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The Goal and the Guide
By Bombai Srinivasan
Petal 6
The child,
who is getting used to sleep inside the cradle, always demands and
gets the cozy comforts. Unless you put it inside the cradle, and
swing it gently with lullaby songs, it will not sleep. From the 28th
day of its arrival in the world, it goes on enjoying this luxury.
As it grows,
the child tries to roll over. It also tries to raise its body
keeping the weight on his palms and knees. This is an indication
that he wants to feel the floor. So the mother allows putting him
on the floor when he is not sleeping. The parents with awe and
wonder watch the crawling of the child on the floor. And
ultimately the child starts moving on its knees.
In the old
houses the doors will have frames on all four sides. The two side
ones, one at the top and, on the floor at the bottom too. The
bottom frame will be about 6” to one-foot height. The child moving
along the house, tries to climb up and cross over this step. The
day, on which the child successfully accomplishes this crossing
over to the other room, all by itself, is an important day. It is
celebrations again, and brings lot of joy in the house. On
auspicious time, the child is given traditional bath, draped on a
piece of silk cloth. The children, many of them, from the
neighborhood are invited. The child is made to sit on the wooden
step. The mother pours on its head some sweet balls, made of rice
flour and jaggery. Coins of all denominations are also
liberally added to this. The children brought from the neighboring
homes are allowed to pick up the sweet balls and coins. While the
children are busy picking up the sweets and coins, the elder
ladies will be singing lot of folk songs to fill the air with an
atmosphere of joy and happiness.
The child is
slowly trying to get out of dependence on liquid food. While
crawling on the floor, it tries to pick up any small miscellaneous
items on the floor, and tries to bring to its mouth. It even tries
to bite the toys with which it plays. This is an indication for
starting to put the child on solid diet. The day on which the
solid food is given for the first time is also a celebration
backed up with religious rituals. This ritual is called the “ANNA
PRASANAM”. After certain ceremonies, the father keeps the child
on his laps. A plantain leaf is spread in front of him. All the
ingredients of a feast are served on this leaf. The most important
item that day is “Paayasam” (kheer) cooked of rice, milk
and sugar. As the priest chants some mantras, the father first
feeds this child, with payasam with his finger tips. Then
the mother feeds the child, followed by the other elder members of
the family and invitees.
During the
last Divine visit of Swami to Chennai, I noticed a mother sitting
on the lines with the baby on her laps and holding a small silver
plate covered by another plate. As Swami approached her, the lid
was removed and the plate was held out to Swami. Swami bent down,
took some “Payasam” out of the plate, using his fingers
Swami fed that lucky child! Mother Sai was performing the
traditional “Anna Prasanam”!!
I do not
remember any of these things happening to me. However, I can
vividly remember such celebrations happening to my younger
sisters.
The child
grows bringing immense joy in the home. The next important day for
the child is its first birthday. Every event is based on spiritual
rituals. No singing of “happy birthday to you!!!” or cutting the
cakes etc. In all our spiritual events we light up lamps, and we
feel that it is inauspicious if the lamp goes out in between the
functions. But now a days, we find that candle is allowed to be
blown out by the celebrate. I feel that while we adopt the modern
way of celebrations, we should avoid the blowing out flame of the
candle. The candle could still burn while a side of the cake is
cut out. It is only my humble suggestion.
Recently the
77th Birthday celebrations of Bhagavan Baba were
telecast in the local satellite network. We could see, that cakes
of various designs, and sizes had been brought in the Sai Kulwant
Hall, by the schools children, the college boys, Ananthapur
college girls, Hospital staff, Ashram Staff and others. Swami goes
around the various locations one by one, and cuts each cake giving
immense joy to those who had brought those cakes. But we can
never see anywhere, Swami blowing out any candle!! I feel very
strongly that at least, we the devotees of Bhagavan should refrain
from blowing out candle on the auspicious occasions like Birthday
to any member in our families. This message should go around and
devotees should become aware of the sacredness of such functions.
Anyway, let
us come back to our topic. On this first birthday of the child, a
big festival is arranged, inviting all the relatives and dear
ones. The child is given bath, attired on a silk cloth, and taken
to the village temple in a procession. There will be ‘Nathaswaram”
(piped music) preceding the procession. After offering archana
to the temple deity, the child is taken around the village. As the
procession stops in front of each doorsteps of the village, the
ladies from that house comes out, offers fruits to the child, and
waive plate containing the turmeric mixed water, to ward off evil
eye on the child. After going around the village the child is
taken inside their own home. But before entering the home, the
mother of the child now waives the turmeric mixed water, and also
a coconut having a burning camphor either in the center of the
plate or on the top of the coconut.
Inside the
home several religious rituals are programmed. The main event is
the “Homam” called the Ayushya Homam”.
“Ayush” means the life-span. Ayur Devatha is the deity of
life. Havans are offered to this deity through Agni
Bhagavan. This Homam was performed on each birth day in
earlier periods. But now-a-days this is done only on the first
year of birth, and then the modern functions of “Happy Birthday to
you” songs cake cutting etc. are happening. If we offer oblations
to Ayur devatha, the child could enjoy a long life with
health and prosperity. But now-a-days, who cares! Before the child
starts growing, it is fitted with spectacles, and other utility
supports. The child becomes a frequent visitor to the hospitals
from the young age. And as it grows, the incumbent lives a life
with medical support. If only we could follow the wisdom of our
fore fathers, such situations would not have developed at all!
Petal 1 -
Petal 2 -
Petal 3 - Petal 4 -
Petal 5 -
Petal 6 - Petal 7
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