SaraNAgathi NavAham :A Journey of a Life Time ( Feb 5-13):Part 1

[Guest guest]

Respected Swamin

Welcome back from an eventful trip to Bhartaha Varsha.

 

We look forward to your anubhavams laden postings on the special events in

which you have participated there.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

[Guest guest]

Dearest BhakthAs and PrapannAs :

 

AdiyEn would like to take this opportunity

to share with you a nine day journey in India

that adiyEn just completed and the greatest

SoubhAgyam that adiyEn received due to

the paramAnugraham of our SadAchAryan ,

HH Sri MalOla PaadhukA Sevaka , Sri Naaraayana

YathIndhra MahA Desikan .

 

The most meaningful and the greatest event of adiyEn's

life happened during these nine days of Journey in and

around TamilnAdu and KarnAtakA during the first half of

February 2000 . The cherished , central event is

the adhrushttam (SaraNAgathi) at the holy feet of

Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka Sri NarAyaNa

YathIndhra MahA Desikan at Thirukkudanthai on February 7.

Out of His Infinite Mercy and Vaathsalyam , HH the Jeeyar

of Sri Matam , Sri NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA Desikan blessed

adiyEn with Aathma NivEdhanam at the Lotus feet of

MalOlan in the time honored manner thru Ukthi Nishtai .

AdiyEn is jouous over this Parama BhAgyam of joining

the other prapannAs blessed to belong to this

ancient Matam founded by Sri Adhi VaNN SatakOpan

Himself at the behest of Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan .

That soubhAgyam is capped by the SaraNAgathi

this time .

 

The verse in Saathvatha samhithai that comes to adiyEn's

mind in this context is :

 

yadhrucchayA upasannAnAm dEsAnthara nivAsinAm

ishtOpadesa: karthavyO NAARAAYANA rathAthmanAm

 

Swamy Deikan refers to this verse in His Magnum opus ,

Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram (RTS) in the AchArya-

KruthyAdhikAram chapter .The meaning of this verse is :

 

" If those living in faraway places arrive at

the SadAchAryan's blessed feet with a mind filled

with Sriman NaarayaNan (and AchArya Bhakthi) even by accident ,

then the SadAchAryan sould bless them with their upadEsams

for upliftment (SaraNAgathi) without long term testing

of their arhathai (suitability ) " .

 

The most compassionate HH Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar

broke my long and heavy chain of bondage with the

acceptance of Bhara SamarpaNam at His holy feet

at the dhivya KshEthram of Sri KomaLavalli SamEtha

AarAvamudhan . AdiyEn's joy has no limits at this

soubhAgyam . Whatever adiyEn has been blessed

to achieve are like blades of grass in value compared to

this incomparable , priceless bhAgyam .

 

Reflecting always on the words of

Swamy Desikan in NigamanAdhikAram of RTS that

He gave us as guideline , adiyEn vows to spend

the rest of my life in service to adiyEn's AchAryan ,

BhaagavathAs and the Dhivya Dampathis :

 

" --sEsha aayushi api SESHA-DAMPATHI

dayA dheekshAm udhIkshAmahE "

 

(Meaning): In the remaining time of adiyEn's life ,

adiyEn remains awaiting the Sankalpam of

the Sarva Seshi Dampathis ( and performing

Bhagavath-Bhaagavatha Kaimkaryam ).

 

Thre is nothing more to be done .The rest of the days

are to be spent in the clear manner recommened to us

by Thirumazhisai AzhwAr , who ascended Parama

Padham from Sri KomaLavalli SamEtha Sri AarAvamudhan's

Thirukkudanthai . In one of His Naanmukan ThiruvanthAdhi ,

this blessed AzhwAr having His brindhAvanam at Thirukkudanthai

states :

 

" -vennAhatthunnai --theritthuzhuthi

vaasitthum kEttum vaNangiyum vazhipattum

poositthum pOkkinEn pOthu "

 

(Meaning ): AdiyEn spent my time without wasting it

by reading the Sri Sookthis celebrating tha anantha-

kalyANa guNams of our Lord , listening to the reading

of those glories by others and by worshipping Him always

through AarAdhanam to Him " .

 

One of the most insightful paasuram of Swamy Desikan

at the end of the AchArya KruthyAdhikAram chapter

celebrates the greatness and compassion of the SadAchAryan ,

who provide ujjevanam ( upliftment to life at Sri Vaikuntam

and nithya kaimkaryam there to the Dhivya Dampathis by

giving His hand to pull us out of the deep darkness

of samsAram that shrouds us in from anAdhi kaalam ).

That paasuram is as follows :

 

" maruL aRRa Desikar vaan uhappAl intha vyammellAm

iruL aRRu Iraivan iNayadi pooNduya yeNNUthalAl

theruLaRRa senthozhirc chelavam peruhi siRanthavar paal

aruLuRRa sinthayinAl AZHIYAA VILAKKU YERRINARE "

 

(MEANING): The most compassionate and ajn~yanam-

free AchAryAs desirous of ascending paramapadham ,

reflected upon the POTENTIAL soubhAgyam to the chEthanams

longing for freedom from their ajn~yanam so that they can

hold firmly the holy feet of their supreme Lord as

THE UpAyam for their ujjIvanam . With their mind full

of compassion for the suffering jeevans , they lit

the unquenchable sampradhAya lamp (nanthA ViLakku) of

Kainkarya Sampath through their upadEsams .

 

Now that adiyEn's AchAryAn's anukampA has permitted

the realization of the SvarUpa, Bhara and Phala

samarpaNams , adiyEn enjoys the state of Nirbharam

and nirbhayam .

 

Rest of my prayers are those given to us by

Swamy Desikan in His illustrious NyAsa dasakam:

 

" nithyam niraparAdhEshu kaimkaryEshu niyunkshva maam "

(Oh Lord VaradarAjA ! please command me to be engaged

always in blemishless kaimkaryams to Your BhagavathAs).

 

In the remaining postings of this series , adiyEn will

share with you the happenings during the nine day

long life time journey to AchArya Peetam .

 

Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

AdiyEn, RaamAnuja Daasan,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan