Pradosham August 20, 2021: Arunachaleswarar Temple

Below are photographs of Pradosham observed at Periyar Nandi, 5th Prakaram, Arunachaleswarar Temple on Friday, 20 August, 2021.

Progress of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Shrine construction Girivalam Roadway: August 2021

 

The below photographs were taken last Friday, August 13, 2021 and show the progress of the Sri Shirdi Sai Shrine construction, located on Girivalam Roadway where it meets Kanji Road. The Trustees of this upcoming Shrine, plan to instal the statues of Lord Ganesha and Lord Murugan on Ganesh Chaturthi, Friday, September 10, 2021.

Varalakshmi Vratam: Friday—20 August, 2021

 

Varalakshmi Vratam also known as Varalakshmi Pooja is an important Hindu festival celebrated in the honour of Goddess Lakshmi. Varalakshmi Vratam is primarily observed by married women to receive blessings from Varalakshmi, a manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi. Varalakshmi is the bestower of 'Var' or 'Varam' meaning boons.

 

It is observed on the second Friday or on the Friday just before Poornima of Shravan month (Aadi month in the Tamil calendar). It corresponds to the months of July or August. This year it falls on this day, Friday, August 20, 2021.

 

For excellent and extensive information about how and when to perform Varalakshmi Puja and other fascinating information, visit this link here.

 

The main objective of Varalaksmi Vratam is to offer genuine prayers to Goddess Lakshmi to seek Divine blessings. There are no strict rules for observing this vrat. The rituals are not rigid and even a simple prayer is enough to appease Goddess Varalakshmi. Women, particularly married ones, perform this vrat to please Goddess Lakshmi and receive Her divine grace. They pray to the Goddess for the long life of their husbands and seek blessings for children.

Let Goddess Lakshmi bless you

with all eight forces on this

Varalakshmi Vratam festival.

Sri (Wealth)

Bhu (Earth)

Saraswati (Learning)

Priti (Love)

Kirti (Fame)

Shanti (Peace)

Tushti (Pleasure) and

Pushti (Strength)

Sundaramurthi Nayanar Festival: August, 2021

 

The photos below are of the Sundaramurthi Nayanar Festival held at Arunachaleswarar Temple in the second week of August, 2021.

Sundaramurthi Nayanar flourished in the 8th century. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva and one of the Tamil Samaya Acharyas (four Tamil religious Teachers). Sundarar had the Sakhya Bhava or the attitude of a friend towards the Lord and freely demanded of the Lord whatever he wanted.

Another reason this saint is famed at Tiruvannamalai is because of his role as an emissary of Lord Siva during the Thiruvoodal Festival which is enacted at this place at the time of Pongal. To read more about this Saint, and of the Thiruvoodal Festival go to this link here.

Sundaramurthi Nayanar

Nayanars, 2nd Prakaram, Arunachaleswarar Temple

Petition Regarding Temple Elephants

Below is an update (Friday, August 6, 2021) of a current petition at the Madras High Court regarding the status of Temple Elephants in Tamil Nadu.

Petition Regarding Temple Elephants

"It is time to stop any more elephant being domesticated or taken into captivity, except in case of injury or disability, and that, too, only by forest officials in special enclosures maintained in forest areas, the Madras High Court wrote on Thursday.

Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu made the observation in an interim order on a public interest litigation petition. It was filed by activist Rangarajan Narasimhan of Srirangam, complaining about the ill-treatment of temple elephants.

The activist told the court that many temple elephants did not have regular mahouts with whom they developed a bond and the pachyderms were made to stand in the same place for hours, besides being lodged in small enclosures.

Claiming that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister had recently made a call to people to donate elephants to temples, he wondered what the necessity was for religious institutions to own elephants.

Referring to the religious references to Lord Vishnu having descended on earth to save an elephant from a crocodile, the litigant said, “Religion does not insist on keeping animals in captivity. It has only become a fashion statement to donate elephants to temples.”

To read the full narrative go to this link here

Rukku at Temple

The last elephant at Arunachaleswarar Temple was Rukku who at the young age of 30 years, passed away inside the compound of the Temple at 12.30 a.m. on Thursday March 22, 2017. For information regarding her antecedents, live and death, go to an earlier narrative at this link here

The below photo is of her interment outside the eastern walls of the Arunachaleswarar Temple Compound.

Rukku's Interment next to East Wall of Temple

The Shrine is south of the Amman Ammani Gopuram east wall

The last photograph is of Rukku in happier times, walking to Adiannamalai in July 2012, to participate in a function at the Temple at that place.

Beautiful Rukku

Guru Purnima Tuesday, 24 July, 2021

Guru Purnima is traditionally celebrated on full moon day in the month of Ashadh (July-August) of the Hindu calendar. Guru Purnima (which falls this year on Saturday, July 24th) is the day on which the Guru is revered by devotees. Sri Dakshinamurti is an aspect of Lord Siva as the primordial master, the personification of ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge.

At Arunachala the manifestation of Lord Siva as Dakshinamurti is celebrated as the ‘silent Guru’. This day also celebrates the birth of the great author Veda Vyasa who wrote the epic Mahabharata.

Guru Purnima Timing 2021

Tithi starts at 10:43 AM on July 23, Friday
Tithi ends at 8.06 AM on July 24, Saturday

Lord Siva and His Worship

During the absence of Devi, when Lord Siva was alone, the sons of Brahma, (sages: Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara) went to have Darshan of Lord Siva. They prostrated before Him and entreated the Lord to teach them how to remove avidya and attain salvation. They admitted that in spite of their vast study of scriptures they had no internal peace and needed to learn the inner secrets—by knowing which they could attain salvation.

"Lord Siva, hearing this appeal made by the sages, assumed the form of Dakshinamurti and remaining as the Guru Supreme, began to teach them the inner secrets by keeping Mouna and showing the “chinmudra” by His hand. The sages began to meditate on the lines shown by the Lord and attained the state of inexpressible and illimitable joy. Thus Lord Siva came to be known as Dakshinamurti".

[By Swami Sivananada]

Sri Ramana Maharshi on Dakshinamurti

Ramana Maharshi: Lectures may entertain individuals for a few hours without improving them. Silence on the other hand is permanent and benefits the whole of humanity.

Devotee: But silence is not understood.

Ramana Maharshi: It does not matter. By silence, eloquence is meant. Oral lectures are not so eloquent as silence. Silence is unceasing eloquence. The Primal Master, Dakshinamurti, is the ideal. He taught his Rishi disciples by silence.

Devotee: But then there were disciples for Him. It was all right. Now it is different. They must be sought after and helped.

Ramana Maharshi: That is a sign of ignorance. The power which created you has created the world. If it can take care of you, it can similarly take care of the world also.

[Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi]

Shiva: The Adiyogi

The sacred day of Guru Poornima marks the first transmission of the yogic sciences from Shiva—the Adiyogi or First Yogi—to the Saptarishis, the seven celebrated sages on the banks of Lake Kantisarovar (near Kedarnath Temple in the Himalayas). Thus, the Adiyogi became the Adi Guru or the First Guru on this day. The Saptarishis carried this knowing offered by Adiyogi throughout the world. Even today, every spiritual process on the planet draws from the "knowing" created by Adiyogi.

The story goes that over 15,000 years ago, a yogi appeared in the upper regions of the Himalayas. Nobody knew what his origins were but his presence was extraordinary. He exhibited no signs of life, but for occasional tears of ecstasy that rolled down his face. After the crowds of onlookers dispersed, seven men remained. When the yogi opened his eyes, they pleaded that he share his experience with them. He ignored them, but as they persevered the yogi gave them a simple preparatory step and closed his eyes again.

Days rolled into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, but the yogi’s attention did not fall upon them again. After 84 years of sadhana, on the summer solstice that marks the advent of Dakshinayana (the earth’s southern run), the yogi looked at them again. They had become shining souls that could be no longer ignored. On the next full moon day, the yogi turned south and sat as guru to these seven men. Shiva thus became Adi Guru and expounded spiritual truths to the seven disciples. The seven were to be known as Saptarishis, who took their knowledge around the world.

Guru Purnima is held sacred in the yogic tradition because the Adiyogi opened up the possibility for a human being to evolve consciously. The seven different aspects of yoga that were put in these seven individuals became the foundation for the seven basic forms of yoga, something that has still endured.

In honour of this divine personage, spiritual aspirants and devotees either perform Vyasa Puja on this day, or worship their own spiritual preceptor. Saints, monks and men of God are honoured and entertained with acts of charity by householders with faith and sincerity. The period Chaturmas (the "four months") begins from this day; Sannyasins stay at one place during the ensuing four rainy months, engaging in the study of the Brahma Sutras and the practice of meditation.

The day of Guru Poornima is supposed to herald the settling in of the rains and is thus a time that aspirants commence or resolve to intensify their spiritual disciplines. The Srutis say: "To that high-souled aspirant, whose devotion to the Lord is great and whose devotion to his Guru is as great as that to the Lord, the secrets explained herein become illuminated".

Spiritual Teachings of the Sadguru

The upa-agama, Devilottara is the essence of all Agama Sastra and explains the supreme wisdom to be attained by mature souls and their mode of life, expounded by the Lord Siva to Devi.

This dialogue conveys the highest spiritual teachings between the Sadguru Lord Siva and His most surrendered devotee the Goddess Parvati.

To read these teachings go to this link here

Two Arunachaleswarar Temple Online Virtual Tours

 

For those eager to take a walk around Arunachaleswarar Temple, there are currently two virtual online tours you can experience. One is the 360° tour at this link

and the other tour of Arunachaleswarar Temple, can be found at this link here

Radius of Arunachala Power

 

(Nandikesvara tells Markandeya)

"There is in the Southern Region, O ascetic, in the land of Dravidas, a great sacred place named Aruna associated with the Lord with the crescent-moon for his crest-jewel.

It extends to three Yojanas. It is worthy of being adored by Sivayogins. Know it to be the heart of the earth, attractive and thrilling to Siva.

There the Lord Sambhu himself has assumed the form of a mountain. He has the name Arunachala. He is conducive to the welfare of the worlds."

[Chapter 4, The Greatness of Arunachala: Skanda Purana -- I.iii(U).4.12-23]

 

Siva said:

"I ordain that residence within a radius of three Yojanas of this Hill shall be itself suffice to burn off all defects and effect union with the Supreme."

[Skanda Purana]

Right Click to view image, then left click image to view in high resolution

What is a Yojana

A yojana is a Vedic measure of distance used in ancient India. The exact measurement is disputed amongst scholars, but it is currently believed that 1 yojana is around 12-15 kms i.e. around 9 miles. It is declared in the Shastras that 3 yojanas around Arunachala are blessed— which means around 30 miles i.e. 48 kms.

The etymology of the word ‘yojana’ is derived from the same root that gives us both the English word ‘yoke’ and the Indian term ‘yoga’. It is thought that ‘yojana’ initially meant ‘being yoked’, and that it was used as a unit of measure to indicate the approximate distance that a cow could pull a cart to which it was yoked.

The yojana is used extensively in ancient descriptions of Buddhist cosmology (and, presumably, Hindu cosmology as well). The size of layers of the Earth, the heights of mountains, and the depths of seas are all described using yojanas.

 

Chandrachooda—Celebration of Lord Siva

An auspicious joy-filled way to start July 2021 is to sing along with the below video track "Chandrachooda" by Anoop Sankar, which is full of life and vigour, and an example of the uplifting inspirational enthusiastic fusion music coming out of India.

 

The word enthusiasm is derived from the two Greek words, "en" and "theos" and literally means, "filled with God." The word itself tells that people with enthusiasm and filled with God, will have a better life and help create a better world.

 

The track is a celebration of Lord Siva—"One whose locks are adorned by the moon! Oh pristinely pure one, the creator of auspiciousness! Oh husband of ParvatI, salutations to thee! Oh handsome one, holding a deer and a bow called pinaka in your hands, bearing the holy Ganges on your head, and draped in a garment made from the skin of the elephant-faced demon you destroyed!"

Lyrics of Chandrachooda


Chandrachooda Sivasankara Parvathy Ramana ninage namo namo

Chandrachooda Sivasankara Parvathy Ramana ninage namo namo

Sundhara tharathiragadhara hara, Sundhara tharathiragadhara hara

Gangadhara gajacharvaam bharathara, Gangadhara gajacharvaam bharathara

Chandrachooda Sivasankara Parvathy Ramana ninage namo namo

Sadhyo jaathamaam vadhanam, Gangachandra samagama theertham, Pranavam naadhamay unarum, Thudiyo vedha kalamritha punyam

Prakrithiyum ninnil vikrithiyum ninnil, Swarangalilay layangalilay sakthiswaroopam

Om Sivoham Sree Sivoham, Om sivoham rudram sreekaram

Koralali vasima rudrakshavu dharasida, parama vyashanavanu neene, Garuda gamana namma, purandara vittalana, praana priyanu neene

Chandrachooda Sivasankara Parvathy Ramana, ninage namo namo

Thaanam tha thanam tha

Madhyamam Mamakamam Ekavam, Poornavam sunyavam Ekanum Krishnanum Mudhranum Ekane

Isakki Swamigal Girivalam

 

Isakki Swamigal Girivalam

May 2, 1917—January 9, 1991

 

Devotees are not yet allowed to perform Arunachala girivalam (during full moon) but as soon as restrictions are lifted and public transportation fully reinstated, I will make a posting with girivalam details here on Arunachala Grace.

In the meanwhile, I reproduce below a wonderful narrative of the great Arunachala devotee Isakki Swamigal who ever sang the praises and benefits to all of performing Arunachala girivalam. To read more of Isakki Swamigal and about his Arunachala experiences, visit this link here.

For several years Isakki Swamigal daily undertook Arunachala girivalam and started to become famous amongst locals. Groups of people started to follow him around the hill chanting 'Om Namah Shivaya,' and 'Arogahara! Arogahara! Annamalaiku Arogahara!' Increasingly more locals began to follow him during his giripradakshina. On every circumambulation, when reaching Panchamukha Point, Swamigal would stop and engage in meditation. During his days, Swamigal met and saw a number of siddhars and yogis who went round the hill on giripradakshina.

During his life, it is reported Isakki Swamigal performed Arunachala angapradakshina (pradakshina by rolling the body in a clockwise movement on the ground) 1008 times. Even today, it is thought that Swamigal in his astral form performs girivalam twice daily. Close to the statue at the Panchamukha Shrine it is believed Swamigal performs meditation each day at noon. Near that place there is a well which he created specifically in order to supply drinking water for devotees.

The below narrative on Isakki Swamigal, is from a book by Howard Murphet. Murphet was one of the first Western devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and his books were important in introducing Sai Baba to the West, much in the same way Brunton's book "In Search of Secret India," introduced Sri Ramana Maharshi to the World.

Isakki Swamigal at Panchamukha Point

Meeting Isakki Swamigal by Howard Murphet

One man we met on our first visit to Arunachala had done the circular sacred journey round the mountain in an extraordinary way and had a truly remarkable boon. This was Isakki Swamigal of Tiruvannamalai. We met him one evening as we stood by the side of a road coming out of the town. Along the road towards us, with the beat of drum, sounding brass, and tinkling cymbals, came a group of men. There must have been a dozen of them, some carrying a canopy under which walked a man. Surely a prince must be approaching, we thought. And when the group came in front of us and stopped, we could see that he was truly a prince of the spirit. His eyes were shining, a smile lit up his radiant face and around him was the unmistakable vibration of one who has reached a high level of attainment. My wife was so overcome that she pushed in through the crowd of men around him and touched his feet. Then she stood up and moved to join our friend and myself by the side of the road. Then the procession moved on with its joyous marching music.

Our friend, Ma Tallyarkan, who was residing at Tiruvannamalai, told us that it was Isakki Swamigal with a group of his devotees. From her, and from other people, we heard the story of his journey around the mountain and his boon. It seems that, lying horizontally on the ground, he rolled the whole eight miles along the circular route. When he stood up at the end of it, Lord Siva with his consort Parvati, were standing before him. With this boon of the Siva-Shakti darshan, came the gift of healing.

Isakki Swamigal was reported to be able to heal with spiritual power. Miraculous healings were the result and people came to him in great crowds. His consulting rooms could not cope with this huge influx, so he took up a position near the road on the other side of Arunachala from Tiruvannamalai. It was a quiet, pleasant spot. He went there at about three o'clock each morning and droves of people surrounded him at that time. Drawn by his elevated spiritual level, people began to gather around him, treat him at their guru, and move about with him—as we saw that evening by the roadside.

[Abridged from Howard Murphet narrative 1971]

The Flea and the Elephant

 

I have posted below a light-hearted story about our position in the Universe. To read more light-hearted morality tales, please visit my website at this link here.

"A flea decided to move with his family into the ear of an elephant. So he shouted, "Mr. Elephant, Sir, my family and I plan to move into your ear. I think it only fair to give you a week to think the matter over and let me know if you have any objection?"

The Elephant, who was not even aware of the existence of the flea went his placid way so, after conscientiously waiting a week, the flea assumed the Elephant's consent and moved in. A month later Mrs. Flea decided the Elephant's ear was not a healthy place to live in and urged her husband to tell the Elephant that they were moving; in such way so as not to hurt the Elephant's feelings.

So, Mr. Flea put it to tactfully to the Elephant, "Sir, we plan to move to other quarters. This has nothing at all to do with you of course, because your ear is spacious and warm. It is just that my wife would rather live next door to her friends at the buffalo's foot. If you have any objection to our moving, do let me know in the course of the next week." The Elephant said nothing, so the flea changed residence with a clear conscience".

Moral of the Story: Relax—the Universe is not aware of your existence!

[Anthony De Mello]

Construction of Shirdi Sai Baba Shrine on Girivalam Roadway

 

In an earlier posting at this link here I uploaded photographs of the Groundbreaking and Bhumi Puja for the Temple Construction of the new Shirdi Sai Baba Shrine to be built on the Girivalam Roadway near the junction of Kanji Road.

Below are photographs of the ongoing construction and I have also included an image of a rough plan of the upcoming Shrine and contact information of the group responsible for this Shrine. 

Rough Plan of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Shrine

Details of Temple Founders and Contact Information

I hope to continue posting updates of the ongoing development of this new Shrine on the Girivalam Roadway.

1860 Photographs of Arunachaleswarar Temple with 9 Gopurams

 

I recently received these two beautiful photographs of Arunachaleswarar Temple and its nine Gopurams. Have embedded the photographs on Arunachala Grace at the resolution I received them at so those interested can enlarge, print and frame the photos.

Eternity: A Description

”Eternity! What mind of man can understand it?

You have often seen the sand on the seashore. How fine are its tiny grains!

And how many of those tiny little grains go to make up the small handful which a child grasps in its play. Now imagine a mountain of that sand, a million miles high, reaching from the earth to the farthest heavens, and a million miles broad, extending to remotest space, and a million miles in thickness: and imagine such an enormous mass of countless particles of sand multiplied as often as there are leaves in the forest, drops of water in the mighty ocean, feathers on birds, scales on fish, hair on animals, atoms in the vast expanse of the air: and imagine that at the end of every million years a little bird came to that mountain and carried away in its beak a tiny grain of that sand. How many millions upon millions of centuries would pass before that bird had carried away even a square foot of that mountain, how many eons upon eons of ages before it had carried away all.

Yet at the end of that immense stretch of time not even one instant of eternity could be said to have ended. At the end of all those billions and trillions of years eternity would have scarcely begun. And if that mountain rose again after it had all been carried away and if that bird came again and carried it all away again grain by grain: and if it so rose and sank as many times as there are stars in the sky, atoms in the air, drops of water in the sea, leaves on the trees, feathers upon birds, scales upon fish, hairs upon animals, at the end of all those innumerable risings and sinkings of that immeasurably vast mountain not even one instant of eternity could be said to have ended; even then at the end of such a period, after that eon of time the mere thought of which makes our very brain reel dizzily, eternity would have scarcely begun.”

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

[By James Joyce]