Blossom 10 Petal 5November 2006

SpecialNavarathri 2006Issue!

The Source of the Cosmos Sri Chakra Sri Chakra Sri Chakra Sri Chakra Sri Chakra

The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY

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Since the last issue...

by Kamya Ramaswamy

NewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletterterterterterNewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletterterterterterAt the beginning of August,

Aiya attentions were turnedtoward preparing for the VibuthiSaivite Immersion camp for kids.After the camp concluded in mid-August, Aiya was on the roadagain and performed threegrihapraveshams (orhousewarming pujas) beforeGanapathi Chaturthi on the 27th.Immediately after Chaturthi, Aiyaleft to spend about two weeks inAustralia, where his schedule waspacked.

He performed a GayatriMahayajna in Sydney, and heldtwo elaborate workshops on the2nd and 3rd of September. Heparticipated in bhajans at thelocal Sai Center, as well as a call-in radio show for Sydney TamilRadio. Also in Sydney, Aiya spokeat the Murugan temple. InMelbourne, he performed a MahaGanapathi homam in a public halland spoke at the local Shiva/Vishnu temple. Throughout thetrip, he performed eight privatepujas.

Aiya returned on Sept. 13, twodays before the dvajarohanam forNavarathri. After Navarathriconcluded on Oct. 3, he took aprivate trip to California.Throughout the end of October,Aiya performed a MahaPratyangira homam completewith a madday at the temple,performed the last day’s puja ofKedaraGowri vratham, and didthe Skanda Shashti festival fromOct. 22 to Oct. 27.

Past Month EventsSharada Navarathri Sept 22-Oct.23

It was a particularly sweetNavarathri at the temple, as

chocolate was free-flowing andlittle girls uncannily appearedduring pujas every day. Thesewere the characteristics of BalaNavarathri, a festival focusedcompletely on Balatripurasundarifrom the daily homams to theBala Navavarna pujas at night.

The main text was Nivasatu HrdiBala by Sri Atmananda, whichwas released as this year’sNavarathri malar. A children’smalar was also released, calledTales of Balatripurasundari. The dailyhomams varied, but included Balamula mantra homam, BalaSahasranamam homam (1008 ofHer names), Bala Khadgamalahomam and Bala Hrdayamhomam, among others.

What was different about thisfestival is that there stood in themiddle of the yajnashala a largewooden frame enclosing the mainclay kalasam (in which Bala wasinvoked) as well as 36 smallkalasams representing the tatvas

(facets of nature). Outside theframe sat the digdevata kalasams.Puja and naivedyam were offeredevery morning to the tatvas anddigdevatas, totaling 46 kalasamsin all.

This was also the firstNavarathri that the digdevatabali peetams outside were used.These peetams were installed inthe summer and each stands withits own baby tree. As in previousNavarathris, the Durga palanquinwent around the temple onSunday Sept. 24, Lakshmi wentaround on Wednesday Sept. 27,and Saraswati went out on thelast Saturday of the festival.Chandi homam and the chariotprocession were on the lastSunday, the water-cuttingceremony was on the lastMonday, and Kulurthi took placeon Tuesday Oct. 3.

Aiya seatedin themakeshiftyajna shalawith the 36Tattvakalasas.

note: ‘Our Thoughts’ will returnin the next issue of the Sri Chakra.

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ENJOY NAVARATHRI 2006 PICTURES!

Kedara Gowri Vratha (last day)Oct. 21

by Kamya Ramaswamy

The end of Navarathri marks thebeginning of KedaraGowri, afestival that marks Devi’s quest tomerge with Shiva. This year,about 90 people sponsored theentire festival and/or just the lastday. The evening’s program beganat 6:30 p.m. with the final puja toArdhanareeshwara and themercury Shivalingam.

The murthis were set in a tub inthe middle of the temple whileeveryone performed milk

abhishekam during the chantingof the pancha-sukta. Aiya thendid panchambrutam abhishekamand volunteers then rinsed themain murthi.

The festival kalasam was thentaken around the temple andpoured over the murthi, afterwhich Ardhanari was dried anddressed. Finally, sodasa-upacharapuja was performed, and 21women were given gifts of cloth,fruits and kumkum among otheritems. After eatingmahaprasadam, Aiya and othervolunteers distributed the sharadu

(threads to worn around thewrist) and other prasadam.

Twenty one typesof palaharamswere offered toArdhanareeshwara.

All palaharams, fruits and otherofferings were placed beautifully infront of Ardhanareeshwara afterabhishekam and a grandalankaram.

Skanda Shashti Oct. 22 - 27by Abhi Somaskanda

Skanda Shashti marked the endof a long leg of festivals at thetemple, beginning withNavarathri. This festivaldedicated to Murugan began aday after the 21st and last day ofKedara Gowri Vratham.

This year Aiya and otherdevotees performed abhishekamto Murugan, Valli, and Devayanidaily and also chanted Murugan’sSahasranamavalli with pushpaarchana.

The festival lasts six days, tomatch Murugan’s six faces:Sathyojatham, Vamadevam,Aghoram, Tatpurusham,Ishanyam, and the sixth being theinward-turned Adho mukam,

relating to jnanam (knowledge).Each of the faces were

worshipped with its respectiveSahasranamam by differenttemple devotees each night.

The final day began at 6pm andencompassed the finalSahasranamam, along withabhishekam, alankaram,Murugan’s defeat of the Asura,Murugan and Devayanai’swedding, and Murugan’s secretmarriage to Valli.

Following a few thevarams andthe final arathi, maha prasadamwas served.

Upcoming EventsO.S. Arun concert, Nov. 18

This renowned master ofcarnatic music will be performingat the temple on Sat. Nov. 18 at 4p.m. He is famous for his smoothvoice that can be powerfulwithout being overbearing, aswell as his ability to sing equallywell in Hindi and Tamil. All arewelcome to attend.Dravida Vedam V releasein Toronto, Dec. 2

Dravida Vedam album series isappropriately on theShivapuranam. Aiya and severalother bhajan performers willcome to Toronto for the release ofthis CD to Canadian devotees.They will perform at the samevenue that has hosted many other

by Kamya Ramaswamy

by Kamya Ramaswamy

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The Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam ~ 6980 East River Road ~ Rush, NY 14543 ~ Phone: (585) 533 - 1970

Kids Homam, Dec. 31by Kamya Ramaswamy

CD releases, the Sai Baba templeon Ellesmere Road inScarborough. The evening willbegin at approximately 7 p.m. andwill last about three hours.

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The temple children arecontinuing their annual traditionof performing a full homamduring the Christmas holidaybreak. This year, they will bedoing the Sri Suktam homamcombined with the Raja Matangimantra between each stanza. Ifyour kids want to participate andwould like to help sponsor thehomam, please call the temple.

In Three MonthsThe next issue of theSri Chakra Magazine

Devi willing, the next issue of the Sri Chakra Magazine will be up onthe temple’s website (www.srividya.org) at the beginning of February2007.

As this issue focused on Bala Navarathri, the next will be about Herdivine consort, Lord Shiva, in honour of the annual 10-dayThiruvempavai festival. The magazine is looking for Shiva devotees tohelp out His issue by contributing stories, pictures, poems, experiencesor anything at all by Fri. Jan. 5, 2007. Please e-mail us atsri_chakra_mag@srividya.org with your submissions.

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha!

by Kamya RamaswamyThai Pongal, Jan 14

This year, Thai Pongal falls on aSunday. Aiya will perform ashort puja to invoke Devi’sblessings in providing Herchildren ample grains, cloth andmoney to use in the followingyear. This puja always takesplace in the morning and devoteeswill afterwards receive themahaprasadam of sakkaraipongal (sweet rice).

****The Sri Chakra would like to extend our deepest thanks to Aiya,Kathy Allen, Gratuz, and especially Dr. Somaskanda for making thisissue a reality. Also thanks to the devotee whose experiences wereshared in Temple Lore. The magazine is very much in need of writers soplease contact us at sri_chakra_mag@srividya.org if you can contributeanything at all. Also contact us at that address with any feedback,questions, or suggestions.

VISIT WWW.SRIVIDYA.ORG FOR THE

REST OF THE FESTIVAL PICTURES!

Karthikai Deepam, Dec. 4by Kamya Ramaswamy

This year, Karthikai Deepamauspiciously falls on a Monday,and will feature the lighting ofseveral deepams and tea candlesthroughout the yajnashala andthe temple. Amid the lights, Aiyawill perform a puja and/orhomam, which always takes placein the evening, at 6 or 7 p.m.

Thiruvampavai, Dec.25-Jan. 3by Kamya Ramaswamy

The pujas for this 10-dayNataraja festival are alwayscompleted every day before dawnand involve the singing of pureTamil hymns in his worship.Between each stanza, pancha-upachara puja is performed to theNataraja and Sivakami murthis.Daily puja will commence at 5a.m. and will conclude at about 7a.m. The last day of the festival,Ardhra Dharshanam, will see theabhishekam of the murthis withmilk, as well as a full five-hourpuja commencing at 5 a.m.

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The stories of the devotees atthe Sri RajarajeswariPeetam create the veryessence of the temple’s soul. Aiya has verified all thesetales for their authenticity,and he urges devotees toshare their experiences forthe benefit of futuregenerations. All identities willbe kept in the strictestconfidentiality unlessotherwise informed.

This year, the Sri Chakra wasable to interview an upasaka whohad recently received diksha andwas on a trip to Rochester. Hetold the magazine about hisspiritual experiences and some ofthe lessons he has learned fromAiya and Devi. This month, theSri Chakra features the first infour parts of that interview.

SC: Tell me about some of yourexperiences, like anything thathas happened in the last twoweeks in the temple...

(In the last two weeks) I wasdoing japam one time and Devicame to me as a fly. Aiya said Ihad to meet my quota of japamand at that time, she wasdistracting me and I was gettingextraneous thoughts. Aiya wouldsay observe them so I was lettingthem go by and at that time, thisfly started to come at me and itwas almost as if it was caressingme and not so much banging atme (as flies normally do). I was indeep japam so I wasn’t doinganything… but it came along andlanded on me and I got a shock ofsomething.

Other things are like… at timeswhen I’m in japam I can see—likefor example during the bhajanslast time—I could see Natarajadancing and Devi dancing in frontof me.

On his first experiences:

When I was a kid, I found thisone sheet of paper, which was theMaha Mrutanjayaya Mantra. I justmemorized it and I started sayingit whenever I was praying. Thisone time, was saying it in japamand started focusing on it and Iinternalized it. And I started tofeel really deep fire burning at thebottom (muladhara chakra). Ofcourse I got a little bit freaked outand decided not to say it afterthat.

I’d been saying LalitaSahasranamam for a long time,once a week with my parents…after saying Sahasranamam agesago, I started seeing colourassociations with people. Lateron, Aiya said they were auras ofpeople. Then things started toaccelerate when Aiya came to myhome about six months ago. Hetold me I could say the Rudram,and I started to meditate on it…the first time I meditated on it, Icould see the formation ofArdhanareeshwara in my mindand Devi and Shiva comingtogether.

My kundalini had gone up to myheart at that time. I startedhaving other experiences—whenever I listened to theRudram I would feel the burningof the Namakam and slightly lessburning of the Chamakam. Andduring Namakam I could see thethird eye of Shiva open and Icould feel the heat of it coming atme. With Chamakam, as soon as Itransitioned from Namakam toChamakam, I could see the thirdeye of Shiva begin to close and theregular eyes of Shiva (Chandraand Surya) open up.

At times, Saraswati would comeand visit me and she would tellme things in the like of… thingsAiya and I would discuss and theprinciples of the way things weregoing by logically. So I would bethinking of a problem whilesaying Sahasranamam andSaraswati would come at me andtell me, “Okay, this is how itactually works…” and then Iwould tell Aiya and he would(confirm it).

My progression… once mykundalini reached my heart,within two weeks it had movedfrom my heart to my throat, frommy throat to my mouth, from mymouth to my eyebrows. And mythird eye just began to openslightly.

There was one time when Aiyawas there and I could see… it wasan eerie sight… when it happenedeverything was in a golden lightand I could see at each and everysingle person, at their chest Icould see a Devi. Afterwards,Aiya banned me from sayingRudram because he saideverything was going way toofast for me so I stopped saying itcompletely.

Aiya told me not to say Rudrambut he told me I could saySahasranamam and even that Iwould have to say slowly.Whenever I said it, my third eyebegan to open more and more andmore and I began to have a 360degree peripheral vision whichwould extend out to about 10 feetor so and I could see everythingthat was going on around there.Along with the fact thateverything would be bathed inthis golden light.

When I would walk around tospray some water on my facebecause it gets heated up, I couldsee that the dark wasn’t reallydark. It wasn’t so much seeingthings in the dark, but there was alight that was present at all times.Another thing I could see was theDevi of the lamp, as I liked to callher. There would be a Lakshmi…because you know how Aiya saysyou take kumkum and you put iton either side of the deepam andthen light it.

For me, during Sahasranamam,(my kundalini) would move upthe layers and culminate with mythird eye slightly opening. Duringthat time, I could see Lakshmistanding, sitting, wearingdifferent saris… different versionsof Ashtalakshmi. Sometimes Iwould see her sitting on the lampwith her legs dangling over theedge. …to be continued next issue

TempleTempleLoreLore

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Appudi Adigalnovember 2006

Thirunavukkarasar was a greatSiva devotee whose greatnessspread through the Indian sub-continent even in his own time.As such, he, though always apinnacle of humility, hadnumerous devotees, whoworshipped him as a form ofShiva, himself. One of the moreardent devotees ofThirunavukkarasar was Appudi.

Appudi had become a greatdevotee of Thirunavukkarasarlong before even meeting him. Heassumed Thirunavukkarasar ashis guru and began worshippingThirunavukkarasar.Thirunavukkarasar was on hismind always, and if someoneasked him anything, he wouldinvariably answer“Thirunavukkarasar” – as aresult his children and all thewatersheds he put up for pilgrimswere named afterThirunavukkarasar.

On the other hand, upon seeinghis children, the watersheds hehad erected or upon seeinganything else named after hisguru, Appudi would invariableremember that it was through thegrace of his guru that these thingshave come to be, and big disciplethat he was, melt a little bit everytime and possibly, even spendcountless hours in tears justbecause he walked by awatershed.

One day Thirunavukkarasarwalked into Thingalur and was a

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by Gratuz Devanesan

little surprised at seeing his nameeverywhere; saint that he was hedecided not to sue. Instead heinquired whose idea it was andwas informed that Appudi, a localShiva bhakta, named them thus.Thirunavukkarasar furtherinquired where Appudi lived anddecided to pay him a visit.Thirunavukkarasar was not quitesure why anything would benamed after him, so he thoughtmaybe he will have a word withAppudi.

Appudi, though a bigThirunavukkarasar devotee, didnot recognize Thirunavukkarasarwhen he came to beg for food.However, seeing that it was aShiva bhakta, he immediatelymade preparations to offer himthe best. Thirunavukkarasar saidthat he wanted to personally payhis respects to Appudi, indicatingthat he had heard stories abouthim. He also asked why Appudihad not named the watershedsafter himself and instead namedthem after some other Shivabhakta.

Appudi was a little offended athis guru, Thirunavukkarasar,being referred to as ‘some otherShiva bhakta.’ Sad though hewas, he held back his tears, andsaid, “Though a Shiva bhakta, youdon’t seem to know anythingabout the greatThirunavukkarasar Swamigal,who through the grace of the Lordwithstood successfully all the

persecutions of the Pallava kingand re-established Saivism. Haveyou not heard how the king tiedhim to a stone and threw him intothe sea, and how he floated backto the shore? Who are you?” –orsomething to that effect.

Thirunavukkarasar, trulymoved, replied, “I am that humblesoul who fell victim to severe colicand then took shelter under theLord’s Feet. I am that humble soulwho, due to the grace of LordShiva, got cured of that diseaseand returned to Saivism.”

It is not sure ifThirunavukkarasar called himselfa ‘humble soul’ because that’s notexactly what a humble soulwould call himself, but the exactwording may have been lost overthe centuries. More importantlythough, is, of course, the fact thatThirunavukkarasar seemed tofocus more on how Shiva savedhim, rather than how he himselfperformed miracles, therebyshowing his true humility and hisutter surrender to Shiva.

Appudi immediately realizedthat it was in factThirunavukkarasar in front ofhim and not just some guy tryingto run a Thirunavukkarasar scam,whatever that may be. He fell atThirunavukkarasar’s feet, tearsflowing, his heart skippingseveral beats, his tonguespeechless and his nosebreathless.

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Afterwards, Appudi and hiswife worshipedThirunavukkarasar’s holy feetand asked him to kindly acceptthe meager food that they couldprovide him with.

Appudi’s son was sent to fetch aclean and fresh banana leaf toserve as a plate for Appar. In thebackyard, Appudi’s son was bitby a cobra. Son of a Nayanmar,he used his last ounce of willpower to return the banana leaf tohis mother, before dropping deadin front of her.

Appudi did not wantThirunavukkarasar to feel anydiscomfort, so he invited him inand continued serving him food,making sure that the corpsewould not be noticed. Apparblessed Appudi and his wife withbhasma and then asked to see theson. Appudi replied that his sonwas not in a position to come.Appar looked at him and askedAppudi to tell the truth. Appudiexplained the situation.

Appar asked Appudi to take thecorpse and lay it down in front ofthe Shiva temple. Appudi obliged,and Appar sang a song. Thisrevived the boy and woke him asif from a deep slumber. Everyonewas happy, except Appudi, whofelt shame and sadness to havediscomforted and disturbedAppar with personal matters.Such was the devotion of Appudi.Thirunavukkarasar remainedwith Appudi for some time andAppudi received Shiva’s grace.

The story presents someelements worth furtherconsideration: first, Appar raisingthe dead; second, faith in a guru inthe absence of a guru. Surely,there are more elements as thesestories are filled with metaphoricelements.

It seems a common element fromJesus, to Shankara to Appar, thatthe sign of an accomplisheddevotee, is the ability to raise thedead. Not only do they raise thedead, but they do it withhumility, simplicity and withoutgreat fanfare. However, in thiscase, it may be construed that

Appar engineered the entireevent. Appar, though humble, isno fool. He surely did not wanderinto Thingalur entirely byaccident, and surely an evolvedsoul such as Appar should noticethe recent death in the household.

Furthermore, aren’t there somesort of restrictions about eating inthe home of one who has arecently deceased person in thefamily? This can be betterunderstood by looking at thesecond point–faith in a guru in theabsence of a guru. Appudi hadaccepted Thirunavukkarasar as aguru, but it is in this episode thatwe see that Thirunavukkarasarhad simultaneously acceptedAppudi as a disciple.

It might be even considered thatit was Thirunavukkarasar thatsneaked this idea into Appudi’smind. Appar had not come out ofthe blue, but sincere guru that hewas, he had come to Appudi tovisit his disciple. Here we seeanother important link: thoughfaith in one’s guru may be mentalor spiritual, there is some type ofgrace that can only flow throughthe physical body and it wasnecessary that Appar saw hisdisciple in person–at least once.

Now, to the question ofengineering an event: If Appudi’sson had been stung by a cobra ina backyard in New York, theneveryone would be suspicious–however, a cobra may beconstrued as a common enoughelement in India. Nonetheless, thecobra is a symbol of Shiva, andthat should not be forgotten.After all a scorpion, or some otherpoisonous animal could have alsodone the trick. What wouldAppar have accomplished bydoing all this?

Firstly, he would have givenAppudi, Appudi’s wife andAppudi’s son an opportunity todemonstrate the strength of theirfaith. It is not Appar who needsthis demonstration–but Appudihimself. He needs to feel it in him;one can go around naming stuffafter one’s guru all day long, butthe real question is do you thinkkindly and lovingly of your guru

when things go horribly wrong?This question can only beexperienced, and Appar had cometo give this opportunity to hisdisciple.

Appudi did one thing right,which was to think of Appar in agood light, though Appar’sappearance coincided with hisson’s death. He did, however,make a slight mistake byassuming that he could preventAppar from noticing and thatAppar may even be offended bysuch bad news. A close love toone’s guru, where one can freelyand without hesitation spill one’sheart out, can only come throughproximity and genuine love ofone’s guru.

For that, the disciple needs to bein the presence of the guru. This isanother reason Appar haddecided to pay a visit. Appudihad immense faith and devotion,but he was lacking the personalcloseness to his guru, which cannever be obtained by namingwatersheds. Lastly, Apparrevived the boy–granting toAppar the personal experiencethat a guru will never feelinconvenienced when helping anhonest disciple. Moreover,Appudi received the personalknowledge that not even deathcan stand between a guru and hisdisciple.

It can be seen that this smallstory is a beautiful account of thedepths a guru will go to in orderto help a disciple, even if the guruhas never met the disciple. Allthat is required is that theattempts at faith from the discipleare genuine, and the guru willappear and take the disciplethrough the difficult passages thattransform faith into knowledge,and belief into realization.

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Navarathri 2006

Nivasatu Hrdi Bala

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BaBaBaBaBathing Dv

thing Dv

thing Dv

thing Dv

thing Dvaraaraaraaraara

Ganap

Ganap

Ganap

Ganap

Ganapaaaaathithithithithi

BaBaBaBaBathing Dv

thing Dv

thing Dv

thing Dv

thing Dvaraaraaraaraara

Ganap

Ganap

Ganap

Ganap

Ganapaaaaathithithithithi

As is customary everyNavarathri, volunteers who comefor the full festival are oftenassigned a duty for the durationof the festival. Each year Aiyatries to give different assignmentsto new people so that everyonegets the chance to learn newaspects of running the templeduring a festival. This year I wasgiven the task of helping Mangaibathe the outside front Ganapathieach morning, which took abouttwo hours, usually from 6 a.m. to8 a.m. For those of you who havenever done this before, here aresome insights I learned. First ofall, here is the morning’s check listof things to gather:

· A bucket with a sponge,shampoo and large copperkalasam for bathing

· Two plastic bags forcollecting broken coconuts, oldbali offerings and various trash

· Two blue towels· The masala dabba with

various puja items, includingchandanam, manjal, kumkum andvibhuti

· A gallon of milk· Puja patrams, fruits,

flowers and 2 manjal coconuts· Kolam powder (rice flour)

Sequence of events:1. Turn on water tap inside

temple to get some hot waterflowing at the outside hose

2. Wash Ganapathi’s lamp3. Collect all broken coconuts,

old bali and any other trash

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4. Hose down coconutbreaking area and areasurrounding Ganapathi, washingaway any old kolams

5. Remove 3 windows aroundGanapathi’s mandapam

6. Remove all articles withinHis mandapam

By this time it would be close tosunrise and Mangai would bearriving to undress Him. Once Heis undressed, we follow thisbathing sequence:

1. Water bath2. Milk bath3. Water bath4. Bubble bath with shampoo

and sponge5. Water bath6. Oil massage

7. Sambrani dhupamfragrance bath

After His morning bathingrituals we dress Him in fullregalia and then perform panchaupachara puja. If possible wehang five or seven new mangoleaves overhead and draw a freshkolam. Lastly we break onecoconut and leave the other onefor Aiya who comes to pay hisrespects before commencing themorning pujas.

A few hidden secrets revealedabout Ganapathi:

· Did you know thatGanapathi has hair? On His back

there is a small circle and locket ofhair.

· Ganapathi does not like tobe sprayed down by the hose andprefers a gentler bucket bathusing a kalasam.

· Did you know that in thecenter of Ganapathi’s kumkumpottu that Mangai puts a smalldot of manjal? Mangai has toldGanapathi that if anyone looks atthis manjal spot on His trunk thatHe has to bless this person!

· Ganapathi is friends withall of the animals on the propertyand they often come to watch Himbathe in the morning, includingdeer, frogs and snakes, all ofwhom were spotted watching Hismorning bath!

· If you pray to thisGanapathi He will surely grantyour wishes.

· He keeps you verygrounded, even-minded, balancedand healthy.

· He keeps His own hiddenstash of vibhuti and kumkumprasadam packets to give tovisitors.

· Other hidden secrets youwill learn only when you go togive Him a bath!

Next time you go the temple,join Mangai out front early in themorning for Ganapathi’s morningbathing rituals and you willdiscover a lot of new things!

Dvara Ganapathi all lathered up.

middle: All dressed in a new dhotiand jewelrybelow: Ganapathi gets a kolam infront of his mandapam

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2006 has been a banner year forthe artistic endeavors of SriRajarajeswari Peetham of Rush,New York. The temple has hosteda series of scintillating concerts bya galaxy of brilliant classicalmusicians from India. With thetableau of outstanding Carnaticmusicians trooping down to

Rush, New York, it has becomealmost derigueur for any Carnaticmusician of any consequence toseek the blessings ofRajarajeswari before venturingout on his or her musical tour ofthe United States. NavarathriFestival of 2006 at Rush Templefeatured a slew of Carnatic

luminaries of the highest caliber,including Sudha Ragunathan andRaghavan Manian.

September 30th was a red-letterday for music lovers when thetemple hosted a superb concert bythe reigning virtuosa of Carnaticvocal music—Padmashri,Kalaimamani, Sudha Ragunathan.Sudha is gifted with a platinumvoice born of a hauntinglymellifluous timbre enhanced withdulcet overtones. She is capable ofincredible feats of tonalmodulations fragrant withaesthetic grace. Whether in thetara sthayi (upper register) ormanthra sthayi (lower register)her voice is phenomenal in itsreach, clarity and depth. She isalso noted for her uncannilyintuitive understanding of theaudience psyche and wouldalways tailor her concertsaccordingly with popular andappealing compositions.

She began her concert with acaptivating rendition ofDikshithar’s famous kriti on LordVinayaka, “Maha Ganapathim,”set in raga Nattai. Herchittaswaras were crisp with thecharacteristic jantaswaras, lockedin artful covenant with the violin,morsing and mridangam.

I think her musical prowess wasat its acme in her rendition ofSaint Thyagaraja’s Pancharathnakriti, “Entharo Mahanubhavo.”Suffused with a lambent glow, thekalpanaswaras imbricated alilting progression of dazzlinglayers, weaving a magicalgossamer of swaraprasthara thatwhisked us to ethereal regionsmost music cannot reach. Herflawless essay of this kriti with itsincredibly complex swara mazewas stunning in its execution.

Her rendition of the majestic“Kamakshi” swrajati in Bhairavi,a famous composition of Shyama

By Dr. A. Somaskanda

NAVARATHRI 2006

music reviewmusic reviewmusic reviewmusic reviewmusic reviewmusic reviewmusic reviewmusic reviewmusic reviewmusic review

Sudha Ragunathan

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Arulmigam Bala

On September 30, the templeplayed host to another superbconcert, this time by RaghavanManian. This was the second in aseries of concerts held under thetemple’s aegis during theNavarathri festival of 2006.

Raghavan Manian is a risingyoung star in the firmament ofCarnatic music. He is a virtuosoperformer, a senior student andprotégé of the legendary maestro,Dr. M Balamuralikrishna, and inmany respects, his alter ego. Oneis struck by his remarkableresemblance to his Guru not onlyin the deep resonance of hiscommanding voice, but also in hissuperior voice culture thatpowers his tonal legerdemain. Hiseffortless vocal dexterity isevident in his tonal modulationsand undulations that traverse theentire gamut of swaras, brigas,and gamakas (notes, rapid firenotes, and microtones). Yet heremains totally aligned to thesruti throughout his entire mind-boggling vocal acrobatics, anamazing feat worthy of hisillustrious Guru.

He started his concert with aTanavarnam in ragaShanmugapriya, reminiscent of

his guru Dr. Balamuralikrishna’sconcert at the temple in June of2006 (the maestro commenced hisconcert with a Varnam inGambeera Nattai). Tanavarnam isalmost exclusively a technicaltype of composition, intended toevoke shades of raga throughappropriately coined phrases(tana). His richly filigreed swarasanchara was masterful andbespoke of the depth of hisvirtuosity.

His brilliant essay of ShyamaShastri’s evocative masterpiece“Nannubrova” in raga Lalithawas nothing short of spell-binding. This oldshadava-shadava janya raga hasbeen hailed in musical classics as“Sangita Ratnakara.” Deeplymoved by the artiste’s exquisiterendition, Aiya singled out thiskriti in his effusive and glowingtribute to the artiste at the end ofthe concert. What was even moregratifying to the audience was hisinvocation of Devi with a slokafrom the Kadgamala Strotrabefore he began this composition.

His elaborate alapana wasreserved for raga Kalyani, ahighly fecund and popular melaraga. He essayed Dikshithar’s“Kamalamba Bhajare” in thisornate raga with such finesse aswould be possible only after yearsof arduous training.

After his delightful Tillana inHindolam (authored by his Guru),he yielded to the repeated pleas ofthe audience and reprised hismaster’s famous sahitya“Omkarakarini” much to thejubilation of everyone present.

Following his concert, he joinedAiya and the temple’s devotees inbhajans, adding beautifulalapanas to match the intensityand splendor of the bhajansession.

He was accompanied on theviolin by Gowri Ramakrishnan,who delighted the audience withher diligent recaptures of ragaalapanas and spry swararipostes. Vijayaganesh on themridangam was energetic in hispercussive vigor and gave anexcellent performance.

Sudha Ragunathan pausing to takea picture with Aiya, Amma, and thekitchen staff

Shastri, was soulful withKarunya Rasa and Vinaya Bhava.“Nagumomo” in Abheri and“Enna Thavam Seythanai” in Kapiwere delectable treats to savor.The catchy composition by Rajaji,“Kurai Onrum Illai,” set inRagamalika, was received withunbridled enthusiasm by theaudience—many of whom wereseen humming along with theartist. A composition by Suhir,“Annaye,” rendered in ragaLalitha, was well-received by theaudience, who broke out intocheers when Sudha publiclyrecognized the the authorship ofthis beautiful piece. Prefacingwith a moving sloka on LordShiva, “KirupasamudramTrinethram,” she captivated theaudience with the ever-popularand thrilling composition byMaharajapuram Santhanam, “Bo

Sambo,” set in raga Revathi. HerHindi Bhajan on Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba, “Mankiyake BoloSai,” set the devotees’ heartsaflutter with unsullied joy. Herreprise of the evergreen melody“Katrinile varumgeetham” by themaster of masters, M.S.Subbulakshmi, was a surrealnostalgic delight.

Sudha was accompanied on theviolin by the veteran violinistRaghavendra Rao, who wasbrilliant in his sensitive andchiseled delivery. KalaimamaniRaman on the morsing addedluster to this lively concert.Veteran mridangist NeyveliSkandasubramanian’s deftpercussion support was markedwith measured rhythms, canny

speed and adroitness. He cappedit with a breathtaking ThaniAvarthanam brimming withinfinite mathematical variations.This doyenne of carnatic musicswept us off our feet with hervirtuosity and grace. Our cupsrunneth over.

RaghavanManian

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Arulmigam Bala

Explainations of thestories and worship ofSri Balatripurasundari

AboutAboutAboutAboutAboutAboutAboutAboutAboutAboutbalabalabalabalabalabalabalabalabalabala

There are few devatas in theHindu pantheon whose names aremore self-explanatory than that ofBalatripurasundari—literallytranslated, She is the “childTripurasundari.” But there is alsoa limited amount of detail aboutthis powerful goddess, who is oneof few devis that can be describedas both innocent and arresting.

Devi worshipers will notice Balamentioned but once in the LalitaSahasranamam. Oddly enough, Sheis neither mentioned again in thattext, nor is She mentioned in morethan one instance in theLalitopakhyana. In theSahasranamam, She appears onlyin reference to Her Mother, Lalita,at the 74th name:

Bhanda putra vadhodyukta, Balavikrama nandita

The meaning is that Devi is theone who is overjoyed to see Herdaughter Bala intent on slayingthe sons of the demonBhandasura. Out of 1008 names, amere passing mention of onename would ordinarily give aforgettable impression, at best.But despite the limitedinformation on Her, Bala remainsa central pillar in the overallhouse of Shakti worship.

Sri Atmananda Natha (orRamesh as the temple familyknows him) wrote the primarytext for this year’s Navarathricelebrations, titled Nivasatu HrdiBala, in which he notes Bala’sslight mentions in major texts.But Atmananda also notes thatHer status is duly observed in theTamil saying that no drink is

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Arulmigam Bala

better than milk in the same waythat no deity is superior to Bala.

Creation and DevelopmentAs written in Nivasatu, the

events surrounding Bala’screation are not indicated in theLalitopakhyana, but Her purpose isto fight the sons of Bhanda whenLalita Devi is captured in the waragainst the demons. Here, Bala isgiven a prominent role despiteHer size and age, because Heradventures during combat are themain focus in a war that involvesmillions of demons and shaktis.

Lalita’s commanders, Mantriniand Dandini (also known as RajyaShyamala and Varahi,respectively) are also leftdumbstruck at Bala’s skill andspeed—despite their own militaryprowess, they play the part ofsupporting characters.

In the war, Bala steps forward tofight the Bhandaputra, the sons ofBhandasura, who has alreadybeen quelled by Devi. TheBhandaputra were 30 in all andare fueled by the desire to avengetheir father’s loss. Here, Bala isdepicted as the child version ofLalita instead of the child of Lalita;however, She is neverthelesscuriously referred to as Devi’sdaughter.

Lalita, like any mother,discourages Bala from enteringthe war but Bala, like any child,conquers the problem in a quickand fun way. When theBhandaputra see the little girlapproaching them they laughwith a raucous, “Ha, ha, ha, ha,ha!” Bala responds in kind, “Ha,ha, ha, ha, ha!” But Her laughteris loaded with the bijaksharam,“ha” (as in “ha sa ka ha la hreem,”the middle line of the Panchdasimantra). Her laughter thus hitsthe Bhandaputra like bullets,instantly striking them dead.

An Alternative Battle StoryThe version written in the

Tripura Rahasya says Bala facedBhandasura on the battlefieldHerself, which puts Her in theprimary role by removing Lalita

Devi from the story. Here,Bhandasura lives the pitiable lifeof a demon because of past karmaand a curse. His only period ofbliss would come when facingBala in war. So Bhanda wasoverjoyed at seeing Bala wreak apath through the battlefieldtoward him, because he wouldachieve moksha at Devi’s feetupon losing his life to Her.

He wanted to do puja to Bala,but could not forfeit his role as aworthy opponent. He shot twovarunastras at Her feet to washthem and then an arrow with themantra of flowers to rain petals

upon Her head. In accordancewith the game, Bala shot anarrow that took the form of ahand with five flowers as it spedthrough the air and touched hishead.

Bhanda’s destruction was theend goal of this battle, but unlikeother battle sequences in talesthroughout the Mahabharata orDevi Mahatmyam, for example,this one was devoid of a fierce oreven angry tone. Bhanda andBala’s complimenting each otherwhile exchanging arrowsconnoted the importance ofsportsmanship over victory.

Moreover, the fact that Bhandawas going to attain mukti upondeath connoted that everyonewas a winner in this battle,because the war was really just aheightened version of a game. Theaspects of good and evil were stillpresent as in any playground

game, but the trends of emphasisin Bala’s tales seem to be onplaying rather than fighting,compassion rather than fury, andco-existence rather thandestruction.

Bala Puja

The most striking and obviousdetail about Bala Navavarna (orSri Chakra) puja is that theworship begins at the Bindu andthen spreads outwards towardthe edges of the yantra. Thisphenomenon differs from LalitaSri Chakra puja in that worship isoffered at the outsides first as thepujari works his or her waytoward the Bindu.

Turyamba (or Kathy, as she isbetter known at the temple) saidBala’s way of working from theinside out is called srishti kramam(or “creation method”), and thatBala’s puja mimics the process of ababy being created from just afew cells that have expandedoutward. Conversely, Devi’sprocess emulates the goal wedevelop as we grow older tomerge with Her and finallybecome One.

Also, Aiya has said that Bala’sSri Chakra puja not only depictsthe spread of cells in the physicalcreation process, but alsorepresents the very thing Shestands for—the spread ofknowledge.

The one stronghold for worshipand information on Bala is Nemili,a small but powerful town about44 km. from Chennai or 24 km.from Kanchipuram. It is the townthat Bala chose to live in about150 years ago and all Devidevotees are encouraged to visitHer in Her three-inch form there.Devotees are asked to call thepeetam ahead of their visit.

22 Cattiram Street, Nemili – 631051

Vellore DistrictPhone: (international) 91-04177-

247216www.sribalapeetam.org

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Arulmigam Bala

Sri Gurubhyo NamahSri Gurubhyo Namah