Written by London Swaminathan
swami_48@yahoo.com
Date: 28 May 2019
British Summer Time uploaded in London – 21-58
Post No. 6455
Pictures shown here are taken from various sources including google, Wikipedia, Facebook friends and newspapers. This is a non- commercial blog. ((posted by swamiindology.blogspot.com AND tamilandvedas.com))
–subham–
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on May 28, 2019
https://tamilandvedas.com/2019/05/28/effects-of-food-taken-in-right-quantity-post-no-6455/
Written by London Swaminathan
Date: 3 MARCH 2018
Time uploaded in London – 21-23
Post No. 4805
Pictures shown here are taken from various sources such as Facebook friends, Books, Google and newspapers; thanks.
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
A lot of strange beliefs are there about Indian Ragas. Musicians believe that a particular raga will bring rain and another will produce fire. I have already given the incident about Tansen. In South India there is a popular story about Ahiri Raga ( a particular tune).
What is a Raga? Melodic framework; the network of ascending and descending scale of notes which give or determine the melody; a tune
One Thanjavur musician was very fond of Ahiri raga. He had mastered that Raga. Thanjavur is a town famous for Carnatic musicians. This person was told that he should not sing Ahiri Raga in the day time and if he violates that rule he wouldn’t get food for the day. He wanted to prove that the belief about Ahiri was false. So he was waiting for an opportunity. The news came that there was a big music festival in the nearby village and so he proceeded towards the village by walk. In those days, there were no restaurants. So he packed his lunch in a basket and carried it with him. Halfway through he felt very tired and so he wanted to take a nap. He tied the food basket in a bamboo tree which was bent towards the ground.
The bamboo trees bend during night time or in the cold and then slowly straightens up when the sun is shining bright. The singer did not know that. When he woke up he couldn’t see the food basket. After a while he looked up and then saw the food basket was 30 to 50 feet above him. In the middle of the woody area he couldn’t get any help and so he walked towards the nearby village to get some help. Now he started to doubt about the Ahiri Raga. But he was determined to prove that the belief about Ahiri and food was wrong.
When he went into the nearby village he saw group of people in front of a house where from good smell of fresh food was coming out. He came to know that it was a wedding celebration and all the villagers were fed there. So he also went there sat among the locals. Batch by batch the feast was served. When his turn came he went into the dining hall and wanted to show his talent and at the same time wanted to prove his belief about Ahiri Raga. The food was on the plantain leaf and the parents of the bride were serving the sweets to every one. It is customary to serve the sweet first in Hindu weddings. When the bride’s mother was serving the sweet this person made an announcement:
“Friends Ahiri is very good; who said that it was not a suitable one. I like Ahiri; everyone likes Ahri; Ahiri is beautiful and I am going to ………….”
Before he completed the sentence, people started beating him severely. He was taken out and shown the doors. Bride’s father came out and scolded him: How dare you talked about my wife in public?
He was blinking and said apologetically, “ Sir,I never talked about your wife. I only praised Ahiri in public because I like…….”
Before he completed the sentence more blows came on his face and the back. Then the people nearby told him ‘Don’t you know his wife’s name is Ahiri and you sad that you liked Ahiri very much”. Then only it dawned upon him that they mistook it for the lady of the house instead of the Raga.
He explained what he meant and proved his innocence. Then he was allowed to take food. But he decided never to sing Ahiri during day time!!!
–Subham–
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on March 3, 2018
https://tamilandvedas.com/2018/03/03/if-you-sing-ahiri-raga-you-wont-get-food-post-no-4805/
Compiled by London swaminathan
Post No.2215
Date: 4 October 2015
Time uploaded in London: காலை 15-15
Thanks for the pictures.
Don’t use pictures. Don’t reblog for at least a week.
There was a Sadhu (ascetic) in Malabar, a tall and stout person. He was in the police service before becoming a sadhu. He used to wear only a small towel round his waist. Once when he was going for his Biksha ( asking for alms/food), a householder, seeing his good physique, asked him why he should not work and earn his bread, instead of begging for it. The sadhu was told that he would be given a meal if he was prepared to cut a few logs of firewood that were lying in the householder’s court yard.
The Sadhu without uttering a word, started splitting the firewood with an axe given to him and, within a short time, cut the whole lot and stacked the pieces in the proper place. Then, leaving the axe near the stack, the Sadhu simply walked away.
The householder saw the Sadhu going without taking food. He called him back and asked him why he was going before getting his meal. The Sadhu then replied, “I do not take my food where I work, and I do not work where I take my food!”. This means Sadhus subsist only upon alms offered to them with love.
–Story told by Swami Ramdas of Anandashram, Kerala.
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on October 4, 2015
https://tamilandvedas.com/2015/10/04/saints-do-not-toil-for-food/
Article No. 2066
Written by London swaminathan
Swami_48@yahoo.com
Date : 12 August 2015
Time uploaded in London :– 22-11
One day a man, who had not much faith in God, heard from the lips of a saint that god always protects his devotees when they are absorbed in his remembrance and meditation. This protection comes to him in all respects. The man became curious and wanted to test the assurance given by the Saint. So, one day, he went to a forest miles away from the town in which he lived and sat in the midst of a cluster of trees. He had gone into the forest in the morning and continued to stay until midday. All the while, he was unceasingly repeating God’s name with mind fixed on him.
When he was thus engaged, a man passed through this forest intending to visit a neighbouring village by a short cut. He was carrying his meal tied up in a bundle. When the traveller saw the man sitting alone by himself, it evoked sympathy and thought he could offer him the food he was carrying with him. Accordingly going up to the man, he gave the food to him. The man accepted the offer and ate the meal.
A question arose in his mind whether it was God who fed him at the proper time or whether it was a coincidence. He felt that the test he made was not a proper one. His mistake, he thought, was in having selected a spot frequented by human beings. So he planned to take himself off the next day to a distant place where no human beings would go.
Next day, he started early from home and walking a distance of about four or five miles and crossing a river, he saw a pretty tall hill which he climbed up looking out for a suitable lonely place for his prayers. To his pleasant surprise, he saw a hollow on the top of the hill and thought if he sat in it nobody able to find him out. He descended into it and sitting in the middle of it, started chanting god’s name with great devotion. Hours passed.
Meanwhile from the town in which this man lived, a party of ten to fifteen youngsters started on a picnic. They travelled on a boat to the appointed place up the river referred to above. Merrily the boatman rowed the boat and the young men were quite happy. But when they neared the place, where on the top of the hill the devotee was sitting, a strong breeze blew from the opposite direction and the boat would not move in spite of strenuous efforts of the boatman. Then the boat man suggested that the party may halt at that place and finish up the picnic programme. The party had no other alternative. Getting down from the boat they proceeded to the base of the hill. They proposed to spread a cloth on the sand and, sitting on it, make a good picnic repast of the many fine eatables they had brought with them.
One wise young man of the party warned that it would not be possible for them to eat there since the strong wind would sprinkle the sand on their refreshments. Then another suggested they may go to the top of that hill and find a suitable place there. Soon all of them with the picnic articles, went up the hill. In their search for a place they came across the devotee seated in the hollow of the hill. They, with one voice, declared that the man should be fed first from the food they had brought with them. Accordingly they placed before the devotee palate containing the most delicious preparations. The devotee had a hearty meal of the tasteful dishes. Now he fell to think seriously as to who fed him in that unknown deserted place. It clearly dawned in his mind that God alone provided him with food as he had depended entirely on him. God ever protects those who rely on him is an incontestable truth.
Source Stories as Told by Swami Ramdas
Also read my previous post:
“God feeds Ant in the Box and Toad in the Stone”, posted on 19 June, 2014.
Posted by Tamil and Vedas on August 12, 2015
https://tamilandvedas.com/2015/08/12/god-ever-protects-those-who-rely-on-him/
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