AnushDAna KuLa Uthsavam at Thoopul/Kaanchi on January 6, 2002

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Sri PraNaTArthihara Varada ParabrahmaNE nama:

Sri RaamAnuja CharaNou SaraNam PrapadhyE

Sri NigamAntha MahA DesikAya namO nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Lord VaradarAjA :

 

Yesterday , there was a magnificent and ancient

celebration going back to AchArya RaamAnujA's time

at Kaanchipuram . This is known as the anushDAna

KuLa Uthsavam , where Lord VaradarAjan is united

for the day at Thoopul with both AchArya RaamAnujA

and Swamy Desikan .

 

adiyEn is writing this in the context of Swamy

Desikan NithyArAdhanam Trust . Sriman C.G. Balaji of

Banglaore attended personally this function along with

Sriman SatakOpa TatAchAr , one of the trustees of

the above trust . Sriman Balaji is requested to

add his eye witness account in his own unique style

filled with devotion to Swamy Desikan.

 

In this anushDAna uthsavam , Swamy Desikan performs

aarAdhanam (anushDA )for Lord VaradarAjan in front of

AchArya RaamAnujA as his anushDi ( successor in the AchArya

Paramparai) . The first among AchAryaas in our Guru Paramparai,

is Sriman NaarAyaNan , who accepts that AarAdhanam from one of

His dear AchAryans (Swamy Desikan ), while casting His

auspicious glances on both AchArya RaamAnujA and Swamy Desikan .

Lord VaradarAjan removed RaamAnujA's doubts with His six

instructions delivered via Thirukkacchi Nampi. Lord VaradarAjan

also presided over the sanyAsAsrama sveekAram rites of

AchArya RaamAnujA. Further , Lord VaradarAjan gave AchAryA

RaamAnujA as a present to Lord RanganAthan of Srirangam

for the benefit of spreading Bhagavath RaamAnuja Darsanam

and to expand the reach of SaraNAgathi Saasthram through

Swamy Desikan .

 

Sriman Balaji might be writing an eye witness account on

this special uthsavam that brings together Lord VaradarAjan

with two of His preeminent AchAryAs at Thoopul agrahAram .

adiyEn is grateful for Sri SatakOpa TatachArya's personal mail

on this uthavam in his role as a sponsor of this special

uthsavam celebrating our AchAryAns through the ViLakkoLi PerumAL

Swamy Desikan NithyArAdhanam trust .

 

The AshttOthra Satha Naamas pertinent to this Uthsavam

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

adiyEn will start this essay with salutations to selected names

of Lord VaradarAjan that are pertinent to this uthsavam

conducted in the month of Maarghazhi , the day after

IyaRppA SaaRRumuRai of Thriuadhyayana Uthsavam at

Sathya vratha KshEthram ( Kaanchi) in ThuNDIra MaNDalam

( ThoNDai Naadu).

 

These naamAs are:

 

1. (PraNavam) UthsavaishiNE nama:

2. (PraNavam) SadhArAdhyAya nama:

3. (PraNavam )SacchidhAnandha VigrahAya nama:

4. (PraNavam) Jn~ana Dheepa PrakAsAya nama:

5. (PraNavam) LakshmaNAryOpadEsa KruthE nama:

6. (PraNavam) anEka mandapAsthAna krutha nithyOthsavAya nama:

7. (PraNavam) Bhaktha VathsalAya nama:

 

This Lord of Kaanchi is very fond of His Uthsavams and is

worshipped by sadhAchAryans without interruption . He is

of an auspicious bliss conscousness form . He shines as

the Jn~Ana Dheepam for us all in general and His AchAryans

in particular. He performed upadEsam for RaamAnujA through

His " six words " . He enjoys His uthsavams in the many MaNdapams

and makes them His aasthAnams during those occasions . Thoopul

becomes His aasthAnam for the anushDAna Uthsavam that just conclued.

He becomes Bhaktha Vathsalan, karuNA VaruNAlayam , Nithyan,

JagadhIsvaran and SaraNAgatha Rakshakan .

 

AnushDAna KuLa Uthsavam , a SamprahAya Uthsava par excellence

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

During this Uthsavam , Lord VaradarAjan travels to a place

known as anushDAna KuLam . He recieves theertha kaimkaryam from

one of the descendants of Taatha Desika vamsam to remind us of

the theertha kaimkaraym performed by RaamAnujA to the Hunter

couple ( Lord VaradarAjan and PerumdEvi ThAyaar ) , who rescued

RaamAnujA from the plot of Yaadhavva Prakasar during the journey to

Kaasi . The jealous Yaadhava Prakasar , the then teacher of

RaamAnujA got jealous of his talented sishyan and was going

to drown him in the waters of Gangai at Kaasi. RaamAnujA's

cousin got wind of the plot and alerted RaamAnujA , who escaped

during the night and proceeded towards Kaanchi . He got lost in

the vindhyA forest . A hunter couple appeared and asked RaamAnujA

as to where he was heading . When RaamAnujA replied that he was

going to Kaanchi and he had lost his way in the jungle , the hunter

told RaamAnujA that He and His wife were going to Kaanchi and

will take RaamAnujA there. RaamAnujA travelled through the night

with them . At day break , the hunter's wife wanted water to

quench Her thirst and the young and sprightly RaamAnujA volunteered

to bring water . He saw a well nearby and brought the water .

When he reached the place , where he had left the hunter couple ,

they were to be seen no more.RaamAnujA saw the gOpuram of

Lord VaradarAjan in the near horizon. Then RaamAnujA realized

that he has arrived at Kaanchi and that the Hunter couple were

none other than the Dhivya dampathis of Hasthigiri . From then on,

RaamAnujA brought theertham from Saalai KiNaRu ( the well by

the road side ) for the Lord's Kaimkaryam . Thus Saalai KiNaru

became part of Lord VaradarAjA's anugrahams for RaamAnujA .

This anugraha vaibhavam is celebrated at anushDAna KuLam .

 

Swamy Desikan addresses Lord VaradarAjan as " Saarnga Dhanva " in

Sri Varadha Raaja PanchAsath in rememberance of the Lord's

role as a hunter with bow in hand. In this case , The bow happens

to be the Saarngam used in defense of His devotee , RaamAnujaa .

 

Uthsava Kramam: Departure for Uthsavam

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

Lord VaradarAjan starts from His aasthAnam around 10 A.M ,

stops at Sawmy Desikan sannidhi inside His temple . He blesses

Swamy Desikan , Sri Lakshmi KumAra Taatha Desikan and his

dahrma pathni AmmangAr . Thereafter in presence of Lord VaradarAjan

and AchArya RaamAnujA , ThiruppallANDu is recited to mark the end

of anadhyayanam. Now , aruLiccheyal GhOshti proceeds in front

of the Lord and Veda adhyayana ghOshti follows the Lord

with AaraNyakam recitation.

 

Arrival at Saalai KiNaRu & VisEsha Thirumanjanam

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

Lord reaches anushDAna KuLam ( Saali KiNaRu ) near the village

of SevilimEdu via Thoopul . Then KshEma TaLikai (naivEdhyam)

is presented to Lord VaradarAjan.Thirumanjanam is done for

RaamAnujA from the Saalai KiNaRu Theertham . RaamAnujA adorns

Urdhva PuNDram ( KesavAthi 12 NaamamkaL )after wearing

the parivattam of Lord VaradarAjan as " the udutthu kaLaintha

peethsakavAdai " ( the vasthram worn and given away by the Lord) .

Next , a descendant of Taatha Desika Vamsam brings water from

the Saalai KiNaru for Lord's Visesha Thirumanjanam as

the representative of AchArya RaamAnujA and travels with

the Thirumanjana Jalam with chathra , Saamara , Vaadhyam

and AchArya RaamAnujA to Lord VaradarAjA's side . VisEsha

Thirumanjanam , ThiruvArAdhanam , TaLikai , aasthAnam takes

place. Lord VaradarAjan will bless AchArya RaamAnujA now with

His TuLasi garland , SaThAri , Theertham and PrasAdham . GhOshti

receives the next set of similar maryAdhais.

 

The alamkAram as the Hunter , who helped RaamAnujA

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

After the ghOshti viniyOgam , Lord VaradarAjan adorns

the bow (Saarnga DhanvA) and changes into the role of

the hunter , who showed the way to RaamAnujA. He proceeds

from AnushDana KuLam to Thoopul in a great dhavarai

with RaamAnujA . Both the Lord (DevathA Saarvabhouman )

and RaamAnujA ( AchArya Saarvabhouman ) are eager to meet

their dear Swamy Desikan , who in turn anxiously awaits them .

 

Arrival at Thoopul for VisEsha AarAdhanam

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

Swamy Desikan greets them , offers darsana thAmbhoolam to

the Lord and performs next AarAdhanam for the Lord on behalf of

AchArya RaamAnujA and demonstrates how it is to be done .

SvAgatham, Argyam , Paadhyam ,Aachamaneeyam, DhUpam ,

Dheepam and other upachArams and taLikai ( amudhupadi).

During this AarAdhanam , Swamy Desikan sits on the right of

PerumAL as the performer of AarAdhanam and AchAryA RaamAnujA

sits on the left beaming with joy over Sawmy Desikan's

visEsha AarAdhanam to demonstrate this Sri VaishNavite

anushDAnam. After Talikai, the accompaniments of

Paanakam , Fruits, Mukha Vaasa Thaampoolam will

be presented to the Lord. RaamAnujar will recieve all

the prasAdhams next. Swamy Desikan will partake

Theertha Prasaadham . PerumAL now will wonder as to what

boon He can give to Sawmy Desikan . Knowing Swamy Desikan's

VairAgyam regarding any thing from the material world ,

Lord varadarAjan will present His garland to RaamAnujA , who

in turn will adorn it and bless Sawmy Desikan with it.

After that maryAdhai, GhOshti will recieve the prasAdhams.

Now , it will be time for Lord VaradharAjan and AchArya

RaamAnujA to return to their respective aasthAnams in

Kaanchi.Since AchArya RaamAnujA is considered as VishvaksEnar

avathAram ( YathirAja Sapthathi : VishvaksEnO yathipathi: abhooth ),

Swamy Desikan hands over the responsibility of " protection "

of the Lord to AchArya RaamAnuja during the trip back home.

Swamy Desikan will perform pradhakshiNam to the Lord

and AchArya RaamAnujA and follow them a few steps as

anuyAthrA .

 

Return Journey to Kaanchipuram

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

The Lord and BhAshyakArar travel around the Raaja

Veedhis of Kaanchi and stop at the Eastern Maada Veedhi

( in the street opposite the eastern Gopuram ), where

BhAshyakArar lived , while he was at Kaanchipuram

as a grahasthar. There , he studied with Periya Nampi.

He worshipped Lord varadarAjan and Perum Devi ThAyAr ,

while living in this house (Udayavar ThirumALikai).

The Lord and Udayavar have MaNDapa PaDi there .

Then , both leave for Hasthigiri. Near the ten steps

of Hasthigiri, Lord honors AchArya RaamAnujA before

returning to His aasthAnam . AchArya RaamAnujA returns

to his sannidhi via AzhwAr praakAram by PradhakshiNa Maargam .

At AachArya RaamAnujaa's sannidhi , the representative of

the Thaatha Desika vamsam will be honored with garland ,

parivattam and will be sent home with Vaadhyam and sakala

maryAdhais.

 

Thus ends this SampradhAya Uthsavam !

 

The next big Uthsavam for Maarghazhi at Kaanchi is ANDAL

NeerAtta Uthsavam(9 days ) that concludes with

Her ThirukkalyANam to the Lord on BhOgi PaNDikai day

( January 13, 2002). The RanganAthA Temple

will celebrate ANDAL KalyANam on Jan 13 at Pomona , NY.

Please plan to attend.

 

adiyEn requests all the members of he list to help

with the NithyArAdhanam project for Swamy Desikan

at Thoopul and contact adiyEn for details. Any

amount is welcome .Thanks in advance for your support.

 

The Six upadEsams ( aaRu VaarthaikaL ) of Lord VaradarAjan

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

 

1) ahamEva Param Tathtvam

2) BhEdham darsanam

3) SaraNAgathiyE MokshOpAyam

4) SaraNAgathanakku anthima smruthi avasyam illai

5) dEhAvasAnE Moksham

6) Periya Nampiyai AchAryanAha adai.

 

Swamy Desikan, Udayavar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan/Sadagopan