Why men are asked to remove shirts in hindu temples?

We can see in many of the hindu temples especially in kerala and kanyakumari men should not wear shirts inside the temple. This is because of a scientific reason to make aperson healthy. Let us see that now....A temple can be compared to the human body.The two main parts of a temple are

Garbhagrahamm - a stead containing the image of God,

The Vimanamn - a stucture over the Garbhagraham.

The Garbhagraham:

                          When Westerners saw Indian temples for the first time, they thought they were very unhygienic. By the very nature of their conception the temples could not have many doors and windows. There could only be one door, and that too was very small. It is no wonder then that those Westerners went away with the impression that the temples were dingy, dark and dirty, and that even fresh air could not enter them. By comparison, their own churches were airy and clean and had many big doors and windows through which light and fresh air could easily enter and keep them hygienic.Today not one person in India will be able to say why temples were not provided with windows and many doors. 

So when asked we also felt inclined to agree that our temples are unhygienic; no one could argue that in these temples lived the most healthy people and that no disease had been allowed to enter. The people who used to pray and worship there happened to be some of the healthiest people, in the true sense of the term.
Why?

Why Garbhagraham is dark?

                        The Vimanam over the Garbhagrahamm attracts cosmic rays and the rays are directly given to the garbhagraham which is very dark. Since the  cosmic rays cannot stay in dark areas immediately it is emitted out of the garbhagraham. The devotees who are outside the garbhagraham with their bare chest will get these  cosmic rays.

This makes the people who used to pray and worship there happened to be some of the healthiest people.

Why garbhagraham has only one door?

                        The  darkness of the sanctum reflects its function as a "womb house,". Sanskrit word garbha means womb. As i said earlier a temple can be compared to the human body the womb house is similar to the womb of a mother. Since the womb of a mother is dark and it has only one door to enter it clearly represents the human body.

                       

Why Hindu temples have four entrances?

Why hindu temples have four entrances?

           All ancient hindu temples have four ways or four entrances. This is not simply a construction.These four ways of a temple represents the four ways through which a person can attain mukthi or moksha. Moksha is one of the basic themes of Hindu philosophy. In hinduism there are four yogas (disciplines) or margas (paths) for the attainment of Moksha.They are: 

        Karma Yoga-  working for the Supreme

        Gyana Yoga-  realizing the Supreme

        Raja Yoga-     meditating on the Supreme

        Bhakti Yoga-   serving the Supreme in loving devotion.

            
         Hinduism was complete in a multidimensional way. Mukthi can be attained from many, many directions, and that is significant. One-dimensional wholeness is not going to have much meaning in the future. For the man of the future, multidimensional wholeness will have tremendous significance. Hinduism made it possible for every kind of seeker to attain to the supreme from any direction that comes naturally to him. In this sense hinduism is multi-dimensional, not only for hindus but for others too.

Embodiment of love for India

                   Swami Vijnanananda, a brother disciple of Swamiji, was then staying at the Math. Swamiji loved him and affectionately called him 'Peshan' for his name was Hariprasanna before joining the Order. Swami Vijnanananda occupied the room next to Swamiji's. One night his sleep was broken by the sound of sobbing and he rushed to Swamiji's room. There he found Swamiji bitterly crying. Swamiji did not notice that his brother-disciple had come into his room. Are you not feeling well Swamiji?'; asked Vijnanananda. Swamiji was startled, 'Oh, Peshan,' he said, 'I presumed you were asleep.

                    No, my dear, I am not sick. But I cannot sleep as long as my country suffers. I was crying and praying to Sri Ramakrishna that we wouId soon see better days.'Swamiji was an embodiment of love for India and her people. He would inspire everybody who came in contact with him to love India. Sister-Christine writes : 'Our love for India came to birth, I think, when we first heard him say the word "India", in that marvellous voice of his. It seems incredible that so much could have been put into one small word of five letters. There was love, passion, pride, longing, adoration, tragedy, chivalry, and again love. Whole volumes could not have produced such a feeling in others. It had the magic power of creating love in those who heard it. Ever after, India became the land of heart's desire. Everything concerning her became of interest—became living—her people, her history, architecture, her manners and customs, her rivers, mountains, plains, her culture, her great spiritual concepts, her scriptures.'

concept of Ardhanaareeswara

        The half-man half-woman Ardhanareeswar represents the union of Shiva and Shakti, the basic tenets of creation, the unchanging Consciousness and Drive that gives motility. The cosmic dance of Ardhanareeswar symbolizes the beginningless cycle of origination and dissolution of the world. Traditionally the feminine Shakti is shown to be the left half of the body and the right half is Shiva.

Modern science regarding the atom:

                     The concept of Ardhanaareeswara (the combination of the male and female principles in Easwara).Consider the similarity between the ancient sages concept of Ardhanaareeswara and the ideas of modern science regarding the atom. Every object is composed of atoms and in every atom (Anu in Sanskrit) there is a proton and an electron. The electron is described in Sanskrit as the Vebhaaga (the left half) of the atom and the proton is described as the Dhanabhaaga (the right half) of the atom

. The Vebhaaga represents the female principle and the Dhanabhaaga the male principle. The coming together of these two constitutes the material base of each object. This process of coming together is represented in the concept of Ardhanaareeswara. Ardhanaareeswara means half-feminine and half-masculine. The electron represents the feminine aspect. The proton represents the male aspect. The atom is formed when they come together. Every object in the universe is made up of atoms. Hence, the ancients regarded the entire cosmos as an embodiment of the Ardhanaareeswara principle.

Purana story  of Ardhanareeshwara:

          
              A story in Shiv Purana says that Brahma, the Creator, was not happy with the way the development of human beings was going on. So he prayed to Shiva. Shiva released his Shakti part and instructed her to be born as the daughter of Daksha, thus creating an active role for her in the world. The classical Indian picturization of Ardhanareeswar stops with the body and does not tell anything of the brain in the head.

Awareness of the human anatomy:

     We are now well aware that our brain consists of two distinct units (left and right hemispheres) interconnected by a bundle of 300 million axonal fibers. The right brain controls the left half of the body (including the left part of the face) and the left brain controls the right half of the body.Characteristically the right hemisphere oversees a set of qualities which are typically associated with feminine traits and the left hemisphere oversees the masculine traits.

 The ancient Indians depicted correctly the left half of the human body to show Shakti (female quality) and the right half as Shiva (male)! This does clearly indicate their awareness of the human anatomy.

பிரமிப்பூட்டும் தமிழர்களின் விஞ்ஞானம் !!!

                            கோபுரத்தின் உச்சியில் தங்கம், வெள்ளி, செப்பு அல்லது ஐம்பொன்னால் செய்யப்பட்ட கலசங்கள் இருக்கும்.இக்கலசங்களிலும் அதில் கொட்டப்படும் தானியங்களும், உலோகங்களும் மின்காந்த அலைகளை ஈர்க்கும் சக்தியினை (earth) கலசங்களுக்கு கொடுக்கின்றன. (நெல், கம்பு, கேழ்வரகு, திணை, வரகு, சோளம், மக்காசோளம், சாமை, எள்)ஆகியவற்றை கொட்டினார்கள். குறிப்பாக வரகு தானியத்தை அதிகமாக கொட்டினார்கள். காரணத்தை தேடிப்போனால் ஆச்சரியமாக இருக்கிறது, “வரகு” மின்னலை தாங்கும் அதீத ஆற்றலைபெற்றுள்ளது என இப்போதைய அறிவியல் கூறுகிறது. அப்போது எந்த கல்லூரியில் படித்தார்கள் என தெரியவில்லை!!. 

 

                            இவ்வளவு தானா… இல்லை, பனிரெண்டு வருடங்களுக்கு ஒருமுறை குடமுழுக்கு விழா என்ற பெயரில் “கலசங்களில் இருக்கும் பழைய தானியகள் நீக்கப்பட்டு புதிய தானியங்கள் நிரப்பபடுகிறது”, அதை இன்றைக்கு சம்பரதாயமாக மட்டுமே கடைபிடிக்கிறார்கள். காரணத்தை தேடினால், அந்த தானியங்களுக்கு பனிரெண்டு வருடங்கள் தான் சக்தி இருக்கிறது. அதன் பின்பு அது செயல் இழந்து விடுகிறது!! இதை எப்படி
ஆராய்ந்தார்கள்!!!. அவ்வளவு தானா அதுவும் இல்லை, இன்றைக்கு பெய்வதை போன்று மூன்று நாட்களா மழை பெய்தது அன்று? தொடர்ந்து மூன்று மாதங்கள் பெய்தது, ஒருவேளை தானியங்கள் அனைத்தும் நீரில் மூழ்கி அழிந்து போனால், மீண்டும் எதை வைத்து பயிர் செய்வது? இவ்வளவு உயரமான கோபுரத்தை நீர் சூழ வாய்ப்பே இல்லை, இதையே மீண்டும் எடுத்து விதைக்கலாமே!!! 

                           ஒரு இடத்தில் எது மிக உயரமான இடத்தில் அமைந்த இடி தாங்கியோ அது தான் முதலில் “எர்த்” ஆகும். மேலும், அது எத்தனை பேரைக் காப்பாற்றும் என்பது அதன் உயரத்தைப் பொறுத்தது. அடிப்படையில் கலசங்கள் இடிதாங்கிகள். உதாரணமாக கோபுரத்தின் உயரம் ஐம்பது மீட்டர் என்றால் நூறு மீட்டர் விட்டம் அடைக்கும் பரப்பில் எத்தனை பேர் இருந்தாலும் அவர்கள் இடி தாக்காமல் காக்கப்படுவார்கள்.
                              அதாவது சுமார் 7500 சதுர மீட்டர் பரப்பில் இருக்கும் மனிதர்கள் காப்பாற்றப்படுவார்கள் !!!!. சில கோயில்களுக்கு நான்கு வாயில்கள் உள்ளன, அது நாலாபுறமும் 7500 சதுர மீட்டர் பரப்பளவை காத்துக்கொண்டு நிற்கிறது!!! இது ஒரு தோராயமான கணக்கு தான், இதை விட உயரமான கோபுரங்கள், இதை விட அதிகமான பணிகளை சத்தமில்லாமல் செய்து வருகின்றது!! பிரம்மிப்பு !!!இதை எல்லாம் பார்க்க போனால் “கோயில் இல்லா ஊரில் குடியிருக்க வேண்டாம்” என்ற பழமொழி தான் நினைவுக்கு வருகின்றது. 

(Source:http://ponniyinselvan.in)

Meditation gives back your sensitivity.

                  Wherever meditation has happened, people have become vegetarian, always, for thousands of years.You have to know this fact, in jainism that all their twenty-four teachers -- they call them tirthankaras, their messiahs -- came from the warrior caste. They were all meat-eaters. They were professional warriors. Meditation transformed their whole vision. Not only did their swords fall from their hands, their warriorhood disappeared, but a new phenomenon started happening. A tremendous feeling of love towards existence.

                   The same happened in Buddhism. Buddha did not believe in God, did not believe in prayer.The moment God and prayer are discarded, the only thing that is left is to go in. Buddha also was from the warrior caste, son of a king, trained to kill. He was not a vegetarian. But when meditation started blossoming in him, just as a by-product the vegetarian idea came into his being.

                   This is nothing to do with religion. This is simply to do with your sensitiveness, your aesthetic understanding. Be more alert, more silent, more joyful, more ecstatic, and find your innermost center. Many things will follow of their own accord; and when they come of their own accord, there is no repression, there is no fight, no hardship, no torture.
                  But if you live vegetarianism as a religion or a philosophy, you will be continually hankering for meat, continually thinking and your vegetarianism will be just a decoration for your ego.If you meditate you are going to grow new perceptivity, new sensitivity, and you cannot kill animals.Meditation slowly slowly gives you back your sensitivity.

                 It is a gain, not a loss. It will make you simultaneously more loving, more compassionate, more feeling, more understanding of beauty. It will make you aware of great music, even the music that happens when the wind blows through the pine trees, or the sound of the running water-even the music that happens, that is happening, in this gap, in this silence.Silence is the highest music. It is soundless, but it can be felt.

                  Vegetarianism is a small thing. We have to create a world of really sensitive people, who can understand music, poetry, paintings, who can understand nature, who can understand human beauty, who can understand the world that surrounds them: the stars, the moon, the sun. Just a bird on the wing can fill you with immense rejoicing. The freedom of the small bird, the song of the small bird, may make you dance, sing. Humanity has lost its heart, and we have to give it back to everyone who is willing.

Sweet thief

                Krishna was especially happy that morning and the whole group of Krishna's friends were together and looking for things to do. They ran towards the kitchens where Yashoda Ma and Rohini Ma were busy making laddus.

Longing for laddus:

                    When the boys saw those laddus suddenly they began to feel hungry. Krishna said, "Ma! We are all very hungry. Won't you give us some laddus?" 

                "No, my son, not just now. These you will receive at night after the Pooja. Come! I will give you Shrikhand (a sweet made of yoghurt and sugar), butter, sugar candy, mangoes and bananas," replied Yashoda. 

                 Krishna insisted, "Ma! Please give us laddus now." "I surely will give all of you as many as you want, but not just now," Yashoda tried to reason with Krishna.

                Krishna took hold of her scarf and again insisted, "Ma! We want laddus only.""Please, Krishna, don't insist," Yashoda replied.  Balaram said, "Come, Krishna, now we will eat Shrikhand and have the laddus later tonight."Krishna obeyed his elder brother Balaram, but a little reluctantly. Rohini Ma brought out many delicacies for the children's breakfast. The children enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

                After breakfast the children wandered everywhere. When they came back to the courtyard Yashoda Ma was putting the big trays of laddus in the store-room.Yashoda smiled when she saw the children's longing glances. She closed the door of the store-room, then locked it and tied the key into the end of her scarf and said, "Krishna! Do not even think of trying to steal the laddus. They are meant for the worship of Vishnu. If you steal them Lord Vishnu will be angry."

                  A secret smile flitted into the eyes of Krishna for he himself was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. But outwardly he pretended to be angry, "Ma! Am I a thief? I will not take your laddus, not even if you ask me to. I will not talk to you." With that parting remark Krishna joined  his friends.

Krishna with his friends:

               Since that day was a holiday the boys did not have to take the cows to Vrindavan. They decided to skip ropes in turn. Two of them swung a rope while one of them jumped. Everyone enjoyed his turn. Only Madhumangal did not join his friends in their fun. He looked sad as he sat in a corner.While enquired he told he was hungry for those big laddus. As soon as they were reminded of laddus all the children began to say, "We are hungry for laddus, we want to eat laddus.

Planned a trick:

          He came to his friends and began to plan how to steal the laddus. Yashoda Maiya knew how determined her son could be. On the alert for mischief she sat by the side of the store-house and began to churn curds.As soon as she put her hands in the earthern pot to gather and take out the butter, he threw the ball into the store-room through its back window and all the children shouted together, "Our ball! Our ball! Look, it has fallen into the store-room." Yashoda clearly heard their cries. But she could could not leave the butter half gathered because if she did it would not easily rise again.

                In a moment, along with Sudam, he ran to Maiya and said, "Maiya, quick, please open the store-house and give us our ball." "My son, wait for ten minutes. My hands are full of butter.Yashoda became suspicious. She refused to give the key.Then Krishna said with his most innocent expression, "Maiya! Don't you have trust in your son? Look, first I will take the key and open the door. Then Subal will tie both my hands with my waist-band. I will then go into the store-room and will kick the ball out. Can I steal laddus with tied hands?" 

  Yashoda Ma fell into the trap and consented to the plan.

               As soon as Krishna entered the store he picked up a laddu very gently with his mouth and ran towards the back window. Madhumangal took it in his hands and Krishna ran back to pick up another laddu. He had to stretch his mouth to get hold of them. Thus in a few minutes he had transferred 12 laddus to Madhumangal -- one for each of them.Maiya called out, "Krishna! What are you doing? Come out with the ball, my son."

Krishna had the last laddu in his mouth. 

Stealing laddus:

               As soon as Madhumangal took it he shouted back, "Maiya! It is not easy to take out the ball with no hands."Finally he kicked the ball near the door. As soon as he was about to cross the doorway Madhumangal beckoned him back frantically. Krishna ran on tip-toes wondering what the matter could be. Madhumangal reached through the bars and wiped Krishna's lips because some gold foil was stuck to them.Krishna ran and gave a final kick to the ball. He said, "Look well, Ma. My hands are still tied. Do not complain afterwards that I stole your laddus." 

Has Krishna no desires?

                     Popping the butter-balls in their mouths Krishna and Subal ran to rejoin their friends. Each boy was eating a laddu. How delicious they were! Two had been kept for Subal and Krishna. Krishna took up his laddu and gently shoved it into Madhumangal's mouth. Laughing, Krishna said, "I hope you are no more hungry, my dear Madhumangal."He had forced his friend to steal but Krishna had not eaten even a bite.

   "Has Krishna no desires?" he wondered.

                   Reading his unspoken thought Krishna answered, "Truly, I have no desires." While he said this, for a moment his face seemed full of a bright light. Then he joyously called out, "Now let us play a new game." Strangely, after that day, Madhumangal never felt any greed for food.

 Divine lips of our Krishna:

 
                  Krishna's friends always wondered at the heavenly taste of those particular laddus. There seemed to be something different and special about them. Nothing afterwards ever tasted quite so good as the sweets Krishna stole for them. But don't forget, they had been touched by the divine lips of our Krishna.

                And something even stranger happened. When Ma Yashoda went to the store-room to fetch the laddus for the evening Pooja she found not a single one missing!

Supreme Personality of Godhead

                One day a gopi told Mother Yasoda, “Today, I caught your son Krishna red-handed, with His hand right in a pot of butter. I asked Him, ‘Why have you come here? Did You come to steal butter “‘No, no mother! I was searching for My calf. I was playing with him today, and he ran away. So I followed him, but he jumped into this pot.’ “‘Oh, your calf has jumped in this pot, has he?’ “‘Yes, Mother’, Your son replied very innocently, and when He pulled His hand out of the butter pot, He was holding a marble toy calf! Then He and His friends all began to laugh, and they quickly ran away.

                                 Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He always wants to please His devotees. Krishna’s other incarnations are not like He is. Everyone can worship Krishna. but Krishna Himself wants to worship His pure devotees, and serve them, and fulfil their desires. Krishna’s pure devotees in Vraja think, “I really want Krishna to come to my house and steal butter from me,“ and that is why Krishna comes.

Butterthief

This is a beautiful story of  Maya Krishna...........
                         All Gopikas complain to Yashoda that Krishna steals butter from all their houses. Yashoda does not believe this as Krishna is with her all through the day. One Gopika is determined to prove that Krishna is a thief. She ties a bell to the butter pot before hanging it in the ceiling. She also keeps her doors open for Krishna to come and steal.

                             

                 After a few rounds in the other houses in Gokulam, Krishna and his gang come to this Gopika’s house. Surprised to see the doors open, Krishna enters quietly and his friends promptly bend to stand one on top of other to enable Krishna to climb above them to reach the pot. Krishna notices the bell hanging. He promptly holds the bell’s clapper (tongue), takes the butter out and distributes it to his friends. After they have their fill, Krishna releases the bell clapper. He goes on to tell the bell, “I am going to use both my hands to take out the butter and eat my fill. You must be still and not make noise” The bell nods its agreement.When Krishna puts both his hands inside the pot, takes out the butter and puts in his mouth, the bell rings loudly. Krishna scolds the bell and it replies meekly, “But Krishna, I am used to ringing when offerings are made to God and hence could not help myself.”

                  Alerted by the bell, the Gopika catches Krishna and takes him to Yashoda. She is holding Krishna’s hand in one of her own and the butter pot in the other. Being dragged at a speed, Krishna asks her to slow down as he is not able to keep up with her pace. As she is in a hurry to complain to Yashoda, the Gopika carries Krishna on her hip and makes him hold the pot. Krishna finds this position very convenient to finish off the balance butter in the pot!

The Gopika reaches Krishna’s house and calls for Yashoda asking her to come and see what she has brought! Yashoda comes out followed by a very cute looking Krishna. Shocked to see Krishna with Yashoda, the Gopika checks her hip to find her own son sitting there! Such was maya Krishna’s presence all over Gokulam!

Krishna-a trickster

Krishna’s magnetic smile and his graceful dance filled the gopis with pure love and they wanted him as their husband. When someone desires God, then all worldly desires get destroyed like burnt grains.
                   One night, Krishna played his flute and every gopi thought that she was being called.On seeing them, Krishna said, ‘O faithful women, why have you come here at night? It is not right for young girls and boys to meet at night. Please go back to your husbands.’ Shocked by this strange greeting, the gopis retaliated with a tongue-in-cheek rejoinder.Decorated with vanamala, a garland of forest flowers, Krishna sang with the gopis and they reached the banks of the Yamuna.

                   But Krishna suddenly disappeared. The wailing gopis asked the trees in the forest if they had seen Krishna. When the gopis saw two sets of footsteps in the sand, which merged and then disappeared, they concluded that one among them had escaped with Krishna it was most likely Radha.she cried, ‘O beloved, I am unable to walk. Please carry me to wherever it pleases you’.
                    Krishna responded, ‘Well, dear, then i'll carry you. While going Radha asked Krishna that she want a bunch of flowers which was at the top of the tree. Krishna said Well climb on my shoulders and take. But when she climbed Krishna told to hold the branches of the tree tightly and as soon as he said this Krishna disappeared. Now Radha was Hanging in the tree and said ‘O most beloved! Where are you?’ When other gopis heard Radha’s cry, they rushed to her. After hearing her story, they concluded that Krishna was a trickster. Then they all chased the footprints deep into the forest but stopped midway when they realised that Krishna might go deeper into the forest and get hurt: ‘Our mind reels to think that your tender feet may be hurt by the rough ground.’

                     Seeing their self-surrender, Krishna reappeared amidst them. One gopi held his hands to prevent him from disappearing; another placed her shoulder on his arms, and yet another looked at him in reproach.

 Suddenly, there were as many Krishnas as there were gopis. Every gopi thought that her beloved Krishna was with only her.As they danced with their bangles and anklets making melodious music, the moon forgot to give way to the sun and stretched to six months of Brahma’s night. After all, the sun had not moved for six months when Rama was born in the afternoon. The moon’s had taken revenge on the sun!. The rasa never ends as the Sri Radha Rasa Vihari dance continues eternally though not visible to the eyes of the world.

A matchless story of magical love.......

This month being a month of love and tomorrow a day of love here is a love story from our favourite romantic hero KRISHNA .......

                          when Krishna returns to Brindavan, years after his departure to Mathura. Krishna goes to the banks of river Yamuna and sees Radha , seated under a lush green tree, totally immersed in joyfull contemplation....Eyes half closed !

                      Krishna approaches radha and calls out her name, in a love-filled nostalgic voice. Radha opens her eyes, which feast on the charming form of her beloved krishna. Her calm countenance, her moist eyes conveyed the deep love, she had nurtured for Krishna in her tender heart.

"Radha, I have come back", Krishna

                      Radha gets up from her posture, rushes towards the stream and gathers the cystal clear, cool waters of Yamuna in her palms....comes close to the pole star of her life, Krishna and says," My dearest lord ! the King of my heart, When you are present in every single drop of these waters, when you are present in every leaf on this tree, when you pervade every atom of this creation, where is the question of you returning back. You were always with me"

                      Krishna answers," Radha, I am immensely pleased with you. Ask for whatever you want and it shall be granted".It was a blank cheque."Krishna, I dont need anything, I am contented"After repeated persuassions for a prayer, Krishna finally said," I know You must be yearning for my love...Pray for my love, it shall be granted"

With a meaningfull glance and a slight smile, Radha answered,"Krishna ! I wouldnt pray for even that. Because I love you unconditionally and it doesnt matter whether i am reciprocated in love or not.... I am eternally yours!"

                                     Hearing this, Krishna sank to his knees , held Radha's hands close to his heart and said "For the first time, the creator is fully on the recieving end from his creation".Since she had chosen not to marry (being eternally married to the Lord), she was an outcast in the society of those days. She was not welcome into any village due to this stigma. She spent her time on the banks of the Yamuna. As she lied down during her last moments on earth, she thought of Sri Krishna. Very soon, HE was there next to her. HE held her head on HIS lap as she approached her last moments. "What is it that you desire?", HE asked Radha. "I wish to listen to the melody of your flute again", she replied. (Swami said 'How can HE get the flute there? HE was coming in directly from Kurukshetra".) But, Krishna plucked a grass from the shore and it soon turned into a flute. HE played the flute for her. 

As she listened to this beautiful melody, the life left her body. Krishna stopped playing.

Swami said that she died on HIS lap. And, from that day, Krishna never played on the flute ever again.

Krishna's Miracle

                     Krishna and Balarama resumed their walk along the road to the palace. They came across a woman carrying a vessel full of sandal paste. The scent was so powerful that the entire road was filled with fragrance. The woman, though young and beautiful was hunch-backed. Krishna said to her, “O pretty girl! Who are you? To whom are you taking these heavenly unguents? Please be good enough to give us some of it.”

                    The maid was charmed by Krishna’s words. She said, “Dear Sir, I am a perfume-maker by name Trivakra. King Kamsa patronises me for my skill in making these fragrant pastes. He likes my preparations immensely. But to you I shall certainly give the unguent. For, who is more eligible than you to use such precious stuff?”

                        She gave the sandal paste to Rama and Krishna and watched with joy as they smeared the paste over their chests, arms and palms. Krishna is always anxious to bestow his grace on devoted people. He resolved to make straight her body bent in three places. Pressing her feet with his hand and holding her chin by his two fingers, he gave her face a jerk. Krishna’s touch made her whole. Her bends were straightened, all parts of her body became well developed and she was transformed into a matchless beauty.

Secret of Krishna's Flute

Krishna and his Bansuri:

              Lord Krishna loved to keep always His Bansuri with Him. Radha and the Gopis became jealous of the flute, as it had the rare fortune of perpetually tasting the nectar of Lord Krishna’s lips which was denied to them though they pined for it. They all determined to steal it and break it to pieces.

              One day, after “Rasa Lila”, they noticed that their Krishna was tired, they asked Him to take rest for a while.Lord Krishna knew their innermost thoughts but pretended deep sleep. Radha with the help of other Sakhis took the Bansuri of  Krishna and hide it under a tree.After some time, Lord Krishna woke up and found his Bansuri missing and he approaches every Gopis.

Missing of RADHA:

               Lord Krishna asks every Gopi. All deny any knowledge of the flute. Then he finds that Radha was missing and asks of the Gopis about her whereabouts.BUt they told they do not know.Krishna began to search for Radha, singing. 

He finds Radha sitting under a tree surrounded by green foliage, sweet-smelling flowers and Krishna said Radha! What a darling you are! You lulled me to  and before i  get rid of my tiresomeness you have made me ten times more weary by disappearing suddenly!

Talking with Radha:

             Radha told krishna  I am the master of my own fancies. Who are you to question that? But Krishna said , What about me? You are my Controller, Radha.
            Radha: Aey, don’t go on flattering me. I know there is something behind these words. You won’t talk in this fashion without some purpose. Now, what do you want?

            Krishna: You are a thought-reader, Radha. I come to ask you about my flute. Only you  know where it is. I was fast asleep and woke up to find it missing.
          Radha: Hare, what is this? What do I know about it? Go, go! Leave me alone. And, all this worry for a little piece of bamboo. See, there is a forest of bamboos. Why don’t you cut a piece from one of the trees and be done with it? And What are you doing with that blessed Bansuri, that you should get peace only from it?

Secret of Flute:

                   Krishna explains: I do everything through the flute assemble the cows of Vraja, pour love and joy into the hearts of the Gopis and melt the minds of the animate and inanimate beings assemble the dull Bhaktas like the cows with the music of the flute and feed them with the fruits of their Karmas under my supervision and they respond to my call by repeating my name. I do my universal supervision only through my Bansuri. If anybody wants to taste the nectarine sweetness of my lips, he should empty himself of his egoism completely, as the Bansuri empties itself quickly so that I may fill it with my music and keep it always near my lips.

Garden of Bansuris:

                                    When Krishna is out of sight, Radha and the Gopis assemble and break the flute. To their surprise, every piece begins to dance and sing. There was a garden of Bansuris.They look at each other and begin to catch hold of the dancing Bansuris. They could not catch even one. 

Not knowing what to do, they call Krishna to their aid. Krishna came and receives the broken piece from Radha and it assumes its original size. The dancing Bansuris disappear.

                            Such is the glory and secret of Lord Krishna’s flute.

               

Manuneethi chozhan

Life of the chozha king:

               In times of yore there lived a king named Manuneethi chozhan. This incident in periya puranam explains an event that happened in the life of the chozha king who became known as Manuneedhi Cholan because of the glorious justice he made.

 Manuneethi choalna did not have cildren for a long time. Since he performed a number of good deeds to obtain children and finally a male infant was born to him. The boy was named veedhivitanka.

Calf crushed to death:             

                 One day that young son of the king was riding his chariot on the main roads of the capital thiruvarur along with the friends and the forces. That time a calf which did not realize the movements on the road suddenly entered in between. Alas, that small creature got hit by the wheel of the chariot and was crushed to death. 

The cow which saw its calf killed on the street was stricken with grief. It licked, cried and sat in grief near the dead calf. The son of the king was appalled at what had happened. He couldn't come out of the shock of what happened and felt he had born to defame his father who stood for justice. He rushed to the scholars in order to do the deeds of penance for this deed before facing his father.

Ring the bell:

                         King Manuneethi Cholan had hung a huge bell in front of his palace . He announced that anyone seeking justice could ring the bell and their voice will be heard.The cow walked to the palace gates and rang the huge bell demanding justice from the king. 

The king came out and saw the cow,he learnt from his courtiers the death of the young calf under the wheels of his son's chariot.

King Manuneethi kept his promise:

                       King Manuneethi kept his promise he ordered his son to be killed for his recklessness. The prince was killed the same way the calf had died ,he was crushed under the wheels of the chariot .

The king went through the same pain the cow had as he witnessed his son die and thereby being just at all cost.

  king's stand on justice:

                      The subjects of the land wept wondering the king's stand on justice; The Lord who raised the Flag of Bull indicating the divine justice that Lord of thiruvarur appeared in the horizon amidst the praise of the divines with His consort parvati. The king saluted the Lord of creatures. The Supreme blessed the king for his sincerity towards justice and by His grace the calf, son of the king and the minister came back to life. The cow and the king got relieved of their agony. The devotees for whom such magnificent deeds were possible lived in that holy town thiruvarur. Let the adherence of the great Chola king to justice in its true spirit stay in the mind.

Kannappan nayanar

This story is in praise of one hunter who never learnt any holy scriptures and whose discipline was just to kill-hunt, who became an excellent example of devotion.

Thinnanar birth:

                   Kanappan literally means, “father of the eye.” This is not Kanappan’s original name. The name his parents gave him was Thinnan. His parents were Nagan his father and Thaththai his mother. They were forest dwellers..Thinnan grew up to be a strong young man admired by his community. He had mastered the art of archery even at a young age and became the fastest runner in his village.

During a hunt:

                       One day Thinnanar  during a pig hunt, Thinnanar and some companions had to go deep into the forest. It was there that the youth saw the hill of Lord Siva. Kindled by an unexplainable emotion he went towards the hill. As his eyes fell on the Shiva lingam he was transformed into an embodiment of  devotion. 

 Thinnanar -divine ecstasy:

                      Thinnanar was merged in deep feeling of divine ecstasy.He wept, and shed tears of extreme joy.His  concern was that the Lord was alone and unprotected in the forest surrounded by wild animals. Next it stuck him that the Lord must be hungry and  left to get meat for the Lord. He went to the foot of the hill where Kadan had cooked the wild pig, he tasted the meat of the cooked pig and took only those pieces he deemed tasty and worthy of the Lord on a leaf, he took some water from the river in his mouth and some beautiful wild flowers in his hair . 

                      He went up the hill, poured the water on the Lingam, ornated the Lingam with wild flowers and offered the meat to the Lord.He stood guard the whole night with bow and arrow in his  hand and left only in the morning to get food. 

 Shivakochariyar's visit:

.                         The priest Shivakochariyar , as was his habit for years came to perform his daily prayers and to offer salutations to the Lingam. But this time when he came he was shocked at the sight of strewn bones and flesh in front of the Lord. After prostrating many times the sage cleaned the altar and performed his own puja before returning to his hermitage.

His form is full of my love:

                             This continued for many days. To explain the love of his huntsman devotee, God appeared to the sage and told him, that the deeds of the person was a delight to him His form is full of my love, his mind thinks of me only and his deeds are delightful for me. 

The water he spits on me is more sacred than Ganga, the flowers he offers taking from his head are holier than that are offered by Devas. It is all because of His love. You can see the excellence of his devotion tomorrow, if you hide and watch'. 

Flesh for flesh:

                         It was the seventh day of Thinnans worship. When he arrived at the Lingam he was shocked to see that one eye of the Diety was bleeding.Thinnanar in his helplessness screamed out loud, he ran all around the forest to find the miscreant responsible for this, he brought herbs from the jungle to heal the wound. While worrying about his inability to find a solution, he remembered an old saying flesh for flesh. So, immediately Thinnan plucked out one of his own eyes with a sharp arrow and placed it onto the bleeding eye of the Lords. Thinnan jumped up and down in excitement when the bleeding from the Dietys eye stopped. 

 

                                   Thinnanar was ecstatic , he danced around in celebration not feeling his own pain. In another moment he saw blood flowing from the other eye of the Lord, this time around Thinnanar knew what's to be done,since he won't be able to see the wound with both his eyes gone he held his foot on the wound to mark its position and then  took his arrow to his other eye and was about to pluck it  , when the Lord himself, unable to bear such an act of devotion appeared shouting,

 

'Oh halt Kann Appa, Kann Appa Since you gave your own eyes for me, you will be           called      Kannappan  

                  (the person who gave eyes to the Lord) hereafter.' )

Kannappa nayanar:

 

                   And with that contact the devotee's sight was fully restored and the Lord pleased with his devotion granted him eternal bliss.Shivakochariyar saw the great love of this devotee and the grace he got for it. It was only mere love and intense devotion to the Lord that bestowed Kannappar the greatest boon from the Lord that is, self-realisation.Although a hunter and meat-eater, Kannappar had such great devotion to Siva that he offered him his eyes. 

 

 Sri Kalahasti Temple:

              Today the Sri Kaalashasti hill is an important pilgrimage center for Saivites. The main temple of Sri Kaalahasti is situated at the base of the hill. The lingam here is dedicated to the element air and is part of the five elemental Shiva temples of South India.  From the temple devotees can walk to the summit of the hill where the incident of this story took place. There is only a small shrine on the summit of Sri Kalahasti and a small Shivalingam to mark the spot of the original Shivalingam that Kanappan had worshipped. According to some scholars this story happened about 2,000 years ago. 

 

                     If you go to the Sri Kaalahasti Temple, look for two oil lamps at either side of the Shivalingam in the main sanctum. These oil lamps continously flicker as if the lights are being blown by the wind. However the other oil lamps around it remain steady. Not far from the Sri Kaalahasti temple is Kannappan nayanar’s mahasamadhi shrine. This smaller shrine is a memorial to Kannappan nayanar.