Sri Kanchi Garudotsavam

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Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra

Mahadesikaya Nama:

Sri Kanchi Garudotsavam

_________________________

 

Adiyen was one of the thousands fortunate to witness

this year's Garudotsavam at Kanchi, and would like to

share with the bhagavatas a few experiences.

Though Garudotsavam is celeberated at almost all

divyadesams as an important part of the annual

Brahmotsavam,the utsavam at Kanchi has acquired such

popularity that when the word "Garudasevai" is

uttered, it automatically brings to the mind the one

at Kanchi, just as the word"Sahasranamam" refers

almost exclusively to Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam. This

utsavam has been sung by Acharyas like Swami Desikan

(Turaga VIHAGARAJA syandana AndOlikAdishu

adhikam adhikam anyAm Atma shObhAm

dadhAnam

anavadhika vibhootim HastisailEsvaram

tvAm

anudinam animEshai: lochanai:

nirvisEyam)

Lest the involuntary blinking of the eye deny him of a

second of Bhagavat anubhavam, Sri Desikan seeks the

nitya suri status of "sadA pasyanti", to avidly drink

in the grandour of the Lord on His favourite vAhanam.

When there are vAhanAs galore to carry the Lord, why

should this VihagarAja be called the favourite? Sri

AlavandAr answers this question by assigning a

multiple role to Sri GarudA- that of a dAsA (ardent

devotee)sakhA(close friend)vAhanam(carrier)

Asanam(seat) Dvajam(flag) vitAnam(overhead cover) etc.

Sri Garuda serves the Lord not only in Sri Vaikuntam,

but also in His vibhavAvatAras, in various capacities.

Responding to Sri PeriAzhwar's lament about Sri

Krishna roaming the forest in the hot sun (KAnagam

ellAm tirindu un kariya tirumEni vAda), Sri Garuda

immediately spreads his wings to generate adequate

shade for the Lord, protecting Him from further

sunburn –"Vinatai siruvan siragennum mElAppin keezh

varuvAnai, VirundAvanattE kaNdOmE" says Kodai NachiAr.

Another AchAryA to have been sufficiently impressed

by the Garudasevai, to have devoted a stotram

exclusively to this utsavam, is Sri DoddayAchAryA, the

renowned author of "ChandamArutam" (a commentary on

Sri Desikan's "SatadooshaNi"). Unable to perform

mangalasasanam of the Lord's Garudotsavam one year,

Sri DoddayAcharyA, residing at

ChOLaSimhapuram,composed a stotram in five slOKAs,

seeing the utsavam, in all its splendour, in his

mind's eye.

Immediately, Sri DevAdirAjA deserted Kancheepuram

briefly and appeared before the AchAryA , resplendant

in his GarudavAhanam. This itihyam is commemorated to

this day, when Sri TEpperumAL pauses for a few minutes

at the western Gopura vAsal, ostensibly to bestow His

divyadarsanam to His devotee at ChOlasimhapuram. This

GopuravAsal sevai is known as "DoddayAchar Sevai",when

Sri Varadan's tirumEni is lit up by the glow from a

huge ball of camphor.

The Garuda at Kanchi is a huge figure, with palms

outstretched to carry the Lord's lotus feet, one knee

bent in a flying posture, and, as evident to those

who observe closely,a benign tirumukham adorned wth a

beatific smile,

reflecting his ecstasy brought about by such close

association with the Lord's tirumEni. Sri Garuda's

hands are outstretched, as if showing off to us the

extremely precious tiruvadi of the Lord, the tiruvadis

which are known only to the Upanishads, the tiruvadis

which are adorned with the kireetAs of Brahma, Rudra

and Indra bent in devotion. Here is Sri

DoddayAchAryA's mangalasasanam of Sri TArkshyA-

"Yet vEda mouLi gaNa vEdyam avEdyam anyai:

Yet Brahma Rudra SuranAyaka mouLi vandyam.

Tat PadmanAbha pada padma yugam manushya sEvyam

Bhavadbhi: iti darsayateeva TArkshya:"

 

In determining the Paratatvam or the Supreme Being,

the vEdas are our only pramANam, and conclusively tell

us that only Hari is the paratatvam, and that His

lotus feet are the sole refuge for mortals.

Similarly, Sri VainatEyA, who is the embodiment of

vEdAs ("trayeemaya:"), displays the Lord's Tiruvadi to

fickle-minded mortals like us, as if exhorting us to

seek refuge in them. The fourth slOkam of Sri

DodayAchAryA's Sloka Panchakam brings this out

beautifully-

 

"Kechit tatva visOdhanE Pasupatou paramyam Ahu: pare

VyAjahru:KamalAsanE nayavidOpi anyE Harou sAdaram

ItyEvam chala chEtasAm tanubhrutAm pAdAravindam Hare:

Tat sandarsayateeva samprati nriNAm

TArkshya:sruteenAm nidhi:"

 

Hours before sunrise, people of all ages and pursuits,

from babes in arms to the very old, await with

bated breath and folded hands, the appearance of Sri

DevAdhirAjA at the temple entrance. A great roar of

devotion rends the air, as Sri TEpperumAL , in all His

majesty and splendour, with a prasanna vadanam, with

the chAmarAs waving gently, resplendant under the

famous umbrella adorned with pearls and precious

stones, appears at the temple entrance, ensconced on

Sri Garuda. Adiyen's eyes instantaneously fill with

tears, impeding a clear view of the Lord, who, in the

meanwhile, has passed adiyen by, and the eyes clear

momentarily to take in the glorious "pinsevai". The

surging sea of humanity makes it impossible to have

another peek at Him from the front, and we have to

wait for another long year for a repeat performance.

Here is a graphic description from the SlOka

Panchakam-

"PratyUshE Varada:prasanna vadana:prApta abhimukhyAn

janAn

AbaddAnjali mastakAn aviralAn AbAlam Anandayan

MandOddAmara chAmarO manimaya svEta Atapatra:sanai:

Antar gOpuram AvirAsa BhagavAn Arooda Paksheesvara:"

 

For the fortunate few, an added bonus was the

unforgettable sight of Sri Azhagiasingar's

mangalasasanam of the Lord, as He arrived at the

pandal opposite Sri Ahobila Mutt. The beautiful smile

that played upon the pontiff's lips, as he drank in

the svaroopa soundaryam of Sri VaradA and Sri

GarutmAn, seemed to reflect the muktAnandam

experienced by the vriddha yati, as he appeared to

concur with Sri Tirumangai Mannan ("ErAr muyal vittu

kAkkai pin pOvadE") and Swami Desikan ("Vaikunta

vAsEpi namE abhilAsha:").

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya

Nama:

-dasan, sadagopan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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