Kula Deivam Vazhipadu (Worship) The subject “Kuladeivam Vazhipadu” may be an intriguing one and many of you may be wondering as to what “Kuladeivam” is as opposed to “ Deivam” in the first place. In fact, there are three categories of it if one may like to know the details. The other two are “Grama Deivam” and “Ishta Deivam”. It is a well known fact that the Hindu pantheon of Gods is about 300 million (Muppaththu Mukkodi). That being the case, who do we worship? If we start worshiping one God-a-day it will not be possible in our lifetime to complete it. Though Hinduism aka Sanatana Dharma points to a way of life, when it is a question of worshipping God some people consider us as polytheistic. Though it sounds logical, I may go a step ahead and wonder whether we are henotheistic which means that while we may worship one God we will not deny the existence of other God/s. Here comes the selection of the God/s for worship based on one’s preference, conviction and as a favourite selection. The three categories of Gods mentioned above are based on such a selection. The first of it is the “Ishta Deivam” who is any individual’s favourite God. As we consider a particular colour, a fragrance, a flower, a sweet, a song and even an actor or a leader as the preferred or a favourite, the logic of such a selection is also a natural corollary in the selection of one’s God. Since the “Absolute (Brahmam)” is devoid of any shape, character, beginning and end etc. it will be hard for anyone to concentrate on that single ideal entity and hence we resort to the second level known as “Saguna Brahmam”, [represented by Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva, for example] as opposed to the “Nirguna Brahmam”. Once a particular God is associated with a Guna or Character it is obvious that we prefer one against the other based on our own leaning or propensity. Pure distilled (ideal) water is devoid of colour, taste, flavour etc. No one will like to go for such a fluid for long. Once some of the above said qualities are added we seem to like it. Once there are varieties that can change the quality of the basic fluid, automatically we start preferring one over the other. The “Ishta Deivam” concept is similarly born out of this fact. Such a selection is made by any individual based on his/her disposition and not influenced by any other person (proselytization excluded!!). Since Hindu religion has had the maximum impact on our family, social life and culture, our cultural heritage had been shaped by the religious thoughts. That being the case it was necessitated to have a God for the family for a joint worship. As seen earlier, every individual has his/her favorite God and no one’s God can be imposed on the other. It is here the Family decides on a deity for the entire family and such a selection might take into consideration several factors like the family needs, the family tradition, vocation and professional needs. Such a selection had taken place generations earlier and we faithfully follow the tradition. Here we understand that family represents a clan in a very limited sense. Whereas a clan may mean, say, Brahmin, in the present case it is limited to a particular Gotram where Gotram follows a Patriarchal system of family. Even here as families of the same Gotram drift apart through generations there is a likelihood for adopting a different deity. Such an adoption is also possible if there is a disjoint when one branch of people loses the continuity. However, the fact remains that the tradition of keeping a family deity who takes care of the welfare of the family is never neglected or discarded. The Grama Deivam is the one that we need to understand. People, all through in history, have been living as a group in places where there were water bodies, a green pasture and the like that are essential in sustaining life. Nature being as it is, such places are seen more in packets rather than as a continuum. Those small areas become a small village or a Gramam. Such villages are expected to be self-contained and not fraught with the vagaries or the fury of nature and other external aggression. People of the village together invoke the blessings of the deity, who in their joint opinion will bless them and allow them to lead a peaceful and contented life. This might be origin of the Grama Deivam Vazhipadu. Unlike the case of Ishta-Deivam, worship of Kula-Deivam and Grama-Deivam need an assembly of persons (family members in the case of a family or all the village members in the case of a Gramam). This cannot happen on a daily basis and hence a certain time has to be set. Such particular times may be a wedding in a family or the harvest time in a village. More importantly this Vazhipadu has to go without any break or hindrance and so has to have a periodicity, say, annually. It is only right at this juncture to dwell some time on the concept of joint prayer. As opposed to a prayer to one’s ‘Ishta Deivam’ where it is concerned only about the ‘self’ the other two prayers are for a ‘family’ or a ‘gramam’ where it is devoid of the concern for an individual. It is hard to appreciate praying for the other when one knows that the other individual can pray for himself/herself. Think of the feelings when one wishes one’s sibling on the occasion of a birthday or when a person is in a sick bed. In both the cases the feelings are all about the ‘wellness’ of the person concerned. However, in both the occasions it is only a wish. Is there any assurance that that wish will come true? It is only here that the individual tends to link that wish to God and involuntarily converts it into a prayer. It had been experienced by many sages, seers and great men that such a prayer on behalf of the other person has the effect in several multiples than that is meant for the ‘self’. Needless to say, every one of us had experienced the efficacy of praying for the other, once or even on several occasions. Think of a situation when a large group of people congregate and pray for a common cause, forgetting the self. The effect will be synergy which may or may not be possible to measure or quantify but can be experienced. Perhaps this is one aspect that plays a greater role in binding members of a family or a village. The divine environment helps to forget, even if temporarily, any skirmishes among members which eventually is helped out of the twosome or the two factions.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 16:10:28 +0000