Kan => Brahma, ch => Vishnu and i => Shiva empowered by Kam => Saraswati, Ak => Lakshmi , Shi => Shakti
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Monday, December 5, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
logistics
Acharya bhakthi - Ananthakrishna Sharma
Sri Swamigal wanted to find out the logistics of traveling to Kashi on foot. He had sent a young twenty year old man named Ananthakrishna Sharma to Kashi by foot, ten years before embarking on his trip.
Swamigal had given certain restrictions to this young man.
He should go to Kashi all the way by foot. He should prepare his own food. He should carry only a few vessels and a few necessary clothing items on his person. He should not receive any gifts or money from anyone. Other than for health purposes, he should not stay in one place for more than a day.
He should write down the names and details of the places he went to and people he met every day and post it everyday to the mutt.
Arrangements were made to send him replenishments of postcards from the mutt.
Ananthakrishna Sharma was young, healthy and full of will power and acharya bhakthi. Aside from Tamil, he could speak English as well. He followed Swamigal’s instructions, did not cross the restrictions and reached Kashi in six months.
There was interesting information obtained from the post cards that he sent to the mutt daily. He gave the details of distances and traveling conditions between one place and another and the availability of water in each of the places he visited.
After overcoming difficulties, he finally reached Kashi and stayed there for a few days.
On Swamigal’s request, the mutt’s agent at Kashi bought him a train ticket to travel back to Kumbakonam. By the time he returned, he could converse very well in Hindi. He had darshan of Swamigal in a camp and described in detail his travel experiences.
Swamigal appreciated his deep devotion to his guru and blessed him. Later Ananthakrishna Sharma got married and worked at the mutt itself.
Source: Pujya Sri Mahaswamy Divya Charitram
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Waste
A person came for Periyava's darshan. This person saw a boy from his village serving in the Matam and started saying: "Ha, this chap is here. He is a 'waste'. He is a good for nothing fellow. He was roaming the streets and now he has come here!"
That ticked off Periyava. He started off thus:
"Yes he is a Waste and I am the Waste bin. All waste get dumped here. But don't forget that from the waste the creepers, plants grow and give us tasteful vegetables, fruits and flowers."
"Ash gourd, Kurukkathi (a flower), Kuppaimeni (a herb) grow in waste. And when you stir the waste, out comes insects and worms that harm you and you have done just that"!
The person was shaken by the outburst and offered his apology.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Girl
Many years ago, Mahaperiava was on His way to having darshan of Sri Nandeeswararat Parangimalai St Thomas Mount in Madras. En route He had darshan of Trisulanathar and Tripurasundari and then
rested for a while under a fig tree (as He always walked, whatever be the distance).
rested for a while under a fig tree (as He always walked, whatever be the distance).
He felt thirsty and so called out for one of His sishyas. But, since they were resting at a distance, none heard it. Then, there appeared a Little Girl with water in a 'sombu' a small vessel and offered it to Him. He drank it and when He wanted to return the sombu, She was not be seen around any where. He asked every one, but none had even seen Her.
Then He sat in meditation for a while and realised that the Girl was none other than Ambal herself. He called the village head and other people and told them to dig the place where He sat.They found the vigraha of Balambika and Chandikeswari there!
He told them to instal the vigrahas and thus came about the present day Sri Vidya Raja Rajeswari temple at Nehru Nagar, Pazhavanthangal, Nanganallur, Madras!
The address is:
Nehru Colony 2nd St, Nanganallur, Madras.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Pack lot of eatables for them for their journey
Mahaperiyava was camping at Pandharpur at that time and my father took us to a western trip that Navarathri (my mother, me and 2 brothers). We stayed in Pandarpur and used to cross the river and visit Mahaperiyava and we stayed there for couple of days.
After that, my Dad requested for Utharavu (His permission to leave) so that we could leave and continue our trip. Mahaperiyava did not answer and nor did He allow anyone else to give us Utharavu! My dad being an impatient man, insisted with the other close Matham people that we get Utharavu. But they said that Mahaperiyava is specifically refusing the utharavu and has asked your family to stay back. So we did!
After 2 days, it was a Navarathri friday (or Saraswathi poojai - I don't remember exactly I was only 7 or 8 at that time). That day, the Matham people asked my mother to give me a head bath and Mahaperiyava gifted me with a Red Pattu pavadai ankle length Silk Skirt and I had special honors for being a Kanya Ponnu in the camp during Navarathri! After that, He called my father and said, "Ippo oorukku poittu vaa, You may leave for your home now!".
Also Mahaperiyava called His aides and said,
"Avo (my mother) kuzhandaila kootindu thaniya pora. Neraya katti kuduthu anuppu She is going back home alone with just her children, pack lot of eatables for them for their journey!"
Needless to say we were blessed with lots of fruits, bakshanangal (snacks) for the journey home!
I still remember how the three of us chanted "Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara" on the way in and out of Pandarpur in the train.
This is an experience I cannot forget and I have held on to his blessings all this time!
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Nuances in Education
Two professors had come for Maha Periyava’s darshan from the college at Mayiladuthurai – one from Commerce, the other, Sanskrit.
Maha Periyava looked at the Professor of Commerce and asked him,
“Where is your native place?”
“Waltair…”
“How far is it from here?”
“About 1000 miles…”
“About or Nearly?”
The Professor was in a fix and was not able to give a satisfactory reply.
Periyava answered the question himself, “About” means more or less. May be a little more or a little less, “Nearly” means almost. Less than a thousand miles, is that not so?
Periyava then looked at the Professor of Sanskrit, “What have you studied?”
“Sanskrit M.A.”
“That is, you have studied about Sanskrit. Then, when are you going to study Sanskrit?” The Professor of Sanskrit was taken aback.
“One is considered a real scholar of Sanskrit only when one studies literature or grammar and obtains the title of Sironmani. History M.A, or Tamil M.A., just means that one has studied about History or Tamil, isn’t it?”
Maha Periyava taught the professors a few nuances in education before he sent them away.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Russia
Russia - was it a Vedic Country? Mahaperiyava clarifies!
Dear Friends, Recently, Our friend Rajan ( Gogo) sent me a mail on the visit by Prof. Ribekov, the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oriental studies in 1987, having kept a Photograph of Kanchi Sri Sankaracharya in his office and when he visited India took time to visit the Sri Sankaracharya at Kanjeevaram. During the interview, Sankaraacharya asked him, although Russian language has many Sanskrit words, does he know of a dialect which prevailed in the northern part of Russia and Prof. Ribekov was astonished as that dialect was almost similar to Sanskrit, then Swamiji told him that Rishis like Yagnavallkya have established Vedic research centres in Russia and their country is Rishivarsha. Prompted by this cue, I thought of sharing some exotic thoughts expressed by some scholars on the same herein:
The Eurasian Continent was divided into 3 regions as per Mahabharatha. The big red circle represents the Sudharshana Dweepa where the rule of Sanathana Dharma was in place. Bharath was in the South. Hemakuta or Himalayas was the northern border of Bharth. The dark red rectangle was Ilavarsha. The top red rectangle is Airavatha Varsha in the extreme north of Sudharshana Dweepa. The top rectangle is largely Russia. Airavatha was the elephant of Indra, the ruler of Devaloka as per Mythology. There was a wooly Mammoth which became extinct 10000years ago in that region of Siberia/north pole. The above classification of Eurasia existed 10000years ago. The region called UttarKuru existed in Siberia. Uttarkuru means a land of Kurus settled in the North, where the men and women of the Territory were said to have lived a free life and mingled with each other. The route to Uttar Kuru was explained in Valmiki Ramyana, through the narration of Suggreeva who went in search of Seetha to the north of Bharath. Once having crossed the Hiimalayas, he came across a pure-water lake called Vaikhanas, where saages used to do penance. There is a similar lake called today as LAKE BAIKAL.
According to Ramayana, Uttarkuru was in the north of Vaikhanas( Lake Baikal). Sages like Yagnavalkya spent their Vanaprastha days near that Lake. This incidentally tallies with the conversation of Sri Sankaraacharya with Prof. Ribekov. The opinion amongst various scholars is that the name Russia is derived from the word "Rishivarsha" as stated by Sankaracharya. There is a lot of references of Rishis going to Deva Territory in our Puranas.
There is a famous river called Volga in Russia. Volga means Rasa or Rosa. Rasa is a sanskrit word meaning essence, elixir, Love, nectar etc. This name perfectly fit with the river of fine water quality. Form the meaning of Rasa, the word Russia developed is another opinion.
A tributary of Volga is known as Moksha whic is a pure Sanskrit word. There is another tributary nearer to Moksha called Mokswa. Moscow got its name from Mokswa as it is on the banks of Mokswa.
Moksha is also the name of the old langugae spoken in this area and even today some of the people of the region speak Moksha. The customs of the people who speak Moksha are Vedic, and they have worshipped Indra and Vayu and other nature deities of Vedic times.
A strong connection to Vedism was recently unearthed in Siberia nearKazaksthan. Nearly 20 sites have been found out to have housed circular habitations resembling Vedic life.
An important site is the one in Arkaim which is located in the confluence of two rivers called Karakanga and Utya-kanga. These names sound likeGanga!
An important site is the one in Arkaim which is located in the confluence of two rivers called Karakanga and Utya-kanga. These names sound likeGanga!
Arkaim has all the trappings of a Vedic system. The name itself sounds like Arka, the name of the Sun. Arka, the sun has healing properties. There is a tree called Arka which is used in Ayurvedic medicine .
The Arkaim site contains swastika signs and other symbols of Vedic rites. Swastika is derived from the word swasth which means getting healed. This site is dated at 4500 BP
The Arkaim site contains swastika signs and other symbols of Vedic rites. Swastika is derived from the word swasth which means getting healed. This site is dated at 4500 BP
This site falls in the route described in Mahabharatha.
Sri Sankaracharya brought to our notice that Russians indeed followed Vedic ways. In Vedic way of expressing one’s place, the method is to express the biggest unit and the go in steps to the smaller units. That is, if one were to express one’s location, one has to mention the country, then state, then the city and so on. This method is still followed in Russia. This is the method followed in Sankalpa mantras in all Vedik rituals – but forgotten in material life by us.
I leave to your guess now whether Russia was a Vedic Country. I had been to Russia many times. I have seen many similar names to old Indian names amongst Russians. There are many sanskrit words in Russian language. Further interestingly, as in Sanskrit, which has Singular, dual and Plural - Russian language also has special words of Duals for many of their words in its Grammar unlike other Latin based languages.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Devakottai
In June 1961, Paramacharya was camping at Devakottai (in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu). He was in deep penance for several weeks, not talking or even communicating by gesture. One could not know if he even heard the devotees' words.
One morning, some people from nearby Ariyakkudi (‘Nagarathar’) had their darshan of Him, and in the course of their talks, it came out that Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar, the famous carnatic musician, and known simply as ‘Ariyakkudi’, was currently in Karaikkudi. To the surprise of every one, Paramacharya signalled to them, asking if they can bring Ariyakkudi over to meet Him. They agreed and left.
That afternoon by three o'clock, Ariyakkudi was at the camp. He was so excited and tense, as Paramacharya had asked to meet him in the midst of his 'kashta mounam' (vow of rigorous silence).
Is not Paramacharya known for His simplicity? So His accommodation at the camp was very simple. His room was on the garden side of a small house. Devotees had to have His darshan through a small window, after passing through dirt and bushes. May be that was His way of admonishing those of us who have grown used to the luxuries of life.
On being informed that Ariyakkudi had arrived, Paramacharya signaled to bring him to the rear window. He came, and paid obeisance by falling full stretch at His feet. That was it. To every one's joy, Paramacharya opened His mouth and started talking in a torrent!
"Heard of your receiving the Rashtrapathi award. You would have walked on a red carpet, and been honored in a gathering of eminent persons. But me, I have made you walk on stones and bush and made you sit in a dinghy room. "Why I called you is, I long have had a desire to listen to 'Shri Subrahmanyaya namasthe' rendered perfectly. On hearing you are around, the desire has re-surfaced. Perfect rendition means both the music and the lyrics (sangeetham and sahityam). Many people disfigure the words of Sanskrit and Telugu kirtanas to the extent that we wish they never sang. "The music part (swaras), the rhythm part and the 'sahitya chandas' – what is called 'chandam' in Tamil - would be given for most songs.
"In my Dharbar there is only stones and bushes. There is no accompaniment, not even Sruti. But please do sing that kriti for me, in spite of all these.", said Swamigal.
When Paramacharya stopped his torrent, Ariyakkudi was in tears. He prostrated once again, and said, "There is no other prestige for me than to be asked by Periyava to sing, and singing for Periyava. I have no words to express the magnanimity of Periyava considering me as somebody and giving me this chance. Periyava's grace has to fill in for the Sruti and accompaniment and enable me to sing to the level I am expected to", and readied himself to begin the song!
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