GODDESS DURGA -TAROT/ORACLE CARDS

SEKHMET

Sekhmet in Doreen Virtue's Goddess Guidance oracle cards and The Strength tarot card (Celtic Cross, Rider-Waite etc.) represent Goddess Durga. This is a great card to draw as it assures Divine protection and extraordinary courage of the querent despite ominous surrounding cards. 
Sekhmet is an Egyptian lion Goddess. Sekhmet is the Goddess of Sun, war, turmoil and ultimate healing. Even from the point of view of pronology Sekhmet sounds close to Shakthi. Amazing that this Egyptian Goddess has a beejakshara- Sem. I also happened to stumble across  a mantra ( wish I knew its origin)- Om Sem Sekhmet Durgaya Namaha. Many are unaware of Durga-Sekhmet connection and that They are worshipped together in mantra form!

THE STRENGTH TAROT CARD

The Persian/Iranian Goddess Anahita who appears in divine oracle readings and psychic predictions is a Goddess of water, fertility and protector of women. Pronology relates Anahita with the Heart Chakra (Anahatha Chakra). This Goddess is a Guard of the mankind and the Persian counterpart of Goddess Durga. (DURGA lexigram/anagram- GUARD).

ANAHITA

SARASWATI VEENA - 5

While a layman is not sure why there are some guitar-like sounds coming from a Veena, it's a fact that even the brainiest of tonal adjustments on the amplifier connected to a magnetic pickup of a Veena cannot get rid of guitar-like sounds. 
Magnetic mike which picks up Veena's magnetic strings sans wood erases the true voice of Veena. 
Acoustic mike which picks up the true tone/ Veena Naadham from the seasoned jackfruit wood ennobles the player and the listener. The true tone of Veena is sattvic in nature.

                                           VEENA NAADHAM-SATTVIC IN NATURE

SARASWATI VEENA - 4

Chi. Sumithra- True tone of Veena

I found this little one's (Chi.Sumithra) impressive rendition of a Pancharatnam on Veena at such a tender age  (on youtube). Purity of true, acoustic tone of her Veena were added features that caught my attention. May God bless her!

MAGNETIC PICKUP- Gives lot of gain in the amplifier. This pickup is sought after for providing artificial depth and continuity of tone, facility for gimmicks (usage of only left hand without plucking with right hand) and it picks up only strings and rejects the core of Veena which is jackfruit wood. Consequently the  Veena sounds like an electric guitar or a mandolin or a sitar.

ACOUSTIC PICKUP- Picks up the wholesomeness of true tone that comes from seasoned jackfruit wood. Tone is enhanced by the combined energies of the Veena player and the jackfruit wood. For details please  refer to -1) Miracles of Veena, 2) Grace of Veena, 3) Acupressure on Veena for tonal enhancement, 4) Eternal Grace, 5) Deiva Veena-Maanushi Veena, 6) Cruel act of dismantling Veena, 8) Veena/Gayathri Mantra/Upanishads,9) Veena Rahasya and 10) About the Veena in this blog.

Moola Nakshatra (4)

                                                       THIRUGNANASAMBANDAR

Veyuru Tholibangan Vidamunda Kandan
Migha Nalla Veenai Thadavi 
Maasaru Thingal Gangai Mudimel Anindu Yen
Ullame Pugunda Adanaal
Naayiru Thingal Sevvaai Budhan Vyaazhan Velli
Shani Paambu irandum Udane
Aasaru Nalla Nalla Avai Nalla Nalla 
Adiyaaravarkku Migave


MEANING:- The Divine One who has taken into His Body His feminine soulmate (Goddess Parvathi) with bamboo like shoulders, Whose throat has stains of the poison He swallowed, Who plays the Veena faultlessly, Who wears the blemish-free Moon and the flowing River Ganges on His Head, He has entered my heart! Therefore the planets Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and the the two Nodes (shadowy planets) Rahu/Ketu will not harm me in anyway. They will only do good, good and very good for me!!

The above is the first stanza of Kolaru Pathigam authored by one of the brightest of 63 Nayanmars, Thirugnanasambandar. In the first verse itself the great Nayanmar has established not only the supremacy of Veena in spiritual texts, the fact that Lord Shiva plays the Veena in tune with the Universe has also been stressed here.

Thirugnanasambandar was born in the Nakshatram Moola. His birth took place at a time when Jainism and Buddhism were strong religious influences in India.
A child prodigy and God-gifted, Thirugnanasambandar at a tender age of 3 sang Thodudaya Seviyan which is the first Thevaram Verse when Goddess Parvathi fed him milk in the Sirkazhi temple.  

Thiruneelakantha Yazhpanar one of the 63 Nayanmars. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and an exemplary Veena exponent. Thirugnanasambandar would compose the lyrics and Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar would set the tune for Sambandar's lyrics and render the same on His Veena. Thirugnanasambandar's heart always melted at the divinity of Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar's rendition of the Veena. Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar felt very fortunate to be with Thirugnanasambandar and together they travelled to many temples, spreading Saivism through Their divine music and literature. rics and render the same on His Veena.      
Slowly Yazhpanar started developing a sense of ego when he mastered the art of composing music for Thirugnanasambandar's lyrics. That was when Lord Shiva wanted to rectify Yazhpanar's egoistic thoughts. At this juncture, Thirugnanasambandar and Yazhpanar reached Lord Shiva's temple in Dharmapuram, (presently in Puducheri district). Inside the temple, Thirugnanasambandar in divine ecstasy started to recite verses in praise of  Lord Shiva. Despite supreme efforts Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar could not reproduce on His Veena whatever Thirugnanasambandar was chanting. In frustration and humiliation Yazhpanar wanted to break the Yazh (Veena) and end His own life. Lord Shiva appeared before the duo of Thirugnanasambandar and Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar and took the Veena from yazhpanar. Lord Shiva Himeself set the tune for Thirugnanasambandar's lyrics and played them on the Veena and danced to the tune at the same time. This divine spectacle shattered the pride and ego of Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar. Due to this divine incident the Lord in this temple is known as Yazh Muri Nathar. In this temple Lord Shiva is shown playing the Veena!! All Veena aspirants will benefit from worshipping here.

YAZH MURI NATHAR TEMPLE, DHARMAPURAM, KARAIKAL DISTRICT

In Yazh Muri Nathar temple Thirugnanasambandar's birth star is celebrated as Guru Pooja in the tamil month Vaikasi on the day when moon is in the constellation of Moola.

Thirugnanasambandar's heart always melted at the divinity of Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar's rendition of the Veena. Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar felt very fortunate to be with Thirugnanasambandar and together they travelled to many temples, spreading Saivism through Their divine music and literature. 

The Veena developed from Yaal or Yazh ( harp without frets which is played with both hands) during the period of Thirugnanasambandar. The Veena with frets and the concept of gamakas originated during the lifetime.

Dr. Premalatha, musicologist states (in her thesis Music through Ages), "The biography of Thirugnanasambandar marks an important stage in the development of the concept of gamaka and incidentally of the fretted Veena. The strings of the yazh were tuned to the notes of suddha scales. Since it was a plain instrument there was no provision to manipulate the grace and quarter tones in Megharaga Kurinji."

P.S: Kolaru Pathigam contains powerful affirmations. The word "Nalla Nalla" (Good Good) is repeated in all the verses. In modern times we have authors like Louise L.Hay writing about the manifestations of affirmations. The practice of positive affirmations has been implemented many centuries ago by saints like Thirugnanasambandar. Thirugnanasambandar's affirmations invoke nothing less than the planets and above all the Divine Grace of the Lord Almighty Shiva and His Divine Consort, Goddess Parvathi! Kolaru Pathigam is a magic sloka for mitigating problems arising due to planets in transit as well as in the natal chart.

SARASWATI VEENA - 3

NEED FOR DISTINCTION BETWEEN ACOUSTIC ORIGINAL VEENA AND ARTIFICIAL ELECTRIC  INSTRUMENTS IN THE NAME OF "SARASWATI VEENA"

Magnetic pickup/strings use the " Saraswati Veena" only for the sake of appearance and as a disguise. The magnetic pickup/strings reject the acoustic properties of jackfruit wood. The"kudam" or "resonator” is reduced into a dummy piece as it’s energy is not picked up by the magnetic pickup/strings. Magnetic pickup/strings depend wholly on the amplifier for artificial tonal adjustments. Where the magnetic pickup/strings are concerned the form or shape of the instrument and the kind of wood used in making the instrument are of no significance and therefore totally negligible.