Today Vijaya, Purattasi Kettai , 10.10.2013, was Day-4 of Nigamantha Mahadesikan’s Tirunakshatra Mahotsavam at ULL Desikan Sannidhi SriRangam. Veda Parayanam and Thiruvazhmozhi Parayanam started at 3.00p.m.Thursday is know as Guruvaram and devotees throng Swami Desikan’s sannidhi to do archanai to Hayagriva Perumal housed therein along with SriLakshmiNrisimhan. The meaning of the word Desika is acharya although over a period of time Desikan has come to mean Swami Vedantha Desikan an acharyan par excellence. Swami resplendent in alankaram accepted the Tiruvaymozhi offering by devotees and Satrumurai, Theertham, SriSathari and Prasada Viniyogam (Bisibelahuliannam) were over by about 5.00pm. Thayar Purappadu took place at 5.30pm.and Her alankaram appealed to all. Tommorow is Thayar’s Tiruvadi sevai which will start at 4.00pm.
In continuation of Swami Desikan’s Vaibhavam, we talked about the Nadadur Ammal episode and about him asking Kidambi Appular to impart samanya sastram and rahasyarthams to the prodigious child. At the age of seven (garbha ashtamam) Venkanatha was invested with the sacred thread (upanayanam) by Ananthasuri who was Venkatanatha’s first teacher. He did Vedadyaynam at the feet of his father and grasped things immediately. Teaching was oral and done in the Sandhai mode . In this method the student repeats what the guru says twice for Sanskrit and thrice for Tamil. Venkatanatha learnt in just one sitting. Then as advised by Nadadur Ammal Venkatanathan studied at the feet of his mama (maternal uncle) and mastered all kinds of knowledge. Swami learnt Sapta tarkam, Mimasa, Sastram as basics and went on to study Vedantha granthams deeply. He became adept at Sruthis and Smrithis and so amazing was Swami’s knowledge that everyone wondered whether Swami was Srimadh Ramanuja, Nathamuni, Aalavandar, Pilaan and Aachan put together. Above all Swami was a reservoir of atmagunams. Swami’s parents got him married to a virtuous girl called Tirumangai and Swami started life as grihastha.
The following are some of the photographs taken earlier today…
Courtesy: Vyjayanthi and Sundararajan
