Importance of Education

Education helps us to realise our flaws and correct them. That is why Greek philosopher Diogenes observed that the foundation of every state is the education of its youth. Education helps a poor man come out of his poverty. As for the rich man, education becomes an ornament for him.

When the Gurukula system of education was prevalent in India, students served their teachers in their spare time, for the teacher was considered on a par with God Himself. Students from different strata of society studied under the same guru, and their years of study together led to a deep bond of friendship developing among them. And there can be nothing greater than friendship in this world, because friends do not bother about differences in status between them. Thus a poor Kuchela and Lord Krishna were friends. To Krishna, Kuchela's affection was all that mattered. Kuchela's poverty did not put Him off.

Education has a vital role to play in our lives, for not only does it impart knowledge and provide us with skills to make a living but it also teaches us the value of interpersonal relationships. We also learn the value of friendship in the course of our years of study.

If a person does not use the gift of sight to read, his eyes are of no use to him, says Thiruvalluvar. Knowledge we acquire in one birth will stand us in good stead for seven births. When we are in difficulty, our education and knowledge will come to our rescue.

When a man is learned, and can give us timely advice, or can help us in a moment of crisis, do we not look forward to meeting him and benefiting from his knowledge?

Those who seek the company of the learned are to be treated with as much respect as the learned themselves. The flame of a lamp is not huge, and yet we light lamps and worship them. A fire in a stove gives out a lot more heat than a lamp, but we do not give it the regard we give to the light from a lamp. Likewise, educated people may be small in physical stature, or they may be poor. But people will show them more regard than they would to a rich man who has no education.

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Sweetness of the Lord's name, RAMA

Dasaratha had at first refused to send Rama to the forest with Viswamitra. It was Vasistha who convinced him to send his son with the visiting sage. Thinking of how Vasistha had done it so easily, Viswamitra was silent for the first few miles of the journey from Ayodhya. He then addressed Rama. What a sweet name is Rama!

Viswamitra was known for his anger. But even on his tongue, the name Rama sounded pleasing. Having composed the 24,000 verses of the Ramayana, Valmiki enjoyed their beauty. How could the verses not be beautiful when they were about Rama? The name Rama is simple to say, yet how potent it is! Recitation of the Lord's name will ensure peace of mind and all auspiciousness, said Adur Asuri Madhavachari.

It is a name so simple, even a child can say it. In fact, the verses of the Ramayana are themselves easy to recite, unlike the verses of Srimad Bhagavata, which are far more difficult. To test the knowledge of a scholar, he is asked to recite the verses of Srimad Bhagavata, not the Ramayana, since the latter is easy to recite, and the former is not.

The sweetness of the name Rama was such that Viswamitra, who thought of Sage Vasistha as his arch rival, still chose to use the name that Vasistha had given the Lord. Viswamitra could not think of a sweeter name than Rama. He had thought hard for a long time of what to call the prince of Ayodhya and concluded that there could be no substitute for the name Rama. Having decided to go along with the name Vasistha had chosen for the son of Dasaratha, Viswamitra continued to use the name. Hence, his famous words to wake up the Lord, in which he used the name Rama and elevated Kausalya by referring to Rama as her son.

Rama was a strict adherent of the dharmas. He never preached what He himself did not practise. His obedience to His parents, His refusal to go back on His word, His embrace of those who surrendered to Him, His righteous anger when needed — all these show His exemplary conduct. Rama is a name we should utter and Rama is the One who should be our role model in life.

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Dangers of wealth

At different times different things have been thought of as constituting wealth. There was a time when wealth was measured in the number of cows a man possessed. There was a time when only those with an abundance of gold or land were considered rich. The danger with wealth is that we get too attached to it, and then we are reluctant to let go of it. It becomes the most important thing in our lives, and we cannot have enough of it. We even think of relatives and friends as less important than money. That is why Adi Sankara, in his Bhaja Govindam warned of the dangers inherent in wealth. It is often wealth that makes children turn against parents and friends turn into enemies, Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal said, explaining Bhartrhari's Neeti Satakam.

When we earn money, we think it will bring us happiness. But does it? After we have earned money, we begin to think of ways of saving it. And then when we have thought of varying ways of saving it, we begin to worry if our investments are good ones. We wonder if we have saved enough. So it is not merely the earning of money that keeps us preoccupied and therefore keeps us from acquiring spiritual knowledge, it is also the saving of money that keeps us from spiritual pursuits. If in the past, when people did not have options for investment, they worried about keeping their gold or silver safe from thieves, the modern-day investor has worries relating to his investments. So wealth brings with it worry, and this has been true at all times.

But the problem with wealth is not only for those who want to save; the problem is equally one of knowing how to spend and how much. Our attachment to money being great, often, after we have given in to an urge to spend, we begin to worry whether that was such a wise expenditure after all. We feel guilty about the money we have spent and lose sleep over an expense we now think we must have avoided. And yet, in spite of all this, we think wealth is what gives us happiness!

We do not understand, in spite of the words of warning of great seers, that the acquisition of spiritual knowledge is more important than the acquisition of wealth.

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Greatness of Vedas - Unfathomable Vedas

Sage Bharadwaja spent his life studying the Vedas, and yet he felt he had more to study and know. Once he did penance, and when asked what boon he wanted, he replied that he wanted his lifespan extended by hundred years.

When asked why he wanted his lifespan extended for so long, Bharadwaja replied that he wanted to study the Vedas more thoroughly, and for that another hundred years were necessary. At the end of the extra hundred years, when Bharadwaja was asked what boon he wanted, he again asked for a further extension of his life by hundred years. And at the end of the second hundred years, he again asked for another hundred years. And at the end of the three hundredth year of his life, he asked for yet another extension. The Lord of the celestials then created three hills. From each of them, he picked up a fist of mud. He then said to Bharadwaja: “This is the extent to which you have studied the Vedas.” Thus even three hundred years of diligent study by a sage of the calibre of Bharadwaja was insufficient to master the Vedas. There is so much to learn and understand from the Vedas, said M.V. Anantapadmanabha chariar.

The greatness of Bharadwaja is seen in many respects. And to understand his greatness, one has to begin with the story with Valmiki. Valmiki was himself so great a rishi that Sage Narada came in search of him. Bharadwaja was Valmiki's disciple. One day, when Valmiki had to go out for his daily rituals, he took Bharadwaja along. When they came to the Tamasa river, Valmiki said to Bharadwaja: “This river is clear and pure like the heart of great men.” Hearing the call of birds, he looked up and saw a pair of birds, happily chirping to each other. But just then a hunter's arrow struck the male bird, and it dropped down dead. Seeing the agony of the female bird, Valmiki cursed the hunter. Upon their return to the ashram, Bharadwaja told all the other disciples of Valmiki what had happened in the forest. Thus, he was the one to kindle their curiosity and make popular the first verse of Valmiki's. And if even such a great sage could not comprehend the Vedas fully in three hundred years, it shows the greatness of the Vedas.

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Lord Rama's commitment to truth

The Ramayana teaches the values of life and also demonstrates the ways to uphold them. Excellent conduct has been emphasised right from the inception of this epic when the sages Narada and Valmiki discuss the qualities that ennoble human nature. Was it not a cruel fate that left Dasaratha in a situation from which he could not escape? What could be more painful for him than to banish his beloved Lord Rama to the forest at the moment when he had planned His coronation with so much enthusiasm and joy?

The upheavals in the king's emotional state become manifest when he has to bid farewell to his beloved Rama, said Sri B. Sundarkumar in a lecture.When Lord Rama comes to see Dasaratha to take leave and also to get his permission to take Sita and Lakshmana along with Him, Dasaratha breaks down. In the presence of his wives, the distressed king told Rama that he was bound by a boon to Kaikeyi and that now Rama could win the kingdom from Dasaratha and become the ruler of Ayodhya. But Lord Rama promptly replied that truth should not be compromised and that He will fulfil the order and stay in the forest for fourteen years and come back to seek Dasaratha's blessings. Though Dasaratha died shortly after Rama's departure, he comes with the celestials to bless Rama after the defeat of Ravana.

Dasaratha then bid a tearful farewell with many auspicious blessings to Lord Rama. He wished that this journey would bring honour and fame to Him. Knowing Rama's truthful nature, he had to reconcile himself to the impending separation.

He felt very much for the fact that Rama would have to leave all the comforts and live an austere life in the forest. At the same time he appreciated the fact that Rama would never allow Dasaratha's name to be tarnished at any cost. He wished Rama would stay one night at least with them.

Rama reiterated that His only desire was to fulfil the banishment order. He had already relinquished this earth. He did not desire the kingdom or the happiness it brings. He reassured His father and asked him not to shed tears. Righteousness is the watchword in the Ramayana.

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Importance of Fasting

Feasting comes easily to us, since eating is one of the pleasures we never tire of. But fasting is what we should focus on, from the point of view of our spiritual well being, said V.S. Karunakarachariar.

But while cutting down on food may be good from the health point of view, how could it bring us spiritual benefits? When we fast, the Lord will be near us, and if He is near is, then we will not be troubled by bad thoughts.

That is why everyone is asked to fast for at least one day a month. Everyone must observe a fast on Ekadasi.

There are eleven culprits who trouble us — the five karmendriyas, the five gnanendriyas and our mind. That is why we are asked to fast on the eleventh day of every month, which is Ekadasi. It is no ordinary fast. We should not consume even water to quench our thirst. This is the best way to fast on Ekadasi.

But what of those who are unable to do this? The injunction is that they should not eat rice. So maybe some compromises can be made. They could perhaps eat some fruits, or drink some milk. Or, in the event of their not being able to keep rice totally off their plates, they could break the rice and make porridge with the broken rice.

But what they should not do is to consume whole rice grains. Thus, while it would be better if one could observe a total fast, shunning even water, the rules can be relaxed for those who are unable to adhere to such a strict fast.

Everyone knows the story of Lord Siva consuming the Halahala poison, and of Goddess Parvati holding His throat and thus preventing Him from swallowing the poison.

Lord Siva says that He transferred the ill effects of the poison to the stomachs of those who ate rice on Ekadasi. We are asked to fast for just one day every month. That cannot be too difficult for us, can it?

The fasting will help us think of God, and not keep our attention on worldly things. Our mind tends to move in all directions, except the right one, and it requires practice and concentration for us to keep our minds on God. Fasting is one way to help us achieve this.

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[ Tiruppavai/Thiruppavai/Tiruppaavai/Thiruppaavai ] - Download MP3 audio, text (PDF) in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalm, Sanskrit, English and Pravachanam in Telugu

Text in Telugu: The following sacred texts are present in this pdf - Link / Click here

Tiruppaavai (Telugu)
Tiruppalliyezhuchchi (Telugu)
Amalanaadipiraan (Telugu)
Kanninun sirutthaambu (Telugu)

Podhu-thaniyankaL (English and Sanskrit)
sARRumuRai (English and Sanskrit)

MP3 Audio and Text in other languages: Tiruppavai or Thiruppavai MP3 audio and text in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Devanaagari (Sanskrit) and Roman (English) languages can be found in the below webpage. This webpage also has many other important stotrams with both mp3 audio and text in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, etc.

http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/slokasbyname.html (search - Ctrl+F - for 'tiruppaavai' in this webpage )


Explanations and Pravachanams:

Explanations in English: Excellent explanation of each Pasuram line by line can be found in the below PDF:

http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/sundarasimham/ebooks/Thiruppavai.pdf
OR
(same document as above) http://www.scribd.com/doc/99872/Thiruppavai

(Another different one) - http://www.sadagopan.org/dp/dp58-thiruppavai.PDF

Tiruppavai Pravachanam in Telugu : Pravachanam is nothing but explaining in great detail with the help of stories from mythology and a great deal of other things in a very interesting manner and easy, simple to understand language. Excellent pravachanams in Telugu of Thiruppavai by various eminent personalities are present at the below webpage. Pravachanams of many other sacred texts are also present in this webpage:

http://www.pravachanam.com/tiruppavai/

In the context of pravachanams in Telugu, I would like to draw your attention to this below website:

www.srichaganti.net

which hosts pravachanams of Sarada Gnanaputra Brahmasri Chaganti Koteswara Rao garu. His pravachanams are interesting, marvellous and easy to understand which renders them invaluable. I request you all to at least consider listening to SrimadBhagavatam or a pravachanam on your favorite deity/topic.

Wish you all a happy and spiritually enlightening Dhanurmasam or Margazhi.
Om namO srI vEnkatAchalapatayE namaha
Om namO vEnkatesAya.
Om srI gOdAyai namaha
Om srI mAtrE namaha

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