Dhyana marga - 6

[Guest guest]

and coins rolling down from the head of the child. While the children are busy

picking up the sweets and coins, the elder ladies will be singing folk songs to

fill the air with an atmosphere of joy and happiness. The child is

slowly trying to get out of dependence on liquid food. While crawling on the

floor, it tries to pick up any small miscellaneous items on the floor, and

tries to bring to its mouth. It even tries to bite the toys with which it

plays. This is an indication for starting to put the child on solid diet. The

day on which the solid food is given for the first time is also a celebration

backed up with religious rituals. This ritual is called the “ANNA PRAASANAM”.

After certain ceremonies, the father keeps the child on his laps. A plantain

leaf is spread in front of him. All the ingredients of a feast

are served on this leaf. The most important item that day is “Paayasam” (kheer)

cooked of rice, milk and sugar. As the priest chants some mantras, the father

first feeds this child, with payasam with his finger tips. Then the mother

feeds the child, followed by the other elder members of the family and

invitees. During the last Divine visit of Swami to Chennai, I noticed a

mother sitting on the lines with the baby on her laps and holding a small

silver plate covered by another plate. As Swami approached her, the lid was

removed and the plate was held out to Swami. Swami bent down, took some

“Payasam” out of the plate, using his fingers Swami fed that lucky child!

Mother Sai was performing the traditional “Anna Prasanam”!!

justify;"> I do not remember any of these things happening to me. However, I can

vividly remember such celebrations happening to my younger sisters. The child

grows bringing immense joy in the home. The next important day for the child is

its first birthday. Every event is based on spiritual rituals. No singing of

“happy birthday to you!!!” or cutting the cakes etc. In all our spiritual

events we light up lamps, and we feel that it is inauspicious if the lamp goes

out in between the functions. But now a days, we find that candle is allowed to

be blown out. I feel that while we adopt the modern way of celebrations, we

should avoid the blowing out flame of the candle. The candle could still burn

while a side of the cake is cut out. It is only my humble suggestion.

justify;"> Recently the 77th Birthday celebrations of Bhagavan Baba were

telecast in the local satellite network. We could see, that cakes of various

designs, and sizes had been brought in the Sai Kulwant Hall, by the schools

children, the college boys, Ananthapur college girls, Hospital staff, Ashram

Staff and others. Swami goes around the various locations one by one, and cuts

each cake giving immense joy to those who had brought those cakes. But we can

never see anywhere, Swami blowing out any candle!! I feel very strongly that at

least, we the devotees of Bhagavan should refrain from blowing out candle on the

auspicious occasions like Birthday to any member of our families. This message

should go around and devotees should become aware of the sacredness of such

functions. Let us come back to our topic. On this first birthday of the

child, a

big festival is arranged, inviting all the relatives and dear ones. The child is

given bath, attired on a silk cloth, and taken to the village temple in a

procession. There will be ‘Nathaswaram” (piped music) preceding the procession.

After offering archana to the temple deity, the child is taken around the

village. As the procession stops in front of each doorsteps of the village, the

ladies from that house comes out, offers fruits to the child, and waive plate

containing the turmeric mixed water, to ward off evil eye on the child. After

going around the village the child is taken inside their own home. But before

entering the home, the mother of the child now waives the turmeric mixed water,

and also a coconut having burning camphor either in the center of the plate or

on the top of the coconut. Inside the home several religious rituals are

programmed. The main event is the “Homam” called the Ayushya Homam”. “Ayush”

means the life span. Ayur Devatha is the deity of life. Havans are offered to

this deity through Agni devatha. This Homam was performed on each birthday in

earlier periods. But now a days this is done only on the first year of birth,

and then the modern functions of “Happy Birthday to you” songs cake cutting

etc. are happening. If we offer oblations to Ayur devatha, the child could

enjoy a long life with health and prosperity. But now-a-days, who cares! Before

the child starts growing, it is fitted with spectacles, and other utility

supports. The child becomes a frequent visitor to the hospitals from the young

age. And as it grows, the incumbent lives a life with medical support. If only

we could follow the wisdom of our fore fathers, such situations would not have

developed at all! The birthday celebrations are always conducted on the

day when the birth star of the individual is on ascendance, on the month when

the child was born. This month is as per the Hindu calendar. Now most people

had forgotten these age-old practices and are celebrating birthdays on the date

of birth as per English calendar. This is not correct. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai

Baba had allowed His devotees to celebrate Divine Birthday as per English

Calendar. This is because, Swami has devotees from all over the world and it

was only as a convenience to have a common day for birthday celebrations. The

Aayushya Homam is to be performed during every birthday. Now many people had

forgotten this annual

ritual. However, elaborate birthday rituals are conducted on the 60th . 70th,

and 80th. birthdays of the individuals. By the time the child attains the

first year age, he would have started taking few steps and starts uttering some

legible voices too. Do you hear him/she calling you Amma/Appa or dad or mom? He

does not know to call out softly. These could be sweet music for our ears, in

the form of crying. This is the best method for him to draw your attention to

him. Though you have started giving him some solid food to supplement milk,

this young guy does not likes it. It is a tedious process to make him eat

something. It may take lot of persuasion, and feeding him with tender love.

You may have to tell him something funny to make him laugh.

You may even have to take him to open area, show him some crows or other

creatures. But surely you will never sing while feeding. This exercise of

singing is reserved for putting him to sleep. Nice and melodious lullabies, if

possible with gentle swinging of a cradles puts the child to sound sleep.

Swami had once told the story of Mother Kausalya feeding little Sri Rama. It

was early night hours, and was a full moon day. The Mother had taken Sri Rama

to Royal garden enclosure. She was showing the full moon to Rama, while trying

to feed Him. Sri Rama also behaved like any other child, shaking His face here

and there, reluctant to take food into His mouth. Suddenly Sri Rama started to

cry. He showed the Full Moon to His mother, and wanted her to bring the moon to

Him. A bewildered Mother knew not what to do. Suddenly an idea struck her mind.

She asked her maids to

bring a large mirror from inside the Palace. She held out the mirror in such a

way that the moon was reflected. She was holding the mirror with the reflection

very close to Rama, who enjoyed the Moon near Him. All the while, Mother

Kausalya was wondering why the moon personified Divine Child Rama, wanted the

other moon for him. Swami sang a song…(Chandra Bimba Muga Malar poley…. (The

flower like face is vigraha or idol of moon…) All these years, even without

your being aware of it, the child is growing and growing very fast. His

hairstyle is also changing. The hair is growing longer and longer. Beware, as

per old traditions, we are not allowed to give the child a haircut as we like.

The first haircut is also backed up with certain religious rituals. This

ritual is called “Chowlam”. An auspicious day is selected, the pundit

is called home, and after certain procedures, the pundit asks the father to keep

the child on his lap and formally cut a few hairs with the holy scissor, (a new

one, bought specially for this purpose). Afterwards the local barber, who is

already in attendance, is called for making a clean shave of the head. In

between some parents would have made special vows, to bring the child to

certain holy places, to shave off the head of the child. If such a promise had

been made earlier to certain deities, to ward of certain diseases or mishaps,

then it is important to fulfill such vows. In the good old days, I had seen in

Prashanthi Nilayam, some lucky father keeping the child on his laps and waiting

for Swami to arrive near him. The father keeps a newly bought scissor on new

plate, and holds it to Swami. Swami graciously bends down, picks up the

scissor, and then cuts a

few hairs from the child’s head. But now, those days are gone. You will not be

permitted to carry such tools inside Darshan hall. I had grown up

sufficiently to remember my first haircut. My mother had taken up a vow to get

my hair shaved off at Tirupathi. My parents could not find time for this

pilgrimage. The result was, my hair had gown very long like that of ladies.

Though I looked very beautiful like girls, extra attention had to be given in

tending the hairstyle every day. By the time I started attending school, all

the children, especially boys started teasing me. But still, some how I liked

my long hair. We had been on a visit to my aunt’s house at Sri Rangam, near

Trichy. From there we were to go to a famous “Mariamman” temple in a nearby

place called “Chamayapuram. I remember well, that we were traveling on a

bullock cart. Quite a long distance to go by a bullock cart, but for a group of

about 6 of us, that was the cheapest mode of travel. There were not many buses

those days. I did not know what was happening. After few hours of rest, they

took me to a barber. I have never seen or heard about barber. I was made to sit

in front of a man, who was holding a scissor and rusty knives in his hands.

First he used his scissors, and cut off the long hair. Then with the help of

the knife, he shaved off my head quite clean. I was protesting and crying. But

who bothers! While coming out of his place, with wet eyes, I was looking down

on the floor where my long hair had fallen. It still looked beautiful with nice

knots and blue ribbon at the tail end. I had no mind to cast it off just like

that. Nobody showed any mercy to me. I was taken to a near by well. They poured

water on

my head and then dressed me up. They applied some wet sandal paste on my head

for cooling and soothing effect. We went to the temple for Darshan. The deity,

Goddess Mariyamma looked very beautiful. Then I asked my parent a silly

question. I asked, “You told that we are offering my hair to this Goddess.

Then why have you not brought it here to the temple? It is left in the barber’s

place”. Then and there, inside the temple, in presence of many other devotee

visitors, I was given some beatings for my impertinence. I was born in a

pious South Indian Brahmin family, which was very strict in adherence of

traditional disciplined way of life. For everything you do, you will receive a

reprimand; don’t do like that; don’t say like that; don’t sit there

like that; etc. etc. And there will be lot of commands from the old members in

the family forcing us to adhere to various rituals. There was nobody to tell us

and explain the importance of the spiritual disciplines which they were trying

to impose on us. I felt that I am subjected to do something against my

freewill. Though born in a Brahmin family in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu,

I was sent to my mother’s birthplace in Kerala for getting education and also

for the purpose of upbringing in traditional way of life. The little town,

Palghat is very big center of Brahmin community. The cluster of homes they

built in one or two lanes are called the “Agraharams”. As I remember to the

best of my knowledge, I was sporting long hairs like girls, but

with a difference. The front portion of the head will be cleanly shaved off,

from ear to ear. And there will be ear studs donning the tiny ears. The hair

will be split into three portions and with this they will be beautifully woven

into long knots. And there will a colored ribbon tied into the tail end of the

hair. There should always be Vibhuthi (drawn in three neat lines) and also a

dot of sandal paste in the center. Waking up early in the morning and taking

bath before the dawn, is essential. Wearing a wet cloth (dhothi) we should

visit the temple, offer our prayers and return home. Even while I was growing

up, fashion was catching up and my friends started cropping the hairstyle like

westerners. But I was not allowed to do so. After reaching the 5th standard in

school, I was allowed to cut off the long hair, but with only little hair on

the back portion and the front portion still neatly shaved off. I was

subjected to

jokes and harassment from my friends. I had no option but to endure. The grand

mother used to tell us stories from the mythical Puranams every night. Some of

the stories on Krishna used to prompt us to love God. But the stories of Shiva

used to bring terror in our minds. We were told that when Lord Shiva opens up

the third eye, everything in front of Shiva would be burnt to ashes. And there

was a picture of Lord Shiva hanging in the center hall of our home, which was

also the Pooja room. Whenever I used to look at the Shiva’s picture I used to

get frightened. I prayed and hoped that Shiva would never open His third eye

while I was in the home. The tiny little boy I was, I developed fear of God,

than Loving God. However this background, instilled in me religious fervor,

and stood in good stead in the later period of

my life. Yes, though I disliked the idea of religious disciplines in the young

age, I whole-heartedly adhered to the disciplines. I knew that there should be

some reasoning for all those rituals and rules, but nobody cared to explain

things. The stories of punishments meted out to sinners in the hell, after the

death were horrifying. The little mind started thinking to find out ways and

means to escape from the torture, which I may get from the hell authorities.

So sincerely and faithfully, I adhered to the rituals and rules of the

religion, and in that condition I was growing up. With Love &

Regards,Bombay Srinivasan,C-1, Silver Valley -2,Shivaji Nagar,Vakola, Santacruz

East,Mumbai-400055Tel: 022-26684021Cel: 093229 47473