Photos of deities

Sri Raja Mathangi and Sri Maha Vaarahi

The supreme powers of Sri Raja Mathangi and Sri Maha Vaarahi are less known to the common public since both of them are conducting life course as subtle forces. Now they have come out of the subtleness, The time has come to reveal the true revelations
worldly pursuits of both Sri Raja Mathagi and Sri Maha Vaarahi. we learnt about Matangi before.


Here is an attempt to understand the Divine play of Sri Maha Vaarahi and Sri Raja Mathangi. Varahi shrines at Thanjavur Brahadeeswara temple and Sundararaja Perumal temple (very near the Swamimalai Murugan temple) exist and let us visit these places when we happen to go to swamimalai and take their divine blessings.

Who is Sri Maha Vaarahi?

She is the solemn power of Sri Raja Rajeswari. Sri Raja Rajeswari took the incarnation of Sri Maha Vaarahi to eliminate the cruel demon Pandasura. Pandasura was a great Shiva Bhakta. After thousands of years of penance, shiva appeared before him and the demon requested for a peculiar benediction that he never should be killed by any one, evidently meaning to live for ever. However Lord Shiva had a different opinion on birth and death aspect of humans. He said any one born on this earth must die one day. No one could be above this prime rule of life. Pandasura agreed for this condition with certain stipulations. He did not want to be killed by either human or animal or by natural causes. He could be annihilated only by a woman, not born of another woman and that too by one who had the habit of consuming filth (faeces) as food. How was it possible? However as is the habit of Shiva he gave the benediction to Pandasura.

Pandasura, incidentally was a great warrior and having attained this special position as a result of his penance, he went into the dangerous game of massacre of humans to reign supreme. He utilized his ill-gotten strength-that he could never be destroyed by any one except the one born by the earlier descriptio-to annihilate everyone including devas. When his torture exceeded the limits, they approached Lord Shiva seeking his intervention to save them from this cruel ruler. But Lord Shiva expressed his inability in this matter since he has given this benediction and asked them to approach the Divine Mother Sri Raja Rajeshwari for a solution. Besides, the destroyer had to be a woman and Divine Mother could find a solution to their worries. Therefore they approached the Mother with their woes and pains.

Mother, infact, was waiting for such an opportunity and when she heard their cry, she soothed them with the promise that very soon Pandasura would be annihilated.

Subsequent to this she started planning as to what kind of incarnation would help her kill Pandasura since he had been destined to die by unique creation, that would have to take birth as a woman and not in human body. There was only one possibility for this strange combination. It was to take the incarnation of a boar - a wild pig with tusks with female human body and face of a boar. However there was a problem as the same incarnation in the form of Varaha had already been taken place. Sri Maha Vishnu , Lord Narayana had appeared in this form much earlier to rescue the Mother earth during one of his several incarnations. Therefore, she thought it would fit into the logic when only she got a genuine permission from her brother to take a female form of boar. With deep prayer, she requested Sri Maha Vishnu to accede to her wish. At the behest of Sri Vishnu and keeping his form, deep within, Mother took the form of boar and came to be known as Sri Maha Vaarahi.

As soon as she got this form she became very powerful as if the strength of a hundred thousand boars verily became hers. Her power and strength were so much that immediately she left to tackle the demon Pandasura on a chariot called Giri chakra, dragged by thousand boars of solid might.

Yet she could not defeat Pandasura despite her phenomenal powers. Imagine what would have been the strength of that strange asura ! In frustration she approached Sri Vishnu and Sri Shiva for a solution as to how the demon could be destroyed. They suggested that mother would take with her the god of approbation- Lord Ganesha who would help her over come the initial pangs through his presence. Accordingly Shri Maha Varaahi took with her son Lord Ganesha and in the ensuing war destroyed Pandasura and his men and established peace on this earth and on the other worlds

Here we have to understand another unique phenomenon; the presence of Shri Raja Mathangi that is existing in this universe. When we talk about Shri Maha Varaahi we have to mention about Shri Raja Mathangi too because they can never be separated. Without one the other is non-existent.

The first deity is Sri Raja Mathangi. She travels in Gayachakra, a chariot which when moves, the atmosphere will be vibrating with sweet music. She is the embodiment of Nada (Sound). She stands for the propagation of Jnana (Knowledge ) , art, education, music and so on. Since both of them are not different from Mahalakshmi, they bless those worship them with wealth and health. This is for certain.

Sri Raja Matangi is known as Manthrini.

Sri Maha Vaarahi is known as Dandini.

As Manthrini, Sri Raja Mathangi is the symbol of knowledge. She is also an amsa of Sri Madurai Meenakshi and Sri Saraswathi. Sri Maha Vaarahi acts as a judge and always tend to punish the wicked and save the innocent. Therefore she is known as Dandini.

Here we are blessed with an opportunity to directly pray to both Sri Raja Mathangi and Sri Maha Vaarahi. Generally not many people know about Sri Raja Mathangi and Sri Maha Vaarahi because they are known as Sushma Rahasya devathas ( They are symbolizing the subtle secret of the divinity ). They are closely identified with Sri Lalithambika and are found in the form of Sri Lakshmi and Sri Saraswathi. Mother Lalithambika is sitting on the form of Lord Sadhashiva. This is the secret of Sri Chakra. Sri Chakra is also known as Srinagaram. In Sri chakra, crores of Devathas are said to be housed and therefore the worship of SriChakra indirectly agrees with the worship of millions of Devathas at the same time.
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Sri Varahi – It is nothing but natural that this name of the Goddess would instantaneously evoke in a devotee not only steep devotion but also intense fear. But in reality, Goddess Varahi is compassionate-incarnate, dispels the unwanted fear in a devotee and protects him with Motherly concern.
But who is this Goddess Varahi? And what is Her incarnation all about? At the outset, ‘Varahi’ means ‘the destroyer of evil and the protector of good. But in a deeper sense, the Goddess is a manifestation of the Supreme Mother and is empowered to bestow anything and everything a true devotee could pray for!

The very form of Sri Varahi is of “good thoughts” and She bestows Her supreme grace on devotees by removing obstacles and crowning them with all victory and glory. The very incarnation of Varahi is divinely significant and interesting to know. When the Supreme Mother took the ominous form of Sri Sandi to fight the demons, Sri Varahi incarnated from Her to command the forces of good against the evil. Hailed as the ‘Commander-in-Chief’ of the Supreme Mother’s army, Sri Varahi is one of the seven sakthis incarnating from the Mother.
The Lalita Sahasranama, a collection of 1000 names of the Supreme Mother, hails Sri Varahi as the destroyer of demon Visukran, who was born from the right hand of demon Bhanasura.

She was also the commander-in-chief of the armies of Goddess Kali in the war against demon Tharukasura; of Goddess Sandi in the war against demon Sumbasura; and commander-in-chief of the forces of Sri Lalita in the war against demon Pandasura.
Saint-poet Sri Abirami Bhattar in his evergreen composition – Abirami Andadhi – cites the names of Sri Varahi as another name of the Supreme Mother.

Sri Devi Bhagavata hails Sri Varahi as one who “dispels the fear and bestows victory.” Many Puranic lores revere Sri Varahi (in the form of Thandini) and Sri Shyamala (in the form of Manthrini) – the two forces without whose permission the Supreme Goddess cannot be beheld. That is Sri Shymala is the sugarcane in the sugarcane bow adorning the hands of the Supreme Mother while Sri Varahi is the sharp arrows shot from it to kill the enemies.
‘Girichakra’ is the chariot on which Sri Varahi is seated and is worshipped in nine forms, much similar to Sri Durga. Sri Varahi is also revered in the names of Ashvaarooda Thandini Devi, Panchami Devi, Swapna Devi, Vaarthali Devi, Madhu Varahi, Manthrini Varahi, Bhakta Varahi and Pakaalamukhi. Out of these names Sri Varahi as Panchami is regarded the most powerful, as She is the manifestation of the supreme powers of Lord Sadasiva. This explains why the Panchami day falling after the full moon day is considered the most auspicious day to worship Sri Varahi.

I bow and submit this at her lotus feet!

chitra.g// I have enclosed varahi maalai published in 1897 and it is very rare to get this stothra. download and preserve and pass the same to deserving devotees.

 

Dear Chitra,

Godo writeup about goddess varagi and sri mathangi. Sri varagi ambal in pattupavadai is amazing.thanks for the sri varagimalai slogam.goddess annapoorani thayar photo is very nice.lord sri hanuman in sinthoor is very beautiful..lord anjaneyar in vadamalai and tulasi leaves are very amazing. definition of sindur is very nice. chitra, you are doing this service in full devotion.thanks for sharing with us all.

regards,

raji.

 

You must have seen different avatars of Mukkuruni Pillayar posted last week. do you know the legend behind his installation?


MUKKURUNI PILLAIYAR

He got his name because a gigantic modhakam is given as an offering to him on the Vinaayakar Chathurthi Festival. they will carry the modhak, like how a doli is carried because of the weight to the alter to perform neiveidhyam. gigantic modhak in one piece!

This modhakam is made with three kurunis of rice and kuruni is a measure used in those days and one kuruni is equal to four padis and the mukkuruni consists of twelve padi rice.

12 measures of rice is taken and cleaned , then it is soaked. It is then pounded in a 'ural' - means pouding stone. The flour is mixed with gram, coconut, cane sugar, salt, cardamom, etc. It is then moulded and wrapped in a cloth and made into a bundle. It is then steamed in a giant steam kopparai - steamer which was made especially for this purpose. When appropriately cooked, it becomes a gigantic kozhakkattai in tamil or Modhakam.

The Mukkuruni Vinaayakar is said have been found in a place called Vandiyur.
Tirumalai Nayakkar wanted to build a very beautiful and huge Palace for himself in Madurai. So he procured large plot of land which occupied the south-eastern sector of the Madurai city within the limits of the fortress.

The construction of the palace needed a lot of suitable soil, earth and sand. A site where all these could be found was chosen. It was near the Vandiyur Mariyamman Temple where river vaigai flowed. The evacuation of large amount of earth in that place caused a huge pit, and they found a huge statue of Lord Vinayaka/pillayar while digging.

Inside the Meenakshi Temple Complex, there is sannidhi of lord Sundareswarar. The Sundareswarar shrine faces towards the east. then to the northern part of the Sundaresvarar shrine, there is 'Velliyamabalam'. Nataraja performed the cosmic dance here and it is called rajatha sabha or velliambalam.

Normally Nataraja stands on his right leg and the left in dance posture. According to the Thiruvilaiyadal puranam, when king Pandian was in grief, thought that his grief was due to Lords posture. He felt that the lord is standing like this for ages and prayed to the divine lord to change his stance to ward of his grief. He wanted the lord to rest his left leg and right in dancing posture.

Lord headed to the Kings fervent prayers and shifted his stance. this is called as "Kaal Maari aadiya padalam" - one among the thiruvidayals of lord Chokkanadhar.

Lord Nataraja in Madurai temple was facing south and the same was in line of southern gopuram and termed as velli ambalam, velli ambalam was a very powerful place of cosmic power. lot of energy was generated by recitation of manthra or prayers at this particular place. on some occasions due to over recitation, the cosmic energy used to overflow thus resulting in manifestation of certain powers. Usually it was in the form of fire, and certain areas used to catch fire and this was called as "Paarvai".

To ward off such evils/occurences the door which was facing velliambalam was closed, new altar was built facing south as per vaasthu and vedic principles, and our Pillayar who was found when digging the tank was installed. And the evil paarvai was shown the exit from that time!

Special types of poojas and worship is done to this Pillayar and our Guru came into existance in Meenakshi temple to bless his sincere devotees in different avatar! If anyone sits and meditates at this place, he will be really blessed!

If u happen to go to Madurai, see his beauty and reply/best wishes/chitra.g

 

Hi,

Hope U have started your Hanuman Sadhana! see the following details, and for details see the attatched file.


~~ Why no Garlic and Onion?? ~~
Scriptural Reference:

Lasunam gṛnjanam tvaiva palāṇdum kavakāni ca abhakśyāṇi dvijātinām medhya prabhavāni ca - (Manu-Samhita Chapter 5, Verse 5)

Translation : Garlic, leeks and onions, mushrooms and all those plants that spring from impure substances, are unfit to be eaten by twice-born men.



source: Scientific reference:
(Source: Why no Onions and Garlic?)

 

Hi,

explanation of Hanuman by Periavar, simple but great!

H = Humility and hopefulness (optimism)

A = Admiration (truthfulness, devotion)

N = Nobility (sincerity, loyalty, modesty)

U = Understanding (knowledge)

M = Mastery over ego (kindness, compassion)

A = Achievements (strength)

N = Nishkama-karma (selfless work in service of God)

Jai Sri Ram! 2nd photo hanuman as Lord Venkatesha, near dindukkal.tn.

 

DEar Chitra,

definition of sree hanuman by kanchi periyavar is a unknown one. two pictures are nice. hope you all celebrated sree ramanavami well.

sreeramajayam.

regards

raji

 

We celebrated and did Abhishekam etc., to the idol. Prayed and did all the poojas, thanks and best wishes, chitra.g


SRI RAM JAYA RAM JAYA JAYA RAM,

see about RAMA, U may know? the post is in Avathar of Lord Sri Rama

 

pillayar silver kavacham


jackfruit ganesha

wd carving gana

1005 kg of vegetables - 27 varieties of vegetables - ganesha-tharkari


Om gum ganapathaye namaha!

 

Dear Chitra,

All ganesha pictures are very nice. sandalwood vinayakar seems very beautiful.jackfruit vianyagar is a different one. thanks for sharing.

raji