On the occasion of #ValmikiJayanti , a short thread on the three beautiful metaphors that the Adi Kavi Valmiki uses to describe how Ahalya rises from the curse.

Here's Ahalya by Raja Ravi Varma. A quick summary of the background.

In the absence of Rishi Gautama, Indra visits the Asrama where Ahalya is.

Gautama learns what has happened and curses Indra and Ahalya.

Today, we head into the celebrations of the Sharad Navaratri.

So, I thought it would be appropriate to do a series on the Devi Mahatmyam.

#Thread The Devi Mahatmyam comes to us from the Markandeya Purana.

It tells us the story of how Durga vanquishes various Asuras during the course of the Navaratri, and emerges victorious on Vijaya Dasami.

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

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.

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

https://twitter.com/IndicHistory/status/1813212958605898223

Before we move ahead, this is the Pathur Nataraja.
Look at the magnificence of the Moorti and the Mandahasa playing on His lips.

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. 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?

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. 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.

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. +

https://twitter.com/work_sinora/status/1799395760838180920

Pic 2: Having attained the Seshatva Jnana of Bhagavat Paratantreeya, Jivatma seeks the blessing of serving Paramatma, i.e. Bhagavat Kainkarya.
+

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

https://twitter.com/jeysundhar_d/status/1792864609877025093

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

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

https://twitter.com/jeysundhar_d/status/1789637659733676058

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.

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 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

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

https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1757727512723878253

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"!

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. 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.

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?

https://twitter.com/DravidaNaduFree/status/1755587426456633729

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

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

https://twitter.com/culturaltutor/status/1755345773074501687

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.

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

https://twitter.com/keshav61/status/1751119331679932716

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 + + 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?

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

https://twitter.com/MadrasMobile/status/1730806362249347499

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). +

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 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.