Yaksha Prashnam Questions 80 - 84

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2013/03/yaksha-prashnam-questions-76-79.html

What is considered to be direction? What is water? What is food, poison? When is the best time to perform Shraddham?

What is considered to be direction?

The way indicated by Sat is known as direction.  Wherever a Sat person is found that direction is considered to be good direction; Sat is the name given to a person who has realized God. Sat is not a person who just believes in God but the name Sat is conferred upon those who realize God as the only saviour, full of compassion and as the means as well as the end. Usually Acharyans are considered to be sat since they show us the way to reach God. While prostrating before them to offer our obeisance we need not check to see if the direction they are facing is good/bad. Any direction they face is considered to be good. The prayer room in our homes can be located facing any direction since Lord Vishnu will face all direction. But, while bathing in a river a person must face the water flow but in stagnant water bodies a person must either face North or East direction. A person can eat facing any of the four cardinal directions; but a person must not eat while facing the intercardinal directions (NE, NW, SE, SW).

A person who has the thirst to reach Lord Vishnu suffers like a person who has been blindfolded and left alone in a forest. If a person was blindfolded and their hands tied by some kidnappers that person is incapable of effecting escape. If the kidnappers abandon the person in the middle of a dense forest the person will cry for help hoping that someone will come to his/her aid. Eventually a passerby might notice the abandoned prisoner and remove the blind fold and untie the bonds. The passerby will then show the prisoner the path to exit the forest.  The prisoner will not be able to grasp the complete direction but will remember only the initial path. The prisoner will then traverse this initial path and at every village will verify by asking the villagers if he/she is on the right path. Eventually the path will lead to the major city the prisoner wanted to reach. Similarly we are lost in this forest of samsara. If we cry for help, we might attract the attention of an Acharyan who will show us the right path to exit the forest. Once on the right path we must keep checking that we are on the right path by listening to religious discourses to ensure that we do not stray away from it. If we follow this procedure we will eventually reach God. Hence, the way shown by a sadacharyan is the correct direction.

What is water?

Yudhishtirar answered that the sky is water. The Yakshan asked Yudhishtirar, ‘what is udagam?’ Udagam refers to the water offered as oblation to Pitris. Yudhishtirar’s answer could be explained as Udagam is water or as water is water. Tarpanam is performed by adding black sesame seeds to water offered as oblation. If black sesame seeds are not available, tarpanam could be performed with plain water. Keeping this in mind, Yudhishtirar answered that water is water.

His original answer that sky is water indicates the sky as the best source of water. A gardener looks forward for rainy weather. Plants do well when it rains. Even if we pour the same amount of water using a garden hose, plants spring to life only when it rains. Hence, the sky is considered to be the best source of water as it carries the rain bearing clouds.

The Vedic manthram recited by the groom during wedding declares that if he the groom is the sky then the bride is the Earth.  The purport of this manthram is to show that the Earth is very happy when rain waters fall on her. The sky is perceived to shower love and affection in the form of rain on the Earth. Similarly the groom promises to shower love and affection on his bride.

What is food?

Yudhishtirar answered that a cow is the best food. By cow he did not mean beef. Only the food items which are the source of all essential nutrients are considered to be good food. A cow gives us milk which supplies us with all the essential nutrients and replaces mother’s milk. Thus a cow is the best food. The Yakshan asked, ‘which is the best annam?’ Annam in Sanskrit means that which is qualified to be eaten. Only food which is offered to Lord Vishnu is qualified to be eaten. The Sanskrit word “Gau” means cow as well as good word. Only food which is offered with love without any expectations in return from the eater is considered to be good food. Food must be served with maternal affection; only food served with affection after offering to Lord Vishnu is considered to be good food.

What is poison?

Taking items which belong to a Brahmin is poison. In the story of Lord Garuda, as soon as Lord Garuda incarnated as Vinata’s son he was feeling very hungry. He requested his mother to direct him towards his natural food source. After consulting with his father Sage Kashyapa, Vinata directed Garudan to feed on a tribe of hunters who resorted to immoral activities. She instructed him that at any time if he felt a burning sensation in his throat upon swallowing anyone, he must recognize that person as a Brahmin and must release the Brahmin. According to his mother’s instruction, Garudan started to consume the tribe members. All of a sudden he felt a strong burning sensation in his throat. Recalling his mother’s words, he realized that he had swallowed a Brahmin. He called out to the Brahmin and asked him to come out. The Brahmin replied that he would come out only if Garudan permitted the Brahmin’s wife who belonged to the tribe of huntsmen was also granted freedom. Garudan agreed to the Brahmin’s request and freed the couple. Thus taking the things that belongs to a Brahmin is poison. During Yagams and Shraddhams the dakshina set aside for a Brahmin must be given to them. A part of the dakshina must not be skimmed by the host as it is a poison which will destroy the host’s entire clan.

When is the best time to perform Shradham?

Shradham should be performed only after the land is warmed up by the Sun. This is usually in the afternoon. This is the only time when the pitris feel hungry and will accept food offered as oblation. They also like hot food hence food should not have gone cold because it was cooked very early. Hence, rites like tarpanam, Shradham etc., which are done for the pitris should not be performed in the morning. Afternoon is called as “kuthapa kalam” in Sanskrit but Yudhishtirar answered the Yakshan as Brahmana kalaha.  Brahmana kalam refers to a special Shradham performed when the host of the Shradham meets a learned Brahmin. The host on seeing a learned Brahmin wishes to perform Shradham even though it is not the tithi to perform Shradham for his ancestors. To indicate this Special shradham as the best Shradham Yudhishtira answered Brahma Kalaha.

Continued On: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2013/03/yaksha-prashnam-questions-85-88.html

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Based on, Yaksha Prashnam - A discourse in Tamil by Sri U.Ve. Karunakaran Swamy
(Any errors or inconsistencies in the following series are due to the mistakes I made while taking notes. ) 

Copies of the CDs can be obtained from Sri Karunakaran Swami’s website http://www.nadadoor.org/ . This series is for the benefit of people who do not understand Tamil. Those of you who understand Tamil very well must definitely obtain a copy of Swami’s Upanyasam. You can do so by contacting Nadadoor.org. Swami also renders discourses in English but I am not sure if Yaksha Prashnam discourse is available in English.  The experience of listening to Swami’s upanyasams could never be obtained by reading the following series. I have done my best to take notes with due diligence. I apologize for any errors that I have made while writing this series.