Renunciation As Supreme Enjoyment

Greek thinker Diogenes gave up everything. Like Mahavira, he lived naked. All he kept was a begging bowl, for begging and drinking water. One day, he saw a villager drinking water by cupping his hands, so he immediately threw away his begging bowl. The villager asked him, “What have you done?” He replied, “I never knew that one could drink water by cupping one’s hands – now why should I be deprived of such a joy? The begging bowl is only a dead thing, and when I fill it with water I feel nothing from it. When I fill my hands with water, they feel the connection with water, its coolness, its life-giving energy. My love also enters the water through my hands, and it becomes alive. So I will be drinking that too.” The first time Diogenes cupped his hands and drank water from them, he started dancing! He said, “What a fool I was to use a dead vessel to drink water from, because it made the water dead, too. The energy from my hands, the heat, could not pass through to the water. And this was also insulting to the water.” Our senses have become numb like his bowl. Whatever we receive through them becomes dead. Food on the plate looks beautiful; the minute it enters your mouth it becomes ordinary. Music becomes mundane when it enters your ears. Flowers lose their beauty when seen through your eyes. We make everything ordinary – whereas everything in the world is extraordinary. The flower you see on a tree has never blossomed before. It is absolutely new. It is impossible to find another flower like it on this earth. It has never existed before, and it will never exist again in the future. Our eyes turn the existence of a unique flower into something mundane when we say, “It’s okay – we’ve seen thousands of roses like this before.” Because of the thousands you have seen, your eyes have become blind and you cannot see what is there, present, in front of you. What have those thousands of flowers got to do with this one? Emerson has written that upon seeing a rose it came to his mind that the flower has no idea of the existence of thousands of other flowers – neither of the flowers still to come, nor of those which have gone before. This rose is present, here and now, offering itself to the divine. It is joyful because it does not compare itself with any other. But when he sees it, the thousands of others which he has seen get in the way. His vision is blurred, and the unique experience of this flower goes to waste. He doesn’t perceive its beauty; the strings of his heart are not moved, nor are his senses stirred. We live in a unique world. The divine is manifested here in so many ways all around us. But we’ve made a grave of our senses. We are only passing through life – nothing touches us. We ask, “Where is bliss, where is godliness?” – and it is present all around us! Inside, outside, there is nothing other than godliness. By abusing our senses, we kill the one who could experience it. Renunciation is the science of supreme enjoyment. Only someone who knows how to let go is able to experience. Let go of the meaningless so that you can realise the meaningful; let go of sensations so that you can perceive the subtle. Voice Of Silence,

Wahe Guru Ki Fateh

By: Kulbir Kaur Baisakh was the day of sacrifice; it was also one of rebirth. For this was the day, more than three centuries ago, when the Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, asked Sikhs at Anandpur, as to who was prepared to sacrifice his life for the Guru. Five persons offered themselves who he called the Panj Piyaras, the five beloved ones, and baptised them as Khalsa or ‘pure’. He administered amrit or nectar to them from a simple bowl before consuming some himself. The Khalsa and Guru became one; there was no more duality. The Khalsa were instructed that the divine was forever present in their midst. Bhai Gurdas observed, “As one Sikh is sufficient to announce his identity, two of them make up the holy congregation, and among five of them, God is present”. The Khalsa, the chosen ones, the pure ones, were to represent the philosophy of ‘Ek Onkar’ -- One Word, One World, as expressed by Guru Gobind Singh in his writings. In ‘Akal Ustat’ and ‘Jap Sahib’ he praises ‘the timeless One’ who is “just, merciful, all-powerful, omniscient and all-loving”. The Akal or Creator, is formless, invisible, immeasurably great, king of kings, God of gods, Moon of moons, Sun of suns. His mystery is impenetrable. His glory is indefinable”. The Khalsa is enjoined to imbibe attributes of the Almighty who is light, love, goodness, truth and energy. The Akal is ever-calm, without anxiety, without desire, like the sky above the earth...vast and deep -- the highest ideal. The Akal is accessible to the soul through a life of devotion and prayer. The Khalsa, according to Guru Gobind Singh, is ‘the one who meditates day and night on the ever- shining light and does not give place in his heart to anyone except the One’. The Creator is without distinctions; so is the Khalsa. The Almighty is the only One, the only truth. “I bow to him as One ; I bow to him as One” says the Guru. Reciting, “Jale Hari, thali Hari... bane Hari...Tuhi..Tuhi… only You.. only You…” the Sikh reaches the highest state of ecstasy, of realisation which no words, no translation can express. With this stage, there remains no distinction, no separate identity between Creator and Creation. Both are merged and complete. Guru Gobind Singh often refers to the Almighty as ‘Sarabloh’ or ‘all-iron’, symbolised in weapons of war -- and why not? When God vanquishes evil, he helps those who take a courageous stand against tyrants. The martial Lord is invoked as Bhagauti or sword by Guru Gobind Singh. ‘I bow to the sword, spotless, fearless and unbreakable; I bow to the sword which destroys evil’. Bhagauti which represents Creator and word; it also means that a bhakta or devotee has divine significance, for the Khalsa performs the dual role of preserving good and overcoming all that is bad.The saint-soldier Guru says, “Hail, hail to the Creator , the Saviour, my cherisher, hail to thee, O sword !”. Unsurprisingly, the Khalsa starts Ardas, the daily prayer, with an invocation to the sword, ‘Pritham Bhagauti simar ke Guru Nanak layi dhiyai’ -- “Having first remembered the sword, meditate on Guru Nanak.” The Khalsa is akal ki fauj-- God's own army created to fulfill the divinely ordained mission of Gurus --‘Dharam chalavan, sant ubaran, dust sabhan ko mul uparan’ -- to uphold dharma, protect the saintly and uproot the wicked. ‘Wahe Guruji ka Khalsa; Wahe Guruji ki Fateh’ -- ‘Hail the Khalsa who belongs to the Lord; Hail the Lord to whom belongs victory’. Today is Baisakhi

Significance Of Pranava Mantra

The significance of Pranava mantra is evident from the fact that it is considered one of the faces of Lord Shanmukha. According to Kachiappa Sivachariar, Lord Siva is seated on the Pranava mantra. It is the foundation of the Vedas, explained Panasai Aruna, in a discourse. It is said that if a person dies in Kasi, Goddess Parvati puts the dead person on Her lap, and gently strokes the body, while Siva recites ‘Aum Nama Sivaya,' and the soul departs for Kailasa, His abode. “Aum” is a mantra that will help us cross the ocean of ‘samsara.' So important is the Pranava mantra that when Lord Brahma says he does not know its meaning, Lord Shanmukha imprisons him. Lord Brahma says he has the knowledge of the Vedas, but is unable to explain the meaning of the Pranava mantra. Kachiappa Sivachariar says that if Lord Brahma, the Creator, himself did not know the meaning, how can one believe anyone who claims he has understood the meaning of the mantra? It is not given to everyone to understand its meaning. Only those with gnana understand the mantra. After imprisoning Lord Brahma, Lord Shanmukha takes on the task of creation. Siva pacifies Shanmukha and points out that Brahma cannot be kept in prison for long and he should be released. Lord Siva asks Brahma what his sojourn in prison was like. Brahma says he saw the prison as a place for performing penance. Siva then puts Shanmukha on His lap and asks Him the meaning of Pranava. Shanmukha says He will convey it to Siva secretly. The whole universe is created from “Aum.” Souls are born on this earth, because God wants to release them from bondage. When we take a birth, depending upon the kind of life we lead in this birth, we take further births. And so on the cycle goes, until we become God realised and liberated. So it is to “Aum” that souls owe their liberation. After the deluge, when God again decides to create, “Aum” is heard. Thus everything has its origin in “Aum.”

The Only Way Out Is Within

By: Rohini Singh you feel well? If you're feeling joyful, content,

grateful, alert and expansive, your system is faring well. If you're not quite so comfortable, you're up against energy thieves that are enjoying a feast at your expense. You know that solution: Plug the leaks, drop resistance, face fear, banish worry or practise forgiveness, as the case may be. Once you plug the leaks, your energy system immediately begins to recover. As you continue to detoxify yourself, your self awareness increases. You begin to choose your responses and hence shift the whole paradigm you're living in. You assume total responsibility for whatever state you find yourself in and know that only you, and not external circumstances, can resolve any problems that may crop up. In actuality, this journey is about letting your mind, the small one that you're familiar with, dissolve and expand into the Big Mind, the place of infinite potential. Tapping into it allows you flow, surrender, co-creation and higher guidance. The heart, remember, guides you to increasing connectivity, joy and love. It replaces pain as a habit. The journey has to be lived, not merely understood. You can start on your journey right now by doing some of the following: Every night write 10 things that youre grateful for in a journal kept especially for this purpose. It gets you to focus on what's good in your life, not on what isn't. And it's a proven energy rule. What you focus on expands. This is the easiest way of attracting more of what makes you happy and being open to receive. Meditation provides the break that your mind needs and deserves and helps you cope with stressful lifestyles. When you meditate, brain-wave activity slows down and depending on the depth of your meditation, you can access more profound levels of creativity, healing, relaxation and de-stressing. This is the time when the small mind plugs into the Big Mind, gets recharged, and accesses an area of infinite potentiality. Breathe : Make a small placard that displays this one word. Put it on your office desk or at home where you can see it frequently. Every time you do, just take two deep breaths with awareness and continue with your regular activities. This is an incredible awareness exercise.It helps you create the space you need to make conscious choices. Cut cords: This is a magical practice. When we interact with people, we're automatically connected with them by a cord at the solar plexus, the area just below the rib cage. We exchange energies through this cord which is strong in the case of people we're close to. To keep your energy system clear, you must disconnect and terminate this exchange each day with every person you interact with. It's an excellent practice if you've had an unpleasant conversation with someone. This is what you do: Close your eyes. Visualise the cord. Imagine yourself cutting it. Mentally say: I cut and release all connections with you at the solar plexus level. Reconnect the cord at the heart level. Say the words: Only love remains between us. Steal joy: This is an amazing practice that you can use to trick yourself into changing your mood or state when youre feeling miserable. First, accept that this is so and allow it to be. Don't fight it. Converse with yourself; take a break from your misery, for just a day. Injecting these little exercises in awareness into your daily life will make you feel in charge, starting immediately.

Our ancient scriptures and modern science

CULTURAL KALEIDOSCOPE
B.M.N. Murthy shares some of the great contributions made by our ancient scriptures
in the development of modern science. It is sad, though, that Indians are hardly
aware of these contributions and always give credit to Western scientists
Our ancient scriptures
and modern science
WHEN we think of the growth and development
of modern science for the past several years,
our thoughts always turn towards the
contributions of the Western scientists. Seldom do we pause
and recollect the great contributions made by our scriptures
in the development of science and its practical applications
ever since the Vedic Age. The rich contribution that ancient
India has made in the field of science and the deep insight
our ancients had towards the development of science are
evident from the illustrative examples given below, which
are just representative.
Aircraft Engineering: The use of aircraft as a flying machine
finds reference in many places in the Rig-Veda, as is evident
from the Sooktha (statement) “Antarikshe Charati” which
means ‘that which flies in air’ Indeed, there are several
similar Sookthas in the Rig-Veda which point
towards the existence of aircraft even then.
Who has not heard of the reference to the
‘Puspaka Vimana’ in the Valmiki Ramayana?
Tracing the development further, we come
across an exhaustive treatise on Aerodynamics
called “Brihad Vaimanika Shastra” written by
Sage Bharadwaja thousands of years ago which
covers all aspects of aeronautics and aircrafts,
including their manufacture and flying
instructions. In the last hundred years, it is
well-known that the first aircraft in the world
was launched by the Wright Brothers in
America on December 17, 1903. But what is
not known so well is the fact that eight years
before, in the year 1895 itself, V.S. Talpade,
an Indian Sanskrit scholar and a scientist from
Pune, had launched an unmanned aircraft at
Juhu Beach, Mumbai in 1895, guided by his
Bangalore based Guru Anekal Subbaraya
Shastri. Talpade had based his design and launch as per
the guidelines in the ‘Brihad Vaimanika Shastra’. The aircraft
was named as “Marutha Shakti” (Power of the Wind) and
the aircraft flew to a height of about 1500 feet before it
crashed. The project was financed by the then Maharaja of
Baroda and the event was widely covered in the Marathi
newspaper Kesari, founded by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Law of Gravitation: Much before Newton discovered the
Law of Gravitation, India had produced an exhaustive treatise
on Astronomical Sciences, called “Surya Siddhanta”. The
very first Shloka therein establishes the Law of Gravitation.
Even Acharya Shankara in his commentaries on the
Upanishads, particularly on the Prasnopanishad, has clearly
established the Law of Gravitation by using the word
‘Akarshana Shakti’.
Velocity of Light: In the Rig-Veda there is a
Sooktha (statement) called ‘Soura Sooktha’
which speaks about the brightness of the
Sun and how fast it illuminates the entire
world.
Explaining the implications of this Sooktha,
the great Vedic commentator, Sayanacharya,
of the Vijaya Nagara Empire (14th Century
A.D) has established the velocity of light in
the following shloka:
“Yojananam Sahasre Dve, Dve Shate Dve
Cha Yojane
Ekena Nimishardhena Kramamana Namostu
Te”
(Oh Surya! Salutations to you whose light
crosses 2,202 Yojanas in half Nimesha)
Yojana was the unit of length in those days,
one Yojana approximating to about 8 miles;
and Nimesha was the Unit of time, one
Nimesha was equivalent to 16/75th of a
B.M.N. Murthy shares some of the great contributions made by our ancient scriptures
in the development of modern science. It is sad, though, that Indians are hardly
aware of these contributions and always give credit to Western scientists.
Much before
Newton
discovered the
Law of Gravitation,
India had
produced an
exhaustive treatise
on Astronomical
Sciences, called
“Surya
Siddhanta”. The
very first Shloka
therein establishes
the Law of
Gravitation.second. Calculated on the basis of this data, the velocity of
light works out to 1, 87, 650 miles per second which is
very close to the modern accepted velocity of light 1,86,282
miles per second.
Plastic Surgery: The world’s very first plastic surgeon was
an Indian Ayurvedic surgeon by name Sushruta who lived in
600 B.C. He has written an exhaustive medical treatise
known as “Shushruta Samhita” which covers extensive
details on almost all the medical operations on the body,
including grafting of the skin and the medical equipment
required for the operations. In fact, surgery started with
him in India and he performed almost all the surgical feats
like Caesarean operation, cataract, brain surgery, plastic
surgery etc. He specialised in the building up of torn or
wounded noses.
In those days, during wars, flashing of swords was common.
Soldiers who got their noses cut during the battle would go
to Sushruta for treatment. He would take strips of flesh
from their thigh and mend the nose by grafting it. He would
even fashion a new lip.
In the War of 1792, Tipu Sultan’s soldiers captured a Maratha
cart driver in the British army, called Cowasji
and cut off his nose. A year later, a native
surgeon from Poona who had practiced Plastic
Surgery as per the guidelines of Shushruta
reconstructed his nose in the presence of two
British doctors, Thomas Cruso and James
Hindlay of the Bombay Presidency. An
illustrated account of this rare operation was
reported in the Gentleman’s Magazine of
London in its issue dated October 1794.
Movement of the Earth and Sun: It was only
in 1543 A.D. that the Western world
discovered that the Earth moves around the
sun with the advent of the Polish astronomer
Copernicus on the scene. Till such time they
thought that the Earth was stationary and the
sun moved around it. Whereas, our own
astronomer Aryabhata had already established
the correct position in his helio-centric system
as early as the 5th century A.D. In fact, the
Aithariya Upanishad clearly states “The sun
neither rises nor does it set”. Aryabhata
forestalled Copernicus by ten centuries.
Robotics: Even as early as the 12th century,
there are references in our ancient books about
the use of robots as entertaining gadgets. Raja Bhoja (of
Kalidasa fame) has written a book in 1150 A.D by the name
‘Samarangana Sutradhara’ in which he describes several
machines installed for the entertainment of the King and
operated by remote control. In the dance treatise ‘Nritta
Ratnavali’ written by Jaya Senapathi in 1253 A.D.during
the Kakatiya rule from Warangal, we get the description of
a dance hall in which mechanical lady figures that chant,
sing and dance were installed and were activated by remote
control.
Metallurgy: India was the first country in the world to
manufacture high-carbon steel called ‘Damascus steel’.
This steel was originally called ‘wootz’ in English. Indian
steel was used for making swords in Persia and Arabia.
The excellent state of preservation of iron pillar near Qutub
Minar in Delhi in spite of vagaries of weather for over 15
centuries is a challenge to corrosion engineers all over the
world.
Civil Engineering: The 49 feet tall and 20,000 kg stone
pillar which stands erect even today in the Belur Temple in
Karnataka built in the 12th century stands testimony to ancient
Indian engineering skill. This would have been
impossible unless the then engineers had a
deep knowledge of the wind forces, their
direction etc. The pillar is standing on a
platform without any stays, hooks, pegs or
any other binding material.
The Decimal System in Mathematics: The
decimal system of Mathematics invented by
our ancient sages was perhaps the greatest
scientific achievement. Ancient Rome was a
great civilisation but its people were
uncomfortable with numbers above 1,000.
They wrote their numbers in alphabets: I
standing for 1, V standing for 5, X for 10, L
for 50, C for 100, D for 500 and M for 1,000.
There was no alphabet expressing a number
higher than 1,000. If one would have asked
an ancient Roman to write the number one
million, he would have gone crazy for he
would then have to write the letter M, which
stands for millennium (or one thousand), one
thousand times. On the other hand, under
our system just write number one followed
by six zeroes. Zero is definitely ancient India’s
greatest contribution to Mathematics.
The world’s very
first plastic
surgeon was an
Indian Ayurvedic
surgeon by name
Sushruta who
lived in 600 B.C.
He has written an
exhaustive medical
treatise known as
“Shushruta
Samhita” which
covers extensive
details on almost
all the medical
operations on the
body, including
grafting of the skin
and the medical
equipment
required for the
operations.
Culture Column
Culture Column.p65 49 2/22/2012, 3:11 PM
50 ONE INDIA ONE PEOPLE March 2012
second. Calculated

Maha Shivratri

Rudraksha, Bel Leaf and Shiva

Mahashivaratri

Maha Shivaratri is a festival celebrated every year in reverence of lord Shiva. Maha Shivaratri literally means the great night of Shiva. It is celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day of the Maagha month of Hindu. It is celebrated in the dark fortnight or Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha. The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael or Vilva leaves to Lord Shiva, daylong fasting and an all night long vigil.

After creation was complete, Parvati asked Lord Shiva which devotees and rituals pleased him the most. The Lord replied that the 13th night of the new moon, during the month of Maagha, is his most favourite day. Parvati repeated these words to her friends, from whom the word spread over all creation.
The Story Of King Chitrabhanu
Once upon a time King Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty, who ruled over the whole of Jambudvipa (India), was observing a fast with his wife, it being the day of Maha Shivaratri. The sage Ashtavakra came on a visit to the court of the king.
The sage asked the king the purpose of his observing the fast. King Chitrabhanu explained that he had a gift of remembering the incidents of his past birth, and in his previous life he had been a hunter in Varanasi and his name was Suswara. His only livelihood was to kill and sell birds and animals. The day before the new moon, while roaming through forests in search of animals, he saw a deer, but before his arrow flew he noticed the deer’s family and their sadness at its impending death. So he let it live. He had still not caught anything when he was overtaken by nightfall and climbed a tree for shelter. It happened to be a Bael (vilva) tree. His canteen leaked water, so he was both hungry and thirsty. These two torments kept him awake throughout the night, thinking of his poor wife and children who were starving and anxiously waiting for his return. To pass away the time he engaged himself in plucking the vilva leaves and dropping them down onto the ground.
The next day he returned home and bought some food for himself and his family. The moment he was about to break his fast a stranger came to him, begging for food. He served the food first to stranger and then had his own.
At the time of his death, he saw two messengers of Lord Shiva, sent to conduct his soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. He learnt then for the first time of the great merit he had earned by unconscious worship of Lord Shiva during the night of Shivaratri. The messengers told him that there had been a Shiva Lingam at the bottom of the tree. The leaves he dropped had fallen on the Lingam, in imitation of its ritual worship. The water from his leaky canteen had washed the Lingam (also a ritual action), and he had fasted all day and all night. Thus, he unconsciously had worshipped the Lord. As the conclusion of the tale the King said that he had lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss for a long time before being reborn as Chitrabhanu. This story is narrated in the Garuda Purana.

This is why Hindus do not eat meat on Maha Shivarati. It is thought that those who fast on the evening of Maha Shivaratri will please Lord Shiva and also be granted a blessing.
Rituals of Maha Shivratri
Pashupatinath Temple (Kathmandu, Nepal) one of the most important shrines of Lord Shiva hosts one of the biggest gatherings on Maha Shivaratri. Hindu worshippers all over the world gather at Pashupati to perform pilgrimage. Worshippers must wait in line for hours to present their offerings at the temples. Tripundra refers to the three horizontal stripes of holy ash applied to the forehead by worshippers of Lord Shiva. These stripes symbolise spiritual knowledge, purity and penance, so also they represent the three eyes of Lord Shiva.
Wearing a rosary made of rudrakshas (said to have sprung from the tears of Lord Shiva) when worshipping Lord Shiva is ideal

On Shivaratri, only cold water and bael leaves are offered to the Lingam. Other traditional offerings, such as bathing Him in milk and Panchamruta (milk, curd, ghee, sugar and honey -symbols of sustenance) one after the other, or anointing Him with vermilion (kumkum) or white consecrated rice (Akshata) (symbols of fertility, or creation), are done on this day, when Lord Shiva is worshipped as the deity of dissolution. Chanting the Rudram is considered very auspicious.
According to the Shiva Purana, the Mahashivaratri worship should incorporate six items: offering vilva leaves to the deity after giving it a ceremonial bath, which represents purification of the soul; applying vermilion paste on the linga after bathing it, which represents virtue; offering food, which is conducive to longevity and the gratification of desires; lighting incense, which yields wealth; lighting an oil lamp, which signifies the attainment of knowledge; and offering betel leaves, which marks satisfaction with worldly pleasures. These six items form an indispensable part of the Mahashivaratri worship, be it a simple ceremony at home or grand temple worship.
Mahashivaratri in Southern India
Mahashivaratri is celebrated widely in the temples all over Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Shiva is considered the Adi (first) Guru from whom the yogic tradition originates. According to tradition, the planetary positions on this night are such that there is a powerful natural upsurge of energy in the human system. It is said to be beneficial for one’s physical and spiritual wellbeing to stay awake throughout the night. On this day, artists from various fields such as music and dance perform the whole night.
Sahasrakalasabishekam
This is a very special and rare puja conducted during 10 days of Mahasivarathri festival. It is well known that Lord Siva is abhishekapriya (lover of ablutions). Lord Parasurama and Kroshta Muni, during their worship of the Lord here, are believed to have bathed the deity with Sahasrakalasam or a thousand pots of holy water according to Vedic rites. Now during Mahasivarathri festival days the Head Priest (Thanthri) and his team perform this puja. It is a ten day function, each day an offering of 101 Kalasam or pots of holy water (100 being made of silver, while one is made of gold), surcharged with mantras recited by learned Brahmins seated on the Mukhamantapam. These are poured on the deity, the golden pot Brahmakalasam being the last one. A magnificent light is the indication or identity of Lord Shiva and the Shiva Lingam is considered to be the symbol of it. Hence, the formal worship on Maha Shivaratri consists of bathing the Shiva Lingam. Lord Shiva is said to be burning with the fire of austerity and so only those items are offered to Him that have a cooling effect. A cool water bath is believed to propitiate Him best. There is a belief among devotees that participation in Sahasrakalasam and offering holy worship materials, will lead to blessings with prosperity and peaceful life. Hundreds of devotees thronging the shrine with chants of “Namah Shivaya”, “Hara hara Mahadeva”, and “Sambho Mahadeva”. This year Mahasivarathiri is observed on 20th February, 2012 in all of South India’s temples.
Sivarathri Nrutham
Sivarathri Nrutham at Thrikkuratti temple, according to religious scholars, resembles the cosmic dance of Shiva, called ‘Anandatandava,’ meaning, ‘the Dance of Bliss’ symbolizing the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy – creation, destruction, preservation, salvation, and illusion.
The Priest keeps sheeveli vigraha (idol) fixed on a decorated frame on his head. He makes seven circumambulations on Pradakshina Vazhi (holy walkway made of granite around Sanctum Santorum). When the fifth round is reached at the west nada (Parvathi nada), the door opens for just 10 minutes. This is an annual ceremony. Thousands of Pilgims rush to have a glance of this auspicious moment. At this time all the pradakshina vazhi will be lit with camphor and brass temple lamps by thousands of devotees who stay awake through the night while chanting “Nama Sivaya”, “Hara Hara Mahadeva” and “Sambho Mahadeva”. Devotees sing “Hara sankara siva sankara duritham kala sivane”. In this enlightened serene mood, the Priest performs Nrutham and runs the pradakshina vazhi towards the east nada. During the next two rounds he accepts “Valiya kanikka”. The Sivarathri Nrutham is followed by the well known magnificent display of fireworks.
Mahasivarathri Procession
On Sivarathri day evening a grand procession starts from Kadapra Kainikkara Temple. It includes several decorated floats, Kaavadi Aaatam, Mayilattom, Amman Kudom, Thaiyyam, Vela Kali, Kuthiyotta Chuvadu, richly caparisoned elephants and folk art forms etc. It attracts thousands of devotees and tourists. When the main procession reaches Market Junction, other mini processions from Kurattikkadu Mutharamman Temple, Kurattissery Kannamkavil Mutharamman Temple, Thrippavoor Mahavishnu Temple, Vishavarsherikkara Subrahmanya Swami temple and Alumoodu Sivaparvathy Temple join and make the procession more vibrant. The magical effect of the Sinakari melam and Panchavadyam, a combination of five percussion and wind instruments is to be felt and enjoyed. Among the varieties of festivals celebrated in Kerala, Thrikkuratti Sivarathri Procession is one of the most spectacular. It is an expression of popular fascination for sound and colour, and because of the pageantry, it appeals to all. Once the procession reaches the temple, Deeparadhana is followed by colourful display of fireworks.
Panchaakshari
Shiva, as the god of destroying evil, is the third among the divine trinity of Hindu mythology. The holy mantra consisting of five-syllables: “Na” “Ma” “Shi” “Vaa” “Ya” (Om NamaH Shivaaya) in praise of Lord Shiva is chanted incessantly on special occasions like Shivaratri. His thousands of names, each of which describe His greatness, are also be chanted. Shiva means “auspicious”. As Shankara, He is the giver of happiness to all. Nataraja (the king of dancers) is a favourite form adored by dancers and musicians.
Posted: Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 4:15 am Category: Hindu Festivals.

Joy Of Sharing

SWAMI SUNIRMALANANDA recounts incidents that exalt giving rather than hoarding, whether it is to do with material wealth or power.

A pair of slippers administered a vast kingdom for 14 years! Prince Rama was unjustly exiled to the forest for 14 years. His brother, Bharata, was told to ascend the throne of Ayodhya. Though capable, he refused to do so as it was his older brother Rama, who was meant to take up the responsibility. Bharata went to the forest, begged and pleaded with Rama with tear-filled eyes, to return to Ayodhya and assume charge of the kingdom. However, the steadfast and obedient Rama replied that he had to keep his father’s word and so could not return for 14 years.

Bharata’s Vow

Finally, when nothing would change Rama’s mind, Bharata said that he would function merely as the caretaker of the kingdom upon two conditions: One, Rama should give him his padukas or footwear, and they would be placed on the throne to indicate who the real ruler was. Bharata would only act on Rama’s behalf. Secondly, Rama should return exactly after 14 years and assume kingship. If he delayed his return, Bharata would jump into the fire and end his life. Rama knew his brother’s resolve was firm. So he hurried back to Ayodhya after 14 years, just in time to stop Bharata from entering into a blazing fire. That was Bharata — waiting for so long in silence and ready to sacrifice his life as he had neither greed nor ambition to lure him.

Swami Vivekananda narrated the following story in California in 1900: As a young man, Emperor Ashoka fought with his brother. He got the news that he had taken shelter with a Buddhist monk. Ashoka said, “Deliver the man to me.” The monk said: “Vengeance is bad. Disarm anger with love. Anger is not cured by anger, nor hatred by hatred. Cure hatred with love. Friend, if for one evil thou returnest another, thou curest not the first evil, but only add one evil more to the world.” Ashoka replied: “Are you ready to give your life for that man?” “I am indeed ready, sir.” Ashoka drew his sword, and just as he was about to strike the monk, he looked at the face of the man. There was not a hint of fear in those eyes. The emperor stopped, and he said: “Tell me, monk, where did you learn this — fearlessness — despite having nothing to call your own?” And then the monk imparted to Ashoka, lessons on ahimsa, love and compassion.

Sri Ramakrishna’s father, Kshudiram Chatterjee, was a humble Brahmin living in a remote Bengali village called Dere. He never lied or coveted others’ wealth, and was always eager to serve God. He and his wife spent their time and meagre belongings in the service of God and the people. The chief of the village was a wicked man. He wanted to usurp a villager’s property illegally. So he fabricated a case against the poor man. And the wicked fellow wanted Kshudiram to second him, because a truthful man’s word would definitely be of advantage to help him win the case.

Kshudiram flatly refused: he would never utter a falsehood, and would never harm another person. As a consequence, the village chief snatched Kshudiram’s land, house and possessions. Kshudiram stood on the streets with his children and helpless wife, with nowhere to go. Just one falsehood and he could have lived in peace. But he never compromised. So he lost everything. But a friend who knew his worth welcomed him to Kamarpukur, gave him a hut, some space and a little piece of land for free, and Kshudiram continued to live a dedicated, principled life. Vivekananda said: ‘Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.’

Recently, an onlooker saw a poor worker who was known to him, conversing with a friend. The worker was forcing his friend to come to his house and eat. The onlooker, knowing the poor financial condition of the worker, called him aside and said: “Knowing the state of affairs of your family fully well, why are you forcing your friend to eat?” The worker replied: “We can always share whatever little we have, isn’t it?”

Feeling Content

Yes, we can always share what we have, and that has been part of Indic tradition since ages. Atithi Devo Bhava — Guest is God. As Swami Vivekananda says: ‘In the West, they are trying to figure out how much has to be acquired for one to be able to achieve satisfaction; here we try to figure out how little can we manage with in order to achieve that same feeling.’ As the former king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, put it so nicely: ‘Gross National Happiness is what matters; not Gross National Product’.

The joy one experiences in sharing and caring can never be matched in just accumulating material wealth.