Sri Chakra

The Source of the Cosmos

The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY

Blossom 22 Petal 1
March 2018
Blossom 22, Petal 1

I Temple Bulletin 3
N
Past Temple Events 4
T
H 5
Upcoming Temple
Events

I
S 6
Temple Pocket
Calendar

I 7
Nemili Ezhilmani
Aiya’s Sathabhishekam

S
S
Balancing Your Life
in the Two Modes of Existence 8
U
E Sahasra Chandi 11
Kailash Yatra 13
Ganaamritam
18
Gurus, Saints &
Sages 22

25
Naivēdyam
Nivēdayāmi

Kids Korner! 28
2
Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam • 6980 East River Road • Rush, NY 14543 • Phone: (585) 533 - 1970
 TEMPLE BULLETIN
Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Rajagopuram Project
As many of you know, Aiya has bee
n speaking about the need for
a more permanent sacred home for
Devi for a number of years.
Over the past 40 years, the Temple
Temple Links
has evolved into an import-
ant center for the worship of the
Divine Mother Rajarajeswari,
attracting thousands of visitors each
year from around the world.
It is now time to take the next step Private Homa/Puja Booking:
in fulfilling Aiya’s vision of
constructing an Agamic temple in gran
ite complete with a tradi- srividya.org/puja
tional Rajagopuram. With the grace
of the Guru lineage and the
loving blessings of our Divine Mother
, now is the right time to Rajagopuram Project (Granite
actively participate and contribute Temple):
to make this vision a reality.
The new Temple will be larger and srividya.org/rajagopuram
will be built according to
the Kashyapa Shilpa Shastra. By
more divine energy than ever will
following the holy Agamas, Email Subscriptions:
ple, and the granite will hold that ene
be attracted into the Tem- srividya.org/email
rgy for 10,000 years, bring-
ing powerful blessings to countless
generations into the future. Temple Timings:
As Maha Periyava has beautifully exp srividya.org/calendar
lained: “Temple Renovation,
Reconstruction, Kumbabhishekam,
etc. are all considered ex- Event Livestream:
tremely noble deeds. We all should
do whatever we can towards
these and earn Punya Karma. Whatev
er we offer, it may be a brick, srividya.org/live
but as long as that brick is there in
that temple, we will spend
that much time (thousands of years)
in Kailash or Vaikuntham.” Summer Youth Camp (VSI):
srividya.org/camp
To learn more, please visit srividya.org
/rajagopuram. To contrib-
ute or set up monthly donations, plea
se visit srividya.org/donate Online Donation:
and select “Rajagopuram Building Fun
would like to offer your time or exp
d” from the menu. If you srividya.org/donate
ertise towards this noble en-
deavour, please contact Natarajan
Mama at (585) 533 - 1970.

Connect With Us
(585) 533 - 1970 www.srividya.org
(416) 628 - 3786

info@srividya.org Sri Vidya Temple

Sri Vidya Temple Sri Vidya Temple

Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam • 6980 East River Road • Rush, NY 14543 •

Phone: (585) 533 - 1970
3
Blossom 22, Petal 1

PAST EVENTS ... December 2017 to

March 2018

Dec Dec Kanakavalli Lalita Laksha

02 03 Kumkumarchana
The Laksha Kumkumarchana commenced early
in the morning with Ankuraarpanam. Lalita
Sahasranamam was chanted several times, each
followed by a different Lalita Ashtottara Namavali.
As the final offering, Lalita Sahasranamam and Lalita
Trishati was recited by all devotees. In addition,
devotees sang mellifluous Bhajans throughout the
day and everyone present, approximately 300 people,
received an opportunity to perform Kumkumarchana
to Devi’s picture and coin, while Ardhanareeshwara
received archana from the main pujaris. Since this
Tiru Kartikai Vratam auspicious day fell on Purnima, a Sri Chakra Puja
& Kartikai Vilakku was performed in the evening in the inner sanctum.
Temple volunteers and devotees
put their hard work and creative Dec Jan Thiruvempavai
skills together to stunningly
illuminate the yajnashala and
23 - 01 Thiruvempavai is a traditional festival that celebrates
Lord Nataraja and his consort Sivakami for 10-days
inner sanctum using dozens of
during the Tamil month of Margazhi. Following the
tea candles and deepams. A large
traditional practices of singing Thiruppalli Ezhuchi
Shivalingam glowed atop the
and Thiruvempavai before dawn each day walking
homa kundam along with eight
through the streets of a temple village, the devotees
Shivalingams representing the
present at the temple recited both beautiful poetic
Digdevatas (directional deities)
texts starting at 5am each day. On the final day,
situated around the homa
Ardra Darshanam, devotees performed abhishekam
kundam. Volunteers drew a
to Lord Nataraja and Sivakami, which was followed
gorgeous rangoli peacock kolam
by a stunning alankaram. The Lord of dance and
in front of the Dwajastabham in
his wife were also offered a Nritya upachara, a
the inner sanctum and used tea
Bharatha Natya offering. Utsava Nataraja, saint
candles and deepams to enlighten
Manikkavasagar and his holy texts on Lord Shiva
its beauty. Around 100 devotees
were taken on procession inside the temple and
were present this evening to
were brought into the main sanctum to receive their
witness a beautiful puja and to
concluding pujas and rituals for the festive morning.
admire the beauty of this day.

Dec Winter Learning Session

27 - 29 The Winter Learning Session is a recent program designed to continue religious and
traditional learning for youth in a concentrated and intensive manner. Members of the
temple community came together to share their knowledge of Sri Vidya to the few dozen
youth that attended. The session was organized and conducted in a format similar to the
annual VSI Summer camp and the monthly Youth Learning Sessions (YLS) conducted
at the temple. By the end of the learning session, participants had learned several Sri
Vidya rituals and traditions such as yoga, tarpanam, Dasa Maha Vidyas, Adi Shankara’s
compositions (including Ganesha and Meenakshi Pancharatnam) and many more.

4
Sri Chakra • srichakra@srividya.org
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Dec Raja Matangi Homam

31 The annual homam led by children, for the children, started with Ankuraarpanam and
continued with the preparations of the purnahuthis while singing the Bala Kavacam and
Shivapuranam. Raja Mathangi, being one of the Dasa Maha Vidyas, is considered to be
the tantric form of Saraswathi Devi. The homam was performed by all children present
on the last Sunday morning of the calendar year to thank the Mother. This was an offering
of gratitude and appreciation for everything they were able to achieve through Her grace
while praying for success in their learning and artistic endeavours for the upcoming year.
The devotees recited Kalidasa’s Shyamala Dandakam and sang bhajans throughout the
homam. The festival concluded with the offering of bali and everyone present received Maha
Prasadam. The day concluded with a beautiful youth concert offering to Saraswathi Devi.

Thai Pongal Jan

This traditional ‘harvest’ festival, celebrated on the 1 of the Tamil month of
st

Thai, marks the beginning of the Sun’s journey northward. On this day, farmers 14
thank Lord Surya, their farming animals and Mother Nature for providing a
successful harvest. Sakkarai Pongal (sweet jaggery rice) was made during the
puja outside the garbha graha. All devotees present came together to add grains
to the Pongal pot with their own hands. Everyone present received sakkarai
pongal (sakkarai pongal) and Maha Prasadam upon conclusion of the puja.

Feb Maha Shivaratri

13 The auspicious night commenced with Ankuraarpanam, Kalasa Sthaapanam

and Abhishekam in the inner sanctum. All devotees performed abhishekam
to the mula murtis and bilva archana to 11 different Shivalingams throughout
the entire night. The Sahasra Lingam was 1 out of the 11 (Ekadasa) Lingams
worshipped throughout night. There were 8 Lingams around the homa
kundam, where the Sahasra lingam was the Varuna Lingam. The 9th lingam
was placed in front of the Sri Chakra diagram, the 10th lingam in front of the
Dwajastambham and the mula murthi Lingam (totaling 11). Final arathi was
performed just before sunrise and all who were present received Maha Prasadam.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN THREE MONTHS ...

Devi willing, the next issue of the Sri Chakra will be up
on the temple’s website at the beginning of June 2018.

14th: Tamil New Year (Vilambi) This magazine cannot keep publishing without
contributions! Articles, poems, stories and
April 15th: Pratyangira Homam photos about any spiritual topic are welcomed.

29th: Chitra Purnima The next deadline for article submission is May 1, 2018. Please
e-mail us with your contributions or feedback about this issue
*All events will occur at the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, at srichakra@srividya.org or talk to Virroshi at the temple.
NY, unless otherwise stated above.
Sri Gurubhyo Namaha!

Our special thanks and gratitude to this issue’s volunteers:

Adheesh Ankolekar, Sundhara & Ahalya Arasaratnam, Veena Ganeshan, Muralee Mahathevan, Ramesh
Natarajan, Kamya Ramaswamy, Gayathri Ramesh, Sashwathi Sriganesh, Ajayan Vijayakandhan and the
Thulasi Kitchen.

Sri Chakra • srichakra@srividya.org 5

Blossom 22, Petal 1

2018
You can pick them
The Sri Vidya
up for free at the
Temple Society
temple or refer to
2018 pocket
this handy-dandy
calendar has
virtual copy
been released!
above.

Wall calendars are also available in English and Tamil

at the temple.

6
Sri Chakra • srichakra@srividya.org
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Nemili Ezhilmani Aiya’s

Sathabhishekam
Nemili Ezhilmani aiya, Peetadhipathi of the Sri Bala Tripurasundari Peetam in Nemili, and his wife
celebrated his 80th birthday. The devotees and his family members performed a Sathabhishekam to the
holy couple on February 4th, 2018 in Kanchipuram near the Kamakshi temple. Many of the Nemili Peetam
devotees and a few of our temple devotees were also present to witness and celebrate this joyous day with
Ezhilmani aiya and his family. On behalf of the Sri Vidya Temple Society and Haran Aiya, our devotees
presented an award with the title “Sri Balavin Kavi Chakravarthi” to recognize more than 6 decades
of his selfless service to the community and the Sri Bala Tripurasundari Peetam. Below are a few pictures
from the Sathabhishekam. We thank the Nemili Peetam for sharing these images with the Sri Chakra.

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Blossom 22, Petal 1

Balancing Your Life in the

Two Modes of Existence
An explanation by Sri la Sri Amritananda Natha Saraswathi

(Part 3)

Understanding and exploring one’s

own true nature in realizing Universal
Unconditional Love’ was a talk given
S ometimes the meditation goes wonderfully,
absolutely no problems; I’m in seventh heaven,
walking on the rainbows, with the Mother
leading me with Her little finger and showing me
different worlds. They are singing for me, they are
by Guruji at the Sri Rajarajeswari dancing for me - an aesthetic state of union with God.
Peetam on July 18th, 1996. This simple Yet sometimes nothing happens. It is just routine.
guidance by Guruji along with extracts Where does boredom come from? When you have
an expectation that something is going to happen,
from his additional teachings provide and when that does not happen, then you get bored.
insight into balancing the two modes This does not help you relax, and you lose interest
of existence. We thank Sundhara and in the meditation. So, you have to understand
that expectation is the cause for disappointment.
Ahalya Arasaratnam for transcribing Expectation is the cause of your boredom. So, what
and submitting this piece to Sri Chakra is it that you have to do? You should avoid having
with illustrations to enhance his any expectations about how the meditation is going
to proceed. If you don’t have any expectations, then
explanations. you won’t have any disappointments. If you have
Here is the third installment of a 3- part expectations, you will have disappointments.
series.

8
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

So, to reach that thoughtless state of mind, we must spend about 20 minutes in the
morning and in the evening. I am not asking you to do mantra japa. Mantra japa is a thought.
That is also an addiction that you must get rid of some day. You may use it for some time,
but then when the mind starts clearing up, you should start to let go of that as well. A little
tiredness, a little hunger, non-expectation of results and being a witness to your thoughts are
the four essential conditions that are necessary for settling the mind down to a quiet state.
All that is needed is that your mind settles down to a quiet state and once you have learnt the
trick of how to go about doing this, it comes naturally to you. This is the duster which you
must use once in the morning and once in the evening at a time of your choice. However,
try to stick to the same time every day because it will make it a habit. Create an environment
around yourself, where not much of external disturbance is present, where you are comfortable
and haven’t overeaten. Make a simple posture where you can forget your body; don’t contort
yourself into a position which you cannot hold for any length of time without discomfort. If
you are familiar with yogasanas, that’s a different story. Otherwise what you do is sukhasana:
whatever asana or posture that is convenient for you where your body doesn’t hurt and bring
you back to your body consciousness. What you are trying to do is forget the body and the
mind without going to sleep.
This is called Sandhyavandhanam. There are several mantras such as Pancadashi, the
15-letter mantra; Shodashi, the 28-letter mantra; Balatripurasundari Shadakshari - aim kleem
souh souh kleem aim; hamsa - soham
mantra; the shuddha pranavam, AUM as
well as the mahavakyas. Beyond all these
things, there is the silence of the mind.
There, you don’t have ‘Her’ to hold on
to. The shastras say ‘niralamba margah’,
there is no support. Any kind of support
that you try to hang on to will not give
you independence. If you are seeking any
kind of support, whether it is the guru,
the mantra or an expectation, you have
got to let go of everything. You have to be
yourself, without expectations, and try to
remain in that state. All these rituals that
we do are to help us to reach a state of
mind where it is balanced.
Having practiced this, I have known that
it is in this state that we get clarity of perception. It is in this state that universal love springs
forth in your heart. It is in this state that you are able to feel the oneness with entire universe. It
is in this state that you are at the bottom of the ocean of awareness. There you see the oneness,
not the diversity [Nena Nanasti Kinchana – Not here variety exists whatsoever]. It is in this state
that you start feeling that when you give something to somebody, that person is not somebody
else, you are in fact giving it to yourself. In that state, you will know for certain, that when
you improve yourself, you are improving the world around you. It is in that state you will
understand that if you are helping yourself, you are helping the world. We have an equation - I
am You - that is established in that state of non-localized mode of existence [So Ham = Sah
(what I see) + Aham (I am)].
We are so accustomed to the localized
mode of existence that we have forgotten that
we can exist in another mode. In physics,
we have a concept known as the ‘quantum’
phenomenon. There is the ‘particle’ and the
‘wave’ mode of existence. Your mind is also
a quantum phenomenon. It knows of neither
distance nor time, it knows of no path, it jumps

9
Blossom 22, Petal 1

from this to that without being in the intermediate

state of time or space. In the classical model, if I
want to go from Rochester to New York City, we
can put the sentries on the way, at Syracuse, at
Troy, Albany and then New York City. When you
are on the path, you can say that you have just
passed Syracuse, then Troy, and Albany before
reaching New York City. In the quantum mode
of travel, this does not happen. What happens The lower portion of the image shows the projection of
is that you disappear here and you appear there. the 3D map above it. Quantization can be seen along
That is how the mind functions. The mind, the x-axis, while the wave pattern appears along the
being a quantum phenomenon cannot apply the y-axis.
classical model. The mind can disappear being
an individual, become a wave, dematerialize here and materialize there. You must learn how to
be a particle and how to be a wave. We have learned how to be a particle throughout our lives,
but we are yet to learn how to become a wave. So, I hope that you will practice this…………and
perhaps I can talk about this again”.

"It is your nature to love everyone, every

living being.
The expressions of love differ.
But love you must.
You must love, you must receive love.
Only when this two-way flow of love
happens, you are nourished right from
your roots.
You are mistaken if you think that if you
love someone deeply, you should not love
or cannot love anyone else.
It is your nature to love.
It is your nature to receive love which lets
you grow without limits.
Love is that which lets your partner grow
without limits. Love is that which frees.
Love does not, should not, bind."
- Amrtānanda Nātha Sarasvatī

10
 Shata
Sri Chakra ● March 2018
help us with the ‘time’ factor. It became increasingly
apparent that the daily renditions of the local temple
devotees, who were within the vicinity of the temple,
or had taken vacation for all the 10 days and would
be staying at the temple, would be extremely crucial
to achieving the 1000 counts. We had between 60-100
registrations of whom 20 were local devotees for the

to
2 weekends falling during Navaratri. Assuming we
would able to render 3 chants a day, it was going to
be “touch and go” to reach 1000 chants. For the first

Sahasra
time, butterflies started fluttering in my stomach.

One interesting fact is the arrangements of

Kalashas and Shankhas for the Sahasra Chandi. Apart
from the regular Navaratri setup including Kalashas
for Devi and other deities, we setup a 3-D form of the
Chandi Yantra with all deities invoked in Shankhas
placed in the right positions as dictated by the Chandi

Chandi
Yantra and the Chandi Navavarna Puja. This was the
first time I believe it has been done anywhere, and the
team that worked to get the arrangements done in
such a perfect fashion deserves commendation.

Part 2 by Ramesh Natarajan, GRD Iyers

Sri Ramesh Natarajan, known as Ramesh

aiya at the temple or GRD Iyers on YouTube,
has shared his experiences during Shata
Chandi in August 2017 and Sahasra Chandi
during Navarathri 2017, both of which were
conducted at the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam.
We thank him for his contribution to the Sri
Chakra.
Here is part 2 of 3 of his experience.

N
ow loomed with the challenge of conducting
the Sahasra Chandi during Navaratri 2017,
several questions ran through our mind.
Would there be enough people signing up? Would the
1000 DM chants be delivered? Would the Ritwiks have
the energy and stamina to withstand the rigor of the
1000 chants? Once the registrations commenced, the
Official proceedings began on the first day
numbers were lower than Shata Chandi, however, we
of Navaratri on 20-Sept which was a Wednesday.
had 10 days to deliver the 1000 chants which would

11
Blossom 22, Petal 1

Gayathri and I came in the morning on that day and took part in
the proceedings. There were no chants held that day as the day was
consumed in all the preliminary pujas and homams as required. One
day had passed by already and zero DM chants were rendered. The
butterflies grew in number in my stomach. The 2nd day report for
Thursday came in that there were about 30 chants rendered that day.
The 3rd day was a Friday and we had around 70 students that day.
We first performed a Chandi Homam in the morning at all the 4
homa kundas led by Aiya, Shankar aiya, Kanakeshwari Amma and
myself. All the students present got an opportunity to participate in
the Chandi Homam. After the Shata Chandi experience, the lead
chanters were in top form. They were requested not to chant “swaha”
so that their chants could be taken into count for the DM renditions.
This needed great
co¬ordination, but the
students had already been well-trained and easily adapted to the change
as a duck to water and there was perfect synchronization between the
DM chanters and those performing the homam. Subsequently, 3 DM
chants were performed. The 4th day was a Saturday and more than
100 Ritwiks were present. The energy level was at its peak. The team
achieved 3 chants as smoothly as a race car on its track. No sweat!
Someone said “Let’s do one more!”. I hastily looked for this announcer
to protect him from a deadly assault from all the other students. To
my astonishment, there was a chorus of “Let’s do it!”. I was floored.
The 4th chant was completed; yet noone got up. “Let’s continue!” yelled another voice. I was thinking “Who is that
lunatic?” when there was a chorus of “YES!” and they continued without waiting for me as I swallowed hard and
sat down. The 5th chant was done. This was the first time I had done 5 chants in a day. Prior to that I had done
only a maximum of 4 chants per day — but then these spiritual Frankenstein Ritwiks were something unique!
We then proceeded to have dinner. The energy levels were still unbelievably high. What was amazing was that
different students had taken up the mic confidently to lead the chants. This was a dream come true for me! During
dinner, many of them came up to me and coaxed me “Let’s do one more in the night!”. Now, I was really seriously
concerned that they would burn-out. But we needed the numbers! I announced that only those who wanted to
chant needed to be present. To my surprise, there was a full turn-out. No one went back. This time, the chant was
led by Gangadhar Vennamaneni who was in full form! He hit the right note and speed, and the group chant was as
smooth as jam on bread. That night’s 6th chant was a turning point, in my opinion, and was the “Eureka” moment
that made the team believe what was possible with pure group synergy and with minds focused on a single goal.
This was the magnificence of Devi’s Shakti in action. SIX CHANTS in a day and that too by first timers! It was
mind-boggling. The students were teaching a lesson to their
teacher and I was humbled. Devi’s Shakti was at work. By
11pm, we had completed 6 chants in a day, caught up with
the backlog, and were ahead of the game. Someone croaked
“Come on! One more!”. That was it, I muttered to myself. I
grabbed the nearest stick and yelled “Idu toooo much!” and
chased everyone away vigorously — spiritual “Iathi charge”
if you ever saw one!

Keep an eye out for the next issue of the Sri Chakra
to read more about Ramesh aiya’s experience during
Shata Chandi 2017 and Sahasra Chandi 2017.
12
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Ramesh aiya's experience on

Kailash Yatra Part 2

by Ramesh Natarajan, GRD Iyers

“S
low down, slow down” yelled Hiraji. Whether anyone
heard him or not, everyone naturally slowed down! We
cleared the Lhasa airport, a heavily militarized zone where
Sri Ramesh Natarajan has
2 buses were waiting to load the passengers. Over the course of the
been on several yatras to
journey which lasted about an hour, we spotted the Brahmaputra
Mount Kailash and the river and reached our hotel.
Manasarovar Lake. He Wily Hiraji had chosen the
has been generous enough Yak hotel, which was classy
to share his interesting but unfortunately had no
experiences and stories elevators. We had to walk
with the Sri Chakra. up the staircase and due to
the elevation, he advised us
Here is the second part of to take one step at a time.
He even demonstrated a Ramesh aiya and wife Gayathri amma in front of the
his fascinating experience.
breathing technique to Brahmaputra River.

employ during the climb and everyone who ignored his advice
stopped on the landing of the first staircase. Obedient tortoises

13
Blossom 22, Petal 1

like us slowly and steadily overtook the panting hares! That day, Hiraji
demonstrated a special pranayam exercise that increases 02 (oxygen) Want more
count, which is very important at high altitudes. He proved the efficacy
of this technique by measuring 02 levels of yatris at random before and information
after the exercise. Within a matter of minutes, even those whose reading
was as low as 70 in the beginning were now showing a healthy 90. Hiraji about the Kailash
also advised everyone to cover their necks, head and feet all the time to
protect themselves from the cold. While some found it to be excessive, - Manasarovar
the only purpose was to ensure that no one got sick and ruined their
‘once-in-a-lifetime’ yatra. The next stop was the Potala palace, where the Yatra?
Dalai Lama lived. He is the
political and spiritual leader Given below are YouTube video blog
of the Buddhists who now links of our Kailash yatra in 2016
lives in exile in India. This and 2017. Hope you enjoy them!
palace was built over several You definitely need to see the 2017
centuries and we needed to video that has the entire clipping of
climb up 600 winding stone "charan sparsh" where Mahadev's
steps. One step, pause and face appeared on Kailash for an
deep breath, next step ... incredible darshan. Bholenath does
keep moving ... slowly ... and not disappoint His bhole (innocent)
we made it! Several young bhakthas!
Ramesh aiya, Gayathri amma and friends in front of the Chinese youth who were
Potala Palace in Lhasa, China
running up the steps earlier,
now lay panting on the steps as we majestically moved past them in slow https://m.youtube.com/
motion ... one step at a time! We witnessed the largest collection of gold watch?t=1861s&v=YJwTTxJJdik
in one place (more than 300 tons) in the form of huge Buddhas. After
some time, it became a little boring, as all the Buddhas looked the same. https://m.youtube.com/
We learned a valuable lesson on how to walk slowly and steadily to match watch?t=1s&v=L_ZdRxgqhgw
our breathing style. We also visited Jokhang temple, where it was amazing
to see the devotees perform endless
‘sashtanga namaskaras’. Some of the We are praying to Mahadev to allow
team members joined in as well. us to have His darshan again in the
Later on, some of the yatris did summer of 2018. Would you like
some shopping at the local bazaar to join us? You are most welcome!
for nice shawls, saffron and jewelry. We will be glad to be of service. The
Regular morning and evening Kailash-Manasarovar yatra happens
health and 02 checks were done by 8 times in a year — one each in May
the Sherpas — each one of whom and September and twice in the
was an uncertified doctor. Some Ramesh aiya, Gayathri amma and friends in months of June, July and August.
were faring well, while some were front of the Jokhang Temple, in Lhasa, China If you wish to join us, please email
on the edge. me at grdiyers.karnali@gmail.com.

We resumed our road trip and reached Shigatse. Every now

and then, someone would announce “water time” and each yatri would Om Namah Shivaya!
dutifully take a sip from their water bottle. The bus would stop at regular
periods of time for the yatris to attend to nature’s call. Men headed to Har Har Mahadev! Om
one direction while women headed in another. While it was awkward Namah Shivaya!
in the beginning, the yatris adapted quite well to attending nature calls

14
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

in the open within a short period of time. The hotel in Shigatse was excellent and had intricate art work
everywhere. The views during the drive were splendid, nature at its very best. As we wound through the
mountain roads, the brilliant blue sky with white clouds and the colourful
mountains on the sides were a sight to behold. From Shigatse, we moved to
Saga where we stayed for a couple of days for acclimatization. At this point
we were at 16,000 ft and were going to get our first glimpse of Mt. Kailash and
Lake Manasarovar the next day.

As we got the first glimpse of Mt. Kailash, we were speechless with

emotion. The feeling as the pulse raced was indescribable. “How many have
ever been blessed to visit the home of Mahadev and his family?” The sheer
feeling of facing Mahadev had all of us in raptures and goosebumps. The bus
stopped and everyone rushed out and did a ‘shashtanga namaskaram’ in the
direction of Kailash. It was raining on Kailash at that time and Hiraji explained
“Abhisekham is going now on now”. A strange thrill ran up everyone’s
First view of Mt. Kailash.
spine. This was nature’s abhisekham for Mahadev; what a divine sight. As This is the South Face.
we moved on, we approached
lake Manasarovar. We were awestruck by the brilliant blue and
emerald green colours with the twinkling of stars on its gentle
waves due to the shining sun. We performed the 150 kms
parikrama around the lake and then stopped at a good spot for
a holy bath. Even though it was freezing cold, we took a quick
dip and each one chanted the mantras they knew. Taking a bath
in lake Manasarovar gave an immense sense of purification. The
sherpas, our guides, filled our water bottles with Manasarovar’s
holy water so that we could bring it back home. We quickly dried
Lake Manasarovar, located in China
ourselves and slipped into warm clothes again.

The next day, we got up early to perform a Rudra Homam. As we were performing the homam, I
felt that Mahadev was smiling and blessing us. When we performed Kalashabhisekham at the end to all
the Shiva lingams that the yatris had brought, an amazing thing happened. It started raining on Kailash
simultaneously. We felt we were performing abhisekham to Lord Shiva ourselves. Hiraji confessed that he
had never experienced such a divine scene before exclaimed “All of your sincere prayers have reached Him!”.
Later in the evening, we were then taken to Teerthapuri, which is an incredible holy place where natural
rock formations in the form of Shiva Lingams abound. In this one area, different spots were identified as all
the holy places in Bharat and if one has had darshan of Teerthapuri, it is said that no further pilgrimage is
required. We then had darshan of the Trinetra form of Shiva on Mt.Kailash as well as the Atma lingam. The
Trinetra form occurs on the South side (Aghora) of Mt.Kailash where there are 3 slits across the rock face
that are not covered with snow, giving the appearance of Lord Shiva’s
face with 3 eyes!

We reached an altitude of 18,000 feet and were ready to start our

3 day yatra which was the circumbulation or “parikrama” of Kailash
mountain. Early in the morning, the buses took us close to the spot
where the yatra would commence. It would begin at ‘Yama-Dwar’, a
very small temple which we had to walk through. The belief was that
one has to overcome Death itself to perform the Kailash yatra. The side Ramesh aiya and Gayathri amma in front of
the Yama-Dwar.

15
Blossom 22, Petal 1

of Mt.Kailash facing us was called ‘Maha Kaal’. We had to hire horses, horsemen and porters. This was
important as the horses acted as insurance against any fatigue or small mishaps like a twisted ankle etc.
The horsemen would lead the horse while the porter would carry our backpack.
These were local Tibetan tribals who were considered as ‘Shiva-Ganas’ by Hiraji,
helping yatris to perform their yatra. They were a loud group of people who were
constantly laughing and slapping each other’s back and with a wide grin. They
were the caretakers who would take ownership and responsibility of you. One
amazing thing that we discovered was that they had enormous self-respect and
would never ask for any tips, beg or steal and were very reliable. They knew a few
words in English and Hindi so most of our communication was by sign language.
Another surprising fact was that these tribals only bathe 3 times in their entire
lifetime — after birth, before their wedding and after death. Strangely, none of
them smelled bad. One admirable aspect was that men and women are treated as
equals and you could get a lady who would be your porter or your horsewoman.
Gayathri amma with one of the After seeing this level of equality, we were left wondering as to who was really
horsemen. primitive in their mindsets. The allotment of horses, horsemen and porters was
done by a lottery system and you could not pick whom you fancied. Luckily,
everyone got a decent draw and had good partners in horses, horsemen/women and porters to help. As
the yatra commenced, some started walking, while some immediately took the horse. Large yaks carried
our duffel bags and trotted along with their bells jangling and clanging. Soon a single file formed and the
distances started growing wider between the yatris. This yatra is for the individual; those who believe they
can do the yatra together as a couple or as a family must realize that they will get separated but will rejoin in
the evening. It is more important to soak in the divine atmosphere during the yatra. The talking subsided
automatically as 02 levels were low and each step was a challenge. Meditation on the mantras helped shift
focus from the physical to the spiritual and suddenly we felt like we were floating and entering a mental
zone where nothing exists except the resonance of “Om Namah Shivaya” in the mind, head and soul. On
the right was Mt.Kailash displaying the Western face of Shiva
called ‘Vamadeva’. On the right-hand side, we could see a
huge form of Ganesha on the mountain left us wondering
how these formations happened. After completing 6 kms,
we came across a tent where local tribals had setup a ‘make-
shift’ restaurant where some of the yatris helped themselves
to some food. We tipped our horsemen and porter so that
they could also eat and then continued on our walk. The
first day’s walk was approximately 10kms over a gentle and
undulating landscape with streams flowing on the sides
offering a soothing bubbling noise. As we completed our first
day, we could see the horses and the bright yellow jackets
of some yatris who had already reached the guesthouse, a The view you see when you start doing parikrama of Kailash. If
you look closely, you’ll see an elephant lying down.
brick building with rooms. We were welcomed with hot tea,
biscuits and popcorn followed by a warm meal. The team of cooks left earlier than the rest of the team but
had prepared the meals for the tired but elated yatris. During dinner time, 02 levels were checked again. The
levels had dropped for some while others were coughing or had a slight fever. Hiraji walked around with his
team to check on every yatri and offered words of encouragement as he administered mysterious Ayurvedic
medicines that worked like magic at high altitudes. That night 4-5 yatris shared a room where there were
regular beds with pillows and blankets. Taking off the hiking boots was a challenge and some did not bother.
Headlights were turned on in case anyone wandered out into the wilderness to relieve themselves (this is the

16
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

“3 litres of water a day” effect) . We scanned the landscape and took note of the room numbers to ensure that
we headed back to the correct room without stumbling upon other sleeping yatris in the wrong room. The
next day, we scrambled out and looked for a convenient spot for our morning ablutions. The intense walking
offered a jolt to our digestive system and we all completed our business in less than a minute.

Watch for the next Sri Chakra to continue reading about Ramesh aiya’s wonderful Kailash-
Manasarovar yatra.

Ramesh aiya and Gayathri amma in front of the Northern face of Mt. Kailash. This is
called “Charan Sparsh,” as this is where you go and touch Kailash. If you zoom in and
look closely, you will clearly see Lord Shiva’s face.

Summary of Interesting
Destinations Visited:
• Brahmaputra River
• Potala Palace
• Jokhang Temple
• Shigatse
• Mount Kailash
• Lake Manasarovar
• Teerthapuri
• Yama Dwar

17
Blossom 22, Petal 1

ri a m
n a a m
G a

18
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Kūtrāyinavāru
Thēvāram by Virroshi Sriganesh

Pann: Kolli
Rāgā: Navarōj
Thālā: Ādi
Composer: Thirunāvukkarasa Mūrti Nāyanār

Thirumurai: 4th
Sthalam: Thiruvadhigai

Thirucchittrambalam

Kūtrāyinavāru Vilakkagileer
Kodumai Pala Seidhana Nānariyēn
Ētrāi Adikkē Iravum Pagalum
Piriyādhu Vananguvan Eppozhudhum
Thōtrādhen Vayitrin Agampadiyē
Kudarōdu Thudakki Mudakkiyida
Ātrēn Adiyēn Adhigaikkedila
Veerattānatthurai Ammānē!

Thirucchittrambalam

Background Story: Thirunāvukkarasa Mūrti Nāyanār, also known as Thirunāvukkarasar or

Appar and born as Marulneekiyar, engaged himself in many charitable acts and was eager to find
the best religion to follow. During this quest, Marulneekiyar became captivated by the practice of
Ahimsā that the Jains followed. He decided to embrace Jainism and took the name ‘Dharmasēnā’. He
moved to Pātaliputra and joined a Jain school, where he attained mastery over all their scriptures.

19
Blossom 22, Petal 1

Thilakavathiyār was saddened by her brother’s decision to join the

Jain religion. She moved to Thiruvadhigai and prayed passionately
to Lord Veerattanēshwarar in the Veerattānam Shivālayā to
bring her brother back to Saivism and shower His grace upon
him. Lord Shivā came to Thilakavathiyār in her dream and told
her that her brother had done severe tapas to attain Him. He
assured her that He would bring Marulneekiyar back to Saivism.

Marulneekiyar fell ill with a terrible abdominal pain and was unable to bear
the pain. He used all his knowledge of mani, mantra and aushada to try to cure
himself but the disease progressed unabatedly. The Jain mentors tried their best
as well but nothing changed. Marulneekiyar intuitively knew that this experience
was unnatural and was reminded of his sister. Without telling anyone, he went
back to his sister for help. Thilakavathiyār knew this was the act of Lord Shivā
and smeared Vibhūti on Marulneekiyar while reciting the Panchākshara mantrā,
(Ōm) Namashivāya. She told him to fall at Lord Shivā’s feet and pray for His
protection. Thilakavathiyār then took him to the temple of Veerattanēshwarar
where Marulneekiyar sang his first Thēvaram Kūtrāyinavāru. When he finished
singing the Thēvaram, his pain disappeared and a celestial voice was heard that said, “From now on
you will be known as Thiru Nāvukku Arasar, ‘Lord of Speech’. Your glory will spread everywhere”.

Let’s take a look at the meaning to see how Appar prayed to Lord Shivā asking Him to show
his limitless grace to relieve him from the pain!

Meaning (word for word and verses):

Kūtru Yama = death
Āyinavāru Like
Vilakkagileer Can you not remove
Kūtrāyinavāru Vilakkagileer Can you not remove this pain/disease which is like death?
Kodumai Bad doings
Pala Many
Seidhana Did/commit
Nān I
Ariyēn Do not know
Kodumai Pala Seidhana Nānariyēn I don’t know what bad or wrong deeds I have committed
Ētrāi You, the one who has a bull, have accepted me
Adikkē To your feet
Iravum Pagalum Night and day
Piriyādhu Without leaving
Vananguvan I worship

20
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Eppozhudhum Always
Adikkē Iravum Pagalum I will always worship your feet night and day without leaving
Piriyādhu Vananguvan Eppozhudhum for a moment
Thōtrādhu Invisibly
En My
Vayitrin In Stomach
Agampadiyē Inside
Kudarōdu With Intestine
Thudakki Mudakkiyida Great Pain – twisting and squeezing immensely
Thōtrādhen Vayitrin Agampadiyē The invisible disease in my stomach is causing great pain in my
Kudarōdu Thudakki Mudakkiyida intestines
Ātrēn Cannot tolerate
Adiyēn I
Adhigai Adhigai – name of temple town
Kedila Kedila – name of the river that flows in Adhigai
Veerattānam Veerattānam – name of Shivālayā, Shivā temple, in Adhigai
Urai Reside
Ammānē Lord
Ātrēn Adiyēn Adhikaikkedila I cannot tolerate this! The Lord who resides in the Veerattānam
Veerattānatthurai Ammānē temple in the town of Adhigai, where Kedila river flows, please
relieve me of this pain!

Ōm Namashivāya
21
Blossom 22, Petal 1

Gurus, Saints

&

SAGES

22
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

(Part 1)
Thiru
Nāvukkarasa
Mūrthi Nāyanār by Virroshi Sriganesh

T
hiru Nāvukkarasa Mūrthi Nāyanār, affectionately referred to as
Appar, was born about 600 A.D. in the town of Thiruvāmūr to
Pugazhanār and Mādhiniyār. The couple gave birth to a daughter,
Thilakavathiyār, and son, Appar, who was named Marulneekiyar at birth.

When Thilakavathiyār was 12 years old, her parents started

to worry about her marriage, as was the tradition in those days.
Pugazhanār and Mādhiniyār came across a smart young man by the
name of Kalippakkai, a warrior, and thought he would be the perfect
There are 63 Saivaite match for their daughter. Shortly after their marriage, Kalippakai had to
Saints, known as the go to the north to fight in a battle. Thilakavathiyār was extremely upset.
63 Nāyanmārs, who
have sung thousands of Around the same time, Pugazhanār also fell extremely ill
hymns in praise of Lord ultimately leading to his demise. Unable to bear the loss of her husband,
Shiva and Parvathi Devi. Mādhiniyār also passed away shortly thereafter. Having lost both their
parents, Thilakavathiyār and Marulneekiyar were very depressed.

Kalippakai was killed in the war and the news of his passing
Thiru Nāvukkarasa reached Thilakavathiyār. She spiraled into an extreme emotionally
Mūrthi Nāyanār is distressed state and wanted to end her life. Marulneekiyar pled with
one of the Saivaite her not to make any emotionally-driven decisions and requested
Quartet, along with her to live with him. To appease her brother, Thilakavathiyār agreed
Sambanthar, Sundarar and started taking good care of her brother as her own child.
and Manikkavāsagar.
Marulneekiyar realized that there was some higher purpose to
his life at a very young age. He engaged himself in many charitable
acts and was eager to find the best religion to follow. During this
Here is the first half of
quest, Marulneekiyar became captivated by the practice of Ahimsā
the life history of Thiru
that the Jains followed. He decided to embrace Jainism and took
Nāvukkarasar. the name ‘Dharmasēnā’. He moved to Pātaliputra and joined a
Jain school, where he attained mastery over all their scriptures.

Thilakavathiyār was saddened by her brother’s decision to join

the Jain religion. She moved to Thiruvadhigai and prayed passionately

23
Blossom 22, Petal 1

to Lord Veerattanēshwarar in the Veerattānam Shivālayā to bring her brother back to Saivism and shower
His grace upon him. Lord Shivā came to Thilakavathiyār in her dream and told her that her brother had
done severe tapas to attain Him. He assured her that He would bring Marulneekiyar back to Saivism.

Marulneekiyar fell ill with a terrible abdominal pain and was

unable to bear the pain. He used all his knowledge of mani, mantrā
and aushadā to try to cure himself but the disease progressed
unabatedly. The Jain mentors tried their best as well but nothing
changed. Marulneekiyar intuitively knew that this experience was
unnatural and was reminded of his sister. Without telling anyone, he
went back to his sister for
help. Thilakavathiyār knew
this was the act of Lord
Shivā and smeared Vibhūti
on Marulneekiyar while
reciting the Panchākshara
mantrā, (Ōm) Namashivāya. She told him to fall at Lord Shivā’s
feet and pray for His protection. Thilakavathiyār then took
him to the temple of Veerattanēshwarar where Marulneekiyar
sang his first Thēvaram,
Kūtrāyinavāru. When
he finished singing the
Thēvaram, his pain
disappeared and a celestial
voice was heard that said, “From now on you will be known as Thiru
Nāvukku Arasar, ‘Lord of Speech’. Your glory will spread everywhere”.
Thirunāvukkarasar went on to sing Lord Shivā’s praises all over the land.

The Jain priests were upset with this sudden transformation.

They reported to their King that Dharmasēnā had committed an
offensive crime by leaving Jainism and embracing Saivism again.

Watch for the upcoming issue of the Sri Chakra to learn more about Thirunāvukkarasar’s life
story and what the Jains and their King did in regards to this.

24
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Naivēdyam

Nivēdayāmi

25
Blossom 22, Petal 1

Rice Payasam by Muralee Mahathevan

Always remember not

What is Rice Payasam? to smell or taste food
[Payasam → derived from the Sanskrit term
pāyās, also called kṣīra, meaning that which is when it is being made as
made of milk ] Naivedyam. In addition,

Rice Payasam = a sweet made with rice and always think pure thoughts
milk and make the Naivedyam
whole-heartedly. A good
way to do this is to chant
For which deities are Rice Payasam usually
offered to? manthras or slokas that
All forms of Devi, Shiva and Muruga you may know or the nama
of your ishta devata.

When can you offer Rice Payasam?

Chandi Homam, Daily Naivedyam We thank Muralee
Mahathevan and
the Thulasi Kitchen
Coordinators for
Prep Time Cook Time Serves: providing this recipe to
5 minutes 30 minutes 5 people (5 oz. cup) the Sri Chakra.

Ingredients:
1 cup Ponni Raw Rice
¾ cup powdered or grated Jaggery (brown sugar)
¼ tsp. Green Cardamom powder
5 tbsp. Ghee
2 tbsp. Raisins
4 tbsp. Cashews
1 ½ cup Water
2 cups Milk
Pinch of Saffron

Instructions:
Preparation:
1. Wash the Ponni raw rice at least twice.
2. Roast the rice until it becomes golden brown.
3. Add 2 tbsp. of ghee to a pan and add the cashews.
4. Roast the cashews until they become golden brown.
5. Roast the raisins with the cashews for about 30 seconds.

26
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Making the Rice Payasam:

1. Boil the rice in 1 ½ cup water and 2 cup of
Milk until it is fully cooked.
2. Add a pinch of saffron.
3. Add 3 tbsp. of ghee.
4. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent the rice
from burning or sticking to the bottom of the
pot.
5. When rice is fully cooked, make sure the rice
is very mushy.
6. Add the jaggery (brown sugar).
7. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add the roasted cashews and raisins.
9. Add the cardamom powder and mix well.

Amrta Mahā Naivēdyam Nivēdayāmi!

Did you
know ...
... the Devi is referred to
as Payasannapriya in the LSN
(Lalita Sahasranama). This
tells us that the Devi loves
rice with milk, giving her that
specific name.

27
Blossom 22, Petal 1

KIDS
KORNER

y ?
e ad
u r !!
e yo s Go
'
Ar Let

28
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

Sri Chakra • srichakra@srividya.org 29

Blossom 22, Petal 1

Story
Time (Part 1)

with Kamya Aunty

by Kamya Ramaswamy

Churning of the Milk Ocean

We all know that on the night of Shivarathri The concept of time in Hindu mythology is
(or Maha Shivarathri as some call it, because divided into four chunks, each of which are called
it’s actually one of 12 Shivarathris throughout Yugās, and are sometimes millions of years long.
the year), everyone stays up all night long to They are: Satya yugā, Trēta yugā, Dwāpur yugā, and
worship Lord Shiva. We also know that this Kali yugā. Right now, we are about 5000 years into
worship can be done in the form of pujas, Kali yugā. It is said that the Buddhā lived right at
homams/havan, archana, storytelling, the beginning of Kali yugā, Krishnā lived at about
music/dance/bhajans, or any type of general the end of Dwāpur yugā, and Ramā walked the earth
during Trēta yugā.
chanting. But do we know what the origins of
Shivarathri are?
Way at the beginning of Trēta yugā, however,
there was a war between the demi-gods of heaven,
The truth is, we may never know about the true called the Dēvās, and their demonic cousins, called
origins or the original story about Shivarathri, the Asurās. The Asurās kept winning battle after
because Lord Shiva actually represents all of battle, so the Dēvās decided to churn the celestial
time and space. Can you imagine trying to milk ocean for some extra help. It was said that
figure out when the universe (not just our solar churning the milk ocean would bring out treasure
system or the Milky Way galaxy, but the entire from deep within it, and one of those treasures was
universe) began? Now try coming up with a amritam or divine nectar, which would give the
Dēvās extra strength.
story about it!
To help them, Lord Vishnu transformed
Because we, as the human race, are limited in himself into a giant sea tortoise, large enough to
how far we are able to understand massive hold up an entire mountain! When they got tired of
concepts like this, we create stories to help us churning, he did it himself. But the tortoise’s churning
make sense of it all. This is why there are so was so forceful that it brought up the deadly poison
many stories about Lord Shiva, and this is hala-hala, which began to float through the air and
also why there are several stories about what harm everyone who came into contact with it.
Shivarathri is and why we celebrate it.
Entered Lord Shivā. He gathered up all the
poison and swallowed it, and the Devi made sure

30
Sri Chakra • srichakra@srividya.org
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

it stayed in his throat instead of going

down to his stomach. This is why Lord
Shivā is called Neelakanta, or the blue-
throated one. Him saving all of creation
from destruction in this way is one story
of why we celebrate him on Shivarāthri.

To learn more about the churning

of the milk ocean, go to the Internet (with
your parents’ permission) and look up
Kūrma Avatār.

Happy anniversary!
Is there a couple you know who seem like
they’ve been together forever? Your parents or
grandparents perhaps? What about Lord Shivā and
Goddess Pārvati? To us, they actually have been
together forever, but there is a story about how they
met and got married.

Lord Shivā had actually been married before,

but his first wife tragically died. However, she promised
him that she would come back and marry him again.
Did she???

Watch for the next Sri Chakra to learn more about Lord
Shivā and Parvati and Maha Shivarāthri!

Did you know ...

... a life-size sculture of the Devas and Asuras
churning the milk ocean is located at the Suvarnabhumi
International Airport departure terminal, in Bangkok.

31
Blossom 22, Petal 1
ANSW
Name:
ERS
Complete the Vakya
Dec2
Use the Shabdas in the list below to complete the Vakyas
017
1. They say there are three pivots for a stable mind:
Gnana chakra Āndal Lord’s
bhakthi, gnana and vairagya.
times Rudra Thirumozhi
Bhakthi is devotion, Gnana means
Mahalakshmi Sambanthar
knowledge and Vairagya means detachment.
golden Madhyama Sahasra
2. Ramesh aiya and group went on long walks even
spine 700 feet temple
in very cold weather including snowing or cold
Kasindhu tailbone, brain
rain, drank plenty water and then organized a
Namashivāya Gnāna Chandi
Rudra Ekadashi, where all the yatris
100 Ekadashi, 143
Rudrabhisekha
performed m to the chanting of devotion, hrdaya dhadhanya
gnana 13 Muladhara
Rudram by their students.
Mahatmyam 30 Sivalõkaprāpti
3. The golden domed 5 000-year-old
Rudrabhisekham Sambanthar
Pashupathinath temple is a UN world
Devi Thayir Maddi-āchāram
heritage site.
Charitram Mahasaraswathi
4. The Kundalini would run the entire length of
pūjā vairagya. Sivanēsar 3
the spine to the brain .
Nācchiyār Panchākshara
5. The tail has fused into the Coccyx,
Rudram Chandi Chandi
tailbone, and where the Muladhara
Sivapādahrudayar Poompāvai
chakra is said to be located.
DM knowledge Charitram
6. In LSN, it mentions that the Devi
Gnāna Mahakali samsāra
really love Thayir Sadam . The
Coccyx, LSN, Uttama
specific line mentioning this is " dhadhanya
attaining saktra Prathama
saktra hrdaya ."
bhakthi, cleanliness Vairagya
7. Sivanēsar had the wish of marrying off his
Devi Tiruppāvai padhikam
daughter, Poompāvai , and giving all of his Kādhalāgi Pashupathinath
wealth to Gnāna Sambanthar . Navakshari Homams 1000
Sivapādahruday Kundalini Sadam 40th
8. ar learned that Gnāna
Sambanthar was not for marriage and
samsāra .
32
 Sri Chakra ● March 2018

S W E R S
AN
c 2 0 1 7
De
9. Gnāna Sambanthar thought that this was the best time for his Sivalõkaprāpti ,
attaining the Lord’s feet .
10. He started to sing his final padhikam , 40th in number , namely
Kādhalāgi Kasindhu . Gnāna Sambanthar preached the “ Namashivāya ”
Panchākshara mantra into the ears of everyone present at the wedding .
11. What is a Sahasra Chandi ? In simplified terms, it is the chanting of
Devi Mahatmyam ( DM ) 1000 times and the
performance of 100 Chandi Homams .
12. The 700 shlokas consist of 13 chapters, which are further
consolidated into 3 portions called Prathama Charitram ,
Madhyama Charitram and Uttama Charitram .
13. The 3 presiding deities of the Chandi Navakshari mantra are Shri
Mahasaraswath
Mahakali , Shri Mahalakshmi and Shri i .
14. Maddi-āchāram is a strict system of cleanliness in all things having to do with
formal pūjā and daily affairs at a temple.
15. Āndal composed her famous hymn to the Lord, the Tiruppāvai (
30 verses) as well as the Nācchiyār Thirumozhi ( 143
verses).

33
Blossom 22, Petal 1

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha

34
Sri Chakra • srichakra@srividya.org