Founder-Acharya's Birthday:

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Dear Devotees,

Today, 9-1-2000 is the day, many devotees are looking for, to pay their

homage to the great Acharya, the 44th Azhagiyasingar of Sri ahobila Mutt,

who had the fortune of completing the Rajagopuram at Srirangam, India to

Lord Sri Ranganatha and also as the Founder-Acharya of Sri Ranganatha Temple

at Pomona, NY, USA.

Let us all pay our respects to this Great Mahatma by

chanting His Thaniyan:

 

sri ranganAtha sathakOpa yateendra drashtum

LakshmInrusimha sathajit karunaikapAtram

sri rangaveera raghurAt sathakOpa hrudyam

vEdAnta dEsika yateendram aham prapadye.

 

srimatE srIvan sathakOpa sri vEdAnta dEsika yateendra mahA dEsikAyanama:

 

You are all invited to Sri Ranganatha Temple to join us in paying pur

respects to our Acharya on 9-2-2000, saturday.

Program: 8 am thirumanjanam to Chakrthazwar.

10.30 am 45th Azhagiya singar Upanyasam.

12noon: 44th Azhagiya singar Strotra Parayanam.

1pm: Satrumurai and prasadam distribution.

 

Please come and receive the blessings of our Founder-Acharya.

Thank you, venkat kanumalla.

 

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[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Sriman Venkat Swamin,

 

Thank you very much for your crisp note on the 44th Jeeyar Swami of

Ahobila Matham. Indeed Avani Hastam is most sacred due to the

following reasons.

(1) It is the Upakarma day for Sama Vedis. The Sama Vedam eulogizes

Bhgavan Nrusimha in the Purusha Sooktham Rk " Sa BhUmim SarvathO

VrutthvA " . The usage " SarvathO " points to the Padam SarvathOmukham

from the sacred NrusimhAnushtup mantram. This salutation pays

ultimate

tribute to the omiscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence of the all

pervading Bhagavan Nrusimha. The salutation " SarvathO " immediately

brings to mind the association with " One who has faces/eyes in all

directions " . This is indicative of the fact that the benevolent Lord

is constantly longing for Bhaktas to throng to him and perform

Prapatti at His lotus feet. This also denotes the fact that He

welcomes people coming to Him from many directions (i.e., people

performing several Upasanas and ultimately ending up in either

Bhakti Yogam or Prapatti). The Lord who has eyes in all directions is

ever-willing to relieve Prapannas from the three kinds of affliction

(AdhyAtmika, Adhi bhowdika and Adhi Daivika). The benefit of the

compassionate eye glances of Bhagavan Nrusima is again extolled in

the Sama Vedam Rk " Bhadram PashyE MArkshabhir yajathrA: " . Every

jivan incurs three types of debt: Deva RuNam, Rishi RuNam, and Pitru

RuNam. The first is discharged by performing yajnas and offering

havis. The second is discharged by learning Vedas at the feet of sages

and the third is discharged by performance of Shraddam, and TarpaNam

on important days. However, no matter how diligently and sincerely

one performs these tasks, it is impossible to discharge these three

kinds of debt in one's lifetime. The compassionate glances of

Bhagavan Nrusimha absolve an individual from the three kinds of debt

and confer the blessing of eternal prosperity. Due to the extensive

connection with Sama Vedam, Bhagavan Nrusimha grants a special place

to Sama Vedis. This illustrates the Vedam salutation " Sama Veda

PriyO Vishnu: " and the Bhagavad-Gita declaration " VedanAm Sama

VedOsmi " .

 

(2)AvaNi Hastam is also the Tirunakshatram of Lord Varadaraja at

Kanchipuram. The uniqueness of Hasta nakshatram is that it occurs

only

once during the month of AvaNi. Therefore, there is no ambiguity in

celebrating Upakarma for Sama Vedis. Due to the association of Lord

Varadaraja with Hastam, the Hill at Kanchipuram begets the name

Hastigiri. Sri Tirukacchi Nambi salutes this aspect in the famous

Devaraja Ashtakam line " namastE hastishailesha sriman ambujalochana " .

The Varada Hastam of Bhagavan Varadaraja is indicative of the

bountiful blessings that arise on account of performing unconditional,

total surrender to His lotus feet. As a result of performing

SharaNagati at His lotus feet, one is conferred with release from the

endless cycle of birth and death, freedom from the three kinds of

affliction, ashta Asihwaryam, ashta maha siddhis and most importantly

the boon of Moksham( SarUpyam, sAmIpyam, and sAlOkyam

as a result of Narayana Sayujyam) resulting in eternal bliss from

uninterrupted Kaimkaryam for the pleasure and at the pleasure of the

Divine Couple.

 

(3) Hasta Sambhavan, H.H. the 44th Jeeyar Swami of Ahobila Matham

represents the combined blessings stated in (1) and (2). He

served as the conduit of the Lord's blessings for several Prapannas

and as a result begets a status greater than that of the Lord Himself!

 

Thank you very much Sri Venkat Swamin for your post which

made Adiyen contemplate on these aspects on this most sacred day

(Sama

Veda Upakarma).

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan