Today Vijaya Purattasi Vishakam October 8th 2013 was the Second Day of Swami Desikan’s 746th Tirunakshatra Mahotsavam. Veda Parayanam and Periya Tirumozhi parayanam started at 2.30pm.and was over by 4.30 pm well in advance of Thayar Purappadu. Swami Desikan on the beautifully engraved Dolai (swing) blessed everyone and gave Aanandham to everyone present. Satrumurai was followed by Theertham, Sri Sathari and Prasada Viniyogam (kadalai parrupu suyam and kariveppilai sadam). Malai maryadai was done to the ubhayakarthas. Though everyone is familiar with Swami Desikan’s life it will be worthwhile to recount it again so that we get purified. nAs Swami’s utsavam progresses we shall try to recollect to some extent the upakarams Swami has done for mankind.
Seven hundred and forty six years back on a Purattasi Sravanam day when Tirumalaiandan’s Tirunakshatram was being celebrated Thoopul gave the greatest of gifts to mankind. On this auspicious Tiruvonam Tirunal in Tiruthankal Divya Desam Tirupathi Srinivasan took avatharam in the Pavitra Vishvamitra Gothram as the son of Anantha Somyaji and Totharambal. In the agraharam of Thoopul which was so called because the sacred Darbha grass was plentiful,  this couple lived according to the sastras. Anantha Somyaji was a panchakala parayanar and the couple spent their time in Bhaghavath and Bhaaghavatha aradhanam. One night The Lord of the seven hills blessed the couple in their dream and asked them to come to Tirumala and declared that they would be blessed with SathSanthanam (Good children who would follow the right path). Kaliyuga Deivam is Venkantanayaka and Venkatachalam has no equal. The dampathi from Thoopul came to Tirumalai and had darshan of Perumal after taking bath in Swami Pushkarni and completing their nityanushtanam. That night they stayed in Tirumala. That night Srinivasa came as a boy in their dream and said that they would be blessed with a Putra Ratnam who would be the upholder of Ramanuja Darshanam. Tirumalaiappan gave a bell to Ananthasuri with instructions that Totharambha had to swallow the bell. Totharambha did so and conceived and in Vibhava Varsham Purattasi Tiruvonam day when theerthavari was on in Tirumalai a boy with great Tejas was born. The Tirumani of Tirumalaiappan had taken avatharam and was named Venkatanatha.
Day 1 Utsavam photos can be viewed from: Srirangam Ul Swami Desikan Sannidhi Thirunakshatram Utsavam: Day 1
Some of the photos taken earlier today can be viewed below
Courtesy: Vyjayanthi and Sundararajan
