explain

enna solli
raagam: kAnaDA

Aa:S R2 G2 M1 D N2 S
Av: S N2 P M1 G2 M1 R2 S

taaLam: Adi
Composer: Ambujam Krishna
Language:

pallavi

enna solli azhaittAl varuvAyO eLiyEn enranai inidu ATkoLLa

anupallavi

pannaga shayanA parama dayAkarA padam paNindEn sadgati peravE nAn

caraNam

abhayamenra karikkudaviya nAmamO AraNangin mAnam kAttadOr nAmamO
aran manattiDai sadA japittiDum nAmamO avaniyOr uraiytti

By calling you   by which name , you would come  ,

For  sweetly make   this   poor  one as yours.

Oh Lord who sleeps on the snake   who is divinely merciful  ,

I  am bowing to your feet    for   getting salvation.

Is the name which  helped the elephant   which   sought protection,

Is it the name  tha protected the respectability of a great lady,

Is it the name that is being chanted in his mind  always by Lord Shiva,

Which name among the thousand that is chanted  by people of earth  

 entamuddO enta

raagam: bindumaalini

16 cakravaakam janya
Aa: S G3 R1 G3 M1 P N2 S
Av: S N2 S D2 P G3 R1 S

taaLam: aadi
Composer: Tyaagaraaja
Language: Telugu

pallavi

entamuddO enta sogasO evarivalla varNimpa tagunE

anupallavi

enta vAralaina gAni-kAnta cintA krAntulai nAru

caraNam

attamIda kanu-lAsaku dAsulai satta bhAgavata vEsu lairi

dutta pAlu ruci deliyu sAmyamE dhUrINuDau tyAgarAjanutuDu

P:
nAmam; annadu kEL, namO nArAyaNAya

AP:
Oma vELviyin uRu padam uyppadum, oruvan

C:
kAmam yAvaiyum taruvadum, ap padam kaDandAl,
shEma vIDu uRac ceivadum, shen tazhal mukanda

MK:
maNNin ninRu mEl malar ayan ulagu uRa vAzhum
eNNil bhUtangaL niRpana tirivana ivaTRin
uL niRainduLa karaNattin Ungu uLa uNarvum
eNNuginRadu ivveTTu ezhuttE, piRidu illai.

Amam yAvaiyum taruvadum = that (name) which grants all desires
ap padam kaDandAl = once (a jeeva) crosses that stage (of worldly desires)
shEma vIDu uRac ceivadum = (that which) ensures eternal (kshEma, lit. safe) liberation / mOksha (vIDu)

shen tazhal mukanda Oma vELviyin uRu padam uyppadum = (that which) grants the high state (such as paramapadam) obtained through ritual sacrifices involving red-hot flames of fire

oruvan nAmam; annadu kEL = (is) one name, hear that (name)
namO nArAyaNAya = it is the name (chanted/worshipped as) namO nArAyaNAya

maNNin ninRu = from this earth
mEl malar ayan ulagu uRa = to the upper world (satya lOka) of Lord Brahma
vAzhum eNNil bhUtangaL = the countless lives that inhabit / exist
niRpana tirivana = the inanimate and the animate (achEtana / chEtana ) objects
ivaTRin uL niRainduLa = that (life-force) which pervades (is inside ) all these
karaNattin Ungu uLa uNarvum = (finding this a bit difficult! may mean some form of consciousness / jnAna as conveyed by the word uNarvu)
eNNuginRadu = always keep in their mind / meditate on
ivveTTu ezhuttE= these eight letters I(Om namo nArAyaNAya)
piRidu illai = (and) nothing else

SEshAchalanAyakam - varALi - rupaka

P	SEshAchala nAyakam bhajAmi vi SEsha phala pradAyakam ||	I worship Lord Seshachala who bestows extra-ordinary boons.
A.P.	bhAshAramaNa prabrutyA SEshAmara nuta koustubha bhooshAlankruta bahutara vEshAtmaka vigraham ||	Brahma and other Devatas adore him. He adorns Koustubha gem. He appears in a variety of forms beautifully.
C 1	mandahAsa vadanam svachchanda hrudayasadanam sundarajita madanam mu kundam madhusudanam ara vinda patra nayanam gO vindamuraga Sayanam sura brunda satkrutAdhyAyanam nanda nArAyaNam pu randarAdi dikpAla sa nandanAdi muni varALi vandita mabhinava guru guha nandita mananta keertim ||	There is gentle smile on his face. He dwells in the hearts of pious people. He conquers Manmadha in beauty. He is Mukunda. He is Madhusudana. His eyes are beautiful like lotus petals. He reclines on Adi Sesha serpent. Multitudes of Devatas and sages meditate upon him. Lord Siva, the cardinal rulers of all directions , Sanandana and other sages adore Lord Narayana. Guru Guha bows to him. Lord Venkatesa's glory is infinite.

marivErE dikkevaraiya
raagam: shhanmugapriyaa

56 shanmugapriyaa mela
Aa: S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N2 S
Av: S N2 D1 P M2 G2 R2 S

taaLam:
Composer: PaTnam Subramanya Aiyyar
Language:

pallavi

marivere dikkevarayya rama
maaTi maaTikini telupavalEna

anupallavi

daridaapu lEni naa jaali terci
dayacEsi brocE dora neevu kaada
(mari)

caraNam

ninnu caala nammi unnavaadanucu
nee chittamunakE telisi unDagaa
sannutaanga shree venkaTesha neevu
nannu brOvakayunduta nyayamaa
(mari)

---

Meaning: by Suhasini Jayakumar
pallavi: besides you, who will save me, Rama, how many times need I tell you ?

anupallavi: Aren't you the one who, being near me, rids me of my troubles, and, with your grace, protects me

caraNam: You with your great mind, don't you know those who place implicit trust in you

You , who are praised by all as the great Lord Venkateshwara,

 is it just that you do not come to save me?

RRV Art G

 Rukmangada or Rukmangad is the name of a king in the Hindu sacred books. He was a great devotee of Vishnu. Rukmangudu was looked upon as a good and pious king. Vishnu takes Rukmangudu and his pious wife Sandhyavali away to his heavenly abode, Vaikuntha.

Mohini angrily demanded the head of his son. Rukmangada's son readily agreed to keep the word of his father and put his head on the block. In the nick of time Vishnu appeared and saved Rukmangada's son. He blessed the king and all the inhabitants of his kingdom.

Art gallery in memory of Raja Ravi Varma to be a reality in 2021

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Adjacent to the Sree Chithra Art Gallery, here, once stood an abandoned old mansion of the 1880s which served as the official quarters of the then museum and zoo director Dr

eevanayakam. The exterior was recently demolished during the lockdown when the Napier Museum have been out of bounds for visitors due to the pandemic, and the debris auctioned off, all to pave way for an exclusive art gallery in memory of Raja Ravi Varma that is set be a reality in eight months.

The structure of the 15,000 sqft building is being maintained as such which would now be converted into a two-storey building on a par with international standards.

In a befitting tribute to the painter, the gallery will house 96 sketches by Raja Ravi Varma, apart from 38 paintings by his brother C Raja Raja Varma and also one of the paintings by Mangala Bai Thampuratti, says Dr V Venu, additional chief secretary of Cultural Affairs (Archaeology, Archives, Museums) who was the earlier director general of National Museum, New Delhi and the brain behind the new initiative.

He says the new gallery would make up for the shortcoming that the state has not done justice to the illustrious painter of India. The upcoming museum will also put on display Ravi Varma’s certificates awarded to him from Chicago and Vienna in 1893 for his works sent from Kilimanoor palace. It will also have a lab facility, as of international museums, to conserve the longevity of paintings.

pv

 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=875615622974435

peace disturbed.

 This stotram has a historical background. The great centre of Sri Vaishnavism Srirangam had fallen into the hands of the Muslim invaders led by Malik Kafur in the 14th Century A.D. Before that, the shrine of Lord Ranganatha had been closed after secretly sealing the sanctum sanctorum, and the utsava-murti removed to places of safety by the pious people of the place. Several great acharyas lost their lives, and several others, Vedanta Desika among them, ran away from the place in fear and panic. Desika stayed at Satyamangalam near Kollegal now in Mysore State. It is from there he sang this stotra in praise of Lord Ranganatha, praying to Him to banish their fear and return to His abode. Sloka 20 voices the prayer to banish fear in Srirangam and restore it to its former glory, and sloka 22 prays to the Lord to wield His weapons and remove their fear caused by the Muslims and the Yavanas (other foreigners). The Stotra refers to the Lord’s five weapons (panchayudhas), which He always holds in His hands for our protection, in four places 11, 21, 22 and 23. Fear and/or freedom from fear figure in nearly half the total number of slokas of this stotram. Sloka 19 refers by name to eight staunch devotees of the Lord who obtained complete freedom from fear by taking refuge at the Lord’s feet and prays for a similar benefit and blessing for all of us. A paaraayanam of this stotram has been prescribed by elders for securing freedom from fear of any sort.

 Swami Desikan"s period on this earth is 1268 to 1369 AD. He lived the proverbial 100 plus Veda Praayam. He witnessed many historical events and contributed enormously to the sustenance and growth of Sri Bhagavad Ramanuja Siddhantham. One of the most important events in his life crowned with accomplishments as a "vEDANTHAACHARYA" a name given to him by Sri Ranganatha and as "Sarvatantra Swatantar", a title bestowed on him by Sri Ranganayaki, is connected with Muslim Invasion of Srirangam and the creation of Abhithi Stavam.

Muslim Invasions: The first of the invasions took place in the year 1311, when Swami was 43 years old. It was headed by Malik Kafur, who was a general in Allaudin Khilji"s court. He was a converted Hindu from Gujarat and had fierce ambitions to please his master. He was feared widely. He hit hard, plundered and went back with his loot. The fear created by him lasted.

Another invasion by Ulugh Khan followed during 1323 Ad, when our Acharya was 55 Years old. He was by that time, one of the most revered Vaishanva Acharyas. He had composed many granthams at the command of Sri Ramanuja, who appeared in his dream. He was deeply absorbed in the Kainkaryam of the Divya Dampathis and Ubhaya Vedantha Kalakshepam to advance the glorious tenets of Ramanuja.

A disturbing incident happened that had influence on his choice of Satyamangalam as a place where he stayed during the invasion by Ulugh Khan.The background is as follows:

A learned scholar by the name of Kanthaadai Lakshmanaacchaar committed Apachara to the Swami and fell ill. It made Swami very unhappy. Few days later, Kanthaadai sincerely regretted his trespass and sought Swami"s pardon. He became cured and he ingested Swami"s Sri Paada Theertham and was blessed with a child. The father named the child Theertha Pillai inview of the blessings caused by the Sree Paada Theertham of Swami Desikan. Our Acharya was disturbed by these events and decided to go away from Srirangam for awhile and travelled to Satyamangalam with his family and disciples and continued his Pravachanam and worship of the Divya Dampathis from a distance. After few months, he could not stay away from the Srirangam Divya dampathis and he returned to Srirangam. This was his introduction to Satyamangalam, which will again host him during the time of the second Muslim Invasion.

The second invasion news spread as Ulug Khan torched his way south towards Srirangam. The residents of Srirangam including Swami Desikan and Sudarsana Bhattar worried about the calamities that could ensue. Sudarsana Bhattar was the author of Srutha Prakasikai, the commentary on Sri Bhashyam following strictly the Sri Bhashyam of Ramanuja as preserved by his disciples. Sudarsana Bhattar had two young sons. He was also the chief priest at Srirangam temple. Both the Bhattar and the key people involved with the temple wanted to move the Archa Murthys of Srirangam away and sit out the invasion at a safe distance. They raised a stone wall to hide the Moolavar and transported Sri Ranganatha and Sri Ranganayaki in special boxes and left at the middle of night. With difficult travel, they reached Thirumalai and conducted the daily Aradhanam for the Divine couple there without attracting too much attention. Swami Desikan could not stay behind, once The Divya Dampathis had left Srirangam. He joined Sudarsana Bhattar in Thiruppatthi hills. There Sudarsana Bhattar pleaded with Swami Desikan to protect Srutha Prakasikai and his two sons and stay somewhere deep beyond reach of the Muslim invaders, who might track down those , who removed Sri Ranganatha from Srirangam. Out of his great affection for Sri Bhashyam, Swami agreed and left for the peace and quiet of Satyamangalam, where he was welcomed earlier by the residents with great affection. He gave pravachanams on Srutha Prakasika raised the two sons of the Bhattar as his own. He left from Satyamangalam for Thirunarayanapuram to offer his worship to Sri Ramanuja and Selva Pillai. There he composed Yatiraja Sapthathi. There he suffered from separation from Sri Ranganatha and composed Abhithi Stavam in the stavam style of Kuresa, the author of five stavams. He recited many times his stavam on Ranganatha and peace returned to Srirangam as a result of the victory of Chenji king Koppanaaryan. The Chenji king went to Thirupathi and brought Sri Ranganatha Back to Srirangam after a brief sojourn at Chenji.

Swami Desikan heard about the good news and returned to Srirangam and regained his mental peace through reunion with the Divya Dampathis. He started the Margazhi Adhyayana Utsavam, which had been halted during the turbulent period of invasion and argued with those, who objected to the celebration of the works of Azhwaars, who were born in different Varnaas. He won in the debates and asserted the holiness of the works of Azhwaars as divine works that have a status similar to Arya Vedams. Sri Ranganatha like Sri Varadaraja before was pleased with Swami's defense and instruced that the invocatory verse "Ramanuja Dayaapathram---" be recited first by Prabhanda Ghoshtis at the beginning of their recitations of Divya Prabhandham. This Invocatory verse was composed by Brahma Tantra Swatantra Swamy (BTST), a key disciple of Swami and was the founder of the Parakala Matam, where Hayagreevan is the Araadhana Murthy. BTST had composed it during the occasion of his Acharya's pravachanam on Aaraayirappati, which later was released as Nigama Parimalam by the Acharya. There Swami Desikan covered the Vedic similarity of Azhwaar's work and showed the roots of The Azhwaar's work as originating from Veda Samhitas and Upanishads. That Invocatory work was the one chosen by Sri Ranganatha to honor the service of Swami Desikan. Ramanuja Dayaapathram was composed in Satyamangalam, a plac elinked with Acharya"

kKM

 Popular for his poems containing zleSha/silEDai (pun), Kavi KALamEgham is a great Tamil poet of the 15th century, who was an Asukavi, capable of extempore poetry. His name means refers to his capability of pouring forth poems like the grey-black clouds that burst into a torrential rain. His compositions include TiruvAnaikkA ulA, Chittira MaDal and a number of verses full of pun and irony.

He used his skills of pun and irony to snub his opponents and criticise anyone who took advantage of him. His poems often contain a riddle with an obvious and a deeper meaning. Even his eulogies on the Hindu Gods he adored were full of irony, pun and ridicule on the surface, hiding a deep devotion underneath it.

nindA stuti

Poem no.3
Sung in worship of the GaruDa Utsava of Kanchi VaradarAja Swami--an eulogy in a tone of mockery:

perumALum ~nalla perumAL! avartam
tiru~nALum ~nalla tiru~nAL!--perumAL
iru~ndiDattil chummA irAmaiyAl, aiyO!
paru~ndeDuttup pOkiRatE pAr!

பெருமாளும் நல்ல பெருமாள்! அவர்தம்
திருநாளும் நல்ல திருநாள்!--பெருமாள்
இருந்திடத்தில் சும்மா இராமையால், ஐயோ!
பருந்தெடுத்துப் போகிறதே பார்!

PerumAL is also a good PerumAL! His
TirunAL is also a good TirunAL! - PerumAL,
since he didn't sit quiet where he was, alas!
The Kite takes him away, look!

PerumAL: ViShNu; TirunAL: his festival day; Kite: GaruDa, PerumAL's vehicle.

**********

Poem no.5
When the poet resented waiting long for food in the VaruNakula Adittan choultry of Nagappattinam KAtthAn and sang a poem on that at KAtthAn's request.

kattukaDal chUzh~nAgaik kAttAn chattirattil
attamikkum pOdil arisi varum; kutti
ulaiyil iDa Ur aD~gkum; Or akappai annam
ilaiyil iDa veLLi ezhum.

கத்துகடல் சூழ்நாகைக் காத்தான் சத்திரத்தில்
அத்தமிக்கும் போதில் அரிசி வரும்; குத்தி
உலையில் இட ஊர் அட்ங்கும்; ஓர் அகப்பை அன்னம்
இலையில் இட வெள்ளி எழும்.

Noisy sea surrounded NAgai KAtthAn's choultry--
where paddy arrives at sunset; when it's pounded
and cooked in oven, the town's asleep; a ladle of rice
when placed on the leaf, Venus will rise.

NAgai kAtthAn: probably a wealthy man who built a choultry in Nagappattinam; Venus: the morning star.

**********

Poem no.6
Sung on the Kanchipuram VinAyaka Utsavam--an eulogy in a tone of mockery:

mUppAn mazhuvum, murAritiruch chakkaramum
pArppAn kadaiyum paRipOchchO?--mAppAr
valimiku~nda mummadattu vAraNattai, aiyO!
eli izhutthup pOkinRatE En?

மூப்பான் மழுவும், முராரிதிருச் சக்கரமும்
பார்ப்பான் கதையும் பறிபோச்சோ?--மாப்பார்
வலிமிகுந்த மும்மதத்து வாரணத்தை, ஐயோ!
எலி இழுத்துப் போகின்றதே ஏன்?

MUppAn's hand-axe, MurAri's sacred disc,
PAppAn's legend, all snatched away?--MAppAr
Macho pachyderm of three-fold madness, alas!
A rodent takes him away, why?

MUppAn: Shiva; hand-axe: his weapon; MurAri: VishNu; PAppAn's legend: Brahma's creation legends; three-fold madness: exudations of a must elephant from his three body parts--the ear, trunk and the genital organ; rodent: weasel, vehicle of VinAyaka.

**********

Poem no.7
On having darshan of God Muruga, sung on him--an eulogy in a tone of mockery:

appan ira~nduuNNi; AttAL malai~nIli;
oppaRiya mAman uRitiruDi;--chappaikkAl
aNNan peruvayiRan; ARumukhattAnukku i~gku
eNNum perumai ivai.

அப்பன் இரந்துஉண்ணி; ஆத்தாள் மலைநீலி;
ஒப்பறிய மாமன் உறிதிருடி;--சப்பைக்கால்
அண்ணன் பெருவயிறன்; ஆறுமுகத்தானுக்கு இங்கு
எண்ணும் பெருமை இவை.

Appan is an alms-getter; AtthAL MalaiNIli;
matchless MAman uRi-raider;--gaunt-legged
ANNan has a large belly; here, for the Six-faced,
his select honours are these.

Appan: father, Shiva; AtthAL: mother; MalaiNIli: a name for Parvati, resident of the Himavat hill (malai); MAman: maternal uncle, VishNu; uRi: a hoop or network of three ropes suspended from the kitchen ceiling to place pots of curd and butter; Sri KrishNa was fond of raiding these hoops; ANNan: elder brother Ganesha; Six-faced: Muruga has six faces, ShaNmukha.

kg

 A 17th century classic in praise of the glory of Tiruchendur is Kandar Kalivenba by Kumaragurupara Swamigal, a Saiva ascetic. The author was born in 1625 A.D. of a Saiva Vellala family at Srivaikuntam on the northern bank of the Tambaraparani, nineteen miles from Tiruchendur. His parents Shanmukha Sikhamani Kavirayar and Śivakami Ammaiyar were blessed with this child after a long penance to Muruga of Tiruchendur. The boy grew of age and until his fifth year showed no signs of speech. The parents were pained at this and resorted to Tiruchendur penance again. Weary of waiting for months and seeing signs of approaching speech, the parents determined to drown themselves in the sea along with the child if he would not speak by a particular day.

The day dawned, and yet there were no signs. At last, both the parents and the child entered the foamy waves. Deeper and deeper they went from knee to neck and, as they were about to sink with the waves over their heads a human form appeared with a flower in his hand and asked the child what it was; when lo! the child broke out in praise of the Lord with the words of the lines.

"Pūmēvu cenkamalap puttēLuntēRRiya
Pāmēvu teyvap pazhamaRaiyum…."

This poem, the Kantarakalivempā of 244 lines is a delightful piece of the Lord's praise and the truths of Saiva Siddhanta. And it is considered even now with great propriety that its recitation with warmth and fervour wards off many an evil attending on man.

Having studied Tamil at the feet of his father Sanmukacikāmani Kavirayar, and attained in it great proficiency by divine grace, he grew up to manhood, took to an austere way of life, left home, and wandered throughout the Tamil country visiting famous places of pilgrimage and composing poems on the presiding deities.

When he was at Dharmapuram, he was drawn to the monastery's head Mācilāmani Tecikar, and begged him to be admitted as his disciple and initiated into the sannyāsa āsrama. Mācilāmani asked the young poet to visit important pilgrim centers including Benares, and return to him then. Kumarakuruparar felt incapable of such undertaking, arduous and dangerous in those days. He was directed to stay at least in Chidambaram for some time and then apply. He complied with this condition and afterwards took the holy orders.

While he was a court-poet of Tirumalai Nāyaka at Madurai, one day as he was inaugurating his devotional poem in praise of goddess Mînātci at the royal court, the goddess appeared herself as a young maiden and sat on the lap of the Nāyaka king, and taking a necklace of pearls, put it on the neck of the poet and vanished.

Finally, Kumarakuruparar left for Benares. His fame reached even the Mughal court at Delhi. Emperor Aurangzib expressed a desire to see him, and the poet-saint (who had in the meantime mastered Urdu) rode to the Mughal court on the back of a lion, the symbol of courage and pride. The emperor was so much impressed by the poet's holiness and learning that he bestowed on him a plot of land in Benares near the Kedar Ghat, and there Kumarakuruparar built the Kumārasvāmi monastery which became soon the heart of religious activities.

He lived in Benares till the end of his days except for a short visit to the South to pay his respects to his guru. The tradition also says that Kumarakuruparar who was very fond of Kamban's Tamil Rāmāyana lectured on it in Benares and that Tulsîdās, the great Hindi poet of Rāmcaritmānas, heard these talks and became indebted to Kamban through the lectures of Kumarakuruparar.

Amongst Kumarakuruparar's other literary works, Meenakshi Pillai-Tamil, Meenakshi-kurram, Neethineri-Vilakkami Madhuraikkalampakam and others are ever popular and widely read.

the 8 p

 

What is Bushido?

Bushido is a code of conduct that emerged in Japan from the Samurai, or Japanese warriors, who spread their ideals throughout society. They drew inspiration from Confucianism, which is a relatively conservative philosophy and system of beliefs that places a great deal of importance on loyalty and duty. The Bushido code contains eight key principles or virtues that warriors were expected to uphold.

The Eight Principles

1. Justice: Justice is a core value of the Samurai. Incorporating the Bushido principle of justice into your life requires reflecting on what is fair and upholding the value of upstanding moral character. 
2. Courage: Courage, like justice, entails deciphering what is right and wrong. Courage requires the strength not only to perceive but also to act.  
3. Compassion: Compassion is the ability to manifest love and sympathy through patience. It also requires attempting to see the world from the perspective of another. This is an especially important trait for those in a leadership role.
4. Respect: Respect means that you acknowledge your regard for the experiences and feelings of others. In order to collaborate with another person, politeness must be employed.  
5. Integrity: In order to practice many of the other principles listed, one has to maintain integrity. This mean living honestly and sincerely.   
6. Honor: Samurai were warriors who upheld a sense of self worth and lived by the highest code of conduct. In order to abide by the principle of honor, you must acknowledge your moral responsibilities.
7. Loyalty: First, stay true to yourself. When fealty is given to another, this must not be abandoned even under difficult circumstances.
8. Self-control: Self-control in the Bushido code means adhering to this code under all circumstances, when with others and when alone. Not every iteration of the Bushido code includes self-control, but the book Bushido: The Soul of Japan written by Inazo Nitobe highlights its importance.  

A collection of Katana swords. Photo via Shutterstock.com.

Origin of the Bushido Code

The word “bushi,” a  synonym for warrior, serves as a root for the word “Bushido.” The word Samurai roughly translates to “those who serve,” but has come to mean warrior. To understand the foundation of the Bushido code, one must examine the history of the Samurai.

The history of the Samurai begins in the eighth century, when armed supporters of wealthy landowners began to be known as Samurai. Toward the end of the 12th century, power in Japan shifted and the Kamakura Shogunate military dictatorship was established. During this time, leaders popularized the use of Samurai and codified their privileged status.

Following a period of unrest, when Mongol invasion destabilized the government leading to the end of the Kamakura period towards the end of the 14th century, there was a long era of peace under the Tokugawa Shogunate. During this period of peace and prosperity, the Samurai were no longer required to provide military force; instead, they were asked to lead civil governance. Slowly, their role transitioned from being a type of knight to encompassing the responsibilities of a government official.

In the Tokugawa period, the Japanese art forms popular among the Samurai began to flourish. These included tea ceremonies, rock gardens, flower arranging, and a unique Japanese painting style that was developed during Edo period.

The ordinance of the Military Houses or the Buke shohatto, was issued in 1615 and the Samurai were called upon to train not only in strength, but also in civility and politeness. It was during this time that the Bushido principles emerged as the code of conduct for Japanese people at large, influenced heavily by the Samurai as well as Buddhism and Confucianism. The notion of the Samurai was cemented as the epitome of refined manhood. 

Overall, the Bushido code calls for an appreciation and respect for life, and teaches that people should lead by example, express benevolence, and show mercy.