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hi all,

This is a forwarded post from Mrs. Nagu Satyan.

 

Thanks,

Varadhan

 

 

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>From Nagu.Satyan Tue Apr 23 14:24 MDT 1996

X400-Received: by /c=us/admd=telemail/prmd=mmc/; converted ( IA5-Text);

Relayed;

 

 

SRI DASARATHY (MUDALEEAANDAAN) THIRUNAKSHATHTHIRAM

 

Sri Daasarathy, a devoted and learned disciple of Sri Ramanujacharya, is the son

of Sri

Ananthanarayana Dikshithar and Smt. Bhoomi Naacheyaar, sister of Sri

Ramanujacharya.

This couple lived in Pettai, near Poondhamalli close to Madras. The presiding

deity in the

village temple is Pachchai Vaarana Perumaal (green color God). Since the

couple, staunch

devotees of Sri Rama, did not have any children for a long time, they prepared

on a journey

to Tirupathi to pray for a son. That night Sri Rama appeared in their dream and

informed

them that He (Sri Rama) would be born as their son and asked them not to go to

Tirupathi.

Accordingly, the couple were blessed with a son soon after. He was born in the

month of

Chitthirai (mesha in sowramana and chaithra in chaandramana) under the star

punar

poosam (punar vasu). In 1996, his thirunakshatthiram falls on Wednesday, 24

April 1996.

 

The parents named him Daasarathy (meaning Dasaratha's son). When Sri

Ramanujacharya

heard about the birth of his nephew, he visited the blessed couple at Pachchai

Vaarana

Perumaal koil (temple). As soon as he saw the luster (Tejas) in the baby, he

named him

"Mudaleeaandaan" and to protect the child he recited the divya manthiraas

(sacred verses).

The father taught Daasarathy the Vedas and shaastraas, and at the age of

eighteen, the

parents celebrated his marriage. When Daasarathy heard about his maternal uncle

becoming a sanyaasin, he visited Sri Ramanujacharya at Kanchipuram who initiated

Daasarathy in the Pancha Samskaaraas. Daasarathy stayed back with his uncle and

devoted

his life to be of service to Sri Ramanujacharya.

 

When Aalavandaar (Yamunacharya), the spiritual leader of Sri Vaishnavas who was

in

Srirangam realized that his mortal life was nearing an end, he sent Sri Periya

Nambi (Maha

Purna) to escort Sri Ramanujacharya to Srirangam to assume the leadership of Sri

Vaishnavas. Sri Periya Nambi offered his prayers to Lord Varadaraja at

Kanchipuram,

obtained the blessings and permission to escort Sri Ramanujacharya to Srirangam.

Sri

Periya Nambi, Sri Ramanujacharya and Daasarathy left for Srirangam. By the time

they

reached Srirangam, Aalavandaar's soul had left this world. Sri Ramanujacharya

accepted

his position as the head of Sri Vaishnavas.

 

In accordance with Aalavandaar's instructions, Sri Ramanujacharya requested Sri

Thirukottiyur Nambi (Gostipurna) to teach him the Ashtaaksharam. When Sri

Thirukottiyur Nambi noticed that Daasarathy and Koorathaazhwar (Kuresa, another

disciple of Sri Ramanujacharya) had accompanied Sri Ramanujacharya, who had been

specifically instructed to come alone, he questioned Sri Ramanujacharya why he

had not

obeyed his instructions to come alone. Sri Ramanujacharya then replied, " I am

a sanyaasi.

A sanyaasi never goes anywhere without his ThriDandam and Pavithram". He

referred to

Daasarathy as his "ThriDandam" and to Kuresa as his ÒPavithramÓ. According to

shastraas

(not sure about the references), ThriDandam is considered as an Amsam

(manifestation) of

Lord Vishnu, and since Daasarathy was an avathaar of Lord Rama (Vishnu), it is

acceptable to refer to Daasarathy as ThriDandam.

 

However, Sri Thirukottiyur Nambi again instructed Sri Ramanujacharya to come

back

alone. Sri Thirukottiyur Nambi made Sri Ramanujacharya come back eighteen times

before

he finally instructed Sri Ramanujacharya about the greatness of Ashtaaksharam.

As soon

as Sri Ramanujacharya came out of Sri Thirukottiyur Nambi's house, Sri

Ramanujacharya

looked at Daasarathy and told him " Sri Thirukottiyur Nambi is in an exalted

mood after

describing the great significance of Ashtaaksharam. You now go to him and ask

him to

teach you the Ashtaaksharam." When Daasarathy requested Sri Thirukottiyur Nambi

to

teach him the Ashtaaksharam, Sri Thirukottiyur Nambi replied "After you get rid

of your

pride/ego about your caste, wealth and knowledge, Sri Ramanujacharya himself

will

instruct you about it." Sri Ramanujacharya eventually instructed him regarding

the

Ashtaaksharam.

 

Sometime later because of the ruling Chola King's harassment, Sri Ramanujacharya

escaped to Thirunaaraayanapuram (MElkOte) in Karnaataka, along with Daasarathy

and

other disciples. After Sri Ramanujacharya restored the Moolavar (main god) and

Utsavar

(procession God) at Thirunaaraayanapuram, Daasarathy traveled north visiting

places like

Belur and defeated the Maayavadhins in a series of debates and made them realize

their

mistakes and helped them in becoming disciples of Sri Ramanujacharya. Along the

way

Daasarathy established the following five Narayana divya sthalams (sacred

places)--1)

Keerthi Narayana at Thaayak-kaatil, 2) Sriman Narayana at Thondanoor, 3) Veera

Narayana at Karukala, 4) Vijaya Narayana at Vijayapuram and 5) Kesava Narayana

at

Belur.

 

After being away for twelve years at Thirunaaraayanapuram, Sri Ramanujacharya

and his

disciples returned to Srirangam after they learned about the demise of the Chola

King. The

prince (son) of the Chola King met Sri Ramanujacharya and asked him for

forgiveness and

became Sri Ramanujacharya's follower. Daasarathy won a debate with a great

vidhwaan

(scholar) Milakaazhvaan, convincing about his wrong assumptions and made him a

follower of Sri Ramanujacharya.

 

At the temple in Srirangam, Daasarathy got deeply involved in the service of

various tasks.

One day he approached his teacher (Guru) Sri Ramanujacharya and expressed his

sorrow

that he was getting old and did not have a son to continue the service to God.

Unexpectedly, at that time Sri Ramanujacharya received Prasaadam from the

temple. Sri

Ramanujacharya noticed the cloth used to cover the sacred prasaadam. His face

blossomed

and his body felt a thrilling moment. He removed the cloth which had been used

to drape

over Perumaal during Thirumanjanam. The cloth was full of the sacred fragrance.

Sri

Ramanujacharya informed Daasarathy that God had heard Daasarathy's trouble. He

gave

the cloth to Daasarathy's wife, who accepted it with bhakthi (devotion) and

placed it on her

head with reverence. Sri Ramanujacharya took some prasaadam and gave the left

over to

Daasarathy's wife. Soon after that she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

Because

the son was born after eating the prasaadam left over by his guru Sri

Ramanujacharya,

Daasarathy named him Ramanujam. However, Sri Ramanujacharya named the child

Kandaadai Aandaan (one who wore kandaadai) since Sri Ramanujacharya felt that

the child

was the blessings received through Perumaal's fragrant (kandam) cloth (aadai).

The

second meaning for Kanda is torn and Kandaadai means torn cloth. The followers

of

Kandaadai Aandaan have come to be known as Kandaadai family.

 

It is also believed that Daasarathy is the Paadukai (sandals) of Sri

Ramanujacharya.

Daasarathy is also known as Vaathula Desikar in Srirangam as well as in Pettai,

his birth

place. Because he was born in Chitthirai there is ten day celebration observed

in Pettai,

ending in his birth star Punar Poosam (Punar Vasu).

 

Background on Sri Rama avathaaram

 

When Sriman Narayana took Sri Rama avathaar to protect the devas, Sri Adisesha

was

born as his younger brother Lakshmana. Lakshmana spent his whole life

selflessly serving

Sri Rama with utmost love and devotion. When Rama observed that Lakshmana was

fully

engrossed in serving him (Rama) without thinking about his needs, Rama had a

yearning to

be born as Adisesha's younger brother to serve him (Adisesha). Accordingly, in

the

Dvaapara yuga, Lakshmana was born as the older brother Balarama and Rama as

younger

brother Sri Krishna. It appears that Rama (Krishna) was not fully satisfied

that he had

adequately served Adisesha (Balarama). Rama was waiting for another opportunity

to be

born to serve Adisesha. In Kali yuga, Sri Ramanujacharya came to earth as

Adisesha's

manifestation. Sri Rama waited for the opportune time and manifested as

Daasarathy,

devoted student of Sri Ramanujacharya and served him to fulfill Rama's desires

in Thraita

yuga.

3

 

 

 

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