RE: The Chidambara Rahasyam [5 Attachments]

[Guest guest]

Guruvayoorappa,

Dear Devotee of

the Lord, Respected Sushama Shreeyanji,

It was like an

opening to the whole world through ‘The Chidambara Rahasyam’ !!!!!!,

I would like to

express my great gratitude and appreciate the pains you have taken

in sharing the

precious information regarding various useful topics atonce.

Padaravindame

Saranam, Guruvayoorappa Saranam,

mpr

 

Thank you,

Have a great

day,

mprnair,

nairradhakrishnan.

http://mprnair.blogspot.com/

# 281 573 8087

/ Cell- 281 948 7339.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

guruvayur [guruvayur ] On Behalf Of Sushma Shreeyan

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

7:21 AM

guruvayur

[Guruvayur] The

Chidambara Rahasyam [5 Attachments]

 

 

 

 

 

[Attachment(s) from Sushma Shreeyan

included below]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chidambara Rahasyam

 

Lord Shiva in his manifestation of formlessness is

worshiped in Chidambaram. The Lord is said to continuously dance in a state

of eternal bliss " Aananda thaandava " , with his consort Sakthi or energy called

Sivagami. A curtain covers this

space which when drawn reveals strands of golden ‘Vilva’ leaves

hung to indicate the Lord’s presence.. The curtain is dark on its

exterior side (indicating ignorance) and bright red on the interior side

(indicating wisdom and bliss).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord Nataraja at the Chitsabhai in Chidambaram. To the

left of the Lord's idol is the Chidambara Rahasya - represented by strands of

gold Vilva leaves. To the right is the idol of His Consort Goddess

Sivagamasundari

 

 

 

 

During the daily rituals, the Chief priest, of the day,

himself in a state of Godliness - Shivohambhava (Shiva - the Lord, in His Sandhi form - Shivo-, aham

– me / us, bhava - state

of mind), parts the curtain, indicating the withdrawal of ignorance and

reveals the space, and the Lord’s presence.

 

 

The Chidambara Rahasya, is hence representative of that

time when one, in total surrender, allows God to intervene and remove our

ignorance, even as we get to 'see and experience' His presence and hence -

bliss.

 

 

Significance: Chidambaram is one of the most

ancient and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is of great religious

as well as historic and cultural significance. Chidambaram is associated with

Nataraja, or Shiva in his Ananda

Tandava pose (the Cosmic Dance of bliss) in the cosmic golden hall and the

hall of consciousness (Chit Sabha). Shiva is also worshipped in the

" formless form " of the Chidambara Rahasyam, while the temple is

known for its Akasa Lingam, an embodiment of Shiva as the formless Space. The

word " Koyil " or temple in the Tamil Saivite tradition refers to

none other than the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.

Antiquity: The origins of this vast temple are

buried in antiquity. Literature talks of a tradition of Shiva (Nataraja)

worship in existence even as early as the Sangam period (very early on in the

Christian era), and the Tamil Saints have sung its fame when an established

worship tradition was in place. The later Chola Kings (Aditya I and Parantaka

I) adorned the roof of the shrine with gold, and the other Chola Kings

treated Nataraja as their guardian deity and made several endowments to the

temple as temple inscriptions testify. The Pandya Kings who followed them,

and the later Vijayanagar rulers made several endowments to the temple. There

is a stone image of Krishnadevaraya in the North Gopura

which he is said to have erected. In the wars of the 18th century, this

temple was used as a fort, especially when the British General Sir Eyre Coote

unsuccesfully tried to capture it from the Mysore Kings. During this period,

the images of Nataraja and Sivakamasundari were housed in the Tiruvarur

Tyagaraja temple for safety.

Muthuswamy Deekshitar, one of the

foremost composers in the Karnatic Music tradition sings the glory of this

temple in his kriti 'Ananda Natana

Prakasam'. The Alwar Poems of the Naalayira Divya Prabandam sing the glory of

Vishnu, whose image is also housed in this temple, and his shrine is referred

to as 'Tiruchitrakootam'. Adi Sankara is said to have presented a

Spatika Lingam which is still under worship in this temple. Sekkizhaar's

Periya Puranam, describing poetically the life of the Saivite Saints (63 in

number) was composed in the 1000 pillared hall, and was expounded by the

author himself in the presence of the Chola emperor Kulottunga II, who had

comissioned the work, amidts great festivity and fanfare.

Each of the four most revered Saivite

Saints (Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manikkavacakar) has worshipped at

Chidambaram, and the bulk of Manikkavacakar's work is in praise of Shiva

at Chidambaram. Accordingly, their images are placed in the temple entrances

corresponding to their points of entry into the temple. (Sambandar - South,

Appar - West, Sundarar - North and Manikkavacakar - East).

 

Legends associated with this temple:

Aadi Sesha, the serpent (couch) of Vishnu, heard from Vishnu the grandeur of

Shiva's cosmic dance. Filled with irrepressable desire to witness this dance

in person at Chidambaram, Seshan descended to the earth as Patanjali (the one

who descended). Vyagrapaadar, another devotee of Shiva prayed to obtain the

tiger's claws so that he could obtain with ease the sacred Vilva leaves meant

for Shiva's worship at Chidambaram. At the appointed hour, Shiva (with

Sivakami) granted to Patanjali and Vyagrapaadar, a visual treat in the form

of his Cosmic Dance of Bliss, to the accompaniments of music played by

several divine personalities in the Hindu pantheon. This Dance of Bliss is

said to have been witnessed by Vishnu, and there is a Govindaraja shrine in

the Natarajar temple commemorating this. The dance of bliss of Shiva, is also

said to have been enacted upon Shiva's (Bhikshatana) victory over the married

ascetics of Daruka Vanam.

Nataraja: The dance of bliss, or the Ananda Tandavam of Shiva is said to symbolize the five divine acts (pancha

krityas) of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and bestowment of

grace. The dance of Shiva has been frozen in metal and held in worships in

Nataraja Sabhas, in virtually all of the Saivite temples in Tamilnadu. Five

of the foremost Sabhas (Pancha Sabhai) are at Chidmbaram (Kanaka Sabhai the

hall of gold), Madurai

(Rajata Sabhai the hall of Silver), Tiruvalangadu near Chennai (Ratnasabhai

the hall of rubies), Tirunelveli (Tamrasabhai the hall of copper) and Kutralam

near Tirunelveli (Chitrasabhai the hall of pictures). Other dance halls of

significance are Adri Sabhai (the Himalayas), Aadi Chitsabhai (Tiruvenkaadu

near Chidambaram) and Perur Kanakasabhai (Patteeswarar temple at Perur near Coimbatore).

 

Architecture: The Chidambaram Natarajar temple is

a specimen of the assimilation of several architectural styles. The innermost

sanctum of the temple, houses the grand images of Shiva (Nataraja) and

Parvati (Sivakami) in the ChitSabha or the hall of consciousness, adjoining

which is the KanakaSabha or the Golden Hall, both these structures resting on

a raised platform. The innermost prakaram surrounds this holiest of shrines,

and to the South West of Nataraja, is the shrine of Govindaraja Perumaal

facing the East.

Worship protocol: Six worship services

are offered in this temple each day at the shrine of Nataraja - the last of

which is the ArdhaJaama Puja (the most special one), where the padukas

(footwear) of Nataraja are ceremoniously taken to the Palliarai (night

chamber) of Shiva and Parvati after elaborate rituals. It is believed that

the entire pantheon of divine figures in the Hindu system of beliefs is

present during this occasion. The first puja in the morning involves the

waking up of Shiva, and a transport of the padukas back to the main shrine,

followed by fire rituals and ablutions to the crystal Shivalingam. The

worship services that follow at about 9:30, and then at noon, and at 5 in the

evening and at 7 pm involve a combination of rituals involving ablutions to

the Crystal Lingam and the ceremonial show of lamps to Nataraja and Sivakami

amidst the chanting of Vedic and Tamil hymns. The Shiva Agama system of

temple rituals followed in almost all of the Saivite temples in Tamilnadu, is

not followed at Chidambaram. It is a unique worship protocol said to have

been prescribed by Patanjali that is followed at this temple

For more

details below

http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/chidchid.html

 

http://www.esamskriti.com/photo-detail/Chidambaram-Nataraja-Temple.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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