Pralaya in Kedarnath – some musings (Part -4) (Affinity with deities)

Previous articles:-

Part -1  On the loss of Samadhi of Adi Shankara

Part -2 Energy network of Kedarnath temple

Part -3 Do deities get angry?

 

The deity has a close affinity to the place where it stands as a self-manifest one (Swayambu) or where it is consecrated by mantra, yantra or tantra. The people who worship the deity get a close affinity to the deity in such a way that they share a mutual give and take relationship with the deity – something like what Krishna tells in Bhagavad Gita (3-11 - devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ/ parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha// "Cherish the Devas with this, and may those Devas cherish you: thus cherishing one another, ye shall gain the highest good.").

This affinity is coming for too long in the past that the affinity continues to exist for those who continue to worship that deity, and it exists for some more time even in the case of those who have stopped worshipping the deity, until the mutual give and take relationship is completely weakened. Here the reference is to those who have converted from the Hindu fold to Mleccha religions.

In this context I want to draw the attention of readers to one Mr Joe D Cruz, hailing from the fisherman community of Tirunelvely district of Tamilnadu. His present religious identity is Roman Catholic but his intrinsic identity is Paravan or Parathavan. Prathavas were one of the communities that appear frequently in olden Tamil Sangam texts. Not less than 5 such texts make a mention of them. The Arittapatti inscriptions near Madurai also make a mention of a Parathava King at whose instance the inscription (and donation to Jains) was made. The time period was 3^rd century B.C. This is being told here to show the evidence for the existence of Parathavas from such an antiquity.  The issue that I am going to narrate here pertains to these Parathavas. It is something unique and necessary to understand the mutual affinity between Gods and human beings. Those who can understand Tamil may click this link and listen to what he says.

http://rsschennai.blogspot.in/2013/06/excellent-speech-on-our-history-and.html

I am giving here the facts from his speech relevant to this article.

The Parathavas were not just fishermen, but were engaged in pearl-diving off the Tuticorin coast (this place was known as Korkai during the times of Pandyan kings). Pearl diving is a very old occupation of these Parathavas which made them rich. It was their leading occupation during the times of Pandyan kings. The second in line to the Pandyan throne was always stationed at Korkai (known as Tuticorin now from "Tuttu kudi" which means "scattered settlement because people stayed there only during the pearl diving months) as we can note from Silappadhikaram that the king who ascended the Pandyan throne after the death of Nedum cheziyan (who ordered death for Kovalan), came from Korkai. The pearl diving Parathavas had a good hold on the Pandyan kings and enjoyed many benefits as they were primarily responsible for the multiplication of the Pandyan wealth (from pearls).

This important occupation was hazardous and the one whom they depended on for their protection in this occupation was Goddess Muttharamman! Mutthu in Tamil means pearl and the Goddess who protected them in pearl diving and helped them in amassing wealth was Muttharamman. Even now we can see many Muttharamman temples close to the coast in Nagarcoil, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of Tamilnadu.

This deity is primarily their deity, consecrated by them and worshiped by them at all times in the past.  In course of time though other people also started worshiping her, the Parathavas retained their primary right over this deity. One such right was that only Parathavas must lift Her up from Her base and mount Her on the carrier during the annual procession. Things came to such a pass that most of the Parathavars have been converted into Christianity. On one occasion, recalls Joe D Cruz, there were no Hindu Parathavas in the vicinity of the Muttharamman temple. So others in the town decided to carry Her and mount Her on the processional vehicle. To their dismay they found that the deity could not be lifted at all and stood rock hard. This made them look out for a Parathava even if he was a converted Christian. One Anthony Picchai, a habitual drunkard agreed to try his hand, as no other Parathava was ready to do it due to the preaching that they have to shun 'other religions' and not believe in the Hindu deities as they are mere idols of stone!

When Anothony Picchai lifted it, the idol came along as though it was waiting to be lifted by a Parathava. It was a wonder that though he was professing Christian faith, his identity  as a Parathava meant something. It was just enough that a person coming in the lineage of Parathavas must touch the deity so that the deity makes Herself ready to do what he wishes! This man wanted to lift Her, and She made Herself pliable. What an affinity is this!! How did this happen?

This man was ex-communicated by other converted Parathavas, but the episode demonstrated that age-long affinity is not easy to erase. It also demonstrated that Hindu deities are NOT just idols or stones. They have some life or energy in them which Science has not yet known / or may never know. We call this as Atman or Adhyatmika present in the idol. This Atman in the deity which had been in mutual connect with the Atman of scores of Parathavas for more than 2000 years seems to recognise the Atman in the Parathava, Anthony Picchai even though he is presently not in mutual connection with Her. The Mutual link is weakened over time as She is no longer being nurtured by the Parathavas. There may come a time when that link will completely fade away. It seems that such a time is almost nearing because, the reason for which the Parathavas have left her, could not be achieved. It can be said that it is almost gone now.

Why did they leave her? Why did they break an age old bond between the Parathavas and Muttharamman? The reason was to retain their rights to pearl diving. Their history shows that they converted into Christianity under an agreement  to get arms from the Portugese to keep off the Mohammedans from usurping their rights in pearl diving. They made a promise to the Portugese on Muttharamman that they would start worshipping their God if they were given the arms they required to fight the Mohammedans. They got the arms and kept up the promise to convert to Christianity, but forgot the promises made to Muttharamman for thousands of years by their ancestors. The result is seen in these 400 years since conversion. What they thought as their right and livelihood is no longer there. Their wealth, livelihood and status have all decreased so much that they are facing the threat of losing even the fishes if Sethu Samudram Project is going to be implemented. These are the people who are fighting for stalling the Kudam kulam Nuclear plant as they fear that their land would turn into a graveyard. How a steady deterioration have come up after they broke their bond with Muttharamman!

But they have managed to survive with fishing occupation where we find some old habits still continuing. They have age old practices of invoking Hindu Gods to safeguard them while venturing into the sea. Certain types of fishes are too huge and even five times larger than their fishing vessels. If they come near them, they used to put their hand on the head of the fish and make a vow to Kumari amman, that they would not harm it and in reciprocation the fish also would not harm them. There is mythological story among the Parathavas by linking the giant fish to Skanda and a vow on the mother of Skanda that would protect them from any harm from the giant fishes.

Similarly during their fishing trips, they used to break a coconut to Lord Muruga / Skanda  when they cross Manappad and to Kumari Attha (Kumari amman) when they cross the tip of Cape Comorin. Why should they do that unless it is a tested and trusted way of ensuring their safety for ages into antiquity? No Christian God came to their help.

The interesting connection to Skanda in this part of Bharat is that it is here Skanda came to kill the demon Surapadman (asura / a native of Southern hemisphere). Surapadman's abode was Lanka where he imprisoned Jayantha, the son of Indra. Skanda rescued him and killed Surapadma. The seas engulfed the region of Surapadma, named Mahendra puri in Lanka after he was killed. But then the sea water receded after washing off Mahendrapuri. This is perhaps the first ever sea level rise experienced in the Bay of Bengal region after the end of Ice age. Or it could even be a tsunami that was triggered off Sundaland which had many regions above the sea level at that time.

The light blue region around India and Srilanka were once above the sea level. "A" points to the location of Tiruchendur. The region of Surapadman is said to be in Lanka as per Kanda Purana and it was inundated after he was killed but the land regained its original shape. This part off the Indian shore / sea  needs to be explored as this forms a link with Sangam age settlements and the story of Skaanda and Meenakshi.

The Tamil texts do speak of  Meenakshi – Sundareswara and their son Ugra Kumara in whose times the first sangam assembly was held (around  12,000 years BP). Tiruchendur was the place where Skanda rested after killing Surapadma.

An interesting topographical information is that Kedarnath, Kalimath and Madurai Meenakshi temple and Tiruchendur lie close to within one degree of the same longitude.

Kedarnath  & kalimath– 79.4 degrees E

Tiruchendur  - 78.116 degrees E

Madurai – 78.119 degrees E

If we connect these places, it looks as follows.

 

 

The line just goes a little to the east of Tiruchendur but between Srilanka and Tiruchendur which was a landed area 10,000 years ago. That is, the original Tiruchendur could have been far into the place which is under the sea now.

If the Kedarnath – Kalimath represents an Energy field, it exists and extends to Tiruchendur as well.

The very shape of the land where Tiruchendur Murugan temple is situated is a triangle. In the picture below, one can see the temple located in the protruding part of the land. 

 

Just south of it is where Manapad lies.

We can see that Manapad also lies in a triangular part of the land. It is here the Parathavas break a coconut as an offering to Lord Muruga, whom they call as "Macchan" meaning brother in law. According to kanda purana, after killing Surapadma, Muruga married Devyani who was the daughter of Indra and sister of Jayantha for whose sake Muruga fought with Surapadma. The Parathava tradition is that Devyani belonged to their clan!! The lullabies that parathava women sign even today refer to this idea that Muruga married Parathava girl! The lullaby also refers to the 2^nd wife of Muruga, namely Valli.  The story has a manifestation on land too. In Manappad there is a cave called "Valli's cave" which was supposed to enhance a seeker's spiritual energy. A similar cave is said to exist in Tiruchendur also. A common feature is that both these places are triangular in shape.

When the Portugese came, they were ship wrecked near Cape Comorin, but washed ashore in Manapad. Once there, they started their missionary works by talking about the miraculous power of the mast with which they managed to reach the shore, whereas the fact was that this region had saved the Parathavas too in their fishing trips as they are still accustomed to remember Lord Muruga while crossing this place.

Francis Xavier who was deputed to teach them Christian ways stayed in "Valli's cave" which has existed from pre-Christian` era and had claimed that he got miraculous powers by doing penance in that cave.  Today an engraving stands at the entrance of the cave that says "This cave, the dwelling of a Saivite Sanyasi  has been sanctified by the prayers and penance of St Francis Xavier". What a mis-appropriation of a native symbol that was home for a Saivite sanyasi!  The so-called healing properties or miracles in this region reported by Christian Missionaries actually come from time immemorial. This region is also triangular in shape like Tiruchendur. Take a look at the following pictures.

 

 

Manappad also lies in the same longitude as Tiruchendur.

Tiruchendur – 78. 116 degrees E

Manappad – 78.38 degrees E.

As per Tamil texts, Meenakshi of Madurai married Shiva (Sunaderas) at Mount Kailash. The marriage was held in a grand fashion, such that the Himalayas were pushed down by the weight of the people who attended the marriage. It was to balance the land mass, Shiva requested sage Agasthya to go to the South. Triyugi Narayan temple near Kedarnath holds the same story. But a real time marriage is mentioned in Tamil texts which resulted in the birth of Kumara known as Ugra Kumara Pandya. The olden Pandyans had a titular name "Gowriya" meaning "coming in the lineage of Gowri / parvathy. After Meenakshi's marriage to Shiva, Shiva ruled the Pandyan country as Sundaresa. It was somewhere  in the Indian Ocean. Sundaresa as Lord Shiva along with Agasthya gave a written script for Tamil. To encourage patronisation of that script He initiated the Tamil sangam Assembly. Kumara or Skanda was the Tamil icon and it was during his reign, Tamil was developed further through Sangam.

A Parathava myth also says that they came from the race of Varuna (sea) and sprang along with Skanda. After a deluge they landed here in their boats. There is a place called "Dhonipuram" – Dhoni means boat – where they were supposed to have landed. This myth fits with the references in sangam texts on Pandyans losing their land to seas and coming to the present day mainland of South India. All this is being told to show how the antiquity and tradition of the Parathavas was connected with Hindu Gods such as Skanda and Kumari amman. Their affinity with these Gods goes to such a remote past.

Even the powerful Pandyan kings did not disturb their livelihood, but gave protection to them. But no one could help them – definitely not Christian Gods – after they made a break-away from the powerful guardian, namely Muttharamman  who protected their livelihood and life. One may say that they converted under duress. Many people converted under duress into Christianity and Islam, but the other side of the story is that their age-old protectors, namely the Gods of their families, of their clans and lands are left out. The mutual nourishment of each other as told by Lord Krishna in Bhagawad Gita – which is very much the way the Nature behaves like in water cycle, is disrupted by those who started professing religion which is not of this land of Bharath.

The same can be understood in the case of deities. Nourish the deity and the deity would nurture you back. What you give to the deity is recycled back to you.  The identification of the deity or consecration of the deity or the self manifestation of the deity had happened only in Hindu religion.  No other deity of the Mleccha religions can be an equal to these deities as they were not identified with Naturally existing forces - which are nothing but the manifestation of Brahman, the Omni Present Force which is the substratum and also the Atman of all that is within Itself. This makes it possible for the Atman inside the deity, say in this case Muttharamman and the Atman inside the Parathava to be in bond due to a long time courtship-like- connection.

When the deity is strengthened, it gives you back when you are in need. When the deity is not strengthened, it is not capable of giving you. This is what I meant in the concluding line of the last article – when the deity flourishes, those who depend on It would also flourish; if the deity is disturbed, those who depend on It would perish. A fitting example was seen in the disturbance caused to Dhari Devi which led to instant calamity for all those in that region.  Elders termed it as "wrath" because in that way people would remember better and be punctual in their duties to the deity.

The incident with Parathavas is not an isolated case. The affinity with deities had existed for all the people coming under what we call now as "caste". In many temples, people of certain caste are said to have some rights. From historical accounts, it is seen that the so-called most degraded caste named "Palli" had a right in the Parthasarathy temple of Triplicane in Chennai. The Kulasekara Alwar festival was celebrated by Pallis as he was the King of their caste. This alwar was a king in Chera lands but the celebration was in Triplicane in Chennai by Pallis who were once his subjects. This is historical information hinting at a migration of some Pallis from Chera Nadu to Chennai.  The problem of accommodating the immigrants is an universal one and the low status of Pallis could be attributed to this factor. This is a different thread where we can show some other factors of how people of different castes had their own temples which were not open to others. The so-called caste clashes, untouchability and bar on temple entry had their genesis in different reasons in the past and certainly not on Hinduism as a religion. I will write them at an appropriate context later.

In the present context let me quote another instance from "Castes and tribes of Southern India"  by E. Thurston (1909 edition) . The Pallis  held the first right to the most important camphor offering ritual in Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore.  There was a legal case to retain this right with Pallis in the Madras High court in the late 19^th century which they eventually won. The Pallis even claimed that the temple was their own temple. This could come from some affinity that Pallis had with the deity. When we search for that affinity we find that the Pallis had built this temple at Mylapore . This had happened after the original Kapaleeswara temple on the shores was destroyed by the Portugese where the Santhome church stands now.

Yet another information from Thurston says that the Pallis of Santhome region claimed that they converted into Christianity along with their king Kandappa Raja who ruled Mylapore. This shows that some upheaval had happened at that time when the original Kapaleeswara temple was trampled and some Pallis had stoutly stood by the deity of Kapaleeswara and managed to build a temple for Him inland, while the ruling King had subdued under Portugese pressure and converted into Christianity  along with Pallis owing allegiance to him.

The Pallis devoted to Shiva had built the Kapaleeswaar temple. If their descendants had continued with that devotion, the affinity with Lord Shiva and themselves could have certainly made them powerful people,  that they were once.  The Pallis had exhibited their affinity to Lord Shiva in Kancheepuram too. One of the Gopurams of Ekambaranathar temple in Kancheepuram is known as "Palli Gopuram" as it was built by the Pallis. Thurston says that if any repair works were required, it were done by Pallis only. This kind of commitment and attachment to the deity increases the bond between the deity and the respective communities. Suppose someone else wants to repair it, it would not materialise. Unless a Palli comes and touches a stone atleast symbolically, the work would not progress. But in due course if the Pallis stop worshiping this deity, this affinity would wear off.

Here a question arises, what use with the affinity?

Did God save the devotees who went to have his dharshan in Kedarnath?

Didn't they have the affinity with God?

Why then they were not saved?

Why then many of them had to struggle for days in remote locations?

These are the questions uppermost in the minds of most people. The same question can be raised in the case of Parathavas too, as to why Muttharamman did not save them in the first instance itself when they were struggling to thwart Mohammedan advances?

The answer can be best explained from the happenings in the pralaya at Kedarnath.

People were left stranded at many places in the region of the pralaya. They were stranded at different places – some of which were separated by deep gorges or gushing floods that it was difficult to cross. Though help arrived to their places, they could not be rescued immediately because of the gorges and floods.

Like the situation seen in this picture, people are at one place and the personnel who have come to rescue them are at the other side. Though the distance between them is small, the obstacle to be crossed is serious. The agony and exasperation continues for the stranded people till the personnel make arrangements to help them cross the obstacle. The only solace for these people is that help is at a visible length. They can be assured of rescue sometime soon.

The same holds good for devotees too. However devoted they may be, if there are obstacles to be overcome by way of prarabhdha karma, the period of agony and waiting will be there.  Even though God is willing to help them immediately, the obstacle comes in the way of their rescue. The consolation is that God (rescue personnel in the above example) however is making arrangements to rescue them. Some of them may have been rescued on the first day itself and some others may have to wait for 10 days or more for the rescue. In this scenario, the sincerity and speed of the rescue personnel cannot be doubted. God's intention too cannot be doubted. But if we are trapped in remote places – due to the intensity of our past karma- it does take time to get rescued. For those whose time of Mukthi had come, they had joined Him and those whose Prarabhdha karma required them to suffer, had suffered.

The Vedanthic idea of God is that God is not an outsider, nor He is one who delivers judgement or punishment. Our actions determine what we get, He is only facilitator for everything to happen. Like air or Vayu which is regarded as the Prathyaksha Brahman, He is inside us as breath and outside us also. We breathe the air into our lungs and there it becomes the vital air that gives us life. Like that He is everywhere around us, we have to deeply inhale Him and keep Him within us. There inside He starts enlivening us. This realisation is Faith, this is how Faith works!

Once we realise that He is giving life to us from within, we understand that everything is being controlled by Him. Even though this is a perennial fact, the moment we realise that He is controlling us from within us, we have nothing to do. He gets us moving, He gets us into life and he gets us into death. Death will be understood as a process by which He takes us with Him and therefore no question of loss of faith or loss of power of Lord when a calamity of the kind that happened in Kedarnath strikes.

There is one more issue I want to share with readers. It is about – how the manifestation of so many Gods in so many forms and names had come to stay in our land. With that I will complete this short series in the next article.

(continued)