How did he manage to feed?

The war is declared. Both the parties are busy wooing supporters from all over the country. Every ruler was aware that this war will bring nothing but destruction. Whether you like it or not, they were forced to support either of the parties.

Mahabharata as such has many short stories with morals but as usual, we hung on to the main story & not the morals.

two sides call for armies to their help and lined up at Kurukshetra. The Kingdoms of Panchala, Dwaraka, Kasi, Kekaya, Magadha, Matsya, Chedi, Pandya (Malayadwaj) and the Yadus and some other clans like the Parama Kambojas were allied with the Pandavas.

The allies of the Kauravas included the kings of Pragjyotisha, Anga, Kekaya, Sindhudesa, Mahishmati, Avanti in Madhyadesa, Madra, Gandhara, Bahlikas, Kambojas and many others.

Udayan Cheraladan, the Chera King did not want war. He wanted to support neither Pandavas nor Kauravas. He came out with an amicable option that was acceptable to both Duryodana and Yudishtir.

We are not done yet, Covid-19 is striking again, courtesy, lack of discipline among the people, the election crowd adds to the woes. However, this post is not about Covid-19 but a worse virus than that - politics and politicians.

For the first time, it seems that, there is a consolidation happening as far as Hindus & Hindu votes are concerned. All along, the perception in Tamil Nadu is, if someone hurts the sentiments of SanatanDharm (read Hindus), it was an attack on Brahmins & not the rest of the Hindus

Anti-Hindu statements and actions were treated as anit-Brahmin activities. Others accepted perhaps due to the green-eyed monster existed in them or an inferiority complex they nurtured all along.

Why attack Brahmins? Because they are the soft-targets. They are the easy-punching-bags who would never retaliate. It was tried to throttle the growth of Brahmins with reservation to the tune of 70%, however, that opened another growth path for the Brahmins.

They did not flee but they pursued their career and flourished. Still, there are many, glued to their roots.

Injimedu is a village near Tiruvannamalai district.

Injimedu, is better known as Sri Narasimha puram, and is located on the banks of Cheyyar (Bahunadhi) 24 km from Vandavasi and 140 km from Chennai and was established by Sixth Jeeyar of Sri Ahobila Matam.

It's believed that various yajñá were performed here in this village for Lord Sriman Narayanan and thus called as Yagamedu (Yagnavedhikai) which over the years came to be known as Injimedu..

Kalyana Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Sanithi:

Narasimhar in amarndtha kolam(Sitting Posture) with senchulakshmi thayar in his lap. Thayar is seeing lord with one eye and with other eye bakthas. Also we have Prahalad next to them.

In here we can see narasimhar wearing sri pathuka denoting he is ready to start when we have bakthas calling him.

Prarthana Sthalam.

Prarthana are done to lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swami for any marriage related obstacles and any other doshas.

Yoga!
Many times we do Asanas Pranayams but we don't get the result we desire
We desire weight loss
We desire freedom from stress
But we achieve little
We instead get stressed by Yoga itself - 1/

The problem is just breath control and posture is just a small part of Yoga
The real path of Yoga is explained beautifully by the Bhagavad Gita.
I have read Gita written by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
and by Swami Chinmayananda.
Gita beautifully explains thus - 2/

Yoga is just not a philosophy but a philosophy in action. It's about lifestyle
-Sankhya Yoga - 3/

Devotion to the universe environment all-pervading Nature I.e. God
Bhakti Yoga
Which is better
The renunciation of action or practice of Yoga? It's neither
Performance of actions in Yoga or Yoga of action I.e Karma Yoga is the best - 4/

Striving for knowledge and gaining wisdom all life
Gnana Yoga.
Doing all the above without seeking any returns or bound by attachment can be performed by one who controls the mind
Raja Yoga - 5/

Varuthini Ekadashi
Amongst the twenty-four Ekadashi’s of a year, Varuthini Ekadashi falls on the eleventh day of dark fortnight Krishna Paksha of the month of Vaisakha (April-May).

It’s believed that Bhagavan Krishna said Yudhishthira that this is the most effective of all the Ekadashi’s due to several benefits it confers on the observers. Per Puranas when people has this vrat observed they would be receiving immense benefits.

It’s believed that women who does takes this vrat will become fortunate and shall achieve prosperity during the birth and liberation. Also, to be noted that this has the power to save the common lot from repeated rebirths.

Ex: From pasts we have many incidents that give proves that one who observes this vrat are benefited and one such incident is this – There was king named Mandhata who observed this Ekadashi and was liberated,

also we have Dhundhumara from Ikshvaku dynasty who was punished by Shiva with leprosy for his misdeed to be relieved from his condition as he was advised to do so.

Is a high voter turnout usually a sign of anti-incumbency? Or so the experts would make us believe! The argument is that the anti-incumbency, which in general manifests itself as anger among voters, encourages more people to cast votes.

However, it is not as simple and straight as it sounds. High voter turnout could also be a reflection of a strong pro-incumbency sentiment; when voters feel strongly in favour of the incumbent government, they like to come out in large numbers and express their support.

In a multi-party, coalition-oriented, post-poll & pre-poll alliances, representative politics, West-minister-style democracy such as India, the definition of anti-incumbency is definitely unclear.

For example, if the member of Parliament (MP) of a constituency sat in the opposition benches, and people prefer voting him/ her, is it being pro- or anti-incumbency? How do we define our position with respect to incumbency if a party MP changes sides in the national alliance?

Even simpler, what if our MP decides to cross the floor and seek re-election on the ticket of the opposing party?

Sri Adi Jagannatha Perumal with Consorts, Sri Dharba Sayana Rama, Thirupullani, near Rameswaram, TN.

It is believed that Rama used grass ('pul' in Tamil as a pillow ('Thalai anai' in Tamil) to sleep and hence the village attained the name Thiruppullani.

As per Hindu legend, Rama is believed to have done penance to worship the Samudraraja (God of Ocean) to seek way to Lanka in
Kusa grass (Dharba grass), the act of which is described in Sanskrit as 'Dharba Sayanam'.

The temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE.

It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Who is worshiped as Adi Jagannatha and his consort Lakshmi as Padmasini.

The shrine of Adi Jagannatha houses the image of Adi Jagannatha, Bhudevi and Sri Devi in sitting posture.

Childless couple perform a worship called 'Naga Pradishta' (installing a statue of Snake God) in the temple.

'Payasam' (Sweet Pudding) is offered to childless couple praying for a child.

It is believed that Lord Adi Jaganatha bestows a child like Lord Rama when such a worship is performed.

Why do we light a lamp?

Close to every Indian home a lamp is ignited daily before the altar of the God. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day – at dawn and dusk – and in a few it is maintained endlessly - Akhanda Deepa.

@AhamPricchami @varshaparmar6

All auspicious functions begin with the lighting of the lamp, is often maintained right through the occasion.

Light symbolises knowledge, and darkness - ignorance. The God is the "Knowledge Principle" (Chaitanya) who is the source, the invigorator and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the God himself.

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also, knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence, we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth.

Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolises our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego.

thEvudaiyameenamaay_aamaiyaay_Enamaay
ariyaaykkuRaLaay
moovuruviniraamanaayk
kaNNanaaykkaRkiyaaymudippaankOyil
sEvalodupedaiyannam
sengamalamalarERi_oosalaadi
poovaNaimElthudhaindhezhu
sempodiyaadiviLaiyaadumpunalarangamE.
(Periyazhwar Thirumozhi on Srirangam)

The One who took avataram of Mathsyam, Koormam, Narasimham, Vaamanam, three
Ramams (Parasu Raman, Bala Raman, Kothanda Raman), Krishnan, and Kalki et
al, - taking such avatharams to protect the virtue and saadhus
and,
to destroy the wicked (asurAs) –

Such grandest Lord’s temple is Srirangam divya
Desam-

where the swans (male and females) jointly swim on the red lotus flowers, climb to the bank of the river and drop the powders stuck on their
bodies on the flower bed on land.

EmperuMAn’s avatharams are based on only His krupaa and His sankalpam.

Along with His appearance, the krupa roopi PiraaTTi (the embodiment of daya-
mercy) also takes the respective avatarams to be with the Lord as Nithya anapaauinee

Karma an Insight.
Karma is a well-known eastern mystical concept by the west. In layman’s language, it’s a process of Cause & Effect. This is about experience & fulfilment of purpose. Karma isn’t about the punishment.

The idea that we are punished for sins is, perhaps, a man-made form of social control. In essence, there is nothing called absolute right or wrong or Good or Bad. We are nothing to decide what is good and what is bad?

I remember Tamil poet quoting that “we are unaware of what is good and bad so, feed me good ones and drive away from me the bad ones”. What is good to you might be bad to others. Ahimsa is good but if a lion practiced it how can it survive?

We cannot decide what is good and bad as we do not have a universal scale to measure it. The first step in dealing with karma is awareness and acknowledgment of it. Are there any themes that seem to recur throughout our life?

Nothing happens by chance. Recurrent themes suggest the existence of karma. Once one understands the karmic themes of incarnation one can start working with them, ie swim with the tide rather than against it.

Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple bells, Tirumala, Tirupathi.

🔔 THE SCIENCE BEHIND TEMPLE BELLS 🔔

Most of the old temples 🚩 have large bells 🔔 at the entrance of the temple 🚩 and you need to ring 🔔 them before you enter temple.

Temple bells🔔 have a scientific phenomena; it is not just some ordinary metal.

It is made of various metals including
🔴cadmium,
🔘lead,
🔶copper,
🔷zinc,
◽nickel,
🔱chromium
and
🔵manganese.

The proportion in which each one of them is mixed, is the real science behind a bell. 🔔

Each of these bells 🔔 is made to produce such a distinct sound 🌟 ⚡that it can create unity of your 🌜left and right 🌛 brain.

The moment you ring that bell, 🔔 bell produces a sharp but lasting sound ⚡which lasts for minimum of seven 7⃣ seconds in echo 📡 mode good enough to touch your seven healing centres 😇 or chakras in your body.

The moment the bell 🔔 is sounded, your brain is emptied of all thoughts.

Invariably you will enter the state where you are very receptive. 😑

This Trans state is the one with awareness.

#Thread

The warning bell for BJP?
2019 May & 2024 - What could be the situation?

BJP loses Bengal:
The Congress & the left parties arose unitedly. Furthermore, the Furfura Sharief had locked hands with them building a front that the Ms could not but love. 1/n

Owaisi could not ally but was sure to split the M votes. The Hindus were disgruntled with the M appeasement of TMC. The critics from the state opined that Hindus were spoiling to teach Didi a lesson. 2/

So, with Ms going the other way and Hindus favoring the BJP, TMC was placed between a rock and a hard place. Bengal was ripe for an important change. 3/

This was the perception created by the media neglecting the reality on the ground. BJP & its local leaders were sitting on an ivory tower & having their calculations based on the defections. Perhaps, a deja-vu feel of the 2004 Shining India campaign?4/

At the dawn of 2nd of May, we found that none of the analyzed forecasts based on observations did happen. The Ms were careful and calculative not to allow splitting of their votes, at the last hour, apparently concluded that the didi was their biggest benefactor. 5/

குரங்குகள் மலையை தூக்கக் குளித்துத்தாம் புரண்டிட் டோடி

தரங்கநீ ரடைக்க லுற்ற சலமிலா அணிலம் போலேன்

மரங்கள்போல் வலிய நெஞ்சம் வஞ்சனேன் நெஞ்சு தன்னால்

அரங்கனார்க் காட்செய் யாதே அளியத்தே னயர்க்கின் றேனே.

(தொண்டரடிப் பொடியாழ்வார் - திருமாலை - மூன்றாந் திருமொழி)

Meaning:

ஸ்ரீராமாவதாரத்தில் பெருமாள் இலங்கைநகர் எழுந்தருள்வதற்காகக் கடலில் அணை கட்ட நேர்ந்தபோது,

வாநர வீரர்கள் மலைகளைக் கொணர்ந்து எறிந்து, கடலைத் தூர்ப்பதைக் கண்ட சில அணிற்பிள்ளைகள்,

"இவ்வாநரங்கள் தமது சக்திக்கு இயன்ற காரியத்தைச் செய்து பெருமாள் விஷயத்திலே தொண்டு செய்தால்,

நாமும் நமது சக்திக்கு ஏற்றவாறு இப்பெரிய காரியத்திலே சிறிது தொண்டு செய்வோம்" என்றெண்ணினவாம்.

உடனே, எல்லா அணிற்பிள்ளைகளும் கடலிலே முழுகுவது, உடனே அந்த ஈரவுடம்போடே, கரை மேல் மணலில் புரண்டு, உடலில் ஒட்டிக்கொண்ட மணல்களைக் கடலிலே கொண்டு உதறுவதாய் இப்படிப்பட்ட ஒரு காரியத்திலே,

ஸேதுபந்தன கைங்கரியத்திற்கு உதவி புரிந்ததாக ஒரு இதிஹாஸம் உண்டு;

அதனை அருளிச் செய்கிறார் ஆழ்வார் முன் இரண்டடிகளில்.

"அம்மாதிரி வாநரங்கள் போலவும், அணிற்பிள்ளைகள் போலவும், சரீர ச்ரமப்பட்டு ஒரு கைங்கரியமும் செய்யமுடியாமற் போயினும்,

நெஞ்சாலேயாவது எம்பெருமானை நினைத்து, அவ்வழியாலே பகவத் கைங்கர்யபரர்களில் ஒருவனாக நிற்கலாமே;

Krishnaranya Kshetram - Sri Amaruviappan Temple, Therazhundur, TN.

A tall and handsome 12 feet Lord Devathi Rajan is flanked on His right by Prahalad and on His left by Garuda.

Standing posture of Garuda alongside the Lord is a unique feature here.

Indra once presented Garuda a gold ornament and a vimanam.
It is said that Garuda gave the Vimanam at this temple ( and the Gold ornament was given to Thiru Narayanan at Melkote near Mysore).
Happy at this gesture of Garuda, the Lord accorded him a special status at this temple

with a position alongside Him at the sanctum sanctorum, a unique feature at a Divya Desam.

Normally one finds Garuda opposite the Lord but here he is seen next to the Lord Himself.

Prahalad wants a ‘softer’ darshan!!!

Prahalad, who had seen an aggressive and angry Lord Vishnu killing Hiranyakashipu in his Narasimha Avataar, undertook penance here wanting to see a softer, quieter version of the Lord.

Legend has it that the Lord gave darshan to Prahalad here in His not so ‘angry form’.

Today Thirunakshatram Kulashekara Azhwar 🙏
He is the amsam of lords Kausthubha and was born in the month of masi in punarvasu.
He rendered a prabhandham called Perumal Thirumozhi -105 pasurams.

In thiruvanjikalam the capital city of chera Nadu,the king dhrudavradhan and his queen worshipped their favourite deity.

With the blessings of Narayana their prayers were answered and the queen delivered a child on the suklapaksha dwadesi,punarpoosa nakshathiram ,maasi month.

Realising the entire kingdom was blessed by the birth of this child ,the happy parents named him Kulasekaran.

Great love for Narayana Kulasekaran lost interest in ruling his kingdom. so he made his son Dridavratan the king of the land and went on pilgrimages ,Yatra to various Divya desams like srirangam, thirumalai,thirukannapuram,thiruchitrakoodam to have divine dharshan of perumal.

In the song he composed for Thirumalai Tiruvenkatamudaiyan....

ChediyAya valvinaigal thirukkum thirumaie
Nediyanae vengkatava !Nin Koyilin vachal
adiyarum vanavarum arambaiyarum kidanthiyanggum
Padiyayk kidanthu un pavala vayk kannbene

According to the Mahabharata, there are 14 reasons for sadness.

Yudhishthira goes to meet Bhishma, who is dying, after the Kuru war, amid a victory that has come at a high cost.

Yudhisthira's inquisitive conversation with Bhishma, which takes place here, spans the Mahabharata's Shanti and Anushasana parvas.

Yudhishthira asks Bhishma in this discussion, "What causes a person to be sad? Why do people experience pain?"

Bhishma's response is lengthy, spanning roughly 18 shlokas. He enlists for a variety of reasons, both intrinsic and external.

Reason 1 – Regardless of worldly comforts, being in a foreign location, away from home and loved ones, causes gnawing loneliness. They become longing and yearning as a result of this.
(There is a great phrase in Welsh that describes this feeling for home — hiraeth.)

Reason 2 – It could be due to personal shortcomings, but when a person is abandoned by their friends and loved ones, their home feels like a foreign land, which makes them unhappy.

Sri Srinivasa Perumal, Srirangam, TN.

--------------------------------------------

The temple is 1/2km south of the Ranganathaswamy Temple Raja Gopuram on the way to Amma Mandapam just after the Mangamma Nagar Arch.

The beautiful Salagrama idol was installed by Palahari Purushottama Ramanuja Jeer (I) around 450 years ago.

The belief is that devotees visit this temple to get diseases cured, that is not cured otherwise by the doctors.

It is also believed that missing people are found if one offers his sincere prayers at this temple.

“How can I achieve spiritual enlightenment?” you might wonder. ” The journey to spiritual enlightenment is difficult and lengthy, requiring honesty, bravery, and vulnerability. But the truth is that spiritual enlightenment is possible for everybody. 1/n

To become spiritually enlightened, follow these four easy actions. 2/n

1.Increase your understanding rather than your information.
Spiritual enlightenment is defined as being aware of one's surroundings (mindfulness), letting go of all sorrow and suffering, and adopting higher feelings like compassion, healing, serenity, and love. 3/n

When we no longer flee from fear, rage, or hatred, but instead confront it with objectivity, compassion, and understanding, we achieve spiritual enlightenment. 4/n

Reading can assist us in comprehending the path to enlightenment, how others have attained it, and how it manifests in the world around us. 5/n

Tata Motors has declared prices for its Electric Car Nexon EV.
Starting at 13.99 Lakhs.
One charge of 30 KWH (units) it can go over 300 km. Which is 10 km on one unit. Which comes to 70 paise per km.
Electric cars are 5 times more efficient than Petrol or Diesel cars.

With 8 years / 1,60,000 km warranty on Battery.
Subsidy of @ 3L for business buyers in Gujarat.
IT waiver of @1.5 L for individual buyers/depreciation
Additional state subsidy of 1L in Maharashtra. Road tax and RTO fee waiver in Maharashtra.

Install 6 kW of Solar and you get free power for full charge, i.e., 300 km of free and clean fuel every Sunny Day!
No gears, no smoke, almost no noise, less maintenance !
Great acceleration and speed too.

Anyone considering buying a new car should check it out. If you use your car @ 3000 km / month, then the savings on fuel cost will make your car free in 4/5 years!

One's contribution for saving environment is priceless!