तत् त्वम् असि -Tatvamasi

The Main Dwara at Darma Sastha Temple, Erumeli carries the above Maha Vagya, "TatvaMasi", Thou Art That.

It's natural, a question would hesitantly raise its head.

If Thou Art That, why is human not his self?

Why all suffering?

To draw the answer, a visit to popular English version of Brahadaranyak Upanishad would help.

Here's that version:

"You are what your deep driving desire is;

As is your desire, so is your will;

As is your will, so is Deed,

And 

As is your Deed, so is your Destiny".

Oh!

If Thou Art That, where is Destiny?

Brahadaranyak Upanisd version seems going beyond and pointing to Karmic effect - Effect of what we, as human do, human activity.

If one does good, to reap the benefits, one has to take birth again.

On the other side, again to face the consequences of wrong doings, yet another.

Well,

When will we end this cycle - punarabi janana, punarabi marana?

The answer is TatvaMasi - Meditate,

Be your Self - Blissful one.

A rushing soujourn....to Iyappa Temple, Trichy...

Way back from my native,

To catch 19:55 VB to Chennai.

As I put my fist step into the Shrine, in a big campus, it was 5.15 in the evening. My memories took me back to early and mid 80s. Just then this Temple was established.

It's now the Temple is celebrating its 40th year in June 2025.

It's not just Temple. A treasure trove - ஞானச் சுரங்கம். Although, I had gone number of times to this Shrine, every other time when you walk into this Shrine, I'm sure you get new energy, a fresh dimension.

The sanctum sanctorum is deep inside with separate sannithis for all Deities. As you walk in, your ஞான வேள்வி starts. The gardens either side welcome you. A dedicated herbal garden is also there as a tribute to People's President Dr APJ Kalam.

On the side walls, you will see plenty of nice inspirational quotes, real life stories told in briefs, etc., . This you will keep reading as you slowly proceed to the Lord Iyyappa's sanctum. Truely not just a short rush would do to get the vibe.

A few take aways from these pearls:

The Management also put up alert every few yards, alerting devotees not to use mobile, take pictures and videos. But thankfully, as we proceed to exit way, you could see a message so encouraging you to visit their website 

trichyayyappa.com and view all these pearls of wisdom under the prompt, 'e book'.

Well here are a few takeaways in words so appealing to my humble self and not verbatim.

The very first striking one:

One gentle man in a winter time saw on the street a little girl shivering in utter cold. The man felt deeply pained and got wild with the Almighty, he asked God, " Don't you have any mercy? Don't you see this girl shivering? Why didn't you do anything?".

God: "Gentleman, who said I didn't do anything. I made you."

Moral: " Manava Seva, Madhava Seva".

Story 2:

One devotee prayed before Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.

Devotee: " Bhagavan, I was so long indulging in all bad deeds. Now I realize all my wrong doings, would like to turn good. What shankalp should I take Bhagavan, please tell me."

Bhavan: "Take a vow that you won't tell lie any longer."

Story 3, story of vairagya, determination:

Power of Mom's words pushed and empowered Wilma Rudolf to overcome her pneumonia and win gold medals in Olympics. Every time she struggled, her mother motivated every inch to glorious victory.  

Many more inspiring tales, quotes. You may visit the site 

Before I wrap,

I wold like to end with a prayer, also a take away from the Temple, prayer to Tulsi.:

ஓம் துளசீதேவ்யை ச வித்மஹே, விஷ்ணுப்ரியாயை ச தீமஹி, தன்னோ விருந்தா பிரச்சோதயாத்॥

Birth, death, birth death, cycle of birth-death...

ஒரு நாள் குடும்பத்துடன் ECR ல் அக்கரை இல் அமைந்திருக்கும் iskcon ஶ்ரீ கிருஷ்ணர் கோவிலில் தரிசனம் செய்யச் சென்றோம்.

பிரதக்ஷிணம் வருகையில் சந்நிதியின் பின்புறச் சுவற்றில் பல வண்ண ஓவியங்கள் வரையப்பட்டிருந்தன. The pictures depicted various stages, characteristics in human life - from being born as a child till the time of death.

ஒவ்வொரு சித்திரமாக ஒவ்வொன்றையும் நின்று நிதானமாய் நான் பார்த்து வந்ததை அங்கிருந்த இளம் துறவி ஒருவர் கவனித்தபடி இருந்தார். ஒரு கட்டத்தில் என் அருகே வந்து, in flawless English he asked me, "what happens when you do good and pass away?".

I was wonderstruck and looking baffled as to what to answer him.

He himself continued, 'have you heard of punya, papa?".

This I immediately answered in affirmative.

Our conversation elongated.

His turn: " then don't you see you have to be born, die, born again, again to square off your papa-punya?".

It seemed a gentle nudge on my head, grey cells.  Suddenly I recalled about my daughter telling me about root cause analysis that she learnt in her Management studies at her B School.

His next missile: " do you want to suffer this cycle, cycle of birth-death eternally? Don't you see need for birthless, deathless state?".

His wrapping was it was possible when you go God-conscious.

Can you go God-conscious?

Just be,

Do nothing, yes literally no thing.

The eyes closed.

Complete silence.

Oh!

You have gone God-conscious.

Oh! What's Meditation? Is it ...No thing..Nothing?

மோனத் தவம் இருந்து காரியம் - activities -

ஆற்று.

என்ன, மோனத் தவம் இருந்து காரியம் ஆற்றா?

Is cogency lacking here?

மோனத் தவம் -

சும்மா இரு,

ஆம் முருகன் அருணகிரிநாதருக்கு அருளிச் செய்தது.

Yes, literally doing nothing.

Not even thinking,

Neither concentrating,

Nor contemplating.

Just be.

How long?

Listen to Osho:

"Even if for a single MOMENT, you are not doing anything and you are just at your centre, utterly relaxed - that is MEDITATION."

அது என்ன single MOMENT, ஒரு கணம், க்ஷணம், just a split of a second போதுமா? 

Yes. Even a fraction of a second suffices.

ராஜ கோபுரங்களின் மஹிமையை மஹா ஸ்வாமி அழகுற எடுத்துரைக்கிறார். கோபுரங்கள் உயரமாக இருக்க வேண்டும். வெகு தூரத்தில் இருந்து பார்த்தாலும் தெரியும் வண்ணம் இருக்க வேண்டும். கோபுரத்தைப் பார்த்த நொடியே, சிந்தையில் எல்லாம் அந்த பரம்பொருளே நிரம்பி சித்த சுத்தி அடைந்து விடும்.

சும்மாவா சொன்னார்கள், கோபுர தரிசனம் கோடி புண்ணியம் என்று.

Coming back to first emanating quintessential question, would just a fraction of second dhyan, Meditation do suffice. Once you are in, like while Apple falling down, the Newton's gravitation theory will start working on you. Osho says you can just be for 24x7. All Rishis of yore in deep trance state in the caves of mighty Himalayan regions were instances. Why go far to Himalayas? Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi did it right here in Tiruvannamalai.

Well,

Going over to question, life, sorry livelihood challenging one at that, if remaining in dhyan all the time, who will earn and feed us? Right question.

Who said if you do meditate, you should refrain from doing activity? Here is the paradox, confusion getting compounded.

On one hand you say சும்மா இரு - do nothing, just be. And on the other hand you should carry on activity.

The idea is get the knack of meditation - that is centeredness, remaining AWARE, even while doing. Doing simple or complicated things.

Osho explains it:

"....I am speaking to you, but my Meditation is not disturbed. I can go on speaking, but at my centre there is not even a ripple; it is just silent, utterly silent."

Ergo, meditation isn't an escape route 

It's from that centeredness, all your aesthetics, creativity and noble vision bloom out in full splendor.

Wrapping up with,

“The gift of learning to meditate is the greatest gift you can give yourself in this lifetime.”

 – Sogyal Rinpoche 

சென்னி மலைக்குமாரா சித்தர்க் கருள்வோனே

சிரகிரி வேலவன் சீக்கிரம் வருக

சிரகிரி = சென்னிமலை*

சென்னிமலை முருகா சரணம்.

* அருணகிரி நாதர் திருப்புகழ் - பாடல் 557

* சிரகிரியை சென்னிமலை என்றும் கூறுவர். சென்னிமலை ஈரோட்டிற்கு அப்பால் ஈங்கூர் ரயில் நிலையத்துக்கு அருகில் உள்ள தலம்.

When we devotees go to remote hill temples like Chennimalai, we the devotees have to take it upon ourselves to care for the eco system and the environment there. We don't have admin system like Tirumala in any Temples here. Remember, you are checked and scanned at Alippiri, the Tirumala foothills before you go further up on the pilgrimage. You can't carry anything plastic, like water bottles made of plastic beyond Alippiri. But no such checks here in Tamil Nadu in any hill temples.

Yesterday in my trip to the hill temple at Chennimalai, plastic litters were rampant. No idea, is any clearing system of these plastic trashes is there. I went on Saturday. Very minimum crowd. Peaceful and heartful darsan. Ironically, though Sun Lord was scorching, going up the hills through steps, 1320 in numbers, while going up didn't feel much heat, despite profusely sweating.

All along, at every 100th step, thanks to philanthropists who have put up small mantaps to relax, you can rest and relax for a few minutes before you resume your climbing upwards. Monkeys all the way, if we behave they also reciprocate good behaviour. But don't carry any juice bottles. They will literally fight with you and be victorious in snatching away your juice.

No good accommodation for outstation pilgrims in this tiny town, nor a temple cottage either.

Before I went I gave a call to Temple number, information I got was, as pathway work is under progress, transportation has been stopped. So many other pilgrims also were informed similarly. Hence the only way forward was to trek up. I started at 9.52 yesterday, when I reached up, it was 11.35. Those who struggled to trek up, they tuned Kandar Sashti kavadam to energize and motivate themselves. Strangely the வேல் மாரல் was wafting into my ears. I turned to look who had tuned it. To my surprise, it was a north Indian Family. 

The lines,  

உலகெங்கும் நிறைந்திருந்தும் கந்தகுரு உள்ள இடம் ஸ்கந்தகிரி என்பதை தான் கண்டு கொண்டேன் கண்டுகொண்டேன்

flashed in mind.

11.45 a.m. Time for உச்சிக் கால darsn.

Then, thanks to a family of Annadan sponsor, we headed to the dining hall further up behind the temple. A wholesome holistic lunch.

Unlike the misinformation given out, there was a bus waiting to take the pilgrims back to the foothills.

May those,

Annadata Sukhibhava.

பெண்ணே நீயும், பெண்ணா, பெண்ணாகிய கண்ணா?

 .

W

"Women, whether subtly or vociferously, have always been a tremendous power in the destiny of the world."

 - Eleanor Roosevelt

நா.முத்துக்குமார்   

கவிதை 

தூர் ...                                                   

“வேப்பம் பூ மிதக்கும்

எங்கள் வீட்டு கிணற்றில்

தூர் வாரும் உற்சவம்

வருடத்துக்கு ஒரு முறை

விஷேசமாக நடக்கும்.

ஆழ் நீருக்குள்

அப்பா முங்க முங்க

அதிசயங்கள் மேலே வரும்...

கொட்டாங்குச்சி, கோலி, கரண்டி,

துருப்பிடித்தக் கட்டையோடு

உள் விழுந்த ராட்டினம்,

வேலைக்காரி திருடியதாய்

சந்தேகப்பட்ட வெள்ளி டம்ளர்...

எடுப்போம் நிறையவே!                                                                                   

‘சேறுடா சேறுடா’ வென

அம்மா அதட்டுவாள்

என்றாலும்

சந்தோஷம் கலைக்க

யாருக்கு மனம் வரும்?

படை வென்ற வீரனாய்

தலைநீர் சொட்டச் சொட்ட

அப்பா மேலே வருவார்.

இன்று வரை அம்மா

கதவுக்குப் பின்னிருந்துதான்

அப்பாவோடு பேசுகிறாள்.

கடைசி வரை அப்பாவும்

மறந்தேப் போனார்

மனசுக்குள் தூர் எடுக்க..!”

          நா. முத்துக்குமார்.

(கணையாழி இதழ் விழா ஒன்றில் எழுத்தாளர் சுஜாதா பேசிய போது, “கணையாழி இதழில் வர்ற கவிதைகளை, கடந்த 10 வருஷமா நான்தான் தேர்ந்தெடுத்துட்டு வர்றேன். இந்தக் கணையாழி இதழ்லகூட ஒரு கவிதை வந்திருக்கு. தமிழில் வெளிவந்த சிறந்த 25 கவிதைகளை பட்டியலிடச் சொன்னால் ‘தூர்’ கவிதையை அதில் நான் சேர்ப்பேன்” என்றார். உலகத்துக்கு நா.முத்துக்குமார் அவர்களை வெளிச்சம் போட்டு காட்டிய நிகழ்ச்சி அது.)

 .

My grandfather was an MLA of good old genre...in 1930s owing his allegiance to the good old National Party. Later he turned completely spiritual and lived his life like a Rishi.

Whenever occasions arose, he insisted that we should learn Hindi, the Rashtra Bhasha. Later when I grew up, I had a mild anger why he didn't educate my Mother and her twin sister in a formal school. Of course at the very tender age, I remember my mother telling me, she and her sister along with girls of her age then we're sent to a school in a Chettinad Village, specializing in teaching Tamil, other திருமுறைகள், சைவ சித்தாந்தம், etc.

Now I despice myself how fair am I to complain my grandfather that he didn't send his daughters to a formal school. The question nagging me is what attempt did I make to get them educated formally.

Yes my Mother reads தேவாரம், திருவாசகம் etc. Attends Satsangs, mutrothal et al. I was very happy she recently asked me to get her a திருப்புகழ் by a good author with a good elucidation. I got one for her.

Well,

Over to Na Muthukumar 's,

Esp., his last stanza, நச்.

Thanks to Sujatha Sir in highlighting such a wonderful poet. Flowers wither, we know. But what we don't know, or God doesn't want us - Mortals to know, is why He plucks Cherries fast.

I can't end this piece just blaming still looming patriarchy, male chauvinism in not being supportive to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. If anyone introspects, still, hard reality is in many households who stands in the way for a woman to soar greater heights is sadly the other of the same gender in the household, society. Situations do change of course. What it needs is Godspeed.

Thank You for patient reading.

Health your First Investment

iatrogenic

adjective

iat·ro·gen·ic (ˌ)ī-ˌa-trə-ˈje-nik 

: induced unintentionally by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures

iatrogenic illness

iatrogenic injury to a nerve

… obtaining blood from humans is an invasive procedure with inherent risks to the patient such as pain at the needle site and the increased likelihood of acquiring an iatrogenic infection.

—Tony K. L. Kiang and Mary H. H. Ensom

Description of iatrogeny:

Expert induced illness.

Either consciously or otherwise.

40% of Modern medicine is iatrogenic. - Shiv Visvanathan, a Social Scientist, in his Article, "When Violence is built into Logic of Policy", The New Indian Express, edn., 10 April 2025.

Yesterday I saw a full two pages ad printed in the mid page of a popular Tamil Magazine, a weekly dedicated to Women. It was the ad of a brand hospital, headquartered in Chennai and with its presence across pan India. The ad showcased the hospital's prowess in treating arthritis - with pictures, an expert Dr explaining the causes and remedies. Remedy included types of treatment like open surgery and using laser surgery. He went further on explaining how it's far superior to go for less invasive laser technology. He added that side effects in adopting is far less.

Note here.

Side effects are imperative in any medicine. Even much talked about Indian ancient medicine, for these are now packed in plastic containers, with limited shelf life. 

Isn't there a way out?

Not a single way.

There are multiple ways you can tend to your good health:

பசித்த பின் புசி.

உணவிற்கு பின் சிறிது நேரம் கழித்து தண்ணீர் அருந்து. தண்ணீர் ஆக இருந்தாலும் அளவுடன் அருந்து. அளவுக்கு மிஞ்சினால்.... போன்ற பழமொழிகள் பஞ்சமே இல்லாமல். நீர்ச்சத்து சரியாய் அமைய நீர் முத்திரை பயிற்சி செய்யலாம்.

நடைப் பயிற்சி செய்யலாம்.

யோகா சிறந்த குருவிடம் கற்றுக்கொண்டு செய்யலாம்.

இறுதியாக இந்த திருமந்திரத்தை நினைவில் கொள்க 24x7:

உள்ளம் பெருங்கோயில் 

ஊனுடம்பு ஆலயம்

வள்ளல் பிரானார்க்கு வாய் கோபுர வாசல்

தெள்ளத் தெளிந்தார்க்கு சீவன் சிவலிங்கம்

கள்ளப் புலன் ஐந்தும் காளா மணிவிளக்கே

(பாடல் 1823).

வாழ்க வளமுடன்