Thirucchandhaviruttham- 51st verse- Srirangam temple - earlier worhsipped by Chathurmukha brahmA!

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

sarankaLaiththu ranthuvilva

Laiththu_ilankai mannavan,

sirankaLpaththa Ruththuthirththa

selvarmannu ponnidam,

paranthuponn^i ranthun^unthi

vanthalaikkum vaar_punal,

arankamenpar naanmukath

thayanpaNintha kOyilE. (51)

 

Tieing the cord to the bow, aiming different asthrAs

and cut the ten heads of lankA king rAvaNan – He is

none other than SrI SitA pathi (selvar- thiruvukkum

thiruvaagiya selvar) and He resides permanently here

at SrI Rangam alone.. the most sacred place- which was

worshipped by chathrumukha (four faced) brahmA; where

the river that flows everywhere sharing gold along its

way (making the place fertile on the way),

 

After burning the ocean red with his anger and aiming

an arrow at it

(as per last verse), now the Lord is happily with His

divine consort- SitA PiraaTTi. The golden particles

get collected in the bank and hence called ponni..

(golden river)

 

Cauvery hands over the seer (gift) for the son on law

– the Lord.

The Lord Ranganathan was first worshipped by BrahmA

begroe he gave to IkshvAku and the Lord Rama offered

Ranganatha to VibheesaNan who placed Lord Ranganathan

at Srirangam on his way to lankA. Hence Srirangam is

also the koil worshipped by brahmA.

 

Given below is the extract from The History of

Srirangam temple written by Dr Sri VS Seshadri Swamy

of Srirangam:

 

Srirangam, the premier Vaishnava temple in South India

is the first and foremost among the 108 Vaishnava

divyadesas. All the Alvars have sung in praise of the

deity enshrined in the huge temple in the center of

the town. The Sri Vaishnava Acharyas from Nathamuni

are found to have taken an active and abiding interest

in the management of the temple. During Ramanuja's

time, far reaching reforms were introduced both in the

religious and secular management. Thus Srirangam has

an eventful history, both secular and religious, as

the great Vaishnava Acharyas made it the headquarters

of the wider Vaishnava movement. Here is an attempt to

present its eventful history in a nutshell - both the

traditional and historical.

 

In the Vaishnava parlance, the term " Koil " signifies

the Srirangam temple only. The temple is enormous in

size. The temple complex is 156 acres in extent. It

has seven Prakaras or enclosures or Tiru Veedhis.

These enclosures are formed by thick and huge rampart

walls which run round the sanctum. The total length of

these seven walls is 32,592 feet or over six miles.

There are magnificent towers in all Prakaras providing

a unique sight to any visitor. The latest addition is

the 236 feet high stupendous thirteen tired

Rajagopuram built at the southern rampart by the late

44th Jeeyar of the Sri Ahobila Mutt and consecrated in

1987 with great fanfare and religious piety. The

grandeur of the towers decrease as one moves away

from, them towards the sanctum signifying that the

devotee has to move away from the lofty earthly

attachments in his spiritual quest.

The Peria Koil is complete in all respects. It has the

full complement of seven Prakaras. It has a main

shrine where the Lord (Ranganatha) is found in a

reclining posture in his serpent bed. There are also

sub shrines for Vishvaksena, Rama, Krishna, Nachiyar,

Chakratalvar, Garuda, Hanuman, Andal etc. and for all

the alvars and the acharyas upto Vedanta Desika within

the precincts.

 

The Peria koil lies on an islet, formed by the twin

rivers Kaveri and Kollidam. The river has always been

a very important adjunct of a Hindu temple or

religious institutions and therefore held as sacred as

the temple.

 

The origin of the glittering Sriranga Vimana is said

to have been narrated by Rudra to Narada. According to

the Sriranga Mahathmya the glittering Sriranga Vimana

sprang as a result of the tapas of Brahma in the

depths of the Milky ocean. It was borne by the

celestial bird Garuda. Adisesha, had spread his hood

over it. Vishvaksena, the Archangel-in-chief walked in

front clearing the way. The Sun and Moon were fanning

the Deity. The celestial Musicians Narada and Thumburu

followed singing His Glory. Rudra and other gods

raised the " jayaghosha " . The celestial maids danced.

There was a rain of flowers.

 

Awakened from his deep tapas, Brahma prostrated before

the Vimana. He recited the four vedas and gazed in

wonderment. Sunanda, a celestial guard informed him

that the Lord was pleased with his penance and had

come in answer to his prayers. When Brahma looked into

the Vimana, he found there the Supreme Lord resting

with his Consorts. The Lord informed Brahma that he

had come as a Svayamvyakta -- on his own volition --

as an idol. He would appear likewise in eight places

on earth -- Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri,

Saligram, Naimisaranya, Totadri, Pushkara and Badri.

Ranga Vimana is the first and the earliest of all

these. The Lord directed Brahma to worship him

strictly according to the procedure for worship laid

down in the Agamas and lay down in his characteristic

posture, in Yoganidra.

Brahma carried it to Satyaloka and installed it on the

banks of the river, Viraja. He appointed the Sun god

to do the daily pooja. After him, Vaivasvata Manu,

performed the worship. When his son Ikshvaku, became

the King of Ayodhya, he wanted to have it installed at

Ayodhya. He entered on a tapas which lasted for many

hundred years at the end of which he was permitted by

Brahma to take it to Ayodhya.

Thus, the Vimana came to Ayodhya. After Ikshvaku, his

descendants continued the service. Rama, himself an

avatara of the Lord worshipped him and thereafter the

Lord came to be known as " Periya Perumal " . On his

triumphant return from Sri Lanka, in the coronation

held in grand style, Rama gave the Vimana as gift to

Sri Vibheeshana for worship.

 

When Vibheeshana set out for Sri Lanka, He got down on

the Kaveri bank to perform his mid-day prayers. He

placed the Ranga Vimana at a place known as " Sesha

Peetam " near the Chandrapuskarani. He returned after

taking his bath and performed the Pooja and lo! when

he tried to lift the Vimana, it would not move. It had

got stuck up. Vibheeshana was overcome with grief and

shed tears. The Lord appeared before him and consoled

him saying that he need not grieve as He hjad already

decided to make the place His abode. He could come and

worship him daily. It is said that Vibheeshana

worships the Lord daily at midnight. [the extract is

from website: http://www.ramanuja.org]

ThirumazhisaiAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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