DEIVATHIN KURAL # 25 (Vol # 6) Dated 18 July 2012

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 25 (Vol # 6) Dated 18 July 2012

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavaaL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are going ahead from the last para on page No 166 of Volume 6 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
Murugan Who Got All the Benefits Listed in Phala Sruti
214. In our system of conduct of religious festivals, functions and narration of PuraNas or major devotional procedures; there is an important part known as ‘Phala Sruti’ (‘फल श्रुति’) in which the advantages and gain that are likely to accrue are listed for all to hear as a motivational fillip, I suppose. In this case, the persons chanting these 16 names of Shodasa Naamaas will benefit immensely during activities such as, ‘विद्यारम्भे’ (‘vidyaarambe’ – when we start learning); ‘विवाहे’ (‘vivaahe’ – during marriage), ‘प्रवेशे’ (‘praveshe’ – while entering any place or venture); ‘निर्गमे’ (‘nirgame’ – while venturing out anywhere); ‘संग्रामे’ (‘sangraame’ – during battles and confrontations) and ‘सर्व कार्येषु’ (‘sarva kaaryeshu’ – in all sorts of activities); will have no difficulties but be successful; as the Phala Sruti says. These benefits are amply borne out to be true, in the case of his own younger brother Skanda’s life!
215. ‘Vidyaarambe’. For SubrahmaNya who was born of the sparks of intelligence from Siva’s third eye known as ‘Gnaana Netra’, there was no need for separate educational classes to be conducted! Being himself the meaning of PraNavam, he has given that as Upadesa to his own father. So, there could have been no separate conduct of primary and secondary educational classes for him. May be his instant adoption of Sannyasa on not getting the fruit, which was snatched away by the elder brother, could be construed as adoption of Brhma Vidya in practice!
216. (In page 167 of Deivathin Kural Volume 6, there is a post script, in which the following incident has been described. Somebody pointed out to PeriyavaaL that one of the names for PiLLaiyar is ‘Kumara Guru’. PeriyavaaL confirmed that it was part of the ‘Doorvaa Yugma Archana’ in which the grass known as ‘doorvaa yugmam’ is taken in pairs and offered to PiLLaiyar 21 times with different Naamaas. One of those Naamaas is ‘Kumara Guru’! Consequently, PeriyavaaL said, “Do you think that Parama Siva was unaware of the meaning of PraNava Mantra? But he must have intended to demonstrate to the whole world, the importance of humility and being obedient to one’s own Guru! Whatever he may be, he has to learn through ‘Guru Muka Upadesa’; was the message in his learning the PraNava Mantra from his son! Having become famous as, ‘தகப்பன் சாமி’ (‘thagappan saami’ – ‘the teacher of the Father’), he must have wished to receive Upadesa from a suitable Guru. Father was already his disciple and so cannot become the Guru for him! As the equal half of the father his mother AmbaaL was also out of question! That leaves the elder brother ‘அண்ணா’ (‘ANNa’), for PiLLaiyar to become his Guru as the Naamaa – ‘Kumaara Guru’ indicates. PeriyavaaL felt happy that this explanation was better than the roundabout logic of PiLLaiyar being the Guru for Kumara Swami for having caused his adoption of Sannyaasa, for having lost the race for the fruit!)
217. ‘Vivaahe’. This is the story of Kumara Swami’s marriage to VaLLi, which we have seen in detail already, as to how the elder played a major part in that event. He has taken care of both ‘இல்லறம் & துறவறம்’, that is, Gruhastam and Sannyaasa of the younger brother, by causing him to renounce all worldly involvement in his childhood and made him a householder in his youth! Then he has caused his young devotee Avvaiyaar at a nubile young age to become, eternally old not only in looks but also in maturity and wisdom, though of her own volition! Mostly the God whom we adore as the bachelor boy has done many such funny and typically unique acts.
218. ‘Praveshe’. The very reason for the coming into being of Kumara Swami is Vigneshwara’s disqualification to sort out Soorapadma that we have seen in detail before. So the very advent of Murugan into the world is due to PiLLaiyar being the negative cause!
219. ‘Nirgame’. If ‘Praveshe’ is entry, ‘Nirgame’ is exit. Immediately after PiLLaiyar had arranged for his marriage to VaLLi, SubrahmaNya Swami went away to his permanent abode known as Skanda Loka, with VaLLi and Devasena. His marriage to Devasena had happened earlier. There are two reasons for his coming into being in this world. One is Samhara of Soorapadma and the other was to wed his uncle Maha Vishnu’s two daughters, Devasena and VaLLi who were being brought up as the daughters of Devaraja (that is, the King of Devas) and Vedaraja (that is, the King of Hunters)!
220. First he destroyed the Asura in the ocean beyond Thiruchendur. Then came to Thirupparankunram where he got married to Devasena. While living with her, he heard from Narada that VaLLi is melting her hearts out in constant thoughts about him only. So in the temple at Thirupparankunram, he is not to be seen with both VaLLi and Devasena. On the one side is Devasena and on the other side there is Narada who has come as a messenger from VaLLi. Here Narada’s role is as a Guru for VaLLi. Satguru acting on behalf of his disciple draws the attention of Paramaatma and diverts it towards the individual soul of the Jeevaatma. So, the Guru of the Father, Swaminathan aka Murugan, has Narada as the Guru of VaLLi, accommodated in his own Sannidy in Thirupparankunram!
221. On Narada’s advice, he ventures forth to meet VaLLi as a hunter, poet and as tree known as ‘வேங்கை மரம்’ (‘Vengai Maram’), a type of a tree known for its hardness and solidity! Finally of course, he could win over her heart and acceptance only after his elder brother PiLLaiyar had chased her as an elephant in musth and then could marry her. Then for some time he spent a sort of a honey-moon at ThiruttaNi with both Devasena and VaLLi representing the Bukti and Mukti principles of this worldly and the other worldly achievements! With that the purpose of his Avatara was completed. Thus the elder brother ably assisted the younger brother in ‘Nirgame’ too.
222. ‘Sangrame’. This word means ‘battle as mentioned in ‘Kandar Anubhuti’ as ‘sangrama sikavala’. Subrahmanya is a leader of soldiers, who displayed great courage and fighting abilities in the battle with Soorapadma. We can be certain that before launching himself in to battle, he must have correctly remembered to pray to Vigneshwara, without fail. He had known as to how both his parents had suffered with insurmountable problems when Siva went for ‘Tripura Samhara’ and AmbaaL had gone for Bandasura Samhara, respectively! Not only that, just before venturing against Soorapadma, he had also lost in the race for the fruit to his ‘அண்ணா’ the elder brother! Then, was he very successful in his life as a renunciate Saadhu? No. That was also very short lived and a no-win situation only! When his parents reminded him of the purpose of his Avatara, he must have given up Sannyaasa and Started out against Soorapadma. By now he would have clearly known that it was imperative to keep his elder brother in good humor!
223. ‘Sarva Kaaryeshu’. Competing with his elder brother for that ‘Pazham’ the fruit was unfruitful literally! Then his effort to become a renunciate Saadhu was also not even a pyrrhic victory! Though before venturing forth in battle he must have remembered the need to do Pooja to his elder brother, he again forgot when he went for winning over VaLLi’s hand. This time, I wonder if it was only to prove to the world as to how cruel the urgings of desire could be causing you to forget the priorities! So, there were a number of problems coming up. Then he had to pray to PiLLaiyar once again that, he came in the form of an elephant to help out his younger brother! Then after this I am sure the clause ‘Sarva Kaaryeshu’, would have been clearly understood that it is necessary to pray to PiLLaiyar first and foremost, without any doubt for all sorts of activities! So, at the end of the Shodasa Naamaas, the list has been completed by mentioning that Vigneshwara is the elder brother of Kumara Swami who had received all those Anugraha that is listed in the Phala Sruti.
224. The Special Value of the Name ‘स्कन्दः’ Skanda! This word Skanda has the meaning to come forth leaping / jumping / springing. That is how the sparks flew off the third eye of Siva with urgency of intension to be of benefit for all the worlds. That is how Skanda Murthy came in to being. Though he has many names as Kumara Swami, Kartikeya, Muruga, SubrahmaNya, SaravaNabhava and so on; the PuraaNa of his life is known as Skanda PuraaNam or Skaandam. His abode is known as Skaanda Lokam. The fast or Vrata we undertake on the Shashti is known as Skanda Shahti and his being with his parents AmbaaL and Siva is known as ‘Somaskanda Murthy’. Though he has a special name in Tamil as Murugan (முருகன்), in Tamil we still have so many devotional poems namely, ‘Kandar Anubhuthy’, ‘Kandar Alankaaram’ and ‘Kandar KaliveNbaa’. Then in the city of Madras, we have an important pantheon of his namely, Kanda Kottam.
225. If something happens to be mentioned in Sruti aka Vedas, there is a special significance and value, isn’t it? Such value is there for this ‘Skanda’ name also. If in Skanda PuraaNam aka Skaandam, Narada has a role as the Guru for VaLLi, Narada himself was given Gnaana Upadesa by his Guru Sanat Kumara. This Sanat Kumara is the ‘maanasika putra’ or the ‘mind born son’ of Brhma in one of the earliest acts of creation. There were four such brothers, all of them being the mind born sons of Brhma. From the very birth, they were Brhma Gnaanis, unconcerned with worldly involvement, considered to be ideal for all later travelers of Nivrutti Marga aka Sanyaasis! They are forever children who do not know the pangs of Kaamam or desire. It is that child of Brhma who was later born as son of Siva as SubrahmaNya, as given in Saantokya or Chandokya Upanishad. Though as the Son of Siva, Kumara Swami, he was the brave commander of divine forces, and had two wives it was the smell of the past Sanat Kumara that for a period he was the wearer of loin cloth in Pazhani. As Sanat Kumara he was not wearing even that piece of cloth as ever the baby child. Anyhow, let that be aside. I came to say that in Chandokya Upanishad (7.26.2), where it says that SubrahmaNya is the same Sanat Kumara, it finishes with repeating this name of Skanda twice!
226. This Skanda is a name famous all over the world. Like the word ‘School’ becomes ‘Ischool’ in the colloquial, in the lingo of many countries ‘Iskandar’ is quite popular. In the Semitic languages ‘Al’ is a definite article like word ‘the’ in English. To show respect also, they would add ‘Al’. So, this ‘Al iskandar’ is what became famous as ‘Alexander’ in Greece. ‘Sikandar’ is also a variation of this word only. So, in what it is today known as Secanderabad which is ‘Sikanderabad’, it is very appropriate that we have ‘Skanda Giri’ a temple for Murugan! Combining Sweden, Norway and Denmark, we have Scandinavian countries, isn’t it? Like Hindu India, it is ‘Skandia or Skanda India’ that came to be known as Scandinavian countries!
Let Us Start Everyday by Taking the Name of ‘அண்ணா’, the PiLLaiyar.
227. The moment we take the name of PiLLaiyar, we will also be reminded of his parents Siva and Sakti. Then when we say the sixteen names of Shodasa Naamaas and end in ‘Skanda Poorvajaaya Namaha’, we will think of the other son also and the divine family would be complete. That is why, that name is in the end successfully completing the list appropriately. We are all God’s children only, as children of Parvati – Parameshwaras. The eldest is the ‘அண்ணா’, PiLLaiyar for all of us. By taking the name of the younger brother ‘अनुज’ स्कन्द, all of us are included in between. Immediately on getting up in the morning, let us take his name with the intimate feeling of remembering the eldest of our family. Let us hope and pray that all our jobs in the day may be completed without any hindrance. By saying the sixteen names of Shodasa Naamaas, let us be entitled to all the sixteen benefits that accrue automatically!
Sumukascha ekadantascha kapilo gajakarNaka: |
सुमुकस्च एकदन्तस्च कपिलो गजकर्णक: |
Lambodarascha vikato vignarajo vinaayaka: ||
लम्बोदरश्च विकटो विग्नराजो विनायक: ||
Doomaketur gaNaadyakcha: phaalachandro gajaanana: |
दूमकेतुर गणाद्यक्षो फाल्चन्द्रो गजानन: |
VakratuNda: soorpakarNo heramba: skanda poorvaja: ||
ववक्र्तुण्ड: सूर्पकर्णो हेरंब: स्कन्द पूर्वज: ||
Shodasaitaani naamaani ya: pates-sruNuyaadapi |
षोडसैतानि नामानि पटे: श्रुणुयादपि |
Vidyaarambe vivaahe cha pravese nirgame tataa ||
विद्यारंबे विवाहे च प्रवेशे निर्गमे तता ||
Sangraame sarva kaaryeshu vignas-tasya na jaayate ||
संग्रामे सर्वकार्येषु विग्नस्तस्य न जायते ||
|| हरि ओम तत् सत् ||
Sambhomahadeva