On Avani Avittam

Dear Jayasree,

Avani Avittam consists of two parts,the 1st day,, when all Brahmin men refresh their memories of the four vedas,, the vedangas likke Kalpam, Niruktham, Jyothisham, Vyakkaranam etc and take a holiday from either reciting or teaching the vedas. In other vedas there should be no vedaparayanam for this simonth period commencing Avani Avittam. This period corresponds to the Dakshinayanam, when it is night for the Devas.

However, the rishis realised that for the sake of making out a living, brahmins do recite the vedas even during this period. Since this is a sinas per the veds we have to do an epiation ceremoney by chanting the @kkamoarsheed manyurakarsheed@ mantra for one thousand and eight times. The meaning of this mantra is that I had to do the vedic studies or teaching because of my desires and my disappointments rooted in kama and krodha. On the same day we also remember with gratitude the rishis and others who codified for us the vedas etc,and do tharpanam for them.

On the second day is Gayathri Japam, 1008 times. This is done for washing off of our accumulated sins of the past year. The object is to purify the mind of sinful thoughts.

More later,

Love, Appa

Di 21.08.2001 18:58

Dear Lakshmi,

It is great, a place of your own, that you can keep and maintain to your closest wishes, to train yourself as a home-maker, to be responsible for its upkeep! Wow!! Took me age 27 to reach that stage. This itself is training in life and for life. So make the best use of the opportunity and benefit by it. Here is wishing you all the very best and a prosperous student-life in your "sweet home". We are impatient to see it and to congratulate you.

Also nice to see you are able to take Amma and Radhika out, driving. This is a great help and relief for Amma. No more those tram or bus journeys on essential down-town visits and Mohan can be more relaxed on his travel. Keep it up and Radhika is watching you to closely follow your model.

We hope to be there next Wednesday and, hopefully, see you that week-end. Love from all of us here at Delaware to all of you.

Thatha and Patti