Snow Moon 2024 - Masi Magam Sesha Vahanam @ Triplicane

Over centuries, Moon has enamoured mankind.  Did you see today’s Full Moon – if not venture out, see the beautiful little moon.

United States has returned to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years after a privately-built spacecraft named Odysseus capped a nail-biting 73-minute descent from orbit with a touchdown near the moon’s south pole.  Amid celebrations of what Nasa hailed “a giant leap forward”.

Today 24^th Mar 2024  is full moon (Pournami) – in the morning it was Garuda Sevai and in the evening SEsha Vahanam.   Full moon is too inspiring.    The Western World calls it "Snow Moon", "Hunger Moon" or "Minimoon"  !!  The orgin of its name as "Snow Moon" dates back to 1930s when Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing "Indian" names for full Moons. According to this almanac,  the full Moon in February is called  the Snow or Storm Moon because of the heavy snows in this season, by the tribes of the northeastern US.

Space.com explained that most of the time, the Moon is illuminated by the sun's light. "Once in a while, the moon's orbit carries it within the shadow of Earth. February's full moon will miss the Earth's shadow, because the moon's orbit is tilted by five degrees to the plane of the Earth's orbit, and therefore Earth won't be directly between the sun and the moon," the report said.   The full moon of date  February 24 occurs  when the Moon is exactly on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun. The “Snow Moon” will be the smallest of the year as it rises during dusk on Saturday.

The Hunger moon lunar event carries a history woven with the challenges of midwinter. NASA has explained that heavy snowfall, making hunting difficult, led to it being called the 'Snow Moon'. The added title of the 'Hunger Moon' reflects the scarcity of resources during this wintry period.  This year, one might argue that the Snow Moon is poorly named, considering the lack of snow in many parts of the eastern United States. In South Carolina, Native Americans call it the "first flower moon," signalling the start of spring's journey northward, according to the Washington Post.

Odysseus, the first US-built spacecraft to touchdown on the moon in more than half a century, is tipped over on its side, according to an update from Nasa and Intuitive Machines, the company that built and operated the lander. The robotic lander descended on to the south polar region of the moon on Thursday at 6.23pm ET. But several minutes passed before flight controllers were able to pick up a signal from the lander’s communication systems.

As it landed, Odysseus “caught a foot in the surface and tipped” said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus, ending up on its side. Still, the lander is “near or at our intended landing site”, he said. Nasa and Intuitive Machines said they have been receiving data from the lander and believe that most of the scientific instruments that it is carrying are in a position to work.  “It really was a magical, magical day,” said Tim Crain, chief technology officer and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, at the Friday press conference.

The area where Odysseus landed, near the crater Malapert A close to the moon’s south pole, is a treacherous terrain, pockmarked with craters – but it was chosen because scientists believe it will be rich with frozen water that could help sustain a permanent lunar base in the future.   Imagery from the landing and a reconstruction of how it happened will likely be available in the coming days.  Nasa paid Intuitive Machines $118m to undertake the journey, as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which awards contracts to private partners. The mission is part of the Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon.

 - -  -    could not forget remembering the past –  4 years ago  -  Masi magam purappadu of Sri Parthasarathi occurred on  9.3.2020; then there was Gajendra varadhar thavanothsavam, Sri Azhagiya Singar thavanothsavam (3 days)    15.3.2020   –   then Corona struck .. .. for months together there was to be no purappadu  ! ..

Moving away, for us Srivaishnavas, kainkaryam unto Him is the purpose of life.  Of those who render service to  Sriman Narayana,  Ananthan – the AdiSesha serves Him in the best possible manner that one could visualize.   Our Boothath Azhwar urges us all to chant His name always !  .. .. He laments to say that those who allow themselves to forget His names are not human beings worthy of a birth in this World.  Lord Senkanmal is the only Saviour.  Always firmly believe that Madhava is the bearer of Dharma – we need to follow Dharma and make it habit to chant His names ever.

திருப்பாற்கடலில் பள்ளி கொள்ளும் பெருமானுக்கு 'சேஷசாயி' என அழகான  திருநாமம். அந்த அரவணையானின் பாதங்களை    தொழுது ஏத்துபவர்கள்  என்று  என்றும் குறைவிலர் !..

சிறந்தார்க்கு எழுதுணையாம் செங்கண்மால் நாமம்,

மறந்தாரை மானிடமா வையேன், அறம்தாங்கும்

மாதவனேயென்னும் மனம்படைத்து, மற்றவன்பேர்

ஓதுவதே நாவினால்  உள்ளு.

 

எம்பெருமானிடம் அடிபணிந்து அவனுக்கு கைங்கர்யங்கள் செய்து உகக்கும் ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவோத்தமர்களுக்கு உஜ்ஜீவந ஹேதுவான துணையாகின்ற திருநாமத்தை மறப்பவர்களை, இப்பூவுலகில் மனுஷ ஜென்மத்தில் பிறந்தவர்களாகவே  என்னெஞ்சில் கொள்ளமாட்டேன் ! தர்மஸ்தாபநம் பண்ணவல்ல திருமாலே!“ என்று கூவியழைக்கும்படியான,  செந்தாமரைக்  கண்ணனான எம்பெருமானுடைய உயர்ந்த  திருநாமத்தை நாவினால் எப்போதும் சொல்லுவதையே (ப்ராப்தமென்று) அநுஸந்தித்திரு !  (நெஞ்சமே! ) என்று நமக்கு வழி காட்டுகின்றார் நம் பூதத்தாழ்வார்.

Today evening there was grand periya mada veethi purappadu in Sesha vahanam and here are some photos of Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman  purappadu.

 
adiyen Srinivasa dhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
24.2.2024