Divya Desa Yathra from 26th June – 2nd July, 2016
Visit to Sri Mushnam – 26th June
2016 Divyadesa yathra on occasion of Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi began from Sri Mushnam on 26th June. Hundreds of devotees accompanied Acharya Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji and did mangalasasanams to the Lord and Thayar. Sri Mushnam is a huge temple built about 500 years ago by 4 kings – Achyutha Nayakar, Anantha Nayakar , Govindappa Nayakar, Kondappa Nayakar.
From HH’s discourses – 26th June: Sri Mushnam
Imagine a pearl white mountain adorned with a necklace made of studded bright blue precious stones .., this is how the beauty of Lord Srimannarayana in VarahaMurthi form was described by devotees who watched him when he protected Bhu:devi from the evil spirit, Hiranya:ksha.
She asked, Oh dear Lord – Did you take this form to destroy the evil spirit, Hiranya:ksha or did you come down to protect me ? askedBhu:devi, the spirit of Earth.
Lord said, I do not need to take any form and come all the way here to kill Hiranya:ksha.
- I could just wish for it to happen, and he would have been killed through some source
- I could have sent my SudarshanaChakra and it would have gotten the job done
- Hiranya:ksha has a curse that mere smell of a poisonous snake will take his life away
I have come down primarily to protect you, ‘Parithraanayasadhu:na:m’. In this process, ‘Vina:sa:yachadushkrutha:m’, I kill any evil spirit directly while protecting good natured people, who have surrendered to me. My very purpose of incarnation is to protect and be part of the lives of people who want me alone.
Sri Mushnam is the first Abhimanasthalam, a place liked by and worshipped by an al:war or an aacharya that is visited in the DivyaDesaYatra 2017. This is where Vara:ha Swami graces people with his form carrying Bhu:devi on his tusks.
Sri MushnaNa:tha means ‘One who carried, lifted and thus protected Sri’.
Bhu:devi attained the following when she was being rescued and thus was completely graced by Lord through:
- Touch of his divine teeth (as he held her on the teeth)
- Touch of his divine hands (as he lifted her up)
- Touch of his divine shoulders (as he took a form and held her)
- Touch of his divine feet (as he made her heart his home)
The Deity in this temple is self-manifested, and was discovered by a King, AchyuthaNayaka . He spent a night around this place and was suffering from cancer. He dreamt of a pig scratching his cancer wound and found out that the cancer wound vanished as he got up in the morning. He wandered around to see what exists around that has the power to take away his pain and noticed a black cow giving milk at the opening of an ant-hill. He approached the place closer and discovered the deity. He constructed the shrine, and employed his people to carve history of Lord’s appearances. He made sure that about 27054 kgs of rice was cooked and offered to Lord, and then distributed to all the devotees every day. Those days, Kings ensured that services and prayers are performed with no compromise to any such deity and devotees are given the opportunity to pray and spend time around the temples.
People those days knew and took value out of these great places of worship with utmost respect and love towards God.
Is ‘Anthimasmarana’ (to pray Lord when you take your last breath) necessary to attain liberation or unending happiness? Ramanuja:charya asked this as one of his 6 questionsto Kanchi:pu:rnulu to find out from Varadaraja Swami.
sthitemanasisuswasthesareere sati yonarah |
dhaatusaamyesthitesmartaaviswaroopam cha maamahjam ||
tatasthummriyamaanamtukaashta-paashaanasannibham |
ahamsmaraami mad bhaktamnayaamiparamaamgatim ||
When one thinks of me as a sole protector when he is able bodied, I will take that prayer and protect him when he is not able to think of me in his last breath. One could leave the body with pain and disorder, and may not be able to think with able mind and so I do not expect him to do so. This is what Varaha Swami promised Bhu:devi when protecting her.
We started off the journey of Divyadeshams by paying respects to such glorious Varahaperumal in Sri Mushnam.
Who else than Sri SriChinnaJeeyar Swami to explain all this so well, making us all feel as if we have gone back to being Bhu:devi ourselves and Lord is protecting us from within through such form and qualities.
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Visit to Sri Nathamuni Tiruvarasu Swargapalli – 26th June 2016
The holy brundavan of Sri Natthamuni. Natthamuni searching for Lord Sita Rama left his mortal coil here. A great yogi who lived for more than 300 years was the grandfather of Yamunacharya.
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Visit to Kurugai Kavalappan – 26th June 2016
Kurugai Kavalappan is a dear sishya of Natthamuni. Natthamuni teaches Kurugai Kavalappan yoga rahasyas including Ashtanga Yogam. When Natthamuni leaves for paramapadam, Kurugai Kavalappan spends his life meditating on Lord and taking care of that place.
Manakkal Nambi instructs Alvandar to approach Kurugai kavalappan and learn yoga rahasyam from Kurugai kavalappan. Alvandar along with disciples approach Kurugai Kavapallpan. Then what happens?? Did Alvandar get the yoga rahasyam? If not, why? Wait for detailed updates soon….
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Visit to Kattumannar Koil – 26th June 2016
Kattumannar Koil – Birth place of Natthamuni. Natthamuni received the 4000 prabandha pasurams from Nammalvar and set music to them here. Due to these songs 108 divya desams were identified and recognized.
‘Namahaachinthyaadbhuthaaklishtagnanavyraagyaraasayenaathayamunayeagaadhabhakthisindhave… ‘
Acihnthya, meaning his (Na:thamuni’s) devotion cannot be perceived through thought
Aascharya, meaning his devotion is amazing and surprising
Aklishta, meaning his devotion cannot be achieved through hard work alone
Na:thamunulu, a grand-parent of Sri Ya:muna:charya is praised as an ‘ocean of deep devotion’. His knowledge, devotion and renunciation of worldly pleasures is extremely exemplary. He is an embodiment of complete and pure devotion to Sri Krushna. He spent most of his time in Brindavan in north India. He has foreseen the birth of a great devotee, his own grand-son asked him to be named as Ya:muna:charya, one who is associated with Yamuna river, Sri Krushna himself.
Ka:ttumanna:rkovil is his birth place and Swami shared with all of us that the touch of sand grains in that place have the power to grace us with prosperity. Also, paid visit to the place where he last left his breath, his Brindavan on the way to Ka:ttuManna:rkovil.
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Visit to Semponsey Koil – 27th June 2016
It is one among the eleven divyadesams of Thirunangur Tirupathis and is closely associated with Thirumangai Alvar. The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabhandam, by Perialwar, Thirumalisai Alvar and Thirumangai Alwar.
This is where our very own Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji served food for all the devotees with his own hands. He is such a giver, and ultimate sheer icon of compassion and love. His care and warmth, and the total dedication to glorify Sri Vyshanavasampradayam is huge and beyond description.
Swamiji explained to all of us how great it is to see the love and devotion of priests who have given up their MCA graduation certificates and jobs to come back in the service of Lord. There are retired people who didn’t care to pick up new jobs and held on to the service of Lord. Their sense of ownership and their sense of service and devotion is very inspiring, he said. They serve, not because there are thousands of devotees watching the service. They serve because they want to perform all services to Lord.
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Visit to Sirghali
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Visit to Thalai Sanga Nanmathiyam-2016 Divyadesam temple tour – HH Swamiji
The Naanmadiya Perumal Temple is located in the village of Thalaichangadu, near Akkur in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. The temple is in such a pathetic situation that there is no priest to offer thiruvaradhana to the Lord. There is a Bhagawathar who is putting all efforts to protect the temple. All devotees chanted Tiruppavai for the prosperity of the temple on the request of Madhavan Swamy.
A place carries power within itself because of its rich history of accommodating great saints and devotees, because of their exemplary lifestyle, because of the prayers they sang for the well-being of entire creation, because of the love outpoured by them on the Deity that stands to grace people around. It is up to us to make use of it, to protect and share it with future generations – said, Sri ChinnaJeeyar Swami. Many such places in South India are so rich in culture and tradition that we should take pride in.
There was a kshetram, place of worship that lacks proper environment for offering services to the Deity. The Deity and the pushkarini, divine water body had the power to remove curses of moon. It is where Thirumangai a:lwar sang songs in praise of Lord.
This is where in 2007, about 7 vigrahas have disappeared, and Sri ChinnaJeeyar swami was performing Bheeshma E:kadasi program in Salem. Swami along with all devotees performed prayer seeking for the Lord to return back. The prayer was answered and the deities returned back to the temple. Locals were amazed as they all previously approached all officials and officers reporting the incident.
However, even today – there is lack of administrative support or priests to perform services to the deity. And hence upon Madhavan Swami’s request – Thiruppavai was sung hoping and praying for A:nda:ls grace to help restore all the prayers and services for the deity in the temple.
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Visit to Chinna Thirukkavalam padi
Thirukkavalampadi or Gopalakrishna Perumal Temple is located in Thirunangur, a village in the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Would you like to know the story of Gopala Krushna’s appearance here along with Sathyabhama and Rukmini.
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Visit to Veera Narasimha Perumal Temple, Mangaimadam
This is one of the Pancha Narasimha Kshethrams (5 Narasimha temples) in and around Thiruvaali and Thirunagar with Narasimhar in various forms:
• Ugra Narasimhar at Thirukkuravalur
• Veera Narasimhar at Mangai madam
• Yoga Narasimha and Hiranya Narasimha at Thirunagari
• Lakshmi Narasimhar at Thiruvaali
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Visit to Thirunagari
This place is the birthplace of Thirumangai Alvar. The Temple tree(Kodimaram) faces faces the shrine of Thirumangai Alvar here.
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Visit to Thiruppaarththanpalli
It is one among the eleven divyadesams of Thirunangur Tirupathis and is closely associated with Thirumangai Alvar. Sthala purana mentions that the temple tank was dug by Arjuna with the sword given by Lord Krushna. Krishna appeared as Parthasarathy to Arjuna here and initiated his education, thereby leading to the name of the temple.
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Visit to Thiruvali
The Azhagiyasingar Temple has small west facing shrine. The village is where the consort Sri Kumudavalli naachiyar of Thirumangai Alvar was raised.
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Visit to Thiruvali-Thirunagari
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Annan Koil
The perumal here is considered to be the elder brother of Lord Venkateswara Swamy in Tirumala and it seems the Lord in Thirumala obeys to the Lord residing here.
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Visit to Saranathan Temple in Thirucherai
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Visit to Thirumanikkoodam
Varadaraja Perumal Temple
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Visit to Thirumanimadam – 28th June 2016
About 126 years ago, a trustee visited AlwarThirunagari where he enjoyed and felt blessed to watch prayers being done in praise of 9 forms of same Lord, called navathirupathis by Nammalwar.
He arranged for the same prayers to be done by Thirumagai A:lwar in praise of 11 Narayana forms on 11 Garuda vahanas, divine vehicle.
ThirumangaiAlwar arranged for the first ‘Adhyayanotsavams in Sri Rangam to indicate the importance of songs sung by devotees in love of Lord. He initiated that service which is still being done as one of the key events in Sri Rangam. Lord was happy about it and he himself wanted to serve Thirumangai A:lwar with an act of abhishekam, alrupaadu out of being thankful and of being graceful towards Thirumagai A:lwar. None of the a:lwars have the celebration event directly organized by Lord, other than ThirumangaiAlwar. After this is done, the 11 Garuduuthsavamis celebrated to honour the 11 forms of Narayana on 11 Garudas. This is done in ManjelKudiMandapam. The Mandapam is in a state that requires renovation and hence a few devotees offered the service of donating money which can support building a fence and structure to honour the service.
What is the story behind 11 Garudas?
It seems Rudra,who was born out of the forehead of Bramha got jealous of the number of heads that his own father has. He is angry by nature and therefore pulled out one of the heads of his Bramha. It gets stuck to his hand, he repents and in turn asks Bramha for the release of the head and the curse that he obtained because of the act, Bramhahatyadosham. Bramha says that he will have to beg for 12 years and in the meantime if any eligible donor gives you alms, you will be free of the head stuck onto the hand. BadariNarayana himself relieves him of the head by giving blood out of his own chest. The second curse of Bramhahatyadosham is said to be relieved from only when he meditates on Lord for years together in Mathangamahamunikshetram. This is how he ends up in this place. And when he does it enough to please Narayana – he would come down in 11 forms and release him out of the curse. That is how and why 11 Garuda uthsavam is celebrated.
Narayanan Perumal Temple
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Visit to Pallikonda Ranganatha Perumal Thirunangur – 28th June 2016
PalligodaRanganaathaKovil – The sleeping beauty , Lord Ranganatha as main deity, and the uthsavamu:rthi in the sitting posture showers grace to all devotees in this temple.
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Visit to Thiruchsemponsey
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HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji’s Divyadesa Yathra
Thirumanikuutanatha Perumal_Thirunangur
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HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji Divyadesa yathra
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Thiru Vanpurushotham – HH Visit to Divyadesams
This is where PedhaJeeyar Swami in 1977 conducted about 10 SwadhyayaGnanaYagnams through watery roads, and fields for gathering materials needed. He performed one yagnam for 7 days each. This is where ManavalaMahamuni is showering his grace on devotees. He praised Thirumangai A:lwaar’s valour , devotion through a gadya, literary work. He is referred to as Van PurushotthamamManavalaMahamuni.
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Thiruvaikuntanathan
This is the place where Thirumangai alvar robbed Kalyana Narasimha swamy. A small mandapam is built here to identify the place.
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Azhagar Koil Madurai
HH offered Akkaruvadisal just as Pedda Jeeyar swamiji did in 1977 and Ramanujacharya did about 1000 years ago
