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Yesterday's Vairamudi sEvai at ThirunArAyaNapuram

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 28, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs :

This is a belated tribute to ThirunArAyaNan of Melkote.
Yesterday was the BahudhAnya year's Vaira Mudi Sevai 
for Sri YathirAja SampathkumAran at ThirunArAyaNapuram .
On this special day , the Lord known as Chella PiLlai 
and Raamapriyan wears the Vairamudi brought from 
Sri Vaikuntam by Garudan on this special day . 

In each Sri VaishNavaa Home , we hear the slOkam eulogizing
ThirunArAyanan as Yathusaila Deepam .He is the Deepa PrakAsan 
on top of Yadhugiri and is saluted along with Sri Ranganaathan,
Sri VenakatanAthan and Sri VaradarAjan this way :

Sri Ranga MangaLa nidhim karuNA nivAsam
Sri VenkatAdhri SikharAlaya KaaLamEgham 
Sri Hastigiri SiksrOjvala PaarijAtham
Sreesam namAmi SirasA yadhusaila dheepam 

At ThirunArAyanapuram , the Lord is Prathyaksham
to AchArya RaamAnujA and VedasvarUpan, Garudan .
Nine hundred years ago , AchArya RaamAnujA arirved 
here at the age of 82 and stayed for 12 long years
performing AarAdhanam to Yadhugiri NaacchiyAr samEtha
Sri Sampath KumAran . Our AchAryaa bulit the gopuram
for ThirunArAyaNan and performed the prathishtai for
Him after recovering from Him , where He was hiding
under an ant hill . Today standing under the Aananda
VimAnam , He looks with affection at our AchAryA 
and reminesces about the hasty journey back with him from 
the Delhi SultAnA's inner chambers after being" rescued by " 
His dear Bhakthan . Blessed are the people , who have the 
darsana SoubhAgyam of the Lord at ThirunArAyaNapuram 
on this Vairamudi Sevai day along with the darsanam of
Sri Yadghugiri NacchiyAr , Yoga Narasimhan on the adjacent
hill and AchArya RaamAnujA . 

It has been said that Acharya RaamAnujA offered 
the ThiruvAimozhi 4.1 decad to ThirunArAyaNan as
MangaLAsAsanam from NammAzhwAr :

orunAyakamayODavulakDnANDavar
karunAi kavarntha kaalar sithaikiya Paanayar
perunAdu kANa immayilE picchai taam koLvar
THIRUNAARANAAN thALL kaalam peRac chinthitthuyninE 

The fourth line of the above Paasuram is considered
as the Dhvaya Manthra artham by Sri Rahasya Thraya Saaram . 

Meaning  of the above paasuram as per Dr.V.N. Vedantha Desikan
Swamy : " men, who ruled over vast territories with an unquestioned 
suzeranity , are one day driven out ,and are driven to the plight of 
living on alms , roaming , unnoticed in dark night , out of sheer 
shamefulness . Black dogs chase them and bite their legs. 
What a fate ! With cheap metal dish on hand , trying to avoid 
the sight and identification by people , whom he would have sent
away , when he was on the throne , he now has to livea humble life
of begging -in the same life; that is the worst part of it.
So, please learn the ephemeral and fickle nature
of prosperity. Contemplate on the Lord's feet in order to
gain the real prosperity of salvation . And do it immediately-
not putting it off ".

It is my pleasure to refer you to Sri MadhavakkaNNan's
Bhakthi-soaked translations of the other paasurams 
of this 4.1 decad of ThiruvAimozhi to offer your individual
salutations to the Lord of Yaadahava Giri , ThirunArAyaNan .

The lasting Isvaryam is pointed out by AzhwAr as
Nithya kaimkaryam to Sriman NaarAyaNan at ThirunArAyanapuram
( Sri VaikuNtam ). AzhwAr concludes this decad on Sriman NaarAyaNan
of ThirunArAyaNapuram this way : " So has SatakOpan sung a thousand 
verses on the holy feet of the Lord , pointing them out , as the right
path for salvation and the life of service to Him . Of them all ,
whosoever masters this decad without a flaw , will be freed of all
grief and will attain the desired goal of nithya kaimkaryam 
at THrunArAyaNapuram aka Sri Vaikuntam ". 

Hence let us learn and recite this decad on Sriman NaarAyaNA
and understand the nature of everlasting wealth awaiting us .

Sriman NaarAyaNam BhajAmi sathatam ,asEshAn thyajAmi 
Daasan , Sadagopan

P.S : I would like to add a small krithi to be sung in
Raagam Suddha SaavEri , a Janya Raagam of Hari KaambhOji
for the BahudhAnya Vairamudi Sevai day about Sri MahA Lakshmi .

This is about AbhishEkavalli ThAyAr of ThirukkaNNamangai, 
the dear consort of Bhaktha Vathsala PerumAL standing under 
UthpalA VimAnam . AbhishEka Valli ThAyaar is SaakshAth
MahA lakshmi , when She was bathed in sacred waters by 
the ashtasgajmas and DevAs as well as sages prior to Her selecting 
Sriman NaarAyaNA as her husband after the churning of the milky ocean
by the Lord  to acquire Amrutham for the DevAs . She is 
the Sarva Mangala Maangalya PeNnamudhu that the Lord opted for , 
while he gave away the other Amudhu to the DevAs .

The Suddha SaavEri Krithi for the Vairamudi Sevai day 
******************************************************

Palalvi:    AarAdhayaami AbhishEkavalleem 
            Aanandha lahareem manasA

Anupallavi: AakAra Thraya sampannaam Aravindha lOchanAm 
            Bhaktha vathsala Naayakeem Bhava Naasineem (aarAdhayAmi)

SaraNam :   Chandhra SahOdhareem KsheerAbdhi TanayAM
            Umaa VaaNi SamsEvitha Charana Kamalaam 
            PoorNa ShaatguNya VigrahAM Udhaaraam 
            HiraNmayeem Hemamaalineem Dhayaanidhim (AaradhayAmi)

Notes :(1) Aanadha Lahareem = about the One , who is the embodiment 
        of the waves of BrahmAnandham for her BhakthAs , when
        they meditate on Her thru recitation of sthOthrams like 
        AlavandhAr's ChathusslOki,KurEsan's Sri Sthavam and 
        Swami Desikan's Sri Sthuthi .

       (2)AakAra Thrya sampannAM : The detailed commentary on
        Her Aaakara Thrayam has been included in my earlier 
        Bhakthi List postings archives on the 8 MahA lakshmi Krithis 
        of Sri Mutthuswamy Deekshithar . 

       (3) UdaarAm : MahA lakshmi feels so generous that She blesses 
        us with Isvaryams of every kind . Even after that , She feels
        uncomfortable that She has not given enough .That is the nature
        of Her UdhAra SvabhAvam .

       (4) Poorna ShAtguNya VigrahAM : She shares the six GuNAs 
        that the Lord is celebrated for . His great status 
        is due to the fact that He is associated with Her 
        as described by AlavandhAr's ChathusslOki and Swami 
        Desikan's commentary on it. H.H. the current Azhagiyasinghar
        discusses this subject in Nrusimha priyA and quotes 
        Swami Desikan's words : " athra Samanvaya -avirOdha -
        saadhana -Phala - SaarIraka ChathuradhyAyi Samadhigathasya 
        Bhagavatha:,SARVA PRAAKARA ABHIMATHA ANUROOPA 
        SAHADHARMACHAARINEE VISISHTATAYAAOI SARVAADHIKATHVAM --".
    
        BhagavAn is comprehended by Saariraka Saasthram
        (Sri Bhaashyam ). It has four chapters : Samanvayam ,
        AvirOdham , Saadhanam  and Phalan . To this Lord understood
        by the four chapters of Sri Bhaashyam , Sri Devi is helpful
        in every way , besides being His Sahadharma ChaariNi .She
        enhances Her Lord's glory through Sarva Praakara Abhimatha -
        anuroopa- svaroopa-roopa guNams including jagath KaaraNathvam .
        NaarayaNan with Sri becomes Sriman NaaraayaNan and gets elevated
        thru manthra rathnam , Dhvayam . They become together yEka 
        sEshithva dampathis and JagadhAmpathis .

        NamO NamO Sriman NaarAyaNA ,
        Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan