Sri Varaha Charama Shlokam

sthithE manasi susvasthE sarIrE sathi yO nara:
dhAthusAmyE sthithE smarthA visvarUpam cha maamajam (1)

tathastham mriyamANam thu kAshtA paashaNa sannibham
aham smarAmi madh bhaktham nayAmi paramAm gathim (2)

Meaning:

Oh Bhumi Devi! The entire universe is my body (sarIram).
I do not have births or deaths .

When my bhakthAs with mahA visvAsam (utmost faith) surrender to me, while they are still in a state of tranquil mind and healthy body and reflect about Me as as SarvAdharan (root cause
of all),
NiyanthA (One who commands from within),
sarva sEshi (the ultimate),

aasrayaNeeyan (One who is fit to be worshipped),
Sarva VyApthan (all-pervasive) and
Nithya sannihithan (One who is always near),
THEN
I think of them at their last moments, when they are totally unconscious like a log or a stone
and lead them by archirAdhi

maargam to My parama padham and bless them to have nithya kaimkarya bhAgyam to Me there.

Andal, the One-of-a-Kind Azhwar!

Someone who is engrossed in bhakti with the omnipresent one is termed as Azhwar in Tamil. Among the 11 male azhwars, she is the only one who is female.

Background: Andal, also known as "Godai" or "Mother Earth's Gift," was discovered by a pious brahmin named Vishnucittar, who lived in Villiputtur, a town near Madurai, while doing his daily chores of procuring flowers for the Lord's devotion at the local temple.

"Godai" grew up in a loving and devotional home. Godha grew up listening to Krishna's stories and participating in all of her father's pastimes, such as collecting flowers, Tulasi, and weaving magnificent garlands for Vatapathrasayee, the Lord of Villiputtur.

Her head was full of Krishna-related thoughts from the beginning of her developing stage, and she was completely enamored with him.

She made up her mind to marry Vatapathrasayee even as a youngster, refusing to think of any other human being in the same way. She envisioned what it would be like to be His spouse, playing the role of His beloved and enjoying His presence, such was her love for the Lord.

AKASA GANGA THEERTHAM - Tirumala, Tirupati

Akasa Ganga Teertha, is around 5 km from the Tirumala main temple, the Holy Water comes out as a natural stream between hill rocks.

This sacred water is used for Srivari's daily abhishekam.

Devotees have to climb down the steps to reach this holy stream.

In the olden days, the priests took turns to carry this holy water all the way from this part of jungle to the temple, but, now TTD has laid water lines into the temple and thus simplified the process.

This Holy Teertha is also mentioned in the Vedas.

It is commonly believed that this Akasa Ganga originates from the Lotus feet of the main deity Sri Venkateshwara Swamy in Ananda Nilayam.

AKASA GANGA THEERTHAM STATED IN PURANAS:-

On the day the Lord had made Akasa Ganga appear in the hills the descendants of Tirumala Nambi perform Abhisheka (bathing) of the Lord with water from Akasa Ganga. This is continued even today.

A holy dip in this sacred stream provides the merit equivalent to performing hundred rituals.
Marriages can be performed here at this holy place.

Donation of Gold is recommend at this Teertha to get auspicious benefits.

Kal Garuda Sevai, Nachiyar Kovil, Kumbakonam, TN.

Here the Stone idol of the bird Garuda, Stands as the Vahanam or Vehicle to the God Narayur Nambi.

Sri Garudalwar has a separate sannadhi in this temple extending about 10 1/2 sq.ft'.

He has beautiful big wings, broad chest and long hair.

Two times in a year, In the tamil month of Margazhi and Panguni, the festival called "Kal Garuda Sevai" is happening here.

(the festival where the idol of Narayur Nambi placed on the stone idol of Garuda and taken out into vibrant procession.)

There is a unique speciality regarding this Kal Garuda Sevai.

When taken out for a procession, until a step out from his sannadhi, he can be easily carried by 4 persons.

The moment he comes out, his weight would increase. He has to be carried by 8 persons, then further outside the praharam, again his weight would increase.

Then,16 persons are required to carry him.

Once again, his weight would increase. So 32 persons are required to carry him.

The moment they came out of the mandapam, he would get heavier and heavier ahead and 64 persons are required to carry him.

அனைவராலும் “ஆறு வார்த்தைகள்” என்று பிரபலமாக அழைக்கப்படும் (ஆறு கட்டளைகளை) நம்பிகள் வாயிலாக இளையாழ்வாருக்கு அனுக்கிரஹித்தருளினார். அவைகள்:

1.அஹமேவ பரம் தத்வம் – நானே எல்லாவற்றுக்கும் மேலான மெய்ப்பொருள்

2.தர்சனம் பேத ஏவ – ஜீவாத்மாக்களும்/அசேதனங்களும் என்னிலிருந்து வேறுபட்டவை (அவை என்னுடைய சரீரமாக விளங்குபவை)

3.உபாயம் ப்ரபத்தி – “என் ஒருவனையே தஞ்சமாகப் பற்றுவாய்” என்னிடத்தில் சரணம் அடைவது ஒன்றே என்னை அடைவிக்கும் வழி.

4.அந்திம ஸ்ம்ருதி வர்ஜநம் – தங்களின் மரணத்தருவாயில் இருக்கும் சரணாகதர்களுக்கு, என்னைப்பற்றிய சிந்தனை கட்டாயமில்லை. வராஹ சரம ஸ்லோகத்தில் நானே அறிவித்தது போல, உன்னுடைய அந்திம காலத்தில் நானே உன்னைப்பற்றிய சிந்தனையை ஏற்கிறேன். (நம் ஸம்ப்ரதாயத்தில் ஆசார்யர்கள் நமக்கு )

காட்டிச்சென்ற இனிமையான பாதை – நாம் எல்லா நேரத்திலும் நம்முடைய ஆசார்யரைப் பற்றியே சிந்தித்தபடி இருக்கவேண்டும்

5.தேஹாவஸானே முக்தி – சரணாகதர்கள் தற்போதுள்ள தங்களுடைய இந்த சரீரத்தின் முடிவிலேயே முடிவில்லாத பரமாத்மாவிற்கு கைங்கர்யம் செய்வதற்கான பரமபதத்தை அடைவர்

Sri Kalyana Ramachandra Sannadhi, Gummadidala village, 40 km from Hyderabad, in Medak district, Telangana.

Unique Rama temple near Hyderabad where Hanuman finds no place.

Here we can find Rama, His Consort, Devi Sita, His brothers Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna, and their wives, Urmila, Mandavi and Shrutakeerthi on one platform.

Interestingly, while Rama is normally seen clean shaven, in this temple he sports a mustache.

"This temple is the only temple we have in our country which has Lord Rama’s brothers’ and their wives’ idols installed in the temple”.

The temple is the only Lord Rama temple without Hanuman.
The story behind it is that since Hanuman is considered an incarnation of Lord Shiva, followers of the Veera Vaishnavism of Sri Ramanuja Charyulu did not install a Hanuman idol in the temple.

Sri Trinethra Dasabuja Anjaneyar, Anantamangalam, TN.
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Ananthamangalam is known for the temple housing Anjaneya Swami, having three eyes and ten arms holding different armament.

Legend of the temple:
Post war while leaving back to Ayodhya with sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman, rama was warmly welcomed by Sage Bharadwaj to his ashram, and offered food and rest.
While he was eating, Sage Naradar came there to meet him. He had some news to share.

Naradar mentioned that although Ravana, and his army were killed in the war, there were still scions of the family who were planning revenge.
Two asuras, by name Rakha Bindu and Raktha Rakshagan were meditating under the sea,

to acquire special powers and they must be stopped immediately and only Rama could do it.

Rama understood the threat but was in a hurry to get back to Ayodhya, as his brother Bharata had vowed to enter the fire, if his brother did not return within a particular time.
So, he instructed Hanuman to slay the two Asuras and join him at Ayodhya.

Sri Vanamutti Perumal, Kozhikuthi, Mayiladuthurai, TN.

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Idol of Lord is made of Athi wood (15 feet tall in the Athi tree with its roots and is more than 800 years old).

King Serfoji of Thanjavur prayed to Lord to save him from Yuddha dosha (trouble of wars).

Perumal granted darshan to the king in this tree.

The king desired that every one should have this benefit and made the idol of this tree wood scaling 15 feet.

Lord appears standing majestically with His discus, conch, Mother Mahalakshmi on His chest and Abhaya Hastha-hand promising boons to devotees.

As the posture is tall, He is named Van-Sky, Mutti-Hitting, Perumal – Van Mutti Perumal.

No abishek is performed on Perumal as the idol is of wood, only Thaila Kappu is done.

Saint Gyandev, a 13th-century poet, wrote a children's play called Moksha Patam. Instead of the original Moksha Patam, the British renamed it Snakes and Ladders and degraded the entire knowledge.

The 12th square on the original one hundred square game board represented confidence, the 51st square reliability, the 57th square generosity, the 76th square wisdom, and the 78th square perseverance. These were the squares with ladders and where one could move swiftly.

The 41st class was for disobedience, the 44th class was for vanity, the 49th class was for rudeness, the 52nd class was for stealing, the 58th class was for lying, the 62nd class was for drunkenness, the 69th class was for debt, the 84th class was for anger,

the 92nd class was for greed, the 95th class was for pride, the 73rd class was for murder, and the 99th class was for lust

These were the squares that were waiting for the snake's mouth to open. Nirvana, or Moksha, was represented by the 100th square.

கர்ம வினைகள் நீக்கும் தானங்கள் !!!

அமாவாசை திருநாளில் தானங்கள் செய்வோம். நமது கர்மவினைகளை தூள் தூளாக்குவோம்.

பொருட்கள் - தானம் செய்வதால் ஏற்படும் பலன்கள்

அன்னம் - வறுமையும், கடனும் நீங்கும்

துணி - ஆயுள் அதிகமாகும்

தேன் - புத்திர பாக்கியம் உண்டாகும்

தீபம் - கண்பார்வை தெளிவாகும்

அரிசி - பாவங்களை போக்கும்

நெய் - நோய்களை போக்கும்

பால் - துக்கம் நீங்கும்

தயிர் - இந்திரிய சுகம் பெருகும்

பழங்கள் - புத்தியும், சித்தியும் உண்டாகும்

தங்கம் - குடும்ப தோஷங்களை நீக்கும்

வெள்ளி - மனக்கவலை நீங்கும்

பசு - ரிஷி, தேவர், பிதுர் கடன்கள் அகலும்

தேங்காய் - நினைத்த காரியம் வெற்றியாகும்

நெல்லிக்கனி - ஞானம் உண்டாகும்

பூமி தானம் - ஈஸ்வர தரிசனம் உண்டாகும்

மேற்கண்ட அட்டவணையில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ள பொருட்களை தானம் செய்வது சிறப்பு.

How did he manage to feed?

The war is declared. Both the parties are busy wooing supporters from all over the country. Every ruler was aware that this war will bring nothing but destruction. Whether you like it or not, they were forced to support either of the parties.

Mahabharata as such has many short stories with morals but as usual, we hung on to the main story & not the morals.

two sides call for armies to their help and lined up at Kurukshetra. The Kingdoms of Panchala, Dwaraka, Kasi, Kekaya, Magadha, Matsya, Chedi, Pandya (Malayadwaj) and the Yadus and some other clans like the Parama Kambojas were allied with the Pandavas.

The allies of the Kauravas included the kings of Pragjyotisha, Anga, Kekaya, Sindhudesa, Mahishmati, Avanti in Madhyadesa, Madra, Gandhara, Bahlikas, Kambojas and many others.

Udayan Cheraladan, the Chera King did not want war. He wanted to support neither Pandavas nor Kauravas. He came out with an amicable option that was acceptable to both Duryodana and Yudishtir.

திருஎழு கூற்றிருக்கை - திருமங்கை ஆழ்வார்
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"திரு எழு கூற்றிருக்கை" என்பது தமிழ் யாப்பு வகைகளில் மிகக் கடினமானது.

இதைச் "சித்திரகவி" என்றும் அழைப்பர்.

கவிதை முழுக்க முழுக்க திருக்குடந்தைப் பிரானின் பெருமையையும் குடந்தையின் இயற்கைக் காட்சிகளையும் காணலாம்.

பக்தியை எண்களில் வடித்து வெளிப்படுத்த முடியும் என்பதற்கு இப்பாசுரம் ஓர் எடுத்துக்காட்டு.

"செல்வம் மல்குதென் திருக்குடந்தை
அந்தணர் மந்திர மொழியுடன் வணங்க
ஆடு அரவு அமளியில் அறிதுயில் அமர்ந்த
பரம! நின் அடியிணை பணிவன்
வரும் இடர் அகல - மாற்றோ வினையே"

(அரவு அமளி = பாம்புப் படுக்கை)

என்று துன்பங்களைக் களைந்து அருள் தரும்படி பாசுரம் நிறைவு பெறுகின்றது.

Sri Veera Anjaneyar Temple in the village of Pudupakkam is 5 km from Kelambakkam, on the road towards Vandaloor, near Chennai is the beautiful small temple situated atop a hill called Gajagiri hills.

The temple is told to have a strong connection with the Nithiya kalyana Perumal Temple in Thiruvidanthai, next to Kovalam in ECR.

The temple is on a hill with 108 steps. Lord Sri Rama with Mother Sita and brother Lakshmana graces the devotees from his shrine opposite the sanctum sanctorum.

6 feet tall Sri Veera Anjaneya appears majestically in standing posture, just ready to fly, with his face towards North where stood the Sanjeevi Mount, while the body faces east.
His right leg is firm on the ground while the left is ready to fly.

One of hands shows the Abhaya Mudra – assuring protection to the devotee. The left is on the hip. There is a bell at the end of the tail raised above the head. There is the Lotus symbol on his Naval.

SRI PRASANA VENKATESH WARA SWAMY.
TIRUPATI APPALAYAGUNTA.. JOURNEY...
ORIGINAL PICTURE....
OM NAMO VENKATESHAYA....

Appalayagunta is a small town in puttur taluka, chittoor. Per legends Lord Venkateshwara married thaayar padmavathy in Narayanavanam and moved to Tirumala. On the way to Tirumala he visited shiv temple @ kailasanatha kona & blessed the saints. He then left for Vemula konda

& to fulfil the siddheswara muni’s wish, Sri Venkateshwara promised that he will stay and bless the devotees.
Siddheswara muni placed lord’s idol down the hill and built a temple & named it as “PRASANA VENKATESH WARA SWAMY”

There’s a cave in siddheswara hill, long back king karveti nagara was hiding in the cave during invader’s attack & since then it came to be known as “Doralu Dagina Konda” (Kings hiding cave). Currently per the locals there is a sword inside the cave and no matter how much effort

we put it’s unable to pull the same. Till date many utsavam are being conducted for this fascinating sword.

Aanmeegam.
This can be classified as Religion & Spirituality. To understand Aanmeegam (the literal translation is Spirituality) we need to identify the difference between REligion and Spirituality. I have tried to do that here. This is part 1. 1/

4 millenniums, humanity has passionately pursued the Truth —d ultimate answers to life and the universe. This perennial knowledge constitutes the answers to what are often called the soul questions:
•Who am I?
•What do I want?
•What is my purpose?
What's d meaning of life?
2/

In Japanese, they term it as IKIGAI and are also used in Modern Management schools. Historically, from the outlook of the soul, there have been two foundational paths to discover these truths: religion and spirituality. 3/

One might have heard—or even used—the terms religion and spirituality interchangeably. Are they the same or are they different? If there is a difference between spirituality and religion does it mean they do contradict each other? 4/

5/ However, while they aren’t diametric opposites, neither are they the same.

Amalaki Ekadashi

The Ekadashi of the Phalguna month, Shukla Paksha (The waxing phase of the moon) is called Amalaki Ekadashi. In Odisha, it is known as Sarbasammat Ekadasi is celebrated in Jagannath Temple & Lord Vishnu Temple. next day of Amalaki Ekadashi is Govinda Dwadashi.

Significance –

Once happened to be there a king whose names goes “Mandhata” – he once said to Vasishta muni, let me know a holy fast that will benefit me eternally. Muni then replied to him do listen to me and goes on saying that Amalaki Ekadasi is the best.

Who ever observes a fast on this ekadesi day obtains enormous wealth, gets free from effects of Sin & attains liberation.

The Kingdom of Vaidisha –

There was a kingdom named Vaidisha, wherein all the brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras were equally gifted with Vedic knowledge, great bodily strength, and intelligence. And the king who happened to rule was Pashabinduka a member of dynasty

soma (The Moon). He was religious & truthful. He was better known as Chitraratha – he had a strength of 10000 elephants & was wealthy & also knew vedics thoroughly.

திருப்பல்லாண்டு - 5

ஸ்ரீமதே இராமானுஜாய நம:
ஸ்ரீமத் வரவர முநயே நம:

உலகினுக்கெல்லாம் தலைவனாய், அவற்றை நியமிக்கும் பகவான், புதரினைப் போல் நெருங்கிய அசுரர் மற்றும் அரக்கர்களை வேரோடு அழித்தான். இந்திரியங்களுக்குத் தலைவனான இருடீகேசனுக்குத் தொண்டு புரியும் குலத்தில்

இருப்பீர்களாயின் எங்களுடன் சேருங்கள். பகவானின் திருவடித்தாமரைகளை தொழுது அவனின் திவ்யமான ஆயிரம் நாமங்களையும் கூறுங்கள். பயன் கருதிவாழ்ந்த முந்தைய வாழ்க்கையை விட்டு நீங்கி, குலப்பெருமையை விட்டு நீங்கிப் பகவானுக்குப் பல்லாண்டு பாடுங்கள்.

ஸ்ரீபெரியாழ்வார் திருவடிகளே ஸரணம்.

ஆழ்வார் எம்பெருமானார் ஜீயர் திருவடிகளே ஸரணம்.

We are not done yet, Covid-19 is striking again, courtesy, lack of discipline among the people, the election crowd adds to the woes. However, this post is not about Covid-19 but a worse virus than that - politics and politicians.

For the first time, it seems that, there is a consolidation happening as far as Hindus & Hindu votes are concerned. All along, the perception in Tamil Nadu is, if someone hurts the sentiments of SanatanDharm (read Hindus), it was an attack on Brahmins & not the rest of the Hindus

Anti-Hindu statements and actions were treated as anit-Brahmin activities. Others accepted perhaps due to the green-eyed monster existed in them or an inferiority complex they nurtured all along.

Why attack Brahmins? Because they are the soft-targets. They are the easy-punching-bags who would never retaliate. It was tried to throttle the growth of Brahmins with reservation to the tune of 70%, however, that opened another growth path for the Brahmins.

They did not flee but they pursued their career and flourished. Still, there are many, glued to their roots.

Sri Srinivasa Perumal, Srirangam, TN.

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The temple is 1/2km south of the Ranganathaswamy Temple Raja Gopuram on the way to Amma Mandapam just after the Mangamma Nagar Arch.

The beautiful Salagrama idol was installed by Palahari Purushottama Ramanuja Jeer (I) around 450 years ago.

The belief is that devotees visit this temple to get diseases cured, that is not cured otherwise by the doctors.

It is also believed that missing people are found if one offers his sincere prayers at this temple.