The bastion of a religious tradition

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A good Srivaishnava friend helped in arranging the interview during the

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adiyEn

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http://deccanherald.com/deccanherald/may172005/spectrum1821262005516.asp

 

Deccan Herald » Spectrum » Detailed Story

The bastion of a religious tradition

L SUBRAMANI speaks to Jeeyar Swamygal of Ahobila Math, who was in

Bangalore recently.

 

After a long penance, Garuda, the king of birds, meets Lord Mahavishnu

and conveys his wish to see his Sri Narasimha avatar. Witnessing the

Lord with the face of the lion emerging from a nearby den, Garuda

shouted in exultation, " Aho balam " (What great strength).

 

The spot near Kadappa district of Andhra Pradesh, where Garuda

witnessed the epiphany of Lord Sri Narasimha, became a famous temple

town. It is also the origin of an institution that was to become the

bastion of the Sri Vaishnava faith. About 600 yrs ago, Kidambi

Srinivasachar from Melukote, who was to be rechristened as Sri Athivan

Satakopan, the first Jeeyar of Sri Ahobila math visited this town.

Here, he was initiated into sanyasa and anointed as the head of Sri

Ahobilam math by the Lord himself.

 

With a guru parampara running on for several centuries, the math

remains guardian of Visishtadvaitha philosophy propagated by Sri Sri

Ramanuja and developed by Sri Sri Vedantha Desika, Swamygal. " Mankind's

welfare is the key objective of our faith. The duty of our math is to

guide people towards true spirituality and clarify their doubt on

spiritual issues,” says H H Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatheendra

Mahadesikan, the math’s 45th and present Jeeyar who is its

administrative and spiritual leader. The Jeeyar Swamygal was on a

recent visit to Bangalore from Kanchipuram.

 

Sri Malola Lakshmi Narsimha, the processional presiding deity of Sri

Lakshmi Narasimha of Ahobilam, has a unique characteristic. He is not

seated in a temple for people to visit, but is being taken around on a

palanquin to his devotee's houses and is offered prasad. He travels

with the Jeeyarjeer Swamygal and gets euphoric reception wherever he

arrives. " Travelling across the country is one of the traditions of

this math,” says the Jeeyar Swamygal. “In fact, 'Malolan,’ one of the

nine Lakshmi Narasimhas in Ahobilam, jumped into the hands of Sri

Adivan Satakopan and ordered him to travel in the country. It's the

tradition to take this deity to each village and offer Pancha Samskaram

and Bharanyasam,” says the Jeeyar. In line with the tradition, the

Jeeyar has travelled across the country twice in the last four years.

 

A variant of Advaitha philosophy, Visishtadvaitha agrees with Advaitha

on the point that the Jeevatma, the living soul, reaches the Paramatma,

the supreme soul, after sojourning in earth. But, the philosophy

asserts Sriman Narayanan or Maha Vishnu, is the Paramatma and only

through dedicated service that the Jeevatma would become one with

him.The Jeeyars' traits are also different from other seers. For

instance, he need not shave his head or cut off the sacred thread,

which binds one with the family. He is entitled to perform rituals of a

family man: Sandyavandhanam.

 

This tradition is even said to put its preferences on a person who has

lived his family life to be the leader of the math.

 

Daily prayers at the math are called the Aaradanai, consisting of seven

steps: approaching the lord, washing him in holy waters, dressing him

up, singing his praises through recitations, offering food varieties,

offering other courtesy and taking retreat. The holy bath or

Thirumanjanam, is done only during the mid-day prayers.

 

Daily worship at the math, conducted thrice a day, are called:

Abhigamana Aradhana, Ijyai Aradhana and Panaka Aradhana. Each Aradhanai

has its own rules from Vedic times, strictly followed even today. An

assortment of hymns from Divya Prabhandham, Desika Prabhandham, Desika

Sthothramala, compositions by Sri Ramanuja, Swami Sri Desikan, previous

Jeeyars of the Math and other Sri Vaishnava saints are sung during the

worship.

 

Besides its role as a guiding force in religion, the math is also

involved in social welfare activities. Much of its resources are

focused on education. The Ahobilam math youth oriental school, a fully

residential institution is imparting oriental education with a focus on

Sanskrit. The math also runs a youth college and Human Resource

Development centre in Madurantakam Madhurandagam, near Chennai.

 

 

 

 

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