Epic Fail

Throughout the recorded history of Tiruvannamalai, rulers and emperors viewed Arunachala and the surrounding countryside as the crown jewel of their kingdom. Compare that attitude with the current one of disrespect and commercial opportunism. We are now in the Kali Yuga and even at the most powerful seat of Lord Shiva, the ultimate ruler in the eyes of most is money.

The Samudram is an essential feature of the area as it collects water running off Arunachala during the monsoon. In rainy years the 750 acre Samudram will be full for 5-6 months. For the rest of the time the area is dry and supports a myriad selection of wildlife including mongoose, monkey colonies, foxes, and rabbits.

Arunachala Samudram, the largest water reservoir in Tiruvannamalai, until recent times was maintained perfectly and with veneration. But now the area is being quickly destroyed; the topsoil of the Samudram being removed by the truckload and sold on nearby construction areas and pretty walkways on the top of the embankment with its surrounding forest of indigenous trees, has already been mostly destroyed in preparation for a bypass road. And this area is classified a ‘protected one’. But when it comes to a quick profit, 'protected areas' get quickly and quietly re-designated.

Compare the photographs in the before and after photographs of the walkway and area surrounding the Arunachala Samudram embankment.

Samudram Embankment Before Development

Samudram Embankment After Development

Not only has the whole area been devastated in order that a bypass road can be created by joining the housing projects (to be built) at the back of the Samudram with Perubakkam Road at the Arts College on Chengham Road, but the work itself is an Epic Fail. One heavy rainy season and the whole road will be washed away. Even the labourers who worked on this project are mystified. 

Sri Nannagaru at Ashram

On Monday, March 26th Sri Nannagaru gave his final darshan in the morning before his departure in the early afternoon of that day. It will be probably be several months before Sri Nannagaru returns to Arunachala. In the meantime to check out his upcoming schedules, you can visit his website at this link here. 

Sri Nannagaru at Arunachala

Sri Nannagaru arrived at Arunachala on March 14th and will be departing this coming Monday, March 26, 2012. A large number of his Andhra devotees have followed Swami on this trip to Arunachala. Consequently Sri Nannagaru has been giving open-air discourses in Telegu most evenings in his Ashram at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar (some 1 1/2 kms west of Ramana Ashram).

He has also been giving discourses to smaller groups in his own room at his Ashram. To find out more about Sri Nannagaru, please refer to his website at this link.



Looking at the Hill from Ashram

Swamiji today, Saturday March 24, 2012



Devotees waiting for Sri Nannagaru



Sri Nannagaru giving Discourse in Telegu





For those of us unable to speak Telegu, to watch a short video of Sri Nannagaru (which was part of a series of interviews conducted some time ago) and which was conducted in English, please view below.

The question Swamiji is answering is:

Are there any qualifications for enlightenment? Is spiritual practice necessary? If yes, what form do you advise?

To watch the video of Swami answering in English please go to this link here.

An abridged transcription of his reply is thus:

“Qualifications are essential in relative truth. The utmost importance should be given to purity. The essential thing is that mind, speech and deed must be one. Mind-word, mind-heart, mind-word-deed, these things must be one. That is the main qualification for truth-realization. Purity is essential but the topmost qualification is that there should be unity of heart, mind, word and deed. Also for enlightenment there must be purity.

For purity the essential qualification must be mind control. Unless we can learn to control the mind we cannot concentrate it towards the Truth that is already hidden in the heart. Where the mind springs there is Truth, which is not relative Truth. By Truth I mean actual Truth. It is absolute Truth!

The main qualifications are that heart, mind, word and speech must be one. There should also be purity and mind control.

Mind control means that we have to arrest the wandering of the mind. Wandering of the mind brings unnecessary thoughts, sorrow, and also brings physical and mental ill health. Too much wandering of the mind is very bad both for spiritual and also material life, so power of concentration is essential.

For mind control there is upasana. Put your mind on your favourite God. Put your mind on any God or Guru you like and please remember his name and meditate on his form. If you like pranayama you should also do it as it will be beneficial, but the best thing is upasana. Upasana means to constantly think about Arunachala, think about the Hill and its name. If you think one thing, think God. If you think always about absolute Truth then automatically the wanderings of mind will be stopped. There is upasana, this is a Sanksrit word and means Upa – mind control. In the Indian tradition most truth seekers and devotees say unless you are accustomed to upasana you cannot get realization.”

Haven in Arunachala Countryside

Today I made a trip to the countryside to visit friends who have just purchased a parcel of 5 acres some 5 kms from the Arunachala girivalam roadway. After making sure that my own dogs would be well looked after in my own compound, I set off on my adventure.

The land is located at Periyarpalliyapattu, a small rural, unspoilt area with darshan of Arunachala. The purchasers a married couple (Philippe from France and Kiran from North India) are now busy overseeing the development of their land. A large crew spent a few weeks unearthing and breaking up large stones, more workers set up posts on the land boundaries which later will be fitted with barbed wire and another group of specialist workers have been busy digging an agricultural well. The well which is supposed to be 40 feet deep is already beginning to fill at only 10 feet, so the workers will have to be inventive in how they continue their dig. Only another 30 feet to go.

Next month work commences on a house, cottages and several other structures. All buildings will be made with local ecologically friendly material according to traditional South Indian designs and concepts.

Philippe and Kiran, who are devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba have already been given permission by local authorities to designate the area Sathya Sai Nagar. Their wish is to create a haven in the Arunachala countryside where pilgrims can concentrate on their sadhana in the shadow of the great Hill. I will be giving regular updates on progress on the development of their haven “Greenland”.




Arunachala from Land




Area surrounded by Hills




Beautiful Expansive Area




Vinayaka has Already Arrived




Nearby Pond




Babysitting my Friends' Dogs




The Well Crew




Hot Work on a Summer's Day




Well is Already Over 10 feet Deep




Checking out Workers' Hut




Their Ingenious Outside Cooker




Philippe with Doggies




Posts Marking Land Boundary




Kiran and Phillipe
with doggies Jodhaa and Akim

Thorny Bush

Now that the weather is heating up nicely, my evening walk with my doggies has been pushed back to as late as possible. But even though it is close to dusk when we start our promenade on the Samudram Erie, we often meet with goat and cow herders and wood cutters. This time last year a lot of the Samudram was still under water, but the rains at the end of 2011 were light and what little water fell has long evaporated.





One of the most hardy inhabitants of this area is the thorny bush which grows profusely whether it is wet or dry. As much as I love Mother Nature and all that grows under her loving gaze, must admit to having an imperfect relationship with this type of thorny bush. I actually believe this bush is spiteful as whatever way one approaches, its almost impossible not to get scratched or pronged by one of its sharp needles.





How the woodcutters manage to handle and cut the thorny bush is one of the world’s great mysteries, as even within a stone’s throw of these little villains, I somehow manage to get cut and injured . . . and I'm not even there to hurt them!






The thorny bush replenishes naturally, so there is a substantial growth of these small trees throughout the Samudram. It’s a very popular haunt for birdies, many of whom make their nests in the protective limbs of this bush.






From what I understand several institutions like the General Hospital purchase the thorny bush by the kg to use as fuel in their outside fires. But even if the woodcutters don’t sell the wood, they will happily use it as fuel for their own fires.





The ladies have probably been out on the Samudram since lunch and its now after 6 p.m. A heavy day's work -- but good success and a substantial load to either sell off or use at home.





Off they go . . .

Five Pancha Bootha Sthalams

There are five pancha boothasthalams or designated sacred spaces, where Shiva is worshipped as the five elements of nature: agni or fire (nerupu) at Arunachaleswarar Temple here at Tiruvannamalai, bhumi or earth at Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram; neer or water at Jambukeswara Temple in Thiruvanaikaval, vaayu or wind (kaatru) at Srikalahasti and as akasam or the sky at Chidambaram.

Arunachaleswarar Temple has a wealth of mythology attached to it which tells of its association with fire, heat, light and the sun. Primarily of which is the story of Shiva manifesting himself in the form of a massive column of fire, whose crown and feet could not be found by the Gods Brahma and Vishnu. A celebration of this manifestation is observed in particular during the festivals of Shivaratri and Karthigai Deepam. The lingam inside the Mulasthana of Arunachaleswarar Temple itself generates such intense heat radiation, that it is uncomfortable for pilgrims to spend more than a few minutes in the Siva Sannidhi.

At one time the authorities at the Temple planned to install an air-conditioner in the sanctum because of the reports of devotees fainting due to the extreme heat. But the plan was abandoned as a result of public opposition – as people felt that cooling the sannidhi would be interfering with the divine presence.



Arunachaleswarar Temple,
Tiruvannamalai (fire)



In Kancheepuram, the lingam is made of sand as Ekambareswarar is perceived to be in the form of earth. It is said that Parvati made the lingam from the sand on the river bank and did penance to unite with Shiva. Local devotees say both that the present lingam is made of sand and that the sand inside the temple is of a different colour to sand found elsewhere in the area.



Ekambareswarar Temple,
Kanchipuram (earth)


At Thiruvanaikaval, Jalagandeeswarar is in the form of water. The lingam is in the midst of water and a spring is present inside the shrine. It is linked to the River Cauvery which runs close to the Temple. Even when the river runs dry, water is present inside the shrine all through the year. Goddess Akhilandeswari is said to have been pacified by Adi Sankara. Devotees consider the Goddess to be more powerful in this place than Shiva.



Thiruvanaikaval Temple,
Trichy (water)


At Kalahasthi, there is no window in the sanctum and just one solitary lamp flickers. No one knows where the wind comes from to make the lamp flicker. Sri Kalahastheeswara is in the form of air in this temple.



Kalahasti Temple (Air)


At Chidambaram, Shiva is present as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, in the form of ether. Though there is an idol of Nataraja, he is Arupa or formless. There is a separate enclosure covered by a screen in the sanctum decorated with bilva leaves made of gold. Shiva is Arupa here and this is also called the Chidambara Rahasiyam - the secret of Chidambaram.




Chidambaram Natarajar Temple (Sky)

Humble (By Nasruddin)

‘My beloveds, I remember a time long ago when I was still a Mullah. I lived in a small town. I remember one evening, we had finished our prayers. The stars were clear and bright, and seemed to fill the sky solidly with lights. I stood at the window, gazing at the lights so far away, each one bigger than our world, and so distant from us across vast reaches of space. I thought of how we walk this earth, filled with our own importance, when we are just specks of dust. If you walk out to the cliffs outside the town, a walk of half an hour at most, you look back and you can see the town, but the people are too small to see, even at that meagre distance. When I think of the immensity of the Universe, I am filled with awe and reverence for power so great.






I was thinking such thoughts, looking out the window and I realized I had fallen to my knees. "I am nothing, nothing!" I cried, amazed and awestruck. There was a certain well-to-do man of the town, a kind man who wished to be thought very devout. He cared more for what people thought of him than for what he actually was. He happened to walk in and he saw and heard what passed. My beloveds, I was a little shy at being caught in such a moment, but he rushed down, looking around in the obvious hope someone was there to see him. He knelt beside me, and with a final hopeful glance at the door through which he had just come, he cried, "I am nothing! I am nothing!"

It appears that the man who sweeps, a poor man from the edge of the village, had entered the side door with his broom to begin his night's work. He had seen us, and being a man of true faith and honest simplicity, his face showed that he entertained some of the same thoughts that had been laid on me by God. He dropped his broom and fell to his knees in a shadowed corner, and said softly, "I am nothing...I am nothing!"

The well-to-do man next to me nudged me with his elbow and said out of the side of his mouth, "Look who thinks he's nothing!"’