I read with interest the discussion on Kula deivam.
There are some clear cut concepts given by Maharishis such as Parashara and Jaimini
on Kula deivam that guides a family for generations
and the Phalana deivam that guides an individual in a particular birth.
One must know the Kula deivam as one that has been worshipped for generations
or at least in the last 3 generations.
Apart from the Kula deivam, one will be guided by a Phalana deivam.
Some people are fortunate to have both kula deivam and Phalana deivam as the same.
It happens to them like this without any conscious thinking or efforts,
due to their past good karma.
In that case there is no confusion and the spiritual journey goes on smoothly.
But there are many who run into confusions at times.
And there have been instances where we see that the deity worshipped
in the last 3 generations was not the Kula deivam.
That will be reflected in the horoscopes of subsequent generations.
In the case of Srivaishnavites,
such a deviation is least likely to happen as they must have been praying some
from of Vishnu –group deities only.
The confusion comes when deities other than Vishnu's forms are worshiped
in the family.
A person grasping this deviation will anyway look for who his kula deivam is.
In such cases, we ask them to worship Venkatavan as Kula deivam,
as He is the Universal Kula deivam.
It is also possible to know one's phalana deivam, from the horoscope.
For this, one must identify the Athma karaka in the natal horoscope.
The planet that has traveled long degrees in a rasi is the Athma karaka.
The 12th house from that planet in the Navamsa is the Jeevan mukthamsa –
that shows the Lord that is guiding one towards Mukthi.
The lord of this house, or the occupant of this house of the planet aspecting this house
must be studied in that order for their strength.
The stronger of them will indicate the Guardian God in one's life.
According to Parashara,
If the planet is Sun, the Phalana deivam is Rama.
For moon, it is Krishna,
For Mars, it is Narasimha,
For Mercury, it is Vishnu,
For Jupiter, it is Vamana,
For Venus, it is Parashurama,
For Saturn, it is Kurma,
For Rahu, it is Vraha and
for Ketu it is meena
When we come across person of faith in Gods other than Vishnu,
we follow the Jaimini recommendation.
According to Jaimini,
If the planet is Sun, the Phalana deivam is Shiva.
For moon, it is Gowri,
For Mars, it is Skanda,
For Mercury, it is Vishnu,
For Jupiter, it is Shambashiva,
For Venus, it is Lakshmi,
For Saturn, it is Vishnu,
For Rahu, it is Durga and
for Ketu it is Ganesha.
Another school of Thought identifies Hanuman for Saturn.
A person may be following a God as told in Jaimini system.
But he will gradually move over to the Vishnu group of deities
as told by Parashara because Narayana is the Moksha saadhanam.
This shift may happen in one generation ,
may happen with a conscious effort or by experiences or
may happen over a series of generations.
But this knowledge does give an awareness of mukthamsa.
For a Srivasihnavite, already fortunate to be born in a family of Narayana –worshipers,
the 'SennoyOngu' pasurams of Periaazhwar give an interesting food for thought.
These are about the 3 Gods besides 'kula deivam', spoken by the Periaazhwar
in 'SenniyOngu' 10, - the bhava of which is a 'moksha-saadhanam'
according to Mumukshuppadi.
Though the aazhwar makes references to other names of Sriman Narayana,
he has specifically mentioned about
Thiru Venkatavan (Srinivasa of Thirumalai)
Kula deivam,
Rama and
Krishna.
The 1 st verse starts with a reference to Thiruvenkatavan .
The azhwar then proceeds to glorify Sri Rama in the 6th verse
and completes with worshiping Sri Krishna in the phala-pasuram in the 11th.
In between, he calls up 'Kula daivam' in the 3 rd verse.
"emmanai, en kula deivamE, ennudai nayaganE".
Who is this kula deivam that periyaazhwar is referring to?
It is obvious that it is some Vishnu- deity as he was born in a family of Vishnu-worshippers.
From 'Pallandu' pasuram (6th verse)
we understand that it must be that deity worshiped by his parents,
grand parents and all those in his previous generations.
(endai, thanthai, thantahi tham mootthappan..Thirupplaandu -6)
Then who is this specific deity?
The clue to this question lies in the first verse.
Any act or worship must begin with the worship of kula deivam.
In the first verse, Azhwar begins with a salutation to Thiruvenkatavan
(Srinivasa of Thirumalai).
So the kula deivam he mentions must be Thiruvenkatavan only.
One information of importance is that Srinivasa of Thirumlai
is the kula deivam for many people or for all people.
This is known from Naanmugan Thiruvandhathi and
the vyakhyaanam (commentary) by Periyavaachaan pillai.
The 48 th pasuram 'venkatame vinnor' tells
how Thirumalai is the abode for everyone including nithya suris
and ordinary persons.
The Lord of this abode protects them all,
removes the physical ailments and karma afflictions as well and
enables them to live happily by suppressing the asura vargas. (Periya vachaan pillai).
He protects all for generations and is therefore the Kula daivam for all.
('sarvarkum Thirumalaiye praabhyam' - Appillai
urai)
Periyazhwar recognises Thiruvenkatavan as Kula daivam in the 3rd pasuram
after concurring with the above notion (that He removes all Vinai) in the 2nd pasuram.
Kula daivam is the Lord who protects one for many births or
protects the kulam for many generations
from afflictions of the body and of karma-vinai
('vemkatangal mei mel vinai muttravum' - Nammazhwar).
Even the name "Venkadam" means churning out the heat (vemmaiyai –k- kadaithal)
The Lord in this abode churns out the heat of bad karma from us and frees us off them.
After praying to Kula deivam,
Periyaazhwar prays to Rama in the 6 th verse.
On reading this verse,
I used to wonder whether Rama was the phalana deivam
(Guardian God) of periyaazhwar.
It is because the description found in the 6th pasuram (Unnudaiya vikramam..)
wherein the azhwar prays to Lord Rama,
is more to do with how Rama giving rakshakam (protection) to the devotee.
The mention about valor and victory over Lanka (victory over evil),
if read with Periya vaachaan pillai urai (commentary) for the 47 th pasuram of
Nanmugan Thiruvandhathi gives the lead about
how one has to fashion one's life while living.
According to his urai (commentary),
Thirumalai is the place that protects one.
But it is Rama who protects one wherever one is.
Wherever one lives, that place must be considered as Ayodhya
('ayodhya matavim viddhi').
(Interepreted as – if you worship Rama in your pooja room, that place is the Ayodhya)
Raman must be considered as one's father who leads, guides and protects.
('Ramam dhasaratham viddhi').
Sita must be considered as the mother, so tells Sumithra to Lakshmana.
(Maam viddhi janakaathmajaam')
Periyavaachaan pilaai says that all these apply to the nithya suris who live in Thirumalai.
The inference is that Rama is in the image of Srinivasa at Thirumalai,
protecting everyone.
To explain this in today's parlance,
worship at Thirumala comes like a package.
Srinivasa ensures that your 'vinai' (karma) of body and mind of
previous birth and present birth are burnt off
and in addition, Rama's protection also is assured!
Rama is the 'kaakkum deivam'.
In other words, the 'Guardian God' for everyone!
The jiva thus protected has to aim for the final fruit.
Who else, but 'Ayar yeru' (11th pasuram) leads us all to make us 'anukkargal'.
This is corroborated in the 50th pasuram of Nanmugan Thiruvandhathi,
"kootramum saara.." that speaks about
'kannan kadal kidakkum maayan urai kidakkum'.
The Mayan urai is nothing but the Charama slokam of Mayan, the Gitacharyan.
(sarva dharmaan ….
The sloka asking us to renounce even the fruits of our action and surrender unto His feet)
When the jivas realize that it is only by taking refuge in His feet
by giving up all dharmas,
they can be said to be moving in the right direction.
Thus in my opinion, though Sriman Narayana had been the object of worship
for Periyazhwar in his pasuramas,
he has also indicated Srinivasa as his Kula deivam (rather the kula deivam for all)
and the glory of the two forms of Narayana, namely,
Rama as Protector (phalana deivam for all) and
Krishna as Liberator (Moksha sadhanam for all)
There is no mincing of words as to who his or everyone's Kula daivam is.
It is Thiruvenkatavan for all,
to protect one, for all generations to come and in all births to come.
His chief concern is protection of one in body (mei) and in karma (vinai)
There is no mincing of words as to who his or everyone's phalana deivam is
It is Rama who is to be worshipped as the protector in life.
Krishna is the upaya (means) for moksha.
In worship, Periyaazhwar sees Him as Jyothi in his heart
('sudaroliyai nenjinulle thondrumen Jyothi nambhi' -10th pasuram).
But if we attempt to find out who his 'Ishta devatha' (God he desired)
could have been,
we may think that it was Vatapatra saayi
to whom he did daily kainkaryam!
The Lord whom he and his daughter Andal saw every day and
paid personal adorations and worship was
Vatapatra saayi of Srivilliputtur.
I may perhaps be right in referring this Lord as his Ishta devatha.
In this was I am led to think that that Lord at Oppiliappan Koil is
our moderator Swami's
Kula deivam (worshiped for more than 3 generations),
Phalan deivam as he had grown under Him
and Ishta deivam as he had delighted in nithya kainkaryam to Him.
However, I may be permitted to say, that
Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan is Kula Deivam for all of us
'sarvarkum Thirumalaiye praabhyam'
as told by Sri Appillai and indicated by Aazhwars.
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