Mamunigal's Thirunakshtram celebrations at Pomona, New York.

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

 

SrisailEsa dayA pAthram deebhakthyAdhi gunArnavam

Yateendra pravanam vandhE ramyajAmataram munim

 

 

The moment we heard about the Swami Periya Jeeyer, Sri Manavala Mamunigal’s

thirunakshatram celebrations at Pomona temple for the first time, our joy knew

no bounds as we are going to be part of a great celebration. We began to expect

the excellent occasion to submit our humble mangalasasanams to the great acharya

by reciting his divine works in the sannadhi of Lord Ranganatha along with a

grand bhagavatha ghoshti. The actual celebration was scheduled to be on Sunday,

Nov.10th 2002, though the actual thirunakshatram of swamy mAmunigal was on Nov

8th 2002. We began to count the days for the divine occasion. When an

incapable baddha jeevathma like us, have so much of enthusiasm to celebrate the

divine day on which the great acharya took avataram as a ethi punarAvatharam,

what to say about the state of our beloved Namperumal who is a pradhana sishya

of our Mamunigal!

 

Finally the divine day came. Lord Ranganatha underwent suprabhadam and was

eagerly awaiting the bhAgavata ghosti. The bhagavatas got collected in the

temple premises by 10 in the morning in front of the Ethirajar and his beloved

sister, Sri Soodhikoduththa nAchiyar sannadhi. The divine picture of mAmunigal

was placed (yElapannudhal) right in front of the divine thiruvadi (feet) of

emperumAnAr. Swamy Mamunigal was decorated with flowers and fruits were placed

in front of the picture. Then the ghosti seated themselves and started with the

“SrisalEsa thaniyan”. The ghoshti of bhAgavatas began with the recitation of

the nithyAnusandhAnam (thiruppallAndu, kanninun siruthAmbhu and koil

thiruvAimozhi) with great devotion and bhakthi. Then we proceeded to recite

the divine works of eetu perukkar, ramyajAmatru muni, vara vara muni, yatheendra

pravanar, Swamy manavAla mAmunigal one by one.

 

Starting with thiruvAimozhi nootrandhAdhi, which is an excellent prabhandam

given by swamy, as an essence to thiruvaimozhi of nammAzhvar. Each paasuram in

this prabhandham is a shortened form of ten paasurams in each padhigam of

thiruvaimozhi. This gave us the joy of reciting the whole of thiruvaimozhi in a

very short time.

 

That was followed by Arthi prabhandam, the last prabhandam of swamy mAmunigal,

in which swamy has shown his atmost eagerness to immediately attain the divine

feet of emperuman by the divine mercy of his acharya, Ethirajar. Each and every

paasuram shows the acharya bhakthi and charamOpayanishtai of swamy mAmunigal in

a crystal clear manner and makes even our hard hearts to melt and long for the

divine thiruvadi of emperuman shedding our samsAric miseries.

 

Completing two tamil prabhandams of swamy and reserving swamy’s masterpiece,

Upadesa ratinamAlai for the sattrumurai, we proceeded to recite the excellent

Sanskrit strotra of swami, the EthirAja vimsathi, about his beloved acharya,

emperumAnAr composed under the order of his direct acharya, srisailEsar,

thirumalaiAzhvar, Sri ThiruVaimozhi pillai.

 

Meanwhile, there was another special occasion, the mahasudarshana homam

performed in front of the Periya perumal sannadhi. Since it was time for the

poornAhuthi we stopped with the ghosti and took part in the mahApoornAhuti. We

came in pradhakshinam around the homa kundam and recited the

‘SudharshanAshtakam’ given by Swamy vedanthAchAriyar. This was followed by the

thirumanjanam to namperumal along with the recitation of purushasooktham and

neerAttam of PeriyAzhwar. At the same time, there was one group of bhakthas, who

entertained namperumal with their devotional bhajans, rendered in their sweet

coordinated voice.

 

After the thirumanjanam, while namperumal underwent his divine alankaram, the

ghosti of bhagavatas returned back to ethirajar sannadhi and continued to recite

Upadesa rathinamAlai, which is a divine prabhandam in which mAmunigal gives a

detailed note about all the alwars, their thirunakshatrams, their places of

birth and also gives the greatness of the acharyas who have given excellent

commentaries to the divine work, thiruvAimozhi of nammAzhvar. Swamy in URM also

gives a detailed note of how a shisya and an acharya should be and advises all

of us to follow our acharyas and proceed in the right path, as per the Ramanjua

siddhantham.

 

The sattrumurai paasurams were reserved for the grand finale. Then Swamy

manavala mAmunigal’s divine picture was carried to the namperumal sannadhi by

two bhagavatas. On seeing his Acharya coming towards his place, Namperumal’s

thirumuga mandalam blossomed like a lotus on seeing the rising sun. Swamy

mAmunigal then joined the Azhwar, Acharya goshti in Namperumal’s sannadhi. Then

the great sattumarai was performed, with the recitation of all the sattumarai

pAsurams of swamy mAmunigal’s divine works and finally the goshti concluded with

the vAzhi thirunAmam and Naal Paatu of swamy mAmunigal. This day also marked the

celebration of thirunakshtram of HH Sri Tridandi chinna Jeeyar swamy, whose

excellent service to the sriVaishnava community continues by the divine grace of

the divine couples. Mangalasasanams were made by the bhagavata goshti for HH

Chinna jeeyar’s continued bhagavat/bhAgavata kainkaryam.

 

Finally the Acharya sambhavanai was made generously by the bhagavatas.

 

Some of the bhagavatas who made this celebration a grand success with the divine

krupai of Perumal and Piratti and the divine blessings of all the Azhwars and

Acharyas, were, Smt Sasikala Iyengar, Sri AMR Kannan swamy, Sri K.V.Narayanan

swamy, Smt Shanthi and Sri Srinivasan swamy, Smt and Sri Sudharsan Azhagiyar

swamy, Sri T.R.Govindarajan swamy and Adiyongal (Sumithra and Varadarajan) and

many other bhagavatas. We are grateful to the management of Pomona temple Sri

Venkat Kanumalla and other Archakas who were supportive in performing the

celebration in a grand manner. With the divine grace of Lord, we hope this

celebration will continue for years to come.

 

 

“SrimathE ramyajAmAtru munindrAya mahatmanE l

sriranga vAsinE bhooyAth nithyasri nithya mangalam ll

 

Alwar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigale Sharanam

Jeeyer thiruvadigale sharanam

 

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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