THE TEACHINGS OF AN UNKNOWN GURU - 9

Vagbhatananda Guru (1885 - 1939)

Conversations – 3

Krishna : Agreed. We take the meaning of Shivalinga as Shiva’s identification mark. Does it represent his whole body or any particular organ? Tell me its name.

Rama : No, I can’t.

However, I have a feeling that great men in history like Adi Sankaracharya would not have praised Shivalinga if it had obscene connotations.

Krishna : Adi Sankara  only introduced the ‘Shakteya’ in Shiva worship. Shakteya is sort of coitus with prostitutes, you know! Please read Vamatantra which details Shakteya. Ask any vaidik about the installation process. It is thoroughly obscene.  I am restraining myself to tell it in the open. What’s more, if you understand the idea behind seeveli with the thidamb atop an elephant during the festival season of Shiva temples, you’ll be amazed. The same bunch of bhakts are spreading the bed for Shiva and Parvati to sleep together. People with distorted mindset start up a ritual with vulgar undertones and even the learned men follow them.   If anybody tries to question them, they are resisted tooth and nail. Take the instance of Lingapooja performed by child-seeking women in Shiva-temples of North India. The act is lewd and explicit.

Rama : Yes you’re right. Right here in Kerala, we have the Kodungalloor Bharani where we slit the rooster as an offering to the deity, get piss-drunk and call Her bad names!  Your bhakti stands upside down! The songs that you sing in praise of the Bhagavati are utmost vulgar. Do you think these mad rituals   have any place in the Hindu religion? I am with you that the so-called customs lessen our standing among other religions earning only ridicule.

Krishna :  My friend ! Please note that the bewildering rituals that we talked about are not a part of our religion. They are not prescribed anywhere. For example, I shall explain the history of Kodungalloor.  A king named Kudakan ruled the place and his Ooru eventually became Kudakannoor. Over the passage of time,  evolving to Kodungalloor!  Kudakan was a Buddhist and he built a monastery exclusively for ladies. He had a sister named Pathini and she was entrusted with the propagation of ideals like Ahimsa, teetotalism, pativrutya etc. in his dominion. It went on well till Pathini expired and the grief-stricken Kudakan installed a massive statue in her remembrance which eventually became the Bhagavathi of Kodungalloor. Even after the passage of Pathini, the monastery went ahead under the leadership of other female-prefects. However, the hard-liners of the Hindu religion had other ideas in mind and they directed their ire towards the hapless lady-monks. They carried out animal sacrifice in front of them, took booze and unleashed a litany of unspeakable words. They wanted to scare away the Buddhist monks. As time went by, this shameless act of hate became yet another ritual!

Sayed Haider Raza - St.Fargeau - 1957

People are fools, it seems! Think of that lunatic who used to freak out by Badagara road begging around for food. He was a Tamilian who couldn’t communicate with the Malayalees and kept aloof mostly. Some folks mistook him for a Siddha and started approaching him for prosperity as well as faith-healing. He used to beat them!

Rama : I remember him. He died sometime back after eating lime-stone powder for food.

Krishna : Exactly. He was elevated as a god-man after his death. A temple too was built! You can see a vast crowd worshipping and doing poojas in front of his portrait every day. People are busy composing bhajans in his honour!

Rama : That may be right. You still have to agree with me that temples are a must. The devotees cannot conceptualize God without any form. They can’t imagine anything abstract.

Krishna : Okay! Still, your reasoning cannot justify retrogressive rituals going on in temples even young lads are subjected to various kinds of torture.  The tongue is pierced, the torso is hanged on hooks and what not! At Palani, there is an offering to the deity using prostitutes. A pair of foot-wear is kept outside the sanctum-sanctorum after athazha-pooja for the exclusive use of the Lord! Simultaneously three to four prostitutes are kept ready and they are waiting for Him! What sort of ritual is this?

You should have the guts to call a spade a spade.

                                                            Source – The Selected Works of Vagbhatananda

                                                            Published by Mathrubhumi Books (pages 464 – 488)

                                                            Originally published in 1930

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