EkAdaSI: TSSundara Rajan

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mgansten wrote:

>

> My thanks to those who clarified the question of tithi vs. nakshatra in SV

> tradition for me. Now, I have a somewhat related question: what importance

> is given to the observance of Ekadashi in Sri Vaishnavism? Is fasting,

> waking etc regarded as obligatory, and if so, do Sri Vaishnavas fast from

> all foods, or only from certain items, such as rice? And what is the special

> importance of Vaikuntha Ekadashi, to which I have heard many refer?

>

> As usual, many thanks in advance.

>

> Martin Gansten

> mgansten

 

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>From T.S. Sundara Rajan, care Uchani Deivachilai, Memphis.

 

Re: Martin Gansten's query reg: EkAdaSI.

 

The most extensive theme-account of EkAdaSI is available

in the padma purANam which (despite its own quota of

visibly irrelevant and banal interpolations) could be

termed as the most authentic vaishnava purANam, reckoned

as such after the vishNu p., varAha p., and bhAgavata p.

 

Being on a visit from Srirangam to Memphis, I do not

readily have my copy of padma p. with me; hence write

from memory.

 

padma.p. devotes a chapter to each EkAdaSI of the year,

each of them bearing a distinct name. (EkAdaSI, as is

well known, literally means the ordinal 'eleventh', and

stands for the corresponding day/date of the waxing/waning

phase of the moon; this 'tithi' occurs twice in a month.)

 

Of all the formal 'vratam' prescribed, the EkAdaSI is the

most cherished and exclusively vaishnava vratam. The

observance consists of fasting through the day and overnight

vigil, dedicated throughout to devotional activity like

reading the scriptures, telling the rosary, recitation of the

'stotram'/'keertanam' etc. [it is interesting that the

purANam prohibits the woman from fasting as such; with the

exception that she may, with her husband's consent, fast for

half of the EkAdaSI day.] The EkAdaSI is completed only

with the pre-dawn bath the next morning (i.e. of the dvAdaSI)

and breaking the fast (pAraNA) by imbibing 'tulasI'

(ocimum sanctum) in holy water.

 

nArAyaNa bhaTTattiri's work, 'nArAyaNIyam', a marvellous

condensed retelling of SrImad-bhAgavatam, identifies

EkAdaSI inter alia eight objects/observances identified with

deliverance and Grace, viz., (GanGa water, the celebrated

krshna-arjuna dialogue bhagavad-GeetA, the GAyatrI mantram,

the tulasI plant, the oordhva-puNDra mark drawn with Gopi

sandal powder, the devotions offered in the SALagrAma

(ammonite) stone, observance of the EkAdaSI vratam,

recitation of the (sahasra-) nAma. Even though a later-day

(15th cent.?) work, 'nArAyaNIyam' has all the inspiration

and verity of an authentic 'sAmpradAyika' work, and has the

status of good literature and a reliable religious document.

 

"GanGA GItA cha GAyatrI api cha tulasikA GopikA-chandanam tat

SALaGrAmAbhipoojA, para-purusha, tathaikAdaSee nAmavarNAh

EtAnyashtAn-ayatnAn-yayi kali-samayE tvat-prasAda-pravrddhyA

kshipram mukti-pradAnee-tyabhidadhu(h) rshayah tEshu mAm

sajjayethAh!"

 

Of the EkAdaSI marking the annual calendar, the interval

between the Sayana- and the utthAna- EkAdaSI represents the

span of yOGa-nidrA (cosmic slumber) of SrIman-nArAyaNa, and

is observed as the chAtur-mAsyam (the Four Months) when the

itinerant 'sannyAsI' should remain rooted in one place.

These two EkAdaSI are observed with great rapture and devotion

in panDharpur in mahArAshtra, the home of 'haridAsa' movement.

 

The utthAna E. is observed in SrIrangam and tirukkurunguDi

as 'kaiSika E.', named after a melody in which the hymn was

set for worship on this E. day. This E. is two E. precedent

to the great vaikuNTha E. The illustrative anecdote

of kaisika E. is contained in the varAha purANam (which

~~ unlike the other purANams recorded by SrI vEdavyAsa, and

vishNu p. by his sire sri parASara ~~ has the status of

bhagavacChAstram, being verily from the Lord himself).

SrI parASara-bhaTTa had written the Sloka-wise tamizh

paraphrase of the varAha p. anecdote, and this work is

recited by the bhaTTa descendants before namperumAL in the

arjuna-maNDapam on the midnight of kaiSika E. The absolute

tranquility of the midnight hour, the audience of devotees

absorbing the enchantment of namperumAL's visage, and bhaTTar

reading the kaiSika-purANam and the exalted tamizh paraphrase

out of the palm manuscript against the backdrop of the golden

crest of Sriranga-praNavAkAra-vimAnam ~~ all these blend to

produce the alchemy of an incomparable beatitude which is

hard to describe in words.

 

It is, of course, tirukkurunguDi one thinks of to mention

the kaiSika E which is considered (in the 'sampradAyam')

to be dedicated to vaDivazhakia nambi, sundara-paripoorna-

perumAL of this divya-deSam. The kaisika E anecdote is

staged here as a play before perumAL.

 

The vaikunTha E. is the event and festival held to be most

precious in SrIrangam, and would constitute a full-book

theme in itself. This E. is especially sacred and dear to the

vaishnava as marking the full recitation and glorification

of the AzhvAr aruLiccheyal (divya-prabandham) hymns.

 

The 3 important EkAdaSI were marked as follows over the last

3 years in the Srirangam kOyil vAkya-panchAngam:

 

samvatsaram. mAsam & tithi. Xian Y/M/D. EkAdasI.

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ISvara. dhanus 24. 1998 Jan 8. VaikunTha/

Bheeshma.

Vrschika 25. 1997 Dec 10. utthAna/kaiSika.

mithuna 32. 1997 July 16. Sayana.

 

dhAtr. dhanus 5. 1996 Dec 20. Vai/Bh.

vrschika 6. 1996 Nov 21. utthAna/kaiSika.

kataka 11. 1996 Jly 26. Sayana.

 

yuva. dhanus 17. 1996 Jan 1. Vai/Bh.

vrschika 16. 1995 Dec 2. utthAna/kaiSika.

mithuna 25. 1995 Jly 9. Sayana.

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