Seetha Ram kalana Mahotsavam at Buffalo

[Guest guest]

Sri Vijay Srinivasan of Buffalo invited me to

the Kalyana Utsavam for Chakravarthi Thirumahan and

Janaki Devi planned for March 23.

.. The Dakshina Sampradhaya Bhajana(DSB)

Paddadhti established by Marudanallur Swamigal

is going to be such a delightful highlight of the planned

celebration. The DSB Mandali of Buffalo is to be congratulated

on nurturing this great tradition . I could not make it to Buffalo

and hence I promised to contribute an article for their publication

related to this special occasion on Sri Ramachandra.I will say

a few words on the Sampradhaya Bhajana first and the tradition

established by Marudhanallur Sathguru Venkatarama Bhagavathar

and his links to the Great Sankaraacharya by the name BhodhendraaL.

 

Many villages in India at the

time of Saint Thyagaraja had Bhajan Mandalis and the villagers

participated in the Seetha Kalyanam and Radha Kalyanam

and derived great spiritual uplift form their participation.During

Ekadasis and Nityothasavams, The Bhajana group of the village

offered musical worship to the Lord . I will say a few words

about the Musical times of Saint Thyagaraja,

the great Rama Bhaktha, since he was very much inflluenced by

the Sampradhaya Bhajana Pattadhi .

 

During Saint Thyagaraja"s time, the Tanjore court muscians

like Thodi Seethaaramaiah,

AtaaNa Appaaiya, Sankarabaranam Narasayaa ,

Darbhar Seethaaramaiah

were known for their Manodharmams and made one Ragam

their own specialty. For hours, they elaborated on their

Special Ragas and demonstrated their musical genius.

 

At the same time, the Bhajana Groups put Bhakthi first

and Manodharmam next. They used invocations,

Thodaya Mangalams , Ashtapadis and associated

Musala Dance, Choornikais, Deepa Pradkshinam,

Mangalaashtakam ,Divya Naamaas, Vedic recitation

to practise Bhakthi for the Lord through Nama Sankeethanam

following the dictum , Kalau Sankeerthya Kesavam as the

route to Moksham.

 

Thyagaraja Swamigal combined the two traditions of Nama

(Sankeethana) Siddhaantham with Naadha Siddhantham and

blended his Rama Bhakthi with the Bhava Trayams (Sangeetha

Bhavam, Saahitya Bhavam and Bhakthi Bhavam ). He composed

many a kriti to channel his great devotion for Sri Ramachandra

and used it during the occasion of Ekadasi, Unchi Vritti Bhajan

and Sri Rama Navami and other Utsavams.

 

The impetus and the inspiration for the Bhajan Tradition of

Saint Thyagaraja came from a great Bhagavatha revered as

Maruthaanallur Sathguru Venkatarama Sasthrigal. He

was born in Thiruvisanallur , which had another Mahaan known

as Sridhara IyaavaaL, who made Ganga waters rise out of his house well.

Sathguru Venkatarama Bhagavathar lived in the 19th century .

He travelled all over India , collected Bhajans of great devotees

and culled them all into a Sampradhaaya Bhajan Paddathi, which

lasts even today. The most recent practioner of this

tradition was Sri H.H.Swami Haridhos Giri.

This Bhajan tradition is recommended for any one

irrespective of caste , creed or Sex. Saint Thyagaraja was exposed

to this rich tradition from his youth. Now a few words about Sathguru

Marudanallur Venkatarama Saastrigal.

 

His Bhajana Matam existseven today at Maruthanallur.

This is a tiny village on

the banks of Cauveri near Thiruvida Maruthur, a great Siva Kshetram,

Where the Lord is known as Mahaa Lingam. He was a great devotee

of a Great Shankaraacharya by the name BhodhendraaL . Latter lived in

the Sixteenth Century . He is the one , who replaced the Taadangam (Ear Ring),

which is in the form of Sri Chakram, originally presented to Sri Akhilandeswari

of Thiruvaanaikkaval by Adi Sankara in the ninth century.

BhodendraaL was a great Rama Bhaktha and the author of the

most beautiful verses known as Rama Karnaamrutam. He abdicated

from the post of Kanchi Mutt and went to Govindapuram , a village again

close to Thiruvidamaruthur on the banks of Veera Sozhan river, a tributary

of Cauveri. There he Meditated on Sri Ramachandra and gave us another

celebrated Grantham known as Naama Kowmudhi. He used to say :

Rama Namameh Kalkandu, Athan Rasam theriyaathavan Kal Gundu.

This means that the Name of Rama is the sweet rock candy (Kalkandu);

those, who do not know its taste are Massive stones (Kal Gundu). He

explained to us the Greatness and the sacredness of Rama Naama this way:

Parjanam Bhava Bheethaanaam

Aarjanam Kula Sampathaam I

Dharjanam yama dhoothaanaam

Rama Ramethi Garjanam II

The roar of Rama"s name is pointed out by him here

to ward off samsaric ills, Chase away the servants of

Yama, Lets one acquire untold wealth.

 

One day, BhodendraaL asked the boys playing on the dry river

bed of Veerasozhan to bury him in the sand. As

usual, the boys thought that he will come out of the

sand pit. This time , he wanted Jeeva Samadhi anddid not come back.

He reached the Lord"s feet. Floods came and no one knew whether he

was washed away or was alive. Three hundred Years went by.

Marathanallur Sathguru wanted to know as to what happened to

this revered Acharya. On one hot summer day, Sathguru did

Anga Prathkshinam on the hot, dry river bed. As his body hit one

location, he heard the loud chantings of Rama Naamam .

Sathguru Venkataramana Sastrigal stopped there and dug

up this area . Lo and Behold! He found the missing volume of

Nama Kowmudhi, which was considered lost until then. He

brought it back with Koil Maryadai and placed it in the Maruthanallur

Bhajana Matam and offered Puja to the sacred Grantham and thru that to

Sri Ramachandra worshipped by BhodendraaL..He continued the

Bhajanais in front of the Sacred book of Nama Kowmudhi from then on.

 

It is clear that the place where the earthly remains of the Mahaatmas

fall is a sacred site and that is why the Bridhavanams of Sanyasis

are worshipped even today. A Similar situation was experienced by a great

devotee of Saint Thyagaraja few decades ago in this century. Bangalore

Nagaratnamma wanted to build a Samathi for Saint Thyagaraja on the banks

of Cauveri in Thiruvayaru.Nobody knew exactly,where the Body of the Saint

was interned according to the rules of burial for a Sanyasi. Sri Nagaratnamma

began the excavations around the approximate place traditionally

considered to be the place of internment of Saint Thyagaraja.

When her workers went over a particular site, they heard beautiful

music in praise of Rama and were overcome by intense Incense fragrance.

Then and trhere they recognized the site as the place where the

Saint"s body was interned and stopped their digging.

Bangalore AmmaL built the Temple over that site, which is where today"s

Yearly Aradhana at Thiruvairu takes place . That is the experience Of

another Rama Bhaktha.

 

I will post another article on Sri Ramachandra tomorrow and dedicate it

as my humble contribution to the Buffalo Seetha Rama Kalyanam celebrations

inview of my inability to be there.

 

RAMA RAMA NAMOSTHUTEH

JAYA RAMABHADRA NAMOSTHUTEH I

RAMACHANDRA ANMOSTHUTEH

JAYA RAGHAVAAYA NAMOSTHUTEH II

 

----- Adi sankara"s Raghavaashtakam

 

Sri Ramachandra Parabrahmaneh Nama:

 

V.Sadagopan