Kurooramma and namajapam

6/17/08


This is the story of a very pious Nambudiri woman called Kurooramma
and a great Guruvayurappa devotee Vilwamangalam Swamiyar.

As per our Hindu belief, prayer should be done after taking shower and
wearing clean clothes. Actually cleaning is applied to mind as well.
Scriptures insist that we should pray with a clear mind and clean
body. Because of this aachaaram or rule, women usually do not say
their prayers during their monthly periods. They stay away from areas
where poojas and bhajans are done. Of course no where in scriptures
uttering of God's name or naamajapam is prohibited during any time.
Naamam can be chanted " shuchir va ashuchir va sarvaavashtaasu
sarvada", means clean or dirty, one can chant naamam all the time. But
usually women take those six or seven days as good excuse to miss
prayers with out guilt.

Kurooramma used to do naama japam ( only naamam) with out any
hesitation during this "inauspicious" time too. Vilawamangalam
Swamiyar heard about this and was very upset that she was doing
naamajapam during this time with out hesitation. He worried that she
might be setting a bad example for all other devotees. So one day
during one of her inauspicious time Vilwamangalm happened to visit her
house and he heard her chanting naamam. He noticed that the paayasam
usually made by her was missing that day and he guessed the reason. He
was very disturbed to hear her loud chanting of naamam.

He asked Kurooramma's servant Madhavi (Kurooramma was standing far
behind the door paying respect to Vilwamangalam. In those days
Nambudiri women were not supposed to see any other men than their own
brothers and husbands and usually all the conversation happened
through a maid servant or children.)

" I heard that Kurooramma is chanting naamam even during the 
inauspicious time of the month and can you ask her why she is 
doing that, setting a bad example to all younger devotees". 

Kurooramma told the servant, 

" Madhavi, please ask Vilwamangalam whether he can assure
 me that I will not die during my periods. If he can give an 
assurance that death will not touch any woman during that time, 
I will give up chanting. As long as I do not know about the uncertain 
death walking towards me, I have to chant naamam to greet
Yamadeva and then say good bye to him and go and join
my Krishna. Yamadeva lets only people with namam in their lips or mind
to go past him towards Krishna."

Vilwamangalam did not have an answer and he did namaskaaram to
Kurooramma and to his great surprise, he saw Baalagopaalan smiling and
waving at him holding Kurooramma's mundu or dhothi.

This story leaves us with absolutely no excuse not to think of Him any
day of our short life! Let Guruvayurappan not make us find different
excuses to forget Him! Let Him make us think of Him for thousands and
thousands of reasons.