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Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam: Nithya AarAdhana kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan : Part II

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • December 1, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs:

Let us start on our journey to ThirutthaNkA.

The Dhivya Desam Particulars
*****************************
ThiruttaNkA is One of the 108 VaishNavite Dhivya Desams 
in Thondai naadu. Here the PerumAL's name is ViLakkoLi PerumAL 
or Dheepa PrakAsan .ThAyaar's name is Maragathavalli ,
the one with the ever-green hue of an emerald gem .
There is a saras(pond) called Lakshmi Saras  out of which
Sri Maragathavalli incarnated and embraced Dheepa PrakAsan,
Her Lord.
 
The Kshethram is close to Vegavathi river. Vegavathi is 
none other than Sarasvathi Devi . The VimAnam is Srikara VimAnam
(auspiciousness -granting VimAnam).The Theertham is known as 
Sarasvathi Theertham and the Lord is Prathyaksham to Sarasvathi 
Devi. This is the birth place of the great VishNavite AchAryan , 
Swamy VedAntha Desikan , who has bequeathed us with matchless
treasures . 

The two Paasurmas of Thirumangai on this dhivya dEsam
******************************************************
This dhivya dEsam is very close in name to another
dhivya dEsam called ThirutthaNkAl near SivakAsi in 
Paandya naadu.ThirtthaNkA however is in Thondai Naadu ,
some 2 miles from Kaanchipuram. Thirumangai Mannan has 
performed MangaLAsAsanam for Sri Dheepa prakAsan of 
ThiruttaNkA with two paasurams:

Periya Thirumozhi (10.1.2) and ThirunedumthANDakam
(14th paasuram). 

First paasuram
***************
In the Periya Thirumozhi (PTM) paasuram , Kaliyan 
salutes Dheepa PrakAsan this way:

  Ponnai MaamaNiyai aNi aarnthathu ohR--
  Minnai, Venkatatthu ucchiyil kaNdu-pOy
  yennai aaLUdai Isanai Empiraan--
  Tannai , yaam senRU kaaNDum ThaNkAvilE 

(meaning): My Gold ! My precious Gem ! My 
eye-filling Lightning(JyOthi)! My Lord and Master--
adiyEn had Your darsanam on top of the Venkatam
hills(yesterday); today adiyEn shall go and have 
Your darsanam at ThirutthaNkA .
   
Here Kaliyan salutes Dheepa PrakAsan as his
Sarva Swami and Sarva lOka Seshi , who rules
over him ( yennai aaLudai Isanai). He points out 
that he already had the darsanam of Sriman NaarAyaNan
as Vada-Venkatavan and now he is travelling south to
ThirutthaNkA to have His darsana soubhAgyam as
Dheepa PrakAsan .

The PerumAl here is called Hima Upavana Isan 
in Sanskrit.Kaliyan seems to connect this "Isan " 
aspect in his paasuram to the Sanskrit naamam
of the Lord that refers to Him as Hima Upavana Isan. 

In the above PTM 10.1.set of ten paasurmas 
( Oru Nall suRRam --) , Kaliyan performs 
MangaLASAsanam for the perumALs of 18 dhivya
Desams ( Thiruneermalai, ThirukkaNNamangai,
ThiruvEnkatam , ThirutthaNkA , ThriuvAli , 
ThirunAngUr , ThiruppEr , ThiruveLLaRai, 
ThirunaRayUr, Thirumeyyam , ThirucchERai ,
Thirukkudanthai , Thiruvazhunthai , ThiruvehhA , 
ThirumAlirumchOlai, ThiruviNNagar , ThirukkOttiyUr
and ThirunAvAi). Dheepa PrakAsan is in this select set 
of 18 dhivya desa EmperumAns for whom Kaliyan
performed mangaLAsAsanam in the PTM 10.1.

ThirunedumthANDakam Paasuram on ThirutthaNkA
*********************************************
The second Paasuram of Kaliyan takes on the form of 
ParakAla Naayaki's actions and he dedicates the 14th paasuram 
of ThirunedumthANDakam to Sri Dheepa PrakAsan .Sri Vaikunta 
Vaasi Selvamudiyappan pEttai Arayar , Sri Sriram Bharathi
has suggested that this paasuram is to be sung and danced in 
KanAda raagam and Misra ChApu TaaLam .He has suggested that
the first paasuram should be sung and danced in SaamA Raagam and
Adhi TaaLam.

The text of this paasuram , ParakAla Naayaki is seen
saluting her beloved (pet) parrot with folded hands 
for singing about her Lord of ThiruttaNkA and confessing
that her labor in training the parrot to sing her Lord's
name has been fully rewarded.The portion of the text of
this beautiful paasuram relating to ViLakkoLi PerumAl
and His divine Consort Sri Maragatha Valli is as follows:

--ViLakku oLiyai Maragathatthai ,
ThirutthaNkAvil  ThiruvehhAvil PaadakkEttu ,
vaLartthathAl payan peRREn , Varuha yenRu
MadakkiLiyai kai koopi vaNaginALE 

Upanishadic Connection to Dheepa PrakAsan:
******************************************
PerumAl of ThirutthaNkA is linked to the PrakAsam
(lustre) of the divine Dheepam . The PrakAsam is
Svayam-prakAsam since the Lord is Svayam-Jyothi.
He is also Param Jyothi , the supreme radiance as
Cosmic light .The reference here is to VedAntha 
Soothram 1.1.25: "JyothisccharaNAbhdhAnAth".

Here, the light is the  cosmic light(JyOthi). The root 
" jyO " means to advise , instruct on appropriate 
religious rites like JyOthisthOma (JyOthishtOma) in
the role of an AchAryan .The noun "JyOthis" means lustre , 
light of Brahman , the Supreme Being. JyOthis is also 
an epithet of Sri VishNu-NaarAyanan.He is JyOthirmayan ,
JyOthi MangaLam , JyOthi Chakram and Dheepa PrakAsan.
He is NanthA ViLakku and His Devi is His PrakAsam .

The connecting text used by AchArya RaamAnujA 
to comment on the above Brahma Soothram is from 
ChAndhOgya Upanishad (III.13.7): " Now that light
which shines above this heaven, higher than all ,
higher than everything , in the highest realms 
(worlds) beyond which there are no other worlds ,
this is the same light within man".All the three
AchAryAs , who have written commentaries on Brahma
Soothra agree that this JyOthi (Dheepa PrakAsam) is
the Supreme Spiritual JyOthi , the Brahman , since
it is the primordial JyOthi giving luminosity to 
all other luminary bodies like the Sun , the Moon
etc. The passage from MuNDaka Upanishad supports this:
TamEva bhAntham anubhAthi SARVAM , tasya bhAsa SARVAM
IDHAM VIBHAATHI (" Him , the shining One , every thing 
shines after; by this light all this is lighted ".
BrahadAraNyaka Upanishad joins in: TaddEvaa JyOthishAm 
JyOthir-aayur-hopaasate amrutham ( Him the gods worship 
as the light of lights as the Immortal).

Based on this pramANams, BaadaraayaNa , the author of
Brahma SoothrAs concludes that the term "JyOthis" 
in this Soothram denotes Brahman Only and not any other 
radiance from physical light(Sun, Moon , Star etc).

Bhagavath GitA will adduce supporting evidence
from the Vaak of the Lord Himself at Kuru KshEthram:

"AadhithyAnAm Aham VISHNU:
 JyOthishAm RaviramsumAn "

(meaning): Among the  twelve AadhithyAs , I am 
th 12th AadhithyA called VISHNU, who is paramount.
Of luminous bodies (JyOthis) , I am the Sun , the most 
brilliant luminary. 

GithAcharyan thus connects the underlying principle
behind all the JyOthis , which derive their power
from His Supreme Radiance. 

Swamy Deikan's explanation of the JyOthi at ThirutthaNkA
********************************************************* 
Swamy Desikan underlines this doctrine relating to
Dheepa PrakAsan in the second slOkam of Sri SaraNAgathi
Dheepikai: 

" VedAntha VEdhyam iha vEgavathI sameepE 
  Dheepa-PrakAsa ithi dhaivatham adhvitheeyam "

In the earlier part of this slOkam , Swamy Desikan
described the matchless Supreme One shining near
Vegavathi river with the naamam of Dheepa-PrakAsan
as " nirvyAja Nirbhara-DayA Bharitham ". This divine
radiance is saluted as the avyAja DayA Svaroopam ,
the embodiment of natural DayA vigraham .In the next
slOkam , Swamy Desikan would salute the Lord and explain
His relationship to His divine consort , Maragatha Valli
this way:  Dheepa: ThvamEva JagathAm , DayithA ruchistE.
Oh My Lord of ThirutthaNkA! Thou art the Light to all
the worlds ; the lustre of Your light is Your Devi". 
He goes on to say: " This world has long been sunk in 
the darkness of ajn~Anam. Only You and Your divine consort
have the power to banish the darkness of nescience .
You become under the influence of anyone , who just
says: I seek Your refuge as SaraNAgathan ". Swamy Desikan
thus focuses on the UpAyam and UpEyam aspects of 
this dhivya Mithunam (Divine Couple) residing under
Srikara VimAnam of ThirutthaNkA KshEthram.

Rg and Saama Vedic salutations to ParamAthma:"JyOthi " 
*****************************************************
There are five Veda manthrams in Rg and Saama Vedams
that comment furhter on the JyOthi or Dheepa PrakAsam
aspect of the Supreme Being . They are the following Rks
and Saamans:

1. Rg Vedam: I.136.3

2. Rg Vedam : III.39.7

3.Rg Vedam : III.39.8

4. Rg Vedam : VIII.58.3

5. Rg Vedam : IX.86.10 (Saamans: 1031-1033).

They all start with the word "JyOthis ". They discuss
together the supreme radiance behind the luminosity of
the Sun , the power of that Param JyOthi to banish 
ajn~Anam and end up with Bhakthi-Poorvaka aathma 
SamarpaNam. 

adiyEn will focus on these Veda Manthrams in the next
posting before starting to cover the individual slOkams
of Sri SaraNAgathi Dheepikai of Swamy Desikan.

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,
DaasOham , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan

P.S: adiyEn requests You with anjali-bhaddha hastham 
(folded hands) to participate in the efforts to realize
uninterrupted Nithya AarAdhanam at the sannidhis of 
Swamy Desikan and ViLakkoLi PerumAL sannidhi at ThirutthaNkA.
Our target is to raise a core fund of three laks of Rupees 
( $6,250). Swamy Desikan was born in this KshEthram of
Sri Dheepa PrakAsan and we can feel like the ones  who
have done our requisite duties(Krutha-kruthyAs ) through
particpation in this important kaimkaryam .Thank you 
in advance and may the blessings of the dhivya Dampathis
and the AchAryan be with you and your family always !
        

 

  


 





   



 






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