SrIperumbUthUr diary: 2014 - emperumAnAr uthsavam day 1

srI:
srImathE satagOpAya nama:
srImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srImadh varavaramunayE nama:
srI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:

Today is the beginning of emperumAnAr thiruvavathAra uthsavam. Let us start our anubhavam with two wonderful and auspicious pAsurams relating to the divine birth of emperumAnAr.

In rAmAnusa nURRanthAdhi, thiruvarangathu amudhanAr explains the glories of emperumAnAr's birth in pAsuram 41 beautifully:

maNmichai yOnikaL thORum piRanthu engaL mAthavanE
kaNNuRa niRkilum kANakillA ulakOrkaLellAm
aNNal irAmAnuchan vanthu thOnRiya appozuthE

naNNaru gyAnam thalaikkoNdu, nAraNaRkAyinarE

மண்மிசை யோனிகள் தோறும் பிறந்து எங்கள் மாதவனே
கண்ணுற நிற்கிலும் காணகில்லா உலகோர்களெல்லாம்
அண்ணல் இராமானுசன் வந்து தோன்றிய அப்பொழுதே
நண்ணரு ஞானம் தலைக்கொண்டு நாரணற்காயினரே

mAmunigaL beautifully explains this pAsuram in his commentary. srIman nArAyaNan who is our supreme lord, took many births in many different forms with the intent of uplifting jIvAthmAs. Still no one could understand him. But when emperumAnAr appeared in this world every one became enlightened and surrendered to emperumAn. Here mAmunigaL explains "vanthu thOnRiya appozhuthE" (the moment he appeared) in two ways - first he says "when emperumAnAr became known to the world by writing srI bhAshyam, etc" and then he explains it as "the moment he takes birth in this world". piLLai lOkam jIyar explains the same in his vyAkyAnam for this pAsuram too. It is explained by our elders that when great mahAns appear in this world, that by itself brings auspiciousness to the entire world. As emperumAnAr descended from paramapadham purely for the upliftment of the entire world, there is no doubt that his appearance is the most auspicious event for the entire universe.

In Arthi prabhandham, mAmunigaL's divine revelation about the purpose of emperumAnAr's birth is most touching and we can easily understand the humility of mAmunigaL from this pAsuram 41. It is a wonderful coincidence that both pAsurams are numbered 41 and talk about the glories of emperumAnAr's birth.

enaippOl pizhai cheyvAr ivvulagil uNdO

unaippOla poRukka vallAruNdO

anaiththulagum vAzhap piRantha ethirAsa mAmunivA

Ezhaikku irangAy ini

எனைப்போல் பிழை செய்வார் இவ்வுலகில் உண்டோ
உனைப்போல பொறுக்க வல்லாருண்டோ
அனைத்துலகும் வாழப் பிறந்த எதிராச மாமுனிவா
ஏழைக்கு இரங்காய் இனி

Is there anyone who can commit mistakes like me? Is there anyone who can tolerate those mistakes like you? Oh yathirAja who took birth for the upliftment of the entire universe! you please help this poor soul.

Though mAmunigaL is emperumAnAr's punar avathAram, he glorified emperumAnAr to teach us how to pray to him. This is like srI rAma himself worshipping srI ranganAthan to teach us how to worship him.

Thus we can understand the glorious purpose of the appearance of emperumAnAr - purely for upliftment of the entire universe. This is why he is glorified as jagadhAchArya - the AchArya (one who shows the real path of salvation) of the entire universe. jagadhAchArya just does not mean AchArya of common mass of people - it means that he is accepted as AchArya by great AchAryas (even outside srIvaishNava sampradhAyam). That is the special glory of emperumAnAr which is not to be found in any one else.

Let us now start enjoying the emperumAnAr's thiruvavathAra mahOthsava anubhavam.

Full set of pictures at https://plus.google.com/photos/107723698299182214927/albums/6006078327229233681
Early Morning

viswarUpam (3am)
thiruvArAdhanam
emperumAnAr leaves from his sannidhi around 4.30am, comes around the temple prAkAram with sthOthra pAta gOshti.
oyyAra nadai (different gathis/steps) and echcharikkai (hechcharikkA - glorifications) of emperumAnAr being hailed by kainkaryaparars.
emperumAnAr arrives to vAhana maNdapam

Morning

emperumAnAr puRappAdu in thanga (golden) pallakku around the town with mudhal thiruvanthAdhi gOshti.

maNdagappadi (stop-over) at many places along the route
emperumAnAr returns to vAhana maNdapam
mudhal thiruvanthAdhi sARRumuRai followed by iyal sARRu

emperumAnAr visits his avathAra maNdapam (at the end of vAhana maNdapam) - this is where 74 simhAsanAdhipathis (established by emperumAnAr) are present.

emperumAnAr leaves vAhana maNdapam and arrives at kaNNAdi aRai (mirror room)

Afternoon

emperumAnAr thirumanjanam (around 12 noon)

thiruppAvai, thiruppallANdu, periyAzhwAr thirumozhi gOshti while applying thirumaN kAppu (Urdhva puNdram) to emperumAnAr followed by sARRumuRai

Evening

emperumAnAr paththi ulA (puRappAdu inside the temple and in the maNdapam outside), jhUlA dharshan
nithya vibhUthi leelA vibhUthi - emperumAnAr performing mangaLAsAsanam to dhivya dhEsams
emperumAnAr arrives at vAhana maNdapam