The Tradition of Araiyar Sevai

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Venkatesa Iyengar:

 

Today is Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi day.

The Thiru Adhyayana Sevai at Lord RanganAthA's

temple is proceeding well . We are also planning to

have Arayar Sevai here.

 

Your informative article would be of wide interest to

members of other groups. Hence I am copying them .

 

Thanks for the articile and the special web pages for

Sri ANDAL SamEtha Sri RangamannAr.

 

V.Sadagopan

 

>

> SrImatyaI GodayaI Nama:

>

>Recently there have been some queries about Araiyar sevai and with the

>adyayana utsavam commencing today i thought of sharing some information on

>Araiyar Sevai to supplement the information on this list/archives.

>Knowledgable members are requested to add/correct anything to this as they

>think appropraite/necessary.

>

>ARAIYAR SEVAI AND ITS ORIGIN

>******************************

>

>The term Araiyar Sevai denotes " service of the Araiyars " .Sometime around

>9th century AD Swami Nathamunigal retrieved the Nalaiyira

>divya prabhandam which had been lost at that time and classified the

>divya prabhandam into Iyarpa which was meant to be chanted and Isaippa which

>was suitable for singing.

> With his nephews Keelai Ahatthu Aazhwan and Melai Ahatthu Aazhwan

>Swami Nathamunigal set the pasurams of Isaippa to tune(pan) and trained

>his nephews to sing and worship the prabhandams in front of the Lord at

>SriRangam.So they were the first Araiyars who

>performed in front of the lord at SriRangam. Since then this tradition has

>been handed down through the succesive generations of the descendents of

Swami

>Nathamunigal and i believe our generation is VERY FORTUNATE to be able to

>witness the Araiyar Sevai in its pristine form even after more than a thousand

>years at places like SriRangam and Srivilliputtur.I would recommend all

>Bhagavathas who have not witnessed the Araiyar Sevai to atleast plan and

>try to witness it once in their life time at either SriRangam or

Srivilliputtur.

>

>COMMENCEMENT OF THE ARAIYAR SEVAI IN TEMPLES

>**********************************************

>

>The Araiyar Swamigal performs the service only in front of the Utsava

>Murthy,usually within the temple.

>The Araiyar sevai commences with the AruLa paTTu(Issuance of the gracious

>commandment by the Lord to the Araiyar) through the BhaTTar when the

>officiating bhaTTar calls out: Thiruvaranga PerumaaL Araiyar

>

>Araiyar Swamigal Comes forward saying: aaindhen Aaaindhen

>

>Araiyar Swamigal while comming forward puts on the 'kulam' or the 'Araiyar

>Kullai'(on the head) which is cylindrical and slightly tapered towards the

>top,and has a red outer color with the shangu ,chakram and thiruman.This

>'kulam' is very special as it has been handed over the succesive

>generations.The BhaTTar swamigal will then tie a parivattam(Piece of garment

>used by the lord) on the " Kulam " and then put on a large Special

>garland(Perumal Malai) on the Araiyar Swamigal. Araiyar Swamigal will then

>take a suitable position a few yards in front of the lord and start the

>sevai using a pair of cymbals called 'kulittalam' for maintaining rhythm.The

>first few notes from the cymbals and Araiyar Swamigal will be in a

>special private communion with the Divya Dampathis during the service.

>

>ARAIYAR SEVAI

>**************

>Araiyar Sevai consists of the following

>

>1)Kondattam

>************

>These are short phrases extolling the Vaibhavam of Perumal and Thayar

>(Nachiyar).The phrases for thayar ends with the word ...Nachiaar and for

>perumal the phrases end with the word ...Perumaal.A few phrases for both

>Thayar and Perumal are recited.Usually after this a Mangalam is also recited.

>This set of phrases end with ...Mangalam and during finishing the last one

>will end with ...Mangalaaamee.During this the Araiyar Swamigal maintains

>the rhythm with his cymbals.It is a divine experience to listen to the

>Kondattam rendered in a unique rhythm and melody,and after listening once

>one would like to hear again and again.This service to the Divya Dampathis

>is rendered on many occasions during various festivals and not just during

>Adyayana Utsavam.Also Araiyar Swamigal on certain occasions may sing some

>songs in praise of the lord in simple language with thalam.These songs are

>known as pallupattu.

>

>2)SINGING OF PASURAMS,ABHINAYAM AND EXPLANATION OF PASURAMS

>************************************************************

>

>This service is done during the Thiruadyayana utsavam.Depending on the

>particular day the Araiyar Swamigal will take up a select set of

>pasurams sing them along with the rhythm using the cymbals and perform

>abhinayam to convey the import of the pasurams with Hand gestures,steps

>using their legs and body/facial gestures.These gestures are not elaborate

>as seen in the Natyam traditions but subdued and used sparingly.Also

>the Araiyar swamigal may walk a few steps in front or back or

>sideways.The explanation of the pasurams is done with the TampirAn-paDi

>commentary.A certain pattern is followed in the choice of pasurams at

>Srirangam,Srivilliputtur and Azhwar Thirunagari corresponding to the local

>history and tradition of the temple.To illustrate this i shall

>mention a part of the pattern at Srivilliputtur during Nammazhwar

>Moksham day.

> On this day (rather night),the Araiyar Swamigal after completing

>Muthukkuri will be say a few feet in front of the processional diety at

>the chintamani chettiar mandapam on the outer prakaram of the Andal temple.He

>will sing one pasuram with Thalam perform abhinayam and take a few steps

>backwards and stop.The KainkaryapArars with the pallaku move few steps forward

>(Since the Araiyar Swamigal is facing Perumal and thayar he will move

>back and perumal and thayar will move forward) and stop.Now Araiyar Swamigal

>will sing another pasuram and perform abhinayam .This goes on for a few

>times with one pasuram recited and abhinayam done on each occasion.This

>way both Araiyar Swamigal and perumal will proceed to the

>sannidhi.The pasurams that i could identify were from Nachiyar Thirumozhi

>one was Sindura cempodi...(Thirumaalirumsolai pasuram),another was

>Menn Nadai annam pirandhu Vilaydum..(Pasuram on Srivilliputtur) and some

>other pasurms were from the pathu on Ranganatha Perumal (Nachiyar

>Thirumozhi).Later on there would be thodakkam of Thiruvaimozhi last PathU

>which starts with the famous pasuram on Thirumogoor Emperumaan

> ThaaLa Thaamarai Thadamani Vayal Thirumogoor...

>

>In the Mandapam Perumal and Thayar are in the centre ,Araiyar Swamigal

>facing perumal and Thayar also in the centre towards the entrance ,the

>adhyapaka ghosti and other bhagavathas sit on the sides

>During this Service the son may join the father sometimes as Araiyar

>Swamigal sings the Pasurams.The Araiyar Swamigal also Explains the

>pasurams with the TampirAn-paDi commentary.for some pasurams there

>may be no commentary for some a brief commentary and a lomg one for

>some of them(Eg the commentary on Muniye .. lasts for more than an hour)

>

>

>This is something about how the tradition is at Srivilliputtur

>on the day of Nammazhwar Moksham

>

>3)Dramatization of Certain episodes

>************************************

>The Dramatization of certain episodes with appropriate abhinayams

>is done on selected days at Srirangam ,Srivilliputtur and Azhwar

>Thirunagari during the adyayana utsavam.The slaying of kamsa,the Vamana

>Avatharam,the churning of the milky ocean and the birth of Sri Andal are

>enacted on special days.The slaying of kamsa is done on the 4rth day

>of pahal pathu and Vamana Avatharam on the 7th day of pahal pathu at

>SriRangam.On the 10th day of Pahal pathu Amrutha mandanam (churning of the

>milky ocean)is done at Srirangam and Srivilliputtur(It is probably

>Nachiaar Thirukkolam at Thiruvallikkeni on this day).At Srivilliputtur

>Abhinayam on the birth and life of SrI Andal is also done.

>

>4)Muthukkuri

>**************

>In this sevai the prediction of future /good fortune is made by the

>Kattuvici(soothsayer) to the love-lorn lady (Nayaki),with the help of pearls.

>Here Araiyar swamigal sings certain pasurams and perfoms abhinayam

>simultaneously taking the role of Nayaki,her mother and the soothsayer

>(Kattuvici).This is performed on the ninth day of pahal pathu at

>SriRangam, the 10th day at Azhwar Thirunagari

>and on 3 occassions at Srivilliputtur-during Margazhi Masam,Thai Masam and

>Adi Masam-on the day after the Temple car reaches its Nilay after

>Thiruvadipooram

>

>ARAIYAR SEVAI TRADITION AT OTHER PLACES

>****************************************

>Apart from SriRangam,Srivilliputtur and Azhwar Thirunagari ,Araiyar

>Sevai is also done at Melkote(karnataka).Here the Araiyar Swamigal sings

>the pasurams but does not perform Abhinayam.At Thirukkurungudi a very

>famous Divya desam with a rich tradition of Araiyar Sevai,i was told

>the Araiyar swamigal is very old and thus cannot perform Service.There is

>also evidence that Araiyar Sevai existed at Kanchipuram and Thirumalai in

>the past.There are famous anectodes related to Kanchipuram and Thirukkungudi

>which can be found in the Archives.

>

>A PRAYER FOR THE TRADITION TO CONTINUE

>***************************************

>Araiyar Swamigal has the foremost role in the commencement/conduct of the

>rituals during various utsavams at Srivilliputtur and SriRangam,and may

>the Lord SrI Rangarajan,SrI Rangamannar and Thayar SrI Ranga Nachiyaar and

>SrI Goda Nachiyaar be pleased to grace the Araiyar families who are

>continuously engaged in singing Nithya Mangalam to the Divya Dampathis

>with Kula abhivriddhi and therby continued and uninterrupted service for all

>times to come.

>

>

>adiyen Ramanuja dasan

>Venkat S Iyengar

>

>

>

>

>-----------------------------

> - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

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>

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