KSHETRA FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2013

                                                           NILATHINGALTHUNDAM

The Lord of Kasi, Vishwanatha wanted to  see Varadaraja swamy of Kanchipuram having heard of its vaibhavam. There was a mango tree at the banks of river kampa. ( Kampa is river Saraswathi also known as Veghavathi. As she flew with great speed Lord Vishnu wanting to reduce its speed lied down and the river began to shiver in fright. ( Kampa- is shiver ing). Hence the name Kampanadhi. This mango tree gave a huge shadow and Lord Vishwanatha began his penance under it. Hence he got the name Ekambranaathar. The Lord appeared in front of him and praised Him.

“ Oh Vishwanatha,

1)      It is you who drank the poison ( Halaahalam) and saved the Devas.

2)      You burnt Manmatha into ashes ( The God of Lust)

3)      You saved Markandeya and kicked the Lord of Death.

You, being such a great person have come to see Me. How can I serve you?”

Lord Shiva smiled and replied

“ Oh Varadaraja, you Have been hiding your prowess and praising me as if I have done all thses.

1)      It was your will to make me an instrument in your hands, to save the Devas from the fearful poison.

2)      As BadriNarayana you had already conquered Manmatha.

3)      And to Markandeya it was You who gave the darshan of pralaya and as Vatapathrashaayi.

Whereas I have been worshipped by Kubera, Ravana and Banasura to beget wealth, you have been worshipped by true devotees to beget salvation. Wealth can be usurped and snatched away, but not liberation. I only wish to give all men true wisdom. But laymen do not wish for wisdom and salvation. It is you who should give a solution to this.

The Lord then said “ Oh, Siva, You speak as if you do not know the real solution. You give salvation to every soul departing in Kasi. The only way is the Tharakamantra. Rama Nama is the only refuge in Kali. Those who have earned great merit ( punya) in the previous yugas will be devoted to you and Me and such people will chant the Rama Nama. In this kaliyuga it is very difficult to attain vairagya ( detachment from worldliness). Whatever desire is in the mind will surface during death.  If such people chant the Rama Nama they will overcome desires slowly and  I shall bless my devotees with salvation. May you chant the Taraka Mantra during that time in their ears.  This will inturn give them wisdom. Just as in Kasi may you do so in Kanchipuram too.

Thus Lord Siva ( Ekambranathar- as he sat under the mango tree) began chanting the Tharaka mantra in the ears of all those in Kanchipuram too. Lord Vishnu in the form of Rama as TarakaBrahma blesses all with their desires.

SLOKA FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012

“Yadaacharathi kalyani Shubham Va yadi Vaashubham

Thadeva labhathe Bhadre Kartha Karmajamaathmanaha.”

Every jeevathma has to enjoy/suffer the fruit of his actions either in this janma or in the next. Sometimes a very good man is born blind or lame and suffers his entire lifetime. The vice versa also happens. A very rude culprit enjoys happily all his life. All these are the result of ones merit/demerits in his previous births. The other religions do not accept rebirth. Thus it will only mean that all the sufferings are a result of the Supreme Almighty. This will in return refer to the Lord as a prejudiced person. However the fact is different. God has no likes or dislikes. He is beyond everything. He loves all. Our sufferings are as a result of our own deeds either in the present life or past. The Lord is not a reason for it. Srimad Ramayan gives an example.

               King   Dasaratha goes for a hunt. He had a missile by name Shabdavedi. It could strike the target without aiming at it. It would attack the target just by following its sound. Dasaratha heard a rumble. He thought it was of an animal. He directed the shabdavedi towards it. Alas it was the noise of a 16 year old boy named Shravanakumara. He had come to a pond to fetch water for his blind parents. The missile attaked him and killed him. Dasaratha did it unknowingly. His parents mourned bitterly for his death. “ You too will die of puthrashoka( separation from your son)” , thus they cursed Dasaratha. Dasaratha felt miserable but then after the birth of Rama he was pacified. Now Dasaratha tells Kousalya of this incident after his separation from Rama. “ One begets what he does previously. As you sow so do you reap”, says Dasaratha as he now feels the pangs of separation from Rama after the latter’s exile.

PAST EVENTS- MADURAI PRAVACHANAM

PAST EVENTS- BHAGAVTHGUNA PRAVACHANAM, MADURAI

Akhila Bharatha Sadhu Sangam, Madurai organised lectures of Sri Hari Anna at Sringeri Mutt, Madurai. The Bhagavad Guna Pravachanam was held from Nov 16^th to 21^st. The air was filled with enthusiasm and pure devotion. Many devotees of Madurai and in and around Madurai attended the satsangham and had food for thought.

EVENTS OF THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012

PROGRAM AT SIDDHAPUR- MATHRUGAYA

DATE: 29TH NOV TO 6TH DEC

TOWN: SIDHDHAPUR, NORTH GUJARATH

TIME: 6.30 A.M TO 6.30 P.M

TOPIC: SRIMAD BHAGAVTHAM

PROGRAM AT MUMBAI

DATE: 24TH DEC TO 31ST DEC

VENUE: VANI VIDYALAYA, MULUND

TIME: 6.30 A.M TO 6.30 P.M

TOPIC: SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM

QUIZ ON SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE QUIZ

1) The answers to the quiz should be sent to the email idannahariji@gmail.com within 26^th of each month.

2) Every month the answers will be evaluated and marks shall be given as points. These points shall get cumulatively added each month.

3) The highest score winner of the year ( April to March) will be awarded 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd prizes.

 QUESTIONS FOR DECEMBER 2012
1)Who was the sage who did the upadesha of the Sankarshana Mantra to Chitrakethu?

2) Which clan’s head was Chitrakethu?

3) “ Aham Chaivaachyuthapriyaha”--- Iam also the beloved of Achyutha—Who said this?

4)How long should the pumsavana vratha be followed for?

5) “ Drounyasthrena Yatha Bhavaan”--- “ They were saved just like you were rescued from the Brahmastra”--- Explain this simile.

ANSWERS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2012

1)      A) Those who attain moksha through the urdhvanadi

b) Those who lose their lives in battle

Both the above do not fear death.

2)      A) Just as the hatchlings wait for their mothers to come back with their feed

b)Just as a calf awaits its mother

c) Just as a loving wife awaits her beloved’s arrival

so do I long to see you, to attain you. Please accept me, cries Vrutha.

3)      Indra said to Vruthra –“ You have won Maya”.

4)      Vyasa, narada, Devalar

5)      Kruthadyuthi.

WINNERS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2012

1)      Radhika Venkatraman ------------I-------66+10=76

2)      Karthik Venkatraman--------------I-------68+10=78

3)      Srividya Krishnan-------------------I--------46+10=56

4)      Radhakrishnan Ramamurthy----I--------40+10=50

5)      Padma Narayanan-----------------I--------50+10=60

6)      N.Krishnan--------------------------I---------64+10=74

7)      Sethuraman-----------------------I----------68+10=78

8)      Srinivasan Sujatha---------------II--------- 60+8=68

9)      Raja---------------------------------II--------- 60+8=68

10)   Srinivasan--------------------III-------------  14+6=20

KSHETRA FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012

                                                              THERAZHUNDUR

Once there lived a king called Uparicharavasu. He was a Dharmic ruler. He did a Purodasa Yaga worshipping Lord Vishnu.  The Lord pleased by his yaga gave darshan to him. He was surprised to see the Lord in person and shouted in joy. However the sages performing the sacrifice there relented. They could not agree that the king could see the Lord whereas they had not. Then the Lord spoke “Iam attained only by those having devotion. I cannot be attained by Tapas, or Yoga marga. I have given the king my darshan as he is full of loving devotion towards me. The sages having heard this praised the king for his bhakthi. After the completion of the yaga the Devas presented the king an aeroplane with which he could travel anywhere around the world and attain success.

 Once while travelling in his vimana, he felt something pulling it. He came to the ground and was stunned to see Lord Krishna grazing a cow. How come you are here Oh, Lord? Why have you left the banks of Yamuna and why have you chosen the banks of Cauvery instead, he asked. The Lord smiled and related to him an incident.

 “ Once Lord Shiva wanted to see me as little Krishna. He was meditating on my form when Parvathi playfully closed his eyes. Angered by it he cursed her saying “ You are Vishnu Maya. You , who close the eyes of one and all against wisdom are now trying to close my eyes too.  That which is devoid of knowledge is a pashu (cow). May you become a cow. When the Lord  showers his grace on you, you can rejoin me.” Thus Parvathi became a cow at the banks of the river Cauvery and I looked after her. Shiva too came here and had my darshan. With a fulfilled heart, my sister Parvathi released from the curse went back to her loka. Now I stand before you to show you my beautiful form.” Uparicharavasu was only too happy to build a beautiful temple for the Lord Gosakhan- friend of the cow. Those who worship this Lord will always beget victory in all their endeavour. The kshetra is called Therazhundur because Uparicharavasu’s vimana was stuck here. The Lord is called Aamaruviappan because he holds the cow close to him ( Aa- cow, maruvi- hugging).

DECEMBER SEASON SCHEDULE OF SMT. VISHAKHA HARIJI

S.NO   DATE             PLACE                    TIME             TOPIC

1)    15^th Dec         Chettinad Vidyashram      6.30 p.m      Rama Nama Vaibhavam     ( Jaya TV)

2)    16^th Dec           Dakshinamoorthy hall   6.30 p.m     Concert

3)    20^th Dec           Music academy            7.00p.m      Endaro mahanubhavulu ( A tribute to few noble souls)

4)    22^nd Dec     Krishna Gana Sabha    9.00 a.m   Narada Bhakthi sutram- Part 1

5)    23^rd Dec      Krishna Gana Sabha      9.00 a.m  Narada Bhakthi sutram- Part 2

6)    25^th Dec      Parthasarathy Swami Sabha     10.00 a.m       Gajendra Moksham

7)    26^th Dec     Vani Mahal               6.30 p.m       Guruvayurappan leela

8)    28thDec      Krishna Gana Sabha    (Natya Kala Conference)          10.20 a.m         Harikatha- its evolution and the revolution

9)    29^th Dec      Mylapore Fine Arts      6.00p.m         Sundara Kandam

10)   31^st Dec    Brahma gaana Sabha            6.30 p.m        Sarvam Brahmamayam ( Sadashiva Brahmam charitram)

11)  1^st Jan 2013        Narada Gana Sabha     4.15 p.m        Vamana Avatharam