Reflections of the Ninth day about MelukOte sampradhAyam established by AchArya RaamAnujA in His niyamanppadi during his stay at Melukote: Part IV.1

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs : with Three more postings , adiyEn plans to

wrap up the series on the most recent trip to India that

followed some what the footsteps of AchArya RaamAnujA .

The titles of these three postings would be :

 

1. Dhivya prabhnadham tradition at ThirunArAyaNapuram

during the Uthsavams

 

2. The Magnificient Kaimkaryam of the Academy of

Sanskrit Research to preserve and protect our

ancient heritage

 

3. Avabrutha SnAnam ( the ritual snaanam after performing

the Yaagam of SaraNAgathi at the Sacred feet of adiyEn's

revered AchAryan , HH Sri Narayana YathIndhra MahA Desikan )

following the trail of Ashta TheerthOthsavam at MelukOte.

 

The source for these postings continues to be the scholarly

articles of contributors of the " Melukote Through the Ages "

monograph presented to me by Dr.Lakshmi TatachAr Swamy ,

the Director of the Sanskrit Research Academy . My thanks

are to him for helping us access to this treasure trove.

 

In today's posting , adiyEn will cover the unique traditions

of Dhivya prabhandham recitation established by AchArya

RaamAnujA some 900 years ago for the many uthsavams

for ThirunArAyaNan , AzhwArs and AchAryAs at MelukOte.

Prior to that , adiyEn will provide an introduction

to the Aagamic traditions in support of the Uthsavams .

 

The Uthsavams for the Lord of AshtAksharam

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

 

Sri Narasaraja Bhattar derives the etymologic

origin of the word Uthsavam this way :

 

The word is derived from the root " Su "

and the prefix " uth " . " SutE iti savah: "

and therfore Uthsava . " Sava " refers to

the sorrows of the world . " uth " is to drive

away those " Sava: " , the sorrows of the world .

UthsavAs are then considered as the necessary

rites to drive away the sorrows of the world

thru celebration of the Lord by the Mumukshus ,

who wish to attain liberation from the cycles

of births and deaths (Moksham ). Such a Mumkushu

is expected to perform these uthsavams for the Lord

and/or particpate in them .

 

AagamAs and Uthsavam

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

" The AagamAs are the source texts for the worship of God

in His infinite form . Although these AagamA texts owe their

allegiance to the VedAs , the mode of worship they recommend

is based on the exigencies of the practical aspects of worship.

However AagamAs are not directly tracable to the VedAs. "

There are distinct differences between the Vedic and Aagamic

methods.It is sufficient to say that the Aagamic form of worship

supplements the Vedic tradition and does not contradict

the Vedic mode.

 

Sri VaishNava AagamAs:

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

According to Sri VaishNava AagamAs , there are three

kinds of Uthsavams : NithyOthsavam , Naimitthikam

and Kaamyam.Nithyam covers the daily rituals involved

with Bhagavath AarAdhanam carried out at the temples .

Naimmithikam is for a nimitthA or specific purpose

other than those covered by Kaamyothsavams; latter

uthsavams are performed for acquiring the first three

of the four purushArthams : Dharma , artha , Kaamam

(i-e) for acquiring merit or wealth or objects of

sensual gratification . While most of these uthsavams

are conducted in public , there are a few , which are

conducted privately by the chief priest of the temple.

The Uthsavams provide for the fulfilment of a devotee's

desire and longings in a way the VedAs have not

provided for. Thus Aagama form of worship supplements

the Vedic traditions .

 

PaancharAthra Aagamam & worship at MelukOte

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

 

The PaancharAthra Aagamam is in vogue in MelukOte

temple . The mahAthmya portions of the PaancharAthra

aagamam housed in Isvara SamhithA , ParamEsvara SamhithA

and JayAkhya samhithA refer to the four most important

temples for Sri VishNavAs . MelukOte is one of these four.

Thirupathi is among the four also , although the worship

is by vaikAnasa aagamam . As an aside , there are six

claasical samhithAs in PaancharAthra aagamam : The first

triad dating to 300 to 500 A.D is constituted by

Saathvata , Paushkara and JayAkhya samhithAs. The other

three smahithAs serving as commentaries for the first triad

date from 600 to 800 A.D. These are : Isavara,

ParamEswara and Paadhma SamhithAs. The Isvara samhithA ,

which is a commentary text on Saathva samhithA has a

full chapter on YaadhavAchala (MelukOte) mahAthmyam.

The Sanskrit Academy of MelukOte has brought out a critical

edition of Isvara SamhithA . It has been suggested

that correlation between ParamEswara SamhithA and

Srirangam along with correlation between Paadma

SamhithA and VishNu Kaanchi would be very fruitful.

 

NithyOthsavams at MelukOte

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

These are :

 

** SaathumuRai and Sahasra naamam recital

both in the Morning and Evening

 

** ThiruvandhikkAppu followed by DhIpAraadhanam

in the evenings

 

** During SahasranAma archanai ,KulasEkarA's

Mukundha Maalai and AaLavandhAr's sthOthra rathnam

are recited ( This is unique to MelukOte).

 

** Hastha Nakshathram is " the birth star " of

ThirunArAyaNan just as Revathi is the one for

Lord RanganAthA . On Hastha nakshathram days and

the evening of EkAdasi days , ThirunArAyaNan

adorns pacchai kaRpUram and is dressed as

ThiruvEnkatamudayAn .

 

** During SankaramaNam , AmAvasyai, DhvAdasi ,

ChithrA nakshathram days , the dhivya dampathis

are taken around the raaja Veedhis . Every Friday

evening , the PerumAL (uthsavar) visits ThAyAr Sannidhi .

 

The other uthsavams at MelukOte

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

BrahmOthsavam ( Vairamudi sEvai) , AnnakOti

uthsavam , PallavOthsavam , ThiruvAdip Pooram ,

SikyOthsavam , PavithrOthsavam , NavarAthri and

Vijaya dasami uthsavams ,KrittikA dhIpOthsavam ,

Maargazhi ThiruppAvai and MokshOthsavams ,

Ratha sapthami , AngamaNi uthsavam, aLLum taLLUm

Uthsavam, Punarvasu uthsavam , TeppOthsavam and

AchArya RaamAnujA's Thirunakshathra Uthsavam are

some of the uthsavams spaced around the year .

These uthsavams instill in the devotees a sense

of spiritual involvement and help to address

their spiritual aspirations .

 

AchArya RaamAnujA led the way in the conductance

of these uthsavams according to Aagamic injunctions

and the rules laid out by AchArya RaamAnujA hold sway

even today. In the next posting , we will cover

the dhivya prabhandham recitation tradition at these

uthsavams.

 

Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam.

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan