Some Great Literary Works of all time from India

பூரி ஜகன்னாத் கோவிலில் மன்னர் முன்னிலையில் ஜயதேவரின் அஷ்டபதி அரங்கேறியது.

ராம காவியத்தை நரசிம்ஹ ஸ்வாமி சன்னதிக்கு முன் உள்ள நான்கு கால மண்டபத்தில் கம்பர் அரங்கேற்றினார்.

கந்த புராணத்தை கச்சியப்ப சிவாச்சாரியார் கந்தகோட்டத்தில் முருகனின் ஆசியுடன் அரங்கேற்றினார்.

தில்லை மாநகர் சிதம்பரத்தில் பெரிய புராணத்தை சேக்கிழார் நடராஜப் பெருமாள் முன் அரங்கேற்றினார்.

அருணகிரிநாதர் திருப்புகழின் முதல் பாடலினை திருவண்ணாமலை கோபுர அடிவாரத்திலிருந்து துவக்கினார்.

கந்த சஷ்டிக் கவசத்தை ஈரோடு சென்னிமலைப் முருகப் பெருமாள் முன்னர் ஸ்ரீ பாலன் தேவராய ஸ்வாமிகள் அரங்கேற்றினார்.

 தேசிகர் ஸ்வாமிகள், தனது குருநாதர் அப்புளார் ஸ்வாமிகளின் மறைவிற்குப் பின் திருவஹிந்தபுரம் சென்று தேவநாயகப் பெருமாளுக்கு மங்களாஸாசனம் செய்து அங்குள்ள ஔஷத மலையில் அஸ்வத்த மரத்தடியில் அமர்ந்து கருடனைத் துதித்து கருட தண்டகத்தை இயற்றினார். 

வைனதேயர் (கருடன்) அவர்முன் தோன்றி அவருக்கு ஹயவதனர் விக்ரஹத்தை அருளினார். அந்த விக்ரஹத்தை ஆராதித்து அவரை ஸ்தோத்திரம் செய்து, ஹயக்ரீவரது ஆசி பெற்று பல கிரந்தங்களை இயற்றினார்.

நிகமாந்த மஹா தேசிகர் ஸ்வாமிகள் அரங்கேற்றிய ஸ்தோத்திர கிரந்தங்கள் பின்வருமாறு

திருக்கோவிலூர்                தேஹலிச ஸ்துதி

திருபுட்குழி                    ஸுதர்சனாஷ்டகம், பரமார்த்த ஸ்துதி

திருத்தண்கா                   சரணாகதி தீபிகா

திருவேளுகை                  காமஸிகாஷ்டகம்,

அஷ்டபுயகரம்                  அஷ்டபுஜாஷ்டகம்

யதோக்தகாரி                   யதோக்தகாரி ஸ்தோத்ரம்

ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்தூர்                 கோதாஸ்துதி

காஞ்சி பெருந்தேவி தாயார்      ஸ்ரீ ஸ்துதி

ஸ்ரீரங்கம் தசாவதார ஸந்நிதி     தசாவதார ஸ்தோத்திரம்

(Kindly add more information about this subject to enable me to update this post)    

Jananee Maa Sayi Jananee Maa

Nandeeswara He Nataraajaa

நந்தீஸ்வரா ஹே நடராஜா 

நந்தாத்மஜா ஹரி நாராயணா  

நாராயணா ஹரி நாராயணா

நந்தீஸ்வரா ஹே நடராஜா 

நாகா பரணா நமச்சிவாய 

நாதஸ்வரூபா நமோ நமோ 

நாராயணா ஹரி நாராயணா

20th Century Raja Ravi Varma - S Rajam

About couple of days back when I was browsing about the topic regarding the genesis and origin of seven swaras, I came across this picture drawn by Sri.S.Rajam.

Chennai Online has given in detail "The hand behind the portraits - S.Rajam" which is really interesting.

Chennai Online

He is another "Raja Ravi Varma" of 20th Century

Social activity cuts disability risk

Youngsters used to make fun of “Oldies” that the main avocation for old people is to go for Pilgrimage or attending religious get together or attending religious discourses etc. This is being adopted by Indians for so many years and they were having a sound 80 / 90 years of life span. Now that the westerner’s have clinically approved this habit which makes the present youngsters and middle aged people to accept.

Most of the youngsters who belong to the “X”, “Y” and “Echo Boomers” generation of our country will accept any of our religious practices only if it is proved scientifically, including the medicinal effects of cow dung “Panchakavyam” and the “Punyavachanam”.

Here is the Google news about this fact.

Social activity cuts disability risk

Higher levels of social activity decrease the risk of developing disability in old age, according to a new study at Rush University Medical Center. 
The study included 954 older adults with a mean age of 82 who are participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of common chronic conditions of aging. At the start of the investigation, none of the participants had any form of disability. They each underwent yearly evaluations that included a medical history and neurological and neuropsychological tests. 
Social activity was measured based on a questionnaire that assessed whether, and how often, participants went to restaurants, sporting events or the teletract (off-track betting) or played bingo; went on day trips or overnight trips; did volunteer work; visited relatives or friends; participated in groups such as the Knights of Columbus; or attended religious services. 

Daasarathe Rama Chandra

Shri Nadhamuni Nanaji used to sing this song at the end of almost all the bajans before Managalam. 

I am giving his handwritten script for the disciples of Guruji Nadhamuni Narayana Mama.

Rama Chandra Prabhu Raghuvamsa Raamaa

ராம சந்த்ர ப்ரபு ரகுவம்ச ராமா 

சீதாபதே ஜெய ஜானகி ராமா 

அகல்யோதாரக தயாபி ராமா

ராவண ஸம்ஹார கோதண்ட ராமா 

ராஜாதி ராஜா அயோத்ய ராமா 

நவ நவ கோமள கௌசல்ய ராமா 

சீதாபதே ஜய ஜானகி ராமா

Ashtapathy 1- Dasavathaara and Jayadeva

When the king Lakshmanasena of Krouncha and Jayadeva had been to the forest in search of the thieves who robbed jayadeva, Padmavathy and the queen were arguing about the “Padivradha dharma”. Padmavathy told the queen, like “savithri”, the pious ladies will call their death when their husband gets moksha. The queen wanted to test this with Padmavathy. She told a lie telling that Jayadeva was killed by wild animals when the king and jayadeva were in forest. Hearing this Padmavathy collapsed. Fearing of the consequences, the queen dumped the dead body in a big box and kept it in her royal palace. When the king and Jayadeva returned from forest, they came to know about the entire episode. Jayadeva sung this Dasavathara song and Padmavathy got her life back. She came out of the box as if she woke up from a deep sleep. Seeing all these happenings the king drew her sword and was about to kill the queen, Jayadeva who was handicapped by the thieves, got the legs by the grace of Lord Jagannatha and came running and stopped the king in killing the queen.

The Dasavatara Stotra is a Hymn in salutation to the ten incarnations of Lord Maha Vishnu. The Stotra forms the first section of Gita Govinda, the masterpiece work of Sri Jayadeva.

கீத கோவிந்தத்தின் முதல் அஷ்டபதி 

Sri Jayadeva in the Dasavatara Stotra enumerates the ten incarnations of the Lord. Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the great Vaishnavite saint took inspiration from his songs. Jayadeva starts his Geetha Govindham with a prayer to Lord Krishna in his Dasavatara song. This song has Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu. In this hymn he has written about ten incarnations of Lord Krishna and not about ten incarnations of Vishnu. 

In the Sri Krishna temple of Guruvayoor in Kerala, Jayadeva's songs are sung daily in Carnatic Music ragas. In Nepal, they are sung during the Spring festivals. Guru Arjun Singh included two of Jayadeva's songs in Adi Guru Grantha, the holy scripture of the Sikhs.

The talking Parrots

In Tamil we call young ones of parrot as “கிளி பிள்ளை”. Whatever we teach or show to our young ones are being absorbed by them and retained by them till they grow. Hence our elders used to say that only good things are to be taught and good visuals are to be shown to the kids. We all know about this story; but has been retold for the story sake.

In the village of Bangalpur there lived a bird catcher named Shambu.  Everyday Shambu would go into the forest and catch birds and sell them in the town. One day Shambu caught two parrots close to a summer palace in the forest.  Surprisingly both the parrots could speak. Shambu thanked god for a good and valuable catch.

That day he set out to sell the parrots. First he came across a hermitage in the forest. When the hermit saw the parrots he wished to keep one for company. So the hermit agreed to pay Shambu six gold coins for the parrot. Shambu readily agreed and left one of the parrots with the hermit.

Shambu then travelled further into the city and came across a butcher’s shop. On reaching there he wanted to buy some fresh meat. On the specialty section hung a deer. Shambu was intrigued to taste a rare meat of the deer. So he asked the butcher if the deer was for sale. The butcher mocked at Shambu’s expensive choice. But Shambu said he had a talking parrot which would equal the meat of a deer.  This perked the butcher’s interest. After examining the parrot the butcher agreed to a give a portion of the deer to Shambu.  Shambu left the place happy with the deal that he had made with the two parrots.

A few months passed and Shambu continued with his bird catching and selling while completely forgetting about the two parrots. The summer season had heralded its arrival. The King and the Queen left for the summer palace.  On reaching the summer palace the Queen wanted to hear her favourite talking parrots speak to her. So she sent her servant to fetch the parrots. But when the servant returned not able to find the parrots the Queen became furious.

Immediately the King ordered soldiers to search around the area. At this time Shambu was catching bird near the precincts of the summer palace.  The soldiers on seeing him with a bird in his hand immediately arrested him and took him to the King. 

At the audience hall of the summer palace the King and the Queen heard what Shambu had to say in his defence. Shambu explained to the royal pair that he had caught birds that where outside the summer palace. But he did mention that he had once caught a pair of talking parrots and sold it at a profit.

The King being of the benevolent kind did not punish Shambu but asked him to show them where he had sold the parrots. Shambu took the King and the Queen to the hermit’s hut where the parrot was perching on a wooden ring near the hermit’s study table.   

On seeing the King and the Queen, the parrot immediately bowed before them. When the King asked the parrot how it was. The parrot replied courteously that he was doing well and requested to know what the King and the Queen would want as refreshment.  The King and the Queen were very pleased with the parrot. After everyone was seated and given refreshment by the inmates of hermitage the parrot entertained the visitors with recitation of slokas from the scared scriptures.

The Hermit arrived at that moment from the forest after having gathered the woods. The King and the Queen paid obeisance to the hermit and said that they were pleased to see their parrot having gained so much knowledge through the hermit.

After a while the King and the Queen left the hermitage. Shambu took the King and the Queen to the butcher’s shop. They found the parrot playing with a green chilly. As soon as the parrot saw the King and the Queen it started to speak such foul words. Hearing these words the King and the Queen were greatly disappointed. They could not understand the behaviour of the parrot. Right then the butcher arrived and apologised for parrot’s foul words.

The King and the Queen were deeply perplexed by both the parrots.  Shambu understanding their confusion bowed respectfully and said that both the parrots were influenced by the environment in which they were living. The Hermit’s parrot learned good things and spoke good words while the butcher’s parrot learned all the vile things and spoke foul words. The King and the Queen understood how much a person’s environment affected their speech and behaviour. Being pleased with Shambu’s explanation they rewarded him with a bag of gold coins and returned to their summer palace.

பரமஹம்சர் கண்ட ஆத்மா ராமாயணம்

ஒரு வார இதழில் நான் படித்து அனுபவித்த கட்டுரை.

ராமாயணம் எங்கே எப்பொழுது நடக்கிறது;

இங்கே இப்பொழுது நடக்க வேண்டியது.

கேலதி மம ஹ்ருதயே ராம:

கேலதி மம ஹ்ருதயே

மோஹ மஹார்ணவ தாரகாரி

ராக த்வேஷ முகாஸுர மாரி

சாந்தி விதேஹ ஸுதா ஸஹசாரி

தஹர அயோத்யா நகர விஹாரி

பரமஹம்ஸ சாம்ராஜ்யோத்தாரி

ஸத்ய ஞானா நந்த ஸரீரி

மோஹம் என்ற பெரிய கடலினிலே, அஞ்ஞான உப்புக்கரிக்கும் கடலினைக் கடந்தால், விருப்பு, வெறுப்பு, கோபம, தாபம், ஆத்திரம், ஆவேசம் என்ற அபாயகரமான அரக்கர்கள், அநேகர் நம்மை பிடிப்பதற்கு தயாராக உள்ளனர். அவர்களை வெல்பவரே ராமர்.

தேஹம் என்பது உடல்; வி+தேஹம் (விதேக நாட்டு மன்னர் ஜனகர்) என்பது மனம். மன அமைதியினை பரிபாலிக்கும், ஜனகரின் மகளைக் கைப்பிடித்து, இதயம்(தஹர ஆகாசம்) என்கின்ற அயோத்தி நகரில் ஆட்சி நடத்துபவர் ராமர்.

யுத்தமில்லாத, சண்டை சச்சரவுகள் இல்லாத, ஆத்திர அவசர வக்கிரங்கள் இல்லாத, இதயமே அயோத்தி, அங்கே ஆட்சி செய்பவர் இராமர்.

ஆக இராமாயணம் இப்போது இங்கே நடக்க வேண்டியது;

சிலரின் மனதில் நடக்கிறது. ஆகையால் நானும் இதைப் படித்தவுடன் முயற்சி செய்ய விழைகிறேன்.

ஸதாசிவ ப்ரஹ்மேந்திரரைப் பற்றிய சில தகவல்கள்.

Like most of the other saints or Jnanis, Sadasiva Brahmendral also shunned even the least comforts of the world. 'Maya' or 'illusion' only confronted with defeat as it could not even reach out to His shadow. He led a nomadic life, shunning even the least bit of comfort for His body and lived on the alms that he obtained through begging. Though remaining silent, He composed a good load of kirtans in praise of God. Though His life was generally wound with awe inspiring miracles, they were performed at the need of the occasions and not for any personal gains or recognition.

Divine providence always intervened on occasions when He was about to be inflicted with any danger by ignorant people who mistook Him for His saintly strangeness. Such saints were totally cut off from the world and were established in reality that their mannerisms seemed queer to ignorant worldly folks.

Sadasiva was once relaxing near a heap of grains when His usual mediative mentality overpowered Him. He lost Himself in deep meditation that the farmer who owned the grains mistook Him for a thief. As he raised His stick to strike Sadasiva, he became a lifeless statue with the raised stick until day break when Sadasiva came out of His meditation and smiled at Him. The farmer with his restored life fell at the feet of the master and asked for forgiveness.     

Ragasri & Nadhamuni treasure

என் தந்தையிடமிருந்து கேள்வி ஞானத்தால் நான் அறிந்தது, எனது ஆசான் திரு நாதமுனி நாராயண ஐயங்காரிடமிருந்து பஜனை ஸம்ப்ரதாயத்தை அறிந்தது, எனது குருநாதர்கள் திரு ராமநாதன் (Prof.Ramanathan), வைரமங்கலம் லக்ஷ்மி நாராயணன் அவர்களிடமிருந்து நான் கற்றதை உங்களுடன் நான் பகிர்ந்து கொள்ள ஆசைப்படுகிறேன்.

திரு நாதமுனி நாராயண ஐயங்கார் 1956லிருந்து பஜனை ஸம்ப்ரதாயத்தில் ஈடுபாடு கொண்டு ப்ரதி சனிக்கிழமைதோறும் நாம சங்கீர்த்தனம் செய்து வந்தார்கள். இன்றும் அவரது ஆசியில் நடந்து வருகிறது. அவர் கற்றுவித்த வழியில், முதலில் சில அஷ்டபதிகளைப் ragasri-nadhamunibajan என்ற ப்ளாக்கில் அளித்துள்ளேன் .

ஜயதேவ அஷ்டபதி  

World Today

Mahabharatha A Curtain Raiser for Kaliyuga

Devdutt Pattanaik in his book “Jaya” writes

The Mahabharatha is an ancient Hindu epic where :

A Son renounces sex so that his old father can remarry

A daughter is a prize in an archery contest

A teacher demands half a kingdom as his tution fee

A student is turned away because of his caste

A mother asks her sons to share a wife

A father curses his son-in-law to be old and impotent

A husband lets another man make his wife pregnant

A wife blindfolds herself to share her husband’s blindness

A forest is destroyed for a new city

A family is divided over inheritance

A king gambles away his kingdom

A queen is forced to serve as a maid

A man is stripped of his manhood for a year

A woman is publicly disrobed

A war is fought where all rules are broken

A Shift in sexuality secures victory

The vanquished go to paradise

The victors lose their children

The earth is bathed in blood

God is cursed

Until wisdom prevails

Are all these telling us it will happen in Kaliyuga;

Yes it is! And we are seeing!   

Soma Sooktha Pradhakshinam

ஜய கைலாசபதே சிவ சங்கர 

சாம்ப ஸதாசிவ சம்போ 

பர்தீஸ்வர ஸாயீசிவ சம்போ 

சுக்லபக்ஷ அல்லது க்ருஷ்ணபக்ஷ த்ரயோதஸி மாலை 4.30 மணிக்கு மேல் 6.00 மணிக்குள் உள்ள நேரத்தை ப்ரதோஷம் என்று கூறுவார்கள். அந்நேரத்தில் சிவஸ்தலங்களில் நந்திக்கு முக்கியத்துவம் அளித்து சிவனை வழிபடுவர். 

அதே போல் வைணவஸ்தலங்களில் நரசிம்ஹருக்கு முக்கியத்துவம் அளித்து விஷ்ணுவை வழிபடுவர். ப்ரதோஷ காலத்தில் சில சிவஸ்தலங்களில் சோமஸுக்த பிரதக்ஷிணம் செய்கின்றனர். மருந்தீஸ்வரர் ஆலயத்தில் இந்தமுறை வழிபாடு உள்ளது. அதனைப் பற்றி அறிய ஆவல் கொண்டு மின் வலையில் தேடிய போது நான் அறிந்த சில செய்திகள் பின்வருமாறு.

முதலில் ரிஷப தேவரை வணங்கி பிரதக்ஷிணமாக சண்டிகேஸ்வரர் வரை சென்று கோமுகியை கடக்காமல் அப்ரதக்ஷிணமாக மறுபடியும் ரிஷபதேவர் வரை வந்து வணங்கவேண்டும். இது போல் மும்முறை செய்வது ஒரு ஆவர்த்தியாகக் கொள்வர். அவரவர்கள் வேண்டுதல்படி மூன்று அல்லது நான்கு ஆவர்த்திகள் இந்த வகையான சோமஸுக்த பிரதக்ஷிணம் செய்வர். மேலும் ஆலால சுந்தரர், காப்பு அரிசி நைவேத்யம் போன்ற பல புதிய ப்ரதோஷத்தை ஒட்டிய செய்திகளை நான் அறிந்தேன். இதனைப் பற்றி மேலும் அறிந்தவர்கள் இந்த பிளாக்கில் பிறர் அறிய ஏதுவாக அளிக்கலாம்.

SNEEZE.......................................

When others sneeze, we will instruct them about the implications, about the spread of disease etc. But when we sneeze, are we following the etiquette? Some may and you are one among them!

Scientists have discovered that it takes just a single sneeze from a flu sufferer to spread germs around an entire room. And the contamination can last for hours, they say.

Researchers have found that the microscopic infected droplets emitted in a cough or sneeze float around the air in large enough concentrations to spread disease.

Breathing in airborne specks of virus found in a typical office, doctor’s surgery, plane or train could infect a person after just one hour. The discovery gives a ring of truth to the old advice that you should never visit a doctor’s waiting room unless you want to get sick.

A sneeze is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. Sneezing can also be triggered through sudden exposure to bright light, a particularly full stomach, or viral infection, and can lead to the spread of disease.

While generally harmless in healthy individuals, sneezes spread disease through the infectious aerosol droplets, commonly ranging from 0.5 to 5 µm. 40,000 droplets can be produced by a sneeze.

However, the data collected from the 147th episode of Mythbusters titled 'Flu Fiction', concluded that the speed is closer to 35-40 mph, and that a sneeze can launch droplets from 15 to 20 feet.

In Indian Culture, especially in northern parts of India, and also in Iran, it has been a common superstition that a sneeze taking place before the start of any work was a sign of impending bad interruption. It was thus customary to pause in order to drink water or break any work rhythm before resuming the job at hand in order to prevent any misfortune from occurring.

Why do our eyes close every time we sneeze?''

It is unclear, but scientists theorize that we close our eyes to protect them. We may be protecting our eyes from microorganisms and particles from our sneezes,"

DATTATREYA GREATEST YOGI AND MASTER

Sage Narad praised Anusuya very much making the wives of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva jealous of Anusuya. They requested their husbands to reduce her "pativratyam" (Devotion to her husband). They went to Anusuya as guests when Atri was not there at home and asked her to serve them food (lunch) without wearing clothes. If she comes without clothes infront of other men her pativratyam will be reduced. If she refuses then that is dishonor to the guests and they can take away all the power of Atri. Anasuya felt that the three guests who asked for it are not normal people since they are trying to place her in a tricky situation. Anasuya prayed to her husband in her mind and said that she doesn't have any fear serving them without clothes since they are hungry and they are like her children. Because of her greatness and as per her thinking by the time she came to serve food the three gods became small children. She then breastfed them and made them to sleep. Atri came back afterwards and hearing the story from Anasusuya praised the three gods sleeping in the cradle. They woke up in their original appearance and praised Anasuya's pativratyam and gave her a boon. Anasuya requested that these three should be born as her children.

According to Brahma Purana, after order from his father sage Atri, Dattatreya sat on the banks of river Gautami and prayed to Shiva and finally earned the Brahmagnyaan (Eternal Knowledge). This is possibly the reason why Dattatreya is considered as Adisiddha in Nath Sampradaya.

In the Bhagavata Purana, Dattatreya enumerates a list of his twenty-four gurus: earth, air, sky or ether, water, fire, sun, moon, python, pigeons, sea, moth, bee, bull elephant, bear, deer, fish, osprey, a child, a maiden, a courtesan, a blacksmith, serpent, spider, and wasp. The 24 Gurus of Dattateya come from the 24 gurus of Avadhut described in the Purana.

The disciples of Dattatreya are: Sahasrarjun Kartavirya, Bhargava Parasuram, Yadu, Alarka, Ayu and Prahlad. These are known from Puranas. There is one more by name Sankruti described in Avadhutopanishad and Jaabaaldarshanopanishad

வேதம்ஹணதி ஜ்யா நிர்குணதோ ப்ரபு

ஸகுண ரூபி ஹா ஜகிம் பரலா

பக்தா ஸாடீம் அத்ரி உதரீம் தத்தாத்ரேய தோ அவதரலா

பாயிம் பாதுகா வ்யாக்ராம்பரதர த்ரிபுண்ட்ரலாவீ பாளாலா

தண்ட கமண்டலு சங்க சக்ர கரீம் பஸ்மலாவி நிஜ தேஹாலா

பக்தகாஜ கைவார தருனியா ருத்ராக்ஷாஞ்ச்யா வலயாலா

கடீம் கௌபீன விராஜித ஸுந்தர ஜடாசோபே சிரீம் ஜ்யாலா

கேவுனி குஸுமாஞ்சலிதோ துமச்யா வாரீ பலவந்த துரிதாலா

பக்தாஸாடீம் அத்ரி உதரீம் தத்தாத்ரேயா தோ அவதரலா

·         The Cow, which is always with Him, represents the Mother Earth and Dharma. She is the wish fulfilling cow 'Kamadhenu'.

·         The four dogs symbolize the four Vedas – the external repositories of Spiritual Wisdom.

·         The trident indicates that He has transcended the three gunas, which constitute the illusory world: Sattva-illumination, Rajas-activity and Tamas-inertia.

·         The 'Sudharshana chakra' , disc indicates that He is beyond the cycles of time i.e. the past, present and future and His holding of 'chakra' means He is the controller of time.

·         The conch represents the eternal sound ‘AUM’ – which is the manifestation of the Spirit. It is also the life principle in us and the cosmos.

·         The 'bhasma' ashes indicated His 'Vairaagya' dispassion as well as His purity. Ashes indicate the evanescent nature of all created nature of all created objects and the ultimate state of all matter.

·         He always carries a begging bowl so as to teach us the lesson that we will have to share our wealth and food with others.

·         The japa-mala, rosary He wears reminds us that our primary duty is chanting the sacred name of the Lord and meditating on the feet of the Lord, and our redemption depends on this discipline alone.