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Reflections of the Ninth day about MelukOte sampradhAyam established by AchArya RaamAnujA during his stay at Melukote: Part IV.2, Uthsavams & Dhivya Prabhandham recitations

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Sadagopan • March 12, 2000 


SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs: We will conclude here the dhivya
prabhandam traditions going back to AchArya
RaamAnujA's time at ThirunArAyaNapuram.

AdiyEn has already mentioned the importance of
the particular decad of Thiruvaimozhi ( 4.1)
at this dhivya desam , which is recited on 
Hastha Nakshathram days .

MelukOte's ancient links to dhivya Prabhandham
***********************************************
MelukOte has the distinction of preserving 
dhivya prabhandha GhAnam , much after such a 
tradition had disappeared in Tamil Naadu . 
Even today , ThirunArAyaNapuram has an
officiating Arayar .This is the only temple
outside Tamil Nadu with an Arayar. 

The credit for the restoration of the lost 
dhivya Prabhandhams by AchArya Natha Muni with
the anugraham of Swamy NammAzhwAr at Thirukkurungudi
goes to ThirunArAyaNapuram. AchArya Natha Muni 
heard first the ThiruvAimozhi decad , "AarAvamudhE
adiyEnudalam ninnpaal --" from VangipratthAccciyAr
of ThirunArAyaNapuram at KattumannAr Koil 
.Natha Muni's latter's fervent search for the lost 
ThiruvAimozhi started from there. AchArya RaamAnujA 
strengthened that tradition of dhivya GhAnam of
Tamil MaRais here. Paraasara Bhattar conquered 
"Nanjeeyar" at ThirunArAyaNapuram with the power
of ThirunedumthANDakam and made him an AchArya Purushan. 

Unique traditions of reciting Dhivya Prabhandham
*************************************************
Here at MelukOte, there are some unique traditons 
in vogue from AchArya RaamAnujA's time. In every
dhivya desam , ThiruppallANDu is recited first .
Here, KaNNinuNn SiRutthAmpu of Madhura Kavi AzhwAr
is recited first and ThiruppallANDu takes the second place 
in recitation sequence. This is in recognition of 
the superiority of th BhagavathA /AchAryA over 
BhagavAn in Sri VaishNavA tradition . This 
tradition was also initiated by AchArya RaamAnujA .

The recitation of dhivya Prabhandham takes on
a significant role at MelukOte. We will summarize
the sequences of recital of the Prabhandhams
during specific uthsavams for the Lord here.

(1) Marghazhi AdhyayanOthsavam
*******************************

First 8 days :100 paasurams per day from 
MudalAyiram , which has approximately 800 
paasurams.

Next 12 days: ThiruvAimozhi( 1284 paasurams),
plus ThirukurunthANDakam and ThirunedunthANDakam
of Kaliyan ).

The final 10 days are set for Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi
and MokshOthsavam for Swamy NammAzhwAr . On the fourth
of the 10 days, " OrunaayahamAy " paasuram is
sung by the Arayar as set in TampirAnpadi
and Eedu commentary for that special paasuram for
ThirunArAyaNan. On the final day , the 10th decad of 
Thiruvaimozhi is chanted , while Swamy NammAzhwAr's
ParamapadhOthsavam is enacted . This uthsavam symbolizes 
the attainment of Parama Padham by AzhwAr and His
return to this earth (LilA VibhUthi of the Lord ) to
bless the BhakthAs , who ardently pray for His anugraham.

BrahMOthsaavm & Vairamudi Sevai
********************************
Iyarpa (Mudal AzhwArs 300 pasurams ,
Thiruviruttham, Periya ThiruvanthAdhi, 
ThiruvEzhukooRRirukkai, Naanmuhan 
ThiruvandhAthi , the two madals of Thirumangai
et al) are recited one on each day for 10
days .MudalAyiram and Thiruvaimozhi is
recited at the Yaaga SaalA over the 10 days .
Thus two separate adhyayanams take place .
Periya Thirumozhi is recited on the concluding
RathOthsavam day.

PavitrOthsavam
***************

MudalAyiram , ThiruvAimozhi and Iyarpaa
are recited over 7  days.

ThAyAr Thirunakshathra Uthsavam
*********************************

At ThAyAr Sannidhi , MudalAyiram (1-2 days ),
Periya Thirumozhi ( 3-6 days) , ThiruvAimozhi
(6-8 days) and Iyarpaa (all the 8 days) are
recited .On the day after ThAyAr's birth star
(Chithrai) , The Lord gives Serthi sevai 
with ThAyaar and the whole day , IyaRpaa 
is recited fully all day and the uthsavam 
concludes with recitation of RaamAnuja 
NooRRanthAdhi and Iyal SaatthumuRai.

Ekaadasi days
**************
The tradition of the Lord wearing Pacchai
KaRpUram on His forehead and giving us His sevai 
in the kOlam of ThiruvenkatamudayAn is maintained
in reverence to AnandALvAzhar , who did pushpa 
Kaimkaryam for Thirumalaiappan at the behest
of AchArya RaamAnujA. AnanadALvAn arrived on
a Friday , which happened to be the day of
EkAdasi.AlvAn missed the Sukra Vaara Thirumanjanam
at Thiruppathi during his sevai of ThirunArAyaNan
and the Lord orderd the Kaimkarya ParaaLs
to dress HIm as ThiruvEnkatamudayAN for
His dear devotee and had NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi
recited . The traditon of chanting NaacchiyAr 
Thirumozhi continues even today on Ekaadasis here.

Other Thirunakshathrams and Uthsavams
***************************************

Specific combinations of Dhivya Prabhandhams
are recited on Nrusimha Jayanthi (Svathi), VarAha Jayanthi,
(Revathi) Swamy NammAzhwAr Jayanthi , Thirumangai birthday ,
Sudarsana Jayanthi,VishvaksEna Jayanthi, 
birthdays of Swamy Desikan ( SravaNam),MaNavALa Maamuni, 
(Moolam ) ,PiLLai LOkaachAr(SravaNam ) , KurEsan,
AnanadALvAr janma nakshathrams.All of them
conclude with the recitation of RaamAnuja 
NooRRanthAdhi.

RaamAnujar Thirunakshathram is celebrated here
with grandeur . MudalAyiram is recited on  
the first three days followed by  Thirumozhi 
( 4th to 6th day )and ThiruvAimozhi from 7th to 
the 10th day ). 

The important role given to Dhivya Prabhandham 
at ThirunArAyaNapuram is a testament to Bhagavath
RaamAnujA's affection for the AzhwAr AruLiccheyalkaL.

The Flower , Fruit garden at the Sanskrit Academy
**************************************************
Every day is uthsavam day at ThirunArAyanapuram. 
Lot of flowers are needed to decorate the Lord and
ThAyAr . Sriman Lakshmi TatachAr Swamy and 
Srimathi GodhA Lakshmi TatAchAr dampathis
have created a veritable paradise garden 
on the grounds of Sanskrit research Academy over
the past two decades and present to the dhivya 
dampathis fragrant flowers of every kind as
their kaimkaryam .Hailing from AnandAzhwAn
Vamsam , it is but natural for Sriman Lakshmi
TaatAchAr Swamy and his family to be devoted
to Pushpa Kaimkaryam to the Lord of MelukOte.

It is a great joy to walk around this garden, 
where no fertilizer is used and to see 
the abundance of nature rushing to be of service to 
the Lord. Sri Lakshmi TatAchAr Swamy
took me around this garden to show me the enormous 
varieties of flowers , trees adorning this garden.
This garden has benefitted from the India-wide
search by Sriman TatAchAr swamy for rare plants
mentioned in dhivya prabhandham , PurANams
and IthihAsams .For instance , the flowers 
mentioned by PeriyAzhwAr in his Poocchootal 
Paasurams (Periya Thirumozhi 2.7) 
are blooming here. Until this day of the tour of
the garden , adiyEn has not seen some of these
flowers referred to by PeriyAzhwAr .In the order of 
Periya Thirumozhi , SeNpakam ,Mallikia,Paathiri,
Senkazhuneer ,Punnai ,Kurukkatthi,IruvAtcchi 
and karumuhai flowers are used by AzhwAr 
to decorate Kuttik KaNNan at SrivilliputthUr .

In the garden of Sanskrit academy , we have
the bhAgyam of seeing not only all these flowers,
but also many more ( Mullai, PaarijAtham ,
Sampangi , ManOranjani with its bewitching
perfume, MandhArai, Sougandhikam of MahA BhAratham
fame ,PunnAgam ,Bakula Pushpam associated with
VakuLAbharaNar, Night Queen Flower, KanakAmbharam ,
Sankha Pushpam, THULASI , Panneer , KarpUra
Pacchai, Maruthu flowers. The many sub-species of 
these individual flowers also grow here.
This garden is a veritable heaven on earth 
invoking memories of PeriyAzhwAr , Soodikkoduttha
NaacchiyAr and ThoNdaradipodi ,AnandAzhwAn
known and revered for their Nandavana Kaimkaryams .

In the next posting , adiyEn will sumamrize
the many literary treasures housed inside
the Academy and the ongoing research on
Sanskrit Sri Sookthis dear to our tradition
and the Ubhaya Vedantham texts with great
care and devotion .

Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan    
   


   
 

 


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