ksheerabdi.

"Agre bhartuhu sarasijamaye bhadra peete nishannaam Ambhorasedhigatha sudha samplavaduthithaam thwaam pushpahaarasthagitha bhuvaneih puskalaavarthakaadyeih klupthaarambhah kanakakalaseth abhyashinchen gajendrauh"

Just as Lakshmi Devi came out of milky ocean Ksheerabdi, she emerged from a lotus in Padma Sarovar as a result of the penance performed by Srinivasa which is but the outcome of Brughu's action. As the two clouds Pushkala and Aaavartaka rained flowers, elephants began to shower water on Padmavathi Devi with golden vessels as is done in coronation.

My Daughter at Tirukkolur?

The food I eat, the water I drink,
The betel which I chew
Is all my Lord Kannan alone'
Eyes brimming with tears she would say;
Would my young gazelle have sought and found out
That he resides at Tirukkolur
And than taken her departure
To that place?

Throwing her modesty to the winds
And like herself
Making each village, land and the world
Prate only his name and Wreaths,
has she gone indeed to Kolur
With its fertile fields?
Dear minas, let this
Poor wretch know.

Mina parrot, ball and toy,
Boxes of flowers,
All these she used to call by the name
Of the blessed Lord.
My poppet has now gone to the cool
Tirukkolur
Red lips twitching, eyes raining tears,
What would she there?

Will the slanderous women of those strange places 
call her queer or high souled?
Shaking her slender waist, my fawn
Who is so young
Chose to leave me and has gone
Where that Lord is to be found
Rolling in wealth.

My little goddess gave up her toys
And withered
And has gone to Tirukkolur
Of the Lord;
I wonder how she is enjoying
The earth groves and tanks
And his temple there today
Cooling her soul!

Useless to me now, my young fawn
Has gone south
To that place which is like a gem,
Lovely Tirukkolur,
And seeing the Lord's lovely eyes there
And red mouth
She will stand and pine, her own large eyes
Filled with tears!

With brimful eyes and a mind
Infatuated
She will call night and day
On the Lord
In Tirukkour where he is
Rolling in wealth
How will she creep and crawl there
Broken and wearied?

Hands resting on her slim waist,
Broken and pining,
Will she be walking heart melted
And eyes brimming,
Our girl who has left us
With her melting heart
To go to Tirukkolur to the Lord
Of Lakshmi in her shimmering flower?

If she saw anything good 
Full of love for her kannan
She would keep it for him; and now
Leaving all that
She has gone to Tirukkolur
Defying slander
And walking straight out without
Thinking of us.

O gods, I cannot think
How my long eyed fawn
Who would not for a moment leave
Her lotus eyed Lord
who owns all the world, has gone
To Tirukkolur
Unmindful of the shame it brings 
upon our house.

These ten out of the thousand
Composed by Satagopan
Of Kurukur with its flowers
And groves
In honour of that great treasure,
Madhusudan of Kolur,
Will allow those who recite it
To rule over the glittering earth.

VI  7.

Chapter 18/18 B G.

The yoga of liberation by Renunciation. Moksa Sanyasa yoga.
Arjuna asks:
I desire to know the true nature of renunciation and again of resignation, O mighty Hrsikesa slayer of Kesin.
The Lord says:
The relinquishing of all works that are prompted by desire is understood by the sages to be renunciation, while the surrendering of the fruits of all works is called resignation by the wise.
Works of sacrifice, gifts and penance should not be given up, but should be performed. For, sacrifice, gifts and penance purify the wise.
Learn form me, O mighty Arjuna, these five causes of the accomplishment of every act, as mentioned in the philosophy of knowledge.
The seat of action, and likewise the agent; the various instruments and the diverse kinds of functions the presiding deity being the fifth.
He who is from the notion of  'I' and whose understanding is unsullied though he slays these men he slays not, nor is he bound.
The knowledge which by reason of their separateness sees in all beings different entities of various kinds know that knowledge is of the nature of Passion.
But that action which is done with a great strain by one who seeks to gratify his desires or by one who is prompted by a feeling of 'I' it is pronounced to be one of Passion. 
While the action which is undertaken through delusion, without regard to consequences or to loss and injury, and without regard to one's capacity, it is said to be one of dullness.
The understanding which distinguishes between right action and right abstention, between what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, between what should cause fear and what should not cause fear, and between bondage and liberation that, O Partha, is of the nature of goodness.
The understanding which fails to distinguish correctly between right and wrong, between what ought to be done, and what ought not to be done that O Partha is of the nature of passion.
While that understanding which being enveloped in darkness, regards wrong as right and which reverses all values, that O Partha is of the nature of dullness.
And which is like poison at first, but like nectar at the end, such pleasures is said to be good. It springs from a clear knowledge of the self.
That which springs from the contact of the sense and their objects, and which is like nectar at first, but like poison at the end such pleasure is said to be passionate.
But that which deludes the soul both in the beginning and even after the end, and which springs from sleep, sloth and error that pleasure is said to be dull.
Dwelling in solitude, eating but little, restraining his speech, body and mind, and ever engaged in meditation and concentration; and cultivating freedom from passion;
And casting aside conceit, violence, pride, desires, wrath and possession, selfless and tranquil in mind he becomes worthy of being one with God.
Having become one with God, and being tranquil he neither grives nor desires, he regards all beings as alike and will have supreme devotion to me.
By that devotion he knows me, knows what is truth, what and who I am. Then having known me in truth, he forthwith enters into me.
The Lord dwells in the heart of all beings. O Arjuna, causing them to revolve by his mysterious power, as if they were mounted on a machine.
Fly to him alone for shelter with all thy soul, O Bharata. By his grace shalt thou gain supreme peace and the everlasting abode.
Fix thy mind on me, be devoted to me, sacrifice to me, prostrate thyself before me, so shalt thou come to me. I promise thee truly, for thou art dear to me.
Surrendering all duties come to me alone for shelter. Do not grieve, for I will release thee from all sins.
Has this been heard by thee, O Partha, with undivided attention? Has thy delusion, born of ignorance, O Dhananjaya, been dispelled?
Arjuna said, my delusion is gone. By thy grace, O Acyuta, I have come to my self. I stand free from doubt. I will act according to thy word.
Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of yoga, and Arjuna armed with his bow, there will surely be fortune, victory, prosperity and righteousness. Such is my belief.




{Taking a break I am.}

Chapter 17/18 B G.

The Yoga of the three fold faith. Sraddha traya vibhaga Yoga.

Arjuna says: Those who leave aside the ordinances of Scriptures, but after sacrifice with faith what is their state, O! Krishna? Is it one of goodness or passion or of dullness?
Krishna then says:
It is in accordance with their disposition good or passionate or dull:
The faith of every man, O Bharata is in accordance with his natural disposition. Man is of the nature of his faith. What his faith is, that verily he is.
Vain and conceited men, impelled by the force of their desires and passion, subject themselves to terrible mortifications  not ordained by scriptures.
And being foolish, they torture their bodily organs and me also who dwell within the body.Know that such men are fiendish in their resolves.Foods that promote length of life, vitality, strength, health happiness and cheerfulness, and those that are sweet, oily nourishing and agreeable are the favourites of the good.
Foods that are bitter, sour, salted, over hot, pungent dry and burning and those that produce pain, grief and disease are liked by the passionate.
And that which are not freshly cooked, which is tasteless, putrid and stale which is of the leavings and is unclean, is the food dear to the dull.
That sacrifice which is offered according to the scriptual law by those who expect no reward and who firmly believe it is their duty to sacrifice -that is of a good disposition.
But that sacrifice which is offered in expectation of reward and for the sake of ostentation, know best of Bharatas that it is a passionate disposition.
And the sacrifice which is contrary to the law and in which no food is distributed, no hymns are chanted and no fees are paid and which is devoid of faith is said to be of the dull disposition.
The worship of the Gods, of the twice born, of teachers and of the wise; purity uprightness, abstinence and non violence, these are said to be the penance of the body.
the utterance of words which does not give offence and which is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, and the regular recitation of the Veda, these are said to be the penance of speech.
Serenity of mind, beneficence, silence, self control and purity of heart- these are said to be the penance of the mind.
The three fold penance practiced with perfect faith by men of balanced mind without desire for gain, is said to be of a good disposition.
The penance which is done in order to gain respect, honour and reverence and for ostentation is said  to be of a passionate disposition.it is unsteady and uncertain. 
The penance which is done with a foolish obstinacy by means of self torture or for causing injury to others is declared to be of a dull disposition.
The gift which is made to one who can make no return, and with the feeling that it is one's duty to give, and which is given in proper place and time to worthy person - it is accounted 'good'
But that which is given for the sake of recompense or with the expectation of future gain or in a grudging mood is accounted passionate.
And the gift which is made unceremoniously and contemptuously at an improper place and time, and to unworthy persons is declared to be dull.

Chapter 16/18 B G.

The yoga of Division between the Divine and the demonical. Daivasura sampad vibhaga yoga.
The Lord said:
Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfast in knowledge and devotion, alms giving, self control sacrifice study of scriptures austerity and uprightness non violence, truth freedom from anger renunciation tranquility aversion to slander compassion to living beings freedom from covetousness gentleness modesty and steadiness courage patience fortitude purity and freedom from malice and overwhelming conceit these belong to him who is born to the hermitage of the Gods O! Bharata pride arrogance self conceit wrath rudeness and ignorance these belong O! Partha to him who is born to the hermitage of the demons.
The heritage of the Gods is said to make for deliverance and that of the demons for bondage. Grieve not O! Pandava thou art born to the heritage of the Gods.
Men of the nature of Demons know neither right action nor right abstention, nor is purity found in them nor is good conduct nor truth.
They say the world is false, without a moral basis, and without a God. What is there that does not spring fro mutual union? Lust is the cause of all.
Giving themselves up to insatiable desire full of pride, conceit and arrogance, they hold false views through delusion and act with impure resolves.
Bound by a hundred ties of desire given up wholly to lust and anger they strive to gain heaps of wealth by unjust means for the gratification of their passions.
This I have gained today and that longing will i fulfil. this wealth is mine and that also shall be mine hereafter.
This foe I have slain I am the Lord of all and I enjoy myself, I am prosperous mighty and happy. I am rich and of high birth who is ther like unto me, i will perform sacrifices i will give alms i will rejoice. thus are they deluded by ignorance.
These cruel haters the vilest of men, these sinners i always hurl down into the wombs of the demons, in the cycle of births and deaths.
Three are the gateways of this hell leading to the ruins of the soul- lust wrath and greed. therefore man should renounce these three.
The man who escaped these three gates of darkness O! son of Kunti works out his own good and reaches the highest state. But he who discards the scriptural law and acts as his desires prompt him, he attains neither perfection nor happiness nor the highest state.
Therefore let Scriptures be thy authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. knowing the scriptual law thou should do thy work in this world.

Chapter 15/18 B G

The yoga os Supreme Purusha.
The Lord says:
The World tree with its roots above and branches below is said to be imperishable. Its leaves are the Vedas. Its branches extend above and below, and are nourished by the dispositions of nature. Its twigs are the objects of senses; and its clustering roots spread downwards giving rise to actions in the world of men. its form as such is not comprehended here nor its end nor its origin nor its existence. Having cut down this firm rooted tree with the strong sword of detachment and saying I seek refuge in the primal person from whom has come forth this eternal process, one should seek that place from which they who have reached it never return. Those who are free from pride and delusion and who have conquered the evil of attachment and who having abandoned desire, are devoted to the supreme spirit and are freed from the pairs of the opposites known as pleasure and pain, go undeluded to that immutable place.

An eternal portion of myself, having become a living soul in the world of life, draws to itself the mind and the five senses that rest in nature. When the Lord acquires a body, and when he leaves it,  he takes them with him and goes on his way, as the wind carries away odours from their place. becoming the fire of life. I enter into the bodies of all creatures, and mingaling with the upward and downward breath, I digest the four kinds of food.
And I am seated in the hearts of all; from me are memory and knowledge, and their loss as well. I am indeed he who is to be known by all Vedas. I am he who made the vedanta, and I am he who knows the Vedas.
There are two beings in this world - the perishable and the imperishable. The perishable is all creatures and the imperishable is said to be the unchanging.
But there is another Being, the highest called the Supreme Spirit, who as the eternal Lord pervades and sustains the three worlds. As I surpass the perishable and as I am higher then even the imperishable I am celebrated in the world and in the Veda as the Supreme Being. He who undeluded knows me as the Supreme Being he knows all. O! Bharata he worships me with all his heart. Thus has this most secret doctrine been taught by me. O! faultless Arjuna, by knowing this a man will become wise O! Bharata and will have fulfilled his duty.

Chapter 14/18 B G.

The yoga of the Division of the three gunas Guna traya vibhaga yoga.
The Lord Said; Once again will I expound that knowledge, the most exalted of all kinds of knowledge, by gaining which all sages have passed from this world to the highest perfection; Goodness; Passion and Dullness; These dispositions which arise from Nature bind down the immortal soul in the body O! mighty Arjuna. of these Goodness being unsullied is luminous and healthful. it binds O! faultless Arjuna, with the bond of happiness and the bond of knowledge. Know thou that desire is the soul of passion, which is the source of thirst and attachment, this binds the soul O! son of Kunti, with the bonds of action. Know further that Dullness is born of ignorance and that it deludes all creatures. It binds O Bharata with negligence, indolence and sleep.
Goodness prevails when it has overpowered passion and dullness, O Bharata, Passion prevails when it has overpowered dullness and goodness; and dullness prevails when it has overpowered goodness and passion.
When light of Knowledge streams forth from all the gateways of the body, then may it be known that goodness has prevailed. (Prabha) 
Avarice activity enterprise unrest desire these arise O best of Bharata where passion prevails. Obscurity stagnation negligence and delusion these arise O son of Kunti when dullness prevails.
If the embodied soul meets with death when goodness prevails it goes to the pure worlds of those who know the highest. if it meets with death when passion prevails it is born among those who are attached to works and if it dies when dullness prevails it is born in the womb of creatures devoid of reason.
The fruit of a good action is said to be good and clean, while the fruit of passion is pain and the fruit of dullness is ignorance.
those established in goodness soar upwards, those who are moved by passion remain in the middle and those who are steeped in dullness being swayed by the tendencies of the lower disposition go downwards.
When a man of insight sees no agent other than these dispositions of Nature, and knows also Him who is beyond those dispositions, he attains to my being. When the embodied soul has risen above these three dispositions of which the body is made up, it gains deliverance from birth death old age pain and becomes immortal.
Arjuna asks: What are the marks of the man O! Lord, who has risen above the three dispositions? What is his manner of life and how does he rise above the dispositions?
The Lord then replies: He who has no aversion to light or activity or even delusion, O! Pandava when they are present nor longs for them when they are absent. He who sits unconcerned unmoved by the dispositions who remains firm and never wavers, knowing it is the dispositions that act. He who dwells in the spirit and is the same in pleasure and pain, who looks upon a clod, a stone and a piece of gold as of equal worth, who remains the same amidst pleasure and unpleasant things, and who being wise regards alike both praise and blame. he who is the same in honour and dishonour, and the same to friend and foe and who has renounced all enterprise - such a man is said to have risen above the dispositions of Nature.

Chapter 13/18 B G.

The yoga of distinction between the field and the knower of the field. Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yoga.

Arjuna says Nature and spirit, the field and the knower of the field- this I should like to know and also knowledge and the object of knowledge O! Kesava.
The Lord replies O! Son of Kunti, is called the field and the soul that is cognizant of it is called the knower of the field by those who have knowledge. Know that I am the knower in all the fields, O! Bharata, and only the knowledge of the field and its knower do I regard as true knowledge.
The main elements self consciousness, understanding and unmanifested; the ten senses, the mind and the five objects of sense, desire, hatred, pleasure and pain organism, intelligence and the will to hold together briefly, described this is the field along with its modifications.
Modesty sincerity non violence forbearance and uprightness; service of the teacher, purity steadfastness and self control, detachment from the object of sense; self effacement and the perception of the evil of birth death old age sickness and pain; detachment and freedom from identification with children, wife and home. a constant evenness of mind among events agreeable and disagreeable, unswerving devotion to me through constant meditation, resorting to solitude with aversion to society; steadfast in the knowledge of the spirit, and in insight into the object of knowledge of the truth- this is declared to be true knowledge and all that is contrary to it is no knowledge (some people may argue that solitary living away from society is not necessary, but they are fooling themselves as it is impossible to live in society and be all of the above. a time apart in solitude is the quickest way of realisation.)
For His hands and feet are everywhere, his eyes heads and mouth are facing in all directions his ears are turned to all sides and he exists enveloping all. he is without and within all beings, he has no movement and yet he moves. he is too subtle to be known. he is far away and yet he is near. The light of all lights, he is said to be above darkness as knowledge, the object of knowledge and the aim of knowledge. he is set firm in the hearts of all. When he sees that the manifold nature of beings is centered in the one, and that all evolution is only from there - he becomes one with the absolute.
Those who perceive by their spiritual insight this distinction between the body and the soul and the deliverance from Nature, the cause of all beings - they reach the supreme.

Chapter 12/18 BG.

First the Story.
In the city of Kolhapur a generous king lived ruling his kingdom well, punishing the evil minded and wicked and protecting the virtuous. The King Brhadratha desired to poerform the Asvamedhayaga and therefore let loose the sacrificial animal. by the time the horse returned to the capital, king Brhadratha was dead and his body was embalmed and preserved in oils. By the time the son of the king could go and bring back the horse to the city it had mysteriously disappeared. The prince so sorrow striken went to the shrine of the goddesses and devoutly offered his prayers, she appeared to him and told him to beg the brahmin who was at the threshold of the shrine and that he would be able to bring back his horse and save him from his miserable plight.
Accordingly as the prince appeard to the Brahmin at the entrance and begged him to save him, the merciful Brahmin invoked Indra and the other Gods. They were much pleased with his prayers and got him back his horse. The prince then begged the Brahmin to bring back to life his father whose body was preserved in oils. the Brahmin sprinkled some holy water on the corpse and animated it with life and saved him. 
Brhadratha literally reborn prostrated himself upon the feet of the holy Brahmin and addressed him "O! Excellent Brahmin, you have brought me back to life. Your powers are indeed marvellous. your glory is unbounded". The Brahmin replied O King it is not on account of me that you are thus saved. I have been in the habit of reciting the 12th chapter of the B G every day. All this is the wondrous consequence of the recital  of the said text. 
Brhadratha successfully completed hs yaga and devoutly recited the 12th chapter of the B G unto his death. when the call came from above he could go straight to heaven.

The Yoga of Devotion Bhakti Yoga.
Arjuna questions: The devotees who are ever steadfast, and worship thee and those again who worship the imperishable and the unmanifested which of these are better versed in Yoga.
The Lord replies.
Those who have fixed their minds on one and who are ever steadfast and possessed of supreme faith, worship me them do I consider perfect in Yoga. The dificulty of those whose minds are set on the unmanifested is greater, for the goal of the unmanifested is hard for the embodied to reach. Fix thy mind on me alone, let thy thoughts rest in me. And in me alone will thou live hereafter. Of this there is no doubt. If thou art not able to fix thy mind on me O! Dhananjaya, then seek to reach me by the practice of concentration of mind. If thou art not able to even practice concentration of mind, then devout thyself to my service. For even by doing service to me, thou canst reach perfection. If thou art not able to do even this then give up the fruit of all action, seeking refuge in devotion to me with thy mind subdued. For knowledge is better than the practice of concentration and meditation is better than knowledge, and renunciation of the fruit of action is even better than meditation, for renunciation leads to peace.
He who never hates any being and is friendly and compassionate, who is free from the feling of I and Mine and who looks upon pleasure and pain alike has forbearance and is ever content and steady in contemplation self restrained and has a firm conviction with his mind and understanding in me is dear to me for the devotion he has.
He who has no wants who is pure and prompt unconcerned and untroubled and who is selfless in all enterprises is dear to me. He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, and who has renounced both good and evil is dear to me.
He who is alike to friend and foe and through good and ill repute, who is alike in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachments, he who is alike in praise and dispraise, who is silent and satisfied with whatever he has and is firm in mind he is dear to me.
those who are devoted having faith and following the righteous way of everlasting life regarding me as the supreme are exceedingly dear to me.

Javgal Lakshmi Narasimhar ther.

Unusual for us as we used to descend at Gorur Hassan Nerelge and Javgal for the Narasimha Jayanthi and theer in van loads with ample arrangements, this year it was only the three of us. but the experience left me again speechless. It was a comfortable journey and having participated in the car festival gives one an experience of achievement. The comradeship and the people you have associated with gives one a feeling of belonging. They make you feel so wanted their hospitality unbound. It is with great joy that we all look forward to the annual visit to the ancestral home town and family deity. The temple Lord and the people make it all possible.
Photographs will be posted by mail this evening. this year was tops with seven sweets. the separate mantapa for Vasanthotsava the darshan where very few people were present. the gifts exchanged. the baby girl amulya, the good food, the drive up from bangalore and back. no river bathing no dam climbing, no picnic, no movie watching, but still a joy of just being a part of all the celebration.
Tops was the well planned pooja and theer arrangements, the joy and commitment of the local people every year the celebrations improve and it is nice to see the progress. food is tastier, everything better managed. on the whole a day well spent. three days has been cut short to one, the fifteen eighteen gang diminished to three. But the thanks offered to the Lord Narasimha yes he is the shanthi roopa as Godesses Lakshmi has already pacified him and his ferociousness anger has vanished. he is the smiling happy Narasimha the overlord glad at the progress of his loving people. For gods devotees are a class apart, may all the people be led to become his true devotees.

Chapter 11/18 BG

The yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form. Visvarupa Darsana Yoga.
Arjuna says'
The supreme profound discourse concerning the soul has dispelled my delusion by thy grace. But I desire to see thy divine form O Supreme Person.
The Lord says'
Behold my forms O Partha by hundreds and thousands - manifold and divine and of varied hues and shapes. behold the Asvins and also the Maruts. Behold many marvels never seen before. Behold here today O Arjuna the whole universe with the moving and the non moving, and whatever else thou desirest to see. all concentrated in my person. But thou canst not behold with this thy eyes I shall give you the divine eye to see.and behold my sovereign power having many faces and eyes, presenting many a wondrous spectacle, decked with many divine ornaments and bearing many a heavenly weapons.
Arjuna says in wonderment
in thy body O God! I see all the gods and all the varied hosts of being and Brahma the Lord on his Lotus throne. all the rishis and heavenly Nagas.
I behold thee as one with no beginning middle nor end with infint arms and infinite strength. with the sun and moon as thy eyes, thy face shining as a flaming fire, and with thy radiance consuming all of the universe. I see all the sons of Dhrtarastra together with the hosts of kings and also Bhisma, Drona and Karna here and the leading warriors on our side as well. I see some already slain and crushed to powder.
The Lord says Therefore arise and win renown; subdue thy foes and enjoy a prosperous kingdom. by me they have been slain already. Be thou only an instrument. O dexterous Arjuna.
Arjuna says 
Thou art the first of Gods, the Primal person. Thou the supreme treasurer of the world. thou art the knower and that which is to be known, and the supreme abode and by thee is this universe pervaded. O thou of infinite form I rejoice that I have seen what was never seen before, but my mind is also distracted with fear. Show me that other form of thine and be gracious O Lord of Gods, abode of the world, I wish to see thee as before with thy crown and Thy Mace and with Thy disc in hand. Assume again thy four armed shape, O thou of a thousand arms and of endless shapes.
Krishna showed him again His own form. the mighty one assumed the graceful shape again, soothing the a frighted Arjuna. 
The Bhagavan said: Neither by the Vedas nor by austerity nor by alms giving, nor yet by sacrifice can I be seen in the form in which thou hast seen me now. But by devotion to me alone may I thus be known, truly seen and entered into O Arjuna. He who does my work and looks upon me as his goal, he who worships  me without attachment, and who is without hatred towards any creature - he comes to me O! Pandava.

The blank has lasted the longest now.

The blankness has lasted the longest this time. The books say it is good it clears the mind of the unwanted so new lists can be made. but for such a long time its unusual. change is happening but gradually a peace is descending. anger blobs but disappears soon the quiet descending tranquil mind though physically busier than before mentally satisfied that life is leading me in the right direction. the way of the Lord are mysterious and pleasurable. japa smrithi should set in and take me back to the same experience left abruptly a few years ago. waiting for direction and change. 

Divya PRABHA ndham

The heading is not so because part of my name is embedded in the words but just to throw light on the works that throw light into our lives.It seems dangerous to even imagine what our lives would have been without the important 4000 verses which we can cling to to cross the ocean of samsara. Being the guiding light we depend so much on the works of the Alwars that what if never seems to arise in our minds. If it were not for the works of the alwars we would be groping in the dark. remember the story of a blind folded man left in front of an elephant and who was made to imagine what he could feel by touching the elephant. the picture the blind folded man draws is frightening cause we are able to imagine the scene before our eyes and we are aware both of being blindfolded and having seen an elephant. But our condition is just what the blindfolded man experiences when in concern with the Lord. The alwars however have supplied a wide range of characters and canvas where anything and everything is depicted as either a source or goal. The connect has to come by the grace of the Lord.

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=wMWUAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PT30#v=onepage&q&f=false

Narasimha Jayanthi.

Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi is celebrated as Narasimha Jayanti. Lord Narasimha was the 4^thincarnation of Lord Vishnu. On Narasimha Jayanti day Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Narasimha, a half lion and half man, to kill Demon Hiranyakashipu. 

The combination of Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi with Swati Nakshatra and weekday Saturday is considered highly auspicious to observe Narasimha Jayanti Vratam. 

Narasimha is the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the aim of the divine incarnation of half-man half-lion was to save the world from the clutches of Hiranakashipu, the demon king. Narasimha incarnation was also the result of the unwavering devotion of Prahlad the young devotee Vishnu. But fiery Narasimha threatened to destroy the world and it was Goddess Lakshmi who calmed him down.

Hiranakashipu as a result of intense austerities (Tapas) got a boon from Brahma that he will not be killed either by a man or a beast, neither will he be killed indoors or outdoors and nor during day or night. Armed with such a powerful boon, Hiranakashipu asked the people to worship him and not Vishnu. He over powered the Devas and people started worshipping him except for his son Prahlad.

Child Prahlad displayed exemplary courage and worshipped Vishnu before Hiranakashipu. Hiranyakashipu tried several methods to change his son’s mind. When the attempts failed, he tried to eliminate the boy but each time he was saved by Vishnu.

Finally, the prayers of young Prahlad were answered and Lord Vishnu appeared to get rid of Hiranakashipu. He appeared as Narasimha – neither man nor lion – dragged the helpless Hiranakashipu to the threshold of his palace door and killed him at twilight.

But the fiery form of Narasimha was beyond the control of human beings and Devas. They tried to propitiate him in many ways but all attempts failed. Narasimha threatened to annihilate the world. Finally, Brihaspati, the guru of Devas, invoked Goddess Lakshmi to calm Narasimha down.

Goddess Lakshmi appeared before Narasimha and this calmed him down and he then returned to Vaikunta.