SHRUNGARA RASAM AND TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE

ARANGAN ENTERED IN ME

SHRUNGARA RASAM AND TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE

I was taking round of my Foreign Friend from States of Srirangam Temple. He is a very respectable person- though Christian he values our Sanadana Dharma in high esteem and has read many books on Hindu Dharma. He saw the beautiful stone arts –carved beautifully and wonderstruck with the temple Architecture. He admired the art and said that if these are there in America-that place will be like Hollywood, Disney land.

Shesharayar mandapam is virtually a museum of stone art. One particular carving- a horse rider sitting on the horse and fighting- the spike piercing the horse body-is to be seen than believed. Dasavathara carvings on pillars, the nude poses of beautiful girls carved skillfully- Are the other attractions in this temple

Each mandapam has its own charming and unique carvings-be it venugoplan sannadhi, Garuda mandapam, Panguni Uttara Sethi Mandapam, Ekadasi chutru-in which carvings depicting the Shrungara rasa from Indian mythology, the exotic pose of male and female-particularly the scene of actual delivery of child from woman carved in pillars - seeing all these my friend could not control the feelings and cried-India is great.

During the round he asked one question- Why in public places like Temples importance is given to exotic poses - especially places like divine sanctity prevails.

Many people have done research work on this subject and have come out their findings. - Hindu Religion is a sanadhana dharma-mingled with our daily life. Our religion does not bar legitimate feelings be it is sex or any other emotions. Emotions should be mingled with Bakthi in pure form is acceptable. You can find these things in the carvings. The same thing is enacted by the Lord- as Krishna in Krishnavathara or Parvathi-Sivan or Manmatha stories. This is the unique concept of our Sanadhana Dharma.

You may observe that all avathars of Vishnu except Krishnavathara-were undertaken to win dharma over adharma. Only in Krishnavathara in which Lord as Krishna came down to live among us-Himself undergoing the emotions of human-mingled with us

Chathurya Bhavana or Shrunkara Rasa or Raja Rasa- is a pure form of love story- mixed with Bhakthi and deep love or bondage between two sexes.

This form is depicted beautifully in the epics. Radha –Krishna episode is a shining example of this form. Here Radha in various expressions exhibited the subtle nature of love, Krishna in Rasa Kreeta with Gopies, Arjuna’s exploits. In unison with this is the settings-Brindvan where nature at its best-butterflies eating honey from the flowers, peacock dancing on seeing the partner, captivating deers roaming freely, trees with fruits, every where green, slight drizzle- this environment intensifies the urge of love.

Coupled with this atmosphere- gentle music from the flute of Krishna -mathura Ganam or divine music- The whole world heaven and earth joined to hear this beauty-Even Lord Sivan stopped His dance to see this exotic scene.

What Krishna showed by this act is how the Love or Premai can be a subtle beauty. In this environment every one forgets themselves and become in unison with the atmosphere. Gopies who wanted this Rasa kreeta for a long time enjoyed fully forgetting their cloths slipping from them. To satisfy their desire Krishna takes on gopis as one Krishna for one Gopi.

Acharyas very emotionally described this scene as: Gopies are none other than devas and Krishna as Srimath Narayanan. They treat themselves as Nayakies and the Lord as Nayaka. We the souls are Nayakies and our God as the Nayakan. In Nalayeram Divya Prabandam many Alwars change themselves as Nayaki in love with that eternal beauty-the Lord as Nayaka.

Swami Desikan describes the sweet smile of Krishna will turn even the Rishis into Female character. Swami Desikan further describes that-Rukmini who has not seen Kannan actually but heard about his beauty vows that she will marry only Krishna even if she has to take many births .- -

Shruthva Gunaan Bhuvana Sundara:

If beauty joins with females-that too innocent beauty- then they become Gopies-That is why Krishna loved them and took them in his fold- Our Acharyas says that we jeevathmas are nayakies and the Paramathma is Nayakan and there is a a subtle bond between the two.

Unlike the Foreigners who express their love outwardly-we treat as a sacred one and express it secretly at appropriate time only-as per the practice down the generation.

Swami Chinmayantha says that the relation between Male and Female sanctified by marriage is sacred and noble. But unethical methods like living as couple without marriage, courting and involving in mixed caste marriages without going through the family background, misusing the freedom etc will only land in unfavorable situations and unhealthy off springs. Good children add to the wealth of a nation. We should not succumb to sexual acts prohibited by our dharma.

For a good off-spring- the Thaithryae Upanishad says:

Matha Purva Rupam. Pitha Uttara Rupam.Praja Sandhi: Prajaanagam
Santhanam Ithyaarthipprajam.

Mother is first. Father the second-karanabhootha. Their relationship-bond-the gift of child. Child born in good environment will always be a good, intelligent and healthy one.

Our marriage mantras also give importance to this aspect. Among them Sapthapathi is very important and jewel.

In this the bridegroom assumes as Maha Vishnu himself. He takes the right leg of the bride to 7-steps (Sapthapathi) in every step he says that I will follow you as shadow and says our marriage life will shine, will never separate and be united by sacred love.

The stone carvings exhibit the symbolism of Hindu culture and its sanctity. The exotic poses reveal the deep Shrungara Rasas. If we look these carvings keeping the above in mind-we will not drift to wrong path.

My Foreign Friend was in total agreement of what explained and admired our culture.

R.Jagannathan.