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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00026 Aug 2006

 
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Dear members/friends of the Tiruvenkatam Group,

In this post and 2 more that follow (parts 2 and 3),
it is my pleasure to share with you all some of the
pleasant thoughts/impressions that occurred to me on
the happy occasion of the "satAbhishEkam" (80th
birthday) of my dear father, Sri Maadabooshi
Krishnaswamy Iyengar on 21 July 2006 at Chennai,
India.

I sincerely hope you will all enjoy reading it.
 
Regds,
dAsan,

Sudarshan

               ************

As soon as the traditional invitation cards ("manjal
patrikai") for the event of the "sathAbhishEkam" was
delivered to me by the printers, my wife and I
hastened to the Ahobila Mutt premises at Selaiyur,
Chennai almost just in time to catch ("asmath
AchAryan") HH the 45th Azhagiyasingar who was
scheduled to leave with his whole entourage the
following day to Kumbakonam (for the annual
"chAturmAsya sankalpam": the traditional 4-month
retreat of the AchArya during the rainy season).

Admitted into HH presence, he quickly recognized me
and warmly welcomed me and my wife. We made our
prostrations ("danda-samarpaNam") and while we were at
it, Swami suddenly turned to a Mutt inmate standing
beside him and remarked, "Did you know that this young
man is the son of our late mutt 'asthAna vidushi'
Sangitha Kalanidhi Mani Krishnaswami? And also,
through his paternal aunt's side, his family is
actually related to my own in a distant way(during his
"pUrvAshrama" days)?".

I was extremely happy to see that HH was in a very
relaxed mood. Usually, one sees him in the midst of 
hectic Mutt work and burdensome chores. He almost
always is in a hurry to go somewhere else, or about to
meet someone else or about to commence some other
religious engagement. Rarely, if ever at all, had I
seen him with any time on his hands -- enough of it to
recollect common familial connections! I knew luck or
better still, the Grace of our Lord MalOlan, was upon
me, and that I had caught up with HH at such a good
time.

Pleasantries over, HH asked me the purpose of my
visit. "Firstly, to seek your blessings (anugraham)",
I told him, to which he replied, "That you shall
always have in full measure ("paripoornamA eppOdUm
irukkum")!". 

"Secondly", I continued, "I wish to tell you that this
year is particularly auspicious for me personally. It
is the year in which I celebrate the 'satAbhishEkam'
(80th birthday) of both my revered "AchAryan" (the
Azhagiyasingar himself) as well as my dear father.
"Pitr dEvO bhava, AchArya dEvo bhava"! The "AchArya's"
'satAbhishEkam' is to be held, I learn, in a grand
manner later this year. Adiyane, living and working in
Kuwait, I am not sure whether I will be fortunate to
be present on the occasion or not. So, in anticipation
of the event adiyane wishes to submit a humble
'sambhAvana' at the feet of Azhagiyasingar."

HH accepts my offering with a smile full of kindness.
My wife and I are very happy.

"Thirdly", I continue, "adiyane is celebrating the
'sathAbhishEkam' of my dear father Sri Madaboosi
Krishnaswami Iyengar and I wish to submit the very
first invitation card ("patrika")at HH feet and ask
for his blessings to be showered upon my father and
upon the event itself. My father's health is not in a
very good condition and therefore he is not able to
personally be present here now. But on his behalf,I
seek Azhagiyasingar's blessings!".

HH cursorily reads the invitation and hands it over to
an inmate with instructions "Make sure on the day, all
the necessary 'mariyAdai' is taken from the mutt and
ceremoniously presented at the event". Turning to me
HH says, "Good! Don't worry! All the necessary
"bahumAnams" (temple honors) will reach your father on
the auspicious day! Take good care of your father!
Wish you Godspeed! Go now and have 'darshan' of Lord
MalOlan and come back to me before you leave!".

After the 'darshan' of our Lord MalOlan, on my way out
of the Mutt premises, I take final leave of
Azhagiyasingar. HH blesses my wife and me again with
"mantrAkshadai" and a lovely little gold coin embossed
with the figure of Sri Lakshmi-nrsimhan on one side
and his own on the other. It is a little sacred
memento which I know I will cherish all my life!

                   ************

Thanks wholly to the Grace of our Lord at Ahobilam and
to the blessings of HH Srimadh Azhagiyasingar, on the
day of the event of the 'sathAbhishEkam' of my father,
a virtual downpour of "kovil bahumAnam" arrives
(temple honors consist of colorful garlands ("maalai")
and a variety of brilliant vestments ("vastram")
adorned by the principal deity of the temples! They
all arrive from 23 different temples and
"divya-dEsams" all over South India. 

They arrive, carried ceremoniously in procession by
the temple priests, one after the other -- from
Tiruvenkatam, Sri Rangam, Kanchipuram, Melkote,
Tiruvellore, Toopul, Sri Perumbudur, Ahobila Mutt,
ParakAla Mutt, Tirumala Nambi sannidhi, and a host of
other 'divya-dEsams" (and even Kapaleeswara temple of
Mylapore).... And amidst the stentorian chanting of
their respective litanies and 'mantras', the priests
duly bestow upon my father, the grand old man of 80,
the divine "bahumAnam" from the Deities they
represent! 

It is a great sight indeed to witness!

               ***************

The presentation of the temple "bahumAnams" actually 
represent the climactic culmination of several other
rites and rituals performed earlier in the day in true
'vaideeka' manner. 

There had been a recitation by 7 "vEdaviths" of the
"udhaga-shAnti" passage followed by a 'brAhmaNa
bhOjana" or "tadhi-ARaadhanai". There had also been
chanting by 14 "vEda-vidwAns" of the full passage from
the "acchidram/asvamEda" texts from the Vedic
"brAhmaNa". A few Vedic "hOmA" had also been duly
performed followed by "teertha prOkshana" (ceremonial
sprinkling of sanctified ritual water) and
'aseervAdam' (a rite in which all the assembled
relatives/friends seek blessings from the 80-year old
hero of the day!).

A large gathering of the some of the closest friends
and well-wishers of my father and (late) mother were
present for the occasion -- some from the well-known
business circles of Chennai (TVS, Hindu etc.), many
from our native town of Tirupati/Tirumala, and many
more from the Chennai world of Carnatic music too, a
world that has always been dear to my father for well
over 50 years....     
              
Kith, kin, guests, friends, ex-colleagues and
well-wishers of adiyane's father, not to speak of
brothers, sisters, cousins, grandsons,
grand-daughters, nephews and neices --- all poured in
to be present on the occasion. 

To many of the guests, (as they themselves told me
later) attending a "sathAbhishEkam" was a rare event
which they would not miss for anything in the world,
"since it entailed seeking and obtaining, in the
traditional "vaideeka" manner, the blessings of a
venerable elder, something quite hard to come by in
these modern days and immeasurably valuable in a
deeply spiritual way that one can experience but can 
hardly explain". 
  
               ************

The overwhelming (and rather unexpected) enthusiasm
and response elicited from relatives and friends on
the occasion of the 'sathAbhishEkam' of my father
later made me a little pensive and I began to ponder
upon what true meaning and significance it had for
those of us who live in the community and society of
the Vedic faithful. 

Some of those stray ruminations and reflections, I
take pleasure in sharing with you all in the
accompanying post.

Regards,
dAsan,
Sudarshan 






Sudarshan Madabushi
Chief Financial Officer & Vice-President
KGL Ports International
Plot A-21, Kuwait Free Trade Zone.
PO BOx 24565, Safat 13106,
Kuwait.
Ph: (965)- 4827804/5 Ext 212
Fax:       4827806
mob:       7063337
email:  mksudarshan2002@xxxxxxxxxxx


                
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