the sixteen names of Ganapati

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢

श्री गणपति षोडशनामस्तोत्रम्

सुमुखश्चैकदन्तश्च कपिलो गजकर्ण्णकः।

लम्बोदरस्च विकटो विघ्नराजो विनायकः॥

धूमकेतुर्ग्गणाध्यक्षो फालचन्द्रो गजाननः।

वक्रतुण्डः शूर्प्पकर्णो हेरम्बः स्कन्दपूर्वजः॥

षोडशैतानि नामानि यः पठेत् शृणुयादपि।

विद्यारंभे विवाहे च प्रवेशे निर्ग्गमे तथा।

संग्रामे सर्व्वकार्येषु विघ्नस्तस्य न जायते॥

śrī gaṇapati ṣoḍaśanāmastotram

sumukhaścaikadantaśca kapilo gajakarṇṇakaḥ|

lambodarasca vikaṭo vighnarājo vināyakaḥ||

dhūmaketurggaṇādhyakṣo phālacandro gajānanaḥ|

vakratuṇḍaḥ śūrppakarṇo herambaḥ skandapūrvajaḥ||

ṣoḍaśaitāni nāmāni yaḥ paṭhet śṛṇuyādapi|

ശ്രീ ഗണപതി ഷോഡശനാമസ്തോത്രം

സുമുഖശ്ചൈകദന്തശ്ച കപിലോ ഗജകര്‍ണ്ണകഃ।

ലംബോദരസ്ച വികടോ വിഘ്നരാജോ വിനായകഃ॥

ധൂമകേതുര്‍ഗ്ഗണാധ്യക്ഷോ ഫാലചന്ദ്രോ ഗജാനനഃ।

വക്രതുണ്ഡഃ ശൂര്പ്പകര്‍ണ്ണോ ഹേരംബഃ സ്കന്ദപൂര്‍വജഃ॥

ഷോഡശൈതാനി നാമാനി യഃ പഠേത് ശൃണുയാദപി।

വിദ്യാരംഭേ വിവാഹേ ച പ്രവേശേ നിര്‍ഗ്ഗമേ തഥാ।

സംഗ്രാമേ സര്‍വ്വകാര്യേഷു വിഘ്നസ്തസ്യ ന ജായതേ॥

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐚.. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞

𝐄𝐤𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚…. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐤 (𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐦)

𝐊𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐚.. 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫

𝐆𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐚.. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭

𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐚… 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲

𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐚… 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐬

𝐕𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐣𝐚.. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬.. 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞

𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐤𝐚.. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐃𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐮… 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐠.. 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩.. 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭.. 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭..

𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐲𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐇… 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬, 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐚..𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐚.. 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚.

𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐇 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝

𝐆𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭

𝐕𝐚𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚.. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐧𝐚.. 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐚 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐰

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐡𝐚.. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬,, 𝐭𝐡𝐞

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐡𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐥.. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.

𝐒𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐣𝐚… 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚.. ( 𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡, 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐚..)

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐢 ( 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 ) 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬.. 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦..

work hard and with humility..

यथा खनन् खनित्रेण नरो वार्यधिगच्छति।

तथा गुरुगतां विद्यां शुश्रूषुरधिगच्छति॥

yathā khanan khanitreṇa naro vāryadhigacchati|

tathā gurugatāṁ vidyāṁ śuśrūṣuradhigacchati||

യഥാ ഖനന്‍ ഖനിത്രേണ നാരോ വാര്യധിഗച്ഛതി

തഥാ ഗുരുഗതാം വിദ്യാം ശുശ്രൂഷുരധിഗച്ഛതി

( a subhaashitam)

A man finds water in a well by digging the earth using a spade with persistence, a disciple digs out the knowledge inherent in his teacher by unfailing and solicitous service to the Guru..

Groundwater is present almost everywhere on the surface of the earth ..But one can obtain water for use only if he digs a well.. Similarly, one may have a guru or preceptor who may be a veritable reservoir of knowledge.. but it is the duty of the disciple to gain as much knowledge as possible from the teacher, by persuading him to impart such knowledge through persistent service and unfailing faithfulness to the guru..

That is the Indian tradition.. Now we talk of right to education,, and of taking teachers to task for the unruly behaviour and lack of inclination on the part of the children.. What a U turn..

analysis of words in the sloka

नरः a man

यथा in what way

खनित्रेण with a space, pick axe, hoe

खनन् by digging

वारि water

अधिगच्छति finds, obtains, discovers

तथा in the same way

शिष्यः the student

गुरुगतां that is inherent in the teacher

विद्यां knowledge

शुश्रूषुः eager to serve with tenacity and obedience

अधिगच्छति. discovers, obtains..

യഥാ ഖനന്‍ ഖനിത്രേണ നാരോ വാര്യധിഗച്ഛതി

തഥാ ഗുരുഗതാം വിദ്യാം ശുശ്രൂഷുരധിഗച്ഛതി

മനുസ്മൃതി

തൂമ്പായും മണ്‍വെട്ടിയും എല്ലാം ഇടവിടാതെ ഉപയോഗിച്ചു രാവും പകലും അധ്വാനിച്ചു ഭൂമി കുഴിച്ച ശേഷം മാത്രമാണ് കിണറു രൂപപ്പെടുകളും നമുക്ക് വേണ്ടത്ര ജലം ലഭിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നത്.

അതെ വിധം തന്നെയാണ് ഉന്നതനായ ഗുരുവില്‍ എന്നും ആഴത്തില്‍ ഒളിഞ്ഞു കിടക്കുന്ന അറിവും ജ്ഞാനവും ഒരു ശിഷ്യന്‍ നേടിയെടുക്കണം എങ്കില്‍ അയാള്‍ ഗുരുവിനെ നിരന്തരമായി ഏറെ ശ്രദ്ധയോടും ബഹുമാനത്തോടും കൂടി സേവിച്ചാല്‍ മാത്രമേ അത് സാധിക്കുകയുള്ളൂ.

ഭൂഗര്‍ഭ ജലം ഭൂമിയുടെ മിക്കവാറും എല്ലാ ഭാഗത്തും ലഭ്യമാണ്.

പക്ഷെ ഒരാള്‍ക്ക് ആ ജലം തനിക്ക് ഉപയോഗിക്കാനായി നേടിയെടുക്കണം എങ്കില്‍ അയാള്‍ കിണറു കുഴിക്കുക തെന്നെ വേണം,

അതുപോലെ നമ്മുടെ ഗുരുനാഥന്‍ അറിവിന്‍റെയും ജ്ഞാനത്തിന്‍റെയും ഒരു കലവറ തന്നെ ആയിരിക്കാം. പക്ഷെ ആ ഗുരുവില്‍ നിന്ന് നമുക്ക് കിട്ടാവുന്നത്രയും അറിവ് നേടിയെടുക്കുക എന്നത് ശിഷ്യരായ നമ്മുടെ മാത്രം കര്‍ത്തവ്യവും കടമയും ആണ്. അതിനായി നാം ഗുരുവിന്‍റെ കാല്‍ക്കല്‍ ഏറെ ശ്രദ്ധയോടും ഭക്തിയോടും നിരന്തരമായ സേവനം അനുഷ്ടിക്കേണം. നമ്മുടെ സേവനത്തില്‍ സന്തോഷിച്ചു ഗുരു നമുക്കായി അവിടുത്തെ അറിവിന്‍റെ ഭണ്ഡാരം തുറന്നു വയ്ക്കും.

ഇതാണ് നമ്മുടെ ഭാരതീയ പൈതൃകം അനുശാസിക്കുന്നത്

ഇക്കാലത്ത് നാം വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം ലഭിക്കുക എന്നത് ഒരു അവകാശം ആണെന്നൊക്കെ ഉറക്കെ പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. രാഷ്ട്രീയ നേതൃത്വവും അങ്ങിനെയൊക്ക ആണ് പറയുന്നത്.

പലപ്പോഴും കുട്ടികളുടെ മടിയും അനുസരണക്കുറവും വിദ്യാഭ്യാസത്തില്‍ ഉള്ള അശ്രദ്ധയും എല്ലാം പഠിപ്പിക്കുന്ന അദ്ധ്യാപകന്‍റെ പിടിപ്പു കേട് ആണെന്ന് വ്യാഖ്യാനിച്ചു ഗുരുവിനെ ബാലിയാടാക്കാനുള്ള ശ്രമങ്ങള്‍ വരെ ഇക്കാലത്ത് നമുക്ക് കാണാന്‍ കഴിയുന്നു.

എന്തൊരു വിരോധാഭാസം ?

death is just a change of state..

Actually there is no end to anyone or anything ..

Death is just a change of state, at the most..

Just like birth, it is an enigma..

The person who is born as a son or daughter, was there with the father and mother for eternity.. in parents, grand parents.. and going back to the first living cell created by God..

But the parents and others get elated at the new arrival..

Celebration is okay but it is only symbolic..

And

while leaving the body, the person just distributes himself and continues in all those who are dear to him.. as sweet memories..

There is no end..

And it is just that he departs to another world.. and we many not be able to contact him--

for there are no cellphones, telegrams or post offices. connecting us there.

But then, he will be there, patiently waiting for others to join them.

.

Death is not real..

So the grief is also just symbolic.. 

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

For someone asking for the evidence for the above statement:---

 Regarding birth, no explanation is necessary.. 

You will know about death.. if you have really faced the departure of someone who meant everything to you and for whom you meant everything.. in such cases, you cannot just live in this world if you do not have the expectation that the separation is not final...

You think and decide.. 

Nothing wrong in accepting what is believed by elders as true.. and there is  nothing  wrong in disagreeing too.. 

Belief by instinct is far better than belief by adherence to Shruti..

Anyway, shrutis believe that the son is just a rebirth of his father... 

आत्मा वै पुत्र नामासि.. 

if that is so , the parent does not die if he leaves behind an offspring.. and life continues through shared DNAs.. 

But all this is attempted reasoning.. 

Instinct says life is just a continuum.. 

Again Gita says so in so many places.. 

na jaayate mriyate vaa kadaachit, .. 

vaasaamsi jeernaani...

 dehee nityam avadhyaH ayam.. etc.. 

 But I stated what is above from the emotional standpoint..

 and without emotions,, 

I mean the sublime emotions.. 

our existence is of little worth.. 

I am not prepared to seek evidence for this, 

and 

I do not feel any evidence is necessary for this belief..

Uma, Shankara, Kalidasa and the Environment day..

Today is the Environment Day..

Was just thinking how the Divine Couple Uma and Maheshwara Loved the trees growing in the forests abutting their holy abode, is described by Kaalidasa in the second canto of Raghuvamshamahaakaavyam..

King Dileepa, to fulfil a vow, is serving the Divine Cow Nandini, the daughter of Surabhi the Kamadhenu..
Nandini belongs to the hermitage of sage Vasishta, the preceptor of the Solar Dynasty and therefore of Dileepa..

Every morning Dileepa would take the cow out to forest to graze..

One day,when the king was just immersed devouring the beauty of the Himalayan Flora and Fauna through his eyes, an elephant fell upon the cow with murderous intent..
Dileepa took out his arrow to slay the beast and protect Nandini..

But, as if held under a spell, the king could not move his hands.. and could not use his weapon..
He stood paralyzed.

Then the lion spoke to the king..

The lion first introduced himself as the servant of Lord Shiva named Kumbhodhara.. going around the forest in the disguise of a lion.
He was deputed to protect the trees and the plants of the forest from attack of wild animals..

Further he says,

"अमुं पुरः पश्यति देवदारुं पुत्रीकृतोऽसौ ऋषभ्ध्वजेन।
यो कुम्भस्तननिःसृतानां स्कन्दस्य मातुः पयसां रसज्ञः॥२--३६
कण्डूयमानेन कटं कदाचित् वनद्विपेन्नोन्मथिता त्वगस्य।
अथैनमद्रेस्तनया शुशोच सेनान्यमालीढमिवासुरास्त्रैः॥२-३७
रघुवंशे द्वितेयसर्गे कालिदासः॥
amuṁ puraḥ paśyati devadāruṁ putrīkṛto'sau ṛṣabhdhvajena|
yo kumbhastananiḥsṛtānāṁ skandasya mātuḥ payasāṁ rasajñaḥ||2--36
kaṇḍūyamānena kaṭaṁ kadācit vanadvipennonmathitā tvagasya|
athainamadrestanayā śuśoca senānyamālīḍhamivāsurāstraiḥ ||2-37
raghuvaṁśe dviteeyasarge kālidāsaḥ||

Oh, the Devadaaru tree which you see in front of you is loved by that Lord Maheshwara who has a bull as insignia in his flagstaff.. the Lords affection for the tree is as if it is His own son.. And Uma who is the Mother of Skanda and the whole universe too, has nourished this tree with water fetched by Herself in pots made of gold.. as if she is feeding the tree with milk flowing from her own breasts..

And one day, a wild elephant, feeling itchy all over the body, just barged into the forest and rubbed his back on the barks of the tree, causing damage to the skin of the tree. When, Uma, who saw the damage to the tree as she came to water it, She could not contain her grief and cried aloud as if she was suffering the grief on seeing the injuries in the beautiful body of Her own son Skanda the Supreme Commander of the Gods. . those wounds inflicted by the demons during his successful battle with them..."

Of course, it was only a test to Dileepa to prove his loyalty tho the cow.. and the danger to the cow was removed later..

But the episode in the great Kavyam reveals how the poet and the people in general including the Divinity valued the upkeep of environment..

The mother of the universe Uma is nurturing a tree, and is crying when she sees that a part of its bark is damaged.. The Lord of Lords, Shankara loves a tree as if it is the His own son..

That is why
She is called the Prakriti, and He is called the Pashupati..

What greater tribute can one pay to nature?

Tiger for Lunch....an Indian Tale

Tiger for Lunch....an Indian Tale

A lady, it is alleged, quarreled with her husband, and was proceeding to her father's house with her two children in tandem..

The travel from one village to another involved negotiation of a route involving a fairly dense forest, which, as in all tales is infested with ferocious animals like lions and tigers and cronies like jackals..

Though quarrelsome, the lady must have been very observant and shrewd.. 

As she was entering the forest area, she saw a fairly big tiger coming their way..

And she realized to her trepidation that she could not avoid a personal interview with the tiger, and the encounter would result in her becoming the lunch for the animal. 

She was not prepared for that.. 

She thought out a plan.. 

Putting a false but almost convincingly brave face, she started a conversation with her children, all the time pretending that she had noticed nothing amiss..

"Children, I have been travelling in these jungles quite often, and I have always found that food for us is never scarce.. We get very fat and huge tigers in large numbers, and we can always stave away our hunger by eating at least a couple of tigers at anytime.. Here a plenty of them are at hand."

While talking so, she was also putting an ogling, toothy face (perhaps the memory of her husband helped in that), and the confident tone in which she declared the menu for her lunch and her appearance must have had their impact on the tiger and he really believed that if he was around, he would be eaten up by this lady sooner or later..

He thought that running away making as little noise as possible was the best way of escape, and was very quick in that swift movement..

On his bolting path, he met a jackal.. The latter enquired about the reason for the very fast and frightened retreat of the tiger, and was informed of the appearance of the lady tiger-eater..

The jackal laughed his head off, and replied." A human lady eating a tiger? Impossible.. True, she may eat her husband, but she cannot do that with you"

The tiger was not convinced..Then the jackal offered to clear up the issue by visiting the lady in person, and asked to tiger to keep company with him..The tiger was terribly afraid..

But after some management talk, it was decided that the jackal would tie himself atop the tiger, and they would face the lady together..

So the two animals marched towards the lady and her children, the jackal tied and seated atop the tiger..

The lady saw the two approaching, even from a distance.. 

Resourcefulness did not take leave of her.

.She shouted aloud.." You lazy and cunning Jackal.. You could manage to bring only a single puny tiger for my food? Don't you remember that I wanted at least three big tigers, and we had even talked about the price.. 

Now I will have to be satisfied with one small tiger .. It is really bad.. I shall make you the pickle for my lunch as I eat thing wretched tiger."

Hearing this, the tiger was terrified beyond all levels, and turned back and ran, ever forgetting that his friend was atop.. He ran helter skelter and was oblivious to the agonized cries of the jackal, which was tied fast on the tiger..

The tiger hit a low lying tree in his path, and that broke the skull of the fox who left for the abode of death...

No one knows, the lady would have eaten the tiger too, if she had to.

The false witness and the silent witness

The false witness and the silent witness

न स्यात् कूटसाक्षी॥५५०॥

॥चाणक्यसूत्रे॥ 

na syāt kūṭasākṣī||550||

|hāṇakyasūtre||

The great Statesman and lawgiver, Chanakya in his Sootram or aphorism 550, declares that 

one should never give false evidence… |

That is, one should never declare as right and genuine something which he has not seen or felt or witnessed to be true and correct.. Moreover, one should never depose depose as genuine anything which he know s is not genuine, before any authority or forum .

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On this issue, Sage Yaajnavalkya in his smritis goes a step further..

न ददाति हि यः साक्ष्यं जानन्नपि नराधमः।

स कूटसाक्षिणाम् पापैः तुल्यो दण्डेन चैव हि॥

॥याज्ञवल्क्यस्मृतौ॥

na dadāti hi yaḥ sākṣyaṁ jānannapi narādhamaḥ|

sa kūṭasākṣiṇām pāpaiḥ tulyo daṇḍena caiva hi||

||yājñavalkyasmṛtau||

A person who declines or refrains from giving evidence before a forum, even while knowing the facts of an issue, is a mean human being equal to a false witness. He should suffer the same sins as a false witness and the state should also mete out identical punishmes to him as if he were a perjurer or a false witness.

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Mahabharatham ( Bhagavan Vyaasa) goes one more step further.

यश्च कार्यार्थतत्त्वज्ञो जानन्नपि न भाषते।

सोऽपि तेनैव पापेन लिप्यते नात्र सम्शयः॥

॥महाभारते॥

yaśca kāryārthatattvajño jānannapi na bhāṣate|

so'pi tenaiva pāpena lipyate nātra samśayaḥ||

|ṁahābhārate||

One who is aware of the facts of a case, and is also well versed in law and customs, and simply keeps quiet or declines to intervene with the correct facts and law when it comes for consideration in the appropriate forum, also becomes tarnished and he too partakes in sins to the same extent as the perpetrators of the sinful action..

in power, out of power...

For a person in power, especially when the balance of power tilts either in his favour or against him, it can be quite challenging to maintain the golden balance and have his foot firm on the correct line of control.. 

And the line gets redrawn willy nilly with time, with changes in himself as also in people around him..

The precise mindset is vital..

However, the greatest danger is that either sycophants or even well meaning colleagues and subordinates just form a sort of wall between the man in power and the stark realities outside and he is lulled into a comfort zone which can be unreal or exaggerated.. 

The wall gets taller as the power of the boss escalates.

And real life hits him like a hard punch on a sandbag when the power once wielded by him and/or the source thereof gets depleted..

So ultimately it seems a down to earth attitude is a sin qua non for the boss (whether he is mostly right or wrong) if he is to survive..

Babus and Dakoos or Dakoos and Babus?

Babus and Dakoos or Dakoos and Babus?

चोरराजपुरुषेभ्यो वित्तम् रक्षेत्॥५५६॥

॥चाणक्यसूत्राद्॥

corarājapuruṣebhyo vittam rakṣet||556||

|chāṇakyasūtrād||

ചോരരാജപുരുഷേഭ്യോ വിത്തം രക്ഷേത് 

ചാണക്യസൂത്രം ൫൫൬

A very realistic finding by the most shewd political scientist, philosopher and administrator.. He has written the Sootras as rules to be followed by an efficient head of a state or a king..

The king should diligently protect the wealth of the state from thieves and the servants of the government too..

One can understand that thieves and burglars operate in divesting the state and the subjects of their hard earned money and wealth.. it is crime in the eyes of the people and the king and it is the profession of the thief.. The king is expected to protect the wealth from such burglars, and also should put down the criminals with a heavy hand..

Okay, the statesman did not stop there.. 

He is aware that those people who have landed up in the service of the State or the King, have great desire and greater cunning to appropriate for themselves whatever wealth they could handle and dispose of as representatives or operatives of the state or the employees of the king..

Chanakya expects that the authority in power should deal with his own employees with the same alacrity that he would apply while dealing with thieves and burglars..

Perhaps, babus and dakus were practically same in the opinions of Chanakya..

But, the realism being exuded by the sage is eminently logical..

He knew that the thieves required a lot of care and caution to loot.. 

But usually the state funds are open for the functionaries and employees of the government for misappropriation if the Ruler is not diligent.

Chanakya must have been the one who would have ordered setting up of a Vigilance directorate and a Vigilance commission..

books should live for ever

books should live for ever

No books, either toeing the lines of those who are in power today or those which are branded as tainted or distorted by many ,, should ever be destroyed..

We should never forget that there is always room for more than one view in any matter, and the dissident strains always air the alternate views.. and decency and democratic ethos make it inevitable that records of unpalatable views or happenings should be kept in tact..

If the present dispensation feels that the past thinking was wrong, they have the choice to express their views and convince the people..

The Indian system of Philosophy always took note of this idea.. 

While articulately putting down an old idea, the scholar never hesitated to state what the old idea was..

In the High Courts and the Apex Court, cases are decided after hearing both sides, one side staunchly opposing the other one.. 

However the arguments of both the litigants are taken on record, discussed in detail even in the speaking order, and then the decision is given in favour of one of the litigants. 

The dissenting notes of any of the judges who are in the minority are also made part of the judgment.. 

And if a constitutional bench of the Apex Court finally decides an issue against the verdict of a division bench, it does not follow that the papers relating to the decision of the Division bench are destroyed or blacked out..

May sanity prevail.

The four gems from Kalidasa:--

The four gems from Kalidasa:--

They say that among the poetic creations in Sanskrit, drama is the most enchanting.. 

Among the dramas, Shakuntalam of Kalidasa is the masterpiece.

And the greatest part of Shakuntalm is its Fourth Act,

And the four stanzas appearing in that part of the beautiful drama are sublime beyond any comparison..

Kaavyeshu naatakam ramyam tatra shaakuntalam matham

shaakuntaley chaturtho angaH tatra sloka chathustayam

काव्येषु नाटकं रम्यं तत्र शाकुन्तलं मतं 

शाकुन्तले चतुर्थो अङ्गः तत्र श्लोक चतुष्टयं

The four slokas are explained below

The occasion it the departure of Shakuntala to the Palace of Dushyantha, her husband.. Her adopted father Sage Kanva is sending her away from his hermitage for the first time ..

1.The pangs of separation felt by a father when sending away his daughter is expressed in this sloka

Yasyathyadhya sakunthalethi hrudayam samsplustamutkandayaa

kandah sthambitha bashpavrithhi kalushachintha jadam darsanam

vaiklyabyam mama thaavatheedrusamaho snehad aranyaikasah

peedyanthey grihinah kadham nu thanaya vishlesh dukhaih navaih

यास्यत्यद्य शकुंतलेति हृदयं संस्पृष्टमुत्कंठया

कंठ: स्तम्भित बाष्पवृत्तिकलुषः चिन्ताजडं दर्शनम् ।

वैक्लब्यं मम तावदीदृशमहो स्नेहादरण्यौकसः

पीड्यन्ते गृहिणः कथं नु तनया विश्लेष दु:खैर्नवैः ॥।

Kanva says

Sakunthala starts for her husband’s abode today. Even for a person who prides himself in equanimity and penance, the throat is gone dry and soundless because of anxiety, the thoughts have gone blunt. If such intense sorrow overtakes me a recluse. what will be the depth misery for the wordly father who sends his daughter away for the first time and that too expecting her to spend her life in a completely alien household?

2. That child Shakuntala was very affectionate to the plants and trees of the hermitage, and Kanva is requesting them to bid his daughter Bon Voyage.

paathum na prathamam vyavasyathi jalam yushmaasu apeetheshu yaa

na aadhaathey priyamandanaapi bhavaathaam snehena yaa pallavam

aadhyey vah kusumaprasoothisamayey yasyaah bhavathyutsavah

sa iyam yaathi sakunthalaa pathigruham saarvairanjnayathaam

पातुं न प्रथमं व्यवस्यति जलं युष्मास्वपीतेषु या 

नादत्ते प्रियमण्डनापि भवतां स्नेहेन या पल्लवम् ।

आद्ये वः प्रथमप्रसूतिसमये यस्या भवत्युत्सवः

सेयम् याति शकुन्तला पतिगृहं सर्वैरनुज्ञाप्यताम् ॥

Kanva addresses the trees and saplings of his hermitage, and requests their permission to send Shakunthala who is leaving to join her husband Dushyantha

“she never thinks of even drinking water before watering your roots and quenching your thirst, 

she never plucked your tender and beautiful leaves even though as a hermit girl interested in ornaments they must have been her first target, 

because she loved you so much, she made it a grand celebration when you sprouted the first floweres of the season,

such lovely and considerate Shakunthala is leaving for her husband’s house, oh trees give her a proper send off.”

3. Kanva is sending Shakuntala to the palace of Dushyanta. This is the message he has to convey to the king..

asmaan saadhu vichinthya samyama dhanaan uchchaih kulam cha aatmanah

twayi asyay kadhmapi abhandhavakritham snehaprvrithim cha thaam

saamaanya pratipatthi poorvakamiyam dhaareshu dhrisya twaya

bhagyaayathamathah param na khalu thad vaachyam vadhoo bandubhih

अस्मान् साधु विचिन्त्य संयमधनानुच्चै: कुलं चात्मन-

स्त्वय्यस्या कथमप्यबान्धवकृताम् स्नेहप्रवृत्तिं च ताम् ।

सामान्यप्रतिपत्तिपूर्वकमियं दारेषु दृश्या त्वया

भाग्यायत्तमतःपरं न खलु तद्वाच्यं वधूबन्धुभिः ||

This is my message to King Dushyanth.

Oh King, Please consider the fact that we the people of Shakuntala have no wealth other that penance and patience.. Simultaneously please keep in mind the lofty status of your own royal clan.. This girl has fallen in love and has somehow entered into a marriage with you own her own without taking the counsel of her own relatives. My request to you is that you should treat her with at least moderate affection which you are expected to show towards your wife.. I leave the rest of the matter in tha hands of the goddess of fortune..

The relatives of the bride should not talk anything more than this.

4. While sending the darling daughter to her husband’s abode, this is the advice Kanva has for her

shushroosaswa guroon kurupriyasakheevrittim sapatneejae

bharthurviprakrutaapi roshanatayaa maa sma pradeepam gama

bhhooyishtam bhava dakshinaa parijaney bhaagyeshvanutsekinee

yaanthyevam gruhineepadam yuvathayaH vaamaaH kulasyaadhayaH.

शुश्रूषस्व गुरून् कुरु प्रियसखीवृत्तिं सपत्नीजने

भर्तुर्विप्रकृतापि रोषणतया मा स्म प्रतीपं गमः

भूयिष्ठं भव दक्षिणा परिजने भाग्येष्वनुत्सेकिनी

यान्त्येवं गृहिणीपदं युवतयः वामाः कुलस्याधयः 

My dear daughter, this is my advice to you.

You serve and look after the elders in the family with utter devotion.

Please treat the other wives of your Royal husband as your own dear friend.

Never, never forget yourself and throw tantrums even if your husband vents his anger on you.

Be very generous to your servants and helping hands in your new residence.

Please do not get arrogant, nor exhibit such arrogance, which is likely to follow the great fortunes you attain in life.

And I tell you, the girls given in marriage to other households go on to become the respected controllers of those home by the above process of attuning themselves to the fresh environ there. And the girls who fail to behave properly become eternal source of worry and misery for the clan in which they were born..

.

the glory of Shatarudriyam

the glory of Shatarudriyam 

( Chapter 5 of Yajurvedam) 

also popularly known as 

Srirudram or Rudraprashnam..

in Praise of Lord Rudra or Shankara the Maheshwara

सुरापः स्वर्णहारी च रुद्रजापी जले स्थितः।

सहस्रशीर्षजापी च मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषैः॥

surāpaḥ svarṇahārī ca rudrajāpī jale sthitaḥ|

sahasraśīrṣajāpī ca mucyate sarvakilbiṣaiḥ||

Even a person who is a drunkard habitually or a person who has committed the grave sin of stealing Gold, would get relieved of all sins if he chants Srirudram or Sahasra Shirashaa ( purusha sooktham) standing in water.

Consuming hooch and stealing gold are treated as two of the five gravest sins in our dharmasaastraas.. 

കടുത്ത മദ്യപാനിയായാലും, സ്വര്ണ്ണം കവര്ച്ച ചെയ്യുക എന്ന മഹാപാതകം 

ചെയ്തവനായാലും ജലാശയത്തില്‍ നിന്നുകൊണ്ട് ശ്രീ രുദ്രവും പുരുഷസൂക്തവും ജപിച്ചാല്‍ അയാള്‍ എല്ലാ പാപങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നും മുക്തി നേടുന്നു.

(മദ്യപാനവും, സ്വര്ണ്ണ സ്തേയവും പഞ്ചമഹാപാതകങ്ങളില്‍ ഉള്പ്പെട്ടവയാണ് എന്ന് ധര്മ്മാശാസ്ത്രം പറയുന്നു.)

किं जपेन अमृतत्वमश्नुते ?

शतरुद्रीयेण

एतानि ह वा अमृतस्य नामधेयानि भवन्ति एतैर्हवा अमृतो भवति।

यः शतरुद्रेयमधीते सोऽग्निपूतो भवति॥

kiṁ japena amṛtatvamaśnute 

śatarudrīyeṇa

etāni ha vā amṛtasya nāmadheyāni bhavanti etairhavā amṛto bhavati|

yaḥ śatarudreeyamadhīte so'gnipūto bhavati||

The disciple asks Sage Yaajnavalkya..

"By chanting which mantra can one attain immortality?"

Yajnavalkya replies.. By chanting Shatarudreeyam

The names (of Rudra) found in Shatarudriya or Sri Rudram are verily the Ambrosia or Amritam itself .. Through these names the devotee attains eternity, immortality.. amritattwam.

One who learns Shatarudriyam..Sri Rudram shines as if he is purified by fire 

(Jabalopanishad)

ശിഷ്യന്‍ യാജ്ഞവല്ക്യuനോട് ചോദിച്ചു ഏതു ജപിച്ചാല്‍ അമൃതത്വം നേടാം ?

യാജ്ഞവല്ക്യന്‍ പറഞ്ഞു “ശതരുദ്രീയം ജപിക്കണം.”

ശതരുദ്രീയത്ത്തിലുള്ള ഭഗവാന്റെ നാമങ്ങള്‍ അമൃതസ്യന്ദികളാണ്. 

അവ ഉരുവിടുന്നവന്‍ അമരനായിത്തീരുന്നു.

ശതരുദ്രീയം അധ്യയനം ചെയ്തവന്‍ അഗ്നിയാല്‍ പരിശുദ്ധനായവനെപ്പോലെ ശോഭിക്കുന്നു..

(ജാബാലോപനിഷത്)

सततं रुद्रजाप्योऽसौ परां मुक्तिमवाप्स्यसि॥

satataṁ rudrajāpyo'sau parāṁ muktimavāpsyasi||

One who chants Srirudram regularly would attain the ultimate Moksham or liberation.

തുടര്ച്ചയായി രുദ്രം ജപിക്കുന്നവന്‍ മുക്തനായിത്തീരുന്നു

Sekharipuram Mahaganapathy Temple.. Sankatahara Chaturthi..2015-16

Sekharipuram  Mahaganapathy Temple.. Sanakatahara Chaturthi..2015-16

Sekharipuram Agaraharam  Festival Calender
2015-16
link
http://kanfusion.blogspot.in/2015/05/sekharipuram-agraharam-festival.html

Sekharipuram Agraharam Festival Calender 2015-16

Sekharipuram Agraharam Festival Calender       2015-16

you may also find the following links useful

Ganapathy temple  Sankatahara Chaturthi Schedule


http://kanfusion.blogspot.in/2015/05/sekharipuram-mahaganapathy-temple.html


sekaripuram lore link


http://kanfusion.blogspot.in/2011/07/swekharipuram-lores.html



SOME SNAPS link
http://kanfusion.blogspot.in/2013/05/sekharipuram-diaspora.html

http://sekharipuramharitham.blogspot.in/

http://srinathgovardhanam.blogspot.in/

the dhyanaslokam of our Lakshminarayanaswamy

the dhyanaslokam of  our Lakshminarayanaswamy 

क्षीरांभोनिधिरत्नमण्डपमहा सौवर्णसिंहासने

वामाङ्गस्थितया प्रसन्नवदनं श्रीकान्तयालिङ्गितम्।

दोर्द्दण्डाङ्गित शङ्खपङ्कजगदाचक्रं त्रिलोकेश्वरम्

संसारार्ण्णवतारकं प्रकलये लक्ष्मीश नारायणम्॥

ക്ഷീരാംഭോനിധി രത്നമപണ്ഡപമഹാ സൌവര്‍ണ്ണ സിംഹാസനേ

വാമാമാംഗസ്ഥിതയാ പ്രസന്നവദനം ശ്രീകാന്തയാലിംഗിതം

ദോര്‍ദ്ദണ്ഡാംഗിത ശംഖപങ്കജഗദാചക്രം ത്രിലോകേശ്വരം

സംസാരാര്‍ണ്ണവതാരകം പ്രകലയേ ലക്ഷ്മീശ നാരായണം

kṣīrāṁbhonidhiratnamaṇḍapamahā sauvarṇasiṁhāsane

vāmāṅgasthitayā prasannavadanaṁ śrīkāntayāliṅgitam|

dorddaṇḍāṅgita śaṅkhapaṅkajagadācakraṁ trilokeśvaram

saṁsārārṇṇavatārakaṁ prakalaye lakṣmīśa nārāyaṇam||

I meditate upon Narayana, who is the Lord and consort of Mother Lakshmi,

He, who sits on a golden throne placed in a decorated hall shining forth in the middle of the ocean of milk

He, who has a calm and attractive face,

He, who is under the passionate embrace of the Goddess of Wealth sitting on his left thigh,

He, who holds a conch, a lotus flower, a mace and discus on the two pairs of left and right hands, He, who is capable of enabling us, His devotees to keep afloat and cross the ocean of our own worldly woes

Brahmin power

Brahmin power is Brahmatejas, Brahmavarchas, and the stress is always on developing the mind.. and our ancestors had developed great powers and no weapons or spells could attack and vanquish such persons or try to take away their possessions without consent. This exactly happened to Visvamitra in his encounter with Vasishta where the former tried to take away holy cow nandini.. The avant gadre, after learning things through translations and secondary interpretations tend to find a via-media or hotchpotch of the apparently unsure brahma power and the immediately palpable kshatra or the brute physical power..A person can be a scholar in Vedas, he can be a Gandhian scholar and again he can study Marxism, Greek, Roman, Christian Islamic and all sorts of philosophies.. But creation of hybrids may be catchy, but can be really dangerous.. One who travels in the desert rides a camel and one who travels in the Pole rides a dog- ridden sledge.. If the vehicles do not match the terrain, or the camel is taken to the pole to draw the sledge and the dogs there in turn are taken to desert to negotiate the ocean of sand, the results can be disastrous.. First one should anchor his boat secure and stay in it, and then can contemplate analytically about other boats.. The moment he tries to set one foot each on two boats, the results can be known.. This is the tragedy visiting our community in general.. Let us develop strength of mind, hone our powers of will, let us be really oriented, and good results will follow naturally.. Paradigms and platitudes may not be of much help to one unless advertisement or public speaking is his career or job..

Sivaratri Lore

Sivaratri Lore

The great importanace of the day is that Shiva got married to Parvathi on this day...

Another legend is that in the course of Armritha Madhanam, the serpent Vasuki spewed out Halahalam or Kaalakoodam.. a poison capable of destroying the whole universe, and there was no one to save us.. The merciful Lord simply took the poison in his hands and put it into him mouth.. Matha Parvathi, realizing the fact that the Lord Carried the whole universe in His abdomen, caught hole of his neck so that the poison did not drip in.. Lord Vishnu ensured that the poison did not come out by closing the Lord's Mouth.. So the poison stuck to the Lords Neck and he became Neelagreeva.. 

The poison is said to have scorching effect and so Dhaara of cool water and other substances like milk, Ghee, Fruit Paste, Sandalpaste etc are offered throughout all Yaamams to the lord to the chanting of Sree Rudram..

Then to drive home the fact that Shiva is very much pleased if someone does some services to him on this day.. there is the hunters story..

A hunter wandered around a forest all through the day without much success in catching any birds or animals land was extremely hungry and desperate.. Night fell, and he did not have the strength to return to his abode.. So, with a lot of difficulty he climbed a tree expecting to be perched there for the nights sleep.. However, the impossible hunger did not permit him to sleep.. Sitting there atop the tree and ruing his fate, he was plucking the leaves from the branches of the tree and throwing them down carelessly throughout the night.. And the tree happened to be a sacred tree of Bilvam and a Shivalingam had formed underneath.. The leaves thrown down formed night long archana with bilvam to Shiva.. And the hunters cold sweat and tears flew down as the cooling abhishekam for the Lord..

The Lord was extremely pleased..

The hunter went his way not knowing the wealth of divine grace he had earned..

When the hunters last day arrived Yama sent his messengers to bring the fellow to his world, but Lord Siva, sent his servants to the place to carry the fellow to the Holy Sivaloka, because he has, though unintentionally, offered Bilvaarchana and Abhishekam to the Lord on the Sivaratri day, keeping awake all through the night..

veera swargam and last rites

There was a discussion on the issue that when a warrior dies in a battle, he would reach heaven and in such cases, the obituary rites like offering balls of rice or pinda for a dead soldier was a contradiction in Hinduism.

My evaluation of the situation is as follows.

Here we are faced with extraordinary rules and dicta given forth to praise certain activities and qualities like Kshatra Dharma.. and the conclusion that those dead in battle would reach heaven even without any pindam..


But, while making such declarations, it has to be noted tha nowhere, the basic rules common to all are ever declared as kept suspended..

So the man on earth and surviving has to follow the majority rule, or the rule of the majority as well as the extraordinary rules so long as they do not conflict with one another..
The crunch will be there only if there is an overruling or exclusive provision that those who die in battle should not be offered pindam..
Actually such a rule is there for those who die after assuming sannyasam..

So there is no conflict here..
If there is a rule that one should eat rice, and another rule that one should eat wheat, both can be followed alternately or even jointly. The problem will arise only if there is a rule that nothing other than rice should be eaten, or nothing other than wheat should be eaten..
Here there is not such stipulation.. And therefore there is no contradiction too.

measure of success.

But I wonder what is the exact measure of success...

Ultimately, if I can convince myself at the end of the day that it was not wasted, I can say I was successful.. But after all the show of mirth and boisterousness, if I am retiring to bed in the night with a feeling of emptiness, I am unsuccessful..

And about talent... I have to state that the feeling of fulfillment will visit us after satisfying many factors, and talent can play only a minor role or even no role at all in the process..

If a dog wanders all the day, even limping and sick, and finally it manages to eat some muck and could yell in satisfaction, its day is made.. But if the same dogs keeps vigil as a sentry to its master all day long, and for some silly reason it is kicked by its master then its day is completely lost.. 

Where does talent come in here? And are we much better that that dog?

bright light after darkness

true, we enjoy nice things as even nicer when we have had occasion to come in contact with ugly things...

सुखं हि दुखानि अनुभूय शोभते घनान्धकारेषु इव दीप दर्शनं

sukham hi duhkaanyanubhooya shobathey ghanaandakaareshu iva deepadarshanam..

. this is a quote from Mrichchakatikam.. the famous Sanskrit Drama of Poet Shoodraka... 

meaning... 

"pleasures and comforts in life look very bright and excessively blissful, when we attain those after suffering a lot of sorrow.. It is like seeing the bright wick of a lamp suddenly after getting mired in pitch darkness... "

But my point is, even though some darkness may be of some use to us, we need not seek out darkness just to find greater pleasure in brightness..

If our complexion is black.. I am blessed with that, and I use some talcum powder to look fair, it is okay.. 

But a person with fair complexion need not smear his face with soot and then wash it off to prove that he is having a reddish complexion..

such wonderful incidents did happen..Iti ha aasa

Mahabharatam is an Itihasam.. meaning "Iti ha aasa" "इति हा आस " " such wonderful incidents did happen" (Wonderful does not mean the incident was right or wrong in itself..)..

It is a chronicle.. the incidents have been recorded by the author ( believed to be Vyasa the Krishnadvaipaayana who is also seen as a character in the epic)..

If you read Bharatham without any prejudices or pre-conceived notions, it can be seen that various incidents have been recorded as faithfully as possible keeping in view the huge canvass that had to be covered.. 

Each character would have said something to justify his own action, but one cannot see or feel that the author or anyone has asked us to accept that some actions are right and some are wrong..

In a report all things would be recorded, as faithfully as possible..

The original text may be treated as the most reliable chronology of events..

The choice to treat any act of commission or omission by any of the characters, be it Krishna, Pandavas, Kauravas and so many others .. is the prerogative of any reader or interpreter who chooses to read the epic with fair intelligence and if possible, with an open mind..

The opinions mouthed by the characters as recorded in the epic need not be accepted as right or wrong.. The things just happened.

And evaluation of virtues or vices contained in any action by a person, even if it is a puranic or Aitihasic character, can vary with the social ethos as well as the personal mental make up of the reader..

Nothing is right or wrong in absolute terms

contrast makes things brighter

I was reading from Aurobindo.. 

The sage is a very practical and Independent thinker who would never subscribe to any spiritual rules without first analysing the issue threadbare.. 

He was saying in one of his treatises that ultimately the real nature of the world and its constituents is something, some unknown, but eminently knowable mean or central point exactly between Materialism on one side and Spiritualism on a diametrically opposite point.. 

If a person is to make an attempt at knowing that unknown but knowable core, he could sneak into the centre and look for it.. but then even though the sneaking in may not be much difficult, he would not know that knowable in the proper sense..

But a person who traverses the extremes of spiritualism, and also the extremes of materialism would finally reach the golden mean through trials,, and even errors..

The rough edges of that person would be rounded by the hits he receives from materialism as well as spiritualism, as he oscillates, and gradually the oscillation attenuates and he stops at the right place.

Judging by this logic, Vishada is definitely a nice trigger or indirectly a facilitator for the bliss to take the central stage.

One poet said.. One's realization will be valued in its proper perspective only if a lot of grief and toil goes into achieving the bliss, It is like the ecstasy of a person who is mired in darkness is provided with the sudden brightness of a lamp..

सुखं हि दुखान्यनुभूय शोभते घनान्धकारेषु इव दीपदर्शनम्

Radhakalyanamahotsavam of Narayana namasankeerthanamandali Sekharipuram

to be human....

to be human....

Happened to read a quote from a respected speaker and spiritual leader extolling the importance of being "Human" and concluding that to be human was almost the be all and end all for us..

There is a different angle to this

To be human is also in fact to imbibe a bundle of tendencies, habits, prejudices which are natural to human beings.. 

Just recall the saying "to err is human",, 

Perhaps the guru meant by human only the good things in a human being.. 

But then is that not too much of a presumption?..

Every quote, even if it is from Vedas or Socrates or Chanakya, when read in isolation can convey meanings which were never intended,

silence

silence

the most elegant language one can speak is the language of silence

the most potent weapon one can wield is the weapon of silence 

the most honest words one can utter are words conveyed in silence 

because silence can never be lost on the one who keeps quiet and also the one who follows

new year musings

A very empathetic message of new year quoted by a good friend made be respond with a tinge of sadness..
I wrote like this.. and perhaps it is my response to the new year too.

A very nice summing up, an ideal wish-list of good-will for the nubile year ready to be born..
The great man has seen eighty or more new years...

I have seen now a score of new years less..
Maybe there were some occasions to celebrate afresh, or may be there were some losses to mourn in the leaving year for almost every one of my friends in their individual or family life , and the same may be expected in the year to be ushered in ..
After all life is a balance-sheet which reflects pleasures and pains critically tallied..

But if we look at the way we human beings as a class are moving ahead, more and more reasons for being anxious, worried or even feeling desperate and helpless, are appearing and our wish-list as a society does not hold many happy entries..

Jealousy, Intolerance, lack of empathy, eagerness to cut or demolish our fellow beings with nasty tongue or deadly weapons, punishing all including innocents for some minor fault or no fault at all on the part of a few, or killing for ideology.. all this is craziness.. and the craziness is getting stronger and its growth is exponential..

I have mental reservations to wish anyone a Happy New year..



Still I do hope Krishna will bless all and correct the wrongs..

glib tongue

Those who talk nicely need not be really nice people.. Just like the nice people who control their tongue and their anger too just not to give hurt to others, some people not only control their tongue, but manipulate it too to give outputs that are sweet for the ears and minds of others, event though they will be simmering or seething with hate and jealousy for the victims.. And an average human being in carried away with sweet words and take them at face value and fail to notice the tons of vitriol and gall stocked up at the source..
But then the artificial sweetness will fade in crunch situations..
Meaningless to cuddle a golden Cobra just for its beautiful colour..

(Of course some who are irritable at first sight may turn out to be more tolerable later on.. But that does not mean one should bark at everyone at first sight.. It is the duty of a dog and not that of a man.)