Trip to India

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhakti Members,

Please accept adiyen's pranamams. Recently, i had gone home on a short

(14day) vacation and thought I will share some of my experiences from this trip.

I reached Madras on Nov.21, and had the fortune of visiting the

ever-smiling and peaceful, Sri. LakshmiVarahar perumal of Thiruvidavendhai, (

Nov.22). I am particularly fond of Temples where, the Perumal accepts you with

an open-hand, and lets u enjoy HIM to the maximum.

 

I do have a question for the learned members of this group, something that has

always puzzled me. If I am not mistaken, Vinayakar (Ganesha) did not perform

prapatti and hence is not a nityasuri. However, there is a relatively big icon

engraved on the outer wall of the sactum sanctorum. (Is this purely to attract

the non-srivaishanavas, or is their a reason for this as evidenced by the

sthalapuranam ?).

 

Although, this was my third visit to enjoy this perumal, I had not seen the

second moolavar (he kind of sits in the corner, near the entrance), who was used

during the Moslem invasion, to keep the primary primary in tact.

 

Nov.23: I made my traditional visit/hike up Periya malai to enjoy the

ever-calm and peaceful Yoganarasimhar in Sholingur (Thirugatikai), thayar and

ofcourse, Hanumar with the shankhu and chakram. I have this (bad, that's how my

family perceives it) habit of not eating/drinking anything when I am on my way

to Perumal koil. I did not realize that I was running on Empty, by the time I

had darshan of Sri.Yoganarasimhar, and this was around 3pm. Strange, that it

took me just about 20minutes to climb Periyamalai. But never really felt hungry

or thirsty, was it that having seen Perumal was equivalent to having a nice

meal?? I have always had some interesting episode during my visit to this divya

desam.

 

Nov.24: One of the most important days of my life. After troubling

Sri.Sadagopan several times, and confirming with Sri.Ahobila Matam, I decided to

have my samashrayanam performed under Srimad Azhagiya Singar. The day also

happens to be my birthday, and thought what better day could exist to start

life-afresh. Sri.Sadagopan and Sri.Mani's advice was extremely helpful, and I

sincerely appreciate their help and guidance. [ Sri.Sadgopan's parents were

extremely perceptive and named their son after Nammalwar. I consider

Sri.Sadagopan as my Prathama acharya, and I always consider him Nam-Acharya. I

am sorry if I am putting Sri.Sadagopan in a spot, but I consider it a true

blessing on my part to have had the privilege of knowing him. There are several

others who qualify under this category, but I will stop with one for the

present.]

There were about 7 of us who had our Samashrayanam and Mantropadesam performed

by HH Sri.Azhagiya Singar. The Mantropadesam was done at the same time for all

of us. As i understand, usually it is more Private, but since HH and others

were busy, it was carried out as a group/team effort. During HH's kalakshepam,

he digressed and lost his train of thought, and asked where he had gotten off

the track, and the Room was so quiet/silent that one could heard a straw of hay

drop. This reminded me of Sri.Vedanta Desikar's episode with Sri.Nadathur Ammal,

and spent the rest of time recollecting the episode.

That evening, along with my parents and family members, we stopped first at Sri

Varadarajar koil in Poonamalee (poovirunthavalli). Poonamallee is about 20kms

from Madras, and is the mid-way point between Madras and sriPerumbudhur.

Recently, Mani has been saluting Tirukacci Nambigal, in his postings, brought a

smile to my face, and have stayed with ever-since :-)

Sri.Thirukacci Nambigal used to perform Kainkaryam to Lord Varadaraja, in

Poonamalee, and asked Perumal if he can surrender to HIM. Perumal, in turn

directed Sri.Tirukacci Nambi to Sri.Periya Nambi and Sri. Tirukacci Nambi went

on to do kainkarya seva to Sri.Periya Nambi. This temple is not a divya desam,

but has sannidhis for Sri Alavandar and Sri.Tirukacci Nambi.apart from sannithis

for Ranganathan, Krishnan, Andal and Srinivasan. I have been a regular visitor

to this temple, since 1981. Very quiet and beautiful. The thayar is

Poovirunthavalli thayar. It being, Karthigai, Thayar (utsavar) had come out

from the garbha graha to give darshan to her bhakthas, and fortunately for me,

they were performing Laksharchana for HER. She was her usual self, Very Kind,

beautiful and giving u the impression that SHE is UR mother.

Having been blessed by both Thayar and Perumal (the bhattar knows us well, and

made an exception of opening Perumal sannithi). We then went on to one of my

favorite koils, again not a divya desam, Sri Perumbudhur. Here I was more than

ecstatic to see and have the darshan of our favorite, Sri.Ramanuja. For the

first time, we had darshan of HIS Thirumeni, probably, because the Bhattar saw

the Sankhu and Chakram embossed on my shoulders. I am not sure if tears rolled

down, but it was the BEST part of my trip. We also had the fortune of paying our

respects to Jeeyar Swami (from a distance). As planned, I recited Nootrandhadi

and Gadya trayam. In short, one of the happiest day of my life.

 

Nov.25: I visited Vedantha desikar hall, and enjoyed the thiruvaradhanam of Sri

Malolan. For some reason, I am scared when i am facing HH Srimad Azhagiya

Singar, a feeling that I have never had to this extent. But, i did convey all

the Pranamams that several bhakthas had asked to convey, and in paritcular

Sri.Sadagopan, and asked if I could carry some Prasadam 9akshathai) for all the

US bhagavathas, and spread my uthiriam, with my head bowed. As HH heard the

initial part, he smiled, but then I remember standing there for atleast half a

minute. My first thought was I messed up real bad, and started cursing myself.

but then, he gave me the akshathai. Little, did i realise that HH truly blessed

the prasadam, and I was brimming with joy, everafter. that evening, I had the

privilrege of meeting Sri.Sadagopan's sister, Srimathi.Padma Veeraraghavan.

(Like Brother, Like Sister). She gave me a vigraham of Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevar,

and I almost broke down. In a way, i think Perumal is cruel. Why does HE have to

put all good people in one family? Why not distribute them around, so that all

of us can benefit.

 

My request was granted, when Srimathi.Padma Veeraraghavan introduced me to her

achrayan, Sri Agnihottram Ramanuja Thathachar. My respect for Sri Sadgopan

increased several folds when I heard Sri. Agnihottram swami praise Sri Sadagopan

(Sri. Sadagopan is truly Nam-acharaya). He was very pleased to see me take the

step towards saranagathi, and I sat there mesmerized at his mini-discourse. He

blessed all the Bhagavathas annd handed me the prasadam from the Sowmya Yagam

that he performed recently. If possible, I would request members of this group

to add a note on this Yagnam. The one thing that typically characterizes this

mahan is his Smile. Its captivating and I was actually reminded of Sri Tirupaan

alwars prabhandham "Yen amudhinai kanda kanngal....kanave", and was relating the

same to his smile. I would strongly recommend fellow bhagavathas to get this

Acharyan's blessings. He was amused at the NAMA newsletter bearing Vadagalai and

Thengalai thiruman's side-by-side.

 

Srimathi.Nagu Satyan has agreed to carry some of the Prasadam (akshathai and

ashes from the sowmya Yagnam) to the NAMA conference. If u are not planning to

attend this conference, please feel free to send me ur home-address, and i will

be more than happy to mail u some of the prasadam that i have retained for this

purpose. (my e-mail is : vasan)

 

 

As this note is turning out to be more than what I initially planned, i will

continue this in the next posting.

 

Sri Andal thiruvadigale saranam

Acharyan thiruvadigale saranam

adiyen, ramanuja dasan

(srinivasan)

[Guest guest]

Sri Srinivasan of Colorado wrote:

> If I am not mistaken, Vinayakar (Ganesha) did not perform prapatti

> and hence is not a nityasuri. However, there is a relatively big

> icon engraved on the outer wall of the sactum sanctorum. (Is this

> purely to attract the non-srivaishanavas, or is their a reason for

> this as evidenced by the sthalapuranam ?).

 

Dear Srinivasan,

 

In all probability, this is not an image of Vinayakar, but

of a renowned elephant-faced nitya-sUri, a resident of

Sri Vaikuntha loka. In the Pancaratra tradition, he is one

of the primary servants (vishnu-gaNas) of Sriman Narayana.

 

In the preface to Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam, we

recite the sloka

 

yasya dvirada-vaktrAdyAH pAriSadyAH paraS Satam

vighnam nighnanti satatam viSvaksenam tam ASraye

 

in honor of Vishvaksena, to ward off all obstacles in

the path of bhagavat-kainkaryam.

 

The first line says we take refuge "in Vishvaksena,

who has in his assembly ... the elephant-faced one

and others ...". So this gaja-vaktra is a nitya-sUri

and not Vinayakar.

 

tirukkacci nambi daasan

(Mani)

[Guest guest]

hi,

 

accidentally came across this thread..feels happy to see something written on thirukkachi nambi as i am from poonamallee and we are bhattars in the temple.

 

do u ever come to the nambi utsavams.

 

regrads,

nambi dasan,

praveen.

[astro_tech]

thanks for sharing

[achutham]

I also reached the thread by randomly selecting...but once I read, I am quite impressed of the experience you had..

Hope the lord give u more and more chances in ur life for jouneys like this...