Koopidu dooram.

There lived in an holy hamlet where we have the Munmani koil a (Temple housing the three deities Veera Narasimha, Neelamegha Perumal and Manikunra perumal  near Thanjavur) man referred to as recluse a man born to a bangle seller he was named Periasami and was a bright and pious student as a lad. His father wanted him to work for the state and was keen that he did not continue his bangle selling business. Periasamy being generous of heart and unmindful of money was not a successful business man. he did get a job to work for the state but him being not interested. he soon lost his job. his bangle business too failed he lived like a recluse near the shrine of Sri Narasimha and served the lord in his own small way. now the ruler of the area was spiritually inclined and one day he just asked the scholars in his court if they could tell him how far Vaikuntam was the abode of Narayana. they the scholars were hesitant and could not reply they suggested that the ruler ask Periyasami as he was the one who was always singing the praise of Narayana and his benevolence. the cheftian hence asked him. Periasamy said that he too was notaware but he guessed it was only "Koopidu dooram" as the lord had rushed to save Gajedra  Prahalad, Drupadi and a few others when they called out for help. the story weaves on to say that the scholars were jealous as the King was pleased with Periasami and had showered huge gifts to him. they planned a gathering of scholars to which even periasami was invited and he was asked to sing songs in praise of the cheftian which he refused and was duly punished. The Lord was so angered that he appeared to the cheftian in Narasimha form and ordered that Periasamy be released and that the chief should beg pardon. and so the cheftian rushed out to where they were preparing to punish periasamy and shouted to stop and he fell at the feet of Periasamy and asked forgiveness. Periasamy was pained to learn that the Lord had appeared to the chief and not to him. The Lord in the form of a Brahmin appeared before them and asked both Periasamy and the chief to go to Srirangam. KOOPIDU DOORAM indeed make me worthy to call. 

rukminis letter.7

श्रुत्वा गुणान्‌ भुवनसुन्दर शृण्वतां ते

निर्विश्य कर्णविवरैर्हरतोऽङ्गतापं।

रूपं दृशं दृशिमतां अखिलार्थलाभं

त्वय्यच्युताविशति चित्तमपत्रपं मे॥१

śrutvā guṇān bhuvanasundara śṛṇvatāṁ te

nirviśya karṇavivarairharato'ṅgatāpaṁ|

rūpaṁ dṛśaṁ dṛśimatāṁ akhilārthalābhaṁ

tvayyacyutāviśati cittamapatrapaṁ me||1

का त्वा मुकुन्द महती कुलशीलरूप

विद्यावयोद्रविणदामभिरात्मतुल्यं।

धीरा पतिं कुलवती न वृणीत कन्या

काले नृसिंह नरलोकमनोऽभिरामं॥२

kā tvā mukunda mahatī kulaśīlarūpa

vidyāvayodraviṇadāmabhirātmatulyaṁ|

dhīrā patiṁ kulavatī na vṛṇīta kanyā

kāle nṛsiṁha naralokamano'bhirāmaṁ||2

तन्मे भवान्‌ खलु वृतः पतिरङ्ग जाया-

मात्मार्पितश्च भवतोऽत्र विभो विधेहि।

मा वीरभागमभिमर्शतु चैद्य आरात्-

गोमायुवद्‌ मृगपतेर्बलिमंबुजाक्ष॥३

tanme bhavān khalu vṛtaḥ patiraṅga jāyā-

mātmārpitaśca bhavato'tra vibho vidhehi|

mā vīrabhāgamabhimarśatu caidya ārat-

gomāyuvad mṛgapaterbalimaṁbujākṣa||3

पूर्तेष्टदत्तनियमव्रतदेवविप्र-

गुर्वर्च्चनादिभिरलं भगवान्‌ परेशः।

आराधितो यदि गदाग्रज एत्य पाणिं

गृह्ण्णातु मे न दमघोषसुतादयोऽन्न्ये॥४

pūrteṣṭadattaniyamavratadevavipra-

gurvarccanādibhiralaṁ bhagavān pareśaḥ|

ārādhito yadi gadāgraja etya pāṇiṁ

gṛhṇṇātu me na damaghoṣasutādayo'nnye||4

श्वोभाविनि त्वमजितोद्वहने विदर्भान्

गुप्तः समेत्य पृतनपतिभिः परीतः।

निर्म्मथ्य चैद्यमगधेन्द्रबलं प्रसह्य

मां राक्षसेन विधिनोद्वह वीर्यशुल्कां॥५

śvobhāvini tvamajitodvahane vidarbhān

guptaḥ sametya pṛtanapatibhiḥ parītaḥ|

nirmmathya caidyamagadhendrabalaṁ prasahya

māṁ rākṣasena vidhinodvaha vīryaśulkāṁ||5

अन्तःपुरान्तरचरीमनिहत्य बन्धुं

स्त्वामुद्वहे कथमिति प्रवदाम्युपायं।

पूर्वेद्युरस्ति महती कुलदेवियात्रा

यस्यां बहिर्न्नवावधूर्ग्गिरिजामुपेयात्॥६

antaḥpurāntaracarīmanihatya bandhuṁ

stvāmudvahe kathamiti pravadāmyupāyaṁ|

pūrvedyurasti mahatī kuladeviyātrā

yasyāṁ bahirnnavāvadhūrggirijāmupeyāt||6

यस्याङ्घ्रिपङ्कजरजस्नपनं महान्तो

वाञ्चन्त्युमापतिरिव्वत्मतमोपहत्यै

यर्ह्यम्बुजाक्ष न लभेय भवत्प्रादं

जह्यामसून् व्रतकृशान् शतजन्मभिः स्यात्॥७

yasyāṅghripaṅkajarajasnapanaṁ mahānto

vāñcantyumāpatirivvatmatamopahatyai

yarhyambujākṣa na labheya bhavatprādaṁ

jahyāmasūn vratakṛśān śatajanmabhiḥ syāt||7

Śrī Rukmiṇī said [in her letter, as read by the brāhmaṇa]: O beauty of the worlds, having heard of Your qualities, which enter the ears of those who hear and remove their bodily distress, and having also heard of Your beauty, which fulfills all the visual desires of those who see, I have fixed my shameless mind upon You, O Kṛṣṇa.
SB 10.52.38 — O Mukunda, You are equal only to Yourself in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, youthfulness, wealth and influence. O lion among men, You delight the minds of all mankind. What aristocratic, sober-minded and marriageable girl of a good family would not choose You as her husband when the proper time has come?
SB 10.52.39 — Therefore, my dear Lord, I have chosen You as my husband, and I surrender myself to You. Please come swiftly, O almighty one, and make me Your wife. My dear lotus-eyed Lord, let Śiśupāla never touch the hero’s portion like a jackal stealing the property of a lion.
SB 10.52.40 — If I have sufficiently worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead by pious works, sacrifices, charity, rituals and vows, and also by worshiping the demigods, brāhmaṇas and gurus, then may Gadāgraja come and take my hand, and not Damaghoṣa’s son or anyone else.
SB 10.52.41 — O unconquerable one, tomorrow when my marriage ceremony is about to begin, You should arrive unseen in Vidarbha and surround Yourself with the leaders of Your army. Then crush the forces of Caidya and Magadhendra and marry me in the Rākṣasa style, winning me with Your valor.
SB 10.52.42 — Since I will be staying within the inner chambers of the palace, You may wonder, “How can I carry you away without killing some of your relatives?” But I shall tell You a way: On the day before the marriage there is a grand procession to honor the royal family’s deity, and in this procession the new bride goes outside the city to visit Goddess Girijā.
SB 10.52.43 — O lotus-eyed one, great souls like Lord Śiva hanker to bathe in the dust of Your lotus feet and thereby destroy their ignorance. If I cannot obtain Your mercy, I shall simply give up my vital force, which will have become weak from the severe penances I will perform. Then, after hundreds of lifetimes of endeavor, I may obtain Your .

Kale Narasimha and others from (w)

Rukmini called Sri Krishna Kale Narasimha or Nrisimha as he is ever ready to help the devotee, just as the Lord Narasimha appeared in the Pillar to rescue his bhakta Prahalada. It seems the Lord was waiting to appear. The Narasimha avtara is one of his smallest avtaras. single purpose but how powerful an impact.
Songs such as Kambadinda Vodadu Bandaya Narasimha explains the Lord as ever waiting to be called. In right earnest should be the call in complete surrender and as the only goal or want in life. Is it possible? We are used to saying the call will come or when the call comes. but rather he is waiting for you to call him. When will the maya jeeva be fed up with the worldly pleasures and call out to him, how earnest is the call and how inclined the bhakti.
Kamakshi astakam and Vishnu Sahasranama stotra also give wonderful descriptions of the Lord Narasimha as Paritranaya sadhunam Vinashayacha Dushkrutam etc destruction of evil to protect the righteous. The same lord can be seen as if his hands are competing with each other to destroy the Hiranyakasipu and at the same time have a radiating compassion for Prahalada.

studies in mimamsa.

shastra

Sanskrit texts which evolved in intellectual circles through predominantly oral tradition in India. A theory of knowledge which is basic to a Shastra has certain peculiar characteristics: (i) It believes in the validity of word revealed or otherwise as a source of knowledge. Indian cultural tradition positing faith in efficacy of word re-inforces this belief. (ii) Any Shastra is discovery of pre-existing knowledge. This underlines the importahistory of ideas than its formulation or rather interpretation by an individual author. Hence the mythical origin is always invoked. (iii) Individual authorship is not denied but impersonalised revelation of truth or its institutionalised formulation is underlined. This explains anonymity or near-anonymity of authorship of the shastras. (iv) Dates, chronology and biographies of authors are uncertain and ideas, opinions and their competitive co-existence are more important. (v) There is manifest anxiety to show rootedness or unity of knowledge than to emphasise its novelty or divergence. (vi) Each shastra is related to man and his destiny-through a scheme of fair ends of human life. (vii) The language of a shastra is Sanskrit-which gave it a PanIndian character by transcreating regional terms into a refined and polished Idiom. Sanskrit is the word or idiom for an all-India understanding of contents and ideas which may have originated in the circles which did not know or speak Sanskrit. 

Dance and Sing.

Moimmampumpolil: 3-5.

Pray tell, O people of the ocean girdled earth!
What are they who cannot sing and dance in joy
The glories of the dark hued lord who saved the elephant
From the jaws of the crocodile in the lotus tank?

Praising the Lord who gives woe to the mighty Asuras,
Friends who mince and eat mortals on earth,
Those who cannot sing on top throat and dance in ecstacy
Must forever suffer the throes of Karmic birth.

Those who do not dance and touch the earth with their heads
repeatedly uttering the praise of the lord
who stopped a hailstorm with a mountain
Must forever suffer stormy hell as their only retreat.

Sing the praise of Sridhara of coral lips
who killed seven bulls for love of Nappinnai.
Dance with hands over head, dignity be blown.
or else what use this birth amid saintly men?

The lord of vedas left his radiant Vaikuntha
And came as a mortal to protect the innocent from Kamsa's tyranny.
Other than singing and dancing his praise through every street
What is there to learn before scholars, are they men?

The birthless lord who took birth reclines in the ocean,
Sweet as fruit and nectar, sugar and honey and ambrosia,
He is the living, the non living and all else.
those whopraise him, sing and dance attain total knowledge.

The radiant lord unleashed a terrible army
Over the unfair hundred and granted victory to the five.
Of what use to the good world are men who build up their biceps
If they do not melt their hearts, dance and sing and praise?

Our lord resides in Vengadam of cool water springs,
Rave his name incessantly and be called a mad man 
roam through towns and hamlets, let the world mock at you.
Jump and dance in ecstacy, and be worshipped by celestials.

The lord worshipped by celestials is lord of all creation.
For all other than those who have reached him forever
Through yogic penance and see him in their hearts,
Dancing and singing his praise is the only Karma.

He is their Karmas their fruit and their cause.
My lord of gem hue and lotus eyes, lord of celestials,
With oneness of heart, melting inside, dance and sing,
Lose your pride and shame, and rave his praise like mad.

this decad of a thousand songs
On acyuta, lord who corrects devotees and accepts them
Is by Satakopan of fertile Kurugur fields.
those who sing it will win over strong Karmas.

POLIKA V-2

Hail Hail Hail Gone is the curse of existence, hell has relented
Yama has no work here anymore;even Kali shall end, just see!
The ocean- hued lord's spirits have descended on earth in hordes
We have seen them singing and dancing everywhere.

  We have seen visions sweet to the eyes, yes we have seen!
Come devotees all, worship, praise and shout in joy.
The spirits of Tulasi crowned Madhava are roaming the earth.
They are seen standing, singing Pann-s and dancing everywhere.


The rolling age of Kali is ending, the gods have also entered.
the golden age of Krita begins, and joy floods the land.
the spirit of my ocean hued lord have come singing songs.
They have densely packed the earth and occupied every nook.


All the heretic schools are being cleared like weeds;
The spirit of our mighty ocean reclining Lord
are singing many many songs lying, sitting, standing,
Walking, flying dancing, they are performing plays

 The lord's spirits have miraculously entered the earth. 
They stand everywhere, their acts alone occupy my vision,
Have no doubt, devotees if there are asuras and raksasasamongyou.
There is no escape their days will end in death.

The discus lord's devotees have come to stay,
to rid the world of soul consuming disease, war hunger and evil.
they have spread everywhere singing in mirth & dancing in ecstacy.
Cease thought, devotees, go worship them and be saved.

Know that your fond gods can save you only through his grace;
markandeya is proof.
Have no doubt, there is no god other than krishna,
All that exists are his forms so worship him alone.

He is the lord of gods, himself becoming the gods in all the worlds.
It is he who accepts the offering you make to your gods.
The spirits of the mole-chested lord have filled the earth singing songs.
so shed hatred; love, worship and liberate yourselves.

The world has become filled with devotees and holy men
who lovingly worship Acyuta, unfailing in the path of knowledge
With full flowers, incense, lamp,sandal,water and Vedic mantras,
You too join in loving worship, and liberate yourselves.

In all the great worlds, all the dense hordes of gods,
And even Shiva, Brahma, Indra and others stand and worship Krishna
Devotees if you can join them in loving worship,
there shall be nothing of the age of kali,

This decad of the famous thousand songs, 
Sung by Karimaran Satakopan of Kurugur surrounded by happy fields,
Addressed  to the wonder lord, radiant Krishna, destroyer of kali,
will cleanse devotees hearts.

wonders of nature.

Nature is not so poor to possess only one of anything nor throughout her varied realms has she been known to offer an excellent exceptional creation. when we explore her many mountain ranges we find that there are scattered identical characteristics each presenting in varied scale the same mural as to say giving the whole landscape a unique appearance. when one visits say norway, sweden finland alaska where nature has been untouched and allowed to paint its own picture one can see how beautiful and self absorbing nature can be. the largeness the continuity the serene atmosphere mystifies one to realise how insignificant one is in the full drama of creation and maintenance.
There is a love of wild nature in everyone. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into the trees, the wind will blow their freshness into you, the storms their energy share the abundance of creation encaptures you in all its magic. the feeling has to be experienced not related. Its given only to a few gifted people who are nature lovers like John Muir genre to comment and study nature. The way nature is described is as if it is a nature that controls all human behavior.

Thiruvaimolzi 4.9 NANNADAR

Strangers laugh and good relatives weep
Over countless miseries the world heaps; what ways are these?
Lord with beautiful eyes who churned the ocean
Tell me quick the path to your feet, or give me death.

Kith and kin heap destruction and death,
Cheat each other fall and weep; what ways are these?
O lord on serpent couch, I see no way for myself.
Heed my prayer, fine a way and call me unto you quick!

Gaity, friendship, kith and kin and bountiful wealth,
flower tressed women and household all depart at death,
Ocean hued lord, I cannot bear this world, what ways are these?
Do not treat me as in the past: pray call me to your service quick!

Great wealth kindness a raging fire of desire,
Then wraps a cover of darkness all around.
Benevolent gem hued lord, what ways are these?
Wean me by your grace, and grant me your feet.

In the world that blossomed from the deluge waters,
All beings suffer the pain of birth, death, disease and age
And after that, hell; what ways are these?
Gem hued lord, pray do not forsake me, take me there!

They forsake, chain, beat, kill and eat.
Who ever realizes the truth, what ways are these?
Lord of tulasi crown, my ambrosia; sinner that i am,
You changed me and took my service; now call me to your feet.

When you are yourself the sentient and the insentient
In all this world existing for no other reason,
beyond disease, age, birth, death and misery.
Pray do ot show me the wicked world; call me, you must!

You show yourself and vanish,
You make the world, and with it, earth, water, fire air and sky.
May I cross the great sphere, abode of the gods,
And reach your radiant high feet, O, when will that be!

Lord on serpent couch, you make even Gods roam without redemption,
i too know this, Shearing me of my desires,
You have made me bear your feet and roam,
I now see I am inseparable from your rare lotus feet!

I have seen the pleasures of seeing, hearing, touch, smell and taste,
And the limited joy of heaven unattainable through the senses,
Only you and the fair bangled Lakshmi are permananent.
What wonder my lord, I have attained your lotus feet.

This decad of a thousand pure Tamil songs,
By prosperous Kurugur city's Satakopan,
Is addressed to the feet of effulgent Narayana, Kesava.
Recited with humility, it will secure the lord's feet.

Ratha Saptami.

Surya's chariot

Sun worship is deep rooted in the Vedas of the Hindu religion and its antiquity also relates to several mythologies of the world such as that of China, Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Gayathri Mantra jap – the sacred Vedic chants to Savitr (Sun god) – is recited by the Hindus every day with great reverence. As the puranic Hinduism evolved around the early Christian era, the worship of Sun, linked to the equinoxes, was established.

In the Rig veda Mandala 10/Hymn 85, the sun god's bride seated on a chariot pulled by two steeds is mentioned. This symbolism is therefore common to both Norse mythology and Vedic history.

The relevant verses (translated from Sanskrit by Ralph Griffith) are as follows:

10. Her spirit was the bridal car; the covering thereof was heaven: Bright were both Steeds that drew it when Surya approached her husband's, home.

11. Thy Steeds were steady, kept in place by holy verse and Sama-hymn: All cars were thy two chariot wheels: thy path was tremulous in the sky,

12. Clean, as thou wentest, were thy wheels wind, was the axle fastened there. Surya, proceeding to his Lord, mounted a spirit-fashionied car.

Ratha Saptami marks the seventh day following the Sun’s northerly movement (Uttarayana) of vernal equinox starting from Capricorn (Makara). It is symbolically represented in the form of the Sun God Surya turning his Ratha (Chariot) drawn by seven horses, with Aruna as the charioteer, towards the northern hemisphere, in a north-easterly direction. The symbolic significance of the ratha and the seven horses reigned to it is that it represents the seven colours of the rainbow. The seven horses are also said to represent the seven days of a week starting with Sunday, the day of Sun god Surya. The chariot has 12 wheels, which represents the 12 signs (each of 30 degrees) of the Zodiac (360 degrees) and constituting a full year, named Samvatsara. The Sun’s own house is Leo (Simha) and he moves from one house to the next every month and the total cycle takes 365 days to complete. The Ratha Saptami festival seeks the benevolent cosmic spread of energy and light from the Sun God.

Ratha Saptami also marks the gradual increase in temperature across South India and awaits the arrival of spring, which is later heralded by the festival of Ugadi or the Hindu lunar New Year day in the month of Chaitra.

Legends

Ratha Saptami also marks the birth of Surya to sage Kasyapa and his wife Aditi and hence celebrated as Surya Jayanti (the Sun-god’s birthday). A legend is narrated by the Kamboj empire's King Yashovarm, a noble king who had no heir to rule his kingdom. On his special prayers to God, he was blessed with a son. The king’s vows did not end with this, as his son was terminally ill. A saint who visited the king advised that his son should perform the Ratha Saptami pooja (worship) with reverence to rid of his past sins. Once the King’s son performed this, his health was restored and he ruled his kingdom well. It is also said that sage Bhishma breathed his last breath fourth day after the Rathasaptahmi day on ekaadashi

Sun temples

Sun Temples in India
Surya idol at Konaraktemple	Sun Temple, Modhera

There are Surya temples all across India where Ratha Sapthami is fervently celebrated. However, the most famous one is the World Heritage Site of the Konarak Sun Temple, in Konark, Orissa. Besides Konark, there is another sun temple in Orissa, the Biranchi Narayan Temple (Biranchi khetra) in Buguda, Ganjam District. There are sun temples inModhera, Gujarat, created by king Bhimdev of the Solanki dynasty, in Arasavalli, Andhra Pradesh and in clusters ofNavagraha temples in Tamil Nadu and Assam. The Sun Temple at Martand (Jammu and Kashmir) and Sun Temple of Multan are temples, which were destroyed during Muslim conflicts in the past. Details of few temples are elaborated.^[4]

Religious observances[edit]

Surya, the Sun God

God Vishnu in his form as Surya (the Sun-God) is usually worshipped on this day. Usually, Rathasapthami begins in households with a purification bath (bathing is also done in a river or sea) by holding several Ekka (Calotropis Gigantea) leaves on their head while bathing and chanting a verse which is supposed to invoke the benevolence of the Lord in all that one indulges in during the rest of the year. Argyam or (Tharpanam) (water held in the palms) is offered to the Sun God on this day while chanting hymns are performed to the Sun God. It also involves doing a puja with the ritual Naivedhya (food offering to God), and offering of flowers and fruits. Important prayers offered to the Sun god on this occasion are the Adityahridayam, Gayathri,Suryashtakam, Surya Sahasram namam. The preferred time for the pooja is within one hour after sunrise.^[4][7] In places likeMysore and Melkote, ceremonial processions carry the Surya Mandala - the icon of Surya. ^[7]

Ekka leaves (in Kannada), are also known as Arka (in Sanskrit, meaning a ray or flash of lightning) leaves, Jilledu in Telugu, Erukku in Tamil and Calotropis Gigantea (bowstring hemp) in English. Arka is also a synonym for Surya or Sun. Its significance to Sun God could be compared to the significance of Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) leaves to Vishnu. Arka leaves are also used for worship of god Ganesha known by the name Arka Ganesha and also for Hanuman worship. Its stems, called samidha (sacrificial offerings of wood) are used for the Yagna ritual as a sacrificial offering to a ritual fire. Its shape is said to represent the shoulders and chariot of Sun God. Its use during the ritualistic ceremonious bath involves placement of seven leaves - one on the head, two on the shoulders, two on the knees and two on the feet.^[4] On this day, in South India, Rangoli is drawn with coloured rice powder depicting a chariot and seven horses as symbolic of the Ratha Saptami. Cowdung cake is also burnt at the centre of this depiction and milk boiled on the fire is offered to the Sun God. In some of the important Vaishnavite temples such as the Tirumala,Srirangam, Srirangapattana and Melukote, Ratha Saptami is one of the important festivals of the year.

In Tirumala[edit]

On Ratha sapthami a one-day Brahmotsavam is held in Tirumala.On this day, the presiding deity of Lord Malayappa Swamy along with his divine consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi are taken to a procession in Thiru Mada streets in Tirumala. The deities carried out in a jubilant procession around the Thiru mada streets encircling the holy Shrine of Balaji on seven different vahanams(sapthami=seven) .Due to this reason the day of RathaSapthami is called as "Mini-Brahmotsavam" in Tirumala.The day starts with 'Surya prabha vahanam' at early morning followed by Sesha, Garuda, Hanumantha, Kalpavriksha, sarvabhoopala vahanams respectively.The day is ended with theChandra prabha vahanam.

Sangya's marriage to the Sun God(web)

Sangya's marriage to the Sun God

Vishwakarma was a great sage. He asked his daughter, Sangya, to marry the sun, Surya. She was very happy and very proud to marry him. But alas, a very short time after their marriage, she became frightened to death whenever she saw her husband. He was extremely luminous and powerful. His brilliance and power tortured her, and she was unable to go near him.

So she created a lady exactly like herself and called her Chhaya. Then she left the lady with Surya and went back to her parents' house. Her father was extremely annoyed with her. He said, "How can you do this? How can you deceive your husband? He is so kind, so good, so great."

"But Father, what can I do? He is too powerful. His heat kills me. As soon as he comes near me, I die from his excessive heat."

Vishwakarma said, "You should be very proud of him. You should ask him if there is a way to keep his heat from torturing you. He is so powerful. You must go. I don't want you to come back to stay with me. After getting married, it is absurd to leave one's husband and come back to one's parents. Now you must go. I will not keep you with me."

So Sangya left her father, but she did not go back to Surya. She took the form of a female horse and roamed around the earth.

In the meantime, Surya looked everywhere for his wife. He knew that Chhaya was not his real wife, so he searched for Sangya. Finally he came to know that she had taken the form of a horse and was roaming around. Surya also took the form of a horse and found her. He said, "I am so sorry that my heat tortured you. I am taking human form again. You also please take human form again. Let us remain happily married. I will not hurt you with my heat. I will reduce my heat and power to keep you. You were so beautiful, so kind to me once upon a time. I want you to be happy. Let us go home."

Sangya went home with Surya. He kept his promise to her and reduced his heat and power, and they lived together peacefully and happily.

Lost beauty of Angkor Vat.

The great lake of Kampuchea where people have lived for many centuries is Tonle Sap. Hard working clever and powerful rulers belong to this Cambodia's past. Angkor Vat in this area was built by the Khmer's who were powerful fine artists and hard workers to worship Brahma. They added figures of people, real and imaginary animals and also scenes from the ancient stories, that the people related and were famous. the religion of the rulers were not necessarily the religion of the people living in the area. the area around Angkor Vat housed people of Indians, Kampuchea's, Buddhists to name a few. so the gods of these people were also represented in the numerous carvings found here. They mostly used brown and this was an area which received sufficient amount of rainfall so there was lot of greenery with various plants growing everywhere. So the brown stone carvings the greenery and the blue sky exhibited a wonderful picture. on moon lit nights the beautiful girls from Kampuchea danced in the temples. This beauty could be viewed from the sky as well when planes flew over this area and people were attracted to visit. today it has become a tourist destination but war in the area could once again get this beautiful place out of bounds.

Ranganathaswami Perumal temple Thiruneermalai

In Brahmanda purana this place is referred to as Totadri. today Thiruneermalai. means mountain surrounded by water. This is a svayam vyakta kshetram. other such kshetrams are:
Srirangam :           Sri Ranganatha & Sri Ranganayaki.
Srimushnam:        Sri Bhoovarahamurthi & Sri Ambujavalli.
Venkatachalam:   Sri Srinivasa & Sri Padmavati.
Naimisaranyam:   Sri Devaraja Swamy & Sri Pundareekavalli.
Pushkaran:           Sri Paramapurusha swamy & Sri Pundareekavali.
NaraNarayana
Ashramam:           Sri Badrinarayana & Sri Aravindavalli.
Salagramam:         Sri Murti & Sri Devi.
Thiruneermalai:     Sri Ranganatha & Sri Padmasini.

Lord here is seen in four postures as Neeravannan as Ninran, Lord Narasimha as Irundan, Lord Ranganatha as Kidanthan and as Lord Trivikrama as Nadanthan.
the neervanna Perumal temple is at the foot of the hill, here is also a shrine for Lord Rama and for all the alwars. the utsava vigraha of Lord Ranganatha is also kept here.(the main Moolavar shrine is on top of the hill) the other three deities are on top of the hill. Lord Ranganatha is seen facing south in a lying posture on Adisesha under sri ranga vimana. this posture of the God is called Manicka sayanam. this is the main sannidhi. On the side of this in the prakara is the shrine for Trivikrama seen under the Thoyagiri vimana. by the side is also the sannidhi of Sri Santa Narasimha under the shanta vimanam. here is also a shrine for Ranganayaki thayar.

Nityakalyana Perumal Thiruvidaventhai.
The Lord is Natyakalyana Perumal as Utsavar and as Moolavar is known as Sri Lakshmi Adi Varahaswamy. the idol is 9ft in height, he is also known as Gnanapiran. the right foot is firmly planted on the ground the left foot is raised and kept on the head of Adisesha. the consort Bhoomidevi is resting on the thigh of the Lord. Interesting stories are related about the lord here and the Rishis who lived here.

STHALA SAYANA PERUMAL TEMPLE
Thirukkadalamallai Mahabs.
The lord is seen in a boar incarnation and is known as Gnanapiran also as sthala perumal. the description of the temple here is lost in stories which are very interesting and as it is on the sea shore the temple is depleted condition also a story for this condition is related.

Sri Veeraraghava swamy thiruvallur.

The idol of the Lord is very beautiful, he is seen lying down posture on Adhisesha, with one hand stretched out towards Lord Brahma, as if explaining the Pranava Mantra to him. the other hand is pointing downwards with the palm placed on the head of Salihotra Maharishi who performed a severe penance here the Lord  appeared and is seen blessing him. the Lord is facing south and the feet are pointing towards the north. the lord is known as Veeraraghavan. He is also said to be the one with the name Vaidya Veeraraghvan (Bheshajam bhishak), meaning a doctor who cures the physical ailments of his devotees. the Lord is seen under the Vijayakoti vimanam, the teertham is Hritapapanasini. interesting stories are related as to the importance of this theertham. The goddesses is Kanakavalli thayar, also known as Vasumathi.
An important Divya desam with lots of stories and people have a great belief in the blessings from the Lord here.

The temple priest at one of the sannidhis will splash water with lot of force on to your face when you visit the temple.

Lord Veeraraghava Perumal Temple, Tiruvallur

The legend connected with the origin of this temple shows that once upon a time, in Krita Yuga, a sage by name Purupunyar lived with his wife Satyavathi in Badarikashram. They had no children. Purupanyar performed a Sali Yajna. (Putrakameshti Yaga) with great fervor and devotion. The Sage offered 1000 Ahutis (oblations of gheeto the sacrificial fire after chanting the mantra each time) every day, for one full year. ‘On the last day, when Purnahuti (the final offering) was performed, Lord Narayana was pleased with the austerity of the ritualistic observances of the Sage, and appeared in the sacrificial fire in a blissful mood to offer boons. The Sage prayed for a noble son.The boon was granted with the condition that he should be named after the name of the Yajna as Salihotran. With this blessing, Lord Narayana disappeared. Then the Sage collected the ash strewn around the Yajna Peetha and gave a handful of it to his consort to take in with great veneration as Prasadam. In the tenth month after that, a glorious son was born to Sage Purupunyar.

The child was named Salihotran as ordained by Lord Narayana. With the growth of years, the child showed signs of precocity and started on a pilgrimage-visiting temple after temple. On Tai Amavasya day (New Moon day in January-February), he reached Tiruvallur where he found that Lord Brahma, other Devas and great sages like Vasishtha, were engaged in taking bath in the Hrittapanasini tank.

Next year, on the same Pushya Amavasya day, he completed one year of penance and took a holy bath in the Hrittapanasini tank and observed his morning prayers. As he was fasting for one year without food or drink, he collected on that day some paddy and prepared prasadam out of that. He divided it into three parts; the first part was offered to Lord Narayana.The second part was kept for offering as charity and the third for his own consumption. At this juncture, Lord Narayana took the form of an old Brahmin and came the way where Salihotran was waiting to offer the share to a guest. When Salihotran saw the old Brahmin, he immediately requested him to grace his hermitage. He respectfully offered to the Brahmin the prasadam meant for the guest. Quickly the Brahmin ate up the offering and Salihotran felt from his facial appearance that he was not satisfied.

On inquiry, he learnt that the old Brahmin had had no food for the last 4 or 5 days and his hunger was not fully satisfied. At this, th-2 portion kept for himself was offered to the guest. The guest was satisfied and – left the place. Salihotran commenced another year’s penance without food and drink. Again, on the day of Pushya Amavasya at its close, he took his holy bath in the tank and noticed many unusual good omens on his way. After finishing his morning rituals, he procured some paddy and prepared oblations. Like the previous year, he offered a portion to Lord Narayana and was waiting for a guest to offer the second portion, leaving the. Last portion for him.

This time also, Lord Narayana took the form of an old Brahmin and was coming by that way. Salihotran-welcomed him and while accompanying him to the hermitage, the old Brahmin expressed that he was feeling extremely hungry and thirsty and needed a place for rest also. In the hermitage, Salihotran offered the entire prasadam meant for the guest as well as for himself. The old Brahmin was greatly pleased and asked Salihotran, “Where is the place for me to lie (Evvul)?” The prince was so charmed by the beauty of the princess that he voluntarily expressed that he, a prince was on the lookout for a bride. The princess advised the prince to go and worship Lord Veeraraghava in the temple situated on the northern bank of Hrittapanasini tank, if he wanted to marry her.

But the prince did not move, but argued that if the mutual love was real, God Himself would come down to approve of it. The princess then sent for her parents. Arriving there, they enquired about the prince’s lineage but the prince would not divulge his identity. However, he swore by Lord Veeraraghava that after his marriage with the princess, he would stay there. This being a very sound proposal, the marriage was fixed; and performed. Following the traditional custom of offering prayer at the temple after marriage, by the newly wedded couple, the prince and princess, accompanied by the parents and the invited guests, went to the temple of Lord Veeraraghava.

When they approached the sanctum sanctorum, to the utter amazement of all present, the newly married couple merged into the deity and stood transformed as Lord Veeraraghava, and his divine consort Kanakavalli, who blissfully blessed the parents and the assembly to attain salvation after their preordained, stay in the world.

The sacred tank here is known as Hrittapanasini. The following Sanskrit sloka describes the sanctity of the tank:

“Darsanat sparsanat snanat, Sadyo hrittapanasanah,
Ato sarveshu lokeshu, Namna Hrittapanasanah”

The tank is so holy that evens a sight or a touch or a bath would immediately dispel all anguish of heart. The local tradition attaches greater importance to this tank than to the Ganga, the Godavari, etc Unfortunately, the tank is now dry. As usual, at the centre of the tank there is a mandapam, where seasonal Festivals are performed. Tiruvallur was also known as Bhikshwaranyam (the forest where, sages lived on alms) in ages gone by. During January 1999, Kumbhabhishekam was performed in this temple after all the gopurams were renovated and repainted. It is a marvelous sight to see the glorious specimens of Dravidian art in sculptures depicting the mythological legends of Hindu scriptures in the pinnacles of the gopurams.

Sri Yoga Narasimhaswamy Sholingur./ Thiruninravur.

Also know as Ghatikachalam. The Lord faces east and is seen as Yoga Narasimha, the thayar is Amritavalli. thirumanjanam for the lord is performed only on Fridays and on Narasimha Jayanthi day. The temple is vary famous and is said to be on a hill, the utsavamoorthy of the perumal is kept in the Perumal temple in sholingur town and not on the hill. The lord is known by different names as Akkara Kani, Mikkan, Thakkan, Pukkan, Ilamkumaran and as Bhakthochithan, the lord who rushes to rescue his devotees unmindful of the difficulties.
There is a neighbouring hill smaller than the one above and here there is a temple for Anjaneya swamy, Known as Yoga anjaneya, the shrine is facing west, the Lord is with four hands holding Lord Narayana's insignia of Shanka and chakra.
Garuda sevai here is synchronised with Garuda sevai at Kanchi.

Sri Bhaktavatsala Perumal Tiruninravur.
What a wonderful name Bhaktavatsala, the goddesses too is know as Ennai Petra thayar. there is every thing in the name itself, what more can be said.
Thirumangai alwar was haunted by the lords roopan from this temple and he went on praising this perumal even on visiting Mahabalipuram and Thirukkannapuram too.

Vijayaraghava Perumal temple.

The Lord here Vijayaraghavan is seen sitting facing east on his thigh, he is holding Jatayu and is shown as if he is performing the final rites for the bird. the idols of Sridevi and Bhoodevi are seen as if they are deeply sorrowed and are depicted as if they are averting their eyes. also Sridevi is seen on the left side of the Lord. the goddesses here is Maragathavalli thayar her shrine is also to the left of the main shrine. she is very powerful and generous in granting boons. The theertham is Jatayu pushkarini.
Sri Ramanuja's Teacher Yadhavaprakasa lived here and Ramanuja is said to have learnt the Advaita philosophy here there is a depiction of the teacher student and the mantapam is present here.
another interesting feature is during the Brahmotsavam the 8th day the horse is used as the vahanam, this vahanam is known as the Keel Kuthirai i.e. mechanical horse as the vahana moves almost like a chariot drawn by a real horse. the carpenter who make this vahana refused to make a similar vahana for any other temple. In appreciation of this single minded devotion on the 8th day of Brahmotsavam the God is taken to the street where this carpenter lived.
Thirumangai alwar has sung the following pasuram as if as the mother of Parakalanayaki reporting to God the deep devotion and steadfast ties that her daughter has to that Lord. (this is the pasuram in which the alvar expresses through romantic ideas the unalloyed bliss and sweetness resulting from yearning for Him the ultimate supreme truth.)

* alangkezhu thadakkai Ayan vAyAmbaRku * azhiyumAl en uLLam ennum *
 pulangkezhu porunIrp putkuzhi pAdum * pOdhumO nIrmalaikku? ennum **
 kulangkezhu kolli kOmaLavalli * kodi idai nedu mazhaik kaNNi *

 ilangkezhil thOLikku en ninaindhirundhAy? * idavendhai endhai pirAnE! 

My daughter is mad with joy and says that her heart melts when she hears the beautiful sound of music that flows from the flute played by Lord Krishna, who as Balarama had a plough as his weapon, she also sings of the bountiful rich water and land resources at Thiruputkuzhi. She also wants to go to Thiruneermalai to see you. O Lord who resides in Thiruidavendai tell me what have you to say about this lady who is beautiful like the hill tribe maiden, who has a waist as delicate as a flower creeper, and who'es eyes fill with tears like a burst of cloud, and the one who has lovely shapely shoulders.

chapter 5 verse 19.

ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo
yeṣāḿ sāmye sthitaḿ manaḥ
nirdoṣaḿ hi samaḿ brahma
tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ

Translation of Bhagavad Gita 5.19

Those whose minds are in a state of undisturbed equilibrium have conquered rebirth even here on earth. The state of Divinity is one of perfect purity and equanimity. those who'es minds are in such a state are therefore in the divine state. 

Desires constitute impurity of the mind. a desireless mind is a pure mind. as long as there are desires the mind is unsteady and vacillating. a desireless or pure mind is steadfast, and is balanced under all circumstances. those who are in such a state are jivanmuktas, god men or liberated souls.

sringara lahari.

The girl who plunged into the ocean of love- sringaralahari- Part1

She was born a princess in traditional Rajasthan. How many  were the shackles that bound her ? More than for a normal girl in her land because she was of royal birth. But her spirit like a parrot caged, was yearning to be free to fly to the top of the emerald mountain , the mountain of beauty, the peaks of love from which the streams of mercy are always flowing down to earth.

Meera was her name but she became the heera, diamond in the pendant of the necklace on the chest of Girdhara Gopala, who changed her bed of thorns into a bed of roses. She dedicated her whole body and soul to her Giridhari and her love was in no way inferior to that of gopis . It seems that Radha herself has become Meera in kaliyuga to show us that the love of Radhakrishna was not a myth but  a reality.

She cannot escape to Brindavan like Radha did to meet her Krishna but she had to live among people with worldly desires and pursuits and her whole life was a penance and she had to satisfy herself by singing and composing bajans on her Lord. The whole plains of Rajasthan and the banks of Ganga and Yamuna reverberated with her bajans . Even to day Meera bajans are  wonderful and moving, which melts the heart of whoever sings them and whoever hears them.

Meera was practically cradled in krishnabhakthi. She was given a Krishna idol by a great devotee Roopagoswami who came to the palace and she enjoyed dressing and decorating the idol whom she called Giridhara Gopal. Legend says that she once saw a marriage procession and asked her mother who was to be her bridegroom and by the will of  the Lord her mother pointed to the Krishna idol and said that he was going to be her bridegroom. This made a deep impression in her young mind and thereafter she started worshipping Krishna as her beloved by way of madhurabhakthi, like that of Gopis and Radha. There is a view that Meera was the Incarnation of Radha herself, taken with the purpose of spreading devotion towards Krishna.

. As was the custom of the royal families Meera had a good education in arts and literature especially bhakthi literature and listened to the saintly visitors to the palace and acquired a good  knowledge of the bhakthi literature and stories of the Lord. She also had a great  skill in music and composing songs and from childhood she used to compose bajans on her Giridhaari. Of all the leelas of the Lord she perhaps considered His uplifting the Govardhan for the protection of the gopas to be the best which made  her always think of Him as GiridharaGopala, little knowing that He was going to shield her from the shower of opposition later.

Being born in a royal family she had no option but to marry young as she was not as fortunate as Andal of South , who had the good fortune to have a devotee  like Periazvar as her father and hence Meera, though she was saying that she would marry only Giridhar Gopala, could not transgress the code of conduct set for the royal princesses. So she had to marry against her wish and consoled herself that it was her svadharma. But later she found that her svadharma was entirely different. The mischievous lifter of mountains would not leave her peacefully to follow the life of an ordinary queen.

Her elders expected that she would become normal like any other wife after marriage, though she was always spending her time till she got married spent in decorating Giridhari, talking to Him, singing and dancing to Him and she was immersed in premasagara, ocean of love. Meera on the other hand went to her husband’s land expecting to continue her plunge into the premsagar, But she was not aware of the sharks in the sagara.

Meera considered herself already married to  her Giridhari but others did not take her seriously as to them Giridhari was only an idol. She was hocked at this and pleaded to her Lord to save her as he saved the honour of Draupadi or take away her life. But the Lord who planned to show her devotion to the world and wished her to set an example of the path of love, came to her in ger drean mand sid that the time had not come yet for her to unite with Him and she had to go through her destined path. . He told her that she was born to spread devotion and her marriage would not in any way hamper the relation between Him and her. He embraced her and disappeared.

Then she said to Him, “ I belong to you body and soul. If you wish to give me to others I will obey. I completely surrender to you. You do whatever you wish to me.” Thus she attained complete saranagathi in which one becomes the sesha of the Lord, the dasa who does the His bidding without question.

Sringaralahari part2

 

Meera was comforted by a sahdu who came to see her who narrated the devotion gopis had with Krishna but that did not deter them from discharging their duties towards their husbands and family. Moreover he said that Kumbha Rana who wanted to marry her was a great devotee himself and would not stand in her way in her worship of her Giridhari. Then she got married and went to Chithore with her husband.

 

But she was disgusted with the formalities and the attitude of people around her and all the time she was thinking about her Giridhari and none else. Even at the time of marriage she sat with her idol of Gitridhari in her lap because in her mind the marriage was between her and Giridhari. All the people especially those on the bridegroom’s side ridiculed her but Kumbha Rana told them to leave her alone as he was pleased with the depth of her devotion. And thus the marriage was celebrated but nothing registered in the mind of Meera.Meera traveling with Rana and others never seemed to think that she is going to the house of Rana but she happily sang that maim girivarke ghar jaavoom, she was going to the house of her husband, Giridhari.

 

What devotion and love!  Was her Giridhari not hearless to send her away to a land where she would be subjected to much heart ache  and suffering? But who can  understand the will of the Navaneetha chor? He not only steals the heart like he stole butter but also makes it melt and become clarified butter  so that the it would result in a delicious sarkarai pongal inthe end mixed with  the  cooked rice of self less devotion and the sweetness of His grace  so that it will delight the world.

 

When they arrived at Chithore they all went to the temple of Durga, their goddess of worship. After the elaborate pooja there the priest told the newlywed to prostrate tin front of  the goddess but Meera refused. She said ‘mere tho giridhar gopaal dhooasro na koyee’ that Giridharagopal was the only God for her and she would not bow down to any one else. Her in laws and Rana himself tried to persuaded her but she did not agree.

Her Giridhari was in her heart, in her blood and in her soul and to prostrate to any other God would be sacrilege in her opinion as it would be as though she was making Giridhari Himself prostrate before others.

 

Everyone was shocked to hear the newlywed bride saying that but Rana who understood her devotion told them all to leave her alone. From that time  itself the seed of discord was sown in the  royal family. If only Rana remained steadfast in his support! But it is too much to expect an ordinary man who, though a devotee, could not go beyond his worldly desires.

 

The life in the palace of Mewar to her was like a prison and she felt like a parrot bound in a golden cage. She was a misfit among the vainglorious  and worldly women in the royal family and she was bewildered like a deer among wild animals. Her only consolation was Rana who gave her enough freedom to pursue her devotion and never interfered in her daily routine and she continued as she used to in her childhood home . When Rana used to come to her he found her all the time talking and singing about Giridhari and reading Bhagavatham etc. Rana liked her Krishnabhakthi since he was also a devotee of Krishna and had written a commentary on Gitagovinda of  Jaydeva called rasapriya. He used to talk to her only about the things that interest her and leave her alone and never insisted on the conjugal rights as a husband.

 

He even built a temple for Krishna and Meera  spent most of her  time in the temple . Her fame as the devotee of Krishna spread far and wide and sadhus started to come to her temple and Meera used to sing and dance in ecstasy. Thus she started to live as happily as she was before marriage. But Rana was also human and though a devotee not as highly evolved as Meera. So there arose difficulties that came as impediments to the happiness of Meera in Chithore.

Rana was torn between his disappointment that Meera was not like a normal wife and his pride and love for her to see her devotion and popularity. He could not love her but as a wife though  Meera loved him as a brother or her elder relative. Hence slowly his mind started to change.

Srngaralahari3

The path of love is never smooth and it is true even if it is the love for God. Meera was happy singing and dancing in her temple of Krishna and the sound ‘meeraaprabhugiridari ‘ echoed all over the country. She breathed Krishna , lived in Krishna , ate and drunk the nectar of Krishnabhakthi. But in the royal household she was an outcast and her situation was similar to that of Seeta in asokavana since she was surrounded by equally vicious people as those around Seetha. But she was oblivious because Rana was her solace and he appeared to her not as aRavan a but as a vibheeshana. She was so immersed in devotion to Krishna to whom she considered herself to be married. Such was the childlike innocence of agirl to whom the world around did not seem to exist. As Krishna said in Gita, ‘yaaniSaa sarvabhoothaanaam thasyaam jaagarthi samyamee; yasyaam jaagarthi bhoothaani saa niSaa paSyatho muneH.’ The saintly souls live in the world of their own and what seems to be as real as the day for them appears to be dark like the night for the worldly people and vice versa.

But the devotee who enjoys the communion with the Lord always, cannot restrain himself, nor could his adoration be watered down to suit the taste of the world. So he is looked upon by the world as being mad or a dullard. Jadabharatha and Rshabhadeva were the examples of this.

Abhirami Bhattar was seeing the vision of Goddess Abhirami in his mind’s eye and when the king who came there asked him what was the thithi that day (it was silly question though to ask a devotee who was in trance enjoying the divine manifestation, anyway,) Bhattar replied that it was poornima when actually it was amavasya

Even though Meera was aware that the svadharma of a wife is to please and serve  her husband and her in laws, she could not bring herself to do it because first, she never considered anyone except her Giridhari as her husband and secondly, her svadharma changed from the moment she gave her heart to Him.

It is saadharana dharma that one has to follow the svadharma ordained by their situation in the world, as a mother, as a wife, as a disciple, as a son etc.but the visesha dharma is that which supersedes the saadhaarana dharma, and according to it anyone  and anything that comes between oneself and the Lord should be given up. This is the svadharma of an ardent devotee. Vibheeshana , Prahlada and Ramanuja are the illustrations for this visesha dharma taking precedence over saadharanadharma. It was this intense devotion that gave the courage to Meera to pursue her path in spite of opposition even from Rana himself later.

 

The mind of Rana slowly changed as Meera did nothing that expected of her as a queen and as a wife. In the royal household she was criticized for throwing all decorum to the winds and singing and dancing with sadhus and devotees in the temple. But Her devotion which made her unaware of the protocol to be observed by married women especially a Rajput queen, did not create any aversion to others since she was looked upon as a divine being and not a  mortal by the devotees who gathered in the temple. They thought that some gopi from Brindavan has taken  birth as Meera.

She herself was not aware of anything but her love for Giridhari. When she was immersed in the river of Krishna she could only pity those who dare not come into the river but sitting on the banks pouring water on them in pitchers. The devotion of uninitiated is just that. It is a pastime not a passion. She sang to her Girdidhari saying, “I can only laugh at this world which is crooked filled with sorrow , disgrace and difficulties, because I am the servant of the feet of Hari. So the world does not affect me.” But the Lord who willed to put her on the touchstone to show her worth to the world started His leela.

Oodha the sister of Rana poisoned his mind saying that Meera had a lover and entertained her in the temple and that is why she did not return to palace even during the nightbut stayed in the temple. Rana did not believe it but the seed of suspicion sown in the mind did not leave him in peace and he wanted to know the truth.

Rana went to the temple and he saw that it was locked from inside. He heard Meera talking to someone in endearing terms. He banged on the doorfurously and when Meera opened it what he saw inside maded him ashamed of himself.

What did he see there. Meera was having her Giridhari in her lap and talking to him. She was surprised to see Rana barging in like that. He saved his face by tellingher that people were talking ill of her and that upset him. But Meera could not care less about what people were talking and told him that as long as he believed in her she did not bother about others. But Rana said that he did care and wanted her to stop her activities. Saying so he left her and poor Meera was desolate with grief. How could she stop worship her Giridhari? She would rather die than doing so and singing His glory. Whom else she can turn for solace? She said, ‘thumbin mere koyee kabar le govardhan giridhari,’mnaing “I do not see anyone else who can take care of me oh Giridhari.”

“If you want me to behave like an ordinary wife and as a queen, why did you enslave me in my childhood in the first place? “ She sang,

‘thum suno dhayaaL mein araji, ‘bhoosaagar mein bahijaat hun,’ “Oh Lord, you are compassionate . Hear my prayer. I am drowning in the ocean of samsar.” ‘Yo sansaar sage nahi koi,’ “I have no one in this world.”

Crying piteously Meera feel at the feet of Giridhari and a flower fell on her from His garland. She looked at Him and forgot her anguish seeing His bewitching smile and started singing and dancing again. mhaaro man har lenyaa ranachor , she sang, “ my Ranachor has captivated my heart.” She saw Him with His peacock feathers on his head, an umbrella over His head and the earrings  which dangle beautifully when He played the flute and she forgot the world and her misery.

Giridhari had decided to cut off her bondage and make her His own. But the gold must be purified by  going through the ordeal of fire. This is what happened to Meera. She underwent an ordeal equal to that of Prahlada.  Once she received a basket containing a snake under the pretext that it was flowers. She put her hand in it but by the grace of the Lord it was only flowers. Then her sister in law persuaded Rana to send her a cup of poison. Meera drank it but nothing happened. Meera happily resumed her singing. She sang ‘vish ka pyaalaa raNaajeene bhejaa peevatha Meera hansi re pag gungurubandh meeraa naachi re’ meaning that Ranaji has sent poison but Meera drank it and  laughed. Meera is dancing tying the bells around her ankles. She said raNaji ne jaharadhiyomheu jaani kjaiseykaancahn dhahath again main nikasat baarabaani , “Ranaji I know, has given me poison but as the gold emerges form the fire with more brightness my love for Giridhari has become stronger after drinking the poison.”

Just as the fragrance of a flower could not be shut out, the fame of Meera and her devotion spread far and wide, and it reached the ears of the Mogul emperor Akbar.    Akbar was known to be unprejudiced with respect to religion and he respected holy men of all faith. He heard Tansen, his court musician singing the bajan of Meera and was impressed by it. He wished to see Meera but Tansen told him that it was impossible since she is the queen of Mewar and the rajput kings of Mewar and regions around it were his enemies. But Akbar was determined and asked him to find a way. Tansen suggested that they could go there disguised as sannyasis and both of them reached Mewar in the disguise of sadhus and went to the temple where Meera was singing bajans along with other sadhus. Akbar was awestruck with her devotion and the sweetness of her music and met her after the bajan was over and everyone had left and told her that they came from Brindavan. Meera being innocent was overwhelmed on their mention of Brindavan and talked with them. Akbar gave her a very valuable gem necklace to be adorned on her Giridhari.

Even though Akbar was disguised the news of his coming to the temple and having touched her feet and presented her a gem necklace reached the ears of Rana who became mad with anger. He remonstrated with Meera for having seen the sworn enemy of the Rajputs who replied that they were sadhus. Meera was terrified by his anger. Rana ordered the temple to be demolished, which broke her heart. The devotees refused to move from the temple and neither did Meera.

She was crying to Giridhari, ‘hari thum aharo kjan kee bhee.’  She said, “ You protected Droupadhi when she called out to you tom svar her honour.You came as Narahari to protect your devotee Prahlada and killed Hiranya kasipu. You saved gajendra from the teeth of the crocodile. Now protect Meera who is your devotee. “ Then Rana stopped the plan and the temple was saved. But his anger did not sunbside and he told Meera to go and drown herself in river Yamuna. Meera went straight to the river and entered in. She had had enough.

But will her Giridhari let her down? He came to her and lifted her from the river and told her that all her ordeal was over and she is free from the worldly entanglement. Then she lost consciousness.

In Brindhavan sant Raidas was meditating after his morning ablutions in the river Yamuna and felt something at his feet. When he saw what it was he became disturbed that it was a body of a young woman. He pulled her ashore and found that she was alive. He revived her and found the idol of Giridhari tied to her clothes.

Meera did not want to  part from Him even when she went to die. The sadhu recognized her because he was none other than Raidas  who gave her the idol when she was a child.   Meera opened her eyes and asked where she was, and when told that she was in Brndavan, she fainted again in ecstasy she recognized Raidas and told him that the seed that was sown by him in her heart has become a full grown tree and the  Lord has finally brought her to her guru. Raidas said the seed and the tree were all the doings of Giridhari she was indeed the guru of all regarding the path of bhakthi..

 

All the worldly miseries are ended for Meera . She sang and worshipped Krishna in Brindavan. She was conversing with Raidas regarding Krishna in Brindavan.

Meera- “where will I see Him in Brindavan?”

Raidas- “Where will you not see Him my child ? He is in every creeper, every tree,  he is in the river, the bank, in the sand He fills the air in Brindavan. To one who has love for Him He appears everywhere in Brindavan. But if you want to see Him  in the form you imagine Him to be, go on loving Him and He will come to You when he chooses to do so.”

Meera sings- ‘kunjankunjan phirat radhika sabat sunat murali ko , aaleemhanelaage vrindavan neeko,’ (“Radha crazy for you roams around from bower to bower in Brindavan to listen to the melody of your flute. I find Brindavan very nice.” )

Raidas-“ You go on singing His glory and   he will grant all your wishes.”

Meera- “My wishes? I do not have any other wish other than to be accepeted as the servant of the Lord. “(sings)                                      ‘chaakararaakhoji maney’

” His sight will be my wages, the emotion and devotion will be my treasure, remembrance  of Him will be my daily expenditure. I  will keep a beautiful garden and grow flowers for His worship and adornment.”

Meera spent her days happily in Brindavan and felt that she had found  the  purpose of her life. She imagined herself as a gopi and as Yasodha and practically lived with Krishna in her mind. She would wake up Krishna in her role of Yasodha singing, ‘jaago bansi vaarey lalanaa,jaago mere pyaare.’ Like a gopi she called Krishna to come to her house, ‘mere ghar aavo sundar shyam,’ heard his music at the banks of Yamuna and lost her heart, ‘muraliya baajaa jamaanaa theer,’ she envisaged the scene of the gopis selling butter etc. calling out Krishna instead of their wares, ‘sira dhara maṭakiyaa ḍole re “koyee Syaama manohara lo re! more koyee Syāma manohara lo re.”    like the gopi selling butter and curds called out govinda dhamodhra madhava etc.

vikrethukaama kila gopakanyaa

muraaripaadhaarpithachitthavrtthi

dhaDHyaadhikam mohavaSaath avochath

govindadhaamodharamaadhavethi ( Krishna karnamrtha of Leelasuka)

The gopi wishing to sell curds etc., with her mind engrossed in the thought of Murari(Krishna) called out ‘govindha dhaamodhara maadhava, instead of saying curds, milk etc.

Still she was pining to get the darsan of Giridhari in Brindavan crying ‘darsan ke maim pyaasee.’ Some vaishnavas , followers of Chaithanya took her to their mutt and showed the idol of Chaithabnya and told her that it was her Krishna. Meera burst out into the song, ‘kaha chaaḍi vahu mohan murali?kaha chaaḍi saba gopī? mora mundaayi gora kati bandhee, maane na maanee gopee!’ saying , “why have you discarded your peacock feather and pithambar? Where are the gopis? Why are you appearing with shaven head and ochre robes?”

Then the idol changed into Krishna appeared in front wearing peethambara , peacock feather etc. She stayed there singing bajans for some time and then went to see jivagoswami who was the head of the devotees in Brindavan. He refused to see her saying that he never allows women in his asram. Then Meera laughed and said that only then she came to know that there was another male besides Krishna in Brindavan as Krishna was only purusha and all the rest are women in Brindavan. Goswami came out and prostrated to her regretting his folly.

One day a group of sadhus came to Brindavan singing the glory of the Lord and enquired after Meera. When they found her they asked her to go with them to Dvaraka as the temple doors were closed and would not open unless a true devotee comes there. Meera took it as the command of the Lord and set out to Dvaraka.

Meera went ot Dvaraka with the multitudes of sadhus and many kings of Rajasthan and UP, including Rana of Mewar,  knowing her greatness, provided all facilities for the journey. Meera went on singing the glory of Giridhar and the refrain meera prabhu giridhari came from everyone all over the land. Meera went to Dvaraka and saw the   closed doors  of the sanctum sanctorum.

 

Meerra sat in front of the closed door saying that she will not leave till the Lord shows His darsan. She sang ‘main to toray charaN lagee gopaal, kirpakeejau darsan deejau,’ “ I have resorted to your feet now and have mercy on me and show yourself.” She entreated Him to grant salvation to end the cycle of birth and death. ‘mira ke prabhu giridhar naagar aavaagaaman nivaar.’ She asked Him ‘kabare milogee’ “when will you meet me?”

 

Meera took up nama sankeerthana and all people joined in ecstasy. Meera forgot herself with her mind totally absorbed in the Lord. Then a miracle happened and the doors burst open showing Dvarakanath inside in all His glory. Meera went in and there was a splash of light and she was seen no more and the doors closed. When they opened again people heard her voice singing  and the flute accompanying it. That was the end of the story of the great devotee Meera.

Only prayer we can have is to get such bhakthi at least in a later janma. Even to acquire bhakthi one needs the grace of the Lord. What then we should do? Love Him with all your heart.  Remember Him always . Sing His glories. Talk about Him and listen to the stories about Him. More important than all that love your fellow human beings. Of course you may say “How can I do it? “ I cannot love my neighbor who is always giving me trouble? First try not  to hate. What ever comes to us through others or through things outside is all given to us by God  for some reason , may be to make us a better person.  Nothing or no one can resist love.  It is absolutely impossible to hate a person who loves you. First begin with people close with you and then slowly , may be in this life or in next you will be able to love all when God will come and reside in you.

prabha