Guest guest Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Receive email from Meenakshi Ammal.Add arunachalana to your safe sender list. View as Web Page Subscribe Forward to a Friend Arunachala Grace News --October, 2008 Arunachala Grace Thank you for supporting Arunachala Grace Network -- your Arunachala information network. Arunachala Grace News This October issue of Arunachala Grace News has an article about the ongoing Navaratri Festival and an extract from the related Durga mythology on the slaying of the demon Mahishasura at Arunachala. As well as the usual section of Tidbits, this issue features the Tiruvannamalai herb "Withania Somnifera" – often called the 'Indian equivalent to Ginseng'. The bird this month is the ubiquitous, noisy crow (both House Crow and Jungle Crow), and the Navagraha is 'Shukra' (Sanksrit for "brightness") which is identified with the planet Venus. As well as the usual pot-pourri of inspiration, poems and extracts, this month's Newsletter also has a lively, amusing story about an Arunachala monkey called "Buddy," from Apeetha Arunagiri who is currently associated with the reforestation programme of Arunachala Greening. ************************* Arunachala Greatness "In this world though sacred shrines may be in all the four directions yet can they be equal to Arunachala? For a good deed done in this Arunachala will yield benefit a thousand times. Similarly although there might be thousands of sins they will be reduced to one in this place." [Guhai Namasivaya] "If Ayodhya, Madura, Mayapuri, Kasi, Kanchi, Avanti, Dwaraka – all sacred shrines – are kept on one pan of a scale and Arunachalam kept on the other pan of the scale, the pan containing Arunachalam will go down. Such is the greatness of Arunachalam." [saiva Ellappa Navalar] "One day, as we were going up the Hill, he (Sri Ramana) picked up a small glistening pebble from the path and held it out to me saying, 'someone from abroad has written asking for a stone taken from a holy part of this Hill. He doesn't know that the whole Hill is holy. This Hill is Shiva Himself. As we identify ourselves with the body, so Shiva has chosen to identify Himself with this Hill. Arunachala is pure wisdom appearing in the shape of a Hill. It is out of compassion to those who seek Shiva that Shiva has chosen to reveal himself as a Hill visible to the eye. The seeker will obtain guidance and solace by staying near this Hill.'" [Dr. T.N. Krishnaswami] "All rocks here are Lingas; This is the realm of Shiva. The trees here are the celestial plants; Water here is the Ganges flowing from Siva's plaited hair; All food here is but ambrosia; To walk one step here is to go round the whole world. Any utterance here is the Word of Veda; Even slumber here is Samadhi; Can any other place equal this sacred Arunachala?" [saiva Ellappa Navalar] Sparsa Tiruvannamalai Probably the most important quality for a Tiruvannamalai Hotel, Resort or Ashram is its location and view of Arunachala Hill. In this respect the new Sparsa Hotel has a wonderful vantage point set off from the Girivalam roadway. 'Sparsa' is a chain of eco-friendly resorts with the first Hotel already open here at Tiruvannamalai and with work currently in progress on additional resorts at Kanyakumari and Chidambaram. The resorts are operated by the professional Auromatrix group which is an established Hotel and Resort Company. Even though many choose to stay at Ashrams or more rustic facilities, its good that such a comfortable, facility-laden Hotel providing safe, luxurious amenities is now available at Tiruvannamalai thus fulfilling the needs of both the first time visitor to India and those whose priority is; greater comfort, increased security and guaranteed privacy. All the facilities at the Hotel are reserved exclusively for guests except for the restaurant which welcomes visitors. Check out Arunachala Grace (link bottom of page) to view a musical montage of the Hotel. There is a direct link to Sparsa, Tiruvannamalai both here and on Arunachala Grace, in order to facilitate easy bookings and reservations. Sparsa Hotel Shukra (Shukracharya) Graha (from the Sanskrit 'seizing, laying hold of'), is a 'cosmic influencer' on the living beings of earth. In Hindu Astrology, the Navagrahas (i.e. nine realms) are some of these major influencers and are living energies which put out waves of energy that affect our awareness. They are personified as celestial beings and worshipped as deities and are addressed personally in order to gain their help in their respective areas of influence. The Navagraha, Shukra (Sanskrit for "clear, pure" or "brightness, clearness"), is the son of Brighu and Ushana, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras. Shukra is identified with the planet Venus and presides over 'Shukra-war' or Friday. He is Rajas in nature and represents wealth, pleasure and reproduction. The fair-coloured Shukra adorns a crown and positions himself on a white lotus. In his four hands, he holds baton, rosary, a vessel and a gesture of assurance. He favours demons and presides over material and metaphysical wealth. Blessed by Brahma, he showers bounty everywhere. It is believed that silver, gold, rice, ghee, white cloths, sandal wood, white horses, curds, sugar and lands should be given away to please Shukra. He stands for pleasure, love, marriage, beauty, jewellery and the fine arts. All types of prosperity are supposed to be the result of Shukra's consideration and blessing. He has the following associations; colour white, gender associated female, God Indrani, metal silver, gemstone diamond, direction south-east, season spring and element water. In the West the aspect of Shukra is called a shooting star. Greeks have worshipped him as an angel of beauty and peace and as a great poet. Shukra's proximity to the Sun gives him brilliance and like the Moon, Shukra has phases. Tamil Navagraha Temples Buddy the Monkey "An old big solitary monkey used to give us a lot of trouble when we lived on the roof of the Chemistry Professor's house; we called him "Buddy" facetiously! Our rooms had four doors opening onto a first-floor sky-well courtyard, so it was difficult to be warned of the presence of monkeys, especially a crafty lone one who could quietly sneak in. We constantly tried to latch doors but we are only human! Once when Devi (my daughter) and I were playing house with up-turned chairs and bedsheets, Buddy suddenly stepped from the kitchen carefully holding an egg in both hands, giving us the pop-eyed warning "Watch It!" as he passed us with alacrity towards the door leading to the sky-well courtyard. "How preposterous!" I remember exclaiming. "Preposterous!" Devi agreed with a new word. Our cloth roof collapsed on us, and floundering in exasperation and bedsheets we extricated ourselves. I grabbed my newly acquired Neem-forked slingshot – and shot up the stairs to the roof where Buddy had vanished with Devi hot on my heels. Breaking carefully into a creep towards the top we cautioned each other with gestures before hurtling off the stairwell onto the flat roof for a big surprise showdown. We found Buddy sitting on the water tank solemnly regarding the egg. I had not the presence of mind to appreciate the spectacle because I was a foolish human in battle mode over a single egg and Devi was my accomplice gritting her teeth in righteous indignation; consequently without shame I shot my new weapon. The little stone hit the egg and broke it; its precious contents glooped down onto the cement cover of the water tank. Buddy stared at the broken egg and then looked up at me. He looked straight into my eyes. "You stupid idiot!" he told me clearly. And he was so right. He bent down and respectfully licked up the entire egg and cleaned out the empty shells not caring that we two stood there watching, appalled and contrite. When he had finished I did apologize with stupid words that fell on deaf ears but he shook himself and abruptly turned his pink bum. He strutted across to the roof edge and executed an immaculate jump through space on to Yogi Ramsuratkumar's roof next door; Buddy then strutted across the holy orange dhotis fallen from the clothesline, climbed the balustrade and without looking back sailed through space into the mango tree on the other side. Manly it was . . . I've never seen anything so manly! " [by Apeetha at Arunachala] Apeetha first visited Arunachala in the 70's and has a wealth of information and stories about a slower, slightly different Tiruvannamalai. Her story about Buddy is that of a Bonnet Macaque monkey who seems to have shared part of her life at that time. Currently Apeetha Arunagiri is involved with Arunachala Greening, a reforestation programme currently underway in this area. Below is the link of her fascinating website. Arunachala Greening The Present "If you stop fighting and resisting – you will fully experience the present, which is a gift." Someone once told me, "The past is history, the future is a mystery, and this moment is a gift. That is why this moment is called 'the present'. If you embrace the present and become one with it, and merge with it, you will experience a fire, a glow, a sparkle of ecstasy throbbing in every living sentient being. As you begin to experience this exultation of spirit in everything that is alive, as you become intimate with it, joy will be born within you, and you will drop the terrible burdens and encumbrances of defensiveness, resentment, and hurtfulness. Only then will you become light-hearted, carefree, joyous, and free." [Deepak Chopra] ************************* "The problem with the mind is, it starts living in the future. It starts thinking of beautiful golden days that are coming. That is not planning; it is daydreaming. I can understand planning, but remember, planning for the future is not equivalent to living in the future. Planning is a present moment activity. And the more you are present, the more you have clarity and transparency. Mind cannot exist in the present and when there is no mind there is clarity, and with this clarity, you can see into the future; then something of immense importance will happen to you. And you have only one moment at a time. So if you know how to live one moment you can plan your whole life in that very living. But there is no need to plan for it, because in planning you will forget to live. To the man who lives spontaneously two things happen: one, he never postpones; second, his future is lived through his present, through his experience of the present. Then planning is not a mind activity, but an expansion of consciousness, an understanding of life that goes on deepening every day more and more. And the deeper you are, the more beautiful, more human more fulfilled will be your actions." [Osho] Arunachala Tidbits Water Sustainability Former Deputy Director of the Groundwater Department in this State (P.M. Natarajan) has stressed the need for steps by the State Government to improve water resources. He says that Tamil Nadu is a water scarcity State, where the per capita annual water resource is about 800 cubic metre which is the second lowest in the country. As per world water resources standard, the per capita annual water requirement for domestic and food needs of an individual is about 1,510 cubic metre. "Therefore, our people are living with 47% deficient water resources. If our government does not take immediate action to improve or save water resources, the per capita water resources is likely to reduce to 435 cubic metre during 2050 and at that point of time our State people are likely to lead a life with 71.19% deficit water." He advocates the following: rainwater harvesting, artificial groundwater recharge, micro irrigation techniques, summer ploughing, alternate crops, virtual water import, treating and recycling waste water, desalination of seawater, proper water pricing, arresting global warming, halting seawater intrusion, rejuvenation of water bodies and intra and inter-basin transfer of water. Sandalwood Smugglers Forest guards gunned down one of five sandalwood smugglers from Tamil Nadu, who were trying to cut sandalwood trees in the Bannerghatta Forest area (near Bangalore) in the early hours of Friday, September 26th. The deceased smuggler has been identified as coming from Vellore and another gang member (hailing from Tiruvannamalai) was injured during the skirmish with the forest guards. The other three in the gang escaped. The poachers are said to be part of a professional gang who entered Bannerghatta from Tamil Nadu forests via Anekal a week ago. They had managed to cut around fifty sandalwood trees in the Tiger safari area as it is not regularly visited by forest guards. Theru-k-koothu Theru-k-koothu (street play) is a complex and interactive art-form combining a mixture of song, dance, theatre and social commentary and played mainly to a village audience. As the appeal of Theru-k-koothu is dwindling, successful exponents of this art-form in Tamil Nadu, hope workshops teaching this type of 'street-play,' will be conducted in Tiruvannamalai as this area has many Koothu artistes. Tiruvannamalai Meeting At the beginning of September, meetings were held at Tiruvannamalai (as mandated by the Apex Court) presided by retired Supreme Court Judge K. Venkataswamy. Some of the major points raised were that the operation of buses should be shifted out of the town and that the area under human habitation in the Tiruvannamalai Hills should be demarcated and the rest be made Reserve Forest with the proviso that those who have been living in the foothills for over twenty years should not be disturbed. Micro Credit India Post currently disburses micro-credit to Women Self Help Groups in five Districts in Tamil Nadu on a pilot basis. Currently groups in Tiruvannamalai have been formed for credit linkage with the Post Office. 9% simple interest is charged on loans out of which the India Post has a share of 3% and the remaining 6% goes to NABARD (i.e. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development). The success of the scheme illustrates the fact that the Post Office remains the preferred facility for financial services amongst rural communities. NABARD Tree Plantation Scheme 600,000 trees are to be cultivate on 2,050 acres of private agricultural land at a total cost of Rs.39 Lakhs in the forest circle comprising Tiruvannamalai and Vellore Districts under the scheme of Tree Cultivation in Private Land (TCPL) in Tamil Nadu, 2008-09. The scheme which was started by the Forest Department, with the cooperation of farmers last year, is being continued as a result of the good response and cooperation it has already received. One of the main aims of the scheme is to increase forest cover to facilitate absorption of carbon and in its own small way help prevent air pollution and global warming. The scheme has been divided into three components; block planting, inter-cropping and free supply of seedlings. Under block planting, 200,000 seedlings of the Casuarina species will be planted on 50 acres of private land at a cost of Rs.10 Lakh, while under the intercropping component, 250,000 saplings of timber species would be planted on 1,250 acres of private lands at a cost of Rs.22 Lakh. Under the two components the seedlings would be supplied free of cost, and the Forest Department itself will undertake the work of forming pits and planting the saplings. It will also provide an incentive of Rs.4,000 per acre for the Casuarina plants and Rs.1,730 per acre for the seedling to be planted under the inter-cropping component. Prior to planting, farmers are expected to prepare their own land in readiness. Under the free supply component, all seedlings will be supplied free of cost, but the latter will have to dig pits, plant the seedlings and maintain them at their own cost. Under this component, it has been targeted to supply 150,000 seedlings for cultivation on 750 acres at a total cost of Rs.7.20 Lakh. Farmers interested in joining this scheme are encouraged to approach the Tamil Nadu Afforestation Division, Tiruvannamalai. The International Small Group Tree Plantation Programme (TIST), a non-governmental organisation involved in facilitating small groups of farmers to earn long term revenue through sale of green house gas credits, has signed an agreement with a farmers’ group in Lakshmiammalpuram Village to pay Rs.35 per tree each three months for the sale of greenhouse gas credits. The TIST programme has been incorporated into the Tree Cultivation in Private Land (TCPL) scheme for the first time in Tamil Nadu, in order to promote afforestation and to enable farmers to earn income through sale of greenhouse gas credits. Tree Plantation Programme Navaratri Navaratri is celebrated in the lunar month of Ashvina (September-October). Hindus observe the Festival in a wide variety of ways, depending on their region, local history and family influences. Some see it as a way to commune with their own feminine divinity. A widespread practice honours the Goddess in every woman by inviting young girls to the family's home, feeding them and offering new clothes. During the Festival, women also perform tapas and selfless acts. Families in Tamil Nadu traditionally prepare in their homes a kolu, an exhibition of small dolls, figurines and small artifacts on a stepped, decorated shelf. At least one murti of Shakti must be present, as well as wooden figurines of a boy and a girl together to invoke auspicious marriages. The Navaratri festival or 'nine day festival' becomes 'ten days festival' with the addition of the last day, Vijaya-dasami (day of victory) its culmination. This year the dates of the Festival are September 30th to October 9th. On all these ten days, Mother Mahisasura-mardini (Durga) is worshipped. According to the narrative from the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana, the form of Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight a demon. The demon's father Rambha, king of the demons, once fell in love with a water buffalo, and Mahisha Asura (the demon Mahisha) was born out of this union. He is therefore able to change between human and buffalo form at will (Mahisha means "buffalo"). Through intense prayers to Brahma, Mahishasura was given the boon that he could not be defeated by man or god. He unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds which met its end when he fought and lost against the Goddess Durga. In South India the Goddess is worshipped in three forms. During the first three nights, Durga is revered, then Lakshmi on the fourth, fifth and sixth nights, and finally Saraswati until the ninth night. Durga ("invincible" in Sanskrit) is the epitome of strength, courage and ferocity. Her devotees approach Her, sometimes with difficult penances, for those qualities and for the protection she Bestows. A more gentle worship is observed for Lakshmi also called Annapurna "Giver of food," Lakshmi is the Goddess of abundance, wealth and comfort. She is the ever-giving mother, worshipped for well being and prosperity. A traditional way of invoking Her is chanting the Sri Suktam. In Her honour, food is prepared and offered to neighbours and all who visit, thus strengthening community ties. On the full moon night following Navaratri, it is believed Lakshmi Herself visits each home and replenishes family wealth. The last three days of Navaratri, exalt Saraswati, the form of Shakti personifying wisdom, arts and beauty. Her name literally means "flowing one", a reference to thoughts, words, music and the Saraswati River. Mystically Saraswati is believed to be the keeper of the powerful Gayatri Mantra, which is chanted during the festival to invoke Her supreme blessings. Devotees meditate for days on this mantra alone, as it is considered the door to divine wisdom. The Slaying of Mahisha "At Sambhu's behest the Goddess installed an image of Shiva on the Pavalakundru, a spur of the Arunachala mountain. Then Goddess Parvati, with matted tresses, wore the bark of a tree. She smeared Her body with sacred ash and practised austerities as prescribed. She appointed Satyavati, Vanavaini, Subhaga and Bandhumari to guard Her ashram on all the four sides. She appointed Durga to carry out Her instructions and to guard the forest. The devas who were afraid of Mahishasura (demon in the shape of he-buffalo) prayed to Parvati and She assured them of Her protection, saying, "I shall kill him by a stratagem", and continued to practise Her austerities. Mahishasura, the enemy of the devas, who had become arrogant on account of a boon obtained by him, came hunting in the company of demons. While wandering about the forest he came accidentally to the wood in which the Goddess was performing tapas. When he tried to enter it, he was prevented by the guards and he stood still for moment. Being a warrior with no scruples, he stopped his followers on the bank of the river in a dense forest and issued instructions to the demons who were adepts in producing illusions. Disguising themselves as ascetics they entered the woods and after seeing the Goddess returned to him and described Her beauty. On hearing their words, that demon warrior become enamoured of Her and immediately ordered the Asuras armed with numerous weapons to attack the guards of the hermitage. The four Sakti Devis retaliated with their dazzling and powerful weapons and slew all of them. Thereupon the enraged Mahishasura commanded four of his renowned generals to fight the Devis. When they were also killed in the fight with the Sakti Devis, he dispatched more warriors until the fight escalated into a battle. Parvati in the form of Durga then rose and entered the battlefield. With weapons blazing like flames in Her sixteen hands, She attacked Mahisha who came charging at Her fiercely. When Mahisha appeared on the battlefield with sword and shield, Durga armed Herself with a sword, shield and a discus. While the battle between Durga and Mahisha was raging, the devas prayed to Durga thus, "Devi, the world is suffering on account of the battle. It is but a sport to you. Mother of the world! Kindly end this game quickly for the welfare of the world." Thus beseeched by the devas, the Goddess Durga threw Mahisha down and trod on him and pierced him with Her trident. Being caught thus the demon let out a scream. Durga severed Mahisha's head with Her sharp sword and danced upon it. The devas showered flowers upon Her and praised Her. The loud sound of the celestial musical instruments heralded the death of the cruel rakshasa and the arrival of peace." [The Glory of Arunachala] Heaven '. . . Once upon a time, a man, his horse and his dog were travelling along a road. As they passed by a huge tree, it was struck by lightning, and they all died. But the man failed to notice that he was no longer of this world and so he continued walking along with his two animal companions . . . It was a long uphill walk, the sun was beating down on them and they were all sweating and thirsty. At a bend in the road they saw a magnificent marble gateway that led into a gold-paved square, in the centre of which was a fountain overflowing with crystal-clear water. The man went over to the guard at the entrance. "Good morning." "Good morning," the guard replied. "What is this lovely place?" "It’s Heaven." "Well, I’m very glad to see it, because we’re very thirsty." "You’re welcome to come in and drink all the water you want." And the guard indicated the fountain. "My horse and dog are also thirsty." "I’m terribly sorry," said the guard, "but animals are not allowed in here." The man was deeply disappointed because he was very thirsty, but he was not prepared to drink alone, so he thanked the guard and went on his way. Exhausted after more drudging uphill they reached an old gateway that opened on to a dirt road flanked by trees. A man, his hat pulled down over his face, was stretched out in the shade of one of the trees, apparently asleep. "Good morning," said the traveller. The other man greeted him with a nod. "We’re thirsty – me, my horse and my dog." "There’s a spring over the amongst those rocks," the man indicating the spot. "You can drink all you want." The man, his horse and his dog went to the spring and quenched their thirst. The traveller returned to thank the man. "Come back whenever you want," he was told. "By the way, that’s this place called?" "Heaven." "Heaven? But the guard at the marble gateway told me that was heaven!" "That’s not Heaven, that’s Hell." The traveller was puzzled. "You shouldn’t let others take your name in vain, you know! False information can lead to all kinds of confusions!" "On the contrary, they do us a great favour, because the ones who stay there are those who have proved themselves capable of abandoning their dearest friends."' [From "The Devil and Miss Prym," by Paulo Coelho] Withania Somnifera Withania Somnifera is also known as Ashwagandha (Sanskrit), Amukkira, Amukkirakkilangu (Tamil), and Winter Cherry. It grows easily in Tiruvannamalai District as it favours the drier parts of tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is a smallish sized under-shrub growing to 30 cm to 1.5 m in height. Its stem and branches are covered with minute star-shaped hairs. It flowers (which are greenish or lurid yellow) nearly throughout the year. Its leaves are ovate and its berry-like fruits are orange coloured when mature. The plant has cylindrical fleshy roots. The parts used of this herb are its; roots, leaves and seeds which can be prepared as a decoction, milk decoction, powder, paste, medicated ghee or medicated oil. It is the Indian equivalent to Ginseng, but unlike Ginseng, Ashwagandha has a sedative rather than stimulant action on the central nervous system, making it a superior medicine for exhaustion with nervous irritability. It is used to improve poor memory, lack of concentration and bad eyesight. As its name – which means 'smelling like a horse' suggests, Ashwagandha is an important Vajikarana Rasayana and is used in the treatment of infertility, impotence and "seminal depletion". Ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb, is best known as a health tonic and restorative agent, particularly for the muscles, marrow and semen and for Vata constitution. It is used in all conditions of weakness and tissue deficiency in children, the elderly, those debilitated by chronic diseases, those suffering from overwork, anxiety, stress, lack of sleep or nervous exhaustion. Sattwic in quality, it is one of the best herbs for the mind upon which it is nurturing and clarifying. It is calming and promotes deep, dreamless sleep. Studies have shown Ashwagandha to be effective in stimulating the immune system. It has been extolled as a tonic especially for emaciation in people of all ages including babies, enhancing the reproductive function of both men and women. It has also been used for inflammations especially for arthritic and rheumatic conditions and as a major tonic to counteract the ravages of aging and promote youthful longevity. Some of its other traditional uses have been as a mild purgative for chronic constipation and for the treatment of swollen glands. Ashwagandha is traditionally avoided in lymphatic congestion, during colds and flu, or symptoms of ama. It is also contraindicated in conjunction with sedatives or anxioletics (a substance that reduces anxiety) or if one is suffering from stomach ulcers. Like other tonics such as Ginseng, Ashwagandha should not be taken when there are signs of inflammation or advanced arterial congestion. Ashwagandha is relatively safe when taken in the prescribed range of dosage. Large doses, however, have been shown to cause gastrointestinal upset, diarrhoea and vomiting. Because Ashwagandha has been found to potentiate the effects of barbiturates, it is generally recommended that it be not taken under such conditions. Withania Somnifera details The Crow The Crow and the Pitcher "A thirsty crow noticed a huge jar and saw that at the very bottom there was a little bit of water. For a long time the crow tried to spill the water out so that it would run over the ground and allow her to satisfy her tremendous thirst. After exerting herself for some time in vain, the crow grew frustrated and applied all her cunning with unexpected ingenuity: as she tossed little stones into the jar, the water rose of its own accord until she was able to take a drink." In Hinduism, it is believed that dead people will take food and offerings through a variety of crows called "Bali kakka". Every year people whose parents or relatives have died will offer food to crows as well as cows on the Shradha day. A battle between crows and owls is said to have inspired the final bloody night of the Mahabharata war. The crow is the vehicle of Sani. Crows belong to the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae and are believed to be the most intelligent of all birds and recent studies show the Crow to be even smarter than apes. These birds range in size from the small Pigeon size Jackdaw to the Common Raven of Africa. The forty members of this genus occur on all continents except South America, and several offshore and oceanic islands (including Hawaii). In Tiruvannamalai District the two most prominent species of crow are the House Crow and the Jungle Crow. For a full and extensive report with many photographs of both the House Crow and the Jungle Crow check the below link. Crow Details and Photographs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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