Thiruvallikkeni - Iraapathu Uthsavam : day 1 ~ Dec 2015

Thiruvallikkeni - Iraapathu Uthsavam 2015   - 

திருவல்லிக்கேணி இராப்பத்து  உத்சவம் 

It was minutes after midnight ~ even cows of Allikkeni were sleeping – not devotees who thronged the Temple on the day of Vaikunda Ekadasi (21^st Dec 2015).  At around 11 am, there was Thirumanjanam of Sri Parthasarathi. After Thirumanjanam, (yes, midnight)  – there was the Periya maada veethi purappadu – Irapathu day 1 purappadu …..  it was around 1 am  whence Thiruvanthikappu of  Irapathu. There were bakthas still waiting in the Queue to have darshan who were delighted to see the Uthsavar near them.  After the purappadu,  there was the Thiruvaimozhi Muthal pathu goshti and sarrumurai…

In the very early hours of the morning Sri Parthasarathi bedecked in precious jewels entered Paramapada vasal and gave darshan to His devotees;  throughout the day He was   seated in the beautiful ‘Punyakodi vimanam’ at Thiruvaimozhi mandapam. The auspicious Vaikunda Ekadasi heralds the start of ‘Irapathu’ Uthsavam.  As the name suggests, there will be celebrations for 10 nights. நம்மாழ்வாரின் அற்புத வரிகளில் : “அடங்கெழில் சம்பத்து* அடங்கக்கண்டு* ஈசன் அடங்கெழில் அஃதென்று* அடங்குகவுள்ளே” ~ Can there be more bliss than looking at and understanding the radiance and opulence of Sriman Narayana, enjoy His great qualities and merge into Him !

During Pagal Pathu, the Muthaliyaram and Thirumozhi of Thirumangai Mannan are rendered.   It is time for Nammalwar’s Thiruvaimozhi during Irapathu.  In the Thiruveethi purappadu, all the 10 days, ‘Upadesa Rathinamalai’  of Acharyar Sri Manavala Maamunigal is recited. After the conclusion of the Purappadu, inside the temple before the Lord in the Grand sabha of all Azhwars and Acharyas, every day 100 songs from the Thiruvoimozhi of Nammazhwaar gets recited.   On the night  of Vaikunda Ekadasi being day 1 it was  ‘muthal pathu’ of Thiruvaimozhi.

From today on Paramada entrance gate  will be opened every day for days  in the evening with Swami Nammalwar receiving Him.  Here are some photos of Sri Parthasarathi and Swami Nammalwar of day 1 of Irapathu.

Azhwar, Emperumanaar, Jeeyar Thiruvaidgale saranam.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

Today is Vaikunda Ekadasi (2) 2015

Today ~ 5^th day of Margazhi; 21^st day of December is of supreme significance as today is “Vaikunda Ekadasi”.   1^st of Jan by Gregorian calendar heralds the New Year and for Sri Vaishnavaites it was a day to remember as it was Vaikunda Ekadasi ~ yes, in 2015 we have 2 Vaikunda Ekadasis.

At the Bhooloka Vaikundam of Srirangam Divyadesam, it begins from Suklapaksha Ekadasi and celebrated for 23 days whence Namperumal listens to the vedas and Nammazhvar's Thiruvaimozhi as rendered by the Araiyars. The festival is divided into two parts, ten days before Vaikunda Ekadasi known as Pagalpathu  and  10 days from today, known as Raapathu. The Vaikunta Ekadasi festival is an occasion when the Paramapada vaasal is opened for devotees.   Paramapada Vasal, colloquially  Sorga vaasal is the Gateway to Heaven.

Paramapada vasal at Thiruvarangam

The divine Thirumamani mandapam is representative of the abode of Sriman Maha Vishnu, the “Sri Vaikuntam” itself.  For Sri Vaishanavaites, the ultimate in life is attainment of moksha [salvation] by reaching Vaikuntam, the ultimate destination, the abode of Lord Himself.  This is The place of no return and the human soul is free from the ills of the World and gets the supreme opportunity of nithya kainkaryam [daily service] to Lord.

At Thiruvallikkeni, with Swami Nammalwar waiting, the Presiding Deity Sri Parthasarathi Swami @ around 4.15 am  entered the Paramapada vassal to the great delight of hundreds of devotees waiting to have the glimpse.  As Perumal entered – Veda vinnappam, Thirupallandu, Kanninun Sirumthambu and the 1^st pasuram of Thiruvaimozhi were rendered by the Adhyapaka goshti.   From today, the Vaikunda vasal will be kept open till 30^th Dec 2015.  Today, it will remain throughout and in other days in the evening.   Similar would be celebrations in most divyadesams and Vishnu temples.  The   10 days starting from Vaikunda Ekadasi are  celebrated as “Iraapathu uthsavam” in which the hymns of Sri Nammazhwar (Thiruvoimozhi) are chanted. This religious order was given to us  by Thirumangai Azhwar.  Later Acharyan Nathamuni introduced festival of 10 days preceding the Vaikunda Ekadasi, known as Pagal pathu when Nalayira divyaprabandham (pasurams of Muthalayiram and Thirumangai mannanin Thirumozhi)  are recited.

Thousands of people throng the temple today  to have darshan of Sri Venkata Krishnar in muthangi  and Sri Parthasarathi embellished with so many jewels. Devotees feel enlightened and blessed, when they  cross the entrance - Vaikunda door ~ the paramapada vasal.  Here are some photos of the special occasion. Devotees can have darshan of Sri Parthasarathi at Thiruvoimozhi mandapam in the Vimanam throughout today.

திருவல்லிக்கேணி வாருங்கள் ! ஸ்ரீ பார்த்தசாரதி பாதம் பணியுங்கள் !!

Adiyen Srinivasadhasan.

21^st Dec 2o15.

Sri Sadajith Thiruppavai Upanyasam at Thiruvallikkeni

For Srivaishnavaites, margazhi has added significance –  there would be Adhyayana Uthsavam and during the month the Thiruppavai of Andal is recited in the morning.  Andal composed two works  unique in their literary, philosophical, religious, and artistic content.  One is  Tiruppavai, a composition of thirty verses in which Andal imagines herself to be a cowherd girl during the incarnation of Lord Krishna.  The second is the Nachiyar Tirumozhi, comprising of 143 verses.

நேற்று மாலை "தனுர் மாதப்பிறப்பு"  ~ மார்கழி ஒரு அற்புதமான காலம்.  அனைத்து ஸ்ரீ வைஷ்ணவ திவ்யதேசங்களிலும் அதி காலையில் ஆண்டாள் அருளிய  "திருப்பாவை"   சேவிக்கப்பெரும்.  ஆண்டாள் மட்டுமே -  பிராட்டி/ஆழ்வார் கோஷ்டி இரண்டிலும் இருப்பவர்.  திருப்பாவை பாவை நோன்பின் உயர்வை பறை சாற்றுவது.  முதல் பாட்டில் ஆய்ப்பாடி சிறுமிகளை அழைத்ததற்கு ஏற்ப கூடிய கோபிகைகளின் கூட்டத்தைப் பார்த்து மகிழ்ந்து “வையத்து வாழ்வீர்காள்!” என்று ஆச்சரியப்பட்டு அழைத்து நாம் செய்ய வேண்டிய நோன்பிற்கு செய்யவேண்டிய கிரியைகளை கேளுங்கள் என்கிறாள்.  திருப்பாவையில் இரண்டாவது பாசுரம் :

வையத்து வாழ்வீர்காள்! நாமும் நம் பாவைக்கு *

செய்யும் கிரிசைகள் கேளீரோ! பாற்கடலுள் *

பையத்துயின்ற பரமனடி பாடி *

நெய்யுண்ணோம் பாலுண்ணோம் நாட்காலே நீராடி *

மையிட்டெழுதோம் மலரிட்டு நாம் முடியோம் *

செய்யாதன செய்யோம் தீக்குறளைச சென்றோதோம் *

ஐயமும் பிச்சையும் ஆந்தனையும் கைகாட்டி *

உய்யுமாறெண்ணி உகந்தேலோரெம்பாவாய்!

Thinking of Sriman Narayana and surrendering at the Lotus feet of Lord Narayana only will lead to us salvation. In 30 beautiful pasurams, Andal eulogies Lord Sriman Narayana showing us the way to get near the lotus feet of Lord.   The Dhanur masam [month of Margazhi] is replete with kalakshepams ~ renditions of many great Athikaris, explaining in detail the works of Azhwargal and Purva Acharyas in nice, coherent, easily comprehensible manner. While listing those Kalakshepa Athikaris is not easy, there are so many in Triplicane that Triplicaniites have the pleasure of hearing to them so often.

This year at Sri Parthasarathi Swami temple – it is Thiruppavai upanyasam by Sri Sadajith.  He is a young kid – but people are not really surprised at his articulation, mainly because he has been rendering kalakshepams from a young age of 7 ~ I first heard and wrote about him in Jan 2013.  People who have heard many Swamins, authorities on Thiruppavai kalakshepam too gather  to hear Sri Sadajith. This morning it was nice articulation when heard from outside  and those seeing him for the first time would be wonder-struck seeing his youthful exuberance.    

Sri Sadajith @ Geethacharyan has a rich lineage; his father Sri Elayavalli Sriram Swami also performs kalakshepams; more famous is his grand father Sri U.Ve. Elayavalli Bhoovaragachariyar Swami.  Understand that his great grandfather Sri Sadagopachariyar was also a famous kalakshepa adhikari.

For many parents, a child speaking few words itself is a wonder ~ but here is a child orating, words flowing unhindered ~ dispensing out so much of information that some of us may never get even in our entire lifehood – all from age 7.  Here are some photos of Sri Sadajith at Thiruvallikkeni thirukovil alongside his father Sri Elayavalli Sriram Swami.

Adiyen Srinivasa dhasan.

17^th Dec 2015.

Swami Nampillai Sarrumurai at Thiruvallikkeni 2015

25^th Nov 2015  (karthigai nakshathiram in the month of Karthigai) marked the birth of ‘ThirumangaiMannan’..... it is also the day of our Acharyar – Nampillai.

தெள்ளியதா நம்பிள்ளை செப்புநெறி தன்னை*

வள்ளல் வடக்குத் திருவீதிப் பிள்ளை * இந்த

நாடறிய மாறன் மறைப்பொருளை நன்குரைத்தது*

ஈடு முப்பத்து ஆறாயிரம்..  (goldenwords from UpadesaRathinamalai of our Acharyar Swami Manavala Mamunigal).

நம்பூர் என்ற அழகிய கிராமத்தில் வரதராஜன் என்னும் திருநாமத்தோடு திருவவதாரம் செய்த இவரே பிற்காலத்தில் நம்பிள்ளை என்று பிரசித்தர் ஆனார்.  இவரது பல பெயர்களில் முக்கியமானவை :  திருக்கலிக்கன்றிதாசர், லோகாசார்யர், என்றதிருநாமங்கள்.

திராவிட வேதசாகரமான நம்மாழ்வாரின் திருவாய்மொழிக்கு சில உரைகள் உள்ளன. எம்பெருமானார் காலம்வரை வாய்மொழி ஆகமட்டுமே இருந்து வந்த இவ்உரைகளை உடையவர் ஏடுபடுத்தினார். திருக்குருகைபிள்ளானது உரை "ஆறாயிரப்படி"; நஞ்ஜீயரது உரை ஒன்பதினாயிரப்படி;  நம்பிள்ளை செப்பிய நெறிப்படி பெரியவாச்சான் பிள்ளை அருளியது இருபது நாலாயிரம்; வடக்கு திருவீதிப்பிள்ளை நன்குரைதது *முப்பத்துஆறாயிரப்படி* -  இது திருவாய்மொழிக்கு ஈடாக உள்ளதால் #ஈடு#  என சிறப்புப் பெற்றது.

இவ்வளவு சிறப்பு வாய்ந்த நம்பிள்ளையின் பணிவு தனித்துவம் வாய்ந்தது. அவரது வாய்மொழியை கேட்க குவிந்த ஸ்ரீவைணவர்களின் குழு -  நம்பிள்ளை கோஷ்டியோ அல்லது நம்பெருமாள் கோஷ்டியோ என்று கண்டவர் வியக்கும் வண்ணம் நம்பிள்ளையின் காலக்ஷேபங்கள் அமைந்தனவாம்.

Swami was born as “Varadhacharyar” in the year Prabhva, 4249 kali yugadi, in Krithikai Month in Krithikai Nakshatram. He lived a life of 105 years in this world. His period is 1147 AD – 1252AD.  Sri Nampillai,  in the Sri Vaishnava Acharya paramparai is known for his scholastic excellence. He was the disciple of Sri Nanjeeyar and acharyar of VadakkuThiruveethipillai.  Nampillai discoursed the lectures of Parasara Bhattar to his disciples PeriavachaanPillai and VadakkuThiruveediPillai. who in turn employed them in their respective commentaries. “Muppathuaarayirappadi” of Vadakkuthiruveethipillai based on the discourses of Swami Nampillai is considered the best.

Strictly following the clear and profound kalakshepams of Sri Nampillai, his student, the generous VadakkuThiruveethiPillai rendered to the whole World – the insights of Swami Nammazhwar’sThiruvaimozhi in what is known as “Eedu MuppathuAarayiram”.  

Nampillai of this fame has a sannadhi at Triplicane, situate at the front of Sri Bhandaram Committee place commonly known as “Komutti bungalow”.  This one created by  Yogi ParthasarathiIyengar and his wife was Yogi Singamma, primarily for publishing the great granthams of our Vaishnavaitemahans houses Nampillaisannathi and the idol of Lord Namperumal. This Nampillaisannadhi was renovated and re-built decoratively recently by the Committee, spearheaded by Sri MA Venkata Krishnan Swami.  

 

The Sarrumurai of Nampillai is celebrated every eyar with rendering of Thiruvaimozhi.  Here are some photos taken on 25^th Nov. 2015, sarrumurai of Thirumangai Mannan and Swami Nampillai. 

AdiyenSrinivasadhasan.