Kanchi Periva Forum Newsletter Vol 1 3o6h4o

Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

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Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

Kanchi Periva Forum Newsletter – Vol 1 Issue: May 2012

Table of Contents

From the Editorial desk .......................................................................................................................3 Periva Upadesam................................................................................................................................4 Divine experiences with Periva - English...............................................................................................6 Experience # 1 – Who left the Vilwa leaves ?.............................................................................................................6 Experience # 2 – Darshan to the blind children..........................................................................................................6 Experience # 3 – Jagadguru’s Humour .......................................................................................................................6

Divine experiences with Periva - Tamil .................................................................................................7 அனுபவம் # 1 – ெபrயவா அளித்த குங்கும பிரசாதம் ..........................................................................................7 அனுபவம் # 2 – ெநல்லிச்ேசr ஸ்ெரௗதிகள் ...........................................................................................................7 அனுபவம் # 3 – காணாமல் ேபான ைபயன்.............................................................................................................7

Stotra Ratnam ....................................................................................................................................8 A short story of the Vedas ...................................................................................................................9 Veda Rahasya ................................................................................................................................... 11 Devata Darshan ................................................................................................................................ 13 Pooja Vidhanam ............................................................................................................................... 14 Dharma Saastram ............................................................................................................................. 16 / Responses....................................................................................................................... 17

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Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

From the Editorial desk We take great pleasure in presenting this newsletter to the devotees of Sri Maha Periva. From the time we started the website www.periva.org and the forum www.periva.proboards.com to now, we have come a long way, and have been very fortunate to have regular member additions and great participation on the forums. It was our cherished desire to bring together all the devotees of Sri Maha Periva, and we can see it happening right in front of our eyes, with the enormous blessings of His Holiness. We have personally witnessed quite a few miracles of Sri Maha Periva all through this time, and would like to share some of the experiences through this newsletter as well. The first experience we narrate here is about the collation of the exclusive video footage of Sri Maha Periva, which is now available on the forum at: http://periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=divyadarshan&thread=697 As few of us on the editorial board belong to the present day generation, which did not get an opportunity to have the direct darshan of Sri Maha Periva, we started a search of any available videos on Sri Maha Periva sometime last year. To our utter dismay, there was absolutely no information available on any possible video footage, and we were left to remain disappointment and after further search and research, we were on the brink of crying, worried about our ill-fortune of not getting to see even the video of Sri Maha Periva. At this stage, we were so upset with ourselves, and we mentally resigned from further search and left it to His Holiness to show us the way, only if He thinks that we are worthy of having His darshan and of spreading it to everyone around. In an unbelievable turnaround of events, we suddenly got introduced to a couple of long-time devotees of Sri Maha Periva (Sri Sivaramanji & Sri Ganesa Sarma of Chennai) – with no prior introduction and meetings whatsoever, they were so nice to us in the first self-introduction meeting we had with them, and willingly gave away quite a bit of photos and video materials that they have been preserving as great treasure. From that point onwards, there was no looking back and we got introduced to many more devotees and our network with them grew stronger. We got in to the group of devotees of Sri Pradhosham mama’s circle (yet another ardent devotee of Periva – called as “Meela Adimai” in tamil) and had many more collections coming in to our reach. With all such materials getting collated so quickly, we realized that it is His blessing and order that it should be compiled and released to the world at large, and hence, we have been working on the same with full vigor. We would like to convey our sincere thanks and appreciations to the following , who run the forums with their amazing commitment and contributions (forum names used): sumi, kramans, krsiyer, radha, yogesh and to subi anna, who is ing us with his guidance. Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara! For private circulation only

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Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

Periva Upadesam

N

ow people want to live in comfort and to be

provided with all sorts of amenities. There is no end to their unseemly desires. In America, it is said, everybody has a bungalow, car, radio, telephone, etc. But are people there contented? No. There is more discontent in that country than in our own. There the incidence of crime is more than anywhere else. It is all right that every American has a car. But today's car is not good enough for them tomorrow. More and more new models keep coming in the market and each new model offers more comfort than the previous one. This means that the American citizen is compelled to earn more with the appearance of each new car. A time may come when aircraft will be used in the U. S. for people to fly from house to house. Similarly, we see such a progression all over the world in the matter of housing. First there was the hovel or the hut; then came the dwelling with the tiled roof; afterwards houses with cement and concrete walls. The flooring also changed over the years. First the floor was wiped with cowdung; then it was plastered and cemented; the mosaic flooring came later; and the search is on for smoother and shinier surfaces. It is the same case with clothing - better and finer fabrics are being made everyday. Although we are already living in comfort we are all the time using our ingenuity to discover objects and gadgets that will make our life still easier. However, all the time we are likely to have the feeling of uneasiness with all the comforts we already possess and this means there will be no end to our yearnings. Not knowing any contentment or peace of mind we are compelled to earn more and more. It is like thinking that fire can be extinguished by pouring petrol on it; we keep discovering newer and newer objects but in the progress we keep further inflaming our longing for ease and comfort. For private circulation only

Page 4 of 18

Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org This truth was known to our sages, to our forefathers. They taught us that we ought not to seek more than our bare needs. In recent times Gandhiji impressed upon the people the same lesson. In this century, people seek ostentatious living in the name of progress. So long as the hunger for new comforts continue neither the individual nor society will have contentment. There will always be feelings of rivalry, jealousy and heart-burning among people. In the varnasrama dharma, the Brahmin and non-Brahmin are equal economically speaking. In spite of the caste differences, the same simple living is ened on all. The ideal of equality can be achieved only if all people live a simple life. In this order every individual experiences contentment and inner happiness and no one has cause of envying others their prosperity. No man, whatever his vocation, should have either too much money or too many comforts. Above all what is important is that for which all these are intended but that which cannot be truly obtained through them: contentment and a sense of fullness within. Only when there is inner satisfaction can one meditate on the Lord. And only in the mind of a man who has such contentment is the Ultimate Truth realised as a reality.

When a person has too many comforts he will be incapable of going beyond the stage of sensual pleasures. If he is addicted to enjoyments, without any need for physical exertion, he will do injury to his mind, and his inner being. Hard work and the capacity to suffer discomforts are essential for those who yearn for Atmic uplift. They will then learn to realise that there is comfort in discomfort and in hard work.

Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!

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Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

Divine experiences with Periva - English Here are a few collections of moving experiences of devotees with Sri Maha Periva. We are only presenting a few from the hundreds available on our Forum.

Experience # 1 – Who left the Vilwa leaves ? Once Kanchi Maha SwamigaL undertook his divya darshana yAtra with his entourage to Sri Saila kSetra which is known as the 'Dakshina Kailash'. When they reached Kurnool, AcharyaaL was given a grand reception at the borders of the city. SwamigaL was accommodated in a bhajan maNDapa where he gave a discourse on Sanatana Dharma in Telugu to the large gathering of devotees. At the end of the lecture, he gave the devotees his blessings and prasAda and continued on his yAtra. Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=expenglish&action=display&thread=619

Experience # 2 – Darshan to the blind children A school for the visually challenged, functions in Poonamalle. A teacher from this school came and had darshan of Maha SwamigaL who was then staying in Sivasthanam. He prayed to SwamigaL, "I am planning to bring the school children next Sunday to have Periyavar's darshan. Those children have no eyesight. So they can't have a darshan of PeriyavargaL with their eyes. So PeriyavargaL should talk to them a few words and bless them. I have come to inform this proposal, I want anugraham." Maha SwamigaL heard his words with his holy ears, that was all to it, and the man went away. Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=expenglish&action=display&thread=474

Experience # 3 – Jagadguru’s Humour I thought I will reproduce few instances on the Humour aspect of Maha Periava. These examples are testimony to the fact that Maha Periava had an amazing sense of humour, keen sense of observation with a profound knowledge on all subjects. One afternoon Periava was talking to a set of married men and was enquiring about their cooking skills. They were asked to spell out the recipe for Sambar.Every one tried to emulate each other and narrated the process in display of their swayampaakam skills. Everyone was mentioning about the ingredients like salt, milagai podi, paruppu etc etc. Finally Periava said that they are all very great and without EGO, whereas he is still practicing. Everyone forgot the ingredient Thaan (vegetable) and he was meaning this nicely in this incident. Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=expenglish&action=display&thread=172

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Page 6 of 18

Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

Divine experiences with Periva - Tamil ெபrயவாளுடனான பக்த&களின் அனுபவ சாகரத்திலிருந்து சில துளிகள் இங்ேக உங்களுக்காக:

அனுபவம் # 1 – ெபrயவா அளித்த குங்கும பிரசாதம் கும்பேகாணத்துக்கு

அருகில்

அக்ரஹாரம்.

பாடசாைலயும்

ேவத

உள்ளது

திப்பிராஜபுரம்.

அைமந்துள்ள

அழகிய

இந்த

இந்த

கிராமத்தின்

கிராமத்தில், ேவத

சிறப்பு

விற்பன்ன&கள்

மற்றும் சாஸ்திர பண்டித&கள் ஆகிேயா& வாழ்ந்தன&. கட்டுக் குடுமியும் கழுத்தில் ருத்திராட்சமுமாக மாணவச் சிறுவ&கள் பல& இங்கும் அங்குமாக ஓடியாடி விைளயாடுவேத அத்தைன அழகு! அது மட்டுமா? ேமலும்: http://periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=exptamil&action=display&thread=12

அனுபவம் # 2 – ெநல்லிச்ேசr ஸ்ெரௗதிகள் தஞ்சாவூ&

அருகிலுள்ள

நல்லிச்ேசr

கிராமத்தில்,

ேவதபண்டித&

சாம்பசிவ

ஸ்ெரௗதிகள்

என்பவ& வசித்தா&. அவ& சந்நியாசம் வாங்கிக் ெகாண்டு கிளம்பி விட்டா&. அவருக்கு ஒேர ஒரு ஆண்பிள்ைள

மட்டும்

தான்.

அவரும்

ேவதபண்டித&.

ஆனால், அவருக்கு

இருதய

ேநாய்

என்பதால், ேவதபாராயணத்ைத ெதாட&ந்து ெசய்ய முடியாமல் ேபானது. வருமானம் இல்லாமல் குடும்பம் மிகவும் சிரமப்பட்டது. அம்மாவும், பிள்ைளயும் அன்றாடத் ேதைவக்ேக அல்லல்பட்டன&. ேமலும்:http://periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=exptamil&action=display&thread=155

அனுபவம் # 3 – காணாமல் ேபான ைபயன் ெபrயவா ேமல் உள்ள "அப்பா"

என்றும்

மஹாலிங்கம்

"நK"

கைரகாணா அன்பாலும், குழந்ைத ேபான்ற உள்ளத்தாலும், அவைர என்று

என்னும்

ஏக

பரம

வசனத்தில்

பக்த&.

ேபசும்

இவருைடய

உrைமயும் சில

ெபற்றவ&

ெநய்ேவலி

அனுபவங்கைள

முன்னால்

பா&த்திருக்கிேறாம். ெபrயவா

சதாராவில்

முகாம்.

மஹாலிங்கம்

சதாராவில்

ேபாய்

ெபrயவாைள

த&சனம்

பண்ணிவிட்டு அன்றுதான் திரும்பியிருந்தா&. அவைரத் ேதடிக்ெகாண்டு ஒரு நண்ப& வந்தா&. முகத்தில் அப்படிெயாரு ேசாகம். ேமலும்: http://periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=exptamil&action=display&thread=660

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Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

Stotra Ratnam We start our Stotra Ratnam section with Ganesha Pancharatnam – a great stotra on Ganesha, and submit our prayers to Him to remove all obstacles. This Stotra is a highly revered devotional prayer on Lord Ganapathi, and is written by Jagatguru Sri Adi Sankaracharya. The english translation below is by Sri P.R.Ramachander, who has kindly consented to using his content for public benefit.

Ganesha Pancharatnam Stotram – Lyrics Mudakaraatha Modakam Sada Vimukti Saadhakam Kalaadharaavatamsakam Vilasiloka Rakshakam Anaaya Kaika Naayakam Vinasitebha Daityakam Nataasubhasu Naashakam Namaami Tham Vinaayakam.

Natetaraati Bheekaram Navoditaarka Bhaasvaram Namat Suraari Nirjanam Nataadhi Kaapa Duddharam Suresvaram Nidheesvaram Gajesvaram Ganeshvaram Mahesvaram Samaasraye Paraatparam Nirantaram.

Samasta Loka Samkaram Nirasta Daitya Kunjaram Daredarodaram Varam Vare Bhavaktra Maksharam Krupaakaram Kshamaakaram Mudaakaram Yasaskaram Manaskaram Namaskrutaam Namaskaromi Bhaasvaram.

Akimchanaarti Marjanam Chirantanokti Bhaajanam Puraari Poorva Nandanam Suraari Garva Charvanam Prapancha Naasha Bheeshanam Dhananjayaadi Bhushanam Kapola Daana Vaaranam Bhajaey Puraana Vaaranam.

Nitaantikaanta Dantakaanti Mantakaanta Kaatmajam Achintya Rupa Mantaheena Mantaraaya Krintanam Hrudantarey Nirantaram Vasantameva Yoginam Tameka Danta Meva Tam Vichintayaami Santatam.

Phalasruthi Maha Ganesa Pancha Rathna Maadharena Yo Anvaham, Prajalpathi Prabhathake Hrudhi Smaran Ganeswaram, Arogadhamadhosadham Susahitheem Suputhratham, Samahithayurshta Bhoothi Mapyupaithi Sochiraath.

Ganesha Pancha Rathnam – Meaning I salute that remover of obstacles, Who has modakas in his hand, Who always bestows salvation, Who wears a part of moon on his head, Who protects this world which is varied, Who is the leader of those who cannot be lead, Who is the cause of destruction of asuras, And who destroys all things which are not good. I bow before that great Lord permanently, Who creates fear in the enemies of his devotees, Who sparkles like the just risen Sun, Who is saluted by Gods and Asuras Who destroys obstacles of his devotees, Who is the God of all devas, Who is the God of all wealth, Who is the God of all elephants, And who is the leader of the army of Lord Shiva. I bow to that Ganapati who shines like the Sun, Who bestows peace to all the worlds, Who removed the Gajamukhasura from this world, Who has a very big paunch, Who has an elephant-face which blesses, And who is the one who shows kindness, Who is tolerant, Who is full of blessing, And who showers great fame, To those who salute Him. I salute the very ancient elephant-god Who destroys the wants of the have-nots, Who has been worshipped since ancient times, Who is the eldest son of the lord who destroyed cities, Who eats away the pride of the enemies of the gods, Who is awesome at the time of final deluge, Who wears serpents like Dananjaya as ornaments, And who is fierce like the elephant in rut. I always meditate only on that God with single tusk, Who is ever lustrous tusk is very pretty, Who is the son of Lord who killed the god of death, Who has a form beyond ones imagination, Who is endless, Who tears apart all obstacles, And who dwells forever in the heart of Yogis , Like the season of spring. The benefit of Chanting Ganesha Pancharatnam He, who re with respect every morning, These five gems of the great Lord Ganapati, And who meditates in his heart the leader of ganas, Will soon be blessed with a healthy life, Free of all problems, endowed with great peace Great sons, longevity and spiritual and physical wealth.

MP3 Link:http://beemp3.com/.php?file=17631210&song=Ganesha+Pancharatnam

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Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org

A short story of the Vedas (Excerpts from Jagadguru MahaPeriava’s talks, compiled by Subi Anna)

When Lord Sri Krishna departed from this world, grim darkness enveloped all over the world. There is "darkness" in His name itself - "Krishna" means dark. He was born in darkness, in the dungeon of a prison at midnight. But He had the radiance of knowledge for the entire world, and He carried the light of comion. When He departed, “jnana” (knowledge) got eroded significantly, and darkness descended into the world. Kali, who is the evil incarnate, became powerful. All this is the sport of the Paramatman, the sport that is inscrutable. Sri Krishna, who came as a burst of light, was urged by His comion and decided that the world must not degenerate. He thought that it could be saved by istering an antidote against the venom of Kali. This antidote was the “Vedas.” It would be enough if precautions were taken to make sure that the “Kali Man" did not devour the people- the world would be saved. In the darkness surrounding everything, the Vedas would serve the purpose of a lamp lighting the path of mankind. In the age of Kali, they would not shine with the same effulgence as in the previous Yugams (ages). But the Lord resolved that they must burn with at least the minimum of lustre to be of benefit to mankind and He ensured this through Veda Vyasa. The great sage who was to carry out Bhagavan Krishna's resolve was not then called Veda Vyasa. His name too was Krishna and, since he was born and raised on an island, he had the appellation "Dvaipayana" (meaning Islander). Badarayana was another name. Krishna Dvaipayana knew all the 1,180 sakhas ( recensions) of the Vedas revealed to the world by various sages. They were mixed together in one great stream. Being remarkably gifted, our great ancestors could memorise all of them. For the benefit of weaker people like us, Vyasa divided them into four Vedas and subdivided each into sakhas. It was like building across a river and drawing the huge quantity of water through various canals. Vyasa accomplished the task of dividing the Vedas easily because he was a great yogi with vision and because he had the power gained from austerities. The Rig-Veda sakhas contain hymns to invoke the various deities; the Yajurveda sakhas deal with the conduct of sacrifices; the Samaveda sakhas contain songs to please the deities; and the Atharvaveda sakhas, besides dealing with sacrifices, contain mantras recited to avert calamities and to destroy enemies. The Samaveda had the largest number of recensions, 1,000. In the Rig-Veda there were 21; in the Yajur 109 (Shukla-Yajur Veda 15, and Krishna Yajur Veda 94); and in the Atharvaveda 50. For private circulation only

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Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org While, according to one scholar, the Vishnu Purana mentions the number of sakhas to be 1,180, another version is that there were 1,133 recensions- the Rig-Veda 21, the Yajurveda 101, the Samaveda 1,000 and the Atharvaveda 11. Considering that people in the age of Kali may be inferior to their forefathers, Krishna Dvaipayana thought that it should be sufficient for them to learn one sakha of any one of the four Vedas. It was the Lord that put this idea into his head. Vyasa assigned the Rig-Veda sakhas to Paila, the Yajurveda sakhas to Vaisampayana, the Samaveda sakhas to Jaimini and the Atharvanaveda sakhas to Sumantu. Krishna Dvaipayana came to be called "VedaVyasa" for having divided the Vedas into four and then having subdivided them into 1, 180 recensions. "Vyasa" literally means an "essay" or a "composition". Classifying topics is also known as "Vyasa."

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Veda Rahasya In this section, we will focus on learning and understanding important information contained in the Vedas. We will draw on the resources offered by www.VedaRahasya.net for this section. To start with, we will go through the most advanced scientific information enshrined in the Garbha Upanishad. Garbha Upanishad Introduction: This Upanishad explains in detail about the conception and growth of a child in the mother’s womb. At each stage of development in the womb, the physical condition of the child’s body and the mental state and the condition of the jeevan (the soul) within is also explained in detail in this scripture. It is great wonder that our ancient Rishis (the seers of truth) were able to grasp and visualize such intense secrets about the body and soul in those ancient days when there were no traces of today’s modern science and research. To go a step ahead, we can even say that parts of this Upanishad are yet to be physically researched and understood by the modern scientists and will remain unknown to the Science world till such time. This Upanishad is part of the Krishna Yajur Veda. The Upanishad: OM! May Brahman protect us (the Guru and Sishya) both! May he give us both (enough) to enjoy! Efficiency may we both attain! Effective may our study prove! May we not hate (each other) at all! Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti !

The human body is constituted of five things (the five forces of earth, sky, air, water and fire) and is of six shelters (like the physical, ethereal and so on). It is of six different characters and seven compounds, three impurities and has two points of source of birth. It is dependent on four types of food. 1. Why is the body called as “Panchaatmakam?” (Pancha-Five) Because it is constituted out of the five forces of nature – viz., earth, water, fire, air and sky. 2. Out of the body which portions represent each such force of nature ? That portion which is hard is representative of the earth, the liquid one is of the water, the hot one is of the fire, the airy portion is of the air and the portion which gives space is representative of the sky or the space. The earth force enables to sustain, water helps consolidation, fire enlightens, air makes the team work, and the space gives time and options to carry on the various duties. For private circulation only

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Each of the sense organs are created for some specific purpose – the ear (srodhram) for hearing sounds, the skin (twak) for feeling the touch, eyes (cakshu) for the vision, tongue (jihvah) for enjoying the taste, nose (naasi) to smell, the birth organ (upastham) to enjoy pleasure and the rectum (apaanam) to shed the unwanted from the body.

The jivan (or the soul) identifies through the brain, desires with the mind and speaks with the language (vaak). 3.Why is the body said to be having six shelters ? It can sense and distinguish the six forms of taste such as sweet, sour, salty, bitter etc.,

The seven forms of basic sound viz., shatjam, rishabam, gaanthaaram, madhyamam, panchamam, daivatam and nishaadam, alongwith the other three viz., ishtam, anishtam and pranidaanam constitutes the ten basic forms of sound.

Again, the colors are basically of seven types viz., white, red, black, smoky gray, yellow and golden white. 4. Why is the body said to be of seven compounds? When a man gets to possess and enjoy the material objects which are meant for such enjoyment, because of the good combination of such objects, six types of taste (rasam) are brought in. Out of such taste is created the blood, from the blood the tissue, from the tissue the fat, from the fat the nerves, from nerves the bones, from bones the body, and from the body the reproductive fluids. Thus there are seven compounds and the body is formed of such compounds. When there is a or combination of the male and female reproductive fluids, the garbha (pregnancy or the embryo) is formed. That garbha is controlled by the Hridayam (the heart). The heart houses an ever-burning internal fire from which a biological fire is generated, which in turn, gives birth to air. That air, which runs throughout the body, ultimately and dutifully traces back its route to the Hridayam or the Heart, as a rule laid down by the Supreme.

(To be continued in the next newsletter) For private circulation only

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Devata Darshan We will review complete details about a new temple in this section. This would be a collection from the various sources available on the net. For this edition, we will take a look at the “Thirukkolakka” temple near Sirkazhi in Tamilnadu, which is a place of wonder – young kids without the faculty of speech or hearing are blessed here, and have got back their speech/hearing after performing puja here. The Ambal here is called “Osai koduththa naayaki” – meaning – “the great lady who enabled the sound”. Let us learn more. It was a misty morning in the month of January. We set out towards the Temple at Thirukkolakka, a kilometer south east of Seerkazhi railway Station. This Temple is associated with one of the Saiva Samayachariars – Thirugnanasambandhar - who was fed with Gnanappal by Parvathy Devi and had sung His first song,” Thodudaya Sevi…”. in the Sattanatha Swamy Temple at Seerkazhi. The next morning His father brought him to this Siva Temple at Thirukkolakka. It was then (in the 7th century) known as the Aarakvaneswarar (Kondraivana Nathar) and the Devi was known as Apeethakuchambal. Thirugnanasambandhar saw the beautiful Temple Tank and started singing a song on this Temple, clapping his hands. The Lord saw this and feeling concerned that the little hands may be hurt by constant clapping, offered him a pair of Thalams (small cymbals ) of pure gold. The pure gold thaalams could not create any sound and hence the Devi stepped in to bestow Her favour. She empowered the gold Thaalams with the ability to produce sound. The Lord, since then, came to be known as Thaalapureeswarar and the Devi, as Osai Koduththa Naayaki - Dhwani Pradhaambikai. Subsequently, Sri Sundaramoorthy Swamigal, visited this Temple and sang a Sthala Pathikam.This is the 15th Padal Petra Thalam. The Idol of Devi is about four feet high and is very beautiful. The Lord and Devi here have been worshipped by Surya and Mahalaksmi who along with Mahavishnu, displayed a wondrous Thirumanakkolam. Hence the name Thirukkolakka. This is also a temple where weddings which for some reason get stalled, postponed or called off, take place after special worship of Mahalakshmi. What else is the significance of this Temple? Kids with speech or hearing impairment/defects get cured here miraculously. While we were there, there was a young man with a small kid…apparently unable to speak. We saw them leaving the Temple with hope and smiles. The Sivachariar then told us that, during the past couple of decades, 136 kids have been Blessed with speech after offering special worship to the Devi here….the Osai Kodutha Nayaki . Our land has a very rich heritage. There are Rishis and Siddhas roaming around even today, screened from our eyes. Miracles are taking place , most of them, we are not aware of. Our Temples, each with a history, a special boon- giving story, ever awes me. We come out with an awesome feeling. Tears fill our eyes at the benevolence of this Devi. Source: http://ushasuryamani.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/02/the-temple-at-thirukkolakka.htm For private circulation only

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Pooja Vidhanam In this section, we will get to learn more about doing Poojas. Pooja (or puja) is an essential activity for every human, which would lead him or her from the Bhakti maarga to the path of Jnaana and eventually result in moksha – freedom from all bondages. Sri Maha Periva has also spoken very highly of the need for doing Pooja, and hence we shall focus on this also in every edition. As the first step, let us learn what is Pooja all about. Pooja means Honour, worship, reverence. Pooja is believed to be derived from the Dravidian (see Dasas) word 'pu-chey', (flower action) or worship with the offering of flowers. Some trace it to the Dravidian word 'pusu', to anoint or smear with sandalwood paste or vermilion. The term pooja is now used to include all forms of ceremonial worship, ranging from the simple daily offerings of flowers, fruit, leaves, rice, sweetmeats and water to the deities in homes or temples, to the sacrifices of goats and chickens in temples dedicated to Kali, Durga and other female deities. This rite is performed, in its bloodless form, by all pious Hindus at least once a day. There are three kinds of poojas: great, intermediate and small. A great pooja is usually a community affair or performed during important occasions like religious festivals. This pooja comprises of these steps: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Avahana - the invocation of the deity. Asana - a seat is offered to the deity. Svagata - the deity is welcomed, asked about his journey and whether he faced any problem coming to the place of pooja. Padya - the feet of the deity are washed with water. Arghya - a respectful offering of water is made to the god. This water is laced with sandalwood paste, vermilion and rice. Achamania - water is then offered for washing the face and mouth of the deity. Madhu-parka - a beverage made of honey, sugar, and milk is offered to the deity. Snanajala - the deity is offered water for bathing. Bhushana abharanasya - clothes, jewels and ornaments are offered next. Gandha - sandalwood paste or any other fragrant object is offered. Akshata - grains of rice mixed with vermilion are offered. Pushpanjali - flowers are offered. Dhupa - incense is lit. Dipa - the lamp is lit. Naivedya - rice, fruit, butter and sugar are offered next. Visarjana - the deity is finally bidden farewell.

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Newsletter of Kanchi Periva Forum Vol 1 © www.periva.proboards.com & www.periva.org At the end, arati is performed. An intermediate pooja includes the steps from madhu-parka to naivedya and is performed during fasts or birthdays of deities. A small pooja involves the steps from gandha to naivedya and is performed everyday. All poojas end with arati. The object of performing the pooja in this manner is to treat the deity as one would a guest, with honour and respect. In temples, the deities are treated as kings. Though the steps of worship are the same for all deities, there is some difference in the pooja of each. For instance, the kind of flowers offered is different for each deity. Presently, a pooja might also involve japa or meditation. A very important part of any pooja is the applying of tilaka and the distribution of prasada to devotees. A worshipper is required to be pure of body and mind. The Puranas lay more stress on the quality of devotion and good behaviour than on rigid pooja procedures. Pooja originated as a substitute to homa and other Vedic sacrifices which could not be performed by women and Shudras and which required animal sacrifices. Due to Dravidian, Buddhist and Jain influences which preached non-violence, the killing or sacrifice of animals was discontinued and with the development of iconography, idol worship and pooja took the place of sacrifice. It was also recognised that worship was essential for all, whatever the gender or caste (see Varna) and therefore pooja was formalised as a universal option instead of the exclusive homa. (To be continued in the next newsletter)

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Dharma Saastram As per Indian way of life, we have two dimensions in our life. One is ‘material life’ and the other is ‘spiritual life’. In the material life our wants are unlimited. When one want is satisfied the other rises in us. Thus we find it very difficult to satisfy our wants. However for spiritual life the only way which was taught to us by our Rishis and Vedapurushas, is to follow the path of “Righteousness” that is “Dharma”. The word ‘Dharma’ is having different meanings at different contexts which are explained in our scriptures in detail. But in this context we derive a meaning for ‘Dharma’ as ‘righteousness’. This is otherwise a scriptural law, a code of conduct evolved by our elders. This land of holy Bharath has seen many Rishies, Yogis, the great elders. They led this path of “Righteousness” and were happy throughout their life. Their life is a role model for us to follow. The great Rishi ‘Apasthamba’ states that “Yam Kriyamanam Aryaha Prashamsanthi Tham Dharmam Ithyasakshathe” that is whatever action which is well received and appreciated by our Yogis, Mahathmas those actions are all known as ‘Dharma’. If any action results in sorrow or bad effects it is ‘Adharma’.We should try to follow Dharma to our maximum ability and we should avoid all actions of Adharma.It is our great ambition and endeavour to give a detailed code of conduct as explained in our sastras, Vedas and followed by our great seers and elders. Our scriptures lay down various codes of conduct to enable us live comfortably, enjoying mental peace. They do not completely prevent us from doing our daily activities like bathing, eating, and sleeping they merely state that it would be beneficial if they are done properly and in a disciplined manner. Let us also know them. For example When we return after doing outdoor work, we wash our feet before entering the house. After taking meals and also on other occasions, we wash our feet for the sake of cleanliness. Also, while washing, we must keep both our feet together and stand facing west. This alone will help increase our life span, say the scriptures. Further, we should not rub one foot against the other as this will lead to poverty. Both the feet must become completely wet when washing. It is because a small portion was not wet that Saturn caught hold of King Nala and the King experienced several ordeals-the Mahabharata informs us. Such is the importance of knowing and following the Dharma Sastra – it can never be understated. Sri Maha Periva was the embodiment of Dharma Himself, and always wanted all of His disciples to follow Dharma Sastra. We will learn more about Dharma Sastra and clarify doubts, if any, from the next newsletter. Please send your queries, if any, to [email protected]

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/ Responses On the topic of “Exclusive treasure – Periva Video collection” Today in Chitra Pournami - a day of special significance to Ambal. On this day, I felt so happy on viewing this treasure. Indeed, my family is blessed! Thank you for sharing this treasure with devotees all over the world. – Sri Sundaresan Subramanian, Chicago, USA

On the topic of “Online Library of Periva Upanyasams” It will be a great service to all the devotees – Sri R.Srinivasan, chennai Thank you. Fantastic...We are all blessed indeed. – Sri Anant , USA On the topic of “Anusham” (circulation of Periva photo) Thank you very much. We Pray Periyava’s blessings shower on you– Sri Muralikrishnan S

On the topic of Dowry (வரதட்சைன திருட்டு ெசாத்து) It is a whiplash to anybody demanding dowry, no use just saying Mahaperiyava is prathyaksha deivam, He is prathyaksha only to the deserving who follow His Upadhesam–Sri Kunniyur Seenu. On the topic of “Vaedam vitta kanneer” What a moving incident! Incidents like this go to prove the existence of GOD in manushya roopams.Our Kanchi MahaPeriava was and is another Prathyaksha Deivam. Many thanks to Sri TVS for sharing this with all of us. – Sri B.Narayanan. On the topic of “Maithrim Bhajatha” Thrilled to see him. Thanks for the good hearts for sharing this clipping. God Bless you all. Jaya Jaya Sankara, Hara Hara Sankara ! - Sri Radhakrishnan On the topic of “Divya darshan of Sri Maha Periva” Thrilled to see him. Thanks for the good hearts for sharing this clipping. God Bless you all. Jaya Jaya Sankara, Hara Hara Sankara ! - Sri KRS Iyer

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