Thavana Uthsavam 4 - Pandiyan kondai 2021

Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam is replete with uthsavams ~ 2021 began too well – and there have been 2 special Brahmothsavams (Sri Parthasarathi in Feb; followed by Sri Azhagiya singar in Mar) – in between we had Thai poosam, Masi Magam, Ratha Sapthami – and 7 days of Theppothsavam,  concluded on Friday – 20.3 was Panguni Rohini purappadu and now  Thavana Uthsavam for Sri Parthasarathi Perumal is on.  Today is day 4 of the uthsavam – and Pallava uthsavam for Sri Ranganathar has started today. 

Gold and silver futures gained this day as US Treasury yields held close to one-week low, with bullion shrugging off strength in the dollar following Federal Reserve Chairman’s  reassurance that inflation would not spiral out of control. Treasury yields slipped to the lowest since March 16, while the dollar jumped above a two-week high after Powell told US lawmakers on Tuesday he expected inflation to rise over the year but it would be "neither particularly large nor persistent." Commodity prices traded mixed on Wednesday after a mixed previous session.  Bullion prices traded steady with spot gold price at COMEX was trading near $1732 per ounce while spot silver price at COMEX was trading over half a percent up near $25.20 per ounce in the morning trade. Earlier, bullion prices witnessed selling on Fed comments which boosted buying in dollar.  In the spot market, gold prices gained Rs 116 to Rs 44,374 per 10 grams in the national capital on Tuesday, reflecting overnight gains in global precious metal prices. Silver, however, declined by Rs 117 to Rs 65,299 per kg. 

It is an year since !  On March 25 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  announced a nationwide lockdown in view of the rising number of Covid-19 cases. An  year later, India is experiencing a renewed surge in infections with many states reportedly in the grip of a second wave. Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare today  said that two states - Maharashtra and Punjab are of grave concern.  Tamil Nadu recorded 1437 positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the state tally to 8,69,804. Among these, Chennai reported 532 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,42,647.

Life was limping back to normalcy – but people have been impatient – with Elections around the corner or even before the announcement  violations became the norm – as people hit the streets not wearing masks and not maintaining social distance. In Cities especially Chennai, crowds are swelling – traffic is snarling .. busy market places like T Nagar is full of people – shops are dotted with people  

செங்கோல் (scepter) என்பது அரசுச் சின்னங்களுள் ஒன்றாகும். மன்னனுக்கு மகுடமும், அரியணையும் போன்றே செங்கோலும் இன்றியமையாததாகும். மன்னனின் ஆட்சி நேர்மையானதாகவும், நெறி வழுவாததாகவும் அமைய வேண்டும் என்பதன் பொருட்டே செங்கோல் எனும் நேரிய தண்டு அரசன் வீற்றிருக்கும் போதெல்லாம் கையில் காணப்படும்.  

பருவத்தே மழை பெய்தாலும் நல்ல விளைச்சலும் உள்ள நாடு சுபிக்ஷத்துடன் விளங்கும்.  நல்ல மன்னர் நேர்மைத்திறனுடன் ஆட்சி செய்தால் அந்நாடு வளம் பெரும்.  திருவள்ளுவர் தம் வாக்கு இங்கே :

இயல்புளிக் கோலோச்சும் மன்னவன் நாட்ட

பெயலும் விளையுளும் தொக்கு.

நீதி முறைப்படி செங்கோல் செலுத்தும் அரசனுடைய நாட்டில் பருவ மழையும் நிறைந்த விளைவும் ஒருசேர ஏற்படுவனவாகும்.   ஸுகாஸீநம்  ~  அதி ஆனந்தமாக எந்த உபத்ரவமேதும் இல்லாமல் இருக்கும் இடம் ! ~ எது என்ற கேள்விக்கே இடமில்லை ..... நம்பெருமாள்  பள்ளிகொண்ட திருவரங்கமே !!

A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty… ..  to us ‘Sengol’ is of higher significance.  Sceptre has assumed a significant role in many mythologies.  It had a  central role in the Mesopotamian world, and was in most cases part of the royal insignia of sovereigns and gods.   The Mesopotamian sceptre was mostly called ĝidru in Sumerian and ḫaṭṭum in Akkadian. The ancient Tamil work of Tirukkural dedicates one chapter each to the ethics of the sceptre.   

எத்திறத்திலும் யாரொடும் கூடும் * அச்

சித்தந் தன்னைத் தவிர்த்தனன் செங்கண்மால்*

அத்தனே அரங்கா என்றழைக்கின்றேன்*

பித்தனாயொழிந்தேன்;  எம்பிரானுக்கே ** 

புண்டரீகாக்ஷனான எம்பெருமான்  எந்த விஷயத்திலும், கண்ட பேர்களோடே, சேர்ந்து கெட்டுப்போவதற்கு நெஞ்சை நீக்கியருளினான்; (ஆதலால்);   ஸ்ரீரங்கநாதனே!  என்று அழைக்கின்றேன் ; அந்த எம்பிரானுக்கே பித்தனாய் ஒழிந்தேன். [credit ~ Dravidaveda.org]

A beautiful pasuram from Kulasekara Azhwar’s Perumal thirumozhi hailing  Namperumal – there certainly is reason.   At  Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam  Sri Parthasarathi Perumal adorns ‘Pandian Kondai’ holds Sengol (sceptre)  on a day in Thavana Uthsavam,   Kodai Uthsavam, Manavala Mamunigal Uthsavam & Irapathu  ~  what a darshan it is to worship Sri Parthasarathi adorning such aa beautiful kireedam.   The kireedam known as Pandian kondai  replicates the one usually worn by Lord NamPerumal rendered to him by a Pandian King known as Sundara Pandian.  .. .. and  Namperumal has  ‘sengol’  (sceptre) worthy of Emperors.  

Today on day 4 of Thavana Uthsavam, Sri Parthasarathi adorned Pandiyan kondai and wielded Sengol.  This is a specially made kireedam tendered to the Temple by Challani Jewellery Mart and worn first by Sri Parthasarathi Perumal on Oct 26, 2020, the Vijayadasami day.    Above is a photo of  Sri Parthasarathi Perumal adorning the earlier  Pandiyan kondai and  rest are  photos with the new crown taken during the inner purappadu at Thavana uthsava bungalow this evening.  

அடியேன் ஸ்ரீனிவாசதாசன்.   
~adiyen Srinivasa dhasan (Mamandur Veeravalli  Srinivasan Sampathkumar) 
24.3.2021.