AvaNi ThiruvAdhirai ThridhaNdam SamarpaNam at SriperumbhUthUr, Sep 12,2001 : An Eye witness Account

[Guest guest]

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

adiyEn has written earlier about this event briefly.

adiyEn would like to add this eye witness account .

 

Background

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Number of you have joined together to present

the Multi-layer , Gold sheet clad ThridhaNdam for

our YathirAjar's Archai at His avathAra Sthalam .

This samarpaNam took place on His birth star day ,

which I am told is celebrated every month . His actual

birthday falls on Chitthirai ThiruvAdhirai .He was born at

SriperumbhUthUr on a PingaLa Samvathsaram , Chitthirai Month,

Sukla Paksha Panchami thithi , when ThiruvAdhirai

constellatiuon was in ascendance (1017 CE).

 

This AavaNi ThiruvAdhirai however was a very

special day , since it was the Dasami day

(vyathIpAdham) immediately after the PaancharAthra

Sri Jayanthi day . This was the day of uRiyadi ,

when AchArya RaamAnujA appears as KaNNan for

procession around the streets in the morning .

 

After many months of the effort to complete this

Kaimakryam , the green light was given finally by Udayavar

to present this AabharaNam to Him on this AavaNi

ThiruvAdhirai Day during His uthsavam . On the PaancharAthra

Sri Jayanthi day (September 11) the temple authorities

called and asked my sister to come in person with

the ThridhaNDam and perform the SamarpaNam next day

(September 12), the uRiyadi day at SriperumbhUthUr.

 

Here is my sister's(eye witness) acccount:

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on September 12 ,There were approximately 1,000 BhakthAs ,

who were assembled at SriperumbhUthUr for the Monthly

ThiruvAdhirai Celebrations. By the time , AchArya

RaamAnujA returned from the uRiyadi uthsavam (12 Noon ),

the homam and special ceremonies for the consecration

(Prathishtai) of the new ThridhaNDam had been completed .

YathirAjar Moolavar recieved the ThridhaNDam . The power

from the ancient ThridhaNDam from the days of consecration

of the Uthsavar by His sishyAs was transferred to the new

ThridhaNDam through the prescribed aagamic rites .

 

There are many ThridhaNdams (Diamond , Pearl)that are

adorned by AchArya RaamAnujar duirng His many Uthsavams.

These Special ThridhaNDams are worn on specific days of

the Uthsavam and are returned at the end of the day to the Safe.

The ancient Thridhandham going back to the 14th century

came with the dhivya MangaLa Vigraham and has been in

continous use .It had become very weak over the years

and needed replacement. (When adiyEn visited AchArya

RaamAnujA's sannidhi in Feb , 2000 after my Bhara SamarpaNam

at the sacred feet of Srimath Azhagiya Singar ,

the archakar (Sri Sampath KumAra Bhattar) commanded

adiyEn to perform the Kaimkaryam of the samarpaNam

of a golden ThridhaNDam to take the place of

the ancient ThirdhaNDam . That is where it all started ).

 

In AasthAnam , the Uthsava Moorthy of Udayavar

does not adorn ThridhaNDam. It always rests

on the hand of the Moola BhEram .When the Uthsavar

proceeds on procession outside , the ThridhaNDam

from the Moolavar's hand is transferred to the Hand of

Uthsavar and is returned back to Moolavar's hand

on return of the Uthsavar ( ThAmm Uhantha ThirumEni)

to the Sannidhi.

 

After return from uRiyadi , Uthsavar returned to His

aasthAnam on this AavaNi ThiruvAdhirai day , changed

His alankAram and recieved the new ThridhaNDam from

Moolavar and travelled with it to the Thirumanjana MaNtapam

in front of Sri YathirAja Valli Sannidhi . The new

ThridhaNDam rested now on His right thigh . All UpachArams

like Dhantha Suddhi , TailakkAppu , KarpooRa Aaratthi

were presented to the new ThridhaNDam . Then the ThiruvAdhirai

Thirumanjanam began in earnest .Many pots of Milk, Honey ,

Sandal paste (SanthanAbhishEkam )with KasthUri were used in

the Thirumanjanam enjoyed by Udayavar and the assembled devotees .

Special TaLikai ( Sarkkarai Pongal, PuLiyOdharai , Curd Rice)

were presented to Udayavar after Thirumanjanam and alankAram.

The Mandagappadi for the Thirumanjanam , TaLikai,

and Prathishtai were covered by the BhakthAs

participating in this Kaimkaryam . The new ThridhaNdam

presented to our Udayavar will stay permanently

now on His hand for years to come.

 

adiyEn takes the opportunity to thank my sister ,

Srimathi Padma VeerarAghavan for supervising

the construction of this AabharaNam on behalf of

all BahkthAs and for presenting it to YathirAjar

on this AavaNi ThiruvAdhirai Day.

 

adiyEn concludes this posting with the salutations

of PiLLAn ( the Jn~Ana Puthran of Udayavar) and

Mudali AaNDAn at the time of conclusion of

the ThiruadhyayanOthsavam at Srirangam by

their AchAryan , Sri RaamAnujar:

 

Sarva-desa-dasA-kaalEshu avyAhatha-parakramA

RaamAnujAraya DhivyAj~nA VardhathAm abhivardhathAm

--PiLLAn

 

RaamAnujArya DhiyAj~nA prathivAsaram UjjvalA

dhigantha-vyApini BhUyAth saa hi lOka hithaishiNi

 

After hearing thse two slOkams by His dear disciples ,

the pleased RaamAnujA prayed to Lord RanganAthA

for the uninterrupted kaimakryam at His sannidhi

and the daily growth of SrirangaSriyam:

 

SrIman Srirangasriyam anubadhravAm anudhinam samvardhaya

Sriman Srirangasriyam anubadravaam anudhinam sambardhaya

 

AchArya RaamAnujA's devotion to His PoorvAchAryAs

is legendary . At the commencement of His GitA BhAshyam ,

He pays His tribute to Swamy AlavanthAr :

 

Yath-pAdhmbhOruha-dhyAna vidhvasthAsEsha Kalmasha:

vasthuthAmupayAthOham YaamunEyam namAmi Tamm

 

(Meaning): " I offer my salutation to YaamunAchArya

by meditation on whose holy feet , I have all my blemishes

destroyed and attained to the status of (authentic) existence."

 

May This AchAryan and His Taamuhantha ThirumEni and

His ThirdhaNDam confer MangaLam on the entire world

and motivate us to engage in many Bahgavath-Bhaagavatha-

AchArya Kaimkaryams !

 

samastha chidhachith vasthu sarIrAya akhilAthmanE

SrimathE NirmalanandhOdhanvathE VishNavE Nama:

--MangaLa SlOkma of Vedaantha Saara: of YathirAjar

 

(meaning): "I bow unto VishNu , who has as His body

all the sentient and non-sentient beings , who is the self of

all objects, who is associated with SrI and who is the Ocean

of bliss untainted with impurity."

 

Sri RaamAnujO Jayathi

DaasOham , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan