DEIVATHIN KURAL # 85 (Vol # 7) Dated 27 Dec 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 85 (Vol # 7) Dated 27 Dec 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL 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 paragraph on page No 643 of Volume 7 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 continually)

Dhanur Mãsam, Mãrgazhi  

25.           The same period of one month is variously known as Dhanur Mãsam and Mãrgseersham which in Tamil has morphed into Mãrgazhi.  This generally happens to be middle of December to middle of the next January as per the Roman / Western calendar.  In Indian calculations of a period of a year there are two methods.  One is the 'Souramãnam' calendar with the Sun as the basis of calculations.  The outer star systems and galaxies have been generally classified as 12 Rãsis against which the sun is seen to be moving.  So the Sun starts with one Rãsi in the back-drop, and at the start of the next year it is seen to be having the same galaxy as the back-drop.  Though the Earth, Sun and the Galaxies are all on the move, generally this Rãsi calculation is quite correct.  In fact it is the Sun that is static and as seen from the earth, the back-drop has to be different when the earth is moving.  But whatever it was at the start of the year, after the passage of one year, it is the earth which has come back to where it was one year back.  But the fact remains that the Earth's circumambulation around the Sun is the cause of the seeming changes in the back-drop against which the Sun is seen.  Based on the names of the Rãsis, the names of the months change.  Starting from Mesha Mãsam   the ninth month happens to be Dhanur Mãsam, when the Sun has Dhanur Rãsi as the back-drop.

26.          Another method of calculation is 'Chãndramãnam', with the Moon or Chandra's movement as the basis.  The 14 days of the waning moon between Full-Moon and the next Amãvasya is known as Krishna Paksha.  The fortnight between New-Moon and a Full-Moon is known as the Shukla Paksha.  Days of the fortnight are named as the first, second and so on, using Sanskrit words as Pratama, Dwitiya, Tritiya and so on.  Putting the two fortnights together makes a month.  Mostly the month lasts from one Pratama in Krishna Paksha to the next Krishna Paksha Pratama.  In the North they consider the month from one Full-Moon to the next.  In Tamil Nadu, since this system of calculation based on the Moon has been in Vogue from time immemorial, the first day of the week is ThingaL a name of the Moon and the first month is also named as ThingaL.

27.          In this system, after the first month, whichever is the nearest star to the moon on the Full-Moon night, the name of that star becomes the name of the month.  In Tamil these names undergo some mutation in Tamil and thus when the star is Chitra the month in the Tamil calendar is Chittirai, Visãkam is Vaikãsi, Proshtapathi becomes Purattãsi, SrãvaN is ÃvaNI, Taishyam becomes Thai and Mãrgaseersham is called as Mãrgazhi.  The prominent stars/star groups in the galaxies around the earth/solar system have been identified as 27.  They get covered in this one year of 12 months at the average of 2¼ - stars in the 12 Rãsis.  The star on the next full moon will be 2¼ - stars further ahead.  Note that I am not going into too complicated aspects and details of Indian Astronomy.  As per Souramãnam, Mesha Mãsam is Chittirai and Rishabham is Vaikãsi and Dhanur is Mãrgazhi.  As I was telling you about the unity between Siva and Vishnu despite the differences; in pointing out the parallels, closeness and amity between them, I was pointing out as to how the important festival in the worship of Easwara happens to be Thiruvãdirai and the one for Maha Vishnu is Vaikunda Ekãdasi and that; both are occurring in the month of Mãrgaseersham and that is why, Bhagawan Sri Krishna in Bhagawat Gita, in the chapter on Vibhuti Yoga has said that he is the month of Mãrgazhi amongst the months of the year   (Gita – 10.35).

Jesus Christ and Siva-Vishnu

28.          Between those two days of celebrations of Vaikunda Ekãdasi and Thiruvãdirai, is the 25th of December, the most sacred day for Christians, that is celebrated all over the world as a day of religious functions or in pleasureful activities, that is, Holy day as well as Holiday!  I am just deliberating if I should be telling you how his name is also indicative of the oneness of Siva and Vishnu!  What is his name?  We call him Jesus Christ.  (This talk was in 1966 in which Vaikunda Ekãdasi was on December 23, Christmas on 25th as usual and Thiruvãdirai on 27th night/28th morning.  This year Thiruvãdirai is on Dec 18 and Vaikunda Ekãdasi on Jan 11 with Christmas in between.)

29.          This name Jesus Christ is what has evolved in Teutonic languages of English, German, Dutch and other Scandinavian languages.  But what was the Hebrew name of his is what has gone through metamorphosis – similar to the Sanskrit 'Srãvanee' becoming ÃvaNi in Tamil.  He was not from any of these European countries at all.  He was an Asian only.  His mother tongue was Aramaic, which is one of the Semitic languages.  His name was Yeshuva pronounced as Yeeshua that became Joshua and Jesus.  The letter 'ya' becoming 'ja' is a common happening all over the world, like 'fjord' becoming 'fyord'.  In the Vedas themselves, what is 'ya' in Shukhla Yajur Veda in Mãdhyãntina branch becomes 'ja'.  The River Yamuna becoming Jamuna and Yantra becoming Jantar are the examples.  In Tamil, the Sanskrit 'Ja' is normally turned into 'Ya'.  As a contrary surprise, what is 'Yãmam' in Sanskrit has become 'Jãmam' in Tamil. 

30.          What I meant to point out was that the 'Yeeshuva' in Aramaic must have become 'Jesus'.  But we in Tamil again have converted the 'Je' into 'Ye' and call him, 'Yesu'.  The root 'Yeshua' is our Siva or Easa, that is, we can consider it to be one of the names of Siva, I feel.  If I say so, may be our own followers and people of that religion may have some violent objections!  After all, I am talking about doing away with differences and looking at the oneness of it all.  So instead of saying maybe we can have it that way, let me correct myself and ask a question, "Can we have it this way?  In Jesus Christ, can Jesus be considered as Easwara?"

31.          Let me come to 'Christ'.  It is a word completely of European origin only.  We do the crowning ceremony for Kings as Pattãbhishekam isn't it, in which we apply oil on the head and bathe the king.  It is called a MangaLa Snãnam.  Like this it is done in all countries as approved by the customs in their traditions, in which after applying oil on the head, it may or may not be followed by bathing.  Just by rubbing the oil on the head, it will go in to the head.  It is called 'anointing'.  Easwara is said to anoint some people like that and send them to the earth for common uplift of the masses as Messiah.  The Hebrew word 'Meshia' became Messiah in English.  For that the Greek word is 'Christos' which became Christ in English and other European languages.  The Christians believe that particular one person as God's Messiah, in their religion.  As I had shown the connection between Jesus and Easwara, I am thinking as to why not show the parallel connection between Christ and Krishna!

32.          Krishna is said to be Kishtan, Kittan, Kiruttinan and such words, do we not?  Similarly we could also say that 'Christan' can be another name for Krishna.  The end 'an' suffix is in the Tamil language mainly.  Easwaran in Tamil is Easwara in the North.  All our South Indian names like this are, Raman, Sankaran, Krishnan and so on which are Rama, Sankara, Krishna in the North.  Let it be.  In Kristan or Christan if we delete the 'an', what have we got?  It will become Christ isn't it? As, Siva followers became Saiva and Vishnu followers became Vaishnava, Christ pronounced as Krist will become Christ pronounced as 'Chraist', correct?  So all said and done, 'Jesus Christ' = 'Easa + Krishna' only, that is Easwara and Krishna rolled in to one!

33.          Having smiled and laughed for a long time PeriyavãL continued.   As I had been trying hard to bring equality and oneness between Siva and Vishnu, why not include the Causal Man behind the Christmas that occurs in between Vaikunda Ekãdasi and Thiruvãdirai, is demonstrating that in his name as 'Jesus Christ' has combined the identity and being of both Easwara and Krishna; further extending the idea of 'Samarasam', equanimity and Oneness.  I have said what occurred to me in all sincerity and belief, take it or leave it, no offences meant!  (KTSV adds: – I am also motivated to add a few more points as they occur to me on 'Samarasam'.  There are historical parallels of indisputable oneness, which makes you wonder, if between one Armageddon and another were all the religions of the world originated from similar incidents?  If Moses was put in a basket and sent floating in the river, so also did Kunti Devi send KarNa in a basket floating down the river!  If the waters parted and gave way for Moses to lead the down trodden Jews from tyranny to the promised land, so did the Yamuna parted and gave way for Vasudeva to carry the new born Krishna to Brindavan, on his head.  Later Krishna fought against Kamsa leading the Yadavas from tyranny and slavery to liberty!  We can be too parochial only at our own peril, instead of trying to understand the parallels and oneness!)

Two 'Ninda-Stuti' Songs

('Ninda-Stuti' means praise by seeming to denounce)

34.           I have been thinking about for the past few days, about these two festivals and in doing so, two devotional songs sung in a humorous mood have been repeatedly coming to my mind.  Both are hilariously funny, while at the same time having deep meaning, as composed and sung by two great poets.  One is addressing Siva and the other Vishnu of the genre known as 'Ninda Stuti'.  It does not mean being blatantly offensive, but having a slight dig at the God in all liberty, very cleverly.  It is not being angered but, being a little pally with God!

35.          I wished to share those two songs that have been hovering in mind for the past few days.  The preamble for them has taken me so far afield that, I have gone on a tangent, talking about their oneness, also bringing in my views about the oneness of all Gods including Jesus Christ as Christmas happens to fall in between these two Hindu festivals.  But I am not going leave those songs unmentioned and I am not going to leave you also, without you hearing about those songs.  Vaikunda Ekãdasi comes first, isn't it?  So let me first talk about that song addressed to Vishnu.  As Thiruvãdirai comes later that song about Siva can wait.

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva