Praying our Saviour Thiruvengadamudaiyan for a disease-free happy World .. బ్రహ్మ మొకటే

ஓய்வை விளைவிக்கின்ற கிழத்தனமென்ன, வாழ்க்கையில் கஷ்டங்கள் என்ன ? - மரணம் என்ன ! -  மனித வாழ்க்கையின் அவலங்களை கேள்விப்பட்டு இருக்கிறோம், கண்ணுற்று இருக்கிறோம்.  மனித வாழ்க்கையே நமக்கு இது நேராது என்ற நம்பிக்கையில் காலம் கழிப்பது தானே ! ~ எனினும் 'கரோனா நோய்" போன்ற வியாதிகள் பரவும்போது - மனம் பயந்து என்ன செய்வது என்பது அறியாமல் தளர்வது மனித இயல்பே அல்லவா ! 

மனம் தளராதீர் !  - எல்லா கவலைகளையும் நீக்கி நம்மை காப்பற்றவல்லன், நம் நாயகன் ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணன் ஒருவனே !  .. .. அவனை திருமலை உள்ளிட்ட திவ்யதேசங்களிலும் மற்றைய திருக்கோவில்களிலும் சென்று வணங்கி, அவனையே வேண்டி, அவன் திருப்பாதங்களை பற்றி உய்வோகமாக !!

                          For the globe,  2020 is an year they would perhaps like to forget .. .. Covid19 has swept people off their balance and changed the way they had been living .. .. the World has been praying that the woes would end sooner and one sureshot towards is vaccines.  U.K. health authorities have rolled out the first doses of a widely tested and independently reviewed COVID-19 vaccine, starting a global immunization program that is expected to gain momentum as more serums win approval.  The first shot came today  at one of a network of hospital hubs around the country where the initial phase of the U.K. program will be rolled out on what has been dubbed “V-Day.” The first recipient was grandmother Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week. She received the shot at University Hospital Coventry at 6:31 a.m.

Going by the official figures, Covid has been coming down – perhaps controlled well by the measures of the Govt and Health authorities.    India’s daily Covid-19 count fell steeply on Monday, with fresh cases dipping to 26,567. This is the lowest count since July 10.  One cannot brush it aside stating that this could be a result of  less testing on Sunday.  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Monday said that the country will not have to wait too long for the coronavirus vaccine even as he cautioned people that there should be no laxity as far as prevention of the infection is concerned.  Thirty crore Indians would be vaccinated on priority, said the Health Ministry on Tuesday. Around 1 crore healthcare workers, 2 crore frontline workers and 27 crore in prioritised age group would be prioritised. Healthcare providers and workers in healthcare setting, personnel from state and central police, armed forces, home guards, civil defence and disaster management volunteers and municipal workers and persons above 50 years would be prioritised. The ministry also said that India has eight coronavirus vaccine candidates in the making. Out of the eight, two have applied for emergency use authorisation.  India's existing cold chain infrastructure is capable of storing COVID-19 vaccine required for 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers, a senior government official said on Tuesday. In a presentation at the daily COVID-19 briefing, the Union Health Ministry informed that it has consulted states and union territories for additional requirement of cold storages.  .. .. all these augur well and are really positive pointers in the fight against dreaded Corona virus.

 

 

For a blissful soothing experience, just recall your last visit to the holy Thirumala Tirupathi  ~ even as you start feeling the chillness, most likely the mellifluous song of Sri Annamacharya  would pervade you…. 

adivo alladivo śrī hari vāsamu ** padivela śeṣula paḍagala mayamu || 

Look and behold, this is abode of Hari- the place where He resides . sang Tallapaka Annamacharya [popularly Annamayya], the 15th century musician who composed  many keerthanas on Lord Venkateswara.  Of his very many beautiful keerthanas – here is another one on Thirumala Lord Venkateswara 

తందనాన అహి, తందనాన పురె
తందనాన భళా, తందనాన ||

బ్రహ్మ మొకటే, పర ..  ..  బ్రహ్మ మొకటే, పర

కందువగు హీనాధికము లిందు లేవు
అందరికి శ్రీహరే అంతరాత్మ |

At His holy place ‘Thirumala Tirupathi’ – the abode of  Thiruvengadamudaiyan, there would be no differences, no highs no lows.   “Srihari” – Sriman Narayana the eternal protector who resides here is the innate spirit to One and all.     All the beings in creation are one because the indwelling spirit in every creature is one and the same.

 

எம்பெருமான் எத்தகையவன் ? - அரு மருந்து ! அற்புத விளக்கு ! அருள் வடிவானவன்!  எல்லா காலங்களிலும், இது போன்ற சங்கட காலங்களிலும் நாம் செய்ய வேண்டியது என்ன? திருவேங்கடவன் இருக்கும் போது, நமக்கு என்ன மனக்கவலை?  திருவேங்கடமுடையானன்றோ ப்ராப்யம்,  திருமலையொன்றே நம் வினை ஓய்வதற்குப் போதுமென்கிறார், சுவாமி நம்மாழ்வார்.     இத்திருமலையை அடைந்தமாத்திரத்தில்  தீவினையெல்லாம் சாம்பலாகப்பெற்று நன்மைகள் யாவையும் நடக்கும் இடமே இந்த  ‘வேங்கடாசலம்.'   வேங்கடமே தொழ நம் வினை ஓயுமே ! 

The sacred and most reverred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak – Venkatachala hill of Tirumala.  The Lord stands tall as bestower of all boons and lakhs of people reach here to have a glimpse – a few seconds darshan of the Lord.  This beautiful temple in its present form owes a lot to the works of the greatest Vaishnava Acharya – Sri Ramanujar.   Just like our Azwars and Acaryas have guided us, Annamayya too glorifies the holy feet of Lord Venkateswara – it is that  lotus feet of Sriman Narayana  cleansed by the Brahma  when Lord as Trivikrama measured the whole Universe.  

Let us sincerely pray to the Lord of Seven Hills for our time – that significant day to have His darshan at Holy Thirumala.  There have been instances where we have walked, waited and prayed patiently for hours and got a glimpse for few seconds – let us pray for another darshan – now even if we are to get that split second darshan, we would relish that more ! – waiting for that magical moment of another darshan of Thiruvengadamudaiyan and hours of darshan of our own Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman at Thiruvallikkeni.  Let us all pray to Him for a Corona-free World. 

Here are some photos of the divine Thirumala and Sri Thiruvengadamudaiyan taken during earlier visits.  On a lighter note, all devotees are fond of His mahaprasad – ‘the special Thirumala laddu’ –

In a startling revelation, a website was noticed promising to send ‘Laddus’ by door delivery anywhere in the world, of course for a price. The website ‘balajiprasadam.com‘ promised home delivery of the prasadam anywhere in the world.  Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) was not amused by such promises as the prasadam is exclusively made by the TTD and given only to the devotees, who visit the temple.   The TTD chairman  has ordered the TTD vigilance authorities to initiate criminal action against those running the website and also to get the website blocked. It had come to TTD’s notice that messages about the home delivery of Tirumala Prasadam anywhere in the world were going viral on social media.  

A visit to that website reveals that it not functional any longer stating : ‘an article claiming that the website is fake has been published online. We made a geniune effort. We also mentioned on the website that the laddus will be purchased from the TTD outlet. Considering the circumstances, we have discontinued the website which was launched on 7th December 2020, …  We are grateful to the people who supported us and we apologise for any inconvenience.   We only wanted to assist people who are unable to travel especially during these difficult times. It was not our intention to cause any hurt to anyone. We are sorry – reads a statement on that web.

adiyen Srinivasadhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
8.12.2020.