SrI Ranganatha Temple BrahmOthsavam : Part V ---- BhEri ThADanam

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SrI:

 

kamapyAham Gurum vandhE Kamalaagruha-mEdhinam

pravakthA chandhasAm vakthaa PaancharAthrasya yassvayam

 

Dear Vaideekaas and BrahmOthsava sEvA abhimAnis :

 

On behalf of the Board of Sri Ranganathaa Temple ,

adiyEn invites you all to have the BhAgyam of

enjoying Lord RanganAthan's BrahmOthsavam .

 

The activities for the individual days are at:

http://www.Ranganatha.org

 

In this posting adiyEn will focus on BhEri TaaDanam .

The First day of BrahmOthsavam is spent on DhvajArOhaNam.

BhEri ThADanam is performed in the Evening . In between

dhvajArOhaNam and BhEri ThADanam , there is a PuRappADu

in some dhivya dEsams . After BhEri ThAdanam , UthsavArTa

RakshA Bhandhanam takes place. We will follow one of the two

procedures ( Long one ) for BhEri ThADanam as per

KootthapAkkam RaghavAcchAr Swamy's frequently used

monograph for the ArchakAs .

 

Evening BhEri ThADanam

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

After evening ThiruvArAdhanam upto AlankArAsanam ,

BhEri ( Big drum ) is placed on a mount made up of

DhAnyams ; peetArchanam is done first and is followed by

AavAhanam with the mantram " (PraNavam) Nama: Kaala

ChakrAya ". Argyam , paadhyam upto nivEdhanam are

offered to BhEri as upachArams. PuNyAha Vaachana Jalam

is sprinkled on the BhEri and the BhEri is centered on

the dhAnya Peetam with VishNu Gayathri . BhEri is now

touched with the mantram " ( PraNavam) Naadha Brahma

SvaroopiNyai nama:". On both sides of the BhEri , SrI DEvi

( on the left) and VishNu ( on the right side ) are invoked

with the use of their Gaayathris . Now the center of the BhEri

is worshipped with Prakruthi Mantram " ( PraNavam) Jagath-

Srushti-sTithi-kaya hEthu bhUthAyai Prakruthyai nama: ".

Next , Sabdha tanmAthra Mantram " ( PraNavam) neem nama:

ParAya SabdhatanmAthraathmanE " is recited to the accompaniment

of three times beating while reflecting on the Thrimoorthys . Brahmaa

and sakala dEvathAs , the rivers, the mountains, Vanaspathis ,

Kings and all Sri VaishNava ParamaikAnthis are invited thru

the beating of the BhEri with a cane . The symbolism is

that all ( ChEtana-achEtanams) are invited to attend

the BrahmOthsavam by the command of the Lord .

 

It is generally believed that those who are present

during the BhEri ThADanam should stay within

the limits of the spread of the sound of Bheri

until the end of the Uthsavam and depart after

dhvaja avarOhaNam to their respective places .

In the old days , people will not have any travel

plans during the BrahmOthsavam . The logic is

that all the DEvAs and chEtanAchEtanam are

there and it will be an insult to disregard their

presence and go away from the site of

BrahmOthsavam.

 

There are 33 slOkams in Sanskrit that are to be

recited as invitations via BhEri ThaaDanam are

extended . adiyEn will take them up and give their

Meanings in the next Posting .

 

After BhEri ThAdanam and extension of

the invitation to take part in the Uthsavam ,

NivEdhanam for BhagavAn , Selvar (Bali

BhErar ) is carried on a small pallakku with

Thirucchinnam and DavaNdai as well as

dhUpa-dheepams to dhvAra PaalakAs and

AavaraNa dEvathais . The final step is Mahaa

Bali Peetam , where Brahmaa is invoked

with Aavaahana mantram , worshipped with

upachArams andarhaNa Bali and TarpaNams

are done . Brahmaa is recognized to be seated at

the center of the dhivya dEsam to conduct His

Uthsavam .

 

Eight Regents of Directions & BrahmOthsavam

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

Next , sthAnams for the 8 gods of directions

are selected for use during the next ten days ,

cleansed and the arhaNa Bali tarpaNams are

done for them at the directions associated with

them .

 

The regents of the 8 directions worshipped

with daily Bali and Geetha-Nruthya upachArams

unique to them are :

 

Indhra ( King of Svargam & DevAs) --East

Agni (Mediator between Men & Gods) --South East

Yamaa(The Lord of Pithrus & Justice) --South

NiRRuthi( God of Misery)-- South West

VaruNaaa( The Lord of Water)-- West

Vaayu( The Lord of Wind)--North West

KubhEraa( The Lord of Wealth) -- North

Isaana (Sivan) -- North East

 

Sri Prasna Samhithaa elaborates on the Nava

Sandhi worship ( Brahmaa plus 8 regents of

Directions) to take place on the DhvajArOhaNam

day .Specific Raagaas and TaaLAs are to be used .

 

1.Brahmaa : Ghantaa Raagam , dhruva tALam ,Brahma

Sandhi Kavuthuvam and dance with Hamsasya Mudhraa

on the right hand and Chathura Mudhraa on the left hand.

DEva Daasis used to perform these Nruthyams .

 

2. Indhra: Naatta Raagham , Sama TaaLam , Lalitha Nruthyam

and Pataka Mudhraa .

 

3. Agni: Gowri Raagam , Ata TaaLam and Sarvathobhadhra

Mudhraa in the form of a flame or Thaazahmpoo .

 

4. Yamaa: DEsAkshi Ragam , JayamangaLa ThALam and

SarvathObhadhra Nruttham .

 

5. Nirruthi : DesAkshi Raagam , Jaya ThALam and Bhujanga-

thrAsa Nruttham .

 

6. VaruNa : Naatai(Nata) Raagam , Bhadra TaaLam , Kamala

Nruttham .

 

7. Vaayu : SrI Raagam , Jampa TaaLam , Prashta Kuttina

Nruttham with Ardha Pataka mudrai on the left hand and

Arala mudhrai on the right hand .

 

8. KubhEran : Mohana Raagam , the child of Nata NaarAyaNi

and Madhu Maadhavi Raagams ; Ananta TaaLam and

Chakra Mandala Nruttham .

 

9. Isaana : Ghana Panchaka Raagams (?) and Pancha Mukha

Vaadhyam (?); TaaNDava Nruttham .

 

There are Nine songs also for the Nine sandhis ( Nava Sandhi

Kavutthuvam ) , which ends with a Jathi . A Mrudhangist and

a Flute Player can stop at Bali Peetam and then follow the eight

corners to provide GeethaLaya UpachArams . We will see if

we can make this happen .There will be Naathswara VidhvAns

and Tavil VidhvAns at the Uthsavam and they can also

offer this Geetha-Laya UpachArams .

 

NamO SrI RanganAthAya ,

Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan