vedabhASya - Vedic Studies

Sumangali Prarthanai - A discriminatory ritual ?  I In the South Indian Brahmins, there's a custom, peculiar to them called 'Sumangali Prarthanai'.  This is not described in any Grhya Sutras, nor followed in the Brahmin communities in the North. As such this is a 'laukika' ceremony and not a veda sastric ceremony. Laukika means worldly or ordinary life. Like the several laukika rituals in a marriage, this is a ceremony by the Sumangalis, for the Sumangalis and of the Sumangalis, that emerged out of day to day life needs. Sumangali means those women whose husbands are (supposed to be) alive. As it stands today, it seems a discriminatory ritual, excluding women who lost their husbands. The underlying message of this ceremony seems to be like women who die before their husbands die, alone or gifted and blessed. Also women who participate in this ritual seek that boon of dying before their husbands die.   Sumangali Prarthanai - Not in saastras or sutras In-spite of all ...

 In Andal's  thiruppaavai pasuram 17,18,19 there's a great psychology.  How do we wake up Krishna..?  First Andal wakes him up through the mother and brother (from whom Krishna was born and with whom he played together). Then Andal wakes him up through his girlfriend.  The pasuram 18, calling nappinnai as nadagopan's marumagal (which meant sister's daughter), where krishna is referred to as her 'maithunan' (which means mama paiyan in those days) depicts nappinnai as his girlfriend, not yet married.  Then comes the pasuram 19 which talks about krishna sleeping with nappinnai .  Now Andal is waking up krishna through this wife. Krishna is the govinda, the Adi Purusha, the avyaya puruSa sAski, the eternal witness, inside all.  Body is like the cart. Mind is the horse. Our self is the driver. If our self becomes one with cart or horse, vehicle runs amok. Our self has to detach from body and mind and witness them to control them. This witness is the ma...