Mamunigal's Thirunakshtram celebrations at Pomona, New York.

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

 

SrisailEsa dayA pAthram deebhakthyAdhi gunArnavam

Yateendra pravanam vandhE ramyajAmataram munim

 

The moment we heard about the Swami Periya Jeeyer, Sri Manavala Mamunigal’s

thirunakshatram celebrations at Pomona temple for the first time, our joy knew

no bounds as we are going to be part of a great celebration. We began to

expect the excellent occasion to submit our humble mangalasasanams to the great

acharya by reciting his divine works in the sannadhi of Lord Ranganatha along

with a grand bhagavatha ghoshti. The actual celebration was scheduled to be on

Sunday, Nov.10th 2002, though the actual thirunakshatram of swamy mAmunigal was

on Nov 8th 2002. We began to count the days for the divine occasion. When an

incapable baddha jeevathma like us, have so much of enthusiasm to celebrate the

divine day on which the great acharya took avataram as a ethi punarAvatharam,

what to say about the state of our beloved Namperumal who is a pradhana sishya

of our Mamunigal!

 

Finally the divine day came. Lord Ranganatha underwent suprabhadam and was

eagerly awaiting the bhAgavata ghosti. The bhagavatas got collected in the

temple premises by 10 in the morning in front of the Ethirajar and his beloved

sister, Sri Soodhikoduththa nAchiyar sannadhi. The divine picture of mAmunigal

was placed (yElapannudhal) right in front of the divine thiruvadi (feet) of

emperumAnAr. Swamy Mamunigal was decorated with flowers and fruits were

placed in front of the picture. Then the ghosti seated themselves and started

with the “SrisalEsa thaniyan”. The ghoshti of bhAgavatas began with the

recitation of the nithyAnusandhAnam (thiruppallAndu, kanninun siruthAmbhu and

koil thiruvAimozhi) with great devotion and bhakthi. Then we proceeded to

recite the divine works of eetu perukkar, ramyajAmatru muni, vara vara muni,

yatheendra pravanar, Swamy manavAla mAmunigal one by one.

 

Starting with thiruvAimozhi nootrandhAdhi, which is an excellent prabhandam

given by swamy, as an essence to thiruvaimozhi of nammAzhvar. Each paasuram in

this prabhandham is a shortened form of ten paasurams in each padhigam of

thiruvaimozhi. This gave us the joy of reciting the whole of thiruvaimozhi in

a very short time.

 

That was followed by Arthi prabhandam, the last prabhandam of swamy mAmunigal,

in which swamy has shown his atmost eagerness to immediately attain the divine

feet of emperuman by the divine mercy of his acharya, Ethirajar. Each and

every paasuram shows the acharya bhakthi and charamOpayanishtai of swamy

mAmunigal in a crystal clear manner and makes even our hard hearts to melt and

long for the divine thiruvadi of emperuman shedding our samsAric miseries.

 

Completing two tamil prabhandams of swamy and reserving swamy’s masterpiece,

Upadesa ratinamAlai for the sattrumurai, we proceeded to recite the excellent

Sanskrit strotra of swami, the EthirAja vimsathi, about his beloved acharya,

emperumAnAr composed under the order of his direct acharya, srisailEsar,

thirumalaiAzhvar, Sri ThiruVaimozhi pillai.

 

Meanwhile, there was another special occasion, the mahasudarshana homam

performed in front of the Periya perumal sannadhi. Since it was time for the

poornAhuthi we stopped with the ghosti and took part in the mahApoornAhuti. We

came in pradhakshinam around the homa kundam and recited

the ‘SudharshanAshtakam’ given by Swamy vedanthAchAriyar. This was followed by

the thirumanjanam to namperumal along with the recitation of purushasooktham

and neerAttam of PeriyAzhwar. At the same time, there was one group of

bhakthas, who entertained namperumal with their devotional bhajans, rendered in

their sweet coordinated voice.

 

After the thirumanjanam, while namperumal underwent his divine alankaram, the

ghosti of bhagavatas returned back to ethirajar sannadhi and continued to

recite Upadesa rathinamAlai, which is a divine prabhandam in which mAmunigal

gives a detailed note about all the alwars, their thirunakshatrams, their

places of birth and also gives the greatness of the acharyas who have given

excellent commentaries to the divine work, thiruvAimozhi of nammAzhvar. Swamy

in URM also gives a detailed note of how a shisya and an acharya should be and

advises all of us to follow our acharyas and proceed in the right path, as per

the Ramanjua siddhantham.

 

The sattrumurai paasurams were reserved for the grand finale. Then Swamy

manavala mAmunigal’s divine picture was carried to the namperumal sannadhi by

two bhagavatas. On seeing his Acharya coming towards his place, Namperumal’s

thirumuga mandalam blossomed like a lotus on seeing the rising sun. Swamy

mAmunigal then joined the Azhwar, Acharya goshti in Namperumal’s sannadhi.

Then the great sattumarai was performed, with the recitation of all the

sattumarai pAsurams of swamy mAmunigal’s divine works and finally the goshti

concluded with the vAzhi thirunAmam and Naal Paatu of swamy mAmunigal. This day

also marked the celebration of thirunakshtram of HH Sri Tridandi chinna Jeeyar

swamy, whose excellent service to the sriVaishnava community continues by the

divine grace of the divine couples. Mangalasasanams were made by the bhagavata

goshti for HH Chinna jeeyar’s continued bhagavat/bhAgavata kainkaryam.

 

Finally the Acharya sambhavanai was made generously by the bhagavatas.

 

Some of the bhagavatas who made this celebration a grand success with the

divine krupai of Perumal and Piratti and the divine blessings of all the

Azhwars and Acharyas, were, Smt Sasikala Iyengar, Sri AMR Kannan swamy, Sri

K.V.Narayanan swamy, Smt Shanthi and Sri Srinivasan swamy, Smt and Sri

Sudharsan Azhagiyar swamy, Sri T.R.Govindarajan swamy and Adiyongal (Sumithra

and Varadarajan) and many other bhagavatas. We are grateful to the management

of Pomona temple Sri Venkat Kanumalla and other Archakas who were supportive in

performing the celebration in a grand manner. With the divine grace of Lord,

we hope this celebration will continue for years to come.

 

“SrimathE ramyajAmAtru munindrAya mahatmanE l

sriranga vAsinE bhooyAth nithyasri nithya mangalam ll

 

Alwar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigale Sharanam

Jeeyer thiruvadigale sharanam

 

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Varadarajan