Their Holinesses, the Shankaracharyas of Kanchi, released Sri Kamakshi Seva Samithi's 'Hevilambi' "ஹேவிளம்பி" Calendar!! First and foremost, please find attached, the blessings of our Perivaas in the Srimukham. Very glad to inform that at Kanchipuram on 17th March 2017 on an Auspicious Friday, Pujya Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal and Pujya Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal released the Hevilambi Calendar! During various conversations with H.H. Pujya Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal on the making of Hevilambi Calendar, the theme got evolved, which is "Shanmatha" and "Guru Bhakti". The attached write-up is part of the Calendar (as shared by Kamakshi Seva Samithi KSS Trustee): Pujya Sri Bala Periyava: "Can you make a one-page table indicating Shanmatha days in each month and also Sukhla Panchami day for Adi Sankara, Anusham day for Maha Periyava and Avittam day for Our Periyava?" "Also, the Aradhanai days of all our Parampara Gurus - each month?" KSS Trustee: "If Periyava says, it should be possible". The attached one-pager was created! This last page of the Calendar contains Aradhana dates of each Guru in each month. There is a page listing our Guru lineage in the sequence of the Guru-peetam to refer to (it was there last year too). The shanmatha dates are given monthwise. On his next trip, Bala Periyava asked: "Can you add just one more page in the Calendar?" Only one page".
KSS trustee said, "Periyava knows how to add a page!". H.H. said : "Two things to be added - 1. Writeup about Cauvery Pushkaram, which will happen in September ; and 2. Jayaghosha. A set of shlokas, recited when Sankaracharys embarks on Yatra, arrives at a venue, ascends Simhasana, during temple honours and Puja & Annadana." KSS Trustee said reluctantly "will try". Then H.H. said, " Otherwise print this in a separate sheet and distribute along with the calendar!" Now, JAYAGHOSHA is part of the calendar. And a brief writeup on Cauvery Pushkaram as well. Blessed are the ones, to get a copy of this Holy Calendar, cherish & preserve this calendar forever!
Happy Tamil New Year "ஹேவிளம்பி" Jaya Jaya Sankara! Hara Hara Sankara!!
Thanks to Shri Rangarajan of Kamakshi Seva Samithi and Shri Krishnamurthy Guruvayurappan of KKSF for sharing this with us.
Those interested to get this calendar, please send an email to Shri Rangarajan at kamakshi.seva.samithi@gmail.com, mentioning your name and home address.
It was a time when the 33rd Shankaracharya of Sringeri HH Shivabhinava Mahaswamiji was the Jagatguru of the Sringeri Peetham. He was a Trikala Gnani. On seeing a person, He would know the qualities of that Person.
At one time, he was travelling on an aranya margam (through a forest). When it becomes saayankaalam Evening wherever they are, They will stop there itself and do Chandramoulishwara puja, at the Sringeri matham, that is the sampradayam.
When they put up the goodaaram (mandapam like) and were doing the puja, a forest ranger came by that way.
It was a forest…, there was no one there, so the Peetadhipathi's darsan was attained very easily.
He did namaskaram and got up. Immediately the Peetadhipathi looked at him and said, "I will tell you three qualities. Tell me to which you belong. "
"Please tell”, the Ranger said.
“1) The moment you get an Abhipraayam (opinion, impression) in your mind, is it your swabhaavam (nature) that even without enquiring for any details from the person with whom are interacting, you will start yelling and screaming at them, or
2) You will make enquiries with that person first and then get mad or
3) There is no question of making any enquiries, getting angry is my aishwaryam (my right)... is this your swabhavam?”, thus asked the Swamiji.
Why He asked so, Only He knows and the listener knows.
The Ranger said, "I belong to the first category. When I get angry, I will immediately assume the other person has done the mistake. I will not enquire why he did such and such a thing. I will at once assume the worst and give any kind of consequence, even very great ones, I have no habit of enquiring at all."
Mahaswamiji said, "You have come for my darshan, is it not?. There is only one gift I am giving you, you change to the second state. From now, when you get angry, stop for a bit, enquire, "why did you do so?", then you will understand how many mistakes you have committed till now in your life."
The Ranger left for home after the pooja at the Camp. It was late in the night. 9.30 -10.00 p.m. He reached home and told his cook, "I'm very hungry, serve food."
Without even a few pieces of boiled vegetables, the cook, brought two very thin small phulka rotis and kept it on the plate, trembling in fear.
The Ranger got very wild with anger. He normally eats 7-8 rotis with atleast 2 types of vegetables. But now only two thin rotis for him....
The Ranger thought, assuming I will not be coming, this cook has done this. Getting up immediately, he went to bash him up.
He immediately remembered the Peetadhipathi's words, "You're used to doling out sentences (consequences) without even enquiring about the reasons for an action right? Atleast come up to the second state."
He thought, “Let us change today”, and asked, "why did you bring only 2 rotis?"
The cook replied, “Since we were out of supplies, I sent the Attendant in the morning itself to buy them from the village, so that I could cook in the afternoon itself, but for what reason I do not know, but that attendant didn't come back with the supplies, he never ever does so.”
The cook continued, “I did not eat even lunch. (The ranger had had lunch.) Even though my tummy was rumbling in hunger, thinking that you might come home without eating anything, and eating without leaving anything for the master, is a mahapapam a big sin, I searched and found a little bit of flour and made 2 rotis with it and kept it for you.”
“But I did not eat anything and I do not know anything. I'm awaiting the attendant. Please forgive my fault of having kept only 2 rotis."
Tears welled up quickly in the eyes of The Ranger! He thought to himself, “What if I had beaten him up first, then the cook would not have said anything, since this is my habit of getting angry, listening has never been a part of my life. I have beaten up so many people, given so many punishments, in this manner.”
"Just this one time I have listened and learnt, with such difficulty. This man has kept back 2 rotis only for me, and I was about to beat him up!"
"Certainly, that Mahanubhaavaa , enquiring which group of these 3 I belonged to, asked me to try and move from the first to the second group, and went away."
"Just moving from the first to the 2nd group.,, I can find so many faults in me, I, keeping this anger near me, living without listening to anybody, how many people have I beaten up, how many sacks of sins have I earned….”, lamented the Ranger in regret. Ashamed with his actions, and crying, he made the cook eat those two rotis that day."
Chaganti Garu says, "The reason I am pleading with you thus is, You can yourself discern Your faults.
You don't need anybody as an x-ray machine in front of you, to know your shortcomings. You should analyse and become aware or your faults yourself. When you start rectifying your faults, the service you do to society is so great, you will become a huge mahavruksham a big banyan tree useful to the community.
Please click on the above 5.25 minute video, which is narrated by Shri Chaganti Koteswara Rao in Telugu. This is a lovely translation of that video.
Sunday May 7th 2017: 'Paramacharya - The Sage of Kanchi' A Grand Musical Discourse on Kanchi Mahaperiyava.
Performed by The Asthana Vidwans from Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham led by Shri TH Subhash Chandran on the Ghatam/Konakkol at Bharatiya Temple, Troy, Michigan in the US.
This musical Discourse is Free for All - Donations Welcome.
Please see all the details in the uploaded flyer.
For more info/tickets please call 734-495-3569. Please mark your calendars and enjoy that Sunday weekend in Troy, Michigan!
I once went to a place called Vaasangere in Karnataka to have His darshan. He was camping in the mines area which belonged to Sandur Maharaja. Kanchi Mahaswamigal was a sitting on a tarpaulin along with the other devotees. Annathurai Iyengar of Veda Raksha Nidhi Trust was also there with a few students from his Veda Patashala. It was around 10.30 in the night. The Sandur Maharaja, Maharani and their son were also there. His son was a Reader in the Department of Mathematics at Yale University in the US. He had a PhD degree in Maths. His parents were standing there respectfully before Him but he appeared to be quite casual. Swamigal conversed with the Maharaja and Maharani in Kannada for a while. After a while He turned towards their son and asked, "Where do you live? What are you doing?" "I am a Reader in Maths Dept at Yale University", he replied. "What have you studied, you have done your PhD in which branch of Maths", He asked. Their son did not answer for a minute, hesitating to reply as he was unsure if Swamigal could make sense of what he had studied. His father goaded him to reply. "Quantum Theory", he said, matter-of-factly. Swamigal drew a +ve sign on the mud and circled it; He also drew a -ve sign and circled it. Pointing to the two signs Swamigal asked him, "Did you use the positive or the negative approach in your Quantum Theory PhD thesis study?" Their son who was a bit indifferent until then, was startled to hear this from Him. He was trembling for words and suddenly became more respectful and replied: "Positive Approach." "Why did you not take the Negative Approach, will you do you it later", He asked. "It is difficult to use the Negative Approach", he said. Swamigal looked at Annathurai Iyengar and said, "He is saying it is difficult; can you ask the Veda students to recite this particular verse from Rig Veda?", and prompts them with first two words. The students recited that particular verse for 5 minutes.
After this He turned to their son and said, "you must have obtained your PhD in your 24th or 25th year correct?" "In my 25th year", said he. "Rig Veda, the verse which you heard now, talks both about the Positive and the Negative approaches", He said. The son was astonished and requested the students to recite the verse again. "Are you now thinking that you need not have spent lakhs and lakhs of rupees for your 25 years of education and if only you had studied the Vedas you would have learnt this Truth in just 7 years?!", replied Lord Parameshwara. ***** Narrated by Shri Thiruvannamalai Gowrishankar Mama! Yale University is one of the top universities in the world, but obviously not a match for the Vedas!
Sandur is 53 kms from Bellary in Karnataka. The Maharaja's palace seen in one of the pictures is now Shivavilas Palace Hotel.
In the first picture, Swamigal is seen performing His Anushtanams at Sandur in 1978 during Satara Vijaya Yatra. He is seen taking a Holy Dip in Holy Tungabhadra river in Sandur in the same year.
Oh, what I would give to be one of the devotees near Him there!
Kanchi Pudhu Periyava reminisces: It was in Kalavai where Kanchi Mahaperiyava was staying that time in the early 1970s. MGR had come there to get Swamigal's blessings for his new political party AIADMK. I was standing a few feet away from Periyava and MGR. There was a Mango tree near us and from it fell a cluster of leaves.
It had Two Leaves in it. MGR saw it and took it to be Swamigal's blessings and immediately decided that Two Leaves will be his party's symbol!
2017 is the Centenary year for MGR. He would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year.
Karadaiyan Nombu, or Savitri Nonbu Vratham, is a Tamil observance in which a married woman prays for the well being and long life of her husband. Karadaiyan Nombu 2017 date is March 14 and time of breaking of fast and to wear Saradu is between 4:45 PM and 5:15 PM (India Standard Time). In USA, it is on March 14. In Australia, Malaysia and Singapore it is on March 14. It is observed on the particular day when the transition between the Tamil months Maasi and Panguni takes place. Karadai is the name of a unique nivedya (holy dish) prepared on this day. Nombu means Vratam or upvasam (fast). Karadaiyan Nombu is observed in remembrance of the Satyvan – Savitri legend. A princess, Savitri through her unparalleled devotion saved her husband, Satyvan, from the clutches of death. This legend is very popular in India and there are several other observances based on this legend like the Vat Savitri Puja. Savitri Nonbu Vritham is observed at the exact time when Masi month ends and Panguni begins. On the Vratam day married women fast and break the fast by eating the Karadai preparation with butter. The preparation is known as Karadai nombu adai - the festival takes its name from the unique Kara Adai dish. It is believed that Savitri cooked such a dish and offered it to Lord Yama along with unmelted butter as a sort of thanksgiving for sparing her husband’s life. Another important ritual is the wearing of the Kaaradai nombu saradu, which is a yellow thread, around the neck. Please refer to the Mantras in the above flyer/ Thanks to Deepa Karthik for sharing this with us. Source of details of the Nonbu is www.hindu-blog.com. Nonbu picture is from the internet. Here is a Bonus: "It is your duty to perform Karadayan Nombu and take Adai Prasadam!" Kanchi Mahaperiyava is for dharmaswarupam, simplicity. From Him we can learn the nuances of dharma sastram. This was the experience of the Pollachi Jayam Patti. During Masi/Panguni, Karadayan nombu will be done by ladies. The timing of the nombu depends upon the birth of the tamil month. Sometimes the month time will come late. So ladies will be ‘madi’, in full purity, for performing the nombu. For Pollachi Jayam Patti, everything is Periyava. So she decided to perform the karadaiyan nombu where Periyava was camping. She had also planned to prepare some delicious 'adais' and distribute to kaingarya devotees. As kaingarya devotees were also known to this woman devotee, Pollachi Jayam Patti prepared the dish and invited all the kaingariya devotees for taking of ‘adais'. After performing the nombu, she was waiting for the arrival of kaingarya devotees but they did not turn up! So Pollachi Jayam Patti was full of 'thapam', sadness and was before Periyava. The kaingariya devotees told Patti that Periyava never gave permission to visit the place and partake the ‘adais'! Pollachi Jayam mami felt very despondent as she had prepared the dishes with so much earnestess and with full ‘madi' ie with fullest of purity. When she was before Periyava, He asked her, "What day is today?” She replied it was Sunday. On He said, "On Sundays, as per sastras, we are not supposed to take after sunset". As Periyava had said that we must not take food after sunset on Sundays, Jayam Patti felt that she did the wrong thing as she had taken the Adai prasadam after performing the karadaiyan nombu. Periyava said, "It is your duty to perform Nombu and take food. So you have not violated the sastras. So there is no pavam sin to you!" After that Patti was satisfied with Periyava’s reply. Thus Periyava observed nuances of sastras and also took care to see that His devotees followed the sastras. That is why He is our Acharya! ***** Translation of Shri Ganesa Sharma's talk by Shri Cuddalore Jayaraman. What a beautiful incident. A very blessed Karadayan Nonbu to everyone!
Thanks a bunch to Shri Hariharan for this precious 19:32 long video of Kanchi Mahaperiyava.
Shri Subramanian Kalyanaraman son of famous neurosurgeon Dr S Kalyanaraman says:
"HH blessings. Thanks to the dear daughter Vindhya Peddada who chanced upon this video at midnight and many more thanks to Hari Haran for preserving and posting this video on facebook, I see myself at 16 minute 38 seconds and my father Dr Kalyanaraman. My father refers to a severe jaundice he recovered from and is seen with dark frame glasses. I am introduced as Mani, son of Dr Kalyanaraman seen nearer the camera with gold rim glasses and Thamarai mani malai around my neck that is still safe with me today after nearly 30 years.
Though I do not remember this particular event, I am blessed to receive a fruit from HH himself as He retires from the dharshan platform. In the background a message comes from 'pal doctor' (dentist) as my late grandfather was referred to, in his own voice, saying he would come back soon to take permanent residence at Periva's feet at Sri Matam.
Thank you once again. Am overwhelmed."
Famous dancer Smt Padma Subrahmanyan is also seen in the video, she is seen in the last picture.
