Notes for a Summer Diary (2006): satAbhishEkam - Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear members/friends of the Tiruvenkatam Group,

 

In this post and 2 more that follow (parts 2 and 3),

it is my pleasure to share with you all some of the

pleasant thoughts/impressions that occurred to me on

the happy occasion of the "satAbhishEkam" (80th

birthday) of my dear father, Sri Maadabooshi

Krishnaswamy Iyengar on 21 July 2006 at Chennai,

India.

 

I sincerely hope you will all enjoy reading it.

 

Regds,

dAsan,

 

Sudarshan

 

************

 

As soon as the traditional invitation cards ("manjal

patrikai") for the event of the "sathAbhishEkam" was

delivered to me by the printers, my wife and I

hastened to the Ahobila Mutt premises at Selaiyur,

Chennai almost just in time to catch ("asmath

AchAryan") HH the 45th Azhagiyasingar who was

scheduled to leave with his whole entourage the

following day to Kumbakonam (for the annual

"chAturmAsya sankalpam": the traditional 4-month

retreat of the AchArya during the rainy season).

 

Admitted into HH presence, he quickly recognized me

and warmly welcomed me and my wife. We made our

prostrations ("danda-samarpaNam") and while we were at

it, Swami suddenly turned to a Mutt inmate standing

beside him and remarked, "Did you know that this young

man is the son of our late mutt 'asthAna vidushi'

Sangitha Kalanidhi Mani Krishnaswami? And also,

through his paternal aunt's side, his family is

actually related to my own in a distant way(during his

"pUrvAshrama" days)?".

 

I was extremely happy to see that HH was in a very

relaxed mood. Usually, one sees him in the midst of

hectic Mutt work and burdensome chores. He almost

always is in a hurry to go somewhere else, or about to

meet someone else or about to commence some other

religious engagement. Rarely, if ever at all, had I

seen him with any time on his hands -- enough of it to

recollect common familial connections! I knew luck or

better still, the Grace of our Lord MalOlan, was upon

me, and that I had caught up with HH at such a good

time.

 

Pleasantries over, HH asked me the purpose of my

visit. "Firstly, to seek your blessings (anugraham)",

I told him, to which he replied, "That you shall

always have in full measure ("paripoornamA eppOdUm

irukkum")!".

 

"Secondly", I continued, "I wish to tell you that this

year is particularly auspicious for me personally. It

is the year in which I celebrate the 'satAbhishEkam'

(80th birthday) of both my revered "AchAryan" (the

Azhagiyasingar himself) as well as my dear father.

"Pitr dEvO bhava, AchArya dEvo bhava"! The "AchArya's"

'satAbhishEkam' is to be held, I learn, in a grand

manner later this year. Adiyane, living and working in

Kuwait, I am not sure whether I will be fortunate to

be present on the occasion or not. So, in anticipation

of the event adiyane wishes to submit a humble

'sambhAvana' at the feet of Azhagiyasingar."

 

HH accepts my offering with a smile full of kindness.

My wife and I are very happy.

 

"Thirdly", I continue, "adiyane is celebrating the

'sathAbhishEkam' of my dear father Sri Madaboosi

Krishnaswami Iyengar and I wish to submit the very

first invitation card ("patrika")at HH feet and ask

for his blessings to be showered upon my father and

upon the event itself. My father's health is not in a

very good condition and therefore he is not able to

personally be present here now. But on his behalf,I

seek Azhagiyasingar's blessings!".

 

HH cursorily reads the invitation and hands it over to

an inmate with instructions "Make sure on the day, all

the necessary 'mariyAdai' is taken from the mutt and

ceremoniously presented at the event". Turning to me

HH says, "Good! Don't worry! All the necessary

"bahumAnams" (temple honors) will reach your father on

the auspicious day! Take good care of your father!

Wish you Godspeed! Go now and have 'darshan' of Lord

MalOlan and come back to me before you leave!".

 

After the 'darshan' of our Lord MalOlan, on my way out

of the Mutt premises, I take final leave of

Azhagiyasingar. HH blesses my wife and me again with

"mantrAkshadai" and a lovely little gold coin embossed

with the figure of Sri Lakshmi-nrsimhan on one side

and his own on the other. It is a little sacred

memento which I know I will cherish all my life!

 

************

 

Thanks wholly to the Grace of our Lord at Ahobilam and

to the blessings of HH Srimadh Azhagiyasingar, on the

day of the event of the 'sathAbhishEkam' of my father,

a virtual downpour of "kovil bahumAnam" arrives

(temple honors consist of colorful garlands ("maalai")

and a variety of brilliant vestments ("vastram")

adorned by the principal deity of the temples! They

all arrive from 23 different temples and

"divya-dEsams" all over South India.

 

They arrive, carried ceremoniously in procession by

the temple priests, one after the other -- from

Tiruvenkatam, Sri Rangam, Kanchipuram, Melkote,

Tiruvellore, Toopul, Sri Perumbudur, Ahobila Mutt,

ParakAla Mutt, Tirumala Nambi sannidhi, and a host of

other 'divya-dEsams" (and even Kapaleeswara temple of

Mylapore).... And amidst the stentorian chanting of

their respective litanies and 'mantras', the priests

duly bestow upon my father, the grand old man of 80,

the divine "bahumAnam" from the Deities they

represent!

 

It is a great sight indeed to witness!

 

***************

 

The presentation of the temple "bahumAnams" actually

represent the climactic culmination of several other

rites and rituals performed earlier in the day in true

'vaideeka' manner.

 

There had been a recitation by 7 "vEdaviths" of the

"udhaga-shAnti" passage followed by a 'brAhmaNa

bhOjana" or "tadhi-ARaadhanai". There had also been

chanting by 14 "vEda-vidwAns" of the full passage from

the "acchidram/asvamEda" texts from the Vedic

"brAhmaNa". A few Vedic "hOmA" had also been duly

performed followed by "teertha prOkshana" (ceremonial

sprinkling of sanctified ritual water) and

'aseervAdam' (a rite in which all the assembled

relatives/friends seek blessings from the 80-year old

hero of the day!).

 

A large gathering of the some of the closest friends

and well-wishers of my father and (late) mother were

present for the occasion -- some from the well-known

business circles of Chennai (TVS, Hindu etc.), many

from our native town of Tirupati/Tirumala, and many

more from the Chennai world of Carnatic music too, a

world that has always been dear to my father for well

over 50 years....

Kith, kin, guests, friends, ex-colleagues and

well-wishers of adiyane's father, not to speak of

brothers, sisters, cousins, grandsons,

grand-daughters, nephews and neices --- all poured in

to be present on the occasion.

 

To many of the guests, (as they themselves told me

later) attending a "sathAbhishEkam" was a rare event

which they would not miss for anything in the world,

"since it entailed seeking and obtaining, in the

traditional "vaideeka" manner, the blessings of a

venerable elder, something quite hard to come by in

these modern days and immeasurably valuable in a

deeply spiritual way that one can experience but can

hardly explain".

************

 

The overwhelming (and rather unexpected) enthusiasm

and response elicited from relatives and friends on

the occasion of the 'sathAbhishEkam' of my father

later made me a little pensive and I began to ponder

upon what true meaning and significance it had for

those of us who live in the community and society of

the Vedic faithful.

 

Some of those stray ruminations and reflections, I

take pleasure in sharing with you all in the

accompanying post.

 

Regards,

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sudarshan Madabushi

Chief Financial Officer & Vice-President

KGL Ports International

Plot A-21, Kuwait Free Trade Zone.

PO BOx 24565, Safat 13106,

Kuwait.

Ph: (965)- 4827804/5 Ext 212

Fax: 4827806

mob: 7063337

email: mksudarshan2002 (AT) (DOT) co.in

 

 

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