Srirangam Namperumal Irapathu Utsavam Day 7: Kaithala Sevai

Today, January 17, 2014; Vijaya Varusha Thai Pusam, Day 7 of Irapathu Utsavam was celebrated in a grand manner. The famous Kaithala Sevai took place well and Namazhwar gave darsanam as Parankusa Nayaki. Several devotees participated in the utsavam to receive the blessings of Azhwars and Namperumal on this day.

Kaithalai means held in the hands. The Almighty due to His saulabhyam goes to any extent for the sake of His bhakthan. Today, Kangulam Pagalum pasuram anusandhanam was done. Thiruvaymozhi 7-2 is Srirangam Pasuram in which the mother laments her daughter’s behaviour being maddened by her love for Ranganatha. Azhwars in order to attain Perumal assume the role of a woman and express their feelings to Him. This is called Nayika bhavam. Nmmazhwar in this role is known as Parankusa Nayaki and that is how Namazhwar was dressed today. Perumal pleased to see Her shows Himself in Kaithalam.Three Bhattars wrapped in Perumal’s kaili vastram hold Him up carefully in their hands to bless Nammazhwar and all of us. The Thirumamani mandapam was jam-packed and we could just get a glimpse of Perumal yet the feeling that He would have seen us made us happy. This happened at 6.30 pm. Araiyar seva took place after this and today Namperumal will be in Thirumamani mandapam till 11.30 pm. After veena ekantham He will reach Moolasthanam at 12.45 am.

The following is a brief description of the utsavam followed by photographs and video taken earlier today…

Day 7 of Irapathu Utsavam

Our Namperumal starts from Moolasthanam at 3 pm and reaches Thirumamani mandapam through paramapada vaasal at 6 pm.

A special thing to be noted here is that our Namperumal, while passing through our Nachiyar’s Sannidhi, lifts himself up a little as if signalling thaayr that he is passing through. After this, Thirukaithala sevai takes place with Nammaazhwar presents in Nachiyaar thirukkolam.

After alankaram and neivaedyam Araiyar sevai takes place from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Vellisamba neivaedyam from 10 pm to 10.30 pm. After offering darsanam to adiyaars till 11.30 pm, Namperumal leaves mandapam and reaches moolasthanam at about 12.45 am.

During porappudu, our Nammazhwar waits eagerly for our Azagiyamanavalan to come through the paramapada vassal in Nachiyar Thirukolam. Till now we have experienced the exquisite and divine beauty of our Azagiyamanavalan in different alankarams, but today it seems that our Nammazhwar’s Nachiyar Thirukolam alankaram presents a beauty and divinity that can only be excelled by our Azahiya Manavalan himself! Such a divine sight that evokes devotion and spirituality.

Swamy Nammazhwar is eagerly waiting for our Lord and he definitely seems restless in his quest to attain Moksham and reach the feet of our Lord as soon as possible and is waiting for an answer of when that is going to happen. As soon as our Namperumal comes through, he immediately looks around to see Swamy Nammazhwar as if to signal and re-assure him that his Sarangadhi and attainment of vainkuntam is imminent in 3 more days!

Thirukaithala Sevai– Nammalwar Parangusa Nayakiyana Thirukolathil

Today’s pasuram:-

kangulum pagalum kan thuyi latiyaak
kannanneer kaikalaal iraikkum,
changu chakkarangal enrukai kooppum
`thaamaraik kan’ enru thalarum,
`engane tharikke nnunnaivittu’ ennum
irunnilam kaithuzaa virukkum,
chengayal paaynneerth thiruvarangkaththaay!
ivaLthirath thencheyki raaye?

Meaning:– She doesn’t sleep during the day or night She never sleeps at all, always thinking of the Lord. Thinking of Him, she weeps so much that she has to use both her hands to ‘bail out’ the tears as if one would bail out water from a boat using a bucket..She out of immense devotion and mad love, thinks that she sees the changgu and chakkaram in front of her and involuntarily folds her hands in respect.She is overwhelmed with the beauty of the Lord’s lotus like eyes that makes her lose control and is about to fall.)How can I be without you?’, she laments. So saying, she gropes all over the floor. She searches for Him as if she is in the dark Oh! Lord, who lives in thiru aranggam, where fish jumps in the flowing water what are you planning to do with her?Nayaki’s mother is so concerned about her daughter who is madly in love with the Lord and has totally lost control. The mother has tried to console her daughter but could not. Seeing the intense pangs of suffering endured by parankusa nayaki due to her great urge to be conjoined with emperuman, her mother takes her before Lord Periya perumal. The mother questions the nAyakan of her daughter to explain how He intends to go about her daughter’s raksanam

NayikA bhavam gives the intimacy to Azhwar-s where they can take liberty with Him to embrace Him, to chide Him, to fight with Him, etc., and thus enjoy Him in many different ways. Azhwar had become very emotional and loudly called at the Lord for having still being detained in the world. The emotion culminated into extreme devotion, emotion and ecstasy and the pangs of separation transformed Azhwar into a state of not comprehending the difference between day and night, a state of crying, sleeplessness, worshpping, mohippadhu–> love becoming madness for the Lord, lamenting, stillness, mumbling and so on and so forth. These are but various explicit display of love and affection . “Asai, sindhai, ninaivu, mayakkam, peasudhal, azhudhal, moham, vyadhi, pithu, sadhal” are various facets of extreme love.

Same bhava is seen in Thiruvirutham 62nd pAsuram –

“iraio irakkinum Engor pen pal….muraiyo,
aravanai meale palli konda mugilvannanea”.

Oh!Lord, You to rescue people out of Your grace, after approaching them and saving them. Here, it is topsy turvy. Even after AzhwAr has surrendered You have not turned eyes on him and lO! see her state of affairs. Is it fair? Is it appropriate? You seemed to be enjoying Your rest on Your bed when Azhwar is being tormented. Is it correct. muraiyo?

Sri Aandal chides Namperumal as “ pennin varuththam ariyaatha Peruman” – the Lord who cannot understand the pangs of a girl.

Like Nammazhwar Andal also takes the role of the mother and describes the girl’s state as

“ullae urugi naivaenai, ulalo ilalo ennaatha”

Kaliyan also takes the same bhava

“aer vanna en paethai en sol kaelaal
Emperumaan thyiruvarangam engaae ennum
Neer vannan neer malaikae povaen ennum
Ethuvanro nirai azhinthaar nirkumaarae”

One can wonder how dare anyone question the Lord about a small girl’s plight.

Aalavandaar answers eloquently

‘vasI vadaanyo gunavaan rju: suci:
mrudu: dayaalu: madhura: stira: sama: |
kruthi krutajn~a: tvam asi svabhaavata:
samasta kalyaana guna amruta uadhi: |

Meaning: You are, by Your own nature, submissive to the will of those that take refuge in You, bountiful, graciously accommodating to the inferior, guileless and reliable, pure, tender, merciful, blissful, firm, free from all self-regarding duties, ever mindful of the services of the devotees and a nectar-ocean of all auspicious attributes.

It is obvious that with such sowlabyam our Lord is easily approchable by all his adiyaars.

na dharma nishtoasmi na ca atmavedi
na bhaktimaan tvaccaraNaaravinde |
akincan:oananya gati: saranya!
tvat paada mulam saranam prapadye ||

Meaning: Oh You worthy of being sought as refuge! I am not one established in Dharma, nor am I a know er of the self. I have no fervent devotion to Your Lotus-feet. Utterly destitute as I am, and having none else for resort, I take refuge under Your feet.

Let us pray to Nammazhwar that he guide us in realizing that He is the only the Parama Purushan and we are all nayakis only.

இராப்பத்து ஏழாம் திருநாள் : இன்று திருக்கைத்தல ஸேவை எனப்படும் நிகழ்ச்சி நடைபெறும்

இராப்பத்து ஏழாம் திருநாள் : இன்று திருக்கைத்தல ஸேவை எனப்படும் நிகழ்ச்சி நடைபெறும். திருவாய்மொழியில் திருவரங்கத்திற்கான மங்களாசாஸனமாக அமைந்துள்ளது 7ஆம் பத்து 2ஆம் திருவாய் மொழிப் பதிகம் “கங்குலும் பகலும்”. நம்மாழ்வாராகிய பராங்குசன் தன்னிலை மாறி பெண் நிலை அடைந்து பராங்குச நாயகியாகிய தலைமகள் திருவரங்கனைக் கண்டு மனம் உருகி, கண்ணீர் வெள்ளத்தில் மிதக்கும் நிலையே “கங்குலும் பகலும்” பதிகத்தில் பேசப்படுகிறது. அதனால்தான் இன்றைய தினம் நம்மாழ்வார் பராங்குச நாயகியாய் காட்சியளிப்பார். இன்று நம்பெருமாள் போர்த்திக் கொண்டு புறப்படுவதும், பரமபத வாசலில் திரைபோட்டு மாலைசாற்றிக் கொள்வதும் கிடையாது. (அதற்குக் காரணம் இன்று நம்பெருமாள் நம்பெருமாளாகவே புறப்பாடு கண்டருளுகிறார். இன்று அவர் ஜீவாத்மா பரமபதத்துக்குச் செல்லும் நிகழ்ச்சியை நடித்துக் காண்பிப்பதில்லை) நம்பெருமாள் இன்று அதிக திருவாபரணங்கள் சாற்றிக்கொள்ளாமல், 5 அல்லது 6 பீதாம்பரங்களை அடுக்காக சாற்றிக்கொண்டு புறப்பாடு கண்டருளுவார். நம்பெருமாள் அர்ச்சகர்களின் கரங்களில் எழுந்தருளியிருந்து (கைத்தல சேவை) திருமாமணி மண்டபத்தின் மேல் குறட்டுக்கு வந்து நம்மாழ்வாருக்கு ஸேவை ஸாதிப்பார். நம்மாழ்வார் ஸந்நிதிக்காரர் அரையர்களுக்கு சாத்துபடி வேளையம் ஸம்பாவனை ஸமர்ப்பித்திடுவார்.

English Write-up by Sri Narasimha Bhattar; Tamil Write-up from Srirangam Groups