divinity of Sri Andal ~ Hindu darma meeting at Vani Mahal

There is divinity everywhere… still some are more closely associated with divinity…

கூட்டிலிருந்து கிளியெப்போதும் கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தாவென்றழைக்கும்*

ஊட்டுக்கொடாது செறுப்பனாகில் உலகளந்தானென்றுயரக் கூவும்*

நாட்டிற்றலைப்பழியெய்தி உங்கள் நன்மையழிந்து தலையிடாதே*

சூட்டுயர் மாடங்கள் சூழ்ந்து தோன்றும் துவராபதிக்கென்னையுய்த்திடுமின்.

~ Andal the quintessential devotee draws reference to the caged parrot which keeps calling the names of Lord as ‘Govindha, Govinda’ ~ when it is not fed and starved as a punishment, it shouts more as ‘Lord who measured the Earth’…… Andal pleads that she be taken to Dwaraka, the city that has  high spired domes as She should be taken to the place of Lord Krishna, lest there will be words of abuse from the World.

In Sri Vaishna sampradhayam one need not be too learned nor do great deeds, it would simply suffice, if we are attached to God, surrender at his feet and do kainkaryam to Emperuman and to His devotees.

Our Azhwars and Acaryas taught us great bakthi culture intermingled with divine hymns and quality way of life.  It is our primary duty to uphold our darma by religiously following our sampradhayam and doing service to Lord. 

In an unsavoury event, a person earning living by writing cine songs made wrong references to our Goda Piratti Sri Andal and Srivaishnavaites anguished by those remarks, expect that the person who made them apologise before Andal at Sri Villiputhur. 

Today at Vani  Mahal, T Nagar – in a meeting organized by ‘long live Hindu dharma’  spearheaded by Sri U Ve Anantha Padmanabachar Swami; Sri  U. Ve Devarajan Swami (Sri UVe Dr MA Venkatakrishnan Swami could not attend as he was recently bereaved) -  many scholars spoke on Hindu darma and the way forward in preserving our sampradhayam – those included  film Director Sri Visu; Sri S Ve. Sekhar, Sri TR Ramesh, President, Hindu Worshippers Association; Sri Andal Chockalingam, Sri Devanathan of Win TV and many others -  hundreds of people attended this meeting.

Here are some photos taken during the meeting at Vani Mahal, T Nagar, Madras 17.

Sri Andal Thiruvadigale saranam.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

11^th Feb 2018.

Ratha Sapthami - Sri Parthasarathi Chandra Prabhai purappadu 2018

Ratha Sapthami - Sri Parthasarathi Chandra Prabhai purappadu  2018

 Today, 24^th Jan 2018 (11^th day of Thai masam) is  Ratha Sapthami.   Ratha means chariot. Sapthami is a thithi in a lunar month falling on the 7^th   day of both sukla and Krishna paksha.   Ratha Sapthami also Surya Jayanthi is celebrated on 7^th  day after Thai Amavasai-  Shukla paksha (waxing phase of moon)  dedicated to God Surya. 

from archives ~ 2016 photo

சந்திரன் குளிர்ச்சியானவன்; சந்திரனுக்கு நிலா, அம்புலி, வெண்மதி,   என பெயர்கள் உண்டு. முழுமதி மிகவும் சந்தோஷத்தை தர வல்லது.  நிலவை  நோக்கி  கைநீட்டி,தன் குழந்தையுடன் விளையாட வருமாறு அம்புலியை அழைக்கும் பருவம் - அம்புலிப்பருவம். புவியிலிருந்து மிகத் தெளிவாகத் தெரிவதாலும் முறைதவறா பிறை சுழற்சியாலும் தொன்மைக்காலத்திலிருந்தே மனித  சமுகத்தின் பண்பாட்டுக் கூறுகளில்,   குளிர்ச்சியான சந்திரன்  மிகுந்த தாக்கமேற்படுத்தி உள்ளது. பூமியின் ஈர்ப்புச் சக்தி காரணமாக, பூமியைச் சந்திரன் சுற்றிவருகிறது. மனிதன் உயரே அனுப்பியுள்ள எண்ணற்ற செயற்கைக்கோள்களும் இதே காரணத்தால் பூமியைச் சுற்றிவருகின்றன. பூமியைச் சந்திரன் சுற்றுவதுபோலவே வியாழன் கிரகத்தை 64சந்திரன்கள் சுற்றிவருகின்றன. சூரிய மண்டலத்தில் உள்ள கிரகங்களில் வியாழன்தான் மிகப் பெரியது. எனவே, அது மற்ற கிரகங்களைவிட அதிக ஈர்ப்பு சக்தி கொண்டது.

நிலாவையும் வானத்து மீனையும் காற்றையும் நேர்பட வைத்தாங்கே : பாரதியார் வரிகள். பெரியாழ்வார் கண்ணனை வளர்க்கும் பருவத்தில், தனது 'பெரியாழ்வார் திருமொழியில் 'பத்து பாடல்களில், சந்திரனை வளரும் அழகு கண்ணனுடன்’ விளையாட அழைக்கிறார். மேகத்தில் மறையாமல் விளையாட வரச் சொல்லி  "மஞ்சில் மறையாதே மாமதீ மகிழ்ந்தோடி வா" என்கிறார்.  திருவல்லிக்கேணி பிரம்மோத்சவத்தில் ரத சப்தமியான இன்று  காலை பெருமாள் சூர்யப்பிரபையில் புறப்பாடு  கண்டருளினார். குளிர்ச்சியான வெள்ளி நிறமுடைய சந்திரப் பிரபையில்  புறப்பாடு  நடந்திருக்க வேண்டும். ஒரு அசந்தர்ப்பம் காரணமாக வாகன புறப்பாடு  இல்லாமல், கேடயத்தில் அற்புதமாய் சேவை சாதித்தார்..

The Moon (or Luna) is the Earth’s only natural satellite – considered to have been  formed 4.6 billion years ago around some 30–50 million years after the formation of the solar system. The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth meaning the same side is always facing the Earth.  In reality both sides of the Moon see the same amount of sunlight however only one face of the Moon is ever seen from Earth. This is because the Moon rotates around on its own axis in exactly the same time it takes to orbit the Earth, meaning the same side is always facing the Earth.

Though our moon is alone – there are many more of other planets. Jupiter's moon Europa doesn't look like a particularly inviting place for life to thrive; the icy satellite is nearly 500 million miles (800 million kilometers) from the sun, on average – beneath its icy crust lies a liquid ocean with more water than Earth contains.  A lunar eclipse is a spectacular celestial show, during which the bright, pearly-white disc of the full Moon turns dark, and sometimes takes on the colour of dark copper, or even dried blood.  The recent lunar eclipse on 31^st Jan 2018  was an extraordinary phenomenon as it was super blue blood moon" .. .. coming closely in Feb is ‘black moon’.  Sometimes referred as dark moon, in old time people have believed that it could usher an end to the World.  We do not believe in such things.

Moon has enamoured mankind for ages – in our literature and in Divyaprabhandnam too, there is mention of moon in many a places.  Moon is characterised as a cool, pleasant one.  On Ratha Sapthami day – in the evening Sri Parthasarathi Perumal will have  purappadu in cool Chandra prabhai; but at Triplicane there was an exigency and there could not be vahana purappadu.  We had great darshan of Sri Parthasarathi Perumal in kedayam  and here are some photos of the purappadu.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

The first man to set foot on the Moon in 1969 was Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 mission, while the last man to walk on the Moon in 1972 was Gene Cernan on the Apollo 17 mission. Since then the Moon has only be visited by unmanned vehicles. All the 12 to set foot on man have been American males.  There was another man – Michael Collins for whom it was so near and yet so far.   He flew into space twice. His first spaceflight was on Gemini 10, in which he and Command Pilot John Young performed two rendezvous with different spacecraft and Collins undertook two extra-vehicular activities (EVAs, also known as spacewalks). His second spaceflight was as the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 11. While he stayed in orbit around the Moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left in the Lunar Module to make the first manned landing on its surface. He is one of 24 people to have flown to the Moon.

Ratha Sapthami 2018 at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam

Ratha Sapthami 2018  at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam

Compared with the billions of other stars in the universe,  Sun perhaps  is remarkable. But for Earth and the other planets that revolve around it, the sun is a powerful center of attention. It holds the solar system together; pours life-giving light, heat, and energy on Earth; and generates space weather. The sun is a big star. At about 864,000 miles (1.4 million kilometers) wide, it could hold 109 planet Earths across its surface.   NASA's historic Parker Solar Probe mission will revolutionize our understanding of the Sun, where changing conditions can propagate out into the solar system, affecting Earth and other worlds

The Sun, at the heart of our solar system, is a yellow dwarf star, a hot ball of glowing gases. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything from the biggest planets to the smallest particles of debris in its orbit. Electric currents in the Sun generate a magnetic field that is carried out through the solar system by the solar wind—a stream of electrically charged gas blowing outward from the Sun in all directions.   In what is being considered a particularly rare event, scientists are projecting that the Sun will be an unusually cool customer by the year 2050. By combining data and observations from decades of Sun research, experts are predicting a “Grand Solar Minimum” will occur a few decades from now, making our parent star dimmer and cooler than it has been for a very long time.  Though to the common the Sun would continue to look the same way as we have seen,  Sun goes through regular cycles of solar minimums and solar maximums, and that way,  a particularly cool solar minimum is on the way.

24^th Jan 2018 (11^th day of Thai masam) was significant being  Ratha Sapthami.  Ratha means chariot. Sapthami is a thithi in a lunar month falling on the 7^th   day of both sukla and Krishna paksha.   Ratha Sapthami also Surya Jayanthi is celebrated on 7^th  day after Thai Amavasai-  Shukla paksha (waxing phase of moon)  dedicated to God Surya. 

It is believed that earth’s inclination towards the sun is the steepest on the day.  At some regions, special bathing rituals are observed.   Surya (Sun) worship is deep rooted in the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures.  The day  is celebrated as the birth of Surya to Sage Kashyapa and his wife Aditi and celebrated as Surya Jayanthi in many parts. Legend has it that the greatest warrior Bhishma breathed last the day after the Ratha Sapthami day.  The Pithamaha is one the greatest characters in the Epic Mahabaratha and the asthami is revered as “Bhishmaashtami”.

நாம்  அனுதினமும் கண்களாலே பார்த்து சேவிக்க வல்லவன் - சூரிய பகவான்.  சூரியனுக்கு, : ஆதவன், ஆதித்யன், கதிரவன், ஞாயிறு, பகலவன், கனலி,  வெய்யோன், தினகரன், தினமணி, பானு என பல பெயர்கள் உண்டு. சூரிய பகவான்  தன் ரதத்தில் தினமும் சுற்றி திரும்பும் நேரமே ஒருநாள். சூரிய பகவான் ஒரு முகூர்த்த காலத்தில் 27,206,400 மைல்கள் சஞ்சரிக்கும் வல்லமை உடையவர். கருடனின் சகோதரரான அருணனே சூரிய பகவானின் தேர்ப்பாகனாக திகழ்கிறார். காயத்ரி, ப்ரஹதி, உஷ்ணிக்,ஜகதி, திருஷ்டுப், அனுஷ்டுப், பங்க்தி என்கிற ஏழு குதிரைகள் சூரியனின் ரதத்தை இழுத்துச் செல்கின்றன.

The Sun god is driven by a seven-horsed Chariot depicting the seven days of the week.   Going by Upanishad, their names are : Gayatri, Brhati, Usnik, Jagati, Tristup, Anustup and Pankti.  The charioteer of Surya is Aruna, who is also personified as the redness that accompanies the sunlight in dawn and dusk. Aruna was born to Vinatai and Sage Kashyapa….. the other son is the most illustrious Periya Thiruvadi (Sri Garuda Azhwar)  ~ to Aruna was born Jatayu and Sampati, who are mentioned in the epic Ramayana.  The chariot of Sun travels at a speed of 3,400,800 yojanas calculated as 27,206,400 miles in a muhurtha.  

Uttarayana is the six month period between Makara sankranti (Jan 14) and July 14 when Sun travels towards North in the celestial sphere. Ratha saptami marks the seventh day following the Sun’s northerly movement of vernal equinox starting from Capricorn (Makara).  A  journey from Makara rekai to Kadaka rekai – Capricorn to Cancer.  Ratha Sapthami  symbolically represents the Sun God Surya turning his Ratha (chariot) drawn by seven horses towards northern hemisphere in a north-easterly direction.

Traditionally in villages, Rangoli kolam is drawn with coloured rice powder depicting Chariot drawn by horses. From today, the days would get warmer, especially in South India. This is an important annual festival at Vaishnavaite temples.  At holy Thirumala, there would be purappadu of Uthsavar  Malaiappar in 7 vahanas.  In Kanchi, and other divyadesams -  there will be purappadu in the morning in Surya Prabhai and in the evening Chandra Prabhai. 

At Thiruvallikkeni, there was Suryaprabhai purappadu this morning.   Here are some photos of the grand purappadu : -

பெயரும் கருங் கடலே நோக்குமாறு*, ஒண்பூ

உயரும் கதிரவனே நோக்கும்* -உயிரும்

தருமனையே நோக்கும் ஒண் தாமரையாள் கேள்வன்*

ஒருவனையே நோக்கும் உணர்வு.   :  [முதல் திருவந்தாதி – பொய்கைப்பிரான்]

The rivers flow towards the mighty Ocean; lotus blossoms towards the direction of the Sun; all that is born eventually reach the lord of death ~ for us Srivaishnavaites, the only goal of realisation is the golden feet of the consort of Mahalakshmi -  Sriman Narayana.

~ adiyen Srinivasa dhasan (S. Sampathkumar)

24^th Jan 2018.

•         In Greek mythology, Helios is the personification of Sun, imagined to be handsome god crowned with the shining aureole of the Sun.

•         Krishnamachari Srikkanth the dashing Indian opener, always  walked to the right of his partner while going out to bat with a characteristic head twist to the Sun. Once in an interview he was asked about this habit of looking at Sun. Pat came the reply : “Suryaha: prathyaksha devatha:”

Sri Koorathazhwan Vaibhavam 2018

என்னைப் புவியில் ஒரு பொருளாக்கி * மருள் சுரந்த

முன்னைப் பழவினை வேரறுத்து * ஊழிமுதல்வனையே

பன்னப்பணித்த இராமானுசன் பரன்பாதமும் என்

சென்னித் தரிக்க வைத்தான் * எனக்கு ஏதும் சிதைவு இல்லையே**

Thiruvarangathu Amuthanar adds that the reason for his being able sing paeans of Sri Ramanuja is only due to limitless compassion of Acharyar on the lowly self through the merciful Koorathazhwan.  None else than the most merciful Ramanuja can make the lowly, unworthy get some credit. The ones who keep his Lotus feet on their head are indeed fortunate and will not grieve for anything in life.   On the occasion of Thai Hastham marking the birth anniversary of Swami Koorathazhwan, I had posted in detail on the greatness of our Acarya ~ here is something more .. ..

நம் கூரத்தாழ்வான்  சரண் (Sri Kuresar at avatharasthalam)

Miles away on the northern tip of this great Nation existed the Sharda Temple  located in Kishanganga Valley just across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) in a small village called Shardi at the confluence of River Kishanganga and River Jhelum which flows from Kashmir.  A famous learning centre of Kashmiris, it is identified by noted historians and chroniclers. 

As we proceed, here is something read on Kashmir in a book titled  ‘the Valley of Kashmir’ by Waltair RR Lawrence published in 1895. 

Kashmir in 1887, when the Settlement commenced, may be described as an absolute monarchy. If an aristocracy of power ever existed, the tall poppies were cut down years ago, and the people looked to the Maharaja as their direct lord and master. They yearn for personal rule centred in one man, and they are bewildered and disgusted when rule and power filter into many channels. In Kashmir the Maharaja is represented by a Governor and it is of the highest importance that this official be a man of energy and experience, and that all departments, whether revenue, police, forests, &c., should be absolutely under his control.   It is a small country, and an energetic Governor could visit any village in the valley in a day's ride.  His Highness the Maharaja Pratab Singh, G.C.S.I., recognizing that it was impossible to check these abuses without records and statistics, resolved on effecting a land Revenue Settlement of his country. At first it was extremely difficult to persuade the people that the Settlement would be a reality, or to inspire them with a belief that there would be some continuity in the administration.  Little by little, confidence has sprung up.  

IF one looks at the map of the territories of His Highness the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir one sees a white foot-print set in a mass of black mountains. This is the valley of Kashmir, known to its inhabitants as KasJiir. Perched securely among the Himalayas at an average height of about 6,000 feet above the sea, it is approximately eighty-four miles in length, and twenty to twenty-five miles in breadth. North, east, and west, range after range of mountains guard the valley from the outer world, while on the south it is cut off from the Panjab by rocky barriers fifty to seventy five miles in width. The valley is a resting-place for adventurous traders who seek the distant markets of Yarkand and Central Asia, and it furnishes a base whence military operations have been in recent years directed against the wild and turbulent tribes of the Shinaki country to the north and north-east.  

The mountains which surround Kashmir are never monotonous. Infinitely varied in form and colour, they are such as an artist might picture in his dreams. Looking to the north one sees a veritable sea of mountains, broken into white crested waves, hastening in wild confusion to the great promontory of Nanga Parbat (26,620 feet). To the east stands Haramukh (16,903 feet), the grim mountain which guards the valley of the Sind. On it the legend says the snow only ceases to fall for one week in July, and men believe that the gleam from the vein of green emerald in the summit of the mountain renders all poisonous snakes harmless. Further south is Mahadeo, very sacred to the Hindus, which seems to almost look down on Srinagar, and south again are the lofty range of Gwash Brari.

This is no post on Kashmir but on our great Srivaishnavaite so devoted to Sri Ramanuja Acarya – Sri  Koorathazhwan  whose Thanian by Parasara Bhattar says:

Shrivathsa chinha mishrebhyo nama uktheem adheemahe |

yadhukthasyas thrayee kante yaanthi manggala soothrathaam ||

(Sri Kuresar at Thiruvallikkeni)

I salute the great mahaan Srivathsa Chinha Misra (Swamy Koorathazhwan) whose Sri Sookthis became the thirumangalyam of the mother Veda (The 4 Vedas also named as Thrayee as mentioned in the above thanian).  Swamy Kuresar was born in 1010 in Kooram near Thirukachi.  He was destined to be totally influenced by the teachings of Sri Ramanujar.

In those great days, when Sri Ramanujar lived in Thiruvarangam in the service of Namperumal,  Yathi Raja had succeeded in the stupendous task of systematising an exciting and epochal new philosophy,   ...  to give it polish of irrefutability,  before it could go into and earn an unchallenged place in the annals of Vedantic history, Ramanuja wanted access to  ancient parchment or document called ``Boddhayana vrutti'' - a rare exegetical treatise on Vyasa's ``Brahmasutras'' incorporating the insights of other great commentators of distant past. The ``Boddhayana vrutti'', Ramanuja learnt, was lying somewhere in a musty library in the royal library of the then king of an obscure Kashmiri State.  For great persons, nothing is daunting or unattainable – our Acaryar accompanied by Koorathazhvan went to Kachmeeram,  the  King gave Ramanuja and Kuresa permission to access the archives in the royal library. The royal pundits however, were none too happy and created many obstacles. Ramanuja was not allowed to take the vrutti or notes out. Kuresa, endowed with a photographic memory, memorised the whole book. Back in Srirangam, Kuresa and Ramanuja completed the ``Sri Bhashya'' by incorporating authentic references to the ``Boddhayana vrutti'', the growing influence of Sri Vaishnavism once again stoked the malevolent fires of religious bigotry in the land. Amongst some sections of the Saivite population which at that time was concentrated around Gangaikondachozhapuram, near Chidambaram, hatred towards Sri Vaishnavism and of Sri Ramanuja began to flare up.

(Sri Kuresar at Periamet, Chennai)

Though blinded in that unsavoury incident, Koorathazhwan who ensured that Yathi Rajar moved safely to Melukote and ensured great kainkaryams there, lived a complete life, devoted in service, with malice to none; in fact seeking good for the traitor too.  Koorathazhwan ( Srivatsankamisrar ),   gifted us five important stotras, popularly known as Panchastavam. These are Sri Vaikunta Stavam, Athimanusha Stavam, Sundarabahu Stavam, Sri Stavam and Varadaraja Stavam. Before ascetic life, he was a very wealthy person not only endowed with riches – more so with atma gunas and took care of needy by feeding thousands daily.  He was never attached to the material riches and the World. 

He lived a long life of more than 120 years and in 1132, Sri Koorathazhwaan ascended to Sri Vaikuntam, 6 months before Sri Mudaliandan attained Vaikuntam, in service of Lord Ranganatha & Swami Ramanuja. With his head on Pillai azhwaan's lap, lotus feet on Andal's lap (Azhwan's wife) and hand on Parasara Bhattar's lap, thinking about Swami Ramanuja's lotus feet, azhwaan attained Sri Vaikuntam.

It is our fortune that we are in the lineage of such great Acaryas and have the fortune of worshipping them and reciting the holy works of Azhwar, Acharyas.

(Sri Kuresar at Thirumazhisai with Thirumazhisaippiran above and alone below)

Sri Ramanujar thiruvadigale Saranam; Sri Koorathazhwan thiruvadigale Saranam.

~adiyen Srinivasadhasan.

7^th Feb 2018.