Brahmotsavam

Sri Parthasarathi thuNai

Srimathe Ramanujaya namaha

Srimad vara vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

Pranams,

As per the request of one of the members of this group, to write about the various utsavams in Thiruvallikeni adiyen hereby continues to post what little I can.

The utsavams in Thiruvallikeni are like an ocean. I know it is beyond adiyen's capacity to swim through it and give you all the essence, let alone going deep into it to get the coral and deliver it to you. But still, hoping that Shri Parthasarathi will be the boatman and His karunai, the boat will take us through the ocean and put us safely in the shore of enjoyment, I continue to post what little I can.

First let me start with one important feature of Thiruvallikeni, which has been missed in my previous postings. Nammazhvar in one of his pasuram says "pulingudi kidandhu, varaguna mangai irundhu, vaikundathil nindru thelindha yen sindhai agangkazhiyaadhe". Here he quotes 3 divyadesams namely, Thirupullingudi, Varagunamangai and Srivaikundam (All Nava thirupathi divyadesams) to show that emperuman stays in 3 different postures in these divyadesams. There are many more pasurams where the alwars show that in different divyadesams, emperumans are present in any one of the following thirukolams namely, erundha, nindra or kidandha thirukolams. But the height of Thiruvallikeni is, Emperuman is seen in all the above-mentioned postures.

Sri Venkatakrishnan and Sri Chakravarthy Thirumagan are seen in Nindra thirukolam and Sri Ranganathan is seen in kidantha and Sri Varadharajan and Sri Yoga Narasimhan are seen in eruntha thirukolams on Garudan and yoga peedam respectively. So if you want to see emperuman in all the poses you need not go to 3 different divyadesams, but have the sevai in the same place in Thiruvallikeni. Parthasarathi knows about our laziness and so he has collected all the aspects of various divyadesams and has given in this single place, like peeling the skin of a banana and giving to taste it. Can anyone still miss it?

Let us now proceed to see about the utsavams in Thiruvallikeni. First and the foremost is the Chittirai Brahmotsavam of Sri Parthasarathi. Let us start with adiyen’s humble composition, which describes the same.

Chitirai madhathil brahmotsavam

adhai kaaNum bhaktharku peraanandham

aasaiyodu engu varuvorkellam

inbam nallum perigiyodum

(chitirai madh.....)

selvar koothAdi thodanguvarE!

senai mudalvarudan angurarpanam

thirumulai Agai garuda kodi ettram

dharmAdhipeedam dharmam kAkka

(chittira mAdh..)

Punnaivahanam seshavahanam

simhavahanam Parthasarathiku

Garudavahanam hamsavahanam

kaaNavendume anbu kangalaale

(chitirai madh.....)

kaalaiyil sooriyan vahanamam

iravil chandiran vahanamam

mohiniavataram eduttha kaNNanuku

naacchiyar thirukolam arpudamthaan

(chitirai madha....)

Kannan neeye Raamanum neeye

enbadhai katta hanumandavahanam

parpavarkellam paavangal pOga

punyakOti vimaanathil varuvan

(chitirai madha....)

gajendiran tunbatthai kalaindavanthan

yanaimele yErivaruvaan

Parthanin-sarathi thErmEl yeRi

azhagai radhathai ootugiraan

(chitirai madha....)

veNNai kadum pillai evane

vennaithazhi kannan anan

kudiraimElE yerivandu

kallarin manadhai kollaikolvan

(chitirai madha....)

theerthavAri andru pOrvai kalaindhu

mattaiyadiyum kandarulvAn

kannadi pallakkil kAtshi thandhu

vettivEr saparaththil mudivadaiyum

(chitirai mAdha...)

The above song portrays the various vahanams in which the Emperuman gives darshan during the brahmotsavams. There are other happenings during the utsavam too, which we will see in detail with the meaning of this song side by side for the benefit of those who do not understand Tamil.

First all the emperumans undergo thirumanjanam (moonu kOil thirumanjanam). Next is the selvar koothu (Selvar becomes extremely happy that the leelas of Parthasarathi are going to start shortly, he dances with the music in joy. This occasion is called as Selvar Koothu. It is really a wonderful sight to see the Selvar dancing in joy. This happening is unique to parthasarthi utsavam) the following day evening is Senai mudaliyar purappadu, vishvaksenar the commander in chief of the army of Emperuman inspects if the place is suitable for emperuman to start His grand utsavam followed by angurarpanam and mruthsangramanam. Senai mudaliyar goes through the four maada veedhees to check the condition of the places whether they are suitable for the emperuman, the raja of Thiruvallikeni to have his purappadu during the brahmotsavam. Before any perumal purapadu, chakrattAzhvar does the verification, whether everything is all right.

The next day morning is the kodi yEtram, the grand gala opening of the brahmotsavam. Let us continue that in the next posting. Now that all the preparations for the utsavam are ready, let us pray to Lord Parthasarathi Himself to make us enjoy His utsavam without any hindrance.

(To be continued in the next post)

Adiyen Ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan.