Priest Quarters" construction series: SathAbhishEka Uthsavam & SathamAna Uthsavam (80th and 100th Birthdays)

November 17, 2004

SrI:

Dear BhakthAs :

We come across occasionally those ,

who are celebrating their 80th birth day

through SathAbhishEkam and infrequently

those , who celebrate their 100th birthday

( SathamAna uthsavam ) .

The sixtieth birthday celebrations is known

as Shashti Abdha Poorthy , the 80th birthday

celebrations is SathAbhishEkam and the 100th

birthday uthsavam is SathamAna Uthsavam .

Many of our VaishNavite AchAryAs have observed

their 100th birthday and attained the Veda PrAyam.

Vedic prayer recited by us during the worship of

the SandhyAs is : May we live for Hundred years

practising the dharmAs ordained by the VedAs !

Swamy Desikan lived for 101 years. AchArya

RaamAnujA lived for 120 years . They lived simple

but noble lives dedicated to serving the Lord and

his BhaagavathAs. Modern day conspicous consumption

and consequent shortening of life was not known

to them . They recommended the consumption of Saathvik

food and days defined by PanchakAla PrakriyAs .

In this posting , we will focus on the glories of

those who celebrate SathAbhishEkams . They are

revered as "Sahasra Darsees" or those who have seen

1000 crescent Moons ( Third crescent of the growing

phase of the Moon ). Actually , it will take

83 years and six months to see 1000 crescents.

The celebration however starts as one enters

the 80th year thse days. Chathur Veda PaarAyaNam ,

the recitation of Dhivya Prabhandham , RaamAyaNa

Patanam are conducted in the celebrant's house.

An elaborate Udhaka ShAnthi is organized to

consecrate the water , which is used for the abhishEkam

of the celebrant on the auspicious 80th birthday .

Bhagavan Himself is in a celebratory mood

about these Sahasra Darsees as one member

of the blessed group of Six :

NithyAnna DhAthA TaruNAgnihOthri

VedAntha Vidhu: Chandra Sahasra darsee

MaasOpavAsi cha PathivrathA cha

ShaD jeevalOkE mama vandhaneeyAm

(Meaning): These six in this world are

saluted by Me : (1) Those whom provide

anna dhAnam every day (2) Those who perform

the sacred rites of AgnihOthram right from

their youthful days (3) Those who have seen

the 1000 cresent Moons (4) Those who observe

the EkAdasi Fastings (5) Women resplendent

with the power of their chastity and (6) those

who have understood the true meanings of

the Upanishads.

The anna dhAnam is performed every day at

Lord RanganAth Temple at Pomona , NY.

During Saturday and Sunday and uthsavam days ,

hudreds of worshippers with their families are

given free prasAdhams in the form of annadhAnams .

EkAdasi Fastings are observed by some of the devotees.

Veda GOsham and Dhivya Prabhandha dhwani is heard

every day at the temple. Sudarsana Yaj~nams are

conducted . Sathya NaarAyaNa pooja is done in

the VaishNavite way every full Moon day .

The SrinivAsa or Seetha-Raama KalyANams are

performed every weekend .

All of these are made possible with the help

of our priests steeped in Ubhaya Vedams ,

PaancharAthra Aagamam and Vaidhika anushtAnams .

Please help them have a roof over their heads

instead of lodging in the basement of the Temple !

Please support this Kaimkaryam YathA Sakthi !

V.Sadagopan

November 17, 2004

Facts gathered from Wickipedia:

The lunar month consists of an average of 29.5306 days

which is = (29 days, 12 hours, 44minutes and 3 Seconds).

One-thousand such lunar months (1000 moons) = 29530.6 days; this,

divided by 365.25 (days in a year),

yields 80.850376454483230663928815879535 years i.e., between 80 & 81 years.

That might be one of the possible reasons for some celebrating the Sathabhishekam

even after the 80th burthday, but before the 81st?

Dasan

Krishnaswamy

-

Sadagopan

Ponnappan ; Sgt ; SG ; Rajeev ; Iowa ; DS ; Ramanujamission ; SRS

Cc: Ranga ; Srikaran Rengarajan

Wednesday, November 17, 2004 7:50 PM

Priest Quarters" construction series:

SathAbhishEka Uthsavam & SathamAna Uthsavam (80th and 100th

Birthdays)