Reflections on the Ninth Day of the Trip: Part V/ Ashta TheerthOthsavam at MelukOte

[Guest guest]

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

This will be the penultimate posting in this series

of postings prior to the epilogue tomorrow

on the eve of Vairamudi Sevai (March 16)this year

at ThirunArAyaNapuram . That epilogue will sum up

the highlights of this special dhivya desa Yaathrai

and the Kaimkaryam sankalpams for the rest of

the year 2000 .

 

adiyEn will describe in this posting a festival that is

unique to ThirunArAyaNan , the ASHTAKSHARA SVARUPAN .

The heart of this festival is the day long travel of

the Lord's SatAri (Swamy NammAzhwAr) at the behest of

the Lord ThirunArAyaNan to His EIGHT pushkaraNis (tanks)

at MelukOte for avabrutha snAnam .

 

This festival takes place in the holy month of

Kaarthigai . The immersion of the Ashtakshara Moorthy's

SatAri in the sacred waters of the eight tanks

has a lot of auspicious resonances , when one

contemplates on the significance of this Ashta

TheerthOthsavam .

 

Avabrutha snAnam is done always at

the conclusion of a Yaagam or MahOthsavam .

After completing the Yaagam of Bhara SamarpaNam ,

which is the offering of the Lord's property

( the athman ) back to Him as the Havis (SamarpaNam )

and seeking His sole protection with MahA VisvAsam ,

this TheerthOthsavam has a special meaning for adiyEn

after being blessed with this ParamAnugraham by

asmath AchArya Saarvabhouman and MalOlan .

 

 

You might recall that AdiyEn's journey had two central goals :

 

(1)Bhara SamarpaNam at the sacred feet of asmath AachAryan,

HH Srimath Azhagiyasingar and to qualify to become His

Thiruvadi and (2) SamarpaNam of MudaliyANDAn (Udayavar's

"SatAri" )at AchArya RaamAnujA's sannidhi at Thiru-

NaarAyaNapuram .

 

The above two samarpaNams came together ,

when adiyEn reflected on the significance of Ashta

Theertha Uthsavam (avabrutha SnAnam )and the SatAri's

travel to bless the people accompanying it during

the PradhakshiNam around ThirunArAyaNan's dhivya

RaajadhAni . BTW , the Postings on PaadhukhA Sahasram

of Swamy Desikan is almost at the 180th slOkam level,

which is one sixth of this mahA Kaavyam to celebrate

the glory of the Lord's Paadhukai(SatAri). These postings

are accessible at http://homepage.paduka.com/ and

are the celebrations of the glories of the Lord's satAri.

 

The Eight sacred PushkaraNis of ThirunArAyaNapuram

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

 

The SuprabhAtha slOkam of ThirunArAyanan makes reference

to these eight specific PushkaraNis as : Veda , Dharba ,

Abja ( Padma) , Yaadhava , PalAsa , ParAsara, NaarAyaNa ,

and Achuyutha PaadhAkhya ( Vaikunta GangA ot Tottilamadu).

Please note that adiyEn will be making references

to ten pushkaraNis in the posting , although

the ceremonial dip takes place at eight pushkaraNis.

 

Kaarthigai Sukla Paksha Chathurdhasi Day

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

 

Up in the hill town of MelukOte , Kaarthigai

is a cool month.THe VaikAnasa/PaancharAthra DhIpam

festival , the Thirunakshathram festivals for

Thirumangai and ThiruppANar are on the horizon.

On this day, the ashta TheethOthsavam takes place.

 

(1)KalyANi Saras Theerthavaari

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

Early in the morning , Lord Selva NaarAyaNan adorned with the fine

jewelery presented by the previous MaharAjAs of Mysore arrives

with His ubhaya NaacchiyArs at the eastern gopuram entrance

of His temple. Lord's SatAri accompanies the dhivya dampathis

and this rich procession arrives at the first stop, the sacred

KalyANi Theertham , the main pushkaraNi of MelukOte .

There at the Mantapam on the North East corner ,

the SatAri leaves the Lord's feet with honors

( Two umbrellas ) in the hands of the Archakar

and takes a dip in the waters of the PushkaraNi

to the accompaniment of Veda manthrams. At the end of

the SatAri's avabrutha snAnam , all the assembled people

immerse themselves in the water sanctified by

Swamy NammAzhwAr. The Lord now bids good bye to His

dear AzhwAr and returns to the temple to wait for

Him at the end of the journey to the reamining

seven theerthams . In most of the dhivya dEsams,

Sudarsanam of the Lord takes a dip in the pushkaraNi

or river during theerthavAris.

 

(2) Veda PushkaraNi SnAnam

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

 

After traveling southward to the sacred spot ,

where Lord DattAthrEya revealed the sArArthams

of the four VedAs .There is a stone here

on the banks of Veda PushkaraNI (paridhAna SilA) ,

where those entering sanyAsAsramam accept the ochre

robes. AchArya raamAnujA is said to have changed His

white vasthram here into the Ochre robe after

arriving at ThirunArAyaNapuram from his journey from

ChOLa dEsam. A ceremonial dip in the waters of

Veda PushakaraNi is completed here by the Satari

and the people accompanying it.

 

(3) DhanushkOti theertham :

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

This theertham s behind the Sanskrit Academy

on a hill with breathtaking view . The satAri

makes a ceremonial stop at the Academy premises

to bless the ongoing effoerts of the academy

to advance the Ubhaya avedAntha sampradhAyam .

Here at DhanushkOti theerttham , Lord RaamachandrA

is said to have struck a rock with His arrow

to produce water for quenching the thirst of

SitA pirAtti. One is reminded of AchArya RaamAnujA's

theertha kaimkaryam to the dhivya dampathis of

Kaanchi here ( Saalaik KiNaRu Theertha samarpaNam).

 

(4) Yadhava Theertha

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

Here, Lord KrishNA ad BalarAmA , who are

associated with the prathishtai of ThirunArAyaNan

are said to have their snAnam and anushtAnam .

A river flows by the side of this sacred theertham.

 

(5) Dharba Theertham :

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

Sages DattAtrEyaa and SaandiliyA are said to have collected

thUppul (Sacred DharbhA grass ) for their aunshtAnams.

This is also considered as the site , where sage SaandilyA

released to the world the PaancharAthra Aagamas for BhagavAn's

worship .

 

(6) PalAsa Theertha SnAnam

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

 

The satAri travelling on a pallaaku travels

another half an hour on the mountain side to reach

the PalAsa theertham , where PalAsa trees are

in abundance. Here , the legend is that the sons

of Sage VasishtA were freed from the ill effects of

the curse of Sage VisvAmithrA .

 

(7) Padma (abja ) theertham

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

There are lots of lotuses in this tank and

Sage sanathkumAra is said to have collected

lotuses form this tank to worship the Lord .

 

(8) ParAsara Theertham

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

Dusk is setting in as the procesison reaches

ParAsara theertham , which is in a northerly direction

to KalyANi pushkaraNi. Here, Sage ParAsarA is said to

have taught MaitrEya , VishNupurANam.

 

(9) NaarAyaNa Theertham

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

Lord NaarAyaNA is siad to have appeared here to

grant Moksham to a devotee by the name of

VishNuchittA.

 

(10) Vaikuntha Gangaa

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

The sacred water originating from the abhishEkam

of Lord BrahmA of BhagavAn Thrivikraman 's rising feet

during His measurement of the Worlds is said to flow

here as Vaikunta GangA .At one place , this

pushkaraNi looks like a cradle and hence it is

also known as Thottilamadu. By the side , VirajA

river flows. MokshAnnugraham and Ishta Kaama

Siddhi ( children to the childless ) are

the goal of those , who follow the SatAri

and take the sacred snAnms all day long.

 

Taittiriya AaraNyakam

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

Through out this theerthAdanam , Taittiriya

AaraNyakam is recited by the Vedic scholars.

The echo of the veda manthrams on these hills

bless those participating in this annual festival.

 

This uthsavam might have also taken place in the times of

AchArya RaamAnujA's stay.If one visualizes the procession

of the SatAri followed by AchArya RaamAnujA , His 52 temple

officials , King Vishnuvardhana and other disciples of

the AchAryan, one's mind is filled with exquisite aanandham.

 

adiyEn has listed TEN theerthams. The avabrutha

snAnam takes place only at eight theerthams.adiyEn

will let you find out the exact eight during one of

your visits to ThirunArAyaNapuram with the SatAri .

 

After sunset , the SatAri of the Lord reaches His

sannidhAnam and is greeted with affection by the Lord.

 

SWamy NammAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

DaasOham , Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan