Expiatory Rites in Keralite Tantra
by T. S. Syamkumar | 2017 | 59,416 words
This page relates 鈥楶rayashcitta and Punarjanma鈥� of the study on Expiatory Rites in Sanskrit literature and ancient Indian religion and society, with special reference to Keralite Tantra. Further references to texts include those found in Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism as well as Dharmashastra literature. This study also investigates temple records and inscriptions of Kerala in order to demonstrate the connection between social life and expiatory rites and its evolution.
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4.1. 笔谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补 and Punarjanma
The Punarjanma concept is directly related to the Karma concept. It is believed that the sinners, who do not perform expiation for removing their 笔腻辫补, acquire birth in lower bodies, i.e., in the form of lower class people or in the form of animals. The Dharma literature attests these views. Manu says that, if sins are not expiated, human beings are to be born with deformities.[1] Moreover, he asserts that the un-expiated sinners would lead to hell and then attain various rebirths.[2] 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补 has pointed out that sinners, who have not performed an expiation will have to go to hells and then take birth in animal bodies and then as human beings.[3] 艢补迟腻迟补辫补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 declares that those who have not performed expiation for removing their sins, would go to the hell and then born with signs of sins.[4] Thus, it can be said according to the 顿丑补谤尘补艣腻蝉迟谤补 texts, that one who refrains from expiatory rituals, will get punishment in the form of inferior birth or diseases.
The 笔谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补 and Punarjanma faiths of a society became influential in the arenas of production and thereby in concentrating the wealth towards the ruling class and priestly class. The Punarjanma stories present the picture of the extending authority of the society, which had enough agricultural resources, to tap the human potential in any sector.[5]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
eva峁� karmavi艣e峁峁嘺 j膩yante sadvigarhit膩岣� |
ja岣峚m奴k膩ndhabadhir膩 vik峁泃膩k峁泃ayastath膩 ||
caritavyamato 苍颈迟测补峁� 辫谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补峁� vi艣uddhaye |
nindyairhi lak峁峁嘺iryukt膩 j膩yante'ni峁峁泃ainasa岣� || 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 11.53-54.
[2]:
惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 12.53-81.
[3]:
atha narak膩岣� t膩misram andhat膩misram rauravam mah膩rauravam..... lohac膩rakamiti ete峁ak峁泃apr膩ya艣citt膩 atip膩takina岣� pary膩ye峁嘺 办补濒辫补峁� pacyante鈥� prak墨r峁嘺p膩takina艣ca bah奴nvar峁p奴g膩n || atha p膩p膩tman膩峁� narake峁anubh奴ta-du岣h膩n膩峁� tiryagyonayo bhavanti atip膩takin膩峁� pary膩ye峁嘺 蝉补谤惫腻岣� sthavarayonaya岣� mah膩p膩takin膩峁� ca k峁沵iyonaya岣� anup膩takin膩峁� pak峁yonaya岣� upap膩takin膩峁� jalajayonaya岣�.........k峁泃amalin墨kara峁嘺karma峁嚹佱箖 manu峁e峁asp峁浥泍ayonaya岣� bhavanti || 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补, 43.23, 44.1, 45.
[4]:
艢补迟腻迟补辫补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 1.1.
[5]:
For details vide Rajan Gurukkal, Mittum Sam奴havu峁�, National Book stall, Kottayam, 2013, p. 54. As far as the Karma and Punarjanma concepts are concerned, A.L.Basham notes: 鈥淚n whatever way the doctrine of transmigration was developed it involved belief in the repeated passage of the soul from life to life, either for all eternity or for an inestimably long time. It linked all forms of life in to a single system. The gods themselves must pass away, and be replaced by other gods. As one Indra died, another was born. The souls of the departed, though now in bliss, would sooner or later pass to new abodes. Animals, insects, and according to some sects plants, all lived under the same law. With remarkable imaginative insight some sages taught that even water, dust and air were filled with minute animalculae, and that these too had souls which were the same, in essence, as those of men. The whole of life thus passed through innumerable changes鈥�. This doctrine of Karma soon became fundamental to most Indian thought. It provided a satisfactory explanation of the mystery of suffering, which has troubled many thoughtful souls all over the world, and it has justified the manifest social inequalities of the 膧ryan community.鈥� Basham, A.L., The Wonder That Was India, Picador, London, 2004, pp. 244-45.