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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00130 Nov 2004

 
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On Thu, 18 Nov 2004, Sadagopan wrote:

> SrI:
> 
> Dear Raama BhakthAs :
> 
> Soon it will be Dhanur Maasam .The GhOsham of ThiruppAvai 
> will be cleansing the air all around in dhivya dEsams and private
> homes of BhakthAs . Devotees reciting ThiruppAvai will be shivering
> in he cold as they go around the Raaja Veethis of Dhivya dEsams 
> reciting GodhOpanishad . 
> 
> One BhakthA asked me recently a question about Dhanur Maasam .
> He wanted to know why this sacred month of Maarghazhi is called 
> Dhanur Maasam . 
> 
> I was wondering about it until Vaikunta Vaasi MukkUr Lakshmi NrusimhAcchAr
> Swamy Came to the rescue . He has an extraordinarily informative book 
> entitled , 
> Veda  Raaman dealing with the 14 artha visEshams enshrined in AaraNya 
> KhANDam of Aadhi Kavi Vaalmuki .  The revered MukkUr Swamy describes in
> this book a scene in which Lord Raamachandra is performing morning SandhyA 
> before Sunrise , while standing knee high in cold GodhAvari Waters . In this 
> context , 
> Swamy says: " During the Hemantha Ruthu , Lord Ramachandra was living with 
> His DEvi and brother LakshmaNa on the banks of Godhaavari river . The first 
> month of 
> Hemantha Ruthu is Maarghazhi  ( Dhanur Maasam) .During  Marghazhi month , 
> the chill in the morning air will prod the sleeping people to bend their body 
> in the form of a bow (DhanuraakAram) to get  additional  protection against 
> the cold air  that makes them shiver ".    
> 
> One explanation for the name of Dhanur Maasam for Maarghazhi month
> seems thus to be the connection of the DhanurAkAram of the humans during 
> the nights of this month .
> 
> One can think of additional explanations for the link of Dhanus (Bow) 
> with the Maarghazhi month . AdiyEn will take them up in the future postings .
> 
> Sri Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:
> Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan    
> 

Dear Bhagavatas, 

         There is an interesting sanskrit verse from subhashita about this 
dhanurmasam. It goes like this:

chApAkriti dhanurmAsE makarE kuNDalAkriti
kumbhe sheetam asheetam va meenE sheetanivAraNam.

which means:

In dhanurmasa it takes the shape of a bow. In makara (thai) mAsa it takes 
the shape of a coil. In kumbha masam there is either cold or warmth but in 
Meena mAsam there is total warmth (heat). Obviously it refers to the 
chillness or warmth experienced in the four months of hemantha and 
shishira seasons. In the words of a poor poet who could not possess a 
blanket, one experiences some coldness in dhanurmasa or December and so to 
create some warmth he bends up in the shape of a bow. In makara or 
January, there is intense chill and so he curls up into a coil for more 
warmth. In february or Kumbha,  the weather is sometimes cold or a little 
warm. By March or meena (panguni), there is real warmth or hot weather.  

It is well known that the dhanurmasam is so called because the Sun is in 
the Dhanuu raashi ( with stars in a bow shape) or sagittarius 
constellation (archer) and hence the name. 

Besides, the  lunar month of Maargasheersha more often than not, coincides 
with dhanurmasam and hence most probably the tamil linguists have adapted the 
word Maargasheersha to tamil for this month by retaining the first three 
letters after transforming Maargashee to Maargazhi to be compatible with 
their tongue.  
 -- 

Adiyen 
Ramanuja dasan
Ramanuja

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