A game of power.

After a very satisfying darshan at the temple ,drove to the lake and had a nice view.It was like a pale blue coloured sheet of glass,undisturbed even by a tiniest ripple! Black birds were paddling away, archly.A hill in the background added to the serene scenery. How much more idyllic and divine this place would have been whenSri Rama, Sita and Ramnujar visited 1000's of years earlier?

We could speed back only up to Guduvancherry. From there onwards for nearly 30 kms the roads though broad were congested with traffic. It was like Mount road at peak hours!

There is population cum vehicle explosion. Fly overs are aplenty. They should be easing the traffic shouldnt it?Have to wait for yet again some more time .The roads are now dug up for Metro' work and this has eaten up the road space and is making the traffic crawl . So said the cab driver.Patience is the watch word of my and current generation.An virtue we are all forced to practise with the fond hope that the the next and future generations will reap the awards.

Van load of tired looking police men and women seated amidst their bori bistri --[bed rolls] were returning back home . Probably rendering their services at the recent civic polls.[ my trip date-- 20 th oct]

The pronouncement made by the driver, a slight man in 30's who had followed me in the temple paying his obeisance and partaking the prasad as well,that the next day was the day of reckoning ,the counting day for the civic polls, with barely concealed excitement ,jolted me out of my reverie and the flight into the distant past.What was there for him in it? Politics the [dirty] game of power it seems has in its grip one and all !

Photos.Top. The madhuranthakam lake and nh 45 bordering it.

middle.Sunset over the lake.

Below.An bus passing in the highways abutting the temple. A blend of past and present.

Erri Kaatha Ramar. -----Rama the protector of the lake..

There is a interesting story behind the prefix 'Erri Katha' added to Sri Rama's name at Madhuranthakam.

Two centuries earlier an English collector promised in jest ,to the temple priests of Kothanda Ramar koil of help in rebuilding the dilapidatedThayar's [mother or Lakshmi]sannidhi if their beloved Rama would stop the Erri or lake from breaching in the heavy downpour that was being witnessed then.That same night when he went to inspect the bund he saw two young lustrous and bright looking men releasing a barrage of arrows at a breach and sealing it effectively.

He passed out and when he came around he was relieved to see that the water had not over flowed . He was also perplexed that none around him had seen the two young men with bows and arrows .Did he actually see lord Rama and Lakshmana on that stormy night? May be he did.I have lived long and suffered enough to know that certain happenings are inexplicable and beyond human comprehension.Facts are at times stranger than fiction.He was how ever very sure that he did.The very next day he sanctioned the necessary amount required to repair and rebuild Janaki Thayar's sannidhi.His name is said to be inscribed on the outer wall of the renovated sannidhi.

Ramar since that incident is also called as Erri Katha Ramar or Rama the protector of the lake.

Photo's.Top.The Madhuranthakam erri or lake.

Below. Janaki thayar's sannidhi that was rebuilt with a English collectors contributions.

Painting on the wall around main sannidhi depicting Lord Rama as 'Erri kathaRamar'.

Pancha Samaskara of Sri Ramanujar.

On my earlier visit to this temple,that is the Kothandaramar temple at Madhuranthakam ,a bearded young priest had on his own accord without any questions from me had narrated in detail the various momentous events that occurred in this place,centuries ago.

Apart from the visit of Sri Rama in ancient times ,Sri Ramanujar , the foremost acharya of Sri Vaishnavism and proponent of Visishta dwaita philosophy,had stopped at this very place on his way to Sri Rangam on meeting Peria Nambhi,another eminent acharya of his times ,who performed the 'Pancha Samaskara' of Ramanujar, initiating him formally into Sri Vaishnavism.

The tiny silver idol of Krishna worshipped by Peria Nambhi as well as the metal used for embossing Shanku and Chakram on Sri Ramanujar's arms [it was not used on another after that] is carefully preserved to date,nearly 1000 years later in a sannidhi built for Sri Ramanujar in the temple.

The maghizham poo tree under which the initiation ceremony was performed is still there.At the outer circumbulatory passage behind Andal's sannidhi.Further this is the only place where Ramanuja appears in Grihasta apparel of white vastram and not in saffron robes ,as is the normal attire in every other temple where Sri Ramanujar is enshrined.The reason, he was yet to renounce the life of a house holder when he had met Peria nambi in this place.
The vakul or Maghizham poo tree under which Sri Ramanujar was formally initiated into Sri Vaishnavism by Acharya Peria nambhi ,who performed the samsriyanam.The small mantap at the left side commemorates this propitious event.
A closer view of the Vakul or Maghizham poo tree behind Andal's sannidhi
A closer view of the mandabam.
The spot where the pancha samaskara of Sri Ramanujar was performed by Peria Nambhi
View of Pancha samaskara mantap.
Ramanujar sanidhi at Madhuranthakam temple where the silver Shanku and chakram used in performing the panch samskara on Sri Ramanujar and the small silver idol of Krishna worshipped by Peria Nambi is housed.

Janaki Thayar sannidhi at Maduranthakam.

Though the sound of traffic thundering on the highways is heard, and the town and the temple tank are not up to mark, the Ramar temple however is very neat, cool, picturesque and quiet.

The mooing of the cows grazing the greenery around the main sannidhi and the gurgling of water rushing out of a faucet used to water the nandavanam--temple garden, amidst the mellifluous chanting of the Vedas by a group of priests that was chipped in, on and off by a chirpy little boy in tiny white dhoti and a huge specs, reinforced the continuity of our ancient customs and instantly connected me in the present to that unbroken past traditions and lineage ,and the fact that Rama,Sita and Lakshmana had in ancient times, as well as Acharya Ramanuja in later days, stopped by in this very place and sanctifying it with their sacred ,holy and pure presence ,was very comforting.I could feel the wrinkles crinkling my soul straighten and fade away as I silently went through the slokas and meditated on.
Janaki Thayar's sannidhi as seen from Desikan's sannidhi.
The vimanum of Janaki thayar.
Janaki thayar's sannidhi's side view.
Andal's sannidhi as seen from Ramunajar's sannidhi.

Top photo.Rama's temple at Madhuranthakam.

Sri Kothandaramar temple at Madhuranthakam.

Madhuranthakam is a small decrepit town nestling along the side of a huge lake. A busy highway lies between the two.

In ancient times this entire area was filled with groves of Vakul or Maghizham poo trees .Amidst which lived great many Rishis, worshipping Vishnu enshrined as Sri Karunakara, in here,The most famous among them being Sri Vipaandakar .He is still remembered because it was during his time that Sri Rama along with Sri Lakshmana visited his ashram ,paid obeisance to the deity on their way to Lanka .They also stopped on their way back to Ayodhya to seek blessings.This time along with Sita devi. This is said to be the only temple where Sri Rama and Sita , appear together as an auspisious divine couple,holding hands as is done in a marriage ceremony.
Sri KothandaRamar temple at Madhuranthakam , abuts the highway that bunds the lake beyond.It has Sri Rama, Sita andLakshmana as moolavar or presiding deities.There is also the idol of sage Vipaandakar seated at their sacred feet,with palms folded in worship.

I had luckily ,without any prior knowledge what so ever had chosen the day, when the birth star of Rama,Punarvasu was in ascendancy , since I happened to witness the abhishekam of the utsavars of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshnmana,that was performed by the temple priests as and when I entered the temple ,late at after noon around 3.30 pm.I also partook the prasadam of cut fruits and tasty curd rice offered by the priest to all, who had gathered to watch the rituals ,on a leaf platter, at the end of the abhishekam.

The caretaker and teacher of nearby Veda patashala and Sanskrit college[I had gone there to have look at my great grandfather--Kapisthlam Desikachariar's treatises on Visishtadwaita philosophy that is said to be housed in the library.I didn't .The college was closed for Deepavali holidays]explained that Sri Karunakara or Vishnu along with his consort Janaki Thayar was the pre existing deity at this kshetram .But he has no moolavar .Yet all temple functions revolve around him .

Ramar's utsavams are mainly abhishekams ,that is on the days of his birth star every month , Veedhi voola or--processions around the town on his birthday viz Sri Ramanavami and on the seventh day of Brahmotsavams.
The outer circumbulatory passage to the right of presiding deitySri KothandaRamar enshrined within.
Photo. The circumbulatory passage at the back of the main deity enshrined within.Janaki Thayar's sannidhi is visible at the back of the photo, framed by coconut trees.
Photo.The outer circumbulatory passage around and at the left side of presiding deity.The vimanum visible is, Ramanujar's sannidhi.

Photo on top.The front of the temple with Dwajasthambam.

Photo in the middle.The Vimanum of Sri KothandaRamar.

To Madurantakam.

As the pain in my legs eased and a bit of confidence restored in my ability for mobility ,I could neither curb the itch in my feet to be on the road again nor the urge to visit 'Yerri KathaRamar's' temple at Madhuranthakam ,which I had been intending to visit for quite a while .

So there I was, slipping on NH 45 ,gazing at the multistoreyed flats towering in spaces that were till recently considered to be nowhere literally wilderness,amidst scores of buildings and house all along the 35 kms stretch from T nagar on the 90 kms route..

Chennai's expansion is really exponential.
Photos:Top. The gopuram of Ramar's temple at Maduranthakam

Below. The entrance into the temple .

Kya whua tera vada?

If both the service provider and the regulatory authority wash their hands off, is it fair to expect one [ ordinary citizen ] to knock at consumer forums [also a laborious process] at drop of a hat or rather at the gaily flitting in of sms's into one's mobiles every now and then,even after one has registered for blocking them?

Jo vada kiya woh nibhana padega.

Preposterous.

To prescribe '3oo versions of Ramayana's as course material to undergraduates of ancient Indian history is as preposterous as prescribing 'Da Vinci Code' as study material to undergraduates of ancient world history.

Yaksha prashna.

Yudhishtra's wise observations on life and the simple principles one needs to follow to lead a peaceful, prosperous and dharmic---good life is embodied in Vana parva, ofMahabharata.It is in a question and answer form and is popularly known as Yaksha prashna or Baka [crane] prashna.

At the tail end of the 12 years of exile in the forest ,a Brahman visits the simple dwelling of Pandavas, seeking their help to retrieve a twig that had got entangled in the antlers of a stag when it stumbled into his homa and then fled into the deep forest.

All the 5 brothers go in search of this stag that draws them deeper and deeper into the forest, deftly escaping their darts and arrows.Tired and thirsty the brothers one by one,beginning with Nakula venture into a hidden pool to slake their thirst and fall down senseless after drinking the water, ignoring the warning of a crane idling on a branch nearby.

Yudhishtra is the last of the brothers to reach the crystal clear lake and is confronted with the sight of the motionless forms of his 4 brothers. He is overcome by grief and also by a insurmountable thirst .When he proceeds to drink the inviting clear and cool waters of the pool he hears the voice of a crane calling out to him to stop and to quench his thirst only after answering its questions. And that it was the owner of that pool and that it had killed his brothers for not answering its questions and further, they would be revived if Yudhishtra answered them.

Yudhishtra was baffled that a small crane eating a tiny fish could have felled down his brothers who were as mighty as the Himalayas and the Vindhyas and proceeded to enquire about its true identity.At this the crane revealed itself as a Yaksha with a huge form, as fiery as the sun , mighty as a mountain and with roar of thunder, seated on a branch.

Then Yudhishtra assured the Yaksha, that he never coveted any one's possessions therefore would not drink the water without due permission and that he would gladly answer theYaksha's question to the best of his ability.Then he proceeded to answer the questions posed in rapid succesion by the yaksha .

Some of those questions and answers are as follows...

**Q.What makes the sun rise , who keeps him company?What causes him to set?In whom is he established?

Ans**.Brahma makes the sun rise.Gods keep him company.Dharma causes him to set.And he is established in truth.

**Q.By what does one become learned ?By what does one attain greatness?How can one have a second?How can one acquire wisdom?

**Ans. It is by study of Sruthis that one becomes learned. It is by ascetic austerities that one acquires greatness. It is by intelligence that one acquires a second. It is by serving the old that one becomes wise.

.

**Q.What is weightier than earth itself?Higher than the heavens?What is fleeter than wind? And what is numerous than grass?

**A.Mother is weightier than earth. Father is higher than heaven. Mind is faster than wind.And our thoughts are more numerous than grass.

**Q.Who is friend of an exile?Who is friend of the householder?Who is friend of him that ails?Who is friend of one about to die?

**Ans.The friend of exile in distant land is his companion.The friend of a householder is his wife.The friend of him that ails is his physician.The friend of one about to die is charity.

**Q.What is soul of man? Who is the friend bestowed on man by gods?What is man's chief support? What is also his chief refuge?

**Ans.The son is the soul of man. The wife is the friend bestowed on man by gods.The clouds are his chief support.And gift is his chief refuge.

**Q.What is best of all laudable things? What is the most valuable of all one's possessions?What is best of all gains? and what is best of all kinds of happiness?

**ans...The best of all laudable things is skill.The most valuable of all possessions is knowledge.The best of all gains is health. Contentment is the best of all kinds of happiness.

**Q..What is that which if renounced makes one agreeable? What if which renounced leads to no regrets? What which if renounced makes one wealthy? And what is that if renounced makes one happy?

**Ans..Pride if renounced makes one agreeable. Wrath if renounced leads to no regrets. Desire if renounced makes one wealthy. Avarice if renounced makes one happy....

**q.For what may be one considered as dead?For what may a kingdom be considered dead?For what may a shradda be considered dead?For what may a sacrifice be considered dead?

**Ans.For want of wealth a man may be regarded dead.For want of a king a kingdom is considered dead.A shradda performed by a priest who has no learning may be regarded as dead.A sacrifice which involves no gift to Brahmans is dead.

**Q.What is sign of steadiness and asceticism?What is true restraint?What constitutes forgiveness?

**Ans.Staying in one's own religion is steadiness and asceticism.The restraint of mind is true restraint.Forgiveness consists of enduring enmity.

**Q.What is pride? What is ignorance? What is grief?

**Ans. The consciousness of oneself being the actor and sufferer is pride.Of not knowing one's duties is ignorance.Ignorance is grief.

**What does one gain by speaking agreeable words?What does one gain by acting with judgement?What does one gain by having friends?

**Ans. He who speaks agreeable words becomes agreeable to all. He who acts with judgement obtains what ever he seeks.He who has many friends lives happily.

**Who is truly happy? What is most wonderful? What is the path? What is the news?

**Ans. A man who cooks in his own house on the 5 th or 6th part of the day ,with scanty vegetables , but who is not in debt and stirs not from the house is happy.

Day after day countless creatures are going to the abode of Yama , yet those who remain behind believe themselves to be immortal ! What can be more wonderful than this!

No one single person even rishi's will not agree on shastras and will expend time arguing about it . The true path is hidden in the caves.

This world which is full of ignorance is like a pan . The sun is fire ,the days and night are fuel. The months and seasons constitute the wooden ladle. Time is the cook, that is cooking all the creatures in that pan.This is the news!

The Yaksha pleased with Yudhistra's answers asks him to choose any one from among his 4 brothers to be restored back to life.Yudhishtra chooses Nakula.When the Yaksha expressed its surprise at Yudhishtra's choice of overlooking the filial claim of his beloved and skilled brothers like Arjuna and Bhima to that of his step brother,Yudhishtra's reply establishes the fact that he was truly Dharma or Justice personified.

He says."If virtue is sacrificed , he that sacrifices it is himself lost. Virtue also cherishes the cherisher.My father had 2 wives . Of Kunti, I am alive. Of Madri , let her son the dark hued Nakula be revived.I desire to act equally towards my mothers. There is no difference between them in my eyes".

Pleased at these words The Yaksha brought all his brothers back to life and revealed himself as Yama or the lord of Justice and the father of Yudhishter and vanished after granting 3 boons.

The boons sought by Yudhishter were that he should at all times never to covet another's possesions and belongings, nor commit any folly and never to get angry!

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**`

Courtesy. K.Ganguly's English translation of.....Mahabharat. available on the internet.

References are from Vanaparva ,sections cccx,cccx1 and cccx11 of Book 3 of Mahabharat

Kaliyugam

Whenever I blog I feel the invisible yet tangible presence of a censor behind my screen.Maybe one or even2 or 3.I had to ,at several times retype some of my lengthy blogs on Hinduism after it was deliberately jumbled up at the time of publishing.I keep getting alerts to change my password.The nth one today.

It is ironic that the granddaughter of a freedom fighter who sacrificed his lucrative career and family at the prime of his life to wallow in prisons so that our country would be freed from foreign rule that was a police state,and drafted the constitution that guarantees freedom of expression to one and all has to be thus monitored and harassed by those who[didn't even lift a finger to secure this dignity,sovereignty and prosperity] are enjoying the fruits of his sacrifice which his descendant is not being allowed to!

The hand that fed is being bitten.Kaliyugam .

Vaida.

I dialled 1909 on 1 oct and was assured by Vodafone that I wouldn't receive sms and marketing calls within a week.

The week came and went and my mobile was cheerfully being crammed with 240 messages and calls continued as usual asking me to buy plots, visit a skin clinic and get good treatment for psoriasis,strike friendship over the phone, avail myself of loans and services of travel, broad band and digital tv companies and have my name and star read with a few clubs thrown in asking me to become a member .

The executive on my irritated enquiry promised me that I would definitely not be bothered by pesky calls within 3 days.Nothing happened.

A fortnight later after I first registered and as I write this, sms's continue to flit into my mobile and I am assured mechanically in a monotone by a receptionist that I will be free off these unsolicited calls into my privacy as soon as Trai processes it.. .

The original Vaadha[ promise] was for a week. It is not being kept.

In whose favour is this Vaida ?Definitely not to my faida [benefit].

Dog struck.

I had actually gone in search of another author's book when I spotted this book 'Sarama and her children' in the non fiction section of the lending library.
At a first glance the heading of the book put me off .Who wants to read about dogs and what is there to read about them?But the author's name made me pause and leaf through the pages to decide whether it was worth taking home to read.

I have seen this author on TV and had read 2 of his articles in Pioneer on line , long ago.I liked the article on a dog than the one that was on a cab and GDP.
The mention of Vedas and Upanishads by anEconomist academic caught my attention and made me decide to get it issued.

The book is all about dogs, dogs and dogs beginning with their origin in this earth and their role in various societies since ancient times.The wealth of information is breath taking . It is more like a doctoral thesis. Philosophy stated casually in one line or in a paragraph is a sure give away of the scholarship and wisdom of the author.

But the recurrence of dogs in every line of every passage of every page is a bit too much for me to lap and crunch.It made me woolly and groggy.Yet I stuck on doggedly to this doggy book which even a dog lover with a dog like devotion to that canine would not have, just to read about history for which I have a unquenchable thirst.

A funny thing happened .I started noticing every stray that came in the line of my vision ,which previously I wouldn't have even spared a glance. It was like seeing a long lost friend.Hmn every dog has its day!.

The author's magnificent obsession with a animal that is treated like a dog ,comes through.

Slow death.

We were heading back to Chennai when I struck up a conversation with the driver of the tourist car who was in his early 20's .It is nigh well impossible to spend 4 to 5 hours in a car without the exchange of few pleasantries with the cabbie.
He said that he was new to Chennai and that he originally hailed from Arni where he and his family and ancestors were engaged in weaving Saree's and dhoti's since time immemorial and that he was an expert in weaving silk Saree's bordered with gold zarees.He pointed to a bill board on the high way that had an actress draped in a colourful glittering, jacquard variety of Saree ,that is rage these days and said that he could weave that sari in a week's time and it was often collected by agents of top showrooms of Chennai and other cities at a fraction of the price it was sold in their ambient ac shops.
He continued that it was his elder brother who struck out of their hometown to Chennai to drive cabs and was now the proud owner of the company, in which he had also joined ,as its driver.

Just then the car lurched and he slowed it down and parked it on the bay to examine the cause.As I got down on to the blistering pavement ,it is always hot in here, with the sounds of vehicles whizzing by in a blurr of colour on the highway I saw the driver rolling away the punctured tyre and fitting in a spare one with his bare hands.
They were well shaped , long and artistic. So unsuited for the this job.Was I witnessing the slow death of yet another ancient and exquisite craft of Bharat?

The next option.

I was sufferng from pain in my left leg especially at the calf ,for the past 1 month.I rubbed tubes of gel and swallowed anti inflammatory tablets by the dozen to get rid of that nagging cramp and throbbing pain that was constricting my activities.But it was of no avail.

So finally I landed in my family doctor's clinic , which I hadn't visited for nearly 3 years .He heard me out , didn't examine my leg ,regaled me with a humorous account of his recent trip to Saligram [Nepal] where he and his group all above 60 had to ride on a motorcycle over rough terrain ,pillion to reach the Vishnu temple a divya desam as the present rulers had cancelled the copter rides in order to give employment to villagers and the long walk at Ayodhya and quietly prescribed some tablets.

In the process he removed his specs and wiped the tears from his eyes that had reddened all of a sudden and drew in a sharp breath! To my query he assured me that I was suffering from ladies problem and not from anything else.

His action of wiping his eyes was so dramatic ,just like those of doc's confirming a death in films that it set me wondering.May be , he was just rubbing away a speck of dust,only time can tell.The net is my best friend these days. It is a rich source of information as well as confusion.On reaching home I immediately googled the tablets name .They were meant to avert clotting of blood! In other words for mild heart attack or temporary stroke!

I couldn't believe it.Is the feeling of or rather lack of feeling viz numbness on the left side of my body and finally settling as a permanent lump at my calf muscles a heart attack or stroke?

Pooh ! Is the way out so easy?It isn't half as painful as the root canal dental surgery I underwent recently.Had I been a smoker,like my younger brother, may be I would have gone off the screen by now.A cheerful thought indeed to my censors.

Had I been squeezed out of my body like the air from a balloon I would be still hovering around here at least for an year,of that I am sure.I would see my body which I had taken so much care ,with endless steaming, facials, exercise,dieting , grooming in my younger days ,be rolled over like a log of wood, and washed and dressed by strangers or even worse ,by those who never liked my company . A private person will become a public property for every one to see and comment!

Even more worse would be that I will get to know the secrets of my near and dear ones, which I could very well do without.Truth is often bitter and terrible to swallow.

After an year of hovering around I would definitely get back to this earthly living in one form or the other, which I abhor .The repeated cycle is so tiresome.

I only wish that I could become a star ,along side my son.Yes a star is only hot gaseous substance but it nevertheless looks pretty and cool from down here.Most importantly I want to look down at this familiar earth always and its inhabitants at me! It is tough to severe this connection.How can 'I' not exist ? Just vanish away into nothingness? It is too terrible a thought.

It is very likely that star may become a supernova and explode and destroy itself,.And then what?

That is after zillions of years , a long, long way off .I'll think about the next best option then.

Thirumiszhai Azhwars hymns in praise of Sri Venkateswara.

Aazhaipan thiruvengadathanai kaana. Izhaipan thirukoodal kooda --mazhai per aruvi vandhazhiya yannai aruvi aravodungum verpu. .....................2420.

I am inviting you all to have a darshan of Sri Venkateswara ,

who is enshrined in the sacred hills ,

that have water falls pouring like rain, carrying and scattering shining gems that appear as flaming torches to the elephants and serpents roaming therein , scaring and immobilising them.

Sendru vannagumino senvuir Vengadatahi nindru vinnai kedukum neermaiyal yendrum kadikamala naanmuganum kanmoonrathanum adikalam ittethum angu..............2423.

Friends! Proceed to the lofty peaks of Tirumalai and worship him.

Destruction of sins is intrinsic to the nature of these sacred hills.Hence all your sins will be destroyed .

In those hills the Four faced One who arose from a fragrant lotus ,

And the Three eyed one are ,at all times worshipping his sacred feet with sweet smelling lotuses!

Vengadame vinnor thozhuvadum meimaiyal.Vengadme meivinnai noi theerpaduvum .Vengadame thanavarai veezhtannaazhi padaithottu vanavarai kappan malai. .........2429.

Tirumalai is the sacred place that celestials visit every day to worship.

Tirumalai is capable of removing all diseases and sorrow.

Tirumalai is the home to One bearing the Chakra , who protects the weak, tormented by harsh and powerful foes.

*********~~~~~~~~~~~~~********

Hymns from Naanmugan Thiruvandhadhi of Thirumizhai Aazhwar.

Thirumiszhai Aazhwar an Vaishnavaite saint was the contemporary of Mudal or Early Aazhwars.He is credited with 96 hymns compiled under the heading 'Naanmugan Thiruvandhadhi.'

Some of his hymns that I have translated are as follows.

Naanmuganai narayanan padaithaan .Naanmuganum thanmugamai shankaranai thaan padaithan yaan mugamai.

Andadhi melittu arivithen aazhporulai sindhmal konmineer therndu. ................2382.

The four faced one [Brahma] was created by Narayana,

The four faced one then created Shankara.

I have revealed this deep meaning in my hymns.

Examine them and accept them

Inniarindhen eesarkum nanmugarkum deivam inniyarindhen yemperuman!Unnai inni arindhen .Karanan nee! katravai nee! karpavai nee!narkhirisai Naranan nee! Nangu arindhen naan.........2477.

I have realised now that my Bhagwan is the leader and lord of Siva and the four faced One.

I have realised you, now!

You are the cause .You are the revealed wisdom .

You are the wisdom that is yet to gained .

Narayana!You are the protector of all !

I have pondered over this deeply and have realised this to be the truth.

Anatomy of mourning.

Why do we stop at our tracks ,draw in a deep breath , become thoughtful and at times feel our eyes prick with unintended tears and our body tremble at the receipt of news of the death of some one we know and care?

To answer this what I am adducing could be quite blunt .We are actually mourning at our own mortality! An untimely death always shakes up one because in the hustle and bustle of life ,chasing sunrise after sunrise and the illusion of life stretching to eternity unhindered and uncontrolled ,we are suddenly jerked into the awareness though fleeting that if death can take away our friends and relatives it could also take us away .One also mourns the fact that whilst the dead lose their memory the living don't.The person dying before us has beaten us in the game of who is going to be burdened with whose memory for some more time to come..

One can control the entire world and all that lives there as well as tame wild rivers , breakdown mountains and make living pleasurable with strength ,might , wealth and ideas. All under control!But death is one thing that defies control and is simply beyond it.

Even earth quake could be predicted in future and be tackled .In some case like disease, death is predicted but can it ever be tackled?

When a person very close to oneself dies the mourning is something deeper . One also dies with that person and one can't mourn over one's own death , can one?

Now why do some make it a point to attend each and every funeral ,come what may?May be to pay respects but I suspect a deeper motive .It is a assurance to self , a self gloating ,"Ha I have once again escaped death . I have tricked it .Life flows energetically in my veins whilst that stupid poor bloke has stemmed it or has been made to stem it.I am only 40, 60 [or even 80]and I still have several decades to go."

The more well known and famous the deceased is more is the initial shock.Why? with all his leadership qualities , wealth and brains ,he has been whisked away , what about us insignificant creatures? What chance do we stand?

Mourning can be due to loss of emotional crutch or the loss of financial security. It could also be due to loss of social contact even if it is the sole society of an enemy.Won't a person marooned in some god forsaken place say a hot or cold desert or in a island middle of nowhere gladly welcome the company of even a scorpion or viper or the polar bear even though in his normal life he may abhor their society unlike a zoologist or entomologist or one of those animal channel gladiators?Though vicious ,they are nevertheless the personification of' life' and company of any life how so ever mean and deadly is better than no company at all. He would mourn the death of any of those creatures. I am sure.

In the final analysis when we are said to be mourning over some body's death , we are actually mourning over our own frailty,[howsoever powerful, brainy or wealthy one may be] our inability to ward of that finality , an alarm clock ringing to wake us up from our stupor , though fleetingly, tearing the veil , that our days of indulgence of our senses, the mainstay behind living can be squashed at any time ruthlessly by a emotionless force, which is simply beyond our control.

Poetic description of Tirumalai by Pei Aazhwar.

**Paartha kaduvan sunaineer nizharkandu perthor kaduvena porndhu ,kartah kalangkanikku kaineetu vengadame menaal vilanganikku kanrerindhan verpu. ........ 2349.

Seeing its own image in the mirror like clear waters of the springs in Tirumalai,an monkey that was plucking fruits from the branches of a nearby tree ,mistaking it for another ,stretches out its hands , begging for the fruits!

These are the pristine surroundings where in lives my Bhagwan!

**Tribal woman ,who know no other place apart from Tirumalai playfully climb on bamboo shafts with the help of their hands adorned with beautiful bangles!

These bamboos grow so tall that they reach the moon and successfully dislodge Rahu and free the moon from its eclipse!

These are the sacred hills of Tiruvengadam where in resides the leader of ever young souls--Nitya suris. ....................2353.
** Mudhinda pozhudil kuravanar yemmai padindhuzhasaal paindhinaigal vitha thadithyezhundu veyangkazhai poi vinthirakkum Vengadame melvorunaal theengkhuzhalvaai vaithan silambu. ................................................................................................................................ 2370.

The tribal men in their sunset years who are not able to hunt ,scatter seeds on the land dug up by wild boars , in their quest to taste the tender shoots of bamboo,

Plentiful crops are reaped and at the same time the uprooted bamboo trees sprout fresh shoots that reach the sky!

Such is the fertility of Tirumala where ,once upon a time Govindan played on his bamboo flute!

**The white moon on its revolution grazes the tall peaks of Tirumalai hills.

The leopards roaming in these hills mistake the dark patch in the moon to be a hare and stand transfixed and bemused ,unable to catch the hare or willing to let it go!

These are the sacred hills that are filled with the fragrance of Vengi trees ,where in resides Govindan................... 2356.

Photos.Top:Langur monkey .

Middle:A herd of deers at enclosures near the steps --foot path at Tirumalai

Below: A close up of a frightened deer.

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