Prayers with Burning Desires

In Sripuram,Goddess Rajarajeshwari was sitting on a Golden Throne ( rathna simhasana) with her feet immersed with crores of flowers.

Sage Thurvasar came to take darshan of Goddess.On seeing her feet covered with plentiful flowers, he asked Goddess," Which King had prayed you with crores of flowers"? He also commented that you must have definitely got happy by his act.

Goddess replied,Sage,"If you want to see how happy I felt with his act,remove the flowers and see my feet."

Thurvasar did as she said and got shocked to see pearl like boils all over her feet.

Who did this injustice to you, Mother?

How your feet got wounded, asked Thurvasar?

Goddess replied, it is Lord Indra who prayed me in this way.The blistering heat of the flowers he offered wounded my feet.

Thurvasar asked,"How flowers can be boiling, Mother"?

Goddess replied, He never offered flowers for me..With crores and crores of desires,he prayed me.On every flower he kept a desire and offered me.So they are not flowers..they are his burning desires.

Message:

Devotion and prayer mustn't be for fulfilling one's own desire.. It is an selfish act.
 Pray for world's well-being and goodness of all creatures.

Bad thoughts and burning desires creates agitation in mind.
Desires can create positive energy and motivation,until it is good.But greediness and trying to hold/possess thing or a person will make our mind toxic.

So everyone must try to develop good thoughts and do good deeds to stay cool,calm and peaceful.

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Your Character is your Race - Moral story

This is a short story about "Senthan Amutharar" who is a great devotee of Lord Shiva.

Approximately 1200 years ago, "Senthan" lived in Chidambaran, in India.He is a woodcutter.His daily income was not much.But, inspite of that, daily he offers food strictly to one Lord Shiva devotee,  before he partakes his food.

Once there was a heavy rain and he lived in utter poverty.That time a sivan-adigalar(a Lord Shiva Devotee) with dripping clothes in rain came to Senthan in hunger requesting for food.But Senthan himself was living in empty stomach for many days.

To his surprise, he had some rice flour and jaggery with him.So he happily mixed both and made it into small balls(which is called kali in Tamil) and offered him.

The delighted sivan-adigalar ate it happily with content and  packed the leftover kali in a towel and took with him,

The next day, King Chola  visited Lord Nataraja temple.He got shocked on seeing God's mouth smeared with kali, spilled all over the body.That night God himself came in King's dream and told proudly about Senthan's act of giving kali to him.And he also added that King could understand the greatness of Senthan in chariot festival.

The next day, thousands of people jointly tried to move the chariot but they couldn't. That time a Godly voice from sky informed 'If Senthan sing's "pallandu song" chariot will move'.Accordingly Senthan started the song saying "mannuga thillai" and at the same time chariot also started to move.King immediately felled in Senthan's feet and worshiped him.

The day Senthan offered kali to God is "Thiruvathirai" festival(also called Arudra Darisanam) which comes in Margazhi month.And that's the reason even today we are offering kali to  Lord Shiva on that day.

Through Senthan God conveys "Your Character is your Race" moral to the world.

A person cannot belong to inferior/superior race, just because he/she born in a particular ethnic group.It is only his/her character which decided his race.

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Ramayana

Ramayana ("ayana" means journey)is a story about the Rama's journey on earth.It is one of the greatest Indian epic poem of Hinduism.It is originally written by the sage Valmiki  in Sanskrit as Valmiki Ramayana.

Who is Rama?

 Rama is an incarnation or(seventh) avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu.

Rama avatar is taken by the Lord Vishnu in Treta Yuga to destroy the evil forces and  uphold the dharma on earth.

Now we are living in Kali Yuga.Yuga means era.Era is the time period and the length of each yuga is many billion years.In Hinduism,one yuga cycle  is divided into four yugas namely Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga and Kali Yuga.

Like cycle (summer,winter,autumn,rainy) of seasons repeat,this yuga cycle also repeats sequentially.

Rama avatar is a guidance for human beings on righteous living.

In this avatar,God himself born on earth as human being,lived and showed us how a man should live following dharma ,morals and virtues in all times of life inspite of hardship faced.

Rama is the epitome of moral excellence.He is the man of virtues.He is the embodiment of love and kindness.
Lord Rama ruled Ayodhya with justice,happiness,peace and prosperity.His rule is popularly known as Rama Rajya and even today his rule is said to be the example of the ideal rule.

Rama is referred as Maryada Purushottama which means perfect man.

He is the paradigm of t,he ideal man,ideal son,ideal brother,ideal husband,ideal king and ideal friend.

This Supreme hero(Rama's) life is written in Ramayana consisting of 24000 verses in seven kandas(books).

Seven Kandas of Ramayana

1) Bala Kanda - This book is about birth,childhood of Rama and his marriage to Sita.

2) Ayodhya Kanda - This book is about the joyous of the city and the arrangements for Rama's coronation and his exile into the forest.

3) Aranya Kanda - This book is about the Rama's life in forest and abduction of his wife Sita by Ravana.

4) Kishkindha Kanda - This book is about the Rama's meeting of Hanuman,his destruction of monkey king Vali and Sugriva's coronation as king of Kishkindha.

5) Sundara Kanda - This book is about the adventures of Hanuman and his travel to Lanka and meeting of Sita.It is the beautiful kanda in this story with happy news after the abduction of Sita.It is believed that the miseries of anyone reading "Sundara Kanda" will be removed.

6) Yuddha Kanda - This book is about the war between Rama and demon king Ravana's army,victory of Rama,Agni Pravesha of Sita to prove her chastity,Rama's Pattabhishekam.

7) Uttara Kanda - This book is about the banishment of Sita,birth of Rama's twin sons Lava and Kusha and their coronation as Ayodhya's king,Rama's depart from the world.

Reading Ramayana(Rama's life) is a guidance to live the life on the right path.

24000 verses in Ramayana and 24 syllables of Gayathri Mantra

Gayathri Mantra is a powerful mantra consisting of 24 syllables.At the beginning of every 1000 verses in Ramayana,a syllable of Gayathri Mantra is placed by the sage Valmiki.

Chanting Gayathri Mantra is a prayer to Sun God,who guides our intellect and helps us in taking right decisions.

Keeping this in mind,sage Valmiki devised Ramayana using this powerful syllables of Gayathri Mantra.

So whoever reading Ramayana will get the blessings of Sun God and would develop a good intellect which would in turn help them in taking right decisions in life.

Ramayana is a story with full of moral values and we need more intellect and God's blessings to understand the good message conveyed.

In this story Ravana because of his lust in mind,he had a bad ending.

Don't be driven by your mind's whims and fancies which may carry good and bad thoughts.Use your intellect before taking decisions.

Ravana never followed dharma and so his life became complicated and ended badly.

Life will be without complications if we follow dharma.

 We cannot be 100% free from problems because there is ups and downs even in Rama's(God) life.

Everyone like Rama must learn to control their senses and use their mind with intellect without giving up dharma to win hardships in life.

It is a wonderful book with all life lessons.

Reading Ramayana brings positive changes in life and it is a very good book  for pregnant women to read during pregnancy time.It is believed that reading or listening to such a high moral book will create a good positive influence on the character of the baby.

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Einstein Quote about Technology

Einstein Quote about Technology

Albert Einstein was a famous scientist.

He is known for 

• 1.General Theory of Relativity
• 2.E = mc² (mass–energy equivalence formula ) - the world's most famous equation

Albert Einstein quotes

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25 Inspiring George Bernard Shaw Quotes

George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950) was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics.He  is the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize in Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938), for his contributions to literature and for his work on the film Pygmalion (adaptation of his play of the same name), respectively.

His plays include Man and Superman,Caesar and Cleopatra (1901),Androcles and the Lion (1912) and more.

George Bernard Shaw Quotes

1. Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
   
   
2. Self-sacrifice enables us to sacrifice other people without blushing.
   
   
3. There is no sincerer love than the love of food.
   
   
4. The longer I live the more I see that I am never wrong about anything, and that all the pains that I have so humbly taken to verify my notions have only wasted my time.
   
   
5. It is not disbelief that is dangerous to our society; it is belief.
   
   
6. All great truths begin as blasphemies.
   
   
7. A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.
   
   
8. We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.
   
   
9. When a thing is funny, search it for a hidden truth.
   
   
10. The more things a man is ashamed of, the more respectable he is.
    
    
11. In this world, there is always danger for those who are afraid of it.
    
    
12. If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.
    
    
13. Don't try to live forever. You will not succeed.
    
    
14. The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.
    
    
15. My way of joking is to tell the truth. It is the funniest joke in the world.
    
    
16. We are made wise not by recollection of our past but by responsibility for our future.
    
    
17. A lifetime of happiness! No man alive could bear it: it would be hell on earth.
    
    
18. 

    I'm not a teacher: only a fellow-traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead; ahead of myself as well as you.
    
    
19. The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
    
    
20. We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing!
    
    
21. Happiness and beauty are by-products.
    
    
22. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but we must take that risk because a little is as much as our biggest heads can hold.
    
    
23. You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'
    
    
24. Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
    
    
25. The reason for this, it seems is that a protein rich meal helps to better stabilize your blood sugar levels and therefore providing our body and brains with a steady source of fuel High carbohydrate meals on the other hand cause large increases and then rapid decreases in blood glucose and mental energy.

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The Lion and the Mouse

Once when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him. This soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

"Pardon, O King!" cried the little Mouse, "Forgive me this time. I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, but I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days?"

The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.

Sometime later a few hunters captured the King and tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on.

Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, ran up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts.

 "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse, very happy to help the Lion.

MORAL: Little friends may prove great friends.

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The Monkey and the Dolphin

One day long ago, some sailors set out to sea in their sailing ship. One of them brought his pet monkey along for the long journey.

When they were far out at sea, a terrible storm overturned their ship. Everyone fell into the sea, and the monkey was sure that he would drown. Suddenly a dolphin appeared and picked him up.

They soon reached the island and the monkey came down from the dolphin’s back. The dolphin asked the monkey, “Do you know this place?”

The monkey replied, “Yes, I do. In fact, the king of the island is my best friend. Do you know that I am actually a prince?”

Knowing that no one lived on the island, the dolphin said, “Well, well, so you are a prince! Now you can be a king!” The monkey asked, “How can I be a king?”

As the dolphin started swimming away, he answered, “That is easy. As you are the only creature on this island, you will naturally be the king!”

Moral: Those who lie and boast may end up in trouble.

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10 Most Popular Quotes of Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha(563 B.C.) was born in a royal family and later in his life,he got enlightenment under a bodhi(peepal) tree and turned as a spiritual teacher.He was the founder of Buddhism.

 Parents - King Shuddhodana(King of Kapilvastu) and Queen MahaMaya

 Birth Place - Lumbini(Nepal)

Enlightened Place - Bodh Gaya (Bihar,India)

 "Buddha" meaning "awakened one" or "the enlightened one."

The Buddha

10 Most Popular Quotes of Buddha


1.“A jug fills drop by drop.”

2. “An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”

3. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”

4. “A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”

5. “Let them not do the slightest thing that the wise would later reprove.”

6.“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

7. “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.”

8. “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”

9. “Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations.”

10.“In separateness lies the world’s great misery, in compassion lies the world’s true strength.”

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10 Best Time Quotes

Time is success,time is life,time is love,time is everything.Time is the best teacher.Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.

10 Best Time Quotes(Persistence and Success)

 Time

1.It Takes Persistence to Reach a Goal.Wherever you are,Be there totally."

2.Your persistence is your measure of faith in yourself.

3.Persistence means taking pains to overcome every obstacle, to do all that's necessary to reach your goal.


4.“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
 - Harriet Beecher Stowe 


5."Success in anything seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don't quit. They hang on after others have let go."

6.The only people who never fail are those who never try. -  Chase, Ilka.

 7."All Great Achievements Require Time" - Maya Angelou



8.“History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeat.”
B. C. Forbes

9.“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength, but through persistence.”
Buddha

10.“Full effort is full victory.”
Mahatma Gandhi

11.“Kites rise highest against the wind – not with it!”
Winston Churchill

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Success is Simple

What is Success?

Success is accomplishing our goals and aims.Success is the virtual doorway opened for all.Anyone can enter it with hard work and continuous efforts. 

Success

image : Search Engine People Blog's photostream

7 Best Success Quotes


1.Jonathon Winters - I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it.

2.Arnold H. Glasgow Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time.

3.We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.

4.If fortune wishes to make a man estimable, it gives him virtues; if it wishes to make him esteemed, it gives him success.

5.Malcolm S Forbes - Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat.

6.As someone wise said, "To move ahead in life you need to believe in yourself..Have conviction in your beliefs and the confidence to execute the beliefs."

7.There is no greater pleasure than being successful,Everybody wants to achieve success in everything they do.It enhances our personality and builds our confidence,and we learn to keep giving our best in everything we do."

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10 Most Popular Life Quotes

What is Life?

Life has no definition..It is what we see ,what we think and what we do.For someone it is simple for others it is complex.

Most Popular Song

"Life Is A Highway"

Whooo umm yeah...
Life's like a road that you travel on
When there's one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind
There's a world outside ev'ry darkened door
Where blues won't haunt you anymore
Where brave are free and lovers soar
Come ride with me to the distant shore
We won't hesitate
To break down the garden gate
There's not much time left today


Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long

Through all these cities and all these towns
It's in my blood and it's all around
I love you now like I loved you then
This is the road and these are the hands
From Mozambique to those Memphis nights
The Khyber Pass to Vancouver's lights

Life 

Image  © Copyright Steve Fareham and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Knock me down get back up again
You're in my blood
I'm not a lonely man
There's no load I can't hold
Road so rough this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors

Gimme gimme gimme gimme yeah

There was a distance between you and I (between you and I)
A misunderstanding once
But now we look it in the eye

Ooooo...Yeah!

There ain't no load that I can't hold
Road so rough this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors


Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long

Gimme gimme gimme gimme yeah



10 Most Popular Life Quotes

1.Stephen Kaggwa - “Try and fail, but don't fail to try.”


2.Mary Anne Radmacher - “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”


3.You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometime you find. You get what you need.

 4.Dale Carnegie - Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.


5.Doing your best means never stop trying. - Helen Keller.


 6.Tom Hopkins -“I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed: and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I fail and keep trying.”


7.“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs

8.“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” Bill Gates

9.“If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it!” Jonathan Winters

10.“The only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing.” Socrates

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10 Best Life Quotes / Risk Quotes

Risk is the probability of an unwanted event which may or may not occur.Risk may be a danger or financial risk or any other type of hazard.Risk is the part of life which we have to face and overcome boldly with positive attitude.

10 Best Life Quotes / Risk Quotes

Risk! Risk Anything!

1.Denis Waitley - Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.

2.Andre Gide - "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."

3.T.S. Eliot -  Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

4.Paul Tillich -  He who risks and fails can be forgiven. He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being.

5.Andre Malraux  “Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act.”

6.Jim Rohn -  You have to risk going too far to discover just how far you can really go.

 Risk

7.It's a great experience to take risk as a challenge,And the greater feeling is to overcome the results of the risk taken.

8.If we take challenges in life,we will learn to win,So be a sport to experiment with situations in life and you will see how easily you can become a winner.

9.Jim Rohn - If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.

10.Albert Einstein  - The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for there’s no risk of accident for someone who’s dead. 

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7 Best Motivational Quotes

1.The time is always right to do what is right.
Martin Luther King

2."Develop the winning edge; small differences in your performance can lead to large differences in your results." Brian Tracy.


3.The great end of education is, to discipline rather than to furnish the mind; to train it to the use of its own powers, rather than fill it with the accumulations of others.
-- Tyron Edwards

4."The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don't like to do. They don't like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose."
- E.M. Gray

Motivation

5.Determine what's most important to you in life.Put them down on paper and in your heart.Do them daily.

6.Untrained hands in the use of tools destroy what they want to build.It takes skill to use tools to achieve the result desired,whether it's tearing down an old house or building a new one.

Skepticism is a tool serving both purposes.But it must be used by a trained mind,a mind capable of disciplined thinking.Discipline is remembering what you want.

7.People Don't Plan To Fail, They Fail To Plan

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Best Team Work Quotes

What is Team Work?

Team Work is a work performed by a group of members(team) with a common goal or vision.

TEAM 

T- Together 
E- Everyone
A- Achieves 
M- More


Best Team Work Quotes

The nice thing about TEAM WORK is that you always have others on your side.

Coming together is beginning,keeping together is progress.Working together is Success.

Teamwork is the ability to direct individual accomplishments towards organisational objectives.It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon objectives.

"When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence,excellence becomes a reality".

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.

Every team needs a hero, every hero needs a team.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
― Helen Keller


“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
― Phil Jackson

Team Work

In Organisations, home, everywhere team work is essential for miraculous achievements.


So be a part of a great team,contribute your potential,Give the best of what you have and you will see the results for yourself.

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Significance of Margazhi(Tamil) Month

Margazhi month is considered auspicious because in Bhagavat Geetha(Holy book of Hindus), Lord Krishna says that he will be as the "Margazhi" in that month.

Among the 12 months ,God resides in the Margazhi month.Hindus dedicate the whole margazhi  month of 30 days only to God's worship and avoids keeping marriages and other functions in their home.

It is the best month to worship and get God's Blessings.

In the early morning,special poojas,prayers and bhajans will take place in temples throughout this month.

Lord Vishnu

What I can do this Margazhi month to get God's Blessings?

Early morning(Brahma Muhurtha 4AM - 6AM)) wake up, &

Visiting to the near-by temple

Reciting Thirupavai and Thiruvempaavai

Offering Naivedhya

This is the best month to make God hear our prayers.

It has been proven scientifically that the OZONE layer will be closest to the earth during the month of Marghazi,so breathing the fresh early morning air is very good for health in the margazhi month.

*Tiruppavai is a part of Divya Prabandham, comprising 4,000 verses. It composed by the Andal Nachiyar. Andal is also one among twelve azhwars. The lyrics of the  Tiruppavai are considered sacred.  Tiruppavai is considered equivalent to Vedas and it consist of Thirty pasurams. 

Tiruppavai was composed and sung by Andal in margazhi month with an aim to attain Lord Vishnu.She also observed  Pavai nombhu. Many thousands of years ago, Gopikas observed fasting to attain Lord Krishna. They meditated upon Goddess Kathyayani and observed fasting . Andal followed the same principle while she took birth in bhooloka as the daughter of Periyazhwar to attain Lord Vishnu.

Reciting Thirupavai is good in general.Particularly to get good husband Thirupavai is the best composition to recite.

*Thiruvempaavai on Lord Shiva was composed and sung by Manickavasagar. In these verses, the saint visualized himself  as a Women and sung in the praise of  Lord Shiva during the early hours in the Margazhi month.

Like these great people we too can get God's blessings if we follow them.

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Peepal Tree

Scientific Facts and its Religious Significance

 Peepal Tree is considered sacred by the followers of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.It is a very large tree with long life span and it can grows upto 30 metres (98 ft) tall.  Its bark is light grey, smooth and peels in patches. Its heart-shaped leaves have long, tapering tips. The slightest breeze makes them rustle. The fruit is purple when ripe. The Peepal is the earliest-known depicted tree in India: a seal discovered at Mohenjodaro, one of the cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 3000 BC - 1700 BC), shows the Peepal being worshipped. During the Vedic period, its wood was used to make fire by friction.


Common name: Peepal, Bo tree, bodhi tree, holy tree, scared fig

 • Hindi: पीपल pipal • Manipuri: সনা খোঙনাঙ Sana khongnang • Marathi: पिंपळ pimpal • Tamil: அரசு aracu • Malayalam: arayal • Telugu: బోధిద్రుమము bodhi-drumamu, రావి raavi • Kannada: ಅರಳಿ arali, ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥ ashvattha • Bengali: অশ্বত্থ asbattha •Oriya: aswattha, jari • Konkani: पिंपळ pimpal • Urdu: peepal پیپل • Gujarati: પિપળો piplo • Sanskrit: अश्वत्थ ashwattha, बोधिवृक्ष bodhivriksha, प्लक्ष plaksha 

Botanical name: Ficus religiosa    Family: Moraceae (Mulberry family)


Peepal tree is considered as  Aswatha(the tree of life).The twigs of peepal tree is used for homams.It provokes the functions of the brain, giving peace of mind.The leaves of Peepal tree is very rich in protein and the bark of the tree is used in several native medicinal drugs.

As religious belief many people circle around peepal tree for in need of children.But it is scientifically proved that the air comes from peepal trees cures uterus problems,menstrual cycle related problems.

Ashwatha literally means "Where horses stood" (ashwa + tha).Sage Shankaracharya interprets this tree as representing the the entire cosmos. 'Shwa' in Sanskrit means tomorrow. 'a' indicates negation, and 'tha' means one that stands or remains. He interprets Ashwatha to indicate "One which does not remain the same tomorrow", or the universe itself. 

Ashwatha tree is quite remarkable because it grows both upwards as well as top to bottom. The branches themselves morph into roots, so even if the original tree decays and perishes, its branches underneath are young and continue to enclose the parent. 

This eternal life of the the Peepal tree has inspired many Indian philosophers and Hindu thought. 

Great Stories behind Peepal Tree

The Brahma Purana and the Padma Purana, relate how once, when the demons defeated the gods, Vishnu hid in the peepal. Therefore spontaneous worship to Vishnu can be offered to a peepal without needing his image or temple. The Skanda Purana Peepal Tree also considers the peepal a symbol of Vishnu. He is believed to have been born under this tree. 

Some believe that the tree houses the Trimurti, the roots being Brahma, the trunk Vishnu and the leaves Shiva and worship the tree as Ashvatha virutcham. The gods are said to hold their councils under this tree and so it is associated with spiritual understanding. Ashvatha means "hORSE".Once Agnidev turned as horse and hid in the peepal.And so the tree got its name Ashwatha.

The peepal is also closely linked to Krishna. In the Bhagavad Gita, he says: "Among trees, I am the ashvatha." Krishna is believed to have died under this tree, after which the present Kali Yuga is said to have begun. According to the Skanda Purana, if one does not have a son, the peepal should be regarded as one. As long as the tree lives, the family name will continue. To cut down a peepal is considered a sin equivalent to killing a Brahmin, one of the five deadly sins or Panchapataka. According to the Skanda Purana, a person goes to hell for doing so. Some people are particular to touch the Peepal only on a Saturday. The Brahma Purana explains why, saying that Ashvatha and Peepala were two demons who harassed people. Ashvatha would take the form of a peepal and Peepala the form of a Brahmin. The fake Brahmin would advise people to touch the tree, and as soon as they did, Ashvatha would kill them. Later they were both killed by Shani. Because of his influence, it is considered safe to touch the tree on Saturdays. Lakshmi is also believed to inhabit the tree on Saturdays. Therefore it is considered auspicious to worship it then. 

Women ask the tree to bless them with a son tying red thread or red cloth around its trunk or on its branches. On Amavasya, villagers perform a symbolic marriage between the neem and the peepal, which are usually grown near each other. Although this practice is not prescribed by any religious text, there are various beliefs on the significance of 'marrying' these trees. In one such belief, the fruit of the neem represents the Shivalinga and so, the male. The leaf of the peepal represents the yoni, the power of the female. The fruit of the neem is placed on a peepal leaf to depict the Shivalinga, which symbolises creation through sexual union, and so the two trees are 'married'. After the ceremony, villagers circle the trees to rid themselves of their sins.

In Buddhism

The Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple. 

The Bodhi tree and the Sri Maha Bodhi propagated from it are famous specimens of Sacred Fig. The known planting date of the tree in Sri Lanka is 288 BC which gives it the oldest verified age for any angiosperm plant.This plant is considered sacred by the followers of Buddhism, and hence the name 'Sacred Fig' was given to it. Siddhartha Gautama is referred to have been sitting underneath a Bo-Tree when he was enlightened (Bodhi), or "awakened" (Buddha). Thus, the Bo-Tree is well-known symbol for happiness, prosperity, longevity and good luck.

According to the Buddha – 'He who worships the Peepal tree will receive the same reward as if he worshiped me in person'. The Peepal tree has its own symbolic meaning of enlightenment and peace.

On new moon day and in karthigai somavaram it is good to circle the tress and worship.In Tamil Nadu,the Snake deity is kept under the tree and worshipped. For infertility and other naga doshas for marriage peepal tree can be worshipped.

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Aaditya Hrudayam

Aaditya Hrudayam
The Heart of Aditya (the Sun God)

Aaditya Hrudayam is a hymn associated with Aditya or the Sun God and was recited by the sage Agastya to Rama on the battlefield before fighting with Ravana. This historic hymn starts at the beginning of the duel between Rama and Ravana. Agastya teaches Rama, who is fatigued after the long battle with various warriors of Lanka, the procedure of worshiping the Sun god for strength to defeat the enemy. These verses belong to Yuddha Khanda, in the Ramayana as composed by Valmiki.

Thing to be noted is this hymn is older than the ancient epic Ramayana.


The benefits of chanting Aaditya Hrudayam daily

It is a very powerful hymn to get 

+ Sharpness,tejas,intelligent

+ victory over external enemies (foes) 

+ internal enemies (weaknesses such as lust, anger, jealousy etc.)

+ long life and good health, destruction of sins, dissolution of worries and anxeity, long lasting prosperity and auspicious qualities.

Aditya = the Sun God; Hridayam = that which is especially nourishing and healing for the heart.

In simple words, Aaditya Hrudayam is the worship to the Sun God.

Sun

Aaditya Hrudayam 

Tato yuddhaparishraantam samare chintayaa sthitam.raavanam chaagrato dr.ushtva yuddhaaya samupasthitam.1

Rama, exhausted and about to face Ravana ready for a fresh battle was lost deep in contemplation.

Daivataishcha samaagamya drashhtumabhyaagato ranam upaagamyaa braviidraama magastyo bhagavaan rishhi. 2

The all knowing sage Agastya who had joined the Gods to witness the battle spoke to Rama thus

Raama Raama mahaabaaho shrnu guhyam sanaatanam yena sarvaanariinvatsa samare vijayishhyasi. 3

Oh Rama, mighty-armed Rama, listen to this eternal secret, which will help you destroy all your enemies in battle

Aaditya hrudayam punyam sarva shatru vinaashanam Jayaavaham japennityam akshayyam paramam shivam. 4

This holy hymn dedicated to the Sun deity will result in destroying all enemies and bring you victory and never ending supreme bliss.

Sarvamangalamaangalyam sarvapaapapranaashanam. Chintaashokaprashamanam aayurvardhanamuttama. 5

This hymn is supreme and is a guarantee of complete prosperity and is the destroyer of sin, anxiety, anguish and is the bestower of longevity.

Rashmimantam samudyantam devaasuranamaskrutam. Puujayasva vivasvantam bhaaskaram bhuvaneshvaram. 6

Worship the One, possessed of rays when he has completely risen, held in reverence by the devas and asuras, and who is the Lord of the universe by whose efflugence all else brighten.

Sarvadevaatmako hyeshha tejasvii rashmibhaavanah.Eshha devaasuraganaa.nllokaan paati gabhastibh. 7

He indeed represent the totality of all celestial beings. He is self-luminous and sustains all with his rays. He nourishes and energizes the inhabitants of all the worlds and the race of Devas and Asuras.

Eshhah brahmaa cha vishhnushcha shivah skandah prajaapati. Mahendro dhanadah kaalo yamah somo hyapaam pati. 8

He is Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda, Prajapati. He is also Mahendra, kubera, kala, yama, soma and varuna.

Pitaro vasavah saadhyaa hyashvinau maruto manuh.Vaayurvahnih prajaapraana ritukartaa prabhaakarah. 9

He is the pitrs, vasus, sadhyas, aswini devas, maruts, manu, vayu, agni, prana and, being the source of all energy and light, is the maker of all the six seasons.

Aadityah savitaa suuryah khagah puushhaa gabhastimaan. Suvarnasadrsho bhaanu rvishvaretaa divaakarah. 10

He is the son of Aditi, creator of the universe, inspirer of action, transverser of the heavens. He is the sustainer, illumination of all directions, the golden hued brilliance and is the maker of the day.

Haridashvah sahasraarchih saptasaptirmariichimaan. Timironmathanah shambhustvashhtaa maartandam anshumaan. 11

He is the Omnipresent One who pervades all with countless rays. He is the power behind the seven sense organs, the dispeller of darkness, bestower of happiness and prosperity, the remover of misfortunes and is the infuser of life.

Hiranyagarbhah shishirastapano bhaaskaro ravihi Agnigarbhoaditeh putrah shankha shishiranaashanah. 12

He is the primordial being manifesting as the Trinity. He ushers in the Day and is the teacher (of Hiranyagarbha), the fire-wombed, the son of Aditi, and has a vast and supreme felicity. He is the remover of intellectual dull-headedness.

Vyomanaatha stamobhedii rig yajuh saama paaragah. Ghana vrishhti rapaam mitro vindhya viithii plavangama... 13

He is the Lord of the firmament, dispeller of darkness. Master of all the vedas, he is a friend of the waters and causes rain. HE has crossed the vindya range and sports in the Brahma Nadi.

Aatapii mandalii mrityuh pingalah sarvataapanah. Kavirvishvo mahaatejaa raktah ssarva bhavod hbhava. 14

He, whose form is circular and is colored yellow, is intensely absorbed and inflicts death. He is the destroyer of all and is the Omniscient one being exceedingly energetic sustains the universe and all action.

Nakshatra grahataaraanaam adhipo vishva bhaavanah. Tejasaamapi tejasvii dvaadashaatman namostute 15

He is the lord of stars, planets and all constellations. He is the origin of everything in the universe and is the cause of the lustre of even the brilliant ones. Salutations to Thee who is the One being manifest in the twelve forms of the Sun.

Namah puurvaaya giraye pashchimaayaadraye namah. Jyotirganaanaam pataye dinadhipataye nama. 16

Salutations to the Eastern and western mountain, Salutations to the Lord of the stellar bodies and the Lord of the Day.

Jayaaya jayabhadraaya haryashvaaya namo namah. Namo namah sahasraansha aadityaaya namo nama. 17

Salutations to the One who ordains victory and the prosperity that follows. Salutations to the one possessed of yellow steeds and to the thousand rayed Lord, and to Aditya.

Namah ugraaya viiraaya saarangaaya namo namah. Namah padma prabodhaaya maartandaaya namo nama. 18

Salutations to the Terrible one, the hero, the one that travels fast. Salutations to the one whose emergence makes the lotus blossom and to the fierce and omnipotent one.

Brahmeshaana achyuteshaaya suuryaayaadityavarchase. Bhaasvate sarvabhakshaaya raudraaya vapushhe nama. 19

Salutations to the Lord of Brahma, shiva and Achyuta, salutations to the powerful and to the effulgence in the Sun that is both the illuminator and devourer of all and is of a form that is fierce like Rudra.

Tamoghnaaya himagnaaya shatrughnaaya amitaatmane. Kritaghnahanaaya devaaya jyotishhaam pataye nama. 20

Salutations to he transcendental atman that dispels darkness, drives away all fear, and destroys all foes. Salutations also to the annihilator of the ungrateful and to the Lord of all the stellar bodies.

Tapta chaamiika raabhaaya haraye vishvakarmane. Namastamo.abhinighnaaya ruchaye lokasaakshine 21

Salutations to the Lord shining like molten gold, to the transcendental fire, the fire of supreme knowledge, the architect of the universe, destroyer of darkness and salutations again to the effulgence that is the Cosmic witness.

Naashayatyeshha vai bhuutam tadeva srijati prabhuuH. Paayatyeshha tapatyeshha varshhatyeshha gabhastibhi. 22

Salutations to the Lord who destroys everything and creates them again. Salutations to Him who by His rays consumes the waters, heats them up and sends them down as rain.

Eshha supteshhu jaagarti bhuuteshhu parinishhthitah. Eshha evaagnihotramcha phalam chaivaagnihotrinaam. 23

Salutations to the Lord who abides in the heart of all beings keeping awake when they are asleep. He is both the sacrificial fire and the fruit enjoyed by the worshippers.

Vedaashcha kratavashchaiva kratuunaam phalameva cha. Yaani krityaani lokeshhu sarva eshha ravih prabhu. 24

The Sun is verily the Lord of all action in this universe. He is verily the vedas, the sacrifices mentioned in them and the fruits obtained by performing the sacrifices.

Phala stuti

Enamaapatsu krichchhreshhu kaantaareshhu bhayeshhu cha.kiirttayanh purushhah kashchin naavasiidati raaghav. 25

Raghava, one who recites this hymn in times of danger, during an affliction or when lost in the wilderness and having fear, he will not lose heart (and become brave).

Puujayasvainamekaagro devadevam jagathpatimh. Etat.h trigunitam japtvaa yuddheshhu vijayishhyas. 26

Aaditya Hrudayam

Raghava, worship this Lord of all Gods and the Universe with one-pointed devotion. Recite this hymn thrice and you will win this battle.

Asminkshane mahaabaaho raavanam tvam vadhishhyasi. Evamuktavaa tadaa.agastyo jagaama cha yathaagatam. 27

O mighty armed one, you shall truimph over Ravana this very moment. Having spoken this, Agastya returned his original place. Raghava became free from worry after hearing this.

Etachchhritvaa mahaatejaa nashhtashoko abhavattadaa. Dhaarayaamaasa supriito raaghavah prayataatmavaan. 28

He was greatly pleased and became brave and energetic.

Aaadityam prekshya japtvaa tu param harshhamavaaptavaanh. Triraachamya shuchirbhuutvaa dhanuraadaaya viiryavaan. 29

Gazing at the sun with devotion, He recited this hymn thrice and experienced bliss.

Rraavanam prekshya hrushhtaatmaa yuddhaaya samupaagamath. Sarva yatnena mahataa vadhe tasya dhritoabhavat. 30

Purifying Himself by sipping water thrice, He took up His bow with His mighty arms. Seeing Ravana coming to fight, He put forth all his effort with a determination to destroy Ravana.

Atha ravi ravadanam nirikshyam raama Muditamanaah paramam prahrishhyamaanah. Nishicharapatisa nkshayam viditvaa Suragan amadhyagato vachastvaret. 31

Then knowing that the destruction of the lord of prowlers at night (Ravana) was near, Aditya, who was at the center of the assembly of the Gods, looked at Rama and exclaimed 'Hurry up' with great delight. Purifying Himself by sipping water thrice, He took up His bow with His mighty arms. Seeing Ravana coming to fight, He put forth all his effort with a determination to destroy Ravana. Source - Wikipedia 

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