Monday, September 17, 2012

‘The Hindu’ cartoonist Shri Keshav’s paintings of Sage of Kanchi



Celebrated cartoonist Shri Keshav Venkataraghavan of ‘The Hindu’ in his own words posted in Sage of Kanchi in Facebook.
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This work was blessed by Periyava. An electrifying experience. This is the culmination of various darshans in the past. 1989, to be precise. When i began my career. He spoke humorously and taught me about the politics, and stunned me with questions which i did not even think of. A time when you crumble to dust before his presence.He blessed me with a mattai thengai, which i preserve to this date. This painting was shown to him in 1993, immediately after it was completed. There was a huge crowd. Thought it was impossible to get his darshan. I had this work with me which was quite big. One of his disciples saw this and took it inside. It was inside with Periyava for more than an hour when we stood in the queue outside. When it was our turn, The disciple showed it to Him. They put a garland around it, and was returned to me.
*****
His comments for the above drawing — “ yes,Sir. It was my sketch for Charukesi’s story for the Friday page. It was indeed a blessed occasion. I was searching for Periyava’s pictures. Thought it would be really difficult to find a picture of Periyava appreciating music with the thaalam. But when you have his blessings, it happens. I had to search nowhere. The first picture in google search had this picture of Periyava. :) “
Another of His painting which was blessed by Him:

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Jagat Guru



This story dates back to the year 1933, when MAHA PERIYAVAA was in Varanasi. Periyavaa was received in the palace of the Kasi King. 

Many important personalities and learned men (Pundits) were also present. In Pundits' mind there was an element of jealousy. How can he Periyavaa have the title of JAGAT GURU. (जगत् गुरु).

One of the Pundits thundered, “Who is this Jagat Guru”?

Periyavaa politely replied: “I am”

The Pundit then remarked sarcastically: “So you are the Jagat Guru”

Periyavaa replied: जगतां गुरुः न When I say I am Jagat Guru, I Did't mean to say, I am The Guru of this Jagat. जगति पद्यमनाः सर्वे मम गुरवः All living beings in this world are my Gurus.

The Pundits were completely taken aback by this simple yet great explanation. Periyavaa did not stop with that.

In that hall where this debate was going on there were some nests built by sparrows. Periyavaa pointed to one of them and asked the Pundits किं इदं? What is this?

The Pundit replied: नीडः Nest

Periyavaa asked: केन निर्मितं? By whom was this built?
The Pundit Replied: चटकैः By the sparrow.

Periyavaa continued:This nest is built by birds which do not hands or legs.We have hands and legs.Yet we are unable to build a nest like the sparrow.The sparrow has Kriya Shakti (क्रिया शक्ति) But I do not have that Shakti.

Hence this sparrow is my GURU!!!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Abhaya Hastham!



This a rare photograph indeed ! One can very very rarely find a single photograph of Mahaperiyava showing Abhaya Hastham (Aaseervadham pose) ! thats the humbleness of Sakshaat Parameshwaran Mahaperiyava....

But today we find "so called" Sanyasis - giving variety of poses to photographs - as if they are going to bless us (!!!) Ishwaro Rakshathu....
 

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Brahmasri Sundar Kumar's Ramayana Pravachanam @ Vani Mahal



Brahmasri Sundar Kumar on his Ramayana Pravachanam on Ayodhya Kandam at Vani Mahal on 5th June 2012, was referring to various curses inflicted upon the person responsible for Rama going to forest. Due to some personal reasons, his lecture was restricted to just one hour.

Bharata quotes various Dharma Sastras and says “Let the sin applicable to the person deviating from the sastra become applicable to the person who was responsible for sending Rama to forest” and quotes the minimum dharmas to be followed by individuals,. He also quoted another sruti vakyam which states the same dharmas in the order of severity.(i.e) Severity of punishment for missing out the subsequent point is more than the earlier point:

  1. Do not lie down (not only sleep) during dawn
  2. Do not lie down (not only sleep) during dusk
  3. Ladies to comb hair, have kumkum, lit lamp before sunset.
  4. Do not stop the agni karyam which is started once….and not to use agni for any other purpose – of course except cooking.
This he said, most of us are doing without our knowledge – because we have promised on the day of our marriage that from that day onwards we will continue doing the agni santhanam on daily basis without fail. We do this on all subha and punya muhurthams when purohit comes. Wife keeps one handful of rice, 60% is given in the first lot…Agnaye Svishtakrite..Swaaha:… and then  the balance 40% is dropped on the northern part of agni accompanied by the relevant mantra…. The only other place where agni is permitted to be used is during the pyre on the demise of either of the individual’s parents which at no cost should be delegated to anybody else.

  1. Do not over eat
  2. Do not marry younger sister when elder sister is unmarried: This he said has become common now-a-days because, if there are 2 daughters, marriages are fixed simultaneously and sometimes due to special reasons, the second daughter gets married few months/days earlier than her elder sister. In this case the bridegroom, who married the younger daughter gets the sin.
  3. Younger brother not to get married prior to elder brother. Exception: elder brother decides to become a naishtika brahmachari or happens to be a mentally ill patient.
  4. Treat Guru Patni as equivalent to mother and all other women except one’s dharma patni either as matha or sister depending on the age. This he said is possible once we understand the fact that we are all the children of Loka matha, say Lakshmi and  Narayana. Then automatically makes all other human beings become our siblings.
  5. Avoid rotten nail and skin diseases in the body as these are symptoms of poorva janma dosha.
    1. An individual when he has performed certain deeds in his previous births, get these problems in the present birth. By observing the dharmas applicable to the present birth sincerely, he/she can definitely not only get rid of these problems but also attain salvage. Getting rid of these ailments becomes the apparent symptom of recognition of his sincere devotion by the divine. Seeking medical help is permitted.
  6. Do not betray a trusted friend.
  7. Do not get into Brahmahatti Dosha.

Looking at the severity, the last point seems to be very bad but at the same time, we feel highly relieved because to the extent possible, we will not get Brahmahatti Dosha, because as per the common perception, it comes only to a person who kills a Brahmin which we would never venture to do. But alas! Sastra does not mean this literal translation only.

Brahmopadesam is a function in which a Brahmachari is initiated into brahminhood and given the Gayathri mantra. While changing the Yagnopaveedam, he says,
Nithya karmaanushtaana Yogyadha sidhyartham, Brahma theja: abhivridhyartham….

So, Brahmopadesam has to be followed by its ritual of Sandhyavandhanam on a daily basis during the stipulated time. Ultimately, Non-performance of Sandhyavandanam amounts to Brahmahatti Dosha.  Let us not get into point 11.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Theendum Inbam - Pleasure of touch


 தீண்டும் இன்பம்
Sujatha does it again. This time he takes up the problems urban college goers have and had portrayed it in a realistic manner that makes you realise with the brutal facts. As the name suggests it is about the pleasure of touch, one night stands, that brings along with complications like unwanted pregnancy, Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and its implications over the psyche of the concerned individuals. The best of a Sujatha's novel is that the incidents are not sugar coated but offered as a bitter pill tough to swallow. Here also Sujatha does the same with the protagonists Akalya, Sridhar & Raghu.

It is all about a simple yet supremely talented girl Akalya, who is aspiring to do IAS and already representing the college in various forums. She is going steady with a guy and one fine day she finds herself pregnant. She decides to bear it and agrees to give for adoption after the delivery. She delivers as per plans, her priorities change and towards the end she tries to give a meaning to her existence in this world.

Like any other Sujatha's novels, this too travels in the viewpoint of the main protagonist Akalya. The transformation of a happy outgoing girl to a traumatic single mother is well conceived and told. We had seen similar characters opting for single motherhood in "Kya Kehna.." and another TV serial with Deepa Venkat (I forgot its name), but what makes Akalya apart from those characters is the simple practical solution the character offers. While the former two made their decisions on emotional note, Akalya realises the problems of being emotional and opts for a practical decision.

The novel, I swear, will surely make the readers feel uncomfortable while reading even though the story telling is engrossing, especially for the people like me brought up with small town & middle class values. But you can't deny its presence in this westernizing society where onenight stands, MMS scandals are becoming a casual. It won't be an exaggerated statement if I say that this novel had shaken my beliefs in marriage and virginity.

Sujatha in the pretext of going through the Akalya's character exposes all the dark elements that prevail in the campus. The campus he had portrayed is very much believable. The celebration parties with dark corners that ends up as sex spots, the way guys try to provoke the instincts of girls are really hard to digest. The feeling Akalya undergo when she realises that sl1e is pregnant and consequent activities to abort it are fine.

Sujatha exposes the industry that survives on illegal pregnancy in this novel. The so called "inter-country adoption" centres that thrive on young victims, by brainwashing them to deliver the babies at the royal expense of the adoption parents and getting donations in US Dollars, the noble cause turned into a lucrative profession are well explained. When the girls refuse to part with the children how they are tortured is narrated well.

Besides scams, Sujatha also depicts the practical problems of being a single mother especially at the time life just starts unfolding in a major way. He suggests the ending in a practical way leaving the sentiments and emotions behind. I couldn't identify or agree fully with the ending but felt it is one of the possible endings.

This novel is plausible because of the writing style of Sujatha. Even though the stark reality slaps hard at your face, you will learn to accept the happenings towards the end rather than closing your eyes to deny its existence.
 தீண்டும் இன்பம்
கல்லூரிக்குப் போகிற பெண் கர்ப்பமானால் என்ன ஆகும்? இந்த ஒற்றை வரியை வைத்துக் கொண்டு, ஒரு பெண்ணின் மனப் போராட்டங்களை, இயல்பு மாறாமல், வெகு யதார்த்தமாக, சுவாரஸ்யமான நாவலாகத் தந்திருக்கிறார் சுஜாதா.
Maheshwaran

35 years old, Male, married, Indian (by birth), SAP Consultant (SAP SD & IS-Retail), SAP Trainer... believer in people, love the after office life, self-indulgent when it comes to books, movies and music... avid fan of Illayaraja and AR Rahman... once an avid traveller / reader now trying to make time for the passions... love to share whatever little knowledge / experiences I had got from life and this is the primary reason for starting this blog... definitely am happy to hear the feedback if you take a moment to drop your comments... actively looking for a job in Melbourne, Australia so if you come across anything related to SAP SD in Melbourne, drop me a message.