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Tag: Vishnu

  • Andal Thiruppavai Shiva Tirvuvempavai Swing Festival Thailand

    There has been a constant interaction between Sanatana Dharma and the world, to the extent that Hindu Religion,Culture and literature took roots there.

    I have been posting articles, based  on the references found in the Puranas, Ithihasas, Ramayana and Mahabharata,Sanskrit Literature, Archeology and Astronomy.

    As I have been mentioning regularly in my articles, Tamil, which is as ancient as Sanskrit, has not been taken into account by the scholars, I do not know the reasons.

    Andal.jpg
    Sri Andal,Srivilliputuhr

    .I have earlier posted on the fact that Lord Krishna married a Pandyan Princess, had a daughter by her, attended the Tamil SangamTamil Poets’ Conclave in Then Madurai, Balarama visited Kerala worshiped Parasuhrama, based on the Bhagavata Puarana , reinforced by the Tamil Epic Silappadikaram.

    As the interaction between the Sanatana Dharma and the world has been regular, it is reasonable to find references for the later Literature, compare the practices in the world and arrive at a conclusion.

    Andal Temple, Srivilliputtur.jpg
    Andal Temple, Srivilliputtur.

    One such is the Festival being celebrated in the Month of Thai in Tami’ April 14 of every year.

    The month is preceded by Mrigasira month, called markazhi in Tamil.

    During this month , throughout the month, a Festival is performed in Tamil Nadu by Vaishnavites and Saivite alike.

    One is the recital of the Thiruppavai, a work by Saint Andal, consisting of 30m poems on Lord Vishnu.

    This is recited early in the morning in the temples and special poojas are performed,

     

    The same way for Lord Shiva, the Thiruvembavai, by Saint Manickavasagar, is recited and poojas performed.

     

    In Thailand, the same festival is celebrated.

     

    “An annual Festival called ” trivambave – tribave” is being celebrated by =Thais. Does the name sound familiar to your South Indian ears ? Itis a Tamil Word. Here are some clues.

    This festival is held for 15 days between December 14 to January 12 during our Marghazhi Month by brahmin priests. chanting verses in praise of Hindu gods. Got it ?

    IT IS THIRUPPAVAI AND THIRUVEMBAVAI…. . AND YES IT IS A THAI FESTIVAL.

    Bangkok could be the only place in the world where our Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai is recited during the month of Marghazhi by Thai Brahmin Priests. These Thai Brahmins are descendents of Tamil Brahmins froM Rameshwaram, Srivilliputtur and other parts of South India who were brought to this land as early as the 2nd century .

    the present Thailand, Cambodia and Burma was once ruled by Khemers till 13th century. Historians believe that the Khemers were either our Pallava Kings or Leaders of local tribes who were made Kings by Pallavas. (There are plenty of proof, by way of archeological findings, legends and stone inscriptions to confirm the theory of Political connections between
    the Palllava Kingdom of India and the Khemer Kingdom of Thailand… That a separate topic by itself)

    Khemer Kings, being Hindus, practiced either Vaishnavism or Shaivism. The King who built Angkorwat , Surya varman, was a Vaishnavite and it was built as a Vishnu Temple. The Khemer Kings adopted a  concept called “Devaraja Cult” which means that the King is an incarnation of Vishnu or Shiva. They built temples for Vishnu and Shiva and consecrated statues representing themselves as Gods and promoted
    themselves as the undisputed leaders of their subjects.

    The Brahmins came with the Kshathriya Kings to promote Hinduism. The Pallava Kings brought them to act as court advisors to the kingdom as was the practice in Mainland India. The Brahmins were also required to perform a ritual called “Varathyasyoma” to convert a foreigner into a Kshakthriya King whenever a local is made the King.

    The Kings sometimes married in the Brahmin families and when a king was childless, they adopted a boy from the Brahmin family. The Brahmins , thus, performed their role of advisor, minister and priest to the Royal family in addition to practicing Hindu rituals and practices.

    The Khemer kingdom , after 1300 years of glorious rule by the Hindu kings, fell to the Thais in 1282 when Jayavarman , the last Khemer King, was defeated by the Thai invasion that formed the First Thai Kinddom — Sukhothai. The creation of a Buddhist Thai Kingdom should have ended Hinduism practiced by the Khemers. Surprisingly it did not.

    The practice of Devaraja Cult did not die with the Khemers. Why ?

    The Thais, even though Buddhists , continued the devaraja cult for two reasons. Since they took over a land of Khemers, they did not want to change the practices of the land and be alienated from the locals. Secondly, the Devaraja cult suited their intentions of assuming supremacy as it gave them instant  ecognition among people. So the Thai kings also continued the Devaraja cult and as a consequence extended patronage to the Indian Brahmins and projected themselves as Incarnations of Hindu Gods in addition to practicing Buddhism. (That explains why the Royal family in Thailand practices Hindu Rituals and practices even during the present times.)

    Let us leave the Kings for a moment and continue with our study of Brahmins. The Brahmins, in the Buddhist Thailand, thus thrived as priests of the Royal family and performed rituals like Coronation ceremonies,Upanayanams for the Royal family. They also performed Housewarming ceremonies, Ploughing Ceremony, Upanayanams for the common people and continued practicing Hindu rituals and ceremonies.
    One such Brahmin ceremony of reciting Thiruppavai verses is “Trivambhave , thripave” which is continued to be recited even in this 21st century.

    Many of you may not have visited a place in Bangkok which houses three Hindu deities– Ganesh, Shiva and Vishnu. It is not a temple patronized by the Indians like Dev Mandhir and Mariamman Temple. It is a Thai temple. It is called Devasthan –(Boat Prahm ) and is situated opposite the Dev Mandir ,right behind the Giant Swing.

    Interestingly, the Giant Swing itself was the venue of a very big Hindu ritual of “Oonjalaattam” for Shiva that was stopped due to the occurrence of accidents. The word Boat Prahm means “Sanctuary of Brahmins”.

    This is the place where the Thiruppavai Thiruvempavai festival takes place for 15 days and all the Brahmins in Thailand come and stay in the temple for 15 days.

    The Brahmins who came from India married local women and as centuries went by, lost their Indian identity. They speak Thai and appear like an improved version of their frail looking brothers back home. They are clothed in white robes in stark contrast to the Buddhist Monks. They wear the sacred thread too (Poonool).

    The ceremony they perform at the Boat Prahm is very similar to the poojas at our Hindu temples with Theeparadhanai, blowing of the conch shells (sangu)and “neivedhyam” . At the end of the pooja they recite the Thiruppavai . The Thiruppavai script is written in Grantha with parallel thai script. As they do not know the meaning of the verses the pronunciation is completely different. As you know , the Thiruppavai ends with the word “embavaai” in each song and only that word could be understood. The rest of the text is ecited with total disregard to punctuation marks and sounds different. Words are irrelevant in matters of faith and it is a
    memorable experience watching these Thai Brahmin Priests reciting the Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai .

    The Kanchi Acharya had spoken in high regard of this practice of reciting Thiruppavai in a Buddhist country like Thailand in Mayavaram’s Dhakshinamurthy Mutt in 1952. He has even commented that ” even though we in TamilNadu recite Thiruvembhavai , we do not perform it as a festival but a Buddhist country thousands of miles away does it”. On the request of the Kanchi Acharya , a team of Tamil Scholars , came to Thailand and studied the scripts of Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai that are being recited in bangkok temples and have recorded the fact that they are in Krantha . Kanchi Acharya’s speech is referred in Padma  Subramaniyam’s book about the influence of Indian Bharatha naatiyam in Thai classical dance.

    It might also surprise you that the Brahmin Priests recite “Thiruvaasagam” during the coronation ceremony of the King.

    If you want to see the festival you can visit the place in the evening.The recital is in the evening around 7 p.m.

    Till the last century trivembhave triphave was a national festival of Thailand along with the Swinging Ceremony at the Giant Swing.

    Citation.

    https://sites.google.com/site/indianoceancommunity1/culture

     

  • The Fifth Veda Pranava Veda?

    It is accepted traditionally that there are Four Vedas in Hinduism.

    They are not written and transmitted orally since five thousand years.

    The Vedas themselves, Ithihasas,Ramayana and Mahabharata , the entire Sanskrit Literature , and in other languages as well,and the eighteen Puranas declare so,

    Except one…

    Pranava Veda, The Fifth Veda.png
    Pranava Veda, The Fifth Veda.

     

    The Chandogya Upanishad.

     

    It states that there is another Veda, the Fifth veda.

     

    ‘itihāsapurāṇaṃ pañcamaṃ vedānāṃ’

    -Chandogya Upanishad (7.1.2)

     

    It is one thing for an Ithihasa or agreat literary work to be called a Veda, as a  tribute; but a Upanishad, a part of Veda, declaring that there is another Veda, is intriguing.

    ‘the Mahabharata declares itself a new Veda for a new era, intended for all people, and which is the equal of, and in some ways superior to, the four canonical Vedas.The other major Hindu epic, the Ramayana, also makes a claim to be the fifth Veda’

    The Bhagavata Purana elaborates on the Chandogya Upanishad’s statement concerning the fifth, by stating that after the four Vedas emerged from each of Brahma’s four mouths, the fifth Veda – itihasapurana – emerged from his fifth mouth[1] or all his mouths.[6] It then declares itself supreme over all other puranas, on the grounds that it was Vyasa’s crowning achievement.[5] Similarly, the Skandapurana, too, suggests that the puranas are the Fifth Veda, thus giving itself scriptural authority

     

    There is another view that this fifth Veda is called the Pranava Veda and it was from the Pranava ‘OM’

     

    ‘

    Eighty-four year old V. Ganapati Sthapati, is a renowned architect and sculptor.
    Ganapati Sthapati’s range of accomplishments is extraordinary. He has designed and built more than 600 temples in India and the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji, Sri Lanka and Kenya. He was the architect of Swaminatha Swami Murugan temple, popularly called Malai Mandir, situated on a hillock at Ramakrishnapuram, New Delhi.’

    He asserts that the controversy over which language is older – Sanskrit or Tamil – is needless. He calls Sanskrit “the classical language of sculptors.” He will build a Veda Mandapam in the University to teach not only the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas but also the Pranava Veda in Tamil. He estimates that the Pranava Veda is older than the other four Vedas. Ganapati Sthapati has already recorded on audio-tape the 50,000 stanzas of the Prananva Veda. He is keen that the Tamil Nadu Government should publish it and spread it.’

    “The Pranava Veda is the first Veda and the “source Veda.” Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati explains, “A good deal of evidences is available both in Tamil as well as in Sanskrit works, particularly in Srimat Bhagavatam and Skandam about the remote existence of Pranava Veda. This Veda was later on called the science of Vastu (energy) and Vaastu (embodied energy), which is gaining much popularity today across the globe.”

    Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati goes on to say that Veda Vyasa himself said in the Bhagavatam:

    “eka eva pura vedo pranavha sarva vangmayha”
    (9th skandha, 14th chapter, sloka 48 of Bhagavatam)

    This phrase by Veda Vyasa, the compiler of the present day Vedas, means that there was only one Veda in the remote past and that Veda is called Pranava Veda – the Veda of the shilpis of India. Artharva Sheershopanishad makes mention of the term “Pranava” as being “ongara” – the all-pervasive substance.

    Pranava Veda elucidates the science of Pranava. It is the scientific study of The All Pervading Substance. Pranava Veda presents the science of “how the invisible substance of the universe (paravastu) makes itself manifest in the visible material (Vaastu) forms.” In other words, Pranava Veda reveals the process of how the All Pervasive pure Energy turns into Matter or material existence.(www.vastuved.com)

    My view is that the Fifth Veda needs more investigation before any comment is passed
    Citation.
     https://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110818043750AAwmrvq

     

     

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  • Less Than One Crore Shiva Rock Temple Unakoti

    The Images od Lord Shiva carved on Rocks in Unakoti, Tripura are intersting and Unakoti is a Shaiva Pilgrimage spot.

     

    Ganesa in Unakoti.jpg
    Ganesa in Unakoti.

     

    Unakoti.jpg
    Unakoti Shiva.”Unakoti (Scorpian ad)”. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unakoti_(Scorpian_ad).JPG#mediaviewer/File:Unakoti_(Scorpian_ad).JPG

    The word ‘Unakoti’ stands for the meaning “one lesser than a crore”.

    It is believed that, there are that many numbers of carvings present here. Lord Shiva stayed at this location for just one night, when he was making a journey to Kashi. He was making the journey along with other gods and goddesses; a total of one crore in numbers.

     

     

    when the night got over, no one else other than Shiva woke up. As a consequence, he got angry and put a curse on the others to become stone figures. Thus, there are one crore minus one number of stone sculptures present here.

    The mythological story related to this place is that, when the night got over, no one else other than Shiva woke up. As a consequence, he got angry and put a curse on the others to become stone figures. Thus, there are one crore minus one number of stone sculptures present here.

    Another story revolves around one Kalu Kamar, the famous sculptor. He was assigned the task to build a crore of the deities in his dream. But keeping the last idol unfinished Kalu created his own image. Thus ‘Koti’ could not be completed. So, the place got its name as Unakoti.

        The history of old Kailashahar is also associated with Unakoti. A 15th generation descendant of King Jujhar Fa, a Shiva disciple who started the Tripurabda (Tripuri Calendar), prayed for Lord Shiva in a village called Chhambulnagar on the banks of the river Mau. It is speculated that Chhambulnagar, which is mentioned in Rajmala, was situated near Unakoti Hill. The Prince prayed for Mahadeva in Unakoti. For this some people believe that the previous name of Kailashahar was Chhambulnagar. Some believers thought that Har (Shiva) resides in Kailash. Therefore the place was known as Kailash Har which was later on transformed to Kailashahar. A Tripura king named Adi-Dharmapha ruled here in 7th century. He performed a great yagna with much pomp and gaiety. The name Kailashahar found currency since that time.

        Unakoti has been included in the tourism map of Tripura and the North-East as a remarkable tourists’ resort. Common pilgrims frequent the place. Tourists from far and wide also converge in Unakoti with much enthusiasm. One can have a trip to Unakoti via Kailashahar or Dharmanagar. The journey takes 20 minutes from Kailashahar and 45 minutes from Dharmanagar

    How to reach.

    By air: The nearest air terminal is located  Agartala.

    By road: One can opt for buses, jeeps, taxis or private cars in order to reach this place.

    Around 178km from state capital Agartala, .

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  • California From Kapilaranya Of Kapila Hinduism

    There seems to be some connection between Hinduism and California based on the etymology of the word California in the US.

    Earlier I posted an article that the Americas were once called the Patala of Hinduism.

    California is Kapilaranya of Hinduism.jpg
    California,USCalifornia.

    ”

    “The Vedas tell a number of valid facts about ancient America . They call Mexico and Central America Patala. In Sanskrit, Patala means ‘one of the seven regions under the earth and the abode of serpents’ According to the myths, an eagle named Garuda transported thousands of ancient mariners, called snakes (Nagas, there in its beak. Although I feel they came here in ocean-going ships, the implication is clear that they could have flown here as well. The legends of the O’odhams of Arizona describe such a sky-born ship. They call it Nah-Big, a term definitely derived from the Sanskrit Nag-Bhaga or Snake God. One cannot help but become impressed when he reads the O’odham stories of the Nah-Big. It is clear that it was some kind of flying ship. The O’odhams even speak of it as being propelled by an energy generator having positive (male) and (female) female poles…

    In the Mayan-derived dialects along Mexico’s northern east coast down to and including the Central America republics, Patal means ‘abandoned or deserted land; without people.’

    Naga-like derivatives also exist in Mexico . In Sanskrit, Nag-asta means Western Naga Land . The Mayan lowlands down to and including Costa Rica are called Nacaste.

    According to Hindu legends, a naga could turn into a human being. In Mexico, a nagual was a were-animal. Nagual derived from the Sanskrit Nag-Baal, meaning Snake Demon…

    The Hindu Naga Mayas also belonged to a powerful Dravidian group of Nagas calledAsuras. Whether or not the Asuras were demi-gods or demons depended on one’s point of view. The leader of these Naga Asuras was the Hindu (really a Bulgarian) god of precious metals, wealth, traders and even agriculturists (really a group) named Kubera or Khyber (Kheever). For Christians and Jews he was Heber. This Kubera, Khyber, or Heber was leader of a horde called Yakshas or Yakhas (Biblical Joktan?). They were reputed to be both superior mentally and materially. Their servants were called Guhyakhas (Yakha shit). Today, in Judaism, which evolved from the Kubera teachings, the term has changed to Goy, but the meaning has never changed. The Kubera hordes, composed of Yakshas or Yakhas and their Guyakha underclass captured most of India’s undesirables, the unredeemably savage and cannibilistic Rakshasas, exiling them to Ceylon or Lanka. Later, they exiled them to Patala, supposedly in air ships.

    The name California is assumed to have come from Spanish.

    ”

    The word California originally referred to the entire region composed of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, the current U.S. states of California, Nevada, and Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming.[citation needed]

    The name California is most commonly believed to have derived from a fictional paradise peopled by Black Amazons and ruled by Queen Calafia.[16][17] The story of Calafia is recorded in a 1510 work The Adventures of Esplandián, written as a sequel to Amadis de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.[18][19][20] The kingdom of Queen Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a remote land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts, and rich in gold(wiki)”

    It may be noted that this explanation does not seem to be authentic a it it needs citation and refernces.

    However there is another view that the name might have roots from the Sanskrit word ‘Kapilaranya’, the Forest of Kapila.

    Sage Kapila is an Avatar of Lord Vishnu.

    ”

    King Sagara performed a horse sacrifice (Ashwamedha yajna) to prove his supremacy. Lord Indra, the leader of the demigods, became fearful over the results of the yajna, so he decided to steal the horse. He left the horse at the ashram of Kapila, who was in deep meditation. King Sagar’s 60,000 sons, (born of Queen Sumati), and his son Asamanja (born of Queen Keshini) were then sent to find the horse. When the 60,000 sons found the horse at Kapiladeva’s ashram, they thought he had stolen it. When they prepared to attack the meditating rishi (sage), Kapila opened his eyes. Because the sons of King Sagara had disrespected such a great personality, consequently, fire emanated from their own bodies, and they were immediately burned to ashes.[2]

    Later, King Sagara sent his grandson Amshuman to retrieve the horse. Kapiladeva returned the horse and told Anshuman that the sons of King Sagar could be delivered if the Ganges descended to earth and bathed them in her waters. King Sagar’s great-great-grandson,Bhagiratha, eventually pleased Mother Ganga, and asked her to come to earth. Mother Ganga told Bhagiratha that the force of the Ganges falling from heaven would be too great for the earth to sustain, and that she needed someone to break the fall. Bhagiratha then worshiped Lord Siva, who then agreed to accept the descending river upon his head. After the Ganga fell down on the ashes of the 60,000 sons of King Sagara they came alive and got their eternal position.”

     

    Jagadguru Sankaracharya, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji of Kanchipuram, India, who was popularly called as the “Walking God, for his Divine Powers, Spirituality, Universal Love, and Service to Humanity, had said in a speech in 1935 that “Kapilaranya” (meaning Kapila forest) mentioned in the Ancient scriptures of Hinduism was the same as today’s California State of USA.”

     

    Citation.

    https://ramanisblog.in/2014/02/28/americas-the-patala-of-hinduism-mayas-hindus/

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagara_%28Vedic_king%29

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  • Hindu Saptapadi In American Cherokee The Rite Of Seven Steps

    Most important part of Hindu Marriage is the Saptapathi, the Rite when the couple take Seven steps around the Fire in a Clockwise direction, with seven mantras , praying Lord Vishnu.

    Riite of Seven Steps Cherokee Indians.jpg
    Riite of Seven Steps Cherokee Indians.

    Hindu marriage is complete only after the performance of Saptapathi, be it performed among the Kashmiris or among the people of Kanyakumari.

    Saptapadi Seven Steps, Hinduism Marriage ceremony.jpg
    Saptapadi Seven Steps, Hinduism Marriage ceremony.

    The ancient Cherokee Indians follow this custom even today.

     

    This is it. Click below.

    The Rite Of Seven Steps

    Hindu Sapthapadi.

    “Seven Steps / Vows in the Hindu Wedding Means:

    * The couple takes the first step and promises that they will take care of each other and pray for abundant blessings and prosperity in their life.

    * In the second step, the couple promises and prays to the Gods to bless them with physical and mental powers and lead a healthy married life.

    * During the third step, they promise to protect and increase their wealth by proper means.

    * With the fourth step, the bride and the groom pledge to share happiness and sadness together.

    * With the fifth step, the couple promises to be responsible and care for their children.

    * The sixth step is taken by the couple to be together always.

    * And while taking the last seventh step, they promise to be truthful and trustworthy to each other and pledge to be united always in friendship and harmony.
    Citation.

    http://www.idlehearts.com/seven-steps-of-marriage-saptapadi/

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