Thursday, December 19, 2013

Tiruppaan Azhwar Amaladipiran PS

The Spotless Lord Primordial

Of the spotless Lord Primordial
The lotus feet divine
came crowding into my eyes
to make me his slaves slave
The stainless king of the gods
And to Venkatam's fragrant groves,
The spotless righteous lord
Of the sky and Srirangam,s fort.

Jubilant he measured the earth
His tall head pierced the sky
The Kakutsa whose arrows burnt
The demons of the dark
Lord of Srirangam's grooves
My thoughts all wing their way
To his red waistcloth.

At Srirangam is his snake-bed
But at Venkatam in the north
He stands on a huge hill
Monkeys leaping around
That the gods may meet him there.
It is his yellow garment
Like the twilight sky
And his lovely stomach
Which created the creator
That are the sweet life
Of my life.

The sea hued with his burning shafts
Made Lanka's ten-headed king.
For all its fort four square
First run then run with blood
And the lord of Srirangam
Humming sweet with bees
Beautiful peacocks a dance
Has let his waistband enter
My heart and walk therein.

He snapped the bonds of my past
A burden, an incubus
Made me his own and more
what fearful penance I performed
For this i do not know
It is the chest of Srirangam's lord
With its garlands and Lakshmi
That has captivated me.

The Lord of Srirangam
Its grooves haunted by lovely bees
Had come to the rescue of him
who wears the white crescent
The neck which swallowed the worlds
Orb on orb to outermost space
Entire beyond the seven hills
Behold has made me live!

Whorled conch and fiery disc
Held inhis two hands
His body stretched like a mountain,
My lord with his long head
Fragrant with basil,
The wizard set on his snake
In jewelled Srirangam
With his red mouth, behold!
has captured all my thoughts.

He tore that demon's body
That came as a horse,
The spotless lord of Srirangam
Primordial lord
Hard to acccess to the gods
His long black eyes red streaked
Stretching bright onhis dark face
have befooled me
And made me mad!

A baby on a fig leaf
Who swallowed all seven worlds
Lies now on his serpent bed
In Srirangam.
His lovely necklace of gems
And his strings of pearls
With his blue body
Endlessly beautiful
have, O wonderful!
Entered my heart and filled it.

Having seen the rain cloud hued
The butter-besmeared milklad's mouth
Of himwho filched my heart away,
My ambrosia
Lord of the Gods and of Srirangam,
These my eyes
Have no wish to see
Aught else!

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

FAITH revisited.

The complexity of faith ----- emphasized by Ramanuja is quiet simple to him Faith is both cognitive and emotive. It is the recurrent if not quiet unremitting self reminding of a supremacy and also a growing subservience in love. Further it sometimes manifests as loud praise and is on other occasions merely cherished consciously but quietly. It may be a wordless ecstasy wrapping one away into remoteness from the world or the active source of composure in the midst of hectic activity. For Ramanuja Faith is an integral yoga with components of worship, discrimination, meditation, devotion, surrender, steady remembrance of the Lord. He actively turns to god and a realised inability to be sustained by anything except God. God alone is the unfailing source of sustenance, the actively breaking away from things and dwelling continuously on god. Faith only makes for a godward orientation of all ones actions. Thus:
1. Faith is a continuous contemplation.
2. It implies profound humility in relation to the Lord.
3. an acceptance and persuit of God as the supreme goal.
Thus Devotion of the above kind would make one skill in action as well, as what ever he does is offered to God. naturally he will offer his best in every thing he does. he performs every task with a loving keenness as an offering to the Lord. The measure of Faith is to have even more of it. he realises that God is that platitude of all that a man's heart can rightly crave for. he realizes that the finite self depends solely on the supreme self. he then observes the maya of god and sees him in every thing and every body. and that there is no distiction between the finite and supreme self. he understands the facts of how god is omnipotent omnipresent. He sees God as the adhara for every thing. he understands the meaning of tat tvam asi. Brahman is said to be the very life breath of the self. Brahma has its root and abode in that lies in that rests on that. Ramanuja insists that the individual soul finds its completion in the higher self only. its a direct discovery of being utterly grounded in god.
For Ramanuja the concept of the body as the defect of the soul has not held any significance. in fact he is marvelled at the utility of the body to realise that Brahman. which is the most significant function the body does perform.
What if one thought there was nothing to seek as here and now he is playing the role assigned to him. he does live every instance as if for god as he feels god is with him at all times. concentrates on the present and forgets the past or future. faces life with this new vision this body this thought this mission is dedicated to God.

to be continued of course.

Madhurakavi alvar.

Kanninun Siruttambu.

Sweeter to me than the Lord
who was fettered to the grindstone
Is the blessed saint of Kurugur;
His name makes my mouth water!

I uttered his name and found great joy,'
And sought his love lotus feet as truth,
Now another Lord I know not.
Singing his songs I roam the streets.

I roam but everywhere I see
The dark lovely frame of the Kurugur saint,
Who deemed me worthy of his grace.
This is my great fortune indeed.

Worthy scholars full of wisdom
Had declared me worthless, yet
Like father and mother in one.
He made me his own, Satakopan my lord.

Then I coveted others wealth,
courted lovely damsels.
Now I have the love, what more?---
Of the golden Kurugur city lord.

Henceforth and through seven lives.
That I may sing his praise, he hathed graced me,
He that rules the great city of Kurugur
Shall never fail me just see.

Having spotted me the dark framed saint
Purged me on my past misdeeds
I shall let the eight quarters know
The abiding grace of the speaker of pure Tamil.

For those who value grace,
He graced the Tamil Vedas see,
He sang for us a thousand sweet hymns
That is the greatest grace in this world.

He put great truths of the vedas
Into simple songs and placed them in my heart.
Great seer Satakopan's  all pervading love.
Is the reward for my surrender to him.

The useless and the worthless he will repair
And put to good use every soul.
O Lord of Kurugur where sweet cuckoos haunt,
 I only seek to deserve your abiding love.

to those who seek refuge,
Madhurakavi as friend has this to say
Seek refuge in the Lord of Kurugur
For believe me Vaikuntha is here.


Friday, December 13, 2013

STOTRA (NAN)

Among the main historical periods in the development of Hindu philosophy and religiosity none perhaps has been more innovative that the formative era of the Srivaishnava tradition. Long before the rise of the nothern Bhakti movement the early Brahmin Perceptor of Tamilian Vaishnavism effected a synthesis of elements from the nothern sanskrit stream of vedic literature with the elements of southern religiosity based on highly emotional form of bhakti unique to south India Before emotional devotion spread to the north (primarily via the southern text of Bhagavath purana) the Srivaishnava lineage of preceptors had gone a long way towards the legitimation of the emotional and sensual spirituality of the Alwars. They did this by declaring the Alwars poems to be Tamil Vedas and then proceded to synthesize several of the key features with the Sanskrit Veda especially as integrated by their leading teacher the great Visista philosopher Ramanujacharya.
The blending of three streams of religious scripture, the Sanskrit Vedas the Tamil Vedas and the temple oriented texts called the Vaishnava Pancharatra agamas effected by Ramanuja's immediate disciples and contempararies stands as one of the most innovative ventures in the intellectual history of Hinduism. The first extant comprehensive expression of the unique transformative Srivaishnav world view is contained in the composition of Ramanuj's immediate disciple Kuresa and Kures's son (according to some as Ramanuja's successor in the line of perceptors) Parasara Bhattar. Both of them effectively expressed their world view in praise poems or hymns called Stotras. Stotra is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root Stu meaning to praise, laud or eulogize. Stotra stands differentiated content wise into a wide variety of types. many of the stotras composed by unknown devotees are simple and wholly unsystematic expressions of personal devotion. Reflective and Speculative stotras in a more systematic format have been composed by intellectual leaders of the various Hindu traditions and are filled with philosophical and theological doctrines in a more pleasing form of poetry. The particular purposes of the hymns is sometimes mentioned in the final verse called phala stuthi.
The Alwars in their Tamil compositions accord explicit recognition to both the Nothern and Southern languages and speak persistently in an affermative manner of the Sanskrit vedas and Brahmins as they integrate much from the Sanskrit Classical tradition into their poems world view and spirituality. The stotra texts are written in Sanskrit and contain many renderings of the Tamil names  and local sacred places and dieties mentioned by the Alwars. As commentaries began to be written on the Alwars hymns maniparvala developed from generation to generaation into a language containing fewer and fewer sanskrit original words and concepts.
Vedanta Desika incorporatem more and more Tamil Vedas into his hymns.
Ramanuja occupies a position of eminence among the Acharya's. an understanding of Tamilian Vaishnava devotion and religiosity depends upon the study of both the lives and the compositions of all these early acharya's.
The praise poems of Kuresa and Bhattar contain interestingly new information regarding the status and development of the doctrine of Sri vaishnavism. Ideas are often expressed in poetic imagery before they are articulated in more conceptual and precise doctrinal formulations. Stotras are thereforea useful source on the intellectual history and tradition. Several of the later sectarian doctrines ignored in Ramanuja's philosophical commentaries but developed by later Acharyas such as Pillai Loka charya contain clear although poetic and nascent form. The vastness of Srivaishnava religious literature involving commentaries and comentary on commentaries is responsible for the confusion of the actual state of the religion.
What can i say about Him.
Who speaks inside me -Himself
singing his  own praise, with his own Words,
While arranging for the sweet stanzas to be spoken by me in my own word.


Monday, December 9, 2013

Temple and its significance.

There is an ancient proverb in Tamil which stipulates that no human being should live in a town which does not have a Temple. The Great Tamil Saint poet Avvaiyar said Othamal Orunalum irukkavendam meaning not a day should pass without praising the Lord.
Temples played a major role in social life. Temples are broadly clasified into three types. The Nagara is distinguished by curvilinear tower. the dravida style has its towers in the form of trucated pyramids. and the Vesara an admixture of both the styles. Temples do not seem to have existed during the vedic age. The practice of carving out the images of the deities mentioned in the vedas seem to have come into vogue by the end of the vedic period. The earlier temples were built with perishable material like timber and clay. Later they were carved out of stones. Heavy stone structures with detailed architectural style and fine scluptures are a more recent phenomenon.
The temple is the house of God on earth. thus it provides a link between man and God. the rajagopuram is the main gateway to this terestrial house of god. The dwajastambha in the temple represents the flag post on which is flown the flag of the main diety of the temple, outer walls i.e. prakara are the walls of the house. The Garbhagriha is the sanctum sanctorum wherein the main diety is housed. the tower on the top of the grabhagriha is the vimana. usually the temple is compared to the Human body. kathopanishad says the body of ours is the temple of the divine.
Viewed from another angle the Temple symbolises the world in all its aspects. The tall imposing gopuram at the entrance always attracts the immediate attention of the viewers. This sybolises the meaningless grandeur of the world in which we live. very often people wonder why the temple towers contain figures of animals, along with celestial, terrestrial, mythological and historical figures. some times even uncouth and indecent figures are carved. It is believed that the figures on he temple tower are only iconographical representations of the world as it exists. When we cross the Rajagopuram we symbolically leave behind this mundane world and start our journey to attain the supreme reality and bliss. the devotee starts from outside, passes through circutious routes and comes to the center i.e. the garbhagriha. This is the central point of his visit. that center or focus represents the creator - the diety from which everything has evolved. Thus the structure and the temple reflects the basic truth that God is the center and from him every thing starts.
The aproach to the sanctum sanctorum is usually kept dark. there are no windows there. The belief is that when one starts meditating one meets first the darkness. so also when one aproaches the sanctum it is dark but when the lamp is lit, enlightenment and wisdom dawn. When one is standing near the sanctum sanctorum one is expected not to stand in such a way as to obstruct the vahana of the divinity viewing the Lord. the point sought to be conveyed is that there should be similar uninterupted link, through concentration of mind between devotee and diety. when a curtain is drawn and one is allowed a view of the diety, it is symbolic of removal of the curtain of ignorance and revelation of supreme enlightenment. Further when the camphor is lit and it leaves no residue, it means that after attaining enlightenment the Jivathma merges with Paramathma and that is full salvation. thus various stages of worship at the temple have their own symbolic significance.
It is also believed that through worship in the temple the five senses of man get sublimated. first sense is sight. When one passes from the bright outer prakara towards the dark sanctum sanctorum, the eye cannot see anything and when the curtain is drawn aside the eye sees god and no longer seeks God. so the eye learns its lesson that it shall see God in everything. When the temple bell rings, and prayers are chanted, the ears hears the sound and thus get sublimated. When the offerings to the Lord i.e. prasadam is eaten, the tongue gets its chance to be sublimated. The beautiful aroma of flowers and Tulasi, offered to god sublimates the nose. By applying the holy ash or sandal paste, the sense of touch gets sublimated. Thus by worshiping in the temple, the five senses gets elevated.
Thus the Temple is not a mere architectural marvel, It is verily an institution intimately conected with man and his life in this loka and paraloka.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Saranagathi as Mokshopaya.

Prapatti marks an intense state of Bhakti. It is known severally as Nyaasa, Tyaaga, saranagathi, Prapadana, Atma Nikshepa and Bharanyasa. All these mean seeking refuge at the Feet of the supreme as the Mokshopaya.
Saranagathy as an Upaya for Moksha is one of the most effective means. the Taittiriya Upanishad lists out in the ascending order of effectiveness, the different paths leading to Moksa.

Satyam                                  : Practice of Truth.
Tapas                                    : reducing bodily needs.
Dama                                    : Control of one's outer senses.
Sama                                     : Control of one's inner sense.
Danam                                   : Liberaly donating one's wealth.
Dharma                                  : Practice of one's duties.
Prajanana                               : Begetting children.
Agneyah                                 : Offering to the Devas through fire.
Yajna                                     : Sacrifices.
Maanasa                                 : Meditation on God.
Nyasa                                     : Surrender.

the said upanishad also refers to Nyasa as Devaanaam Guhyam: i.e. the devas regard Nyasa as a top secret. the scriptures says Nyasa is Saakshaat Moksha upaya. i.e. direct means to Moksa.

The main aspect of Prapatti marg are popularly known as Shad (six) Angas as against ashtanga yoga of Patanjali.
The five angas are:
Aanukoolya Sankalpa
Pratikoolya Varjana.
Mahavishvasa.Goptritva Varana
Aatmanikshepa
Kaarpanya or Aakinchinyam.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

for the Love of God.

Sanskrit and Tamil are perhaps two of the oldest languages of the world that have produced great literature. Both belong to India. sanskrit is the language of the Aryans. and Tamil that of the Dravidians. It is indeed amazing how these two languages influence each other. The vedic gods were the forces of nature, rain, thunder, fire, earth and sky, the sun, moon and stars. gradually Rudra and Vishnu attained pre-eminance and attracted worshippers. Interestingly Vedic literature is more religious than secular. where as the earliest Tamil literature now available to us was more secular than religious. Important Tamil poems like the Tirumuruharruppadai, celebrating the glory of Muruha, the favourite tamil God or Meyon another name for Krishna or Vishnu. Also the Paripaadal has seven poems devoted to Vishnu and eight to Muruha.
Later in the History of India, both Jains and Buddhist who rebelled against the authority of the Vedas attracted many adherents in the south. they left behind considerable literary works epic romance, proverbs and moral instructions, remarkable for their depth of feeling and grace and polish of their expressions. subsequently the great acharyas Shankara Ramanuja and Madhava attempted to undo the influence of the Jains and Buddhists to re-establish Hinduism.
The Shaivite devotee of this period is depicted as being acutely aware of his tendency to sin, calls himself a cur, and is amazed by god's grace towards him. Manikkavachakar's Tiruvachakam is full of Passionate yearning for God, with an equally passionate dispisal of himself as wholly unworthy.

For the Love of God the Religious classic of the Vaishnavities the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham contains 23 works big and small authored by the (Azhwars) meaning God Immersed, or (Alwar) meaning ruler or born to rule. it can be taken as a tribute paid to a great devotee of God meant by him to rule the rest of humanity.
From the works of the azhwars it appears that several of them questioned the notion of Moksha. Thirumangai alwar declared "what is all this talk of Moksha? we have seen none who has actually attained it, heard none narrating the experience. all that people want is happiness, the happiness of heaven attained through Dharma, or on earth as artha, the first two steps are preliminary to the third karma. which was the end so his aim was to achieve krishna not moksa.
Tondaradippodi alwar claimed that he was more than ready to exchange not only paradise but the kingship of paradise for perpetual life on earth, provided he could always see the Vishnu idol before him. adressing the Reclining figure of SriRanganatha in Srirangam he sang:
Lord of Srirangam the great city.
Your form is a mountain of Jade,
Your mouth Coral,
Your eyes red lillies,
Unshakable bull among lords!
Sprig of the cowherd clan,
Should i be asked to exchange
The savour of chanting these names
to go out and get instead
The savour of ruling Heaven,
I would not my lord,
Make that exchange.

The noticible feature of the prabandham is the mingling of both the Aryan and Dravidian cultures.
Curiously enough, while every poem attributed to andal describes itself in its signature stanza as a composition by the daughter of vishnuchittan of Puduvai or puttur, the works of Vishnuchittan himself make no reference or mention of this gifted daughter.

Vishnuchittan
Special lines in Palland.
To you gem Hued with your wrestlers shouldres, Your rosy feet our rest.

Come quickly to partake of the joy abounding, and shout "hail Narayana", so that the land city and hamlet may hear you. and the benediction you invoke On our lord.

Learn to sing a benediction for him so that your worldly bounds may be snapped.

To him will I sing 'All Hail' who has
The garuda on his flag
And has given me rice ghee-soaked and service
Perpetual in his court.
Betel to chew, neclace and earings,
cool sandal paste for my body
And everything to make me lead
A pure and spotless life.

I too have now become,  LORD,
a retainer of yours.
In all ways i will sing and spread
"HAIL NARAYANA"
that  I may ever tread the good path
And sing this benediction.

For the pure one, the supreme wielder
Of the bow saranga
will for ages take delight
In that great ones company,
Lauding him with it.


Thalatu.
Hush a bye Baby.

Brahma sent you in his love
This little cradle of pure gold
With rubies set on either side
and diamonds inbetween
Hush a bye, my little dwarf
who spanned the world.

Siva on his bull sent you
to wear round your waist this beautiful belt
made of gold and set with gems
sparkling like pomegranate seeds
dont cry dont cry the owner of all
Hush a bye, world spanner.

Indra sent for my dear Lord
who wears Lakshmi on his chest
And whose feet are like Lotuses
With lovely anklets    and stood by
Hush a bye dear lotus eyed.

The gods in heaven have sent you
A right Whorled conch
Tinkling anklets for your rosy feet,
Bangles for wrists,
A string as a necklace and one for the waist
Red eyed dark cloud Hush a bye,
Dwarakas lion hush a bye.

The bountiful donor Kubera
Thinking it the most appropriate
Brought for your chest and amulet
With Vishnu's five weapons in relief
strung on a necklace and stood by
Hush a bye pure gem hued.

Strings from the sea of dazzling pearls
And corals of the best quality
And bangles and ampulets
Varuna has sent you
Bright locks are curly Hush a bye
Winsome shoulders hush a bye.

Garlands of Tulasi fragrant and forest grown
and chaplets of heaven grown Karpakam
Have been sent by Lotus borne Lakshmi
Dont cry my king dont cry
Hush a bye as if in Kudantai.

A cloth band to keep your garments in place,
A small dagger, a gold flower for the head
Have been sent to you by the earth Goddess
You who sucked the demoness dry
Hush a bye do not cry.

Sandal paste musk camphor and turmeric
and colyrium for your lovely large eyes
The Goddess of Learning stands holding in her hand
Dont cry sir dont cry
Hush in Srirangam
This well knit song was composed
by the brahmin of Puduvai
Stating how his cowherdess mother
Lulled to sleep the dark hued one
who was to suck the demoness dead
Who came deceitfully to suckle him
those who would recite it
Shall be free from all evil.

Naachiyar Tirumozhi

The God of love invoked.

All through the month of Tai, Ananga
I swept the floor and drew figures on it,
And now in Maasi 's first fortnight
Adorned the streets with grains of sand
I Worshipped you and your younger brother
So that you may save my life
Will you join my destiny
To Venkatam's Lord whose disc spits fire.

O Kama, I'd placate you with penance,
Strewing the streets with white fine sand
Bathing before the crack of dawn
And feeding your fire with thornless twigs,
With flowers that are dripping honey
The name of the sea Hued written on them
Will you aim at him and join me
to the tearer of the beak of the demon bird.

With fragrant datura and drumstick flowers
Three times a day i worship your feet
That with my heart aflame I may not revile you
Call u a fraud and blacken your name
with bunches of fresh blown flowers for your darts
And the name of Govinda written on them
Will you aim at that wonderful Venkatam's Lord
And link my destiny to that lamp.

O Kama look, I have shown on that wall
Your ancestry and flag and fish
Horses women and white fly whisks
and a bow made of sugarcane
From childhood i have dedicated
To the Lord of Dwaraka and him alone
Join my destiny quickly with his.


Dont ruin our sand castles.
O thousand named Narayana
Incarnate now as man
If you were indeed our cousin
All our troubles would have gone
We have decorated this street
Welcoming Kama in panguni
O wicked Sridhara, bearer of Lakshmi
Dont you ruin our sand castles.

We have broken our backs all day
Putting these castles up
Let us now rest and look at them
and quench our ardour thus....


We have worked with our braceleted hands
to filter and winnow the sand
With the seas pure waves for your bed
Dont ruin our sand castles.

O hued like the thick rain cloud
you charm us with your words and deeds
your face holds us in thrall
as if under a magical spell
We say nothing to hurt you
less you call us thoughtless brats
O you with your eyes like the lotus
dont ruin our sand castles.

Reveal my luck

If I'll have the fortune to touch
and fondle the feet
of the God whom many pure devotees
worship with raised hands
The Lord of Tirumal's grove
Who may lie whereever he list---
O Loop i draw, come out right.

If the one whom Brahma and the gods
adore and praise
the son of lovely Devaki
of the bright brows
Good Vasudeva's princely son
will come to me
O loop i draw, come out right
and reveal my luck.

If he will come who does not dwell
Except in the heart
Of those that love him ardently
Dwaraka's king
The cowherd whose great pleasure lies
In grazing and sport
o loop i draw come out right
and revel my luck.

A Dream Wedding.

My friend I dreamt that Narayanan
with a thousand elephants came
In a procession and was received
By the city all bedecked
With festoons and flans along the streets
and brimming golden jugs.

My friend, I dreamt that tomorrow
Being fixed as my wedding day
He Madhava Hari Govinda
Entered like a bull
A canopy of coconut fronds
With cluster of areca nut

My friend I dreamt that Indra the god
Came down with his clan
to bespeak the bride and fix the terms
And andari the bridegrooms sister
Wrapped round me the bridal saree
And then garlanded me

My friend, I dreamt that numerous priests
Brought water for holy sprinkling
from the four corners of the earth
And raising vedic chants
Knoted the guarding string round my wrist
That i may wed kannan the pure

My friend I dreamt that Mathura's King
Sandalled striding in
Shook the earth and beautiful maids
Advanced to welcome him
Carrying lamps as bright as the sun
And many an ornate jug

My friend i dreamt that my husband to be
Madusudana took my hand
Drums beating and conches blowing
Under a canopy
Which were sagging under the weight
Of the pearls strung from it.

My friend i dreamt that the veda versed
had built a fire and banked it
With a boundry of green grass
And he an elephant in must
Took my hand in his and we both
Walked around that fire.

My friend I dreamt that Narayanan
To whom i shall be bound
In this birth and for seven times seven
Caught hold of my foot
And placed it with his lovely hand
On the grinding stone

My friend i dreamt that my elder brothers
Bright faced with brows like bows
sat me in front of the fire and stirred it
And placing my hand in his
the leonine - they fed that flame
Liberally with puffed rice

My friend i dreamt that i was smeared
with sandal and saffron paste
And the two of us taken on an elephant
Through decorated streets
In a procession that was to end
In a fragrant ritual bath.

Kodai the daughter of Puduvai's chief
Respected by the brahmins
Strung these twice five verses in Tamil
Sactified by her dream
The wish fulfillment of her wedding
to the divine cowherd
Those who can recite them well
Will be gladdened with good children.

Though Maha Vishnu assumes various aspects such as Para, Vyuha, Vibhava, Antaryami and Archa, it is in the worship of His iconic form the Alwars found immeasurable joy and ecstasy. they realized that the Lord is the very acme of simplicity reaching out to reclaim the fallen souls. These mystic bards, soaked in divine love, visited the divya desams, admired the towers and turrets and described the grandeur and glory of the deities enshrined there in exquisite poetry. The archa form of the Lord is to shower his divine grace on the people of yesterday today and tomorrow.
Thirumangai alwar says "Pinnanar vanangum shodhi" meaning a light that can be seen and prostrated by posterity. The archa forms can be classified as swayam vyakta, daiva, saiddha and manusha. swayam vyaktha means appearing in the archa form on his own there are 8 such places. the first being Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri, Salagrama, Naimisharanya, Vanamamalai, Pushkaram and Nara narayana ashrama (Badri)

Tell me white conch










to be continued.