SANATANA DHARMA & SASTRA PRACHARA PUBLICATIONS & FREE DISTRIBUTION SERIES A Non detailed Text book for Vedic and Samskrit Students बालबोधसङ्ग्रहः – १४ BALABODHA SANGRAHA - 14 Sweet Memories of Our Ancient Bharatiya Agraharam and Village Streets and Life – Part 1 Compiled with blessings and under instructions and guidance of Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Jagadguru Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamiji 70th Sankaracharya of Moolamnaya Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Offered with devotion and humility by Sri Atma Bodha Tirtha Swamiji (Sri Kumbakonam Swamiji) Disciple of Ilandurai Pujyasri Kuvalayananda Tirtha Swamiji (Sri Tambudu Swamiji – Brahma Vidya Diksha Guru) and of Melakkaveri Pujyasri Panchapagesa Brahmendra Saraswathi Swamiji (Brahma Vidya Guru) Translation from Tamil by P.R.Kannan, Navi Mumbai 1 गोििन्ददेििकमुपास्यििरायभक्त्या तिस्मिन्स्थतेिनजमिहििििदेहमुक्त्या। ऄद्वैतभाष्यमुपकल्प्यददिोिििज्य काञ्चीपुरेिस्थितमिापसिङ्ग्कराययः॥ Adoring Guru Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada for long and after he attained Videhamukti through his own power, Sri Sankaracharya wrote commentaries to establish Advaita philosophy, won over opponents in all directions and finally rested in Kanchipuram, where his Avatara period concluded. (From „Patanjali Charitram‟ of Sri Ramabhadra Dikshitar) ऄपारक셁णामूर्ततज्ञानदंिान्त셂िपणम्। श्रीिन्रिेखरगु셁ंप्रणतोऽिस्ममुदान्िहम्॥ I pay obeisance every day with great happiness to Sri Chandrasekhara Guru, who is the embodiment of unlimited compassion, the bestower of Gnana, the very form of peace. (From „Guru Stuti‟ of Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamiji) Period of Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya Kaliyuga 2593 – 2625 (B.C. 509 – 477) 2 DEDICATION We dedicate this book „Sweet Memories of Our Ancient Bharatiya Agraharam and Village Streets and Life’ with devotion, faith and humility at the divine lotus feet of All Acharya Swamijis decorating the Moolamnaya Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham continuously from Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya who pours the divine shower of compassion on all of us even today in form unseen and particularly Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal 68th Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham the Great Gnani who penanced for 100 years and showed the path of virtue to all people Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal 69th Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Who incarnated only to remove our ignorance Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal 70th Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Whose Instruction was carried out. 3 4 Swasti Vachanam – Guru Vandanam Obeisance at the holy feet of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peethadhipati Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya Obeisance to Gurus Obeisance to Sri Chandramouliswara and Sri Maha Tripurasundari The divine town of Kanchipuram is an ornament to all the auspicious worlds; it is adored by the thirtythree crores of Devatas; the visible abode of Sri Kamakshi Devi and Sri Ekamranatha, also of Sri Mahadevi and Sri Hastigirinatha; and named as Satyavrata. Here in Sarada Matham is seated Srimad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharyavarya Sri Jagadguru Srimad Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya, who is surrounded by wise persons immersed in the bliss of garlands of words like streams of nectar, of unparalleled sweetness, dripping from garland of blooming jasmine at the crown of Devi seated in Kamalasana; who is ever in the bliss of the realisation of Advaita; who is ever adorned with the ornaments of the virtues of self-control of body and mind; who is decorated with the fame from installation of Srichakra, which bestows stability to all the chakras of worlds; who established Shanmatha (six philosophies of six Devatas for worship) on the path laid down by Veda and Vedanta, thus clearing the path free of the thorns of non- believers of Vedas; coronated in his throne are Jagadguru Srimad Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Sripada; his disciple Srimad Jayendra Saraswathi Sripada; his successive disciple Srimad Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Sripada. At the lotus feet of these Gurus we prostrate with all humility, with folded hands. Please Note: While giving Prasadam of Srimatham, the last sentence is changed to: ऄिधष्ठाने ससहासनािभििक्त श्रीमत्-िन्रिेखरेन्रसरस्िती संयमीन्राणां ऄन्तेिािसियय श्रीमत्- जयेन्रसरस्िती श्रीपादानां तदन्तेिािसियय श्रीमत्-िङ्ग्करििजयेन्रसरस्िती श्रीपादैः ऄनुगृहीतोऽयं महाििपुरसुन्दरीसमेत िन्रमौलीश्वरस्िािमप्रसादः | “Prasadam of Mahatripurasundari sametha Chandramouliswara Swamy, blessed by Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Sricharana.” 5 Contents S.No. Title Page 1 Verandah Schools 9 2 Sports and Games 11 3 Healthcare 19 4 Panchangakaras 20 5 Brahmanas’ Lifestyle – Rishi Krishi 20 6 Monthly Festivals 21 7 Temple Festivals 23 8 Bangles 24 9 Rainy Season 24 10 Rain Water Harvesting by our Ancestors 24 11 Ploughing 25 12 Food Practices 26 13 Brahmana marriage 27 14 Marriage Practices of Ancient Tamils 30 15 Music associated with us 32 16 Ragas Played in Temples 33 17 Archakas’ Social Service 34 18 Agraharam 35 19 Poems in Sangha period literature on Veda, Brahmanas and Three 39 Fires (Agni Upasana) 20 Discourse of Jagadguru Sri Kanchi Paramacharya 40 21 Names of a few Agraharams 42 6 7 Foreword As instructed by Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Bala Bodha Sangraham – 12 volumes (Tamil and English) have been published; they have received good reception among boys and girls; there is a growing desire to obtain basic knowledge of our books of Shastra of Sanatana Dharma. These books have been released as Shastra and Dharma Prachara publications of Srimatham and distributed free of cost among the public. These books serve the purpose of the root cause to kindle the desire to read our traditional books. There is no doubt that by this our Bharatiya culture will stand well protected and that this will serve as an excellent source of knowledge for posterity. By protecting Bharatiya culture, the lives of our people will become Satvic (peaceful). The nations of the world have started to take notice of us, having seen our culture. As per the instructions of Sri Kanchi Acharya Swamigal, the Bala Bodha Sangraham volumes have been translated and published by Mumbai Sri P.R.Kannan ([email protected] - M 9860750020); they can also be accessed in the website of Srimatham, www.kamakoti.org. We pray to Sri Mahatripurasundari sametha Sri Chandramouliswara Swamy that the managements of all educational institutions and teachers may go through these books, teach them to the students, make them assimilate and attain all auspiciousness. 8 1. Verandah Schools Local Single teacher Elementary education providers, operating from the pyol of the teacher‟s house, or from the pyols of the village elders‟ residences or from foot of a tree were called Pyol – Verandah schools by the British. Students in these schools were not divided on the basis of age, but on their ability and desire to learn. Now we have School Pupil Leader in our schools; in those days they were called „Sattampillai‟; they were the class leaders. As per the instruction of the class teacher, the „Sattampillai‟ would teach other students in groups or individually. These classes would be held under the supervision of the teacher. The important feature of this education was to teach alphabet and numerals together and not separately. A child‟s training started with understanding how the mouth creates the sound of a letter of the alphabet, pronouncing it loudly, training the tongue and writing the letter on soil with the help of “Sattampillai”. Coordinating thus the activities of hearing, pronouncing and seeing, the students were trained in body and mind. Training in Tamil language was given through practice of mind in three ways - by loud pronunciation, seeing and storing in mind, and recollecting, the three acting together. Hundreds of scholars came up in this manner in Samskrit, Tamil, astrology, mathematics etc. It would not be an exaggeration to state that our traditional music training also flourished till recently in the same manner through unwritten, oral tradition by training of mind. Education in Vedas is still going on in the traditional oral manner. 9 Tamil numerals, tables, basic Tamil grammar texts, timetables, Nighantu, dharmic education, letter-writing, „Arichuvadi‟, „Aathichudi‟, „Kondraivendan‟, „Mudurai‟, „Pillaitamizh‟ and ancient Tamil epics were all taught in this manner. (Nighantu is glossary. Arichuvadi is Tamil alphabet. Aathichudi is a collection of 108 single line verses of dharma by poet Avvaiyar. Kondraivendan is also a set of single line verses of wisdom by Avvaiyar. Moodurai is a set of 30 verses of wisdom by Avvaiyar. Pillaitamizh is a genre of Tamil poetry describing ten stages in the growth of a child.) All numerical tables (multiplication, division etc.) were learnt by a kind of singing loudly with tune. The speciality of tables is mind training, i.e. ability to retain and recall. In the section called „Kuzhimathu‟, land measurements were covered. Length measurement started with unit called „Kol‟; area with „Kuzhi‟. Area was measured further in „Ma‟, „Veli‟, „Kaani‟ etc. Students learnt whole number units in terms of „Perunkuzhi‟ and fractional units as „Sirukuzhi‟. Practising to write had a special role in the‟ Pyol‟ school. Writing was intended to only assist in training of mind. Writing as a special important feature is a latter day development. In the „Pyol‟, writing can be said to have only an assisting role. The two together prepared the students through mind training for general activities. The Pyol schools provided the foundation for the professions of village head, accountant etc. This training enabled the students to serve the social, economic and agricultural interests of the village as a mature member among the public and as a capable individual. 10 2. Sports & Games There are Tamil sports played traditionally and widely in Tamil Nadu. Many of them are played in all of South India; some are played all over the world. Games like Volley-ball, football etc.