rahasyam2/8

Varththai 11
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11. pinjchAyp pazhuththEnO ANdALaip pOlE

Andal was born as the incarnation of Bhu Devi in the garden of Periyazhvar under a Tulasi plant. She was picked up Periyazhvar and was brought up in his household as his
own daughter. Not surprisingly, Periyazhvar's love for Sri Krishna also manifested in Andal and She developed great love for Sri Krishna even at a tender age. This love came
out as two great works which are part of the 4000 Divya Prabandhams – Thiruppavai and Nachchiyar Thirumozhi. Through both, She declared Her surrender to the Lord and that
She would not belong to any other. It is said that She wrote Thiruppavai at the age of five!

In his Upadesa Raththinamalai, Manavala Mamunigal states:
anju kudikkoru sandhadhiyAy AzhvArgal
tham seyalai vinji niRkum thanmaiyaLAy - pinjAyp
pazhuththALai ANdALai nALum paththiyudan
vazhuththAy manamE magizhndhu

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I show great love for Sri Krishna at a tender age like Andal did?"

Varththai 12
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12. emperumAn enREnO pattar pirAnaip pOlE

Pattar Piran is the name for Periyazhvar. Periyazhvar lived in Srivilliputtur where he maintained a flower garden and was making garlands for Vatapatrasayee every day. The
king of that area, Vallabha Deva arranged for a debate to determine the true Supreme Lord and announced that the winner would get a prize of gold coins ("kizhi"). The Lord
appeared in Periyazhvar's dream and told him to go to the king's court and determine that He is the supreme and win the prize. Accepting His word as command, Periyazhvar, who
had no formal education from a teacher, went to the court and proved with all pramANas that Sriman Narayana is the supreme being. Pleased by that, the king placed him on his
own elephant and took him around the city with praises. Sriman Narayana then appeared on Garuda with His consorts to see Periyazhvar. It is then that Periyazhvar sang the
magnificent Thiruppallandu pasuram.
In that pasuram, he said "ennAL emperumAn! undhanukku adiyOm enRu ezhuththuppatta annALE ..." - through that he showed His absolute supremacy and his natural servitude.

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I learn my true nature and call out to Him as my Lord like Periyazhvar did?"

Varththai 13
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13. ArAyndhu vittEnO thirumazhisaiyAr pOlE

Thirumazhisai Azhvar was born to Bhargava maharishi and Kanakangi a divine samsel in the kshetram of Thirumazhisai. He was abandoned by his mother as soon as we was born and was picked up by a low caste person and was brought up as his own son.

Due to the grace of Lord Jagannatha of Thirumazhisai and being the son of a great rishi, he grew up with great knowledge of the sastras. He began to join and analyze various sampradhayams and eventually settled in Shaivism. At that time, Peyazhvar met him and through debate won him back into the Srivaishnava sampradhayam. He gained fame as a great devotee of the Lord and after much yatra settled in the divyadesam of Thirukkudandhai, from where he attained the Lord's divine feet. He describes his journey into various religions and eventually reaching Srivaishnavam in
his own words:


"sAkkiyam kaRROm samaN kaRROm sankaranAr
Akkkiya Agama nUl ArAyndhOm - bAkkiyaththAl
sengkatkariyAnaich sErndhOm yAm thIdhilamE
engkatkariyadhonRil"

In Nanmugan Thiruvandhadhi, he talks about how he examined various religions and concluded that Sriman Narayana is the supreme Lord.

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I analyze other religions and gave them up as false like Thirumazhisaip Piran did?"

Varththai 14
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14. nAn (avan) siRiyan enREnO AzhvAraip pOlE

The word Azhvar refers to Swami Nammazhvar. In spite of being given the flawless knowledge ("mayaRvaRa madhinalam") by the Sriman Narayana Himself, in many of his pasurams he expresses his lowliness (naichyanusandhanam) to Him. In Thiruvaymozhi 3-3-4, he says "nIsanEn niRai onRumilEn". In Thiruvaymozhi 4-7-1, he says "sIlamillAchsiRiyan".


Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I understood my true nature and practice naichyanusandhanam like Azhvar did?"

In Periya Thiruvandhadhi 75, Azhvar says:

"puviyum iruvisumbum nin agaththa nI en
seviyin vazhi pugundhu ennuLLAy - avivinRi
yAn periyan nI periyai enbadhanai yAr aRivAr?
Un parugu nEmiyAy! uLLu"

In this pasuram, he shows the Lord to be the owner of everything - this world and paramapadham. He then expresses his amazement that this Lord is inside him. Being that, he asks the question, 'who knows if You are big or if I am big'. This is also broken a little differently.

It could also be said that Azhvar is saying 'yAn periyan'; 'nI periyai enbadhanai yAr aRivAr?' – that is, 'I am big, who knows if you are big?' The unsaid is that 'He is small'.

This is sAtvika ahankAram of Azhvar. He is amazed that One who swallowed everything has allowed Himself to be inside Azhvar for ever. This only shows His greatness. Because of this pasuram, Azhvar is called by the name 'periyan' in Azhvar Thirunagari. It is also said that this pasuram is the reason why this work is called Periya Thiruvandhadhi, even though it is made of only 87 pasurams, unlike other Andhadhis in the 4000 divya prabandham.

Thirukkolur Ammal may also be asking "Am I capable of speaking like Azhvar did?"

15. EdhEnum enREnO kulasEkarar pOlE

Kulasekhara Azhvar's pasurams are called Perumal Thirumozhi. In this work, he has sung a padhigam on Thiruvengadamudaiyan - "UnERu selvaththu" - Perumal Thirumozhi 4. In these pasurams, he expresses his desire to be born in any fashion on the divine mountain of Thirumalai. He asks that he be born as a bird, a fish, a tree, a pathway, a river, etc on the mountain. He also prays that he be born as the doorstep to the temple of the Lord - this is why the inner doorstep of divyadesa temples is called "Kulasekaran Padi". He
finally asks that he be born as anything on Thirumalai - "emperumAn ponmalai mEl EdhEnum AvEnE".

In this relation, Anandazhvan mentioned the following: "EdhEnum means Azhvar is ready to even lose his true nature of being subservient to the Lord and become the Lord
Himself, if it means that he could be on Thirumalai hills."
Bhattar said "EdhEnum means, let Azhvar not know who or what he is, let even the Lord not know who or what he is, let no one know or praise him - just let him be something on
Thirumalai".

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I wish to be always on Thirumalai like Kulasekhara Azhvar did?"

Varththai 16
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16. yAn sathyam enREnO krushNanaip pOlE

It is said by our Purvacharyas that the truth spoken by Sri Rama and the faleshoods uttered by Sri Krishna are our refuge. However, in this statement by Thirukkolur Ammal
it is shown that Sri Krishna too spoke only the truth. Just as Sri Rama was described as "rAmo vigrahavAn dharma:" so too Krishna can be described as "sanAtana dharma". In
his deathbed, when questioned by Yudishtra, Sri Bheeshma pointed to Sri Krishna as dharma personified.

Krishna's words uttered for the protection of His devotees, may appear like falsehoods but they are not. When He went as the messenger for the Pandavas, Draupadi asked that
He help her take her revenge on the Kauravas. At that time, Krishna stated that "The sky might fall down; the Earth may crumble; the Himalayas may break down into pieces; the
oceans may become dry; even if all these improbable things were to come true, my words will never be falsified".

Sanjaya too calls Krishna as truth personified.

When Uththarai's son was born lifeless like a black wooden piece, due to Ashvaththama's arrow, a voice was heard stating that if one who is a true brahmachari and a speaker of
nothing but truth were to touch the baby, he would gain life. When no one stepped forward, Krishna did. With the touch of His divine lotus feet, the kid came alive.

His words are always true. This is what is being established by Thirukkolur Ammal.

Varththai 17
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17. adaiyALam sonnEnO kabandhanaip pOlE

In the vamsa of Dhanu was born Kabandha as the son of the king Sri. He was disrespectful to a rishi called Stulasiras and was cursed by him to have a very large body.
Later he performed a severe penance toward Brahma and was blessed with a long life. He then went to war with Indra. Indra hit him with his Vajrayuda and pushed his thighs into his stomach and his head into his chest. Because he was blessed by Brahma with a long life, Indra could not kill him. Instead he gave Kabandha two long arms, a mouth with large canine teeth in his stomach and a single burning red eye.

Indra also told him that when Sri Rama and Lakshmana cut his arms off his curse would be lifted. Kabandha then lived in Krauncharanya forest. He stayed in one place and would catch anything that got within his arms reach and eat it.

After Ravana carried away Sita, Rama and Lakshmana came through Krauncharanya in search of Her. Kabandha caught them with his long hands and tried to eat them. When they cut off his hands, he realized that they were Rama and Lakshmana and asked that they burn his body. When they did that, he regained his original form.

He then told them the following: "Sugreeva who is the son of Surya, is currently living in the Rishyamukha mountain, after having been chased away by his brother Vali. He is one with good qualities and will help You in Your search for Sita. Accept his friendship and through his help You will gain back Piratti." He then told Rama and Lakshmana how to reach and identify Sugreeva and went to heaven.

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I give any help to the Lord like Kabandha did?"

Varththai 18
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18. andharangam sonnEnO thrijadaiyaip pOlE

Trijada was a servant of Ravana and one of the rakshasis that he had ordered to guard Sita in the Asoka Vanam.
After Sita was kept under guard by Ravana for many months, not seeing Sri Rama
coming to rescue Her quickly, She becomes broken hearted. At that time, She is unable to handle the harsh words and demands of the rakshasis around Her. Seeing that, Trijada tells them of a dream that she had and chases them away. In that dream, she says, "I saw Ravana wearing a red dress and heading south while seated on a donkey. I also saw Rama wearing a white dress with white flowers and looking like Vishnu, fly in from the sky in a golden palanquin and carry Sita around on an elephant. Therefore, Rama will definitely defeat Ravana and take Sita away. If you all wish to survive, it is better to surrender to Sita and beg Her padron".
Later, during the war between Rama and Ravana, she brought news of the many victories of Rama's army to Sita.
When Indrajit made Rama and Lakshmana faint due to his nagastra, the rakshasas took Sita to the battelefied and claimed that they were dead. When Sita shed tears due to great sadness thinking them dead, Trijada consoled Her by saying "Do not fear. Rama and Lakshmana have only fainted. They cannot be killed by the arrows of these rakshasas".
Thus, Trijada helped Piratti in many ways.

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Am I capable of giving the kind of help Trijada did by being a confidante and giving timely advice?"

Varththai 19
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19. avan dheyvam enREnO maNdOdhariyaip pOlE

Mandodhari was the wife of Ravana and his queen. She was the daughter of Maya, the architect of the devas. She was also a great pativrata. When Ravana captured Sita and
brought Her to Lanka, she advised Ravana that it was a great mistake to kidnap Her and that it would lead to great destruction. She also advised him to seek Rama's friendship.
Ravan did not listen to her and eventually went into war with Rama and Lakshmana.

At the end, he was defeated and killed by Rama. His many wives then came to the battlefield
and cried over his dead body.

At that time, Mandodhari said the following: "Rama is not just an ordinary human being. It is Sriman Narayana who carries the divine weapons of Shanka and Chakra that killed you. You did not listen to the good advise I gave you. The improper desire that you had for the great pativrata Sita is what caused this end. There is no doubt that Sri Vishnu came down as Rama and killed you".
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Am I capable of understanding avatara rahasya and talking about it like Mandodhari did?"

Varththai 20
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20. aham vEdhmi enREnO visvAmithraraip pOlE

One time the sage Vishvamitra came to king Dasaratha's court. The king received him with great honor and promised to fulfill his desire. The sage then asked Dasaratha to give
him Sri Rama so that He can defend the sage's yaga from the rakshasas who were disturbing it. The king replied that Rama was very young and would not be able to accomplish that task and that he could come himself instead.

Vishvamitra replied: "O King! I know Sri Rama. He is capable of defeating the rakshasas. Only those who do penance like myself and Vasishta truly know who He is. Understand that my words are nothing but the truth."

"aham vedmi mahAtmAnam rAmam satya parAkramam
vasishTopi mahAtejA ye cheme tapasistithA:"

Vasishta agreed with Vishvamitra and asked the king to send Rama and Lakshmana along with Vishvamitra. The king agreed and the two princes went with the sage and helped protect his yaga against the likes of Tataka and Maricha.

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Am I capable of understanding the truth and speaking it like Vishvamitra did?"

iolin:"

rahasyam 1/8

Thirukolur Pen pillai ragasiyam

The private secret of a lady of Thirukolur

(This is one of classic work of Tamil Nadu Vaishnavism , where an ordinary lady summarized the principles of Vaishnaviam. THirukolur is a temple town on the banks of Tambraparni river and is in Thoothukudi district .Once upon a time it was thickly populated by scholarly Sri Vaishnavas and every Vaishnava thought that he should visit that place . When saint Ramanuja was entering Thirukolur one lady whose profession was “selling curds “ was leaving Thirukolur. Sain Ramanuja was surprised and told her, “ Even if seven people are made share the cloth of one and are struggling to get food”, they try to enter Thirukolur and the lady of Thirukolur told him that eighty one great actions were done earlier and she was not capable of doing even one such action and so she felt she is not fit to live in Thirukolur and was leaving” Thirukolur”. Later she became a disciple of Saint Ramanuja

The secrets contain several incidents in life of Lord Rama, and Lord Krishna and several great acts of great vaishnavite saints and householders.

Those eight one sentences….

1.Azhaithu varugiren endreno Akroorai polae

Did I tell “I would bring Krishna and Balarama “ Like sage Akroora to Kamsa.

Kamsa had tried to kill Sri Krishna several times as he was growing up in Gokulam.Failing in these attempts, he decided to try to get Him and Sri Balarama to come to
Mathura and try to kill them there. So, he organized a festival (viRperu vizhavu) and sent an invitation to them both through Sri Akrura, who was a Yadava and a close relative to
Vasudeva. His plan was to kill them through his royal elephant (Kuvalayapeedam) or through his royal wrestlers (Chanura and Mushtika).
The wise Akrura had great love for Krishna and knew that He was none other than Sriman Narayana; and that therefore Kamsa's plan would not work. However, wishing to see Krishna and enjoy His presence, he agreed to be the messenger for Kamsa and went to get Krishna and Balarama.
All along the way, he thought of Krishna and being in His company. He then met Krishna and Balarama and brought them back with him to Mathura in his chariot. He gained Krishna's grace thus.
Thirukkolur Ammal says "did I (can I) do what Akrura did?".

Suka’s moving account of Akrura’s first meeting with Krishna shows him to be a realised soul who recognises His Paratva. Though in the service of Kamsa Akrura had always yearned for Krishna. He is very well aware of Kamsa’s plan to invite Krishna to Mathura under the pretext of a yagna and then try to kill him. But when he is entrusted with the task of escorting Krishna and Balarama to Mathura, Akrura’s entire being is delighted with the chance to see Krishna, the object of his love and devotion. He gets ready to go to Ayarpadi. His mind travels faster than the chariot and, during the entire journey his thoughts are merged with the Lord. He already has a preview of the darshan of the Lord he is going to have.

As he enters Vraja country, Akrura jumps down from the chariot and rolls on the ground where the divine feet of Krishna had walked day in and day out. Krishna and Balarama show much and love and affection to Akrura who is overwhelmed by the experience. Krishna blesses him with His divine vision and Akrura’s joy knows no bounds.

2. Agam ozithu vitteno Vidurarai Poale

Did I open up my mind , like Vidhura did , to Lord Krishna, when Krishna visited Hasthinapura

Vidhura was the brother and advisor for Drudrirashtra. He was very wise. He had great devotion to Sri Krishna.
When, at the end of the thirteen years, Pandavas asked for their kingdom back, Duryodhana refused to give it. To avoid war, Krishna went as the messenger of the Pandavas to the Kauravas, to their capital Hastinapura. At Hastinapura, Krishna did not wish to go to Duryodhana or his near ones and stay with them. Instead, He went to Vidhura's home, even though it was a small place compared to the palaces of the Kauravas. Vidhura became extremely happy at seeing Krishna at his place. He entertained Him to the best of his abilities and thus expressed his great love for
Krishna. Krishna too accepted whatever Vidhura gave to Him, because it was given without a selfish reason and offered with great devotion.
Thirukkolur Ammal is saying "Can I show such selfless love and value that Vidhura showed?", or she is saying "Can I give my heart completely, like Vidhura did to Krishna". When Krishna visited Hastinapura as a peace emissary of the Pandavas, he shunned Duryodhana's offer to stay in the royal palace, preferring instead the home of Vidura, on account of him being the only neutral man in the Kaurava court. The reason Krishna stayed in Vidura's chambers for the night instead of Duryodhana's is due to the thoughts which were running through their heads and the difference between them. Duryodhana's intention was to heave luxury upon Krishna and convince him to join the Kaurava's side. Sensing this intention, Krishna refused. Krishna knew the food that Vidura presented was presented with love and affection with no ulterior motive.

Vidura is held to be a paragon of truth, dutifulness, impartial judgement and steadfast dharma. He is considered the embodiment of the inner consciousness of the Mahabharata. The curse carried by Narada was also transferred to Vidur. The curse that though he being bestowed with ultimate knowledge and wisdom about past, present and the future, he would not be believed.

3. Dekathai vitteno m Rishi pathiniyai poale

Did I sacrifice my body likes the wives of sages when Krishna asked for food.

One time Krishna, Balarama and yadava kids took their cows into the forest for grazing. There they rested and ate the food that they had brought along. Even after eating everything that they had, they still remained hungry. So, the yadavas asked Krishna to help them get some more food.
In a nearby area, several Brahmins (refered here as Rishis) were performing a yAga.
Krishna asked the yadavas to go and tell them "Krishna is nearby and He is hungry and is asking for food". But when the yadavas went and asked the Brahmins, they kept quiet and ignored them. The yadavas became sad and came back to Krishna and told Him what happened.
Hearing that Krishna pointed out the wives of the Brahmins to the yadavas and told them "Go to them and tell them that Krishna and Balarama are hungry and are asking for food". When the ladies heard this from the yadavas, they became anxious to see Krishna and Balarama and came to them with different types of food. The did this in spite of the fact that the Brahmins forbade them from doing so. They then presented these to Krishna. Krishna accepted the food and told them "Please go back to your husbands and help them complete their yAga. Do not be afraid. They will take you back". The women then went back and their husbands took them back. However, one of the brahmins refused to take his wife back. At that point, keeping Krishna in her heart, that brahmin's wife gave up her body that had been given to her husband due to karma.The brahmins then realized their mistake and surrendered to Krishna. The place where Krishna sat waiting for food is called Baddhavilochanam (see Nachchiyar Thirumozhi 12-6).
Thirukkolur Ammal says "Am I capable of being like the rishi's wife who gave her heart to Krishna and gave up her body".

During his journey to Tirupati, Ramanuja and his 40 disciples came to a village, where they came across an impoverished Srivaishnava family. As the lady of the house, Parithi Kolli Ammal, was not in presentable clothes she could not come out to welcome the group. Ramanuja flung his uthareeyam (upper cloth) through a window. Moved by the gesture, the woman covering herself with the cloth prostrated and fervently requested that the Vaishnava troupe dine at their house. Ramanuja agreed. The woman felt immensely happy but there were no supplies at home to be cooked and served. So she planned to take the help of the local merchant, who had vice intentions on her. After feeding the preceptor and his disciples, the woman along with her husband Varadaraya went to thank the merchant, who was waiting with a wily intention. But with Ramanuja’s grace, the merchant got transformed into a person with fair thoughts.

4.Dasamukhanai chetheno Pirattiyai poale

Did I ignore Ravana like Goddess Sita.
dasa mugan is Ravana and pirAtti is Sita. The word seRRal either means to destroy or to hate/look down. It is not appropriate to say the Sita destroyed Ravana or was even responsible for his destruction. Even though She could have killed him by Herself, She did not do so. In fact, She tried Her best to make Ravana see reason and surrender himself to Sri Rama. She gave up Her ability to destroy Ravana or save Herself and waited for Rama to come and rescue Her.
What She did was to look down upon Ravana, his wealth (which amazed even Hanuman) and the pleasures that he pointed out to Sita to try and tempt Her. She treated them as dirt (note the incident when She placed a piece of grass between Herself and Ravana and addressed it when talking to him). She was willing to stay imprisoned (siRai irundhavaL) and suffer the torture rather than agree to his advances.She placed both Her body and soul as belonging to Rama and keeping Him in Her mind always, She just waited for Him.
Thirukkolur Ammal asks "Can I be like Piratti and place everything completely in His hands?"


5. Pinamezhupp- i vitteno THondai mania poale

Did I just like King Thondaiman wake up the corpses of the family of Krishna Sharma

The king Thondaiman was an ardent devotee of Lord Srinivasa. It is to this king that
Thiruvengadavan had given His conch and discus to, and had been without them for a long time.One time a brahmin called Koorman decided to go to Kasi and give up his body there and merge with the Ganges. But he died in his hometown itself. His son called Krishna Sharma, decided to place his father's remains in the Ganges river. So, he brought his wife and children to King Thondaiman and placed them in his protection. Then he left for Kasi.
The king asked his workers to take care of Krishna Sharma's wife and children. Being involved in his daily duties, he completely forgot about them. The workers did not take good care of the family and they eventually died.
After a while, Krishna Sharma came back and asked the king to return his family to him. That's when the king remembered about them. When he went to look for them, he found their dead bodies. Shocked at this and not knowing what to do, he came back and told Krishna Sharma that his family had gone to Thirumalai and will be returning in a couple of days.
Between Srinivasa's sannidhi and the king's palace, there was a secret passage. Taking that, the king went in front of the Lord and fell at His feet. He prayed for the Lord's grace and asked that either the Lord save him from this predicament or take him too to His divine feet. The Lord who had deep affection for the king showered His divine grace on the king and told him to take some holy water from the sannidhi and sprinkle it on the dead bodies and that they would then come alive.
The king then returned to the palace and brought the family back to life. He returned the family to Krishna Sharma along with much wealth.
Thirukkolur Ammal asks "Am I like the king who had great love for the Lord and was the receipient of His divine grace?"

Varththai 6 :-
===========
6. piNa virundhittEnO kaNdAkarNanaip pOlE

Kandakarnan was a spirit that ate dead bodies. He was an ardent devotee of Shiva and as such hung a bell in his ear to prevent him from hearing Narayana's name being said.

Hence he was called kaNdAkarNan. One time he went to Kailasha and prayed to Shiva to help him leave the spirit state and attain moksha. Shiva told him that he could not give
him liberation and that only Narayana could do that. However, he gave the spirit a suggestion.
Shiva said "Lord Narayana has appeared on earth as Sri Krishna now. I asked Him one time to give me an opportunity to give Him a boon. He agreed and told me that He would
come to Kailasha as Krishna and get a boon from me. When He comes here for that, if you pray to Him, He will give you what you seek". He also gave a description of Krishna's form to Kandakarnan so he would recognize Krishna when he saw Him.
Kandakarna then thanked Shiva, removed the bell from his ear and keeping Krishna's image and name in his mind started waiting for His arrival.
One day, he saw Krishna from a distance and recognized Him right away. Immediately he killed a rishi who was nearby with a spear and brought the body to Krishna. Stopping
Krishna he said "I have heard from Shiva that You are the one capable of giving moksha. I just now killed this rishi and brought his body just for You. Please accpet my offering"
and prayed to Him sincerely. He did that because the shastras say that whatever a person eats according to his state, he should offer that to the divinity that he prays to, before
eating it.
Since he had offered something to Krishna and only to Him, with great sincerity, Krishna accepted the offering and granted him moksha. He also granted to moksha to Kandakarna's brother, based on his prayer. It is understood that the rishi who was killed by Kandakarna and offered to Krishna also attained moksha.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Am I capable of praying to the Lord as sincerely as Kandakarna did?"

Varththai 7
=========
7. thAyk kOlam seydhEnO anasUyaip pOlE

After Sri Rama went to the forest to follow His father's boons to Kaikeyi, He spent some time at Chithrakoodam along with Sita and Lakshmana. It is here that Bharatha tried to get Him to go back to Ayodhya. Fearing further requests from people in Ayodhya, Rama left Chithrakoodam.
They then reached Sage Athri's ashrama and prayed to him as well as his wife Anasuya.
Athri Maharishi introduced his wife to Sita and said "Anasuya is a great pativrata. She follows the path of dharma. One time when there was a famine, she created vegetables
and tubers and also made Ganges flow here. Pray to her like she is Your mother". Rama too said the same and Sita prayed to Anasuya and asked about her well being.
Anasuya was pleased by this and told Sita "I appreciate You leaving all the palace. pleasures and following Your hsuband to the forest. A true wife is one who follows her
husband even during his tough times. May You gain all good things".
Considering Sita as her own daughter, Anasuya then decorated Her with flowers and garments and listened to Her full story. In the evening she told Sita "O Lady of sweet
words! I am pleased by Your words. It is getting dark and You should go back to Your husband". Sita bowed to her as She would to Her mother and went to Rama. Rama was also pleased by the affection shown by Anasuya to Sita. Rama and Sita then spent the night in that ashrama.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Can I show the motherly affection to Thayar that Anasuya showed?

Varththai 8
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thandhai engE enREnO dhuruvanaip pOlE

Svayambhuvamanu was born out of Brahma's body; he married Satharupai and had two sons called Priyamaratha and Uththanapadha. Uththanapadha became king and married
two women called Suneethi and Suruchi. Through them both, he had two sons - Suneethi's son was called Dhruva and Suruchi's son was called Uththama.Uththanapadha was very fond of Suruchi and ignored Suneethi altogether. When Dhruva was five years old, he asked his mother to see his father. Suneethi told him about the king's palace and Dhruva went there to see him. Uththanapadha ignored Dhruva and in his presence took Uththama in his lap and was affectionate to him. When Dhruva tried to approach his father, Suruchi prevented him from doing so and using harsh words chased him away.
Feeling both sad and angry, Dhruva went back to his mother and told her what happened. Suneethi then consolde him and told him "Pray to the father of everyone Vasudeva. If
you do that and follow the path of Dharma, you will live a great life". Dhruva left for the forest to pray to Vasudeva. In the forest, he obtained the VAsudeva mantra (Dvadasakshari) from the Saptharishis (or from Narada) and started meditating on Vasudeva. He kept the mantra in his mind and performed deep penance for a long time.
Pleased with him, Sriman Narayana (Vasudeva) appeared before him. He gave Dhruva the divine knowledge and also a place amongst the stars.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Do I have the deep faith that Dhruva had and the great devotion he showed to the father of the Universe?"

Varththai 9
==========

9. mUnRezhuththuch sonnEnO kshathrabandhuvaip pOlE

Kshathrabandhu was the son of King Vishvaratha. His real name is not known. Kshathrabandhu means the lowest person amongst Kshatriyas. Because of his lowly character, he was called Kshathrabandhu. Unable to tolerate his behaviour the people of the kingdom chased him into the forest. Even in the forest he continued in his ways of
torturing others.
One time, a rishi came into the forest where Kshathrabandhu was staying. Due to the extreme heat, he became very thirsty. Seeing a pond he went there to drink the water,slipped and fell into the pond. When Kshathrabandhu saw this, somehow he felt pity on the rishi and pulled him out of the pond. Then he gave him something to eat and massaged his body.
The rishi woke up and asked Kshathrabandhu his story and why he was living in such a forest. Kshathrabandhu told him his entire history without hiding anything. Wishing to correct him, the rishi gave him some very good advise. Kshathrabandhu replied "O Rishi! My bad nature was born with me and will not leave me. There is no point trying to make
me a better person". The rishi then taught him the Lord's divine name Govinda which is made of three aksharas. He then told Kshathrabandhu to keep repeating this nAma even if
he continues in his bad ways.
From that day onward, Kshathrabandhu started repeating the Lord's name all the time. Because of that, after his death, he was reborn as a Brahmin and became an ardent
devotee of the Lord. After that, he attained the Lord's feet.
His story has been sung by Thondaradippodi Azhvar in his Thirumaalai.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I spend my time saying the Lord's name made up of three aksharas, like Kshathrabandhu?"

Varththai 10
===========

10. mudhaladiyaip peRREnO agaligaiyaip pOlE

mudhaladi refers to the Lord's divine feet.

Gauthama maharishi's wife was named Ahalya. Hearing about her great beauty, Indra became enamored with her. When Gauthama maharishi went to the river to take a bath, he took the rishi's form and approached Ahalya; and she allowed herself to be used by him. Before Indra could leave, Gauthama rishi came back and saw him. He cursed Indra that he would lose his masculinity. He also cursed Ahalya "You will become an atom within the ashes in the ashrama (some stories state that she was cursed to be a stone) and perform penance for a thousand years. At that time Sriman Narayana will be born as Sri Rama and will be brought here by Vishvamitra. You will be released by the touch of His divine feet and then can join me". Gauthama rishi then left the place.
After a thousand years, Vishvamitra rishi took Rama to his place for the protection of his yaga. After the completion of the yaga, he took Rama to Mithila. On the way, he brought Him to Gauthama's ashrama. By the touch of His feet, Ahalya's curse was removed and she became pure. Gauthama rishi also came there at that time and accepted her.

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I have the great fortune of gaining the touch of the Lord's divine feet like Ahalya did?"

eternal class

In Gods Classroom there are no restrictions all are equal all are given the same lesson its up to us to grasp what we want. amazing is his power amazing are his methods and amazing are the results too.

It is a tradition to light a lamp first before starting any auspicious events or rituals. Light symbolizes the absence of darkness, grief and unhappiness. Almighty's Divine Grace is spread all over the house by lighting the lamps.

Light and brightness has always been equated with positivity, motivation harbringer of good and associated with spiritual beings. Darkness, on the other hand, has always been associated with evil and the devil.

Light is a form and a symbol of Tej (Absolute fire principle). The lamp is invoked as, ‘तमसो मा ज्‍योतिर्गमय ।’ meaning the lamp leads us from darkness towards light. It burns only to give message of peace and light to the man. The presence of “Agni” fire ensures success. Fire is one of the five elements that form the human body and is a transformed form of Soorya. This is its greatness.

It is a tradition to light a lamp first before starting any auspicious events or rituals. Light symbolizes the absence of darkness, grief and unhappiness. Almighty’s Divine Grace is spread all over the house by lighting the lamps. God’s first and foremost appearance is in the form of Light which we call as ‘Divya Jyotir’ or ‘Divine Light’.

In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained continuously (Akhanda Deepa). All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.

Flame symbolizes wisdom and knowledge. The Lord is the ‘Knowledge Principle’ (Chaitanya) who is the source, and the illuminator of all knowledge. A lamp teaches you to be upright, rise upwards and dispel darkness. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself.

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth.

But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. Ghee lamp has more capacity to attract the Sattvik vibrations present in the surrounding atmosphere as compared to oil lamp.

The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals. A single lamp can light hundreds more just as a man of knowledge can give it to many more. The brilliance of the light does not diminish despite its repeated use to light many more lamps. So true knowledge does not lessen when shared with or imparted to other

p kuyil

pUnkuyil kUvum. rAgA: kApi. Eka tALA.

Composer: Kalki Krishnamurti.

P: pUnkuyil kUvum pUnjOlaiyil orunAL mAmayil mIdu mAyamAi vandAn
A: ponmukham adanil punnagai ponga innamudenna inmozhi pagarndoru minnalaippOlE maraindAn
C1: pani malar adanil pudu maNam kaNDEn vAnil kaDalil vaNNangaL kaNDEn
tEnisai vINaiyil tInjuvai kaNDEn tanimaiyil inimai kaNDEn
C2: vIra vEl murugan mINDum varuvAn vaLLi maNALan ennai maravAn
pEraruLALan enakk-aruLvAn enum perumidattAl mei marandEn

VCT

Vandadum cholai thanile

Vandadum cholai thanile

By

Kalki Krishnamoorthy

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

Raga Hari Khamboji
Tala Roopakam

Pallavi

Vandadum cholai thanile, kandu yenathu
ullam kondan sakhiye

Anupallavi

Kontal polum vannamudayan ,
Gokula thandha balan avano,

Charanam

Pada thamaigal nondhida paar thanil ,
Yenai thedi vandavan , Madhavam Mathurai maindan,
Maraigal paravum maayan avano?

English translation

Pallavi

Oh friend, in the garden where bees dance,
He saw me and stole my heart.

Anupallavi

Is he the boy given by Gokula,
Having the colour of the cloud?

Charanam
He came in search of me in this world,
In spite of pain to his lotus like feet,
Is he Madhava the son of Mathura?
Is he the enchanter praised by Vedas?