QUES ANSW DIVINE 04-2022-25
Dear friends,
These are information compiled as QA by me in 1998’s-2014’s and stored inmy
computer. They are posted by very learnt members.
BEING COMPILATION THERE MAYBE ERRORS.
Sincerely,
R. Gopalakrishnan, 78, dated 26-04-2022
Q1 Whether srardha has to be performed by son ifhis father had divorced his
mother?
A1 In one of the question and answer session on sankara TV, HH JayendraSwamigal
said that there is no need to do Shraadha by a son where his late father if he
hasdivorced the Mother.(wife)
Q2 What is sree sooktham?
A2 Sree Suktam is a vedic hymn addressed to Goddess Sree Maha Lakshmi. I shall
destroy the eldersister of Lakshmi, the embodiment of inauspiciousness and such
evil as hunger,thirst, and the like.
Q3 How a Brahmin has to be laid before death? How the death rituals
areperformed for Hindus?
A3 When a Brahmin is dying, he is made to lie on darbha grass spread on the
ground in the south-north direction. The body lies with the head towards the
south.
Mantras are chanted in his ear.
When it is confirmed the person isdead, the body is covered with white cloth
and a line is drawn around withsacred ash and an oil lamp is lighted. Water is
sprinkled over the body.
In some cases the body isceremoniously bathed. The forehead is marked with
sacred ash and sandal pasteand the ear is adorned with the sacred 'basil
flower'. The body is then coveredwith a new cloth and tied up.
It is taken to the cremation ground and placed with head towards thesouth. The
bearers of the body wash their legs and wear the ritual ring('pavitram' made of
a particular grass).A fresh plantain leaf is placed on the south-east of the
crematorium, water ispoured on the leaf and with a brush made of leaves and
grass, this water is sprinkledat the funeral pyre by chanting mantras.
This sprinkling of water starts from the agnikon (pyre) in an anti-clockwise
direction. The mantra has to be chanted thrice while walking round thrice.The
remaining water in the leaf may also be poured on the pyre.
The person who does these rituals washes his hands, sits at the feet ofthe pyre
facing south and digs the earth with a knife and removes the sand withhis
hands. He then cuts a piece from the firewood that is arranged on the
pyre,washes his hands and cuts a little fire wood from outside and adds it to
thepyre. All the relatives then wear the sacred grass ring. The chief man
lightsthe pyre at its north end.
There are several chants at intervals until the body is completelyburned.
On the fourth day there is a ritual called Sanchayanam. Thursday, Friday and
the birth day of thedead or chief man who does the rites are avoided for
sanchayanam. Many other communities considerthe fifth day as auspicious unless
the star of the day is not inauspicious.
There are a lot of rituals for collecting the ashes and bones from thefuneral
place.
The ritual on the eleventh day is known as Pindam.
In the morning all relatives take the ceremonial bath as a mark ofremoval of
pollution caused due to the death. The old practice of observance of such
pollution wasten days for Brahmins, eleven for Kshatriyas, twelve for Vaishyas
and Fifteen for Sudras.
Now all Hindus have accepted tendays as the usual practice. The mourners fast
on the night previous to the pulakuli and on the nextmorning bathe with a few
drops of oil on their body and perform the ceremony ofShadangam.
Rice balls are offered to the names of the deceased which are afterwardsthrown
into the water. They then bathe once more and an Enangan sprinkles somewater
with cow dung on them. Caste men are entertained to a feast on the nightof the
15th day and the bones of the departed are placed in a metal pot and covered
with apiece of silk. It iscarried by the chief mourner who goes to the nearest
place of water. Whethertank or river, he dips himself with it in the water. The
procession isaccompanied by music and drums. The 16th day feast, is celebrated
sumptuously.
There is another important ritualon completion of one year after the death of
a person known as pantrandam Masam(the twelfth month).
Q4 What is the speciality of deity Dakshina moorthy?
A4 Dakshinamurthy is perhaps the only Hindu deity that sits facing the
southerndirection.This fact isimplicit in the name itself. The great seer
Ramana Maharshi,has interpreted the name as"Dakshinamurty", meaning one who is
capable but without form.
Q5 What is the speciality of immercing ashes after funeral at manikarnika ghat
in Ganga?
A5 A Hindu belief is that dropping the ashes of cremated bodies at
theManikarnika Ghat in the Ganges would give Liberation to the soul .
Q6 When did brahma conceived gayathri?
A6 Brahma conceived the Gayatri mantra consisting of 24 letters before he
created the world.
Q7 What is adbhuta ramayana and its contents
A8 Adbhuta Ramayana is a smallerwork with only 27 chapters.
Bharadwaja approached Valmiki to explain the hidden teachings of hisRamayana.
Valmiki explains that Rama is Brahman and Seeta, the Prakriti, his power.Rama
descended to the earthapparently because of the curse of sage Naarada.
The real intention was to destroy the wicked and to save the good people.SEETA
WAS THE DAUGHTER OFRAVANA, butabandoned by his wife Mandodari. She was found by
Mithila's king Janaka in hisfield.
Rama's marriage, Parashurama's humiliation, Rama entering the forest withSeeta
and Laksmana, Seeta's abduction, Rama striking friendship with Sugreevaand
Hanuman etc are described in brief.
Hanuman's question to Rama, "who are you" brings Rama's answerthus:-
"I am Atman, Parameshwara, Mayaavi andAntaryaamin".
Then there is a discourse on Bhakti(devotion), and a mixture ofphilosophical
and mythological topics. Hanuman's prayer to Rama is very goodhymn here.
Yuddhakaanda is very briefly described and at theend Seeta tells Rama that
there is a brother of Ravana with a thousand heads.
Rama invades pushkara dveepa where this 1000 headed rakshasa lived. in this
war, rama fallsunconscious.Seeta thenassumes the terrible form of Kaali and
destroys him and his followers.
On regaining consciousness, Rama was surprised, butpraises her with a long hymn
of 1008 names. This is called the SEETHA SAHASRANAAMA.
She now regains her original form of calmness and returns to Ayodhya withRama.
Rama is crowned then.
My note- The information of Ravana’s brother with 1000 heads, Sri Rama
fallingunconscious, Seetha Sahasranama are new to me on reading. This is a
repeat QA, I think itcould be refreshing.
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