அவனே அகல்ஞாலம்
படைத்திடந்தான் ~ Swami Nammalwar exudes devotion to Sriman
Narayana and exhibits subliminal conjugation in extolling the greatness of Him,
who created earth, lifted it, swallowed it, gave it back to us, measured it and
.. .. is always the saviour for all
earthly beings.
During Covid times, with
so many people spreading negativity, statistics and swollen feelings everyday,
the first challenge is how to stay positive ! In fact, for remaining positive
it is important to embrace the darker
aspects of a situation in the process. The most helpful definition of being
positive is having hope and confidence that things will improve and change for
the better. When you encounter problems
and difficulties in life, don’t play the role of the victim. Acknowledge your
role in the situation and take responsibility for your behavior.
Tamil Nadu on Sunday
recorded its highest one-day coronavirus spike with 1,149 people testing
positive for the deadly virus in 24 hours, Govt data said. The total of deaths
reached 173 with 13 new additions. Chennai, the worst-hit city in the state,
reported 804 cases. Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai has 14,802 cases including 129
deaths. Initially, the Koyambedu Vegetable Market super spreader in Chennai
infected at least 2600 people. Now 5 clusters in the city, including urban
slums with cramped houses and narrow lanes, have emerged as a major challenge.
These communities have been reportedly compromising on social distancing and
not wearing masks.
Miles away, Arunachal Pradesh reported its fifth COVID-19
case on Monday after a 26-year-old student who had returned to the state from
Chennai tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a senior official said. With
the fresh case, a total of four persons are now afflicted with the disease in
Arunachal Pradesh while the state's first patient has recovered and was
discharged from a hospital on April 16.
Swiss mountains are
among some of the most beautiful places on earth – during the Covid-19 lockdown
they have also become some of the most peaceful. However, the silence may yet
be broken. In a reminder of life before the coronavirus, Swiss farmers have
been given permission to perform the annual Inalpe ceremony – an event that
sees over a quarter of a million dairy cows process up the slopes to their
high-altitude grazing pasture. Local authorities are allowing the annual event
to take place, albeit without the hordes of spectators who usually flock to the
villages and hillsides to watch the processions.
Amidst the Corona
statistics and hearing people getting affected, spend time peacefully reading
something that encourages positive thinking. Read the, spiritual material, or
inspirational quotes to help you focus on what’s important to you in life. It
can be a great way to start and end your day. Known for capturing bucolic
settings and spiritual meanings in sweet Braj Bhasha, folk singers, composers
and poets in Mathura have found a new theme to express their creativity:
COVID-19. In one such song, “corona tero nash jayego, toku koi thor milego na”,
which has gone viral on social media, poet Bharti Sharma curses the virus that
it will not find any place to hide. What makes the song so special is the way
Ms. Sharma brings out the problems being faced by the people in the region,
which is popular for its food and pilgrim centres.
Govardhana (गोवर्धन) is a 8km long hill
located near the town of Vrindavan, in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh –
it is the sacred hills of Braj. These areas are known as
Brajbhoomi….a part of Ganges Yamuna alluvial area… a golden triangle that would
encompass Mathura, Gokul, Govardhan, Nandgaon, Barsana and more…
Lord Krishna was born in Mathura, brought up in Gokulam, played in Vrindavan
and surroundings and thus many of His Leelas were in and around these areas ~
‘lifting of the Govardhana Giri’ is a very important event. The greatness
of the hills of Govardhan is appreciated by Periyazhwar in 10 hymns.
14.1.2020 was very special –
it was day 9 of Irapathu uthsavam at Thiruvallikkeni. Being Bhogi day, it was
also Thirukalyanam of Sri Andal with Sri Parthasarathi. So in the evening
purappadu Andal accompanied Sri Parthasarathi, while Swami Nammalwar led in the
front. Lord Krishna right from
His childhood days exhibited magical qualities revealing and making those
close to Him aware that He is the Supreme Power; yet He mingled
with cowherds and all other folks treating all as equals ~ such is the great
quality (Saulabhyam) of Lord Krishna, being accessible to mighty and meek
without disparity.
Govardhan located nearer
Vrindavan, Mathura, is considered very sacred for its association with
Lord Krishna. The name could literally mean nourishment of the cow.
In Northern India, Govardhan Puja is celebrated after Diwali. The
greatness of the hills of Govardhan is appreciated by Periyazhwar in 10 hymns…
- in one Azhwar speaks of the abundance of rain at Govardhan from
those clouds which descend to take water from the ocean and pour them over the
hills. In another, Periyazhwar sings :
செப்பாடுடைய திருமாலவன்தன் செந்தாமரைக்
கைவிரலைந்தினையும்*
கப்பாக மடுத்துமணி நெடுந்தோள்
காம்பாகக் கொடுத்துக் கவித்தமலை*
எப்பாடும் பரந்திழிதெள்ளருவி இலங்கு
மணிமுத்து வடம் பிறழ*
குப்பாயமென நின்று காட்சிதரும்
கோவர்த்தனமென்னும் கொற்றக்குடையே.
The most benevolent Maha
Vishnu (embodied as Lord Krishna) upturned the big mountain just as an umbrella
– He spread his five fingers of lotus hand which were akin to spokes and His
long arm seemingly the stem. With the mountain so held protecting the
cows and cowherds, the gushing stream of water flowed down over the rims
forming a tassel of ornament… the sprayed waters formed looked like a silken
coat with pearls interlaced and worn by the might Lord… that was the lifting of
Govardhana Giri.
ஆண்டுகள் ஒரே மாதிரி
இருக்க மாட்டா ! ~ சரித்திரத்தில் தேசங்கள்/ நாடுகளுக்கு இடையே போர்களும், பஞ்சமும்,
பெரும் பிணியும், பெரு வியாதிகளும் மக்களை அல்லல்படுத்தி உள்ளன. அல்லல்
வரும்போது அஞ்சுற வேண்டா! - எம்பெருமானை துதிப்பீர். அவன் நம்மை சிறப்பாக காத்தருள்வான். இதோ
இங்கே இராப்பத்து உத்சவத்திலே ஸ்ரீபார்த்தசாரதி பெருமாளுக்கு 'கோவர்தன கிரி'
சாற்றுப்படி.
மாடுகளும், கன்றுகளும்
கஷ்டப்பட, மனிதர்கள் பெரும்பயத்துடன் கிருஷ்ணனை சரணடைந்து, ‘‘கிருஷ்ணா, நீயே எங்களைக்
காப்பாற்ற வேண்டும்’’ என்று தீனக்குரலில் வேண்டினர். இடி, மின்னல்,
மழையோடு பெருங்காற்றும் வீசியதால் ஒவ்வொரு ஜீவராசியும் கடுங்குளிரால் நடுங்கின. ‘பக்தர்களே!
நீங்கள் யாவரும் இந்த மலையின் அடியில் வந்து சேருங்கள். இந்தக் காற்றுக்கும் மழைக்கும்
அஞ்ச வேண்டாம். அதை நான் இந்த மலையைத் தூக்கிப் பிடித்துத் தடுத்துவிட்டேன். இதனடியில்
உள்ள இடங்களில் அவரவர் விருப்பம்போலச் சுகமாக இருக்கலாம். மலை மேலே விழுந்துவிடுமோ
என்று பயப்பட வேண்டாம்!’’ என்று கூறியபடியே மலையைத் தனது விரலாலே கிருஷ்ண பகவான் தாங்கிப்பிடித்துக்கொண்டார். தமது
இடதுகையின் சுண்டுவிரலின் நுனியில் நிறுத்தியிருந்ததைக் கண்டும், பசி, தாகம், வேறு
எந்தவிதமான கவலையுமில்லாமல் அவர் முகம் ஒளிவிட்டதை எண்ணியும் ஆச்சர்யமடைந்தார்கள்,
அவ்வூர் மக்கள். ஏழு தினங்கள் ஓயாமல் மழை பெய்ய, சுவாமியும் அந்த கோவர்த்தனகிரி மலையை
குடைபோல ஏந்தி அனைவரையும் காத்தருளினார்.
Let us fall at the feet
of Lord Krishna, our Saviour and pray to Him to save us all.
~adiyen Srinivasadhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli
Srinivasan Sampathkumar
1.6.2020
Some photos courtesy :
Sundarakrishnan.
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