Self realisation and happiness

Jinnaru nannaguru an ardent devotee of Ramana Maharishi recalls the words of his Guru.

Sanyasam of sankaran (Adi Sankara)

SANYASAM

Adi sankara, born as Sankaran to Sivaguru and Aryambal knew he has to take to sanyas but could not do so, because of the importance he gave to the plea of his mother, as she wanted him to support the family, in the absence of his father.    Sivaguru, father of sankarar died, when sankarar was only four years old, which the astrologers' of the period had predicted.   Sankaran duly joined a gurukula and learnt all by the age of eight. He came back to Kaladi, after the gurukula and helped his mother at her advanced age.  Aryambal wanted to conduct the marriage for Sankaran but he did not like the idea.  He was not only born as a son to sivaguru family to fulfill their aspirations and had in his mind the service to whole mankind.   At that period, veda marga had a setback and people lived with various beliefs thinking that this life is eternal and left the path of veda marga and lived as they liked.    There were religions who could not firmly answer whether  a strong yes or a strong no to presence of atma.  Their spiritual practices were very weird.  Such religions were opposed to Veda Marga.  Brahma and the devas knowing this approached Siva the Dakshinamoorthy and said to him about the danger that was engulfing the veda marga.      Lord Siva decided to accede to the request of the brahma and the devas and decided to be born as a avathara purusha.  Thus, while fulfilling the request of Sivaguru and his wife, he himself was born as Sankara to them.   Hence sankara born for guiding people to the right path and veda marga did not like to get married and wanted to take sanyas.  He was also telling his mother that he would like to take sanyas.  But sankara was firm that he would take sanyas with the permission of his mother only and did not want to set an example as a boy not doing what the mother said.   Days rolled by and Agasthiyar and Naradhar were wondering why sankara was not taking to sanyas and delaying the same.   They would take roopa of a Brahmin and meet and ask Sankara why he was delaying the prupose of the avadhara and it was time that he started early the same. Even as Sankara was persisting his mother about taking to sanyas, one day he performed a miracle making people around wondering who this boy was?  One day, Sankara took his mother to Poorna nadhi for taking bath and she felt tired and could not walk due to her age and felt the river was far away, though it was nearer only.   Seeing this, Sankara made her to take rest under a tree and even after that as she walked could not reach the river as she felt tired again.   This time, Sankara signed through his eyebrow to the river Poorna, and the river changed course and the waters flew towards sankara.   Aryambigai was immensely happy over that and took bath in the river.   Even today, poorna nadhi is near Kaladi and can see the change of course of water.    People revered Sankara for the wonder that he had done and knew that he was not an ordinary human being to do that.   People thronged to see Sankara from all over after that and to get his blessings.    Hearing about that, King Satyavanthan, who had no child, came to pray and get the blessings of Sankara and soon he was blessed with a child.  It was not the intention of sankara to perform miracles and to surprise people but wanted the people to turn to Bakthi marga.    So he was performing some miracles now and then to induce the people to take to Bakthi marga.    Even as the days rolled, Aryambigai did not give up the idea of conducting the marriage of sankara and he was firm in his idea of sanyas.   But a day came when aryambigai, had to tell Sankara to take Sanyas.  One day, Aryambigai and Sankara went to Poorna nadhi to take bath.  In the river, Sanakara's leg was held and pulled by a crocodile and Sankara shouted calling his "mother".   Aryambigai asked Sankara what had happened and Sankara told he might get a 'durmarana' a bad death and if he leaves all desires by entering sanyas, he could escape the yama and this would also make her to leave all wordly 'bandha' that is relationships.  You should only help said Sankara.  In her anxiety for sankara to survive death,  she acceded to the request of Sankara and permitte to take sanyas.  Thus he took "Aapath sanyasam".   A wonder happened then, the crocodile holding leg of Sankara took the shape of male and he said he was a Gandharva named Sukkiragi and due to his bad deeds, once Naradha gave a curse to turn into a crocodile.    Naradha also told the Gandharva the curse will be over, when you hold the leg of Lord Siva when bathing in Poorna nadhi,    The Gandhara after prayers to the Lord disappeared.   The people around could not see what was happening.   They only knew that Sankara successfully had come out of the river and escaped the jaws of the crocodile.    

When Aryambigai asked Sankara to come to the house, he replied, that he had already taken Sanyas and told that the entire world was his house and would go in search of a Guru to take to sanyas following the procedure existing at that time.   Aryambigai asked sankara that he was her only child, and who would perform the last rites of her.   He said, the moment she thought of him he would appear and do the needful.  

Then he entrusted what little he had and the mother, to the relatives who lived there.   He left Kaladi and went in search of his guru thereafter.


The spot where the river changed course towards Sankara is the place in which the Aarattu of Lord Krishna idol is being done nowadays.    Muthala kadavu (crocodile ghat) is the second ghat and between aarattu spot and sankara mutt.  The third ghat is the place where the final rites where conducted for Aryambigai and the same is within the temple complex of sri sringeri mutt.

The ghat location where aryambigai's final rites were conducted near the poorna river as it is today near the sankara mutt.

Sri Rama Navami

Sri Rama Navami

Sri Rama Navami is celebrated normally on first month of Hindu calendar and when it is Sukla Pakshami Navami.      This year it falls on 31st of March for smarthas and 1st april for vaishnavas.    The birth of Lord Rama was on this day, as per Valmiki, who wrote the Ramayana.   Rama was born in Punarvasu (Punarpoosam) Nakshatram.     

When I was a school boy, it was festival of 10 days of carnatic music along side temples of Tamilnadu.     Young boys in the neibhourhood would be invited and neermore (Buttermilk) and panagam will be given and also a palmyra leaf fan.    What Mahaperiyval has told to do on Rama Navami day is given below:
On this day, young and the old should read the Ramavadhara kanda poems (if not possible from valmiki ramayna) of Kambaramayanam and especially the following-
வேய்புனர் பூசமும் விண்ணு ளோர்களும் 
தூய கற்கடகமும் எழுந்து துள்ளவே
சித்தரும் இயக்கரும் தெரிவைமார்களும் 
வித்தக முனிவரும் விண்ணு ளோர்களும்
நித்தரும் முறைமுறை நெருங்கி யார்ப்புறத்
தத்துறல் ஒழிந்து நீள் தருமம் ஓங்கவே 
ஒரு பகல் உலகெல்லாம் உதரத்துட் பொதிந்
தருமரைக் குணர்வரும் அவனை யஞ்சனக்
கருமுகிற் கொழுந்தெழில் காட்டுஞ் சோதியைத் 
திருவுறப் பயந்தனள் திறங்ககொள் கோசலை.


People above 20 years will have to fast for the day (Siddha upavasam).    People young and old to gather in the temple precincts of the village or the area and pray Rama Namam for atleast 5 minutes and with a bhajan of Sri ram jaya ram jaya ram ( 13 aksharas of the mantra) make a round of the area and after reaching the starting place, continue the bhajan for 10 minutes and complete it.  The next day morning, in the common place, after reading the rama pattabishekam, the poor of the village or area should be fed with annadhanam.
While doing these, one should pray that the brotherhood among the people should get strengthened and bakthi should flourish among the people.

Ugadi 2012 and Tamil New Year 2012

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR


Ugadi and Tamil New Year
New Year in hindu calendar is based on lunar and solar cycles and is believed that the Creator Brahma had created the whole of the universe including the earth, at the time of creation on this day, and thus the night and the day, the week, the month, the year followed to have the calendar what we have at present.    The sixty year cycle of the years, which are uniquely named, are followed.     The year is called "Nandhana" and  as is the practice, people offer prayers and celebrate with gaiety to usher in new hope for the year to bring in happiness. The New Year of Ugadi heralds on 23rd March 2012 and Tamil new year on 13th April 2012. Ugadi is widely celebrated in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and the same day is observed as Gudi Padwa in Maharastra and "vishu" and tamil new year (Tamil puththandu) in Kerala and Tamilnadu respectively.   Vishu falls on 14th April 2012.   
People celebrate ugadi, the new year, by taking oil bath, wearing new clothes, beautifying the house with rangolis, adorning the entrance of the house with mango leaves and the family tradition of having ugadi pachchidi.     Naturallly, as life presents both good and bad, the new year pachchidi also has all the tastes in them.
Ugadi pachchidi


Raw mangoes are cut into pieces and added to tamarind water and boiled till the mango pieces become tender.   Now jaggery is added and boiled again so as to melt and blend well.   Keep it aside.   In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds till splutter and add neem flower and fry till light brown.   Now add chilli powder and salt and mix well.   Add this neem flower tadka to the tamarind and mango mix.   Serve in small quantities as an accompaniment to the main course of food.   So one experiences the tastes of salty, spicy, tangy, sour, bitter and sweet.    

In karnataka the pachchidi is known as Bevu Bella.   

The Tamil New year generally falls on 13th or 14th of april, every year.    The tropical vernal equinox falls around 22nd March and adding 23 degrees of trepidationn or oscillation to it, we get the Nirayanam vernal equinox and  that is the Tamil New Year.    The people greet each other by wishing "Iniya Tamil Puththandu Vazhththukkal".     The Mango pachchidi here is the equivalent of the Ugadi pacchidi.   In Kerala, the vishu this yearis on 14th April and the tradition is to view the Vishukani, arranged in advance to view in the early morning of the new year.    Generally, vishu kani consists of Idol of Lord Krishna, Nilavillakku, raw rice, kanikonna flowers, betel leaves, arecnut, fruits, mirror, coins and cocoanut.     

The new year is celebrated during this period in other states also, in Maharashtra as Gudhi padwa, in northern states as Vaisaki etc.,

KARADAIYAN NONBU 2012

Karadaiyan Nonbu

Karadaiyan Nonbu is celebrated on the first day of the month of Tamil Month Panguni (Meenam), that is on 14th March 2012.      The timing is between 09.25 and 09.45 for the Pooja.   As all of us know, the festival is connected with the story of Satyavan Savithri.     The nonbu is followed in all the Southern States..  The women pray Goddess Gowri on this day for long married life with neivedyam of Karadai with the following mantra:

"Urugadha Vennaiyum Or Adaiyum Naan Tharuven
Orukkalum En Kanavar Ennai Piriyadirukkanum."

A 'nonbu charadu' (yellow cotton string) kept in pooja is now worn by the women in the neck and while wearing they say the mantra -
"Throram Krishnami Subhake Saharithamdharami Aham
Bharthuayushya Sidhartham Supreethabhava Sarvadha".

After wearing the sacred thread as nonbu charadu, the prasadam of Karadai is taken by the offerers.

It is observed by a married woman for the welfare of her husband and a girl for getting a good and ideal person as husband.  The related story of Satyavan Savithri is given here.   Savithiri was the daughter of King Ashtapathi.   When the marriageable age came, the King gave the privelege of choosing her husband.   When Savithri saw one day Satyavan carrying on his shoulders, the blind parents in baskets hanging from a bamboo stick, she got so impressed about him, she wanted to marry him.   The King then made enquiry through Sage Naradha and found that the father of Satyavan was a deposed King and Satyavan will die in a year.   Hence the King refused for the marriage to be with Satyavan but Savithri was stubborn.    On marrying Satyavan, savithri went along with him to the forest.   She knew the time has come for the death of her husband and was on fast and also tried to follow him in the forest.  She cooked special adais and served for the family.   One day, she felt the presence of yama and that her husband who was cutting the wood, fained and died.   As Yama was carrying the soul of Satyavan and Savithri followed him.     Yama thought she would go back to the body of her husband and would not follow him after some distance.   But she followed him and asked for the soul of her husband.   YAMA said that it is against the natural ways of birth and death and but Savithri persisted.   Yama instead agreed for giving three boons and Savithri asked for a son to her father by the first boon and in the second she asked for her husband's parents to be reinstated to the Kingdom they lost and by the third she asked for Children to herself.   Yama who was agreeing to the first two, without realising agreed for the third.   Then he knew that he had committed a mistake but was of all praise for Savithri for the persistence she showed for getting back the soul of Satyavan.   He asked her to go back and that she would find her husband would wake up.   Thus Savithri and Sathyavan were reunited.

The above video on satyavan savithri enacted by school students is in youtube in the following link:
http://youtu.be/QCO34cORz3s
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Adi Sankara at age 3 and 4

Young Sankaran

A brahmin by name Sivaguru with his wife Aryambigai was living in Kaladi.   They were not having children and   both were praying Lord Siva for begetting a child.   As was the practice and belief of those days, they went to Trichur and prayed in the Vadakkunathar temple for one Mandalam.     After some days of prayers in the mandalam, while sleeping, Lord Siva appeared in the dream of Sivaguru.    The lord said "He would grant the wish of the couple".   But asked "Do you require 100 children with long life but unintelligent or a child with short life with abundant knowledge that would be appreciated by everyone?"   Sivaguru  could not reply immediately and also he woke up from the dream.     He was wondering about the Lord appearing in his dream and woke up his wife and told her.   Aryambigai said The Lord knew everything and whatever the Lord decided would be accepted. 

  Once when the god himself has decided to give, who can stop?   He appeared again in the dream of Sivaguru and said that he was pleased and he himself would be born as a child to Sivaguru with a short life but the entire world would appreciate and wonder by his activities.   As he woke in the morning, he told his wife about the dream an the couple were very happy to know that the Lord himself would be born to them as a child and also because of the Lord's showering his blessings on them, as per their prayers.    The couple still continued their mandala prayers (prarthanai) and completed it and returned back to Kaladi.    After a few months, Aryambigai conceived and later a child with all the beauty that could be described, was born.   The couple only knew that the lord himself has born as a child to them and named the child as "Sankaran".   

Sivaguru, an ardent Siva bhaktha, used to pray the Lord daily and the food would be served only then for all. Sankaran also would sit with his father in the pooja room during these prayers.    Once when Sankaran was only 3 years old, Sivaguru went to another place but could not return in time for the pooja.   Sankara was hungry and as without the pooja, food cannot be taken, he thought why he should not perform the pooja on that day.     He went inside the pooja room and offered fruits and milk and did the pooja as used to be done by his father.   He then sat on Dhyana and a wonder happened at that time.   A light appeared from the Siva linga and took the shape of Umadevi and she saw vessel with the milk and child Sankaran also came out of the Dhyana at that time.  The vessel got emptied as Umadevi saw that and Sankaran seeing the vessel without the milk was upset.     It was true that the milk disappeared but Umadevi had filled up Gnana in the vessel and she fed the child with Gnana and Umadevi disappeared.    On drinking the milk of Gnana, Sankaran started exhibiting his Gnana and singing in Sanskrit at the tender age of 3.     The parents were very happy to learn from Sankaran about the incident of feeding of the Gnana by Umadevi.   They were  astonished by the knowledge he had possessed but were worried that it was  only for a short period but they would never reveal about the short life of sankaran to him.     

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The astrologers had told Sivaguru would meet his end when his child would be four years old.  That was, what happened.        At that time, Sankaran did not set fire to the body of his father, but put a piece of Dharbai on the funeral pyre by which there was fire with a fragrance.    Then Sankaran had his early education in Gurukula when he was five.    At the age of seven he composed Kanagadhara Stotram.    

KANAGADHARA STOTRAM

Kanagadhara Stotram

This stotram was one of the early age works of Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada.    What prompted Adi Sankara to sing in praise of Goddess Lakshmi?       Sankara as was the practice of Brahmacharis begged for alms as a young boy.  When he did that in the house of Ayasida Dikshitar with the normal request of "bhagavati bhikshantegi", only Dikshitar's wife was in the house.   Dikshitar had gone out to beg for alms himself.  The Dikshitar was so poor, there was nothing in the house to offer as Bikhsa to Sankara.    After all her search, she was so sad that she felt what was to be offered when there was nothing in the house.  Then she realised, that she had kept two gooseberries (Nellikkai or Amla) for her and her husband and keeping one for her husband, offered the other one to Sankara, pleading to him, to take the same, as there was no other thing to offer.   Realising the poverty of the house, Sankara in compassion, decided to bestow his all and sang there itself, on Goddess Lakshmi.   That was Kanagadhara stotram.  As he sang the stotram, Goddess Lakshmi appeared before him, asked what he wanted  from her.  He told the poverty of Dikshitar's house had to change for the better.  The Goddess told the lady did not do charities in her previous life and deserved no mercy.    Sankara while agreeing with the Goddess said that in the present life, though there was nothing in the house, the lady had given whatever she had, and that too with all the reverence requesting him to take it.   Hence she deserved the help to which Goddess Lakshmi said it would be done.   Immediately it was raining of gold gooseberries in Dikshitar's house.   The lady of the house, wondered what had happened and stood in reverance.   

   

The Kanagadhara stotram was sung in Sanskrit.   Kanaga meaning gold and dhara is rain.