A life of giving.

 *A must read for all of us*

She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.

She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”

“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.

As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing". 

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. 

You have to laugh and find humor every day.

You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. 

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.

If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. 

Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.”

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be .

*We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give*..

*REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.*

Have a great life ahead...🌹💫🌹

In all her splendour

 

Hear are the keys to glory.

 

for the curious

 Saiva Agamas from Vijaya to Vathula come under the Rudra Bheda classification, said R. Narayanan in a discourse. Some of the Rudra Bheda Agamas are Santana, Sarvokta, Parameswara, Kirana and Vathula. The following are the Upa Agamas for these Rudra Bheda Agamas: Lingadhyaksha, Suradhyaksha, Sankara, Amaresvara, Asankhya, Anila and Dvandva for Santana; Sivadharmottara, Vayuprokta, Divyaprokta, Isana and Sarvodgita for Sarvokta; Maatanga, Yakshinipadma, Paarameswara, Pushkara (Paushkara), Suprayoga, Hamsa and Saamanya for Paarameswara; Gaaruda, Nairruta, Neela, Ruksha, Bhanuka, Dhenuka, Kaalakhya, Prabuddha and Buddha for Kirana; Vathula, Vathulottara, Kaalajnana, Prarohita, Sarva, Dharmatmaka, Nitya, Sreshta, Suddha, Mahanana, Visva and Visvaanmaka for Vathula.

Both Siva Bheda Agamas and Rudra Bheda Agamas were large in size. In the Siva Bheda classification Yogaja and Cintya have one lakh verses each; Kaarana has one crore; Amsuman has five lakhs and Suprabheda has three crore verses. Vijaya, Nisvasa, Agneya, Makuta, Vimala, Chandrajnana, Mukhabimba, Prodgita, Lalitha, Siddha, Santana, Sarvokta, Paarameswara, Kirana and Vathula are some of the Agamas in the Rudra Bheda classification.

Vijaya has three crore veres; Nisvasa has one crore; Swayambhuva has one and a half crore, Agneya has thirty thousand, Makuta has one lakh, Vimala has three lakh, Chandrajnana has three crore, Mukhabimba has one lakh, Prodgita has three lakh, Lalitha has eight thousand, Siddha has one and a half crore; Santana has six thousand, Sarvokta has two lakh, Paarameswara has twelve lakh, Kirana has five crore and Vathula has one lakh verses.In course of time, scholars condensed the vast Agamic literature and of that shortened version, only a small fraction is now available.

hierarchy

 Sage Vasistha’s son was Sakti, whose son was Parasara. Parasara was the author of the Vishnu Purana. His son was Badarayana, also known as Veda Vyasa, and Vyasa’s son was Suka. Just as Vyasa gave us the Mahabharata, his son Suka gave us the Bhagavata Purana. It emerged as his narration to Parikshit, who was awaiting death. Given but a few days to live, Parikshit decided to spend the little time left to him, in listening to Krishna’s deeds. Suka’s narration to Parikshit, of the story of Krishna, is called Bhagavata Purana. Srimad Bhagavatam can be considered a continuation of the Vishnu Purana. So, Suka, the grandson of sage Parasara, continued what his grandfather had begun. Since it is Lord Krishna who plays the major role in all the happenings in the Mahabharata and since Srimad Bhagavatam is also about His exploits, Suka may also be said to have continued his father Vyasa’s work.

Parikshit was the son of Abhimanyu and the grandson of Arjuna. So, the Vyasa-Pandava family connections continued in Suka’s time also, said Velukkudi Krishnan, in a discourse. Vishnu dharma was told by sage Saunaka to King Sataneeka. Saunaka was a student of Suta Pauranika. Suta Pauranika was the son of sage Romaharshana. Romaharshana was a disciple of Vyasa. So, the sage who advised King Sataneeka also had a Vyasa connection. As for king Sataneeka, he was the son of Janamejaya and the grandson of Parikshit. So here again we find the Vyasa-Pandava association continuing. Rishis were advisers to kings of yore, because the sages were learned men, who could guide kings in not just matters of religion and belief, but also in administration. They were also well versed in grammar, medicine, gandharva sastra, dharma sastra and many other s of learning.

different trees.

 The Mahabharata is likened to a tree, and the different parvas are like different parts of a tree, elaborated Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. Thus the Sambhava parva is the base of the tree; Sabha parva is where birds nest; small branches are Aranya parva; Virata and Udyoga parvas constitute the sap of the tree; Bhishma parva is like the big branches; Drona parva is like the leaves; Karna parva is like white flowers on a tree; Shalya parva is the fragrance of flowers; Sthree parva is the shade given by a tree; Shanti parva is like the fruits of a tree; Ashvamedha parva is the juice of the fruits; Ashramavasika parva sustains in the way a tree sustains birds.

While trees protect birds, the latter too protect trees. If many birds have made their home in a tree, then a woodcutter will hesitate to cut the tree. Birds also disperse seeds of the tree and thus help in propagation. Those who want to read the Mahabharata are like these birds. It is because of such people, that the Mahabharata continues to be popular and widely read. The Mahabharata is the life force that nourishes people. All these attributes of the Mahabharata are ones listed by Brahma to Vyasa, who in turn told his son about the tree comparison. Vaisampayana, the disciple of Vyasa, communicated this to King Janamejaya, and it was at this time that the Suta Pauranika heard it.

The Kauravas too are like a tree — Duryodhana being the tree, Karna the base of the tree, Sakuni the branches; Dushasana being like the flowers and fruits and Dritharashtra being the root. The Pandavas too are like a tree. Yudhishtira is the tree, of which Arjuna is the base; Bhima is the branch; Nakula and Sahadeva are the flowers and fruits. The roots are Lord Krishna and the Vedas.

Fashion statement our lord.

 Thirunagai Azhagiyar Sri Soundararaja Perumal Thiruvadi Sevai.