Author: shivam

Got up late this morning and seeing the sunshine through the bed-room window, rushed to my favorite place in this house, the east -facing deck, from where I can watch and smell the flavor of the lush green lawn and oaks and pines, cherry and maple tress. The air was chill but the sunlight was pouring abundantly from the sky, a bliss for which I have been longing from the day I landed here, in my son’s house in Baltimore. It was slightly warm though laced with subtle cool breeze.
In ‘Anantha Jyothi ‘ my East-facing house in Hyderabad house too, the ‘sahasrakshi’ the thousand-eyed glory of heaven peeps through the high doors and ventilators, then enters and flushes my hall with His compassionate embrace and fall at the feet of the idols in my pooja room. The first thing I do in the morning is to come out to the front and admire and do aradhana , worship the celestial celebration , silently mostly, and sometime with vocal vibrations as I did this morning standing on the deck in the Baltimore house. ” Om, Mithraya namaha ” Salutations to you, friend, was the first prayer that came out of my mouth effortlessly . How close we bring the mighty, universal glory towards us, with that single – word appellation, ‘friend’, when you see him first, soon after you get up ! Is there any one else more friendly than the Sun, for the entire living and non living beings in the entire universe? I stood silently for minutes amazed, enjoying His beauty, grace and glorious look and the aptness of the mantram, ‘Om Mitraya namaha ‘ . Before I could say ‘Ravaye namaha’, the next mantram , the Gangetic flow of the Adithya hridaym stothram gushed out of the cavern of my heart.
Adithya hridaym appears in the ‘ Yudda kantam’, the last chapter of Valmiki’s Ramayanam , as a hymn dedicated to the Sun God, dictated by the cosmos sage Agastya to Sri. Rama , for his success in the battle. The pre-Ramayana period poem, full of charm, is a unique prayer for worship, a power capsule for health and prosperity, handed over to us by our forbears. Beholding Sri Rama, standing absorbed in deep thought on the battle-field, facing Ravana, who has come well prepared for the battle, Sage Agastya, who had come in the company of gods to witness the battle, addresses Rama as,’ Raama, Raama mahaabaaho ‘O Rama’, ‘O Mighty armed Rama’. ( What an encouraging appellation to a warrior facing a mighty enemy !) “listen carefully my son, to this ancient, eternal hymn”. That ‘valsa’ of Agastya would have made Sir Rama to raise his head and look for his illustrious father among the gods assembled to watch the battle from the sky above. ” This hymn of highest degree ( awards ) all around auspiciousness and prosperity – Sarvamangalamaangalyam, destroys all sins- sarvapaapapranaashanam , and dispels all doubts, alleviates anxiety and anguish, assures longevity of life Chintaashokaprashamanam aayurvardhanamuttamam ( ‘Sooryacha mamanyucha manyupathayacha manyu krithebhyaha, papeabhyo rakshantham ” comes to mind. Right? ) We see the Sun before us, experience his glory and power, every day and feel his presence, absence as well as his harshness. Here, before me is the ‘lokasakshi’, a witness of the whole universe , who had witnessed the birth, up coming of and dissolution of several dynasties, rivers, forests , ordinary and extra ordinary humans, birds and animals, mountains and meadows ! Here is the one who had witnessed and blessed the birth and living of my ancestors , their movements and their last journey and will continue to watch my progeny and theirs and theirs .That was why the Rishy said : “He is Brahma (the creator), Visnu (the Sustainer), Shiva (the destroyer), Skanda (the son of Siva), Prajapati (progenitor of human race), the mighty Indra (king of heaven), Kubera (the god of wealth and lord of riches), Kala (eternal time), Yama (the Lord of death), Soma (the moon god that nourishes), and Varuna (the lord of sea and ocean). ” Indeed, he is Pitris (ancestors, manes), the eight Vasus, the Sadhyas, the twin Aswins (physicians of Gods), the Maruts, the Manu, Vayu (the wind God), Agni (the fire God), Prana (the Life breath of all beings), the maker of six seasons and the giver of light ” The celestial parade of the thejasam api thejaswi, who creates, sustains and destroys all beings, shining like the molten gold, the lord who abides in the heart of all beings keeping awake when they are asleep, traversing the Vindhya mountains , seated on a chariot yoked to thousand shining yellow steeds , is a marvelous picture drawn with no paint or canvass.. And that ” PADMA PRABODHA’ appellation dazzles as a diamond crown for this hymn. Bramaha is padma sambhava, Vishnu , padmanabha and Sri lakshmi , padmapriya, padmini, padmahastha, padmalya, padmadalayadakshi and all but it is only the Sun god who is padma probadha., who alone can awaken a lotus- bud and make it to blossom. Let a mighty emperor and his learned court spend a whole night on the bank of a pond trying to awaken a lotus bed- no they cannot. It is only the benevolent touch of the sun god that can fulfill the night-long penance of the lotus bud . ‘Open-up our intellect , elevate it from the bud stage to blossom stage , illuminate and inspire it so that we tread on the correct path in our life’s journey – is that not what we seek through our Gayatri mantram too ? ‘Thamoghanya -one who dispels darkness-fine; himaghnaya- destroyer of snow and fog- that too fine, ‘ satrughnaya’ exterminator of foes – timely ; but why krithagnagnaya -annihilator of the ungrateful- hey, this is something new ! I have not come across this appellation for any other gods! What was in the mind of Agastya rishi when he said this and how did the sun god qualify for this name ? Kritagnas, ungrateful definitely deserve punishment and who else other than the sun who creates fire as well as water , is the ideal god to give punishment ? . The Mahakavi’s fantastic finale, down to earth, but from the high sky is , Soorya’s ‘chalo’ signal for the march of Sri Rama to annihilate Ravana.. ‘Atha ravi ravadanam nirikshyam Raamam Muditamanaah paramam prahrishhyamaanah. Nishicharapatisa nkshayam viditvaa Suragana madhyagato vachastvareti’ Meaning : Then knowing that the destruction of the lord of prowlers at night (Ravana) was near, Aditya, who was at the center of the assembly of the Gods, looked at Rama and encouraged, ‘ come on’ , with great delight. Purifying Himself by sipping water thrice, Rama took up His bow with His mighty arms. Seeing Ravana coming to fight, He put forth all his effort with determination to destroy Ravana.
“Appa, how long have you been staying in the open? ” asks my daughter- in- law Meghana, anxiety vibrating in her voice ‘What on the earth are you doing here, alone ?
‘Oh, just enjoying my morning prayers , Megh ‘ I reply calmly. ‘You have not brushed your teeth, no shower, no viboothy, no panchapatram, what prayer is this, appa ?’
‘ When the celestial glory, seated on a golden chariot yoked to thousand golden yellowish or bright greenish steeds, is before me showering delight and divinity what is the need of viboothy on my body or a vessel on my hand ? ‘ I ask her. ‘You were reciting ‘Aaditya hridayam, right?’ she asks, ‘ has the war begun?’ ‘It is about to start, Soorya bagavan has whistled the ‘ go’ signal.
‘Whistled like this?’ My grandson, Nikhll Shivam, picks up his whistle and makes a shrill sound. ‘No, like this ‘ I pick up the whistle from his tiny hand and try to make some sound. The child laughs at my inability to whistle. I too laugh at my inability to whistle.
P.S. 1. A short note on this stotram from a website :
Quote: “Aditya hrudayam contains the innovative hymns with many secrets and hidden meanings. The Jnana, Jnata, and Jneyam is completed as Sage Agastya is the Jnana and the Lord Rama Jnata and the presiding deity Jneyam is Sun in the heart. Hence it has come to be known as Aditya hrudayam. Further Sage Agastya has stated that success is assured for all those who recite these Sloka thrice a day—– It is said that Consciousness in the man and in the cosmos Sun is the same. Absolute consciousness is being understood only with the help of speech. These mystic words are interwoven in these Slokas. The Slokas third to twenty four Synchronizes with the twenty four letters of Gayatri Mantra. In Aditya hrudayam there are thirty Slokas in total. In this the first and second sloka depicts the arrival of sage Agastya to Sri Rama. The third stated the greatness of the Stotra, the fourth sloka explained about happiness, liberation and knowledge. The fifth will remove the related sins and with hold sorrows. From Sixth to fifteenth the description pertains to self effulgence and impresses that one pervading out side and inside is same. From Sixteenth to twentieth slokas are very important for mantra Japa. Here cosmic greatness of Sun God Surya as the internal Chaitanya in us is high lighted. Further the creator is one and not two is impressed. The human body consists Sapta Dhatu’s and in this dwells, only paramatma.
The Slokas from Twenty to twenty four are Mantra Slokas extolling Sun God. From twenty fifth to thirtieth the method of recital by Sri Rama and invoking God to bless him with the requisite strength for the victory in the battle field is stated ” – unquote.
Here is the link for the Aadithya hridyam stotram for you to enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsGJlyFcdQM&feature=player_detailpage
And if you know Malayalam and can enjoy poetry in that language her is a unique mystical love poem of Sooryakanthi flower, who turns her face according to the movement of her beloved, the charming Sun, longing for his love and affection .The author is Mahakavi G. Sankara kurup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZRPfkty-r4
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Baltimore,
April 1, 2011
Sent from my iPad

Click here to enlarge
” Why should I die ? ” Have you ever asked yourself ? ” Especially when I have no disease ?”
I have asked these questions and in fact went one step further , “if there is no death for me, why can’t I always remain young ? ”
Don’t laugh at me. There is nothing to be laughed at . Right from the beginning of human life, when death was realized as an unavoidable end of all living things, this question had rocked the mind and soul of our forebears.  Hiranyakasipu and several other kings and even Rishies and other epic characters had undergone great austerities, seeking ways to extend the life period .A prince, in the prime of his youth,  was so generous to donate his youth to his father and accept in lieu of, his father’s old age and all the ailments that goes with it.
The celestial super beings , Devas, struggled and obtained a life-prolonging and life-rejuvenating tonic by churning the ocean of milk.  Remember, they were already ‘amaras and nirjaras’ -immortals , with no death or aging. But still they wanted to prolong their life . Then what is the harm if a poor mortal like me wanted to live for ever!
The February 21, 2011 issue of “time” magazine has some good news for me , which I share with you . Read the attached article on stem-cell development.
Who knows that if not we, our children or grand children might benefit with the latest discovery ?
Nowadays,  I do not say my prayer, ‘Samsara saagra samudharanaika hetho ” loudly. I mutter to make sure that God do not instantly land here and lift me up from the ocean of life .
Let me wait for the release of stem cell technology in the market.

From: Sivasubramanian Perinkulam <sivaratna@hotmail.com>
Subject: [Iyer123] Some thoughts on Kanchi mutt swamigals and other chamiyars
To: “Iyer123” <iyer123@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, 15 March, 2011, 7:14 PM
Friends,
We do not know what went wrong between the Poojya swamy and his chosen successor for the Peetam which resulted in the latter’s leaving the Mutt. Difference of opinion is bound to occur between two thinking human beings and both the senior and junior Swamies, were not exception to this natural behavior, despite their donning the saffron clothes. I do not venture to question the Mahaperiyava’s wisdom in recalling the junior, whom he had selected and developed to succeed him as the head of the Mutt. He acted as an affectionate family-head and a  responsible institutional-head. It is my reading that had he been alive, the Mahaperiyava would not have regretted his action of recall. You may not agree . Let us agree to disagree like two thinking human beings.
I was associated with the mutt from my childhood, when I was blessed by the saint for reciting Soundaryalahari and the relationship continued for a long time. I am aware of the good work done by Sri. Jayendra Saraswathy not only in the south but in other parts of the country as well. Two years back, I was taken to Ayodhya by a representative of the Mutt, related to me and was highly impressed by the social activities  created and  nourished by the Mutt which provides self-employments to several poor women and the educational opportunities for all irrespective of the caste or creed. The vedapatasala is working well . While in the Kanchi  mutt, I have witnessed the contributions it has made for the new temples, schools, and clinics in remote villages. Though i did not approve of Acharya’s donation of a golden crown to the Lord of Tirupathy, who is overburdened by golden crowns , I have great respect for the social and cultural activities he is undertaking .The present Acharya is highly respected in North and west; I know as I was there during several receptions for Jayendra Saraswathy.  The Mutt has sponsored  several educational institutions, hospitals and other services and dedicated, competent professionals are running them. Healthy body and healthy mind are the prime necessities for spiritual development and the Acharya is doing his best in that direction.
And let us support the good activities from wherever they originate- samiyars or mamiyars. A samiyar whom we decried as a magician has provided drinking water to hundreds of house holds and free super-medical facility to thousands of sick human beings .( can you and me provide more than one bucket of water for a family for more than a few weeks?).  A Mamiyar, born as a fisher woman. is standing as a beacon of spiritual  guidance on the shore of Kerala, guiding several boats. And how many yoga centers in west have sprung up now spreading the message of the good name of our country and good health programs in the name of  saffron or snow-white clad sanyasies ? I frequently visit some of them and am impressed by the good work they carry out . And Oh, man ! The Balavihar Sunday classes  here ! ask any Hindu, returned from US about their activities- The inspiration and support for these religious vidyalayam are provided by an institution run in the name of a   samiyar, from kerala
And in our own state, who can forget the services of  Naryanaguru, an Eazhuva  by cast and Chattampi swamigal?
And Sirs, without Hinduthvam where will be your Brhamanthwam ?.
I am not follower of any Matom or saamiyar and I do not even follow my Mamiyar . But I use my common sense and it tells me not to criticize good works from wherever it comes and I am confident that some of the samiyars  are doing good work and of course Mamiyars too. Let them live long so that Ramaiyer’s and Krishana Iyer’s  children and grand children have something good to talk about their past. As long as my children and their grand children have that privilege I am least bothered whether they perform my shraddam or not. And the fact is that my eldest son, an American citizen by virtue of his long stay here is performing shradam to his mother more religiously than I do for my parents.
Be good brahmins. Perform shradham and Sandhya as prescribed in the books or as advised by the elders who are knowledgeable . But that is not the end. Keep your eyes, ears and mind open. Don’t tuck the cloth between your thighs  and stand apart to keep ‘madi’, to keep away from the world. My maternal grand mother did that – and poor thing she died at a very young age leaving four kids to be looked after by her aged mother in law. Superstition killed her.  *
Remember, pressing the cloth in between the thighs and standing aloof isolated our community, starved our ancestors .That was not a lesson from the Vedas.
‘Keep the doors and windows wide open!’ That was their order – we did not follow it.
‘Sarva boothasthamaadhmaanam
Sarvaboothanichathmani
Eakshathe yoga yukthathma
Sarvathra samadarsana:
Yo mam pasyathi sarvatra
Sarvamcha mayi pasyathi
Thasyaham na pranasyami
Sachame na pranasyathi ‘
Those words of unique wisdom from the mouth of the Yogadhyaksha, Guroonam Guru, did not reach our ears. That was why we held our cloth pressed between the thighs and perished, as my maternal grand mother did.
* See my ‘Pitchumani’ story .
Love and regards,
sperinkulam
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From:	Ramani krishnamurthy (ramani_krishnamurthy004@yahoo.com)
Sent:	16 March 2011 14:40PM
To:	Iyer123 (iyer123@yahoogroups.com); Sivasubramanian Perinkulam (sivaratna@hotmail.com)

Sivasubramanian’s point of may be correct, I am not fit to point out any statement which is wrong. But the public activity of  Jeyandrar swamigal has done only wrong to him and his madam. It has not only afftected him but also bala periyava. Had he followed Mahapriyava in every walk of life he would not landed in jail and suffering. All the good deeds he has done has gone to waste and earned him bad name and so the other followers. Even though my family is well connected with madam for more than 4 genaration, it is my duty to point out the mistake if it happens in the society. By keeping quite we cannot correct ourself and our society.
K.Ramani
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To ramani_krishnamurthy004@yahoo.com, Iyer123
Dear Sri Ramani and other friends,
Having associated with the Mutt for over four generations, how much pain Ramani might be undergoing to see the current condition of it ! I do not have such a past relationship with the Mutt but still I feel really bad seeing the diminishing glory of it.
But let us not compare  a hill with Mahameru, what the Mahaperiava , an epitome of scholarship, compassion and humility was . He was such a great Jnani, still  so humble that he  directed a scholar who came to get some doubts clarified, to Bagavan Ramanamahrishi, with his usual benign smile and poetic  words, “Nan oru ezhai sanyasi; antha mirasdar kitte poi kelungo”
There is no doubt that the pro-activity of  Jayendra Saraswathy  is a matter for debate . Many feel that like Mahaperiava he should have restricted his activities strictly within the circle of religion and it was unnecessary to wander into the thorny land or marshy waters of politics. But we had in history  ancient Rishies as Rajagurus who had a say in the governance and even recently Shivaj, Krishnadevaraya and other great Hindu kings had sought the help of Gurus for guiding them in the administration. Remember, there was a rumor that Jayendra almost reached the finals with a formula to solve the Ayodhya issue acceptable to the major players . Anyway, he did not succeed and the wind blew against and carried away everything including his reputation..That is another matter.
And about his landing in the Jail, the popular talk in the state was  that it was nothing but an act of revenge by a politician for refusing to part with a vast land belonging to the Mutt. Whatever it be, let us criticize him as it is our right but let us not abandon the Mutt , as it still has a lot of use for the society . Jayendra Swamy is a plus seventy man, not in good health, having no need to save for himself or others. So whatever good comes out of him let us appreciate and accept and if possible try to encourage him if we are satisfied that he is not working for himself or against the interests of the society. This is what I have to say about other Chamiyars also. Abandon them if they indulge in unsocial activities or exploit our goodness but encourage them if their service is beneficial to the society. Don’t condemn them going by their caste, language they speak or the way they grow their hairs on the head or below their nose.
Despite being a vocal critic of some of the activities of the Mutt, including the head of the Mutt always seen surrounded by only one group of people , whereas as  a Jagad guru, he belongs to the whole  Universe, I do feel that we should support the good activities of the Mutt. Let our consciousness be our guide and  not the big  Business houses or powerful politicians..
Love and regards,
sperinkulam
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I fully endorse the contents of  the mail of Perinkulam Iyer.  Let us not go into rishimoolam of everyone and everything.  Let us weigh by the deeds of an individual.  Today our children in US learns some substance of vedas because of the Mallu vidyalayas on Sunday.  Kanchi Jayendra swamigal also contributed to alleviate  the suffering of  the masses.  He has once remarked that “I am a Leader for the Hindu Religion and not a leader for a caste”.
Good writing Perinkulam Iyer !  keep it up.
regards
Krishnamurthy V
Palakkad

Mother sleep was holding me close to her bosom for the past four days , since I landed in my eldest son Ananth’s house in Baltimore . What a heavenly bliss sleep is !
Had an enjoyable and refreshing shower bath in warm water and opening the glass-window entered the deck, with bare chest and brass vessel full of chill water from the fridge for performing sandhya . The chill wind, trying to reach the bones with a soft chisel and the salient Sun trying to supersede and brighten the shivering clouds, led my mind to the sacred shore of the River Ganges Gangotri or Yamunotri but definitely not Kasi as I do not see the sakthi of desolation. What a change, I feel. The sunken body surrounded by surplus clothes has suddenly become sanctified with a shower bath and sacred ash painted over it and exposed to the winter sun and the velvety winds. This lovely wooden platform exposed to the sun, on which I have spent several days carving story- characters and several moon-lit nights telling stories to my grand children has suddenly turned into the sacred river bed. It was on this platform that my father met me in the form of a crow and we had a lively conversation * My imagination spread out its silver wings and flew high above from here after flopping from the maples and oak tress around here. I am lost in the thoughts of the Divine Force and feel shouting as the ancient Rishy did when he was overwhelmed with immeasurable transitional tranquility of mind , **’Madhu vada ridayadea—‘
The panchpatram, copper vessel slips from the hand and rolls on the floor; no need for any sandhya vandanam today. It is over ,without uttering a word of the sacred Gayatri mantram. Mind has turned into the mahamantram.
That was for a moment . I am back to myself . I look around. Get inside, unable to bear the cold and come out again after donning some winter clothes,
Oh, my dear maples, oaks and cherry trees ! How barren and bony you, the maples look now ! The winter has, mercilessly, removed your dazzling jewels and apparels and how pathetic is this sight before me, your standing with a parched stomach and sunken face ! Did I come all the way from Hyderabad where the mango trees bid me farewell , with their flower-lavish head and diamond -decked  neck and growing bosoms , looking a bit tired but lovely like a pregnant woman, to see this pathetic sight !
I am sure that you are not dead, as I see you moving slowly responding to the wind. I see hope in your sunken face .
‘Death ‘ what is it ? The end of life ? What is life ? The product of sexual intercourse according to the law of reproduction ? Simple. And when the life so generated extincts due to the failure of vital organs and stoppage of breathing , that is the end of the story . The door is closed for ever, the chapter has ended for ever, Right ? No, I do not want to end like that . I love life and I want to live for ever . Even the animals have the instinct of fighting for their life and resist annihilation.
Man, who possess the ability of thinking, went a step beyond that and that was the starting point of philosophy of thinking, inquiring and investigating on death. This led to the discovery of a new element , an external one, called  Atma or soul , which enters the body when it is still in its mother’s womb and leaves it when death occurs . The body dies but not the soul, which keeps entering new bodies depending on its ‘karma’ or deeds and ultimately embraces the super soul, Paramatma, in final union with the Ultimate reality. The belief that I live even after I die which in fact is only the death of my body, gives me a great relief and added to that is the hope that I will continue to live many lives and will get amalgamated with the Ultimate gives me immense relief which rejuvenates my spirit, rekindles my interest in life.
Death is not the end but part of life.

Death is not the ultimate end but only a door opening to the next life-Abba! What a relief!
Love and regards,
sperinkulam
Baltimore
9th March 2011
* See my ‘My dad a crow’ story.
**
In the sixth chapter of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad , Swethakethu and the Panchala king Pravaahanajaiwaly discuss about the ways to reach the non re-traceable Divine path . How the entire Universe is a sweet honey , ‘madhu’ for a Brhamanan, who is cognizant of Brahmam, the truth Ultimate , is the ‘bavana’ in this  ‘Madhumanthi mantram’  ;
Madhu vadha ridhayathe, madhukshranthi sindhava:
Maadhveer na: santhoshadhee:
Madhunaktha mudhoshasaha:
Madhumath parthivagum raja;
Madhudyorasthuna pithaa
Madhumaanno vanaspathy
Madhumakum asthu Sooryaha:
Maadhveer gavo bavanthuna
Sweet wind blows; rivers flows madhu; Let the oushadhess be madhu for us; let the day and night be madhu for us; let the dust be madhu for us; let the Sun be madhu for us; Let the cows be madhu for us.
Such exultation of mind is possible only when one is absolutely free and fully sunk in the Divine tranquility. We  do achieve such state sometime or other in our life , however short-lived it might be depending on our circumstances and vasanas.
comments
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From:	Sundari Kannan <sagribow@yahoo.co.in>  … View Contact
To:	Siva Subramanian Perinkulam <sperinkulam@yahoo.co.uk>

with kind regards

From:	ashok k <ashokchembai@yahoo.co.in>  … Add to Contacts
To:	sperinkulam@yahoo.co.uk

A K Iyer
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Whenever I see the fantastic, unique, human-lion combined form of Narasimha Moorthy in a shrine I close my eyes not with fear but with awe and admiration, devotion and love (yes love! ) and sing loudly if none is there in the audible distance , Annamayya’s Attana ” Kadiri Nrismhudu ” * or simply look at the idol, speechless,  and admire its beauty . But when I am back home and muse on the story of Narasimha avatar , I feel pain in a corner of my heart, due to a query – Why did the Lord kill Hiranyakasipu so mercilessly , in the presence of his son and wife?  The demon king deserves punishment for his cruel treatment of his son and many others but could he not have been punished in a less ferocious manner? Tearing the chest pulling out the intestine – I do not know whether the Lord really did so but that is how many of the pictures exhibit the act . But then, the Lord was in his Narasimha avatar, half-lion and half- human . Tearing a body with its sharp claws is Lion’s nature . It does not use a sword or arrow to pierce enemy’s chest ! Though I appreciate the narration God’s ferocity against evil forces to be eliminated , some of the visual depictions of the same are repulsive. A kathakaali show for example, pulling out twisted cotton ropes dipped in red ink from the body and wearing them around the neck with screaming . How artistically the message could have been conveyed by action alone !
Of the ten avatars, Narasimha avatar is the most instant manifestation of the Divine force , which did not wait for a minute when His child devotee’s unalloyed belief in the God was questioned by his own father who firmly believed that he was the best, strongest and most powerful in the universe, none other in the world and even the gods were subservient to him. Prahlaada not only refused to accept his father’s claim but also expressed openly his trust in his father’s arch enemy, Mahavishnu. Even a normal father will not tolerate such arrogance. Prahlada was perhaps the first child to declare total disagreement with his father and to revolt against him. To revolt against the most fearsome, uncompromisingly arrogant cruel father, one needs guts. Prahalad had it . His courage of conviction was unique. And he revolted at a time when father was allotted a honorable second place and God only the fourth and the last in the list of elders to be revered ! -” Matha, pitha, Guru, Deivam ” And think of the plight of Hiranyakasipu’s wife. The poor woman had to witness almost every day the cruelty of her husband towards their own child ? How can a Hindu wife revolt against her husband and how to go against the wisher of her son ? For Hiranyakasipu too it would not have been a wholesome pleasure to cruelly punish his won son, His ego and false prestige overtook his sense of attachment. And what about the God Himself ? It would have been impossible for him to take the life of his enemy in the presence of his son and wife. In a human form he would not have done what he had to do . That was why He manifested in the form of a half human and half animal , the most cruel one.
Now let us pray to the Kadiri Narasimha. Kadiri is a small town in Ananthapur district, Andrapradesh where there is a Lakshmi Narasimha swamy temple . The Lord here is believed to have emerged out from the roots of Kadiri tree and it is said that while doing the daily abishekam for the deity , water droplets trickles out continuously as they are wiped off. “According to the legends of the temple, after exterminating Hiranyakashipu, Lord Narasimha, pacified by the prayers of His devotee Prahalad, shuns his frightening form and appears in a protecting form. Thus, the deity at Kadiri symbolizes this transformational phase of the Lord “
Annamacharya has greatly succeeded in bringing out the ferocity of the presiding deity in the song given below,soaked in bakthi.
Raagam Sudhasaveri-  Adi thalam
Pallavi:
‘Kadiri Nrisimhudu kambhamuna vedale
Vidhidha mukha sevimparo munulu
( Kadiri )
Charanam 1
Phalalochanamu bayadogra mukhamu
Jwalamaya kesaramulunu
Khala rowdra samkhaditha damdhamulu
Helapathi dhariyenchaga niliche.
( Kadiri )
Charanam 2
Mudivadu bommalu munchina noodpulu
Gadagada nadaredi karamulunu
Nidutha naalikayu nippu karanamulu
Nadiyalaku roopai velase
( Kadiri )
Charanam 3
Sakalaayudahamulu sahasra bujamulu
Vikatanekhaambulu vedabooni
Vekaliya guchu Sree Venkateswarudu
Prakatapu dushtula bathinchnithivo .
( Kadiri )
‘ Narasimha mamava bagavan nithyam ‘ is a composition in Aarabhi by Swathy thirunal .
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Beautiful siva to read this in the morning, many a time i have also wondered why he had to be so ferocious but then sometime i feel let me also be the victim then that way i may also find moksha from this cycle of world….
with kind regards
sundari kannan
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Second part

Sun, 20 February, 2011 16:15:00 

Fw: [Iyer123] NARASIMHA MAMAVA BAGAVAN – contd.

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From:	Siva Subramanian Perinkulam <sperinkulam@yahoo.co.uk>  … View Contact
To:	pattars <pattars@yahoogroups.com>

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> Encouraged by the response from some of the learned members to my previous post, I have pleasure to continue sharing my contemplation on Narasimha avataram,the most instant manifestation of the Divine force of Mahavishnu and the first in the development towards human from animal form.
>
> Many years ago, as a bachelor, I was living in a spacious house initially with four friends and then alone, when my sister Raji joined me for a short sojourn. A severe typhoid fever damaged her lever which became cirrhotic and she coughed out a large quantity of blood and swooned. It was midnight in a bone-twisting cold December, the lights went off, no candle was traceable and I had no telephone connection to call friends for help and did not want to leave the girl in a semi-conscious state alone, amidst the pool of blood on the floor and go out and disturb friends enjoying deep sleep in the deadly winter night.
>
> When such a calamity of unfathomable magnitude struck me, without knowing what to do or where to go, instantly I lifted my hands towards the heaven and cried for help from Lord Lakshmi Narasimha swamy of Yadagirigutta whom my local friends used to worship as ‘vaidya Narasimha’ – the God who heals. .
>
> “ Lakshmeepathea, Kamalanabha, Suresa, Vishno,
> Yagnesa, Yagna, Madhusoodhana, Viswaroopa!
> Brahamania, Kesava, Janrdahana, Vasudeva,
> Lakshmee Nrisimha mamdehi karaavalambham.
>
> Eakena chakra maparena karena samkham
> Anyena Sindhuthanayaam avalambhia thishtan
> Vaametharena vardabhaya padmachinnam
> Lakshmee Nrisimha mamdehi karaavalambham “
>

> The Lord did not break open a pillar ( there was none in my house ) or appear before me in person but the lights blushed instantly, Raji half-opened her eyes and flashed her usual innocent smile , her eyes brightened, limbs moved and suddenly I became aware that the Yadagiri Lakshmi Narasimha did extend his strong hands to lift me up from the unfathomable deep see I was sinking in . I wrapped my sister’s slender body with a thick blanket after giving her some hot coffee and turned her head to a side to avoid her getting scared by the sight of the spread of blood spilled by her on the floor. Counting every minute, I waited for the break of dawn and hospitalized her. She lived long enough to be married and give birth to three lovely children.
>
> After a couple of months, I visited the famous Yadagirigutta temple along with her and was freighted by the fearsome looks of the God, to reach whom I had to bend my head and walk through a cave at the end of which was His abode. Located around 60 KM from Hyderabad, on a hillock, inside a cave is His shrine, which has undergone a lot of changes since my maiden visit, though for me , the architectural development of the temple, has annihilated the joy of approaching the sanctum in a subservient form, bending once head. The Skandha puranam , it seems, mentions about this shrine and the belief is that Lord Narasimha appeared before the sage Yadarishi, son of the great sage Rishyasrunga and Santa Devi who did penance inside a cave with the blessings of Anjaneya on this hill , in five different forms as Jwala, Yogananda, Gandabherunda, Ugra and Lakshminarasimha, which.later manifested themselves into finely sculpted forms that later came to be worshiped as Pancha Narasimha Kshetram.
>
> Extract from the Google search :
>
> ” Glowing bright atop the sikharam of garbha griha (Sanctum Sanctorum) of this cave temple is the golden Sudarshana Chakra (about 3 ft x 3 ft) of Lord Vishnu (whose reincarnation is Lord Narasimha), the adornment as well as the weapon is a symbol this temple is identified by from as far away as 6 km. It is said that many years ago the chakra moved in the direction from which the devotees came as if like a compass guiding them towards the temple.
>
>
> Lord Narasimha is believed to have been worshiped by sages (rishis). The region of Yadagirigutta is reputed to be a “Rishi Aradhana Kshetram” or the place of worship for sages.
> As the belief goes, Lord Narasimha has taken on the role of a “doctor” and is known as “Vaidya Narasimha” by his devotees at this shrine to cure many chronic diseases and the role of a ‘do gooder’ to those who are under the influence of bad planets, witch craft and black magic. Many instances are cited of the Lord appearing in the dreams of the devotees, and administering medicines and operated the patients and blessed them with good health. Many devotees tell of vivid dreams in which the Lord comes to heal them from chronic or terminal illnesses, and even mental or emotional problems. A mandala (40 day) pradakshina is very popular made by many devotees to get cured of a long standing ailment or chronic disease. Often, the Lord Himself has imparted mantrOpadEsham to select devotees in their dreams “
>
> Unquote :
>
> There can be a Sree Rama without Sita; in fact, He was without her by his side for quite sometime . There can also be a Sree Krishna without Radha or Rukmini but never a Narsimha without Lakshmi . The Sree has to be always with Him to control and regulate His ferocity and that is why in Vishnusahasranamam , Bheeshamacharya was quick in adding ‘Sreeman’ immediately after ‘Narasimhavapu’. Sankara bagavath padar’s Lakshmee Nrismha Karunarasa stothram , starts with the ‘sambodhana’ ‘Sreemath payonidhi nikethana chakrapane !’ and each slokam ends with the prayer, ‘Lakshmi Nrisimha mama dehi karaavalambham ‘.-‘Give me your hand, Bagavan !’
> The pleading is so personal, so moving.
>
>  (On the side line, I do not know whether you have noticed or not but I have; In a family, if the husband is ‘mahasunidi’ a man unable to control his temper,his wife invariably will be an extremely soft-spoken,kind woman of sweet manners. That is how the God balances the family. If she too happens to be like him , which is not the usual case, then “Pahavaane saranam ‘ or ‘Easwaro rakshathu’ God save that family )
>
> Continuing my Narasimha musing:
>
> The next day after my wedding in Thiruvanthapuram, along with my wife and other relatives I went to pray at the Anantha Padhmanabha Swamy temple, my maiden visit to that great kshetram . At the entrance of the sanctum to our left is the shrine of Narasimha and I was frightened at the fearsome appearance and spend a couple of minutes looking at the idol and enjoying its beauty. “Enna ippidy thoon aattama nikkrel ?” why are you standing like a pillar”, whispered my wife . Like any other husband anxious to initiate communication with his just-married girl, I blabbered : “How fortunate was Hiranyakasipu !”. She looked at my face slightly lifting her head, unable to understand why I said so . I should have stopped with that single sentence but did not. I continued.
>
> “I wish I could die like him , lying on the lap of the God, looking at His face, a blessing which no other Asura or Rakshsa had . Sita and not Sri Rama, occupied Ravana’s mind fully by his longing for her but the entire space in Hiranyakasipu’s mind was spared for Mahavishnu , by his staunch hatred and enmity which made him fit for receiving the unique luck and luxury of lying on the lap of the God and expelling his last breath,looking at the Divine face. Kamsa filled his mind with  fear of Krishna and he was therefore lucky to die receiving punches from the Divine hands. No arrow,no sword not even his famous ‘chakram’. But Hiranya’s fortune was unique “
>
> The bride was shocked . Those were not the words to be heard from a man whom she wedded just on the previous day. Those were not the words to be spoken to a girl who had just become your wife and that was not the way you prepare ground for communicating to a girl who had just joined with the hope that you would live with her and take care of her for the rest of her life, which was a long way to go.
>
> She lifted her eyes and head fully for the first time , looked at me from head to toe, perhaps to make sure that I was a normal human being. She did not utter a word but I am now sure that she spoke loud and clear when she asked me a question, during our train journey to her husband’s house in Hyderabad, when I explained to her about the various departments in the Medical Research Institute I was working for : “Clinical biochemistry, Pathology, Bio-physics, radio isotopes —-“
>
> She interrupted, “Psychiatry?”
>
> When I moved my head horizontally to say,’no’, she looked up, bent her head backward and murmured a prayer, which would have been,
>
> ‘Lakshmee Nrisimha mamadehi Karavalambham !’
>
> Who else needed the help of the Divine hand of Lakshmi Narasimha more urgently than that innocent girl who who was crossing the borders of Thiruvanthapuram for the first time, to an unknown distant land, with me !

Comments:

Posted by: “Raji” usharaji_sg@yahoo.com   usharaji_sg

Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:59 pm (PST)

Comments:Namaskaram
I am very much moved reading your sharing about Narasimha Swami. Though I know about the avatar I am introduced to the Annamacharya kriti only now. Thanks for the same. Usha

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