Two Items: Status report on ThiruveLLUr & PeriyAzhwAr Vaibhavam

From the Bhakti List Archives

• July 5, 1998


Dear BhakthAs :

We are now Two hours away ( ThiruveLLUr time ) from
the MahA SamprokshaNam .It gives me great pleasure to
thank every one of the 26 participants in this great
Kaimkaryam at ThiruveLLUr . Some of the 26 participants 
have sent their contributions directly to the Kaimkaryam 
committee at Chennai in Indian Rupees or in US Dollars .
The bulk of the samarpaNams have been or are being sent 
to Sriman Dileepan for trasmittal via Ahobila Mutt for
100% Tax deduction purposes . Sriman K.G.Krishnan , the Treasurer
of the MahA SamprOkshaNa committee has been provided with 
the names of the 26 members joining in this MahA Kaimkaryam .
I have sent a fax to him yesterday night and this morning
I had a telephone conversation with his son , Sri Raghu 
to update him on the latest information on the donors 
so that he can help arrange for a special sankalpam 
before the Divya Dampathis of ThiruveLLUr 
and the assembled AchAryAs to bless all 
the BhakthAs , who have come forward and joined
in this kaimkaryam .Archanai PrasAdhams and other Prasaadhams
will be sent by Sriman KrishNan once the festivities 
are over tomorrow at ThiruveLLUr and he has a few days
to settle all the post-Kaimkaryam matters . 

Meanwhile , Please visit tomorrow morning , the Special 
Home page set up by Sriman Dileepan for the ThiruveLLUr 
SaraNya Dampathis ( http://www.cdc.net/~dileepan/evvul.html) 

THANKS TO EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR
MOST VALUED PARTICPATION . A CRISIS HAS 
BEEN AVERTED NOW AND THE SHORT FALL HAS BEEN ADDRESSED .
WE HAVE RECEIVED $ 3,600 FROM 26 PARTICIPANTS , WHICH 
IS EQUAL TO 1.4 LAKHS OF RUPEES AGAINST THE ASSESSED 
NEED OF 2.0 LAKHS . WE HAVE THUS REACHED THE 72% LEVEL OF
THE TARGET IN  A SHORT TIME FRAME OF FIVE DAYS .

It has been an extraordinary experience for me to
be part of this effort and witness such an outstanding 
expression of Bhagavadh Bhakthi and dharma chinthanai 
to particpate in such a glorious kaimkaryam . THANKS 
TO EVERY ONE OF YOU .

Daasan , V.Sadagopan 


PeriyAzhwAr Thirunakshthram : Aani SvAthi 
******************************************

Dear BhakthAs : Today is Sarva EkAdasi .
Yesterday was the Thirunakshathram of 
PeriyAzhwAr and tomorrow is the Thirunakshathram
of Natha Muni. What a grand juxtaposition of days 
before the MahA samprOkshaNam at ThiruveLLUr ! 

In preparation for the Denver December conference , 
I had posted a number of articles on PeriyAzhwAr's 
moving paasurams : ThiruppallANdu , NeerAttam ,
Poocchuttal , Kaapidal and SenniyOngu Paasurams
at the request of Srimathi Naagu Sathyan . 
They are archived in the Bhakthi list ( Dec 14 thru Dec 26).
The anubhavams of PeriyAzhwAr expressed in 
his divine paasurams have been assessed as
the outpourings of his Vaathsalya Bhakthi for 
" KuttikkaNNan " , a phrase dear to our 
Sri MaadhavakkaNNan .AzhwAr's enjoyment of 
Baala KrishNan from paadhAthi KesAntham as 
Mother YasOdhA of GOkulam are unique .

The arayars at Sri VilliputthUr and 
Srirangam have intrepreted the bhakthi-laden
mood of the Mother YasOdhA , who was overcome by 
the "pongum parivu " that she had for the Lord ,
who happened to be her dear son full of mischief .

Tamil Scholars have explained that PeriyAzhwAr's 
paasurams belong to the category of AaNNpAll(male )
PiLLai Tamizh literature . The Scholars have further
subdivided this type of literature in to ten 
most enjoyable stages of the child's growth :

1.Kaapu 2. Senkeerai 3. TaalAttu 4. SappANi 
5. Muttham 6. Varuhai 7. Ambuli 8. Siru PaRai
9. SiRRil Sithaitthal and (10) SiRu thEr Uruttal .

PeriyAzhwAr according to these scholars has broken 
new ground in AaNN paal PiLLai Tamizh by introducing 
new anubhavams of the mother watching , interacting 
and enjoying her dear child with great vaathsalyam .
PeriyAzhwAr kept kaapu (anthik kaapu ) , Senkeerai
paruvam , sappANi paruvam , muttham kEtkal , varuhai ,
and ambulik kaatal ( six of the ten features defined by 
Tamil literature for PiLLait Tamizh ) . He added his own
TEN unique anubhavams of Kuttik kaNNan's play and composed 
special paasurams covering them . These TEN unique 
anubhavams deal with :

1. TaLar nadai ( tender and uncertain steps of a baby 
   as it starts to take the first few steps after the 
   crawling stage )

2. AcchO , AcchO play 

3. purampulkuDil play with the child

4. Poocchi Kaatal play 

5. Invitation to drink milk from her breast 
   ( mulai uNNa azhaitthal )

6. Kaathu kutthal (ear piercing ceremony )

7. neerada azhaitthal ( Invitation to take his bath )

8. kuzhal vaaral ( tending to His black , curly tresses)

9.kOl kondu varuthal ( asking the crow to bring the 
  grazing staff for Kuttik KaNNan )

10. pUcchUttal ( decorating His freshly combed hair 
    with different kinds of beautiful flowers/AlankhAram )

These anubhavams are the most beautiful for us to experience .
Further , in his ThiruppallANdu , SenniyOngu and a host 
of other paasurams , we come across the depth of AzhwAr's
mystical experince in relating his sambhandham with the Lord .
His expression of gratitude to the Lord for all His
anugrahams and comforting of the Lord that He does not need 
to worry about additional anugrahms beyond what He 
has already blessed him with ( SenniyOngu Paasurams ) 
are the highest expressions of a Parama Bhakthan ,
who has acheived the supreme status of one , whose 
Prapatthi has been accepted by the Lord totally .
 
AchArya RaamAnuja , Bhattar , EmbhAr , Periya VaacchAN
PiLLai ,Swami Desikan , MaNavALa Maamuni and a whole array 
of AchAryArs have been moved deeply by PeriyAzhwAr paasurams .

Let us meditate on the sacred feet of the blessed Father-in-Law
of Sri RanganAthA on the occasion of his Birthday that just 
went by and prepare ourselves for tomorrow , when AchArya 
Natha Muni recovered the entire NaalAyira Divya prabhndhams
from NammAzhwAr Himself thru Yogam and blessed us to have 
them as our kula dhanams .

Sri Kanakavalli SamEtha Sri VeerarAghava ParabrahmaNE Nama:
AzhwAr , AchAryAL THiruvaigaLE SaraNam .

Subhamasthu ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan 
BhaudhAnya Samvathsaram , Aani 21 , Sarva EkAdasi thithi