balaji temple
TRANSCRIPT
BALAJI MANDIR, BRIDGEWATER, NJ
Hindu Temple & Cultural Society of USA, Inc. Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir) & Community Center
(Non-Profit Tax-Exempt Organization.) 780 old Farm Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. Ph: (908) 725-4477
http://www.venkateswara.org
#1
This is not an official publication of the temple.
Welcome to Balaji Temple, Bridgewater NJ
With this booklet, you may take a leisurely walk
Among gods, goddesses, people, priests, volunteers….
You may gawk at the gods and goddesses; you may point your fingers;
You can Ah and OO; you may admire their fake jewelry and the hairdos;
You may even dance in front of the Lord of Dance. No offence is taken by gods.
They are glad you are here.
The Floor Plan is the centerfold. Please make any comments or corrections.
I hope you like the tour guide and make all the stops, stoops, and peeks.
The custom forbids you to enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum.
If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to write me.
The email is in the pamphlet.
Veeraswamy Krishnaraj, M.D; F.R.C.P (Canada)
Retired pediatrician.
http://www.lotussculpture.com
July 25 2009: 10th ANNUAL INDIAN-AMERICAN FESTIVAL as held on July 25th &
26th 2009 at Garden State Exhibit Center Somerset NJ 08873 USA and organized by The Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of USA, Inc. 780 Old Farm Road, Bridgewater NJ 08807. The admission to the events was free. The temple staff brought out a snazzy All Color Festival Souvenir given away free to the attendees.
The Festival Logo, the temple staff declared, is 'United We Stand' with Indian and American flags.
This was a real big event for the organizers, the temple and the community. It was held in a humongous hall with a ton of vendors participating in the festival. There were stalls for arts and crafts, jewelry, clothes, dress, insurance.... There was one stall selling freshly pressed and filtered sugarcane juice. Behind the entertainment area was the food court. The performance stage was huge with lighting and sound systems.
The stage performance kickoff started with National Anthems (US and Indian). At one point there was a presentation of local elected officials, office holders and aspirants on the stage. Henal Shaw and Matthew Young from Bridgewater High School received HTCS Bridgewater Educational Scholarship 2009 awards. The entertainment was by far the best geared up for the occasion. Tots just out of diapers staged their dance performance to the glee and glow of parents and audience. It was all dance, dance and dance by tots, teens and in-betweens. In the past years, the dancers bravely and patiently danced on the stage in the temple grounds with the sun beating down on them and beads of perspiration mixed with mascara running down their tender faces. The members of the audience tried to dodge the sun by shifting
from one chair to the next under the tent. Now it is all changed. It was AC through and through. The sun decided to stay outside.
Balaji temple Logos.
The stage and the performers were adroitly managed by the emcees. The judges were assiduous in watching and scoring the performance. There was a good mix of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Bhangra, Rajasthani, Hindi and Garba performed by individuals and groups. The get-up-and-go of the participants was palpable. The quality of performances was extraordinary and the credit goes to the organizers, the Dance Schools and choreographers. Bharatanatyam dominated and claimed its preeminent place on the stage. The stories from timeless Indian mythology were a delight to watch as they unfolded before your eyes. The dance schools, teachers and the performers seem to have a fascination in portraying Lord Krishna in their presentations. His presence is easily recognized by His perennial youth, hairdo and flute.
The audience seemed to have enjoyed the presentations, remaining very disciplined and appreciative. Their appreciation remained muted sometimes when it came to hand clapping and encouragement of tots, teens and in-betweens. There were very little Ahs and Oohs and yet the small fry deserved them. We ( me included) are to a certain extent dour and sour dough not willing to rise to utter exclamations. My eyeball estimate was that there were about a thousand or more in the audience and the shopping stalls. As the day went by, the crowd was waxing. The
ladies clustered around jewelry and clothing stalls. I saw a few clusters of whites in the front and right watching the performance. There was of course a constant influx and efflux of patrons. The parking was free. There were acres of cars parked all over the grounds in the parking lots.
There was a play area for the children. I didn't see any clowns walking on stilts. It was a welcome pleasant evening at the festival.
The Temple has received approval for construction of The Cultural Center which will sit on 20,500 sq.ft and have state of the art Theater/Auditorium with 470 to 643 seats, a mechanical platform, green rooms, sound systems, lighting, class rooms, library, kitchen, dining room and the whole nine yards.
The main feature is the Temple expansion towards the flagpole, besides the priest housing, and direct entrance from and exit to Route 202/206.
Veeraswamy Krishnaraj
Jan 1, 2007: The New Year Celebration started with the invocation of all deities including the
principal and central Deity Lord Venkatesvara for the welfare of the people of the world. The
devotees of South Asian Origin, some non-Asian spouses, and other celebrants came by the
busloads. The administration of the Temple arranged a 5-minute short bus trip for the devotees
from the Sanofi-Aventis parking lot adjacent to the Temple. The magnetic Lord Venkatesvara,
the adjacent main Highway, the convenient humongous rented Sanofi-Aventis parking lots,
convenient bus trips, the genial nature of the priests, volunteers, administration, and the in-house
eatery contributed to the mega-turnout of swelling throngs of devotees. The constant drizzle
seemed to have had no effect on the turnout, which was actually greater than previous years. The
wait in line was sweet and short (10-20 minutes). The highlight of the day was the privilege of
receiving Dharsan of Lord Venkatesvara in the Sanctum Sanctorum. This was no ordinary
Dharsan. Lord Venkatesvara was an exhilarating, spine-tingling, awe-inspiring, benignant and
supremely satisfied divine Being dispensing grace to His devotees. The accouterments, the floral
arrangements, the wonderful Maalas, the weapons, the discus, the conch and the rest vied with
each other to look their best; they all sparkled only because He was wearing them. The Lord
made the priests look good at what they do. That Face, that Supreme Face shone like a million
suns with self-assured radiance and a distinct irrepressible gracious smile because of ever-present
Sri abiding on His chest. There were many Archana Sponsors for Lord Venkatesvara and other
deities. The line snaked from the basement of the temple to the first floor like coils of Adisesha
and ended up at the Sanctum Sanctorum. It looked like the Empyreal Highway to Heaven
(Vaikuntham, Paramapatham-- வைகுந்தம்). The young, the old, the infirm, men and women
on crutches and wheelchairs, and moms with babes in arms came into the sanctum with devotion
etched on their faces. Many, young and old, scraped the dust off the sill of the doorway to the
Sanctum and applied it to the forehead as a mark of humility, respect and devotion. The dust of
the devotees' feet is sacred in Vaishnava tradition. Of course the devotees performed stick-like
eight-limb prostration (Ashta-Anga-namaskaram) that made them look that much taller from the
toes to fingertips. Humility expressed by prostration makes the devotees look taller than while
standing. Taller did they look before the Divine EGO (AHAM), when their ego was down on the
floor in eight-limb prostration. The children even without prompting from parents performed
Sashtanga Namaskaram before the Lord. After Dharsan, the never-ending 70-people long Sesha-
serpentine queue slithered to the tables of priests and volunteers who dispensed Tirtham, Sadari,
and Prasadam of raisins. That is where the devotees picked up the Archana coconuts and apples.
As far as I know, there were no untoward incidents, all because of grace of the Presiding Deity,
Lord Venkatesvara. End of report.
Nammalvar, the Srivaishnavas believe, was the incarnation of Visvaksena, the Commander in
chief of Vishnu. At various times he was regarded the incarnation of Kaustabha jewel of Vishnu
or Vishnu Himself. Srivaishnava devotees receive the feet of Vishnu in the form of Sadari.
Nammalvar is the premier Srivaishnava saint-poet who had visions of Sriman Narayana and in
whom Sriman Narayana revealed Himself as the devoted poet-singer. Sadari is the corpus of his
devotional work (Tiruvaymoli) and Nammalvar holding the feet of Narayana on his head.
Receiving Sadari with bowed head and humility is getting the essence of His devotional poetry,
attaining and holding onto the feet of Sriman Narayana for the express purpose of Mukti
(liberation).
The lay out of the floor plan is at the end of the article. Print this article and take it with you to
the temple for your use. Your suggestions are welcome.
Here is an article giving you some basic information about Balaji Temple, Bridgewater, NJ. This
material is intended for the use of all visitors, both Hindus and Non-Hindus. The pictures except
for the Temple Tower are not photos of temple sculptures.
This material is neither official nor unofficial but my own presentation of the Temple. Welcome
to the Bridgewater, NJ Balaji Temple, whose presiding deity is Venkatesvara, the Lord of the
Hills, one of the many names of Vishnu. The temple celebrated Kumbhabishekam in 1998
(installation, purification, consecration ceremony). The flagpole (Dhvajastambham) near the
entrance to the temple is in line with the main deity. The Hindu Holy Trinity consists of Brahma,
the Lord of creation, Vishnu, the Lord of preservation and Siva, the Lord of destruction; these
correspond to birth, life and death in an individual or the cosmos. Inside the temple there are
shrines housing many deities clustered around the Central Deity. The Bridgewater Balaji Temple
is truly a multi-denominational temple within Pan-Hinduism celebrating most deities: Ganesa,
Mother Goddess, Siva, Vishnu besides syncretic Ayyappa, regional Murugan and His consorts,
Satyanarayana, a personification of Tapas and austerity, the giver of prosperity to individual,
family, friends, relatives, and community, and one of many manifestations of Vishnu.
Satyanarayana Viratam (religious vow, fasting...) observance invites and invokes Ganesa for
removal of obstacles, Lakshmi for prosperity, Vishnu, Siva and Parvati, the Sun god, grantor of
good health, Indra, the nine planets and Ashtadikpalas, the eight guardian angels of directions. If
you want to observe Satyanarayana Viratam, make enquiries within the temple. Lord
Venkatesvara is worshipped in his youthful form and splendor; thus He is Balaji (Bala + Ji =
youth, child, infant + honorific way addressing god or an elder). The original Venkatesvara
Temple is in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India and serves as the prototype of the deity in the
Central Shrine. The eponym Venkata means many things. Vem + Kata = Dire sins + redeeming
power = destroyer of sins of those who worship Him. Vem + Kata = Ambrosia + plenitude =
Giver of wealth. Ven + Kadan = Burn + debts = Paying off debts. The temple is built according
to traditional South Indian style. The tower is a pyramid facing the rising sun (East) and housing
at its base is the entrance door. You may notice a tall flag-staff (Dhvaja-stambha) in front of the
main entrance and the central shrine. This is where the devotees relinquish and abandon the
negative thoughts.
The temple entrance is guarded by Dikpalas, the guardians of the four quarters. The tower, its
many stories, and the inner shrines are an example of recursive pattern of self-same fractals. The
Chola-style tower is decorated with semi-divine beings, sometimes holding weapons. You may
notice an elevated broad walkway (Prakaram) around the temple complex; this is meant for
circumambulation of the temple starting on your left. Don't be overwhelmed by the thronging
gods, goddesses, priests, volunteers, and devotees in the temple. Even
the children appear very disciplined inside the temple. I never saw
children running around and playing hide-and-seek inside the temple.
They seem to sense the holiness and sacral ambience of the temple. It is
a festive day everyday here when family and friends come to worship.
You may not find a holier and nicer place than this on this day. Here you
will find even nicer priests. You will see obeisant devotees bend their
heads receiving the Sadari on their heads. Don't be afraid to take the
holy water from the dispensing priest, drink it and apply the remains on
your head, and be suffused with divine grace. Don't forget to relish the
Prasada (rice, butter and brown raw sugar cooked and served to the
Lord).
Take a look at fig. 1a. It is Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, the larger one
in silver and the smaller one in stone. Let me tell you the less known
story of how Garuda saved his mother Vinata held as a hostage and slave
by his step mother, Kadru, who demanded that if Garuda delivered the
Nectar of Immorality, she would release his mother Vinata. Kadru knew it was impossible to
bring The Nectar because it was in heaven heavily protected by guardians, two fire-breathing
serpents and a spinning wheel with razor-sharp spokes. Garuda destroyed the guardians and
disabled the serpents by flinging dust in their eyes, flying between the spokes, retrieved the
Nectar and rescued his mother.
Take a look at the fig.17a the thousand-headed Sesa. It is the
theriomorphic serpent form of Vishnu. Garuda, the snake-eating
bird and Sesa are friends and serve Vishnu. Sesa is the humongous
serpent that supports the whole universe on its hood. Sometimes the
earth feels the tremors, when Sesa moves its hood. The longitudinal
body of Sesa and its coils are symbolic of endless revolutions of
time. A commonly held belief is that Sesa is the theriomorphic form
of Balarama, the brother of Krishna (Vishnu's incarnation). Sesa,
meaning Remainder, in an act of renewal, destroys the universe by
its fiery breath, all under the supervision of Vishnu.
A verse to live by: Bhagavan Says, "Abandoning all duties, surrender unto Me only. I shall
deliver you from all sins. Do not lament." --Bhagavad Gita. Sarama Slokam C18.V66
Don't be confused
when you look at
the different
sectarian marks on
the forehead and
other parts of the
body of the priests
and visiting
votaries. Just an
important note: The
Catholic Rituals are
imports from India.
Watch what the
priests do and you
will know what I
mean. Go to
TILAKAM
http://www.bhagav
adgitausa.com/tilak
am.htm for more
information on the
sectarian marks.
These are the external marks of their affiliation to a particular sect. There is one God, Brahman
who is Pure Consciousness and manifests as gods and goddesses or Ishta Devata, deity of your
liking. He is One and many are His manifestations. Take a Broadway play; you may see one
actor playing many roles; you know in your mind that he is one person playing many roles. The
same is true of Brahman and the subsidiary gods. Would you be satisfied with a nameless,
formless generic god (Brahman)? Would you buy a generic car with no name and with only
wheels, roof, steering wheel and an engine? Certainly not. You want a brand name car loaded
with options. The same is true of gods: a brand name god with great benevolence. You may
choose one god from among many gods for worship. You may even worship all deities who
emerged from that nameless and formless Brahman. Lord Venkatesvara is the Central Deity.
This is not the picture of the deity in the temple. See the Floor plan. He is #1.
As you enter the temple, you see the largest shrine wherein abides Balaji. The Presiding central
deity is carved out of black granite or red igneous rock standing on a lotus pedestal. The first
thing that strikes is the white sectarian mark on His forehead. It is called Namam or Tiruman. He
sees intently at His devotee; His physiognomy is one of joy, comely smile, inner tranquility and
outer happiness.
He has wavy curly hair. He has four arms, two posterior and two anterior. The posterior upper
arms are held up, the right one holding the Discus and the left one holding the Conch. The right
anterior lower hand is bent at the elbow and held in a supine position with the open palm
pointing to His feet; the hand position is known as Varada Mudra Hasta pose (Boon-giving
hand). The left anterior lower hand is straight down, prone, bent at the wrist and resting lightly
just below the left hip in Katya Vilambita Hasta which signifies that the Lord protects and
blesses His devotees. (Katya = panegyric; Vilambita = hanging; Hasta = related to hand) = Hand
that protects the devotees who sing His panegyric or pay homage. Note that the left thumb is
parallel to His hip. His divine consort Lakshmi rests on His right anterior chest, indicating Her
special status. You heard the expression, "I hold you in my (spiritual) heart." Now you know His
consort's place. Holding of the weapons is not for His protection but for the protection and
reassurance of the votaries. He is God ; He does not need any protection. WYSIWYG principle
(What You See Is What You Get) applies here. When the devotees see the weapons, they are
reassured that He does the fighting for them to kill the demons in us. He is the armed SuperCop
keeping peace in this unruly world. Then you may ask with justification, "Why all this suffering,
wars, unrest....?" Suffering results from Karma. He dons the Yagnopavitra (sacred thread),
necklaces, waist girdle, snake-shaped armlets and anklets. The Surya Katari (golden sun-sword)
stands in front of His legs in the middle, hanging from His belt. He sports Kavachas (Cuirass or
armor; gold or silver plates) on various parts of His body. He loves to wear Vanamala, garland of
wild flowers and Tulasi seed Mala (Sacred Basil garland). The devotees express their Bhakti
(devotion) to Vishnu in many ways. They chant His many names, fall prostrate at His feet, sit
and meditate, do small services around and inside the temples. The priests do the ablutions, and
put the robes, decorations, garlands on Him; after waving the lights before Him, the priest brings
out the light on a plate. People cup their hands on the flame and apply the Light to their eyes and
head, invoking the Spiritual Light of Wisdom to descend on them. This is followed by Thirtham /
Tirtha / nIr (தீர்த்தம = நீர் sacred water used in worship) which is dispensed from the silver
spoon for sipping and application over the head. Then comes SadAri, which is made of silver,
looks like a crown and has the emblematic footwear of Vishnu at the top. The priest applies the
Sadari on the head of the devotee who takes it with bent head and humility. Receiving the dust of
His feet on the head is a mark of submission to the will of Vishnu and a sign of devotion and
Prapatti (taking refuge in God). Would you be afraid to receive and consume the consecrated
Host from the Catholic priest? In like manner don't be afraid to consume Prasadam given by the
priest. The Prasadam comes in two forms: 1) cooked rice, butter and unrefined raw sugar, 2)
raisins, nuts…. Let me explain the meaning of Prasadam. It is like Host and yet is different.
Prasadam is Divine Grace or favor. Prasadam is the remnants of food served to deity and later
distributed to the devotees. By eating Prasadam, one is infused with His Grace and favor, which
is receiving divine wisdom and spiritual consciousness, weakening the materialistic existence,
expunging the sins, going to His kingdom, heaven, Vaikuntham or Paramapadam (Vaishnava
heaven) and attaining eternal life in close proximity to the Bhagavan.
OM NAMO NARAYANAYA. OM NAMO BHAGAVATE
VASUDEVAYA. HARI OM. OM SRI RAMAYA NAMA.
#2 Ganesa in the Floor Plan. Lord Ganesa: As you go past
the second door into the main hall of shrines, you see on your
immediate left, a shrine housing Lord Ganesa, who is the god
of wisdom and has an elephant face, a pot belly, a broken
tusk…. He is the Lord of beginnings and Siddhidatta, the
Giver of success. Ganesa means the Lord of Ganas, the
heavenly hosts. He appeared like any other anthropomorphic
baby at birth. Things happened; the elephant head took the
place of the human head by transplantation, performed by
Vishnu under extenuating circumstances to bring him to the
present form. Please go to Ganesa
http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/GANESA.htm to learn
why He has an elephant face. OM SRI
MAHAGANAPATAYE NAMAH
Mother Goddess Ambika: Ambika = Mother. Right behind Lord
Ganesa you will see another shrine housing Ambika (#3), who is
the Mother of Ganesa. She is the divine consort of Siva. She goes
by many names: Parvati, Gauri, Uma, Sati, Kali, Durga….
Ambika's birth is out of this world. Find out how and why. There
once was a buffalo-demon who was more powerful than gods and
so was always attacking them. He is appropriately called a
buffalo-demon. Have you seen an angry, testosterone-charged
buffalo bull-dozing its way in a rough-and-tumble ram-through?
(Recently on TV, I saw a few buffalos in the African plains
running helter-skelter from charging ambush of tigers on the hunt.
(Ambush or streak of tigers and pride of lions) One calf
accidentally fell in to the near-by river, chock-full of crocodiles.
One tiger was pulling the calf by its front foot and a croc was
pulling the calf into the river by a hind foot. As this tug of death
was going on for the calf, buffalos by the hundreds appeared from
out of nowhere and hedged the tigers between them and the river
of crocs. The calf was pulled out of the water by the tiger from the
deathly mouth of the croc. In the mean time in a show of strength
by numbers, a testosterone-charged angry buffalo charged one
tiger with its horns and threw him in the air. Landing hard, the
humiliated tiger and the rest of the ambush of tigers with their tails tucked in humiliation
between the hind legs simply streaked away like pussycats. The rescued calf joined the herd) The
demon had a boon that conferred guarantee against death from god or man. The gods had to
come up with a solution. They assembled, put their heads together and created a Force from their
Tejas (power, splendor, male energy). (What a sight to see when all these gods, some having four
heads, doing the head bunt to come up with a solution.) The splendor emanating from the gods
coalesced, congealed and created a divine woman who had amassed all the power of all the gods.
The demon and the boon stipulated that the demon was immune from death in the hands of god
or man (and NOT a woman); now you know his attitude towards woman. Ambika was her name,
who could vanquish any man, god or demon. Eventually, She did defeat and kill the demon and
the enemies of gods. The Jains (an offshoot from Hindu religion, just like Christianity is an
offshoot from Judaism) adopted Ambika as their own deity. One should remember that these
demons (Passion, Anger, Greed…) afflict us and the goddess helps us vanquish these demons.
Siva in the Form of Lingam (#5): As you go past Ambika, you will see a bigger shrine housing
Lingam (an Obelisk) and a miniature sitting bull statue (#4) in front of the shrine facing the
Lingam and having its ears cocked up. Nandi (happy one, bull) is His Vahana (transport);
Coomaraswamy suggests that Nandi is the theriomorphic form of Siva. Linga means sign,
symbol. Lingam = Li + gam = to dissolve + to go out. He is the ultimate Reality into whom the
living beings dissolve and out of whom they emerge again. It is the recycling of the soul with a
body.
The question comes up why
Lingam is the way it looks.
Let me explain. If there is
smoke, there is fire. The
smoke is the sign that fire is
present. When you see
Washington Monument, you
think of Washington, though
the monument does not look
anything like Washington.
The monument, everyone
decided, should be
stupendous and elegant to
honor the First President of
the young nation. Just like Washington Monument is an abstract form of President Washington,
Linga is an abstract form of Siva and a generative principle. Siva, according to Saivites, is the
First God; He is the Father of all beings; He is the First One to say, "Aham" meaning I, the First
I in the Universe. There was no one else in the universe except His Sakti (Power by His side).
Thus, 'Siva and Sakti' is a unitary force from which the First I (through Sakti) became He, She,
and It, which cover everything in the Universe; I or One became many. Lingam is an obelisk
well grounded in a labial vestibular pedestal and the aniconic form (Niskala) of Siva. The three
white stripes, sandalwood, red dots, and the serpent at the base of the lingam have significance.
Go to http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/lord of dance.htm LORD OF DANCE
#5a depicts Lord Nataraja, the Lord of Dance. #5b depicts Siva and Parvati in anthropomorphic
form mounted on a silver bull. Take a look at the table. Sivalingam is present in all the elements;
there is one temple for each element celebrating Lingam in its elemental form.
Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva form the Holy Triad. In most of the temples, Siva is portrayed as
Lingam, His abstract Form. Only in pictures, he has anthropomorphic features.
www.bhagavadgitausa.com/primer_in_Saiva_siddhanta.htm
Here is a pictorial depiction of Lord of Dance with its symbolic meanings of various features of
dance frozen in metal. Enlarge image to read the fine print.
Just behind the Linga Shrine in the corner, you will see syncretic
Ayyappan, divine being born of Hara and Hari also called Hariharan or
Harihara Putra (Hari-Hara son). He has all the spiritual qualities of both
Vishnu and Siva. He was divine by birth, royal by upbringing and
spiritual in pursuit. He was found by king Rajasekhara during a
hunt; since the king had no son, he took him and raised him as his own.
The king belonged to Pandalam Dynasty which ruled parts of South India
between 1200-1500 CE. He was known for his bravery, asceticism and
spiritual enlightenment. He disappeared near Sabarimala and a temple
exists now in His name. Ayyappan #6 in the floor plan; #7 another
Lingam behind the main shrine of Lingam; #8 Lord Murugan and His
Consorts (Powers). #9 Murugan and consorts mounted on Silver
Peacock.
The image next to Lord Ayyappan is that of Lord
Murugan with His consorts Valli and Devayanai,
who are in the shrine behind the Lingam Shrine.
Murugan or Skanda is the brother of Ganesa with
the elephant face. In North India He is known as
Skanda, Kanthan in Tamil. He carries a spear,
thus Vel Murugan. Vel = spear; Murugan =
youth. He has six faces; there are many legends
associated with the six faces. In Palani Temple,
He is portrayed as shaven with a staff and bears
the name, Dandayuthapani, the bearer of the staff. The
spear is the piercing spear of spiritual wisdom. The spear
destroys the demons in our mind and gives liberation to the
virtuous and the devoted. Murugan's mount is a peacock and He is seen here sitting on it with
His consorts. Shanmuga's (Murugan) six heads are symbolic of divine power, wealth, fame,
strength, detachment from passion, and knowledge.
(Next to the shrine, you will see huge silver bull on
which are mounted Siva and Parvati, on your way
out of the corridor behind Linga Shrine. This is #5b
in the floor plan. Here you see elephant-headed Ganesa, Siva, Parvati and Murugan
from your left to right. The ever-present bull is sitting below them. Aru padai
Veedu: There are six holy temples in six places in Tamil Nadu for Murugan. The
most famous composition on Murugan (Kanthan) is Kantha Puranam by
Sivachariyar.
Lord Satyanarayana (#10) is another form of Lord Vishnu who is commonly
worshiped by Hindus in their homes along with family and friends. The worship is
performed usually on a full moon (purnima) day of the month. People worship by
reciting the gracious story of the Lord which was once told by Lord Vishnu himself to sage
Narada for the benefit of mankind. The Lord's grace is described in a Hindu book called Skanda
Purana. He has four hands like Lord Vishnu; however, his fourth hand does not hold a lotus
rather it is extended upward to bless people. By Hindunet.org
#11 and #12 are Sri Devi and Bhu Devi, the consorts of Sri Venkatesvara of Balaji Temple.
Take a stroll past all deities until you go behind the Central
Shrine in the hall. When you face the smaller shrines, they
are behind the back wall of the Central Shrine. On your left
is the shrine of Lakshmi, also known as Sri Devi; on your
right is the shrine of Bhudevi. Both are the consorts of Lord
Vishnu residing behind the Central shrine. Sri Devi is the
goddess of wealth (Goddess of El Dorado) and prosperity
and Bhudevi is the goddess of earth. Look at the elaborate
hairdo of Bhudevi.
Durga #13: Go past Sri Devi and Bhudevi, you will see a white statue of Durga (warrior
goddess) sitting on a lion and holding many weapons in Her many hands. She and Kali are the
other manifestations of Ambika, the consort of Siva. Mantra: Om Sri Durgayai Namah
http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/durga.htm. for more details.
http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/Kali.htm. Next to the
Coconut breaking station, you will see three metallic statues in
a small shrine. The central one in the higher pedestal is Durga, the warrior goddess with Lakshmi
to her right and Sarasvati to her left. Sarasvati is the goddess of learning, arts and sciences and
holds Veena, a stringed instrument.
These three goddesses form a configuration which helps the human soul get rid of the Malas
(impurities), gain spiritual knowledge and attain liberation or Moksa. Durga is a demon killer
(Kriya Sakti). Demons are the Tamasic (Dark) demons in our mind: Kama, Krodha, Lobha,
Moha, Mada, Matsarya (desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and envy). Once Durga kills these
demons, Lakshmi (Ichcha Sakti) takes over the mind and helps us get rid of Rajasic Vikshepa
(False perception; distraction; to and fro oscillations of the mind; gales of desire blowing in the
mind) which are hard to remove from the mind. Lakshmi helps man acquire the Will Power
(Ichcha Sakti) and get rid of remnants of desire and false perception by Upasana (worship). What
is left is ignorance meaning spiritual ignorance. Spiritual enlightenment is infused by Sarasvati
(Jnana Sakti). The eradication of impurities, desires and ignorance with the help of these three
deities is celebrated for nine days and nine nights, 3 days and 3 nights for each deity (Navaratri =
nine nights). It takes nine days and nine nights to defeat these demons. Nine manifestation of
Mother Goddess (Durga, Bhadrakali, Amba, Annapurna, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, Chandika,
Lalita, and Bhavani) are celebrated over nine nights. The tenth day is Vijayadasami, meaning
victory (over the demons of the mind; realization and emancipation) on the 10th day. It is
celebrated in the beginning of summer and winter. In Puranas, the demons are described as living
beings. Mantras: Om Sri MahaLakshmyai Namah. Om Sri Durgayai Namah. Om Aim
Sarasvatyai Namah.
Read more on the desires of the mind and spiritual ignorance and their personification as
the buffalo demon morphing into an elephant or vice versa etc; desire is compared to an
animal. DEVI MAHATMYAM. www.bhagavadgitausa.com/devi_mahatmyam
3.38: As the smoke envelops the fire, as the dust covers the mirror, as the womb covers the
fetus, so passion (desire) obscures the wisdom. Bhagavad Gita C3V38.
Removal of Avarana and Vikshepa. Avarana = Veiling caused by spiritual ignorance. Vikshepa
= oscillating mind of desires, scattering, tossing, throwing, discharging. Spiritual Ajnana,
Avarana and Vikshepa are linear elements. Ignorance and Avarana are like a cataract in the eye
preventing Light (of Wisdom) reaching the eye and brain (soul). This veil or cataract prevents
the Light of Sat and Cit of Brahman from reaching the soul. They are impediments to spiritual
progress. In the absence of spiritual wisdom (Saktinipatam = descent of Wisdom as in Saiva
Siddhanta) coming into the soul, the mind jumps from one desire to the next illustrated by the
morphing of the desire-demon from an elephant to a buffalo. When one desire is killed, another
desire pops up in its place in an endless fashion. It is the whipping gale of desire, its many
variants, permutations and effects. On a philosophical note, Vikshepa Sakti is driven by Ajnana
(ignorance) and desire. Mind is the stage wherein the Vikshepa demon jumps from one desire to
the next in an endless fashion. One desire morphs into another one when you kill the preceding
desire. It is removed by Nishkama karma, action without expectation of
rewards or desireless action. As in cataract extraction, you remove this
ignorance by Avarana Bhanga (removal of the veil [cataract] by
Upasana, worship). To illustrate this concept of eradication of the
clonal colony of desires, Mahalakshmi sucks the marrow dry and drinks
the last drop of blood of the demon (of desires) so he does not shed any
more blood and make more clones of himself (desires) arising from the
dripping blood. Mahalakshmi presides over this stage and overcomes
Rajasic Avarana and Vikshepa. The end result is enlightenment. Note:
Ancient Indian seers had an idea of cloning. Whenever the demon shed
a drop of blood, that drop of blood became another demon.
The next shrine shows Lakshmi-Narayana, the manifestation of the
Central deity Vishnu and the goddess of fortune. This conjoined form of
Lakshmi and Narayana (Vishnu) depicts that in the Supreme State, Vishnu is one with His Sakti
(power) Lakshmi. They are one Supreme Being without distinction. Narayana means He in
whom abide the waters (of creation). Remember the amniotic fluid surrounding the unborn fetus.
Similarly, His waters of Creation are called the Causal Ocean. Universes emerge from His sweat
pores. Narayana is no other than Vishnu, the Presiding Deity of the Temple. Just a note: Vishnu
has at least 1008 names. The priests chant His 1008 names (Sahasranama). I bet your parents,
friends and family have special endearing names for you; thus you have many names. Because
He is the Supreme God, the devotees chant His Mantra to invoke Him: "Om Namo
Narayanaya." It means, Om, Prostrations to Lord Vishnu or Narayana. See Lakshmi-Narayana
#16: the couple with crowns.
The next shrine is that of Radha-Krishna (#17). Here Krishna is the Supreme Soul
of the universe and Radha is the individual soul. The love that the individual soul
has for the World Soul and their interrelationship is portrayed here as that between
Krishna and Radha. All individual souls (Monads) emerged from the World Soul;
we are related to him every which way you can think of. The individual soul pines
for the Greater Soul and wants to merge with Him-liberation from the world of
misery. In its highest form, it is called Krishna Prema--
Love of Krishna. #17a is the Sesa the humongous cosmic serpent in
silver, described in the beginning.
We are in one way pulled by the forces of material world and in
another way pulled by the spiritual force of the Great Soul. This is
like love. The magnetism between man and god is compared to love
between man and woman; in this instance it is called Krishna Prema
(love of Krishna). Gitagovindam glorifies this relationship in songs
which can be compared to the Hebrew Song of Songs. The Christian Church says the sensual
imagery of the Biblical "Song of Songs" symbolizes Christ's love for His Bride, the Church. Ref:
Woodroffe, Garland of Letters, page 182- 183. Krishna is one of the Avatars of Vishnu. Go to
http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/Gitagovindam
Rama is the central persona of the Great Epic, Ramayana.
Rama (#18) is an incarnation of Vishnu and this scene shows
from left to right Hanuman on his knee with both hands held
together in homage and reverence, Lakshmana the brother of
Rama and his constant companion, Rama in the middle and
Sita, Ramah's wife. Ramachandra = Rama beautiful like the
moon. Rama was a prince ready to ascend the throne; palace
intrigue by his step-mother deprived him of his kingdom, and
He was banished to the forest. During his stay in the forest in
South India his wife Sita was abducted and taken to Ceylon,
the modern Sri Lanka. Hanumat, the leader of ape-like beings
joined Rama with his troops and helped Rama locate and
recover Sita from the demon-king Ravana. If you have seen
the movie, Planet of the Apes, you will have an idea of who Hanumat looked like. In the battle,
Ravana died; Rama rejoins His wife. Hanumat or metronymic Anjaneya (named after his
mother) became the most revered devotee of Rama. The foursome are called Ram Parivaar
(Rama's family). The meditation Maha Mantra of Rama and Krishna is as follows: Hare Rama
Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare; Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.
#18a = The Silver elephant, the mount of Rama.
The next shrine that you see is the Shrine of Hanumat or Anjaneya
(#19) right across from the Rama's Shrine to the right. You can
recognize Him by His physiognomy as described earlier. He is heavy-
jawed and so named Hanumat. You see him carrying a mountain peak
in His hand and is poised on a flight to see Rama in the battle field.
Ramah during the battle was exhausted and so needed a tonic to fight
battle fatigue. Anjaneya flew to Himalayas and not knowing the herb
needed for recuperation, broke the mountain top where it grew and
brought it to Rama, who recovered from eating the herbal medicine.
There is no devotee as sincere as Hanumat is. He is the epitome of
devotion to Rama and thus, has a place in the House of Worship and in
our hearts. His Mantra is Om Sri Hanumate Namah.
Swami Vishnu Devananda says: Hanumat is the perfection of devotion. He is the greatest and
the most selfless devotee of Lord Rama. In the Hindu tradition, he is considered to be a semi-
deity, for he is the son of the wind-god and an Apsara, Anjana. He possess strength and courage.
You will see a raised platform with a cluster of figurines in the
north-east corner of the temple premises. These are the
Navagrahas-nine planets, which are under the purview of the
Mother Goddess and other deities. It is the Hindu belief that the
planets have an impact on an individual's life, the community and
the nation. They are clustered around the Sun and all of them are
facing in the four directions, not seeing each other. Here in the
picture the configuration appears different.
Their configuration and relative positions are according to
Agamas. The Sun is in the Center. #20 to the right
The following figures are
not in the temple. This is
the famous dance of Siva.
His right ear ring fell on
the floor while He was
dancing. In a fluid
movement, he picked up
His earring with His right
toe from the dance floor
and put it on his right ear.
See the ring on the right
big toe. See the grace,
fluidity, the dynamic pose
and the still head in all his
movements. The dwarf
under His foot is
Apasmara Purusha, an
embodiment of spiritual
ignorance. He is the Yogi
of all Yogis. He has a
third eye of wisdom in
the middle of the
forehead. Sometimes, fire
emits from his third eye.
His eyes are the Sun, the
Moon and the Fire. Saiva
Siddhanta philosophy is
one of the most
celebrated one in the
world of religions.
Primer in Saiva Siddhanta
He is white as snow and
His wife is black like eye-
lash liner (Mother
Goddess Kali). Mahakali
is the one who swallows
Time, and the Mother of
all beings and gods.
Daksina means "south,
gift, right." Yama is the
Lord of death and lives in
the south. He is afraid of
taking Kali's devotees to
Yama Loka, the abode of
death, so She is called
Daksina Kali. The other explanation says that She offers the gift that guarantees liberation. The
third explanation says that She is Daksina Kali because she plants her benign right foot on Siva
over his chest where the heart is. She places her dangerous left foot on the demons and the
wicked who succumb to Her wrath. Kali in the cremation grounds (Smasana Kali) has Her left
foot forward in the company of ghosts, ghouls, jackals, and fearsome companion
Mothers. (Mothers: Think of Charlie's Angels with skills like deathly Martial Arts.) Another
plausible explanation suggests that south-facing Daksina-Siva or -Bhairava adulates and
worships Kali. The town where there is Kali temple is called Daksinesvar. When you ask
devotees which Kali they prefer, the informed ones prefer Kali with left foot forward (Vama
Kali), because a devotee rises above the good and the bad, renounces the world and achieves
liberation quickly. Her third eye strikes terror to the demons and the wicked. The three eyes
represent triads: the sun, moon and fire; the past, present, and future. Third eye stands also for
eternal wisdom. The demons are the demons of the mind as said
before. By this time, you would have noticed that there is a lot of
symbolism in Hindu imagery.
Balimaharaja usurped the kingdoms of Heaven and earth., thus
angering gods. No one could vanquish him. Gods complained to Lord
Vishnu that Bali vanquished them, took and ruled the heavens. Vishnu
is the God of gods. He listened and devised a plan to conquer him
without blood-shed, because Bali was His devotee. He took birth
(incarnation) in a Brahmana family; He was a dwarf and his name was
Vamana, who most likely suffered from Growth Hormone Deficiency.
In this case, Vishnu willed that He became a dwarf to dupe, whoop
and scoop. His size fooled the king. Lord Vishnu knew that Bali was a
generous King. He asked the king for a piece of land equal to three
strides of His feet. Little did Bali knew the trick up the sleeve of
Vishnu. Bali's Chief priest Sukra warned the king not to accede to His
request. Bali being a generous and magnanimous king, agreed to
donate land equal to three strides to the dwarf. Immediately, Lord
Vishnu expanded to High Heavens and beyond, measured the earth in
one stride, the heavens in the 2nd stride and had no land for the third stride. He demanded Bali
for the third stride of land. He had no land and pointed to his head as the land. Immediately
Vamana put his foot on Bali's head and pushed him down to the Nether world. (See the inset:
Vishnu measured the earth and heavens and Bali ready to offer his head as the third piece of
land.) Bali was not killed and the Lord made him the king of the nether world and restored the
Heavens to the gods. This is one of the most celebrated Avatars (Incarnation) of Vishnu, because
there was no violence. When you go around the main shrine, you will see little statues depicting
the Avatars of Vishnu. By the way, Vishnu is a strict Vegetarian. He does not accept animal
sacrifice. He is a thoroughly benign God of Vaishnavites and all humanity.
Here are the important Vaishnava Mantras. Please go to Srivaishnava mantras for more
details.
About the author:
Veeraswamy Krishnaraj, M.D; F.R.C.P (Canada) is a board certified pediatrician in active practice until
the end of 1998. He immersed himself in study of Hinduism in depth. He has sufficient knowledge and
understanding of Hindu religion that he is confident to publish this book. He kept the words simple,
supple, illuminating and to the point, while retaining the original flavor, beauty and grace. Compound
words in Sanskrit are a nightmare for the beginner, as they are spliced together compactly in one
continuous stretch of characters. He parsed the compound words into digestible syllables or words with
superscripts and sequential numbers and rearranged the words in the verse in a readable form in English.
In this book, he claims ownership of shortcomings and cedes the rest to Bhagavan.
This book is good for students, and devotees reading the Bhagavad-Gita in Satsang (true company). Two
verses nestle in two boxes in one page with no break or carry-over to the next page. Diacritics help the
reader enunciate the words like a Sanskritist. The English words are reader-friendly. Wherever there is a
need for elaboration, an addendum supports it.
Simplicity, authority, universality, and profundity are the hallmark of the Bhagavadgita, the Bible of the
Hindus. The Bhagavadgita is the Song of the Lord. It provides guidelines for daily living with no dogmas
and ritual overtones. It encourages and supports your individuality. It also explains the consequence of
errant ways. Total surrender to Bhagavan releases the devotee from the ills of life on earth. Hinduism as
a term is an external appellation from non-Hindus. Its true name is Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Law or
Eternal Order) commensurate with Rta (Cosmic Order). The beauty about the Bhagavadgita is its appeal
is universal.
Bhagavadgita in Sanskrit, Transliteration, and Translation
ISBN: 9781440176418. Published Nov 2009
Available in bookstores (Barnes & Noble.com; Amazon.com....)