What did Kanchi SwamigaL Say to VinAyaka?
Author: mahAraNyam SriSri MuraLidhara Swamiji
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Aug 01, 2008
Type: magazine, fortnightly, Tamil
Publisher: Viketan Publications
Generally in many temples, there would be five prAkAras. These denote our five koshas (sheaths or bodies). The annamaya kosha made of food, the prANamaya kosha made of prANa (life force), the vijnAnamaya kosha made of knowledge, the manomaya kosha made of the mind, and the Anandamaya kosha are those five koshas.
PerumAL (Vishnu) would be either leaning or sitting on a snake which is of three-and-a-half coils. In this, the three-and-a-half coils of the snake indicates the kuNdalini shakti sleeping under the human spinal column.
There are five snakes on the body of Sri NatarAja. These indicate the five kinds of prANans that course through our body: prANa, apAna, vyAna, udAna, samAna. At the time of death, the Jiva leaves the body, only by holding on to the prANA.
That prANa (which carries the Jiva) would leave (at the time of death) through one of the nine holes in our body. Depending on which hole it leaves through, the next birth would be decided! For yogis, a tenth hole would be formed in the head (at the apex), the Jiva will leave through it and reach lofty worlds. This path is known as the archirAdi mArga (the path of light). For the jIvan muktas who are jnAnis, the prANa would shrink in the Atma, without leaving through any of the ten holes.
The divine set up where Parvati-Parameshvara are sitting with Skanda on their lap is known as the form of SomAskanda. In the SivAsthAna Alayam (Tenambakkam) near Kanchipuram, however, we can see SomagaNapati. That is, on the lap of Parvati-Parameshvara, instead of Skanda, Ganapati would be sitting.
Kanchi PeriyavaaL was staying here for sometime. One night, PeriyavaaL was lying on a bed of darbha grass, spreading it out like a mat. Some devotees were also with him. At that time the sound of firecrackers being exploded was heard.
"What for is that noise of firecracker explosion?" asked PeriyavaaL, as if he knew nothing about it.
"Kamakshi Amman is coming in a procession in her car", they said. "That's why the noise of crackers."
Saying, "AmbaaL is coming in bhavani in her car. Should we not have darshan of her?" PeriyavaaL got up and prepared to leave the place.
Those with him said, "It is over ten o' clock now. PeriyavaaL's health is also giving problem. Further, it would take time to reach Periya Kanchipuram from here. By this time, AmbaaL would have come near the Kacchabesvara temple. It is the custom that only there the vANa vEDikkai (festivities of firecracker explosions) is held on a large scale. Within the next half hour, AmbaaL would have gone inside the temple."
PeriyavaaL did not receive any of that into his ears. Before moving away from there, he went to the small PiLLaiyAr at the Tenambakkam temple known as the SivAsthanam. Keeping one hand folded over his eyes, he bowed to PiLLaiyAr and said something in rahasya (private). Then he moved away.
PeriyavaaL was walking silently. But those accompanied him were talking. One man said, "It is a good walking exercise for us." Another said, laughing, "We are going to return only having darshan of a closed temple!"
As they reached the bigger Kanchipuram, it was a surprise for those who came with PeriyavaaL. They learnt that Kamakshi Amman's car was standing near the Kacchabesvara temple for hours together!
As they sighted PeriyavaaL, some of the people assembled there came running and prostrated to him. They informed him, "For whatever reason not known to us, the elephant which came smoothly until this far, is adamant now against further movement. If the car is pulled, it blares as if it has gone mad. If the car is kept still, it is also calm and silent."
After having darshan of AmbaaL, PeriyavaaL came near the elephant. Then, keeping a hand on its body, he said, "We can go." That was all! The elephant started moving, with its own majesty, faning its ears. Everyone who saw this was surprised.
Only now the people who came with him understood why PeriyavaaL talked in rahasyam to that SivAsthAnam Small PiLLaiyAr.
Knowing the mahima (greatness) of mahAns (sages), let us get their blessings and make a festive day of every day in our life!
Author: mahAraNyam SriSri MuraLidhara Swamiji
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Aug 01, 2008
Type: magazine, fortnightly, Tamil
Publisher: Viketan Publications
Generally in many temples, there would be five prAkAras. These denote our five koshas (sheaths or bodies). The annamaya kosha made of food, the prANamaya kosha made of prANa (life force), the vijnAnamaya kosha made of knowledge, the manomaya kosha made of the mind, and the Anandamaya kosha are those five koshas.
PerumAL (Vishnu) would be either leaning or sitting on a snake which is of three-and-a-half coils. In this, the three-and-a-half coils of the snake indicates the kuNdalini shakti sleeping under the human spinal column.
There are five snakes on the body of Sri NatarAja. These indicate the five kinds of prANans that course through our body: prANa, apAna, vyAna, udAna, samAna. At the time of death, the Jiva leaves the body, only by holding on to the prANA.
That prANa (which carries the Jiva) would leave (at the time of death) through one of the nine holes in our body. Depending on which hole it leaves through, the next birth would be decided! For yogis, a tenth hole would be formed in the head (at the apex), the Jiva will leave through it and reach lofty worlds. This path is known as the archirAdi mArga (the path of light). For the jIvan muktas who are jnAnis, the prANa would shrink in the Atma, without leaving through any of the ten holes.
The divine set up where Parvati-Parameshvara are sitting with Skanda on their lap is known as the form of SomAskanda. In the SivAsthAna Alayam (Tenambakkam) near Kanchipuram, however, we can see SomagaNapati. That is, on the lap of Parvati-Parameshvara, instead of Skanda, Ganapati would be sitting.
Kanchi PeriyavaaL was staying here for sometime. One night, PeriyavaaL was lying on a bed of darbha grass, spreading it out like a mat. Some devotees were also with him. At that time the sound of firecrackers being exploded was heard.
"What for is that noise of firecracker explosion?" asked PeriyavaaL, as if he knew nothing about it.
"Kamakshi Amman is coming in a procession in her car", they said. "That's why the noise of crackers."
Saying, "AmbaaL is coming in bhavani in her car. Should we not have darshan of her?" PeriyavaaL got up and prepared to leave the place.
Those with him said, "It is over ten o' clock now. PeriyavaaL's health is also giving problem. Further, it would take time to reach Periya Kanchipuram from here. By this time, AmbaaL would have come near the Kacchabesvara temple. It is the custom that only there the vANa vEDikkai (festivities of firecracker explosions) is held on a large scale. Within the next half hour, AmbaaL would have gone inside the temple."
PeriyavaaL did not receive any of that into his ears. Before moving away from there, he went to the small PiLLaiyAr at the Tenambakkam temple known as the SivAsthanam. Keeping one hand folded over his eyes, he bowed to PiLLaiyAr and said something in rahasya (private). Then he moved away.
PeriyavaaL was walking silently. But those accompanied him were talking. One man said, "It is a good walking exercise for us." Another said, laughing, "We are going to return only having darshan of a closed temple!"
As they reached the bigger Kanchipuram, it was a surprise for those who came with PeriyavaaL. They learnt that Kamakshi Amman's car was standing near the Kacchabesvara temple for hours together!
As they sighted PeriyavaaL, some of the people assembled there came running and prostrated to him. They informed him, "For whatever reason not known to us, the elephant which came smoothly until this far, is adamant now against further movement. If the car is pulled, it blares as if it has gone mad. If the car is kept still, it is also calm and silent."
After having darshan of AmbaaL, PeriyavaaL came near the elephant. Then, keeping a hand on its body, he said, "We can go." That was all! The elephant started moving, with its own majesty, faning its ears. Everyone who saw this was surprised.
Only now the people who came with him understood why PeriyavaaL talked in rahasyam to that SivAsthAnam Small PiLLaiyAr.
Knowing the mahima (greatness) of mahAns (sages), let us get their blessings and make a festive day of every day in our life!
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