Saturday, February 27, 2016

Prayer of Sita to river Ganga while they were crossing it on the way to the forest:-

Prayer of Sita to river Ganga while they were crossing it on the way to the forest:-

Translated  by
P.R.Ramachander

(This prayer  occurs  in  the  Ayodhya Kanda -52nd Sarga  ( Sloka 83-91 ).Rama had bid  farewell to Minister  Sumanthra   and Guha was rowing them to the other shore. At that  time  Goddess Sita recites this prayer   to mother Ganges)

1.Puthraa  dasarathasya   ayam  maha Rajasya Dheematha,
Nidhesaam Palayathu   enam   Gange   twad  Abhirakshitha.

Oh river Ganga, let  the son of Dasaratha   who is a great and wise king,
Who is obeying his order be under  your protection.

2.CHathur dasa hi varshaani   samagrani  uSya kanane  ,
Brathra saha maya   chaiva  puna pratyagamishyathi .

After   having lived  in the forest   for fourteen years ,
Along me and his brother , may he again return.

3.THathaa twam devi   subaghe  kshmena  punar Aagatha,
Yakshye pramuditha Gange  sarva Kama  Samrudhiye

Oh blessed  Goddess  Ganga, let us all return   safely  ,
And then with   all my desires fulfilled  I shall   worship you.

4. Thvam hi tripathaaga    devi brahma lokaan  Samikshase,
BHarya   cha udhadhi  raajasya  loke asmin sampradarshyase.

You who are with three branches     are seen in the Brahma loka also,
And  you are also seen in this    world as the wife of ocean God.

5.Saa thwam devi  namasyaami  prashamsami cha shobhane  ,
Prapthe rajye nara vyagra Shivena punar agathe,
6.Gavam satha sahasraani  vasthrani annam cha peshalam,
Brahmanebhya  pradasyaami   thava  priya chikeershaya.

Oh Charming  Goddess , I am saluting you  and also  showering praises on you,
After the kl lion in man returns  back and   takes over the kingdom ,
WE would offer  you  hundred thousand cows m,
And also feed the Brahmins    so that  it would please you.

6.suraaghaa  ta sareerena  mamsa  buttodanena cha  ,
Yakshe thwaam   prayathaa   Devi  purim  punar upagathaa.

6.Oh Goddess after reaching back the city  , I shall worship you  ,
With thousand pots of liquor  , meat and with cooked rice.

7. Yaani   thaw thera vasini  daivathanu    cha santhi hi,
Tanni sarvaan   yakshyaami   theerthani  aayathanamicha.

7.I would also worship all the Gods who are in your banks,
AS well as sacred   spots   and sanctuaries.

8. Punareva  Maha bahu   maya bharathara   cha  SAmagatha,
Ayodhyam   Vana vaasaathu  pravishta vanaghi   Anaghe.

8.Oh Goddess   without any faults , may the sinless mighty  Rama,
Enter  back the city  after kl living in the forest along with me and his brother.


Thursday, February 25, 2016

Oh God give me back all that I have lost- A great Tamil poem

இழந்தது எல்லாம் திரும்பத் தா இறைவா!

Acknowledgement to  Sri.K.V.Vignesh  for sending me this great poem

இழந்தது எல்லாம் திரும்பத் தா எனக் கேட்டேன்
இழந்தது எவை என இறைவன் கேட்டான்!
பலவும் இழந்திருக்கிறேன் கணக்கில்லை என்றேன்
பட்டியல் ஒன்றிட்டுச் சொல்லவா இயலும்?
கால மாற்றத்தில் இளமையை இழந்தேன்
கோலம் மாறி அழகையும் இழந்தேன்
வயதாக ஆக உடல் நலம் இழந்தேன்
எதை என்று சொல்வேன் நான்
இறைவன் கேட்கையில்?
எதையெல்லாம் இழந்தேனோ
அதையெல்லாம் மீண்டும் தா என்றேன்.
அழகாகச் சிரித்தான் இறைவன்
கல்வி கற்றதால் அறியாமையை இழந்தாய்"
"உழைப்பின் பயனாய் வறுமையை இழந்தாய்"
"உறவுகள் கிடைத்ததால் தனிமையை இழந்தாய்"
"நல்ல பண்புகளால் எதிரிகளை இழந்தாய்"
சொல்ல இன்னும் பல உண்டு இதுபோல
தரட்டுமா அனைத்தையும் திரும்ப என்றான்.
திகைத்தேன்!
இழப்பின் மறுபக்கம் எதுவென்று உணர்ந்தேன்
வாழ்க்கையின் ஓட்டத்தில் இழப்பும் பேறு தான்
இழந்ததை அறிந்தேன் இதயம் தெளிந்தேன்



Oh God give me back all that  I have lost

Translated by
P.R.Ramachander

I asked God to return me all that I have lost,
God asked me , “what all have you lost?”
“I have lost many and they are  innumerable”, I told,
“Would it be possible for me to make a list and tell you?
Due to progress of time, I lost my youth,
My looks changed and I lost my beauty,
AS I aged I lost the health of my body,
Which shall I tell you now,
When  you God are asking me ?
Please return all those my God”, said I,
The God smiled beautifully,
“Due to your acquiring knowledge  , you lost your ignorance,
Due to  ceaseless work  , you lost your poverty,
Due to getting relations  , you lost your solitude,
Due to good culture, you lost your enemies,
There are many such things for me to tell you.
Shall I give you back all that you have lost” asked he,
I was stifled,
I understood the other side of my loss,
In the run of life  , even a loss is a gain,
I understood what I lost and became composed.


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Scry situation after my outlook mail has been hacked

Hacking of my outlook account-raja-thatha at outlook dot com 
My mail has been haked.AS soon as he did it the hacker changed my phone number, contact alternate e-mail Id and password and sending a message to all my contacts that I am stranded in LOndon and I am in need of 1500 pounds and has given an address in LOndon with my name attached to it.I have been fighting with outlook all the 24 hours to get my account closed .Nothing is happening as I do not have password to access the account. The alternative is to fill a huge questionnaire and I did it some ten times again with no effect 
    Once similar thing happened in case of gmail and I could close it  .

If you have a message send it to ramacnder926 at gmail dot com , Puducode Rama Iyer Ramachander

Adhi Shankara's Contribution to Sanatana Dharma

Adhi Shankara's Contribution to Sanatana  Dharma



                          P.R.Ramachander
                         Guru Vandana
I praise and seek the protection of Sankara,
Who is the ocean of nectar of our great holy books,
And who is like the Treasure
Of the essence of the great Upanishads,
And I meditate on his clear holy feet in my heart.

I praise and seek the protection of Sankara,
Who is the teacher among teachers
Who does not have any equal,
Who is the treasure house of Philosophy
And who is merciful to those who seek his blessings.
                                                                        From Thodagashtaka

Need for an incarnation

“To protect the oppressed ,
To destroy the bad,
And to reestablish Dharma,
I would come again and again”
       Told our Lord to Arjuna at the end of Krutha yuga and just before the start of Kali Yuga, This was about 5000 years before now. He had taken 9 incarnations before Kali yuga at different times and with different intentions. Years passed fast   Our Sanathana Dharma was in an extremely critical condition about 800 years back due to
1.Foreign invasions by  Greece, Turkey and other middle eastern countries.
2,Corruption of our own religion by
      a. People who did not follow the full import of Vedas and insisted that their Method mainly based on rituals is the correct one,
      b.Ignorance of Vedas even by intellectuals of those times due to the tough language of the Vedas.
      c. Religious ignorance of majority of the people because they did not know Sanskrit.
       d.Popularity of the Vamachara of Thathric practices leading to Nara Bali and other cruel practices.
3. The launching of the Buddhist and Jain religion which depended on the spoken languages of the masses and which opposed the cruel form of religion as popularized by practitioners of Thanthra.
4.Due to the fact that most of the great Hindu kings like Asoka, Harsha etc being attracted by religions other than Sanathana dharma.

      The first action to correct this slide in popularity of our religion came from the great Bhakthi movement under the leader ship of Nayamars and Azhwars. All of them sang and wrote in the language of the masses and they preached unalloyed Bhakthi to the Gods.

     In this critical stage there was an urgent need of an incarnation of God so that the our great inheritance from the sages of yore is preserved and handed in pristine purity to the succeeding generations.

Shankara the incarnation

   This was the time when the great seer of the modern times Shankara was born in to an ascetic family of Namboodiris in Kerala. His father was Shiva Guru and his mother Aryamba. (788-820 AD). This child initially studied whatever has to be learned from the Gurus in his village. Unfortunately he lost his father at a very tender age. With the permission got from his mother Arayamba , he became a sanyasin at the age of eight. He then traveled out of Kerala and reached the shores of River Narmadha,. There he met his teacher Govinda Pada. His guru realized that this child knew much more than him already but he taught all that he knew to this child. Sankara left his Guru at the age of 12 and started traveling all over India , which he did for the next 20 years. All his contributions were made during this time.

A. Contributions to Philosophy
                There was a very urgent need to make the scholars of the day understand the philosophical import of Vedas. Shakara was one of those great interpreters. His commentaries of Brahma Suthra , Bhagawad Gita and the 13 major Upanishads was one of the greatest happenings of Hindu Religion. The scholars , who were interpreting the Vedas like the blind describing an elephant started getting the holistic view. They started realizing that apart from the worship of idols in temples and strict observance of rituals, there was another dazzling part of Sanathana Dharma. This was the philosophy of Advaitha. Shankara interpreted Vedanta philosophy in a strictly non dual , monistic spirit. In essence this philosophy involves in understanding that all that is present in  the world is a monistic entity called “Brahman” .What we see as different beings and different things is due to Maya. Shankara told them that it was extremely difficult to put this in to practice in real life. This involved in seeing beyond the veil of Maya. He explained to them the crux of Upanishads and Gita, which gave methods for such a realization.
      Apart from his interpretations he also wrote several simple to understand books and verses to explain his phiolosophy. Oneof them is the Nirvana Shatkam , which clearly explains in the simply possible manner This great phiolosophy of Advaitha:-

Neither am I mind, nor intelligence ,
Nor ego, nor thought,
Nor am I ears or the tongue or the nose or the eyes,
Nor am I earth or sky or air or the light,
But I am Shiva the all pervading happiness,
Yes ,I am definitely Shiva                                                            1

Neither am I the movement due to life,
Nor am I the five airs, nor am I the seven elements,
Nor am I the five internal organs,
Nor am I voice or hands or feet or other organs,
But I am Shiva the all pervading happiness,
Yes ,I am definitely Shiva                                                             2

I never do have enmity or friendship,
Neither do I have vigour nor feeling of competition,
Neither do I have assets, or money or passion or salvation,
But I am Shiva the all pervading happiness,
Yes ,I am definitely Shiva                                                                3

Never do I have good deeds or sins or pleasure or sorrow,
Neither do I have holy chants or holy water or holy books or fire sacrifice,
I am neither food or the consumer who consumes food,
As I am Shiva the all pervading happiness,
Yes ,I am definitely Shiva                                                                   4

I do not have death or doubts or distinction of caste,
I do not have either father or mother or even birth,
And I do not have relations or friends or teacher or students,
As I am Shiva the all pervading happiness,
Yes ,I am definitely Shiva                                                                   5

I am one without doubts , I am without form,
Due to knowledge I do not have any relation with my organs,
And I am always redeemed,
And I am Shiva the all pervading happiness,
Yes ,I am definitely Shiva                                                             6

B :Contributions to reform of religion
        
    Shankara traveled the length and breadth of our country at least twice. Wherever he went , he visited the local temples and systematized the agama worship at each temple. In most of the temples he also wrote a hymn praising the God/Goddess. In some cases he also installed a Chakra , so that the activities of the temple go on without problems .These created an upsurge of faith in the common man and temples once again regained their great status. During his visit he met many great Vaisesikas of Kanada school, Sankhya followers of Kapila, logicians of the Gautama school, Mimamsakas following Jaimini, Buddhists of Sautantrika,Vaibhasika, Madhyamika and Yogachara schools and Jain scholars of Swetambara and Digambara sects. He argued with them for days and defeated them. Many of them became his disciples and started helping him in propagation of philosophy.
    He also argued fanatic followers of Shiva, Vishnu, Shakthi, Subrahmanya and Adhithya and convinced them that all gods are equally important. He established the practice of Pancha Vigraha Aradhana. These brought to an end the tussle that was going on within Hinduism and helped the religion grow.
   He had several virtual wordy warfare with the Thanthrics who were following Vamachara. He convinced them that the methods that they were following will not help them to attain salvation but helped them to get occult powers. This brought to an end the very common phenomenon of Nara bali(Sacrifice of humans) and also abhorrent methods of trying to please God by use of Alcoholic drinks and women.
   He also established four Mathas (Religious counseling centres) in the four corners ofIndia. They are located in Badrinath(North), Dwaraka(West), Puri(east ) and Sringeri in the east. He deputed his great disciples to systematically run these institutions . The fact that they are even today gloriously functioning shows the foresight of Sankara


C. Contribution to Sthothra literature.
        Scholars are in complete agreement that he wrote 65 sthothras in praise of Shiva, Vishnu, Shakthi, Subramnya , holy rivers etc. These are mellifluous and musical pieces of art of the highest quality. Some of these sthothras like Dasa Sloki, Nirvana Shatkam, Nirvana Dasakam, Bhavani Ashtakam and Mohamudgaram are finest poems telling us the essence of the philosophy of Advaitha.Of them Moha Mudgara , otherwise known as Bhaja Govindam is possibly aimed at the common man. Those musical , yet very simple words of wisdom teach the common man the highest philosophy possible..Though all the prayers are well known, those which are specially known to most of the people are Soundarya Lahari, Shivananda Lahari, Annapurnashtakam, Manthra Mathruka Pushpa Mala, Ranganathashtakam, Panduranashtakam, Manthra Mathruka Pushpa mala etc. He also wrote one prayer addressed to his mother (Mathru Panchakam)and another to his Guru.(Gurwashtakam). A few samples of excerpts from some of these great prayers is given below:-

Oh mother mine,
With clenched teeth bore thou the excruciating pain,
When I was born to you,
Shared thou the bed made dirty by me for an year,
And thine body became thin and painful,
During those nine months that you bore me,
For all these in return,
Oh mother dearest,
I can never compensate,
Even by my becoming great.
                                                             Mathru Panchakam

Even if one is blessed,
With handsomely perfect body,
Which is free of all ills,
With fame from all quarters,
And with riches heaped liked mountain,
If his mind does not bow,
Before the feet of his teacher great,
What is the use? What is the use?
What is the use? What is the use?
                                                                  Gurvashtakam

Hey , Mother Annaprneswari,
Who is The Goddess of Kasi,
Who helps others with kindness,
Who makes all days deliriously happy,
Who gives boons and shelter to all,
Who is the epitome of all beauty,
Who cleans up all sorrows from life,
Who is the ever-visible Goddess of the world,
Who is the star of the family of Himavan3,
Please give me alms,
Ocean of kindness and compassion.
                                                                     Annapurnashtakam
Neither the mother nor the father.
Neither the relation nor the friend,
Neither the son nor the daughter,
Neither the servant nor the husband,
Neither the wife nor the knowledge,
And neither my sole occupation,
Are refuges that I can depend , Oh , Bhavani,
So you are my only refuge, Bhavani.
                                                                               Bhavani Ashtakam
I praise and salute that Dakshinamrthy,
Who faces the south,
Who explains the true nature of the supreme Brahman,
Through his state of silence,
Who is young in looks,
Who is surrounded by disciples who are old Sages,
Whose minds are fixed on Brahman,
Who is the greatest of teachers,
Who shows the Chinmudhra* by his hand,
Who is personification of happiness,
Who is in the state of extreme joy within himself,
And who has a smiling face
                                                       Dakshinamurthy Ashtakam

Ignoramus I am in the science of law,
In the science of life,
In the art of medicine,
In interpretation of events,
In the art of poems and song,
In the difficult tomes of arty grammer,
In the holy books of yore,
In the psalms of Vedas.
In singing about your great deeds,
In the art of dance and in art of comedy,
And so how can I get favour of Kings?
Oh Lord of all beings,
Oh all knowing one,
Of most famous one,
And Oh , all pervading one,
Tell me who am I?
And be pleased to protect me ,
Showering on me your sea of mercy.
                                                                      Shivananda Lahari
Let my mind revel in the form of Ranga 
Who is on the banks of river Kaveri,
And playfully dispenses mercy,
Who is below the Mandhara tree,
Where he speedily and prettily plays,
And who destroys all asuras,
By his play spread over the whole world.
                                                                     Ranganathashtakam

When all my senses have calmed down,
When I have lost my intelligence,
When I am not capable of any movement,
When my throat is full of phlegm,
When my body is shivering due to fear,
And when my soul is preparing to depart,
Without any one to help me,
Oh Lord of mercy, please come fast,
For I want to be in thine  presence, Lord Guha.
                                                                      Subrahmanya Bhujangam

Always thinking about words of philosophy,
Always getting satisfied with food got by begging,
And always without trace of sorrow, thinking of the inner self,
The man with the loin cloth is indeed the lucky one.

                                                                   Kaupina  Panchakam

Conclusion:

     We are following Sanathana Dharma even today because the great saint Called Shankara. Had God not come at that timein the form of Sankara  ,  our great religion would be a thing of past.So I consider him as another incarnation who came to save our “Sanathana Dharma”..

Monday, February 22, 2016

My hot mail account has been hacked (P.R.Ramachander)

My hot mail account has been hacked

    Large number of people correspond with me using my  hotmail account. Some has hacked it and sending messages to my contact that  I am in trouble in Londan and need money. I am very much in Bangalore   amnd does not need any help.PLease  ignore that message.
  PLease correspond with me in my new e-mail id  ramachander34@outlook.com

                  P,R,Ramachander/Raja Thatha/Puducode Ramaiyer Ramachander

Thursday, February 18, 2016

என் முத்தழகி-- My coral like beauty

என் முத்தழகி
My coral like  beauty

Translated by
P.R.Ramachander 

(source Face book page of my friend  Rajagopal Srinivasan .My grateful acknowledgements   for the text as well as image.)




பாவாடை நாடாக்கூட கட்டதெரியாத
உன் கழுத்துல தாலிக்கட்ட சொன்னாங்க
கட்டுனது தாலியுனும்
நடந்தது கல்யாணம்னும்
பத்து வயசுல எனக்கு மட்டும் எப்படி தெரியும்

They asked me to tie  Mangala Suthra  on your neck,
When you did not know even know how  to tie  the ribbon of  your Petticoat ,
At   that  age of ten how could I know  ,
That  what I tied was Mangala Suthra,
And what took place   was a marriage.

அரும்பு மீசைக்கு அர்த்தம் புருஞ்சப்போ
அம்மன் சிலையாட்டம் நீ நின்ன
சிறுத்த இடையழகி !
செவத்த நிறத்தழகி !
கொஞ்சும் பேச்சழகி !
என் முத்தழகி !

When I  understood the meaning  of  budding moustache,
You stood there  like   the statue   of a goddess ,
Oh pretty one with  a  thin  waist  ,
Oh pretty one   of red colour  ,
Oh my coral like beauty

பின்கொசுவம் சேலைகட்டி,
கோணங்கி கொண்டை போட்டு,
கொண்டையில பூவும் வச்சு..
கும்முன்னு நீ வந்தா
கம்முனு இருக்கவா முடுஞ்சுது.

When you come with pretty élan,
Wearing   sari tucked at the back  ,
Making a  pretty bun  on your  head ,
And decorating  it with flowers ,
Was I  able   to simply keep silent.

கம்மாகரையிலும்,
களத்துமேட்டுலையும்...
காதலும் வளந்துச்சு
குடும்பமும் பெருகுச்சு

In the   banks of  village  ponds,
In the   hills adjoining   the farms  ,
Our  love grew  ,
And our family grew.

மூணு காணி நிலத்துல
முறைய பயிர் வச்சு
கருதருத்து கமிட்டில கொடுத்து காசாக்கி
கழனி வேலைய நா பாக்க.
கணக்குபுள்ளையா நீ இருந்த.

In three   acres  of field,
When  I grew crops properly  ,
Harvested and sold them,
And looked after    all farming,
You were  keeping accounts.

எட்டு புள்ள பெத்தும் எடுபாத்தான் இருக்க புள்ளன்னு...
நைய்யாண்டி நான் பேச
மூத்தவ மூலைல உட்கார்ந்தாச்சு
இன்னும் முந்தானை நினைப்ப பாருன்னு சொல்லி
கொமட்டுல குத்தி குறும்பா சிரிச்சத நினைக்கையில்
நெஞ்சம் நிறைஞ்சிருக்கு.

When I teased   and told you
That  even after  eight  deliveries  you were  still pretty,
Our eldest daughter   sat  in the corner (Attained puberty),
And when you told  me  , look at your memories of half sari days,
I thought about your  ebbing and teasing   smile  ,
And my heart  was full.

அஞ்சு பொண்ணும்,
முணு பிள்ளையும்
வளந்து நிக்க
காச கரியாக்காம கச்சிதமா குடும்பம் பண்ணியதால
கெளரவமா அடுத்தடுத்து
அஞ்சு பொண்ணையும் கரையேத்தினோம்.

When the five daughters ,
And three   sons   grew  up   well,
Without wasting the money, Due to our running  the family in a proper way,
With great    respect   for  one after  another ,
We settled properly all our  five daughters ,

மூணு மருமகளையும் முறையா கொண்டுவந்து
பொறுப்ப கொடுத்து விருப்ப ஓய்வெடுக்க.
எடுத்த முடிவு தப்புன்னு இப்பதான் புரியுது.

Then we  brought in a proper manner  three  daughter in laws ,
And gave them responsibilities    and as per desire  and  we relaxed,
But  now only we   know   that  it was a mistake .

பெத்த பிள்ளைங்க பாரமா நெனைக்க
மூணு வேலை சோத்துக்கு
மூத்தவன் வீட்ல ஒருநேரம்
இளையவன் வீட்ல ஒருநேரம்
நடுலவன் வீட்ல ஒருநேரம்னு...
நாதியத்து நாயா அலைய வேண்டியிருக்கு

Due to our own sons  thinking us as burden  ,
For taking three   times food,
Once in the house of the eldest  ,
Once in the  house  of the youngest,
And once in the house of the middle one ,
Without any support  we are forced to wander like dogs.

உழைச்ச உழைப்புக்கு
விதிச்ச விதி இதுதான் !
முத்தழகி.
இப்போ நினைப்பெல்லாம் ஒண்ணுதான்.

For  all the labours  we have done,
This is what has been fated to us  ,
Oh Coral like beauty ,
And nowadays I have only one thought

கடைசி நிமிஷம் உன் மடியில கண்ண மூடனும்.
மூச்சி நின்னதை முடிவு பண்ணி
உன் முந்தானையில என் முகத்தை தொடச்சி
முறையா அனுப்பிட்டு
அடுத்த நிமிஷம் நீயும் வந்துடு
அங்கேயும் சேர்ந்தே இருப்போம்.
சொர்க்கமே ஆனாலும் சொக்கத்தங்கம்
நீ இல்லைனா சொகமேது.!

I have   to close  my eyes finally  lying on your lap ,
And  knowing well that my breath has stopped  ,
You please   wipe my face  by the edge  of your Sari   ,
And bid me farewell,
And  later     follow me the next minute  ,
So that   there  also we would be together ,
Oh unalloyed  gold, even if it is heaven ,
If you are  not there  , where  is pleasure

# உமையாள்

Umayal.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Where was Kishkinda according to Ramayana ?

Where was Kishkinda  according to Ramayana ?

By
P.R.Ramachander

      People  in the Kerala believe that the Rishyamooka   and Kishkinda mountains   were near   the Pampa   river  on the way to Sabari  Mala. Many of the on line   references    believe it  as a  place  some where  near present day Hampi .Let us examine  where was Kishkinda  according  to Ramayana .Fortunately this can be easily answered  because  when the  four monkey groups are  formed  for search of  Sita . In Valmiki  Ramayana  Sugreeva instructs each group    at Kishkinda as to what are  rivers , places and mountains which they may   find on their way . Though  I am not an  expert of the geography  of  the ancient India  of Rama’s time  , Sugreeva does  mention many  places  which we are  all familiar . However in Kamba Ramayanam the  instructions  of the way to  South  only is give,  .Below  is  the list those   familiar places/rivers/mountains    which  we  are  familiar    according  to Valmiki Ramayana   and Kamba Ramayana. From this it is clear   that  Kishkinda  is  north  to Vindhya mountains according to both Ramayanams  .The Indications of Valmiki Ramayana   is  that Kishkinda   is  a place   somewhere   the middle   of present day  Madhya  Pradesh , possibly on the far   western  side of the state  .This location   agrees with indications given  in Kamba Ramayana   also.

A.Valmiki  Ramayana

1.East  of Kishkinda
    Rivers : Ganges  , Sarayu   and Yamuna, Sindhu
    Countries  .Videha(mithila)  , Malwa, Kasi  , KOsala, Magadha, Bengal 

2. South of Kishkinda
Rivers  :Krishna  , Godavari   and Cauvery
Countries; Avanthi , Vidarbha  , Andhra  , Pandya, chola   and Lanka

3.West  of KIshkinda
Rivers  :Several small rivers which flow to the western ocean enmeshed by mountains  (looks like India’s west coast)
Countries  SAurashtra, Avanthi

4.North  of Kishkinda
Countries  Countries of Mlechas, Yavanas  , Kurus ,  and Khambhoja
  Mountain   Himalayas , Mainaka

B:Kamba   Ramayana

South of Kishkinda:-

Mountain Vindhya,THirupathi mountain,  Podigai
Rivers Narmada , Pennai, Godavari  , Cauvery, Tamravarni  
Countries  Vidharbha  , Konkana , CHozha


Prayers to Vedic and post Vedic Gods in Valmiki Ramayana.

Prayers  to Vedic and post Vedic Gods  in Valmiki  Ramayana.

By
P.R.Ramachander

   All  Hindu devotees believe that  the first  book which was  written    after  the Vedas   was Valmiki Ramayana. That is why  it is called  Adhi Grantha.. According to legends  Vedas   were  only codified   and written down by Veda Vyasa  who was the great grand son of Vasishta  (who lived  in the Ramayana period). That would mean the book   written by Valmiki  might have been written   down earlier to Vedas   and that is why  Valmiki’s book is called   Adhi Grantha  .
        Vedas   worshipped Gods such as  Purusha , Rudra, Shakthi,Brahma ,Yama,   Indra , Agni  , Surya, Chandra, Vayu , Bhaga , Nakshtras. Purusha(Masculine  being)  was possibly   later  identified as  Lord Vishnu  , Rudra (the angry one)  was  identified as Lord Shiva(peace) , Shakthi (the power)  was latter identified   as  the feminine  principle  of Gods  , Brahma   remained as Brahma  the creator  , Yama identified   as  God of death  , Indra identified as  king of Devas  , Surya(sun)  , Chandra (moon)  , Vayu (wind) , Agni (fire)  Bhaga(The god of luck)   and Nakshatras   as  stars. The Vedas   were compiled by   great sages   who taught  them to their disciples as spoken word (possibly they did not have  alphabets or they thought  Since for proper import of  Vedic Suthras   correct pronunciation  was important  ) and later passed  on  them to their disciples to be similarly passed on to their disciples        . Possibly  because   they  were transferred as spoken word  , they were called as Sruthi (what was  heard) . In Vedas   some Puranic  kings like  Janaka  , Kaushika etc are   also mentioned.  Vedas   worshipped Gods   and made offerings  to them  through fire.  AS an addendum to Vedas   were the philosophical  works called Upanishads. To the best of my knowledge (limited) there are no temples  mentioned in the Vedas .  Also added to  the Vedas  were  the  Grihya suthras  , which defined  the  rituals that  should  be performed by an Individual. If you properly analyze    the  daily rituals prescribed , there also   the worship is restricted to various Vedic Gods , except possibly in few places where  some  names of Lord  Vishnu are mentioned .(Eg in Aachamana  and  in  prayers  in  the last concluding part) .Most of the prayers are addressed   to  Sun  God, Yama, Gayathri   etc. Normally these rituals are nowadays   restricted to men but in Valmiki Ramayana , Hanuman searches   for Sita in  river banks  in the hope that she would come there to worship in the dusk.
   When such is being the case  the Fist book of Hinduism (possibly written  even earlier  to Vyasa   giving a written   compilation of Vedas ) does not mention    about any temples, but some Gods do find mention . Lord Brahma was worshipped   by the Asuras  by doing penance  and not by going to temple  . (No stotra there? )  .The Devas   are supposed to have approached Lord Vishnu   who took incarnation as Rama.  Even prayers are  very few in Ramayana. Sita while crossing Ganga  prays to the river for her   safe return.Lord Hanuman when he is not able  to  find Sita does prays Gods   which includes Rama .
“My salutations to Sri Rama along with his brother Lakshmana, My salutations to Sita who is the daughter of Janaka, My salutations to Rudra, Indra, Yama the god of death, Vayu the god of wind, moon, sun and The people of Maruth”, he saluted  ( Sundara Kanda/Valmiki Ramayana                    13. 63)
Sita prays to the fire God not to hurt  Hanuman :-
That broad eyed lady started praying for the welfare of the monkey chief and at that time with great devotion saluted the God of fire and prayed.                                            53.26
“Supposed I had looked after my husband properly, suppose I had observed the rules of penance properly and if I had thought in my mind of husband only, then be cool to Hanuman.”                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                               53.27
“If that great one has little pity on me and not only that if I have at least a bit of luck, then be cool to Hanuman.”                                                                                          53.28
“Suppose you know me as one as virtuous and only praying always to reach the company of whom who is the soul of justice, then be cool to Hanuman.”                                  53.29
“If the long armed, truthful and gentleman Sugreeva will help me to cross this danger, then be cool to Hanuman.”                                                                                            53.30


Later    Rama himself was taught  Adhithya Hrudayam  by sage Agasthya  to pray Sun God  to get ability  to  kill Ravana.  You do not find Dasaratha  praying for a son  , nor do we find Rama praying to any God to help locate his wife or when Lakshmana  lay  killed  by  Indrajit. This to my mind   indicates   that praying the  post Vedic  Gods   were still not popular at that time. Prayer, temples , sacred rivers  , sacred places all  become very common   in all books that   followed Ramayana.In Bharatha , Bhagawatha   and all translations and adaptations of Ramayana   all these things became very popular .There are umpteen number of prayers  addressed to Rama as God in  Adyathma Ramayana.Kamba Ramayana  mentions that  Lord Ranganatha   was the Kula Deivam(clan God)  of the solar dynasty   and gives a description   of  several temples  visited by Hanuman when he came   searching for  Sita in the southern direction.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

About Mahamaham at Kumbakonam

On 22-2-2016-( Manmamatha  year  , Sisisira Rithu  , Kumbaha masam 10th  , Monday , pournami  ,  Maka Nakshatram  -) the great Mahamaham festival is being celebrated  in the holy city of Kumbakonam.. Read some tid bits  of information   collected  by  me about this very purifying   great festival   

Compiled by
P.R.Ramachander



(Most of the material has v been taken from a compilation in Tamil  by Sri Jeya Priyan  which was published  as an additional  book  By Kumudam Bhakthi  I of the February issue.My grateful thanks to them.)

Do you want
1.The effect of doing 100 years penance  on the  banks of Ganga  in  Varanasi
2. Going round the world 100 times , every time visiting  all  holy places
3,Performing 16000  times  Gaya Sradha
4.Taking bath in 66 crores  in all sacred waters
5.Effect of giving in charity heap of wealth   as big as  Meru mountain
6.Salute all the  33  crores of Devas  at the  same time
7. Giving salvation to seven generations of your ancestors
          All there I can be achieved  by taking bath in the Mahamaha tank   at Kumbakonam on the Maha day. Possibly because  of this it   has been told
“anya kshethre  Krutham papam  , Punya Kshethre  Vinasyathi,
Punya kshetre krutham papam  Varanasyaam  Vinasyathi
Varanasyam krutham papam  Kumbakone vinasyathi,
Kumbakone  krutham papam  Kumbakone Vinasyathi”
Meaning
“Sins committed in any temple is destroyed  in Holy temples,
Sins committed in holy temples  , get destroyed  in Varanasi,
Sins committed  in Varanasi   gets destroyed  in Kumbakonam,
And  Sins committed in Kumbakonam also gets destroyed in Kumbakonam.”
Story behind Mahamaham:-
    Once when  final deluge was approaching Lord Brahma was worried that all   the various types of creations that he did  would  get destroyed then. He approached Lord Shiva, who told him  , to take sone earth , mix it with nectar  and make a pot  ,Then Lord Brahma has to put the root genes of all the various  type of creations  and fill the pot with nectar. Later  he has to close the pot with a  coconut kept over mango  leaves  and this pot has a to be kept on the  top of the Meru mountain..After the deluge darkness  engulfed the  universe   and after  some time Lord Brahma  saw rays of light  coming from  a place , which went on increasing in intensity .Lord Brahma rushed there and found that the pot   which he had kept on top of Mount Meru had moved   to a place  of Kumbhakonam . Lord Brahma  was not able to approach the pot due to great  intensity of light  and  heat., Then he prayer to Lord Shiva , who came there  in the form of a hunter .Lord Shiva the hunter  shot the pot with an arrow. The neck of the pot  , mango leaves   and coconut got separated  from the pot and moved further. Some nectar  fell in the place itself. Lord Brahma  took the nectar mixed it with earth and made  a Shivalinga. Lord  Brahma named   That linga as Adhi Kumbeswarar (Primeval  God made  from the pot)  and consecrated that Linga there  itself. The water from  the broken pot  reached a pond   and  created the Mahamaha tank and from that water  a golden lotus flower  came up., Lord  Brahma   took bath in that tank and offered the  golden lotus flower  to Lord shiva.,Then he was able to collect the  root seeds from the pot and started   again his job of creation.
    Meanwhile   the coconut which fell from  reached a nearby place and became Abhimukheswarar . The scared thread from the pot became Gouthameswarar, The mango leaves became the God of Thirupurambiyam. The place where  the mouth of that  fell is Kudai vayil  and  the place where  Lord Shiva stood as a hunter  became the temple of Bannapureeswarar,The place where  the pot stopped is the present Kumbakarnam   , which was earlier called  Kuda mooku.
    It is believed  that though Lord Brahma  started the creation , he was finding it imperfect   and  the day when He started the creation properly with a v blessings of  Lord Shiva is observed as Mahamaham. On that day , earth, sun, moon  and Guru(Jupiter)    stand in one straight  line.Ie Sun is in Kumba rasi , Chandra  and Jupiter(Guru) would occupy  the simha Rasi. It is also believed that on the Mahamaham day every twelve years , the  configuration of the  nine planets would be exactly similar   to the configuration  of planets  on the day when Lord Brahma   started  the creation.
   Apart from this it is believed  that  the nine  sacred rivers  of India viz  Ganges , Yamuna  , Narmadha  , Saraswathi ,  Godhavari , Sarayu  , Cauavery , Kumari   and Payoshni (Some say Thamravarni)  which remove the sins of people who bathe  u in them , to get rejuvenated   from the load of sins which sinners have left with them come to bathe  in the Mahamaham tank  on the Mahamaham day. Due to this  if we take bath in the Mahamaham on that day , we get the  effect of bathing in those nine holy rivers also.
  Also on the Mahamaham day  the Shiva deities of twelve   temples around Kumbhakonam arrive  to take holy dipping and bath in the Mahamaha  Tank, These twelve temples are  Kasi Viswanatha temple , Kumbheswarar  temple, Nageswarar  temple, Someswarar temple , Gowthameshwarar temple , Abhimukheswarar  temple  , Bana pureeswarar  temple, Kambatta  Viswanathar  temple, Ekambareswarar  temple, Kodeeswarar  temple , Kala hastheswarar  temple and Amrutha kalasa  nathar  temple, On the same day  the Gods from Vishnu  temples   of Saranga pani temples  , Chakrapani temple, Ramaswami temple, Rajagopala swami  temple  and Varaha temple  reach the banks of Cauvery in Kumbhakonam   and  take a dip and holy bath
    The Maha maha tank occupies an area of 6.2 acres .All e round the tank there are  16 Shiva  temples viz  Brahma theettheswarar,  Mukundeswarar  , Thaneswarar  , Vrushabeswarar  , Baneswara  , Koneswarar  , Bhakthikeswarar , Bhairaveswarar  , Agastheeswarar, Vyaseswarar, Umamaheswarar, Nirytheeswarar, Brahmeswarar , Gangadhareswarar, Mukthi theertheswarar and Kshethrapaleswarar,,
     In side  the Mahamaham tank are  21  sacred water  wells  which are called as  Vayu theertham  , Ganga Theertham  , Brahma theertham, Yamuna theertham  , Khubera theertham  , Godavari theertham  , Eesana theertham , Narmadha theertham , Saraswathi  Theertham , Indra theertham , Agni theertham , Cauvery theertham , Yama Theertham , Kumari theertham Niryathi theertham , Payoshini theertham , Deva theertham, Varuna theertham , Sarayu theertham Kanya theertham and Amrutha theertham..It is believed   that 66 crores of other sacred  waters come and join with these on the Mahamaham day .
    There is a set procedure   to take bath in this great tank on the Mahamaham day  . You have to visit   The pancha krosa temples around Kumbha konam viz Thirunageswaram  , Dharasuram  , Swami Malai  , Karuppur   and Thiruvidai maruthur  .Later  you have to take bath in the river Cauvery   offering to the river flowers,   sandal paste m, black beads , palm leaf pieces and some coins.Then you have to worship your ancestors  in the Cauvery river according  to the practice followed by your family  .Then we have to go round Mahamaha tank, Kasiviswanatha temples , the Nava Kanyakas  and the Peepul tree .Then we  jhave to take v =bath in Maha maha tank followed by bathing in Porthamarai tank   and complete it by again taking bath in Cauvery tank. It is also believed that  giving charity to the poor after  finishing this round of bathing would be highly  beneficial  .



Friday, February 12, 2016

Observe the Ritual of Ratha Sapthami on 14/2/2016


Observe   the Ritual of Ratha Sapthami     on  14/2/2016

Compiled by
P.Ramachander



  Ratha Sapthami also called as Surya Sapthami or  Surya Jayanthi    is a festival  celebrated on  the Shukla Panchami  in the month of Makara /Kumbha  Masa(Magha masa  for those    who follow Chandra Mana)  .This year the  festival  is  being observed  tomorrow  (14-2-2016)  . It is observed with  several rituals  in the  states of Andhra Pradesh /Karnataka /Maharashtra(For details see  http://www.hindu-blog.com/2009/01/how-to-do-ratha-saptami-puja.html ) .

   In  tamil Nadu the day starts   with ritual bath  by Keeping seven  leaves of  Vellai Erukku (Giant milk weed –Kannada Ekku, Telugu  Jilledu  , Sanskrit –Arka )  on the head .(some people keep one on head, two on shoulders, two on knees   and two on feet) A head bath is taken ,.Some people keep uncooked  rice also on the  Erukku leaves. Women in addition sprinkle turmeric powder  on the rice . You are not supposed  to apply  oil on  the head for that day. During the   ritual bath the  following Manthra  or sloka is chanted:-

I.Manthra (translation by P.R.Ramachander)
“Saptha Saptha Maha Saptha, Saptha Dweepa Vasundara, Sapth Arka Parna Madaya, Sapthamyam Snana Machareth”.
“seventh , seventh  , great seventh  , the earth has  seven islands ON this seventh day  I am  observing bath keeping   seven  Arka(erukku)  leaves  on the head.”

2. Stotra/Sloka(Translation by  P.R.Ramachander)

Sapthsapthi-priye devi
Sapthalogaiga deepike!
Sapth-janmaarjitham papam
Hara sapthami sathvaram       (1)

Oh  Goddess  who likes the seventh of sevenths  ,
Who is   the lustrous lamp among the seven worlds,
During this seventh linar day  please remove,
The sins that  I have earned in the seven births.(1)

Yanmayaathrakrutham papam
poorvam sapthasoojanmasoo!
thathsarvam  Soka mohou cha
maakare hanthu sapthami    (2)

All of those sins   committed   by  me ,
In the earlier seven births ,
As well    as   my sorrows   and passions,
May please be destroyed By Sapthami of Makara  Month(2)

Namaami sapthameem devim
Sarvapaapa-pranaasi'neem!
sapthaarkka - pathra - snaanena
Mama papam vyabohathu!     (3)

I salute    the Goddess  Sapthami ,
Who is capable  of destroying  all sins  ,
And by the bathing with seven  Erukku leaves,
Let   all  my sins   be   completely removed.(3)

           After this any time of the day  do read  or hear  Adhithya Hrudayam.  This is the great prayer Occurring  in  Valmiki Ramayana in the Yudha Kanda.  When Rama finds it difficult to kill  Ravana , sage Agasthya comes to the battle field and teaches  Rama this great Stotra .Rama chants this Stotra and becomes  capable of  killing  Ravana. The Sloka in English with  my translation is available  in  http://stotrarathna.blogspot.in/2009/07/adithya-hrudayam.html . You can hear it by clicking  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsGJlyFcdQM . You can also chose  to read it in Sanskrit  alphabets in http://www.hindudevotionalblog.com/2012/03/aditya-hridayam-lyrics-in-sanskrit.html .You can read it n Tamil   from http://www.omjai.org/Aditya%20Hrudayam%20-%20Tamil .You can read it in Kannada by clicking http://poojavidhana.blogspot.in/2010/02/aditya-hrudayam-in-kannada.html