You are here: SriPedia - SriRangaSri - Archives - Jul 2006

SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00051 Jul 2006

 
Jul 2006 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


 
  15-7-2006
   
  Andal Thiruvadigale Saranam ! ? A humble tribute to Kothai   -on her 
Thirunakshatram day falling on 28-7-2006 .    
  Dear Bhagavathas !
   
  Adiyen is sure ,that the articles submitted regularly in this site, by 
  the writer , in line with our sampradayam are found by you as 
  meaningful , interesting to read and beneficial  for life . Please 
  note that  these are submitted for the benefit of the 
  Srivaishnava  modern youth,  some of whom  , are  probably 
  are  not lucky enough  so far , to have an exposure to these 
  subjects  .  
   
  The writer is a retired executive , settled in Chennai , India  and enjoys 
  the reputation of  being a Senior citizen of India  , having served the 
  Indian Industry in  multinationals , both within and outside the country 
   for nearly  40 years . Above all , an  Ahobila Mutt disciple , now  trying 
  to spend most of the  time ,  in finding out ways to expose the modern
   youth to the greatness of our  Srivaishnava community , as a sort of 
  Kainkaryam to the community .  
   
  The articles are  written based on the details collected during the 
  various lectures and Upanyasams  attended  by the writer and also 
  reading some of the relevant  books on the subject. 
   
  May Sriyapathi bless us all . Regards .
   
  yours- Ramanuja Dasan G.Sampath. 
   
  Quote 
   
  Andal Thiruvadigale Saranam ! ? A humble tribute to Kothai   
  Srimathe  Ramanujaya Namaha !
  Srimathe  Vedhantha Desikaya Namaha !! 
  Srimate Sri Lakshminrisimha Divyapadukasevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri  
  Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya namaha !!!
   
  Sriyapathi , Sriman Narayanan , due to His kaarunyam on these 
  ?Jeevathmas ?,( created by Him  to fulfill His leelas ) , wants   the souls  
  to come back to Him after leading a meaningful life on this earth  , only 
  to  enjoy His Thirukalyanagunas in the ?Samyapathi Moksham ? state  
  in Srivaikuntam  . (  This is our Srivaishnava  philosophy . ) For this He 
  took nine  different Avatars , mostly in the Northern part of India , in 
  the? Kritha Yugam ?,   ?Thretha Yugam ? and   ? Dwapara Yugam? . He 
  also gave the ?Jeevathmas ?, the   Vedas , the Sruthis  ,  the  Smirithis , 
  the Puranas  and the  Bhagavad Gita . They were  gifted  to us  in 
  Sanskrit language.  
   
  Unfortunately  , we  the ? Jeevathmas ? continued to find  comfort 
  only in the maya of this materialistic world and never understood the 
  noble  objective of the Lord  . As and when He came nearer to us , 
  we were pulling  away from him , due to our own karma .  
   
  But ? Paramathma ?, never gave up in  His attempts to save  all of us . 
  Hence in Kaliyugam ,  he decided to send  ten Alwars to be born in 
  South India  to preach His philosophy in simple Dravidian language  
  through the? Naalaayira Divya Prabandham ?.  He probably could 
  have felt that ?Jeevathma ? , being a different category from Him  , 
  is not accepting the ? Paramathma ? and also His teachings . May be , 
  if some one in the same  category of the ?Jeevathma ? , either a male
  or a female , could preach  the same doctrines , then it  could create 
  the desired result . 
   
  In that context , the births of ? Vishnuchittar ? ( alias Perialwar - meaning 
an ardent devotee of MahaVishnu ) and his foster daughter,  Sri Andal , who is 
  none  other than the ?Bhoomi Piratti  Herself ,  are quite significant .
   
  During Pandya Dynasty , in Kaliyug 98 ,  in the month of Aadi 
  ( Aashaada month ) , sukla chathurthi , Tuesday ,on the day of Pooram ,
   Andal ( her real name was Kothai - meaning garland or  a person who
   has conquered  all the sense organs ) , was supposed to have been 
  found in Srivilliputtur (a small town in the Virdunagar district of Tamil 
  Nadu),  under the Tulsi plant , in the flower garden of  Perialwar . 
  Accordingly, her date of birth is supposed to be  , 8th of June 3004 B.C.
  But the  modern historians fix the date as the first half of the 8th century 
  A.D.  For a  Srivaishnavan , this day of every year ( Thiru Aadi-pooram)  ,
  is supposed to be ,  a very auspicious day , because Bhoomi Piratti 
  took the Avatar of Andal only for the salvation of ? Jeevathmas ? like us.  
   
  Andal spent all her youth , as an ardent Shishya  of Perialwar , in Godly 
  surroundings ,  learning from him , the glories of Vatapathrasayee . Even
  though , Andal was  the incarnation of ? Bhoomadevi ? , she played  
  her role of a ? Shishya ?  to her father very well . Perialwar was  her 
  ? Guru ?. This pair is a classic example of a ? Guru ? Shishya  Lakshanam ?. 
   
  Right from her childhood Kothai developed a strong love and passion 
  for Sri Krishna. Perialwar , during leisure time , always narrated the 
  Avatars of Lord Sriman Narayanan and the Thirukalyanagunas of Sri 
  Krishna  to the child . Andal , on her part ,  listened to them very 
  attentively and  developed a strong devotion and love for the Lord 
  Himself. After  hearing the leelas of Sri krishna in Vrindavan during 
  Dwapara Yugam  , constantly from her father  , the child started 
  enacting the same scenes in Kaliyug in Srivilliputtur itself at that young 
  age of five or so  . She considered herself as one of the Gopikas , 
  Vatapathrasayee as Lord Krishna , Vatapathrasayee temple as the 
  palace of Krishna in Dwaraka and  Srivilliputtur as Vrindavan . She 
  enjoyed and immersed herself in such dramatic scenes and actions and 
  felt that she is one with Lord Krishna Himself .  She developed a true 
  devotion to the  Lord . 
   
  Vishnuchittar was doing  regularly the pushpa kainkaryam to 
  Vatapathrasayee . He would weave a garland of Tulsi leaves and other
  flowers in his garden and then keep it sacredly rolled in a basket. When 
  he went to temple he used to take that garland and offer it to 
  Vatapathrasayee.  One day  , the child Kothai , out of her true 
  devotion and love to the Lord , took out the garland from the basket
  without her father?s knowledge , adorned herself and looked at the 
  mirror ( her reflection in the well water ) to make herself sure that she is 
  the right match for the  Lord Vatapathrasayee . The Lord Himself  
  accepted her act and from then on she was called "Choodi 
  Kodutha Sudarkodi ". 
   
  When Kothai attained her marriageable age, her father was trying to 
  find a suitable match for her. But, Kothai being a divine child was 
  adamant and said that she would not marry anyone else ,  except 
  lord Krishna Or Lord  Ranganatha Himself.  Due to the ordain of the 
  Lord in the dream of Vishnuchitter , Andal was married to Lord 
  Ranganatha in Srirangam.  
   
  Andal sung many verses in praise of Lord Krishna and  Ranganatha, the 
  deity at Srivilliputhur. Among them the Thiruppavai is very popular with 
  its 30 verses . Andal also gave us  the Nachiyar Thirumozhi in 143 verses. 
  She attained the status of an Alwar because of her total devotion to 
  the Lord Ranganatha. Her  works  narrate to us the easiest  way to 
  reach Almighty  .  All her works are considered to be  equivalent to the
  ? Vedas ?and the Bhagavad Gita , both given by the  Lord Himself to 
  the ?Jeevathmas? . 
   
  Both Perialwar and Andal attained their self realization stage due to 
  their implicit faith and strong conviction that Sriman Narayanan alone 
  is the saviour and can offer Moksha to a mumukshoo . They never gave 
  importance to the  worldly material pleasures and understood that 
  these were all  induced by ? Maya ? . They both concentrated in 
  developing ? Saathvik Gunas? in them through Bakthi and devotion 
  to the Lord . They were keen in attaining ? Mokshaprapthi ? and 
  attained it. 
   
  Reading the lives of the above two , we would learn the following 
  basic lessons . 
   
  Sriman Narayanan is the only Lord , who could give ?Mokshaprapthi ? 
  to a  mumukshoo. 
   
  If we do , even a simple  kainkaryam to the Lord , which is  approved 
  by Him in the scriptures and His teachings  , in a very sincere manner , 
  then we would be blessed with children ,  with all good and noble  
  ?Saathvik ? qualities.  Perialwar could attain the enviable  position of 
  the  father - in - law of Paramathma  Himself. Even though Andal is 
  only  his foster child  , he attained that status ,  due to his ardent 
  devotion to Vatapathrasayee. 
   
  It we teach our young  children all the good things in life as laid down 
  in our scriptures and the  teachings of Sri Krsihna  , with  all  sincerity , 
  only after ourselves observing them in toto , then such  children would 
  grow in this world ,  as  very noble ones and lead a healthy  and happy 
  meaningful  life . The world then would become , a place to live 
  peacefully and do the Kainkaryam to the Almighty with a calm mind.     
   
  In this ? Kaliyugam  ? ,  Naama Sankeerthanam and  Saranagathi to 
  Sriman Narayanan are the only solace  , for the ? Mumukshoo ? to 
  attain  sallvation . Hence , on this Thirunakshatram day of Sri Andal , 
  let us all invoke her choicest blessings to help us , to do our meaningful 
  ? Saranagathi ? to Sriman Narayanan. 
   
  Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu ! 
  ? Thiruvadipoorathu Jagathuthithal Vazhiye ! Perialwar petru 
  edutha pennpillai Vazhiye !  Andal Thiruvadigale saranam ! ? . 
  Adiyen , Ramanuja dasan ? G.Sampath.  Unquote.
   

                                
---------------------------------
 Find out what India is talking about on  Yahoo! Answers India.
 So, what?s NEW about the NEW Yahoo! Messenger? Find out.

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



 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 




[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list