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SCHOPENHAUER:Ram Tirtha’s Diary Notes – part 4 (Post No.5047)

Compiled by S NAGARAJAN

 

Date: 26 MAY 2018

 

Time uploaded in London –  7-05 am  (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 5047

 

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks. Pictures may be subject to copyright laws.

 

 

ஸ்வாமி ராமதீர்த்தரின் குறிப்பேடுகள் சிலவற்றின் தொகுப்பு – 4

ச.நாகராஜன்

 

 

12

SCHOPENHAUER

 

Schopenhauer in his Parerga 11 and 185 :

“How thoroughly does the Upanishad breathe the holy spirit of the Vedas and how does every one, who by diligent perusal has familiarized himself with the Persian – Latin of this incomparable book, feel himself stirred to his innermost by that spirit. Oh! How the mind is here washed clean of all its early ingrafted Jewish superstition and all philosophy servile to that superstition! It is the most profitable and the most elevating reading which (the original text excepted) is profitable in the world. It has been the consolation of my life and well be the consolation of my death.”

  • from Notebook 11

13

To Strengthen Memory

 

Live in God, not only the known past, but even the unknown past or future will begin to flash in your mind.

  • from Notebook 11

 

14

 

Infinite Luck

 

No houses, no home

In rays we roam

United together

Birds of the same feather

No care, no pain,

No loss, no gain,

No fraud, no fear,

No debt, ‘tis clear,

No bondage, tie

No fire, no fry

No book to read

To sow no seed,

No plough to till,

No barn to fill,

No tax to pay,

No toll to lay,

No sheep to rear

No laws to fear,

O free we wander,

Here, there and yonder!

No aim, no game,

No name, no fame,

Love-lorn lunatics,

Wandering fanatics,

With wonder struck,

By Infinite luck.

 

-Poems

 

15

 

Hegel Saying

The whole history of religion since the beginning the Christian era combines to show that Christianity is a religion which can make men good only if they are good already. – Hegel

From Notebook 10

 

 

16

Live with Truth

ORGANISATION

 

Your league shoule be with Truth alone. Even if you are obliged to stand alone, live with Truth, die in Truth.If on the eternal hights of Truth living thou art left alone, the Righteousness should be companion enough for you. Comrades will beging to pour in by taking the living suggestion from you. That organisation will be natural. Don’t run after organising.

I do not want to produce any converts. I simply live the Truth.

Truth requires no defence and defenders. Does the sunlight require any apostles and messengers?

I do not spread the truth, the Truth spreads through me.

If the people of India all forsake me, what are I. I am the Truth.

From Notebook 9

***

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 26, 2018  •  Permalink
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MANU’S PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO AVOID SEX ABUSE (Post No.5046)

COMPILED by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 25 May 2018

 

Time uploaded in London –  15-29

 

Post No. 5046

 

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks. Pictures may be subject to copyright laws.

 

WARNING: PLEASE SHARE MY ARTICLES; BUT DON’T SHARE IT WITHOUT AUTHOR’S NAME AND THE BLOG NAME. BE HONEST; OTHERS WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU

 

Manu was a great genius; he thought of possible loopholes which may be used for sex abuse. He says respect your teacher’s son but don’t touch him. You can do massaging or shampooing to your aged Guru and but not to his son even if he sits in the teacher’s seat.

The amazing thing about Manu Smrti is that he knww the human psychology thoroughly and discusses it in a very refined way; not using vulgar words.

You can respect your mother and sister, but never ever sit alone with the women. He knows that one in a million can go wrong. Apart from that, sister may be cousins; mothers may be step mothers or sisters of mothers.

Durga Sapta Sati says ‘Jnaninaam api chetami Devi Bhagavati hi sa balad aksrushya mohaya’……………. (Even saints will be falter if Goddess decides to attract one into illusionary pleasures)

 

ॐ ज्ञानिनामपि चेतांसि देवी भगवती हि सा।
बलादाकृष्य मोहाय महामाया प्रयच्छति॥१॥

He talks about Guru Dakshina (Fees to Guru during convocation) and advised to do it according to one’s ability. Manu was a practical man. With the original gems of Manu Smrti lot of gem like stones are also mixed up. So one must be careful to get rid of the chaff from the grains.

Since Manu talks about Sarasvati River and not saying anting about some later customs like Sati, he must have live during the Vedic times. Later many things were added for good or bad.

 

In the continuation of second chapter please see the highlights:-

Showing respect to Low caste women (2-210)

Learning from Low cate people (2-241)

Treating Teacher’s son (2-209)

Spending time with women (2-215)

Students’ Hair Style (2-219)

What is good?  (2-224)

Respect three people (2-225)

 

 

Manu Smrti Second Chapter (about Vedic School Students)

continued………………

 

2-206. This is likewise ordained as his constant behaviour towards other instructors in science, towards his relatives to whom honour is due, towards all who may restrain him from sin, or may give him salutary advice.

2-207. Towards his betters let him always behave as towards his teacher, likewise towards sons of his teacher, born by wives of equal caste, and towards the teacher’s relatives both on the side of the father and of the mother.

  1. The son of the teacher who imparts instruction (in his father’s stead), whether younger or of equal age, or a student of the science of sacrifices or of other branches/Angas, deserves the same honour as the teacher.

 

DON’T TOUCH TEACHER’S SON

2-209. A student must not shampoo the limbs of his teacher’s son, nor assist him in bathing, nor eat the fragments of his food, nor wash his feet.

  1. The wives of the teacher, who belong to the same caste, must be treated as respectfully as the teacher; but those who belong to a different caste, must be honoured by rising and salutation.
  2. Let him not perform for a wife of his teacher (the offices of) anointing her, assisting her in the bath, shampooing her limbs, or arranging her hair.
  3. A pupil who is full twenty years old, and knows what is becoming and unbecoming, shall not salute a young wife of his teacher (by clasping) her feet.
  4. It is the nature of women to seduce men in this (world); for that reason the wise are never unguarded in (the company of) females.
  5. For women are able to lead astray in (this) world not only a fool, but even a learned man, and (to make) him a slave of desire and anger.

 

DON’T SIT WITH WOMEN

2-215. One should not sit in a lonely place with one’s mother, sister, or daughter; for the senses are powerful, and master even a learned man.

  1. But at his pleasure a young student may prostrate himself on the ground before the young wife of a teacher, in accordance with the rule, and say, ‘I, N. N., (worship thee, O lady).’
  2. On returning from a journey he must clasp the feet of his teacher’s wife and daily salute her (in the manner just mentioned), remembering the duty of the virtuous.
  3. As the man who digs with a spade (into the ground) obtains water, even so an obedient (pupil) obtains the knowledge which lies (hidden) in his teacher.

 

STUDENT’S HAIR STYLE

2–219. A student may either shave his head, or wear his hair in braids, or braid one lock on the crown of his head; the sun must never set or rise while he lies asleep in the village.

  1. If the sun should rise or set while he is sleeping, be it that he offended intentionally or unintentionally, he shall fast during the next day, muttering (the Savitri).
  2. For he who lies sleeping, while the sun sets or rises, and does not perform that penance, is tainted by great guilt.
  3. Purified by sipping water, he shall daily worship during both twilights with a concentrated mind in a pure place, muttering the prescribed text according to the rule.

 

LOW CASTE MEN

2-223. If a woman or a man of low caste perform anything leading to happiness, let him diligently practise it, as well as any other permitted act in which his heart finds pleasure.

  1. Some declare that the chief good consists in the acquisition of spiritual merit and wealth, others place it in the gratification of desire and(the acquisition of wealth, others in the acquisition of spiritual merit alone, and others say that the acquisition of wealth alone is the chief good here below; but the correct decision is that it consists of the aggregate of those three.

 

RESPECT THE THREE!

2-225. The teacher, the father, the mother, and an elder brother must not be treated with disrespect, especially by a Brahmana, though one be grievously offended (by them).

  1. The teacher is the image of Brahman, the father the image of Pragipati (the lord of created beings), the mother the image of the earth, and an (elder) full brother the image of oneself.
  2. That trouble (and pain) which the parents undergo on the birth of (their) children, cannot be compensated even in a hundred years.
  3. Let him always do what is agreeable to those (two) and always (what may please) his teacher; when those three are pleased, he obtains all (those rewards which) austerities (yield).
  4. Obedience towards those three is declared to be the best (form of) austerity; let him not perform other meritorious acts without their permission.
  5. For they are declared to be the three worlds, they the three (principal) orders, they the three Vedas, and they the three sacred fires.

 

THREE PEOPLE= THREE FIRES

  1. The father, forsooth, is stated to be the Garhapatya fire, the mother the Dakshinagni, but the teacher the Ahavaniya fire; this triad of fires is most venerable.

(These three fires are 3 different fire places in a Brahmin’s House; 2000 year old Tamil Sangam literature praises Brahmins as the Worshipers of Three Fires)

  1. He who neglects not those three, even after he has become a householder, will conquer the three worlds and, radiant in body like a god, he will enjoy bliss in heaven.
  2. By honouring his mother he gains this (nether) world, by honouring his father the middle sphere, but by obedience to his teacher the world of Brahman.
  3. All duties have been fulfilled by him who honours those three; but to him who honours them not, all rites remain fruitless.
  4. As long as those three live, so long let him not independently perform any other meritorious acts; let him always serve them, rejoicing to do what is agreeable and beneficial to them.
  5. He shall inform them of everything that with their consent he may perform in thought, word, or deed for the sake of the next world.
  6. By honouring these three all that ought to be done by man, is accomplished; that is clearly the highest duty, every other act is a subordinate duty.
  7. He who possesses faith may receive pure learning even from a man of lower caste, the highest law even from the lowest, and an excellent wife even from a base family.
  8. Even from poison nectar may be taken, even from a child good advice, even from a foe a lesson in good conduct, and even from an impure substance gold.
  9. Excellent wives, learning, the knowledge of the law, the rules of purity, good advice, and various arts may be acquired from anybody.

LEARNING FROM LOW CASTE PEOPLE

2-241. It is prescribed that in times of distress a student may learn the Veda from one who is not a Brahmana; and that he shall walk behind and serve such a teacher, as long as the instruction lasts.

  1. He who desires incomparable bliss in heaven shall not dwell during his whole life in the house of a non-Brahmanical teacher, nor with a Brahmana who does not know the whole Veda and the Angas.
  2. But if a student)desires to pass his whole life in the teacher’s house, he must diligently serve him, until he is freed from this body.
  3. A Brahmana who serves his teacher till the dissolution of his body, reaches forthwith the eternal mansion of Brahman.

GURU DAKSHINA (Student’s Fees)

2-245. He who knows the sacred law must not present any gift to his teacher before the Samavartana/ convocation; but when, with the permission of his teacher, he is about to take the final bath, let him procure a present for the venerable man according to his ability,

  1. (Viz.) a field, gold, a cow, a horse, a parasol and shoes, a seat, grain, even vegetables, and thus give pleasure to his teacher.
  2. A perpetual student must, if his teacher dies, serve his son provided he be endowed with good qualities, or his widow, or his Sapinda, in the same manner as the teacher.
  3. Should none of these be alive, he must serve the sacred fire, standing by day and sitting during the night, and thus finish his life.
  4. A Brahmana who thus passes his life as a student without breaking his vow, reaches (after death) the highest abode and will not be born again in this world.

–subham–

 

 

 

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 25, 2018  •  Permalink
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Words hurt more than Swords (Post No.5043)

PROVERBS ON WORDS AND DEEDS

June 2018 “Good Thoughts” Calendar

COMPILED by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 24 May 2018

 

Time uploaded in London –  21-47

 

Post No. 5043

 

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks. Pictures may be subject to copyright laws.

 

WARNING: PLEASE SHARE MY ARTICLES; BUT DON’T SHARE IT WITHOUT AUTHOR’S NAME AND THE BLOG NAME. BE HONEST; OTHERS WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU

 

 

 

FESTVAL DAYS:  June-20 Ani Thirumanjanam in Tamil temples; 15-Ramadan

 

EKADASI/ HINDU FASTING DAYS-  June 10, 24

 

AMAVASYAI/ NEW MOON-  June 13

 

FULL MOON DAY/ PURNIMA-  June 27
Auspicious Days in June -3, 4, 17

 

Proverbs and Golden sayings in English language are compared with Indian Wisdom; I tried to get the nearest in meaning. Some may not agree at all

June 1 Friday

No sooner said than done

A person of resolute will and efficient action achieves his objective

In the manner in which he has designed (Tirukkural 666)

 

June 2 Saturday

Actions speak louder than words

Easy to make a plan and speak about it, but a rarer achievement is

To accomplish the plan as stated and then speak (Tirukkural 664)

 

June 3 Sunday

Saying is one thing, doing is another thing

All is achieved through silence – ‘Pancatantra’

June 4 Monday

From words to deeds is a great space 

If telling the truth causes anguish, better be silent – is the saying in ‘Vishnu Purana’ 3-12-3

June 5 Tuesday

The greatest talkers are the least doers

Modes of Speech (Manu Smrti)

1.Paarushyam = harsh, 2.An rtam = untruth, 3.Paisuunyam = tale bearing

4.Asambaddha pralaapah = talking of unrelated things.

–Manu12-6

June 6 Wednesday

Fair words and foul deeds

To be unrighteous and do evil is bad, but to indulge in slander

Behind a false smile, is worse (Tirukkural 182)

June 7 Thursday

Good words and ill deeds deceive wise and fools

The learned, who explore worthy thoughts, will not utter

Anything but words of deep import – Tirukkural 198

 

June 8 Friday

It is one thing to promise and another to perform

If you must speak, speak purposefully;

Eschew all vain and profitless words (Tirukkural 200)

 

June 9 Saturday

He that promises too much means nothing

Pure speech and noble associations are the hallmark of the virtuous

Sphitaa vaacah sataam sangha laksanam  hi gunaisinaam- KALIDASA

 

June 10 Sunday

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh

Men’s perceptions are of their own mind

Nut their nature is known by their kind – Tirukkural 453

 

June 11 Monday

First think and then speak

All meanings, ideas, intentions, desires, emotions, items of knowledge are embodied in speech, are rooted in it and branch out of it. He who misappropriates, misapplies and mismanages speech, mismanages everything –Manu

 

June 12 Tuesday

More have repented speech than silence

A burn caused by fire may heal; but a scar caused by a fiery tongue will never heal. ( Tirukkural 129)

 

June 13 Wednesday

No wisdom like silence

One who has meals for a full year in silence gets respect in heaven for a thousand crore Yugas- Chanakya

Yastu samvatsaram purnam nityam maunena bhunchati

yugakotisahasram tu svargaloke mahiyate- Chakkaya

 

June 14 Thursday

Hear much, speak little

Even if it is just a little, listen and assimilate good instruction,

It will be productive of great benefit (Tirukkural 416)

 

June 15 Friday

Speech is silvern, silence is golden

The wise should observe silence –  says ‘Subhasitaratna bhandakara’

A Swiss inscription says, “Sprehfien ist silbern, Schweigen ist golden’

 

June 16 Saturday

Silence does seldom harm

One harm resulting from one foul utterance is enough to nullify all the good done by a man (Tirukkural 128)

 

June 17 Sunday

Silence gives consent

No answer itself is the answer – says ‘Ratnasamuccaya’

 

June 18 Monday

Kind words go a long way

Using harsh words instead of kind ones, is like going in

For raw fruits, when ripe ones are available (Tirukkural 100)

 

June 19 Tuesday

The lame tongue gets nothing

When a man knows that kinds words bring joy and happiness

Why should he resort to harsh words? (99)

 

 

June 20 Wednesday

 

Better the foot slip than the tongue

Guard your tongue, whatever else you may not guard, otherwise you will come to grief through wrong utterance– Kural 127

 

June 21 Thursday

Speak fitly, or be silence wisely

The many merits of the virtuous do not get diminished by his silence.

Na maunena nyuuno  bhavanti gunabhaajaam gunagana- KALIDASA

 

June 22 Friday

Lip-honour costs little, you may bring in much

Kind words, free from meanness, confer blessings

In this world as well as the next (Tirukkural 98)

 

June 23 Saturday

An ox is taken by the horns, and a man by the tongue

 

If one answers harshly, for instance a father, or a mother, or a brother, or a sister, or a teacher, or a Brahman, people say to him:’ Shame on you’––Chandogya Upanishad

 

June 24 Sunday

The bird is known by his note, the man by his words

The world will lose no time seeking performance from the able counsellors

Who can express profound ideas in orderly and pleasing language (648)

 

June 25 Monday

Fair words fill not the belly

When food for thought is not available through instructions from the learned

The stomach too may be provided some food – Tirukkural412

 

June 26 Tuesday

A honey tongue, a heart of gall

Men of clear vision, who have overcome human follies, will not speak

Meaningless and idle words, even by lapse of memory (199)

 

June 27 Wednesday

He who says what he likes shall hear what he does not like

A vengeful harm done even on an unprovoked wrong

will bring endless evil in its trail – Tirukkural 313

 

June 28 Thursday

Words hurt more than swords

 

Darts, barbed arrow, iron-headed spears,

However deep they may penetrate the flesh,

May be extracted, but a cutting speech,

That pierces, like a javelin, to the heart

None can remove; it lies and rankles thee- Mahabharata

 

June 29 Friday

There is a time to speak, and a time to be silent

He who speaks vain and graceless words in public assembly

Will expose his want of essential goodness and moral rectitude – Tirukkural 194

 

June 30 Saturday

Fine words butter no parsnips

The purposeless and profitless meandering talk of a man before gathering

Will proclaim to the world his own worthlessness- Tirukkural 193

 

–Subham—

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 24, 2018  •  Permalink
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304 Ramayana sculptures in two Thai temples alone! (Post No.5040)

WRITTEN by London Swaminathan 

Date: 23 May 2018

Time uploaded in London –21-45 (British Summer Time)

Post No. 5040

PICTURES ARE FROM BHARAT KALYAN; THANKS
Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks. Pictures may be subject to copyright laws.

HINDU GODS IN THAILAND-1

Thailand has got lot of Hindu sculptures from Ganesh to Kubera. Vedic gods Indra, Yama, Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are also found in different places. Ramayana scenes are in the panels in many temples. We see them more from the Khmer period.

 

Art in Thailand is divided  seven different periods:

Dvaravati period – 6th to 11th century CE

Srivijaya period – 8th to 13 th century

Lobpuri period – 11th to 13th century CE

Sukothai period 13th to 14th century CE

Ayuththaya period 17th to 18th century CE

Thonburi – 1767 to 1782

Bangkok  1782-  to date

It is from the Lobpuri period Rama story begins to appear. It was the period when Khmer influence spread from Cambodia.

The best Ramayana sculptures and paintings are in

1.Prasad Panom Rung temple

2.Pimai temple

3.Emerald Buddha- Wat Phra Keao

4.Wat Phra Jetubon

5.Vihata of Wat Nang Phya

 

 

During the Lobpuri period small figures of bronze Hanuman idols used as standards on top of wooden poles.

Sukhothai period provides very few Ramayana sculptures

Since the Burmese burnt down the libraries, temples etc. in 1767, a lot of sculptures were destroyed in Ayuththaya (Ayodhya) period.

In the Thonburi and Bangkok periods kings themselves were great scholars , we have very good paintings in the temple of Emerald Buddha- Wat Phra Keao.

The bas reliefs  as many as 152 in number, found in Wat Phra Jetubon, the funerary temple of the present ruling dynasty, depicts the central episodes of the Ramayana story.

The mural paintings in the Vihara of Wat Nang Phya in Phitsnulok in Nothern Thailand and the 152 marble panels give the complete story of Ramayana. Apart from these there are wooden panels depicting scenes from Ramayana.

Wat Po Vihara also has some Ramayana sculptures. The significance of these Thai sculptures is showing the unknown characters of original Valmiki Ramayana.

 

‘Ramayana is song of human heart, it has a romantic kind of charm for the people of Thailand and gives them unbounded joy and happiness even in the present times when the glory of the east is being fast shadowed by the glamour of the west’ – Sathya Vrata Shastri

 

The National Museum of Thailand in Bangkok has a couple of interesting pieces of art connected with the story of Rama. just in front of it in the open stands a majestic figure of Rama with a  bow in hand symbolising  as it does the love of Thais  for that great hero. Inside the building the most noteworthy object, among others is a wooden screen painted in gold and lacquer, a relic of the period of the first king of the present dynasty. On one side of it is depicted the scene of Indrajit  who transforms himself  into Indra and shoots arrows that turn out to be Nagas/ snakes and on the other Ravana’s death (From Sathya Vrata Shastri’s  book)

 

 

In the second part, I will give the details of the sculptures of other Hindu gods.

-to be continued

–Subham-

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 23, 2018  •  Permalink
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MORE MANAGEMENT STORIES (Post No.5034)

COMPILED by S NAGARAJAN

 

Date: 22 MAY 2018

 

Time uploaded in London –  6-24 AM   (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 5034

 

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks. Pictures may be subject to copyright laws.

 

THE MECHANIC AND THE SURGEON

A heart surgeon took his car to his local garage for a regular service, where he usually exchanged a little friendly banter with the owner, a skilled but not especially wealthy mechanic.

“So tell me,” says the mechanic, “I’ve been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me..”

“Yes?..” says the surgeon.

“Well look at this,” says the mechanic, as he worked on a big complicated engine, “I check how it’s running, open it up, fix the valves, and put it all back together so it works good as new.. We basically do the same job don’t we? And yet you are paid ten times what I am – how do you explain that?”

The surgeon thought for a moment, and smiling gently, replied, “Try it with the engine running..”

 

2

 

PHILOSOPHY STUDENT

This is a widely circulated story from the early 2000s. It appeared online and in emails in many different versions. Please tell me if you know it to be earlier, and/or the origin. I’ve refined the wording of the story as follows:

A philosophy professor gave an unusual test to his class. He lifted his chair onto his desk and wrote on the board simply: “Prove that this chair does not exist.” The class set to work, composing long complex explanations – except one student, who took just thirty seconds to complete and hand in his paper, attracting surprised glances from his classmates and the professor. Some days later the class received their grades for the test. The student who took thirty seconds was judged the best. His answer was, “What chair?”

 

The story is one of several similar urban myths which make fun of supposedly high-minded theorizing and academia, in which an apparently very difficult or impossible question is defeated by a very simple quick ‘clever’ answer. The story also inspired the fine ‘philosophy student’ contribution to the Glass Half-Full/Empty Quotes Collection. Here are some other examples of funny legendary test questions and answers:

Question- What do you think of this as a question? Answer – What do you think of this as an answer?

Q – Why? A – Why not?

Q – Why? A – Because.

Q – Define ‘courage’. A – This. (or This is.)

Q – Prove that this chair does not exist. A – This chair is actually a word on a board. The chair that exists is that one on the table.

Q – Briefly explain what hard water is? A – Ice. (This one was real)

Q – What do we call the science of classifying living things? A -Racism. (So was that)

 

****

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 22, 2018  •  Permalink
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MORE MIRACLES ABOUT WALKING ON THE WATER (Post No.5033)

WRITTEN by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 21 May 2018

 

Time uploaded in London – 15-18  (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 5033

 

Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks. Pictures may be subject to copyright laws.

 

 

WARNING: PLEASE SHARE MY ARTICLES; BUT DON’T SHARE IT WITHOUT AUTHOR’S NAME AND THE BLOG NAME. BE HONEST; OTHERS WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU

 

First part of the article “Walking on the Water: Indian Miracles” was posted here on 19th May, 2018. Following is the second part.

 

‘Milinda panhaa’, the Buddhist book, has an interesting story. The sage Nagasena tells king Milinda : “ Your Majesty! In the land of China there is a king who once every four months, desiring to make offerings to the great ocean, performs an Act of Truth, and then proceeds in his chariot of state a league’s distance into the great ocean. Before the chariot of the state the mighty mass of water rolls back, and, as he returns, it pours back again. 4-1-46”

Tamil Miracle

Tamils also has such miracles in their literature. There was a Pandya King who shot his arrow or spear and the sea rolled back. Parasurama, one of the Ten incarnations of Vishnu, reclaimed land from the sea. Rama was very angry when the sea refused to give him way. Then he threatened Varuna with severe punishment. And then Varuna came and subdued the sea.

Kollambudur Miracle from sakaravijayam,blogspot.com

When Tamil saint Thirugnanasambandar visited the place (Kollambudur) with his followers, the river Vettar was in floods. Nobody dared to operate the boats to cross the river. Divine Grace blessed Sambandar to perform a miracle at that time. He sang a Thevaram Padigam in praise of the Lord of Kollambudur and stood inside the boat with his followers. The boat crossed the waters automatically and brought them to the other bank of the river.

 

Act of Truth is the ‘Truth command’. If it is true let it…………………..happen- is the vow one makes

 

King and Queen Miracle

Buddhagosa’s commentary on Angutta Nikaya has another miracle. King Kappina is on his way to enter the religious life under Buddha. This is what happened—

“Now the king with his 1000 ministers, reached the banks of the River Ganges. But at this time the Ganges was full. When the king saw this he said,  The Ganges here is full and swarms with savage fish. Moreover, we have with us no slaves or men to make boats for us. But of this Teacher virtues extend from the Avici Hell beneath to the Peak of Existence above. If this Teacher be the Supremely Enlightened Buddha, may not the tips of the hoofs of these horses be wetted.

They caused the horses to spring forward on the surface of the water. Not a single horse’s tip of the hoof wetted.  On a king’s high way proceeding, they went to the far shore. Farther on they reached another river. There was needed no ‘Act of Truth’. By the same act of truth, the river also, did they cross over. Then they reached the third river, the mighty River Chandrabhaga. That river also, by the same ‘Act of Truth’, did they cross over.

In short, Pandya king Nilam Tharu Thiruvil Pandya, Kadal Suvara Vel vitta Pandya and Buddhist King Kappina – did water miracles.

They made the water to roll back!

 

Later Queen Anoja of King Kappina , surrounded by 1000 chariot,s also crossed the Ganges by th Act of Truth.

 

All these stories recall the legend of Rig Veda (3-33) (See my previous post).

Jain Miracle- Walking on the Water

There is a Jain story with paradoxical riddles. A Jain king’s brother by name Soma became an ascetic. When the king came to know that Soma was camping outside the city he went there to pay his respects. Queen also vowed to see that holy man and decided not to take food till she pays respects to him that evening. #

 

When she rode in her chariot, the river in the middle of the city was in spate. She came back and asked her husband what to do. He told her to go back and say, “O Goddess River! if my husband has practised chastity since he paid his brother in law respects (in the past), then promptly give me passage”. She did say it and the river parted in to two and gave her passage.

 

She got confused because she became pregnant through her husband after he started paying respects to his brother (several years ago). When she met Sage Soma she asked the sage to clarify. He told her that her husband was chaste in his mind. Then the queen asked how can she return if the river is still in floods. Sage Soma told her,

“You must say to River Goddess, If the sage since taking the vow, has steadily lived in fast (for several years), then give me passage”. She recited words and easily crossed the river.

 

She asked her husband to clarify Soma’s statement. He told her “Lofty minded sages are indifferent to eating and non- eating. Mind is the root, speech the crown, deed the branch expansion of the tree of religion: from the firm root of that tree everything springs forth”. Then the queen understood.

 

—–to be continued

 

–Subham–

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 21, 2018  •  Permalink
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RAVANA’S SOUL IN A RECEPTACLE; STRANGE THAI RAMAYANA -2 (Post No.5020)

RAVANA’S SOUL IN A RECEPTACLE; STRANGE THAI RAMAYANA -2 (Post No.5020)

WRITTEN by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 17 May 2018

 

Time uploaded in London – 16-14 (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 5020

 

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I posted the first part yesterday under the title

SITA DAUGHTER OF RAVANA! STRANGE THAI RAMAYANA-1

 

Episode of Ravana’s Soul/Heart

Ramakien repeats one strange thing in more than one place- that is the soul of a person is kept away from his body. Ravana’s soul was also kept in a receptacle separately and was left with Goputra. When Rama’s weapons did not work with Ravana Vibhishana revealed the secret of Ravana’s soul.

Goputra was his preceptor. Hanuman was given the task of finding Ravana’s soul or heart and crush it. So he went with Angada to the ASHRAMA of Goputra and told him that he was fed up with Rama and so he wanted to join the army of Ravana.  Goputra believed the words of Hanuman like a simpleton. Taking both of them, Goputra went to Ravana’s place with the receptacle. Hanuman and Angada accompanied with some secret plan. When they reached the palace gate Goputra remembered if they went inside the palace the soul will fly back to Ravana. So he left it with Angada. Hanauman suddenly came back to Angada under the excuse of giving him some safety first instructions. At that time Hanuman created a fake heart/ soul and took the real soul and asked Angada to bury it under the sea. Then Rama easily killed Ravana.

Episode of Mahipala Debasura

Mahipala Debasura was Ravana’s best friend. Without knowing Ravana’s death, he came to Ravana’s palace to see him. Having heard about Ravana’s death, he became angry and laid a siege around Lanka. At that time, Vibhishana was ruling Lanka. Rama realising that Vibishana may not have enough strength to tackle all the troubles, sent an arrow to Vibhisana every week. Using that arrow Vibhishana sent an SOS message to Rama. He sent Hanuman to help Vibishana. Since Hanuman was ruling nearby kingdom Nabapuri with the name Phya Anujit came to Lanka and fought with Mahipala. When Hanuman tore the body of Mahipala it united into one. Then Vibishana revealed him the secret of killing him. At his behest Hanuman tore the chest of Mahipala and he died.

Episode of Insurrection in Lanka

After Ravana’s death Mandodari became one of the queens of Vibishana. At that time she was already pregnant and gave birth to a son. He was named Varanisura. His governor told him the story of his father Ravana and Varanisura decided to take revenge upon Vibhishana. His governor gave him the new name Bainasuri vangsh. With the intention of taking revenge he sought the help of Chakravarti, the ruler of Malivan. He was Ravana’s friend. They invaded Lanka and put Vibishana behind the bars. Hanuman with his son Ashurapad came to Kishkinda and got the help of Sugreeva. They went to Ayodhya to get the help of Rama. All of them marched to Lanka, killed Baina surivangsh and released Vibhishana.

 

If we compare other episodes of Valmiki Ramayana with Ramakiyan, there are only minor differences in the Thai Ramakiyan.

Who is Sita?

Sita was the daughter of Mandodari and Ravana, but abandoned in a forest as soon as she was born. King of Mithila found her and raised her. Ravana came and abducted her without knowing it was his daughter. When he tried to touch her his skin burnt and then couldn’t touch her. So there are so many versions of Ramayana in Ramakien as well as palatial murals in Bangkok and other places in Thailand.

 

There are some differences in the birth of Rama’s sons and Sita’s infidelity etc. It is an unending story. Beautiful sculptures and murals of Ramayana are in Bangkok and other places. We will look at them separately.

to be continued……………

–Subham–

 

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 17, 2018  •  Permalink
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Two Stories: Get the same ‘pleasure’ like me! (Post No 5014)

Let others also get the same ‘pleasure’ like me! Two Stories (Post No 5014)

 

WRITTEN by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 15 May 2018

 

Time uploaded in London – 18-17 (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 5014

 

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Good associations provide the greatest of help

Bad company is productive of the worst evil- Tirukkural 460

Great saints prayed to God for others getting the same pleasure they received by worshipping him. In the same way, there are cut throats who derive pleasure when others suffer like them. There are two folk tales in the Telugu country to illustrate this point.

There was a vendor in a village in the Andhra country. One day he went to a temple where he saw a hole in the idol. Normally people used to place coins there. With the intention of taking that coin he checked with his finger to locate the coin.

 

There was a scorpion waiting to sting. He was stung by the scorpion. He was a very cunning vendor. So without showing the pain he took his finger nearer to his nose and pretended enjoying the smell. Not only that he shouted, Oh! What a smell; what a fragrance! I have never experienced such a thing in y life!

 

Hearing this other vendors who accompanied him also put their fingers one by one. Every one said the same thing about good fragrance. All of them were stung by the scorpion in succession and each one tried to fool the others!

Great men think alike; great cheats behave alike or pretend alike!

xxx

Thrashed by Thieves

 

Purity of mind and purity of actions

Spring from purity associations – Tirukkural 455

 

One day vendor went to the village market with a plate full of eatables for selling. A couple of wily thieves met him half way to the market, gave him a severe beating and walked away with the snacks. He returned to his village quickly.

 

Another vendor was surprised to see him return that quickly. He asked him how was the demand for the snacks in the market. He was also carrying a plate full of eatables for sale. He coolly replied to him, “Why go to the market, when half way up people come demanding for them?” The unsuspecting vendor rushed towards the market and was interrupted by the same rogues. They thrashed him and took away all the snacks. He returned quickly to the village and behaved as if nothing happened!

That is why wise people advise everyone to have good and honest people as companions.

 

–Subham–

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 15, 2018  •  Permalink
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JAIN MONK KALAKACHARYA DEFEATED KING GARDABILLA (Post No.5011)

 

 

JAIN MONK KALAKACHARYA DEFEATED KING GARDABILLA (Post No.5011)

 

WRITTEN by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 14 May 2018

 

Time uploaded in London – 19-47 (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 5011

 

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Kalakacharya was a Jain monk in Ujjain which was ruled by Gardabilla at that time. Gardabilla went to the Jain ashram and abducted Kalakcharya’s sister Sarasvati.

 

Though most of the Jains at that time were Kshatrias (warrior caste),they followed non- violence. So Kalakacharya went to the king and asked him to return his sister but he refused like Ravana. He even insulted him.

In the Ramayana we see that Rama sends messengers to Ravana to return Sita but he refused and brought his own destruction.

 

Angered by the king’s insult,  Kalakacharya went to a nearby kingdom and asked him to invade Gardabilla’s kingdom. The neighbour king  was a ruler from Saka race. He told Kalakacharya that he had not got enough strength or army to invade Gardabilla. Then Kalakacharya himself took over as the commander of the army and invaded the kingdom of Gardabilla. This brought down Gardabilla’s rule. But Kalakacharya pardoned him. The defeated Gardabilla went to the forest to spend rest of his life where he was killed by a tiger. His son Vikramaditya had to live with the animals.

 

Later Vikaramaditya gathered enough soldiers and invaded his father’s kingdom and defeated the Saka ruler. This victory was celebrated by starting a new era called Vikrama era from first century BCE.

 

Manu, author of the first Law Book in the world and Tiruvalluvar, author of the Tamil Veda Tirukkural say that one must not estrange good people or saints. If they do that then their kingdoms will perish along with them. Manu gives the examples of Nahusa, Sumuka, Vena and other bad kings.

Tiruvalluvar in his Tamil Veda says,

Even kings, who rest on solid supports, will not be saved,

if men of spiritual power frown upon them – (Kural 900)

If principled men of lofty spirituality and penance are angered

Even a king will be ruined and destroyed (Kural 899)

The story of Kalakacharya’s victory over Gardabilla is found in Jain and Hindu literature of tenth and 12th Centuries, i.e. 1000 or 1500 years after Emperor Vikramaditya. So we don’t know the full story. But the miniature paintings of Kalakacharya are found in many museums around the world including Brooklyn museum in the US.

–Subham–

 

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WIFE BEATING HUSBANDS AND POLYGAMY ANECDOTES (Post No.5007)

Compiled by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 13 May 2018

 

Time uploaded in London – 15-47 (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 5007

 

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Henry William Anglesea, a British peer and soldier who died in 1854, was angrily beating his wife. She pointed to a house maid and cried out,

“How much happier is that wench than I am?”

Her husband immediately kicked the maid downstairs and then said,

“Well, there is at least one grievance removed”.

 

xxx

Late one night a drunken husband, after spending his whole time at his cub, set out for home.

“Well”, said he to himself, “if I find my wife up I will scold her; what business she has to sit up, wasting fire and light, eh? and if I find her in bed, I will scold her; what right she has to go to bed before I get home?”

 

xxx

A Mormon acquaintance once inveigled Mark Twain into an argument on the issue of polygamy. After he had been beaten about the ears with long and tedious expositions justifying the practice, the climax was capped by the Mormon’s demand that he cite any passage of scripture expressly forbidding polygamy.

“Nothing easier”, Mark replied.

“No man can serve two masters”.

xxx

In his old age, after he quit the war path, Quanah Parker, the famous chief of the Comanches, adopted many of the Whiteman’s ways. But in one respect he clung to the custom of his fathers. He continued to be a polygamist.

He was a friend and admirer of Theodore Roosevelt and on one occasion when Roosevelt was touring Oklahoma, he drove out to Parker’s camp to see him. With pride Parker pointed out that he lived in a house like a white man, that his children went to a white man’s school, and he himself dressed like a white man.

 

Whereupon Roosevelt was moved to preach him a sermon on the subject of morality. “See here chief, why don’t you set your people a better example? A white man has only one wife, he is allowed only one at a time . Here you are living with five squaws. Why don’t you give four of them and remain faithful to the fifth?”

 

Parker stood still a moment, considering the proposition. Then he answered: You are my great white father, and I will do as you wish – on one condition.”

 

“What is the condition?” Roosevelt asked.

“You pick out the one I am to live with and then you go and kill the other four.”

–Subham–

 

 

 

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by Tamil and Vedas on May 13, 2018  •  Permalink
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