This is where modern combustion theory helps understand.In combustion one can heat a material to vaporizing or fumigation point or to a higher ‘smoking point’ temperatures. When you heat it to vaporizing temperature the constituents of the material vaporize, ‘as they are’, without reacting with oxygen and burning into dangerous compounds like free radicals.
Hence, if we take nutrients rich materials and heat them to vaporizing/fumigation temperature, all nutrients vaporize and spread in the region around through air. If we use ‘fuels’ that have low calorific value the heat released will be moderate and hence we can maintain temperatures that are less than smoking points.
This is precisely the design concepts behind Homas /Yagnas like Agnihotra. 1) The Cowdung cakes as fuel has lowest calorific value
2) The Samidha sticks are herbs that vaporize
3) Raw unpolished brown rice rich in nutrients vaporize
4) Ghee has rich nutrients and has a high smoking point
The combination causes vaporization of rich nutrients that are spread around the region, benefiting every one who inhale the air. Scientific studies have been done on effect of Homa and published in international journals. Agnihotra has gained global popularity.
http://agnihotrasupplies.com/
If we look at the 52 Samskara that are enjoined deeply, we would notice that they are not only karmAs but also attitudinal & behavioral demands on ourselves. Doing the karma as a ritual will not help . The panca maha yagnas (Brahma, Deva, Pitru, mAnisha, bhUta) ensure we develop a universal brotherhood and compassion. The Ashta Gunas, Daya ( compassion) , kshanti (Patience), anasuya (non-jealous) , sauca (purity), anAyasA (effortless) , mangala ( auspicious), akarpanya (non-misery) , aspriha (non-covetous) completely transform us and prepares us in chitta shuddi for the ultimate knowledge to dawn.
The Dasa Koota crystallized karma mImAmsa and Vedantha into a seemingly devotional Bhakti song. Routinely singing it is as bad as ritually performing karma or simply chanting Aham Brahmasmi. No one should sing a Dasa Pada without understanding the language and the import of them.
Kanaka Dasa’s “DasanAgu visEshanAgu” is a great example. After imploring we should avoid bad attitudes, behaviors and ritualistic karma anushtana, he suggests we should focus of Hari Dhayana that will help us see the Brahmanda itself in ourselves !
ಸಂದೇಹವ ಮಾಡಿದರು ಅರಿಯು ಎಂಭ ದೀಪವಿಟ್ಟು,
ಇಂದು ಕಂಡ್ಯ ದೇಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೀoಡಾoಡ ಹಾಗೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಂಡ !!
ಇಂದು ಹರಿಯ ಧ್ಯಾನವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿ ವಿವೇಕದಿ,
ಮುಕುಂಧನೀಂದ ಮುಕ್ತಿ ಬೇಡುಕಂಡ್ಯ ನೀ ನೋಡುಕಂಡ್ಯ !!
A beautiful rendering of the song by Puttur Narasimha Nayak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll349Ojh-f4
As if jyesshta mahasannidhanm wanted me to drown in the Agni , he sent word that I should visit Sringeri again to witness another set of homas - maha rudra homa and Shatachandi homa in connection with Shri Bharati Theertha’s vardhanthi. Umesh told me it will be a great opportunity to witness Bharathi theertharu performing abhisheka to a linga that appeared to Sage Vibhandaka drawn by his penance. “Vibhandaka who ?”, I asked , being ignorant.“Father of Rishya Shrunga muni”, replied Umesh.
ಎಸು ಕಾಯಂಗಳ ಕಳೆದು ಎಂಭತ್ನಾಲ್ಕು ಲಕ್ಷ ಜೀವ ರಾಶಿಯನ್ನು ದಾಟಿ ಬಂದ ಈ ಶರೀರ !!
ತಾನಲ್ಲ ತನ್ನದಲ್ಲ ಆಸೆ ತರವಲ್ಲ , ಮುಂದೆ ಬಾಹೋದಲ್ಲ ದಾಸನಾಗು ವಿಶೇಷನಾಗು !!
ಆಶ ಕ್ಲೇಶ್ ದೊಷೆವೆoಭ ಅರ್ಥಿಯೋಳು ಮುಳುಗಿ
ಯಮನ ಪಾಶಕ್ಕೊಳಗಾಗದೆ ನಿರ್ದೊಶಿಯಾಗು ಸಂತೂಷಿಯಾಗು!!
ಕಾಶಿ ವಾರಾಣಸಿ ಕಂಚಿ ಕಾಳಹಸ್ತಿ ರಮೇಶ್ವರ್,
ಎಸು ದೇಶ ತಿರುಗಿದರು ಬಾಹೂದೇನೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿಗ್ ಹೋದೆನು !!
ದೂಷನಾಶ್ ಕೃಷ್ಣವೇಣಿ ಗಂಗೆ ಗೋದಾವರಿ ಭವ
ನಾಶಿ ತುಂಗಭದ್ರೆ ಯಮುನೆ ವಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಉಪವಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ !!
ಮೀಸಲಾಗಿ ಮಿಂದು ಜಪ ತಪ ಹೋಮ ನೆಮಗಳ
ಎಸು ಬಾರಿ ಮಾಡಿದರ ಫಲವೇನು ಈ ಛಲವೇನು !!
ಅಂದಿಗೂ ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಸಿರಿ ಕಮಲೇಅಶನ್ನನು
ಒಂದು ಬಾರಿ ಹಿಂದ ಯಾರು ಹಿಂಗ ನೆನಯಲಿಲ್ಲ ಮನ ದನಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ !!
ಬಂದು ಬಂದು ಭ್ರಹಮೆಗೊಂಡು ಮಾಯಾ ಮೋಹಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿ
ನೊಂದು ಬೆಂದು ಒಂದರಿಂದ ಉಳಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ ದ್ವಂದ್ವ ಕಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ !!
ಸಂದೇಹವ ಮಾಡಿದರು ಅರಿಯು ಎಂಭ ದೀಪವಿಟ್ಟು
ಇಂದು ಕಂಡ್ಯ ದೇಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೀoಡಾoಡ ಹಾಗೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಂಡ !!
ಇಂದು ಹರಿಯ ಧ್ಯಾನವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿ ವಿವೇಕದಿ
ಮುಕುಂಧನೀಂದ ಮುಕ್ತಿ ಬೇಡುಕಂಡ್ಯ ನೀ ನೋಡುಕಂಡ್ಯ !!
ಮೂರುಬಾರಿ ಶರಣು ಮಾಡಿ ನೇರ ಮುಳುಗಲ್ಲ್ಯಾಕೆ
ಪರನರಿಯರ ನೋಟಕ್ಕೆ ಗುರಿಯ ಮಾಡಿದಿ ಮನ ಸೆಳೆಯ ಮಾಡಿದಿ !!
ಸುರೆಯೋಳು ಸುರೆ ತುಂಬಿ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾವಿನ ಹಾರ
ಗೀರು ಗಂಧ ಅಕ್ಷತೆಯ ಧರಿಸಿದಂತೆ ನೀ ಮರೆಸಿದಂತೆ!!
ಗಾರುಡಿಯ ಮಾತ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ನಾದ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನ ಪಿಡಿದು
ಸಾರಿ ಸುರಿ ಮುಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಶಮನದಂತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಸಮನದಿಂದ !!
ನಾರಾಯಣ ಅಚುತ್ಯ ಅನಂತಾದಿ ಕೇಶವನ
ಸಾರಮ್ರಥವನ್ನು ಉಂಡು ಸುಖಿಸೋ ಲಂಡ ಜೀವವೇ ಎಲೋ ಭಂಡ ಜೀವವೇ !!
Umesha’s terse reply to my question, “Vibhandaka, who ?”, was part response and part rebuke.He was perhaps critical on my lack of intellectual curiosity. Every sacred town in India has a Sthala Purana . It is both a branding exercise as well as establishing the principle that Ishwara is everywhere. “Rishyashringa Muni was the remarkable son of Rishi Vibhandaka”, Umesha explained for my benefit. “ Vibhandaka was great tapasvi who once got tempted by beautiful Urvashi and begot Rishyashringa as child. Urvashi left him with the child and disappeared to swarga. Vibhndaka was very upset and started to hate women”. “He resolved that he will bring up Rishyashringa in a deep forest where no woman would venture. Rishyashringa lived in Sringeri in later years, it was called Rishyashringa Giri which later shortened into Sringeri. The temple Mala Haani Kareshwara temple is where both father and son worshipped. There is even a temple in honor of Rishyasringa muni in Kigga , a few miles away from Sringeri”
With this intro from Umesha, I set out to Sringeri. As the bus wound through the western ghats, my mind was preoccupied by that story. I felt quite upset at Vibhnadka on two counts - why should he blame women for his weakness of getting tempted? This seemed misplaced, he should have hated himself. On the top of it, his decision to bring up his child alone, in a deep forest, so that he no woman would tempt him appeared quite repressive. Why did the people celebrate the ‘weak minded, vengeful father’ and ‘repressed child Rishyasringa’ ? Why temples in their honor?
I reached Sringeri and hurried to Tunga for ablutions. The crystal clear waters, the serene atmosphere with bramhacaris performing their sandhya, melodious veda chantings from the patashala stilled my mind. Ganga Snana , Tunga Paana was the local saying.
I rushed to Narsinhavana to have darshan of Acharya. It was a treat to see both of them sitting together to bless the disciples. Jyeshta maha sannidhanam was very pleased to see me and said witnessing a Sringeri Acharya perforn abhisheka to Mala Haanikareshwara was a rare sight and Rudra will bless me.
It was blazing hot in summer with temperature reaching 38 deg C. It was indeed great experience watching Bharat theertharu performing abhisheka to a large linga that had marks on it like a horn. Shri Rudram and Camakam chanting rang out like a bolt. Then there was Shatchandi homa in honor of his Bharat Theertharu.In his anugraja bhashane , Bharati Theertharu talked about Ramayana.I returned to Bangalore, and all the questions that were agitating my mind came back with a vengeance.
“There has to be an inner meaning to the story. What is the spirit behind the letter?”, I asked indignantly to Umesha. “ For me Letter is the spirit and if you think they are different, you need to find out”, responded Umesh with his bewitching smile. As a slow learner that I took several years to get to understand the import of the story. Valmiki gave me the answer in his Ramayana
Once there was a severe draught in Anga Kingdom due to violation of dharma by the King. Hi ministers advised that the only way to get rains was to bring a Rishi whose mind had not wavered even once with lust. The King wondered if there would be any one at all in the world.The ministers told him Rishyashringa was once such young tapasvi.
But then there was a catch-his father Vibhandaka would curse them if he came to know of their plans to take his son to the capital city. So, the Anga King decides to tricks Rishyasringa into coming. He sends a bunch of beautiful courtesans, who create an asharam like structure on their boat. They meet Rishyashringa ,invite him to their ‘Ashram’. Rishyashringa is amazed to look at them and thinks they are also men like him of different shape.
The courtesans embrace him and try to kindle the dormant sexual instincts. While Rishyashringa is aroused , he does not indulge in any sexual acts as the very idea of treating women as objects of pleasure does not exist in his mind. Nor does he suffer any bindu naasah like his father Vibhandaka. Vibhandaka’s brahmacarya was perhaps based on repression; while his son Rishya Sringa’s brahmacarya was based on sublimation and treating a man-woman physical relationship respectfully as expressions of love and not as objects of pleasure for each other.
Valimiki writes in Balakanda of Ramayana when Sumantra narrates the legend of Rishyasringa to Dasaratha:
“न अन्यम् जानाति विप्रेन्द्रो नित्यम् पित्र अनुवर्तनात् |
द्वैविध्यम् ब्रह्मचर्यस्य भविष्यति महात्मनः” “He is the best among the Vipra, follows his father ever, and does not know any one else and adhering to second category of Brahmacarya”. It was one of right understanding and not mere abstinence. Ramayana tells us that Rishyasringa was enticed into the boat ashrama which surreptitiously sailed to Anga Desa. As soon as he stepped into the country , it started pouring. The King was pleased and gave his daughter Shantha in marriage to Rishyasringa. This Shantha was none other than Dasaratha’s daughter. Sumantara reminds Dasaratha of this and asks him to get Rishyasringa to lead the putra kameshti Yaga.
The legend continues that Vibhandaka was deeply annoyed at the deceit of Anga King but felt happy the way his Son was treated there. He moves to Sringeri and spends rest of his life in deep meditation. Rudra is so pleased he appears as svayambhu linga, cleansing all the dirt off the soul of Vibhandaka . Hence the Linga is called Mala Haani Kareshwara - dispeller of stains . Rishyasringa too comes to Sringeri fo vanaprasta days. The temple at Kigga, a few miles off Sringeri commemorates his stay.
The idea that extremely good people transform a society, that learns to live in balance with nature, was known to ancients in India. Sangam poets of Tamil Kingdoms Auvayyar and Thiruvalluvar have written that “ A single pure person among the impure can cause rains to pour” while Thiruvalluvar gets sharper by saying at the command of chaste women rains will pour.
நெல்லுக் கிறைத்தநீர் வாய்க்கால் வழியோடிப்
புல்லுக்கும் ஆங்கே பொசியுமாம் – தொல் உலகில்
நல்லார் ஒருவர் உளரேல் அவர்பொருட்டு
எல்லார்க்கும் பெய்யும் மழை. (Moodurai -Avvaiyar)
தெய்வம் தொழாஅள் கொழுநன் தொழுதெழுவாள்
பெய்யெனப் பெய்யும் மழை (Thirukkural)
As I kept wondering how jyeshta maha sannidhanam was triggering life long learning through simple commands, Umesha sent word to get ready for a maga historic event.
“For the first time in history, all the four Shankaracharyas of Chatur Amnaya peethas will be assembling in Sringeri. It is Acharya’s initiative, and we will constitute his core volunteer group. I will drive down from Chennai with a few members, pick you up at Bangalore and we can all go together to Sringeri”
The very thought of spending days immersed in conversations with him was very sweet.
Little did I know that we will go through some mysterious troubles on the way and I will get to learn some startling about Umesha.
I wondered for years as to why so many Agni Karya were given, why burn things in fire and pollute the environment; laughed at the belief that burning valuable food like grains, herbs , ghee and milk is good for people . Why waste them instead of giving to the needy?
After 40 years of thinking I understood that food was actually being delivered to living beings through Homa! When the forefathers said Agni will take the food to all the world, it was based on facts. How they discovered that method without modern science is very impressive.
The simple mantra of Agnihotra was the key that opened up the treasure trove of knowledge. To restate -
In the morning : सूर्याय स्वाहा सूर्याय इदं न मम | प्रजापतये स्वाहा प्रजापतये इदं न मम ||
In the evening : अग्नये स्वाहा अग्नये इदं न मम | प्रजापतये स्वाहा प्रजापतये इदं न मम|| Loosely translated it means : “I offer to Surya- all these belong to him and not me . Offer to Prajapati , all belong to him and not to me”. The same thing in the evening, except that we offer to Agni instead of Surya, the sun.
Who are the Surya , Agni & Prajapati to whom offerings are made and why? Why do we say all these are not mine and yet offer oblations?
Why is it stipulated that once started Agnihotra fire should not be allowed to die out ? Why start it with wooden friction tools without any fuel? Why use cow dung cakes in the homa pot? Why offer ghee and unhusked brown rice as oblations ?
We all know that without Sun entire Universe will disappear. Agni is representation of heat. If the heat gets to Absolute zero ( Zero kelvin) several strange things happen.Matter are no longer discrete and get into “Fifth” state known as Bose Einstein Condensate. All atoms behave like waves, get entangled ( Quantum entanglement) and act as if they are single entity. This almost borders of the advaitha theory of Brahman as the only single valid entity as substrate. Who is Prajapathi? Various Brahmanas describe him as the only self created , first born. He felt alone, found only vast sheet of water, and created all other beings.
आपो वा इदमग्रे सलिलमसीत् .. (TB)
एकह वाव देवता स्वयंभूः प्रजापतिरिव
प्रजापतिरिव वेदं अग्रासीत् | सो कामयत बहु संप्रजयेय | बहुनाम् गच्छेयं इति (JUB)
So, it makes perfect sense in recognizing and offering to Sun, Agni & Prajapati - the origin of physical universe, raison d’etre Agni and first born Prajapati. Agni is the carrier who we request our offerings to entire universe-which is fueled by Sun and owned by Prajapati ,the first born.What is striking is that we add इदं न मम, ie, ‘all these are not mine’.
It is a three words summary of ultimate knowledge-that we are not body or its faculties and do not possess anything in this world.That is why very strict agnihotris do not earn a livelihood nor do they seek any alms.
How does the Agni take our offerings to every one in the universe ? This is where modern combustion theory helps understand.In combustion one can heat a material to vaporizing or fumigation point or to a higher ‘smoking point’ temperatures. When you heat it to vaporizing temperature the constituents of the material vaporize, ‘as they are’, without reacting with oxygen and burning into dangerous compounds like free radicals.
Hence, if we take nutrients rich materials and heat them to vaporizing/fumigation temperature, all nutrients vaporize and spread in the region around through air. If we use ‘fuels’ that have low calorific value the heat released will be moderate and hence we can maintain temperatures that are less than smoking points.
This is precisely the design concepts behind Homas /Yagnas like Agnihotra. 1) The Cowdung cakes as fuel has lowest calorific value
2) The Samidha sticks are herbs that vaporize3) Raw unpolished brown rice rich in nutrients vaporize
4) Ghee has rich nutrients and has a high smoking point
The combination causes vaporization of rich nutrients that are spread around the region, benefiting every one who inhale the air. Scientific studies have been done on effect of Homa and published in international journals. Agnihotra has gained global popularity.
http://agnihotrasupplies.com/
If we look at the 52 Samskara that are enjoined deeply, we would notice that they are not only karmAs but also attitudinal & behavioral demands on ourselves. Doing the karma as a ritual will not help . The panca maha yagnas (Brahma, Deva, Pitru, mAnisha, bhUta) ensure we develop a universal brotherhood and compassion. The Ashta Gunas, Daya ( compassion) , kshanti (Patience), anasuya (non-jealous) , sauca (purity), anAyasA (effortless) , mangala ( auspicious), akarpanya (non-misery) , aspriha (non-covetous) completely transform us and prepares us in chitta shuddi for the ultimate knowledge to dawn.
The Dasa Koota crystallized karma mImAmsa and Vedantha into a seemingly devotional Bhakti song. Routinely singing it is as bad as ritually performing karma or simply chanting Aham Brahmasmi. No one should sing a Dasa Pada without understanding the language and the import of them.
Kanaka Dasa’s “DasanAgu visEshanAgu” is a great example. After imploring we should avoid bad attitudes, behaviors and ritualistic karma anushtana, he suggests we should focus of Hari Dhayana that will help us see the Brahmanda itself in ourselves !
ಸಂದೇಹವ ಮಾಡಿದರು ಅರಿಯು ಎಂಭ ದೀಪವಿಟ್ಟು,
ಇಂದು ಕಂಡ್ಯ ದೇಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೀoಡಾoಡ ಹಾಗೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಂಡ !!
ಇಂದು ಹರಿಯ ಧ್ಯಾನವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿ ವಿವೇಕದಿ,
ಮುಕುಂಧನೀಂದ ಮುಕ್ತಿ ಬೇಡುಕಂಡ್ಯ ನೀ ನೋಡುಕಂಡ್ಯ !!
A beautiful rendering of the song by Puttur Narasimha Nayak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll349Ojh-f4
As if jyesshta mahasannidhanm wanted me to drown in the Agni , he sent word that I should visit Sringeri again to witness another set of homas - maha rudra homa and Shatachandi homa in connection with Shri Bharati Theertha’s vardhanthi. Umesh told me it will be a great opportunity to witness Bharathi theertharu performing abhisheka to a linga that appeared to Sage Vibhandaka drawn by his penance. “Vibhandaka who ?”, I asked , being ignorant.“Father of Rishya Shrunga muni”, replied Umesh.
ಎಸು ಕಾಯಂಗಳ ಕಳೆದು ಎಂಭತ್ನಾಲ್ಕು ಲಕ್ಷ ಜೀವ ರಾಶಿಯನ್ನು ದಾಟಿ ಬಂದ ಈ ಶರೀರ !!
ತಾನಲ್ಲ ತನ್ನದಲ್ಲ ಆಸೆ ತರವಲ್ಲ , ಮುಂದೆ ಬಾಹೋದಲ್ಲ ದಾಸನಾಗು ವಿಶೇಷನಾಗು !!
ಆಶ ಕ್ಲೇಶ್ ದೊಷೆವೆoಭ ಅರ್ಥಿಯೋಳು ಮುಳುಗಿ
ಯಮನ ಪಾಶಕ್ಕೊಳಗಾಗದೆ ನಿರ್ದೊಶಿಯಾಗು ಸಂತೂಷಿಯಾಗು!!
ಕಾಶಿ ವಾರಾಣಸಿ ಕಂಚಿ ಕಾಳಹಸ್ತಿ ರಮೇಶ್ವರ್,
ಎಸು ದೇಶ ತಿರುಗಿದರು ಬಾಹೂದೇನೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿಗ್ ಹೋದೆನು !!
ದೂಷನಾಶ್ ಕೃಷ್ಣವೇಣಿ ಗಂಗೆ ಗೋದಾವರಿ ಭವ
ನಾಶಿ ತುಂಗಭದ್ರೆ ಯಮುನೆ ವಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಉಪವಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ !!
ಮೀಸಲಾಗಿ ಮಿಂದು ಜಪ ತಪ ಹೋಮ ನೆಮಗಳ
ಎಸು ಬಾರಿ ಮಾಡಿದರ ಫಲವೇನು ಈ ಛಲವೇನು !!
ಅಂದಿಗೂ ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಸಿರಿ ಕಮಲೇಅಶನ್ನನು
ಒಂದು ಬಾರಿ ಹಿಂದ ಯಾರು ಹಿಂಗ ನೆನಯಲಿಲ್ಲ ಮನ ದನಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ !!
ಬಂದು ಬಂದು ಭ್ರಹಮೆಗೊಂಡು ಮಾಯಾ ಮೋಹಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿ
ನೊಂದು ಬೆಂದು ಒಂದರಿಂದ ಉಳಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ ದ್ವಂದ್ವ ಕಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ !!
ಸಂದೇಹವ ಮಾಡಿದರು ಅರಿಯು ಎಂಭ ದೀಪವಿಟ್ಟು
ಇಂದು ಕಂಡ್ಯ ದೇಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೀoಡಾoಡ ಹಾಗೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಂಡ !!
ಇಂದು ಹರಿಯ ಧ್ಯಾನವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿ ವಿವೇಕದಿ
ಮುಕುಂಧನೀಂದ ಮುಕ್ತಿ ಬೇಡುಕಂಡ್ಯ ನೀ ನೋಡುಕಂಡ್ಯ !!
ಮೂರುಬಾರಿ ಶರಣು ಮಾಡಿ ನೇರ ಮುಳುಗಲ್ಲ್ಯಾಕೆ
ಪರನರಿಯರ ನೋಟಕ್ಕೆ ಗುರಿಯ ಮಾಡಿದಿ ಮನ ಸೆಳೆಯ ಮಾಡಿದಿ !!
ಸುರೆಯೋಳು ಸುರೆ ತುಂಬಿ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾವಿನ ಹಾರ
ಗೀರು ಗಂಧ ಅಕ್ಷತೆಯ ಧರಿಸಿದಂತೆ ನೀ ಮರೆಸಿದಂತೆ!!
ಗಾರುಡಿಯ ಮಾತ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ನಾದ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನ ಪಿಡಿದು
ಸಾರಿ ಸುರಿ ಮುಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಶಮನದಂತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಸಮನದಿಂದ !!
ನಾರಾಯಣ ಅಚುತ್ಯ ಅನಂತಾದಿ ಕೇಶವನ
ಸಾರಮ್ರಥವನ್ನು ಉಂಡು ಸುಖಿಸೋ ಲಂಡ ಜೀವವೇ ಎಲೋ ಭಂಡ ಜೀವವೇ !!
Umesha’s terse reply to my question, “Vibhandaka, who ?”, was part response and part rebuke.He was perhaps critical on my lack of intellectual curiosity. Every sacred town in India has a Sthala Purana . It is both a branding exercise as well as establishing the principle that Ishwara is everywhere. “Rishyashringa Muni was the remarkable son of Rishi Vibhandaka”, Umesha explained for my benefit. “ Vibhandaka was great tapasvi who once got tempted by beautiful Urvashi and begot Rishyashringa as child. Urvashi left him with the child and disappeared to swarga. Vibhndaka was very upset and started to hate women”. “He resolved that he will bring up Rishyashringa in a deep forest where no woman would venture. Rishyashringa lived in Sringeri in later years, it was called Rishyashringa Giri which later shortened into Sringeri. The temple Mala Haani Kareshwara temple is where both father and son worshipped. There is even a temple in honor of Rishyasringa muni in Kigga , a few miles away from Sringeri”
With this intro from Umesha, I set out to Sringeri. As the bus wound through the western ghats, my mind was preoccupied by that story. I felt quite upset at Vibhnadka on two counts - why should he blame women for his weakness of getting tempted? This seemed misplaced, he should have hated himself. On the top of it, his decision to bring up his child alone, in a deep forest, so that he no woman would tempt him appeared quite repressive. Why did the people celebrate the ‘weak minded, vengeful father’ and ‘repressed child Rishyasringa’ ? Why temples in their honor?
I reached Sringeri and hurried to Tunga for ablutions. The crystal clear waters, the serene atmosphere with bramhacaris performing their sandhya, melodious veda chantings from the patashala stilled my mind. Ganga Snana , Tunga Paana was the local saying.
I rushed to Narsinhavana to have darshan of Acharya. It was a treat to see both of them sitting together to bless the disciples. Jyeshta maha sannidhanam was very pleased to see me and said witnessing a Sringeri Acharya perforn abhisheka to Mala Haanikareshwara was a rare sight and Rudra will bless me.
It was blazing hot in summer with temperature reaching 38 deg C. It was indeed great experience watching Bharat theertharu performing abhisheka to a large linga that had marks on it like a horn. Shri Rudram and Camakam chanting rang out like a bolt. Then there was Shatchandi homa in honor of his Bharat Theertharu.In his anugraja bhashane , Bharati Theertharu talked about Ramayana.I returned to Bangalore, and all the questions that were agitating my mind came back with a vengeance.
“There has to be an inner meaning to the story. What is the spirit behind the letter?”, I asked indignantly to Umesha. “ For me Letter is the spirit and if you think they are different, you need to find out”, responded Umesh with his bewitching smile. As a slow learner that I took several years to get to understand the import of the story. Valmiki gave me the answer in his Ramayana
Once there was a severe draught in Anga Kingdom due to violation of dharma by the King. Hi ministers advised that the only way to get rains was to bring a Rishi whose mind had not wavered even once with lust. The King wondered if there would be any one at all in the world.The ministers told him Rishyashringa was once such young tapasvi.
But then there was a catch-his father Vibhandaka would curse them if he came to know of their plans to take his son to the capital city. So, the Anga King decides to tricks Rishyasringa into coming. He sends a bunch of beautiful courtesans, who create an asharam like structure on their boat. They meet Rishyashringa ,invite him to their ‘Ashram’. Rishyashringa is amazed to look at them and thinks they are also men like him of different shape.
The courtesans embrace him and try to kindle the dormant sexual instincts. While Rishyashringa is aroused , he does not indulge in any sexual acts as the very idea of treating women as objects of pleasure does not exist in his mind. Nor does he suffer any bindu naasah like his father Vibhandaka. Vibhandaka’s brahmacarya was perhaps based on repression; while his son Rishya Sringa’s brahmacarya was based on sublimation and treating a man-woman physical relationship respectfully as expressions of love and not as objects of pleasure for each other.
Valimiki writes in Balakanda of Ramayana when Sumantra narrates the legend of Rishyasringa to Dasaratha:
“न अन्यम् जानाति विप्रेन्द्रो नित्यम् पित्र अनुवर्तनात् |
द्वैविध्यम् ब्रह्मचर्यस्य भविष्यति महात्मनः” “He is the best among the Vipra, follows his father ever, and does not know any one else and adhering to second category of Brahmacarya”. It was one of right understanding and not mere abstinence. Ramayana tells us that Rishyasringa was enticed into the boat ashrama which surreptitiously sailed to Anga Desa. As soon as he stepped into the country , it started pouring. The King was pleased and gave his daughter Shantha in marriage to Rishyasringa. This Shantha was none other than Dasaratha’s daughter. Sumantara reminds Dasaratha of this and asks him to get Rishyasringa to lead the putra kameshti Yaga.
The legend continues that Vibhandaka was deeply annoyed at the deceit of Anga King but felt happy the way his Son was treated there. He moves to Sringeri and spends rest of his life in deep meditation. Rudra is so pleased he appears as svayambhu linga, cleansing all the dirt off the soul of Vibhandaka . Hence the Linga is called Mala Haani Kareshwara - dispeller of stains . Rishyasringa too comes to Sringeri fo vanaprasta days. The temple at Kigga, a few miles off Sringeri commemorates his stay.
The idea that extremely good people transform a society, that learns to live in balance with nature, was known to ancients in India. Sangam poets of Tamil Kingdoms Auvayyar and Thiruvalluvar have written that “ A single pure person among the impure can cause rains to pour” while Thiruvalluvar gets sharper by saying at the command of chaste women rains will pour.
நெல்லுக் கிறைத்தநீர் வாய்க்கால் வழியோடிப்
புல்லுக்கும் ஆங்கே பொசியுமாம் – தொல் உலகில்
நல்லார் ஒருவர் உளரேல் அவர்பொருட்டு
எல்லார்க்கும் பெய்யும் மழை. (Moodurai -Avvaiyar)
தெய்வம் தொழாஅள் கொழுநன் தொழுதெழுவாள்
பெய்யெனப் பெய்யும் மழை (Thirukkural)
As I kept wondering how jyeshta maha sannidhanam was triggering life long learning through simple commands, Umesha sent word to get ready for a maga historic event.
“For the first time in history, all the four Shankaracharyas of Chatur Amnaya peethas will be assembling in Sringeri. It is Acharya’s initiative, and we will constitute his core volunteer group. I will drive down from Chennai with a few members, pick you up at Bangalore and we can all go together to Sringeri”
The very thought of spending days immersed in conversations with him was very sweet.
Little did I know that we will go through some mysterious troubles on the way and I will get to learn some startling about Umesha.
No comments:
Post a Comment