Guest guest Posted December 9, 2002 Report Share Posted December 9, 2002 AUM gaNapataye namaH In the numerous sets of Thousand Names of the Goddess, there is a name common to many of them: "kadamaba vana vAsinI" -- "She Who Resides in the Forest of Kadamba Trees." This name is applied to Lalita Mahatripurasundari, Kali, Bala, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Durga, Matangi, and others. This reoccurence shows the essential unity among all the various Goddesses. It also shows that the Goddess is immanent and trascendant in the universe, for the forest of kadamaba trees is said to symbolize the universe. She resides in and among the trees, but She is not the trees Herself. Not only important to the Goddess, the kadamba also figures prominently in Vaishnava literature. Lord Krishna and his divine consort Radha are always depicted as standing under the kadamba tree. Krishna is shown as playing the flute and around Him are assembled the cows, the peacock, the gopis and Radha. The leaves of the kadamba tree are said to reflect the glow of the gopis' love for Krishna. Legend has it that Krishna was also the slayer of Kaliya Naga, a giant snake whose breath was so venomous that all creatures that came within a few miles of it were destroyed. This serpent inhabited a poisonous lake and the only thing that grew on a small island in the middle of the lake was the kadamba tree. The story goes that the kadamba was able to survive there because Garuda, Vishnu's eagle, had perched on it when he flew back from heaven after drinking the immortal nectar (amrita). As he sat on a branch of the Kadamba, he wiped his beak against its branches and a drop of amrita fell on the tree, making it immortal. The kadamba is also associated with the founding of the city of Madras. In ancient times, the god Indra killed the demon Vrinda. Vrinda was a Brahmin and so Indra was cursed for Brahmahatya, the slaying of a Brahmin. To shake off the curse he was told to find the most sacred spot on earth. Indra wandered all over the world and in his travels, he passed through a forest of kadamba trees. Suddenly the curse lifted from him and he became free. He looked around him to find out what this sacred spot could be. There reclining under the shade of a beautiful kadamba tree, was Shiva in the form of a Lingam. Indra built a huge canopy over this Lingam and thus, the first modern temple came into being. In time, the forest temple became the city of Madras. This auspicious tree and its flowers are used in festivals and worship. During the May-June season, a festival to Murugan is held in Palani called Agni Natchattram Festival. During this peak period of summer, the kadamba blossoms around the foothills of Palani Hills and special poojas are performed for Palani Murugan. In the early morning, piligrims and locals wearing the kadamba flower on their hair circumambulate the holy Palani Hill while the kadamba flowers blossom. Saint Arunagiri Nathar has mentioned in his great work ThiruPugal that the kadamba flower is the foremost flower to offer for Muruga worship The kadamba festival in Orissa and West Bengal is celebrated by agricultural communities. On the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra, the kadamba tree is planted ceremoniously. Leaves of the Sal tree are offered to it along with cucumber and vermilion, followed by music and dance. Worshipping the kadamba tree is supposed to ensure wealth and children. Besides stories and worship, kadamba has other uses. It is said to aid gastric irritability and fevers in children. The timber is used for matches and plywood. The bark of the tree is used as an antiseptic. Finally, its flower is considered to posses medicinal value because of its unique aroma. Since kadamba symbolises love and devotion, aromatic kadamba incense is associated with lord Krishna. >From the auspicious kadamba tree, we get various tales of oneness, transcendance, immanence, curse-lifting, city-founding, festivals, worship, and medicine. Let the kadamba inspire us as it has inspired countless mortals and immortals before us. All hail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 9, 2002 Report Share Posted December 9, 2002 Namaste Sivadancer! Thanks much for this post. I was always wondering with all this talk about kadamba, no one pointed out that our devi herself is kadamba vana vasini from the lalitha sahasranamam. I think the story of the Indra getting moksham from the lingam happened in Madurai, not madras; the lingam is Halasyanathan, Lord Sunderaswara of Madurai. This story is detailed in the Halasyamahathmyam, which is the sthala purana of the Meenakshi temple at Madurai. yogaman , "sivadancer <sivadancer>" <sivadancer> wrote: > AUM gaNapataye namaH > > In the numerous sets of Thousand Names of the Goddess, there is a name > common to many of them: "kadamaba vana vAsinI" -- "She Who Resides in > the Forest of Kadamba Trees." This name is applied to Lalita > Mahatripurasundari, Kali, Bala, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Durga, Matangi, > and others. This reoccurence shows the essential unity among all the > various Goddesses. It also shows that the Goddess is immanent and > trascendant in the universe, for the forest of kadamaba trees is said > to symbolize the universe. She resides in and among the trees, but She > is not the trees Herself. > > Not only important to the Goddess, the kadamba also figures > prominently in Vaishnava literature. Lord Krishna and his divine > consort Radha are always depicted as standing under the kadamba tree. > Krishna is shown as playing the flute and around Him are assembled the > cows, the peacock, the gopis and Radha. The leaves of the kadamba tree > are said to reflect the glow of the gopis' love for Krishna. > > Legend has it that Krishna was also the slayer of Kaliya Naga, a giant > snake whose breath was so venomous that all creatures that came within > a few miles of it were destroyed. This serpent inhabited a poisonous > lake and the only thing that grew on a small island in the middle of > the lake was the kadamba tree. The story goes that the kadamba was > able to survive there because Garuda, Vishnu's eagle, had perched on > it when he flew back from heaven after drinking the immortal nectar > (amrita). As he sat on a branch of the Kadamba, he wiped his beak > against its branches and a drop of amrita fell on the tree, making it > immortal. > > The kadamba is also associated with the founding of the city of > Madras. In ancient times, the god Indra killed the demon Vrinda. > Vrinda was a Brahmin and so Indra was cursed for Brahmahatya, the > slaying of a Brahmin. To shake off the curse he was told to find the > most sacred spot on earth. Indra wandered all over the world and in > his travels, he passed through a forest of kadamba trees. Suddenly the > curse lifted from him and he became free. He looked around him to find > out what this sacred spot could be. There reclining under the shade of > a beautiful kadamba tree, was Shiva in the form of a Lingam. Indra > built a huge canopy over this Lingam and thus, the first modern temple > came into being. In time, the forest temple became the city of Madras. > > This auspicious tree and its flowers are used in festivals and > worship. During the May-June season, a festival to Murugan is held in > Palani called Agni Natchattram Festival. During this peak period of > summer, the kadamba blossoms around the foothills of Palani Hills and > special poojas are performed for Palani Murugan. In the early morning, > piligrims and locals wearing the kadamba flower on their hair > circumambulate the holy Palani Hill while the kadamba flowers blossom. > Saint Arunagiri Nathar has mentioned in his great work ThiruPugal that > the kadamba flower is the foremost flower to offer for Muruga worship > > The kadamba festival in Orissa and West Bengal is celebrated by > agricultural communities. On the eleventh day of the bright fortnight > of Bhadra, the kadamba tree is planted ceremoniously. Leaves of the > Sal tree are offered to it along with cucumber and vermilion, followed > by music and dance. Worshipping the kadamba tree is supposed to ensure > wealth and children. > > Besides stories and worship, kadamba has other uses. It is said to aid > gastric irritability and fevers in children. The timber is used for > matches and plywood. The bark of the tree is used as an antiseptic. > Finally, its flower is considered to posses medicinal value because of > its unique aroma. Since kadamba symbolises love and devotion, aromatic > kadamba incense is associated with lord Krishna. > > From the auspicious kadamba tree, we get various tales of oneness, > transcendance, immanence, curse-lifting, city-founding, festivals, > worship, and medicine. Let the kadamba inspire us as it has inspired > countless mortals and immortals before us. All hail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 9, 2002 Report Share Posted December 9, 2002 Namaste Yogaman! Thank you for the correction. AUM , "childofdevi <childofdevi>" <childofdevi> wrote: > Namaste Sivadancer! > > Thanks much for this post. I was always wondering with all this talk > about kadamba, no one pointed out that our devi herself is kadamba > vana vasini from the lalitha sahasranamam. > > I think the story of the Indra getting moksham from the lingam > happened in Madurai, not madras; the lingam is Halasyanathan, Lord > Sunderaswara of Madurai. This story is detailed in the > Halasyamahathmyam, which is the sthala purana of the Meenakshi temple > at Madurai. > > yogaman > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 I would like to respond or contribute, but I truly don't know what the heck you're talking about. I think I'm just a little too uninitiated - or just plain stupid for this site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 I'd like to . I have no idea what you're talking about, since I know little about Hindu gods and goddesses. I have enough trouble with my own Celtic things. No doubt, at some point in my wanderings, I will arrive back at your door. I hope you won't turn me away. I send my love to you - a powerful force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 Dear Sallie I believe many of us here too are uninitiated. Perhaps you would like to read through the old messages in the group, before calling yourself Stupid. Do be so hard on yourself. Om ParaShaktiye Namaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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