Venkatesa Suprabhatam Verses

http://www.tirumala.org/sevas_daily_desc.htm#suprabhatam

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All above images are from the TTD website. Click on Suprabhatam for audio of each verse along with brief translation.

Subject: Venkatesa Suprabhatam verse Date: Mon, 14 May 2012 03:56:22 +0000 Dear All: Many of us are familiar with the Venkatesa Suprabhatam, which is recited daily at the Tirupati-Tirumala temples: in the early morning hours, around 5:30 am, at the Mahalakshmi temple in Alamelu Mangapuram, at the foot hills (this is what is called Tirupati, where pati means at the foot and Tiru or Thiru is like Shree in Sanskrit, signifying something extremely exalted, extremely opulent and luxuriant, extremely auspicious) and at 2:30 am at Tirumala, at the temple atop the seven sacred hills nestling the north-east border between the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. The seven hills are physically located in the modern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. There is a beautiful verse in this Suprabhatam, number 20, which goes as: Tvat gopuraagra shikaraaNi nireekshamaaNaah Swargaapavarga-padveem Paramaam shrayantah l Martyaah manushya bhuvane matim aashrayante Shree Venkata-acala-pate ta-va suprabhatam ll 20 ll

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ll ll
We live in this mortal world and are subject to the law of mruthyu or death. No one can overcome this law. Hence we are all called marthyaah, those who are subject to the law of Mruthyu, unlike other worlds where one is granted a very long life; seemingly immortality. These lokas are called swargas or heavens. Apavarga means going beyond just swarga to even higher lokas such as Brahma loka where one has the lifetime of Brahma (311 trillion plus 40 billion years) - and even higher that - to that permanent Abode (Paramaam) from which there is no coming back. Everyone who lives in the four lokas above the first three, Bhooh, Bhuvah, and Swar (the Maha, Jana, Tapa, and Satyam, or Brahmaloka) has a lifetime equal to that of Brahma. Here the poet is singing the praises of the Lord Venkatesa and the wishes Him all glory as we try to awaken Him during the beautiful early morning hours of Brahma Muhurtam (the two muhurtams just before sunrise, each muhurtam lasts 48 minutes and Brahma muhurtam lasts for a total of 96 minutes just before sunrise). There are devotees of His who have died. Their souls are in their upward trek, rising to the higher lokas like swarga loka and even beyond to that highest of all abodes - the Paramaam gatim that Krishna talks about in the Gita. Suddenly, as they rise, they see the gopurams of the temple on the top of the seven hills. They did not even see the whole temple gopuram - only the peaks. This is what the first line above says. Shikara is the peak of the gopuram.

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Or, one could interpret the word shikara as the peaks of the montains the seven hills that surround the temple at Tirumala. These peaks are higher than the gopurams. One will get a glimpse of the peaks of the seven hills first because they will come before (agra means in front of) the glimpse of the gopuram as these soul rise to the higher lokas. They look (nireeksha) at the peaks and they are immediately enchanted by them. Suddenly there is no desire to go anywhere - to the higher lokas. It all seems meaningless. It is just so lovely just to be at Tirupati or Tirumala. What is the need for anything else? Well, that is how I felt this morning. Tirupati came to Metro Detroit today. The Lord of the seven hills paid us all a visit today here at the Bharatiya temple. The Utsava murtis from TTD (Tirupati-Tirumala-Devasthanam) were flown into the USA to conduct the Venkatesa Kalyana Utsavam in various cities, along with several priests from the Devasthaanam. The Kalyana Utsavam (marriage ceremony of the Lord with His consorts, Sridevi and Bhudevi) was performed at Dallas on Saturday May 12, 2012 and the Utsava Murtis were flown in wooden crates from Dallas to Chicago (where FedEX has 24-hour cargo delivery service) and were then brought by car to Detroit by devotees who drove all night. This long trek from Dallas-Chicgo-Detroit was to ensure that the planned Divine Marriage could be conducted without any unforeseen circumstances. The Kalyana Utsavam was a joint celebration by three temples, TTD, Sri Balaji Temple of Great Lakes (Sterling Heights, MI) and the Bharatiya Temple (Troy, MI). I found out about the early morning arrival of Venkateswara and wanted to be there by the expected 5 am arrival. The van with the Utsava murtis was already at the temple when I arrived there around 5 am on Sunday morning. Within a short time after that, we unloaded the van and brought the Utsava murtis into the temple (the Murtis from the Sterling Heights temple had already arrived on late Saturday evening and Venkateswara and His consorts were all decked and ready to bless us with the sight of
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their divine wedding). Our priest from the Sri Balaji temple, along with a few young and very dedicated devotees, got the murtis from TTD also decked up and readied them for the wedding ceremony. The celebrations began with the Suprbhatam seva at 8 am. The temple hall was filled with devotees at that time. This is the first time ever that I have seen so many devotees at the Suprabhatam seva in a temple in the USA, with the possible exception of Saturdays at the Pittsburgh temple or the inaugural Suprabhatam seva, following Prana Pratishta at the SV temple at Cary, NC (in 2009). The priests from TTD led the recitation. And, then I found myself reciting verse 20 above. It felt as if Tirupati and Tirumala had descended upon Metro Detroit. It felt as if The Lord of the Seven Hills was right there. Yes, nothing else seemed important at that point - not even swargaloka or the Paramaaam gatim that Krishna promises us in the Gita. During the sankalpam recitation, the priests included in their wish for us saalokya (i.e., being in the same loka with the Lord), saaroopya (taking the same form as the Lord), saameepya (being not just in the same loka but also in the immediate vicinity of the Lord in that loka) and saayujya (merging with the Lord) mukti. Well, we are all in the same world as the Lord (saalokya) on Sunday May 13, 2012. We were all very close to the Lord, in His immediate vicinity (saameepya). Some of us enjoyed His presence intimately (like the priest and devotees who help in the decorations). Some of us enjoyed Him in very close proximity and even carried Him from the van to the temple and back while chanting Govinda, Govinda. Indeed, after the wedding ceremony, the lead TTD priest got the whole temple hall and every one there chanting LOUDLY Govinda, Govinda, VenkataramaNa Govinda..... Marthyaah manushya bhuvane matim aashrayante --- yes, mortals only desire to be where they can see the peaks of the gopurams of His temple. We saw them today. We saw Him in our midst today - a sight so blessed
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that one might not even get it after a long and arduous trip to Tirupati and the sacred Tirumala hills. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan May 14, 2012 ****************************************************************** Dear All: This is a brief follow up on verse 20 of the Venkatesa Suprabatham which I had shared earlier. The poet expresses exactly similar sentiments even in the previous verse where again we find the mention of swarga and apavarga. As noted earlier, the word apavarga here means moksha, final liberation. It also means completion, the end, the accomplishment of an action. What end? What completion? Tvat paada-dhooli-bharita-sphurittotama-angaah Swargaapavarga nirapeksha nijaantarangaah l Kalpaagamaakalanayaa-kulataam labhante Shree Venkatacala-pate tava suprabhatam ll 19 ll

SS

SS

ll ll
The double s symbol here, the sandhi sign, means that the vowel aa the second long vowel of the alphabet is compounded with the consonant or
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vowel in the previous word. Here it is aagama+aakalanaya+aakulataam . In both cases a short vowel, the first vowel is compounded with aa. Tvat gopuraagra shikaraaNi nireekshamaaNaah Swargaapavarga-padveem Paramaam shrayantah l Martyaah manushya bhuvane matim aashrayante Shree Venkata-acala-pate ta-va suprabhatam ll 20 ll

ll ll
Obviously, the poet (named Prativaadi Bhayankara Swami, a disciple of Manavala Mamuni, who is the reputed author of these immortal verses on Lord Venkateswara, composed around 1430 AD, see the two links given here http://www.tirumala.org/sevas_daily_desc.htm and also http://www.enotes.com/topic/List_of_Iyengars ) is referring to our life on earth and the completion of this journey within a human body. Some of us are blessed to become His devotees. For such devotees, the dust (dhooli) from His lotus feet (paada) are to be treasured more than anything else. They smear this dust on to their foreheads like we see devotees of Lord Shiva, for example, smearing the white ashes (vibhuti) on to their foreheads. The forehead is the topmost part of the body (uttama anga), the topmost part that everyone can see (the crown of the head cannot be seen by all and is also often referred as the topmost, the forehead also includes the space between the two eyebrows). The first line of verse 19 describes this mood of the devotees of Lord Venkateswara. To them, the dust from His lotus feet is the most cherished and so it is displayed proudly by smearing it on to the forehead, where it
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can be seen by all. It tells the whole world, I am a devotee, I am a devotee of Venkateswara. The second line describes the antara-anaga, which rhymes poetically with uttama-anga. "Antara" means inside. The poet is now talking about what the devotee feels, or has, within, not what is outside to be seen by all. This is our innermost self, not known to anyone, not even our spouses, dearest friends and family. Within His devotees heart there is no apekshaa, i.e., no expectations of any kind - nirapeksha means devoid of apekshaa. They do not expect to be promoted to swargaloka. They do not want to be liberated. They have no such expectations of any rewards for what they are doing on this earth while bearing this human body. What do you see them doing instead? In chapters 8 and 9, Krishna gives us the Cosmology Lessons which were the subject of so many emails during the past month or so. In chapter 9, verse 7, He states, "kalpakshayE punas-taani kalpaadau visrujaamyaham". At the end of the kalpa (here, according to acaryas, Krishna is referring to the Mahakalpa, the end of Brahma's lifetime, not the ordinary kalpa, or the end of one day of Brahma, which includes equal hours of daytime and nighttime) Krishna says that everyone, every living being (including Brahma) will merge into Him. He also says that srushti (creation, what we call Mother Nature) begins all over again. This is a dynamic and never ending process. It is repeated over and over again - bhootvaa bhootvaa praleeyate - He says in chapter 8, verse 19. The same kalpa is again mentioned here. Unlike what is implied in the Gita verses, where it is implied that one does not want to return and that one should desire moksha, here we see the opposite. The devotees of Lord Venkateswara are eager and looking forward to the beginning, or the start (aagama) of the kapla. Their awareness of (aakalana) the start of kalpas is getting them worried (aakulataa). They are worried (aakulatayaa) about when this kalpa (the very long duration of Brahmas night) might begin and so they become aakula. They want to be reborn here and become His
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devotees and proclaim their status loudly for all to see by smearing their foreheads with the dust from His lotus feet. (Or, one might interpret this as the worry about the end of Brahmas lifetime and the final dissolution of all and therefore no opportunity, at least for a very very long time, to be His devotees and serve Him on this earth.) In the Vishnu Sahasranaamam, Bheeshma also describes the same with, Yatah sarvaaNi bhootani bhavantyaadi yugaagame l Yasmin ca pralayam yaanti punareva yugakshaye ll

l ll
From whom are produced all of the bhootas (beings), at the beginning or the arrival (aagame) of each yuga, and into whom they all merge again, at the cessation or the end (kshaye) of all the yugas, O King (Yuddhishtthira), listen from me now to the 1000 names of that Jagannaatha, the Lord of the Universe, Loka-pradhaanasya, the Supreme Master of all the worlds, which will destroy all sins and all fears (of bodily existence). Tasya lokapradhaanasya Jagannaathasya Bhoopate l VishNornaama sahasram may shruNu papa-bhayaapaham ll

l ll
Bhoopate in the second of these two verses means king, the lord of the earth. Bheeshma is asking the lord of the earth to listen from him (the word may means from me) to the 1000 names that glorify the Lord of the
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Universe, the Master of all the worlds. Just saying Govinda, Govinda, like we did again and again today, led by the TTD head priest, or Raama Raama, as we are taught at the end of the recitation of the Vishnu Sahasranaamam, is enough. The two Suprabhatam verses discussed here thus have a very special meaning in Suprabhatam chanting. They represent one of the more philosophical parts of the whole recitation. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan P. S. For those live in Metro Detroit area - the Lord Venkateswara with His consorts - the Utsava murtis from TTD, can still be viewed at the Bharatiya Temple today (Monday May 14) and will be at the Sri Balaji temple at Sterling Heights on Tuesday and Wednesday before being transported to the next station for the next Kalyana Utsavam. Devotees can still get the divine darshan for the next three days. It is difficult to get such darshan even at Tirupati-Tirumala.

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http://www.tirumala.org/sevas_daily_desc.htm#suprabhatam Suprabhatam - 19th Stanza

tvat-padadhuli-bharita-sphuritottamangah svargapavarga-nirapeksa-nijanarangah, kalpagamakalanayakulatam labhante sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam. Lord of Venkatachala! Thy devotees, whose heads are sanctified by the dust of Thy feet, being in Thy presence, do not desire Heaven or Liberation, but are worried that another kalpa will start, when there will be no such glory to Venkatachala! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee.
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Suprabhatam - 20th Stanza

tvad-gopuragra-sikharani niriksamanah svargapavargapadavim paramamsrayantah, martya manusya-bhuvane matim-asrayante sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam.

On seeing the crests of Thy temple tower, the mortals, who are attempting to attain the exalted paths of Heaven and Liberation, feel like living on in the mortal world, as it gives them the opportunity of worshipping Thee. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee.
PREVIOUS Suprabhatam Audio NEXT

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http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/spiritual-discussions/451228venkateswara-suprabhatam-sanskrit-english-translations.html http://www.scribd.com/doc/43839671/Venkatesa-Suprabhatam http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/Sri-VenkateswaraSuprabhatam-1.aspx http://www.medhajournal.com/indology/1043-sri-venkateswarasuprabhatam--a-wake-up-plea-to-tirupati-balaji.html http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/sep98/0106.html http://stotraratna.sathyasaibababrotherhood.org/v26.htm

http://www.vedics.org/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=16&fly page=flypage.tpl&product_id=167&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=97&vmcchk =1&Itemid=97

Sri Venkatesa Suprabhatam

Sri Venkatesa Suprabhatam (with tutorial to by heart) (including stotram, prapatti and mangalam) 3 MP3 CDs (43 Hours)

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Nice Sloka on Krishna

Dear All: As you know, we witnessed the Divine wedding of Lord Venkateswara (or Sreenivaasaa) with His consorts on Sunday May 13, 2012, an event jointly sponsored by TTD, Sri Balaji Temple of Great Lakes (Sterling Heights, MI) and Bharatiya Temple (Troy, MI). Following the Kalyana Utsavam, the deities (called Utsava murtis), which were flown into the USA by TTD for these special Kalyana Utsavam events (being conducted in ten temples total, four more to go, this weekend the event is at Arizona, see earlier announcements on this topic), were at Bharatiya temple on Monday and at the Balaji temple on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Utsava Murtis are again ready to be shipped to the next venue and had been placed in the special crates made for this purpose when I left the Balaji temple last night around 10 PM. On both Tuesday and Wednesday we performed special Suprabhatam seva at the Balaji temple, followed by the recitation of Vishnu Sahasranamam, and other regular poojas. We were also blessed to have the opportunity to perform the Gita Yajnam the full 18 chapter Bhagavad Gita Parayanam on Tuesday and a brief version (chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18) on Wednesday. We chanted the 15th chapter (Purushottama Yoga chapter) once again in the evening as a special seva. We also recited the Samkshepa Ramayanam (full Ramayana as told by Narada to Valmiki in 100 slokas, this is the first sarga of Valmiki Ramayanam) and the Gayatri Ramayanam (full Ramayana in 24 slokas, with each sloka starting with the bheejaksharam of the Gayatri Mantram; there are 24,000 slokas in Valmiki's Ramayanam and each slokas after every 1000 slokas starting with a letter of the 24-letter Gayatri mantram). And, we also did some more and very interesting chants.
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One of them was the full chanting of the Mukunda Mala. We did not just chant it. The devotee who initiated this (Sriman Srivatsan) can also sing beautifully and we were actually singing the Mukunda Mala. I just want to share with you one sloka, verse 33, from this divine composition by Kulashekara Azhwar; see the translation by Dr. M. S. Rajajee (published by Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam, 2004 edition). He was a king from the Chera dynasty, in the 9th century, and became an exalted devotee and is considered to be one of the SriVaishnavite Azhwars, or saints. Yes, such things have also happened in Kaliyuga. It was not just Vishwamitra who turned from a king into a great rishi. The Mukunda Mala sloka on Krishna goes as follows; see also the full text and translation at http://www.dharmakshetra.com/literature/gaudiya/Mukundamala%20Stotra.html . KrishNo rakshatu nO Jagat-traya-guruh KrishNam namasyaamyaham (namasyaami+aham) l KrishNeNa-amarashatravO vinihataah KrishNaaya tubhyam namah ll KrishNaat-eva (KrishNaadeva) samutthitam jagadidam KrishNasaya daasOsmyaham l KrishNE tishTati sarvam etat akhilam Hay KrishNa rakshasva maam ll

( + )l ll

) l ll

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In the link given above, this is verse 43, not 33. This sloka is exactly similar to another famous sloka on Shree Rama that I have shared before (on the occasion of Ramanavami) in an earlier email. The Rama sloka is also copied and pasted below. As I have explained earlier, in the context of the sloka on Rama, every noun (masculine, feminine, neuter) in Sanskrit takes on different modified forms (these are called "cases" of the noun) depending on how the noun is used in the sentence. (Also, applies to pronouns, but only seven cases for the pronouns, you will see why shortly). Sanskrit is unique in having eight different cases for nouns and in the above sloka we see all eight of them used in a very meaningful way. 1. KrishNah (which becomes KrishNo with sandhi): This is the first case, or prathama, or nominative case in English, used to name something. Let Krishna protect us. He is the Master, the guru of all the three worlds, indeed the whole Universe. ( case it becomes with sandhi.) : is the nominative

2. KrishNam: This is second case, or dwiteeyaa, or what is called objective or accusative case in English. I bow to Krishna. 3. KrishNena: This is third case, or triteeyaa, it is translated as the Instrumental case, the noun is used as the instrument to do something. All the enemies of the celestials (gods, amara, those who are immortal, or not having short life like us humans) were killed by Krishna - "by" signifying the instrument. 4. KrishNaaya: This is fourth case or chaturthi. Always used with "namah", as we do in prayers and arcanas. I offer my obesiances to Krishna. 5. KrishNaat: This is fifth case, or pancami. It is translated as Ablative to show something coming from the noun. This whole Universe has come from KrishNa only. (KrishNaat + eva = KrishNaadeva with sandhi rules).

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6. KrishNasya: This is sixth case or shashti. It is the Possessive case and we also have this in English. It indicates something belonging to the noun. I am Krishna's dasa (servant). 7. KrishNE: This is the seventh case, or saptami. This is translated as Locative case. It is used to indicate that something is located in the noun. In Krishna is situated this whole Universe itself. 8. Hay KrishNa: This is the eighth case, or Sambodhanam. This is translated as Vocative case. It is used when you want to call someone (by getting 'vocal' and saying their name). O Krishna, protect me. It was a joyous few days for all, especially those who were also able to participate in the extended celebrations. Now, at least enjoy the above sloka and also the Rama sloka also which is pasted below. The Rama sloka also provides a brief version of the whole Ramayanam as well. Do feel free to provide this and share your joy with your friends and family and inform those in Arizona (Phoenix), Milwaukee, Portland (Ore) and Seattle of the upcoming Kalyana Utsavams in their communities. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan May 17, 2012 P. S. We obviously cannot 'call' a pronoun. Hence, there is no eighth case, or 'sambodhanam' case, for the pronouns. ********************************************************************************* Dear All: Here's a beautiful sloka on Lord Rama which is also a nice summary of Ramayana and the purpose of Ramavataram (to liberate us) and has an interesting grammatical connotation as well. I have discussed this once before (the grammar part) but here's the sloka again on the occasion of Ramanavmi (today, 4/12/2011)
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Raamo Rajamanih sadaa viraajate (or vijayate) Raamam Ramesham bhaje l Raamenaabhihataa nishaacara camoo Raamaaya tasmai namaha ll Raamaat naasti paraat parataram Ramasya dasosmyaham l Raame cittalayam sadaa bhavatu may bho Raama maam uddhara ll

(or

) ll l ll

1. Rama, the crest jewel among all the kings, is always resplendent and glorious. (Ramaha which becomes Raamo with sandhi is the nominative singular of the noun Rama, i.e., pratamaa). nominative singular which becomes with sandhi.) : is the

2. I worship Rama, who is the Lord of Ramaa (one of the names of Mahalakshmi) and hence also Ramesha (Raamam is the accusative case singular for Rama, i.e., dwiteeyaa) 3. The Rakshasaa armies were killed by Rama (Raamena is the instrumental case, i.e., triteeyaa) 4. I bow to Rama (Raamaaya is the dative case, i.e., chaturthi) 5. There is no other Supreme, no one is more Supreme, than Rama Himself (Raamat is ablative case, i.e, pancami) 6. I am the servant of Rama (Raamasya is the possessive case, i.e., shashti)

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7. Let my citta (heart, mind, intellect and soul) become engaged and relish itself in Rama (Raame is the locative case, or saptami) 8. O Rama, please rescue me (from this ocean called samsara) Bho Raama is the vocative case, ashtami, used when we call someone.

Sanskrit is the only language that has eight cases, as described by this beautiful sloka. No other language, not even Latin or Greek, comes close to this richness in grammatical beauty. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan May 17, 2012 ******************************************************************

Venkatesa Suprabhatam Verse 11

Dear All: Inspired by the Divine wedding of Lord Venkateswara and His Consorts on May 13, 2012, we discussed verses 19 and 20 of the well-known Venkatesa Suprabhatam (VS) in the earlier emails. This VS is a beautiful and highly popular Stotram composed, in 1430 AD, by Prativadi Bhayankaram (PB) ANNaganrAryA/Anangacariyar. He was a disciple of Manavala Maamuni. The latter asked PB to compose a hymn on the Lord of the seven hills. The descendants of PB lineage are still continuing the tradition of worshipping the saligramas (holy stones, have a gem like feeling but usually black in color) and the deities he used to worship. Sanskrit compositions usually precede and inspire other compositions but, given this history, in the case of Venkatesa Suprabhatam, we have a notable exception. Being of relatively recent origin (it is now ONLY about 700 years old), it was actually influenced by earlier Tamil compositions,
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notably the Thiruppalliyezhucci for Lord Ranganatha (Hymn address to waking up of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam) and Andal's Thiruppavai. PB borrowed liberally from these works. Several slokas of VS describe early morning scenes that are reminiscent of those described in these two earlier compositions; the most notable one - at least the one that comes to my mind is verse 11 of the first (called the Suprabhatam) of four parts of VS. The verse 11 describes the churning of sour milk to produce butter (as was done by gopis of Vrindavana, which inspired Andal and in turn inspired PB). There are, of course, many others but the poetry of this sloka is really enchanting. Here it goes. http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/sanskrit/venkateshasuprabhaatam_all.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suprabhatam http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/message/6496 http://www.sundarasimham.org/ebooks/VenkatesaVaibhavam.pdf YoshaagaNena varadadhni vimathyamaanE l GoshaalayEshu dadhi-manthana-teevra-ghoshaah ll Roshaat kalim vidadhate kakubhasch ca kumbhaah l Seshaadri shekara vibho tava suprabhaatam ll 11 ll

l ll l ll ll
YoshagaNa means the ladies (usually young) of the household, or the gopis in the original description, or the women folk of Aaayarpadi (the village where Andal lived). Dadhni is derived from dadhi which means
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soured milk - milk which has been coagulated to turn it into yogurt (what we call dahee in Hindi). After adding some water to this dadhi, which is usually kept in earthen pots (kumbhaah), the women folk start churning them. A churning rod, called mattha is used for this and the process is called mantathanam. The churning of the Milk Ocean (ksheera saagara manthanam) is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam. It produced many great treasures and ultimately also the fierce poison (called Haalahala, which was consumed by Lord Shiva) and finally amrutham, or nectar.

http://www.harekrsna.de/yasoda-e.htm Mother Yashoda churning milk. Krishna Book Chapter Nine, original translation 1970.
The Srimad Bhagavatam states that Yashoda was thinking about Krishna, who was then sleeping, and that thought was enough to have her breasts overflowing with milk. She also got upset with Krishna for stealing butter and tried to bind Him to a pillar and so made Him Damodara (daama = rope, udara = belly)

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The churning of our everyday sour milk produces butter and it is also something that we treasure and use it, for example, in performing various yajnas (offerings are made to the fire, which is kindled by pouring butter, actually clarified form, called ghee). This actually was the purpose for the daily churning - to produce ingredients needed for yajnas. Butter is also used for cooking and it is still usually always used when we cook offerings for deities (prasadam). Cooking oil is NOT to be used while preparing prasadam. One should use ghee ALWAYS, if possible. Anyway, in days past, it was the daily chore of the women folk to churn the milk and produce the butter (a good early morning exercise, now we would just turn the switch on an electric motor to spin the churning rod and watch an exercise video!). Goshaalaya is the place where the churning is taking place - the place where the cows are kept - go+shaalaa. The churning process produces a loud (teevra) noise (ghosha). The poet compares this noise to the roaring sound of the rain bearing clouds. The noise of the churning resonates through all the directions and fills the sky. The clouds high up in the sky respond by roaring back as if not to be outdone. It appears that there is a friendly quarrel (kalim vidadhate) going on between the kumbhaah (the pots containing the sour milk being churned) and the kakubha (the rain bearing clouds). Notice the "poetic rhyming" in the choice of words, both starting with the sound "ka" and ending with bha. That shows equality and therefore worthiness for a nice competitive fight. When the two opponents in a duel are equally matched, the fight is even more fun to watch. We enjoy this in many sports tournaments. Of course, as they churn, the ladies are singing the glories of the Lord. So, who do you think wins in this quarrel between the kumbha and the kakubha? This is the beautiful scene being described here by PB.
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This is what is going on in the early morning hours. In Pasuram 7, Andal asks, "Osai padutta tayiraravam kettilaiyO", as she goes around waking everyone to join her. "Can you not hear the churning sound of the yogurt? Time to wake up."

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=yashoda+churning+milk+pictures&hl=en&sa=X&biw= 1305&bih=615&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=PGLDaa7Sadw5BM:&imgrefurl=http://w ww.exoticindiaart.com/article/lord_vishnu/2/&docid=BDrBIrGuGQ9suM&imgurl=http://w ww.exoticindiaart.com/artimages/baby_krishna_shows_his_vishvarupa_to_mother_yas oda_or97.jpg&w=293&h=400&ei=VRy1T_r4NcuK6QGVjeEG&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=30 4&vpy=239&dur=265&hovh=262&hovw=192&tx=90&ty=144&sig=10799506340861583 8949&page=2&tbnh=134&tbnw=98&start=21&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:21,i:123

Now, PB is telling the same to Venkateswara who is being described as Seshadri-shekara, the beautiful crest of Seshadri (the name of one of the seven hills). Lord Shiva is known as Chandrasekhara, since he carries the moon on his head (like an ornament tucked into the hair). Likewise the
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ornament for Seshadri's peaks is Lord Venkateswara. This is the meaning of Seshadri-sekhara vibho, O Great Lord (vibhu, from which we get vibho, when we call him aloud), the crest ornament of Seshadri. The poet says, "May this be a glorious dawn for you. Wake up and bless us all." The rest of the world is already up. Children wake up after everyone else does. We do not disturb them early on. We awaken them last. The Lord is being treated as a loving baby. He is to be awakened only after everyone else is awake and going about their daily activities. One of them is described here in verse 11. There are many, many, more such early morning scenes described in the total of 29 slokas of the Venkatesa Suprabhatam. Similar descriptions abound in the two Tamil compositions mentioned earlier that inspired PB. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan May 17, 2012 P. S. BTW, why did baby Krishna go around "stealing" butter with his brother Balarama?

He was NOT trying to steal it to eat the butter. Far from it.
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He was actually making it easy for us to get "moksha", or giving us a lesson in how to get moksha. How do we get moksha? Through what is called sarva karma phala tyaagam (Gita chapter 18, verse 2). That is the first step. Give up all the fruits of our efforts. Butter is symbolic representation of the fruits of great efforts. The best of the best after a lot of churning. But, we like to hang on to the fruits of our labor, instead of giving them away. So, Krishna "steals" it and makes it easy for us to sort of "give up". Then we are not guilty of accumulating any taints (kalmasham, kilbisham, as stated in Gita) of enjoying the fruits of our efforts.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=yashoda+churning+milk+pictures&start=79&hl=en&sa =X&biw=1305&bih=615&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=KLM1CiwCFaklEM:&imgrefurl= http://sdgonline.org/viraha/satsvarupa_goswami/poem-for-january-2&docid=t84Nr1cYgVRgM&imgurl=http://sdgonline.org/viraha/p/Journal-jan-2-Krsna-and-Yasodakheer1350x259.jpg&w=350&h=259&ei=lR21T4WsI4Ll6QHiyZXpDw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=85 2&sig=107995063408615838949&page=4&tbnh=118&tbnw=173&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429 ,r:2,s:79,i:9&tx=66&ty=46

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http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.indiadivine.org/attachments/au darya/spiritual-discussions/721d1051649745-balrama-krishna-42319-babykrishna-balaram.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/spiritualdiscussions/32496-balramakrishna.html&h=850&w=1158&sz=72&tbnid=wWqztlkLz1PlhM:&tbnh=90&tbn w=123&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbaby%2Bbalarama%2Bkrishna%2Bpictures%26t bm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=baby+balarama+krishna+pictures&docid =p_mLlMo6ST6uaM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RhS1T9ewJovEgAeRzvjDw&ved=0CHMQ9QEwAA&dur=260

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http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://api.ning.com/files/Qf*QJ1KVHgZQ jsVSfyaVX0OEf9NlZs4l46loDuzBm0ezE2mqv0EeQr9QC4YEt95zlYcaQa9xCBp PePGEy3SNTD9WrtD2FukC/Lord3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.iskcondesiretree.n et/photo/baby-krishna-1&h=751&w=550&sz=138&tbnid=vYXu5RiJzbxaM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=70&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbaby%2Bkrishna%2B pictures%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=baby+krishna+pictures&doc id=L5vlX2qhRkvnLM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zBO1T7XLJr86QHhj_TsDw&sqi=2&ved=0CIABEPUBMA0&dur=109

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Kausalya-suprajaa Raama poorvaa sandhyaa pravartate

Dear All: The well-known Venkatesa Suprabhatam, begins with the following verses, where the devotee wakes up the Lord, first as Raama and then as Govinda. Kausalyaa suprajaa Raama poorvaa sandhyaa pravartate l UttishTa Narashaardoola kartavyam daivam aahnikam ll 1 ll UttishTOtishTa Govinda uttishTa Garudadwaja l UttishTa Kamalaakaanta trailokyam mangalam kuru ll 2 ll This is followed by two verses addressed to His consort, ever present, and situated within Him inside His vaksha-sthalam (heart area). The first of these verses was actually recited by the sage Vishwamitra to wake Lord Raama Himself when He was incarnate and actually walking on this earth. It appears in the Bala Kandam of Valmiki RaamaayaNam, sarga 23, verse 2. Heres the story of how this divine verse came into being.

King Dasharatha was blessed with four sons after performing the special sacrifice known as the Putrakaameshti yajnam. Valmiki describes the birth of Shree Rama by providing us with the full detail of all the planetary positions, the positions of the sun and the moon, and the nakshatram, on the day He was born. Indeed, one can cast the entire horoscope of Shree Rama based on this information; (see recent posting on this topic, links below) http://www.scribd.com/doc/93181455/Shree-Rama-s-Horoscope

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http://www.scribd.com/doc/93301242/Shree-Rama-s-HoroscopeControversy The slokas above end with Kausalya-ajanyat Raamam divya-lakshaNa samyutam and thus the Queen Kausalya gave birth (ajanayat) to Shree Raama who was endowed with all divine (divya) and auspicious marks (lakshaNa). All children are usually referred to as bringing joy to their mothers. In North India, it is also a custom to refer to the mother by referring to her children, instead of her own name. Once a woman is married, she is always referred to as so-and-sos daughter-in-law. Thus, in the Sundara Kandam, we see Sita introducing Herself to Hanumaan as Dasharathas daughter-in-law, only then as the daughter of King Janaka and finally as the wife of Shree Raama. Then, once a woman has become a mother, she is referred to always as so-and-sos mother, not by her own name. In the Naama RaamyaNam also we find this. Kausalya is mentioned as Raamas mother. But, Raama is unique in that He is often referred to as bringing great joy to His father Dasharatha. In fact, as you see below, He is mentioned as Dasharatha-nandana Raam before He is mentioned as the one who multiplies the joys of Kausalya. ChaNDa-kiraNa-kula-maNDana Raam l Shreemad Dasharatha nandana Raam l Kausalya-sukha vardana Raam l Vishwaamitra priya dhana Raam l The King was extremely fond of Raama. He could not bear the thought of being separated from Raama. Later, in sarga 18, Valmiki says, sa chaturbhir Mahabhaagaih putraih Dasharathah priyaaih bhabhoova parampreeto devairiva pitaamahah (sarga 28, verses 33 and 34). Dasharatha enjoyed the supreme bliss of being with all these four very fortunate sons, endowed with all splendor and virtues, like Brahma enjoyed after he had created the Universe. And, so one day, the King was pleasantly surprised when the sage Vishwamitra appeared in his court. After welcoming the sage and duly honoring him, Dasharatha said, Tell
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me, O sage, what is it that you desire and I will gladly do so with great joykam ca te paramam kaamam karomi kimu harshitah (sarga 28, verse 52). Just notice how the words are chosen here. It is as if to bind Dasharatha to his own words. Dasharatha says he would very gladly, filled with great joy, do whatever the great sage desires and fulfill the latters wishes. Little did Dasharatha know that the sage was going to ask for the unthinkable for Raama. The sage wanted Dasharatha to allow Raama to go with him and help protect the yajna that he was performing from the atrocities and disturbances constantly being created by the Rakshasas. The king was shocked. He could not bear the thought of separating from Raama. He offered the sage to personally come and do his bidding and kill the Rakshasas. He said that he could not part with Raama for even one muhurtam (sarga 30, verse 8), which equals a period of just 48 minutes. He started making other excuses and said, No one can fight these Rakshasas (Ravana was mentioned by the sage), how can I or my son? But, the sage was angered and would have nothing to do with such excuses or the substitute fulfillments of his request. He pointed out to Dasharatha what he had promised at the very outset that he would do whatever the sage desired. Fearing grave consequences, since Vishwamitra was a great rishi, indeed he had become a Rajarshi (royal sage) and elevated further to the status of Brahmarshi because of his austerities, the great sage Vashishta and other royal perceptors intervened and advised Dasharatha that he should do as the sage desired and let Raama go to help the sage with the completion of his yajna. They told the king he should NOT be one to make false promises (mithyaa pratijnaa). Finally, Dasharatha relented and he personally called both Raama and LakshmaNa (sarga 22, verse 1), and told them to do as the sage commanded. He kissed the top of his sons head as a token of affection. They received the blessings of their mothers, and after all auspicious and benedictory chants (mangala abhimantraNam) were made by Vashishta and other sages, took off with Vishwamitra with the
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accompaniment of the sounding of conchs and the playing of kettledrums and other celestial drums. After walking for a distance of ardhayojana (translated as 12 miles), the three came to the southern bank of the Holy river Sarayu. The sage asked Raama and LakshmaNa to sip a little water from the river, without any delay, and receive from him the mantras known as Bala and Atibala. These mantras will enable them never to feel any fatigue (shrama), never to be afflicted by any jwara (fevers), never to feel the ravages of old age (na roopasya viparyayah), or be affected by any transgressions of bodily purity or any lapses while asleep. The sage asked them to accept these mantras so that they would always be victorious. Raama and LakshmaNa received these mantras and their lustre was multiplied a thousand fold. The sun was setting and they offered due prayers and did their gurukaryams the duties owed to a teacher and the three decided to spend the night with ease right there at the bank of the Sarayu river. (In the old days, those who lived in Ayodhya did not venture past the river Sarayu. There are still some Brahmins from that part of India who are called Sarayuparins those who have crossed the Sarayu!). The two royal princes slept there near the river bank, on a bed made of straw, totally unworthy for their status, but the two were filled with joy as they continued to hear the words of wisdom from the sage. The night was spent very delightfully indeed. And then the night progressed and it was dawn. As the sun was to rise, the sage saw the two beautiful young boys, the descendants of the Kaakutstha clan, lying on the on the dried bed of leaves and awakened them with the following: Kausalya suprajaa Raama poorvaa sandhyaa pravartate l UttishTa Narashaardoola kartavyam daivam aahnikam ll

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Thus began the first known Suprabhatam seva for the Lord. Valmikis RamayaNam is, of course, also called the Aadi kavayam, the first of all the epics and so this is the very first know Suprabhatam. It is therefore no wonder that Prativadi Bhayankaram (PB) ANNaganrAryA (also just called Anna) decided to include this as the first verse of the Suprabhatam prayer that he composed for Lord Venkateswara. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan May 18, 2012

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Venkatesa Suprabhatam Verse 26

Bhaasvaan Udeti vikacaani sarOruhaaNi
Dear All: Verse 26 from the first part of the Venkatesa Suprabhatam goes as follows and concludes the description of the dawn. This is also the only verse that ends with tava Venkata suprabhatam. All the others end with tava suprabhatam with the Lord Venkateswara being referred to as either Seshadri-shekhara-vibhO (up to verse 12) or as Shree VenkataacalapatE (starting with verse 13).

l ll l ll ll
Bhaasvaan udeti vikacaani sarOruhaaNi l Sampoorayanti ninadaih kakubhO vihangaah ll ShreevaishNavaah satatam-artitha-mangalaas-te l Dhaamaashrayanti tava Venkata suprabhatam ll 26 ll

The sight of the sun rising and the sight of the setting sun fill our hearts with joy. There is not a single person around who is not affected by these two daily events. It is even more majestic to see the sun rise out of the ocean (it is possible if you are the east coast of any country, the sun is seen to rise each day from the Bay of Bengal, in India, you can see this if you are in
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places like Chennai, Kanyakumari, or Velankanni, where there is a famous Bascilica facing the ocean, and consecrated by the Pope himself) or set in the ocean (you must be on the west coast of a country, you can see this every day at Mumbai, beaches like the famous Chowpatty and Juhu beaches, or the Kovalam beach near Trivandrum, in Kerala, are flooded with people who want to enjoy the sun set). These are sights that fill us with awe. Momentarily, you can feel that oneness with the divine that escapes us during the rest of the day. Just see the pictures below of the people watching the sun set in the article that is referenced below. http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/29/11939663-marvel-atmanhattanhenge-and-other-monumental-alignments?lite

Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images file People step out into the street to photograph the sunset along 34th Street, aligning with the Manhattan street grid during "Manhattanhenge" on July 13, 2001, in New York.

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And, there are several important dates in a year that have to do unique celestial events related to the rising and setting sun. The two important dates that we revere in the religious calendar are the dates of UttarayaNam and DakshiNayanam. Both these dates follow (23 to 24 days after, this is related to the 23.5 degree tilt of the earth's axis) the dates of the summer and winter solstice - the longest and the shortest days (i.e., hours of sunlight or the hours between sunrise and sunset), respectively. UttarayaNam starts 23 or 24 days after winter solstice (typically Dec 21 or 22) and DakshiNayanam after the summer solstice (typically June 21). Then we have the dates of the equinoxes, around March 21 and Sep 21 each year when we experience exactly 12 hours of sunlight, at ALL places on the earth. (Brahma has an equinox each day of his life!) Now, here's what we will see in Manhattan tomorrow. It is very much like these unique dates. Those who live in Manhattan, or visit there, will be able to see the sun lining up exactly along the east-west streets of this great city. This occurs every year around Memorial day. New York's skyscrapers take the place of huge boulders that are lined up at the famous monument at Stonehenge, in England (not far from London). In Metro Detroit, we are fortunate since our city was built by the French, who were good planners. (The name Detroit is derived from the French word for a "strait" which refers to the body of water, or the river, connecting the two big lakes - the "river" we see at Belle Isle and which acts as the natural boundary between USA and Canada). All our streets here are exactly east-west or north-south and so we can enjoy the sun rising or setting on the dates of equinoxes, if we pay attention, exactly on these east-west streets. Similar alignments of the rising of setting sun are seen in other places too, not necessarily on the astronomical dates. At MIT, where I spent nearly 7 years, we have a very very very long corridor, often called jokingly as the Infinite Corridor, that students have to walk through each morning to get to their respective departments or classes. As luck would have it, our Materials Science and Engineering
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department was at the very end of this corridor and my specific location was on the very top floor of this section (and back then, I had the good habit of walking up the stairs, instead of taking the elevator!). Here again we see the sun lining up exactly on the corridor, on the same dates each year, in November and in late January. It all has to do with "our unique place" in the sun. It is indeed a joy to see the sun rising, especially in the early morning hours, when (sadly!) there are not too many people around! (In the east coast, unlike the Midwest, we have the 9-to-5 culture. Here in the Midwest, people get to work by 7 am or even 6 am in the mornings. Of course, they also call it quits by 3 PM!) I have seen the rising sun and its rays falling exactly at the feet of LakshmiNarayana deities at the Bharatiya temple in Troy, MI (alas I wish the temple was actually open at that time), in the olden days when they temple view was unobstructed. I have seen the rays of the rising sun fall on Shivalangams in Shiva temples in Toronto and in other places. It is an awesome feeling. In all our temples, the deities are usually facing east for this reason. Sometimes, the architecture of the temple is so grand that we can actually see this happening on important dates like the equinoxes and the solstices. Just imagine what it would be like to see, what appears to be an Infinite Corridor, streaming with sunlight and filling it completely! Suprabhatam - 26th Stanza http://www.tirumala.org/sup26.html
bhasvan udeti vikachani saroruhani sampurayanti ninadaih kakubho vihangah, srivaisnavas satatam arthita-mangalas te dhamasrayanti tava venkata! suprabhatam. The Sun is rising; the lotuses have blossomed; the birds are twittering; the Sri Vaishnavas, always imploring auspiciousness, are waiting at Thy abode. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee.

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And so, it is that the first part of the Venkatesa Suprabhatam that we chant daily in our temples, concludes with the following describing the rising sun. The devotee wants the Lord Venkateswara to wake up and bless the day, bless us all but we say, Tava suprabhatam, May this be a glorious morning for you. The description of the dawn winds to an end with the following.

l ll l ll ll
Bhaasvaan udeti vikacaani sarOruhaaNi l Sampoorayanti ninadaih kakubhO vihangaah ll ShreevaishNavaah satatam-artitha-mangalaas-te l Dhaamaashrayanti tava Venkata suprabhatam ll 26 ll

The poet (Prativadi Bhayankaram, PB, or Anna) says, "O Venkatesa, May this be a glorious morning to You (and to us). See, the sun (Bhaasvaan) is rising in the east. The lotuses (saroruha) that spring out of the various lakes are blooming (vikacaani; most lotuses bloom when the sun rises but there are some who also bloom at night, when the moon rises, that is a very different kind). The birds (vihangaah) are filling (sampoorayanti) the sky (kakubha) with the sounds of their chirping. All your devotees, the SriVaishNavas, who are always (satatam) intent on and pray for (artitha) Your mangalam, are now at the door of Your temple and seek the refuge of Your abode (dhaama aashrayanti). May this be a glorious morning to You. So, the poet is trying to say, it is time for You also, O Lord, to wake up!
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Someday, in the not too distant future, I hope we can enjoy this together, exactly as the sun rises and its rays coming streaming at the feet of the Lord Venkateswara. Very sincerely V. Laxmanan May 29, 2012

Marvel at Manhattanhenge ... and other monumental alignments

Mike Segar / Reuters file The sun shines down 42nd Street below the landmark Chrysler Building at sunset on July 12, 2009, during Manhattanhenge. By Alan Boyle
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_ne ws/2012/05/29/11939663-marvel-atmanhattanhenge-and-othermonumental-alignments?lite

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Sunrise over Stonehenge on the summer solstice, 21 June 2005

Stonehenge at sunset in 2004

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge http://angieaway.com/2011/12/12/tips-for-visiting-stonehenge/
Tips for Visiting Stonehenge
By Angie Away December 12, 2011Posted in: Featured Photos, RTW, UK Nobody knows for sure why or when Stonehenge was built and perhaps thats one of the reasons the UNESCO World Heritage site is such a

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draw for travelers. At only about 90 minutes from central London, its a manageable, inexpensive day trip outside the city if youre into ancient ruins with a side order of mysterious origins.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.usatoday.com/news/_photos/2006/06/21/stone henge-med-topper.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-06-21-solsticestonehenge_x.htm&h=311&w=472&sz=48&tbnid=Hlwb8UMjuGr_5M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=137&prev=/sea rch%3Fq%3Dstonehenge%2Bpeople%2Bpictures%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=stonehenge +people+pictures&usg=__c6BsoZWMEQ_DC0OWqfQgjtvDqg=&docid=Bnva0HLCfCzTRM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=W5fFTaEPKH56QHl3viuBg&sqi=2&ved=0CGYQ9QEwAw&dur=509

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