Stotra literature over time.

 Stotra literature over time.

By

P.R.Ramachander

Stotra comes from the word Sthuthi and Sthuthi means praise.Some stotras are also called as Sthavas. Stotra could be broadly translated as “Praise of God”.

1.Stotras of the Vedic period

The foremost among the Vedic Stotras is Rudram and chamakam addressed to Lord Shiva, Narayana as well as Purusha Suktham addressed to Lord Vishnu and Sri Suktham, Durga Suktham, Lakshmi Suktham etc addressed to the Goddess. There are many other great Sukthams like Bhagya suktham , Ikamathya Suktham , Bhoo Suktham, Medha Suktham etc. The Ganesa Atharva Sira Upanishad , which is from Atharva Veda is again a prayer addressed to Lord Ganesa. Many of these are not praise of God as such but description of several aspect of the God including its philosophy. These Sukthas were used mostly for performing Yagas and even today , though in some places they are chanted mostly they are used in fire sacrifices.

2.Stotras of the Puranic period.

It was the advent of Puranas that we started praying of worship of Individual Gods. Some of the greatest Hindu Stotras originated at this time, The most famous are the Adithya Hrudayam which is a part of Valmiki Ramayanam , Vishnu Sahasranamam which is a part of Maha Bharatham, Lalitha Sahasranamam and Lalitha Trishathi which are both part of the Markandeys puranam , The Devi Mahatmyam which is again a part of Markandeya puranam, the Gopika Gita , a part of Maha Bhagawatham and very many other Sahasranamams and stotras which are part of several Puranas. The prayers called Kavachams (Armours to protect ourselves) again originated during this period.Till this period Stotras were written only in Sanskrit.

3.Post Puranic Stotras

Possibly after all the Puranas were written, a vast outpouring of composition of prayers in almost all the spoken languages by very many poets took place . Many Prayers which originate in the earliest period are not available. The stotra as a vehicle of prayers was greatly popularized by Adhi Sankara and his disciples. We find Sankara ‘s prayers addressed to all most all gods. Apart from prayers eulogizing Gods , he also wrote several very philosophical prayers. Soundarya Lahiri and Shivananda Lahari are possibly the greatest stotras written by him. He also wrote several prayers using the Bhujanga meter. His disciples continued this trend. Almost in the same period , the Nayanmars of Tamil Nadu who were Saivite saints contributed largely to the Saivite Stotra literature which were all in tamil . There was also a great upsurge of Tamil prayers written by various great saints praising Lord Subramanya /Muruga.

Saint Ramanuja did not write many stotras b ut the Gadhya thrayam which are prose prayers are really great prayers. His disciple Vedant Desika has written very large number of very excellent prayers in Sanskrit as well as Tamil . There was also an outpouring outpouring of stotras mainly in tamil were written by the Azhvars who were all Vaishnavite saints. Saint Madhwa and his followers and the Hari Dasas of Karnataka also wrote many prayers

The Thulasi Das, Kabir Das, Sur Das , and many such great ones contributed to the Hindi prayers. Poet Jayadeva wrote his Gita Govindam in Sanskrit and a very large number of prayers were written by the great Krishna and Durga devotees of Bengal. There was also a great Bhakthi movement in Maharashtra and the stotras of this genre are called Abhangs.

The Stotra literature is not growing as it should in the modern times except for rare compositions .

Who should Garland the Bharata Rathna?

 Who should Garland the Bharata Rathna?

Rewritten from Tamil post

By

P.R.Ramachander

(Shaking hands –Pani Grahana is the present day culture even between all men and ladies..

But once we lived differently?. I could have simply translated the tamil post but some thing in me,

Wanted me to write it in my own words)

Once MS, the nightingale of south india,

Was supposed to be honoured,

And the great Semmangudi,

The maestro of carnatic music was presiding.

A great garland of flowers was brought to stage,

And the organizers wanted the Maestro to Garland the Nightingale

Maestero hesitated and asked her husband,

“Is it Okay “ and he nodded his head saying yes

Then the Mastero asked the audience ,

They said yes, then he asked the Nightingale herself,

And she nodded her head and then he asked his own wife,

And she also said “yes” and semmangudi went near the mike

He said , “even if the entire world say yes,

I am not willing “ and gave the garland to herr husband,

And requested him to garland her and he did with a smile,

And the entire audience gave a standing ovation.

That which made the maestro hesitate was due to,

The civilization, culture and heritage of India,

It is this that makes the world applaud India,

And feel that this culture is the greatest

ஒரு சமயம்

எம் எஸ் சுப்புலட்சுமி

அவர்களுக்கு பாராட்டு விழா நடைபெற்றது.

செம்மங்குடி சீனிவாச ஐயர்

தலைமை தாங்கினார்.

ஒரு பெரிய மாலையை

அவருக்கு அணிவிக்க

செம்மங்குடியிடம் வழங்கப்பட்டது.

அவரும் அதனை பெற்று

எம் எஸ் க்க அணிவிக்கும்

முகத்தான் மைக்கை பிடித்தவர்

“எம் எஸ் பெண்மணி

அவருக்கு நான் மாலை போட

இந்த சபை அனுமதிக்கிறதா?”

என்று கேட்டார்.

அவையில் இருந்தவர்கள் அனுமதி தந்தனர்.

அடுத்து எம் எஸ் சுப்புலட்சுமி கணவர் சதாசிவம்

அனுமதி அளிக்கிறாரா? என்று கேட்டார்.

அவரும் அனுமதித்தார்.

அடுத்து என்னுடைய துணைவியார்

இதனை அனுமதிக்கிறாரா? என்று கேட்டார்.

அவரும் சம்மதம் தெரிவித்தார்.

இறுதியாக எம் எஸ் சுப்புலட்சுமி

இதற்கு ஒப்பு கொள்கிறாரா? என்று கேட்டார்.

அவரும் மகிழ்ச்சியாக தலையை ஆட்டினார்.

மீண்டும் மைக்கை பிடித்த செம்மங்குடி

எத்தனை பேர் அனுமதி தந்தாலும்

எனக்கு ஏதோ ஒன்று உறுத்துகிறது

அதனால் திரு சதாசிவம் அவர்களே

மாலை அணிவிக்கும்படி கேட்டு கொள்கிறேன்

என்று கூறி மாலையை சதாசிவத்திடம் ஒப்படைத்தார்.

சதாசிவமும் மாலையை பெற்று எம் எஸ் க்கு அணிவித்தார்.

அவையின் கரகோஷம் விண்ணை பிளந்தது.

செம்மங்குடியை தடுத்த அந்த

ஏதோ ஒன்றுதான் என்ன ???

அதன் பெயர்தான்

பண்பாடு கலாச்சாரம் பாரம்பரியம்.

இது இன்றளவும் இந்தியாவில்

ஒட்டிக்கொண்டு இருக்கிற காரணத்தால் தான்

உலகமே இந்தியாவை பார்த்து வியந்து கொண்டிருக்கிறது.

ஒரு பண்பாடு இல்லையென்றால் பாரதம் இல்லை

நம் பண்போடு வாழ்ந்திருந்தால் பாவமும் இல்லை

I re-dedicate all my work done after retirement to my best half

 

I re-dedicate all my work done after retirement to my best  half

 

By

P.R.Ramachander

 

(Six years back , I did it  and now again, With heart  full of gratefulness  to her , I am doing it)

 

My efforts in the last few days in highlighting my hobbies were intended in making all of you aware of the work done by me as also to encourage people who are retiring to take up some hobby like these so that they never feel that “They are not wanted by anyone.”

 

All that I do has been made possible only by the blessing of God. I always consider that He in his great majesty, composes what needs to be done and I am but his key board. The key board being constantly engaged does not get bored and wants to thank God by offering Him , crores of Pranams to him for choosing it . I do not know about the quality of my work but the sheer quantity of what I have done amazes even me.

 

My wife Smt.Jayalakshmi . my partner in Dharma has been great source of inspiration to me , through thick and thin. She understands that I get pleasure in doing what I do and never disturbs me from what I have been doing, even when I some times work lot of time, in spite of my very old age.

 

But for her and the blessings of God I would not have been able to do this immense amount of work. Side by side I have been trying my best to look after my obligations in running my little family too. Whenever I do not attend to it properly what else can I tell her except the pretty lines,

I have the shell and the pearl within it but I do not have time to open it,

I have the words , I have the meter but I do not have time to write a poem.

 

All my work before 60 were dedicated to my office and today when I am 81 I want to dedicate all the work done by me after 60 to my dear wife Smt.Jayalakshmi .

 

A poem to super star Idli

 A poem to  super star   Idli

 

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

 

(Thanks to sister  Anandi  Lakshmi  for posting it)

You  are nectar  fed by mother’s to their kids

Tou are  the full moon  rising on breakfast table

You the nectar which came like a white and soft cloud

You are  the mother  to babies   after  the mother’s milk

You are   flower of jasmine  touched by my wife

You    are the reddish  mountain  along with c hutney powder

You are nectar of devas  , if accompanied  by  coconut chutney

You are  the golden puff  along with tomato chutney

You are  green flower    along   with mint chutney

You got boon of immortality    along with sambar

You are   the victory along with any  of your friends

You are  the food recommended  by doctors

You are   the perennial   super star  of entire  south india

 

The thirty which are good

The   thirty which are  good

 

By

P.R.Ramchander

 

(Based on a tamil  write up)

 

1.Do  , what  you want to do , just now

2. Drink as much water  you can daily

3.Daily  laugh   at least  once

4.Daily  know one   good thing

5.Daily   read  at least one page  of the  book that you love

6.Daily   try to meet or talk to one of your old friends

7.Daily   walk   at least a mile

8.Daily  eat  some  fruit  and vegetable

9. Daily  share some thing you love  with the person you love

10. Daily   try to read  good poem or good story  or good essay

11.Daily  encourage  atleast  some one

12.Daily  make  others happy

13.Pardon everything

14.Leave out anger  , pride , avarice

15.Boldly face  everything

15.Be  optimistic

16.Show  only love  towards  children

17.Look after  your  mental and physical  health

18.Undestand that always  victory  is impossible

19.Do not get  upset by defeats

20. your family  is crux of your life

21..hope  for good  and faith in God  are  essential

22.See  only  good  of others

23.Past  should  be your greatest  teacher

24.  use  properly  the future

25.Show your   pleasant face to others

26Savings  in youth  for old age  is essential

27.Understand  that beliefs changes   with  time

28. humanness is the  universal religion

29.helping  the poor  should be motto of life

30.no one is  greatest , some one else would always be  greater  than you

 

Centenary birthday in heaven on 8th December 2020

 

Centenary  birthday  in heaven on 8^th  December 2020

(humble wishes, Raja)

 BY

Raja Thatha

 

One  hundred   years  back  in the southern village,

Of  a great  agrahara  of  Puthucode(new line) was born,

A gem  like baby  to a very  rich man   and he   thought,

He is going   to be adventurous  and called  him “Veera mani”

 

Veera  mani   was sent  to  a high  school  in  near by  Alathur,

To continue  his studies in high  school   and when  he told,

That  travelling  was difficult  , his father  hired  a house,

And appointed  a good cook  , so that his son was  comfy

 

But  Veera mani   was  interested more in  foot ball  rather than,

Studies  , though  he loved  studying  Malayalam,

And      he  left   his school  without  informing  his family  ,

And reached  Mumbai,  and lived there   with a friend

 

He joined  in a very small  job   and was struggling  to live,

And did in form his father  about   where  he is ,

After  some time  his rich father  searched  for a bride,

And located   a girl called  Pappu , who had just finished high school

 

Pappu   was little  wondering   about a  non SSLC  boy,

And her  grand father  informed  her  that  Veeramani  was very rich,

And could   comfortably live   for   three  generations  ,

Even if he  did  not   earn  any thing   at all.

 

Pappu   did  marry  Veeramani   and came   to Mumbai,

And had  to live  in her  elder  sister’s  home  for some time.

Time   as usual  marched   and Veeramanis    took a chawl,

For rent   and  the  march  of  family  building started.

 

Rajamani  was born   and   was  rapidly  followed by Ramani,

, Indu, Raji  , Mohan   and Nanu and they  did buy  a flat ,

In chembur  called  the Nava gita  and moved   there.

And to all who  knew them , it   was  the heaven on earth

 

I  have known lot of people   every where  but  I never knew,

A  simple hilarious Veeramani and majestic kind  and royal Pappu,

They  were  simply great and one by  one  the birds  left ,

But  the  diamond  binding  was   there  for each  with them.

 

Their children   enjoyed  looking after  them   till ripe old age,

And  one by one   they  left   this world  , definitely to heaven.

To  my Akka  and Athimbar  on the centenary  birthday    of my Athimbar,

I wish   to tell them a  very  very  centenary  birthday  in heaven.

                                                           

 

Drik ganitha and Vakhya Pannchangams

 Drik ganitha  and Vakhya  Pannchangams

By

P.R.Ramachander

  PAnchangam   ie book giving us information about   five aspects that is Month, date,  day  , Nakshatra   and Thithi of  all days.(some people say Karana  and Yoga instead of month and date)

  Possibly in Vedic times  , certain   very intelligent people   with sharp  sight   was allotted   to  see the  planets in the sky  and note their exact  position . This was done by bare  eyes.This information  was collected  by them for   several years   , Using this data  they  plotted  the position   of each planet (Possibly 7  planets) over years  and found out their orbit. They expected  the orbit would be round   but it was oval. So they created   two  imaginary  points  Rahu and Kethu   which were   always 180   degrees away.Now  they   were  having  information  that they  needed   to create a panchang. It was not needed for them   to look at   the planet  any more   and they  did it   by  finding the position  of the planet according to their projected  speed with reference  to their first observed  position .  They   were able to predict full moon, New Moon  , eclipse  of Sun and Moon etc..  The ancient   formula of movements   was called  “Vakhyam”

     About  1500   years ago,  they   thought  of verifying   the place  of each planet as per their Panchangam  . They  saw (Drik)    the position of planets   were  not in predicted  places.So they  a marked the position observed them , took in to account the  speed calculated  earlier   and started making new Panchangams   as per  the seen point  .This was called  Drik Ganitha or Drik panchangam  . There was some difference of opinion.Some people said  that  they will  not agree  with drik panchangams  and continued using   their Vakhya panchangams, Entire  Kerala except a part of Tamil  Brahmins  use  only  Drik ganitham  .  Some of tamil Brahmins  in Palakkad   started using   Sri Rangam  Panchangam   which is a Vakya  Panchangam.  Some  Brahmins  in  Trichy , Thirunelveli   and Thanjavur still use  Vakhya panchangam only.Pambu panchangam  , arcot Seetha Rama Iyer  Panchangam   and sri rangam panchangam   are famous vakya  panchangams .  The  Acharyal madathu panchangam, Vasan Panchangam and even the  Rashtriya panchang  of the government   are  Drik  Panchangams

  However The TAMBRAS does  not accept  horoscope cast  using Vakhya panchangam  for  horoscope registration. However  all temples  follow only  Vakhya panchangam  to determine their festivals  movement of planets etc