Tag: Abhirami

  • How Much Do You Trust God

    How Much Do You Trust God

    Faith Sustains, Cures, while Reason seeks out explanations.

    For those in critical situations, solution to the problem is importnt than the explanations or the rationale.

    Help reaches out to those who have Faith, I have seen.

    It may not be some thing unnatural or something akin toa miracle.

    It could be by an unexpected turn of events , help from an unexpected source or from a Stranger.

    Then how come that even for those who have Faith, help does not arrive many a time?

    The answer is your return is directly proportional to your investment , in this case , the intensity of Faith.

    Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that total, unconditional surrender would beckon Him.

    In the Karna Mantra He states,

    Sarva Dharman Parthyajyasya Maamekam Charanam Vraja,’

    The correct meaning is,

    for those who abandon all actions and seek Refuge in Me alone.

    He did not come to the aid of Draupadi,also called Krishnai,who was being stripped in an open Hall, though she was crying out to Krishna , at the same time holding on to her clothes.

    He came to her when she freed her hands , threw her hands up!

    When Tirunavukkarasar( Tamil Saint), called Appar, was  thrown out into the sea with a stone tied around him, he sang,

    சொற்றுணை வேதியன் சோதி வானவன் 
    பொற்றுணைத் திருந்தடி பொருந்தக் கைதொழக் 
    கற்றுணைப் பூட்டியோர் கடலிற் பாய்ச்சினும் 
    நற்றுணை யாவது நமச்சி வாயவே. 				4.11.1  Thevaram. by Appar.
    
    
    Even if you are thrown into the Ocean with a stone around you,
    
    Nama Sivaya, the word of One, Who is,
    
    The Protector of the Word, Vedas,
    
    The Eternal Flame of the Heavens,
    
    For those who worship His feet'
    
    He, The Refuge ,Constant Companion.
    
    This is Thirunavukkarasar's approach.
    
    What does Abhirami Bhattar have to say on this?
    
    '

    அன்றே தடுத்து என்னை ஆண்டுகொண்டாய், கொண்டது அல்ல என்கை
    நன்றே உனக்கு? இனி நான் என் செயினும் நடுக்கடலுள்
    சென்றே விழினும், கரையேற்றுகை நின் திருவுளமோ.-
    ஒன்றே, பல உருவே, அருவே, என் உமையவளே. Abhirami 30

    அபிராமி அன்னையே! என் உமையவளே! நான் பாவங்களைச் செய்வதற்கு முன்பே என்னை தடுத்தாட் கொண்டவளே! நான் பாவங்களையே செய்தாலும், நடுக்கடலில் சென்று வீழ்ந்தாலும், அதனின்று காப்பது நின் கடைமையாகும். என்னை ஈடேற்ற முடியாது என்று சொன்னால் நன்றாகாது. இனி உன் திருவுளம்தான் என்னைக் கரை ஏற்ற வேண்டும் (பந்தபாசக் கடலில் இருந்து முக்திக் கரை ஏற்றுதல்). ஒன்றாகவும், பலவாகவும், விளங்குகின்ற என் உமையவளே!

    Mother Abhirami,The One who appears as Many,

    You have prevented me from committing Sins and taken over long back,

    If I commit sins even now, and I fall in the deep ocean.

    It is your Job to take care,

    நன்றே வருகினும், தீதே விளைகினும், நான் அறிவது
    ஒன்றேயும் இல்லை, உனக்கே பரம்: எனக்கு உள்ளம் எல்லாம்
    அன்றே உனது என்று அளித்து விட்டேன்:- அழியாத குணக்
    குன்றே, அருட்கடலே, இமவான் பெற்ற கோமளமே. Abhrami Andhadi 90

    ஏ, அபிராமி! அழியாத குணக்குன்றே! அருட்கடலே! மலையரசன் பெற்றெடுத்த அழகிய கோமள வல்லியே! எனக்கு உரிமை என்று எப்பொருளும் இல்லை. அனைத்தையும் அன்றே உன்னுடையதாக்கி விட்டேன். இனி எனக்கு நல்லதே வந்தாலும், தீமையே விளைந்தாலும், அவற்றை உணராது விருப்பு, வெறுப்பற்றவனாவேன். இனி என்னை உனக்கே பரம் என்று ஆக்கினேன்.

    Let auspiciousness strike me or that which is painful,

    I have no idea nor I know of it,

    It’s all yours,

    For I have you given you all that is supposed to be Mine, including my Mind,

    Abhirami, Daughter of The Himalayas,The Ocean of  Graciousness,’

  • How Does Devi Devotee Behave Abhirami Andhadi

    How Does Devi Devotee Behave Abhirami Andhadi

    God is an Experience.

    He can not be reasoned out.

    He is beyond Mind.

    Tamil calls Him ‘Kadavul’, one who is beyond the Mind.

    You can not hold the Ocean in your palms.

    How does one explain hunger, Pleasure, or Pain?

    They have to be felt.

    Many who have experienced  the ecstasy of God have attempted to explain it.

    The fact is those who explain it in detail have not seen or experienced God,

    Those who have experienced can not explain..

    ‘kandavar Vindilar,

    Vindavar Kandilai'(Tamil)

    But some great souls have attempted to try.

    Ramakrishna Parahamsa was one.

    He was seen as a Lunatic, when He was in Ecstasy!

    Similar descriptions of god may be found in Tamil.

    Abhirami Bhattar was one such.

    He was One who had seen Her, Abhirami of Thirukkadavur.

    I shall write on him and his poem Abirami Andhadai in detail

    The poem is in a special format, Andhadi, where the last word, letter of the preceding verse is the first word or the letter of the succeeding verse, mostly the former.

    The last verse shall end with a word that would be the first word of the Andhadi(Beginning of the End)

    விரும்பித் தொழும் அடியார் விழிநீர் மல்கி, மெய் புளகம்
    அரும்பித் ததும்பிய ஆனந்தம் ஆகி, அறிவு இழந்து
    கரும்பின் களித்து, மொழி தடுமாறி, முன் சொன்ன எல்லாம்
    தரும் பித்தர் ஆவர் என்றால் அபிராமி சமயம் நன்றே.

    அபிராமி அம்மையைப் பக்தியோடு விரும்பித்தொழும் அடியவர்களின் கண்களில் நீரானது பெருகி, மெய்சிலிர்த்து, ஆனந்தம் ததும்பி, அறிவு மறந்து, வண்டைப் போல் களித்து, மொழி தடுமாறி, முன்பு சொல்லிய பித்தரைப் போல் ஆவார்கள் என்றால், அப்பேரானந்தத்திற்கு மூலமான அம்பிகையின் சமயமே மிகச்சிறந்ததாகும்..

    Tamil Poem  explanation by Poet laureate Kannadasan

    ‘Tears stream down from the eyes,

    Loses identity, with goose-pimples,

    Overflowing with ecstasy , loses Mind,Discrimination,

    Language falters, words get jumbled,

    All this for those who immerse themselves in Abhirami and if this be the fruit of Her , it is the Best Religion to follow’

    Well, that’s it.

    As English translations are not available on the web, I have tried translating.

    Definitely does not convey what Abhirami Bhattar intended.

    I have tried.

    Please check for a translation and enjoy the experience.

    http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/utf8/pmuni0026_01.html

  • We Express Better Than We Know Why

    Recently my close friend told me of some of his observations on what they speak about subjects, at time, in detail to the astonishment of others, including the Speaker.

    He added further.

    Kannadasan
    Kannadasan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    “Couple of years back some one asked me a question on Hinduism, especially about Advaita.

    You know that I do not know much about it.

    But I spoke for about twenty minutes in detail and every one was surprised.

    Funny thing is I was astonished myself.

    Even to-day I do not know how I spoke.

    Today I can not speak a ew lines about my self.

    How and why?

    Coming to the present, on some mornings (around 5am), when I do not get sleep , I get a lot of ideas which I am sure are quite novel and I am sure I do not know the subject nor have I read anything on the subject before.

    Can you tell me why?”

    He is not a very pious a man but has religious orientation like most of us.

    I had given a serious thought about this.

    I have seen these instances in many people including me.

    Many times I have spoken on subjects in detail with authentic references  though I had not prepared on the subject.

    I have also noticed , when I lecture on a subject, I normally prepare thoroughly.

    But when I reach the Podium, I deviate from the prepared points(which I keep in mind, never in on paper as this distracts me), I speak fluently better than I had prepared.

    Come to think of it, great compositions happen this way.

    ( I am not comparing myself with any of these)

    Greatest lines in literature (in my view).

    Age can not wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety,

    Other women cloy the appetites they feed,

    She makes most hungry where she most satisfies’ – Shakespeare in Antony and Cleopatra.

    Or Kalidasa in Kumara Sambhavam.

    Vagarthadaiva samprktau vagarthaa pratipattaye
    Jagatah pitarau vande Parvati Parameshwehvarau

    ” In order to achieve the comprehension of word and meaning, I salute
    the parents of the universe, Parvati AND Parameshwara, who are
    inseperable like word and its meaning.

    Or Abhirami Bhattar in Abhirami Andhadi.

    அன்றே தடுத்து என்னை ஆண்டுகொண்டாய், கொண்டது அல்ல என்கை
    நன்றே உனக்கு? இனி நான் என் செயினும் நடுக்கடலுள்
    சென்றே விழினும், கரையேற்றுகை நின் திருவுளமோ.-
    ஒன்றே, பல உருவே, அருவே, என் உமையவளே.

    Gist of this is that, Abhirami,whatever I do and whatever might happen to me, even if I am stranded in the midst of Ocean, It is your job to save me”

    This can be enjoyed only in the original.

    Or some of the lines of Kannadasan in Tamil Films.

    Kannukku Kulam Ethu,

    Kangal Enge,

    Ponal Pogattum Poda,

    Mayakkama Kalakkama.

    I  can go on adding to the list.

    I shall post on the Poems I have enjoyed in Tamil and Sanskrit.

    When I asked Poet Kannadasan  whether  he can produce some of the great lines he had penned again, he  replied

    ‘No’.

    He said he wrote as the mood set in and he can not even remember how he got around to producing these lines .

    True,

    Psychologists  try to explain these things in a lot of ways.

    I am qualified in Psychology and the explanations and theories are labored and unconvincing.

    To me it seems that certain things are expected to be expressed at a certain time by certain people.

    And we happen to be the instruments.

    My friend agrees.

    Do you?

    Image Credit.

     http://manifestedharmony.com