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....

 

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.

5. Do not over eat
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Avoid rotten nail and skin diseases in the body as these are symptoms of poorva janma dosha.
   5. 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.
10. Do not betray a trusted friend.
11. 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.

Theendum Inbam - Pleasure of touch

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.

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.

அனிதாவின் காதல்கள் - சுஜாதா

Anitavin Kaadhalagal, which translates into Anita's affairs, may sound lurid initially but once you complete it you find the title wholly misleading. Written by Sujatha, it portrays the love story of a simple vulnerable, young girl who has been used to tranquil and calm living style. When she happens to meet the man who sweeps the ground off her feet with love the world around her changes but she couldn't. By the time she could adjust herself to that hectic pace, a rough wave topples her life and she is left stranded. Meanwhile she comes across four young men who are desperate to get her and their proposals.

Anitha is a Brahmin girl next door contended with her simple life style, crush on Salman Khan, icecream parlors and group study in her friend Madhu's room. Her life changes when she accidentally meets Vairavan, a leading young industrialist, who manages to charm her orthodox parents and gets he married in a jiffy. The following sequences are like dream come true and it comes to a screeching halt when her husband was arrested in a scam. Meanwhile three more guys propose her and finally Anita decides to take the life on her own.

Strength of Sujatha is his style of writing will be stark, not sugar coated or biased. The entire novel is from Anitha's point of view, thus highlighting the feminine sensitiveness. Anitha being a simple girl is not carried away by the romantic advancements being made by Vairavan. Infact, before she realises what had stuck her, the marriage is finished. Since we travel with Anitha, we explore the lighter vein college life of a simple girl and her reactions unable to cope up with the sudden marriage in her life. You could sympathise that even before she is fully drawn into the fact that she is married, a hurricane sweeps her happiness and she is let free again, making life a turmoil for her.

Coming to the famed title Anitha was being loved by Suresh, a software engineer, who comes through proper channel. Next is by Vairavan who manages to marry her, even though he was of lower caste, just because he makes right moves with money and charms her parents. Then comes her relative Sitaraman, for whom Anitha is the sole inspiration to move up in the hierarchical ladder by appearing for competitive exams. Last comes Vishwanathan, an aspiring musician and friend of Sitaraman, who feels that Anita was not given proper freedom. All come at different stages of Anitha's troubles and also within a month.

Through out the novel, Anita comes as a meek and submissive young girl who couldn't vent out her feelings and sometimes you get irritated why this girl doesn't be affirmative atleast with her marriage. But the way Sujatha had written it overrides this and makes you to look forward what will happen next. This is the beauty of this novel, which travels in the predictable path towards the climax. Especially the romantic episodes through which Vairavan expresses and proposes Anitha are interesting. His ordeals and the circumstances under which he decides to set Anitha free are equally interesting, making this reading a delight. When the same Vairavan sees a ray of hope, he pleads Anitha to be back in her life is just exciting.

As usual Sujatha takes up a real issue as a backdrop and builds a story around it. Here it happens to be the stock market, share trading and its scams. He elucidates the thin line between the legal trading and bulling, how sometimes the victims can be really legal through the arrest of Vairavan and its impact on the victims social life. The grand wedding reception of Vairavan and the unattended burial of his father are well said. Coming to the marriage, Anitha's expression of being a lost babe in the wood of VIPs was nice.

May be Sujatha thought of giving some wild justifications to the titillating title, he starts the novel with the description of her sisters' husbands, how they joke everything with hidden sexual innuendoes, making you believe that they will be a part of Anitha's affairs. But nothing happens so. As said, the novel didn't violate from traditional values, but takes a dig at the ever changing materialistic Brahmin attitude who are always ready to bend the traditions according to their conveniences. When realising that Vairavan is a multi millionaire, caste didn't come in between, when Vairavan was arrested they conveniently take up the caste issue and tries to get her married to Sitaraman, supporting with the instances of remarriages.

Overall, this novel offers nothing new except the Share scams, but its racy narrative makes it worth reading.

--Maheshwaran

Maheshwaran is a Mechanical Engineer turned Sales Engineer who had found his passion / calling in IT - ERP. With a solid experience of 3 End to end implementations and support projects in his stint with SAP since 2005, he turned to teaching for sharing the knowledge gained over a period of time. He had trained in SAP Training academy as well in virtual classes. These series of posts are sharing the knowledge on advanced topics which were not taught in the standard SAP Certification academy. Currently Maheshwaran is planning to migrate to Australia on PR and start a career in Melbourne. If you come across any suitable SAP SD / SAP IS Retail openings in Melbourne, please drop him a mail.

ஓர் அமெரிக்க மாப்பிள்ளை, உள்ளன்போடு நேசிக்கும் அம்மாஞ்சி முறைப் பையன், பரந்த வானத்தின் கீழிருக்கும் எதையும் விலை பேசும் பெரும் பணக்கார இளைய தொழிலதிபன், வாழ்க்கையை சுவாரஸ்யமாக வாழ அழைக்கும் ஒரு சங்கீத இளைஞன் என நாலா திக்கிலும் தன் மீது வலை பின்னும் காதல்களால் திகைத்துத் திணறி திக்குமுக்காடி போகும் ஓர் எளிய நடுத்தர வர்க்கத்து பெண்ணின் உள்ளுணர்வுகள், மன சஞ்சலங்களை விவரிக்கும் வசீகர நாவல்.

Scriptures as a way of life...

ORATOR Velukkudi Krishnan shares his experience, Bliss, to be specific, through upanyasam. V. BALASUBRAMANIAN

rich in content: Velukkudi Krishnan. Photo: N. Sridharan

People's taste may vary when it comes to small screen entertainment in the evening, with soaps and cinema topping the list. But mornings, 6-7, are generally dominated by one voice. Gruff and soothing at once, the Tamil is both chaste and familiar.

The style is lucid, diction clear and the content rich. All of these makes the audience, drawing room or public halls, listen to Velukkudi Krishnan in rapt attention.

His lineage

“My grandfather wanted at least one of his five sons to be brought up the traditional way, acquiring knowledge in Vedanta and Sastra and spreading Dharma,” Krishnan traces his lineage when this writer meets him at his residence on Bheema Sena Garden Road, Royapettah, Chennai.

After completing Class V, Vidwan Velukkudi Varadachariar Swamigal was trained at the patasala on Narayana Mudali Street, in George Town. He then shifted to Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, for higher education. Karapangadu Venkatacharya Swami, Tirupati Jeeyar Swami Sadhu Ramachar and Sri Rangam Desika Varadachariar Swami were his gurus. “He was into Upanyasam when he was 32, thus fulfilling my grandfather's most cherished dream,” says Krishnan.

Bhagavad Gita and Nammazhwar's Tiruvoimozhi were close to the Senior's heart. He presented over 80 month-long lectures on Andal's Tiruppavai, with different interpretations each time.

Born to his parents after sixteen years of their marital life, Krishnan got the best of both forms of education. He was trained at home in the Vedas, Divya Prabhandam, Sanskrit and other related scriptures apart from regular school. Initiation into lectures began when he was eight. He was asked to speak on the last day of a series of his father's lectures for about 10 minutes. The text prepared by his father had to be memorised. This happened throughout his school days and college days too (Vivekananda College, Mylapore, Chennai). Krishnan went on to complete C.A. and ICWA courses before joining the top rung of an MNC. Never did he venture to make solo presentations during his father's life time. A great devotee of Sri Ranganatha, Sri Varadachariar Swamigal breathed his last inside the Srirangam temple after having darshan of the deity one January morning in 1991. That marked the launch of Velukkudi Krishnan on the upanyasam scene. But he found it difficult to strike a balance between his job and lifestyle. Long hauls on business meetings outside Chennai were coming in the way of his nitya karma. Rushing to the Upanyasam stage from corporate meetings well after dusk added to the stress and the decision had to be taken. “I quit lucrative job to dedicate myself to Upanyasam and related activities.”

Krishnan gently shakes his head when reference is made to a “change in profession.” “Please don't call Upanyasam my profession. It is just sharing my own experience. It is neither a trade nor a job. Experiencing the Brahman is bliss and I only want to share it with everyone. Spiritualism does not need special skill or intelligence. Nor can you achieve salvation by memorising the 4,000 verses. The Lord only expects unconditional love. Throughout his life, my father was only trying to make people understand this. If you read the works of the Acharyas, Azhwars and Nayanmars you will see that love was the underlying factor of all their immortal works.

How is he able to quote from scriptures in Tamil and Sanskrit with such precision? “There is no special effort besides deep involvement.” Irrespective of the subject to be dealt with, he recommends at least four hours of reading authentic texts every day. “I am lucky, for all I have to do is read my father's extensive notes on all the subjects. These are my invaluable assets.”

Response to his upanyasams? “Overwhelming. Being the son of an illustrious father, the platform was ready for me but then I had the responsibility of maintaining the standards set by him.” He is deeply worried about orators changing concepts to suit the trend while dealing with scriptures. For instance, using the Gita to explain management principles. “The scriptures should be followed to realise the Brahman,” he asserts.

Krishnan's two sons are budding technocrats and he has not tried to influence them. However, he has been teaching them Sanskrit and other subjects. Velukkudi Krishnan's discourses have been digitally documented. These CDs and DVDs are also tools that help in the development of his two sons. “My duty is to make them enlightened bhaktas and not trained orators.”

“Many feel that Bhakti is for the old. On the contrary, one should attain Atma Gnanam at a very young age like Prahalada. The Bhagavad Gita is one text that should be read by everyone. Assimilating the content may be a difficult task initially, but constant reading will lead to eternal bliss. Tiruppavai too helps in fostering Gnanam.”

How does Krishnan preserve his energy and voice? “I enjoy what I speak. It is Ananda for me. While in Ananda, the inflow of positive energy is infinite. This is true in respect of the devotees who also sit through such lectures,” Krishnan concludes in typical simple style.

Many feel that Bhakti is for the old. On the contrary, one should attain Atma Gnanam at a very young age, like Prahalada.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tpfridayreview/article554281.ece

'Kadugu' decorated

A small write up in Adyar Times.

City Tour

That craft was very big. But we couldn’t call it a ship. A big craft built for the pleasures of its passengers. In the upper deck amongst comfortably standing, sitting, basking in the sun,lazily swimming in a moon-shaped pool people was Aathma waiting for Nithya.

Not really paying any attention to the book in his hand… he kept glancing at pretty Nithya who was visible every now and then. We couldn’t tell that the craft was going very fast.

Powered by a nuclear power plant in its belly it kept floating on an air cushion.

For Aathma this trip was an important event in his life… In eleven minutes the craft will reach Chennai.

Chennai!

His ancestral place! His great-great-great grandfather’s… family had a house here! And where was it? Triplicane... In Theradi street… Near the temple… the computer told him...

A young man stood in front of him and smiled. He had a small label that said, “guide.”
“Is everything fine?” he enquired.

Aathma shook his head.

“Your wife seems to like this trip a lot!” He said glancing at Nithya dive like an arrow into the pool. “Aathma! Join me” Nithya yelled.

Aathma shook his head.

A gentle breeze ruffled Aathma’s clothes. A sense of joy welled up in him…

“When will we reach Chennai?”

“In thirteen minutes!”

Aathma looked into the distance. The ocean was lazing in an orange hue. The smell of ozone caught Aathma nose. The loudspeaker sparked to life

“Attention... Dear Passengers! Attention! This is the Captain speaking. A warm welcome to all you passengers who have come to see Chennai on this luxury craft.

This is your craft. There is nothing that is not available on board. This craft is a marvel of modern science. Right now we are cruising at five hundred miles an hour. This craft can go on the ocean, go underwater and even hover on land!

If you need an introduction to Chennai since you are here to visit the many places of Chennai, please use the headphones nearest you. Thank you!”

Aathma had finished reading everything about Chennai. Still he felt pangs of anticipation every time he heard Chennai name mentioned. He put on the headphones. He heard a sweet persuasive voice along with some music playing in the background.

Although Chennai or Madras, which was a very important city in South India, existed much before, its formal history began in the year 1639, on the 23rd of August, when Tharmala Aiyappa Nayagan gave permission to Francis Day to build the St. George Fort…

“Day arrived in 1640 in the month of February with twenty five European sepoys and Nagapattan, a Indian expert on explosives. The outer walls of the St George fort were completed in 1640 on the 23rd of April...”

Nithya toweled herself, sat next to Aathma and pressed her ears on his headphones.

“Madras Pattinam was its old name” We do not know the exact origins of this name.
It could have been derived from Matha Raju, who was a king during that time...
Or from a sea-faring tribe called Marakkal rayars, it could have been called Marakkal Rayar before it finally became Madras Pattinam...

Nithya poked Aathma. He lowered his headphones.

“How many times will you keep listening to the history of Chennai? I am bored”

“This is our town Nithya! “We will be going to our home!”

“What will you see in your ancestral home?” “Will there be something stuck on the wall to say that Aathma will be born 350 years from now?”

“It is going to be difficult to even find the house first” “And who knows in what shape it will be”

Most of the homes seem to be in good shape... Hey the guide was enquiring about you...”

“Yeah. He kept looking at me...”

“How do you know that?”

“Every direction I looked he seemed to be there...”

“Cover your chest. You might catch a cold”

“I am hungry”

Why don’t you go down and eat something. I will come after hearing this out.
Be back in five minutes though... We will be reaching Chennai.”

Aathma put his headphones on again.

“While digging the foundation for Mylapore’s Lazarus Church they came upon Manuel Mathras tombstone. Mathra’s family was quite a wealthy family. So it is possible to think it could have come from Mathra’s name.

Mathraza is a Persian word to mean a school or college. There could been an old

Mohammedan school there. So the name could have come from there too...

Anyway the name Chennai stuck.

One by one the passengers were making their way to the upper deck. We are approaching Chennai! Aathma’s heart was pounding! He felt he was approaching his mother...

How far he has come on this journey... He had a holiday on Astro 7. Nithya had a holiday. They caught a shuttle from there to the space station. They didn’t get a reservation and had to wait on the floating station for two days before they got one,
And caught the planetary ship to earth and another trip on earth... a week of stay in hotels, strange journeys, strange rooms, strange faces…

“Why are you so adamant to make this trip? We are wasting our holidays here! We could

have gone to so many new places! They say Helios, the new colony, is like heaven!
You and your Chennai! Be miserable with your history!

“If you didn’t like it, you could have made a trip on your own Nithya!”

“Yeah. I unknowingly made a mistake. Earth is so boring!”

The moment he had heard the news about the discovery Chennai in Astro 7 he was beside himself. He saved money his holidays… and reached here.

“You have seen Chennai. Haven’t you?”

“Once a day… That’s my job!”

“You know all the places don’t you?”

He laughed. “High court, Santhome, Anna Salai, Valluvar Kottam, Kapalesvarar Temple, Kandaswamy temple, fort… What do you want?”

“Do you know Triplicane?”

“Parthasarathy temple is there” Join the third queue.

There on Therady Street is a house…
House?” he looked surprised.

“Why?”

Before he could answer there heard a siren.

”Pay attention. Pay attention” Please stand clear of the upper portions of the craft. The craft is covering itself.

All the people in the upper deck stood in the center. They heard the hum of the engines and a semi-circular plastic wall started to enclose the craft. Suddenly they were engulfed in silence and anticipation.

“Please pay attention. The craft is going to descend into the ocean. We are going to reach Chennai in three minutes… Towards the end of the twenty first century the sea submerged Chennai. With the help of modern science, all the old buildings have been scrubbed, made clean and restored. They are waiting for you! Your craft will submerge and go on the streets of Chennai. There you will hear descriptions of the streets. We will reach St George in two minutes…”

The craft began to submerge.

The craft started to roll in its silvery wake. It was really quiet.

Nagar Valam (1976), Sci-Fi of Sujatha was in limelight during the Tsunami attack. In Jan 2005, an English translation of the story appeared in Sunday issue of The Indian Express. 

The same is reproduced here. Ranga Rengarajan(Sujatha’s son) has done the translation.

--Courtesy Sujatha Desikan

தொடர்புடைய பதிவு:
நகர்வலம் -சுஜாதா