POSTURE OF PRAYING

Praying – why? how?

The material world appears as it exists, but in reality there is only one truth behind all these existence that is called dependable existence.  Very body is made up of matter and consciousness. The body matter is composed of 5 elements [panch boothas]. For that matter, at a subtle level, even the brain is matter. In essence, all 3 bodies – sthula, sukshma and karana sarirams are matter by nature.

Then, what is consciousness?

1.   Consciousness pervades the body.This is called “Chit” in Sanskrit.

2.   Consciousness survives even after the body ceases. This concept is called “Sat” in Sanskrit.

3.   Consciousness is not limited by the boundaries of the body.This is called “Anantha” in Sanskrit.

4.   In summary, consciousness or Athma is a ‘Sat-Chit-Anantha” swaroopa.

The moment we shift our vision from the body to consciousness or athma, we become immortal or limitless. 

This is where the Gita, the Vedas and prayers play a vital role. 

• The word ‘Prarthana (prayer) is derived from two words ‘pra’ and ‘artha’ meaning pleading fervently. In other words, it is asking The Lord for something with intense yearning.
• Prayer includes respect, love, pleading and faith. Through a prayer a devotee expresses his helplessness and endows the task to God.
• Prayer has different forms which include praise, requesting guidance or assistance, confessing sins,  or an expression of one’s thoughts and emotions.
• The words used in prayer may take the form of intercession, a hymn, incantation words of gratitude, or a spontaneous utterance in the person’s praying words.
• Praying is done in public, as a group, or in private. Most major religions in the world involve prayer in one way or another in their rituals.
• Prayer is considered to be an integral part of the Hindu way of living. The chanting of mantras is the most popular form of worship in Hinduism. Yoga and meditation are also considered as a form of devotional service towards the Lord.

• The first stage in this mudraa is raising one’s hands in prayer with the thumbs gently touching the mid-brow region or the Aadnyaa chakra (the spiritual energy centre at the mid-brow region).
• It is best to begin praying after we are in this position because when we bow our head in this prayer position, it awakens the spiritual emotion of surrender in us. 
• This in turn activates the appropriate subtle frequencies of deities from the Universe. These divine frequencies come in through our finger tips which act as receptors. These divine frequencies are then channelized into our body through the thumb to the Aadnyaa chakra (the spiritual energy center at the mid-brow region). 
• The result is an increase in the positive spiritual energy in us which makes us feel lighter or gives relief from symptoms of physical or mental distress.

•     After one finishes his prayer, he should assume the second mudraa (posture) as shown in the diagram above.
•     This means that instead of bringing his hands in prayer down immediately, they are to be placed in the mid-chest region in such a way that the wrists touch the chest.
•     This facilitates the process of more completely imbibing the Divine Consciousness of the deity principle. So initially the Divine Consciousness of the deity principle that had entered the finger tips now also gets transmitted to the region of chest, the seat of the Anaahat chakra.
•     Just like the Aadnyaa chakra, the Anaahat chakra also absorbs sattva frequencies.
•     By touching the wrists to the chest, the Anaahat chakra is activated and it helps in absorbing more sattva frequencies. When activated, the Anaahat chakra awakens a seeker’s spiritual emotion and devotion. In this stage of the prayer mudraa, one should be introspective and contemplate upon the experience of being in God’s presence.

Points to note:

(1)     Body should be bowed and not erect

(2)     Fingers should be parallel to the forehead. Fingers should not be stiff but relaxed.

(3)     Fingers should be touching each other – not spread apart

(4)   Thumb should be lightly touching the area of the Aadnyaa chakra. Hands need to be gently pressed together – slight space between the palms.

Who is wise?

Who is wise?

Dritharashtra asks Vidura how he can identify a wise man. Vidura answers that there are many qualities a wise man has, and that these help identify him.

·        A wise man knows what he is capable of doing.

·        He never attempts something he knows he is incapable of doing.

·        He never mourns his losses in life, for he knows that no amount of regret will get him back what is lost.

·        He is not upset by danger.

·        He is not bothered by mockery.

·        He is not taken in by flattery.

·        Whatever he has studied he conveys boldly, fearing none. The wise man is not arrogant on account of his learning.

·        A wise man never makes hasty decisions. He never takes decisions by himself without consulting others. Inputs from others are important when decisions are made, because others may see a problem from a different angle and their perspective will also help.

·        A man should not walk alone, but should be in the company of fellow human beings.

·        An unwise man spends like a millionaire, even if he is poor.

·        An unwise man is lazy and does not want to work in order to acquire wealth. He desires wealth, but will not work for it.

·        He who betrays his friends is also an unwise man, according to Vidura.

·        A person, who is always suspicious, is also an unwise man.

·        He who does not worship his family deity and he who goes to another person's house, uninvited, is unwise.

·        A person, who gives advice, when his counsel has not been sought, lacks wisdom.

·        He who is in the wrong, but criticises others for his mistakes, is unwise.

·        A proud man is unwise. He who refuses to share his food with others is unwise, according to the Vidura niti.

·        Education does not necessarily make a man wise. The cuckoo lays its eggs in a crow's nest. The crow thinks the eggs are its own. But once the eggs are hatched, the little cuckoo birds fly away. In the same way, a man may think that his education will always be of help to him. But if he has been unwise, then his education will abandon him. In other words, his education will be of no benefit to him in his old age.

The need to wake up, looking at one's hands

The need to wake up, looking at our hands

·         In the Hindu way of life, this prayer is adopted while sitting on the bed at the time of waking up in the morning :

karagre vasathey Lakshmi;

kara muly saraswati;

karamoole mathdye govinda;

prabhate kara darshanam

·     The meaning is very simple: knowledge, power and wealth depend on the work with your hand. 
   KarAgre = in the front of the hand i.e. fingers; vasate = lives; Lakshmi = the divinity of prosperity (material and spiritual) [from the word lakShya = goal]; 
     Kara-madhye Saraswati = in the middle of the palm; lives the divinity of learning, knowledge;
     Kara-moole Govinda= in the wrist lives the universal guide of righteousness - Krishna. 
    Every morning ones should looked at all these divine personalities so that with them in your hand thus; you will enlightened day ahead.

·         For making us sit for some more time the second part of the prayer is added:

Samudra vasane devi;

parvatha sthana mandale;

vishnu pathni namasthubhyam

paada sparsham kshamaswame.

·       The meaning is very simple: Oh ! Mother earth, where the mountains are part of your body and you are the wife of Lord Mahavishnu. May I perform my pranam to you?

·     While praying these lines, almost 60 seconds duration of leisure is given to the heart to change the state of work from a lower load to a higher level and the heart gets accustomed with this.

Gothras in Brahmins and Iyers

GOTHRAS IN BRAHMINS

·        The word Brahmin means many things to many people, resulting in confusion. 

·        One of the reasons for this confusion is Sanskrit language.  Many words in Sanskrit have many meanings.  Depending upon the context one has to take the meaning of the word.

·        The word Brahmana (hereinafter "Brahmin") means the one who knows God, one who has the knowledge of God, one who has the knowledge of Vedas, an intellectual, a priest, a teacher, a professor, a person belonging to Brahmin caste, a superior person, a text related to Vedas, and so on. 

·        Accordingly, priests in a mosque, church, a synagogue, a gurudwara etc. must all because they are all obviously, priests, supposed to have the knowledge of God and because they are intellectuals.

·        However, they may not have the knowledge of the Vedas and they may not belong to the Brahmin caste and certainly, they may not be vegetarians.

·        The word "gotra" means "lineage" in the Sanskrit language. Among those of the Brahmin caste, gotras are reckoned patrilineally. Each gotra takes the name of a famous Rishi or sage who was the patrilineal forebearer of that clan. And each Gotra is addressed by the suffix 'sa' or 'asa' as relevant. Many lines of descent from the major rishis were later grouped separately.

·        Jamadagni, Bharadvâja, Gautama, Atri, Vasishtha, Kashyapa and Agastya are the primary 7 rishis or saptharishi; Vishvâmitra is the 8^th rishi but was a khsatriya king by birth and became rishi by deeds and thoughts. The progeny or offspring (apatya) of these 8 sages is declared to be gotras.

·        The major gotras were divided into ganas (subdivisions) and each gana was further divided into groups of families.

·     The term gotra was then frequently started being applied to the ganas and to the sub-ganas.

The full affiliation / description of a brāhamana consists of (1)gotra, (2)pravaras (3)sutra (of Kalpa), (4)shakha.

Every brahmin claims to be a direct patrilinial descendant of one of the founding rishis of a certain gana or sub-gana. It is the gana or sub-gana that is now commonly referred to as gotra. Over the years, the number of gotras increased due to:

1.    Descendants of original rishi also started new family lineage or new gotras,

2.    By inter marriage with other sub-groups of the same caste, and

3.    Inspired by another rishi whose name they bear as their own gotra.

·      Pravara is the number of the most excellent rishis who belonged to that particular gotra to which a person belongs. Gotra is the name of the founding father.

·     In vedic ritual, the importance of the pravara appears to be in its use by the ritualist for extolling his ancestry and proclaiming, "as a descendant of worthy ancestors, I am a fit and proper person to do the act I am performing."

Some examples of pravara rishis

Gothra	pravara	rishaya
1.    Athreya	Athreya Archanaanasa, syavaaswa	traya risheya
2.    Naidruva kasyapa	Kasyapa, Avathsara, Naidruva	traya risheya
3.    Gargeya	Aangeerasa, Chainya, Gargya	traya risheya
Gargeya	Aangeerasa, Barhaspathya, Baradwaja, Chainya	Gargya    pancharisheya
4.    Koundinya	Vasishta, Maithra varuna, Koundinya	traya risheya
5.    Koushika	Vaiswamithra, Aagamarshana, Koushika	traya risheya
6.    Gowthama	Aangirasa-aayasya-gowthama	traya risheya
7.    Baradwaja	Aangeerasa, Barhaspathya, Bharadwaja	traya risheya
8.    Haritha	Aangeerasa, Ambareeksha, Younaswa	traya risheya
9.    Sounaka	Garthsamadha	Ekarsheya
10. Chandilya	Kasyapa, Aavathsara, Naidruva, Reba,	Saptha risheya
Chandilya	Raibha, Choundilya, Chandilya	Saptha risheya

·     During the sutra period, roughly between 1000 BC to 200 BC, Brahmins became divided into various Sakhas or branches, based on the adoption of different Vedas and different readings and interpretations of Vedas. 

·    Sects or schools for different denominations of the same Veda were formed, under the leadership of distinguished teachers among Brahmins.

·    The teachings of these distinguished rishis are called sutras.  Every Veda has its own sutras.

·     The sutras that deal with social, moral and legal precepts are called dharma sutras, whereas those sutras that deal with ceremonials are called Srauta sutras and domestic rituals are called gruhya sutras. 

·        Sutras are generally written in prose or in mixed prose and verse. 

·      These sutras are based on divine Vedas and are manmade and hence are called Smritis, meaning “recollected or remembered.” These Srutis include not only the 4 Vedas (the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda), but also their respective Brahmanas.

Iyers:

·      The term 'Iyer' is derived from 'Iyya' which means 'Sir' in Tamil and which might have been derived from 'Arya' of Sanskrit, which means a 'gentleman'. Iyers are Tamil speaking Brahmins originating from South India. The earliest group of Brahmins to come to Tamil Nadu is largely known as Gurukuls. They have been here from very ancient times and were primarily invited to be temple priests in the early Chola period. Many of them were great Vedic scholars. They conducted the coronation of the kings and acted as their spiritual advisors and Gurus. They also acted as the Gurus to the villages and the towns where the temples were located. They advised people on various matters including fixing of auspicious time for commencing important ventures. Many of them were the great exponents of Vedic Astrology and Ayurvedic Medicine.

·      They are supposed to be followers of Baudhyana sutra and are divided as 'Kanchipuram', 'Tiruvalangadu' and 'Thirukazhakundram' Gurukuls. It is interesting that all the three are the names of ancient towns and temples around Kanchipuram. This clearly indicates that the earliest migration was to Kanchipuram.

·     Kanchipuram is one of the two most ancient cities of India, the other being Varanasi (Kashi). The linkage between the Varanasi (Kashi) and Kanchi has existed from earliest times and has been facilitating the migration of priests between the North and the South. It is possible that Kanchipuram, Tiruvangadu and Tirukalikundram were the first destinations for the Gurukuls who arrived.

·        Iyers were initially confined to the state of Tamil Nadu they stayed and worked there till they were redeployed to other interior temples and towns. A few centuries back, some of them migrated and settled down in various parts of Kerala. They integrated themselves into their new homeland and built up an identity of their own.

·     The first wave of Iyers settled down in Palakkad district at the beginning of the medieval period. Migrations to the Travancore and Cochin regions took place mostly in the 16th and 17th centuries AD. Most of the Diwans or Prime Ministers of the princely states of Travancore and Cochin were Tamil Brahmins. The migration of Tamil Brahmins to Travancore was accelerated by the invitation of the Maharaja of Travancore to participate in the Murajapam festival of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. This created a settlement of Pattars in Trivandrum, around Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Their slang is different from the Iyers settled in Palakkad, and is more close to the Thiruvananthapuram slang which prevailed in the city. 

·      The people of Tamil Nadu identified them as Palakkad Brahmins or Palakkad Iyers while the people of Kerala referred to them as Pattars. The word 'pattar' is derived from the word 'bhattar', a Sanskrit word indicating Brahmins.

·     The mother tongue of all iyers is no doubt Tamil but the form of Tamil that a Kerala Iyer speaks is modified to a large extent by their constant interaction with Malayalam. Malayalam which has very large number of words owing allegiance to Sanskrit and which is endowed by the most phonetic alphabets among the Indian languages has influenced the way that a Kerala Iyer speaks and even recites Sanskrit Slokas.

·     An Iyer considers that cleanliness is more important than Godliness. He is able to live a very religious life side by side with adapting himself to modern life. The Kerala Iyers have preserved the traditional festivals as celebrated by them in Tamil Nadu and have added have added a few festivals from Kerala. But the hallmark of their celebration is its sober nature. Much of the fan fare associated with festivals in Tamil Nadu is absent in Kerala.

·     The modern Iyer spends a part of his earnings in repair and upkeep of the temples and institutions in his village knowing really well that it is only a matter of years when there may not be any more Iyers in his village. He makes it a point to go to his village every year during temple festivals in his village. He is very liberal outside but once he reaches his hearth, the religious beliefs of his forefathers descend on him.

·     He brings up his children, telling them that the only property that he can leave to them is education. Because of this, generation to generation there is progress in his family status and this has produced the very pleasant individual who is at peace within him and makes great contributions to his society and its culture.

Nama Sankeerthanam

When bhakti and melody mingle

·     Namasankirtanam is mutual, bhajan singing and draws crowds, and the crowds inspiring bhagavathars. The emergence of Sampradaya Bhajan as an exclusive genre is a reflection of the people's devotional and cultural taste.

·         The hallowed lineage in this tradition hails from the Sankirtana Triumvirate — comprising

1. Bhodendra Swamigal,
2. Sridhara Aiyyaval and
3. Sadguruswamy.

·  The present format of the Sampradaya Bhajan has been handed down from Sri Sadguruswamy, who travelled the length and breadth of the country to collect the prized devotional lyrics and hymns from all over India.

·    If a keenness to delve in Bhakti Rasa that ushered in the practice of singing devotion-soaked bhajans at the end of recitals, it also created a niche for Sampradaya Bhajan.

·      There is Vedic proof of the efficacy of chanting the name of the Lord to attain salvation; and the Vishnu Purana asserts that in Kali Yuga, Nama Sankirtanam is the best and sure route for salvation. Adi Sankara accorded the highest status to chanting of the names of the Lord, calling it Ahimsa Yagna. Here, the audience gets a chance to participate in the recital

·     It is a case of mutual influence, when bhajan singing draws crowds, and crowds inspire bhajan singing. The audience are moved by the bhakti-melody combination of the bhajans.

·     In fact, chanting of divine names, sacred phrases and specific mantras can awaken the spiritual energy within. The resonance of group singing is a powerful force, capable of creating a strong feeling of community and connectedness. Many have found relief from depression and trauma by attending these group-singing sessions.

·         Namasankirtanam is a sure way to focus one's thoughts on the Almighty. It is equivalent to meditation and spreads positive vibrations. Connoisseurs of classical tradition acknowledge the power of the soulful and tuneful rendering of the lyrics by the Bhajan groups.

·    Guru keertanams, Kannada dasakritis, Maharashtra abhangs, Hindi bhajans, Divyanama sankeertanams, Radha Kalyanam, dolotsavam all form a part of nama sankeerthanam.

·       The exponents and the audience are treated to a unique blend of the devotional component (in the form of Bhava worship) and the inherent classical melody of the compositions of the inspired saint-poets. The extensive repertoire of songs invokes the gurus and various deities.

·         However, one has to appreciate the combined efforts of the exponents of the tradition and the organisers who have enabled this tradition to move from its modest beginnings in temples and join the mainstream.

·         One is referring to the namasankirtana events that are being regularly held and which have an eager audience. 

Science of meditation

Meditation – the need for it!

The scientific tradition has been to use our senses and then develop instruments that extend the reach of our senses and detect energies that are beyond range and translate them into forms that our senses can handle.

The spiritual tradition has been to not use our senses and reasoning but to extend experience beyond reasoning by invoking our inner eye to see and know beyond what others perceive. A classical example of this is Yuri Geller who realized his innate strength to easily invoke his inner eye and develop psychic powers. This leads to the discovery of reality, the truth, self, divinity and God. In Sanskrit, it is called ‘TAT’. Meditation is not only about sitting still and searching for God within one’s heart. It is also about quietening the restless mind and distancing wishful fancies to see the reality that is God.

What is self? Is it your body? Is it your mind or your bunch of reflections and emotions? Is your self in your control? Does your self have a goal? A destination?

Do you not feel pain when your car gets dented for no fault of yours? Do you not feel bad when your child cries? Do you not feel hurt when you are ill or your near and dear are sick?

Is your goal to make ends meet or to catch up with your neighbours? Is it survive happily or to achieve more and make more money than most? Is it to understand nature or push the boundaries of science or is it to serve and care for all around you?

Do you bother about your looks? Do you wonder how you appear in coloured lights? Do you wonder how you seem in ultrasound, x-rays or infra-red rays? Do you wonder how you might be under a microscope? Do you realize that reflective energies mould the way you appear irrespective of the composition you hold within. Now, pause to think of how a person who senses only infra red energy sees you or a blind person perceives you. The real you is oblivious to the visible spectrum of energies and scientific traditions. It is hence necessary to harness the wealth inside you by breaking free of this mode and slipping into the higher mode of spiritual traditions.

This is achieved by mediation wherein one does not extend the reach of energies and senses but one rests the senses to kindle the universe within. To kindle that, it is essential to be still and get lost to the world. The next is to try to recount and record the experience. How?

1^st time

1.    Slip into comfortable clothes.

2.    Move to a cosy quite environment.

3.    Sit in a sitting posture that you can hold for half an hour or more.

4.    Keep an alarm to begin with.

5.    Close your eyes.

6.    Try to blank out sounds.

7.    Observe what happens.

8.    After it is over, in your diary of thoughts, record all the things that you thought about and felt.

9.    Classify them.

a.    Some will be memories of events, places, etc.

b.    Some will be memories associated with pain or pleasure.

c.    Some will be your impressions and thoughts on what has happened or what is happening.

d.    Some will be plans of what to do next, when and how. Some plans are associated with fear, anxiety and some are with anticipation and hope.

e.    Some thoughts will lead you to others and there will be fleeting transfers like jumping from train to train as one thing reminds you of another and so on.

10. Within this, recall how long you were able to sit still with no thoughts.

2^nd time

1.    The next time onwards, tell yourself there is a divine light within that you need to discover and kindle. do this only once and for heaven’s sake, do not try to repeat this to yourself often.

2.    Do not think of candle, lamp or any light source but a source of warmth and goodness.

3.    Observe the heart condition with the eyes closed.

4.    Evolving thoughts may try to hijack you and every time this happens, draw yourself to focus on the divine power within yourself.

5.    Wait for this to happen and slowly settle into realizing the fact that mediation is a passive process and not an active one.

6.    Start recording in your diary this time onwards what you experience

o   Maybe, you have visions of water, fire, flower, animals or birds or even humansas it is the battle between your senses and you.

o   Maybe, it is a feeling of heaviness as you feel pain, fear, failure and even rejection.

o   Maybe, it is a feeling of light headedness or even just pure nothing.

o   Maybe, it is a sense of floating or falling.

o   Maybe, it is a transient feeling of goodness for yourself without any reason.

o   Maybe, it is a trail of things to do ahead, later.

7.    Slowly, you will notice that you get brilliant ideas when you repeat this. And a meditating star is born.

3^rd time

This time onwards, tell yourself that you are a master guiding yourself to discover the divine light within that only you can discover.

Think of all the qualities that an ideal master must do to influence people around.

What would such a master mean to you.

Do you think of anyone who could be fitting such a role – a philosopher, a teacher, a parent, a relative, a friend, an acquaintance?

Record in your diary the bodyache, the backache or the lack thereof.

Slowly, you will realize that you can adapt yourself to turn to be a master. And a meditating master is born.

4^th time

This time onwards, ask yourself about yourself now? Is it your body, mind or your emotions?

Try detaching yourself from earthly possessions that can distract or attract you.

Tell yourself that their loss will not affect or bother you – a sort of self hypnosis.

Experience the divinity being transmitted to you, from within.

Suggest to yourself that it is God who is transmitting this divinity from your heart to you.

Ignore the sounds and sensations around you as you now start meditating regularly and experience the new found relaxation.

Tell yourself what sort of self you would like to be and record it.

Work towards the same even while not meditating.

5^th time

This time onwards, if possible, try group meditation with likeminded people.

Record how it was to meditate with people having similar inclinations.

6^th time

This time onwards, if possible, try increasing the duration of meditation or Dhyanam.

Record how it is to meditate now as compared to the first time.

7^th time

This time onwards, record whether you have been able to realize the learnings:

1.    You understand that things may be different from how they seem to be.

2.    You understand that you have drawn your image of God from your own culture.

3.    You understand that if there is God, there is nothing wrong in turning for help.

4.    You understand that it is possible to communicate with this God.

5.    You understand that one always asks God for help without making it a point to understand all about God.

6.    You understand that meditation maybe the path to understand all about God, better & clear.

You now understand the benefits of meditation to extend a lot more to:

·         Heart and mind

·         Attitude and metabolism

·         Flight and fight response

·         Sleep and ventilation.

Please note there are rub-off effects of meditation too that need attention. All this is because greater awareness of self is like a double edged sword that permits self to step out of conceptual limitations.

·         Uncomfortable kinaesthetic sensations

·         Dissociation

·         Guilt

·         Decreased motivation

·         Depression

·         Anxiety

·         Helplessness

·         Suicide

The ultimate positive outcome of meditation would be to put oneself in touch with one’s inner self, to observe one’s ego and let go for betterment of all. Cleaning one’s heart every evening helps one sleep well and stay immersed in divinity. A teacher or guru who has done all this can help you commit to a wonderful moral framework that lets you lead a full life without detaching yourself from society, where you:

·         Continue to live and work for society & family

·         Live a truthful, moral life

·         Live a disciplined, self regulated lifestyle

Achieving this state will let you lead life as per ancient Hindu scriptures wherein you move away from Avyaktha [undifferentiated energy state] to Vyaktha [ differentiated matter state] and that will translate matter to energy. All this can only ensue as an outcome of divine energy or divya sankalpa. And then God will be perceived as divine energy. And not in any form or figure or colour!