Sri Parthasarathi
thunai
Srimathe Ramanujaya
Namaha
Sri Vara Vara munayE
Namaha
Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE
Namaha
Arayar
sEvai
In Srirangam,
the araiyar sevai during the adyayana utsavam during the margazhi month is a
very special occasion. The
utsavam actually starts with the thirunedundAndaka thirunal. Lets enjoy the happenings in srirangam
on that special day. This day
precedes the adyayana utsavam by a day that is on the night of amavasya. After the thirukkarthigai till
the end of the adyayana utsavam, all the other utsavas excluding the nithya
utsavams are stopped. Namperumal
does not undergo parvOtsava thirumanjanam on the amavasya that precedes the
adyayana utsavam. On the amavasya
day in the evening perumal quickly accepts sheerAnam prasadam adorning the
same garland that he wore during the Periya avasaram amudhupadi. After that the darshan to sEvArthees
is stopped for the day. The
garbhagruham is closed and the screen is put in front of perumal. The sannadhi vAsal kainkaryaparas and
koil mAhAjana kainkaryaparas obliging to the order of the maniyakkArar go to
the house of the araiyars and welcome them to the temple.
The araiyars who
are adorned with a special time of cap on their head (kullAi) come amidst the
sound of divine instruments sent by perumal and visit vudayavar sannadhi, Sri
Parthasarathi sannadhi where thiruvarangaperumal araiyar takes his place and
nammazhvar sannadhi and pay their homage to the acharyas and submit their
tAlams (the instrument used for their music) in the respective sannadhis to
get the anugraham of the acharyas for a flawless araiyar sevai. Later they reach the Periya sannadhi
and seat themselves opposite to the jayavijayal.
Then as per the
words of the maniyakkArar emperuman is adorned with new garlands and then
?grated coconut? is offered to perumal.
As per the words of the maniyakkArar the screen in front of the sanctum
is opened. The maniyakkArar
invites the araiyar into the sanctum.
The araiyars enter the sanctum.
The stalatArs, Acharya purushas, theerthakArars, and other
Srivaishnavas remain as a ghosti outside on either side of the sanctum. The stAneekar who remains inside, with
the permission of the maniyakkArar and archakas welcomes the araiyars with
arulappAdu,
?kOyiludaiya
perumAlaraiyar, varantharum perumAlarayar!
MadhiyAdha deivangal maNavAla
perumAlaraiyar, nAdha vinOdha araiyar!?
Among these four
either the first two or the last two is recited by the stAneekar. In such occasions all the araiyars
will be present and all of them will submit their thAlams to the stAneekar who
submits them to the archakar who inturn submits them to the divine feet of
emperuman. Then the archakar will
honour all the araiyars with theertham, thiruparivattam, thirumalai, prasadam
etc after which the araiyars take back their thAlams in respective orders and
stand facing west and recite the following:
?pongu seer
vachanabhoodanam eendha vulagAriyan pORRida thigazhum perumal!
POdha manavAla
mAmuni eeduraippadhu kEttu pooriththu nindra perumal!?
Following which
the araiyars sing the first paasuram in thirunedunthAndakam ?minnuruvAi? in a
sweet manner many times. After
the completion of the paasurams the araiyars distribute the grated coconut to
the entire ghosti. Then the
stalathAr and others come out and sit in the azhagiya Manavalan mandapam. The araiyars stand in front of the
garudan and enact the ?minnuruvAi? paasuram with music and abhinayam. During the abhinayam the ghosti stands
and after the completion of the abhinayam they sit down. Now proceeds the
vyakhyanam.
For the first
paasuram, periyavAchan pillai vyakhyanam and from the 1st to the
11th paasuram (?paattutukkum?) tambiran padi vyakhyanam is read by
the araiyars on this day. The
araiyars know not only the paasurams but also the vyakhyanams by heart. So one araiyar will tell the vyakhyanam
and the other will check it out with a palm leaf in his hand. The way the araiyars read the
vyakhyanam is quite amazing and hence the whole crowd will get deeply immersed
in it. After the completion of
Periya vachan pillai vyakhyanam for the first paasuram thirumangai azhvar
sends his sandhanam (sandal paste), thAmbhoolam (beetel leaf), sambhavai and
other honours through the archakar incharge of kaliyan sannadhi and blesses
the araiyars who are delivering his paasurams in front of perumal on that
day. The araiyars accept them in
front of the ghosti. Then
tambiran padi is read and the occasion comes to an end. In this way the araiyars present the
thirunedunthAndaka paasurams in front of emperuman with sweet music and
abhinayam (a form of dance).
Next posting will deal with ?muttu
kuri? a special type of araiyar sevai.
Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer
thiruvadigalE sharanam
Adiyen ramanuja
dAsee
Sumithra
Varadarajan