……Only by the association of devotees can one develop a desire for Krishna consciousness………… .. Kulashekhara Azhwar’s musings …


The streets were flooded with wet mud due to this stream .The devotees were dancing in this wet mud chanting the HOLY NAME . Azhwar mentally recalled this sweet incident and expressed his desire that how fortunate he would be to apply on his forehead the wet mud as a holy mark in mark of respect to the great devotees singing LORD’s names ..

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Ghushyate yasyanagarey Rangayaatraa dhiney dhiney

tamaham sirasaa vandey Rajaanam Kulasekharam..

The above sloka speaks about the Azhwar who was an Emperor seeking Lord Ranganatha’s darshan every breath ……..

kkkkioSri Kulasekhara Azhwar was the sixth among the illustrious  Srivaishnava  Azhwars. He appeared at a place in Kerala  at Thiruvanjikalam and was a great devotee of LORD . He became more effulgent because of his total immersion in rendering service to the devotees Our Elders advise in a verse  that …..

Nyagrodhabeeje vatavat pranave sabdajaalavat

sidde tadeeya seshatve sarvaarthaah sambavantih

means

only when we have the feeling of being a servant in the presence of the devotees of the LORD then only we can have the realization of the  LORD. 

wp-1479438572654.jpegAs  this is the only way one gets  great strength that this quality only can confer  us by giving us the objective of realizing the LORD amongs’t the devotees  .If one…

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“Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam khalauv nasthyeva nasthyeva nasthyeva ghathiranyatha”


The old man pleased with the youth , addressed the gathering ,

my dear children,

It is said in Srimath Bhaagavatham 12-3-52

“KruthE yadh vishnum ththrEthaayaam yajathO makai:

dhvaaparE paricharyaayaam kalau thath harikeethanaath”

The result that one yields in kritha yugam by doing dhyanam (meditation),

the result that one yields in thretha yugam by doing yagnam,

the result that one yields in Dwapara yugam by doing archanai (pooja) ,

the same result is derived in this kaliyugam just by chanting Lord’s Holy Name.
Aadi aadi agam karaindu isai paadi paadi kanneer malgi’…………………..
‘Naadum nagaramum nangu ariya namo narayana yenru paadu’………………..
‘Harer namaiva namaiva namaiva mama jeevanam … na gatir anyata’……………..

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More sweet than all other sweet things; more auspicious than all other auspicious things;

the greatest purifier of all purifying things—————-

———————-The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything…………..

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There was a  temple of Lord Krishna in a village . The temple was always flooded with several devotees. The mood in the temple used to be festive always . Continuous Hari naama sankirtan made the place vibrating with devotion .The  devotional  Hari nama tunes took one into  a serene mood asking for more . It was a continuous flow of elixir .

.facebook_1515242832243.jpg1749211073.jpgThe continuous chants made the mind swoon into devotional fervor and nothing else was remembered .There was no hunger or thirst .No desire except for just being there and feeding the soul through these ears the elixir that was abundantly poured . It was sheer bliss .

FB_IMG_1459098166176 A young man  lived near the temple  who had no…

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” RISHIMUKHA PARVATAM ” the holy place where Sri Rama bhaktha Hanumanji met Supreme Lord Rama and Lakshmana for the very first time.


The journey for a devotee of Lord Rama from Ayodhya to Lanka takes us through many places in India. One such place is Kishkindha …..Proceeding ahead with our pilgrimage to LORD RAMAs Holy abodes few years back , we reached Hampi in the state of Karnataka where the KISHKINDA charitram happened . RISHIMUKHA PARVATAM is the place where Hanumanji met Lord Rama and Lakshman for the first time. Sugreeva had sent Hanumanji to meet them in order to make sure that they were not spies of his brother and arch enemy Bali.

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The journey for a  devotee of Lord Rama  from Ayodhya to Lanka takes us through many places in India. One such place is Kishkindha  …..

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Proceeding ahead with our pilgrimage to LORD RAMAs Holy abodes few years back ,  we reached  Hampi in the state of  Karnataka where the KISHKINDA charitram happened .

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RISHIMUKHA PARVATAM  is  the place where Hanumanji  met  Lord  Rama and Lakshman for the first time.  Sugreeva  had sent Hanumanji  to meet  them in order to make sure that they were not spies of his brother and arch  enemy Bali.

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It is said  Hanumanji  carried   Lord Shri Ram and Lakshman on his shoulders and took Lordships   to  Rishimukh Parvat to meet  Sugreev. The capital city of Sugreev “Kishkinda” is also near by..

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This kingdom is identified to be the regions around the Tungabhadra river (then known as Pampa Saras) near Hampi in Karnataka.

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There is…

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WHEN LORD SPOKE TO HIS DEVOTEES AT TIRUMALA ,KANCHI AND SRIRANGAM


To reaffirm the faith of HIS devotees, LORD conversed with HIS devotees time to time .There are three incidents which our Elders keep saying about the compassion of the LORD in temples .

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To reaffirm the faith of HIS devotees,  LORD conversed with  HIS devotees  time to time .

There are three incidents which our Elders keep saying about the compassion of the LORD in temples .

Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Kovil
Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Kovil

At  Tirumala – Tirupathi, Lord Venkateshwara  used to converse with the King Thondaman Chakravarthy .  In Kancheepuram, Lord Vardarajar used to converse with his  dear devotee  Swamy Tirukachi Nambigal who used to fan him daily .

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Similarly at Srirangam  Lord Ranganathar used to converse with  “Tiruvilakku pichan”the temple servant who used to light the lamps in the temple .

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It is a general practice all the devotees surrender to LORD and express their gratitude pain and love for the LORD in this material world.

  Few devotees develop extremely intimate relationship with the Lord conversing   freely  and interact almost daily  treating him as a  human friend.

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At Srirangam ,  there lived a…

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“Oh ! Lord Krishna, now at this moment let the royal swan of my mind enter the tangled stems of your lotus feet .. Prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih. kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas tey.


 

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 Once a  great Acharyar  was  explaining to his disciples about the King Yayati life in Sri Vishnu Purana .  The discussion became more interesting .

Two of his disciples asked..

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Swamin ..  .

Please tell us the difference between Bhakthi and Prapatti..

which is the best ?

 Acharyar replied……

My child !

Bhakthi is a slender stream of love proceeding from puny efforts a creature is capable of producing in his heart cavity and this is necessarily subject to many slips…

whereas   Prapatti   ( Unconditional surrender ) is the mighty flood of grace pouring down from the All  compassionate  SUPREME  LORD the creator nothing withstanding the rush of the torrent…..

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Bhakthi as it is,  needs  constant efforts  with exertion whereas 

  Prapatti is mighty flood of grace  pouring down from the Supreme  Lord as  a  natural downpour …

 The disciples continued  ..

SHOLINGUR

Acharya  !!

What chief moral lesson needs to be derived from  the  episode  of King  Yayati in  Sri Vishnu Purana …..

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 My dear Child !!! replied the Acharya …

The jiva experiences several pleasures as he is infatuated with many things in his previous births .

Unsatisfied he once again takes birth and falls into samsara which is a succession of unfulfilled desires .

 

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Under delusion imagining his parents , brothers , sisters , wife , children and grand children would fulfill his desires and give happiness he craves for their long lasting company. However as years pass , the karmas mature and then the realization starts . He faces unlimited sorrows .

Even the so called pleasures becomes meaning less as the drops of honey which rests on a mustache .

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In the beginning of Life he is surrounded by pangs of hunger and during his childhood he suffers from ignorance  .  The middle age passed with some knowledge but having strength in body and senses he faces misfortunes , dangers , humiliation from powerful people .    After retirement the body grows older , the heart grows fonder and the mind becomes younger ...

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Now this old body has a young mind and a fond heart .

.Everyday becomes a week end .

This continues and in his old age forgetfulness and then weakness  of senses and the body inevitable to accept the calamities .  

Now the realization  begins .

He understands that  Life in this world is the source of all sorrow.

As Thondaradipodi Aazhwar states this life is…………………………..                                                            full of “Pini pasi moopu thumbam” (i.e) Disease-hunger-oldage-suffering.

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He realizes that the five senses are responsible for this suffering.

The senses  bewitch and hypnotize the  jiva  dragging it into the  samsara .

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Even the learned men  are not spared from the atrocities of the senses and the worldly temptations that  arouse which would ultimately lead to the continuous chain of birth and death.

“Innamudena thondri oraivar yavaraiyum mayakka”(Thiruvoy. 7-1-7).

The peak of sorrow is surrendering to the senses and being tossed about in the samsara sagara repeatedly .

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 Now the realization reveals that the reasons for all  his suffering  was due to 

1.Lack of Knowledge about  Lord 

2. Lack of Knowledge about the soul

3.Lack of Knowledge of the way to reach the Lord

4. Lack of Knowledge of the obstacles to this pursuit and

5. Lack of Knowledge of the final fruit in this life ( Moksha)

With  Acharyar’s   grace he understands that the chain leading to Moksha  is 

Bhagavad Sambandha

Bhagavad Krupa-

Bhagavad anugraha

Satva guna

 Moksha.

 

Just as for mundane benefits we cultivate the association of influential people who have either money, status or power, so also for acquiring  spiritual wealth  one has to cultivate the association of spiritually  advanced devotees .

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When a holy association  begins , spiritual quest germinates which makes one enthusiastic for  bhakti to sprout  towards the  Supreme Lord .

And once he surrenders to LORD unconditionally Prapatti takes over …

“shraddhA ratir-bhaktir-anukramishhyati”

(III – 25 – 25).( Kapila Gita )

It is the  association  with the holy that will generate, through the continuous contemplation of My glories,  a distaste for sense gratification here and hereafter.

*bhaktyA pumAn jAta-virAga aindriyAt dRRiShTa-shrutAn mad-rachanAnucintayA*

(III – 25 – 26). ( Kapila Gita )

 

For  devotees who are attached to devotional service even moksha is not attractive.

I am their loved one like their soul,  friendly like their son, trusted confidante like their friend, mentor like their guru and respected like their favorite Lord.

Their minds are always fixed on me.

This is all that is needed for Moksha ….

 

 

The endpoint of bliss is surrendering to the Lord alone and attaining SriVaikuntam.

As Thirumangai Azhwar says- Pettra thayinum ayina seyyum

The Lord  like our Mother derives happiness by showering His devotees with His  abundant  grace.

Just as the Mother does not expect anything from the child in return for her love …

the Lord showers His grace on the souls without expecting anything from the soul in return.

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The realised jiva now reflects on the various verses of Azhwars and Acharyas .

The great king Kulashekhara Azhwar reminds the jiva in his magnum opus ” MUKUNDA MALA “

prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih………….

At the time of death,” prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih , “when the physical condition of the body will be in disorder,” kapha, pitta, vayu will not be in order…. Prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih kanthavarodha , “At that time I shall not be able to speak.

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O Krishna, At the time of my death, in the situation  when my throat will get choked by phlegm, air and bile, how is p  ossible to think of You?

 

Hence O Lord !!!

Now itself, May the royal swan of my mind please enter the edges of the enclosure  and enter the network of the stem of Your lotus feet.’ 

Periyazhwar in his works calls    

Oh  Lord  ….

Eippu ennai vandhu naliyum pOdhu
angu Ethum naan unnai ninaikka mAtten
appodhaikku ippodhe solli vaithen
arangatharavanai palliyAne”

Azhwar  prays to Lord Ranganatha, that when old age and poor health takes over   he will not be able to remember .Hence   Oh Lord !!! therefore I surrender to you right now,

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The revered saints  speak of various karmas as the means to salvation. These karmas  leads to upasana of various Devas without realizing that the devas  antaryami is also Srimannarayana.

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They are like lumber cut and floated on the Ganges to be carried downstream from the hills to the plains .

The logs group and regroup during this travel .

Some may get destroyed. Some may get stuck .

Some logs may go to the wrong owner.

Only a few reach their correct destination.

 

The revered  Aazhvars explain   the correct way to salvation is  surrendering or performing saranagati  ( Prapatti) to Lord  Srimannarayana.

There is no necessity to go to any other Devas  for  attaining salvation .

Namami Narayana-pada-pankajam

Karomi narayana-pujanam sada

Vadami narayana-nama nirmalam

Smarami narayana-tattvam avyayam

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Sri-natha narayana vasudeva

Sri-krishna bhakta-priya chakra-pane

Sri-padmanabhachyuta kaitabhare

Sri-rama padmaksha hare murare

Ananta vaikuntha mukunda krishna

Govinda damodara madhaveti

Vaktum samartho api na vakthi kaschid

Aho jananam vyasanabhimukhyam

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Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Pics credits : Google images uploaded by several devotees in social media

Adapted from a discourse shared by a advanced devotee

Lord Narasingha and the hunter…………………………… MAATHA NARASIMHA PITHA NARASIMHA BRATHA NARASIMHA SAKHA NARASIMHA VIDYAA NARASIMHA DRAVINAM NARASIMHA SWAMI NARASIMHA SAKALAM NARASIMHA…..


The animal had a lovely lion’s face, soft eyes, and the body was human. Almost 15 feet tall. It had a gigantic form. The hunter was aghast looking at the majestic form. No hunger, no fear. The bewitching smile and the penetrating eyes made a huge difference.

Now hunter had copious chilled tears.
He could not take his eyes out of the sight of the animal. He slipped into a state of timelessness… Suddenly a voice was heard!

My dear! Come on!

You wanted me to come!!

Here I am! Come let’s move… fast!!

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Near the banks of the river  kaveri  in a gurukulam   the guru was revealing pastime of the  divine Lordships  . He was emotionally  charged and was bringing the real situation what  the great devotee bhaktha prahalada was facing and how Lord was taking care of his custody .

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The Guru went into the minute details how Prahalada was tortured  by his demonic father every time he chanted the Holy name . There was pin drop silence everywhere as he continued  to describe the appearance of the Lord ….

The demon screamed …Hey Prahalada,   

You say HE is  every where …

why is HE not here!!  in this pillar? With demonic eyes he thundered ..Come on!!

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Allow   me to kill you    and let me see how your most worship able  Lord comes to protect you. With terrible anger, the demon stuck his heavy fist against the pillar.

There was lightning  thunder and a forceful sound  that could make the entire…

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