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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.


--- In ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Mani Varadarajan" <manimani@...> wrote:
>
> The Lord and his retinue certainly do look majestic. It is, however,
> unfortunate
> that we please ourselves and think that the Lord is pleased by adorning Him
> with the product of the blood of thousands of silkworms. Somehow I doubt
> this
> is what the shaastras intended.

-----------------------------------

The Lord adorns sapeetha  vasthram which is a vasthram made of golden
thread, and not  silk.

The Lord  wears peethambaram, the yellow vasthram,  probably a 
vasthram soaked in turmeric water.

For ordinary mortals like us, convenience and climate play a role in
determining the cloth to be worn. But when it comes to vedik  rituals,
specifications have been given in shastras regarding every detail of
the ritual and this also includes the type of vasthram to be used. As
far as I have enquired or learnt from learned scholars, it has been
invariably mentioned at many places that the vasthram made of cotton
only has to be used in vedik ceremonies.

But the custom of using or gifting silk vEshti in marriage and
upanayanam has come into vogue, perhaps to flaunt the affluence and
affordability. If one digs up what the shastras say about most of the
ceremonies, it will be a shocking revelation that most of what is
being bought or gifted have not been mentioned by shastras and silk
has no shastric sanction.

One  instance, where silk is popular is in the upanayanam ceremony,
where it is customary for the maternal grand father / maternal uncle
to bring / buy  silk vasthrams. But there is absolutely no scope to
wear them during the ceremony. That is,  nowhere it is mentioned that
the silk vasthram is to be used. The vasthram used is cotton, dyed
yellow by turmeric water.

 The usage of the silk vEshti during Brhamopadesam is  a later
development, but it is not without a flaw. If the rules were to be
strictly followed, the  2 metre Veshti (4 muzham) is not sufficient to
cover the Agni (homa kunda), the Brahma, the couple and the boy. But
people desirous of somehow using these silk vEshti cover only the
couple, at times the father and son only with the vaadhyaar peeping
inside. This is not as per shastras. It requires not less than 12 to
14 metres of cloth to cover the Brahmopadesam which is to be done in
secrecy. Since the silk veshti that is bought is not sufficient,
people skip homa kunda, Brahma and the mother too in their anxiety
(urge?) to somehow use the silk vEshti  in the course of the ceremony.

Even otherwise, it is an irony of sorts, if  the newly born
Brahmachari who has just then vowed to give up all luxuries and pomp, 
is going to wear the silk vEshti after the ceremony. If rules of
shastras were to be strictly followed, all that now comes to the
Brahmacharin as gifts or belongings, will automatically be going to
his guru. An important shastric rule that is given a go-by in this
context is the use of rajada-p-paathram (silver vessel) as bhiksha
paathram. Since as per shastras, this will come under the possession
of the guru (in today's parlance Vaadhyaar) with whom the brahmacharin
will be going now, many do not buy this.  But the vaadhyaar may not be
interested in using the silk vasthram of the vadu. So no problem in
buying the silk veshti, as it is assured that the vaadhayar will not
claim it!! In my opinion this is how the buying of silk vasthram has
come to stay in upanayanam ceremony.

Silk was an exclusive luxury of  the rich and the Royals in those
days. It is generally opined  that the usage of silk entered our
community, when such vasthrams were gifted by the Royalty to express
their pleasure at the paandithyam of the Brahmins. There is evidence
to show that silk has been worn by the royalty from times of yore,
much before it was said to have entered from China.

I came to know from Dr H.P.Devaki, Director of Oriental Research
Centre, Mysore that the use of 'kaushEya vaasam' (the vasthram made
from pupa) had been very much in vogue during Ramayana times, as there
is frequent mention of usage of this vasthram in Valmiki Ramayana. She
 also opines that kalidasa's mention of "cheenamshuka eva" (the cloth
from Cheena) is a bit misleading, making us think that silk has
entered India from China. But mention of this in Ramayana makes us
conclude that silk is very much native to India and might have gone
from here to China. It might have been a forgotten thing during the
intermittent period, until it entered again from China as mentioned by
Kalidasa.

Now the question of ethics.

The last verse of Chandoghya upanishad says in clear terms that one
desirous of moksham is allowed to do only that 'himsa'  as approved by
scriptures. This is  interpreted by scholars and elders as approval
for animal sacrifice in yajnas only. Silk does not come under this
category. As far as I have heard and enquired, no text justifies or
stipulates the use of silk vasthrams.  Even the silk offered in Purna
ahuthi in a homa is not silk but  golden vasthram, vasthram made of
gold.

Secondly, if we extend the rationale of apportioning the sins of
eating non-vegetarian food as found in astrology texts, namely to be
shared by the one hunts the animal, the one who sells it and the one
who eats it, to wearing of silk, the wearer too shares the sin of
himsa.

But the mention of silk in Ramayana may perhaps indicate a cultural
habit, not necessarily approved by shastras.

As for another member's opinion,

>>>>>--- In ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Sreenivasan Ramanujam
<sreenivasan@...> wrote:
       That is a good point. But somehow Adiyen feel that those silkworms
have done more punyam than us since they adorn the supreme lord.
<<<<<<<<

No this can't be  proper logic..

Our Bhagawan is one who will make those who die for Him and by Him as
His shanku or some eternal entities to be identified with Him always.

Even the vajra kita worms which were once devas die to become sacred
shalagrama to be worshipped as Him!

A similar fate does not await the silk worms. So using silk for
oneself and for the Lord must have  been a man-made custom only.

With humble pranams,
Jayasree saranathan


Azhvar EmberumAnAr JeeyAr ThiruvadigalE Saranam 
http://www.vedics.net

 
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