On third day of Chithirai Brahmothsavam
of Sri Parthasarathi Perumal [24th April 2016] – it is Garuda
vahanam in the morning and ‘Hamsa Vahanam’ in the evening . The
Thiruvallikkeni Hamsa vahanam is one of the heaviest among the
vahanams. The bird is known for its purity and powers. Thirumangai
Mannan in his ‘Thirunedunthandagam’ draws a reference to the Hamsa bird.:
“மின்னுமாமழை தவழும் மேகவண்ணா * விண்ணவர்தம்
பெருமானே! அருளாயென்று** அன்னமாய் முனிவரோடு
அமரரேத்த * அருமறையை
வெளிப்படுத்த அம்மான் தன்னை"........
சர்வேஸ்வரன் முனிவர்களும் தேவர்களும் ஸ்தோத்திரம்
செய்ததற்கு இணங்கி ஹம்சரூபியாய் அவதரித்து அருமையான வேதங்களை வெளிப்படுத்தி
அருளினார்.
The Hamsa is a familiar leitmotif in Indian art,
literature, sculpture and textiles. It is an aquatic bird that resembles a
goose or a swan. It is reputed to eat pearls and to be able to separate milk
from water and drink only pure milk. The Hamsa represents the
perfect harmony between spirituality and life. Hamsam is attributed
qualities of purity, detachment, divine knowledge, cosmic breath (prana)
and highest spiritual accomplishment.
Some call it a legendary bird akin to a Swan and some
writers contend that goose is more Indian than a swan, without ever realising
that climatic conditions, migratory pattern, aves behaviour could all have changed
substantially over centuries. The bird Hamsa represented in our culture is
reputed to eat pearls, has the capacity to separate milk from water and drink
only pure milk. What humans would ever
aspire to ~ discarding all impurities. The Hamsa represents the perfect harmony between spirituality and life. It was indeed a grand purappadu at Thiruvallikkeni
and here are some photos.
Would have heard of metaphorical phrase ‘swan song’ denoting
a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement.
The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans (Cygnus spp.) sing a
beautiful song in the moment just before death, having been silent (or
alternatively, not so musical) during most of their lifetime. That is based on Western poetry, without much
of scientific basis though….
Miles away in Houston, Texas, where major flooding was reported
recently, a midwife hitched a ride on an inflatable swan to deliver a baby. An
expectant mother had early labour, the midwife could not execute her plan of
involving kayak. Upon realising that she
could not carry her equipment wading through water, she reportedly boarded an inflatable swan till the end of the street,
then getting on to a pickup truck. Flooding
in the Houston area has left eight people dead earlier this month. Over 1,100 residences are reportedly
damaged and more than 1,000 water
rescues have been reported.
While people
find it hard to accept whatever is stated in scriptures, the close relationship between a man and a
swan has been revealed in a story that appeared in ABC news. A swan had earlier been injured from flying
into a chain link fence, and was nursed back to health by a man who later
transported it to a sanctuary. The man a
TV presenter visited the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset later after a few years,
the bird was reunited and exhibited that it had not forgotten the act of
kindness and was captured displaying its gratitude.
'I pulled it to my chest and somehow it felt comfortable or
safe, and within minutes it just surrendered itself. It literally took its neck
and wrapped it around mine,' Wiese told ABC News. 'It's a wonderful moment when
an animal totally trusts you,' he added.
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
No comments:
Post a Comment