vmeenakshi jayakumar - MargazhiSangeetham

Ashtanga Yoga – To remove obstacles in the way of progress

TO REMOVE OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS

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The practice of Yoga is the commitment to become established in the state of freedom. The practice of Yoga will be firmly rooted when it is maintained consistently and with dedication over a long period.

Freedom is that sate of consciousness which is beyond the influence of desire.

Supreme freedom is that complete liberation from the world of change which comes of knowing the unbounded SELF.

The Settled mind is known as SAMADHI.

After the repeated experience of the settling and ceasing of mental activity, comes another Samadhi.

It can also come from complete surrender to the ALMIGHTY LORD.

NOW WHO IS LORD?

The Lord is a unique being who exists beyond all suffering, unblemished by action. HE is free from both its cause and its effects.

In HIM lies the finest seed of all knowledge.

Being beyond Time, HE is the Teacher of even the most ancient tradition of teachers.

He is expressed through the sound of the sacred syllable OM.

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OM should be repeated and its essence realized. Then the mind will turn inwards and the obstacles which stand in the way of progress will disappear.

Today’s special

THIRU MURUGA KRIPANANDA VARIYAR SWAMIGAL MUKTI DATE: (7.11.1993)

Thiru Muruga Kirupananda Variyar, was born at Kangeyanallur, a small village on the bank of river Palar.

When he was three years old, his father started teaching him the basic lessons of language, literature and spirituality. When he reached the age of eight he started composing and singing. Kripananda Variyar became well versed in Tevaram, Thirupugazh, Thiru Arutpa, Kanda Puranam, Kamba Ramayanan, Villi Bharatam and knew more than 10,000 songs by heart.

He was endowed with good memory power and he recalled events from Purana with remarkable ease.

Variyar Swamigal had studied the doctrine of Saiva Siddantham in detail and lived a like a Saivite Saint. He was an erudite Scholar and an eloquent speaker. When he spoke, words just flowed freely like Holy River Ganga and people appreciated the pearly of wisdom that emanated from his discourse.

Once, a person asked Variyar, “Why should we worship God?” “Even animals live by eating and breeding their race,” Variyar replied. Man is endowed with the power of discrimination. He should elevate himself high, live as a perfect human, rendering help to all the needy and attaining the divine status.

In November 1993, he returned by a flight bound for Bombay and from there to Madras. Unfortunately, by the time his flight reached Madras, Variyar Swamigal had attained the lotus feet of Lord Muruga on 7th November 1993.

Thiru Muruga Kripananda Variyar is present everywhere in the form of various books on Thiruppugazh he has written.

Vetri Vel Muruganukku Haraharohara.

Uruvai aruvai uladhai ilathai……… varuvai guhane……….

Ashtanga Yoga

Yoga described the Ultimate Reality as the twofold aspects of Purusha, the Self and the Prakriti, the world of matter, inert and insentient.

The conjuction of Purusha and Prakriti, of spirit and matter creates individuality and multiplicity. The creative process by which the world comes into being is the evolution and involution of Prakriti.

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Patanjali’s eightfold path of raja yoga :

Yama
Niyama
Asana
Pranayama
Pratyahara
Dharana
Dhyana
Samadhi.

Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence.

When the mind has settled, we are established in our essential nature, which is unbounded consciousness.

Our essential nature is usually overshadowed by the activity of the mind.

There are five types of mental activity. they may or may not cause suffering.

They are:

understanding
misunderstanding
imagination
sleep
memory.

Now let know each one clearly:

Understanding is correct knowledge based on direct perception, inference or the reliable testimony of others.
Misunderstanding is the delusion that form a false impression of reality.
Imagination is thought based as an image conjured up by words, and is without substance.
Sleep is the mental activity which as as its content the sense of nothingness.
Memory is the returning to the mind of past experience.

These five types of mental activity are settled through the practice of yoga and the freedom it bestows.

Music Ki.Va.Ja

KI.VA.JAGANNATHAN (MUKTI DAY: 04^TH NOVEMBER 1988)

KI.VA.JAGANNATHAN known as Ki.Va.Ja, was a student of noted Tamil Scholar Sri.U.Ve.Swaminatha Iyer. Ki.Va.Ja was a Tamil Journalist, Writer and Poet. He was awarded the Sahitya Academi Award.

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He has written commentary on Abhirami Andhadhi. Andhadhi is a unique kind of Tamil Poetry constructed such that the last or ending word of each verse become the first word of the next verse then making the poem a garland of verses.

Music – Performing Art.

What is Performing Art?

Excellent explanation by Sangita Kalanidhi R.K.Srikandan.

“ A Performing art is its simplest and most obvious form and meaning, is an art which lives only when it is being performed. That is, these arts live only in time. The sound of music lives only for the second it is created. But it leaves huge shadows of wonder and beauty and vanishes. Only a memory is left….. (the) kind of experience provided is different from emotion recollected is tranquility.

A musician’s life, vocal or instrumental, is focused on the instant of execution, because a performing art is a performing art only when it is being performed… A musician makes his body as instrument at least for the duration of the performance, for the experience and expression of spirit.”

Music – Bangalore Nagarathinammal

BANGALORE NAGARATHINAM AMMAL

Bangalore Nagarathinam Ammal a devoted lady whose wealth, time and life were dedicated to Classical music and who immortalized her life by taking the initiative to construct the Samadhi of Sri Tyagaraja. With single minded devotion she did the Kumbhabhishekam on January 7, 1925. She started the annual celebrations on a firm and grand scale. Daughter of Smt.Puttulakshmi, She learnt Sanskrit, music and violin.

She composed

Sri Tyagaraja Ashtothra Namavali in Sanskrit,

Panchee Karana Bowdheeka in Tamil and Madhyapanam in Telugu.

It is said that She reprinted the telugu classic “Radhika Swayamvaram” of Muddu Palani, a courtesan of the 18^th century.

She was a great musician and on her music Sri. Vasudevacharya says:

“ A queen among dancers and singers, she was an apostle of modesty. The pride of the Kannada land, she was a selfless soul and had the boons of beauty, learning and wealth in equal proportions.. her respectful demeanor in the presence of senior vidwans attracted me. She stood as though come to offer worship, never even looked up… spoke little… a divine charm hallowed her beauty.

Her style of singing was religiously classical. She had accurate layagnana. Her voice combined the melodic sweetness of a female voice the dignity of a male voice. As she had a sound knowledge of Bharathanatya, her singing had an emotions appeal. Yadukulakambhoji was her favourite. She was never afraid of any challenge from any musician.”

PRANAMS TO THE GREAT NAGARATHINAMMAL (BANGALORE)