"Gopuram & VimAnam ": Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam: Part 246

[Guest guest]

tiruvenkatam, Sadagopan

<sgopan@c...> wrote:

> Dear BhakthAs:

>

> SrIman Sudarshanan touched upon some important

points

> regarding the origin of the Word , "gOpuram " and

wondered about the word "VimAnam " over

Garbhagruham(Sanctum Sanctorium).>> We will elaborate

on these ten different meanings as they relate to> the

word "gOpuram " and the auspicious Phalans arising

from

> gOpura Darsanam .> Thus a whole set of contextual

meanings are derivable from> the combination of "gO" +

Puram .

 

 

Dear SrimAn Sadagopan swami,

 

Thank you for those fine explanations. I eagerly look

forward now to your sharing information particularly

on the etymology of the word "gOpuram" in addition to

the many allusions to the word 'gO' found in

scriptural literature.

 

While on the subject, can you also please oblige by

throwing some light on the other important question

I'd raised i.e. whether 'gOpuram-s' should be painted

in monochrome or polychrome? Should aesthetic sense

prevail over liturgical canon, or vice versa? What

does the 'sAstra' -- whether 'agama' or 'vaideeka' --

have to say on it?

Thank you,

Deep regards,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Respected U.Ve Swami Sudarshan:

 

Again you raise some very simple question when one

reads it, but this has so much implication we hear a

lot of explanation. You are like a small stick that

kindles the "kutthuvilakk thiri" and suddenly the

rs experience the light(knowledge). A simple

question like "what is meant by gopuram" has evoked so

much interest that we are getting so many inputs and

especially by U.Ve. Swami (Oppiliappan) Sadagopan who

has given us the various meanings of "Go" and I am

still eagerly waiting his next posting on this

subject.

 

By the way, your articles on "visit to USA by a

Srivaishnavan" and another important question "Rama, a

democrat or a despot" are simply thought provoking and

marvellous.

 

Adiyaen

Nerur S. Rajagopalan

 

 

--- sudarshan madabushi <mksudarshan2002

wrote:

> tiruvenkatam, Sadagopan

> <sgopan@c...> wrote:

> > Dear BhakthAs:

> >

> > SrIman Sudarshanan touched upon some important

> points

> > regarding the origin of the Word , "gOpuram " and

> wondered about the word "VimAnam " over

> Garbhagruham(Sanctum Sanctorium).>> We will

> elaborate

> on these ten different meanings as they relate to>

> the

> word "gOpuram " and the auspicious Phalans arising

> from

> > gOpura Darsanam .> Thus a whole set of contextual

> meanings are derivable from> the combination of "gO"

> +

> Puram .

>

>

> Dear SrimAn Sadagopan swami,

>

> Thank you for those fine explanations. I eagerly

> look

> forward now to your sharing information particularly

> on the etymology of the word "gOpuram" in addition

> to

> the many allusions to the word 'gO' found in

> scriptural literature.

>

> While on the subject, can you also please oblige by

> throwing some light on the other important question

> I'd raised i.e. whether 'gOpuram-s' should be

> painted

> in monochrome or polychrome? Should aesthetic sense

> prevail over liturgical canon, or vice versa? What

> does the 'sAstra' -- whether 'agama' or 'vaideeka'

> --

> have to say on it?

> Thank you,

> Deep regards,

>

> dAsan,

> Sudarshan

>

>

>

______________________

> India Matrimony: Find your partner online.

> http://.shaadi.com/india-matrimony/

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Resected U.Ve Swami Sadagopan:

 

I was so elated by your explantion of "GO", I was

expecting the continuation of your article with

further explanation of "Puram". Did you already

written the continuation? If so whether I missed it?

If you have already written I would like to see it.

Otherwise, I am expecting the same. I know you are

busy writing so many topics, time is going to be your

real problem.

 

By the by your quotes that can be presented on

convocation from vedhas and upanishads are

mastepieces.

 

Adiyaen

Nerur S. Rajagopalan

--- Sadagopan <sgopan wrote:

> SrI:

>

> Dear BhakthAs:

>

> SrIman Sudarshanan touched upon some important

> points

> regarding the origin of the Word , "gOpuram " and

> wondered about

> the word "VimAnam " over Garbhagruham(Sanctum

> Sanctorium).

>

> Here are some thoughts:

>

> 1. "Gopura Darsanam Paapa vimOchanam(VinAsanam)" is

> the old adage (i-e)., The darsanam of the Gopuram of

> the Lord

> removes all of our sins.

>

> 2. "Gopura darsanam kOti puNyam is another adage(

> The sight of

> the gopuramgenerates crores of puNYam for us ).

> gOpuram really

> refers to the walk way covered with a sculpted tower

> over it .

> It can have many tiers.

>

> 3. It is not necessary or possible that one should

> worship

> inside the temple every day.The mere gOpura darsanam

> from near or far would lift one's spirits/mind and

> make them

> remember the source of our earthly bhOgams and

> potential

> for eternal service to the Lord in the other world.

>

> 4. gOpuram is really dhvAra gOpuram ( walkway with a

> tower over

> that gateway ).

>

> 5. There can be many gOpurams inside a major temple

> in addition to

> the four main ones in East , South ,West and North .

> At SrIrangam ,

> there are 22 gopurams . The VimAnam for the

> presiding deity is at

> the epicenter of all these gopurams .

>

> 6. "Temple is not merely a home of God , but a form

> of God as well ".

> Gopuram, VimAnam are then to be considered as

> "samj~na " of

> God. Gopuram and Vimaanam are embodied energy

> entities

> ( PrAsAdham Purusham mathvA poojayEth

> Manthravitthama: ) .

>

> 7. The Sthapathi ( expert in Aalayam construction )

> should be

> an authority on Saasthrams/Vaasthu Saasthram and be

> knowledgable

> about Vedams : " sTapathi: Sarva-Saasthraj~na:

> VedavicchAsthra paaraga: "

>

> 8. The gOpuram , gates and VimAnam of a temple are

> defended by

> AadhisEshan , Garudan , VishvaksEnar , DwAra

> PaalakAs of

> unimaginable valor ( achinthya bala vikrama: ) as

> stated by

> Swamy Desikan in one of the slOkams of Abheehti

> Sthavam.

>

> 9.The 20 th SlOkam of SrI VenkatEsa SubrabhAtham (

> Tvath gOpura

> sikharANi nirikshyamANa salutes the puNyasAlis ,

> who have the good

> fortune of the darsanam of the gopuram of Lord

> VenkatEsa at Thirumala.

> The slOkam says: " Those blessed persons , who

> complete the different

> Yaj~nAsto reach svargam and those , who follow

> Bhakthi or Prapatthi

> route to gain Moksha siddhi are prepared to give up

> those hard earned

> riches , when they by accident have the darsanam of

> Your gOpuram.

> After that darsanam , they wish to return to the

> earth to be near You ".

>

> 10. There is an esoteric text known as "Silpa VidhyA

> RahasyOpanishad " ,

> which is the Vedic Text for Sthapathis , who

> construct the temples including

> gOpuram , Garbha graham and VimAnam over it. This

> and derivative texts

> describe Vaasthu Purusha MaNDalam and the MahA

> Purushan residing inside

> that MaNDalam .

>

> 11. The VimAnam unlike gOPuram has one to one match

> with the body of

> Parama Purushan inside it . The VimAnam typically

> has SthUpam , Sikaram ,

> nEtram , Galam , Prastaram , Padha Varagam ,

> AdhishtAnam and Upapeetam .

> The corrsponding parts of the Parama Purushan

> residing in that vimAnam are:

> Hair Lock (SthUpam) , Mukham+Eye+Face ( sikharam ) ,

> neck (galam) ,

> shoulder ( Prastaram ) , arms+navel ( Pada vargam) ,

> knee cap ( AdhishtAnaam )

> and Feet ( Upapeetam).

>

> 12) Coming back to gOpuram , as is usually the case

> with the Sanskrit

> words/roots , there are more than one meaning for

> this word and context

> is important to generate the different meanings for

> the word gOpuram.

> We will focus on the "gO" part of gOpuram , which is

> also seen in

> "gOvindhan " , "gOdhai". We will not get in to the

> Puram portion of

> the word "gOpuram ".

>

> In the case of "gO" sabdham forming the front end of

> the word

> "gOpuram " there are atleast 10 meanings :

>

> "gO" means (1) Moksham (2) Speeding arrow (3) Cow

> (4) Divine speech (5) Vajra weapon (6) dhivya

> chakshus/

> JnAnakkaNN (7) Sight (8) Flame/Jwaalai (9) BhUmi

> (10) Victory .

>

> We will elaborate on these ten different meanings as

> they relate to

> the word "gOpuram " and the auspicious Phalans

> arising from

> gOpura Darsanam .

>

> Thus a whole set of contextual meanings are

> derivable from

> the combination of "gO" + Puram .

>

> SrI RanganAtha's Gopura darsanam from across the

> river Cauvery

> has been a source of enthrallment for all devotees

> in general and

> the AzhwArs and AchAryAs in particular .

>

> (To be continued)

>

> Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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