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"SaraNAgathi NavAham ":A Journey of a Life Time ( Feb 5-13):Part 1

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Sadagopan • February 19, 2000 


Dearest BhakthAs :

AdiyEn would like to take this opportunity 
to share with you a nine day journey in India 
that adiyEn just completed and the greatest 
SoubhAgyam that adiyEn received due to 
the paramAnugraham of my SadAchAryan ,
HH Sri MalOla PaadhukA Sevaka , Sri Naaraayana
YathIndhra MahA Desikan . 

The most meaningful and the greatest event of adiyEn's
life happened during these nine days of Journey in and
around TamilnAdu and KarnAtakA during the first half of
February 2000 . The cherished , central event is 
the adhrushttam (SaraNAgathi) at the holy feet of 
Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka Sri NarAyaNa 
YathIndhra MahA Desikan  at Thirukkudanthai on February 7. 
Out of His Infinite Mercy and Vaathsalyam  , HH the Jeeyar 
of Sri Matam , Sri NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA Desikan blessed 
adiyEn  with Aathma NivEdhanam at the Lotus feet of 
MalOlan in the time honored manner thru Ukthi Nishtai .

AdiyEn is jouous over this Parama BhAgyam of joining 
the other prapannAs blessed to belong to this 
ancient Matam founded by Sri Adhi VaNN SatakOpan 
Himself at the behest of Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan .
That soubhAgyam is capped by the SaraNAgathi 
this time .

The verse in Saathvatha samhithai that comes to adiyEn's 
mind in this context is :

yadhrucchayA upasannAnAm dEsAnthara nivAsinAm
ishtOpadesa: karthavyO NAARAAYANA rathAthmanAm 

Swamy Deikan refers to this verse in His Magnum opus ,
Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram (RTS) in the AchArya- 
KruthyAdhikAram chapter .The meaning of this verse is :

" If those living in faraway places arrive at 
the SadAchAryan's blessed feet with a  mind filled
with Sriman NaarayaNan (and AchArya Bhakthi) even by accident ,
then the SadAchAryan sould bless them with their upadEsams
for upliftment (SaraNAgathi) without long term testing 
of their arhathai (suitability )" .

The most compassionate HH Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar 
broke my long and heavy chain of bondage with the 
acceptance of Bhara SamarpaNam at His holy  feet 
at the dhivya KshEthram of Sri KomaLavalli SamEtha 
AarAvamudhan . AdiyEn's joy has no limits at this 
soubhAgyam . Whatever adiyEn has been blessed 
to achieve are like blades of grass in value 
ompared to this incomparable , priceless bhAgyam .

Reflecting always on the words of 
Swamy Desikan in NigamanAdhikAram of RTS that
He gave us as guideline , adiyEn vows to spend 
the rest of my life in service to adiyEn's AchAryan ,
BhaagavathAs and the Dhivya Dampathis :

"--sEsha aayushi api SESHA-DAMPATHI 
   dayA dheekshAm udhIkshAmahE "

(Meaning): In the remaining time of adiyEn's life , 
adiyEn remains awaiting the Sankalpam of 
the Sarva Seshi Dampathis ( and performing
Bhagavath-Bhaagavatha Kaimkaryam ). 

Thre is nothing  more to be done .The rest of the days 
are to be spent in the clear manner recommened to us
by Thirumazhisai AzhwAr , who ascended Parama
Padham from Sri KomaLavalli SamEtha Sri AarAvamudhan's
Thirukkudanthai . In one of His Naanmukan ThiruvanthAdhi ,
this blessed AzhwAr having His brindhAvanam at Thirukkudanthai
states :

" -vennAhatthunnai --theritthuzhuthi
   vaasitthum kEttum vaNangiyum vazhipattum
   poositthum pOkkinEn pOthu " 

(Meaning ): AdiyEn spent my time without wasting it
by reading the Sri Sookthis celebrating tha anantha-
kalyANa guNams of our Lord , listening to the reading
of those glories by others and by  worshipping Him always
through AarAdhanam to Him ". 

One of the most insightful paasuram of Swamy Desikan 
at the end of the AchArya KruthyAdhikAram chapter 
celebrates the greatness and compassion of the SadAchAryan ,
who provide ujjevanam ( upliftment to life at Sri Vaikuntam 
and nithya kaimkaryam there to the Dhivya Dampathis by 
giving His hand to pull us out of the deep darkness 
of samsAram that shrouds us in from anAdhi kaalam ).
That paasuram is as follows :

" maruL aRRa Desikar vaan uhappAl intha vyammellAm
  iruL aRRu Iraivan iNayadi pooNduya yeNNUthalAl 
  theruLaRRa senthozhirc chelavam peruhi siRanthavar paal 
  aruLuRRa sinthayinAl AZHIYAA VILAKKU YERRINARE "

(MEANING):  The most compassionate and ajn~yanam- 
free AchAryAs desirous of  ascending paramapadham ,
reflected upon the POTENTIAL soubhAgyam to the chEthanams 
longing for freedom from their ajn~yanam so that they can 
hold firmly the holy feet of their supreme Lord as 
THE UpAyam for their ujjIvanam . With their mind full 
of compassion for the suffering jeevans , they lit 
the unquenchable sampradhAya lamp (nanthA ViLakku) of 
Kainkarya Sampath through their upadEsams . 

Now that adiyEn's AchAryAn's anukampA has permitted 
the realization of the SvarUpa, Bhara and Phala 
samarpaNams , adiyEn enjoys the state of Nirbharam 
and nirbhayam . 

Rest of my prayers are those given to us by
Swamy Desikan in His illustrious NyAsa dasakam:

" nithyam niraparAdhEshu kaimkaryEshu niyunkshva maam "
(Oh Lord VaradarAjA ! (please command me to be engaged
always in blemishless kaimkaryams to Your BhagavathAs).

In the remaining postings of this series , adiyEn will
share with you the happenings during the nine day 
long life time journey to AchArya Peetam .

AdiyEn, RaamAnuja Daasan,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan