We were extremely lucky to have met the elderly Smt. Shakuntala Keshavachar at Sri Chokkanathaswamy temple yesterday, 1st October 2018. This is one of the oldest temples in Bengaluru, dating to the Chola period of the 10th century AD.
The word ‘Chokka’ means beautiful in Telugu. Members of Shakuntala’s family are temple trustees and her late husband, Sri R Keshavachar, was its hereditary priest for decades. “While Chokkanatha is also a name for Shiva, it is used here as a description for Vishnu as Lord Chokka Perumal. This temple is said to have been built during the rule of the Shaivite Chola dynasty by one Thiripuraanthakan of Talaikkaadu and his wife Chettichi Parpathi.
The mighty Cholas left an imprint on the area in and around Bangalore between the 10th and 12th century. They renamed and regrouped local areas into new administrative units and also built temples that reconfirmed their presence as a regional power. Ancient inscriptions in Tamil can still be seen on the outer walls surrounding the sanctum. Historical records indicate that the temple also received extensive attention during Vijayanagar rule.
Extensive renovations over the years have also altered the Chokkanathaswamy Temple’s exterior. We understand that the present form and shape bears very little resemblance to the original Chola structure. But inside the sanctum and ardha-mantapas attributed to the Chola period, all appears to be intact and in its original form.
The idols of Lord Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi are carved from the sacred saligrama shila, an ammonite fossil found in the Gandaki river in Nepal. As told in the puranas, to wash away the four curses of Sati Brindha, Lord Vishnu took four avatars (incarnations). He became stone (Sri Saligrama), grass (Kush), tree (Peepal) and plant (Tulasi). Essentially, all these four are present within the perimeter of all Vishnu temples. Sri Saligrama is considered the most sacred stone worshipped by Vaishnavites. Saligrama Shila is found in a place called Damodar Kunda near the Kali-Gandaki river in Nepal. The saligrama stones, absolutely black in colour, are hundreds of millions of years old – from the times when Himalayas was an ocean floor. Scientifically, they are described as fossil-stones characterized by the presence of discus marks – embedded fossil ammonites. Ammonites are the most widely known fossil, possessing the typically ribbed spiral-form resembling a tightly coiled rams’ horns.
If Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Linga, Lord Vishnu is worshipped in the form of a Saligrama.
The temple Sthala Purana mentions an unknown sage who invoked Vishnu’s blessings through powerful penance and installed the mula-vigraha (consecration idol) here on elevated land so the temple could harness and transmit cosmic energy. Twelve points in the temple are said to vibrate with powerful pranic energy. We were lucky to have been shown the 12 pranic points by Smt. Shakuntala Keshavachar herself – three points are in the immediate periphery of the inner sanctum, while the remaining nine are on the outer pathway surrounding the temple. The points have been painted as a square box at each of these nine points and one has to face the mula-vigraha while doing dhyana. We were advised by the elderly Shakuntala ajji to repeat “Om Namo Narayanaya” 21 times at each of these 12 pranic points through Dhyana and finally complete pradakshina for a minimum five times.
There are three basic ways to invoke the Lord: Prayer/Bhajan – this could be individual or in a group setting where the person singing/chanting benefits oneself as also the nearby listeners. Parayana is the second form – recitation or chanting of the Vedic Mantras, done in a community setting where the entire community benefits from the prayer. The third and the most powerful for the inner self is Dhyana. One should do this with eyes closed (not pay any attention to unfolding events within your immediate vicinity); ears closed (shutting yourself from any distractions/noise); lips sealed (not speaking, not even the mantra “Om Namo Narayanaya”) but saying it from the depths of your mind. This is meditation in its pristine form!
For my wife and myself, being initiated into “Dhyana” with such simple clarity was a completely new and enriching experience. Before our departure, we bowed and took the blessings of this Guru, for we had learnt something different…
No comments:
Post a Comment