Subhashini BA

There have been at least three Avvaiyars at various periods of Tamil history. The earliest Avvaiyar is believed to have lived in the Sangam period and her poems are found in the Purananuru, Kurunthogai and Natrinai. The second Avvaiyar lived in the 12th Century and was a contemporary of Kambar. Many poems and the Avvai Kural, comprising 310 kurals in 31 chapters, belong to this period. The third Avvaiyar is the most widely known for her ‘Vinayagar Agaval’ ,‘Aathi Soodi’, ‘Kondrai Vendhan’, ‘Nalvazhi’ and ‘Moodhurai’.

In every Shiva temple the stone image of Dakshinamurthy is installed, facing south, on the southern circumambulatory path around the sanctum sanctorum. He sits under the auspicious vata vruksha facing the south direction to give knowledge. The Daksinamurti Upanisad, which is in a dialogue format between Savanaka Rishis and Markandeya, gives a clear imagery and salient features of Daksinamurthy.

Angirasa literally means the sap of the body or essence of the body. It is usually a reference to the breath in the body, which is considered the lord of the organs.

Vishwakarma Prajapati is the Supreme cosmic creator god also known as Swayambhu Brahman (self existing) or Narayana/Purusha in the vedic texts. Vishwakarma is called ‘Devashilpi’ or ‘The Architect of Gods’ . The literal meaning of Vishwakarma is ‘all-creator’, vishwa means ‘all’ and karman means ‘doer’. Vishwakarma is visualised as Ultimate reality (later developed as vishwa Brahman) in the Rig Veda, from whose navel the Hiranyagarbha emanates. Hiranyagarbha refers to our universe and the literal translation is – The Golden womb.

When the five elements governed by Lord Shiva (Pancha Mahabhoota – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether) united with Shakti (Pure Consciousness), Lord Skanda was born. Shiva is called Panchaanana – Lord with five heads. These five heads represent the five elements in Nature.

The word Gayatri also means “she who protects the singer” (from gai, to sing, and trai, to protect). It has its origin in the Sanskrit phrase Gayantam Triyate iti, and refers to that mantra which rescues the chanter from all adverse situations that may lead to mortality. Thus, Gayatri is a name of the Divine Mother, she who protects her children and leads them toward self-realization.

Urvashi means she who can control heart of others,”Ur” means heart and “vash” means to control. Earliest Vedic texts suggest, it was also the name for the dawn goddess. In the Vedas, the apsaras are water nymphs where in apsa means water, the one going in the waters or between the waters of the clouds. Often married to the gandharvas or or temptresses of Rishis. There are two types of Apsaras, namely, laukika (wordly) and daivika (divine). Thirty-four nymphs / Apsaras are specified of the first type and ten of the second type. These celestial beings are also known as vidyadhari or tep apsar.

Rishi Atri is one of the Manasputra of Brahma. Rishi Atri originated from the eyes of Lord Brahma and the Vishnu’s Dharma. Also known as ‘the Devourer’, Atri Rishi is an embodiment of the power of detachment. Rishi Atri is the Saptarishi in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara.

Shiva and Parvati observed Arjuna’s devotion and they felt compelled to grant him his desire. However, Shiva was not about to impart the knowledge of His potent Asthra / missile to the human without first testing him for his worthiness. Lord Shiva disguised himself as a Kirata Chief ( Kirata is a clan of mountain dwellers), and asked Goddess Parvati and some of his Ganas to dress up as Kirata women.