kakka ramam and upanyasam

KAKKA RAMA IYER AND UPANYAASAMS

About  40  to 45  years ago it was an annual festive event for lovers of puranas and such divine lores, that some great Scholar from tamilnadu  like Sengalipuram  Anantharama Dikshithar, Manjakkudi Rajagopala Iyer, Santhanagopalachariar, Sivanantha Vijayalakshmi, …the list will be long,  would be invited to Palakkad to give discourses  on some purana, Itihasam  or Bagavath gita  and other Vedantic subjects.  Usually the venue would be the front of Thiruvangattappan sannadhi at Vadakkanthara, or somewhere near Nurani. ( Nowadays the Brahmana Sabha arranges similar discourses but there is special chairs arranged for persons who pay money and cold frowns reserved for people who just linger around to hear the discourse. )

                  Old and middle aged mamas and mamis would walk long distances to assemble  at the  venue of discourse.  I was very young, the age range between 9years to 13 years and   Sri Raman would take me also along with him to hear the discourses.  One reason may be that he is visually impaired and there should be someone to keep his company and the timings  usually were from 8-30 in night to the midnight.  Somehow, I was a dreamy fellow and I loved to attend such discourses.  But  Rama Iyer, as a matter of special  consideration for my late night vigil  and long walks, would purchase for me some" naaranga mittayi" for one and half annas, and hand it over to me with an advice  that I should just keep  the mittay  in my mouth without biting it so that it will dissolve  slowly in the mouth and keep me awake during the discourse.  Anyway, as far as I am concerned  the sweet was gobbled  up immediately on receipt.  However  basically  I never felt sleepy and listened and learned the nuances of Ramayanam and Bhagavatham at that age because I attended such discourses.   I used to attend the discoursed  with keen attention but the hero will doze off within minutes of start of the discourse and usually I would have to wake him up at the close.

                    The  roads we had to negotiate were  very unfriendly  and  negotiating  the return path to Sekharipuram, our native village, was a really arduous task.  There were no street lights and the way was  infested with stray dogs, donkeys,  old horses which had lost their utility as cart pullers and added  to  this various reptiles. 

                    It was true that a lot of mamas and mamis will be walking back to the  various villages, but  our hero was obviously slow and I was compelled to fall in steps with him. 

There was a place called Kuppavandipura where the  carts carrying the entire dirt  of  Palakkad were parked  and this place was also the rendezvous of donkeys and street dogs.  The place would instill mortal terror in me, a boy of ten years, but the hero was nonchalant, always.  From  this point we had to  take a diversion to our village   through a lonely mud track.  Usually  no one else would  be near us as others would have walked home faster.   There was one tree called etti maram  en route  and a Cobra was supposed to be occupying the bottom of the tree.  Once a boy from the village was bitten by the reptile  during day time recently and he had also passed away.  So it was always a nightmare to pass through that terrain even in full day light, then what  to say about being there at midnight!.

             On one such occasion  I was on the brinks of tears of  fright, when fortunately  an old  paatti  was also returning  after upanyasam  along with her two  daughters.  The  threesome had fallen behind their group because  it seems one of them had the urge to urinate and so wanted all people to pass on. After achieving  their purpose the paatti and the two girls were coming along behind us and the patti was in  her vocal best  swearing  at the two daughters by two  unparliamentary words   (1)&#####& and (2) #&&&&&&#,  and the old woman was repeating  these two words like some manthra.  So to console me and allay me fears, Our hero told me " enthukku bhayappedanam  konthey namma koodey   1)&#####&  um  (2) #&&&&&&#,  irukkaley, pinney   antha jagajilly pattiyum,  paampu ivalayellam  kandal  nalu nalakku sekharipuram  pakkamey varaathu" ( my child, why should you be afraid,  (1) and (2)  are keeping company with us along with that witch of a paatti, so  if the serpant  sees  these three  it will not come anywhere near Sekharipuram for at least four days

The  naranga mittay, kathakaalakshepam  and the  paatti and daughters  are all part of my memories of Sri Raman.

Naranga mittay   a sweet solid piece of sugarcandy mixed with lemon flavor—it was so cheap those days that you would   get  about twenty of them   for 10 paise  that is one and half anna.

Kakka Raman and Vishnu Pattar  Break the law.

Kaakka Rama Iyer had a very close friend by name Ananthakrishna Iyer.. Some say that Ananthakrishna Iyer had been in Ceylon for sometime and there was another school of thought that he was a peon in a British company which did business in slaughtering animals and exporting the flesh.  Whatever it may be the man had become very pious  when he landed up in our agraharam, but he had no place to live.  So Kakka Rama Iyer gracefully volunteered to offer  the Iyer number two the privilege of occupying  the open thinnai of  Kakkai's  house as a dwelling place. Ananthankrishna Iyer sported a very huge oordhwapundram (naammam) and  the performing of  his make up operation  was a sight to see.  The village urchins would crowd around him while he deftly pasted namakkatti on his palm and drew and big  U on his wide forehead, followed by  a long red line  in the internal bisecting area  using  thirummannu..  And once the makeup was finished, he looked just like Mahavishnu and hence the village people always called him Vishnu Pattar when he was not present within earshot.

Kakkai and Vishnu were a professional pair.  They always went together for partaking in  Sraadhams or  getting Dakshina or dhaanam on good or bad occasions. 

One day they went for Sraadham in Pallipuram village. It was almost five miles from our village. You must remember it was almost 45  years ago and there were not  many buses and the Laurel and Hardy could not afford to pay the busfare also.  They had to cross an open railway line near  palakkad town railway  station and they successfully negotiated  Lakshman Rekha  in the morning during their onward Journey. But while returning  after sraadhdham, they again crossed the railway line and was accosted by  a railway policeman.  The innocent Brahmins did not know that crossing the railway track and making the railway premises as a thoroughfare was a punishable offence.   Had they told the policeman that they did not know the law and apologized, he would have left them go.  However in their innocent haughtiness,  they told him to  mind his business and that they were not afraid of any police, especially railway police.  The enraged policeman booked a case against them for trespassing and gave  a summons  directing them  to attend the sub-magistrates court one week later and let them go. The poor Brahmins could have given some wrong names and address  and got away with it but they were too innocent.

   On the day of the great trial the duo,  clad in soman and uthareeyam, Mr Vishnu sporting naamam and Mr Raman filling his forehead with three broad white lines of Viboothy,  presented themselves in the Court very early in the morning.  The magistrate arrived in due course and seeing  two Brahmins standing  in the courtyard  (the magistrate was also an Iyer), said that there was no sraadham or tarpanam  being conducted in the court.  The Brahmins said they had been booked by railway police and there was a case against them.

  Finally the case was called, and R and V presented themselves in the dock.   The magistrate asked them whether they had committed any offence for which they stated in unison that they had done nothing but had only crossed the railway line. Even at this stage they were not aware that this was an offence.  The magistrate could have let them free had they sought  pardon of the court. But they would not do it because  they could not dream of any crime being committed by them.  Ultimately the Magistrate reluctantly fined them eight  anna each.  

And once the fine was ordered, the two poor Brahmins could leave the court only after paying the fine and eight anna each was far beyond their capacity to pay.  They were pleading with everybody requesting that they be allowed to go.  Nothing worked.

 Finally the magistrate came to know  of it and he did a very wonderful thing.  He took a one  rupee coin from his own pocket and asked  the court clerk to  issue the receipt for the fine to  Mr Kakkai and Mr Vishnu.    May be Vishnu rode the Kaakkai vahanam on that day.

--
।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan

blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/

KAKKA RAMA IYER AND UPANYAASAMS

About 40 to 45 years ago it was an annual festive event for lovers of puranas and such divine lores, that some great Scholar from tamilnadu like Sengalipuram Anantharama Dikshithar, Manjakkudi Rajagopala Iyer, Santhanagopalachariar, Sivanantha Vijayalakshmi, …the list will be long, would be invited to Palakkad to give discourses on some purana, Itihasam or Bagavath gita and other Vedantic subjects. Usually the venue would be the front of Thiruvangattappan sannadhi at Vadakkanthara, or somewhere near Nurani. ( Nowadays the Brahmana Sabha arranges similar discourses but there is special chairs arranged for persons who pay money and cold frowns reserved for people who just linger around to hear the discourse. )

Old and middle aged mamas and mamis would walk long distances to assemble at the venue of discourse. I was very young, the age range between 9years to 13 years and Sri Raman would take me also along with him to hear the discourses. One reason may be that he is visually impaired and there should be someone to keep his company and the timings usually were from 8-30 in night to the midnight. Somehow, I was a dreamy fellow and I loved to attend such discourses. But Rama Iyer, as a matter of special consideration for my late night vigil and long walks, would purchase for me some” naaranga mittayi” for one and half annas, and hand it over to me with an advice that I should just keep the mittay in my mouth without biting it so that it will dissolve slowly in the mouth and keep me awake during the discourse. Anyway, as far as I am concerned the sweet was gobbled up immediately on receipt. However basically I never felt sleepy and listened and learned the nuances of Ramayanam and Bhagavatham at that age because I attended such discourses. I used to attend the discoursed with keen attention but the hero will doze off within minutes of start of the discourse and usually I would have to wake him up at the close.

The roads we had to negotiate were very unfriendly and negotiating the return path to Sekharipuram, our native village, was a really arduous task. There were no street lights and the way was infested with stray dogs, donkeys, old horses which had lost their utility as cart pullers and added to this various reptiles.

It was true that a lot of mamas and mamis will be walking back to the various villages, but our hero was obviously slow and I was compelled to fall in steps with him.

There was a place called Kuppavandipura where the carts carrying the entire dirt of Palakkad were parked and this place was also the rendezvous of donkeys and street dogs. The place would instill mortal terror in me, a boy of ten years, but the hero was nonchalant, always. From this point we had to take a diversion to our village through a lonely mud track. Usually no one else would be near us as others would have walked home faster. There was one tree called etti maram en route and a Cobra was supposed to be occupying the bottom of the tree. Once a boy from the village was bitten by the reptile during day time recently and he had also passed away. So it was always a nightmare to pass through that terrain even in full day light, then what to say about being there at midnight!.

On one such occasion I was on the brinks of tears of fright, when fortunately an old paatti was also returning after upanyasam along with her two daughters. The threesome had fallen behind their group because it seems one of them had the urge to urinate and so wanted all people to pass on. After achieving their purpose the paatti and the two girls were coming along behind us and the patti was in her vocal best swearing at the two daughters by two unparliamentary words (1)&#####& and (2) #&&&&&&#, and the old woman was repeating these two words like some manthra. So to console me and allay me fears, Our hero told me “ enthukku bhayappedanam konthey namma koodey 1)&#####& um (2) #&&&&&&#, irukkaley, pinney antha jagajilly pattiyum, paampu ivalayellam kandal nalu nalakku sekharipuram pakkamey varaathu” ( my child, why should you be afraid, (1) and (2) are keeping company with us along with that witch of a paatti, so if the serpant sees these three it will not come anywhere near Sekharipuram for at least four days

The naranga mittay, kathakaalakshepam and the paatti and daughters are all part of my memories of Sri Raman.

Naranga mittay a sweet solid piece of sugarcandy mixed with lemon flavor—it was so cheap those days that you would get about twenty of them for 10 paise that is one and half anna.

Kakka Raman and Vishnu Pattar Break the law.

Kaakka Rama Iyer had a very close friend by name Ananthakrishna Iyer.. Some say that Ananthakrishna Iyer had been in Ceylon for sometime and there was another school of thought that he was a peon in a British company which did business in slaughtering animals and exporting the flesh. Whatever it may be the man had become very pious when he landed up in our agraharam, but he had no place to live. So Rama Iyer gracefully volunteered to offer the Iyer number two the privilege of occupying the open thinnai of Kakkais house as a dwelling place. Ananthankrishna Iyer sported a very huge oordhwapundram (naammam) and in the performing his make up operation was a sight to see. The village urchins would crowd around him while he deftly pasted namakkatti on his palm and drew and big U on hide wide forehead, followed by a long red line in the internal bisecting area using thirummannu.. And one the makeup was finished, he looked just like Mahavishnu and hence the village people always called him Vishnu Pattar when he was not present within earshot.

Kakkai and Vishnu were a professional pair. They always went together for partaking in Sraadhams or getting Dakshina or dhaanam on good or bad occasions.

One day they went for Sraadham in Pallipuram village. It was almost five miles from our village. You must remember it was almost 45 years ago and there were not many buses and the Laurel and Hardy could not afford to pay the busfare also. They had to cross an open railway line near palakkad town railway station and the successfully negotiated Lakshman Rekha in the morning during their onward Journed. But while returning after sraadhdham, they again crossed the railway line and was accosted by a railway policeman. The innocent Brahmins did not know that crossing the railway track and making the railway premises as a thoroughfare was a punishable offence. Had they told the policeman that they did not know the law and apologized, he would have left them go. However in their innocent haughtiness, they told him to mind his business and that they were not afraid of any police, especially railway police. The enraged policeman booked a case against them for trespassing and gave a summons directing them to attend the sub-magistrates court one week later and let them go. The poor Brahmins could have given some wrong names abd address and got away with it but they were too innocent.

On the day of the great trial the duo, clad in soman and uthareeyam, Mr Vishnu sporting naamam and Mr Raman filling his forehead with three broad white lines of Viboothy, presented themselves in the Court very early in the morning. The magistrate arrived in due course and seeing two Brahmins standing in the courtyard (the magistrate was also an Iyer), said that there was no sraadham or tarpanam being conducted in the court. The Brahmins said they had been booked by railway police and there was a case against them.

Finally the case was called, and R and V presented themselves in the dock. The magistrate asked them whether they had committed any offence for which they stated in union that they had done nothing but had only crossed the railway line. Even at this stage they were not aware that this was an offence. The magistrate could have let them free had they sought partdon. But they would not do it because they could not dream of any crime being committed by them. Ultimately the Magistrate reluctantly fined them eight anna each.

And once the fine was ordered, the two poor Brahmins could leave the court only after paying the fine and eight anna each was far beyond their capacity to pay. They were pleading with everybody requesting that they be allowed to go. Nothing worked.

Finally the magistrate came to know of it and he did a very wonderful thing. He took a one rupee coin from his own pocket and asked the court clerk to issue the receipt for the fine to Mr Kakkai and Mr Vishnu. May be Vishnu rode the Kaakkai vahanam on that day.

origin of brahmarakshas

dear krishnan,  Brahmarakshasa originated from a Brahmana.. The genesis could have been in a number of ways.. many brahmins become really learned in vedas and saastras but during lifetime do not observe the nityakarma anushtanams or engage themselves properly in karmakaanda.   Going to temples or namasankeertanam would not be of much avail. Brahmin's duties have  to be scrupulously followed.  There are avaricious brahmins well versed and could perform yagas yajnas and paurohitya well.  But they find wrong means to cut short the procedure if they don't get the huge dakshina they expect. There is another category who, though having knowledge, lack in aachara.  When observing  deeksha for vedic karmas the ritwig, hota etc., are expected to maintain a strict regime of mental and physical purity and also continence in food  and abstaining from sex etc.,. Such restrictions are given a go by. Then there are brahmins, though learned, who commit  various paatakaas(sins) and do not expiate for them during their lifetimes.  When such and similar brahmins die they become pretaatmas,denied permission to enter pitruloka, and  form a group wandering in this earth as braharakshasas.  In fact we call brahmins showing such tendencies during their lifetimes itself as brahmarakshasas in jest. 

For brahmarakshasas their vasanas and knowledge in vedas do not disappear with death. Usually they try to occupy some trees just in the periphery of the agrahaarams they infested during their lifetime.  Now struggling with thirst and hunger with hardly anyone to pour til or water and pinda for them and even if it such things are offered being incapable of  partaking  in such offer, they sit restless, sleepless and mad perched on the trees.  Whenever a brahmin passes by all alone especially after sunset, this rakshasa will come down and start asking him questions on vedic and scriptural subjects and if the unfortunate pedestrian is not able to answer, the angry brahmarakshasa will give the former a thorough thrashing (but they do not kill intentionally..). and the victim could be found lying  unconscious under the tree in the morning.

As you know, such brahmins we see aplenty during their lifetimes and their tribe is ever on the increase. So whenever a sacred Karma or kumbabishekam etc., is conducted, and the devaprasna or ashtamangalya prasna are taken up, invariably the presence of some Brahmarakshas is found and pariharams are prescribed.  Praayaschitthams are offered by the community on their behalf and the mollified brahmarakshasas are invoked into some silas (stones) or the wood from the gooseberry tree and  given a place in a group  in the outer precincts of the temple and offered daily pujas etc.  It is believed that such expiated souls will transform themselves into Vishnuroopam after due penance.

  There is a scientific explanation for people falling unconscious under a tree during nighttime.  During the sunny day, there is a lot of photosynthesis, the leaves absorbing carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen, but the process stops with the sunset.  Then the leaves and other parts of the tree have to breathe and their bottoms are rarefied, with percentage of oxygen pathetically low. So anybody landing up walking along a row of trees or plants can feel the lack of oxygen, become breathless, hallucinate and swoon.  

Anyway brahmarakshasas have become interesting  characters in local village lore.  In Tamilnadu  the attack by  Muni  is similar to this phenomenon.

There is one school  of opinion that some of the brahmarakshas are being worshipped as kuttichathans in some places and many  dirty tricks are played by people through their good offices.

The brahmarakshasas are notorious for their love for intoxicating drinks like patta (hooch), and better commodities. Maybe this is inherited from their former habits in their lifetimes.

woes of the senior citizens

woes of the senior citizens


गात्रं सम्कुचितं गतिर् विगलिता दन्ताश्च नाशं गताः
दृष्टिर्भ्राम्यति रूपमप्युपहतं वक्त्रं च लालायते।
वाक्यं नैव करोति बान्धव-जनाः पत्नी न शुश्रूषते
धिक् कष्टं जरयाभिभूत-पुरुषं पुत्रोऽप्यवज्ञायते॥१८९॥
पञ्तचन्त्रं
gātraṁ samkucitaṁ gatir vigalitā dantāś ca nāśaṁgatāḥ
dṛṣṭirbhrāmyati rūpamapyupahataṁ vaktraṁ ca lālāyate |
vākyaṁ naiva karoti bāndhava-janāḥ patnī na śuśrūṣate
dhik kaṣṭaṁ jarayābhibhūta-puruṣaṁ putro'pyavajñāyate ||189||
pancatantram
ഗാത്രം സംകുചിതം ഗതിര്‍വിഗളിതം ദന്താശ്ചനാശംഗത
ദൃഷ്ടിര്‍ഭ്രാമയതി രൂപമപ്യപഹതംവക്ത്രം ച ലാലായാതെ
വാക്യം നൈവ കരോതി ബാന്ധവജനാ പത്നി ന ശുശ്രൂഷതേ
ധിക് കഷ്ടം ജരയാഭിഭൂതപുരുഷം പുത്രോപ്യവജ്ഞായാതെ
the pathetic condition of an elderly patriarch who has spent a whole life for the upkeep of this family is described vividly in an extract from Panchatantram. 
The body of the grandfather is shrunken, he negotiates his steps in a disorderly way, his teeth have bidden him adieu with a promise to meet again only in the next birth, his eyeballs are rolling around but providing him with little vision, the attractiveness of the yonder youth if he had any had forsaken him and from the purse-like mouth flows the secretions from the mouth incessantly. The so-called relatives do not deem it prudent to utter any word to him and the wife has many other urgent occupations other than helping the husband at least in observing his daily chores with some dignity, and to top it all the son never missed an opportunity to insult this human being who is afflicted with old age


Friends, this is the condition of all the elders who have striven hard and given everything within their power, and in most cases gone out of their way to place all they possess at the disposal of wife, children and family without any selfishness. Whatever be their physical condition now, they are to be worshiped like Gods, whether the old person is a male or female. In fact I have extracted such a gruesome picture form an old Kavyam only to appeal one all that it is our duty to ensure that the old gems of our family and nation are bestowed the greatest attention and care which are their fundamental right. Mind you, the same condition is awaiting everyone.

--

shanthi mantras corrected

शान्ति मन्त्रः

ऊँ असतो मा सद् गमय I

तमसो मा ज्योतिर् गमय I

मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय I

 ऊँ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिःI

सर्वे सुखिनः सन्तु सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाःI

सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कस्चित् दुःखभाक् भवेत् I

ऊँ  शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्ति:l

ऊँ पूर्णमतः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेव अवशिष्यते।

ऊँ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

ऊँ  सर्वेषां  स्वस्तिर्  भवतु सर्वेषां  शान्तिर्भवतु

सर्वेषाम् पूर्णं भवतु सर्वेषां  मङ्गलं भवतु I

ऊँ  सर्वे  भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे  सन्तु निरामयाः

सर्वे भद्रानि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चित् दुःखभाक् भवेत् I

ऊं शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

ऊँ द्यौ शान्तिरन्तरीक्षं शान्ति

पृथ्वी शान्तिरापः शान्तिः

औषदयः शन्ति  वनस्पतयः शान्तिः

विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिः

 ब्रह्म शान्ति  शर्व शान्ति

शान्तिरेव शान्तिः

ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः
श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि ।
सर्वम् ब्रह्मौपनिषदम् माऽहं ब्रह्म
निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म
निराकरोदनिराकरणमस्त्वनिराकरणम् मेऽस्तु ।
तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते
मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

ū asato mā sad gamaya

tamaso mā jyotir gamaya

mṛtyormā amṛtaṁ gamaya

 ū śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāṇtiḥ

sarve sukhinaḥ santu sarve santu nirāmayāḥ

sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kascit duḥkhabhāk bhavet

ū  śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāṇtiḥ

ū pūrṇamataḥ pūrṇamidaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate

pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇameva avaśiṣyate |

ū śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāṇtiḥ

ū  sarveṣāṁ  svasti  bhavatu sarveṣāṁ  śāntirbhavatu

sarveṣām pūrṇaṁ bhavatu sarveṣāṁ  maṅgalaṁ bhavatu

ū  sarve  bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve  santu nirāmayāḥ

sarve bhadrāni paśyantu mā kaścit duḥkhabhāk bhavet

ūṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntih

ū dyau śāntirantarīkṣaṁ śānti pṛthvī śāntirāpaḥ śāntiḥ auṣadayaḥ śanti  vanaspatayaḥ śāntiḥ viśvedevāḥ śāntiḥ brahma śānti  śarva śānti śāntireva śantiḥ

oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ
śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi |
sarvam brahmaupaniṣadam mā'haṃ brahma
nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma
nirākarodanirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇam me'stu |
tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste
mayi santu te mayi santu |
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||