" Life's Journey to Achaaryan's Blessed feet " :( Feb 6, 2000 ), Station : Oppilappan Koil , SaraNAgathi NavAham : Day 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

• February 21, 2000


Sri:
Sri LakshmI Nrusimha ParabrahmaNE Nama:
Sunday , Feb 6, 2000 : Prathamai , SravishtA nakshathram
**********************************************************
This was the day of preparation for prapatthi . KombUr
GhanapAdi Sri VasudEvAcchAr Swamy helped me perform 
PrAjApathya Kruschnam , PrAyschittha PrayOgam after
the rites of vapanam to create Kudumi in the sampradhAyic
manner . 

First , snAnam in the DakshiNa VirajA nadhi , one of the
three branches of Cauvery at Oppiliappan Koil ( NattAn 
VaaikkAl, KeerthimAn, ArisilARu ) was performed . On return
home, Soorya madi was worn and visit to the temple to have 
the Darsanam of the Lord with just His Kavacham was realized.
All the heavy ThuLasi Garlands of SravaNam day had been removed
and the Lord was resplendent in His svabhAvika Soundharyam .
The Moolavar was getting ready for His Thirumanjanam . The Uthsavar,
Ponnappan was at the archanai MaNdapam and the Udayavar Satari 
was placed at both Moolavar's and Uthsavar's ThiruvadigaL 
to seek their blessings for the Journey to Melkote. An angavasthram
worn by Uthsavar was presented to adiyEn . 

P.M.Trip to KumbakONam/Thirukkudanthai
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(1)At Thirukkudanthai Sri KomaLavalli SamEtha Sri
AarAvamudhan's temple was resplendent with recent
SamprOkshanam renovations. The sevai of AarA Amudhuan
and His divine consort was eye filling . Our dear
Sri Sampath rengarajan was fortunate enough to 
attend this function in person .

At the ThAyaar sannidhi , the prayer of Thirukkudanthai
Desikan ( Composer of Sri AparyApthAmrutha SopAnam ) was 
reflected upon:

"Jaya DhugdhAbdhi tanayE , Jaya Saarngadhara PriyE
Jaya KaaruNya SurabhE , Jaya Laavanya VaaridhE "

(Meaning ): Oh Daughter of the Milky Ocean! Oh Consort
dear to Sri SaarngapANi ! Oh KaamadhEnu of KaaruNyam !
Oh Ocean of Beauty ! Hail to Thee ! May Thou be victorious !

" BhArathI VandhithE ! PaarvathI nandhithE !
  VaasavI SevithE ! Kaa SamA Devi thE ?" 

(Meaning ): Oh KomaLavalli ! Thou art worshipped 
by Sarasvathi . You are the cause of Joy for
Paarvathi. You are saluted by IndirANi . Is there 
any one equal to You in glories ? 

"Paahi PadhmAlayE , Paahi PadhmAnanE , Paahi KaaruNya SindhO 
 NamasthE samasthEpsithArtha pradhAnaikathAnaika HasthE "

(meaning): Oh Divine One with Your home in the Lotus flower !
Oh the most beautiful One with the face like just blossomed 
Lotus ! Oh Ocean of mercy ! Please protect me! 
My salutations to You , who with Her blessed hand confers
all what one desires without hesitation ! May Thou protect me !

(2)The next stop was at Sri AarAvamudhan's sannidhi .This insatiable
nectar sung by 5 AlwArs with 51 paasurams gave His dhivya darsanam . 
The Lord , who responded to the demanding Bhakthan's 
(Thirumazhisai AzhwAr's )command gives us His sevai 
in UtthAna Sayanam ( KidanthavARezhinthirunthu pEsu 
Vaazhi KesanE ).BhoothatthAzhwAr addressed Him as ,
"YengaL perumAn imayOr talai mahan nee --paampaNai
mEl sErnthAi , Kudamookil kOilAkkoNDu ". AzhwAr 
recognized the Lord resting on the thousand hooded
AdisEshan as DevAthi Devan here . NammAzhwAr saluted
the Lord as "Aaraa Amudhu " (Insatiable nectar /
aparyApthAmrutham ) and rcognized Him further as
" Yaazhiin IsayE amudhE aRivin payanEariyERE ".

The moving prayer of NammAzhwAr ( KaLaivAi Thunbam--
Paasuram : ThiruvAimozhi-5.8.8) came to my mind:

" Oh Lord of Thirukkudanthai wielding the powerful
Sudarsanam ! Oh Incomparable MaayAvi ! I do not have any 
say about Your banishing my worries or not . AdiyEn only 
wants to concede that I have no helper other than You.
My body is  slowly deteriorating and the day when my
prANan leaves my body is not too far . At that moment,
adiyEn may be distracted with pains . My prayer to You now is
that my current steadfast devotion to Your holy  feet 
should stay at the same level during my last moments here" . 
Prathishtai for the Udayavar SatAri was done both at 
Sri KaomaLavalli ThAyAr's and Lord AarAvamudhan's sannidhi.

(3) Sri Pattbahi Raman gave His darsanam next at His
sannidhi built 400 years ago by the Naik Kings . Bhattar
intutively performed Thirumanjanam for the SatAri with
Purusha Sooktham and performed AarAdhanam . Garlands were 
wrapped around the SatAri and returned to adiyEn .

(4) It was seven'o Clock by this time . Srimath Azhagiya
Singar was expected to arrive from ThiruveLLUr Vidhvath
Sadas for a two night stay at Thirukkudanthai . Young
boys learning Saama , Yajur , Rg vedams were there 
at the entrance to KumbakONam to welcome the great 
AchAryan with PoorNa Kumbham . Soon the four Vaahanams ( Buses ) 
came into the focus and the first one stopped in front
of the assembled sishyAs . AsmathAchAryan rose from His seat 
and blessed us all without getting out of the Vaahanam . 
AdiYen was asked to be at the front to receive His blessing .
The most merciful AchAryan inquired about the Prapatthi 
set for the next day : " Is it n't it tomorrow
your BharanyAsam ? " . Inspite of His tiring journey 
and the many things on His mind , Our AchAryan's sishya
Vaathsalyam has few comparisons .  AdiyEn was near
tears and begged for the grace of receiving Prapatthi 
from HH the Jeeyar the next day . Vij~yApanam was
thus made in a formal sense . 

An hour later , adiyEn met HH the Jeeyar at His
temporary residence , while PuNyAvAchanam was being
done to set up the Silver maNtapam for Sri Lakshmi
Nrusimhan. Our compassionate AchAryan inquired about us 
here and sugested that adiyEn return to Oppiliappan Koil 
and rest since it would be nearly 1 AM for the arrangements
for settling down in the new place of residence for
Sri MalOlan . He suggested that adiyEn return early 
next day to join in the GhOshti. 

Thus ended another beautiful day in communion
with Srimath Azhagiya Singar of unparalleled 
compassion for His sishya vargams .

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan