FEATURE ARTICLE by Dr. K. Thilagawathi

Why Kantha Sasthi is 7 days

By Dr. K.Thilagawathi, Chairman, Religious Advisory Committee, Malaysian Ceylon Saivaites Association

The thithi, sashti, is auspicious for Lord Muruhan

Amongst the auspicious days for Lord Muruhan, the sashti fast is significant. The days of Kantha Sashti Fast are more significant than the monthly sashti fast.

Amongst the days that occur between the pirathamai thithi and the sashti thithi (inclusive of both the thithis),on the bright side of the moon in the month of Aippasi (mid-October to mid-November), it is customary to observe complete fast and conduct the Soorasamhaaram on the day of sashti fast, and to conduct the paarana poojaa and thirukkalyaanam the next day. Pirathamai means ‘one’; sashti means ‘six’. The Kantha Sashti Fast generally lasts for six days. Nevertheless, it is history that this fast lasts for 5 days or 7 days during certain years (1). What is the reason for this controversy?


A day and a thithi are two different measurements of time

The moon is said to wax and wane in subsequent curved layers. The time span for each curved layer (kalai) is known as a thithi. The time span of a day is not identical with that of a thithi. A thithi generally commences in the midst of a day and ends in the midst of the following day. As an illustration, let us see the time spans of the thithis which occur during the days of the Kantha Sashti Fast in 2008.

Each of the six thithis prevail for more than 24 hours. The sadhurtthi thithi, which occurs for the longest time (26 hours 5 minutes) prevails for 2 days. Apart from this, there are times when a thithi prevails for less than 24 hours. For instance, during the month of Aippasi in the year, Sarvathaari, the panjami thithi and sashti thithi respectively last for 20 hours 39 minutes and 21 hours 39 minutes during the dark side of the moon. Hence, both these thithis are given as occurring on the same day, i.e., Sunday 19-10-2008.

Therefore it becomes clear that the Kantha Sashti Fast is observed for 7 days when one thithi occurs for 2 days, and for 5 days when 2 thithis occur on the same day.

The Kantha Sashti Fast of 2008

ü All panjaanggams concur on the date for the commencement of the Kantha Sashti fast. The day is Wednesday 29-10-2008. The thithi, pirathamai, spans for the entire day.

ü All panjaanggams indicate Tuesday 4-11-2008 as the day to observe the ‘sashti fast’(2).

ü Although the Kantha Sashti Fast generally comes to a completion after the Soora- samhaaram, its full completion takes effect, the next day when a devotee takes his/her full meal after the morning poojaa, which is usually called the paarana poojaa.

If Soorasamhaaram takes place on 3-11-2008, paarana poojaa will have to take place in the morning of the following day, i.e. 4-11-2008 followed by Thirukkalyaanam the same evening; but all panjaanggams have fixed 4-11-2008 for the sashti fast.

Religious scholars and authorities have said that those who are not able to observe the strict Kantha Sashti fast for the entire period of six days (5 or 7 days at times), may take a meal for the first five days (4 or 6 days at times) and observe the fast on the day of sashti thithi. If the Kantha Sashti fast is completed in the morning of the day, the sashti fast is to be observed, that will become an offense of not observing the fast completely.


CONCLUSION

Therefore, completing the sashti fast at night on 4-11-2008 (the day fixed for the sashti fast) and having the paarana poojaa in the morning of Wednesday 5-11-2008, will lend a thorough fulfilment to the fast. Consequently, the Soorasamhaaram will have to take place in the evening of the sashti fast (4-11-2008), so that the fast can be completed subsequent to the Soorasamhaaram.

EDITOR'S LOG

We’re ONLINE!

After a long absence, the Yuvan crew has finally made a comeback - with a face lift and a cyber frontier. My humble apologies for long miss – but with work, family and social commitments….well….need I say more?

From this edition onwards, I’ll be taking over from Rajiv while he pursues greener pastures. To Rajiv – hats off to a job eloquently well done! – and the Yuvan Crew wishes you all the very best in your future undertakings.

The ninth edition of the Yuvan features an informative article on the Kandha Sashti fast in 2008. This edition sheds some light on the diversity within the Hindu community, the thilak, the reason we ring the bell during prayer and more on the science of astrology. On the reflective side, the Yuvan muses on the pursuit of happiness and the meaning of prayer from a perspective…

Yuvan opens a new chapter in cyber space by launcing our very own blog page at http://yuvanonline.blogspot.com/. Please feel free to visit us and comment on the various columns. We look forward to your feedback.

PEN DOWN by Yalinee Tharmabalan

Do you know why are bells rung in temples during prayers? Firstly, the bell, known in Sanskrit as the

Ghanta/Ghanti is used in all poojas for invoking the Gods.

At first, I too was not sure as to why bells were rung in temples. Personally I had always felt that maybe it was because of the auspicious sound it produced. After doing much research, to my delight, I discovered that my opinion seemed to be right ! It seems that the ringing of the bell produces the sound of Om, the universal name of the Lord. There should be auspiciousness within and without, to gain the vision of the Lord who is all-auspiciousness.

In addition to that, an added significance of ringing the bell is that they help drown any in- harmonious and or rich tonal sound produced while singing the Aarti or even chanting traditional Mantras for worship.

The exquisitely etched grooves complement the slender and graceful lines of the bell. It has a special protective lacquer coating to prevent it from tarnishing. Prayers or Pooja of any kind on any occasion are incomplete without the joyous sounds and chanting of this fine Temple Bell.

“As we start the daily ritualistic worship, we ring the bell, chanting: Aagamaarthamtu devaanaam Gamanaarthamtu rakshasaam Kurve ghantaaravam tatra Devataahvaahna lakshanam. Meaning; I ring this bell indicating the invocation of divinity, So that virtuous and noble forces Enter (my home and heart); And the demonic and evil forces from within and without, depart.”

This would allow devotees to focus all their senses, making them acutely aware of themselves and the universe to which they belong to as this eliminates distracting sounds and helps the mind to concentrate on the object of worship.

Lastly, it is interesting to see how a mere bell plays such an important role to us Hindus while prayers are performed. I will however, get deeper into this subject and find out the significance of the other musical instruments that are used during prayers as well…once I have penned it down for the next issue! ■

ASTROLOGY IN HUMAN LIFE by Thinesh Silvaraju

Astrology is an elaborate system of knowledge and there are voluminous treatises containing very

intricate calculation based on the position of stars and planets and the inter-relation existing between them and the various phenomena

on earth including human life. Because of the evidence at hand, several scientists regard this branch of knowledge with reverence, although they cannot explain its rationale. Carl Jung, the renowned psychologist, was inspired to evolve his ideas on synchronicity from his serious studies of I Ching, a book on ancient Chinese astrology. As long as modern science has not reached a final conclusion about the nature of mind and matter, the scientific methodology or the conclusions of science cannot be taken to be the only means to acquire knowledge or as the final word.

The practice of astrology involves many years of intensive study like any of the professional courses of modern science. Some of the astrological observations, of course, go wrong; but errors happen in every sphere of human activity. Doctors often fail to diagnose correctly despite their intensive medical training. Let us think of those investigators who involved astrology as a system of knowledge.

No man of thought worth his salt would consider savants of yore like Varahamihira to be of lesser intellect; the difference is that they employed their intellects in different directions. Savants like Varahamihira earnestly sought to discover the holistic relations between man and nature and revealed what they found out with utmost humility, unlike some of the modern scientists who specialize in some particular field and tend to believe they are competent to pass judgement on everything. We also are often prone to consider a Nobel-prize winner in a particular subject to be omniscient.

NEW SCIENCE

There are indications that a new scientific thinking is also veering round the ancient perspective that the universe is both mental and material. The view of the ancient biologist Sir Julian Huxley that all the activities of the world-stuff are possibly accompanied by mental and material happenings and his preference to name the possible low intensity mental happenings in matter as 'psychotic' happenings is indication of this new line of scientific thinking.

The trends indicate that the emerging new science will be taking a more balanced view of the two aspects of Reality--mind and matter. Sri Roger Penrose, Professor of Mathematics at the

University of Oxford, revealed that what prompted him to write the book The Emperor's New Mind was the reaction against people making rather outrageous statements about the capacities of computers assuming all we were doing with our minds was computation. The emergence of the new science calls for a deeper comprehension of the nature of mind. In this context, the following observation of Sir Roger Penrose in the Interview assumes much significance: “Whatever that future science is--and we can point to the direction it may take --it will have quite a different character from the science of today. What we have today cannot come to terms with what mentality is."

In the evolution of this new science, the critical research of the ancient knowledge which gives much emphasis to the ancient knowledge which gives much emphasis to consciousness is likely to contribute a great deal for a better understanding about ourselves and the universe. If the teaching of astrology and allied subjects is conducted with a research orientation, it may indeed prove to be an advantageous 'leaps backwards' for humanity.

REVO’S CORNER by Kuhanesh Mahendra

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

What do you think about happiness? Happy living is nothing more than living a normal life free from undue pressures, problems and tensions. The Art of Happy Living is not a complicated kind of art difficult to learn rather a simple art of living well, eating well, thinking well and feeling well. Just tune up your mind to enjoy every moment of life and let the happiness follow you.

Happiness is purely an internal matter. It has nothing to do with your external circumstances. Most people do the fatal mistake of looking outwards for happiness rather than looking inwards. Only fools worry about the circumstances on which they have no control. Why worry if you cannot change the weather, rather enjoy it whether it’s hot, humid, cold, cloudy, foggy or snowy. Keep your internal weather pleasant all the time. Don’t allow external matters to take your smiles away.

The feeling of happiness is within you. There is something positive within you who keep you happy and there is something negative within you which keep you unhappy. If you want to live a happy life then get rid of the negative “something" which makes you unhappy. Negative approach always complicates the problems and increases unhappiness.

Happy living is the reward of positive thinking. Remember, only the positive thinking can bring happiness in your life. If you cannot think positively, you cannot live happily. Be your own coach and adviser. Look everything with a positive angle. Find something good even in most critical moments of your life. Make positive thinking the basis of your happy living.

Happiness is all around. It’s not far away from you. If you do not want to live happy, it’s up to you. It’s your own choice. Don’t blame others. Don’t blame your fate or external circumstances.

Developing the habit of thinking positively and having the right attitude comes from the people we choose to associate with, from the books we read, the things we listen to, and most of all, from our own choice to be happy. Even when we do not meet our goals, we give the best and we should be glad that we at least tried and put in our best efforts. Remember, there is always room for improvement and look forward in life. Your pursuit of happiness has already started! ■

MAGNIFY & AMPLIFY by Siva Priya

What exactly is prayer?

Prayer is an act of glorifying God, either by chanting His name or by singing His glory. Prayer is when we offer flowers and incense sticks and theeba arathi while ringing the holy bell. Prayer is when we press our palms together in humble recognition of how insignificant we are in front of God’s enormous creations. Prayer is when we close our eyes and meditate on the omnipresent presence we have all been thought to revere and respect. Prayer is when, head bent, we silently tell God our problems, hopes and state our gratitude.

Prayer is motivation.

Picture this. A student is determined to achieve straight A’s in his examination. After doing all the necessary studying and preparations, he spends a couple of minutes in a day telling God, while in prayer, to ‘help’ him achieve his goal. The student tells God, “Please help me achieve all A’s, Lord Muruga.” And he repeats this everyday. This goal becomes in-grained in his mind and he will eventually attain his goal. As the saying goes, the mind conceives the actions we do.

Now paint another picture. At the starting line, seconds before the gun is shot, there is silence. And the world class athlete tells herself, “I’m wearing the gold medal”. She’s motivating herself, but actually what she is subconsciously doing, is praying.

“The rite of a simple prayer was created to put our minds into a state of utter concentration“

When someone prays, that is, repeats his goals/ ambitions/ hopes in a state of utter concentration, it is believed that the positive vibrations created out of positive thought will travel to a future time and place when that goal should be achieved. Vibrations are energy and energy cannot be destroyed. When a prayer is repeated over and over again, the positive vibes will return to the person praying or who is being prayed for, infusing them with hope and determination, and thus making the goal or hope a reality.

That’s why when you pray for the well being of someone who is thousands of miles away, the prayer actually takes effect. The positive energy from your thoughts will travel to the intended destination.

The rite of a simple prayer was created to put our minds into a state of utter concentration. This is normally the best time to motivate yourself - some people call this meditation - but in reality again, meditation is also an act of repeating to yourself your goals and invoking positive energy to enter your being.

Prayer is also a reminder that we are not alone in this universe, and there’s a solution to every problem.

Here’s an extract from a story I once read. A man who seldom prayed was dying from cancer. The day before his death, the doctor sat at his bedside. The dying man knew he had little time left and he chose his words carefully, speaking in a hoarse whisper. He revealed to the doctor that recently he had begun to pray frequently. "What do you pray for?" the doctor asked gently. "I don't pray for anything, Doctor," he responded, "How would I know what to ask for?" The doctor was surprised. Surely this dying man could think of some request. "If prayer is not for asking, then what is it for?” the doctor asked him. "It isn't 'for' anything," the dying man said. "It reminds me I am not alone. And I find magnanimous strength in that thought alone." ■

SUGAR N SPICE by Devinia Dass

The tillak or pottu invokes a feeling of sanctity in the wearer and others. It is recognized as a religious mark. Its form and colour and can vary according to one’s caste, religious section or the form of the Lord worshipped.

In earlier times, the four castes, the Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vyaishya and Sudra, applied marks differently. The Brahmins applied a white candanam or sandalwood mark, as his profession was of a priestly or academic nature. The Kshatriya applied a red kumkum or vermillion mark signifying valour as he belonged to warrior races. The Vvaishyas wore a yellow kesar or turmeric mark signifying prosperity as he was a businessman or trader devoted to the creation of wealth. The Sudra applied a black bhasma or charcoal mark signifying service as he supported the work of the other three divisions.

Vishnu worshippers apply a sandalwood tillak in the shape of a ‘u’, Shiva worshippers a pattai (three rows of horizontal holy ash or vibuti), Devi worshippers a red dot of kumkum and so on.

The tillak covers the spot between the eyebrows, which is the seat of memory and thinking. It is known as the Aajna Chakra in the language of Yoga. The tillak is applied with the prayer - “May I remember the Lord, May this pious feeling pervade all my activities, May I be righteous in my deeds “. Even when we temporarily forget this prayerful attitude, the mark on our foreheads reminds us of our resolve. The tillak is thus a blessing of the Lord and a protection against wrong tendencies and forces.

The entire body emanates energy in the form of electromagnetic waves – mostly from the forehead and the subtle spot between the eyebrows. That is why worry generates heat and causes a headache. The tillak or pottu cools the forehead, protects us and prevents energy loss. This is why sometimes the entire forehead is covered with chandan or vibuti.

It should be noted that using plastic or reusable ‘sticker bindis’ is not very useful or beneficial, even though it serves the purpose of beautification.

ADHI SIDDHA by Sashi Vadivale

Unity in Diversity

During my school days, I often wondered why we Hindus had different beliefs amongst each other. In some cases one teaching contradicts with the other. The question that came to my mind was, “How come our religion is pluralistic while others are not?”

A closer study into other religions revealed to me that this was not true. The other major religions of the world are not sect-less. They have more than one belief on the nature of worship and the path of enlightenment. Let’s look at each major religion briefly.

Christianity – 3 major sects: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestants and other sects which bring a total of 33,830 major and minor denominations in Christianity.

Islam – 2 major sects, Sunnis, followers of Prophet Mohamed’s political successors and Shiites, followers of his family successors.

Buddhism - 3 major sects: Hinayana, practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma and Cambodia; Mahayana practiced mainly in China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea; Vajrayana practiced mainly in Tibet, Mongolia and Japan.

There are 4 major denominations in Hinduism; Saivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism and multiple sects. All these denominations have three beliefs in common which are the belief of karma and dharma, the belief in reincarnation and the belief of all-pervasiveness of God with the Vedas as the highest scriptural authority. Hindus all over the world are united in this.

Still, united as they are with the common beliefs, following multiple denominations in Hinduism can be confusing. I once asked a well known Guru about the diversity in our religion and how confusing it was, to which he replied, “It’s only confusing if you do not choose one denomination. A study of a little of Vaishnavism, a little of Saivism--that can be very confusing.”

Our point is that if someone is serious about studying Hinduism, there is a need to choose one of its denominations.