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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00040 Aug 2006

 
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Dear Shri Varadha Ramanuja-daasan svami,
 
You have done a signal service to the 'sampradaayam' with your detailed report (and photographs) on the Madurai-Aanaimalai-Kodikkulam shrine of Namperumal attended by Sri Pillai Lokacharyan.
 
My elder brother, Shri Tirumanjanam Kannan, had the fortune to visit this place in June'06, sanctified as the site where Our Lord (nam-perumAL) was sheltered by the revered Shri Pillai Lokacharyan.   It is common knowledge that the venerable 'acharya' passed away at this spot.     Shri A.M. Rajagopalan, the well-known astrologer-editor of the popular weekly, Kumudam Jyotidam, had written extensively about this sacred spot.
 
Can you please re-circulate your photos with suitable individual  captions ?
 
Everyone who reads your dispatch would certainly visit this holy site.   There is, likewise, another sacred spot which I would commend for a top-priority Srivaishnava pilgrimage.    The place is the village Kontakai, the birthplace of Sri Srisailesa (tiruvAi-mozhi-p-piLLai, the AchArya of Sri maNavALa-mahAmuni), whose name, like the praNavam, initials (SriSailESa-dayA-pAtram etc) our aruLi-c-cheyal recitals.   The deiva-nAyakan sannidhi in this place is very well maintained by the devoted archaka-svami, Sri Madhavacharya.    The 'SALa-grAma tirumEni-s' of both tiru-vAi-mozhi-p-piLLai and of Sri maNavALa-mahAmuni worshipped in this shrine are, in several senses, unique.    Make this place too your priority pilgrimage !
 
aDiyEn rAmAnuja-dAsan,
tirumanjanam Sundara Rajan
(Srirangam).
 
Jyoteeshkudi series - mail 1
    Posted by: "varadha rAmAnuja dAsan" varadha.ramanujadasan@xxxxxxxxx skm_iitm
    Date: Tue Aug 8, 2006 11:42 am (PDT)

Jyoteeshkudi - Where is it? How to go?

Of all the Sri vaishnava Acharyas who have contributed for the growth of this sampradaya, Swami pillailokacharya adorns a very special place. This is because it was swami pillailokacharya who safeguarded the treasures of this sampradaya. Great scholars will say that this sampradaya has a few treasures. Most important among them are the Rahasyas and our numberumAL.    For Sri vaishnavas both are like life breath. There is no life for us, without either. Swami pillailokacharya, by his Ashtadasa Rahasyas safeguarded the Rahasyas.      And by sacrificing his life, he safeguarded our numberumAL.   In a way, it can be said that this AchArya has no other equal, since he has completely sacrificed himself for the benefit of all of us.

During the turk invasion, when he was leading a group of disciples along with numberumAL to safety of forests, he suddenly was ill and decided that the time has come for me to leave for the Lord's eternal abode. So, he left his mortal coils in a place called as "Jyotishkudi". After a lot of search, scholars have identified the place A.Kodikkulam (Initial very important) as jyoteeshkudi. Every Sri vaishnava must visit this place and pay homage (gratefulness) to this great AchAryan and get his blessings.

Where is it:
This place is called as A.KodikkuLam. Its near tirumogoor divya desam
(Madurai). This temple is under the control of tirumogoor divya desam
temple. Also near othakadai Mini buses run from Madurai mattuthavani bus stand 10 or 12 kms i guess.   (One has to know the timings).
Accessible from: Othakkadai near madurai by mini bus/auto.  Othakkadai is accessible from mattuthavanai bus stand (town buses and mini buses). I would say that the mini buses are reasonably frequent. So no problem, one can wait for the bus in othakkadai and go.  Distance between othakadai and A.Kodikkulam would be some 5 or 6 kms. If one can afford auto, one can go in auto also. My suggestion would be mini bus. Because, if you go in auto, auto
driver will pressurise you to return (or you will pressurise yourself to
return). This is not a place to be visited for a few mins. You need to spend some time there, contemplating the greatness of this AchArya. So allocate a few hours for this most special place!

This place is called A. Kodikkulam (A stands for Arumbanoor). Also remember that this is near Yanamalai.   Because there are two other kodikkulams near madurai. They are not the ones of our interest.

I hope pics of the place along with map are likely to come up in pbase very soon. adiyEn has attached the rough map for your refernce.

adiyEn will write more about the place, the temple, the surroundings etc in the next few mails. We shall call it the jyotishkudi series!  :)

adinAyEn,
varadha rAmAnuja dAsan.
Jyoteeshkudi - 4
    Posted by: "varadha rAmAnuja dAsan" varadha.ramanujadasan@xxxxxxxxx skm_iitm
    Date: Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:34 pm (PDT)

srI:
srImathE rAmAnujAya namaha:

Continuing on Jyoteeshkudi:
After taking darshan of perumAL and AchAryan, adiyEn decided to explore the place. The locals told that the place where the "munivar" resides is a found on the hill, a little higher some 50 feet walk from the temple (on its back side). So walked along the rough stairs (made out of the rocks) and reached the place. This place is higher and gives a nice view of the temple/pushkarini (except for hindrances of the trees). Much to adiyEn's shock, the place where the "munivar" resides was adorned with vibhuti/kumkum and some strange stones (shape of lingam) were kept there. adiyEn suspect that this place is the place where they could have done samskara of our AchAryan. However, this has to be confirmed by scholars. But the present day locals call our AchAryan as a great "munivar". Anyway, the details about this place is to be confirmed by scholars.

There is a nice pushkarini just opposite the sannidhi. Our AchAryan is
protecting ("rakshitthu kondu irukkirar) this pushkarini so nicely, that
there are hundreds of lotuses in that pushkarini. An awesome sight. Leaving the spiritual high and inner peace jyoteeshkudi gives, one must visit the place just to have a look at the great natural beauty of the place. Am out of words. adiyEn got the idea of taking a few flowers from the pushkarini to the Lordships of tirumAlirunsOlai and tirukkoodal which adiyEn was to visit later in the evening. So paid my obeisances to the pushkarini and kept my foot in the water. Leg went deep inside the water to a dept of around 1 to 2  feet. Just could not move the leg, leave alone moving forward. The place is full of slushy mud and its not possible to take the lotuses that easily. So gave up on this idea.

Later went to explore the well that the priest was talking about. Took water from that well and drank it. God, never have I drunk such sweet water in my life. The closest in sweetness is the water in tirukkurungudi (falls near "malai mEl nambi" sannidhi). The water was divine, pristine, uncorrupted by so-called civilization. It is surely god's gift. Took that water in the vessel (sombu) adiyEn had taken for nithya karmas and had Lunch. Then did a few pradakshinams of AchAryan sannidhi and the pushkarini (exploring if there is any nearest lotus that can be plucked easily - no way!). Then chanted upadesa ratina malai. After that, left the place after taking the pics. The pics are already online in pbase for you all to enjoy:

http://www.pbase.com/svami/thiruvarasujyothishkudi

Request all of you to take some time from your busy life and spend some time with our AchAryan. You can feel his presence there.
It looks like such a dry area. But the place near our AchAryan's tiruvarasu is full of water and lush green plants and lotuses. Awesome!
This temple is to be renovated and it needs support. This service is done by Tirumogur Lakshmi narasimhan Aptan group. adiyEn will try to get the exact address to which contributions can be sent and let everyone know!

(CONCLUDED)

adinAyEn,
varadha rAmAnuja dAsan.
__._,_.___

Azhvar EmberumAnAr JeeyAr ThiruvadigalE Saranam
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