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Category: Religion


Holy Gitas relevence today

bhattathiri | 29 August 2004, 3:25pm

Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna

Introduction

One of the greatest contributions of < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />India to the world is Holy Gita.  Arjuna got mentally depressed when he saw his relatives with whom he has to fight. The Bhagavad Gita is preached in the battle field Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as a counseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting . It has got all the management tactics to achieve the mental equilibrium and to overcome any crisis situation. The Bhagavad Gita can be experienced as a powerful catalyst for transformation. Bhagavad gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord.  The Holy Gita has become a secret driving force behind the unfoldment of one's life. In the days of doubt this divine book will support all  spiritual search.This divine  book will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and deepen one's inner process. Then life in the world can become a real education



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Jesus Prayer:

bhattathiri | 16 July 2004, 11:46pm

Jesus' Prayer:

We of the five great religions, attending God above us and True Parents horizontally, pledge and proclaim that we will go the way of absolute obedience, in order to correct all of the wrongs committed throughout history.

I report this in the name of Jesus, of a central blessed family. Amen, Amen, Amen.

The written resolution by representatives of the five great religions:

1. We resolve and proclaim that God is the Parent of all humankind.
2. We resolve and proclaim that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is the Savior, Messiah, Second Coming and True Parent of all humanity.
3. We resolve and proclaim that the Unification Principle is a message of peace for the salvation of humanity and the gospel for the Completed Testament Age.
4. We resolve and proclaim that we will accomplish the peaceful unification of the cosmos through "living for others" while transcending religion, nationality and race, centering on true love.
5. The representatives of the five great religions resolve and proclaim that we will harmonize with one another, unite and move forward, in order to bring about the nation of God and world peace, while attending True Parents.
This is resolved and proclaimed by Jesus, the leading representative of the group of representatives of the five great religions, Christianity, Confucianism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, at noon on December 25, 2001.



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Holy Ramayana month begins today.

bhattathiri | 16 July 2004, 1:03pm

Kowsalya supraja Rama poorva sandhya
pravarthathe Uthishta narasardoola
karthavyam daivamahnikam (Twice)

1. Sri Rama! Kausalya's endearing son! Wake up, dear;
You have to do Your day-to-day duties; Do wake up please.


2. Uthishtothishta Govinda uthishta
garudadhwaja Uthishta
kamalakantha thrilokyam mangalam kuru (Twice)

2. Sri Govinda! All the three worlds are under Your rule;
they have to prosper. Wake up, my child.



Holy Ramayana is one of the the most widely read epics in India. In Kerala
Ramayana month begins on 1st karkadakam (16th July 2004). In almost all
Hindu families one will read the holy Ramayana and other members will
listen. The climate during the period is almost rainy and many people will
not have any work and it is also considered as a month for preventive
treatment. Elaborate arrangements will be made in the temples to read
Ramayana and preach the divine message to lead an ideal life.
Paramacharyal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in his characteristic simple
language has said "There are two powerful 'Taraka Namas'. One is Aum and
another is Ram


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The essence of spirituality

bhattathiri | 28 June 2004, 5:11am





The only thing is that scriptures have to be read with the third eye.

Simply because I know English doesn't mean that I can understand the Bhagwad Gita written in English. Same for Sanskrit. It is not the language and the meaning that is important, it is the essense that is important.

Scriptures follow this rule of mystic. They are like the mystery script of Nostradamus. They have to be decoded. And this decoding comes only through the path of Guru Marg. No books can teach how to learn this process of learning.

That is why spirituality and all streams of sciences related to it are different from an MBA or a cookery course. No wonder if we teach Vastu or astrology or any other mystic science the way courses are taught in colleges, it can only churn out masters and experts like factory products who will be only too happy to latch on to the frog-tortoise-duck brigade.

I hope I am not mistaken to be deriding Feng Shui or its eminent genuine practitioners. This is about the tremendous loss the fakes in any mystic field are doing to mankind and to themselves. And they can be found in the field of Vastu also.

I was forced to write this piece because of late the questions to this advisory increasingly became of this order. The questioners either seemed to be victim of such fakes or seemed to have stuck in the mirth of the frog-tortoise-south-entry.

That is not Vastu, but of course that is part of Vastu. India has regarded the tortoise as a Kurmavtar, that is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The frog has long been associated with the monsoon in India. If you hear frogs croack around you in the month of June, it means the first drizzle of monsoon is not far away.

And rains don't just mean water, they mean the harvest. After all, Sanskrit is the language in which a single word means different things depending on the connotation. So, water means Jal, means Dravya and Dravya means wealth. Dravya has also been identified with the mind because of its 'chanchalta'.

And hence, and therefore, yes, a frog is important. But surely that wouldn't mean having to keep nine frogs in the house, facing the entry or not facing the entry. The practitioners themselves are confused about this. Those who are not confused are not able to postulate the 'results' yielded by such frogs.

So, dear reader, ask a question on this Vastu advisory only if you must.

There is no compulsion. In spirituality, nobody, least of all I, can force anything upon anybody. Unless the right time comes in your life, right things won't happen to you no matter who advises you, whether it's me or someone else.

The problem is I want a mindset to change. Spirituality is not and is not meant to be a shopper's stop or a mall where you can buy a Rudraksh here, a Shankh there.

It is not a freebie given on mobile phone schemes. Hence, do not kindly insult the Shastra which our sages have written painstakingly after so much of research.

That's why it's a free-to-ask advisory. But that does not mean frivolous questions can be put. Freedom should not be confused with frivolity. Ask genuine and serious questions. And I am making it clear here, questions otherwise won't be answered.

The aim of this advisory is to spread the knowledge that our sages conserved without running any merchandise establishment. Today's marketers are doing exactly the opposite and have succeeded in convincing people that spirituality can also be sold.

They are selling you everything from a crystal Sri Yantra to Kanakdhara Yantra to gems to Rudraksh and everything without understanding the truth behind these things or without passing it on to the Jataka or the seeker. Divinity can be FELT anywhere you belong but it can be FOUND only in areas it has always belonged.

And these areas could be the Shivaliks, the Ganga Sagar, the Kailash, the Himalayas, Rishikesh, Haridwar, banks of Kshipra river in Ujjain, the Jyotirlings, the Arunachal mountain.

We say,"Sa Vidya, Vimuktaye'' , meaning knowledge liberates, liberates in the true sense. That is the whole essence of knowledge, awareness. And only true knowledge liberates. And true knowledge comes from a Guru or a divine form. It does not come from books or shopping malls.

Same for Mantras. Why don't people get results by reading so many books and magazines on religion and spirituality that are today available on the railway stalls or in book shops?

Many of them are sold all over India at something between Rs 25 and Rs 35 and they also give which they say is 'a real crystal Sri Yantra' or 'a Hattha Jodi' or 'a Dakshinavarthi Shankh' etc. Can anything be more untruthful than this?

On the other hand, lakhs of people have benefited from the spiritual guidance provided by Guruvarya Annasaheb More at the Shree Swami Samarth Kendra at Dindori near Nashik.

The Sudarshan Kriya of Guruvarya Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji has benefited lakhs.

Experiments have proven improvements in those who have done this Kriya, lakhs and lakhs of people have benefited from the Satsang and Kripa of Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu, lakhs have felt the inner bliss while listening to Pujya Murari Bapu, thousands have got miraculously cured when they were embraced by Mata Amritanandmayee Maa. Several others vouch for Shree Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.

And I am mentioning only the present day Gurutulya seers. Only if you are spiritually-inclined, can Vastu or any such thing work wonders for you.
For, this is the land of Jesus ---- Blessed are those who are poor . And by poverty, Jesus certainly did not mean the material poverty.  It's the poverty of the Tamas and the richness of the Satva.

I welcome all of you who want to tread the path of spirituality. It is both uphill and hard. But it also blissfully satisfying. It has the nothingness as exemplified by Lord Shiva who has smeared himself in Raksha and the richness which Lord Krishna wears


http://ww1.mid-day.com/vasstu/2004/March/vastu8.htm

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SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS

bhattathiri | 28 June 2004, 4:23am



The ancient Egyptians and the Chaldeans had peculiar beliefs of their own about the soul; but their ideas about a living part after death must not be confused with those of the ancient Hindu, the Persian, the Greek or any other Aryan race. There was, from the earliest times, a broad distinction between the Aryan and the non-Sanskrit speaking mlechchhas in the conception of the soul. Externally it was typified by their disposal of the dead, the mlechchhas mostly trying their best to preserve the dead bodies by careful burial or by the more elaborate process of mummifying, and the Aryans generally burning their dead.

Herein lies the key to a great secret - the fact that no mlechchha race, whether Egyptian, Assyrian, or Babylonian, ever attained to the idea of the soul as a separate entity which can live independent of the body, without the help of the Aryans, especially of the Hindus. (8)

Two people have given all the religions to the world - the Hindus and the Jews. But it is only with the Hindus that the idea of soul comes at first, and that was shared by the Aryan races. (9)


3. Any Ideas of a Pre-Existent, Non-Material Soul Came into Early Western Culture from India

It was in India and among the Aryans that the doctrine of the pre-existence, the immortality, and the individuality of the soul first arose. Recent researches in Egypt [as of 1895] have failed to show any trace of the doctrine of and independent and individual soul existing before and after the earthly phase of existence. Some of the mysteries were no doubt in possession of this idea, but in those it has been traced back to India.

"I am convinced", says Karl Heckel, "that the deeper we enter into the study of the Egyptian religion, the clearer it is shown that the doctrine of metempsychosis was entirely foreign to the popular Egyptian religion; and that even that which single mysteries possessed of it was not inherent to the Osiris teachings, but derived from Hindu sources." (10)

It never occurred to the Greeks to pry into the secrets after death, but [in India] from the beginning was asked again and again, "What am I? What will become of me after death?" There the Greek thought that people died and went to heaven. What was meant by going to heaven? It meant going outside of everything; there was nothing inside, everything was outside; this search was all directed outside - nay, they themselves were, as it were, outside themselves. And when they went to a place which was very much like this world, minus all its sorrows, they thought they had got everything that was desirable and were satisfied - and there all ideas of religion stopped. But it did not satisfy the Hindu mind. In its analysis, these heavens were all included within the material universe. (11)

Later on we find the Alexandrian Jews imbued with the doctrine of an individual soul, and the Pharisees at the time of Jesus. not only had faith in an individual soul, but believed in its wandering through various bodies; and thus it is easy to find how Christ was recognized as the incarnation of an older prophet, and Jesus himself directly asserted that John the Baptist was the prophet Elias come back again: "If ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come." [Matt. 11.14]

The ideas of a soul and of its individuality among the Hebrews evidently came through the higher mystical teachings of the Egyptians who, in their turn, derived it from India. And that it should come through Alexandria is significant, as the Buddhist records clearly show Buddhist missionary activity in Alexandria and Asia Minor. (12)



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HINDUISM is mother of all religions

bhattathiri | 28 June 2004, 2:51am

OM GANESAYA NAMH

Hinduism is the mother of all religions and it is individual's (jeevatma) association with the Supreme (Paramatma), and the ultimate objective of religion is realization of Truth. Forms which symbolize Truth are only indications; they are not Truth itself, which transcends all conceptualization. The mind in its efforts to understand Truth through reasoning must always fail, for Truth transcends the very mind which seeks to embrace it. (Tatwamasi)

It is unique among the world's religions. We may boldly proclaim it the greatest and oldest religion in the world. To begin with, it is mankind's oldest spiritual declaration, the very fountainhead of faith on the planet. Hinduism's venerable age has seasoned it to maturity. It is the only religion, to my knowledge, which is not founded in a single historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history. Hinduism has been called the "cradle of spirituality," and the "mother of all religions," partially because it has influenced virtually every major religion and partly because it can absorb all other religions, honor and embrace their scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This is possible because Hinduism looks compassionately on all genuine spiritual effort and knows unmistakably that all souls are evolving toward union with the Divine, and all are destined, without exception, to achieve spiritual enlightenment and liberation in this or a future life.

Any religion in the world is considered as a mind stratum within people. It is a group of people who think consciously, subconsciously and subsuperconsciously alike and who are guided by their own superconsciousness and the superconsciousness of their leaders which make up the force field which we call a religion. It does not exist outside the mind. People of a certain religion have all been impressed with the same experiences. They have all accepted the same or similar beliefs and attitudes, and their mutual concurrence creates the bonds of fellowship and purpose, of doctrine and communion.

The people in Hinduism through a shared mind structure can understand, acknowledge, accept and love all the peoples of the world, encompass them within their mind as being fine religious people. The Hindu truly believes that there is a single Eternal Path, but he does not believe that any one religion is the only valid religion or the only religion that will lead the soul to salvation. Rather, the Eternal Path is seen reflected in all religions.

The will of God or the Gods is at work in all genuine worship and service. It is said in Hindu scripture that "Truth is one. Paths are many." The search for Truth, for God, is called the Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Path because it is inherent in the soul itself, where religion begins. This path, this return to his Source, is ever existent in man, and is at work whether he is aware of the processes or not. There is not this man's search and that man's search. And where does the impetus come from? It comes from the inside of man himself. Thus, Hinduism is ever vibrant and alive for it depends on this original source of inspiration, this first impulse of the spirit within, giving it an energy and a vibrancy that is renewable eternally in the now.

The Hindu feels that his faith is the broadest, the most practical and effective instrument of spiritual unfoldment, but he includes in his Hindu mind all the religions of the world as expressions of the one Eternal Path and understands each proportionately in accordance with its doctrines and dogma. He knows that certain beliefs and inner attitudes are more conducive to spiritual growth than others, and that all religions are, therefore, not the same. They differ in important ways. Yet, there is no sense whatsoever in Hinduism of an "only path." A devout Hindu is supportive of all efforts that lead to a pure and virtuous life and would consider it unthinkable to dissuade a sincere devotee from his chosen faith. This is the Hindu mind, and this is what we teach, what we practice and what we offer aspirants on the path.

To the Hindu, conduct and the inner processes of the soul's maturation are more essential than the particular religion one may be by the accidents of birth, culture or geography. The Hindu knows that he might unknowingly disturb the dharma of the individual if he pulls him away from his religious roots, and that would cause an unsavory karma for them both. He knows, too that it is not necessary that all people believe exactly the same way or call God by the same name.

Hinduism is also extremely sectarian, altogether dogmatic in its beliefs. Its doctrines of karma and reincarnation, its philosophy of nonviolence and compassion, its certainty of mystical realities and experience and its universality are held with unshakable conviction. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Hinduism is a religion more of experience than of doctrine. It prefers to say to its followers, "This is the nature of Truth, and these are the means by which that truth may be realized. Here are the traditions which have withstood time and proved most effective. Now you may test them in your own life, prove them to yourself. And we will help as we can." It will never say, "You must do or believe thusly or be condemned." In Hinduism it is believed that none are eternally condemned. That loving acceptance and unremitting faith in the goodness of life are another reason I boldly say that Hinduism is the greatest religion even though not the largest in the world.

Within Hinduism, as within every religious system, are the practical means of attaining the purity, the knowledge and the serenity of life. Each Hindu is enjoined to attend a puja every day, preferably at a certain and consistent time. He must observe the laws of virtue and the codes of ethics. He must serve others, support religion within his community. He should occasionally pilgrimage to sacred shrines and temples, and partake in the sacraments. If he is more advanced, an older soul, then he is expected, expects of himself, to undertake certain forms of sadhana and tapas, of discipline and asceticism.

Though it is broad and open in the freedom of the mind to inquire, Hinduism is narrowly strict in its expectations of devotees--the more awakened the soul, the higher the demands and responsibilities placed upon him. And though other systems of belief are fully acceptable mind structures within the structure of the higher mind, there is no way out of Hinduism. There is no excommunication. There is no means of severance. There's no leaving Hinduism once you have formally accepted and been accepted. Why is that? That is because Hinduism contains the whole of religion within itself. There is no "other religion" which one can adopt by leaving Hinduism, only other aspects of the one religion which is the sum of them all, the Eternal Path, the Sanatana Dharma.

It can be said that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-mindedness and compassion and tolerance just mentioned, that Hinduism would be the greatest religion on the basis of its profound mysticism alone. No other faith boasts such a deep and enduring comprehension of the mysteries of existence, or possesses so vast a metaphysical system. The storehouse of religious revelation in Hinduism cannot be reckoned. I know of its equal nowhere. It contains the entire system of yoga, of meditation and contemplation and Self Realization. Nowhere else is there such insightful revelation of the inner bodies of man, the subtle pranas and the chakras, or psychic centers within the nerve system. Inner states of superconsciousness are explored and mapped fully in Hinduism, from the clear white light to the sights and sounds which flood the awakened inner consciousness of man. In the West it is the mystically awakened soul who is drawn to Hinduism for understanding of inner states of consciousness, discovering after ardent seeking that Hinduism possesses answers which do not exist elsewhere and is capable of guiding awareness into ever-deepening mind strata.

The various scriptures written thousands of years ago explain how we should live, and saints and rishis and seers throughout the ages have told us that it is impossible to live that way. So, Hinduism has a great tolerance for those who strive and a great forgiveness for those who fail. It looks in awe at those who succeed in living a life according to its own strict ethics. In Hinduism we have many, many saints. You don't have to die to be acknowledged a saint in our religion, you have to live. The Hindus, perhaps beyond all other people on the earth, realize the difficulties of living in a human body and look in awe at those who achieve true spirituality.

Hindus believes in reincarnation. He believes that he is not the body in which he lives, but the soul or awareness which takes on a body for a definite purpose. He believes he is going to get a better body in a better birth, that the process does not begin and end in a single life, that the process is continuous, reaching beyond the limits that one life may impose on inner progress. Of course, his belief in karma assures him that a better birth, that progress inwardly, will come only if he behaves in a certain way. He knows that if he does not behave according to the natural laws, to the Hindu ethics, that he will suffer for his transgressions in a future life, or future lives, that he may by his own actions earn the necessity of a so-called inferior birth, earn the right to start over where he left off in the birth in which he failed.

This belief in more than a single life brings to the Hindu a great sense of peace. He knows that the maturity of the soul takes many lives, perhaps hundreds of lives. If he is not perfect right now, then at least he knows that he is progressing, that there will be many opportunities for learning and growing. This eliminates anxiety, gives the serene perception that everything is all right as it is. There is no sense of a time limit, of an impending end or an ultimate judgement of his actions and attitudes. This understanding that the soul evolves gives the Hindu remarkable insight into the human condition and appreciation for all men in all stages of spiritual development.

Within it there is a place for the insane and a place for the saint. There is a place for the beggar and for those who support beggars. There is a place for the intelligent person and plenty of room for the fool. The beauty of Hinduism is that it does not demand of every soul perfection in this life, a necessary conclusion for those who believe in a single lifetime during which human perfection or grace must be achieved. Belief in reincarnation gives the Hindu an acceptance of every level of humanity. Some souls are simply older souls than others, but all are inherently the same, inherently immortal and of the nature of the Divine.

In Hinduism it is believed that the Gods are living, thinking, dynamic beings who live in a different world, in an inner world in the microcosm within this world in which there exists a greater macrocosm than this visible macrocosm. For the Hindu, surrender to the Divine Will, that created and pervades and guides the universe, is essential. The Hindu believes that these beings guide our experiences on earth, actually consciously guide the evolutionary processes. Therefore, he worships these beings as greater beings than himself, and he maintains a subjective attitude toward them, wondering if he is attuned with these grand forces of the universe, if his personal will is in phase with what these great beings would have him do. This gives birth to a great culture, a great attitude, a great tolerance and kindness one to another. It gives rise to humility in the approach to life. Not a weak or false humility, but a strong and mature sense of the grand presence and purpose of life before which the head naturally bows.

There are said to be millions of Gods in the Hindu pantheon, though only a few major Deities are actually worshipped in the temples. That God may be worshipped as the Divine Father, or a Sainted Mother or the King of Kings is one of the blessings of Hinduism. It offers to each a personal and significant contact, and each Hindu will choose that aspect of the Deity which most appeals to his inner needs and sensibilities. That can be confusing to some, but not to the Hindu. Within his religion is monism and dualism, monotheism and polytheism, and a rich array of other theological views.

God and Goddess in Hinduism is accepted as both transcendent and immanent, both beyond the mind and the very substratum of the mind. The ideal of the Hindu is to think of God always, every moment, and to be ever conscious of God's presence. This does not mean the transcendent God, the Absolute Lord. That is for the yogi to ponder in his contemplative discipline. That is for the well-perfected Hindu who has worshipped faithfully in the temples, studied deeply the scriptures and found his guru. For most Hindus, God means the Gods, one of the many personal devas and Mahadevas which prevail in our religion. This means a personal great soul which may never have known physical birth, a being which pervades the planet, pervades form with His mind and Being, and which guides evolution. Such a God is capable of offering protection and direction to the followers of Hinduism. The Hindu is supposed to think of God every minute of every day, to see God everywhere. Of course, most of us don't think of God even one minute a day. That's the reason that each Hindu is obliged to conduct or attend at least one religious service, one puja or ceremony, every day in his temple or home shrine. This turns his mind inward to God and the Gods.

Hinduism is an Eastern religion, and the Eastern religions are very different from those of the West. For one thing, they are more introspective. Hinduism gave birth to Buddhism, for Buddha was born and died as a good Hindu. And it gave birth to other religions of the East, to Taoism, to Jainism, to Sikhism and others.

There are three distinct aspects of Hinduism: the temples, the philosophy and the guru. It is very fortunate that in the last decade Hindu temples have nearly circumferenced the world. There are temples in Europe, in the United States, in South America, in Africa and throughout Southeast Asia. The Hindu temple and stone images in it work as a channel for the Deity, for the Gods, who hover over the stone image and in their subtle etheric forms change people's lives through changing the nerve currents within them through their darshan. People come to a sanctified temple and go away, and in that process they are slowly changed from the inside out. They have changed because their very life force has changed, their mind has been changed and their emotions have undergone a subtle transformation. The temples of Hinduism are magnificent in their immensity and in their ability to canalize the three worlds, the First World of physical, outer existence and the inner Second and Third Worlds. Hindu temples are not centered around a priest or minister, though there may be a holy man associated with a temple whose advice is cautiously and quietly sought. There is no sermon, no mediator, no director to guide the worship of pilgrims. The temple is the home of the Deities, and each devotee goes according to his own timing and for his own particular needs. Some may go to weep and seek consolation in times of sorrow, while simultaneously others will be there to rejoice in their good fortune and to sing God's name in thanksgiving. Naturally, the sacraments of name-giving and marriage and so forth are closely associated with the temple. One has only to attend a Hindu temple during festival days to capture the great energy and vitality of this ancient religion.

In its second section, of philosophy, Hinduism has influenced the deep religious thinkers of all cultures through known history. It is not a single philosophy which can be labeled "Hinduism." Rather, it is a network of many philosophies, some seeming to impertinently contradict the validity of others, yet on deeper reflection seen as integral aspects of a single radiant mind flow. In the area of philosophy must be included the enormous array of scripture, hymns, mantrams, devotional bhajan and philosophical texts which are certainly unequaled in the world. In the natural order of things temple worship precedes philosophy. It all starts with the temple, with this sacred house of the Deities, this sanctified site where the three worlds communicate, where the inner and outer mesh and merge. It is there that devotees change. They become more like the perfect being that lives in the temple, become the voice of the Deity, writing down what is taught them from the inside, and their writings, if they are faithful to the superconscious message of the God, become scripture and make up the philosophies of Hinduism. The philosophies then stand alone as the voice of the religion. They are taught in the universities, discussed among scholars, meditated upon by yogis and devout seekers. It is possible to be a good Hindu by only learning the philosophy and never going to the temple, or by simply going to the temple and never hearing of the deeper philosophies.

Hinduism has still another section within it, and that is the guru--the teacher, the illuminator, the spiritual preceptor. The guru is the remover of darkness. He is one who knows the philosophy, who knows the inner workings of the temple, and who in himself is the philosopher and the temple. The guru is he who can enliven the spirit within people. Like the temple and the philosophy, he stands alone, apart from the institutions of learning, apart from sites of pilgrimage. He is himself the source of knowledge, and he is himself the pilgrim's destination. Should all the temples be destroyed, they would spring up again from the seeds of philosophy, or from the presence of a realized man. And if all the scriptures and philosophical treatises were burned, they would be written again from the same source. So Hinduism cannot be destroyed. It can never be destroyed. It exists as the spirit of religion within each being. Its three aspects, the temple, the philosophy and the guru, individually proficient, taken together make Hinduism the most vital and abundant religion in the world.

Hinduism has a grand diversity among its many sects. That diversity is itself strength, showing how broad and encompassing Hinduism is. It does not seek to have all devotees believe exactly alike. In fact, it has no central authority, no single organized institution which could ever proclaim or enforce such sameness. There is an immense inner unity, but the real strength and wisdom of Hinduism is its diversity, its variety. There are so many sects within Hinduism that you could spend a lifetime studying them and never begin to assess them all. More is there than any single human being could assimilate in a single lifetime. Hinduism, therefore, has the magnetism to draw us back into its immensity life after life. Each sect may be said to be a full religion in its own right, with all the increments of faith, with no necessary part missing. Therefore, each sect works for the individuals within it completely, and each tolerates all the other sects. It does not totally divorce itself from the other sects, denying their beliefs, but simply separates to stress or expound a limited area of the vast philosophy, apart from all others, to be understood by the limited faculties of man.

These various sects and divisions within Hinduism all spring from a one source. Most Hindus believe in the transcendental God as well as the personal Lord or God, and yet there is within the boundaries of the faith room for the nonbeliever, for the atheist or for the agnostic who is assessing and developing his beliefs. This brings another unique asset to our religion--the absence of heresy. There is no such thing as a heretic in Hinduism, for there is no single right perspective or belief. Doctrine and sadhana are not considered absolutes, but the means to an absolute end, and they can be tailored to individual needs and natures. My Guru would say that different prescriptions are required for different ailments.

In Hinduism there is no person or spiritual authority who stands between man and God. In fact, Hinduism teaches just the opposite. The priests in the temples are the servants of the Deity, the helper, the keeper of the Gods' house. He prepares and purifies the atmosphere of the temple, but he does not intervene between the devotee and his God--whichever of the many Gods within our religion that he may be worshiping. Without a mediator, responsibility is placed fully upon the individual.

There is on one to intercede on his behalf. He is responsible for his actions, for his thoughts, for his emotions, for his relationship with his God. He must work out his beliefs from the inside without undue dependence upon external influences. Of course, there is much help, as much as may be needed, from those who have previously gone through what he is now going through. It is not enough that he adopts an authorized dogma. He must study and bring the teachings to life from within himself.

Within the philosophy each philosopher proclaims that God can be found within man if man practices the proper precepts of yoga and delves within himself through his kundalini force. The guru himself teaches the awakening of that force and how God can be realized in His transcendental as well as His personal aspect within the sphere of one's own personal experience in this very lifetime if he but pursues the path and is obedient.

Hinduism is unique because God and man, mind and God, instinctive mind, intellectual mind and superconscious mind, can merge as one, according to the evolution of the individual. Each one, according to his own self-created karma, has his own fulfillment. Those in the first stages of evolution, whose interests and experiences are basically instinctive, who possess little intellect or mental prowess are guided by their emotions and impulses are generally fearful. They have a personal experience of the Deity in the temple, but it is generally a fearful experience. They are afraid of God. Alongside of them during a puja is a great rishi who has had many hundreds of lives on this planet. He has his own personal experience of God, but it is an experience of love, of oneness and of union. There they are, side by side. Each experience of God is as real to one as to the other. There is no one in-between, no arbitrator of the experience to compel the one to see God exactly as the other one does.

Hinduism is as broad as humanity is, as diverse as people are diverse. It is for the rich and the poor, for the mystic and for the materialist. It is for the sage and the fool. None is excluded. In a Hindu temple one can find every variety of humanity. The man of accumulated wealth is there, supporting the institutions that have grown up around the temple, seeking to spend his abundance wisely and for its best purpose so that good merit may be earned for his next life. The pauper is there, begging in hopes that perhaps he will eat tomorrow and the God will inspire some devotee to give Him a coin or two. So a Hindu temple is a reflection of life, set in the midst of the life of the community. It is not making an effort to be better than the life of the village, only to serve that life and direct it to its next stage of evolution. The same Hindu mind which can consume within it all the religions of the world can and does consume within it all of the peoples of the world who are drawn to the temple by the shakti, the power, of the temple. Such is the great embracing compassion of our religion.

The greatness of Hinduism cannot be compared with other religions. There is no basis for comparison. Hinduism has no beginning, therefore will certainly have no end. It was never created, and therefore it cannot be destroyed. It is a God-centric religion. The center of it is God. All of the other religions are prophet-centric. The center of those religions is a great saint or sage, a prophet, a messenger or messiah, some God-Realized person who has lived on earth and died. Perhaps he was born to create that particular sect, that particular religion, needed by the people of a certain part of the world at a certain time in history. The Hindus acknowledge this and recognize all of the world's religious leaders as great prophets, as great souls, as great incarnations, perhaps, of the Gods, or as great realized beings who have through their realization and inward practices incarnated themselves into, or transformed themselves into, eminent religious leaders and attracted devotees to them to give forth the precepts of life all over again and thus guide a tribe, or a nation or a race, into a better way of life.

The Hindu mind can encompass this, appreciate it, for it is firmly settled in a God-centric religion. The center of Hinduism is the Absolute, the timeless, formless, spaceless God who manifests as Pure Consciousness and as the most perfect form conceivable, the Primal Soul. He radiates out from that form as a myriad of Gods and Goddesses who inhabit the temples and bless the people, inspire the scriptures, inspire the spiritual leaders and uplift humanity in general. It is a one God in many forms.

There are nearly sixtyfive crores Hindus in the world today. Hinduism attends to the needs of each one. It is the only religion in the world today that has such breadth and depth. Hinduism contains the Deities and the sanctified temples, the esoteric knowledge of inner states of consciousness, yoga and the disciplines of meditation. It possesses a gentle compassion and a genuine tolerance and appreciation for other religions. It remains undogmatic and open to inquiry. It believes in a just world in which every soul is guided by karma to the ultimate goal of Self Realization, or moksha. It rests content in the knowledge of the divine origin of the soul, its passage through one life and another until maturity has been reached. It offers guidance to all who take refuge in it, from the nonbeliever to the most evolved rishi. It cherishes the largest storehouse of scripture and philosophy on the earth, and the oldest. It is endowed with a tradition of saints and sages, of realized men and women, unrivaled on the earth. It is the sum of these, and more, which makes us boldly declare that Hinduism is the greatest, even though not the largest, religion in the entire world.

People in other religions may question the sanctity of idol worship and we can say it is only due to ignorance.God is all-pervading formless Being.

The divinity of the all-pervading God is vibrant in every atom of creation. There is not a speck of space where He is not. Why do you then say that He is not the idols?

The idol is a support for the neophyte. It is a prop of his spiritual childhood. A form or image is necessary for worship in the beginning. It is not possible for all to fix the mind on the Absolute or the Infinite. A concrete form is necessary for the vast majority for practicing concentration.

Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but shining channels through which the heart of the devotee flows towards God. Though the image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it and pours out his devotion unto it. The idol remains an idol, but the worship goes to the Lord.

To a devotee, the image is a mass of Chaitanya or consciousness. He draws inspiration from the image. The image guides him. It talks to him. It assumes human form to help him in a variety of ways. Idol worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. The Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one in kind, but only one of degree.

All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image. Everyone is an idol worshipper. Pictures and drawings are only a form of idol. A gross mind needs a concrete symbol as a prop or Alambana; a subtle mind requires an abstract symbol. Even a Vedantin has the symbol for fixing the wandering mind. It is not only pictures or images in stone and wood that are idols. Dialectics and leaders also become idols.

Many Hindu texts are presently available at reasonable prices all over the world from many sources. One does not lose any thing by going through these books and trying to understand what they actually mean. These books definitely help one to gain an insight into the basics of Hindu religion and help one to develop a correct attitude towards ones religion. At least we will be able to know correctly what is the right of way of living.

Let us remember that in other religions, scriptures do occupy the central part. These religions are more organized because an understanding of the basic scripture is fundamental to the practice of religion. While there are hundreds of Hindus who have never read a Veda or Upanishads, it is difficult to come across a Christian or a Muslim who has never gone through his or her holy book. Many carry them to their places of work or keep it in their houses for regular or occasional study. It is wrong to presume that Hinduism does not prescribe study of religious scriptures. In fact it is an essential and integral part of a person's education and religious life.

The purpose of this article is not to advocate blind faith or blind following, but to make us understand the need for a judicious exercise of choosing what is right and what is wrong for one not in complete and total freedom but in accordance with the scriptures (external dharma) and one own inner nature or internal dharma.

An individual has freedom in Hinduism to chose what is right for him or her, but only after careful examination and analysis of a given situation. One can always use one buddhi or intelligence to know what is right and appropriate in any given situation, without rationalizing ones inactivity, lack of interest and indifference.

In conclusion what we can say is that we should be proud to be a Hindu.

TATSAT



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THE ESSENCE OF HINDU SCRIPTURES.

bhattathiri | 28 June 2004, 2:02am

1. Please know that God is within you.

2 God is infinite love and peace.

3. God is the eternal light and joy that shine the whole universe.

4. People should rise to the occasion to do their duty.

5. People should reach the height and glory of God’s supreme presence.

6. The feeling that I and mine should be given up and see every thing equal.

7. Have an elevated thinking.

8. Remember God in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end for all ventures.

9. Be humble, pure, simple, and innocent and God is yours.

10. God in the form of love reside in everybody’ heart and be conscious of this at all times

Then your thoughts, words and actions will be of love.

11. The light of God will always illuminate the heart and light only can be seen inside and outside.

12. Come out of the darkness of ignorance enter into the light of knowledge then only we can feel the presence of God the light of all lights.

13. Let all our actions be as per the directions of God within us.

14. Ego should be avoided to allow everything to be done at the will of God.

15. God is the only reality, truth, and live for God alone.

16. Detachment to perishable things and attachment to only God will give peace of mind.

17. Desire for material things is the cause for all sorrows.

18. Taking more than one’s requirement will ultimately give grief.

19. Acquire knowledge which can’t be stolen or lost.

20. Enjoy always the sunshine of God’s splendor and glory.

21. Remember always God and live in tune with him.

22. Be happy and calm in all situations.

23. See, hear, and speak only good things,

23. Serve the needy and sick wholeheartedly.

24. Total surrender to God will give peace of mind.

25. Remember always the God’s grace for all achievements..

26. Avoid self praise and say only good things about others.

27. See everybody with respect irrespective of caste color and creed.

28. Anger, lust and ego are the only enemies.

29. Purify the heart for the God to sit in.

30. There is no greater virtue than humility, no vice greater than pride.

31. Be sincere in all works, work is worship.

32. Make God your friend, philosopher and guide.

33. Don’t get dejected in failure and fall, God’s grace will be upon us.

34. Always you are one with God and different from Him.

35. Like a flower give always the perfume of love and joy.

36. Pray for the awareness that always you may be in Him and He in you.

37. Remember always that everything in the Universe belongs to God, nothing is ours

38. We have got this birth at the will of God and we are on our way to Him.

39. Know that our goal is to rest in peace with God.

40. Always remember that we are the immortal spirit.

41. Chanting the name of God will save us from fear, doubt and anxiety.

42. Supreme knowledge is ultimate devotion to God.

43. What ever we do will be seen by the God.

44. Overeating, earning money by unlawful means, desire for others property are our weakness.

45 .We are all safe in the hands o god.

46. God manifesting Himself as a person; the object of worship of the bhaktas. By worshipping God as a person, devotees are able to assume human-like relationships with God, for example: God as parent, devotee as child; God as Lord, devotee as servant. It is also much easier for many people to develop love toward God when He is regarded as a person. Such love is capable of triggering a spiritual awakening once it is a pure, selfless love.

47. In this kaliyuga Chant always the name of God.

48. God can assume any form to protect the devotees.

49. To serve the devotees is equal to serve the God.

50.Awake, arise and do your duty justifiably . God will be always with you.



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SACRED TEXT MIRACLE

bhattathiri | 28 June 2004, 12:01am

Devotees believe that this hymn to Lord Krishna, the presiding deity of
Guruvayoor is a panacea for all ailments, arthritic parqlysis in particular,
and chant the hymn with all earnestness, sincerity and devotion. They come
all the way to Guruvayoor, offer worship and get cured.
The expression



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Hinduism A-Z

bhattathiri | 27 June 2004, 11:59pm

A is for aum, the three-syllabled mantra that represents the sacred mystery in sound and vibratin.

B is for bhakti, deep devotion and love for the divine which softens which softens even hearts of stone.


C is for culture, the beauty of Hindu music, fine arts, drama, dance, literature and architecture.


D is for dharma, which is righteousness, cosmic order and duty, leading us on the right path.


E is for earth, our lovely blue planet, which we treat as sacred, protecting all its wonderful creatures.


F is for family, the precious cornerstone of Hindu life, culture, service and tradition.


G is for guru, our enlightened master who, knowing truth himself, can guide us there.


H is for hatha yoga, healthful physical science for vitality, energy-balancing and meditation.


I is for India, Bharata, motherland to one-sixth of humanity, holy land for Hindus everywhere.


J is for japa, repetitive, prayerful mantras which quiet emotion and empower the mind.


K is for karma, the law of cause and effect by which we determine our experience and destiny.


L is for lotus, the heart's inner shrine, where God dwells, ever serene, ever perfect.


M is for mauna, not talking, the inner silence known when words thoughts and actions are stilled.


N is for nonattachment, the art of living the simple life, without too many needs or desires.


O is for open-mindedness, the Hindu's tolerant freedom of thought, inquiry and belief.


P is for puja, mystic worship of the divine in our home shrine and holy temples and places.


Q is for quest, seeking to know, "Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?"


R is the for reincarnation, our immortal soul's journey from biorth to rebirth. We do not fear death.


S is for samskaras, sacraments sanctifying life's passages: name-giving, marriage, death and more.


T is for tilaka, forehead marks worn in honor of our unique and varied lineages.


U is for utsava, our many home and temple festivals, full of bhakti, fun, feasting, and family sharing.


V is for Vedas, our oldest and holiest book, the word of God recorded in 100,000 Sanskrit verses.


W is for wealth (artha), one of life's four goals, along with love, Dharma and enlightenment.


X is for xerophily, the ability of certain plants and animals to thrive in India's hot, arid plains.


Y is for yoga, union of the soul with God which brings release from worldly bondage.


Z is for zeal, the fervor with which we perform service, go on pilgrimage and greet our holy religious leaders.
http://www.eeshvandana.com/atoz.htm



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Religion is the means of realizing dharma

bhattathiri | 27 June 2004, 11:58pm

Religion is the means of realizing dharma, artha, kama and moksa. These four are called purusarthas.

In Tamil, dharma is called "aram"; artha is known as "porul'; and kama and moksa are called "inbam, " and vidu respectively. "Artha" occurs in the term "purusarthas", but it is itself one of the purusarthas? What a man wants for himself in his life- the aims of a man's life- are the purusarthas. What does a man want to have? He wants to live happily without lacking for anything. There are two types of happiness: the first is ephemeral; and the second is everlasting and not subject to diminution. Kama or in barn is ephemeral happiness and denotes worldly pleasure, worldly desires. Moksa or vidu is everlasting happiness, not transient pleasure. It is because people are ignorant about such happiness, how elevated and enduring it is, that they hanker after the trivial and momentary joys of kama.

Our true quest must be for the fourth artha, that is vidu or moksa. The majority of people today yearn for the third artha that is kama. When you eat you are happy. When you are appointed a judge of the high court you feel elated. You are delighted when presented with a welcome address by some institution, aren't you? Such types of happiness are not enduring. The means by which such happiness is earned is porul. Porul may be corn, money, and house. It is this porul that is the way to happiness. But the pleasure gained from material possessions is momentary and you keep constantly hungering for more.

Moksa is the state of supreme bliss and there is no quest beyond it. We keep going from place to place and suffer hardships of all kinds. Our destination is our home. A prisoner goes to his vidu or his home after he is released. But the word vidu also means release or liberation. Since we are now imprisoned in our body, we commit the grave mistake of believing that we are the body. The body is in fact our goal. Our real home is the bliss called moksa. We must find release from the goal that is our body and dwell in our true home. God has sentenced us to goal (that is he has imprisoned us in our body) for our sins. If we practice virtue he will condone our sins and release us from the prison of our body before the expiry of the sentence. We must desist from committing sinful acts so that our term of imprisonment is not extended and endeavor to free ourselves and arrive in our true home, our true home that is the Lord. This home is bliss that passeth understanding, bliss that is not bound by the limitations of time, space and matter.

Lastly, I speak of the first purusartha, dharma. Dharma denotes beneficent action, good or virtuous deeds. The word has come to mean giving, charity. "Give me dharmam. Do dharmam, mother, " cries the beggar. We speak of "dana-dharma" [as a portmanteau word]. The commandments relating to charity are called "ara-kattalai"in Tamil. Looked at in this way, giving away our artha or porul will be seen to be dharma. But how do we, in the first place, acquire the goods to be given away in charity? The charity practiced in our former birth- by giving away our artha- it is that brings us rewards in this birth. The very purpose of owning material goods is the practice of dharma. Just as material possessions are a means of pleasure, so is dharma a means of material possessions. It is not charity alone that yields rewards in the form of material goods; all dharma will bring their own material rewards.

If we practice dharma without expecting any reward in the belief that Isvara gives us what he wills- and in a spirit of dedication, the impurities tainting our being will be removed and we will obtain the bliss that is exalted. The pursuit of dharma that brings in its wake material rewards will itself become the means of attaining the Paramporul. Thus we see that dharma, while being an instrument for making material gain and through it of pleasure, becomes the means of liberation also if it is practiced unselfishly. Through it we acquire material goods and are helped to keep up the practice of dharma. This means that artha itself becomes a basis of dharma. It is kama or desire alone that neither fulfils itself nor becomes an instrument of fulfilling some other purpose. It is like the water poured on burning sands. Worse, it is an instrument that destroys everything dharmic thoughts, material possessions, liberation it-self.

All the same it is difficult, to start with, to be without any desire altogether. Religion serves to rein in desire little by little and take a man, step by step, from petty ephemeral pleasure to the ultimate bliss. First we are taught the meaning and implications of dharma and how to practice it, then we are instructed in the right manner in which material goods are to be acquired so as to practice this dharma; and, thirdly, we are taught the proper manner in which desires may be satisfied. It is a process of gaining maturity and wisdom to forsake petty pleasure for the ultimate bliss of moksa.

Moksa is release from all attachments. It is a state in which the Self remains ever in untrammeled freedom and blessedness. The chief purpose of religion is to teach us how this supreme state may be attained.

We know for certain that ordinary people do not achieve eternal happiness. The purpose of any religion is to lead them towards such happiness. Everlasting blessedness is obtained only by forsaking the quest for petty pleasures. The dictates of dharma help us to abandon the pursuit of sensual enjoyments and endeavor for eternal bliss. They are also essential to create a social order that has the same high purpose, the liberation of all. Religion, with its goal of liberation, lays down the tenets of dharma. That is why the great understand the word dharma itself to mean religion.
kamakoti.org



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Scriptures help devotion

bhattathiri | 27 June 2004, 11:56pm

Scriptures have given various definitions to the term devotion. One can cite numerous examples
from the lives of saints and sages to give illustrations for different kinds of devotions
practiced by them. The company of these men has helped the devout people attain distinguishing
attributes and their influence will certainly lead to changes in their very outlook and lead them
on the right path.

The Garuda Purana has listed eight different characteristics of a devotee as expounded by the Lord
Himself. The first one is to serve sages and saints who are His true representatives. The second
is to worship the Lord without any inhibitions. The next is to personally offer prayers to the
Lord without seeking the help of
intermediaries.

The Lord does not like His devotees to exhibit pomp and show while offering worship and austerity
is the fourth attribute. The next is the recitation of scriptures, especially Puranas which sing
His glory - and to get deeply moved by the righteousness, valor and grace exhibited by the Lord as
explained in these works. This is listed as the sixth quality of a devotee.

The seventh trait is to think of the Almighty always as a true Saviour. The last characteristic is
not to seek anything else from the Lord than His Holy Feet.

The Garuda Purana has declared unequivocally that any one who possessed these eight attributes
would be considered as a true devotee of the Lord irrespective of class, caste and other
distinctions, said Sri Velukkudi V. Krishnan in his Bhagavatham discourse. Like the cow which
removes all the dirt and other bad elements from the skin of a new-born calf with its tongue, the
Lord removes all the bad qualities of a man and makes Him fit to obtain His grace.

The Lord also does not expect the true devotee to offer prayers extensively with the attendant
extravagant display. All that he wants is true devotion on the part of a man and He is immensely
pleased if he offers prayers with leaves, flowers, fruits and water. Even if all these things
could not be got ready, he can offer prayer with the help of even water which is easily available.

The Lord Himself, during His incarnation as Krishna, has declared that all people can get closer
to Him by hearing or reading the Bhagavatam. When the Lord was about to leave this world after
fulfilling the objectives of his incarnation, the saint, Uddhava, and others lamented as to who
will be there to guide them. The Lord said one could see Him in the form of Srimad Bhagavatham.
That is why this work is held in great esteem by one and all.

Hare Krishna

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Lord Guruvayurappan

bhattathiri | 27 June 2004, 1:57pm

Lord Guruvayurappan,Sriman Narayana in his form as Krishna is enshrined in Guruvayur, a shrine that is believed to cure all incurable diseases and is thronged by devotees round the year. Situated about 30 km. from Trichur, South Malabar, Guruvayur is a simple structure as compared to many other temples of India but nonetheless has its own charm about it. The name Guruvayur is derived from Guru, Brihaspati, who is the revered preceptor of Devas and Vayu, Wind.

The stories behind the name

There are two versions as to how the names of Guru and Vayu came to be associated with this shrine. The idol installed in the temple was originally installed in Dwaraka and was worshipped by Brahma who gifted it to Lord Vishnu. At the end of the Mahabaratha war, due to the curse of sage Dhurvasa, the Yadavas, the clan in which Krishna was brought up, quarrelled among themselves and died, while Dwaraka was submerged under the sea. But before this event, Krishna instructed Uddava to ask Guru and Vayu to remove the idol to a safer place and install it there. Accordingly they consecrated the idol in this place near a lake full of lotuses, with Shiva and Parvati on one side.

The other and more popular legend has it that King Janamejaya, the great grandson of Arjuna, performed the Sarpa Yaga, in which he killed hundreds of thousands of serpents to avenge for the death of his father Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu, by snake bite. Because of this sin of killing serpents in their hordes, Janamejaya was afflicted with leprosy. He was then advised to worship the image of Lord Krishna which was lying submerged under the ocean in Dwaraka, installing it in an appropriate place so that his disease may be cured.

With due efforts the idol was retrieved and with the help of Guru and Vayu it was installed here. King Janamejaya performed a long penance before Guruvayurappan and was cured of his disease.

The temple

Though the well-maintained structure does not wear a worn-out appearance, it may safely be concluded that it must have been in existence at least from the 16th century AD going by the fact that Narayana Bhatta wrote his celebrated Narayaniyam by the end of the 16th century.

The temple had been through ups and downs during the days of invasion. When Tippu Sultan invaded the area in 1789 AD, the idol was removed to Ambalapuzha in Travancore and was worshipped there for around two years. A small shrine exists in Ambalapuzha even to this day, where the king of Travancore has arranged to offer daily naivedhya in memory of the event.

Devotees enter the temple in Guruvayur by the eastern entrance. The sanctum sanctorum is known as Srikoil. Entry into the sanctum sanctorum is permitted only for the priests - Melsanthi, Tantri, Othikkan and Keezhsanti. All the other devotees get a darshan of the Lord only from some distance away.

The idol

The Krishna idol is very unique in that it has four arms. Krishna, it is said, was seen with four arms only on very few occasions. He was seen thus at the time of his birth by his mother Devaki. He stood in his viswa-roopa in the hall of Kauravas and gave the inner-vision to Dhrthrastra, when he was negotiating for the Pandavas and He appeared with His four hands again before Arjuna during Gita-upadesa. The deity of Krishna in Guruvayur has four hands, with the upper right and left arms holding the chakra and the conch and the lower arms holding a lotus and a mace.

It was Adi Sankaracharya who set the puja routine for Guruvayur temple, which opens at 3.00 a.m., very early in the morning. Different abhishekas like the Taila (oil) abhisheka, Sankha (conch) abhisheka and Kumbha abhisheka are performed. Naivedyam and alankara are offered to the deity and the regular puja goes on up to 9.00 p. m. everyday.

Festivals

The mandalam festival is celebrated for a period of 41 days, commencing from the first Vrischika in the month of Kartika. During this month, Kartika, the day on which the Lord rendered his Gita-upadesa in Sukhla paksha Ekadasi is celebrated in a grand manner. The other festival is celebrated for 10 days in Magha, when the sun is in Kumbha. Krishna Janmashtami which falls during the month of August is celebrated with much fanfare.
The temple has survived many threats feom foreign invaders and still flourising and blessing many devotees.
source. chennaionline

 



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Narayaneeyam

bhattathiri | 6 May 2004, 7:51am

Srimad Narayaneeyam is a devotional hymn consisting of 1036 verses written in the
16th century by a scholar-devotee=poet by name Melpathur Narayana
Bhattatiri, as an epitome of Srimad Bhagavata Mahapuranam. The immediate
need for him to write this hymn, was his suffering from his ailment of
paralysis, for the alleviation of which, he prayed to the Lord of
Guruvayoor. He wrote one hundred chapters at the rate of one chapter
(dasakam--a bunch of 10 verses) per day, sitting in front of the deity.
As the story goes, the author, Melpathur Narayana Bhattatiri voluntarily transferred onto himself, the ailment of paralysis from his Guru and relative, Trikandiyur Achuta Pisharoti ritualistically, in order to save him. In the process, he himself became a paralytic. He then got himself carried to the shrine at Guruvayoor where he could take shelter at the feet of Lord Krishna and get divine intervention.

As he was continuing to suffer from excruciating pain due to his malady, he sought advice from the celebrated contemporary poet, Thunjath Ezhuthatchan, who suggested that Bhattatiri should



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