kaisika puranam

[Kesaven Thirumalai Numbakkam]

Here is a link on Kaisika Puranam and nampAduavan

http://www.narthaki .com/info/ intervw/intrvw35 a.html

What is the origin of this word kaisika? Was NampAduvAn the opener of
this word? Has it been cited in any reference before? Why is the name
kaisika ekadasi/dvadasi given to that day? are some questions that arise in our mind. It will be great if some bhakta can throw some light on these?

Meanwhile, adiyen has some clues about this, which have to be
authenticated by very enlightened members of the list. This word kaisika has appeared first of all in Srimad Valmiki Ramayana in the first canto of Sundara kanda *sEvitE vAridhArAbhi: patagaischa nishEvitE; charite kaisikAchAryai: airAvata nishEvitE* etc. Hanuman flew in the skies which had a number of waterfalls, and various birds frequented. where the great order of gods or preceptors who were expert in singing the raga or svaras of kaisika cruised; where airavata or indra's elephant resorted to. Here 'kaisika' is already referred to as well known in treta yuga as a special kind of singing or raga or svara.

In the introduction of kaisika purana vyakhyanam by Sri Parasara Bhattar, there is no reference to the genesis of the name kaisika purana. It is only referred to as 'bhagavad guna apadAna gAnam' or singing in praise of the qualities and heroic deeds of Lord Narayana. Nampaduvan, as is well known, was caught by a brahma rakshasa, in a forest and ultimately transferred a small amount of his good deed of singing in front of varAha nAyanAr by which the brahmarakshasa was released of his bad birth and went to heaven. Sri Parasara Bhattar makes an interesting remark about the holding of nampaduvan (singer to god) or the chandala (shvapacha dog-cook or dog eater) by the brahma rakshasa. "Avan brahmananallAmeyAle oru panjAdiyai chcholli tannai viduvittuk kola mATTitthilan. durbalanagaiyAle parakramatthAle viduvitthuk kolla maTTitthilan. Avan nam pakkalile bharanyAsam panninAn kANum." as said by Sri varaha nayanar to bhoomi piratti. Not being a brahmin he
(nampAduvan) could not recite a panjAdi from veda and get himself freed from the brahma rAkshasa and not being strong he could not fight his way free from the captor. He did only surrender to Me and waited. This shows that in sri Bhattar's opinion veda mantra had powers to free one from the clutches of brahma Rakshasa. After sixteen shlokas of various swearings taken by nampAduvan promising to return to him after singing till daybreak, brahma Rakshasa allows nampaduvan on his mission.

He returns after daybreak and offers himself as food to the demon, when he changes his mind and requests him to transfer all his merits earned by singing throughout the night of kaisika ekadasi and help him be released from the janma as a demon. Nampaduvan refuses to part with any punyam and finally after listening to the story of previous birth as a vile Brahmin and death during a sacrifice and consequent birth as a brahma rakshasa, nampaduvan's heart softens and offers to give the punyam of singing the last song. "yanmayA pashchimam gItam svaram kaisika samjnakam; phalena tasya bhadram tE mokshayishyAmi kilbishAt". Here what he said is to be noted. He said that he sang a last song with the svara named kaisika.

This particular single song earned so much merit as to be powerful enough to release the brahma rakshasa from his mean life and send him to heaven. Perhaps, to point out the significance of this song, the whole episode was named as kaisika puranam.

We know that in music, kaisika is associated with the svara nishAda as
'komala kaisiki nishAda and kaisiki nishAda' which is a part of several
enchanting ragas as nathabhairavi, kharaharapriya, rathnangi etc, of which bhairavi etc, are janyaragas. Perhaps, it can be guessed that one of these ragas was sung by nampaduvan. We do not know if any specific song was sung or any song in those ragas could be sung concerning His praise.

We have to wait and see what the research of Prof S.Ramanujam will
reveal regarding Kaisika puranam from the manuscript obtained from
Tirukkurungudi. The photos of nampaduvan's and brahma rakshasa's roles
posted in the website in the kaisika nataka are very interesting and we
all do wait eagerly to see the drama and enjoy it. As srivaishnavas,
though, we do not think in terms of the other angles viz.,
societal and social aspects as mentioned by the Prof. For us, it is
forbidden to inquire into the birth aspects of a srivaishnava devotee,
as in "vIttinba inbappAkkaLil dravyabhAShA nirUpaNa samam
inbamAriyil ArAychi" and "mlEchchanum bhaktanAnAl ... pUjai
konDu, tIrthaprasAdanAm" and "janma vritta vidyAnaipuNAdigal ... shava
vidhavAlamkAramenru kazhippargal" . It may be of academic and
political interest to say that a svapacha gave moksha to a brahmin,
though in fact it was the power of kaisika mahatmyam that cleansed
the sins of the brahmarakshasa.

s:

The most extensive theme-account of EkAdaSI is available
in the padma purANam which (despite its own quota of
visibly irrelevant and banal interpolations) could be
termed as the most authentic vaishnava purANam, reckoned
as such after the vishNu p., varAha p., and bhAgavata p.

Being on a visit from Srirangam to Memphis, I do not
readily have my copy of padma p. with me; hence write
from memory.

padma.p. devotes a chapter to each EkAdaSI of the year,
each of them bearing a distinct name. (EkAdaSI, as is
well known, literally means the ordinal 'eleventh', and
stands for the corresponding day/date of the waxing/waning
phase of the moon; this 'tithi' occurs twice in a month.)

Of all the formal 'vratam' prescribed, the EkAdaSI is the
most cherished and exclusively vaishnava vratam. The
observance consists of fasting through the day and overnight
vigil, dedicated throughout to devotional activity like
reading the scriptures, telling the rosary, recitation of the
'stotram'/'keertana m' etc. [It is interesting that the
purANam prohibits the woman from fasting as such; with the
exception that she may, with her husband's consent, fast for
half of the EkAdaSI day.] The EkAdaSI is completed only
with the pre-dawn bath the next morning (i.e. of the dvAdaSI)
and breaking the fast (pAraNA) by imbibing 'tulasI'
(ocimum sanctum) in holy water.

nArAyaNa bhaTTattiri' s work, 'nArAyaNIyam' , a marvellous
condensed retelling of SrImad-bhAgavatam, identifies
EkAdaSI inter alia eight objects/observances identified with
deliverance and Grace, viz., (GanGa water, the celebrated
krshna-arjuna dialogue bhagavad-GeetA, the GAyatrI mantram,
the tulasI plant, the oordhva-puNDra mark drawn with Gopi
sandal powder, the devotions offered in the SALagrAma
(ammonite) stone, observance of the EkAdaSI vratam,
recitation of the (sahasra-) nAma. Even though a later-day
(15th cent.?) work, 'nArAyaNIyam' has all the inspiration
and verity of an authentic 'sAmpradAyika' work, and has the
status of good literature and a reliable religious document.

"GanGA GItA cha GAyatrI api cha tulasikA GopikA-chandanam tat
SALaGrAmAbhipoojA, para-purusha, tathaikAdaSee nAmavarNAh
EtAnyashtAn- ayatnAn-yayi kali-samayE tvat-prasAda- pravrddhyA
kshipram mukti-pradAnee- tyabhidadhu( h) rshayah tEshu mAm
sajjayethAh! "

Of the EkAdaSI marking the annual calendar, the interval
between the Sayana- and the utthAna- EkAdaSI represents the
span of yOGa-nidrA (cosmic slumber) of SrIman-nArAyaNa, and
is observed as the chAtur-mAsyam (the Four Months) when the
itinerant 'sannyAsI' should remain rooted in one place.
These two EkAdaSI are observed with great rapture and devotion
in panDharpur in mahArAshtra, the home of 'haridAsa' movement.

The utthAna E. is observed in SrIrangam and tirukkurunguDi
as 'kaiSika E.', named after a melody in which the hymn was
set for worship on this E. day. This E. is two E. precedent
to the great vaikuNTha E. The illustrative anecdote
of kaisika E. is contained in the varAha purANam (which
~~ unlike the other purANams recorded by SrI vEdavyAsa, and
vishNu p. by his sire sri parASara ~~ has the status of
bhagavacChAstram, being verily from the Lord himself).
SrI parASara-bhaTTa had written the Sloka-wise tamizh
paraphrase of the varAha p. anecdote, and this work is
recited by the bhaTTa descendants before namperumAL in the
arjuna-maNDapam on the midnight of kaiSika E. The absolute
tranquility of the midnight hour, the audience of devotees
absorbing the enchantment of namperumAL's visage, and bhaTTar
reading the kaiSika-purANam and the exalted tamizh paraphrase
out of the palm manuscript against the backdrop of the golden
crest of Sriranga-praNavAkAr a-vimAnam ~~ all these blend to
produce the alchemy of an incomparable beatitude which is
hard to describe in words.

It is, of course, tirukkurunguDi one thinks of to mention
the kaiSika E which is considered (in the 'sampradAyam' )
to be dedicated to vaDivazhakia nambi, sundara-paripoorna-
perumAL of this divya-deSam. The kaisika E anecdote is
staged here as a play before perumAL.

The vaikunTha E. is the event and festival held to be most
precious in SrIrangam, and would constitute a full-book
theme in itself. This E. is especially sacred and dear to the
vaishnava as marking the full recitation and glorification
of the AzhvAr aruLiccheyal (divya-prabandham) hymns