Sri Rangam: 2013

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Jambukeswarar

https://www.google.com/search?site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=642&q=Jambukeswarar
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Jambukeswarar

Akhilandeshwari
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http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=akhilandeshwari

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Radhanath / Loknath

http://www.radhanathswami.us/video/video/search?q=Srirangam+
https://www.google.com/search?q=Loknath

Conversation of Kaveri and Yamuna

On Tula sankranti, once a year all the holy rivers appear in Sri Rangam. If you take bath in Kaveri that day, there is no need for taking bath anywhere else.

Yamuna also came and one time there was a conversation between Yamuna and kaveri.

Kaveri questioned Yamuna that in your waters the Lord played the wonderful pastime of dancing on the hoods of Kaliya, but he never performed any such pastime in my waters.

So Sri Ranganath thought I will also do the Lila in Viraja or Kaveri. So lord danced on Anantashesha. The river water rose very high and entire town was flooded with water and sand.

After the flood, people forgot that here was ever a pilgrim place here. After many years, a king came hunting in this area. He was tired and was sitting under a tree. All of a sudden he heard a parrot- named Killi. This parrot told the king, right in this place Sri Ranganath is residing underneath. Then they unearthed the deity and began the worship.

Worship Stopped

Ramanujacharya is not ordinary human being. He is Ram Anuja or Laxman. Laxman appeared, or we can say, Balaram appeared. Balaram represents guru tattva. In sastra it is said- sesa, laxman, balaram will appear. Someone will appear in some form kaschit- that kaschit is Ramanuja. He appeared again as Varavarm muni.

His speciality was that when he would recite the Katha of the lord, people would forget the samsara completely as if it does not exist. The soul would hear his katha in dhayna avashta (deep meditation).

One time he was doing katha which went on for a year. Sri Ranganath himself would come to hear his katha. Katha is Sri Ranganath himself. So for 1 year the archana stopped and all would just hear katha. Everyone was experiencing the presence of Sri Ranganath in the Katha so no one was missing the darshan.

https://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Worship

Vaikunta to Satyaloka to Ayodhya to Sri Rangam

Lord Brahma wanted that lord may appear in his abode Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. Lord agreed to his prayers and resided as a deity in Satyaloka and worship began.

So lord came to Bramhaloka from Kshirsagar in the form of Sri Ranganath. Lord Brahma worshipped Him. Also Suryadeva – Vivaswan did the worship of Sri Ranganath in Satyaloka.

King Ikshvaku while ruling Ayodhya also wanted to worship Sri Ranganath in his kingdom of Ayodhya. He did austerities, so severe that Indra thought that he might take away my position and kingdom of heaven. Indra became worried and sent bramhastra. But Ikshvaku was meditating on Sri Ranganath, so Lord’s Sudarshan Chakra came and defeated the bramhastra. The lord became please with King Ikshvaku and agreed to descend to Ayodhya.

After Ikshvaku many great kings appeared in his dynasty. King Dashratha was one of them. He did many Yajna’s including putreshthi Yajna. At the conclusion of the Yajna king Dasharath gave darshan of Sri Ranganath to all the assembled dignitaries.

King Dharma Varma, who was also present at the yajna, saw the opulent worship of Sri Ranganath by Dasharath. He also became inspired to serve the Lord and thought, ‘could the lord also come to my kingdom and accept my worship’. So the lord noted this desire of the king. So Dharma Varma king‘s desire was noted by the Lord and the lord said so be it. The Lord made up His mind; I will come to your kingdom.

After Yajna, king Dasharath gave sweet rice to his wives and eventually four sons were born. When Rama grew and was about to be coroneted as the King of Ayodhya, by Kaikeyi’s request he was sent to 14 years of exile. After returning from exile, Rama reached Ayodhya. Before that He also went to Rameshvaram, Lanka, when he returned in Pushpaka Viman with Sita, Laxman, Hanuma, and Vibhishan. His coronation ceremony was performed.

Then Lord Rama asked Vibhishana to return to Lanka to rule over and take care for the kingdom as it was now his responsibility. But Vibhishan said, I do not want anything else, but you alone. Rama thought, I have to stay here in Ayodhya, I cannot go. But he wants me, so let me give him Ranganath. You take Sri Ranganath. There is no difference between me and Sri Ranganath. You may carry Him to Lanka.

The only thing you must bear in mind is that the annual festival for Sri Ranganath will occur at the time while you will be taking Him along. So you must stop on the way when the appropriate time for that festival arrives and organize it with great enthusiasm.Vibhishan agreed and left for Lanka. While he was passing by Sri Rangam, it was time for the festival.

King Dharma Varma was ruling Sri Rangam at that time and he came to know that Lord Ranganath has arrived. He was very happy to receive and to help in organising the festival. So there was a huge celebration for 7 to 9 days. After the festival was over, King Visbhishan thought I should proceed towards Lanka. When Vibhishan tried to lift the Lord, he did not even move an inch. After lots of endeavours, he realised that the lord wants to stay here.

King Dharma Varma became overjoyed at this. Sri Ranganath told Vibhishan, I will not come ahead of this place but from here I will keep looking South, towards Lanka. Usually the deity should face east; but here Sri Ranganath is lying with his face towards south. From here he kept giving blessings and mercy to Vibhishan.