Thus Spake the Divine - Ummachchi

Thus Spake the Divine

Ummachchi

We all know that children address God as Ummachchi. Maha Periyava’s child-like curiosity to identify the root of this term “Ummachchi” really melts one’s heart.

All of us should chant the name of Narayana in the morning and that of Lord Shiva in the evening. Maha Vishnu (Narayana) sustains the earth. Therefore, before commencing the day’s chores, one should chant His name. In the evening, all living beings are exhausted with their actions and so are humans. The world sinks into darkness; birds get back to their nests; cattle return to their sheds after their day- long grazing. This is the time we should direct all our external thoughts into our heart and assimilate them for Parameshvara. The auspicious Pradhosham time (The three-hour period, 1.5 hours before and after the sunset) is one of the optimum times for worship of Lord Shiva.

Ishvara should always be worshipped along with His Consort Ambal. Ishvara is called Shiva and Ambal is called ShivA. Sri Rudram says, “Lord Rudra, who is the epitome of fury, has another form, which is supremely magnificent and in the form of ShivA. The same ShivA is the panacea for ailments of the entire world. Even to Rudra, ShivA acts as medicine”.

When Lord Rudra drank the highly dangerous venom (Aalakala Visham), ShivA, His Consort, saved His life from toxins of the poison. Acharya, in his composition Saundarya Lahari, expresses his admiration to ShivA for saving the life of Shiva.

Therefore, we should worship Shiva, along with ShivA. When we call Shiva in the names of Sambamurti or Sambashiva, it means the union of both Shambhu and Ambal. It is not only Vedas, which ordain us to worship Lord Shiva along with Goddess ShivA; it is also the children of our country, who have ordered us in a similar way! How is that? Let me explain!

Children generally address God as “Ummachchi”. There are certain special words in the language of children, which have been in vogue for thousands of years. In children’s jargon, the term Ummachchi means “God”. You must have heard parents coming to the Mutt telling their children to “Do namaskaram to Ummachchi Thatha”. I have been thinking about the origin of this term “Ummachchi” for quite some time.

Once, I had been to Rock Fort in Trichy. There, I saw some people carrying the God’s palanquin. They were from a place called Tirunallam (Koneri Rajapuram). Among them I heard, one calling the other as “Ummachu”. Instantly, I got the connection. The God in Tirunallam is “Uma Maheshvara”. So, when children call God as “Ummachchi”, it denotes only Uma Maheshvara, represented by the couple of Uma and Maheshvara. Thus, I could understand that children in their oldest form of language have been worshipping God only along with the Goddess!

Something uttered by children always carries higher value. They are sans lust and anger. They will just throw away something given to them and run away happily. Children can embrace with love one who has just scolded them. Children never have wicked thoughts and animosities against others. That is why Upanishads recommend us to remain a child. When such a flawless child defines God as “Uma Maheshwar”, then we cannot ignore that. The language of Vedas and that of children are identical. Let us chant the name of Ishvara who is coupled with Ambal.

Nama Parvati Pathaye! Hara Hara Mahadeva! (Namaskarams to Lord Shiva, who is the Consort of Parvati!)

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.