Dear Swami Desika
BhakthAs:
PurattAsi ThiruvONam:
SaaRRumuRai Utsavam
SlOkams 21-26 cover the
ascent and descent of Swamy Desikan over the steps leading to Lord
HayagrIvan's sannidhi for MangalAsAsanam and big SaaRRumuRai on the hill
.
The
PurattAsi utsavam for Swamy Desikan at Thiruvaheendhrapuram reaches a
high crescendo on his Janma nakshtram( PurattAsi SravaNam) day. This day of
Utsavam is called SaaRRumuRai utsavam . The day resounds with the
majestic dhvani of the SrI Sookthis of Swamy Desikan as He ascends and
descends the Oushadha Giri for MangaLAsAsanam of Lord HayagrIvan
.
Two years ago , adiyEn had the good
fortune to create two DVDs on this important day's highlights with
the help of a dear friend and my nephew
. The sanctity and solemnity of this extraordinary day and the deep
devotion of the bhakthAs of Swamy Desikan are brought out
beautifully in those DVDs . Let us now cover the events of the day as enjoyed
by Srimad
PiLLaipAkkam Azhagiya Singar in 1899
C.E.
SlOkam 21:
PurattAsi SravaNam
VedAntArya-tvadheeyO-Subhadivasa:
suprabhAtOdhyadEvA:
BrahmAdhyA:
BrahmaSailE Hayadhana-
SubhaSAsanAya
svarantE
DhAsA
pAdhASritAsccha svahrudaya vidrutE sooktivargE vivakshAm
AasthAyadhvArisanti dhrutamiha-gamanam jaitram
maangeekurushva
(Meaning): Oh VedAntAchArya !
This is the suprabhAta kaalam of this auspicious day of Your
Thirunakshatram . Brahma and the other dEvAs are rushing to attend Your
MangaLAsAsanam of Lord HayagrIvan ( Hayavadhana- SubhaSAsanAya)
at His abode in Brahma Sailam(Oushada giri).Your dAsAs and sihsya
vargams are waiting at Your door- step awaiting to recite the assembly of Your
SrI sooktis that they have memorized very well.The sishyAs say to their
Acharyan : It has been decided to ascend the Oushada Giri . Please
approve our plans for Your Vijaya Yaatrai(gamanam jaitram
angeekurushva).
SlOkam 22: Swamy
Desikan's Ascent & yEka PeetAsanam with Lord
HayagrIvan
ittham-samprArthita:SrI Sruti-Sikhara- guru-soordhvapuNDra:
subhUsha:
sadhyaprasthAya
dEvai: stuta-nija-BirudhO BrahmaSailAdhirOODa:
VaageeSAvAsamanta: BahiramarasabhA-
kalpamadhyakshayandhrAk
prAdhikshiNyEna
gatvA HayavadhanamapikkApi dESEavatathE
(Meaning): When prayed in this
manner ( ittham samprArthita:) to celebrate His
Thirunakshatram , Swamy Desikan
(Sruti
sikhara guru:) adorned Himself with the twelve Urdhva
PuNDraams and
lovely Vastrams and AabharaNams and started quickly on the journey up the
hill. He was honored during this ascent by the assembeled dEvAs , who recited
His titles and hailed Him with "Jaya Vijayee Bhava" greetings. He arrived now
at the top of the hill ( Brahma Sailam) , where Lord Haygrivan has
His sannidhi.There , He created a dEva sabha inside and outside the Sannidhi
of His Lord in His role as an Adhyakshar ( leader) and went around the
sannidhi in the PradkashiNam mode( prAdakshiNyEna gatvA)
and after that sat (avatasthE) next
to His Lord on yEka Peetam
(HayavadhanamapikkApi dESE avatasthE).
SlOkam 23:Swamy's
ThirumEni Beauty
sOayam kim
dhivyam Taarkshya:
phaNipatinagareem
pAtukAmOavarUDa:
VaageeSA dEvatA
vaa?adhbhutanunurakhilAlOkanArhAavateerNA
lOkAnAm bhAgya
pankti: pariNativaSatO
labdhamUrti:
kimEshA
dEvESAsyAmrutougEtvakalahitanujA
Mohinee Mohinee
vaa?
(meaning): The ghOshti
assembled in front of Lord HayagrIvan's sannidhi was baffled by the
most beautiful ThirumEni of Swamy Desikan as He sat next to His Lord .
People wondered : Is He the divine Garudan from Paramapadham (sOyam kim dhivyam
Taarkshya:) . Has He descended on Thiruvayindhai
to protect it from any danger ( PhaNipathi-nagareem
pAtukAmOvarUDa: kim ?).Is He perhaps the
Lord of Speech
( VaageeSaa
dEvatA vaa?).Has He incarnated in this beautiful body
so that it can be enjoyed by one and all ? Has Mohini , who pacified the
fighting dEvAs and the asurAs during the time of the distribution of the
nectar on the banks of the milky ocean incarnated as this dEvan ? Has the
integrated bhAgyam of the people of the world embodied
itself
in this enchanting form before us (lOkAnAm bhAgya pankti: pariNativaSatO laBdhamUrty: kimEshA ?) .Srimad Azhagiya Singar uses many comparisons with beautiful
vastus to celebrate the dhivya soundharyam of Swamy Desikan sitting next to
His Lord on His birthday.
SlOkam 24: Glory
of GhOshti at Oushada giri
itttham
sambhrantachEtA: Budhaparishad
-iyam
dhrAgudheerNE sughOshE
GOdhAgAthAvasAnE
Hayamukha samupasthAna sEvOtka yEsha:
AchAryOheeti
matvA savidhamupagatA
chAmarAdhyai:
saparyAm
AtanvAnA tamEva
praTitaguruvaram sEvatEsmAanimEsham
(meaning): Thus , the ghOshti
of scholars (Budha parishad) was bewildered by the
multiple levels of beauty of Swamy Desikan . The noise from the anuyAtrikAs
subsided in anticipation of the start of the
SaaRRumuRai . The
concluding stage of ThiruppAvai SaaRRu Murai (GodhA
gAthAvasAnE) was reached. Swamy Desikan was eager to have the
MangaLAsAsanam of His Lord ( Hayamukha samupasthAna
sEvOkta yEsha:) and came in front . The ghOshti also approached Swamy
Desikan with fans in hands ( chAmardhyai:
saparyAm)to serve their AchAryan . The members of the ghOshti
enjoyed the darsana soubhAgyam of Swamy Desikan without blinking their eyes
.
SlOkam 25:
GhOshti BahumAnam
sUrissOapi
svakeeyam Hayavadhananutim
TArkshya-panchAsadhAdhim
dhAsAn adhyApya
bakshyai: vividha phalayutai: tarpayannarpita svai:
panchASatpADadhAree vijitajavatayA
pAdhasEvApiyAtAm
vidhvad-BrundhApadESAm viBhudha-
saritamAplAvayn
sampratasthE
(Meaning ) : Next , Swami
Desikan taught His adiyArs (DhAsAn adhyApya)the
Garuda PanchAsat and Garuda DaNDakam composed by Him and presented them with
the many kinds of fruits and victuals offered to Him and made them happy with
the viniyOgams
(
bhakshyai: vividha phalayuthai: tarpayan arpithai: svai: ) . Swami
immersed the assembled scholars in the majestic PanchAsath stOtram
recitation
and made them look like a
flowing river of happy Vidhvat janam ( paadha-sEvAbhiyAtam
vidhvad brundhApadESAm AplAvayan sampratasthE) and
there- after, Swamy started His descent from the BrahmAdhri hill
.
SlOkam 26:
Descent from BrahmAdhri
BrahmAdhrEssOavaruhya prathita-
nrupativat
klupta ghOshtee vibhAgam
bhaktAn
sammOdhayan sann PhaNipati-purarAD sadhmaveethee:
pareetya
dEvEchAdhyakshamEtya svakrutanuti-gaNai: mangaLASAsti
poorvam
HemAbhjAn
RaaghvAdheen sthutibhi: abhinuvan LakshmaNAryam
vavandhE
(Meaning): As indicated in the previous slOkam , Swamy Desikan
concluded the recitation of the stutis at the BrahmAdhri and descended .
Like a great king ( Prathita nrupativat)
, He was accompanied by many competent ghOshtis ( klupta ghOshtee vibhAgam) reciting His
Prabhandhams and other SrI Sooktis. The assembled citizens and visitors
were filled with joy to hear these recitations as Swamy descended from the
hill and went around the koil of His Lord ( PhaNipatypura
raaD sadhma veethee: pareetya) to reach the sannidhi of SrI
DEvanAthan . There , Swamy Desikan performed His MangaLa- AsAsanams with the
stutis He had composed on the Lord ( Sri DevanAyaka
PanchAsath and SrI Achyuta Satakam). He proceeded next to Sri
HemAbhjavalli's sannidhi , Raghuveeran's sannidhis and arrived thereafter at
AchArya RaamAnujA's sannidhi .
AchArya RaamAnuja (LakshmaNAryam vavandhE)
was very pleased to see His sishyAn , who followed His path in Paramata
Bhangam and celebrated Him thru aruLappAdu and cast His dayaa-laden glances on
Swamy Desikan.
(To Be continued )
Daasan ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan