Greatness of India –Mahans-Rama Nama discourse series-By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji – Part- 2

[Guest guest]

Radhe Krishna To All,

 

There once lived a king, Vallala Maharaja, who was deeply devoted to Lord

Arunachaleswara. He has renovated and built a huge tower in this temple that is

called ‘Vallala Maharaja Gopuram’. He prayed to the Lord for a son, as he

was heirless. The Lord said to him that He (the Lord) would Himself be his son.

True to His word, the Lord performed the death rites of this king, just as a son

would. Even today after 600 years, on every ‘Masi Makha’ (the Tamzih month

Masi when the star 'Makha' is on the ascent), the day of the death of the king,

the Lord performs the annual death rites (‘srardam’) for the king! This

tradition of the Lord going to the nearby village Pallikondãnpattu to perform

the annual death rites is followed scrupulously in this temple. This goes to

show the glory (‘prabhava’) of Lord Arunachaleswara as also the glory of

this great Temple.

 

The temple tower of Lord Brahadeeswara, Thanjavur (Tamizh Nadu State, S.India)

is said to be the tallest. It is 126’. But, the tower of Lord Arunachaleswara

temple here is a foot taller. It is 127’!

 

Yet another glory of this Holy Place is the fruitfulness of the tapas of women.

Some say that women should not perform tapas (spiritual austerities). But,

Tiruvannamalai is a place where the tapas of women bear fruit easily! Even in

Kanyakumari (the southern most tip of India) one knows not if the tapas of Devi

(Goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Siva), who is doing tapas, as a young girl,

has borne fruit. She is said to be doing tapas even today. However, Goddess

Parvati performed tapas here in Tiruvannamalai and attained a place in the body

(left half) of Lord Siva. This is the Kshetra where the tapas of Goddess Parvati

bore fruit. It is here that the form ‘Ardha-nareeshwara’ (Half-a-woman -

‘ardha’ means half and ‘naree’ means lady) came to be. [it is a form

where the right half is the form of Lord Siva and the left half, the form of

Parvati, His consort] A Murti (idol) for Ardhanareeshwara is found in this

temple. This idol is very lustrous

(‘agni pizhambu’). On ‘Deepam’ evening when the ‘Pancha Murti’

(five deities) are taken in procession, Ardhanareeshwara also goes along. Thus,

this is a Kshetra where the spiritual austerities of women bear fruit very

easily.

 

Moreover, the visit to the temple in Palani (Lord Muruga’s temple, Tamizh

Nadu, S.India) fulfills one’s prayer. The visit to Vaitheeswaran temple (Lord

Siva’ temple, Tamizh Nadu, S.India) cures all kinds of diseases. People say

that this is due to the existence of the samadhi (place where the physical body

of a Mahan has been placed to rest) of Bogar (a Siddha Purusha) in Palani and

the existence of samadhi of Dhanvantri in Vaitheeswaran temple. The reason for

the ‘sannidhya’ (Holy Presence) in a Temple is being credited to the

existence of the ‘adhishtanam’ (samadhi) there. Similarly, today everyone

undertakes pilgrimage to Ayodhya as it is the birthplace of Lord Rama and to

Mathura, as it is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Kaladi, the birthplace of Adi

Sankara, is also being looked upon and visited by all as a place of pilgrimage.

The birthplace of a Mahan, the place where a Mahan had lived, things that had

been touched or used by a

Mahan, those who are connected with Mahans, all become pure and holy. Mahatmas

purify the whole world by their actions (‘chestai’) and very Presence.

 

!!! Will Continue !!!

 

Regards

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

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