Sri Chakra

The Source of the Cosmos

The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY

Blossom 19 Petal 2
June 2015
 Manmatha’s Arrow Manmatha’s Arrow

June Past Events All event articles by

Kamya Ramaswamy

Newsletter
Tamil New Year’s, April 14
Since this puja was on a weekday morn-
ing, not as many people were able to attend as
usual. About 40 people showed up on the morn-
ing of the 14th for the annual boiling of the pon-
gal pot and rituals marking the Manmatha new
year.
Aiya presided over the puja, which took
Since the last north of the border to do a
wedding in Toronto and couple
was there April 20th to May 10th.
May 21st, Aiya and Amma went no more than an hour, and all received pongal
issue... of house pujas that weekend. He
went to North Carolina April
to Atlanta to attend a wedding.
The following week, he was back
prasadam afterwards. He gave his usual “dollar
bill” prasadam the next morning to those present.
10-11 to do various pujas but in Toronto to perform a funeral. Aiya in the middle of the Tamil New Year’s
On the March 1st weekend, returned to Rochester to do the On May 29th, he left North puja.
Aiya went to Florida to perform a Tamil New Year puja on April 14. America for a pre-planned trip to
house puja; he returned to Florida The following weekend, Aiya England.
again on the 19th. However, he presided over the temple’s annual The temple will be running a
was back in Rush on March 17th Maha Pratyangira homam on workshop on Sanatana Dharma Maha Pratyangira homam, April 19
because he had to be present for April 19th. The following day, and one’s community in Toronto
a Rush town hall meeting. One he went abroad to Singapore, on June 13. Refreshments and a
of the issues discussed at this Australia and New Zealand where light lunch will be provided, and An easy 300 people showed up for this
meeting was whether to give he conducted several workshops donations are welcome to defray annual day-long festival to the powerful god-
the temple permission to build a and even a university lecture. He costs. Please call the temple to dess Maha Pratyangira. The homam started
granite temple. Permission was register. at 10 a.m. and ran to about 1 p.m. during
granted. The annual which all present got multiple chances to put
At the end of March on the Sai Paduka offerings into the fire.
weekend of the 28th and 29th puja over Beforehand, devotees were invited
Aiya was doing a wedding and which Aiya to make snacks and offerings in the temple
multiple house pujas in Toronto. has been kitchen as opposed to giving the typical mon-
On the evening of the 29th, presiding for etary sponsorship. Several kilograms of red
however, he returned to Rochester the last few chillies (the favourite food of this Devi) were
to do a puja marking one year years will be also offered by Aiya and the main sponsors.
since the passing of Gnanapurani happening in
amma, whose work transliterating Rochester for
several documents for the temple the first time Volunteers hand out plates of bakshanams, which
spanned decades. on July 1st visitors could offer into the fire with their own hands.
April 3rd and 4rth, Aiya was (Canada Day).

Chitra Poornima, May 3

The temple hosted a huge turnout

for this festival, which honours the soul of
one’s departed mother. An estimated 200
people showed up, which was expected
since this puja fell on a Sunday morning.
Shankar aiya conducted the puja.
One of the highlights from a puja Everything started at about 10:30
Aiya performed in Singapore. Thanks a.m. and ran for 2 hours. The puja was per-
to Gayathri K for providing the photo. formed outside and all the sponsors offered
their own pindams to their ancestors.

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 Upcoming Events
Somnath by Aiya

The following is Aiya’s account of his trip the typical North Indian fashion, but it’s quite elaborate.
to the Somnath temple in Gujurat in De- The lingam is made of touchstone. For those of you who do
cember 2014, which is one of the 12 holy not know what that is, touchstone is what goldsmiths use to find out if a
Jyothirlingam Shiva temples. piece of gold is real. In Tamil, it is called urai kallu.
I happened to be there at that temple and I was overwhelmed
Somnath is one of the 12 Jyothirl- because the energy from that place is something else. I asked whether
ingams, and this temple was destroyed 17 I could perform a Rudraabhishekam and they agreed. We performed it
times during its history. But every time and they allowed us to touch the lingam and pour all the dravyams on
they destroyed the temple, it was built back our own. Of course, the chanting of the Rudram in the North is very
to its original glory. The last time was im- different from what we are used to; we use the Krishna Yajur Vedam in
mediately after the independence of India the South while they use the Sukla ascension.
in 1947. In 1948, one of the freedom fight- So an elaborate puja was done. I got ahold of somebody who
Event Date/time Location ers who was with Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar happened to know the executive director of the temple and he allowed
Vallabhai Patel, initiated reconstruction of me quite close to the new lingam. That lingam is also blue just like ours
Sanatana Dharma workshop June 13 2701 Markham Rd, Scarborough ON
the Somnath temple once more. here, and the decorations are immaculately done. You can’t believe they
Annual Alankara Utsavam July 3-6 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, full property But far before that, in the 16th or can do these things with just flowers. Absolutely beautifully done.
late 15th century, Swami appeared in the One other thing that struck me was that the temple was spick
Guru Poornima July 30 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, full property
dream of a Maharani of a small principal- and span. You could eat off the floor it was kept so clean. And it’s a
Vibhuti Saivaite Immersion (camp) August 1-8 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, full property ity in Rajasthan. He told her that when major tourist draw now so lots of tourists are in and out of the temple.
they destroyed the temple for the 14th Before I visited the Somnath temple, I was at a Sri Vidya
Aadi Amavasyai August 13 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, outdoors
time, the original Shivalingam went down conference in a village called Kaddi. There is also a Rajarajeshwari
Aadi Puram August 16 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, yajnashala into the ground on its own. He told her Peetam there. I first met the people who were running it at the Sri Vidya
Varalakshmi vratham August 28 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, yajnashala it was still there at a depth of about 30 to conference we attended in 2000 in Chennai. These people consider the
35 feet, and she should make an effort to Rajarajeshwari Peetam at this temple and the one in Kaddi as twins.
excavate and build a temple around it. This is because the temples were both built in the same year and share
As far as the original Somnath lin- the same name.
gam, we don’t know whether it is the first So I was able to see what was going on there. They performed
                    one that Chandra worshipped. this Mahalinga archana and
Soma is the moon and Chandra it took almost the entire
is the one who installed this lin- day. It was very elaborately
In Three Months gam. We don’t know whether
it is the original one, but it is
done. There were 1,116
lingams there and it was
Our special thanks and gratitude
about 70 to 100 metres from the considered to be a complete
to this issue’s volunteers: Aiya, rebuilt temple that sits on the puja to Shiva.
Devi willing, the next issue of the Sri Chakra will Vilas Ankolekar, Sundhara coastline. All the daily pujas— When I returned to
be up on the temple’s website at the beginning of
Arasaratnam, Ahalya Arasaratnam, the nitya pujas—are done only Chennai, I was very inter-
September 2015.
to this lingam. ested in performing this
This magazine cannot keep publishing without Raji Hariharan, Gayathri K, For the lingam that is puja during Shivarathri at
contributions! Articles, poems, stories and photos The Nandalala Mission, Sahana
about any spiritual topic are welcomed. in the sanctum, only abhishek- our temple, so I was trying
The next deadline for article submission is Sivakumaran, Vimalan Sothinathan, am, alankaram, and aarthi are to find out where I could
August 9, 2015. Please e-mail us with your and Srividya (Amanda Carlson). done; no pujas are done there. learn the pattadhi. During
contributions or feedback about this issue at If you want to do an elaborate my travels, I met a gentle-
sri_chakra_mag@srividya.org or talk to Kamya or Rudra abhishekam, you have man by the name of Sub-
Abhi at the temple. to perform it to the original rahmanya Shastrigal. He’s
Sri Gurubhyo Namaha! lingam. So when they exca- quite old in his mid-80s
vated at a depth of about 30 to right now but absolutely
35 feet, this lingam appeared. sharp and still practicing.
It’s about waist-length in height. So I asked him whether he
The Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam ~ 6980 East River Road ~ Rush, NY 14543 ~ Phone: (585) 533 - 1970 The yoni peetam around it is quite short in would teach me the pattadhi and he did.
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 Manmatha’s Arrow Manmatha’s Arrow

Manmatha Varusham
seeing an eagle on a regular day are as follows:

Sunday Gets rid of disease

Monday/Tuesday Difficulties will resolve; inner & outer transformation of the self will happen
Wednesday Persons considered as impediments (negative forces/enemies) will be defeated
Sri Amma’s Tamil New Year’s speech Thursday
Friday/Saturday
Black magic and other negative spells cast will dissipate
Stable increase in wealth

This address took place on April 14, 2015 at P.S. High School in Panchangam
Mylapore, Chennai after 5:30 p.m., and what appears here is an “Reading the panchangam every day in the morning is auspicious. Five important pointers will help you plan your
edited version. Thank you to Smt. Raji Hariharan and the Nanda- activities for the day and week. They are vaaram, thithi, nakshatram, karnam, yogam. These calculations [are]
lala Mission for submitting Sri Amma’s transliterated speech to the based on the distance between the Moon and the Sun, and so forth. For example, Bhanu vaaram signifies longev-
Sri Chakra. ity, the star removes sins, yogam rids one of disease, karnam increases wealth.”

Manmatha worship (on his star, Magham)

Sri Amma started by telling the crowd that the effect of “Every month during Magham we can have a holy dip in a sacred river. Keep this in mind when you travel to holy
this new year, called Manmatha Varusham, is repetition. places.”
“This year will be a year of repetition—verbal repetition.
[There will be a] tendency to repeat the same thoughts, words, Holy dips
excessive nagging leading to [an] imbalanced mind. Psychiatrists “In Kashi, a dip near the Manikarnika Ghat is considered the most holy. It is believed that that ghat was created
will have their coffers filled due to counselling disturbed minds. from a bead that rolled off Shiva’s ornaments. Dips in Kumbakonam during Maasi Magham, Tungabhadra, Nar-
“[Manmatha] is the son of Vishnu. His body is green in mada, and many other sacred rivers is considered good.”
colour. Rathi and Priti [are] his consorts. He symbolises ruthu—
the gentle breeze he ushers during the month when he is seen active A word of caution
in striking out his arrows of romance at the hapless.” “Before stepping into these holy waters, it is advisable to wash your feet. First think positively even though the
Sri Amma quizzed those assembled about Manmatha, his water in the holy tanks may be murky. The very thought that you may contract disease while dipping is enough for
appearance and the significance of his bow and arrow. it to manifest.”
“His bow is made of sugarcane, the string a line of hum-
ming bees and the gentle breeze, and the arrow is adorned with Other options if holy dips are not possible
the five types of flowers. [These are] flowers from the asoka tree, “Our ancestors knew the sanctity of the kodimaram and sthala vriksham of every temple. They were placed in spe-
white lotus, blue lotus, jasmine, and flowers from the mango tree. cific areas so that it was easy for them to worship by doing pradakshina. Every time you visit a temple especially
He uses these arrows to make a loving connection not only for on Magham nakshatram, remember to offer your prayers and prostrate before the kodimaram or dwajastambham
divinity but also mankind.” and also the sthala vriksham.”
Sri Amma continued on about the other aspects that would
define this new year. Surya worship
“Surya Namaskaram can be done between 6-7 a.m. Surya
Year of triplets (April 2015 - April 2016) Gayathri/Aditya Hrudayam should be chanted. Make it a
“This is the year of triplets! Those who conceive stand a good point to memorise it accrue the benefits. Manmatha and Rathi
chance to bear triplets.” worship brings compatibility and self-awareness, rids one of
vices, and helps in reforming a wayward life.”
Superstitions and beliefs:
“Superstitions and people who believe shouldn’t be mocked. Ev- Manmatha sthalams to visit
erybody has their own ways of dealing with life. To tease them or • In Thanjavur near Aiyampettai—Maathoor Manma
try to run them down is not advisable.” Sri Amma asked the audi- than
ence to share a few superstitions: • In Mayavaram near Maandoor—Korkai Veerakesava
• A donkey’s bray or lizard’s sound is considered auspicious temple
• A crow cawing brings visitors
• Sneezing twice consecutively is good but only once is not
• Itching in the right palm will bring expenses but itching in
the left palm will bring money

Garuda dharshanam
“Garuda dharshanam is normally considered auspicious during Carvings of Manmatha and his wife, Rathi, on the
kumbhabhishekams and consecrations of temples. The benefits of walls of the Chennakesava temple in Karnataka

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 Manmatha’s Arrow Manmatha’s Arrow

What is bothering us?

and emotions. This is the first key Red blood cells contain the lingam we worship.
aspect that the mantra provides—it a chemical known as hemoglo-
directs our attention towards this bin, which binds itself to oxygen, One of the few things that
sound, straying our focus away from becoming oxy-hemoglobin. The affect us in many ways is our diet.
the disarray created by the mind, blood that passes through the lungs The body is the most pivotal vessel
body, and environment. becomes oxygenated and sent to the that impacts our direct experiences
by Sahana Sivakumaran Eventually, our focus turns heart, which now sends this oxygen- with the universe. For that reason,
towards the most vital function we ated blood throughout the body. we should be respectful of what we
require—breathing. Usually, we If you can maintain the put inside of it, as it reacts different-
as the amygdala, create tion our systems come into contact only use about a third of our lung same amount of oxy-hemoglobin ly depending on what we consume.
neural connections with on a minute-to-minute basis. capacity to breathe. However, for 40 minutes a day, the affect will When the body is deprived
between incoming sen- At the same time, it is always con- through constant repetition of a last for approximately 27 hours. As of vital minerals and vitamins it
sory signals and those necting back to previous neural mantra, we are able to control and you slowly gain control over your leads to physical deformities such a
negative stimuli that relationships that existed prior to the utilize much more of that capacity. breath, you will slowly gain control lower blood pressure, weak immune
have created anxiety present moment. But why is breathing so important? over the mind, and when this is system, weight loss/gain, fatigue,
in the past. Therefore, Therefore, the brain is Oxygen. Oxygen initiates possible you are able to transcend and even lowered mental capacity.
the next time you are constantly moving forward and a number of processes in the body within the depths of yourself, to An important, yet deficient
placed in a similar situ- backward simultaneously, making it such as metabolism, creating en- realize a greater truth that exists out- mineral today is magnesium. This
ation your system has rather difficult to control or com- ergy, digestion, and cleaning toxins side of the realms of reality as we mineral is important for a number
learnt to become afraid pletely make sense of our world. within our system. It impacts each understand it to be at the moment. things, a few being energy produc-
of a particular thing or Therefore we need something that and every cell within the body. tion, muscle and nerve function, and
event, as it was a threat exists outside of the world we know As we breathe, our lungs Food for Thought the synthesis of protein. Almonds
somewhere in the past. and interact with to produce an ef- take in deoxygenated blood sent are a great source of magnesium.
To help this fective change. from the heart, which is then sent Kayamae koyil kadimanam Eating a handful of almonds a day
situation, doctors have to the alveoli (small air sacs). In the lingam. can help with problems related to
Anxiety exists in us all. leaned on medications Breathing is Key alveoli is where oxygen enters our This body is the temple. insomnia, fatigue, depression, and
It has been programmed into our to help individuals deal with their blood and carbon dioxide leaves. The pure consciousness within us is hypertension.
systems to initiate a flight or fight anxiety. Similar to addictive drugs, In this Vidya, we are given Anxi-
response to potential dangers sur- these medications boost certain neu- medication in the form of a Mantra. ety can get
rounding us. Although this is a rotransmitters that would activate an The essence of the mantra is the the best of
chemically instigated process within increase of dopamine in the brain, sound. The sound reaches the brain, us, some
our bodies, the social conditions in the “gratification” hormone, allow- causing synapses to fire and access of us more
which we live have a dominating ing us to momentarily feel better. the subconscious memory at the than others.
impact on our minds and perception The problem with medica- speed of light. The sounds of these Either way,
of the world. tions is that it creates a rewarding seed syllables resonate deeply with we cannot
Anxiety has become a effect on the brain, and can lead to the subconscious mind, bringing us deny that it
strong side-effect of society through dependency and eventually may to a calm state, beyond all thoughts impacts us all
the uncontrollable power of social lead to at one point
media, technology, food, and social addiction. in our lives.
standards. As a result, we see a More- Understand-
growing population of individuals over, the ing anxiety
suffer from extreme cases of anxi- positive allows us to
ety, which lead to depression and effects are face its ef-
mental illnesses. not long fects with-
When the body senses lasting. out being
some sort of threat, it triggers a controlled by
flood of stress hormones, cortisol. The brain it, as we are
When this happens the body goes is con- now.
into a state of heightened awareness stantly
of our surroundings, with the intent repro-
of survival. However, the brain is a gramming
bit more complex than that. itself with
With repetitive negative ex- incoming
periences, certain brain centers such informa-

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 Manmatha’s Arrow Manmatha’s Arrow

View of Pashupathinath from the outer perimeter. The priests who

perform the services at this temple have been Bhat-Brahmins from

Guru, Ganapathi, and Nandi

South Indian (Karnataka) origin since last 350 years. The priests of
Pashupathinath are called Bhattas and the chief priest is called Mool
Bhatt or Raval. Until recently the chief priest is answerable only to the
King of Nepal and reports to him on temple matters on a periodic basis.
The Namboothiri Brahmins from Kerala, India were given the chair to do
by Sundhara Arasaratnam
part 1 the rites and rituals. The Travancore Maharaja selected the apt priest
and send him to Pashupathinath in Nepal. This tradition is reported to
have started at the request of Adi Shankaracharya who sought to unify
the different states of Bharatam (Unified India) by encouraging cultural
This is a synopsis of our travels offered our respects to Haran Aiya the sanctum priest lets you place the top exchange. The unique feature of this temple is that only 4 priests can
to Nepal’s temples and Mount Kailash, and Amma at the Sri Rajarajeswari of your head on the Bhairava Linga and touch the deity. This tradition is supposed to have started by Sage
and the obstacles and challenges we Temple, Rush NY, offered respects receive the ecstatic grace that cannot be Shankaracharya in 8th century, ostensibly to stop human sacrifice which
encountered. The historic temples in at the Ganapathy sanctum for a safe expressed in words. was prevalent in that temple. This procedure is also followed in other
Nepal literally carve and depict the and fruitful journey, and headed In the Pashupathinath estate is temples around India which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya.
ancient rich culture. There are no words back to Toronto to embark on our the also the Guhyeswari sanctum a few
that can do justice to describe the calm flight to Kathmandu via Hong feet underground, which is claimed by the
and serenity of the Manasarovar Lake Kong. All went as planned and we Nepalese as one of the Shakthi peetams. It The Gurus responded encour- other main temples in Nepal. To top at 4000 meters altitude. Overhead
and the majestic Mount Kailash; it is arrived in Kathmandu on schedule. is a very authentic sanctum and you feel the aging us to keep trying. This gave us a name a few; Manakamana, Muk- electric trail cars crossing the famous
beyond comprehension. The Himalayan Our hotel was about 20 intensity once you enter the sanctum. glimmer of hope, but how were we to we thinath, Swayambhunath, Budanil- Trisuli river (where we also opted to a
and Tibetan landscapes and their intense minutes from the Pashupathinath We had our itinerary finalized; we mitigate the refusal by this giant of a Chi- kantha, Changu Narayan (Chinna- enjoy a full day of kayaking and white
serenity cannot be expressed in words. Temple. With overwhelming anxi- were to visit the important temples in Nepal nese government? One of the youngsters masta sanctum is also on the estate),
Above all, the warm, loving smiles and ety we went to the Pashupathinath that we had listed from our research and the in our same lineage e-mailed back saying Bagalamukhi, Varahi, etc., and we
the gentleness of the Tibetans are indel- temple and paid homage at the main heritage temples recommended by the UN. he remembered that Sri Mathioli Amma continuously held on to our Guru
ible from our memories. sanctum and the other sanctums. On Tuesday May 13th, 2014 we crossed on an occasion had mentioned that before Paduka, Vanchakalpa Ganapathi and
The fundamental human values There are many sanctums in the into Tibet. As for crossing into Tibet all going to Kailash everyone must pay trib- Nandi.
exercised by the Tibetans to all living “Pashupathinath Temple estate.” we had to do was to obtain the final official ute to Nandi and have his “approval” to be
creatures is divine. It was a simple, true The main sanctum is beside the stamp from the Chinese Government and able to enter Kailash.
experience and an invaluable lesson we Bagmathi River and cremation ghats proceed to Kailash. The next morning It was like another bombshell
learned that we will revere every day of alongside the river. After the main we were at the Dakshina Kali temple and exploded between my ears! Yes, I had
our lives. It was only a week in Tibet sanctum housing the Linga was hoped to receive the permit to go to Kailash paid my respects to my Guru and Ganapa-
entailing a contentedness in experience Unmatta Bhairav. He was bronze in the afternoon. thy and possibly took Nandi for granted;
though my wife, Ahalya, had paid her Swayambhunath Stupa: Perched on a
of many births that is chiselled in our and stood at a majestic eight or nine Later that evening came the bomb- hillock west of Kathmandu, Swayambhu-
minds, bodies, and souls. feet tall and you received the grace shell. The Chinese government refused to respects to Nandi at the Rochester temple nath is, perhaps, the most eminent Buddhist
It was the spring months of the from his Lingha. If you are lucky issue the permit to enter Kailash. The rea- I had forgotten to do the same! Within monument in Nepal. It is a UNESCO World
year 2013, and reading the geography son cited was the Saga Dawa festival (simi- a split-second we called our designated Heritage Site. It is also mentioned as the
and the spiritual aspects of Pashupathi- lar to the very Maha Kumbha Mela which driver and asked him to drive us to ‘Monkey Temple’ owing to the presence of a
Pashupathinath immediately. It looked large number of monkeys around the area.
nath, Kailash and Tibet prodded us to circles every 144 years) was scheduled at The oldest written reference to the stupa
make this pilgrimage. This only crystal- Kailash for late May through the first week silly because we had just enjoyed the full dates from the 5th century, but it could have
lized our anxiety to visit these places of June and they did not want anyone to be dharshan at Pashupathinath but here we existed much earlier. It is said that when
that we have often viewed in documen- at Kailash. Religion or religious festivities were going again! The main Nandi at Pashupathinath. Sultan Shamshuddin from Bengal invaded
taries on the Discovery Channel. are not palatable to the Chinese govern- It was getting late in the evening Literally he blocks your vision of the the Kathmandu valley in 1346, he broke
and the temple main gates were being main sanctum! No photography is open the dome to see if there was gold and
We researched the logistics and ment. No one was to be in the Kailash valuables hidden inside. It was renovated
closed, but we managed to elbow our way allowed on the temple premises.
finalized our travels for May 2014. We district except for the Chinese military! This was taken from outside the over the centuries. Legend, however, has
were to fly into Kathmandu, pay hom- It was a bombshell that hit us to the huge Nandi in the main sanctum, main gate to the temple. it that the stupa evolved spontaneously at
age at the main temples at Nepal and between our eyes! A well-planned Kailash and I asked for forgiveness for my mis- the time of the valley’s creation. Pilgrims
proceed to Kailash. pilgrimage was squashed in a split-second. take. I remembered the events described circumambulate the base of the hill of the
in the books of how the Great King The Manakamana temple, stupa. A steep climb up a stone stairway on
Our hearts did not only desire Needless to mention we were devastated; the eastern flank of the hill takes you to the
to engage in the pilgrimage but also our dreams completely obliterated. We felt Ravana defied Nandi and try to carry away the diety who fulfills your desires dome of the stupa where the first thing one
to mingle with the locals in Nepal and lost. All we could do was reach out to our the whole Kailash for his mother and was as per the Nepalese, is en route to comes across at the end of the ascent is the
Tibet, and at least live in their culture Gurus and appeal for compassion and help. trumped by Shiva. So, whoever you are Pokora (a tourist paradise where huge vajra, or thunderbolt, also called dorje.
for a few days. Therefore, we opted to We quickly e-mailed the Gurus and also a permission from Nandi is a must. we enjoyed half a day of paraglid- Around the periphery of the circular base
We contacted the friend helping ing among the mountains and of the white dome at intervals are placed
plan for the travels privately, instead of couple of close friends and disciples of our the five meditating Buddhas enclosed in
going with group touring companies, Guru. us with the logistics and asked him to try lake below) and Chitwan (wildlife the walls within iron veils, ostentatiously to
and drafted our detailed itinerary with again his best to get the permit to enter sanctuary where we spent two days protect them from theft. Prayer wheels of
the help of a Nepalese contact. Kailash. enjoying nature and wild animals at copper inscribed with the chant ‘Om Mani
It was soon April 2014. We In the next few days we visited close vicinity). It is on a mountain Padme Hum’ are fixed along the periphery of
Old replica of the main Pashupathinath lingam. The current one (in the main the dome, and pilgrims rotate the wheels as
sanctum/mulasthanam) has faces on all sides. The arathi is performed to all they circumambulate the stupa.
10 faces except the top one during the day. The last arathi at night also includes
11
arathi to the top face on the top.
 Manmatha’s Arrow Manmatha’s Arrow

The Changu Narayan Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is

perched atop a small hill to the east of Kathmandu in Bhaktapur district. Enjoying every moment,
It is one of the best known Vishnu temples in Nepal. At the front of the we were exploring anything and The inner parikra-
temple is a beautiful statue of Garuda dating back to 5th century Lichch- mam of the Muk-
havi period. This Garuda is unique in that it resembles a human being
everything! Then came the pleasant thinath temple
except that it has wings unlike Garuda statues found elsewhere. In the surprise. Our friend from Kath- has 108 Nandi
temple courtyard are pillars on which are positioned the four divine pos- mandu telephoned us and told us spouts (theertha
sessions of Lord Vishnu consisting of the sankha (conch), chakra (dis- the Chinese government has given kund) with from
cus), gadaa (mace) and padma (lotus). The temple complex also contains us the special permit on an excep- the Himalayan
the idol of Vishnu Vishwarup considered by some to be one of the most rivers.
beautiful idols ever made in Nepal. Although Changu Narayan is primarily
tional basis. The caveat was we
a site sacred to the Vaishnavites, there are also idols of Shiva and Durga, were not allowed to take the route
making it a site equally important to the Shaivas and Shakti upasaks, thus we had planned earlier but had to
demonstrating a high degree of mutual respect and tolerance between go in a roundabout way. We had
the different sects within Hinduism. to drive north east to the border
town Zhangmu and then drive west
along the Himalayan range to the
Kailash district. This would make
us drive about 800 kilometers, one Mukthinath Temple homam
water rafting) would transport pilgrims the Himalayan cool waters. under 3 miles) and for the first time I felt the way, at an average high altitude
to this site. The Trisuli river joins the On to the south as we rose jolt of low oxygen. Beside the main temple is 4500 meters (3 miles) and we would
Bhote Kosi that flows from Tibet; the in altitude was the famous Mustang a temple for Jwala Malini and a sky burial site have to clear about a dozen Chinese
two rivers join in some pretty fearsome trekking route. This is a haven for (corpses are laid for the vultures to consume). military check points.
looking gorges that are visible on the Saligrahams, as you trek on the On to the south of the mount where the We were warned by our
way up to the Langtang Trek. By Be- ancient dried sea beds. Volcanic temple resides is the route to the famous Mus- contacts at Nepal that the Chinese
trawati the gradient eases and after this landscape and the pristine rivers tang trekking route. As afternoon comes the dry military are very specific about not
it becomes a more mature and powerful from the Annapoorna Mountain and gush of wind currents from Tibetan plains blow allowing any literature or mandala
river which later adds many other major the other Himalayan Mountains are across this whole area. The gust is so strong pictures to be taken into Tibet.
rivers to its flow – the Buri Gandaki, the breathtaking and consuming that standing without support, at times, is a chal- We made sure that all
Marshyangdi, and the Seti. When the you would want stay there for a mil- lenge. This area, named as Jomsom, is inhibited drawings of the Sri Chakra were
Kali Gandaki joins it shortly before the lion years. The Muktinath temple by immigrants from the “Thakali” tribe from left behind in Nepal. It was no fun
plains, it changes its name to Narayani. resides at the top of the mountain at Tibet. They have their own delicious cuisine thinking about the drive and having
We were enjoying the temples, 3800 meters in altitude–literally on from locally grown vegetables and fruits. to clear the Chinese military check Sky Burial site
the breathtaking divine Himalayan scen- top of the meru! points. We relentlessly held on to beside Mukthinath
Temple
eries and interacting with the locals. The At Mukthinath was a the Guru Paduka, Vanchakalpa
towering mountains and landscape along memorable day of our lives; Ganapathi and Nandi.
the the temple prohibits photog-
majestic mountains Annapoorna, Dwala- raphy but exceptionally for Watch for the second half of this
giri, Nilgiri, and Gowri Shankar mesmer- that day only allowed us to article in the next Sri Chakra.
ized us and literally lost us to the rest of photograph the main Murthi
the world. We were on our own enjoying and anything on the temple
nature, the divine Mother’s permeating premises. This temple is at an
love, and embracing all as the cool fresh altitude of 3800 meters (just
air, the bright blue sky above, greenery
and the hard volcanic rocks under our
feet.
Reaching the Mukthinath temple
Muktinath is a sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists located
became a challenge. Given the altitude in Muktinath Valley at an altitude of 3,800 meters at the foot of the
and the distance we opted to rent a Jeep Thorong La mountain pass (part of the Himalayas), Mustang dis-
to traverse the terrain instead of trekking. trict, Nepal. The site is close to the village of Ranipauwa, which
However when we flew into Jomsom we sometimes mistakenly is called Muktinath as well. The Hindus call
were told the Jeep drivers were on strike! the sacred place Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the “place of
salvation.” The temple is mainly with a predominant Sri Vaishnava
We rented motor bicycles and origin and worshipped by Buddhists. This temple is considered to be
rode the terrains. It was an enjoyable, the 105th among the available 108 Divya Desams. The ancient name
rocky ride all the way. Our route tracked of this place before Buddhist origin is known as Thiru Saligramam. It
is also one of the 51 Sakthi peetams. The Buddhists call it Chumig Local tribes working around the Spending time with local tribes
beside the famous Kali Ghandaki river
Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means ‘Hundred Waters.’ For Tibetan Bud- Mukthinath temple
where we would dip our feet and enjoy
dhists, Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a very important place of Dakinis,
goddesses known as Sky Dancers and one of the 24 Tantric places.
They understand the murti to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara.
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 Manmatha’s Arrow Manmatha’s Arrow

Golden Clips from Guruji Sri Parvati

An explanation by Sri la Sri Amritanandanatha Saraswati Sahasranama part 2
by Srividya (Amanda Carlson)
Very often many have asked the question of the use of “aḥ, aḥm vs. aṃ aḥ”- the 15 nd 16th letters in the Sanskrit (285) Ganesha's Mummy (312) Maker of Existence
vowels. We asked Guruji on this topic and below is his reply. Thanks to Sundhara and Ahalya Arasaratnam for (286) Dawn's resemblance (313) Righter of justice
transcribing and submitting this piece to the Sri Chakra. (287) Shankara's necklace (314) Manifests as Durga, Kali and
In the last Sri Chakra, the author (288) Bholenatha's innocence 10 Devis
The preference is “aḥ, aḥm” because adding the sound “m” to “aṃ” makes it “aḥ”; to “aḥ” makes it “aḥm”. wrote about how she came to write (289) Family of renunciants (315) Maha Gauri
Every bīja ends with an “m” which connects with Mother to get its power. The last two vowels (śakti bījas) are her opus to the Divine Mother. This (290) Mother of the Infinite (316) White as penance
“aṃ” and “aḥ”. second of three installments of Sri (291) Kiss of blessedness (317) Dazzling as a moon dance
When we add “m” (which is another bindu) to “aṃ” it becomes “aḥ”; similarly “aḥ” becomes “aḥm” (pronounced Parvati Devi’s names continues on. (292) Moonbeams of enlightenment (318) Sweet as a mango
aham). (293) Not a leaf eaten (319) Unattached as a lotus
Thus the last two vowel bījas get differentiated from the first two. (294) Captured top ascetic (320) Singing sweet anklets
Aham is a great mantra called kāma-kalā. This has many shades of meanings. (251) Fulfillment Permanent (295) Made renunciation her hus- (321) Three ash lines on forehead
A is negation, stands for zero. (252) Transcendence enchanted band (322) Shiva's bindu
Ha is visarga, two zeros. (253) Samadhi suspended (296) With two holy sons (323) Muruga's Parent
M ends everything into silence, it is also a zero. (254) Sunset's lips (297) Mother of liberation-incarnate (324) Nursed Ganesha
Aham can be read vertical down as a circle for face, two circles for breasts and one more for a zero, the source (255) Lake of stillness (298) Enslaver of Shiva (325) Made Shankara a daddy
(womb) of all zeros. This is called kāma-kalā. (256) Merciful Friend (299) Made Shankara her beloved (326) Siva's householder
Elaborated by Ādi Śaṅkarā in his śloka: (257) In a moment's notice (300) Sits on a tiger skin (327) Luckiest woman
mukhaṃ binduṃ kṛtvā kuca-yugam adhas tasya tad-adho (258) Ever present (301) Her anklets entrance the (328) Stands with the Infinite
harārdhaṃ dhyāyed yo hara-mahiṣi te manmatha-kalām | (259) Together wed Universe (329) Manifested Creation
It means: Make a circle for face, two circles below for breasts, an oval for womb and meditate on this kāma-kalā. (260) Peaceful Enchantress (330) Stamps out unrighteousness
It is the pañcadaśī (manmatha is the ṛṣi) Kāma-kalā is brahmavidyā. Top (circle) zero is an illusion. Creation of a (261) Cobra surrounded (331) Matron of saintliness
triads whose sum is zero like for example: 1,0, -1; pi,0, -pi; x,o,-x; t,0,-t: good, 0, bad; all triads are illusions. The (262) Snow white mountain's (332) Harbor of the holiest
whole drama of the world is an illusion. The only truth is śūnya, the zero, which contains all of cosmos, which is beautifully dressed (333) Striven for by renunciants
itself śūnya. Thus Buddhists call this shunya, Hindus call it pūrṇa. (263) Lake of compassion (334) Worshiped by maidens
Meditation on kāma-kalā leads to this realization. Me, world, śivā, śakti are all illusions. This is the greatest vidyā. I (264) Magnificent glances (335) Benefactress of husbands
don’t exist. So I cannot be created, nor destroyed. Time, space, matter, knowledge, action don’t exist. This has been (265) Priceless Benefactress (336) Bewitcher of Trilokas
called Mokṣa. The final release. (266) Our safest rest (337) Feeder of Shiva
(267) Calm embodied (338) Makes what for breakfast?
Aksharas (letters) “a” to “ksha” aren’t just aksha- (268) Grace in a woman (339) Marvelous lila Goddess
ras - it is a Saraswathi mantra in itself. (269) Mother of our atma (340) Mysterious beyond measure
When I give the mantra during Deeksha to a (270) Beloved liberation (341) Mind-incomprehensible
disciple, it becomes beejaksharas, else it remains (271) Mystical Goddess (342) Heart's own temptress
only as aksharas. (272) Ravishing tenderness (343) Seat of wisdom
Grace is matched by effort. Effort nil, grace nil. (273) Sattva incarnate (344) Quarry of forgiveness
(274) Provider, Protector, (345) Chakora of Shiva's crescent
(275) Comforter, Reassurance (302) Mother of Discernment (346) Admirer of Shankara's ear-
(276) Mother of the fortunate (303) Her family shatters the family rings
(277) Smile sufficient (304) First family's Matron (347) Tries on his tiger skin
(278) Shiva's Beneficence (305) Family of beloveds (348) Tickles him – He's laughing
(279) Himalaya's finest (306) Happy Kailash household (349) Kailasha's family lives
(280) Jewel of the mountains (307) Kailash wed (350) Shivaratri all visit
(281) Glittering accomplishment (308) Bilva fruit lover (351) Sweets all fed
(282) Lotus of mercy (309) Bilva leaf wearer (352) Her eyes compassion's ocean
(283) Nandi's safekeeping (310) Bilva tree sitter (353) Her hair strewn with jasmine
(284) Kartikeya's steadfastness (311) Auspiciousness's Girlfriend from nearby mountains

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 Manmatha’s Arrow Manmatha’s Arrow

(354) Wears hibiscus (407) Her girdle the oceans (463) Gold necklace adorned (550) Her est mountains
(355) Mother of quest (408) Before Her stands Herself (464) Brocade on Her hem blessing life's (576) Foremost Woman of the Ages
(356) Deliverer of the Answer (409) Manifest as Existence (465) Mogra flower headdress treasure (577) Remotest Yogini on the Planet
(357) Reincarnation's accomplishment (410) The dawn of each day (466) Tiny champa belt (551) Snow (578) Happiest of all women
(358) Dharma incarnate (411) The song of each bird (467) Lotus tied to wrist white cloud of (579) Wisest of all counselors
(359) Combination of contraries (412) The crash of each wave (468) The sky's Her heaven, Her Kailash (580) Bravest of all warriors
(360) Amalgamation of opposites (413) The mine of all fortune ceiling, Her palace (552) Chinta- (581) Gentlest of all mothers
(361) Stupendous good fortune (414) For you She waits (469) A cave Her cottage mani of wishes (582) Fiercest of all competitors
(362) Nearer than the nearest (415) Hair jewels dazzling (470) A fire Her oven (553) Resplen- (583) Loveliest of all maidens
(363) Always with Shiva (416) Sapphires in Her tresses (471) The mountains Her living dent awareness (584) Toughest of all ascetics
(364) Fiercely independent (417) Rubies on Her necklace room (554) Percep- (585) Only one to win Shiva for her
(365) Charging the forest for war or (418) Diamonds on Her earrings (472) Vistas Her perspective tive cognition husband
day's bread (419) Pearls on Her anklets (473) Magnanimity Her baseline (555) Secret (586) Commander of all Shaivites
(366) Accurate of weapons (420) Bells on Her hips (474) All seeing Her quiescence Helper (587) One who wears bracelets in
(367) Merciless on transgressors (421) Flowers at Her neck (475) Beyond comprehension (556) My the mountains
(368) Fire-lit lady (422) Kum kum on forehead (476) The striving to envision life's all time well (588) Adorned with beautiful saris
(369) Adorned like a forest in summer (423) Great feminine Goddess fulfillment wisher (589) Fitted in simple tiger skin
at sunset (424) Bold and gentle (477) Tender as the daybreak (557) Cloud (590) Hair adorned with bilva
(370) Smiling kindly to everyone (425) Sublime and fearless (478) Elusive as the gloaming walker (591) Beautiful in red
(371) Sternly rebuking your ignorance (426) Merciful and fierce (479) All pervasive as our breath (558) Anklet (592) Gives kum-kum its signifi-
(372) Awakener of destiny's deepest, (427) Concerned and cosmic (480) Absent as our yesterday cloud sympho- cance
quietest secret (428) Your Teacher (481) Still as the present (516) Upanishadas of the Vedas ny conductor (593) Intoxicating aroma
(373) Glides like a hamsa (429) Your Sister (482) Far beyond measure (517) Lotus of flowers (559) Sunlight drenched (594) Seat of Tantra
(374) Or a soft summer night wind (430) Your Tutor (483) Closest Dearest (518) Above all blessed (560) Shankara's amulet (595) Haven of Yantra
(375) Refreshing as dew (431) Your Mentor (484) Unknown Guest (519) Koustubha of Vishnu (561) Ganesha's Mentor (596) Meaning of Mantra
(376) Bejeweled as the mountains (432) Your Guru (485) Time yet acquainted (520) Fire of the Ocean (562) Muruga's cherished (597) One beyond Nirvana
(377) The One you should strive for (433) Your Grandmother (486) Horizon's limit (521) Meru of firmanent (563) One who feeds Ganesh (598) Embodiment of Bhava
(378) The One whom you love (434) Your Self (487) All eclipsed (522) Svah of Trilokas (564) Who nourished Kartikeya (599) Shankaracharya's first obei-
(379) Your only greatness (435) Always with You (488) Self-abandoned (523) Surya of Planets (565) Who absorbs Shiva sance
(380) The One who loves you (436) And always stays hidden (489) Wounded loneliness (524) Dazzling white brilliance (566) Who plays a trick (600) Vyasa's favorite chef
(381) The One who feeds you (437) Together with Rudra (490) Mighty confidence (525) Beloved respect (567) Who envelopes Shiva in Maya
(382) The One who clothes you (438) Smiling eyes sparkling (491) Constant togetherness (526) Womanly sweetness (568) Who satisfies sages Watch the next Sri Chakra for the
(383) The One who named you (439) Her laughter means everything (492) Companionable Power (527) Keen beyond perception (569) Who adorns the Himalayas remaining names
(384) The One who bathes you (440) Joyous Enchantress (493) Wrapped in tenderness (528) Will of a missile (570) And
(385) Who breathes through you (441) Makes you forget everything (494) Suffused with knowing (529) Omnipresent as the wind bedecks
(386) Who is you (442) Cooks everything delicious (495) Complete in ascetics (530) Tremendous good fortune the moun-
(387) And all that you do (443) Nourishes existence (496) Simplest elegance (531) Punyatma's forest tain caves
(388) With all that you do (444) Expands enlightenment (497) Unabashed presence (532) Shankara's beloved (571)
(389) Is all that there is (445) Feeds on devotion of Shiva (498) Strength of Lord Shiva (533) His treasure, His adornment Queen of
(390) With her sons and her husband (446) Serves love in Her kitchen (499) Sacred thread of the Brahmins (534) Skanda's attainment the snows
(391) The Cosmic's rich story (447) Releases the captives (500) Rajasuya of Emperors (535) So quiet you'll miss it (572)
(392) Giving the Sun his radiance (448) Builds Her children (501) Kamadhenu of Goddesses (536) Art of artists Amaze-
(393) And the Ocean his saltiness (449) Fosters supplication (502) Ganga of rivers (537) The poems of pens ment of
(394) Cow of plenty (450) Manifests resilience (503) Nilakantha of ascetics (538) Blazing Infinity condensed the cre-
(395) Repository of patience (451) Creates greatness (504) Vyasa of wise men (539) Red sari magnificence vasses
(396) A million joyous smiles (452) Loves saintliness (505) Bhagavat of Puranas (540) Battle-bead of sweat (573)
(397) A lifetime of happiness (453) Harbors saint's respect (506) Kashi of sacred places (541) Like a jewel worth trillions Loftiness
(398) The One and Only (454) Honors sages (507) Banyan of compassion (542) A stride her lion or tiger of the
(399) Multiplied by billions (455) Wages war on ignorance (508) Night Queen of fragrances (543) Several weapons bedecked peaks
(400) And trillions times infinite (456) Smiles during Genesis (509) Pearl of gems (544) A discus, a machete, a trident (574)
(401) Spread across forever (457) Breathes on the waters (510) Fire of Agnihotra ever ready Treasure
(402) Whose sari is timelessness (458) Gets Existence's lamp lit (511) Business of the Vaishyas (545) Her awareness will not flinch of the
(403) Her anklets the wind (459) Adored by Surya (512) Wisdom of the Bramhins (546) Crystalline perception ranges
(404) Her pendant fire (460) Amazes the Moon (513) Valor of the Ksatriyas (547) Command beyond question (575)
(405) Her bracelets ether (461) God parent to Bhuvadevi (514) Service of the Sudras (548) Gold crown worth billions- Jewel of
(406) Her nose ring Prithvi (462) Wears a white skirt (515) Gita of all wisdom (549) Her smile more precious the high-

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 Manmatha’s Arrow

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha

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