SrI: Dear Sri Sudarshan : We have been missing your postings for quite some time . We are all happy that our dear Andal has intervened to get our PrasAdhams . Look forward to recieving many more such postings , V.Sadagopan ----- Original Message ----- From: "sudarshan madabushi" <mksudarshan2002@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <srirangasri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 10:34 AM Subject: [Oppiliappan] "maRRai nam kaamangaL maatru" (Part 2) > TiruppAvai 'sAram' > ------------------ > > If the TiruppAvai is to be considered "upanishad > sAram", then it may well and equally be said that the > 29th and penultimate stanza in the sacred hymn of > AndAl is verily "tiruppAvai sAram" -i.e the essence of > the whole TiruppAvai bottled into but one fragrant and > memorable verse ("nigama parimalam"). > > In most SriVaishnava homes or families, the TiruppAvai > in its entirety ("muppathUm thappAmE") might get sung > only during the course of the 30 days of the > "mArgazhi" month. The 29th verse, however, will > continue to be chanted every day of the remaining > months of the rest of the year, and then year after > year without fail, forever. > > Every morning, when prayers to a household deity in a > SriVaishnava home draw to a close, there is usually a > short burst of staccato recitations from > litany-passages culled out of a selection of Sanskrit > and Tamil scriptures. It is called "sAttrmarai". It > marks the climactic moment when the traditional daily > ritual of domestic worship ("nitya-tiruvArAdanam") is > brought to a solemn close after the deity (usually, a > small icon or idol of Vishnu, Rama or Krishna, or a > sacred "sAlagrAma-murthi" pebble) has been > ceremoniously bathed, clothed, bedecked with flowers > and jewelry, anointed with perfumery, offered food > ("prasAd") and, after due honors, is finally beseeched > to continue presiding over the whole household, > protecting its members and showering His Grace and > Compassion on every member of the family ("engUm > tiruvarUL petru inbUruvar empAvaay!", in the words of > the TiruppAvai). > > Now, in the "sattrmarai" crescendo, it is no surprise > at all that by long-standing and well-established > convention, the very first passage taken up for > chanting by the assembled devotees is the 29th verse > from the TiruppAvai. It is not difficult to understand > why the SriVaishnava convention of litany > ("pArAyaNa-kramam") has chosen to single out this > particular verse from amongst several other ageless, > sacred passages in the vast body of Vedantic > literature, and given it its prime pride of place. It > is because, more than any other single 'shlOka' in all > of the vast religious literature abounding in the > SriVaishnava faith, it is this verse alone, that is > seen to capture and contain, in full and exact > measure, both the substance and spirit of Vedantic > thought as expressed or embodied in the very best and > most heart-felt of Bhakti sentiment. > > For ordinary households anywhere in the world -- whose > family members even while they go about leading > secular lives that rarely, if ever at all, rise above > the banal or quotidian -- for such households that yet > earnestly wish to pursue, embrace, practice and > cherish the nobility that lies in the Vedantic Way of > life ("vEdAnta-mArga"), to such distinguished people > the 29th verse of the TiruppAvai is indeed an > extremely handy and invaluable aid. > > The 29th verse of the TiruppAvai in fact, as the rest > of this series of essays shall attempt to describe, is > daily dosage of healthy Vedantic tonic for the human > soul. > > ***************** > > Regards, > dAsan, > Sudarshan > > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/XUWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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