Search:
Bhakti List Archives

saatrumuRai sErvai at thiruvEngadam

From the Bhakti List Archives

srini • August 15, 1998 


> --------------- MESSAGE bhakti.v003.n051.7 ---------------
> From: Mani Varadarajan 
> Sri Murali Rangaswamy wrote:
> >
> > I wish to point out that Sri Vaishnavas need not pay 
> > 10 bucks for a one second Darshanam of Tiruvenkatan. One service 
> > which is absolutely free is the daily SaRRmuRai Seva. One can get 
> > a Darshan of the Lord from less than 10 ft away for 25 minutes 
> > without paying a single penny! Again glory be to Goda Piratti for 
> > blessing us with these verses, for these pave the way to 
> > Lord Srinivasa for free! Thanks again Sri Sarangapani.
> 
> This is true, and I have had the blessed fortune of 
> seeing thiruvEngadam udaiyaan unobstructed during
> this sEvai, without anyone saying "jargaNdi" (Telugu
> speakers, please pardon any mistakes in spelling!).
> 
> I would like to point out that unfortunately, this sEvai
> is only open to men, not to women, and the men have to
> wear yajnopavIta, wear thirumaN, and have no sideburns 
> or exclusive mustache.

> This restricts it essentially
> to brahmins, or to those adventurous few who don a 
> yajnopavIta to sneak in!
> 
> Mani

Wearing panchakachcham also helps.
I could get in with no problem. Even the theertham is
delicious. The feeling during the 15 minutes of
thamizh paasuram recital in the garbha graham, standing
just a few feet from the moolavar is something
which one will remember for ever. I had the
chance to talk to one of the Bhagavathars. He said,
one could join in the recitation, if you know it
correctly.

After that you will never relish the jargandi sevA.

Unfortunately women are out! I think at Ramanujar's time
women must have been permitted. Also, Sri Vaishnava
of any caste, "who could recite the naalaayiram" must have
been permitted. These new restrictions
must have come after the Brahmin take over.

Following the saatrumuRai sErvai, a group of smarthaas
recite the vEdhas. For this no outsiders are permitted, not
Iyers either. I am told there is pressure to do the same
with saatrumuRai also. So fellow adiyaargaL! hurry up
before it is too late.

adiyEn,

Srinivasan K
srini@Canada.com