Thayar Sannidhis

[Guest guest]

Please accept adiyen's pranamams.

 

Sri.Soundararajan wrote:

REcently with my family I toured a number of 108 divya desams.Almost

all the temples have a separate sannadhi for thayar.Can

anybody enlighten me as to why there is a separate sannadhi

for thayar instead of locating at the same place of the moolavar.

 

I am glad this question has come up. For the last several weeks i have wondered

about this same question, although in a slightly different version. My question

is two-fold:

The first is same as Sri.Soundararajan's observation/query that why is Thayar

separated from Perumal?

The second question is something i have struggled with longer. In Perumal

sannidhi, Moolavar is always accompanied by the Utsavar moorthis. The Utsavars

of Perumal, Thayar(s) and others are always there. However, in Thayar sannidhi,

apart from the Moolavar, only the Utsavar moorthy of Thayar is present (pretty

much in most temples i have been to). Coming to think of it, one can only feel

sad that Thayar is left all alone.

 

Having exhibited my ignorance, let me try to give my explanation/answer for the

above, which i am positive is wrong, but nevertheless, here it is.

In Perumal sannidhi, the Utsavars are the ones who become the prime deity who go

out and give darshan to their dear bhagavathas. Since Thayar is part of Perumal

(since HE is the Supreme), it becomes imperative that Thayar is present along

with Him.

When a bhagavatha seeks karunai from HIM, one way is to approach Thayar (the

ever merciful) and request Her to plead one's case to Perumal. Which may be a

reason to have only Thayar's Utsvar and Moolavar in Thayar sannidhi.

 

I am not sure if any of the above reasoning is right, but, it is the best i

could come up with.

Due to sheer laziness, i did not post this question earlier, but i am happy to

see Sri.Soundarraajan's note, and will look forward to answers to these.

adiyen, ramanuja dasan

(srinivasan)

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas

Swami Desikan in the Siddhopaaya Sodhana Adhikaaram of Rahasya Traya Saaram

has raised a related question and has provided his answer.

Question:

It is said that when the Goddess takes independent position in the Archa form

we cannot worship her in that form?

Answer:

The Archa form of mother Goddess has three manifestations in the temples viz.,

(i) Layaarcha : her form seated on the chest of the Lord

(ii) Bhogarcha: Her form as seated or standing by the side of the Lord and

(iii) Adhikararcha : her manifestations in separate temples without the form

of the Lord

 

While there is no doubt of worshipping her in the first two forms, in the

third form she is believed to confer boons other than Moksha.

 

In actual practice, however, even when she manifests in Adhikaraarcha form,

*it can be seen that the Lord always adorns her chest even as she adorns his

chest in the Laya archa form*. Therefore, for a Mumukshu, there is no

impropriety in bowing before the image of Thayar installed in a separate

shrine and worshipped, just as we would before our mothers, *since in all

images of Lakshmi (wherever they may be) her being the inseparable spouse of

Vishnu is an established fact*

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

[Guest guest]

In response to Sri SrinivAsan's query ,

Sri Anbil Swami gave an insightful answer .

>Answer:

>The Archa form of mother Goddess has three manifestations in the temples viz.,

>(i) Layaarcha : her form seated on the chest of the Lord

>(ii) Bhogarcha: Her form as seated or standing by the side of the Lord and

>(iii) Adhikararcha : her manifestations in separate temples without the form

>of the Lord

>

>While there is no doubt of worshipping her in the first two forms, in the

>third form she is believed to confer boons other than Moksha.

>

Dear BhakthAs :

Sri Anbil Swami summarized brilliantly the importance of

our ThaayAr in AdhikArArchA . Her OWN glories/power and their

effects on the Lord have been summarized by AlavandhAr , Acharya

RaamAnujA ( gadhyams ), KurEsan (Sri Sthavam ), Parasara Bhattar

( Sri GuNa Rathna kOsam ), Vedantha Desikan ( Sri Sthuthi)

based on the PramANams of VishNu PurANam , Lakshmi Tanthram et al.

I will elaborate further on AdhikArArdhA .

 

PaancharAthra Samhithais have recommended the justification

of the creation of a separate sannidhi for MahA Lakshmi .

It is not that such recommendations counter the established

prinicple of the Lord as Sriya: pathi is our Rakshakan and that

He blesses us WHILE ACCOMPANIED WITH His Consort .

 

Our ThAyAr is KaruNAmayi . Her glories are subtle and

yet far reaching . AlavandhAr has pointed the unique role

of Mahaa Lakshmi in his third slOkam of Chathu: SlOki

this way : Without the augraham of PirAtti , the most

sought-after anhubhvam in samsAram - jeevAthama anubhabham

or the enjoyment of the Lord ( Bhagavath anubhavam )-

none of them can be realized .None of them will come to

fruition .

 

That is why , we prostrate as the offending samsAris

FIRST before Her at Her Sannidhi as at Srirangam , prior to

proceeding to Her Lord's sannidhi . Lord is angry at

our limitless trespasses and hence she meets us first , inquires

about our yOga KshEmam , takes pity on us out of Her

Vaathsalyam as the Supreme Mother and prepares us as it

were to have the audition with Her Lord and waits there

again with Her Lord in LayArchai and BhOgArchai to intercede

for us .

 

Her power over Her Lord and Her role as the Chef-du-cabinet

of the Lord in assigning appropriate duties to all parijanams

of the Lord ( Adhi sEsahn , VishvaksEnar et al )to perform their

kaimkaryams are two of Her important distinctions recognized by

AchArya RaamAnujA in Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam :

 

sesaha -sEshaasanaadhika sarva parijanam Bhagavatha:

tattath avasthOchitha paricharyAm aajn~ApayanthyA

 

It appears logical that such an AdhikAri with the visEsha

sthAnam needs to be recognized by us and revered in

a special aasthAnam befitting Her role .

 

Parasara Bhattar went one step further and celebrated his

Mother , Sri RanganAyaki in Sri GuNa Rathna kOsam this way :

 

Oh RanganAthA , We state that Your dear consort is even more

superior to You ! ( -BhagaavthIm Sriyam TvatthOapyucchairvayamiha

phaNAma: sruNutarAm )." TvatthOpi ucchai: vayam iha phaNAma:

sruNuthAm " is the anvaya Karamam .He can say that because

he(Bhattar )was raised by the Seshi Dampathis as a child

in their garbha graham .

 

Parasara Bhattar's father has also hinted at the supermacy

and uniqueness of Sri RanganAyaki in the context of a

Tanip PerunkOil for Her this way :

 

yasyA veekshya mukham tadhingitha-parAdhInO vidhatthE akhilam

krIDEyam kalu naanyathAasya rasadhA syAdhaikarasyAtthayA

 

( Sri Ranganaathan performs His duties such as lOka RakshaNam,

samhAram , Creation , blessing one with savrgam and Mokasham

et al through the cues given by the facial gestures of His

Consort and bases His sankalpam on the sankalpam of

Sri RanganAyaki. He does not enjoy performing the above duties

without taking into heed His consort's Ingithams ( cues )

associated with Her sankalpam ).

 

In the world of LoukIkam , we know as children , we approach

our mother first on occasions when we are scared to experience

the fury of our father . I recall the time , when I got a lower

grade at School or any thing that would drive my father up the tree

in anger , I had to seek my mother's protection form the fury of

my father . In asimilar context , we need a seaprate ThAyAr Sannidhi

to converse with Her and seek Her intercession to help us

escape the fury of the Lord at us as MahAparAdhis .

 

Daasan , Sadagopan