Talk:Age

By Vishal Agarwal

One does not have to be an adult or an elderly person to practice Bhakti. The doctrine of Rebirth in Hindu Dharma permits the possibility that due to the impact of good Karma and practice of Bhakti in previous lives, even a child can distinguish himself as a devotee of the Lord. In fact, in all the major traditions of Hindu worship, the Lord is depicted as a child too and this is manifest as the Vātsalya Bhakti that is described later. Child devotees like Prahlāda and Dhruva in the Vaishṇava tradition, Markaṇdeya in the Shaivite tradition, Ballāl in the Gāṇapatya tradition etc. are well known. These stories exalt innocent devotion to God above everything else, and make liberation accessible to even children and teenagers.

Several prayers and hymns occurring in Hindu texts are ascribed to children. In more historical times, numerous children and teenagers became saints through the path of Bhakti. Even today, it is not uncommon to come across spiritually gifted children leading congregational chanting of hymns and the author has personally participated in one such event. Therefore, Hindu scriptures exhort that children should be directed towards Bhakti from a very young age. It is neither too early, nor too late to love the Divine because the correct time is now.

Wise people should cultivate the devotional mode of life from childhood itself. This is because human birth, in which alone God-realization – the supreme end of man’s existence – can be had, is rare and difficult to get; and besides life is short and precarious. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 7.6.1

Swami Chinmayananda and many other Hindu saints have emphasized the need to involve children in different religious ceremonies and celebrations right from a tender age so that they develop an interest in these early on. Their advice is based on Hindu scriptures. Rigveda 8.69.8 urges that parents along with their children should pray to the deity Indra, who is a refuge like a mighty fortress.

O People! Worship Indra with melodious songs; sing, O Priyamedhas, with worshipful reverence. Let children also join in idolizing Indra, who is mighty and strong like an impregnable fortress. Rigveda 8.69.8

The scriptural injunction to include children in family and congregational prayers is maintained in later Hindu texts as well as in modern Hindu practice.

Story-Rishi Markaṇdeya becomes Immortal with the blessing of Shiva

Long, long ago, there lived a Sage named Mrikaṇdu and his wife Marudvati. They had no children and so, they prayed to Shiva to grant them a child. Bhagavān Shiva was pleased with their devotion. He appeared to the couple and asked them to choose between a son who would be very Dharmic and would be devoted to Shiva but would live for just 16 years; or a hundred sons who will be foolish but will all live long lives. Since Sage Mrikaṇdu and Marudvati were a very virtuous couple, they asked for the first son who would be wise and devoted to Bhagavān even if he were to live for only 16 years.

Soon thereafter, a son was born to the couple, and they named him Markaṇdeya. Just as Bhagavān Shiva had promised, Markaṇdeya grew up to be a very wise and Dharmic boy. However, as he got closer to sixteen years of age, he started noticing that his parents became sadder and sadder. He asked them for the cause of their sadness. When he learned that he would die soon, he said – “Do not worry. I will worship Bhagavān Shiva to extend my life because he answers the prayers of his true devotees.” As he approached his sixteenth birthday, Markaṇdeya started worshipping Shiva in the form of a Shivalinga. On his 16th birthday, Yamarāja, the Lord of Death appeared and started to pull Markaṇdeya’s soul out of his body. But Markaṇdeya did not get scared and continued to worship Bhagavān Shiva. He grabbed the Shivalinga. Bhagavān Shiva appeared from the Shivalinga and when he saw that Yamarāja was ending the life of his devotee, he appeared in front of them and scared Yamarāja away. He scolded Yamarāja and asked him to never harm his devotees. Then, he blessed Markaṇdeya with an eternal life and told him that he would never die. Markaṇdeya grew to become a great Rishi, and one of the eighteen major Purāṇas is named after him. Devout Hindus believe that Markaṇdeya still lives on, invisible to us.

Draviḍa Shishu – Thirujnana Sambandhar (643 – 659 CE)

One of the greatest saints of Shiva-bhakti, Sambandhar was born in the 7th century in Sirkali, Tamil Nadu to a pious Brahmin Sivapada Hridayar and his virtuous wife Bhagavathiar. One day Sivapada Hridayar and his wife took the child with them to the temple tank in which they wanted to bathe. The child looked at the tower of the temple and began to cry.

Devi Parvati appeared and fed milk of divine wisdom to Sambandhar. From the moment he drank the Milk of Wisdom (at the age of 3), he began to sing soul-stirring songs in praise of Bhagavān Shiva. The next day Sambandhar went to a place called Thirukkolakkā. He sang a hymn in praise of the ‘Meaning of Vedas’, clapping his hands to keep time. Bhagavān Shiva, pleased with this, presented him with a pair of golden cymbals (percussion plates). Sambandar began to sing, with the help of the golden cymbals. Sambandar then went on pilgrimages. Wherever he went, crowds of people followed him, joining him in the singing of bhajans. As he was just a little boy of eight years of age, enthusiastic bhaktas often carried him on their shoulders while he sang the bhajans. As he was a little child, his feet often became tired walking from temple to temple while singing bhajans. Bhagavān Shiva came in a dream to the priests of a Mandir and asked that Sambandhar should be taken around in a palanquin when he was singing bhajans to the crowds of bhaktas.

Once, he came to the home of a great Shiva Bhakta known as Shivanesha Chettiar in the town of Mylapore close to the modern Indian city of Chennai. He learned that Shivanesha’s only daughter had died, but Shivanesha had loved his daughter so much that he had preserved her bones after cremation in a pot in his home. Sambandhar asked for that pot and prayed to Shiva to bring the girl alive. A miracle happened, and as everyone saw in amazement, the daughter of Shivanesha arose from the bones and became a living human being. After visiting several shrines and singing hymns in praise of the Lord, Sambandar returned to Sirkali at the age of sixteen. There, many people urged him to get married because the Vedas commanded every human being to marry. Sambandhar agreed and was married to a beautiful girl. The marriage was conducted with great pomp. But soon after the marriage, Sambandhar and his bride went to Shiva Mandir in her hometown. As Sambandhar sang a bhajan to the Shiva Linga, a beam of light emerged from the mūrti and the couple merged into that light and disappeared. Bhagavān Shiva had taken Sambandhar and his wife to His abode, and had granted them Moksha. He is one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanmars, Tamil Saiva Bhakti saints. He wrote three hundred and eighty-four songs in praise of Shiva in the Tamil language. He contributed not only to the development of Shiva Bhakti but also to the development of music.

Ganesha Loves Children: Ballāleshvara Mandir of Pālī

There are 8 main temples of Ganesha, all of which are located in the state of Maharashtra in India. One of these temples is called the Ballāleshvara Temple, located in the village of Pāli. There is a very beautiful story behind this Mandir, showing how much Ganesha loves children who love Him. In the village of Pallilpur, there lived a merchant named Kalyāṇa with his wife Indumati. They had a son Ballāla, who was very devoted to Ganesha from his childhood. All the other kids in his neighborhood were greatly impressed with Ballāla’s love for Ganesha. Therefore, they too started worshipping Ganesha with Ballāla very regularly. They would collect small stones. They imagined these stones to be little Mūrtis of Ganesha. And then, they would all do a pūjā to these stones. The parents of the children got very upset. They thought that all the kids were wasting time doing pūjā to Bhagavān when they should be studying and playing. They blamed Ballāla for all this. They went to Kalyāṇa and complained, “Your son is fooling our children. What do these kids know about how puja should be done? They should wait to grow up first and start earning money. Then, they can do puja if they want to.” Kalyāṇa scolded Ballāla, but Ballāla said, “I do not force any other kids to join me during the pūjā. They come on their own because we all love Ganesha.” One day, Ballāla and his friends all went to the forest to play. There, Ballāla found a large piece of rock that looked like Ganesha. Ballāla and his friends constructed a small hut over that rock. Then, they started doing a pūjā to Ganesha. They sang songs to Him and offered him flowers. Several hours went by but the kids were so busy doing their puja that they forgot to go home. The parents got worried and they went to the home of Kalyāṇa to complain, “Look! Your son has again fooled our kids. If our kids get lost or hurt, we will hold you responsible.” Kalyāṇa went looking for the kids and found them there doing their puja. He yelled at them and they all ran back to the village towards their home. Except Ballāla, who was so busy singing to Ganesha that he did not even realize that his father was yelling at him. Kalyāṇa was furious. He started hitting his son with a stick and then tied him to a tree. Then, he broke that piece of rock that Ballāla was worshipping and said, “Let me see how your Ganesha helps you!” Ballāla prayed to Ganesha to help him. Bhagavān Ganesha appeared immediately and freed Ballāla. He punished Kalyāṇa and said, “You have harmed my devotee. For this, you will suffer in this life and the next.” Then he said to Ballāla, “My child, I liked you and your friends worshipping Me. I will henceforth live here so that you and others can do a puja to me anytime you want. Also, I will now be called ‘Ballāleshvara’, which means ‘The Īshvara worshipped by Ballāla’. Also, I command that people will first worship the rock that you found, and then Me.” Ganesha then turned into a large stone Mūrti. Today, that place has a Mandir called Ballāleshvara Temple at Pālī, and it is one of the eight temples of Bhagavān Ganesha. When we visit that Mandir, we first worship the rock that Ballāla found, and then the Mūrti of Ballāleshvara.

Avvaiyar, the Wise Granny

One day, Devi Sarasvati decided to live on the earth as a human being to experience how life was in our world. She was born as a beautiful daughter named Avvaiyar to a very religious couple. From her childhood, she was deeply devoted to Bhagavān Ganesha. As she grew older, her parents wanted her to get married. But Avvaiyar wanted to spend her life worshipping Shiva, Ganesha, and Kārttikeya. She prayed to Ganesha, “Bhagavān, please change my appearance from that of a beautiful girl to an old woman. Then no one would want to marry me.” Bhagavān Ganesha granted her wish, and she became an old woman. Avvaiyar now spent all her time worshipping Ganesha and spreading the message of Hindu Dharma among the people of her country. People loved her, and her teachings. The children asked her to sing a song for them when they saw her. Her name ‘Avvaiyar’ means ‘Granny’, which shows that everyone respected and loved her a lot.

Pleased with Avvaiyar’s bhakti, Bhagavān Ganesha appeared to her and said, “What boon can I give to you, lady?” Avvaiyar said, “Bhagavān, I will give you four things. But in return, I am requesting you to give me only three gifts. Does that sound like a good deal to you?" Ganesha was pleased. He said, “Who can refuse your offer? But tell me first, what will you give to me?” Avvaiyar said, “I will give you milk, jaggery, pure honey, and lentils.” Ganesha thought, “I love to eat, and we can make a lot of dishes out of these four items.” So he asked Avvaiyar, “I love your four gifts to me. Now tell me, what three things shall I give to you in return?” Avvaiyar said, “I want you to give me the ability to write good poetry in the Tamil language, good prose in Tamil, and also good drama in Tamil.” Ganesha was impressed with Avvaiyar’s intelligence. He gave her all the three gifts. Avvaiyar now became a famous writer of poems, prose, and dramas. Many of her sayings still survive today. But as people began to praise her, she became a little proud of her fame. Bhagavān then thought of teaching her a lesson. One day, she was passing through a forest and felt hungry. She saw a tree laden with delicious fruit, and a boy sitting on a branch. She called out to the boy, “Can you pluck some fruit and throw them down to me? I am hungry."

The boy said, “Do you want the fruit cold or hot?” Avvaiyar laughed, “How can fruit growing on a tree be cold or hot?” The boy again asked, “I will throw fruit to you only if you tell me whether you want them hot or cold.” Avvaiyar was very hungry and she just wanted to eat something. Therefore, she said, half-heartedly, “I want them cold.” The boy immediately plucked a fruit and threw it on the ground close to Avvaiyar. The fruit got soiled with dust.

When Avvaiyar picked the fruit, she started blowing at it from her mouth to remove the dust. The boy laughed and said, “If you wanted a cold fruit, then why are you cooling it with your breath?” Avvaiyar realized that this boy was no ordinary person because he was very witty and intelligent. She prayed to him respectfully, “Tell me Sir, who are you?” And then, the boy revealed his true form as Kārttikeya to her. Avvaiyar thanked him for making her realize that she was being too proud of her wisdom. When Avvaiyar became old, she travelled to Mount Kailash with the help of Bhagavān Ganesha to have a darshan of Bhagavān Shiva.

Sant Jnāneshvara Jnaneshvari, the oldest surviving commentary on the Gita in an Indian vernacular and also one of the most influential one, was completed by its author Sant Jnaneshvar in the year 1290, when he was merely nineteen years old. He and his siblings showed saintly qualities even as children, and are today revered by millions of members of the Warkari sect of Hindus. Numerous block-buster movies have been made on his life, and he is conventionally portrayed as a teenager with an angelic smile.

Gunjamālī and Children Playmates of Krishna Gunjamālī, originally from Lahore, was a disciple of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. When his son died, he ascertained that his daughter in law was a sincere and humble Vaishnava and decided to retire to Vraj region. There, he spent his time in the service of Shri Gopāla, the presiding Deity of a temple. In the vicinity of the temple were a group of boys who enjoyed playing with sand and throwing it on one another. One day, Gunjamālī noticed that the Mūrti of the Lord was smeared with sand. He got very angry with the boys and drove them away. After that, he went to the temple and offered food to the Lord. However, unlike other days, the food remained untouched, indicating that the Lord had refused to eat it.

Gunjamālī became sad and requested the Lord to explain if he had done something wrong that had angered Him, causing Him to refuse the offering of food. The Lord said to Gunjamālī, “I will accept your food only when you get the children back and allow them to play in my vicinity.” Gunjamālī replied, “If you want, I can smear your image completely with sand. But please eat right now. Tomorrow morning, I will personally go and invite the boys to come and play here as in the past.” But the Lord would not budge. Gunjamālī had no choice. He went to the area where the boys lived, and said, “I apologize for my anger. The Lord Himself invites you to play in His presence. If you will return as always, and play with the sand, I will give you laddus.” The children obliged. Seeing the children play as usual, the Lord appeared pleased and He finally accepted the food offering of Gunjamālī.