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ChaturmAsya Sankalpam

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Shyam Sreenivasan • July 23, 2002 


Sri:
Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha:

Today (July 24, 2002) is Aashada (Aani) Pournami day. As adiyen writes
this, asmadh Acharyan Srirangam Srimath Andavan Sri Rangaramanuja
Mahadesikan is observing His 14th ChaturmAsya Sankalpam at Bangalore
Sripuram Asramam. All of our Acharyas who have undertaken Sanyasa dharma
with infinite compassion for us and undertaken this great sacrifice,
would be observing ChaturmAsya Sankalpam in various parts of India on
this auspicious day. Adyen came across a wonderful article about
ChAturmAsya Sankalpam in Tamil in one of the publications of Srirangam
Andavan Ashramam. Adiyen has tried to translate this in English for the
benefit of everyone. Adiyen seeks your pardon in advance for any
mistakes in this writeup.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Sri:
                          ChAturmAsya Sankalpam

A brAhman is called a ‘dvijan’ ie one with two births. Just like how
UpAkarmA is considered very important for a brAhman, ChaturmAsya
Sankalpam is considered very important for a SanyAsi (yathivara). The
number of chaturmAsya sankalpams observed by a yathivara is used a
measure of a sanyAsiÂ’s age in thuri-Ashramam (i.e. after becoming a
sanyAsi) and not his actual age. Our shAstras require that if a
yathivara who is of older age meets a younger yathivara who has observed
more chaturmAsya vrathams, the older yathivara should prostrate in front
of the younger yathivara. This is because the number of chAturmAsya
vrathams observed by the younger yathivara is more than the older
yathivara and hence is considered elder in position.

In the 4 months of Aavani, Purattasi, Aippasi and Karthigai, it normally
rains heavily in India. This helps in enormous procreation of many
insects and other tiny living creatures in the soil during this rainy
season. Because they are everywhere on the ground, they are harmed
immensely by the people treading upon them and even gets killed. As
Thiruvalluvan beautifully summarizes the yathi dharmam in a KuraL: "uRRa
nOy nORRal Uyir KurugaN Seyyamai, aRRe thavathiR guru" about a sanyasi's
dharma, the sanyAsis have undertaken an “ahimsa dharmam” towards all
living beings, they avoid any harm to these insects and worms by
stopping all sanchAram in these months and by taking a vow to stay in
that place for this 4 month period. This vow is called ChAturmAsya
Sankalpam.

There is a veda vAkyam which says “pakshA vai mAsA:” i.e. a paksha (15
days) can be considered as a month. Since it is very difficult nowadays
for yathis to stay in a place for 4 months due to their sishyas wishes
for their achArya to undertake sanchAram constantly and reach out to
them, the sankalpam is nowadays undertaken by yathivaras for 4 pakshams
i.e. 2 calendar months instead of 4 calendar months. This vratham is
generally started on the Pournami following Aani- AmAvAsyai and
completed on the Pournami day following Aavani-AmAvAsyai.

On the day of the beginning of this vratham, the yathivaras complete
their nithya karmas and bhagavadh arAdhanam. A small piece of soily land
will be consecrated and purified with AvAhanam and aradhanam to Sri
Boovaraha Perumal and Sri Bhoomi Piratti. Sishyas will congregate in
this place and chant Bhoo sooktha veda parayanam during the aradhanam.
After the ArAdhanam, the achArya yathivara will collect this soil
himself  required for their anushtAnams during the period of the
vratham. After this, the yathivara will undergo thirumudi viLakkam
(shave), will have bath and then perform special aradhanam again. After
the ArAdhanam, yathivara will be joined by all the sishyas in reciting
pancha shanthi. After the completion of this veda parayanam, both the
AchArya and his sishyas will undertake a sankalpam (vow). First the
AchArya will say

“AashAda PournamAseem Arabhya bhAdrapada PournamAsi paryantham
ChaturmAsya vratham sthAsye”

meaning “I undertake this chaturmAsya vratham from Aadi Pournami till
Aavani Pournami”

After the Acharya undertakes the chAturmAsya sankalpam with the above
words, the sishyas gathered will tell the AcharyA the following verse

“Nivasanthu sukhenAthra gamishyAmaha kruthArthathAm !
 YathAsakthi cha sisrooshAm karishyAmO vayam mudha !!”

meaning “You (the AchArya) please kindly stay in this place with all
happiness and bless us for an opportunity to serve you. We vow to serve
you to the best of our abilities”

The significance of starting the sankalpam on Aashada Pournami is that
it is celebrated as the avathAram day of the great sage VyAsa who
organized the Apourusheya Vedas into 4 major sections.(Rig: 1131 Sakhas
or Recensions divided into Rig (21 sakhas), Yajur: 101 sakhas, Sama:
1000 sakhas and Atharvana Veda: 9 sakhas); wrote the Brahma Sutras (555
Sutras); wrote 18 Maha Puranas which includes Srimath BhAgavatham
(Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Siva Purana, Skanda
Purana, Garuda Purana, Brahmanda Purana etc. Of these 18, Vishnu Purana
was wrote by Vysacharya's father Parasaracharya, but was edited and
presented by Vyasa). He is also celebrated as “VyAsAya vishnu rupAya
vyAsa rupAya vishnave” in Vishnu Sahasranam and by our Swami Desikan as
“mey alladhu viLambhadha vyAsan kAttum vilakillA nan neRiyE viRaindhu
selveer”. Such is the great significance of this chAturmAsya sankalpam
day. In some

On this day, let us pray the divya dhampathis to bless us all by
granting all our AchAryAs with many more chaturmAsya sankalpams and
bless them to guide us all to serve Sriman Narayana with nithya
kaimkaryam. Here is a brief list of the places where His Holiness
Srirangam Srimath Andavan Sri Rangaramanuja Mahadesikan has observed
Chaturmasya Sankalpams from 1989 until now.

Ist  - Srirangam 18-7-1989
2nd  - Bangalore (Jayanagar) 8-7-1990
3rd  - Kanchipuram 26-7-1991
4th  - Chennai, Alwarpet -7-1991
5th  - Srirangam 3-7-1993
6th  - Srirangam 22-7-1994
7th  - Chennai 17-7-1995
8th  - Rishikesh 30-7-1996
9th  - Srirangam 20-7-1997
10th - Chennai 9-7-1998
11th - Chennai 20-7-1999
12th - Keezha Vazhuthur 19-7-2000
13th - New Delhi 18-7-2001
14th - Bangalore 24-7-2002 (being observed at Sripuram Ashramam,
Bangalore)

adiyen dasan,
shyamsundar  sreenivasan


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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