The importance of Surya Namaskaram & more. Explained by a Scientist

Another interesting discovery adds further proof to the wisdom of our ancestors. If you had wondered about the benefits of Surya Namaskaram and the 3 Sandhiyavandhanams (done before sunrise, at noon & after sunset), this amazing TED talk below explains the benefits of spending a little time under Sun.

Srimushnam temple – A wonderful Experience

Every now and then, Sriman Narayana blesses me with the opportunity to visit an relatively less known, but wonderful Divyadesam – Srimushnam near Chidambaram. Update : Srimushnam is not a Divyadesam. It is a wonderful temple nevertheless.

The stunning Gopuram

Srimushnam temple is an very ancient one with stunning architecture all around. The amazingly majestic Gopuram / Vimana welcomes you to the magnificently built temple. Inside the temple, resides the beautiful Bhuvaraha Swami, a small deity much in contrast to the largeness of the temple, but more wonderful. The Deity is one of the 8 Swayambhu Deities in Vaishnava Divyadesams. Ambujavalli Thayar is the Lord’s consort, and the very moment you see Thayar, you feel She is the very embodiment of affection.

New Theory suggests current universe is just the latest in an endless string of universes

Its not uncommon for Science to announce something as a new discovery which has been perhaps said ages ago in our Scriptures. But still, this one is quite remarkable. It has always been said in our scriptures that the universe or Maya is time and again created and destroyed by Sriman Narayana after the 4 yugas, during the Pralayam. Until now there had been no proof of this in Science, but a new study by a group of Scientists suggests that the big bang that created our universe is not unique. At least one earlier big bang occurred, giving rise to a universe that existed before ours. Or to put it simply, the universe has been created again and again in the past, just as said in our scriptures. If the theory is proved right, it will be another testimony to the credibility of our culture and ancient scriptures.

We knew it happens again & again...

The  news article was published by National Geographic Society and can be read in the National Geographic site here.

My thoughts : Inception

No doubts. This is a Hollywood movie in this blog on Sri Vaishnavam. But Why? This critically acclaimed movie, I felt has a lot of things depicted that has been well said ages before in our Literature. Here go my thoughts on this movie and our culture.

Caste & Adiyars in Sri Vaishnavam.

(Firstly I would like to apologise to readers for not posting for a long time.)

A Sri Vaishnava has sent me the following mail, which I feel has a very strong message about Sri Vaishnavism. The mail as I got it…

When we go through “Message of Sri Ramanuja – His last 82 Statements” we find that most of the messages are a sort of repetitive nature stressing the importance of Srivaishnava Adiyars. If we sift through the great works of Divya Prabhandam we learn that importance is given only to Adiyars with no differentation (the sub sect Vadakalai or Thenkalai did not exist then).

1.0 | We will start with a Nammazhwar Pasuram

Payilum sudar olli Murthiyai
Pangayar kannannai, payilezhi
Nam parkadal serndha Paramanai,
Payilum Thiruvudaiyar everenum,
Avar kandu payilum pirapidai thorum
Emmai alum paramare.

BRIEF MEANING
Any one who praises Bhagawan Vishnu who has flower like eyes and sleeping in the Parkadal is an Adiyaar. Adiyaars praise Bhagawan and are blessed with kadaksham of Thayar Lakshmi. Such Adiyaars, whomsoever they are, they govern Me.

2.0 | Again another Nammazhwar pasuram

Kulanthangu Jathigal nalilum
Keezh Izhindhu ethinai thalilaga kandargal aginum,
Valamthangu Chakarathu Annil Mani vannarku
AAzh endru Ull kalathar
Adiyaarthum Adiyaar em Adigale.

Meaning.
Even if some one is born in a Jathi considered lower than lowest of the four varna/ jathi, as long as they extoll the priase of the Lord who adorns the Sudharsana in his right hand, Adiyen is an adiyaar to such devotees. There is no Jathi for Adiyargal. Bhagawat Geetha also mentions that by birth one does not belong to any higher Varna. It is only by one’s deeds that some one attains a higher position.

3.0 | Periyazhwar’s famous Pallandu pasuram

Adiyomodum Noninodum Privindri Aayiram….

He has placed Adiyaar first for his company.

4.0 | KulesakaraAzhwar’s famous Pasuram on Thiruvengadmudaiyan

Chediyaya valvinaigal thirkum Thirumale Vengadawa,
Un kovilin vasal
Adiyaarum , vanavarum armabiyurum kidnathu iyangum
Padiyai kidanthu Un pavala vai Kambene.

The pride of place to worship the LORD is given to Adiyaar ahead of Vanavar (Devadhaigal).

Learned scholars may give many more examples and instances like Thirupanazhwar’s Story, Periya Nambigal performing Sarama anthima kiriyas to Mara Ner Nambi etc. In all his life Udyavar stood for One ness of all before Srimand Narayana and had in his Sishyas fold people from all walks of life. He perfomed samhasranam to those who came to him with no differentiation.

So eight years from now When Udyavar’s 1000 th Birth Anniversay would be celebrated by the Srivaishnava Community the best way to do it would be to bury the hatchet between Vadakalai and Thenkalai and serve in unison. There are lot of good points and exclusive works that could be pursued in the respective sect to promote academic learning and attain higher level of Scholarship. The need of the hour is unity and mutual respect between the two sects.

Thirumalisai Alwar Vaibhavam 3

Click here for Part 1 | Part 2

Part 3

After the debate with PeiAlwar, Thirumalisai Alwar became a devout Sri Vaishnava and moved to Thirumalisai where he lead a life of Poojas, Kainkaryams & Meditation. Some incidents during this period show Alwar’s greatness.

Once Alwar was sitting in his Ashram and stitching a cloth when Lord Shiva and his consort Parvathi were crossing him in their divine vehicle on sky. Seeing a divine glow in Alwar face, Parvathi enquired about it. Shiva explains that the person was Thirumalisai Alwar who had once been his devotee but now was Sriman Narayana’s devotee. Hearing this Parvathi was happy and said to Shiva that they should get down to Alwar and present him a boon. Lord Shiva accepted and both appear before Alwar. But Alwar inspite of having noticed them, doesn’t welcome or even react to their presence. Lord Shiva then announces his arrival to Alwar and asks why he had not reacted to their presence. Alwar replies that he doesn’t require anything from Him and so he didn’t mind to do anything. Shiva insists that he had decided to give him a boon and so he should ask for something. Alwar then asks Shiva to give him the Moksha. Lord Shiva replies that He can’t give anyone Moksha and only Sriman Narayana is capable of giving Moksha. Shiva asks Alwar to ask for some other boon. Alwar then asks him to give him a long life so he can do all the Penace, Poojas& other things required to attain Moksha. Shiva explains that a persons life time is determined based on his Karma’s and that cannot be changed by him. Again Shiva asks Alwar to seek any other boon. With a funny smile Alwar asks for a boon, wherein the thread should follow the needle with which he is stitching. Lord Shiva is enraged by Alwar’s reply and opens his third eye to bring out a fire and burn Alwar.

Western culture has a ghastly hole in it – A westerner

This westerner is Martin Buckley, a well known and respected Journalist and Travel Writer. Ever since Martin Buckley bought the Ramayana as a 22 year old, he had a dream – to retrace the route of Sri Rama from his birthplace in north India to the climax of his confrontation with Evil in Sri Lanka. 25 years later he fulfills his dream and his book “An Indian Odyssey” is all bout his travels through India, using the Ramayana as the compass.

Here is a part of his interview that was published in The Hindu.

Q: Also, there’s a definite nostalgia about the India that was, a sense that the nation is losing some essence of Indianness.

A: I feel that India is at a point of cultural crisis. I see that the English-speaking classes, the secular classes, are very patronising of religion, and there’s this notion that somehow to have the secular state, you can’t embrace Hinduism. Certainly you shouldn’t persecute any minorities, but why this knee-jerk rejection of what is the richest, continuous, unbroken culture of its kind in the world? Hinduism is just a deep, deep well of wisdom and I hate to see the English-speaking sophisticates turn their back on it.

Q: If there was one thing you’d want the reader to take away from this book, what would it be?

A: The fundamental message of the book is that the Ramayana is an eternal story, such as the Odyssey or the Iliad. Another huge purpose of the book was to talk about spirituality. I had a deeply spiritual experience in India, which was a turning point in my life. I believe that people who don’t have a spiritual dimension have a lack in their lives; I think Western culture has a ghastly hole in the middle of it.

The entire article from the Hindu can be read here.

Myth, travelogue and holy writ, the Ramayana – the Journey of Rama – is India’s best-loved book, an inspiration to schoolchildren, monks and movie-makers. It’s one of the world’s great epic tales, yet is largely unread in the Western world.

An Indian Odyssey – A rich account of a country bursting with piety and mysticism. Travelling by land, sea and a small plane Martin Buckley recreates one of the great journeys in world literature, the Ramayana.

Some pages from the book “An Indian Odyssey” can be read here.