Shankara's slokas

Achutastakam
Balamukundastakam
Bhaja govindam
Govindastakam
Harisharanastakam
Jagganaathaastakam
Kanakadhara stotram
Krishnastakam
LakshminarasimhanKavalambastotram
Lakshminarasimha Pancharatnam
Nandanandana Srikrishnastakam
Narayana stotram
Pandurangastakam
Pavanasuta Pancharatnam
Raghuastakam
Ranganatastakam
Srirama Pancharatnam
Shatpadistotram

Most of or all of Adi Shankara's stotra's are very pleasant to listen to and recite. they rhyme too very well.

The Primordial energy Mantra

The Primordial Energy.

Mantras, their role, their powers and efficacy, have come down from vedic times to modern times, securing material gains and mental peace. In every Hindu household it is the practice to chant or recite mantras to propitiate the gods to secure wealth, happiness and progeny. Mantras are spiritual vibrations, they transform men to realise and to become one with the atman. The mantra sound vibrations were perceived by the ancient rishis at the subtle level. the mantras are knitted in certain meters so as to produce, on chanting, impulses on the human physiology. The metrical sound vibrations caused by the mantra awaken the supernatural energies within the body, which bring about connections with the cosmic vibrations. By repeated chanting of the mantras, vibrations are created again and again which facilitate experiencing cosmic consciousness.
Mantra means that upon which one reflects. Mantras first manifest in the form of sound vibrations. the Mantras are not products of human wisdom but flash of the divine sound waves experienced by the ancient seers who came into supersensuous contact with the universal truth. The Mantras are not mere sound, they possess the energy of the word and are to be articulated. As the mantras are sound vibrations and are oral in character they are learnt by rote. They have three components viz Rishi, Chand and Devata. The mantras are revelations of rishis. they experienced the sound flashed in their mind and expressed themselves in such mantras. they are thus Mantra dishtas not mantra kartas. These ancient seers were endowed with great mental prowess and intellectual capacity to grasp the subtle sound vibrations that were lying suspended in energy forms in the space.
Mantras are spiritual vibrations and not language. Mantras do not communicate information. The mantras are made in the performatory way. Uttering of the Mantra is or is part of the performance of an action. the performatory statements brings about some response in a hearer to establish awareness of some state of affairs. Mantras transform men to realise atman.
veda mantras are written in definite rhythm or chandas. Every varna or syllable has in it power and the syllables are grouped in a particular manner called chandas. There are four padas or foot in any composition of the veda mantra. The number of syllables in one pada measures the metre or chandas. Mantras are addressed to devatas or Gods who are propitiated in order to win their favour and obtain boons or rewards from them. Language unlike mantras are used for communication of thoughts. Language describes the objects and events according to the object perceived of its substance, of its activity, of its stability and of its relationship.
Mantra has the energy and to acquire that energy one should pronounce it knowing its meaning or message. Mantras are not concerned with intellectual contents but upon its emotional, sensitive and effacacious power of moving the will. When the psychic entity is nourished with prayer the power is obtained to get the prayer answered.
Mantras, their role, their powers and their efficacy have survived from the vedic times and are an important factor in the Hindu religious functions and rituals. Human beings find themselves powerless against the frowns of nature.
Mantras or manana is derived from the root manas mind. mantras come into existence by the union of the mind and the vac word. Vedic mantras are thoughts that overflow with love of life and energy for action and take the form of prayer. Vak therefore is the revelation of the soul of the sages. from vak syllables came and collection of syllables is mantra.
Mantras are not products of human wisdom but flash of the divine sparks seen by those eminent men who have come into super sensuous contact with the unseen eternal truth. By concentrating one's mind on such a mantra the devotee invokes the power inherent in the divine intuition and thus purifies his consciousness.
The Mantras are recited, muttered or sung in the vedic rituals. The mantra vibrations caused during the recitation in the Yagnas perforce cause beneficial effect on the nerve centers and the pranic nodes within the body of the human being. mantras are said to be sound or words of power for use in rituals. Mantras therefore, means that which has been thought and has the power to liberate. It is the catalyst that allows the sacred potential of the ritual setting to become a reality. Vedic civilization flourished without literacy. Writing was held in lower esteem than memory or sound or recitation. The Vedic mantras are therefore called sruti (that which is heard). The vedas are learnt by rote to preserve the sacramental character in the rendering of the mantras. The Vedic mantras properly chanted with their intonation only maintain their sound power. The vedic mantras have thus been orally handed down for centuries by memorization and recitation.
The hymns revealed by the rishis varied in the manner and range of expression. some hymns gave expression to the spiritual experience of the ancient seers while others exhibited the profound vedic wisdom of the seers. some hymns were plain and simple easy to understand while others were baffling and obscure.
In the vedic era women were not discriminated from men. We find women rishis also as the revealers of mantras. for eg. Lopamudra, Visvavara Apala, Indrani (wife of Indra)and Yami (Sister of Yama). Surya has revealed the various mantras relating to marriage and these mantras have great significance and are chanted at every marriage. Ghosa propitiated Aswins and they helped her to get youthful beauty and get a rich husband.
The vedic scriptures commonly carry the epithets Ya Ye vam Veda. This is truth. there are many instances in the vedic mantras where the rishis themselves have expressed that the mantras are their own realisations. for instance, in Yajur Veda verse 32.8 the sage Veena experiences and expresses that the universe is one home wherein unites and therefrom issues the whole. The Lord like warp and woof is present underlying the unity.
The mantras are set to certain meters known as chandas. Every varna or syllable has in it a latency of power involved in it. A combination of these syllable or varna - varnamala in a particular order may convey a particular effect also.
Chandas is the metric composition of the Vedic mantras. the Rig and Sama vedas are wholly in verse. Yajur Veda is partly verse and partly prose. the syllables are sometimes strung together in sequence called mantramala. verse in sanskrit is composed of four padas. the foot is calle Pada.Pada is foot of the Veda Purusha. the chandas or vedic meter of a mantra is measured by the number of syllables in it. the unit of syllable is one quarter or a pada. stanza is composed of four padas chandas are number of syllables in each pada. Only vowels and consonants with vowels are reckoned. the syllable should therefore end in vowel. Pure consonants are ignored or excluded. In Ushnik there are seven syllables. those with eight in them are called Anushtup, nine in Brihati, in Pangti there are ten, In trishtup there are eleven, and Jagathi  has twelve. 26 syllables are called Dandakam. The King of mantras is Gayatri.

Chandas          No of Syllables       No of syllables pada wise           swara
Gayatri                 24                        8+8+8                                      Shadja.
Ushnik                  28                        7+7+7                                      Rishab
Anushtup               32                        8+8+8+8                                 Gandara
Brihati                    36                       9+9+9+9                                  Madhyam
Pankti                     40                       10+10+10+10                          Pancham
Trishtup                  44                        11+11+11+11                          Daivat
Jagati                      48                        12+12+12+12                          Nishad

Modifications in meter are possible say if 23  Nichrt Gayatri  if 25 Bhurik Gayathri. etc.

The Mantras chanted at the sacrifices, ceremonial rites, and other samskaras fall under the categories of Veda mantras, Agama mantras, Puranic mantras and Smruta mantras.
Vedic Mantra
Veda is the reverberation of the Brahman or the atma. In each syllable of veda there is vibration which is total knowledge. so by reciting the veda mantra one acquires total knowledge capable of achieving whatever one desires. Subalopanishad says that from the breath of  Virata Purusa came the Rikveda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda, Siksha, Kalpa etc.
The Hiranyagarbha after tapas (SElf control) for the purification of the creatures created the mantras comprising the vedas and the karmas or rites. The Brahman created Prana, from prana he created faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, organs, mind and food. From Food he created vigor, self control, mantras, rites, and names of worlds.
Vedic mantras occur in each of the four vedas. Prajapati meditated and issued knowledge, the three Rik, Yajur, and Sama as His own manifestation in the universe. The Vedas are therefore Apaurisheya and they do not have an author either human or divine. They are eternal without a beginning or end. In the beginning the Vedic mantras the sakhas as they were called were in the conglomerate form. The veda is compared to a banyan tree with many branches (sakha) there were 1180 sakhas. Krishna Dwaipayana undertook the task of codifying the various sakhas and putting them in four vedas.
Rik veda               21      Shakala and Bashkala
Yajur Veda          101
Sukla Yajur                     Kanava and Mahayandina
Krishna Yajur                  Taittriya, Maitrayaneya and Kata.
Sama Veda         1000     Gautama and Jaimini
Atharva Veda         50      Paiplaya and Sownaka.

He was therefore named Veda Vyasa after this. The rik sakhas contained various hymns, Yajur sakhas dealt with procedures and formalities relating to conduct and rituals and yajnas. the sama sakhas were collection of hymns rendered in musical form. Atharva sakhas are designed to protect man from dangers and enemies. Veda vyasa having codified the vedas into four categories entrusted the task of propagating the vedas to four of his disciples who were themselves great seers. The veda has three parts the Samhita, Brahmana and the Upanishads.
Samhita is the collection of mantras or hymns in praise of the devatas transmitted orally by the ancient seers from generation to generation. Samhita contains all hymns in praise of the devatas and belong to different kinds of vedic utterances eg. Rk verse, the saman chant and the Yajus formula. Samhita is mantra and it is total knowledge. The Rk samhita contains the hymns in praise of the gods where the seers have poured their emotions in songs. The mantras strictly conform to the laws of metrical composition. These hymns are known as Suktas. The Rig veda contains 1028 suktas and there are about 10589 verses. In the vedic period sacrifices were common. the ritual assumed a formal role and therefore there was a need to regulate them. The work yajur derived from the root 'yaj' denotes sacrifice or ritual procedure. the Yajur veda gives the formulas to be uttered  when the alter is to be erected. this veda gives a practical shape in the form of worship to the various Rk mantras. There are 1975 verses in Yajur Veda comprised in 40 chapters. It also contains hymns in praise of devatas. There is no strict rule regarding number of letters in each line. Some mantras are in prose. Purusa sukta, Sri Rudra and Chamak appear in the Yajur veda. The saman chants the mantras at the sacrifice. It is musical. Sama means (shanthi) peace. The sama veda contains 1875 mantras of which 1800 are virtually repetition of the Rk veda mantras. The sama hymns are rearranged to suit the religious ceremonies in which they were to be employed. while singing the verses are altered by prolongation, repetition and insertion of syllables and their modification. The Atharva veda contains all knowledge of secular sciences. there are 5977 verses comprised in 20 volumes such as tantra, yantra etc. There are about 731 hymns and about one seventh is Rk veda mixed with prose and verse. The mantras are designed to ward off evils and to destroy the enemies. The Atharva veda deals with the practical side of life which men use, like magic, amulets and herbs for removing diseases, evil omens, funerals and the like.
to be continued.

story's corner

Ananthalvan stories.
Why is Pachai Karpoora applied on the Lord's chin.

Ananthacharya was one of the disciples of Sri Ramanuja charya. Ramanuja charya had asked him to maintain the flower garden (Nandavanam) in Tirumala and ensure the regular supply of flowers tothe Lord. He was a staunch Brahmin and did this work with dedication and love. One day he decided to dig a pond in the area as he needed to store water and water the plants when ever required. He took the assistance of his wife to help him in emptying the pit of the sand that was being dug out. Now his wife was on her family way and expecting their child. she got very tired doing this job. ananthalavan was too engrossed in his task and in his one minded task did not even remember how difficult this task was for her. but the Lord appeared before her as a young lad to assist her. she readily took his help. and the three of them were performing their act. ananthalavan of filling the basket with the loose earth, his wife taking it from him, the lad taking it from her emptying it onto a mound and returning it to her and she coming back for the next fill. Suddenly all this was happening very fast. ananthalavan now realised his wife in her advanced stage of pregnancy was doing the task quiet fast each time, one such turn he followed her and on seeing the lad was mad with rage as what the couple was doing was a kainkaryam (I love this word) to the Lord and a holy order. The lad had no business to participate. He Ananthalavan was holding the spade with which he was digging the pit. He struck the boy with the spade. the boy vanished from the scene. Later in the day when Ananthalavan carried the strung flowers to the temple for offering to the Lord he noticed that the blood was oozing from the chin of the Lord, immediately he took the camphor and applied it to the vigraha of the Lord realising then that the boy who was helping them earlier was none other than the Lord. he fell at the lords feet for forgiveness. his love and dedication increased fourfold. The Lord is said to wear the Pachai karpooram on his chin in rememberence of this love Ananthalavan had for him. The Spade of Ananthalavan is seen even today hanging on the right side wall at the main entrance to the temple at tirumala. (Does this story not give you goose bumps. You may also come across the Lord in your life assisting you May be in the form of a friend child old person etc. who has been an instreument in your task, try to look at the good the Lord does to you. You will notice him every where all round you. if you practice it you will see him daily. yes that is a promise.)
Yet another experience by the lucky Ananthalavan. One day he found that some one was entering his Naandavanam in the night and picking flowers when he was asleep. he was annoyed. he kept awake that night to catch the thief. yes and right behold he saw a couple who were making merry in his garden and strewing flowers at each other in play he went out to capture them the man ran away and he caught hold the lady and tied her to the tree in hope of dealin g with her in the morning. Of course by the morning there was no one there and he realised this was gods play again.
Just imagine the joy ananthalavan must have had. his Nandavanam was a sporting spot for the Lord. (even today on the seventh day of the Brahmothsavam the Lord is taken in a procession and the eighth day the flowers from the temple are presented to the family of Ananthalavan's descendents, as it used to be done during the time of Ananthalavan to him.)

Sir Thomas Munroe becomes a devotee.
The Governor of Madras Presidency Sir thoas Munroe was suffering from very acute stomach ailment and pain no treatment gave him any relief. he was a good man. he had working for him an ardent devotee of Venkateswara of Tirumala. He advised Munroe to take a vow that he would visit Tirumala and worship the lord. In those days non hindus were not allowed into the temple. He therfore remained outside and offered his prayers and worship to the lord with great faith. He was soon cured of his ailment. he was so greatful and astonished with the relief of the pain. As a thanks giving he created an endowment to offer one big vessel of pongal to the lord every day. He also ordered that the prasadam after offering to the lord be distributed to the pilgrims. he gifted the revenue collections of a village towards the expenses for this charity. this charity even today is know as Munroe gangalam.

Lord Williams also beomes a devotee.
He too followed what Lord munroe had done and took a vow. to visit the temple if he got cured of his stomach pain. Suprisingly he too was cured. and he too visited the temple and created an endowment now called lord williams chali pandili drinking water service near Mokalametta.

Special Manoharam Prasadam.
This special Manoharam offered to the Lord every day is made up of cleansed wheat gram and rice, fried in ghee and then pounded mixed with jaggery and made into balls for offer. this is considered a special offering and is distributed with great honour to the the special devotees or dignitaries  who visit the temple along with chandam and sripadarenu in a silver plate at the entrance to the temple.

Story of Tirumalai Nambi.
Thirumalai Nambi was the maternal uncle of Ramanuja charya and was a great devotee of Lord Venkatesvara. He used to do the Kainkaryam of carrying water for the performance of the  Thirumanjanam for the Lord. one day while he was carrying water in a pitcher for the lord a small lad appeared and begged for some water to quench his thurst. thirumalai nambi refused the boy saying the water was meant for the Abhishekam for the Lord and the water source being far away he could not go to get some more water due to his being feeble, and he continued to go towards the temple. the small boy however hit the pot with a small stone and drank the water that gushed out of the pot and quenched his thurst. Thirumalai Nambi on reaching the temple found his pot empty and was saddened. When he turned he found the lad who had accosted him standing there smiling at him. the Lad then led Thirumalai Nambi to another spot on the hill closer to the temple where water was gushing out from between two huge rocks. this was Akash Ganga. thereafter T N used to get water from Akash Ganga for the Abhishekam for the Lord. Even today the family descendents of Thirumalai nambi are being offered the teertha prasadam first as a privelage. There is a shrine for sri thirumalai nambi in Govindaraja temple at Tirupati.

Mud flowers offered to the Lord.
King Thondaman was a great devotee of the Lord. One day he ordered his goldsmith to make flowers of Gold, which he took to the temple to offer to the Lord. He gave them to the priest for offering to the Lord. The priest while offering the flowers found that mud flowers were already adorning the lords feet. he informed the King of the strange flowers already offered to the lord. on Enquiry he got to know that an humble potter living on the outskirts of the town used to offer the mud flowers to the lord in his home every day before he began his work. and was forever chanting the name of the Lord what ever else he did. the king seeing the scene in the potters house was moved and he informed the potter how glad the Lord was and how his mud flowers offered at home were found in the temple adorning the Lords feet and how dear they were to the Lord. The aged potters joy knew no bounds. as he was blessed with a dream where the Lord had appeared in his dream and had told him that when another devotee would inform him of his great devotion he would attain salvation. The King thodaman too realised that the Lord wanted not costly gifts but sincere love and devotion. he too gifted his kingdom to his sons and went to the forest to do penance.

There is yet another story connected with king Thodaman.

Once a brahmin named Krishna Sharma came to King Thodaman and said he was on his way to Benaras and as his wife and small child could not undertake the journey he requested the king to be guardian and take care of them till his return. King Thodaman readily agreed. He assigned a seperate house for the mother and child and gave them provision to last six months. having made these arrangements he forgot about them. in course of time Krishna Sharma returned and approached the King to return his wife and son. the ing sent his men to get them. but his men found only skeleton in the house of a woman and her son and ran to the king to inform him. The king was astonished and was not willing to accept that he had failed in his duty. He however asked krishna sharma for some time telling him that they had gone to Thirumala for worship. Now King Thodaman was a great devote of the Lord. He approached the Lord and falling at the feet prayed that the woman and child be brought back to life. The Lord gave him some water from the Asthi kuta tank. on sprinkling the water the lady and child were bought back to life and restored to Krishna Sharma. The king was pleased and thought himself to be the greatest devotee. he was very proud of his devotion and connection with the Lord. His short fall was known by him by the story of mud flowers related earlier. {Endaro mahanu bhavulu. andariki vandanamulu.} fit song.

The Divine Lotus Feet.

In the Lord's body the feet are the most important part for any devotee. It is said that even while the Lord assumed Visvaroopa, the devas and others occupied different parts of His body. But the feet alone were left for the devotees. In many of the Archa vigrahas the Lord himself is seen pointing with one of his hands towards His feet giving us a broad hint that it is those feet which will ensure our salvation. Whenever the God is described in literature, people follow the padadi  desantha varnana technique. i. e. the divine figure is described feet upwards up to the crown. In Tamil this is known as Thiruvadi to thirumudi darshanam. The Dvaya mantra which says "Sriman Narayana Charanam saranam Prapadye" clearly states that our salvation lies in resorting to the feet of the Lord Sriman Narayana.
The word Padham has got three meanings. Pad means to go to. So padam is one that is reached. That is why the feet of the lord is padam. and we all have to aim to go to those feet. The word padam also means his abode. Vaikunta which again all would like to reach. The third meaning is The Lord himself. He is the goal. Sri Ramanujacharya in his Vedartha Sangraha gives these three meanings.
Vishnu sukta of the Rig veda says " Tad Vishno pade parame madhva utsah" It means in theHighest abode of Vishnu there is a spring of honey or immortality. it also means that is the most exalted feet of the Lord Vishnu where lies the sweet honey. The rig veda also says " Tad Vishno paramam padham sadaa pasyanthi surayah" meaning the wise always behold the exalted abode of the Lord.
Sankara Bhagavatpada in his Vishnu padaadi kesanta Varnana stotra devotes eight stanzas to describe the greatness of the Lords Divine feet. he says that the particles of dust on the lotus feet of the lotus eyed Lord are capable of eleminating all the accumulated sins of all His devotees. he goes on to say the extremely jealous group of demons do not even go near those feet for fear of touching them but the entire celestial group always desire them to adorn their heads. he says the sole of the lords feet one can see lines in the form of a wheel, fish etc and those emblems confer auspiciousness on us and are adored by god.
During the Lords trivikrama avatara one of the two feet spread as a emerald flag star in the sky from which arose the Ganges. the other which was resting on the earth, had the beauty of a big pillar to house the universe. the two feet are delicate, graceful and red and confer abundant prosperity on the seekers. he says the toes on his feet are shining with resplendent brilliance and the nails on them look like spotless shining gems. He says the celestials who come and bow down at his feet become jealous seeing their reflection on them thinking there are yet another set of celestials who are closer to the lord.
Sri Venkatesa Prapatti  also gives soul stirring description of the divine feet. The feet add fragrance to the flowers at his feet and those feet are enjoyable for ever and ever and look newer and newer on every occassion. another stanza says the feet bear the mark of a banner, a pot of abrosia, an umbrella, the thunderbolt, lotus, kalpavriksha, conch and disc.

Perialvar and Yamunacharya also give similar description of the lords feet saying he sports "samrajya lakshna."(seen only on the emperor) the conch confers knowledge while the disc destroys enemy and rids us of our sins. {Dushta nigraha sishta paripalana} 
The reddish sole surpass the luster of the ruby, and their brilliance excel the dazzle of sapphire and the shine of the nails out beat the cool moon too. the tenderness of the feet is beyond the scope of speech or imagination they having been massaged by the goddess.
Those were the feet shown to Arjuna in the battle field while propounding the "Charma sloka" and exhorting him to seek refuge at those feet.
Yamunacharya in verse 6 of his stotra ratna says Padaara vindam aravinds vilochanasya  In verse 28 and 30 he refers to the feet as Paada Pankaja will bestow enormous punya even if one just folds his hands in abhaya towards the feet, He says the Anjali offered to the lotus feet is never lost. Swamy desikar has written an entire commentary on this single verse of Yamunacharya known as Anjali Vaibhavam. again in verse 31 of Stotraratna Yamunacharya impatiently asks when those feet are going to adorn his head. similarly Perialwar says whenever the Lord walked in ayarpadi the village hamlet he left the mark of all the insignia that adorned his feet. (pasuram91)
Koorattalvan in his Sri Vaikuntastava verses 70 and 71 expresses a desire to receive the Lord's feet on his head. also in other works Sundara Bahustava verses 62,65,67 and 111 where he praises the Lord at Thirumaliruncholai and in his Varadarajastava Lord of kanchi verses 59 to 62, the Lords feet are praised describing the softness sweetness and their grandeur. they are Makaranda pravaha flow of honey. these are the feet washed by brahma during the trivikrama manifestation and the water that flowed from the foot covering Brahmaloka took a three fold course. one stream is called Ganga, the second Dhruva and the third known as Alakananda. he also says the Sundarabaahu is a fragrant flower that has blossomed on the creeper called the Veda. he says in another verse the beauty of the lord's toes is like the waves of the ocean of nectar and the nails seem to reflect the moon.
In Varadarajastava he asks the lord which is more comfortable for your lotus feet: Is it the lotus like heart of your devotees? or is it the lotus that is described as the seat in Vaikunta? or is it the crown of the vedas meaning Upanishads? or is it the head of Sathakopa? or is it the Hastigiri where you have manifested in archa form?
Parasara Bhattar, son of Koorathalvan in the Sri Rangarajastava relates the beautiful different roles played by the lotus feet of the Lord. He says these are the feet that wandered brindavana; these are the feet which learnt the art of the Thandava dance from the Gopikas; these are the feet which enjoyed the rare privilage of being pressed gently by the delicate hands of Lakshmidevi; these are the feet that ex cell the lotus flower itself in beauty, charm, brilliance, fragrance, softness and tenderness. it is those feet which ignored the difference between high and low, rich and poor, birds and brutes, mighty and meek giving asylum to one and all. yes those feet ran errands for the pandavas. (for the sake of dharma)
The Kattiyam which is rendered before the Lord Parthasarathy in the Triplicane temple madras describes the beauty of the Lord Parthasarathy and the greatness of his Thiruvadi. This Kattiyam found in the Triplicane stalapurana runs like this:
"Kalla sakatathai kala kazhia sachi" (The feet which broke and destroyed the demon Sakatasura who came in a disguise to kill the Lord)
"Kandu mariththodi" (The feet which ran and controlled the calves which were running hither and thither)
"Kaliyan meethaadhi" (The feet which dances on the hood of Kaliya, the venomous serpent)
"Kaalindhi neeraadi" (The feet which were washed by the river yamuna)
"Kuraivai pinainthu paadi" (The feet which danced to the beat of Kuravai koothu where Lord Krishna danced with each gopika, having manifested Himself in myraid forms)
"Kudameri aadi" (The feet which performed the kuda koothu a peculiar type of dance among the cowherds where the pots are balanced on the shoulders as well as the head while dancing)
"Karunaiyaal thoothu oodi" (The feet out of their magnanimous character traversed as the emissary on behalf of the Pandavas to Kauravas)
"Kanniyarodu oodi" (The feet which danced enjoyed the company of the gopikas)
"Kazhaga mithithu aeri" (The feet which ascended and sat majestically on the throne kept with evil designs over a deep pit by Duryodhana in his court)
"Sitrill azhithu aadi avai" (The feet which playfully destroyed the house built out of sand on the banks of river Yamuna by the cowherd children)
"Saranam thanthu ozhyinda thiruvadigal" (These are the feet which are for ever and ever are our certain saviours)

The Mind which is the Rajahamsa desires to enter and be seated permanently in the bird cage which is the lotus feet of the Lord. these words from Kulasekhara alvar's Mukundamala,  here the poet being afraid that in old age when his life is ebbing out his mind may not have the ability to think about the Lord. as the swan is seen sitting on the lotus flower the poet in comparison says the mind is like a swan and wants to sit on the lotus feet of the lord. {"Krishna thvadeeya pada pankaja panjarantam adyaiva me visatu maanasa raaja hamsaha"}
The feet of the lord are used for four different styles of walking "Chaturgatih" 1. Simhagathi the majestic gait of the lion. 2. Vyaaghra gathi majestic stance of a tiger which will pounce upon its enemy with the speed of lightning. 3. Gajagati the majestic gait of an elephant. 4. vrishabha gati the gait of a bull which is confident and proud of its strength.
Andal refers to the incident when the feet measured the three worlds, "Anru ivvulagu alandayi adi pottri". Praise be to those feet which measured the three worlds. Perialwar too says, "Menakaiyodu, Thilothama, Rambai, Urvashi yaravar velgi, mayangi, vaanagam padiyill vaai thirappinri aadal, paadal avai marinar thaamae." Menaka, Thilotama, Menaka and Urvashi who were known for their beautiful gait, on seeing the beauty of the Lord's gait, felt ashamed and could not say anything and decided to give up their song and dance.
Kulashekar alwar refers to the relationship between the god and devotee to that of mother and child, and says though the mother may push the child away she ultimately showers comfort and love to the child. so too the divine feet are the rakshakas for the devotee. "Evvaru nadandanai emmi Raama"
Thondaradippodi alwar says "Kattrinam meitha endhai kazhalinai pani minn neerae" Pray to the feet which grazed the calves.
Thiruppan alwar is famous for having given a description of Lord Ranganatha from foot to crown.  He says the thiruvadi of the lord are always present in his mind's eye and that even as he goes searching for them they appear before his mind's eye and have enslaved him.
Thirumangai alvar says, what is it that you have not done to those who seek succour at your feet? refering to Sandeepani Maharishi's gurudakshina story. Krishna was his student, when he asked his guru what he should give as guru dakshina, the guru asked him to bring back his son who was washed away by the ocean some time ago. Krishna fulfills the wish and brings back his son from Yamaloka. 
Bhoothat alwar says "Nemi adiyal yaar otha vallaar arindhu"
Pey alwar relates an interesting and an unusual anecdote to relate about the divine feet, while doing mangalashasana at Tirupati. He says Aren't you the one who wanted to lie down as a child on the lap of Brahma and counted one by one your toes ten in order to give a hint to Brahma that he should not be in a hurry to give a boon to the person who was standing before him in disguise. The same story is also related by Thirumazhisai alwar, " Kondu kudan kaal male vaitha kizhaviyaa; thanda varakkan thalai kaal pandu enni oru Kumaran"
Nammalvar in the famous words "Uyarvara uyar nalam udayavan evan avan? exhorts his mind to bow down at the feet of the Lord who has all the Kalyana gunas, who is capable of releasing us from ignorance and confer Jnana. he then says "Thuyararu sudar adi thozhudezhu en manane" Oh mind surrender to those brilliant feet which rid your ills.
When thousands of verses can be written on the Padukas on which the lord rest his feet one can go on and on to describe his myraid acts which he performed.

I have left out Swamy Vedanta desikars paduka sahasram there is another article exclusively for that. 
For now let us with sincere devotion rest our thoughts on those glorious feet and wish to be blessed with his kindness.

Prapatti.

Prapatti is the theory of surrender (at the feet of the Lord) and it is of unfailing efficacy the desired result .... salvation. also called Nyasa self surrender at the feet of the lord to attain Moksha. other words offten used for prapatti are Tyaaga (sacrifice) Saranagathi (taking refuge) Prapadana (seeking asylum) Atma nikshepa (surrender of self) Bharanyasa (transfering the burden of protection).
The Alwars have been postulating this prapatti yoga as a mokshopaya and the works contributing to this is seen clearly in Nyasa dasakam, Nyasa Vimsathi, Nyasa Tilakam, Nikshepa raksha, Saranagathi deepika, Adaikkala pattu, Abhaya  pradanasaram, Saranagathi gadyam, Sriranga gadyam, sree Vachana Bhooshanam and Stotra Ratnam.
Tasmaan nyasam esham tapasam atiriktamaahuh.
Nammalvar did prapatti at the feet of Lord Srinivasa. 
Ramanuja did prapatti at the feet of Lord Ranganatha.
Vedanta Desika did prapatti at the feet of lord Varadaraja.
Prapatti or Nyasa as a upaya for moksha has a great holy antiquity, it is regarded as Brahmavidya. Sri Vishnu Purana, Sri Bhagvata Purana etc have delt with nyasa as means to attaining salvation. Ramayana is also regarded as a sharanagathy veda. the Taittiriya Upanishad says that Nyasa is superior to all forms of tapas. one who performs prapatti or nyasa is regarded as one who has performed a great yaga. it is a direct and immediate means of Moksha. Lord Shiva in the Ahirbudhnya samitha has praised Nyasa saying a prapanna who has adopted the practice of Nyasa is a swadhvara. it is also considered as a Devanam guhyam.

What is Philosophy?

Thales of Melitus 620BC - 540 BC from Asia Minor was the first philosopher as per records available.

According to the great Greek Philosopher Plato who says "PHILOSOPHY"  {begins in wonder}
Since then countless thinkers have tried to pin down exactly what philosophy is.

At its simplest   It is the quest for enlightenment that began when human beings first started to try to comprehend the world through the power of reason.\

It is a question that seeks to probe into the most fundamental aspects of human existence.

It also asks questions about the nature of human perception, experience, knowledge and understanding.

Branches of philosophy broadly classified

Metaphysics               nature of reality.
Ontology                    nature of being.
Logic                          principle for valid reasoning.
Epistemology              nature of knowledge.
Ethics                         Study of morality.

ultimately it is push back the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding and to bring to light what has hitherto been hidden for the human mind.

Periya thiruvadi Pakshiraja, Vainateya, Suparna, Garuthama, Periya thiruvadi, Vainathasudha, Vishnuvahana, Nagantaka, Kasyapeya Vinathathmaja.

Garuda is usually referred to as Periya Thiruvadi, and Hanuman is referred to as Siriya Thiruvadi. Garuda having served the Perumal in all of his avatarams. He is the eternal chariot for Vishnu. this confers a certain greatness and an unequaled status. in Tamil it is known as "Perumai mikka stithi."
The southern states of Tamil Nadu generally give Garudar a higher status as it is seen the Vigraham of Garudar grows in size and the prayers offered and worship grows in magnitude as one travels south from Srirangam, in the temple of Srirangam there is a huge figure of Garudar, it is believed that Perumal at the behest of Brahma was going to satyaloka and he had asked Garudar to remain there till he returned. Even at Nachiyar koil the stone Garudar there seems to be breathing. as at the time of utsavam it is seen that four people are able to carry him but as the procession proceeds more and more hands are required and by the end sixty four people are required to carry the idol. Garuda utsavam is the most important festival in Kanchipuram too and how god gave a momentary darshan to one Doddacharya of Sholinghur(which is followed even today.) The gait the Garudar takes is enjoyed by all the devotees and emphasis is given to make this even outstanding when the Lord is atop the Garudar at the utsavam. In Thirunangaoor eleven Garudar sevai is performed where the perumal of all the eleven divya deshams in and around Thirunangoor are visited by Thirumangai alwar and mangalashasana recited. after which all the perumals on garuda seva assemble at a particular spot.At Navatirupathi in tirunelveli district where the perumals of eight divyadeshams come to Alwar Thirunagari to visit Nammalwar. This is of prime importance as at the Brhmotsavam as here the perumal when taken out on Garuda vahanam wears a chain which is also worn round Garudar. such a unique sight is seen only here. another unique Garudar is in the state of Nepal. here the Garuda naga yuddham is an important festival. here it is seen that the idol of Garudar actually sweats and perspires. the perspiration is gently wiped with a cloth, and that holy piece of cloth is taken by the priest and presented to the King. This is kept safe by the king. whenever any citizen is unfortunate to be bitten by a snake then a yarn from that cloth is taken and tied on the limb. immediately the harm from the poisonous bite is said to disappear. 
The various parts of Garuda's body represents the different parts of the vedas. The vedas are dharma swaroopi and Garudar is Veda swaroopi.
Garuda is the master of the five types of vayus air inside our body. i.e. prana, apanan, samanan, udanan and vyanan. The Garuda mantram is regarded as the life giving force to our body. The Garuda mantram is a five lettered mantra known as Panchavarini.
Garuda Dhrushti is held to be very auspicious. If the eye of garudar set their gaze on a person, he will definitely be assured victory. It is described as Sukshma dhrushti. his parvai is classified into five types. keram, sparam, triyak, artham, and athaha. And Garuda's vahana is vayu. A vahana for a vahana. plenty of interesting stories are connected with Garuda his birth and blessings which make interesting reading. Famous songs too are composed. Garuda purana is read to help people cross over the difficult pangs of seperation on the loss of a dear one.