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My recent One week trip to Tamilnadu & Andhra PradEsh: In the foot steps of Swamy Desikan : Part IV---SuprabhAtha Sevai,VenkatEsa AshtOttharam , ArchanAnthara Sevai and SaaRRumurai Sevai at Thirumalai.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • August 28, 2002 


ChithrabhAnu, AavaNI 12, Asvathi Nakshathram

SrI: 

Dear BhakthAs:

Today adiyEn will focus on the SuprabhAtham Sevai
at the Grabhagraham of Lord of Sapthagiri as enjoyed
by Saint AnnamAchArya of TaaLapAkkam.

ThirupaLLiyezucchi(SuprabhAtham)
********************************
Early in the morning of Indian Independence day (1.00 A.M),
adiyEn got up to get ready to join the Cadambi family 
to have the darsana soubhAgyam of ThiruvEngadamudayAn.
The darsanam commenced at 2.30 A.M inside the garbhsa
graham . The Venkatesa SuprabhAtham , SthOthram , Prapatthi
and Mangalam were heard through the loud speaker system .
These sacred texts awakening the Lord , euologizing Him,
offering Prapatthi unto His feet and wishing Him auspiciousness
to the Lord at day break were electrifying to listen to
as recited by the famous adhyApAkAs of Thirumalai Temple
( http://srimannarayana.net/links.html). 

While listening to the SuprabhAtham slOkams , adiyEn
was reminded of the Paasurams of ThoNDardippodi
(ThiruppaLLiyezucchi), PeriyAzhwAr and ANDAL in
Her ThiruppAvai as well as Saint ThyagarAja waking up
Lord Raamachandra at ThiruvayyARu (MelukOvayya ).
These " Melukolupu " songs have their echos in 
the songs of one of the greatest SrI VenkatEsa BhakthAs (viz).,
Saint AnnamAchArya . He stood in front of the garbha-gruham 
of Lord Venkatesa and woke up the Lord from
His Yga NidrA just as PeriyAzhwAr woke up young
KrishNa assuming the role of Mother YasOdhA and
ThoNDaradippodi waking up Lord RanganAtha at 
Srirangam and AndaaL waking up Her lord as a gopa
kannikai at SrIvilliputthUr. Here are some excerpts of 
ANNamayyA's tender SuprabhAthams as translated by 
Dr.M. NarasimhAchAry and Dr. Miss. M.S.Ramesh 
( The tenderness, pleading and reminder about 
His PaarArTyam can be matched one on one with 
the AzhwAr SuprabhAtha Paasurams ) :

AnnamayyA SankIrthanamulu(SuprabhAtham)
***************************************
" Oh Lord! please wake up from Your Yoga NidhrA !
  The serpent couch of Yours (AdisEshA) is hissing !

  Oh Lotus-eyed Lord ! When You do not open Your eyes,
  niether the Sun or the Moon will shine in this world !

  There is the red colour appearing in the horizon (dawn).
  Please wake up and do not tarry !

  The lotuses are not willing to bloom and open their
  petals unless and until the white of Your eyes is seen!

  Do not allow this yoga nidhra to overpower You!

  Oh Lord ! Please wake up slowly!

  The day will break only when You open Your eyelids!

  If You do not open Your eyes  , the darkness enveloping 
  the world can never be dispelled !

  Oh Lord of VenkadAthri ! You only know how to dispel
  this dense darkness!

  Oh Lord ! It is time to wake up and spread streaks of
  lightning as it were all around !

ADHYAATHMA SANKEERTHANAMULU: VOL I: SONG 139
*********************************************

Oh Lord ! It is time for You hear the myriads of queer , 
strange requests of Your devotees!

Oh Lord! Why do not You lift " the mosquito net" formed
by the (slough ) of the serpent AdhisEshA ? 

The night has passed on to daybreak. Look, there are
the DevAs and the Munis.

Look yonder! they are all waiting in huge numbers here and
there to have Your darshan !

Oh Lord! Please gently open Your cool , tender lotus-petal eyes!

Oh Lord, the mighty AdisEsha and others , Tumburu, Naarada ,
Lotus-born BrahmA and all the others have gathered near Your
feet and waiting .

Lord VenkatEsa! Wake up , open Your eye-lids and look at 
Your consort, AlarmElmangA and wake up!

Oh Lord ! It is time that You woke up and lent Your patient
ears and listened to all these countless appeals of the devotees.

KRITHI
******
Oh Lord! Please wake up ! You have to protect the people on
this earth!

Your infinite grace and DayA is our rakshA(protective talisman)!
Please wake up from Your sleep!

The lotus eyes of the GopikAs have all bloomed .
Oh You with the bright sun as Your eye! wake up.

Oh ParamjyOthi whose effulgence has spread farand wide
and dispels the darkness caused by the demons, Wake up!

The sins are dark like blue lillies and to dispel that
darkness , oh Lord having the Moon as an eye , please 
wake up!

The VedAs in the form of birds are all twittering 
and singing (i-e., the day has broken).

Oh Father! Oh Saviour! Oh Kalpaka VrikshA(boon giver)
to those who seek You!

Awake and arise !

Song 377
********

Oh Lord! Give up these pretensions!Enough of Your
Yoga NidhrA! Oh Lord! Please awake and arise !The cows
are bellowing for their young ones.It is time to milk
them, Oh GovindhA!Do not tarry any longer.Awake and arise Now!
The Young boys from here and there have assembled in the streets 
and are waiting for You to commence playing .The Sun has also risen.
Oh Lord Awake and Arise !The GopikAs from their colonies have
all come here to shower their affection on You and to play
with You.

YasOdhA has also come holding in her hand a vessel filled
with curds and vegetables (to feed You).Do not tarry any longer .
Awake and arise! NandagOpAla is calling You by Your name.
Open atleast the corner of Your eyes and look .Oh Lord!
Awake and arise !

Thus AnnamayyA woke up " the ever-awake , all-pervasive,
all-knowing Supreme One " with VeeNA in his hand and with 
tender words identical to those used by the AzhwArs of
yore .

At this SuprabhAtha Sevai, we are blessed to see the lotus
feet of the Lord without any flower coverage. After the First
archanA, those sacred feet will be covered by the heap of
fresh flowers up to the noopuram!

Thus AnnamayyA woke up his dear Lord just as his AchAryan,
Adhi VaNN saThakOpa Jeeyar woke up Lord Narasimhan at
AhObila KshEthram nearby.

AdiyEn will cover the significance of SaaRRumuRai Sevai next
and it s connection to SaraNAgathi at SiRRam SiRu Kaalai.

NamO VenkatEsAya !     

Punar Darsana PrApthirasthu 
SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,
Daasan Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan 



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