“Arunachala Siva—On the Girivalam Path”
by Dr. Bharat Bhushan imagines stories at each of the Asta Lingams situated on
the perimeter of the Girivalam Roadway around Arunachala. The stories have been
created from memories of ancestral tales and legends and experiences of
pilgrims.
The first chapter “Kubera Lingam—Lord
of Wealth and Auspiciousness”, can be read at this link here.
The second chapter “Varuna Lingam—Lord
of Rain and Water” at this link here.
The
third chapter “Agni Lingam—Lord of Light” at this link here.
The fourth chapter narrated in its
entirety below is of “Yama Lingam—Lord of Death”.
Yama Lingam (South)
In Hindu mythology, Lord Yama or Yamraj is referred to as the god of death. The word Yama stands for
twin brother and Lord Yama is Son of Lord
Surya and Sanjana. Yama
is also known as the lord of justice and is sometimes referred to as Dharma, in
reference to his commitment to sustain order.
In the Upanishad, Lord Yama is depicted as a teacher and is father of
Yudhisthira, the eldest brother of the five Pandavas. It is believed that lord Yama incarnated as Vidura in
the Mahabharata period. Lord Yama is the definitive controller of lord Shiva
and lord Vishnu. He is
supposed to carry a huge lasso with which he drags each being at the time of
death to face heaven or hell according to the being’s karma.
The Vahana of Lord Yama is a black water buffalo and guardian of the south
direction. As one of the
Arunachala girivalam asta Lingams, Yama Lingam is situated beside cremation
grounds on Chengam road.
The dominant
Navagraha of this Lingam is, Mangala (Mars). Yama is portrayed sitting on
his mount, a powerful black buffalo named Mahishan with two monstrous
dogs by his side. Devotees get rid of their financial constraints worshipping
the Yama Lingam. Worshipping at this Lingam is also conducive for addressing
karmic constraints and ensuring longevity of life span.
Arunachala
Shiva!!!
Let death return everyone, to you …
“Arunachala!” He called out, “pray, give me
strength, to seek you, again and again!”
Dinesh was tired and called out, in his
mind, to the sacred Arunachala, to give him strength while on the Girivalam. He
smiled at the priest at the Yama Lingam temple and thanked him as he received
blessings from the sacred camphor fire. Why did he call out in such a manner,
he wondered, for this was only the second of the ashtalingams on the Girivalam
route, and he had to visit the other six, not including the Surya and Chandra
Lingams. Upon completion, he would also go to visit Shiva at the Tiruvannamalai
temple, one of the five pancha-bhoota-lingams.
The elderly priest of the Yama Lingam
temple smiled at Dinesh, and began to close the doors to the inner sanctum. It
was almost noon and it was time to get some rest. He would find it difficult to
keep walking on the Girivalam route, and it would be sensible to rest it out in
the outer sanctum of the Yama Lingam temple, Dinesh thought. This was his first
attempt to take the sacred walk around the holy Arunachala at Tiruvannamalai.
Against all advice, he had started his walk on the Girivalam route at 9.00 am.
After a prayer at the Agni Lingam temple and a brief stop and visit to Sri Ramanashram,
he had barely made it in time for the prayers at the Yama Lingam temple.
It was too hot outside, in this summer
month. “Take some rest here,” said the priest, “Take a small nap or chant your
beads in offering to Arunachala. Do not go out in the sun.” Dinesh was
thankful, and watched the old priest settle down on the running seat-ledges
that were all around the open outer sanctum of the Yama Lingam temple. 25
year-old Dinesh bowed to the old priest in respect, went back to the inner
sanctum gate, worshipped loudly, reciting some 4-5 stotrams that he knew,
picked up the sacred ash and applied it on his forehead. Taking out some money
from his wallet, he pushed it into the hundi box. The priest did not watch him,
intent as he was, in arranging a small coir mattress on the seat ledge and got
ready to take his nap. He gestured for Dinesh to lie down or sit at the
seat-ledge alongside.
It did seem very welcoming to accept the
invitation. It was too hot outside, and he could see that the road was totally
deserted except for a random vehicle going towards Tiruvannamalai. Dinesh went
to one of the seat-ledges, rolled out a towel that he had brought with him,
placed his small handbag as a head cushion and lay down, hoping to get some
rest. He was worried. This was a temple, and any which way that one would lie
down, the direction of the feet may be disrespectful. Disturbed, he sat up, and
quietly kept chanting, “Arunachala! Arunachala! Arunachala!” He thought it may
be best to imitate the priest and keep his feet in a similar direction,
pointing away from the sanctum, and away from the sacred peak of Arunachala.
Some mendicants were also resting in the
open sanctum of the Yama Lingam temple. On the shaded outer areas, there were
some buffaloes resting alongside the wall. They seemed content, resting in the
shade, waiting it out through their noon siesta. As he watched, from the scrub
forests near the temple, a huge buffalo came waddling slowly, followed by a
tall cowherd, an elderly looking man, swarthy, and dressed only in his loin
cloth. His head was covered in some sort of a headgear, and complete with his
huge bristling handlebar moustache, he was quite a fearsome character.
The huge buffalo came to rest with the
other ones, along the shaded side of the Yama Lingam temple. The fearsome
looking cowherd walked into the open sanctum of the temple and chose to sit on
the seat-ledge alongside of the one where Dinesh was seated. Feeling a strange
sort of panic, Dinesh kept chanting silently. Up close, he could see that the
fearsome looking cowherd was a very normal person, a local villager, and not at
all frightening in any manner. Dinesh had seen many such cowherds in Madurai
rural areas (his native place) and relaxed. The tall cowherd glanced at Dinesh,
examined him closely and made him out to be a pilgrim on the Girivalam route.
Instantly, on impulse, he asked, “Enna? Why
are you out on the Girivalam in this hot mid-afternoon? See, even my buffaloes
have need for shade and rest at such times. Take some rest. Go to sleep. Go
afterwards, in the evening. You will be able to walk easily and you can worship
Arunachala with more devotion. Go to sleep, now!” It seemed almost like a
command, and Dinesh immediately obeyed. The tall cowherd also did the same, and
went off into a snoring slumber.
Dinesh drifted off into sleep. His dreams
were floating from one perspective to the other. He kept imagining himself on
the Girivalam route, walking along with the priest from the Yama Lingam temple.
After a while, he dreamt that the mendicants were walking along with him, and
later, they were all riding the buffaloes. The mendicants disappeared soon
after, and the tall cowherd was walking along with him. This dream was followed
by a vision of the tall cowherd astride the really huge buffalo. In his dreams,
the tall cowherd was beginning to get larger and larger, and the buffalo was
also becoming enormous. The cowherd was saying something, and since Dinesh did
not answer, he was being shaken by the shoulder.
He woke up with a start, and indeed, the
tall cowherd was standing alongside, and shaking him by the shoulder. Alarmed,
Dinesh sat up and asked about the matter. The tall cowherd said, “Thambi, you
were calling out in your sleep. You seemed to be having some fearful dream.
See, your prayer beads have also slipped out from your hands and fallen on the
ground. Pick them up. Drink some water.” Calmer, Dinesh picked up the prayer
beads and had some water from the bottle that he carried. Wanting to share, he
offered the bottle of water to the tall cowherd and also passed on a couple of
small bananas. The tall cowherd accepted the water and bananas with a smile and
said a word of blessing to Dinesh, and went back to sleep.
Dinesh tried to sleep, and surprisingly
found that he was able to easily go back to deep slumber. The fear factor of
the tall cowherd was gone and he began to dream about himself, about his family
and his native Madurai. He could see events in his life in a very clear manner,
and he found himself wandering into the actual happenings. He saw his childhood
in Mumbai, Chennai and Madurai, and saw his relatives, friends and neighbours.
He saw himself wandering through the various schools and classes where he had
studied, and watched himself playing cricket with his only brother and friends.
It was strange, as he could see himself, as
an elder person, 25 years old, and he could see the other aspect of himself, as
a five year old, or as a ten year old. He could see his father, grandfather and
aunts and uncles and similarly, he could see his brother at different ages.
There were people who were no longer with him now, and they had passed on to a
higher plain during the past many years. He could see them, as though they were
alive, and he could watch them talking to him, when he was at a younger age.
Dinesh felt very happy and content, and wanted to continue to sleep, and did
not want to wake up. It was amazing, and it felt very real. Those who had
passed on, were very much active and real, within his sleep and inside his
dreams.
Feeling pleasant, but disturbed at the
various images, Dinesh woke up. He was back in the open sanctum of the Yama
Lingam temple and nothing had changed. He was as yet a 25 year old young man,
and his prayer beads were with him. The tall cowherd was sitting nearby, eating
the bananas, watching his buffaloes. The huge buffalo was walking about and
changing its location. It seemed as though that the huge buffalo wanted to be
able to see the tall cowherd from where he sat down. The elderly tall cowherd
noticed the fact that Dinesh had woken up and was sitting in a disturbed
manner, and he came nearby and asked him, “Enna Thambi, what’s wrong? Why are
you looking sad and depressed? What happened?”
Dinesh thought to himself. What the heck!
It would not harm anything by talking to this cowherd. He does not know me, and
I do not know him. I can talk to him about anything and walk away on the
Girivalam route, and that will be the end of this relationship. So, he replied,
“Thatha, it is nothing. I was dreaming about my younger days when I slept. I
dreamt about people and I dreamt about those who were no longer alive. But, in
the dreams, they were all present and it seemed that they were very much alive.
I was talking to them, as a younger person, but I was also present there, as an
elder person. I could see that there were two images of myself. It was very
strange, and I felt disturbed. I woke up, suddenly.”
The elderly tall cowherd smiled, and said,
“Thambi, why do you get frightened? You should feel happy, that you were just
able to go to sleep for such a short while, and spent time with your loved
ones. I can only see my buffaloes in my sleep, and that huge one out there,
even in my sleep, keeps pushing me and keeps asking me for something or the other.
I have tried beating him up in my sleep, but he is very shameless. In real
life, I have never beaten him. He is a very lovable character and very
intelligent. But in my sleep, he is a big idiot. I am always very terrified of
going to sleep. But, you should consider yourself to be very lucky.”
Dinesh smiled and watched the huge buffalo
moving about. It was amusing to think of the buffalo as a peaceful character in
real life, when it did not look like one at all, and to think of it as an
unpleasant character in a dream, was really intriguing. The elderly tall
cowherd was also looking at the buffalo and smiling. How would one actually
dream about a buffalo? Dinesh asked the elderly tall cowherd, “You really see
your buffalo in the dream? Do you talk to him? Does he talk back to you?”
The cowherd laughed loudly, and replied,
“Yes. Sometimes he talks to me. I talk to him. I wonder what happens in his
dreams. In mine, he comes to me and asks me to return home, and tells me that I
should go back to my family. But, I have no family. For many years, I am alone.
This huge buffalo is all that I have. The other buffaloes are not mine. They
belong to different families in the village. I move around nearby. We get food
when we get it, and there are small food cafes on the Girivalam route, and they
know us, and we get our food from them. We do not have to pay them.”
Amazed, Dinesh asked, “You have nobody?
What about your family? They must be somewhere. Your buffalo is your only
companion? Wow. You are almost like me, then. My only close relative is my
brother. I have no other brothers or sisters. But, my brother is away from me,
married and settled well. He has his own life to take care of. I lost my mother
when I was just an infant and my younger brother was only a toddler. I do not
know what happened. Everyone tells me a different story. I have come to the
stage where I do not know who to believe and what to believe. I am happy with
myself.”
The elderly tall cowherd looked genuinely
concerned at Dinesh’s story. He commented, “Arunachala! O Arunachala! What is
this? You are so young. Your life has not even begun. I have lived something
that must be more than a hundred years, I think. I do not even remember when I
was born. I do not need any family now. But, you! You have not even started on
your life. You do not know your mother, at all? For me, I do not remember my
mother, but I know that she was there sometime in my life, and I remember her
in my youth, but I cannot picture her. But, I am happy for her, and for her
memory, because I know that she was happy when she was alive.”
Dinesh smiled, and nodded in agreement. He
wondered as to why it was so easy to talk to with strange elderly man, sitting
in nothing but a loincloth, accompanied by a huge buffalo who was grazing
nearby. What was it that made him talk to such a stranger on the first
instance, and he could not as yet talk to his various uncles and aunts who had
taken care of him and his brother through their younger days? Nobody had denied
them anything. They had been made to feel as though they were part of each
family that they had lived with at some period of their lives. They had been as
equal to the children of their uncles and aunts and never made to feel
inferior. Why was he talking to this strange man about all this?
Dinesh said, “You know, you are very
correct when you said that you are only able to talk to your buffalo. I am not
even that lucky. I have no memory of my mother. I do not know about my younger
brother. He was smaller than me. Whenever I sleep, and when I dream, I can see
my cousins, and my uncles and aunts, and they are all as pleasant in my dreams
as they are when I am awake. Nobody every denied us anything. My mother’s
brothers and sisters have always taken care of whatever we would want. We have
attended the best schools and colleges.”
“Sometimes, I try. I try to seek out my
mother in my sleep. Sometimes, I try to create an image of her. But, I fail
every time. What do you do, Thatha? Can you pull back memories of your mother?
At least you know that she existed,” Dinesh asked, “Once I asked my brother,
but I feel that he is luckier than me. He is fortunate because he would have no
impression. Now he is married, and he has a child, and he would see the
relationship between the child and the mother. He will see the love and he will
see the demands made by the child. He will see how the mother rushes to satisfy
the child. I keep thinking about what my brother would be thinking.”
The elderly tall cowherd replied, thoughtfully,
“Thambi, I know what is it that you are asking, but I have no answers. I am not
an educated person. Several people had tried to put me in a school, but I would
always run away and keep roaming about with my buffaloes. Through my life, the
only single aspect that I remember about myself is that, I have always had a
buffalo with me! I keep talking to myself, and sometimes, people think that I
am mindless, but my buffalo has no problems with my behavior. I have learnt a
simple trick when I get sad and depressed when asleep. I wake up very fast, and
I walk around. I do not continue to sleep. If you do that, you are at the edge
of terrible impulses.”
Dinesh sat quietly, thinking, and
thought—why not … let’s see what this man says about my innermost fears. He
asked, “There are times, sometimes when I have woken up and been scared. I am
all alone, and I see everyone taking care of their families. I feel the
loneliness and the pain of being alone in my thoughts. My uncles and aunts may
be thinking that I have grown up and that I am a married man, and I should be
left alone. But, I am indeed alone inside my mind. Sometimes, I feel that I
should just go away, and sometimes, I feel that this life is not worth living.
I should just put an end to it.”
The elderly tall cowherd spoke angrily,
“What sort of nonsense is that? Your life is not yours. Your life belongs to
Arunachala. Even death has no control over your life. Do you know that? Give
yourself up, to Arunachala. You have no right to give up on yourself, by your
own decisions. We will come and go, and many more generations will come and go.
Before the first man was born, there was Arunachala. Talk to him, when in
doubt, and talk to him, when happy. He is the cause of your happiness. He is
the cause of your worries, because he wants you to see deep within yourself.
There is no sadness or depression in life. It is the manner in which you see
yourself.”
“Do not at any moment think that you can
give up on yourself, and give up on your life,” the elderly cowherd said,
standing up, and waving his hands at the sacred peak of Arunachala, “Look at
the Girivalam and learn from it today. When you walk, you start at the
beginning. But, what is the reason that you walk on the Girivalam? It is not in
homage to Arunachala alone that you walk on this sacred path. You walk, and so
do hundreds of thousands who come here, you walk, in order to return to the
beginning.
Every aspect has a beginning, and the path
has only purpose. It is to take you back to the beginning. When you realize
that, you know the truth. You are on the path, to reach the beginning of
another journey. That’s all. It is that simple. There is never any end, for Maheshwara,
Arunachala, Shiva, is waiting, even in death, to return you to the beginning of
another path.”
