Versatility of the Number " 3 " described in 60 ways !

P.Natarajan.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

When we begin, we begin with No1. The next number two suggests some clout and there are some questions like ' which are the two and what difference it makes and so on'. Three, as we call the next number, is versatile. When we usher in the No.' 3 ', the differences raised by number two vanish. Number three is considered as a unifying number and vibrant.

This essay discusses the versatility of Number '3' in as much as 60 ways. The reader is requested to spare time to look how the number explores in many ways.

1) Management books speak of the importance of the "Three" Visions - viz - the foresight (thinking ahead), the hind sight (examining after the event), the hunch (premonition) -

- the classic case of the growth of a business enterprise is Reliance Industries due to hunch of its founder leader Dirubai Ambani. He was greatly inspired and carried out his mind's convictions (hunch) to transform RIL from a small beginning to a mighty Enterprise.

2) ' The Three Investigators ' series authored by Robert Arthur is about the adventures of three little boys (1) Jupiter Jones, (2) Pete Cranshaw and (3) Bob Andrews who solve puzzles and mysteries in the series which is a big hit.


3) Sanskrit language specifies three Vachanas - Eka Vachana, Dwi Vachana, & Bahu Vachana (singular,dual and plural).


4) Economics teaches the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary levels of economics. Tertiary Economics is economy of third order, higher than the secondary.


5) Three Musketeers is a famous novel by Alexandre Dumas.


6) Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear belong to a 'triology' of tragedy works of Shakespeare.


7) Trimester- three months of human gestation period.


8) Tripos Speech - A Cambridge Honors Examination - List of successful candidates in it --- traceable to a custom after a B.A. known as Mr.Tripos sat on a three legged stool and disputed in the Philosophy School at Cambridge on an Ash Wednesday - his speech being called the ' Tripos Speech ' !


9) We worship Shiva who has 'Trinetra'- the third eye emits fire to destroy the evils.


10) "Triambaka" , "Trikagnikalaya" - Rudram in veda recital praises Lord Shiva in this manner. Triambakeswarar Temple which is one of 12 Jyothirlingams is in Nasik.


11) 'Trimurthi' represents the combined force of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.


12) "Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswathi" - the three Goddesses are worshiped during the 9 days of 'Navarathri' festival in India.


13) Trinity means threefold, three in one, the triune God of orthodox Christian.


14) Trialogue is a dialogue between three persons.


15) Worship Mother, Father and Guru - the three as Gods.


16) 'Trident' or "Trishul" - the three edged spear is the weapon of Lord Shiva. ( Trishul is also a missile developed by Indian Ministry of Defence ).


17) Lalitha Sahasranamam spells out 'Namavalis ' like ' Triupura, Trinayana, Trijagathvandhya and Trimurthi ...in the series starting with three.


18) Mahabali was a generous king and growing in popularity. The Devas feared his supremacy and prayed to Lord Vishnu to protect them. Vishnu appeared before Mahabali disguised as Vamana, a poor brahmin and demanded three paces of land . Vishnu covered the whole of Earth with one foot, the skies with the second and crushed Mahabali to Patala with the third step. Home coming of Mahabali is celebrated as Onam (Thiruvonam) festival in Kerala.


19) Ayurveda Medicine is based on the three principles of ' Pittha, Kapha and Vayu '.


20) Have a heavy break-fast, moderate lunch and a light dinner - the 'three' for a healthy living !


21) Entertain your guest with a 'three' course servings of delicious food.


22) Three Roses ' is a brand of Tea manufactured by a reputed firm.

23) Trigeminal nerve is the fifth cranial nerve that connects the brain and the face.


24) Tricuspid Valve is located between the Right Auricle and the Right Ventricle in the human heart.


25) Walk, jog and run to maintain your slim line.


26) Study in the morning, work in the afternoon, relax in the evening and make the day useful.


27) Try, Try and Try again - at least three times for success !


28) Enjoy your travel by road, sea and air (three modes of travel ) to get a global view !


29) The opinions are of three fold - accept, oppose or be neutral.


30) Third Party insurance protects the third party other than the principals (the insurer and the insured)


31) Third rate refers to a poor quality.


32) The Trilogy movies are - Lord of the Rings, God Father, Star Wars..(to name 3 only)


33) Triple Sundae is a popular variety of ice cream.


34) Mango, ,jackfruit & banana are set of three fruits offered during puja.


35) Triennial - happening every third year.


36) Good, Better and Best - the third phase is " The Best' or ' The Super most '.


37) The World Cup-2011 - India has won, not lost till now and encountered a tie against England also ! (3-results in a game)


38) Third Umpire (TV Replay) can rule out the main umpire's decision which we are witnessing in the world Cup 2011 today.


39) Third man is a fielder between the point and slip in Cricket and a stylish hit to third man boundary is a beauty !


40) The famous Spin Trio in Indian Cricket were Bedi, Prasanna and Chandrashekar.


41) Triple Jump, Triple Chase, Triathlon are Sports events


42) Tricycle is used by children before they start riding the bicycle.


43) Lal, Bal, Pal the Swadeshi 'triumvirate' who advocated the Swadeshi movement.
(Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal resply).


44) Third World Economics is a term used to refer the developing countries, not aligned politically with the Power Blocks..


45) Triple Alliance was the league of England, Sweden and Netherlands formed against France in 1668.


46) Triode is an Electronic Valve and consists of three terminals ;- an anode, a cathode and a gate. Gate circuit is useful for many logistic applications.


47) Third Stream is a style of music having features of jazz and classical music.


48) Trinity of Carnatic Music refers to the three great composers - Saint Thyagaraja,
Muthuswamy Dikshithar & Shyama Sastry.


49) Adi Sankara , Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhvachariar are the three Heads who propagated the Hindu religion and established the three sects namely Advaitha, Vishishtadvaita and Dwaitha resply.


50) A nuclear family consists of the Father, Mother and a child. When the child is born the family bond grows stronger.


51)' Three Idiots' is a popular Indian Movie.


52)) Time is referred as Past, Present and Future. - the three tenses in Grammar also.


53) The three rationale:- Body, Mind and Spirit or Atman - is a Philosophy.


54) Solid, liquid and Gas -are the three states of matter .


55) Saffron, White and Green - three colors of prominence occupy the Tri- color Indian National Flag -


56) A Triangle is a plane figure with three sides and three angles within it . Trigonometry is the branch of mathematics that treats the relations between the sides and angles of a Triangle.


57) Three Phase Supply are marked by RYB (Red, Yellow and Blue - the primary colors )
- widely used in Industries.


58) Triple Point is a reference point where the Solid, Liqid and Gaseous forms of a substance co-exist. For eg.: Triple Point for Water is 273.16K.


59)Tripod is anything on three feet or legs especially a stand for an instrument.


60) Tripitaka--The Buddhist Canon is traditionally divided into three parts, called
Tripitaka, which has the meaning "Three baskets", i.e. the Sutras, Sastras and the Vinaya.


[ Number '3' is described in 60 different ways - a number divisible by 3 ]


" Bye " ! ( this is also a three letter word) meaning " Let God Be With You " !!!!!!!!


pn

" A Quiz about Shivarathri which is observed today "

- P.Natarajan.

Q-1) ' Mahashivarathri ' falls on which day ?

(Ans:- Tamil Month 'Masi'(Kumbha), Krishnapaksha Chathurdasi Day (Pradhosham), is observed as Mahashivarathri. People fast and keep awake whole night worshiping Lord Shiva. This year Shivarathri falls on March 02, the Wednesday.



border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579176503799141490" />

-Picture of the presiding Deity Shiva in the Temple in Old Airport road in Bangalore.

Q-2) Name the five Shivarathri(s) !

(Ans:- (1) Nithyashivarathri which occurs on Prodhasham day during Krishnapaksham & Suklapaksham in all the 12 months of the year . (2) Paksha Shivarathri - worship of Shiva - starting in Makara month in Krishnapaksham from Prathama to Chathurdhasi day.
(3) 'Shivarathri that occurs in every month apart from the Chathurdhasi day and which is notified in the Panchangam. (4) Yoga Shivarathri falls on Somavara or Monday when Amavasya coincides for the full day (5) Mahashivarathri which occurs in Tamil month 'Masi'.

Q-3) Describe in what ways Shiva and Number '5' are connected .

( Ans:- NO.(1) Puranas worship Shiva as having Five faces. 'Esanam, Tatpurusham, Agoram, Vamadevam, Sathyojatham are the Five Faces. Manikkavachagar says Shiva's five faces have five colours. Esanam in the center is transparent and glass like. East facing Tatpurusham is Golden, South facing Agoram is Black, North facing Vamadevam is Red, West facing Sathyojatham is White. Five Faces having Five Colors face Five directions.

No.(2) Lord Shiva dances in Five Sabhas (halls). First one is Chitrasabha in Kutralam, second Copper Sabha in Tirunelveli, third 'Rathna Sabha' in Tiruvalangadu, fourth 'Velli Ambalam' in Madurai, Gold Sabha in Thiruchitrambalam (Chidambaram)

(3)The Five Deed that belong to Shiva:
Creation, Protection, Destruction, Thriyodhanam, (concealing)& Anugraha (Compassion).

(4) The Five Puranas which are sung in Sivasannidhi are Thevaram, Thiruvachagam, Thiruvisaippa, Thiruppallandu, and Periapuranam.

(5) ' N A M A SHI VA YA' - Shiva is worshiped by chanting this name many times. People apply (1) Vibhoothi on their foreheads, (2) wear rudhraksha, (3) do Panchakshara Japa 'OHM NAMASIVAYA', (4) perform archana with Vilvam leaves, (5) recite five puranas on Mahashivarathri day.


Q-4) Do you know the mythological stories connected with Shivarathri ?

Ans:- There are 4 stories which figure in Puranas prominently.

1) A tussle arose once between Brahma and Vishnu - ' Who is superior of the two?' They both agreed that whoever finds first the head and feet of Lord Shiva and return would be the winner. The whole world trembled witnessing the fight between the Omnipotents and darkness prevailed everywhere. Lord Shiva took the form of a Jyothi which obviously has no head or feet. Brahma, Vishnu and Devas and Rishis realized the whole truth about Lord Shiva and offered worship on that day which is now observed as Mahashivarathri.

2) When Parvathi Devi playfully closed the eyes of Shiva the world plunged into utter darkness. The people wept and prayed for light. Lord Shiva brought the jyothi forward and illumined the world. That day is celebrated as Shivarathri.

3) 'Neelakanta' ( Neelagreeva in Sanskrit ) as the name refers to the incident of Shiva taking the 'Aalahala poison' that emerged when Devas and Asuras churned the 'Ksheerabdhi' by Manthra mountain with the help of Vasuki the Serpent God, with an intention to save the world from the ill-effects of the poison. The poison stayed at the throat level of Shiva, when Parvathi stopped Siva from devouring it, and Shiva's throat turned 'neela'. The Devas prayed for the safety of Lord Shiva and that day is observed as Shivarathri.

4) 'Pralaya Kalam' begins at the end of a Yuga when everything perishes leaving only Shiva and Parvathi when the latter pleads to Shiva to save the world from destruction by offering puja in 4 phased 'Kala' extensively. The world got a new life and that day when Parvathi worshiped Shiva has come to be known as 'Mahashivarathri'.

Q-5) Do you know the meaning of the word "SHIVAM " ?

Ans:- Shivam means " Prosperous or Auspicious ". Paramashivam spells elevated Success. Surya Deva, Lord Subrahmanya, Yama, Indra, Kubera, Manmatha, Agni - all came to know about the significance of Shivarathri through Nandi, the Bull God. They all observed 'vrata' and worshiped Lord Shiva on Shivarathri day to bring prosperity to the whole world.

Shivam also means 'Exalted Peace'!

Q-6) Which 'Shivalaya' in South India , is worshiped as 'Markanteyasthala' where Shiva saved Markanteya (who is a Chiranjeevi ) from the clutches of Yama?

Ans:- Thirukkadaiyur near Mayiladuthurai which place is also famous for conducting "Sashtiabdapoorthi Poorthi Kalyanam" , the 60th birthday for longevity!

Q-7) Name the place where VEERABADRAMURTHY ( Shiva )enjoys the showers after destroying Daksha and SHOWERS HIS GRACE !

Ans:-Thirparappu Falls near Cape, 40 miles from Nagerkoil is famous for its cool and copious showers. Veerabadra in the name of Mahadeva is showering his blessings here.

Q-8) What vratam (rituals) did Brahma undertake to marry Saraswathi and Vishnu to obtain "Chakrayudham" ?

Ans:- Both worshiped Lord Shiva and observed " Shivarathri Vrata " to attain their goals.

Q-9) Where did Sri Rama undertake the worship of Lord Shiva to get rid of the sins of Rama - Ravana yuddha?

Ans:- Rameswaram in South India. Rameswaram is considered as holy as Varanasi in the North and a bath in the sea and performing rituals in the sea shore at least once in a life time is aspired by religious people.


Q-10) Where is " 108 Sivalayam " ? What its significance ?


Ans:- The Temple (108 Sivalayam ) is situated in Papanasam in Thanjavur District in Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity is known as Ramalinga Swamy.

Kudamurutti River (KAVERI River at this place is called by this name) in Papanasam where Sita was playing with the sand and making small heaps. Sri Rama who saw these queried Sita whether she was making Shiva Lingams. Sita had already made 107 sand heaps looking like Shiva Lingams. Rama's inquiry proved true & the sand heaps turned into 107 real Shiva Lingams. Hanuman who was deputed to Varanasi to bring One Shiva Lingam from there finally arrived at Papanasam where Sita had already made 107 Lingams. What Hanuman brought from Varanasi came to be known as the 108th Lingam and called the 'Hanumantha Lingam '. This place is a cure for those whose horoscope suffers the adverse effect of Saturn in the 8th place (Ashtamasani) or 7.5 years of the rule of the Saturn.

Q-11) Shiva is called a Physician in this famous Temple in Tamil Nadu Name it

Ans. The place is " VAITHEESWARAN KOIL " near Chidambaram. The Shiva Deity is also known as ' VAITHEESWARAN " . The place is famous for cure for 'Angaraha - Dosha ' in the horoscope. 'Vaitheeswaran in Tamil means Doctor of Medicine.


Q-12) List some names of Shiva and Rama in one ?


Ans:- Ramalingam, Sivaraman, Ramanathan, Sivaramakrishnan, Rameswaran, Ramasubramanian, Ramdev, Ramananda, Ramasubban ...... ( Lingam, Nathan, Eswaran, Subramanian, Dev and Subban - all refer to Shiva's names )


Q-13) Where is world's tallest Statue of Lord Shiva is situated ?



Ans) It is located in Nepal, 25 k.m. east of Kathmandu and measures 108 feet from feet to head and 143feet from feet to Thirushul. (see picture above)

Q-14) Where the tallest statue of Shiva located in India ?



Murdeshwara, the tallest in India is located in Karnataka, the place is also known by the Idol's name. It is 123 feet tall and located in Bhatkal TK. in Uttara kannada District in the sea shore.. It is also considered tallest in the world measuring from feet to the head.

In Q-13, the measurement is from feet to the Thirushul, hence tallest. If the measurement is considered from feet to head, Murdeshwara is the tallest in the world.

A small piece from Rudram for reciting on the occasion of Shivarathri as the quizzing stops here:-

" Namasthe asthu Bhagavan Visweswaraya, Mahadevaya, Triambakaya, Triupuranthakaya, Trukagnikalaya, Kalgnirudrya, Neelakantaya, Mruthyunjayaya, Sarveswaraya, Sadasivaya, Sriman Mahadevaya Namaha " ( These are the names of Siva in Yajur Veda and each name bears a significant 'tatparyam'!

Ohm Namo Bhagavathe Rudraya Vishnave Mrithyurme Pahi ! ( these ending words of Rudram is a prayer meaning :- " Salutations to Lord Shiva to bless us with a long and peaceful life )

Ohm Shanthi Shanthi Shanthihi !!!!!!

pn