Theerthavari and mattaiyadi utsavam

Sri Parthasarathi Thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad vara vara munayE Namaha

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

Pranams,

Let us now continue with the various celebrations during the Brahmotsavam of Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman. On the seventh day is the Ratha utsavam, where Sri Parthasarathi is seen on the big Ratam. On this day, Sri Parthasarathi, after going through the four-mada veedhis of Thiruvallikeni in the ratam, remains in the ratam itself till the end of the day and gives darshan to the bhakthas. So he doesn’t have the usual utsava Thirumanjanam that he has on the other days. In the evening he gets down from the ratam and gets himself dressed and then has a small walk around the ThEr mandapam. Then he goes to the vasantha Utsava Bungalow to have his thirumanjanam over there. The vasanta utsava bungalow was earlier a place, where a mandapam used to be surrounded throughout, by a beautiful garden with a pond. Today none of its beauties remain but still the mandapam exists. So emperuman goes there and has his thirumanjanam. By the time the thirumanjanam starts, it will be very late. This is called THOTA THIRUMANJANAM.

The next day Sri Parthasarathi gives darshan to all his bhakthas as a small innocent kid with a vennai thazhi in his hand. This is to remove the fear of bhakthas, who after seeing him on the ratam, the previous day, may think him to be a great lord and that he cannot be approached by samsaris like us. He now shows his sowlabyam. Though he is the paradaivam, he gets controlled by the love of his bhakthas. He stoops himself down to such low levels that his bhakthas can even tie him with a rope like Yeshodha.

Yeshodha was an illiterate female, who neither knew sastram nor sampradhayam but still Sri Krishna wanted to be under her control because of the deep love she had for him. So Sri Parthasarathi not only possess paratva but he is also filled with kalyana gunas like sowlabhyam(though a big person easily available to his bhakthas), sauseelyam(he is simple and easy going), Apaara kaarunyam, Dhayai , bhaktha vatsalam etc. On this day he goes to visit not only the mada veedhis but also goes to some other small streets, which were earlier filled with gopis. He being a cowboy himself goes and visits the people in his lineage.

On the eighth day evening as I have already explained emperuman gives darshan on the horse and Yesal takes place in car street. As we have already seen about Thirumangai Alwar coming to steal perumal and losing his heart to Sri Parthasarathi I am not going to elaborate them again. After this, emperuman returns to the temple very late. This gets him to trouble. We will see what sort of trouble he gets into and how he solves it.

Emperuman on the ninth day morning finds that he has lost his ring somewhere during previous day’s celebration. So afraid to see the nachiyars without the ring he covers himself with different color of cloth (porvai) and sets to hunt for the ring in his palanquin. When he reaches the spot where yesterday the dialogue between him and Thirumangai Alwar happened he goes in circles like searching the place. Every time, when he completes a circle, one of his porvai is removed and kalpura harati is done. This is called PORVAI KALAYAL. Then without any result Sri Parthasarathi returns back home.

When he tries to enter the entrance of the temple, the nachiyars at the other end, angry with him for coming late yesterday and also losing the ring, close the door of the temple not letting him inside. This is done three times. Sri Parthasarathi with long steps will try to enter the temple, but when he approaches the entrance the door will be banged on him and so he will return with a sorrow face. We can see the face of Parthasarathi given the sorrow expression and we will feel sorry for him.

After this there will be a long dialogue between perumal and the ubayanachiyars. The archakas recite the dialogue on behalf of the perumal and thayars. The nachiyars blame him to have stayed with some other women the previous night. They show him the changes in his body and say they cannot accept him. Parthasarathi tries to argue that he has gone only for hunting and since it became late there, he missed them a lot and hence he embraced the bushes and other plants in the forest which have created scratches in his body. But still the nachiyars don’t believe him. Then emperuman tries to make promises on the sun moon etc. But the nachiyars disagree for this also as they all (sun moon etc) are all under his control so they cannot believe them too. Then emperuman says he was born as Rama and so never lies. For that the nachiyars reply that he was also born as Krishna who knew nothing but lie. The dialogue is really superb. It has to be heard with Sri Parthasarathi and Nachiyar facing each other. We will really feel that they are talking to each other. Finally Parthasarathi unable to justify himself gets help from Nammazhvar. Then Nammazhvar comes and talks to the nachiyars in favour of Sri Parthasarathi.

Finally, the nachiyars say that though they don’t believe him, for the sake of our Maran, Sadagopan we forgive you. So now the perumal and thayar play with a flower ball to show their unity. With one archaka on each side, stand and play with the flower ball on behalf of the perumal and thayars. Then the ubayanachiyars go to the side of Sri Parthasarathi and they go into the temple together. This is called as MATTAYADI UTSAVAM. The dialogue between perumal and thayar is simply excellent, worth listening.

After going to the temple Sri Parthasarathi then goes to the neerata mandapam for theerthavari. The neerata mandapam where Andal neerata utsavam occurs is located near the kairavini pushkarini. Sri Parthasarathi stays in the neerata mandapam and theertavari is done to chakrathazhvar. Earlier, the theerthavari was usually done, by dipping the chakrathazhvar in the holy kainravini pushkarini. Since now there is no good water there, the theertavari is done by dipping chakrathazhvar in a big vessel containing water on the pushkarini steps, and the water is splashed on all the bhakthas. Then after thirumanjanam in the neerata mandapam Sri Parthasarathi returns back to the temple. It is peak summer and it will be noon when perumal returns back. The sripadam thangigal, walk, carrying the perumal with bear legs in the hot sun. Hats off to their kainkaryam.

The next day is Saptha varanam and Dvadhasa Aradhanam about which I have already given a detailed explanation. With this ends the Parthasarathi Brahmotsavam. Following these ten days is vidAiyarthi utsavam, which was also already explained.

In the next posting I will write about Acharya Ramanuja Utsavam in Thiruvallikeni, which is at present going on. This year the satrumarai of Ramanuja utsavam falls on April 18^{th 2002}. Though we miss the utsavam in reality let us atleast think of the utsavams and the greatness of our acharya.

Adiyen Ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan.