Garuda Jayanthi : Aaadi SvAthi

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Dear BhakthAs : Tomorrow ( Tuesday, Aug 17) is

the last day of Aadi Maasam . The thithi is

Sukla Paksha Shasti and the constellation in

ascendance is Svathi, the nakshathram of

Sri MalOlan and Garudan , the Periya Thiruvadi.

I will be sending you a separate post on the importance

of Svathi Thirumanjanam for Lord Narasimhan and

the observance of Thirumanjanam at AhObilam hills

for the nine Narasimhars.

 

Aadi SvAthi is celebrated by Sri VaishNavAs as

Garuda Jayanthi . recently , Sri Murali Rangaswami

had a spirited posting on Sri Garudan in the context

of His name as Periya Thiruvadi.

 

At ThiruviNNagar , our family ManDakappaDi for

Sri PakshirAjan's Thirunakshathram will be

celebrated tomorrow with Thirumanjanam , archanai

and Taligai.At ThiruviNNagar , Sri Oppilaippan

is prathyaksham to Garudan , MarkaNDEyar,

Dharma Devathai and CauvEry MaathA .

 

Garudan's prominence at Sri Villiputthur and

TherazhundhUr has been covered by me in earlier postings.

At these two divya dEsams , Garudan stands next to the Lord.

Instead of standing in front of the Lord with folded

hands waiting for His command , Garudan has samAsanam

at these two sits.Garudan stands at the feet of MalOlan

as MalOlan goes on SanchAram with H.H. The Azhagiya Singhars.

This ArchA mUrthy is one of the nine Narasimhans of

Ahobila Divya desam .

 

Sriman Rengarajan has written earlier about the importance of

Garudan ( Kall Garudan )in his ThirunarayUr postings.

Our AchArya RaamAnujA CD ROM has the video of the famous

Garuda Sevai of Selva PiLLai with vaira Mudi .The other famous

Garuda Sevais are the Ones at Kaanchipuram , Thirumalai and

ThirunAngUr Thiruppathis on Akshaya TrayOdasi dinam .

 

We have more than 60 postings in the Bhakthi archives

alone on the mahimai of Garudan as Veda Murthy

and the Nithya Soori performing kaimkaryam

to the Lord at Sri Vaikuntam .

 

Swami Deikan received Garuda manthra UpadEsam from

his AchAryan , Sri ApuLLAr. He recited this sacred

manthram with five aksharams and had the SaakshAthkAram of

Garuda BhagavAn at ThiruvahIndhrapuram . Bhagavan

GarudA presented Swami Desikan with the ArchA mUrthy

of Yoga HayagrIvan and performed Sri HayagrIva

ManthrOpadEsam to Swami Desikan .Rest is Sri VaishNavite

History .

 

The grateful Swami Desikan composed Garuda DhaNdakam

and Garuda PanchAsath in acknowledgement of the MahOpakAram

of Garuda BhagavAn .

 

On this special day of Aaadi SvAthi , let us pray to

Garuda BhagavAn with the first slOkam of Sri Garuda

DhaNdakam :

 

Nama: pannaganaddhAya Vaikunta vasa varthinE

Sruthi Sindhu sudhOthpaadha mandharAya GaruthmathE

 

(meaning ); Sri Garudan is the king of all Pakshis

(Pakshi Raajan ).He has conquered all the great

serpent kings , his enemies , and wears them on

His body as AbharaNams. He serves as the antharanga

Daasar of the Lord and is blessed to perform all

kinds of kaimkaryam .He churns out like Mandhara mountain

the nectar-like Brahma vidhyAs from the Vedhams .With His

anugraham, we can become beneficiaries of the wealth

of Brahma VidhyAs. His whole body is Vedha SvarUpam .

His wings , which are golden in color, are the most

beautiful to look at .Inview of the beauty of His

wings , He is called with affection as SuparNar.

 

The second slOkam of Garuda DhaNdakam is a beautiful

one extolling the unparalleled mahimmai of Garudan :

 

Nama Garuda SuparNa dharvIkArAhAra --satyAdhi mUrthE

na kascchith SamasthE namasthE punasthE nama:

 

At the end of his beautiful Garuda DhaNdakam ,

Swami Desikan acknowledges that he composed

this eulogy on GarudA to please the Garuda Dhvajan

(Sriman NaarAyaNan ):

 

Garudadhvaja ThOshAya GeethO garuda DhaNdaka:

 

Let us also recite Garuda DhaNdakam and Garuda

PanchAsath and Garuda manthram to please

Sriman NaarAyaNA , who is always happy ,

when we celebrate His dear Nithya Sooris

and BhagavathAs .

 

NamO PakshirAjAya ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan