VENKATESWARA IS SKANDA THAT IS SANAT
KUMARA WHO CASTS MYSTIC SPELL ON MILLIONS
(Compilation for a Discourse by N. R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN,
USA, December 2016)
Tirupati in
Andhra Pradesh is the richest temple in India attracting crowds of all ages, faiths
and nationalities. Lord Venkateswara, the Lord of this temple has been casting
hypnotic spell on millions of devotees over centuries. His ability to answer
prayers and perform the most improbable miracles is well known. Sir Thomas
Munroe and Lord Williams were staunch devotees of the temple, although as
non-Hindus they were never permitted to enter.
Both were cured of their incurable diseases, their prayers being
answered by Lord Venkateswara. I believe in the magic power of Venkateswara
from my own personal life when I was cured from cerebral meningitis listening
to the prayer of my mom when I was 12years old when doctors had given up hope
of my survival.
Tirumala
is the range of seven hills forming a part of the Eastern Ghats in India. The
hill which is supposed to be a piece of the Meruparvata has a cluster of seven
hills, namely: Seshachala; Vrishbhachala; Garudachala; Anjanadri; Narayanadri;
Simhachala and Venkatadri. The main temple is on the seventh hill, Venkatadri
at a height of 2800 ft. above the sea level.
The
original name of Venkateswara was Vengada, a Tamil word. In course of time it
was inserted in Sanskrit as Venkata. And, the god on this hill became Venkatesa
or Venkatachalapati or Venkatanatha. Venkata means destroyer of sins and the
giver of prosperity. Another name by which he is revered is Srinivasa, in whom
the Goddess of Prosperity Sri or Lakshmi dwells. Since the hill was also known
as Srigiri the Lord of the Hill became Srigirivaasa or Srinivaasa. In the North
of India, he is known as Baalaji because when the world was immersed under
waters, Vishnu as a newborn child floated on a leaf on the waters. Another
meaning for Baalaaji is Universal Mother –Baalaa, Sri Lalita, Tripura Sundari.
The image of Lord Venkateswara is believed to
be Svayamvyakta or self -manifested and not man-made. A great devotee of God,
Rangadasa by name and Gopinatha, another devotee are said to have discovered
this image which has been partially buried under the earth and redeemed it. The
idol of Venkateswara does not conform to any of the rules laid in the works of
Hindu Iconography (Silpasastra) or the descriptions given in the meditation
verses (Dhyana slokas) of the various aspects of Vishnu; this strengthens the
belief that it is self -manifested.
Guesses galore have made it an image of
Vishnu, Siva, Devi, Subrahmanya or Harihara.
Certain aspects of the image like long hair, the peculiar conical crown,
snake shaped ornament (naagavalaya)
and also certain ritual procedures like offering of Bilva leaves and decorating
with a Saree on Fridays have given rise to doubts regarding the deity it
represents. It is Ramanuja who is said to have finally settled the disputes by
declaring that it is that of Vishnu with convincing proofs to the learned
audience. But the controversies crop up now and then even today.
It is interesting
to note that Srimad Bhagavatam says that the four Kumaras--Sanaka, Sanatana,
Sanandana and Sanatkumara are
incarnations of Vishnu. When Vishnu (Narayana) was relaxing on his serpent bed
with Laksahmi comforting him with foot massage, there were already these four
Kumaras praising his glory. Simultaneously Brahma appeared on the lotus
springing from his navel. Chandogya
Upanishad says Sanat Kumara is Skanda. So that would mean that Kartikeya is an
incarnation of Vishnu! That would certainly put the discredited theories that the
Venkateshwara statue is Kartikeya in a whole new light.
The Arch at the entrance of Tirumala Hills, which resembles the
hood of a serpent is considered unique in the world. The main deity is believed
to be of the same height as the arch. Lord Vishnu is said to have put his first
foot down at a place called Padalu, which is the highest point of Tirumala
hills, Second step at the location of the arch and the next step is stated to
have been placed where his idol is now worshipped in the temple at Tirumala. This is a parallel story to that of three
steps of Trivikrama. As you all aware
in all Vishnu temples the feet of Vishnu is invariably worshiped in a separate
sanctum. In Kukke Subhramnya Skanda is
worshiped as snake. In mythology Serpent king Vasuki was performing penance for
years in the Biladwara Caves of Kukke Subrahmanya to avoid the attack of
Garuda. Skanda gave darshan to Vasuki
and blessed him that he would stay with his devotee in this place forever. Hence
the worships offered to Vasuki or Nagaraja are nothing but the worship to
Skanda or Sanat Kumara who is Venkatewara. That is why Venkateswar is seen with
serpent armbands and the arch at the entrance resembles hood of serpent. Also
Sanat Kumara stood before Supreme Brahman reclined on Adisesha custodian of
Times praising Him. Telugu, speaking people worship snake as Subramaniya. They
call the snake as Subbarayudu. Snake and Subramaniya are one and the same
for the Telugu people. Even in Tamil Nadu, some people have the name
Subbarayan.
The flowers removed from Venkarteswara are thrown in the water
fall at the back of the deity. It is
said that the priests do not look at the back of the deity. All these flowers can be seen floating at a
place called Verpedu (located on the way to Kalahasti) which is 20 km from
Tirupati. We all know that in Kalahasti linga is worshiped as Vayu. Vedas say “Tad Brahma Tad Vayu”--Brahman is Vayu. Hence these
flowers end up at the feet of Parabrahman whom people worship as Siva.
Carved
out of black granite or dark wood, Venkateswara stands on a high lotus
pedestal. The image is about nine feet tall from the base of the pedestal to
the tip of the crown. Every Friday the deity is given the
ceremonial bath (abhisheka), when he is visible without his jewels or the huge
Vaishnava caste mark (naamam) on his forehead. Swami Harshanada in his book
Hindu Pilgrim Centers writes: “It is difficult to say whether Venkateswara icon
is made out of the black stone (Saalagraama Sila) or a kind of wood like redwood
fig tree (raktachandana tree)”. Scientifically we cannot establish facts because
the temple authorities allow no one even to actually measure the height of
the deity. One may not agree that it is made of wood because of the Abhishekam
(bathing ritual with water, milk, yogurt, honey and others) throughout the year
unlike Puri Jagannth where Abhishekam is not done on the main deities made of
wood. The idol of
Pazhani Murugan of 12th century is also said to be made of wood from
nine basic herbal plants of great medicinal value found in the surrounding
hills. The milk used in the Abhishekam gets medicinal value, when poured over
the idol. That
would mean questioning the high scientific knowledge and skills our ancient
temple architects inspired by Viswakarma had, looking at the magnificent ancient temples
and deities in India!
Unfortunately
we cannot draw parallel conclusions from Puri Jagannath where Jagannatah, Balabhadra and Subhadra are carved out of wood
and painted. These icons are not original and are sculpted and replace by new
icons every twelve or nineteen years. No abhishekam (sacred bath) is carried
out on these deities while the ritual is carried out on their mirror images.
Hence one need not worry about their durability. Of course there is not much work of fine art
work here but Venkateshwara icon calls for intricate carving which is easier to
work with wood than stone. If it is wood
one may question how it has survived that long?
Here I would like to bring to your
attention a report on Japanese skyscraper
built out of wood with fine
carvings around 1500 years ago, from the report in The Economist, September 2016 : “Wooden Skyscraper--The
five-story pagoda of The Temple of Flourishing Law in the Nara prefecture of Japan
is one of the world's oldest wooden buildings. It has withstood wind, rain,
fire and earthquakes for 1400 years. Analysis of the rings in the central
pillar supporting the 32-meter structure suggests the wood that it is made from
was felled in 594 A.D. and construction is thought to have taken place soon
after." If only Orissa had retained
the original deities probably that too would have been creating awe in people’s
mind. No scientific investigation of Venkateshwra icon is possible without
antagonizing orthodoxy and temple authorities to confirm it is made of wood or
stone but looking at the sky scraper in Japan we should not doubt the
engineering skills of our ancient architects and Sthapanis (sculptors). There
are many such awe-inspiring temples in South India whose ancient engineering
marvels keep us wondering. An orthodox
believer dismisses it linking it to some Sthala Purana (local history or
mythology) and divine hands.
A Chemical
Paccha Karpooram (Tamil word for Green Camphor), a soft white
chemical is applied on the idol of Balaji every day. The fact is that, if this
chemical is applied on a granite stone, cracks will appear on it. But
surprisingly, even though this is applied on Baalaaji every day there is no
damage to the stone. It is said
that there is real hair on the main idol of Lord Venkateshwara Swamy and they
say that this hair is always silky smooth and never tangles. This is possible
on a wood carved idol. When Balaji lost a small portion of hair after hit by a
shepherd, Neela Devi a Gandharva princess cut a portion of her hair and implanted
it on his scalp. Lord Balaji promised her that all his devotees who come to his
abode should render their hair to him, and she would be the recipient of all
the hair received. These revelations confirm the deity is sculpted out of wood.
No chisel marks are found on the deity which
supports it is a carved image.
It is said that the idol of Balaji always
maintains a temperature of 110 degrees F. But the temple is at a height of
about 3000 feet so the climate is normally cold. It is also said that every
morning at 4: 30 am after the Abhishekam is done with water, milk as well as
other dravayam, sweat appears in the form of fine water particles on the body
of the idol, which is wiped off with a silk cloth. On every Thursday when
ornaments are removed before sacred bath it is noticed that they are warm. All
these facts support more the projection by Swami Harshananda that the idol is
carved out of wood ad not stone.
His crown or Mukuta, also sculptured on the same material as a part
of the image, is over twenty inches high. His flowing hair or jatha juta is curled and rests on his
shoulders. The image is four armed: two arms at the back are held up and curled
into fists, ready to hold weapons. The
conch and discus are attached separately. This is being done as per the
decisions of Ramanuja who settled the idol as Vishnu. The front right hand is varada mudra (boon giving hand posture),
while the front left hand rests lightly on the hip in the katya vilambita hasta indicating that the Lord protects his true
devotees. A seated Lakshmi is carved on the right side of his chest. The sacred
thread (yagnopavita), four necklaces, a thick girdle around the waist, snake
shaped armlets and a pair of anklets adorn the figure. On his shoulders, there
are marks resembling the scars made from carrying a bow. Parthasarthy in Chennai is called as
Venkatakrishna depicting the posture of Krishna returning from War. His fac in
Utsavamurthi (processional deity) shows plenty of scars from hit arrows of
Bhisma. Venkateswara deity is typical
image of the Pallava or pre-Pallava period.
Balaji is covered with gold plate which
replicates, in elaborate detail, the carvings on the stone. His crown, conch,
discus, his two hands in the varada and
katya vilambita pose and various
other ornaments are studded with diamonds and other precious stones. He is
decorated with emerald 3-inches in diameter which is said to be the world's
largest. His gem studded gold crown is believed to be a gift from Akshaya Raja.
It is believed to be the most precious single ornament in the world. His gold
earrings are crocodile-shaped (makara kundalas). One of his necklaces consists
of a pair of gold-encased tiger claws; the other is a garland with the image of
Goddess Lakshmi carved out on each pendant. He wears a necklace consisting of
Salagramas mounted in gold and engraved with the Sahasranama, the thousand
names of Vishnu, and another necklace of Tulasi seeds. His armlets are shaped like two hooded
cobras. Venkatesa's sword is known as the Suryakataari
and hangs from his belt, which is decorated from the ten avatars of
incarnation. I believe in Chennai Parthasarathy
is seen with a sword. Truly, his ornaments are unique and wonderful. On his
chest Venkateswara bears two sculptured plaques of gold: the four armed lotus
bearing Goddess Lakshmi seated on a lotus adorns the right side, while
Padmavati adorns the left. The image of Balaji is wonderful and awesome. Even
an atheist refuses to criticize as he approaches the idol as it inspires
intense devotion and faith, love and veneration.
Sri
Venkateswara Temple occupies the second place amongst the 108 Vaishnava holy
shrines (divya kshetras). Venkatachala is glorified in several Puranas of which
the most important are Varaha Purana, Vayu Purana and Bhavishyottara Purana. Sri Venkateswara
Temple dates from the 10th
century with later additions. There are three enclosures. The first, there are
portraits and sculptures of the Vijayanagara patrons including Krishna Deva
Raya, his queen and gold covered pillar. The outer colonnade is in the
Vijayanagara style. The gateway leading to the inner enclosure may be of Chola
origin. The second enclosure has more shrines, a sacred wall and the kitchen.
The inner enclosure is opened only once a year. The main temple and shrine is
at the west side of the inner enclosure.
The sanctuary, 9th and 10th centuries, known
as Ananda Nilayam (Abode of Bliss) has a Dome- Vimana entirely covered with gold plate and
gold covered gates. The Vimana tower above the sanctum stands on a square base
of each side, 27 ft. and has two tiers; it rises to a height 37 feet. Ramanuja
established the images of Varaha (boar incarnation), Narasimha (lion-man
incarnation), Vaikunthanaatha and Venkatesa on all the four corners of the
Vimana above the sanctum (Garbhagriha).
According
to Vayu Purana, Adi Varaha (Boar Incarnation) manifested himself on the western
bank of the holy pond (Swami pushkarani) while Vishnu, after being neglected by
Lakshmi being insulted by the sage Bhrigu while he kicked Vishnu on the chest
came to reside on the southern banks as Venkatachalapati. Lakshmi
after having neglected Vishnu not bearing the insult was born as Padmavati on earth as daughter of Akshayaraja.
Vishnu did not like to reprimand Bhrigu for kicking him on the chest but on
other hand wanted to know whether Bhrigu was hurt in his feet. Such was the passion of the Lord for his
devotee that bought the wrath of even his beloved. Tirumalai is also called
Varaha Kshetra (Holy abode of Varaha). Another legend says Vishnu as Varaha (the boar)
decided to continue his stay on the earth and that Garuda brought down the hill
of Vaikuntha to earth for the Lord’s residence. Lord Srinivas or Venkatesa
another aspect of Vishnu, also manifested himself there at that time to reside
on the earth for the good of mankind.
In the current Kali Yuga, Akshayaraja came to rule over Tondaimandalam
(the area located in the interior of South India). His daughter Lakshmi born as
Padmavati was married to Venkateswara after an exciting love affair. The
marriage officiated by Brahma, was celebrated with great pomp and splendor.
The King Tondaman constructed a prakaram and
Dwara gopuram, the basic structures of a Dravidian temple, and arranged for the
worship of the Lord. During the 11th century, Sri Ramanuja clarified several
controversies that existed over the idol, declared the idol to be Vishnu, fixed
the conch and discus on its receiving mode of the icon, and systematized the
worship and the religious orders.
There are
other images in the sanctum as follows: Manavalapperumal (silver image
presented by queen Saamavai, also called Bhoga Srinivasa); Ugra-Srinivasa with
the images of Sridevi and Bhudevi; Malayappa, a bigger image of Venkatesvara
used for professional purposes; Koluvu Srnivasa (used ceremonially like a king,
every day, before whom accounts of the day have to be given); Krishna; Rama;
Sudarsana (discus deity). Inside the temple there are small shrines dedicated
to Varadaraja and Narasimha, Rama as well as Ramanuja. At Tirumalai, there is
an interesting collection of Indian musical instruments at the entrance of the
temple.
At the foot
of the hills is Tirupati, the main city. The temples of Govindaraja, Kodandarama
and Kapaleeswara (AD 1480) are located here. Majestic Venkateswara shrine at
Srinivasa-mangapuram is believed to be older than the main shrine of Balaji on
the top of the hill. Another important
temple included in the pilgrimage is the Padmavati (consort of Lord
Venkateswara) temple at Tiruchanur, 5 km away from the Tirupati town.
"The Thirumala-Thirupati-Devasthanams"
(TTD for short) is a huge establishment entrusted with the management of the
main temples, allied temples and associated institutions. The fabulous rich
income of the temple, next only to the Vatican in Rome, is being utilized
properly for the welfare of the pilgrims by providing many facilities like
rest-houses, free food and Prasadam (consecrated food) as also transportation.
It is also running a University with several academic institutions affiliated
to it, including an Oriental Research Institute. Other Institutions run by TTD
are: Sri Venkateswara Nithya Annadanam Trust; The Dharma Prachaara Parishad;
Two Veda Pathasalas; Five institutions for Sanskrit and Vedic learning; two for
the Fine Arts; Training center for sculpture; one Ayurvedic college; One
Institute for Yoga and Allied Sciences; ten schools in Tirupati; Oriental
Manuscripts Library; Two Museums; several wedding halls at various places made
available at low rates; Forest Department; Garden Department; hospitals,
several clinics and dispensaries to provide free medical aid to pilgrims;
Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences etc. Every pilgrim who visits
Tirumalai and puts money in the Hundi or collection box can be satisfied that
he is contributing to helping the poor and the needy, the young and the
handicapped, thus virtually serving the God, for "serving the Society is
serving God" (Jana Seva is Janaardhana Seva). Their prayers will not go
unheeded".
In
Dwapara Yuga (Lord Krishna's time), Yashoda (Step mother of Krishna) couldn't
witness the marriage of Lord Krishna with Rukmini. Then the lord promised
Yashoda that she would get that chance when the Lord incarnates as Lord
Venkateswara in Kali Yuga and she would be born as Vakula Devi (considered the
mother of Lord Venkateswara). In Kali Yuga when the marriage of Lord
Venkateswara took place with Goddess Padmavati, Vakula devi was the main person
from the Lord's side overseeing the marriage. So he is often addressed as Venkata-Krishna
or Krishna-Venkatesa. Parthasarathy reveled in his warrior pose in Chennai is
surprisingly called Venkata-Krishnan.
In
Tretha Yuga (Lord Rama's time), Wife of Lord Agni Swaha (Fire) pretended to be
the real Sita when Ravana abducted her. So real Sita was not abducted by Ravana
in Ramayana. Lord Rama expressed his deep gratitude to the wife of Agni for her
act of sacrifice and asked her a wish. She replied that she wanted to be the
wife of the Lord. Since Lord took an oath of Eka-patni (single wife), he said
he cannot fulfill her wish in that birth but that he would do so when he
incarnates as Lord Venkateswara in Kali Yuga and the wife of Agni would be born
as Goddess Padmavati. Their marriage
took place as the grand "Padmavati-Srinivasa Kalyanam" which is
widely celebrated in South India. However in all Venkateswara Temple this is an annual event. On regular days
Srinivasa Kalyanotsava is between Venkateswara and the usual consorts of
Vishnu, Sridevi (Lakshmi) and Bhoodevi (Mother Earth). Based on this anecdote
the deity is also addressed as Venkatarama.
At least 30
percent of the proper names in South India carry his names seen as seen in the
telephone directories as it is the
preferred choice to name a child after him believing it would bring health,
wealth and all round happiness. Ardent followers of
Venkateswara as well as those to whom he is a family deity would prefer to call
their male children by one of these choice names; Srinivasa, Balaji, Venkata, Venkatachalapati,
Venkateswara, Venkata-ramana, Venkat-raman, Venkata-Krishna or Krishna-Venkatesh
The most interesting name is Venkata Subhramanya reminding us of the ancient
past when he was worshiped as Subhramanya or skanda or Murugan. Since he
hailed as Parabrahman the words MURUGA (MU= Mukunda,
Ru= Rudra and Ga =Gowri or Durga) aptly apples for Saguna Brahman.
Venkateswara means the lord who
burns all your sins. Krishna means one who has an irresistible charm that draws
all souls (Jivas) to him (aakarshayiti iti
Krishnah). Ramyate iti Raamah-means Rama is one who pleases the mind. The
double names have added values to the base name Venkata. Parthasaarathy icon in Chennai is identified
as Vekata-krishna and is also among the
108 Divyakshetras.
The origin of
this God is shrouded in mystery but today the devotees accept him
unquestioningly as the manifestation of Lord Vishnu. Wherever South Indians migrate they will
spare no effort to build a temple for this powerful deity or at least have a
sanctum sanctorum for him as the principal deity in the temple-complex.
Venkateswara
is believed to be a unique incarnation of Vishnu in Kaliyuga, to protect
humanity from adverse effects of declining Dharma by Hindus. He is also
popularly called Srinivasa in South
India and Balaji in North India. Out of 18 Puranas, 12 Puranas mention and
glorify Lord Venkateswara. The marriage
of Padmavati, daughter of Aakasaraja of
Tondaimandalam who is an incarnation of Lakshmi and Srinivasa was officiated by Brahma and was celebrated with
great pomp and splendor. Still the same marriage is celebrated as
“Kalyaanoetsavam’ at Tirupati and wherever Venkateswara idols are installed in
temples. This is for the peace and prosperity of the family of the devotee in
particular and the world at large in general. The Main idol (Moola vigraha) is
never seen with Padmavati together according to the puranic story stated above.
Venkatesa Mahatmya glorifies the incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the name of
Venkateswara on the Seven Hills (Tirupati).
There are two
words associated with “Venkata”; ‘vem’ meaning sins and ‘kata’ meaning to burn
in Sanskrit language, meaning one who burns our dire sins. Another meaning of it is “giver of worldly
wealth”. It also means “burning debts”
where Kadan (Debt) is a Tamil word, a reference to Venkatesha’s loan from
Kubera based on mythology. Tirumala Hills collects largest daily collection of
money in the whole of India.
Venkateswara
is the biggest mystery for all those sectarian worshipers who are ignorant and
innocent as to which God He could be—Skanda, Shakti, Siva or Vishnu, all or
none? This has consumed times of scholars and had been the subject of bitter
debate for centuries as in Jagannaatha Puri! As is normal this is more debated
in the South than in the upper regions of India. Swami Pushakarani in Tirupathi
may refer to Skanda (often addressed as Swami) who is the God of Hills. There
are also frequent references in early Tamil literature on festivals on the
Vengadam Hill including hunting Festival of the Tribal. The drapery of the
Lord resembles Sari as in Jagannath Puri. The ceremonial bath with turmeric water is performed on Friday as
is usual for female deities. Thomalaseva in Tirupati is also known as
Bhagavati Aaraadhana (worship). The Vimaana of the temple mounts Devi symbol,
Lion. In Devi Bhagavatam the Lord of Tirumalai is described as Venkateswaree.
The deity is also called Baalaaji derived from Baalaa, the Universal Mother
(Baalaa Tripura Sundari), and woman’s name. Abhishekam is done by pouring water in a
measure of 51 porringers. The number 51 refers to 51 Sakti peethas. So another view is
that this is a form of Durga or another Sakti.
The Saivites
maintain the matted hair, the cobra on one arm, the snake ornaments and the
crescent on the head are undoubtedly marks of Siva. Pooja is also done with the
leaves of Bilva which are exclusively used for worship in Siva temples.
Saivites recite Vedas here and Vaishnavites recite Divyaprabhandam (Tamil
Veda), a rare phenomenon in a Vishnu Temple. On Sivaratri night during Kshetra Palika procession
the processional deity is adorned with 3 diamond streaks of horizontal
lines (resembling vibhuti). Priest also
say that during Abhishekam the
lord opens his third eye. The naked
deity does not show any mark of namam on its forehead as in Srirngam.
A Jain
author of Silappadikaaram says, “Lord Vishnu… is seen in a standing posture on
the top of the Vengadam hill… adorned with brilliant cloth of gold round his
loins and… a beautiful garland on his chest and holds in his lotus-like hands
the invincible discus and milky white conch”. This is an unbiased opinion from
an author who is neither a Saivite nor a Vaishnavite.
Brahmaanda, Bhavishyottara and Vaayu Puraanas describe
Venkatesa as a manifestation of Vishnu. Also Ramanuja gave an unbiased opinion
agreeing with Sankara that Parabrhman
should be mainly focused as Vishnu in his sustenance form supervising our day to day life. Sankara in
spite of his Shanmatha propagation says
in his last composition Bhajagovindam that we should all worship Parabrahman as
Vishnu only. So also in his Tattvabodha.
It is
customary to find an icon of Ganesha or a separate small sanctum for him in all
Saivite temples before the main sanctum
to whom devotees pay their obedience and devotees feel he is Prathama Vandita, that is one who is to be pleased first. So is also Nandi deity before Siva Main
Sanctum. It is Hindu culture to please the gate keepers or bribe them first when they visit an office. Vaishnavites do not worship Ganesha because
he is seen with a broken tusk and any deity with anga-viheenam (body mutilation)
is not worthy of obeisance. However they worship another Upadevata and
gatekeeper first who is Vishwaksena a deity with elephant head with human body
and with both the tusks. Mention
is made of existence of such beings in
Vedas like Kinnaras (human body with horse head (like Hayagrieva). In all probability
Siva might have come across such a divine Gana, not an elephant, whose head he trans-planted
on the guard in human form created by Parvati and whose head he severed in
anger. Purans might have mistakenly
described it as elephant instead of elephant headed Gana. Ganesha when he was restored to life had two
tusks which he later broke according to another myth. This Vishwaksena along
with Sudarsana act as bodyguards to Lord Venkateswara. Before Venkateswars
deity is taken out on procession Vishwaksena and Sudarsaana are first taken out
on procession (particularly before starting Brahmotsava) whose duty is to see the path for Venkateswara is cleared
from all evils to make his journey safe. Vishwaksena deity is also seen with
Urdhvapundram that is Namam with three vertical streaks with red in the middle.
There is a flag-post at each entrance of Vishnu temples with a small sanctum
for Garuda (another body-guard). This flag post is also called
Garuda-sthamba. Orthodox devotees do
sashtaanga pranamam (obeisance with eight parts of the body touching the floor)
only here and avoid the same inside the charged atmosphere as they do not wish
to point their feet towards any deity accidentally. Also charged atmosphere
inside is surrounded by several consecrated deities including dikpalakas. They only resort to Atma-pradkshinam going
round themselves thrice before the sanctum sanctorum and other deities in the
charged atmosphere in order to avoid their feet pointing to any deity
sanctified within.
Devotees
of Venkateswara sought the good offices
of Ramanuja to decide as to which God he is? After elaborate study Ramanuja was convinced Venkateswara was none
other than Vishnu who got reunited with Lakshmi in this world and decided to
stay on seven hills to take charge of ruling seven worlds. Today he is
worshiped as Parabrahman in his role of Sthiti or (sustenance) and Vishnu who
as the very name suggests pervades all the worlds (vyaapyate iti Vishnuh). Religious leaders with sectarian outlook have
not stopped criticizing him for this even today as unfortunately he was born as
Vaishnava in the caste ridden Hindu Society. But he was above caste and sectarian consideration and throughout
his life sought to bring everyone to the fold of Vishnu to get the maximum
benefit materially and spiritually. He had among his close disciples Dhanurdasa of
low caste. His mentor Nammazhvar was a Non-Brahmin with whom he shared food on
the same leaf plate. He also took to
Sanyasa upset by his wife who did not like his act of sharing food with a Non-Brahmin
Guru (ucchishtha). He is the first one
who permitted Vishnu devotee untouchables to enter temple. He
said about Dhanurdasa whom his disciples did not like because of his low caste:
“Na jaatih kaaranam loke gunaah
kalyaanahetavah”—One’s caste is not
important but his good acts alone matter in life that please the Lord.
Born
as we are we live under the protective umbrella of Vishnu and then in the end
with our load of Karmas for which we alone are responsible handed over by
Vishnu to Siva to take care of our after-life.
Thus Vishnu is our main concern in life-time and we do not worship
Brahma as he has already done his job when we are born and he does not have to
deal with our life on earth. Both Siva and Brahma decide as to in what shape
and condition we are to be born in this world where we have no choice. It is
only with this outlook Ramanuja decided that we should worship Venkatreswara as
Vishnu and not because he was a Vaishnavite. In this he was also guided by the
parting advice of Adisankara.
Adi
Sankara belonged to much earlier
period. Bhajagovindam was his last
poetic composition as Stotra (prayer hymns).
Govinda here refers to one of the 12 names of Vishnu with which Purification (achamana)
ritual is performed magnetizing twelve parts of the human body. There is no
mention of Krishna in these twelve names and they were in vogue much earlier to
Krishna. There are also Veda Mantras where
you find the word Krishna as in MNU “uddhritaani
varahena Krishnena satabahuna”— Mother Earth lifted by Varaha Krishna of 1000 arms, referring to earlier avatar
of Vishnu Varaha of dark complexion in Krita Yuga. Here Krishna means one who delights the
world. The word Krishna and Rama
existed long before the Avatars took place. We have Parasu Rama, Kodanda Rama,
and Bala Rama but the name Rama is most popular associated with Ayodhya Rama. Rama refers to Vishnu in general meaning
one who sports the mind (ramyate iti ramah). In Bahajagovindam
your attention is drawn to the following slokas:
Tvayi mayi sarvatraiko vishnurvyartham kupyaci mayyasahihnuh |
sarvasminnapi pasyaatmaanam sarvatrotsrija bhedajnaanam ||
Vishnu is there
in me, in you and in all others. You are angry with me being unnecessarily
intolerant. Please visualize the same Self (Atman) in all. Leave all your
thoughts of difference.
Satrou mitre putre bandho
maa kuru yatnam vigrahasansanghau | bhava samachittah sarvatra tvam
vaanchasyachiraad-yadi Vishnutvam ||
Don’t try to
quarrel or compromise with friends, sons or relatives. If you desire the status
of Vishnu you should soon become balanced in your thoughts.
Again
in Aatma Bodha Sankara strongly promoted worship and meditation of Vishnu:
Sacchidaatmanya-nusyoote nitye-Vishnau prakalpitah |
Vyaktayo vividhaassarvaa
haatake katakaadivat ||9 ||
All the
manifested world of things and beings are projected by imagination upon the
substratum which is the Eternal All-pervading Vishnu, whose nature is
Existence-Intelligence; just as the different ornaments are all made of the
same gold.
Adisankara
did not live long to complete Bhajagovindam and the above two hymns are not written by Adi Sankara as
generally believed but by his successor
Medhaatiti Sankara (Ramakrishna Math edition) who projected the final thoughts
of his predecessor. So all these are
presented as “Sankaracharya kritam” written by Sankara. Sankara, the founder of
Advaita philosophy after confession before Lord Viswanatha in Kasi repented for
his three mistaken notions about which I have talked about a lot, went
in praise of Vishnu as Paramaatman the visible form of Saguna Brahman being
Vishnu which thought is expressed in the concluding part of Bhajagovindam, as
in this day-today life we look up to him only for guidance. When we are spiritually ready
Saguna aspect Siva responsible for dissolution takes care of Atman which is an
amsa (ray) of Paramaatman as Gita Says (mamaivamaso
jeevabhootah sanatanah).
Venkateshwara
gives every human being the opportunity to lead brighter and better life, the
right to hope and keep one’s unshakable faith. He assures us that it is never
too late to repent and ask for forgiveness, that even the wickedest sinner can
change for the better. What makes this deity unique is that he has changed
lives of many by his convincing miracles who approach him with faith and
devotion! In Kannada language there is a proverb which says, “Sankata bandre Venkataramana” meaning
“When in trouble dial Venkataramana”.
Venkateswara
is a hill-god like Murugan of Pazhani and is also believed to be a wooden deity,
a deity of tribal that was found on earth. While India is notable for its great
temple complexes, it is important to understand that each of the great temples
had their genesis as a small shrine of a rural folk people. Venkateswara was
the beloved deity of Rangadasa and Gopinatha who found it and worshiped long
before pilgrims came to visit from distant lands and long before royal
patronage enabled the construction of huge, stylized temple structures near an
existing water spot, Swami Pushkarani on the Hill Seshachala. The
first shrine here might have been a simple thatch or wooden enclosures built
over this sacred sculpture beside the tank. This structure was primarily
utilitarian in the sense that it delineated the perimeter of the sacred space
and facilitated the gathering of the local folk people for ritual purposes. Venkateswara temple was built near Swami
Pushkarani (Lake of Subhramanya) where Varaha as Vishnu rested after recovering
it Earth from Hirnyaksha as a wooden sculpture according to the local legend
that existed. This mystic deity
therefore becomes Daru Brahman to a spiritual seeker, hailed in Rigveda on whom
we are asked to meditate upon. Others say it is carved out of Salagrama stone
whose sculptor could be none other than Viswakarma. No mortal Sthapani could
have such imagination and skill! The magnificent temple that is built around the
deity were not initially considered
sacred - they only housed the sacred - yet over the course of time the
structures also came to be regarded as sacred. Today Tirupati is hailed as Bhu-Vaikuntha!
While the ancient stone Murti of Narayana in Melukote in Karnataka, though
later is deteriorating where its Abhisheka is restricted as an annual event it is a wonder how the
Venkateswara deity, much more ancient
withstands such an elaborate Abhishekam every Friday!
With all the
confusing portrayal Lord Venkatashwara and controversies a religious seeker worships Venkateshwara chanting the following
hymn:
Venkataadri
samam sthaanam brahmaande naasti kanchana |
Venkatesa
sama devo na bhooto na bhavishyati ||
There
is no place equal to Venkataadri in the whole Universe! A God equal to
Venkatesa has never been born nor will be! GOD equal to Venkatesha has never been
in the past, nor is at present, and neither will be in the future”.
About 1 km to
the north of main temple, near Chakra Teertha we find a geological wonder
called Silathoranam. Sila means stone in Sanskrit and Thoranam means garland.
This is actually a bridge of stone
8meters in width and 3 meters in height naturally formed connecting two
vertical columns. The arch is one of the rare natural arch bridges in Asia. You
can see such an arch formed in the
National Park in Utah which depicts 2000 sandstone arches. But Silathoranam is a quartzite’s of Cuddapah
Super group formed due to natural erosive forces.
A spiritual
seeker meditates on him with the Mantra: Om tad Brahma
om tad Vaayu, om tat Satyam om tad atma om tat purornamah--om tat Venkatesa—Om it is
Brahman, it is Vayu the Air we constantly feel and because of which we live on
earth, om that is Truth, Om that is the Self in me, om that exists ever as
primordial cause and om that eradicates all my sins as Easwara.
“The Hindu
Temple is a constellation of symbolism. It is an image that at once relevant to
human aspirations and persistent in human thought and actions. The texts of
Indian architecture which provides us with also details of measurement and
parts of the temples, and prescribe the rites of installation and rituals of
worship also indicates the real value of a shrine.
Agnirdevoe
dwijaateenaam muneenaam hridi daivatam |
Prathima
svlpabuddheenaam sarvatrea viditaatmanaam ||
The
ritualists have their God in the fire (Agni); but the wise folk find him in
their own heart. It is the dull-witted one that seeks God in the icon. Those
who have higher understanding see God in everything” writes Prof. S. K. Ramachandra Rao in his book of Indian
Temple Traditions.
My observation to all these sayings
that Lord Balaji is Sanat Kumara, Skanda, Siva, Jina, Buddha, Jesus, Jehovah, Al
kadir, Uma, Muruga and Bhairava is--" it
is best to quote from Bhagavad Gita". In Gita, Lord Krishna clearly says that he
is all. He is Vishnu among Adityas, Siva among Rudras, Indra among Devas,
Skanda among Senadhipatis, Margaseersha among months, Bhrigu among sages,
Aswattha among trees, Surya among Adityas, Arjuna among Pandavas, the gem of
all beings, etc. So clearly you can see him in various forms in Lord Balaji. He
shows his roopa as per the wishes of his devotees. This is the concept of Lord Balaji
that though he is projected as Vishnu today, he is seen in various forms by
different castes, religions and tribes and religions of the world.
Venkateswara
of Tirupati is thus pleasing to all
sectarian followers of Vishnu, Siva as well as Sakta for he is Three-in-One
deity like Jagannatha of Puri. One can
also avoid going to different temples at different times for special worship. This
is all the more important to Hindu Americans who usually find One Temple for
All Traditions and Sampradayas. Thus they can focus on few major rituals and
festivals as well as a grand annual function of
Brahmotsava including Ratha Yatra , in the process focusing on Parabrahman as
the sustenance aspect, Vishnu propagated by all philosophers which is most
important in our day-to day practical life. That is why you find invariably a Main
Sanctum for Venkteswara in all Hindu American Temples. Of late Jagannatha of
Puri has also caught up the imagination of Hindu Americans. But Indians hailing from South India have the reservation because
of the form of the icon which is incomplete in main limbs in the wooden icon.
This need not be so because Jagannatha is no stranger to South Indians; before
Jaganntha of Puri there was Adi Jaganntha of Pullani worshiped by Dasaratha and
Rama. They can therefore install aslo Adi
Jaganntha along with Jagannatha of Puri
with Sridevi and Bhudevi as in Thiruppullani near Rameswram acceptable to both
Northern and Southern Indian Temple Traditions in the same sanctum. Alternately
the processional deities can be that of Adi Jagnnatha with Sridevi and Bhudevi.
Jaganntha of Puri historically extends
to other major Religions of the world that emerged out of Sanatana Dharma.
Jaganntha of
Puri and Tiruppullani is appealing to all Siva, Vishnu and Sakta
followers as Supreme Being and Vyahriti of Parabrahman and Parasakti. Jaganntha will be ideal deity at once
appealing to all faiths that branched out of sacrificial Vedic Religion and
Hindus in general who have accepted Buddha as an avatara, and Adinatha or
Rishabha is also an incarnation of Vishnu. This
will also help in solving the problem of not creating additional
sanctums for Mahavir and Buddha in Hindu temples as Buddha and Rishabha (Adinatha)
are avatars of Vishnu, yet not accepted by orthodoxy.
But Venkateswara Philosophy is even more inclusive than exclusive
not confining to Hinduism alone
focusing on Siva, Vishnu and Devi
or the religion that were carved out of
it but includes all religions and traditions as I discussed in my lecture “
Skanda, Hindu God and Guru is Sanatkumara in all Traditions”. Venkateswara out of seven hills decided to
reside in Seshachalam, a hill of Vasuki who is close associate of Subrahmanya.
In Kukke Subhramanya he is seen in ant-hill with seven heads of Vasuki.
Subrahmanya temples are always associated with anthills and serpents,
Venkateswara deity has serpent armlets. The name Venkata Subhramaniya and Venkatachalapati are very popular and
reminds us of the ancient glory when the deity was worshiped as Subhramanya.
All famous Murugan temples are on hills and he is a hill tribe deity to begin
with.
Venkateswara in Tirupati
was worshiped earlier as Skanda, before Ramanuja came on the scene, who is
Sanatkumara according to Chandogya Upaishad.
Sanatkumara came to
Planet Earth from Planet Venus
when Earth had already become so
polluted by fallen influences that the planet could no longer be spiritually
and physically sustained says Esoteric Sanat Kumara East West Tradition.
Venkatesa Mahatmya says there is no deity greater than Venkateswara in Kaliyuga and Lord Vishnu descended on
Earth as Venkatewara. Again Hinduism
says Dharma is in its one foot in Kaliyuga
that started with full –compliment in Kritayuga echoing Esoteric view
above. Murugan means Azhagan in Tamil
which means beauty. It is therefore logical to conclude Venkateswara is Sanatkumara
who descended on Earth in Kaliyuga, who is venerated by all Esoteric
Traditions including Hindus. It is no wonder why many Westerners worshiped
Venkateswara when British ruled India influenced by their past Esoteric
Traditions and mystic powers of the Lord to relieve them from sufferings as
described above.
Venkarteswara
philosophy is not exclusive but all-inclusive and attractive to all religions and to their
children who are locked up in inter-cultural and inter-racial weddings which trend is increasing and may altogether
lose its identity as other European cultures. Hindu Americans will be wiser to
have only Venkateswara for worship in all Hindu American Temples if they want
to attract Interfaith Forum be and all
other religions too to Sanatana Dharma and Spirituality. This will help them in consolidating their
worship focused on one deity with significant rituals and festivals
concentrating on Supreme Spirit who is none other than the Holy Spirit of
Christianity, Jehova of Jews, Allah of Islam, Buddha of Buddhists, Vardhamana
of Jains, etc. Thus Hindus will go back to Sanatana Dharma or Vedic religion
which proclaims “Eko Viprah bahudaa
vadnti-The One Pundits call by many names” moving away from sectarian based
Hinduism as is practiced today. This
would bring in fusion of all faiths, aim at universal peace and harmony with its
lofty ideals sarvejanaah sukhino
bhavantu-May all live happily! krinvanto viswamaaryam-Let us ennoble the
World! Aano bhadrantu kratavah-Let noble thoughts
come from all directions etc. All
spiritual seekers will be attracted to Sanatana Dharama and worship of Venakateswara
who is Skanda for Hindus,
Sanatkumara acclaimed as
Jaganntha by all Esoteric
Traditions--Supreme Spirit or
Universal Person and progress towards
Universal Oneness.
REFERENCES
1. Nandita
Krishna, Venkateswara, Vakils, Feffer and Simons Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai,
India.
2. Swami Harshananda,
Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.
3. Anna,
Bhaja Govindam (Tamil), Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
4. Pandit
Kadambi Srinath, Lord Venkateswara, Hindu Temple of Atlanta, USA (Souvenir).
5. Swami Harshananda, Pilgrim Centers of India, Sri Ramakrishna
Math, Chennai, India.
6. Ramachandra Rao S. K., Indian Temple Traditions, Kalpatharu Research
Academy, Shankar Muth, Sharada
Peetham, Bengaluru, India
APPENDIX I
THE
LEGEND BEHIND SRINIVASA OF TIRUPATI
(Wikipedia)
(Wikipedia)
During Dvapara Yuga, Adisesha resided on
earth as Seshachalam
Hills
after losing a contest with Vayu. According
to Puranas, Tirumala is regarded
as Adivaraha Kshetra. After killing Hiranyaksha, Adivaraha resided on
this hill. Sri Venkatachala Mahatmyam is the widely accepted legend over
Tirumala Temple.
During Kali Yuga, Narada advised Rishis who were performing Yajna to decide who could be given the fruits of Yajna among Trinities. Bhrigu was sent to
test Trinities. The sage who had an extra eye in the sole of his foot visited
Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva and went un-noticed in both these locations. At last he visited Vishnu and the lord
acts as if he had not noticed Bhrigu. Getting angered by this act, sage Bhrigu
kicked Lord Vishnu in the chest, to which Vishnu did not react and instead
apologized to the Sage by massaging his feet. During this act, he squashed the
extra eye that was present in the sole of Bhrigu's foot. However Lakshmi finds it as
an insult and had left Vaikuntham onto Earth to Kolhapur and started
meditating.
Lord Vishnu bore human form as Srinivasa, left Vaikuntham, in
search of Lakshmi, reached Tirumala Hills and started meditating. Lakshmi came
to know about the condition of Srinivasa and prayed to Siva and Brahma. Siva
and Brahma then converted themselves into Cow and Calf and Goddess Lakshmi had
handed over the cow and calf to Chola king ruling over Tirumala Hills at that time. The Cow would
provide milk to Srinivasa daily while it was taken for grazing. One day Cowherd
saw this and tried to beat the Cow with staff but Lord Srinivasa had borne the
injury. Getting angered by this Srinivasa had cursed the Chola king to become a
Demon as dharma
says servants’ sin should be borne by Kings. The king prayed for mercy after
which Srinivasa said to him, that the King should take next birth as Akasaraja
and should perform marriage of his daughter Padmavati with Srinivasa.
Lord Srinivasa went to his mother Vakula Devi on Tirumala
hills and stayed there for a while. After curse Chola king took rebirth as
Akasaraja and he had a daughter named Padmavati who was born in the Padmapushkarini
situated at present day Tiruchanur in Andhra Pradesh. Lord
Srinivasa married Padmavati at present day Narayanavanam in Andhra Pradesh and
returned to Tirumala Hills. After few months Goddess Lakshmi had come to know
about the marriage of Srinivasa with Padamavati and went to Tirumala hills to
question Srinivasa. It is said that the Lord Srinivasa turns into Stone right
where he was encountered by Lakshmi and Padmavathi. Lord Brahma and Shiva
appeared before the confused queens and explained the main purpose behind all
this - The Lord's desired to be on the 7 hills for the emancipation of mankind
from the perpetual troubles of Kali Yuga. Goddesses Lakshmi and Padmavathi also
turned into stone idols expressing their wish to be with their Lord always.
Lakshmi stays with Him on His Chest on the left side while Padmavathi rests on
His Chest's right side.
APPENDIX II
11 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT TIRUPATI
By Administration,
TTD.
April 4, 2016
Sri
Venkateswara Swamy Temple or Tirupati Balaji temple situated in the hill town
of Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh is an ancient and one of the richest shrines of
India. The Tirumala hill shrine consists of seven hills namely Seshadri,
Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The
main temple of Tirumala lies on the seventh hill called Venkatadri, hence the
Temple is also known as “The Temple of Seven Hills”. Lord Sri Venkateswara,
also known as Balaji and Govinda, is the presiding deity of this holy Tirumala
Temple.
There
are many beliefs associated with this temple, which are too hard to believe.
Let’s take a look at what these beliefs are!
1. The Arch at the entrance of Tirumala Hills, which resembles the
hood of a serpent is considered unique in the world. It is said that main deity
in Tirumala temple is of the same height as the height of the Arch. Lord Vishnu
is said to have put his first foot down at a place called Padalu, which is the
highest point of Tirumala hills (Sila Thorana), Second step at the location of
the arch and the next step is stated to have been placed where his idol is now
worshipped in the temple at Tirumala.
2. At the entrance of the main door (Mahadwaram of the temple), to
the right side, a stick which was used by Ananthaalvar to hit Venkateshwara
Swamy is present. Ananthatalvar hit Lord Venkateshwara Swamy on the chin when
Swamy was in his childhood, which oozed blood. Since then, the practice and
tradition of applying sandalwood paste on Swamy’s chin came into existence.
3. It is said that there is real hair on the main idol of Lord
Venkateshwara Swamy and they say that this hair is always silky smooth and
never tangles.
When
Balaji lost a small portion of hair after hit by a shepherd, Neela Devi a
Gandharva princess cut a portion of her hair and implant it on his scalp. Lord
Balaji promises her that all his devotees who come to his abode should render
their hair to him, and she would be the recipient of all the hair received.
4. A Chemical kaccha Karpooram (Green Camphor), a soft white
chemical is applied on the idol of Balaji every day. The fact is that, if this
chemical is applied on a granite stone, cracks will appear on it. But
surprisingly, even this is applied on Balaji every day; there is no damage to
the stone.
5. There is a secret village, approximately 23 Kms from the temple
in Tirumala, where no one is allowed except the residents of the village. The
people are said to be living with strict practices and tradition. It is from
this village, that all the flowers, milk, ghee, butter are sourced for the God.
6. When someone dies how one does not see behind and lights the
fire, similarly, the flowers removed from Swamy are thrown in the water fall at
the back of Swamy. It is said that the pujaris do not look at the back of the
Swamy that entire day. All these flowers can be seen floating at a place called
Verpedu (located on the way to kalahasti) which is 20 km from Tirupati.
7. Lord Venkateshwara statue appears to be standing at the center of
the Garba Gudi. But, actually, Swamy stands at the right side corner of the
Garba Gudi. This can be noticed from standing outside.
8. No matter how many times, the back of Swamy is dried, it always
remains wet. If you carefully keep your ear and listen against Swamy’s back,
sound of an ocean is heard.
9. The oil lamps lighted in front of the Swamy idol are said to be
lit since thousands of years. It is also said that they never ever put off and
no one exactly knows since when these lights are lit.
10. During 1800’s, the temple was said to be closed for 12 years. One
King of that time is said to have punished 12 people by killing them and
hanging them on the walls of the temple for doing the unsacred thing at the
temple. They say that it was at this time that Vimana Venkateswara Swamy has
come to existence.
11. It is said that the idol of Balaji always maintains a temperature
of 110 degrees F. But the temple is at a height of about 3000 feet so the
climate is normally cold.
It
is also said that every morning at 4: 30 am after the Abhishekam is done with
water, milk as well as other dravayam, sweat appears in the form of fine water
particles on the body of the idol, which is wiped off with a silk cloth. On
every Thursday when ornaments are removed before sacred bath it is noticed that
they are warm.
There
is also a traditional belief in vogue that Balaji has a third eye which he
opens at the time of Abhishekam.
APPENDIX
III
CHIKKURU BALAJI VISA TEMPLE
If
you ask any Hindu American speaking Telugu in USA as to where
he comes from he will invariably say he/she is from Hyderabad. At I one time I
thought whole Hyderabad will be empty soon. It is not so. They first
migrate to Hyderabad, apply for a Visa, go to Chikkur Balaji Temple every week
to circum-ambulate the deity till Visa is obtained. When Visa is
obtained, after buying the air-ticket the visit the temple for the
last time and circum-ambulate the inner shrine and take off to USA. I had no
desire to come to USA having lived in Germany for three years and returned
after refusing a job offer as I felt I will always be treated as second rate
citizen in Germany. But I had told you my foster mother had entrusted this
vagabond to Lord Venkateswara to take care of me. I was invited by some company
in Upstate New York who asked me to come for an interview? How to come to USA
for an interview? Here again He Helped me. Private secretary to MD of
Tata Exports gave the Blankket Permit to me and advised me to show to
American Embassy and request for a visa on business trip without the knowledge
of MD. I went to Paris on business trip and from there went to USA to attend
the interview. That was my Balaji passport to USA. It all went smoothly and I
had my citizenship within three years and now He has given me the opportunity
to deliver a lecture on Him tomorrow. I will talk about this temple too
tomorrow.
Chilkur Balaji Temple, popularly known as "Visa Balaji Temple'', is an
ancient Hindu temple of Lord Balaji on the banks
of Osman Sagar in Hyderabad. It is one
of the oldest temples in Hyderabad built during the time of Madanna
and Akkanna,
the uncles of Bhakta
Ramadas.
This temple has no hundi and neither
accepts any money from devotees. VAK Books also known as the
Voice of Temples with religious news is available here. This is one of the
special Temples in India with no green channel or privileges for VIP's The only
other such temple is the Jalabram temple in Virpur (Rajkot), Gujarat. This
temple fought and won the right to stay out of government control. The only
another such temple is "Ramanuj Kot", a temple in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Circumambulations:
During a visit the devotee goes through the usual rituals of prayer, including
11 circum-ambulations of the inner
shrine, and makes a vow. Once the wish is fulfilled devotees then walk 108
times around the sanctum sanctorum. The majority of wishes by devotees are visa related,
thus Chilkur Balaji is also referred to as 'Visa' Balaji The 11
circumambulations represent the secret of creation — 11 means "1 soul and
1 body" — uniting both with devotion and full determination to fulfill
wish, dedicate on the lord; there is no second, everything is god. In the 108
circumambulations, 1 represents the Existence, Almighty, God (Paramathma,
Balaji in the minds of the devotee), 0 represents Creation (Illusionary
World, Jagath) and 8 represents the time Human Body takes to come
to this universe-8 months (Jivatma).
This
temple is one of the oldest in Hyderabad, having been built during the time of
Akkanna and Madanna, the uncles of Bhakta Ramdas. According to tradition, a
devotee who used to visit Tirupati every year could not do so on one occasion
owing to serious ill health. Lord Venkateshwara appeared in his dream and said,
"I am right here in the nearby forest. You don't have to worry." The
devotee at once moved to the place indicated by the Lord in the dream and saw a
molehill there, which
he dug up. Accidentally, the axe struck Lord Balaji's idol (covered by the
molehill) below the chin and on the chest. Surprisingly blood started flowing
profusely from the "wounds", flooding the ground and turning it
scarlet. The devotee could not believe his eyes. He could not believe his ears
when he heard a voice from the air saying, "Flood the molehill with cow's
milk." When the devotee did so, a Swayambhu idol of Lord
Balaji accompanied by Sridevi and Bhoodevi (a rare
combination) was found, and this idol was installed with the due rites and a
temple built for it.
Sri
Balaji Venkateshwara, the Pratyaksha Daiva in Kaliyuga, is thus available at
Chilkur to shower blessings on His devotees who for any reason are unable to go
to Tirupati. Many devout worshippers flock to the temple to receive the
blessings of the Lord and his consorts throughout the year particularly during
Poolangi, Annakota and Brahmothsavams.
With
the earnest desire to revive the former glory and importance of the temple, the
idol of Ammavaru was installed in 1963, the year after the Sino-Indian War. After the
unilateral withdrawal of Chinese troops, Ammavaru was given the name of Rajya
Lakshmi, signifying this welcome event. The unique feature of this idol is that
lotus flowers are held in three hands and the fourth hand is in a position
towards the lotus feet which signifies the doctrine of Saranagathi.
The
temple has been visited by great Acharyas from time to time. A visit to the
temple is a must for the Jeer of Sri Ahobila Mutt every time he visits the twin
cities, and in the temple is installed the idol of the first Jeer. The
Tilakayaths of Sri Vallabhacharya Sampradaya have been regularly visiting the
shrine. Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Sringeri Mutt and his disciple graced
the efforts of the trustees in improving the temple.
APPENDIX
III
CONCH AND DISCUS ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE ACESSORIES
OF VISHNU!
At
Thiruvaiyaru Siva Temple, Ambal Dharmasamvardhini has Conch in one upper hand,
Chakra in another upper hand, Abhaya mudra by one lower hand, and Varada mudra
by another lower hand. She represents her brother Madhava, and therefore,
there is no Vishnu (Perumal) Temple at Thiruuvaiyaru. People worship
both Perumal and Ambal together. There
is another Devi Temple in Kerala at Kamaranallur where Devi has Sankha and
Chakra in her upper hands. A musical
composition by Muthuswamy Dikshitar describes Dharmasamvardhini as follows: “Sister
of Madhava, beautiful incarnate, oh Shankari, extolled by the Raga
Madhyamavati, she who has mellifluous voice and is spouse of Mahadeva delights
the hearts of pious people. Mother of the eternal Guruguha, she is of the
nature of enlightenment, is blemish-less, is sovereign of the world, destroys
all miseries, manifests herself as the universe by her feet, enchants Lord
Panchanandisha, is the essence of the Vedas and the Shastras, she who illumines
Brahma, Vishnu, and Paramashiva”.
At Rayan
Pettai, Murukan has Conch in one upper hand, Chakra in another upper
hand. People worship both Murukan and Perumal together. There is no Venkateswara Temple in Tamill
Nadu. All the Perumal Temples have different names. Wherever there
is a Siva Temple, there will be a Perumal Temple in the same place or
nearby. There is only one Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati where Murukan
Deity was identified Perumal deity by Ramanuja based on different
considerations as explained above. On all the walls of the temple, you
can see only Tamil words but not a single word of Telugu. During
partition on language basis, the Andhra people were shouting as "Madras
Manathe, Madras Manathe". They wanted to have Madras for their
capitol, and give away Tirupati temple to Madras State. Rajaji
was responsible to give away Tirupati temple to Andhra and keep Madras as the
capitol of Madras State. Tamils would have liked the other way round. Annadurai changed
Madras State to Tamil Nadu. Sivaya Vishnu
Rupaya, Siva Rupaya Vishnave (Arium aranum onre)--Ignorant people worship
Vishnu only and reject Siva, foolishly aiming for Vaikundam and similarly Siva
only to reach Kailasam. Vishnu will not take these sectarian Vaishnavas to Vaikuntham and Siva will
not also not take those Navagraha Saivas and astrologers to Kailasam.
I won’t be surprised if even Venkateswara deity with inserted Sankha (conch) and Chakra
(discus) believed to be a trick played by Ramanuja is worshiped as Skanda or
Murugan. In Thanjavur District,
Papanasam Taluk, 8 km from Papanasam town there is a place called RAYAN PETTAI
where Sri Murukan Temple with conch and chakra is located. That is the
only place we can worship both Perumal and Murukan together (like Venkateswara
in Tirupati). Students from various places come here to worship both Perumal
and Murukan for passing their examinations. and most of them get their wishes
fulfilled like Visa Balaji Temple. RAYAN PETTAI is a small village where
the local people give tender coconuts to all the students and encourage them to
pass their examinations. During the examination times, the students from
other places invade this temple and worship in order to pass their
examinations. It is a temple where
people go to prey for success in
exams like going to Balaji temple near
Hyderabad to get visa to USA though not
as famous as Chikkuru Balaji Temple.
Krishna
ordered Yogamaya to wrest Balarama's garbha from Devaki and place it in
Rohini's womb; and also herself to be born of Yashoda in time for exchange with
Krishna. Later when Kamsa tried to dash her against a stone she rose up into
the sky and mocked and warned him. This Yogamaya who was given the boon of
being worshiped thenceforth, was Durga. Since she was born of Yashoda and was
also associated with Devaki she is considered Krishna's sister.
In Sri Vishnu
Puranam at that point the following names are given are: regarding Yogamaya: Arya, Durga, Vedagarbha, Ambika,
Bhadra, Bhadrakali, Kshemada and Bhagyada.
In Srimad
Bhagavatam the following names are given: Durga, Bhadrakali, Vijaya, Vaishnavi,
Kumuda, Chandika, Krishnaa, Madhavi, Kanyaka, Maaya, Narayani, Easaani, Sarada and Ambika.
It can be
seen that the characteristic names of Siva's wife Parvati are totally absent in
both the Puranas.
Hindu
Puranas often describe that Subhadra was herself an incarnation of Goddess Durga who took birth in the form of Lord Yogamaya of Vishnu from Krishna's foster
parents, Nandagopa and Yasoda bringing
his daughter to Mathura. When Kamsa came
to know that Devaki had given birth to her eighth child and
it is daughter, he came to kill the girl. He tried to throw the girl on a wall,
but suddenly the girl took the form of Goddess Durga and laughed on Kansa
saying that your killer has taken birth and will kill you soon. After saying
this, she disappears. It is said that Yogmaya (Durga) again took birth as
Krishna's sister Subhadra. She wasa much younger to Krishna and Balarama. Durga is identified with conch and Discus
(Sankha and Chakra)
After that Lord Srinivas starts Hunting. Even the Archaka swamis follow the Lord with weapons to hunt animals, three times forward and three times backward and receive Harathi. Ultimately, returns to the Temple. With this, the Paruveta Utsavam comes to an end.
HUNTNG FESTIVAL OF BALAJI ON KAANUM PONGAL DAY
Hunting festival conducted annually shows clearly how this deity was worshiped by Hill Tribes
in the beginning about which I have spoken:
Paruveta Utsavam is
observed on the Kanuma day at the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Tirumala.
It falls on the day after Sankranti celebrations. Paruveta Utsavam 2017
date is January 15. Paruveta
Utsavam in Telugu means Hunting Festival.
It commemorates the hunting expedition of Lord Venkateswara to Narayanavanam.
He happened to see Goddess
Padmavathi while he was chasing a wild elephant. That is why the
Paruveta (hunting) is celebrated on the day of Kanuma at Tirumala every
year.
How is Paruveta Utsavam Observed?
How is Paruveta Utsavam Observed?
Lord Malayappa wears hunting
dress, head guard and five weapons such as Sudarshana Chakra,
Panchajanya Conch, Nandaka Sword, Koumodaki Gada and Sargabow besides
Sword, Shield and Sphere, boarding Silver Chariot and
reaches Paruveta Mandapa in Papavinashanam road nearly two kilometers
away from temple by procession. Along with Lord Venkateswara, Lord
Krishna as well reaches Paruveta Mandapa where both of them are made to
sit and conduct musical and cultural concerts are
organized at 2 PM by singing the songs of Annamayya.
In
the evening offerings are made to Lord. After that Lord Krishna on the
invitation of Sannidi Golla visits their habitate, eats butter and
returns to Paruveta
Mandapam. At that moment Sannidhi Golla as a token of a love and
gratitude offers burning camphor and appalations to the Lord.After that Lord Srinivas starts Hunting. Even the Archaka swamis follow the Lord with weapons to hunt animals, three times forward and three times backward and receive Harathi. Ultimately, returns to the Temple. With this, the Paruveta Utsavam comes to an end.
E -MAILS OF HINDU REFLECTIONS
Bhavisahyottara purana says Brahma raised a tamarind tree on Venkatadri Hill, beneath which he formed an Anthill. Narada was instructed to bring Vishnu back to Venkatadri to reside in the Anthill so that people on earth remained pious and meritorious in Kali Yuga. This conflates with Sanat Kumara’s descent from planet Venus described in the Book of Revelations of the Holy Bible. Narada was the disciple of Sanat Kumara as you see later. He would have brought Sanatkumara son of Vishnu to reside in the hill. This also substantiates Sanat Kumara being worshiped as Skanda in Tirupati, as they are one and the same as revealed in Upanishads.
VENKATESWRA,
SUPREME LORD ON EARTH IS SANAT KUMARA THAT IS SKANDA, SON OF SUPREME HOLY
SPIRIT
Tonally.he present deity
Venkatswara in Tirumalai is believed to be a stone deity while Swami
Harshananda says it could also be a red fig wooden carving like Jagannatha to
which the earlier controversies could be related. It is likely
there was an earlier wooden image. When stone sculpture became popular many of
the earlier wooden or terracotta figures were replaced in Tamil Nadu
as in Kanchipuram. The original figure made of fig wood in
Kanchipuram is preserved even today in the temple tank and is taken out only
every twelve years while the latter stone deity is consecrated for daily worship. Venkateswara deity is held in secrecy by
the priests and no one is allowed to go nearby during Abhishekam.
Silappadhikaram a Tamil Jain text may refer to the
modern stone Vishnu deity but this text also mentions of naked
deity with no temple built around as in
Sravanabelgola Gomatesawara shrine in Karnataka. While the
existence of the temple is not known earlier the hill itself was
held in high esteem as the annihilator of sins. Generally Jain deities are seen
with Conch like Vishnu deities of Hindus; But Vishnu deities also have Chakra. May be Jain deities also had Sankha
and Chakra earlier, Chakra representing wheel of dharma. Probably Chakra was
removed in order to distinguish from Hindu deities later on. Subhramanya in alone temple near Tiruvaiyaru ,
Dharmasamvardhinee as well as Durga idols are seen with Conch and discus as I talked to you before. Therefore Sankha
and Chakra are not exclusive to Vishnu deities alone as is believed
conventi Matted hair is also
special to jain deities as seen on Venkateswara
hidden in the crown.
Bhavisahyottara purana says Brahma raised a tamarind tree on Venkatadri Hill, beneath which he formed an Anthill. Narada was instructed to bring Vishnu back to Venkatadri to reside in the Anthill so that people on earth remained pious and meritorious in Kali Yuga. This conflates with Sanat Kumara’s descent from planet Venus described in the Book of Revelations of the Holy Bible. Narada was the disciple of Sanat Kumara as you see later. He would have brought Sanatkumara son of Vishnu to reside in the hill. This also substantiates Sanat Kumara being worshiped as Skanda in Tirupati, as they are one and the same as revealed in Upanishads.
The name Venkateswara is exclusive to
the Lord of the Hill in Tirumala— Saptagiri, Ezhumalai, Seshachala, Saptagirinaatha,
Saptagireesa, Ezhumalaiandan etc. The name means “destroyer of
sins” (vem=dire sins; kata=immunizing power), as well as “Giver of worldly
wealth” He is also called Srinivasa meaning “Abode of
Wealth”. His name does not appear anywhere else, neither in literature
nor religions, nor used for any other deity. The biggest mystery of all is
which god could he be--Skanda, Siva, Sakti, Vishnu, Neminatha, Buddha among
religions and traditions that came from Sanatana Dharma. The word Natha
is special to Jainism. Natha suffix is also found in
Hinduism, Adi Jaganntha of Tiruppullni (Adinatha) and also Jaganntha worshiped
for sometimes as Jina or Neminatha who is said to have taught
Bhagavad Gita to Krishna. Sanat kumara is Brahm -sanam kumar in Buddhism.
Sanat Kumara is Dipankara, the lamp lighting Buddha said to predate the
historical Buddha in a world cycle long past. He is sometimes equated with
Adibuddha, the original Buddha and is the being Gautama Buddha pledged himself
to. Recall the names Venkata-Easa, Venkata_Rama,
Venkata--Subrahmanya, Venkata-Krishna Venkata-Natha (Neminatha), Baala-ji
(Eternal youth), Baalaa-ji (Balaa Tripursundari).
In
pre-Vedic and Vedic culture nobody talked about religion and people had no idea
as to what religion is, nor there is any word equivalent to
religion in Sanskrit. The term “Religion” got introduced to English Language
for faith based worships by Christianity. Only Christian Religion remained
without the suffix –ism and all other religions were identified with that
suffix. The religious followers of Muhammad were also called followers of
Muhammadanism and Jews Judaism. Oxford dictionary says the suffix –ism is
colloquial usually used in derogatory sense. Later the followers of Allah
recognized this connivance by Christianity and called themselves Islam. Jews
did not bother! Today only Christianity and Islam does not have the
suffix -ism. Why? Hindus are happy to be called Hindus name given
by Abrahamic religions and also content their religion being called Hindu-ism.
Compare this --ism attached to religious names with common
derogatory terms—Atheism, cannibalism, communalism, hedonism, Nihilism
paganism, sexism, terrorism, vandalism etc.
Hindu Temple Tradition started with the
worship of nature as Mountains or as Mounds. Venkatadri existed long before the
deity carved out of its wood or stone was worshiped. Nanditha Krishnan
author of the book Balaji, Lord of Tirumala says Venkatadri is also called
Dharmadri, hill of Dharmadevata, the God of Righteousness who performed penance
on the hill and Teerthaadri, after many sacred watering spots which are
situated here focused on Hinduism only. I may not be wrong if I
conclude that it is called Teerthadri being
the hill of Teerthankakara who performed the penance who is
also called Wheel of Dharma, Arishtanemi, Neminatha etc. Tiruvalluvar a
famous Tamil poet (also believed to be a Jain philosopher) refers to Adi-bhagawan in Thirukkural (akaramudal ezhutthellam)
referring to Adinatha and also addresses the feet of Vardhamaan in
another couplet “Malarmisai Yenginaan Maan-adi”
linked to the glorious feet of Maan (Vardhamaan). It should also be
noted Jainism was an extreme “way of Dharmic life” practiced out of
Sanatana Dharma which got systematized by Vardhamana and later got
its name Jainism after his Moksha. It was all earlier a philosophy under
the umbrella of Sanatana Dharma like the present day Advaita, Vishishtadvaita
and Dvaita. There were no such religious walls like today.
With this background let us turn our
thoughts to Vedas and Upanishads which glorify Arishatanemi the Dispenser of
all harms or sins. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says Supreme Being
created Vedic Gods to assist him in
administering the Universe under four Varnas with specific duties as
Brahmana, Kshatriya Vaisya and Sudra as I talked before. For example Agni
was Brahmana, Indra, Varuna; Yama and Rudra were Kshatriyas;
Vasus, Aadityas were Vaisyas and Pusan (Earth) was Sudra. He also
created immediately Dharma as Dharma-devata (dharmaaya swaaha) to guide the four Varnas before expanding
further. Caste system was carved out of this divine plan
of Varanashrama and got confused with conflict and social status.
Dharmadri Hill derives its name from Dharma. Vishnu is also called Yajna
Purusha or Yajna (Penance).
Chhandogya Upanishad says
Sathyam is Dharma or the Supreme Spirit. Sathyam consists of 3 syllables—Sat= immortal; thi =mortal; yam=what
is being regulated. In Chandogya Upanishad Sanatkumara as a Muni taught
Narada Bhumavidya, Knowledge of Brahman. This Sanatkumara is Skanda says this
Upanishad. Sanat Kumara, Eternal son of Supreme Being existed even
before Brahma praising Narayana from whose naval emerged Brahma who went on a
long penance before starting creation. Later Puranas say Sanat
kumara was born as Manasa Putra to Brahma (mind born) and later as
requested by Lord Siva was born as the exclusive son of Siva alone
as Skanda. This Sanat Kumara is hailed in Christianity (Book of Revelations)
as the one who descended on Earth from planet Venus with 144000 divines to
save the Earth and establish Dharma who is presently worshiped
as Jesus, Holy Son. Sanat Kumara is worshiped in many
religions and venerated in many philosophies as God. Venkateswara is
considered to be an Avatar of Vishnu sent to Earth to save us. I
have dealt on all these at length in previous discourses.
In the context of Vedic
wisdom “Eko Viprah Bahuda
Vadanti” and ”Devo Ekah” it is logical to conclude that the one
god sent to Earth to redeem us from all our sins is the Eternal
Youth Sanat Kumara, who is son of Brahma, Skanda , Pradyumna (son
of Bhagawan, dissolution aspect of Parabrahman; also in Panchratra Vyahriti of
Vishnu meaning conqueror) at different times, Holy Son and Eternal
Youth worshiped in all Esoteric Traditions, religions and philosophies of
the world now worshiped as Venkateswara, Redeemer of our sins,
worshiped daily by maximum number of devotees in
any known sacred shrine in the world.
WHEEL OF DHARMA
Please recall the text
in my recent E-Mail: “Arishtanemi is mentioned in Kalpasutra as 22nd
Tirthankara, the Jina glorified as "Rim
of the wheel of Dharma", son of Samudravijaya of Sauripura on the banks of
the river Yamuna. He was named
Neminatha because his mother
had seen in the dream a Nemi, outer rim
of a wheel”. Arishtanemi means
one who saves us from all harms. I do not know the significance of that dream
in Jain religion but I feel it is the prediction of the arrival of Neminatha as
the Ford founder or as Tirthankara one who leads us across the ocean of
Samasara and the redeemer of all our sins. That is why Venkateswara (Lord
who redeems all our sins) is visualized
as Neminatha by Jains and worshipped.
But Upanishads elaborate on
wheel of Dharma in several Mantras.
The Dharmachakra, Wheel of Dharma is
the Ashtamangala of Asiatic Religions of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhuism. The wheel is also the main attribute of
Vishnu, the Preserver aspect of Brahman. Wheel
of Dharma is also connected to four noble truths of Buddhism--Duhkha, Samudaya,
Nirodha and Marga as well as four Purushrthas in Hinduism in the wheel of Life
in --Dharma,
Arha, Kama and Moksha. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, first Vice
President of India stated that the Ashoka Chakra of India represents the Dharmachakra. Wheel of Dharma is the main symbol of the
Sarvbhauma/Chakravartin, Supreme Lord "wheel-turner", the ideal King
or "universal monarch", symbolizing the ability to cut through
all obstacles and illusions (Samsara). It is the symbolism of "the wheel of the
law" and the order of Nature. 24 spokes in Asoka chakra represent 24
letters of Gayatri Mantra symbolizing 24 names of Vishnu which are used to energize 24 human parts in
the body during Sandhyavandana. In
Jainism the Dharmachakra is worshipped as a symbol of the Dharma. The 24 spokes’ points on the Wheel of
Dharma may represent the 24
Tirthankaras, Neminatha being the 22nd. In non-Buddhist cultural contexts, an
eight-spoked dharma-chakra resembles a traditional wheel of the ship. May be
this wheel is held in reverence for the safety of life during sailing praying
to the Supreme. As a nautical emblem, this image is a common sailor
tattoo. In the Unicode computer
standard, the dharma-chakra is called the "Wheel of Dharma”.
Chhandogya Upanishad says Dharma is Sathyam and Sathyam is
Dharma. Sathyam consists of three syllables: Sat=Immortal; thi=mortal; yam
=what is being regulated. Therefore Sathyam means Supreme Being usually
translated as Truth and therefore Dharmachakra means all treading or pervading Supreme
Vishnu or Venkateswara who is also a Ford founder.
This wheel Dharmachakra or Brahmachakra is described in Vedas
and Upanishads by sages with different interpretations but all pointing to
Brahman. Please go through these narration in various Upanishads and also in
Buddhism. Though Buddha was silent on Brahman he introduced Dharma-chakra to his disciples for
the first time after enlightenment.
Prasna Upanishad
Ara iva rathanabhau kalaa yasmin pratishthitaah | tam vedya purusham
veda yathaa maa vo mrityuh parivyatha iti ||
The Self is the hub of
wheel of life, and the sixteen forms are only spokes. The self is the paramount
goal of life. Attain the goal and go beyond death! [The rim of a wheel gains
its strength and capacity as it is supported by the spokes rising from the hub]
“Pondering over Praana Supreme Being made desire; and from
desire he made ether, air, fire, water, earth, the senses and the mind and
food; and from food he made vigor, penance, the Vedas and sacrificial rites, and
all the worlds. Thereafter in the worlds
he created names. And the number of elements he created was sixteen. These
sixteen parts created from out of his
own being by the Self, the Eternal Seer, having returned to him from whom they
came, disappear in him--as the flowing
rivers whose destination is the sea, having reached disappear in it losing
their names and forms--their
destination, losing their names and forms, and people only speak of the Self.”
The sixteen parts are spokes projecting from the Self, who is the hub of the
wheel. The Self is the goal of knowledge.
Svetasvatara
Upanishad
Tamekanemim trivritam shoedasaantam
sataardhaaram vimsatprtyarabhih |
ashtakaih shadbhih visvarupaika-paasam tri-maargabhedam dvinimittaika
moham||Sv.up. 1-4||
They realized Him to be a form of wheel, having one rim,
having three constituents. Having sixteen ends, having fifty spokes, having
twenty middle spokes, having six groups
of eight each, having one bond of the cosmic form, having the difference of
three paths, and having an illusion that is the cause of two. [Paramatman is described metaphorically as a wheel. The one rim of wheel is Prakriti,
the three constituents are three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. The sixteen
modifications of matter are the sixteen ends. The fifty spokes are the fifty
Sanskrit letters beginning with “A”]
The vast Universe is a wheel. Upon it are all creatures that
are subject to birth, death and rebirth. Round and round it turns, and never
stops. It is the wheel of Brahman. As
long as the individual thinks it is separate from Brahman, it revolves upon the
wheel in bondage to the laws of birth, death and rebirth. But when through the
grace of Brahman it realizes its identity with him, it revolves upon the wheel
no longer. It achieves immortality.
Katha Upanishad
Yastvavijnaanavaan
bhavati ayuktena manasaa sadaa | Tasyendriyaanyavasyani dushtaasvaa iva
saaratheh || (Ka.
Up. 3-5 ||
The sense organs of that person who is ignorant forever with
his mind uncontrolled becomes uncontrolled just like wild horses for the
charioteer.
Yastu vijnaanavaan bhavati yuktena
manasaa sadaa | tasyenderiyani vasyaani sadasvaa iva saaratheh ||
Ka.Up. 3-6 ||
But for one, who has
gained knowledge (of the Aatman) and who has his mind always controlled by
sense organs becomes controlled like good horses for the Charioteer.
[The horses of the person who has good charioteer and reins
become obedient to him. In the same way the sense organs become controlled,
only in the event of intellect and mind being good].
Know that the Self is the rider, and the body the chariot;
that the intellect is the charioteer and the mind the reins. The senses, say
the wise, are the horses; the roads they travel are the mazes of desire. The
wise call the Self the enjoyer when he is united with the body, the senses and
the mind. When a person lacks
discrimination and his mind is uncontrolled, his senses are unmanageable, like
the restive horses of a charioteer. But
when a man has discrimination, and his
mind is controlled, his senses, like the well-broken horses of a charioteer,
lightly obey the rein. He who lacks discrimination, whose mind is unsteady and
whose heart is impure, never reaches the goal, but is born again and again. But
a person who has discrimination, whose mind is steady and whose heart is pure,
reaches the goal, and having reached it is born no more.
Mahanarayana
Upanishad
MNU also addresses Mother Earth as Aswakrante
, one who is traversed by horses; Vishnukrante,
one who is traversed by Vishnu and Rathakrante, one who is traversed by the
Chariot. This again reminds us of
Vishnu’s Trivikrama avatar in which he covered the entire earth with his foot, Vishnu who traverses the whole world
as Wheel of Dhrama or Brahamchakra and
who is All Pervading with his feet everywhere on Earth --“sarvatra paaninah paadau”.
Buddhism
The Ashoka Chakra at the center of Flag of India is a
depiction of the Dharma
chakra;
represented with 24 spokes. It is so called
because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka, most prominent
among which is the Lion Capital of Ashoka.
When Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, he came to Sarnath, on the outskirts of Varanasi. There, he found his five disciples Assaji, Mahānāma, Kondañña, Bhaddiya and Vappa, who had earlier abandoned him. He
introduced his first teachings to them, thereby establishing the Dharma chakra. This is the motive taken up by
Ashoka and portrayed on top of his pillars.
However, 12 out of the 24 spokes represent the
twelve causal links taught by the Buddha and pratītyasamutpāda (conditional arising). The first 12
spokes represent 12 stages of suffering. Next 12 spokes represent no cause no
effect. So, due to awareness of mind, formation of mental conditioning stops.
This process stops the process of birth and death to attain Nirvana.
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