Messages

11911

General topics / Re: Tevaram - Some select verses.

« on: January 01, 2016, 08:25:05 AM »

Verse 157:


மகிழ்ச்சியால் மணமீக் கூறி
   மங்கல வினைக ளெல்லாம்
புகழ்ச்சியாற் பொலிந்து தோன்றப்
   போற்றிய தொழில ராகி
இகழ்ச்சியொன் றானும் இன்றி
   ஏந்துபூ மாலைப் பந்தர்
நிகழ்ச்சியின் மைந்தர் ஈண்டி
   நீள்முளை சாத்தி னார்கள்.

They returned rejoiced, with the wedding-invitation
From the bride?s house; they engaged themselves
In the great preparation for the grand wedding.
The men erected a pandal decked with
Flawless and fragrant flower-wreaths, and there
Was performed the ritual of Ankurarpana.   


Arunachala Siva.
.

11912

General topics / Re: Tevaram - Some select verses.

« on: January 01, 2016, 08:22:48 AM »

Verse 156:


மங்கலம் பொலியச் செய்த
   மணவினை ஓலை ஏந்தி
அங்கயற் கண்ணி னாரும்
   ஆடவர் பலரும் ஈண்டிக்
கொங்கலர்ச் சோலை மூதூர்
   குறுகினா ரெதிரே வந்து
பங்கய வதனி மாரும்
    மைந்தரும் பணிந்து கொண்டார்.



The auspicious invitation was carried by gentlemen
And women whose eyes were like carps;
They fared forth to the hoary town, Putthoor
Of flowery groves, and were there received,
Respectfully by its men and lotus-faced women.

Arunachala Siva.

11913

General topics / Re: Tevaram - Some select verses.

« on: January 01, 2016, 08:21:07 AM »

Verse 155:


மற்றவன் இசைந்த வார்த்தை
   கேட்டவர் வள்ளல் தன்னைப்
பெற்றவர் தம்பால் சென்று
   சொன்னபின் பெருகு சிந்தை
உற்றதோர் மகிழ்ச்சி யெய்தி
   மணவினை உவந்து சாற்றிக்
கொற்றவர் திருவுக் கேற்பக்
   குறித்துநாள் ஓலை விட்டார்.

The elders apprised the parents of Aroorar
Of the consent; great indeed was their joy;
They then wrote to the parents of the bride
To announce the marriage in such a way
As would befit the greatness of the king.

Arunachala Siva.

11914

General topics / Re: Tevaram - Some select verses.

« on: January 01, 2016, 08:19:22 AM »

Verse 154:


குலமுத லறிவின் மிக்கார்
   கோத்திர முறையுந் தேர்ந்தார்
நலமிகு முதியோர் சொல்லச்
   சடங்கவி நன்மை யேற்று
மலர்தரு முகத்த னாகி
   மணம்புரி செயலின் வாய்மை
பலவுடன் பேசி ஒத்த
    பண்பினால் அன்பு நேர்ந்தான்.


When the revered elders of reputed clan and family
Who knew full well of the course and source of Gotra,
Announced the purpose of their errand
To Sadangkavi, he received them well, and his face
Beamed in joy; he discussed with them
All that pertained to marriage and expressed his consent.

Arunachala Siva.

11915

General topics / Re: Tevaram - Some select verses.

« on: January 01, 2016, 08:17:28 AM »

Verse 153:


தந்தையார் சடைய னார்தம்
   தனித்திரு மகற்குச் சைவ
அந்தணர் குலத்துள் தங்கள்
   அரும்பெரும் மரபுக் கேற்ப
வந்ததொல் சிறப்பில் புத்தூர்ச்
   சடங்கவி மறையோன் தன்பால்
செந்திரு வனைய கன்னி
   மணத்திறஞ் செப்பி விட்டார்.



Befitting the status of his great family
Sadaiyanar entreated aged and revered men
To approach Sadangkavi of Putthoor,
A noble Siva-Brahmin, seeking the hand of his daughter
-- A virgin, Lakshmi-like --, for his peerless son.   


Arunachala Siva.

11916

General topics / Re: Tevaram - Some select verses.

« on: January 01, 2016, 08:15:31 AM »

Verse 152:


பெருமைசா லரசர் காதற்
   பிள்ளையாய்ப் பின்னுந் தங்கள்
வருமுறை மரபின் வைகி
   வளர்ந்துமங் கலஞ்செய் கோலத்
தருமறை முந்நூல் சாத்தி
   யளவில்தொல் கலைகள் ஆய்ந்து
திருமலி சிறப்பின் ஓங்கிச்
   சீர்மணப் பருவஞ் சேர்ந்தார்.



He grew as the beloved son of the glorious king
Firm-rooted in the culture and tradition of his lineage;
In due time he was invested with the sacred thread;
He mastered all the boundless and hoary scriptures
And glowed with learning and wealth.
He now attained the age proper for marriage.

Arunachala Siva.

11917

General topics / Re: Tevaram - Some select verses.

« on: January 01, 2016, 08:13:21 AM »

Verse 151:


நரசிங்க முனையர் என்னும்
   நாடுவாழ் அரசர் கண்டு
பரவருங் காதல் கூர
    பயந்தவர் தம்பாற் சென்று
விரவிய நண்பி னாலே
    வேண்டினர் பெற்றுத் தங்கள்
அரசிளங் குமரற் கேற்ப
   அன்பினால் மகன்மை கொண்டார்.



Him beheld the king of the realm, Narasingka Munaiyar;
He felt ineffable love for the child;
Fortified by claims of intimacy, he beseeched
And obtained leave to rear the child in royal splendor;
Thus was he brought up as the king?s abhimana putra.

Arunachala Siva.

11918

General topics / Re: Tiru Em Paavai and Tirup PaLLi Ezhuchi - Dhanur month 2013-2014

« on: January 01, 2016, 08:10:09 AM »

Verse 15:


ஓரொருகால் எம்பெருமான் என்றென்றே நம்பெருமான்
    சீரொருகால் வாயோவாள் சித்தங் களிகூர
நீரொருகால் ஓவா நெடுந்தாரை கண்பனிப்பப்
    பாரொருகால் வந்தனையாள் விண்ணோரைத் தான்பணியாள்
பேரரையற் கிங்ஙனே பித்தொருவர் ஆமாறும்
    ஆரொருவர் இவ்வண்ணம் ஆட்கொள்ளும் வித்தகர்தாள்
வாருருவப் பூண்முலையீர் வாயார நாம்பாடி
    ஏருருவப் பூம்புனல்பாய்ந் தாடேலோ ரெம்பாவாய்.



O ye of beautifully be-jeweled breasts covered by
Breast-bands ! Now and then would she say : ?Our God!?
Lo, now her mouth ceases not to articulate the praises
Of Our Lord; her mind rejoices exceedingly;
From her eyes flow long streams of tears non-stop;
She falls on the ground but once and does her
Adoration without raising; never would she worship
Other gods. Is it thus one gets maddened
By the Great God? Lo, who indeed is the One whose
Form is Gnosis and who enslaves others thus?
We will, with full-throated ease hail Him and may you
Leap into the beautiful and flower-studded pool
And bathe, Empaavaai !

Arunachala Siva.

11919

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Our Bhagavan-Stories

« on: January 01, 2016, 06:48:33 AM »

Once a devotee with some familiarity complained to Bhagavan Ramana:  "Bhagavan!  Why do
people behave like this [in an undesirable manner] even in your august presence?"

With a smile, Bhagavan replied: "Yes, what else can be done? That which is within comes out.
Nothing that is not inside can come out, you see. If there is something good, it comes
out; so also that which is bad likewise comes out.  Nothing can remain bottled up within for long."

"That means, the Sannidhi in the presence of Jnanis and Mahatmas  acts only as a mirror. 
Whatever is within gets reflected outside. Is that so?" asked the devotee.

"Yes. That is so. The thoughts of the one sitting opposite to me get reflected here. What of that?
Where people gather together such things happen.  It can't be helped."  said Bhagavan Ramana.

(Source: Arunachala's Ramana, Boundless Ocean of Grace.
Volume 5. Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.)

Arunachala Siva.       

11920

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Our Bhagavan-Stories

« on: January 01, 2016, 06:45:38 AM »

In 1945, there was in the Asramam, a small, sickly, lame, puppy that we feared would die at
any moment.  But under Bhagavan's constant care, he not only recovered health but began
to eat iddlies [rice-cakes] daily with so much relish that Bhagavan nicknamed him Iddli Swami.
Relating this incident, I wrote on June 15, 1945, a Telugu verse meaning:

"O Ramana, you once [as Lord Krishna] straightened and beautfied the hunchback woman of your
abounding Grace. So now you have reared this little lame puppy to a fine Iddli Swami. How wonderful!"

Two days later, Subbaramayya also composed couple of verses reading as under:

1. "Seeing you caress peacocks, squirrels, cows, dogs and monkeys and children with such tender
Grace, anyone must melt to his bonds. O Ramana!"

2. "So many birds and animals coming to you, have attained deliverance.  Likewise do bless us
with Grace this human animal that has sought refuge at your feet, O Ramana!"

(Source: Arunachala's Ramana, Boundless Ocean of Grace,
Volume 5. Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.)

Arunachala Siva.   

11921

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Our Bhagavan-Stories

« on: January 01, 2016, 06:41:48 AM »

When Bhagavan Ramana was on the Hill, serpents and peacocks used to remain quiet, friendly
to each other in His Presence.  Panthers which came to tanks and ponds to drink water, finished
their work and went away without harming anyone.

Arunachala Siva.

11922

General Discussion / The Law of Karma:

« on: December 31, 2015, 04:38:42 PM »

(The Editorial of Mountain Path, Jan. Mar.2015)


The law of karma should not be mistaken for retribution. The law in principle describes the impersonal
forces of action and their results.  Action is infinitely varied.  No two actions, no two moments in time
are the same.Each moment is unique.  What is consistent throughout each and every action is the indubitable
fact that there will be consequence, whether it is sooner or later is secondary to the primary act. The law is
meant to give us guidelines, not deliberately punish us.

The universe is a mixture of three catalysts called gunas, sattva, rajas and tamas which describe the
mechanics of karma.  Sattva uplifts our consciousness.

We have a choice between patterns of behavior and thought and feeling, between habits that lead to
happiness and understanding or misery and enslavement to the whims of an ignorant mind and heart.
Happiness is the result of a pure mind that cultivates peace and harmony, it lets go of negativity and
resentment.  Misery moves in the opposite direction. It nurtures antipathy and anger.  It corrupts the
mind and heart.

contd.,

Arunachala Siva.                 

11923

General Discussion / The Written Word:

« on: December 31, 2015, 03:29:49 PM »

(Editorial - Mountain Path, April-June 2015)

Inevitably, over time, the initial impact and power of a written teaching in any tradition is diminished
by changes in the meaning of words.  Think of the Gospels about Jesus.  The hadiths attributed to
the prophet Mohammed.  Arthur Osborne once said that any religion starts to disintegrate from the
moment of its inception.  The high point is when the Master is there.

However, well meaning a commentator may be, there is still a diminution of the original content.
The situation is complex when enough without the added ingredient of translation into another language.
And there are the usual squabbles as to what the teacher really meant.  The history of the teachings
of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi is no different. 
 
Devotees  are faced with the challenge as to what Bhagavan meant and what are the implications and
consequences  of what He wrote and said.  Bhagavan was born and raised a south Indian  Tamizh
Brahmin. He grew up with all perspectives and persuasions that that involves.  Yet it would be a mistake
to think that if one acted like Tamizhian, spoke the language and wore a kaupina that one would understand
the teachings He gave.  Quite the contrary, it would be just as much an impediment as an advantage.
We are seeking the essence of what Bhagavan wrote and taught, not the package when it came.

contd.,

Arunachala Siva.         
     

11924

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Viveka Chudamani - Sri Sankara:

« on: December 31, 2015, 03:16:40 PM »

Means of Knowledge:


8.   Therefore, let the wise man give up craving for pleasure in external things, struggle hard for
liberation.  Let him seek out a noble and high-souled teacher, and become absorbed wholeheartedly
in the truth which is taught by him.

9.  Through devotion to right discrimination he will climb to the height of union  with Brahman.
By this power of the Atman, let him rescue his own soul which lies drowned in the vast waters
of worldliness.


10.  Let the wise, who have grown tranquil and who practice contemplation of the Atman, give up
all worldly activities, and struggle to cut the bonds of worldliness.

11.  Right action helps to purify the heart, but it does not give us direct perception of the Reality.
The Reality is attained through discrimination, but not in the smallest degree of even by ten million
acts.

contd.,

Arunachala Siva.             

11925

General Discussion / Re: Bhagavan is everywhere.

« on: December 31, 2015, 03:08:05 PM »

Consider.  We cannot know it with our physical bodies, that is wherever we travel we will not find it.
We cannot know it with the minds because whatever we conceive with thought is partial and transitory.
Thought, to extend a physical analogy, is not fast enough to catch it.  Then how we can 'catch' it?
Is it not a thought. And this is the clue:  'we' cannot catch it.  It is not a thought.  And this is the clue:
'We' cannot catch it. It catches us.

We think  we can do it and that is our delusion.

What we can do is to develop one pointed attention for 'it to find and catch us.  By this practice we learn
that the one absolute essential of sadhana is to be still - Summa Iru.

contd.,

Arunachala Siva.