Construction of Sri Vanamamalai Mutt - Kainkaryam at Thirumalai (Part 3)

May 19, 2006

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

Though the word 'Thirumalai' means a holy mountain, uttering this divine name makes all our minds travel immediately to the sacred seven hills, the residence of Thiruvenkatamudiyan, Srinivasan. Swamy Emperumanar when he visited thirumalai the first time, refused even to place his foot on this holy hill as it is considered to be the divine serpant, adisesha himself "malaiyE thiruvudambu". Due to the compulsion from his acharya and uncle periya thirumalai nambi to have the darshan of alarmEl mangai urai marban, swamy Ramanuja climbed the mountain with his knees. (We struggle to climb the mountain with our feet and search for a mode of transport!!) Such is the greatness of the holy Thirumalai. On climbing this hill all our sins are totally wiped off. In Ramayana, Sugreeva sent his monkey force in all the four directions in search of Seetha Piratti. While giving instructions to his deputies he said, "Don't ever go near the seven hills". Sri Rama enquired, "Why? It is a place filled with forests and there is a high chance of Ravana hiding over there." Sugreeva replied, "Possible. But if these monkeys enter thirumalai all their sins will be washed off and they will reach the divine abode of the lord and our job will be left incomplete." The Vedas and puranas talk the greatness of Thirumalai very elaborately. Our elders say even if you don't get the darshan of the lord just prostrating the Thirumalai will fetch you all the fortunes.

In contrast, here in Vanamamalai, Emperuman himself is celebrated as a huge holy mountain. A mountain is hard and serves as the protection. It has a number of trees/forests inhabited by many tribes and animals. Number of medicinal herbs is found on the mountain that cures many diseases. Emperuman is strong and unbeatable. He is a saviour of one and all. Azhwars adorn each and every part of Emperuman's thirumeni to be a beautiful lotus. So his whole body is a forest of lotus.(tAmarai kAdu poothar polE). While showing visvaroopa to Arjuna, EmperumAn showed everything in this world/universe inside him. We are all parts of that holy lord our body, which is itself a disease, which can be cured only by that doctor. "VaidyO nArAyanO harihE" proclaim the Vedas and "maranamAnal vaikundum kodukkum pirAn" discloses Swamy Nammazhwar.

In Krishna Avarara, as a small child he lifted the Govardhana giri and then he himself stood as the Govardhana and accepted all the offerings. Even today for all of us, to have eye filled darshan vaikuntanAthan stands as vAnamAmalai in the banks of the holy tank "SeRRuthAmarai".

In the next posting we will proceed to enjoy the divine anubhavams of swamy Nammazhwar on these divyadesams.

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

"LET US WORK IN UNITY AND BE PART OF THE ACHARYA KAINKARYAM AND GET CLOSE TO THE HEARTS OF THE DIVINE COUPLES"