Pradhosam dates for 2011

January 1, 2011 - Saturday
January 17, 2011 – Monday
January 31, 2011 - Monday
February 16, 2011 – Wednesday
March 2, 2011 – Wednesday
March 17, 2011 – Thursday
March 31, 2011 – Thursday
April 15, 2011 - Friday
April 30, 2011 - Saturday
May 15, 2011 - Sunday
May 30, 2011 - Monday
June 13, 2011 - Monday
June 28, 2011 - Tuesday
July 12, 2011 - Tuesday
July 28, 2011 - Thursday
August 11, 2011 - Thursday
August 26, 2011 - Friday
September 9, 2011 - Friday
September 25, 2011 - Sunday
October 9, 2011 - Sunday
October 24, 2011 - Monday
November 8, 2011 - Tuesday
November 23, 2011 - Wednesday
December 7, 2011 - Wednesday
December 22, 2011 - Thursday


Pradosam - Article by Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

|| PradhOsham ||
Lord SrI Malolan of Sri Ahobila Mutt

PradhOsham is very important time ( 13th Phase of the Moon ) , where we worship Lord Narasimhan. For the two hours ( around SooryAsthamana time ) say between 4.30 to 6.30 P.M , Thirumanjanam for Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan is done , Mounam is observed , SrI NrusimhAnushtup Manthra Japam is performed. It will be a bhAgyam to be present at AhObila Matam and enjoy the PradhOsha kaalam observances by HH SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DEsikan .

The calendar for PradhOsham ( the Vratham that removes all dhOshams ) for the TaarANa year is included in Ahobilam Mutt website's Panchangam section. Lord Siva is the greatest worshipper of Lord Narasimha (Manthra Raaja Padha SthOthram ) and has also special abhishEkams during the PradhOsha time. Please remember that Swamy Desikan's GodhA Sthuthi was composed during a PradhOsham time at SrIvilliputthur , when Andal presented Herself in the street where Swamy Desikan was resting and observing Mounam befitting the PradhOsham time.

There is a special aarAdhanam at SrI Matam on pradhOsham days and the Thirumanjanam for SwarNa Nrusimhan , who has an antiquated and unique history . Those who are fortunate to be at SrI matam will enjoy the special AarAdhanam and Thirumanjanam for SwarNa Narasimhan.

PradhOsha PurAnam
There is a minor purANam known as PradhOsha PurANam , which is connected with amrutha maTanam at the milky ocean and Lord ShivA's ( special devotee of Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan, who gave us the Manthra Raaja Padha SthOthram)part in it by swallowing haala Haala Visham .

The AarAdhanams
Let me reflect breifly on the AarAdhanams that we perform at Homes and temples. Dear Readers, Please correct any observations that may need correction. There are two kinds of aarAdhanams: aathmArtham and ParArtham. aathmArtham is the one done at Homes and the ParArtham is for Universal benefits and is done at the temples and Matams . aathmArtha aarAdhanam certainly has clear rules but gives us some more freedoms based on individual's capabilities. ParArtha AarAdhanam is an entirely different event with very strict restrictions. I was referring to home aarAdhanams and Thirumanjanam for the PerumAls there, when I referred to evening Thirumanjanams at home and most of thetemples. The special Thirumanjanam in the evening for SwaraNaNrusimha Vigraham at SrI matam is a special one not to be seen anywhere else among SrI ViashNavite Temples . During Nrusimha Jayanthi days (VaikAsi Sukla Paksha Chathurdhasi), visEsha aarAdhanam is performed durIng PradhOsham
BEFORE SOORYAASTHAMANAM.

PradhOsham timings:
PradhOsham during July and August (Indian Standard Time ) are as follows: 07 July 5.57(Start of TrayOdasi) 5.55 PM (End of TrayOdasi) 06 August 6.51 A.M (Start)to 5.26 A.M (Aug 7: end of TrayOdasi) 20 August 1.09 A.M to 1.41 A.M (Augut 21). I will be happy to share the PradhOshams for ChithrabhAnu
Samvathsam (upto April 2003) for those , who may need this information.
PradhOsham and Mouna Vratham.
That Mouna Vratham has to be observed during PradhOsham . 90 minutes before and after Sunset is PradhOsham time. At this time, the Sun and the Moon are in a horizontal line during their movement on their respective axis. Sri RanganAtha Paadhukais' Mounna Vratham: That Mouna Vratham is observed as
it were by PaadhukAs for 14 years due to the sorrow of separation from its Lord is suggested by Swamy Desikan in the 849th SlOkam of SrI RanganAtha Paadhukaa Sahasram (PrakeerNa Paddhathi). Swamy Dsikan equates the sorrow of not having the darsanam of its Lord and the silence , immobiliy of the
Paadhukais during the 14 years of separation as MahA PradhOsham time, when one has to observe the voew of silence and be immobile .

PradhOsham and Lord Shivan , the grandson of SrIman NaarAyaNan
PradhOshams in general and those falling on Mondays and Saturdays in particular are special to worshippers of Lord ShivA, who has six poojAs every day. The 4th pooja (the daily Saaya Rakshaa pooja is blended with the
PradhOsha Pooja , which takes place between 5-6.30 P.M). PradhOsha pooja is one of the most important one for Shiva worshippers.Thirteen different saamagriyAs are used for that abhishEkam. Aani PradhOsha abhishEkam is very special for the Lord of Dance, NatarAjA at Chidambharam. Summing up, 90 minutes before Sunrise and Sunset on the 13th phase of the Moon during Sukla and KrishNa Pakshams are very special time period known as PradhOsham for aasthikAs.

SrI Lakshmi Nrusimha ParabrahmaNE Nama:
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

Courtesy : Sriman Parthasarathy Srinivasan (Poigaiadian).

Narasimha is Narayana and Sadashiva (from one of indiadivine pages)

Found this in indiadevine site(http://www.indiadivine.org/members/gokulkr.html ) , and I loved reading it.

Wish to share the same.

Narasimha is Narayana and Sadashiva

Problem is that many people hassnt understood "Narasimhadeva". Narasimhadeva has no begginning or end. He is Original "Narayana". He is source of all avatars. He is source of heat of the sun and keeping cool laxmi maa (parashakti) on his chest/lap. He has nine planets in his divine face. All panch buthas are at his feet. All gods do their job by his fear or bakthi towards him.

He is keeping yoga-maya as his illusinory energy. He is the aadi omkara jwala. He is Narayana. All mantras, tantras, sastras, weapons come from him and surrender within him. He generated Maha-Sudarshana Chakra from it all gods got their weapons. He controls the time thru his kala-chakra. (behind every sudarsha chakra shrine you can see narasimha sitting). He ends everything thru his third eye at end of kalpa. At that time he himself is Sada-shiva or mahaa-kalaa. For Vaishnavas he gives his divine darshan thru his divine Vasudeva form. For Shaivas [rudras followers (not pseudo-shaivas)] or Siddas or Rishis he gives watever powers they ask by giving darshan in form of divine aadi-jyoti.
They worship him in form of Linga. He is the one who resides within each linga. Rudra represents our body. Linga represents our aatma.
Inside our aatma "narasimha" resides as aatma-jyothi. In all shiva temples you can see rudra outside as urchava, since hes outside the linga. Inside linga it is "Narasimha - the param jyoti" residing. Whenever siddhas enjoy bliss of this jyoti they dance with joy. Since this dance is divine, this dance is taken as form of worship. Rudra being a chief of all siddhas dances in this way so hes called nataraja. Dance is called bharatanatyam. During shivarathri siddhas (including rudra) realises this parama-jyoti. So special Worship is done at siddha pittas, rudra temples and shiva-lingas as parama-jyoti is residing inside the linga (aatma).
The above truth is beautifully illustrated by Madhvacharya. Shivarathri are celebreated by Madhvas also. Pradhosam is celebreated in all great Narasimha temples.

At Pradosham time Narashima gave darshan to everyone. At this time he accepts all prayers of devas, rudra, brahma and gurus. So at pradosham time, in shiva temples only nandi is collecting prayer from us as rudra is busy in worshippine narasimha (eventhough shaivatees will say something reverse).
When Rudra tells in his Gita that Sada-Siva is supreme, he is actually referring Narayana(Narasimha). Since Gita told by Rudra (in padma purana) may create confusion, all acharyas took "Bhagavath Gita" told by Lord Krishna (narasimha himself) as authorotative. Read Narasimha Upanishads, Narashima Sahasranama and Narasihma Purana. There everything explained clearly.
Also Read Sri Vedantha Desikars commentary about Narasimhadeva. he clearly explains above. Also Nammalwar told It is Narasimha residing everywhere. Even in Vishnu Sahasranama it is Narasimha pointed out at many times. It is narasimha praised as Sadashiva in "shiva sahasranama". All Gods have praised stotras in praise of Narashima. Even Narasimhas own avatars have worshipped and praised Narasimhadeva. So whenever someone tells Rama/krishna worshipped linga then it shuold be understood that they worshiiped Narasimha thru linga. Worshpiing Narasimha in form of linga is very ancient method as its easy to make a linga than sculpting his divine form. Only after people gained mastery over crafts they started sculpting narasimha and his divine forms. Both Madhvacharya and Vedantha desikar had told that when narasimha killed hiranyakashipu, blood of hiranya was consumed by narasimadeva to wash off his sins(as requested by prahlada alwar), [in narasimha temples panaga representing blood is given as prasada to narasimhadeva]. hiranyas hide(skin) was worn by virabadra, hiranyas head is accepted by Kaalidevi, hiranyas soul is given to saraba(death ie., rudra) who made sure that this aatma will born again according to its karma. Even death(saraba) is controlled by Narasimha only.
Narsimhadeva's anger was calmed down by Prahladalwar's prayers (as God stoops down to devotees pure prayers, he cant be controlled thru ahankara). But shivapurana being tamasic it illustrates everything as reverse just as kaali devotees wrongly tell as though kaali defeated rudra (but actually rudra defeated kaali). It is Narasimhadeva standing in his divine form as "Venkateswara" in Tirumala as to his devotees as he always gives darshan thru his divine Vasudeva form. Since Vaishnavas are soft-hearted Narasimha always gives darshan in form of divine Vasudeva form. Thats why worshppinh Narasimha in form of Vasudeva, Rama, krishna is much more prevalent than form of Narasimha himself. Om Namo Narayanaya.

Ahobilam Nava Narasimhar Temple - Bhargava Narasimha Swamy

Bhargava Narasimha Swamy Ahobilam

* Bhargava Narasimhar temple is 2km from lower ahobilam.

* Lord here is seen with 4 hands, two having shanka chakram and another two tearing the body of hiranyan. Bhargava Ramar(Parasuramar) did Tapas here to get dharshan of Narasimhar in this form. It is surprising to see one avataram of Visnu worshiping another avatharam, but Parasuramar is Gowna Awatharam whereas Narasimha avataram is Mukya avatharam.

* There is a sacred pond near this temple called Bhargava Theertham / Akshaya Theertam.

* You can see dasavathara carvings in the prabai of Bhargava Narasimhar.