Arunachala Yoginis

There is little information available on lady saints who have come and performed tapas at Arunachala. In fact so little information is available its almost impossible to believe that there have in fact been many holy women who have lived at Arunachala performing intense sadhana. 

In the 40s and 50s several eminent ladies occupied hermitages and caves on the South East slope of Arunachala. Amongst these women was the revered and highly respected Lakshmi Devi who dressed in saffron and lived on the mountain. Lakshmi Devi kept a vow of silence for 12 years and responded by making signs in answer to questions from a constant stream of visiting devotees and pilgrims. At the end of a 12 year vow of silence she returned to her native place near Mysore. However her love of the peace she experienced at Arunachala drew her back and she returned to the caves and hermitages of the mountain. 

Another sadhaka who lived on the Hill during the same time period was Srimati Radhabai Ammayar, who was known as Ammal of Vadalur. Ammal was a faithful disciple of Ramalinga Swamigal and originally she and Lakshmi Devi shared a cave but Ammal eventually moved to a small rocky cleft higher up the hill. The little cave was so low and narrow one had to remain seated, and even then ones head practically touched the roof. Ammal of Vadalur, always wore white, and lived in the rocky cleft for three years in perfect silence, her only possessions being an oil lamp and a book of the hymns of her Master Ramalinga. She took a daily meal during the afternoon which consisted of a few handfuls of rice-flour, roasted and mixed with curd. After three years she moved into a small nearby hut with a women disciple. Ammal of Vadalur was also much revered and visited during her time at Arunachala. 

Below is a fascinating narrative written by the hermit and sage, Swami Abhishiktananda entitled the,“Anchoresses of Arunachala,” detailing the lives of these great women renunciants of Arunachala. 

Anchoresses of Arunachala 

An unending succession of hermits has occupied the caves on the slopes of Arunachala, the sacred mountain of South India; pilgrims never cease to throng the temples at its foot, and each year crowds gather from every part of Tamil Nadu to adore the holy fire which is ignited at its summit on the night of the full moon of Karttikai (November-December), regarded as the most blessed time of the year. 

I often had the privilege of spending months of recollection in those caves which are hallowed by the saints of earlier times. These caves also came to know Radhabai Ammayar and Lakshmi Devi, two saintly women who chose the slopes of Arunachala for their place of seclusion. 

The first time I met them was in August, 1950. One morning, with a young lad a guide, I climbed up to Skandashrama, and thereafter took the path down towards the Temple of Arunachala. 

Renunciant Cave on Arunachala

On the way down to the Temple and the town there was a series of caves and little cells, mostly hidden in the bushes. In these caves and huts were to be found all sorts of hermits. The one who was seated in the Virupaksha Cave did not even blink when we entered and inspected his dwelling; others had transformed their caves into temples, like that of Mulaipal Tirtham. 

In this way we came to the cell of Lakshmi Devi. We knocked at the door, but when she opened it to us, the only expression of her welcome and greeting was her beautiful smile. She had taken a vow of silence which was due to last for twelve years. Now she was living there in silence, praying and meditating. Underneath her small room she had constructed a kind of cave, lit only by an oil lamp, into which she was accustomed to withdraw for deep meditation. People often came up from the town to see her. She listened patiently to her visitors, replied in sign language, and sent them back with her blessing. 

A short distance further on was the cave and hut of Radhabai Ammayar, or the “Vadalur Ammayar,” as she was more commonly called. 

Later on, I often had the joy of being the neighbour of these two women hermits. The cave that I most often used was just beside that of Lakshmi Devi. Later still, when Radhabai had built herself another cottage nearer to the tank, I moved into the old one she had occupied. 

Radhabai had come to Tiruvannamalai some twelve years earlier. At first she had lived in silence with Lakshmi Devi in the cave which I afterwards used, each of them sitting and meditating in her own corner. Then she moved fifty yards higher up the hill and settled in a rocky cleft that she had noticed. This was so small that it was impossible for her to lie down straight, and so low, that even when seated, her head touched the roof. 

She lived there for three years without uttering a word, her only possessions being an oil lamp and a book of hymns of Ramalinga Swami. Her only meal, taken during the afternoon, consisted of a mixture of curds and grilled rice floor. When the three years of silence and severe tapas (austerity) were over, she put up a minute hut in front of her cave and installed herself there with a woman disciple. 

Lakshmi Devi wore kavi, the saffron-coloured dress of the Indian sannyasi (one who has renounced the world), but Radhabai kept to white after the custom of sadhus (monks) in the tradition of South Indian Saiva Siddhanta. Even to see her, seated thus in her home dressed all in white, was a joy and a blessing. 

We had no need to exchange words in order to understand each other, and she knew that I too loved silence. 

One festival day I was invited to take my meal with Vadalur Ammayar. While her disciple was preparing the food, I sad on the verandah together with another sadhu whom she had also invited. He soon began to read in a loud voice from some book which happened to be within reach. Not only did he read aloud, but he proceeded to comment on it in even louder tones. Vadulur Ammal quickly sensed my irritation – I was not so patient as he was! She gently explained to the sadhu that I had a very special love for silence. He seemed quite astounded that I was not all eagerness to receive his words of wisdom! However, out of deference to Ammal, he gave way and continued to read it to himself, while Ammal and I were left to enjoy our silence. 

On another occasion her guru came to visit her. I never managed to discover on what grounds she called him her guru, but no matter. He normally lived at Mount Abu in the far north, but that year he had come to spend several weeks at the ashram of his disciple. Alas, the arrival of the so-called guru soon destroyed the silence of the hermitage. He had invited some other people to accompany him, no doubt with the idea of sharing his wisdom with them also. Day and night the ashram rang with hymns, addresses, conversations. Ammal introduced me to her guru, and I greeted him with a due respect, but we never could discover any common ground on which we could converse. 

When I was alone with Ammal, she showed me her little room . . . all cluttered up with images, statues and lamps. Right in the middle had been placed a Sri Chakra, for the guru was a devotee of Shakti, the Divine Mother. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” said Radhabai, as she showed it all to me. “Of course,” I replied, “but, all the same, it strikes me as terribly inconvenient in your tiny hermitage. It leaves no room even to turn around.” “Ah! So you also know how I feel.” She said quickly, “I am so glad. But ‘he’ needs all this, so why should we upset him? When he leaves, I will clear it all away and once again enjoy peace and silence.” 

The day came when Lakshmi Devi completed her twelve years of silence. With a woman companion she went to Tirupati to be released from her vow. After that she had to return to her home near Mysore. However, in the following year, when I came back to Tiruvannamalai, I was surprised to find her once again in her hermitage. I asked her what had happened. “Yes, indeed. I went back home as arranged.” She answered, “but when one has spent twelve years on Arunachala, where else can one find shanti (peace) to compare with the caves of this mountain?” 

Mattu Pongal and Myths of the Cow

One day during the Harvest Festival is set aside for the worship of the cow. The Festival is called “Mattu Pongal,” from the custom of cooking Pongal for the cows to feed on. 

There is an interesting myth relating to the origin of the cow. As soon as men came into existence, they realised the waste of tissues in their body and felt the need of doing something about it They naturally approached Brahma for help. He thought that the celestial nectar would be too strong for men to digest, and consequently took a quantity of it himself, specialized it in his body and reduced it to a form in when men could safely take it. 

He then took the form of a cow and made the nectar flow from her udders to feed his children – human beings. Hence the cow is considered both father and mother and consequently one becomes a patricide, a matricide, and the slayer of Brahma if he kills a cow. Every part of the cow is said to be divine in its origin and it is enjoyed in the Hindu sacred scriptures that it should be treated with reverence. 

There is also a story attached in explanation of the sacredness of the foam emanating from the mouth of the cow, and the mythical reason for the same is as follows: 

As soon as Brahma swallowed a small quantity of nectar and assumed the form of the cow, a large quantity of foam was formed in his mouth and it began to fall on a Siva Lingam. As the form was nothing else but nectar Siva was highly pleased. From that time onward it was ordained that the foam in the mouth of a cow should be considered as sacred as nectar itself. The sin of pollution attaches itself to the foam in the mouth of any other animal, but in the mouth of a cow it is to be considered holy, and consequently it as free from pollution as fire, wind and gold are said to be. 

There is yet another myth emphasizing the importance of the cow. A Brahmin in the city of Mathura had once owned a cow. It was grazing on the banks of the river Yamuna, on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, that is in, the months of September-October. Suddenly a tiger appeared there and desired to eat the cow. 

The cow had a calf whom she loved very much. It therefore, begged the tiger to permit it to go home, feed the calf and then come back, to be devoured by it. The tiger consented and the cow went home. While the cow was away, the tiger departed its life from an accident that had happened to it. The spirit that was in the tiger’s body was in reality a mahatma that had accumulated great merit in past lives and consequently on being liberated from the tiger’s body, was able to understand the ‘why’ of things. When the cow returned to the place to become prey to the tiger, it bade the cow to go back to her calf safe and should. At the same time, it vouchsafed increased in cattle to one who gifted a cow to another on that particular day in Bhadrapada. 

Power of Sound

I found the below narrative on Stonehenge quite fascinating in that it postulates that the ancient monolith was based on a magical auditory illusion. The power of sound is very well understood in Hinduism in that Pranava (Aum) is the primal sound that existed before the creation and the sound that stays after the pralaya (dissolution of the Universe) -- the natharupa - the Form of sound, of the Supreme Luminance. The Om mantra is venerated as Brahman in the form of word (akshara) and sound (sabda). 

What of the nature of sound at Arunachala? This is a subject I hope to explore in more depth later on this blog Arunachala Mystic. 

For the time being, I reproduce below the above cited Stonehenge article. 

Stonehenge Based on Auditory Illusion 

Stonehenge was built in several stages, with the lintelled stone circle constructed around 2,500 BC. The site was originally a burial ground, but may also have been a place for healing. 

In 2009 a music expert at Huddersfield University, used a full-scale replica of Stonehenge and computer analyses to show that repetitive drum beats and chanting would have resonated loudly between the standing stones. 

Two flutes playing the same continuous note sets up a pattern of interference that apparently echoes the layout of Stonehenge. The Neolithic builders of Stonehenge were inspired by "auditory illusions" when they drew up blueprints for the ancient monument, a researcher claims. The radical proposal follows a series of experiments by a US scientist who claims the positions of the standing stones match patterns in sound waves created by a pair of musical instruments. 

The researcher further hypothesised that the layout of the stones corresponded to the regular spacing of loud and quiet sounds created by acoustic interference when two instruments played the same note continuously. 

In Neolithic times, the nature of sound waves – and their ability to reinforce and cancel each other out – would have been mysterious enough to verge on the magical. Quiet patches created by acoustic interference could have led to the "auditory illusion" that invisible objects stood between a listener and the instruments being played, he added. 

To investigate whether instruments could create such auditory illusions, researchers rigged two flutes to an air pump so they played the same note continuously. Walking around them in a circle, the volume rose, fell and rose again as the sound waves interfered with each other. The researcher commented, "What I found unexpected was how I experienced those regions of quiet. It felt like I was being sheltered from the sound. As if something was protecting me. It gave me a feeling of peace and quiet." 

To follow up, volunteers were recruited and blindfolded and led in a circle around the instruments. Each participant was asked to sketch out the shape of any obstruction they thought lay between them and the flutes. Some drew circles of pillars, and one volunteer added lintels, a striking feature of the Stonehenge monument. 

"If these people in the past were dancing in a circle around two pipers and were experiencing the loud and soft and loud and soft regions that happen when an interference pattern is set up, they would have felt there were these massive objects arranged in a ring. It would have been a completely baffling experience, and anything that was mysterious in the past was considered to be magic and supernatural. 

I think that was what motivated them to build the actual structure that matched this virtual impression. It was like a vision that they received from the other world. The design of Stonehenge matches this interference pattern auditory illusion." 

It's not a complete structure now but there is a portion of the ring that still has the big megaliths arranged in the circle. If you have a sound source in the middle of Stonehenge, and you walk around the outside of the big stones, what you experience is alternating loud and soft, loud and soft, loud and soft as you alternately pass by the gaps and the stone, the gaps and the stone. So the stones of Stonehenge cast acoustic shadows that mimic an interference pattern." 

Researchers postulate that their findings are not mere coincidence and say local legend offers some support for this thesis. Some megaliths are known as pipers' stones, while stories tell of walls of air forming an invisible tower, and two magical pipers that enticed maidens to dance in a circle before they turned to stone.

Sri Venkateswara Sarma (Sastrigal Mama)

Many mystic adepts have been attracted to Arunachala throughout the ages. In recent times great adepts like Sri Seshadri Swamigal and Ganapati Muni and the astrolger Sri Venkateswara Sarma found their way to Tiruvannamalai. 

The below is a short narrative on the life of Sri Venkateswara Sarma who was renowned during his life as an exceptional astrologer. 

"Sri Venkateswara Sarma (Sastrigal Mama) was an exceptional and astounding astrologer. From childhood he exhibited a rare genius in this field. While still very young, his extraordinary intelligence enabled him to master the most abstruse and difficult branch of astrology. All, including his guru, declared him as the wisest student. 

Prasna is an astrological science based on a perfect fruition between mathematics and intuition. With just some meagre information from the questioner, which includes only the first word of the question, a Prasna astrologer can, within seconds, draw up mentally a horoscope. This requires great mathematical precision and perfection. Having drawn the horoscope within his mind, and in a flash also having studied it, the astrologer will have to wait, prayerfully. Then, from the depths of his inner intuition words gush forth, forming the astrological predictions for the questioner. As this Prasna process is not merely based on mathematical horoscopes, it culminates in intuitional revelation, and the predictions are said to be amazingly accurate and correct to the minutest detail. Sri Sastrigal Mama was highly proficient in this system of astrology. 

He once described it to me by citing this example: One day a merchant came to his house while he was engaged offering worship in his puja room. His wife informed him that one Nagappa Chettiar was waiting on the verandah and that he seemed worried about some urgent matter. Not willing to interrupt his worship, and by merely listening to the name and the few details given by his wife, Sri Sastrigal Mama, within a minute, began giving the following prediction: 

"Tell Nagappa Chettiar that he has come to inquire about his lost, costly diamond ring. He suspects his servant. Assure him that no one has stolen it. In his garden, near the well, there are two rows of plantain trees. On one side there are only two trees; on the other there is a cluster of trees. Let him search under the two trees and the diamond ring will be found there. While he was cleaning his clothes on the washing stone the ring slipped off his finger and fell to the ground."

 Nagappa Chettiar returned home and found the ring exactly where Sri Sastrigal Mama had said, and because of this and similar astounding predictions Sri Sastrigal Mama became quite famous. He also became convinced that the Prasna branch of astrology was the most perfect science. 

At the height of his career he heard about Sri Ramana Maharshi. When he first saw Sri Bhagavan's picture he was immediately captivated and traveled to Arunachala to see the Sage. He climbed up to Skandashram, where Bhagavan then resided. On the very first look that the Maharshi gave him, Sri Sastrigal Mama became his slave. He had a strong desire to stay with the Maharshi permanently, renouncing everything he held dear. Yet, there was still his lifelong attraction to the science of astrology. He felt distracted by it and did not know how to proceed. 

One day, gathering courage, he approached Sri Maharshi in all humility and said, "Bhagavan, is not astrology the best and most accurate of all sciences?" 

In silence Bhagavan looked at him deeply for some time. Then, slowly but firmly, he replied: "The science of the Self is superior to all other sciences." 

It was the peak period in Sri Sastrigal Mama's life. For every prediction he was richly rewarded and was consequently acquiring immense wealth. Nevertheless, the words from the Master convinced him immediately to renounce his lucrative profession and pursue the science of the Self. His wife too fully supported him in this decision. The remainder of their life they lived in utter poverty at the holy feet of the Sat-Guru, under the protective shade of the Sacred Mountain, Arunachala." 

Secrets of Arunachala

In connection with my previous posting on Kenneth Grant and his metaphysical interpretations of the Hill, in which appeared several quotes by Sri Ramana Maharshi. Below follows an extract taken from ‘Letters of Sri Ramanasramam’ by Suri Nagamma, which gives more information about the Hidden Secrets of Arunachala as revealed by the Maharshi.

“. . . One of the devotees addressed Bhagavan:

Devotee:  “You told us once that you had seen on this Hill temples, gardens and such like. Was that all during the period you were on the Hill?”

Bhagavan:  “Yes. That was perhaps when I was in the Virupaksha Cave. I closed my eyes. I felt I was walking on the Hill itself towards the north-east. I saw at one place a nice flower garden, a big temple, a fine compound wall and a big Nandi (a bull, sacred to Siva, carved in stone). There was a strange light. It was extremely pleasant. As I was looking at all these, it was time for Puja (worship). The bell was rung and immediately after that I opened by eyes.”

Devotee:   “Bhagavan told us some time back that there was a big cave also.”

Bhagavan:  “Yes, yes. That also happened when I was living on the Hill. I was wandering about aimlessly, when I found at one place a big cave. When I entered the cave, I saw a number of waterfalls, beautiful gardens, tanks within those gardens, well-laid paths, fine lighting, everything there was most pleasing.

As I went farther and farther I saw a Siddha Purusha (Realised Sage) seated like Dakshinamurti under a tree on the banks of  tank. Around him, a number of Munis (sages) were seated. They were asking something, and he was replying to them. That place appeared to me very familiar. That is all. I opened by eyes.

Subsequently, after some time, when I saw Arunachala Purana in Sanskrit, I found . . . slokas (which described) that cave and that Siddha Purusha, and so I was surprised that what had appeared to me in a trance was to be found in that book. So I wrote their  translation in Tamil . . . Its meaning is ‘Though you are in the form of fire, you have kept away the fire and have taken the shape of a Hill, mainly to shower your blessings on people.  You are always living here in the form of a Siddha. The cave that appeared to me is in you with all the luxuries of the world.’

“Recently (i.e. c.1949), when the temple in Adi Annamalai was renovated, it was reported that in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, a large tunnel was found, and when people tried to find out its extent they saw that it was extending to the very centre of the Hill. As they could not go in very far, they came back. I  therefore thought that that which had occurred to me that which is in the Purana appear to be true, and that the tunnel was the way to the place I had seen.

It is reported that Siddha Purushas come from the cave inside to the temple through the tunnel night after night and go back after worshipping Ishwara. Why so far? Recently something like that was seen even here. I was going on to the Hill as usual when, as I was getting near the steps over there, a big city appeared before me. There were huge buildings of several varieties; well-laid thoroughfares; good lighting; and it appeared to be a great city. At one place, a meeting was being held; Chadwick was with me. He was even saying, ‘Bhagavan, all this is so self-evident. Who will believe if we say this is all a dream!” Everything appeared as if it was actually happening . . . “

                                                              

Mystic Writings on Arunachala

Over the last several hundreds of years there have been many fascinating narratives written about Arunachala by devotees of the Hill. But sometimes the most intuitive and compelling narratives are written by those who have never even visited Arunachala. 

One such writer was Kenneth Grant. He was born in Ilford, Essex, England on May 23, 1924 and died on January 15, 2011. Grant volunteered for the army in 1942 as a young man of 18 years old in the hope that he would be posted to India, where he might find a guru. However a breakdown of his health, saw him discharged from the army within 18 months of his enlistment, and thereafter he was to spend his years and life in the U.K. 

Where he became a renowned occultist and writer propounding the philosophy of 'Thelema', which was a synthesis of Nietzschean and Buddhist ideas that sought to harness willpower for magical ends. Later Grant proceeded to immerse himself in mysticism and in particular in Advaita Vedanta and wrote essays on such luminaries as Sri Ramana Maharshi, Pagal Haranath, Paramahamsa Ramakrishna, Anandamayi Ma, and Swami Sivananda. 

Kenneth Grant

In his work ‘The Magical Revival’ Kenneth Grant writes of Arunachala as one of the global chakras. 

“The supreme seat of energy - the Sahasrara Chakra - is not located within the physical body at all, but above the cranial suture, where, figuratively speaking, the Lotus of Infinite Light blooms and bathes with its perfume the subtle anatomy of man. The Sahasrara is the seat of the Atman, the True Self in Man which is known as the Brahman in the Cosmos. It is the Abode of Siva and is represented on earth by the Sacred Hill of Arunachala in South India. This is the cult-centre of the most profoundly spiritual Path now open to humanity, i.e. the Advaita-marg or Path of Non-duality. 

Arunachala, the oldest hill in existence is said to date from the Lemurian phase of the earth's history. The Light of Pure Wisdom, Jnana, shines through the Sahasrara. It is broken into a thousand streams by its multitude of petals. The nectar drips perpetually over the subtle bodies and energizes the chakras beneath it, each chakra absorbing and transmuting a little of the Light in accordance with individual spiritual development. 

The first two glands to be animated by it are the pineal and the pituitary. The former is located in the middle of the head of the physical body, and its function is to initiate the current of Light in the remaining centres, and to regulate its distribution from the corresponding chakras in the etheric body. The pineal gland is backed by the Ajna Chakra, which once constituted the Third Eye, or Eye of Siva. This is the channel of direct spiritual energy.” 

In speaking of the inner light beam of Arunachala, Kenneth Grant states in his book 'Outer Gateways', that: 

“Down this column, as down a pathway cut through space by the beams of the full moon, swarm the unearthly siddhas who, while upon earth, reside within the caverns of the hill.” 

And that Arunachala, ‘constitutes the most powerful concentration of spiritual energy on this planet.’ The hill represents and conceals some form of gateway to a state of consciousness outside terrestrial conditions. Arunachala, therefore, is associated with such concepts as light-siddhas-caves-tunnels-visions (of amazing cities), flower-gardens-temples; and Dakshinamurti, the Guru who confers diksa by Silence. Dakshinamurti means, literally, the formless (amurti) dakshin (south/set). This pervasive and formless light of Arunachala was congealed into a solid columnic mass or pillar, in aeons-old Lemuria.’ 

These are mysterious inner plane entities of vastly ancient provenance who can manifest in whatever way they choose. Maharshi said that ‘A number of Siddha Purushas live on this mountain. It is perhaps with a desire to see me that they come and go assuming various shapes.’ Strange lights have been seen over Arunachala and have often given the impression of being under some kind of conscious control. When Maharshi died a bright light was seen moving slowly across the sky that then appeared to enter the hill. The Tripurarahasya has a tale of a hill containing an entire universe within it. 

‘. . . Dakshinamurti (the Sage associated by tradition with Arunachala) initiates by silence. ‘Silence is the true nature of the Self for it transcends all vibrations and is the type of absolute stillness symbolised by Arunachala-Siva, consciousness unstained by thoughts, which are but subtle vibrations.’ 

Sacred Places

Evans-Wentz: Mr. Brunton mentions a yogi in Madras who is said to hold communion with his master in the Himalayas.

Maharshi: It is not more marvellous than telepathy; so commonly known. Telepathy cannot exist without the hearer and television without the seer. What is the difference between hearing from far and from near? It is only the hearer who matters. Without the hearer there cannot be hearing; without the seer there cannot be vision.

Evans-Wentz: So you want me to consider the subject and not the object.

Maharshi: The subject and object appear only after the mind has arisen. The mind comprises them and also the occult powers.

Evans-Wentz: Can the manifestations of light be seen on Arunachala Hill?

Maharshi: Yes.

Evans-Wentz: Is there any psychic effect in visiting sacred places like Mt. Kailas, Benares, etc.?

Maharshi: Yes.

Evans-Wentz: Is there any benefit accruing by dying in Benares?

Maharshi: Yes, the meaning will be clear if the real Benares and real dying be understood.

Evans-Wentz: You mean that they are in the Self?

Maharshi: Yes.

Evans-Wentz: There are six centres in the body and there are corresponding centres in the world.

Maharshi: Yes. What is in the world is in the body; and what is in the body is in the world also.

Evans-Wentz: Is the sacredness of Benares a matter of faith, or is it externally also real?

Maharshi: Both.

Evans-Wentz: Some people are attracted to one place of pilgrimage and others to another. Is it according to their temperaments?

Maharshi: Yes. Just consider how all of you born in different places and living in other lands are gathered here today? What is the Force which has attracted you here? If this is understood the other Force is also understood.

[Talks with Bhagavan]

Light at Deepavali

Light primarily signifies knowledge. All our activities should be governed by the light of knowledge, especially the knowledge of dharma. By this knowledge, ignorance or darkness is dispelled. We bow to knowledge which is the greatest wealth in our lives. Knowledge also backs our good as well as bad actions. So, the lamp which is kept lit for all auspicious occasions, is a witness to our thoughts and actions.

Learned people say that by seeing brightly lit lamps, insects, birds, reptiles, trees and plants, all living things residing in water and light can be permanently liberated from bondages due to that particular janma.

The flame is fed on the oil of clear devotion and enlivened by the breeze of intense love of contemplation on the Lord. The wick is the intellect strengthened by impressions of strivings to cultivate the right values. This is the spiritual significance of a deepam compared to an electric light which can only remove darkness. Like the flame burning upwards, our knowledge must take us towards higher ideals.


Lighting Lamps

To those interested in the more esoteric aspects of the lighting of lamps (which is particularly appropriate during this Deepavali Festival) below are some beliefs about lamp lighting.

1. Using sesame oil in lamps destroys evil and castor oil brings joy to relatives. A mixture of 5 oils available at the market, is very beneficial to use in lamps. Coconut oil for Lord Ganesha, Sesame oil for Lord Narayana and ghee for the Devi.

2. Cotton is the best wick as it heralds prosperity. And a wick made of yellow cloth gives Blessing from the Goddess.

3. Putting the lamp in the east removes sorrow, and in the west to remove debt and enemies.

4. The number of wicks in a lamp have different significance. Two wicks gives family happiness, three wicks denotes the birth of a child, four wicks for wealth, and five wicks for welfare, health and prosperity.

5. Lamps should always be put out be pressing with a flower or sprinkling with kumkum.

6. Keep a cloth near lamp to rub excess oil from hands, excess oil should not be rubbed on hair or on own dress.



Kuthu Vilakku

The five petals of the Kuthu Vilakku are also said to denote the five main elements are supposed to represent the five elements of Nature — earth, water, fire, air and sky or space. The five nozzles are also said to denote the five main elements needed for a successful life — health, wealth, learning, courage and longevity.








The three Gods Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva are believed to be present in the Vilakku. At the base part is Bramha,the middle part Vishnu and the broad part on top is Shiva.The Glow of the Vilakku is represented as Goddess Lakshmi, the Light by Goddess Saraswati and the Heat by Goddess Parvati.

The five wicks in the Kuthu Vilakku represents our five senses and also the Panchaboothangal: 5 elements of the World; Earth, Water, Air, Sky and FireTraditionally.


Laksmi at Deepavali

There are two legends that associate the worship of Lakshmi on this day. According to the first legend, on this day, Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean of Milk, during the great churning of the oceans, Samudra manthan. The second legend (more popular in western India) relates to the Vamana Avatar of the big three Vishnu, the incarnation he assumed to kill the demon King Bali. On this day, Vishnu came back to his abode the Vaikuntha; so those who worship Lakshmi receive the benefit of her benevolent mood, and are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being.

On the day of Lakshmi Puja during Deepavali, "Lakshmi-panchayatan" enters the Universe. This group of five elements, “panchayatan” are comprised of Vishnu, Indra, Kubera, Gajendra and Lakshmi. The tasks of these elements are:

Lakshmi: Shakti which provides energy to all activities
Vishnu: Happiness (happiness and satisfaction:
Kubera: Wealth (generosity; one who shares wealth)
Indra: Opulence (satisfaction due to wealth)
Gajendra: Carries the wealth

Spirits Delay Mountain Path

The following narrative is an extract from Richard Clarke’s fascinating posting at this link here in which he gives detailed information about a recent project to extend a pathway by way of restoration of an old passage between Ganesh and Parvati Hill, west of Arunachala. The path marked in white in the below aerial photograph is about 1.5 km long.

After conforming to procedure by filing an official plan with the Department of Forestry and Collector, through a local Trust organisation, ‘Global Watch Trust’, work on the new pathway commenced.

Pathway with Steps
being Created 1

After commencement of work, the leader of the mountain work group reported problems manifesting in injuries to crew members, slow progress, workers feeling drained of energy and infighting amongst themselves. It was concluded that these problems were happening because of resistance from mountain spirits.

Pathway with Steps
being Created 2

The crew leader also reported a scream heard in the area which he thought to be from the Goddess Mohini who is believed to reside there. He also had a vision of being visited by Goddess Mohini in which he felt her physical presence pushing his body. He reported that the Goddess told him that the spirits were upset because the work crew were moving rocks that the spirits enjoyed sitting upon. The crew leader then had a vision of his Guru, telling him to conduct a puja to placate the spirits and ask for their blessings to continue with the pathway.

Old Path before Work

A special puja was thus arranged in the forest to placate the disturbed spirits. Although the puja was acknowledged a success, the old work crew continued to feel uncomfortable resuming work on the pathway. Thus work was disbanded for a short time until a new crew could be hired to complete work on what is now a finished pathway.

Completed Puja

To read Richard Clark’s fascinating report in full and also to view the many photographs he posted with his narrative please go to his original posting at this link here.

Light of Arunachala

Recently someone asked me whether it was possible to have visions of light or jyoti whilst looking at or circumbulating Arunachala. I have set down the below narrative taken from the beautifully devotional book ‘Aurora of Arunachala’, by V. Suryanarayan, to give information about other peoples’ experiences and visions of the Light of Arunachala:-



“The importance of the sacred place of Tiruvannamalai lies in the secret of its being the centre of the Thejo-linga kshetra and its being the secret abode of the supreme Lord Shiva in his elemental form of fire. While the celebrated linga adorns the temple of Arunachaleswarar, Skandapurana comes out with the exciting fact that the mount of Arunachala is itself the present version of the original fiery linga in the form of pillar that confronted Brahma and Vishnu in times of great antiquity; the Lord having settled himself in the form of the mountain in order to bless all beings who go round it. He is the august divinity living seemingly silent as a pradakshina-priya. But those who have gone round and worshipped him know he is not silent but verily vibrant as a beacon of light – as a jyoti.

“ . . . early in the 1970s, I had not even heard of Sri Seshadri Swamigal. But one day as I was meditating in Bangalore in the early hours of the morning his effulgent figure appeared before me. The vision with golden face and form was such that I had no two opinions about his being a great one. I was only keen on the identity of the central figure of my visionary experience. It was only when I saw his portrait on the same evening in a devotee’s house, that I came to know about his identity. I thanked him silently for his kindness of the type that has no parallel in this world.

As I learnt that his Samadhi and abode of tranquility glorified Arunachala, I embarked on a pilgrimage to Seshadri Ashram shortly thereafter. It was past midnight when my friends and I reached his samadhi. After about two hours of rest, I woke up early and found that the whole landscape around was totally plunged in darkness because it was a New Moon day (Amavasya); even the electrical lights were not visible but lo! It was not dark in one spot behind the Ashram at the foot of the mount of Arunachala where a huge elliptical ball of brilliant light stood from the ground to a gigantic height. The sight of what I would like to call Aruna-jyoti was also shared by another who came out with me at the same time. The Jyoti vanished after two minutes.

I should hasten to add that the Jyoti of Arunachaleswarar is not confined to any particular form or denomination. Everything depends upon His will, grace and illimitable kindness. Indeed, the Lord is everywhere inside every jeevan, inside the mountain of Arunachala and outside. What makes visits to Seshadri Ashram exciting is the rewarding experiences of the jyoti – thanks to Arunachalewara’s manifestations of his jyoti-maya form. What is even greater about the Lord is that, as the scriptures proclaim, he is visible in his Jyoti state both in the Antarmukha and Bahirmukha – in the microcosm and the macrocosm.

The jyoti that becomes visible either as a result of the grace of Sri Seshadri Swamigal or Sri Arunachaleswarar is so variegated that no-one can say anything precise about a great God who defies definition. But it can be categorically asserted as emphasised by Skandapurana that Arunachala offers more vivid experiences of the celestial light or Jyoti than any other kshetra.


Experiences

During a pradakshina on the Western side, I stopped for a while to offer prayers – intently gazing a the mountain peak. What was the wondrous sight? Seven streaks of bright light emerged one after another from the peak – from the bosom of the mountain – and reached the Sapta Rishi Mandala above. We continued our pradakshina. Later in the day we all met for a brief spell. Although I had kept the remarkable sight of the Rishis to myself, another asked me if I had seen the Sapta Rishis in the form of light! She was not in the group that had done the pradakshina with us!

Perhaps the most spectacular of the Jyoti phenomena is the aurora of Arunachaleswarar emerging from the top of the mountain in a fantastic cluster of rays beaming to great heights in all directions. This was visible once on the eve of our pradakshina from Seshadri Swamigal’s Ashram as the starting point of pradakshina. What is significant is the same aurora in miniature form is sometimes also visible form the top of the jyoti-linga in Arunachaleswarar Temple.”

[Extract from Aurora of Arunachala by V.Suryanarayan]

Arunachala -- The Great Monolith

An earlier posting appeared on my Arunachala Grace Blog as a tribute to the then recently deceased great science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. In that post I wrote about Monoliths and explained that when geologically represented in forms such as a Mountain or as a massive individual stone, are often believed to be stones of transformation and projections – a Philosopher Stone.


The posting is represented in full below:

On March 19, 2008 at the age of 90 years at his home in Sri Lanka, the great Science Fiction writer, Sir Arthur C Clarke died. As a young child I read many of his books and short stories and he (and other Science Fiction writers) powerfully influenced my spiritual impetus. In this respect the transformational movie, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, a 1968 science fiction film written by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke and dealing with human evolution has been hugely influential to many in a very similar way.

Arthur C. Clarke

The reason why ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, is a particularly fascinating subject in relation to Arunachala, is because of the use of a ‘monolith’ as the transformative tool throughout the movie.

The word Monolith comes from the Greek; "Mon" means 'one' and "lith" means 'stone'. It can be a large block of stone or something such as a column or monument or something suggestive of a large block of stone, as in immovability, massiveness, or uniformity. Monolith can also be a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument.

In the movie 2001, the stone is black and in alchemy all things that exist come from the black stone, or the 'prima materia'. The black stone is the stone of transformation and the stone of projection. The Philosopher's Stone. This is the object that can change or transmute mankind, according to alchemical lore. It is rare and, when it makes an appearance, it transforms the seeker





The movie, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, has as its theme, man’s evolution, from ape through earthman to astral being. It starts in prehistoric times where mankind's ancestors are struck by inspiration after a silent black monolith appears in their midst. When the primitive ape-like species is presented with the monolith their curiosity and courage overcomes their fear; and when the innate characteristics of the ape interfaces with the monolithic slab, the species take a dramatic step in their advancement.

***The sun and the crescent moon aligned with each other is a symbol of Zoroastrianism, the ancient Persian religion which predates Buddhism and Christianity and is based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra). This particular alignment symbolises the eternal struggle between light and darkness.***






The evolutionary theme of ‘A Space Odyssey’, from ape through Earthman to astral being, continues millions of years later, when a similar-looking monolith dug up on the moon in 2001, starts to blast a strong radio signal to Jupiter. The culmination of the evolutionary theme occurs when the lone surviving astronaut of a space mission seeking the source of the radio signal has a rendezvous with another monolith and a hallucinogenic journey to the infinite beyond.

With his rasping, dying breath, the Earthman reaches out to the monolith, at last, with deep understanding and wisdom. The body -- container of man's spirit for millions of years, is cast aside forever. And the next evolutionary leap occurs -- the Starchild is born.






‘The cyclical evolution from ape to man to spaceman to angel-starchild-superman is complete. Evolution has also been outwardly directed toward another level of existence - from isolated cave dwellings to the entire Earth to the Moon to the Solar System to the Universe. Humankind's unfathomed potential for the future is hopeful and optimistic. What is the next stage in man's cosmic evolution beyond this powerful, immense, immortal, space-journeying creature? "Then he (i.e. the Starchild) waited, marshalling his thoughts and brooding over his still untested powers. For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something"'
[2001 - The Novel]






Throughout the world there are representations of monoliths many of which have spiritual and transformative powers. The opinion of many is that Arunachala is the definitive, transformative monolith, but throughout the world there are other special, sacred monolithic places. For instance Uluru (previously called Ayers Rock) in Australia is a sandstone monolith; 1,143 feet high and 6 miles in circumference.







"This is the working of the ceremony to save the green ants, the aboriginal people and the dreamtime that holds the world together. The white people are too young to know this and too old to understand. Yet, you must listen to these words now and hear with your hearts, the singing of the mountain. The mountain sings. It sings like it has never sung before...it is singing now for you...for us...for every living creature on this beautiful Earth. The mountain sings its first and last song. The music comes from far, far away yet it is inside you...inside the mountain...inside the trees...inside the rising sun...inside the stars...inside the little pebbles in the river... inside the kangaroo...inside the green ants...inside your mother...inside your father...the song is singing by itself inside every living thing. Now, the mountain sings to keep the world alive. When you hear the song inside your hearts, sing back to the mountain. Sing back to the mountain...sing back to the mountain..."
[Invocation of a Chief Uluru Aboriginal Elder]

Thank you Arthur. Take rest now.