Saivism and Saiva Siddhanta – A Historical Perspective – International Interdisciplinary Conference – Third and Fourth days proceedings and Valedictory function [3]

Saivism and Saiva Siddhanta – A Historical Perspective – International Interdisciplinary Conference – Third and Fourth days proceedings and Valedictory function [3]

KVR sitting with others -12-08-2019 PPT presentation

In F-50 hall, many seminars and conferences are being held. Of late, the projector fixed for PP presentation stopped working and the organizers of the seminars and conferences have arranged it. Anyway, it is well known for many years and the VCs, and other University authorities, who here for inauguration and valedictory functions have not bothered about it. Coming to this “International” conference, the power-point presentations were postponed one or other reason since first day. It was intriguing to note that though, they claimed that it was “International conference” and all, they could not arrange it. Then, on 12^th morning, it was arranged, however, the PP presentation was allowed after the first session and it included papers to be presented in English also.

12-08-2019 PPT presentation. J. Nilakesi

The presenters were –

1. Natarajan – he was trying to explain the concept, precept of Siddhanta and so on. His talk had been so abstract, that too, without PP, the audience could not follow him. In fact, he was presenting paper for the second time.
2. J. Nilakesi – presented on the persecution of the Jains in Madurai. I have already listened to and seen her PP presentation earlier at two places[1]. Most of the pictures / photos are available in internet. There was no historical evidence for the impalement of Jains at Madurai after any religious debate. The Tamil writers have been exaggerating the literary narratives for such imagined persecution. Incidentally, the Jains were following black magic techniques and applied on Dharmasena / Appar during their attempts to murder him. Tamil writers have not given any details about the people killed in Tamilnadu with their black magic practices to covert. A Jain set fire to the house of Sambandar and he immediately converted into a disease and made it to inflict the Jain King, as severe stomach ache. Thus, they were indulged in many methods to kill him. Moreover, the sculptures, temple paintings and other evidences were of later period dated to 17^th-18^th In fact, Nilakesi herself says that the poetic references could not amount to actual persecution.
3. Purushothaman – he tried to claim that Siva worship was there in Sumeria. He was showing the Akkadian seals and script and straight away telling that they are Tamil. His attempt to sing the Gilgamesh poem in Tamil claiming it as Tamil has been far-fetched. His paper on the same topic is available here[2]. Before him, one Dr K. Loganathan used to talk about it and I saw his video and other postings. So it is evident that he was repeating the same.
4. Radha – she just tried to canvass for the book, she published. Her claim that she could see the holy ashes on the forehead of Agastya, when Kumarikkandan was just sinking!
5. V. Ramakrishna Rao – presented his paper, “Siva temples in Brahmadesa, Saivism in Burma and Siva icons in Myanmar” with PPT showing as to how Saivism flourishing in Brahmadesam and then disappeared  with the rise of Theravada Buddhism. Burma was known as Brahmadesa in ancient times, Swarnadwipa in medieval period and Myanmar now with clear change of culture, tradition, heritage and civilization. The Brahma worship that existed till medieval period was wiped out with the rise of Buddhist-tantric mixed worship. The Siva-Vishnu faith was made to get reduced with the introduction of Theravada Buddhism during the medieval period. With the introduction of military rule, the Indian Hindu faith has been reduced to minority level and by that time most of the temples and images destroyed and the left out consigned to museums and unknown collectors.

K. V. Ramakrishna Rao – presented his paper, “Siva temples in Brahmadesa, Saivism in Burma and Siva icons in Myanmar” with PPT

Tirumurthy sculptures at Burma, Thaton.

K. V. Ramakrishna Rao – presented his paper, “Siva temples in Brahmadesa, Saivism in Burma and Siva icons in Myanmar” with PPT

Can the debate of philosophy or the mantras vs black magic could be taken as historical evidence for impalement?: In the case of Nilakesi’s presentation, several poinys have to be clarified in the context. The legend of impalement of the Jain monks at Madurai has had a lasting impact on the popular Tamil Saiva constructions of Jains from the Cola period onward. As Paul Dundas (1992, 109-110) points out[3], while there is no record of an actual massacre having taken place, the legend (at some point in the tradition the number of Jains who were impaled got fixed at eight thousand) might well be a representation of the triumph of Agama Saivism over Jain asceticism, with the stakes of impalement perhaps representing the Vedic yupa sacrificial pot. Alternatively, the narrative may be read as a construction of an actual exodus of Jains from Madurai area on account of persecution of economic hardship, as indicated by a gap of about six hundred years in the inscriptions at the Jain monastic site in Madurai (Ibid). The legend itself is reiterated with embellishments in post-Nambi hagiographical narratives, and reinterpreted by major medieval Tamil poets (e.g., Ottakkuttar, in Takkayakapparani). Later interpreters vary in their opinions as t Campandar’s role I the impalement. Nampi does nt say whether Campantar actively participated in the impalement decree, but, celebrates it as a glorious (and gory) climax to Campantar’s career as vindicator of Saivism. Similar views emerge in the accounts in the local Puranas of Madurai (e.g, Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam), following which the event is reenacted as part of the annual festival at the Minakshi-Siva temple in Madurai.

The mass impalement of Jains a myth

The sculptures found at Samanatham, mentioned as “Samana.ratham,” but the figures depict different aspects. The persons carrying dogs on the shoulders, from the ground…sitting on flat type staff or similar thing…

The mass impalement of Jains a myth

Can the narrative that Campantar became Murugan to exterminate the Jains?: Cekkilar himself appears to be uncomfortable with the idea of Campantar’s complicity in such gruesome punishment as impalement. Not content with making the Jains voluntarily choose their mode of death, endure defeat, and thus perforce accept their sentence, Cekkilar downplays Campantar’s involvement in the execution of the sentence as well. Quite opposite is true of Cekkilar’s near contemporary, the Cola court-poet Ottakkuttar, who includes a description of the Madurai Jain controversy in his Takkayakapparani, which portrays Siva as a war hero on the model of the Tamil king of the late classical texts. Morein consonance with the majority of Tamil Saiva writes of the age of the imperial Colas (Nilakanta Satri, 1935; Shulman 1985), Ottakkuttar (Takkayakapparani 6: 169-220) portrays Campantar as an incarnation of the war god Murukan-Skanda, the son of Siva, who has been born on earth to exterminate the Jains[4].

The mass impalement of Jains a myth

This is found in the Kailasanatha Temple, Kanchipuram, but, it cannot be equated with the “Kazhuvetral.”

13-08-2019 – Fourth day proceedings [Tuesday]: The first session was presided over by ………………..

1. Lemuria – she read a paper based on the stories of M. Aranganathan. Definitely, it had nothing to do with the theme of the conference. Ironically, she was telling the stories without any impact on the audience.
2. The next paper presenter – a lady – who confessed openly that she did not know anything as “Saiva siddhanta.” She was thinking that Saivam means vegetarian food. Anyway, she started talking about “Saivam and hunger, disease etc.”
3. Arulambal read her paper about the “antiquity of Saiva literature.”
4. P. Ravi – read his paper on “Humanism in Saiva Siddhanta.”
5. Vignesh – delved upon ne Iswaramurthy Muthpillai……
6. Balaguru – read on “Saiva Siddhanta in Tirukkural.” Already many papers were read on the same topic, but, none could bring out anything new, except repeating the same.
7. Sriram – was reading his paper about the existing of many souls……
8. Balasigamani – was reading important paper on refutation, repudiation and negation of other philosophies[5].
9. Revathi – read her paper on the “Sanga literature and environment,” however, touching upon Periyapuranam.

Incidentally, the presidents of the sessions, typically appreciating the papers and the paper presenters without caring for the subject contect etc., of course, they were also not worried about the repetition, mechanical reading, factual inaccuracies etc.

Thirumuruga Kirupanandha Variyar Endement lecture 2019-20 was delivered by Sadhu Shanmuga Adigalar, Pazhani Sadhu Swamigal Mutt, Pazhani.

Why Saiva Siddhanta has not been popular beyond Tiruttani?: Thirumuruga Kirupanandha Variyar Endement lecture 2019-20 was delivered by Sadhu Shanmuga Adigalar, Pazhani Sadhu Swamigal Mutt, Pazhani. First he explained briefly as to how the Pazhani Saiva conference was held, for which lakhs were spent. There was a crowd of about 1,000 and only on third day, the crowd dwindled down. He briefed how Tamilnadu was ruled by the  foreigners and rulers other states…for 780 years; by 1335 the Pandya rule ended, by 1730 the Chola rule; and so on. In spite of the support for Saiva siddhant, it could not grow and spread beyond Tiruttani, because, it is considered that it belongs to one particular caste[6]. The religion should not be restricted to caste, but, castes should be brought together within a religion[7]. S. Radhakrishnan has no accepted Saiva Siddhanta as a separate philosophical system, as it appearedas Vishistadvaida. He referred tone book, “Indiya tattuva gnanam” written by one Yazhpanam writer and urged that it should be read. He was also referring to Somasundara Naicker, who reportedly had argument with Swamii Vivekananda about Saiva Siddhanta.  If Brahmam could be visualized as –

1. Very Big
2. Big
3. In between
4. Small
5. Very Small

Then, that “In Between” should be taken as “Saiva Siddhanta,” thus, he concluded.

Mutts should run schools and colleges: Prof Deva Natarajan memorial endowment lecture 2018—19 was delivered by Sivagnana Balaya Swamigal, Pommapuram mutt, Mailam[8].  He could not come on 10-08-2019, as he was not feeling well. Even, today, he came late, when Sadhu Shanmuga Adigalar, Sadhu Shanmuga Adigalar, started delivering his address. He stressed that Mutts should do social service, as the Karnataka mutts have been doing. He attended the last rites ceremony of respectable Shivakumara Swami who died at the age of 111. His mutt has been running schools and colleges giving education to all and therefore, the people of Karnataka respected him as “Walking God.” In the same way, Taminadu mutts should give education by running schools and colleges and also teaching religion.  They should also do social services.

Saiva siddhanta conference 13-08-2019 – KVR valedictory

KVR interacting with a scholar- Valedictory function

As the Judges were to come by 1.50 pm, Saravanan started talking about “eating,” describing as to how many came to Pazhani Conference for eating. Even the service was over, people were coming to eat and therefore, he was shouting at them “”…..*^^&$%$$^&…… Ghee was served in such a way that it was slipping down through the hands and the eaters were licking it. He was criticizing the organizers who announced about “Guru puja,” to be conducted daily this month, implying that food would be served on all those days. People come for eating, if food is served more crowd would come………..in this way he was criticizing using harsh and other words $%&^&^*&##$# also.

13-08-2019 Valedictory two Swamis and three judges.book release

13-08-2019 Valedictory – audience.

13-08-2019 Valedictory two Swamis and three judges.pandiyan

13-08-2019 Valedictory – audience

13-08-2019 Valedictory two Swamis and three judges

K. Pandian, Cotroller of Exams, University of Madras: He explained his experience since childhood as to how he lived in temple environment with the conduct of celebrations all round the year. He mentioned “Hindu” religion and elaborated his personal experience.

Hon’ble Thiru. Justice M. Govindaraj would give presidential address: He did not talk.

Hon’ble Thiru. Justice  R. Mahadevan valedictory address: He briefed about Saiva Siddhanta.

Hon’ble Thiru. Justice K. Kalyanasundaram felicitation address: He did not alk.

 The certificates were distributed by the judges and they went away, they were distributed by the two Matathipatis to all.

Saravanan informed that in 13 sessions about 110 papers were read.

With vote of thanks, the conference was over.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

15-08-2019

[1] Last one was at SIC-3 held at IIT, Madras December 2018. https://youtu.be/yvEY5GQ78wo; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvEY5GQ78wo&feature=youtu.be

[2] https://www.academia.edu/33637869/SUMERIAN_AND_TAMIL_-_A_COMPARISON_AND_STUDY_WITH_REFERENCE_TO_A_TRANSLITERATED_TEXT_AND_STANDARD_TRANSLATIONS

[3] Paul Dundas, The Jains, Routledge, London, Second edition, 2002, pp.127-128.

[4] I. Peterson, Sramanas against Tamil way, in John E. Cort, Open Boundaries: Jain Communities and Cultures in Indian History, State University of New York Press, 1998, pp.181-182.

[5]  Interstingly, Siddhanta Marabhu, Siddhanta Marabhu Kandanam, Siddhanta Marabhu Kandana-Kandanam, Siddhanta Marabhu Kandana-Kandana-Kandanam were not all discussed. Of course, many of them may not be knowing also.

[6]  This is only because of the domination of Vellalars, Mudaliars, Pillais and so on, who have been the Saivites. Now, only, because of eating non-vegetarian food and other practices, more divisions have been crept into, among themselves. Gounders, though they claim as “vellalar,” other communities do not accept.

[7] Just like a slogan, they repeat this, speaker by speaker, but, they exhibit explicit casteism, anti-feelings etc., abut other castes and communities.

[8] It is intriguing to note that his name figured in the selling of temple land to Christians where the Senji Kothandaramar temple stands. As I was wrking in Tiruvannamalai at that time, I could interact with Sri Ramanuja Dasar, who was fighting for the reclamation of the temple land.