Shivalyottam

Shivalayaottam – Running to Shiva Temples on Shivratri

Shivalayaottam is a unique ritual held to 12 Shiva Temples located in Kannyakumari District in Tamil Nadu on Shivratri day. The unique aspect of the Shivalayaottam is that those participating in the running chant Govinda Govinda – Vishnu Nama. Performing Shivalayaottam is considered highly meritorious. The visit to the twelve temples should be completed on the Shivratri day.
The 12 temples are located in Kalkulam and Vilavankodu Taluka in Kannyakumari District. The twelve temples are Tirumala, Tikurichi, Triparappu, Tirunandikara, Ponmana, Pannipakam, Kalkulam, Melamkodu, Tiruvidaykodu, Tiruvithamkodu, Tripannikadu and Tirunattalam.

The running to 12 Shiva Temple is associated with Pandavas, Sri Krishna and the Mahabharata.

Legend has it that Krishna wanted to invite Vyakrapada Muni as chief priest for the Ashwameda Yaga conducted by Pandavas after the Mahabharata war.

However, Vyakrapada Muni was a Shiva devotee and he had anger towards Vishnu. Sri Krishna also wanted to alleviate this hatred – which was ignorance.

Krishna asked Bhima to invite Vyakrapada Muni for the yajna. Krishna also gave 12 Rudraksha to Bhima and a piece of advice.

Bhima approached the Muni who was meditating at a spot named Munimarthottam. As advised by Sri Krishna, to garner the attention of the Muni, Bhima called out Gopala, Gopala.

The muni who was a Shiva Bhakta was angry with someone disturbing his meditation with a Vishnu chant.

The Muni dashed towards Bhima and fearing the curse of the Muni, Bhima started running.

When Muni was about to catch Bhima, he dropped a Rudraksha as directed by Sri Krishna.

Immediately a Shivling came up there. The Muni shed his anger and started offering worship to the Shivling.

When the Muni completed his worship, Bhima approached him again chanting Govinda, Govinda... The Muni got angry again and started chasing Bhima again. When the Muni was about to catch Bhima, he dropped another Rudraksha and a Shivling came up there. The Muni again performed puja.

This running and dropping of Rudraksha continued for another nine times.

Finally, the place where the 12th rudraksha was dropped Sri Krishna appeared as Vishnu before Bhima and as Shiva before Vyakrapada Muni. The spot where Sri Krishna appeared a temple was built and the deity worshipped here is Sankaranarayana.

Sri Krishna was thus able to convince Vyakrapada Muni that Shiva and Vishnu are One.

Vyakrapada Muni agreed to participate in the Ashwameda yaga.

Shivalayaottam is performed in memory of the running performed by Bhima. The temples in the Shivalayaottam are at those places where Bhima dropped the Rudraksha.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Cork!!

 Have you ever wondered where that cork in your bottle of wine comes from?
The answer is most likely to be Spain or Portugal, here over half of the world's cork is harvested.

In fact it is the National Tree of Portugal. However, unlike other forms of forestry, the production of cork never involves the death of a tree.
Instead, they are gently stripped, leaving a strange but fascinating landscape of denuded trunks.
All of this takes some time.  Cork trees can live to over 200 hundred years but are not
considered ready for their cork to be removed until they are at least 25 years old.

Even then, the first two harvests do not produce cork of the highest quality.

It isn't until the trees are in their forties that they produce premium cork. Once the trees have reached the maturity necessary to produce high quality cork then they will be harvested only every nine years. A tree, in its lifetime, can be harvested (the process is known as extraction) about fifteen times. The cork must, however, be extracted from the trees without causing any lasting harm to them,
otherwise, 9 years later they will be useless. The poor cork which is produced as a result of the first two harvests is known as male cork.  Later extractions provide what is known as gentle cork which is what you will screw out of a wine bottle,the contents of which it helps to flavor.

The extractors must be skilled at their job.  They make two cuts to the tree. The first is horizontal
and is cut around the tree.  This is known as the necklace and the incision is made at a height
around three times the circumference of the tree.

Then a series of vertical cuts are made which are called openings or rulers.

This is the point at which the extractors must use the most strength but at the same time be at their
most gentle.  They push the handle of the axe in to the rulers and pry the cork away.
If you are a fan of badminton, then without cork you would no longer be able to play.  it is a vital
component in the manufacture of shuttlecocks.  More sports rely on it too the centers of baseball
and cricket bats are made of cork.

Cork is also a great material to use for insulation.  It is non-allergenic and easy-to-handle and if it does
catch fire, its fumes are not toxic like man-made insulation materials.
Also used for flooring, bulletin boards and catching sunfish! More amenable to a cork screw , as well.

Krishnamachari Santhanam.

Mahalaya Paksha Or Pitru Paksha and Halloween a comparison

Now my Friends I have posted two posts below. One on Halloween and another on Mahalaya Paksha- Both come in the end of October and both are festivals to feed the dead ancestors. See the similarity? Are gates of heaven really open for the souls to travel this time?


Mahalaya Paksha Or Pitru Paksha.

According to Hindu mythology, the souls of three preceding generations of one's ancestor reside in Pitru–loka, a realm between heaven and earth. This realm is governed by Yama, the god of death, who takes the soul of a dying man from earth to Pitru–loka. When a person of the next generation dies, the first generation shifts to heaven and unites with God, so Shraddha offerings are not given. Thus, only the three generations in Pitru–loka are given Shraddha rites, in which Yama plays a significant role. According to the sacred Hindu epics (Itihasa), at the beginning of Pitru Paksha, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Libra (Thula). Coinciding with this moment, it is believed that the spirits leave Pitru–loka and reside in their descendants' homes for a month until the sun enters the next zodiac—Scorpio (Vrichchhika)—and there is a full moon. Hindus are expected to propitiate the ancestors in the first half, during the dark fortnight. When the legendary donor Karna died in the epic Mahabharata war, his soul transcended to heaven, where he was offered gold and jewels as food. However, Karna needed real food to eat and asked Indra, the lord of heaven, the reason for serving gold as food. Indra told Karna that he had donated gold all his life, but had never donated food to his ancestors in Shraddha. Karna said that since he was unaware of his ancestors, he never donated anything in their memory. To make amends, Karna was permitted to return to earth for a 15–day period, so that he could perform Shraddha and donate food and water in their memory. This period is now known as Pitru Paksha. In some legends, Yama replaces Indra.

Halloween

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening"), also known as All Hallows' Eve is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows (or All Saints) and the day initiating the triduum of Hallowmas.
According to many scholars, All Hallows' Eve is a Christianized feast originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain. Other scholars maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian root.

Though the origin of the word Halloween is Christian, the holiday is commonly thought to have partial pagan roots. Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain", which comes from the Old Irish for "summer's end".Samhain was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Gaelic (Irish, Scottish and Manx)  calendar. It was held on or about October 31 – November 1 and kindred festivals were held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for example the Brythonic Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall) and Kalan Goañv (in Brittany). It marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year.
Samhain (like Beltane) was seen as a time when the 'door' to the Otherworld opened enough for the souls of the dead, and other beings such as fairies, to come into our world The souls of the dead were said to revisit their homes on Samhain. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them Lewis Spence described it as a "feast of the dead" and "festival of the fairies”.However, harmful spirits and fairies were also thought to be active at Samhain. People took steps to allay or ward-off these harmful spirits/fairies, which is thought to have influenced today's Halloween customs. In Moray during the 18th century, boys called at each house in their village asking for fuel for the Samhain bonfire. The modern custom of trick-or-treating may have come from this practice. Alternatively, it may come from the Christian custom of souling.


Krishnamachari Santhanam.

Life Lessons

Vacation is almost coming to an end. Will be leaving for Dubai tomorrow and then back to the grinding mill.

As always this vacation also had its lesson in store. This time it was a lesson in humility. Due to some stress injury had to go for physiotherapy for a week. The frozen shoulder is unfrozen now and All is well. But the one hour per day for a week had its lesson in store. How many things in Life we take for granted? Even if it is only lifting your arms and stretching to its full extent. I saw patients who had a stroke trying to recover control of arms or legs. People who had paralytic stroke coming for strengthening exercises. Hypochondriacs endlessly narrating their woes in excess. In all the message was simple : Enjoy the moment. It never comes back. Learn to appreciate each moment and the gifts it brings. Do not take anything for granted. Do not wait for universe to withdraw it from you so that you may learn its value. Live Life to its fullest.

Enjoy. Thank the creator for his merciful gifts and endless bounty. All my readers Have a great day.

Krishnamachari Santhanam.

Kathopanishad

Yathitham kincha jagath sarvam prana yejathi ni: srutham

All the Creations in the Universe happen due to the vibratory force of Prana or Life force.

What is Inert material? What happens to it?

Inert material has all the energy but latent in it. This Inert material subsides in the Akasha ( Ether).
This Akasha is the  source as well as resting place of everything inert. Prana or Life force is the source of all Energy.

Thus the entire Jagath or Universe is either inert or energic and has the source as Akasha (Ether) or Prana (Life force).

The movement of the prana is the cause of the creation (including Universe). This Pranic movement Akasha gets jostled and as creation starts this vibration gets expanded exponentially in waves. Then the heavenly bodies like the SUn and the Moon also are formed. Each gets a shape, identifiable luminosity etc.,

The jolts the Prana gives to the Akasha creates Vayu - Air. The Friction the vibration creates results in Heat- or Tejas is formed. This Tejas liquifies and becomes water principle (Appu). This water evoparates and becomes vapour.

Thus the Akasha (Ether) and Prana ( Energy) combines (yoga) and this vibration is the cause of creation and retraction as well.  This vibration creates heat,water and shrinks to vapour and thus the cycle goes on. while subsiding in inert it expands due to the friction of the Life force and subsides on its retreival.

This is simply Jagath ( Universe) which we call as real!!


Krishnamachari Santhanam.

Follow the Upadesa to the dot.

This happened several years ago. We decided on a yAtra (pilgrimage) to the kshetras (holy places) in Karnataka, more than fifty devotees of us teaming up for the tour. We started our journey in a large tourist bus. It was our custom to first go to Kanchi, have darshan of PeriyavaaL and then continue our journey.

Around 4 o' clock in the afternoon of that day we stood up after prostrating to Maha SwamigaL in SriMaTham. Giving us his blessings, laughing and raising both his hands SwamigaL asked, "You people have come as a large ghoSTi.... well, what's the matter?" Forthwith I elaborated on the details of our Karnataka Yatra to SwamigaL.

Feeling happy he asked, raising his eyebrows, "What is the uddesha (motive) about the first place to go?" I said, "It is our uddesha, Periyavaa, that on reaching Mangalore, we would first go to Talakkaveri, do our saMkalpa snAnam (bath and prayer) there and then go to Sringeri. After that we have decided to have darshan at SubrahmaNya, Dharmasthala, Udipi, Kollur Mukambika, Kateel Durga Parameswari... in this order."

Before I could finish SwamigaL interrupted me. "Wait, wait... In the list you have mentioned, you have missed an important place..." Looking at us who were all standing with a question mark on our faces, and smiling, Periyavaa advised us, "What, you don't understand? I shall tell you... Horanadu kshetra! Mother is staying there as Annapurani, giving her anugraham. A very special place. Must have darshan!"

He continued: "You people do as I tell you now. First go to Sringeri kshetram from Mangalore. There, do your snAnam in Tunga, first have Guru Darshan, get prasAdam from them, then have darshan of SaaradambaL and start from there (to other places). After this, you may go to the places in your order of preference. Let one thing be kept in mind though. Anyday you go to Sringeri, as far as possible, reach the place before sAyarakSai (evening)."

All of us nodded our heads in affirmation, prostrated and got up. That Walking God ordered distribution of anugraha prasAdam to us all. The driver and conductor of the bus were called and the prasAdam given to them too. We started thereafter.

On the next morning, our journey from Bangalore to Mangalore. We stayed in a Kalyana Mandapam in Mangalore at night. On the morning the next day we got ready to move after taking bath. A man named Ramanathan who accompanied us came to me and said persuading, "We shall first go to Talakkaveri from here. After doing our saMkalpa snAnam there, why not go to Sringeri later?"

I did not agree to that. "Whatever uttaravu (direction) Kanchi Periyavaa has given, we should only follow that!� I said. It was not acceptable to them. "First we should go to Talakkaveri only!" they compelled me, as if having discussed it already among them. However much I pleaded with them, nobody was prepared to lend me ears.

The bus travelled towards Talakkaveri. Staying there for a day and after finishing our saMkalpa snAnam, we started our journey towards Sringeri. It was 8:00 o' clock in the night. Both the front tyres of the bus that was going on the mountain road to Sringeri got punctured and the bus stopped. It was pitch dark outside. In the light from a torch light, Driver and Conductor started working on removing the wheels with the punctured tyres and fixing the Stepney wheels in their place. Hunger pinched our stomach; our last meal was at noon in Bagamandala. Somehow the bus started moving at 10 o' clock. Suddenly it started drizzling. It was 11 o' clock and yet there was no sight of Sringeri. Only then we had the doubt whether we were going on the right road! As God-given, we sighted a man coming in the distance. We stopped the bus near him and inquired. He patted on his head and said, "This road leads to another place. 15 km before you should have turned on the road that branched to the right." It gave us a shock!

So the bus needed to be turned towards the direction we came. Driver got down and had a look. A narrow road, with valleys on both sides. Climbing onto his seat, Driver said with a falsely assured courage, "You people don't worry. I shall back up little by little with sharp turns on the steering wheel and somehow move the bus to an about turn!" and got on the task. Sitting with fear, we started chanting Rama Namam. Somehow having managed to turn the bus ninety degrees, Driver said in a loud voice, suddenly worried, "Sir, sir... However much I step on the brake, the bus starts slipping behind! Raise an even louder ghoSaNam (proclamation) in the name of God... Only He should save us all now!" His words had the effect of dissolving tamarind inside our belly. We too felt the bus slipping behind. All of us with tears welling up in our eyes started wailing, "Sringeri Sharadambaa, save us Ma! Sringeri Maha Sannidhaname, save us! Kanchi PeriyavaaLe, Ramachandra Murtiye, save us, save us...!"

Suddenly Driver said, "Sir, I have now taken my leg from the brake! The vehicle is not slipping behind! As if a hundred people are supporting it from behind, the vehicle stands intact! Now no worry at all. Shall turn the bus in a few moments" and started on his efforts. We did not stop the nAma ghoSaNam.

appAda! (At last) the driver managed to turn the bus. All of us breathed a sigh of peace! It was exactly 12:00 hours midnight. Exactly at one-thirty we reached the entrance to Sringeri Samasthanam. A GanapadigaL who was standing at the entrance to receive us (it is my recollection that it was Nageswara GanapadigaL!) said with a laugh, "Vaango, vaango! You are all coming from Madras, right? First wash your hand and feet and come have some food. You would be hungry. Rice Uppuma and Bringal Gotsu are ready!"

"How do you know, ShastrigaaL that we are coming? We did not even write to you?" I asked him. He said laughing, "It is vAstavam (true) that your coming will not be known to people who are like us. Maha Sannidhanam, dIrgha darshigaL (with foresight) will be knowing everything, you see? It was only Maha Sannidhanam who called me around eleven o' clock and gave orders, 'To have darshan of Sarada, 54 Bhaktas from Madras are coming in a bus. They all come with great hunger! So ask our people to prepare Rice Uppuma and Gotsu and keep the food ready. In addition, for them to stay, arrange a large hall.' After arranging all that I have come to stand here and receive you all!" He sunk us in surprise.

Seeing the dIrgha dharsanam and karuNa (compassion) of Sri Sri Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha SwamigaL, Adiyen (I) wondered. Tears rushed to my eyes. Seeing that SastrigaL said, "You are amazed at this thing... I am going to tell you another thing in the morning; you would then be really stunned!" and led us on. Hot Uppuma and Gotsu were served ready in 54 nuni (top) banana leaves. We ate the food filling up our stomach.

The next morning. Finishing our snAnam in the Tunga river, we started to have darshan of Maha Sannidhanam Sri Sri Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha SwamigaL. The SastrigaL we met last night was seen by us.

To him I asked joining my palms, "You said you would tell us some vishayam (news) in the morning. I pray that you please tell it now."

SastrigaL started talking: "Would have been around 12 o' clock last night. Sitting in his ekAnta (private) room, Maha Sannidhanam was examining some Sastra books. I was sitting in the outer hall. Suddenly coming out, Maha Sannidhanam kept both his hand pressed hard to the wall and started murmuring some mantra. I too got up. From the posture of Maha Sannidhanam it seemed as if he was supporting the wall from falling. I did not understand anything.. Five minutes later, taking his hands off the wall, Maha Sannidhanam came to me and said, 'You witnessed and wondered why I kept my hands against the wall in that pose and did some Japam. It is nothing else. The bus wherein came those people from Madras to have darshan of SaradambaL missed its way. Later when they realized the mistake and turned the bus, the brakes did not apply... bus started moving behind on its own. The Bhaktas in them wailed, 'save us, save us!' calling aloud the name of Amma Sarada. So I supported the bus from slipping behind by resting my hands on the walls. Now everything is alright, and the bus is coming towards Sringeri! You go and make the arrangements as I told you', and went inside his room. I stood stunned!" Listening to this, all of us wept. We started to have darshan of that Walking SaradambaL.

Looking at this Adiyen who prostrated and got up, Sri Sri Sri Maha Sannidhanam said laughingly, "Should always listen to what the Mahaans say. And follow it. If you make a change in it everything that happens would be changed too. What, you understand?" With these words he did anugraha of prasAdam. This Adiyen then realized that Maha Sannidhanam only informed in sUcaka (by indicating) to the fact of our not following what Sri Kanchi Periyavaa ordered for us!
Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Oct 10, 2007

Asvattha tree

Asvattha Tree

This is That eternal Asvattha Tree with its root above and branches below. That

root, indeed, is called the Bright That is Brahman, and That alone is the

Immortal. In That all worlds are contained, and none can pass beyond. This

verily is That.

- Katha Upanishad

Samsara is this relative universe with its endless cycles of births and deaths.

This tree is upside down. Its roots are above (urdhva) and its branches

below (adhas). it was Lord Krishna who teaches his friend Arjuna the

understanding of the Tree of the Universe or the Tree of Samsara.

Yea! for its leaves

Are green and waving hymns which whisper Truth!

Who knows the Asvatta, knows Vedas, and all.

Asvattha is the Sanskrit name for the Peepal (fiscus religious) fig tree and is

familiar to all Indians. It has heart-shaped leaves and its fruit is purple when

ripe. The Peepal tree was first depicted on a seal discovered at Mohenjodaro, a

city of the Indus civilization (3000 BC - 1700 BC). Its leaves are applied to

wounds after being heated in ghee. It sends its branches down to the earth

below, and is the Buddha’s Bodhi tree.

There are many properties involved with this Spiritual tree .Krishna says that

the leaves of this metaphorical tree are the sacred hymns of Vedas. Its branches

are nourished by the three gunas (guna-pravrddha) and its twigs (pravalas),

which sprout branches are said to be the objects of the five senses (visaya). In

Samkhya, the things of this world are never separate from the senses, through

which they are perceived. It is the operation of the five senses on

their objects that makes the temporal illusory hologram perceptible to our

human consciousness.

The first ever upside down tree.The roots of the upside-down Tree of Samsara

stretch downward from above as our desire-based actions bind (karma-anubandhini)

us to this earth, the human world (manusyaloke). The upside-down tree is also a

metaphor for the mirror image of the unreal which is only a reflection of the

Real.

This Tree of the Universe (Samsara) is said to be noisy constantly

reverberating with the tumultuous sounds that arise from the cacophony of all

human activity. Its trunk is formed by the various subtle bodies of living

beings. Its growth is fed by desire and its fruits are the Lokas, the worlds

of the afterlife, which are experienced as the reward for actions (Sankaracharya

as translated by Nikhilananda )

Manthra to be chanted while doing pradakshina of the holy Asvattha tree:

 'mUlato brahma rUpAya, madhyato vishNu rUpiNe, agrataH Siva rUpAya vRukSa rAjAya te namaH'.