18.7.11

Whose Merit?

Merit? Merit? Brother,who told thee I had merit?
 

Merit have I none,nor ever did i have.
 

What merit hath the Straw? The Weaver shapes the Basket with it.
If the basket be fair it is not the merit of the straw;
It is his skill who maketh it.
 

I am that straw which once lay at the Great Weaver's Feet. 
But He ,The Compassionate,took it in his hand and fashioned it.
Now I Cherish this Basket of His fashioning

To gather His blessings!!!


SOURCE : Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayer ,Swami Paramananda, Ramakrishna Mission 

16.7.11

பத்பநாபநின் பொக்கிஷம்!!!

Introduction:
The word ‘Treasure’ is now synonyms with Sri Anantha Padbanama Swami. The recent Head lines are roaring about the Wealth and here I am to provide my insight about it.

Let us get a bit Acquainted with the Lord of Thiruanthapuram, Capital City of the ‘God’s own Country’ KERALA.

Temple Tales:

There is a Big fort surrounding the temple. The temple premises are of 7 acres enclosed by four gates on each direction. Padma Theertam near the temple is very Holy.

The temple was designed by Anusham Thirunal Veera Bala Marthandavarman before centuries. The current complex was build by the Marthanda Varman on 1733, including the 7-Storyed Raja Koopuram. Since time unknown the King family has served, worshipped and protected the temple and it’s belonging under the title of ‘Padbanamadaasa’ and their trust is called the ‘Thiuvnguur Deevastanam’. History says: On January 3, 1750, Marthanda Varma surrendered the kingdom to Lord Padmanabha and pledged that he and his descendants would ‘serve’ the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa .

The Mughals and the French Invasion had very less impact on these state due to the strong kings regime and the temple has never been invaded in history. The thanks are due to the king family ‘Padmanabadaasas’ for securing the serenity and the rich heritage of the temple.

Running forward into history, it was the time of Indian Independence, 1947. The Iron Man of India Sardar Patel was amalgamating the Indian Princely States into the INDIA and the stat was also taken into it.

An interesting thing has happened. As the princely states where ruled by the Kings and most of the land in the Kingdom was held by the Kings, Patel gave them a choice to take some of it. So the ‘Padmanabadaasas’ of that time Chittrai Thirunal asked Patel only to give the Temple as they had a everlasting will and bond to serve the Lying Lord and he got it. It is the only temple in Karalla that is not under the Government Control.

Sri Anantha Padbanama Swami:

The Sanctum Santorum is where the lord is resting literally sleeping in 18 feet long. We cannot see the Lord as a whole but there are three gates by which we can see his head with the crown, his body and his lotus feet respectively.Sridevi, the Goddess of Prosperity and Bhudevi the Goddess of the Earth, two consorts of Vishnu stand by his side and the god Brahma emerges on a lotus, which emanates from the navel of Vishnu. It is also to be noted that this temple belongs to the band of 108 Divya desam of which 106 are in the Earth, whereas the other two are the Parkadal and Vaikuntam.

The insignia of the Padmanabha, Valampiri Shankhu or Dextral Conch-shell, served as the state emblem of Travancore and it can still be seen on the emblem of Kerala state. 

The King:
The King and their family for dynasties across centuries are so devoted that they visit the temple with reverence daily. It is a custom that if the king misses a day of Daarshan of the Lord, he is fined sum of 115 rupees and 55paise. Every male child of the Dynasty when completing a year after birth is place before the Mystic Lord and made as a ‘Padbanamadaasa’.

Wonder of Wonders is that is the King family is so Loyal and Humble to their Supreme Lord that they wash their feet before exiting the Temple, Signifying that they don't even carry even a spark of Dust to their homes.

After providing so many Details about the temple and its trustful keepers, I come into the main story line. Treasure Hunt.

History  Of Vaults:
There are Six Nilavara in the temple which are named from A to F,whose original names are ‘Mahabharatha Konnathu Kallara’, ‘Shri Pandaratthu kallara’, ‘Veedaviyana Koonathu Kallara’.


It is said to have been sealed in the past to protect from the invasion of the foreigners. Although the vaults C, D, E, F are opened time and again for the dressing of the Deity on special and auspicious occasions, the Vault A and B are kept intact as it was sealed.

It was 1908 when the vault in question was decided to open. Later the plan was abandoned as there was a huge amount of Naga saprams found guarding the chest.

There had been an earlier inventory of at least one vault on Sunday, December 6, 1931. A vault was opened in the presence of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, then the Maharaja  of the state of Travancore. And it is said that nothing was taken out of it and it was closed immediately, keeping the contents undisturbed.

Recent Events:

Then Kali had gone to such an extent that such recent events have happened. It all started with Mr.T.B.Sundarrajan a lawyer, an x-IPS and a body Guard of Indra Gandhi. He appeals to the local court that the temple must be under the governments control and he won the case. The Royal Family reapplied to the High Court and to the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court of India directed the authorities from the fire services and archeology department Mahavishnu studded with rubies and emeralds, and ceremonial attire for adorning the deity in the form of 16-part gold anki weighing almost 30 kilograms (66 lb) together with gold coconut shells, one studded with rubies and emeralds.

And the list of treasure goes on………..

I am not here to discuss about factual details of the contents of the chest or their estimated value (which is said to be around one lakh crores…. Remember the 2G spam or Antrix or Aaadarsh or Common Wealth Games).

Future Action:
What is to be done with the treasure is the question. For that we must Know about the Owners or the Source by which the things were collected.

The treasure must have been put there by traders, pilgrims and royals such as the maharajahs of Travancore, and by offerings of Travancore kings, other royals and ordinary devotees to the deity. While some Historians have suggested that a major chunk of the stored riches reached the kings in the form of gifts, as well as conquered wealth of states and offerings stocked in the temple for safekeeping.  

It could be true as when there was a war the winner acquires the wealth of the nation. According to ancient Hindu law, recorded in the Raja Dharma of the law books, the king had the right to capture treasures in war and it becomes his legal property.
Didn’t East India Company of Mughals or the French loot our country's wealth? Note that in 1741 the Dutch army was defeated by the Travancore King

Dr. R. Nagaswamy says ”We have tens of thousands of written records by way of inscriptions spread all over the country from early historical times to modern times which show that such offerings were made to the God and not to the temple. From the second century BC to the modern times the offerings were recorded to have been made to the deity. In the Pallava inscriptions assignable to 3rd or 4th century we find specific mention that the gifts were made to the deity. There are many inscriptions from Kerala almost from 9th century onwards recording gifts to the deities”. And he was the former Director of the Tamil Nadu Dept. of Archaeology.

There are at large three or four solutions to it. {1}The Government takes/loots it and spends it for various welfare activities (I don’t know if would do any well to the people). Know something – The Supreme lady of India a Catholic Christian, an Gandhi of Italy, has a sister at London who has an Auction Shop for Antiques especially Indian bases items.

{2}Preserve everything into a Museum with armed guards and use the items to study our past heritage and culture. I must also say here that it would be a Herculean task to safeguard them in such a way.

{3}Keep Everything into the chest again and seal it as before. Let the King, ‘Padbanamadaasas’ take care of the temple as usual.

I think options 2 and 3 can be narrowed down for consideration. Museums are volatile due to security reasons, so 3 options are the Best to my Knowledge and let me justify my point.  

You must have become accustomed to the word ‘Padbanamadaasas’. The King of Travancore is none other than the Lord itself and the Royal Family are the first and the foremost servants of the Universal King – The Almighty. 

Present King of Travancore is ‘Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Verma. 

I quote the current King from his Interview”Please don't remove those objects from the temple. They belong to nobody, certainly not to our family. They belong to god and our law permits that.”
The King now survives by doing Hotel and travel Businesses. He adds” I am least worried that they will be stolen. If that happens, then it was the Lord's will”. A ninety year old man of the dynasty has well said it. It might be due to his ten-minute private audience with the deity every morning.
You see he and his family doesn’t even want a bit of the treasure. If they were untruthful they might have opened the vaults and uses this thing according to their will and wish.

They are True to the Core.


Conclusion:
Another chest is yet to be opened and let us see what happens.

In an interview day before yesterday the King has said that the Complete Wealth belongs to the Lord himself and they don't Claim it for themselves. He has also added that the unique treasures can be used for research and studies, whereas the Gold and Silver can be added to the government Inventory and the money is be used to to create Veda Padashaalas and koshaalas.

There are Courts in the Country which will decide upon the matter soon, but will they be 100% correct. Time has the answers to many Questions.

When asked to the King “What is the feeling you get, when you spend those ten minutes at the Padmanabha shrine? The daily communion between ruler and master, as you put it?”

The King replied with all his virtues of his dynasty”Gooseflesh. Everything is surrendered. It is a great, elating feeling. My hair stands on end with joy. Each and every time.”

Go and visit him as soon as possible and you will admit his serenity. The Sleeping Anantha Padbanama Swami is watching everything and smiling. Is this wealth a matter to him…..?

Source:



I thank the above said authors of the sites.

15.7.11

வணக்கம்.  


தமிழ் வாழ்க!! தமிழ் வளர்க!!

இணையத்துடனே இணைந்து வாழும் வழக்கம் எனக்கு வந்துவிட்டது. என்னுடைய எண்ணங்களை,பார்வைகளை எனது நண்பர்கள் மற்றும் இணையத்தை பயன்ப்படுத்தும் அன்பர்களுடன் கலந்து ஆலோசிக்க ஆசை.

கம்பனும்,கல்கியும்,வள்ளுவனும்,தேவனும் விளையாடிய மொழி தமிழ்.எனக்கு தமிழ் மிக மிக பிடிக்கும்.ஆனால் எனக்கு ஆங்கிலத்தில் எழுதுவது தான் எளிமையாகயுள்ளது.

I thank one and all who has influenced my thoughts including My GrandFather, parents, Sister, the Government, The Media, The Web, My Teachers,Professor K.RamaMurthy of Madurai, Well Wishers including Bala Sir, My friends Sudarshan Prasanna(PSP), Thamil Arasu(TAG) to name in particular, as i have many many good friends.The great Almighty of this Universe stands first in the influencers , for non believers in God let the Universal Knowledge Stand first.

Eager to get your Support and Comments........

தமிழன்,
அ.ஓஜஸ்