jangam

July 4, 2008

dear shivbhakts

om namo bhagawate rudraya

during our childhood, our parents used to say that a visit of a

jangam to a house is treated as the visit of lord shiva himself and

the jangam shall be given good alms and the jangam blesses the

natives. these days visiting jangams have become very rare. pasted

below is a writeup on jangam copied from wikipedia, for the

information of shivbhakts.

Jangam is an order of wandering monks said to have been initiated by

Mahadev in Kailas Parvat (modern day Himalayan range). As the

faithful followers of life which is the 'dynamic' element of nature,

Jangam people claim not to be confined to 'static' ideas, ideologies

or any worldly schemes of social conscription. They feel this allows

them to keep their conscience clear and progress towards 'self-

realization'.Brahmins are the priests in all the temples expect

Shivalayams(Shiva Temples).In most of the Shiva temples Jangams will

perform pooja for Lord shiva. At the heart of Virashaivism is the

opposition between sthavara, the standing, and jangama, the moving.

Sthavara is a Sanskrit word from which the English words 'stand'

and 'static' are derived, while jangama contains a cognate of the

English 'go.' Jangama is moving, anything coming and going. The

Jangama is the wandering holy man in Virashaivism. The divinity of

the Jangama is reflected in many narrative stories in the Basava

Purana and other collections, and in which the Jangama is actually

Shiva. There are five founding Jangama preceptors, the pancacarya,

who emerged from the five heads of Shiva before Brahma started to

populate the world

Jangama's also called as Veerashaiva Brahmins.

The following subcastes are there in Lingayats. Lingayats: Jangam

(Hiramath), Mathapathi, Panchamsali, Kudavakkaliga, Banajiga, Ganiga,

Hugar, Kumbhar, Badigar, Navaliga (Hadapad), Madiwalar. The Jangams

are at the top of the hierarchy among the Lingayats (3% of pop. and

2% of land) (:21). Panchamsalis (50% of pop. and 46.5% of land) and

Kudavakkaliga (21.3% of pop. and 46.5% of land) are the two dominant

subcastes. The two groups own an equal amount of land and have and

equally important socio-economic position in the village. Among the

Kudavakkaligas, there is strict avoidance of widow re-marriage. All

Lingayat subcastes believe (a) that they are Lingayats; (b) they

employ the ritual services of Jangam priests; © they observe no

commensal restrictions and interdine except with Navaliga (Hadapad),

Madiwal and Kimbhar; (d) they attend the marriage ceremonies held in

their subcaste and help each other; and (e) owe their allegiance to

Basavanna (:20). In the course of this study, we found that not even

a single case is registered where the affinal relationship is

established between different subcastes. These are highly closed

groups from the point of view of connubium Jangam priest to officiate

at rituals especially at the time of marriage. Jangamas replaced the

Brahmin priests. The movement had considerable appeal and impact.

Large number of people drawn from different social strata,

particularly low castes, embraced Veerasaivism. The royal patronage

and political positions which Basava enjoyed under Bijjala, the Jain

king, was more than helpful in spreading the faith.

The visit of a Jangama to a home is a sacred event with much ritual

and symbolism.He goes to the 'god-room' which has been purified with

cow-dung paste and to which no member of the family can enter without

bathing. His feet are washed by the head of the household and this

dhulapadodaka (dhula meaning dust and padodaka meaning foot-water) is

sprinkled over the people present and through the house in an act

called mane santi, house-peace. The two big toes of the Jangama are

adorned with vibhuti and patri leaves, and are worshipped with

incense. Water or coconut milk is poured over the toes and collected

underneath as karunaprasada, 'consecrated offering of compassion,'

which the Jangama and the devotee drink. The Jangama and devotee then

worship the istalinga. Though the istalinga is for sole worship and

symbolically represents the devotee's personal purification and

ultimate union with Shiva, it needs the Jangama to give it life, for

he is a living Shiva. In the initiation rite of Jangama boys and in

the marriage rite of all Virashaivas, the five pancacarya pitha,

pontificial seats, are symbolized by five metal pots filled with

water and betel leaves, linked together and tied to the main

participants of the ritual by a thread. The pattadevaru Jangamas sit

on a throne and wear gold, whereas the ascetic Jangamas sit on the

skin of a wild tiger. On the prakara (outer) wall of Srisailam Temple

we can see many carvings of Jangamas and some sit on living tigers.

Basava and his deified form of Nandikesvara is an important symbol,

especially with the virakta matha. He too is to be found on the

prakara at Srisailam. The Mallikarjuna Temple at Srisailam is one of

the five centres of the pancacarya and here are to be found not only

the Jyoti linga but many forms of Shiva, and many gods and goddesses,

especially on the prakara.

JANGAM The word Jangam is derived from the movable emblem (linga) of

Lord Shiva. They migrated from Karnataka in order to propagate the

Shaivite cult and to act as priests of those who follow shaivaite

cult. Jangams are pure vegetarians and are forbidden to take fish,egg

and mutton.They wear a lingam in a small casket of silver or copper

or brass around the neck.They carry a cloth for blessing people tied

beneath the shoulder.

As a JANGAM he has to visit all the Following Dwadasa Jyothirlingas

in his lifespan. The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas

are mentioned in the Shiva Purana.These shrines are: 1. Somnath is

the foremost of the twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is held

in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and

history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat. 2.

Mallikârjuna, also called Úrîúaila, is the name of the pillar located

on a mountain on the river Krishna. Srisailam, near Kurnool in Andhra

Pradesh enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is

architecturally and sculpturally rich. Adi Shankara composed his

Sivananda Lahiri here.[citation needed] 3. Mahakal, Ujjain (or

Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only

one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing

south. 4. Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada

river is home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple. 5.

Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is the northernmost of the Jyotirlingas.

Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad Himalayas, is an ancient shrine,

rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only by foot, and only

for six months a year. 6. Bhimashankar, in the Sahyadri range of

Maharashtra, contains a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with Shiva

destroying the demon Tripurasura. 7. Varanasi (Benares) in Uttar

Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple. 8.

Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik in Maharashtra, has a Jyotirlinga shrine

associated with the origin of the Godavari river. 9. Baidyanathdham

in Deoghar, Jharkhand Vaidyanath Temple, also called Vaijnath Temple

and Baidyanth Temple is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas

region of Jharkhand in the south west of Keeul Station. 10. Nageshwar

Temple, Dwarka in Gujarat is home to the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

temple. However, the term " daruka vane " in the shloka (religious

verse) for Nageshwar has also been interpreted for Jageshwar, also

situated in the Himalaya. Daruka vane means deodar forest. 11.

Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar

Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve

Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the Rameúvara ( " Lord of

Rama " ) pillar. 12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, in Aurangabad

Maharashtra, is located near the rock-cut temples of Ellora.

with best wishes and blessings

pandit arjun

www.rudraksharemedy.com

July 4, 2008

can you please detail about the conventional/traditional procedure for reading thevaram/thiruvasagam in houses by siva baktas/grihastas

your narration of jangamas is excellent.

reading Ramayanam/bagavatam/narayaneeyam have gained popularity with standard procedures.

same is not popular with thevaram etc.

G.PARTHASARATHY.--- On Thu, 7/3/08, panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004 wrote:

panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004 jangam Date: Thursday, July 3, 2008, 10:01 PM

dear shivbhaktsom namo bhagawate rudrayaduring our childhood, our parents used to say that a visit of a jangam to a house is treated as the visit of lord shiva himself and the jangam shall be given good alms and the jangam blesses the natives. these days visiting jangams have become very rare. pasted below is a writeup on jangam copied from wikipedia, for the information of shivbhakts.Jangam is an order of wandering monks said to have been initiated by Mahadev in Kailas Parvat (modern day Himalayan range). As the faithful followers of life which is the 'dynamic' element of nature, Jangam people claim not to be confined to 'static' ideas, ideologies or any worldly schemes of social conscription. They feel this allows them to keep their conscience clear and progress towards 'self-realization' .Brahmins are the priests in all the temples expect Shivalayams( Shiva Temples).In most of the

Shiva temples Jangams will perform pooja for Lord shiva. At the heart of Virashaivism is the opposition between sthavara, the standing, and jangama, the moving. Sthavara is a Sanskrit word from which the English words 'stand' and 'static' are derived, while jangama contains a cognate of the English 'go.' Jangama is moving, anything coming and going. The Jangama is the wandering holy man in Virashaivism. The divinity of the Jangama is reflected in many narrative stories in the Basava Purana and other collections, and in which the Jangama is actually Shiva. There are five founding Jangama preceptors, the pancacarya, who emerged from the five heads of Shiva before Brahma started to populate the worldJangama's also called as Veerashaiva Brahmins.The following subcastes are there in Lingayats. Lingayats: Jangam(Hiramath), Mathapathi, Panchamsali, Kudavakkaliga, Banajiga, Ganiga, Hugar,

Kumbhar, Badigar, Navaliga (Hadapad), Madiwalar. The Jangams are at the top of the hierarchy among the Lingayats (3% of pop. and 2% of land) (:21). Panchamsalis (50% of pop. and 46.5% of land) and Kudavakkaliga (21.3% of pop. and 46.5% of land) are the two dominant subcastes. The two groups own an equal amount of land and have and equally important socio-economic position in the village. Among the Kudavakkaligas, there is strict avoidance of widow re-marriage. All Lingayat subcastes believe (a) that they are Lingayats; (b) they employ the ritual services of Jangam priests; © they observe no commensal restrictions and interdine except with Navaliga (Hadapad), Madiwal and Kimbhar; (d) they attend the marriage ceremonies held in their subcaste and help each other; and (e) owe their allegiance to Basavanna (:20). In the course of this study, we found that not even a single case is registered where the

affinal relationship is established between different subcastes. These are highly closed groups from the point of view of connubium Jangam priest to officiate at rituals especially at the time of marriage. Jangamas replaced the Brahmin priests. The movement had considerable appeal and impact. Large number of people drawn from different social strata, particularly low castes, embraced Veerasaivism. The royal patronage and political positions which Basava enjoyed under Bijjala, the Jain king, was more than helpful in spreading the faith.The visit of a Jangama to a home is a sacred event with much ritual and symbolism.He goes to the 'god-room' which has been purified with cow-dung paste and to which no member of the family can enter without bathing. His feet are washed by the head of the household and this dhulapadodaka (dhula meaning dust and padodaka meaning foot-water) is sprinkled over the

people present and through the house in an act called mane santi, house-peace. The two big toes of the Jangama are adorned with vibhuti and patri leaves, and are worshipped with incense. Water or coconut milk is poured over the toes and collected underneath as karunaprasada, 'consecrated offering of compassion,' which the Jangama and the devotee drink. The Jangama and devotee then worship the istalinga. Though the istalinga is for sole worship and symbolically represents the devotee's personal purification and ultimate union with Shiva, it needs the Jangama to give it life, for he is a living Shiva. In the initiation rite of Jangama boys and in the marriage rite of all Virashaivas, the five pancacarya pitha, pontificial seats, are symbolized by five metal pots filled with water and betel leaves, linked together and tied to the main participants of the ritual by a thread. The pattadevaru Jangamas sit

on a throne and wear gold, whereas the ascetic Jangamas sit on the skin of a wild tiger. On the prakara (outer) wall of Srisailam Temple we can see many carvings of Jangamas and some sit on living tigers. Basava and his deified form of Nandikesvara is an important symbol, especially with the virakta matha. He too is to be found on the prakara at Srisailam. The Mallikarjuna Temple at Srisailam is one of the five centres of the pancacarya and here are to be found not only the Jyoti linga but many forms of Shiva, and many gods and goddesses, especially on the prakara.JANGAM The word Jangam is derived from the movable emblem (linga) of Lord Shiva. They migrated from Karnataka in order to propagate the Shaivite cult and to act as priests of those who follow shaivaite cult. Jangams are pure vegetarians and are forbidden to take fish,egg and mutton.They wear a lingam in a small casket of silver or

copper or brass around the neck.They carry a cloth for blessing people tied beneath the shoulder.As a JANGAM he has to visit all the Following Dwadasa Jyothirlingas in his lifespan. The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana.These shrines are: 1. Somnath is the foremost of the twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat. 2. Mallikârjuna, also called Úrîúaila, is the name of the pillar located on a mountain on the river Krishna. Srisailam, near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich. Adi Shankara composed his Sivananda Lahiri here.[citation needed] 3. Mahakal, Ujjain (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south. 4. Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada river is home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple. 5. Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is the northernmost of the Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad Himalayas, is an ancient shrine, rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only by foot, and only for six months a year. 6. Bhimashankar, in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra, contains a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura. 7. Varanasi (Benares) in Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple. 8. Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik in Maharashtra, has a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of the Godavari river. 9. Baidyanathdham in Deoghar, Jharkhand Vaidyanath Temple, also

called Vaijnath Temple and Baidyanth Temple is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region of Jharkhand in the south west of Keeul Station. 10. Nageshwar Temple, Dwarka in Gujarat is home to the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple. However, the term "daruka vane" in the shloka (religious verse) for Nageshwar has also been interpreted for Jageshwar, also situated in the Himalaya. Daruka vane means deodar forest. 11. Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the Rameúvara ("Lord of Rama") pillar. 12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, in Aurangabad Maharashtra, is located near the rock-cut temples of Ellora.with best wishes and blessingspandit arjunwww.rudraksharemedy .com

July 4, 2008

dear shivbhakt

om namo bhagawate rudraya

shivbhakt selvaratnam selvakumar has written various posts in this

group earlier on the stories of nayanmars, singing saints, thevaram,

tirumurai and other related posts. kindly go through his previous

posts where you get more information on these great tamil hymns in

praise of lord shiva.

as regards procedure for singing at house, in my limited knowledge

these are generally sung at temples. shivbhakt selvaratnam

selvakumar is requested to shed more light on this subject.

with best wishes and blessings

pandit arjun

www.rudraksharemedy.com

, Parthasarathy Gopalan

<gsarathy32 wrote:

>

> can you please detail about the conventional/traditional procedure

for reading thevaram/thiruvasagam in houses by siva baktas/grihastas

> your narration of jangamas is excellent.

> reading Ramayanam/bagavatam/narayaneeyam have gained popularity

with standard procedures.

> same is not popular with thevaram etc.

> G.PARTHASARATHY.

>

> --- On Thu, 7/3/08, panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004 wrote:

>

> panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004

> jangam

>

> Thursday, July 3, 2008, 10:01 PM

dear shivbhakts

> om namo bhagawate rudraya

>

> during our childhood, our parents used to say that a visit of a

> jangam to a house is treated as the visit of lord shiva himself and

> the jangam shall be given good alms and the jangam blesses the

> natives. these days visiting jangams have become very rare. pasted

> below is a writeup on jangam copied from wikipedia, for the

> information of shivbhakts.

>

> Jangam is an order of wandering monks said to have been initiated

by

> Mahadev in Kailas Parvat (modern day Himalayan range). As the

> faithful followers of life which is the 'dynamic' element of

nature,

> Jangam people claim not to be confined to 'static' ideas,

ideologies

> or any worldly schemes of social conscription. They feel this

allows

> them to keep their conscience clear and progress towards 'self-

> realization' .Brahmins are the priests in all the temples expect

> Shivalayams( Shiva Temples).In most of the Shiva temples Jangams

will

> perform pooja for Lord shiva. At the heart of Virashaivism is the

> opposition between sthavara, the standing, and jangama, the moving.

> Sthavara is a Sanskrit word from which the English words 'stand'

> and 'static' are derived, while jangama contains a cognate of the

> English 'go.' Jangama is moving, anything coming and going. The

> Jangama is the wandering holy man in Virashaivism. The divinity of

> the Jangama is reflected in many narrative stories in the Basava

> Purana and other collections, and in which the Jangama is actually

> Shiva. There are five founding Jangama preceptors, the pancacarya,

> who emerged from the five heads of Shiva before Brahma started to

> populate the world

>

> Jangama's also called as Veerashaiva Brahmins.

>

> The following subcastes are there in Lingayats. Lingayats: Jangam

> (Hiramath), Mathapathi, Panchamsali, Kudavakkaliga, Banajiga,

Ganiga,

> Hugar, Kumbhar, Badigar, Navaliga (Hadapad), Madiwalar. The Jangams

> are at the top of the hierarchy among the Lingayats (3% of pop. and

> 2% of land) (:21). Panchamsalis (50% of pop. and 46.5% of land) and

> Kudavakkaliga (21.3% of pop. and 46.5% of land) are the two

dominant

> subcastes. The two groups own an equal amount of land and have and

> equally important socio-economic position in the village. Among the

> Kudavakkaligas, there is strict avoidance of widow re-marriage. All

> Lingayat subcastes believe (a) that they are Lingayats; (b) they

> employ the ritual services of Jangam priests; © they observe no

> commensal restrictions and interdine except with Navaliga

(Hadapad),

> Madiwal and Kimbhar; (d) they attend the marriage ceremonies held

in

> their subcaste and help each other; and (e) owe their allegiance to

> Basavanna (:20). In the course of this study, we found that not

even

> a single case is registered where the affinal relationship is

> established between different subcastes. These are highly closed

> groups from the point of view of connubium Jangam priest to

officiate

> at rituals especially at the time of marriage. Jangamas replaced

the

> Brahmin priests. The movement had considerable appeal and impact.

> Large number of people drawn from different social strata,

> particularly low castes, embraced Veerasaivism. The royal patronage

> and political positions which Basava enjoyed under Bijjala, the

Jain

> king, was more than helpful in spreading the faith.

>

> The visit of a Jangama to a home is a sacred event with much ritual

> and symbolism.He goes to the 'god-room' which has been purified

with

> cow-dung paste and to which no member of the family can enter

without

> bathing. His feet are washed by the head of the household and this

> dhulapadodaka (dhula meaning dust and padodaka meaning foot-water)

is

> sprinkled over the people present and through the house in an act

> called mane santi, house-peace. The two big toes of the Jangama are

> adorned with vibhuti and patri leaves, and are worshipped with

> incense. Water or coconut milk is poured over the toes and

collected

> underneath as karunaprasada, 'consecrated offering of compassion,'

> which the Jangama and the devotee drink. The Jangama and devotee

then

> worship the istalinga. Though the istalinga is for sole worship and

> symbolically represents the devotee's personal purification and

> ultimate union with Shiva, it needs the Jangama to give it life,

for

> he is a living Shiva. In the initiation rite of Jangama boys and in

> the marriage rite of all Virashaivas, the five pancacarya pitha,

> pontificial seats, are symbolized by five metal pots filled with

> water and betel leaves, linked together and tied to the main

> participants of the ritual by a thread. The pattadevaru Jangamas

sit

> on a throne and wear gold, whereas the ascetic Jangamas sit on the

> skin of a wild tiger. On the prakara (outer) wall of Srisailam

Temple

> we can see many carvings of Jangamas and some sit on living tigers.

> Basava and his deified form of Nandikesvara is an important symbol,

> especially with the virakta matha. He too is to be found on the

> prakara at Srisailam. The Mallikarjuna Temple at Srisailam is one

of

> the five centres of the pancacarya and here are to be found not

only

> the Jyoti linga but many forms of Shiva, and many gods and

goddesses,

> especially on the prakara.

>

> JANGAM The word Jangam is derived from the movable emblem (linga)

of

> Lord Shiva. They migrated from Karnataka in order to propagate the

> Shaivite cult and to act as priests of those who follow shaivaite

> cult. Jangams are pure vegetarians and are forbidden to take

fish,egg

> and mutton.They wear a lingam in a small casket of silver or copper

> or brass around the neck.They carry a cloth for blessing people

tied

> beneath the shoulder.

>

> As a JANGAM he has to visit all the Following Dwadasa Jyothirlingas

> in his lifespan. The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas

> are mentioned in the Shiva Purana.These shrines are: 1. Somnath is

> the foremost of the twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is held

> in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and

> history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.

2.

> Mallikârjuna, also called Úrîúaila, is the name of the pillar

located

> on a mountain on the river Krishna. Srisailam, near Kurnool in

Andhra

> Pradesh enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is

> architecturally and sculpturally rich. Adi Shankara composed his

> Sivananda Lahiri here.[citation needed] 3. Mahakal, Ujjain (or

> Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

> temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only

> one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one

facing

> south. 4. Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada

> river is home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple. 5.

> Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is the northernmost of the Jyotirlingas.

> Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad Himalayas, is an ancient

shrine,

> rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only by foot, and

only

> for six months a year. 6. Bhimashankar, in the Sahyadri range of

> Maharashtra, contains a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with Shiva

> destroying the demon Tripurasura. 7. Varanasi (Benares) in Uttar

> Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple. 8.

> Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik in Maharashtra, has a Jyotirlinga shrine

> associated with the origin of the Godavari river. 9. Baidyanathdham

> in Deoghar, Jharkhand Vaidyanath Temple, also called Vaijnath

Temple

> and Baidyanth Temple is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas

> region of Jharkhand in the south west of Keeul Station. 10.

Nageshwar

> Temple, Dwarka in Gujarat is home to the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

> temple. However, the term " daruka vane " in the shloka (religious

> verse) for Nageshwar has also been interpreted for Jageshwar, also

> situated in the Himalaya. Daruka vane means deodar forest. 11.

> Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar

> Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve

> Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the Rameúvara ( " Lord of

> Rama " ) pillar. 12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, in Aurangabad

> Maharashtra, is located near the rock-cut temples of Ellora.

>

> with best wishes and blessings

> pandit arjun

> www.rudraksharemedy .com

>

July 5, 2008

Sri Selvaratnam Sivakumar is a blessed person. Persons rarely get in to Bhakti aspect. That too Siva Bhakti is rare because Lord Parameswara is the Lord of Vairagya and Atma Gnana. Siva is ob solute, pure, blemish-less Knowledge--Gynana i.e. Self realisation. He is dwelling in every being as Atman. The greatness of Siva and His Leela are described beautifully in Periapuranam in a beautiful Tamil verses and in Thiruvilayadal Puranam . Sri Selvaratnam Sivakumar retold some of the stories in a consized and beautiful way with Devotion. Thanks to him. These stories are not mere stories; but conveys deeper meaning, evoke deep sense of Bhakti in the heart of the persons who reads it. It affirms that God will appear before the true Bhakta and Bless him in his life. I thank Shri Selvaratnam Sivakumar. With regards.

Hari Venkataraman

--- On Fri, 4/7/08, panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004 wrote:

panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004 Re: jangam Date: Friday, 4 July, 2008, 9:15 PM

dear shivbhaktom namo bhagawate rudrayashivbhakt selvaratnam selvakumar has written various posts in this group earlier on the stories of nayanmars, singing saints, thevaram, tirumurai and other related posts. kindly go through his previous posts where you get more information on these great tamil hymns in praise of lord shiva.as regards procedure for singing at house, in my limited knowledge these are generally sung at temples. shivbhakt selvaratnam selvakumar is requested to shed more light on this subject.with best wishes and blessingspandit arjunwww.rudraksharemedy .comom_namah_shivaya_ group@ s.com, Parthasarathy Gopalan <gsarathy32@ ...> wrote:>> can you please detail about the conventional/ traditional procedure for reading thevaram/thiruvasag am

in houses by siva baktas/grihastas> your narration of jangamas is excellent.> reading Ramayanam/bagavatam /narayaneeyam have gained popularity with standard procedures.> same is not popular with thevaram etc.> G.PARTHASARATHY.> > --- On Thu, 7/3/08, panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004@ ...> wrote:> > panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004@ ...>> [om_namah_shivaya_ group] jangam> om_namah_shivaya_ group@ s.com> Thursday, July 3, 2008, 10:01 PM> > > > > > > dear shivbhakts> om namo bhagawate rudraya> > during our childhood, our parents used to say that a visit of a > jangam to a house is treated as the visit of lord shiva himself and > the jangam shall be given good

alms and the jangam blesses the > natives. these days visiting jangams have become very rare. pasted > below is a writeup on jangam copied from wikipedia, for the > information of shivbhakts.> > Jangam is an order of wandering monks said to have been initiated by > Mahadev in Kailas Parvat (modern day Himalayan range). As the > faithful followers of life which is the 'dynamic' element of nature, > Jangam people claim not to be confined to 'static' ideas, ideologies > or any worldly schemes of social conscription. They feel this allows > them to keep their conscience clear and progress towards 'self-> realization' .Brahmins are the priests in all the temples expect > Shivalayams( Shiva Temples).In most of the Shiva temples Jangams will > perform pooja for Lord shiva. At the heart of Virashaivism is the > opposition between sthavara, the

standing, and jangama, the moving. > Sthavara is a Sanskrit word from which the English words 'stand' > and 'static' are derived, while jangama contains a cognate of the > English 'go.' Jangama is moving, anything coming and going. The > Jangama is the wandering holy man in Virashaivism. The divinity of > the Jangama is reflected in many narrative stories in the Basava > Purana and other collections, and in which the Jangama is actually > Shiva. There are five founding Jangama preceptors, the pancacarya, > who emerged from the five heads of Shiva before Brahma started to > populate the world> > Jangama's also called as Veerashaiva Brahmins.> > The following subcastes are there in Lingayats. Lingayats: Jangam> (Hiramath), Mathapathi, Panchamsali, Kudavakkaliga, Banajiga, Ganiga, > Hugar, Kumbhar, Badigar, Navaliga (Hadapad), Madiwalar. The Jangams

> are at the top of the hierarchy among the Lingayats (3% of pop. and > 2% of land) (:21). Panchamsalis (50% of pop. and 46.5% of land) and > Kudavakkaliga (21.3% of pop. and 46.5% of land) are the two dominant > subcastes. The two groups own an equal amount of land and have and > equally important socio-economic position in the village. Among the > Kudavakkaligas, there is strict avoidance of widow re-marriage. All > Lingayat subcastes believe (a) that they are Lingayats; (b) they > employ the ritual services of Jangam priests; © they observe no > commensal restrictions and interdine except with Navaliga (Hadapad), > Madiwal and Kimbhar; (d) they attend the marriage ceremonies held in > their subcaste and help each other; and (e) owe their allegiance to > Basavanna (:20). In the course of this study, we found that not even > a single case is

registered where the affinal relationship is > established between different subcastes. These are highly closed > groups from the point of view of connubium Jangam priest to officiate > at rituals especially at the time of marriage. Jangamas replaced the > Brahmin priests. The movement had considerable appeal and impact. > Large number of people drawn from different social strata, > particularly low castes, embraced Veerasaivism. The royal patronage > and political positions which Basava enjoyed under Bijjala, the Jain > king, was more than helpful in spreading the faith.> > The visit of a Jangama to a home is a sacred event with much ritual > and symbolism.He goes to the 'god-room' which has been purified with > cow-dung paste and to which no member of the family can enter without > bathing. His feet are washed by the head of the household and

this > dhulapadodaka (dhula meaning dust and padodaka meaning foot-water) is > sprinkled over the people present and through the house in an act > called mane santi, house-peace. The two big toes of the Jangama are > adorned with vibhuti and patri leaves, and are worshipped with > incense. Water or coconut milk is poured over the toes and collected > underneath as karunaprasada, 'consecrated offering of compassion,' > which the Jangama and the devotee drink. The Jangama and devotee then > worship the istalinga. Though the istalinga is for sole worship and > symbolically represents the devotee's personal purification and > ultimate union with Shiva, it needs the Jangama to give it life, for > he is a living Shiva. In the initiation rite of Jangama boys and in > the marriage rite of all Virashaivas, the five pancacarya pitha, > pontificial seats, are

symbolized by five metal pots filled with > water and betel leaves, linked together and tied to the main > participants of the ritual by a thread. The pattadevaru Jangamas sit > on a throne and wear gold, whereas the ascetic Jangamas sit on the > skin of a wild tiger. On the prakara (outer) wall of Srisailam Temple > we can see many carvings of Jangamas and some sit on living tigers. > Basava and his deified form of Nandikesvara is an important symbol, > especially with the virakta matha. He too is to be found on the > prakara at Srisailam. The Mallikarjuna Temple at Srisailam is one of > the five centres of the pancacarya and here are to be found not only > the Jyoti linga but many forms of Shiva, and many gods and goddesses, > especially on the prakara.> > JANGAM The word Jangam is derived from the movable emblem (linga) of > Lord

Shiva. They migrated from Karnataka in order to propagate the > Shaivite cult and to act as priests of those who follow shaivaite > cult. Jangams are pure vegetarians and are forbidden to take fish,egg > and mutton.They wear a lingam in a small casket of silver or copper > or brass around the neck.They carry a cloth for blessing people tied > beneath the shoulder.> > As a JANGAM he has to visit all the Following Dwadasa Jyothirlingas > in his lifespan. The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas > are mentioned in the Shiva Purana.These shrines are: 1. Somnath is > the foremost of the twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is held > in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and > history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat. 2. > MallikÃ¢rjuna, also called ÃšrÃ®Ãºaila, is the name of the pillar

located > on a mountain on the river Krishna. Srisailam, near Kurnool in Andhra > Pradesh enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is > architecturally and sculpturally rich. Adi Shankara composed his > Sivananda Lahiri here.[citation needed] 3. Mahakal, Ujjain (or > Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga > temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only > one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing > south. 4. Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada > river is home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple. 5. > Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is the northernmost of the Jyotirlingas. > Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad Himalayas, is an ancient shrine, > rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only by foot, and only > for six months a

year. 6. Bhimashankar, in the Sahyadri range of > Maharashtra, contains a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with Shiva > destroying the demon Tripurasura. 7. Varanasi (Benares) in Uttar > Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple. 8. > Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik in Maharashtra, has a Jyotirlinga shrine > associated with the origin of the Godavari river. 9. Baidyanathdham > in Deoghar, Jharkhand Vaidyanath Temple, also called Vaijnath Temple > and Baidyanth Temple is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas > region of Jharkhand in the south west of Keeul Station. 10. Nageshwar > Temple, Dwarka in Gujarat is home to the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga > temple. However, the term "daruka vane" in the shloka (religious > verse) for Nageshwar has also been interpreted for Jageshwar, also > situated in the Himalaya. Daruka vane means deodar forest. 11. >

Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar > Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve > Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the RameÃºvara ("Lord of > Rama") pillar. 12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, in Aurangabad > Maharashtra, is located near the rock-cut temples of Ellora.> > with best wishes and blessings> pandit arjun> www.rudraksharemedy .com>

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July 6, 2008

can anybody in our group tell me about processing fresh Rudraksham seeds?...for japamala,wearing..rosary making.

my friend gifted me fresh rudraksha seeds recently.

G.PARTHASARATHY.

--- On Sat, 7/5/08, Venkataraman Hari <venkataraman_hari wrote:

Venkataraman Hari <venkataraman_hariRe: Re: jangam Date: Saturday, July 5, 2008, 4:24 AM

Sri Selvaratnam Sivakumar is a blessed person. Persons rarely get in to Bhakti aspect. That too Siva Bhakti is rare because Lord Parameswara is the Lord of Vairagya and Atma Gnana. Siva is ob solute, pure, blemish-less Knowledge--Gynana i.e. Self realisation. He is dwelling in every being as Atman. The greatness of Siva and His Leela are described beautifully in Periapuranam in a beautiful Tamil verses and in Thiruvilayadal Puranam . Sri Selvaratnam Sivakumar retold some of the stories in a consized and beautiful way with Devotion. Thanks to him. These stories are not mere stories; but conveys deeper meaning, evoke deep sense of Bhakti in the heart of the persons who reads it. It affirms that God will appear before the true Bhakta and Bless him in his life. I thank Shri Selvaratnam Sivakumar. With regards.

Hari Venkataraman

--- On Fri, 4/7/08, panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004@ > wrote:

panditarjun2004 <panditarjun2004@ >[om_namah_shivaya_ group] Re: jangamom_namah_shivaya_ group@ s.comFriday, 4 July, 2008, 9:15 PM