Reflections of the Ninth day about MelukOte sampradhAyam established by AchArya RaamAnujA during his stay at Melukote: Part IV.2, Uthsavams & Dhivya Prabhandham recitations

[Guest guest]

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs: We will conclude here the dhivya

prabhandam traditions going back to AchArya

RaamAnujA's time at ThirunArAyaNapuram.

 

AdiyEn has already mentioned the importance of

the particular decad of Thiruvaimozhi ( 4.1)

at this dhivya desam , which is recited on

Hastha Nakshathram days .

 

MelukOte's ancient links to dhivya Prabhandham

***********************************************

MelukOte has the distinction of preserving

dhivya prabhandha GhAnam , much after such a

tradition had disappeared in Tamil Naadu .

Even today , ThirunArAyaNapuram has an

officiating Arayar .This is the only temple

outside Tamil Nadu with an Arayar.

 

The credit for the restoration of the lost

dhivya Prabhandhams by AchArya Natha Muni with

the anugraham of Swamy NammAzhwAr at Thirukkurungudi

goes to ThirunArAyaNapuram. AchArya Natha Muni

heard first the ThiruvAimozhi decad , "AarAvamudhE

adiyEnudalam ninnpaal --" from VangipratthAccciyAr

of ThirunArAyaNapuram at KattumannAr Koil

..Natha Muni's latter's fervent search for the lost

ThiruvAimozhi started from there. AchArya RaamAnujA

strengthened that tradition of dhivya GhAnam of

Tamil MaRais here. Paraasara Bhattar conquered

"Nanjeeyar" at ThirunArAyaNapuram with the power

of ThirunedumthANDakam and made him an AchArya Purushan.

 

Unique traditions of reciting Dhivya Prabhandham

*************************************************

Here at MelukOte, there are some unique traditons

in vogue from AchArya RaamAnujA's time. In every

dhivya desam , ThiruppallANDu is recited first .

Here, KaNNinuNn SiRutthAmpu of Madhura Kavi AzhwAr

is recited first and ThiruppallANDu takes the second place

in recitation sequence. This is in recognition of

the superiority of th BhagavathA /AchAryA over

BhagavAn in Sri VaishNavA tradition . This

tradition was also initiated by AchArya RaamAnujA .

 

The recitation of dhivya Prabhandham takes on

a significant role at MelukOte. We will summarize

the sequences of recital of the Prabhandhams

during specific uthsavams for the Lord here.

 

(1) Marghazhi AdhyayanOthsavam

*******************************

 

First 8 days :100 paasurams per day from

MudalAyiram , which has approximately 800

paasurams.

 

Next 12 days: ThiruvAimozhi( 1284 paasurams),

plus ThirukurunthANDakam and ThirunedunthANDakam

of Kaliyan ).

 

The final 10 days are set for Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi

and MokshOthsavam for Swamy NammAzhwAr . On the fourth

of the 10 days, " OrunaayahamAy " paasuram is

sung by the Arayar as set in TampirAnpadi

and Eedu commentary for that special paasuram for

ThirunArAyaNan. On the final day , the 10th decad of

Thiruvaimozhi is chanted , while Swamy NammAzhwAr's

ParamapadhOthsavam is enacted . This uthsavam symbolizes

the attainment of Parama Padham by AzhwAr and His

return to this earth (LilA VibhUthi of the Lord ) to

bless the BhakthAs , who ardently pray for His anugraham.

 

BrahMOthsaavm & Vairamudi Sevai

********************************

Iyarpa (Mudal AzhwArs 300 pasurams ,

Thiruviruttham, Periya ThiruvanthAdhi,

ThiruvEzhukooRRirukkai, Naanmuhan

ThiruvandhAthi , the two madals of Thirumangai

et al) are recited one on each day for 10

days .MudalAyiram and Thiruvaimozhi is

recited at the Yaaga SaalA over the 10 days .

Thus two separate adhyayanams take place .

Periya Thirumozhi is recited on the concluding

RathOthsavam day.

 

PavitrOthsavam

***************

 

MudalAyiram , ThiruvAimozhi and Iyarpaa

are recited over 7 days.

 

ThAyAr Thirunakshathra Uthsavam

*********************************

 

At ThAyAr Sannidhi , MudalAyiram (1-2 days ),

Periya Thirumozhi ( 3-6 days) , ThiruvAimozhi

(6-8 days) and Iyarpaa (all the 8 days) are

recited .On the day after ThAyAr's birth star

(Chithrai) , The Lord gives Serthi sevai

with ThAyaar and the whole day , IyaRpaa

is recited fully all day and the uthsavam

concludes with recitation of RaamAnuja

NooRRanthAdhi and Iyal SaatthumuRai.

 

Ekaadasi days

**************

The tradition of the Lord wearing Pacchai

KaRpUram on His forehead and giving us His sevai

in the kOlam of ThiruvenkatamudayAn is maintained

in reverence to AnandALvAzhar , who did pushpa

Kaimkaryam for Thirumalaiappan at the behest

of AchArya RaamAnujA. AnanadALvAn arrived on

a Friday , which happened to be the day of

EkAdasi.AlvAn missed the Sukra Vaara Thirumanjanam

at Thiruppathi during his sevai of ThirunArAyaNan

and the Lord orderd the Kaimkarya ParaaLs

to dress HIm as ThiruvEnkatamudayAN for

His dear devotee and had NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi

recited . The traditon of chanting NaacchiyAr

Thirumozhi continues even today on Ekaadasis here.

 

Other Thirunakshathrams and Uthsavams

***************************************

 

Specific combinations of Dhivya Prabhandhams

are recited on Nrusimha Jayanthi (Svathi), VarAha Jayanthi,

(Revathi) Swamy NammAzhwAr Jayanthi , Thirumangai birthday ,

Sudarsana Jayanthi,VishvaksEna Jayanthi,

birthdays of Swamy Desikan ( SravaNam),MaNavALa Maamuni,

(Moolam ) ,PiLLai LOkaachAr(SravaNam ) , KurEsan,

AnanadALvAr janma nakshathrams.All of them

conclude with the recitation of RaamAnuja

NooRRanthAdhi.

 

RaamAnujar Thirunakshathram is celebrated here

with grandeur . MudalAyiram is recited on

the first three days followed by Thirumozhi

( 4th to 6th day )and ThiruvAimozhi from 7th to

the 10th day ).

 

The important role given to Dhivya Prabhandham

at ThirunArAyaNapuram is a testament to Bhagavath

RaamAnujA's affection for the AzhwAr AruLiccheyalkaL.

 

The Flower , Fruit garden at the Sanskrit Academy

**************************************************

Every day is uthsavam day at ThirunArAyanapuram.

Lot of flowers are needed to decorate the Lord and

ThAyAr . Sriman Lakshmi TatachAr Swamy and

Srimathi GodhA Lakshmi TatAchAr dampathis

have created a veritable paradise garden

on the grounds of Sanskrit research Academy over

the past two decades and present to the dhivya

dampathis fragrant flowers of every kind as

their kaimkaryam .Hailing from AnandAzhwAn

Vamsam , it is but natural for Sriman Lakshmi

TaatAchAr Swamy and his family to be devoted

to Pushpa Kaimkaryam to the Lord of MelukOte.

 

It is a great joy to walk around this garden,

where no fertilizer is used and to see

the abundance of nature rushing to be of service to

the Lord. Sri Lakshmi TatAchAr Swamy

took me around this garden to show me the enormous

varieties of flowers , trees adorning this garden.

This garden has benefitted from the India-wide

search by Sriman TatAchAr swamy for rare plants

mentioned in dhivya prabhandham , PurANams

and IthihAsams .For instance , the flowers

mentioned by PeriyAzhwAr in his Poocchootal

Paasurams (Periya Thirumozhi 2.7)

are blooming here. Until this day of the tour of

the garden , adiyEn has not seen some of these

flowers referred to by PeriyAzhwAr .In the order of

Periya Thirumozhi , SeNpakam ,Mallikia,Paathiri,

Senkazhuneer ,Punnai ,Kurukkatthi,IruvAtcchi

and karumuhai flowers are used by AzhwAr

to decorate Kuttik KaNNan at SrivilliputthUr .

 

In the garden of Sanskrit academy , we have

the bhAgyam of seeing not only all these flowers,

but also many more ( Mullai, PaarijAtham ,

Sampangi , ManOranjani with its bewitching

perfume, MandhArai, Sougandhikam of MahA BhAratham

fame ,PunnAgam ,Bakula Pushpam associated with

VakuLAbharaNar, Night Queen Flower, KanakAmbharam ,

Sankha Pushpam, THULASI , Panneer , KarpUra

Pacchai, Maruthu flowers. The many sub-species of

these individual flowers also grow here.

This garden is a veritable heaven on earth

invoking memories of PeriyAzhwAr , Soodikkoduttha

NaacchiyAr and ThoNdaradipodi ,AnandAzhwAn

known and revered for their Nandavana Kaimkaryams .

 

In the next posting , adiyEn will sumamrize

the many literary treasures housed inside

the Academy and the ongoing research on

Sanskrit Sri Sookthis dear to our tradition

and the Ubhaya Vedantham texts with great

care and devotion .

 

Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan