கோட்டைவிட்டோமோ அரண் எனும் கோட்டைகளை? - Have we lost the Forts?

கோட்டைவிட்டோமோ அரண் எனும் கோட்டைகளை? - Have we lost the Forts?

துர்கா தேவியை வணங்காதவர் அரிதிலும் அரிது.  The name துர்கா is derived from Sanskrit दुर्गम, transliterated it reads துர்கம்.  துர்கம் here refers to not easily penetrable strong Forts, கோட்டைகள்.  The saviour Goddess, who saves us from all worldly and beyond-worldly troubles, is thus named, Durga.

Across Bharat we have towns and cities having their names ending with Durg, கோட்டை.  E.g.,

ஊத்துக்கோட்டை

புதுக்கோட்டை 

செங்கோட்டை 

 பாளையங்கோட்டை

செஞ்சிக் கோட்டை

வேலூர் கோட்டை.

The Forts were constructed in large scale during those days of Rajas, மன்னர்கள் to protect their citizens from the attack by enemies.

There were strategies, plan how a Fort was to be constructed. Sastras have Mantras to add divine power to யக்ஞங்கள்.  The Same were applied in constucting massive Forts so that they had the Divine Force also in protecting. A few examples of such designs empowered by Mantra are:

Sri chakram 

ஷட்கோணம் 

Sudarshana chakram

Acharya used Sri Chakra ரூபம் to establish the whole city of Kanchipuram.

Govinda Dikshitar guided in establishing Thanjavur Fort  employing Eagle shape - கருட ரூபம்.

Maha Swami wraps it up with the painful words:

கோட்டை பற்றிய இப்படிப் பட்ட அருமையான தத்வங்கள், செய்முறை எல்லாவற்றையும் இப்போது நாம் கோட்டை விட்டுவிட்டு நிற்கிறோம்!.  பழைய கோட்டை அத்தனையும் relic- ஆக (இடிபாடக) நிற்க விட்டிருப்பது தான் நம் பெருமையாயிருக்கிறது!

P.s.:

The relic picture here's shot at Hambi.

Are you progressing? - Spiritually...

How do you measure?

விரும்பும் நற் செயலில் 

ஈடுபடும் சமயங்களிலும்,

மலர் செடிக்கோ,

நட்ட மரங்களுக்கோ 

நேரிடும் பொழுதும்,

யாதும் செய்யாது

கண்கள் மூடித்

த்யானிக்கின்ற

ஒவ்வொரு நொடிப் 

பொழுதும்

மனித சக்தியை

மீறிய தெய்வீக

ஆன்ம அனுபவத்தை

யாவரும் உணரலாம்.

அவ்வுணர்வு ஓர் 

சங்கிலித் தொடர்.

ஒரு முறை 

துளியெனும் உணர்ந்து

விட்டால் போதும்.

பின் எல்லாம்,

பாரதியின்,

' தீக்குள் விரலை வைத்தால் நந்தலாலா, நின்னைத் தீண்டும் இன்பம் தோன்றுதடா'

தான்.

The wrap quote :

"Meditation is not evasion, it is a serene encounter with reality."

 ― Thich Nhat Hanh

Vastu Shastra - Ilaiyarrakkudi sathas

Vastu Shastra - Ilaiyatrakkudi Sathas

Vastu Shastra comprises of sculpture - சிற்பம், architecture - கட்டிட நிர்மாணம்.

One Shri B.N. Shukla from Punjab participated in the ஸதஸ் - a meet where scholars assemble, discuss and debate on various disciplines - at the time Maha Swami was staying in இளையற்றக்குடி to observe sathurmasya vratam. Shri Shukla said Vastu Shastra is a upaveda - coming under one of the four prime Vedas, viz , Atharva Veda. He cited Prugu Veda Rishi wrote on Vastu Shastra.

Vastu Shastra as many are aware, though not in minute details, is concerned with building, construction, building plans and town planning as well. By the term building all edifices are covered, ranging from Temple, palaces, school, colleges, choultries, and houses of Am Aadmi.  We have all heard of Bhumi Puja while starting to construct a house. In fact it's to pay obeisance to Lord Vastu.

Every building activity is equated to a human anatomy. Like a human being has head, body and various other parts of body, a building should similarly sync in all aspects.  Vastu Shastra narrates all these meticulously. 

Many in real estate and building construction activity claim their projects are vastu compliant. I don't know if any Engineering college teaching civil engineering cares to derive from Vastu Shastra. We are clamoured to go copycat in building too.  What other Nations adapt, the same style is craved for.

Overall, holistic well being, good physical and mental health in a household has much to do with how vastu compliant one household is.

Imperative it's to have a vastu check of any household by an expert Vastu consultant.

Info courtesy: 

தெய்வத்தின் குரல் 

Vol 3, edn 27, Nov 21 pgs 730-732

Need vs Greed ....அத்தியாவசியம் vs பேராசை

Need vs Greed...

அத்தியாவசியம் vs பேராசை

'The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.' 

- Mahatma 

Mahatma was staunch believer in our Dharma Sastras.

Mahaswami, on the title of this, draws from our Sastras and saintly sayings from Our Rishis of yore. Here are a few nuggets from His quoting:

○Dharm Sastra:

Sastra stresses on 'अपरिग्रह , aparigraham, அபரிகிரஹம்.

What's அபரிகிரஹம்?

Sometimes we learn a term from the antonym of it. The same applies here to . பரிகிரஹம் means accumulating possession, wealth. Now you can deduce meaning of அபரிகிரஹம், i.e., not adding anything.

The logical corralary would bang on your ears, "Should I have not having anything at all?". The problem lies not with the metaphor but in our tendency to go literally at anything. But the spirit leads to some senses. Again to derive home, Mahaswami refers to Dharma Sastra.

According to Sastra,

' நீ ஜீவிப்பதற்கு எது அத்தியாவசியமோ அதற்கு அதிகமாக ஒரு துரும்புகூடச் சேர்த்துக் கொள்ளதே.". When translated, it means don't accumulate anything beyond your life's necessities.

○Patanjali in Yoga Sutra gives 5 stipulations, 'yama', யமாs:

Ahimsa - non violence 

Satyam - Truth

Asteyam - refrain from stealing 

Brhamacharyam and finally 

aparigraham

○Manu repeats the first three yamas, Ahimsa, Satyam and Asteyam and adds a fourth one viz., சௌசம், the cleanliness, which our Honourable PM time and again emphazises on. Perhaps Manu might have used சௌசம to mean aparigraham.

 

Maha Swami elucidates as Many might have thought, 

' தனக்கு அத்யாவசியமானதற்கு அதிகமாக ஒன்றைச் சேர்த்துக்கொண்டால் அதுவே திருட்டுத்தான்.". Meaning if one adds to his possession anything beyond his bare necessities, that tantamounts to theft.

In this sanchara, if we attempt to question Dharma Sastra, whether it's practical, Maha Swami emphasizes, " lest we incur any Dosha, anything incompatible to good living, we must follow aparigraha Dharma."

மௌன மனோலயம் - The beauty in Silence

மௌன மனோலயம் - The beauty in Silence

In some back piece, we were speaking of Mahaswami 's stressing on upavasam - vratam - உண்ணா நோன்பு.

Mahaswami just doesn't restrict to fasting. He advises on to observe yet another vratam - vratam of observing Silence, மெளனம்.

Like as per Sastras there are special occasions on which all - except children, elderly - have to compulsorily observe fasting, examples - Yekadasi, Maha Shivratri, Gokul ashtami, Ram Navmi etc., -, the Sastras prescribe special occasions for observing Silence.

Mahaswami goes on to say, while taking food, it's advisable not to speak. The mouth has two jobs, consuming and talking. Better do only one at a time. In doing so you control your taste buds. And you don't find fault in the food.

Best days to observe silence are Monday, the சோம வாரம், Thursday, the குரு வாரம், again the day of Yekadasi.

As Monday and Thursday are working days, one may choose the weekly holiday, Sunday.

Mahatma had very hectic schedule during his days as a freedom fighter. Yet, he never failed to observe silence at least once in a week.

Fasting and observing Silence complement each other. It's a double whammy. Takes you closer to your spiritual experience.

When we fritter our energy engaging in small talks, spreading trivialities, we indeed offend Goddess Saraswati, the deity for granting ability to learn good in life. The nakshatra, star of Goddess Saraswati is மூலம். This Moola nakshatra day too is a good occasion to observe silence.

And what's best, as Maha Swami says, is do dhyan, meditate at least for half an hour each day.

"Mediation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body."

 - Deepak Chopra

Every 💧 Drop...counts

Every 💧 Drop...counts

Sad fact is

You may ask

One day,

'where is this

Green 🍏 heaven?'.

Have we ever

Heard:

B'lore suffers

Water 💦 scarcity?

Time,

Plant saplings.

Stop 🛑

Glaciers melting.

Pinch yourself.

We are literally

Sitting on 

Fury, firey

Pans.

God,

Oh Lord Varun

Show us

Copius Mercy.