DOCSLIB.ORG

AGASTYA AGASTYA SARAS AGASTYA KUTA. This Is AGASTYA

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
AGASTYA AGASTYA SARAS AGASTYA KUTA. This Is AGASTYA AGASTYA AGASTYA SARAS 22) Agastya cursing Dufpanya. Duspanya was the last (6) Agastya gave Sri Rama an arrow, which, when son of the King of Pataliputra. The wicked Duspanya shot at an asura (demon) would pierce his heart, pass had slain a large number of babies, and the King on to the other side, fly to the sea and bathe in the therefore expelled him from the palace. Duspanya sea-water and return to the quiver, it is said. (Uttara went into the forest, where he caught hold of the Ramayana). child of and killed it it Once visited the of Ugraravas by putting under ( 7) Agastya hermitage Apastamba. water. Ugraravas cursed him and accordingly he fell He asked Agastya, who, of Brahma, Visnu and Siva, into water and died and his spirit became a ghost was the Supreme deity. Agastya replied: "These three and wandered about tormented with pain and are only three different manifestations of the one anguish. At last the spirit approached Agastya, who supreme Being". (Brahmapurana). called his disciple Sutisna and asked him to go and (8) For the story of how Agastya cursed the sons of bathe in the Agni tirtha (a bath) in the Gandhama- Manibhadra and transformed them to seven palms, dana mountain and bring some water from the tirtha see the word 'Saptasala'. and sprinkle it on the spirit of Duspanya. Sutisna (9) There was a hermit called Sutisna, to whom Sri acted accordingly and immediately the spirit of Dus- Rama and Laksmana paid a visit when they were panya received divine figure and entered heaven. (Setu wandering in the forest. This Sutisna is the young- Mahatmya). er brother of Agastya. (See the word Sutisna). 23) How Agastya got golden Bangle. Once Agastya (10) Agastya cursed Suka and deformed him into a entered a forest . of about a hundred yojanas wide. The Raksasa. (See the word Suka ii.) forest was devoid of life. When he had walked a few 25) Conclusion. It is believed that the great hermit more steps some Gandharvas (semi-gods) and celestial Agastya, who had performed such wonderful deeds by maids came there singing and dancing. From among the merits of his penance, is still doing penance in the them a noble male being came forward to the bank of Agastya Kuta hills. Agastya who had travelled through- a lake in the forest and ate without any hesitation, the out the length and breadth of Bharata had several corpse of a man that was lying there. After that he hermitages. In the Valmiki Ramayana, Aranyakanda, walked round Agastya and made obeisance to him. Sarga 11, a description is given, of a beautiful hermit- Agastya asked him why he had eaten the corpse of a age of Agastya, and the peaceful atmosphere that it. man. The noble man told Agastya thus : "In treta prevailed in and around Agastya had presented to yuga (the third age) there lived a King named Vidarbha. Sri Rama a bow got from Visnu, when the brothers I am his son and my name is Sveta. After having ruled, visited his hermitage. Agastya had accompanied Sri over my kingdom for a long time, I came to the bank Rama and his followers on his return journey to of this lake and began to do penance. After that dis- Ayodhya from Lanka, with Slta after killing Ravana. carding my body I entered heaven. Though I attained There is a legend in the Tamilnad that Agastya was a heaven my hunger was not appeased. I asked Brahma member of the first two 'Saiighas' (groups) of the how, I, a dweller of heaven, got this hunger. Brahma "three Sanghas", mentioned in Tamil literature. As said that when I was King I had given nothing to any- Agastya was dwarfish he is mentioned as Kurumuni, body and so I got this hunger even after entering (short hermit) in Tamil works. He has written a Tamil heaven. As a remedy Brahma suggested that I should grammar on music, literature and drama. But this come here everyday and eat corpse and when I had work is not available now. The Tamil Grammar completed ten thousand days the hermit Agastya 'Tolkapyam', which is considered to be the oldest gram- would come here and that when I offered him a golden mar, was written by Tolkapyar, one of the twelve sin in bangle my would be washed away." Saying thus disciples of Agastya< Even today certain temples in Sveta offered to Agastya the golden bangle given by the Tamilnad, Agastya-worship is carried on. Kambar, Brahma and then he vanished and the corpse also dis- has mentioned about Agastya in his Ramayana. A great appeared. Sveta went to heaven. (Uttara Ra.ma.yana). Tamil author Villiputturan says that the Tamil langu- 24) Other informations concerning Agastya. age is the beautiful maiden presented by Agastya. (1) Agastya had a brother called Sutisna. (Agni- It is believed that the following works have been com- purana, Chapter 7) . posed by Agastya: Sutisna was s too. Glta in the (2) Agastya' disciple (Setu Maha- 1) Agastya ; Varahapurana, Pasupalopakh- tmya ) . yana. (3) Ilvala and Vatapi were the sons of the giantess 2) Agastya Sarhhita; in Paiicaratra. the Ajarnukhi. In valley of a mountain Ajamukhi pray- 3) Agastya Sarhhita, in the Skandapurana. ed to Durvasas for love and thus Ilvala and Vatapi 4) Siva Sarhhita, in Bhaskara Sarhhita. were born from Durvasas. These two sons demanded 5) Dvaidha-nirnaya Tantra. that Durvasas should impart to them all his merits of AGASTYA KUTA. This is the sacred mount where penance. Getting angry Durvasas cursed them that the sage, Agastya, sat and did penance during his so- they would meet with death at the hands of Agastya. journ in the southern parts of India. In the Kiskindha (Skandapurana, Asura Kanda). Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana we find King Sugrlva (4) Agastya had been the priest of the King Khela. commanding that all his soldiers going in search of (Rgveda, 112th Sukta). Slta should pay homage to the sage Agastya. (5) When Sri Rama returned to Ayodhya, with Slta AGASTYA PARVATA. This is a mountain in South from Larika, hermits from various parts visited him, India believed to belong to the Kalanjara mountain among whom, Dattatreya, Namuci, Pramuci, Sri range. Agastya Kuta is in this mountain. Valmiki, Soma, Kandu, Agastya and their disciples AGASTYA SARAS. This is another name for Agastya were from the South. (Uttara Ramayana) . tirtha..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Images of Loss in Tennessee Williams's the Glass Menagerie
    Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University English Dissertations Department of English 11-13-2007 Images of Loss in Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Marsha Norman's night, Mother, and Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive Dipa Janardanan Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_diss Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Janardanan, Dipa, "Images of Loss in Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Marsha Norman's night, Mother, and Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2007. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_diss/23 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of English at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Images of Loss in Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie , Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman , Marsha Norman’s ‘night , Mother , and Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive by DIPA JANARDANAN Under the Direction of Matthew C. Roudané ABSTRACT This dissertation offers an analysis of the image of loss in modern American drama at three levels: the loss of physical space, loss of psychological space, and loss of moral space. The playwrights and plays examined are Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie (1945), Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman (1949), Marsha Norman’s ‘night, Mother (1983), and Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive (1998).
    [Show full text]
  • Sita Ram Baba
    सीता राम बाबा Sītā Rāma Bābā סִיטָ ה רְ אַמָ ה בָבָ ה Bābā بَابَا He had a crippled leg and was on crutches. He tried to speak to us in broken English. His name was Sita Ram Baba. He sat there with his begging bowl in hand. Unlike most Sadhus, he had very high self- esteem. His eyes lit up when we bought him some ice-cream, he really enjoyed it. He stayed with us most of that evening. I videotaped the whole scene. Churchill, Pola (2007-11-14). Eternal Breath : A Biography of Leonard Orr Founder of Rebirthing Breathwork (Kindle Locations 4961-4964). Trafford. Kindle Edition. … immortal Sita Ram Baba. Churchill, Pola (2007-11-14). Eternal Breath : A Biography of Leonard Orr Founder of Rebirthing Breathwork (Kindle Location 5039). Trafford. Kindle Edition. Breaking the Death Habit: The Science of Everlasting Life by Leonard Orr (page 56) ראמה راما Ράμα ראמה راما Ράμα Rama has its origins in the Sanskrit language. It is used largely in Hebrew and Indian. It is derived literally from the word rama which is of the meaning 'pleasing'. http://www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Rama/f Rama For other uses, see Rama (disambiguation). “Râm” redirects here. It is not to be confused with Ram (disambiguation). Rama (/ˈrɑːmə/;[1] Sanskrit: राम Rāma) is the seventh avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu,[2] and a king of Ayodhya in Hindu scriptures. Rama is also the protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana, which narrates his supremacy. Rama is one of the many popular figures and deities in Hinduism, specifically Vaishnavism and Vaishnava reli- gious scriptures in South and Southeast Asia.[3] Along with Krishna, Rama is considered to be one of the most important avatars of Vishnu.
    [Show full text]
  • Implications for the Modern Hindu Woman in Partial Fulhlment of the Requirements for MASTER of ARTS University of Manitoba Winni
    Sitã in Tulasidãsa' s Rãmachari tamãnasa: Implications for the Modern Hindu Woman by Karen E. Green Submiued to the #ii:t Graduate studies in Partial Fulhlment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Religion University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba (c) August, 1993 NationalLibrarY Bibliothèque nationale W@W du Canada et Acouisitions and Direction des acquisitions BibliograPhic Services Branch des services bibliograPhiques Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington 395 (Ontario) Otiawa, Ontario Onawa K1A ON4 K1A ON4 YNt Iile Volre rèlërffie Our lile Nolre èl,ffie The author has E¡'anted an ß-'auteu¡r a accordé !'Jne ßice¡rce et non exclusive i nrevocable non-exclus¡ve licemce irnévoeable tslbliotlrèque allowing the frtüatio¡'lal ü-ibrary of perrnettarxt à la Ca¡rada to reproduce, loan, matio¡'¡ale du Canada de distribute 0r sell cop¡es of reproduire, Prêter, distribuer ou sa thèse his/l,er thesis bY anY sneans and vendre des coPies de sous in any for¡m or format, maldng de quelque manière et que ce soit this thesis available to interested EuelEue for¡ne Pour de cette persons. mettre des exemPlaires thèse à !a disPosition des personnes intéressées. du The author retains owt'lershiP ot t-'auteur conserve la ProPriété the copyrlght in his/her tl'lesis' droit d'auteur qu¡ Protège sa ¡ri des extraits hleither the thesis nor substantia! thèse. F',üi !a thèse ne extracts from it maY be Printed or substantiels de celle-ci otherwise reProduced without doivent être irnPrimés oL¡ son his/her permiss¡on" autrement reProduits sans autorisation.
    [Show full text]
  • Rama Navami Birthday of Rama, the Ideal Man
    folio line HOLY DAYS THAT AMERICA’S HINDUS CELEBRATE s. rajam Rama Navami Birthday of Rama, the Ideal Man organizations. They make buttermilk and a n incarnation of God, an ideal man, dutiful son and just king: lime drink called panaka, serving them to the public without charge. Some temples make these are just a few ways to describe Lord Rama, an exemplar of khoa, a sweet made from thickened milk. This Ahonor, reverence, self-control and duty. He fought battles, became festival is especially popular in Uttar Pradesh, king, married a Goddess, traveled far and befriended exotic beings who where Rama’s kingdom of Ayodhya is located. were steadfast in their loyalty and courage. Rama Navami is the cel- Is the festival observed at temples? ebration of His birthday, when Hindus honor and remember Him with Many temples hold grand celebrations on this devotional singing, dramatic performance and non-stop recitation of day, especially those with shrines for Lord His remarkable life story, the Ramayana. Rama, His wife Sita, His brother Lakshmana and His loyal friend Hanuman, Lord of Mon- keys. Panaka and garlands of the sacred When is Rama’s birth celebrated? tulsi plant are offered as families pray Rama was born on navami, the ninth for “Rama-Rajya,” a time when dharma www.dinodia.com day of the waxing moon, in the In- will once again be upheld in the world. dian month of Chaitra (late March or In South India, the day is celebrated as Panaka early April). Sometimes the festival is the marriage anniversary of Rama and Sweet Indian Limeaide observed for nine days before or after Sita.
    [Show full text]
  • Ramayana – the Game of Life
    RAMAYANA – THE GAME OF LIFE Author’s Note When was the last you came across a novel that you felt like reading all over again? Have you ever met characters in a story that appear to you different every time you read about them? Most stories can be enjoyed once, at the most twice; they have nothing new to offer after the second read. But unlike regular stories, the Ramayana grows more interesting with every reading. An all-encompassing story, it adds value to every type of reader and addresses every human need. Here, we find adventure and romance, mysticism and sinister plots, struggles and immortal values, poetry and intellectual analogies, and so much more. Some books teach ideals and some books entertain. Ramayana: The Game of Life, is an attempt to present the timeless story in a way that is entertaining to the heart and enlightening to the intellect. A good game is full of twists and turns at every stage and promises to thrill with its absolute unpredictability of results. But no one wants the same to happen in real life. Life should be extremely predictable and smooth – this is what most of us are comfortable with. Stories like the Ramayana present the realities of life in the most exciting manner. This magical epic arms us with valuable tools to deal with the various twists and turns of our own lives. The simple wisdom of dharmic tales like the Ramayana is always fresh and gives us the clarity we often need, while being rooted in time tested traditional values .
    [Show full text]
  • Valmiki Ramayana: a Spiritual Hermeneutic Reading
    International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 8 , No. 10, Oct. 2018, E-ISSN: 2222 -6990 © 2018 HRMARS Valmiki Ramayana: A Spiritual Hermeneutic Reading Puganeswari Balakrishnan & Rahimah A. Hamid To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v8-i10/5294 DOI: 10.6007/IJARBSS/v8-i10/5294 Received: 30 Sept 2018, Revised: 27 Oct 2018, Accepted: 02 Nov 2018 Published Online: 03 Nov 2018 In-Text Citation: (Balakrishnan & Hamid, 2018) To Cite this Article: Balakrishnan, P., & Hamid, R. A. (2018). Valmiki Ramayana: A Spiritual Hermeneutic Reading. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(10), 1235–1244. Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s) Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com) This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode Vol. 8, No. 10, 2018, Pg. 1235 - 1244 http://hrmars.com/index.php/pages/detail/IJARBSS JOURNAL HOMEPAGE Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://hrmars.com/index.php/pages/detail/publication-ethics 1235 International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 8 , No. 10, Oct. 2018, E-ISSN: 2222 -6990 © 2018 HRMARS Valmiki Ramayana: A Spiritual Hermeneutic Reading Puganeswari Balakrishnan and Rahimah A. Hamid Pengajian Ilmu Kemanusiaan, Universiti Pusat Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang Malaysia Abstract Ramayana is a Hindu epic literature that is popular among the traditional Indian community.
    [Show full text]
  • Ramayan As a Complete Life of Real Human Indian Journal Of
    REVIEW Indian Journal of Arts, Volume 1, Number 1, January 2013 REVIEW 687X Indian Journal of – 2320 EISSN 6659 Arts – 2320 ISSN Ramayan as a complete life of real human (jkek;.k ,d okLrfod nUlku) Senu Singh, Uma Singh (lsuq flg] mek flg) Department of Hindi, Singhania University, Rajasthan (fgUnh foHkkx] fl/kkfu;k ;fuoflZVh] jktLFkku) Received 18 October; accepted 26 November; published online 01 January; printed 16 January 2013 ABSTRACT The Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Indian life and culture. Like the Mahābhārata, the Ramayana is not just a story: it presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages (Vedas) in narrative allegory, interspersing philosophical and devotional elements. The characters Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman and Ravana are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India, Nepal, and many South- East Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. There are other versions of the Ramayana, रामायण, भारतीय परंपरा के अनुसार, और रामायण अनुसार itihāsa के आता है महाभारत . समय के साथ itihāsa एक जा रहा है अतीत घटनाओं का एक कथा (purāvṛtta) जो पर उपदेश है, मानव जीवन के है . परंपरा के अनुसार, रामायण के दौरान जगह लेता है समय युग के जाना जाता है . 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. The past and configuration Traditionally, the Ramayana is attributed to Valmiki, regarded as India's first poet [1-5]. The Indian tradition is unanimous in its agreement that the poem is the work of a single poet, the sage Valmiki, a contemporary of Rama and a peripheral actor in the drama [6].
    [Show full text]
  • Sundara Kanda Upanyasam at Premika Bhavanam by My Guru My
    Sundara Kanda Upanyasam at Premika Bhavanam by my Guru My Guru was speaking on Ramayan when I entered Premika Bhavan. Luckily I was there when he started “ThathO Ravana Neethayaha” – the first verse in Sundara Kanda. I was thinking He might stop with the first chapter which explains Hanuman’s Jump to Lanka. However He went on to speak on entire Sundara Kandam. My Guru speaks only on select chapters in Ramayan. Even in Krishna Leelas, He may not ever touch on the war part of Mahabharatha. Here this is the first time I heard on His exposition of Hanuman’s exploits. In Tamil, I will find the same words. However since this might benefit many, it is in English. Hanuman by birth was a Shiva Amsa. My Guru gave several instances to prove this. The first being Ravana on seeing Hanuman in his court simply exclaims “Are you Nandhi? (Nandhi is also a name for Shiva)”. Tulsidas says “Sankara Suvana” in Hanuman chaleese. Also Nandhi had given a Shapha to Ravan that he will meet his end through monkeys only. My Guru said that a photographer will go to all jungles but a jungle where monkeys live in large numbers. Because they will attack from all sides. It will jump from top or give you the highest surprises. That is why Guerilla warfare is considered very dangerous even today. That is why Rama took all the monkeys to Lanka (kootindu ponaar) My Guru said that with lot of smiles. Hanuman jumped towards SUN when He was a child. Hence it was not a big thing that He crossed oceans.
    [Show full text]
  • Research Scholar ISSN 2320 – 6101 an International Refereed E-Journal of Literary Explorations Impact Factor 0.998 (IIFS)
    Research Scholar ISSN 2320 – 6101 www.researchscholar.co.in An International Refereed e-Journal of Literary Explorations Impact Factor 0.998 (IIFS) INDIAN MYTHOLOGY FROM PAST TO PRESENT: AN OVERVIEW Ms. V. Shri Vaishali M. A. B. Ed., Department of English SRC, SASTRA University Kumbakonam Dr. S. Barathi Assistant Professor Department of English SRC, SASTRA University Kumbakonam Abstract Indian mythology, as we all know is one of the oldest mythologies and beliefs that exist in the world. Almost it is as old as the Greek and Egyptian mythology. But unlike the westerners, many Indians are found to rely on the mythological practices that still exist in India. unlike the other two mythologies mentioned above i.e., it may be hard to find a contemporary Greek who still believes in Zeus and a contemporary Egyptian who believes in Horus. But the contemporary Indians still believe in the incarnations of Vishnu and Shiva. This phenomenon leads to a question that “How Indian Mythology is still alive in the minds of Indians?” This paper tries to find an answer to the above question. This paper looks at the different interpretations of Indian mythology among Indians from the past till date and how these different interpretations of the mythology help them to keep their culture and heritage alive. The researcher has made an attempt to clear these questions and the paper focuses on the mythical aspects of Hinduism and not its philosophy. Key Words: Mythology, Vedas, Avatar, Puranas, Diverse Traditions, Ramayana, Deification. Introduction Indian mythology, popularly known as Hindu mythology largely constitutes of Sanskrit literature, which contains the traditional narratives of Hinduism.
    [Show full text]
  • A Note on the Ramayana
    Volume 10 (2003), Issue 6 A note on the Ramayana by S. S. N. Murthy ISSN 1084-7561 http://dx.doi.org/10.11588/ejvs.2003.6.776 A note on the Ramayana S. S. N. Murthy, School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-110067, INDIA. E-mail: [email protected] The stories of Råmåyaµa (Rmn) and Mahåbhårata (Mbh) are always viewed differently from the other Hindu mythological stories as they are categorized as ‘itihåsa’ or Epics, implying that they contain some historical facts. The authors of such Epics generally tended to make liberal use of philosophy, yogá, numerology and Vedic themes, often obscuring the original historical event (if any)1. In the past, Rmn has been subjected to in depth analysis to find out to what extent the story depicted in Rmn is historical in nature (for a review, see: Goldman 1984; Brockington, 1984, 2000). However, the problem is compounded by the presence of three early versions of the Rmn: the Vålmðki Rmn; the Råmôpåkhyåna of the Mbh and the ‘Da›aratha Jåtaka ' (DJ), (the Buddhist version), each of them differing from the other considerably. Also, these versions seem to have undergone a lot of modification (especially the Hindu versions), before they were handed over to us in their final form2,3. Under these circumstances, keeping in mind the religious purpose behind all this literary activity, it is difficult to pinpoint the original story. From all the available literary evidence, it appears that the Epic Rmn was compiled between 300BC-200AD, although the core story could be as old as 500BC (Winternitz, 1996, Goldman 1984; Brockington, 1984, 2000).
    [Show full text]
  • CHINMAYA SANDEEPANY CHINMAYA MISSION SAN JOSE 10160 Clayton Road, San Jose Ca 95127
    CHINMAYA SANDEEPANY CHINMAYA MISSION SAN JOSE 10160 Clayton Road, San Jose Ca 95127 Kambaramayanam - Discourse conducted in English by Swami Ramakrishnananda Chinmaya Sandeepany October 21-27, 2015 8:00 - 9:15 p.m. Kamba Ramayanam In the 12th century a great Tamil poet, Kamban, Pujya Gurudev from Tiruvaluntur, Tanjore district, South India – was the Swami Chinmayanandaji author of the Ramavataram, popularly known as Kamba created a great movement Ramayanam, the Tamil version of the Valmiki Ramayana in his home country - India, written in Sanskrit with 24,000 verses. and around the world to help mankind re-discover Kamba Ramayanam of Kamban is an epic of who we are so that we can find about 11,000 stanzes. It is not a translation of the epic by our way back to the Source. Valmiki, but a re-telling of the story of Lord Rama in Tamil. Kamba Ramayanam occupies a unique place in Swami the Tamil literature. Kamban was a master of the poetic Tejomayananda, form and his ability to weave magic with word is evident one of the foremost in many places in the epic. Kamban’s poetry is disciples, who leads the unparalleled, in the opinions of Tamil poets. Mission and followed by more than 200 such Kamba Ramayanam was first delivered in Sri Disciples to continue the Raganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, at the court hall Kambar Arangetra Mandapam) nearThaayar sannithi. great task of spreading the message which Kamban read it in front of the Narasimha Swami Pujya Gurudev in Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. initiated to serve mankind The Swami applauded by laughing out aloud from his throughout the world, Sanctum Sanctoram (Mettu Narasimhar Sannidhi), more than 50 years ago.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Book
    Publication No.5 Havana The Great: King of Lanka By M.S. Purtialingam Pillai Preface This reprint is completely funded by a devoted band of Delhi Saivites. They choose to remain anonymous. We salute them. May their tribe increase. According to the hoaiy tradition, Ravana was a Rakshasa, a Biahmin-Rakshasa. He knew all the Vedas. His punctilious recitation of the Sama Veda so pleased Mahadeva Siva that He, not only, saved him from the crushing weight of Mount Kailash, but also bestowed on him boons of incalculable worth. The severe penance and austerities that he pursued with unexampled concentration earned for him siddhi-s galore. Ravana' s Lanka was more prosperous than Kubeia's Alakaapuri. Ravana, the benevolent despot, saw to it that all his subjects were absolutely happy. Kambar says that Hanuman was swept off his feet when he beheld the multifoliate splendour and the manifold grandeur of Sri Lanka. "In all the marmoreal mansions, in all the cool, serene, suaveolent and melliferous groves and elsewhere too, the citizens imbibed wine, and sang and danced jubilantly. All were soused - in joy, and none there was who knew what misery was." Oor thedu patalam, Verse 28. "Kalikkindraar alaal Kavalkindraarai-k-Kaanenn" are the wondrous words of Kambar' s Hanuman. This is proofpositive of the fact that Ravana' s was obviously the best of governments the world has ever seea Macaulay, the nineteenth century legislator says: "That is the best government which desires to make the people happy, and knows how to make them happy." [- Milford's History of Greece.] The commitment and devotion ofthe Lankans to their Sovereign was total, complete and absolute.
    [Show full text]