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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
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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
Nov 20, 2023 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
The extent of Indic civilisational unity and civilisational continuity never fails to astound.

The oldest Sanskrit inscriptions in Indonesia are the 7 Yupa inscriptions (yes, the same Yupa/pillars erected for yajnas).

These are dated to the 2nd half of 4th c CE. #Thread This is the Yupa inscription of Mulawarman I.
It talks about his father, Aswawarman.

Aswawarman had 3 sons, who were like the three fires
tasya putra mahatmanah,
trayas traya ivagnayah

What are these 3 fires?
These are the Garhapatya, Aahavnika and Dakshina Agnis, of course Image
Nov 12, 2023 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Not sure where @thecaravanindia gets its understanding of the Ramayana from, in order to claim something like this every year for #HappyDiwali



Valmiki is quite clear. #Thread
Image Surpanakha approaches Rama and expresses her desire.

He addresses her respectfully, saying "Bhavati, I'm married. This is my wife. It may be difficult for you to co-habit with another wife.

There's my brother Lakshmana. He's young, handsome and alone. Please approach him"
Nov 10, 2023 • 39 tweets • 8 min read
On the occasion of #Dhanteras, a thread on the Kanakadhara Stotram composed by Adi Sankara.

But, why does Sankara compose the Kanakadhara Stotram? That’s an interesting story. Image One morning, the young Brahmachari Sankara goes around seeking alms.

In his path, he sees a dilapidated house, its roof caved in. Despite this, the door appears open.

So, Sankara walks towards the house.
Nov 6, 2023 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Since there's analysis of the poster of #KH234, that has a mirror image of the poem காலனுக்கு உரைத்தல் by Bharatiyar, a short #Thread on the poem. #thuglife

The poem is a declaration by Bharati towards Kaala (death) and a prayer to various deities.
Image "காலா!உனை நான் சிறு புல்லென மதிக்கிறேன்;
என்றன் காலருகே வாடா!சற்றே உனை மிதிக்கிறேன்"

Kaala, I see you as nothing more than a blade of grass
Come, near my feet. I'll stomp on you.

Bharati won't go to Kaala, Kaala has to come to him!
Why?
Let's see.
Oct 29, 2023 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
Jews in Cochin:
One of the earliest sources of the presence of Jews in India is the Cochin Copper plates of Bhaskara Ravi Varman (BRV).

Dated to 10th/11th century CE (disagreement exists with earlier dates also proposed), this is the grant given by BRV to Joseph Rabban (JR) + Image As the inscription is in Tamil (written in the older Vattezhuthu script), JR is mentioned as Issuppu Irappan.

Similar to contemporary inscriptions such as those of Cholas, it begins with the auspicious "Svasti Sri"
Sep 15, 2023 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
What happens when prejudice blinds your perspective.

The Sabha was the local assembly for Chaturvedi Mangalam villages i.e. villages that had only Brahmins.

Here, Nilakanta Sastry makes it unambiguously clear. +
Image +
For other villages in the Chola country, there existed another local assembly called the Ur, to manage its affairs.
In some places (where villages had Chaturvedi Mangalams), it co-managed things with the Sabha, and in other places, it functioned alone. Image
Sep 14, 2023 • 29 tweets • 7 min read
I nurtured a bit of hope that JeMo had been misquoted in the piece.

To some extent, @SreedharanKs also felt that way ().

But, I guess, we were wrong.

In this typically long post, JeMo has chosen to brazen it out. #Thread Ullekhnp.com

As they say, “If you cannot convince, confuse”.

JeMo has resorted to elaborate obfuscation here.

But because he has seen that people are starting to take his statement apart with primary sources, he has deployed a few devices.
Sep 7, 2023 • 37 tweets • 11 min read
A curious headline, “South Indian traditions of Hindu Dharma have opposed Sanatana Dharma for over 2000 years”
This is interesting because until recently, a lot of “rationalist” voices argued in TN and elsewhere that there was no such thing called “Hinduism”+ #SanatanaDharma

Image
Image +that there was no such thing called “Hinduism” and the name &definition given by the British.
How could something that did not exist oppose Sanatana Dharma for 2000 years?

Let’s keep that aside for now and get to the body of the article. We will refute it with primary sources.
Jul 27, 2023 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
The famous Lingam in the form of a male Palm tree from the Vedapureesvarar temple of Cheyyar (earlier called Tiruvothur) in Tiruvannamalai.

Why male palm tree? #Thread As the story goes, the great Naayanmaar saint Tirujnaana Sambandar was passing by Tiruvothur, and stopped on the banks of the Cheyyaar river. Image