Category: A05 — THOUGHTS ON RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL ISSUES

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” 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 <[email protected]>
Subject: [Iyer123] Some thoughts on Kanchi mutt swamigals and other chamiyars
To: “Iyer123” <[email protected]>
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 ([email protected])
Sent:	16 March 2011 14:40PM
To:	Iyer123 ([email protected]); Sivasubramanian Perinkulam ([email protected])

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 [email protected], 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 <[email protected]>  … View Contact
To:	Siva Subramanian Perinkulam <[email protected]>

with kind regards

From:	ashok k <[email protected]>  … Add to Contacts
To:	[email protected]

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.

…

From:	Siva Subramanian Perinkulam <[email protected]>  … View Contact
To:	pattars <[email protected]>

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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” [email protected]   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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I never quarrel with those of my many friends and even some close relatives who claim that they do not believe in God or God is our creation and not vice verse etc etc. Fine, God is not the loser. In fact He never loses or gains. But, I feel sorry for them, as, according to me, they are missing something great. There is a satisfaction, joy, in the faith in A Supreme Force. Please don’t bringing in here temple visits, Namajapams, Pooja’s etc, etc. Those are only in the very initial stage. Once you start floating in the Divine grace, the simple feeling that you are a part of a big drama, moving as per the direction of your Master, makes you content, happy.
In fact my belief in God is so firm that I have, now successfully relieved my mind from other beliefs such as astrology vastu, sakunam, caste, religion etc . I am least bothered whether we created God or God created us . While taking shelter under a great banyan tree why should I worry whether the tree came on its own or some one planted and developed it ?
I see His shining, smiling face all around– in the rising sun or shining moon or on the wrinkled old face of myself, when I look at a mirror. What else do you need for peace and happiness in life ?
Those who believe in astrology let them; those who believe in vastu or sakunam, Rahu or Gulikan, let them. Neither book- knowledge nor counseling will help to change faith. Experience can.
To believe in God is a great experience. It is not explainable in words. Many things which we experience cannot be explained in words. Words have a limit , like all other worldly possessions .
When the time comes, I firmly believe that everyone will have that unique experience . For some it might be momentary and for some it may last longer. Longer it lasts, lucky you are .
Your horoscope says that you have that luck- and do not forget to remit my fees when my prophesy comes true.

part 1

part 2
Some 30/40 years ago, when school education and higher studies gained momentum among our girls,, there was a sudden awareness of a living pattern  different from the one they are familiar with in their villages. You will not believe that in my own case, I was ashamed to realize when I visited the houses of Nair college mates, that there were no good furniture in my own house, though our economic status was higher than theirs. In those days pattar houses hardly had any  furniture. One of my dreams then was to buy costly sofas when I have my own house. I have an own house for the past 40 years but I am yet to think of buying a sofa set! So perceptions change when time moves on.
So the exposure to an entirely new style of life around, away from the Ekadashi, pradosham,kovil,kolam surroundings, invoked in the yet-to-settle young minds, the thoughts of crossing the fence even at the cost of foregoing the affection and attachment of their parents and home where they were born and which affectionately nourished them till then. It was the result of an instant impulse, rather than a deep thinking about the future,in many cases,that triggered the monkey in their mind and you know what happens when monkeys and elephants go amuck! Some of our girls and boys looked at the opposite ones, as if they were seeing the full-moon for the first time, landed in their cool hands and then in their hot beds.
As usual, after the initial wailing and weeping helplessly,the parents tried to forget what they called the treachery of their offspring and wanted to forgo them. Blood undoubtedly, is thicker than water and the goats of gossip always prefer fresh fodder to munch.The mother goes to see her first grand child, though hesitantly, with or without her husband. Time, tragic or auspicious events in the family and several other happenings reunite and when the grand children are grown to adulthood, the old story is blissfully forgotten.
It is not that all such marriages were a story of success or failure. Marriages, arranged by parents or self-arranged, become a complex issue in some cases and there are several contributing factors. It was a simple issue as long as the husband was the only bread-earner and his word was the law. The wife knew where her place was and mostly it was in the kitchen. Her union with the husband and his family was ordained by the Gods rather a gift from Him, which she preserved as a privileged person. She was proud of her position,though physically and mentally it was a trauma for some. Those days are gone for ever.
It is not that all love marriages failed. Most of them did not in fact, thanks to the inbuilt tendency of our girls, to adjust to the changing environment. In my close circle, there were several such marriages and I give below my observation, purely personal, not meant to tarnish the image of our set-up or to influence your thinking.
I write for my satisfaction to express my views and not to preach.
At least in two cases which I remember, the girls crossed the fencing due to the hostile environment at home. The fathers were irresponsible drunkards,mothers meek house-wives ill treated by their wayward husbands, tolerated them without protest or insisting on their rights or authority in the family. The fear that their father will never be able to find a suitable partner from their own community which will not come forward to accept the daughter of a worthless vagabond, could be one of the reasons for the girls to migrate into another caste or religion. There were protests from the boys’ side too but in due course things became smoother and they are continuing as husbands and wife, children growing up well.There would have been a lot of adjustment problems en route and let us not worry about them now as the offspring are looking for full-moons either in their own garden or beyond the fencing!
Now the things are different. Both the boys and girls do not jump over the compound walls unless they are certain that the crossing is worth and there is a good pasture-land and not deserts or vacant lands on the other side. They discuss thread bare the problems bound to arise,even to the extend of naming their offspring!.
I attended half a dozen marriages before coming to US. Three girls were from rich thiyya communities, who met their partners in the University library or working place. The boys were from orthodox Iyer/Iyengar families,the boys were doctors or engineers or finance managers,their parents including some very old ladies attended the wedding, pure vegetable meals prepared by Uduppi brahmins were provided. So, I hardly noticed any difference-no,that is not a correct statement.- the girls were dark in complexion but it was difficult to notice their skin colour unless your eyes are as sharp as mine, since they were covered with dazzling gold ornaments head to toe, and today’s gold rate is 19,ooo and odd.per 10 gm!
It is not correct to say that our boys and girls are grabbed from the other side as our stock is better and theirs are of an inferior quality. if you can set aside for a moment your varnasrama dharma criteria of superiority of our children, the partners they select are matching in education, intelligence or income. Otherwise our children would not have chosen them. And another thing I would like to tell my friends is, if your son or daughter has selected a partner from other community,You need not bend your head,put a thorthumundu over it and sit on your thinnai. It is not your fault; it has nothing to do with your way of upbringing them. My children woke up from their cradle hearing the sound of my Rudra-Chamaka recitation or crinkling sound of my harati bells but today they neither do harati nor wait for an young sumangali to come from the opposite side, to take their car out of the shed. My friend sitting in Chennai, enjoying a mouthful of Panthalam vettalai can afford that but not mine or your children. Even in India it is not possible.
One more thing I would like to remind you is that just as we have reservation to accept boys or girls from other communities,their parents too have objections. I have spoken to many parents and found that given an option, they would like to have the alliance within their own community. Some thirty years ago, I went to Kottayam to attend an intercaste marriage. The granny of the boy was almost in tears,when she hugged me with a haggard face, swallowed her saliva, addressed me as  ‘Atcho!” (It is still a mystery for me why she called me so ) and mentioned in a pathetically stammering voice that she tried to stop this wedding but could not, as her grand son was adamant .
“‘will she have the same feeling as I do, while lighting candles in front of Yeshu? Will she have the same feeling as I do, when she covers the head before prayers?’
Over an year ago, one boy related to me married a Gowder girl.The Gowder took me aside ( I don’t know why the parents are always catching me!)  and explained how hard he tried to persuade the girl to forget the boy.the women-folk too were against it. But the marriage took place. The Gowder was happy because, while taking leave of him, I gifted him a bunch of Guntur suruttu. I was also happy as I could weave a story, apart from sharing the happiness of the couple, that I did attend their wedding despite some inconveniences .
Enjoy the story,” call me to sing a kathakali song” in the below given link:
Call me to sing a Kathakali song
Love and regards,
sperinkulam
Ocala, Florida
03 June 2010
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Comments
Pattars- their faces and phrases –contd– chapter 4‏
From:[email protected] on behalf of shanti subra ([email protected])
Sent:04 June 2010 04:16AM
To:Sivasubramanian Perinkulam ([email protected]); Iyer123 ([email protected])
Dear Sivasubramanian ji
Excellent writing.  Extremely saddned to know  about the sorry state and the plight of erstwhile girls/ladies of brahmin household.  It was a curse to be born as a FEMALE in the MALE dominated brahmin community two generations up.
The ones who raised the topic of Brahmin boys not getting suitable brides or girls marrying outside the community which makes rounds for sometime now in the forum wil read this?
Now when the Female try to over come the many curses put on them by the yester year Males thru education and awareness, the MALEs who no more can over power poor FEMALES, now cry in silence to get a Wife, a Daughter-in-law.  The Egoistic MALES could not accept this down turn.  So they put the blame on the prospective brides and their mothers that they ask “what is the salary etc?”  They could not digest this? They are bewildered.
Hope the MALE bastion realises this no sooner than late and let their mothers change their outlook towards their DiLs and learn to treat them well if their sons ever get a female partner.
Kind Regards
Shanti

As posted to the 4 Brahmins Yahoo Group.
Friends,
Sri.Sri. Muralidhara Swamiji’s upadesams are always in such a simple language that even a lay man like me with  no basic knowledge in Vedas or vedantham, can understand what he says.
However, I am not able to follow the the below mentioned message quoted from the learned Swamiji’s talk:

What happens to the soul after it is departed from the body?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
“If someone commits suicide to escape trifle worldly issues, it is indeed pitiable and deplorable. This is because the soul undergoes unbearable pain until their ‘karma’ on earth comes to an end.
Such a soul roams around and tries to catch other weak people and trouble them. Those people who practice black magic deploy these roaming spirits for their mundane and sinister needs. Exactly the same thing happens, if someone dies in an accident or account of murder etc. I have witnessed this myself”.

Are there still black magic practitioners in this country who deploy the roaming spirits and if so why are we not taking any action to stop such crime? If some one dies in an accident or murder for no fault of him why should his soul suffer? Or is it due to his past karma-in which case none can do anything-he has to suffer. Why make a hue and cry about and it and why the police , why the courts of justice?
As  a child I have heard several kuttichathan stories and mantravadam in Kerala but neither in Hyderabad where I have lived for a long time nor in the west where I live now, none talks of such happenings. Even in Kerala, the place I used to visit often, none tells me about such practices. But if black magic or satanic tricks are really in vogue anywhere, we should be alert and we should act.
And the Poojya Swamiji says that “I have witnessed myself”. As a curious learner I would like to be enlightened on this aspect. What is that he has witnessed? Has any one else in this forum had such an experience?
This note is a product of my ignorance and I assure you that it is NOT due to my arrogance .
I request the moderator and understand this and allow me to have the benefit of my doubt cleared.
After all, as I understand, this forum is for improving our spiritual knowledge too.
Love and regards,
Siva