On my Visit to Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Thirupattur (Trichy Dist, Tamilnadu)

              

Temple Tower front view

Inside view of the temple

View of the Mukha mandapam

Lord Brahma in the sanctum

Brahmapureeswarar idol

Nandi statue

Brahma Theertham

Goddess Gajalakshmi

Lord Kalabhairava

Lord Umamaheshwara

Sculpture on the pillar

Shrine of Vinayaka

                                 

Patanjali Samadhi

                     

Temple tree

                           

One of twelve lingas in the garden

                                           

Statue of Brahma in temple premises

Temples for Brahma are vey rarely seen. This temple of Brahma is located very near to Srirangam at nearly 35kms. People believe that their destiny will become better by having darshan of Lord Brahma here. This temple is more than one thousand years old. 

According to legends, Lord Brahma thought Himself superior to Lord Shiva and felt very proud of His creative powers. Lord Shiva cut off Brahma’s fifth head and cursed him to lose His powers of creation. Brahma realized His mistake and went on a pilgrimage to various Shiva temples. He came to this temple worshipped and did penance, On Parvati’s request, Lord Shiva appeared and liberated Him from the curse. He also said that Brahma would have a separate shrine here and devotees would first take His darshan before worshipping Shiva.

 Since Brahma had His destiny re-written here, He should also re-write the destiny of devotees who visit His shrine. Hence Lord Shiva in this temple is called Brahmapureeswara and His consort is called Brahma Sampathnayaki as She has helped Lord Brahma in getting back His lost wealth and creative powers. Lord Brahmapureeswarar is a Swayambhu Lingam. The idol of Brahma is nearly six-feet tall and is seen seated in a meditative pose on a lotus. The idol of Brahma is coated with turmeric.  The shrine of Dakshinamurty  is seen next to that Lord Brahma.

 Adjacent to the temple, there is a garden with twelve lingams in separate shrines around a pond “Brahma Theertham”. Brahma installed these twelve lingams here. One can also see here the grave of sage Patanjali who attained Samadhi through Yogic meditation.  This temple has a five-tiered Rajagopuram on the east side. The Veda mandapam at the entrance has a dwajastahmbam and Nandi statue. The main enclosure of Brahmapureeswarar lingam in the sanctum is surrounded by seven gateways each representing a day of the week. Abhishekam to Lord Brahma is at 6.00 a.m. on Thursdays and at 8.00 a.m. on other days of the week. A ten-day festival is celebrated in the month Panguni. Full-moon days and on the day of Satabhisha (Sadayam) Nakshatra are auspicious days to worship Lord Brahma. Mondays and Thursdays are favorable days for visiting this temple. The temple timings are from 7.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m and from 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. Just one km from this place is the Kailasanathar temple where Sage Vyaghrapada attained Jeevasamadhi.

The eighth century saint Sundarar praised about this temple in his hymns. Chola kings constructed the oldest parts in the 9^th century. Later expansions were done by later kings like Nayak kings. People believe that a visit to this temple provides good health and bestows immense peace to their ancestors. Other deities in this temple complex are: seven Vinayak shrines, Lord Subrahmanya, Lord Dakshinamurti, Sapta Matrikas, Sri Gaja Lakshmi, Sri Chandikeswarar, Lord Brihaspati and Nava Grahas. Here The devotees are asked to stand in front of Brahma instead of on either side as it is believed that Brahma would bring changes in the fate of devotees.

 Sunlight falls on Brahmapureswarar Lingam for three days in a year on 15^th, 16^th and 17^th day of the Tamil month of Panguni(March-April). People visit this temple to seek good marriage alliance, or to solve their marital problems and have good progeny. 

The garden area and the pond look shabby and untidy. Improvements have to be made. The statue of Brahma also is slightly damaged and the paint id fading off. So proper maintenance of the temple is necessary. The temple history and labels may be written in English along with Tamil for the benefit of non-Tamil pilgrims. The importance of this unique temple may be given wide publicity through media and sale of devotional books.

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14th May, 2023.                                   Somaseshu Gutala

  

ALL-IN-ONE (PART--II )

                                     

  

13.           Like a potter

   You mold our destiny with mysterious skill.

   With so many designs and patterns you fill

   Though frail and weak we live in conceited ways.

   Till we crumble to dust unaware of our numbered days.

   Ignorant of Thee, Master of our life-breath!

   Ignorant of Thy gifts and impending death!

  

   14.          Like a weaver      

        You show your creative powers

   Intermixing various shades and colors

   A mixed fabric of sufferings and pleasures

   Our lives with a purpose which we can’t measure;

   To make us know life’s valuable virtues

   To teach us problem-solving means and clues. 

 

15.           Like a tailor

     You measure our worth and give our due

     Of what we deserve in proportions true;

     To grab with greed, in vain we struggle hard

     You give our due, Our well-wisher and Lord!

     We waste our precious days in worldly pleasures.

     Ignoring true values and innate treasures.

 

16.           Like an artist

     Endless works of wonder you create.

     Inestimable miracles splendid and great

     Nature, a fathomless, endless mystery

     Beyond our limited fallible boundaries

     Yet thy precious skills a little, in artists we find.

     A speck of Thy supreme magnificent mind

 

17.           Like a scientist

     This universe with many secrets you designed.

     Our bragging wits too shallow to unwind

     The infinite intricacies profound

     Beyond our subtle supercomputing bounds

     Innumerable gifts gave Thy generous grace.

     Which we misuse in self-destructive race.

 

18.           Like a doctor  

     You cure our maladies and disease.

      Nature, your precious gift for health and ease.

      Our selfish polluting living style

      Create new germs deadly and vile.

      Addicted to drinks, lust, and perilous drinks.

      Into abysmal depths of doom people sink.    

 

19.            Like a poet

      You make this universe with magical skill.

       Splendid wonders in every vale and hill

       In every bird, beast, flower, and fruit

       In every being a rhythmic harmony cute.

       Your thought took shape in every atom in fact.

       A master craftsman superb thou art.

 

20.             Like a painter

       On the canvass of this universe, you made.

        Millions of worlds with various shapes and shades

        In multiple colors with soul-animating art you devise.

        A mystic supernatural creation, a wondrous surprise.

        Our efforts to imitate Thee we feel too hard.

        A tiny shell, a flower shows Thy skill, Oh, Lord!

 

21.             Like a maestro

       You created this world from sacred sound.

       Numberless melodies in your domain abound.

       Thy musical skills, far above our earthly sounds.

       Thy rhythm conceals so many meanings profound.    

       Masters of heavenly music touch our bosom’s core.

       With Immense devotion they praise and adore. 

 

22.              Like a C.E.O.

        The whole creation with ease you control.

         You decide and guide all towards their goal.

         Though we brag and dare to go out of our ways

         You lead us back to move on at our own pace.

         We miss you, Lord! the universal source of all.

         With rushing tide of time, we rise and fall.

 

23.               Like an actor

         So many parts you sportively play.

         Embodying your infinite Self, I say

         Beyond our worldly estimate and guess

         Thy ordained laws none can transgress.

         A trivial dot this entire creation

         Immeasurable Thy Form, Thou, All-in-one.      

 

24.              Master of all!

        Unknown to our souls confined in sense-bound cage.

        Thy precious blessings we misuse with bestial rage.

        Our petty parts we think as ours and miscomprehend

        Thy Divine plan and our days idly spend.

        Make us realize our roles and lead us to our goal.

        Make us realize and feel Thee, within our soul.

 

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 Note: In all religions great seers and prophets expressed their inability combined with wonder at the incomprehensible creative powers of God and voiced their gratitude and devotion in many religious scriptures. They concluded that all this creation comes from one source and goes back to merge with that cosmic power. In Hinduism and other religions where polytheism is followed, the multitudinous number of gods and goddesses represent the mystic symbolic manifestation of God’s various qualities and powers. In “Bhakti Yoga” (A chapter from Gita on “Devotion”), Lord Krishna states that He exists behind everything in creation just like a thread binding many multi-colored beads in a necklace. The cosmic manifestation of God in various forms and objects in this universe and His magnanimous gifts to all creation is elaborately dealt with in "Vibhuti Yoga" and in “Rudra Suktam”.

The least we can do is to feel humble and acknowledge our earnest gratitude to God for his various gifts and make use of them for the well-being of all living and non-living creatures, and try to protect this universe, an indirect manifestation of God Himself, without feeling any false sense of pride. Without His Will nothing exists and survives. Let us keep this world safe, happy and peaceful. Destruction and pollution lead to our own ultimate annihilation and degradation.

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29th April, 2023                        Somaseshu Gutala

    

    

 

    

    

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

ALL-IN-ONE ( Part--- I )

 

           

                                    

1.         Like a Mother

   You nourish and care one and all

   Forgiving and showering love divine

   Unseen, yet gleaming through stars and sunshine;

   You listen to every creature’s earnest call

   Your glance purifies our lives like Ganges great

   Inestimable Patience and Mercy incarnate!

 

2.        Like a father

  You sustain and guide this universe vast

  You curb our desires with your discipline stern

  Through your mysterious plans you make us learn;

  In life’s seeming struggles so many lessons you taught.

  Rigidly denying our crazy dreams with madness fraught.

  You punish us to curb our crooked ways and thoughts.  

 

3.        Like a child

    You make and unmake worlds with sportive delight

    Smiling like spring and roaring like lightning bright;

    You shake the worlds with winds and volcanic fire

    With flooding oceans touching cloudy spires;

    When we are down with disease and gasping breath

    We feel your gentle touch of restful death.

 

4.        Like a teacher

        You train our latent skills you gave

  You boldly refuse to grant of what we crave

  Though you appear to be callous and cold

  Our wandering passions you keep on hold.

  We never acknowledge Thy love sublime

  Beyond worldly barriers and changing times

 

5.        Like a friend

  You ever watch and stand by our side

  Timely warning you give to check our pride

  So patient, liberal and generous Thou art

  You never leave us though others depart.

  Your friendly advice in turbulent days

  Saves us from degradation and disgrace.

 

6.        Like a lover

  Ever enshrined within our hearts

  Enchanting us with sweet feelings and thoughts;

  Like playful cowherd of Brindavan

  You make us happy filled with mirth and fun

   Our fickle minds forget Thee and rush towards hell

   Yet You try to draw us with Thy divine spell.  

 

7.        Like a wise seer

  Your brilliant wisdom divine

  Beyond our sense-bound learning shines

  Our perverted brains misuse Thy gifts indeed

  We dig our graves with false egoistic greed.

  Open our eyes ere we slip into gloom

  Our crazy ways pollute and lead us to doom.

 

8.       Like a wise judge

 You ordain laws, beyond our thought

 Your judgement spanning eons with justice fraught;

 Though they appear strange beyond our brains

 An unseen force leads this world and sustains;

 Though you seem so rigid, detached, and cold

 Thy mercy, sages perceive million-fold.

 

9.        Like a farmer

    You work to show the worth of hard toil

    Protecting crops, cattle, and nourishing soil;

    You shed your sweat and blood millions to feed

    And quench their thirst with no sense of greed;

    Sow seeds of hope and faith in every life

    Make us face boldly challenges and strife.

 

10.          Like a warrior

    You show supreme courage and power

     Ever vigilant and watching every hour

     Punishing evil and monstrous devils;

     Assuming many forms with Thy almighty will;

     Protector of all worlds! We bow before Thy feet

     Shower Thy grace and precious blessings sweet!

 

11.           Like a washerman

     You purify our sinful sullied souls

   Leading us to our destined goals

   With buffeting blows and challenges to cure

   Our vicious impulses and passions impure.

   You straighten our crooked folds within

   A spotless fabric pressed sans stain or sin.

 

12.         Like a barber

    You cut the unruly growth of desires wild

    That grow like tangled weeds aggravating our pride

  Despite our growing age, we can’t restrain

  The endless web of passions, despair, and strain.

  Though we collapse with age, disease, and pain

  Still, we struggle with unfulfilled craze in vain.

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 13th April, 2023                        Somaseshu Gutala

Rocking in the verdant world

                                    

                          

           

                                

1.      The wintry chill is gone; the rays of sun turned warm

   In fresh spring weather new leaves grow green;

   Like sparkling peridots with verdant sheen;

   The mango-tree in garden acquired her own charm

   On every branch fresh cluster of leaves, behold!

   Glistening like gems in rays of gold.

 

2.      Though daily seen today to me they seemed

   Nature’s new bounty in changing weather

   With various shades of green, smooth silky feathers

   A flock of red-beaked parrots fluttered and screamed

   As if they grew wild with exuberant delight

   The mango tree green with birds, a merry sight.

 

3.      The parrots rocked on swinging branches so free

   A shelter safe for them from prying eyes;

   Amidst bunches of mangoes, a luscious surprise;

   For them to feast swinging in verdant glee

   The leaves shone like merry-making birds at dawn

   The parrots like fresh fluttering mango-leaves shone.

 

4.       The mango fruits plump and juicy in bunches caught

    My eyes in various shades of emerald green

    Amidst shy parrots hid in leaves, a curious scene

    A blend of similar colours questioning my thoughts;

    In overwhelming green hues all around

    Too green in this cool paradise myself I found. 

 

5.           Our show of green peace with momentary zeal     

        Match not with what we do and what we say;

   Perhaps not fit to live like parrots gay;

   Polluted surroundings our minds reveal;  

   So many creatures wiped out by human greed

   We run our lives with self-destructive speed.

 

6.       Far from this noisy, dusty restless domain

   Let me find respite in this welcoming shade

   Not an artificial retreat man-made;

   A happy communion where none complains

   Of struggles for power and status seen

   A charming blend of leafy world with parrots green.         

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   1st April, 2023                          Somaseshu Gutala