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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

                                 The Lord Goes on the River
 

The heart brims over with emotion. Eyes are clouded with tears of joy. Each and 
every individual hair on the body stands erect with the intensity of blissful 
experience. The head bows involuntarily at the magnificent spectacle. When you 
try to speak, you find your voice quavering with passion. You want to speak at 
length, but somehow words fail you, despite there being so much to describe. 
You want to share the intensity of the experience with someone, but you find 
every one, from babes in arms to doddering old men with backs bent like a 
question mark, in the same state, overwhelmed by emotion. There is none who has 
eyes for anything other than the scintillating spectacle, none who is not 
mesmerised by the gripping scene, none on whose lips there are words other than 
the name of the Distinguished Guest. What could be the event, which evokes such 
a heart-warming response in us?

 

Every month in the year has its own rich and varied devotional fare to offer. 
VaikAsi brings us the glorious Garuda sEva of Kanchi, Ani too affords us the 
spectacle of Sri Koodal azhagar resplendent on Sri GaruthmAn, in Adi we 
celebrate TiruvAdippooram on which day Sri Andal took birth among us to uplift 
and emancipate us, PurattAsi takes us to Tirumala for the BrahmOtsavam of 
MalayappaswAmy,  and if it is Kartthigai, our destination is TiruvAli for the 
glorious VEdupari utsavam. In Tai we are able to witness the multiple treat of 
Twelve Garuda SEvAs at TirunAngUr, in Masi the Lord at various divyadEsams goes 
on a float (TeppOtsavam), and when it is Panguni, we are at Srirangam, to 
worship the Lord and His Consort on the auspicious aphorism of Uttaram.    

 

The reason for leaving out Chittirai from the aforesaid list is that it 
deserves separate treatment. Just as it is the hottest of months, it offers too 
the richest of fare to the devout. We have the celebrations all over the globe 
on account of Sri Ramanuja Jayanti and GajEndra MOksham episode (where the Lord 
came running all the way from Vaikunttam to solve a mere pachyderm's problems) 
is enacted at several divya dEsams.

 

However, the star attraction of Chitthirai is the event at Madurai on the 
ChitrA PourNami, when Sri KaLlazhagar enters the Vaigai. None would dispute the 
magnificence of the utsavam, which attracts thousands of devotees, rich and 
poor, young and old, erudite and unlettered, all of whom throng the Vaigai on 
the morning of the appointed day, to witness the grand spectacle. People in 
their thousands flock to the river, all attired in their best and making an 
extremely colourful sea of humanity, waiting patiently and with eager 
anticipation for the Lord's arrival from distant Azhagar Koil. Many of them, 
unable to contain their impatience, go on to receive Him en route and have an 
advance glimpse of the glorious Lord, in what is known as "edir sEvai". 

 

What makes the Lord come all the way from far-away TirumAlirumsOlai to Madurai? 
Without doubt, it is the love and devotion with which the multitude awaits His 
arrival at the river. Though He would like to rush in a headlong ride from His 
abode to Madurai, His progress is impeded by frequent halts at the various 
mandapams constructed on His way to the city, where devotees compel Him to stay 
at least a few minutes, offering Him new clothes, fruits and sugar candy with 
love. And unable to resist their ministrations, the Lord too slows down, making 
His ride slow and majestic. Though He leaves His abode on the previous day 
itself, Sri Azhagar arrives at Vaigai only the next morning, attesting to the 
numerous halts He is forced to make en route.

 

To mark the occasion, the entire city wears an extremely festive look. People 
are clad in their best clothes, feasts are prepared at every home in honour of 
the distinguished guest, infants are tonsured at the site, the devout burst 
into Bhajans extolling His praises and a carnival-like atmosphere pervades the 
city, with everyone participating enthusiastically in the event in their own 
individual ways. The stinking rich jostle with the abject poor to have a 
glorious glimpse of the Lord, in the event, which is marked by rare social 
amity and goodwill. 

 

If the Lord came all the way from Sri Vaikunttam in response to the elephant's 
call, here, He covers the entire distance from TirumAlirumsOlai to Madurai on 
horseback. And what a horse! The splendour and magnificence of the Horse is to 
be seen to be believed. Made of glittering gold, the Horse wears TirumaN like a 
paramaikAnti, with its sharp features standing out. With its forefeet raised 
for a gallop, the horse presents a picture of pride and prowess-pride at the 
rare privilege of carrying the Paramapurusha on its back. Its gait is indeed 
majestic and varying. At times, it walks sedately, when confronted by a crowd 
of devotees, affording them the opportunity to have a leisurely glimpse of the 
Lord. At times, when the road is fairly empty, it breaks into a gallop, anxious 
to reach the Lord in time for a reunion with waiting devotees at Vaigai. At 
times, it appears to go berserk, bucking furiously up and down, unable to 
contain the joy of carrying the Supreme Lord on its back. 

 

The Lord on horseback, with a goad in His hand, presents a magnificent 
spectacle, recalling to us His intimate association with the five horses of 
Arjuna's chariot, as PArtthasArathi. He has a red silk cloth around His 
headgear and wears green or white silk around His midriff. The colour of the 
Lord's apparel is a matter of suspense every year to devotees, who wait with 
bated breath to see whether He is draped in white silk or green.

There is a highly discernible, broad beam on the Lord's countenance, reflecting 
His huge enjoyment-at His outing, at riding horseback, at rushing all the way 
to meet millions of devotees, at being the focus of the proceedings, very much 
like a Matinee Idol who is the cynosure of all eyes.

 

Another reason for the Lord's delight at the entire proceedings-He indulges in 
His favourite sport, viz., Jala kreedA. It is a well-chronicled fact that the 
Paramapurusha is enamoured of water sport. We are told that the Yamuna was a 
second home to Sri Krishna and the scene of many a boisterous bash, with 
vigorous participation from His equally unruly friends and loving GOpIs.

 

While it was He who wielded the water gun ("BhastrA Yantram"-Sri GOpAla 
Vimsati) and drenched all and sundry during Sri Krishnavatara, the Lord is at 
the receiving end during the ChitrA utsavam, with the clan of KaLLars, intimate 
devotees of the Lord, spraying Him with streams of water from their equipments. 
One wonders-it would appear that the arcchAvatAra Emperuman is allergic to 
water from external sources, except during Tirumanjanam and ritual worship. We 
witness the spectacle of BrahmOtavams during the monsoon season being conducted 
under the protective canopy of a tarpaulin, especially at Tirumala. And 
arcchakAs are so caring and concerned at His getting wet, that they rush Him to 
the nearest shelter, lest even a drop of rainwater fall on His tirumEni.

 

Contrary to all these, we find the spectacle of the Lord being sprayed with 
jets of water all through His journey from Azhagar Koil to Vaigai, with 
devotees drenching Him in streams of aqua, with impunity. Not only the Bhattar, 
standing by with a watchful eye, allow such goings on, but he also remains a 
smiling spectator of the entire proceedings. In fact, along with the Lord, he 
too is soaked to the skin and presents a bedraggled appearance, with several 
jets of water drenching him copiously. It is perhaps only at this divyadEsam 
that such liberties are taken with the Paramaprusha, reflecting the Lord's 
penchant for revelry with His fans.

 

And it isn't mere exuberance that prompts the devotees to train their water 
guns on the Lord. The normal ChitrA weather being scorching hot, the KaLLars 
try to make it tolerable for the Lord by giving Him the "Water Treatment", 
ensuring that the extremely delicate tirumEni of Sri KaLlazhagar suffers not 
from the enervating heat. It is this maternal concern of the KaLlars that 
entitles them to such liberties as spraying water on the Lord, which is 
probably contrary to all known Agamic provisions. And one wonders too whether 
it is all those GOpis who were drenched by Sri Krishna, who have taken birth as 
these KaLlars, to take sweet revenge by pelting the Lord with streams of water. 
Not to be outdone, the clouds also take the opportunity to perform Tirumanjanam 
to the Lord by gently sprinkling rain drops-it is not a torrential rain which 
would inconvenience everyone, but a soft and light drizzle, enough to bring 
down the temperature. The Lord, who played truant with Sri Yasoda when called 
upon to take a bath and required so much persuasion, comes all the way from 
azhagar kOil, to be virtually given a bath at the hands of loving devotees.

 

Srimad BhAgavata Purana tells us that some of the Gopis, unable to tolerate 
separation from Krishna, dressed up like Him and regaled each other with 
stories of His exploits, forgetting His absence for the nonce. We find a 
similar scene at the Vaigai too, with many of the KaLLar devotees attired very 
much like the Lord, with a colourful silken "talai pAgai", silk clothes similar 
to those worn by the Lord, etc.

 

A lone Garuda circles the skies right above the Lord, perhaps jealous of all 
the good fortune, that has befallen the horse, that should normally be his, as 
the official carrier of Sri Vaikunttam. His presence brings to our mind Sri 
Andal's lines, "Vinathai siruvan siragennum mElAppin keezh varuvAnai 
VirundAvanatthE kaNdOmE". And when you consider the matter, the place is no 
less than BrindAvanam, with its proximity to MathurA (Madurai).

 

His programme at the Vaigai over, the Lord turns His horse homewards to azhagar 
kOil. His journey, however, is much slower than when He was coming to Madurai, 
expressing in every step His reluctance to move away from the adulating 
multitudes. En route to TirumAlirumsOlai, Sri Azhagar visits VandiyUr to confer 
relief to MandUka Maharshi from the crippling curse which turned him into a 
frog. And at the RAmarAyar mandapam, the Lord re-enacts the DasAvatArAs, to the 
delight of devotees. Many of the devotees who thronged the Vaigai accompany the 
Lord at least for some distance, loathe to parting with Him, as is He from 
us-for, both must wait for a year more for next ChitrA PourNami, for the next 
reunion. 

 

We wend our ways home slowly, our hearts heavy-heavy in more than one 
sense-heavy with the sadness of separation from the Lord and heavy also because 
He has entered our hearts, unbeknownst to us, to take up permanent residence, 
as He did in the case of Sri Nammazhwar. The saint just mentioned the name of 
His abode, TirumAlirumsOlai, and Emperuman, treating it as reason enough, 
immediately entered Azhwar's heart, never to leave again. We learn this from 
the Azhwar's own immortal words-

 

"TirumAlirum sOlai malai endrEn, enna

TirumAl vandu en nenju niraya pugundAn"

 

In our case too, the Lord, who looks for the flimsiest of reasons and the 
minor-most of gestures on our part, appears to have treated our visit to the 
Vaigai to witness the grand annual spectacle as an excuse for entering our 
stony hearts and filling its every nook and cranny with His glorious presence, 
making us tingle all over with the bliss of His association, as described in 
the opening paragraph of this piece. 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan 

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




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