Rasa lila is a feeling in the heart, an expression of emotion in sublime!
Krishna's Rasa lila in the gardens of Brindavan can only be imagined by mortals for even Lord Shiva needed to do penance to be an audience to this beauty. In the form of Mahadev Shankara Shiva descended from Mount Kailasa to have darshan of one of Krishna's Rasa lilas. As he approached the gates of Brindavan, a Gopi at the gate stopped Him, as no male except Sri Krishna could be a part of this Rasa Lila.
Mahadev Shankara did not give up very easily. As instructed by the gopis he began to worship Yogamaya Paurnamasi (Purnima) for assistance. Purnima knowing fully well about Mahadev Shankar wish, instructed Him to take a dip in the waters of the holy Brahma Kund. When He rose out of its waters he was transformed into a beautiful damsel, another gorgeous Gopi who found her place inside the Kunj of the Rasa sthala. Soon after the Rasa Lila began, sweet love notes swept the floor of the kunj covered with the fragrance of wild flowers. But this time it left the gopis strangely uncomfortable. They had understood there had been an intrusion and were now trying to find out who was the uninvited guest.
(Click on image to get a larger view)
Having come upon this gopi, with no name and no village to name from where she came, the remaining gopis attacked her with a barrage of questions. "Where are you from? Who is your husband? Who is your father in law?" This left her in a pool of tears and speechless at the same time. Yogamaya Paurnamasi has not prepared her for this onslaught of questions, for neither was her birth arranged from the womb of a gopi nor was she given a name. Nor did she marry a gopa so she was left speechless in the middle of all the commotion.
Paurnamasi's heart melted seeing the plight of Mahadev Shankar, and appeared to release the gopi from the situation. She requested the Gopis and Sri Krishna to be merciful to the nameless gopi. Sri Krishna, having understood Paurnamasi's desire, gave Mahadev Shankar the name of Gopiswar and granted Him a boon that any sadhaka who came to Brindavan, would not be able to enter without the blessings of Shankar Mahadev.
(Click on image to get a larger view)
Vajranabha the great grand son of Sri Krishna later installed a Shiva linga at this temple. They say that a big pepal tree here is the kalpa vriksha, which fulfills all desires.
"O Lord Mahadev, O Lord Gopiswar, O glorious one, salutations to you.
O Lord, one who carries the moon on his head
Worshipped by great sages Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Narada
O Lord Gopiswar Bless me with thy divine power
Bestow upon me the love to seek the feet of Sri Radha Madhava and experience the Rasa Lilas in Brij-dham
I offer you my prayers at your feet forever."
Sankalpa Kalpadruma, 103 by Visvanath-Cakravarti Thakur
33 comments:
Kavitha, the description interestingly presented in words perhaps would help the visitors ‘enter the mind of the Creator’.
As we have seen earlier also, the ancients while on one hand realized the real Creator of the apparent physical universe as Formless, unborn and unending Supreme Being/ Supreme Knowledge, and man symbolically used for representing time to reflect the apparent hierarchical variety from zero to near infinity in all aspects of ‘Nature’, or as His illusory image or model made from elements available on our planet earth or Shiva, which, on the other hand was realized as the near perfect model of the Supreme Being itself.
Thus ‘navagaha’ or ‘nine planets’ or Heavenly Bodies in our solar system - that revolve or dance around the apparently centrally located Sun - came to be represented by nine shivalingas made from hard black coloured rock available on earth, each symbolically indicating Formless Shiva that is Ananta or unending Nadbindu as the point source of immortal energy physically represented by the Centre of our Galaxy/ Earth, i.e., Krishna/ Kali that is Shyam who is responsible for the ‘cosmic dance’ of innumerable stars/ Moon, or Gopis & Gopes of Brindavan, in our galaxy around its centre...Males and female forms being illusory add to the apparent mystery and suspense in human life - to indicate the mischievous nature of the Formless represented by natkhat Nandlal!
And similarly ‘Rasa’, meaning ‘essence’, came to be realized represented in the ‘leelas’ or drama in ‘Nature’ - with different characters at different times – through the abstract entities, such as variety of colours, fragrances, emotions, and so on, i.e., nine-planet-like nine rasas associated with each planet…
Information on the 'rasas' provided by Wikipedia on the Internet is as below:
A 'rasa' identifies the dominant emotion of a composition (a song or a text). In Sanskrit and Hindi literature, nine different types of Rasas are often enumerated.
1. Shringar - love, sensuality and eroticism
i. virah: separation
ii. milan: being together
2. Raudra - anger, rage, and violence
3. Hasya - laughter and happiness
4. Vibhatsaya - disgust
5. Veera - heroism
6. Karuna - pathos and compassion
7. Bhayanak - fear and anxiety
8. Adabhuta - wonder and curiosity
9. Shanta - contemplative and peaceful
This classification goes back to when the chief patrons of literature were kings and nobles…
Hi Kavitha, great post about the Rasa Lila of Krishna, but i have a doubt about these lines "Vajranabha the great grand son of Sri Krishna later installed a Shiva linga at this temple. They say that a big pepal tree here is the kalpa vriksha, which fulfills all desires."
For those, who have read Mahabharata, Krishna was cursed by Gandhari ((wife of the Dhirthirashtra, and mother of Kauravas) that his generation shall perish along with him. Krishna was cursed since he was responsible for the death of her hundred sons. Hence, he brought down the destruction of DWARAKA in order to respect Gandhari's curse. When Krishna did not have any son, how could he have a grandson, could you explain this to us please???
‘Science’ today, therefore, is apparently more inclined towards ‘Adabhuta Ras’, or wonder and curiosity, to progressively learn more and more about the physical world only. The ‘wise’ ancients, however, apparently were interested in ‘Siddhi’ or all round comprehension of the ‘Formless Creator’ or ‘Supreme Soul’ that is ‘Paramatma’ through His Creation via the nine planets as their essences that has believably gone into the formation of human being, as His superiormost creation, to reflect the nine emotions or ‘rasas’ in the eternal drama…and hence advice in Bhagavad Gita - to average man to surrender in Krishna the model of the centre of our galaxy, or the physical re-incarnation of the Formless as the real doer - and enjoy life like a spectator…a difficult task because of greater force of 'Maya' or illusion in the present that is Kaliyuga...
Kavitha, talking of illusion or ‘Maya’, the story you have cited also points towards the mysterious moon that hasn’t any atmosphere of its own - compared to Earth’s that sustains animal life for certain duration related with the allotted breaths to each - and also has fluctuating phases of rise and fall in its size each day.
‘Purnamasi’ (meaning symbolic completion of a month from one full moon to another) is indicated as the full essence of Moon on the forehead of ‘enlightened females’ and, thus, stories indicating the highest pedestal given to Parvati in Satyuga, Sita in Tretayuga and, in Dwaperyuga, to Draupadi the shared wife of the Pandavas. For, Krishna always came to her assistance. For example, He protected her from ‘Raudra Ras’ or anger of the notorious sage Durvasa and his team by remotely filling their bellies with Krishna Himself eating just one grain of rice cooked by her that was found sticking to the vessel with no more ingredients in her stock for preparing food for the party to which Durvasa had invited himself!
This resulted instead in their disappearance from the scene, afraid of her wrath!
And, He on her prayer at another occasion remotely increased the length of her sari when the Kauravas attempted to ‘disrobe her in public’ thus resulting not only in their failure in the attempted task but even defeat in battle of Mahabharata with Pandavas subsequently, for Krishna alone was on their side remotely, as a ‘chariot driver’ only, while His Own army fought for the Kauravas!
And. Krishna promises anyone at anytime that He would help one to reach Him only if one 'surrenderd in Him'! Even Shiva reportedly had to surrender in Dwaperyuga when He hadn't achieved perfection yet and had to wait for Satyuga to happen!
And, with the division of Ardhanarishvara Shiva, i.e., physical Shiva or apparently inert earth & Sati or ‘Shakti’, as its gravitational force, into Shiva-Parvati or Earth-Moon, the stories indicate the couple handing over the charge of looking after of the universe/ world to 'Parvati’s son' Ganesha that is planet Mars within Mahashiva or our solar system as the essence of the universe located at ‘moladhar’ in human body - doing the same function as Krishna the centre of our galaxy did, remotely as the ‘Vighna Harta’ or ‘trouble shooter’ as a “Siddha”, Yogiraj Krishna-like all rounder! Krishna was therefore realized as 'natkhat' or mischievous and difficult to be reached easily!
Kavitha, I give below my reaction to an editorial in my newspaper today as anonymous.
This refers to the very ‘timely’ editorial Teri Ganga Maili – sadhus wake up to death of rivers (Jan 11).
The heading and the content itself indicate how the ‘wise’ people in India today avoid relating Ganga* with believably transparent Rama, and Yamuna with ‘natkhat’ Krishna who believably, single handedly, cleared Yamuna of ‘the 1,000 hooded serpent Kalia’ (innumerable sources of river pollution reflected also in mental pollution of the masses)! But, unfortunately that could happen in Dwaperyuga, and now we are at the fag-end of Kaliyuga, the era of human efficiency believably ranging between 25 – 0% and therefore close to ‘sunset’ or end of Brahma’s day, the solar system having already worked for nearly 4.6 billion terrestrial years!
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*As one is perhaps aware, the ancients appear to have realized the importance of the region near ‘yoga’, or union, or ‘sangam’ that is confluence of three holy rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati (that believably disappeared at some stage) near Allahabad (Longitude 81.54 degree East) where Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years, as also the believable birthplace of Shiva at Kashi that is present day Varanasi (Longitude 83.00 degrees east) and birth place of Rama at Ayodhya (Long. 82.14 degrees east), and the present day accepted Indian Standard Time (IST) corresponding to Long. 82.5 degrees east, i.e., close to the region considered holy by the ancient Hindus. The Ghats of Kashi/ Sangam were chosen by the ancient Pundits to discuss and iron out any differences of opinion on ‘Truth’. Lord Rama of Tretayuga came to be associated with the relatively more sacred river Ganga while mischievous Krishna of Dwaperyuga with river Yamuna. And, Tretayuga believably represented 75 - 50% as the maximum range of possible efficiency of human forms compared to 50 – 25% during Dwaperyuga. It is therefore at a later stage, or Kaliyuga that Indians naturally appear confused and various divisions (not unions) among different beliefs are ‘naturaly’ apparent due to ‘materialism’ getting upper hand and hence the imbalance between the spiritual and material in the beginning of the creation or apparent end of Kaliyuga being seen in the reverse order by the Formless (Bhootnath Shiva) through His innumerable eyes!
JC Joshi
The primary requirement for any apparent character, therefore, is to be conscious of the possibility of the one and only Formless Being, as the real viewer of the apparently ever changing eternal drama in the physical forms through eyes of His Own innumerable short-lived images in human forms individually. One could however take help from other analogous phenomena in ‘Nature’. For example, one can observe human life events - with possibility of a variety of apparent rises and falls in one’s physical, or mental, or spiritual status from time to time - as analogous to climbing and descending a mountain peak, maybe in stages, with possibility of likely hinderances at times and hence dealy in fulfilling the desired task, if one is apparently ‘unlucky’.
Also, one would notice some people in the process of ascending the peak while some others might be on their return path after having successfully achieved the peak.
The Hindu Philosophy therefore believes God, the ‘perfect one’ as the immortal one who is related with zero time and space, and therefore capable of viewing His Own past achievement any numbers of time in no time. However, in the human form, say even in His Own near perfect physical form, as Brahma, it was realized that it takes Him around 4.6 billion years to cover 360 degrees of space in one day in His life that is made unending with the introduction of sleep (‘Ardha-mrit awastha’ or half-dead state) to recover the energy lost in actions - as analogously reflected in average animal life form too.
The animal life form, unlike the near permanent Solar system, is however rendered temporary, i.e., it has comparativelya negligible average life-span, because loss of energy takes place from it during 16 hours, or even more, during a day of 24 hours - eight hours each in performing physical and mental actions (as also indicated by ‘life-line’ and ‘head-line’, both, starting together on the human palm from the same root) - while it is only during eight hours of average sleep, or ‘ardha-mrit avstha’, that energy lost in performing actions is recouped (as also indicated by the lone ‘heart-line’ on the palm that has its root on the opposite end of the palm). And then there exist so many physical, mental, and spiritual factors that might not even allow one to have a peaceful sleep for all of those hours.
The Yogis therefore advised three-in-one exercises to be performed regularly – right from an early age, for which an average man, compulsorily engaged in the apparent ‘rat race’ today, finds difficult to find spare time. Thus, human life perhaps could become peaceful only if everyone ‘surrenders all one’s actions in Krishna’ as advised by the ‘wise’ ancients in Gita! It is believably only a matter of developing the desired mind-set, control of which, however, was realized by the ancients to rest with the Creator – related with apparent time and location.
They, however, indicated in the stories how even physical Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, also were helpless to understand the purpose of the Formless, unborn and unending Creator of the physical universe, and perhaps hence the 'eternal drama'!
The present day scientists after in-depth study (which are yet to reach the ultimate though) have come to realize similarity in the functioning of the microcosm and the macrocosm, which is nothing new for the Hindus for the ancients appear to have had advanced much beyond it and, following this finding, to reach the concept of ‘satva’ or ‘essence’ or models.
They realized our galaxy, our solar system, our planet earth, human form, in fact everything living and non-living, as essence or model of the original unlimited creative/ sustaining/ destructive energy concentrated at one point and exercising its influence within the infinite universal void – as is observed being exercised by a Black Hole to a certain extent, which the ancient Yogis called Krishna!
Thus one finds in the Gita Krishna reportedly saying that the entire creation rests within Him and because of illusion every human being believes Him to exist within him (as model)! And, in the popular stories for information of the layman, it was expressed interestingly as, “Mother Yashoda saw the universe within child Krishna’s mouth”. And, the ‘Truth’ was expressed in the statement, “Satyam Shivam Sunderam”, which read with the stated description of Shiva in the mythological stories, however, could lead the ‘seeker’ to the realization that Shiva refers to our inert appearing Gangadhara Earth! And, further from the Gita, that Earth the ‘mrityulok’ is the ‘virat’ or Supreme form of Krishna that is playing the believable three-in-one role of the Formless Creator to cover the aspects of creation, sustenance and transformation of apparent physical forms on earth/ universe to present the captivating nine ‘rasas’, through nine planets, to keep the humans mesmerized at all times unaware of his own sole purpose - leave alone the Creator's!
Kavitha, I would like to give below my further reaction to ‘Teri Ganga Maili’ to my newspaper.
This refers to MTMV response, Ganga will not remain maili if communities are roped in, by Shri KU Mada (Jan 12), to your editorial Teri Ganga Maili, that perhaps only reflects the brilliant idea suggested in the editorial, although, not indicating how the ‘Editors’ and ‘common man’ could contribute towards handling the pollutants - as mythological ‘halahal’ that Shiva alone could hold in His throat, when ‘churning of the milky ocean’, i.e., perhaps when revolution of our ‘Milky Way Galaxy’ had just begun in Kaliyuga. Or, when Krishna alone believably killed 1,000 hooded Serpent Kalia subsequently in the second stage, in Dwaperyuga!
And, pollution of rivers only is not the only problem that the humanity faces today. Maybe, the ‘after the event wise people’ that we have become today, thanks to the believable inherent characteristic of apparent time, would similarly suggest humans to rally (like we do in front of the Parliament) and stand in front of the advancing avalanche (like the brute ‘security force’), or, say, in front of the Tsunami waves like one of the English Kings (Canute?) who was advised by his ‘wise’ advisors to stand on the sea beach and command the sea-waves to go back!
The Hindu Mythological stories then go on to suggest how Lord Rama in Tretayuga or the ‘third stage of the churning’ became relatively more disciplined/ efficient compared to humans in Kaliyuga and Dwaperyuga - to finally achieve ‘perfection’ in Satyuga, in the fourth stage, in the form of Mahesh or Gangadhara Shiva, which in fact refers to our planet Earth, and so stated in the statement, “Satyam Shivam Sundram”!
Maybe what we need today is only a change in the mental attitude, a job that can perhaps be better performed by the Editors, as ‘pen is mightier than the sword’ – or perhaps by God Himself!
The ‘media’, particularly the audio-visual one, is believed to exercise maximum influence in ‘spoiling the youth’ today - and thus suggested ban, on showing the heroes in films smoking cigarettes, by our well meaning health minister who despite his desire to overcome pollution is finding it hard to overcome ‘maya’ that is illusion and thus its corrupting influence created by the make-believe world on the masses.
It is perhaps Raudra, Bhayanak, Adabhuta and Vibhatsya rasas towards which the ‘media’ is more inclined today, and the other rasas, viz. Shanta, Karuna, Veera, Hasya, have more or less been side-lined. And in the Shringar rasa also more stress is being given on eroticism rather than on love and sensuality - because of time and the related grand design of ‘Nature’.
Obviously, therefore Krishna’s Ras-leela with Gopis in Brindavan is a thing of the past or a dream of the present (just like as the universe or ‘Brahmand’ that is Creator’s egg believably is a dream of the unborn Creator within its pin-head!)
Kavitha, we had earlier also seen, ‘chips’ in ‘electronic computers’, ‘pen-drives’ or ‘i-pods’, and also ‘micro-films to replace printed matter, etc. used today in the ‘media’ for communication - almost instantaneously from one place to another in the world/ space through satellites.
Thus we are apparently zeroing down on the belivable ‘Absolute Truth’! For, this perhaps reflects the possibility of infinite data to have been recorded in the Formless Nad-bindu, as believed by ancient Hindus (Indu, meaning Moon, common in both!)...
And, as believed in the apparent physical human form, the total information/ knowledge is distributed in eight points, each concentrated at a different point within the human body - from ‘Mooladhar’ to ‘Sahasrara’ - and related with ‘satva’ or essence of one of the eight selected ‘grahas’, or eight 'Heavenly Bodies' in the solar system to thus reflect the apparent variety of rasas or emotions through the ‘instrument’ or ‘medium’ that man believably is - to serve the Creator’s purpose.
This phenomenon is reflected in human actions through man-made creations to apparently serve his various purposes in his day-to-day life, and thus apparently create a confused mental status, and thus apparent confusion throughout an average human being’s life.
Yogis, or ancient ‘scientists’, therefore suggested human purpose in life to reach the believable one and only point in the head, where essence of new-moon, or zero, or empty space as in the beginning of creation of the universe when ‘churning of the milky ocean’ had just started, is available for filling it with all the essences that otherwise normally remain untapped by the concerned average human form during the limited life span allotted to him. It believably is reflected in limited time allotted in an examination conducted by man!
Yogiraj Krishna in Gita - through some ‘wise’ ancient Hindus - therefore, stated man to be an inverted tree, with his roots in the sky, i.e., the solar system, with their concentrated essence of Nadbindu represented in the model within the head while His various illusory reflections rested in the lower parts, and hence the statement, "Mithya Jagat" or illusory physical world/ universe!
The yogis also believed it possible to reach the realization of the 'Absolute Truth', or 'zero', or 'New Moon' at any time. For it believably isn't related with the apparent time that Nadbindu generated with the help of the solar system within zero time. And, therefore man, thus as an instrument, although as 'His Own image or model of the universe' normally remains under the influence of 'Maya' or illusion - unless one seeks the 'Truth'/ 'Absolute Truth'.
In this connection, I would like to give below a doubt raised by a reader, BM Baliga, in my newspaper.
"In her excellent article on Vaikuntha Ekadashi (The speaking Tree, Dec 30) Sangeetha Venkatesh has claimed that Lord Krishna delivered message of the Gita to Arjuna on the same day. Will someone clarify how it was done on Ekadashi day when it is indisputably accepted that the Mahabharat war started on the 14th day the moon's waning by Lord Krishna's trick, though Duryodhana was advised to start it on the new moon day?"
I haven't reacted to the above as the 'Hindu Philosophy' perhaps, believably, can never be understood by those who believe in 'looking outwards' only - like the present day Astronomers, say.
Kavitha, My newspaper today has brought out an article under World View – Monkey on a tiger (an expression similar to ‘Ma Durga on the tiger’ as per ‘Hindus’!) by Maureen Dowd credited to NYT News Service. I give below some extracts from it for your visitors. Maybe one could see ‘the hand of Natkhat Nandlal or mischievous God’ who believably resides within each and every human being, for, thanks o the ‘media’ We The People in India that is Bharat today understand better that which comes from the ‘west’ instead of making effort to 'read between the lines' our own mythlogical stories vis-a-vis the apparent facts being researched in the 'present'.
“…If free will is an illusion – if we are, as one philosopher put it, “nothing more than sophisticated meat machines,” that is doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over – that would explain a lot about the latest trend in which everyone is reverting to type. William James wrote in 1890 that the whole “sting and excitement” of life comes from “our sense that in it things are really being decided from one moment to another, and that it is not the dull rattling off of a chain that was forged innumerable ages ago.” But, in the New York Times’ science section, Dennis Overbye advised James to “get over it”, observing that “a bevy of experiments in recent years suggest that the conscious mind is like a monkey riding a tiger of subconscious decisions and actions in progress, frantically making up stories about being in control.”
As Mark Hallett of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes told Overbye, “Free will does exist, but it’s a perception, not a power or a drivng force. The more you scrutinise it, the more you realise you don’t have it.”
Kavitha,
I had initially thought of not responding to the earlier cited item on 'Vaikuntha Ekadashi', however later, I have responded with the letter to the editor, as given below for your information too.
Shri BM Baliga has sought clarification about the Vaikuntha Ekadashi in Discrepency in article on Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Jan 13) with reference to The Speaking Tree article by Sangeeta Venkatesh (Dec 30) on the same subject.
Although the TOI is apparently allergic to the ‘blog blahs’, if it isn’t against the esteem(ed) newspaper’s policy, maybe one could find some clarification in the blog on Hindu beliefs, given below - maybe not to a doubtful mind's entire satisfaction.
http://indiatemple.blogspot.com
Thanks!
The Yogis realized the ‘Absolute Truth’, or the Formless Omnipotent and Omnipresent Being as being responsible for creating the apparent illusion or ‘maya’, with the ‘Truth of the illusion' possible to be realized reflected through ‘siddhas’, or all rounders at any time, only if they are balanced like the 'wise' ancient ‘Astronomers’, ‘Palmists’, ‘Tarot card readers’, 'Tantriks', and so on, who apparently unfortunately are ‘imperfect’ today - due to characteristic property of time that was better understood believably by the ‘ancient Hindus’…
‘Ras leela’ or drama communicated through apparent human characters - as models of the (illusory) universe (to reflect the variety in ‘Nature’), or image(s) of God (a concept similar to the one in the ‘east’ in the ‘past’ or ‘bhoot’, believed even in the ‘west’, vide Genesis) – was believably reflected through the ‘Purushottam’ or the best among humans in Dwaperyuga, or ‘Krishna’, the ‘bhagyawan’ or lucky ‘eighth and the one and only living child of Ma Davaki’ as the ‘re-incarnation of the Formless Vishnu/ Shiva’ who ever remains in ‘Yoganidra’ or a ‘super conscious state’. However, 'Krishna' was believed to have relatively lower efficiency compared to the infinite potential achieved in Satyga by Shiva or our planet Earth as the supreme form of Krishna...
The phenomenon of varying efficiencies related with passage of apparent time was believed by the ‘Yogis’ or ancient ‘scientists’ as being reflected at different times in the ever changing universe/ world with the help of different permutations and combinations of the essences of ‘eight selected members’ of our solar system that are concentrated in ‘chakras’ or ‘bandhas’…
Kavitha, As I had indicated earlier also, I have tried to develop the so-called ‘original’ charts/ Tables for determining the ‘governing planets’ based on the time of birth of an individual during a particular month and year, and corresponding ‘rasa’ or colur of gemstones, which could be tried even on the photograph, as ‘essence’ of the individual concerned...
For this I have taken guidance from the logic applied by the ancient astrologers for determining an individual’s expected cycle related with ‘grahas’ or selected members of the solar system, (to reach the expected behavior as their reflections with the passage of time), vis-Ã -vis the observation of ‘time-sharing’ by different users of the same electronic computers in the ‘present’, i.e., yoga of the past beliefs and the present apparent truth...
Although, the research is yet to be perfected, still it has been observed that three gemstones, so determined to cover the apparent three aspects of creation, sustenance, and transformation, applied at selected locations on the photograph of the concerned individual showed effect on the person of the concerned individual irrespective of her location on the globe...and the scientists find the universe as one single unit today, like Krishna in the Gita saying that he was attached to all physical forms in the creation like a thread that connects all the beads that also are made from the same material as the thread in a garland...
Kavitha, The name that one gives to a man after his birth is also like a number, a ‘rasa’ or an essence - ‘adabhut rasa’ perhaps - by which, say, just like a prisoner in human jail is identified (and the ancients realized the ‘soul’ to be a prisoner of the ‘physical body’ – for one life-term irrespective of the name!). It is also like one generally starts calling a pet, a dog say, by a pseudonym (and many writers and authors adopt another one for ‘commercial’ reasons, to perhaps write, “What is there in a name…?”!) - as soon as it is adopted in a home - and it starts identifying itself with that even when it doesn’t even know how to spell it in English, Hindi, Tamil, and so on, i.e., in any of the innumerable human languages!
During the British rule in India, all dogs possessed by Indians were normally given English names. During my boyhood, I recall three such names of our pets: Kim a very ‘spiritual’ Cocker Spaniel, as it was found after it’s death lying in ‘shastanga pranam’ pose in front of our Harshringar tree; Lucy, a she dog that originally appeared like an Alsatian but disappointed us later turning out not to be a ‘pedigree dog’ at all; and Bullet, a stray innouccous appearing dog, who though proved his usefulness when he helped catch a tresspasser one late night!
And, one of my cousins, residing away from home town and with a soft corner for the English, realized why they were given English names earlier (i.e., the scientific law behind it!). After Independence, he decided, without giving much thought to it, to call his Alsatian dog by a short ‘Hindu’ name. He realized his mistake only subsequently when he learnt about the shock (‘Bhayanak ras’) it generated when one of his nieces happened to say to our other relatives at the home town, (without first giving the background), that xxxx had grown big and fat - and that happened to be the nickname of an elderly respectable relative!
Mischievous or mysterious nature of the all rounder Creator, or Natkhat Nandlal, can perhaps be seen at all times, even from apparenty similar faux pas seen today also, say, by famous artists and cartoonists relating their works with ‘revered mythological personalities’ belonging to one ‘spiritual’ belief or another – maybe apparently knowingly mischievously or Bholanath or child-like unknowingly - resulting in ‘Hasya ras’ for some, but ‘Raudra rasa’ or even ‘Vibhatsya rasa’ in some or many others!
The average ‘Hindu’ psyche, reflecting Brahma-like helplessness indicated in Hindu mythological stories, can perhaps be seen in the response ‘Is belittling Hindus English media’s pet cause?’ by one Shri AM Hans to the editorial ‘Teri Ganga Maili’ in my newspaper today that I had indicated earlier too. All because of the believable‘Maya’ or illusion - as per the ‘wise’ ancient Hindus - that is related with the ‘apparent time’, created by the timeless immortal Formless Creator, Vishnu/ Shiva…I give below an extract from it.
Your editorial ‘Teri Ganga Maili’ (Jan 11) virtually makes fun of orthodox Hindus for their notion and patronage of purity. It seems to ascribe to them all the filth around their holy places and in the Ganga. You have missed to note that there is filth and garbage all around in our cities and towns, and in the other rivers of the country as well. It is not the Hindus but the Indian people as a whole who are responsible for it. Why single out Hindus? …There are millions like me, and that makes Hindus a moderate and tolerant people – unlike people of other religions who will not tolerate their faith being belittld in any way…
Kavitha, The ‘wise’ ancient Hindus realized our planet Earth (Gangadhara/ Chandrashekhara Shiva) as ‘Swayambhu’ or the one who had appeared on His Own and, who subsequently, popularly, came to be known as Shambhu! For, Earth as well as Shiva in human form was realized by the ancient Yogis as the original central figure in the apparent physical universe - as the ‘perfect’ model of the Formless Creator, Nadbindu, and all the other galaxies, stars in our galaxy, and the solar system members, except for our earth, and the various other human forms on it as its innumerable ‘imperfect’ reflections…
The story narrated by you reflects the same phenomenon by citing, particularly understandable from the facts stated in the last line, “In the form of Mahadev Shankara, Shiva descended from Mount Kailasa to have darshan of one of Krishna's Rasa lilas. As he approached the gates of Brindavan (referring to our ‘milky way galaxy’ that is under the control of a powerful Black Hole or Krishna at its centre), a Gopi at the gate stopped Him, as no male except Sri Krishna could be a part of this Rasa Lila… Purnima knowing fully well about Mahadev Shankar wish, instructed Him to take a dip in the waters of the holy Brahma Kund (as an ‘imperfect’ star or our sun in the beginning in the Solar system during the Dwaper Yuga, for stars are also found to exist in pairs, except for our Sun). When He rose out of its waters he was transformed into a beautiful damsel, another gorgeous Gopi who found her place inside the Kunj of the Rasa sthala…Yogamaya Paurnamasi has not prepared her for this onslaught of questions, for neither was her birth arranged from the womb of a gopi nor was she given a name. Nor did she marry a gopa so she was left speechless in the middle of all the commotion…”
Hi Joshi Uncle and Kavitha, please read the article in the following link
http://www.chennaionline.com/toursntravel/temple/karaneeswarar.asp
This article speaks about a Karaneeshwarar temple in Mylapore, but as far as i know, there is another Karaneeswarar temple in West Saidapet very near to the Local Railway station. I am confused between the two, could you please clarify which one is the oldest. Could anyone please also tell me about the origin of these temples.
I heard from my dad, that Karaneeswarar temple in Saidapet is one of the oldest Shiva temple in Chennai. It stands next only to Kapaleeswarar, and Thiruvottiswarar(in Triplicane). Many of us don't know that there is another Shiva temple as old as Kapalesswarar in Triplicane (Natesan Road: in between ice house and mylapore). The temple is called Thirthabaleeswarar. Unfortunately this temple is in ruins today, it has been poorly maintained and thanks to DMK and our SECULAR parties.
Well, Kavitha, i shall just say one more thing, we have many old Shiva temples and Vishnu temples in Chennai and other parts of TamilNadu, these temples have stood for many years, perhaps centuries, it is unfortunate that we know about only about some such as the Kapaleeswarar temple in MYlapore.
I tried to Google about Karaneeswarar temple in Saidapet, but i found very few details, most of which i already knew.
I would be glad if you could write about the Lesser known temples in Chennai and other parts of TamilNadu.
Please do write about these temples, maybe others will follow suit.
Talking of ‘Adbhut rasa’, we have seen earlier also how, perhaps, the apparently inert planet, and therefore ‘taken for granted’ Earth - that is expanding with the balloon-like expanding void of the universe - along with water, in its three physical forms; on the surface, within it, and also as clouds suspended in the cosmic dust containing or energy carrying particles within the life giving air in its atmosphere, represent the apparent innumerable physical forms and apparent ‘dark matter’ in the void of the universe as its model – as believed by the Yogis or the ‘wise’ ancient ‘Hindus’...
They had also realized all physical forms to have been created from the same five elements or ‘tatvas’, i.e., space, energy, earth, air and water. And, the ‘present day scientist’ - with the Homo sapiens all over the globe found to have their roots in ‘present day’ Africa - in its search to seek the truth. Perhaps for the umpteenth time, in the form of human being, during its one of the days - of over 4 billion years each in the life of our believably immortal earth – having originally started from its root in India at Kashi, with the stage of the drama shifting with the root shifted to another location, believably in some predetermind order.
The scientists today are excited to similarly observe possibility of existence of water on the planet Mars as a reflection of the ‘Adabhut rasa’ in Nature’s drama or Krishna leela!
And, it is well known that a large percentage of water goes even into the formation of each human body also, but not meant to be tapped, except for urine, which, although is generally considered as a waste material, yet it was found by some humans useful for treatment of ailments! Cow’s urine and excrement in certain villages in India, however, are still traditionally used for various purposes.
One of the popular mythological stories cite how 'sage Agastya' emptied the contents of the sea, to help Lord Vishnu kill the demon who had gone hiding inside the sea-water, and refill it later with his urine! This, however, read with other stories indicate emptying of sea-water in the North of Jambudweep - the island that 'India' once was - with the rising of the Himalayas from under the sea-bed and joining the water body in the down south of India.
Similarly, the map of the world is being seen undergoing a rapid change in the present also with the melting of the glaciers in the Arctic region due to global warming…
Hi Aswin,
Thank you so much for citing the reference on Karaneeswarar thirukkoil and read therein, “…The sthala purana of the temple talks about a young Brahmin who renounced his family and after many years of wandering settled down in Mylapore. He began performing pujas to Lord Siva in Linga roopa. The youthful Brahmin realised through his penance that Lord Siva was the Cause of Creation, Maintenance and Destruction of the World. The Lord was said to be so pleased that one day he manifested within the Linga and said, "I am here". He said, "Let this linga henceforth be known as Karaneeswara." Karaneeswara means one who is the Cause…”
Yes, that’s the ‘Hindu Philosophy’ behind adoption of Shivalinga (or even any other idol, for which ‘Hindus’ are unpopular today or are seen with wonder that is Adbhuta ras, expectedly, due mainly to all round lack of overall knowledge in Kaliyuga the age of ‘specialisation’) as the symbolic representation of the Swayambhu or the Formless unborn and unending Creator, which the ‘Yogis’ at anytime at any isolated location, just by ‘looking inwards’, apparently came to realize because of ‘destiny’ - without any apparent formal ‘education’ in a multi-million dollar Institute...
This phenomenon also gets reflected in stories/ legend related with even many ‘nameless characters’ in the drama or leela of life in the ‘past’.
‘Experts’ are analogously found even among the ‘inferior life forms’ in the animal world, which man reportedly heads.
With the background knowledge of Earth as ‘Mrityulok’ or Shiva, with due apologies to Anilji, my favourite - as I had narrated in one of the earlier posted comments in details - is ‘doctor’ mosquito (:-)- a symbol adopted today for expressing 'Hasya rasa'!)
Kavitha, Aswin, Anilji…
Continuing with the 'Adabhuta Ras', it is well known that the Poles of our planet earth (that is ‘Vishadhara’ or ‘Ekapada or one legged’ Shiva) keep on reversing at certain intervals, which could perhaps be visuallised with the help of the ‘vishadhara’ or the serpent (like earth’s axis) that has one mouth at each end, such that when one end is used as its mouth the other works as its tail!
Therefore, continuing with the present day observed rapid melting of glaciers in the Arctic region or Earth’s ‘North Pole’, which interestingly perhaps represents the ‘tail’ or the ‘Mooladhar Bandha’ in the ‘present’, and therefore likely release of information recorded and locked in it for eons to bring in Satyuga! For, in the ‘present’, Shiva’s head or 'Sahasrara Bandha' is apparently represented by the ‘South Pole’ or the Antarctic region because of observed existence of holes in the ozone layer (His reported ‘third eye’ in the stories) over it in the ‘present’!
Kavitha, One ‘Shiva Bhakta’ confirmed that it wasn’t Praveen Babi as indicated by you in one of your ealier postings on ‘Amarnath Shivalinga’ and that it was Rakhee.
And, talking of ‘Shiva bhaktas’, maybe one could call Sir Isaac Newton also as one, for he reportedly was inspired by an apple to state his famous laws of motion on earth (Shiva)!
As we have seen earlier also, the ‘vishadhara’ or serpent and the desired ‘fruit of their actions’ in humans, both act as common links between both, the Hindu as well as the Christian beliefs in the ‘past’…
As per the Christian belief, to explain the sorry state of humans today, it was ‘Satan’ in the form of serpent who was responsible for Adam eating the ‘forbidden fruit’ through Eve or his other half created by God from ‘Adam’s own rib’ – the fruit symbolized in the form of ‘apple’, and found in the human neck as ‘Adam’s apple’!
And, we have earlier also seen, the above cited popular story in the Bible sounds similar to the description in Hindu mythology of remarriage of original ‘Ardhanarishwar Shiva’ to Parvati, who helped Shiva retain ‘halahal’ or ‘kalkoot’ the deadliest poisn in His throat, and who was yet another form of His original better half, Sati herself!
And, in the Gita Krishna has advised man to perform actions without desiring any ‘fruit’ in return for those!
Interestingly, similarly, the ‘present day’ scientists believe evolution of our moon from the original earth-moon, which could perhaps be realized as the 'scientific' basis of both the beliefs!
As I had indicated erlier also, the ancient Meiteies in the plains of Manipur believed in ‘Sidaba mapu’ or the God who doesn’t die and who - like in the story prevalent in the other parts of India too - had two sons, ‘Sanamahi’, literally ‘liquid gold’, and ‘Pakhangba’. Also, it is similarly believed by them that after competition between the two brothers, for - as is also popular for Ganesha too - he encircled his parents instead of physically going around the earth unlike his brother, ‘Pakhangba’ was chosen to take care of the earth while Sanamahi believably was given the task of looking after individual residences. He is symbolically represented by placing in the kitchen a suspended pitcher with a tiny hole at the bottom – and seen to it that it always remained full of water - placed over a vessel containing sand on a square shaped short-legged table top, which is beaded along the four sides, leaving only a small gap at one corner for keeping it clean...
After believably seeing in the light of the head-lamps a white hooded serpent crossing the National Highway in front of our vehicle one night - and having earlier one day heard an Indian armyman telling on the radio that they had included in their camp at Leimakhong a temple of Pakhangba who believably could appear on earth in the form of a snake - I asked from a local resident, immediately at the end of my journey at Imphal, whether the colour of the snake is white. He confirmed it was, and added that it also believably had black diamond shaped checks, which I said I couldn’t have noticed in the darkness…He was surprised that Pakhangba had appeared before me even when I hadn’t believed in Him!
Of course, before that particular incident, even otherwise because of vast stretches of jungles, and particularly because of coming across at Guwahati a Tantrik cum snake-venom dealer for pharmaceuticals, on account of my wife’s illness, I had come to see many varieties of snakes in the Northeast region, which I personally believe is under the planetary control of planet Mars that is related with Ganesha and Hanuman too...
With the Hindu mythology relating serpents and Visha or poison with Shiva, it is not surprising that snakes are continued to be traditionally worshiped in India on the ‘Nagpanchami’ day by some believers.
One of the TV channels recently telecast how snake-charmers in Bihar apparently fish out dozens of snakes from the Gandak River on the particular day, one after another. They are then taken to Goddess Mansa Devi’s temple in a procession...
My Bihari maid-servant, who belongs to the same region and had also happened to watch the item, however, disclosed to me that they place all those snakes in pitchers, after removing their poison, at specific locations early in the morning in the shallow water near the bank. And later they walk on the bed immersed upto their waist/ chest in water and pull them out of the pitchers as if the river bed was ‘naturally’ infested with them on that particular day!
Hi Joshi Uncle, the sthalapurana that you read and explained just refers to the karaneeswara temple in Mylapore. But i am referring to the Karaneeswara temple in Saidapet just near the railway station. The temple is more than 700 years old. I am not able to find any info on it. Maybe you can help me in this regard.
Warm regards
Aswin
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Hi Aswin,
I hope Shri Arumugam Sowrithannasi has been able to provide the desired information. It being in Tamil script, I am sorry I would need its translation to know its contents. Otherwise, maybe, Kavitha would be able to throw some more light.
From ‘Wikipedia’ in the internet I could learn only that the temple lies next to the railway station, and has a 7-storied Gopuram with two prakarams. The main deity is Lord Karaneeswara (Earth or Shiva) and Goddess Swarnaambikai (Moon or Jagadamba Parvati, identifiable from yellow or golden colour that is generally associated, by ‘present day’ astrologers, with ‘Guru’, i.e., in reality the ‘superior’ one as Shiva’s consort or ‘better half’. For, the ancients realized ‘ardhangini’ or one’s wife helpful to her other half in safely undertaking the journey that human life believably
Hi Aswin,
I hope Shri Arumugam Sowrithannasi has been able to provide the desired information. It being in Tamil script, I am sorry I would need its translation to know its contents. Otherwise, maybe, Kavitha would be able to throw some more light.
From ‘Wikipedia’ in the internet I could learn only that the temple lies next to the railway station, and has a 7-storied Gopuram with two prakarams. The main deity is Lord Karaneeswara (Earth or Shiva) and Goddess Swarnaambikai (Moon or Jagadamba Parvati, identifiable from yellow or golden colour that is generally associated, by ‘present day’ astrologers, with ‘Guru’, i.e., in reality the ‘superior’ one as Shiva’s consort or ‘better half’. For, the ancients realized ‘ardhangini’ or one’s wife helpful to her other half in safely undertaking the journey that human life believably is - like a boat to cross ‘bhavasagar’, or earth referred as sea!)
Hi
The small message that Shri Arumugam Sowrithannasi sent me through mail was that it would be better if I gave a tamil version to my blog so that the reach would be far more. Currently its an all out english blog, his request was that I could also be converted to a tamil blog.
I am considering getting my father to translate some of this content to Tamil.
Lets see
Regds
Kavitha
Hi.. you have a very informative blog.. will be back to read more of your posts...
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