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Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam:

Nithya AarAdhana Kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan

: Part XXXV: Thirty second SlOkam

 

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the Thirty Second slOkam

of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan

refers to SrI DhIpa PrakAsan being worshipped at

different dhivya dEsams as Sriman NaarAyaNan through

the PaancharAthra and VaikhAnasa Aagamic rites:

 

ThvAm PaancharaathrikanayEna pruTakvidhEna

vaikhanasEna cha paTA niyatAdhikArA:

samgn~yA visEsha niyamEna samarchayantha:

preethyA nayanthi phalavanthi dinAni dhanyA:

 

--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 32

 

Meaning:

********

 

Oh ViLakkoLI PerumALE ! The fortunate ones (dhanyA:)

worship You through the two VaishNava Aagamams

( PaancharAthra and VaikhAnasa Aaagamams ) with their

own specific traditions and Vidhis. Each of these two

aagamams have their own uniqueness. It is the long-

observed rule that those who follow one of the two

aagamams are not eligible to use the other aagamam.

This is a strictly observed restriction . Each of these

two aagamams has its own individual names for the Lord .

In PaancharAthram , the Lord (archA moorthy) is worshipped

as VaasudEvan , SankarshaNan ,Pradhyumnan and Aniruddhan.

In VaikhAnasam , the four names for worship of the Lord

are : VishNu , Purushan , Sathyan and Achyuthan. The archakAs

of the two aagamams hold strictly to their ancient traditions

and worship the Lord at different dhivya desams through one

or the other aaagamic way. These archakAs and the bhakthAs

are the fortunate ones , who spend their life fruitfully

through such daily worships and are happy with their lot.

 

Additional Comments :

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

" DhanyA: niyathAdhikArA: ThvAm preethyA samarchayantha:

dinAni Phalavanthi nayanthi " is the central message of this

slOkam extolling the good fortune of those qualified adhikAris

engaged in loving worship of the Lord either through

PaancharAthraa or VaikhAnasa rites . That these two aagamams

have distinct and different prescribed rites for worship

is indicated by Swamy Desikan this way: " PruTak vidhEna

PaancharAthrikanayEna (aTa vaa) VaikhAnasEna paTA cha

ThvAM preethyA samarchayantha: dinAni phalavanthi nayanthi " .

They worship You with affection through the specific rites

of PaancharAthram or VaikAnasam and they feel fulfilled during

the days of their lives. The niyamam ( codified observances)

of the two rites regarding the names assigned to the Lord in

each of these two aagamams is referred to by Swamy Desikan

in this slOkam this way: " samj~nA visEsha niyamEna ThvAM

preethyA samarchayantha: dinAni phalavanthi nayanthi " .

In Tamil we call niyamam and the discipline as " nEma-

nishtai " . The dhanyasaalis worship the Lord with prescribed

rules and regulations of the individual aagamams .

 

Parama Paavana VishNava Aagamams

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

ThiruviNNagaram (Oppiliappan Koil ), ThiruvahIndhrapuram

are dhivya dEsams where VaikhAnasa aagamam originating from

Vikhanasa rishi is followed. Dhivya desams like Srirangam

use the PaancharAthra aagamam .

 

Nigama and Aagama

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

It is generally accepted that Nigama(Vedam )and Aagama are

the two pillars of our vaidhika sampradhAyam . Aagama is closely

allied to the VedAs. The aagama , tantra and manthra saasthrAs

deal with the worship of the deities , the construction and

consecration of the temples , the lakshaNam for the deities ,

the daily routine of aarAdhanam at the temples , the conductance of

uthsavams , drawing of yanthrAs et al. RudrayAmalam pays tribute

to the Aagamam this way:

 

" tadhAgama ithi prOktham Saasthram PARAMA PAAVANAM " .

 

The VedAs deal with upAsanA , conductance of Yaagams

and deal with aathma-vichAram. Aagamaas provide the rules

and details of the saadhanaa (practise ) of the UpAsanA

of the Vedaas and Upanishads. Aagamaas thus deal with

the practises , processes , mantrAs and rituals regarding

worship of the deities. VaishNav aagamAs are two in number

and one originated from BhagavAn Himself ( PaancharAthram )

and the other from Sage Vikhanasar at NaimichArANyam.

 

Aagama SamhithAs

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

PaancharAthra Aagamam has many samhithAs: NaaradIya, Yogatatva,

Paadhma , Isvara,Satthvatha , Paushkara, JayAkhya , Kapinjala ,

VishNu ,Hayaseersha,SrIprasna , Ahirbudhnya , LakshmI Tantram

et al. PaancharAthra aagama got its name from the fact

that it was delivered by the Lord Himself in five nights.

Deva Sannidhyam is the fruit of worship by the AagamAs.

One of the slOkams of SrIprasna SamhithA refers to this:

 

AachAryO Manthra-sampoorNa: KriyA-poorNAsthu silpina:

DhAthA thu vittha-sampoorNa: DEva-sAnnidhya-kAraNAth

 

(The AchAryan and the archakAs are(should be) repositories of

ManthrAs and the architects (of temples ) and Creators

of the archA icons should be fully conversant with Silpa

SaasthrAs.The philanthrophic minded people should be wealthy.

on these three (AchAryAs , Silpis and DhAthA) , the living

presence of deities rests ).

 

The greatness of PaancharAthram

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

Of the greatness of PaancharAthram and its tight links to

Vedam , Swamy Desikan states:

 

yaathum ilAtha anRum yavarkkum nanRi yeNNiya Namm-

MaadhavanAr vadanathamudham uNNum valampuri pOl

vaadhukaLAl azhiyA maRai mouLiyin vaan poruLE

Othiya PanchAtthiramum uhavArai ozhukkuvamE

 

Here Swamy Desikan points out the divinity of

PaancharAthram as being the same as sacred meanings

of undefeatable VedAs and Upanishads (MaRai MouLi).

It is Veda Saaram and given to us by the Lord (Maadhavan).

Those who revere it and follow it will be dear to Him.

 

Elsewhere , swamy Desikan identifies the Yugam of

avathAram of PaancharAthram as " Krutha Yugam "

(Kaavalithu nalluyirkkenRu kAttum Kaartha Yugak-

athikaNDOm karai kaNDOmE).Here Swamy Desikan says that

the Lord considered the PaancharAthram as the Rakshai

(protection ) for the aasthika chEthanams and blessed

us with this aagamam during Krutha Yugam.

 

The greatness of MahA Lakshmi in the two Aagamams

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

In PaancharAthram , the glories of MahA Lakshmi (SrI Devi)

is equal to Her Lord. JayAkhya Aagama Samhithai practised

at Sri RanganAthA temples at Srirangam and Pomona , NY

states that SrI Tatthvam is celebrated with the four names

of SrI DEvi (Lakshmi, Keerthi, JayA and MaayA ). These four names

of Her being inseperably united with her Lord Sriman NaarAyaNan.

The divine couple (Dhivya Dampathis ) of SrI and Sriya: Pathi

united together is the essence of PaancharAthra Aagamam.

 

VaikhAnasa Aagamam places equal emphasis on SrI Devi.

It is also known as Archaa Saasthram since it deals

with the worship of Archaa Moorthys (archAvathAra:

sarvEshAm adhikArO nirankusa:) by us all through

archakAs.

 

The VaikhAnasa Aagama SirOnmaNis are Sages Bhrugu,Vikhanasar,

MarIchi,Kaasyapar, Adhri et al:

 

SrI VaikhAnasa Aagamam places great emphasis on the importance of

the Devis of the Lord: SrI Devi and BhUmi Devi ( Hreesccha tE

LakshmIsccha Patnyou ).These are the Ubhaya NaacchiyArs of ArchAvathAram.

SrI Devi is worshipped first in our sampradhAyam because of

Her auspicousness and being the SahakAri of SrIman NaarAyaNan.

SrI Devi according to VaikhAnasa Aagamam arose from SrI vathsam

of Lord NaarAyaNan. They take on three forms: YOga Lakshmi, BhOga

Lakshmi and Veera or Svatanthra Lakshmi.YOga lakshmi never leaves

the chest of the Lord and She declares " ahalahillEn " ( NithyA

anapAyini). She is on the right side of the chest of the Lord.

BhOga Lakshmi is on he left side of the chest of the Lord .

Veera or Svatanthra Lakshmi has her own sannidhi ( TanikkOil).

Svatanthra Lakshmi as SrI Devi is saluted with the four names of

SrIyam, DhruthIm , PavithrIm and PramOdhAyinIm (vandhE).

She is worshipped with either Bhilva leaves or white lotus

petals for recieving Her anugraham.Her birth star is Utthara

Phalguni.She has Jayaa and Vijayaa as DhvAra PaalakAs in

Her Special abode and has as Her parivAram DhurgA, Sarsvathi,

JyEshtA ,UmA , NandhA and NirmAlya HaariNI.There are 5 days

in themonth that are special to Her (SrI Panchaka Dinam).

Worship of Her on these 5 days is sure to attain Her

anugraham.

 

Sri VaikhAnasa Aagamam like Its sister Aagamam places

tremendous emphasis on the worship of SrI devi.She is

recognized as the Lord's Isvaryam and accepted as One

without beginning or end (Aadhi MadhyAntha rahithai).

Her Roopam and Vaibhavam is beyond our imagination.

She is the sahakAri for VishNu Sankalpam .She generates

aanandham in Her Lord .

 

The sources of VaishNava Aagamic scholarship

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

The experts at Kaanchi and MelkOte are great scholars

in PaancharAthra Aagamams(SrI PaancharAthram Sampath

Bhattar and SrI Varada Bhattar of PerumAL Koil ).

Dr.S. Mutthu Bhattar of Vivekanandha College ,

Mylapore is an authority on VaikhAnasa Aagamam .

Oppiliappan net is planning to publish a series of

articles later on both the Aagamams with the help of

authorities from Melkote on PaancharAthra and

authorities from ThiruvallikkENi on VaikHAnasam .

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

SrI Lakshmi Nrusimha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

 

NigamAntha MahA Desikaaya NamO Nama:

SrI Maragathavalli SamEtha SrI DhIpa PrakAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan/SaThakOpan

 

P.S: Please do not forget to support the NithyArAdhana

Kaimkaryam for Swamy Vedantha Desikan at ThUppul and

Sri ViLakkoLi PerumAL at ThUppul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya desam.

We have only 5 more Laks of Rupees needed to complete

this kaimkaryam. There is nothing greater to us

than honoring our AchAryAs in general and Swamy Desikan

in particular . Please contact adiyEn for details incase

you wish to particpate in this NithyArAdhana Kaimkaryam .