QUESANSW DIVINE 03-2022-23 Dear friends,
These are information compiledas QA by me in 1998’s-2004’s and stored in my computer. They are posted by very learnt members. BEING COMPILATION THERE MAY BE ERRORS. With lot of strains the QA series is posted. I will be happy the responder to any mail member Mr Rajaram former IRS alias Tanjur Kenappayal may appreciate the point. Sincerely, R. Gopalakrishnan, 78, dated 23-03-2022 Q1 Who was Sarada? A1 Sarada wife of Vandana misra was an avtar of Goddess Saraswathi. Since Sarada was involved in householdduties, she could not be present throughout the debate. So she placed a garland on each of them and said that the garland ofthe defeated person would fade. Everyday heated debate was going on. Every day Sarada would go there during mid-day and invite Mandana forBhojanam and Sankara for Bhiksha. This continued for five six days. I do not consider fit enough to narrate the intricacies of theirarguments. So I go to the next stage. Thenon one day when Sarada went to invite them for meals, she found that the garland on Mandana’s neck hadfaded. So she invited both of themtogether for Bhiksha. Q2Do Sankaracharya debated with Sarada? A2 Yes. Sankara said that if he had to enter into a debate with awoman to establish his contentions, then that should be done. Did not Yajnavalkya argue withGargi and Janaka with Sulabhaa. FindingSankara un defeatable in any topic, Sarada thought like this. Sankara hadbecome a Sanyasi straight from boyhood. So he would nothave known many things on Sringara sastram. He was also forbidden to answer such questions. So she started asking him such questions. If he did not reply, he would be called as ignorant and bedeclared defeated. If he answered, it wouldbe against his Dharma. So he wanted one month’s time to answer thosequestions. This was agreed to. Q3What is the story of Sankaracharya becoming king Amaruka? A3Then Sankara lifted himself in the air and saw a king (called Amaruka) who had just then died in a forest. His queens and relatives werelamenting. Sankara left his body to betaken care of for one month by his disciples and entered the dead body ofAmaruka. He asked Amaruka’s son to take care of theadministration. Sankara returnedand defeated Sarada also. Mandana who was defeated in the debate became the firstdisciple of Sankara with the name of Sureshwaracharya. Hewas appointed as the first Sankaracharya of Sringeri. Sankara also built a temple for Sarada atSringeri. Q4Who has written about the Mandana misra and sarada episodes? A4 This episode is as given in SANKARADIGVIJAYAMof Vidyaranya. Vidyaranyahimself was one disciple -descendant Sankaracharya of Sringeri. He was earlier called Madhava and was the Prime Minister of VijayanagarKingdom. Q5 Do Parur near Alwaye has got moretemples? A5 The reason for so many templesin the region is attributed to the influence of Travancore State and Cochin State rulerswho ruled North Parur for many years. Also at different times inhistory, Karnataka Brahmins (Pottie, Embran etc), Tamil Brahmins (Iyers) andGSB Brahmins (Prabhu, Shenoy, Pai etc) came to this town, settled here andconstructed temples for themselves and for their workers who spoke same orsimilar languages. Some of the famous temples found there are: Q6 Is there a theory during Lunar andsolar eclipse all water become Gangawater? A6 Yes. Duringtimes of lunar and solar eclipse all waters will be considered equal to Gangawater; water in rivers, even if it carries horses, donkeysand cadaver, will become purified with current. Q7 Do in Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple , Tiruvananthapuram, Kerala the idolis made of pure gold? A7 Yes. The best part of the temple is the huge idol of Lord Vishnusleeping over the snake is turning intogold(it weighs almost 700 kg)! It is believed that when Mahmud of Ghazni invaded India in the middle ages, the people of the then kingdom invented a black coatingwhich would not wear out even by the strongest chemicals. Theycoated the large idol with this so that the plunderers won’t come to know that itsmade up of gold.They were unable to remove the coating after the invaders left.But recently, in the past 10 yrs or so the coating is finally wearing outlittle by little. Q8What is the speciality of Brihadeeshwar temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. A8 The Gopuram of this Temple doesnot cast any Shadow. Also the Vimaanam( top of the gopuram) of this temple is made of one Single Stone. Q9What is the speciality of Sri Kalahastheshwara Temple, Kalahasti, AndhraPradesh A9 The OnlyHindu Temple in the world which is opened even during Lunar and Solar Eclipses as the Graha Doshas do not effect this Temple . Q10 Did Sita desired to end her life in Gangaafter she was left there by Lakshmana? A10 Yes, Then she heard the soft voice of theriver goddess say, "Let life go, Sita. Do not outlive life. Come home.Come home. Dive into me." Sita was about to step into theriver when she heard the voice of an old man."Do not enter theriver," he said. Sita looked at the shaggy old man and asked, "Whoare you?" "I am Valmiki, a poet and a hermit. Ilive in this forest. Make my home yours."He led Sita to his home in theforest. There Sita gave birth to Rama's twins sons, Kusa and Lava.Forthe next twelve years she and her sons lived with Valmiki. Q11 When was Ramayana composed? What was theend of Rama and Sita? A11 Sita was living with Valmiki for25 years with lava and Kusa her twin sons. During that time, Valmiki composed apoem called the Ramayana. When he finished it, he taught the poem to the boysline-by-line. He taught them how to sing the poem while playing the flute anddrum. The boys learned well. In Ayodhya, King Rama decided tohold a great public festival. He invited everyone in the kingdom to take part.There would be music, story-telling and singing. Kusa and Lava came to Ayodhya to recite what Valmikicalled the earth's first poem. On the first day of the festival,the boys began singing the story. Rama heard about this wonderful poem and cameto see it performed. Afterhearing only a few lines, Rama asked, "What is this beautiful songcalled?" "Ramayana," said Kusa. Rama looked at the twins. His heartached with emotion. "These are my sons!" he declared.He sent amessenger to find Sita and convince her to return to Ayodhya. The next day Sitareturned. She was dressed in bright gold and scarlet. Rama was overjoyed.Sita approached Rama andsaid, "Let me prove my innocence before you once and for all." "I give you permission,"Rama replied. Then Sita took a step back and said,"Mother earth, if I have been faithful to my husband, take me home."Theearth rumbled. The ground rolled and moved beneath Sita. With a great noise the groundopened and took Sita back. The earth shook again and closed. For that moment, everywhere in thewhole universe, there was harmony."I will never see Sita again as long asI live on earth," Rama said."It is a brief life given to us."Ramaruled Ayodhya for a thousand years. One day Rama he thought, "Whereis my life? And where am I?I want to go home now. I was born of the god,Vishnu, and it is time for me to return to him." Ramaleft the palace and entered the crowded street of Ayodhya. Everyone stoodquietly as their king passed. Rama continued walking until hereached the banks of the Sarayu.He touched its water with his feet. All thegods looked down on him. Even Brahma, the creator, came in person to see Rama. He spoke to Rama: "Come, OVishnu, join your brothers, Lakshmana, Satrughna, and Bharata. Return toVishnu. Return to heaven." With Brahma's words, Rama smiled andstepped into the river. All of Rama's followers entered the river after him andall went to heaven. Rama was home. Q12 What is the benefit of listening toRamayana story? A12 The Ramayana was loved and praised by all. The gods were pleased. Lavaand Kusa traveled throughout India singing Valmiki's glorious poem about theirfather. Wherever they went they said, "Menwho listen to the Ramayana will live a long life. They will be free of sins andwill have many sons. Women who listen to the Ramayana will be blessed withchildren like Rama and his brothers. All those who listen please Rama.Such is the glory of this story. May all who recite it or listen to itregularly find increased love, wisdom, and strength." -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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