SAMSKARAS
Sri Chandramoulisvaraya
Namah:
VEDA DHARMA SASTRA PARIPALANA SABHA (Regd.)
Kumbhakonam
Publication No. 4 - Friday, 13th. Aavani (29.8.1947)
VEDA DHARMA SASTRA PARIPALANA SABHA (Regd.)
Kumbhakonam
Publication No. 4 - Friday, 13th. Aavani (29.8.1947)
The world we live in is called ‘Misraloka’.
‘Misra’ means mixed. What is mixed? Happiness and misery are mixed. There is a
world where no happiness, but only misery is there. Similarly there is another
world where no misery, but only happiness is there. This world of ours is a
world where both are mixed. Brahmaloka, i.e. Satyaloka, Vaikuntham, Kailasam
etc. are worlds where only happiness is there. Naraka is the world where only
misery is there. There are many varieties there also. The cruelest Naraka is
called Rourava. When Pitrus live in worlds other than Naraka, the benefit of
tarpanam during Amavasya will reach them. Pitrus in Narakas will not receive
those benefits. There are, however, certain materials which will benefit them
also. Water from dirty clothes, from hair on the head and from washing hands
will satisfy them, if given with those Pitrus as target. That is why there is a
mantra for squeezing water from dhoti. In Andhra Pradesh, there is a tradition
of leaving water, at the end of eating after ‘Uttaraposanam’, at the right side
of the leaf, chanting a mantra: ‘Rourave apunyanilaye padmaarbudanivasinam’.
Rourava is a Naraka, where severe sinners stay. Padma and Arbuda refer to very
large numbers (a thousand billions; a hundred millions). There are persons
staying in the Rourava Naraka for many crores of Padmas and Arbudas. This water
should be offered saying: This water is intended for those persons and let them
be rid of their unending thirst.
We perform Vaisvadevam. In lieu of that, certain
Andhraites offer five ‘balis’ during the time of eating food. That is called
‘Chitradi bali’, where they keep cooked rice aside. They will say a mantra after
Aaposanam, offer water and close this bali.
There is happiness in this world; there is also
misery. If we make efforts, we get more happiness. Pleasure and pain differ from
person to person. For some pleasure is more; for some others pleasure is less.
There are some who control their minds and do not experience pain. There are
also those who suffer always. In other living beings also, this is observed. The
difference is in the degree of pain. Happiness and misery are like climate. The
worlds are like thermometers. In that thermometer, the boiling point is Naraka;
the freezing point is Swarga. We can also interchange this. There is no cold in
boiling point; there is no heat in freezing point. In total, there are three
types: freezing point; boiling point; points in between, where there are degrees
of both. The upper worlds are of one type: Satyaloka, Vaikuntham, Kailasam.
Upanishads put them together; Puranas speak of them separately. Narakaloka is
down below. Misraloka is in between.
According to our Sastras this world of ours is
superior to the other worlds. Why? From ‘Misraloka’ one can go to any world.
From other worlds one cannot go away at his free will. Dharmaraja would have
written down the period of stay in that world. One has necessarily to stay that
long. We cannot do anything there on our own. Here we have unique freedom. We
can do acts of merit or sin. With our hands we can perform Pooja or we can beat
someone. With our tongue we can do Namaparayanam (chanting of divine Names) or
we can abuse someone. We are capable of both. Bhagavan has thus given twin power
to every sense organ. This freedom is not there in other places. They are all
worlds of enjoyment. If we are born as bulls, can we do acts of merit? Devas are
like those bulls. Bulls do not accrue either merit or sin. In this world we can
perform good karmas and attain to good state. In Devaloka this is not possible.
This world determines one’s fate. The rest of the worlds are there only for
gratification; not places of genesis of fruits. There one can reap fruits of
merit or sin in the measure in which we have done it. That is why those places
are known as ‘Bhogabhumi’. The power of doing acts of merit or sin is available
here only and that too, only for humans. In quality of person, there can be
goodness or evil. Persons in other worlds do not have the right to perform
karmas (laid down by Vedas). Karma and quality are the two aspects which take
the Jiva to other worlds. It is not possible to reach higher worlds by doing
karma except in this karmabhumi. For doing a karma, one requires time and place.
Can one do Sraadham in midnight? Not done. There is a time for it. Similarly
there is place defined for a karma. Karma has to be done only in Punyabhumi. The
rest are Bhogabhumis. In this world also, certain periods are prohibited. For
certain karmas, certain places are also prohibited. Karmas have to be done in
pure places in pure periods. For creating a dhoti, how many are the actions to
be performed!
One has to be made an ‘Atmavit’ (knower of Self)
by doing many actions. This has to be done by working through quality and karma.
Karmas are known as ‘Samskaras’. That which removes the defect and adds quality
to a material is Samskara. Jivatma has defects. Defects have to be removed and
good qualities have to be filled in. Some Samskaras are done in the field. First
the field has to be dried, then ploughed and watered, seeds have to be sown,
replanting done, the harmful vegetation removed, field irrigated, excess water
removed, paddy later harvested, beaten, husk removed, rice to be dried and
treated and then only it can be used. So many actions are there to be performed.
In the same way, if thread has to be made into a dhoti, many actions are
required. In the loom, how many actions are performed! Our Atma is complex. The
knots have to be removed and Atma has to be made happy always. There are some
impediments to it. Happiness is sometimes experienced; even in spite of pain.
That happiness has to be made constant.
Jiva has to be led to Brahmaloka. Once led to the
presence of Iswara, there will be no more misery. After Maha Pralaya (Final
Dissolution), merger with Iswara will happen. For this merger, Jiva has to be
put through preparation. For this purpose Rishis have specified 40 Samskaras and
8 Atmagunas (qualities of Self). They have written many Dharma sutras and told
us about the procedures of Samskaras. They are the Smritis. There are 28
Smritis. Of them, 18 are important. The rest 10 are Upasmritis. Manu,
Yagnavalkya, Haaritha, Parasara et al have authored Smritis. Some have written
general Dharma sutras other than these Smritis. Of them, Gautama is one. In
every Kalpasutra, Samskaras are described. They differ from one another.
Aapasthambha and Gautama have written about matters applicable to everyone.
Aapasthambha has written separately too. Gautama has talked about 40 Samskaras
and 8 Atmagunas.
When jiva departs from the body, if it has to go
straight to Brahmaloka, these 48 are the cause. These make him stay in that
Presence (of Iswara). It will be like being in the presence of a supreme Gnani.
One can remain constantly blissful. When he drops his appearance, we can also
merge.
These 40 Samskaras involve bodily actions. If we
have to do a job, we have to move our hands and feet and also use our mouth.
There are 40 Samskaras of the form of karmas and 8 Atmagunas. It is
said:
“One who observes these 40 Samskaras and 8 Atmagunas, goes straight to Brahmaloka.” He goes to a place free from pleasure and pain. When will pain and pleasure cease to exist? When one reaches the Power which create everything.
“One who observes these 40 Samskaras and 8 Atmagunas, goes straight to Brahmaloka.” He goes to a place free from pleasure and pain. When will pain and pleasure cease to exist? When one reaches the Power which create everything.
Forty Samskaras have been detailed right from
impregnation to cremation. From the time the material base for body starts
forming in the mother’s uterus right upto the time the body is consigned to
flames, 40 Samskaras are to be done. All karmas are done with Agni. Agni has to
be preserved without being extinguished. Brahmachari should perform Samidadhanam
every day in Agni. Grihastha should perform Oupasanam. For Vanaprastha, Agni
known as Kakshagni is specified. It is produced in forest. Only in Sanyasasrama,
there is no Agni. But there is Gnanagni in him. His body is not subjected to
Agni Samskara. Burial is done out of courtesy. His body can be cut into four
pieces and laid in forest in four directions. It will be food for the beings
there. That his body should be disposed in forest is specified in order to avoid
trouble for people. If not done that way, the body should be buried, over which
trees and plants should be grown. If disposed in forest, it will be food for
other living beings. If buried, it will become manure for the trees over it. It
is said that big trees like bilva and asvatha (fig) should be planted on
top.
Everyone should keep the Agni from the time of
marriage without being extinguished and offer his own body in the same Agni as
oblation. Agni is specified for everyone. At the time of marriage people of all
varnas should do Oupasanam. They should maintain that Agni. Now only Persians
maintain fire. Their religion was born from ours only. Their scripture is known
as ‘Zend-Avesta’. That name is form of our ‘Chandovasta’. Zoroaster is their
Acharya. That name is the distorted form of ‘Sourashtra’. Their country is
called ‘Iran’, which again is form of ‘Arya’. If their Agni is extinguished,
they spend a lot of money and perform ‘Prayaschitta’ (expiation). In our case
Agni rituals have declined in the last 40 years. Life has changed. If there is
deep sraddha (faith and sincerity), Agni can be maintained even now. The present
day education is one cause of the absence of sraddha. Whatever be the cause, if
we have to prosper, we have to necessarily do actions as laid down in Sastras.
Everyone desires to be comfortable, but he does not perform actions aimed at
that. If a person wishing to go to Madurai gets into a train bound for Madras,
he cannot reach Madurai. In the same way, if one keeps performing actions
prohibited by Sastras, he cannot attain prosperity.
Hence it is requested that everyone should
discard actions prohibited by Sastras, perform actions laid down in Sastras and
attain prosperity.
VEDA DHARMA SASTRA PARIPALANA
SABHA
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