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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00073 Mar 2002

 
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Title: Sri Ramajayam

Sri Ramajayam.

Dasaratha performed ‘puthra kaameshti yagam’ under instruction and guidance of Maharishi Rushya singar who was the son of Maharishi Vikanda. Maharishi Vikanda had his ashram in the vakulaaranya kshetram where he was performing daily aradhanam to Karunaakaran and His consorts.

 Onreturn from Lanka on their way to Ayodhya, Perumal, Piraati and Ilaya Perumal visited the ashram of the Maharishi. On request of the Maharishi the trio have taken the Archa vrattam and are till date ushering their blessings to the devotees.

This Kshetram was later ruled by the Cholas and was donated to Brahmins who mastered all the four Vedas. The place thus used tohave the name ‘Chaturvedi mangalam’ and today it is named after the Chola king who built a beautiful temple there for Perumal and also gifted this kshetram tothe scholars- Mathurandhaka cholan.

Later during British rule the lake nearby developed a breech due to the floods and all attempts by the administration to seal it proved futile. The prayers of the locals to save their lives, lands and cattle were answered by the divine couple; acknowledging that the floods were controlled only by the divine grace of The Lord the collector announced several grants to the temple administration and even made personal donations for its renovation. Since then the Perumal here is called ‘Eri Kaatha Ramar’ (The Rama who guarded the lake.)

The reason why Perumal of Madhuranthakam is called Eri Kaatha Ramar may sound fascinating to common men; it is only an ostensible reason. The real one for the Perumal being so called is the particular incident, which saved the JagathAcharya Ramanujar for us the Sri Vaishnavites.

In this slokam of ‘Embaar’:

 

LakshminAdhAkya sindhow sadaribulatha:

PrAbya kAruNyanIram

NAthAdhrAvabyashingcath thadhanu

RaghuvarAmbOjacakshurjarAbyAm /

Gathva thAm yAmunakyAm sariDhamatha

YathIndrAkyapadhmAkarEndhram

Sampurya praNisasyE pravahathi

BahuthA desikEndhrabramowkai //

 

[Lakshminathan being the ocean, the water of grace was consumed by Sadagopan and then shed on Nathamuni the mountain; this water through the two falls Pundarikaksha or Uyyakondar and Ramamisrar or ManakkalNambi reached the Grand River Yamunaacharya or Alavandar. From this river through five achryas such as Periya Nambi being the five canals the water of grace reached Ramanuja the lake. Through seventy-four simhasanathipathies the sluices the water continues to gush through for the benefit of the plants like us the jivas]

Ramanuja is described as a lake from where we theplants get our life force through our acharyas.

We learn from Guruparampara Prabavam that when Ramanuja went to Sri Rangam to become the disciple of Yamunacharya he was faced withthe shocking news of the demise of Swami Alavandar. Ramanuja came back to Perumal Kovil and insisted that Thiru Kachhi Nambigal be his acharya. This request was declined and so Ramanujar again set out for his journey to Sri Rangam after bidding farewell to Kanchi. Periya Nambigal met him on his way at Madhuranthakam. Ramanuja did not want to miss the opportunity of being initiated into Sri vaishnavam and hence prayed for Hithobadesam. Periya Nambigal saidthat he would perform the ritual in Hasthigiri at Kanchi. Ramanuja convinced his acharya expressing his fear learning from his experience after the death of Yamunacharya. Periya Nambigal at this temple of Raghunanthan of Madhuranthakam performed Pancha samaskaram in accordance with Pancharathra Agamam to Ramanuja and taught him regarding prmaanam, prameyam and pramaatha. As this Rama saved Ramanuja the lake (from his fear of losing his life without being initiatedin Sri vaishnavam) He is rightly called as Eri kaatha Ramar.

The temple is situated in a calm and serene atmosphere located on the Grand South Trunk road and about sixty kilometres from Chennai towards Tiruchi. After the Chakrathalwar and Vedanta Desikar sannidhis, we may proceed to the Thayar Sannidhi. Sita piraati has a thani sannidhi only in this temple. Janakasya puthri in this temple is named as Janakavalli Thayar. The jagan maatha grants us the permission to proceed to the main temple on our way during our perambulation we can have the darshan of Andal and senai naathan.

The main sannidhi is a treat to our eyes (body) mind and soul. We can see Ramachandra murthy in the middle, Piraati to His right and Ilaya Perumal to His left. Perumal has his Kothandam in His left hand and abow in His right. With the same right hand Perumal is seen to be holding Piraati’s hand (Perhaps signifying that They both are in the Iswara ghoshti) for this reason Perumal is also called Kalyana Raman here. Piraati’s head is slightly reclined towards Perumal (like the women of those days who bow their head down when in company of her husband expressing shyness). The trio give us the ‘Pranava artha vivaranam’ or the explanation of Om (A, U and Ma).

Karunaakaran and His consorts the Aradhya deivam of Vikanda Maharishi has his Gadhai in His left hand and shows abayam through His Right Hand. The Divaya Mangala Vigrahams of Perumal, Piraati and Ilaya Perumal and a narthana Krishnan are also there in this sannidhi along with Karunakaran. Archanai and Puarppaadu are done only to Karunaakaran. The Rama Lakshmana Seethai has purapaadu just on two days during a year and all other utsavamsare for only Karanukaran. It is very very difficult for a person to come out ofthis sannidhi.

This essay will not be complete if a description of the next sannidhi is not given. Here Ramanuja is seen clad in white vasthram with anjali mudra. Periya Nambigal shows a chin mudra typifying the pancha samaskaram that was performed by Periya Nambigal to Ramanuja here in this place when Ramanuja was still in samsara ashrama. The chakra and conch used to performthe tapa samaskara are kept in this sannidhi and aradhanam is performed to the Krishna given to Ramanuja during the yaga samskaram. What a place of historic and philosophical importance to us the sri Vaishnavites.

Then there is the Lakshmi Nrusimhan sannidhi and a temple tank next to which is the Thiruvadi sannidhi. Near the temple is the Ahobila Mutt’s famous Veda patasala to continue the tradition which once brought this place the name Chaturvedi Mangalam.

 

Mangalam Kosalendraya Mahniya gunabthaye

Chakravarthy thanujaya sarvabowmaya mangalam //


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