parakaala maTha abhimaanis

[Guest guest]

Dear bhaktas:

 

On the eve of the upcoming brahmotsavam for thiru

vEnkatam udayan in the yEzhumalai divyadesam of

thirupathi, adiyEn wishes to bring to everyone's

attention the centuries-old traditions of srInivAsa

kalyANam and divya mangaLASAsanam to perumaaL and

thAyar at this sacred shrine, many of which remain

even today, and which trace their origins to Sree

brahmatantra swatantra jeeyar (1st peeThAdipathi of

parakaala maTham and direct shishya of swAmi deSikan),

and kumAra varadAcharyar (son of swAmi deSikan).

 

adiyEn would like to point out that parakaala maTham,

dating back to 1338 CE according to its own traditions,

emerging against the backdrop of violence and massacre

in SrIrangam (which led to swAmi deSikan's escape to

satyamangaLam), was once again forced by the threat

of moslem invasion - to move from its original home

in thooppul to the remote hills of thirupathi. Here,

the successors of brahmatantra swatantra jeeyar became

spiritual guardians of the temple which remained under

their care for several centuries - until (21st) periya

parakaala swAmi's aadipathyam (1676-1737 CE) when the

maTham moved to SriRangapatnam near Mysore.

 

On the upcoming purattAsi thiruvONam, a doubly sacred

day in SrIvaishnavam - when brahmOtsavam to vEnkata

achalapathi as well as thirunakshatrams of SriVishNu

ghaNtAvatAra, kavitArkikasimha, sarvatantra svatantra

AchArya sArvabhouman swAmi vedAnta deSikan and Sree

brahmatantra swatantra jeeyar will be celebrated with

great splendor at thirupathi, prakrtham parakAlaswAmi

Srimad abhinava vAgeesha parakAla deSikan and asmad

AchAryan SriRangapriya mahAdeSikan will perform kovil

mariyAdai and also inaugurate the new building of the

thirupathi Sri parakAla maTham. ParakAlaswAmi will be

accompanied by the svarNa laXmihayagrIva archai, given

to swAmi bhAshyakArar by saraswathi devi herself!!

 

Verily it is an utsavam whence thiruvEnkatam udayAn,

alongwith bhagavAn SrIlaXmihayagrIva will grace the

festivities and will themselves rejoice, on the day

which marks the thirunakshatrams of the greatest ever

AchAryan in rAmAnuja sampradAyam - SriVishNu ghaNta

avatAra swAmi deSikan AND his brightest and best

disciple - Sri brahmatantra swatantrar. This is an

exceptional opportunity for bhaktas who are able to

travel to thirupathi at this time, to witness the

inauguration of the thirupathi parakala maTham which

coincides wonderfully with the perumAL's brahmOtsavam

and the thirunakshatrams of SrIvaishnava mahAcharyas.

 

For those who haven't already, parakAlamaTha shishyas

and abhimAnis are requested to kindly take a moment

to register with the parakAlamaTham online group at:

 

http://www.parakalamatham.org/mlist.shtml

 

It will be the good fortune of all readers of such

online lists, if any of the devotees attending these

utsavams in thirupathi can post eyewitness accounts,

or perhaps even pictures (from permitted locations)

describing these unique celebrations. ParakAlamswAmi

as well as other great SriVaishnava maThAdipathigaL

will be performing mariyaadhais to our beloved yEzhu

malai maayavan - all in keeping with their respective

connections to this divya deSam. ParakAlamaTham's

600+ years old tradition as guardian of vEnkatAchalam

kovil will now take on a new form, symbolized by the

inauguration of its rebuilt maTham complex at this

ancient site.....

 

vinA venkateSam na nAtho na nAthaH

sadA venkateSam smarAmiH smarAmi

 

(There is no lord other than venkateSa,

ever-present as the indweller of my mind)

 

thooppul thiruvEnkatam udayAn thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Sri brahmatantra swatantra guru paramparAyai namaH

Srimad abhinava vAgeesha parakAla mahAdeSikAya namaH

 

Truly,

-Srinath C.