The Tirumala Brahmotsavam is justly famous. These are the days when the Lord sallies forth to give darshan to everyone outside the temple. This helps the sick, the disabled and very old people to see the Lord face to face and receive his blessings. The Lord does not simply walk around the streets. He initiates a special joy, an ecstasy, by coming on different Vahanas. The excitement of the devotees is to be seen and enjoyed. Not only the Vahanas, the traditional reciters recite verses from NalayiraDivya Prabandham, the sacred Book of the Srivaishnava community. This entwining of our Sanskrit heritage since the Vedic times and the Tamil hymns that are more than a million years old and drip honeyed sweetness are the special features of the Vishnu temples all over the world. Gaambhiryam and Maadhuryam form this unique feature of these temples. Custom has planned the lovely series for the annual Brahmotsavam. For those of us who have a fair knowledge of the verses in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the experience is always delightful.
Let us have a glance
To get an idea of the closeness of rituals (the Lord coming in a particular vahana, the prayers recited by the priests who are close to the Lord’s image) and the reciters who lead the procession with appropriately chosen verses from the Divya Prabandham, let us make a quick study of the great event. The first three days are appropriately devoted to the first three Antadis (Tamil satakas) for these three verse-garlands by Poigai, Bhutat and peialwar herald the Sri Vaishnava movement itself. There is a charming legend associated with these three Alwars. In the 6th century A.D., immediately after the Kalabhra interregnum had devastated the Tamil Nadu, there was only the sad spectacle of large scale destruction and desecration of sacred temples and the cultured living that had evolved from the ancient Sangam period. It was now that Poigai, Bhutat and peialwar met at Tirukoilur which already had a very ancient temple dedicated to Vishnu as Tiruvikrama. As it was raining heavily and it was a pitch-dark night, they took shelter in a dark room in one of the houses. Suddenly they sensed the presence of a fourth person in the room. As it was too dark to see, Poigai Alwar sang: “With the world as the cup, the sea as ghee, The sun as the lighted wick, I have strung a garland of words in praise Of the Lord who holds the flaming discus To gain release from the ocean of misery”.
Bhutattalwar followed it up with another light to see the Lord. This Light glows within us all the time! “With love as the cup, aspiration as ghee, A ceaselessly joy-filled thought as the lighted wick, I have lit the flame of knowledge to Narayana, By means of the revelatory Tamil language”. The three devotees realized who the new comer into their consciousness was: so Peialwar sang: “I have seen the Mother, the golden image! I have vision the sun-like splendour too. The battle-ready and fire-red discus golden, And the whorled conch. All these did I see In the person of my Ocean-hued Lord”. Since, Mother comes (Sri) first to the sight of the devotees, Vaishnavism is fondly known as Sri Vaishnavism for the devotees. Each of the three Alwars sang a satakam. Together they have some brilliant scenes and similes, while devotion envelops the verses. During the Brahmotsavam, the Lord comes on various Vahanas on nine days. Usually, the DivyaPrabandham verses are chosen in a way that links them to the Vahana on which the Lord comes to bless us. For instance there are two Sesha Vahanas which are used on the first two days. Verses from Poigai (MudhalTiruvanthathi) and Bhutat (IrandaamTiruvanthathi) are recited on these two days.
Adisesha's service towards Lord
The Nalayira Divya Prabandham known as Tamil Marai (the Tamil Scripture) has plentiful references to the avatars and actions associated with the incarnations as well as Vishnu in Paramapada. For instance, PoigaiAlwar sings ecstatically of the many ways in which Adisesha serves the Lord. The 53rd verse of the Antadi lists the services thus: when the Lord walks, Adisesha becomes an umbrella (as he did when Vasudeva carried the baby Krishna from Kamsa’s prison to Nanda’s Gokula in a basket. Adisesha protected the child in the basket from the torrential rains.) When the Lord is seated, Adisesha becomes his throne (as we find Andal asking him in the 23rd verse of Tiruppavai, to grant boons when he is seated in the grand Lion-throne). When the Lord stands, Adisesha becomes his sandals (as in the Ramayana when Bharatha received Rama’s sandals as a guardian for the kingdom of Ayodhya, till he returned from the banishment to the forest for fourteen years). And when the Lord is resting in the Milky ocean, Adisesha is a float, the gems in his 1000 hoods are the light, Adisesha himself is the gentle silken sheet that enfolds the Supreme Lord. Perhaps enthused by these multi-pronged services of Adisesha to the Lord, we have a Big SeshaVahanam and a Small SeshaVahanam that are processional vehicles for Malayappa Swami. Among other Vahanas that we get to see come in procession is HamsaVahanam.
How come a swan? Ah, Lord Vishnu took avatar as a Hamsa. This incarnation is not widely known, yet it is a significant one. The Bhagavata has a fairly detailed passage on the Hamsa incarnation of the Lord, He taught Yoga and Sankhya to Brahma and his mind-born sons, Sanaka and others to underline the supremacy of Vishnu (Book XI, canto xiii, lines 15-42). However, while the teachings are on the difficult pathways of yoga and sankhya, Perialwar has gifted us a beautiful Tamil verse in his Perialwar Tirumozhi (1-9-10) on this incarnation: “The world was covered in pitch darkness; The precious Vedas Four were lost; To relieve the world of this nightmare You came forth as the mighty Swan And gave back the priceless scriptures! Acho! Acho!” ‘Acho’ is a term of wonderment used when talking to children. When the Lord appears on the lion mount, the reciters declaim the 95th verse from Periyalwar’s Moondram Tiruvanthati. The lion, the King of the forests, is a familiar image in Divya Prabandham. The Lord’s walking is often compared to the lion’s gait. In Srirangam, when Sri Ranganatha comes out of the garbagriha in the palanquin, the servitors carrying the palanquin use the simhagati to move forward. In this context, the reciters take up Periyalwar’s reference to the Lord’s Narasimha incarnation.
The 95th verse, brief but with gem-like brilliance shows us the Lord coming out of the pillar as a ferocious Narasimha even as the evening was closing with a spread of red clouds around, destroyed Hiranyakasipu, saved Prahlada and joined Goddess Mahalakshmi. Such is the terror and glory that is exhibited by the Man-Lion. Is it not appropriate to remember such verses when Malayappa swami comes out in regal splendour, riding the simhaVahana? In the same manner, Malayappa swami coming on the Horse vahana is also very attractive and the atmosphere is delightful when appropriate verses reminding us of Andal’s soulful verses about the hero riding a horse comes to meet her are sung. There are the Surya Prabha and Chandra PrabhaVahanas too. All the Vahanas are accompanied by verses from the Divya Prabandham, chosen with great care. For instance, the Chariot Vahanam comes out on the eighth day. Everyone will agree that this is a grand sight. The adhyapakas accompanying the Ratha present Tirumangai Alwar’s Tiruvezhu Kootrirukkai, a poem composed in ‘RathaBandham’. Each word in every line is composed with infinite care by the great Alwar, a prolific writer who belonged to the warrior class. When written down, the lines of the poem form into a picture of a chariot, amazing like a puzzle put together.
Written as a 7-tiered poem, the numbers 1 to 9 alternate with 9-1 in a meaningful manner. It is a firm belief of the Srivaishnavas that the Lord is as eager to gain the aspirant as the latter is passionately desirous of union with the Lord. Tirumangai Alwar’s poem underlines the grace of the Lord which truly needs no reason to bless the devotee: it is nirhetukakripa! Surrender is the key and this poem of Tirumangai is such a statement of surrender. A painting depicting the poem as a chariot may be seen on the inner wall of Sarangapani Temple, Kumbakonam. The poem was composed in praise of Lord Aravamudha, the presiding (Moolavar) deity of the temple. Tirumazhisai Alwar’s Nanmukhan Tiruvanthadi is associated with Kalpavruksha Vahana and SarvabhoopalaVahana. Appropriately enough, this Antadi is replete with references to the Lord being literally a Kalpavruksha. He grants all our desires! The Alwar exults in the eleventh verse: The Lord with tresses decorated by tulasi, Has for long loved me. Waste no moment, But salute and meditate upon Him. With bowed head, worship him with cool flowers. Praise Him with your lips, gaze with your eyes Upon His magnificent image. Keep your ears listening to his glorious deeds”. It also follows that Lord Venkateswara is the King of all kings on earth. Yes, the way the kings gather and hold and carry the seat of Lord Malayappa swami naturally gets the name Sarvabhoopala Vahanam! Appropriate verses for familiar Vahanas like Elephant, Horse, and Garuda are the very cream of this superb Vahana culture in Vaishnava temples for they are all backed by charming devotional verses in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham of the twelve Alwars.
To conclude this essay, let us watch the wonderful, divine drama enacted by Perialwar about Hanuman paying respects to Sita in Lanka, presented by the Adhyapakas, when Lord Malayappa swami comes astride the Hanumantha Vahanam. Hanuman has crossed the seven seas, entered Lanka, and discovered Sita Devi in the AshokaVana. Naturally she is somewhat confused when this person in the form of a monkey gives her the message of Sri Rama that he would come soon and free her from captivity. But how to believe this monkey to be a messenger of her Lord? It is then that Hanuman recounts some incidents from the life of Rama that are directly related to Sita. The breaking of Siva’s bow and marrying Sita; the defeat of Parasurama; how Sita bound Rama’s hands with a string of jasmines in the privacy of their togetherness; how Rama, Lakshmana and Sita went to the forest directed by Kaikeyi; Rama be friended the forest leader Guha; how Bharata came to the forest and fell at the feet of Rama giving way to his grief; Rama’s mercy to the Kakasura; how Maricha came as a golden deer causing Sita’s separation from Rama; and finally here is the Signet Ring sent by Rama also as a proof, with the promise that he will come soon and free her from captivity. The entire group of these ten verses in Periyalwar Tirumoli (3-10) make up a mini Ramayana, and we cannot stop our tears of happiness when Periyalwar says that Sita received the signet-ring of Rama from Hanuman, placed it on her head, and expressed her relief and joy. No wonder devotees feel that saluting Malayappa swami atop the Hanumantha Vahanam, one gets the punya of having read the entire Ramayana of Valmiki. Such is the very close relationship between the Vahanas in which Lord Malayappa Swami comes out to give us darshan and the scriptural sanctity and poetic beauty of the verses in the NalayiraDivyaPrabandham of the Alwars presented by the adhyapakas on the appropriate days during Srivari Brahmotsavam.
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