SathGuru Darshanam |

CONTENT

Editors Desk

Ganesha Vandanam

Samarpanam

Advaita Guru Parampara

10

Sri Vaishnava Guru Parampara Prabhavam

14

Indian Almanac

17

Aarsha Vaani

18

Mahabhakta Vijayam

20

The opportune month of Pushya

22

Hanumantam Upasmahae

27

Aparaadha Kshmaapanam

27

Why the Magazine

28

SathGuru Darshanam | 2

The one, who from within me, rejuvenated my speech; Who is the source of all powers;
Who also awakened my other faculties; My very life! I pay obeisance to Him.

EDITORS DESK

GANESHA VANDANAM

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Month of Pushya the day break for the Devas,

has begun with the celebrations of Sankranti
(Pongal). Festivities and Vratas continue through
the month with RathaSaptami, Bheeshmashtami,
Bakula Panchami and so on. Our prayers to
SathGuru that these days be of new beginnings,
excellence and spiritual empowerment. Our warm
wishes to one and all on these auspicious days.
It is to be noted that this Thai-Amavasya (Feb-8) is
also a MahodayaPunyaKaala an auspicious event
equal to many SuryaGrahanas in its merit. Ratha
Saptami is on Feb-14 and Bheesha-Ashtami on Feb
-15, 2016.
On a sad note, a doyen of Shukla Yajur Veda shed
His mortal coils at an age of 103. Our humble
obeisance to BrahmaRshi Parasurama Ganpatigal
founder of the Yagyavalka Gurukulam, Ambattur,
Chennai.
Having said that, we present to you SGD-30!

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I salute that God Ganesha, Who is of red

colour, Who has two hands; who has a big
paunch, Who sits on a lotus; Who is served
by Brahma and other Devas; Who is saluted
by the most eminent sages.

For the team,

The Editors

SathGuru Darshanam | 3

SAMARPANAM
Endaro Mahanubhavulu-andariki Vandanamulu
(My namaskarams to all those great men who have
attained dizzy heights in their spiritual experience and
who have lived in all the ages)
To say so, requires great humility. The dedicatee of
this issue of SGD, is the one who authored the
above said words Shri ThyagaBrahmam.

Great men appear from time to time as if sent by

God for the purpose of elevating humanity. Shri
Thyagaraja was one such extraordinary personality
born to teach humanity the path of salvation
through Music and RaamaBhakti. His contribution
to the cultural growth in south India is unique. He
was a practical philosopher and dedicated his
entire life to the practice of Naadopaasanaa
(propitiation of Music).

With the falling of the VijayaNagara empire at the

end of the 16th century, many Telugu families
migrated southwards and took shelter under the
rule of Nayakas and the Maratha Kings of Tamil
Nadu. Shri Thyagarajas ancestors were among the
migrated lot. GiriRaja Kavi, was the grandfather of
Shri ThyagaBrahmam. He earned his livelihood
through KathaaKaalaKshepam. Taking up the family
profession, Shri RaamaBrahmam, son of GiriRaja
Kavi, lived in Tiruvarur. To the pious and devout
couple of Shri RaamaBrahmam and Sitamma,
ThyagaBrahmam was born as their third son on
SarvajitVarsha, Chaitra-Shukla-Dashami, and with
the Poorvaashaada star in ascendance (May 4th,
1767). He was named after the presiding deity of
the Tiruvarur temple as Thyagaraja. He is fondly
called Thyagayya and named ThyagaBrahmam, like
His father, when His immense bhakti and
saintliness is quoted. After his birth, the family
shifted to Tiruvaiyaru as the Thanjavur King had
provisioned accommodations there for Shri
RaamaBrahmam.

Even from an early age, Thyagaraja was exposed to

RaamaKatha through his father and Sangeeta
(Music) from his mother. At the age of 7, his
Upanayanam (sacred-thread ceremony) was
performed. As per tradition, Thyagaraja learnt
Sanskrit and studied the Vedas. His musical
exposure continued to happen through his
grandparents also. His maternal grandfather, Shri
Kaalahastaiyya, was a renowned Veena-player of his
age. When he was 15, his father saw him scribbling
something on the wall with a charcoal piece. On
closure inspection, he found that the boy had
composed a Kriti on Shri Rama Vandanamu
RaghuNandana SetuBandhana BhaktaChandana. At
the display of a fledgling skill mixed with
soundly-rooted RaamaBhakti, Shri RaamaBrahmam
had Thyagaraja learn music formally under the
tutelage of Sonti Venkataramanayya Thanjavurs
court musician. Thyagaraja absorbed all that the
Guru could teach him within a year.
SathGuru Darshanam | 4

During his formal training, he never emphasized on

the technical aspect of classical music but, instead,
saw it as a means to experience spiritual bliss. His
attempts at singing were purely devotional and
without any other materialistic reason behind. By
the fag end of his teenage, he had begun composing
Kritis. "Namo Namo Raghavaaya" was one such
composition.
In 1784, at the age of 18, Thyagaraja married
Parvati. In 1785, at the royal court of Pudukottai
Ramachandra Thondaiman, Thyagaraja had sung in
JyotiSwaroopini raga to light a lamp. When
Thyagaraja was 20, his father passed away. When
he was 21, a saint by name RaamaKrishnaYateendra
initiated Shri Thyagaraja into the RaamaShadaakshari (6-lettered Rama mantra). From thereon, Shri
Thyagaraja led a simplistic life and eked out his
livelihood through UncchaVrutti. When he was 22,
his wife Parvati passed away. In the ensuing year, he
was married to Parvatis younger sister
Kamalaamba, and the couple had a daughter called
SitaLakshmi.
On his Guru, Sonti Venkataramanayyas direction,
Shri Thyagaraja performed a concert in the
presence of MusicalVidwaans of the region. He sang
Dorakuna the song starts by asking, 'Is it
possible to get darshan of Hari?'. At the end of the
recital his Guru was overwhelmed with emotion at
his Shishyas performance. Thyagarajas fame as a
composer of music was spreading fast. On hearing
about him, King Sarabhoji-II invited Shri Thyagaraja
to the palace to sing before him and also offered
him the position of SamastaanaVidwan at the
durbar. But Thyagaraja, who was very clear about
his mission in life, refused and declined the offer.
He composed, nay, he actually gave words to his
feelings; he sang Nidhi Chaala Sukhama
expressing that serving Raama was a greater
Sukham than living a life of luxury.
It is said once, when Shri Thyagaraja had doubts
regarding Swaras & ragas and couldnt find a
suitable source to satisfy His questions, a previously
unknown man visited Him with a book, stating, that
this may help clarify some of His doubts. To His
surprise, Shri Thyagaraja, found all of His questions

and doubts getting clarified. With an eye on the

book, He had asked the visitor, if he knew music,
to which the stranger had answered that he knew
some veena playing and his mother was a great
player of the Veena. When He raised His head to
further question the visitor, Shri Thyagaraja found
him to have disappeared. It was then He realized
that the book was none other than Svaraarnava, a
musical treatise by the Divine Sage Narada Himself,
also called Naaradeeyam, thought to be lost to
mankind. He could only conclude that the visitor
should have been the Divine Sage Himself. Due to
this, Shri Thyagaraja considered the Divine Sage, a
guru to Him and has sung compositions in praise of
the Sage.
Shri Thyagarajas life was completely engrossed in
RaamaBhakti. His day began with waking-up Shri
Rama and end with putting Him to bed like a
mother would do to her child. Whatever
Upachaaraas that he did to Shri Raama, he had
expressed all of them in his Kritis. It was verily that
ThyagaBrahmam lived a life with Shri Raama rather
than a life wherein he conducted worship of Shri
Raaama. Because of his steadfast faith in Shri
Raama, he never wanted for any material benefits.
This complete surrender naturally made him live a
life of detachment, though he was a house holder.
The first and foremost result was that he refused
to earn a livelihood. He had a house to live in and
that was enough shelter. Even for his own
sustenance, he depended on UncchaVrutti he
would go singing the praise of Shri Raama on the
streets with his eyes closed in devotion and a
vessel hanging by his side. Whatever was collected
in the vessel, courtesy of the pious raw
vegetables and rice, was what Shri Thyagaraja
consumed. There never was a demand from him
he wouldnt purposedly wait before a house or sing
loudly to draw their attention. This again, was only
a few times a week. The burden of caring for his
family thus fell on his elder brother, who fondly
hoped that the great art and learning of his younger
brother could be put to pecuniary uses. But Thyagaraja did not agree to this.
SathGuru Darshanam | 5

The Thanjavur King, knowing that Shri Thyagaraja

would not accept any monetary aid directly, gave
gold coins to his soldiers so that they offer the
same when Thyagaraja came singing. When Shri
Thyagaraja noticed the gold coins in his vessel
before his afternoon bath, he threw away that
days collection of vegetables and rice, the gold
coins and the vessel all of them; stating that the
days collection had become impure. Such was the
dispassion of Shri Thyagaraja. Meanwhile,
Thyagarajas mother Sitamma, passed away.

Seeing that he was always engaged in attending to

Shri Raama and not concerned about taking care of
his family, Thyagarajas elder brother, in
desperation, not only partitioned the ancestral
house but went to the extent of throwing the
Rama idol which Shri Thyagaraja worshipped, into
the river. This was a strike of a lightning-bolt onto
Shri Thyagaraja for he was deprived of his very
life, the RaamaVigraha. The sorrow of the devotee
cannot even be imagined. In this VirahaTaapam
the sorrow of separation from Shri Raama, many
great emotion-laden, Bhakti-dripping Kritis came to
be composed, begging the Lord to return. Though
this was a great period of sorrow for Shri
Thyagaraja, it was a golden period for Music and
Bhakti. Some philosophers even argue that this
incidence was for the benefit of mankind through
the devotion-filled Kiritis of Shri Thyagaraja that
Shri Raama had acquiesced to the dastardly act of
Thyagarajas brother. The surrender, self-pity and
insurmountable grief due to the insurmountable
loss of Shri Raama, poignantly expressed in his
compositions, showcase the depth of RaamaBhakti
that Shri Thyagaraja had and taught humanity the
Bhaava a devotee should possess.
Three months later, directed by a dream, Shri
Thyagaraja found his RaamaVigraha in the Kaveri
bed. As much as the distress was recorded, so
much was the elation recorded on getting back Shri
Raama.

servant, came to visit Thyagaraja while he was

away. Saying that theyd visit the temple while
Thyagaraja was away, they left. When Thyagaraja
learned that such a group had arrived, he had a
flash that it was SitaRaama along with His brothers
and Hanuman, who had come to visit him. He thus
went to the temple in search of them. As he neared
the Gopuram, he saw the group disappearing.
Happy of catching a glimpse of them, he composed
Bhavanuta in Mohanam and Kaluguna Paada in
PoornaLalita Raaga.
By this time, hearing the musical prowess of Thyagaraja, many came to learn music from him; notable
among them Walajapeta Venkata Ramana
Bhagavathar,
Maanaambuchaavadi
Venkatasubbayyar, Umayalpuram brothers, Govinda Sivan,
Sabhapathi Sivan.
To be noted is that
Maanaambuchaavadi Venkatasubbayyar is the
musical ParameshtiGuru of Shri BaalaMuraliKrishnan.
Shri Thyagarajas genius is evident in every song of
his; but his immortal Pancha ratna kritis (the five
gems) reveal the mastery he had over musical
technique. Apart from thousands of songs of kriti
type, he composed utsava sampradaya keertanas
and divya nama sankeertanas which are sung in
devotional congregations He has also created two
operas: Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam and Nauka
charitram. While there are a number of songs in
Sanskrit, the majority of them, including the operas,
are in Telugu.
One can speak of Shri Thyagaraja's music only in
superlatives and even these adjectives are pitifully
inadequate to convey the exquisite beauty of his
art. There is no hitch; there is no unwanted phrase;
there is no laboured juxtaposition of word, music
and feeling. To him music was so creative that he
could not be bound in mere traditional grammar.
He saw the potentiality in new melodies and from
them gave forms to ragas like Kharaharapriya,
Harikambhoji and Devagandhari; at least he must
have breathed life into such simple tunes to make
them into ragas, if not produced them de novo.

It is said that when he was 39, a traveling family of a

couple, three brothers of the husband, and their
SathGuru Darshanam | 6

The rhythms used by him are also simple and are

generally confined to talas such as Adi, Triputa, and
Roopaka. Complex temporal and melodic patterns
would not have expressed the lyricism of his mystic
adoration. A beautiful elaboration introduced by
him was the sangati as a built-in part of his kriti.
These melodic variations convey so many shades of
the main mood that all the finer nuances of text
and music find expanded expression. It need not be
offered as an excuse, but it is a fact that he was
also as much capable of technical musicality as any
learned grammarian. His mudra Thyagaraja mark
each of His compositions as much as His distinct
style did. It is a sad fact that only 700 of His 20
thousand plus compositions survive.
Shri Thyagaraja's literary genius was as great as his
musical genius. His command over Telugu and
Sanskrit lent not only an erudite dignity to his
songs but gave a rare felicity and homeliness to his
diction. He drives home great truths with unerring
aim but with extreme simplicity of simile. "What
does it matter whether the fool, who does not,
gain punya (religious merit) when opportunity
presents itself, lives or is dead?...Of what avail is it
whether blind eyes, however large, are open or
closed?". Again, "The fault or goodness is not
yours, Lord! It is mine. (Why blame Thee?). If one's
daughter is unable to bear the labour-pains, why
blame the son-in-law?".
The only things that mattered to Shri Thyagaraja
were music and bhakti - they were synonymous. "Is
there a sacred path than music and bhakti?". "O
Mind, salute the gods of the seven notes". "The
knowledge of music, O Mind, leads to bliss of
Union with the Lord". Music was to him the
meditation on the Primordial Sound: "I bow to
Sankara, the embodiment of Nada, with my body
and mind. To Him, the essence of blissful
Samaveda, the best of the vedas, I bow. To Him
who delights in the seven swaras born of His five
faces I bow".
The word Rama (RA-MA) was to him a Numen
that transcended all names. It would be more than
absurd to attribute any sectarian leanings to Thyagaraja. He sings, "As what did they define You?

How did they worship You? - as Siva, as Madhava,

as Brahma born of Lotus or as Parabrahma, the
Transcendental-Godhead? I prostrate myself before
those who know the secret of MA as the life of
Siva-mantra
and
RA
as
the
life
of
Narayana-mantra".

23 years had passed since Shri Thyagaraja had been

initiated with the RaamaShadaakshari, and he had
recited the Mantra 96 crore times. He had been
blessed by his Guru that once completion of 100
crores, he would have the darshan of Shri Raama.
But, to fulfill the Gurus word to the Shishya, Shri
Raama came down to Him, along with His family,
without disguise when he neared the 100-crore
mark. It is said, that the Lord and His family had
appeared before Shri Thyagaraja, who was
engrossed in his RaamaDhyanam, and that it was
Shri Kamalaamba Shri Thyagarajas wife, who saw
the Divine. It is commonly shared that it was
Kamalaamba but not Shri Thyagaraja who had the
Lords darshan. Shri Thyagaraja would certainly
have had the Lords darshan, but even if not so,
was an outwardly darshan necessary for a person
who had lived with the Lord for years?!
Kamalaamba having the darshan was by the merit
of her PaatiVratya service to her husband.
SathGuru Darshanam | 7

In 1810, Shri Thyagarajas daughter Sitalakshmi was

given in marriage to Kuppuswami. The couple begot
a boy who was named Thyagaraja, who died
issueless; thus came to an end the direct lineage of
the
composer.
Shri
Thyagaraja's
disciple
Walajapettai Vekataramana Bhaagavatar brought a
painting of KodandaRaama, walking all the way from
Walajapettai to Thiruvaiyaru and offered it to his
Guru. Here, it is said that Shri Thyagaraja
composed Nanu Paalimpa in Mohanam.
In 1836, VadiVelu of SwaatiTirunals court visite
Thiruvaiyaru. It was also said that around this time,
Shri MuthuSwami Dikshitar had come to have the
darshan of the Lord at Thiruvaiyaru. Incidentally,
Shri Thyagaraja had completed one of his many
cycles of his NityaRaamayanaPaarayana on that day.
Hearing that a great musician had come to have the
darshan of Shri Panchapakesha, Thyagaraja invited
him to take part in the closing ceremony of his
Paarayanam

RaamaPattabhishekam.
Shri
MuthuSwami Dikshitar had composed a Kriti on
that occasion Mamava PattabhiRaama in
Manirangu Raaga.
In 1839, Shri Thyagaraja went on a pilgrimage. He
visited SriRangam during Chaitrotsavam and
composed SriRangam PanchaRatnas. He then visited
Kancheepuram during the Garudotsavam. Later, he
visited Tirupati, but when He went to the temple, it
was closed. In sadness, He sang "Teratiyagaraadaa"
and the temple officials gathered round in
admiration when they saw the door opening by
itself and the screen falling aside. He sang
"Venkatesha, Ninnu Sevimpa" in His happiness at
seeing the Lord. As He was passing through
Puttoor, it is said that He enlivened a dead person
by singing Na Jeevaadhaara Kriti in Bilahari Raaga.
While returning to Thiruvaiyaru, he visited Chennai
-Kovur, where he composed Kovur Pancharatna
during his stay with Kovur Sundara Mudaliar. Later
he composed Thiruvetriyur Pancharatna while he
was staying with Veena Kuppier. At the invitation of
his disciple LaalguDi Raamayya, he composed the
Laalgudi Pancharatna. On completion of this
spiritual tour, he reached Thiruvaiyaru at the end of
October, 1839. In 1841, Gopalakrishna Bharati

visited Thyagaraja at his residence in Thiruvaiyaru.

Seeing Shri Thyagaraja sing Raama NeeSamaanam
Evaru, Gopalakrishna Bharati echoed the same
sentiment by singing the Sabhapati ku veru
Daivam in the same Raaga. The two stalwarts
accorded praise to each other on their musical
prowess and Bhakti. In 1843, ShadKaalaa
Govindamaaraar visited Shri Thyagaraja. By legend,
Endaro mahanubavulu, one of Thyagaraja's most
famous compositions, was composed after he heard
Maaraar sing.
At His 79th age, on 27th December 1846, Shri Thyagaraja had a dream, in which Shri Rama gave Him
darshan from a mountain and promised Him that
He will attain beatitude in 10 days. His
composition Giri pai in Sahana records this "Unerringly I saw Sri Rama installed on the
hill...Thrilled with ecstasy, with tears of joy, I tried
to speak. He promised to bless me in five days."
Understanding this as the call from the Divine to
shed His mortal coils, He announced His fast
approaching departure from mortal plane to His
near and dears, euphemistically in a kriti during the
usual bhajans on Ekadasi day, the next day.

By divine ordinance, He took up monkhood

Sanyasa on 4th January 1847, and was bestowed the
Yoga patta Monastic title: NadaBrahmananda.
Next day - Pushya Bahula(Shukla) Panchami (5th
January 1847), early morning, meditating upon the
Ultimate, the Saint left His mortal body behind, His
soul escaping through a crack on His cranium a
mark of a Yogi attaining Moksha. His mortal
remains were interred at a spot on the left bank of
the river Cauvery at Thiruvaiyaru with the honor
and religious rites due to a Sanyasi. A brindavan
consisting of a conventional brick structure and
Thulasi plant was put up marking that spot. Even
today He blesses each and every one of us from His
Brindavanam. To pay homage to this Great Saint,
His Ghana Pancharanta Kritis are sung even today
at his Aradhana day at Thiruvaiyaru by thousands of
musicians coming from across the world.

SathGuru Darshanam | 8

Shri Thyagaraja was a great bhakta; the only

meaningful act for him was complete surrender to
Him whom he called Rama. In the song Ika
gavalasina, he sings, "What more do you want, O
Mind ! Why are you not happy? When the Lord of
the Universe has rested in your heart - what more
do you want, O Mind?"

There was not a moment of His life which was not

filled with Rama. His songs sing of Him who was a
friend, a master, a father,- anything He could
conceive of. Hearing of Rama's name was to Shri
Thyagaraja like "obtaining a large kingdom". And
how could he desist from singing His praises - "Is
there any bliss greater than this: to dance, to sing
and to pray for His presence." "Did not the Lord

incarnate wish to wear the garland of ragas woven

by Thyagaraja?"

He gave us Rama Bhakthi, added richness to the

musical tradition of India and revolutionized
Carnatic music like Shri Purandaradasa. Above all
He lived an illustrious life, showcasing many need
to imbibed characters like Stithapragnya,
Vairagya, and unwavering Bhakti.

To this Mukta Purusha, we humbly dedicate this

30th issue of SathGuru Darshanam, in hope that we
all be blessed with similar Bhakti towards the
Almighty.

Brindavanam at Thiruvaiyaru

[Source: http://www.thyagaraja.org]
SathGuru Darshanam | 9

Advaita Guru Parampara

- Adith HS

what AdvaitaGnana is and illustrated how the Vedas

see It as the Goal through His commentaries on the
PrasthanaTraya. Now that the importance of Gnana
was established, the limitations of Karma were to
be brought forth and the Karmatas (

established in karma/followers of
[I bow down to You, Oh! Shankara, whose very form is
Conscient-Bliss; who holds the Chin-mudra; another form Karma Marga) should accept that there is a step
of Ishwara; who is praised by the Vedas; the
ahead of Karma. For achieving this, the foremost of
bestower of happiness to those dependent on Him!!] Karmatas Shri Mandana Mishra, was to be won
over. The episodes from Shri Aacharya's life that we
The VaidikaMatha encompasses the Karma, Bhakti saw in the past few issues seeking Shri Mandana
and Gnana Margas. The Karma Marga is a strict set Mishra, challenging him to a debate, enlivening King
of procedures that have been mandated by the Amaruka to answer questions on KaamaShaastra
Vedas themselves. Bhakti is unquestioned were all part of a key victory in Shri Aacharya's Digsurrender; Gnana is Realization. Karma, Bhakti and Vijayam in establishing the supremacy of
Gnana only if together, give a well-rounded the Advaita philosophy.
spiritual experience.To understand the need of
Karma Marga and to appreciate its temporary [Onwards]
utility, the Learned give us this illustration A
woodcutter was carrying some wood bound with a From Mahishmati (present day region of Ujjain,
rope. On reaching the market, he found that the Madhya Pradesh state) Shri Aacharya travelled
knot he had tied (to hold the wood) was tight and through kingdoms in Maharashtra and reached
couldnt be undone. He sought some help. A man, SriSailam. There, having bathed in the
wise as he was, put another rope around the PaataalaGanga, He had the darshan of
bundle and held it tighter than the existing knot. Bhramaraamba and Shri Mallikarjuna.
This left the woodcutter baffled. But, as the wood

pieces were held tighter, the first knots grip was
now loose and could be easily removed. Now that

!
the initial knot was undone, the wise man removed


his tighter hold, essentially giving relief to the
woodcutter. Like how the tighter hold was needed
!!
to undo the initial knot, similarly is Vaidika Karma
needed to undo the knot of worldly experiences; [Climbing the mountain, that quelled the ignorance
after serving its purpose, the second hold also is to in those that bowed down; that was sky scraping;
be removed, as only then is true freedom attained. away from sins; with (paataala)ganga flowing on it;
The purport of Shri Aacharya challenging Shri which gives mental peace, Shri Aacharya had the
Mandana Mishra was to make it known that doing
darshan of Shri Mallikarjuna Swamy!]
Karma continuously, would be like walking in a
It is said that this is the place where Shri Aacharya
circle there would be no end to it. After a point it
authored His ShivaanandaLahari. Here, scholars
will have to be renounced, and that the 'Knowledge
of other schools of thoughts were present. Each
of Self' can never be denied as an essential for
came to challenge the Advaita philosophy only to
Realization.
Shri Aacharya, as a first step in
get defeated by Sureshwara and other disciples of
spreading the Advaita philosophy, established as to
Shri Aacharya.
SathGuru Darshanam | 10

: : !

!!

There used to be a contemporary of Krishna,

named Poundraka. He was the King of Karusha
state. Seeing that Krishna held the respect of many,
Poundraka believed that by imitating Him, he
would also get the same recognition. His imitation
went to the extent of fooling himself that he was
Krishna, and sending a message to Krishna Himself
that He was the fake of the two. Laughing at the
stupidity, Krishna met Poundraka on a battlefield
and was amused to note a mirror-image of Himself
standing there. The similarity was to the level that
both had exactly the same ornaments, weapons
and such. Krishna, the original, easily won over
Poundraka in the battle and (as per
SrimadBhaagavatam) Poundraka was bestowed
with Saarupyam one of the four states of Mukti,
by the ever-compassionate Lord.
All of Shri Aacharyas challengers were ignorant to
the extent that they believed their belief-system to
be the actual interpretation of the Vedas (like
Poundraka). Shri Shankara (like Krisha), the
preacher of the True Purport of the Vedas, won
them over in a debate, and bestowed on them Saarupyam equivalence in understanding and
following the True Purport of the Vedas.
Like trying to move an immovable object, all the
efforts of Shri Aacharyas opponents went wasted.
Thinking that a direct confrontation would not
help, a Kaapaalika by the name UgraBhairava, tried
to remove Shri Aacharya from the scene by deceit.
A Kaapalika is one who believes in worship
through cannibalism.
Once, when Shri Aacharya was alone and getting
ready for His meditation, UgraBhairava dressed
like a great devotee of Lord Shiva, approached and
prayed to Him that He needed a favor from Him.
UgraBhairava claimed that he had had the darshan

of Lord Shiva and been blessed with bodily

ascension to Kailasha on the condition of sacrificing
a Kings or a Sanyasis cranium (kapaalam). Getting
a Kings kapaalam was practically impossible, but he
had heard that Sanyasins even carry their body
only for the benefit of others, and that Shri
Aacharya, being a great renunciant, would not have
any attachment towards it. Thus, he prayed that
Shri Aacharya consent in sacrificing His kapaalam
for his sake.
Though untouched by the fake praise, Shri
Aacharya felt that UgraBhairavas argument of a
Sanyasi carrying his body only for the benefit of
others, was to be upheld. Death, is an inexcusable
event for all. If by dying, some good would happen
to a fellow being, it is all the more a reason to
embrace it. Having decided thus, Shri Aacharya
instructed UgraBhairava to sever His head at an
appointed time when none of His disciples were
nearby. He warned UgraBhairava that if even one
of His Shishyas were around, especially Shri PadmaPaada, the agreed mission would fail. Happy that he
had
got
Shri
Shankaras
promise,
UgraBhairava left.
At the appointed time, all of Shri Shankaras
disciples had left for their daily ablutions and
austerities. Shri Aacharya sat in a meditative
posture, with His chin resting on the chest, and
thoughts completely absorbed in the Self. Armed
with a scimitar (a curved blade) and drunk till his
eyes, UgraBhairava arrived where Shri Aacharya
sat. He felt elated to note the absence of the
disciples and Aacharya sitting as agreed upon. With
his elation rocketing the sky, UgraBhairava raised
his scimitar.
Meanwhile, Shri PadmaPaada, from the minute He
left His Gurus vicinity, felt an unexplainable
unease. The whole time, He felt that He should
return to His Gurus side. As He was trying to
complete His Anushtanas in haste while consoling
His troubled mind, He had a sudden flash of a
terrible vision UgraBhairava raising a scimitar
above Shri Aacharya.
SathGuru Darshanam | 11

Propelled to inhuman speeds, Shri PadmaPaada

hastened to where His Guru was. As a prayer and
as a cry for help, Shri PadmaPaada meditated upon
His IshtaDaiva Shri Nrusimha. In that very
instant, Shri PadmaPaada manifested in the cave
and pounched upon UgraBhairava!! But it was not
Shri PadmaPaada whom UgraBhairava saw, but
Shri Nrusimha Himself, with a blood-curling roar,
pouncing upon him.

Shri PadmaPaada had become Shri Nrusimha due

to the urgency and depth of His meditation. Before
anyone could comprehend what was happening,
Shri Nrusimha had slain UgraBhairava, as He had
slain Hiranyakashipu of yore. It was the deafening
and continual roar of the SamhaaraMoorti that
alerted the other Shishyas of the untoward
happening.
The ferocious form of Shri Nrusimha was
unapproachable by any of them. The distress of the
Shishyas and the terrifying state of Shri PadmaPaada, brought Shri Shankara out of His meditative
state. Astonished at the sight of Nrusimha, brilliant
in His anger and ferocious form, surrounded by the
celestial beings praying for peace, and the Kaapaalika lying dead with his chest broken at His feet,
Shri Aacharya, with tear-filled eyes and heart-full of
gratitude at the mercy of the Lord, pacified the
Nrusimha-aavesha (possession) by way of a lot of
hymns.
!

[Nrusimha!, let go of the meaningless anger, now that

the enemy has been destroyed! Show mercy on me, Oh
Lord, and the worlds that are afraid of Your fearful
countenance.]
Slowly, Shri PadmaPaada became Himself. Shri
Aacharya, elated at His Shishyas strong devotion
and MantraSiddhi, blessed Him in bountiful measures. The other Shishyas, baffled by the
forceful manifestation of the deity in Shri PadmaPaada, enquired Him as to what led Him to have
such a great resonance with the deity. In
response, Shri PadmaPaada recalled an even more
miraculous incidence.
Once, Shri PadmaPaada, in His poorvashrama,
chose a forest-surrounded mountain peak for His
daily meditation. He would come there in the
morning, sit and meditate upon His IshtaDaiva, Shri
Nrusimha, till sunset. A hunter who saw Shri PadmaPaada frequenting the place, enquired Him as to
what He was searching in the forest that made Him
come there daily. In an effort to try and make him
understand, Shri PadmaPaada explained His goal in
a way that a hunter would understand.

!!
SathGuru Darshanam | 12

He said that He was in search of a forest-dwelling

animal which was human till neck and had the face
of a lion. The hunter, who had spent his entire life
in that very forest, prided himself in knowing every
nook and every species that lived in the forest.
Surprised at the peculiar description, the hunter
asked Shri PadmaPaada if He was sure that such a
being existed in the forest. Shri PadmaPaada
replied with a simple yes and went on with His
meditation. Not knowing the existence of such a
distinguished being in his forest, came as a blow to
the hunters pride. He promised to himself that he
would capture the said creature and bring it to the
Yogi before dusk or else he would live no more.
Will the Lord, Who is being searched by the Vedas
themselves, be available to the ignorant hunters
efforts?
Shri PadmaPaada, ignorant of the hunters resolve,
continued his meditation. The hunter slogged the
whole day, neither eating nor resting, and searched
the entire forest in vain, losing heart as each hour
passed. Just before sunset, frustrated by his failure,
he climbed a different peak to jump from and end
his life.
In the path to attain the Lord, a Jeevaatma resolves
to attain Him through a lot of spiritual practices
believing that they will lead to Him. But repeated
failure is the result. Frustrated with the failure, the
ego of I will reach Him crumbles. The very
instance the ego crumbles, what is to be attained
has already been attained. Similar to the
JeevaPrayatna, the hunters efforts were.
As the hunters pride was destroyed, he heard a
growl from the dense bushes nearby. Jerked out of
his state, he followed the sound to find two big
eyes looking back at him. Cautiously approaching,
he was able to match the Being with the
description given by Shri PadmaPaada. Propelled by
the happiness of attainment, he tied the Being with
creepers and dragged It to where Shri PadmaPaada
was seated. The joyous shout of the hunter woke
Shri PadmaPaada from His meditation.

The hunter rapidly began explaining how he had

caught the Being which he had known to not exist
till this day, but all of Shri PadmaPaadas senses
were in a shock at the sight of Shriya:Pati
(

: ) Shri Nrusimha, tied and dragged with

creepers by a mere hunter. Coming out of the

shock, Shri PadmaPaada fell at the feet of both the
hunter and the Lord, and praised Shri Nrusimha in
a lot of hymns. Unable to stop Himself, He
questioned the Lord, how is it that He was easily
found by a mere hunter, when Rshis of yore, Yogis
and Vedas themselves end up fruitless in attaining
Him.
The
Lord
replied,
The
single-pointed
concentration towards seeing Me, not even mixed
with the desire for fruits reaped out of it, is not
seen in even Brahma, the Creator. How can I not
become subjugated, when this hunter has displayed
such a devotion? Further blessing Shri PadmaPaada with MantraSiddhi and the Hunter with eternal fame, the Lord disappeared.
Like this, the PrahlaadaVarada came to Shri
Aacharyas rescue once more and the deceitful
plan of the Kaapaalika failed.
The author of Madhaveeya declares the fruits of
whoever hears or reads about this episode at the
end of the chapter [ - UgraBhairva
Vadha Chapter 11 of Madhaveeya Shankara Digvijaya] itself

S

!!

[Whoever hears or recites this story, with devotion in all

the three twilights, he will avoid fatal accidents,
developing a great devotion towards the Lord, will
attain Mukti after enjoying all material pleasures!!]
For what happened further, stay tuned

:!!

[Source: MadhaveeyaShankaraDigvijayam]

SathGuru Darshanam | 13

Sri vaishanava Guru parampara Prabhavam

- Madhusudhanan

Tired of Ilayaazhwaars continuous interruptions

during the lessons, YadhavaPrakasha gave the pupil
his leave and asked him to continue his lessons
elsewhere. Word reached SriRangam, and
Aalavandaar instructed Peria Nambigal to go to
Kancheepuram and return with Ilayaazhwaar. Last
issue, we saw Peria Nambigal starting his journey
from SriRangam.
[Continued]

Aalavandaar attains ParamaPadam

Aalavandars health was deteriorating day by day.
One day in the month of Vaikasi, during the Brahmotsavam of DevaPerumal, Aalvandar went to
have the darshan of PeriaPerumal. From His Thiruvadi
to
Thirumudi,
he
performed
MangalaShaasanam; got Teertham, Srisatakopam;
and reached back to his Mutt. He called all his
disciples and requested to be forgiven (Kshama)
for anything he did wrong. He told them,

Aalavandaars AntimaKriya;
Ilayaazhwaars arrival
All disciples deeply grieved the demise of
Aalavandaar. The people came and supported
them to carry-on with the final-rights activities.
The entire Mutt was cleaned and decorated with
flowers. Aalavandaars body was decorated and
carried in the streets of SriRangam and the
procession was accompanied with Veda
Parayanam, Divya Prabhandam Goshti, and musical
instruments. Finally, the procession reached Thirukaramban Thurai (on the northern banks of
Cauvery river at SriRangam), where Aalavandaars
body was lied down for further rituals.

As these events occurred in SriRangam, another

set of events occurred in Kancheepuram. Peria
Nambigal, on reaching Kancheepuram, met Thirukacchi Nambigal and detailed him on the purpose
of his visit. After having the darshan of DevaPerumal, Peria Nambigal went towards the SalaiKinaru.
There, he saw Ilayaazhwaar fetching water from
the
well.
To
draw
his
attention,
Nambigal recited a Sloka from Aalavandaars
StotraRatnam (11)

Ensure that all rituals are performed on time to

PeriaPerumal. Maintain good relationship with all
Disciples in order to perform BhagavatKainkaryam

Then, Swami Aalavandar began meditating on his

Aacharyan Manakkal Nambi. As the disciples
were
reciting
BramaValli,
BhruguValli,
PurushaSooktam and Soozhvisum Panimugil (from
Thiruvoimozhi 10-9-9; where Nammazhawaar
describes the journey to SriVaikuntam), Swami
Aalavandar ascended to SriVaikuntam.

Oh Naarayana! Who among the learned adherents of the

Vedas is there, that does not acknowledge Your

intrinsic Godhood, endowed as You are with
unsurpassable excellence? For Brahma, Siva, Indra and
the supreme Muktas are but drops in the ocean of
Your glory.
SathGuru Darshanam | 14

Hearing the sloka, Ilayaazhwaar was delighted. He

bowed to Peria Nambigal and learned from him
that it was Aalavandaar SriSukti, who had
composed the sloka. When Ilayaazhwaar expressed
his desire to meet Aalavandaar, Peria Nambigal felt
great joy, for his mission had succeeded.
Immediately, both started to SriRangam. As the
duo reached the northern banks of Cauvery, they
noticed a huge crowd. This was the crowd that had
gathered to witness the final-rights of Aalavandaar.

Upon enquiring, Nambigal and Ilayaazhwaar learned

that Aalavandaar had ascended to ParamaPadam.
Both were consumed by grief on hearing the news.
Gathering
himself,
Peria
Nambigal
took
Ilayaazhwaar to worship the VimalaCharama
Thirumeni (the body after the Aatma has ascended
to ParamaPadam) of Aalavandaar.
Coming near Aalavandaars body, Ilayaazhwaar
noticed something three fingers in Aalavandaars
hand were folded. Enquiring the gathered disciples,
he learned that even they had noticed the unusual
state of the fingers. As the disciples pondered on
the possible reasons for the folded fingers, they
formed a consensus based on Aalvandaars
KaalaKshepams that he wanted to show his
gratitude towards Vyaasa and Paraasara for their
help in sustaining the dharma; he wanted to
portray his deep Bhakti towards Nammazhwar; and
wished to write a commentary for VedaVyaasas
BrahmaSutram from a Vishishtaadvaitic perspective.
Understanding the inherent message that
Aalavandaar had wished to convey, Ilayaazhwaar
promised out loud thus

The instant after the words were spoke, the three

fingers of Aalavandaar came unfolded. All the
disciples were astonished at the sight. They claimed
that,

If this body of mine stays healthy, if I am blessed with

this Aacharyans grace, and if the Almighty supports
me, I will fulfill these three wishes.

After
that,
Ilayaazhwaar
returned
to
Kancheepuram. Even after such an event, he left
from
SriRangam
without
performing
MangalaaShaasanam to NamPerumal. Thirukacchi
Nambigal consoled Ilayaazhwaar and advised him
to always keep Aalavandaar in his mind, and said
that DevaPerumal would help him in his way.
The
greatest
Aacharyan
of
SriVaishnava
GuruParampara, Swami Aalavandaar, had ascended
to SriVaikuntam.

Aalavandaar in Iramaanusa
Nootrandadi
Swami Aalavandaar was the immediate Aacharyan
before Swamy Ramanujan (Ilayaazhwaar) in
SriVaishnava GuruParampara. Thiruvarangaththamudhanaar says,

You certainly have this Aacharyans blessings; you also

possess His capability. From now on, it is you who will
lead the SriVaishnava Darshanam.

'

- [21]

I dont want to stand in front of the houses of landlords and wealthy people, and sing in praise of them
and beg for wealth. Instead, I would praise and fall at
the Feet of Ramanuja, who is completely blessed by
Swami Aalavandaar the God of Sages, Who preaches
us the Right path to attain Moksha.
SathGuru Darshanam | 15

Aalavandaar Vaazhi Thirunaamam

Swami Aalavandaar KaatuMannarKovil

Photo courtesy of - www.pbase.com/svami

He spent his life at SriRangam offering Bhagavath Vishayam to all his Shishyas; Learnt All Vedas and preached its
meaning to all; He bowed and surrendered to the Feet of DevaPerumal at Kancheepuram; He was born on
Aadi Uthiradam at Kaatumannar Kovil. He attained the lotus feet of Emperumaan without any fear, leading life
as per his wife. I thus praise such Aalavandaars Feet all the time.

Ilayaazhwaar continued with his usual Kainkaryams at Kancheepuram.

How did Life change? How did he lead the SriVaishnava Darshanam further? How did he accomplish the
three wishes of Aalavandaar? On the important 6 words in the Sampradaayam, and more, we will see in
the ensuing issues.
[Source: AarayiraPadi Guru Parampara Prabhavam]
SathGuru Darshanam | 16

SathGuru Darshanam | 17

Aarsha Vaani
Team-SGD, from its 25th issue had decided to share with you thoughts of illustrious, currently living
Sanatanis under the title Dharma Vishayam. This was aimed at spreading the Dharmic tenets through the
words of Sreshta-Sanatanis so that it carries more significance (

). The

efforts to bring you the Dharma Vishayam article in every issue, continue. With Sreshta-Sanatanis being
engrossed in their SvaDharma, we find it a bit difficult to source content from them. So as to not have a
break in the initiative, we present to you a stop-gap arrangement named Aarsha Vaani. This article will
appear whenever Team-SGD is not able to arrange for a Dharma Vishayam article.
Similar to Dharma Vishayam, Aarsha Vaani will also present Dharmic tenets, but will be sourced from
Upanyasams (discourses), books of similar Sreshta-Sanatanis rather than directly from a living source.

SIMPLEST WAY TO ATTAIN LIBERATION

Anugraha Bhaashanam by Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri AnantaShri Vibhushita Shri
BhaaratiTeertha MahaSwami

What is the way to Aatma-Uddharana, is the

question that every Sanatani has. The same
question was posed to Bheeshma-Pitamaha by Raja
Yudhistira.
After the Mahabharata war ended and Yudhistira
was crowed the emperor, on the advice of Shri
Krishna, Yudhistira seeks the advice of Bheeshma
on Dharmic matters. Bheeshma, on account of a
boon given to him by his father, could choose his
time of death; the only being in the history of
creation who was accorded with such a rare

privilege Swecchaa Mrutyu. Thus awaiting for

Uttaraayana an auspicious time, Bheeshma was
lying on the arrow-bed. . On Yudhishtiras
questioning, Bheeshmaacharya explained in detail
the various Varna, Aashrama Dharmas, even AapadDharmas and Praayaschittas. After hearing all
this, Yudhistira further posed the question
? meaning,
What among the Dharmas do you believe to be the
foremost?
SathGuru Darshanam | 18

Bheeshma replied, The chanting of the Divine

name is what I consider to be the foremost
Dharma, and then initiated Yudhistira into the
chanting of the VishnuSahasranaama.
Why is the chanting of the Divine name considered
the foremost?
There are a lot of Dharmas described. But not all
of them are followable by everyone. For example,
building a temple or doing charity, is a Dharma; but
only the wealthy could afford to do them. Mukti
being a common goal for all beings, the path
prescribed for it, should be followable for
everyone. Chanting the Divine name is such a
Dharma it is possible, requires no prerequisites,
and no strict regimen attached to it. Shri ShukaBrahma MahaRshi says to Raja
Parikshit

||
(What could be attained through unwavered meditation
in KrutaYuga; by sacrifices in the second age; by
worship in the third; could be attained by mere
chanting of the Divine name in the KaliYuga.)

:
: |
: ||
It is like, if you are able to score very good marks,
you are able to get entry into the best universities.
But there are also those universities, which accept
those who have been rejected from the best ones.
KaliYuga is like the university where one can get in
with the minimum marks one just has to chant
BhagavanNaama to attain Mukti. But, the faith
should be unwavering. One poet, asked for the
Lords forgiveness on account of two wrongdoings
one was for the mistake of not propitiating Him
in the earlier birth. How did he know that he had
not propitiated the Lord in his previous birth? It is
because that he exists in this world; if he had
propitiated the Lord, he would have attained Mukti.
What was the second wrongdoing then? Now that
he is propitiating the Lord, he will not have the
opportunity to propitiate the Lord again, as he
would have attained Mukti
:

This consistent chanting of BhagawanNaama, is a

practice for doing the same, even at the time of
death. Bhagawaan, says in BhagawatGeeta

(And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body,

remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of
this there is no doubt.)

ShukaBrahma MahaRshi accepts that in the age of

Kali, unrighteousness is in abundance, but still,
(echoing Bheeshmaacharyas words) He also opines
that by mere chanting of Holy names, a man can
absolve himself off his sins

||

Such, should be the faith in Bhagawaan, that once

having chanted His name, there should be no shred
of doubt in ones mind on attaining Mukti. If even a
shred of a doubt exists, the chanting becomes
fruitless.
:

S |

||

[The mantra Nama: Shivay, is verily within the

capability of ones speech. It does not have any
complex words to make it difficult. But still, beings go to
Naraka (hell). If this is not the power of the illusion,
why else would this happen?!]

Thus, Divine names are to be chanted with firm

faith, as that firm faith will lead us to Mukti.

! !!

SathGuru Darshanam | 19

Mahabhaktha Vijayam
- Guru Krupa N

Let the almighty Sathgurunaadan, control us from

within.
-- GOVINDAM PARAMAANANDAM

A short Recap:
Last issue, we saw the episode wherein
Kabir met a Sadhu named Nipat Nirajan. We saw
Nipat Niranjan calming a sobbing Kabir and
clarifying it to him that a devotee of Shri Ram
would never get caught in the miseries of this
worldly existence.
Charithram begins

One without Guru is without life

One day Kabir said to himself, If one does
not have a Guru while in this earthly existence, he
should be called a man without life. The human
body, experiencing birth after birth, is in vain if it
does not have a good Guru. Determined, he
decided that he must go with feelings of
reverence; as a suppliant; to the sanyasi Swami
Ramanand. Kabir strongly desired for refuge in the
Sanyasis feet.

Reaching the hermitage of the Sanyasi,

Kabir waited for the audience to clear. After a
while, seeing that he was alone, Kabir sought
Ramanand sayin, Your Greatness must show me
compassion. When Ramanand noticed Kabir, he
covered his ears with his hands, got up and went
into a cave. Kabir followed the Sanyasi. Standing
outside the cave, he said, A lowly and helpless
one, stands at your door. Give me your assurance
and satisfy my desire. When a person born not a
Sanatani, but approaches a Sanyasi for guidance in
the Sanatana Dharma, anyone would be baffled. So
was Ramanand. Ramanand replied, You were
born in a Muhammadan family. I therefore have no
authority whatsoever to give you any instructions.

All wise men recognize that a seed should be

sown in a field after examining the soil. In making a
gift, one should first seek someone worthy of it.

Kabir replied, O Swami, I am determined

to take refuge in You. I have embraced Your feet
with all my entirety. He then prostrated before
the Sanyasi, and returned back home.

One day, Kabir had the desire to hear

Lord Rams name from his Swamis lips. He also
was longing for his Gurus feet to grace him.
Thinking as to what he could do, he dug a ditch in
the path leading to the river bank, and laid down
in wait for his Guru to arrive. Ramanand, striding
the way to the banks of river Ganga for his bath,
stepped on Kabir.
Noticing that he had stepped on a person,
he exclaimed, Ram, Ram!! Whom has my foot
touched?!
Kabir was elated. Not only had his Gurus
feet graced him, but he had also heard him utter
the name of Lord Ram.
Standing up, Kabir said, You, Swami, have
done me a great favour today. Your feet touched
my forehead and I heard the mantra, Ram, Ram. I
deem no one else to be as fortunate as myself in
all the three worlds. All the good deeds that I may
have committed during the infinite number of my
rebirths, have now come to their fruitage. Today,
birth and death have ceased for me through the
touch my Gurus feet. If Fate comes to ones aid,
even grains of sand may become brilliant
diamonds.
Thus saying, Kabir began dancing before
Ramanand. His heart was brimming with intense
joy. Seeing Bhakta Kabir in that state, Ramanand
smiled. He was astonished at what was occurring.

SathGuru Darshanam | 20

Ramanand Tests Kabir

Ramanand kept his silence and went on for

his bath. He thought, I have never seen one so
determined as Kabir seems to be. I will give him a
little suffering; I will outwardly be angry with him,
and thereby test his mind.

One day, Kabir entered the bazaar in a

joyous state singing the praise of his Guru and
dancing to it. He exclaimed, By holding in my
heart the lotus feet of my Guru Ramanand, my
mind has joy. A short distance away, Ramanand
heard Kabir exclaiming thus. He immediately took
off his wooden sandals and said angrily to Kabir,
You have no basis to call yourself my disciple.
When did I give you any instructions?! Can you
bring forth a witness?! Answer me! While saying
so, Ramanand struck Kabirs head with his sandal.
The act and the words, were similar to a mother
outwardly being angry with her child; it was
Ramanand testing Kabirs determination.

Blood flowed freely from the wound, but Kabir

was full of joy. He said, When you gave me
instructions, there no none around. I thus cannot
produce any witnesses to testify. Thus You, my
Swami, can treat me with contempt. But this act of
Yours, of hitting me with Your sandal amidst all
these people, is itself a proclamation that I am
Your disciple. That I have placed myself at Your
feet, can be testified by water, earth, air, light,
God... they, are my witnesses.

Hearing Bhakta Kabir say so, the SathGuru

was very pleased. Placing his hand on Kabirs head,
he said, Your determination has passed my test. I
am satisfied. Now constantly repeat the mantra
Ram Krishna, and sing their praise day and night.

Kabirs joy knew no bounds; his Gurus

words fuelled him so. All ill and sensual desires, all
hope for popular honour, all the pride from
knowledge; were cast out. Kabir sang the glory of
Shri Ram and composed different kinds of verses.

Charithram Continues...
[Source: Stories of Indian Saints : An English Translation of Mahipatis Marathi Bhaktavijaya,
Translated By - Dr. Justin E. Abbott & Pandit Narhar R. Godbole]

Tit Bits

||
With mantra, teertha, God, Guru, doctor and
astrologer the result is as much as the belief!!

SathGuru Darshanam | 21

The opportune month of Pushya

Sanatana Dharma has always emphasized on
following the steps shown by the eternal Vedas. Be
it the worship of Devataas, conducting homas or
sacrifices, Daana (charity), our Sanatana Dharma
very much appreciates the actions done and notes
them as PunyaKarma or SatKarma. These karmas
are always rewarded. Worship of Nature and its
elements (the Pancha Bhootas) has been a ritual
from time immemorial.
It has been in the catalogue of our ancestors to
conduct worships on auspicious days, especially on
those related to the Sun and Moon. Related to the
moon are the days of Amavasya and Pournami.
With respect to the Sun, its travel from the Tropic
of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer and
vice-versa is considered to be important for the
living beings on this Planet.

Uttaraayana and Dakshinaayana

It is a known fact that majority of Suns rays falling
on the earth, fall between the two main latitudes
(Tropic of Capricorn and Cancer). The movement
of the Sun-rays between the said latitudes is called
as Ayana (literal meaning: to pass/move) in
Sanatana Dharma. Based on the movements
direction,
we
have
the
Dakshina-Ayana
(Southwardly movement) and Uttara-Ayana
(Northwardly movement). When Surya Bhagavan
rides on His seven-horsed chariot (the seven
horses represent the seven colours of VIBGYOR)
with Aruna as His Charioteer, from the north to
the south, i.e. from Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic
of Capricorn, it is called Dakshina-Ayana, and the
vice-versa travel is called Uttara-Ayana. As opined
by the Dharma Shastras, Dakshina-Ayana is the
night of the Celestials, and Uttara-Ayana is their
day.
(1 year in earthly life is 1 whole day for the
Celestials. Hence, the first 6 months of Earthly life
represent the day and next 6 months represent the
night). The Marghazi month for us is the

early-morning period for the Devas, and

Uttara-Ayana represents the rest of their day.
It is believed that the Sun revolves on a
hypothetical celestial sphere around the Earth,
brightening a twelfth of the sphere every month.
These twelve portions are the Raasis (Zodiacs)
from Mesham to Meenam. The moving of the Sun,
or, the changeover of brightening Sankranti, from
one sector to the other, marks the birth of a new
month in the Solar calender. Incidentally, in the
Solar Calender, the twelve months are named after
the Raasi sectors in which the Sun resides in that
month.
In this celestial sphere, the Raasi sectors belonging
to Kataka and Makara are near the equator of
the said sphere. Thus, the Kataka Sankranti and
Makara Sankranti mark the directional-change in
the Suns path on the celestial sphere. Kataka to
Makara is southward and Makara to Kataka is the
northward journey the Dakshinayaana and
Uttarayana, respectively.
If the position of the Sun, while rising, be mapped,
it can be noted that during the Uttarayana, the
Suns position will gradually move from South-East
to the North-East a northwardly movement, and
a southwardly during Dakshinaayana.

Thai Amavasya
According to the Chaitra calendar (Solar
Calendar), the first month of Uttaraayana starts on
Thai (Maagha). Hence, the Amavasya and Pournami
in this month are said to be of great importance.
The same way, the Amavasya in the Aadi
(Aashaada) month is also of great importance, as
this month marks the start of Dakshinaayana. One
of the most important festivals celebrated at the
start
of
Uttaraayana
is
the
Thai
Amavasya (new-moon day in the Tamil month
of Thai).
SathGuru Darshanam | 22

As known, Amavasya is a very important day to

offer
worship
to
the
Pitrus
(manes).
Amavasya-Tarpanam and Samudra-Snanam (taking a
holy dip in the seas) is believed to bestow
innumerable benefits. An event which is closely
associated with this is seen at Vedaranyam, where
Thirukannapuram SowrirajaPerumal comes out of
the temple and takes a holy-dip in the water along
the shores. Another such event is seen in the
AgniTeertham
in
Rameshwaram.
On
Thai-Amavasya, thousands of Sanatanis from
various parts of Tamil Nadu and rest of the
country visit AgniTeertha Kadarkarai near
Sri RamanathaSwamy Temple located in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, in order to take a holy-dip in
the shallow sea off the shore.

is called MahodayaPunyaKaalam. It is to be
noted that this combination includes the
AmaSomaVaara and InduShraavani effect also. The
combinations separately themselves have an
auspicious effect. Together with MaghaAmavasya
(Thai-Amavasya), the event is highly auspicious and
rare event. This Thai-Amavasya (Feb-8, 2016) is
such a PunyaKaala. The last such occurrence was
on 6-2-1989.
Any dharmic activities, more so the Shraddha,
Tarpanam, Daana for the appeasement of manes, is
supposed to accrue to benefits of them done
during a crore of Grahanas (eclipses).

Vande Sadaa Bhaaskaram

Thus, starting the two 6-monthly phases (Thai to

Aani) and (Aadi to Margazhi) with the worship of
ancestors would not only bestow immense merits
upon us, but also please the Devatas.

Mahodaya Punya Kaalam

Panchaanga literally means 5 limbs. They are
Tithi, Vaara, Nakshtra, Yoga and Karana. Certain
specific combinations of the five are considered
auspicious. For example if a KrishnaChaturdashi
falls on ManagalVaara (Tuesday), it is called Krishna
-Angaaraka-Chaturdashi an auspicious time equal
to the Solar eclipse in its merit (i.e, any dharmic
activity done during that Chaturdashi will accrue
the same merits as the activity done during Solar
eclipse).
Similar
is
considered
for
an
Ama-SomaVaaram (Amavasya falling on a Monday).
Likewise, a Nakshatra-Vaara combination, example
InduShraavani (a Monday along with a Sharavana
star) is considered auspicious. So are GuruPushya
(Thursday; Pushya Nakshatram), BhruguRevati
(Friday; Revati Nakshatram).
In the month of Pushya, a unique combination of
Amavasya,
Shravana
Nakshatram
and
VyateepadaYogam coming on RaviVaara (Sunday) is
called as ArdhodayaPunyaKaalam. But, if the same
combination occurs on a InduVaasara (Monday), it

: : !

: !!

(That God, who instigates and channels our minds into

righteous deeds, we meditate upon Him and His
effulgent radiance!!)

SathGuru Darshanam | 23

The Sun God Bhaaskara ( ; Illuminator),

with His seven-horsed chariot driven by Aruna,
revolves around the Earth giving us light and
deciding time. The seven horses yoked to the
Sun-Gods chariot are named Gayatri, Brhati,
Usnik, Jagati, Tristup, Anustup and Pankti.
Being the creator of the Day, He is praised
as KaalaMoorty (
) manifestation of time.
He is the reference to the flow of time be it minutes or hours or days, months, seasons and years.
Giving us light, He repels darkness, provides
strength and nourishment to plants the first and
basic in the food chain. Doing so, He becomes
responsible for energizing all beings on Earth. He is
thus called Pooshan ( ) the one who nourishes.
It is believed that every day, SuryaBhagavaan
fights with a set of demons called the Mandeha
Daanavas, who are embodiments of laziness and
unrighteousness. At dawn, SuryaDeva fights and
conquers the demons and thus blesses us with a
brisk and righteous day. By giving energy, warmth
and light, Aaditya (the son of Aditi; Sun) provides
us with a conducive environment for carrying out
our day-to-day activities. He is thus praised as
Diwaakara ( ; maker of the day) and as Savita
( ; the instigator).
More so, He being Khaga (; wanderer of
the Skies), holds both the knowledge of the worlds
and yonder, thus making Him the ultimate source
of all knowledge. Recognizing this, even Hanuman
learnt the scriptures from SuryaDeva.
He being the source of all energy and time,
makes Him the creator of the physical world in a
sense, thus His epithet HiranyaGarbha
( ). He is propitiated as the Supreme One

Brahmam, being the source of all creations, the

sustenance and destruction.
The Vedas and a lot of scriptures bring out
the importance and power of the Surya Deva. The
Aaditya Hrudayam a hymn initiated to Shri Rama
by AgastyaRshi to assist in winning over Ravana, is
an excellent example. The Sun God is propitiated

as the One that takes different forms as Brahma,

Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda and PrajaaPati. He is the
SarvaSaakshi ( ; the witness to all) and what
not. Even in the ShanMathas that Shri
AadiShankaraacharya prescribed (Gaanapatyam,
Kaumaaram, Shaivam, Vaishnavam, Shaaktam,
Shouram), Shastras pertaining to the first 5 of them
direct the Sun is the physical representation of the
UpaasyaMoorty (Deity being propitiated) or the
SuryaMandala as the residing place of the
UpaasyaMoorthy. The 6th one, Shouram, is the
Upasanaa of Sun Himself.
With these, we can certainly understand the
nature-oriented worship of the Supreme coded in
our hoary Sanatana Dharma. Propitiate the nature
and respect it by doing so, Man can live in peace
and harmony is the message we gather. The Sun
God, being the integral part of nature and
harbinger of seasons and rains, is rightfully
propitiated in an exalted position.
Sun Gods transitions have brought to us
the auspicious Uttaraayana the day for the Devas.
It is only fitting to worship the Sun God on the
auspicious day of the start of Uttaraayana, for
blessing us daily with His ever-effulgent thousand
hands rays. On the start of Uttaraayana, be the
day of Makara Sankranti start of the Makara
month (Thai in Tamil) or RathaSaptami, propitiation
is done to the Sun God.

Ratha Sapthami (14-Feb-2016)

Why is the start of Uttarayana spread
across two days and not one? From a cosmic view,
it can be said that to turn the chariot of SuryaDeva,
whose size is so large (3,600,000 yojanas or
28,800,000 miles long and one-fourth as wide;
900,000 yojanas, or 7,200,000 miles), a few days for
us humans would pass by. Ratha Saptami, is
considered to be the actual time when the Suns
chariot starts the northward journey, though the
turning around starts from the Sankranti day. This
is also why Bheeshma Pitamaha awaited this day
and left His mortal coils on the Ashtami the day
ensuing RathaSaptami.
SathGuru Darshanam | 24

On the RathaSaptami day, bathing early in the

morning with arka leaves kept over head, is
believed to remove all sins, even those
accumulated from before 7 births. Below slokas
have been prescribed to be chanted during the
bath as a prayer to SaptamiDevi (the ruling Devata
of the SaptamiTithi) to remove all our sins and
diseases -

!!

!!

:!!

!!

Some Sanatanis also conduct elaborate poojas on

this auspicious day. Along with these poojas, the
Sun God is further pleased with an ArghyaPradaana
(water offering) chanting the following Sloka

:
!

!!
Let us all realize the greatness of the Sun God; His
daily shower of blessings; meditate upon Him on
this day and thank Him for everything He has
bestowed us with.

!!
("I eternally adore Surya the Sun God; the beautiful;
Lord of the world; the immortal; the quintessence of the
Vedanta; the auspicious; the absolute knowledge; of the
form of Brahman; the Lord of the Gods; ever-pure; the
one true consciousness of the world Himself; the Lord
of Indra, the Gods and men; the most respected of the
Gods; the crest-jewel of the three worlds; the very heart
of the forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva; the giver of
light.")

Bheeshma Ashtami (15-Feb-2016)

Bheeshma, the son of Shantanu and Ganga; the Pitamaha (grand father) to the Kauravas and
Pandavas is known to all. He was one of the
AshtaVasus by name Prabhasa. The Vasus had once
tried to abduct the wish-bearing cow, Nandini
daughter of Kaamadhenu. For this act, all Vasus
were cursed by Vashishta to be born as humans.
As part of a divine act, Ganga had married the
Kuru king Shantanu with a condition that he was to
never question her doings. Ganga drowned the
first seven children born to them, thus releasing
the seven Vasus who had assisted in Nandinis
abduction. Not able to bear the grief anymore,
Shantanu stopped Ganga from drowning their
eighth child DevaVrata, who originally was the
eighth Vasu Prabhasa. So, DevaVrata alone lived a
long life amongst the mortals.
DevaVrata came to be known as Bheeshma on
account of taking a terrible oath of life-long
celibacy so that Shantanu could marry Satyavati.
He also swore that he shall always serve whoever
sat on the throne of the Kuru kingdom. Extremely
pleased and overwhelmed by his sons act,
Shantanu gave a boon to Bheeshma of Swecchaa
Mrityu he could choose the time of his death.
SathGuru Darshanam | 25

As seen in the RathaSaptami portion, Uttaraayana

is considered as the daybreak for the Devas and
this makes it a more auspicious part of the year.
The Shastras state that an accomplished soul which
parts in the Uttaraayana shall be freed from the
birth-death cycle of life.
Knowing this, Bheeshma waited for a while after
the Mahabharata war, fifty eight days to be precise.
Seeing that a capable person like Yudhistira was
seated as the king of the Kurus, Bheeshma used his
fathers boon. He with his yogic powers controlled
his breath within him, until his soul, seeing no
other path, parted with his mortal body through
his crown chakra and went yonder, finally
disappearing. This wondrous incident happened on
the day ensuing RathaSaptami, in the presence of
many great souls including Sri Krishna, and reached
His lotus feet.
Bheeshma a great man; accomplished kshatriya;
the righteous and illustrious; a scion of Bharatas
race (the race that ruled the whole of Bhaarata
once); doyen among the Kurus; figure-head among
the RaajaRshis; a YogaPurusha and a true devotee
above all, united with the Supreme on that day. In
His memory, and commemorating that great souls
liberation, Bheeshma-Ashtami is celebrated.
As Bheeshma being a MuktaPurusha and without
issues, anybody and everybody can offer Him
oblations on the Bhessmaashtami. Oblations are
not given for the departed souls satiation as done

in other Pitru-Karmas. Bheeshma, having attained

Mukti, enjoys bliss in union with the Ultimate, so
these oblations are not a concern to him. Still,
these oblations are prescribed so as to remind us
of the illustrious and rigorous life that Bheeshma
lead; to learn from it and enrich our lives. The
Shastras also state that a Sanatani offering oblations
to Bheeshma on this day, pleases his own
Pitrus.Oblations are offered on Bheeshma Ashtami
while reciting the following -

:!

!! : !

!! : !
: !

!! : !
On the auspicious day of Bheeshma-Ashtami, let us
all try to incorporate at least some from the
illustrious, Dharmic life that Bheeshma Pitamaha
lead; offer oblations to Him for our prosperity and
remember Him always for the unimaginable deeds
He performed.

SathGuru Darshanam | 26

HANUMANTAM
UPASMAHAE

APARAADHA
KSHAMAAPANAM

The Magazine Team, the contributors and the

editors together, have put every effort they could
to bring up this magazine. We have strived hard to
make it perfect. As always, nothing can be perfect
and ideal. There can be certain mistakes and errors
that have escaped our careful inspection.
We, the magazine team, apologize for such
mistakes. It is only the combined effort of both The
Magazine Team and the viewers, which can make
this effort above mistakes and errors. So, we
humbly request the viewers to kindly point out
such mistakes, so that we could rectify them as
early as possible.

The One, who is well-known; who is ambassador

of Sri Rama; the son of Wind; the red-eyed; who
has tufted hair (Shikha); Who dispelled Sitas
sorrow; who won over the Ten-faced (Ravana);
who gave Lakshmana another life; who brought the
medicinal-mountain (Sanjeeva); who is adept at
crossing the ocean; in whom valor resides;
Hanuman; let Him reside in my heart and bless my
endeavors with success.

If errors are found they can be mailed to

sathgurudarshanam@gmail.com. The errors along
with the correction(s) made will be found in the
next issue in a separate column.
We again apologize for any mistakes and errors
that have occurred on our part. We also thank in
advance the viewers for pointing out such mistakes
and helping us in making the magazine better.

With humble pranams,

The Editors

SathGuru Darshanam | 27

WHY THE MAGAZINE

From time immemorial Sanatana Dharma has been our way of life; our Dharma. But in quest of wealth
and various other material benefits, we have largely deviated from the laid path.
As always, deviating from known path leads to confusion. That is what we face today. The society today is
wrought with confusion as to whom to follow and what to follow. The only solution to the problem now
faced is we have to understand our Dharma; we have to follow it. We have to try to return back to our
own path the path laid down by our Great Ancestors.
These Great souls, our Poorva Aacharyas the SathGurus have again and again stressed the point of the
nobility of Sanatana Dharma and the greatness of Vedas in their various works. They showed us the lost
path. Our thoughtlessness even in regards to the efforts of our Poorva Aacharya has cost us many
valuable treatises. In losing them, we are again slowly losing the path shown by them. Tragedy of losing all
ancient knowledge should not come to pass!
To try and protect the values of our religion and the works of Poorva Aacharyas, the magazine team
thought, a common platform to share knowledge is inevitable. Thus the SathGuru Darshanam was born.
This magazine is an effort to try, understand, protect and propagate the ancient teachings; the path
(Darshanam) shown by the SathGurus SathGuru Darshanam.

The age old saying very clearly states the results of protecting and enriching ones Dharma will in turn
protect you. Thus we appeal to all viewers to help us take this initiative forward and spread the word.

With humble pranams,

(The Editors)

SathGuru Darshanam | 28