Topic started by murugadas (@ 210.186.103.32) on Sun Nov 11 17:38:58 .
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This thread is an off-shoot from the thread 'Meaning of Name' Sengalvaraya.
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- From: murugadas (@ j156.spt20.jaring.my)
on: Sat Sep 6 10:59:34 EDT 2003
Murugan is known as Guruparan in Palzani also.
Another speciality is the unique method od worship in Palzani.
A lot of abhishEkam is performed.
PanchAmirdham and VibhUthi are the most important types of abhishEkam.
It was in Palzani, that Thiruppugalz SachidhAnandha SwAmigaL or VaLLimalai SwAmigaL
as he is popualrly known underwent his own thaduththAtkoLLal and his own sAdhanas. And importantly, he also came to know of Thiruppugalz
for the first time in Palzani.
It was here, that he learned to read Tamil. He also received a copy of the first edition of
Thiruppugalz which had until that time been lost to the world almost totally.
We will go into some details about Palzani.
- From: murugadas (@ j156.spt20.jaring.my)
on: Sat Sep 6 11:16:55 EDT 2003
Palzani is near Madurai and Dindukkal, on the way to KOyampuththUr.
It was also known as Thiru Avinan kudi. It was in the VaikAvUr nAdu of Konggu maNdalam.
It is a hill and the temple of Murugan is situated on top of the hill. The town is at the foot of the hill.
The place is also holy to the Muslims; MuhaiyadhIn ANdavar has a dhargha there.
The great siddhar BOgar has also attained samAdhi
in Palzani.
His disciples PulipANi and others have their Ashramams in Palzani.
Agathiyar presence is also very powerful in Palzani.
Palzani has always been the centre for Siddha Vaiththiyam - Siddha system of medical practice.
Many rare herbs are to be found there.
It is the Palzani panchAmirdham and vAsanai javvAdhu abhishEka vibhUthi that attract people's
attention.
Another uniqueness about Palzani - the statue of Murugan is made up of 'nava pAshANam'. This is a very secret formula. The statue was made by the Siddhar BOgar.
The milk that has been poured as abhishEkam, posseses medicinal qualities.
The kaubInam which had remained soaked with the abhishEka milk will have the milk wrung out.
This milk has more medicinal qualities which is
in a more concentrated form.
Many illnesses are cured by this milk.
In fact, the illness of Thiruppugalz SwAmigaL was
totally and miraculously cured by this milk and the bananas which had been offered as naivEdhyam to Murugan.
- From: murugadas (@ )
on: Sun Oct 26 20:02:23
This will be a correct place go into some details about:
Palzani
Thiruppugalz
AruNagirinathar and
Thiruppugalz SwAmigaL
- From: ananth (@ sherbrooke-hse-ppp3604392.sympatico.ca)
on: Tue Oct 28 07:55:42 EST 2003
Thiru Murugadas:
Please do elaborate on these topics during this auspicious Kandha shashti period.
- From: murugadas (@ 210.186.103.164)
on: Tue Oct 28 09:46:59 EST 2003
Palzani must have been a very ancient place of worship connected to Murugan.
There is a story which explains the name - Palzani.
The Rishi Naaradhar brought a fruit - a Fruit of Wisdom - to Sivan. Murugan and Ganesar immediately asked for the fruit for themselves.
A competition was suggested. Whomsoever traverses the whole Universe first, will be given the fruit as a reward.
Murugan took off in His pea-cock.
It beat all barriers and sped around the whole universe.
But Ganesar pointed to His parents Sivan and Parvathi, and asked Naradhar whether they are His universe. Naaradhar answered in the affirmative.
Upon this, Ganesar went round His parents and proclaimed that Sivan and Parvathi, His parents are the universe and by going around Them, He had completed his journey around the universe. And since He had completed first, the reward should go to Him.
Sivan gave Him the fruit.
Shortly thereafter, Murugan completed the travel around the universe and saw that Ganesar was having the fruit.
He asked Sivan for the fruit.
But Sivan pointed his finger at Murugan and said "Palzam nii!" - "You are the Fruit of Wisdom".
Murugan got angry by this and went away. He donned the kOvaNam of an aaNdi - monk and went to the top of a hill and stayed put.
Siva, Parvathi, and the other devas beseached Him to come back to Kailasam, but Murugan prefered to stay there and received special types of worships there.
The hill where He stood came to be called after the name that Sivan had given to Murugan - 'Palzam nii'.
This became 'Palzani' in due course.
- From: murugadas (@ 210.186.103.30)
on: Tue Oct 28 10:09:31 EST 2003
Palzani is very unique place. It is associated with Siddhars.
Worship to Murgan also differs from what is normally carried out at other Murugan temples.
A lot of abhishegams take place. Milk, honey, vibhUthi, sandalwood paste, etc.
But the bulk of the abhishekam is milk.
But a special abhishekam is that of 'panchAmirtham'. Literally taken, it would mean 'the five nectars'.
It is a mixture of five sweet ingredients -
Brown sugar
Very ripe bananas
Honey
Jack fruit
Mangos
But the ingredients may vary - dates, ghee, saffron stamen(kungguma puu), pacchai karpuuram might also be added.
Panchamirtha abhishekam is a singular speciality of Palzani. 'Palzani panchamirtham' is world famous.
The vibhuthi is also special. Javvadhu is added to very finely powdered vibhuthi. This is used for abhishekam.
Among the javvadhu vibhuthis, Palzani Siddhanathan javvadhu vibhuthi is the most famous.
The abhishekamed vibhuthi has curative qualities.
- From: Murugadas (@ 210.186.103.30)
on: Tue Oct 28 10:21:48 EST 2003
What is javvadhu?
It is one of the fragrances whcih are used for worship, medicine, cosmetics, perfumes, and some vasiyam applications.
It is obtained from a pair of glands in a type of Civet Cat. It is akin to another species of civet cat that secretes 'punugu'.
- From: murugadas (@ 210.186.103.20)
on: Wed Oct 29 06:17:32 EST 2003
Among the special types of worship of Murugan, there is a singular type of worship called 'carrying the kaavadi'.
A kaavadi is a long pole with loads and burdens at each end.
They are nicely balanced at both ends.
The mid-section of the pole is placed on the shoulder.
Then the carrier walks with a jaunt.
This causes the pole to swing up and down. This gives a certain amount of bouyancy. With a lilting gait and the kaavadi swinging up and down, the kaavadi carrier can go tirelessly for long distances with the kaavadi.
How did this practice start in Palzani?
The Rishi Agathiyar had a disciple who was an arakkan - Rakshasa. His name was Idumban.
Agathiyar sent him to Kailas Mountain to fetch two hills called SivaGiri and ShakthiGiri.
Idumban tied each one of the hills to the ends of a gigantic pole and slung them over his shoulder and started to go to Podhiyil, the mountain abode of Agathiyar.
As he neared Podhiyil, he put down his burdens and went to quench his thirst.
When he came back and tried to lift his burdens, he could not. However much as he tried, he could not budge those two hills off the ground.
Then he saw a small boy standing on one of the hills. He tried to chase him away. But the small boy would not go away. So Idumban tried to forcefully get rid of him. But a fight ensued between Idumban and the small boy. In the event of that fight, Idumban was killed by the small boy.
Idumbi, the wife of Idumban went to Agathiyar and lamented over the fate of her husband.
Agathiyar came to the small boy who was none other than Murugan.
Agathiyar is one of the disciples of Murugan. The other disciple is Arunagirinathar.
So Agathiyar prayed to Murugan to raise up Idumban for his sake and the sake of Idumban's wife, Idumbi.
Murugan did so. Idumban became a guardian of Palzani Hill.
Murugan decreed that His devotees bring milk pots slung at the ends of a pole and carried as a kaavadi. This milk should be used for His abhishekam.
This is how the practice started.
But later on other forms kaavadis came into being - rose water, sandalwood paste, flower, cockeral, machchak kaavadi, paRavi kaavadi, etc. In addition 'paal kudam' - pots of milk were also carried on the heads and brought for abhishekam.
Kaavadi carrying is accompanied with severe penance like fasting, abstinence, etc.
Thai Puusam and Pangguni Uththaram became auspicious for carrying kaavadai.
After kaavadi carrying, the worship is completed by performing the Idumban Pujai. Usually a cockeral is cooked and offered to Idumban in a padaiyal.
Kaavadi carrying is accompanied by music with a particular type of beat. The kaavadi carriers dance along to the music on their journey.
This brings us to...............
- From: murugadas (@ 210.186.103.32)
on: Wed Oct 29 19:09:28 EST 2003
Kaavadiyaattam and its music and rhythm.
But before that, I have to add one thing.
Among the various types of kaavadis, there is also a major type called 'alagu kaavadi'.
Sharp spikes are used in this. They are shaped like the 'vEl' spear and are sharp at the distal end.
They are of different sizes, ranging from a few centimetres to a metre in length.
The skin of the torso, face, etc., is pierced with the sharp end, so that it goes below the skin. One end of it, is thus lodged below the skin.
Tongues and cheeks are also pierced vertically or laterally.
Hooks are also used.
Small pots with milk may be attached to the hooks which are hooked into the skin.
Bigger hooks are attached to long ropes which are tied to small decorated chariots which carry a portrait of Murugan. These hooks are hooked into the skin of the back. The devotee pulls the chariot.
In Paravai kaavadi, a large number of hooks are used to suspend the devotee from a moveable frame.
Kaavadi carrying is associated with a state of trance.
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