Show grace please
Post 4
Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
Before we continue the link between ST krithi and sreemadh
bhaagavatham, in this paarthibha new year, I would like to give the
following points on performing the `namaskaaram' or `praNaamam'
or `dhandan' in front of elders and aachaaryaas. This extract is from
an article by the late maha periyavaaL sri sri chandhra sekarEndhra
saraswathy of kaanchi peetam. The points given are of very high order
for our learning. Hence I am including here.
"The namaskaara kriyaa is the best aid for getting that `load' off
you. That is how in the namaskaaram, the head, which is at the top,
is brought on level with the other parts of the body. It is no more
the "head dominating the body" but just one of the many parts of the
body. If others bring down the head, it is a disgrace. If we bring it
down ourselves, it is reward, honour. This is vinaya sampath
(humility that is wealth itself). It is to get away from "head
weight" and mental conceit that the namaskaaram one performed with
the head. Appar Swami sings: "Bow down, bow down, O Head!" ?
`thalaiyE thaaL vaNangaai'
In order that this kriya is done with single pointed attention, and
one does not look to this side and the other, the namaskaaram is
always done with face to the ground. The indhriyas (sense organs)
face towards the outer world when we lie flat. But when we are
prostrate on the ground with face to the ground, they are also turned
away from the outer world. Heights are not wanted. Being humble is
what is wanted. If our minds are in this mode, the Grace of the
Almighty (kripaa varsha) will flow freely and fill us. Just like,
water does not remain at altitudes but flows to level ground and fill
it. As a symbol of this mental move, the body is lowered prostrate to
the ground head to foot.
This is called "Saashtanga Namaskaaram". Saashtaanga is `Sa Ashta
Anga' that is 8 parts of the body are in contact with the ground. The
8 parts are:
· forehead,
· 2 shoulders,
· 2 hands,
· torso,
· 2 legs.
You also know that women do not do the namaskaaram in this way. In
their case it is called "Panchaanga". Panchaanga here does not mean
the almanac. Leaving out the 2 shoulders and the torso, only 5 angas
are in contact with the ground in their namaskaaram. So it is called
Pancha anga Namaskaaram. Our rule makers (makers of saasthrams) while
making the rule that namaskaaram should be by lowering the body
prostrate on the ground, eschewing every thought of self importance
and finding the lowest level with the ground, they duly thought of
the Universal Mother aspect (maathruthwam) of Paraasakthi (Ambaal)
which is a distinguishing divine principle in women, and took care
not to imply any suggestion of lowering its importance.
They ruled that the part of the body, which sustains the growth of
the foetus during pregnancy, and the part, that creates within itself
the nourishment for the newborn and feeds it, should not be allowed
to come in contact with the ground. If the torso should not touch the
ground, then the shoulders have to be excluded so that the
namaskaaram can conveniently performed. Thus, excluding the 3 angas,
in their case it becomes `pancha anga'. This also symbolises the need
for women to have a "bending" nature. Bowing down itself means
bending and it seems that the namaskaaram performed by women is real
bowing down. Men sometimes may use the hand only instead of lowering
the body for "bowing" but women always do sarva anga namaskaaram".
Point: If prahlaadhan has done this, with heart and soul in
the `namaskaaram', which we have seen in previous post, will the lord
narasimha still be angry with him? Will he not cool down and start
saying `dhayaa is already given to you my boy' when asked `raamaa
dhayaraanee'.
Dear bhakthaas, please excuse me for those references to `ambaal and
paraasakthi', the anya dhevathaas in the vaishnavaas lists, since the
article is just as given out by sri periavaal. The context I thought
is more important than such minor points.
Next charaNam of ST krithi is
kanugonan aanandhamai kanneeru nindhEnu raamaa
meaning: As I found your glory, I became blissful, my eyes are filled
with tears.
Slokam 14 of chapter 9 of seventh skandham reads
thadh yaccha manyum asuras cha hathas thvayaa adhya
modhEtha saadhur api vrschika-sarpa-hathyaa
lOkaas cha nirvrthim itha: prathiyanthi sarvE
rupam nrsimha vibhayaya janaa: smaranthi
thath - therefore;
yaccha- kindly give up;
manyum- Your anger;
asurah- my father, hiraNyakasipu, the great demon;
cha- also;
hatha: - killed;
thvayah - by You;
adhya - today;
mOdhEtha - take pleasure;
saadhu: api - even a saintly person;
vrschika sarpa hathyaa - by killing a snake or a scorpion;
lOkaa: - all the planets;
cha - indeed;
nirvrthim - pleasure;
ithah - have achieved;
prathiyanthi - are waiting (for pacification of Your anger);
sarvE- all of them;
rupam- this form;
nrsimha - O Lord Nrsimhaa;
vibhayaya - for mitigating their fear;
janaa:- all the people of the universe;
smaranthi- will remember.
Summary: My Lord Nrsimha, please, therefore, cease Your anger, now
that my father, the great demon hiraNyakasipu, has been killed. Since
even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a
snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the
death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and
they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be
free from fear.
Point: oh raamaa, when all are happy that the demon is killed will I
not be happy. On seeing that happiness of all, I am also happy for I
am releieved of the threat from my own father, all because of you, oh
raamaa ? kanugonanaanandhamai kanneeru raamaa.
Again since the length has increased we will continue enjoying this
krithi in next post.
Dhasan
Vasudevan m.g.
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