 |
| Ganpati this year....on the sitar...with mooshik on pakhawaj! |
Thursday 24 August 2017
Wednesday 16 August 2017
At Ahobilam
Ahobila- the name itself conjures up the euphoria upon the sudden and unexpected discovery of a cave (bila). Aho! Ahoy! It's a cave! It's a cave! It's a bila...aho! bila! And what if....what if... it's not an empty cave, but a cave where you stumble upon the most fascinating idol of the Lord? How heightened the excitement would be! That's Ahobilam- a set of shrines where Lord Narasimha is found in the recess of a cave, dotting the hills of the Eastern Ghats. These hills are compared to a serpent- a serpent with Srisailam as the tail, Ahobilam as its coils and Tirupati as its hood.
Lord Narasimha, as Hari..as Nara-hari....sits nestled in these caves at Ahobilam. Can I see Him only at Ahobilam? Doesn't He exist everywhere- even in my own heart?
The heart is often compared to a cave, a guhaa, a bila. And in the cave of the heart, lighting up each thought, is the Self. "Yo veda nihitam guhaayaam"- Recognize Him, the Self, the Narasimha....in the cave (guha) of your own heart- says the Upanishad. That discovery is verily Ahobila, a subjective Ahobila! That the Lord is present like a lion, like Narasimha, in the cave of the heart is seen in the Shivananda Lahari too - "kuharey pancha mukhah asti". In the kuhara (cave) of my heart, He resides as pancha-mukhah (pancha-mukha has two readings- five-faced shiva as well as a lion!).
And now for a little quiz question. What raga is most appropriate to be sung for Narahari at Ahobila? Think! Think! Think! It has to be Bilahari! In the name of the raga, we find the connection.....Hari found in a cave...is Bilahari! Interestingly, in Hindustani music, raga Bilahari is called Alaiya Bilaval! It's as if, the more we look, the more patterns we find centered on bila! And one of the well known compositions in raga Bilahari is Tyagraja's composition called "Narasimha"! Thus, bila, hari, bilahari, narahari, ahobila and narasimha are all intertwined inseparably with each other!
Adi Shankara and Ahobilam:
Ahobilam is well known as a prominent Vaishnava Kshetra. Not so well known are incidents from another point in time- involving Adi Shankara and Ahobilam. As we read the Shankara Vijayam, we find that from Srisailam, Adi Shankara definitely visited Ahobilam. His "Lakshmi Nrsimha karaavalamba stotram" is well known. Each verse has the refrain - "Lakshmi Nrsimha mama dehi karaavalambam" - Let me hold on to Him; may that Lakshmi-Nrsimha be my helping hand, my karaavalamba so that I can find security in an insecure world!
We have another stotra from Adi Shankara called the Lakshmi-Nrsimha Pancharatnam where we find a beautiful reference to the subjective Ahobila we talked about earlier. If you want to decorate your reflected face in a mirror, Shankara says, with a mark on the forehead, you don't have to apply the decoration on the mirror! It will serve no purpose and will spoil the mirror too! All you have to do is tackle the original face; with that, the reflection takes care of itself automatically! Shankara, the master-poet that he is, deftly blends devotion with the highest philosophy in this work.
These hymns are dedicated to Lord Narasimha on these hills.
Sanandana and Lord Narasimha:
Shankara's prominent disciple was Padmapada, who was believed to be Narasimha's amsha-avatara. In his purvashrama, Padmapada was called Sanandana. Sanandana was initiated into a Narasimha mantra. He sat in the jungle and was engaged in intense upasana. A hunter was curious about what Sanandana was up to. Sanandana was in no mood to engage the hunter. He flippantly replied that he was meditating on an animal which was to be found in the jungle and had a lion's head and a man's body. The hunter was naïve and actually went in search of the animal. For two days, he searched everywhere. Pleased with his single-pointed zeal, Lord Narasimha revealed Himself to the hunter and allowed the hunter to capture him. The hunter led the Lord to Sanandana. But Sanandana could not see the Lord. Sanandana was distraught that the Lord had chosen to reveal Himself to the hunter but not to him. But the Lord made a promise which was heard by Sanandana- that the Lord will come to his help when he needed it most!
Lord Narasimha saves Shankara:
Later, Sanandana met Shankara and became his disciple. Renamed Padmapada, he followed Shankara as he walked the length and breadth of the country. Soon, they were in the hills around Ahobilam. A kapalika accosted Shankara and asked permission so that he could offer Shankara as a human sacrifice! Shankara acceded to the request. As the kapalika was on the verge of decapitating Shankara, something stirred within Padmapada. He was transformed into Narasimha murti and tore the kapalika to shreds. Thus, Lord Narasimha, through Padmapada protected Shankara. This incident is found in the Shankara Vijayam. It does not explicitly mention Ahobilam. However, considering the chronology of this incident, just after Shankara's stay at Srisailam and its association with Lord Narasimha, it is most likely that the setting should have definitely been Ahobilam.
Lakshmi Narasimha and Ugra Narasimha:
Nine Narasimha shrines dot these hills. We covered two- "Lakshmi Narasimha" and "Ugra Narasimha".
The Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is at the base of the hills. The Lakshmi-Narasimha idol is immensely captivating and "alive"! We gaze at the deity for long and even catch the sparkle in the eye! Such beauty! We are told the deity also bears the name "Venkata Narasimha" since the Lord of Tirupati Himself visited the place. Amritavalli thaayaar is grace personified.
A little drive up the hills takes us to the Ugra Narasimha Temple. It is scenic with mountains on either side...their tops covered in a tuft of green and their sides embedded with boulders. The temple is set at a spot where the two mountain ranges meet- atop a rock-façade which appears to have been cut with precision- like a fresh-cut chocolate-cake slice! The rock is scooped out at the center revealing an enormous V-shaped cleft, through which a little stream of water trickles down.
Surely, it has to be Lord Narasimha's handicraft! Ugra Narasimha, austere and impressive, sits inside a cave with a shallow, rugged roof. Outside the cave, we strain our eyes to peer into a little shrine with a shiva-linga. The Goddess is Chenchu Lakshmi- supremely beautiful.
Beyond the Ugra Narasimha shrine...the trek begins to other hill-top shrines. But we go no further. The blessing of "punar-darshana" at the temple strengthens us.
We hope to return to these hills another day. We hope to visit that cave on the topmost hill and exclaim in excitement..."Aho! bila! Ahobila!! We hope to discover Him in the cave of our heart and exult in triumph....just like that sage in the Taittirya Upanishad..."Aho! Aho! Aho!"- "I've found It! I've found It! I've found It!!"
Notes:
1. The Taittiriya Upanishad actually uses the expression "Haavu! haavu! haavu!". It is the same as "Aho! Aho! Aho!" The exclamation "Aho" becomes "Haavu" in "saama-gaana". The reader can look up this verse in the Bhrigu Valli of the Upanishad.
2. Chenchu Lakshmi- "Chenchu" is apparently a tribe found in these parts. We are reminded of the raga "Chenchu kambhoji" and Tyagaraja's composition "vara raaga laya". May be, the raga was borrowed from this tribe much like "yadukula kambhoji". It is likely that the folk-raga commonly pronounced as "Senjurutti" is in fact "Chenchurutti" and owes its origin to this Chenchu tribe.
Lord Narasimha, as Hari..as Nara-hari....sits nestled in these caves at Ahobilam. Can I see Him only at Ahobilam? Doesn't He exist everywhere- even in my own heart?
The heart is often compared to a cave, a guhaa, a bila. And in the cave of the heart, lighting up each thought, is the Self. "Yo veda nihitam guhaayaam"- Recognize Him, the Self, the Narasimha....in the cave (guha) of your own heart- says the Upanishad. That discovery is verily Ahobila, a subjective Ahobila! That the Lord is present like a lion, like Narasimha, in the cave of the heart is seen in the Shivananda Lahari too - "kuharey pancha mukhah asti". In the kuhara (cave) of my heart, He resides as pancha-mukhah (pancha-mukha has two readings- five-faced shiva as well as a lion!).
And now for a little quiz question. What raga is most appropriate to be sung for Narahari at Ahobila? Think! Think! Think! It has to be Bilahari! In the name of the raga, we find the connection.....Hari found in a cave...is Bilahari! Interestingly, in Hindustani music, raga Bilahari is called Alaiya Bilaval! It's as if, the more we look, the more patterns we find centered on bila! And one of the well known compositions in raga Bilahari is Tyagraja's composition called "Narasimha"! Thus, bila, hari, bilahari, narahari, ahobila and narasimha are all intertwined inseparably with each other!
Adi Shankara and Ahobilam:
Ahobilam is well known as a prominent Vaishnava Kshetra. Not so well known are incidents from another point in time- involving Adi Shankara and Ahobilam. As we read the Shankara Vijayam, we find that from Srisailam, Adi Shankara definitely visited Ahobilam. His "Lakshmi Nrsimha karaavalamba stotram" is well known. Each verse has the refrain - "Lakshmi Nrsimha mama dehi karaavalambam" - Let me hold on to Him; may that Lakshmi-Nrsimha be my helping hand, my karaavalamba so that I can find security in an insecure world!
We have another stotra from Adi Shankara called the Lakshmi-Nrsimha Pancharatnam where we find a beautiful reference to the subjective Ahobila we talked about earlier. If you want to decorate your reflected face in a mirror, Shankara says, with a mark on the forehead, you don't have to apply the decoration on the mirror! It will serve no purpose and will spoil the mirror too! All you have to do is tackle the original face; with that, the reflection takes care of itself automatically! Shankara, the master-poet that he is, deftly blends devotion with the highest philosophy in this work.
These hymns are dedicated to Lord Narasimha on these hills.
Sanandana and Lord Narasimha:
Shankara's prominent disciple was Padmapada, who was believed to be Narasimha's amsha-avatara. In his purvashrama, Padmapada was called Sanandana. Sanandana was initiated into a Narasimha mantra. He sat in the jungle and was engaged in intense upasana. A hunter was curious about what Sanandana was up to. Sanandana was in no mood to engage the hunter. He flippantly replied that he was meditating on an animal which was to be found in the jungle and had a lion's head and a man's body. The hunter was naïve and actually went in search of the animal. For two days, he searched everywhere. Pleased with his single-pointed zeal, Lord Narasimha revealed Himself to the hunter and allowed the hunter to capture him. The hunter led the Lord to Sanandana. But Sanandana could not see the Lord. Sanandana was distraught that the Lord had chosen to reveal Himself to the hunter but not to him. But the Lord made a promise which was heard by Sanandana- that the Lord will come to his help when he needed it most!
Lord Narasimha saves Shankara:
Later, Sanandana met Shankara and became his disciple. Renamed Padmapada, he followed Shankara as he walked the length and breadth of the country. Soon, they were in the hills around Ahobilam. A kapalika accosted Shankara and asked permission so that he could offer Shankara as a human sacrifice! Shankara acceded to the request. As the kapalika was on the verge of decapitating Shankara, something stirred within Padmapada. He was transformed into Narasimha murti and tore the kapalika to shreds. Thus, Lord Narasimha, through Padmapada protected Shankara. This incident is found in the Shankara Vijayam. It does not explicitly mention Ahobilam. However, considering the chronology of this incident, just after Shankara's stay at Srisailam and its association with Lord Narasimha, it is most likely that the setting should have definitely been Ahobilam.
Lakshmi Narasimha and Ugra Narasimha:
Nine Narasimha shrines dot these hills. We covered two- "Lakshmi Narasimha" and "Ugra Narasimha".
The Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is at the base of the hills. The Lakshmi-Narasimha idol is immensely captivating and "alive"! We gaze at the deity for long and even catch the sparkle in the eye! Such beauty! We are told the deity also bears the name "Venkata Narasimha" since the Lord of Tirupati Himself visited the place. Amritavalli thaayaar is grace personified.
A little drive up the hills takes us to the Ugra Narasimha Temple. It is scenic with mountains on either side...their tops covered in a tuft of green and their sides embedded with boulders. The temple is set at a spot where the two mountain ranges meet- atop a rock-façade which appears to have been cut with precision- like a fresh-cut chocolate-cake slice! The rock is scooped out at the center revealing an enormous V-shaped cleft, through which a little stream of water trickles down.
Surely, it has to be Lord Narasimha's handicraft! Ugra Narasimha, austere and impressive, sits inside a cave with a shallow, rugged roof. Outside the cave, we strain our eyes to peer into a little shrine with a shiva-linga. The Goddess is Chenchu Lakshmi- supremely beautiful.
Beyond the Ugra Narasimha shrine...the trek begins to other hill-top shrines. But we go no further. The blessing of "punar-darshana" at the temple strengthens us.
We hope to return to these hills another day. We hope to visit that cave on the topmost hill and exclaim in excitement..."Aho! bila! Ahobila!! We hope to discover Him in the cave of our heart and exult in triumph....just like that sage in the Taittirya Upanishad..."Aho! Aho! Aho!"- "I've found It! I've found It! I've found It!!"
Notes:
1. The Taittiriya Upanishad actually uses the expression "Haavu! haavu! haavu!". It is the same as "Aho! Aho! Aho!" The exclamation "Aho" becomes "Haavu" in "saama-gaana". The reader can look up this verse in the Bhrigu Valli of the Upanishad.
2. Chenchu Lakshmi- "Chenchu" is apparently a tribe found in these parts. We are reminded of the raga "Chenchu kambhoji" and Tyagaraja's composition "vara raaga laya". May be, the raga was borrowed from this tribe much like "yadukula kambhoji". It is likely that the folk-raga commonly pronounced as "Senjurutti" is in fact "Chenchurutti" and owes its origin to this Chenchu tribe.
Tuesday 15 August 2017
On the Srisailam trail.....
It is clear that the saint Adi Shankara had a special place in his heart for Srisailam ( temple town in Andhra Pradesh). He composed a 100 verses on Lord Shiva called "Shivananda Lahari". Being a devotional work, it essentially talks about Shiva's exploits. Needless to say, Kailasa, the eternal abode of Lord Shiva is mentioned in these verses. Apart from Kailasa, there is no explicit mention about any other place. We can indirectly interpret a verse here or a verse there, to perhaps refer to places like Mylapore and Mayuram. But no definite confirmation is possible. In such a work, one particular place is singled out for special mention - Srisailam. Like a pendant in a necklace, exactly at the center of the 100 verse composition, in verse 50 and verse 51, Shankara talks about Srisailam. The placement of these two verses is not casual. It is as important as the Chapter 9 is to the Geeta with 18 chapters or "namah shivaya" is to the Vedic hymn Shri Rudram- bang at the center! It cannot be overlooked. It is said that Adi Shankara composed the Shivananda Lahari at Srisailam.
Lord Shiva at Srisailam is called Mallikarjuna. This temple is part of a triad of temples- in each of which, the "sthala vriksha" (temple-tree) is the "Arjuna" tree. Hence, the trailing "Arjuna" associated with the names in the three places. The Arjuna tree itself gets its name from the Pandava Prince Arjuna, who is said to have propitiated Lord Shiva at Srisailam. While Shiva is called "Mallikarjuna" at Srisailam, we have "Madhyarjuna" at Tiru-idai-marudur (close to Kumbhakonam, Tamil Nadu) and "Pudarjuna" at Tiru-pudai-marudur (Tirunalveli, Tamil Nadu). In Tamil, "marudu maram" is the name of the "Arjuna Tree". Hence, the similar sounding names.
While Srisailam is on the banks of the River Krishna, Tiruvidaimarudur is on the banks of the River Kaveri and Tiru-pudai-marudur is on the banks of the River Tamraparani. A closer scrutiny on the selection of the rivers throws an interesting point. Krishna is "black" in color. Tamra is "red". Kaveri can be taken as "white". In Hindu iconography, these 3 colors are significant and well known. "White" stands for "knowledge/intelligence" (satva), "Red" stands for "activity" (rajas) and "Black" stands for "cessation of both knowledge and activity, a state of stillness" (tamas). These 3 colors represent the "three gunas"- and the entire "material world" is often explained as a combination of these three basic building-blocks- "intelligence-activity-stillness". Through the selection of these 3 rivers, it's as if Shiva exists as the Lord of the gunas, who throws out the entire material world....from his own being. He lords over the gunas, transcends them as it were, as the "indwelling spirit" and "enlivens" the material world...from the tiny microbe to the mighty man!
Adi Shankara found the shiva-linga at Srisailam beneath the Arjuna tree. A mallika-creeper entwined itself around the shiva-linga and the Arjuna tree. A bee buzzed around the mallika-flower. Shiva and Shakti exist as one composite whole: inseparable from each other. If He is the Arjuna tree, She is the Mallika creeper twirled around Him. If He is the Mallika-flower, She is the bee, buzzing around Him. Shiva is "Mallikarjuna" and Shakti is "Bhramaramba" (bee!) at Srisailam.
In the Shivananda Lahari, in verse 50, Adi Shankara compares Shiva to a Mallika flower and Shakti to a bee. Each epithet in this verse can be interpreted in both ways. It fits equally well for the flower-bee pair as well as for Shiva-Shakti pair! Such is the mastery of the poet. In verse 51, Shiva is compared to a drone (male-bee) and Shakti to a female-bee. Again, the epithets lend themselves for a dual interpretation. Verse 50 ends with "Seve shri giri mallikarjuna mahalingam shivaalingitam"- I worship that Mallikarjuna who is ever present at Srisaila (shri giri) and who is hugged by Shivaa (Shakti). Verse 51 ends with "shrishaila vaasee vibhuh"- I worship that Shiva who has a general-presence everywhere (vibhuh)....... and when it comes to Srisailam, he not only has a general presence, but a special-presence too! The interested reader can look up these verses.
The temple at Srisailam is pretty. About a half-hour of curvy roads takes us to the hilltop with the temple. All around us are rolling hills framed with copious vegetation. Down below, in the valley, is the River Krishna. What should have been a river in full, majestic flow, now stands arrested by the dam built over it. It is sad. Today, pilgrimage centers are such. They are overrun with people and haphazard urbanization has reduced many of them to a piteous state, where cleanliness and aesthetics take the last possible seat. The mind has to connect the dots...and imagination has to come to our rescue to restore the grandeur that these places once had.
The temple is compact- the outer wall is fort-like and filled with bas-relief work of elephants and depictions of Shiva. The carvings are age-old, but there appears to be a recent effort to catalogue the stone-tiles. A few of the carvings are labeled- "Shiva with Chandra and Surya" and "Ardhanareeshvara". The majority stand unlabeled.
Once inside the temple, you head to the main-sanctum. Unlike other temples in the South, you can enter the main garbha-griha. The Shiva Linga is at ground level and submerged to the base, with just a little jutting over it. You can take your own abhisheka jalam, bend down and pour it over the idol and touch your forehead too! As the reader would be aware, this shiva-linga is part of the "12-jyotir lingas" which dot the length and breadth of the country. In addition, Srisailam is also one of the 52 Shakti-Peethas. The combination- the seat of the jyotir-linga and a Shakti-peetha makes Srisailam unique.
At Tiruvidaimarudur, (mentioned earlier) the linga is actually "mahalinga"- gigantic. Not so at Srisailam. The linga is small. But then, the Lord is "anor-aniyaan" (smaller than the smallest) as well as "mahato- mahiyaan" (bigger than the biggest)- to show that space and size do not limit Him. He exists as the Subject- the one who lends content to even concepts like space and size.
We pass through other shrines - "Sita worshipping the sahasra-linga" and lingas propitiated by the Pandavas. A series of steps takes us to the shrine of "Bhramaramba"- Devi/Shakti as the "bee". The steady crowd ensures that there's time just for a few seconds- to register the form of Devi with beady-eyes and bedecked with jewels. Adi Shankara composed the "Bhramaramba-Ashtakam" (a set of 8 verses) on this deity. Each verse ends with the refrain "shrishaila sthala vaasineem bhagavateem shri maataram bhaavaye"- I worship that Divine Mother who is ever present at Srisailam".
As we head out of Srisaila, curvy roads soon give way to dense jungle. We head towards Kurnool. The road cuts through the forest, with thick vegetation on either side. This is the "Nallamala" Forest, one of the densest forests in the country. We don't spot any big-game- just hoards of restless monkeys. But the boards on either side of the road tell a different story- this is the home of the tiger, the leopard, the python, the bear and the badger. We don't spot them, but may be, may be, those eyes.... lurking....behind those bamboo trees, have spotted us.....and have allowed us to move on.....just for today!
Our thoughts are still at Srisailam....and with Adi Shankara.
1300 years ago....perhaps a lot more, He visited this place, he sat on this stone, he composed these verses.... and left it for posterity. Today, we get to visit the same place...stand face-to-face with the same idol and have his words on our lips. How long have these temples been standing? How many people have visited them? Generations have come and generations have gone. These temples stand as silent sentinels....stretching from a timeless past. What is human life...such as ours...against that cosmic scale? Just a blip....one faint flicker from a fire-fly....and yet, that fire-fly entertains a hope, a vain hope..... to try and light up the entire night sky!!
P.S -1: The Shankara Vijayam attributed to Vidyaranya mentions Shankara's visit to Srisailam and the Pandava Prince Arjuna's association with the place.
PS-2: Adi Shankara mentions Srisailam in a completely unrelated work- Yoga Taravali. It is clear that he was captivated by the place.
Lord Shiva at Srisailam is called Mallikarjuna. This temple is part of a triad of temples- in each of which, the "sthala vriksha" (temple-tree) is the "Arjuna" tree. Hence, the trailing "Arjuna" associated with the names in the three places. The Arjuna tree itself gets its name from the Pandava Prince Arjuna, who is said to have propitiated Lord Shiva at Srisailam. While Shiva is called "Mallikarjuna" at Srisailam, we have "Madhyarjuna" at Tiru-idai-marudur (close to Kumbhakonam, Tamil Nadu) and "Pudarjuna" at Tiru-pudai-marudur (Tirunalveli, Tamil Nadu). In Tamil, "marudu maram" is the name of the "Arjuna Tree". Hence, the similar sounding names.
While Srisailam is on the banks of the River Krishna, Tiruvidaimarudur is on the banks of the River Kaveri and Tiru-pudai-marudur is on the banks of the River Tamraparani. A closer scrutiny on the selection of the rivers throws an interesting point. Krishna is "black" in color. Tamra is "red". Kaveri can be taken as "white". In Hindu iconography, these 3 colors are significant and well known. "White" stands for "knowledge/intelligence" (satva), "Red" stands for "activity" (rajas) and "Black" stands for "cessation of both knowledge and activity, a state of stillness" (tamas). These 3 colors represent the "three gunas"- and the entire "material world" is often explained as a combination of these three basic building-blocks- "intelligence-activity-stillness". Through the selection of these 3 rivers, it's as if Shiva exists as the Lord of the gunas, who throws out the entire material world....from his own being. He lords over the gunas, transcends them as it were, as the "indwelling spirit" and "enlivens" the material world...from the tiny microbe to the mighty man!
Adi Shankara found the shiva-linga at Srisailam beneath the Arjuna tree. A mallika-creeper entwined itself around the shiva-linga and the Arjuna tree. A bee buzzed around the mallika-flower. Shiva and Shakti exist as one composite whole: inseparable from each other. If He is the Arjuna tree, She is the Mallika creeper twirled around Him. If He is the Mallika-flower, She is the bee, buzzing around Him. Shiva is "Mallikarjuna" and Shakti is "Bhramaramba" (bee!) at Srisailam.
In the Shivananda Lahari, in verse 50, Adi Shankara compares Shiva to a Mallika flower and Shakti to a bee. Each epithet in this verse can be interpreted in both ways. It fits equally well for the flower-bee pair as well as for Shiva-Shakti pair! Such is the mastery of the poet. In verse 51, Shiva is compared to a drone (male-bee) and Shakti to a female-bee. Again, the epithets lend themselves for a dual interpretation. Verse 50 ends with "Seve shri giri mallikarjuna mahalingam shivaalingitam"- I worship that Mallikarjuna who is ever present at Srisaila (shri giri) and who is hugged by Shivaa (Shakti). Verse 51 ends with "shrishaila vaasee vibhuh"- I worship that Shiva who has a general-presence everywhere (vibhuh)....... and when it comes to Srisailam, he not only has a general presence, but a special-presence too! The interested reader can look up these verses.
The temple at Srisailam is pretty. About a half-hour of curvy roads takes us to the hilltop with the temple. All around us are rolling hills framed with copious vegetation. Down below, in the valley, is the River Krishna. What should have been a river in full, majestic flow, now stands arrested by the dam built over it. It is sad. Today, pilgrimage centers are such. They are overrun with people and haphazard urbanization has reduced many of them to a piteous state, where cleanliness and aesthetics take the last possible seat. The mind has to connect the dots...and imagination has to come to our rescue to restore the grandeur that these places once had.
The temple is compact- the outer wall is fort-like and filled with bas-relief work of elephants and depictions of Shiva. The carvings are age-old, but there appears to be a recent effort to catalogue the stone-tiles. A few of the carvings are labeled- "Shiva with Chandra and Surya" and "Ardhanareeshvara". The majority stand unlabeled.
Once inside the temple, you head to the main-sanctum. Unlike other temples in the South, you can enter the main garbha-griha. The Shiva Linga is at ground level and submerged to the base, with just a little jutting over it. You can take your own abhisheka jalam, bend down and pour it over the idol and touch your forehead too! As the reader would be aware, this shiva-linga is part of the "12-jyotir lingas" which dot the length and breadth of the country. In addition, Srisailam is also one of the 52 Shakti-Peethas. The combination- the seat of the jyotir-linga and a Shakti-peetha makes Srisailam unique.
At Tiruvidaimarudur, (mentioned earlier) the linga is actually "mahalinga"- gigantic. Not so at Srisailam. The linga is small. But then, the Lord is "anor-aniyaan" (smaller than the smallest) as well as "mahato- mahiyaan" (bigger than the biggest)- to show that space and size do not limit Him. He exists as the Subject- the one who lends content to even concepts like space and size.
We pass through other shrines - "Sita worshipping the sahasra-linga" and lingas propitiated by the Pandavas. A series of steps takes us to the shrine of "Bhramaramba"- Devi/Shakti as the "bee". The steady crowd ensures that there's time just for a few seconds- to register the form of Devi with beady-eyes and bedecked with jewels. Adi Shankara composed the "Bhramaramba-Ashtakam" (a set of 8 verses) on this deity. Each verse ends with the refrain "shrishaila sthala vaasineem bhagavateem shri maataram bhaavaye"- I worship that Divine Mother who is ever present at Srisailam".
As we head out of Srisaila, curvy roads soon give way to dense jungle. We head towards Kurnool. The road cuts through the forest, with thick vegetation on either side. This is the "Nallamala" Forest, one of the densest forests in the country. We don't spot any big-game- just hoards of restless monkeys. But the boards on either side of the road tell a different story- this is the home of the tiger, the leopard, the python, the bear and the badger. We don't spot them, but may be, may be, those eyes.... lurking....behind those bamboo trees, have spotted us.....and have allowed us to move on.....just for today!
Our thoughts are still at Srisailam....and with Adi Shankara.
1300 years ago....perhaps a lot more, He visited this place, he sat on this stone, he composed these verses.... and left it for posterity. Today, we get to visit the same place...stand face-to-face with the same idol and have his words on our lips. How long have these temples been standing? How many people have visited them? Generations have come and generations have gone. These temples stand as silent sentinels....stretching from a timeless past. What is human life...such as ours...against that cosmic scale? Just a blip....one faint flicker from a fire-fly....and yet, that fire-fly entertains a hope, a vain hope..... to try and light up the entire night sky!!
P.S -1: The Shankara Vijayam attributed to Vidyaranya mentions Shankara's visit to Srisailam and the Pandava Prince Arjuna's association with the place.
PS-2: Adi Shankara mentions Srisailam in a completely unrelated work- Yoga Taravali. It is clear that he was captivated by the place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)