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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00015 May 2004

 
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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:
Dearest Srivaishnavas,

sarankaLaiththu ranthuvilva
  Laiththu_ilankai mannavan,
sirankaLpaththa Ruththuthirththa
  selvarmannu ponnidam,
paranthuponn^i ranthun^unthi
  vanthalaikkum vaar_punal,
arankamenpar naanmukath
  thayanpaNintha kOyilE.     (51)

Tieing the cord to the bow, aiming different asthrAs
and cut the ten heads of lankA king rAvaNan ? He is
none other than SrI SitA pathi (selvar- thiruvukkum
thiruvaagiya selvar) and He resides permanently here
at SrI Rangam alone.. the most sacred place- which was
worshipped  by chathrumukha (four faced) brahmA; where
the river that flows everywhere sharing gold along its
way (making the place fertile on the way), 

After burning the ocean red with his anger and aiming
an arrow at it
(as per last verse), now the Lord is happily with His
divine consort- SitA PiraaTTi. The golden particles
get collected in the bank and hence called ponni..
(golden river)

Cauvery hands over the seer (gift) for the son on law
? the Lord.
The Lord Ranganathan was first worshipped by BrahmA
begroe he gave to IkshvAku and the Lord Rama offered
Ranganatha to VibheesaNan who placed Lord Ranganathan
at Srirangam on his way to lankA. Hence Srirangam is
also the koil worshipped by brahmA.

Given below is the extract from The History of
Srirangam temple written by Dr Sri VS Seshadri Swamy
of Srirangam:

Srirangam, the premier Vaishnava temple in South India
is the first and foremost among the 108 Vaishnava
divyadesas. All the Alvars have sung in praise of the
deity enshrined in the huge temple in the center of
the town. The Sri Vaishnava Acharyas from Nathamuni
are found to have taken an active and abiding interest
in the management of the temple. During Ramanuja's
time, far reaching reforms were introduced both in the
religious and secular management. Thus Srirangam has
an eventful history, both secular and religious, as
the great Vaishnava Acharyas made it the headquarters
of the wider Vaishnava movement. Here is an attempt to
present its eventful history in a nutshell - both the
traditional and historical. 

In the Vaishnava parlance, the term "Koil" signifies
the Srirangam temple only. The temple is enormous in
size. The temple complex is 156 acres in extent. It
has seven Prakaras or enclosures or Tiru Veedhis.
These enclosures are formed by thick and huge rampart
walls which run round the sanctum. The total length of
these seven walls is 32,592 feet or over six miles.
There are magnificent towers in all Prakaras providing
a unique sight to any visitor. The latest addition is
the 236 feet high stupendous thirteen tired
Rajagopuram built at the southern rampart by the late
44th Jeeyar of the Sri Ahobila Mutt and consecrated in
1987 with great fanfare and religious piety. The
grandeur of the towers decrease as one moves away
from, them towards the sanctum signifying that the
devotee has to move away from the lofty earthly
attachments in his spiritual quest. 
The Peria Koil is complete in all respects. It has the
full complement of seven Prakaras. It has a main
shrine where the Lord (Ranganatha) is found in a
reclining posture in his serpent bed. There are also
sub shrines for Vishvaksena, Rama, Krishna, Nachiyar,
Chakratalvar, Garuda, Hanuman, Andal etc. and for all
the alvars and the acharyas upto Vedanta Desika within
the precincts. 

The Peria koil lies on an islet, formed by the twin
rivers Kaveri and Kollidam. The river has always been
a very important adjunct of a Hindu temple or
religious institutions and therefore held as sacred as
the temple. 

The origin of the glittering Sriranga Vimana is said
to have been narrated by Rudra to Narada. According to
the Sriranga Mahathmya the glittering Sriranga Vimana
sprang as a result of the tapas of Brahma in the
depths of the Milky ocean. It was borne by the
celestial bird Garuda. Adisesha, had spread his hood
over it. Vishvaksena, the Archangel-in-chief walked in
front clearing the way. The Sun and Moon were fanning
the Deity. The celestial Musicians Narada and Thumburu
followed singing His Glory. Rudra and other gods
raised the "jayaghosha". The celestial maids danced.
There was a rain of flowers. 

Awakened from his deep tapas, Brahma prostrated before
the Vimana. He recited the four vedas and gazed in
wonderment. Sunanda, a celestial guard informed him
that the Lord was pleased with his penance and had
come in answer to his prayers. When Brahma looked into
the Vimana, he found there the Supreme Lord resting
with his Consorts. The Lord informed Brahma that he
had come as a Svayamvyakta -- on his own volition --
as an idol. He would appear likewise in eight places
on earth -- Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri,
Saligram, Naimisaranya, Totadri, Pushkara and Badri.
Ranga Vimana is the first and the earliest of all
these. The Lord directed Brahma to worship him
strictly according to the procedure for worship laid
down in the Agamas and lay down in his characteristic
posture, in Yoganidra. 
Brahma carried it to Satyaloka and installed it on the
banks of the river, Viraja. He appointed the Sun god
to do the daily pooja. After him, Vaivasvata Manu,
performed the worship. When his son Ikshvaku, became
the King of Ayodhya, he wanted to have it installed at
Ayodhya. He entered on a tapas which lasted for many
hundred years at the end of which he was permitted by
Brahma to take it to Ayodhya. 
Thus, the Vimana came to Ayodhya. After Ikshvaku, his
descendants continued the service. Rama, himself an
avatara of the Lord worshipped him and thereafter the
Lord came to be known as "Periya Perumal". On his
triumphant return from Sri Lanka, in the coronation
held in grand style, Rama gave the Vimana as gift to
Sri Vibheeshana for worship. 

When Vibheeshana set out for Sri Lanka, He got down on
the Kaveri bank to perform his mid-day prayers. He
placed the Ranga Vimana at a place known as "Sesha
Peetam" near the Chandrapuskarani. He returned after
taking his bath and performed the Pooja and lo! when
he tried to lift the Vimana, it would not move. It had
got stuck up. Vibheeshana was overcome with grief and
shed tears. The Lord appeared before him and consoled
him saying that he need not grieve as He hjad already
decided to make the place His abode. He could come and
worship him daily. It is said that Vibheeshana
worships the Lord daily at midnight. [the extract is
from website: http://www.ramanuja.org] 
ThirumazhisaiAzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo narayana
dAsan



        
                
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