Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in USA
Bharatiya
Mandir, New York, Ny
Middletown, New York, 10940
The other story is that Mooshika was a Gandharva
(celestial musician) who inadvertently stepped on the feet of a Rishi. The
Rishi got angry and cursed him to become a mouse. After his temper cooled, the
Rishi felt bad and told him that even though he was a mouse, everyone,
including the Gods, would prostrate before him. Then Ganesha took the mouse to
be his mount. The symbolism here is that Ganesha, with His huge body, cannot go
into nooks and crevices. So the
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mouse, which is small, can go into
those small places. Thus, with the help of Mooshika, Ganesha is able to
overcome all obstacles. Scientifically speaking, this is a very good example of
symbiotic existence!!
Swan – is Goddess Saraswathi’s mount. The swan
represents the qualities of the Goddess, namely wisdom, grace and beauty, along
with music and fine arts.
Peacock – is Skanda’s mount. Skanda is also known as
Karthikeyan, Subrahmanya, or Murugan. The peacock represents splendor and
majesty, and also arrogance and pride because of its beauty. By making it His
mount, Skanda teaches man not to be proud or arrogant over external beauty.
Owl – is Goddess Lakshmi’s vahana. She represents
wealth and fortune. The owl is a wise bird. Goddess Lakshmi is teaching man to
be careful and use his fortune wisely.
Lion – is Devi Durga’s mount. The lion is majestic yet
fierce and so is Devi Durga. The story goes that the demon Mahishasura defeated
the Gods in a fierce battle and the Gods went to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord
Vishnu, Lord Shiva and the other Gods put forth their energies and thus Durga
was born as an amalgamation of all the energies. She was so powerful that she
needed an equally powerful Mount. So king Himavan (God of the Himalayas) gave
her the Lion as a mount. Using the power and heroism of the lion, Durga used
her Shakti to vanquish Mahishasura.
Nandi or Nandikeshwara – is a bull and he is Lord Shiva’s mount. He is
also the gatekeeper of Lord Shiva’s abode. Nandi is very quiet and benign, and
he signifies single-minded devotion. Nandi is the foremost disciple of Lord
Shiva. He is the principal Gana of Lord Shiva as well. In several Shaivite
temples, Nandi is depicted sitting facing the inner sanctum. One has to first
seek Nandi’s blessings before going into the temple. The story of how Nandi
became Lord Shiva’s vahana is very interesting. Once there was a farmer named
Shilada. He did not have any children. He was a devout devotee of Lord Shiva.
So he prayed to Lord Shiva, who appeared before him and asked what he wanted.
Shilada asked for a son and the Lord said “you will have one soon.” Shilada was
overjoyed and went home. Several days later, when he was plowing his land he
found a handsome baby with a golden hue. He heard a voice from above telling
him “Shilada, take this baby and bring him up well”. So, Shilada brought the
baby home and named him Nandi. He taught him all the languages and scriptures.
Nandi grew up to be a very learned man. One day two sages came to Shilada’s
house and Shilada told Nandi to look after their needs well. The sages were
very happy. When Shilada and Nandi fell prostrate at their feet for blessings,
the sages only blessed Shilada with long life. Shilada was upset and asked the
sages why they did not bless Nandi with long life. The sages were very sad but
told Shilada that his son would not live long. When Nandi heard the news from
his father he told him not to worry. Nandi went to perform penance and appease
Lord Shiva. Nandi closed his eyes and began his penance in the river Bhuvana.
Lord Shiva was very happy and appeared before Nandi and told him to ask a boon.
When Nandi opened his eyes, he was mesmerized by Lord Shiva’s beauty and wisdom
emanating from his body. The first words from Nandi’s mouth were “Lord, I wish
to be with you
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forever.” Lord Shiva agreed and Nandi
became Lord Shiva’s vahana. He also became Lord Shiva’s friend, gatekeeper,
administrator, and the recipient of Devi Parvathi’s protection.
Garuda – is an eagle and is the vahana of Lord MahaVishnu.
He is usually worshipped along with Lord Vishnu, sometimes separately. Garuda
is known for his immense strength and strong ethics. He applies this philosophy
to correct evildoers. He is regarded as the king of birds. He is depicted as
having a golden body, red wings, a prominent beak, and a crown on his head. The
following legend illustrates how he became Lord Vishnu’s mount. Garuda was born
as the son of Sage Kashyapa and Vinata, who was King Daksha’s daughter.
Kashyapa had another wife named Kadru. There was always rivalry between Kadru
and Vinata. Once, Kadru won an argument with Vinata and imprisoned her in a
place that was guarded by huge serpents, which were Kadru’s children. When
Garuda came to know about this he came immediately to free his mother from the
prison. But the serpents would not allow that. They said that Garuda should
bring them Amrita (), the nectar of immortality. Only then would they release
Vinata. Garuda agreed and went to look for Amrita. The Gods had hidden the
Amrita inside a ring of massive fire that covered the sky. Surrounding that
were two fierce serpents. Garuda managed to mangle the serpents and take the
pot of Amrita. He carried it in his mouth without swallowing it. En route he
met Lord Vishnu and made a deal with Him wherein Lord Vishnu granted Garuda immortality
without drinking the Amrita. Garuda, in turn, promised Lord Vishnu that he
would become His mount as soon as he delivered the Amrita to the serpents as
promised. A little while later, Lord Indra, the King of the Gods, came along
the way and Garuda made another deal with him, which would enable Indra to take
the pot of Amrita back with him to his abode (Swarga), where it rightfully
belonged. Garuda came to the serpents with the Amrita and gave it to them. The
serpents were overjoyed to see the nectar of immortality. They released Vinata.
Then Garuda asked them to take a bath before drinking the Amrita. As soon as
the serpents went for their bath, Indra swooped down and carried the nectar
away. The serpents were angry but could not do anything except lick the few
drops of the nectar that had fallen on the grass. The grass was so powerful and
sharp that their tongues split. That is the reason that serpents have a forked
tongue. But even the few drops of the Amrita were enough for the serpents to
attain immortality. Snakes shed their entire skin to symbolize their
immortality. As promised, Garuda went back and became Lord Vishnu’s devoted
vahana and a very good friend of the Gods.
In most of the temples of Lord Vishnu, a special
area is created for Garuda and special Pujas are done for Garuda.
There are also separate temples for Nandi in
several parts of India. The biggest Nandi temples are in Lepakshi, Andhra
Pradesh; Brihadeshwara temple in Tamil Nadu; Bull Temple, Bangalore, Karnataka;
Chamundi Hills in Mysore, Karnataka; Hoysaleshwara in Halebidu, Karnataka;
Shantaleshwara temple in Kerala; Nandi temple, Madhya Pradesh; Kedhareshwara
temple in Balligavi, Karnataka, and Hampi Bazaar in Karnataka.
As you read this, you will see how the legends are
intertwined with many characters we see throughout Hindu Mythology.
References:
“Hindu Gods and their vehicles” – wikipedia.com
Anna Dallipicola, “Directory of Hindu Lore and
Legend,” 2004
www.nandi.com
Yutling Lee, “Hindu Gods and their vahanas” – Orissa
Review, 2003
Pradeep Kugan, “Durga in sacred literature”
Earnest Wood and V. Subrahmanyam, “Garuda Purana,”
1918
Other miscellaneous books
Contributed by Dr. Padma Sundaram
The 24 Gurus of Lord
Dattatreya
Lord Dattatreya is known as Gurudeva Datta. He is
the Guru of all Gurus. He is the Supreme Guru. As an incarnation of the
Paramaatma or Supreme Spirit,
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Lord Dattatreya came down to earth to
spread the universality of true religion. He descended on this earth to
establish Satya (the universal truth), Rta (the cosmic order), and Dharma (the
perennial principles) in all their entirety.
Lord Dattatreya is an ancient incarnation of the
Trinity Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. He is a complete and perfect manifestation of the
three primordial energies and the three primary Gunas (qualities) of Sattva
(positivity, goodness and wholesomeness), Rajas (passion, energy and movement),
and Tamas (negativity, lethargy, darkness and ignorance). He encompasses all these
Gunas and, at the same time, transcends all these Gunas.
Lord Dattatreya is an Avadhuta, the Supreme
Philosopher and ever-anchored in Spirit. He is Avadhuta, he who has shaken off
from himself all worldly feelings and obligations. He is dispassionate and
detached from the worldly goings-on and assumes the form of a total and supreme
recluse.
Though being the Guru of all Gurus, Lord Dattatreya
Himself spoke of His twenty-four Gurus. In the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, the
Supreme Lord Sri Krishna speaks to His disciple Uddhava about a discussion
between Lord Dattatreya and King Yadu. Lord Dattatreya said, “The Self alone is
my Guru. Yet I have learnt wisdom from twenty-four other individuals and
objects. So they are also my Gurus. They are: earth, water, fire, air, sky,
moon, sun, pigeon, python, ocean, moth, bumblebee, honeybee, elephant, deer,
fish, prostitute, osprey, baby, maiden, serpent, blacksmith, spider, and wasp.”
Lord Dattatreya said the following about each of His Gurus:
1. Earth
- I learned from Mother Earth forbearance, firmness, patience,
forgiveness and doing good to others as she does even when people and other
creatures trod over her.
2. Water
– I learned from water the quality of purity and movement. Water is
the source of life and it purifies everything, especially when it is holy like
the Ganga. Water flows unceasingly. If it stops it becomes stagnant. One has to
always keep moving forward. At the same time, water teaches me humility. Water
always flows to the lowest place possible, teaching me to be humble.
3. Fire –
I learned from fire to glow with the splendour of self-knowledge and austerity.
Like fire, I should accept everything, both good and bad in this world, and
reduce everything to ashes by the fire of knowledge, while remaining pure
myself.
4. Air –
I learned from air that I should not be attached to anyone though I move among
several people in this world. The air wafts over flowers and thorns alike, but
remains unaffected. Similarly, I should not prefer flowers over thorns or friends
over foes, and I should remain unaffected by one and all.
5. Sky –
I learned from the sky that the Atman (Self) is all-pervading and yet has no
contact with any object.
6. Moon –
I learned from the moon that birth, growth, youth, old age and death are only
changes brought to the body by the time-spirit and these changes are not to the
soul at all. While the moon waxes and wanes, it never loses its essence,
totality or shape. All the phases of life are just transitory, and I should not
lose consciousness of the Self during these phases.
7. Sun –
I learned from the sun that I should gather knowledge from various sources,
transform that knowledge into practical wisdom, and share it with all without
exception. The sun shines brightly over the earth, evaporates the water with
its rays, transforms the water into clouds, and sheds rain over forests,
rivers, seas, cities, and valleys without exception.
8. Pigeon
– I learned from the pigeon not to have any attachment. A pair of
pigeons nested in a tree with deep attachment for each other. They had
offspring and nourished them with great affection and attachment. One day, the
parent pigeons saw their children caught in a fowler’s nest. The mother pigeon
flung herself on to the net to save the children and got caught in the net
herself. The father pigeon did the
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same and got caught in the net as well.
The fowler killed them all.
9. Python
– I learned from the python to be always content. A python does not
make itself miserable by running after food. It eats whatever comes to it. Once
it has eaten it lays still for days not worrying about its next meal.
10. Ocean
– I learned from the ocean that I should always maintain my
discipline and never cross my limits. The ocean accepts the waters from all
rivers and streams but never overflows its boundaries. Whatever temptations,
difficulties or troubles a person faces, he should remain unmoved like the
ocean.
11. Moth
– I learned from the moth to control the sense of sight and to fix
the mind on the Self. Just as the moth rushes towards the flame without any
distractions, I must fix my mind on the Self and concentrate on it in order to
achieve it.
12. Bumblebee
– I learned from the bumblebee that I should only take a little from
anyone and not be a burden on anyone. Instead I should also help and enrich the
people from whom I take something. A bumblebee takes only a few drops of nectar
from any flower. It hums and provides enjoyment to the flowers. It also pollinates
the flowers and helps them prosper.
13. Honeybee
– I learned from the honeybee that I should not hoard possessions.
The honeybee hoards more honey that it needs. Finally, the honey-gatherer seeks
out the place of the honeycomb and carries all the honey away leaving nothing
for the honeybee. Such is the situation of a miser who hoards wealth. He
neither enjoys his riches nor donates to charity. Finally someone else takes
away all his wealth.
14. Elephant
– I learned from the elephant to be careful with my passions and
desires. The male elephant was attracted to the female elephant (the bait) and
blinded by lust, and in the process of going to her, fell into a pit that was
covered with leaves and branches. Worldly charms arouse our sensory impulses, and
in the process of pursuing those impulses, our mind gets trapped and enslaved,
even though it is powerful.
15. Deer
– I learned from the deer not to listen to sensuous music. A deer is
alert but it is easily attracted by the hunter’s flute music and gets caught.
Similarly one should not listen to sensuous music lest one’s mind gets trapped
in the worldly goings-on. One should only listen to songs about God.
16. Fish
– I learned from the fish not to be greedy and covetous. The fish
that is covetous of food becomes an easy victim to the bait. Similarly the man
who is greedy for food or other possessions loses his independence and gets
ruined.
17. Prostitute
– I learned from the prostitute Pingala that abandonment of desires
leads to contentment. Pingala used to constantly and eagerly wait for her
customers. When they did not come as she expected, she would become frustrated
and could not sleep at night. She became tired of waiting and getting
frustrated. One night, she stopped waiting for her customers and entertained
only those who came to her and felt contented. She slept peacefully that night.
I learned that abandonment of desires leads to contentment.
18. Osprey
– I learned from the osprey that the secret of survival lies in
renunciation, not in possession. The osprey had a piece of flesh in its mouth
and was being pursued by many other strong birds. When the osprey dropped the
piece of flesh, all the birds left the osprey alone and rushed towards the
flesh. By giving up attachment to that possession, the osprey obtained relief.
19. Baby
– I learned from the baby that I should demand only when I really
need something. A baby
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Some Upcoming Special
Mandir Events Maha Shivaratri
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Sunday, March 10
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Holi/Dhuleti – Festival of Colors
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Sunday, March 31
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Ugadi/Gudi Padwa– New Year (Kannada, Telugu,
Marathi)
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Wednesday, April 10
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Mata ka Jagaran
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Saturday, April 13
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Tamil New Year / Vishu
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Sunday, April 14
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Sri Rama Navami
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Saturday, April 20
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Sri Hanuman Jayanti
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Thursday, April 25
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Bharatiya Mandir Anniversary Celebrations
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Sunday, May 5
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Sri Srinivasa Kalyana (wedding celebrations of
Lord Srinivasa / Venkateshwara / Balaji)
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Sunday, May 12 (tentative)
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Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to the great devotees , wikisources
and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )
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