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Thiruadhyayana Uthsavam at SrI RanganAtha temple : Part II

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Sadagopan • November 14, 2002 


SrI:

Dear SrI RanganAtha BhakthAs:

SrIrangam is the divine dance stage of our
Lord RanganAthan . SrIrangam is the BhUlOka vaikuntam ,
where His consort , SrI RanganAyaki and the 33 crores of
DevAs, Nithya Sooris and Muktha jeevans as well as
Bhaddha Jeevans are blessed to enjoy His divine dance 
under the PraNavAkAra VimAnam serving as the Naatya Rangam. 
Here our Lord wears His Paadhukai and has His sanchAram on 
this divine stage . The 275th SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasra
slOkam (SanchAra paddhathi) salutes the rasAnubhavam of 
the leelai of the Lord at SrIrangam:

ThvayAnubaddhAm MaNipAdharakshE 
leelAgathim Rangasayasya pumsa:
nisAmayantho na punarbhajanthE 
samsArakAnthAra gathAgathAni

(meaning): Oh Gem-studded PaaadhukE! Those fortunate
ones , who are blessed to witness Your Lord's playful dance 
under the vimAnam /stage constructed by You are freed 
from the cycles of births and deaths.From BhUlOka Vaikuntam,
they (the prapannAs)travel on archirAdhi mArgam to Nithya VibhUthi 
of Your Lord. 

That is the dance what we will be enjoying at Pomona , NY
under its own PraNavAkAra VimAnam at the srIrangam of America
during the Thiruadhyayana Uthsavam ( Dec 21,2002 - January 1,2003).

Let me focus on the dance aspects at SrIrangam Uthsavam
known as Nava sandhi Koutthuvam , the dance by devout 
dEva dAsis at the 8 corners of space in and around 
the Raaja Veedhis of SrIrangam . This is a dance that you 
have to visualize these days mentally since its practise
is not extant now due to our misfortune.adiyEn believes
that this dance was in vogue already during 
Thirumangai mannan's time .  

Let me introduce the subject of Bharatha Naatyam first in 
the context of Nava Sandhi Koutthuvam , a temple dance
prescribed in SrIprasna SamhithA of VaishNavite Aagamam .
Prior to that let me mention that the Nava Sandhis 
are the eight directions with Chathur Mukha Brahma
at the center performing BrahmOthsavam. This dance 
is particularly important on the dhvajArOhaNam day. 
(BTW, at Pomona Temple , a lofty  dhvaja sthambham 
has been erected now and needs brass plating ).

The 8 directions and their guardian deities of
these 8 dirctions invoked in nava sandhi Koutthuvam are:

Brahma (Center) 
Indra (East representing Power and Courage)
Agni ( South East : Ritual Sacrifice)
Yama ( South: Justice)
Nirruti ( South West)
VaruNa ( West: Knowledge)
Vaayu ( North West: Life and health)
KubErA ( North: Wealth)
IsAna ( North East: Purity)

There are ancient veda manthrams for these Vedic
Regents of Directions serving their Lord .adiyEn 
will cover these Rg Veda Manthrams on a future
occasion .

There are specific RaagAs, TaaLAs, MudhrAs for each of them. 
Here are the Bharatha Naatyam specifics for Nava sandhi 
dance according to SrIprasna Samhitha:

1.BrahmA (Center) : GhaNtA Raagam , Dhruva Taalam , 
Kamala Nruttam ,Hamsasya MudhrA on the right hand and 
Chatura Mudhra for the left hand ( Index finger, Middle finger  
and the ring finger kept close to each other with the small
finger projected outside and the thumb touching the bottom
of the index finger).  

2. Indran(East): Naatta Raagam, Sama TaaLam , Lalitha Nritta, 
Pataka mudhra.

3. Agni(South East): Gowri Raagam , Ata Taalam , SarvathObhadra 
Nritta and Tripataka and Kangula Mudhraas on the right and left
hands respectively. SarvathObhadra MudhrA has been pointed out to
represent Thaazampoo ( the Flame representing the god of Fire).

4. Yama(South): Desiki or DesAkshi Raagam, JayamangaLa Taalam ,
SarvathObhadra Nritta .

5. Nrriti or Soorya ( South West)

6. VaruNa (West): Naata Raagam again , Bhadra TaaLam , Kamala 
Nritta(Kunchitham) 

7. Vaayu(North West) : SrI Raagam , Jampa TaaLam , Prshta Kuttina Nritta,
Ardha Pataka Mudhra in the left hand and Arala on the right hand.

8. KubEra(North): Mohana Raagam, Ananta TaaLam , Mandala nritta
(Chakra mandalam) .

9. IsAna(North East): Same as above since KubEra is the closest
friend of Lord SivA. 

There are specific Vaadhyams besides the MangaLa Vaadhyam of 
Naadhasvaram during the Nava Sandhi Koutthuvam. 

During the next year's BrahmOthsavam Flag Hoisting ,
We would like to recreate Nava santhi koutthuvam at
SrI RanganAthA temple at Pomona , NY. 

RasAnubhavam of Temple-centric Bhaaratha Naatyam: Anjali vaibhaavm
******************************************************************** 
A well known Bharatha Natyam Dancer of Kalaa KshEthram 
( Smt.Lakshmi Viswanathan) wrote in 1984 some passages
that might be of some interst to us all , when it comes to
temple worship during the Uthsavams of the Lord of SrIrangam .
I am grateful for her scholarship on nava sandhi Koutthuvam
backed up by my sister, who reproduced the Nava sandhi Koutthuvam
for Oppiliappan Sannidhi few years back.Here are quotations
from Bharatha Naatyam expert , Smt. Lakshmi ViswanAthan :

" Upon the framework of stylized movements and symbolic gestures
used in dance is built the emotional concept of Bhava ,
which is the basis for identification between spectator 
and spectacle , giving birth to rasa. Myth becomes reality 
in the sense of being percieved through an inner consciousness
which is termed RasAnubhava , an experience synonymous with 
the spiritual. It is a concept of aesthetics , which has 
STRONG LINKS WITH RELIGION AND DPHILOSOPHY."

" The sculptor and painter needed the dancing form 
and the formalized tenets of dance practice to give the human 
form meaning in stone. And when he was called upon to portray
the gods as representing ideal human beauty , he had to draw upon 
his resources of imagination and capture movements in
arrested posture of perfection .However the role of dance 
and dramatic form in lending  credibility to myths is
unequalled. Through every age , the religious fervour aroused
by such a pertrayal has been undiminished , making the symbolic 
representation of the same stories on a sophisticated 
concert platform (rangam) of the early 20th century both
viable and relevant ....."

"The Bhakthi movement of medieaval India gripped the Tamil
mind resulting in Gopurams soaring up to the sky ,
sporting a landscape with their grand proportions and 
faultlessly attractive dimensions ". 

"It was an era , when the sculptor of stone competed 
with the caster of bronze to invest the human form with
breath-taking allure and supra-natural perfection in order
to make the images worthy of being named gods...
they are not just static expressions of religiosity 
but venues pulsating with the finest expressions of
devotion using the language of craft, music , poetry
and ABOVE ALL DANCE".

Bharatha Naatyam has Samaseer or symmetry , which is also
described as Soushtavam by Sage Bharatha , who wrote
the grammar for Bharatha Naatyam . Modern dances do not
emphasize samaseer and move the limbs in all possible ways
(KOnals/distortions). Modern dance is still evolving 
compared to Bharatha Naatyam , which has reached  
a high plateau according to Smt. Viswanathan. 
                            
The emphasis in Bharatha Naatyam used in
Temple ritual is its integrated focus:

yathO hastha: tathO dhrushti:
yathO dhrushti: tathO mana:
yathO mana: tathO bhAva:
yathO Bhaava: tathO Rasa:

(where the Hastham points is the eye;
Where the eye focuses is the mind;
Where the mind concentrates is the BhAvam;
where the BhAvam is , there is the RasAnubhavam
of the God-intoxicated AzhwArs chiselled in
their bhakthi-laden paasurams ).

Thus We are back to RasAnubhavam experienced by 
Swamy Naathamuni, whose two nephews cherographed 
Dhivya prabhandham to music and Taalam .

Bharatha Naatyam dancers perform Ranga AarAdhanam
with this type of RasAnubhavam :

Bhaarathakula bhAgya KalikE! 
BhaavarasAnandhha -pariNathAkArE ! 
JagathEka Mohana kalE !
Jaya Jaya Rangaathi DevathE Devi!

The holy stage of dance becomes the temple here and is 
worshipped by the Bharatha Naatyam dancers .

In Bharatha Naatyam dance, the symbolism portrayed is unique:

" when the anjali hastham is raised above head ,
the salutation is to the Lord; when the anjali
hastham is kept at the brow level , the salutation
is to the Guru; when the same anjali hastham is
kept at the chest level, the salutation is to
the audience....." All the three anjali mudhrAs
come together at SrIrangam .

Let us reflect on this Anjali Vaibhavam celebrated 
by Swamy  Desikan and begin our preparations for
ChithrabhAnu year's Thiruadhyayana Uthsavam . 

adiyEn invites you all to come and join to
celebrate the Nruthya Arangam at Pomona , NY 
during the Pahal Patthu-Iraa Patthu , Swamy NammAzhwAr 
Moksha uthsavam and SrI Vaikunta EkAdasi.

SrI RanganAthO Jayathi,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
Vice Chairman, SrI ranganAtha Temple, N.Y
http://www.ranganatha.org 



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