||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||
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| Raam Bhajan Tree pic google images |
Aum Namo Narayanaya
The sanghu (conch) took to the stage at 16:00 like
clockwork... reverberating through the atmosphere with its celestial sound,
calling on Narayana to come partake of the laid feast and bless His
children. The sweetened rice, payasam and boiled chickpeas braised with
onions and ghee, formed the basis of the pure and simple diet enjoyed during
this holy month of Purtassi. The fresh marigold garland interspersed with mango
leaves adorned the doorways, and the thiru-namam (sign of the feet of Maha
Vishnu) inscribed on everything from the prayer utensils and hallways to the
foreheads of the men-folk sanctified and accorded the desired respect and
devotion for the prayer. After the verse calling on Narayana riding His eagle
vehicle to come forth and protect us, the congregation burst out in loud chants
of "Govinda Govinda Gooovinda" (The Lord who is the protector).
Marvelling at this sight and reveling in the wave of devotion, I closed my eyes
and simultaneously mentally bowed to our ancestors during this period of Pitr
Paksh / Mahalaya Patcham for having left us this wonderful religious heritage
which acts as splints keeping us on a straight path of devotion.
Heritage is defined as something that is inherited from
the past. As a South African, I am honoured and proud to have received a shared
heritage. My African heritage is endowed with the treasures of the big five;
proteas; majestic mountain ranges like the Drakensberg, the Cradle of
Humankind, the San and Khoi Khoi; and a country and continent that is rich in minerals
pulsating with varied cultures that has huge potential. And... from my Indian
ancestry, I was gifted with the glorious culture and Vedanta that can provide
the world with its most sought after commodity of peace. Vedanta - which is the
eternal truth that predates any form of organised doctrine or theology has
survived through various onslaughts and will continue to outlive all creation
as it is the intrinsic truth.
Many have emphasised how the world has changed from the
yesteryears. But I tend to believe otherwise. The world has always been the
same... full of challenges presenting hardships and its share of glory too. I
feel that the difficulty has increased to date purely due to the decrease in
faith over time. The world is yet to see people of the calibre of
Prahalad whose faith and devotion to the Lord is unprecedented.
A unique and profound heritage handed to us by the Andhra
community is the festival of Raam Bhajan which is observed by many Andhras and
Tamilians during the month of Purtassi in South Africa. The prayer brings
forth a very clear message in this turbulent age. It is said some 7 or 9 days
before Ram Naumi, the villagers would commence their pilgrimage to Badrachalam
through the dense and vast forest populated with wild animals. They would light
the 'kola' lamp and sing the praises of Sri Rama and perform different dance
moves to deviate their minds from fear and impending danger. As they would go
from village to village, the number of devotees would increase and so would the
number of lamps lighting the way. On the day of Ram Naumi, they would
reach the temple of Badrachalam and offer their love and devotion to the Lord -
a sense of victory to their pilgrimage.
The lamp is a symbol of faith - as the devotees placed
their faith in the 'kola' in leading them through the rugged terrain and dark
forest, the 'kolas' placed before the 'bhajan-tree' and continuously fuelled to
remain burning, reminds us to have burning faith in God. Having faith so strong
that it reduces our 'karmas' to ashes in this birth like the
fuel. The circular motion highlights the life that we lead in this world:
the continuous cycle of birth and death; monotonous life of pain, suffering,
transient joy and happiness like a road leading to nowhere. However, if we want
to raise our lives and break free from this cycle, we must then make God the
centre of our lives. When the bhajan-tree (chetu) is placed in the centre of
the circular dancing movement, it takes on a new found appreciation and
meaning. In the same way, when we place God as the centre of our lives... the
mundane, boring cycle is given a new sense of excitement and energy. As
we continue to circle the ring with burning faith and devotion, we are lost in
His thoughts and name... the pains and sufferings of the world hold no
relevance to our lives.
We have seen how Prahalad who went through so much of
torture and pain -but immersed in the name of Hari, chanting Aum Namo
Narayanaya- passed through those obstacles like a hot knife through butter.
There is no shortcut or escape from the arms of 'karma'. The obituaries in the
newspapers are not only filled with Hindu names. Everybody will have to face
the brunt of their karmic action, but it can be eased through intense faith in
and devotion to God. That is the lesson we can take from this glorious heritage
that is handed down to us by our forefathers. "Face the brutes",
Swami Vivekananda was told by a Swami whilst He was being tormented by wild
monkeys.
In the same manner, we must have no fear for the challenges
of life; we must arm ourselves with intense faith, devotion and love that will
reduce the intensity of mandatory karmic action that we have to face.
May He who pervades the whole universe and worshipped as
Perumal in this month, bless us with unwavering faith and devotion to His lotus
feet.
With love and prayers always
Yogan
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