Author: Kazhiyur Varadan

Lord Sriman Narayana incarnated in different avatharas in this world, for spreading the message of the liberation for the jeevatma from this material bondage .

Unsatisfied , LORD summoned His serpent couch, the nitya-soori (eternally free soul) .

Adisesha, and instructed,

My dear Adishesha !

“Go down to the mortal world and live there for 200 years, and through

your exhortations, empower the people with knowledge about their true nature and make them come to..

My world, so that they enjoy “eternal bliss” forever …….

Accordingly, Adishesha appeared as “Swamy Ramanuja” in the age of Kali, where Adharma was in the forefront due to the karmic vasanas .

Swamy Ramanuja followed LORD;s directives by spreading the divine message of Azhwars and the true knowledge to seek Lord’s mercy and disappeared at the age of 120.

The Lord was not satisfied with the developments and felt the mission was incomplete Hence he once again advised Swamy Ramanuja to complete the original assignment of remaining in this material world for complete 200 years and uplift the jivatmaas .

With implicit obedience, Adishesha who appeared as Swamy Ramanuja once again appeared as Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar at Sikkil Kidaaram .

In his early years he was trained by his father Tigazhaakkidanthan on Vedas and the Divya Prabhandam .

He moved from Sikkil Kidaaram to Azhvar Thirunagari to become the disciple of the revered Acharyar Thiruvaimozhipillai who was the disciple of Loka Acharyar Swamy Pillai Lokacharyar .

Thus our Saint Vara Vara Muni was the last of the poorvacharyas amongst the grand galaxy of preceptors of Srivaishnavam.

Check the appended blog post for more details

” Thiruvaaimozhi pillai vaibhavam ” Parama guru of Lord Ranganathar…. …. Swamy Manavala Mamuni attributing everything to the lotus feet of his legendary Acharyar… ( Yendhai Thiruvaimozhi Pillai Inn arulaal..)”

It is believed , AdisEsha, in his previous incarnation as Swamy Ramanuja, was very much attracted to Nammazhvars’ s appearance and his divine outpouring (thiruvAimozhi), and hence, earned the appellation “mAran adipaNindhu Uynthavan”.

In keeping with this overwhelming love for Swamy Nammazhvar, the second time AdisEsha selected Azhvar Thirunagari as the place most suited for his appearance and thus Swamy appeared in the month of Aipassi under the star Moola which falls on November 1st 2019 , and was named “Azhakiya maNavALapperumAL nAyanAr by his parents .

This was an year after Swami Desikar ascended to Srivaikuntam

Swami Azhakiya maNavALapperumAL nAyanAr excelled as the disciple of Swamy Tiruvaimozhi pillai .

One day Swamy Tiruvaimozhi pillai while meditating on the great qualities of saint Ramanuja, pondered over those stanzas of Thiruvarangath-amudanar………….
depicting Swamy Ramanuja as a staunch devotee of Saint Nammazhvar proclaiming to the inhabitants of this wide world, end to end, the great glory of the Azhvar’s hymns.

Swamy Tiruvaimozhi pillai ( Srisailesar) decided for raising a fitting memorial for Swamy Ramanuja, right at the appearance place of Swamy Nammazhvar (Azhvar Thirunagari). This took concrete shape soon thereafter.

Tiruvaimozhi pillai with the support of the villagers after clearing the wild vegetation at Azhvar-thirunagari took all initiatives in bringing back the sacred deity which was lost during invasions .

Swamy thus had erected a temple at Azhvar-thirunagari for Swami Ramanuja and installed Sri Ramanuja’s deity ( Swamy Ramanuja’s Bhavishyad Acharaya vigraha ) which had been presented to Sri Madhurakavi Azhvar that lay buried at the foot of the famous Tamarind tree few hundred years back .

The surrounding streets were named as Sri Ramanuja Chaturvedi Mangalam and were permanently inhabited, exclusively by the ardent worshippers of Swamy Ramanuja.

The zealous disciple, Azhakiya Manavala Nayanar, was called upon by Srisailesar to stay in this new colony and look after the daily routine of the temple.

Nayanar s extra-ordinary devotion to this great cause earned the unstinting approbation of his Acharyar

Srisailesar, who started calling him a Yateendra Pravanar signifying the enormous love and devotion borne by him for Swamy Ramanuja, the Prince of ascetics a name which became immortal .

Over a period of time , Swamy Tiruvaimozhi pillai ordered his ardent disciple Azhakiya maNavALapperumAL nAyanAr who had learnt all sastras , to propagate the divya prabandham ( azhvar’s 4000 hymns and their commentaries) to the world.

He wished that living in Sri Rangam and propagating the true tenets of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya as given in the hoary aruLiccheyal (divya prabandham) was the need of the hour. Hence advised him to proceed .

The devoted disciple that he was, Azhakiya maNavALapperumAL nAyanAr did act according to the commandments of his Acharyar Thus Azhakiya maNavALapperumAL nAyanAr spent his time in giving divine discourses at Srirangam .

Once during this period , few relatives passed a message about some asowcham ( impurity ) which was coming in the way of service to the Lordships .

Not being able to be kept out of service even for few days, Nayanar decided to take up sanyasam and requested LORD’S permission.

After accepting sanyasa, Nayanar offered benedictions to namperumal for uninterrupted services forever . Pleased with nAyanar, NamperumAl blessed him with theertham, thirumAlai, thiruparivattam, and Sri sadagopam and gave him a honorable name

AZHAGIYA MANAVALA JEEYER.

Thus the bonding between LORD and his disciple became closer and closer .

Lord Ranganathar ( Peria Perumal ) had a desire to be accomplished through Azhagiya Manavala Jeeyer in Srirangam.

He seized the golden opportunity and ordered him to give a public discourse on the Eedu (36000 padi), the super-commentary of Swami Nampillai on Thiruvaimozhi along with other commentaries, in alluring style for having the good fortune of being trained by the esteemed Acharyar Thiruvaimozhip pillai .( Srisailer )

In order to accommodate unhindered conduct for the divine discourses all festivities of the temple was kept in abeyance . History reveals that for a whole year, Namperumal had enjoined cessation of all festivals which proves the dedication of the disciple and the Acharyar .

On the final day of the discourse , and uplifting event occurred , which was interestingly, by the “Ani thiru-moola” star.

And hence the Sri Vaishnava-world attaches equal importance to this Ani moola star auspicious day also, in a manner akin to the day of Acharyar’s “Aippasi Thirumoola” appearance day.

Lord appeared amidst the august assembly of Acharyar and galaxy of sri vaishnavas, in the guise of an archakar’s (priest) son by the name Aranga Naayakam and brushing aside the opposition getting into proximate presence to Swami mAmunikaL’s seat

recited the following stanza in

His inimitable, majestic voice resembling the thunder of a rumbling cloud……………

“SriSailEsha dayA pAthram dheeibhakthyAdi guNarnavam
Yetheendra pravaNam vandE ramyajA mAtharam munim”

LORD in the guise of an archakar’s (priest) a small boy ( kept a palm leaf containing the above sloka on a golden plate full of flowers, fruits, coconuts and other sacred paraphernalia of guru dakshiNa (token of appreciation) and after offering it at the holy feet of Swami mAmunikaL, walked towards the sanctum & disappeared.

To add to this magnificent miracle, Periya Perumal, the Lord Ranganatha Himself, immediately ordered through the archaka……….

let this slOka be recited at the beginning of all divya prabhanda recitations just as a Vedic recital begins and ends with the sacred

‘Om’

so also all recitals of the tamil veda, the divya prabhandam, shall commence and end with

‘srI SailESa dayA pAtram’.

adiyArgaL vAzha arangka nagar vAzha
sadakOpan thaNdamizh nUl vAzha * –

kadal sUzhndha mannulagam vAzha *
maNavALa mAmuniyE * innum oru nURRANdirum *

These holy verses extols Swamys contributions to continued existence and prosperity of Sri Vaishnavaism, the followers, their holy temples, scriptures, traditions, and the well being of the whole world, and concludes with the prayer, that the great saint Swamy Manavalamaamuni live for another hundred years for fulfilling that purpose.

Swami mAmunikaL’s life was punctuated by many events that demonstrated that he was no ordinary person. In fact, authentic accounts of Sri Vaishnava literature and lineage, position Swami maNavALa mAmunikaL at the very pinnacle of the orthodox lineage of Sri Vaishnava AchAryas (called `OrAn vazhi’) and with the above divine incident , identify him as the Acharya (guru) for Lord RanganAtha himself!!

The apparent conflict between 100 years and perpetuity is resolved, when one understands the key link of devoted Sri Vaishnava devotees, their ongoing practice of the prayer and traditions as a “Vaazhaydi Vaazhai”, for the perpetuation of the faith.

Thus the 100 and more number of years down the line there will be faithful chanting of the divine prayers for the same for the infinite future.

Among several disciples the foremost eight disciples were very special . They are glorified as as “Ashta Dhig Gajams” or the mighty elephants guarding the eight directions of earth who are as below

(1) VaanamAmalai Jeeyar

(2) BhattarpirAn Jeeyar

(3) ThiruvEnkata RaamAnuja Jeeyar

(4) Koil aNNan

(5) PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram aNNan

(6) ErumpiappA

(7) aAppiLLai and

(8) AppiLLAr .

Swamy Erumbiappa, one of the astadiggajas glorified 100 verses adorning the divine qualities of Swamy Manavalamamuni .

In Srivaishnava sampradayam, Azhvar it indicates to only nammAzhvar, the term swamy refers only to Swamy Ramanuja and Jeeyer is a special term indicating Periya Jeeyer, our Sri Vara Vara Muni.

The verses of Swamy erumbiappa are called as Vara Vara Muni sathakam .

Swamy prathivAdi bayankaram annan had also glorified the divine qualities of his Acharyar .

Swamy Maamuni had the highest regard for Swami Desikan and used to refer him with great affection as ” ABHIYUKTHAR ” OR THE REVERED ONE likewise Swami Desikar had the highest regard for the Achaarya of Swamy Maamuni’s own Achaarya, Swamy Pillai LokAcharyar.

Swamy has been glorified with several names like Varavaramuni, Periya Jeer, Vichatavak Shikhamani , Sowmyajamatrumuni, ramyajamatra muni, Sowmyopayanthrumuni, Sundarajamatrumuni, , YatheendraPravanar .

“Upadesa Ratinamala” is a wonderful work composed by Swamy Mamunigal which has 73 verses that gives the details of Azhwars and Acharyas appearance & their divine works.

Swamy Erumbiappa composed the 74 th verse and pleaded Lord Ranganathar requesting LORD to accept them and hence as a result of Lord’s command, the following verse was included in Upadesa Ratinamala.

The verse goes like

“mannuyir_kAL ingE maNavALa mAmunivan *

senkamalappOthukaLai * –

unnis siraththAlE theeNdil

amAnavanum nammai *

karaththAlE theeNdal kadan “

The Meaning of the above verse ………….

“Oh my dear devotees who desire for Moksha seeking Swamy Mamunigal’s lotus Feet listen ….

taking refugee at the Lotus feet of Swamy Mamunigal will definitely lead us to the blessings of “Amanavan” who allows us at the entrance into Sri Vaikuntam” as we are Swamy Manavala mamuni’s disciples …

Swami Manavala Mamunikal is compared favorably with the kind of divinity exuded by Swami Ramanuja. After all, they were both the incarnation of our Lord’s dear serpent servant Adi sEsha.

. Fortunate are the devotees who are at Srirangam and Azhwar Thirunagari celebrating the grand festival of Aani Thirumoolam

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Swamy Manavala maamunigaley thiruadigaley sharanam

Pictures credits : Advanced devotees serving Lord

videos : At Sri MudaliAndaans swamy Thirumaligai

Sundare sundaro ramah …… Sundare sundari katha……….

Sundare sundari sita ………… Sundare sundaram vanam,

Sundare sundaram kavyam…….Sundare sundarah kapih ………

Sundare sundaram mantram…….Sundare kim na sundaram…….

The fifth kaandam in Sriramayanam known as “SUNDARA KAANDAM” is the most popular kaanda.  Unlike names of other kandams which are self explanatory, this kandam is known as “Sundaram-beautiful” as everything ..

-Hanumanji’s Rama bhakti, Sitadevi’s chastity, Srirama’s plight to rescue HER, their concern for each other, torments in samsaara  are so beautifully described by maharishi.  The characters of the trio makes even a stone melt.  That’s the reason even after so many lakhs of years, we read Sundarkandam with reverence.  Also, reciting Sundarakandam is considered equivalent to reading the entire Ramayana as Hanuman and Trijata narrate all the incidents-past,present and future in the august presence of Sitadevi.

             After  coronation of  Sugreeva as the King of Vaanaras,  Lord Srirama and Lakshmana spent four months during monsoon   in Malyavan parvath in Prasvanagiri  in Hampi, Karnataka.

  Lord  Srirama experienced unbearable pain due to separation from  our mother Sitadevi.  The Lord was worried about Sitadevi’s welfare and  used to lament uncontrollably. 

At the end of monsoon, Sugreeva deputed crores of vaanaras and bears in all directions in search of Sitadevi giving them one month’s  time to trace the whereabouts and inform for taking up next course of action. 

 Sugreeva explained geographical  particulars  about all the places  around  the world in detail .

The vanaras headed by  Prince Angadha and supported by senior  Jambavan and Hanuman were assigned the task of searching in the southern direction.  Lord Srirama handed over HIS finger ring to Hanumanji  who was standing in a corner.

Our poorvacharyars give reason as to why Srirama selected Hanuman to give his  finger ring .  It was the time  at Kishkinda  when Lord Rama was in search of Mother Sita .   Hanumanji  was in thoughts  to see Srirama lamenting for a lady.

Hanumanji a brahmachari was wondering as to why a person of high stature like  Lord Srirama  tutored by rishis like Sage Vasishta, Vishwamitra was so emotional .

Lord   Srirama  our antaryami   sensed Hanumanji’s  feelings .  To make Hanuman realise the greatness of    Sitadevi, Srirama selected Hanuman and handed over HIS finger ring with HIS holy name engraved on it. 

And it was also an indication that Paramatma  laments for all the  jivaatma in the same lines .

It was because of the  holy ring that Hanuman could cross the ocean and meet  Mother Sitadevi and obtain HER blessings.  When Hanumanji saw Sitadevi’s steadfast devotion towards   Lord Srirama, he regretted for his thoughts initially   .

Having understood HER greatness , Hanuman visualised both of them together in his heart and offered prayers.

                           Hanumanji introduced to  mother Sitadevi that he was “Rama dhoothan” whereas when he returned to Lord Rama as “Sitadevi’s messenger” to convey the good news about Sitadevi’s welfare, he addressed himself as “Raama daasan”. With Mother’s grace, our ego vanishes.  Our poorvacharyars comment that when Hanuman went as “rama dhootan”-, he was gifted with fire on the tail whereas when he returned as Sita dhootan, he was embraced by Lord Rama.  

The vanaras who went in the southern direction explored all the places until they reached  SWayamprabha caves in Kadayanallur near Tirunelveli in Tamilnadu .  

Swayamprabha an  advanced Sathwi  was the guardian for the magical cave owned by Mayasuran.   Anyone who entered could not come out.  She hosted the vanaras  and later  transported the vanaras to the seashore( about 150 kms away from Kadayanallur) after knowing about their devotion to Lord Rama with her powers . 

 Having reached the seashore, the vanaras were worried because the stipulated time of one month   fixed by their King Sugreeva  was over and they could not trace Sitadevi. They knew for sure that Sugreeva would not spare them and decided to end their lives as they did not have the courage to face Srirama  who was already suffering pangs of separation.

Angadha had lit a big pyre for them to sacrifice their lives.

He started lamenting about Sitadevi’s abduction, Jatayu sacrificing his life in Ramaseva after fighting with Ravana , their search expedition and failure in the assignment.

Sampaati-the eagle bird summoned Angadha and introduced himself as Jatayu’s elder brother , shared how he lost his wings while protecting Jatayu from the scorching heat of sun in the process loosing his wings and became immobile.

Sampaati was informed about Jatayu’s Raama kainkaryam and he too resolved to do the same.  He informed the vanaras about Sitadevi’s whereabouts with his sharp vision in the far away land, Lanka.  Having done this Raama kainkaryam, Sampaati regained his lost wings and flew away.

Now that the whereabouts of Sitadevi were known, the vanaras started contemplating as to who would cross the ocean which was measuring 100 yojanas (1000 miles) to meet   mother Sitadevi. Each vanara  expressed their  ability to cross few yojanas .  Angadha said that he could cross 100 yojanas but would not have the energy to return. The aged Jambavaan who knew Hanuman’s capabilities approached Hanuman and started enumerating his strength and skills.  When Hanuman was a child, he mistook Sun to be an apple and leapt in the sky to hold it.

      He was hit by Indra with vajrayudham on his chin(hanu) and hence was called Hanuman.  Vayu, hanuman’s father stopped air which made the whole world breathless.  To appease his anger, brahma and other devas bestowed many boons on Hanuman. 

Brahma cursed him to forget his  prowess but would get back his strength when someone reminded him at an apporpriate time.  Jambavan reminded him of his capabilities and requested Hanuman to undertake Rama kainkaryam.  (Sage Agastya extolled Hanuman’s greatness  to Srirama in Uttara kaandam)

He confidently proclaimed that he would finish the yeomen task of locating  mother Sitadevi saying that like  Sri Rama’s arrow which never failed to hit its target, he would accomplish the task.

All the vanaras vowed to observe fast until Sitadevi was found.  Reposing confidence to the vaanaras,  Hanuman stood on Mahendragiri parvatham in Thirukurungudi beyond Tirunelveli in Tamilnadu and after offering prayers to Suryan, Indran, Vayu,  Sri Rama , He increased in size and leapt on the sky to cross the ocean.

Thus starts Sundarakandam,-the most beautiful kaandam as everything is beautiful in it.  Every household in India has a copy of Sundarakanda .  It is a normal practice in Srivaishnava wedding to present Sundarakandam to the groom as it is considered very auspicious. 

Our poorvacharyars have clearly indicated that

Lord Rama is the Paramatma

MOther Sita is the Jivatma suffering in this material world for reunion with Paramatma

Lanka is the samsara(material world)

Our manas is Ravana and the ten senses are considered as the ten heads of Ravana

Hanuman is the acharya(gurudeva) who extols Paramatma’s qualities to Jivatma, gives the holy name to Jivatma,  submits Jivatma’s plea to Paramatma,  destroys Lanka(samsaara) with the fire of knowledge and finaly reunites Jivatma with Paramatma.

The jivatma who gets illusioned with material world, leaves Paramatma and ends up in trouble loitering in the material world until an acharya intervenes and imparts supreme knowledge about the Lord, gives us the mantra to attain  HIM, submits our plea to the Lord and ensures our union with the Supreme Lord by destroying our desires (samasara)

                              And our journey to Sri Lanka to have the darshan of all the holy places fructified in August 2018 and an attempt is being made to reproduce the divine bliss to millions of Hari bhaktha . 

     Hanumanji must have entered Srilanka from the north-western part via Thiruketeeswaram near Mannar, proceeded southwards and landed on Ramboda hills.  The places related to Sundarakandam are mostly located in Central Srilanka upto Sigiriya in the north and Ussangoda in the south.  

Valmiki maharishi beautifully describes Hanuman’s flight.  Hanumanji increased in size and stretching his hands wide leapt  from Mahendragiri mountain causing its residents to leave the place.  The flowers from the trees had covered Hanuman who was now resembling a flowered mountain. 

Hanumanji  faced the first hurdle which was a friendly gesture by Mynaaka parvatham who was  a close  friend of Vayu bhagavan ( Hanumanji’s father ). He offered fruits and asked Hanuman to take rest but he refused politely by embracing the mountain for its gesture saying that he intended to reach Lanka by evening and was lacking time.

Hanuman won Mynaakam  with his friendly gesture. He didn’t succumb to any temptation.

The second hurdle came in the form of Surasa who was a Naagamaatha( mother of snakes).  The devas prompted her to test Hanuman’s capabilities.  Surasa obstructed Hanuman’s way saying that she wanted to swallow Hanuman to satiate her hunger.

Hanuman informed her about his mission promising her to return and satiate her hunger but she didn’t budge saying that as per Brahma’s words, none could pass by her without fulfilling her wish.  He asked her to open her mouth wide enough for him to get into , started increasing in size.  Surasa also widened her mouth to match his size.  The witty Hanuman suddenly decreased in size , went inside her mouth and came back even before she closed her mouth, offered obeisances to her and having satisfied her wish continued his journey.  As she was a well wisher , Hanuman won her with his intelligence and presence of mind  and didn’t kill her.

Surasa  was pleased with Hanuman .She blessed him assuming her true form.

 The place where this incident took place is known as Nagadweepa, also known as Nayanateevu,  is an island near the North-western part of Srilanka (between Mannar and Jaffna) is now identified as the place where this incident took place.

  There is a big temple for Naagamaatha known as Nagapooshani temple. This is also considered as one of the eighteen shakti peetams.

To reach this place, one has to drive from Jaffna for about 38 kms upto Pungudutheevu .  From Pungudutheevu drive for about 15 kms on a bridge to reach jetty. 

Our journey to this wonderful place is recorded in this video

                   Regular boat services at an interval of one hour is available to go to Nagadeepa.  The fare for the boat ride is LKR 50/- and will take about 20 minutes .

It is one way-the boat stops near the buddhist monastery and the return would be pick up from Nagapooshani temple or vice-versa .  Autos ply between these two places for a nominal charge of Rs.10/- LKR. 

NAGAPOOSHANI AMMAN TEMPLE NAGADWEEPA

BUDDHIST MONASTERY NAGADWEEPA

In Nagadeepa, there are two places to be visited- the first one is the Buddhist monastery as Buddha had visited this place and changed the factionist Naagas into pious people and made them follow Buddhism. Nagapooshani amman temple  can be reached by auto.   Devotees perform  milk abhishekam to the naagas in the temple. 

The third hurdle for Hanumanjee  was   a rakshasi  named Simhika.    Lying on the ocean  she had the power to pull the shadow of anyone flying over her.   She  used her strength to   reduce  Hanuman’jis  speed by pulling his shadow. 

Hanumanji realised the gravity and the unexpected hurdle . She opened her mouth widely and with all her might, she tried to swallow Hanuman  who entered into her mouth and came out swiftly  piercing her stomach  thus killing her.  Simhika was in a pool of blood.  Hanumanjee thus  encountered the third hurdle who was an enemy in reality  with his strength.

This place is identified as Thiruketeeswaram near Mannar on the North-western part of Srilanka (between Jaffna and Anuradhapura) about 116 kms  north-west  of  Anuradhapura-a famous site for Buddhists. 

Also, Kethu-one of the navagrahas who is Simhika’s son prayed to Shiva at this place.  Hence this place is known as Thiruketeeswaram.

  Mandodari’s father built this temple.  Presently the Shiva temple is undergoing renovation.

Hanumanji landed on Suvela parvatham in Srilanka . This place is now known as Ramboda. Chinmaya mission have constructed a beautiful temple for 16 ft Hanumanjee .  There are 3 sets of deities of  Sita-Rama Lakshmana  in the temple premises. 

Chariot procession takes place during  December . As Hanumanji alighted on this parvath on Pournami (Valmiki rishi mentions that Hanuman started his search operation on Pournami and the full moon helped Hanuman with his cool light to see things clearly ), special poojas are performed here. Guest house accomodation(LKR 6600/-for more than 2 PAX) and food court (AnnapurnaVeg.restaurant) are being operated by the mission. (Srirama viewed Lankapura from this placE)

After sunset, Hanumanji took a miniature form to search for Mother Sita.  He marched towards Lankapura city after crossing forests.  Being an island, Lanka was protected by sea on all four sides which was a natural barrier, it has many mountains ,lakes and rivers. Lankapura was situated on one such mountain known as Trikuta parvatham(Sigiriya) and the surrounding places around Kandy are also considered part of this . The historical importance of Sigiriya (a world heritage site ) now is being attributed to King Kasyapa who was an unjust king very similar to Ravana and hid at this place.  (Research relating to Ramayana reveal that this was Ravana’s kingdom) 

It was well guarded on all sides by armed soldiers right from the foot of the hill. The beautiful city was built by Mayasuran-architect for asuras and Ravana’s father in law. Valmiki rishi has aptly described this location which can be found even today.    There were tunnels connections various mountains to which only Ravana had access.  Also, there were aircraft centres at various places which was used by Ravana to fly on his pushpaka vimanam.     

Hanumanjee   was encountered by Lankini- a rakshasi who was a personification of Lanka when he was trying to enter into Lankapura. Hanuman politely told  her that he would return after viewing the beautiful city but the raksasi didn’t accede. Though she hurt  Hanuman  by  hitting with a mace, hanuman pitied her and slightly hit her with his left fist which was unbearable for her.  She accepted defeat and recollecting Brahma’s words that when she would be defeated by a vanara, Lanka’s destruction would be inevitable, she  blessed Hanuman to be victorious in his mission.  

Lankapura is considered as the places around Sigiriya and Kandy.

RAvana ruled from Sigiriya Fort

Hanuman defeated Lankini and started searching for Sitadevi in all the places including the Pushpaka vimanam, palaces of RAvana’s queens, Ravana’s palace, Mandodari’s palace, kitchen ,etc. Lankapura was situated on Trikuta parvatham(Sigiriya rock ) making it inaccessible to intruders. 

Ravana’s court, palace, his queens’ palaces were all situated around this.  Right from the foot of the hills, every place was well guarded. The fort was surrounded with mouts, lakes with crocodiles is it . There are about 

 He came across stationed armies well equipped guarding the kingdom. 

The place where Pushpaka vimanam was kept is now known as Gurulopotha near Sita Kotuwa about 100 kms north east of Kandy. (There is  only a name board and a buddhist temple ).  Likewise Mandodari palace is now known as  “Sita Kotuwa” as Sitadevi was first kept here. This is an archeological site about 3 hours drive from Kandy. 

A guide from the archeological survey office accompanies the visitors to the place. (Guest house facility and a small restaurant serving cool drinks,water, snacks  is run by them.)  We need to walk down the steep terrain for about an hour to reach Sita Kotuwa.    The place where the army was stationed is known  as Weragantota. Gurulopotha and Weragantota are situated near Sita Kotuwa. 

  He found heaps of food in the kitchen but didn’t have the slightest temptation to eat.  He searched every nook and corner of Lanka but could not trace  mother Sitadevi. Hanuman was worried that he  had to look  many ladies which was against his brahmachari vow. But he convinced himself that if you have to search for a deer, you will have to search amongst deers.  Likewise, a woman has to be searched amongst women.  AS he respected all women as his mother and sister, his mind was very clear and was only focused on our Mother’s ( Thayar’s ) welfare.

After searching for the second time, Hanumanji was worried .He  sat on a rock  and decided to end his life as he knew that if he returned without seeing Sitadevi, he would be the cause for destruction of Ishvaku race and the vaanaras. 

Hanuman however regained his determination and realized his mistake. 

He understood that though he  prayed to all the gods  he  forgot to offer prayers to  Mother Sitadevi

Recollecting HER appearance as an ayonija,  

He immediately prayed to Sitadevi guarded by Rama and Lakshmana to disclose her whereabouts similar to the way SHE chose to appear to King Janaka.

 By the grace of Sitadevi,  Hanumanji spotted Ashoka vanam- a beautiful garden which he had missed to explore. 

This place where Hanuman sat and contemplated on Mother Sita is identified as MANIKATUTHER located between Ramboda and Nuwara Eliya.

It is about 20 kms from RAmboda hill and Nuwara Eliya is about 50 kms from Manikatuther. 

Manikatuther is located in Labbookelle Tea Estate in Kondakalai village on a hill bgetween Nuwara Eliya and Ramboda.  WE need to take an auto to go up the hill which has a muddy path from the base. AFter reaching a certain point, we have to trek up the hill through Labbookelle Tea Estate .

The scenic beauty is inexplicable. When we visited this place, the whole area was engulfed in fog , it was drizzling and cool breeze was soothing . ( As the muddy road was drenched with rain, we were told that it would not be possible to go there by our guide.  But we insisted to be taken there and because of Hanuman’s grace, two auto drivers agreed to take us and we could visit the place.)  Presently , there is only a small shiva linga under a tree. 

Sri.Kanakaraj, a disciple of Chinmaya Mission who accompanied us informed that on a clear day, we can view both Ramboda and Nuwara Eliya.

Reaching Lanka, Ravana held Sitadevi captive in Mandodari’s palace which is now known as Sita kotuwa.  Indra prayed to Sitadevi to sustain herself by partaking heavenly sweet for the world’s welfare .  Ravana later shifted HER to Ashoka vanam(presently known as Hakgala Gardens in Nuwara Eliya)

presuming SHE would like the hill station and the natural beauty of his kingdom and succumb to his wish. The village is named as Kondakalai because while Ravana was forcibly taking Sitadevi to Ashoka vanam, Sitadevi’s hair got deranged.

He also informed that the food given by RAvana to Sitadevi was thrown away by HER which fell scattered in the surrounding forests.  The remains became  fossils  known as “SITA GOOLI” have been certified by American researchers as vitaminised rice balls dating few   thousands of years . These balls are considered as symbol of auspiciousness.  We were fortunate to get them to be placed in our altar.

Near Manikatuther, there is a  temple for Sriman Narayana seated on Garuda with Sridevi and Bhudevi.  Mahavishnu is bluish in complexion .  But the locals address this temple as “Rama temple”. 

During Margazhi,(Dec-Jan), early morning Pooja is performed and bhajans are conducted in the nights during the whole month. Few rare beautiful pics from Ramayanam are hung on the walls inside the temple.

When Hanumanji entered Ashoka Vanam (presently known as Hakgala Botanical Gardens in Nuwara Eliya), the flowers blossomed , birds chirped and the weather was very pleasant.  Some flowers dropped on Hanuman’s body which added to his beauty.

Hanuman jumped from one tree to the other in search of Sitadevi.  Finally, he found a sobbing distressed lady glowing with effulgence under a tree and looking at her appearance, the colour of her sari  and the jewels which were hanging from the tree, Hanuman guessed that it was Sitadevi.  His joy knew no bounds.

He was contemplating as to how he has to pick up a conversation with her. Meanwhile, RAvana arrived and started persuading  Sitadevi.  

Mother Sita underwent all these troubles to put an end to Ravana’s atrocities who was slave to lust thus causing harm to womanhood all over the world.  (Poorvacharyars reason that as the wives of celestial persons  were held captive by him, Mother Sitadevi came to Lanka to rescue them ).  Just as a mother who will ensure to protect all the children,
Sitadevi who is the mother of Universe  advised him to restore HER back to Lord Rama and get saved mentioning Sri Rama’s nature to forgive anyone who came for asylum even if it had committed the gravest sin.    When Sitadevi rebuked him by recalling his cowardly act of stealing HER in Srirama’s absence , he became so wild that he wanted to harm her but was stopped by his wife Daanyamaalini. 

The egoistic Ravana  left after warning her that she would be killed and served as breakfast at the end of two months in case she doesn’t concede to his request.

The rakshasis who were threatening her were chastised by Trijata-Vibhishana’s daughter who disclosed the dream she had. 

Trijata revealed her dream in which  she saw victorious Lord Rama seated with Sitadevi wearing white silk clothes on Pushpaka vimanam ,Ravana’s death, anhilation  of rakshasa clan, Vibhishana’s coronation and advised the rakshasis to stop  torturing Sitadevi as SHE alone could protect them from SRirama’s wrath. 

The rakshasis stopped harassing and slept.  Sitadevi who was totally devastated, decided to end her life by hanging HERSELF from Simshuka tree with her hair.

Hanumanji who was sitting on the Simshuka tree became worried at HER approach.  To save HER from this disaster, Hanuman softly sang Srirama’s story  starting from HIS appearance,wedding, banishment , Ravana’s foul play in kidnapping Sitadevi, Jatayu’s death, Sugreeva’s friendship, their search operation etc. Hanuman presented himself as Rama’s messenger and sugreeva’s minister.

He described in detail about Srirama and enquired about devi’s identity.  When Sitadevi got convinced that he was Rama’s messenger, Hanuman presented the holy ring given by Srirama to her and pacified HER that SRirama would kill Ravana ,resuce HER and return to Ayodhya to rule the world. Just as our acharyar gives us the holy name (Tirumantram) to us during Samasrayanam, Hanuman gave tthe holy ring with SRirama’s name engraved on it.  Looking at the ring, Sitadevi wept uncontrollably remembering their separation and suffering .

Thus , the entire Ramayana was sung by Hanuman. This place is known famously known as “SITA ELIYA-SITA AMMAN TEMPLE” located about 4 kms from Nuwara Eliya on a lower altitude. Nuwara Eliya,also known as “Little England” located in the Central highlands of Srilanka  is a hill station and one of the coldest regions in Srilanka .

The thought that Sitadevi sitting under the tree in the cool Ashoka gardens without any protection against the harsh weather conditions made us feel depressed.

Hanuman convinced Sitadevi that Srirama would come at the earliest and rescue HER.  Unable to tolerate Sitadevi’s distress, Hanumanji offered to carry HER on his shoulders and unite HER with Srirama.  He expanded his form to convince about his capabilities.  So, we can see  two sets of footprints in Sita Amman temple-one small and the other one huge .  

Hanuman pacified Jaganmatha assuring HER of Srirama’s arrival to resue HER and consoled her thus saving HER life.  When Hanuman requested Sitadevi  to give some token of identification to present to Srirama, Sitadevi handed over the “choodamani ” and shared few incidents with Hanuman including Kakasuran’s episode , about how the Lord applied thilak so that HE would believe Hanuman as these incidents happened in solitude.

After taking Sitadevi’s blessings, Hanuman decided to meet Ravana and convey Rama’s message.  So, he uprooted the trees in Ashoka vanam .  He defeated the rakshasas who came to fight, destroyed one-fourth of Ravana’s army including 80000 kinnaras, five army chiefs, Ravana’s son-Akshakumara and finally voluntarily got bound by Indrajit’s brahmastra as vayuputra wanted an audience with Ravana.

All these incidents took place at “” Hakgala Botanical Gardens”.  

Hanuman was taken to RAvana’s assembly in Sigiriya Fort. 

Hanuman introduced himself as Sugreeva’s minister and Srirama’s messenger , informed the killing of Vali who had humbled RAvana earlier ,  advised Ravana to return Sitadevi and save his clan from Srirama’s wrath which infuriated Ravana .

Ravana ordered Hanuman to be killed but was intercepted by Vibhishana who said that a messenger should not be killed but could be punished. 

Ravana ordered that Hanuman’s tail be burnt and taken along all the streets .  Hanuman’s tail was wound with cloth dipped in oil and fire was lit. The jubilant rakshasas unaware of Hanuman’s prowess abused him and insulted him by throwing stones and took him through all the places.  Hanuman unmindful of the pain thought that it was a good opportunity so that he can once again see Lanka in the day light.  Few rakshasis rushed to Sitadevi to inform about the happenings.    Sitadevi experienced intolerable grief for the punishment.  She washed her hands in the nearby stream , lit a pyre and prayed to Agnideva to protect Hanuman by proclaiming that if she was chaste and if it is true that sirama would resuce her, Agni should not harm Hanuman.  

Hanuman realised that though his tail was burning, he didn’t feel any burning sensation or pain. He realised that it was because of Sitadevi’s compassion , the fire didn’t harm him.  Hanuman wanted to express his gratitude to firegod by offering the tall mansions to agni. Hanuman freed himself from rakshasas’ clutches and jumping from one building to the other including RAvana’s palace and assembly , he lit fire in all the places.

AS  the golden Lankapura  was on a hill where heavy winds blow, the fire spread immediately . The whole of Lanka was in flames.

Hanuman burnt the whole Lanka including Ravana’s airports at WEragantota , Ussangoda (the southern tip of Lanka). 

Hanuman cooled his burning tail in the waters near Ussangoda near Hambantota- a sea coast about 83 kms from Galle.The sand  here is red in colour.  Usually red sand would be wet whereas here it is as hard as rock.  No vegetation grows here. This is a protected site.  It is advisable to visit this place in daytime .

 Hanuman became worried about Sitadevi’s welfare as the entire Lanka was burning.  But he heard from celestial beings about Sitadevi’s safety and Vibhishana’s house not burnt.  The pleased Hanuman returned to Ashoka vanam and after personally seeing Sitadevi assured her about Rama’s arrival and returned to Kishkinda after taking Mother Sita’s blessings. Assuming a huge form, Hanuman took off from “Arishta” parvatham from Lanka to cross over the ocean to reach Mahendragiri.  Unable to bear his weight, Arishta parvatham got submerged into the sea with only the top visible.  This is considered as “Andaman islands” (this info was shared by Andamanese during our visit-not sure about the authenticity but there is a similarity in the names-Arishta—Andaman)

Hanuman returned to the vanara camp and shared with them Sitadevi’s welfare.  He informed them in detail about his entire journey.  They started the return journey to Kishkinda to inform the good news to SRiram, Enroute  stopped for a while at Madhuban near Hampi to satisfy their hunger. While all the vanaras were satiating their hunger by drinking honey and eating fruits, Our Hanuman was relising   the nectarian names of Lord Rama  which was his lifeline.

Hanuman and other vanaras headed by Angadha returned to Maalyavan parvath and informed about Sitadevi’s welfare and presented the choodamani to Srirama.  A beautiful temple for the Lordships at the place where this incident took place can be seen in Hampi.  Srirama praised Hanuman and  embraced him for completing the mission thus emphasising that HE COULD BE ATTAINED ONLY WITH HANUMAN’S GRACE.

Our poorvacharyas say that  when Hanuman submittd to Srirama without Sitadevi, his tail got burnt but when he got Sitadevi’s blessings, he was blessed with  Lord Rama’s  embrace . 

This emphasizes  Thayar’s intervention as PUrushakaaram in our Srivaishnava sampradayam.   Thus ends  the wonderful prose Sundarakandam.

Pics credits  :  Few from Social media 

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Every year the holy Panchasamaskara Vybhavam of Swamy Ramanujar is celebrated at Madhurantakam in grand manner during Avani Month in Sukla Paksha Panchami Thi-thi. ( the very next day after the Vinayaka Chathurthi ).

The Pancha samaskara Vybhavam is enacted under tree very same Maghizam tree where original event took place long long ago every year .

The Pancha samaskara Vybhavam is enacted under tree very same Maghizam tree where original event took place long long ago every year .

It was during the time , when the news came that  Swamy Alavandar was  sick and desired to meet  Swamy Ramanuja .   Swamy Ramanuja meanwhile had association of the great devotee Swamy  Tirukkachi Nambi  who obtained from Lord Varadaraja the famous ‘ Six Words ‘ and    the six words provided the guidelines for   Swamy Ramanuja  to follow.

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( i ) that Lord  Sriman Narayana is the Paramatma.  (ii ) that the individual souls were different from Paramatma.  (iii) that Prapatti is the means to attain salvation.  (iv)  that the last remembrance of the Lord on the part of the departing  soul was not necessary.  (v)   that Moksha can be obtained only on laying off the mortal coils        (Videha Mukti) and   (vi)  Ramanuja   should take refuge at the feet of Periya Nambi.

Accordingly,  when he  met  Periya Nambi at Madurantakam he pleaded to perform Samashranayam without wasting any time . And thus  under the shade of  Vakula tree Periya Nambi performed Pancha Samskara to him.

As he was initiated  into the esoteric of Dvaya Mantra at Madurantakam, the place came to be known as  “Dvayam Vilaindha Tiruppathi”

videos  courtesy : Sriman Ranganathan Srinivasan

Pics courtesy  : Thanking several devotees  who uploaded in in social media

1. KANCHIPURAM, popularly known as “ Temple town” is situated 70 kms to the southwest of Chennai -30 kms from  Arakkonam and about 25 kms from Sriperumbudur-the birth place of Swamy Ramanujar.  It takes about 2 hours to reach this place from Guindy, Chennai (subject to traffic) and about 1 hour from Arakkonam .

Plenty of buses ply from Chennai at frequent intervals to this place. It takes about one and half hours by car from Chennai Airport.  Cab charges from Arakonam to Kanchi  is fixed as RS.1,200/-. whereas from Chennai Airport it is about Rs.1000/-app.

As Brahma (KA) worshipped Vishnu in this place, it is known as KANCHI.

Kancheepuram  is the only mukti kshetram located in South India out of  the seven mukthi kshetrams, the others being Ayodhya, Mathura , Maya, Kasi, Avanthi, Dwaraka which are located in the NOrthern India.

SRIRANGA MANGALA NIDHIM KARUNA NIVAASAM

SRI VENKATADRI SHIKARALAYA KALAMEGHAM

SRI HASTHISAILA SIKORAJWALA PARIJATHAM

SRISAN NAMAAMI YADHUSAILA DEEPAM

The above famous sloka refers to the four most important Vishnu shrines-namely Srirangam(also known as “Bhoga Mandapam”),

Venkatadri(Tirumala)( “Pushpa Mandapam”),

Srihasthisailam(Kanchi)(“Thyaga mandapam”) and

Yadhusailam(Melkote) (known as “Jnana Mandapam”).

The above Perumals were worshipped by famous devotees in the four  yugas.

Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam (known as “Kovil”) was worshipped by Lord Rama who later presented HIM to Vibhishana in Treta yuga

Lord Thirunarayanan of Melkote was worshipped by Lord Krishna in Dwapara yuga,

Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati (known as “Malai”) is being worshipped by Adisesha and us in Kali yuga whereas

Lord Varadarajar in Kanchipuram (Perumal kovil) is being worshipped in all the four yugas- 

by Brahma in Satya yuga,

by Mahashaantan Maharishi who asssumed the form of  Gajendran  in TReta yuga

by Devaguru Brihaspathi in Dwapara yuga

by Ananatazhwan(Adisesha) in Kali yuga

The sthalavaralaaru mentions that Adisesha (the serpent on which Lord Vishnu eternally resides) emerged from Patala to worship the Lord.  This place is now known as “Ananta saras” pushkarini where Lord Athi Varadar resides in water.  There is a snake pit(putru) near Nammazhwar sannidhi in the temple premises which is considered to be Adiseshan’s dwelling place.

Ananta saras is the only temple pushkarini in the world  which has association with Lord always as HE dwells in the sacred waters of the pushkarini. In  all other temples, LOrd visits the pushkarini only for theerthavari and in most of the cases it is the Sudarshana chakram which has holy dip in theerthams.

Brahma-the lotus born who emerged from Lord Vishnu’s naval at the time of creation desired to have darshan of Lord Vishnu and undertook penance.  Lord appeared in the form of water at Pushkar in Rajasthan and later in the form of forest at Naimisaranyam near Lucknow.  He wished to have darshan of the Lord with chathurbhujam and was advised by an asareeri to perform 100 Aswamedha yagams.  AS he felt he was incompetent to perform 100 yagams, he was advised to perform one aswamedha yagam at Sathyavratha kshetram as any act done at this holy place would reap 100 times benefit.

Brahma brought athi (“Dhaaru”-a rare type of wood) known as “DHEVA UDUMBARAM” from DEvalokam on an elephant  and  Viswakarma -the divine architect carved out Vishnu murthi holding sankhu , chakram, gadam and right hand in abhaya hastham.   He installed this murthi and started Aswamedha yagam. The speciality of this wood is it gains lustre when in contact with water unlike normal wood which gets spoilt quickly when kept in water.   By placing a piece of wood in a tree trunk, the tree would start growing.  This tree can be found only in two places -Athiyur(kanchi)  and Gaya. (There are very few temples like Thirukovalur, Thiruvellarai, Puri and Kanchi where the Lord made of wood is worshipped which adheres to agama sastras)

This place came to be known as “Kanchi” as “KA”(Brahma) worshipped Vishnu here.   He  begun  the yagna alone with the help of SAvitri and Gayatri (his  other consorts), without his main consort Sri Saraswati.(It may be recalled that in Pushkar also, Brahma did penance without Saraswati’s presence. this can be observed in the Brahma temple.  )

Angered by this negligence, Saraswati decided to stop the yaga ( A divine play by LORD)   . First, she put the entire world in darkness. The Lord  out of abundant compassion to Brahma appeared as Sri Deepaprakasa on Chitra Revati ( Now glorified as DeepaPraksha temple )   . Darkness was driven out. On the auspicious day in the month of  Chitra(Apr- May) on Revati star day which is considered as the appearance day of  Lord Deepaprakasar , Perumal along with Swami Vedanta Desikar visit Varadaraja temple .

Again when Brahma wanted to start the yagna, Saraswati sent a demon with bird and beast features to stop the yagna. Immediately, the Lord appeared with Eight arms –Sri Ashtabuja Perumal  This place  is in  another separate Kshetram within Kanchipuram. This happened in Chitra Rohini . The demon was driven away and lord Brahma restarted the yagna . Not to rely on others to stop the yagna, then Saraswati decided to stop the yagna herself and took the form of a rushing river – Vegavati .

The Lord now took the reclining pose and as a bridge stopped the flow of the river. This happened in Vekkha  and  thus the Lord is Sri Yatothkari . This wonderful incident  happened on Chitra Punarvasu  day . Thus the Lord appeared in Three forms in the month of Chitra in Revati, Rohini and Punarvasu as Sri Deepaprakasa, Sri Ashtabuja Perumal and Sri Yatoktakari. ( One must have darshan of the Lordships in these temples which is very near to Main temple )  .

At conclusion of yaga, Lord Varadarajan emerged out of the scared fire  pleased with Brahma’s devotion,  in Punyakoti vimanam on the northern banks of River Vegavati.

As Perumal  ( Utsava Moorthy ) appeared from fire, the marks  on  caused due to heat in the form of many small dots can be seen on utsavar’s Thirumugam  ( divine face ) . Perumal gave darshan with chathurbhujam holding sankhu, chakram, gadam with HIS lower left hand and lower right hand in .abhaya hastam on Chithirai month chathurdashi thithi on Hastham star.   “Ka” – means Brahma and “Anjitham” – means who was worshipped.

As Perumal granted all the boons of Devas, He is known as “Varadar” meaning “giver of boons”. As He is very compassionate, He is known as “Perarulalan.

As He is the master of Devas, He is Devadirajan,

as he resides at Attiyur (this place was once surrounded by Athi maram),

He is known as Attiyuran,

Hastagirinathan as He resides in Hastagiri. Airavatam-the celestial elephant on which Brahma brought the diety  assumed the form of a hill to shelter the Lord.  Hence , the hillock is known as Hastagiri. (Indra who was cursed by Mahalakshmi to become an elephant prayed at this place and was redeemed from curse.

As the Lord is bestower of  boons to , HE is known as “Varadan“

Athivaradar carved out and worshipped by Brahma was the presiding diety  whom Azhwars and Acharyars have glorified.  The  deity  of Lord Varadarajar  glorified  as Athiyuran  was the main deity in the Garbagraha of this temple until 15th Century. But as per the stone inscriptions in Thayar sannidhi, in 1487 , the murthi was replaced with shila murthi by Virupakshanayakan (a local king) under the rule of Narasinarayar of Vijayanagar empire.

During the Muslim invasion, in 1687 A.D.,the  main deity (Lord Varadarajan) is said to have been under threat by the invaders.  The mughals eyed on temples to plunder the abundant wealth kept in the temples .    In order to preserve the deity and to avoid desecration of the Lordships, the elders constructed a mandapam inside the tank and placed Athivaradan (moolavar diety)  secretly  in a  silver casket and immersed in the temple tank- Anantha saras . (As per Dr.M.A.Venkatakrishnan, the deity is placed in the tank without silver casket. ).  To protect the deity from floating, statues of eight naagas  considered to be Adisesha swaroopam were installed around the diety for protection.

The utsava murthi of LOrd Varadarajan and Perundevi Thayar were shifted to Udayarpalayam near Trichy. The temple was in a deserted condition for 22 years.  After peace was restored, an advanced devotee named Sri. Aathan Jeeyar who was the guru for  Thodamal-the army chief of Arcot king (whose statue can be seen inside Tirumala temple) arranged to restore  the utsava murthis in 1711 .  AS they could not trace the whereabouts about Moolavar as most of the elders had migrated from Kanchi or left the world, there was none to reveal the whereabouts .  It was decided to install a new Moolavirat from a rock in Pazhaya seevaram (a small hillock)-about 15 kms from Kanchipuram. . A replica of Athivaradar was thus  carved out and consecrated as per vedic injunctions which we worship today.   To mark this incident , every year during Thai maasam(Jan-Feb) , the utsava murthi Varadarajan visits Pazhaya seevaram. The newly consecrated idol was being worshipped along with the utsava murthis.

(After 40 years, due to divine will , when the temple tank Ananta saras got dried up (either due to drought or for cleaning purpose), the Lord revealed HIMSELF in the pushkarini.    The Lord was placed in a nearby mantapam for worship as there was already a moolavar inside the temple.

(As per stone inscriptions in the temple, Athivaradar was found in the temple tank in 1781 on July 30th on saturday dasami thithi . )

Later, Lord appeared in a temple priest’s dream commanding him to put back the Lord in the cool waters of Ananta saras as HE was still experiencing the heat generated during Brahma’s yagam.  Lord conceded to the devotees’ request to give darshan once in 40 years for a period of 48 days. Thus the practice of taking out the Lord from Ananta saras approximately once in 40 years for a period of 48 days begun. (As per records, it was taken out in 1892,then after 45 years in 1937, later after 42 years in 1979 and now after 40 years in 2019.)

Lord is placed in two postures -lying posture and standing posture . (As per Dr.Venkatakrishnan, the water from the puskarini is completely drained out and on an auspicious day during JUly-Aug when there are not many utsavams, the Lord is taken out carefully from Anantasaras, given holy bath and decorated .NO preservatives are used for protecting the divine form of the Lord.  The Lord is placed only to have darshan, six times pooja as per Pancharatra  agamasastras are not performed.

Ananta saras is the most sacred temple tank in the whole world because of its association with the LOrd of Universe always. Sprinkling holy water from this pushkarini redeems us of all the innumerable accumulated sins .    In all other temples, either the utsava murthi of Perumal or ” sataari ” is dipped in the temple puskarini during culmination of brahmotsavam usually once in a year whereas in Ananta saras, the Lord dwells eternally.

It was Lord Varadar in the form of hunter couple who saved Ilayazzhwan(Swamy Ramanujar) from Yadavaprakasa who had planned to kill him.  The most compassionate Lord VAradar along with HIS consort Perundevi Thayar disguised as hunter couple accompanied Ramanujar on the dark night in the forests near Vindhya mountains when Ilayazwan had lost way.  Overnight, he was transported to Kanchipuram. When Ilayazhwan went to fetch water to quench the hunter-lady;s thirst, the Lord disappeared .When the perplexed Ilayazwan enquired about the whereabouts , he was pointed towards “Punyakoti vimanam”.

Ilayazhwan realized that it was Lord Varadarajan who escorted him to this place and continued to stay here doing theertha kainkaryam.    Also, Swamy Ramanujan embraced Sanyasam as per the Lord;s instructions by having a holy dip in the Ananta saras and was given orange robes by the Lord HIMSELF. Swamy Ramanujar did theertha kainkaryam to the Lord until he was ordered to shift to Srirangam to fulfill  Thiruvaranga araiyar’s boon bestowed by Lord Varadar who was immensely pleased with Araiyar sevai performed by him.

Another interesting incident:-when Ramanujar ordered Kooratazhwan who became blind while trying to save him ordered him to prayto Varadar, Kooratazhwan composed VAradaraja stavam comprising of 102 slokas in praise of this Lord.  When Lord asked him for a boon, he prayed that he should be given vision  to see the holy form of the Lord and his acharyar only.  He didn’t want to see the material world.

Like Puri Rathyatra performed 10 days prior to Aashada Ekadasi, the  Annual Garuda seva performed on the third day during Vaigasi Brahmotsavam (May-June) especially attracts huge crowds from near and far. The streets are very wide like in Puri.

Another similarity between Puri and Kanchi temples is the dieties are made of wood .  IN Puri Jaganath temple, once in 12 years, the moolavar dieties of  Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Baladeva are replaced whereas in Kanchi Varadar temple, Athivaradar-the Lord carved out from athi wood by Brahma is preserved inside the temple tank and is taken out for worship once in 40 years.

This town is sanctified  with many  Acharayas -Sri Thirukachinambigal, Sri Ramanujar, Sri Desikar, Sri Sankaracharyar to name a few.  Also , this is the headquarters for many religious peetams like Kanchi Kamakoti peetam, Sri Mudaliandan swamy Thirumaligai, Sri Appan Swamy Thirumaligai and other associate maaligas of Sri Ramanujar’s sishyas. One of the shatberams(6 utsava murthis) was given by the LOrd HIMSELF to our acharyar-Sri Mudaliandan Thirumaligai.

VAradaraja Sthavam by Kooratazhwan, Varadaraja Panchasat by VEdanta Desikar, Devaraja Ashtakam by Thirukachi nambigal are few famous renderings on this Lord. Thyagaraja has also composed a beautiful kirtan on this Lord.

Our poorvacharyars attribute the word “amararukku athipathi ” of the first pasuram in Nammazhwar  Thiruvaimozhi to this Perumal.

This temple  town is dotted with many temples of which there are 14 important shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu and 13 temples for  Parama Shivan. The sthalapuranam for all the Vishnu temples is inter connected with Brahma’s penance.  Brahma who started Aswamedha yaga without his wife SAraswathi had to face many hurdles and everytime Lord Vishnu appeared in various forms to encounter SAraswati’s obstacles until Brahma successfully completed the yaga.

The temples are located in Little Kanchi and Big Kanchi.  Out of 22 divya desams in Thondai naadu, 14 are in Kanchipuram itself and another at Thiruputkuzhi, the details of which are briefly given:-

PERIA KANCHIPURAM:-

1. Sri Nilathingal thundathan Perumal, (in Ekambareswarar temple)
2.  Sri Ulagalandha Perumal , Ooragham
3. Sri Jagadeeswara Perumal, Neeragam in Ulagalandha Perumal temple prakaram
4. Sri Karunakara Perumal, Kaaragam in Ulagalandha Perumal temple prakaram
5. Sri Kaarvannan (Kalva) Perumal, Thirukaarvanam in Ulagalandha Perumal temple prakaram(all these temples are in Ulagalandha Perumal kovil itself)
6. Sri Aadivaraha Perumal, Thirukalvanur (in Kamakshi temple)
7. Sri Vaikuntanatha Perumal, Thiruparameswara vinnagaram
8. Sri Pandava dhootha Perumal, Thirupadagam
9. Sri Pavalavannan Perumal, Thirupavazhavannam(also,Perumal gives darshan as Pachaivarnan beside this temple)

(CHINNA KANCHI)

1. Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple, Thirukachi
2. Sri Ashtabuja Perumal, Thiruattabuyakaram
3. Sri Deepaprakasa temple, Thiruthanka
4. Sri Azhagia Singar temple, ThiruVelukkai
5. Sri Yathothkari temple, Thiruvekha

With Kanchipuram as base town , devotees  can also  have darshan of  Thiruputkuzhi  Divya desam (1 hour drive from Kanchi). If you start early, you can finish visiting Kanchi temples by noon.  Thiruputkuzhi, Sriperumbudur, Kooram can be visited in the second half of the day.

Check out the divine pastime in the appended blog post.  Click the link

LORD VARADARAJA ARRIVES WITH AN UMBRELLA FOR HIS DEVOTEE SWAMI THIRUKACHINAMBI

Of these, Sri Varadarajar temple with its imposing towers , Sri Kamakshi temple, Sri Ekambareswar temples attract many pilgrims including foreign tourists daily.

The famous   Lord Varadarajar temple  wears festive look daily .

Around 280 Utsavams happen in this temple  all around the year

Lord  Devaraja has captivating beauty and it is said that Swami Ramanuja was totally attracted by His shoulders

Perundevi Thayar, the consort of Devadirajan does not come out of the garbagriham like SriRanganayaki.  Even the utsava murthi of the Thayar is not taken out for procession beyond the four walls of the temple. Whenever Perumal is taken out in procession inside the temple, HE is accompanied by Perundevi Thayar .

The Theppam (float festival) is celebrated in Anantasaras tank.  The temple pond known as Anantha Saras /Amrutha saras never dries up , the Vimanam is known as Punyakoti Vimanam.

Every Friday , Thayar  comes in a procession within the 4 walls of the temple. Almost  280 utsavams are performed to Lord whole year  . Brahma in Kreta Yuga, Gajendran, the elephant in Tretha yuga, Brihaspathi in Dwarpara yuga and Adiseshan in Kaliyuga offered their prayers to  Lord here .

The  wonderful temple is   located  on a 23-acre complex and  has 3 outer precincts (prakaram) namely Azhwar Prakaram, Madai Palli Prakaram and Thiru Malai Prakaram. The main sanctum faces west and can be entered through a 130 feet tall, 7-tiered rajagopuram (main gateway tower).

The eastern gopuram is taller than the western gopuram, which is contrasting to large temples where the rajagopuram is the tallest one. There is a 100 pillared hall has sculptures depicting Ramayana and Mahabaratha  .The  main shrine of Varadarajaswamy is on a small hillock 10m tall and a fleet of 24 steps, termed “Hasthagiri..

The temple has 5 prakarams. The first prakara which is on the Hastagiri hill houses the garbagriha and the pradakshinam path. The garbagriham is known as “Vayya maligai” – earthly mansion of the Lord(Leela Vibhuti)  .

A flight of steps from the lower hill, known as  Varanagiri which houses Narasimhar,  leads us to the garbagriha where we can  have darshan  the Lord in  His pristine glory.

The second prakaram is known as Thirumalai pradakshinam as it runs round the hill.

The third prakara known as Madapalli prakaram/ Alavandar prakaram houses the temple kitchen, numerous shrines and mantapams for Garuda, Adisesha, Perundevi Thayar, the abhsiheka mantapam where the utsava murthis are given abhishekam, pavitrotsava mantapam where the Lord’s vaahanams are kept, the unjal mandapam etc.

The fourth prakaram known as Azhwar Thiruveedi houses the vigrahams of all Azhwars , Acharyars, Krishna, Varaha, Sri Ranganathar etc and the Anantasaras tank.

The fifth prakaram is known as “Mada veethi “ and it was here that Sri Alavandar first saw Sri Ramanujar and blessed him that he would be the foremost for propagating Vaishnavism by declaring “Aam invan mudhalvan” meaning yes, he is the foremost.

As mentioned earlier, the Garbagriham is located on top of Hastagiri hill with enclosures on all sides.  However on one particular day after 15 days from Chithira Pournami, the sunrays fall directly on Moolavar’s Thirumugam .  (Similarly in Vaikunta Perumal kovil(popularly known as Kallapiran)  in Pandya naadu, the sunrays fall on the moolavar’s thirumugam twice in a year)

Even the stones on the compound wall are 24. The pushkarini also has 24 steps. Gayatri mantra has 24 syllables. Therefore, it is no wonder that the Lord, Who has Gayatri as His body, has everything, around number 24. Apart from this, according to Visishtadvaita philosophy, achit entities are 24. That is inanimate entities are 24. When we cross the 24 steps we land on the top floor and that is the 25th entity, Jeevatman.  From this floor we have to climb some more steps to reach the garbha gruham of  Lord Devaraja Perumal. We come to the corridor on the floor and we go round that. One end of the corridor is famous for two things.

One of the ancestors of Lord Rama named Asmanjhan and his wife who were cursed to become lizards were redeemed from their curse at this place by the Lord.  Hence, it is believed that touching the golden and silver lizards would cure us of all ailments.  Crowds throng to touch these lizards for getting rid from material ailments forgetting that the Lord of the UNiverse standing as Varadarajan saves us from this “Samsaram” and gives “MOKSHAM”

Another  adjoining  mandapam, Kachhikku vaithan mandapam follows the corridor . Every evening the Lord would arrives at this mandapam, and Swami Thirukacchi Nambi would start his fanning  service Thirukachi nambigal, the great Vaishnavite saint had the bhaagyam of conversing with this Perumal while fanning the Lord(Alavatta kainkaryam). This is beside the “lizard mantapam”

It is believed that  Brahma comes here once a year on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Chitrai (April-May) around mid night, for a darshan of  Lord Varadarajan.       On this day, it is the practice for the priests to place food inside the sanctum and to wait outside for 24 minutes. At the end of this, the food is said to smell sweeter.

It was thus decided by Elders  that  LORD has to be taken out from the temple tank once in 40 years  and  various pooja  shall be performed for 48 days and then kept in the bed of the Pushkarini for the next 40 years.

The  96th Pasuram of Irandam thiruvanthathi glorifies LORD as 

aththiyUrAn puLLai UrvAn * aNimaNiyin
thuththi sEr * nAgaththin mEl thuyilvAn ** –

muththI maRaiyAvAn * mAkadal nanjchuNdAn thanakkum *
iRaiyAvAn engkaL pirAn

Bhoodathazhwar addresses the Lord as “athiyooran” who is fond of garuda seva(pullai oorvan -pul =bird.  Kanchi Garuda seva is world famous.

Thus  Lord  Athi Varadhar gives His darshan to the devotees only once in 40 years and that too for a period of 48 days.

The Rising of Athi Varadhar” happened in the years 1739, 1779, 1819, 1859, 1939, 1979 and  Now in the  year  2019 and fortunate are those who are having darshan .

Athi Varadar  thus   graces the devotees once in 40 years . Lord arrives from the Anantha saras and alights  outside for public worship for a period of 48 days. This event took place last in 1979 and  now in 2019  darshan has already commenced now  . Lord gives darshan in reclining posture during the first 24 days and later gives darshan in standing posture for the remaining 24 days.

Vendittrellaam tarum vallal Manivannan” is how  our  Nammazhwar describes the Lord. Whatever we ask, the Lord is ready to give us the same and much more, however exalted be the boon we seek.

Check out the url links below on abundant mercy of the Lord of the Lords ..

Lord moved by the Vatsalya bhava of Varadaguru calls him ‘Amma’ – my mother….( the divine play where Acharyar Varadaguru is rechristened to Nadadhoor Ammal.

“Swami Thirukachchi Nambi ” and guide to Swamy Ramanuja who conversed with Supreme Lord Varadaraja of Kancheepuram

He endows us with whatever we need during our mundane sojourn and once we perform Prapatti,

He takes us to his own eternal abode, never to return to the quagmire of Samsara.

And this, only Emperuman can do, say the Shastras-

”Moksham icchet, Janaardanaat”.

srIranga mangaLa nidhim karuNA nivAsam* (Srirangam for South)

*srI vEnkatAdhri sikarAlaya kALa mEkam* (Tirupathi for North)

*srI hasthisaila sikarOjvala pArijAtham* (Varadharaja perumal temple for East)

*srIsam namAmi sirasA yadhusaila dhIpam* (Melkote temple for West)

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Source: Whatsapp info/ youtube videos

Pictures/Videos Credits :

Thanks to Advanced devotees who have uploaded in social media

Srivilliputtur  beautiful village turned ” town” houses two famous  temples- Lord Vatapatrasayee kovil     ( sri vaishnava divyadesa kovil) and  Andal kovil(Godadevi’s residence). 

Located in Virudhunagar District about 75 kms away from Madurai from north and about 70kms away from Tirunelveli from south ,this temple is famous   for Mother Andals appearance.

The Rajagopuram of the temple  has  eleven tiers and  192″ height being  one among the tallest towers of temples in  the state. The Tamilnadu Government’s official symbol remains to be this gopuram .

This holy place is  worshiped  as Varaha kshetram.
Bhrigu and Markandeya maharishis  were performing penance at this holy place .

The  demon Kalanemi was troubling them causing hindrances in their daily rituals . Lord eliminated the demon Kalanemi using Sudarshana Chakram.

The sudarshana chakra  cleansed its blood stains by taking a dip  in this  holy tank located inside the temple  in which the rivers  Ganga , Yamuna and Saraswathi  reside .
Hence, this  temple tank is called as Thirumukkulam tank.

Glorifying the Lordships, the Saints pleaded the LORD to reside at this holy place and out of abundant mercy Lord conceded their  request  and continued to reside in this place in sayana thirukkolam under a banyan tree.  Hence,  Lord is worshiped here as  is VATAPATRASAYEE

Over a period of time  this place got covered by sand dumes and then huge vegetation erupted all over .

After a long period of time this holy place got converted into a dense  forest .


Due to the passing time , the   deity  also got submerged in the soil.  Later, Villi a hunter came in search of his brother happened to take rest under a  banyan tree.  He heard an asareeri ( divine voice )  saying  Lord is lying down under the same banyan tree.

He was instructed to clear the woods and build a temple for the Lord.

Villi  rushed to the King and thus , with the help of Pandyan king, cleared the place, took out the  deity , built a temple and town.

Hence, the place got the name Villiputtur. Sri was prefixed to the name after Andal ( Godha)  appeared at this place  .

The divine pastime is to be cherished on this auspicious appearance day of  our divine mother Andal .

Vishnu chittar,( Peria Azhwar )  an amsam of Garudazhwan, was  performing pushpa kainkaryam to the Lord in this place. Azhwar was offering morning ablutions and after watering the flowers and the Thulasi plants plucking the blossoms and Thiruttulai dalams was moving ahead towards the temple .

He suddenly espied at the foot of a cluster of Tulasee plant a little baby girl moon faced with curly hairs and the smile resembled the fine gentle flutter of petals of a golden lotus .

Peria azhwar was wonder stuck  with the divine play .It was a feast for his eyes looking at the abundant merciful eyes of the baby girl .

He accepted her as his daughter as per the divine will and took her home .

The girl displayed extraordinary features of divine beauty and love for Azhwar .

Azhwar brought her up with utmost care and affection .

He became her mother father and protector .He named her Godha devi ( Godha = Earth )

THE GIRL WHO EMANATED FROM EARTH .

Godha displayed divine qualities . She was alike the moon and her presence was an object of decoration for the Tulasee garden and she appeared as an incarnation of beauty , wisdom and piety .

Right from her childhood Godha temperaments and attitude were different from those of the children of her age .

She appeared a philosophical genius of saintly nature almost like a girl saint always contemplating about Lord and the  divine pastimes  .

Always immersed in Krishna katha , she helped her father in watering the flowering plants in the garden .She used to follow her father like a shadow in all the divine services , preparing garlands for the Lord , worshiping and offering prayers .

She was always found muttering LORD’s holy names and became an angel in the lives of Azhwar and disciples .

She was seen in  gentle smiles of  understanding and appreciation and sat like a saint in penance always in the mood of Krishna .

One evening Azhwar went into the garden  to pluck the flowers when they  were about to bloom  .

Each flower had a specific time when they used to bloom .

He collected all those flowers meticulously so that the fragrance is enjoyed by the SUPREME LORD .

After preparing a garland of fragrant flowers along with Tulasee he hung the garland on a wooden peg across a wooden pillar within the ashram .

He had to go to the temple after sunset and hence he took a stroll .

One day ,when he returned , he saw Godhadevi having worn the  fresh garland, who  was looking into the mirror imagining Lord Krishna’s presence .

Azhwar was stuck with dismay and confusion at the childish act of his daughter .

He entered the abode sad and with a troubled voice gently lamented

..My child Godha ..

What is this you have done ?

How could you choose to adorn the garland that was made for the Lord ?

This garland has now become impure and unfit to be offered it to Supreme Lord ..

It is  already late and no time left to pluck the fresh flowers and prepare a new garland for Lords service. The time for temple worship has already begun .

My child ..
Today Lord will not adore a garland and this  is a sin …
My child  I will be committing an offense today  without adorning HIM with a fresh garland……………….

Godha was cool and gentle .She never spoke a single word ..

After offering services to Lord Azhwar came back to Ashram and was upset for chiding Godha .

He did not sleep .
He recounted those days of service and pleaded forgivness to Lord .

Godha was already there playing with someone in the garden  .

Azhwar stood behind a tree and was watching patiently .
Godha was in a different mood running around the cluster of Tulasee plants trying to catch some one .She was whispering Krishna

..Not there ..Here . I found you …..and laughing …in ecstasy  she ran and calling Krishna’s names ..

Azhwar quickly realised Lord was really playing  with her .He was in a fix .

Should he embrace his little daughter and kiss her or should he prostrate on her little  feet for her exalted piety. He walked into the Ashram and looked at the wooden peg . The garland of flowers and Tulasee appeared  fresh as it did previous night .Without any hesitation he carried the garland to the temple and offered it to Lord Krishna …

He submitted with reverence   Oh Lord ! Godhais my daughter that providence showered on me . Its your divine play .Please accept her garland as she is always in your thoughts .

Time passed . Both father and daughter were together in all the divine services .Godha was nourished with Lord’s kalyana gunas . Godha was  now 12 years .

She acquired erudition and scholarship in Tamil and Sanskrit . All the thoughts focused on Lord Krishna .

She desired Lord to be her husband ……………………..

Mentally fixed in Lord’s anubhavas she was transcendental soul .

One day Azhwar leisurely asked ..

My dear Child ..Godha ..

You say you would marry Lord Krishna himself

…Fine ……………

But my dear ..Tell me !! How did this thought  arrive ?

Goda answered !!

Father ..whatever the reason ..Only LORD KRISHNA will be my husband …

And I shall be HIS only …

she was serious …

and Azhwar could not question her decision even if it was childish .

. However he once again approached and said ..Godha

My dear child ..

I accept but tell me …

LORD KRISHNA is omnipresent and tell me how can you marry Lord in Nirakara roopam ?

Godha smiled and said …Father !! I wish to marry Archavataram which is there signifying the Omnipresent Lord ..

Azhwar continued ..Fine my child ..But …………..,

there are 108 Archavataram of Lord in Divyadesams ?

Godha was quick to respond  without any hesitation .

.Only Arangan … The Lord  of Lords at Srirangam … I choose my  Ranganatha …

She learnt about the Kaathyayini nombu observed by the Gopikas of Vrindavan during Margasira month (Dec-Jan)….

and nurtured a desire to do similar nombu to attain  Lord Krishna.

She imagined herself and her friends to be gopikas in Vrindavan, observed nombu in Margasira month by personally inviting her friends to participate in worshipping the Lord .

She composed Thiru paavai comprising of 30 pasurams to attain the Lord .  Thirupavai is known as the seed of Vedas –

“Vedam annaithukkum vithu”.

In the fifth pasuram-

Maayanai mannu vada Madurai maindhanai…..,

she says “vaayinaal paadi, manathinaal sindhithu….. by doing so, our sins get burnt like a cotton which falls in fire. This is the tamil translation of Lord Varaha murthy’s advise to Bhudevi—kirtanam, smaranam,, vandanam  etc. Mentioned earlier in the post.

She proceeded in her divine outpourings on the Lord  further which is known as “Nachiyar Thirumozhi” comprising of 143 pasurams invoking the Lord at Thiruvenkatam, Thirumaliruncholai , Vrindavanam etc.  Nachiyar Thirumozhi expresses the pangs of separation from the lover.

   Our poorvacharyars comment  that we get golden ornament only when it is put in fire.  Likewise, the Lord out of HIS compassion on us, restrained from giving darshan as HE preferred to listen to HER hankerings  for HIM. During abhishekam to Lord Srinivasa in Tirumala when the Thayar from the Lord’s vakshasthalam( chest ) is removed for a while ,  Swamy Ramanujar instructed Nachiyar Thirumozhi to be recited.

Her bhakti was unparalled which made Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam to appear in Periazhwar’s dream.

Lord ordered him to bring Andal dressed as a bride  to Srirangam where HE would marry HER.

Azhwar was keen to undertake her wish . He thought as per  Lord and Godha’s wish , he would ask her to dress in a brides attire and proceed to Srirangam .

There she would stand before the LORD and in adoration worship and pray .That micht surely afford her satisfaction to her fancy .

Azhwar announces his decision among st his disciples .Godha comes to know about her fathers decision and feels elated . The good  news reaches the Pandayan king who was a disciple to Azhwar after getting to know about Azhwar greatness …

.

He had already seen Periazhar devotion to Lord . The Royal couple reached the Ashram of Azhwar and pleaded Azhwar to handover all the responsibilities of conducting the divine marriage by them .

During the discussions ,the chief Priest of Srirangam temple arrived at Azhwars ashram and informed Lords eagerness to meet Godha .Periaazhwar was overjoyed and thanked all of them for their concern.

The Chief Priest offered the silk clothes and ornaments of Mahalakshmi  to Godha . Godha was now dressed like a bride .

Dressed  in yellow colour silk profusely golden laced , the golden ornaments glittering with navaratnas and flowery decorations profusely dressed on head and plait ,

Godha was perfect bride for our LORD of LORDS our RANGANATHAR ..

She sat inside the palanquin arranged by the royal couple.

The august assembly had famous musicians , vedic pundits , dancers and several artistes  .

The procession began with pomp and show the entire pathway  was colorful with flower decorations  .With musical bands ahead followed by Royal couple , the vedic priests , PeriaAzhwar along with his disciples the men , women and the children followed  the palanquin .

 The procession reached the  Srirangam temple entrance .

Godha got down and paced towards the sanctum quickly as if she was so familiar .  She walked straight into the sanctum sanctorium after crossing Garuda mantapam…

 She came near  the main temple … And …kept walking briskly with her anklets jingling in  the background ..

The temple sanctum sanctorium where only the priest enters  arrived ..

LORD who was also eager to meet Godha had a bewitching smile ……………………..

She  stepped in ..and  reached seshapanpu  ( fourteen folds of Adhishesha ) walked over the folds of Adhishesha and reached the lotus feet twain of Lord and sat at HIS lotus feet .She touched those wonderful sacred feet  with her tiny beautiful tender hands and dissolved in HIM  once for all ….

Periaazhwar  was watching  .He was speechless . Standing motionless with tears and grief  he went near the sanctum and with a quivering body and lips shivering , expressed in broken words ..

Lord !! Where is my child Godha ?  Oh Ranga !!  My child Godha … a small girl who was everything to me ….. and just stood like a pillow gazing at LORD …

A pin drop silence for few minutes  prevailed ……………………….

A divine voice was heard by Periaazhwar asking him to be composed as the entire divine play was enacted by Lord for our upliftment ….

It may be noted  ,  Andal is given more preference than Ubhaya nachiyars in our temples.  In Srirangam, Namperumal’s  garlands are offered to Ranganachiyar on Panguni Uthiram, with Kamalavalli nachiyar on Panguni Ayilyam, with  Cherakulavalli Nachiyar on Maasi Punarvasu but Namperumal doesn’t accept their garlands!  It is only one sided whereas Namperumal exchanges garlands with Andal.  First Andal’s garlands are worn by Perumal and then Perumal’s garlands are offered to Andal.

In Kanchipuram, the processional diety Varadarajar  exchanges garlands with Andal everytime before HE goes to HIS abode

In Tirupati, Swamy Ramanujar arranged Andal as Lord Govindaraja Swamy’s consort.

In Tirumala during Brahmotsavam, on Garuda vahana utsavam  day , garland from Srivilliputtur is offered to Malayappa Swamy.  This custom is followed in almost  in all the divya desams.

Last but not the least, in Srivilliputtur, the garland worn by Andal on the previous day is taken out in a procession on the next day to  Sri Vatapatrasayee temple and is decorated to the Lord.

Thiruaadipooram , the apperance day of Goddess is the most important festival celebrated in Srivilliputtur lasting for 10 days. After several years , Andaal left Her sanctum (Garbha graham ) and rushed to welcome Jagath Acharyar Swamy Ramanuja as Her elder brother for fulfilling Her pledge to offer 100 vessels of akkAra-adisil to Lord SundararAjan of ThirumAlirum ChOlai.

After that reception to AchArya RaamunjA , the ThiruppAvai Jeeyar , She never went inside Her sanctum and stays even today at the ardha manTapam . and later for Swami Desikan times

She engineered to arrive in front of the house outside Her Thiru MaaLikai Veedhi , where Her parama bhakthan was staying during his visit to Her city. Moved by that extraordinary display of Vaathsalyam and daya of Mother ANDAL , the LOka MaathA , our Kavi Simham poured forth in rapture his eulogy of Her anantha KalyANa guNams .

Thus originated the GodhA sthuthi .

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Pics : Thanking all the great devotees who have uploaded the wonderful pics in social media as a seva for the benefit of giving darshan of the deities

Special Thanks to all the painting artists who had uploaded in social media during Dhanurmaasam which adiyen has used for the benefit of readers to race their soul to SRIVILLIPUTHUR

Courtesy google images

videos : courtesy  kvammayi

 Swamy  Mudumbai Nambee Ananthacharya  was one amongst the 74 Simhadipathees  nominated by Jagathacharyar  Swamy Ramanuja .

Swamy Ananthacharyar  belonged to the illustrious family    of  the great srivaishnava stalwarts  Swamy Pillai Lokacharyar and Vadakku Thiruvidhi pillai . .

   During 1360 , Swamy Ananthacharyar was blessed with a son who was named as Hasthagiri Ananthar Anna being ardent devotees of Lord Varadaraja . ( Lord Varadaraja has been giving darshan to the devotees at this holy place called “Hasthi giri”.  ‘Hasthi’ means elephant and “giri “ means hill) .    

    The young  boy  was very attractive  and  devotional right from his childhood  .The boy was admitted in to the school of  Swamy Nayana varadacharyar  ,  the direct descendent of Swamy  Vedanta Desikar . He received the Vedic inputs from his Acharya and progressed in leaps and bounds by his sheer devotion .

During this  period  , a staunch Advaitin Narasimha Mishra had come to Kancheepuram .  He decided to  debate with the learned scholars in that area in proving the supremacy of Advaitam and thus  convert the opponent and his  followers into his fold .

 As  his mission was incomplete , he invited  Swamy Nayana varadacharyar for a debate as was done during those days .The bet was announced that  the one who looses will follow others  faith along with his followers .  Swamy Nayana varadacharyar was not keen to interact with  the  scholar and  not able to decide how to ignore  his  request too . It was the last day .The young boy could see his Acharyar’s concern .

He wanted to somehow make his Acharyar happy . He understood  from his senior disciples what made his Acharyar sad . He never wanted the rich heritage of Vishishtadwaitam being taken for a ride by  the  vedantin .It was a high time to make the world believe the glorious sampradaya  Jagathacharyar Swamy Ramanuja had given us . The young boy approached his Acharya and pleaded him to be allowed to take upon the vedantin .  Swamy  Nayanavaradacharyar was glad that the young boy was also thinking in the same lines .Confident of his victory , he blessed the child with Sri Hayagreeva Upadesa mantra and wished him the best .

The young lad  Hasthagiri Anna  with the blessings of his Acharyar  walked into the debate hall   which had  revered scholars from different places   . The locals also assembled  to watch the Vedantins arguments. He looked at the learned scholars and the great  vedantin Narasimha Mehta .  He was amused with his looks and the arrogance in his speech . The vedantin chuckled at the boys entry  for his  age and size . He said this boy is of no match to me .Anyway as his guru has sent him on his behalf , let me bundle him up with simple questions  !! he thought .

 Hasthagiri Anna looked at the vedantin and said .. Hey Vedantin .. Are you going to wage a war against me ? Why does size or stature matter to you .For a person like you  I am the best match .Let me not disturb my Gurudeva ..The debate is to convince you and all these so called scholars the illustrious sampradaya of Jagath Acharyar Swamy Ramanuja is supreme .If you have any doubts , questions ask me else accept the  sampradaya which will give you moksha .

The Vedantin was surprised with the boys daring words . He decided to quiz him in shastras and then take him  on about the sampradaya . The outpouring of Vedic knowledge , apt recitation with intricate  meanings made vedantin shocked . The debate was almost looking like   a repeat of Swamy Yamunacharya debate with the Vedantin few hundred years ago and Swamy Yamunacharya was glorified as Alavandar  the King…

 Few onlookers rushed to their Acharyar to inform him about Hasthagiri Annas  mastery in handling the vedantin with esoteric  truths  .The Old Acharyar walked along with his disciples to see the brave boy’s confidence  . Hasthagiri Anna presented many verses in the Vedic texts  to demonstrate the supreme position of  Swamy Ramanuja’s  Vishishitadwaitam . The debate ended with the vedantin accepting the supremacy of the sampradaya . All the scholars  unitedly agreed  with jubilations about the young boy defeating the arrogant vedantin in his own den.

 Overjoyed the  Acharyar hugged Hasthagiri Anna and said henceforth you will be called as Prathivadi bhayanakaram Anna . Meanwhile the Vedantin  along with his followers rushed to Anna  accepting defeat and pleaded to be taken in their fold . The Acharyar blessed both of the disciples and handed over the reins of the school for him to take over due to his old age .

Swamy Annan was carrying out the Theertha kainkaryam at Kancheepuram as done by our  Jagath Acharyar Swamy Ramanuja . One day he took permission from Lord Vardaraja for having darshanam of Lord Sreenivasa at Tirumala after getting immersed in the Nammazhwar’s description of Tirumala and Lord Srinivasa  in Thiruvamozhi .

Anna became associated with  Swami Ananthanpillai descendants and  was engaged in serving Lord Srinivasa by collecting and preparing the water required for His worship every day. 

One day, while  returning from Akasha Ganga  after having  gathered  the holy water to be taken to the Lord, a devotee from Srirangam came across his path.  As divine will would have it, they entered into a conversation.  The devotee from Srirangam narrated the  glories of the  revered saint Svami Mamunigal  and his extraordinary service in Srirangam.  Anna was deeply moved on hearing  about Swamy’s devotion to Lordships and the zeal to carry out the mantle of Jagathacharyar Swamy Ramanuja’s philosophy  all over . In the process of hearing the satsangath , he completely forgot about the  holy water he was supposed to deliver to the Lord.

Having exhausted  with their patience, the priests from the temple  came out in search of Anna and hurriedly collected  the pots of holy water from him and rushed back to the temple to complete the worship according to established protocol . Anna was confused and hence  rushed to the temple to inform the priests that he had not yet prepared the water by mixing in it fragrant substances, as  was the norms .  But as  it was too late  the worship had already begun and nearing  completion . Anna was cursing himself for overlooking the protocol that was followed . He was dejected for not compiling with the procedures thus committing an offence . Standing all alone inside the temple Anna was seeking forgivance  .

  Lord Srinivasa  , all compassionate Lord , broke his  silence  .There was a divine voice coming  from the deity form,  addressing   him , “Oh My dear  Anna!  The  holy water you delivered today  had the best fragrance and quality.  I am pleased with your service!”   Don’t be dejected !!!

This was a shock to Anna, who had not added any fragrance at all  that day.  On pondering  , Anna realized that the water must have got  fragnant by the mere mention of the account of Swami Manavala Mamunigal vaibhavam  .  

Realizing the glory of the saint, Anna took permission from Lord Sreenivasa and  left  Tirumala  heading towards  south to srirangam to have Swami manavala maamuni’s darshanam .

On reaching Srirangam , Anna has darshan of the Lordships and  goes straight to attend  the discourse of Swamy Manavala mamuni  which impresses him  very much . He waits  patiently for having  Acharyar’s darshanam . Amongst all the disciples , Swamy Manavala Mamuni calls him and asks  Oh! You are that srivaishnava called as Prathivadi Bhayankaran in a lighter vein .

Anna humbly offers obesiances and replies  Swamy ,  that he is Prathivadi Bhayankaran to his opponents  and a servant of servants to srivaishnavas .  Swamy is pleased with his commitment in protecting our rich sampradaya  and honours him with  another title “SrIvaishnava dAsan”.

Later ,  Anna moves to Tirumala for   serving Lord Srinivasa .

Swamy Manavalamamuni joins him at Tirumala  and  taken  by the glory of Lord Srinivasa,  he ordains his disciple Prathivadi Bhayankaram Anna to compose hymns on  Lord Srinivasa through which Lord’s  glory is well understood and enjoyed by all walks of people.  Anna taking his Acharyar’s command  composes  hymns on LORD   that shed light on the greatness of the Lord of the Seven Hills.

Annan,  pens the   morning song suprabhatham  slokas comprising of             (29 verses , stotram  11 verses ,  prapatti  16 verses  and mangalam  14 verses) 

The holy verses has four  aspects Suprabhatam, which is the actual awaking of  Lordships Sree and Vishnu,  Stotram, which is essentially a  glorifications and the last  Prapatti through Sree and the beautiful  Mangalam to Lordships  which serves as a conclusion.

These  four hymnal renditions of Anna are the hallmark of worship that are  conducted  in Srivaishnava parlance.  The Vaishnava Agamas require the Lord to be worshipped and honoured at least as much as a king is.  The Suprabhatam or wishing of  an auspicious dawn is not only analogous to the service offered normally to the royalty but also an expression of Mangalasasanam. Mangalasasanam is the highest virtue recognized in Srivaishnavism. 

It is It is the exalted state of devotion where the devotee is not worried about his own welfare or the welfare of others, but only about the welfare of the Lord (which automatically ensures the well being of everyone and everything else).  He serves the Lord, sings His benediction and longs for His auspiciousness always   and the Prapatti is another core concept of Srivaishnavism that teaches the complete resignation to the saving grace of the Lord. The final goal of a Srivaishnava is to please the Lord with one’s services.  One of the most important forms of service is the service of singing the Lord’s praise.  He is sthavapriya: or one who is pleased with stotrams.  The Venkatesa Stotram serves this purpose. Through the four works, Anna captures the entire essence of Srivaishnavism as he sings the glory of Lord Venkatesa.  The pleased Lord listens to these hymns several times every day during the course of His worship in several temples…

 Swamy Manavala  Mamuni then ordered his disciples  , that every day except in the month  of Margazhi, these four stotras must  be recited at the time  of opening of the temple sanctorum  in the morning which is being religiously followed till date .

Thus we have an advanced  Acharyar  Swamy Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan of Tirupati Suprabhatam fame  who was a disciple of both  Swamy Vedantha Desika’s son and Swamy Manavaala Maamunigal, indicating that there was no remarkable differences in following  between the  two sects .

His treatises establishing the unifying nature of all of our acharyas are a treasure for several generations .

A detailed description of THIRUMANJANA SEVA at Tirumala is appended in the below linked post

https://atomic-temporary-2692795.wpcomstaging.com/2016/09/08/at-tirumala-lord-venkateshwara-abhisheka-vaibhavam-venkatadri-samam-sthanam-brahmande-nasti-kinchana-venkatesa-samo-devo-na-bhuto-na-bhavisyati/

Swamy Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan  Thiruadigale sharanam .

Check few more divine incidents  about Lord Venkateshwara in the below appended posts .

https://atomic-temporary-2692795.wpcomstaging.com/2016/09/08/at-tirumala-lord-venkateshwara-abhisheka-vaibhavam-venkatadri-samam-sthanam-brahmande-nasti-kinchana-venkatesa-samo-devo-na-bhuto-na-bhavisyati/

https://atomic-temporary-2692795.wpcomstaging.com/2016/07/16/at-tirumala-when-the-screens-opened-by-themselves/

https://atomic-temporary-2692795.wpcomstaging.com/2015/01/04/the-divine-crowbar-at-the-entrance-of-tirumala-temple/

https://atomic-temporary-2692795.wpcomstaging.com/2015/01/22/the-devotee-who-played-dice-with-lord/

https://atomic-temporary-2692795.wpcomstaging.com/2016/07/07/azhwar-theertham-at-tirupati/

https://atomic-temporary-2692795.wpcomstaging.com/2015/10/31/ekantha-seva-at-tirumala-tallapaka-vari-lali-tarigondavari-harathi/

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Picture credits : Google images/antaryami.org

Video credits   : Thallapaka Annamacharyulu garu /  Keerthi / Baba and other devotees

Neeraja  was a gopi  who came to Gokulam as the daughter-in-law to  a Gopa family. She was beautiful and humble and loved the  new place which had some special vibrations .

Her husband and in-laws cautioned her  about  a dark skinned cowherd boy  who was very mischievous and warned her to  be away from his pranks.

They  threatened her to keep away from Him and to avoid Him by every possible means. Neeraja was confused.  

However ,she was very curious to see how he looked and what were those pranks which attracted so many gopis  .

Her mind was absorbed now .

One summer evening, near the outskirts of a village  ….

Neeraja was returning from the banks of Yamuna river  immersed in the thoughts of the dark skinned boy.  .

 Suddenly , she heard some mellifluous music from a direction which almost pulled her She ran towards the direction from where the sweet melody was heard .

She somehow reached those wonderful grooves in the forest .

Krishna the irresistibly attractive lotus eyed Preceptor of the Universe, bestower of boons, Eternal Lord, was playing the flute as the sun sank in the west.

His small lovely fingers were over the flute and the cosmic music  gushed out . She instantly fell for him and was watching from the grooves .

The vibration of this divine instrument was able to break the meditation of the greatest sages. Krishna the cosmic musician he was thus challenged the cupid  with his transcendental music .

Something divine happened .

The birds flying above descended down , and one on the trees started chirping with joy . The peacocks assembled to dance with their gaiety steps .

The calves stopped sucking their mothers udders and remained like statues .The poisonous reptiles were humbled to the divine music .

The bamboo trees nearby were shedding tears of joy because a little part of it which made up the tree was creating such a wonderful music.

The clouds passing over the land stopped moving and provided an umbrella to Krishna. Lakes and rivers overflew with water, expanding their banks hurriedly desirous of embracing Krishna’s lotus feet which mesmerized her with captivating celestial tune .

Krishna’s beloved cows stood in tranquilly with their ears spread just to catch the nectar-filled tune flowing out of his flute.

Few cows and calves that were eating the grass, froze their actions in order not to let those munching sound disturb His divine music and thus get the fullest enjoyment.

 Krishna knew the gopis  would come and be with him in the moonlight dancing in eternity.  Grace can only flow through Krishna’s flute, as there is nothing inside its body to prevent his will from coming through.

There were three kinds of flutes used by  LORD …..

One called venu,

one murali, and the third  flute was

called vamsi.

The Flute Venu is very small, not more than six inches long, with six holes for whistling.

Murali is about eighteen inches long with a hole at the end and four holes on the body of the flute.This flute produces a very enchanting sound.

 

The vamsi flute  about fifteen inches long, with nine holes on its body was melodious

 

Lord  used to play on these three flutes occasionally when they were needed. Lord has a longer vamsi, which  was  called  as mahananda  or sammohini.

 

When  the flute is more  longer it was called akarsini and when it is even longer  was called anandini. 

The anandini flute is very pleasing to the cowherd boys and is technically named vamsuli. 

The flutes were made of marble and hollow bamboo  bedecked with jewels.

When the flute is made of jewels it is called sammohini.

When made of gold, it is called akarsini.

The gopis heard the celestial music and wondered how sweet it could be if they were able to sing and dance with Krishna in accordance with the music.

The minds of the gopis , wandering in different directions, were now centered on the divine music that came from the flute of Krishna.

The mesmerizing music of the flute it was, each gopi simply left what  household chores   they were doing and rushed to the flow of music like bees encircling the honeycomb without looking back. Few gopis left the dishes still dirty butter un churned racing into the flow .

Some even left mothers in mid conversation and few  allowed the food to burn on the stove.

The call of Krishna’s flute was eternal and they couldn’t resist . Lord is never without the flute , whether he is with his mother, on the grazing grounds with his herd of cows, among his cowherd companions or roaming around on the Yamuna banks.

Even when He is not playing the flute , it is safely tucked in His waistband, never leaving Him..

The Gopis ran into the forest seeking that transcendental bliss, where Krishna stood with his flute. He was too handsome and each gopi felt he was looking right at them. They formed into a garland and began to dance around him, their ankle bells tinkling, their saris waving to the divine tune. He played his flute and the gopis danced eternally.

Some waved their arms in the air, some spun in circles and some bent their knees and waist, swaying with the flute music.

The flowers decorating their neck and ears scenting the air and thus the gopis reached for their Lord of all Senses. As they reached for him he reached back, expanding himself to meet each gopi individually.

Each gopi placed her hands on his shoulder and Krishna placed his hands on each gopi’s shoulder.

The bells and bangles of the gopis and the stamping and clapping of hands and feet joined with the singing of Krishna to fill the night. Some gopis twirled their saris, spinning with Krishna. Others sang back and forth with him, or stepped lightly in time with beautiful Lord. Some clung tightly to him, crushing their flower garlands into his strong chest, while others barely touched him as they danced in time with the music.

The singing and dancing, the twirling saris and intertwining arms was so beautiful that the moon paused in her track across the sky to watch the eternal joy .

Those gentle deers  and sleepy birds watched from the edge of the forest with unknown joy  while the dance continued . Krishna and the gopis danced on, each gopi embracing Krishna as if he was  only for her. Each gopi completely satisfied with Krishna the Soul of the Universe’s touch and gaze.

The gopi’s faces and arms  were dripped with sweat .  Krisna wiped the droplets from their chubby cheeks. Garlands of flowers lay crushed on the ground as the gopis, one by one, dropped their arms in exhaustion. Krishna, still expanded to be with each gopi individually, led them to the banks of the Yamuna River and poured the cool water over their faces and hands.

The gopis  splashed the water  on him back playfully and their laughter filled the clearing. The gentle wind picked the scent of flowers from the garlands around the gopis neck and the blossoms in their hair and carried it up to the watching moon.

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Slowly,  the moon sank and  the sun began to rise and  here the gopis rested in the embrace of Krisna, each gopi held tight, held lovingly, held personally by the endless compassionate Lord. Krishna the eternal friend he was  expanded  and held  each gopi in his arms for each one to feel HE is there to  just  be with them.

Neeraja was watching all  the fun , unmindful of the time that was passing .She was in  a divine trance .She  suddenly shook up and went back home love struck .

Her husband and in laws disowned her and she was made an outcast  ,  a harsh punishment . Neeraja felt it was a call to transcend the material bonds, to free oneself from the trammels of earthly endeavours. Neeraja did not care for any one now.

She became mad and yearned to meet Krishna .Her thoughts were always filled with HIS smile and the divine play .She was immersed in HIS love .

           Everything was Krishna now .Her breath was krishna . She was in overwhelmingly  in an ecstatic state. It was Neeraja who was the first gopi to rush and hold the reins of Akrura’s chariot when he was taking Krishna to Mathura away from Gokulam as per Kamsa’s plan , and try to push the vehicle back.

Dejected she spent her life  in the Vamsi Kunj, whole mind fixed on the Lord  always whom she had dissolved in her heart .

Years passed. She was getting old. One day she prayed desperately to Krishna …

My Lord!! I can no longer bear this forlorn life. My eyes have gone dry, they have no more tears to keep this love for you. My heart too is fast turning into a wasteland.

Please come   and grace this craving soul  !! My Lord, please come and save me, take me unto yourself. Her prayer was sincere and unconditional..

Krishna heard the prayer. He responded to her yearning and presented himself immediately  before her .He called her by name, so sweetly that the very voice filled her with new life.

The Vamsi Kunj was now fragrant with divine glory.

Krishna came near  her and took Neeraja’s palm in His hand and said……..

Neeraja my dear …. Tell me … “What do you desire?”

Neeraja was  overjoyed. She looked at Krishna and said …

My Lord!! I wish you to play the flute once just  for my sake.

Krishna smiled and gave the excuse that He had not brought His flute.

But, looking at Neeraja’s yearning, he plucked a reed from a bamboo tree  in Vamsi Kunj and broke it right and in a trice converted it into a flute.

With Neeraja on his lap, Krishna played the flute melodiously  by which the entire Gokula and even the whole world, was bathed in ecstatic joy.

When He stopped, Neeraja had attained final beatitude and was no longer a limited individual Gopi separate from Him.

Every Gopi’s story is nectarine , each in its own way, for they were all so transmuted by the unconditional bhakthi they bore towards the Lord.

The Gopis were declared by sage  Narada in the Bhakthi Suthras (aphorisms on devotion) to be the greatest among the bhakthas (devotees).

Satyabhama  took pride on being Krishna’s most beloved but soon had to swallow it as she made a futile attempt to measure Krishna’s weight in gold.

Rukmini proved her love to Lord by  offering a sacred Tulsi leaf instead which caused the scales to promptly tip by the weight of her devotion to Krishna.

When Krishna was leaving Gokula to free his biological parents and Ugrasena by vanquishing  the demon Kamsa, Radharani was awaiting for Krishna on the way. Krishna’s eyes dissolves in Radharanis  eyes .He asks the driver to stop the cart. Akrura  surprisingly  asks, Oh Lord!! “Who is she?” Krishna responds,  Akrura

“Everyone is drawn to me, but I am drawn to her!”

May our lives too celebrate their stay and…………

let’s fall at HIS holy feet our  divine father always in thoughts and deeds ……….…

Adapted from a lecture by a Santh at Vrindavan

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan…

Pictures credits : Google images

Video credits :  Krishna devotee

Swami Alavandar is universally considered to be the Acharyar of Sri Ramanujacharya, though he had never spoken once to Swami Ramanuja till he lived.

Whatever he taught Ramanuja he did it only through his disciples. Alavandar’s disciples were priceless gems. Perianambi, Thirukoshtiyur Nambi, Thirumaalaiyaandan and Peria Thirumalai Nambi were the chief disciples.

Of these Perianambi personally taught swami Ramanuja and it was Thirukoshtiyur Nambi who made  swamy Ramanuja walk to his place 18 times to learn the meaning of LORD’S name.

Alavandar had another disciple by name Maraneri Nambi. The other disciples were all high-caste Brahmans whereas  Maraneri Nambi belonged to a caste which was in the lowest rung of the social ladder during those  period.Alavandar did not discriminate between his disciples and he loved Maraneri Nambi more than the other disciples.

Peria Nambi and Maraneri Nambi were of the same age. They became close friends. They would discuss their teacher’s words and each friend would contribute to the other’s learning. Once Alavandar was suffering from a painful disease called the carbuncle. Carbuncle, known as the King of Boils, Rajapilavai, in Tamil, is caused due to inflammation of tissues in the back and neck.

The shooting pain emanating from the fast-spreading boil would be unbearable. Antibiotics and painkillers were unknown in those days and it is difficult for us even to imagine the kind of pain the disease inflicted on its victims.

Swamy Alavandar was suffering silently. He did not even let his disciples know about the disease lest they should be worried. Perianambi and Thirukoshtiyur Nambi alone knew.

One day Maraneri Nambi went to Alavandar’s house. He insisted that he should see his Guru. Alavandar was hesitant. But Maraneri was adamant. So he was let in. Alavandar tried to cover his pain and welcomed him with a smile.

He thought that Maraneri had come there to clear his doubts in his lessons. The best way out was to dispose Maraneri as early as possible without letting him find out his disease. Maraneri came into the room and prostrated at his Acharya’s feet.

“May you be blessed, Maraneri Nambi.

Please get up. You see I have a lot of things to do today.

Please tell me your doubts fast. We don’t have much time.” “Gurudeva, I have been your disciple for decades. Have I asked anything from you?”

“No.”
“Today I have come to you with a desire. I have set my mind on that object.

And I can’t live without that. You have that with you. Can you give that to me?”

“It’s yours Maraneri. Whatever it is.”

“Thanks, Gurudeva.”

Maraneri ran out to fetch a silver vessel containing the holy water.

Alavandar was puzzled.

“Please Gurudeva show me your hands.”

“What for, Maraneri?”

“When you gift a piece of land you need to solemnize the gift with the holy water, right?”

“Yes, you are right. You want the mutt’s land near the river kaveri .Well, it’s yours.

Take it………………….

“No, Acharya.

”“Then..’

“Please repeat whatever I am going to say..

“I, Yamunaithuraivar alias Alavandar, do hereby gift to my disciple Maraneri Nambi, the Rajapilavai disease which I have now, along with the pain, the suffering and all the after-effects.”

“What the hell you are doing Nambee ?   This is not a game.

This water is holy. And if I repeat whatever you said, then you will have the disease, you moron. Don’t ever say the words again.

“You are one of the greatest Acharyas, the world has ever seen.

You have promised to give whatever I want…….

How can you go back on your word, Gurudeva?”

“But that’s ridiculous, Nambi.”“What is ridiculous, Acharya?

You are our Guru. You have a hundred disciples.

A thousand people come to you every day to listen to your words.

Even the Lord who sleeps forever in the temple is looking forward to see you every day.

“How can you afford to be confined to your bed?

And by your kind, wise words you are removing our pains. Pains which have been following us for millions of births.

How can you suffer in pain, Acharya?

“I am a low-born worm, Gurudeva.

By accepting me as your disciple you made a gift to me which is worth more than the whole universe.

“Now, Gurudeva, please.. I beg of you.. please allow me to do my part.

If you refuse to give your disease then I will have no option than to die at your feet.

It’s your call.” Alavandar melted. He poured the water on his hand and chanted the appropriate mantra.

“Please bear with me, Gurudeva. I have one more request.”

Alavandar looked at his disciple through a screen of tears.

“Let this transaction be not known to anybody else in the world.”

Alavandar was happy and sad at the same time.

Happy that he had such a loving disciple and sad because he was forced to give so much of pain and suffering to such a nice man.

Maraneri Nambi went out as a happy man.

Peria Nambi met him outside the room.

“Why are you so happy, my friend?”

“After many decades of discipleship it was only today that our Guru was kind enough to give me a precious prasadam.

And that too only after I compelled him to do so.”

Perianambi did not understand a word of what his friend said. Alavandar’s recovery was quite dramatic after that day.

A week later Maraneri Nambi was down with carbuncle. It is said that he suffered for three months from shooting pain. Whenever he was in pain he would only chant the name of his Gurudeva.

Because his Guru’s blessings were fully on him and because the Lord was moved by his selfless love Maraneri Nambi recovered from the disease sooner than the usual time.

Years flew.

  Swamy Alavandar was more than a hundred years old.

One day he passed away.

Maraneri Nambi and Perianambi, who were in their eighties, cried a lot over the death of their loving Guru.

Swamy Ramanujacharya then came to Srirangam and took over the reins of the Ashram. Maraneri Nambi was now in his death bed.

 He called his friend Perianambi one day and insisted that he should be left alone with his dear friend.

“Perianambi, my dear friend, I have a fear.

When I  leave this body they would give  this body to my relatives.

I have quite a lot of them, no doubt.

But most of them are drunkards and cheats.

They would drink arrack, dance around my dead body and utter all profanities.

“I am Swamy  Alavandar’s disciple and I have been thinking only of my Guru and God all these years.

“Giving my body to my relatives would be like giving the sacred ghee offered in the yagas to a street dog.

My body in which my Guru and my Lord reside should not be humiliated by those crooks.

”Perianambi held his friend’s hands and assured him.

“I will take care of that. Our Lord, our Guru and the new head, the loving  Swamy Ramanuja will never let that happen.

Believe me, Maraneri. “

Maraneri Nambi was relieved.

He died peacefully in his sleep that very night.

When Perianambi heard of his friend’s death he came running to the Ashram. He supervised all the funeral arrangements himself.

And then he did the unthinkable.

Perianambi who was born in the highest caste of Brahmans did the last rites himself and lit the funeral pyre.

It was nothing short of a revolution in those days.

How could somebody born in the highest of castes, somebody like Perianambi, do the last rites for someone born in the lowest of castes?

It created a great furore.Many disciples of the mutt opposed Perianambi’s action.

Perianambi was banned from the temple. He was not allowed to mingle with the people.And somebody took up the matter with  Swamy Ramanuja.

Now Perianambi was Ramanuja’s teacher.

Ramanuja knew all about Perianambi’s love. He also knew about Maraneri Nambi’s devotion.

After all Ramanuja was the man who stood on the top of the temple wall and revealed the most sacred secret to those born in the lowest of castes, in spite of his Guru’s warnings.

Yet he wanted the other disciples to know about Peria Nambi and Maraneri Nambi.

He summoned Perianambi to his presence and held a court martial.

“Oh Worshipful Acharya, you have been charged with a very grave offense.

That you did the last rites for a man born in the lowest of castes. You are a learned Brahman. 

“You know it is forbidden by the sasthras. And the punishment prescribed for such an act is total ex-communication.

That is you can’t enter the temple, this mutt or any other Brahman’s house.

What’s your answer, Acharya?” 

Perianambi knew his disciple like the palm of his hand.

He knew that the show was only for the gallery.

He saw the disciples jeering at him.

Normally a soft-spoken person that eighty year old man now roared like a lion, no like the lion-faced Lord Narasimha.

“Ramanuja, I have not done anything wrong.

Do I have to remind you that in the great epic Ramayana our Lord Rama did the last rites for a bird, Jadayu?

“Neither am I superior to Rama nor my dear friend Maraneri Nambi inferior to that bird.” 

Measured words.

Not a single word wasted.

Pointed arguments.

The arrow hit the bull’s eye.

The lion-faced Lord had killed the demon called bigotry.

Or at least that was what he thought……

Ramanuja clapped his hands like a child.

He then turned to the other disciples. 

“Are you clear now?

Do you have any counter arguments?”

Nobody spoke.

But very few understood.

Well, they exactly did not have an argument against Perianambi’s powerful example.

At the same time they were not large-hearted enough to condone Perianambi’s excesses.
They started avoiding Perianambi.

If he went to the temple the priests would leave the place.

If any Brahman saw him on the road he would turn his face the other side and walk away…..

Swamy Ramanuja came to know of the ill-treatment meted out to Perianambi.

He was very sad.

After teaching love for years and years, these people still acted like fanatics.

‘What’s the big deal? Why should I waste my life teaching these bigots?’

Ramanuja ran to the temple. It was late in the night.

They were about to close the doors.

They were waiting for the Acharya to finish his darshan.

Ramanuja was sobbing before the sleeping Lord.

“I tried my best to make them understand Perianambi’s love.

I have failed in my mission.

Please, Lord, you will have to do something about it.

“Please don’t let Perianambi suffer for his greatest act of love.

Please my, Lord. Please…

”The Lord who is nothing but Love, the Lord who even while sleeping on the banks of Cauvery is constantly thinking about his devotees, the Lord who cannot tolerate any kind of bigotry, just smiled.

He had already made up his mind to teach a lesson to those fanatics.

It was festival time in Srirangam. The very next day was the famous car festival.

The huge Ther (car) of Srirangam was to pass through the house of Perianambi.

When the Lord’s Ther came into the street Perianambi was sitting in his pooja room with all the sadness in his face.

He had never missed the car festival in the past.

Because he was a well-learned Brahman and one of Alavandar’s disciples, the car would stop at the gate of his house so that he could have dharshan.

But this time it was different. He was not allowed in the temple.

And nobody talked to him. He also knew that the Lord’s car would not stop in front of his house, this time.

His eyes were shedding tears of love…..

“My Lord, do you also think that what I did was wrong?

Maraneri Nambi is a much better person than I.

And I am really proud that I had the blessing to light his funeral pyre.

“If you have also decided to let me down, Oh My, dear, dear Lord, so be it. If you let me down, I don’t want anybody else to save me.

Do whatever you wish, my Lord.” The Car had just approached the house of Perianambi.

When Azhagia Manavala Perumal seated in the car was right in front of Perianambi’s house-entrance the huge car suddenly came to a grinding halt.

Actually the administrators had cunningly planned to make the car run at double the usual speed when they were crossing Perianambi’s house.

But those petty minds were but small pieces of cotton in that large fire of love whose name was AzhagiaManavala Perumal. He had his say.

And He always had his way.

The gigantic Ther stopped before Perianambi’s house.

It looked as if their roles had been reversed.

For years and years Perianambi used to wait outside his house for the Lord.

Today the Lord was waiting for him. 

The administrators thought it was a mechanical problem and could be corrected only if they applied more oil on the axis. Pots of oil were poured on the humongous axis.

Yet the car would not move.

They sent word to the nearby villages.

Hundreds of people came to pull the car.

The Lord did not even move a milli-metre.

They sent word to the stable and six elephants were brought to pull the car.

The Lord was adamant.

They then went in search of mantrikas and astrologers.

The Lord was waiting patiently at the gate of Perianambi’s house.

Four hours had passed.

Perianambi was crying in the pooja room.

Nothing moved.The best of mantrikas was summoned.

He came there, closed his eyes and went into a state of trance.

After thirty minutes he woke up.

“Idiots, you have hurt a good man, a noble soul.

Unless you give Lord’s prasadam to him with due respects the Lord will not move an inch from this place.

And fools, do remember this.

If he thinks ill of you even for a second you’ll all be burnt to ashes in no time.

You can even play with this God. He won’t mind. But never try to play with his devotees.

You will be annihilated.

Emboldened by their silence the mantrika delivered his punchline with aplomb.

“You fools, if you have any sense still left in you, fall at Perianambi’s feet and beg his pardon.

Unless he forgives you even this loving Lord will not forgive you. Mind it.

”He refused to accept any fees from them.

“I have a strong policy not to accept anything from sinners like you.”

He ran away from the place. Then and only then they realized their mistake.

The Chief Priest went into Perianambi’s house and fell at his feet. “Perianambi, our Lord, Azhakia Manavalar is waiting to see you.

At your gate. Looks like He won’t move any further unless you come out and see him. ‘Please come with me and accept the Lord’s prasadam.

And please forgive all of us. We are all petty-minded people.

 “We now know for sure that you are on our Lord’s side. No, no, our Lord is on your side. Please come, Peria Nambi.

The Lord has been waiting for you for the past four hours.” Perianambi ran out of the house.

It was a sight to see almost the entire town falling at his feet.He ignored them all and fell before the huge car.

The Chief Priest lifted him up and honored him with the Lord’s cloth and his sadari. A garland was taken from the Lord and was placed on Perianambi’s neck.

Azhagia Manavala Perumal was affectionately smiling at his devotee.

Perianambi was respected like a King amongst his peers.

For did not the Lord Himself stop at his place?

Seeing the bewitching smile on Azhakia Manavalar’s most beautiful face Peria Nambi folded his hands.

He did not even attempt to control his sobs.

 “Any day your love is a million times better than mine, my Lord.

Give me a billion births to be born as a worm to be crushed by the feet of your loving devotees.

I can’t even repay a small fraction of your love.

Oh My Lord, you stopped at my place!

You stopped at the house of this worm!

You waited for me! My Lord! My Lord!”

The Chief Priest came near Perianambi and gently reminded him.“Please let the Lord go, Perianambi. It’s getting late, you see. Please..”

Perianambi moved away.

The Lord took leave of his devotee and resumed his onward journey. The huge car now moved as if its wheels were on air.

The gigantic Chariot started moving when less than fifty people gently pulled its ropes.

Credits :  HG Shri  Varalotti Rengasamy

All glories to Peria nambee
All glories to Alavandar
Srimathey Ramanujaya namah:

Pics :  Thanks to Google images /and other websites shared by advance devotees