Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman Hamsa vahanam 2019

On  third day of  Brahmothsavam of Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman this day (21.4.2019)) – 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 Hamsa  is known for its purity and powers.  Thirumangai Mannan in his ‘Thirunedunthandagam’ draws a reference to the Hamsa bird.

Milk is a nutrient-rich, white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for infant mammals. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to its young and can reduce the risk of many diseases. It contains many other nutrients  including protein and lactose.  As an agricultural product, dairy milk, is extracted from farm animals.   Human  milk consumption has played a key role in global economic and agricultural developments for over 10,000 years. Given its popularity, cow's milk has been the subject of numerous scientific studies in recent history.

A lamellae  in cell biology, is used to describe numerous plate or concentric layers or disc-like structures at both a intra-cellular, cellular, tissue and higher level. Granums in chloroplast are interconnected by intergranal lamellae. They are the sites of photosystem I. Simply put, lamellae may be considered as multiple parallel or concentric layers of membranes as in chlorophyll  -  relevance here ?!?

“மின்னுமாமழை தவழும் மேகவண்ணா *  விண்ணவர் தம் பெருமானே! அருளாயென்று அன்னமாய் முனிவரோடு அமரரேத்த *   அருமறையை வெளிப்படுத்த அம்மான் தன்னை"........சர்வேஸ்வரன் முனிவர்களும் தேவர்களும் ஸ்தோத்திரம் செய்ததற்கு இணங்கி ஹம்சரூபியாய் அவதரித்து அருமையான வேதங்களை வெளிப்படுத்தி அருளினார். 

The Hamsa, vahanam  of Lord Saraswathi  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.

Water birds separate good water from the bad water. They have a sieve like structure (lamellae) in its mouth which separates water from mud. Probably this is what leads to the belief that Swans can separate milk from water and drink only milk, or perhaps they really can. In Sanskrit Ksheera means milk and pure water.

Here are some photos of Sri Parthasarathi Perumal in Hamsa vahanam.

~adiyen Srinivasadhasan