thiru adhyayana sEvai - part 15 - nilAvum kuthikkum nalmAlai nEram !

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 2, 1999


Srimadh Azhagiya singar thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sri RanganAyikA samEtha Sri RangarAjan thiruvadikaLE saraNam

thiru adhyayana sEvai - part 15 - nilAvum kuthikkum nalmAlai nEram !

Dear bAgawathAs,

nilAvum kuthikkum nalmAlai nEram
vizhA thuthikkum navamAlAi kAlam
thurup pidittha pulangaL thulanga
thurukkar ozhikka thooymaien aranganmE !

meaning:
It was again the best evening when  moon  is  rising  to  see  the
evening festivals for thAyAr and perumAL. Since it is rainy season
the tall  clouds are blocking the way for the moon it seems. Hence
moon has to jump up to see  over  the shoulders of the clouds. ie.
Clouds are already early  and  are  constantly waiting to see this
rAthri vizhA for thAyAr  and  have  taken  their "front row seats"
already. nilA has to jump up  to  see  the thiru vizhA kOlam as it
arrives only in the evening. These unprecedented rush among clouds
and moon is  only  because  this  time  around, the thiru vizhA is
mainly for thAyAr. They have seen many perumAL specific so far. So
they are in a rush this time. This vizhA goes on for nine evenings.
Everyone including the baddha jivAthmAs in humnan form and weapons
and other tools form, or whatever  form  cleanse  their  stock  of
karmAs by worshipping thAyAr these days. (Later  on  these  became
an external cleansing day called Ayudha poojA). This is the Athama
suddhi festival. While this is going on our  Lord  Sri  namperumAL
cleanses all the dhurgArs  or  thurukkars (the evil forces such as
demons and monsters) from the holy universe on the last day of the
festival and our Sri  Arangam  is  now  glittering  clean  and  so
beautiful in the absence  of  all the thurukkars and is all due to
the grace of Sri Arangan only.

Sravana or Avani (contd..)
Pavithra  ursavam (contd..)
The  pavithras  are now brought from yAgasalai and adorned to the
hands feet crown of all  the  murhtis.  On  the  7th day, Sri nam
perumAl and HIS  two  ubaya  nAcchiyArs  goes to  thiru  kottAram
or granary  and  the holy  ceremony of dhAnyamAnam is celebrated.
On behalf of the Lord the priest calls the measureman (kalaiappAn)
and ask him  to  measure the stock. This ceremony is also said to
be repeated on  7th  day of vasantha uthsavam, dOlothsavam, teppa
uthsavam, and   3 brahma uthsavams. On  the 9th day, thirtha vAri
is done in the evening. The thirumanchanam for  the  snAna murthi
is done on the bank of the Sri  chandra  pushkarani.  The  priest
takes the murthy on his hand  and dips in the water. This is also
said to  be  done   on   the  9th  day  of  the  pavithrOthsavam,
dOlothsavam,  and  brahma  uthsavams.  After  pavithra  viniyOgam
perumAL goes back to HIS abode.

PurattAsi:
navarAtthri or mahAnavami festival for thAyAr: This is celebrated
only in the thAyAr  sannithi  for 9 days. On first day noon thiru
manchanam is  done. The  raksha bandhanam  is done for thAyAr and
the horse vehicle. In the evening thAyar is taken to the 4 pillar
(black granite) pavilion known as navarAthri mandapam.  thAyAr is
never taken out of her own sannithis on other days.  Prayers  and
prasadhams  and thirtha viniyOgam are offered. A display of  fire
works is also done in open space in front. On the following seven
days the alankAra sEva is offered in the evenings in the mandapam
with special  decorations.  On  9th day thirumanchanam is done in
the mandapam.  In the meantime perumAL's garlands arrive from HIS
sannithi and are received with great music and adorned on thAyAr.
The raksha bandhana visarjanam for thAyAr and the horse are done.
The horse vehicle  is taken to perumAL sannithi where the  raksha
bandhanam is done for both perumAL and the horse vehicle. (*)

Srimadh Azhagiya singar thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sri RanganAyikA samEtha Sri RangarAjan thiruvadikaLE saraNam
thiruk kudanthai Rengarajan

(*)  This  navarAthri  though  may coincide with popular shaivite
nava rAthri there  is  no  Sri saraswathi pooja or  any  form  of
suggestive annya dEvatha worship is involved in this uthsavam for
pirAtti. Only raksha  bhandan  is  done.  Not even "golu" is kept.

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