Hanuman Bhagavan - Japali

புத்திர் பலம் யஷோ தைர்யம்

நிர்பயத்வம் அரோகதாம்

அஜாத்யம் வாக் பட்டுத்வம் ச

ஹனுமத் ஸ்மரன்னாத் பவேத் ||

Packed all desirable into this one sloka, 🙏 prayer to Lord Hanuman energizes, inspires all devotees in their day to day life.

So long after many a trip to Tirumala since childhood, it didn't occur to me to explore other shrines in the holy hill. This time, last Saturday 15th June, 2024, we reached Tirumala around 10 AM.  And our Darsn of Lord Balaji was scheduled for 9 in the night. So we had amble time. Myself and my best half decided to utilise the gap and myself 60+ and my best half 55+, both bulky requested our Friend Venkatesh to take us on tour to these other shrines uphill, viz., Papavinasanam, Aakaash Ganga and Japali Hanuman Temple. Each stretch was physically demanding and involved lot of climbing up and down.

After Papavinasanam and Aakaash Ganga both were terribly tired. Still we didn't want to skip Darsn of our beloved Lord Hanuman at a place called Japali inside the jungle.  From Parking point it is deep inside, an hour and a little more to finally reach the Temple.  Midway suddenly we had a dilemma should we move ahead or retreat. In times like these yet another slokan flashes our mind,

||asadhya sadhaka swamin asadhyam tawa kim vada. rama doota krupaa sindho mat karyam sadhaya prabho||”

Translation: Oh Lord, the messenger of Lord Shri Rama, please bless us so that the impossible becomes possible.

This sloka goes by the name Karya Siddhi Slokan.

Just then on the opposite side, a lady of Bud Spencer size came returning after Darsn. It boosted our determination to trek ahead and make it.

En route lot of monkeys play around merrily.  They may look for what you tightly.  Advisable don't carry any thing, esp., edible items. They may try to snatch it from you. You have got to be like Tibetan Monks while passing them.

Our mission succeeded and we had the nice Darsn of Lord Hanuman, Whose beautiful little shrine is neatly nestled in the hills.

Despite physical strain, the Darsn brought in immense peace and a good feeling.

When you make your next trip, make sure to visit the Hanuman Mandir at Japali.

May Lord Hanuman bring you all good and happiness.

சித்த சுத்தி

சித்த சுத்தி

Across the volumes of தெய்வத்தின் குரல், you will find Maha Swami using the term, viz., சித்த சுத்தி.

எங்கள் ஊர் சிவாலயத்தில் வெகு காலம் ராஜ கோபுரம் இல்லை.  Maha Swami when He visited our place, He didn't enter the temple but stayed in a nearby House.  And Explained about the significance of having a Raja Gopuram.  And how high it should be and visible even at a far away distance.  வெகு தூரத்திலிருந்து ராஜ கோபுரத்தைக் காண்கின்ற க்ஷனமே, மனம் முழுதும் அதில் லயித்து ஒன்றிப் போய் விடும்.  அவ்வாறு லயித்து இருக்கும் வேளை மனம் முழுதும் பரிசுத்தமாய் பேரானந்த மன அமைதியில் ஆழ்ந்து விடும்.  It's not just that moment.  The vibe continues throughout.

When you do the saavasan, the corpse posture after your Yoga practice you get inexplicable peace.  So do you find yourself absolutely one with what you do you love doing and are passionate about doing it. Like a singer singing, an artist drawing on a canvas, et al.

Well,

Is doing Yoga sufficient,

Or having a Darsn of Raja Gopuram enough,

Or doing what you love doing and are passionate about doing would do?

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi draws your attention to sloka 11, விவேக சூடாமணி.:

चित्तस्य शुद्धये कर्म न तु वस्तूपलब्धये ।

वस्तुसिद्धिर्विचारेण न किंचित्कर्मकोटिभिः ॥ ११ ॥

cittasya śuddhaye karma na tu vastūpalabdhaye |

vastusiddhirvicāreṇa na kiṃcitkarmakoṭibhiḥ || 11 

Before reading Bhagavan's erudite elucidation, let's see what Adhi Sankaracharyar conveys in the above verse:

"Work leads to purification of the mind, not to perception of the Reality. The realisation of Truth is brought about by discrimination and not in the least by ten million of acts."

Over to Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's commentary of the above verse:

கர்மங்கள் சித்த சுத்திக்காக ஏற்பட்டனவேயன்றி வஸ்துவை அறிதற்கு அன்று. வஸ்து ஞானம் விசாரத்தால் அன்றிக் கோடி கர்மங்களாலும் சித்திக்காது.

By வஸ்து, Bhagavan refers to the Reality, the Truth. He insists on விசாரா, I.e., enquiry way to reach that Truth, that's state of getting Enlightened, ஞானம் அடைதல்.

ரமண மந்திரம் - The Bodhi at Madurai

ரமண மந்திரம் - The Bodhi at Madurai

வயது 16.

மதுரையில் பள்ளிப் படிப்பு.

Hale and hearty.

Sudden fear about death.

No idea to consult about this with anyone.

He just started to enquire 

What was it to die?

Thus began His jnana vichara,

Who am I.

What's it dying.

Was  it the body?

If death is to body,

Then am I my body?

Despite the Rigor Mortis,

He felt a force beyond.

That very moment,

He could gauge

I am not the body,

But A Spirit

Transcending,

All the fear of death 

Vanished.

The ரமண மந்திரம்

Opposite to Southern Tower

Of Meenakshi temple 

In a narrow lane,

By name

Chockappa Naicker Street 

Was where 

The Bhagavan had His

Enlightenment.

It was from here

He set out on His

Mission Arunachala -

Tiruvannamalai 

In 1896.

Om Namo Ramanaya.

சரணாகதி

சரணாகதி 

பக்தி.

Should it be mechanical?

If that was so, is it surrender, Bhakthi?

Can one gauge one's surrender?

The answer is

WHY NOT.

Surrender here isn't 

In the sense of mindless slavery.

It's a journey towards Transcendence,

Where you have 

No Worldly

No Maya,

No Dukha

No Sukha

No Needs

But complete Bliss.

This time and all the time,

Here is a timeless eternal 

From Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi Himself:

"Think of God,

Attachments will gradually drop away.

If you wait till all desires disappear 

Before starting your devotion and prayer,

You will have to wait for a very long 

Time indeed."

Are you progressing? - Spiritually...

How do you measure?

விரும்பும் நற் செயலில் 

ஈடுபடும் சமயங்களிலும்,

மலர் செடிக்கோ,

நட்ட மரங்களுக்கோ 

நீரிடும் பொழுதும்,

யாதும் செய்யாது

கண்கள் மூடித்

த்யானிக்கின்ற

ஒவ்வொரு நொடிப் 

பொழுதும்

மனித சக்தியை

மீறிய தெய்வீக

ஆன்ம அனுபவத்தை

யாவரும் உணரலாம்.

அவ்வுணர்வு ஓர் 

சங்கிலித் தொடர்.

ஒரு முறை 

துளியேனும் உணர்ந்து

விட்டால் போதும்.

பின் எல்லாம்,

பாரதியின்,

' தீக்குள் விரலை வைத்தால் நந்தலாலா, நின்னைத் தீண்டும் இன்பம் தோன்றுதடா'

தான்.

The wrap quote :

"Meditation is not evasion, it is a serene encounter with reality."

 ― Thich Nhat Hanh