religion-hindu

எப்போதுமே பெருமாளையும், தாயாரையும் சேர்ந்தே சேவிக்கவேண்டும். தனியாக்கவே கூடாது.



உதாரணம்:



சூர்ப்பனகை: சீதையைய்த்தவிர்த்து ஸ்ரீ ராமன் தான், அவளுக்கு வேண்டியதாயிற்று. சீதாதேவியை விட்டுவிடு என கெஞ்சி, ஸ்ரீ ராமனையே மணக்க விரும்பினாள், வேண்டினாள். பிரித்துவிட நினைத்தாள். முடிவு, மூக்கு, காது போயிற்று.

ராவணன்: ஸ்ரீ ராமனையே எதிர்த்தான்.
முடிவு, ராஜ்யம், பிள்ளைகள், நாடு, சகோதரர்கள், (எதைத்தான் அவன் இழக்கவில்லை.) எல்லாவற்றையுமே இழந்தான். அவனுடைய பத்து தலைகளுமே போயிற்று.


பக்த ஹனுமான்: ஸ்ரீ ராமனையும், சீதாபிராட்டியையுமே மனதில் கொண்டு ஹனுமான் சேர்ந்தே பூஜித்தார்.


பலன்:
1. வால்மீகி அவருக்கென்றே ஒரு முழு காண்டத்தையே ஒதுக்கி அதில் அவர் புகழையே பாடிவைத்தார்.


2. ஸ்ரீ ராமனையே சதா ஸ்மரணை செய்யும் பாக்கியத்தால், சிரஞ்சீவியாக இன்றும் நம்மிடம் வாழ்கிறார், எங்கெங்கு ராமா என நினைத்த மாத்திரத்தில், அங்கு கைகட்டி, வாய்பொத்தி, கண்ணீர் மல்க நமது இருப்பிடம் தேடி வந்து, ஸ்ரீராம பஸ்ரீனையில் ஆழ்ந்து விடுகிறார்.


3. மேலும், ஸ்ரீ ராமனே அவரை கட்டித்தழுவி அவர் தோளில் கண்ணீர் மல்கும் பாக்கியம் அவருக்கே கிடைத்தது.


“ நீ எனக்கு சீதாதேவியின் சூடாமணியை என் கையில் கொடுத்து ‘கண்டேன் சீதையை’ என்று என்னிடம் அவள் செய்தியைத் தந்ததற்கு, என்னால் அதற்கு ஈடாக உனக்கு எதை கொடுப்பேன்?


எனக்காக நூறு யோஜனை சமுத்ரத்தைத் தாண்டி, லங்கைக்கு சென்று, சீதையிடம் என் கணையாழிக்கு பதிலாக அவள் தான் சூட்டிக்கொள்ளும் சூடாமணியை எனக்காக கொண்டு வந்திருக்கிறாய். இது யாராலும் செய்யமுடியாத மிகப்பெரிய கார்யம். உனக்கு இணையாக எவ்வுலகிலும் யாருமே இருக்கமுடியாது. இச்செய்கைக்கு ஈடாகக்கொடுப்பற்கு என்னிடம் ஒன்றுமே இல்லையே. என் செய்கேன், புரியவில்லையே.

ஆம், ஆம், ஓன்றே ஒன்று இருக்கிறது, அதையே உனக்கு த்தந்து விடுகிறேன். அது நானே தான், உனக்கு என்னையே அர்ப்பணித்தேன். என்னையே எடுத்துக்கொள். இனி நான் உனது உடமை. என்னை எடுத்துக் கொள்வாயா?” என ---- ஸ்ரீராமன் தன் பக்தன் ஹனுமானின் தோளில் கண்ணீர் மல்கி, இப்படி நினைத்து ஹனுமானை கெஞ்சி, இருகக்கட்டிக்கொண்டி ருப்பாரோ?


தன்னையே ஹனுமனுக்கு உடமையாக்கிய ஸ்ரீராமன் இப்படியும் நினைத்திருப்பாரோ? இருக்கலாம் அல்லவா!!!

jawaharlal nehru--the prime minister of india

Here are a set of personal reminiscences of diverse Indians about the first time they met Jawaharla Nehru:

To quote Mint:

Dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai was there when Jawaharlal Nehru received a tumultuous welcome at the Marina Beach in Chennai in the late 1920s. Sculptor Ram Sutar recalls an appreciative Nehru inaugurating a 45ft statue at the Gandhi Sagar Dam on the Chambal river in 1960.

The intervening decades paint a fascinating picture of a complex man. Journalist Ronald Vincent Smith recalls a Nehru sometimes aloof, and downright impetuous, while architect Mansingh Rana’s Nehru is a witty and charismatic leader. Ranoj Basu, who served as Nehru’s office assistant as a youth, saw both sides at the Congress party office in New Delhi.

Nehru’s encouragement was a turning point for a young M.S. Swaminathan, and his words of praise one of Verghese Kurien’s most abiding memories. From chance encounters to sustained friendships, be it as leader, equal or companion—the memory of Nehru burns strong in all these people. They remember an intensely curious patron of the arts, a politician with a sense of humour and a famous temper, and a flawed leader who, in the end, “made India respectable in the eyes of the world”.

Yes, minister

The times were different when Natwar Singh joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1953—after clearing the UPSC examination, each candidate was personally interviewed by the foreign minister. At the time, the prime minister also held the foreign minister’s portfolio, so Singh found himself before Jawaharlal Nehru.

Family matters

Mrinalini Sarabhai had a double connection with Jawaharlal Nehru—her mother Ammu Swaminadhan was a freedom fighter and a politician who knew Nehru well; her husband Vikram Sarabhai’s family too had a close association with him.

A patron and a muse

Ram Sutar always wanted to make large-sized sculptures. When he graduated from the Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai, he got a job with the department of archaeology and joined the team that was working on restoring the sculptures at Ajanta and Ellora. This was where he first met Jawaharlal Nehru. “He used to bring a lot of foreign dignitaries and very proudly show off India’s art heritage,” Sutar says. The young restorer was introduced to Nehru during one of the prime minister’s visits and he was stunned by Nehru’s understanding and appreciation of art.

History of a compliment

On 31 October 1956, in the town of Anand in Gujarat, a group of nervous, overworked engineers waited for prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s arrival. Among them was the “Milkman of India”, Verghese Kurien, who’d spent the last three years as part of a team putting together what was then Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union’s first milk-powder plant. The brand became famous as Amul.

Nation builders

Mansingh Rana first met Jawaharlal Nehru in the university town of Madison in faraway Wisconsin in the US. How that meeting came about is an interesting tale in itself.

Before the revolution

M. S. Swaminathan will turn 85 next year, but his mind remains scalpel-sharp. He calls up, without any effort, the date his father died: 12 October 1936. He remembers the name of the British district medical officer who had been summoned to the Tamil Nadu town of Kumbakonam to treat his father’s eventually fatal pancreatitis: “A tall man, named Kelly.” And of course, he remembers Jawaharlal Nehru visiting his family in Kumbakonam three weeks later, offering his condolences. “I have a specific memory of him consoling my mother.”

The angry patriarch

Ranoj Basu, a permanent secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), says he is the only Congress leader in the party’s 125-year history who has worked with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi—all the Congress presidents from the Nehru- Gandhi family.

Newsmaker

Jawaharlal Nehru was right on all fronts, except one,” says Ronald Vincent Smith categorically. “He never figured out China’s designs. He got carried away by the idea of a Third World front. It was that, and the subsequent criticism of Krishna Menon, close friend and defence minister, that finally killed him.”

indians in america

Excellent article by R.K. Narayan. Read when u have time........ MY AMERICA ---------- Author: R.K. Narayan Source: October 1985 issue of Frontline At the American Consulates the visa issuing section is kept busy nowadays as more and more young men seek the Green Card or profess to go on a student visa and many try to extend their stay once they get in. The official handles a difficult task while filtering out the "permanents" and letting in only the "transients" . The average American himself is liberal-minded and doesn't bother that more Indian engineers and doctors are swamping the opportunities available in the country possibly to the disadvantage of the American candidate himself. I discussed the subject with Prof. Ainslee Embree of Columbia University who has had a long association with Indian affairs and culture. His reply was noteworthy. "Why not Indians as well? In course of time they will be Americans. The American citizen of today was once an expatriate, a foreigner who had come out of a European or African country. Why not from India too? We certainly love to have Indians in our country." There are however, two views on this subject. The elderly parents of Indians settled in America pay a visit to them, from time to time (on excursion round ticket), and feel pleased at the prosperity of their sons or daughters in America. After a Greyhound tour of the country and a visit to Niagara, they are ready to return home when the suburban existence begins to bore them whether at New Jersey, or The Queens or the Silicon Valley neighborhood of California. But they always say on their return, "After all our boys are happy there. Why should they come back to this country, where they get no encouragement? " EXASPERATION Our young man who goes out to the States for higher studies or training, declares when leaving home, "I will come back as soon as I complete my course, may be two years or a little more, but I will definitely come back and work for our country, and also help our family....." Excellent intentions, but it will not work that way. Later when he returns home full of dreams, projects, and plans, he only finds hurdles at every turn when he tries for a job or to start an enterprise of his own. Form-filling, bureaucracy, caste and other restrictions, and a generally feudal style of functioning, exasperate the young man and waste his time. He frets and fumes as days pass with nothing achieved, while he has been running around presenting or collecting papers at various places. He is not used to this sort of treatment in America, where, he claims, he could walk into the office of the top man anywhere, address him by his first name and explain his purpose; when he attempts to visit a man of similar rank in India to discuss his ideas, he realizes that he has no access to him, but can only talk to subordinate officials in a hierarchy. Some years ago a biochemist returning home and bursting with proposals, was curtly told off by the big man when he innocently pushed the door and stepped in. "You should not come to me directly, send your papers through proper channels." Thereafter the young biochemist left India once for all, having kept his retreat open with the help of a sympathetic professor at the American end. In this respect American democratic habits have rather spoilt our young men. They have no patience with our official style or tempo, whereas an Indian at home would accept the hurdles as inevitable Karma. The America-returned Indian expects special treatment, forgetting the fact that over here chancellors of universities will see only the other chancellors, and top executives will see only other top executives and none less under any circumstance. Our administrative machinery is slow, tedious, and feudal in its operation, probably still based on what they called the Tottenham Manual, creation of a British administrator five decades ago. LACK OF OPENINGS One other reason for a young man's final retreat from India could also be attributed to the lack of openings for his particular qualification. A young engineer trained in robotics had to spend all his hours explaining what it means, to his prospective sponsors, until he realized that there could be no place for robots in an over-crowded country. The Indian in America is a rather lonely being, having lost his roots in one place and not grown them in the other. Few Indians in America make any attempt to integrate in American cultural or social life. So few visit an American home or a theater or an opera, or try to understand the American psyche. An Indian's contact with the American is confined to his colleagues working along with him and to an official or seminar luncheon. He may also mutter a "Hi!" across the fence to an American neighbor while lawn-mowing. At other times one never sees the other except by appointment, each family being boxed up in their homes securely behind locked doors. After he has equipped his new home with the latest dish-washer, video, etc., with two cars in the garage and acquired all that the others have, he sits back with his family counting his blessings. Outwardly happy, but secretly gnawed by some vague discontent and aware of some inner turbulence or vacuum, he cannot define which. All the comfort is physically satisfying, he has immense "job satisfaction" and that is about all. ENNUI On a week-end he drives his family fifty miles or more towards another Indian family to eat an Indian dinner, discuss Indian politics, or tax problems (for doctors particularly this is a constant topic of conversation, being in the highest income bracket). There is monotony in this pattern of life. so mechanical and standardized. In this individual, India has lost an intellectual or an expert; but it must not be forgotten that the expert has lost India too, which is a more serious loss in the final reckoning. The quality of life in India is different. In spite of all its deficiencies, irritations, lack of material comforts and amenities, and general confusion, Indian life builds up an inner strength. It is through subtle inexplicable influences (through religion, family ties, and human relationships in general). Let us call them psychological "inputs" to use a modern terminology, which cumulatively sustain and lend variety and richness to existence. Building imposing Indian temples in America, installing our gods therein and importing Indian priests to perform the puja and festivals, are only imitative of Indian existence and could have only a limited value. Social and religious assemblies at the temples (in America) might mitigate boredom but only temporarily. I have lived as a guest for extended periods in many Indian homes in America and have noticed the ennui that descends on a family when they are stuck at home. Children growing up in America present a special problem. They have to develop themselves on a shallow foundation without a cultural basis, either Indian or American. Such children are ignorant of India and without the gentleness and courtesy and respect for parents, which forms the basic training for a child in an Indian home, unlike the American upbringing whereby a child is left alone to discover for himself the right code of conduct. Aware of his child's ignorance of Indian life, the Indian parent tries to cram into the child's little head all possible information during an 'Excursion Fare' trip to the mother country. DIFFERING EMPHASIS In the final analysis America and India differ basically, though it would be wonderful if they could complement each other's values. Indian philosophy lays stress on austerity and unencumbered, uncomplicated day-to-day living. On the other hand, America's emphasis is on material acquisitions and a limitless pursuit of prosperity. From childhood an Indian is brought up on the notion that austerity and a contended life is good. and also a certain other- worldliness is inculcated through the tales a grandmother narrates, the discourses at the temple hall, and through moral books. The American temperament, on the contrary, is pragmatic. INDIFFERENCE TO ETERNITY The American has a robust indifference to eternity. "Visit the church on a Sunday and listen to the sermon if you like but don't bother about the future," he seems to say. Also, "dead yesterday and unborn tomorrow, why fret about them if today be sweet?" - he seems to echo Omar Khayyam's philosophy. He works hard and earnestly, and acquires wealth, and enjoys life. He has no time to worry about the after-life; he only takes the precaution to draw up a proper will and trusts the Funeral Home around the corner to take care of the rest. The Indian who is not able to live on this basis wholeheartedly, finds himself in a half-way house; he is unable to overcome the inherited complexes while physically flourishing on the American soil. One may hope that the next generation of Indians (American-grown) will do better by accepting the American climate spontaneously or in the alternative return to India to live a different life. R. K. NARAYAN

general knowledge

50 More Facts     1. Look at your zipper. See the initials YKK? It stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushibibaisha, the world's largest zipper manufacturer. 2. A raisin dropped in a glass of freshchampagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top. 3. A duck's quack doesn't echo. No one knows why. 4. 40 percent of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals. 5. 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.  6. On the average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily. 7. Chocolate kills dogs! True, chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system. A few ounces is enough to kill a small sized dog. 8. Most lipstick contains fish scales. 9. Ketchup was sold in the 1830's as a medicine. 10. Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time. 11. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood. 12. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casin0s. 13. Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips. 14. Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to slow a film down so you could see his moves. That's the opposite of the norm. 15. The original name for the butterfly was "flutterby"! 16. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand. 17. Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there. 18. Dentists recommend that a toothbrush be kept at least six feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. 19. The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum. 20. The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer. 21. Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than the entire Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined. 22. Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one foot. 23. Adolf Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor. 24. The three most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order. 25. "Stewardesses" is the longest word that can be typed with only the left hand. 26. To escape the grip of a crocodile's jaws, prick your fingers into its eyeballs. It will let you go instantly. 27. A mathematical wonder: 111,111,111 multiplied by 111,111,111 gives the result 12, 345, 678, 987, 654, 321. 28. The most common name in the world is Mohammed. 29. The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. 30. The "pound" (#) key on your keyboard is called an octothorp. 31. The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat. 32. Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated. 33. The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing. 34. "Dreamt" is the only word in the English language that ends in "mt". 35. It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. 36. In Chinese, the KFC slogan "finger lickin' good" comes out as "eat your fingers off". 37. A cockroach can live for 10 days without a head. 39. We shed 40 pounds of skin a lifetime. 40. Yo-Yos were once used as weapons in the Philippines. 41. Coca-Cola can be used as car oil. 42. Mexico City sinks abut 10 inches a year. 43. Brains are more active sleeping than watching TV. 44. Blue is the favorite color of 80 percent of Americans. 45. When a person shakes their head from side to side, he is saying "yes" in Sri Lanka. 46. There are more chickens than people in the world. 47. It's against the law in Iceland to have a dog. 48. The thumbnail grows the slowest, and the middle nail grows the fastest. 49. The only word in the English Language with all vowels in reverse order is "s ub c ont in ent al". 50. There are more telephones than people in Washington, D.C.

HEALTH---SPROUTS

Nutritional Benefits of Sprouts

Sprouts are full of nutrition and the best source of a balanced food. Sprouts are alkaline in nature and hence improve the health in many respects. They are helpful in complete purification of the body and also improve the disease fighting capacity of the body. Sprouts also increase the nutritional value of food.

In order to maintain good health, 80% of the food should be alkaline and 20% should be acidic, which should necessarily include raw food and sprouts in good quantity. Sprouts are best medicine for the body. Sprouts are the germinated seeds of lentils or grains, and this germination process gives a lot of beneficial qualities for health.

Why are sprouts essential?

In the present life style, food habits are changing fast and in an unnatural way. This has a bad impact on our health. The main reason for most of the diseases is wrong food habits, life style and negative thinking. Sprouts are the best solution for improving wrong food habits. The use of sprouts as a part of daily food fulfills the need for alkaline and acidic food requirement, which is important for maintaining good health.

Use of Sprouts

Any healthy or unhealthy person can eat sprouts but the quantity should be less in the beginning and they should be chewed properly. Cucumber,  tomato, green chillies, coriander and lemon can be added to enhance the taste and also make it more nutritious. Sprouts are the germinated seeds of lentils or grains, and this germination process gives lot of beneficial qualities for health. If an ill person consumes raw foods then he or she can overcome health related problems very easily. If a healthy person eats sprouts regularly then he or she can prevent several diseases and also improve their health.

All grains cannot be sprouted. Sunflower, pulses, kidney bean, gram, soybean, fenugreek, and wheat seeds can be sprouted. These sprouts can be taken after consultation with doctor or an expert.

At the time of sprouting wheat, special care should be taken to avoid fungus formation. Use a glass jar to make wheat sprouts or some other special sprout makers that are available in the market and put it under the sun in the morning.

Benefits of Sprouts

• Sprouts are natural, fresh and a complete food. They are easily digestible, they control weight and are tasty, besides being nutritious.
• Some sprouts have more vitamin C, iron, riboflavin, niacin, and phosphorous. Therefore it is a good source of vitamins and minerals.
• The non-nutritional elements reduce after sprouting.
• The starch found in sprouts converts into glucose, fructose and maltose. It not only enhances taste but also improves the digestion. The process of sprouting is slower in lentils when compared to grains.
• Sprouts reach the different organs of the body quickly and give instant energy.
• Sprouts are nutritious for the body in a natural way.
• Sprouts are a complete food and free from adulteration.
• The body gets necessary nutrition from sprouts.
• Sprouts help alcohol addicts to get rid of this problem.
• Sprouts should be taken raw as boiling, cooking or roasting destroys its nutrition value. However, it can be steam cooked. Old people, who cannot chew sprouts, should grind it and eat the paste. This will not reduce the nutritional value of sprouts.
• Sprouts of kidney beans, fenugreek, gram and other grains can be made in a glass jar or damp cloth. Wash the grains or lentils thoroughly in water at least three to four times. Remove the bad seeds and place the good ones in a glass jar and fill it with four times water. Soak overnight, and spread on a cotton cloth, tie it nicely and keep it aside. During summer season, sprinkle cold water on the sprout  bag prepared in this manner to retain the moisture. Sprouts appear the next morning. The sprouting process takes more time during winter season than summer season. Sprinkle water inside the jar also at regular intervals.
• Do not store the sprouts for many days. Use fresh sprouts and wash it once in water before eating.
• The seeds, grains or lentils chosen for making sprouts should be fresh, new, clean, and free from chemicals. Some seeds cannot be sprouted during this process. Select and remove the unhealthy seeds.

Best seeds suitable for sprouting:

• Kidney beans can be easily sprouted. They contain vitamin A, E and C.
• Fenugreek has a strong and bitter taste. It has curative power. It is used in the treatment of diabetes and arthritis.
• Gram is sprouted since ancient times. It provides vitamins, protein and minerals. Sprouts are like nectar. Eat them raw to improve your health.

POSITIVE STORY

Sand & Stone

     

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE

   

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE! AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE WROTE ON A STONE:

'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE'

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, 'AFTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,
YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'

THE FRIEND REPLIED
'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.
BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES
SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT'

LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE.

THEY SAY IT TAKES A
MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL
PERSON, AN HOUR TO
APPRECIATE
THEM, A DAY
TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN
AN ENTIRE LIFE
TO FORGET THEM.

MORAL STORY

All the rooms in the house were being decorated for Diwali. Everything had to be sparkling clean and bright.

The living room said: "Hey look at me, I'm so huge. I'm the one decorated with beautiful things. I'm the most sparkling room of the house. I'm the best."

The bedroom could not resist this challenge, he retorted and said: "OK! You may be the biggest but I am the most important room in the house because everybody longs to take rest here when they are tired. The energy of everybody gets revitalised when they come to me."

The kitchen scoffed and said: "Can you rest with an empty stomach! If it were not for me what could anybody eat? Where could the food be cooked? Where would the energy come from without food? So you see, I am the most important."

The little bathroom was feeling neglected. He dare not speak too loud among these luminous dignitaries. He said meekly: "What about me, everybody needs to use me too, even if I'm smelly sometimes."

Now who could decide which was most valuable room of the house? Could these rooms do without each other?

No, no... They could all be the best places in the room. But still there was something more in there which never spoke, nor could be seen, but was always there. In fact it was in & out of all the walls of the house, all the rooms were rooted in it!

It is the SPACE! The space was not confined to a single room but instead it was present everywhere.. .

It was because of the space that all the rooms were existing! Every room thought: "This is my space! The space was not in the rooms but the truth is that the rooms were in the space. The space existed silently, all pervasively, selflessly, and so could hold within itself all their vanities and yet it is not bound by them.



Similarly people belonging to different religions, like Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist etc., keep trying to prove their superiority. Each individual draws energy from the blissful roots of the soul. The soul which is omnipresent & is the basis of existence of all, never utters a single word. That which is the most supreme need not prove itself...

STORY

Master of Games 

An old man who lived in a small side street in the city of Mumbai had to put up with the nuisance of having boys play cricket outside his house, at night.

One evening when the boys were particularly noisy, he went out to talk to them.

He explained that he was a pensioner who was happiest when he could see or hear boys playing his favorite game, cricket. He said he would give them 25 rupees each week to play in the street at night.

The boys were thrilled.

They were being paid to do something they enjoyed.

At the end of the first week they knocked at the old man's house and asked to be paid.

He did so.

The second week when they asked for payment he said he had run out of money and sent them away with only 15 rupees.

The third week the man said he had not yet received his pension and gave them only 10 rupees.

The boys were very disappointed but there was not much they could do about it.

The fourth week the man said he could not afford to pay them 25 rupees as he had promised, but would give them 5 rupees each week without fail.

This was too much for the boys.

"You expect us to play seven days a week for a measly 5 rupees!" they yelled. "Go to blazes."

They stormed away and never played on the street again.

MORAL STORY

The Art of Giving

"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?
 
Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.
 

The first question is when should one give?

We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.

Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices, that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will  be around tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message.  
One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!
 

The time to give therefore is now.

The next question is 'how much to give?

 
One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.
 

The answer to this question how much to give is
"Give as much as you can!

The next question is what to give?

 
It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile.
 
It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!
 

"You can give anything but you must give with your heart!

One also needs answer to this question whom to give?

 
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified.
 

“Give without being judgmental!

Next we have to answer 'How to give?

 
Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving.
 
In giving follow the advice, ’Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.
 

'Give quietly!

 

While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.

What should one feel after giving?

 
We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina?he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.
 
There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.
 
His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru?

The message to us is clear.
 

Give and never regret giving!

 
And the last question is
 

‘How much should we provide for our heirs?

 
Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work'? - A source of happiness! The answer is given by Warren Buffett:  
 

"Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!


I would conclude by saying: let us learn the Art of Giving, and quoting Sant Kabir:

 
"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, Throw them out with both hands!

This is the wise thing to do.

indian temples

Indian Temples

Trimbakeshwar Temple, Nasik, Maharashtra

Kedarnath temple, Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

SriDharmasthalaManjunatheshwara Temple, Dharmasthala (75 kms from Mangalore), Karnataka

Lord Kalabhairaveshwara Temple , Adichunchanagiri Math (95 Kms fromBangalore ), Karnataka

religion--kooratthaazvaar

KoorathAzhvaan 1000th Anniversary

Disciple Secures Moksham for his Acharya!!


Born in Kooram Village near Kanchipuram, KoorathAzhvaan ruled the place, while at the same time devoting a lot of his time in the service of Bhagavathas and other Vishnu devotees.

A little distance away, at Kanchipuram, Thiru Kachi Nambi was engaged in a direct one to one conversation with Varadaraja Perumal every night.

One night, while they were involved in one such long conversation, they heard a huge bell sound. Lord Varadar enquired if this was the closing bell of the temple and as to why it was so late.

Nambi narrated to him the story of KoorathAzhvaan and his dedicated service. Having served all the Bhagavathas till late in the night with Thathikarathanai (serving food to guests), it was the noise of the closing of the door at KoorathAzhvaan’s house signalling the end of the service for the day.

An inquisitive Varadar asked if KoorathAzhvaan was a wealthy person and rich enough to serve so many people.


The next day Nambi met KoorathAzhvaan and shared the details of his previous night’s conversation, leaving KoorathAzhvaan disappointed. After all his service, did the Lord only see him as a rich and wealthy person and not his dedicated service?

But quickly he realized the real intention of Lord Varadar and gave away his wealth that very minute.

Renounces Wealth

Time had come for him to be with his Acharya Ramanuja and he along with his wife took the long route from Kooram to Srirangam. On the way through the forest, he found his wife showing signs of anxiety. On enquiry, he found his wife to be carrying a golden vattil (sacred bowl). Angered at her holding back a bit of his wealth, he immediately threw it away. Such was his commitment to renunciation.

At Srirangam, he dedicated his entire life to service assigned by his Acharya. During this period, KoorathAzhvaan displayed immeasurable instances of unstinting service.

On one occasion, he found a frog under the clutches of a big snake and immediately shouted if someone could save the small frog. Such was his tenderness. On another occasion, a pregnant woman was struggling to fill water on the Cauvery river banks and KoorathAzhvaan immediately ran into help.

Once, he was assigned the task of cutting the plantain. A little later not finding him, Ramanuja searched out for him only to find his disciple in a fainted condition. On enquiry, he informed that he was shocked to see juice coming out of the plantain (when he pressed with a knife) and hence the reason for his fainting. Such was his softness!!!!

Knowledge unequalled

Ramanuja was to write the Sri Bashyam composition, the reference material for which was available only in Kashmir. Ramanuja and koorathazhvaan collected the material but before they could start their journey back to srirangam, they found the material had been stolen(while at Kashmir itself).

While Ramanuja was completely shocked, KoorathAzhvaan seemed less worried for he had gone through the material once through the night and had the special ability to absorb all that he had read.

Such was his absorption power and knowledge, that a single read was enough for him to grasp the entire content of such an extensive document.

Highest form of Service
On another occasion, angered by some action, Ramanuja asked KoorathAzhvaan to leave the house. Obedient disciple that he was, KoorathAzhvaan stayed outside the house leading to embarrassing questions from onlookers. Unmindful of the comments, KoorathAzhvaan continue his service.

KoorathAzhvaan’s simple answer was he was a Sishya of Ramanuja and his duty was to follow everything as directed by his Acharya and hence there was no embarrassment in being outside.

Stunned by this response, Ramanuja called him back. This was another instance of his outstanding commitment to service.

KoorathAzhvaan plucks out his eyes

Once a chozha king, who was a Saivite devotee, directed his people to sign a document that Lord Siva was the greatest. A Vaishnavite devotee refused to sign and asked the king to get Ramanuja to sign, if he really believed that Siva was the greatest. Accordingly, the king ordered for Ramanuja to be brought to his court.

Anxious at the anger of the king and worried as to what could happen to his Acharya, KoorathAzhvaan disguised as Ramanuja and entered the court of the Chozha King. As expected he refused to sign.

Angered at his refusal to sign and having found out his disguised form, the king ordered the plucking of his eyes. Not wanting the king’s messenger to touch him, KoorathAzhvaan did the unthinkable- he removed both his eyes with his own hands using his long sharp nails.

Sishya gets Moksham for his Acharya

Varadaraja Perumal

For a long time, he was without vision and away from his Acharya, who had left for Melkote. Later, Ramanuja came back and took KoorathAzhvaan to Lord Varadan to help him regain his vision. When asked what he wanted, KoorathAzhvaan asked for Moksham for Naaluran, the person who was the cause for his lost vision. Such was his greatness that he would not think ill even to those who did wrong to him.

When pressed again, he said he would like to see his Acharya, another indication of his supreme service to his Acharya!

Periya Perumal of Srirangam gave the final Moksham- ‘To you and to your related/connected people I give moksham’. KoorathAzhvaan had thus indirectly secured Moksham for his Acharya as well- A very unique occurance indeed- that of an Acharya getting Moksham through his sishya.

When asked the reason for asking moksham before his Acharya, KoorathAzhvaan revealed that he wanted to go and get ready the sacred water so he could serve the feet of his Acharya when he arrived there later. Even after Moksham, KoorathAzhvaan wanted to serve his Acharya Ramanuja!

KoorathAzhvaan was the ultimate symbol of Perfection – The Perfect disciple with the Perfect knowledge.

He lived for 110years, spending his final days in Srirangam before attaining Moksham.

TIRUPPAAVAI THANIYANKAL-RELIGION

Let us enjoy Thiruppavai verse one a day…


Let us meditate on the lotus feet of Sri Godha piraaTTi by enjoying her glories and by reciting her thaniyan before we venture into the verse.



Parasara Bhattar composed this wonderful thaniyan on AndAL…



NeeLA-Tunga sthanagiri-taDI Suptham udhbhOdhya KrishNam

PaarArTyam svam sruthi-satha- siras-siddham adhyApayanthI

svOcchishtAyAm sraji nigalitham yaa balAthkruthya bhunkthE

GOdhA Tasyai Nama idhamidham bhUya yEvAsthu BhUya:



Meaning according to Dr.V.N.S.Raghavan:



May I offer my obeisance again and again to Goddess ANDAL

alias GOdhA --to Her alone--who awakened Lord KrishNA (taking

rest and) sleeping on the mountain-like lofty breasts of

Goddess NILA alias Nappinnai PirAtti; GOdhA , who has

imparted to Him ( Lord KrishNA )Her dependence ( on Him )

as established in the hundreds of the texts of the crown

of the VedAs( Viz. the VedAnthA or the Upanishads); and

GOdhA , who forcefully enjoys Him after binding Him with

flower-wreaths that were already worn by Her.



Relationship of the Taniyan to ThiruppAvai Paasuram



Parasara Bhattar's Taniyan arose from reflections

on " the Kutthu ViLakkeriya" 19th ThiruppAvai Paasuram ,

where ANDAL's PurushakAra prapatthi to NeeLaa Piraatti

is covered.



NeeLA devi has utmost importance in KrishNAvathAram

and AzhwArs have celebrated this sambhandham in their

NaalAyira Dhivya Prabhandhams( NDP):



NamaskAram to ANDAL by ParAsara Bhattar:



" GodhA Tasyai idham idham nama:" To that Godhai ,

all SaasthrA-ordained namaskArams be !



Parasara Bhattar performs PraNAmam to Godhai repeatedly and in many ways.



" BhUya yEvAsthu BhUya :" May those PraNAmams be

repeated in ascending order and be repeated !



Why is GodhA being saluted profusely by Bhattar?

It is because of what She did for us:



(1) She woke up Her Lord , KrishNan (udhbhOdhya KrishNam) ,

who was sleeping blissfully on the vale of the hillock-like

breasts of Nappinnai and instructed (remided)Him (adhyApayaNTHI)

about His sworn duties attested in hundreds of Upanishads

about His Sarva Seshithvam and His Seshi-Sesha relationship

to Jeevans. She became the AchAryan to GeethAchAryan

Himself and reminded Him to wake up and go about His

sworn duties instead of lazing away comfortably

enjoying the Sukham of the lofty breasts of Nappinnai .



(2) She also reminded Him whether He with the name

KrishNan ( Krishir BhUvAchaka: Sabdha Nasccha

nivrutthi Vaachaka:/ You are the One , who gives

aanandham to BhUmi ) . Have You forgotten that

I am Your other consort , BhUmi in ANDAL form

while You rest joyously with NeeLai? She reminded KrishNA

about their Sambhandham ( UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam).

She questioned Him about His special Moham (infatuation)

for NeeLai , while He should be equally attentive to all

the Three Devis including Herself (" Hreesccha tE

LakshmIsccha Pathnyou" ).



(3) She reminded Him of Her Seshathvam to Him

( Svam PaarArthyam adhyApayanthI) .She reminded

Her Lord that all the chEthanams of the land (BhUmi)

are Sesha BhUthars to Him and that He should wake up

and accept their preethi-poorvaka kaimkaryams and

bless them as their Sarva Seshi. With rights as

the compassionate AchAryan , She instructed Him on

His sworn duties .She is SaakshAth BhUmi PirAtti

(SaakshAth KshamAm --Swamy Desikan ), who pleaded for

the boon of a Laghu UpAyam from Her Lord for us ,

the suffering Jeevans ( VarAha Charama SlOkam ).

That is what She was instructing the Lord about

His relationships and responsibilities ( PaarArdhyam

AdhyApayanthI) in the spirit of "Thvanm mE ,

aham mE" of Bhattar's Thirumanjanakkattiy am , where

the Lord in wet clothes adorned by TuLasi garland

vouches for His sarva Swamithvam to an arrogant jeevan.

This is the Sruthi satha sira siddham PaarArdhyam .

This PaarArdhya Tatthvam is incorporated in the meaning of

Pranavam.This is Sruthi Sira Siddham. She as BhUmi Piratti

( NDP: 614, 1100 and 3772) reminded Her Lord of

this fundamental tatthvam and awakened Him from

His deep slumber to perform His sworn duties.



How did She plead for us ?

She tied Him (Lord KrishNA) down with the TuLasi Maali

that She adorned (svOcchishtAyAm sraji nigaLitham )

and enjoyed Him forcefully ( balAthkruthya BhungthE).

Just as NelA Devi tied down the Lord with Her

Dhivya Soundharyam of Her Tunga Sthana Giri, ANDAL

tied Him down with her TuLasi Maalai and instructed Him

to go about His duties.He was powerless to resist Her

and later married Her and settled down at His

father-in-law' s house at SrivilliputthUr and

stayes there to do His duties.



Taniyan # 2 Uyyakondaar aruLicceythavai)



iruvikaRpa nEricai veNpaa



annavayal puthuvai aaNtaaL * araNGkaRkup

pannu thiruppaavaip palpathiyam * - innicaiyaal

paatikkotuththaaL naRpaamaalai pUmaalai *

cUtik kotuththaaLaic collu.



UyyakkoNDAr visualizes SrivilliputthUr as

a special djivya dEsam , where the Hamsam (Anna

Pakshi) known for its power to separate milk

from water are abundant. It is also a reference

to HamsAvathAra BhagavAn , who instructed BrahmA

on the meanings of Vedams. Parama Hamsa ParivrAjAkAs

also adorn this dhivya desam (Tathra KaashAyiNO VruddhAn--

as stated by Sumanthran in Srimath RaamAyaNam).

She is the Soodikkoduttha NaacchiyAr for Vatapathra Sayee.

She married (garlanded) Sri RanganAthan .Both

garlands of ANDAL are saluted by UyyakkoNDAr .

For Sri RangarAjan , She offered the garland

of ThiruppAvai verses( " ArangaRkkup Pannu ThiruppAvaip

Palpathiyam innisayAl Paadik kodutthAL NaRRppAmalai" ).

For Vatapathra Saayee , She offered TuLasi Maalais

that She adorned and sent with Vaadhyam and parisaram through

the sacred hands of Her father, PeriyAzhwAr. UyyakkoNDAr

asks us to sing about Her (Godhai's) glories

(SoodikkodutthALai sol ).



cUtikkotuththa cutarkkotiyE! * tholpaavai

paati aruLavalla palvaLaiyaay! * - naati nI

vENGkatavaRku ennai vithi enRa immaaRRam *

naam katavaa vaNNamE nalku.



In his first Taniyan, UyyakkoNDAr said that

the Naama SankIrthanam of ANDAL alone is enough

to be blessed. Here, He states that we should also

follow the path shown by Her through Her observance of

Vratham to attain the anugraham of Her Lord.



ANDAL declared : "uRavEl namakku ozhikka ozhiyAthU'

and " Unn tannOdu uRROmEyAvOm, UNAKKE naamm aatccheyvOm" .

UyyakkoNDAr prays to Godhai to bless us to emulate her

and to study and follow the meanings of Her "Thol Paavai".

Godhai's Vaak was "VenakatavaRkku yennai Vithi" ( Make me

the Sesham for Thiru Venkatavan ). UyaakoNDAr prays

to Her to be near Him ( Her Lord)and us so that we can

follow Her path (Maarga darsanam ) without transgression

("imARRAM naam kadavA vaNNam naadi nalhu" ).UyyakkoNDAr

asks Her to come near us with her EmperumAn and help us to

perform this vratham of ThiruppAvai nOnbhu.AchArya Seshathvam

is also implied here.



Dhivya: kanyAvratha Para SudhAsyanthi Sookthi PrabhandhO

Devi GodhA dhadhathu Gurava: Srinidhisccha Sriyam na:

--- (Sri UtthamUr Swamy's PraNAmam to GOdhai)



With her blessings, we will start with the short daily versions of individual Paasurams of ThiruppAvai and enter into this Kaimkaryam.

[Reference: Sri Satakopan Swami's translation of Sri U Ve PerukaraNai Swami's book exhaustive commentary on Thiruppavai]