ChaturmAsya Sankalpam

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Sri:

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

 

Today (July 24, 2002) is Aashada (Aani) Pournami day. As adiyen writes

this, asmadh Acharyan Srirangam Srimath Andavan Sri Rangaramanuja

Mahadesikan is observing His 14th ChaturmAsya Sankalpam at Bangalore

Sripuram Asramam. All of our Acharyas who have undertaken Sanyasa dharma

with infinite compassion for us and undertaken this great sacrifice,

would be observing ChaturmAsya Sankalpam in various parts of India on

this auspicious day. Adyen came across a wonderful article about

ChAturmAsya Sankalpam in Tamil in one of the publications of Srirangam

Andavan Ashramam. Adiyen has tried to translate this in English for the

benefit of everyone. Adiyen seeks your pardon in advance for any

mistakes in this writeup.

------

Sri:

ChAturmAsya Sankalpam

 

A brAhman is called a ‘dvijan’ ie one with two births. Just like how

UpAkarmA is considered very important for a brAhman, ChaturmAsya

Sankalpam is considered very important for a SanyAsi (yathivara). The

number of chaturmAsya sankalpams observed by a yathivara is used a

measure of a sanyAsi’s age in thuri-Ashramam (i.e. after becoming a

sanyAsi) and not his actual age. Our shAstras require that if a

yathivara who is of older age meets a younger yathivara who has observed

more chaturmAsya vrathams, the older yathivara should prostrate in front

of the younger yathivara. This is because the number of chAturmAsya

vrathams observed by the younger yathivara is more than the older

yathivara and hence is considered elder in position.

 

In the 4 months of Aavani, Purattasi, Aippasi and Karthigai, it normally

rains heavily in India. This helps in enormous procreation of many

insects and other tiny living creatures in the soil during this rainy

season. Because they are everywhere on the ground, they are harmed

immensely by the people treading upon them and even gets killed. As

Thiruvalluvan beautifully summarizes the yathi dharmam in a KuraL: "uRRa

nOy nORRal Uyir KurugaN Seyyamai, aRRe thavathiR guru" about a sanyasi's

dharma, the sanyAsis have undertaken an “ahimsa dharmam” towards all

living beings, they avoid any harm to these insects and worms by

stopping all sanchAram in these months and by taking a vow to stay in

that place for this 4 month period. This vow is called ChAturmAsya

Sankalpam.

 

There is a veda vAkyam which says “pakshA vai mAsA:” i.e. a paksha (15

days) can be considered as a month. Since it is very difficult nowadays

for yathis to stay in a place for 4 months due to their sishyas wishes

for their achArya to undertake sanchAram constantly and reach out to

them, the sankalpam is nowadays undertaken by yathivaras for 4 pakshams

i.e. 2 calendar months instead of 4 calendar months. This vratham is

generally started on the Pournami following Aani- AmAvAsyai and

completed on the Pournami day following Aavani-AmAvAsyai.

 

On the day of the beginning of this vratham, the yathivaras complete

their nithya karmas and bhagavadh arAdhanam. A small piece of soily land

will be consecrated and purified with AvAhanam and aradhanam to Sri

Boovaraha Perumal and Sri Bhoomi Piratti. Sishyas will congregate in

this place and chant Bhoo sooktha veda parayanam during the aradhanam.

After the ArAdhanam, the achArya yathivara will collect this soil

himself required for their anushtAnams during the period of the

vratham. After this, the yathivara will undergo thirumudi viLakkam

(shave), will have bath and then perform special aradhanam again. After

the ArAdhanam, yathivara will be joined by all the sishyas in reciting

pancha shanthi. After the completion of this veda parayanam, both the

AchArya and his sishyas will undertake a sankalpam (vow). First the

AchArya will say

 

“AashAda PournamAseem Arabhya bhAdrapada PournamAsi paryantham

ChaturmAsya vratham sthAsye”

 

meaning “I undertake this chaturmAsya vratham from Aadi Pournami till

Aavani Pournami”

 

After the Acharya undertakes the chAturmAsya sankalpam with the above

words, the sishyas gathered will tell the AcharyA the following verse

 

“Nivasanthu sukhenAthra gamishyAmaha kruthArthathAm !

YathAsakthi cha sisrooshAm karishyAmO vayam mudha !!”

 

meaning “You (the AchArya) please kindly stay in this place with all

happiness and bless us for an opportunity to serve you. We vow to serve

you to the best of our abilities”

 

The significance of starting the sankalpam on Aashada Pournami is that

it is celebrated as the avathAram day of the great sage VyAsa who

organized the Apourusheya Vedas into 4 major sections.(Rig: 1131 Sakhas

or Recensions divided into Rig (21 sakhas), Yajur: 101 sakhas, Sama:

1000 sakhas and Atharvana Veda: 9 sakhas); wrote the Brahma Sutras (555

Sutras); wrote 18 Maha Puranas which includes Srimath BhAgavatham

(Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Siva Purana, Skanda

Purana, Garuda Purana, Brahmanda Purana etc. Of these 18, Vishnu Purana

was wrote by Vysacharya's father Parasaracharya, but was edited and

presented by Vyasa). He is also celebrated as “VyAsAya vishnu rupAya

vyAsa rupAya vishnave” in Vishnu Sahasranam and by our Swami Desikan as

“mey alladhu viLambhadha vyAsan kAttum vilakillA nan neRiyE viRaindhu

selveer”. Such is the great significance of this chAturmAsya sankalpam

day. In some

 

On this day, let us pray the divya dhampathis to bless us all by

granting all our AchAryAs with many more chaturmAsya sankalpams and

bless them to guide us all to serve Sriman Narayana with nithya

kaimkaryam. Here is a brief list of the places where His Holiness

Srirangam Srimath Andavan Sri Rangaramanuja Mahadesikan has observed

Chaturmasya Sankalpams from 1989 until now.

 

Ist - Srirangam 18-7-1989

2nd - Bangalore (Jayanagar) 8-7-1990

3rd - Kanchipuram 26-7-1991

4th - Chennai, Alwarpet -7-1991

5th - Srirangam 3-7-1993

6th - Srirangam 22-7-1994

7th - Chennai 17-7-1995

8th - Rishikesh 30-7-1996

9th - Srirangam 20-7-1997

10th - Chennai 9-7-1998

11th - Chennai 20-7-1999

12th - Keezha Vazhuthur 19-7-2000

13th - New Delhi 18-7-2001

14th - Bangalore 24-7-2002 (being observed at Sripuram Ashramam,

Bangalore)

 

adiyen dasan,

shyamsundar sreenivasan