Monday, October 26, 2020
Rathna Oonjalil Aadinal - Sri Thirumalaiyappa Perumal Oonjal Tirupati Di...
S P in Kashmir
A key source of mythological knowledge about the shrine is the Sharada Sahasranama manuscript, written in the Sharada script, and communicated by the last Purohit of the Sharada temple. It recounts the rishi Shandilya as performing a grand Yajna in the Sharda area, involving the local people and hundreds of worthy priests. During the Yajna, a beautiful woman appeared, introducing herself as a Brahmini who wished to participate. She said that she and her companion had come a long way and asked for food. Shandilya welcomed her and told her that the rules of the Yajna forbade him from giving her the food: the Yajna had to be completed, and the Purohits fed first. The Brahmini grew angry and declared herself to be Vāc, the Vedic goddess and Divine Mother. She revealed to him that the Paramatman he worshipped was the essence of the goddess. In her anger, she transformed before him into the divine Neela (or blue) form of Saraswati, with ornaments, weapons, and clouds, and declared that she would absorb the world. In shock, remorse and fear, Shandilya collapsed and died. Seeing his remorse, the goddess had him revived with Amrita, the elixir of life, and transformed into a different, graceful form of Saraswati. Addressing him as "son", she told him that she was pleased with his devotion and compassion and would grant him whatever he wished. Shandilya, addressing her as the Divine Mother, asked her to revive the dead and restore the village and forest. Saraswati did so, instructing him to build his ashram at the base of the hill near the Madhumati river (present-day Neelum River). She took her abode there at Sharada Peeth.
An alternative account holds that Shandilya prayed to the goddess Sharada with great devotion, and was rewarded when she appeared to him and promised to show him her real, divine form. She advised him to look for the Sharada forest, and his journey was filled with miraculous experiences. On his way, he had a vision of the god Ganesha on the eastern side of a hill. When he reached the Neelum river, he bathed in it and saw half his body turn golden. Eventually, the goddess revealed herself to him in her triple form of Sharada, Saraswati and Vagdevi, and invited him to her abode. As he was preparing for a ritual, he drew water from the Mahāsindhu. Half of this water transformed into honey, and became a stream, now known as the Madhumati stream.
A third account holds that during a fight between good and evil, the goddess Sharada saved a mythical container of knowledge and hid it in a hole in the ground. She then transformed into a structure to protect this container. This structure is now Sharada Peeth.
Local legends
There are two popular legends of Shardi explaining Sharada Peeth. The first holds that there were two sisters, Sharada and Narada, who ruled the world. The two mountains overlooking the valley, Shardi and Nardi, are named after them. One day, Narada saw, from her abode on the mountain, that Sharada had died, and that giants were fleeing from her body. Furious, she summoned them and ordered them to build her a tomb, which became Sharada Peeth. The second legend says that there once was a giant who loved a princess. She desired a palace, and so he began work. At the time of morning azan, he was supposed to have finished, but the roof remained incomplete and for that reason, Sharada Peeth today remains without a roof.
Sringeri mutt Sringeri.
Tradition has it that after the Acharya had dispersed all the non-Vedic creeds prevailing in the country, He was on the look-out for a convenient and holy place where he could establish an institution to spread the truths of Advaita Vedanta. When the Acharya came to Sringeri, he saw an unusual sight on the banks of the Tunga. A cobra was seen spreading out its hood over a frog in labour pains, to give it shadow from the scorching mid-day sun. Struck with the sanctity of the place, which could infuse love between natural adversaries, the Acharya chose this very location to establish His first Math.
Dakṣināmnāya Śrī Śāradā Pītham or Sri Sringeri Mutt is one amongst the four cardinal pīthams established by the 8th century philosopher-saint Śrī Ādi Śaṅkara to preserve and propagate Sanātana Dharma and Advaita Vedānta, the doctrine of non-dualism. Located in Śringerī in Chikmagalur district in Karnataka, India, it is the Southern Āmnāya Pītham amongst the four Chaturāmnāya Pīthams, with the others being the Dvārakā Śāradā Pītham (Gujarat) in the West, Purī Govardhana Pīṭhaṃ (Odisha) in the East and Badri Jyotishpīṭhaṃ (Uttarakhand) in the North.
Śri Śringerī Mutt, as the Pītham is referred to in common parlance, is situated on the banks of the Tuṅgā River in Śringerī. The Mutt complex consists of shrines on both the northern and southern banks of the river. The three prominent shrines on the northern bank of the Tunga are dedicated to the presiding deity of the Pītham and the divinity of Ātma-vidyā - Śrī Śāradā, Śrī Ādi Śaṅkara,and Jagadguru Śrī Vidyāśankara Tīrtha, the 10th Jagadguru of the Pītham. The southern bank houses the residence of the reigning pontiff, the adhisthānam shrines of the previous pontiffs and the Sadvidyā Sañjīvini Samskrita Mahāpāthashālā.
The Pītham is traditionally headed by an ascetic pontiff belonging to the Dashanāmī order of monasticism, the Jagadguru Śankarāchārya. The first pontiff of the Pītham was Śrī Ādi Śaṅkara's eldest disciple, Śrī Sureshvarāchārya, renowned for his treatises on Vedānta - Mānasollāsa and Naishkarmya-Siddhi. The current pontiff, Śrī Bhārathī Tīrtha Svāmin is the 36th Jagadguru in the since-unbroken spiritual succession of pontiffs.
The Pītham is one of the major Hindu monastic institutions that has historically coordinated Smārta tradition and monastic activities through satellite institutions in South India, preserved Sanskrit literature and pursued Advaita studies. The Pītham runs several vedic schools (pathashalas), maintains libraries and repositories of historic Sanskrit manuscripts. Along with other Hindu monasteries, the Śringerī Mutt has been active in preserving Vedas, sponsoring students and recitals, Sanskrit scholarship, and celebrating traditional annual festivals such as Śaṅkara Jayanti and Guru Pūrnima (Vyāsa Pūrnima). The Pītham has branches across India and maintains temples at several locations.
Ratnamaalai.
Rathna onnjalil aadinaal
She swung in the gem studded swing,
She sang about the son of the lotus flower,
With her pearl necklaces swinging here and there,
With friends surrounding on all sides,
The Very sweet Goddess.
With a gentle smile her moon like face,
With lot of love towards her king,
Whose fame shines like a Sun,
Swung the very happy divine goddess.
VS
VAIRAAGYA S`ATAKAM HUNDRED VERSES CODE OF RENUNCIATION CONTENTS | ||
---|---|---|
CHAPTER | CHAPTER NAME IN ENGLISH | BRIEF OUTLINE |
CHAPTER 1: PRAARTHANA | CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTORY PRAYER | |
CHAPTER 2: TRUSHN`AA DUUSHAN`AM | CHAPTER 2. CONDEMNATION OF LUST | The poet is extremely critical about his surrender to desires. |
CHAPTER 3. VISHAYA PARITYAAGA VID`AMBANAMU | CHAPTER 3: DELINEATION OF RELINQUISHMENT OF SENSUAL PLEASURES | The poet extols the virtues of renunciation and laments about his own weaknesses |
CHAPTER 4: YACGNAA (YACHANA KHAND`ANAM) | CHAPTER 4: CONDEMNATION OF BEGGING | The poet is extremely critical about begging for money at the doorsteps of stingy barons. At the same time he extols the virtues of bhikshaas`anam (Food obtained by begging for alms). |
CHAPTER 5: BHOOGAASTHIRATA VARN`ANAM | CHAPTER 5: DEPICTION OF TRANSIENCE OF LUXURIES | The poet is extremely vexed and concerned with the transience of luxuries and cautions humans to be wary. |
CHAPTER 6: KAALA MAHIMAA VARN`ANAM | CHAPTER 6: GREATNESS OF FATE | The poet is astonished by the absolute control of Fate on a person's behaviour and life. |
CHAPTER 7: YATI NRUPATI SAMVAADAM | CHAPTER 7: ASCETIC VS KING DEBATE | The poet compares himself with arrogant rulers and condemns their greed and condescending behaviour |
CHAPTER 8: MANAS SAMBOODHANA NIYAMANAM | CHAPTER 8: ADDRESSING AND REGULATING MIND | The poet introverts and addresses his mind on the vagaries of pleasures and to discipline it. |
CHAPTER 9: NITYA ANITYA VASTU VICAARAM | CHAPTER 9: ETERNAL TRANSIENT ENQUIRY | The poet makes a critical comparison of what is eternal and what is ephemeral. |
CHAPTER 10: S`IVAARCANAM | CHAPTER 10: WORSHIP OF SIVA (S`iva) | The poet longs for worship of S`iva. Though he uses the word 'S`iva, the word God can be applied to Gods of all religions. |
CHAPTER 11: AVADHUUTA CARYA | CHAPTER 11: ACTIONS OF AN ASCETIC | The poet discusses the actions of an ascetic and wants to be in Union with the Supreme Spirit. In the last verse, he bids farewell to the five elements. This is a masterpiece of example of a decent death. |
tiru M for Moolavar oonjal sevai VARADARAJA PERUMAL 25.10.2020
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Sunday, October 25, 2020
Jinmandir
Adorning the highest point of the Ashram, the magnificent new 108-pillar Jinmandir will stand as a testimony to the timeless tenets of Jainism for generations to come.
Bhagwan Mahavira as the moolnayak or principal deity will be flanked by idols of six other Tirthankar Bhagwans. The dhwaja or ceremonial flag at a height of 108 feet, will soar high over the pinnacle of the Ashram.
Built over 2.5 acres of land, with five impressive shikhars or crests, two large mandaps or squares, the richly carved structure will accommodate over 1600 seekers.
The pratishtha of the new Jinmandir will be in December 2020.