Acharya vaibhavam - 41-IjyA samskAram- Learning of ArAdhanam...

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

Ijya samskAram or Yaaga samskAram- Learning of

ArAdhanam or worship of God Sriya: Pathi Sriman

Narayana. The ArAdhanam is a form of worship of the

Lord through various courtesies. There are two forms

of worship – namely Maanaseeka and external [baahya].

The practice of performance of Aradhanam as per Sri

Ramanuja’s Nithya grantha is taught.

 

Aradhanam- this is worshipping an archa vigraham or

SaaligrAma of the Lord. It commences with waking up of

the Lord [suprapAtham], then mantrAsanam – i.e.

washing the Hands and Feet of the Lord; SnAnAsana-

Bathing Him and Adorning Him with dresses.

 

alankArAsAnam- Adorning Him with ornaments and

jewellery, flowers sandal paste, dhoopam, garlands,

flowers, thuLasi leaves etc..

bhOjyAsanam- serving of food, fruits and betel leaves,

nuts..

punar mantrAsanam- i.e. washing His Hands and Feet and

placing one’s request [saatrumuRai] for nithya

kaimkaryam.. and finally concludes the Aradhanam with

ParyankAsanam- i.e. requesting the Lord to retire and

take rest.

 

The above is a brief procedure of external puja. One

can also do maansaika Aradhanam with the same

procedure as above but all mentally with the eyes

closed or looking devotedly and reverentially at the

archA murthy or dhivya mangaLa vigraham and enjoy the

kaimkaryam mentally.

 

The Ijya ardhanam is performed by one member in a

family. The maanasika aradhanam needs to be performed

by everyone who is initiated and enjoyed. Sage Sukar

while narrating Bhagawatham to King Pareekishith,

mentions how great devotees used to worship the Lord

within their heart cavities. These devotees mediate on

the Lord with four Hands holding ChakrA, Sankhu,,

etc.. They focus on the most beautiful divya mangaLa

form of the Lord and mediate performing maanasika

aradhanam. Having fixed His form firmly, they worship

Him with all upacharams [courtesies] and offer food

mentally.

 

mAnasika ArAdhanA has to be performed by all. This is

similar to the bahyA ArAdhanA, but the whole ArAdhanA

is done mentally. Pictures of Sriman NArAyanA in

various Divya Desams, plays an important role here.

Irrespective of the caste, place, time or sex, one can

perform this mAnasikaa ArAdhanam.

 

I wish to share with you another article written by

His Holiness Srimad Andavan Sri PaRavakkOttai

Gopaladesika Mahadesikan on meditation (dhyAnam).

 

When uttering manthram, it would be nicer and more

enjoyable if one knows the meaning of the manthram.

Out of all manthRas, the three manthrAs, namely,

ashtAksharam, VasudEvadwAdasAksharam,

VishNushaTaksharam, are most important. In those

manthrAs, the words Narayana, Vasudeva, VishNu mean

that Emperumaan (the Lord) is everywhere; there is no

place at all where He does not exist. He is the Lord

of Shree Lakshmi, Bhoomi and Neela Devi.

 

Sriman Narayanan is the Supreme soul of all chit and

achit tatvas, having all chit and achit tatvas as his

body, controlling everything, the only material and

instrumental cause of the universe, present inside and

outside everything. antharbahischathassarvam vyApya

nArAyaNasthitha: Out of His five forms, Pararoopam is

the first.

 

In Bhagavath vibhUthi, three parts are above virajA

nadhI, which is Sri

VaikuNta lOkam called aprAkritha lOkam thripAdh

vibhUthi and the remaining one quarter is prAkritha

lOkam, consisting of the universes, worlds where we

live in.

 

SrIvaikuNta Divya nagar is the city or capital of Sri

vaikuNta lOkam. It is well guarded by Kumudhan,

KumudhAkshan, PuNdareekan, vAmanan, Shanka karNan,

SarpanEthran, Sumukhan and SuprathishTan. There are

four entrances with tall gopurams (towers) on all four

sides. At the center is the tall grand, greatest

palatial building. ChaNdan, PrachaNdan, Badran,

Subadran, Jayan, Vijayan, dhaatra, vidhatra are the

ones at the gates safeguarding this palace.

 

Inside the palace, is the most exquisitely beautiful

ThirumAmaNi maNdapam. At its center, is the most

gorgeous athisundhara SimhAsanam. There are eight legs

for this simhAsanam called, Dharmam (justice), jnAnam

(knowledge), VairAgyam(renunciation), aishwaryam

(wealth), adharmam(injustice), anjnAnam (lack of

knowledge or ignorance), avairAgyam

(non-renunciation), and anaishwaryam (poverty). There

is a bed (or seat) of AdhisEshan on that simhAsanam.

There are nine damsels namely, Vimala, UtakarshiNI,

jnAnA, kriyA, yogA, prahvI, SathyA, IsAnA, and

anugrahA who serve Sriman Narayanan, moving gently the

veNchAmaram ( a bushy type fan). In the front of

Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayana, all AchAryAs are seated

most gracefully and on the right, SridEvi; on the left

BhUdEvi and nIlAdEvi; and other dhivya mahishIs

surround EmperumAn.

 

The most beautiful shining crown on His Head;

mukthAhAram (pearl necklace) around His neck;

SrIvathsam; Kausthubham; Vaijayanthi vanamAlA- are

brightly adorning His Divine Chest. The PeethAmbaram

at His Hip; The dress and ornaments worn by the Lord

such as silk apparel, crown, ear rings, arm rings,

waist belt (Around the waist the ottiyANam); Holding

in His most resplendent Hands are the Divine weapons

such as Conch and ChakrA, mace, bow, sword and lotus

(padmam).

 

Anantha, Garuda, VishvaksEnar and others recite

SaamagAnam; Vishvakenar (the commander-in-chief) along

with GajAnanan (the elephant faced NithyasUri),

JayathsEnan, Harivakthran, and Kaalaprakruthi pay

military honor to EmperumAn; akilahEyaprathyanIkan

(having no faults and no blemishes absolutely at all

times and under all circumstances in all forms and in

all avatars), ananthakalyANaguNakaran (having anantha

kalyAna guNas of jnAnam, Shakthi, Balam, aishvaryam,

vIryam, Shakthi, thEjas etc.) The One who is also

addressed as ParavAsudEvan, Parabrahmam is Sriman

narayanan. He is Iswaran- the Lord.

 

All names identify him as He is the soul of all and

everything. He is infinite Absolute Bliss (Ananda),

infinite knowledge self, knowing everything (jnAnam).

He is the creator; sustainer and destroyer of

everything. He is Pristinely purest

(akilahEyaprathyanIkan) -untouched by impurities; He

has infinite (kalyANa guNAs) most auspicious, divine

qualities unique to Only Himself.

(ananthakalyANaguNakaran).

 

He is the Lord Of Shree Lakshmi, Bhoomi and Neela

Devi. He has all and everything (both Chith and achith

tatvas) as his body. Sriman Narayanan alone is

Parathvam.

 

At least for ten minutes, everyday, we need to

cultivate our minds to meditate on (think of) Him;

This mind is so fickle; like a monkey. But it is

KaNNan (GeethAchAryan’s upadEsam that with practice,

and vairAgyam (determination) one can concentrate

slowly and develop. Without thinking of anything else,

if we keep trying to think and meditate on Paraman, we

can do it.

 

All errors and faults are only mine; May AchAryan and

BhAgawathas forgive me for the same.

 

AsmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE GuruparamparAm

Regards

Namo Narayana

dasan