significance of sattumurai

[Guest guest]

dear members

 

i would like to know the significance of sattumurai in our tradition

 

adiyen

venkat s iyengar

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriman Venkat Iyengar :

 

You had asked a question about SatthumuRai .My dear

friend Sri K.Srinivasan has commented that SaatthumuRai is

a slanged version of SaaRRu + MaRai.I hesitate to

differ from him on this important point .

 

The etymology of the Compound word : SaathumuRai

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Although Vedam/maRai (both Arya and Dramida Vedam )

is involved/invoked in SaatthumuRai ,

the emphasis is on muRai in this compound word

(sAtthumuRai) refers to the order of execution or Kramam

of reciting the Vedic , Divya Prabhandham and other texts .

MuRai is not connected to maRai to the best of my knowledge .

It also implies the kramam in AarAdhanam (i-e), when

these texts are to be recited during the AarAdhanam .

 

SaRRU meaning the essence and sARRumurai

meaning the essence of Vedams (maRai)

may not fully convey the meaning for this

important step in Bhagavadh AarAdhanam

prescribed by AchArya RaamAnujA in his

Nithya Grantham , Swami Desikan and

all the commentators of Ahnika granthams .

 

When Is SaatthumuRai Performed ?

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Satthumurai or SaaRRu muRai in Sri VaishNavite

tradition is an important one .It is performed

at one stage of the AarAdhanam for Bhagavaan

(viz)., PunarmanthrAsanam .In some traditions ,

it is executed in the paryankAsanam stage .

There are some differneces of opinion on

this .We can safely say that SaatthumuRai

is performed during the PunarmanthrAsanam stage

in the spirit of AchArya RaamAnujA's recommendation

in his Nithya Grantham : " sruthi sukhai: sthOthrai:

sthutthvA ".Although Sri sannidhi Aahnika Granthams

recommend the performance of SaaRRumuRai during

the PunarmanthrAsanam stage , Sri Azhagiyasingars

perform sARRumuRai for Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan

during their IjyArAdahanam at the paryankAsanam

stage .

 

The Successive steps of Bhagavadh AarAdhanam

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

 

The seven steps of Bahgavadh AarAdhanam are :

 

1.AavAhanam to SvAgatham (preliminaries)

2.MantrAsanam

3.SnaanAsanam

4.AlankaarAsanam

5.BhOjyAsanam

6.PunarmanatrAsanam

7.ParyankAsanam

 

By the way , Sriman Alwar has beautifully

captured the seven steps of Bhagavadh AarAdhanam

in the CD ROM on AchArya RaamAnujA . All of you

would enjoy the authentic performance of

Sriman NaarAyaNA's AarAdhanam at Melkote

as visualized in this CD ROM , which is

reaching its final stages prior to release .

Te images , the Vedic and Divya prabhandha

recitations in this CD ROM are a great treat

for the eyes and ears .I have written about

the remaining work to complete this CD ROM

yesterday and have appealed for your support

to complete this important Kaimkaryam soon

and make it available to all Sri VaishNavA

households and the Aasthikaas .

 

PunarmanthrAsanam step and the SaatthumuRai there

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

The sixth step of AarAdhanam , PunarmanthrAsanam ,

has the following substeps: PrArthanA , Argyam ,

Paadhyam , Aachamaneeyam , NeerAjanam ,

SAATTHUMURAI (Vedam and Divya Prabhandham

Recital while the Aaardhakar places flowers

at the feet of the Lord )and concludes with

TaambhUla samarpaNam .ParyankAsanam follows

as the last step of AarAdhanam.

 

The purpose of SaatthumuRai in AarAdhanam

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

SaathumuRai or SaaRRumuRai is the kramam or order of

saluting the AchAryAs , who opened our eyes

through blessing us with Tattva-Hitha -Purushaartha

Jn~Anam and brought us to the point of performing

ThiruvArAdhanam for the Divya Dampathis .MuRai means

order or Kramam and not MaRai . Saatthu means

pORRi Pukazh Paadal to express our gratitude

duirng VrathAnushtAnams like AarAdhanam .You

might recall ANDAL's ThiruppAvai Vaakhyam in

the third ThiruppAvai : Ohngi UlagaLandha

Uttaman pEr paadi , nAngaL namm paavaikku

saaRRi NEERaDINaL -----when She is observing

Paavai Vratham .

 

"saaRRi" here is equivalent to pOrrip Paadal

blessed by ANDAL in Her mangaLAsAsanam

(24th ThiruppAvai Paasuram ) :

 

AnRivullagam aLanthAi aDi pORRi

---thiRal pORRi , ---Pukazh pORRi ,

--Kazhal pORRi , --GuNam pORRi ,

-- kayyil vEl pORRi ---

 

Who is saluted during the SaatthumuRai ?

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SaatthumuRai is the offering of

the prescribed muRai of saluting

AchAryAs and sacred texts to express our

gratitude . We salute Maharishis , AchAryAs ,

AzhwArs and Veda Purushan by invoking their

Sri Sookthis in front of the PrathamAchAryan,

Sriman NaarAyaNan during His AarAdhanam .

This samarpaNam is generally referred to as

"sEvA sARRumuRaik Kramam " in our SampradhAyam .

In elaborate AarAdhanams , nardhanam , SangItham ,

vAdhya ghOsham is presented before sAtthumuRai .

 

What Texts are covered in SaatthumuRai ?

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

 

In a short version of AarAdhanam , aadhyanthams

(the beginning and the end passages) of Vedam ,

selaected Divya Prabhandhams are recited . In

elaborate aarAdhanams on special days , excerpts

from the Vedams , Upanishads , dharma sAsthram ,

IthihAsams , PurANams , Sri AlavandhAr sthOthram ,

Sri BhAshyam , Sri rahasya traya sAram , Yathi-

rAja sapthadhi , sapthadhi rathnamAlikA ,

PaadhuhA sahasra slOkam ,PeriyAzhwAr, ANDAL ,

NammAzhwaar Paasurams, KaNNInuNN siRutthAmpu

of Madhura Kavi AzhwAr et al are recited

during the SaatthumuRai .

 

AchArya Paramparais and SaathumuRais

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There will be customizations corresponding

to the particular AchArya paramaparai .

For instance , in the case of Sri Ahobila Matam ,

Thirumangai's paasurams on Ahobilam will take

a high precedence . I have posted on the Sri Sannadhi

SaatthumuRai Krama SampradhAyam in an earlier posting .

 

V.Sadagopan

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriman Sadagopan:

Thank you for an excellent explanation of Sarrumurai with ample Pramanams. We

are really lucky to have your short yet sweet, lucid and instructive posts on

the various aspects relating to our Satsampradayams. Please continue to

educate us.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy