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CHAATHURMAASYA SANKALPAM AT  SRI AHOBILA MATAM
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ChathurmAsya vratham is very important one for SanyAsis
of every kind . From SanyAsis ranging from Kootika ( one who
resides in a hut and stays put ) to sanyAsis on sanchAram
( who do not stay at one place for more than one night)
to Paramahamsa ParivrAjaka sanyAsis , all have to observe this
SanyAsa dharma anushtAnam without fail.It is very pleasing
( priyatamam) for the Lord to see the SanyAsis observe
this annual vratham .The power of this Vratham increases
every day from the first to the last day of the observance .
This vratham lasts from 2 to 4 months.  There are specific
rites for the proper observance of this vratham .Bhavishyath,
Skanda , Aadithya PurANams and SanyAsa Upanishads in general
and Naradha ParivrAjaka Upanishad in particular cover
the duties of SanyAsis including ChAthurmAsya Vratham .
 
ChAthurmAsyam at SrI Matam
***************************
The great AchAryAs of SrI Matam starting from the First Jeeyar ,
SrI Adhi Vann SaThakOpa Mahaa Desikan to idhAneem Jeeyar
have followed scrupulously the instrcutions of Malolan
to take him from village to village all over India to
bless the bhaktha janams and to perform SamAsrayaNam
and BharanyAsam to sishyAs .The AchAryAs of SrI Matam
are SrI NrusimhAnupravEsa AchArya BhUthALs .Their observances
of the ChathurmAsyam has fine details unique to SrI Matam .
 
Number of ChAthurmAsyams by different Azhagiya Singars
*******************************************************   
 
A sanyAsi's age is not counted in physical years of their
lives ; instead , it is counted in terms of the number of
ChAthurmAsyams that they have observed . For instance ,
prakrutham (current ) Jeeyar , HH SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra
MahA Desikan will be 13 years old from a TuriyAsrama SveekAram
point of view since he would have observed 13 ChAthurmAsyams
since his ascent to the AchArya Peetam .
 
The unique distinction of SrImath Azhagiya Singars is that
the first Jeeyar recieved PrEksha manthra upadEsam
( initiation in to SanyAsAsramam ) directly from the Lord of
Ahobilam Himself (ahObilE SrInrusimha : prEksha manthram
svayam dhadhou). That prEksha manthram has come down from
Jeeyar to Jeeyar over the 605 years history of this glorious Matam . There must have been the observance of atleast 600 ChathurmAsyams at SrI Matam while accounting for a short
period of time ,when there were no PeetAdhipathi at
the SrI Matam .
 
The ChAthurmAsyams at SrI Matam have taken place at agrahArams
where the devout sishyAs of SrImath Azhagiya Singars are .
The sites range from PerumpAkkam ( DakshiNa ahObilam ) to
GadhwAl samasthAnam on the banks of KrishNa river
(at the request of the then MahA RaaNi)to the dhivya
desam of Thiruvaheendhrapuram to Nedumtheru to ThiruveLLUr
to SelayUr.
 
The largest number of ChaAthurmAsyams by the Jeeyars of Sri Matam
******************************************************************
Nine Azhagiya Singars among the 45 have observed so far 329
of the 600 ChAthurmAsyams ( ~55% ). The largest number of
the ChAthurmAsyams(59) has been observed by the First Jeeyar
of SrI Matam , SrI Adhi VaNN SaThakOpa Jeeyar , who accepted
ThuriyAsramam from the Lord in the year 1399 C.E as a young
man of twenty years of age. The number of ChAthurmAsyams observed
by other Azhagiya Singars are assembled in paranthesis after
their Pattams: 13th Pattam ( 43 ) , 11th Pattam ( 38) ,
25th Pattam ( 36) , 17th pattam (35) ,44th Pattam (35) ,
12th Pattam (34). Among SrImath Azhagiya Singars of recent
times , SrI MukkUr Azhagiya Singar ascended the SrI Matam
throne at the age of 62 and observed 35 ChAthur Maasyams up to
His 97th year . Two Azhagiya Singars ( 33rd and 42nd/Injimettu
Jeeyar) observed 26 and 23 ChAturmAsyams rspectively . PiLLaipAkkam
(37th Pattam) Azhagiya Singar observed only one ChAthurmAsyam .
The 22nd Pattam Azhagiya Singar stayed in the NrusimhAsthAnam
for less than an year and hence did not have the opportunity to
observe even one ChAthurmAsyam .Rest of the Jeeyars observed from
3 to 19 ChAthurmAsyams.
 
Why is ChAthurmAsyam Observed ?
******************************  
There are two reaons that are given : (1) During the four months starting
from AavaNi and ending up with Kaarthikai , it is rainy season in India.
Many insects and worms are created in the soil during this time. Since
sanchAram by the SanyAsis might cause accidental death to these
living entities , the SanyAsis take a vow not to travel during those four
months and stay put at one place . This vratham is the ChAthurmAsya
Vratham .
 
The second reason given is : A SanyAsi is required to move around
often by his dharmam .That results in the sanyAsi not having enough
time during these sanchArams to perform Japam , Homam , AarAdhanam ,
upadEsams and reflections on the SaasthrAs . To make up for lost
time and to facilitate such karmAs and studies , a SanyAsi is required
to slow down and  stay put at one place for four months " to charge
His spiritual batteries as it where ". SaasthrAs point out that any
good deed ( Homam , Japam , dhAnam , Vratham , KaalakshEpam) 
done during the chAthurmAsya Kaalam yield infinitely greater fruits
than those done during the rest of the 8 months of the year .
 
Four Months or Two months (Four Pakshams) ?
************************************************
There is a debate whether the ChAthurmAsyam should be observed
for 2 or four months. Ideally , it should be observed for four months
starting  from Sayana EkAdasi (AashAda sukla EkAdasi) and end with
UtthAna EkAdasi in the month of Kaarthikai .Sayana EkAdasi is
the day , when our Lord starts His yOga nidhra and UtthAna EkAdasi
is when He wakes up. These four months are AshAda ( July-August) ,
BhadrapAdha ( August-September) , Asvina ( September-October )
and KaarthikA ( October to November ). SrIdharan , HrushikEsan ,
PadhmanAbhan and DhAmOdharan are the presiding deities of
the above four months.
 
There is a Veda Vakyam : " PakshA vai MaasA: " . Paksha refers to
the 15 days of the Month , Sukla and KrishNa pakshams. Since it may
be difficult for a SanyAsi to stay put in one place for 4 months at
a stretch and since sishyAs from other parts of the land would want
their AchAryan to resume SanchAram to bless them , Four Pakshams
instead of Four months are used to observe ChAthurmAsya vratham.
 
On the day of ChAthurmAsyam
********************************
The nithya karmAs , abhigamana aarAdhanam ( the most important
for a SanyAsi) are done as on any other  day. Afterwards , a small
amount of soil (earth) is consecrated(mruth SangrahaNam)
along  with aavAhanam and aarAdhanam for BhU VarAha PerumAL
and BhUmi PirAtti . After that , the Yathi himself collects the soil
required for his anushtAnams during the ChAthurmAsya Vratham.
Next , the Yathi has Thirumudi ViLakkam ( shaving of the hair on
the head and face ) . The Yathi takes now a purifying bath
in preparation for the special aarAdhanam again .  Pancha Saanthi
Manthrams are recited as the Yathi returns to the Matam from SnAnam .
At the Matam , the Yathi will take the sankalpam : "AshADa PourNamAseem aarabhya BhadrapAdha pourNamAsi paryantham ChAthurmAsya Vratham sthaasyE ". The assembled sishyas assembled
around their AchAryan ( Yathivarar) respond : " Nivasanthu sukeen athra 
gamishyAmaha kruthArthAn yathA sakthi cha sisrUshAm 
karishyAmO vayam mudhA " ( Oh AchArya! Please kindly stay in
this location with all happiness and bless us to have the opportunity
to perform kaimkaryams for You. We take the vow to serve You 
to the best of our capabilities ). MaryAdhais from BhagavAn from
different dhivya dEsams are presented next to the YathIswaran to 
bless him for successful observance of the ChAthurmAsyam . 
 
Dietary restrcitions during ChAthurmAsyam
**********************************************
During the ChAthurmAsyam , there are strict dietary restrictions 
for the observer during each of the four months . Ten food items 
- - root , leaf , shoot , tip , fruit , skin, sprout , stalk , flower and
skin of the vegetable- - - are prohibited. If any of them are eaten by
mistake , then chAndrAyana vratham has to be undertaken as
PrAyascchittham. After the completion of the ChAthurmAsyam ,
the SrImath Azhagiya Singar  resumes His unrestricted sanchArams
( anuAthrA with MalOlan's yaathrA ) to bless His sishyAs .
 
AchAryAs are 'NadamAdum Dhaivam
***********************************
Let us conclude this essay with a quotation from Athri Smruthi :
" The Lord has two forms : moving and unmoving. The moving
form is the SanyAsi and the unmoving(sTira bhEram) is
the Lord in archA form worshipped at the temple ". In the case of
SrI Matam , both the forms merge into One . The AchAryAs of
SrI Matam noted for their Jn~Anam , anushtAnam and Aathma GuNa
Poorthy  are anupravEsAvathAra BhUtharkaL  , who are walking
and talking forms of MalOlan .
 
SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
 
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 

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