Arunachala New Year

Arunachala New Year to everyone.

Arunachala Christmas

Arunachala is Lord Jesus Himself.

The Source of all Love, Peace and Blessedness.

Wishing all a happy Arunachala Christmas.

The Largest Shaligram in the Universe

Shaligram is a dark black stone which represents Lord Vishnu. Scientifically these are stones with ammonite fossils and remnants which are worshipped as parts and representations of Vishnu due to them resembling in various forms the chakra and conch symbols of Vishnu.They are famed to be found in the Kali Gandaki river gorge near Mukthinath, Nepal.

GANDAKYAS CAIVA DESE CA SALAGRAMA STHALAM MAHAT
PASANA TAD BHAVAM YAT TAT SALAGRAMAM ITI SMRTAM
(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 5/296 From GAUTAMIYA TANTRA )

As per Gautamiya Tantra, near the kali - Gandaki river, there is a big place called Shalagram.The stones which appear in that place are called shalagram shila. According to the Hindu tradition this stone is the shelter for a small insect known as "Vajra-Keeta" that has a diamond tooth which cuts through the Shaligram stone and stays inside it. The Saligram stones are hundreds of million years old when the Himalaya was an ocean floor. The marks on the Shaligram gives it a special significance, with the pattern often representing that of Sudarshan Chakra, the Discus of Lord Vishnu. The Shaligrams come in different colours, such as red, blue, yellow, black, greeen. All the varities are considered very sacred. The yellow and golden colour Shaligrams are considered most auspicious and bestow immense wealth and prosperity to the devotee. The Shaligrams of different shapes are often associated with different incarnations of Lord Vishnu such as Narasimha Avatar, Kurma Avatar and so on. According to the Vaishnavas the Shaligram is the "dwelling place of Lord Vishnu" and any one who keeps it, must worship it daily. He must also adhere to the strict rules such as not touching the Shaligram without bathing, never placing the Shaligram on the ground, avoiding non-vaishnavaite (or non-satvic) food and not indulging in the bad practices. The Lord Krishna himself mentions the qualities of Shaligram to 'Yudhishtra' in the Mahabharta. Most of the Shaligrams are considered auspicious, some are very sacred, while others are considered to bring good luck, money, peace, sons and so on. The temples can use any kind of Shaligrams in their rituals. The place where the Shaligram stone is found is itself known by that name and is one of the 108 sacred pilgrimage places for the " Vaishnavas" outside India. In fact such is the auspiciousness of this place that the Puranas mention that any stone from this land is equally sacred to Shaligram.

According to the religious text of Devi Bhagwate (and other scriptures) to kill demonJalandhar Lord Vishnu have to destroy Sati Brindha's sati dharma. When he did that Sati Brindha gave four seeming desecrations to Lord Vishnu to become stone, grass, tree, plant. To wash away this reaction Lord Vishnu took four avatars (incarnations). He became stone (Sri Saligram) grass (Kush) tree (Pipal) and plant (Tulsi). from this time onwardse the Saligrams are considered to be most auspicious to behold and to worship.

There is a place where we find much bigger shaligram. This shaligram is the largest in the entire universe.

It is not near Kali Gandaki River but the river is in the shaligram.

This Shaligram is the manifestation of Vishnu.

This shaligram is Arunachala.

The source of all.

Glory of Radha: The Power of the Lord

Krishna enchants the world...but Radha enchants even Him...

The Power of Radha cannot be denied. She is the Sorce of the Universe. The Great Cause.

devi krsna-mayi prokta
radhika para-devata
sarva-laksmi-mayi sarva-
kantih sammohini para

[“The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krsna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 4.83)]



We cannot imagine the glories of Radharani. She is sarva-laksmi, the sum-total of all Laksmis, or goddesses of fortune:

ananta-koti-visnu-loka-namra-padmajarcite
himadrija-pulomaja-virincaja-vara-prade
apara-siddhi-rddhi-digdha-sat-padanguli-nakhe
kada karisyasiha mam krpa-kataksa-bhajanam?

makhesvari! kriyesvari svadhesvari suresvari
triveda-bharatisvari pramana-sasanesvari
ramesvari! ksamesvari pramoda-kananesvari
vrajesvari vrajadhipe sri radhike namo ’stu te

[“You are worshiped by Sri Laksmi, the goddess of unlimited millions of Vaikuntha planets. Sri Parvati, Indra’s wife, and Sarasvati all worship and attain benedictions from You. Meditation on even one of Your toenails grants an infinite variety of perfections – O Srimati Radhike, when, oh when will You bestow upon me Your merciful sidelong glance? (Sri Radha-Krpa-Kataksa-Stava-Raja, verse 11)



You are the mistress of all kinds of sacrifices (especially of the topmost yugala-milana-yajna); of all actions (since You are the root of all potencies – mula-sakti-tattva); of the mantras uttered at yajnas and of the sacrificial offerings presented to the demigods; of all the demigods; of the words of the three Vedas; of the enforcement of all scriptural principles; of Sri Rama-devi (the goddess of fortune); of Sri Ksamadevi (the goddess of forgiveness); and especially of the delightful kunjas in Vrndavana. When will You mercifully make me Your dasi and grant me the qualification to render service in Your amorous pastimes with the prince of Vraja? O Srimati Radhika, owner and maintainer of Vraja, I offer pranama unto You time and again.” (Sri Radha-Krpa-Kataksa-Stava-Raja, verse 12)]

Once, as Sri Jayadeva Gosvami was composing the verses of his Sri Gita-govinda, a pastime appeared in his heart in which Srimati Radhika entered Her sulky mood (maan). He saw in his mediation that all of Krsna’s repeated attempts failed to remove Her maan. Then, the mood entered his heart in which he understood that in order to pacify Srimati Radhika Sri Krsna placed His head at Her lotus feet. This filled Sri Jayadeva with fear; he could not bring himself to write it. He thought, “Sri Krsna is everyone’s worshipful Supreme Lord and He possesses all potencies. Srimati Radhika is His potency and maidservant. How is it possible for Sri Krsna to put His head at Radhika’s lotus feet? That would transgress the principles of religion.”

His hand trembled and lost the grip of his pen. He could write no more, so he went to bathe in the Ganga. Meanwhile Sri Krsna, the topmost relisher of transcendental mellows, assumed the form of Sri Jayadeva and went to his house. In the form of Jayadeva, Krsna asked Padmavati to bring Him the manuscript. He then personally completed the verse “smara-garala-khandanam – the deadly poison of amorous love” that Jayadeva had begun to write. He added “mama sirasi mandanam / dehi pada-pallavam udaram – is counteracted by decorating My head with Your flower-like feet.”

smara-garala-khandanam
mama sirasi mandanam
dehi pada-pallavam udaram

[“The beautiful flower blossoms of Your feet counteract the deadly poison of amorous love. They extinguish the terrifying fire of the pain of that love, which rages within My heart. Therefore, please be kind and allow Your feet to decorate My head.”]


Sri Krsna then left the house, and a short time later Jayadeva returned. Surprised, his wife asked, “How were you able to come back so quickly? Just a short while ago you returned, wrote something in your book, and again went out to take bath.” Jayadeva Gosvami asked for his manuscript, and upon opening it he saw that his unfinished verse was now complete. Filled with wonder and weeping, he told his wife, “O Devi, you are blessed. You had darsana of Sri Syamasundara Krsna, who personally came here and completed the verse I was afraid to write. Krsna is brought under control by prema, not by devotion based on rules and regulations.”

source:purebhakti.com

RADHA IS ARUNACHALA, ARUNACHALA IS RADHA.

Arunachala Radha

The Great Mahadeepam of Arunachala this year ( 2009 ) represents the Love and Light of Radha for Krishna according to agasthiar ashram.

Whosoever sees the flame on Arunachala this year sees the entire pantheon of Gods and Goddesses manifested.

Whosoever sees the flame...see Radha for in Her are the entire pantheon of Gods and Godesses.

Jayo Arunachala Radha! Victory to the darling of Krishna!

Arunachala Jagannath...the Lord of Puri.

Arunachala Jagannath Darshan.

This is a very beautiful darshan. Here the Hill Arunachala comes to us in the form of Jagannath...the deity of Puri.

Also for close observers of spiritual literature and belief it would be clear that Arunachala Hill is Lord Jagannath Himself.

There is a common point of intersection.

Lord Jagannath stands by Himself bereft of the company of Radha who is absolutely essential for a Krishna idol. Instead He is seen in Puri with His sister Subhadra and brother Balaram.

WHERE IS RADHA?

The answer lies in the caption describing Puri:

It is a vipralamba kshetra...or literally the place of Seperation.

Here Lord Jagannath is in external seperation from Radha. He is crying with wide eyes because of seperation from Radha. Radha is not with Him...She must be somewhere else.

But if it is so...where is Radha.

The answer lies in the fact that though seperated externally Radha is forever united internally with Krishna.

Puri Jagannath thus symbolises Union in seperation.

The smile of Jagannath symbolizes the happiness of Jagannath from internal union with Radha.

The Female Power is in Eternal Union with the Male Principle.

Arunachala too is of the same nature as with Bhagwan's assertion. Once while explaining the greatness of Arunachala Bhagwan explains to a devotee that in Arunachala, Shakthi lies in eternal Union with Arunachala and hence the Hill lies as if unmoved.

From the above words of Bhagwan we can easily see that Arunachala is Puri Jagannath and Puri Jagannath is Arunachala.

Also like Arunachala's Ardha Nareeshwara, Jagnnath is worshipped as Ardha Lakshmi Narayana.

This is the darshan of Arunachala as Puri Jagannath.



Whosoever sees Arunachala...sees Jagannath...whosoever sees Jagannath sees Arunachala.

BOTH ARE THE SAME.

This darshan is also same as Ram Bhakth Hanuman darshan where Hanuman too looses the Conciousness of His Self while thinking of Rama.

An extremely POWERFUL darshan of Arunachala which when meditated upon unites the soul with the Supersoul through the path of Ecstatic Devotion.

Arunachala Baba

Arunachala Sathya Sai

Nov 23 marks the 84th birthday of Sathya Sai Baba.

Worshipped as God by millions, this Godman of South India has many times fascinated me by surreal dreams.

Though I have never met him before my firts girivallam of Arunachala took place last year on his birthday. For the same, Nov 23 is very close to my heart.

It is reported that Sathya Sai Baba first instructed the world by a song:

On October 20th, 1940, at Uravakonda, He came back from school, threw his books and declared, "I am no longer your Sathya! I am Sai Baba. I do not belong to you. I have my work. My devotees are calling me." He walked into the neighbor's garden, sat on a rock and gave His first message, to the faithful who had assembled there, in the form of a bhajan: Manasa Bhajare Gurucharanam…

Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam
Dustara Bhava Sagara Tharanam
Guru Maharaj Guru Jai Jai
Sai Natha Sad Guru Jai Jai
Om Namah Shivaya Om Namashivaya
Om Namashivaya Shivaya Namah Om
Arunachala Shiva Arunachala Shiva
Arunachala Shiva Aruna Shiva Om
Omkaram Baba Omkaram Baba Om Namo Baba

This song urges the devotee to adore the feet of the guru.

Also, this song contains the Arunachala Mahamantra. It is very surprising that a young boy of 14 knew about Arunachala much before the majority in the world had known it, even though he had never gone there.

Let us all wish this great man a wonderful birthday.

Sathya Sai Baba himself says,"I am beyond the reach of the most intensive enquiry and the most meticulous measurement. Only those who have recognized my love and experienced that love can assert that they have glimpsed my reality. Do not attempt to know me through the external eyes."

Arunachala Apex

This darshan of Arunachala confers on the believer the increased power of concentration, strength of purpose and clarity of thought.

A very abstract darshan.

Arunachala Ashta Lakshmi Darshan

This is the 100th post in this blog and befittingly it is about Goddess Mahalakshmi.

This darshan of Arunachala carries in it the sub darshans of Mahalakshmi as the Eight Goddess Forms called Ashta Lakshmi.

Remembrance of this darshan and worship of this form bestows on the believer the bendiction of the Fortune Goddess.

The Maha Ashta Lakshmi Darshan of Arunachala!!!

Who can know?

Who can know Arunachala?

Who knows...knows not..

Who knows not...knows.

Arunachala Deep Sleep

A few days ago I was feeling really chaotic. There was a subconcious panic in me. I prayed to Sri Ramakrishna and slept for fifteen minutes.

I woke up thoroughly refreshed.

My mental chaos was gone.

I had slept deeply.

No dreams, no thoughts.

Only my mind had merged in the dark.

here is what Ramana has to say about Deep Sleep.

"
In deep sleep mind is merged and not destroyed. That which merges
reappears. It may happen in meditation also. But the mind which is
destroyed cannot reappear. The yogi’s aim must be to destroy it and
not to sink in laya. In the peace of dhyana, laya ensues but it is not
enough. It must be supplemented by other practices for destroying the
mind. Some people have gone into samadhi with a trifling thought
and after a long time awakened in the trail of the same thought. In the
meantime generations have passed away in the world. Such a yogi has
not destroyed his mind. Its destruction is the non-recognition of it as
being apart from the Self. Even now the mind is not. Recognise it. How
can you do it if not in everyday activities. They go on automatically.
Know that the mind promoting them is not real but a phantom
proceeding from the Self. That is how the mind is destroyed."

Arunachala Goddess Darshans

Arunachala Hill is the Absolute. It is also the power of the Absolute. In this Hill Shakthi remains in forever absorption with Shiva.

As the Great festival of Dussehra approaches I am highlighting ten darshans of Arunachala as the Goddess.

These darshans are pure inspirations and are not detailed elsewhere.

Goddess Tripura Sundari (the radiant light in the eyes of Shiva)

Goddess Sahasrakshi (lit., "she who has a thousand [infinite] eyes")

Durga Shailputri (Daughter of Mountain)

Brahmacharini

Chandraghanta

Skanda Mata

Katyayani

Siddhidatri

Maha Gauri

Maha Lakshmi

Goddess Parvathi

Vanavasini ( Goddess in the forest)

Goddess Simhavahini
MAHA DURGA




O Glorious Mother with Flowing locks and bright eyes, with the sun and the moon as ear rings and the Earth as a Nose ring, with a smile that thrills the billions of universes, O Goddess Arunachala to you I bow and to you is my love.

P.S. Images have been sourced from the World Wide Web

More Goddess Darshans to follwo...culminating in the Mother of all Darshans of Arunachala.

The Guru's Birthday

Yesterday the birthday of Sri Nannagaru was celebrated with joy in Hyderabad. I had a chance to meet my guru and share some moments with him.

Sri Nannagaru gave a talk about Vasana's in the Heart and also the role of the sadguru.

The next day he left for Benaras.

Arunachala Heart

Talk 402.
While speaking of the Brain and the Heart Sri Bhagavan recalled an
incident of old days as follows:-
Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni once argued that the brain was the most
important centre and Sri Bhagavan maintained that the Heart was even
more so. There were others watching the discourse. A few days after
Sri Bhagavan received a letter containing a short poem in English on
that discourse from a young boy, N. S. Arunachalam, who had not
yet matriculated.

That poem is remarkable for its poetic imagination. Sri Bhagavan,
Kavyakantha, and the assemblage of other persons are represented
as the Heart, the brain and the body respectively, and again as the
sun, the moon and the earth also. The light from the sun is reflected
on the moon and the earth is illumined. Similarly the brain acts by
consciousness derived from the Heart and the body is thus protected.
This teaching of Sri Bhagavan is found in Ramana Gita also. The
Heart is the most important centre from which vitality and light radiate
to the brain, thus enabling it to function. The vasanas are enclosed
in the Heart in their subtlest form, later flowing to the brain which
reflects them highly magnified corresponding to a cinema-show at
every stage. That is how the world is said to be nothing more than a
cinema-show.
Sri Bhagavan also added:- Were the vasanas in the brain instead of
in the Heart they must be extinguished if the head is cut off so that
reincarnations will be at an end. But it is not so. The Self obviously
safeguards the vasanas in its closest proximity, i.e. within itself in the
Heart, just as a miser keeps his most valued possessions (treasure) with
himself and never out of contact. Hence the place where the vasanas are,
is the Self, i.e., the Heart, and not the brain (which is only the theatre
for the play of the vasanas from the greenhouse of the Heart.)

Seek Truth

This thought came as an inspiration to me when I was thinking about my guru SRI NANNAGARU today morning.

Its simple but I wonder why it hit me hard like a very profound realization.

" What if Mr Lie meets Mr Truth...

Truth alone remains.

What if a hundred Mr Lies' meet Mr Truth...

Truth alone remains.

What if a billion Lies' meet Mr Truth...

Truth alone remains.

I AM A LIE...I DO NOT EXIST...

the Guru alone is True...the Guru alone is true."

Explanation for darshans

Hi following a query regarding the darshan of AdiAnta Prabhu, I am uploading the photo of the Arunachala Hill with the angle showing the clear shapes of Vinayaka to the left and Hanuman to the right.

The Arunachala Vinayaka darshans are darshans of the Hill with the Great Northern Spur. This equates the shape to the 'Elephant' and hence qualifies as a Ganesha Darshan. Other more abstract Ganesha darshans in Arunachala are plenty and will be elaborated in the coming posts. One such previously elaborated darshan is the Karpaga Vinayaka darshan of Arunachala. Kindly refer to archives for that post.

Here is AdiAnta Prabhu.




Here is Vinayaka



and this is Hanuman.

Arunachala Vinayaka

Aum Shri Ganeshaya Namah


"Praise to Lord Ganesha". This is the mantra of prayer, love and adoration. It is chanted to get Ganesha's blessings for the positive starting of a project, work or simply to offer him the praise.

Aum Gan Ganapatye Namah


This is Lord Ganesha's mula ("root") mantra .It is also known as his ''beej'' Mantra. This mantra is used for Yoga Sadhana in which we pray to Lord Ganesha and merge ourself with the supreme knowledge and peace. This is a mantra from Ganapati Upanishad. One can always use it before starting any new venture so that success comes without any hassle.

Aum Vakratundaya Hum



This is a powerful mantra from Ganesha Purana. When things are not in your favour, or when the minds of the people turn negative, depressed or discouraged, the attention of Ganesha may be drawn by this mantra to straighten their ways. The HUM symbolizes "Delay no more, my Lord, in straightening the paths of the crooked-minded ones." This mantra is used many a times in the Ganesha Purana to reduce the violence of cruel demons. In addition, this mantra could also be used for healing any spinal problem, such as curvature of the spine or curved limbs. Dedicate 1,008 repetitions of this holy word to straighten and heal such deficiencies.


Aum Kshipra Prasadaya Namah



Kshipra means immediate. If some danger or negative energy is coming your way and you don't know how to get rid of that danger, with true devotion, practice this mantra for quick blessing and purification of one's aura.
Aum Shrim Hrim Klim Glaum Gam Ganapataye vara varada sarva janamme vashamanaya svaha
There are several beej (seed) mantras in this mantra. Among other things, it says, "Shower Your blessings, O Lord. I offer my ego as an oblation."


Aum Sumukhaya Namah



This mantra has a lot of meaning, in simple terms, it means you will be always very beautiful in soul, in spirit, in face, everything. By meditating on this mantra, very pleasing manners and a beauty comes on you. Along with that comes peace, which constantly works in your eyes; and the words you speak are all filled with that power of love.


Aum Ekadantaya Namah



Ekadanta refers to one tusk in the elephant face, which means God broke the duality and made you to have a complete one-pointed mind. Whoever has that oneness of mind and single-minded devotion will achieve everything.


Aum Kapilaya Namah



Kapila (red) means that you are able to give colour therapy. You are able to create colours around yourself and around others, soak them in that colour and heal them. As per the mantra you create, so will you create the colors. Another meaning is "wish cow," the "cow of plenty." It means that whatever you wish, that comes true. There is a wish-cow inside you. Whatever you wish, especially for curing others, comes true instantly.


Aum Gajakarnikaya Namah



The ears of Ganesha, the elephant - god, are constant fanning, which means people can talk a lot, but you are not receiving inside anything other than what is important. It also means that you can sit anywhere and tune this celestial tube (the body) with seven channels (chakras) and all 72,000 nadis, to any loka and be able to hear ancestors, angels, the voice of God or the voice of prophets. That kind of inner ear you will develop through this mantra.


Aum Lambodaraya Namah



This means you feel that you are this universe. It means that all the celestial bodies are within you. Like an entire tree is in the seed, the whole universe is in the sound of creation, which is Aum, and that Aum consciousness in you makes you feel that you are the universe. Therefore, if you say, realizing the oneness with the universe, "shanti to the world" every day, then the grace of God will come and there will be world peace, universal peace. It is the universe within Aum and Aum within you.


Aum Vikataya Namah



This means realizing this world as a dream or a drama. When you are in that high consciousness, this whole world looks like a dream. All of us have taken a role. We have to play our role in life as wife or husband or children or citizens, all consistent with the role we have taken. When an actor bitten by a sponge cobra that is brought on the stage falls, the entire audience cries; but that boy who has fallen knows it was not a real cobra and he is not dead. Life is a drama --definitely life in this material world, this physical world of ego, is a drama. But inside, like the boy on the stage who is quite happy knowing that he didn't die by the bite of the sponge cobra, like that, the truth never dies in us; it is immortal. So everything else you consider as drama. That consciousness comes to you by knowing this mantra.


Aum Vighna Nashanaya Namah





This mantra invokes the Lord Ganesha to remove every hindrance in your life and in your works. By constant meditation on this mantra, all obstacles and blocked energy in your physical and cosmological bodies are released.
Aum Vinayakaya Namah
Vinayaka is the name of Ganesha in the golden age. So by realizing this mantra, your life will have a golden age. In your office, in your work, you'll be the boss. Vinayaka means something under control. Vinayaka means the Lord of resolving problems.


Aum Ganadhyakshaya Namah



This mantra is very important. Suppose you have a group, a country, neighbours, or any kind of group therapy, group healing or a whole country requiring healing, then you have to bring that entire group to your mind's arena and say this mantra. A group healing takes place by this mantra.
Aum Bhalachandraya Namah
In Sanskrit, bhala means the forehead center. Chandra means the crescent moon. Bhalachandra means that chakra from where the nectar drips. That is the secret of all healing. It is to feel yourself as Shiva, identifying yourself with the Truth and feeling constantly that you are carrying the crescent moon, the symbol of growth and nectar of peace.

text courtesy: www.iloveindia.com

Adianta Prabhu Darshan of Arunachala!!!

Half Ganesha and half Hanuman Darshan

At Madya Kailas temple Adyar Madras

The idol is an amalgam of Sri Vigneshwara and Sri Anjaneya on the lines of Ardhanareeswara ( Siva and Parvati) and Sri Sankaranarayana (combination of Siva and Narayana).

The word Aadiyantha stands for 'begining to end' (Aadi - begining & Antha - end). There is a Tamil saying 'Begin with Ganesa and end up with Anjaneya'. Many people visit the temple to get blessing of the 'Twins' against the influence of Navagrahas. The importance of the idol is that Sri Vigneswara and Sri Anjaneya are the only two deities who are totally free from any influence over them whatsoever by the Navagrahas. It is believed that, the devotees can and do influence the Navagrahas themselves proportionate to the devoutness with which the devotees address themselves to Sri Aadiyanta Prabhu!



courtesy: www.punditravi.com/rare_forms_of_hanuman.htm

This darshan of Arunachala carries in it the great Ganesha on the right and the powerful Hanuman on the left. A view or darshan of this aspect of Arunachala bestows us with negation of evil influences and ill effects of planets.

It gives us the grace of the All Knowing Auspicious Vigneshwara and also the power of the Lord of Self Enquiry Hanuman.

This is one of the rarest darshans of Arunachala.

This is an original darshan not discussed anywhere previously.

AdiAnta Darshan of Arunachala