Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi Mahimai: Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear BhaagavathAs :

 

Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi will be celebrated this year

on December 29 .In Tamil calendar , it is the 14th day

of Marghazhi maasam this year .The tithi is Sukla Paksha

EkAdasi , when the constellation of BharaNi is in ascendance .

Sri Venkatesh Elayavalli asked me to write about

the significance of Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi for inclusion

in the rituals section of Acharyas Home page that he

maintains with great care . It is my pleasure to do so

through a series of three or more postings .

There are three aspects to these postings :

 

(1)the ritualistic celebration of Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi

at the sacred Srirangam temple on the first day

of Iraa patthu and ending up with NammAzhwAr's moksahm on

the tenth day of this festival (January 8, 1998 ).

This will fit with the ritualistic aspects going back

to the time of Thirumangai AzhwAr , when he started

the AdhyayaNOthsvam at Srirangam as a result of

the niyamanam of NamperumAL .

 

(2)the PurANic episodes dealing with the significance

of this special celebration (Amrutha mathanam,

GeethOpadesa dinam , Lokan-KaNtakan Moksha dinam )

 

(3) AzhwAr and Achaarya Sooktis on ArchirAdhi Maargam

(Brahma Soothram , NammAzhwAr , Acharya RaamAnujA ,

Swami Desikan's Sri Sookthis related to Sri Vaikuntam and

Moksha siddhi ).

 

Twelve years ago on a Akshaya samvathsara , Sukla Paksha

Ashtami day , when Revathi star was in ascendance , I wrote

a lengthy letter to my reverd Father and Sister on

the significance of Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi. I was lucky

to come across that letter written on January 7,1987

in Tamil today.I will translate that letter into English

and post it in three or more parts .

 

Subhamasthu ,LokA: SamathA; SukhinO bhavanthu

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan