Some tales about Tipu Sultan

Some  tales  about  Tipu Sultan

Compiled  by

P.R.Ramachander

I belong to a village called  Chelakkara , near Trichur town. To every hindu  in Chelakkara , The temple of Narasimhamurthy is the most important temple . Sultan Tipu  marching to conquer  Cochin   and Travancore, did visit  Chelakkara. He broke the Narasimha    swamy statue   and threw  it in the temple tank .( I have met many old people   who  have taken out  the old broken statue from temple tank

Some one there  told him  about another   great Shiva temple (Anthi maha kalan temple) and when he was  marching towards  it, he met  an old hag. He asked her how far is Anthimahakalan temple   and she told him that  he has to cross  five thousand fields, five thousand forests  and five thousand tanks.He felt that  it was   a very difficult  thing to do and started  his march to Cochin.(Even today  one field in chelakkara  is called  Ayyayiram parambu  , followed by  one tank Ayyayiram kolam  and and one  collection of bushes  called Ayyayiram Kadu)

    The devotees of Guruvayurappan   fled with his statue   to Ambalappuzha  near Aleppy.  Disappointed   the Sultan continued his march.

     After  Kodungallore  before  he reached  Chalakkudy ,  A  nedum kotta(  long fort-  was about 48 km long, 20 feet wide and 12 feet high)   was constructed   with in a day by the people   ( some say by the Travancore king) and this  prevented  the further  march  of the Sultan  and he had to return back to Mysore.

   Another  place   you must have heard  is a place called  Chavghat  near  Guruvayur).It is believed that all the people   were  converted  to islam   there  by the Sultan .Because of it the place  was  called  Saapa Kadu(the forest of curse) which later  became Chowghat.In 1965  , I had  travelled   all round this great wall  .

There  must be very many stories  of  Tipu  Sultan’s march in Kerala. Can some of you  write   about them

Me and films

Me   and films

By

P.R.Ramachander

I  want to talk  to you about  an interesting incident in my life

    I   was 13 years  old then. My  father  had  no other option other than selling  our hotel in Secunderabad   and go back   to Kerala . Arrangement was made   with the purchaser of our hotel   for my stay  for one  year   with them.  My local   guardian was  my maternal uncle. I  used to see  lots and lots of  cinema    during that time   and my marks   went down a little ,My uncle who was supposed to sign my progress report refused to sign saying   that, I was seeing too many pictures.The last picture I saw    was Avvayar  in Tamil.

   That day(i was   around 14  that time) , I promised  to my uncle   that  i would not    see any pictures  till  I complete  my education ,I kept up my promise very strictly.  I went to Trichur  , Annamalai University , Calcutta  and Delhi    for my education. I never saw any pictures at all,When I was 23I joined my first job  but I did not see  any pictures. This went on till  I became  30.I was about to get married.Another of my uncles   compelled me   to take  to an english Picture”Three  Musketeers”   when I was  29  . I got married and once in a while  I used to see  pictures  but even today  , the number of pictures   that I see would   be two or  three per year.

    I know  one thing that  my not seeing pictures   during my  college   education days helped me a lot.

My uncle is not with us any more but  I would like to thank him for what he did to me

Twenty four by seven

Twenty four   by seven

By

P.R.Ramachander

(I read  a whatsapp  message that  today  is twenty four by seven  and I who knew  nothing  is twenty four  by seven wrote it)

I held   her hand  for  ,

The first   time and told her,

I would love     you  ,

Twenty four   by seven.

A little   babe cried  for the first time

On  seeing the world, and I told him,

I would take    care  of you,

Twenty four   by seven.

I brought    a bride   for my son,

And  saw  her nervous  and I told her,

I would  love you  like my daughter,

Twenty four   by seven

I happened  one day   to visit,

The   family   court  and I saw a lady 

Telling  him ,  I do not want to see  you,

Twenty    four by seven.

My son   , for   whose benefit  ,

I toiled all  along , one day  left me,

And told me, I do not want to see  your face,

Twenty four   by seven.

The  DIL   whom  I made   my daughter,

One day  Spit  in my direction with pure hatred,

And told me, How can I  any time love you  like my father,

Twenty four   by seven

A tearful appeal to Athivarada in the form of a poem

அத்திவரதருக்கோர் கண்ணீர் விண்ணப்பம்

என் கவிதை வடிவில்

Athi  Varadarukku  oar  Kanneer Vinnappam  -Yen  Kavithai  Vadivil

A tearful  appeal  to  Athivarada in  the form of a poem

By

ஆனந்திலக்ஷ்மி

Anandi  Lakshmi

Translated   by

P.R.Ramachander

(This great poem jolted  me and I wanted others  who do not know Tamil . should know about

the humble  realistic wail of a devotee. I request  the author to pardon  me.)

அத்தி வரதப் பெருமாளே
சுற்றிலும் நடப்பதை நீரும்
சற்றே கண்"திறந்து பாரும்
குற்றம் குறை பொறுப்பவனே

Athi   Varada  Perumaale  ,

Chuthilum  Nadappathai  neerum ,

Chathe  kan thiranthu  Parum,

Kutham kurai poruppavane

Oh Lord  Athi Varada  ,

Just   open your   eyes  ,

And see  what  happens round you,

Oh Lord ,  who pardons  crimes  and mistakes.

நீருக்குள்"நீ இருந்தாய்
ஊருக்குள் வந்தாய்.
என்னென்னமோ எதிர்பார்த்திருந்தாய்
ஏமாற்றம் தான் மிஞ்சியதோ

Neerukkul nee  irunthai ,

Oorukkul  vandhai  ,

Yennennavo  yethir paarthai,

Yematham   than minchiyatho

You were   inside   water,

You came  inside  the town,

You  were  expecting to see  very many things,

Did only  disappointment remain?

ஏன்,வெளி வந்தோம் என நினைக்கிறாய்
எவரையும்"குறை"கண்டு நீ அறியாய்
குறை ஒன்றுமில்லாக்"கோவிந்தனே
குறையன்றி நிறைவில்லை இங்கே

Yen  , veli vanthom yena ninaikkindrai ,

Yevarayum   kurai   kandu  nee ariyaai,

Kurai  ondrum  yilla   Govindane,

Kurayandri   niraivillai    yinge

Why are  you thinking , why did I come out,

You are not habituated   to see  faults of others,

Oh Govinda  who does not have any wants,

Except wants ,nothing seems to be full here.

உள்ளே இருந்ததால் வெளியுலகம்
உனக்கு பெரும் புதிரானதோ
ஆண்டாளை இழித்துக் கூறியதும்
கண்ணனை பழித்ததும் அறியாயோ

Ulle   irunthathaal  veliyulakam ,

Unakku   perum   puthiraanatho,

Aandaalai   izhithu   kooriyathum,

Kannanai  pazhithathum    ariyaayo.

Because    you were  inside ,

Did outside   appear as mystery to you,

Did you  not know, the criticism of Aandal,

And   fault   finding   about  Lord Krishna.

கொள்ளையடிக்கும்,கூட்டமோ
உன் அருகினிலே
கோவிந்தா எனக்"கதறுவோர்
காத தூரத்திலே

Kollai    adikkum  koottamo,

Un arukinile ,

Govinda    yena   kadharuvor  ,

Kaadha dhoorathile.

The   crowd   that  steals and robs ,

Very near  you,

And those   who wail “Oh Govinda”

Very , very far   from you.

மறுபடி வெளி வர மறுத்து விடாதே
திருப்பம் வருமே"உன்னருளாலே

பணத்"திமிரை அழிப்பாயே
பக்திக்கு ஆதரவளிப்பாயே

Maru padi veli vara  maruthu vidaathe,

Thiruppam   varume  un arulaal,

Pana   thimirai   azhippaye,

Bhakthikku   Aadharavu  alippaye.

Do not  refuse   to come  out again,

By your grace, change  would  come definitely,

Please   destroy   the pride  of wealth,

And please   grant  support  to “devotion”

பாமரனும் உனை அருகில்,காண
பரந்தாமனே வழிவகுப்பாயே

Paamaranum unai   arukil  kaana ,

Paranthamane   vazhi   vaguppaye

Please   make  changes  and reforms,

So that  even the poor one can see  you near by

Nanda Vanathil oar Aandi.

நந்தவனத்தில் ஓர் ஆண்டீ
Nanda  Vanathil oar  Aandi.

(This  is a very  famous popular  verse  written by a Sidha   called  Kadu  veli  Sidha.The real meaning   of this verse  as per this great   Sidha  was very real   and different)   

Translation  by

P.R.Ramachander

In Tamil script

நந்தவனத்தில் ஓர் ஆண்டீ
அவன் நாலாறு மாசமாய்
குயவனை வேண்டி
கொண்டு வந்தான் ஒரு தோண்டி
அதை கூத்தாடி கூத்தாடி
போட்டுடைத்தான்டீ

In English script

Nanda  Vanathil oar  AAndi.

Naalaru  Mathamai  Kuyavanai vendi,

Kondu vanthaan  oru  thondi-metha

Koothaadi koothadi   athai  Pottu  Udaithandi

Normal  meaning

A beggar   in the   garden,

Begged the potter    for    four  or six months ,

Brought   a pot  -

Dancing  and jumping   too much,

He   broke it  by dropping  on the floor.

Real meaning

In the  garden of life  , one soul,

Begged   the creator  for ten  months,

And brought   a body  for himself,

But   he   used this  body   in a wrong way,

And spent it by  needless  jumping  and dancing,

And   he lost the body  he got by embracing death 

Ravana the Brahmin priest Of Lord Rama

Ravana  the Brahmin  priest   Of Lord Rama

Rewritten by

P.R.Ramachander

Nala the  engineer  monkey   completed  the Sethu,

The first  ever sea  bridge  of the   world  , and,

All monkeys   were eager  to  cross  the bridge ,

And  reach  Lanka   to kill  the  hated  Ravana.

Lord Rama  called  Jabhavan, the  son of Lord Brahma,

And asked  his opinion   and within   a second  , he told,

“Before stepping on the bridge , we have   to perform,

A  Ganapathi  Homa   and Shiva pooja, in a proper  manner”

“For that  we need the assistance of a scholarly  Brahim priest”

All monkeys  blinked , not knowing   , where  to get a priest like that,

And when Rama  asked Jambhavan about it  , he smiled  and told,

“ there is no problem,  Ravana  who is a scholar and Shiva Bhaktha,

Is very much near   us and a better one cannot be found  anywhere else”

Lord Rama looked   as Anjaneya , who  jumped the ocean and reached,

The palace  of Ravana   and though All   other asuras   prevented him,

Ravana asked them to permit him    and Anjaneya   requested,

King Ravana   to do  Ganapathi    and Shiva Pooja to the bridge.”

Ravana willingly agreed and reached  the other shore   along with,

All the needed  material for the pooja but when he reached  there,

He told Rama, “This pooja   would not be effective   unless ,

Your wife  is by your   side  and gives  you permission   to do it”

“So I will bring Sita  here  with one condition that   she and you,.

Should not exchange   any words  and Sita was   brought,

And  with her permission  the pooja commenced   and ,

Was conducted  in a great manner  by Grand son of Brahma.

After wards  Ravana told Rama , “You may  be thinking   as to,

What Dakshina    you would like   to give me  but for  these poojas,

No dakshina    should be taken by a learned  Brahmin like me.

So  when  in the war  , I am about to die, come and bless me  as Lord Vishnu

With   tears  in his eye  Lord   Rama   agreed   and at  the end,

Of the battle   when Ravana was breathing   his last,

Rama went  near him and told , “Oh wise  and learned Ravana,

I  pardon you and as Lord Vishnu , I am giving   you Moksha(Salvation).”

The simple summary of all Vedas and puranas

The   simple  summary  of all  Vedas  and puranas

Rewritten in English

By

P.R.Ramachander

 

Veda Vyasa,  edited and compiled the four Vedas  , 18 puranas  and not satisfied with them Maha Bhagawatha  Purana,

 Once many Hindu devotees   , met him and asked,

“Swami  most of  are   ignorant and though  we   want to read your great work,   we are  not able to read it . True some of us are  intelligent and wise  but     we do not get time to read   all the voluminous but   great work written by you  .So kindly tell us , a very short summary of your works  , knowing which, we  can know    your works.”

 Sage Vyasa  smiled and told

“Para peedanam paapam,

Paroupakaram  punyam”

Which means

“Troubling   others is  sin,

Helping  others is a blessed deed.”

                Please  follow  this great summary   and  become  knowledgable, great   and good”

Mundaka Kanni amman temple , Mylapore , Chennai

Mundaka  Kanni amman temple  , Mylapore  , Chennai

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

   This is a famous temple in Chennai which is supposed to help us remove Naga Dosha as well as   grant women longevity  of married life.”Mundakam” in Tamil means lotus flower   and this Goddess is called  “One with the lotus eyes) .Though the  people consider  that it is an ancient temple,  no information about its history is available.Some people believe that  she is the form of Goddess  Saraswathi  and others the Goddess  Kothavai.

    In this temple  the Goddess  is Swayambhu(self made)    and the sanctum(Garbha graham)  is in in a thatched    shed. It seems devotees   several times try to move the Goddess  in to a  Building but every time , there was some problem. It is also believed that  the Goddess   has chosen to    stay in a shed so that   devotees    are saved from the heat of  summer

    Before the sanctum , there are two lady  Dwara palakis(  Guards) .The goddess is in the form of lotus   flower bud  of stone.There is a trident  in front   and back of the Goddess  and there is also  a lustrous unknown  light   behind her back,.The Goddess  is covered by silver armour .On the armour a picture of a five hooded   snake is drawn .On the back of the goddess  There is  a Kallala tree  behind her and  below it a  three feet high stone serpent.

On the left of the Goddess  Is the Ursavar( metal  idol which is   taken round during festivals)   and opposite to it is a huge neem tree  The Statue of Uthsavar is in a sitting position   having a peaceful face.  On her head there is a crown  and One hand holds a sword  , another shows   symbol of protection  and the back hands have Small drum and trident ,On the left side of the Uthsavar is the Saptha kanyas  Maheswari, Vaishnavo, Brahmi, Kaumari   , Indrani  , Chamundi    and Varahi and two sages   Parasurama  and Jamadhagni  sages made of Earth  are found sitting on their sides.

  From morning to noon   continuously Abhishekam is done to this Goddess using milk, curd , tender coconut water  , honey  , Panchamritham, lime   juices, sandal paste  , rose water   and so on .

   After this they make a ball of turmeric make it flat and paste it on the face of the goddess, on which eyes, nose mouth etc are made, dress   her  with neem leaves ,and make her wear flower garland.

  Festivals

 On Chithirai first  (April 14^th or 15^th)  there is a worship with 108 lamps.

On Aadi pooram day   !008 basket of flowers are   poured over the head of Goddess  and porridge  (kanji) is distributed

On aadi pooram  , Vijaya Dasami, last Friday of Thai month , Chithra pournami and Tamil new year day  , the mother sits on a silver throne and  goes round the streets

On Aippasi   POurnami day  Annabishekam is performed to Amman

On Sundays  , Tuesdays and Fridays and other festival days   they make the goddess  wear silver  face  , serpent ornaments as well   as crown.

The temple is open from

6 am to 12 non   and 4 pm to 9 pm

Contact  particulars

Arulmigu Mundagakanniamman Temple

Mylapore,Chennai-600 004.

Phone:044-24981893

E-Mail:mundagakanniamman@gmail.com

From Paris corner   the temple is near by.The place can be reached by buses/taxis/auto as well as train   from   any part of madras.

https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-Mundakakanni_Amman_Temple-Chennai-site_38417140-4612  gives various methods   to reach the temple  from various parts of the city.

Vethathiri Maharshi Talks on Family peace

Vethathiri Maharshi   Talks on Family peace

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

(Yogiraj Shri Vethathiri Maharishi (14 August 1911 – 28 March 2006) was a spiritual leader, world peace activist, scientist , philosopher, Ayurvedic  and homeopathic practitioner, and founder-trustee of the World Community Service Center in 1958 in Chennai, India . His Theory of Universal Magnetism provides an alternative for the Big Bang  theory, and includes the concepts of the evolution of atoms and God particles. He provided 14 principles for World Peace. He presented a blueprint at United Nations  for World Peace.)

 Vethathri  Maharshi addressed  professors of Psychology once

He told  that  “You will have a great domestic life, provided if you

1.        Give up

2.       Obey

3.       And Tolerate

One Lady professor   asked , “Who should give up? Husband or wife”

The Maharshi said, “Giving up   would be done  ,by  the person

1. who loves better

2. who is wise.

He said further

The person  who loves would not be adamant and would be noble   and generous. The person   would be the power producer  of the family  and would be nearer to God .The person  can do penance easily and  can easily “Give up”

The Maharshi   further said  them   about  Ten commandments for a  peaceful family.

1.The  place   where  we have   to use  our wisdom, is our family.

2.No relation in the world is similar to that of husband and wife

3.Use wisdom to run the family and never the feeings

4.Always spend  less than you earn

5.Every one in the family  should have ability   to earn-It could be less or more

 For  Protecting  what we earn  , spending   and giving to others, every one   should have   equal    responsibility

6. Earring or spending   or saving   by  either the husband or wife   should be  with the knowledge of other

7.Sacrifice   and flexibility are most important   for both husband and wife

8.Not bothering too much of the  mistakes  of others and   forgetting it would lead to a good family

9.You should never think, and talk   about the partner   we did not get .

10.Good children would be born in good families. For crossing   the huge ocean of Samasara  peace in the family is essential.

                                   “Hail  this earth  , hail this earth  ,live  with prosperity”

Ashada or adi month-the good bad month of Indian calendar

Ashada  or adi month-the good bad  month of Indian calendar

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

The month of Ashada(Chandra mana)  or Aadi (tamil)  or Karkidaga   is normally   considered   as inauspicious.It is the beginning of Southern Solstice  (Dakshinayana) comes.

     During Aadi/Ashada  month  , no auspicious functions are held , husband and wife(certain places  daughter in law   and mother  in law)   do not live together . This is strictly implemented on the first   year of marriage  as people believe that  if a lady conceives in Adi month  , she will get the child in the very hot summer   and this should be avoided.

    But this month is full of special days of penance and worship. On Tuesdays of the month , if women apply turmeric and take bath, their husbands would live very long. On  all Fridays   of the month, Goddess  Parvathy  is worshipped.On Adi Krithika day, Lord Muruga is worshipped, on Adi  pooram day   Goddess  AAndal is worshipped and  Aadi amavasya  is considered as very special   to worship oou dead   ancestors.The Vara Lakshmi Vrutha when Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped also comes in this month.

    There   is an interesting story about  Aadi month  in Tamil Nadu:-

It seems Aadi was   a deva maiden  and when once Goddess  Parvatrhi was not with her husband, she took the form of a serpent  , went near  God Shiva   and took the form of Goddess  Parvathi and sat near him.Shiva could immediately recognize that   she was not Parvathy   and attacked her with his trident.The fire sparks that flew from his trident   made her.But God Shiva cursed that   she should be born as a  bitter neem tree  in the world .When she  cried he told her that  People will worship as the Goddess and one of the months of the earth would be named after  her   and she would do all that is good to people of earth. It is also believed that  worship of Thulasi plant  in the Shukla paksha days  in Aadi   would bless them with prosperity.

   In Kerala it was being called  as “kalla Karkidagam(the Thief  Karkidaga”)  earlier because due to replanting of paddy  in the previous monthand incessant rains   during that month, no agricultural work  takes place  and no crops  yield(due to  shedding of flowers due to rain)  .But   for a long time  Keralaites considered  it as  most suitable   to read Ramayana   and read  “Adhyathma  Ramayana”   on all days.  It is also called  the Ayurvedic month   as it is believed that Ayurvedic treatment is most effective during this time.