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Arunachala (IAST: , "red mountain") refers to the holy hill at Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. The hill is also known by the names Arunagiri, Annamalai Hill, Arunachalam, Arunai, Sonagiri and Sonachalam. It is one of the five main shaivite holy places in South India.〔Lonely Planet ''South India'' 2009 Page 418 ed Sarina Singh, Amy Karafin, Anirban Mahapatra "Welcome to Tiruvannamalai. About 85km south of Vellore and flanked by boulder-strewn Mt Arunachala, this is one of the five 'elemental' cities of Shiva; here the god is worshipped in his fire incarnation as Arunachaleswar (see boxed text, ..."〕 The Annamalaiyar Temple, a temple of Lord Shiva is located at the base of the hill.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Thiruvannamalai Annamalaiyar Kovil )〕 Every year in the Tamil month of Karthigai (October–November), the ''Karthigai Deepam'' (Light) is lit atop the hill. It is also an important place for devotees of Sri Ramana Maharshi, with Sri Ramana Ashram situated at its foothills. == References to Arunachala in religious texts == According to the legend, associated with the Temple, a dispute occurred between Brahma the creator, and Vishnu the preserver, over which of them was superior. In order to settle the argument, Lord Shiva is said to have manifested as a column of light, and then the form of Arunachala.〔A. R. Natarajan, Arunachala From Rigveda to Ramana Maharshi〕 In the Maheswara Khanda of Skanda Purana, sage Veda Vyasa describes in great detail the wonder of Arunachala.〔Veda Vyasa - Skanda Purana. Maheswara Khanda, Arunachala Mahatmya - Book One, Translation and Annotation by Dr. G. V. Tagare〕 Over the centuries, many saints and sages have been drawn to Arunachala. The Saivite saints Manickavachagar, Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar are four examples. In the fifteenth century, Guhai Namasivaya, Guru Namasivaya and Virupaksha Deva came from Karnataka and settled on Arunachala.〔 Saint Namasivaya lived in one of Arunachala's caves which is still known by his name. Virupaksha Deva lived in an OM-shaped cave higher up on the Hill, and this cave too still bears his name.〔(The Silent Power )〕 Located on the south-east slope of Arunachala, this was the cave that Sri Ramana Maharshi lived in from 1899 to 1916.〔A. R. Natarajan, Timeless in Time, Sri Ramana Maharshi〕 ''Arunachala Mahatmyam'' says, :"''By seeing Chidambaram, by being born in Tiruvarur, by dying in Kasi, or by merely thinking of Arunachala, one will surely attain Liberation.''" Another verse in the ''Arunachala Mahatmyam'', translated from Sanskrit into Tamil by Sri Ramana Maharshi says: :"''Arunachala is truly the holy place. Of all holy places it is the most sacred! Know that it is the heart of the world. It is truly Siva himself! It is his heart-abode, a secret kshetra. In that place the Lord ever abides the hill of light named Arunachala.''"〔James Michael, English translation(1982) "Arunachala Mahatmyam", ''The Mountain Path'', (pp. 75-84 )〕 Asked about the special sanctity of Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi said that other holy places such as Kailas, Kasi and Chidambaram are sacred because they are the abodes of Lord Siva whereas Arunachala is Lord Siva himself.〔Venkataramiah Munagala (1936) Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, (Talk 143), (ISBN 81-88018-07-4) Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai (html )〕〔Venkataramiah Munagala, (1936) Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi (PDF )〕 However, as the above verse of ''Arunachala Mahatmyam'' says, Arunachala is a secret ''kshetra''. It is this place that bestows ''jnana'' (Self-knowledge) and because most people have so many other desires and do not truly want ''jnana'', Arunachala has always remained comparatively little known. But to those few who seek ''jnana'', Arunachala always makes itself known through some means or other. :"''All stones in that place Arunachala are ''lingams''. It is indeed the abode of Lord Siva. All trees are the wish-granting trees of Indra's heaven. Its rippling waters are the Ganges, flowing through our Lord's matted locks. The food eaten there is the ambrosia of the Gods. To go round it in ''pradakshina'' is to perform ''pradakshina'' of the world. Words spoken there are holy scripture, and to fall asleep there is to be absorbed in ''samadhi'', beyond the mind's delusion. Could there be any other place which is its equal?''" ::-source: Tamil ''Arunachala Puranam'',〔Butler R, translator (2012) ''Arunachala Puranam'' ,Saiva Ellappa Navalar, available as book and .pdf @ www.lulu.com〕〔Jayaraman J., ''Extract from Sri Arunachala Puranam: '', (Vignettes )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Arunachala」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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