Kan => Brahma, ch => Vishnu and i => Shiva empowered by Kam => Saraswati, Ak => Lakshmi , Shi => Shakti
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!
Monday, May 16, 2016
Kamaraj
"I had come to Kanchi for Election Work, so incorrect to see Him!"
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Whenever I met Kamaraj he used to ask me without fail, "How is Periyava?"
You should have His darshan at least once", I used to tell him.
"Yes, I too feel the same way... But, I am not getting the correct opportunity...", Kamaraj told me.
Once I invited Kamaraj to have His darshan when he came to Kanchipuram for Election related work.
"Not today. It is not correct to have His darshan when I had actually come for Election work! It will be respectful only if I exclusively came to meet Him alone!"
A few months before he passed away, Kamaraj had darshan of Periyava at Kalavai (which is approximately 44 kms from Kanchi). On hearing that he is coming, Periyava told His kainkaryam people, "He is not keeping good health! Please do not make him walk for long distances. Let him come by car to the maximum extent possible. And on the path where he will walk, please clear it off the stones and thorns so that he can walk comfortably!
Shankara, what compassion. This shows what a man Kamaraj was!
They had kept a stool for Kamaraj to be seated. When Periyava motioned him to sit, he refused to sit!
Shankara.
No words were exchanged between him and Him for a long time. When it was time for him to leave, Kamaraj told Periyava:
"People should live comfortably without any difficulties. Periyava should give His Blessings!"
Periyava lifted His hands and blessed!
Also, Kamaraj did not keep the Prasadam that Periyava had given him, on the car seat or in his pocket or did he give it to others to carry. He kept that Treasure in his own hands!
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Thursday, May 5, 2016
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