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Brahmins & Kula Devatha

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Namassadhasae.

Brahmins and Kula Devatha

Professor Kent of Colgate University, U.S.A. In a recent presentation has highlighted an interesting point regarding Hindu Gods. He has observed that Hindu faith has always expressed and exhibited its Gods through the nature and the products of nature. Wood, Stone and Mud are mostly the medium through which the original and ancient Gods of Hindu religion came in to the mankind. Professor Kent sees a relation between the evolution of culture and the awareness of basic needs by men in this process.
Vedic literatures glorify god through the natural powers like mountain, water and wind. When the mankind learnt to live in groups, making distinct identities, each separate from other, the need to create so many variations in visualizing Gods became a necessity. These variations developed in a systematic manner taking so many factors into consideration like artistic ability of the group, the availability of the medium and the accountability to the prevailing norms of the society.
Stone which was abundant in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India was the primary and first natural medium through which God was visualized. Wood, the freely available material of Kerala was the medium of people lived there. The later discovery and display of metals, like Gold and Bronze got their place in Temple as and when the people learnt to convert the knowledge in to art. Thus the evolution of mankind and the culture of worship had a direct relation.
The temples built over the years became the places of attachment, apart from the dwelling abode of God of their choice. Generation after generation found solace and satisfaction by visiting the temple and going over to the place.
The kula devatha worship had come to stay. The reasoning and rational angle will not answer the question ‘Why we get great satisfaction and immediate good happenings after a visit to a kula devatha Temple. Perhaps it may be a making of our mind and pure coincidence. Perhaps it may be something else.
We are sure of one thing in this matter. The vibrations we get on such visits to those places have some connection with our inner conscious. Our minds identify those Temples as the places our forefathers frequented. The Temple they worshiped is the only link in the chain left till date, which we can see with our eyes and feel in our mind as a matter of continuity between ourselves and our forefathers.
This great feeling, may not be visible outward, makes us act more vigorously and positively after every visit to the Temple of our kula devatha, which in turn leads to good results. This explanation, not based on any authentic text or knowledgeable source is arrived only by our loud thinking.
What ever the truth may be, we feel this practice should continue and be encouraged. At this crucial juncture of cultural melting and the youth of Brahmin community foregoing the traditions one by one, we can not compromise on this custom.
Our youth should be instructed and informed of the importance of this family obligation in clear terms. Let them start with this, that may lead to learn the glory of our forefathers who gave us every thing we inherited.

Courtesy: Brahmin Today Magazine April 2009

'அவரவர் இச்சையில் எவை எவை உற்றவை அவை தருவித்தருள்
பெருமாளே! - திருவக்கரை திருப்புகழ் '
 
Sir,
I suppose by Kula Devata you are referring to Kuladeivam.
Each family trafition has a kuladeivam.
I find nowaadays it has become fashionable for the yonger generation to seek the viewm of a prasanna astrologer and say the Kuladeivambeing followed is not correct etc etc.
From my discussions on the subject I notice that for a majority of Tamil Brahmins the Kuladeivam is Venkatachalapathy or Subramanya
 
Yes you are absolutely true. People simply says that they dont know their kuladeivam. We will be mourning for the whole day if we miss a purse with five rupees. But nowonder people are simply saying that we dont know (lost) their kuladeivams. I generally won't accept the concept of taking venkatachalapthy or subramanya as kuladeivam. Are they running any orphanages to thy devotees??? Might be they are the supreme powers than the kuladevatha. Anyhow kuladevatha is equivalent to our parents. Without knowing your parents or without treating your parents well and going and donating to a well-developed orphanage, which actually doen't expect your need at all...

Hope am right
 
As the famous adage goes "Dont live in a place devoid of Temples", our forefathers lived in villages and each had a Temple of its own however tiny it was.some call it as kuladeivam,Ellai amman(supposed to protect the entire village people and their progenies) etc etc.In addition we may have ishta deivam also.I for one believe in Kula deivam worship and religiously visit my village(Rishiyur near Nidamangalam) every year. I also send remittances regularly for archanas,abhisekhams during occasions..This way I feel a connectivity with our origins.Recently a distant relative of mine was so thrilled when through some help he discovered his ancestral village! It gives immense emotional satisfaction and connect when you go around that place,talk to the natives,visit the temple,do pujas,enjoy the ambience..it has to be experienced!!!
 
//Vaishnavite brahmins do not follow the kula devathaa system at all.//

Is it so? we have our Kula deivam called "Kattalagar" near to Srivilliputur, a place is called shenbaga thoppu. From there, we have to climb the mountain (i think around 9 kms). When one comes across the fresh elephant shit, one has to take a very deep breath, and watch out for single or multiple elephants. We used to go a group of 6 people above. Over the hill, there is a sweat river near to the temple. Inside the temple, the entrance will be such that one man only can enter (may protection from wild animals), and there is a thotti with water coming from a hole (no body knows the origin of the hole and from where the water comes), and there is a madappalli and mudi irakkum idam. Plus in order to reach the kovil you have to climb up over 300 steps. (i will give you the exact numbers after my next visit). But i always amazed when I see the (visually OLLI) buttor, climbing the stairs with two full KUDAM of water at one streatch (without stopping), whereas we youngsters would stop atleast twice or thrice.

One sweat pazhaa maram, and sweetest cool river water, and surrounded by thick trees, top of the mountain range, nobody except us,

egaandham...
 
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Kula deivam or the family deity should not be forgotten at any cost. We amy have any ishta deivam, but no matter what, we should make an effort for the kula deivam as well...With migration to cities and other countries, it has been difficult for people to visit the temple of the kula deivam. In such cases, the least that can be done is a contribution to the temple on a regular basis and visiting when the temple once in a while. It will be good if one can atleast have a picture of the particular kula deivam. (It might not always be possible, but can try.)

Mythili
 
Yes, I agree with mythili ji. Istadeivam and kuladeivam are totally two different things. Your ishta deivam may be so for you, but you cannot force or include that to next generations. But, Kuladeivam is not like that... Might be a kuladevatha temple will be small, a lone temple, or amidst of greenlands, but the bliss they possess towards us may not be equivalent to anyother. You may ask supreme god is one and there is why such partitions... But the thing is might be you consider all women as your mom, but how you treat your own mom as special... That case should be strictly followed with kuladevatha worship.

Pranams.
 
The concept of Kula devatha, I think, is very simple. It came from necessities of migration. Over many generations, people have migrated and spread from their original base villages.First the migration may be by only individuals, who will be shuttling back and forth whenever convenient or on necessities.By and by the whole or a major part of the household or family totally transplant to the new location. They take along with them in their minds deity they worship in the village , as their protector , and prayed that he/she protect them at their new place of transplant. As thanksgiving , at periodic intervals, at least on the main festivals days for village deity , they come back to the village and join in all rituals and celebrations, contributing in their own way.It had an added aim that other members of the family,and of the village who relocated to some other places similarly also come and it becomes a nostalgic family-village gathering.
Then as a connection to their origins, this knowledge is passed on to new generations ,or they get it automatically in their blood after such visits with parents.

Thus is how the Kuladevatha practice came into existence, is my logic.
But after certain generations , and few more further relocations,native village visits also taper off due to many reasons, and new generations get naturalisined in their place of birth.Then they will have their own choice of local deities, who become their Ishta devthas.

It is only when some of them try to draw the family tree or dig into nostalgia,or when some astrologer advises that they think of Kuladevatha and start their search.

My firm belief is that no real deivam will act cruel on anybody just for not knowing Kuladevatha. As God can be believed to be the Supreme One Omnipotent,Omnicient,Omnipresent and Omnikind ( last one is my own firm belief).

So I encourage the young generations not to be perturbed much in case genuinely they don't know their Kuladevatha, but have faith and worship in their own way with true sincerity.

Greetings.
 
kuladevatha, ishtadevatha - will this be a dravidian concept?

ie worship of ammans etc. which is a confined to tamil nadu kerala, and which is a divinity of the said village or town.

i am not so sure, that our brahmin brethren in the north have this concept.

anyone can shed light on this theory?
 
I know many people staying in North Indian cities , migrated from villages , go to their villages as a compulsory ritual, and they tell us that it for the festival of their village deity. This includes NBs also.
 
Namste All
As usual I am late to the thread.Many Iyengars I know have kuladeivams and for one family it is Subramanya
Village deities are different fromKula Deivams.Let us not mix them up
People off all sections in the north go to the festivitied for their village deity
 
If it is not village deity--( by this mean the village where the traceable forefathers lived.)--then who is Kula devatah ? The Adi moola brahmam? Or Only the trio Brahma ,Vishnu & Maheshwara?

I am really confused. If somebody says that it is the Devata worshipped by the original rishi of the Gothra, then I will not be able to understand this, as thousands of years have passed and it will not bear any relevance , as we will not be able to go and locate the sthala.

Knowledgeable kindly clarify in simple terms
 
Our kula devatha is 'Sri Kamakshi Amma'. As my grandmother was born by worshipping the Amman.

Nevertheless, we worship all other deities too, as we believe that it is one Supreme being manifesting in various forms.

"God is one. As many faiths, so many paths." - Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
 
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Our kula devatha is 'Sri Kamakshi Amma'. As my grandmother was born by worshipping the Amman.

Nevertheless, we worship all other deities too, as we believe that it that one Supreme being manifesting in various forms.

"God is one. As many faiths, so many paths." - Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

You please worship all the deities you like. But please don't ignore Goddesh Kamakshi.

All the best
 
to the moderators:

justanotherchildofgod has outstanding queries from members in two other threads. (ego-beware & the ideal of marriage)

can he be requested to attend to them, instead of posting in new threads?

thank you.
 

Deleted the posting as the poster has not answered the concerns of the Moderator. Sorry.

Regards,
KRS
 
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I am Muthukrishnan, aged 58 years. Myself and brothers were not aware of which is our kula deivam, as of our father has not informed about this during his period and has not taken us to that temple.
Will any one help me to findout the kuladeivam from the horoscope of mine or of my brothers.
Thanks in advance
 
The kula devatha worship had come to stay. The reasoning and rational angle will not answer the question ‘Why we get great satisfaction and immediate good happenings after a visit to a kula devatha Temple. Perhaps it may be a making of our mind and pure coincidence. Perhaps it may be something else.
If a Brahmin family lives in a place contioniouly for more than 108 Years, the place where they lived is idendentified as their own land, the the Goddess or God, located there is identified as their Gula Deyvam.

The gene in the seman of a male has all the five Earth, Fire, Water, Sky and wind.
These five elements make the body of the Foetus, which covers the seed / the semen. This body is activated by Seven Planets, and Rahu and Kethu helps for growth.

Since the gene is attached with the soil of the birth place, the satisfaction it gets is shown and gets the improvement

I can tell more but in person.
 
Kula devatha

Thanks for your kind reply.

As you said, if I want to meet you in person on this issue, where & when can I meet you and any fees for this service.

You can contact at my mail id [email protected] or on my mobile no:9444564898

Thanking you once again.

C S MUTHUKRISHNAN
(alamubhavan)

The kula devatha worship had come to stay. The reasoning and rational angle will not answer the question ‘Why we get great satisfaction and immediate good happenings after a visit to a kula devatha Temple. Perhaps it may be a making of our mind and pure coincidence. Perhaps it may be something else.

If a Brahmin family lives in a place contioniouly for more than 108 Years, the place where they lived is idendentified as their own land, the the Goddess or God, located there is identified as their Gula Deyvam.

The gene in the seman of a male has all the five Earth, Fire, Water, Sky and wind.
These five elements make the body of the Foetus, which covers the seed / the semen. This body is activated by Seven Planets, and Rahu and Kethu helps for growth.

Since the gene is attached with the soil of the birth place, the satisfaction it gets is shown and gets the improvement

I can tell more but in person.
 
Dear Mr.Swaminatha Sharma,

In my PhD thesis there are 2 Chapters which consists of each 50-55 pages, where I fully analyzed the Hindu Calender, Vedic Astronomy and Hindu Science etc., The actions of the vibrations in a foetus , to Child how we make a horoscope and predict How the Mooladhara acts as a Transformer which sends energy collected from the universe are in the mixed form in to the body how the vibrations of the Planets are separated in the body and penetrate in to the nerves system how the vibrations can be changed by applying NaNo technology and fumes and smokes created by burning herbal sticks, the meaning of Yagas, Yagnas, the law of sacrifice how it will affect if a selection of wrong Samith if put in to the fire what are all the side effects, etc., in this I quoted that there are more than 3340 Samiths and Grafted samiths, that is a samith produced by combining each herbal plant in a pit etc.,

South Pole is a honey comb which collects the vibrations from all the Seven Planets and throws to East and pulled by Kethu, the North Pole. There were only 5 plants were found in B.C.100 and it was in B.C. 500 Western chalukya discovered or you can say rediscovered that Rahu plays a major role and pointed out as Saya Graha.(The horoscope Sri Adhi Sankara has no quotes of Rahu and Kethu.) Since Rahu was identified in A.D.500 the Jains who converted in to Vaishnavism mentioned that Bhishnu, the Universe is sleeping on a Serpant Called Adhi (The First) Sesha (Spit) which has five heads and later supported with Sridevi, the North Pole and BhuDevi (South Pole)

A learner of astronomy should concentrate on this Honey vidya then Gayathri Vidya .... and so many Vidyas. Once a man is well versed with these Honey, Gayathri vidya can enter in Pre KG of Astronomy. Then comes Bhuma Vidya, tara Vidya and so on., there are about Nine Vidya till now I found! May be more!!!


and according to Hindu calenders the Sun never sets and never rises. (Not only Sun but also other Planets)

This I can explain only on face to face discussion.

I also noted how we quote that Thai matham is taking its birth at Mahara Rasi, 16.00 Hrs on 14th of Jan . What is the calculation??

The Vedic science ., It is a sea, and dig in the sea to see a pearl of health I started studying this Vedas.

In B.C. 8000- 7000, the astronomy was excavated and in A.D 1040 one Mr.Albruni who visited South India was having two Copper/ Gold plates which was branded as Arabian Magic Plates which mentions about 12 Rasis and 27 Nakshatras.

But since Muslims didn' believe in this they transferred the letters with the Arabian words from Quron.

On a face to face discussion I can explain.

Regards
 
You when a person sees you afeter seeing the horoscope you quote as Naga Dosham. What is that naga Dosham??
What is the science behind it???
Mr.Sharma when a couple is not getting their baby, you may say the Horoscope quotes Naga Dosham and he/ the couple should do some parighara. How that parighara helps the couple to get a child?? not all the 100% of the couple gets child.

So if you go deep in that you may find and discover more.
I think you said you are doing OhD in Astrology. that means, where the astro physics activates its action in the human body that has five elements. The rays of planets get in to the human body through the south pole action of mixing all the rays. if one ray is staying alone without mixing the rest and if that ray is from Guru, the boy/girl is mental or a fool.

There are so many quotes about this in manuscripts Mr.Swainatha sarma.

Yes I read all of them preserved in OML and other Libraries. I also read Pancha Patchi sastram, applied that and under stood. This pancha patchi sastram is at Saraswathi Mahal Library. No one mastered in that. I studied that and I think I under stood what it quotes.

Since the research is for years I am afraid I can not give a reply in aword or two or a line or two.

Hope you Understand
 
Dear Mr.Swami,

Now I think it is better for me to quit this site!

I wish to be out of this site

Because When you can not digest a man's efficiency and if you can not understand and post questions I think it is better to stay away.

Thanks once for all!

I wish to stay out
 
Dear Mr.Swami,

Now I think it is better for me to quit this site!

I wish to be out of this site

Because When you can not digest a man's efficiency and if you can not understand and post questions I think it is better to stay away.

Thanks once for all!

I wish to stay out

ramacc,

i do not think this is a good idea. ie to quit.

just yesterday, i posted, since we are now on the self moderating mode, there appears to be a little more thick skin growing within us.

i opined, that gone were the days when the prickliness instincts of brahmins reigned to the fore. that we were now getting civilized, and perhaps take criticisms and dish out the same.

i also noted, that to stay and continue to validate one's stand, is not only important, but imperative, to the wellness of the community. for this forum, is indeed a microcosm of the differences between us, which is our focal point of unity.

for you to leave, would be to abandon a viewpoint, and there would no torch bearer for such an important pillar to this forum structure. it would leave us weakened, and i am quite sure that you would not want to do that.

there will indeed be lot of people disagreeing with you. but to run away because of the heat, does not behoove well of you or your convictions. i would indeed admire you of the highest order, for you to stay, and continue to be an adornment to your fans, and a perpetual thorn to those who digress.

this message goes to every other member of the forum as well.

thank you ramacc. wishing your continued happy presence in 2010 :)
 
Namassadhasae.

Shri Ramacchandran ji:

I agree with the views expressed by Shri Kunjuppuji. Staying away will not be a solution. We like to have the expertise of your views. Knowledgeable persons are limited in this thread. I recap my mind and recollect that you have committed in so many threads that detailed view point/interpretation from your side will be posted, after clearance of your Ph.D. papers. I, as a proposed beneficiary of your scholarly views, reiterate that you need not go to the stage of keeping away from this website. Kindly forgive me, if my request is not palatable to you and an 'adhigaprasangam'

"அவரவர் இச்சையில் எவை எவை உற்றவை அவை தருவித்தருள் பெருமாளே!"_ திருவக்கரை திருப்புகழ்
 
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