View allAll Photos Tagged omnipresence
‘It was pain itself, singing behind a smile,’ wrote Federico García Lorca, outwardly happy, inwardly torn.
He didn’t write to please, but to rip open the heart and then restore it, perfected. He left us vivid descriptions of the authentic Spain, where life seems to be an instinctive battle between impossible love and the omnipresence of death.
Programma:
Petra Vermote (1968)
Eco del Reloj - Chamber Symphony (world premiere)
Diferencías
Federico García Lorca (1898-1936)
Selection from his poetry
Selection from Canciones Espanolas Antiguas
za 06 februari 2016: Concertgebouw – Brugge
Uitvoerders:
Vlaams Sinfonietta: ensemble
Raf De Keninck: conductor
Elise Caluwaerts: coloratura soprano
Klaas Verpoest: visuals
This image conveys God's omnipresence because water is everywhere. It can also represent him being infinite because the ocean goes far beyond the horizon. Large DOF
‘It was pain itself, singing behind a smile,’ wrote Federico García Lorca, outwardly happy, inwardly torn.
He didn’t write to please, but to rip open the heart and then restore it, perfected. He left us vivid descriptions of the authentic Spain, where life seems to be an instinctive battle between impossible love and the omnipresence of death.
Programma:
Petra Vermote (1968)
Eco del Reloj - Chamber Symphony (world premiere)
Diferencías
Federico García Lorca (1898-1936)
Selection from his poetry
Selection from Canciones Espanolas Antiguas
za 06 februari 2016: Concertgebouw – Brugge
The Garuda is a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Garuda is the mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila. The brahminy kite and phoenix are considered to be the contemporary representations of Garuda. Indonesia adopts a more stylistic approach to the Garuda's depiction as its national symbol, where it depicts a Javanese eagle (being much larger than a kite).
ABOUT GARUDA
In Hinduism, Garuda is a Hindu divinity, usually the mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and with a crown on his head. This ancient deity was said to be massive, large enough to block out the sun.
Garuda is known as the eternal sworn enemy of the Nāga serpent race and known for feeding exclusively on snakes, such behavior may have referred to the actual short-toed eagle of India. The image of Garuda is often used as the charm or amulet to protect the bearer from snake attack and its poison, since the king of birds is an implacable enemy and "devourer of serpent". Garudi Vidya is the mantra against snake poison to remove all kinds of evil.
His stature in Hindu religion can be gauged by the fact that a dependent Upanishad, the Garudopanishad, and a Purana, the Garuda Purana, is devoted to him. Various names have been attributed to Garuda - Chirada, Gaganeshvara, Kamayusha, Kashyapi, Khageshvara, Nagantaka, Sitanana, Sudhahara, Suparna, Tarkshya, Vainateya, Vishnuratha and others. The Vedas provide the earliest reference of Garuda, though by the name of Śyena, where this mighty bird is said to have brought nectar to earth from heaven. The Puranas, which came into existence much later, mention Garuda as doing the same thing, which indicates that Śyena (Sanskrit for eagle) and Garuda are the same. One of the faces of Śrī Pañcamukha Hanuman is Mahavira Garuda. This face points towards the west. Worship of Garuda is believed to remove the effects of poisons from one's body. In Tamil Vaishnavism Garuda and Hanuman are known as "Periya Thiruvadi" and "Siriya Thiruvadi" respectively.
In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 30), in the middle of the battlefield "Kurukshetra", Krishna explaining his omnipresence, says - " as son of Vinata, I am in the form of Garuda, the king of the bird community (Garuda)" indicating the importance of Garuda.
Garuda wears the serpent Adisesha on his left small toenail and the serpent Gulika on his right cerebral cortex. The serpent Vasuki forms his sacred thread. The cobra Takshaka forms his belt on his hip. The snake Karkotaka is worn as his necklace. The snakes Padma and Mahapadma are his ear rings. The snake Shankachuda adorns his divine hair. He is flanked by his two wives ‘Rudra’ and ‘Sukeerthi’ or (Sukirthi). These are all invoked in Vedanta Desika's Garuda Panchashath and Garuda Dandaka compositions. Garuda flanked with his consorts 'Rudra' and 'Sukirthi' can be seen worshipped in an ancient Soumya Keshava temple in Bindiganavile (or Mayura puri in Sanskrit ) in Karnataka state of India.
Garuda Vyuha is worshiped in Tantra for Abhichara and to protect against Abhichara. However, the interesting thing is that Garuda is the Sankarshna form of the lord who during creation primarily possesses the knowledge aspect of the lord (among Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha forms). The important point is that Garuda represents the five vayus within us : prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana through his five forms Satya, Suparna, Garuda, Tarkshya, Vihageshwara. These five vayus through yoga can be controlled through Pranayama which can lead to Kundalini awakening leading to higher levels of consciousness.
Garuda plays an important role in Krishna Avatar in which Krishna and Satyabhama ride on Garuda to kill Narakasura. On another occasion, Lord Hari rides on Garuda to save the devotee elephant Gajendra. It is also said that Garuda's wings when flying will chant the Vedas.
With the position of Garuda's hands and palms, he is also called 'Kai Yendhi Perumal', in Tamil.
IN THE MAHABHARATA
BIRTH AND DEEDS
The story of Garuda's birth and deeds is told in the first book of the great epic Mahabharata.[4] According to the epic, when Garuda first burst forth from his egg, he appeared as a raging inferno equal to the cosmic conflagration that consumes the world at the end of every age. Frightened, the gods begged him for mercy. Garuda, hearing their plea, reduced himself in size and energy.
Garuda's father was the creator-rishi Kasyapa. He had two wives, Vinata and Kadru, who were daughters of Prajapathi Daksha. Kasyapa, on the pleadings of his wives, granted them their wishes; Vinata wished for two sons and Kadru wished for thousand snakes as her sons. Both laid eggs, while the thousand eggs of Kadru hatched early (after steaming the eggs to hatch) into snakes, the hatching of two eggs of Vinata did not take place for a long time. Impatient, Vinata broke open one egg, which was half formed with the upper half only as a human and was thus deformed. Her half formed son cursed her that she would be slave for her sister (she was her rival) for a long time by which time her second son would be born who would save her from his curse; her first son who flew away and came to prominence as Aruna, the red spectacle seen as the Sun rises in the morning, and as also charioteer of the Sun. The second egg hatched after a long time during which period Vinata was the servant of her sister as she had lost a bet with her. When the second egg hatched, a fully grown, shining and of mighty sized bird form emerged as Garuda, the king of birds. Garuda was thus born.
One day, Vinata entered into and lost a foolish bet, as a result of which she became enslaved to her sister. Resolving to release his mother from this state of bondage, Garuda approached the serpents and asked them what it would take to purchase her freedom. Their reply was that Garuda would have to bring them the elixir of immortality, also called amrita. It was a tall order. The amrita at that time found itself in the possession of the gods, who guarded it zealously, since it was the source of their immortality. They had ringed the elixir with a massive fire that covered the sky. They had blocked the way to the elixir with a fierce mechanical contraption of sharp rotating blades. And finally, they had stationed two gigantic poisonous snakes next to the elixir as deadly guardians.
Undaunted, Garuda hastened toward the abode of the gods intent on robbing them of their treasure. Knowing of his design, the gods met him in full battle-array. Garuda, however, defeated the entire host and scattered them in all directions. Taking the water of many rivers into his mouth, he extinguished the protective fire the gods had thrown up. Reducing his size, he crept past the rotating blades of their murderous machine. And finally, he mangled the two gigantic serpents they had posted as guards. Taking the elixir into his mouth without swallowing it, he launched again into the air and headed toward the eagerly waiting serpents. En route, he encountered Vishnu. Rather than fight, the two exchanged promises. Vishnu promised Garuda the gift of immortality even without drinking from the elixir, and Garuda promised to become Vishnu's mount. Flying onward, he met Indra the god of the sky. Another exchange of promises occurred. Garuda promised that once he had delivered the elixir, thus fulfilling the request of the serpents, he would make it possible for Indra to regain possession of the elixir and to take it back to the gods. Indra in turn promised Garuda the serpents as food.At long last, Garuda alighted in front of the waiting serpents. Placing the elixir on the grass, and thereby liberating his mother Vinata from her servitude, he urged the serpents to perform their religious ablutions before consuming it. As they hurried off to do so, Indra swooped in to make off with the elixir. The serpents came back from their ablutions and saw the elixir gone but with small droplets of it on the grass. They tried to lick the droplets and thereby split their tongues in two. From then onwards, serpents have split tongues and shed their skin as a kind of immortality. From that day onward, Garuda was the ally of the gods and the trusty mount of Vishnu, as well as the implacable enemy of snakes, upon whom he preyed at every opportunity.
DESCENDANTS
According to the Mahabharata, Garuda had six sons (Sumukha, Suvarna, Subala, Sunaama, Sunethra and Suvarchas) from whom were descended the race of birds. The members of this race were of great might and without compassion, subsisting as they did on their relatives the snakes. Vishnu was their protector.
AS A SYMBOL
Throughout the Mahabharata, Garuda is invoked as a symbol of impetuous violent force, of speed, and of martial prowess. Powerful warriors advancing rapidly on doomed foes are likened to Garuda swooping down on a serpent. Defeated warriors are like snakes beaten down by Garuda. The field marshal Drona uses a military formation named after Garuda. Krishna even carries the image of Garuda on his banner.
IN BUDDHISM
In Buddhist mythology, the Garuda (Pāli: garuḷā) are enormous predatory birds with intelligence and social organization. Another name for the Garuda is suparṇa (Pāli: supaṇṇa), meaning "well-winged, having good wings". Like the Naga, they combine the characteristics of animals and divine beings, and may be considered to be among the lowest devas.
The exact size of the Garuda is uncertain, but its wings are said to have a span of many miles. This may be a poetic exaggeration, but it is also said that when a Garuda's wings flap, they create hurricane-like winds that darken the sky and blow down houses. A human being is so small compared to a Garuda that a man can hide in the plumage of one without being noticed (Kākātī Jātaka, J.327). They are also capable of tearing up entire banyan trees from their roots and carrying them off.
Garudas are the great golden-winged Peng birds. They also have the ability to grow large or small, and to appear and disappear at will. Their wingspan is 330 yojanas (one yojana being 8 miles long). With one flap of its wings, a Peng bird dries up the waters of the sea so that it can gobble up all the exposed dragons. With another flap of its wings, it can level the mountains by moving them into the ocean.
There were also the four garuda-kings: Great-Power-Virtue Garuda-King, Great-Body Garuda-King, Great-Fulfillment Garuda-King, and Free-At-Will Garuda-King, each accompanied by hundreds of thousands of attendants.
The Garudas have kings and cities, and at least some of them have the magical power of changing into human form when they wish to have dealings with people. On some occasions Garuda kings have had romances with human women in this form. Their dwellings are in groves of the simbalī, or silk-cotton tree.
The Garuda are enemies to the nāga, a race of intelligent serpent- or dragon-like beings, whom they hunt. The Garudas at one time caught the nāgas by seizing them by their heads; but the nāgas learned that by swallowing large stones, they could make themselves too heavy to be carried by the Garudas, wearing them out and killing them from exhaustion. This secret was divulged to one of the Garudas by the ascetic Karambiya, who taught him how to seize a nāga by the tail and force him to vomit up his stone (Pandara Jātaka, J.518).
The Garudas were among the beings appointed by Śakra to guard Mount Sumeru and the Trāyastriṃśa heaven from the attacks of the asuras.
In the Maha-samaya Sutta (Digha Nikaya 20), the Buddha is shown making temporary peace between the Nagas and the Garudas.
The Thai rendering of Garuda (ครุฑ Krut) as Vishnu vehicle and Garuda's quest for elixir was based on Indian legend of Garuda. It was told that Garuda overcame many heavenly beings in order to gain the ambrosia (amrita) elixir. No one was able to get the better of him, not even Narai (Vishnu). At last, a truce was called and an agreement was made to settle the rancor and smooth all the ruffled feathers. It was agreed that when Narai is in his heavenly palace, Garuda will be positioned in a superior status, atop the pillar above Narai's residence. However, whenever Narai wants to travel anywhere, Garuda must serve as his transport.
The Sanskrit word Garuda has been borrowed and modified in the languages of several countries. In Burmese, Garudas are called galone (ဂဠုန်). In Burmese astrology, the vehicle of the Sunday planet is the galone. In the Kapampangan language of the Philippines, the native word for eagle is galura. In Japanese a Garuda is called karura (however, the form Garuda ガルーダ is used in recent Japanese fiction - see below).
For the Mongols, the Garuda is called Khan Garuda or Khangarid (Mongolian: Хангарьд). Before and after each round of Mongolian wrestling, wrestlers perform the Garuda ritual, a stylised imitation of the Khangarid and a hawk.
In the Qing Dynasty fiction The Story of Yue Fei (1684), Garuda sits at the head of the Buddha's throne. But when a celestial bat (an embodiment of the Aquarius constellation) flatulates during the Buddha’s expounding of the Lotus Sutra, Garuda kills her and is exiled from paradise. He is later reborn as Song Dynasty General Yue Fei. The bat is reborn as Lady Wang, wife of the traitor Prime Minister Qin Hui, and is instrumental in formulating the "Eastern Window" plot that leads to Yue's eventual political execution. It is interesting to note The Story of Yue Fei plays on the legendary animosity between Garuda and the Nagas when the celestial bird-born Yue Fei defeats a magic serpent who transforms into the unearthly spear he uses throughout his military career. Literary critic C. T. Hsia explains the reason why Qian Cai, the book's author, linked Yue with Garuda is because of the homology in their Chinese names. Yue Fei's courtesy name is Pengju (鵬舉). A Peng (鵬) is a giant mythological bird likened to the Middle Eastern Roc. Garuda's Chinese name is Great Peng, the Golden-Winged Illumination King (大鵬金翅明王).
As a cultural and national symbol
In India, Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia the eagle symbolism is represented by Garuda, a large mythical bird with eagle-like features that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology as the vahana (vehicle) of the god Vishnu. Garuda became the national emblem of Thailand and Indonesia; Thailand's Garuda is rendered in a more traditional anthropomorphic mythical style, while that of Indonesia is rendered in heraldic style with traits similar to the real Javan hawk-eagle.
INDIA
India primarily uses Garuda as a martial motif:
Garud Commando Force is a Special Forces unit of the Indian Air Force, specializing in operations deep behind enemy lines
Brigade of the Guards of the Indian Army uses Garuda as their symbol
Elite bodyguards of the medieval Hoysala kings were called Garudas
Kerala and Andhra pradesh state road transport corporations use Garuda as the name for a/c moffusil buses
Garuda rock, a rocky cliff in Tirumala in Andhra pradesh
13th century Aragalur chief, Magadesan's, insignia was Rishabha the sacred bull and the Garuda
INDONESIA
Indonesia uses the Garuda, called the Garuda Pancasila, as its national symbol, it is somewhat intertwined with the concept of the phoenix.
Garuda Pancasila is coloured or gilt gold, symbolizes the greatness of the nation and is a representation of the elang Jawa or Javan hawk-eagle Nisaetus bartelsi. The black color represents nature. There are 17 feathers on each wing, 8 on the lower tail, 19 on the upper tail and 45 on the neck, which represent the date Indonesia proclaimed its independence: 17 August 1945. The shield it carries with the Indonesian Panca Sila heraldry symbolizes self-defense and protection in struggle.
Indonesian national airline is Garuda Indonesia.
Indonesian Armed Forces United Nations peacekeeping missions is known as Pasukan Garuda or Garuda Contingent
Airlangga University, one of the oldest and leading university in Indonesia uses Garuda on its emblem. The emblem, containing a Garuda in a blue and yellow circle, is called "Garudamukha", and depicts Garuda as the bearer of knowledge, carrying a jug of Amrita, the water of eternity, symbolizing eternal knowledge.
In Bali and Java Garuda has become a cultural symbol, the wooden statue and mask of Garuda is a popular artworks and souvenirs.
In Bali, we can find the tallest Garuda statue of 18 metres tall made from tons of copper and brass. The statue is located in Garuda Wisnu Kencana complex.
Garuda has identified as Indonesian national football team in international games, namely "The Garuda Team".
The stylized brush stroke that resemble Garuda is appear in the logo of 2011 Southeast Asian Games, held in Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia.
The stylized curves that took form of Garuda Pancasila is appear in the logo of Wonderful Indonesia tourism campaign.
THAILAND
Thailand uses the Garuda (Thai: ครุฑ, khrut) as its national symbol.
One form of the Garuda used in Thailand as a sign of the royal family is called Khrut Pha, meaning "Garuda, the vehicle (of Vishnu)."
The statue and images of Garuda adorned many Buddhist temples in Thailand, it also has become the cultural symbol of Thailand.
MONGOLIA
The Garuda, known as Khangarid, is the symbol of the capital city of Mongolia, Ulan Bator. According to popular Mongolian belief, Khangarid is the mountain spirit of the Bogd Khan Uul range who became a follower of Buddhist faith. Today he is considered the guardian of that mountain range and a symbol of courage and honesty.
The bird also gives its name to Hangard Aviation
Khangarid (Хангарьд), a football (soccer) team in the Mongolia Premier League also named after Garuda.
Garuda Ord (Гаруда Орд), a private construction and trading company based in Ulaanbaatar, also named after Garuda.
State Garuda (Улсын Гарьд) is a title given to the debut runner up in wrestling tournament during Mongolian National Festival Naadam.
SURINAME
In Suriname, there is a TV channel called Garuda. Suriname has a lot of people from Indonesia and Java, as it is a multicultural country.
WIKIPEDIA
Taken along the Mirror Lake trail in Yosemite National Park, CA, on 5/24/11
Because that's kind of just how it is at Yosemite. The granite is always towering over you from some angle. It's nice in that you don't have to hike far to get the view - but then you know the other views are waiting on the other side of longer, more off-the-beaten-path hikes. And so the park just keeps you coming back. ;-)
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Colleville sur mer
Le cimetière
Le cimetière américain de Colleville sur Mer est situé au sommet de la falaise dominant la célèbre plage d’Omaha Beach. Nul n’entre dans le cimetière de Colleville par hasard, il faut en faire la démarche volontaire. Le visiteur se prépare pour aborder attentif et recueilli un morceau des États-Unis en France. Au-delà du Bâtiment de Réception, se trouve un magnifique Mémorial en demi-cercle au centre duquel une statue de bronze représente “l’Esprit de la jeunesse américaine s’élevant des flots”. Dans le prolongement du bassin où se reflète le Mémorial s’étire l’allée centrale desservant les 10 carrés de tombes où reposent 9 387 soldats dont 4 femmes et 307 inconnus.
Les croix sont toutes orientées à l’Ouest, vers le pays natal. L’alignement parfait des tombes sur la pelouse vert émeraude merveilleusement entretenue et l’omniprésence de la mer inspirent un sentiment inoubliable de paix et de sérénité. À la croisée des allées principales disposées en forme de croix latine, la Chapelle abrite un autel de marbre noir portant l’inscription : “Je leur donne la vie éternelle et ils ne périront jamais”. Dans le Jardin du souvenir, derrière le Mémorial, les noms de 1 557 disparus dans la région sont gravés sur un mur en arc de cercle.
Ce petit havre de verdure invite au recueillement et au souvenir. Le Normandy American Cemetery est entretenu par l’American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), agence indépendante créée par le Congrès des États-Unis en 1923 et rattachée au pouvoir exécutif américain. L’ABMC a pour mission de conserver la mémoire des sacrifices et des exploits des Forces Militaires Américaines là où elles servirent en construisant et entretenant à l’étranger les cimetières militaires et les mémoriaux américains.
American Cemetery
The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.
cimetiere_americain_1 cimetiere_americain_2
The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.
The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France.
NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY “Omaha Beach”
14710 Colleville sur Mer – France
Tél. : 02 31 51 62 00 – Fax : 02 31 51 62 09
Website : http : //www.abmc.gov
‘It was pain itself, singing behind a smile,’ wrote Federico García Lorca, outwardly happy, inwardly torn.
He didn’t write to please, but to rip open the heart and then restore it, perfected. He left us vivid descriptions of the authentic Spain, where life seems to be an instinctive battle between impossible love and the omnipresence of death.
Programma:
Petra Vermote (1968)
Eco del Reloj - Chamber Symphony (world premiere)
Diferencías
Federico García Lorca (1898-1936)
Selection from his poetry
Selection from Canciones Espanolas Antiguas
za 06 februari 2016: Concertgebouw – Brugge
Cherubs, representing the omnipresence of God, line the ceiling of Debre Berhan Selassie church in Gondar, Ethiopia.
Barnes Jewish Center for Outpatient Health (across from Tom's Bar and Grill). Saint Louis, Missouri.
The image stands as a testament to the unending wonders of science and the unfathomable depths of nature's complexities. A ferrofluid has transformed into an otherworldly landscape, an iron-rich liquid, shaped into innumerable spikes by magnetic forces. The intricate spiky mounds, resembling an alien terrain or a bizarre underwater flora, carry a stark metallic sheen. A play of light and dark accentuates each minute detail, granting an almost three-dimensional depth to the photograph. The result is a unique vision that teeters on the edge of the real and surreal. Straddling the domains of art and physics, this image by Duncan Rawlinson lays bare the fascinating contours of the invisible magnetic fields that surround us, bringing to life the abstract forms they can create. Each spike is an individual testament to this unseen force, a minute but powerful affirmation of the omnipresence of physics in our universe.
Colleville sur mer
Le cimetière
Le cimetière américain de Colleville sur Mer est situé au sommet de la falaise dominant la célèbre plage d’Omaha Beach. Nul n’entre dans le cimetière de Colleville par hasard, il faut en faire la démarche volontaire. Le visiteur se prépare pour aborder attentif et recueilli un morceau des États-Unis en France. Au-delà du Bâtiment de Réception, se trouve un magnifique Mémorial en demi-cercle au centre duquel une statue de bronze représente “l’Esprit de la jeunesse américaine s’élevant des flots”. Dans le prolongement du bassin où se reflète le Mémorial s’étire l’allée centrale desservant les 10 carrés de tombes où reposent 9 387 soldats dont 4 femmes et 307 inconnus.
Les croix sont toutes orientées à l’Ouest, vers le pays natal. L’alignement parfait des tombes sur la pelouse vert émeraude merveilleusement entretenue et l’omniprésence de la mer inspirent un sentiment inoubliable de paix et de sérénité. À la croisée des allées principales disposées en forme de croix latine, la Chapelle abrite un autel de marbre noir portant l’inscription : “Je leur donne la vie éternelle et ils ne périront jamais”. Dans le Jardin du souvenir, derrière le Mémorial, les noms de 1 557 disparus dans la région sont gravés sur un mur en arc de cercle.
Ce petit havre de verdure invite au recueillement et au souvenir. Le Normandy American Cemetery est entretenu par l’American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), agence indépendante créée par le Congrès des États-Unis en 1923 et rattachée au pouvoir exécutif américain. L’ABMC a pour mission de conserver la mémoire des sacrifices et des exploits des Forces Militaires Américaines là où elles servirent en construisant et entretenant à l’étranger les cimetières militaires et les mémoriaux américains.
American Cemetery
The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.
cimetiere_americain_1 cimetiere_americain_2
The crosses are oriented Westwards, towards their native land. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn and the omnipresence of the sea convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity. At the crossing of the main paths laid in the form of a Latin Cross, the Chapel shelters a black marble altar on which is the inscription : “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish”. In the garden of the missing located behind the memorial is a semi-circular wall containing the names of 1 557 missing in the region.
The little haven of verdure invites you to meditation and memory. The Normandy American Cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an independent agency created in 1923 by the Congress of the United States of America and attached to the executive branch of the US Gouvernment. The Commission is responsible for commemorating the services and achievements of the United States Armed Forces through the execution of suitable memory shrines, for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining permanent US military cemeteries and memorials in foreign countries. No one enters the Colleville Cemetery by chance, it must be a voluntary process. The visitor prepares himself to penetrate with attention and contemplation a piece of United States in France.
NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY “Omaha Beach”
14710 Colleville sur Mer – France
Tél. : 02 31 51 62 00 – Fax : 02 31 51 62 09
Website : http : //www.abmc.gov
UAXACTUN
Uaxactun is a little-known Mayan archaeological site, located in Petén in Guatemala, about twenty kilometers north of Tikal. An “end of the world” atmosphere.
Much of the history of Uaxactún is inseparable from that of Tikal. The reason lies in their extreme proximity. It seems that it was Uaxactún who first saw the light of day, almost four millennia ago. Then, men settled on the current site of Tikal and developed a city there. During the preclassical era (800 BC to 200 AD), the two cities coexisted peacefully. The reason for this peace was their mutual subordination to a third city-state, El Mirador, located about sixty kilometers away. This domination of El Mirador over the region held back the expansionist desires of the two neighboring cities for a long time. But, towards the end of the 1st century AD, the mighty El Mirador was brought down. The two cities of Tikal and Uaxactún were then able to give free rein to their appetite for conquest. At the same time, they embarked on important architectural work. Temples, acropolises and altars were created. Too close, the two cities ended up being bothered by the presence of a rival power in their neighborhood. In 378, the conflict ended with the definitive defeat of Uaxactún, now a vassal of Tikal.
Uaxactún is nothing like Tikal except for the omnipresence of the lush forest. Indeed, there are no astonishing pyramids here. Uaxactún is a modest site made up of six groups of structures scattered on either side of the old airstrip built at the time when the city was the subject of a major excavation program. Uaxactun has platforms decorated with large stucco masks. The best known of these platforms is a structure each side of which has a staircase flanked by sixteen masks representing lords or monsters Witz (the god of the mountain in the Mayan religion). This pyramid was an astronomical observatory: its east side faces three small temples aligned so as to be able to observe the sunrise at the solstices and equinoxes.
Lebanese attachment to family is far from habitual. Parental protection, kindness and generosity are not limited to the age of 18, instead all continues for even after the children move out of their parents’ residence to get married. Family functioning in Lebanon rests on the importance of unity and the omnipresence of the family (sometimes also the extended family) can influence carrier or marriage choices. Quite often grandparents or members of the extended family will help care for a baby following the outbreak of old traditions boundaries constraining mothers to stay home and take care of the children. I present to you my father Joseph, my mother Amal (meaning Hope) and my brother Mark!
Enlace al catálogo FAMA:
encore.fama.us.es/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2850381?lang=spi
Are we inside the era of disasters or are we merely inundated by mediated accounts of events categorized as catastrophic? America's Disaster Culture offers answers to this question and a critical theory surrounding the culture of “natural” disasters in American consumerism, literature, media, film, and popular culture.
In a hyper-mediated global culture, disaster events reach us with great speed and minute detail, and Americans begin forming, interpreting, and historicizing catastrophes simultaneously with fellow citizens and people worldwide. America's Disaster Culture is not policy, management, or relief oriented. It offers an analytical framework for the cultural production and representation of disasters, catastrophes, and apocalypses in American culture. It focuses on filling a need for critical analysis centered upon the omnipresence of real and imagined disasters, epidemics, and apocalypses in American culture. However, it also observes events, such as the Dust Bowl, Hurricane Katrina, and 9/11, that are re-framed and re-historicized as “natural” disasters by contemporary media and pop culture. Therefore, America's Disaster Culture theorizes the very parameters of classifying any event as a “natural” disaster, addresses the biases involved in a catastrophic event's public narrative, and analyzes American culture's consumption of a disastrous event. Looking toward the future, what are the hypothetical and actual threats to disaster culture? Or, are we oblivious that we are currently living in a post-apocalyptic landscape?
UAXACTUN
Uaxactun is a little-known Mayan archaeological site, located in Petén in Guatemala, about twenty kilometers north of Tikal. An “end of the world” atmosphere.
Much of the history of Uaxactún is inseparable from that of Tikal. The reason lies in their extreme proximity. It seems that it was Uaxactún who first saw the light of day, almost four millennia ago. Then, men settled on the current site of Tikal and developed a city there. During the preclassical era (800 BC to 200 AD), the two cities coexisted peacefully. The reason for this peace was their mutual subordination to a third city-state, El Mirador, located about sixty kilometers away. This domination of El Mirador over the region held back the expansionist desires of the two neighboring cities for a long time. But, towards the end of the 1st century AD, the mighty El Mirador was brought down. The two cities of Tikal and Uaxactún were then able to give free rein to their appetite for conquest. At the same time, they embarked on important architectural work. Temples, acropolises and altars were created. Too close, the two cities ended up being bothered by the presence of a rival power in their neighborhood. In 378, the conflict ended with the definitive defeat of Uaxactún, now a vassal of Tikal.
Uaxactún is nothing like Tikal except for the omnipresence of the lush forest. Indeed, there are no astonishing pyramids here. Uaxactún is a modest site made up of six groups of structures scattered on either side of the old airstrip built at the time when the city was the subject of a major excavation program. Uaxactun has platforms decorated with large stucco masks. The best known of these platforms is a structure each side of which has a staircase flanked by sixteen masks representing lords or monsters Witz (the god of the mountain in the Mayan religion). This pyramid was an astronomical observatory: its east side faces three small temples aligned so as to be able to observe the sunrise at the solstices and equinoxes.
Shopping Stadsfeestzaal
The "Stadsfeestzaal" from Antwerp was in earlier years an event hall for different occasions. A bookfair or a Christmasfair, exhibitions, studentparties,... A big fire in 2000 destroyed the whole "Stadsfeestzaal".
It took 7 years to rebuild this spectacular location. It was reopened as a shopping mall in October 2007.
some of my pictures came out a bit blurred :-( I guess I was so cold and also excited that I didn't notice the settings....
Wherever I went in Beijing, there were men, sometimes they looked like just boys..... in green...
Shopping Stadsfeestzaal
The "Stadsfeestzaal" from Antwerp was in earlier years an event hall for different occasions. A bookfair or a Christmasfair, exhibitions, studentparties,... A big fire in 2000 destroyed the whole "Stadsfeestzaal".
It took 7 years to rebuild this spectacular location. It was reopened as a shopping mall in October 2007.
Narasimha (Sanskrit: नरसिंह IAST: Narasiṁha, lit. man-lion), Narasingh, Narsingh and Narasingha in derivative languages is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu and one of Hinduism's most popular deities, as evidenced in early epics, iconography, and temple and festival worship for over a millennium.
Narasiṁha is often visualised as having a human-like torso and lower body, with a lion-like face and claws. This image is widely worshipped in deity form by a significant number of Vaiṣṇava groups. Vishnu assumed this form on top of Himvat mountain (Harivamsa). He is known primarily as the 'Great Protector' who specifically defends and protects his devotees in times of need. Vishnu is believed to have taken the avatar to destroy the demon king Hiranyakashipu.
ETYMOLOGY
The word Narasimha means 'lion-man' which usually means 'half man and half lion'. His other names are:
- Agnilochana (अग्निलोचन) - the one who has fiery eyes
- Bhairavadambara (भैरवडम्बर) - the one who causes terror by roaring
- Karala (कराल) - the one who has a wide mouth and projecting teeth
- Hiranyakashipudvamsa (हिरण्यकशिपुध्वंस) - the one who killed Hiranyakashipu
- Nakhastra (नखास्त्र) - the one for whom nails are his weapons
- Sinhavadana (सिंहवदन) - the whose face is of lion
- Mrigendra (मृगेन्द्र) - king of animals or lion
SCRIPTURAL SOURCES
There are references to Narasiṁha in a variety of Purāṇas, with 17 different versions of the main narrative. The Bhagavata Purāṇa (Canto 7), Agni Purāṇa (4.2-3), Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa(2.5.3-29), Vayu Purāṇa (67.61-66), Harivaṁśa (41 & 3.41-47), Brahma-Purāṇa (213.44-79), Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa(1.54), Kūrma Purāṇa (1.15.18-72), Matsya Purāṇa(161-163), Padma Purāṇa(Uttara-khaṇḍa 5.42), Śiva Purāṇa (2.5.43 & 3.10-12), Liṅga Purāṇa (1.95-96), Skanda Purāṇa 7 (2.18.60-130) and Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.16-20) all contain depictions of the Narasiṁha Avatāra. There is also a short reference in the Mahābhārata (3.272.56-60) and a Gopāla Tapani Upaniṣad (Narasiṁha tapani Upaniṣad), earliest of Vaiṣṇava Upaniṣads named in reference to him.
REFERENCES FROM VEDAS
The Ṛg Veda contains an epithet that has been attributed to Narasiṁha. The half-man, half-lion avatāra is described as:
- like some wild beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming.
Source: (RV.I 154.2a).
There is an allusion to a Namuci story in RV.VIII 14.13:
- With waters' foam you tore off, Indra, the head of Namuci, subduing all contending hosts.
This short reference is believed to have culminated in the full puranic story of Narasiṁha.
LORD NARASIMHA AND PRAHLADA
Bhagavata Purāṇa describes that in his previous avatar as Varāha, Viṣṇu killed the asura Hiraṇayakṣa. The younger brother of Hirṇayakṣa, Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted revenge on Viṣṇu and his followers. He undertook many years of austere penance to take revenge on Viṣṇu: Brahma thus offers the demon a boon and Hiraṇyakaśipu asks for immortality. Brahma tells him this is not possible, but that he could bind the death of Hiraṇyakaśipu with conditions. Hiraṇyakaśipu agreed:
- O my lord, O best of the givers of benediction, if you will kindly grant me the benediction I desire, please let me not meet death from any of the living entities created by you.
- Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought about by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.
- Grant me that I not meet death from any entity, living or nonliving created by you. Grant me, further, that I not be killed by any demigod or demon or by any great snake from the lower planets. Since no one can kill you in the battlefield, you have no competitor. Therefore, grant me the benediction that I too may have no rival. Give me sole lordship over all the living entities and presiding deities, and give me all the glories obtained by that position. Furthermore, give me all the mystic powers attained by long austerities and the practice of yoga, for these cannot be lost at any time.
Brahma said,
Tathāstu (so be it) and vanished. Hiraṇyakaśipu was happy thinking that he had won over death.
One day while Hiraṇyakaśipu performed austerities at Mandarācala Mountain, his home was attacked by Indra and the other devatās. At this point the Devarṣi (divine sage) Nārada intervenes to protect Kayādu, whom he describes as sinless. Following this event, Nārada takes Kayādu into his care and while under the guidance of Nārada, her unborn child (Hiraṇyakaśipu's son) Prahālada, becomes affected by the transcendental instructions of the sage even at such a young stage of development. Thus, Prahlāda later begins to show symptoms of this earlier training by Nārada, gradually becoming recognised as a devoted follower of Viṣṇu, much to his father's disappointment.
Hiraṇyakaśipu furious at the devotion of his son to Viṣṇu, as the god had killed his brother. Finally, he decides to commit filicide. but each time he attempts to kill the boy, Prahlāda is protected by Viṣṇu's mystical power. When asked, Prahlāda refuses to acknowledge his father as the supreme lord of the universe and claims that Viṣṇu is all-pervading and omnipresent.
Hiraṇyakaśipu points to a nearby pillar and asks if 'his Viṣṇu' is in it and says to his son Prahlāda:
O most unfortunate Prahlāda, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above everything, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all-pervading. But where is He? If He is everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar?
Prahlāda then answers,
He was, He is and He will be.
In an alternate version of the story, Prahlāda answers,
He is in pillars, and he is in the smallest twig.
Hiraṇyakaśipu, unable to control his anger, smashes the pillar with his mace, and following a tumultuous sound, Viṣṇu in the form of Narasiṁha appears from it and moves to attack Hiraṇyakaśipu. in defence of Prahlāda. In order to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu and not upset the boon given by Brahma, the form of Narasiṁha is chosen. Hiraṇyakaśipu can not be killed by human, deva or animal. Narasiṁha is neither one of these as he is a form of Viṣṇu incarnate as a part-human, part-animal. He comes upon Hiraṇyakaśipu at twilight (when it is neither day nor night) on the threshold of a courtyard (neither indoors nor out), and puts the demon on his thighs (neither earth nor space). Using his sharp fingernails (neither animate nor inanimate) as weapons, he disembowels and kills the demon.
Kūrma Purāṇa describes the preceding battle between the Puruṣa and demonic forces in which he escapes a powerful weapon called Paśupāta and it describes how Prahlāda's brothers headed by Anuhrāda and thousands of other demons were led to the valley of death (yamalayam) by the lion produced from the body of man-lion avatar. The same episode occurs in the Matsya Purāṇa 179, several chapters after its version of the Narasiṁha advent.
It is said that even after killing Hiraṇyakaśipu, none of the present demigods are able to calm Narasiṁha's wrath.So the demigods requested Prahlada to calm down the Lord,and Narasimha,who had assumed the all-powerful form of Gandaberunda returned to more benevolent form after that. In other stories,all the gods and goddesses call his consort, Lakṣmī, who assumes the form of Pratyangira and pacifies the Lord. According to a few scriptures, at the request of Brahma, Shiva took the form of Sharabha and successfully pacified him. Before parting, Narasiṁha rewards the wise Prahlāda by crowning him as the king.
NARASIMHA AND ADI SANKARA
Narasiṁha is also a protector of his devotees in times of danger. Near Śrī Śailaṁ, there is a forest called Hatakeśvanam, that no man enters. Śaṅkarācārya entered this place and did penance for many days. During this time, a Kāpālika, by name Kirakashan appeared before him.
He told Śrī Śaṅkara that he should give his body as a human-sacrifice to Kālī. Śaṅkara happily agreed. His disciples were shocked to hear this and pleaded with Śaṅkara to change his mind, but he refused to do so saying that it was an honor to give up his body as a sacrifice for Kālī and one must not lament such things. The Kāpālika arranged a fire for the sacrifice and Śaṅkara sat beside it. Just as he lifted his axe to severe the head of Śaṅkara, Viṣṇu as Narasiṁha entered the body of the disciple of Śaṅkarācārya and Narasiṁha devotee, Padmapada. He then fought the Kāpālika, slayed him and freed the forest of Kapalikas. Ādi Śaṅkara composed the powerful Lakṣmī-Narasiṁha Karāvalambaṁ Stotram at the very spot in front of Lord Narasiṁha.
MODE OF WORSHIP
Due to the nature of Narasiṁha's form (divine anger), it is essential that worship be given with a very high level of attention compared to other deities. In many temples only lifelong celibates (Brahmācārya) will be able to have the chance to serve as priests to perform the daily puja. Forms where Narasiṁha appears sitting in a yogic posture, or with the goddess Lakṣmī are the exception to this rule, as Narasiṁha is taken as being more relaxed in both of these instances compared to his form when first emerging from the pillar to protect Prahlāda.
PRAYERS
A number of prayers have been written in dedication to Narasiṁha avatāra. These include:
- The Narasiṁha Mahā-Mantra
- Narasiṁha Praṇāma Prayer
- Daśāvatāra Stotra by Jayadeva
- Kāmaśikha Aṣṭakam by Vedānta Deśika
- Divya Prabandham 2954
- Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram by Sri Adi Sankara
THE NARASIMHA MAHA-MANTRA
- oṁ hrīṁ kṣauṁ
- ugraṁ viraṁ mahāviṣṇuṁ
- jvalantaṁ sarvatomukham ।
- nṛsiṁhaṁ bhīṣaṇaṁ bhadraṁ
- mṛtyormṛtyuṁ namāmyaham ॥
O' Angry and brave Mahā-Viṣṇu, your heat and fire permeate everywhere. O Lord Narasiṁha, you are everywhere. You are the death of death and I surrender to You.
NARASIMHA PRANAMA PRAYER
namaste narasiṁhāya,
prahlādahlāda-dāyine,
hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ,
śilā-ṭaṅka nakhālaye
I offer my obeisances to Lord Narasiṁha, who gives joy to Prahlāda Mahārāja and whose nails are like chisels on the stone like chest of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu.
ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho,
yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ,
bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho,
nṛsiṁhaṁ ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye
Lord Nṛsiṁha is here and also there. Wherever I go Lord Narasiṁha is there. He is in the heart and is outside as well. I surrender to Lord Narasiṁha, the origin of all things and the supreme refuge.
DASAVATARA STOTRA BY JAYADEVA
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śrṅgaṁ,
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam,
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadiśa hare
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe. O Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one's fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasp-like demon Hiraṇyakaśipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on your beautiful lotus hands. (from the Daśāvatāra-stotra composed by Jayadeva)
KAMASIKHA ASTAKAM BY VEDANTA DESIKA
tvayi rakṣati rakṣakaiḥ kimanyaiḥ,
tvayi cārakṣāti rakṣākaiḥ kimanyaiḥ ।
iti niścita dhīḥ śrayāmi nityaṁ,
nṛhare vegavatī taṭāśrayaṁ tvam ॥8॥
O Kāmaśikhā Narasiṁha! you are sarva śakthan. When you are resolved to protect some one, where is the need to seek the protection of anyone else? When you are resolved not to protect some one, which other person is capable of protecting us?. There is no one. Knowing this fundamental truth, I have resolved to offer my śaraṇāgatī at your lotus feet alone that rest at the banks of Vegavatī river.
DIVYA PRABANDHAM 2954
āḍi āḍi agam karaindhu isai
pāḍip pāḍik kaṇṇīr malgi engum
nāḍi nāḍi narasingā endru,
vāḍi vāḍum ivvāl nuthale!
I will dance and melt for you, within my heart, to see you, I will sing in praise of you with tears in joy, I will search for Narasiṁha and I am a householder who still searches to reach you (to attain Salvation).
SYMBOLISM
Narasiṁha indicates God's omnipresence and the lesson is that God is everywhere. For more information, see Vaishnav Theology.
Narasiṁha demonstrates God's willingness and ability to come to the aid of His devotees, no matter how difficult or impossible the circumstances may appear to be.
Prahlāda's devotion indicates that pure devotion is not one of birthright but of character. Prahlāda, although born an asura, demonstrated the greatest bhakti to God, and endured much, without losing faith.
Narasiṁha is known by the epithet Mṛga-Śarīra in Sanskrit which translates to Animal-Man. From a philosophical perspective. Narasiṁha is the very icon of Vaiṣṇavism, where jñāna (knowledge) and Bhakti are important as opposed to Advaita, which has no room for Bhakti, as the object to be worshipped and the worshipper do not exist. As according to Advaita or Māyāvāda, the jīva is Paramātma.
SIGNIFICANCE
In South Indian art – sculptures, bronzes and paintings – Viṣṇu's incarnation as Narasiṁha is one of the most chosen themes and amongst [[Avatar] |Avatāra]]s perhaps next only to Rāma and Kṛṣṇa in popularity.
Lord Narasiṁha also appears as one of Hanuman's 5 faces, who is a significant character in the Rāmāyaṇa as Lord (Rāma's) devotee.
FORMS OF NARASIMHA
There are several forms of Narasiṁha, but 9 main ones collectively known as Nava-narasiṁha:
Ugra-narasiṁha
Kroddha-narasiṁha
Vīra-narasiṁha
Vilamba-narasiṁha
Kopa-narasiṁha
Yoga-narasiṁha
Aghora-narasiṁha
Sudarśana-narasiṁha
Lakṣmī-narasiṁha
In Ahobilam, Andhra Pradesh, the nine forms are as follows:
Chātra-vata-narasiṁha (seated under a banyan tree)
Yogānanda-narasiṁha (who blessed Lord Brahma)
Karañja-narasiṁha
Uha-narasiṁha
Ugra-narasiṁha
Krodha-narasiṁha
Malola-narasiṁha (With Lakṣmī on His lap)
Jvālā-narasiṁha (an eight armed form rushing out of the pillar)
Pavana-narasiṁha (who blessed the sage Bharadvaja)
Forms from Prahlad story:
Stambha-narasiṁha (coming out of the pillar)
Svayam-narasiṁha (manifesting on His own)
Grahaṇa-narasiṁha (catching hold of the demon)
Vidāraṇa-narasiṁha (ripping open of the belly of the demon)
Saṁhāra-narasiṁha (killing the demon)
The following three refer to His ferocious aspect:
Ghora-narasiṁha
Ugra-narasiṁha
Candā-narasiṁha
OTHERS
Pañcamukha-Hanumān-narasiṁha, (appears as one of Śrī Hanuman's five faces.)
Pṛthvī-narasiṁha, Vayu-narasiṁha, Ākāśa-narasiṁha, Jvalana-narasiṁha, and
Amṛta-narasiṁha, (representing the five elements)
Jvālā-narasiṁha (with a flame-like mane)
Lakṣmī-narasiṁha (where Lakṣmī pacifies Him)
Prasāda/Prahlāda-varadā-narasiṁha (His benign aspect of protecting Prahlad)
Chatrā-narasiṁha (seated under a parasol of a five-hooded serpent)
Yoga-narasiṁha or Yogeśvara-narasiṁha (in meditation)
Āveśa-narasiṁha (a frenzied form)
Aṭṭahasa-narasiṁha (a form that roars horribly and majestically strides across to destroy evil)
Cakra-narasiṁha, (with only a discus in hand)
Viṣṇu-narasiṁha, Brahma-narasiṁha and Rudra-narasiṁha
Puṣṭi narasiṁha, (worshipped for overcoming evil influences)
EARLY IMAGES
In Andhra Pradesh, a panel dating to third-fourth century AD shows a full theriomorphic squatting lion with two extra human arms behind his shoulders holding Vaiṣṇava emblems. This lion, flanked by five heroes (vīra), often has been identified as an early depiction of Narasiṁha. Standing cult images of Narasiṁha from the early Gupta period, survive from temples at Tigowa and Eran. These sculptures are two-armed, long maned, frontal, wearing only a lower garment, and with no demon-figure of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Images representing the narrative of Narasiṁha slaying the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu survive from slightly later Gupta-period temples: one at Madhia and one from a temple-doorway now set into the Kūrma-maṭha at Nachna, both dated to the late fifth or early sixth century A.D.
An image of Narasiṁha supposedly dating to second-third century AD sculpted at Mathura was acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1987. It was described by Stella Kramrisch, the former Philadelphia Museum of Art's Indian curator, as "perhaps the earliest image of Narasiṁha as yet known". This figure depicts a furled brow, fangs, and lolling tongue similar to later images of Narasiṁha, but the idol's robe, simplicity, and stance set it apart. On Narasiṁha's chest under his upper garment appears the suggestion of an amulet, which Stella Kramrisch associated with Visnu's cognizance, the Kauṣtubha jewel. This upper garment flows over both shoulders; but below Hiranyakasipu, the demon-figure placed horizontally across Narasiṁha's body, a twisted waist-band suggests a separate garment covering the legs. The demon's hair streams behind him, cushioning his head against the man-lion's right knee. He wears a simple single strand of beads. His body seems relaxed, even pliant. His face is calm, with a slight suggestion of a smile. His eyes stare adoringly up at the face of Viṣṇu. There is little tension in this figure's legs or feet, even as Narasiṁha gently disembowels him. His innards spill along his right side. As the Matsya purana describes it, Narasiṁha ripped "apart the mighty Daitya chief as a plaiter of straw mats shreds his reeds". Based on the Gandhara-style of robe worn by the idol, Michael Meiste altered the date of the image to fourth century AD.
Deborah Soifer, a scholar who worked on texts in relation to Narasiṁha, believes that "the traits basic to Viṣṇu in the Veda remain central to Viṣṇu in his avataras" and points out, however, that:
we have virtually no precursors in the Vedic material for the figure of a man-lion, and only one phrase that simply does not rule out the possibility of a violent side to the benign Viṣṇu.
Soifer speaks of the enigma of Viṣṇu's Narasiṁha avatāra and comments that how the myth arrived at its rudimentary form [first recorded in the Mahābhārata], and where the figure of the man-lion came from remain unsolved mysteries.
An image of Narasiṁha, dating to the 9th century, was found on the northern slope of Mount Ijo, at Prambanan, Indonesia. Images of Trivikrama and Varāha avatāras were also found at Prambanan, Indonesia. Viṣṇu and His avatāra images follow iconographic peculiarities characteristic of the art of central Java. This includes physiognomy of central Java, an exaggerated volume of garment, and some elaboration of the jewelry. This decorative scheme once formulated became, with very little modification, an accepted norm for sculptures throughout the Central Javanese period (circa 730–930 A.D.). Despite the iconographic peculiarities, the stylistic antecedents of the Java sculptures can be traced back to Indian carvings as the Chalukya and Pallava images of the 6th–7th centuries AD.
CULTURAL TRADITION OF PROCESSION (SRI NRSIMHA YATRA)
In Rājopadhyāya Brahmins of Nepal, there is a tradition of celebrating the procession ceremony of the deity Narasiṁha avatar, in Lalitpur district of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The Lunar fifth day of the waning phase of the moon, in the holy Soli-lunar Śrāvaṇa month i.e. on Śrāvaṇa Kṛṣṇa Pañcamī of the Hindu Lunar Calendar is marked as auspicious day for the religious procession, Nṛsiṁha Yātrā. This tradition of the holy procession has been held for more than a hundred years. This is one of the typical traditions of the Rājopadhyāya Bramhins, the Hindu Bramhans of the locality.
In this Nṛsiṁha Yātrā, each year one male member of the Rājopadhyāya community gets the chance to be the organizer each year in that particular day. He gets his turn according to the sequence in their record, where the names of Rājopadhyāya bramhins are registered when a brahmāṇa lad is eligible to be called as a Bramhan.
WIKIPEDIA
HD TV, Full HD, HD Ready, HDMI, Compatible HD, TNT HD et j'en passe. En magasin, les stickers pullulent sur les téléviseurs et il y en a tellement qu'on s'y perd. Un fouillis à refroidir un prospect chaud.
Loin de ce débat technophile, il m'a paru important d'informer l'acheteur potentiel à propos d'une caractéristique, elle bien commune, à toutes les télés mises en vente sur le marché français.
Narasimha (Sanskrit: नरसिंह IAST: Narasiṁha, lit. man-lion), Narasingh, Narsingh and Narasingha in derivative languages is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu and one of Hinduism's most popular deities, as evidenced in early epics, iconography, and temple and festival worship for over a millennium.
Narasiṁha is often visualised as having a human-like torso and lower body, with a lion-like face and claws. This image is widely worshipped in deity form by a significant number of Vaiṣṇava groups. Vishnu assumed this form on top of Himvat mountain (Harivamsa). He is known primarily as the 'Great Protector' who specifically defends and protects his devotees in times of need. Vishnu is believed to have taken the avatar to destroy the demon king Hiranyakashipu.
ETYMOLOGY
The word Narasimha means 'lion-man' which usually means 'half man and half lion'. His other names are:
- Agnilochana (अग्निलोचन) - the one who has fiery eyes
- Bhairavadambara (भैरवडम्बर) - the one who causes terror by roaring
- Karala (कराल) - the one who has a wide mouth and projecting teeth
- Hiranyakashipudvamsa (हिरण्यकशिपुध्वंस) - the one who killed Hiranyakashipu
- Nakhastra (नखास्त्र) - the one for whom nails are his weapons
- Sinhavadana (सिंहवदन) - the whose face is of lion
- Mrigendra (मृगेन्द्र) - king of animals or lion
SCRIPTURAL SOURCES
There are references to Narasiṁha in a variety of Purāṇas, with 17 different versions of the main narrative. The Bhagavata Purāṇa (Canto 7), Agni Purāṇa (4.2-3), Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa(2.5.3-29), Vayu Purāṇa (67.61-66), Harivaṁśa (41 & 3.41-47), Brahma-Purāṇa (213.44-79), Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa(1.54), Kūrma Purāṇa (1.15.18-72), Matsya Purāṇa(161-163), Padma Purāṇa(Uttara-khaṇḍa 5.42), Śiva Purāṇa (2.5.43 & 3.10-12), Liṅga Purāṇa (1.95-96), Skanda Purāṇa 7 (2.18.60-130) and Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.16-20) all contain depictions of the Narasiṁha Avatāra. There is also a short reference in the Mahābhārata (3.272.56-60) and a Gopāla Tapani Upaniṣad (Narasiṁha tapani Upaniṣad), earliest of Vaiṣṇava Upaniṣads named in reference to him.
REFERENCES FROM VEDAS
The Ṛg Veda contains an epithet that has been attributed to Narasiṁha. The half-man, half-lion avatāra is described as:
- like some wild beast, dread, prowling, mountain-roaming.
Source: (RV.I 154.2a).
There is an allusion to a Namuci story in RV.VIII 14.13:
- With waters' foam you tore off, Indra, the head of Namuci, subduing all contending hosts.
This short reference is believed to have culminated in the full puranic story of Narasiṁha.
LORD NARASIMHA AND PRAHLADA
Bhagavata Purāṇa describes that in his previous avatar as Varāha, Viṣṇu killed the asura Hiraṇayakṣa. The younger brother of Hirṇayakṣa, Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted revenge on Viṣṇu and his followers. He undertook many years of austere penance to take revenge on Viṣṇu: Brahma thus offers the demon a boon and Hiraṇyakaśipu asks for immortality. Brahma tells him this is not possible, but that he could bind the death of Hiraṇyakaśipu with conditions. Hiraṇyakaśipu agreed:
- O my lord, O best of the givers of benediction, if you will kindly grant me the benediction I desire, please let me not meet death from any of the living entities created by you.
- Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought about by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.
- Grant me that I not meet death from any entity, living or nonliving created by you. Grant me, further, that I not be killed by any demigod or demon or by any great snake from the lower planets. Since no one can kill you in the battlefield, you have no competitor. Therefore, grant me the benediction that I too may have no rival. Give me sole lordship over all the living entities and presiding deities, and give me all the glories obtained by that position. Furthermore, give me all the mystic powers attained by long austerities and the practice of yoga, for these cannot be lost at any time.
Brahma said,
Tathāstu (so be it) and vanished. Hiraṇyakaśipu was happy thinking that he had won over death.
One day while Hiraṇyakaśipu performed austerities at Mandarācala Mountain, his home was attacked by Indra and the other devatās. At this point the Devarṣi (divine sage) Nārada intervenes to protect Kayādu, whom he describes as sinless. Following this event, Nārada takes Kayādu into his care and while under the guidance of Nārada, her unborn child (Hiraṇyakaśipu's son) Prahālada, becomes affected by the transcendental instructions of the sage even at such a young stage of development. Thus, Prahlāda later begins to show symptoms of this earlier training by Nārada, gradually becoming recognised as a devoted follower of Viṣṇu, much to his father's disappointment.
Hiraṇyakaśipu furious at the devotion of his son to Viṣṇu, as the god had killed his brother. Finally, he decides to commit filicide. but each time he attempts to kill the boy, Prahlāda is protected by Viṣṇu's mystical power. When asked, Prahlāda refuses to acknowledge his father as the supreme lord of the universe and claims that Viṣṇu is all-pervading and omnipresent.
Hiraṇyakaśipu points to a nearby pillar and asks if 'his Viṣṇu' is in it and says to his son Prahlāda:
O most unfortunate Prahlāda, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above everything, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all-pervading. But where is He? If He is everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar?
Prahlāda then answers,
He was, He is and He will be.
In an alternate version of the story, Prahlāda answers,
He is in pillars, and he is in the smallest twig.
Hiraṇyakaśipu, unable to control his anger, smashes the pillar with his mace, and following a tumultuous sound, Viṣṇu in the form of Narasiṁha appears from it and moves to attack Hiraṇyakaśipu. in defence of Prahlāda. In order to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu and not upset the boon given by Brahma, the form of Narasiṁha is chosen. Hiraṇyakaśipu can not be killed by human, deva or animal. Narasiṁha is neither one of these as he is a form of Viṣṇu incarnate as a part-human, part-animal. He comes upon Hiraṇyakaśipu at twilight (when it is neither day nor night) on the threshold of a courtyard (neither indoors nor out), and puts the demon on his thighs (neither earth nor space). Using his sharp fingernails (neither animate nor inanimate) as weapons, he disembowels and kills the demon.
Kūrma Purāṇa describes the preceding battle between the Puruṣa and demonic forces in which he escapes a powerful weapon called Paśupāta and it describes how Prahlāda's brothers headed by Anuhrāda and thousands of other demons were led to the valley of death (yamalayam) by the lion produced from the body of man-lion avatar. The same episode occurs in the Matsya Purāṇa 179, several chapters after its version of the Narasiṁha advent.
It is said that even after killing Hiraṇyakaśipu, none of the present demigods are able to calm Narasiṁha's wrath.So the demigods requested Prahlada to calm down the Lord,and Narasimha,who had assumed the all-powerful form of Gandaberunda returned to more benevolent form after that. In other stories,all the gods and goddesses call his consort, Lakṣmī, who assumes the form of Pratyangira and pacifies the Lord. According to a few scriptures, at the request of Brahma, Shiva took the form of Sharabha and successfully pacified him. Before parting, Narasiṁha rewards the wise Prahlāda by crowning him as the king.
NARASIMHA AND ADI SANKARA
Narasiṁha is also a protector of his devotees in times of danger. Near Śrī Śailaṁ, there is a forest called Hatakeśvanam, that no man enters. Śaṅkarācārya entered this place and did penance for many days. During this time, a Kāpālika, by name Kirakashan appeared before him.
He told Śrī Śaṅkara that he should give his body as a human-sacrifice to Kālī. Śaṅkara happily agreed. His disciples were shocked to hear this and pleaded with Śaṅkara to change his mind, but he refused to do so saying that it was an honor to give up his body as a sacrifice for Kālī and one must not lament such things. The Kāpālika arranged a fire for the sacrifice and Śaṅkara sat beside it. Just as he lifted his axe to severe the head of Śaṅkara, Viṣṇu as Narasiṁha entered the body of the disciple of Śaṅkarācārya and Narasiṁha devotee, Padmapada. He then fought the Kāpālika, slayed him and freed the forest of Kapalikas. Ādi Śaṅkara composed the powerful Lakṣmī-Narasiṁha Karāvalambaṁ Stotram at the very spot in front of Lord Narasiṁha.
MODE OF WORSHIP
Due to the nature of Narasiṁha's form (divine anger), it is essential that worship be given with a very high level of attention compared to other deities. In many temples only lifelong celibates (Brahmācārya) will be able to have the chance to serve as priests to perform the daily puja. Forms where Narasiṁha appears sitting in a yogic posture, or with the goddess Lakṣmī are the exception to this rule, as Narasiṁha is taken as being more relaxed in both of these instances compared to his form when first emerging from the pillar to protect Prahlāda.
PRAYERS
A number of prayers have been written in dedication to Narasiṁha avatāra. These include:
- The Narasiṁha Mahā-Mantra
- Narasiṁha Praṇāma Prayer
- Daśāvatāra Stotra by Jayadeva
- Kāmaśikha Aṣṭakam by Vedānta Deśika
- Divya Prabandham 2954
- Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram by Sri Adi Sankara
THE NARASIMHA MAHA-MANTRA
- oṁ hrīṁ kṣauṁ
- ugraṁ viraṁ mahāviṣṇuṁ
- jvalantaṁ sarvatomukham ।
- nṛsiṁhaṁ bhīṣaṇaṁ bhadraṁ
- mṛtyormṛtyuṁ namāmyaham ॥
O' Angry and brave Mahā-Viṣṇu, your heat and fire permeate everywhere. O Lord Narasiṁha, you are everywhere. You are the death of death and I surrender to You.
NARASIMHA PRANAMA PRAYER
namaste narasiṁhāya,
prahlādahlāda-dāyine,
hiraṇyakaśipor vakṣaḥ,
śilā-ṭaṅka nakhālaye
I offer my obeisances to Lord Narasiṁha, who gives joy to Prahlāda Mahārāja and whose nails are like chisels on the stone like chest of the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu.
ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho,
yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ,
bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho,
nṛsiṁhaṁ ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye
Lord Nṛsiṁha is here and also there. Wherever I go Lord Narasiṁha is there. He is in the heart and is outside as well. I surrender to Lord Narasiṁha, the origin of all things and the supreme refuge.
DASAVATARA STOTRA BY JAYADEVA
tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śrṅgaṁ,
dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam,
keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadiśa hare
O Keśava! O Lord of the universe. O Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one's fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasp-like demon Hiraṇyakaśipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on your beautiful lotus hands. (from the Daśāvatāra-stotra composed by Jayadeva)
KAMASIKHA ASTAKAM BY VEDANTA DESIKA
tvayi rakṣati rakṣakaiḥ kimanyaiḥ,
tvayi cārakṣāti rakṣākaiḥ kimanyaiḥ ।
iti niścita dhīḥ śrayāmi nityaṁ,
nṛhare vegavatī taṭāśrayaṁ tvam ॥8॥
O Kāmaśikhā Narasiṁha! you are sarva śakthan. When you are resolved to protect some one, where is the need to seek the protection of anyone else? When you are resolved not to protect some one, which other person is capable of protecting us?. There is no one. Knowing this fundamental truth, I have resolved to offer my śaraṇāgatī at your lotus feet alone that rest at the banks of Vegavatī river.
DIVYA PRABANDHAM 2954
āḍi āḍi agam karaindhu isai
pāḍip pāḍik kaṇṇīr malgi engum
nāḍi nāḍi narasingā endru,
vāḍi vāḍum ivvāl nuthale!
I will dance and melt for you, within my heart, to see you, I will sing in praise of you with tears in joy, I will search for Narasiṁha and I am a householder who still searches to reach you (to attain Salvation).
SYMBOLISM
Narasiṁha indicates God's omnipresence and the lesson is that God is everywhere. For more information, see Vaishnav Theology.
Narasiṁha demonstrates God's willingness and ability to come to the aid of His devotees, no matter how difficult or impossible the circumstances may appear to be.
Prahlāda's devotion indicates that pure devotion is not one of birthright but of character. Prahlāda, although born an asura, demonstrated the greatest bhakti to God, and endured much, without losing faith.
Narasiṁha is known by the epithet Mṛga-Śarīra in Sanskrit which translates to Animal-Man. From a philosophical perspective. Narasiṁha is the very icon of Vaiṣṇavism, where jñāna (knowledge) and Bhakti are important as opposed to Advaita, which has no room for Bhakti, as the object to be worshipped and the worshipper do not exist. As according to Advaita or Māyāvāda, the jīva is Paramātma.
SIGNIFICANCE
In South Indian art – sculptures, bronzes and paintings – Viṣṇu's incarnation as Narasiṁha is one of the most chosen themes and amongst [[Avatar] |Avatāra]]s perhaps next only to Rāma and Kṛṣṇa in popularity.
Lord Narasiṁha also appears as one of Hanuman's 5 faces, who is a significant character in the Rāmāyaṇa as Lord (Rāma's) devotee.
FORMS OF NARASIMHA
There are several forms of Narasiṁha, but 9 main ones collectively known as Nava-narasiṁha:
Ugra-narasiṁha
Kroddha-narasiṁha
Vīra-narasiṁha
Vilamba-narasiṁha
Kopa-narasiṁha
Yoga-narasiṁha
Aghora-narasiṁha
Sudarśana-narasiṁha
Lakṣmī-narasiṁha
In Ahobilam, Andhra Pradesh, the nine forms are as follows:
Chātra-vata-narasiṁha (seated under a banyan tree)
Yogānanda-narasiṁha (who blessed Lord Brahma)
Karañja-narasiṁha
Uha-narasiṁha
Ugra-narasiṁha
Krodha-narasiṁha
Malola-narasiṁha (With Lakṣmī on His lap)
Jvālā-narasiṁha (an eight armed form rushing out of the pillar)
Pavana-narasiṁha (who blessed the sage Bharadvaja)
Forms from Prahlad story:
Stambha-narasiṁha (coming out of the pillar)
Svayam-narasiṁha (manifesting on His own)
Grahaṇa-narasiṁha (catching hold of the demon)
Vidāraṇa-narasiṁha (ripping open of the belly of the demon)
Saṁhāra-narasiṁha (killing the demon)
The following three refer to His ferocious aspect:
Ghora-narasiṁha
Ugra-narasiṁha
Candā-narasiṁha
OTHERS
Pañcamukha-Hanumān-narasiṁha, (appears as one of Śrī Hanuman's five faces.)
Pṛthvī-narasiṁha, Vayu-narasiṁha, Ākāśa-narasiṁha, Jvalana-narasiṁha, and
Amṛta-narasiṁha, (representing the five elements)
Jvālā-narasiṁha (with a flame-like mane)
Lakṣmī-narasiṁha (where Lakṣmī pacifies Him)
Prasāda/Prahlāda-varadā-narasiṁha (His benign aspect of protecting Prahlad)
Chatrā-narasiṁha (seated under a parasol of a five-hooded serpent)
Yoga-narasiṁha or Yogeśvara-narasiṁha (in meditation)
Āveśa-narasiṁha (a frenzied form)
Aṭṭahasa-narasiṁha (a form that roars horribly and majestically strides across to destroy evil)
Cakra-narasiṁha, (with only a discus in hand)
Viṣṇu-narasiṁha, Brahma-narasiṁha and Rudra-narasiṁha
Puṣṭi narasiṁha, (worshipped for overcoming evil influences)
EARLY IMAGES
In Andhra Pradesh, a panel dating to third-fourth century AD shows a full theriomorphic squatting lion with two extra human arms behind his shoulders holding Vaiṣṇava emblems. This lion, flanked by five heroes (vīra), often has been identified as an early depiction of Narasiṁha. Standing cult images of Narasiṁha from the early Gupta period, survive from temples at Tigowa and Eran. These sculptures are two-armed, long maned, frontal, wearing only a lower garment, and with no demon-figure of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Images representing the narrative of Narasiṁha slaying the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu survive from slightly later Gupta-period temples: one at Madhia and one from a temple-doorway now set into the Kūrma-maṭha at Nachna, both dated to the late fifth or early sixth century A.D.
An image of Narasiṁha supposedly dating to second-third century AD sculpted at Mathura was acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1987. It was described by Stella Kramrisch, the former Philadelphia Museum of Art's Indian curator, as "perhaps the earliest image of Narasiṁha as yet known". This figure depicts a furled brow, fangs, and lolling tongue similar to later images of Narasiṁha, but the idol's robe, simplicity, and stance set it apart. On Narasiṁha's chest under his upper garment appears the suggestion of an amulet, which Stella Kramrisch associated with Visnu's cognizance, the Kauṣtubha jewel. This upper garment flows over both shoulders; but below Hiranyakasipu, the demon-figure placed horizontally across Narasiṁha's body, a twisted waist-band suggests a separate garment covering the legs. The demon's hair streams behind him, cushioning his head against the man-lion's right knee. He wears a simple single strand of beads. His body seems relaxed, even pliant. His face is calm, with a slight suggestion of a smile. His eyes stare adoringly up at the face of Viṣṇu. There is little tension in this figure's legs or feet, even as Narasiṁha gently disembowels him. His innards spill along his right side. As the Matsya purana describes it, Narasiṁha ripped "apart the mighty Daitya chief as a plaiter of straw mats shreds his reeds". Based on the Gandhara-style of robe worn by the idol, Michael Meiste altered the date of the image to fourth century AD.
Deborah Soifer, a scholar who worked on texts in relation to Narasiṁha, believes that "the traits basic to Viṣṇu in the Veda remain central to Viṣṇu in his avataras" and points out, however, that:
we have virtually no precursors in the Vedic material for the figure of a man-lion, and only one phrase that simply does not rule out the possibility of a violent side to the benign Viṣṇu.
Soifer speaks of the enigma of Viṣṇu's Narasiṁha avatāra and comments that how the myth arrived at its rudimentary form [first recorded in the Mahābhārata], and where the figure of the man-lion came from remain unsolved mysteries.
An image of Narasiṁha, dating to the 9th century, was found on the northern slope of Mount Ijo, at Prambanan, Indonesia. Images of Trivikrama and Varāha avatāras were also found at Prambanan, Indonesia. Viṣṇu and His avatāra images follow iconographic peculiarities characteristic of the art of central Java. This includes physiognomy of central Java, an exaggerated volume of garment, and some elaboration of the jewelry. This decorative scheme once formulated became, with very little modification, an accepted norm for sculptures throughout the Central Javanese period (circa 730–930 A.D.). Despite the iconographic peculiarities, the stylistic antecedents of the Java sculptures can be traced back to Indian carvings as the Chalukya and Pallava images of the 6th–7th centuries AD.
CULTURAL TRADITION OF PROCESSION (SRI NRSIMHA YATRA)
In Rājopadhyāya Brahmins of Nepal, there is a tradition of celebrating the procession ceremony of the deity Narasiṁha avatar, in Lalitpur district of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The Lunar fifth day of the waning phase of the moon, in the holy Soli-lunar Śrāvaṇa month i.e. on Śrāvaṇa Kṛṣṇa Pañcamī of the Hindu Lunar Calendar is marked as auspicious day for the religious procession, Nṛsiṁha Yātrā. This tradition of the holy procession has been held for more than a hundred years. This is one of the typical traditions of the Rājopadhyāya Bramhins, the Hindu Bramhans of the locality.
In this Nṛsiṁha Yātrā, each year one male member of the Rājopadhyāya community gets the chance to be the organizer each year in that particular day. He gets his turn according to the sequence in their record, where the names of Rājopadhyāya bramhins are registered when a brahmāṇa lad is eligible to be called as a Bramhan.
WIKIPEDIA
not pictured: cow causing pedestrian traffic jam by taking a massive leak against store's outside wall.
Varanasi, India
Cherubs, representing the omnipresence of God, line the ceiling of Debre Behan rSelassie church in Gondar, Ethiopia.
As seen at Corinium Museum, Cirencester.
A text description of this object read as follows:
"The famous 'acrostic' believed by many to be an early Christian coded message. The words, which read the same both across, down and backwards, are scratched onto a piece of 2nd century wall plaster."
The acrostic itself reads as follows:
R O T A S
O P E R A
T E N E T
A R E P O
S A T O R
As I read here, "by "repositioning the letters around the central letter Ν (en), a Greek cross can be made that reads Pater Noster (Latin for "Our Father", the first two words of the "Lord's Prayer") both vertically and horizontally. The remaining letters – two each of A and O – can be taken to represent the concept of Alpha and Omega, a reference in Christianity to the omnipresence of God. Thus the square might have been used as a covert symbol for early Christians to express their presence to each other."
Fascinating stuff... an early reference to Christian worship in Corinium, dating back to somewhere between 160 and 260 AD maybe? Then again... why the need for crypticity? The Romans were tolerant of the British cults (aside from Druidism famously) - were they not also tolerant of Christianity in Britain - along with all the other Eastern cults? As I understand, there was no empire-wide edict against Christians until the Decian persecution of 250 AD. But that didn't touch the West and even during the Great Persecution of 303-312/313 AD (303-305 in the West) there was only one edict that, at most, may have been lightly enforced in Britain and that was the first one that prohibited Christians from assembling for worship. According to Wikipedia, "the persecution, after all, had been the project of the Eastern emperors, not the Western ones."
I've read that the fact that two Sator squares were found during the excavation of Pompeii and thought to predate 79 AD (when Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius) casts doubt on the Christian-origin theory, since it's unlikely that there was a Christian presence in Pompeii prior to the eruption, and Latin wasn't in use as a form of Christian expression at that time. Either that or the squares appeared in Pompeii after the eruption?
Maybe the Sator square originated as a board game as the classicist Mary Beard suggests?
The Latin translates as something like "The sower Arepo holds the wheels with effort" - ROTAS being the key word here, with what might possibly be a 'magical' meaning to those who... understood... this... gibberish.
Has anyone ever debunked the theory that the words might simply be the only words that the originator could come up with to construct a five-word Latin palindrome?
A double-page spread / editorial for tech. I drew "inspiration" (in terms of style etc.) from NYLON magazine. The article was on the omnipresence of narcissists
King Jayavarman VII built this temple for the city of Angkor Thom; and since he was trying to convert his followers to the new state religion, Buddhism, I guess he felt he had to put a lot of smiling benevolent Buddha heads here. Not surprisingly, Buddha here looks a lot like.... King Jayavarman himself! The faces look out in all four directions not only to symbolise Buddha's omnipresence, but to protect the walled city. With good reason -- King Jayavarman had just re-taken the Angkor capitol back from the Chams who had recently destroyed it in 1177.
On my last day in Cambodia, I came back to this temple to sketch.
UAXACTUN
Uaxactun is a little-known Mayan archaeological site, located in Petén in Guatemala, about twenty kilometers north of Tikal. An “end of the world” atmosphere.
Much of the history of Uaxactún is inseparable from that of Tikal. The reason lies in their extreme proximity. It seems that it was Uaxactún who first saw the light of day, almost four millennia ago. Then, men settled on the current site of Tikal and developed a city there. During the preclassical era (800 BC to 200 AD), the two cities coexisted peacefully. The reason for this peace was their mutual subordination to a third city-state, El Mirador, located about sixty kilometers away. This domination of El Mirador over the region held back the expansionist desires of the two neighboring cities for a long time. But, towards the end of the 1st century AD, the mighty El Mirador was brought down. The two cities of Tikal and Uaxactún were then able to give free rein to their appetite for conquest. At the same time, they embarked on important architectural work. Temples, acropolises and altars were created. Too close, the two cities ended up being bothered by the presence of a rival power in their neighborhood. In 378, the conflict ended with the definitive defeat of Uaxactún, now a vassal of Tikal.
Uaxactún is nothing like Tikal except for the omnipresence of the lush forest. Indeed, there are no astonishing pyramids here. Uaxactún is a modest site made up of six groups of structures scattered on either side of the old airstrip built at the time when the city was the subject of a major excavation program. Uaxactun has platforms decorated with large stucco masks. The best known of these platforms is a structure each side of which has a staircase flanked by sixteen masks representing lords or monsters Witz (the god of the mountain in the Mayan religion). This pyramid was an astronomical observatory: its east side faces three small temples aligned so as to be able to observe the sunrise at the solstices and equinoxes.
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