PERIYAVA Times “ Shreyo bhUyAt sakala janAnAm ” Sept 2021 Online Special Edition 2021 Volume 6, Issue #3
4 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 Deivathin Kural TEMPLE DISCIPLINE AND PURITY Deivathin Kural - Vol 1 Chapter 9 Dr. B Ramaswamy New temples are constructed in every hamlet and even in every colony. Old temples are being renovated and consecrated by worshippers. So many devotees visit me seeking my advice and Prasadham for old and new temple construction. This gives me immense happiness. At the same time, many devotees convey messages that are extremely concerning to me. Since they can’t divulge these to anybody, they think they can discuss this with their Swamigal and find a solution to these pertinent problems.I cannot hesitate to bring up issues that others are finding difficult to discuss with concerned individuals. I need to openly discuss the rights and wrongs with individuals especially because they are well known to me. Hence I will be transparent about this. The environment in a temple needs to be pure and peaceful. It should induce only divine thoughts and make us forget the worldliness that prevails outside. Alas, what do we see now? Most temples are surrounded by commercial units and shops today, Tea shops and even cigarette shops for that matter. Temple authorities are leasing these areas to obtain income. Everything except the Swami is available for lease in these temples. In this situation, we fail to obtain the ability to grasp the divine power of God. This environment dissipates our devotion. Office buildings and cottages are now constructed around temples. Activities unrelated to devotion take place in such places. This reduces the Saanidhya of the divine location. Some remote temples have managed to escape this fate by maintaining the peace. I am afraid even these places will be polluted by authorities in the name of development.
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 5 Since many temples don’t have a decentralized administration and come under the government, the people should join hands and inform the authorities. Unfortunately, the officers are transferred so often. The ability to finish the tasks they have taken up will alone provide the motivation for them to work professionally.There is no use in Kumbhabhishekam if the temple’s cleanliness and peaceful environment are not maintained. If the Sannidhyam is not maintained after Kumbhabhishekam, there is no use. If the citizens show awareness and steadfastness, the government will automatically become duty conscious and responsible in this matter. Public opinion with major consensus has this power, Seems like no one else is ready to talk about the internal issues of the temples today. Let me go ahead. So many organizations bring students including college girls, women from training institutes or employees in tourist buses to visit temples. Amongst them, many women who are supposed to be out-of-doors, visit the temple. They do this out of ignorance of not being aware that this is not allowed according to the temple customs. Earlier even those who followed such customs even within houses have stopped following them in temples. The reformists may question me and ask, “How can the ever-pure Swami be affected by this?”. We need to follow the Sastras by which the temples were established to serve the purpose of transmitting the divinity of Swami residing in them. It is my opinion that disasters and accidents occur in even Mahakshetras because of us not following such rules. “Why did such a disaster happen in that Mahakshetra? Did the Swami lose his power there?” ask many people today. Let me share the angst from the core of my heart. Only because of this power, when our indiscipline crosses the limit of His tolerance, our Swami warns us with such punishments. In the name of accidents, He takes few blessed ones with Him and leaves us here to suffer in this world. He hopes that we will lead an austere and observant life at least after being reminded by this punishment. All the excursions and tourism to temples have only led to frivolous activities in the temple instead of contributing to its purity. We have decided to carry out things at Sri Venkatramana Swami sannidhi and other places even those that will not be tolerated in our own household. Ihave been aware of this. If I restrain from speaking about this, I will be committing an even worse sin than those mentioned above. Hence, I decided to speak about this. I am not just talking to you all. I am using this opportunity to pray to Lord Ve n k a t e s w a r a Swami. He alone can create the right mindset and discipline in our Asthikas to prevent such activities.
6 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 Periya Puranam PERIYA PURANAM Sri. Balaji Baghavathar KUNGILIYA KALAYA NAYANAR GURU POOJA: AVANI MOOLAM Our uncontrollable mind finds different ways to distract itself from the divine through our sense organs. Even after exerting extraordinary effort to physically restrain ourselves from the mundane activities around us, the mind finds its way to move around through the memories embedded within. The Seers of our Dharma recognized this challenge and instituted practices that unite all the five senses towards the divine through temple worship. A temple acts a reservoir of divine energy for all our senses through: 1. Beautiful sculptures and towers depicting divine Puranic events and Alankaram performed to the deities for our eyes 2. The mellifluous and enriching sounds of Vedas and Thirumurais chanted flawlessly for our ears, the perfumes emanating in the Sannidhanam from medicinal herbs and substances carefully chosen according to Shastras for our nose 3. Divine Nama of the lord chanted by our mouth throughout our time at the temple 4. Vibhuti, Chandanam, Kumkumam and other prasadam applied on our skin after adorning the deities during Abhishekam. For the devotees to be immersed in a focused experience of the divinity, it becomes the foremost duty of the visitors and the volunteers to maintain the overall sanctity of the temple. The saints of our land, despite
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 7 their elevated spiritual existence, went beyond their means to demonstrate the right conduct in temples for our upliftment. One such divine soul called Kalayar lived His life dedicated to Lord Amritaghateshwara of Thirukkadaiyur. During the Samudhra Manthanam, the Devas forgot to thank Lord Vinayaka for helping them attain the ambrosia without obstacles. In order to teach them lesson, Lord Vinayaka hid the pot of Amrutha (Amrutha Ghatam) in this Kshetra. The Amruta Ghatam transformed itself into the Shivalangam called AmruthaGhateshwara or Amruthalingam with His consort Amruthavalli or Abhirami Devi. The Devas were granted immortality after their repentance in this Kshetra. The lord also stood up even to Yama Dharmaraja as Kalasamharamoorthy for his young devotee Markandeya in this Kshetra. Kungiiya Kalayar, born in a Brahmin family, lived a life steeped in austerity laid down by the Shastras. He was known as Kungiliya Kalayar for his steadfast Kainkaryam of procuring aromatic Kungiliya (Vateria Indica) for the Dhoopa smoke in the temple premises. The splendid aroma filled the temple premises and the lives of Kalayar and his wife with all wealth and prosperity. All the roads in the town led to his house for every visiting Sivanadiyar. His house was always filled with relatives served and hosted by Him and His Dharmapatni. But the enactor of all divine plays in this world, decided to test Kalayar with his most famous distraction for the deepest of his devotees: Poverty. Sudden penury affected Kalayar’s family but never their immortal resolve to serve Amrithalingam with their everyday Kainkaryam. With no reserves available at home to cook food for Him and His extended family, Kalayar’s wife gave him her golden Mangalsutra and requested him to barter it for essentials. Kalayar had his own worries in His mind. The Lord has not been served with Kungiliyam with His hands for the last few days. With this in his mind, He started walking towards the marketplace. On His way, he saw a merchant selling Kungiliyam of highest quality. Without an iota of second thoughts. Kalayar rushed to the merchant and bought all the supplies of Kungiliyam with the only gold chain He possessed. Before even his current state and the state of His family surfaced in His mind, He rushed to His Lord and unloaded the bags of incense. Pleased by this chance given to Him but physically exhausted by his state, Kalayar fell asleep in the temple premises. Meanwhile His family, tired of waiting for his return, also fell asleep in His house. The Rajadhi Raja who is richest of richest appeared in the dreams of the couple. To Kalayar He said, “I am pleased by your devotion, Go back home and enjoy the sumptuous meal”. To his wife, He summoned,” Please cook the best of best meals for my dearest Kalayar when he returns home”. Awaken by the irony of the dream, Kalayar’s wife went to their kitchen to see if she can manage to find something to cook a meal. Lo and behold, she witnessed a palatial kitchen filled with loads and loads of food and materials. Kalayar, meanwhile, returned to his house greeted by this blessing from the Lord served by Kubera himself. Unmoved by material changes in life, He remarked: “Perhaps, the Bhikshadana Moorthy decided to bless me with this wealth. May this be shared for the benefit of all the Sivanadiyars”. He continued with His service and visited various Shiva Kshetras to worship His Lord.
8 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 In one such Kshetra called Thirupanandal, Lord Arunajateshvara performed a unique act to appease a devotee named Thatakai. Thatakai, who procured beautiful flowers and garlanded the Lord everyday faced a small inconvenience one day. Her upper garment loosened up suddenly when she neared the Lord. Immediately holding on to it, she struggled to place the garland on the Lord. The One who cannot tolerate even a tiny agitation in His devotees, bent himself to reach her and received the garland from Tatakai. After this incident, the Shivalangam remained bent in Thirupanandal for several years despite massive efforts by the King’s army of powerful soldiers and elephants. Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar visited this temple and saw the helpless army tired by efforts to straighten the Lord. He wanted to request the Lord to straighten Himself for the sake of His devotees by undergoing the same tiresome efforts of everybody assembled there. He knew deep within His heart that the Lord neither listens to power or position but only to unadulterated love. He took a leaf from His own life experience so far and tied a rope to His neck and connected the other end to Arunajata. He slowly pulled as the rope became tight around His neck. The Lord couldn’t tolerate a strain in His fondest devotee even for a moment! The bent Shivalingam stood upright, much to the amazement of all the assembled devotees. Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar’s fame spread far and wide across the kingdom. After hearing the temple tours of Sri Appar and Thirugnanasambandhar Swamigal, the Nayanar welcomed them with utmost modesty and served them at the house enriched by the Lord. Seeking their blessings, He continued to serve AmritaGhateshwara and reached His holy abode after completing his physical assignment in Bhoolaka.
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 9 This Punya Charitram explains the importance of performing every little Kainkaryam for a temple with the best of our abilities without underestimating its magnitude. The Lord who tested His devotee with many obstacles during this Kainkaryam for the world to understand the discipline and rigor it takes to be dedicated to His cause, didn’t not wait even a moment when He realized that such an elevated soul was troubled by His state. Such are His plays through many of His ways.
10 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 11
12 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 Sri MahaPeriyava Manimandapam NJ, USA In HIS presence - Virtually ... Suriyanarayanan Subramanian Guru Pravesham – July 23rd 2021 “Tat Srushtva. Tadevaanupraavishat” “He (Brahman) created all and He performed the Pravesha (entry) in them all” - Taittiriya Upanishad As the Karanam, Kaaranam and Kartha of Sri MahaPeriyava Manimandapam, HE sowed the dreams of this initiative in all our minds to give us an opportunity to celebrate HIS life of impeccable purity and teachings for the welfare of this Universe. HE decided to enter the Manimandapam site and personally monitor the remaining construction of HIS temple #NambaPeriyavaKovil. Guru Pravesham of Sri MahaPeriyava Moolavar and Utsavar was celebrated on Juky 23rd 2021 on the auspicious occasion of Guru Poornima. After the Pravesham, the Moorthis are currently residing in the Vishesha Mandapam and continue to bless several visiting devotees across the globe. The Guru Pravesham event was celebrated in a grand manner with Palanquin procession accompanied by divine music and Veda Gosha. Rudhrabhishekam, Ganapathi Homam and Avahanthi Homam were performed to mark this important milestone. Resplendent Alankaram with Oranges was presented to Sri MahaPeriyava. After the Pravesham, the abode of Sri MahaPeriyava is open for public visit through appointment at specific times throughout the week. So far 1900 devotees belonging to 596 families have visited HIS abode from across 25 states in the US. Several of these families have visited more than once to surrender at HIS feet staying true to the words of Mookakavi on Goddess Kamakshi: Janthothsava pada poojana santhosha ragithasya kamakshi, Bandho yaadhi bhavathi puna sindhorambhasu babrameethi shilaa. Oh Kamakshi, In case the one who worships your feet, And gets immersed in the divine joy because of that, Is not yearning to visit you again and again, It is akin to a stone floating in deep sea. The COVID protocols mandated by the State of NJ and the US government were maintained throughout the event and continue to be followed during the temple visits. Abhishekams are performed in the evenings (6 PM) on Guruvaaram (Thursdays), every Anusha Nakshatra and Pradosham days and Avahanthi Homam in the morning on every Anusha Nakshatra. Devotees interested in visiting HIS abode or sponsoring different Sevas can book appointment through: https://form.jotform.com/211988464978074 and contact our volunteers.
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 13 Aadi Pooram celebrations The Auspicious day of Aadi Pooram or Aandal Jayanthi was celebrated at Sri MahaPeriyava Manimandapam with a special Bangle Thorana Alankaram for Sri MahaPeriyava Moolavar’s shrine. The bangles were distributed to devotees as Prasadam for visiting devotees. Rig, Yajur and Sama Upakarma The Vedic festival of annual oath renewal, Upakarma, was celebrated for devotees belonging to Rig& Yajur and Sama Veda Parampara on August 22nd and Sept 9th respectively followed by Gayathri Japa/homam on August 23rd. Mooka Panchasati Parayanam Sampurna Mooka Panchasati Parayanam was performed on August 22nd (Shravana Poornima Tithi) to commemorate the Aradhana of 20th Peetadhipathi of Sri Adi Shankara Paramparagatha Moolamnaya Sarvajna Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Sri Muka Sankarendra Saraswati Swamigal who was known as Mooka Kavi in His Poorvashrama. Appaya Dikshitar Jayanthi The Jayanthi day of Appaya Dikshitendra, one of the foremost scholars of Shivadvaita and considered to be an incarnation of Lord Parameshwara Himself , was celebrated at HIS abode with Parayanam of Dikshitendra’s Margabandhu Stotram and Sri MahaPeriyava’s discourses on the greatness of Dikshitendra. Construction Update With HIS continued blessings the construction of main temple premises is progressing well despite the pandemic situation. We pray to HIM for a successful and early Kumbhabhisheka Mahotsavam and request the devotees across the world to join us in our prayers.
14 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 COOL deity arrives at our place, and we must display all the discipline and etiquette required to invite and please Center Of Oriental Him or Her. It is of paramount importance to main- tain physical and mental purity while taking part in Learning & Living a Poojai or performing a Poojai because the deity of- fered to, resides in that location amongst all of us. Poojai is usually translated as worship. The Apart from the general conduct required by all, there root word also means the act of enjoying ful- is an interesting aspect of Poojai that will be covered filment or fruits of a certain action. Most Poojais in this section. involve a form of Devata imbibed in an idol or an image or any other realizable physical form. The The Five elements of nature have been out- performer invokes the Devata who is beyond physi- lined previously from a health perspective. cal forms to show compassion to us and assume a They are namely: Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space. physical form and bless us. Most of us hear the word We saw previously how our body is perceived as just “Aavahayami” in the Poojais which essentially is an amalgamation of these elements and its balance this first step in a Poojai. After invoking the deity inside is as important as balance outside. According into form, we perform several simple Upacharas or to our scriptures, the five elements of nature are be- welcoming practices that are very similar how we lieved to have emanated from God or Parabrahma would treat an important guest at home. We offer when this universe evolved into being. Therefore, water to wash their feet and hands, provide a seat, every Poojai offered to God would involve these five request them to partake water, provide facilities to elements very noticeably. Let us see them in order bath and freshen up and even dresses to wear. This and be fascinated by them. is firmly rooted in our belief that once invoked, the Water: Water is provided as Arghya to wash the feet and hands of the Deity as mentioned before. Water is also offered as Abhishekam to bathe the deity. In many other Poojais, water is stored in a vessel called Poornakumbham and splashed on dev- otees after the Poojai to receive the benefits of our prayers and resolutions.
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 15 Fire: Fire is offered in the form of Deepam or a lamp and Karpoora Neeranjam (Lighted camphor) and shown to the Deity. Mantras chanted with them exclaim that God in this form of fire may remove the darkness surrounding us and provide enlightening for all beings in the world. Earth: Earth element is offered in several forms during a poojai. The Vibhuti, Sandalwood paste and other materials applied on the deity have their origins from the earth. Interestingly the Namam or Thirumann used by Sri Vaishnava devotees is directly prepared from sacred soil. The word Thirumann in Tamil literally means Thiru- Sacred, Mann- Soil. Air: Air is usually offered to the Deity using a decorative fan called Chamara. The performer of the poojaii, fans and produces air to be submitted upon the Deity. Space: The beauty of the space element is that though it exists everywhere it is very subtle to be perceived by our senses. We see the lack of space when objects occupy the space, and we identify space by bound- aries created by other objects. For example: A pot contains space inside and outside divided by it. When the same pot breaks, both the spaces cannot be differentiated because space now exists everywhere. To reinforce this idea in a poojai, a conch is used as one of the Upacharas. A conc shell has spaced inside which seemingly looks empty to us. When we blow the conch, a beautiful sound emanates from the same empty space. It shows the all-powerful presence of divine even in what we perceive as an empty space Apart from the five elements of nature, a poojai offers an ability to please all our five sense organs too. Can you see how? Readers, especially the young readers, should think through this and solve this puzzle. Clue: This edition of Periyava times will give you the answer.
16 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 17
18 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 Management lessons Abhilash Sridharan Paramacharya “We are in the world of managing risk, not guessing” CEO – Lesson19 Lloyd Blankfein, former banking CEO Proactively manage risk The recent pandemic has underscored the importance of risk management and the need to establish an institutional culture around it. Further, the advancing speed of digital transformation over the last 18 months has had a direct impact on ‘risk velocity’ — how quickly risk exposure can impact an organization. Acase in point is the recent slew of ransomware cybersecurity attacks which took several industries by surprise. According to a recent survey around two-thirds of the organizations surveyed
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 19 indicated that they would face some form of cyber- anecdote from Simpson Vaitha Mama serves as a attack in the next 12 months and two-thirds of the case-in-point. surveyed organizations feel unprepared for it. However, per another survey 60% of the CEOs and Per Hindu tradition, it is commonly believed that an almost 80% of the boards are not “highly engaged” in idol of Lord Shiva was established by Lord Brahma dealing with cyberthreats. This statistic underscores at the Shivasthanam (see below) in Thenambakkam how several leaders overlook risk management vis- (near Kancheepuram) and that Sri Adi Shankara à-vis core growth priorities, thereby placing their Bhagavatpada had worshipped the idol before organizations in grave danger. attaining Mukthi. Paramacharya too had self- quarantined Himself in this temple for almost a year. Being a great risk manager is akin to being a legendary The temple and the associated Patasalai, adjacent wicketkeeper in cricket or a goalkeeper in soccer – to river Vegavathi, has served as a cradle for vedic you are judged by the number of catches dropped or learning for the past several years. goals missed, rather than the ones saved. Sadhguru Sri Sivan Sar too has propounded in Srimad YPM In late 1970s, there was an imminent crisis. The that a wise administrator (‘Rajya Viveki’) should lands around the temple were sold by the then owner nip an insurrection in its bud (page 103), suggesting on account of financial challenges. It was gently that rigorous risk management is a key component of suggested to Paramacharya and His followers that sound administration. they leave the place! When a deed of lease was issued later in the day, Paramacharya observed that it was While 90%+ CEOs verbalize that risk management is titled in the name of “Lord Brahmapureeswara” (the an important priority, only 40% of the organizations deity of the temple). After reviewing the deed with a have a formalized enterprise risk management lawyer, it was clear that the land could not be legally program. There are a few best practices (not claimed given the lease was in the name of the deity. exhaustive) seen across organizations - First, creating a culture of risk supported by clear goals However, on a futuristic basis, to de-risk any potential and ongoing training to ensure that employees know crises that could emanate, Paramacharya offered three their responsibilities. Second, risk management tactical suggestions to Simpson Sri Vaidyanathan should be weaved in as a component of key strategic (called Simpson Sri Vaitha Mama), before heading to decisions, as opposed to being a box to his Satara yatra: be checked at the end. Third, investing in establishing a “single source of truth” across the organization supported by relevant tools and infrastructure. Great CEOs ensure that their companies have an effective risk operating model, governance structure, and risk culture. Their teams and boards also anticipate major shocks, macroeconomic events, and other potential crises. The fact that the Sri Matham had a blemish-free journey for 8 decades under the leadership of HH Sri Paramacharya, is a sterling testimony to His proactive risk management acumen. An interesting
20 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 1. The Sankara Bhaktha Jana Sabha Trust should purchase the “right of enjoyment” to the property from the affected party (this warrants that the tenant has the right to enjoy the rental unit without “substantial interference” from the landlord) 2. The trust should forever place a plaque outside the temple declaring the abode as a “private property” 3. Akin to an “Indian railway gate”, the temple be closed thrice a year with surrounding neighbors certifying their evidence to this. Practices (2) and (3) above have been followed to this date. The lease deed continues to be in the name of the deity, while the Trust continues to administer it. There are several such instances of how Sri Paramacharya has proactively de-risked future headwinds through structural steps. May we pray to our beloved Acharya to bless us with the foresight and relentlessness to de-risk futuristic pitfalls.On the auspicious eve of Ganesh Chaturthi (Sep 11, 2021), it is delight to recall the contributions of Sankara Bhakta Jana Sabha Trust (coincidentally founded on Ganesh Chaturthi in 1968) and its founding member Simpson Sri Vaidyanathan, for rendering admirable service to the cause of our acharya and our dharma for over half a century. The author would like to thank Sri Sivaraman, Bharath Ramaswamy and Karthi (from YPM study circle (Chrompet)), for their inputs and discussions on YPM. Placing the above at the lotus feet of Sri Sar! REFERENCES: 1. https://thunderbird.asu.edu/knowl- edge-network/goldman-sachs-ceo- lloyd-blankfein 2. https://thehill.com/policy/ cybersecurity/553016-global- cybersecurity-leaders-say-they- feel-unprepared-for-attack-report 3. https://www.logicgate.com/blog/ how-ceos-should-think-about-risk- management/ 4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ forbestechcouncil/2020/04/27/ three-ways-ceos-can-gain-more- confidence-in-risk-management- processes/?sh=15bde4ee6927 5. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=v3H_8XjQZzk&t=330s 6. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VNXmnLe9rV4 7. https://vedabhavan.org/golden-ju- bilee-year-sankara-bhaktha-sabha- trust/
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 21
22 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 Sri Sivan SAR Ramana Kiran Excerpts from YPM - Discipline and Devotion To add to our rejoicing and fervour of the Guru Pravesam at Sri Maha Periyava Manimandapam, NJ USA, here are two remarkable incidents shared by Sri Sivan SAR in Yenipadigalil Maanthargal, accentuating the importance of 'Aalayam Thozhuthal': Page 328: (Chapter: SarvaSri. Solon and Croesus) 'There were two brothers from Argo, who were among those who won events conducted at the Holy Olympic Games over 27 centuries ago. Cleobis and Bito shone of both great valour and virtue. Just as Meenakshi Amman of Madurai presided over the Pandya empire, Goddess Juno was the supreme authority over the Greek city of Argolis. This Deity was the consort of God Jupiter. (The Egyptians revered Her by the name 'Sathi', bearing the horns of the Sacred Cow). Their mother, who served in a temple in their village, once wished to visit the Goddess on the most important day of the Brahmotsavam. The brothers immediately set out to prepare the Bullock cart for the journey, to soon realise that they had gone to graze afar. It was now impossible to bring them back with their mother having little time to spare to reach the temple. So, they took up either end of the yoke and dragged the cart all 45 furlongs of the way, reaching within time. Those who bore witness and testimony to the act showered praise on the brothers. The customary rituals and events eventually came to an end. They decided to rest awhile in the precincts after paying reverence to the Goddess. The mother prayed for the choicest blessings to be bestowed on her sons for their deed. The Goddess Juno not only merged them into Her, but commanded their statues be consecrated in the temple of Delphi.'
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 23 Philosophy Ramana Kiran Page 567: (Chapter: Sri. Theertha Narayanar) 'There lived a poor but virtuous woman with her son in Thanjavur. The son wasn't exactly the smartest, nor did academics do their part to enhance the intellect. The need for Pragmatism never bothered , nor could he learn what was taught unto him. He was fully aware of such limitations; remaining blissfully ignorant from even uttering a lie or making a mistake. He possessed great physical fortitude. They had no means to sustain a living. The mother decided to leave for Kanchanoor with Kuppu, the son, on the quest to seek and solicit the blessings of Sri Haradhattha Sivacharyar, whose name did the rounds in their town. Only on arrival did they know of Sri Haradhattha's departure from the village. Kuppu however, was bestowed with the kainkaryam of drawing water for the daily oblations to the deities (Sri Agneeshwarar temple). Routinely, he would first bathe in the Kaveri and fill the temple's needful in large vessels. He also acceded to extract the necessary sandalwood paste. He offered these services with utmost piety, in damp clothes. The belief that God verily resided within the idol was due to Bhakthi being instilled right from his youth! There came a day when the body struggled to co-operate to fulfill the Theertha kainkaryam. On conveying the inability to his mother out of fear of the Lord's service being hampered, \"Do not fret my child! We have to endure the fruit of our past Karma. Poverty and physical constraints in this birth are the result of lacking in Ishwara Upasana in the previous one. But Theertha kainkaryam to Lord Agneeshwarar has been bestowed upon us through the noble deeds of our Ancestors; not to worry! Fall at the Lord's mercy and pray; He will fulfill your wish!\". On reaching the temple, \"Swami! The sole worship that I know of is to faithfully carry out Theertha Kainkaryam, for I know no hymn nor ritual. If it were of any integrity, I beg for your benignance!\". The Lord, singularly responsible for both granting the inability and now wishing to reveal Kuppu's innate eminence , revealed \"You are blessed from this very moment!\". As soon as the Dheiva Saadhu laid eyes on Sri Theertha Narayanar walking out of the Sanctum at that moment, grabbed hold of His feet and pleaded that he remained ever obligated through removal of his ignorance. Aware of Sri Agneeshwarar's commandment, \"You have the unequivocal benediction (Poorna-Anugraham) of the Lord! May you now be renowned as Gupthasivan all over!\" came the words of blessing. From that very moment, Sri Theertha Narayanar was meditated upon by Sri Gupthasivan as His Guru, later obtaining Siddhi in a few Manthras as well.' May we all continue to be humbled and inspired by the lives of such Noble souls, who through unwavering commitment to the Almighty, were blessed with Deliverance of the most eminent kind.
24 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 25 BhargaviKamakshivalli Periyava and Music
26 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 Guru Bhakthi Dr. Srikant Kamesh Iyer EKnaGtuhruavini The Story of My Guru Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi PadmaShri Sattanatha Muthiah Ganapathi, popularly known as Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi, is renowned for his contributions in saving 48 ancient Hindu temples from submergence when the Nagarjun Sagar reservoir was built across the Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh and also for his expertise in constructing the Ramalayam and the Kalyana Mandapam at the Sri Rama temple at Bhadrachalam. He was also blessed in receiving the divine role of designing and constructing the Sri MahaPeriyava Manimandapam at Orikkai. He was born in a family of traditional stapathi’s, a hereditary sect that has maintained the traditional methods of temple design and construction for centuries. Sri Ganapathy Sthapathi had several wonderful experiences with Sri MahaPeriyava and a few are described below. Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi was invited to speak at the Veda Agama Shilpa Sadas which was held at Kanchipuram under the aegis of Sri MahaPeriyava. HE had allotted a specific topic for each of the invited speakers and Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi was asked to speak about five specific types of vimanas used in temple design. This was the first time that Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi had the opportunity to personally interact with Sri MahaPeriyava. Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi was stunned to see the specific topics that had been chosen by HIM for each to the invited speakers. Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi realized that these topics were so advanced that even many expert shilpis and sthapathis did not fully know about them. He noted that this list could have been only chosen by someone who has absolute mas- tery over all the shastras. The main reason Sri MahaPeriyava had asked vidwans to take part in the grand Shilpa Shastra Sadas was to revive the study of shilpa shastras, which was in a highly dilapidated state. One such person who had come to attend the sadas was Sri (Prativadhi Bayangara) Annagarachariyar. He met Sri MahaPeriyava with regards to the gopuram of the Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple at Kanchipuram, which had partially collapsed and needed urgent
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 27 repairs. He wanted to seek the blessing of Sri MahaPeriyava and prayed to HIM that no untoward incident should happen during the renovation and repair of the temple gopuram. Sri MahaPeriyava assured him that he had HIS complete blessings for the gopuram repair he was going to undertake. During the repair work, one of the workers on the gopuram fell down from a height of over 100 feet, hitting many stone structure in between, and landed up on the hard stone slabs on the ground. The injured worker was immediately rushed to a hospital for treatment. When the news of this incident was conveyed to Sri MahaPeriyava, he allayed their fears and told them that everything would be alright and asked them not to worry. To the sheer surprise of everyone, the worker not just survived, but he even reported to work the very next day! In the experience video Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi mentions that he knows of several cases where people have died from merely falling from a height of 9-10 feet, while this worker had survived even after falling over a 100 feet from the gopuram. Is there anything that is not possible when there is the protection of Sri MahaPeriyava’s anugraham ? Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi prayed to Sri MahaPeriyava as the sakshat Parameshwaran and he would never start any major temple renovation work without first praying to Sri MahaPeriyava and seeking his blessings. In the words of Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi, when one gets the blessings of Sri MahaPeriyava, even the toughest of work gets completely smoothly. There is a very interesting incident that indicates the firm conviction that Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi had in Sri MahaPeriyava. Once Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi had darshanam of Sri MahaPeriyava during Ashtami or the 8th day of the Hindu Calendar month. HE asked him as to whether Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi looks at things like Ashtami, Navami etc to avoid inauspicious timings. Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi replied stating that he usually does follow such principles, but not at the moment. When Sri MahaPeriyava enquired as to why he was not looking at it right now, Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi gave the prompt reply, “When sakshat Parameshwaran is here, what harm can Ashtami, Navami or inauspicious thithi or nakshatras cause? “. Sri MahaPeriyava remarked “Oh, so you are approaching it that way. Then Ok, you can proceed”. What a blessed moment to hear Sri MahaPeriyava indirectly accept that HE is Parameshwaran. There is a very interesting incident which occurred in relation to the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tiru- pati. As Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi has succinctly explained in his experience video, temple construction is not meant to be done according to the whims and fancies of individuals. A temple is to be built only based on the rules given in the shastras. A temple, as a whole, represents the body of the divinity that we pray to and the different parts of the temple are akin to the different body parts. For example, the garba-gruham represents the head and neck region of the divinity. The shastras prescribe in minute details all the rules regarding temple construction and also specifically define the different sizes, ratios and proportions that are meant to be used for constructing a temple. Once when Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi was working in Andhra Pradesh as an executive engineer, the endowment minister decided that in or- der to increase the comfort of devotees who come to Tirupathi, two additional entrances should be made on either sides of the gar- bagraham walls of Sri Venkateshwara tem- ple by breaking the existing structure. Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi was strongly against this as it went against the rules defined in the shastras.
28 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 When a minister quipped that what’s the big his best efforts, no one was listening to his concerns deal in breaking a wall as money can easily be and people were hastily making changes to the spent in building a larger garbagraham, Sri Ganapathi garbagraham. Sri MahaPeriyava patiently listened Sthapathi reminded him that just like stabbing and to all his concerns and HE finally gave the verdict, breaking a part of his neck will cause harm to him, “Don’t worry. You have come to me to resolve this, breaking the walls of the garbagraham in such a haven’t you. Things will happen exactly as you wished manner is not advisable under any circumstances. A for. So calm your mind”. Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi did committee was setup to take a decision regarding the namaskaram to Sri MahaPeriyava and went back. He temple garbagraham and Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi was was still worried that since all the heavy equipment amongst a tiny minority of people who opposed it. and machinery required was already in place, the Under the garb of increasing the comfort of devotees, committee might have the changes they desired made the committee members were willing to break in very short time. Unable to wait patiently, he decided the rules laid down in the shastras. Sri Ganapathi that he would try and meet the Chief Minister. When he Sthapathi wrote a letter to the committee raising his reached the chief minister’s office, the security officer concerns, but no one paid much heed to the questions told him that it would be very difficult to meet chief that he had raised. Disheartened by the behavior of minister, especially since Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi had the committee, he knew that the only place he would come without an appointment. He had barely waited find solace and a resolution to this problem was with for 10-15 minutes, and when Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi Sri MahaPeriyava. HE was camping at Karvetinagar saw the chief minister descend the stairs that lead to near Tirupathi. When Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi saw Sri his office. The chief minister was familiar with Sri MahaPeriyava, without saying a word HE gestured Ganapathi Sthapathi and was surprised to see him the sign of Urdhva Pundra, symbolizing the vertical there. Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi informed the chief mark on the head of Sri Venkateshwara Swamy, and minister about the decision taken by the committee also gestured the hand motion indicating stabbing regarding the detrimental changes to the garbagraham. someone in the neck. Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi was The chief minister gave a patient ear to Sri Ganapathi stunned to see Sri MahaPeriyava using the same Sthapathi ‘s concerns and then immediately called analogy that he had used while speaking to the up the endowment minister. He told the minister minister. He told Sri MahaPeriyava that despite to immediately close the file and make sure that no changes are made to the Sri Venkateswara Temple. Again, Sri MahaPeriyava’s anugraham had ensured that things happened exactly as Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi had thought of in his mind and no changes were made to the garbagraham of Sri Venkateswara Temple. Everything that Sri MahaPeriyava say’s will happen.
Guru Bhakthi 29 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition There are several things we can learn from these incidents. First, we should learn from the firm conviction of Sri Ganapathi Sthapathi and learn to pray to Sri MahaPeriyava before we begin any endeavor. It is by HIS grace that we can overcome any challenges that we may face. We also saw this in the case of Sri (Prativadhi Bayangara) Annagarachariyar, who prayed to Sri MahaPeriyava before beginning the gopuram repair work. It is by the blessings of Sri MahaPeriyava that even after falling from over 100 feet and landing on hard stone, the worker not just survived but was also fit enough to come to work the very next day. No miracle is too big when Sri MahaPeriyava blesses someone. There are very specific rules regarding every part of a temple’s construction and functioning in our shastras. Even if we do not understand the reason behind these rules, we should learn to follow them.
30 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 MOOLAVAR - SRI MAHAPERIYAVA MANIMANDAPAM NJ USA
Guru Bhakthi 31 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition
32 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020 Project Prakruthi By Sindhu Karthik is a saying in Tamil which tells us that the practice of worshipping God inside a temple is beneficial for the body, mind, and soul. While daily prayers and offerings to God at home are considered good practices, what really are the reasons for advocating the worship of God inside a temple. The reasons are both scientific and spiritual. The temple serves as the earthly residence for the presiding deity. Therefore, they are architected in such a way to enhance and imbibe positive energy into us when visiting the temple. The Temple garbhagraham, is built in a spot where there is high positive energy from the electro-magnetic waves in the specific spot. This positive energy is enhanced by the chanting of the mantras, the ringing of the temple bells, showing of Haarthi and the offering of flowers to the presiding deity. When visiting a temple, all of these come together to put us in a positive mindset. The etiquette established around the visit to a temple like removing footwear, washing hands and feet before entering the temple serves to enhance the positive energy absorbed by us. All of these practices and etiquette help in activating our 5 senses while helping us recharge ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. These customs for building and visiting a temple are laid out in order to con- nect us with the nature. This helps us to be in sync with our inner selves and the natural world around us. Therefore, there are also guidelines established for the upkeep and maintenance of the temple premises to enhance its purity and the divinity. If the sattvic nature of the temple and surrounding areas are not maintained, it leaves us with mixed energies and reduces the power of the divinity in the temple. In the past, there was not much thought put into this because, everything that was available would breakdown and go back to its natural state without any human or mechanical intervention. However, with advent of industrialization and mass production, human beings started using products that are not only far removed from their natural states, but also depleted the earthly bounties that human are blessed with.
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 33 The management and the volunteers of SriMahaPeriyava Manimadapam, NJ USA under the guidance of our esteemed Gurus have been awoken to this realization and have taken the path to reduce our ecological footprint. With this motivation, we have established Project Prakruthi, an initiative to reduce waste and make the Manimandapam a sustainable place of worship. At present, we have committed ourselves to using only compostable plates and cutlery for distributing prasadam. We have also started composting the flowers (nirmalyam) from Periyava that can then be reused as natural fertilizer for our lawn care and other planting needs. Work is also underway to setup the landscaping with plants and trees that are native to New Jersey/North America. Alongside these initiatives, we also aim to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of single use plastic at the facility. Even with all these initiatives in progress, we know we are not perfect, but we are devoted in this sustainability journey to make this temple a one-of a kind self-sustaining ”Green” facility. If you would like to be a part of this sustainability initiative, please reach out to us at prakruthi@mahaperiyava.org. “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can CHANGE the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that EVER has”. ~ Margret Mead
34 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 35
36 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020
Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 37
38 Periyava Times - Online Special Edition 2020
Search
Read the Text Version
- 1 - 38
Pages: