Topic started by murugadas (@ 210.186.103.32) on Sun Nov 11 17:38:58 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
|
This thread is an off-shoot from the thread 'Meaning of Name' Sengalvaraya.
|
Responses:
- Old responses
- From: murugadas (@ 210.186.103.80)
on: Mon Jun 28 11:03:08 EDT 2004
To understans 'nishtai' you have to know about the state of 'summaa'.
The meaning of the word 'summaa' is not what it would seem.
Arunagirinathar has sung in Kandhar Anubhuthi - 12th verse -
semmaan magaLai thirudum thirudan
pemmaam murugan piRavaan iRavaan
'summaa iru; sollaRa' enRalumE
ammaa poruL onRum aRindhilanE!
The thief who stole the fair deer-borne damsel, the Great Murugan who is without birth and death; He told me to observe the state of summaa; but I do not understand the deep and limitless meaning of those words.
Thaayumaanavar also has said that to be 'summaa' is impossible.
So have many others.
- From: murugadas (@ 210.186.103.80)
on: Mon Jun 28 11:21:46 EDT 2004
Why is being 'summaa' impossible?
Our mind is not a single entity.
It is made up of four components -
Manas
Ciththam
Buddhi
Ahankaaram
All these components perform different functions.
Thoughts, impulses, input and output of stimuli, etc., are constantly taking place.
At any one time, there ten thousand impulses being transmitted within the mind/brain.
A human brain is made up of billions of brain cells called neurones. All of them have branches and roots called dendrites and axons. These filaments also branch into miriad dendrites. Each neurone communicate with millions of other neurones.
We are not aware of all this activity.
We only know a few bits and pieces of information.
We also possess polyphasic thinking and awareness.
We see, hear, smell, feel, taste, think two or three thoughts, and speak at the same time.
A person who masters all these aspects is known as an 'avadhaani'.
But out of the ten thousand impulses, we are only aware of a few.
The thoughts are many and are constantly flowing.
We cannot stop the thoughts.
When we stop talking, we say that we are silent.
But that silent is only superficial.
Since you are silent, you can become preooccupied with a thousand and one things within your mind.
For all practical purposes, people will say that you are silent.
But the real 'Yogic' silence is not this silence.
It is the silence of the mind and all its components.
There is no input; no output.
The mind ceases to exist.
That sort of silence is where vaakku and manam are no more......
That is 'summa'.
This is very simply put.
Please read the Tamil article on 'summaa' in the following URL -
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Choir/4262/summa.html
- From: murugadas (@ j65.spt20.jaring.my)
on: Tue Jun 29 12:07:39 EDT 2004
The state of 'summaa' is a state of samaadhi.
There are three types of samaadhis -
samkalpa samaadhi
vikalpa samaadhi
nirvikalpa samaadhi
It is not easy to define these states - especially the last mentoned one.
Sometimes we feel that it is easier to do the thing than to try to explain the thing to others.
- From: Vignesh (@ inet-nc01-o.oracle.com)
on: Wed Jun 30 03:24:55 EDT 2004
Murugadas Sir
Please do explain these samaadhi state to all of us.
If anyone does reach the state of 'summaa',where there is no activity of the brain and mind,then the concept of "I"ness is gone.He does not exist as a person in normal sense.Then what becomes of this person?Very confusing to me.
- From: murugadas (@ j228.spt20.jaring.my)
on: Wed Jun 30 11:38:18 EDT 2004
That is actually a mystery.
Some stages of it can be called as the 'suspended animation'.
Some stages of it can be likened to hibernation.
Then there is 'nirvikalpa samaadhi'.
I will try to explain in brief.
- From: jaybee (@ pjc-72-144.tm.net.my)
on: Wed Jul 7 20:42:02 EDT 2004
This word 'nishtai' occurs in the very first outset of 'Kandhar Shashti Kavacam':
thudhippOrkku valvinai pOm; thunbam pOm - nenjcil padhppOrkku selvam paliththuk kathiththOnggum
nishtaiyum kaikUdum
nimalar aruL kandhar shashti kavacamthanai
amarar idar thIrndha amaram purindha
kumaran adi nejcE kuRi
I must have dealt with it very briefly.
Thats why it has caught up with me after all these 150 web-pages and after more than two years and now demands an explanation.
:-)
- From: murugadas (@ 219.92.18.6)
on: Sun Jul 11 08:02:18 EDT 2004
The ultimate goal of 'nishtai' is union with Godhead. dissolution of the self into Oneness of Brahmam or Sivam or whatever you call it.
Before that there are the stages of eternal bliss or 'pErinba nilai'.
Before that is the annihilation of the mind.
The mind is receptor for sensory impulses. It also is the conveyor of formed thoughts and impressions.
In the process of nishtai, the mind is quelled. It is silenced.
The way to achieve this is the path of meditation.
There are many types of meditation. Meditation together with the anggas or limbs of Yoga are practiced.
This, in short is nishtai.
- From: murugadas (@ 219.92.18.6)
on: Sun Jul 11 08:05:28 EDT 2004
To continue with the story of VaLLimalai SwamigaL.
There are several peculiar incidents in the life of the SwamigaL.
VaLLi is said to be in VaLLimalai. There were several occassions when the SwamigaL had encounters with Her.
One day, the SwamigaL was walking along a road in Chennai. Suddenly a small girl came along and offered to sing Thiruppugalz songs. Then seh sang the Thiruppugalz -
'viragaRa nOkkiyum urugiyum vaalzththiyum vilzipunal thOkkida
anbu mEnmEl....Muruga shataatchar saravaNa kaaRththigai
mulai nugar paarththiba enRu paadi, molzi kulzaRaath tholzudhu
alzudhu alzudhu aatpada mulzumumalaap poruL thandhidaayO'.
After the completion of the song, the girl asked for the betel leaf box of the SwamigaL.
After three days, the SwamigaL went back to VaLLimalai. There in his asramam, he saw the betel box. In it was small chit which read,
"I won't forget you; you don't forget me - Ponggi".
- From: murugadas (@ pjc-72-223.tm.net.my)
on: Mon Jul 12 11:47:31 EDT 2004
From then onwards, the SwamigaL began to perform daily pujais for Ponggi Devi. He also established a VaLLi Temple in a nearby mandapam.
There was one occassion, when a ten-year old KuRava girl was seen to pluck flowers for pujai during the predawn hours. The devotees chased her away. Somehow or other, the SwamigaL who was somewhere else, came all the way and took all the flowers which were collected by the devotees and gave gave all of them to the girl.
One day, another SwamigaL asked VaLLimalai SwamigaL whether it was possible to see VaLLiyammai directly. The SwamigaL answered that they would see her that very night.
That night, a small girl called out for the SwamigaL. When they came out to see who it was, a sirl was seen to run in the direction of GanEsa Giri.
One day, another SwamigaL had a doubt as to the name of the Devi. The SwamigaL told him that the name will be revealed sooner or later.
The following day, a twenty two year old damsel came along singing the Thiruppugalz song, 'viragaRa nOkkiyum' and came near the SwamigaL. After the song, she said that she was very hungry and wanted rice to eat. But the SwamigaL answered that it was not possible to give her anything at that time. The girl retorted, "unnidam anbu kuuda ponggi varaadhaa?"
With that question, the SwamigaL realised that the damsel was infact VaLLi, and that VaLLi had another name - 'Ponggi', and fell at her feet. But before he could get up, she vanished.
Thus Sundara SwamigaL got the name confirmed.
There was SriVaishnava woman in Chennai who was suffering from TB. TB was not treatable in those days.
The SwamigaL had told her to recite the Thiruppugalz song - 'irumalu rOga'.
One day, the lady was conducting thithi rituals.
During the rituals, a kuRava girl who looked like a beggar came into the house - right into the kuudam.
The vaidhika family members chased her.
But she laughed and asked, "Has he taught you only 'irumalu rOgam'? Has he not taught you 'madhiyaal viththaganaagi'?. Saying this, she just went out.
They realised only later that the girl was indeed VaLLi or Ponggi Devi.
After this miracle, the pious lady built the statue of the SwamigaL in he asramam.
List all pages of this thread