Forgiveness.

The ancient wise  king Prahalada's observation on forgiveness

 Forgiveness is not always meritorious .
He that forgives always suffers many evils .Servants strangers and enemies always disregard him .
No creature ever bends down unto him .
There fore the learned do not applaud a constant habit of forgiveness

The servants of a ever forgiving person always disregard him and therefore contract numerous faults.These mean minded men also seek to deprive him of his wealth .Vile souled servants also appropriate for themselves his vehicles, clothes, ornaments,apparel,beds,seats,food ,drink and other articles of use.They donot also at the command of their master give unto others the things they are directed to give .Nor do they worship their master with that respect which is thier master's due.

Disregard in this world is worse than death

Sons, servants and attendants even strangers speak harsh words unto the man who always forgives.

Persons disregarding the man of ever forgiving temper even desire his wife and his wife also becomes ready to act as she wills.

And servants who are fond of pleasure , if they donot receive even slight  punishments from their master , contract all sort of vices and the wicked man even injures the master.

These and many other demerits attach to those that are ever forgiving.

The learned have laid down the following about forgiveness which should be observed by all.

1. He who has done you a service even if he is guilty of grave wrong doing unto you , re collecting his former service , one should forgive that offender.

2. Those also that have become offenders from ignorance and folly should be forgiven for learning and wisdom are not always easily attainable by man.

3.They that have offended knowingly but plead ignorance should be punished even if their offence is trivial.Such crooked men should never be pardoned .

4.The first offence of every creature should be forgiven.The second offence should be punished .even if their offence is trivial.

5,If however a person commits offence unwillingly after examining his plea by judicious enquiry he should be pardoned.


From Mahabharat --Vana parva

Bhishma's observation on Morality.

The course of morality is subtle.Even the illustrious wise in this world fail to understand it always.

What in this world a strong man calls morality is regarded as such  by others however otherwise it may really be, but what a weak man calls morality is scarcely regarded as such even if it be the highest morality.


From Mahabharat--Sabha parva

Griefs that are uniform in degree,

As per the ancient Sage Kashyap ,gods have observed that the following to be griefs of uniform degree .

1.The grief of one who has lost all his wealth.

2.The grief of one who has lost his son
.
3.The grief of one who is in debt

4.The grief of one who is separated from his companions

5.The grief of a woman who has lost her husband

6.The grief of one who has lost his all in consequence of the king's demand

7.The grief of a woman who is sterile.

8.The grief of one who is devoured by a tiger [ during his last struggles in the tiger's claws]

9.The grief of one who is a co wife.

10The grief of one who has been deprived of his property by false witness.


From Mahabharat--Sabha parva.

Timing of ripening of the fig tree.

The arsamaram --the fig tree in nearby temple covered itself with a rich crop of coral red berries in mid September.The fact that it had given out a rich crop was brought to my notice by screeches of a swarm of black bats feeding on the fruits frenzily at night.
It was reminiscent of the feeding frenzy of twittering flock of mynahs at day time, few years back when this tree had sent out an equally rich crop of berries .I observed at that time that the skies that were dry suddenly bacame overlaid with dark  clouds a day or two after the furious feasting came to an end and it started to rain .

Now the sky in mid september was blue and the heat was scorching .When the feasting came to an end i made abet that it would rain within few days.Much to my exhiliration dark clouds from nowhere rolled in and within few days it started to rain!
So my observation was right.i had blogged about this earlier asking whether the clouds were summoned by the fig tree to propogate its species?Or did it know exactly in which year it would rain sufficiently and chose that year to burst forth in full  so that it had 100 % chance of survival.

According to Bhagwat Gita fig tree is the most sacred  tree Probably  our ancients had  observed what i did .

The four debts owed by men.

King Pandu explains the four debts that all are born with.

They are the debts due unto Gods, Rishis ,anscestors and other men  .

The gods are gratified by sacrifices [homam]

The Rishis by study, meditation and ascetism.
The deceased anscestors by begetting children and offering funeral cake.
Other men by leading a humane and inoffensive life.


From Adi parva of Mahabharat section --CXX

Ways to reach Indraloka

Idol of Lord Indra

  Vana parva of Mahabharat  describes in brief, Amaravathi the heavenly city of Indraloka [swarg] and enumerates the way to reach it .

The city of Indra which Arjuna saw was delightful and was resort of Siddhas and Charanas,
It was adorned with flowers of every season and with sacred trees  of all kinds.And he also beheld the celestial gardens called Nandana   --the favorite resort of Apasaras.The trees were in full celestial bloom with lingering fragrance.

It was a place free of anxiety , old age, fear  and,fatigue It was  auspicious and bestowing good fortune.

None can behold the city Amaravathi the heavenly abode of Indra--

who had not gone through ascetic austerities

Or who had not poured libations in fire,

It was region of virtuos alone,,

And not for those who had turned their back on the battle field

And none were competent to see it  ---                                                                                                                                                              who had not performed  yagnas/homams 

Or had not observed rigid vows
                                                                                                                                                                  Or who were not distinguished for yagnas and gifts

Or who were without the knowledge of Vedas,

Or who had not bathed in sacred waters

And none were competent to see it -----
                                                                                                                                                                    Who were  distrurbers of yagnas/homams                                                                                                                                                                       Or who were low
                                                                                                                                                                  or who drank intoxicating liquors
                                                                                                                                                                    Or who were violators  of their preceptors bed,

Or who were eaters of [unsanctified ] meat
                                                                                                                                           
Or who were wicked .

                 ***************
 

Explanation on differences

After giving my piece of mind on the perverse pairing of  the two major sects of Hinduism with other two religions in the earlier blog and constantly provoking me with it , i remembered that the young advocate [whose parents are dressed like any of us] had come to sort of  receive us when i and my hub returned from visiting Sri Ramanujar's  sannidhi in Sri perumbudur temple . The young IT  engineers , a mix of Aiyars and Christians  who offered their help after the floods also  came to my mind.

on the whole of late  i have become suspicious  of those doing this pairing as it can be used as a subconscious tool for conversion .

But i am yet to lose my trust and belief in the idealistic innocence that is in some youths and my be ,just maybe there are some such educated youths who genuinely find a identity of concepts  in this pairing as they find solace and support  and unity in this type of pairing  .Hence i felt a bit contrite and am blogging this for them .so as to explain some irreconcilable basic differences that exist between our religions  though my knowledge of other religions is quite scanty , i have picked up some basics from here and there,  If this breaks their idealistic conceptions like 'one society ,one religion that has all religions in it '  is all very nice to hear but impracticable , i am truly sorry.But truth is bitter.

This how the pairing must have been done.Sri vaishnavism as propogated widely by Sri Ramanujar believes in Maha vishvasam-absolute faith  and absolute surrender at Narayana's feet.
 i read the board outside  the flat on immediate upper floor  which in gist says Nothing happens without his will so surrender to his will .So the concept of surrender  popularised by Sri Ramanujar is some what similar on the face of it.But Ramanujar also emphasized on  the supremacy of Vedas , Gila and other sacred texts.
Hence SRi vaishnavism is not limited to one surrendering and absolute faith but also includes vedic injunctions and upanashidic philosophies Sri Desikan has given a huge list as to what a surrendered person has to do to attain moksham It is exhaustive and very tough to implement.He also stresses on the supremacy of Vedas
So sri Vaishnavism is not all that simple as to say ,OK i have done the ritual of surrender through my acharya now onwards my road is clear and i  will be attaining moksham, definitely on my death .He is still bound by karmas .Desikan admits and laments often at the mountain like karmas -mostly bad deeds he has accquired in this birth and keeps on  imploring bhagwan to extinguish them ,knowing well that come what may all are subject to that inexorable law  of karma  which takes its own independent course and it requires ones own efforts to get rid of them.Even good karmas have to gotten rid of

There .is a story deemed as a actual vent that took place during the time of Ramanujar .That the processional deity of Melkote temple  was taken as booty by a Delhi sultan who generously allowed Ramanujar to take it back and his young daughter who had played with this idol like as if it was a doll could not bear the separation and hence followed Ramanujar on his return trip to Melkote and remained there till she passed away.It is said that it is in commemoration of this devotion that her idol was installed at the base of both the presiding as well as processional deity  known as cheluva narayana at Melkote temple.I have observed this small idol at the feet of both deities. Very rare indeed .normally in Vishnu temples there is a separate sannidh for his consort  as well as far Andal the great Tamil poetess and aazhwar of 9 th cent ad.

Being a history student the dates kept niggling me .it just didn't tally.at the time f Ramanujar there was no sultan at Delhi or any where in India.They were yet to establish their rule which was done much later by Ghori. which was after Ramanujar Ghazni the serial invader who preceded ghori  never came down south
As per historical dates this event could not have taken place at all.Sri viashnavaites who follow the life history of Ramanujar written by writers of earlier times will not believe what i deducted and will also not care for my opinion .But those youths either of Muslim community or secular Hindus check the dates in net and apply your mind if you are  besotted by this story.and think that this is a unifying factor between our two religions

To put it simply i am  a Sri vaishnavaite but am not one of you.My sect is a important branch of Hinduism and Hinduism is a religion   .I do not buy the argument that Hinduism is nothing but a way of life.  Hinduism is a religion .

The other pairing is christian and saivaites .which may be because of similarity in philosophy .Shankara who propagated Advaita philosophy also emphasized on the supremacy of Vedas ,shastras ,gita and other scriptures .
We all know that Vedas prescribe rituals which clearly distinguishes Hinduism from other religions But here since unity is sought to be found on concepts and philosophy only, i did not go into that obvious difference  as well as idol worship and importance of forefathers.
Even if both philosophies may be similar to a certain extent Advaita also  gives a leeway to become one with the ultimate or Brahman only after extinguishing karma's either in this birth or in the next or after that also in tune with the general belief of Hindus voiced in  Gila when Krishna says 'Arjuna i you and i have passed through several births whilst i remember them all [being avatar of Vishnu] you do not.

Though philosophy could be similar .Merging with  self -Aham bramhasya .Definetly on one score there is a yawning difference between saivaites/advaitins/hindus [includes visishtadwatins in general tho' philosophy is little different]on one side  and christians on the other  which is unbridgeable.Concept of birth  and sin
.
Again it was  one of my neighbours who explained the christian concept of birth and sin ,briefly .
He said i believe in christian thinking ,saying"" isnt life in this world full of misery?so our birth is nothing to celeberate about.Isnt it a sin to born in this world? .

i was clearly taken aback by this view as i have read again and again in various types of books on hinduism that for a hindu to take birth as human being is achieving the top most scale  in the scale of births.i also believe in it.

Even scientifically speaking didn't Darwin state with enough evidence that all life has evolved from ameoba and then evolved into fish then animal and finally  evolved into human beings?even speaking from Vaishnavaite view point of avatars , the earliest avatar  that Vishnu took is that  of a fish and then a turtle and then a boar and then a half lion half human-Narsimha and then human beings like Rama, Krishna .

Human birth is not at all considered to be sinful but highly valued and cherished and is seen as the ultimate birth in the cycle of births and deaths and re births --[births that include insects, reptiles, animals . plants --are all down the scale and considered lowly in comparison to human birth ]

Human being is highly valued in Hinduism because it gives a being the capacity to understand the workings of nature , universe and the ability to comprehend the existence of the ultimate power --god and also the chance , unavailable to beings of lesser intelligence to attain this or merge with this and become a part of that  creator/power as per advaita,and as per visishtadwaita it is a chance to attain a lot of powers and to be of eternal service to the creator/ supreme being in his abode.
Though we may use words like sin-paavi etc,  its meaning is not in any way similar to that which it is put to use in the other religion.

For Hindus, human birth is not a sin but a jewel in the crown.   

Hinduism is not a way of life but a religion .Maybe i should be more specific and say Sanatana dharma but in local and common usage we use the  word Hinduism and it  means  just that viz Sanatana dharma .

Thirupavai -1.

Maargazhi thingal madhiniraindha nanalaal,
neerada podhuveer!podhumino neirizhaiyeer!
seermalgum aayarppadi selavasirumeergal'
koorvel kodunthozhilan nandagopan kumaran!
yerrarandha kanni yashodai illam singam,
kaarmeni senghan kadirmadhiyam pol mughathaan,
Narayanane namakku paraitharuvaan
 paror pughazh padindhe lorembavai.

Meaning

In the month of Margazhi on the auspicious day of the full moon all those petite girls of Gokulam who are interested in bathing in the river do join us.
One who is the son of Nandagopan who bears a sharp spear  and has a fierce profession,

One who is the lion cub of Yashoda who has beautiful eyes,

One who is of the hue of rain bearing clouds  with red eyes  and a face that is like a moon which radiates the brilliance of sun,
He is Narayana .He will grant us the boon that is approriate to our penanace.
Take part in this penance that is hailed ,world over.

Doctrine of karma---reaction to an article

An author of an article on Karma in Bhavans journal  was playing the devils's advocate in his supposedly first instalment [the next issue didn't carry the next  instalment with alternate arguments] by questioning the irrationality of this doctrine by posing the question as to how a fish condemned to its lowly state due to its previous karma know that it was suffering due to its past deeds?So this doctrine is laughable as there is no repentance.

To my knowledge the doctrine of karma is propounded for the benefit of a human being with his sense of right and wrong ,who is warned of the pitfalls that await him in due course of time ,if not  then in his next birth ,that of being born as a lowly form of life without any power of reasoning.It is not necessary for the fish to know its former birth but for human beings endowed with reason to know that a birth as a fish may await that person as a result of his karma / deeds.
That person could be born as better person viz,in a good family with scholarship and prosperity.Even then that person enjoying the fruits of past deeds has no knowledge of his prior birth because  Sri Krishna has said in the Gita "Arjuna i have the knowledge of my previous births [as a bhagwan] but you as a mortal do not have",must be taken by all reposing faith in karma doctrine  as its justification  and rightly so.Learnt this
by personal experience.
.
 

Satyakala ..

Today 19 th morning visited Satyakala at Kollegal .The way to and fro from Mysore was flanked by rice fields in pretty green slabs . A very fertile area.

Nearly all boards  in towns and villages are only in Kannada so couldn't make out as to which building was ,what.
Satyakal is a small village amidst very lush paddy fields,being right besides river Kaveri.The purpose of our visit was to see the ancient deity of Sri Vardhrajar ,who was worshipped by Sri Desikan in 13 th cent AD when he took refuge in this tiny hamlet after fleeing persecution by invaders from north at his original place of residence at Sri Rangam.He stayed here for 12 years and went back when the threat was removed.It was also an exercise in tracing Sri Desikans trail across the south. 

The village reeked of prosperity but the roads were poor and  muddy and were turned to  sludge by a slew of tractors used in the farming operations.But the small temple is very well maintained thanks mainly due to the generous contributions of NRI 's ,mostly US based .The temple that was once said to be in a very bad shape has been  very well renovated  with halls, kitchens and toilets added for the convenience of pilgrims.The temple was empty save for the priest and a watchman's family.

The turtle like stone slab on which Desikan is said to have sat upon and meditated daily is housed in his sannidhi at the temple.Till 1920 it lay on the bank of the river a short distance away and was brought here for preservation.It made me pause and compelled me to sit before this humble seat of that wise and learned acharya and to meditate and try and  gather at least in a little measure the strength it must have absorbed by his sacred presence to see me through in my lonely battle.

The theertham --the taste of  the  holy water offered by the priest was  incredibly sweet unlike in any other temple i visited.What sweetened it? The fact that it was kaveri river water or simply something more?.

A short walk on a mud road flanked by banantrees , lush paddy fields right next to the gently flowing kaveri river is the fig tree under which Desikan sat and meditated .It is no longer in full spread as it is said to be in his days.But the trunk though dried and stunted seems to have survived  letting off few leaves to keep it going.
Desikan wrote 'abeedhitatva' a sloka to dispel fear and restore courage in this very scenic and serene spot and recited it several times.This sloka in later year inspired Harri hara and bukkha to establish the Vijayanagar empire that ruled the south for several centuries and its kings built several temples with great enthusiasm.
As and when Desikan wrote this sloka would he have foreseen such a tremendous event in the political history of  medieval India  ,that his heart felt sloka would sow ?Desikan was a scholar, poet, wise and seeped with bhakthi..A  man of religion alone who studiously avoided rulers and kings.Yet ,may be he did.Can't say.

As we passed over river kaveri its gentle unhurried flow seemed to murmur an assuring massage that any one will come and go but i will be going on and on seeing more and more . A detached witness to changes in human history and an affirmation of permanence and solidity amidst rapid changes and insecurities of life.

written on 19 .11.13   9pm in train from mysore to chennai

Visit to Melkote CheluvaNarayana Temple -

Chella pillai Perumal and His consorts at Melkpte Temple

Chelluva narayana temple at Melkote

On 18th noon after an insipid lunch at the hotel we left for Melkote by cab to have a darshan of Chelluva Narayana and  also see the idol of Ramanuja which he himself is said to have conscreted transferring  some his Powers and part of his self at  the request of the populace of melkote who couldn't bear the separation from their beloved acharaya as and when he decided to repair back to Srirangam.

For several miles the landscape was lush and picturesque.Bouquets of rose tinted flowers atop slender white and tall boughs of sugar cane swayed bewitchingly and a carpet of green rice fields with a dusting of gold ,the colour of ripening rice spread as far as the eyes could behold.An pleasant surprise and a delicious feast to eyes gone weary of seeing only man made machines ,crowding the streets ad distancing oneself from what one is madeof--earth, water, air and sky.
All the small and quaint houses on the road side were painted red with some advt or the other.

The landscape turned a bit arid and stony as we neared Melkote and spotted the Narsimhar temple atop a hill where Prahalada is said to have meditated.It therefore predates the Narayana temple below.

The town is just as i remember it .Not much changes .The Narayana temple was built by Hoysala ruler Vishnu vardhan in 11 th cent ad after he embraced Sri vaishnavism ,taken in by the personality and the healing powers of Ramanuja who had taken refuge in his kingdom after fleeing violent  sectarian persecution by a fanatical chola king  in his hometown in Tamilnadu  .This temple enshrining chelluva narayana was consecrated by Ramanuja.

Many figurines adorning the temple depict dasaavatar, various classical poses and mudras of dancing girls, rishis performing yoga and so on.Many of the figures have their limbs loped off.But the granite pillared mantap with its rich carvings of dancing Krishna performing various feats are intact.An cunning carving of an animal that looked like an elephant from one angle and like a horse from another angle caught my attention.The woven basket like filigree work in stone on several pillars are a testimony to skill and artistry of the sculptors of days gone by.
The main as well as the processional deity are bewitching.So is the idol of Ramanuja.The beauty of the panchaloka [--alloy-]-processional deity known as chellapillai was mesmerising and made me wonder whether there was any credence[ as the dates from history  simply don't match ,there was no sultanate at time of Ramanuja , it came after him, maybe this story has been spun for communal harmony  ] in the story that when ramanuja came seeking this particular idol from the Delhi sultans spoils of war and was allowed to take it ,the  young daughter of the sultan who played with this idol and was her favourite couldn't bear the separation and therefore followed Ramanuja hoping to retrieve it  and passed away.
A tiny figurine at the base of  the idols Naryana somewhat like Lakshmi caught my eyes. The priest explained that it was that of Bibi nachiar  --the daughter of that sultan ,installed there in commemoration of her unsullied and deep devotion to chella pillai.

The climb to the hill enshrining Narsimhar was strenuous.The skies drakened and the nambi narayana [also consecrated by ramanuja] temple in the next stop a few kms away was closed.

The lights were out and the village--Thodanoor was plunged in early darkness of the night.Yet i didn't want to miss having a look and feel of the lake said to have been dug by ramanuja during is exile in here.

Fireflies flitted and a pale Venus shone through cloudy skies as i sprinkled the water over head and watched the silent dark lake.Not a single person was around.Was such a huge lake actually dug by Ramanuja?Most probably.Digging wells and ponds for good of people is enjoined in our shastras.He had a large gathering of devoted disciples and they had a lot of time at disposal being forcibly kept away from their regular hectic religious activities .

On our return the colourful fields had become dark and forlorn silhouettes ,reminding one of constant cycles .They were carefully tended so that they may grow lushly only to be reaped to make  a living and then to be  cut and disposed off.

written on 19 .11.13  9 pm tuesday in train

kattumannar koil-- tour diary --29.10.13

The next place of visit the next day was Kattumannar koil the birth place of Sri Nathamuni and Alavandar--Sri Vaishnavaite acharyas , former the grand father of the latter.

The 50 kms of the distance from cuddalore ,was a treat to weary eyes .Green fields of rice stretching on both sides was a balm .Thank god urbanisation hasn't as yet spread  its tentacles in these life sustaining lush pockets , though a few , very few concrete houses amidst green fields have appeared giving me a sour feeling.

The line of swarthy skinned peasants sowing or weeding  in  a single file in the hot sun stirred my gratitude. If not for them [ tho' it is their ancestral vocation for livelihood] who will supply me rice?It is also amazing how mother earth never tires of her bestowing her bounty though used and reused for centuries!

The town was medium sized and quite dirty like most such towns in India.When will they ever become neat and tidy as those in us or UK etc?

Vishnu is enshrined as Vasudevar in this ancient temple .It has two separate sannidhis for the  2 most important sons of that soil--Sri nathamuni and Alavandhar.Sri Nathmuni of 10 th cent ad , collected and compiled 4000 Tamil hymns of aazhwars-saints of preceding centuries ,that were scattered around and nearly forgotten.He revived Sri Vaishnavism by dint of sheer perseverance and tireless efforts and re established the eminence of Tamil hymns in Hinduism at par with Vedas.

It is a wonder how some persons from somewhere arise and is a spark to revive and re vitalise Hinduism or  a branch there of.

The next spark is Alavandar, his grand son.who awoke to his real vocation --that of propagating Sri Vaishnaviam after a stint  as a very successful and prosperous ruler & householder ,the kingship that was gifted to him due to his precocious scholarship,and relinquishing his kingdom  and taking up sanyas ,after being gently reminded of true lineage by his late grandfather's loyal disciple.

He settled at Srirangam and wrote commentaries on shastras , gita, and so on and has written a beautiful Sanskrit's sloka known as strotramala which has all the ideas and seeds that helped Desikan few centuries later to work upon.

The priest pointed out to the nathamuni's sannidhi abutting the sanctum,  as the place of his original residence .
What propelled him to undertake such a onerous and daunting task? The proximity of the deity within coupled with the deep grief of losing his only and youthful married son  ?

If not for his single pointed devotion to restoration i wouldn't be enjoying the poetry's and hymns of saints/azhwars of yore and deriving strength and solace from them ,by mere thumbing through pages .
I registered my gratitude silently before his and his grandson's idols in unspoken words.

written on 30.10.1`3 1 pm

Tour of thiruvaheendra puram Temple town....cuddalore.0n 28 &29 .10 .13

The top floor terrace overlooked the only busiest inter section of Cuddalore ,a small and neat town whose traffic on the road was so small in comparison to that of Chennai even at peak hours that brought in its wake, laughter of relief.
 The early morning air was fresh and spiced slightly with the special  saltish twang of coastal areas.The sky was awash with white cranes flying in formations to  a specified secret distant destination in earnest silence.The squeal of some birds attracted my attention .It was that of pairs of white crested eagles  or Garuda's who were circling overhead leisurely and settled   gracefully on tree tops and then again taking off
.
Seeing them i was reminded of Sri Desikan and his sanskrit slokas- Garuda panchgam, the Sri vaishnavaite acahrya of 14 th cent whose journeys across south i was tracing and the purpose of my journey to this town.
Sri Desikan lived in nearby hamlet Thiruvanheendrapuram for 40 long years
The place is as untouched by time and is more or less like it would have been at his time.
Vishnu is enshrined as Devanatha perumal in the temple since ancient times. The inlay of silver and gold plating's on pillars, entrance and doors inside the temple is breathtaking and reminded me of the gorgeous and rich decorations of temples at Manglore mainly that of srivenaktaramana temple

A flight of steps cut on the vertical wall of a hillock right in front of the temple takes one to the summit where Sri Desikan meditated often .This is a quiet place with a good view of fields and villages down below.It is here in one of his moments of solitude and connection that he received the blessings of Haygreeva an  avatar of Vishnu known for bestowing knowledge like Saraswati.Desikan then consecrated the idol along with the idol of the vehicle of Vishnu- Garuda [unlike the usual of practise of enshrining garuda outside the sanctum] and worshipped the chosen deity ever since and was  blessed with uninterrupted  literary flow  in form of Sanskrit and Tamil slokas ,philosophical treatises,shastras ,and innumerable poetic and scholarly works.It was in here that his Sanskrit works on Rama and slokas on Garuda were written.

Thanks to the efforts of earlier pontiffs of Ahobila mutt the place where Sri Desikan lived and held katha kaltshebham ---lectures  on dharma Hinduism and vaishnavism,in the tiny town below is well preserved .So is the well that Sri Desikan himself is said to have dug with his own hands as a challenge to one of his many adverasries .He was a versatile genius.

Maybe the call of the garudas that attracted my attention are the descendants of those garudas that must have attracted Desikan's attention as well as he sat meditating in total solitude on that uninhabited hillock and inspired him to write slokas of the bird that is considered to be the vehicle of Vishnu.

He used bis vivid imagination, command of language and scholarship purely to enhance sri vaishnaviam faith and philosophy.
Reading them and grasping their deep meanings is truly a delightful and exhilarating experience and his immense literary compositions are unrivalled;ed till date.

written on 30 .10.13 11 am

 .

Were the clouds summoned?

The early morning sun sent dazzling silver beams that plated the saw dust coloured twigs in glowing gold and dropped shining pools of pearls of sun rays on  emerald like jewel of leaves of the sacred fig tree ,fluttering bashfully in the gentle strokes of the unseen wind.

From each string of these pearl encrusted leaves of emerald swung birds, chattering excitedly in a whirl of white and brown,as they flitted from one delicately dangling string of leaves to another,pecking furiously and gorging at great haste  ,at the tiny red fruits that seemed to have sprung up and ripened magically over night!

The mynas were stuffing themselves in a ravenous appetite and at   break neck speed that a indicated an deadline to be met, which was mystifying  .Definitely these seasonal figs were not the myna's only meal and the tree is not going to runaway that night.carrying away all its fruits.This excited feasting lasted but for  few hours and on the day next the revellers did not appear.A lone woodpecker and few timid squirrels scampered over the tree nibbling at the after overs of the partying
of,the day before.

That night dark storm clouds gathered and the next morn poured rain with such a  fury that the vigorous sheet of slants  dug up the sun hardened soil like a plough loosening the soil in preparation for sowing,.Then onwards the rain settled to  a gentle spray forming  rivulets and small ponds in spaces not covered by tar or cement.In few days the the dark clouds having emptying all its liquid contents turned white and fluffy.

The Arasamaram--fig tree, looked fetchingly fresh and breath taking as it absorbed the shower of golden rays of the early morning sun that was no longer eclipsed by rain bearing dark clouds.The enchanting  picture it presented ,the pearl encrusted emerald leaves strung in golden thread  bespoke of creativity.The thrill of creation , the absorption of which ,in those few golden moments moistened my eyes.

That flock of ravenous mynas were definitely a part of the cycle of regeneration and propagation of that fig tree.They had a brief period viz one and half days to feed , digest and then eject the indigestible seeds,before the rains came  cleaving the grounds or collecting in sand filled crevices of buildings ,enabling the seeds to germinate and carry forward the tree's  life cycle  .

Was the haste shown by the birds was because they knew instinctively that the rain was in the offing and the fruits so delicious to their palate had to be devoured before they were wahed away in the impending torrent of rain?Or was it that the tree was ready to propagate itself and had attracted the flock with its fruits and let  a day pass and then used its inherent holy power to summon the rains?

This question kept taxing me for a quite  awhile to be resolved today .The thrill of creation that each leaf individually as well as the tree as  a whole  that  emanated settled the issue.It is the tree--the sacred fig tree which is considered to be holy by Bhartwasis and worshipped as such since aeon's ,which has beckoned the rain bearing clouds to do its job and help carry forward its unending life cycle.

It is no wonder that the Bhagwad Gita whilst enumerating all divine glories of the supreme one say in the following sloka

'Aswatthah sarva vrikshanam'

meaning--Among all trees i am the holy fig tree.

33 crore deities.

Who are the mind boggling and humanely incalculable gods and deities that Hindu's are said to worship?
These gods/deities/devas are actually only 33 in number ,but are at the head of 1 crore devas.
This means that the following devas who are 33 in number have a following of 1 crore each.

The 33 devas are classified under 4 heads .They are as follows--

1.Adityas:They are 12 in number--Indra, Dhatha, Parjanyan, Dwashta, Pusa, Ariyama, Bhagan, Vivasvaan, Vishnu, Amsuman, Varuna and Mitra.

2. Uttaras: They are 11 in all --Mriguyathar, Niruthi, Sarpar, Anajagbhath, Naharaputhinya,Pinaki, Dhana, Ishwar, Kapali,  Stahnu and Bhagar.

3.Vasus:They are 8 in all .They are---Analan, Anilan, Abhachaivan, Soman, Tharan, Dhurupan,.Prathyusan and Prabhasa.

4. Aswins:They are twins .

The total is 33.

It stands to reason that worshipping and praying to seek blessings from any one of these devas or all of them would mean that one would be paying obeisance to all those crores of good atmas or devas over whom the 33 devas --the good and pure one's  preside and therefore the benefit accruing to one from such reverence is equally manifold and incalculable .

Reference is from 'nallayira divyaprabhandam 'by kamala kannan.

Photo of Sri Ramanujar's seat at Tirumalai.

This is the wooden chair that Sri Ramanujar  is said to have used at his year long stay at his maternal uncle's house at Tirumalai  whist studying Ramayana  under his tutelage in 11 th cent  AD.This is in Tirumalai in zeer mutt which also houses the idols of Rama and sita which he had worshiped during his stay 

Wish and hope.

A draft of chilly wind brushed my shoulders reviving the freshening of the senses , an comforting earthly feeling as isat on the terrace that had a clear view of the tirumala temple and the exact place where Srinivasar is enshrined , meditating and reciting slokas in praise of the supreme being.early in the morning.

The chirping of a tiny bird in all probabiliy one f that flock of birds that had danced in crazy exhilaration ,in perfectly synchronised circles yesterday evening over the place[just outside the temple] where the processional deity of Srinivasa and his consorts were lodged ,on a gently swaying swing in a mandap lit by one thousand oil lamps , in step with the acomppaniment of vedic chantsand bhakthi songs , like as if on a signal unmindful of the huge congregation of devotees ,reminding me of the belief of Sri vaishnavas once again that the deity of the sacred 7 hills is visited by nitya suris everyday to pay their obeisance to their master in deified form, the eternal blissful lord of the universe ,from their usual residence at vaikuntum where they are said to be for ever at service of Narayana, free from all earthly contamination's , mainly the insurmountable lure of the senses .The bells chiming at the temple and the gently re assuring rustle of the leaves of nearby arasamaram --sacred fig tree as the wind bounced off each one of them , the multitude  echos of which, synchronised to form the symphony ,brought an element of peace  and calmed the hankerings  and the restlessness wrought in their relentless pursuit.What a moment! Is this the definition of spiritualism?Were those few seconds an small trailer to the breath taking breadth of eternal calm that awaits one?  

As i looked at the  vimanum glistening in golden splendour, it seemed to be radiating very silently but very emphatically the essence of gita.That the moment i was luxuriating in was due to my senses .How can this be spiritual? The gentle touch of the cool breeze and the sweet chirping of that tiny bird were all pleasurable 'feelings ' even if it is a unique oasis in the arid desert of life.The one who is enshrined there is beyond the senses , its dualities and as gita tells us has transcended it and is therefore always unperturbed and free and thereby holds the hope for each one of us to acquire , if not the same at least ,near about equanimity.

Easily said than done Very, very few can reach such a state.

Were those birds flying in exhilaration and in gratitude over srinivasar 's image  yesterday evening such souls, the mukhta's ,who are said to have the power to assume any form and shape as they will as per srivaishnavaites faith? 
It is my fond hope that they were the mukhtas ,with a wishful thinking that one  in that sacred flock is also the one who had brightened my life and lightened its burdens and has successfully overthrown the shackles of this worldly life and has gone beyond pain and pleasure and has become absorbed in that infinite and eternal bliss .
A mother's fond hope.--------14.8.13     8 am 

photo.Srinvasa temple at tirumalai 

Naganandi tree.

The leaves of the dome like naganandi tree had turned into a brilliant saffron .The tree which is famous for its highly fragrant flowers, rose pink in colour resembling the hood of a naga or serpent sheltering the tiny lingam within ,was shedding its leaves ,that had ripened from a pale green to the sacred saffron colour . The ground below was richly carpeted by layers upon layers of twirling, twisting and floating leaves shed by this very old tree at the park.
Today [15.7.13]  i could fully appreciate the sacredness attributed to this tree .The unique shape of the flowers set in the backdrop  of this astonishing and exquisite colouring of the ripened leaves that was suffusing me with its spiritual beauty ,and enabled me to fully grasp the reverence it has evoked amongst all down the ages, sages and common folks alike.

Greetings to the sun.

The gulmohar tree that was spreading out tall and wide had effectively eclipsed  the happenings in the wide blue broad sky visible beyond my window .Since its felling recently the space beyond became ,glaringly visible.
Today  early in the morning around 5 am i chanced to see the first rays of the sun ,that was yet to rise ,as a thin silver ribbon ,tying a thick curtain of slate blue clouds .Down below the street was deserted .Nothing stirred .Neither human nor animal.
To get a better view of this daily celestial event that goes mainly unnoticed by me and  others as well ,  living in concrete jungles,i went up to the terrace  get a better view .
The thin ribbon of silver slowly turned brick red and spread on the eastern sky staining it rapidly in translucent red, as it expanded , stirring some very indefinable primeval feelings and inexlicable awe .That of the transistory nature of all life and that which awaits all, beyond the invisible but tangible border that has to be crossed one day or the other.

Though nothing stirred in the street below, the sky was throbbing with the excitement peculiar only to life., that of the leisurely but powerful flapping of wings of eagles in companionable twosomes , coasting seemingly casually.
It amazed me that these birds of prey were the first to greet and salute the dawn breaking through the night.Poetry's always refer to koels or the beautiful swans as the first amongst the birds to greet the sun .On reflection it makes sense that eagles who rely on their keen eyesight to swoop and snatch their preys down much,much below ,ought and are up there first,to greet the light that will illumine and line their lives.Their dependence on the sun is verily much more than the other birds.

Have the ancients of this country observed this deep devotion and obvious gratitude to the eternal celestial brilliant orb by the eagles as i do now and felicitated it with according it the sacred honour of being the vehicle of Vishnu--sarveswara   ?

Then came the parrots screeching in ecstasy with the sheer joy of living after a night of peaceful slumber .Their round green faces smiling in contentment ,deepening the natural rosy rouge of their beaks.

By now the slate blue clouds were licked by tongues of orange flames as the sun rose as a huge disc like a distant delicious cotton candy attractive and inviting one to savour its flavour and disappeared soon behind clouds that blushed in pleasing pink.

The presence of the sun in all its splendour triggered the whirling of a huge flock of pigeons that waltzed gracefully  first in clock wise circles and next in anti clock wise direction in a frenetic pace ,till such time, few minutes thence, becoming utterly exhausted as to make them drop down to their perches .A raven from a wall cawed and a koel sang from a tree top signalling  the end  of the ritual put up by the only life forms in this earth --birds that greet the dawn and rising sun with uninhibited joy and unparalleled gratitude.