1. This is Shabharimala Temple.The name derived from the Ramayana fame Sabari. Sage Parasurama after reclaiming Kerala installed a diety on Sahyadri hills bordering Kerala as the Governor! ( Sasithav-Sasthav).
Since He was governing the Dharma, He is known as Dharma Sastha. This hill shrine is dedicated to the Dharma Sastha in Vaanaprastha mode. Thus the Idol is seated in a particular Yogaasanam called Harivarasanam--sitting on the heels, knees bent and belted( Yoga-belt), His right hand bearing a Chinmudra-👌 the sign of Silence indicating that something Exists.The eyes are focused in between the eyebrows at the "Aajnaa chakra". This is an approximate illustration of the Idol. The Idol is meant to idealise the Ideal behind the Idol. This darsan lasts for a split second when the eyes close unawares. We are looking at the Ideal behind the Idol. That time we get a feeling-, "so close but still so far".
You have to ascend the Holi 18 steps to reach there. The 18 steps are:-
Panchendriyas(5)
Ashtaragas(8)
Thrigunas(3)
Vidya(1)
Avidya(1)
When conquer all these 18 you get the darshan of the Lord.
I reached Shabharimala Temple on a Makara Samkrama day- 14 Jan 1977. This day, I was told, that great Rishies and Sages will be present there in subtle forms. I believed.
I quote Poojya Gurudev :- "FAITH is
to believe what you do not see, the reward of which is, you see what you believed."
I was rewarded. A saintly person with long hair and beard approached me and introduced Himself to me that he was a retired executive officer of Shabharimala Temple and had come for darsan. He took me to the Sopanam and made me stand there on one corner and explained to me the significance of the Idol, especially the Chinmudra.👌--The sign of Silence. He explained
"The Chinmudra indicates the Mahaavakya- Thattwamasi, That Thou Art "- Whatever you are searching for " That You Are". When I contemplate upon Thattwamasi I arrive at Ayam Aatma. This Ayamaatma is Ayyappa. Therefore we call out "Swamiye---Sharanam Ayyappa--Total Surrender (Sharanaagati) to the SELF --AATMA.
Ramana Maharishi says:-
"God, Guru and Self is one and the same. God manifests as one's Guru and help him discover the Truth." This also happened.
After I reached Mumbai we planned a picnic to Powai Park and walked in to Sandeepany Sadhanalaya and had darsan of Shree Jagadeeswara. Later I came to know that this Academy Sandeepany Sadhanalaya belonged to Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.This was a turning point in my life.
Thus my journey from Shabharimala to Sandeepany like an arrow. Swami Saranam🙏
2. *തത്ത്വമസി 🕉️ तत्त्वमसि*
Once Poojya Gurudev ( *Swami Chinmayanandji* ) was travelling to Trivandrum and had checked in for the flight. We met at the departure lounge since I too was travelling on the same flight. I was on my way to Shabharimala temple. Flight was delayed. Gurudev asked me to sit next to Him and asked me how many times I had been to Shabharimala. I answered seven. He asked me what I have seen in Shabharimala. I said "Ayyappa". Gurudev asked me to narrate the Idol of the Lord. I narrated as best as I could. Gurudev said "Good job.You seem to know everything. What exactly is this👌Chinmudra? I kept silent because I knew Gurudev was setting a stage to reveal one of the subtlest themes. Then Gurudev asked me to show Him the size of my heart. I had shown Him my 'Thumb in' first . Gurudev with His Thumb up, asked me "what is this called". I said in our mother tongue- "Thallaviral", means the mother of all fingers. Then Gurudev said " the Thumb (अंगुष्ठं) indicates That ( तत् ).
This Angushta, the Hridayeswara, being the Indweller appears far away. Even though this is the closest, being the Indweller, still we call this That, something far away."
Then He asked me how I point faults on others. I said " I point my index finger and say you, you, you." He said " Thus the index finger indicates You- Thou or ( त्वम् ).
When the index finger representing त्वम् - Thou surrenders to the Thumb- that denotes That- तत् , this union ( असि) becomes तत्त्वमसि- That Thou Art". He concluded by saying
" This is the Ideal behind that Idol". Then Gurudev instructed me to approach the temple authorities at Shabharimala and convey His message to them and install a sign board Tattwamsi, written in Malayalam and Sanskrit at an appropriate place where it will fall at the sight of a pilgrim, who after ascending the Holi 18 steps, would read, standing on the 18th step.
We took off for Trivandrum and I proceeded to Shabharimala and presented Swamiji's instructions to the temple authorities.This was approved and sanctioned by the board and the main priest (Thantri) stood at the 18th step and pointed out the appropriate place as wished and willed by Poojya Gurudev and the sign board Tattwamasi was installed at the face ( mukha padmam) of the Shabharimala Temple on 08 December 1982. The switching on ceremony was performed by Poonthottam Narayanan Namboothiri, the chief priest ( Melsaanti) of Shabharimala Temple.
I returned to Trivandrum and when I met Gurudev, I found Him reading a local daily that carried the front page news "Tattwamasi at Shabharimala"' as the head line with a photograph. Gurudev said " Oh , it has already come in the news paper". He said "Swamiye---Sharanamayyappa " I said in my mind : Om Mahaavaakyopadeshakaaya Namaha" and did a deergha danda Namaskaaram at His Lotus Feet.🙏🙏🙏
( *Kalidasji- +91 98202 91505, one of the ardent devotee of Pujya Gurudev wrote the above passages, and along with he shared a rare picture of beloved Pujya Gurudev* . )
Since He was governing the Dharma, He is known as Dharma Sastha. This hill shrine is dedicated to the Dharma Sastha in Vaanaprastha mode. Thus the Idol is seated in a particular Yogaasanam called Harivarasanam--sitting on the heels, knees bent and belted( Yoga-belt), His right hand bearing a Chinmudra-👌 the sign of Silence indicating that something Exists.The eyes are focused in between the eyebrows at the "Aajnaa chakra". This is an approximate illustration of the Idol. The Idol is meant to idealise the Ideal behind the Idol. This darsan lasts for a split second when the eyes close unawares. We are looking at the Ideal behind the Idol. That time we get a feeling-, "so close but still so far".
You have to ascend the Holi 18 steps to reach there. The 18 steps are:-
Panchendriyas(5)
Ashtaragas(8)
Thrigunas(3)
Vidya(1)
Avidya(1)
When conquer all these 18 you get the darshan of the Lord.
I reached Shabharimala Temple on a Makara Samkrama day- 14 Jan 1977. This day, I was told, that great Rishies and Sages will be present there in subtle forms. I believed.
I quote Poojya Gurudev :- "FAITH is
to believe what you do not see, the reward of which is, you see what you believed."
I was rewarded. A saintly person with long hair and beard approached me and introduced Himself to me that he was a retired executive officer of Shabharimala Temple and had come for darsan. He took me to the Sopanam and made me stand there on one corner and explained to me the significance of the Idol, especially the Chinmudra.👌--The sign of Silence. He explained
"The Chinmudra indicates the Mahaavakya- Thattwamasi, That Thou Art "- Whatever you are searching for " That You Are". When I contemplate upon Thattwamasi I arrive at Ayam Aatma. This Ayamaatma is Ayyappa. Therefore we call out "Swamiye---Sharanam Ayyappa--Total Surrender (Sharanaagati) to the SELF --AATMA.
Ramana Maharishi says:-
"God, Guru and Self is one and the same. God manifests as one's Guru and help him discover the Truth." This also happened.
After I reached Mumbai we planned a picnic to Powai Park and walked in to Sandeepany Sadhanalaya and had darsan of Shree Jagadeeswara. Later I came to know that this Academy Sandeepany Sadhanalaya belonged to Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda.This was a turning point in my life.
Thus my journey from Shabharimala to Sandeepany like an arrow. Swami Saranam🙏
2. *തത്ത്വമസി 🕉️ तत्त्वमसि*
Once Poojya Gurudev ( *Swami Chinmayanandji* ) was travelling to Trivandrum and had checked in for the flight. We met at the departure lounge since I too was travelling on the same flight. I was on my way to Shabharimala temple. Flight was delayed. Gurudev asked me to sit next to Him and asked me how many times I had been to Shabharimala. I answered seven. He asked me what I have seen in Shabharimala. I said "Ayyappa". Gurudev asked me to narrate the Idol of the Lord. I narrated as best as I could. Gurudev said "Good job.You seem to know everything. What exactly is this👌Chinmudra? I kept silent because I knew Gurudev was setting a stage to reveal one of the subtlest themes. Then Gurudev asked me to show Him the size of my heart. I had shown Him my 'Thumb in' first . Gurudev with His Thumb up, asked me "what is this called". I said in our mother tongue- "Thallaviral", means the mother of all fingers. Then Gurudev said " the Thumb (अंगुष्ठं) indicates That ( तत् ).
This Angushta, the Hridayeswara, being the Indweller appears far away. Even though this is the closest, being the Indweller, still we call this That, something far away."
Then He asked me how I point faults on others. I said " I point my index finger and say you, you, you." He said " Thus the index finger indicates You- Thou or ( त्वम् ).
When the index finger representing त्वम् - Thou surrenders to the Thumb- that denotes That- तत् , this union ( असि) becomes तत्त्वमसि- That Thou Art". He concluded by saying
" This is the Ideal behind that Idol". Then Gurudev instructed me to approach the temple authorities at Shabharimala and convey His message to them and install a sign board Tattwamsi, written in Malayalam and Sanskrit at an appropriate place where it will fall at the sight of a pilgrim, who after ascending the Holi 18 steps, would read, standing on the 18th step.
We took off for Trivandrum and I proceeded to Shabharimala and presented Swamiji's instructions to the temple authorities.This was approved and sanctioned by the board and the main priest (Thantri) stood at the 18th step and pointed out the appropriate place as wished and willed by Poojya Gurudev and the sign board Tattwamasi was installed at the face ( mukha padmam) of the Shabharimala Temple on 08 December 1982. The switching on ceremony was performed by Poonthottam Narayanan Namboothiri, the chief priest ( Melsaanti) of Shabharimala Temple.
I returned to Trivandrum and when I met Gurudev, I found Him reading a local daily that carried the front page news "Tattwamasi at Shabharimala"' as the head line with a photograph. Gurudev said " Oh , it has already come in the news paper". He said "Swamiye---Sharanamayyappa " I said in my mind : Om Mahaavaakyopadeshakaaya Namaha" and did a deergha danda Namaskaaram at His Lotus Feet.🙏🙏🙏
( *Kalidasji- +91 98202 91505, one of the ardent devotee of Pujya Gurudev wrote the above passages, and along with he shared a rare picture of beloved Pujya Gurudev* . )
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