falling at the feet of Acarya Udayavar ~ praying ending of Covid 19 : रामानुजं यतिपतिं प्रणमामि मूर्ध्ना ।

July 2020 is drawing to a close ! ~ from Mar 24, the Nation is under lockdown – what will happen from 1st Aug.  The situation has not improved at all.  Some of us have remained at home abiding by the Govt regulations, but vast majority of population as seen in Chennai is out there on the roads, crowding everywhere and the nos. are going up, up and up.

India has seen a daily spurt of 48,916 coronavirus cases. The total count now stands at 1,339,067. The current death toll is at 31,425. At least half of India’s population is under various types of lockdowns — full, partial or weekend. States such as Bihar, Sikkim, Nagaland are under a complete lockdown; West Bengal has announced a two-day lockdown every week, and states like Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have opted for weekend lockdowns.

Tamil Nadu recorded its biggest single-day spike of 6,785 which took its tally to 199,749. Maharashtra's Covid-19 tally has risen to 357,117, with 9,615 fresh cases on Friday. Miles away, three professors at the University of Southampton school of medicine have this week made a “major breakthrough” in the treatment of coronavirus patients and become paper millionaires at the same time.  Almost two decades ago professors Ratko Djukanovic, Stephen Holgate and Donna Davies discovered that people with asthma and chronic lung disease lacked a protein called interferon beta, which helps fight off the common cold. They worked out that patients’ defences against viral infection could be boosted if the missing protein were replaced. The academics created a company, Synairgen, to turn their discoveries into treatments. It floated on the stock market in 2004, but a deal with AstraZeneca to treat viral infections in asthmatics fell through, and the shares collapsed.  As soon as the clinical trial results were published, on the morning of 21 July, the shares spiked, and by lunchtime had risen by 540%. Djukanovic, aged 65, a professor of medicine, saw his 0.56% stake in the company jump in value in one day from about £300,000 to £1.6m. The 0.59% stake held by Holgate, 73, a professor of immunopharmacology, rose to £1.7m. It is understood that Davies, aged 67, the third founder and a professor of respiratory cell and molecular biology, holds a similar-sized stake through a separate company.

When people are out, masks are compulsory - different types of mask offer different levels of protection. Surgical grade N95 respirators offer the highest level of protection against Covid-19 infection, followed by surgical grade masks.    A tighter fitting around the face is probably better,   any covering, including a bandana, is better than none.  Follow all safety precautions, adhere to the guidelines of the Govt and spiritually look up to Acaryar – our Ramanujacharya for protection.  Here are some photos of Sri Udayavar on Sesha vahanam at Thiruvallikkeni divaydesam on 4.5.2019.

 ‘YathiRajar’ ~ the king among yathis [hermits and sages],   travelled all the way by foot to far-flung places making the Srivaishnavatie tradition flourish in all his path.   The more one thinks and reads of him, more one is over-awed by his great qualities and knowledge. 

Gadyatrayam, ‘the three prose pieces’ of Swami Bhagavad Ramanuja  emphasizes  bakthi and saranagati as the surest means to attain salvation.  He easily achieved the arduous task of refuting the mayavadins who denied all attributes to the Supreme and establish Sriman  Narayana with the most adorable form, name, auspicious qualities, aisvarya and more.  Sri Vaikundagadyam believed to have been composed by him, when he was in Melkote, reveals his yearning to reach the Lord and serve Him. 

நாம் பெருமை கொள்ளும் நம்மிராமாநுசன் யதிகட்கெல்லாம் அரசனாக விளங்கியதால் 'யதிராஜர்' என கெளரவிக்கப்பட்டவர்.   ஸ்வாமி மணவாளமாமுனிகள்  தமது 'யதிராஜ விம்சதியில்'   "யதிபதி" என்ற பத ப்ரயோகத்தினால் தனக்கு தலைவராக உடையவரைக் கொண்டாடி எம்பெருமானாரிடத்தில் சரணாகதி செய்கிறார்...

ஸ்ரீமாதவாங்க்ரி ஜலஜத்வய நித்யஸேவா ப்ரமாவிலாஸய பராங்குஸ பாதபக்தம்|

காமாதிதோஷஹரம் ஆத்மபதாஸ்ரிதாநாம் ராமாநுஜம் யதிபதிம் ப்ரணமாமி மூர்த்நா||

श्रीमाधवाङ्घ्रि जलजद्वय नित्यसेवा   -  प्रेमाविलाशय  पराङ्कुश  पादभक्तम् ।

कामादिदोष  हरमात्म  पदाश्रितानां  -  रामानुजं  यतिपतिं  प्रणमामि  मूर्ध्ना ।

Our Acaryar Swami Manavalamamunigal says :  “I salute the Emperor of Sanyasis – Swami Ramanuja (Yathipathi !) who had immense vathsalyam for the lotus feet of Swami Nammalwar and our Swami Ramanuja chased away  the blemishes of those who took refuge under his feet.   In his beautiful slokam Yathiraja vimsathi, Varavaramunigal connects Acarya parampara from NumPerumal down to Kurathazhwan, the dear disciple of Ramanuja.  Mamunigal ascribes his devotion to the feet of Ramanuja saying ‘parankusa pada baktham’ – Udayavar’s attachment to the feet of Swami Nammalwar.  For us Acaryar is the chief preceptor and saviour who will lead us to the ultimate salvation by taking us near Emperuman.

Azhwar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam !

adiyen Srinivasadhasan

Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasa Sampathkumar

25.7.2020.