The Source of the Cosmos Sri ChakraSri ChakraSri ChakraSri ChakraSri Chakra

The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY

Blossom 10, Petal 2April 2006

2

The Nature of Devi

A Toronto devotee used toperform Sri Sukta puja late intothe night on Fridays, sometimesstaying in the puja room until 4a.m. She spent ample time not onthe puja itself, but on getting thepreparations for the puja justperfect. Because no one in herfamily was interested in suchintense worship, she alwaysexecuted the entire task alone.Along with cooked food, fruitsand flowers, it was her habit eachweek to offer a coconut to God.

One night, she was engrossed in the puja when she heard a loud crackbehind her. It was about 3 a.m. and she was frightened that the soundcame from outside. When she examined the area inside the puja room,she noticed water leaking onto the floor. The coconut had cracked openall by itself, and was split perfectly in half.

Upon asking Aiya what had happened, Aiya confirmed that thatnight, Devi had officially entered the puja room and was there to stay.

A Canadian devotee wanted to perform seva to God by donating

blood, and offered to do it at a location near his home. Despite his desireto help others, he was turned away from the bloodbank forbureaucratic reasons. At that time, he was planning a trip to India tovisit Puttaparthy Sai Baba, and found himself in Baba�s ashram abouttwo weeks later.

During the assembly, there was an announcement that they neededdonations of a of an extremely rare blood type at Baba�s free hospital.The devotee was overjoyed because that was his blood type! He andsome others got on a bus and were taken to the hospital to donate. Andfor his good intentions, he not only received food after the donation�hereceived vibhuthi that was materialized by Baba, as well as a specialdharshanam.

!!!!!!!!!!!!

The trees on the templeproperty came with theproperty�even the Bartlett peartrees and apple trees weren�tspecifically planted by Aiya

The only suitable land on which

to build a temple is land on whichno human has walked before

The garbha griha of the temple

was actually a barn that housedcows and horses�and that theshastras say this is one of the bestareas on which to construct atemple

For Shaivites, it is extremely

auspicious if there is a cemetery inthe Northeast direction of thetemple property�and the NorthRush cemetery is northeast of ourtemple

When passing a cemetery, you

should remain silent, visualizeBhairava standing there, andperform a silent namaskaram toHim in your mind

!

Kusha grass, which is very sacred to Ganesha, is only suitable if

taken from a place where no creature has stepped before A great way to do puja in the summer is mowing the lawn. Twenty-

three acres of grass will give you lots of time to do your japam! God, in the form of animals, often comes to eat the Bhairava bali.

Pairs of dogs, deer and a single fox have been spotted eating the bali When Devi is pleased with a homam, She will cause a torrential

downpour for a very short period of time. It is not uncommon to see afive-minute thunderstorm right after a Chandi homam

Some say that in previous yugas, the Devas used to shower flowers

on bhaktas when they were pleased with a puja. In this yuga, theflowers appear as rain

Doing japam by a river or on a hill will yield up to 100 times the

benefit of doing japam in ordinary settings In the Rudram, Lord Shiva is referred to several times as the lord of

trees and plantlife

Just a note:Just a note:Just a note:Just a note:Just a note:The editorial will return in the June issue of SriChakra.Also, we would like to give a heartfelt thanks to thismonth�s contributors: Aiya, Kathy Allen, SoumitraSengupta, Aparna Hasling, Dr. Ravikumar K, Dr.Somaskanda, Devi Suhir, and all the devotees whoshared their miracles with us in Temple Lore.

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The Nature of Devi

Past Month�s Events

Aiya returned to Rochester inearly February from a three-weektrip to New Zealand. Upon hisreturn, he performed ahousewarming puja in New YorkCity. In late February, Aiyatravelled to Nazareth College togive a joint presentation onHinduism with Corinne Dempsey,author of The Goddess Lives inUpstate New York, a chronicleabout the operations of theRajarajeswari Peetam.

In early March, Aiya went toMuncie, Indiana to consecrate theMookambika peetam in that area.Also in March, Aiya made apresentation in Rochester toBOCES, a group of administrators,teachers, and social workers.Later in the month, the templebhajan group participated in anevent held by the Center forInterfaith Studies and Dialogue�temple bhajan group

March was very auspiciousbecause it saw two Sanipradoshams, one Somapradosham and a Sri Chakra puja.During this month, Aiya also heldtwo children�s classes/workshopsin Toronto.

Aiya will be traveling across thecountry in April, specifically toCovena, California. There, he willperform the pratishtapanainstallation ceremony at theCovena Ganesh Temple. Aiya willinstall the murthis of Muruga,Devayani and Valli.

Since the last issue...

Shivarathri 2006Shivarathri this year was

especially auspicious because it

fell during Sani Pradosham. Thefestivities began at 6:30 p.m. onFeb. 25 with Pradosham puja andhomam. After a quick dinner, Aiyaand the 75 devotees presentperformed the first leg ofShivarathri puja by doingcontinuous abhishekam to themula moorthi amidst thechanting of 11 Rudrams. Betweeneach one, devotees carried 11shankams to the peetam forabhishekam. This continued untilthe kalasa abhishekam at about 2a.m.

For a break, however, Aiyaconducted a 45-minute bhajansession after the seventh Rudram.

While volunteers dressed themula moorthi, others took thetime for coffee and a snackbecause the second leg of the nightwas about to begin: continuousbilva archana and homam withthe Shiva and Turiyasahasranamams.

Eleven shivalinga stations wereset up throughout the temple andyajnashala with volunteersmanning each one to helpdevotees perform panchaupachara puja at certainintervals. The entire festivalconcluded at about 7 a.m. withthe final karpura arthi.

Sunday March 12 saw the firstworkshop at the temple sinceChristmas 2004. From 9 a.m. to 1p.m., Aiya instructed about 50initiates in the how and why ofperforming homam. Some of thetopics he touched on include thedifferent types of homa kundams,the utensils for performinghomam, how homam can beperformed within everydayduties and what types ofsacrifices one can safely conductin his/her residence.

Aiya conducted a samplehomam to illustrate his points,from setting up to arranging thepurnahutis to offering the finalmantras into the fire. Thedikshitas present received aninstructional manual, loose hand-outs and an audio CD.

Homam Workshop

Upcoming Events

This special day falls onThursday April 13 this year, andthe temple will hold its usualcelebrations. Aiya will performthe Dhani Puja, which consists ofoffering flowers, fruits, gold, riceand other sweets and treats. Thispuja will last about an hour andwill be performed simultaneouslywith the day�s evening puja.

Tamil New Year�s

Shivarathri set up in theyajnashala

Devotees and Aiya singing bhajanson Shivarathri

NewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletterterterterterNewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletterterterterterAprilAprilAprilAprilAprilAprilAprilAprilAprilApril

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The Nature of Devi

In Two MonthsThe next issue of theSri Chakra Magazine

Devi willing, the next issue of the Sri Chakra Magazine will be up on thetemple�s website (www.srividya.org) in the beginning of June 2006. Thenext issue will focus on the topic of the Guru Lineage. Some of topics wewill cover include gurus within the parampara, how the lineage isconnected, and all things related to the Guru.

If you are interested in writing articles or taking pictures, please e-mailus at sri_chakra_mag@srividya.org.

If you would like to contribute, the deadline for submissions(photographs and/or articles) is Monday, May 15. Please be a part of thiseffort. We look forward to seeing your contributions and suggestions tohelp make this magazine the best it can be!

Sri Gurubhyo Namah! Temple Address:The Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam6980 East River RoadRush, NY 14543Phone: (585) 533-1970

On Saturday April 15, campcounselors and organizers willgather at the temple from 4 p.m.to 7 p.m. to honestly review thegood and bad from last year�scamp and determine the directionof this year�s event. Organizerswill go over topics in training,counselor reviews and feedback,and the floor will be open forsuggestions on planning the 2006camp.

The telephone bridge will beopen for volunteers who cannotbe there in person. Please contactBrihaspati for details on how tocall in.

All are invited and welcome toan informal meeting on Sunday,April 30th at 9 a.m. to learn abouthow to properly care for theplants and trees on the templegrounds. The session will be ledby Aparna Hasling, who hasthoroughly studied this topic andhas experience and knowledge onhow tending to the gifts of naturecan increase one�s spiritualinstinct.

Aparna will show devotees howto plant a tree, how to properlycare for the existing trees on thegrounds, and how to rid trees ofunwanted objects and poisonousgrowths. See the feature section inthe back of this magazine to learnmore.

On Saturday April 15, theorganizers of this year�sGurupoornima will be holding ameeting in the library room of thetemple from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Allare welcomed and encouraged tocome and share their ideas.Among the topics of discussionare activities for Gurupoornimaday, division of tasks, dress code,and general format.

From Friday May 19 to SundayMay 21, the temple will mark theninth anniversary of its operationon the current property. The

Vibhuti Saivite Camp Meeting

Temple Plantlife session

Gurupoornima Meeting

May Festival

Shiva all decked out in a new veshti,festive jewelry, garlands, and hundredsof Bilva leaves offered by devotees

Devoteesbeautifullyarranged121ShankusforShivarathri

Thepradoshalingam andspatikamerucovered in agoldkavachamand adornedwith flowers.

festivities will include theinstallation of digdevata kalasa,the making and distribution of anannam pavadai (dress made ofrice) for Devi, a Chandi homam,and separate processions aroundthe temple of Ganapathi, Devi andDattatreya. Like in other years,the Saturday night will also seethe procession of a large chariotwith Aiya seated within it,performing puja during theprocession. All are welcome andencouraged to attend.

All the shivalingams that receivedabhishekam on Shivarathri

5

The Nature of Devi

To understand how Shivarathriat the Rajarajeswari Peetam couldcompare to that at Kailash, oneshould visit the Rajarajeswaripeetam during this celebration. Toexplain it would be like trying toexplain the smell of a rose, whichone must experience.

I really appreciate Aiya for hisefforts, creative mind, hard work,blessed heart and wonderfulvolunteers who gave themselvesto successfully execute thiscelebration.

I arrived at the temple thatmorning after a seven-hour drivefrom Michigan. As I went in, I sawAiya was getting ready for thehomam to perform beforeSaturday morning abhishekam. Ifelt very happy that I made it ontime for the homam andabhishekam, which Aiyaperformed with many devoteespresent.

After the maha deepa arathanaand lunch, many people werearranging speakers and musicalkeyboards in the yajnashala. Amusical group called BharathiArts from Scarborough, Canadawas setting up to perform. Thesingers and keyboard players areyoung boys and girls between 10to 20 years of age who came to thetemple via a chartered bus.

MAHAMAHAMAHAMAHAMAHASHIVSHIVSHIVSHIVSHIVARAARAARAARAARATHRi inTHRi inTHRi inTHRi inTHRi inMAHA KAILMAHA KAILMAHA KAILMAHA KAILMAHA KAILASHASHASHASHASH

One devotee had a personalvisualization of Maha Shivarathribeing celebrated inMahakailash�he saw it comealive at the Sri RajarajeswariPeetam

Even though I was very tiredand sleepy due to my driving andlack of sleep prior, I could notleave the spot without watchingthe kids performing a wonderfulshower of devotional songs. I haveno idea how much they wouldhave practiced to perform so well.Mr. and Mrs. Mathivasan areresponsible for training them.When they finished the show,Aiya appreciated them by givingthem individual gifts.

At 6:30 p.m., Aiya was ready tostart the rest of the programme. Inthe meantime, many devoteeswere in and out throughout theday.

I thought the most importantpart of the celebration was theinstallation of the MahaShivalinga. Aiya explained eachand every step of installing theMaha Shivalinga in a beautifulmanner.

There are 1008 spatika linga inthe temple, and many of themwere used to create a biggerShivalingam in the center of theyajnashala, on a blue slab ofwood. The spatika linga werearranged in the following mannerthroughout the temple:

1. Ashta Dik Palakas 0082. Trisoolas 0243. Tandaveswaras 1084. Ashta Ganapathi 0085. Ashtamoorthis 0086. Pancha Brahma (5 Places) 0257. Ekadasa Rudras 0118. Shat Taraka Lingas 0069. Dakshina Moorthi 00110. Chandikeswara 00111. Maha Lingam 160

I am sure all of you can see hownicely Aiya planned to performthis.

Many different types ofShivalinga decorated specificspots throughout the temple. Atthese spots, volunteers helpeddevotees perform puja with Bilvaleaves.

As Aiya said during the pujathat each year, it seems a newmoorthi arrives in time forShivarathri. Last year was theNayanmars and a largeGanapathi. This year a beautifulcopper Dakshinamurthi arrived,and He will be seated on the southside of the Maha Meru, facingsouth. It was an historical eventwhen Aiya led all those present inthe prana prathishta, or the�opening the eyes� ofDakshinamurthi.

Aiya led the chanting of theRudram 11 times, with Devi andShiva receiving abhishekam via11 valampuri shankams eachtime. To extend the worship, Aiyaled a 45-minute bhajan sessionafter the seventh Rudram.

As I was thinking about myown idea of Maha Shivarathri inMaha Kailash, I thought a

Maha lingam outlined by spatikalingams

One Devotee�sOne Devotee�sOne Devotee�sOne Devotee�sOne Devotee�sExperienceExperienceExperienceExperienceExperienceOne Devotee�sOne Devotee�sOne Devotee�sOne Devotee�sOne Devotee�sExperienceExperienceExperienceExperienceExperience

by Ravikumar K

6

The Nature of Devi

Shivagana should be offeringdance to the divine Lord.Suddenly, a woman starteddancing to the bhajans and wewere all able to admire theShivagana�s dance.

Even though I do not knowRudram I tried to chant it witheveryone. There was a day I wasnot accepted to participate inlearning Rudram. But this day Iwas chanting it especially duringMaha Shivarathri along with myguru Aiya and other devotees.

After completing eleventhRudram, we carried the mainkalasas in procession to completethe Maha Abishekam. Aiya thenperformed homam while chantingthe Shiva and TuriyaSahasranams with alternatingnames while devoteescircumambulated the templeoffering Bilva leaves to 11different Shivalingam stationswithin the inner temple andaround yajnashala. Volunteershappily and continuouslysupplied the Bilva leaves to all thedevotees.

Lastly we chanted severalashtothrams, giving everyonepresent a chance to sit before aShivalingam and perform Bilvaarchana with pancha upacharapuja. I was given a chance to sitin front of Sri Nataraja and SriSivakami along with Mrs.Bhuvaneswari, who, as avolunteer, helped me to do puja.

This is the same Nataraja andSivakami to whom I was given achance to perform finalabhishekam on ArdhraDharshana day. At that time, Ireceived the message to give 108Spatika Shivalinga to Shivadevotees.

I managed to bring 108 spatikaShivalinga and handed them overto Aiya earlier on Shivarathri day.He kept them in front of this sameNataraja and Sivakami for theentire puja. When I sat in front ofthem for the pancha upacharapuja, I was literally frozen andthanked them for giving thatmessage and their blessings.

At about 6:30 a.m., the festivalfinished successfully and happily.

That was when four devoteesvolunteered to receive the spatikaShivalingam from Aiya. They are:

Kathy AllenMr. and Mrs. VenugopalNavin ParthasarathyMother of Suhir.

Many other Shiva devoteesstarted getting the spatikaShivalinga to worship, and Ipersonally congratulate them all.Others may receive them(depending on supply) bycontacting Aiya.

A few of the many bilva leaves sorted and offered by devotees

Pradoshalingam affixedon theKamadhenuas part of theShivarathriset up in theyajnashala

Various lingas surrounded byflowers

7

The Nature of Devi

During this year�s annualPrathistapana festival in May, theSri Rajarajeswari Temple of Rush,New York, will release its latestcompact disc, featuring a concertby Carnartica brothers SriShashikiran and Sri ChitraveenaGanesh, recorded live at thetemple during last year�s Mayfestival. They were accompaniedby Nagai Sriram on violin,Thanjavur Murugaboopathy onmridangam, and KarthikVenkataraman on Kanjira.

The artistes featured in the CDhail from legendary musicalfamilies. Shashikiran and Ganeshdebuted as child prodigies andhave been enthralling audiencesever since. They have both wonnumerous accolades and awards.Shashikiran�s brother is theinternationally-acclaimed artiste,Chithraveena Maestro Ravikiran.Shashikiran and Ganesh haveperformed in all the major citiesin India and abroad.

Nagai Sriram is anaccomplished Carnatic violinistwho has accompanied top notchvocalists like Sowmya,Seshagopalan andSankaranarayanan. He has wonseveral awards including the�Best Violinist� Award from MusicAcademy consecutively for thelast six years.

Thanjavur Murugapoopathy isa percussionist of the highestcaliber. He has performed all overthe globe accompanying leadingartistes. He has won severalawards from premier musicalinstitutions.

Karthik Venkataraman is aCarnatic music enthusiast whohas learnt Kanjira with a passion.He has accompanied many localartistes and visiting Indianartistes. He holds degrees inelectrical engineering, computer

science, and businessadministration.

The ConcertFittingly, the duo commenced

their concert with a flawlesslyexecuted Mallari, traditionallyplayed on Nagaswaram in templefestivals. Pirouetting across theswara scale with effortless ease,the duo weaves melodic rhythmsin Gambeera Natai withcommanding assurance. Theyfollow this with nine Kritis andcompositions culled from theirrich repertoire, in popular ragasranging from Sindhubairavi toAmirthavarshini. These weremmortalized by MuthuswamyDikshithar�s famous Kriti,�Anandamritha Karshini.�

Their rendition of the ShyamaSastri�s famous Swarajati,�Kamakshi,� in Bhairavi is soulful.They capture the essence ofKarunya Rasa, permeating theentire Kriti brilliantly. This Kriti,one of the three famousSwarajatis (Ratnathrayam)composed by Shyma Sastri,brings out the duo�s volume ofvocal variations.

It is gratifying to listen to a newTamil composition by Suhir onRajarajeswari, set in SaramathiRaga. This captivating Janya Ragawith two Varja swaras in theAvarohanam, is a favorite ofAiya�s, who in many of his formaland informal bhajan sessionssings the lilting �Neelakadaloram�set to the same raga. The duo�srapport and harmony areimpeccable with their melodiousvoices blending with effortlessaesthetic grace.

Nagai Sriram complements theduo with subtlety and depth.Rasikas would have loved tolisten to a solo Raga Sanchara onhis violin. Murugapoopathy isoutstanding in his deft percussion

support, culminating in a concise,scintillating Thani Avarthanam.

All in all, it was a delectabletreat in Raga, Laya and Bhava toconnoisseurs of Carnatic music.

A musical masterpieceA musical masterpieceA musical masterpieceA musical masterpieceA musical masterpiece

Chitraveena Ganesh

Sri Shashikiran

by Dr. A. Somaskanda

cd reviewcd reviewcd reviewcd reviewcd reviewcd reviewcd reviewcd reviewcd reviewcd review

8

The Nature of Devi

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With the Guru�s grace, I recentlyreturned from an enriching three-week trip to India.

While I have traveled to manytemples before, this particulartrip was full of startlingsynchronicities and amazingfirst-time experiences. Although Iam not South Asian, my �familytree� based on our Guru lineageand temple community continuedto grow and expand during thistrip in ways which were trulystunning.

For me, a trip to India is notcomplete without visiting threekey places: Calcutta, Devipuramand Kanchipuram. After a brieftrip to Calcutta to offer pranaamsto my father-in-law, I headed toDevipuram and was very happyto see a lot of positive newdevelopments. Perhaps mostsignificant was that Guruji hadlost a lot of weight and seemed tobe in a much healthier conditionthan I had seen in years.

As a devoted archivist who triesto always carry a digital recorderand camera in the company of ourgurus (a well-known fact to manywho often joke �recorder-hastaaya�), I was very excited tosee the local devotees recordingGuruji�s impromptu talks on anew digital recorder. Apparentlytheir goal is to transmit theseinvaluable teachings over theDevipuram Yahoo groups. I wasso happy to see them taking thisinitiative.

Always a treat in Devipuram, Iwas thrilled to sit at Guruji�s feetunder the dark night sky whileGuruji spoke in his soft voice andshared mind-blowing insights.

Apart from his morning walkand brief conversations with thedaily visitors, Guruji wasworking non-stop at thecomputer, manifesting his

meditative visions in multi-mediaformat. When I arrived he hadjust completed several newprograms, including Sri ChakraPuja, shat chakra japam ofSaraswati and other advancedpujas.

The big news in Devipuram wasthe completion of new houses tocoincide with the 12-year kumbhaabhishekam to take place thefollowing weekend on February11-13, 2006. Visit www.vi1.organd read Devi�s article in thisnewsletter for details of thishistoric event.

From Devipuram I traveled toChennai where I met Swami SathaSivom, chief priest of theKalikambal temple, who hadrecently visited our Rush temple.After eight years of visitingChennai and staying with theMadhvanaths, whoseTiruvanmiyur home has been myhome-away-from-home, this wasmy first return to Chennai sincethey had moved to Bangalore.Swamiji�s visit to Rush andinvitation to stay with his familycould not have been better timed.

When I first met Swamiji inRush, one of his devotees who hadbeen traveling with him warnedme that he was an �Energizerbunny� with boundless energyand rarely slowed down. I toldGuruji of this with a tinge of

Kathy Allen discovered severalbranches of the temple�s familytree in India... and all of themlead back to Rush.

SacredSacredSacredSacredSacredSacredSacredSacredSacredSacred LandLandLandLandLandLandLandLandLandLand

Branches ofBranches ofBranches ofBranches ofBranches ofthe Rushthe Rushthe Rushthe Rushthe RushTTTTTemple Femple Femple Femple Femple FamilamilamilamilamilyyyyyTreeTreeTreeTreeTree By Kathy Allen

Two devotees from the Rajarajeswari Peetam were blessed enough to travel to many holy places inIndia over the past two months. They have generously shared their experiences with the Sri Chakra andcarried the blessings of south India back to Rush.

Guruji, Prathish, and Prasadchatting in Devipuram

9

The Nature of Devi

concern and he advised me thatthe only way to keep pace wouldbe with Guru�s grace. I took hisadvice to heart and chanted myGuru Paduka mantra non-stop,which miraculously carried methrough the fast-paced pilgrimagewith Swamiji.

Swamiji is incredibly generousand humble and right away I feltlike part of his family. Only laterwould I realize how deep thoseconnections were to our ownRush temple family tree. I wassurprised that a pilgrimage withsuch a well-known priest justinvolved Swamiji behind thewheel with me and his wife anddaughter in their car drivingacross the countryside fromtemple to temple. No fancychauffeurs or large crowd ofdevotees with pomp andcircumstance, but a very family-oriented travel experience.

I told Swamiji that my favoritepilgrimage sites includedKanchipuram, Arunachalam andChidambaram and let him planthe rest. Immediately we took offfor Sri Kalahasti and Thirupati,both of which were firsts for me.At Kalahasti we saw the flamesflickering next to the mainShivalingam, a sign of the airelement since this is the vayulingam of the pancha bhuta

lingams. I was also thrilled tosee Kanappa�s hill temple aboveKalahasti, since Aiya has relayedthis story so often. In Thirupati Ikept remembering the story ofGuruji�s awakening, when Balajistruck him with a full shaktipatand re-ignited his spiritualpractice.

From Thirupati we traveled toKanipakam Vinayaka and then onto Vellore, (another first for me)where we visited two significanttemples, the JalakanteshwaraShiva temple and the RatinagiriMurugan temple. At the Shivatemple I met a great upasaka whois the chief priest at this temple, B.Kanaka Shanmuga Sivacharya. Iwas amazed by the beautifulcarvings in granite whichreminded me of the carvings atMadurai Meenakshi temple.Twenty minutes down the road,just at sunset, we arrived at theRatinagiri Murugan temple whichwas praised as the divine abode ofLord Murugan in a fourteenth-century song by the poetArunagirinathar. We were veryfortunate to meet the 65-year-oldSwami Balamurugan Adimai wholed the effort to rebuild theancient temple to its prior glory.Because Adimai has not spokensince 1968 when he had a divineawakening and decided to commithis life to renovating the hilltemple, he is also referred to as�Mauna Swami.�

Next we drove toThiruvannamalai where wevisited Swamiji�s sister andbrother-in-law, Siva SriHalasyanatha Sivachariar, who isthe chief priest at the SreeArunachaleswarar Devasthanam.At 4 a.m. Swamiji and I set off fora Giri Valam. The last time I

completed Giri Valam was withAiya/Amma and a group ofdevotees during Aiya�sShastiabhdapurti on poornimanight, August 10, 2003. This was ablissful occasion, but I honestlyrecall with equal detail how muchmy feet had hurt towards the endand how it was only with Guru�sgrace that I was able to completethe pradakshinam.

So, in anticipation of the GiriValam, I made a quick phone callto Aiya. Unfortunately I was notable to reach him, but I left amessage on the answeringmachine and felt that my appealfor Guru�s blessings would reachhim.

Swamiji and I walked verybriskly around Arunachalam indarkness and peaceful silencewith very few other people insight. A warm wind seemed to liftus from behind as we walked insilence. When we neared theVaruna lingam, finally the sunbegan to rise and shine on theserene mountain. From everyangle the mountain was sobeautiful to behold and the GiriValam passed effortlessly like adream. I was amazed that my feetdid not hurt despite my earlierconcerns and attribute thiscompletely to Guru�s grace.

Because it was still too early formost of the directional lingamshrines to be open, we did notmake many stops along the way.However we did stop at theRajarajeswari temple, which Ivividly remembered visiting withAiya and Amma. They wereplaying a beautiful version ofLalita Sahasranamam and thefront hall of the temple hadbeautiful carvings of the dasamaha vidyas. While I prayed toDevi, Swamiji was content to waitby the Kali.

In the varuna konam ofArunachalam we spent some timetaking pictures at a beautiful tankand the water was veryrefreshing for my feet. Afterwardswe visited an interestingGanapati shrine where Swamijiinstructed me to squeeze througha very narrow passage in the

Swami Satha Sivom, his wifeRenuka, and Kathy in front ofThirupati

Kathy, Swamiji, and B. KanakaShanmuga Sivacharya (�MaunaSwami�) with other devotees

10

The Nature of Devi

temple wall and then we stoppedone last time at a small panchalingam shrine under an old tree.The Giri Valam was completeafter a darshan at the maintemple of Shiva and Devi and thenwe returned to the head priests�house for idlis. Before leavingtown I tried calling Aiya oncemore and luckily was able toreach him and give him the greatnews of our Giri Valam which hesaid he was aware of. What athrill, Sri Gurubhyo Namah!

The next day we stayed inChennai and I was grateful todiscover that two people from ourtemple family tree, SriYegnarathnam and Sri MathioliSaraswati, were both in town. Iwas so surprised when I reachedAcca�s home to find CharuChawan sitting by the front doorwith Pati. What a small world!

The following early morningbefore sunrise I left with Swamijiand family for Chidambaram. AsSwamiji drove through thecountryside roads, we chattedaway. For some reason I startedtelling him the story of how Sagarand Santosh amma first receivedVishnu Durga. After I finished mystory, Swamiji revealed with asmile that he was the priest whohad carried Vishnu Durga in hisown hands all the way from Indiato St. Catherines. I was so shockedand a chill ran through my body. Icould not believe the connection.

After a wonderful darshan inChidambaram, we went toMadanam Mariamman, Sirkazhi,Vaideeshwaran Kovil,

Tiruvenkaadu and finally AnandaTandavapuram, an amazing smallvillage temple where the Natarajamurti is known to sweat from hisecstatic dance. It was the nightbefore Thai Poosam when wereached the remote temple, and asmall group of devotees werecarrying Nataraja andShivakamasundari in procession.

I immediately felt at home,relating back to our templeprocessions when we all getswept away carrying the uttsavamurtis. Swamiji told me that thechief priest and his family aregreat Sri Vidya upasakas. Onceagain, because Swamiji was soclose with the priests, we wereable to stay at their home for thenight like part of the family.

I could spend pages describingthe blissful experience I hadduring this brief stay, but sufficeit to say, the small templesurroundings transported me toanother world. Every part of lifewas so infused with puredevotion. In the early morning, Iwoke up as the sun was risingover the small lake beside thetemple. I watched as one of thesons milked his cow to bring freshmilk for Shiva�s morningabhishekam. A woman wasdrawing a colorful kolam in theentryway to the temple and theyoung boys were gathering towake up the gods. The cycle of lifeseemed so complete and nature�svibration infused everything.

Waking up to my other reality,alas we had to leave AnandaTandavapuram so that Swamijicould drop me off in Pondicherryfor my FabIndia businessconference. En route, we werepassing through Chidambaramagain, so we made one lastattempt to find Parameshwariteacher who I had been looking forsince Arunachalam. After a bit ofrunning around, we finally foundher at a dikshitar�s house.

Yet again, the family treeconnected in new ways. As Iintroduced Swamiji and teacher,we were overwhelmed todiscover that about 15 years agothey had met at a temple in

Toronto and he had organized herfirst trip to India. She said thatshe always felt so connected withSwamiji and they laughed thatthey were �soul mates� eventhough it had been so many yearssince they last met. What anecstatic reunion.

Parameshwari teacher alsoshared the wonderful news that anearby temple for Manikavasakahad just been completed with herinspiration and dedication andthe financial support of membersof our Rush temple. So beforeleaving Chidambaram, we hadone final darshan at this tucked-away temple which was newlyconsecrated. Only Devi could haveplanned such a wonderfulexperience full of astonishingdiscoveries of my ever-expandingspiritual family. Sri GurubhyoNamaha!

Kathy, Siva Sri HalasyanathaSivachariar, chief priest at the SreeArunachaleswarar Devasthanam,and his sons

Nataraja and Sivakami in AnandaTandavapuram

J. Thandapaani Shivachariayar,chief priest at the SriPanchavadishwara Swami temple,in Ananda Tandavapuram

11

The Nature of Devi

The LalitaMahayajnam atDevipuram

Devi Suhir witnessed ahistorical event in Devipuram,Andhra Pradesh and felt aneternal connection to the holyplace.

By Devi Suhir

Devipuram devotees

Sri Sahasrakshi Devi in Devipuram

In Devipuram, the peetam constructedby our beloved Paramaguru, Sri la SriAmritananda Saraswathi (or Guruji),and his wife, Sri Annapoornai amba (orAmma), performed the LalitaMahayajnam in mid-February 2006.One of the Rajarajeswari Peetam�sdevotees, Devi Suhir, was blessedenough to be present and partake in thefestivities. Here is her account.

Nine Devi upasakas includingme took the train from Chennai toDevipuram to attend the muchawaited Lalita Mahayajnam. Ourcrew, led by Sri Atmananda, wasin charge of conducting theyajnam. After a pleasant journeywe were received with warmthand love at Devipuram.

The moment I walked into thetemple premises, I felt elated andfelt a surge of energy gushingthrough my system. A growingawareness of oneness with theplace was settling in. We took aquick shower and met withGuruji and Amma at the templehouse. Other devotees andinhabitants of the temple wereeagerly waiting for us.

I made my pranams to Gurujiand Amma and as I was gazing atthe bright colored kolam in thefront of the house, I heard Smt.Lalita auntie, one of Guruji�ssenior disciples, givinginstructions as how to proceedwith the welcome ceremony forSri Atmananda.

Sri Atmananda was led inthrough the front and washonored with Purna Kumbhamand the traditional umbrella. Iwas surprised to note that Gurujiand Amma were walking behind

him. What a man of astoundingsimplicity! The ceremony washeld at the Kamakhya Peetam.

The sun with all its radiancehad just set in and a cool breezewas sweeping over us. As I againfelt myself blending with nature, Iheard Guruji delivering hisspeech in Telugu�a language thatI do not understand. I decided tokeep staring at him point blank,with a hope of receiving hisenergy and purity. Following this,a sumptuous dinner was servedat the madapalli.

Sunandhini, one of Guruji�sdisciples and our crew memberfrom Chennai, was busilyarranging things for the followingday�s events, and I joined her. Inthe yajnashala, different shapedhomakundas for Ganapathi, Bala,Shyama, Varahi, and Lalita weremopped with cow dung andbeautiful kolams were drawn onthem. It was already pastmidnight and everyone had goneto sleep.

Sri Atmananda had broughtfresh samit for the homam whichneeded to be pounded.Sunandhini, Prathish (a disciple ofGuruji) and I were strugglinghard to pound it in the Ural(manual grinder used in villages).

When we were anxious to getthe work done, Amma walked byand asked two of the local maidsto complete the job. It needs a lotof skill and practice and as Iwatched them with awe andfascination, the extent of theirphysical fitness dawned on me. Itwas 2 a.m. already andSunandhini and I crashed in the

Sri Meru Nilayam. We barely hadanything to sleep on but I did notcare. I was inside my mother andthat is all I needed.

The next day we all reported atthe yajnashala by 6 a.m. TheMahayajnam commenced withGuruji�s brief presence and YagaMandira Pravesam. I gaveaachamaniyam for all thedevotees who thronged there andfelt guarded about the way I wasoffering my services, as everyonewas new to me.

Ganapathi Kramam includedChaturavathi tharpanam, GanesaKalasa Sthapanam, PathraSadanam, Ganesh Avaranam, 108/1008 archana, GaneshaUpanishad, Ganapathi homam,Bali and Suvasini puja. This wasfollowed by Bala Kramam.Kumari puja was done to Vanaja,the four-year-old daughter of alocal devotee. I felt that Bala,herself, had come there and Icould not help but place her onmy lap and hug her with all mywarmth.

Similarly Lalita Kramamensued. As a part of ShyamaKramam, I gave a BharataNatyam performance at theKamakhya Peetam. I got dressedfor the performance and as I wasclimbing the steps of the peetam, Ifelt strange. Someone passed aremark that I was a Dakini.

It was an open air stagesurrounded by mountains with acool breeze coming in. For the firsttime I was a nervous wreck. I hadto dance for an unlimitedaudience, not the usual limitedaudience. I made my humblepranams to Guruji and Ammaand danced for all the ethereal,natural and physicalembodiments that ever existed in

12

The Nature of Devi

Milk abhishekam to Sahasrakshi

Devipuram devotees gatheredaround a homa kunda

Guruji in a quiet momentwith the Mother

Devipuram. All I remember wasthat I felt very light and I did notfeel even the salangai on my feet. Iwas gradually steeping into anawareness of dancing in the midstof space.

I wanted to express the power ofkundalini shakti in the form of asnake dance. I danced for AaduPambei, an old time favorite set inPunnagavarali raagam. The loudapplause and cheer from theaudience made me realize that Ihad conveyed the message. As Iwas beginning to collect myself ,someone ushered me to go theyajnashala for the VarahiKramam. Sodasa-upachara pujawas offered to me.

I was still in my dance costumeand was beginning to drift againbecause the whole atmospherewas charged with energy sosweet, lovable and expansive.Meenakshi amma, a seniordisciple of Guruji formHyderabad, did the padha pujafor me and a few women startedsinging. Sri Atmananda gave mevishesha argyam to drink.

Devotees walked in and madetheir pranams. Suddenly I feltthat I was there and then notthere. Overwhelming lovecharged the atmosphere anddevotees were hugging me andeach other and singing happily. Itwas as if our heart chakras werecompletely aligned with thesource carrying us into Herconsciousness, which seemed sosubtle, yet expansive.

Later I helped Sunandhini cleanthe yajnashala, and we decided tosleep near the homakundam. Iwanted the pristine andintoxicating experience to lingeron.

The next day Avarana puja wasdone to Ganapathi, Bala, Shyama,Lalita and Varahi. This wasfollowed by Pathra Udhvasanamand Kalasa Udhvasanam. At thesame time Guruji was conducting

Rudra and Prathingira homamsnear the Sri Meru Nilayam.Someone told me to go toSahasrakshi to witness theabhishekam.

The priests were chanting theRudram with vigor, and gallons ofmilk was poured on Her.Meanwhile our crew led bySunandhini walked in withkalasams for the theerthaabhishekam. As Sunandhiniplaced the scared ash (basmam)on the Mother, a bunch of flowersplaced on Shiva�s feet fell down�asign of acceptance I presumed.

Sri Atmananda performed thetheertha abhishekam duringwhich we all chanted LalithaSahasranamam. Smt. Lalitha, asenior disciple of Guruji, and Iwere asked to stay back and dothe alankaram for the Devi.Everyone was asked to leave andwe closed the doors. We cleanedand mopped the floor, which wasflooded with milk. I was a littlehesitant to oil and dress her. Shewas vibrating with energy.

After reminding myself of mysimilar services to our Devi at theRajarajeswari Peetam, Iproceeded with great devotionand love. As I was in the middle ofdraping the sari for Her, someonereminded me that I should soonleave to catch the 1 p.m. trainback to Chennai. Disappointed, Irushed to the temple house. Weate hastily and after our pranamsto Guruji and Amma our crewheaded to the station.

As I sat in the train, I realizedthat the perceived transitoryexperience I had in Devipuramwas going to be one of thecornerstones stones for myevolving spiritual plane. I thankedAiya and Guruji for giving methis stupendous experience. Iwaved away the meal server whoapproached me to take orders fordinner. I was contented and wentto sleep.

Guruji and Guruji Amma

13

The Nature of Devi

W.B. YEATS ONCE SAID �IF WHAT I

SAY RESONATES WITH YOU, IT IS

MERELY BECAUSE WE ARE BOTH

BRANCHES ON THE SAME TREE.�

THIS MONTH�S FEATURE ECHOES

THE SAME SENTIMENT. IN THE

ARTICLES TO FOLLOW, APARNA

HASLING TAKES ALL OF US ON A

GUIDED HIKE THROUGH THE

TREES,BUSHES, AND SACRED

GROUNDS OF THE RUSH TEMPLE.

BY SHOWING US HOW TO LISTEN,

FEEL, AND TALK TO NATURE,

APARNA HELPS US FIND OUR WAY

BACK TO OUR ROOTS.

The NaThe NaThe NaThe NaThe Nature of Deviture of Deviture of Deviture of Deviture of DeviThe NaThe NaThe NaThe NaThe Nature of Deviture of Deviture of Deviture of Deviture of Devi

14

The Nature of Devi

Walking in nature can be ameditative experience. It isespecially nice to take a quiet walkoutside in early spring when thesun is bright and the grass isfresh. In that experience, it seemsalmost auspicious to seesomething particular in God�screation: a white-tailed deer, a redcardinal bird, a yellow-throatedturtle, or a sunset when the skyturns a mystical shade of pink.

The temple property isunusually beautiful. Not only ismuch of the temple acreageuntamed, but there are vast openlands throughout the town ofRush, which make it a magicalplace to observe the web ofnature.

To form a relationship withMother Earth, who is theembodiment of the web of nature,one must be receptive not only tothe idea that each individual isdependent upon the gifts of Herbounty, but also to the fact thatevery leaf of every tree ispulsating with sacred knowledge.With this in mind, it is possible toenter God�s creation of plants,rivers and wildlife as a spiritualjourney.

Such efforts are rewarded notonly with the experience ofoneness, but also an alteredconceptual model of the physicalworld and an extendedvocabulary to explain theinterconnectivity that binds allcreation.

This cosmic perception beginswith a seed, a bijam. It is not bychance that the potent syllables

we cherish in Sri Vidya are calledbija mantras. Just as our spirituallife is intensified by focusing onbija mantras, so can the bounty ofMother Earth�s power manifestfrom a tiny seed. The physicalworld is linked to the subtlephysical world. By contemplatingMother Earth�s potent energy,which transforms a seed into atree, we more deeply understandhow a mantra takes root in themind to transform a soul.

To really learn how to see God innature, one must first take time towatch things grow�hold anacorn seed in hand andcontemplate Bhairava�s mightyoak tree. Plant a marigold seed,tend the plant until it flowers, andoffer those lovingly tendedflowers to Lord Ganesha. Learnthe names of the temple trees andappreciate the differencesbetween the oaks, maples, pinesand fruit trees.

Talk to the trees and learn tolisten to them too. Once thesepractices take root, the devoteewill naturally want to spendmore time outside to experienceGod in the panchabhutas, and toexperience oneself in relation toMother Earth. And then it beginsto be clear why early Hindus ofVedic times worshipped treesrather than temples�theirconceptual model of life was sopure they could acknowledge theearth as a living being worthy ofworship, rather than an inertsubstance to be harvested. This isthe first step to seeing God inNature.

By Aparna Hasling

Seeing God in Na

Seeing God in Na

Seeing God in Na

Seeing God in Na

Seeing God in Naturetureturetureture

Seeing God in Na

Seeing God in Na

Seeing God in Na

Seeing God in Na

Seeing God in Naturetureturetureture

15

The Nature of Devi

New York is one of the country�stop apple-producing states. So itis not surprising that when Aiyasurveyed the temple property in1996, he found a few dozen appletrees already growing throughoutthe land. Apples are one of theearliest cultivated trees, andmany cultures have honored theapple tree as a symbol of fertility,love and healing.

The five-pointed star that isrevealed when you slice any applealong the horizontal axis is proofof the fruit�s mystical significanceto some. Yet our primary interestin continuing the tradition ofcultivating apple trees is to haveapples to offer the Devi asnaivedyam. The scriptures praisethe auspicious act of offeringlocally grown crops as PhalamRtam, and so cultivating the fruittrees is actually part of the puja.

Unfortunately, the first fewyears of the temple�s young lifedid not allow much time fordevotees to develop any specialskills in cultivating trees. A fewdevotees would venture outsidein early summer and pluck a tinyfruit and taste the sour andsometimes deformed fruit.

Again in early fall, when applesare expected to ripen, the appleswere tested, but often found tohave scab, blister spots, black rot,or fly speck disease that madethem look unappealing. Someapples could be offered or madeinto pickle, but most were left onthe trees to the natural process ofdecay and provided winter foodfor migrating birds.

Professional tree pruners wereconsulted, but they discouragedus from putting too much workinto our old apple trees. The treeson the property had not beenproperly pruned and mulchedover the years; they were past the

age of 40 and not expected tocontinue their full fertility.

We were advised to plant new,semi-dwarf trees in their place.But as an experiment, wefollowed instructions to reviveold trees and heavily pruned afew trees to stimulate the growthprocess. The natural aestheticforms of these trees werecompletely lost, though there wasan increased yield in fruit.Unfortunately, pruning was notenough to rid the trees of diseases.

The next step considered was tospray the apple trees each springwith sulfur or harsher chemicalpesticides. Most commercialgrowers claim that modern applecultivation requires pesticides toprotect trees from disease andinsect infestation.

While it is true that all plants inthe rose family are prone todisease (including the apple andpear trees), some devotees whowant to worship the earth astheir Divine Mother are opposedto using chemicals that poison thebody and blood of Bhuma Devi.These devotees want toexperiment with organicgardening as a way to worshipGod.

And so this spring the temple isplanting a small batch of semi-dwarf apple trees in the southeastcorner of the property, on aslightly raised hill facing RailroadCreek. The soil is prepared withground limestone to neutralizethe PH balance, and amozite anddecomposed pine needles arespread to enhance the mineralcontent.

Organic gardeners are quick torecognize that plants cannotresist disease unless they aregrown in healthy soil. Toaccommodate this need forhealthy soil, the temple has beencomposting vegetable scraps, teabags, shredded newspaper andleaves, and other organic material

since Navarathri�when thematerials have completelydecomposed, they will also beused as rich mulch for the trees.

Meanwhile, during the next fewyears we will need to be patientas we transition from old toyoung trees. It takes about fouryears for a newly-planted appletree to bear fruit. As we care forthe young saplings, we willcontinue to work with the oldertrees and study the intricacies ofpomology, the science of growingapple trees. Eventually we willallow the old trees to die, andperhaps leave them as �snags� onthe property to be used fornesting and winter shelter forwildlife.

By engaging in the process ofcultivating food, we experienceour effort as a link in the chain ofworshipping God. Even the mostbasic pancha-upachara pujarequires offering fruit asnaivedyam�it represents theelement of water, the river of life.

In addition, more than a fewtemple priests have explainedthat many of the dravyams andpuja offerings mentioned asparticular favorites for templedeities actually contain tracemineral elements that humanbodies need to maintain health. Itis not a coincidence that modernresearch shows that applesprovide an essential trace elementcalled boron which helps hardenbones and prevent osteoporosis;or that pectin in apples controlsblood sugar by slowly releasingthe natural sugars into thebloodstream; or that apples are anatural antidepressant.

Perhaps Devi�s love is apparentevery time we bite into aprasadam apple. Just think howmuch this experience will beenhanced when every bite of anapple is from a locally-grown,organic apple�offered first to theDivine Mother.

treestreestreestreestreestreestreestreestreestreesAppleAppleAppleAppleAppleAppleAppleAppleAppleApple

by Aparna Hasling

16

The Nature of Devi

There are many opportunities tovolunteer at the temple. Since it isrun entirely by devotees, there isan endless list of tasks to do�theyusually involve cleaning,decorating, cooking, chanting orserving in some general capacity.In addition to the jobs to do insidethe temple, there is a lot ofrewarding work to do outside onthe temple property.

Some of the guidelines foroutdoor work just requirecommon sense. First, pick up thegarbage that the wind has blowndown the hill towards the creek(i.e. cardboard boxes, coconutshells, paper cups, etc.).

Next, free the trees from theinsidious weeds that strangletheir root bases. There should beat least a one-foot radius aroundthe trunk of every tree, and itshould be free from weeds, grassor shrubs. After the tree base iscleared, appropriate mulch can beput down�this looks nice andalso directly feeds the tree roots.

Some of the trees are sufferingnot only from weeds at the basethat suck the nutrients from thesoil, but also an invasive vine thatcovers its branches. The name ofthe invasive vine isporcelainberry, and it is a hazardall over the state. It overtakes andkills the native plants and trees.

In order to reclaim the naturalbeauty of the graceful trees andthe rambling creek, the invasiveplants need to be removed. Forthose volunteers who havealready started on this project, itis a difficult but rewarding task topull the vines from branches 50feet high. Digging out the roots isanother challenge that willrequire much more work.

There are a handful ofestablished gardens throughout

the property. While they need tobe maintained, it is best to contactthe person in charge beforecontributing to the progress ofthese gardens: near the frontentrance is Ganapati, Bhairava,Kashi and the vegetable garden.

Many of these areas needconstant upkeep throughout thesummer to keep the plantswatered, weeded and mulched. Itwould be nice if more devoteescan establish personalrelationships with particularplants, and be available to helpthem when service is required.

At some point, we would like toplant ornamental trees along thedriveway and maybe get agreenhouse to help extend thetemple growing season. These arewishes put at the Devi�s feet.Before that time comes, we need totrain a greater number ofvolunteers to deepen theirrelationship with Mother Earth.

To facilitate this, we will starthaving workdays once a monthon Sunday mornings from 9 a.m.to noon. Please bring extra gloves,shovels, pruners, or saws as thetemple is sorely lacking in properoutdoor tools. The dates for theworkdays will be posted on thewebsite, but the first workday isscheduled for April 30th. Hope tosee you there!

by Aparna Hasling

A picture of AmpelopsisBrevipedunculata, otherwise knownas the harmful porcelainberry

Mother earthMother earthMother earthMother earthMother earthNeeds yourNeeds yourNeeds yourNeeds yourNeeds yourhelp!help!help!help!help!

Mother earthMother earthMother earthMother earthMother earthNeeds yourNeeds yourNeeds yourNeeds yourNeeds yourhelp!help!help!help!help!

Two devoteestaking a breakafter workingon the property

A serene shot of one of theproperty�s wooded areas

One of the many trees nestled onthe temple�s 23 acres

17

The Nature of Devi

Sri Gurubhyo NamahSri Gurubhyo Namah