Ratha Saptami

Namaste all .

Today Ratha Saptami, also known as Maagha Saptami.

It is not only a Hindu Festival, but also a Universal Festival.

This falls on the 7th day of Maagha Month according to Hindu calendar.

Ratha Saptami is celebrated two days after Vasant Panchami i.e. Basant Panchami . The 7th day of Maagha month also marks the birth of Surya, hence its also celebrated as Surya Jayanth. Ratha Saptami marks the birth of Surya to Saga Kashyapa and his Wife Aditi.

The first and foremost of the nine planets is Surya, the Sun.  He has two arms, and carries lotus flowers in each hand.  On his head He has a beautiful golden crown.  A gem-studded necklace adorns his neck.  He sits on  a lotus throne and rides a chariot drawn by seven horses.

Surya is as powerful as Brahma.  The world arises from Sun and resides within Sun.  Surya is like Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara.

To receive the blessings of Surya, one must make an offering to Him everyday, read or listen to Harivamshpurana and wear ruby in a ring.  Devotees must given wheat, jaggery, copper, gold and red fabric in charity.

Ratha Saptami is sybolically represented in the form of Surya  turning His Ratha i.e. chariot drawn by seven horses, with Aruna, the Charioteer, towards the northern hemisphere, in a north easterly direction.  The seven horses represent the seven colours of the rainbow, they are also represent the seven days of a week starting with Sunday.

The chariot has 12 wheels, which represents the 12 signs each of 30 degree of Zodiac ie. 360 degrees,  named samvatsara. also the 12 months.

The Sun’s own house is Leo i.e. simha and He moves from one house to the next every month and the total cycle takes 365 days to complete.

This festival seeks the blessings of Lord Surya Narayanamoorthy.

Adityahridayam, Gayathri manthram, Suryashtakam, Surya Sahasranamam are the important prayers offered to the Lord Surya on not only this occasion but also on every sunday.

Om Sri Suryanarayamoorthaye namaha.

— V.Meenakshi Jayakumar

Vedanta, Ithihasa & Purana

A person who adheres to Hinduism is called a Hindu.  Hinduism is a religion followed by the majority of people in India.  Ramayana and Mahabharatha, the two great epics were certainly the sources of inspiration and direction to the Hindu way of life.  There are other teachings like Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads.

The Hindu way of life is principally based on the teachings in the Vedas. Upanishad means sit down near.. which are the final portion of a Veda and also called as Vedanta i.e. end of knowledge.  Upanishad explains the final truth.

The Puranas were composed after the epics.  Some of them deal in detail with subjects and characters in the epics.

The Upanishads are the solace of my life.  They will a solace to me after my death also – Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher (1788-1860)

— will be continued.

music – composers

NANDANAR CARITRAM

Tamil Geyanatakam Nandanar Caritram was composed by Sri Gopalakrishna Bharati who was a contemporary of Sri Tyagaraja. The entire work consists of 45 keerthanaigal, 7 Kannigal, 7 Kadukka 4 tukada, 5 iruchollalangaram, 10 dandakam, 3 anandakalippu, 2 cinsdu, 3 lavani, and 2 nondi cindu.

Beside Nandanar Caritram Gopalakrishna Bharati composed three more small geyanataka

  1. Tirunilakanta Nayanar caritram
  2. Iyarpagai Nayanar Caritram
  3. Karaikkal Ammaiyar charitra.

——- Will be continued.

அத்தி வரதரே போய் வாரும்

வாரும் அத்தி வரதரே… போய்
வாரும் அத்தி வரதரே…

வாரும் நாற்பது
ஆண்டுகளுக்குப் பின்…
வாரும் நாற்பது
ஆண்டுகளுக்குப்
பின்..இப்போ
தாரும் உங்கள் அருளாசி
நமக்கு..இப்போ
தாரும் உங்கள் அருளாசி
நமக்கு…

காரும் சீரும் உலவும்
காஞ்சியில்
ஊரும் உலகும் கண்ட வரதரே
பாரும் எங்களை…உங்கள் கடைக் கண்ணினால்…

Continue reading “அத்தி வரதரே போய் வாரும்”

BHAJA GOVINDAM

BHAJA GOVINDAM

STANZA 2

Give up, O fool, your thirst to amass wealth, devote your mind to the thoughts of the Real, let dispassion fill your mind.  Be content with what comes through actions already performed in the past.

If man has lot of wealth, he utilizes it for the pleasures and sense gratifications.  wealth by itself is innocuous.

Adi Shankara wants us to give up the thirst for wealth.

Being in the world, we have to give up only our greed and covetousness.

This mental renunciation at once brings peace of mind and happiness and slowly leads us to immortality.

” Not by rituals, not by progeny, not by wealth, but by renunciation along some attained Immortality.”

Mudha jahini dhanagamatrsnam

kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrsnam

yallabhase nijakarmopattam

vittam tena vinodaya cittam

…. Bhaja Govindam… Bhaja Govindam….Bhaja Govindam…

From Sri Ramakrishna math

From Delusion to Reality.

…. V.Meenakshi Jayakumar

 

BHAJA GOVINDAM

EVERY SEEKER OF TRUTH   who cares to achieve self mastery and sense control should carefully read and assimilate the teachings of Sri Adi Shankara.

Self knowledge is vital.  All other forms of knowledge are of secondary importance.  To stress this point to make everyone to understand as who man is so foolish as he is in his conduct and behaviour to give him a real shake up of his values and to show him the path for attaining eternal and inner peace and feel blessed.

Bhaja Govindam has a universal appeal as its meaning goes straight to the heart.

from today lets begin to chant and understand the real meaning behind Bhaja Govindam…

  1. Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, O fool… Rules of Grammar will not protect you at the time of death.
  2. Man’s lifetime is only for a short period, and before the dissolution of the body he has to find out the technique by which Eternal Freedom can be attained.  He should pay to life only that much attention as is enough to lead a simple and decent life and devote the rest of his time for doing spiritual practice.
  3. Remember Sri Krishnas advices to Arjuna….. Therefore at all times, constantly remember Me.
  4. Bhaja Govindam,,, Bhaja Govindam,  Bhaja Govindam,  mudhamate
  5. samprapte sannihite kale , na hi nahi raksati dukrnkarane……….
  6. —-from Delusion to Reality…Swami Gurudasananda…Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai – 600 004.