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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00318 Dec 2008

 
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Respectful SwAmin, This is a very interesting write up. However, there needs clarity. Many may not be able to understand fully and pinpoint the message that is being conveyed.
The definition of "kulam" and "kudi" is fine.
Kula deivam -- Deivam means God. It may be Vishnu, Siva, Muruga,or Durga according to whom, the siddhanta has also been developed.
So, those who worship SrI Vishnu form a group.
Within this come differences -- according to the form that is being worshipped by the family traditionally. SrI Vishnu has inumerable forms and names. If one has to progress, he or she has to choose a form and a name. If a tradition of a family is worshiping a particular form of SrI Vishnu -- in arcAmoorthy. This may be SrI Ranganatha, Sri Venkateswara, SrI Kanchi Varadar or Melkote's Selva NarayaNa or still some other kshEtram.
This becomes what is generally meant "kula deivam" in the common parlour. Here "deivam" is meant only a particular moorthi with a particular name which also belong to SrImaN nArAyaNa.
It is because, it is easier to meditate on that form and do japa by that name.
adiyEn has heard that there were or even now are who concentrate on only SrI Ranganatha and their kshetram is Sri Rangam. They do not go to any other kshetram or moorthi, even if it is ThiruvEnkatam or SrinivAsan. Similarly are other kshetrams and moorthies.
Literal research on words or terms  of the Lord will not help us. We have to leave as it is.
What is, however, required is that guidance by Scholars/ Acharyas  to guide a particular family who has lost the continuity of its traditional Moorthi and the Name. For them, as stated earlier, SrI ThiruvenkatamudaiyAn comes to help.
If anything excess has been stated by adiyEn, pl. pardon.
Regards,
dAsan
anbil SrInivAsan  

--- On Sat, 27/12/08, Jayasree Saranathan <jayasree.saranathan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Jayasree Saranathan <jayasree.saranathan@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Oppiliappan] Re: kula deivam
To: oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Dr. Sadagopan" <yennappan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Saturday, 27 December, 2008, 9:04 PM

Dear Moderator swamin,

 

It is a thought provoking mail from Swamin, making me share a bit more on the question of the Universal Kula deivam.

Respected Swamin, please consider the present mail

as an attempt at 'tattwa nirNayam' and

not as an apacharam or adhika-prasangi- th-thanam.

 

Our bhagawan has numerous roopams, He has numerous names.

No one roopam or no one name is inferior or superior to another.

Each one of us connect with some roopams or

some names due to various reasons - known and unknown.

But beyond all this, there is something as tradition which we follow.

In that way, kula deivam comes as a tradition - as a protector of a kulam.

 

 

Kula vazhakkam â Kudi vazhakkam.

 

Kulam is defined as something different from Kudi.

Kudi is the root word for Kutumbham (we can quote texts in Tamil).

A kudi vazhi is something that comes in a family for generations.

There is 'kudi vazhakkam' coming down in the family.

But Kula vazhakkam is different from Kudi vazhakkam

 

A kulam is defined as "koottam" that is not homogenous in all aspects

but is united on some specific trait.

In this way, there is manushya kulam, deva kulam, asura kulam etc.

As swamin has said we are a vaishnava kulam as Vishnu worship is the unifying thread.

It is with reference to this unifying factor,

we have been given a single form as the form common to all.

That form is Venkatavan's.

 

Specific forms of God are worshipped as kudi vazhakkam.

The shalagrama worship is transferred from generation to generation as Kudi vazhakkam.

The veettu vazhipaadu is kudi vazhakkam.

However the root of Kudi vazhakkam is always the root of Kula vazhakkam.

 

As a kulam, all people of a kulam  worship one form as the foremost.

If we say  Koil, it denotes Srirangam.

If we say PerumaL, He is always  the one associated with the chanting of

"Govinda Govinda" âHe is the Malaiappan.

 

Seeing the 'para- vasthu' on Garudan,

Periaazhwar, remembered Venkatavan, his Kuala deivam,

the one worshiped by "enthai, thanthai.."

and who enjoys "ThiruvOna âth- thiru vizhavu".

Aazhwar has thus indicated the Kula deivam for all!

 

 

The Kula dhanam


Dhanam has been identified as four in number.

They are

Sriranga mangala nidhi, the nidhi at Venkatam, at Hasthigiri and at Yadugiri.

The common thread in these four is veLLam (flood waters) and verpu (hill or mountain)

This is further fine-tuned by aazhwars who have seen 3 forms in their vuLLam

(vuALn kandai pasurams)

One is at veLLam, one is at verpu and the other is 'maN aLAndhaan'

These three are glorified, as they remind one of the cosmic forms of Lord!

 

The first is about his sthithi in milky ocean (veLlAm / Srirangam)

The second is about Koorma avatara (venkatam)

And the third is about Vamana avatara. (maN aLandhaan)

 

Elaborating this,

if we look at a river, or waters or floods, we are reminded of milky ocean and

the worlds that are yet to be born

 

If we look at a hill or mountain, we are reminded of Thirmaal in His original ThirumEni.

The tall mountain reminds us of His tall figure.

The sun and the moon are His charka and shanku.

The blue sky and the dark clouds are Him only.

His dress is bright, made so by the lightening in the hill tops.

We can be near Him only when we reach the clouds and sky in the hill tops.

This is a cosmic form of lord which can be experienced only on the hill top.

 

The mountain  resembles the Manthara parvada  

with the serpent around it as was in Koorma avatara. (Nanmugan Thiruvandhathi 49)

The lord at Venkatam with His 'Thiru mangai" and

the Parivar (and nithya sooris) is in the Ultimate form â  

reminiscending  the world that has just been formed after the churning.

 

In the avatars after these two only, Bhoodevi is taken out and

specific acts of protection are carried out.

In all these avatars, Bhagawan's imprint is on the world we live.

But the first two as personified at Vellam and Venkatam are

the result of Lord's mercy on us to make Himself accessible to us

in His traits as not felt by the inhabitants of this world!

 

The four forms of dhanam (nidhi) are worshipped everyday.

But no one knows the origins of two of them.

The one at Srirangam is the kula dhanam of Sri Raman himself.

No one knows its origins.

The one at Venkatam also has no beginnings.

His is the eternal swaroopa of the Nedu-maal.

 

It is He who comes as Jyeshtan.

It is He who is Kanishta too.

Baladeva is Jyeshtan.

But Krishnan as Kanishtan is special.

 

 

Specialty of Venkatam as Verpu.


'Verpu' -the mountains - are lofty,  can be seen from anywhere.

Such lofty abodes are 3 in number.

Venkatam, Vaikuntham and Maal Irum cholai are His iruppidam

In addition we have Emperumaanaar' s manas.

Since they are lofty abodes, we don't have to go to them.

( Appillai urai for "sendru vaNAnguminO SeNuyar Venkatatthai" â Nanmugan Tâ 42)

From wherever we are, we can see them and worship.

Just look at the direction of verpu.

Look at the sky and clouds and the sun and the moon.

You have had the dharshan of Him.

That is why that 'verpu' of Venkatavan is characterized as 'senni vOngu' â

high in the world by Aazhwar.

 

In previous births as "pazhavadiyen" ,

aazhwar would have served the Lord in different divya desas.

But at all those times, Venkatam and Thiruvarangam must have been

at the top of his list.

Thiruvarangam is final destination.

Once one has gone there, it is all over.

It happened with Andal, Azhwars and Emperummanaar!


Raman as Venkatavan.


Raman is another form of Venkatavan (Naan .Thiru 47)

(Peria vaacchaan and Appillai urai) due to the kind of protection He does.

Venkatavan does rakshanam in the forests of Venkatam

where elephants and lions co-exist.

Similarly Raman carried out his rakshanam not in Ayodhya

but in the forests where he protected the rishis.

 

Thirumagai aazhwar who vows not to see any other God than ThirviNNagaraan,

remembers Raman in Him (mattrOr deivamâPeria Thirumzhi -6-3-5)

 

Periaazhwaar also sees Raman at first in the 'para-vasthu' and

then remembers the ThiruvOnatthaan.

As "Kaakkum deivam" Raman and Venkatavan have been identified as one and the same.

 

Venkatavan established this to Saint Thyagaraja too.

When Sri Thyagaraja went to Thirumalai,

he could not see the Lord as the 'thirai' was down.

It fell when Thyagaraja sang,

'Thera theeyagadhaa Rama.." (thirai vilagaadha Rama)

He saw Raman in Thiruvenkatavan, not vice cersa!

One can see Venkatavan in Venkatam only!!

Please forgive me for the mistakes if any, in this mail.


--- In Oppiliappan@ yahoogroups. com, "Dr.V.Sadagopan" <yennappan@.. .> wrote:
>
> SrI:
>
> Dear Srimathy Jayashree Saranathan :
>
> It is delightful to read your welcome reflections
> on the Concept of Kula Dhaivam .
>
> The Kulam that we all have in mind is
> VaishNava Kulam in all its elaborate coverage
> including every one ( anya DEvathAs as well ). 
>
> AzhwAr has rightfully said " Kulam Tarum ,
> Selvam tanatidum " about the power of
> His mantram .
>
> In my mind , our Oppiliappan and Lord VenkatEsan is
> one and the same since our PerumAL is celebrated as
> " JyEshta BrAtaa " of Thirumalai SrinivAsan .
> The situation is like " Pazham Nazhuvi Paalil
> VizhunthAr pOlE " for us . Therefore , Oppiliappan is
> Yennappan , Ponnappan , MaNiyappan , Mutthappan and
> ThiruviNNagar sErnta appan . " KaanminkaL ulaheer yenRu
> KaNNmuhappE nimirntha " PerumAn  , YengaLappan .
>
> For Saint ThyagarAja , Raamachandran is sakalam .
> For LeelAsukhar , KrishNan is sakalam and He asked
> Raamachandran to set aside His KOdhaNdam for
> few minutes , take on VeNu in His hands and present Himself
> for recieving his AarAdhanam . For Srimath Azhagiya Singars ,
> Lord Narasimhan is sarvasvam . For Swamy Desikan
> Lord VaradarAjan of Hasti SailAgram is
> his " VAsthu Paithaamaham dhanam".
>
> Let us enjoy the special Bhaandhavyam of
> Saint ThyagarAja , who described His relationship
> to Ramachandra succinctly : " NeevEraa Kula dhanamu ,
> NeevEraa Jeevanamu ".
>
> Let us reflect on some of the other declarations
> by Saint ThyagarAjA in this context :
>
> 1. Yamunaa KalyANi Krithi: " NaarAyaNa Hari "



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