#Mahabhashiam #GovindaBhagavatpada #AdiShankara

Adi Shankara's guru was Govinda Bhagavatpada who in turn was a shishya of Sree Gaudapadacharya. Interestingly, his story is connected to Mahabhashiam by Patanjali and his 4 sons are prodigies in their own right.

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Sage Patanjali was very kind at heart, but extremely short tempered. After composing the colossal Mahabhashiam, he started to spread the knowledge by conducting classes.

Once, one of his students stepped out of class. Patanjali was very furious & flames came out of his eyes.

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The flames burnt all 999 students in the class. The student who stepped out came in and said, "Gurudeva, don't worry. I am alive. I can propogate the knowledge of Mahabhashiam"

Patanjali was furious that because of him he lost others & landed up burning him down too

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There was a Gandharva who comes & says, "Master, I have learnt the Mahabhashiam from the nearby Peepal tree. I can help spread the knowledge"

Patanjali was livid and anger and curses him that he has cheated and hence, should become Brahmarakshasa.

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Gandharva begs for forgiveness. Patanjali says that he will meet a befitting student to whom he should teach Mahaabhashiam. Once the student learns, he will be rid of curse

Brahmarakshasa starts to pose questions to passing by Brahmins. When they dont answer, he eats them

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One day, a Brahmin boy comes across. The Brahmarakshasa poses the same question to which the Brahmin boy answers correctly.

Pleased with his answer, he takes the Brahmin boy under his tutelage and starts his education on Mahaabhashiam

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Before he starts the class, he gives a special medicine to the student that rids him of hunger and sleep. For 6 months, the Brahmarakshasa writes on peepal leaves and drops them to the ground.

Student is very good and picks up the concepts in a very quick time

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When the education is completed, Gandharva resumes his original form and blesses the Brahmin kid. Before he leaves, he mentions that the drug will lose its effect if he touches water.

If he comes in touch with water, he will sleep for 6 months.

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The Brahmin boy collects all his peepal leaves into a bundle and starts his journey to spread the word

Once he comes across a river, but without any boat to cross. Thinking the water is shallow, he tries to cross the river, but falls in the river.

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Immediately, he falls asleep. Nearby a shudra lady would observe this and rescue him with the help of nearby people.

She takes care of him for 6 months during which he sleeps. Based on a doctor's advice, they cover him with rice (Annalepanam) to keep him rejuvenated

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After 6 months, he wakes up and eagerly searches for the bundle of leaves. Miraculously, he finds them near the river, but some leaves would be missing.

He observes nearby cows and checks on the owner who turns out to be the same lady.

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Next morning, he goes to the cowshed and checks the dung. As expected, the peepal leaves were untouched. He washes and categorizes the leaves.

It's the blessings of Rsi Patanjali & mahima of Mahaabhashiam that it was saved thus

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Pleased by the care of the Shudra woman, he requests her to ask for a boon. She says that since I took care of you, I can't take care of another man. I would like you to marry me.

The Brahmin who would be contemplating sanyaasa is now in a fix.

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After some thought, he says : Look I need to marry a woman of each varna before I marry you. Please wait for me.

True to his word, he marries a Brahmin lady, a Kshatriya, a Vaisya lady and finally the shudra lady.

He starts his family life with his 4 wives.

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Over a period of time, 4 sons are born from each mother. He teaches them with the restrictions applicable to varnas as was the norm of that time.

Hence, the son born to the shudra lady had to sit behind a curtain and he had to promise not to spread the holy text..

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The Brahmin's sons are:

1. Vararuchi - renowned Scholar of Prakrutaprakasham & Dhanapanchakam

2. Vikramaaditya - Emperor of Ujjaini

3. Bhatti - Minister of Vikramaaditya & author of Bhattivakyam

4. Bharthruhari - celebrated write of Hariteeka and Vakiapadyam

16/
After his sons were established, he left home and took up sanyaasa. His guru was Sree Gaudapadacharya.

The name the person took was Govindaswami / Govinda Bhagavatpaada, whose illustrious student is none other than Adi Shankara

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Ref: AithiyaMaala by Kottarathil Sankunni

Thank you @/swamy64 Sir for this wonderful reference. I learnt a lot through this wonderful episode. Hope you too enjoyed the same.

🙏🕉️🙏
@threadreaderapp compile please

More from GunduHuduga| ಗುಂಡು ಹುಡುಗ|🕉

#Ramayana #LecturesOnTheRamayana

Today, I will quote a few verses on Lakshmana's famous anger and his unflinching devotion towards Sri Rama. There are couple of instances where his Bhakti towards his brother is intense.

Thread below

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In Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Lakshmana on being told about the course of events goes into his famous rage. He even threatens to kill anyone who supports Bharatha.

However, what he says to Kausalya is what touches one's soul. A couple of shlokas below

2/

अनुरक्तोऽस्मि भावेन भ्रातरं देवि तत्त्वतः।
सत्येन धनुषा चैव दत्तेनेष्टेन ते शपे।।16।।

O mother, (Lakshmana says to Kausalya) I am truly loyal to my brother from the bottom of my heart. I swear this by my bow, on my merits earned through charity, ...

3/

by my truthfulness & by the good deeds I have done

दीप्तमग्निमरण्यं वा यदि रामः प्रवेक्ष्यति।
प्रविष्टं तत्र मां देवि त्वं पूर्वमवधारय।।17।।

O mother rest assured should Rama enter a blazing fire or a forest I must have already entered it

4/

This is fiercely violent sentiment .. One of pure unbridled emotion where he swears by all his karma that he will be the first face dangers before Rama has to endure it.

Is this unlimited Bhakti ? Or protective nature towards his Rama?

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#BookExcerpts #Venkateshwara #Balaji

I will write a 3 part thread series with some interesting points from this book.

Part-1 : History of Tirumala & Venkateshwara Swamy
Part-2: Rituals & Prasada Procedure
Part-3: Historical records

Part-1 thread below

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Venkatachala Hill

Maha Vishnu wished for the mountain Krida / Krida Parvatham / Kridhachalam from Vaikunta to be brought to the earth for his avataram.

This was brought to earth by Garuda and Ananta & placed it on banks of river Swarna Mukhi

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This is where current Tirumala temple is located. The fact that this was transported from Vaikunta is apparently a scientifically proven fact.

The scientific dating of the sedimentary rocks have confirmed the date to be around 120 million years ago..

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This timeline coincides with Swayambhu Manu manvanthara of the Sweta Varaha Kalpa which is the time when Swamy descended on earth in the form of Venkateshwara Swamy.

From a survey of flora and fauna, they have found rare species of plants & animals like golden gecko..

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that are exclusive to this hill range only and not found anywhere else in the world.

Tirumala hills are a range of 7 hills
1. Seshachala
2. Vedachala
3. Garudachala
4. Anjanachala
5. Vrishabhachala
6. Narayanachala
7. Venkatachala --> Where temple is present

5/

More from Religion

If you have a spiritual practice, this would be a good time to double down on it.

If you don’t have a spiritual practice, this wouldn’t be the worst time to start one.

1/x


Thread on why


Do yr spiritual practice. Even when you don't feel like it.

“Hardly does our head begin to ache than we stop going to choir, which won’t kill us either. We stay away 1 day bc our head ached, another bc it was just now aching & 3 more so that it won’t ache again.” Teresa of Avila

Ok: a spiritual practice. Something that you do regularly, and if you do it with the right intention, can transform your relationship to yourself, other people, the world and your place in it and (if this resonates with you) the divine.

Prayer. Meditation. But also: making art. Walks in nature. Going running, for some people. I wrote a whole entire book on parenting as a spiritual practice. Intention matters.

You don’t have to be religious to have one.

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॥ॐ॥
अस्य श्री गायत्री ध्यान श्लोक:
(gAyatri dhyAna shlOka)
• This shloka to meditate personified form of वेदमाता गायत्री was given by Bhagwaan Brahma to Sage yAgnavalkya (याज्ञवल्क्य).

• 14th shloka of गायत्री कवचम् which is taken from वशिष्ठ संहिता, goes as follows..


• मुक्ता-विद्रुम-हेम-नील धवलच्छायैर्मुखस्त्रीक्षणै:।
muktA vidruma hEma nIla dhavalachhAyaiH mukhaistrlkShaNaiH.

• युक्तामिन्दुकला-निबद्धमुकुटां तत्वार्थवर्णात्मिकाम्॥
yuktAmindukalA nibaddha makutAm tatvArtha varNAtmikam.

• गायत्रीं वरदाभयाङ्कुश कशां शुभ्रं कपालं गदाम्।
gAyatrIm vardAbhayANkusha kashAm shubhram kapAlam gadAm.

• शंखं चक्रमथारविन्दयुगलं हस्तैर्वहन्ती भजै॥
shankham chakramathArvinda yugalam hastairvahantIm bhajE.

This shloka describes the form of वेदमाता गायत्री.

• It says, "She has five faces which shine with the colours of a Pearl 'मुक्ता', Coral 'विद्रुम', Gold 'हेम्', Sapphire 'नील्', & a Diamond 'धवलम्'.

• These five faces are symbolic of the five primordial elements called पञ्चमहाभूत:' which makes up the entire existence.

• These are the elements of SPACE, FIRE, WIND, EARTH & WATER.

• All these five faces shine with three eyes 'त्रिक्षणै:'.