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Dear Friends,

 

I am back from my month long trip to India and Australia. My visit to

India was thoroughly enjoyable and memorable. I was blessed with a wonderful

Darshanam of Parthasarathy Perumal and Lakshmi Narasimhar (Telliya Singar) at

TiruveLLikeNi, Varaha Swamy, and Lord Srinivasa at Tirupati, Alamelu Manga

Thayar at Tiruchanoor, Lord Ranganatha (Periya Perumal), Ranganayaki Thayar,

Sudarshana-Narasimhar, Pattabiramar, and Lakshmi Hayagriva (at Desikar

Sannidhi) at Srirangam, Hanuman and Lakshmi Narasimhar at Namakkal and

finally Lord Srinivasar and Padmavathi Thayar at Kotai Srinivasar Koil in

Bangalore. I also had the good fortune of performing Vachika Kainkaryam at

each of these Kshetrams. I was able to get audience with my Acharyan, H.H.

Srimad Andavan Swamigal of Srimad Paundarikapuram Ashramam on two successive

days and also obtain the blessings of my mentor, Swami Rangapriya Mahadesikan

(I was able to see him on 3 separate occassions during this visit) of Bangalore.

 

Smt. Vaidehi and Sri Raja Krishnaswamy of our group were trying very hard to

get in touch with me prior to my leaving for India. Fortuitously, we were

able to meet for a short while on the day of my departure. Thanks to Smt.

Vaidehi, I had the good fortune of meeting her father, U.Ve. Sri

Venkatakrishnan, who is an extremely learned scholar about our Sampradayam,

while I was in Madras. U.Ve. Sri Venkatakrishnan provided several insights

about the Kshetram of Parthasarathy Perumal Koil by referring to Azhwar

Pasurams in praise of Perumal and established that a visit to Parthasarathy

Perumal Koil was equivalent to making pilgrimage to Srirangam, Tirupati and

Kanchipuram. Given this background, I was able to appreciate the finer

aspects of this Kshetram. A large crowd had gathered in front of us when my

family members and I got in line to seek a Darshanam of Perumal.

 

A group of devotees started chanting the Vishnu Sahasranamam just as we

entered the line and we joined them in the Parayanam. The line wended its way

towards the Sanctum Sanctorum as we continued the Parayanam. Just as we

concluded the Sahasra Nama Parayanam, lo and behold! we were in front of

Perumal, who was decorated with beautiful flower garlands and Tulasi Malais.

Since we wanted to have Archanai performed, we requested the priest for the

Seva. He ordered us (rather curtly and rudely) to wait by the side for a few

minutes. This gave me an opportunity to render the Vishnu Ghanam "Eta

Asadan..", while enjoying the Anubhavam of the Lord from

head to foot. Just as I concluded the Ghanam, the priest invited me and my

family to the front and performed Archanai for Perumal. My mother recited

Desika Prabandham while we were circumambulating (performing Pradakshinam)

the Lord. At the Lakshmi Narasimhar Sannidhi, I recited the Kamasikashtakam in

my mind.

 

A few days later, we made a trip to Tirupati. The ride from Bangalore to

Tirupati was beautiful. With considerable effort, members of my family and

I were able to get tickets for the Tomalai Seva and Sahasrarchanai Seva.

While we were travelling uphill, we recited the Daya Shatakam and Garuda

Dandakam. Later, while we were in line for the Sevas, I was able to render

the Sri Ranganatha Gadyam and Sudarshana Ashtakam. The sight of Lord Srinivasa,

resplendent with glory and decorated with beautiful ornaments, Pushpa and

Tulasi Mala Alankaram was extremely gratifying. The fragrance of camphor

permeated the surrounding. We were also able to go for a special Darshanam

the night before the Tomalai and Sahasrarchana Seva. While a number of people

were subjected to the "Randi Jargandi" treatment, yours truly was allowed an

uninterrupted Darshanam for nearly 5 minutes by the sentry. Prior to the

Darshanam of Lord Srinivasar, we were blessed with an excellent Darshanam of

Varahaswamy in the Varahar Sannidhi. On the way back to Bangalore, we stopped

at Thayar Sannidhi and had a very nice Darshanam. I had the opportunity to

recite the Sri Suktam before Padmavati Thayar.

 

My family and I visited Srirangam soon after my return to India from

Australia. The journey to Srirangam by a rented taxi was extremely

enjoyable. We straight away proceeded to the Ashramam of our Acharyan, H.H.

Srimad Andavan Swamigal of Srimad Paundarikapuram Ashramam and sought his

blessings. Swamigal arranged for one of his Srikaryam members to give us a

"guided tour" of the Ashramam's Desikan Sannidhi and to show us the Vigraham

of the Utsava Murthy of Bhagavan Lakshmi Hayagriva. This is a replica of the

Vigraham given to Swami Desikan by Garuda Bhagavan when the latter initiated

Swami Desikan into the Prayogam of the Hayagriva Mantram. We were also provided

with insights on Swami Desikan's Dhyana Shlokam salutation in the Hayagriva

Stotram. Each aspect of the Dhyana Shlokam is depicted in the Utsava Murthy

of Bhagavan Lakshmi Hayagriva. It was thrilling to be able to experience

from less than one foot, the aspects of Bhagavan Hayagriva referred to by

Swami Desikan in the Hayagriva Stotram.

 

We were then taken on a guided tour of the great Temple of Lord Ranganatha.

We saw the royal court at the western entrance-venue of the Panguni Uttaram

Utsavam of Perumal and Thayar and the scene of Gadya Trayam delivery by Sri

Ramanujacharya. Interestingly, this is the only entrance which does

not have the Raja Gopuram. We were then blessed with a beautiful Darshanam of

the back-to-back forms of Sudarshana-Narasimhar (Chakrathazhwan Sannidhi),

where I performed Vachika Kainkaryam through the recitation of Swami

Desikan's Sudarshana Ashtakam. Narasimhar is in the form of Yoga-Narasimhar

This was followed by Darshanam at Pattabiramar Sannidhi, Krishnar Sannidhi,

and then a glorious Darshanam of Ranganayaki Thayar. As a young boy, I had

heard my grandfather (who was from Srirangam and whose Aradhana Daivam was

Raganayika Sametha Sri Rangantha Swami) describe the matchless beauty of

Ranganayaki Thayar decorated with AbharaNams. After a first hand experience

of the Darshanam, I cannot find sufficient superlatives to dwell on the

beauty of Thayar. Finally, we made our way to the great Sannidhi of Lord

Ranganatha (Periya Perumal). Lord Ranganatha is seen reclining on the serpent

bed facing the south. This posture of the Lord is due to his promise to

VibhishaNa and Andal of constant Darshanam (Both Srivilliputur and Lanka are

south of Srirangam). Due to Taila Kapu as part of the Jyeshta Utsavam, only

the face of the Lord and the five hoods of the serpent bed (Srirangasayi)

were visible. Since Lord Ranganatha is the Lord of Srirangam (Ranga Raja), he

is forever the object of Utsavams. I rendered the Sri Ranganatha Gadyam as I

reached the Sanctum Sanctorum of Lord Ranganatha.

 

On the way back to Bangalore from Srirangam, we visited the Hanuman and

Narasimhar Temples in Namakkal. Both Temples follow the Vaikhanasa Agamam.

Interestingly enough, the Hanuman Vigraham does not have a roof and

rain or shine, leaves the Moolavar unaffected. The Darshanam of Lord Narasimhar

was breath taking. The priest at the Narasimhar Temple explained to us the

various aspects associated with this Archa Murthy. In this process, one could

see the connections to the Purusha Suktam salutation "Chandra MamansOjata:

Chaksho SuryO Ajayata", Swami Desikan's KamasikAshtakam salutation "

Tapanenvagni Nayana:" and Tallapaka Annamacharya's tribute "Solasi Chuchi

Nannu Surya Chandrulanu" in the Kriti Cheri Yashodaku. The priest then

removed the AbharaNam covering the nails of Bhagavan Narasimha and asked us

to behold the sight! Again a graphic display of Swami Desikan's

KamasikAshtakam salutation "Vikasvara Nakhasvarukshata HiraNya Vakshastalee"

was in evidence, which rendered us speechless in stunned silence.

 

On the day of my departure from India, I went to Kotai Srinivasar Koil in

Bangalore. I had an excellent Darshanam of Lord Srinivasar and

Thayar. The Moolavar at Kotai Srinivasar koil is Svayam Vyakta. Pancharatra

Agamam is followed at this Temple. Anyone from our group going to Bangalore

must visit this Kshetram. I also had the opportunity to visit the Vijaya

Vittala Temple in Nelamangala (25 km from Bangalore) and the Anjaneya Temple

in Mahalakshmi layout, while I was in Bangalore. The Vishwarupa and Vittala

statues have been marvellously carved out with careful attention to detail.

 

Finally, memorable visits to the above Kshetrams made me wonder what I was

doing on this side of the Atlantic as an "economic prisoner"!

Since this post has gotten longer than I had anticipated, I shall

summarize in a separate post the highlights of my visits to Srimad

Paundarikapuram Ashramam and Swami Rangapriya Mahadesikan's Ashramam in

Bangalore. I have also brought along with me material from H.H. Srimad Andavan

Swamigal of Srimad Paundarikapuram Ashramam, which I shall disseminate on

this forum in a multi-part series.

 

Muralidhar Rangaswamy