Humble Homage to the Aacharayaals..

Humble Homage to the Aacharayaals..

न कर्मणा न प्रजया धनेन त्यागेनेके अम्रुतत्त्वमानशुः 

परेण नाकं निहितं गुहायां विब्राजदेतद्यतयो विशन्ति 

Na karmanaa na prajayaa dhanena tyageneke amrutattwamaanashuH

Parena naakam nihitam guhaayaam vibhraajatedatyatayo vishanti..

XII-14:Mahanarayanopanisat.. tittariya samhita Krishnayajurvedam...

Not by work, not by progeny, not by wealth, they have attained Immortality. Some have attained Immortality by renunciation. 

That which the hermits attain is laid beyond the heaven; yet it shines brilliantly in the (purified) heart.

वेदान्तविज्ञान विनिश्चितार्थाः सन्न्यसयोगाद्यतयः शुद्धसत्वाः।

ते ब्रह्मलोके तु परान्तकाले परामृतात् परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे॥

दह्रम् विपापं वरवेश्मभूतं यत्पुन्डरीकम् पुरमध्यसँस्थं।

तत्रापि दह्रे गगनं विशोकं तस्मिन् यदन्तस्तदुपासितव्यं॥

यो वेदादौ स्वरः प्रोक्तो वेदान्ते च प्रतिष्ठितः।

तस्य प्रकृतिलीनस्य यः परः स महेश्वरः॥

vedāntavijñāna viniscitārthāḥ sannyasayogādyatayaḥ śuddhasatvāḥ|

te brahmaloke tu parāntakāle parāmṛtāt parimucyanti sarve||

dahram viapāpaṁ varaveśmabhūtaṁ yatpunḍarīkam puramadhyasasthaṁ|

tatrāpi dahre gaganaṁ viśokaṁ tasmin yadantastadupāsitavyaṁ||

yo vedādau svaraḥ prokto vedānte ca pratiṣṭhitaḥ|

tasya prakṛtilīnasya yaḥ paraḥ sa maheśvaraḥ||

श्री महानारायणोपनिषत् द्वादशोऽनुवाकः १५-१६-१७

śrī mahānārāyaṇopaniṣat dvādaśo'nuvākaḥ XII- 15-16-17

Having attained the Immortality consisting of identification with the Supreme, all those aspirants who strive for self-control, who have rigourously arrived at the conclusion taught by vedanta through direct knowledge, and who have attained purity of mind through the practice of the discipline of yoga and steadfastness in the knowledge of brahman preceded by renunciation, get themselves released into the regions of Brahman at the dissolution of the body.

In the citadel of the body there is the small sinless and pure lotus of the heart which is the residence of the Supreme. Further in the interior of this small area there is the sorrowless ether.. That is to be meditated upon continuously.

He is the supreme Lord who transcends the syllable Om which is uttered at the commencement of recital of the Vedas, which is well established in the Upanishads and which is dissolved in the primal cause (prakriti) during contemplation

The above anuvakas in Mahanarayanopanishat, which is a part of advanced yajurvedic learning along with raittareeyopanishat, in three stanzas describe the way of renunciated people, the location of the Supreme Self in the anahata lotus at the heart of the living being and identifies the Brahman who is to be worshiped.

These three stanzas along with Na karamana Na prajaya dhanena..... is chanted wherever the great Aacharys who have renunciated everything and walk on this earth as living gods are present.

Medha Suktham

Medha Suktham Krishna Yajurveda
1. ॐ यश्च्छन्दसामृषभो विश्वरूपाः। छन्दोभ्योऽद्यमृतात् संबभूव।समेन्द्रो मेधया स्पृणोतु। अमृतस्य देवधारणो भूयासं।शरीरं मे विचर्षणं। जिह्वा मे मधुमत्तमा।कर्णाभ्यां भूरिविश्रुवं। ब्रह्मणः कोशोऽसि मेधया पिहितः।श्रुतं मे गोपाय।ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः।(तैत्तरीय आरण्यकं ७--४)

2.मेधा देवी जुषमाणा न आगाद्विश्वाची भद्रा सुमनस्यमाना Iत्वया जुष्टा जुषमाणा दुरुक्तान्बृहद्वदेम विदथे सुवीराः II

महानारयणोपनिषत् ४१ १
त्वया जुष्ट ऋषिर्भवति देवि त्वया ब्रह्मागतश्रीरुत त्वया।त्वया जुष्टश्चित्रं विन्दते वसु सा नो जुषस्व द्रविणेन मेधे॥

(महानारायणोपनिषत् ४१ ------------२)

3. मेधा म इन्द्रो ददातु मेधां देवी सरस्वतीःमेधां मे अश्विनावुभावाधत्तां पुष्करस्रजौ॥१॥अप्सरासु च या मेधा गन्धर्वेषु च यन्मनःदेवी मेधा सरस्वती स मां मेधा सुरभिर्जुषताग्ँ स्वाहा॥२॥(महानारयणोपनिषद्॥ ४२॥)

4. आ मां मेधा सुरभिर्विश्वरूपा हिरण्यवर्णा जगती जगम्या।ऊर्जस्वती पयसा पिन्वमाना स मां मेधा सुप्रतीका जुषताम्॥१॥(महानारयणोपनिषद्॥ ४३॥)
Transliteration
1..om yaścchandasāmṛṣabho viśvarūpāḥ| chandobhyo'dyamṛtāt saṁbabhūva|samendro medayā spṛṇotu| amṛtasya devadhāraṇo bhūyāsaṁ|śarīraṁ me vicarṣaṇaṁ| jihvā me madhumattamā|karṇābhyāṁ bhūriviśruvaṁ| brahmaṇaḥ kośo'si medhayā pihitaḥ|śrutaṁ me gopāya| om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ|taittarīya āraṇyakaṁ 7-42.

2.medhā devī juṣamāṇā na āgādviśvācī bhadrā sumanasyamānātvayā juṣṭā juṣamāṇā duruktānbṛhadvadema vidathe suvīrāḥmahānārayaṇopaniṣat 41 1
tvayā juṣṭa ṛṣirbhavati devi tvayā brahmāgataśrīruta tvayā|tvayā juṣṭaścitraṁ vindate vasu sā no juṣasva draviṇena medhe||
mahānārāyaṇopaniṣat 41------------23.

3. medhā ma indro dadātu medhāṁ devī sarasvatīḥmedhāṁ me aśvināvubhāvādhattāṁ puṣkarasrajau||1||apsarāsu ca yā medhā gandharveṣu ca yanmanaḥdevī medhā sarasvatī sa māṁ medhā surabhirjuṣatāg svāhā||2||mahānārayaṇopaniṣad|| 42||

4. ā māṁ medhā surabhirviśvarūpā hiraṇyavarṇā jagatī jagamyā|ūrjasvatī payasā pinvamānā sa māṁ medhā supratīkā juṣatām||1||mahānārayaṇopaniṣad|| 43||

These are the four mantras in praise of Devi Medha, the Goddess of Intellect

the first mantram.. yacchandaasaam… meaning and comments

"That Pranava ( Omkara) (1) which is verily called as Indra,(2) which is the most revered among metres (chandas),(3) which spreads the entire universe in the form of sound (Naada brahman), (4) which is foremost in importance above all other vedic metres, may enlighten me with the power of intellect to fully understand all the vedas and related scriptures. Oh Divinity in the form of pranava, please kindle my faculties for grasping the vedas which are immortal. May you be pleased to render my body capable of acquiring such splendid knowledge.May my tongue be the source of the sweetest of the sweet words from the scriptures . May my two ears be blessed with the opportunity and capability of hearing and understanding the sublime meaning of various scriptures. You are the source of the eternal Brahman. You have spread yourself all over the universe through the supreme intellect. Oh pranava, who is Brahman itself, may you protect me who has learned the scriptures from the mouth of my guru( preceptor) through my ears blessed by you. Om Peace, peace, peace


This is a prayer to the Pranava, the source of supreme intellect (though addressed in this mantra as Indra also, we have to consider this prayer as addressed only to the supreme Brahman. There are various metres used in rendering vedas but the pranavam is in the metre Gayatri and it is supreme. It is the supreme sound which becomes the cause for everything in the universe.

This mantra is a prayer by the student that he may be blessed with the physical and intellectual faculties to enable him to learn and understand the sublime Vedas and in general all great knowledge. For a student, healthy body, sweetness in words and speech, and unimpaired capacity to hear and grasp the meaning of what he hears are essential. The holy word Omkaram or pranavam is here described as the treasure-house from which the entire universe and its knowledge sprang up.The tradition that the knowledge should spring from the mouth of the Guru and should be grasped through the attentive hearing of the disciple is highlighted in this prayer.

This mantra is chanted as the first part of Medhaa Sooktham by the initiates, and it is considered to be a potent vedic prayer which should be chanted by all seekers and also by students who are in pursuit of any knowledge.

The Second mantram…
twayaa jushta….Meaning and comments

This is the second manthra praising the divine mother who is the personification of knowledge

May the all embracing goddess of intellect who is always showering benefits on us, who is always pleased with us and who is delighted by us her children, be with us. Oh Goddess of muse and supreme intellect, may we the silly humans who spend our days recklessly in worthless talk till you visit us and kindle our intellect, as a result of your affection and compassion to us which is manifested by your visit to our mind, become enlightened and also capable of expressing and sharing the Supreme Truth along with our heroic sons and disciples.

{This is a prayer every guru makes to the goddess of intellect to kindle his intellect so that he is weaned away from meaningless harangue and is visited with Supreme Wisdom... He wants to share the wisdom with his disciples and sons. The most important aspect we have to notice is that the learned guru is well aware that his wisdom is flowing from the sweet grace of the Goddess of Knowledge and that he will be worthy of only empty speech if the Goddess is not in his company.The vedas (this mantra will be found in rgveda and atharvaveda also) have recognized the goddess, a woman, as the embodiment of all knowledge, even though we worship Krishna , Dakshinaamoorthi and Sankara as the preceptors of the world. The personification of Mother Gayatri as a woman is another tribute to their lofty thoughts. The woman embodies the knowledge and the man disseminates the knowledge through the blessing of that great mother. The idea that prakruti the woman and purusha (male) the doer compliment each other to turn the wheel of universe is delightfully acknowledged by our ancestors. No male chauvinism.For the preceptor his own son and his disciple are on equal footing. He prays for the acquisition of knowledge so that he can impart the same to his own sons and his disciples. The gurus eagerness to attain brilliant disciples is also a glorious feature of our ancient traditions. Vide taittareeyopanishad...आमायन्तु ब्रह्मचारिणः स्वाहाः...āmāyantu brahmacāriṇaḥ svāhāḥ .... etc.,Finally one can notice with awe the complete lack of arrogance on the part of the Guru... he simply attributes all that is great to the bounty of the Goddess of Muse.This manthra along with one more mantra following it is worshipfully chanted like the Holy Gayatri by the devotees of Knowledge}

Oh Mother, one who has the fortune of having a glimpse by your sacred eyes becomes a seer, he becomes the knower of Brahma, blessed by you he comes into possession of bounteous riches,,, Therefore, Mother Intellect, please be kind on us.


This mantra again is a reinforcement of the staunch belief of the Vedic man that knowledge flows from the godhead and wealth and fame flows from such knowledge. The loftiest intellectual of the period must have discovered such mantras but he is humble enough and bereft of any arrogance... he acknowledges the source of what he has very sincerely.. a full and true disclosure.This is a prayer found in Mahanarayanopanisat, Taittariiyaaranyakam and partilally in a slightly modified form in Rgveda khila. This is also chanted as part of Medhaasooktham, prayer to the Universal Mother for kindling our intellect.

the third mantra Medhaam ma indro dadaathu.
Meaning and comments

"May the leader of Gods Indra bestow on me the greatest Intellect. May the Goddess Saraswathi grant us intellect. May the divine twin master physicians Ashwins wearing beautiful garlands, enhance our intellect.I hail the sacred divinities.May the intellect that is present in the dancers of heaven the Apsaraas, visit me. May the intellect that is present as discretion and stability of mind in the divine singers called gandharvaas, visit me.May the Goddess Saraswathi who is fragrant and pure, be with me in the form of the sacred scriptures,

The fourth mantra aa maa medhaa …..

Meaning and comments
May that goddess of muses Saraswathi visit me with Her most pleasant demeanour and bless me with success,. That Goddess of intelligence pervades the entire universe like fragrance. She is the one who is possessing the letters(scripts) resplendent in golden colours, Her vision covers the entire realm of knowledge.,She is the dispenser of all that a man can desire...dharma, artha, kama and moksha and she is waited upon always by the seekers. She is the origin of all positive energy. She nourishes me with all elixirs like milk. and makes my life eminently pleasant for me with wealth and prosperity. "


All that is great in our lives ultimately comes to us through Divine favour alone . The greatest faculty that contributes to our wholesome existence is our intellect which is kindled in us by the mother of Muses Devi Saraswathi, who is also addressed as Devi Medhaa or intellect personified. The faculty of fine arts are manifested in the Apsaras and gandharvas and in the divine manifestation of intelligence in golden scripts (through which we communicate). That beloved mother's blessings are sought throught these vedic mantras

We are praising the mother only with the faculty of intellect that is bestowed upon us by Her through her most benign will. Without her motherly nourishment neither our individual intellect nor the collective intellect of the universe can function.

Let us pray the most benign mother so that She will be with all of us for ever


The following prayers are also chanted at the conclusion..

मयि मेधां मयि प्रजां मय्यग्निः तेजो ददातु। मयि मेधां मयि प्रजां मयीन्द्र इन्द्रियम् ददातु। मयि मेधां मयि प्रजां मयि सूर्यो भ्राजो ददातु।
mayi medhāṁ mayi prajāṁ mayyagniḥ tejo dadātu|mayi medhāṁ mayi prajāṁ mayīndra indriyam dadātu|mayi medhāṁ mayi prajāṁ mayi sūryo bhrājo dadātu|
महादेव्यै च विद्महे ब्रह्मपत्नैः च धीमहि तन्नो वाणी प्रचोदयात्॥हंसहंसाय विद्महे परमहंसाय धीमहि तन्नो हंस प्रचोदयात्॥mahādevyai ca vidmahe brahmapatnaiḥ ca dhīmahitanno vāṇī pracodayāt||haṁsahaṁsāya vidmahe paramahaṁsāya dhīmahitanno haṁsa pracodayāt||

our National Anthem

the song Jana Gana Mana adhinaayaka... our National Anthem-- simply stirs our very existence with love, respect and sense of commitment for our India..

and every time we listen to our National Anthem many sweet emotions simply erupt inside.. which are incapable of being expressed in words 

More than the words and music which are indeed sublime, the very thought that it is in praise of our India.. and that it is a unique honour for every Indian to stand up and sing.. fills us with pride..

And the National Anthem sung and videoed in the backdrop of the supreme sacrifice of our security and military personnel on the black day of Bombay incident of 26/11 makes it all the more sacred..

Sacredness made poignant by the sacrifice of those martyrs

Who will not stand up and sing.?. and who will not shed a few drops of tears to respect and honour those martyrs..?

If someone refused to stand up and listen,.. I can only ask.. How is it possible?

idiots are invincible.

idiots are invincible.

________________

शक्यो वारयितुं जलेन हुतभुक् छत्रेण सूर्यातपो

नागेन्द्रो निशिताङ्कुशेन समदो दण्डेन गोगर्दभौ।

व्याधिर्भैषजसङ्ग्रहैश्च विविधैः मन्त्रप्रयोगैर्व्विषम्।

सर्वस्यौषधमस्ति शास्त्रविहितं मूर्खस्य नास्त्यौषधी॥

भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतके ११

śakyo vārayituṁ jalena hutabhuk chatreṇa sūryāatapo

nāgendro niśitāṅkuśena samado daṇḍena gogardabhau|

vyādhirbhaiṣajasaṅgrahaiśca vividhaiḥ mantraprayogairvviṣam|

sarvasyauṣadhamasti śāstravihitaṁ mūrkhasya nāstyauśadhī||

bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatake 11

हुतभुक् जलेन वारयितुं शक्यः( भवति) Fire can be extinguished with water.

सूर्यातपो छत्रेण वारयितुं शक्यः( भवति) Intense sunlight can be avoided by using umbrella

समदो नागेन्द्रो निशिताङ्कुशेन वारयितुं शक्यः( भवति) An elephant in rut can be controlled applying sharp goad with sharp hook

गोगर्दभौ दण्डेन वारयितुं शक्यौ( भवतः) 

The bull or the donkey can be kept in place by thorough beating with a stick

व्याधिःच र्भैषजसङ्ग्रहै वारयितुं शक्यः( भवति) Disease also can be treated with the right combination of medicines.

विषं विविधैः मन्त्रप्रयोगैःवारयितुं शक्यं ( भवति) Poison ( by snakebite) can be nullified by various chants and spells

(अस्मिन् लोके) सर्वस्य औषधं अस्ति In this world, there is some medicine or some solutions for any problem or illnes

परन्तु मूर्खस्य औषधी नास्ति. But there is no medicine available to cure the foolishness of an idiot..

This is from the great philosopher poet Bhrtruhari..

There are some medicines cures or solutions for almost all the problems in this world.. 

Fire can be doused with water.. 

Umbrella gives shelter from midday sun. 

Even the ultimately roguish elephant can be forced to obey if a sharp goad is applied in its appropriate place.. 

Cattle and Donkeys can be brought into utter obedience just by applying the stick. 

Doctors have combination of medicines for all ailment.

Even the venom from a snakebite could be neutralized through spells and chants ( of course now we have antivenins)

But if a fellow is idiot by nature or has chosen to be an idiot nothing can cure him

How can there be another Venkatesha anywhere...?

“Venkatdhri samam sthanam brahmande nasthi kinchana Venkatesa samo devo na bhuto na bhavishyathi ” 

वेङ्कटाद्रि समं स्थानं ब्रह्माण्डे नास्ति किञ्चन।

वेङ्कटेश समो देवः न भूतो न भविष्यति॥

veṅkaṭādri samaṁ sthānaṁ brahmāṇḍe nāsti kiñcana|

veṅkaṭeśa samo devaḥ na bhūto na bhaviṣyati||

How can there be another Venkatesha anywhere...?

There is no place on this brahmandam (the universe created by Brahma) which can be equal to the holy Venkatadri..

And there never was or there will never be any God equal to that Merciful Venkatesha who occupies the Seven Hills.

We can make replicas.. but how can there be any comparison?

Advaitis may say God is present everywhere.. But even they may not say so after seeing the Glory of Govinda in Tirupathi

No one is really satisfied with anything..

No one is really satisfied with anything..

In the preface to Valmikiramayanam, we read a slokam

यः पिबन् सततं राम चरितामृतसागरम्।

अतृप्तस्तं मुनिं वन्दे प्राचेतसमकल्मषम्॥

yaḥ piban satataṁ rāma caritāmṛtasāgaram|

atṛptastaṁ muniṁ vande prācetasamakalmaṣam||

it is a eulogy to Valmiki..

Meaning...." He drank the nectar of the whole ocean of ambrosia that is the history of Rama.. still he was unsatisfied and wanted to have more.. we pay respect that Sage Praachetasa.. son of Prachetas,Valmiki.."

The difference between great and not so great appear to be that they choose the subjects about which they should never be satisfied..

Those who pursue wealth and pelf, continue pursuing them and never getting satisfied and always frustrated..

Those who pursue the great and sublime too continue their pursuit without complete satisfaction, but without any reason to get frustrated..

contradictions galore...

I cannot help contradicting myself often because I am just a human being..

It should be the same with others too..

But many consider that they should dish out platitudes and appear to be rational and intellectually correct.. 

That is only one stage in life.. 

The spiritual, and philosophical being inside us will tell us many things and ask us to behave is a prescribed manner.. 

Of course, that facet should be the core ideal inside us.(imho)..

But the intellectual, and the child are also working with us.

The child might make us frivolous and even silly.. 

The intellectual will force us to play roles and prod us to put on a face which would be appealing to the audience.. 

The interaction, the camaraderie and conflicts among these three is an ongoing process which no one can escape.. 

We can see this idea germane in Indian thoughts as also in western philosophy...

Actually the Parent Adult Child model and the transactional analysis, are products of this line of thinking..

But I am just trying to articulate the idea in my own layman's naive fashion.

One advantage for me appears to be that I have read and tried to assimilate many ideas over the years, but I am not indoctrinated.. 

Do not Judge others.. said jesus, but Jesus was Divine.. 

Krishna the blessed lord can tell so many things in Gita and elsewhere..

But the gap between the Divine and the mundane is too wide..

I think it will be okay for us if we can remain just ordinary human and not devilish most of the time.. Maybe we can have rare flashes of divinity too..

But I have to confess, sometimes, I get baffled by my own contradiction..

Love

Love

Love.. I could discover Love in Krishna..

Love, the uneasiness which nags me constantly when I am away from my friends, even though on my own volition.. 

Love is the four letter word which sustains our lives.. 

Love prompted the poets to write..

Love was the prime theme of their poems.. 

Kalidasa, Keats, Shankara and Shakespeare all wrote about love..

And even Shankara the recluse.. 

The four letter word is beyond any definition.. 

Love can have a positive impact, steadying and sustaining the entire gamut of relationships..

The same love can lead to jealousy, strife, wars, massacres, blood-sheds.. Draupadi, Cleopatra.... think of many such names..

There can be no absolute definition for Love .. 

What is God..? if one can define, 

what is evil.. ? if one can define, 

then one can define love too..

Love is the feeling that a mother radiates towards her newborn infant.. which had actually given her all sorts of pain during confinement, and the most insufferable pain at the time of childbirth.. 

So love is forgiveness..

Love for God the Krishna is the culmination of Bhatkti.. 

or is bhakthi the culmination or consummation of the love between the Maker and His creation?.. 

Let us enjoy love, 

let us give love, 

let us live in love.. 

but all the written and unwritten words or thoughts in the universe cannot say what love is. 

If true love is just a myth... then all our lives too are only myths

സ്മരണോപഹാരം

സ്മരണോപഹാരം 

"ഓം ഗണാനാം ത്വാ ഗണപതിം ഹവാമഹെ

      കവിം കവീനാം ഉപമശ്രവസ്തമം

ജ്യേഷ്ടരാജം ബ്രാഹ്മണാം ബ്രാഹ്മണസ്പദ

ആന: ശ്രുണ്വന്നൂതിഭി: സീദ സാദനം ".

ന ജായതേ മൃയതെ വാ കദാചിത്

നായം ഭൂത്വാ ഭവിതാ വാപി ഭുയഃ 

അജോ നിത്യഃ ശാശ്വതോയം പുരാണ

ന ഹന്യതേ ഹന്യമാനേ ശരീരേ 

ന കര്‍മ്മണാ ന പ്രജയാ ധനേന

ത്യാഗേനൈകെ അമൃതത്വമാനശുഃ

നമ്മുടെയെല്ലാം അകമഴിഞ്ഞ സ്നേഹത്തിനും ബഹുമാനത്തിനും പാത്രമായിരുന്ന 

ബ്രഹ്മശ്രീ കൃഷ്ണ അയ്യര്‍

ദിവംഗതനായിരിക്കുന്നു..

പക്ഷെ അദ്ദേഹം ശരീരം കൊണ്ട് മാത്രം നമ്മെ പിരിഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിലും ഒരിക്കലും അദ്ദേഹത്തിനു നമ്മെ വിട്ടുപോകാന്‍ കഴിയില്ല..

സ്വന്തം കുഞ്ഞിനെയെന്നപോലെ നമ്മുടെ മഹാഗണപതിയെ സ്നേഹിച്ചു നോക്കിവന്ന,

നമ്മുടെ സമൂഹത്തിന്റെ എല്ലാ കാര്യങ്ങളിലും

അര നൂറ്റാണ്ടിലേറെയായി നമ്മെ നയിച്ചിരുന്ന അദ്ദേഹത്തിന് നമ്മെ വിട്ടുപോകാന്‍ സാധിക്കില്ല..

ആ പുണ്യാത്മാവ് ശിവലോകത്തിലേക്കു വിരമിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു..
അവിടേയിരുന്നുകൊണ്ട് നമ്മെ നയിക്കാന്‍..

അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്നു മരണമില്ല..

ഭഗവാന്റെ സേവനം കൊണ്ട് ധന്യനായ അദ്ദേഹം അമരനായിരിക്കുന്നു

പ്രായഭേദമന്യേ നമ്മുടെ സമൂഹത്തിലെ എല്ലാവര്‍ക്കും അദ്ദേഹം ഒരു സുഹൃത്തായിരുന്നു.

സംഭവാമി യുഗേ യുഗേ എന്ന് ഗിതയില്‍ ഭഗവാന്‍ പറഞ്ഞപോലെ ഇതുപോലെയുള്ള മഹദ് വ്യക്തിത്വങ്ങള്‍ വല്ലപ്പോഴുമേ ജന്മം കൊള്ളുകയുള്ളൂ..

പൂര്‍ണവും ധന്യവുമായ ആ ജീവിതം കൊണ്ട് അദ്ദേഹം നമുക്കെല്ലാവര്‍ക്കും വഴികാണിച്ചു..

കര്‍മ്മോത്സുകതയുടെ നിറവില്‍ നിന്നുകൊണ്ടു തന്നെ അദ്ദേഹം വിടവാങ്ങി.

ആ വേര്‍പാട് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ കുടുംബത്തിന് തീരാനഷ്ടമാണ്.

അതേസമയം ഈ സമൂഹത്തിലെ എല്ലാവരും തുല്യ ദുഖിതരനാണ്.. 

ഒട്ടും അതിശയോക്തി ഇല്ലാതെ തന്നെ.

ആ സ്മരണക്കു മുന്നില്‍ നാം എല്ലാവരും പ്രണാമങ്ങള്‍ അര്‍പ്പിക്കുന്നു.

അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ പുണ്യാത്മാവിനു ബഹമാനപൂര്‍വ്വം നന്ദി പറയുന്നു.

അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ സഹധര്‍മ്മിണിയോടും പുത്രപൌത്രാദികളോടും സമൂഹത്തിന്റെ അനുശോചനം സ്വീകരിക്കാന്‍ അപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നു.

അദ്ദേഹം വിട്ടുപോയ വഴിയില്‍ സമൂഹത്തെ മുന്നോട്ടു നയിക്കാന്‍ അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ കുടുംബത്തെ സാദരം ക്ഷണിക്കുന്നു.

പ്രണാമം.

ശ്രീ മഹാഗണപതി നമ്മെയെല്ലാം ശരിയായ പാതയില്‍ നയിക്കട്ടെ എന്നു പ്രാര്‍ഥിച്ചു കൊള്ളുന്നു..

shri N P Krishna Iyer was a leading figure in our agraharam life and he passed away at the ripe age of 88 years on 26 th August 2015..A blessed soul.. The loss is ours..

why Krishna cursed Asvatthaama.......

why Krishna cursed Asvatthaama.......

Even the Merciful Lord Krishna was angry beyond limits when Ashvathama sent the Apandava Astram on the Foetus growing inside the womb of Uttara, the widow of Abhimanyu... 

In fact after all the children of pandavas were either killed or murdered as a consequence of the Mahabharatha War, the only hope left for the race of Kurus was this child growing in Uttara's womb..

The cruelty of Asvathama was beyond endurance and pardon..

The Blessed Lord, of course revived and rejuvenated the child which was born dead.. and this Child grew as the great Emperor Parikshit.

Given below the extract from Mahabharatam..

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"I am giving an extract from Mahabharaatham of Vyasa, Saupthika Parva.Aishika parva chapter Sixteen Slokas 8 to 12

The blessed Lord Krishna Said

You, Son of Drona, You may note that the powerful arrow (theApandava Astram) which you have sent will have impact on the foetus growing in the womb of Uttara (the widow of Abhimanyu..the sole progeny for the race of Kurus)...The foetus will be born lifeless but it will be blessed with long life (by My Divine Will)

But you take note that the whole world will deride you as cruel, cowardly perpetrator of unpardonable sins.. In addition, you will have to face the consequences of your most sinful deed. 

From this day onwards, for three thousand years, you will be wandering on this earth aimlessly and falteringly..

You will not have the relief of having conversation with anyone in this world, and no one will talk to you even if you try to talk to him

You will be wandering aimlessly across lands which are never populated by human beings.

The places wherever you wander would have no other living being other than you.

You wretch, you will never be able to mingle with human being in society.

Your body will be filled with wounds which would never heal and you will be oozing stale blood and pus through those wounds (including the would inflicted by Bhimasena when he plucked the birth gem which had grown as a part of your head)

Because of your ghastly wounds and the foul smell spread by those wounds, you would be forced to withdraw from places where other human beings reside.

You sinner, you will be afflicted with all the diseases that anyone can have on earth and would be wandering senselessly hither and thither for ever and ever..

The clipping from the epic is attached

                                                

that Grand Beautiful Lady

that Grand Beautiful Lady,

--------------------------------

Mother Lalitha Mahatripurasundari is praised with many qualities in Lalithasahasranamam

The best epithets appear to be reserved to the concluding part..

Avyaajakarunaamoorthi.अव्याजकरुणामूर्तिः .

.possessing the form of guileless mercy...She is innocence of motherhood personified.. her Mercy for her children is unconditional and guileless.. it really does not matter whether we lover her or just act before Her, Her concern for us is the same.

Ajnaanadvaantadeepiaka..अज्ञानध्वान्तदीपिका 

She is the bright lamp which drives away the pitch darkness of ignorance... In Her presence, all our ignorance fleets away..

Aaabaalagopaviditaa.. आबालगोपविदिता 

She is understood by Aa.. th supreme lord Sadasiva and at the same time, she is very familiar to a small boy or even a cowherd..

Sarvaanullanghya Shaasanaa.सर्वनुल्लन्ख्य शासना .

Her suzerain powers and commands go unchallenged at all levels beginning from the ordinary earthlings and extends upto the great Sadasiva..

Man and his monkey..

Man and his monkey..

A man and his monkey were walking along a village road, the man carrying a stick in addition.. 

The man saw a round discarded can lying waste at the centre of the road..

He just brandished the stick ,cricketer-style and hit the can, and it flew a long way, although not for a sixer. 

The monkey was watching with interest.. 

They were walking on. 

The man left the monkey and the stick too in the middle of the road and walked to the side to ease himself.. 

There was a potter's house where mud pots were being made, burned in the oven and stacked in a big row one pot upon the other.. 

The monkey remembered his master's earlier flourish with a round can and thought of using the round mud pots too in a similar fashion..

He rightly presumed that the time was ripe for the cricketing contact between the pots and the stick and choosing the pot in the lowest row as his ball, and put the presumption into action..

The result is history..

Broken pots, 

the vanishing monkey, 

the bolting master of the monkey,

the shouting potter 

and finally the stick lying silently on the roadside like a mute witness, 

and of course 

the broken heart of the potter

A good lesson to support swacchatha activists..

No one should leave trash in the middle of the road.. 

And none should retire to the roadside to ease himself..

Especially when he has monkey for his company..

EYES AND VIEWS

EYES AND VIEWS 

************************

Some one said everyone has two eyes, but do not have same views..

Of course, people survive with one eye, no eye at all, with squint eye, long sight, short sight, cataract and so on.. 

But if there is no agreement in views at some stage, no one can actually survive.. 

Agreeing to disagree is only tall talk.

============================

My comment to the eye problem was

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"but the two eyes are in sync of sorts ..

the slight focal displacement ensures three dimensional vision..

the two eyes are or should be the best friends..

If one eye closes when the other sees or tries to look at something else results can be funny and disastrous too.

similarly views should be either to reinforce if you agree, 

to persuasively alter if you feel there are mistakes, 

and always to build a bridge..

But it is one-up-manship galore we find most of the times..

Views are flaunted to show off, 

to draw attention 

and most of the time 

not to find solutions..

I thing a little action, a little introspection, is better in worth than millions of words..'

------------------------------------------

The birth of Skanda

The birth of Skanda

The birth of Skanda or Murugan or Subrahmanian is described briefly in just a chapter in Ramayanam.. as r ecounted by Vishvamitra to Rama in Balakandam

But the episode finds detailed mention in Skanda puranam and Siva puranam.. 

What must be understood is that the energy of Shiva has been produced (or ejaculated).. and it is the most potent and saturated mass of energy (actually in is the rethas or sperms of Shiva) and Devi Uma Parvathi had not received it in her womb..

Agni was asked to carry it and he was getting burned by the energy of Shiva which he could not bear.. 

Then agni was directed to deposit the same in the Ganga.. 

In fact it is said Ganga started to be dried up, but somehow she carried our her mission assisted by some Dharbha or Kusha grasses in a lake called Sharavana.

Skanda took shape as six children and floated in the waters of the divine river.

The Krithika stars, six in number , took charge of Him and nursed Him

Uma saw the children, embraced them all together, and Skanda the Karthikeya became a single child with Six Heads and twelve hands..

Even agni and Ganga just carried and Skanda is named so because he is a clone, an asexual replica of Shiva.. 

and Uma , Ganga, Krithikas .. are all his foster mothers.. 

Maybe Shiva, the supreme knew his own replica if it is created would be a real challenge to this Universe.

You know even if the deity may calm down later but the visvarooopa darshanam, the first opening of his eyes would produce energy impossible for the universe to bear.

.The universe is in an equilibrium and a sudden spurt, that is the birth of the Supreme, would add infinitely huge energy to it which neither the nature nor the living beings could bear

You see, there may be upakathas where Shiva is said to have children in Uma... Kirata moorthy, Anjaneya etc. But these are not part of any major Lore.

The real fact appears to be that even Shakthi the Uma is not sure of her capacity to receive the infinite energy of Shiva in His sperm.. 

Of course, the cooling in Ganga, nursing in the hands of Krithikas and the final embrace of Uma, mellowed down Skanda.. 

The supreme potency of Shiva is recognized well in tantras.. If a new Shivalinga s consecrated, immediately after the Kalashaabhishekam, a huge mirror is shown to the deity.. so that his sight fall on his own image.. 

Others cannot stand it.. So He has to see His own image first

Further, a Ganesha is consecrated where the direct gaze Shiva would fall. these may be all just beliefs.. But there can be some sense in it..

The Secret of Pranavam, as per some school of thought is just this.

सुब्रह्मण्य स्वरस्यार्थम् त्वम् च अहम् च सदाशिव ॐ

subrahmaṇya svarasyārtham tvam ca aham ca sadāśiva om

In Skaandapuraanaam , we find that Subramanya the Child explains the meaning of Pranavam or Omkaram to His father Shiva, as an Upadesham, in his father’s right ear. 

It is said that the boy was so tiny and Shiva had to carry the child in his arms so that Muruga could reach his fathers ears.. What a teacher! What a studen!

(Skanda was so pure and learned that He could impart knowledge to Shiva Himself.. We have a famous temple built for Skanda with Shankara in the state of Guru and Shisya.. there Skanda is called Swaminaatha.. the master of the Lord of the Universe.. or in Tamil தகப்பன்சாமி in Swamimalai.. Kumbhakonam, Tamilnadu )

What he said is just this.. the meaning of the swaram .. that is the omkaram is just that You (Shiva) and I( subrahmanya) are just one and the same and we are Sadashiva..

SadaaShiva …. The word has innumerable connotations, not capable of discussion..

The significance of sipping holy water and touching limbs during achamanam.

The significance of sipping holy water and touching limbs during achamanam..

त्रिः प्राश्नीयादपो यत्तु प्रीतास्तेनास्य देवताः।

ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च भवन्तीत्यनुशुश्रुम॥

गङ्गा च यमुना चैव प्रीयेते परिमार्ज्जनात्।

संस्पृष्टयोर् लोचनयोः प्रीयेते शशिभास्करौ।

ना सत्यसंज्ञौ प्रीयेते स्पृष्टोनासापुटद्वयौ।

कर्ण्णयोर्स्पृष्टयोस्तद्वत् प्रीयते चानलानिलौ॥

अंसयोस्पर्शनादेव प्रियते तु प्रजापतिः।

संस्पृष्टे हृदये चास्य प्रीयन्ते सर्व्वदेवताः।

मूर्द्धनि स्पर्शनाद्देवः प्रीतस्तु पुरुषो भवेत्।

य एवं ब्राह्मणो नित्यं उपस्पर्शनमाचरेत्।

ब्रह्मादिस्तंबपर्यन्तं जगत्स परितर्पयेत्॥

अङ्गुष्ठोग्निरिति ख्यातः प्रोक्ता वायुः प्रदेशिनी।

अनामिका तथा सूर्यः कनिष्ठा मघवो स्मृता।

प्रजापतिर् मध्यमा तु ज्ञेयाः शुद्धिमभीप्सता॥

हारीत वचनात् व्यासवचनात् च॥

triḥ prāśnīyādapo yattu prītāstenāsya devatāḥ|

brahmā viṣṇuśca rudraśca bhavantītyanuśuśruma||

gaṅgā ca yamunā caiva prīyete parimārjjanāt|

saṁspṛṣṭayor locanayoḥ prīyete śaśibhāskarau|

nā satyasaṁjñau prīyete spṛṣṭonāsāpuṭadvayau|

karṇṇayorspṛṣṭayostadvat prīyate cānalānilau||

aṁsayosparśanādeva priyate tu prajāpatiḥ|

saṁspṛṣṭe hṛdaye cāsya prīyante sarvvadevatāḥ|

mūrddhani sparśanāddevaḥ prītastu puruṣo bhavet|

ya evaṁ brāhmaṇo nityaṁ upasparśanamācaret|

brahmādistaṁbaparyantaṁ jagatsa paritarpayet||

aṅguṣṭhogniriti khyātaḥ proktā vāyuḥ pradeśinī|

anāmikā tathā sūryaḥ kaniṣṭhā maghavo smṛtā|

prajāpatir madhyamā tu jñeyāḥ śuddhimabhīpsatā||

hārīta vacanāt vyāsavacanāt ca||

-----------------------------------

Translation of the above.

-----------------------------------

Bhagavan Vyasa and Sage Harita have stated that:-

When one formally drinks water kept in the right palm held in the shape of the ear of a cow, and repeats thrice, it is believed that the three principal deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva would be pleased and satisfied.

When the lips are wiped after the formal threefold sips of water in achamanam , 

the rivers Ganga and Yamuna become happy.

The twin deities Ashwins are pleased when the two nostrils are touched during achamanam

When ears are touched, the gods of fire and wind are happy

When the two shoulders are touched, Lord Brhma the Prajaapati would be pleased.

When the region of the heart is touched, all the gods in heaven become happy.

When we touch the upper part of the head, the Supreme Brahman is pleased.

If a Brahmin would, on every day,perform ablutions by touching his organs as per the rituals above he would be bringing pleasure and peace to the entire world from Brahmaloka onward to a trivial shrub growing on the earth..

Agni or fire is residing in our thumb..

The wind god occupies the Index finger..

The ring finger is presided over by the Sun god.

The little finger is the abode of Indra..

And Brahma the Prajapati is present in the middle finger..

This truth should be understood properly by a person who would like to be pure..or attain purity and cleaniiness..

_____________________________________________________

Chanting of the holy names of the Protector of the world 

Sreeman Narayana 

when we sip and perform the ablutions 

would be effective in

driving away all the evil spirits 

and 

would bless us with health and happiness.