Who is a Brahmin ?

जन्मना जायते शूद्रः संस्कारात् द्विज उच्यते वेदाभ्यासो विप्रः ब्रह्मा जानाति ब्राह्मणः। 

By birth everyone is shudra, you become twice born only after following the necessary samskarams, learning makes you an intelligent person and by knowing the Brahman makes  you a Brahmin.  

Many times often we confuse ourselves about being a brahmin. Some of us would have studied எங்கே பிராமணன் by Cho. The outcome of the novel is most appropriate. 99% of us fall under the category of vaishya. Earning and protecting the money is what every one of us do. Hence we may say that we are brahmins but are we a brahmin ?

 Some of us will question about yuga dharma. In this  Kali Yuga following certain dharmic activities is really tough. Hence most of us end up in pushing ourselves between  to follow or not to follow confusions and eventually arrive at a stage of accepting or pacifying what we are doing is right. 

அந்தணர் என்போர் அறவோர்மற் றெவ்வுயிர்க்கும்

செந்தண்மை பூண்டொழுக லான்.

It is the first character of being a Brahmin. This thirukkural says that a brahmin must treat every life as his own and should think of the welfare of every life.

Some times some of us have unwanted pride of being a brahmin without a little of effort of trying to become a brahmin.

In most cases we are like asafoetida box...it may not have asafoetida yet it will carry it smell. Over a period of time it will lose its smell. We are in that transition.

Every great acharya irrespective of the caste they were born can be called as Brahman...Vyasa, Valmiki, Sathyakama Jabali...etc. this is applicable to some of the azhwars and nayanmars. I have purposefully chose some of these rishis and Acharyas because they are not brahmin by birth... but they ultimately became a brahmin.

Hence it is possible for everyone to become a brahmin..let the almighty and guru bless us to become a Brahmin.

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सम्हारम् / ஸம்ஹாரம்

சம்ஹாரம்/संंहारम् can it be translated into simply destruction or destroying ? Shankara's one of the form Rudra/रुद्रः, this form is normally described as lord of destruction. 

In Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says -

रुद्राणां शङ्करश्चास्मि वित्तेशो यक्षरक्षसाम्।

वसूनां पावकश्चास्मि मेरुः शिखरिणामहम्।।10.23।।

10.23 Of eleven Rudras I am Sankara. Of Yaksas and Raksasas I am Kubera, son of Visravas. Among the eight Vasus I am Agni. Of mountains, namely, of those mountains which shine with peaks, I am Meru.

Whether krishna wants to tell everyone I am the lord of destruction ?  No I believe.

Shiva's another name is also called as हरः or ஹரன், means one who can remove or take away or ஆட்கொள்வது !!!

I believe that Rudra is one who can remove or take us away from the cycle of birth and rebirth. 

Mahavishnu's dwarapalakas Jaya and Vijaya took the form of Hiranyakshaka & Hiranyakashipu in Krita Yuga, Ravana & Kumbakarna in Treta Yuga, Dantavakra & Sishupala in Dwapara Yuga. Mahavishnu  did  Samharam of these people when he took Varaha, Narasimha, Rama and Krishna avatars. Essentially he took them back.

Like this Soora Padma Samharam by Balasubramania. After the Samharam Lord Kartikeya took Soora Padma in the form of Peacock and cock later. Peacock became his vahana and cock in his flag (சேவல் கொடி).

Not only Shiva or Mahavishnu or any deity in this Sanatana Dharma will certainly bless us in the path of pure eternal bless i.e. escaping out of the cycle of birth and rebirth. Hence let us pray that almighty takes us back.

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Duties of God ?

Responsibilities of God, we all taught as सृष्टि स्थिति संहारः - creation protecting and samharam. But it is much beyond that, they are படைத்தல் காத்தல் அழித்தல் மறைத்தல் மற்றும் அருளல். In Lalitha Sahasranamam it is mentioned as -

सृष्टिकर्त्री ब्रह्मरूपा गोप्त्री गोविन्दरूपिणी ॥ 

The mother goddess is in the form of Brahma and creates...she is Govinda and protects...

संहारिणी रुद्ररूपा तिरोधान-करीश्वरी ।

She is in the form of Rudra performs samharam and is our Eashwara who is responsible for hiding (making us to forget) certain things from us. 

सदाशिवाऽनुग्रहदा पञ्चकृत्य -परायणा ॥ 

She is also our Sadashiva who gives us anugraha or blesses us. Blessings are different from protection. These are her 5 duties.

Shiva also has 5 faces -ईशान तत्पुरुष वामदेव अघोर सद्योजात  - Ishana Tatpurusha Vamdeva, Aghora, Sadyojata. They are representations of the five actions described earlier. 

Veda Mata Gayathri too has 5 faces. Gayathri's picture is one of my favourite.

Lord Subrahmanya has 6 faces - additional face is named as antharmukam अन्तर्मुखः - Pure consciousness- Representation of Union of Jeeva Brahma Tatvam...

But Lord Krishna when displayed the Vishwaroopa Darshana depicts with thousands of heads, this indicates that because of our limitation in knowledge we have limited the duties God/Paramatma but in reality it is much beyond that.

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Greatness of Gayathri Mantra !!

गायन्तं त्रायते इति गायत्री।  It protects those who recites it. गायत्री छन्दसां माता । Gayathri mantra is the mother of four Vedas. Gayathri mantra is simplest yet extremely powerful. It is the essence of Veda. 

Gayathri mantra forms the core of Pranayama. Vishwamitra Maharishi attained the status of Brahma Rishi after reciting/uttering Gayathri mantra innumerable number of times. Vishwamitra Maharishi taught Bala AtiBala mantra to Shri Ram and Lakshman in which also Gayathri mantra forms the core.Inspite of philospical differences like Advaita, Dwaita, Vishishtadwaita, Shaiva, Shaakta, Koumara, Ganapatya, Soura or any belief systems Acharyas from the respective belief systems have always valued the greatness of this Mantra. This can be understood from the fact that Nitya karma anushtana for any belief systems Gayathri japam exists for everyone. Further people in Akanda Bharat irrespective of the geographical location have recited the same Gayathri Mantra. Also Gayathri mantra is so neutral in nature any god whom you like or whom you would like to pray can be thought and recited.

ॐ भूर् भुवः सुवः ।तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यंभर्गो॑ देवस्यधीमहि ।धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

There are many interpretations of Gayathri mantra available and may be referred. Simplest of all translation is by Swami Vivekananda "We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may He enlighten our minds".

Gayathri Mantra can be recited by anyone irrespective of caste creed nationality and sex. In this time of Corona fever crisis let us all pray to the almighty for the welfare of man kind by reciting Gayathri mantra every day atleast 108 times. 

बृहत्साम तथा साम्नां गायत्री छन्दसामहम् |

मासानां मार्गशीर्षोऽहमृतूनां कुसुमाकर: ||  Chapter 10 verse 35, Bhagavad Gita. 

 

Meaning - Amongst the hymns in the Sāma Veda know me to be the Brihatsama; amongst poetic meters I am the Gayatri. Of the twelve months of the Hindu calendar I am Margsheersh, and of seasons I am spring, which brings forth flowers.

Normally Mantra upasana should be taken from a Guru. But in these difficult times finding a Guru is difficult. Hence let us meditate upon the Parama Guru  who is the form of Brahma Vishnu and Shiva and embodiment of Gnana (Wisdom) to bless us. 

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