Raghuvamsam - 8 (E)

Raghuvamsam-VIII
(Written by:Santhipriya)
 

Viswamithra holds Yahya and
Rama attends Sita’s Swayamvara  
So the years rolled on and the young charming lads with dark curls on head grew well, remaining dissevered from each, learning all arts and crafts of the Kingdom together under perfect masters, when on one fine morning Raja guru Viswamithra reached Dasaratha with a request.  His sacrificial rite was marred by demons and he  prevented from performing an important Yahya underway, and therefore to guard the Yahya site from the predators he needed the assistance of Rama and Lakhman, the mighty warrior young pair to guard his site.  Shocking was the plea for Dasaratha whose longing for an heir apparent fructified only after many years of torturous sacrificial rites, and harm if befell on the young lads during surveillance shall cast doom on him  again for the curse of the blind couple still hanged above his head like demon’s sword. Hesitant Dasaratha offered instead royal force to guard the site, but Raja guru declined the substitutes and rose from his seat to bid farewell to the offer, as offer of Royal force tantamount to refusal to his plea for Rama and Lakshman. Placid Saint sage Vashishta, quickly realizing the deeds of the invidious offer, counseled Dasaratha to allow the archer boys to go with Raja guru as demanded and a reluctant Dasaratha, eyes bedewed with tears had no option but to bow.  
The barefooted archer boys then walked untired behind the glorious saint, stepping into rough terrain, even though they trode only on smooth and well laid floors till then. Then they entered Taraka’s land where the ferocious, tyrannic and ugly looking demon maid  waylaid them.  As she swooped, and rushed fiercely shooping the wayside trees with gruesome screech, for a moment Rama was hesitant to slay a maid when Sage Viswamithra had to amplify the treacherous character of the maid   to the warrior heroes, and lamented that their marching with him shall be farce  if the demon maid be left non slayed.   Thence Rama wasted no time to fly his shaft that cleft her body in a whisper, pushing down her on to the earth, motionless. The demon maid’s slaying shook Ravana’s Kingdom and her horrified brethren Maricha and Swagu came rushing with their magic art and weapons with a huge force to crush the Princely boys, but they too bit the dust in quick response by their prowess of the two lads.  Thus ended the halls of resistance as the Princely boys stood firm to their ground to guard the sacrificial site from all disturbing foes and to let the sage perform his sacred sacrifice unimpeded.
When the sacred rites thus performed unimpeded, Raja guru solemnly blessed the hero boys and in a simultaneous coincidence, the King of Mithila bade the sage to bless the occasion on the great sacrifice performed by him, a convention to engage wed lock for his daughter. His daughter Sita shall hold the hand of one who lift and bend the mighty Sivadunus (Bowstring given by lord Siva) he possessed.  Mithila King pleaded for the august presence of the saintly sage to bless him to perform the sacrifice in perfection and peace. Yielding to the King’s plea, Viswamithra the saintly sage began his march to the site accompanied by the warrior Princes who were too young and non invites, but accompanied the sage as his disciples.
On way they marched, the curse on Agalya, spouse of Sage Gowthama was also released by the accidental touch of Rama’s feet and the sage amplified the cause of her curse to Rama. So said the sage to Rama ‘The maid re birthed was spouse of sage Gowthama who caused the curse in anger when he chanced  observed  his wife’s modesty stained when in a moment of flicker she faltered on the beauty of lord Indira.  Absorbing the curse Agalya turned into a stone and  doomed to  regain her form only after ages when the dust of your feet fall on her and thus Agalya’s curse erased today with dust of your feet’.  Her forms reversed, Agalya, prostrated at their feet and profusely thanked them, but she left  not alone  and ensured safe passage to rejoin with her lord, sage Gowthama by the accompanying princes with the sage.  Thence from  sage Gowthama’s dwelling began their intent march to Mithila. 
When King Janaka heard of the saint marching to Mithila, he met them on road, extended warm welcome paying due honour. On way to the Palace hall, the  sage hailing  the mighty valour of Rama simply said ‘ King you shall see proof of his valor upon performing the magic on the mighty bowstring kept in aree-show if properly bided’ and the King pleased to hear the proclamation of the sage lost no time in  extending his invitation   to Rama to take part in sacrifice.   
Even before Rama acknowledged the invite, his guardian sage Viswamithra on behalf of Rama declared ‘yes King,  Rama shall test and try’.  Intent not held  in lips, the sage indeed accompanied Rama to the scene.  There in the hall anxious looking assemblage heard in rapt attention Janaka’s declaration ‘My salute to all assembled, noble Kings and Princes. The sacred bow and arrow, gift of  mighty lord Siva shall select the suitor to hold my daughter’s hand, who not born on earth, but gifted to  me during ploughing, and she shall be the prize catch to the thews and sinews that  lift and bend the sacred bowstring aree-showed. 
..........continued  / 9

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இந்த வலைப்பதிவில் உள்ள பிரபலமான இடுகைகள்

Nagachandreswar (E)

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Nag Thakshak is one of the eight most important Serpents in the clan of Divine Serpents and has reference in epic Mahabharata. The other seven Divine Serpents are - Nanda also called Nagaraja, Upananda, Sagara, Vasuki, Manasa, Anantha also called Anavatapta and Utpalaka. Nag Thakshak reportedly ruled Thakshasila a new Kingdom which he created after the episode of burning of Khandava Forest by Janameya occurred. As per Shrimad Bhagavatam Nag Thakshak belonged to Ikshavaku dynasty and born as Serpent due to a curse he had inherited in his previous birth. According to one of the folklores, Nag Thakshak stays in penance on the top story of the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain which is opened only once in a year on Nag Panchami day to allow devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva and Parvathi Devi seated on the coiled bed of Nag Thakshak in that room. It is believed that Nag Thakshak in the name of Nag c handreswar is present there in invisible form and perform one crore ...
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Kudai Swamigal -E

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Ascetics or Supernal possessing mystic power are called Siddah Purush. They are considered to have won over the time. The Ascetic ( Siddah Purush ) who live in dense jungles, caves and even open spaces unmindful of weather conditions, perform wonders beyond nature and ones imagination.  Some believe that the Supernal (Siddha Purush) are eternal, but that is not true. Those who are born on earth are destined to shed their body one day or the other, but the real difference between a Supernal and humans are that  Siddah Purush can shrink and expand their body in seconds, fly   on air like a plane, enter into the body of even dead to revive them shedding their own body. They can remain in the state of samadhi without food and water for years together, foresee  events of  tomorrow and even beyond several years. They can instantly cure any ailments. But real Supernal would not normally indulge in acts of performing miracles often...
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Vasanthapura Temple ( E)

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In the year 2011, I happened to visit a unique temple in Vasanthapura (Behind Kanakapura Road) in Bangalore. The name of the temple is Lord Vasanthapura Vallabaraya which is 1000 years old and constructed during the Chola period. The original name of the temple was ‘Poonila Vasantha Nayagi Sametha Vasantha Vallabaraya Swami temple’. There is a small Hanuman temple opposite to this temple which has also been reportedly constructed during the same period when this temple was established. In between these two temples another temple for Goddess Mariamman in the name of Kathayani devi (a village deity) also exist. By the side of this Vallabaraya Swami temple another temple for Lord Shiva in the name of Lord Bhavani Shankar has also been constructed. Two stories related to the history of the of Lord Shiva is told. The Maratha warrior and Emperor Shivaji used to visit temples in south. Once he visited Goddess Kaligambal temple in Chennai and when he came to the present temple s...
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