the riches of Lord Padmanabha belongs only to HIM ~ அந்தமில் புகழ் அனந்தபுரநகர்

அந்தமில் புகழ் அனந்தபுர நகர் ஆதி தன்னை ~ என சுவாமி நம்மாழ்வாரால் புகழ்ப்பெற்ற திவ்யதேசம் மலைநாட்டு ஸ்தலமான 'திருவனந்தபுரம்’. 

* அந்தம் இல் புகழ் * ~  அழிவில்லாத புகழையுடையனான எம்பெருமான் -    திருவனந்தபுரமென்னும் திவ்ய தேசத்திலே  ஆதி புருஷனாக  எழுந்து அருளியிருப்பவன் - ஸ்ரீ அனந்தபத்மநாபன்.  இத்திருக்கோவில், கேரளா மாநில தலைநகரமாம் திருவனந்தபுரத்திலே அமைந்துள்ளது.  இக்கோவிலில் மூல நாதரான பத்மனாபசுவாமி மகா விஷ்ணுவின் அவதாரமாக அனந்தசயனம் எனப்படும் யோகநித்திரையில்  ஆழ்ந்திருக்கும் வண்ணம் பக்தர்களுக்கு காட்சி தருகிறார்.  திருவிதாங்கூர் அரசர்கள் கால முதலே இத்திருக்கோயில் பெரும் புகழுடன் விளங்கி வருகிறது.

The capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram,  gets its name  after Sriman Narayana  literally means 'the city of Lord Anantha' (city of the eternal Lord). The presiding deity, known as ‘Padmanabha Swamy’ , depicts the emergence of Lord Brahma (the creator) seated on a lotus blooming out of Lord Vishnu's navel. Hence, the name Padmanabha Swamy, where the 'Padma' refers to the lotus, 'Nabha' means navel and 'Swamy' is Lord. Here, Lord Padmanabha Swamy is seen in a reclining (Anantha Shayanam) posture on the Adi Shesha, the five-hooded serpent (also known as Shesha Nag).

கெடுமிட ராயவெல்லாம் கேசவா என்ன * நாளும்

கொடுவினை செய்யும்  கூற்றின் தமர்களும் குறுககில்லார்*

விடமுடையரவில்  பள்ளி விரும்பினான் சுரும்பலற்றும்*

தடமுடை வயல் அனந்தபுரநகர்   புகுதுமின்றே.

அழகான வயல்கள் சூழ்ந்த திருவனந்தபுரத்திலே தானாகவே விரும்பி, கொடிய நச்சை உடைய அரவத்தை மேல் துயில் கொண்டருளும் பெருமானை  கேசவா என்று கூவி,  அத்திருப்பதியிலே சென்று புகுந்தால் போதும்; கொடிய இடரென்று பேர் பெற்றவையெயல்லாம், கேசவாவென்று மூன்றெழுத்தைச் சொன்ன வளவிலே கெடும்; கொடுவினைகளை தரும் யமனை சேர்ந்தவர்கள் பக்கலில்  கூட நெருங்கமாட்டார்;    ~   என்பது நம் சுவாமி நம்மாழ்வாரின் வாக்கு.

It all happened in 2011 and the riches of temple was in news all over the globe. Every one started talking about the secret vault named B or traditionally known as Nilavaras or Kallara. It so happened that a retired IPS officer Sundarajan filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2011 to take stock of the temple's unaccounted treasury.  Apex Court appointed a seven-member team to make a record of the said hidden or unknown treasury. The team found gold, diamonds and other precious gems and stones statues and thrones made of precious metals. However, vault B or Kallara B remained untouched owing to the belief that the one who would attempt to open it would invite misfortune. This belief strengthened after the untimely demise of the petitioner within a few weeks after the vaults were opened.

The origin of the Temple of Sree Padmanabhaswamy is lost in antiquity. It is not possible to determine with any exactitude, from any reliable historical documents or other sources as to when and by whom the original idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy was consecrated. The Temple has references in Epics and Puranas. Srimad Bhagavatha says that Balarama visited this Temple, bathed in Padmatheertham and made several offerings. Nammalwar, has sung  hymns in praise of Lord Padmanabha. Some well known scholars, writers and historians, like the late Dr. L.A.Ravi Varma of Travancore, have expressed the view that this Temple was established on the first day of Kali Yuga (which is over 5000 years ago). The legends of the Temple are handed down through the centuries. One such legend which finds a place in the old palm leaf records of the Temple, as also in the famous grantha entitled “Ananthasayana Mahatmya”, mentions that it was consecrated by a Tulu Brahmin hermit named Divakara Muni. On the 950th year of Kali Yuga a reinstallation of the idol was done. In the 960th Kali year King Kotha Marthandan built the Abhisravana Mandapam.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy  :  in the form of reclining idol, the marvellous Sree Padmanabha Swamy takes yogic rest on the mighty five hooded serpent Ananthan.  From the navel of the Lord emerges a lotus on which Lord Brahma, the Creator, is seated. Just below the stretched right arm of the Lord is the Shiva Linga of the Destroyer.

The munificent idol  is made up of a highly complex amalgam termed Kattusarkarayogam and contains within it 12008 Salagramas collected from the bed of the River Gandaki in Nepal.  The sanctum sanctorum has three entrances representing the three stages of times. It is only through those doors that we have darshan of the famous Anantha Padmanabha.

The Supreme Court today  (13.7.2020) upheld the right of the Travancore royal family to management and control of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala. The order was passed by a Bench of Justices UU Lalit and Indu Malhotra. The verdict was on the dispute on whether the control of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala will vest with the state government or the Travancore royal family. Today, the Bench held that the death of the King of Travancore, who signed the covenant, does not affect Shebaitship (management and maintenance of the idol) of the Travancore royal family. The Court ruled, "We allow the appeal of the royal family of Travancore. Death does not effect Shebaitship of the Travancore Family."

The Court thus gave the nod for the constitution of an administrative committee, which will manage the affairs of the Temple. The District judge of Thiruvananthapuram will be the Chairperson of this committee. It was further specified that all members of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple committee will be Hindus.

Those interested in Carnatic music would have heard multiple times, the great musician Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar singing :-

rakSamAm sharaNAgatam

pakSivAhana padmajAramaNa pannaga shayana padmanAbha prabhO

.. … …….

guru pavanapura vAsa manOhara girijAdhava sannuta jagadIshvara parama bhakta paripAlana catura catura pAlana catura paripAlana catura nata paripAlana catura vara mInAkSisuta citta manOhara

this is a keerthana written by Bangalore Naagaraaj - known as Meenakshisutha, son of a Sanskrit scholar named Ishwara Iyer, born in a Kerala village.  Ishwara Iyer spent his days under the patronage of the maharaja of Cochin.

The manager of the Devasthan is known as Shebait in the Northern India and as Dharmkarta in the South. Shebait is that person who serves the deity, consecrated in the temple as a Devata. Shebaitship represents two parts—Maintenance of deity and management thereof. It is not only an office simply but is also accompanied with certain rights. In spite of the fact that the position of Shebait is not like the English trustee yet his duties are similar to that of trustee. Shebait owes the duty like the manager of a religious endowment, as per the traditions towards the diety of maintaining and preserving the idol and property.

The language of Sec 10 gives the clue to the meaning and applicability of art.  It clearly shows that the article refers to cases of specific trust, and relates to property "conveyed in trust." Neither under the Hindu Law nor in the Mahommedan system is any property "conveyed" to a shebait or a mutawalli, in the case of a dedication. Nor is any property vested in him; whatever property he holds for the idol or the institution he holds as manager with certain beneficial interests regulated by custom and usage. The curator, whether called mutawalli or sajjadanishin, or by any other name, is merely a manager. He is certainly not a "trustee" as understood in the English system. [Bombay High Court : Vidya Varuthi Thirtha vs Balusami Ayyar  1921]

A decade or so ago, the Kerala High Court Bench of Justices CN Ramachandran Nair and K Surendra Mohan had ruled that the state government should take over the control of the temple from a trust headed by the royal family. The High Court had also directed the government to open all Kallaras (vaults), make inventory of the entire articles, and create a museum to exhibit all the treasures of the Temple for the public, devotees and the tourists. Viewing of the same could be arranged for on a payment basis in the Temple premises itself, the Court had ordered.

On appeal against this verdict, the Supreme Court in May 2011 ordered a detailed inventory of the articles at the Temple.  Today, a Two-judge bench comprising Justices UU Lalit and Indu Malhotra pronounced the order after nine long years of hearing the case, allowing the appeal filed by members of the Travancore family. A new temple administration committee chaired by the district judge will be formed. Inventorying of Vault B, said to hold the most valuable treasures, has been left to the discretion of the new committee.  The existing administration committee chaired by the district judge will continue until the new panel is formed.  The SC order reversed the Kerala High Court order that stated the rights of family ceased to exist with the death of the last ruler of the Travancore in 1991.

It has a long chronology – starting from Jan 31, 2011 when the HC ordered State Govt to take over temple control and on May 2 an appeal   of Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma, brother of the last ruler, came up  for hearing before the SC.  In Aug 2012, the Court appointed Senior Advocate Gopal Subramaniam as an amicus curiae.  In Dec 2013, Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma passed away, his legal heirs later substituted him in SC.

The rulers of Thiruvananthapuram – did not call themselves Maharajas but called themselves ‘Padmanabha dhasa’ – clear that they were serving the Lord as servant and administrator.  Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma  was ruler of the Indian kingdom of Travancore (Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758.  Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch (VOC) forces at the Battle of Colachel in 1741.   He built a sizeable standing army of about 50,000 men, as part of designing an "elaborate and well-organised" war machine   and fortified the northern boundary of his kingdom (Travancore Lines).   In January, 1750, Marthanda Varma donated  his kingdom to Sri Padmanabha Swami  and thereafter rule as the deity's "vice-regent" (Sri Padmanabha Dasa).

It would not happen to any other religious place – but happens for Hindus again and again – there were   some orchestrated opinion about the ownership of the treasure.    How preposterous to debate on whether it should be distributed or taken over by the Govt.  Whose money ?  Who deposited all these ?  For the benefit of whom ?? and who are to decide ???  The riches are the property of Temple, donated at various ages by people who had faith in the Lord and deposited their personal wealth only for the Lord.  Has any other place of worship of other religion has ever been debated thus ?   History has it that during invasions and now when non-believers rule, temple properties have been the prime attraction – as they clamour to take control, loot and misuse the funds.  How can anyone else decide on what can be done with the riches of Lord !   

Some will try to propagate an argument that the Temple does not need so much funds.  Who are these people to decide – how much is needed.  If this is the line of thinking, can people with conscience tell that whether they are right in keeping the money that they have, assuming that it was properly earned and accounted for.  When it comes to individuals, they want money, they want their wealth to remain with them for generations.  If there can be a limit to riches, thousands of people – politicians, bureaucrats, industrialists, administrators, traders, professionals can squander major part of their wealth for the welfare of the money.  Why should political parties have huge amounts of money – after there has to be a limit for them as well. 

Just like the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam, the administrators of Padmanabha Swamy Temple can plan more facilities for the devotees at the temple, creating better infrastructure, maintaining the temple in a better manner, providing facilities to those visit the temple.  They can also think of building hospitals, Educational institutions and other public amenities all in the name of Lord and maintained only  by believers understanding at every point of time that these are the monies of Lord.  Temple money can only be used for temple purposes and propagating religion. 

Recorded evidence suggests that the tax collected from people went into the tax treasury, and the presents, tributes to the Lord and possibly the wealth accumulated by winning battles, went into the temple treasury. 'Mathilakom' (related to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple) documents clearly state that tax treasury was called 'karuvalam' and temple treasury was 'ituveippu'. According to those who were involved in the temple affairs there is clear history that money belongs to the temple and the  treasury was different those times.  Therefore,the money should not be given out. "It is legally and morally wrong to take the money out of the temple. It should be preserved’.  

Are there not other Religious Institutions, so called Educational houses, Political parties and others – who are rich beyond measure..  has there been at any point of time, opinion that the money should go to the Govt. or be distributed ?  Will anybody come to say that an individual does not need wealth beyond a point say 50 lakhs and any money above this from him should become a National treasure.. but when it comes to Temple property, free opinions galore.

More after the full judgment is available for public consumption.  We fall at the feet of that glorious Lord Anantha Padmanabha and pray for the benefit of the mankind, especially during these stressful times like Covid 19

adiyen Srinivasa dhasan

Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar

13.7.2020.

Most photos taken from gallery of Temple website :spst.in