Kanikkonna flowers (Cassia fistula)
Kanikkonna flowers (Cassia fistula)
Kanikkonna flowers (Cassia fistula)
A Tamil New Year brings us these beautiful flowers,Kanikkonna flowers (Cassia fistula) blossoming all around us!This is Godโs way of saying โI am there..and I decide where to Bloom and what to Bloom!โ Hence During Vishu this Rare flower is used to decorate the Vishu Kani.
Many ways to celeberate a New Year but a common one of Looking at the Mirror brought memories of what Swami Dhayananda Sarswathi said in one of the Vishu Lectures..:
โYou look at the Mirror to ask Yourself..(1)How many avoidable Mistakes Did I do Last Year..so that I wonโt repeat the same the next year!(2)How many Times Did I lose my Temper for Nothing..so that I wonโt Repeat the same this Year too and so on..Self Introspection!โ
Swamiji also said in good humour โMany of usย ย Donโt do Self Introspection..We look at the Mirror with latest Cosmetics and try to admire our beauty..and expect others too wd admire our Beauty..โ
โMistakes can never be avoided in Life โSwamijiย said..But there are two types of Mistakesโฆ.(1)Known Mistakes (2)Unknown Mistakes..He explained these with a beautiful illustration of His own Manjakkudi House near Kumbakonam where Houses used to have a very small entrances with a ThinnaiโฆKnown Mistakes are when you are conscious of the small entrance and come bending your head very carefully and get up exactly at the gate to get Hit!Unknown Mistakes are you are unaware of the small entrance and get smashed..The former can be avoided..Later gives you lesson to correct your self for future!โ
In our Day to Dayย life these simple examples are quite important..
We shd always try to avoid known mistakes and elevate ourselves constantly..Otherwise every Vishu Kani we will be only admiring our stupidity in a Beautifully Decorated Mirror!
Our forefathers have spent millions of Manhours even in deciding what to keep for a simple Vishu..all Pure Bakthi!Adi Sankara in Siva Manasa Puja beautifully describesโBakshyam panchavidham bayodhadhiyutham,rambapalam panaham,sakanamayutham..โcan be placed for the Lord in great Reverence,meaning how Vegetables and Bananas play an important part in our Pujaโฆ
The more if we dwell upon Sankara ,we will start admiring His Genius in every one of His verse all created within justย short time of 32 yrs!Looking at the Mirror itself,according to Sankara is to tell You..
โWhat You see is Not Real! All Maya!โ
Even if you live a 100 years, none can see his own Eyes..That is Maya according to Sankara!In Dakshinamurthi Sthothram,He explains this โMaya Theoryโ as โBeejasyanthari vankuro jagathitham prang nirvikalpam punaha!Maya kalpitha desakala kalana vaichitrayaย chitrikruthamโ meaning..โYou look at the seeds of Arasa Maram and Aala Maram..In seed form both will look so small and similarย and indistinguishable but one becomes an Aala Maram and another Arasa Maram!Same way Allย Godโs creations are a beautiful Maya..The creator doesnโt do something without any meaning..
When we have these Beautiful Kanikonnas,Japanese get Cherry Blossoms and South Africans and Mexicans get a Jacarandaโฆ
We must all have the eyes to admire His Greatnessโฆ
Otherwise,yet another Vishu will come and go and we will remain admiring only our accumulatedย Assets and Bank Lockers,and Remain Static and Stupid!
Vishu Kani and another New Yearโฆ A Tamil New Year brings us these beautiful flowers,Kanikkonna flowers (Cassia fistula) blossoming all around us!This is God's way of saying "I am there..and I decide where to Bloom and what to Bloom!" Hence During Vishu this Rare flower is used to decorate the Vishu Kani.
