Sri Bhumi Devi MaaNikka Kondai kaimkaryam: Final Appeal

From the Bhakti List Archives

• June 29, 1997


Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group : 

The date is now set for the initiation of the Ruby
crown ( Mangayarkarasi Kondai ) Kaimkaryam for 
Sri Bhumi Devi at Oppilaippan Koil . As described 
in the earlier posting , this AabharaNam for Sri Bhumi 
Devi uthsavar will be created in the style of the one that  
worn by Sri AanDAL  of Srivilliputthur. We seek Sri Bhumi Devi's
blessings for the succesful completion of this sacred task .
May I request you to join in this noble and auspicious 
Kaimkaryam and receive the blessings of the Divya Dampathis .
It is our hope to complete the task prior to Iyppasi SravaNam 
and present the new Kondai to Bhumi Devi on the day of Her
ThirukkalyANam ( November 7 , 1997 ). 

Any amount sent to me as SamarpaNam will be matched by me .
I will forward the collected amount to the " GodhA PriyA committee ",
which is going to complete this auspicious task . The committe is 
headquartered in West Mambalam , Chennai . My address is :

V.Sadagopan, Apt 6B-1 , Scarborough manor , Scarborough , NY
( Telephone : 914-762-6690 ; Fax : 914-923-1103 ) . 

The date for sankalpam and start of this kaimkaryam is
set for July 16 , 97 , the day of the birth of the month of 
Aadi . In this year saluted as Isvara Samvathsaram ,
Aadi Maasam in particular is revered for many reasons : 

(1) The first of Aadi is the beginning of the DakshiNAyaNa 
PuNya Kaalam (2) The first of Aadi is the birth day of 
Sri Naatha MunigaL without whom , we could not have had 
the blessings of NaalAyira Divya Prabhandham to cherish .
(3 )Sri AandAL incarnated  in this month under a TuLasi
plant in the Nandavanam of PeriyAzhwAr at Srivilliputthur
on an Aadi Pooram day (4) the PathinettAm Perukku is 
on Aadi 23 ( August 8 ) . 

Thus for number of reasons , the /Mithuna Kataka Maasa 
dinam chosen ( July 16 ) is a subha Muhoortham for the prayerful
initiation of this Kaimkaryam for our Mother , Bhumi Devi .

The nakshthram is Anusham or AnurAdhA , a constellation 
recommended for starting work on  new AabharaNam , 
new dress by the Jyothisha saasthrams ( Vide : Slokam 861 
of RPS , where Swami Desikan describes the presentation of 
Noothana vasthram to Bhumi Devi by the PaadhukhAs through
the weaving of their colorful rays ) . 

The sankalpam for the initiation ceremony is as  follows : 

Hari: Om tath , Sri Govinda Govinda Asya Sri Bahgavatha : 
MahA purushasya Sri VishNOragyayA pravarthamAnasya
adhya brahmaNa : dvidheeyaparArthE Sri Svetha VarAha 
kalpE vaivasvatha manvanthrE Kali yughE prathamE paadhE ,
Jambhu dhveepE , Bharatha VarshE , Bharatha KandE ,
sakAbhdhE mErOr dakshinE PaarsvE , asmin varthamAnE 
vyAvahArikhE PrabhavAdhi Sashti samvathsarANAm madhyE
ISVARA  naama samvathsarE , uttarAyaNE greeshma ruthou 
mithuna maasE suklapakshE , sowmya vaasara , AnurAdhA
Nakshthra YukthAyAm , Sri VishNu yoga Sri VishNu karaNa 
Subha Yoga , Subha KaraNa , yevamguNa visishtAyAm asyAm 
EKAADASYAAM puNya tithou , Sri Bahgavadh Aj~nya , Sri Bhagavadh
preethyartham , Sri Bhumi DEvi MaaNikka KireetAkhyam 
kaimkaryam Sri AakAsa Nagara KshEthre , SuddhAnandha 
VimAna chAyAyAm , Sri Bhumi DEvi Sametha SravaNa 
VenkatEsa Swami Sannidhou  karishyE .

Any amount from you ( $10 to $100 ) is most welcome to
meet the modest target of $2,000 to add to the existing funds 
and to complete this kaimkaryam . 

I will conclude this posting/appeal with the 29th slokam of Bhu
Sthuthi by Swami Desikan :

thrANApisandhi subhagEapi sadhA MukundhE 
     samsAra tantra vahnEna viLambhamAnE I
Raksha Vidhou tanubruthAm anagAnukampA 
     Matha: svayam vithanushE mahatheem ApEkshAm II

( Meaning ) : O Bhumi Devi ,  the Mother of the Universe ! 
Your Lord has indeed the protector of all jeeva raasis .
Hence , it is easy to approach Him . Inspite of it , 
He does not rush to the help of chEthanAs . Why ? He has the 
responsibility to uphold and enforce the rules of the world as 
its emperor . Therefore , He waits for an UpAyam /VyAjam to
come to the rescue of the Jeevans . Therefore, there is an understandable 
time delay in His response. During that tortuous time of waiting , Your
matchless compassion for the suffering jeevans flows without 
let. You by Yourself undertake a vow ( sankalpam ) to protect 
the Jeevans . You bless the Jeevans to take the initiative of 
an UpAyam and thereby unite them with Your Lord , who is waiting 
to bless them with Moksham . 

Sri KrishNArpaNamasthu .
Sri Bhumi Devi Sametha Sri VaikunTa Nagareesan 
ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam . 
Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan