2/8/10
My response to a booklet on giving explanations to
Hindu traditions and rituals.
I am a devout Hindu alright. But I can't help
feeling that some of the interpretations of the traditions are made up.
The author asks, "Why light an oil lamp, why
not a tube-light?" The answer is obvious. There was no electricity when
these traditions evolved! Oil was (is) the only known substance which could sustain the light (fire.) But we are portraying a necessity as a sublime
process.
The Harati (Deeparadhanai - Showing a camphor
flame to the idol or showing the idol in the light of a camphor flame!)
might have evolved from the fact that the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of a temple being dark, something had to be done to bring the Lord into
the limelight! (I personally feel that having a Dharshan of the Lord in the
backdrop of a camphor flame in a dark environment is more satisfying (or shall
I say fulfilling?) than looking at Him (or Her) in a brightly lit chamber)
There should be simple, common sense explanations for many traditions. But we prefer to sanctify even mundane things. No wonder, there abound a myriad interpretations for almost every thing in our tradition!
There should be simple, common sense explanations for many traditions. But we prefer to sanctify even mundane things. No wonder, there abound a myriad interpretations for almost every thing in our tradition!
3/8/10
Response from my friend CKV
Sastry
Most of the complicated
interpretations are only to hog limelight rather than bringing simple
meanings to light.
3/8/10
Response from my my friend IG
I agree with you.
I found the small booklet "why do we do it" published by Arshad Vidyalaya ( Swami Dayanand Sarawathi) and the book "Olai Chuvadigal" (originally in Malayalam translated into Tamil) very useful in giving answers that are logical and sensible to questions such as these. "Arthamulla Hindumadham" by Kannadasan (now available as a combined book instead of the 8 individual booklets) and the 3 volumes of " Hindhumadham Pathil alikkiradhu" ( a compilation of such question and answers that appeared in the now defunct Bhakthi magazine "Gnana Bhoomi") are also good reference works for such questions.
I can't agree with you more when you say it is satisfying to have a darshan of the Almighty in front of the Deepa arathani. In a dark sanctum sanctorum, with an adukku deeparadhanai to show you the image of the idol in all its glory seems to symbolically illumine your dark mind.
I found the small booklet "why do we do it" published by Arshad Vidyalaya ( Swami Dayanand Sarawathi) and the book "Olai Chuvadigal" (originally in Malayalam translated into Tamil) very useful in giving answers that are logical and sensible to questions such as these. "Arthamulla Hindumadham" by Kannadasan (now available as a combined book instead of the 8 individual booklets) and the 3 volumes of " Hindhumadham Pathil alikkiradhu" ( a compilation of such question and answers that appeared in the now defunct Bhakthi magazine "Gnana Bhoomi") are also good reference works for such questions.
I can't agree with you more when you say it is satisfying to have a darshan of the Almighty in front of the Deepa arathani. In a dark sanctum sanctorum, with an adukku deeparadhanai to show you the image of the idol in all its glory seems to symbolically illumine your dark mind.
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