Our visits: Sri Kalahasthi

[Iyer123] God and the Spider:
(There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.) --Mahatma Gandhi

Indeed God has many ways of helping us when we are in distress (refer write up dated 21st Sep 05 by one of our fellow members). While our Scriptures are replete with stories and anecdotes, the posting referred above offered a refreshingly new insight into the good Lord’s doings. The reference to the spider triggered me to pen this piece which again may be of interest to the younger lot.
When faced with problems that seem to have no solutions, miracles come in many forms. It helps us appreciate that we shouldn't be too quick to think God doesn't have an answer. We are reminded that God not only is abundantly able to meet our needs, but willing to work in exceptional ways to do so when necessary. It's a pervasive theme of Scriptures that the God, who created the rules of nature, can bend them when needed to accomplish his purposes. Time and again we see him performing miracles in people's lives. Reflecting on these examples can help move us beyond the limits we tend to place upon how God might choose to work in our own life. It helps us too, not to think too narrowly about what constitutes a miracle.
For one thing, to think of them this way is reverent. It deepens our awareness that God has helped us, and strengthens our conviction that He will take care of us in the future. It is often more logical too to consider these events as miracles than merely unusual coincidences. To assume a coincidence requires us to come up with a complicated or convoluted explanation of what happened. If we accept that miracles are possible, at least, then usually the most natural conclusion in these cases is that one has occurred. Some expectation of the miraculous is also healthy--often necessary--when we weigh taking steps with our life in cases where our possibility of success seems good. No matter how carefully we plan a venture, we almost always encounter problems that we didn't anticipate which stretch us to the limit. The fear of these unforeseen obstacles can discourage us from even getting started; the "what if's?" can paralyze us. Believing that God loves us enough to bail us out of unexpected predicaments can make the difference in our finding the courage to go ahead.

Kalahastiswara Temple.
Sri Kalahasthi in Chittoor, (AP) is an important temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The lingam ('Vayu lingam') representing one of the five elements (air-vayu) is one of the Panchabhootha sthala of Lord Shiva. We were shown a lamp inside the inner sanctum that is constantly flickering, despite the lack of air movement inside and believed to move even when the pujaris close off the entrance to the main deity room, which has no windows. We saw the flames of several ghee lamps flicker as if blown by moving air. The lingam is considered Swayambhu, or self-manifested. The main lingam is untouched by human hands, including the priests’. Abhishekam is offered to the utsava-murti, not the main lingam.
This temple is also called 'Dakshina Kailash' (the abode of Lord Shiva in the south). The river Swarnamukhi brought to earth by Agastya Muni runs near this temple giving the place an added sacredness.
The Sthalapurana goes like this. A spider, an elephant and a snake were living in the vicinity of the temple. All three were ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. It is said that the spider wove a web above the lingam to protect it from the sun and rain. The elephant would fetch water with its trunk and perform abhishekam on the lingam and the snake too would worship the Lord with flowers. The snake was not aware that the elephant and spider were also worshiping the Lord. One day the snake found bilvam leaves and water near the Lord. It thought that someone was trying to harm the Lord, so it surrounded the Lord to protect him. When the elephant came the next day to worship the Lord, the snake thought he was trying to harm the Lord, so he entered his trunk. Unable to handle the pain, the elephant dashed his trunk against the lingam, killing both the snake and the spider. Then the elephant too died.
Because of the devotion with which each one of them had spent their days worshipping, the Lord made these three souls to merge in Him and took the name Sri-Kala-Hasthi which denotes the conjoining of the spider (Sri), the snake (Kala), and the elephant (Hasthi) thus becoming Sri Kalahatheeswarar. This temple is also associated with Rahu and Ketu. Adi Sankara is said to have visited this temple and offered worship here.

Another Spider story

HUNDREDS of years ago there was a king of Scotland and his name was Robert the Bruce. It was a good thing that he was both brave and wise, because the times in which he lived were wild and dangerous. The King of England was at war with him, and had led a great army into Scotland to drive him out of the land and to make Scotland a part of England. Battle after battle he had fought with England. Six times Robert the Bruce had led his brave little army against his foes. Six times his men had been beaten, until finally they were driven into flight. At last the army of Scotland was entirely scattered, and the king was forced to hide in the woods and in lonely places among the mountains.
One rainy day, Robert the Bruce lay in a cave, listening to the rainfall outside the cave entrance. He was tired and felt sick at heart, ready to give up all hope. It seemed to him that there was no use for him to try to do anything more. As he lay thinking, he noticed a spider over his head, getting ready to weave her web. He watched her as she worked slowly and with great care. Six times she tried to throw her thread from one edge of the cave wall to another. Six times her thread fell short.
"Poor thing!" said Robert the Bruce. "You, too, know what it's like to fail six times in a row.
But the spider did not lose hope. With still more care, she made ready to try for a seventh time. Robert the Bruce almost forgot his own troubles as he watched, fascinated. She swung herself out upon the slender line. Would she fail again? No! The thread was carried safely to the cave wall, and fastened there.
"Yes!" cried Bruce, "I too will try a seventh time!"
So he arose and called his men together. He told them of his plans, and sent them out with hopeful messages to cheer the discouraged people. Soon there was an army of brave men around him. A seventh battle was fought, and this time the King of England was forced to retreat back to his own country.
It wasn't long before England recognized Scotland as an independent country with Robert the Bruce as its rightful king. And to this very day, the victory and independence of Scotland is traced to a spider that kept trying again and again to spin her web in a cave and inspired the king of Scotland, Robert the Bruce.
"If at first you don't succeed, try try and try again".


VVR
30th Sep 2005