Sri VenkatEsa MahimA : Tentative agenda for the two day Conference at Pittsburgh Sri VenakatEswarA Temple , May 23-24 , Memorial day weekend .

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs of Lord SrinivAsA :

 

Here is an evolving agenda for your Information.

I will have some comments next to each of the items to

help get inputs from you to fine tune the agenda :

 

Saturday : May 23 : AM Sessions starting from 9.30 AM

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1. Recitations from four Vedams : Purusha Sooktham

and other short passages from Rg , Yajur , Saama and

Atharva Vedams . Purusha Sooktham is a Vedic

manthram found in every one of the four VedAs .

Permission has been requested from Delhi Vedic Trust

Executive ( Sri KrishNan ) for playing these passages

recorded by great scholars .It is our tradition

to start all auspicious functions with the sound of

ancient Vedams ( 30 Minutes). The Delhi Vedic Trust

has accomplished "the impossible " , (i-e., )

record the four VedAs in their entirety by

authentic Vedic Scholars . Only the recording

of the KrishNa Yajur Vedam needs completion .

Sukla Yajur Vedam has been recorded already .

 

2. Divya Prabhandham Recitations covering four Tamil

Vedams : NammAzhwAr's Four Prabhandhams ( ThiruvAsiriyam,

Thiruviruttham , Thiruvaimozhi and Periya ThiruvanthAthi ) .

Thiruviruttham is considered the essence of Rg Vedam .

ThiruvAsiriyam , Periya ThiruvanthAthi and ThiruvAimozhi

are traditionally accepted as the essence of Yajur ,

AtharvaNa and Saama Vedams( Veda Saarams) respectively

( 30 Minutes ) . Ghoshti of Scholars will participate

led by Sri SaranAtha Bhattar of the Sri VenkatEswarA

temple of Pittsburgh .

 

3. Sri VenkatEsa Gadhyam Recitation . This Gadhyam is

unique and sonorous . Sri MuraLi Rangaswamy of Boston

will recite this rare gadhyam (20 Minutes ).

Ghanam rendering will follow : Sri MuraLi

Rangaswamy and Professor M.G. Prasad of New Jersey .

 

Break : 30 minutes

 

4. Sri VenkatEsa Anubhavam : An Overview of

the tributes paid by AzhwArs , AchAryAs and

NadhOpAsakAs -- Sri V.Sadagopan of NY (45 Minutes ) .

 

 

5. Sri VedAntha Desikan's DayA Sathakam :

The rich and moving tribute paid by a great

Sri VaishNavite AchAryA to the KalyANa guNam

of Daya of the Lord of Saptha Giris -- Professor

T.Venkatacharya , Retired Professor Of Sanskrit ,

Univeristy of Toronto and Scholar honord by

T.T. DevasthAnams for his contributions to

Sanskrit Studies ( one hour ) .

 

LUNCH BREAK

 

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

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6. AzhwAr's Lives : Speaker to be confirmed .

Ten of the Twelve AzhwArs with the exception of

Thondaradipodi and Madhura Kavi have blessed us

with their 202 MangalAsAsana Paasurams in Tamil on

The Lord of ThiruvEnkatam :(45 Minutes ).

 

The 202 Paasurams by the ten AzhwArs breakdown

this way : Thirumangai (61) ; NammAzhwAr (52) ;

Pey AzhwAr (19); ANDAL (16) ;Thirumazhisai (15);

Kulasekharar( 11); Poygai (10) ;BhUtham (9) ;

PeriyAzhwAr ( 7); BhAN aNaathan (2) .

Time allotment : Fourty Five Minutes .

 

7 . NammAzhwAr's Anubhavam of Sri VenkatEsA :

Sri KaNNan Swamy of Virginia ( 45 minutes ) .

SaraNAgathi of NammAzhwAr at the sacred feet

of Lord SrinivAsA and his NaayikA Bhavam .

 

8. TalLapAkkam ANNamAryA's devotion to Lord

VenkatEsA : Lecture-Demo with singing of

selected Songs of this prolific composer ,

who was initiated into Sri VaishNavA tradition

by The First Jeeyar Of AhObila Mutt ,

Sri Adhi VaNN SatakOpa Jeeyar , who received his

ochre robes from Lord NarasimhA Himself

directly . To be Confirmed : Dr. Mythili KrishNan

of Buffalo, NY ( 45 Minutes ) .

 

9. Mudal AzhwAr's tributes to Sri VenkatEsA :

38 Paasurams : Speaker to be confirmed ( 30 minutes).

 

10 . Rendering of the Krithis on Sri VenaktEsA

by Saint ThyagarajA , Mutthuswami Dikshithar

( 30 Minutes )

 

Adjourn : 5.30 PM .

 

Sunday : May 24 , 1998

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9.30 AM : Recitation of Pancha Sookthams

 

10.00 AM : Thirumangai AzhwAr's tributes

and SaraNAgathi at ThiruvenkatamudayAn's

lotus feet . Speaker to be confirmed .

45 minutes .

 

10.45 AM : PeriyAzhwAr , ANDAL's enjoyment of

the Lord as Child and Husband respectively :

Speaker to be confirmed . 45 minutes.

 

11.30 AM : Thirumazhisai , ThiruppANAzhwAr's

tributes to Sri VenkatAchalapathy :

Speaker to be Confirmed .

 

Luncheon Break

**************

 

1.30 PM Kulasekara AzhwAr's tribute to

Lord SrinivAsA : Speaker to be confirmed.

 

2.00 PM Uthsavams and AarAdhanam at Thirumalai:

Speaker to be confirmed : 45 minutes

 

2.45 PM Break

 

3.00 PM Purandara Daasa"s Musical tribute to

Lord VenkatEsA : Professor M.G. Prasad

of New Jersey

 

3.45 PM : SaraNAgathi and Bhakthi in Sri VaishNavite

Darsanam .

 

4.30 PM : DakshiNa Thiruppathis : ThiruviNNagaram ,

ANNan Koil , where Lord SrinivAsA is

celebrated by AzhwArs .

 

5.00 PM Concluding Remarks and Honoring of

Participants by Temple Authorities .

 

5.30 PM Adjourn

 

 

Dear Friends , This is a walk-thru the tentative

program .Items , time allocation might change some what

as we hammer out the details and get commitments

from the speakers on their allocated topics and

participation .

 

Please feel free to pass on your comments

on Omissions and Commissions , balance among

chosen topics et al .

 

May Lord SrinivAsA bless this effort ,

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan