The Galaxy of Devotees

The history of Hinduism is divided into periods of development. It is said the first period was the Historical Vedic Religion dated from about 1750 BCE. The consequent period, between 800 BCE and 200 BCE, is "a turning point of the Vedic religion. The Epic and Early Puranic period, from c. 200 BCE to 500 CE, saw the classical "Golden Age" of Hinduism, In this period the six branches of philosophy developed namely Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. Saivism and Vaishnavism developed during this same period through the Bhakthi movement. Bhakti movement was influenced by Pauranic Hinduism and Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta marks a shift from real to Ideal Thought.

The Bhakti movement saw a rapid growth of the beginning from Tamil Nadu with the Nayanars (4th to 10th centuries CE) and the Alvars (3rd to 9th centuries CE) who spread bhakthi in poetic qualities of devotion throughout India by the 12th to 18th centuries CE. In this respect south India has produced many such the great souls who have helped to maintain the eternal truth or Sanadhana dharma. Particularly the Nayanars. They belong to the class of nobleness. Who are established unshakably the truth of devotion. They did not do any grandeur puja of spending immense of money, very simple singing praise on the Lord and kind attitude and capable service towards Lord Siva devotees and tight principle. They did not pray god neither for their favor nor for realization they asked god only the place in the galaxy of devotees.

This story is from Siva puranam;-

Enathinathar was born in Eyinanur, in Chola kingdom. Eyinanur is located on the banks of river Arisol, south-east of Kumbakonam. He was from Chanar (Nadar) caste. A brilliant swordsman and a general in the Chola military, he was also the tutor to the Chola princes in swordsmanship. He was a ardent devotee of Lord Siva . He became rich outstanding to his superior skill and spent his wealth on serving the Lord Siva devotees.

There were an another fighter and tutor named Adhisuran lived in the same place. He was very jealous with Enathinathar and his popularity. One day Adhisuran boasted his superior military skills and came with his best students and relatives challenged Enanthinathar; the bet was the winner would continue to run his training school. Otherwise close the school. Enathinathar accepted the challenge. So he charged his students on the opponents on his leadership But Adhisurans troops was loosing and at lost Enadhinathar won the challenge and Adhisuran cowardly escaped from the battle ground. In an another occasion Adhisuran invited Enathinathar to a duel in a private place. Enathinathar accepted and reached the spot with his sword and shield. Coward Adhisuran wore the Tripundram mark (Viboothi) on his forehead, but hid his forehead with his shield as he arrived at the plotted spot. Enathinathar pounced like a lion on the fox like Adhisuran, the fraud challenger removed his shield and revealed the Tripundaram on his forehead. Ekanathar saw tripundaram on his forehead and he stunned and thought that “O Siva Siva Adhisuran had converted to Saivism and became a devotee of Siva. I should not fight with him, Instead of kill a Saiva, best to die”. However, he did not lay down his weapons as he did not want Adisuran the "Saiva" to incur the sin of killing an unarmed man. Enathinathar stood-still in a fighting posture. As he thought Adisuran pierced his stomach deeply with his sword and Enathinathar fell on the ground, Lord Siva pleased with Enathinater extreme "self-sacrificing" devotion and appeared in front of him and took him to Kailasa, Siva's abode.

Message:

All these sixty three saints were ascetics but not of the usual order. What these saints vacated was not kith and kin or their villages or houses or their occupations. They gave up anger, theft,violence, pride, hurting others, attachment,and desires, they are ascetics but externally they look normal like others but they practiced the truth, nonviolence, deep devotion, fixed their mind with almighty of Lord Siva, all the time with tripundaram on their forehead, unshakable life time principle. They have seen Lord in them self not only them with all and every thing. The activities of these devotees deffer, but one thing is common there intense love for the Lord. They followed different ways of praying the god and led different kinds of life styles. But their aim was the unique. If one say Brahmacharyam the prime example is Sundeser, grahastsram Thiruneelakandar, Vanaprastham Ayadigal , sanyasam Thirumoolar. Some of them are highly learned, some of them are kings, some have not learned any scriptures,or an ancestors lineage yet all are excelled in their own way fixed mind devotion on Lord Siva. The service may unimaginative like throwing a stone on the Sivalingam every day but lord accepted as fragrant flower. All they did whole hearty with intense love on god and determination, principle of their own way. They are the prime examples to us to learn what is devotion and how to the supreme alone can liberate the human being from the coils of sin. By the purity of their love, faith,and firm will to attain the object on their devotion like gopies of brindhavanam did to Lord Sri Krishna. How we understand the stories of these saints depends on the mind set of the reader. Yet If one follow with devotion these stories will help to elevate our own degree.

“Ullam perunkoyil oon udambu aalayam vallar perumanukku vai gopuravasal” thellattendharkku jeevan sivalingam kallappulan ayndhum kala manivilake”(Thirumoolar)

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The Caution Advise

The Bhagavata purana is mainly a bhakti passage with deepness on achieving moksha. Its philosophy and prominent teachings are about BhaktiYoga with various way includes Samkhya philosophy, Vedanta, and Advaita philosophy.

This story from Bhagavata Puranam book 3

The Bhagavata Purana contains many stories including the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Composed by Veda Vyasa. When King Parikshit had a curse that he will die by a snake bite in seven days. The king was very sad and he wished to perceive best to remove sin and to attain god's realization. At that time Sugabrahmam entered in his palace consoled him and begins to narrate Srimat Bhagavata Puranam in seven days. This is the reason why even today it reads in seven days hence it is called Bhagavata saptaham.

While his narration to parikshit he explains the creation of the universe and he says “O parikshit if a man to realize about his true self he should have perception, then only he can attain fullness which is called experiencing reward or (atma or parabrahma sakshatkaram) he continued, the first creation was Manu and sadharoopa they had plenty of children and Devahuthi is one of their children so they went to kardhama prajapathi's hermitage and requested him to marry their daughter Devahuthi. Kardhama said to manu that once he has a son he will take complete asceticism, if he agree then he will marry their daughter Devahuthi; they accepting his condition they got their daughter Devahuthi married to Kardhama. Even though he married Kardhama was in deep penance for many years; but she did not draw his attention towards herself. Here I recall my memory a true story came across to read. There was a philosopher named Vachaspathi misra who lived (900–980 CE), who use to write all the upanishat (Bhashya) commentary (which means a particular type of literary explanatory series of notes.) Ancient days there were no electric light or kerosene lantern only (deepam) oil lamp with cotton thread one has to help refueling the lamp. One day when he was writing to Adi Sankara's brahma-sutra-bhasya at that time the lamp was drying so a lady came and refilling the oil and triggered the tread, he saw her and asked her that “Who are you? Because of his busy writing he completely forgot that he got married. She said politely “I am your wife” he told her that “I appreciate your sovereignty of politeness I specific your name permanently in my commentary, he named one of his works after his wife,. her name is Bhamathi. Vachaspathi founded one of the main Advaita Vedanta schools, named Bhamati school after his commentary on Adi Sankara's Brahma-sutra-bhaṣya. His important and everlasting work is the Navya-Nyaya system of thought.(means experimental justice) Vacaspati lived near the frontier between India and Nepal the present Vachaspati Nagar. This incident is correspondingly  agreeable similar character as Devahuthi.

Devahuthi did not pull his attention to wards her. Once karthamar finished his penance he saw devahuthi and delightedly appreciate her good nature and began his family life. He had many female children they did not have any male child. But devahuthi did not satisfied so she prayed her husband Kardhamar for a male child, Karthamar advised his wife to observe viratam to Sri Vishnu for 12 days, accordingly she observed; the result is sakshat Sri Vishnu entered Devahuthi's womb and she conceived, after ten months she gave birth venerable a great male child. Karthamar and Devahuthi were very happy. Karthamar given name to the child as Kapila (Kapila means a highly sensitive, idealistic, and self-generated nature.)as the name he was very religiously knowledgeable ingenious. once he attains suitable age karthamar wish to take complete asceticism so he prayed Kapila for his farewell kapila also without any difference blessed him and karthamar took leave. ( ln this place I recall my memory told by my father wish to share). His Holiness Sri Chandrashekara Bharathi Mahaswamigal was the 34th Jagadguru of Sringeri Sarada Peetham during 1912–1954. He was one of the most significant spiritual Gurus during the 20th century. He was a Jivanmuktar (means one liberated while alive). It is said His parents given the name is Narasima, he born and brought up in Sringeri. After his parents lost all their children so according the advises from His holiness Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrusimha Bharati swamigal of Sri Sarada peetam they observed virathams so he born, that is why his name is Narasimha but from his childhood he lived with adminisrater of Sringari mutt Neelakanta sastri's house. During his stay in Neelakanta sastri he somehow never to be in front of him, once he finished his education and the suitable age he selected by His holyness Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrusimha Bharati Swamigal as 34th peetathipathi, and after finished all rituals formalities throned as Chandrasekara Bharathi and sat on the vyakyana Simhasanam, the first person was Neelakanta sastri came and did Sastanga Namaskaram with clear mind, Swamigal also without any differences blessed him, all people saw this amazement scean. this kind of incidents rarely happen. Karthamar was a great sage he did pranams to his son felt devotionally kapila as paramatma and took leave.

Once Karthamar left home Devahuthi also developed freedom from all wordily desires (Vairagyam) and said to Kapilar “O my son where there is a god, that god is in front of me, you are the axe to eradicate of ignorance, you are the rescuer from the cycle of worldly ocean of existence, hence kindly let me show the way to escape from the cycle of birth-death and incite hymn to me”. Kapilar says to his mother Devahuthi “Amma listen the mind is an Inanimate object whatever we feed and however we train accordingly it will act. Perhaps one train his mind on the worldly matters or desires it will act as it trained; otherwise if one train with sat sag bhajans, meditation etc it will act accordance. The mind alone an efficient cause to mankind to feel sorrow or happy. I, this is mine, it is only for me to enjoy, I would not give to any one this kind of thinking will confine with bondages. if retain his mind in atma will feel fullness and happy. Or If one retain his mind in worldly desires it will be a great distress and sorrowful, Further he says “ Amma there are many differences in the universe, yet you do not think about the differences. The worldly affairs contain differences which is inevitable that will always be certain, but individuals should review Advaita in his mind. If one presume the wordily affairs are true and follow its route he will confine with bondages and push into the ditch, otherwise if one follow the way of eternal truth and righteous path he will always be free from bondages and always be happy in his life. further more he said that “Amma do you know why is the mind getting cynical and what is the main reason? because of ego, greed, cruelty, jealously etc.,how these all are occurred.?because of excessive desire to possess. one should not have wavering mind. The important thing is our mind should not control us instead we should control it. The only way to control the mind should have devout mind, and meditation trust in god. but the caution advise is the name of devotion should not do wrong things; which is not devotion. To understand devotion first step is pursuing a well knowledge guru, second step is seeking his advise, the third and final step is following his suggesting way. The best way of devotion is surrender to almighty of god, which is the highest quality of devotion. If one has the surrendering tendency he will arrive to his destination, and have taste in monotheistic doctrine and always entrust in god. Further he explicates about devotion and the way. ”first you select that exclusively calm and quite place. Rise early in the morning it is called brahma-muhoortham. Have sit in comfortable position facing on eastern side. Install you wished an idol or image in position its sight on you. Observe the deity with fully fixing mind from gods head to toe. Muttering hymn on the concerning deity, perform and practice in due course your mind get matured at that time you will realize the world as Atma Swaroopam and also you will treat all human beings, birds, beast are having same atma. Once ripe your prayer that sign also will vanish and get fullness. (Pooranatwam). Always one thing keep in your mind that is avoiding the grandeur ceremony. Your japam should be honest backing to offer food if one feels hungry,, cloths to poor, personal support when one being sorrowful, should follow generously on pious and righteous path, these kind of acts are pious deeds god also feel happy. Then he explains a child in mother's womb. Devahuthi understood well and followed as he said. Kapila left home with siddha -ganas.

Message:-

Sage Kapilar author of the philosophical system known as Samkya Yoga. this part of Bhagavatha puranam indicates the ancient days women and their politeness. kapilar kept his mother as a mediator and proclaim his teachings to the world. Entire his messages about the nature of secrecy and the reality on truth, Hope you enjoy reading.

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