Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Sri Vaikundam - The Final Destiny - Structures of Seven Worlds - Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sampath Rengarajan • February 16, 1996 


	Among the 108 divya dEsams, thiru arangam or Srirangam is the

most prominent kshethram. It is also the nucleus of our

guruparampariyam and samparadaayam and veddantham. It is situated on the

banks of kauveri nathi who is also the form of vishnu maayaa in

booLogam. This kshEthram is popularly known as kOil for srivaishnavaas

and alike. The other such popular temples are thirumalai,

(thiruppathi), and perumaal kOil, (kaancheepuram varadaraajan kOil).

This temple is also called as "Periya kOil, booLoga vaikundam, bOga

mandapam. Aazhwaars praised this shrine as andarkOn amarum aniyarangam,

then thiruvarangam, sezhuneer thiruvarangam, thit kodi mathil soozh thiru

varangam ..etc. According to some, this is a replica of keezh ezhulagam

and mEl Ezhulagam.Each enveloped area represents each world, starting

from boolOgam to sathya lOgam. Each mathil has some historical

importance and each lOgam has its own contents and each entrance poses

as a check for each qualification that are necessary to reach satya

lOgam. The eighth suRRu is known as adaiya valainthaan or surrounding

peripheral wall. The famous and the largest gOpuram in asia is here,

which was initiated by Krishna dEvaraayar and was left incomplete, but

later on completed by the himaalayan efforts of Sri Azhagiya singar ,

44 the peetam jeer.



7 th Wall



This envelopes boolOgam wherein we all live. The street is

called raaja veedhi, or maada maaLigai veedhi,, or chith thirai

veedi. vaanamaamalai aasram is situated in this circuit.



6 th Wall



buvar lOgam or the land of dreams, is also called as thiru vikkiraman

veedhi.  This is also known as UL veedhi or uth thira veedhi.

Raamanujar stayed in this circuit during his time.  The Sri Ranga

naaraayana jeer madam, ahobila matam, poundrika puram madam, maNavaaLa

maamunikaL madam, aandavan press, dasavaatharaa sannithi are in this

circuit. As per our tradition every srivaishnavaa, gets the blessings of

their achaaryaas here and do saranaagathi (baranyaasam) with them and

become qualified to enter the suvar lOgam.



5 th Wall



suvar lOgam or the land of devaas is here. The entrance is known as

naamugan kOttai vaasal. or the outpost of brahmaa's fort is here. Since

this was built by chOlaa king ahaLangan, it is also known ahaLangan

thiru chuRRu.  aandaal sannithi is in this circuit and the aandaal

vigraham has immeasurable beauty. Every time after the Lord passes

through this sannidhi, they used to do "thiruvanthik kaappu", in the

small 4 pillar mandapam here. This is also known as "dhrishti kazhippu"

in our customs. Closer to the 4th madhil, on the left is chak karath

aazhwaar sannithi is there and on the right is raamaanuja sannithi is

there.  on the eastern part of the vasantha mandapam, Sriranga vilaasa

mandapam, vEnugOpaala krishnar sannithi are also in this circuit. On

the northern part of the circuit, Thaayaar periya piraati sannithi is

there. Kambar's arangEtram (debut) of ramaayanaa took place here. mEttu

narasimhar sannithis is also there here. 1000 pillars mandapam is also

here on the north eastern part. Araiyar sEvai takes place here. Thondar

adipodi, and tirup paanaazhwaar, koorath thaazhwaar, pillai

lOkaachchaaryaaL sannithis are also here. As per our tradition and the

lineage, Srivaishnavaas pray periya piraati who recommends us for

Swargam and we are allowed to enter the three component vaasal of

thaayaar and then cross the virajaa river to enter swarga vaasal.

Ordinary souls that who enter this land, come here after spending the

time of punishment if any for the bad deeds in naragam. Every ordinary

souls faces both naragam and swargam for their deeds. But they face

naragam first and swargam next. That is entrance to swargam or the rewarding

state. Some of the souls return for rebirth from this and each of the

previous state itself. However surrendered souls are not affected by

either naragam or swargam. They go right into the swarga vaasal in the

next circuit.



4 th Wall



This is known as mahar lOgam. swarga vaasal is in this circuit. The

Walls were built by thirumangai and it is named thirumangai mannan

suRRu. aalinaadaan veedhi is also one of the name. Garudaazhwaan is

guarding this circuit. Thirumazhisai sannithi, thiruk kachchi nambikaL

sannithi, chandira pushkarani are in this circuit. The only one in the

world "than vanthiri" sannidhi is also present in this circuit. Note that

Srivaishnavaas who are given prapatti by piraati's grace, enter this

through her own three component (she is made of three) or mooNru vaasal.





3 rd Wall



JanalOgam. The lOgam of purified souls. The most known vaasal is known

as swarga vaasal and is also known as aarapaadar vaasal.  Srivaishnava

enter to this lOgam through swarga vaasal on the northern entrance and

after crossing virajaa nathi. This circuit is also known as kulasEkara

suRRu..  Please note that anchanEyaa is at the southern border guarding

this place. While ordinary Souls can enter through the southeren

entrance Surrendered Srivaishnavaas enter only through swarga vaasal.

The dwajasthambam is made of golden plates and was done by vijaya nagara

kingdom. This essentially is known as swargam and the land of no return

within a kalpa. Note that after this entrances there are no more dual

entries and there is only single entries available.



2 nd Wall



thabOlOgam. The steps to enter this circuit from the third circuit are

the thershold between complete knowledge and partial knowledge. It is

believed that only srivaishnavaas who are surrendered souls enter this.

The other souls can also come "upto" the entrance of this circuit but stay at

the entrance only. Note that until this there are atleast two

entrances one in north (srivaishnavaas) and one in south are present.

It is believed that all the other faiths can lead one upto the "entrance"

of this circuit only.  The only entrance to this circuit is also

hosting the residents of state of Kaavalyam. ie..the state of voidness, and

nirvaana etc. It is said that When sankaraachaaryaar visited this

shrine, as a mark of respect for his poorvachcharyaas and dEvaas who

are in this steps in the state of kaavalyam, crawled through to this

circuit and didn't rest his foot on them. In respect of this sentiments

and for the purified souls in kaavalyam, these steps are covered with

gold plated metal even to-day as a permanent fixture covering the

steps. A surrendered Srivaishnava is not affected by crossing these

steps. However, if one has not undertaken baranyaasam and saranaagathi,

take extreme care to pray the lord and atleast surrender to Arangan by

your mind before you step on these steps. If you are not a surrendered

soul yet, in addition please pray to those holy souls or

punniyaaththmaas in Kaavalyam to forgive you as you cross these steps

with your feet.  This is also known as raaja mahEndarn suRRu. The

vaasal is also known as naazhi kEttaan vaasal. yaaga saalai, sEnai

mudhali sannidhi, vijaya sokka naayakkar kaatchi are here in this

circuit.



1 st Wall



Sathya lOgam. Land of Complete and total Sathyam (100 %_ truth). ChoLan

tharma varman built this and hence is also known as tharma varman

suRRu. The entrance to this lOgam are guarded by sEnai muthali. In the

centre of this circuit is the gayathri mandapam with 24 pillars

representing the 24 aksharams of gaayathri. It is considered that these

24 aksharams are the 24 petals that host brahmaa, and that brahmaa

lives in here. He is the controller of this world. It is also known as

the abode of arut perum jYothi. Only those who know the 100 % truth can

come here.  For those others who are in the proximity, these petals are

shown as the guarding and eternal light also known as arutperumjYothi.

aazhwaars, praised HIM as the jyothiyaay, mum moorthiyaay, jyothikkum

aathiyaay, which will explain the three transformations such as jyothi,

mum moorthy (ie Brahmaa, Govindaa, and Haran), and jyothikkum aathiyaay

ie as BRAHMAM. Since it is believed that at the time of each end/begin

cycle, the Lord recall or wind up all of the souls what ever stage they

are into Brahmaa who sets out the souls in the creation. Thus at this

time of pralayam the kaavalyam state souls and the other impure souls,

all of them together enter brahmaa at this instant and stay in him

until the next creation cycle is started by the Lord.  Srivaishnavaas

go around this gaayathri mandapam and enter the vaikundam which is the

karuvarai and also known as mOksham.  This karuvarai is the moolak

krithi, praNava krithi, BRAHMAM, achuthan's abode as the brahmaa is

created here at each cycle. The nitya suris are here and they were

never affected by these cycles. When we see that there are 4 main

entrances and four small entrances at the 7 th wall, they represent the

4 main religions or maargams and 4 minor maargams. The number of

entrances reduce as the circuits reduces to the centre.  The

interesting thing believed is that since many of the maargams are not

accepting (are unaware as practised by them) Lord Vishnu as param and

also not following the truth of Brahamaa, as their own creator, they

are not let into the Brahma's satya lOgam until the pralayam when

everything is compounded by the LORD.  However since they worshipped

sriman naaraayanaa, naaraayana offer them his sEvai as a dEvathaa at

the entrance to thaBolOgam.



kudathisai mudiyai vaiththu

kuNathisai paatham kaatti

vadathisai pinbu kaati

thenthisai ilangai nOkki

kadalniRak kadavuL enthai

aravaNaith thuyilumaa kaNdu

udal enakku uruku maalO

en seykEn ulakath theerE





Swami dEsikan thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Aazhwaar thiruvadikaLE saraNam

periya piraatti thiruvadikaLE saraNam

Arangan thiruvadikalE saraNam





Sampath Rengarajan