,(From Vellakudi Krishnan’ discourses)

A small anecdote on Lord Krishna

Once Lord Krishna visited Vidura  his devotee. Vidura was full of joy . He brought a plate full of ripe bananas to offer them to Krishna. He was so deep in devotion and joy that he was unaware of  what he was doing. He was peeling skin off the bananas, throwing away  the fruit and giving the skin to Krishna!  And Krishna kept smiling , looking at Vidura, and was eating what was offered! After some time , Vidura’s wife came there and was horrified to see her husband offering banana peel to Krishna.It was only when she shouted at his apachaara (disservice) that Vidura realized his blunder and begged pardon of Krishna and offered him a fresh peeled fruit but Krishna, refused saying he was already full and needed no more.

      Lord accepts whatever is offered with love and devotion.

 A Quiz

    There are one hundred elephants. Five horses defeat them. One rider controls all five horses. Explain this riddle.

One hundred elephants are Kauravas. They try to destroy five horses-five Pandavas , Pandavas defeat Kauravas The one rider who controls all five horses is Krishna.All five Pandavas are guided by Krishna.

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Utthaana Dwadashi

Kaarthika shuddha dwaadashi is called Utthaana Dwaadashi. Lord Vishnu is to wake up from Yoga-Nidra. today. Hence special worship to God.
It is also celebrated as 'Tulasi Vivaaham" or Marriage of Tulasi with Lord Vishnu, in the form of Saaligraama, In practice, the saaligram is substituted by the aamla fruit which resembles it.
Today,theTulasi plant is worshiped. The Tuiasi Katte (pot with Talisi in it, is decorated with flowers,Rangoli is drawn,a twig from aamla (nelli  or gooseberry)tree is planted near  Tulasi plant,an idol of Krishna is kept with Tulasi plant under the amla twig and a number of oil lamps are lighted,some with aamla fruit as base ,aarathi is offered to God andTulasi. The celebration ends with a Feast!

 Vasantha Kalbagal has sent the following.

vasantha kalbagal	Nov 13 (1 day ago)
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Uthanadwadashi on 14 Nov 2013

Marriage of tulasi devi the bride , to Krishna. Tulasi katte is decorated like a bride. Amla/ Nallikayi stalk (representing Shir Krishna) is planted along with the tulsi plant. 

The puranic story goes like this ' that Tulasi came out of the ocean during Amrita Manthan as a younger sister of Lakshmi.She too was devoted to Lord Vishnu and wanted to marry him. But Lakshmi who was already married to him did not like the idea and cursed her to become a plant. Thus the tulasi plant was born. But the all merciful Lord Vishnu took pity and fulfilling her wish declared that when he will be in the form of a saligrama, she will remain close to him in the form of a tulasi leaf. Therefore even today a saligrama will have a tulsi leaf along with it. In front of every Hindu home where there will be a tulasi katte in which a plant grows round the year.

Although the prayers are offered to Tulasi everyday by watering the plant in the morning and lighting an oil lamp before it in the evening, on Kartik Shukla Dwadashi there will be an annual Tulasi Pooja in the evening when the tulasi katte will be beautifully decorated with clay lamps.

Reminding the old sampradaya song.......(malahari raga)

' Uthana dwadashii sanjeya hottinalli
muthaideyarella harushadinda
Muttinaarathi yethi karagala mugidare
Muttaidetanava koduvavalo kalyanam
Tulasi kalyanam........'

And the song goes on & on of how you decorate Tulasi and nallikai with rangoli, flowers,greens.....!

 

Happy Uthanadwadashi !
Vasantha