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Jeysundhar Profile picture
Jeysundhar
@jeysundhar_d
Diplomat #IndianForeignService #IFS विद्या मित्रं प्रवासेषु Author- https://t.co/rEta6Jcdz5 Posts personal Reposts not endorsements etc Insta: jeywriter
2 subscribers
Sep 7 • 10 tweets • 1 min read
As we celebrate #VinayakaChaturthi today, I was contemplating on the Ganesa Ashtottara Shata Namavali, the 108 names of our #Ganesha

#GaneshChaturthi2024 #GaneshChaurthi The 5th name in the Namavali addresses #Ganesh as Dvaimaturaya Namah - The one with the 2 mothers.

Wait a minute. Isn't Krishna the one with 2 mothers?

#GaneshChaturthiVishesh #GaneshChaturthi2024
Aug 26 • 18 tweets • 4 min read
On the occasion of #Janmashtami #Janmashtami2024 I'd like to talk about the 4 Kalyana Gunas of Bhagavan.

- Svamitvam
- Vatsalyam
- Sauseelyam &
- Saulabhyam

But, Bhagavan has infinite Kalyana Gunas.
Why these 4? #Thread #Krishna #krishnabirthday Because, Andal captures these 4 Kalyana Gunas in the 4th Pasuram of Tiruppavai - Maayanai Mannu Vada Madurai Maindhane.

She begins by calling Krishna as the Mayan, who is the son of the Mathura in the north.
Jul 16 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
Reminds me of the case of the Pathur Nataraja, a Moorti that was smuggled out of India in 1976.

The venerable R Nagaswamy's testimony in a British court in 1986 played a major role in the case.

The testimony involved soil. How?

#Thread Before we move ahead, this is the Pathur Nataraja.
Look at the magnificence of the Moorti and the Mandahasa playing on His lips. Image
Jul 2 • 25 tweets • 5 min read
What are your thoughts when you see these 3 images in the tweet by @vedant_bangad?

Writing mine into a #thread.

The common theme among these 3 is that they all portray Nagas/Snakes.
Counter-clockwise
a. Kaliya
b. Sesha &
c. Vasuki during the Samudra Manthan. Image a. The story of Kaliya is from the Bhagavata Purana and well-known.

He is driven away from his home in the island of Ramanaka.

By Garuda.

This is important because Garuda and his family play a role in the story of the other 2 Nagas as well.

So, what does Kaliya do?
Jun 12 • 21 tweets • 3 min read
Not even getting into Panini.

If literacy came thanks to Ashoka, how is it that Kautilya, who served Ashoka's grandfather, wrote a full chapter on how to *write* royal writs (Sasanas)?

Thanks to @devduttmyth, a short #thread on the chapter on writing Sasanas from Arthasastra. Image Kautilya begins the chapter by saying that the term Sasana is to be used only for royal writs.

Right at the outset, he stresses on the importance of Sasanas, that they are as important as treaties (Sandhi) and can lead to peace and war.
Jun 11 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
Pic 1: The Jivatma abandons the mirage of being Svatantra, realises its nature as the Paratantra Tatva, and seeks refuge in Bhagavat Paratantreeya.

The Jivatma attains the Bhagavat Seshatva Jnana. + Pic 2: Having attained the Seshatva Jnana of Bhagavat Paratantreeya, Jivatma seeks the blessing of serving Paramatma, i.e. Bhagavat Kainkarya.
+ Image
May 22 • 16 tweets • 4 min read
In continuation with this thread on how Narasimha Svami appears in the beginning, middle and ending of the Vishnu Sahasranama,

Narasimha has a penchant for appearing in the least expected of places, especially to protect a Bhakta.

#Thread After all, He appeared out of a simple pillar, just to prove the statement of His Bhakta.

Bhagavatam says, सत्यं विधातुं निजभृत्यभाषितं (h/t @longhandnotes)
to establish as truth, the statement of Bhakta Prahlada, Narasimha emerged out of a pillar.
Painting: @keshav61 Image
May 12 • 21 tweets • 6 min read
There are two temples in Trichy, very close to each other, where Siva has performed the protective role of the mother.

The 1st temple is better known, with a less known Sthala Purana, while the converse is true for the 2nd one. #MothersDay #Thread We begin our thread at the foot of the Rockfort temple, which houses, Manikka Vinayakar at the base and Ucchi Pillaiyar at the top.

In the middle, is a temple to Siva, worshipped as Thaayumaanavar or Maatru Bhootesvara - He who came as the mother. Image
May 10 • 19 tweets • 4 min read
As we celebrate Parasurama Jayanti, a #Thread on how Parasurama shows up in the Ramayana and how Valmiki dramatically describes his arrival.

Parasurama, being a Chiranjeevi, is one of the few who appear in both Ramayana and Mahabharata, transcending Yugas.

#ParshuramJayanti Image Rama and Sita are married. Everyone is in Videha, the kingdom of Janaka, enjoying his royal hospitality. But, soon, the tide begins to turn.

Visvamitra, who had brought Rama to Mithila and ensured the alliance, leaves for the northern mountains. #parshuramjayanti2024 Image
Feb 14 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
They're singing Maitreem Bhajata, a composition by Kanchi Mahaperiyava Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswati.

The last stanza has the verse, "Daamyata, Datta, Dayadhavam, Janataa", a reference to a story from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

#Thread The story goes thus:

Prajapati has imparted all knowledge to his three groups of children.

Before they depart, they ask him for a mantra, a catch word that they can hold on to.

He looks at then, and utters a single syllable, "Da"!
Feb 14 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
Happy #VasantPanchami

With the blessings of Ma Saraswati, & blessings of Sita-Rama, I begin work on something based on the Ramayana.

Looking forward to your support & encouragement.

As always, starting with a #Thread on Rabindranath Tagore's 1881 opera Valmiki-Pratibha. Image Tagore wrote the Valmiki-Pratibha as an opera that traces the path of how the thief Ratnakara is blessed by Saraswati and transforms into Adi Kavi Valmiki.

Tagore himself played the role of Valmiki and his niece Pratibha played the role of Saraswati.

Here's the story. Image
Feb 9 • 15 tweets • 3 min read
It must take quite some imagination to think that the 24 spokes of Ashoka Chakra (from 4th century BCE) "represents" the number of states of India. 🤣

As with the Ashoka Chakra itself, these are from Buddhism.

A #Thread on what the 24 represent.
24 = 9+6+9
Why? So,24=9+6+9
These are respectively, the 9 qualities of the Buddha, 6 of Dhamma and 9 of the Sangha.

Where do we find them?
For starters, the 9 qualities of Buddha

They are mentioned clearly in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta 2.9.4
Feb 8 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
Yes, Library of Alexandria wasn't the only 1.

Yet, the same Abbasid Caliphate that set up the "House of Wisdom", led and inspired forces for centuries after, to destroy libraries in India, from Nalanda, to Vikramasila to Oddantapura.

A thread adding to this by @culturaltutor Baktiyar Khilji who destroyed Nalanda and other universities in the last years of 12th century, was the general of Muhammad Ghori, who struck coins in the name of the Caliphate.

It is to be noted that Khilji's destruction of Nalanda came much before Chenghiz Khan's of Baghdad.
Jan 27 • 28 tweets • 9 min read
What a beautiful painting covering both well-known and lesser known episodes from the Ramayana!

Let's look at the episodes one by one, starting with the bottom center. #Thread We'll start from the left of this red line in the bottom and move clock-wise.

To its left, we see Agni rising from the yagna.

The Agni rises to the shape of a pot, in which Vishnu is seen in Sayana.

The pot is hooded by Sesha, and on the sides we have Sankha and Chakra. Image
Jan 21 • 8 tweets • 4 min read
On 19 January, I was blessed with the opportunity to present a copy of "Maalyada: The Sacred Garland" to Hon'ble @PMOIndia Sh. @narendramodi

But there's more!
So, as always a #Thread Image It was not surprising at all to learn that Hon'ble PM was familiar with the Azhvars and Nalayira Divya Prabandham.

He asked if I had followed the traditional commentaries of the Purvacharyas, and if there was any contribution from me. Image
Jan 11 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
Today is Amaavaasya in the month of Maargazhi, when we celebrate #HanumanJayanti in Tamil Nadu.

Today is also the 26th day of Margazhi, with Andal singing the 26th Paasuram.

What is the connection between the two? #Thread Image There is an interesting scene in the Sundara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana when Hanuman meets Sita for the first time.

The circumstances of the meeting are quite dire. Image
Dec 23, 2023 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Prime Meridian, like every longitude is an imaginary line.
Could be through Greenwich, or Ujjain or my living room.

What makes it special is that the rest of the world has been made to begin the longitude count with Zero Meridian at Greenwich.

As it once did from Ujjain + Image + Surya Siddhanta in 1.62 clearly mentions that the zero meridian passes through Rohitaka and Avanti (Another name for Ujjain).

Sure.
But like I said, it's an imaginary line & could be anywhere.

Unless, others also recognise it.

So, did any of the contemporaries recognise?
Dec 2, 2023 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Nice piece by @MadrasMobile comparing the Tiruppavai and the Tiruvempavai/Tiruppalliezhuchi.

A small addendum.
The ritual bath (நீராடல்) celebrated in the Tiruppavai and the Tiruvempavai does not go back to the Bhakti era, but long before that to the Sangam Age.

#ShortThread In Paripadal 11, the poet Nallanthuvanar talks about the Athirai star (green underline - Arudra Darisanam of the month of Margazhi) and women performing the Amba Aadal (red underline). + Image
Nov 26, 2023 • 37 tweets • 10 min read
On the occasion of #KarthigaiDeepam shall we do a thread on Siva appearing as the infinite pillar of fire, without beginning or end?

Pic: Lingodbhava from Arunchaleswarar temple, Tiruvannamalai Image The #KarthigaiDeepam2023 is lit at #Tiruvannamalai #Tiruvannamalai_Dheepam2023 !
Har Har Mahadev!
Annamalaiyaanukku Arohara!

Pic from a friend. I'm not there, although I wish I were. Image
Nov 23, 2023 • 29 tweets • 7 min read
Today is #Kaisika_Ekadasi , the 11th tithi of the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of the month of Karthigai.

It is considered to be the most sacred of all 24 Ekadasis.
Why? #Thread Image The story comes to us from the Varaha Purana, where Vishnu in His Varahavatara rescues Bhoomi.

The Lord tells her about the benefits of singing His glory in temples.

Painting by our @keshav61 :) Image
Nov 21, 2023 • 17 tweets • 6 min read
Answer time.
But before that, congrats to @jayaguru1 who got it (more or less).

What connects these 4 seemingly random entities spread across millenia?

Short answer: Choodamani Vihara
Long answer: #Thread
Image Clockwise from top left:
1. A painting of Raja Raja Chola (RRC) from the Thanjavur Raja Rajesvara (Brihadeesvara) temple.

Srivijaya king Mara Vijayottunga Varman requested the support of RRC to build/expand the Choodamani Vihara (CV) in Nagapattinam. Image