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      SrI:

      Dear All:

      There were few queries about the significance of 
      ChAthurmAsyam observed by Paramahamsa ParivrAjaka 
      SanyAsis at his time of the year .

      I am sending an article I posted last year in response to such requests 
      for information .

      Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
      V.Sadagopan   


      CHAATHURMAASYA SANKALPAM AT  SRI AHOBILA MATAM 
      
***********************************************************************************************
      ChathurmAsya vratham is very important one for SanyAsis 
      of every kind . From SanyAsis ranging from Kootika ( one who
      resides in a hut and stays put ) to sanyAsis on sanchAram
      ( who do not stay at one place for more than one night)
      to Paramahamsa ParivrAjaka sanyAsis , all have to observe this
      SanyAsa dharma anushtAnam without fail.It is very pleasing
      ( priyatamam) for the Lord to see the SanyAsis observe
      this annual vratham .The power of this Vratham increases 
      every day from the first to the last day of the observance .
      This vratham lasts from 2 to 4 months.  There are specific
      rites for the proper observance of this vratham .Bhavishyath,
      Skanda , Aadithya PurANams and SanyAsa Upanishads in general
      and Naradha ParivrAjaka Upanishad in particular cover 
      the duties of SanyAsis including ChAthurmAsya Vratham .

      ChAthurmAsyam at SrI Matam
      ***************************
      The great AchAryAs of SrI Matam starting from the First Jeeyar ,
      SrI Adhi Vann SaThakOpa Mahaa Desikan to idhAneem Jeeyar 
      have followed scrupulously the instrcutions of Malolan 
      to take him from village to village all over India to 
      bless the bhaktha janams and to perform SamAsrayaNam 
      and BharanyAsam to sishyAs .The AchAryAs of SrI Matam
      are SrI NrusimhAnupravEsa AchArya BhUthALs .Their observances
      of the ChathurmAsyam has fine details unique to SrI Matam .

      Number of ChAthurmAsyams by different Azhagiya Singars
      *******************************************************   

      A sanyAsi's age is not counted in physical years of their
      lives ; instead , it is counted in terms of the number of 
      ChAthurmAsyams that they have observed . For instance ,
      prakrutham (current ) Jeeyar , HH SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra 
      MahA Desikan will be 13 years old from a TuriyAsrama SveekAram 
      point of view since he would have observed 13 ChAthurmAsyams 
      since his ascent to the AchArya Peetam . 

      The unique distinction of SrImath Azhagiya Singars is that 
      the first Jeeyar recieved PrEksha manthra upadEsam 
      ( initiation in to SanyAsAsramam ) directly from the Lord of 
      Ahobilam Himself (ahObilE SrInrusimha : prEksha manthram
      svayam dhadhou). That prEksha manthram has come down from 
      Jeeyar to Jeeyar over the 605 years history of this glorious Matam . 
There must have been the observance of atleast 600 ChathurmAsyams at SrI Matam 
while accounting for a short 
      period of time ,when there were no PeetAdhipathi at 
      the SrI Matam . 

      The ChAthurmAsyams at SrI Matam have taken place at agrahArams
      where the devout sishyAs of SrImath Azhagiya Singars are . 
      The sites range from PerumpAkkam ( DakshiNa ahObilam ) to 
      GadhwAl samasthAnam on the banks of KrishNa river 
      (at the request of the then MahA RaaNi)to the dhivya 
      desam of Thiruvaheendhrapuram to Nedumtheru to ThiruveLLUr 
      to SelayUr.

      The largest number of ChaAthurmAsyams by the Jeeyars of Sri Matam
      ******************************************************************
      Nine Azhagiya Singars among the 45 have observed so far 329
      of the 600 ChAthurmAsyams ( ~55% ). The largest number of 
      the ChAthurmAsyams(59) has been observed by the First Jeeyar
      of SrI Matam , SrI Adhi VaNN SaThakOpa Jeeyar , who accepted 
      ThuriyAsramam from the Lord in the year 1399 C.E as a young
      man of twenty years of age. The number of ChAthurmAsyams observed
      by other Azhagiya Singars are assembled in paranthesis after 
      their Pattams: 13th Pattam ( 43 ) , 11th Pattam ( 38) ,
      25th Pattam ( 36) , 17th pattam (35) ,44th Pattam (35) , 
      12th Pattam (34). Among SrImath Azhagiya Singars of recent 
      times , SrI MukkUr Azhagiya Singar ascended the SrI Matam
      throne at the age of 62 and observed 35 ChAthur Maasyams up to
      His 97th year . Two Azhagiya Singars ( 33rd and 42nd/Injimettu
      Jeeyar) observed 26 and 23 ChAturmAsyams rspectively . PiLLaipAkkam
      (37th Pattam) Azhagiya Singar observed only one ChAthurmAsyam . 
      The 22nd Pattam Azhagiya Singar stayed in the NrusimhAsthAnam
      for less than an year and hence did not have the opportunity to
      observe even one ChAthurmAsyam .Rest of the Jeeyars observed from
      3 to 19 ChAthurmAsyams.

      Why is ChAthurmAsyam Observed ?
      ******************************  
      There are two reaons that are given : (1) During the four months starting
      from AavaNi and ending up with Kaarthikai , it is rainy season in India. 
      Many insects and worms are created in the soil during this time. Since 
      sanchAram by the SanyAsis might cause accidental death to these 
      living entities , the SanyAsis take a vow not to travel during those four 
      months and stay put at one place . This vratham is the ChAthurmAsya
      Vratham .

      The second reason given is : A SanyAsi is required to move around
      often by his dharmam .That results in the sanyAsi not having enough
      time during these sanchArams to perform Japam , Homam , AarAdhanam ,
      upadEsams and reflections on the SaasthrAs . To make up for lost 
      time and to facilitate such karmAs and studies , a SanyAsi is required 
      to slow down and  stay put at one place for four months " to charge 
      His spiritual batteries as it where ". SaasthrAs point out that any 
      good deed ( Homam , Japam , dhAnam , Vratham , KaalakshEpam) 
      done during the chAthurmAsya Kaalam yield infinitely greater fruits 
      than those done during the rest of the 8 months of the year . 

      Four Months or Two months (Four Pakshams) ?
      ************************************************
      There is a debate whether the ChAthurmAsyam should be observed
      for 2 or four months. Ideally , it should be observed for four months
      starting  from Sayana EkAdasi (AashAda sukla EkAdasi) and end with
      UtthAna EkAdasi in the month of Kaarthikai .Sayana EkAdasi is 
      the day , when our Lord starts His yOga nidhra and UtthAna EkAdasi
      is when He wakes up. These four months are AshAda ( July-August) ,
      BhadrapAdha ( August-September) , Asvina ( September-October )
      and KaarthikA ( October to November ). SrIdharan , HrushikEsan ,
      PadhmanAbhan and DhAmOdharan are the presiding deities of
      the above four months.

      There is a Veda Vakyam : " PakshA vai MaasA: " . Paksha refers to
      the 15 days of the Month , Sukla and KrishNa pakshams. Since it may
      be difficult for a SanyAsi to stay put in one place for 4 months at 
      a stretch and since sishyAs from other parts of the land would want 
      their AchAryan to resume SanchAram to bless them , Four Pakshams 
      instead of Four months are used to observe ChAthurmAsya vratham.

      On the day of ChAthurmAsyam
      ********************************
      The nithya karmAs , abhigamana aarAdhanam ( the most important
      for a SanyAsi) are done as on any other  day. Afterwards , a small
      amount of soil (earth) is consecrated(mruth SangrahaNam)
      along  with aavAhanam and aarAdhanam for BhU VarAha PerumAL 
      and BhUmi PirAtti . After that , the Yathi himself collects the soil 
      required for his anushtAnams during the ChAthurmAsya Vratham. 
      Next , the Yathi has Thirumudi ViLakkam ( shaving of the hair on 
      the head and face ) . The Yathi takes now a purifying bath
      in preparation for the special aarAdhanam again .  Pancha Saanthi 
      Manthrams are recited as the Yathi returns to the Matam from SnAnam .
      At the Matam , the Yathi will take the sankalpam : "AshADa PourNamAseem 
aarabhya BhadrapAdha pourNamAsi paryantham ChAthurmAsya Vratham sthaasyE ". The 
assembled sishyas assembled 
      around their AchAryan ( Yathivarar) respond : " Nivasanthu sukeen athra 
      gamishyAmaha kruthArthAn yathA sakthi cha sisrUshAm 
      karishyAmO vayam mudhA " ( Oh AchArya! Please kindly stay in
      this location with all happiness and bless us to have the opportunity
      to perform kaimkaryams for You. We take the vow to serve You 
      to the best of our capabilities ). MaryAdhais from BhagavAn from
      different dhivya dEsams are presented next to the YathIswaran to 
      bless him for successful observance of the ChAthurmAsyam . 

      Dietary restrcitions during ChAthurmAsyam
      **********************************************
      During the ChAthurmAsyam , there are strict dietary restrictions 
      for the observer during each of the four months . Ten food items 
      - - root , leaf , shoot , tip , fruit , skin, sprout , stalk , flower and
      skin of the vegetable- - - are prohibited. If any of them are eaten by
      mistake , then chAndrAyana vratham has to be undertaken as
      PrAyascchittham. After the completion of the ChAthurmAsyam ,
      the SrImath Azhagiya Singar  resumes His unrestricted sanchArams
      ( anuAthrA with MalOlan's yaathrA ) to bless His sishyAs . 

      AchAryAs are 'NadamAdum Dhaivam 
      ***********************************
      Let us conclude this essay with a quotation from Athri Smruthi :
      " The Lord has two forms : moving and unmoving. The moving 
      form is the SanyAsi and the unmoving(sTira bhEram) is 
      the Lord in archA form worshipped at the temple ". In the case of 
      SrI Matam , both the forms merge into One . The AchAryAs of 
      SrI Matam noted for their Jn~Anam , anushtAnam and Aathma GuNa 
      Poorthy  are anupravEsAvathAra BhUtharkaL  , who are walking 
      and talking forms of MalOlan . 

      SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

      Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan 


        



        
        





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