Sunday, October 10, 2021
Saturday, October 2, 2021
PRAYASCITTA'S IN SRI VAIKHANASA BHAGAVAT SASTRA Edited and Translated by Sangendhi Dr S Muthu Batter
Edited and Translated by
Sangendhi Dr S Muthu Batter
Associate Professor
Dept. of Sanskrit
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College (Autonomous)
Mylapore, Chennai-600 004
VIMANARCANA KALPA (in grantha Akshara) Edited by Sangendhi Dr S Muthu Batter, Associate Professor, RKMVC, Chennai-4
(IN GRANTHA AKSHARA)
Edited by
Sangendhi Dr S Muthu Batter
Associate Professor
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College (Autonomous),
Chennai-600 004
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Education System in Vaishnava Agamas
Education
System in Vaishnava Agamas
(Sangendhi Dr.S.Muthu Batter, Associate Professor, Dept. of
Sanskrit, RKM Vivekananda College, Chennai-4)
Generally,
this daily worship is being witnessed from the Vedic period. At the end of the
"grhya karmā" &
"yajnās” Lord Vishnu and all Gods are worshipped, and they derived
the full benefits of such
yajnās.
“अथाग्नौ नित्यहोमान्ते विष्णोर्नित्यार्चा सर्व देवार्चा भवति।” The Temple worship can be divided into 1) praying for oneself, 2) praying for others and welfare of Universe. स्वार्थो गृहार्चा प्रोक्तः परार्थस्त्वालयार्चनम्। Praying for oneself takes place in individual homes. Praying for
others takes place in public temples.
This, form of
temple worship took the Vedas as its principles, and was followed in two
divisions known as Vaishnava and Saiva. Following the principles of Vedas,
different systems came into practice - advaita, dvaita, visistadvaita, Idol worship was practiced in all these systems in the beginning.
Adisankara systematized six religious ways and they
are शैवम्, वैष्णवम्, गाणापत्यम्, सौरम्, कौमारम्म्, शाक्तम् ।.
In India,
Saiva Agamas and Vaishnava Agamas are being followed in almost all the places.
The other agamas are being followed in a few places only. It requires priests
well versed in the Agamas to look after the day to day needs, special needs
like construction. Great sacred lore grew around these activities and
consequently a formal way of teaching and imparting became the need of the
hour. This paper will present how education system is adopted in Vaishnava
Agama.
Vaishnava
agamas are divided into two major divisions - 1. Vaikhanasa, 2.Pancharatra.
In these agamas there are four sections namely i) kriyapada, ii) cariyapada,
iii)yogapada, and iv) jnanapada. The first and
second deal with learning process and applications. The Third section deals
with controlling the mind and sense organs, and the final section deals with
attaining liberation.
PANCARATRA
AGAMA - Pancaratra agama take recourse to the ritual practices (tantras).
These agamas were taught by Lord Narayana to Narada, and then they spread over
the entire earth. A man Pancharatra proposing Agama has to get diksa to enter
Vishnu temple, after obtaining certain qualifications i.e. he has to do Gayatri
Japa, Astaksaram regularly, get samasrayana, he has to establish himself as a
noble man, must have read Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita, Srimad Bhagavata and
then obtain diksa from a great teacher (acarya), and become worthy of
worshipping God, and can later become a priest. The teacher
(acarya) has to follow the agama in giving diksa to the deserving person
(brahmacari /gruhastha).
After getting diksa, they have to learn Pancaratra agamas from the same Guru,
and then only can offer services to Lord in the temple, become eligible to
conduct the festivals also. This Agama has 108 samhitas. Each samhita has its own individual features. In a
temple, if one samhita is being followed, the practice should not be changed to
another samhita later. If there is a need to change the samhita, it can be done
only after Samprokshanam, and then the authorities can adopt the new samhitasThe people who obtain the diksa in a proper manner, are eligible to do
poojas in the temple. In this agama, festivals are conducted under the guidance
of Guru and after gaining a sound experience by practice,
one is allowed to perform the festivals individually. It is mentioned that to
have sufficient training and practice, one must go with great priests, learn
the procedures to do pooja and conduct the festivals.
VAIKHANASA
AGAMA - Vaikhanasa Agama also explains the methods of worship of Vishnu. The
Vaikhanasa agama adopts fundamentally Vedic mantras as its principles. This
Agama was given by Lord Narayana to Vikhanas Muni (sage), in the form of
sastras. If a man wants to know Vaikhanasa Agama he has to be a Vaikhanasa by birth itself.
The Vikhanas muni
had many disciples
like Atri, Marici, Kasyapa, Pulstya, Pulaka etc. Of these Bhrugu, Atri, Marici and Kasyapa
were the four main disciples. These main disciples spread the temple form of
worship to the people.
QUALIFICATION FOR LEARNING THE
AGAMAS
According
to Vaikhanasa sutra, those who are well versed with all the samskaras are
eligible to do the pooja in Vaikhanasa Agama temples. One who has known the
Brahman, learnt the Vedas, has good conduct, and always meditates on Lord Vishnu, has good thoughts,
has eagerness to
learn temple mantras, does Samidadhana/Aupasana daily,
is highly learned pandit/scholar, is fit
to do Samprokshana
and such a person alone can be selected by Guru.
वैखानससूत्रेण निषेकादि संस्कारक्रियायुक्तान् विप्रान् वेदविदः शुद्धान् शुद्धित्रयोपेतान् वैष्णवान् वयस्संपन्नान् सुमनस्कान् अर्चनादि सर्वप्रयोगज्ञान् मन्त्रकल्पविदः श्रोत्रियान् अग्निसंपन्नान् आहूय तेषु ज्ञानोत्कटं शुभदर्शनं श्रुतवृत्तशीलं संपन्नम् गुरुं वरयेत् । (विमानार्चनकल्पः)
PRIESTSHIP FOR SAMPROKSHANAM
One who keeps himself clean,
has clean and good habits, taking bath daily, doesn't
commit any sin,
does svādhyaya, Japa three
times
daily, learns 'dvādasāksara
japa' follows prājāpatya fastings, eats 'havis' one time a day, redeem sin,
eats only havis till the end of samprokshanam, sleeps on mat, does not speak to
women, takes bath three times a day, has control over his senses is eligible to
become a samprokshana priest.
सर्वे सुलुप्तकेशश्मश्रुकेशनखाः शुद्धदन्ताः स्नात्वा अघमर्षणं कृत्वा सावित्रीपूर्व द्वादशसूक्तानि जप्त्वा प्राजापत्यं, पादकृच्छ्रम्, एकाहं वा अपोष्य पापं सर्वं सदह्य यावत्प्रतिष्ठान्तं तावद्धविष्यमानो दर्भास्तरण शायिनः स्त्रीशूद्रादि संभाषणपरिवेषणान्वर्जयित्वा त्रिषवणस्नायिनो जितेन्द्रिया भवेयुरिति विज्ञायते। (विमानार्चनकल्पः)
TIME OF
OBTAINING AGAMA SASTRA - As the Agama is based on Vedic
mantras, one becomes eligible to read the Agama only after getting Upanayana.
The Upanayana age as mentioned in the vikhanaskalpa sutra, as to
5 yrs from womb for brahma-varcas, 8 yrs for longevity (ayuskama), and 9-16 yrs
for materialistic wealth (srikama).
अथ गर्भाधादि वर्षे पञ्चमे ब्रह्मवर्चसकामम् आयुष्काममष्टमे नवमे वा श्रीकामं वसन्ते ब्राह्मणमुपनयीत । (वै.गृह्यसूत्रम्)
In
Bodhayana sutra, 8 yrs from womb is materialistc (kamya), 7 yrs for brahma varcas, 8 yrs
for longevity
(ayuskama), 9 yrs for tejaskama, 10
yrs for annadhyakama, 11 yrs
for indriyakama, 12
yrs for pasukama, 13
yrs for medhakama, 14 yrs for pustikama, 15 yrs for bratrvyavanta and 16 yrs for sarvakama.
अथातो गर्भाष्टमे ब्राह्मणमुपनयीत इत्यारभ्य अथापि काम्यानि भवन्ति सप्तमे ब्रह्मपर्चसकाममष्टमे आयुष्कामं नवमे तेजस्कामं दशमे अन्नाद्यकामं एकादशे इन्द्रियकामं द्वादशे पशुकामं त्रयोदशे मेधाकामं चतुर्दशे पुष्टिकामं पञ्चदशे भ्रातृव्यवन्तं षोडशे सर्वकामम् इति। (बोधायन गृह्यसूत्र)
If
a person misses the age to get Upanayana samskara they have to undergo the
uddhalaka prayachchitta. Hence the age for upanayana is very important to learn
Vedas. After getting the upanayana samskara the
person is eligible to join the agama
education stream.
In
general the Agama
Sastra starts
with "ऋषिप्रश्नोत्तरम्”
i.e. some of the sages asked some doubts, then
the senior most sage cleared the doubts, In this manner the Agama sastra
developed step by step and has been expanded.
Eg.
- अत्रि विश्वविदा श्रेष्ठमृषि विश्वहितोदयम्।
ऋषयो धर्मसंसक्ताः समागम्य प्रणम्य च ।।
अभिपूज्य यथान्यायमिदं वचनमब्रुवन् ।।
भगवन् सर्ववित् त्वं हि तस्मात्पृच्छामहे वयम् ।।
आश्रमे सम्यगासीनमृषि सर्वहितोद्यतम् ।
ऋषयोऽभ्यागतास्सर्वे प्रणिपत्येदमब्रुवन् ।। (समूर्तार्चनाधिकरणम्)
Then the sage starts answering
-
भृगुरुवाच - युष्माभिः परिपृष्टं यत्तत्सर्वमृषिसत्तमाः |
वक्ष्यामि सावधानेन श्रृणुध्वं मत्प्रबोधितम् ।। (समूर्तार्चनाधिकरणम्)
In
Marici's Vimanarcanakalpa starts with the questions, whom to worship?, how to
worship? the system of worship, benefit of the worship in the temple etc.
भगवन् केनमार्गेण कैर्मन्त्रैः कं देवमर्चयन्तः कान् लोकान् गमिष्यति?
Sage Marici then replied - मरीचिरुवाच - सुप्रसन्नं परमात्मानं नारायणं ध्यात्वा अभिवन्द्य श्रुत्यनुकूलेन मार्गेण चतुर्वेदोद्भवैः मन्त्रैः तमर्चयन्तः श्रुतिभिरभिहितं शाश्वतम् अतीन्द्रियं परात्परतरं देवैरनभिलक्ष्यं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदं गच्छेयुः (प्राप्नुवन्ति)
इति।
After
answering to these questions the explanation of the system of worship according
to their specific ways are taken up in the agamas.
TRADITIONAL SYLLABUS OF AGAMA
SASTRA COURSE FOLLOWED IN THE PATHASALAS
This
is a 9 year course and the students are admitted at the age of 7. Most of the
pathasalas are of gurukula type with board and lodging facilities. The course
is generally taught as follows:
1st year – Grantha alphabets, Reading and writing skills,
Sanskrit prose and poetry, usage of nouns and verbs,
(Sabdamanjari, Dhatumanjari &
Amarakosa) suktas etc.
2nd year - Special
suktas, Daily
pooja (procedures and mantra), Sahasranamas for
different
deities, Stotras, Sanskrit dramas, pasurams
from Divya Prabhandam.
3rd year – Special pooja procedures, Astottara
satanamavalis of deities, stotrams to perform special yajnams.
4th year - Revision of
first three year lessons, Samprokshana mantras
with meaning.
5th year - Performance explanation of different types of festivals in
temples and their explanation.
6th year-Santi
homas and Prayacchitta homas and Divyaprabandha pasurams.
7th year -Purva and Apara kriyas with mantras,
temple visits to get a personal knowledge and experience of the procedures
adopted there.
8th year –Sharpening
of the
knowledge and tools and visesavidhis
9th year – One year practical’s
and regular parayanams
In India, in
many ancient temples, their own traditions and rituals are
being followed till date. Sastras have to be learnt under the guidance of a
Guru at least for a minimum 8 years. While learning the sastras the disciple
has to go with his Guru and must strive to learn the different traditions
followed in various temples to acquire a practical knowledge. He has to spend
at least one year with his Guru, on such yatras to temples who may be going
there to conduct Samprokshanams, special festivals etc. So it takes at least a
minimum of 9 yrs for a student to have a good grasp of Agama Sastras and
communicate the significance of Agama sastras to others.
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