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Re: Worship of God upwards from feet

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 27, 2001 


At 05:38 PM 3/18/01 +0530, you wrote:
>Dear All,
>  I'm a new member to the group(Bhakthi Group).
>  I'm not too sure about the reason for the reclining posture of 
the God at Srirangam and several other places.

Dear Smt.Dweepa: 

RESPONSE TO YOUR FIRST QUERY: WHY  SAYANAM ? 
********************************************
Bhagavaan Sriman NaarAyaNan is saluted by AzhwArs
as " ninRAn, IrunthAn, KidanthAn and NadanthAn" 
following ancient texts(Aagamam , PurANam , Vedam ).

Aagama Saasthrams prescribe the consecration of 
PerumALs in Archai (iconic Images worshipped at 
the temples) in the context of VyUham theory 
developed by PaancharAthra AagamAs .
 
FOUR THIRUKKOLAMS
******************
(1)NinRAN is the standing posture at dhivya Desams like
Oppiliappan Koil (ThiruviNNagar), Thirumalai .In 60 of 
the 108 Dhivya Desams (DD)sung by AzhwArs , PerumAL is 
seen in the NinRa ThirukkOlam (ParA form as Para VaasudEvan).

(2)IrunthAn is the seated posture. There are 21 DD,
where the Lord is in VeeRRiruntha ThirukkOlam.Examples
of such DD are: AyOddhi, ThiruvAli,Koodal azhagar et al.
This is as in Parama Padham as Sri Vaikunta Naathan ,
who is seated.

(3) KidanthAn is the perumAL in sayanam posture.
Lord RanganAthan, Thirukkudanthai AarAvamudhan and
25 other PerumALs are in sayana  thirukkOlam .
This is to remind one of Lord's sayanam at Milky 
Ocean in Yoga Nidhrai (VyUham ).  

These 27 sayanams break up further into UdhyOga Sayanam
( Thirukkudanthai AarAvamudhan), Dharbha sayanam 
( ThiruppullANi) , Bhujanga sayanam (20 DD including
Srirangam and Thiruvananthapuram ),Tala(sthala) Sayanam 
( Thirukkadan mallai) ,BhOga Sayanam ( Thirucchithra Kootam ),
MaNikka sayanam ( Thiruneer malai) and VaDa pathra Sayanam 
(Sri VillipputthUr).

These Sayana ThirukkOlams refer to the Sevai of
the Lord as in ThiruppARkkadal engaged in Yoga Nidhrai.
Specific sthala PurANams are also involved in
some of them : Dharbha sayanam of Lord Raamachandran
on the shores of the Ocean to get permission from
Samudhra raajan to build a dam (sEthu) over him 
to reach LankA .

(4)NadanthAn is a special version of NinRAn and
is associated with ThrivikramAvathAram (SeerkAzhi et al).
These relate to Vibhava avathArams like VaamAna -
ThrivikramAvathArams.This avathAram is also celebrated 
in Vedam .

There are also specifications on which directions 
the Murthys face. Among the 108 DD , majority
of the perumALs face east (79 to be exact ).
SEVEN PerumALs face South like Sri RanganAthA.
NINTEEN PerumALs face West like Kaanchi VaradarAjan .
THREE PerumALs face North like those at SaaLagrAmam, 
AyOddhi and UrayUr.Lord RanganAthA faces South to bless 
His Bhakthan , VibhishaNan of Sri Lankai.

RESPONSE TO SECOND QUESTION
*****************************       

>  But as far worshiping the Lord by seeing him from feet and upwards, i
>can explain.

>This, I think is the reason why one should worship the God upside from
>feet onwards.
>
>Best,
>Dweepa.

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF ANUBHAVAM OF PERUMAAL :
PAADHAADHI KESAANTHAM AND KESAADHI PAADHAANTHAM 
( FROM FOOT TO HEAD AND FROM HEAD TO FOOT).

ThiruppANAzhwAr enjoys the Lord from Foot to Head
in His Prabhandham , AmalanAdhipirAn. SWamy Desikan
follows the same route in his Bhagavath DhyAna SopAnam ,
when he enjoys Lord RanganAthan. In the case of
enjoying the sarvAnga Soundharyam of the Lord 
at ThiruvahIndhrapuram ( Lord DevanAthan ) in 
his DevanAyaka PanchAsath , Swamy Desikan takes
the opposite route ( KesAdhi PaadhAntham) . In thirty
of the Fifty slOkams of this Sthothram , Swamy Desikan
starts from the resplendent Crown of the Lord and 
descends down to the Lord's Thiruvadi and finally
stops with the salutation of the sacred dust associated 
with those holy feet of Deva Naayaka PerumaaL.

Hence Both approaches are used in enjoying the Lord.

Your reference to ArjunA and DuryOdhanan waiting at
the foot side and head side of Lord KrishNA's cot
is a special situation . The awakening Lord sees 
Arjuna first and DuryOdhanan later .Lord KrishNa 
agrees to their different boons and the shape of
MahA BhAratham war is determined right there based
on who the Lord saw first and who was humble or
haughty in Lord's presence.

V.Sadagopan  


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