Dhyana Marga -4

[Guest guest]

believe that I am destined to live a very strong spiritual life and the

indications were there from the beginning of my birth. I shall try to

serialize the childhood days, so that the destiny could be easily visualized

step by step. CHILDHOOD DAYS & UPBRINGING The Child gets a Name !!!

Roman"> The orthodox Hindu families follows several rituals based on traditions

at every stage of the life. From the time a baby was born, nay even by the time

a mother-to-be conceives, and after the delivery of the child and during its

upbringing, till the last rites on the way to graveyard, there are several

rituals, which are meticulously followed. I do not remember much about the

functions that

were celebrated, while I was growing up as an infant. I was brought up in an

‘agraharam’, cluster of houses where the orthodox Brahmin families lived. As

such, while growing, I had plenty of chances to witness and observe several

functions in many of our neighboring homes. As per traditions, the parents

take their married daughter to their home, for the delivery of the first

grandchild. The second or further deliveries would be arranged in the husband’s

home or any other safe places.

The news of the newborn child is greeted in the house, by drawing kolams in

the front courtyards. This is done in houses of both the father and the girl.

What is this kolam?? This is a familiar sight in front of any house in the

southern parts of India. Various designs are drawn up daily on the floor early

morning, using primarily the fine rice-flours (Rice pulverized in very fine

grade). The kolams will be of many geometrical designs, connecting up

innumerable tiny dots, or circling them.

Roman"> During one of the intimate talks, Swami had mentioned about ‘kolams’.

In old days, people used to wake up in the morning and it was their habit to

feed various insects, birds and animals, before they themselves had any food.

Swami used to mention about “ASHTA PUSHPAM” (Eight types of flowers) as

offering to God. Not the ones, which we pluck from the trees and plants and

which fade away the next day. Ashta Pushpam, comprises of eight divine

qualities, which we should offer to Lord. One particular Pushpam, which Swami

mentions, is “Sarva Bhootha Daya Pushpam”. (Daya or compassion towards

all living creatures). The best way to show compassion is to feed them

sumptuously. Those days, people, as they woke up in the morning, used to throw

handful of rice or rice flours in front of their homes so that tiny ants and

other insects could eat them. Gradually the rice flour was carefully placed in

front of the houses, and this practice slowly developed into certain designs.

These designs are known as kolams. Kolams indicate, mark of auspiciousness in a

family. In case of any death in a family, this kolam is not displayed for one

full year thereafter. So if we find kolams in front of any house, we can assume

that all is well in that family! Almost every home will have a couple of cows

in their homes. So the next agenda for the ladies after waking up in the

morning is to feed the cows, before drawing out the milk from its udders.

Likewise, when the food is cooked, first, a big scoop of rice or a piece of

‘Roti’ is offered to crows. “Athithi Devo Bhava” (Treat guests as God!) So in

case any guest, known to family or an unknown passer-by who takes shelter in

the verandah of their homes, are also provided with sumptuous food, before the

family members eat their food. These rich traditions are still practiced in

many villages.

Arial"> I was mentioning earlier, that the news of arrival of a baby in a

house is greeted by drawing kolams in front of their homes. The newborn child

brings cheer and joy to the household. Friends and relatives arrive to look at

the newborn baby and to congratulate the parents.

Roman"> The first important day for the child is its 7th day after arriving in

the world. On this day the sisters of the father, (we call them Athai (aunt)

of the child) arrives in the house of the girl. They bring sweets and tiny

ornaments. The seven-day-old child is adorned for the first time with gold

ornaments. There will be a couple of tiny gold bangles for the hands and for

the legs, few rings for those tiny fingers, and some times even nice chains!

On the tenth day of its arrival the child is given a holy bath by the water

sanctified by chanting some “Mantras” by the pundit. This is also an important

and auspicious day for the child, being “Naming ceremony”. The child is called

by its personal name for the first time. After elaborate religious rituals by

the purohits, (priests), the child is given a name. Yes, the child gets a NAME!

All relatives and friends attend the naming ceremony. Those days we had no right

to choose the name for the child. There is a strict pattern, which has to be

followed. The first boy gets its personal name of its father’s father. The

second male child gets the maternal grandfather. (The father of it’s the

mother). Like wise in case

girl child, the first girl gets the name of it’s father’s mother, and the second

girl child gets the name of maternal grand mother (It’s mother’s mother). If

there are more than two sons or two daughters, then you can have your own

choice! But the names will be one of the names of the God or Goddess. Those

were the days, when no body thought about the norms of small family. Any family

will have more than five children. To be exact I was the fifth son for

my parents. The first two got the names of our grand fathers, and for the rest

of us, our parents chose names of their own liking. My mother had made some

special prayers to Sri Venkatachalapathy (The presiding deity in Tirupathi),

that I should come out of the womb as a boy and not as a girl, and had promised

that the fifth child if born as a boy, would be given that Lord’s name.

Answering her prayers Lord Venkatachalapathi had made me a boy! Now on that

naming ceremony, it seems there was some confusion! Venkatachalam happens to be

the name of my father. Father and son cannot have the same personal name! Since

the Lord has many names, an alias for Venkatachalapathi was chosen and given to

me! Yes, They named me ‘Srinivasan’. This is another name for Lord

Venkatachalapathi of Tirupathi.

LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> It might interest my dear readers to

know, that my eldest son bears the name of my father with some modification

“Venkatesh” and my second son bears the name of my wife’s father, Ramesh (an

abbreviated version of “Parameswaran)!

14.4pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">On this tenth day of arrival, after naming ceremony

is done one more important thing happen. An astrologer is brought to the house;

and he is requested to draw up a detailed horoscope of the child. The pundit

chants special “mantras” of the particular star in which the child was born.

The horoscope will show, the place of birth, exact date and time

of birth, the star on ascendance on that day, the planetary positions at the

time of birth etc. Another important information is also inserted in the

horoscope. It is the name of the “Gothram” to which the child belongs. Of

course, the Gorthram is taken down from the father’s lineage. My father is born

in “Bharadwaja Gothram”, and myself, and my children and my grand children and

great grand children all will always be of the same Gothram. I read with great

interest, Swami’s declaration that Bhagavan has taken Avatar in Aapasthamba

Soothra, Bharadwaja Gothra”. It gave me immense joy to know that I too belonged

to the same Gothra as that of Bhagavan Baba. This document of horoscope

normally plays an important role while choosing a spouse for wedlock. It will

come handy while matching horoscopes while choosing their life partner. If we

see the same Gothram name in the horoscopes of the boy and the girl, it will be

disqualified immediately. Because, the off springs of the same gothras are

supposed to belong to the same family lineage and they are supposed to be

cousin brother and sister.

justify"> This horoscope is an important document as the child grows up. This

is useful for forecasting the future, and also predicts in advance if there is

going to be any bad days in the near future. If it is so, then the astrologers

will also suggest some remedial methods to overcome the ill effects of the

planets.

14.4pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The days pass on, bringing joy and happiness to

everybody in the house. All along, the child is laid on a small mattress spread

on the floor. (Devotees of Bhagavan Baba may well remember that there was a

serpent beneath the mattress on which the child was laid.) But on the 28th day

after its birth, another function is celebrated. This day a cradle is set up in

the center place of the home. At an auspicious time, amid clapping and singing,

the child is for the first time, put inside the flower-decked cradle. The

elders from the house, the neighbors and lots of children join the

celebrations. They all take turns in singing lullabies, and other songs and

they individually or collectively push the cradle for gentle swinging. Sweets

are distributed.

Arial"> The child is growing day by day. I am sure that I too would have

enjoyed all those loving care and affection when I too was an infant!

TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> With Love & Regards,Bombay Srinivasan,C-1, Silver

Valley -2,Shivaji Nagar,Vakola, Santacruz East,Mumbai-400055Tel:

022-26684021Cel: 093229 47473