ஒழிவில் காலமெல்லாம் .. வழுவிலா அடிமை : service to Lord Sri Parthasarathi

Thinking of Sriman Narayana and surrendering at the Lotus feet of Lord Narayana only will lead to us salvation. To be good in life, one should be connected with good things, think and do good things and for this association with good people is of utmost importance.  The Greatest among Alwars preached to us :

 “ ஒழிவில் காலமெல்லாம் உடனாய் மன்னி,வழுவிலா அடிமை செய்ய வேண்டும்நாம்,” –

 that when we do kainkaryam to Lord (to Him at Thiruvenkadam), we must do service by being with HIM throughout our life and do as a slave would serve his master.  

The Chithirai Brahmothsavam of Sri Parthasarathi is now on, and today is day 4 – Hamsa vahanam, one of the heaviest of the vahanas, thus making it more difficult to be carried on shoulders.  In Divyadesams, there are dedicated groups of people who render soul-stirring service to Lord, thinking of nothing else – there are the Battars;  Veda, Divyaprabandha goshti, people doing service in many manner and there are Sripadham thangigal, who carry the Lord on various vahanas.  Sripadham literally is the divine Lotus feet of Sriman Narayana and it is our fortune to be associated with the Lord, touching His divine feet – to which ultimately all of us surrender. 

Uthsavams are celebrations ~ and Brahmothsavam is celebration on a grand scale. People happily worship Lord in the streets, standing in front of the houses – have heard that in olden days, those elders so attached to the Lord would move a few distance alongwith the Lord, literally following Him. At Thiruvallikkeni, the brahmothsava purappadu takes hours and naturally, it is tiresome physically, not in mind for all involved.

For the kainkaryabarars,  like Sripadhamthangigal, their involvement starts hours before the actual purappadu and ends much after Perumal’s vahanam descends at Vahana mantapam and Perumal returns to the Temple. Not all would know there is more … it is not only present, but – after the purappadu, the vahanam needs to go back to its place … and strategically, the vahanam for the next purappadu is readied – the evening purappadu would end in dead of night and the morning purappadu would start early morning and hence the work – here, are a couple of photos of Thennacharya Srivaishnava Sripadham Thangigal of Thiruvallikkeni, getting the Surya prabhai prepared for the morning, even as Hamsa vahana purappadu is on.

There is never a dull movement in Triplicane, nor worry for the future – there is secondline of youngsters waiting in the wings all the time and this photo would say that all.

Adiyen Srinivasa dhasan.

24^th Apr 2o16.