Left or Right is the question!

[Guest guest]

Dear Shivani Amma Gaaru,

 

First I would like to congratulate you for your happy news. As foretold by me the tithing (giving 10% of your gross income had an immidiate effect ...within the first cheque.) did good for you.

 

Faith is needed. Also in tithing(Titihing is also called dashaamsa) there is one caution one should not give to an organisation howsoever good it might be spirtiaully if it is not close to your heart. If your husband had given his income he would have got a better job and maybe a permanent one in his organisation. This arrangement is because you had given the money from your salary desiring happiness. Anyways you might say it all means the same but there is a subtle difference.If your husband does not like the idea(though you never mentioned anything like that and your husband seems to be a very loving human being) it will not work for him. This is the principle of dashaamsa. Maybe your husband like some other temple in some other part and would like his funds to there. That then will be his tithing outlet and he will benefit accordingly. Never force him to contribute for this temple. I never want that. This temple is not running on donations. And till now only loving

devotees and disciples of swami have given and constructed the small temple lovingly. Commerical element is absent here. You will see that when you come here to chennai next visit.

 

But anyways Iam happy that you have shared your happy experience of tithing for all to get inspired.

 

Ok now coming to your question.

 

First let me start with Ganapathy. Because Ganapathy is to be worshipped first and talked about first before foraying into Amba.

 

Mother follows son!

 

The trunkGanesha's trunk hangs between his two tusks (one of which is broken) that represent worldliness and spirituality. The trunk has the ability to discriminate between both and detachment from all worldly worries. Most Ganesha idols sport a trunk turned to the left; the siddhi vinayaka idols have the trunk curving to the right. The trunk is a very unique instrument. It can lift something as small as a pin or as big as a tree - something no man-made instrument can do.

The turn to left is significant of ordinary Ganesha in his ordinary rupa. Sadharana rupa and left trunk is asaadharana rupoa.

 

Vamapaarshve aishwaryam ithi muni proktha. The right turn of the trunk is for mantra and dhana siddhis and also karya siddhi. Many ganesha bhakthas wordlwide feel that If one has a valampuri ganesha in some form in their houses it will bring in wealth and prosperity to them.

 

Right signifies siddhi in spirituality be it mantra siddhi or uniqueness in spirituality too. Rarity will normally go hand in hand with more rituals for the same and thus this idol is no exception and there are some special offerings made to such idols.

 

 

Arugam pull - a type of grass, is very special for Lord Ganesa, Garland made of Arugam pull is offered to Lord Karpaka Vinayakar. Poojas are performed to Lord Karpaka Vinayakar by offering Coconut, Banana, Betel leaves and nuts.

 

Devotees wishing to get all prosperity and wealth in life should perform pooja to Lord Karpaka Vinayakar, Pillaiyarpatti, It is believed that performing pooja to Passport Vinayagar , Housed in the entrance of KarpagaVinayagar Temple will resolve problems regarding Passport and Visa. It is believed by the Ganesa devotees’ world wide, that Lord Karpaka Vinayakar is symbol of wealth and Prosperity. A visit to this temple will remove all the hurdles in all walks of life.

 

I personally do not like this trend of using gods and godesses in our country to enter into USA and other countries. Passport vinayagar, Visa Balaji, Usa Marriamman,University Murugan,etc. Are these Gods VISA or embassy officials sitting there to dole out Visas and passports to aspiring youngsters? Just hype and popularity has led to this current state of affairs.(Not to mention the greed for money by unscrupulous people in the temples)

 

Seek the passport to reach Moskha through Balaji.

 

Get the Visa to get Ganapathy or Shiva's saanidhya

 

Go to the country where Amba resides.

 

All these appelations have made me sick.

 

Spirits above are waiting for aeons to give birth in this sacred land called India because of it's spirituality but our own children and youth(I myself am an youth) try to use the very Gods which can show them higher paths for these silly things which they should get through their smart and hard work.

 

Anyways no comments any further. I do not want to digress from the main topic.Also some faith is better than nothing. Atleast in the name of Visa and passport these people come to the temple instead of sitting in coffee shops and smoking their time away!

 

For for this budding people who wish to go USA with Ganesha's help let me tell you where Americans have kept him

 

(Ganesha flip flop sandals which created some controversy in USA where some Hindus protested that Ganapathy was being degraded. Will this American company try a flip flop sandal of Jesus Christ? They will get a whacking on their head from Vatican I guess!)

Following an informal protest April 27 by Internet activist group IndiaCause.com and an electronic protest campaign launched by American Hindus Against Defamation on its Web site www.hindunet.org, the manufacturer, which has 750 stores in North America, has withdrawn its controversial product and issued a written apology."On behalf of American Eagle Outfitters, please accept this letter as our formal apology for our use of the image resembling Lord Ganesh on this product," said a letter from American Eagle Outfitters vice president and general counsel Neil Bulman, Jr. "This letter confirms that we will remove these flip flop shoes from our stores to maintain the good will and our customer relations with the Hindu community." (This is the power of Internet these days. That is why i choose this platform for my Devi Rajarajeshwari)

 

There is nothing wrong in going to USA or other countries. I myself am in Canada and will be moving to USA. But a craze for it and going all out for it is not so good. I casually applied and waited and with the pressure of my parents moved to Canada.Iam not anti-American infact I like certain things about America but I love my religion and Shaktha very much and also my country very very much.

 

Exploring an opportunity is different from greed.

 

 

 

(Karpaga Vinayagar==karpaka vinayaka ==ganesha formed in a cave mkiraculously)

 

Pillayaar patti vinayaka is very famous for having a right trunked idol formed swayambhu in a cave.The Ganesha is called karapaka vinayaga.Such right trunked vvinayakas are called Valampuri trunked vinayakas.(just like Valampuri shankas or popularly known as Dakshinavrutha shankas)Valam means towards to left of one who observes meaning toward the right of the deity. It also has many other meanings as usual with sanskrit words.

 

(Valampuri shanka turns to the right when facing the east)

 

 

There is now a fad in modern day soutindian hindu hoseholds to have that ganesha's photo because the photo says in the bottom. One who has this photo will become rich(I paddathai veetil vaithal sarva ishwaryam kittum). These promises have not been made by poor Ganapathy but a clever marketing trick by the photo manufacturers. Now they are not lying because Ganesha in any form be it left trunked or right trunked will grant riches(for that matter even smashaan tara or smashaan kali can grant that!) but they omit truth a bit. They should also mention in the photo (which they wont for sure) that" One who keeps any other vinayaka photo will also get riches if he worships the elephant god with faith" They just cash in on people's craze for fetishes and novelty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Cricket Ganesha is another such craze. People worship such Ganeshas for India to win in an Ineternation match in Cricket. Well, this is ok. Atleast for one day let Ganesha get the lime light! or if it is a five day match then for five days!. I have seen young boys praying so arduously before such cricket Ganeshas that I used to wonder that if these boys try some kundalini sadhana with the same tempo they would have opened up a few chakras and connected them! No kidding!)

Incidentally this cricket Ganesha is also right trunked as right trunked is said to be more powerful(read more novel ) than left trunked ganesha.

It makes this whole affair sound as if Ganesha had a twin brother with the trunk to the right. Poor ganesha and his trunk. For the greed of kaliyuga manavas they turn his poor trunk left and right.

But why is the trunk curved to right so special and so strict ? The Idanaadi is on the left side, while the pingalaa naadi is on the right. The left-turning trunk has easy rules and one can do puja however one wants with respect since the ida naadii is the moon. but the right turning nadi is the sun and will burn one if rules are violated. When the trunk is facing straight forward, then it signifies the sushumna is entirely open. Idols such as these are very rare and special. Even more special is the trunk where the trunk is swung up right in the air. It means the kundalini shakti has reached the sahasra permanently. The last two varieties are known to only ardent devotees of Ganesha.Maybe if I was devotee of Ganesha I would have done lot more research on the direction of trunk turning and made me doled out a book to you handwritten to you(maybe with my left hand as Iam ambidextrous,I can right

with both hands!..hehe!..Honest! not a toungue-in-cheek remark!)

But anyways this then is the subtle concept of the trunk and it's mysteries and when I said the same to someone he challenged me to write with my left hand. I wrote OM VALAMPURI GANESHAYA NAMAHA! to him in sanskrit and gave it! We had a good laugh!

 

 

Left or right pray Ganesha with full and a pure heart and seek the wisdom in ganapthyam! Ganapathyam says Ganapathy is the aadipurusha and the very incarnation and the emnating inchoatory point of Omkaara.His trunk being left is also symbolic of the omkaara's trunkl which comes out left.

 

 

Valampuri Ganesha OM (only sky is the limit for People's imagination!)

 

Ganesha is a god or shakthi who resides in muladhara and his mouse is symbolic of cutting the knots(three knots) and make the kundalini rise up. Ganesha and hanuman are not funny gods. They can kick ass(to use an Americanism) if they want. One should worship them very seriously because any god who has an animal face or part is said to be more powerful than an ordinary anthropomorphic God.

Now let me put a pullayaar suzhi( a ganapathy mark put in the beginning of any writing by Tamils) and start the discusion on Ambal !(My favourite!) But before that let me upload a photo of Ganapthy with the trunk the other side to keep things balanced!

 

 

 

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Amba with her leg to the right and left and the significance.

Iam sure Shivani Amma had this question after seeing the photo of Rajarajeshari devi of Nanganallur that I keep posting every now and then and sadly sometimes it does not open up.

Now in many other Rajarajeshwari devi photos the devi seems to fold Her right leg and sit but where as in this photo She folds Her left leg and sits to grace Her devotees.

(Nanganallur Rajarajeshwari devi in all Her glory. Hope this photo opens up. One can see in the photos section of our group the same photo one also enlarge the phot by clicking on it there. One will then see a cleaer and brighter face than here. ( 6th photo and the 2nd from left in the second row)

 

In the above photo She is seen sitting on Her right leg

 

 

The above painting shows Her sitting on Her left leg.

Left = Is her Yogini rupa. Where She bestows high spirituality and high spiritual status.

Right is Her Sarvamangala rupa(which is rarer) which bestows both Bhoga and yoga( worldy things and spiritual things)

In the Nanganallurr temple there is a unique tradition of doing an apradakshina(or reverse circumambulation) rather than pradakshina. This is advised by preists there because if one does pradakshina one becomes a sanyasin in that temple and is shown the yoga marga.

The temple idol has the left leg placed there because She indicates the devotees there out of compassion to do the apradakshina first and then when all the desires are satisfied then one can venture into sprituality. Eventually She will take them to that 'final' destination of 'at-oneness' with Her in Chintamani griha. But can a hungry man do puja properly his eye will only be on the naivedya. In other words can a man/woman who is dissastified pray properly? Unless He or she is fully satisfied and his/her desires are transmuted to higher things they dont progress.

This is found nowhere in any other temple in India where apradakshina is done. The temple either give yoga or bhoga and though some temples say the deity is for both, nowehere is the concept so scrupulously followed. Rajarajeshwari Devi is very nitpicky when it comes to giving to her devotees and looks after their smallest needs.

Also the devi is said to be seated in the veerasana(a form of it). The modern day hathayoga practioners do a veerasana(I myself am practicing hathayoga so can tell you about it a little bit) which is different from what the ancients(Iam talking about Gods like Shiva,Vishnu,Amba when Iam talking about 'ancients') practiced.

The modern day hatha yoga veerasana and how to do it.

 

Veerasana is called hero's pose.Sit in Vajrasana. Raise the right knee and place the right foot flat on the floor beside the inside of the left knee. Put the right elbow on the right knee and rest the chin on he palm of the right hand. Make sure to close your eyes and relax. Keep the body completely motionless and your spine and head straight. Repeat with the left foot placed beside the right knee. Breathing should be done slow, deep breathing, imagining that the breath is flowing in and out of Bhrumadhya(the eyebrow cent). Practice for a minimum to two minutes. Repeat on the other side with the left elbow on the left knee. You should make sure about keeping the head and spine straight and on the breath. This asana balances the

mind, increases the power of concentration, allows more awareness of the unconscious realms and induces physical and mental relaxation quickly. The thinking process becomes very clear and precise. It is useful for those who think too much or who have disturbed or uncontrollable thoughts. It is very good for the kidneys, liver, reproductive and abdominal organs. Note: This posture is also known as the thinker's or philosopher's pose.

This asana may also be practiced by sitting on the heel so that it stimulates Mooladhara Chakra.Sit on the heels in Vajrasana. Place the right foot on top of the left thigh as in the half lotus posture. The foot should come up on the thigh as near to the lower abdomen as possible and the right knee should rest on the floor. Place the palms together in front of the chest at the heart center, in the prayer position. Relax the whole body. Slowly rise onto the knees, using the left leg as a lever and the right knee as a support. The movement should be controlled without any jerking. Straighten the spine. When balanced, raise the hands above the head, keeping the palms together and the fingers pointing upward. Hold the final position for as long as is comfortable. Bring the hands back to the heart center and gently and evenly lower the body down to the floor. Repeat with the left foot on top of the right thigh. Practice

this upto five times on each side. Inhale while raising the body from the floor. Breathe normally in the final position. Exhale while lowering the body. This asana should not be performed by people with weakness in the knees or inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc. This is a preliminary balancing pose which aids in stabilizing the nervous system.

Now this pose also has some other variations which modern day hatha yoga practioners do not know(maybe siddha hatha yoga and sukhsma hatha yoga practioner's know of it)

One other modern variation is the Dhyana veerasana

HERO'S MEDITATION POSE (SDHYANA VEERASANA)

 

 

 

 

 

Sit with both the legs straight in front of the body. Bend the left leg underneath the right leg so that the left heel is touching the right buttock. Bring the right leg over the top of the bent left leg the right heel touches the left buttock. Adjust the right knee so that it is above the left knee. Place the hands either on the right knee, one on the top of the other, or on top of each foot, whichever is comfortable. Hold the head, neck and back straight. Close the eyes and relax the whole body. Be aware of the breath at the nose tip.This asana is quite easy and comfortable to sustain for long periods of time as a comparatively large the body is in

contact with the floor. It is a useful alternative to other meditation Asanas. The legs and hips are not rotated outwards as in the other meditation postures, rather the knees are brought to the center. This affects the pelvic structure and stretches the outer rather than the inner muscles of the thigh. This position also massages tones the pelvic and reproductive organs.

Now Amba Rajarajeashwaree sits in that pose to control Ganapathy Tantrically(I cannot say more than this as Iam not getting permission from one source to reveal any further)

All I can say is Muladhar is the region where Ganapathy resides and it is connected with the activation and control of Muladhara. There are higher secrets too which I cannot reveal.

Rajarajeshwari devi keeps Her foot(either left or right) there on Her Muladhara and controls certain things.

That is why She is called Veeraasanesamsthithaa in Rajarajeshwaree ashtaka.

She does a veerasana which is not what modern day practioner's do.

She is a veerastree,veeramaathaa too(veera maatha jagadprasuuhu in Lalitha sahsranama describes Her glory thus)

And she is called veera not just because she is brave but because she is a veera yogini. I need permission to delve deeper and tell you. Maybe I will tell you personally when we talk but not openly in aforum like this before all as I do not have permision to reveal publicly things which are deeply gaurded Tantric secrets.

Ofcourse sitting like that in that postion both right or left will ease the burden of long hours of meditation than sitting in padmasana(like kamatchi Amba rupa of Her's)

PLEASE SPARE THE LEGS OF MY DIVINE MOTHER AND DONT MAKE A MOCKERY OF IT LIKE POOR GANESHA'S TRUNK FOR YOUR SELFISH GAINS!

THESE ARE THE LEGS THAT WORK AND RUN UNTIRINGLY FOR DEVOTEES THAT IS WHY SHE IS CALLED A LOKASANCHARINI.

 

THESE ARE THE LEGS WHOSE KNEES ARE CALLOUSED BY REPEATED PROSTRATIONS BEFORE LORD SHIVA EVENTHOUGH SHE IS GREATER THAN LORD SHIVA(AADISHANKARA DESCRIBES HER SOMETIMES LIKE THAT) and lord shiva it is said applies balm to Her feet and knees!(That then is the love between them)

 

In that love I stay and live,

Yours yogically,

 

 

Shreeram Balijepalli

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Sreeram garuIn few pictures of Devi we see her sitting folding her right leg upand in some left leg.Is there any significance for this ? What is themeaning?Similarly I have seen Ganapti pictures in some the trunk is curved tohis right and in some to his left? Is there any significance for thattoo. Please enlighten Us.I am sure you will give us a beutiful explanation for this .Thanks inadvance.