Vedanta Sangamam

When I was trying to title this write up, I was thinking to myself, if it should be Sanskrit vs Tamil, Vedas vs Thirumurai, etc. Nevertheless, best is to take the less controversial stand. In today's Tamil world, being heavily influenced by the Dravidian movement, there are arguments against scripts in Sanskrit and the usage of them in rituals, etc. There are some folds of people who have started adopting Tamil language as their medium of rituals, Yagyas, prayers, Archanai, everything is being done using the Tamil language. Even Yantras have been 'translated', Sanskrit Acharas are being replaced with Tamil alphabets. These are some of the extremes that we see happening these days. I ask myself, is this for convenience or merely due to the fact that some (if not many) are Sanskrit illiterates? Then comes the argument if Sanskrit is the oldest language or Tamil is older than Sanskrit? Well, I'm not dwelling into this argument as it's totally ridiculous! On the con...

Thirunyanasambandhar is well known for rendition of hymns in praise of Lord Shiva. His hymns are classified as Thirumurai 1, 2 and 3 in the 12 Thirumurai compilation. Although his hymns are generally termed as Thevaram, but initially it was called as Thirukadaikaapu. Thirukadaikaapu forms the first 3 Thirumurai. Thirunyanasambandhar recited his first hymn at the age of 3. T hirunyanasambandhar lived during the 7th century. He was born in Seekaazhi, now wrongly called  Sirkali , and was believed to be breastfed by the goddess Parvati herself , whereupon he sang the first hymn. On the request of queen of  P andya d ynasty  (Mangaiyarkarasiyar),  Thirunyanasambandhar went on pilgrimage to south, defeated Jains in debate, the Jains' provoked Sambandhar by burning his house and challenging him to debate. Thirunyanasambandhar eventually won over them .  He was a contemporary of Appar, another Saiva saint. Both were thick friends and propagated Saivism teachings ...

I'm penning this article based on my own opinion and if it does not please you, my apologies for that... Sabari Malai has been revered as one of the most sacred pilgrimage destination for Hindus, in particular Ayappa devotees. In the history of mankind, the Sannidhanam never allowed woman pilgrims who have attended age and before menopause. As we all know, pilgrims to Sabari Malai are only allowed into the Sannidhanam after strict 48 days of fasting. Fasting includes dietary control, refraining from sexual pleasures, comfort, etc. Start of the 48 days fasting is initiated by a Guru and the devotee starts wearing Mala around the neck to signify this fasting period. Once the Mala is worn, the male devotee is required to perform prayers daily and recite the Naama of Swami Ayappa. Having said that, the mental and physical state of the devotee is fully devoted to the Lord of Sabari Malai. The steadfastness to take the tough journey through the mountains that reach the pilgrim spot i...

More often than not, people define spiritual maturity based on the ability to meditate, get enlightened, able to walk on fire, able to walk on water, blah blah blah. Here I'm not talking about enlightenment or awakening of the Chakras etc. Let us get to the fundamentals first. Steadfastness He or she who realizes the oneness in the nothingness and fulfillment in the emptiness. Ego-less, pride-less, living a simple life, no worldly desires, and nothing provokes him or her to be overly joyed or dismayed. the steadfastness and calmness under any circumstances goes to show that he or she has truly surrendered and accepts that what may come is the will of the almighty. Nothing floats you up high in joy and nothing could drown you down under is sorrow. These requires practice to master one's own emotions. Also, one who is steadfast does not lose trust in God and never gives up. Often we hear people say they have converted to a different religion or started to follow a differ...

Often times, I get questioned by people why do we do Tarpanam. The question arises in 2 context.  1. A non believer of God trying to question with narrow mindedness and with limited knowledge of Sanathana Dharma and with expectation that results that are not seen, heard, felt, tasted, spoken and smelled is untrue. 2. A true believer of God trying to gain knowledge and ensure that they perform a ritual meaningfully. For the first questioner, this article does not apply as these folks need to be approached in a different manner. This article is particularly for the 2nd questioner who is trying to understand the significance of the ritual and wants to perform the ritual for betterment. Starting with the definitions: Tarpanam comes from the word 'Trup' which means 'to satisfy others'. Tila Tarpanam is usage of Tila (black sesame seeds) to satisfy others. Why is Tila used instead of pepper corns, mustard seeds or even some tasty Pizza or Pasta?  Wh...