Significance of the Tamil Month ' Aippasi '

Significance of the Tamil Month ‘ Aippasi ‘

       -  P.Natarajan, camp: Denver, CO.

Aippasi is known as ‘Tula’ month. This year the month begins on Saturday the 18th October and lasts upto Sunday, the 16th November 2014.

‘Tula Snanam’ (bath during this month) is considered sacred in river Cauvery and it is believed Ganga River enters  the Cauvery River in this month to get rid of her accumulated sin through  her devotees - one can imagine the purifying power of the river Cauvery. First day of Tula is considered as Vishu Punyakalam’ and ‘Pitru-tarpanam’ is observed.

The Sun traverses in Tula Rasi in this month - hence the name for the month.

Aippasi month brings the festival of lights - Deepavali. Family members join together to celebrate Diwali.. The children who are studying outside, newly married couples - all make a beeline to their home of origin and thus Diwali brings joy to the family unit. Naraka Chaturthi Snanam which is also known as Ganga-Snanam is taken before the Sun rise. It is believed that River Ganga flows  into all water sources including the taps in our homes on that  day. The vessel containing Ganga Water is decorated with turmeric, kumkum paste and flowers before heating up. Goddess Lakshmi resides in the gingelly oil which is used for the bath. The festival is in sequence to the boon obtained by Narakasura when he was vanquished by Lord Krishna. The day is celebrated as Diwali.

The people of Ayodhya welcomed the return of Sri Rama after  killing  Ravana by lighting oil lamps in their homes.

( Return of Sri Rama to Ayodhya after Ravanavadam in Pushpaka Vimana.)

This event is also commemorated as festival of lights or Deepavali.

( Great Welcome to Sri Rama in Ayodhya )

We have seen two asuras namely Narakasura and Ravana were killed in Tula Month.  Tula month boasts of one more asura who was killed by Lord Subramanya. The day is observed as Skanda Sashti which is sukla sashti - the sixth day after Diwali when Surapadman was vanquished on the 6th day of the war, There is more significance of observing ‘Sashti-viratham’. The Sashti viratham is  observed on sukla sashti day of every month for one full year starting from Skanda sashti for begetting progeny. Skanda in Sanskrit  means spilling or skirting and stands as another name for Lord Subramanya or Murugan or Karthikeya. The place of worship of killing Soorapadman is ‘Thiruchendur’ in South of Tamilnadu - where the Temple is situated on the shores of Bay of Bengal in a scenic background. Tula Snanam in the ocean (Samudra Snanam) is also considered most sacred.

The Astrological significance of Shashti Vrutham for begetting a child:- The day being Skanda Sashti, Chandra (Matrukaraka ) is placed in the House of Guru who is ‘putrakaraka’ - that is in Dhanur Rasi or in the next one Makara Rasi (first part). Chandra, besides being blessed by Surya.

(Thiruchendur temple on the shore of Bay of Bengal )

traverses in Surya’s Nakshatra namely in ‘Uthiradam’. The devotee obtains ‘Guru Palan’ which fosters a child in the family. The Tamil Proverb “ Chittayil Irundal thane Kappayil Varum” - Chittayil relates to Sashtiyil and Kappayil relates to uterus or womb where the newborn grows. Thiruchendur Kshetra is regarded as a place of Guru  who destroys the ‘dosha’ and blesses  with a progeny.

( Thiruchendur Murugan - Muruganukku Arohara )

In the month of Aippasi, on fullmoon day ‘Anna-abhishekam’ is performed to Lord Shiva. Pitru Karakan Surya who is shadowed in the period of Tula, and when Chandra being matrukaraka shines brightly on the fullmoon day, anna-abhishekam to lord Shiva is  considered as very auspicious. This brings out how mother takes care of the family when the man or father’s position is  weak.  

Kedar Gouri vratham is performed on Amavasya day in Aippasi. Parvati Devi  completes Kedar Gouri vrutham and unites with Lord Shiva and takes her place at the left half of Shiva (Ardhanareeswara). Shiva and Shakti - Sivasakthi is the force which is responsible for all movements and for the  existence of the Universe and the world to function.

(A seated Ardhanarishvara with both vahanas)

Ardhanarishvara is a composite androgynous form of Shiva and his consort Parvathi. Ardhanarishvara represents the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies of the Universe.

Similarly the Head of the house  should give equal rights to his better half for running the affairs of the household.

The business community performs Lakshmi-Kubera worship on this day which coincides with Diwali. Surya, the Lord of Prosperity and Chandra, the Lord of Profession jointly traverse in Tula Rasi and usher growth to business and bestow more and appreciable gains to business community.  They open new Accounts on this day after performing Lakshmi- Kubera worship. Goddess Lakshmi blesses with Aiswarya of all kinds.( Ashta Aishwaryas).

The Sun also worships Lord Narayana in a deep penance to save the people from floods and famine. “ Aippasiyil Adai  Mazhai” is a Tamil Maxim meaning that the month of Aippasi brings heavy rains causing floods. Famine follows as a result.

The great saints born in Aippasi month include ‘Poosalar Nayanar’ (26th October); Kadavar Cone Nayanar (5th November), and Thirumoolar ( 5th November) who sang‘Thirumanthiram’ consisting of 3000 songs.

Tula  also refers to physical balance and the periods of day and night are equal during this  month.

Let us also pray for equality amidst us and for removal of hunger and famine and usher  in prosperity and peace.

“ The whole world is one drama. God is the Script writer “  -  Paramacharya

“ If we regard everything pertaining to us , and everything we do, as an offering to god, we will give that mental equanimity necessary to remain unaffected.” -  -

-Paramacharya

Wishing A Happy Deepavali to everyone !

pns

Two Signifies Symmetry

‘Two’ Signifies Symmetry - P.Natarajan.

Two identical or similar things form a pair. For example we say a pair of gloves or a pair of earrings. Two individuals who are associated in some way like a pair of liars can be cited as another example. A married couple is a pair. Two playing cards of the same denomination is  a pair. Two card players matched together against different contestant is a pair. Two postage stamps joined together either vertically or horizontally is called a philately pair. A pair of scissors come under this category.

( Symmetry in Architecture )

Symmetry is beauty based on or characterized by such excellence of proportion. A circle has a rotational symmetry and reflection symmetry. Symmetry refers to correspondence in size, form and arrangement of parts on opposite sides of the plane.

The creation of the human body is a wonder. The anatomy or parts of the body like hands, fingers and all others are in their places. The fingers have different lengths in some proportions and when the hands fold in a ‘namaskar’ form, the fingers of both the hands join perfectly and symmetrically. We can note a similar thing in our legs also - ( The skin under the foot however much we walk, does not get worn out.  Also the center portion of the foot does not touch the ground ).

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( Symmetry in Physical Body )

It is the wonder of creation that we have two numbers of organs which help us in smooth functioning the body. We have two eyes that give a smart look to a person. Listening is very important and to do this we have two ears. To stand on one’s legs, we have a pair of legs. Similarly nostrils, kidneys, intestines, lungs and excretory passages are in pairs in humans. One mouth and one heart is intentional and it is left to the readers to answer the question ‘why’?.

We can explore two types in many walks of life. There is bliss and there is pain. Happiness that comes after undergoing the sufferings is really enjoyable. Life unfolds youth and aged. The sex of the born child is either a male or female.. A coin also has two sides, head and tail. Jivatma and Paramatma are two - a pair of entities. In religion we can cite Advaitham and  Dwaitham. ( Visishtadvaita is the offshoot of Dwaitham and hence not reckoned in the discussion ). The Sun, the stars, the sea are Natures’ beauty in symmetry.

( A Beauty in Symmetry )

The VIBGYOR formation of the Rainbow is a topic of poetry. rainbow bends in a symmetric way on the right and left halves.

The Symmetry of splashing water in air is like an architecture. The musical fountain contains moving jets of water, coloured lights and recorded music controlled by a computer for dramatic effects.

Architects employ overall symmetry as a method of telling the viewer that the building is a physical impression of an important belief and ideas of the people who constructed it. Egyptian Pyramids, Greek Parthenon, 1st and 2nd temples of Jerusalem,  China’s forbidden city, Cambodia’s Angkor wat complex, gothic architecture, Cathedrals, Indian Temples, Jefferson’s ( American President) Monticello - all these speak volumes in symmetry and esteem.

Taj Mahal is an example for bilateral symmetry.

A butterfly also is symmetrical bilaterally.  

A symmetric function is a function which is unchanged by any permutation of its variables. for Example :  X+Y+Z and XY+YZ are symmetric functions, where as X to the power of two minus YZ is not symmetric. Sudoku grid is a latin square where no repeated values from 1 to 9 in any of the blocks of contiguous 3x3 cells follow a symmetric pattern.  2x2 game puzzles like ‘prisoners’ dilemma’, ‘chicken’, stag hunt’  are based on symmetry.

Role of symmetry in Music finds many aspects of creation and perception. Pottery created using a wheel acquires full rotational symmetry. A palindrome follows symmetry to read it same in both directions like ‘Amor’ and ‘Roma’; Race Car; Taco cat’; “No’x’ in Nixon”; Malayalam; Level, etc.

As an individual is friendly, others become more cooperative with him. Japanese word for ‘Thank You’ is ‘Sumimasen’ which means this will not end. It calls for future action of kindness.  Positive action is proactive whereas negative action is retrograde or inverse.  Reciprocity in effect conveys the sense of symmetry. Symmetrical interactions send the message ‘We are all the same’ while asymmetrical interaction send the message ‘I am special, better than you’. Peer relationships are based on symmetry whereas power relationship are based on asymmetry. 

In Direct Current Technology, there are two terminals one having positive charge and the other negative charge. Potential energy ( Stationary ) is asymmetrical to Kinetic energy. (moving)

There is a chinese saying that good things come in pairs. In Finland two candles are lit on Independence Day - putting them on window sill invokes the symbolic meaning of division and thus independence. In baseball scorekeeping, 2 (two) is the position of the Catcher.

Number Two happens to be the name of several fictional characters and their titles -( eg: Two Women. A Tale of Two Cities...etc..)

If one ( 1 ) is the essence, Two ( 2 ) is the existence.

pn