Thanks to Sri Varagooran mama for the FB share….
Source: ஜூன் 08,2016,தினமலர்
காஞ்சிப்பெரியவரைத் தரிசிக்க திருவண்ணாமலையில் இருந்து ஒரு புரோகிதர் மாதம் தவறாமல் வந்து விடுவார். ஒருமுறை அவர் பெரியவரைத் தரிசிக்க வரிசையில் காத்து நின்றார். அப்போது பெரியவர் தன் சீடரை அழைத்து, “அந்த திருவண்ணாமலை புரோகிதரை வெளியே போகச் சொல்,” என்றார்.
சீடருக்கு காரணம் புரியவில்லை. அவர் தகவலை புரோகிதரிடம் சொல்ல அதிர்ந்து போன அவர், தயங்கியபடியே வெளியேறி, ஆனால் மடத்து வாசலில் நின்று கொண்டே இருந்தார். விஷயம் பெரியவர் கவனத்துக்கு வரவே சீடரை அழைத்து, “அவன் ஊரிலிருந்து கிளம்பும்போது, ஒரு வீட்டில் இருந்து வந்தவர்கள் தங்கள் வீட்டில் ஒரு இறப்பு நிகழ்ந்து விட்டதாகக் கூறினர். காரியங்கள் செய்வதற்கு அழைத்தனர். அவனோ அதைச் செய்யாமல் மறுத்து விட்டு மடத்துக்கு போவதாக சொல்லி வந்து விட்டான். அவனை உடனே ஊருக்குப் போய் அந்தக் காரியங்களை உரிய நாட்களுக்குள் முடித்துக் கொடுத்து, ‘சுபநிகழ்வு’ முடிந்த பின் தரிசனத்துக்கு வர வேண்டும் என சொல்லி விடு,” என்றார்.
இதை சீடர் அவரிடம் போய் சொல்லவே, ஊரில் நடந்த விஷயம் இந்த மகானுக்கு எப்படி தெரிந்தது என்று ஆச்சரியப்பட்டார் புரோகிதர்.
பெரியவரின் உத்தரவுப்படி ஊருக்குப் போய், நடந்ததை அவர்களிடம் சொல்லி, அந்த குடும்பத்திற்கு தேவையானதை செய்து முடித்த பிறகு ஒருநாள் மடத்துக்கு வந்தார்.
அவரை அழைத்த பெரியவர், “சுபகாரியங்களைக் கூட நீ மறுக்கலாம். ஆனால் இதுபோன்ற துக்க நிகழ்வுகளுக்கு வரமாட்டேன் என புரோகிதரான நீ மறுக்கக்கூடாது. மேலும் இந்நிகழ்வுகளுக்கு சம்பாவனையும் (பணம்) கேட்கக்கூடாது. அவர்கள் கொடுப்பதை வாங்கிக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். அப்படி வாங்கியதிலும் ஒரு பகுதியை சிவன் கோவிலில் தீபம் ஏற்றும் செலவுக்கு கொடுக்க வேண்டும். அப்போது தான் நீ படித்த வேதங்களுக்கு மரியாதை,” என அறிவுரை கூறி பிரசாதம் கொடுத்து அனுப்பி வைத்தார்.
புரோகிதர்கள் இனி துக்க நிகழ்வுகளை மறுக்கமாட்டீர்கள் தானே!
Categories: Devotee Experiences
Bheemacharya Varakhedakar, Pandharpur-413304
July 20, 2017; 9.26 A.M.
Yajaman may offer according to his ability in his Dahrmic ceremany and Purohit also may accept the same and guide/assist him accordingly. It cannot be expected and acted also practically that anyone may give his time and knowledge to everybody as wished, notwithstanding anything required for maintenance of himself, his family and his other activities with recovery of the money etc. used in obtaining such knowledge, etc. It is his personal right and no one can, nonetheless no one may, not interfere it. Totally it is a matter of his profession. Even such profession lowers his dignity though not prohibited by the Shastras, law and practice. It is a right of Yajamana that Brahmin of which conduct is to be called for which ceremony. Matter of continuation of Dharmacharan depends on both sides.
Reply
Sri Bheemacharya Balacharya Varakhedakar garu
You mentioned that it’s his (Purohit) personal right; recovery of money; and it is a matter of profession. How sad!
You consider it a ‘profession’ when it is a great ‘service’. A learned Purohit (I mean properly learned) will never think like you. A Purohit who is a beliver of our Dharmic responsibilities will never think it as personal right to demand huge money even from poor and middle class people. A perfect Purohit will never SELL his knowledge for mere money and other articles. It is a matter of service rather than profession sir.
When Yajamana could not affort to pay that much money what is asked by the Purohit, will Purohit refuse to perform the Apara Karya? Or according to the money offered and agreed upon, will he perform lesser Mantras in the Apara Karya? Is it like ‘jitna petrol daloge utna hi door gaadi jaayegi, jitna paisa doge utna hi mantar padhenge’.
Either you change your mindeset towards Dharmic Dharmas or better find another job if you are a practcing Purohit.
One point you mentioned was absolutely right, i.e., Dharmacharan depends on both sides. Very true. We must pay the Purohits generously, provided we are wealthy and God gave us enough money. At the same time A Dharmic Purohit should never seek or demand money for such activities, it’s a SIN actually.
Balaji, You are absolutely right.
Thanks to the money-mongering priests (they have packages for apara-karyams nowadays) common folks are slowly moving away from the Vaideeka Dharma.
In major cities of West and North, I saw several organizations who help perform these funerals services, (with less hassles and lesser cost) but to what extent its authentic vaidika karma, I am not sure.
Can atleast the vaideekas owing allegiance to Maha Periyava.show us the way in this ?
This is a blog where one has to write anything with great responsibility. It is really distressing to write about unpleasant developments. We should not be spreading disaffection, but times are such that unsavoury things have to be shared, though we are reluctant to do it !
I have known several Sastrigals who were models. 36 years ago, Kanchi Mutt sent a young Sastrigal to Ahmedabad as that city lacked a qualified one. I had to perform monthly obsequies of my father. The Sastrigal came and conducted it; He refused to name his dakshina; saying ” we should not demand anything for such things; you may give whatever you feel appropriate.” When I offered a sum, he refused to take it, saying it was too much and he should not accept it even if offered. On his own he took a smaller sum. Fifteen years later, I heard from friends that he was demanding a high, fixed sum for apara karyam,no matter the status of the party!
While in Bombay an astrologer had prescribed some pujas to be performed weekly for a year as parihara for some dosha. I wanted to learn it properly from a Sastrigal and approached a senior one in the Dadar area.I requested him to come home for a few weeks and teach me properly. He patiently explained to me that there was no end to the details and elaborations of such pujas, as he could always cite many sastras in support of anything. As a householder, it was important to have Sraddha and perform the puja with due solemnity and purity of mind and materials. Simple ashtotra and pushparchana were sufficient. He taught me the dhyana sloka of the deity which was not in any standard book. He said Puja always depended on bhakti and the reward would be commensurate with the devotion. He refused to accept any fee.
15 years ago, I came across a senior Sastrigal in Bangalore who declined to name a fixed fee for performing annual ceremony. When a sum was offered, he felt it was too much as he had only conducted hiranyasraddham! Yet this man’s son demanded and got Rs.1 lakh as dakshina for conducting an Upanayanam recently! But it is also a fact that the IT hype has led to savage increase in rent and all costs and expenses. Those who are not in the IT circle feel it all the more!
What can we say, except that it is all due to the corrupting influence of Time?It is like what Duryodhana said in the Mahabharata: he knew what was right, but he could not do it;. he knew what was wrong, but he could not refrain from doing it! With the displacement from ‘native’ places, and growing anonymity in the cities and towns, the concept of family priest and consequent mutual regard have disappeared.Every ceremony is like a stand-alone transaction. It is much the same in respect of the ‘family’ doctor too! Fence eating the crop? But are we householders above blame?. How much we spend for non-religious aspects of functions like marriage- expensive halls,video shooting, reception, orchestra, etc?
But apara karyam is different. The priests ought to be sensitive and considerate, of their own accord. Since this started with some priest from Tiruvannamalai visiting Mahapeiyava, let me cite one instance relating to the same place. When my mother passed away in Tiruvannamalai some years ago, there was no local priest available. We had to bring them from Vellore. First day, the senior priest himself came and on other days, he sent his sishyas- who were competent young persons. They told me that preta samskaram and apara karyam were very important but not many youngsters were interested in mastering this portion. The shortage of competent priests may be one reason why some demand huge fees! Any way it is an encouraging sign that some young priests are realising the importance. Overall, such things show to what extent the Brahmin community has declined over time.
Sri Nanjappa Garu, I fully agree with your thoughts and experiences shared here. This is exactly what some of the visitors expressed their dismay here. Out of these, one thing what I personally felt is, over a period of time, people who are in a huge responsibility of conducting Dharmic Shastras, definitely declining from their pious duty and irking the people who are very religiously performing their Dharmic responsibilities for their ancestors . If the scenario continues like this, I am afraid whether the people who wanted to perform such Karmas for ancestors would continue to do it in future. May be, the impact of Kaliyuga worsens slowly year after year. Let Maha Periva be in the minds of these Pandits and bring the change in them. What else we can expect?
It is very true about the Purohits demanding a tremendous amount of money esp in the USA and some of these people are day light robbers and do not care about the issues at hand.
A Lesson for everybody concerned! Maha Periyava ThiruvadigaLe CharaNam! Hara Hara Shankara, Jaya Jaya Shankara!
I am at a great loss to read this post about the advice from Mahaperiavah on performing the Apara Karyam.When it is the advice to the Karthas about performong the apara karyams without fail it is being followed faithfully more so because it comes froma great Mahan. But the purohits who are authorised to do this for the karthas demand the highest charges for even the first day Pretha Samskaram and it is practically a blackmail since the body has to be disposed. Later for the subsequent 13 day obligations these purohits have made a bar code arrangement according to the paying capacity of the karthas even though the ordained performance is the same.
To the extent Mahaperiavah has influenced the common men the so called VEDAVITHUS have not set good models by following the advice from Mahaperiavah. There should be a regulatory authority for the performance of the APARAKARYAMS….
yes, it is true. All these so called vedavithus(half boiled ones) claims and demands in several thousands and even who are affordable, charging in lakhs from them for these Aparakaryams. They are not showing any books or paying INCOME TAX. IT Department should zero in on medium to top level Purohits in all cities and bring them to books. Our Honourable PM Shri Modi taking on Black Money. The real black money is with these so called purohits only. First root out these purohits from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu, which wore the brunt of these people, Sorry to say and write like this.
In these days the priests charge exhorbitant rates for conducting APARA KARYAM. I don’t think anybody follows Periyava’s advise. It is a pity.
A solid hit by whip to all those behave beyond their Prohit Dharmic responsibilities. I had seen and faced such experiences!
Mahaperiava is Deivam. All purohitars should should follow Deivathin aanai. Hara Hara Shankara Jaya Jaya Shankara.