This year’s visit abroad is primarily to the place which I call it as the “ Commercial Capital of the World” – New York. For the laid back guy like me and the one who focuses on the manifestation of Nature, this is going to be a challenge to keep looking at the concrete sky scrappers, the ever busy bunch of people, the fast and furious life style, the booming and zooming cars and relate them all to Nature. Well, here I am the novice attempting to do “Mission Impossible”. The first part is the flight into the JFK from New Delhi. Here is the link
Month: February 2020
Lord Ganesha
As I conclude Adi Sankara’s Pancha Rathnamala on Lord Ganesh, my memories went several decades back to my childhood days and the number of “Thoppukaranams” that I use to do before each exam in the schools. This is an age old practice prevalent for centuries in India, more particularly in South of India. Modern day Western World calls it “Super Brain Yoga” now and has converted this practice into a money making health exercise.
I also used to wonder about the number of alternate names that He has and the number of shapes and sizes that He manifests at different homes.
Even today as I google, I see 25.8 Million images of Lord Ganesha in a span of 0.67 seconds and there are a minimum of 108 alternate names for Him.
Here is one such simple image that I thought should be shared.
Ganesha Pancharathnamala – Verse 5
नितान्तकान्तदन्तकान्तिमन्तकान्तकात्मजं
अचिन्त्यरूपमन्तहीनमन्तरायकृन्तनम् ।
हृदन्तरे निरन्तरं वसन्तमेव योगिनां
तमेकदन्तमेव तं विचिन्तयामि सन्ततम् ॥५॥
Nitaanta-Kaanta-Danta-Kaantim-Antaka-Antaka-[A]atmajam
Acintya-Ruupam-Anta-Hiinam-Antaraaya-Krntanam |
Hrd-Antare Nirantaram Vasantam-Eva Yoginaam
Tam-Eka-Dantam-Eva Tam Vicintayaami Santatam ||5||
Meaning of the Sanskrit Words
नितान्तकान्तदन्तकान्तिमन्तकान्तकात्मजं (Nitaanta-Kaanta-Danta-Kaantim-Antaka-Antaka-Aatmajam): Who is Very Dear to Devotees as Beautiful Ekadanta and Who is the Son of One Who Restrained Yama
नितान्त (Nitaanta) = Extraordinary, Excessive, Considerable, Very Much
कान्त (Kaanta) = Desired, Loved, Dear
दन्त (Danta) = signifying Ekadanta [another name of Sri Ganesha]
कान्ति (Kaanti) = Loveliness, Beauty, Splendour
अन्तक (Antaka) = Yama
अन्तक (Antaka) = Putting an End, Causing Death
आत्मज (Aatmaja) = Born from, a Son, self-originated
अचिन्त्यरूपमन्तहीनमन्तरायकृन्तनम् (Acintya-Ruupam-Antahiinam-Antaraaya-Krntanam): Whose Form is Inconceivable and without any Limit and which Cuts through the Obstacles [of Devotees]
अचिन्त्य (Acintya) = Inconceivable, Surpassing thought
रूप (Ruupa) = Form, Appearance
अन्त (Anta) = End, Limit, Boundary
हीन (Hiina) = Left, Abandoned, Bereft or Deprived of, Low, Vile
अन्तराय (Antaraaya) = Intervention, Obstacle
कृन्तन (Krntana) = Cutting of, Dividing
हृदन्तरे (Hrd-Antare): Within the Cave of the Heart
हृद् (Hrd) = Heart
अन्तर (Antara) = Interior of anything
निरन्तरं (Nirantaram): Having no Interval, Uninterrupted, Perpetual, Continually
वसन्तमेव (Vasantam-Eva): Abides in this manner
वस (Vasa) = Dwelling, Residence
एव (Eva) = Exactly so, in this Manner, Indeed, Truly
योगिनां (Yoginaam): Yogis
योगिन् (Yogin) = Yogi, Ascetic, contemplative Saint
तमेकदन्तमेव (Tam-Eka-Dantam-Eva): [I Reflect upon] Him, the Ekadanta
तम् (Tam) = His
एक (Eka) = One
दन्त (Danta) = an Elephant’s Tusk, Ivory
एव (Eva) = Exactly so, in this Manner, Indeed, Truly
विचिन्तयामि (Vicintayaami): I Reflect upon
विचिन्त् (Vicint) = to Think of, Reflect upon, to Perceive, Discern, Observe
सन्ततम् (Santatam): Stretch or Extended along, Woven together, Continuous, Uninterrupted
Meaning of the Verse
5.1: (Salutations to Sri Vinayaka) Whose Beautiful Form of Ekadanta is very much Dear to His Devotees, and Who is the Son of the One (referring to Lord Shiva) Who Put an End to (i.e. restrained) Antaka (i.e. Yama).
5.2: Whose essential Form is Inconceivable and without any Limit, and which Cuts through the Obstacles of His Devotees,
5.3: Who Continually Abides in the Cave of the Heart of the Yogis.
5.4: I Continually Reflect upon Him, the Ekadanta (another name of Sri Vinayaka).
Meaning in Tamil
ஒற்றைத்தந்த அழகுடனே அடியோரின் மன நிறையோனே
காலனவன் அடிபணியும் இறையோனின் முதற்புதல்வோனே
கருதுதற்கியலா வடிவுடனே எல்லையில்லா நிறைவோனே
அடியோரின் இடரதனை அடியோடு களைத்திடுவோனே
ஞானியரின் இதயச்சுரங்கமதில் நிலையாக உறைவோனே
ஒற்றைத்தந்த உருவமதை இடையின்றி நினைத்திடுவேனே
Prabhu's Ponder 