Andal composed two significant works in her short life. Both are in Tamil and are unique in their literary, philosophical, religious, and artistic content. Her contribution is even more remarkable considering that she was a teenage girl when she composed these poems, at a time when there is no other record of Tamil women composing poetry. Far from being the prattlings of a youngster, Andal’s verses display a literary and religious maturity far beyond her…
by Shri Swami Sivananda Holi also means “sacrifice.” Burn all the impurities of the mind, such as egoism, vanity, and lust, through the fire of devotion and knowledge. Ignite cosmic love, mercy, generosity, selflessness, truthfulness, and purity. In days of yore, there were communities of cannibals in India. They caused much havoc, threatening the lives of many innocent people. One of them was Holika or Putana. She took immense delight in devouring children. Sri Krishna destroyed her ...
by Shri Swami Sivananda O Adorable Krishna! Let my longing eyes behold Thy form. Let my ears hear Thy flute. O Healer of all sorrows! Show me Thyself. Thou art the only Truth—All the rest is false. I crave not for Mukti; I long not for emancipation; Let there be devotion to Thy feet. Be kind unto me, O Lord! Remove my delusion. I am a servant unto Thee. The auspicious hour came. The star Rohini was ...
Walking down the corridors of the Sriranganathaswami temple at Srirangam, one would discover apocryphal stories unraveling at every point. The Lord, endowed with human traits and considered by the people as their own child “Ranga,” resides here. This ancient island town on the banks of the Cauvery throbs with life perennially and is home to many peace-loving residents who seem to be members of one huge family. “The people of this town treat Ranganatha like…
The figure of Rama and several episodes from the Ramayana are prominent in the poems of the Tamil mystics (Alvars), as well as in the devotional meditations and theological arguments of the Srivaishnava preceptors (Acharyas). This article will explore the importance of the Ramayana in Srivaishnava theology and experience by focusing on the Tamil poetry of the Alvars and on the interpretation of these verses by their commentator, Periyavaccan Pillai (born 1228 A.D.), a Srivaishnava ...
by Dr. Shantanu Dutta Choudhury With my humble obeisance at the lotus feet of my beloved Guruji, I would like to pen my thoughts on Seva Dharma as taught by Him and other saints and savants. In the past 20 years of my intense association with saints and devotees of different faiths and beliefs, and through reading a lot of spiritual literature, I have come to the conclusion that Guruji’s message and discourses are the simplest ...
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