DEIVATHIN KURAL # 44 ( Vol #3) Dated 16 Jan 2009

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 44 ( Vol #3) Dated 16 Jan 2009

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of last century. These have been published in Tamil by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each, as Deivathin Kural. To day we are proceeding from the last para on page number 191 of Vol 3 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein the word 'man' includes 'woman' too, mostly.)
(Note:- These e-mails are all available at http://advaitham.blogspot.com constantly updated.)
Works Suitable for Women
(In this Periyaval is talking about the sort of work women could undertake. In the past few decades since the time of his talking about this, women have taken up many professions which were exclusively the prerogative of men only, like Policing and serving in the Army Navy and Air Force. So what Periyaval says may sound slightly out of place. But, still what he says are relevant even to-day.)
283. When they have spare time in the after-noon, women could read and teach many of the religious texts available. There are an ocean of literature containing many 'Sloka-s of Prayers' and 'Bhajan-s' in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Sanskrit; which could be learnt by heart. They could learn the texts and learn singing them by joining the chorus. For nearby Matam or Temple, you could make packets of good quality Kumkumam, and give it to them free of cost, for distribution to devotees after offering the same for the Deities blessings!
284. [How to make Kumkumam - As given by Periyaval himself on some other occasion. :- Take 300 gms of good turmeric. Cut it into small pieces. Take 16 Ounces of filtered lemon juice. Add 30 grams each of well powdered Venkaram and Padikkaram. Soak the turmeric in the lemon juice. Keep it in an open mouthed utensil, preferably glass. Once the soaked turmeric completely dries up, it is beaten to a powder in the mortar with a pestle. Then you do what is known as 'Vastrayanam', i.e., filtered with fine cotton cloth, gathering the finest powder. This is stored in a glass jar. In this is added two spoonfuls of pure cow's ghee. The finished product is repeatedly mixed to ensure even spreading of the ghee uniformly, without any lumps being formed! If you have any doubt about the purity of the ghee, you may not add any!]
285. For the Deepam in the temple, we could get cow's milk and collect the butter over a period, melt it into ghee and provide that to the temple. 'Akshadai', which is rice grains slightly colored with turmeric and Kumkumam, in the temple is used in lieu of many items during the rituals. The very word 'Akshadai' is supposed to mean, unbroken. So for the purpose of being used as 'Akshadai', ladies could carefully sort and select good grains of rice in robust unbroken condition. Then only the 'Akshadai' can be used as, 'Mantra Akshadai'.
286. For homam and for the Deepam in the Temple, the ghee should be of really good quality and purity. Similarly 'Akshadai' and Kumkumam, should all be of good clean ingredients. Instead of trusting commercial materials, ladies could help as their contribution in sharing the subtle work load. Instead of any other social service, ladies could be of much preferred help in these matters.
287. If the ladies collectively decide to take a vow, not to use costly things such as Diamonds and Silk, that will itself be a great Paropakaaram. It will save millions of life forms from being killed and save the husband's from becoming a pauper! Just think for a moment as to how many silk worms have to die, to produce the threads for even one silk sari! It will be a few lacs! I am sure, that we can always find alternate employment for the silk weaving people. Just looking at people wearing the silk others are moved to jealousy and or desire to emulate them. This leads to the fact that husbands strive hard and try to get the funds for such avoidable expenditure, by hook or crook! Women should refrain from being a corrupting influence on their men.
288. It is enough for women to do the household duties, for which they may have to bend and straighten up. I opine that they should not be doing office duties. What is my opinion is what is mentioned in the our Dharma Saastra-s. I will stop this matter here and now. What I was about to mention was that, if a woman does all the work at home with responsibility and care, keeps the house clean, does the cooking, takes proper care of the children and the husband; she will have to time for any other job! A Nation is made of so many households. A country is a collection of so many houses! So, if womenfolk keep their houses and families, well cared for, their work load to keep the house and family itself is a service for the nation. It keeps the people of the nation in good acceptable behaviour and discipline. This is the best national service and Paropakaaram! It is only when women of the house do not function properly, others have to come-in in-lieu!
289. There is a word 'Penmai' in Tamil, which can be translated as 'womanliness or womanhood'. It immediately conveys an idea of beauty combined with certain amount of softness, delicateness and subtlety. Their jobs should not be manly! At least for the sake of this word 'Penmai', which we are still using, the works given to her should be suitable to the qualities that define that word. That is, the type of work not requiring heavy physical labour but require a delicate touch! To fill up the floors of the temple with a number of intricate patterns of 'Kolam', to clean and mop up the place where some important get together is to take place, to get the utensils clean, help in cooking the special eats for offering to God as 'Prasadam', to visit hospitals and offer prayers to God through 'Bhajhans' and distribute prasadams to the patients, to visit orphanages and distribute presents to the inmates; are the sort of jobs more suitable for women folk!
290. To involve the entire society, on occasions I have encouraged involving the ladies in such hard jobs as digging for a pond. But generally when it comes to contributing physical hard work, men should spare the women folk!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.