shastra

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

Dance and Sing.

Moimmampumpolil: 3-5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

POLIKA V-2

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

wonders of nature.

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

Thiruvaimolzi 4.9 NANNADAR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ratha Saptami.

Surya's chariot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Legends

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

Sun temples

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

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

Religious observances[edit]

Surya, the Sun God

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

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

In Tirumala[edit]

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

Sangya's marriage to the Sun God(web)

Sangya's marriage to the Sun God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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