Who is Vedamurti Devavrat Mahesh Rekhe? 19-Year-Old Vedic Scholar whom PM Modi praised for…
Vedamurti Devavrat Mahesh Rekhe, a 19-year-old Vedic scholar from Varanasi, has successfully completed the Dandakrama Parayanam, a challenging recitation of 2000 mantras in Shukla Yajurveda in 50 days without interruption. PM Modi praised him for his remarkable achievement.
Indian culture is as deep as its thousands of years old history with ancient vedas, puranas and other scriptures detailing the many ways of life. A young Indian man has drawn from one of the most sacred Sanskrit text, Shukla Yajurveda, to achieve a remarkable feat even Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him for.
Indian culture is as deep as its thousands of years old history with ancient vedas, puranas and other scriptures detailing the many ways of life. A young Indian man has drawn from one of the most sacred Sanskrit text, Shukla Yajurveda, to achieve a remarkable feat even Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him for.
Vedamurti Devavrat Mahesh Rekhe, a 19-year-old Vedic scholar from Varanasi, has successfully completed the Dandakrama Parayanam, one of the most challenging recitations from Shukla Yajurveda, also known as the Vajasaneyi Samhita and one of the two main branches of the Yajurveda, one of the four Vedas. Rekhe is garnering immense praise countrywide for his rare achievement while it marks a historic moment for followers of Vedic tradition.
The young scholar shares the deep devotion to vedic tradition with his father and guru, Vedabrahmasri Mahesh Chandrakant Rekhe who is one of the top Vedic authorities and the chief examiner of the Shukla Yajurveda Madhyandina branch. The young prodigy went through years of tough training. The father-son duo, with their efforts and contribution is bringing the ancient Hindu tradition back to life as only a handful of masters have dedicated their life in living the ideals of Vedas.
Rekhe has completed the Dandakrama Parayanam, a recitation consisting of 2000 mantras of the Shukla Yajurveda’s Madhyandini branch, in 50 days without a pause. The recitation includes various Vedic verses and sacred words which he recited flawlessly with complete discipline.
How has PM Modi praised him?
Sharing his overwhelming emotions for the act on X, PM Modi said, “What 19 year old Vedamurti Devavrat Mahesh Rekhe has done will be remembered by the coming generations! Every person passionate about Indian culture is proud of him for completing the Dandakrama Parayanam, consisting of 2000 mantras of the Shukla Yajurveda’s Madhyandini branch, in 50 days without any interruption. This includes several Vedic verses and sacred words recited flawlessly. He embodies the finest of our Guru Parampara.”
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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சுவாமி சித்பவானந்தா
சித்பவானந்த சுவாமிகள் மதுரைக்கு அருகிலுள்ள திருவேடகத்திலும் திருச்சிக்கு அருகிலுள்ள திருப்பராய்த்துறை யிலும் ஆஸ்ரமம் , கல்லூரி, பள்ளிக்கூடம் வைத்து இந்து மதத்தைப் பரப்பிய பெரியார் . இவரது பகவத் கீதை பேருரையும் திருவாசகப் பேருரையும் அனைவரும் படித்துப் பொக்கிஷம் போல் காப்பாற்ற வேண்டியவை; 186 புத்தகங்களையும், சிறுவர்களுக்காக பல நாட கங்களையும் கதைகளையும் எழுதினார். மாதந்தோறும் அந்தர்யோகம் நிகழ்ச்சியை நடத்தி பக்தி யோகத்தைப் பரப்பினார். திருப்பராய்த்துறையில் ஸ்ரீ ராமகிருஷ்ண தபோவனம் ஆசிரமத்தின் நிறுவனர் ஆவார்.
Swami Chidbhavananda (11 March 1898 – 16 November 1985)
Swami Chidbhavananda (11 March 1898 – 16 November 1985) was born in Senguttaipalayam near Pollachi.. His guru was Swami Shivananda who was a direct disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa; he established Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam in Tiruparaithurai, near Tiruchi He has authored more than 130 books in Tamil and English. Now under Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam around 56 schools and colleges are running in TamilNadu. Swamiji delivered more than 70,000 talks on religious harmony, Hinduism. His commentary on Bhagavad Gita is his masterpiece.
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கம்போடியா
தென் கிழக்கு ஆசியாவிலுள்ள இந்த நாட்டின் பெயர் காம்போஜம். கம்பு என்ற இந்திய மகரிஷியின் பெயரிலிருந்து வந்த பெயர் இது. சுமார் ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு இந்து மற்றும் புத்த மத மன்னர்களின் ஆட்சியில் இருந்தது ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னர் கட்டப்பட்ட அங்கோர்வாட் ஆலயம் உலகப் புகழ் பெற்றது இது முதலில் விஷ்ணுவுக்கு அமைக்கப்பட்டது; அதை பெளத்தர்கள் ஆக்ரமித்து புத்தமத சின்னங்களை எழுப்பினர் . உலகின் மிகப்பெரிய கோவிலான அங்கோர் வாட் அந்த நாட்டின் தேசீயக் கொடியிலும் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளது.
Cambodia- Country’s name derives from the Sanskrit name कम्बोजदेश Kambojadeśa, referring to the descendants of Kambu (a legendary Indian sage from the ancient Indian kingdom of Kamboja). World famous The Khmer Empire was Southeast Asia’s largest empire during the 12th century. The empire’s centre of power was Angkor.
Angkor Wat is a Hindu-Buddhist complex in Cambodia. Located on a site measuring 162.6 hectares within the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor, it was originally constructed in 1150 CE as a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu. It was later gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century. Hailed as the largest religious structure in the world, it is a symbol of Cambodia, depicted in Cambodian national flag.
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சம்பா தேசம்
வியட்நாமின் பழைய பெயர் சம்பா தேசம்; தென் கிழக்கு ஆசியாவில் மிகப்பழைய ஸம்ஸ்க்ருத்க் கல்வெட்டு இங்குதான் கிடைத்தது; அதில் ஸ்ரீ மாறன் என்ற பெயர் இருப்பதால் அது தமிழ்நாட்டு பாண்டிய மன்னன் திருமாறனின் பெயராக இருக்கலாம் ; காலம் இரண்டாம் நூற்றாண்டு ; அதாவது தமிழ்ச் சங்க காலம்.
Champa– It is the old name of Vietnam. Lo of Hindu temples and Sanskrit inscriptions are in Vietnam. Sri Maran’s second century inscription is an important one.
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சதுர்முகன்
பிரம்மாவின் பெயர்; தமிழில் நான்முகன்; நான்கு தலைகளை உடையவன் என்பது பொருள்
Chaturmukha
One of the names of Brahma, creator. Literally Four Faced. It means Brahma’s Four heads.
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சண்டிகேஸ்வரர் –
சண்டிகேசுவரர் சைவ சமயத்தின் பஞ்ச மூர்த்திகளில் ஒருவராகவும், சிவபெருமானுக்கு படைக்கப்படும் உணவு மற்றும் உடைகளின் அதிபதியாகவும் இருக்கிறார். இவருடைய சந்நிதி சிவாலயங்களில் சிவபெருமானின் கருவறை அமைந்திருக்கும் பகுதியின் இடப்பாகத்தில் அமைக்கப்படுகிறது. பஞ்ச மூர்த்தி உலாவின் பொழுது சிவாலயங்களிலிருந்து இவருடைய உற்வசர் சிலையும் ஊர்வலமாக எடுத்துவரப்படுகிறது. பஞ்ச மூர்த்தி உலாவில் இறுதியாக இவர் வலம் வருகிறார்.சிவாலயத்திலிருந்து எந்தவொரு பொருளையும் தாங்கள் வீட்டுக்கு எடுத்துச் செல்லவில்லை என்பதைத் தெரிவிக்கவே, இறுதியாக அவர் சந்நிதிக்கு வந்து இரு கைகளையும் தட்டிவிட்டு வணங்கும் வழக்கம் வந்ததாகக் கூறுவர்.
Sandesa Nayanar
Chandikeswra is one of the pancha murtis. His shrine is at the left side of lord Shiva’s main shrine. He is in charge of all the Siva’s treasures. And Shiva devotees believe that no one should take any one from a Shiva’s shrine because it will destroy the family; so, devotees before leaving Shiva’s shrine by showing their empty hands by clapping. Some people believe that the clapping is don to register their presence in the temple. This post is offered to any sincere , exemplary devotee.
Chandesa
Anugraha murti. In Saivite temples of tamil nadu one can see lord shiva decorating his devotee with a flower garland. Lord is decorating the devotee’s locks with it. Chadesa sits on the ground at the foot of siva, with bending knees and folded arms., and receives the divine favour with gratitude. Above the demi gods gather round to see the kindness of shiva shown towards his devotee-
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சண்டேச நாயனார்
பெரிய புராணத்தில் போற்றப்படும் 63 நாயன்மார்களில் ஒருவர். இயற் பெயர் விசார சர்மர்.; மணலினால் சிவலிங்கம் செய்து பசும்பாலை அபிஷேகம் செய்ததை தந்தை கண்டிக்கவே யார் என்று தெரியாமல் குச்சியை வீசவே அது அவரது தந்தை யக்ஞ தத்தனின் காலைத் துண்டித்தது இருவருக்கும் இறைவன் வீடு பேற்றினை நல்கினார் சிவன் கோவில்களில் சண்டேச நாயனாருக்கு சண்டிகேஸ்வரர் பதவியைத் தாரும் காட்சியை சித்திரமாகவும் சிற்பமாகவும் வைத்துள்ளார்கள்.
Chandeswara Nayanar-
Vichara sarman was one of the 63 Nayanmars who were ardent Shiva devotees. When he made a Shiva Linga with sand and did Milk Abisheka, some people complained to his father Yajna Datta. He came and kicked him and the milk pot thinking that he was wasting milk. Without seeing who it was Vichara sarman threw the stick at his father that cut him and he fell down. Lord Shiva appeared and praised his devotion and offered him the post of Chandikeswar.
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சண்டி தாஸ்
இவர் பெரிய மகான்;14 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டில் வங்காளத்தில் வாழ்ந்தார்; ராதா, கிருஷ்ணன் மீது அவர் பாடிய பாடல்கள் மிகவும் பிரபலம் ஆயின. அவற்றை சைதன்யரும் பாடினார் ;அவர் மேல் அதிக செல்வாக்கு ஏற்படுத்தியவர் இந்த சாது மகான் தான். சிறு வயதில் படிப்பில் கவனம் செலுத்தாததால் தந்தையால் தண்டிக்கப்பட்டார் பின்னர் காளி தேவியின் அருள் பெற்று கவிதை பாடத் துவங்கினார் ராமி என்ற வண்ணாத்தியின் அழகில் மயங்கி முதல் கவிதையைப் புனைந்தார்; பின்னர் அதுவே ஆன்மீகக் காதலாக மலர்ந்து ராதாவின் மீதும் கண்ணன் மீதும் கவிதைகளை இயற்றினார் .ஆஸ்தானப் புலவர் வித்யாபதி இவரைக் காண நீண்ட தூரம் நடந்து வந்தார். ஜாதி இன வேறுபாடுகளை அகற்றி பக்தியைப் பரப்பினார்.
Chandidas
One of the greatest Vaishnava poets of Bengal was Chandidas. He lived sometime before Vaishnava reformer Chaitanya. Chandidas was the eldest son of a Brahmin who was the priest at the shrine of Basholi in the village called Nannur. He hated formal education and was punished by his father
Chandidas with a heavy heart went to the Basholi Devi’s temple near the Ajay river and sat there alone brooding. Just as he was pondering there was no point in living, the Goddess spoke to him and blessed him to become a great poet.
On his way back home Chandidas met Tara more popularly known as Ramitara or only just Rami., a washerman’s daughter. To him Rami was the source of inspiration and strength. To him Rami was the embodiment of Radha of Brindaban which inspired him to describe the divine love of Radha and Krishna through his poems. He was the inspiration for Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Even the court poet Vidyapati hearing of Chandidas, travelled all the way on foot to meet him.
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சொக்கன் ,சொக்கநாதன்
சுந்தரேஸ்வரன் என்பதன் தமிழ் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு; மதுரைக் கோவிலில் உறையும் சிவபெருமானை சொக்கா, சொக்கநாதா என்றும் அழைப்பார்கள் .
Chokkan
Shiva’s name in Tamil. Lord Shiva of Madurai Temple is called Sundareswar, the handsome one. And it is translated as Chokkan in Tamil.
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கவரி / சாமரம்/ சவுரி
ஆங்கிலத்தில் செளரி என்று உச்சகரிக்கப்டும் இதனுடைய சரியான பெயர் கவரி. ஆண்டவன் அல்லது மன்னர்களின் இரு புறமும் நின்று சேவகர்கள் கவரி வீசுவர் மேலும் இருவர் இரு புறத்திலும் நின்று விசிறி வீசுவார்கள் . கவரி மானின் முடியால் செய்யாப்பட்ட இது வெண்மை நிறத்தில் இருக்கும் . அஷ்ட மங்கலங்களில் ஒன்று.
Chowry- Correct word is Kavari. It is the fly whisk made up of the hair (tail) of a kind of deer. It is one of the Ashtamangalam, that is Eight Auspicious Symbols. It is a royal as well as a divine thing. On either side of God’s idol or in the olden days, either side of kings, servants were used this like a fan. Even now temples use this.
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சத்திரம்
யாத்திரை செல்லுவோருக்காக மன்னர்களும் தர்ம சிந்தனையாளரும் அமைத்த தங்கும் விடுதிகள் ஆகும். அண்மைக்காலம் வரை எல்லா புனிதத் தலங்களிலும் அல்லது வழிப்போக்கர்கள் செல்லும் முக்கிய சாலைகளிலும் இந்த விடுதிகள் இருந்தன. மதுரையில் உள்ள ராணி மங்கம்மாள் சத்திரம் புகழ் பெற்றது சில இடங்களில் தங்கும் வசதியுடன் உணவும் வழங்கப்பட்டது இப்பொழுது காசு வாங்கி தங்க வைக்கும் ஹோட்டல்கள், லாட்ஜுகள் போன்றவை இவை.
Choultry-
Travellers Inns, rest houses similar to modern lodges and hotels. But in the olden days, kings and philanthropists established these Chaththiram/Choultries for pilgrims along the way to famous holy shrines. Pilgrims were given free food and shelter. Mangammaal Chaththiram and Marwaadi Chaththiram are famous ones in Madurai.
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சின்மயானந்தர்
கேரளத்தில் எர்ணாகுளத்தில் பால கிருஷ்ண மேனன் என்ற பெயருடன் (May 8, 1916) பிறந்த சுவாமிஜி பத்திரிகையாளராகத் தன் வாழ்க்கையைத் துவங்கினார். பின்னர் சுதந்திர போராட்டத்தில் பங்குகொண்டார். அரசியல் மீது வெறுப்பு உண்டாகவே ரிஷிகேசுக்குச் சென்று சுவாமி சிவானத்தாரின் கீழ் ஆன்மீக பயிற்சியில் முன்னேறி சன்யாசம் பெற்று சின்மயானந்தர்
என்ற நாமகரணம் சூட்டப்பட்டார் . அத்வைத வேதாந்தத்தை பரப்புவதற்கு 576 ஞான வேள்விகளை நடத்தினார்; பகவத் கீதையை முக்கிய நூலாகக்கொண்டு பிரசாரம் செய்தார். இத்தற்காக சின்மயா மிஷனை 1953-ஆம் ஆண்டு நிறுவினார் உலகெங்கிலும் பயணம் செய்து கிளைகளை நிறுவினார் 1993-ஆம் ஆண்டு (August 3, 1993) மஹா சமாதி எய்தினார்.
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, born Balakrishna Menon on May 8, 1916, in Ernakulam, Kerala, was one of the most influential spiritual leaders of modern India. He dedicated his life to reviving and spreading the timeless wisdom of Advaita Vedanta, making it accessible to people from all walks of life.
Balakrishna Menon started his life as a journalist and actively participated in India’s independence movement but grew disillusioned with political ideologies. His quest for deeper truths led him to Rishikesh, where he met Swami Sivananda Saraswati and took sannyasa (renunciation), adopting the name Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati. He later studied Vedanta intensively under Swami Tapovan Maharaj in Uttarkashi, living an austere life dedicated to the scriptures. In 1953, Swami Chinmayananda founded the Chinmaya Mission conducted over 576 jnana yajnas across the globe and authored numerous books on Vedanta. Swamiji attained Maha Samadhi on August 3, 1993.
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சோழ மன்னர்கள்
சைவத்திற்குப் பெரும் தொண்டாற்றிவர்கள் சோழ மன்னர்கள் ;காவிரி நதியின் இருபுறங்களிலும் எண்ணற்ற கோவில்களைக்க கட்டியுள்ளார்கள். ராஜராஜ சோழன் எழுப்பிய தஞ்சைப் பெரியகோவில் இதில் மிகவும் சிறப்பானது; ஆனால் அதற்கு முன்பாகவே பல சோழ மன்னர்கள் கோவில்களைக் கட்டி இருக்கிறார்கள்.
Chozas/Colas
Dynasty that ruled Tamil Nadu for several centuries. The Choza dynaasy kings were ardent supporters of Saivism. Under them hundreds of temples were built on either side of the Kaveri River (Cauvery). The most famous temple called Big Temple or Brihadeeswar temple in Thanjavur was built by Raja Raja Choza.
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சரித்திரம்/ வரலாறு
வாழ்க்கைச் சரித்திரம் – பெரியோர் வாழ்க்கைக்குறிப்பு
Charithram – History
Life History- Biography
—Subham—-
Tags- HINDU DICTIONARY IN ENGLISH AND TAMIL 20, இந்துமத கலைச்சொல் அகராதி 20 ,சரித்திரம், Chandidas , Chinmayananda, Chidbhavananda,
Subramanya Bhujangam: A masterpiece of Devotion and Spirituality by Adi Shankaracharya
From Hindu Post, Date 21-11-2025
by
Arunesh Mahadevan
The Subramanya Bhujangam is a timeless Sanskrit hymn composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya in praise of Lord Subramanya, the divine son of Shiva and Parvati. Legend has it that it was composed in the praise of Sri Subramanya Swamy of Tiruchendur. Tiruchendur is a small town in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. It is an important pilgrimage centre for all devotees of Lord Skanda. According to a legend in Skanda Purana, it is at Tiruchendur that Lord Subramanya slayed the demon Surapadman. Sri Adi Shankaracharya has written many Stotra-s in praise of various deities. Predominant among them are the Mahishasura-Mardini Stotram, Saundarya Lahari, Lakshmi-Nrisimha Karavalamba Stotram, Vishnu Shat-padi, Ganesh Pancharatnam, Sivananda Lahari. They are all beautiful compositions filled with poetic outbursts of devotion and profound explorations of Advaita Vedanta. Subramanya Bhujangam too is a profound expression of devotion, combining poetic beauty with deep spiritual insight, making it a cherished text for devotees and spiritual seekers alike. Subramanya Bhujangam stands out among Adi Shankaracharya’s major devotional compositions due to its unique link to an actual temple deity, intensely personal outpouring, and deft articulation of the devotee’s heart and challenges. Unlike the other Stotra-s, which highlight philosophical depth and devotional beauty, Subramanya Bhujangam is marked by moving inspiration, relatable emotions, and a heartfelt cry for rescue and solace which connects the devotee directly with the living presence of the deity of Tiruchendur at once.
The Stotram is structured into three distinct thematic sections. The opening section offers praise to the Lord and highlights the importance of invoking Sri Subramanya and seeking refuge in Him. The middle section intricately describes the divine form and attributes of Sri Subramanya. The concluding section consists of heartfelt prayers, earnestly seeking the Lord’s grace and ultimate liberation.
The Call to Refuge
At its core, Subramanya Bhujangam is a heartfelt prayer invoking the blessings and grace of Lord Subramanya, who embodies divine protection, wisdom, and grace. The hymn’s verses reverberate with intense Bhakti, portraying the Lord as a compassionate divine guide who dispels fears and grants spiritual victory. Each shloka resonates with reverence, inspiring the devotee to surrender and seek refuge in the Lord. In today’s chaotic world where our minds are filled with confusions, anxiety, and stress, Subramanya Bhujangam in many of its verses is a direct call to the Lord to come and dispel such negative emotions from our mind. Lord Subramanya is not only the Commander-in-Chief of the army of the Deva-s, but He is also the commander of the inner armies of our mind and intellect ever at war with negative emotions and baser thoughts. Lord Subramanya is a protective deity who not only protects the cosmos from evil entities but also our inner world from negative and degrading influences. Sri Adi Shankaracharya in his Vishnu Sahasranama commentary observes, Austerity, Veda-s, Brahmins, and Knowledge are called Brahman. The Lord is Subramanya because he is very well skilled in protecting these. The essence of Subramanya is a grace that protects the fundamentals of Vedic religion.
The first stanza of the Stotram is a prayer to Lord Ganapati that beautifully captures his divine nature. It describes how, despite always appearing in the form of a child, He has the power to remove even the largest of obstacles. Revered by the five-faced Shiva himself, Ganesha is respected despite his elephant head. He embodies auspiciousness and is worshipped by Brahma, Indra, and other devas who seek his blessings to fulfil their desires. Known as Ganesha, he is worshipped for Sri (wealth), which signifies not just material prosperity but more importantly the wealth of auspicious qualities and the spiritual readiness necessary to approach Lord Skanda. The verse subtly conveys that outward appearances do not decide one’s true capability or worth. It is our inner wisdom and skill that enables us to overcome formidable obstacles and earn genuine respect, regardless of how we may appear externally. This teaching encourages looking beyond surface impressions, recognising that true strength arises from being in harmony with our true nature.
In the second stanza, the Acharya humbly expresses his complete surrender to Lord Subramanya. Though renowned as a master of the scriptures, Adi Shankara confesses that he has no command over words, nor their meanings, and is not skilled in either prose or poetry. Instead, he credits a radiant, six-faced light of consciousness within his heart for the miraculous and beautiful words that arise. The Acharya’s humility shows a deep Advaitic realisation. He perceives Lord Subramanya not as separate, but as the very Self within him. This divine presence manifests through the Acharya’s words, making him an instrument of the Lord’s will, rather than an independent author of these verses. This echoes Krishna’s instruction to Arjuna — “nimitta matra bhava savyasachin” urging him to become a mere instrument in the hands of the divine. Thus, the Acharya’s utterances are the Lord’s own revelation.
Shankara emphatically acknowledges his worship of the divine Lord who rides the peacock, identifying him as the profound secret embodied within the Vedic Mahavakyas. These Mahavakyas are concise declarations sourced from the four Vedas. They encapsulate the essence of Vedic wisdom in just a few words. The Rig Veda’s Mahavakya, “Prajnanam Brahman,” asserts the identity of Brahman and Consciousness. The Yajur Veda proclaims “Aham Brahmasmi,” meaning “I am Brahman,” a concept now widely recognised yet rarely understood in its depth. The Atharva Veda’s statement, “Ayam Atma Brahma,” teaches that this very Self is Brahman. “Tat Twam Asi” from the Chandogya Upanishad means “That Thou Art,” and is also known as the Upadesha Mahavakya. Each of these Mahavakyas either declares the nature of reality or describes the seeker’s ultimate realisation of his unity with Brahman. Sankara continues his description of the Lord as having a form that enchants and expresses itself fully in the minds of the wise Mahatma-s. He is the Lord and controller of even those who have lordship here on earth. He is the lord of the Brahmins who revere the Veda-s. He is the very essence of the Veda-s. He is the son of Mahadeva, and the protector of all worlds.
The Acharya, inspired by the captivating beauty of the Tiruchendur temple by the seashore, offers a profound spiritual interpretation for Sri Subramanya’s choice of residence. He suggests that the Lord, in His boundless compassion has made Tiruchendur His home so that devotees, upon approaching Him, may quickly and effortlessly cross the ocean of samsara through His purifying grace. The presence of the sea serves as a constant, evocative symbol of the endless cycle of worldly existence, reminding seekers that the Lord’s help is essential to transcend it. Carrying forward the same tone of inspiration, the Acharya reveals the Lord’s promise that just as ocean waves find rest upon the shore, so too will the hardships of those who serve Him here. But what of those unable to be physically present at Tiruchendur to offer their services continuously? The Acharya responds that he contemplates Lord Guha dwelling in the lotus of his heart. Lord Subramanya is also known as Guha because He inhabits caves atop hills. This title also symbolises the cave within our own heart, a place darkened by ignorance. Yet, Lord Subramanya is the radiant Light of consciousness which enlightens our minds and sparks our intellect. The same consciousness which is invoked in the Gayatri Mantra “Dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt”, meaning “May that divine Light inspire our intellect.”
The Tiruchendur temple stands atop the gentle Sugandha hill. The Acharya extols the boundless compassion of Lord Shanmukha, who has graciously declared that anyone who ascends this hill will gain the same spiritual merit as one who climbs Mount Kailash, the king of all sacred mountains. This assurance highlights the Lord’s inclusiveness and mercy toward all seekers. The Acharya proclaims his surrender at the feet of Lord Guha, who lives within a cave atop the Sugandha hill. With deep reverence, he describes the Lord as the shore of this vast ocean of samsara. Lord Guha is celebrated as the merciful thief who steals away the sins of his devoted followers. He is ever supportive of sages, and radiant in his own self-effulgence. He has a luminous presence that again points to his indwelling as the Atman within the seeker itself.
Unveiling the Cosmic Form
The Acharya masterfully uses a rich palette of poetic devices to paint a vivid and enchanting picture of the Lord in the minds of the devotees. These evocative images serve as powerful tools for meditation, evoking deep reverence and awe, and encouraging us to approach the Lord with humility and love. Through this inspired imagery, the Acharya fosters a heartfelt connection between the devotee and the divine.
Lord’s Bed
The chamber is radiant, bathed in the golden glow of its surroundings. The divine bed is adorned with gleaming gems and fragrant flowers, creating an atmosphere of beauty and sanctity. Upon this majestic seat rests Kartikeya, Lord even of the Devas, his brilliance comparable to thousand rising suns. He remains ever devoted to granting the heartfelt wishes of his devotees. The presence of rubies is symbolic of worldly enjoyments (Bhoga), while the flowers stand for the peace of liberation (Moksha), highlighting the Lord’s power to bestow both.
Lord’s feet
The Acharya shifts the focus to the Lord’s captivating feet, which are adorned with anklets and glow with a vibrant crimson hue. Their beauty is compared to a nectar-filled red blossom, enticing and deeply soothing. With heartfelt sincerity, the Acharya speaks for the devotee, acknowledging that his mind is wearied by the challenges of worldly life. In its distress, the mind yearns for comfort and finds peace by resting at the lotus feet of the Lord, just as a bee finds shelter and nourishment in a flower rich with nectar.
Lord’s waist
Wrapped in a celestial garment gleaming with golden radiance, the Lord’s waist is adorned by a belt decorated with tiny bells. A beautiful, gold-coloured anagavastram softly encircles His waist. The Acharya contemplates upon this luminous and divine waist in his meditation, appreciating its brilliance and grace.
Lord’s Chest
Sri Valli, consort of Sri Subramanya, embodies his sovereignty over all creation. Valli and Devasena signify Bhagwan’s Para and Apara Prakriti, his dual expression of divinity. Valli, as Apara Prakriti, represents the Lord’s manifestation through Maya as the world of names and forms. Devasena, as Para Prakriti, stands for the Lord’s presence as the Self and the very life-force within all beings. The Acharya skilfully plays with the word “ragam” to reference both colour and love (anuragam). He describes how the Lord’s chest acquired a saffron tint. When Sri Subramanya lovingly embraced Valli, the daughter of the hunter tribe, the saffron from her breasts imprinted upon his chest giving it its saffron hue. In this verse, the Acharya tenderly requests the Lord to show the same deep love that he has for his beloved Valli, towards his devotees.
Lord’s Arms
These mighty arms once disciplined Brahma himself and now effortlessly hold the universe through divine play. Once, Lord Skanda admonished Brahma for his ignorance of the true meaning of the Pranava, Om. Seizing the role of creator, Skanda effortlessly carried out the task of creation. Eventually, at Siva’s request, he restored Brahma to his rightful glory and position. The Acharya further extols the Lord’s arms, declaring that they deliver ultimate defeat to all who oppose Him and have repeatedly destroyed the foes of Indra, proving their invincible power and protective grace. The Acharya proclaims his refuge in these broad, skilful arms, renowned for their unwavering protection of the world.
Lord’s Face
In a flourish of poetic brilliance, the Acharya declares that the Lord’s facial radiance surpasses all comparisons. Even if flawless full moons in their full autumnal glory were to rise simultaneously in every direction, their collective brilliance would be only mildly comparable to the serene glow of the Lord’s face. A face that is calm and bestows soothing grace much like the moon, shielding devotees from the scorching afflictions of worldly life. The Acharya specifically employs the word “Mriganka” for the moon, referring to its characteristic spot shaped like a deer. In stark contrast, Skanda’s face is utterly spotless and clear. The Lord’s beauty stands alone and unmatched.
Lord’s Facial features
Acharya, completely immersed in the beauty of the Lord, compares Shanmukha’s six faces to a group of six swans in a lake and the movement of his eyeballs to a moving group of bees. The fully matured bimba fruit (ivy guard) is a common metaphor employed for describing red lips in Sanskrit Devotional texts. Acharya compares the redness of the Lord’s lips to the bimba fruit overflowing with nectar.
Lord’s Eyes
The Lord is depicted with twelve expansive eyes that reach all the way to His ears, each one overflowing with boundless compassion for His devotees. The Lord’s twelve wide-open eyes bless the entire world continuously. These broad eyes also symbolise His presence as the साक्षी (Sakshi) within us, constantly seeing all that occurs inside and outside without a blink. After describing these ever-compassionate eyes, the Acharya, with childlike innocence, asks the Lord – What would You lose by casting even a single, gentle sideways glance of those merciful eyes upon me?
Lord’s Six Heads
In a tender and poetic portrayal of the Lord’s head, the Acharya vividly captures an intimate moment between Shiva and Sri Subramanya. He describes how Shiva, upon meeting his son, embraced him and lovingly smelled each of his six heads one after the other, each time exclaiming, “O son, You are born of me! May you have a long and blessed life!” The Acharya expresses his reverence to this divine head, blessed personally by Shiva himself. Inspired by this vision, the Acharya further depicts the Lord’s head as not only crowned with a radiant, majestic crown but also bearing the immense weight of the entire universe.
Lord’s Ornaments
The Acharya concludes his vivid portrayal of Sri Subramanya with a heartfelt prayer, yearning for the Lord to manifest before him adorned with radiant ornaments studded with precious gems in his hands and arms. He earnestly requests the Lord to appear in his divine form, graced by beautiful necklaces and earrings that shimmer, casting a radiant glow upon his cheeks. The Acharya further pleads that the Lord appear in yellow garments, holding his sacred weapon, the powerful Shakti (Vel), in his hands.
Somaskanda
All prominent Siva temples in the south have a separate Somaskanda shrine within their premises. Somaskanda is formed from the Sandhi of the words Sa+Uma+Skanda which means along with Uma and Skanda. Siva in this form is shown to be seated along with Goddess Uma with little Skanda seated on His mother’s lap. Goddess Uma is a personification of the knowledge of the Shruti i.e., the Vedas. The very word Uma is a play on the word Om. She is Skanda-Mata, Skanda being the knowledge born of the Shruti that leads us directly to Siva. There is another interesting symbology in the Somaskanda form. In Advaita Vedanta, Nirguna Brahman i.e., God without attributes is the highest truth. Such a God is without form and beyond duality. It is Satchidananda, Absolute Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. It cannot even be called a Creator God as there can be no creation from such a God. The existence of the experiential world as we know it is explained by the presence of a creative energy within this Nirguna Brahman known as Maya. When we view the same Nirguna Brahman through the lens of Maya, we get Saguna Brahman or God with attributes. This God is the creator, the giver of grace and liberation, controller of infinite universes or Ishvara as we generally know. This creative God is also called Bhagavan as he possesses a group of six qualities called Bhaga in totality. Coming back to the Somaskanda depiction. Siva is Nirguna Brahman, Uma is Maya and the six faced Skanda is Bhagavan, his six faces standing for the six Bhagas. Thus, Skanda is Saguna Brahman, the version of God which is approachable via worship and sadhana.
The Acharya paints a tender family portrait utilising the Somaskanda iconography, envisioning a moment where Siva lovingly calls out to Skanda. In response, young Skanda leaps off his mother’s lap and joyfully rushes into Siva’s welcoming embrace.
Prayers for Liberation and Grace
Names
Acharya begins this section with a heartfelt prayer for protection, invoking eleven sacred names of Subramanya. Each name carries deep devotional and spiritual meaning. “Kumara,” the eternally youthful God, signifies his transcendence over time. “Skanda,” explained as “Skandayati iti Skanda,” refers to the act of trickling down as he was born when Shiva’s energy descended first into Agni, then into Ganga. In his Vishnu Sahasranama commentary, Acharya describes Skanda as one who, like Amrita, flows as the embodiment of knowledge and bliss, transcending death. Skanda is also seen as the wind that dries up all things. This symbolises the Lord’s dual role as both destroyer of the transient and giver of immortality, much like his gift to Arunagirinathar bestowing knowledge on him like that grants liberation. Acharya further interprets the word Skanda in the very next name in Vishnu Sahasranama, “Skandadhara” as the path of Dharma, illustrating that Skanda is simultaneously the path, the means, and the goal itself. “Shaktipani,” the bearer of the divine weapon Shakti (Vel), proves his supreme authority over the universe. This Shakti, gifted by his mother Parashakti, stands for the three divine powers essential for creation: Icha Shakti (desire), Jnana Shakti (knowledge), and Kriya Shakti (action). These powers mirror the process by which even mortals create, through desire, knowledge, and skilful execution.
The Lord is “Mayuradhirudha,” majestically riding a peacock, symbolizing royalty, pride, beauty, and strength. This is the reason Kartikeya is venerated among royal lineages for valour and prosperity. As the beloved of the hunter’s daughter, the Lord’s two consorts, Devasena (daughter of Indra) and Valli (daughter of a hunter chief), represent both the divine heavens and the earthly realm, underlining his total dominion over creation. Finally, as “Bhaktartihari,” he is the compassionate remover of devotee’s suffering and the enemy of evil forces such as Tarakasura lurking both inside and outside his devotees.
Death
In the next three verses, the Acharya pours forth a heartfelt plea to the Lord, urging Him to grant darshan without delay. He describes his helplessness at the time of death. He vividly describes the conditions now of death, the senses failing, surroundings fading into oblivion, limbs made immobile, coughs and vomit escaping from the mouth, the body trembling in fear of the inevitable end. Acharya earnestly requests the Lord to appear on His majestic peacock, and say, “Do not fear.” When the fierce Yama-Dootas arrive, shouting commands to “burn, tear, and kill.” Acharya prays that may this reassurance from the Lord grant him the strength to face death. Knowing that at the horizon of death, he may lack the strength to offer prayers, the Acharya humbly prostrates multiple times now to receive the Lord’s grace and blessings in advance.
Mental Anguish
Acharya earnestly implores the mighty Lord, who vanquished formidable Asuras like Soora, Taraka, and Simhavaktra, each one of them rulers of a thousand universes, to now conquer the tormenting mental anguish that burdens his heart. He questions the Lord, if You do not destroy this inner turmoil, then what hope remains for me? Where else can I seek refuge? Acharya continues that these mental worries create obstruction in the practice of bhakti. There is no other from whom I can ask as you are Deenabandhu, the friend of the downtrodden. I request the son of Uma to destroy this unbearable dukkha.
Lord’s Vibhuti
Acharya presents the glory of the Lord’s Vibhuti prasadam, the holy ash. Vibhuti itself means glory. The Vibhuti prasadam of the Lord is the manifest glory of the Lord as a host of diseases run away from the devotee as soon as they see the Lord’s Vibhuti given as a prasadam on a leaf.
Life a Devotion
Acharya prays humbly to Subramanya that his entire life may become an expression of his devotion. Acharya requests “May I see only Skanda’s form, may I hear only Skanda’s glories. May I speak only the purifying Leela of the Lord with my mouth. May my hands ever engage in the worship of the Lord. May I engage in services to the lord with my entire body. May all my thoughts and activities be devoted to Guha”.
Greatness of Skanda
Skanda is a very approachable deity in this Kaliyuga. He is intent on delivering Grace even on devotees who are not so steadfast and intent. Acharya exclaims that all Devas are ever intent on granting desired boons to Bhaktas and Munis. But for the devotees who do not have sufficient Nishtha and are unable to learn or practice the Shastras due to worldly involvement, I know no other Deva other than Guha.
A family of devotees
Acharya pleading on behalf of a Grihastha Devotee pleads – “May my wife, children, relatives, animals, all the men and women in my family, worship, prostrate, praise, remember thee alone.”
Lord’s shakti
The Lord’s weapon called Shakti in Sanskrit and Vel in Tamil is a potent symbol of the Lord. In fact sometimes just the Vel is worshipped as Skanda itself. In a final plea of protection Acharya asks the Lord to pierce everything that troubles his body and mind by His divine Vel.
Forgiveness
Acharya dedicates a stanza to asking forgiveness for any verbal transgressions that he might have committed in praising the Lord. This Shloka itself is a representation of the poetic genius of Sri Shankaracharya. Acharya asks the Lord do not parents overlook the faults of their children? You are the father of the World; I am just a child. Hence forgive all my mistakes.
Praise
Acharya must have been so moved with tears in his eyes and inspired by the devotion overflowing his heart that he just cannot stop proclaiming victory and bowing down to everything connected with the Lord. He proclaims-
नमः केकिने शक्तये चापि तुभ्यं
नमश्छाग तुभ्यं नमः कुक्कुटाय ।
नमः सिन्धवे सिन्धुदेशाय तुभ्यं
पुनः स्कन्दमूर्ते नमस्ते नमोऽस्तु ॥
(Namskarams to the Peacock. Namskarams to the Shakti/Vel. Namskarams to the Sheep. Namskarams to the Rooster. Namskaram to the Ocean. Namskarams to the land of Tiruchendur. Again, and again Namskarams to Skanda.)
जयानन्दभूमञ्जयापारधामन्
जयामोघकीर्ते जयानन्दमूर्ते ।
जयानन्दसिन्धो जयाशेषबन्धो
जय त्वं सदा मुक्तिदानेशसूनो ॥
(Victory to the one who is infinite Ananda. Victory to the one who is the Supreme destination. Victory to the one undying fame. Victory to the very form of Ananda. Victory to the one who is the ocean of Ananda. Victory to the friend of all creatures. Victory to the bestower of liberation, the Son of Iswara.)
Conclusion
Subramanya Bhujangam is a treasure trove of devotion and spiritual wisdom wrapped in poetic covers. Its chanting and contemplation open gateways to divine blessings, inner strength, and lasting peace. It is a manual on how one should contemplate upon Ishwara. For those seeking a divine connection Subramanya Bhujangam offers a beautiful, sacred path illuminated by the light of Lord Subramanya. May we all chant and contemplate upon this divine Stotram and gain the vision of the radiant Six faced Chaitanya within our hearts.
Feature Image Credit: istockphoto.com
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article belong to the author. Indic Today is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in the article.
Arunesh Mahadevan
Arunesh Mahadevan is an engineer by education. Presently working in a PSU as Senior Manager. He is deeply passionate about Sanatana Dharma and Vedanta. He is an avid reader and hopes to inspire the world with the profound wisdom of our Shastras and Acharyas through his writings.
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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WHAT IS COSMOLOGY?
It is a branch of astronomy that deals with the structure and evolution of the universe as an ordered whole.
WHAT IS BIG BANG?
The hypothetical explosive event that marked the origin of the universe as we know it. It took place about 10-20 billion years ago. The big bang explosion threw the compact material outwards, producing the expanding universe. The cause of the big bang is unknown.
All of us know that it happened in the sky with a big noise. Then there was gusty wind and fire everywhere. Then came the water. From water, life evolved.
The above sequence is right if we take our earth as the model.
Since Hindus are the only people who consider TIME is cyclical not linear, our poets sing about Big Shrink as well.
Appar (600 CE) in a decad/Pathikam on Shiva at Pullirukku Velur, also known as Vaitheeswaran Koil near Mayuram says,
His form in fulgurant; He is ONE in the ether,
TWO fold in wind that blows a main , THREE fold
in the form of ruddy fire , FOUR fold in the water that flows
downward and FIVE fold in the expanse of earth;
he is of the eternal form……………………….
Hindus gave certain qualities or virtues to the
Panchabhtas /five elements.
They are called Tanmaatraas . the five tanmatras are sound, touch, form, taste and smell. In Sanskrit
Sabda- ether
Sparsa- air
Rupa- fire
Rasa – water
Gantham – earth.
1.Ether is pervaded by sound.
1,2.Air by sound and touch.
123.Fire by sound, touch and form.
1234.Water by sound, touch, form and taste.
12345.Earth by the above four and smell.
We see it in Dasavatara as theory of evolution: Fish, amphibians, land animals, half man and half animal, full man with a weapon, Exemplary man (Rama), man with tricks (Krishna).
Earth was Firey ball with gusty winds in the beginning and then rain and water came. When water receded, we saw earth and land animals evolved on it and at the peak of Land animals stood Man.
Purananuru verse 2 and 51 mentioned it. Puram poet Mudi Nagarayar praised the king with all the qualities of Five Elements.
Nammaalvaar also sang about this.
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What is the science in it?
First there was a sky with sound;
Then came wind and fire;
That created rain and water;
From water came Life forms.
Hindus told it to the layman in a story format:
Lord Vishnu was lying in the vast water in half sleep/sleeping but conscious.
Then came Brahma/creator;
From him came all the living beings.
The water that Vishnu was lying is the Potential energy/Shiva
All the activities mentioned above was the Kinetic energy/Goddess Shakti.
Hindus beautifully named Goddess as Power, in Sanskrit ,Shakti, used in all the Indian languages.
***
Great Saivite poet and saint Manikkavasagar who lived before Appar said,
Tiruvasagam
பாரிடை ஐந்தாய்ப் பரந்தாய் போற்றி Earth with Five qualities
நீரிடை நான்காய் நிகழ்ந்தாய் போற்றி Water with Four qualities
தீயிடை மூன்றாய்த் திகழ்ந்தாய் போற்றி Fire with Three qualities
வளியிடை இரண்டாய் மகிழ்ந்தாய் போற்றிAir/Wind with Two qualities
வெளியிடை ஒன்றாய் விளைந்தாய் போற்றி Space with one Quality
He used the Five Elements in the reverse order. Manikka vasagar used the same numbers to praise Lord Shiva
***
Appar (600 CE) Tevaram in Tamil:
Tevaram
மின்னுருவை விண்ணகத்தில் 1 ஒன்றாய் மிக்கு
வீசுங்கால் தன்னகத்தில் 2 இரண்டாய்ச் செந்தீத்
தன்னுருவின் 3 மூன்றாய்த்தாழ் புனலின் 4 நான்காய்த்
தரணிதலத் 5 தஞ்சாகி யெஞ்சாத் தஞ்ச
Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 above.
மன்னுருவை வான்பவளக் கொழுந்தை முத்தை
வளரொளியை வயிரத்தை மாசொன் றில்லாப்
Coral, Peral, Diamond, 24 carat Gold (gems and gold)
பொன்னுருவைப் புள்ளிருக்கு வேளூ ரானைப்
போற்றாதே ஆற்றநாள் போக்கி னேனே
***.
2000 year old Purananuru Poem
மண் திணிந்த Earth நிலனும்,
நிலம் ஏந்திய Sound /Sky விசும்பும்,
விசும்பு தைவரு Wind, வளியும்
வளித் தலைஇய Fire தீயும்,
தீ முரணிய நீரும், , Water, என்றாங்கு
ஐம்பெரும் பூதத்து இயற்கை போலப்
Here the poet Muranjiyur Mudi Naagaraayar changed the order just to fit the verse in Anthaathi genre.
Anthaathi means last word of each line must be the first word of next line. The five qualities are attributed to the King, who Hindus worshipped or venerated as god.
***
Three Interpretations
Divya Prapandham
Nammaalvaar, a Vaishnavite saint, who lived later, used the five elements in the same order and attributed them to Lord Vishnu:
1 ஏக மூர்த்தி 2 இரு மூர்த்தி 3 மூன்று மூர்த்தி 4 பல மூர்த்தி- ஆகி, 5 ஐந்து பூதம் ஆய் இரண்டு சுடர் ஆய் அருவு ஆகி, நாகம் ஏறி நடுக் கடலுள் துயின்ற நாராயணனே உன்- ஆகம் முற்றும் அகத்து அடக்கி ஆவி அல்லல் மாய்த்ததே.
English translation of verse 4.3.3:
You assumed a single form, then two, three and many, The form you took of the senses five, the Sun and the Moon; Formless, you did everywhere, as Internal Controller, pervade, Repose you did, Oh, Nārāyaṇa, in mid-ocean on serpent-bed And now your body and all it needs you have compressed Right in my mind and thus feel fully relaxed.
Notes; Another interpretation:
(ii) Single Form: This refers to the state of affairs prior to creation, when the Lord alone subsisted, containing within Himself, in a subtle state, all sentient and non-sentient beings; there was no scope then for differentiation, by name and form.
(iii) Two forms: Keen on creating the Sportive Universe, the Lord assumes the twin forms of ‘Prakriti’ and ‘Mahān’
(iv) Three Forms: The triple ‘ahaṅkāras’ of Sattva, Rājas and Tāmas;
(v) Many Forms: The wonderful variety (i.e.) variegated forms of creation arising through inequalities among the three ‘Guṇas’, referred to in (4) above, the five sense-organs, the five elements etc.
***
Another interpretation
3147. O Narayaṇa! 1 You are the only god. 1,2 You are the two gods—the sun and the moon. 1,2,3You are the three gods—Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma (all)and you are all the gods.
5 You are the five elements—water, fire, wind, earth and sky. You are formless. You climbed on the heads of Kalingan and danced. You sleep on the middle of the ocean. I kept you in my heart and all my troubles went away.
My Comments
The above two re wrong interpretations because Appar and Manikkavasagar who lived before Nammalvar have given us the correct interpretation.
Moreover, we can clearly see the influence of Maanikka vaasagar in Nammaalvaar poems. He clearly used MAANIKKA and VAASAGA in innumerable stanzas.
–subham—
Tags- Big Bang, Five elements, Five qualities, Appar, Nammalvar, Manikkavasagar, Tevaram, Tiruvasagam, Divya Prapandham , Purananuru
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
Nammaalvaar is one of the twelve Tamil Vaishnavite saints known as Aalvaars (Azlvar). He is at the top of the 12 saints because of his contribution to Tamil devotional poetry called Nalayira (naalaayira) Divya Prabandham (4000 poems on Vishnu). His erudition in Tamil language attracted even poets like Bharatiyar, who is the greatest poet in modern Tamil. We can ee Nammalvar’s poems echoing in his songs. Both of them assure us that they will bring Krita Yuga, the Golden Age and drive away the Kali Age, the iron age.
In this article I want to show that Nammalvar is the one who inspired great Chaitanya and others to dance and reach God. Tamil devotees used to sing and dance very soberly. If one goes to Sampradaya Bhajans in Tamil Nadu, one can see men and women dance to the tune of Bhajan singer or the Bhagavata. But they go in round and round and clap rhythmically. If women dance, they hold lamps or sticks in their hands and dance, known as Deepa Pradakshina or Kolaattam. They also do Kummi dance by clapping the hands while moving in a circle
(Kummi- dancing by girls with rhythmic clapping while moving in a circle.
Kolaattam doing the same as above, but with sticks).
But Nammalvar describes a different type of dance which one can see in ISKCON dancers. They jump up and down, and some even fly skyward. I thought Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was the one who inspired such a type of dance. I found myself wrong when I went through the devotional poems of Nammalvar. They are called Paasuram in Tamil .
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lived just 500 years before our time. But Nammalvar lived about 1200 years before our time.
If one reads the poems given below and note the highlighted words one will understand what he wants us to do.
Nowadays we see great Bhajans done by Chinmaya Mission, Sathya Sai Organisations, Swami Sivananda’s DLS, Ayyappa Bhaktas etc. But Hare Krishna dancers are the only one who come closer to what Nammalvar advised us to do.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa also told us when one is nearer to God people will think that the person has gone mad. He narrated several anecdotes from Chatanya’s life to illustrate this point. It is true he danced like a mad man and spread the Vishnu worship in Bengal , Bihar and Assam. Abhang singers in Maharashtra walk miles and miles. But Nammalvar says you must jump up and down. Your head should hit the ground. When the people see your antics, people would laugh at you. They will say that you have gone mad. If they act do that, know that you are nearer to God and you are on the right track. Just read the poems below. These are only samples. He elaborates on the same topic further down in his long poem.
3057 மொய்ம் மாம் பூம் பொழில் பொய்கை முதலைச் சிறைப்பட்டு நின்ற கைம்மாவுக்கு அருள் செய்த கார் முகில் போல் வண்ணன் கண்ணன் எம்மானைச் சொல்லிப் பாடி எழுந்தும் பறந்தும் துள்ளாதார் தம்மாம் கருமம் என்? சொல்லீர் தண் கடல் வட்டத்து உள்ளீரே (1)
3057. The dark cloud-colored Kaṇṇan gave his grace to the elephant Gajendra when it was caught by a crocodile in a pond by a grove blooming with flowers that swarmed with bees. What is the use of those who do not get up, dance, jump, praise and sing the greatness of our lord? O devotees, who live in the world surrounded by the cool ocean, tell me.
3058 தண் கடல் வட்டத்து உள்ளாரைத் தமக்கு இரையாத் தடிந்து உண்ணும் திண் கழல் கால் அசுரர்க்குத் தீங்கு இழைக்கும் திருமாலைப் பண்கள் தலைக்கொள்ளப் பாடி பறந்தும் குனித்தும் உழலாதார் மண் கொள் உலகில் பிறப்பார் வல்வினை மோத மலைந்தே (2)
3058. Thirumaal destroyed the strong Asurans, ornamented with heroic anklets on their feet who killed the people of the world surrounded by oceans and ate them. If you do not bathe, sing, dance, and praise Thirumaal, you will be born on the earth again and suffer because you have collected bad karma.
3059 மலையை எடுத்து கல் மாரி காத்து பசுநிரை தன்னைத் தொலைவு தவிர்த்த பிரானைச் சொல்லிச் சொல்லி நின்று எப்போதும் தலையினோடு ஆதனம் தட்டத் தடுகுட்டமாய்ப் பறவாதார் அலை கொள் நரகத்து அழுந்திக் கிடந்து உழைக்கின்ற வம்பரே (3)
3059. He carried Govardhana mountain and protected the cows from their affliction. Those who do not jump and dance, rolling on the ground, and praise always the dear lord will go to hell and suffer.
3060 வம்பு அவிழ் கோதைபொருட்டா மால் விடை ஏழும் அடர்த்த செம்பவளத் திரள் வாயன் சிரீதரன் தொல் புகழ் பாடி கும்பிடு நட்டம் இட்டு ஆடி கோகு உகட்டுண்டு உழலாதார் தம் பிறப்பால் பயன் என்னே சாது சனங்களிடையே? (4)
3060. The god Sridharan has a beautiful pearl-like mouth. He killed seven strong bulls to marry Nappinnai whose hair was adorned with fragrant flowers. What is the use of those who are born as sages if they do not sing, dance, kneel, bow their heads and wander and do not praise the lord?
THEY FALL ON lONDON ROADS TO SALUTE LORD KRISHNA.
3061 சாது சனத்தை நலியும் கஞ்சனைச் சாதிப்பதற்கு ஆதி அம் சோதி உருவை அங்கு வைத்து இங்குப் பிறந்த வேத முதல்வனைப் பாடி வீதிகள் தோறும் துள்ளாதார் ஓதி உணர்ந்தவர் முன்னா என் சவிப்பார் மனிசரே? (5)
3061. The ancient beautiful shining god left his divine form in heaven and was born on the earth to defeat Kamsan who troubled the sages. What can those who do not sing, praise, dance and worship him do before sages who worship him, knowing all the sastras?
3062 மனிசரும் மற்றும் முற்றும் ஆய் மாயப் பிறவி பிறந்த தனியன் பிறப்பிலி தன்னை தடங் கடல் சேர்ந்த பிரானை கனியை கரும்பின் இன் சாற்றை கட்டியை தேனை அமுதை முனிவு இன்றி ஏத்திக் குனிப்பார் முழுது உணர் நீர்மையினாரே (6)
3062. People have been born in various forms— human, animal and others. The matchless god does not have birth and he was born on this earth to save his devotees. He sleeps on the wide ocean. He is sweet as a fruit, sugarcane juice, jaggery, honey and nectar. If devotees praise him with songs and dance without ever growing tired they will receive the wisdom of understanding all things.
3063 நீர்மை இல் நூற்றுவர் வீய ஐவர்க்கு அருள்செய்து நின்று பார் மல்கு சேனை அவித்த பரஞ்சுடரை நினைந்து ஆடி நீர் மல்கு கண்ணினர் ஆகி நெஞ்சம் குழைந்து நையாதே ஊன் மல்கி மோடு பருப்பார் உத்தமர்கட்கு என் செய்வாரே? (7)
3063, He gave his grace to the five Pandavas and destroyed the hundred evil Kauravas. What is the use of people who merely eat well and get fat without thinking of the god? What could they do to the good devotees who are filled with tears, melting in their hearts with devotion for the god?
3064 வார் புனல் அம் தண் அருவி வட திருவேங்கடத்து எந்தை பேர் பல சொல்லிப் பிதற்றி பித்தர் என்றே பிறர் கூற ஊர் பல புக்கும் புகாதும் உலோகர் சிரிக்க நின்று ஆடி ஆர்வம் பெருகிக் குனிப்பார் அமரர் தொழப்படுவாரே (8)
3064. Our father stays in northern Thiruvenkaṭam hills where flourishing cool waterfalls descend with abundant water. Devotees who repeat his many names and wander everywhere and dance while the people of the world mock them and laugh at them saying that they are crazy will be worshiped by the gods in the sky.
The last stanza here shows that they will laught at you and dub you a crazy fellow.
We have seen such criticism about Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sri Seshadri Swamikal of Tiruvannamalai.
Let us all become mad, I mean crazy about God.
Atheists are suffering from God phobia; let us suffer from God mania!
(above translation is by Kausalya Hart. I differ from it in only in a few places. Nammalvar used the word flying (paranthum) in Tamil.
–subham—
Tags- God mad, Dance, reach god, laugh at , up and down, fly and dance, Nammlavar, Tamil poems, Pasurams, Hare Krishna, ISKCON
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
xxxx
Badavilinga, Hampi
Tamil version will be posted tomorrow
Brahma Vishnu Shiva are the three gods forming Hindu Trinity.Lord shiva is worshipped in 64 forms according to Sivapurana . He is worshiped in linga form as well; it is a formless, shapeless stone or metal. It rests on a pedestal; such structures are seen from Kedarnath to Kedeeswaram in Sri Lanka. And we find ancient Lingas in South East Asian countries too. Of late Hindus have built modern Shiva temples in all the countries in the world. Naturally formed Kailash mountain in the shape of a huge linga has been in our literature for at least 2500 years.
God is with form or without form. Linga means a mak or a symbol. Sanskrit students learn grammar from the age of five with words like akaaraantha pull Lingah Rama Sabdah, ,Ekaarantha stree Lingah ….etc. In some places image of Shiva is shown inside Shiva linga and it is known as Lingodbhava Murti
in Madurai and other places, big temple are erected over lingams two thousand years ago. If thousand mini lingas re sculpted over a linga statue it is called Sahasra Linga.
In Amarnath and other places even naturally formed ice lingas are worshipped. If they appear naturally then they are called Swaambu / spontaneous ingas.
It is a common adage that Siva is fond of bathing as Vishnu is fond of decoration. And so there is aways a copper vessel with a hole at the bottom hanging over the linga with dripping water. And the base or the pedestal of the linga is designed in such a way the water is drained off. The base is called Yoni in Sanskrit and Aavudaiyaar in Tamil.
Shiva abhishekap priyah
Vishnu alankaara priyah
Linga is considered as a symbol of Brahman. The quadrangular bottom of the shaft represents Brahma and the octagonal middle Vishnu and the circular upper portion Siva.
Sometimes a single linga is called Sahasra/ thousand linga. It is divided into 25 facets each of these latter having miniature representations of forty lingas and making up thus the number one thousand .
Sahasra = Aayiram in Tamil ; thousand in English
Huge lingams are found in Thanjavur, Gangakonda Cozapuram in Tamil Nadu.
Chenkal in Kerala
Twelve Most Famous Linga Temples in India
1. Mallikarjunam in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
2. Mahakalam in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
3. Kusmesam near Aurangabad, Maharashtra
4. Omkareswar in Omkaram on Narmadha, Indore (M.P)
5. Vaidhyanatham in Bihar
6. Bimasankaram in Maharashtra
7. Trayambakeswar in Maharashtra
8. Kedarnath in Uttar Pradesh
9. Visveswar in Benares, Uttar Pradesh
10.Rameswaram in Tamilnadu
11.Nagesam in Dwaraka, Gujarat
12.Somanatham in Saurastra, Gujarat
***
Karnataka- Cambodia Sahsralingas
“Sahasraliṅgeśvara temple located near sirsi and is situated on the banks of the river shalmala, where a thousand lingas are found.
We have similar sahsralingas in river in Cambodia as well.
***
Badavilinga Temple (or Shree Badavilinga Gudi) is a small but incredible temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Known for its impressive monolithic Shivalinga, which stands at about 3 meters (10 feet) tall, Badavilinga Temple attracts devotees and tourists around the year. It’s the largest Shivalinga in Hampi.
The colossal Shivalinga here is carved out of a single black rock stone and the statue is submerged in water.
Badavilinga Temple is on Hampi’s outskirts, close to the popular Lakshmi Narasimha Temple.
Bhojeswar Temple
The Mysterious link between Karnataka and Cambodia
Old article written 14 years ago by me and posted in this blog.
It is very interesting to find out a mysterious link between the Indian state of Karnataka and a South East Asian country Cambodia. This is an ancient link but existing till today. In both these places we find the sculptures SAHASRA LINGA, literally translated one thousand Lingas. Linga is the shapeless form of Hindu God Shiva.
Cambodia is famous for its Angkor Watt temple. This is the largest Hindu temple in the world outside India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and full of beautiful sculptures. It is a historical fact that the Hindus ruled various parts of South East Asia for 1300 years from 1st century AD. But not many people noticed the mystery of Sahasra Linga.
Sahasra Linga is located seventeen kilometres from Sirsi In the northern part of Karnataka known as Uttara Kanara. One can see hundreds of Shivalingas carved in stones and rocks in the middle of the river. The river is called Shalmala. All the statues are washed by this holy river water for ever. During Hindu festival Shivratri thousands of pilgrims visit this place and offer pujas. One advantage of visiting this place during Shivratri is the water level in the river is low and most of the Lingas are visible with their bases called Yonis. No one knew when and who carved them. People visit this spot for its scenic beauty as well. This place is situated in the middle of forest in the Western Ghats.
There is another place in Cambodia with the same name Sahasra Linga and there also the carved Shiva Lingas are in the middle of a river. The only difference is nobody worships it in Cambodia but tourists visit his place out of curiosity and to enjoy nature.
Bhuteswar, Chattisgarh
Cambodian Sahasralinga is located 25 kilometres from Angkor watt. There are statues of Hindu gods Lakshmi, Rama and Hanuman in addition to the Lingas. The place is called Kbal Spean and its meaning is ‘the Head Bridge’. Unlike Karnataka this place is not easily accessible. Tourists have to climb very hard and rough rocks. They have to go via a stone bridge. Animal figures are also carved on the side rocks. The river Slung Kbal Spean is flowing from Kulen mountains. There is a fifty feet high water falls which adds beauty to this holy spot. Long ago the kings used to come here for holy bath. No one knew who carved these lingas and for what purpose. But the tourists are told that the Lingas are symbols of creative energy and the river water that flows on the lingas will make the Cambodian paddy fields more fertile. A lot of Hindu symbols were destroyed during the civil war in Cambodia. But these Sahasra Lingas were not affected because of the surrounding thick forest. Those who wanted to travel to this place leave from Banteasy Srei and travel 12 kilometres and then walk for 45 minutes through rough terrain. The area is closed for tourists around 3 pm.
One of the remarkable sculptures here is of Maha Vishnu and Brahma emerges from his belly on a lotus flower. It is very heartening to see Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, all the three greats of the Hindu Trinity at the same place.
Any one who wants to see the pictures can see them on You Tube and images through google websites. Just type Sahasralinga in Karnataka and Sahasralinga in Kbal Spean you will see the beautiful images and videos.
Now the question is how come the same name and the same sculptures exist in two different places which are wide part by thousands of miles? Who and Why did they carve them? Neither the Indians nor the Cambodians knew. But if we dig deeper we can find the answers. I have shown somewhere
that Agastya was associated with the Pandyas in many copper plate inscriptions of the Pandyas and the famous Raghuvamsa Kavya of Kalidas. He led the Pandyas and other South Indian kings to South Asian countries two thousand years ago. He was the torch bearer of Hindu culture. Since those people were without a religion and culture Sage Agastya civilised them. This was not invasion but cultural expansion. As a token of gratitude Agastya statues were installed by the local people in different countries in South East Asia. Even before the British reached these areas French archaeologists and historians went to do a lot of research and published books on the temples. Anyone who has access to those French books can see the pictures of Agastya statues.
It is a well recognised fact that all the South East Asian scripts are evolved from Indian Brahmi. All Indian scripts also evolved from the same Brahmi. The Pallava script contributed to most of the S E Asian scripts. If one places the pictures of Pallava temples and S E Asian temples the similarity can’t be missed . And if one places more pictures from the Central American Maya temples the link can be easily established. So we can assume that the culture travelled from South India towards S E Asia and then to Central and South America.
Thanjavur Brihadeeswar
There is even mention of 1000 pillar Hall/Mandap in the Maya culture.
There are more Sahasralingas in India. For instance Pathan in North Gujarat has one Sahasralinga. But because of the foreign invasions followed by destructions only a 48 pillar mandap exists today with few lingas.
Sahasralinga also means one thousand linga forms on the face of a single big linga. The best of the Sahasralingas of this type is seen in Parasurameshwara Temple in Bhuvaneswar,Orissa.
Amazing Facts about Shivalinga
Post No. 12,924
Date uploaded in London – – 16 JANURARY 2024
Where is the tallest Shiv linga in the country?
Maha Mrityunjay Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Hindu God Shiva, situated in Nagaon, Assam, India. This Temple is special in its architectural sense as it is built in a form a Shivling. It is the World’s largest Shivalinga, at the height of 126 foot.
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What is the meaning of Linga Worship?
“ God is Omnipresent and All-pervasive. By the very nature of these qualities, He cannot have any form. He is, therefore, formless (Arupa). But in order to bless us, He assumes innumerable forms (Rupa). The Linga form in which we worship Isvara is symbolic of both His formlessness and form. It is symbolic of form because it has a particular shape; It is symbolic of formlessness because it has neither head nor limbs. The very conception of a Linga denotes something which has neither beginning nor end; the literal meaning of Linga is symbol.(Kanchi Paramacharaya 1894-1994)
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Why do we see Lingodbhava Murti in all Tamil Temples?
Isvara assumes various forms in pursuance of His Divine Leela. The prime manifestation with a form of the formless Isvara, is known as the Lingodbhava Moorthi, and He made his appearance in that form exactly at midnight on Sivaratri. That is why all devotees keep vigil during the night of Sivaratri, and worship Isvara at midnight.
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How Big is the Linga in Thanjavur Big Temple?
29 ft; It is 8.7 m (29 ft) high, occupying two storeys of the sanctum. It is one of the largest monolithic linga sculptures in India. Linga itself is 12 feet tall.
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Where is the tallest Shiv linga in Kerala?
Maheshwaram Shiva Parvathi temple, which houses the tallest Shiva lingam in Kerala, having a height of 111 ft, is located in Chenkal village. It is near Thiruvananthapuram .
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Shiva linga in Water Springs
In many places Shiva Linga is in the midst of a water spring or a tank. This is because Shiva is called ABISHEKA PRIYA (bathing) and Vishnu is called ALANKARA PRIYA (decoration).
Thiruvanaikkaa near Trichy has Jambukeshvar Shiva temple where the Linga is in a water spring. There are similar temples in Sirkazi, Thiruvedakam near Madurai etc.
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Natural Wonder- Ice Lingas in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
Amarnath is the place in Jammu Kashmir state where a Linga is formed naturally inside a cave. It is made up of ice and it appears in and around August every year and then disappears.
Similar Ice Lingam is formed in a cave near Manali in Himachal Pradesh. It is called Amarnath of Himachal Pradesh. The 25-foot high Shiva lingam made of snow and ice is at Anjani Mahadev Temple.
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kotilingeswara temple
Ashta / Eight Famous Lingas in Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu
The names of the Ashtalingams are:
Indra Lingam (East)
Agni Lingam (South East)
Yama (Ema) Lingam (South)
Niruthi Lingam (South West)
Varuna Lingam (West)
Vayu Lingam (North West)
Kubera Lingam (North)
Esanya Lingam (North East)
During every full moon day lakhs of devotees go round the hill at Tiruvannamalai and they worship all the above eight Lingas in eight different directions.
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Sun Light falls on Lingas
Kings of Choza Dynasty were great Shiva Bhaktas. They had clever civil engineers who built temples with many wonders. One of the wonders is to make the sun light enters into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple so that Sun worships the idol. And Chozas belonged to Sun Race (solar race)
One such temple where the sun rays enter and falls on Shiva Linga in the Garbha Griha is in Karaikurichi near Ariyalur. Sun light falls on the Linga twice a year in Uttarayana and Dakshinayana periods. Every year it happens on the same day in Hindu Calendar.
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Ghee Linga in Thrissur in Kerala
Since Lord Shiva is ABISHEKA PRIYA (fond of bathing), people pour various liquids on the idol . Thrissur Vadakkunathan temple has the famous Ghee Linga. For centuries , devotees have been bathing the god with clarified butter. Now the linga has disappeared because of the solidified layers of Ghee on the idol. People take the ghee as Prasad.
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Linga with holes on the top
Every temple has a special feature in Tamil Nadu. We see Shiva lingas with some peculiarities and stories are told about them. In Thirunallur and Needur we see Lingas with holes on top. In one place it is attributed to Saint Bhringi. He took the form of a beetle and made the whole. In Another temple also similar story is told.
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Kailash and Shivlinga Mountain
In the Himalayan range we come across hills which look like huge Shiva Lingas. Hindus give importance to such places. We have Linga shaped Mt. Kailash and mountain shaped like Linga in the Himalayas. It is called Shivling Mountain.
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Koti Linga and Sahasra Linga
We come across innumerable Lingas in certain places and they are called Koti Lingas. If they carve 1000 squares with Linga figure in one single shiva stone, it is called Sahasra Linga. Many temples have Sahasra Lingas.
—subham—
Tallest Shivalinga Near Trivandrum (Thiru Anantha Puram)
During my visit to India in March- April 2024, I had a busy Wedding schedule. I attended one wedding in Chennai and celebrated another wedding in Kovalam beach near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
Kerala now has one of the tallest Shiva lingams in the country after the India Book of Records certified the 111.2-feet structure of Maheshwaram Sri Shiva Parvathy Temple at Chenkal in Thiruvananthapuram district.
The cylindrical structure has eight floors, six of which represent chakras or energy centres of the human body. Temple authorities are now hoping the shiva lingam will enter the Limca and Guinness Book of Records.
Pilgrims would be able to see a ‘kailasam’, a replica of Himalayas, and idols of Shiva and Parvati from the top of the shiva lingam. The pathway is adorned with murals and statues with 108 shiva lingams on the base floor.
It is the only temple in the world, where devotees can worship 12 Jyothirlingams of Lord Shiva and 32 forms of Lord Ganesha at one place.
—subham—
Tags-Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம் -Part 25, Linga, Shivalinga, Jyotirlinga, Sahasralinga
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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Part 22
Snake Goddess Manasa Devi (manasaa)
Manasā (मनसा).—Name of a daughter of Kaśyapa, sister of the serpent king, Ananta, wife of the sage जरत्कारु (jaratkāru) and mother of the sage अस्तिक (astika); so मनसादेवी (manasādevī).
Indus Valley Seal of Sarpa Rajni (Rig Veda Poetess name in Tenth Mandala Hymn 189)
Snake Goddess is worshipped during Vedic time and in Harappan Civilization. She is also seen in Egypt, Greece and in the Middle East.
Manasa Devi is worshipped mainly in Bengal and adjacent states of Bihar and Assam. She is another form of Parvati, wife of Shiva.
Manasa is greatly revered in Bengal , where she is believed to ward off poisonous snakes. She is the daughter of Kasyapa and Kadru and sister of Ananta or Vasuki according to local legends. Lord Vishnu lies on the snake bed in the middle of milky ocean, and he is said to rest between cosmic emanations.
Manasa stands upon or is shaded by a seven headed snake. Her symbols or attributes are snake and water jar.
She is the wife of Jarat kaaru . she is also called Jagad gauri, Nityaa (eternal) and Visha -haraa. Visha haraa means one who has the special power of counter acting the venom of serpents.
Snake worship originated in India. All the words for snakes in ancient languages are derived from Sanskrit and Tamil (Naga-S/Nake, Sarpa- Serpent), Oviyar- Ophis, Uraga, Pannaga). All Hindu Gods and Goddesses have snakes as their ornaments. Egypt followed Hindus and we see snakes over the heads of Pharaohs. Snake and Garuda are seen with Vaishnavite Naamam symbol in Wedget/Udget .
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Stories of Manasa Devi are told in different ways in Bengal. The gist of the stories is one gentle man ignored Manasa Devi worship and he lost his children due to snake bites. Ultimately they were saved through the worship of Mansa.
From Rig Veda, Indus Valley to Sabarimalai in Kerala, we see snake worship.
The greatest wonder is Brahmins worship snakes with reverence in daily oblation Sandhyavandana with a mantra beginning with Narmadaayai Namah….
(Mandhata’s son Purukutsa married Devi Narmada and the latter was the sister of Nagaas of Rasatala. Nagaas were afraid of Gandharvas as some six crore Gandharvas resided in Rasatala tormenting Nagaas by hunting their ‘Ratnas’(jewels) from their hoods. The Nagaas prayed to Bhagavan Vishnu and the latter assured that the son of Mandhata viz. Purukutsa would destroy all the Gandharvas at the instance of Narmada Devi. As professed, Purukutsa eradicated Gandharvas and the Nagaas gave a boon to Narmada that whosoever bathed in the River or even recited the following would be safe from ‘sarpa-visha’ or the poison of serpents; the relevant Shloka or stanza to be recited states:
(Devi Narmada! My salutations to you in the day or night, do safeguard me from the fear of Serpents and their poisonous bites!) The full mantra includes the names of great seers Jarat kaaru, Aastika and the King Janamejaya)
The Harappan seal with a goddess surrounded by snakes on either side shows Snake Goddess was worshipped from 2000 BCE or before that, because Nagaraani is in the Vedas as well.
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Story of Manasa Devi (from old article)
Chand was a merchant who did not believe in the Goddess Manasa devi. As a result, he lost all his sons due to snake bites. But yet he was very obstinate and never paid reverence to the Goddess. He got one more son who was the apple of his eyes. He was still obstinate in not worshipping Manasa and Manasa Devi was also relentless and she bit his son on his wedding day in spite of his precautions. His newlywed wife Vehula did not allow his body to be cremated. She was fasting till her body became a skeleton but never stopped her prayers to Manasa. She begged to Manasa for the restoration of his husband’s life. At last Manasa relented and gave his life back.
It is the belief of many that a person supposed to be dead by a snake bite, really lives in a state of suspended animation for a long time after.
Bengalese plant a milky white plant (Euphorbia Lingularum) on these days on a raised mound of earth in the courtyards of their houses and worship Goddess Manasa Devi. They worship her to get immunity from snake bites or avoiding bitten by snakes. If anyone has died due to snake bite in the family all of them join in worship and they pour milk in the ant hills where snakes live.
Hindus, by not killing the snakes, the vital animal in the food production chain, increase the production of food grains. The snakes keep even frogs and toads in control which freely enters every home during rainy season.
Villagers don’t fear snakes even when it enters a house; they simply trap it in a box or pot and release it in the field. They know the value of it.
Manasa Devi
The serpent worship is universal. There is no ancient culture without a serpent God. Whether it is Egyptian or Mayan, Indus or Vedic, Minoan or Babylonian we see serpents with Gods and Goddesses. But Hindus are the only race in the world who maintains this culture until today. We have Naga panchami celebrations celebrated throughout India where live snakes are worshipped. Hindus respect Nature and Environment and use the natural resources to the minimum.
Snake Goddesses such as Manasa Devi and Naga Yakshi are worshipped in India. The Vedas has an authoress named as Serpent Queen. She was one of the 27 women poets of Rig Veda and her poem is in the Tenth Mandala (10-189). Her name is SARPA RAJNI (Serpent Queen)
We have two more references to this lady in Taitriya and Aitareya Brahmanas. Sarpa Vidya (science of snakes) is mentioned in Satapatha and Gopatha Brahmanas. (see Vedic Index of name and subjects by authors AB Keith and AA Macdonell, page 438 for more details).
Aligi is the name of a kind of snake in the Atharva Veda (V-13-7) and Viligi, another snake, is also mentioned in the same hymn. Earlier scholars like AA Macdonell and AB Keith mentioned them as snakes in their Vedic Index Volumes. Bala Gangadhara Tilak did lot of research and told us that these were from the Akkadian languages. He dated the Vedas to 6000 BC. Modern research by scholars Dr Bhagawatsharan Upadhyaya and Dr Naval Viyogi showed that they were not snakes, but kings of Assyria- Aligi (Alalu) and Viligi (balalu) of 3000 BC.
Garuda with Vaishnavite Naamam on head.(left); Snake/Naaga (on left); Eye in the middle . Egyptian Symbol Wedjet
Atharva Veda in Sumeria 3000 BC
Taimata is twice mentioned in Atharva Veda (V-13-66; V-18-4) as a species of snake according to Whitney and Bloomsfield. Once again, the old Vedic translations are wrong. Actually Taimata is nothing but Tiamat found in Babylonian literature as a Goddess. May be it is the corrupted form of Sanskrit DEVA MATA (Goddess).
More research shows many Sanskrit words in Sumerian and Babylonian literature such as Berorus (Vara Ruci), Ottaretas (Urdhwaretas), Mesopotamian god Dumuzi/Tammuz/Sammata (fish God). They are pure Sanskrit words. One and the same god was called in different names by different cultures at different times and that too in corrupted forms. When we read Sumerian names we have to remove prefixes Nan, Nin,Sin. They are equal to Sri, Sow etc. Future research will prove that they have migrated from India in the remotest time.
Naga Yakshi worshipped in all the Ayyappan temples including Sabarimalai and other goddess temples found in the Middle Eastern countries around 3000BC. We see them in Indus valley and the Vedas as well.
My conclusion can be summarized as follows:
1. Vedic translations of Aligi, Viligi and Taimata are wrong and they were all really people, may be people with snake totem (Nagas). 2. Since Atharva Veda mentions Kings who lived around 3000 BC, it must be dated around that period. Rig Veda is (linguistically) older than Atharva Veda. 3. We see snake gods or goddesses in all ancient cultures. In India, we see it from Vedic days. They are worshiped until today proving that Indian culture is the oldest living culture. 4. Last but not the least; such continuity is possible only when this worship originated in India. So we can safely conclude that Hindus went to different parts of the world taking their culture. Like we lost the whole of South East Asia after 1300 year Hindu rule, we lost the Middle East long before that.
Tamil Version follows…………..
To be continued……………………………..
Tags- Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்- Part 22 , Snake Goddess, Manasa devi, Alii, Viligi, Harappan, Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Tiamath
Research paper written by London Swaminathan Research article No.1421; Dated 19th November 2014.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva form the Hindu Triad. Of the three gods Brahma has amazing science behind him. We know about the cosmic rhythm in the dance of Shiva. We see the nuclear explosion in the description of Visvarupa Darsanam of Krishna in Bhagavad Gita. In fact it is Robert Oppenheimer, the Father of Atomic bomb, who compared Krishna’s Visvarupa Darsanam to the explosion of the first atomic bomb. Now I see the science of Black Hole in the same Visvarupa Darsanam! But no one has looked into the scientific aspects of Brahma like they did in the case of Dance of Shiva or Visvarupa Darsanam.
The story of Brahma is more interesting than a science fiction story. Hindu’s great scientific achievements and developments are weaved into his story. Brahma is the God of Cosmology God of Astronomy God of Mathematics God of Creation and Evolution
Scientific Fact 1 Only now we know that there are billions of stars and there may be millions of earths with possible extra terrestrial civilizations. The time scale is very different from our earth. What we spend as 100 years on earth may be one second or a fraction of a second for them. Human years are different from them. Satya Loka, the abode of Brahma, is a place where time moves very slowly. His life is hundred heavenly years, each of 360 days and nights. Each day or Kalpa is equal to 4,320,000,000 earthly years. Brahma’s current age is said to be 51 and each of his years the universe is destroyed and rebuilt. Hindus see the time in a different way from the westerners. When the world did not even learn to count 1000, we the inventors of decimal system went far ahead in numbers. All the yuga or kalpa calculations are in magical numbers; added together it will be 9. Ancient Sumers took it from us put all their pre dynastic kings age in the same way!
Scientific fact 2 He created the world; but he created himself from the primeval waters using the power of his desire. He thought a seed into existence which grew into a golden egg. The two halves of the shell became heaven and earth, within which he fashioned the sky. This is actually the description of Big Bang, though the word earth may be inappropriate here. Hindus knew that everything in the universe is globular. But the western word waited for a Copernicus and Galileo to “discover” it. Brahma’s name itself is Golden Egg= Hiranya Garba.
Till this day science could not explain why the Big Bang happened. Hindus only explain the Big Bang as God’s desire. Bible has taken this concept and used it in the lines “ In the beginning the word was there and the word was with God”. Bible and other Semitic scriptures did not explain about the cyclical nature. They concluded it as one off event.
Scientific fact 3 Foreign scholars took great delight in describing the “incest” of Brahma: He had a daughter by name Satarupa and through incestuous intercourse he created the world. She was very beautiful and Brahma turned to the direction where she went and got five heads. This is a symbolic story to tell about the evolution. If a teenager asked his mum or dad whether man or Woman came first they cannot answer this chicken and egg question. Actually Brahma’s story explains a scientific fact. In the beginning bacteria multiplied by splitting into two and then unicellular organisms appeared. Higher the ladder, there were hermaphrodite animals where both sexes were there in the same species (Like Artdhanaree of Shiva). Male and female species appeared separately at a later age. At one stage dominant male should have separated from the female. This story was used by the Bible saying that God created a woman from the left rib of Adam. In other words Eve is the “daughter of Adam”—came out of the same body. But both of them had sex. So the “story of incest” is the story of evolution.
Scientific Fact 4 Only now the cosmologist and astronomers write about the Big Bang (expansion) and Big Crunch (contraction). But Brahma’ life span explained the Big Bang and Big Crunch thousands of years ago.
Scientific fact 5 Vishnu’s Avtars (incarnations) as Fish, Tortoise, Pig, Man Lion shows the progressive evolution. In the Vedic literature the first three Avatars appear as Brahma’s Avtars. Later it was transferred to Vishnu. So Brahma is the God of Creation and evolution.
Scientific fact 6 Some Puranic (mythology) stories described Brahma coming out of the lotus which grew from Vishnu’s naval. In fact it is the story of continental drift. Continents were formed after millions of years of movements of earths plates. In the beginning there was only one big land mass called Pangaea. Though the books describe it as a Greek word actually it is Sanskrit Pangaya meaning Lotus. Like lotus blooming, earth also slowly bloomed and the continents drifted. Women are also said to give birth to children from their “lotuses”.
Scientific fact 7 Amazing number and the calculation of Yugas, eras, eons – all adding up to number 9 shows the amazing mathematical skill of the Hindus. They saw completeness in Number Nine. The calculation of big numbers itself show their knowledge and interest in mathematics .
Scientifc Fact 8 Brahma has 29 names in Amarakosa, first thesaurus in the world. He is a water born god. All the life forms appeared from Water in the beginning — is scientific fact. Without water molecules life forms cannot originate.
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My Visit to Brahma Temple in Tamil Nadu
French Stamp on Brahma from Indo China
Date: 14 April 2019; Post No. 6264
Brahma
It is said that Brahma hasn’t got many temples in Tamil Nadu. They say Pushkar in Rajasthan and a few places got temples for Brahma, one among the trinity. But to my surprise I saw a huge statue of Brahma thronged by a big crowd in Thiruppattur Brahmapureeswar temple in Tamil Nadu. Though the main shrine is devoted to Lord Shiva, Brahma was the sought after god there. The reason being people believed that He will rewrite your bad fate in your favour.
Lot of devotees came with their horoscopes written in note books and others came with A 4 size notes or Foolscap size note books. If some astrologers have written something bad will happen to you during such and such period, you may give your written prediction to the priest there. He collects and takes all of them to the God (in the form of statue) and return them to the respective devotee after Puja. Scores of note books of horoscopes changed hands during my short stay at the temple.
Apart from this belief, the statue itself was big and beautiful with sandal paste applied all over.
Where is Tiruppattur?
It is near Trichy. It is 34 kilometres from Trichy.Sa amyapuram is in between Trichy and Tiruppattur. When you google for this place you will be misled easily to other two Thiruppathurs in Tamil Nadu.
What is there?
In addition to a huge Brahma statue, there are 12 lings believed to be installed by Brahma himself. He worshipped Lord Shiva to get out of the curse.
Everyone must visit this beautiful temple. It was sung and praised by Saint Sundarar, one of the great Four Saivite saints.
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‘KA’ is Brahma – Interesting Info. from Panini and Kautilya
Post No. 8239; Date– 25 June 2020
Eight years ago, I wrote about the God ‘Ka’ (Prajapati, Brahma) in this blog. All Sanskrit scholars raised their brows without understanding or pretending not to understand the word ‘Ka’ in the Rig Veda (RV 10-121). The hymn itself ends with praising Prajapati (Brahma). Ka means ‘who’ as well in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit there is no interrogation mark. These half -baked scholars put interrogation mark at the end of each mantra in the hymn and started wondering or misinterpreting. But in Hindus mind, Ka is Prajapati/Brahma. If you remove the interrogation marks and read the poem/hymn it coincides with the last word Prajapati.
I have also shown that Egyptians borrowed it from us and made a hieroglyph out of it. Ka symbol means God and he is shown as the son of Pita (Ptah in Egypt).
Tamil and Sanskrit dictionaries give the meaning Prajapati. Probably Indian Rishi Mahadeva ( in Egypt he is Imhotep-Imho=Maha; tep=Dev )taught them about Vedic Mudras and Vedic Gods (Please see my 20+ articles on Egypt)
Interesting information from Panini
Kautilya who came a few centuries after Panini, proposed to Maurya Chandra Gupta a few interesting ideas.
Use religion to make money.
First, celebrate religious festivals ; second, make Gods’ dolls, idols and statues for sale, out of which government can make money.
Kautilya’s wonderful ideas work until today. We Hindus buy dolls of Krishna, Ganesh and Devi until this day to do Pujas on respective festival days. Religious tourism is not only popular in India, but also in other parts of the world. Mecca, Vatican City, Jerusalem and Lourdes are big businesses for Air lines, Hotels and Tourist Industry. The mementos , books and pictures they sell in these places mean huge money.
Let me come back to Panini.
Panini wrote only a grammar book with 4000 couplets in Ashtadhyayi. That and the complimentary works that came after it give encyclopaedic information about Hindu life 2700 years ago.
Panini mentions the following Vedic deities –
Agni, Indra, Bhava, Varuna, Sarva, Rudra, Mrida,
Vrishakapi, Pusha, Aryama, Twashta, Nasatya.
Mostly in 4th and 6th chapters .
I will touch only the controversial gods.
1.Vrishakapi is one of the names of lord Vishnu in Vishnu Sahasranama. When it came in humorous dialogue poem in the Rig Veda, foreigners deliberately translated it as ‘sexy monkey’ but Panini mentioned it as a god (4-1-37) along with other Gods; no fuss is made.
Second interesting thing is about
Nasatya (6-3-75); Two Ashwini Devas are known as Nasatya. The name is derived by Panini from Na Asatyaah- who are the opposite of non-truth. The other interpretation mentioned in Mahabharata and Nirukta is one who are born out of Nasa (nose) of Samnjaa, wife of Surya. Panini rejected this and went for the first one which is originally given by Aurnavabha. He lived before Yaska of Nirukta.
Third interesting thig is about ‘Ka’.
Panini refers to Prajapati under the symbolical name of Ka. Patanjali says Ka is not a pronoun (who), but the proper name of a deity.
Mridaani is not found later. This shows Panini lived nearer to Vedic times.
He also gives information about the worship of Month, Year, Season and Stars/Nakshatras.
He shows that Bhakti movement was there 2700 years ago. Particularly Vasudeva bhakti (Krishna Bhakti).
Temples were also there for public worship. There were temples for Kesava, Rama and Kubera (1-43-6)
Kubera worship makes interesting reading.
The reference to the bhakti of Maharaja or Kubera proves on the other hand that Panini surely had religious bhakti in mind (4-3-97).
An important sutra 5-3-99 ‘jiivikaarthe chaapanye’ proves Panini knows images of deities in his time .
There may be images installed in temples which are not of individual ownership, and hence not for anyone’s livelihood/jiivika, or for sale/panya, but for worship/puujaartha.
If it is for sale ‘kan’ suffix is added
Siva becomes sivaka
Skanda becomes skandaka .
Both ‘chala’ and achala images with the devalakas/owners of shrines would serve for worship/puujaartha, be a source of livelihood to their care takers/owners , but not for sale/apanya.
All these are the object of Panini ‘s rule , and they would be named as siva, skanda without ‘ka’ suffix.
Greedy Maurya kings
Patanjali adds more interesting information.
Mauryan kings , ‘greedy of gold’ /hiranyaathibhih, had ordered to set up , and most probably , to sell images . it served three purposes- jiivika, panya and puujaa .
Kautilya supplies the much needed commentary on this extraordinary Mauryan measure to replenish their exchequer.
The Devtaadhyaksha , officer for religious worship, is directed to raise money by manipulating the worship of divine images and exploiting the credulousness of the people, such as organising fairs and festivals in the holy shrines of deities – daivata chaitya- , improvising shows of miraculous Naga images with changing number of hoods, and spreading the news of other miracles etc
—Arthashastra 5-2
Kautilya got three birds in one stone – Jiivika/livelihood, Panya/sales and Puuja/divine worship. He is indeed a clever Brahmin!
–Source book – India as known to Panini, VS Agrawala, University of Lucknow, 1953 (with my inputs )
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Tamil Hindu Encyclopaedia- Brahma
Post No. 11,489
Date– 30 November 2022
Brahma is often confused with two other words Brahmana and Brahman.
The three words have different meanings.
1.Brahma is one of the Hindu Trinity, i.e. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
2.Brahmana or Brahmin is the name of the priestly class, one of the four Vedic castes
3.Brahman is god in the Upanishads, Hindu god is genderless.
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Brahma is given the job of Creation. He was born on a lotus that came out from the belly button of Vishnu lying in the sea bed on 1000 headed snake.
Ancient Tamils called him with different names based on the Hindu Puranic stories.
Following names for Brahma are found in Sangam Tamil Literature
பிரம்மா Brahma,
படைப்போன்- Padaippon- Creator,
பூவன்- Poovan – Mr Flower
நான்முகன்- Naan mukan- Mr Four Faced
ஆதி அந்தணன்- Aadhi Anthanan – First Brahmin
முதியவன்- Muthiyavan – Eldest/ Oldest,
வாய்மொழி மகன்- Vaaymozi Makan—Veda (mouthed) man
தாமரைப் பூவினுட் பிறந்தோன் – Person born in Lotus
மலர்மிசை முதல்வன், – First man on flower
உலகு படைத்தோன், – Creator
படைத்தோன், – Creator
முதுமுதல்வன் Old and First man
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பிரம்மா பற்றிய அறிவியல் உண்மைகள்
அறிவியல் உண்மை 1 கடந்த நூறு ஆண்டுகளாகத்தான் பில்லியன் கணக்கில் நட்சத்திரங்களும் அதைச் சுற்றி மில்லியன் கணக்கில் பூமி போன்ற கிரகங்களும் இருப்பதை உலகம் அறியும். அதில் பல்லயிரம் கிரகங்களில் வெளி உலகவாசிகள் (Extra Terrestrials) வசிக்க உள்ள வாய்ப்புகள் பற்றியும் விஞ்ஞானிகள் அறிவர். ஆனால் சத்ய லோகத்தில் வசிப்பதாகக் கருதப்படும் பிரம்மா பற்றிப் படிக்கையில் அவர் ஒரு வெளி உலகவாசியோ என்று வியக்கத் தோன்றும். அவருடைய வாழ்நாளின் காலம் நாம் இந்தப் பக்கத்தில் எழுத முடியாத அளவு பெரிய எண்ணிக்கை. மற்ற கலாசாரங்களுக்கு 1000, 10,000 என்ற எண்கள் கூடத் தெரியாத காலத்ததி , நாம் உலகமே வியக்கும் ஆயுளை பிரம்மாவுக்குக் கொடுத்தோம் அது மட்டுமல்ல இது ஒரு பிரம்மாவின் ஆயுள். அவர் போன பின், அடுத்த ப்ரம்மா வருவார் என்றும் சொன்னோம். இன்னும் விஞ்ஞானிகளுக்கு — காலம் என்பது சுழற்சி உடையது— Cyclical வட்டமானது என்று கூடத்தெரியாது. இப்பொழுது கருந்துளை ஆய்வுகள் நிறைய நடப்பதால் நமது கொள்கையை வெகு விரைவில் உலகம் ஏற்கும்.
பிரம்மாவின் ஒரு நாள் என்பது 4,320,000,000 ஆண்டுகள். இது போல அவர் 100 ஆண்டுகள் வாழ்ந்த பின்னர் புது பிரம்மா வருவார். இப்பொழுதுள்ள பிரம்மாவுக்கு வயது 51. ஏதோ அறிவியல் புனைக்கதை (Science Fiction) படிப்பது போலத் தோன்றும்.. இது கதை என்று யாராவது நினைத்தாலும் முதலில் அறிவியல் புனைக் கதை எழுதிய பெருமை நமக்கே கிடைக்கும்.
அது மட்டுமல்ல. யுகம் பற்றிய எதைக் கூட்டிப் பார்த்தாலும் ஒன்பது என்ற எண் வரும். இதை சுமேரியர்கள் கூட நம்மிடமிருந்து எடுத்துக் கொண்டு பிரளயத்துக்கு முந்தைய சுமேரிய மன்னர்களுக்கு இப்படி ஆட்சி ஆண்டுகளைக் கொடுத்துள்ளனர்!!
அறிவியல் உண்மை 2 பிரம்மாவுக்கு ஒரு பெயர் ஹிரண்ய கர்பன். அதாவது தங்க முட்டை! உலகம் உருண்டை என்பதைக் கண்டுபிடிக்க மேலை நாடுகள் ஒரு கலீலியோ, ஒரு கோப்பர்நிகஸ் தோன்றும் வரை காத்திருந்தது. ஆனால் நாமோ துவக்க காலம் முதல் பிரபஞ்சத்தில் உள்ள அனைத்தும் கோள வடிவானவை என்பதை அறிந்து, அண்டம் ( முட்டை வடிவானது), பிரம்மாண்டம், பூகோளம் (புவியியல்) என்று பெயரிட்டோம். அதுமட்டுமல்ல. அந்த ஹிரண்யகர்ப்பன் ஒரு நாள் திடீரென வெடித்து வானமும் பூமியுமாகப் பிளந்ததென புராணங்கள் பகரும் இதையே இப்பொழுது மாபெரும் வெடிப்பு Big Bang Theory — பிக் பேங் – என்று சொல்லுகின்றனர். இது ஏன் ஏற்பட்டது என்று விஞ்ஞானிகளால் விளக்க முடியவில்லை. நமது சாத்திரங்கள் மட்டுமே கடவுள் ஒரு சொல்லை நினைத்தார் — அதைச் சொன்னார்- உலகம் உருவாக்கப்பட்டது என்று சொல்லுகிறது. இதை பைபிள் அப்படியே நம்மிடமிருந்து எடுத்துக் கொண்டது. ஆனால் அதற்கு மேல் விளக்கவில்லை.
நாம் அதற்கும் மேலாக ஒரு படி சென்று மாபெரும் வெடிப்பு —ஒரு நாளைக்கு பலூன் போல ஊதிக்கொண்டே போய் பின்னர் முடிவில் வெடிக்கும் —அப்பொழுது காற்றுப் போன பலூன் போல பிரபஞ்சம் சுருங்கும் Big Crunch — மீண்டும் பலூன் போல ஊதும் — என்று – ஸைக்ளீகல் Cyclical —வட்டமான சுழற்சி உடையது என்று சொல்லியிருக்கிறோம். இந்த பிக் க்ரஞ்ச்Big Crunch – கொள்கையை இப்பொழுதுதான் விஞ்ஞானிகள் ஏற்கின்றனர்.
அறிவியல் உண்மை 3 தசாவதாரத்தில் முதலில் மீன், பிறகு ஆமை, பிறகு பன்றி, பிறகு பாதி மனிதன் –பாதி சிங்கம் என்பதெல்லாம் டார்வீன் சொன்ன பரிணாமக் (Theory of Evolution) கொள்கையை ஒட்டி இருப்பதை நாம் அறிவோம் ஆனால் முதல் மூன்று அவதாரங்களும் உண்மையில் ஆதி நூல்களில் பிரம்மாவின் பெயரிலேயே (பிரஜாபதி) உள்ளன. ஆக அவரே படைப்புக் கடவுள்—பரிணாம வளர்ச்சிக் கடவுள். இதை சதபத பிராமணம் (Satapata Brahmana) முதலிய நுல்கள் விளக்கும். பின்னர் இதை விஷ்ணுவின் அவதாரங்களாக புராணங்கள் எழுதின. இதை இன்னொன்றாலும் அறியலாம்.
அறிவியல் உண்மை 4 வெளிநாட்டுக்காரர்களுக்கு கிளுகிளுப்பூட்டும் ஒரு விஷயம் நம் இலக்கியங்களில் உண்டு. அதை எழுதி, எழுதி நம்மை நக்கல் செய்வது—பகடி செய்வது—கிண்டல் செய்வது அவர்களுக்குப் பொழுதுபோக்கு. அது என்ன ‘’பலான’’ கதை என்கிறீர்களா?
பிரம்மா ஒரு மக:ளைப் பெற்றார். அவள் பெயர் சதரூபா (நூறு உருவம்)—அவல் அழகைக் கண்டு பிரம்மா அவளையே உற்று நோக்கினார். அவளுக்கோ வெட்கம் பிடுங்கித் தின்றது- வேறு திசையில் ஓடி ஒளிந்தாள் அங்கேயும் பிரம்மா திரும்பினார். ஒவ்வொரு திசையிலும் ஒரு முகம் வரவே அவருக்கு நாலு முகம் தோன்றி அவர் நான்முகன் ஆனார். அவளோ வெட்கப்பட்டுக் கொண்டு மேலே போனாள். அங்கு ஐந்தாவது முகம் உதித்தது. அவளுடன் ஒன்று கூடிப் (Incestual Intercourse) பின்னர் உலகத்தைப் படைத்தார். இதைச் சொல்லிச் சொல்லி வெளிநாட்டினர் மகிழ்வர். உண்மையில் இந்தக் கதையை நம்மிடமிருந்து பைபிளும் இரவல் வாங்கி முதல் அத்தியாயத்திலேயே எழுதிவிட்டது. ஆதாம் என்பவரின் இடுப்பு எலும்பை கடவுள் முறித்து ஏவாள் என்ற பெண்ணை உருவாக்கவும், ஆதாம் அவளுடன் கூடி (Incest?) மனித இனத்தை உருவாக்கினார் என்பது அக்கதை. ஒரே உடலில் இருந்து ஒருவரைப் படைத்தால் அந்த ஏவாளும் சதரூபா போல ஆதாமின் மகள்தானே!!
இதில் உள்ள அறிவியல் உண்மை என்னவென்றால் முதலில் பாக்டீரீயா போல இருந்த உயிரினம் ஒரு செல் உயிரினங்களாக மாறி நீரில் நீந்தி பிறகு ஒரே உடலில் ஆண் பெண் உறுப்புகளுடன் பிறந்தன (ஹெர்மாப்ரோடைட் Hermaphrodite). பின்னர்தான் ஆண், பெண் என தனித்தனி உயிர் இனங்கள் தோன்றின. இதை அர்த்தநாரீஸ்வரர் என்னும் சிவனின் வடிவத்துடன் ஒப்பிடலாம்.
முதலில் ஆண் தோன்றினானா? பெண் தோன்றினாளா? முதலில் முட்டை வந்ததா? கோழி வந்ததா? (Chicken and Egg question) என்ற கேள்விக்கு விடை கூறும் கதை இது. பெரிய விஞ்ஞான உண்மைகளை, சுவையான கதைகளாகத் தருபவை நம் புராணங்கள்!
அறிவியல் உண்மை 5 பிரம்மாவின் தோற்றம் பற்றிய கதை பெரிய பூகர்ப்பவியல் ( Geology ஜியாலஜி) கதையாகும். அவர் நீரில் படுத்து இருந்த நாராயணனின் தொப்புள் கொடியில் இருந்து உதித்த தாமரை மலரில் இருந்து தோன்றியதாக ஒரு கதை உண்டு. இது காண்டினென்டல் ட்ரிப்ட் Continental Drift எனப்படும் கண்டங்கள் நகர்ந்த கதை ஆகும். முதலில் பூமி என்பது ஒரே நிலப்பரப்பாக இருந்தது பின்னர் அது தாமரை மலர்வது போல மெதுவாக நகர்ந்து இன்றுள்ளது போல ஆசியா, அமெரிக்கா, ஆப்பிரிக்கா எனப் பிரிந்தது. இதையே தாமரையில் பிரம்மா தோன்றி உலகைப் படைத்தார் என்போம். புராணத்தில் கூட பிரம்மாண்டம் என்று இருப்பதைக் காணலாம். ‘ப்ரு’ என்னும் வடமொழி வேர்ச் சொல் மூலமே ‘’பெருகுதல், பிரிதல், பெரிய, ப்ருஹத், ப்ரம்ம’’ — முதலிய சொற்கள் வந்தன.
கிரேக்க மொழியில், முதலில் இருந்த சூப்பர் கான்டினென்ட்டை ‘’பங்கேயா’’ Panagaea என்பர். பங்கய என்றால் தாமரை எனப் பொருள். இது பங்கஜம் என்ற வடமொழிச் சொல். பிற்காலத்தில் இந்தப் பொருள் அறியாதோர் கிரேக்க மொழியில் புதுப் பொருள் கண்டனர் ( பேன்+ கயா ). பெண்கள் குழந்தை பெறுவதையும் தாமரை மலரில் இருந்து குழந்தை வந்ததாக வடமொழி இலக்கியங்கள் வருணிக்கும்.
அறிவியல் உண்மை 6 கணித விஷயத்தில், ஒன்பது என்ற எண்ணின் வியப்புறு குணங்களில் பல ஆராய்ச்சி செய்து அதன் பெயரில் பிரம்மாண்டமான எண்களைக் க(ல்)ற்பித்து (கல்பம் என்பதே பிரம்மாவின் ஒரு நாள், பரம் என்பது அவரது 100 ஆண்டு) உலகம் அறியாத புதுமைகளைச் செய்தனர் இந்துக்கள். ஒன்பது என்ற எண்ணின் பரிபூரணத் தன்மையை மனதிற் கொண்டே 108, 1008 என்ற அஷ்டோத்திரம், சஹஸ்ரநாமம் ஆகியவற்றைப் படைத்தார்கள் இது பற்றி நான் இரண்டு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் எழுதிய எண்கள் 18, 108, 1008 பற்றிய கட்டுரையில் விரிவாகக் கொடுத்து இருக்கிறேன்.
அறிவியல் உண்மை 7 நாரா (நீரா) அயனன்= நாராயணன், பிரம்மா மற்றும் முதல் இரண்டு அவதாரங்கள் எல்லாம் — நீரில்தான் உயிரினங்கள் தோன்ற முடியும், பரிணாம வளர்ச்சி பெற முடியும் —- என்று காட்டுகின்றன. இன்று வெளி கிரகங்களிலும் நீரின் மூலக்கூறுகள் (water molecules) இரு கின்றனவா என்று விஞ்ஞானிகள் தேடிக் கொண்டிருப்பதை நாம் அறிவோம்.
Brahma in Sumerian Civilisation
அறிவியல் உண்மை 8 உலகின் முதல் அகராதி (Thesaurus/ Dictionary நூலான அமரகோசம் வழங்கும் பிரம்மாவின் 29 வடமொழிப் பெயர்களை மற்றொரு கட்டுரையில் தருகிறேன்.
பிரம்மா என்பவர் வானவியலை (Astronomy/ Cosmology) விளக்கும் கடவுள் பூகர்ப்பவியலை (Geology) விளக்கும் கடவுள் உயிரியல், பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியை (Biology / Theory of Evolution) விளக்கும் கடவுள் கணிதம், பிரம்மாண்ட எண்களை (Mathematics and Amazing Numbers) விளக்கும் கடவுள் பிக் பேங், பிக் க்ரஞ்ச்(Big Bang and Big Crunch) முதலிய அதி நவீன கொள்கைகளை (Ultra Modern Theories) விளக்கும் கடவுள்!!
—-சுபம்—
Tags-Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்- Part 21 ,பிரம்மா , அறிவியல் உண்மைகள், Science behind Hindu God Brahma! Brahma Third part.
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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BRAHMA- First Part
God of creation; one of the Trinity, Brahma Vishnu Shiva.
Temples at Pushkar, Rajasthan, Brahmapureeswar in Tamil Nadu; all South Indian Saivite temples have Brahma’s statues.
No proper worship; like Archana, Sahasranama, Puja etc.
Sung by saints in all Saivite hymns as one searching for Shiva’s head along with Vishnu in Boar form searching for His feet; but both failed.
Brahma lied and so he was cursed that he won’t be worshipped on earth.
His abode is Satya Loka up above the earth. He has an end unlike Shiva and Vishnu. A new Brahma takes over.
But his life span in human years is very huge.
His wife is Sarsvati, Goddess of Wisdom and Education.
Brahma is portrayed as Prajapathi in the Vedas.
Now he is shown with four heads because one of his five heads was chopped off by Lord Shiva according to Tamil verses.
His references are in Tamil Sangam literature, Tirukkural, Tevaram, Tiruvasagam etc.
When he insulted others, Shiva cut off his fifth head. That happened at Tirukkandiyur near Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu according to Sthala Puranas (local temple legends). His beautiful figure is at that place.
When he failed to tell the meaning of Aum- Pranava mantra—he was imprisoned by Skanda, Shiva’s son; later released at the request of Devas.
He created Sapta Rishis from whom humans were created.
Tamil Encyclopaedia Abhidhana Chintamani of Singara velu Mudaliyar gives 67 points about Brahma.
His vehicle is swan (Hamsa);
He came from the belly of Vishnu on top of a lotus flower. In Tamil Tirukkural as Malarmisai ekinaan.
He gave boons to lot of Devas and Demons.
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More about Brahma’s appearance
Brahma , distinct from Brahman, the all pervading Eternal Spirit, is the first member of the Hindu Triad. His principal function is Creation. Independent shrines dedicated to him are rare. Still figures of Brahma are commonly found decorating one of the niches in the north wall of the central shrine in Siva temples. Images of Brahma are sometimes seen on pillars, ceilings and other parts of the temple. But he is not worshipped as a chief deity except one or two temples in India.
According to Maanasaara, one of the standard works on sculpture, Brahma is represented with four hands. He has, however, one body with four heads. The image may be standing or seated. The form of the left lower hand exhibits the posture of conferring boons (Varada Mudra) while the right lower indicates protection (Abhaya mudra). The corresponding upper hands hold the water pot (Kamandalu) and the rosary (Akhsamaalaa) or sometimes the sacrificial ladle (Srik) and spoon (Sruva).
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The following ornaments are seen in the finished picture of Brahma:
Earrings or pendants fashioned like the face of a crocodile.
The sacred thread, Yajnasutra, hanging right across the body from the left shoulder;
The scarf (Uttariiya) thrown round the neck so as to stretch down to the knees;
The utarabandhana, or literally girdle going round the belly;
Necklace and torque;
Armlets, arm-rings, wristlets, anklets, waist zone, finger rings set with gem stones etc.
His hair is made up in the fashion of Jataa-Makuta and he is attended by two goddesses Sarasvati on the right and Saavitri on the left.
Another representation shows Brahma riding a chariot drawn by Seven Swans (hamsa). He is seated on a full blown lotus flower (Tamil Tirukkral refers to it) , his eyes closed in a meditative posture. Goddess Saavitri is seated on his left thigh. There are various other representations of Brahma drawn purely from the imagination of the sculptor or painter, sometimes also based on puranic legends.
To be continued……………
Tags- Brahma, First part, Sarasvati, lotus flower, ornaments, Four heads, Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம் – Part 19
Maa Annapurna idol adorned in gold at Kashi Vishwanath Temple complex
Story by HT Correspondent, VARANASI
• 6h •
The Silver coated idol of Goddess Maa Annapurna, housed in a temple located in Ishana Kona (the north-east corner ) of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises, has been coated with gold, the temple administration said in a statement on Saturday.
A new chapter in the splendour and grandeur of the ancient idol began in 2025, when silver plated stone idol and the temple it resides in were adorned with gold from top to base, according to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple administration.
The distribution of a symbolic “treasure trove” (Kazana) to devotees from the treasury of the Maa Annapurna Temple began on Dhanteras (October 18) and will continue until October 22, the day of Annakut. The prasad, given as part of this tradition, consists of a coin and puffed rice, and holds special significance for devotees who visit the temple and seek the blessings of the Goddess.
The original idol of Goddess Maa Annanpurna was reinstalled in the Ishan Kon of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 2021, following traditional rituals. The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, presided over the reinstallation ceremony. Alongside the original golden idol of Maa Annapurna, a silver-plated stone idol was also installed in the temple. This Silver plated idol of Maa Annapurna has now been coated with gold.
The original idol was stolen during the colonial period by idol smugglers and remained preserved in a museum in Canada for approximately 108 years. Its identity was confirmed through the joint efforts of Indian and Canadian universities. Following diplomatic and cultural efforts spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the idol was repatriated to India in November 2021 and reinstated in the temple.
–subham—
Tags- Kasi, Varanasi, Golden , Annapurani, Diwali Darshan,Annakut, Kazana
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Tamil and Vedas 
