Reflections of the Ninth day about MelukOte sampradhAyam established by AchArya RaamAnujA in His niyamanppadi during his stay at Melukote.

[Guest guest]

SrimathE RaamAnujAya nama:

 

HAPPENINGS AT MELUKOTE THRU THE AGES (CONTINUED ):

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In this posting , we will cover the foundation stone

laid by AchArya RaamAnujA for the ThiruvArAdhanam

of the Lord and conductance of the Lord's uthsavams .

These rules laid out by him in his niyamanappadi

( the temple injunctions ) are carried out largely

even today .

 

Here , AchArya RaamAnuja established the rules

and regulations for the administration of the temple

and the AarAdhanam for ThirunArAyaNan . The genius of our

AchAryan in Management Sciences is reflected in the text

of the Niyamanppadi (The Temple Injunctions).The text is

on palm leaves , which has the imprint of his signature

at the end in grantha lipi as "IrAmAnusan ". AdiyEn had

the blessings of sevai of this rare olai chuvadi at

the house of the AarAdhakar of the RaamAnujar Sannidhi .

Our revered AchAryan's hand writing is steady and strong

even at His Old age .

 

In His Niyamanppadi , the far-seeing AchArya established

the religious institutions ,offices, kaimkaryams and

the maryAdhais for the duties assigned to the kaimkarya-

parAs in exquisite detail . He created the ideal conditions

for the continuation of the Kaimkaryams without any

interruptions . His choice of the right person for

the differnet positions was uncanny. The overall

solidarity of the system was thus established

for times to come . He divided the temple duties

and housed them in 7 departments. He created 36

offices in those 7 departments to cover the 57

services for the Lord . His key people appointments were:

 

(1)PaancharAthra Agamic Scholar (SrirangarAja Bhattar

from Srirangam ) as the Main Aaradhakar.This scholar

belonged to the OupagAyana gOthram , KAtyAyana soothram ,

and followed the Sukla Yajur Vedha sAkhai. Even today ,

the PradhAna Aaradhakar has these credentials .Ten services

for the Lord ( ThiruvArAdhanam , Theertha, TuLasi

prasAdham distribution , ChAmaram serrvice ,

and preparation of the Madhuparkam were part of

the six direct duties). Sri RangarAja Bhattar was

named the PradhAna Aaradhakar (not sthAnikar)

of the Lord. Four separate sthAnikars were appointed

to help him .Some of his duties were to be carried

out by others such as the supervision of four more

kaimkaryams done by others ( AlankAram , upkeep of jewels ,

calling for naivEdhyam and NaivEdhyam preparation ).

 

(2)The First sthAnikar appointed by our

AchAryan with additional 9 specific duties

came from Vasishta gOthram , Jaimini Soothram

and was Saama Vedha saakhA adhyAyi. Among nine

duties assigned to him were the supervision of

Rg Veda pArAyaNam , Vaadhyam , parimaLam , Nruthyam

and Geetham during AarAdhanam . This sthAnikar's

name was Anaantha Bhattar aka Thiruvananthapura Daasar .

 

(3) The Second SthAnikar with the name of MaalAkAra

Daasar belonged to Koundinya gOthram , BodhAyana

Soothram and Krishna Yajur Vedam . He had 8 direct

responsibilities (fan service , sacred thread ,

flower garlands et al ); He was indirectly responsible

for Yajur Veda PaarAyaNam , JyOthisham et al.

 

(4) The Third sthAnikar appointed by AchAryan

also belonged to Vasishta GOthram, Jaimini SaakhA and

Saama Vedham like the second sthAnikar . His name was

Thirukkurungudi Daasar and was probably a poorva

sikhai brahmin like PeriyAzhwAr . He had 8 services

directly assigned to him ( SthOtra recital , Gold

and Siver Sticks carrying, NaivEdhya PrasAdham distribution ,

Sandal paste preparation , umbrella holding were

his direct duties . Indirect ones were the supervision

of Saama Veda PaarAyaNam , blowing of the conch and

the beating of drums .

 

(5) The Fourth sthAnikar belonged to Bhaargava GOthram ,

Jaimini Soothram and Saama vedham .He had the name of

YathirAja Daasar aka VishvaksEna Bhattar . He had 8 more

services for the Lord among which were the supervision of

Atharva Veda PaarAyaNam was one . These sthAnikAs

must have been dhvi Vedhis , Thri Vedhis and

Chatur Vedhis to supervise a Veda PaarAyaaNam

outside their own Vedha paramparai.

 

Between the Prathama AarAdhakar and the four sthAnikAs ,

10, 9, 8, 8, 8 ( Total of 43 ) duties for the daily worship

were coverd directly and indirrectly . The remaining

9 duties were coverd by Maaran Nambi aka SatakOpa Daasar ,

ThiruvAli Annan , PoreTTru NaayanAr and ThirunArAyana

PerumAL arayar . They belonged to Yajur and Saama

Vedhams . Additional sevices at RaamAnjar sannidhi were

added later. The overall supervision was entrusted to

Sri DesAyi ThirunArayaNa Jeeyar of Sri Yadhugiri

yathirAja Matam , which served as " the home of

Acharya RaamAnujA " during his twelve years at Melukote.

 

Mudali AanDAn, EmbAr, KidAmbi AacchAn ,SomAsi AndAn

from Srimangalam , AnadAlvAn aka AnandaaNpiLLai of

KiranganUr , Vaduganambi from narby saaLigramam village

joined in the services ordained by their AchAryan

at Lord narasimhan's temple on the hill and

at Lord ThirunArAyaNan's sannidhi .

 

The nithya , naimitthika and VisEsha uthsvams

took place with grandeur under AchArya RaamAnujA's

supervision at this yoga BhUmi.Vedic and the Dhivya

Prabhandham traditions flourished here . H.H.

RangapriyA Swamy has an outstanding article

in the seminar proceedings entitled , " Melukote

as Yoga BhUmi ". AdiyEn will summarize the dhivya

Prabhandham traditions here at MelukOte in the next

posting.

 

Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,

RaamAnuja Daasan , adiyEn SadagOpan