Aravamudham

Thiru thaNkA Divya Desam (thUppul)

2012-02-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

Popularly known as Thooppul, Thiru thanka is one of the 15 Divya Desams in and around Kanchipuram. This Divya Desam was the hallowed birthplace of the great Sri Vaishnava AchArya, Swami Vedantha Desikar (1268-1369 AD).

[Click here for a video clip from this Divya Desam]

The first picture above shows Swami Desikan at thUppul and the second shows the utsavar at this Divya Desam.

[Photos & video courtesy of Sri Periyamarai Setlur Srikanth]

Location and Access:

Thoopul is located in the temple town of Kanchipuram, which is approximately 70 kilometres from the South Indian metropolis of Chennai. Kanchipuram is a bustling town with plenty of options for stay and food. Covering all 15 Divya Desams in Kanchipuram can take between 1-3 days.

The Temple:

The temple campus is not very big, and all sannidhis can be covered easily in about 30 minutes. Immediately near the temple is a separate sannidhi for Swami Desikan. Also, this sannidhi houses the idol of Sri Lakshmi HayagrIvar that was worshipped by Swami Desikan himself in his lifetime.

The mUlavar in this temple has a very unique and auspicious name – Sri Deepa PrakAsar [viLakkoLi perumAL in Tamil]. The mUlavar is in a standing posture facing west. The thAyAr here is Sri MaragathavaLLi. There are also sannidhis for Lakshmi HayagrIva, ANDAL, and the AzhwArs. The walls of the temple have paintings describing events in the life of Swami Desikan.

Legends and History:

According to legend, asurAs (dark forces) tried to render the world dark in order to hinder a yagna conducted by Lord Brahma. To facilitate the conduct of the yagna, Lord Sri Vishnu himself manifested as bright light. This explains the name Deepa PrakAsar.

AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:

Tirumangai AzhwAr 1849, 2065
(pAsuram numbers as found in any standard Divya prabandham book)

A sample pAsuram:

பொன்னை, மாமணியை அணி ஆர்ந்தது ஓர்
மின்னை வேங்கடத்து உச்சியில் கன்டு போய்
என்னை ஆளுடை ஈசனை, எம் பிரான்
தன்னை யாம் சென்று காண்டும் தண்காவிலே

This pAsuram is part of a decad in which Tirumangai AzhwAr references many Divya Desams.

AzhwAr describes perumAL as his gold, his precious gem, his lovely streak of lightning, his Lord and Master. AzhwAr says – we have had the darshan of the Lord at the summit of TirumalA. Now let’s go and behold him at ThankA.

Sri MaragathavaLLi thAyAr samEtha Sri viLakkoLi perumAL thiruvadigaLAe saraNam
Sri vEdAntha dEsikar thiruvadigaLAe saraNam

Thiru sALagrAmam Divya Desam (Sri Mukthinath in Nepal)

2011-12-29T22:17:00.000-08:00

This is the only Divya Desam outside India. Tucked away in the midst of the mighty peaks of the HimalayAs in Nepal, this Divya Desam is the hardest to access, but the beauty surrounding it makes it worth the effort. Also, this the Divya Desam associated with the sacred Saligramam stones that are considered a manifestation of Lord Sri Vishnu and which are worshipped everyday in many Sri Vaishnava households all over the world.

Location and Access:

[Click here for a description of our trip to Mukthinath]

Mukthinath is a small mountain village nestled in the Himalayas near the settlement of Jomsom in Nepal. Mukthinath is located at an altitude of 3800 m above sea level.

Pilgrims who are travelling from outside Nepal need to first reach Katmandu, the capital of Nepal. Katmandu has a fairly big international airport and is well-connected from several major cities in the world. From there, visitors need to take a flight to the town of Pokhara. The journey from Katmandu to Pokhara can also be made by land. By flight it is about 30 minutes, and by land it is about six hours.

From Pokhara, pilgrims have to travel to the settlement of Jomsom (2800 m above sea level). This journey is best made by flight, although snowfall can sometimes cause flight cancellations. In case of flight cancellations, pilgrims can travel by land – this can take about 12 hours through tricky mountain paths.

From Jomsom, Mukthinath can be reached by land. The uphill journey takes about 1.5 hours by car/jeep and takes us along the River Gandaki . Alternately, this journey can be made by pony or by foot. By foot, it can take several hours and can be very tedious.

Mukthinath is a small mountain village and there are small lodges (no heating of rooms). Pilgrims should not expect the comfort of a proper hotel. From these lodges, the Mukthinath temple is about 15-30 minutes by walk uphill. There are also motorbike services that can take pilgrims from the lodges to the temple.

There is also a helicopter service that takes pilgrims directly from Pokhara to Mukthinath. However, this service can often get cancelled due to adverse weather and non-availability of aircraft.

Pilgrims who travel to Mukthinath should be mentally and physically prepared for very cold weather (up to even -10 degrees C) and the possibility of mountain sickness caused by reduced availability of oxygen at higher altitudes. Travel to Mukthinath calls for meticulous preparation. But it is a rewarding experience. Visitors may also consider the possibility of staying overnight at Jomsom instead of Mukthinath, since staying overnight at Mukthinath might be physically challenging.

The best time of the year to visit Mukthinath is mid to late March. It is advisable to make your hotel , flight and land transport bookings in advance with a travel agent (especially for flights within Nepal) or travel as part of a package tour.

The Temple:

The Mukthinath temple is not very big at all. Once you reach the temple compound, it can be covered at a leisurely pace in about 45 minutes. A hurried visit can be completed in as little as 15-20 minutes. There are only two main sannidhis – (1) The main sannidhi of Sri Mukthinath occupied by the Lord and His Consorts – Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi and (2) A smaller, recently-built sannidhi in the open corridor (prakaaram) that houses the vigrahams of Sri Ramanuja and Sri Andal.

The inside of the main sannidhi is about 8 feet by 8 feet. Sri Mukthinath is seated under Adi Seshan and is flanked by thaayars who are standing. The thirumeni of Sri PerumAl and thayaars is of metal (probably bronze or other copper alloy). The mUlavar here is also known as SrI mUrthy and the thAyars are SrI devi and bhU devi. There is no separate uthsavar. There are small idols of Sri GarudAzhwar and Sri Ramanuja in the main sannidhi beside Sri PerumAl. The worship is carried out by Buddhist nuns. The style of worship and alankaaram is very different from the Divya Desams of South India.

Around the main sannidhi, in the second open corridor, there are 108 water spouts that represent the theerthams of the 108 Divya Desams. Some pilgrims take a bath in the waters here, but it can be really cold. Personally I would not recommend this for people who are old or sick. Also, while you are visiting Mukthinath, it is not a good idea to get your clothing wet – because the weather is already cold.

Also in the second corridor, directly in front of the temple, there are two small square water tanks (pushkarinis) that represent Sri Bhoo Devi and Sri Nila Devi.

Legends and History:

According to one version, the Salagramam Divya Desam is just the bank/bed of River Gandaki and not the Mukthinath temple. According to another version, the Mukthinath temple is very much the Divya Desam of Salagramam. It is difficult to establish which of the two versions is right. Either way, there is no question that Sri Thirumangai Azhwar visited atleast the banks of the Gandaki River, as did Sri Ramanuja. And no matter which version is accurate, there is no taking away from the beauty of this Divya Desam and its surroundings.

Saligramam murthys:

Saligrama (ammonite) stones with special markings are considered manifestations of Lord Sri Vishnu Himself. Such stones are unique to this part of Nepal. There are several roadside shops in Mukthinath (and also several ones in Pokhara) from which Salagramam murthys can be obtained.

AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:

SrI Tirumangai AzhwAr 988-997
SrI periAzhwAr 206,399

(pAsuram numbers as found in any standard Divya prabandham book)

A sample pAsuram:

கலையும் கரியும் பரிமாவும் திரியும்கானம் கடந்து போய்
சிலையும் கணையும் துணையாகச்சென்றான் வென்றிச் செறுக்களத்து
மலைகொன்டு அலை நீரணைகட்டி மதிள் நீரிலங்கை வாளரக்கர் தலைவன்
தலைபத்து அறுத்துகந்தான் சாளக்கிராமம் அடை நெஞ்சே

In this pAsuram, Tirumangai AzhwAr exhorts his mind to attain the Lord of Salagrama. It was this Lord who, armed with bow and arrow, crossed forests inhabited by wild deer, elephants and horses, and then built a bridge of boulders to reach the high-walled fortress of Lanka and severed the ten heads of Ravana- the king of the RakshasAs.

SrI bhU devi SrI dEvi samEtha Sri mUrthy thiruvadigaLae saraNam

The Sacred Book

2011-10-25T02:09:00.000-07:00

This is the title of a book by Sri SriRama Bharati.

This book contains the 4000 Divya Prabandham in Tamil script, with paraphrased meaning in English. The English summary of each prabandham is absolutely wonderful, and enables everyone to understand the meaning and spirit of the outpourings of the AzhwArs.

In most translations, while it may be possible to capture the meanings of the original work, it is very difficult to capture the emotion and spirit. This is especially true for a work like the Divya Prabandham, which is a collection of outpourings straight from the heart of the AzhwArs. Sri SriRama Bharati has done a great job of capturing the emotional content in addition to the literal meaning.

Usually, Divya Prabandham books are big-sized. This book manages to fit in the entire Divya Prabandham in a very compact volume. The paper is thin, but that is unavoidable in order to get a book of this size. While some might find the Tamil script a little small, the English content is very readable.

This is a great book for those whose command over Tamil is not strong enough to let them understand and appreciate the beauty in the Divya Prabandham. This book is a great service to the Sri Vaishnava community by Sri SriRama Bharathi.
For copies, you may contact Smt.Sowbhagyalakshmi SriRama Bharati by email at aravamudhu@gmail.com.

ThirupullANi Divya Desam

2011-09-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

[Click here for more photos of TirupullANi]

ThirupullANi is a beautiful coastal Divya Desam that is intimately connected with the Ramayana. King Dasaratha, seeking progeny, prayed to Lord Sri Adi JagannAtha perumAL at this Divya Desam. His prayers fructified through the birth of Sri Rama and His brothers. Later, when Rama travelled south searching for Seeta, He reached the shores of the sea near ThirupullANi and camped there while His Vaanara army built the miraculous Sethu bridge over the sea to reach and breach Ravana’s fortress. ThirupullAni is numbered 44 on the list of Divya Desams. It is a favourite prArthanA sthalam for couples desiring progeny. ThirupullANi is a small laid-back village with an unmistakable old-world charm.

Vibeeshana’s sharanAgathi:

Most importantly, it was also near this Divya Desam that VibeeshanA’s sharanAgathi at the feet of the Lord happened. In fact ThirupullANi is also known as the “SaranAgathi ksethram”. The episode of VibeeshanA’s surrender is of utmost importance to Sri VaishnavAs. Having quickly realized that his brother rAvaNa was headed inexorably towards destruction at the hands of Sri rAma, VibeeshanA lost no time is hastening to the feet of the Lord SrI rAmA. rAvanA’s generals and his other brother Kumbakarna chose to stick with rAvanA in his evil path and paid for it with their lives. Vibeeshana, exercising his superior intellect and keen perspicacity chose to leave the sinking ship instead of going down with it. His clear-mindedness and faith were rewarded amply and quickly– SrI rAmA not only blessed him with the benison of prapatti but also immediately crowned him the King of Lanka right there on the shores of ThirupullANi. It is very important to appreciate the extraordinary faith exhibited by Vibeeshana when faced with a tough situation. He never had any doubt that Sri rAmA would accept his request for asylum. For a person without faith, VibeeshanA’s surrender to Lord SrI rAmA might sound like a counter-intuitive and stupid decision – even a cowardly one. But VibeeshanA calmly acted with faith and clarity, and in doing so, enriched himself beyond measure and etched his name firmly among the ranks of the glorious souls that have wisely found refuge at the one place to be. In one stroke, Vibeeshana assured for himself, aruL (Grace of the Lord) and poruL (material prosperity).

Another important point in this episode is the Lord’s crystal clear and firm enunciation of His intent to protect anyone who surrenders at His feet. Except for Sri Hanuman, everyone in the vAnarA camp expressed doubts about Vibeeshana’s motivations. All the noises made by the doubters were drowned out in the Lord’s categorical statement of intent:

"Sakrit eva prapannaaya tavaaham asmi iti yaachate
Abhayam sarva bhootebhyo dadaami, etat vratam mama"

ThirupullANi is the Divya Desam that is associated with this message of hope and reassurance.

Location and access:

ThirupullANi is located approximately 10 km from the town of Ramanathapuram in southern Tamil Nadu. Ramanathapuram is about 4 hours by train from Tiruchirapalli, which has an international airport (TRZ). It is also possible to drive from TRZ to Ramanathapuram. There are no other Divya Desams nearby. Visitors may find hotel accommodation at Ramanathapuram and rent a taxi or auto-rickshaw to visit the Divya Desam. Alternately, visitors may check with Sri Ahobila Mutt or Srimad Andavan Asramam at TirupullANi for accommodation. (Both are located very close to the Divya Desam – less than 5 minutes by walk). The sEthu seashore, where Sri rAmA camped while building the bridge across the sea is about 5 km from the ThirupullANi temple. sEthu snAnam (a holy dip in this sea) is considered extremely auspicious.

Another way to cover this place is by having the city of Madurai as a travel base. ThirupullANi is about 2.5 hours by land transport from Madurai . There are also a few other Divya Desams in and around Madurai.

Visitors to Ramanathapuram and TirupullANi need to take precautions against mosquitoes especially at night. A good mosquito repellant cream like Odomos (available locally) would be most handy.

Contact details for Sri Ahobila Matam at TirupullANi:
Sri Chellappa:91-04567-254456
(Telephone # 254456;STD code 04567;Country code 91)

The temple:

The TirupullANi temple is a medium sized Divya Desam and if not crowded, all sannidhis can be covered in less than an hour. However, my personal recommendation is to have a relaxed visit and enjoy each sannidhi in detail. The thAyAr here is Sri padmAsani, with a separate sannidhi. The main sanctum is for Lord SrI Adi JagannAtha perumAL, who is in a seated posture with thAyArs on either side. The uthsavar is SrI kalyAna jagannAtha perumAL. An exit from the thAyAr sannidhi leads us to an open corridor around the main sannidhis. As we circumambulate on this corridor, we see a small separate sannidhi for Sri ANDAL. As we continue on this path, we see a sannidhi for Sri darpa-sayana rAmar. This is a famous sannidhi in which Sri rAma is lying on a bed of sacred grass (darpam) while waiting for the sea-god to respond to His request for a way to Lanka. In the sannidhi, we see LakshmaNa in the form of Adi sEshan forming a bed for perumAL. Just outside this sannidhi, we see Sri Vibeeshana as a sculpture. Also, in this temple corridor, we see the sthala vruksham – sacred tree, which is an imposing peepal tree with vast branches. As we re-enter the temple from the corridor, we see a sannidhi for Sri pattAbhi rAmar – in regal splendor with Sri SeetA , SrI lakshmaNA and SrI hanumAn.

The main gopuram for the temple is about 120 feet in height.

Chakra theertham:

The temple tank here deserves special mention. It is known as the Chakra theertham. In contrast to most temple tanks of today, this tank is filled to the brim with clear water – a heartwarming sight indeed. According to old-timers, about two decades back, this temple tank was almost dry, with just a few puddles of wet mud here and there. Thanks to the efforts of Srimad Andavan, this tank has been restored to its original glory. Even in the current times, it is possible to preserve nature – if only man realizes the value of this activity.

Adjacent to the vast theertham, we see a neatly maintained sannidhi for SwAmi dEsikan.

mUlai garudan sannidhi: (Information from Sri RaghuveeradayAL)
There is a sannidhi for Sri GarudAzhwAr in one corner (IsAnya mUlai) of the temple wall. The garudAzhwAr here is very powerful. Such a sannidhi for Sri GarudAzhwAr is found only in select temples.

Legends and History:

The name of this Divya Desam has evolved from the words “pull” and “aNai”, which mean grass and bed respectively in Tamizh. The reference is to the bed of grass (darpa sayanam) on which SrI rAmA lay while waiting for the sea to facilitate the construction of the Sethu bridge. Another version has it that Lord Sri Vishnu appeared before Pulla maharishi under the peepal tree in this ksethram.

Also, SrI rAmA is said to have worshipped SrI Adi JagannAtha perumAL at this Divya Desam before setting out to Lanka. Adi JagannAtha perumAL gave rAmA a bow, which the latter used in the final fight with rAvaNa.

The temple finds mention in the AgnEya purANam and more recently in the Tamizh work akanAnUru. Currently, the temple is under the kainkaryam of the Ramanathapuram Sethu samasthAnam (Royal family of Ramnad). Sculptures of kings of this dynasty can be found in the temple. According to legend, the founder of this dynasty was crowned by SrI rAmA himself as a reward for being of service to Him.

AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:

SrI Tirumangai AzhwAr 1768-87, 2674(131)

(pAsuram numbers as found in any standard Divya prabandham book)

A sample pAsuram:

இலங்கு முத்தும் பவளக் கொழுந்தும் எழில் தாமரைப்
புலங்கள் முற்றும் பொழில் சூழ்ந் தழகாய புல்லாணி மேல்
கலங்க லில்லாப் புகழான் கலியன் ஒலி மாலை
வலங்கொள் தொண்டர்க்கு இடம் ஆவது பாடு இல் வைகுந்தமே

According to SrI tirumangai AzhwAr (aka kaliyan) TirupullANi is a beautiful place surrounded by deposits of pearls, coral reefs, lotus ponds and fragrant groves. Those who master this decad of verses by kaliyan on the Lord of TirupullANi will find a place in the state of unadulterated joy (Vaikuntha)

This Divya Desam has also been glorified by other AchAryAs like Sri Periya Nambi, Sri rAmAnujA, Sri Bhattar, Swami Desikan, Sri Nanjeeyar, and Sri Manavala Mamuni.

SrI padmAsani thAyAr samEtha Sri Adi JagannAtha perumAL thiruvadigaLaE saraNam

Thiru Ninra Ur Divya Desam

2011-06-15T01:45:00.000-07:00

One of the seven Divya Desams in and around Chennai.

[Click here for photos of this Divya Desam]

Location and Access:

The temple is located in ThiruninravUr, which is one of the stations on the Chennai-ArakkONam suburban train line. This station is approximately 35 km from Chennai Central station and the train journey takes about an hour. The temple is about 15-20 minutes by walk from ThiruninravUr station. Auto-rickshaws (tuk-tuks) are also available from the station to the temple.

The temple:

The temple is not very large and if not crowded, all sannidhis can be covered in less than 45 minutes. In this Divya Desam, we find the motherly love of the Divya Dampathi exhibited in ample measure – the thAyAr here is known as “ennai petra thAyAr” (literally, the Mother who gave birth to me) and the perumAL here is Sri Bhaktavatsala perumAL (He who has motherly love towards His devotees). Another name for thAyAr is Sri SudhA vaLLi. The temple has two prakArams and a five storied Raja gOpuram.

Legends and History:

Legend has it that VaruNA worshipped the Lord at this Divya Desam.
According to www.templenet.com, the temple has stone inscriptions dating back to the period of King Nandivarma Pallava (~500 AD) and rAjarAja chOzhA III (~1250 AD)

AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:

Sri Tirumangai AzhwAr 1089,1642

(pAsuram numbers are according to the number listed in any standard 4000 Divya prabandham book)

According to legend, Sri Tirumangai AzhwAr visited this Divya Desam but left without singing any pAsurams about the place. The perumAL from this Divya Desam followed AzhwAr all the way to the Divya Desam of Thiru kadal mallai (Mahabalipuram) and finally got AzhwAr to mention ThiruninravUr in his pasurams.

Sri ennai petra thAyAr samEtha Sri Bhakthavatsala perumAL thiruvadigaLaE saraNam.

ThiruvallikENi Divya dEsam (aka Triplicane in Chennai city)

2011-05-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

ThiruvallikENi is a compact, impeccably maintained Divya Desam located in the heart of Chennai city. Chennai is the largest metropolis in South India, and is very well connected by land and air.

Location and Access:

Triplicane is about 5 km from Chennai’s main railway station (Chennai Central) and about 15 km from Chennai’s international airport. Triplicane is well connected by public transport from all parts of Chennai and its suburbs – although public transport can get pretty crowded during peak hours. It is also perfectly possible to take a call-taxi or auto from any part of Chennai to Triplicane. The temple is locally referred to as “Parthasarathy Koil”.

Legends and History:

This is probably the only Divya Desam whose name is derived from the temple tank (pushkariNi). The word “alli-kENi” literally means lily-pond. The theertham is also known as “kairavini-saras”.

The incarnation of Sri Ramanuja is attributed to the Grace of the perumAL here. Sri Asuri KesavAchArya and his wife prayed at this temple seeking progeny. Their prayers were answered resoundingly with the birth of Sri Ramanuja.

The mUlavar here goes by the name of Sri vEnkatakrishnan. The uthsavar is known as Sri pArthasArathy (literally means Arjuna’s charioteer). The uthsavar’s face bears numerous scars, that reflect the injuries caused by Bhishma’s arrows during the course of the great mahAbhAratha war, when Lord Krishna directed ArjunA’s chariot. Lord Krishna intercepted most of the arrows directed towards His devotee ArjunA, saving the latter from certain destruction. The mUlavar here is tall and supremely imposing, with His Consort standing at His right. On His left, we see sAtyaki, who was His beloved friend and confidant during the KrishnAvataram. Also, seen standing along with them are Sri BalarAma, Krishna’s brother, and Sri Pradyumna and Sri Aniruddha. The idols of Sri Pradyumna and Aniruddha are at one side of the sanctum sanctorum and may not be seen easily.

A very unique feature of the mUlavar here is His prominent moustache, which is painted in white on His divine face. This imparts a rather stern look to His visage. On certain occasions, the moustache is removed. I have had the privilege of seeing Him without the moustache, and found that He assumes a very kind, mischievous, youthful (almost boyish) look without it – indicative of His Infinite soulabhyam.

The Temple:

As we enter the temple, there is a large stone mandapam. As we proceed further, we see the dhwaja-sthambam (flagstaff). To the right, there is a fairly large stone mandapam. At one corner of the mandapam, there is a kannAdi-arai (Mirror-room) where Sri pArthasArathy often gives darshan with His ubhaya nAchiyArs. Also in this mandapam is a sannidhi for Sri garudAzhwAr directly facing Sri perumAL. As we cross this mandapam, there is a partially open corridor. As we proceed clockwise in this corridor, we first see the sannidhi of Sri vEdavaLLi thAyAr with a mandapam in front. As we proceed further, there is a small sannidhi for Sri gajEndra varadhan. As we proceed further clockwise, there is a sannidhi for Sri yOga narasimhA, who is known as “TheLLiya-singar” (the serene lion). The uthsavar of Sri narasimhar is of ineffable beauty. Then we see a sannidhi for Sri ANDAL, and as we proceed further clockwise, we arrive at the sannidhi of Sri pArthasArathy. On the way to this sannidhi, there are smaller sannidhis for Sri vaishnava AchAryas. Also, there are separate sannidhis for Sri rAmA (accompanied by His brother and His Consort) and Sri RanganAthA.

The temple is not very big, and if it is not crowded, all sannidhis can be covered in a little over an hour. However, the temple can get crowded in the evenings and on weekends – especially Saturdays.

The ambience:

A unique feature about this Divya Desam is the ambience of the area around the temple. Even though the area is now congested and teeming with apartments, still there is a certain old-world charm that pervades the area, which can never be described adequately. It can only be experienced. The uthsavar Sri pArthasArathy often comes out in procession on the streets, eager to mingle with His devotees. Whenever He does so, it is an enthralling sight. In terms of rituals, uthsavams and alankAram for PerumAl, this temple ranks at the very top among Divya Desams. Often, it is common to see a bunch of young kids following perumAl during uthsavams, with a miniature procession of their own, complete with vAhanams and full alankAram for Sri PerumAl.

AzhwAr mangaLAsAsanams:

Sri Tirumangai AzhwAr 1068-77
Sri pEyAzhwAr 2297
Sri TirumazhisaiAzhwAr 2416
(pAsuram numbers are according to the number listed in any standard 4000 Divya prabandham book)

A sample pAsuram:

பரதனும் தம்பி சத்ருக் கனனும்
லக்கும நோடு மை திலியும்
இரவும் நன் பகலும் துதிசெய்ய நின்ற
ராவணாந்தகனை எம்மானை
குரவமே கமழும் குளிர்பொழி லூடு
குயிலோடு மயில்கள் நின்றால
இரவியின் கதிர்கள் நுழைதல் செய் தறியாத்
திருவல்லி கேணிக் கண்டேனே

In this pAsuram SrI Tirumangai AzhwAr says that he beheld the terminator of rAvaNA, Sri rAmA – who is worshipped day and night by His brothers BharathA, SathrugNA and lakshmaNA and His Consort Sri Mythili – at TiruvallikENi. AzhwAr further describes this Divya dEsam as one teeming with cuckoo birds and peacocks, and filled with dense green forestry – so dense that it is impossible for sunrays to penetrate through the canopy of trees.

The TiruvallikENi of today is far removed from how it was in the days of Sri Tirumangai AzhwAr (~8th century AD). Today’s TiruvallikENi is a concrete jungle with hardly any trees- not to speak of cuckoo birds and peacocks. However, the place still retains a devotional ambience.

SrI vEdavaLLi thAyAr samEtha SrI pArthasArathy perumAL thiruvadigaLaE saraNam

ThiruveLLarai Divya Desam

2011-03-27T23:53:00.000-07:00

[Click here for pictures of this Divya Desam]

It is really my pleasure to describe this Divya Desam, which is one of my personal super-favourites.

ThiruveLLarai is a big, beautiful and serene temple that almost never gets crowded. Located 27 km from Trichy city in central Tamil Nadu, Thiru veLLarai is a small, laid back town.

Location and Access:

ThiruveLLarai is en route to Thuraiyur from Trichy city. From Trichy’s Chathram bus terminus, visitors can take a public transport bus directly to ThiruveLLarai. The distance is 27 km (one-way) and under normal traffic, this takes about 45 minutes. The journey takes us through a semi-rural route. If you are taking a bus, be sure to let the bus conductor know in advance that you wish to alight at Thiru veLLarai. It is not a major stopping and is easy to miss. The bus stop is near a welcome arch that directly shows the path to the temple. From the bus stop, the temple is about 10 minutes by walk along a straight path. This path and the temple itself are not very shady and can be uncomfortably hot in summer months. If you are visiting in summer, try to get to the temple early (around 9 AM at the latest). The temple campus is huge and can easily take you a couple of hours if you desire to explore it in leisurely detail. First time visitors will find it better to visit the temple during daytime so that they can get an idea of its magnitude and beauty. The temple also has a special beauty in the night..a visit in moonlight can be a sublime experience. However, getting to the temple at night can be a little difficult after sunset if travelling by public transport.

Another way to cover this Divya Desam is by combining it with a visit to other nearby Divya Desams – like Anbil, Uthamar Koil, Thiru uraiyur, kOviladi and Sri Rangam – which are all located in and around Trichy. You can hire a call-taxi to cover several of these Divya Desams. It is possible to cover Anbil, Uthamar Koil, Thiru uraiyur, kOviladi and ThiruveLLarai in half-a-day. However, this is a rather hurried way of covering the temples.

Legends and History:

It is fairly well established that ThiruveLLarai is an older temple compared to Sri Rangam – and this has given rise to the moniker “Adhi veLLarai”. According to legend, Lord Sriman Narayana blessed the emperor Sibi (one of the ancestors of Sri Rama) and Sri mArkandEya mahArishi at this Divya Desam several yugas ago.
The temple has been glorified by Sri PeriAzhwar and Sri Thirumangai Azhwar. Also, Swami Desikan has sung about this temple.

The name “veLLarai” literally means “white rock”. This name is due to the fact that the mountain is situated on top of a small hill (~100 feet in height) composed of supposedly-white rocks. The Sanskrit name for this place is Swetha-ketu.

The temple:

The temple has a couple of similarities with the Varadaraja temple in Kanchipuram. Like the latter, ThiruveLLarai is located on top a small hillock. Also, both temples are vast campuses with imposing structures. Both temples have two entrances to the main sanctum – the UthrAyaNa vAsal and the dakshinAyana vAsal – which are open during two different halves of the year. Visitors have to climb a set of steps to reach the main sannidhi.

The outermost gOpuram in ThiruveLLarai is an unfinished one (mottai gOpuram). The temple campus houses seven separate theerthams. A high wall encloses the temple campus completely. The temple also has an inner entrance called the “nAzhi kEttAn vAsal” where Sri thAyar demanded an explanation from PerumAL for coming home late ;-)

The temple has several separate sannidhis including those for Sri ChakrathAzhwar, Sri NammAzhwAr, Sri ANDAL and Sri Tondaradippodi AzhwAr.

The thAyAr here is Sri PankajavaLLi, who has a separate sannidhi. The name of Sri PerumAL here is Sri PundarIkAkshan (literally, the Lotus-Eyed One). Sri PeriAzhwar refers to Him as “azhagan”(the handsome one). PerumAL here is in a standing posture, towering resplendently with Adiseshan in a human form and GarudAzhwar standing beside Him. The sun and moon gods devotedly fan Sri Perumal from either side. Seated humbly before Sri PerumAL are Sri Bhoo devi and Sri mArkandEyar.

Sri PankajavaLLi thAyAr samEtha Sri PundarIkAksha PerumAL ThiruvadigaLae SaraNam
AzhwAr emperumAnAr jIyar ThiruvadigaLae SaraNam

VeLi (Outer) ANDAL sannidhi at Sri Rangam

2011-02-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

This is a very beautiful sannidhi for Sri Andal, located at #9, Mela Adayavalanjaan Street, Sri Rangam, very close to the Ranganatha temple. According to local history, when Sri PeriAzhwar and Andal arrived at Sri Rangam from Srivilliputhur, they stayed at a house before visiting the temple (and Andal merged with Lord Ranganatha). This house became the veLi ANDAL sannidhi. As always, the image of Sri ANDAL here is very beautiful. She is verily the embodiment of the Lord's trait of forgiveness.

(Correspondingly, there is another sannidhi for ANDAL within the temple of Lord Ranganatha, called the uLL (Inner) ANDAL sannidhi)

The beauty of Sri Rangam is that it has plenty of places and temples and small sannidhis that are associated with the lives of AchAryas. Also, the place is connected with several historical events.

Our Travel to Sri Mukthinath (Salagramam) Divya Desam

2011-02-19T22:21:00.000-08:00

First of all, thanks and prayers to the Divya Dampathi and our Acharyas, whose grace made this trip happen. It was undoubtedly their krupa that helped us have a safe and successful trip overcoming several hurdles.

Sincere thanks and respects to Sri Mukund (NAMA Singapore) for his blessings and guidance – based on his past travels to Mukthinath. He has been instrumental in making this trip happen.

Special thanks to Sri KaLai (Ramanuja Dasan) who has been the chief planner and coordinator for this trip. His arrangements were meticulous, and enabled all of us to have a wonderful trip with memories that will stay forever.

Thanks to Sri Sudhir and Sri Srikanth, for their support and presence that made the trip a truly enjoyable and devotional experience. And how can I forget to mention Sri Mugunthan, who made the trip lively and engaging with no shortage of humour and cheer!

[Link to photos of the trip]

We landed in Katmandu around noon on Feb 13 and after completing our arrival formalities, were met at Tribhuvan International Airport by our designated driver – Shyam Lama. The weather was pleasant and we drove through Katmandu to the office of Samrat Travel, where we met our travel agent Rajaram. Sri Kalai had previously worked out our travel plan with Rajaram and we collected our air tickets for flying within Nepal and our Government permit for travelling through the Annapoorna Trail. Although we did not do any trekking on this formidable trail, we still needed the permit to pass through Jomsom town en route to Mukthinath. Katmandu is located at an altitude of about 1400 m above sea level and is a crowded city with small roads and a lot of traffic. We did not see any tall buildings or apartments – Katmandu still seems to have only individual houses.

[External Link for information on Katmandu]

From our travel agent’s office, we proceeded to have a late lunch at Aangan Restaurant and then started our journey to the town of Pokhara by van. This town is located at an altitude of about 800 m above sea level and is 200 km from Katmandu. We reached around 10 pm after a six hour journey. In between we stopped a couple of times for hot tea – which was most welcome in the cool weather.

Pokhara is home to Lake Phewa, and is close to the base of the formidable Annapurna mountain range. It is a rather relaxed and unpolluted place compared to Katmandu. We stayed at Hotel Landmark, where the only inconvenience was that we did not get really hot water for our bath next morning. We got a packed breakfast of aaloo parathas and started off next morning to Pokhara Airport to take our flight to the town of Jomsom. Our plane was a small twin engined one with a capacity of about 20 passengers. The local airlines in Nepal have names like Sita Air, Agni Air, Buddha Air, etc etc. Our flight to Jomsom took about 25 minutes. We got a very spectacular view of huge snow-capped peaks. This region is home to several tall peaks like the Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu and Macchapuchre. Mother Nature flexing her muscles!

[External Link for information on Pokhara]

Jomsom is a very small town (perhaps settlement is a better word) located at an altitude of 2800 m above sea level. Upon landing at Jomsom, we could immediately feel the effect of the altitude. The weather was much colder than Pokhara and we immediately had to put our winter clothing (winter jacket, gloves, head cap, muffler, moisturiser etc) to full use. We left our bigger pieces of luggage at Hotel Majesty and packed a few essentials into smaller bags and left for Mukthinath by jeep.

Mukthinath is located at an altitude of 3800 metres and is about 1.5 hours by jeep from Jomsom. The journey is beautiful and takes us along River KaliGandaki. This is the same as the sacred Gandaki River in whose bed Salagramam stones can be naturally found. Salagramam stones, as is well-known, are manifestations of Lord Sriman Narayana. As the Himalayan mountains started to form and rise above the sea, the Gandaki river slowly cut its way through the mountains forming a valley. Our journey took us along a part of this valley. The path to Mukthinath is a very rough trail and not a proper road. We stopped in the middle to take photos. It is also possible to make the journey from Jomsom to Mukthinath by pony or by walk. By walk, it can take several hours and is a very arduous journey.

We reached Mukthinath at around 2 PM and went to Sri Mukthinath lodge where some of us had lunch. Mukthinath is a very small mountain village with a few hotels and a few houses. The houses are built on highly uneven terrain with mud walls and have a pile of wood on the roof for insulation. It is common to find solar water kettles here. The temperature was around zero degrees even in the afternoon. Since it was February, there was hardly any crowd in the town. March is a rather crowded period, since the temperature is more conducive. There are a few roadside stalls from where local handicrafts and Salagramams can be obtained.

We left our luggage at the hotel and started off to our most important destination – the temple of Sri Mukthinath, one of the 108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams glorified by the Azhwars! From our hotel we could choose to walk uphill for about 20 minutes to reach the temple, or we could choose to be driven on a motorbike. Either way, the path is steep and can be difficult for people with acrophobia (fear of heights).

At the Divya Desam, there was not much of a crowd. At the entrance to the Divya Desam, we bought a few pictures of Sri Mukthinath. There were about 4-5 visitors apart from us, and they left presently. The temple is very small compared to the Divya Desams of Tamil Nadu and the style of construction is also totally different. Around the temple, there are 108 water-spouts –representing the theerthams of the 108 Divya Desams. A few of us chose to do snanam here, braving the sub-zero temperatures. After this, we entered the temple and first worshipped Sri Ramanuja and Sri Andal in a small, separate sannidhi. We chanted thaniyans and submitted our offerings to Sri Ramanuja and Sri Andal. After obtaining their blessings, we went to the main sannidhi where we offered worship to Sri Salagramam Udaiya Nambi (as PeriAzhwar addresses Him) who is accompanied by Sri Lakshmi and Sri Bhoo Devi. It was a most wonderful and auspicious darshan. Sri Perumal has a very benevolent expression on His face. Adiyen will describe the temple in greater detail in a separate posting in this blog. The sannidhi is maintained by Buddhist nuns. Also, we met a Nepali Sri Vaishnava priest who also does araadhanam at the temple. After our worship at the temple, this Sri Vaishnava priest was kind enough to explain the sthala-puranam of Sri Salagramam in detail.

After a very unhurried and thorough darshan at the temple, we walked down to our hotel. It was around 4.30 PM and had already started growing dark. It was at this point that we really started feeling the adverse effects of the high altitude and the cold weather. Altitude sickness affected all of us. A couple of us vomited and we had difficulty breathing as oxygen was scarce. None of us felt like having any food or drink. We did not have any heating in our rooms and we had to keep one of the windows open to maintain our oxygen supply. So in effect, we had to spend the night exposed to the atmosphere. It snowed through the night and temperatures were around -10 degrees Celsius. It was a most difficult experience. Our hotel owner gave us tablets to counter the altitude sickness. These provided some relief. We had to sleep (or rather, try to sleep) under very thick blankets to shield us from the biting cold. It was a very difficult night. Thanks to the Grace of the Divya Dampathi, we survived. The next morning, a few of us went uphill again to have a second darshan of Sri Mukthinath. Also, the Sri Vaishnava priest at the temple gave us several Salagramams. At around 11 AM, we started off back to Jomsom by jeep. En route, we stopped to have contact with the sacred water of the Gandaki river.

At Jomsom, we went straight to Hotel Majesty and had a nice lunch (soup, sandwiches, rasam – yes, the hotel was able to provide our South Indian rasam!, aloo parathas etc.). We warmed ourselves on coal stoves. After lunch, a few of us took a jeep ride to the village of Marpha, where we bought fresh apple juice from a local factory. Then we had an early dinner and went to bed at around 8.30 PM. A night of solid sleep gave us rest and recuperation from our mountain sickness. We got up at 5.30 AM to catch our flight to Pokhara at 6.30 AM. We found that it had snowed heavily through the night and our flight was cancelled. We spent the morning waiting for information and trying to make a decision on what to do next. We also used the time to visit a local museum that had a lot of information about the geography and origins of the region. Finally we decided to get moving and got a jeep to take us to the village of Ghaasa. We heard that, just before Ghaasa, there was a roadblock and we had to alight and shift our luggage across the roadblock and then take another jeep to Ghaasa. From Ghaasa, we had to take another jeep to Beni, from where our agent would arrange for our travel to Pokhara. We started with this plan in mind. However, en route to Ghaasa, our vehicle sunk into the mud and stalled. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere! Along with Sri Srikanth, our driver went to get help from a nearby village. As the rest of us were waiting, a van came by and the driver managed to skilfully negotiate the road where our vehicle was stuck and got to the other side. When Sri Srikanth came back, we all got into the other vehicle and reached the point where the road was blocked. Here, we moved our luggage through a very tricky mountain slope to cross the roadblock. Sri Srikanth played a key role in guiding us through the path and also in carrying most of the heavy luggage.

At the other side of the roadblock, we had a van waiting to take us to Ghaasa. From Ghaasa, we chartered a jeep to take us to Beni. The journey from Ghaasa to Beni took about 3 hours, and our driver had to negotiate very tricky slopes and narrow paths. In the moonlight, we could see the beauty of River Gandaki making its way through the mountains. We reached Beni at 11 PM, and were met by our driver who took us to our hotel in Pokhara at around 2 PM. We got up at around 8.30 AM and had a good breakfast and did a little shopping. Sri Sudhir and Sri Kalai found a very knowledgeable supplier of Salagramams at Pokhara.

Later in the morning, we took a flight back to Katmandu and checked into Hotel Manang at around 2 PM. After unpacking, we started off to the temple of Sri Budha Nilakanth, which has a beautiful vigraham of Lord Sriman Narayana lying on Adiseshan. After offering worship here, we did a little bit of shopping before heading off to dinner. After dinner, we got back to our hotel and woke up the next morning at 5.30 AM. We drove straight to the temple of Chaangu Narayanan (Champaka Narayanan) which is situated on a small hill outside Katmandu. We had an excellent darshan early in the morning with a wonderful view of the sunrise. The vigraham of Sri Garudazhwar outside the Perumal Sannidhi here is very beautiful. After a very satisfying darshan, we visited a nearby museum which housed relics and coins from ancient Nepal. Then, we dropped off Sri Srikanth at the airport for him to catch his flight to Delhi and proceeded to our hotel for breakfast. Then we packed and made our way to the airport again to take our return flight out of Nepal. It was a great trip!

Azhwar Emperumaanaar Jeeyar ThiruvadigaLae SaraNam
ThirumAl thiruvadigaLae saraNam

Thiru Uraiyur a.k.a ThirukkOzhi

2011-02-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

Located within Tiruchirapalli city in central Tamil Nadu, India, this temple is one of the 108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams and also the birthplace of Sri ThiruppAn AzhwAr, one of the twelve AzhwArs.

A very compact temple, it houses separate sannidhis for Sri ThiruppAn AzhwAr, Sri NammAzhwAr, Sri VishvaksEnar and Sri Raamanujar.

Access:
Since Uraiyur is part of Tiruchirapalli (Trichy for short) city, it is easily accessible. The name ThirukkOzhi is virtually unheard of today, and the place is referred to as Uraiyur or Nachiyar Koil by local people. Visitors may stay at Trichy and cover Uraiyur along with other Divya Desams in and around Trichy, which include Sri Rangam, Thiruvellarai, Uthamar Koil, Thiru Anbil and Koviladai (aka Thiruppaer Nagar). From within Trichy city, Uraiyur can be reached by public transport buses or auto. Those who wish to cover all the six Divya Desams in and around Trichy can hire call-taxis and cover all the Divya Desams in 1-2 days.

The temple:
As we enter the temple, there is a stone mandapam (hall). To the left, there is a corridor that houses the sannidhis for Sri ThiruppAn AzhwAr, Sri NammAzhwAr, Sri VishvaksEnar and Sri Raamanujar. On the left of this corridor, there is a very beautiful, deep stone tank that is completely housed within the temple campus. It is a very serene sight when the tank is full. An entrance in the corridor on the right hand side, leads us to the main sannidhi. The main sannidhi (sanctum sanctorum) has the Perumal Sri Azhagiya Manavalan in a very beautiful standing posture, with the Thayar Sri Kamalavalli seated on the left. There is no separate sannidhi for ThAyAr. There is no Utsavar idol for Perumal here, just a Utsavar for ThAyAr.
Behind the main sannidhi, there is a nandhavanam (flower garden) with a vasantha mandapam.

The temple is not very big and all sannidhis can be covered in about 45 minutes. Those who wish to enjoy this place in leisure can take a slow walk around the corridor and observe the beauty of the temple, tank, the stone pillars, the beautiful paintings in the smaller sannidhis, the flower garden, and above all, the infinitely auspicious beauty of the Divya Dampathi. Sri Thiruppaan Azhwar showers his gentle benevolence on devotees, guiding them towards the Divya Dampathi.

Legends and History:
Sri Kamalavalli Thayar is said to have incarnated as the daughter of the local Chozha king and later married Sri Perumal. The Chozha king built the temple to commemorate the divine wedding. Hence Perumal is known as Azhagiya MaNavALan which literally means “The handsome bridegroom”. On the day preceding Pankuni Uthiram, the uthsavar of Sri Ranganatha (NamperumAL) is brought from Sri Rangam and a Kalyana Uthsavam is celebrated with the Thayar here. Since ThayAr has a lot of importance here, the temple is referred to as “nAchiyAr koil” by local people.

Historically, Uraiyur was the capital of the Chozha kings at one point of time. Later the Chozhas shifted their capital to Pazhaiyarai near Kumbakonam and then later to Thanjavur.

Thirumangai Azhwar and Kulasekara Azhwar have glorified this Divya Desam.

Sri KamalavaLLi ThAyar samEtha Sri Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL ThiruvadigaLAE saraNam
Sri ThiruppAN AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLAE saraNam

Thiruvelliyangudi

2010-09-19T03:33:00.000-07:00

Very comprehensive information on this Divya Desam at these websites:

http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/df022.html

http://kolavilliramar.blogspot.com/

Thiruppaer Nagar (aka Koviladi, Appakudathaan)

2010-09-18T01:43:00.000-07:00

(Acknowledgement: All images in this posting on Thiruppaer Nagar are from Kumudham Jothidam magazine. A wonderful article on this Divya Desam by the renowned astrologer Sri A M Rajagopal was published in the issue dated July 16 2010)

Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) in central Tamilnadu was the former capital of the glorious Chola kingdom. Situated right on the banks of the River Kaveri, Trichy is a bustling, lively city surrounded by vast tracts of lush green fields. The region in and around Trichy is dotted with several hallowed Divya Desams, with the foremost Divya Desam – Sri Rangam, being just across the Kaveri from Trichy. Uraiyur, another Divya Desam and also the birthplace of Sri Thiruppaan Azhwar is located within Trichy city.

Thiru Anbil, Uttamar Koil (Thiru-karambanUr), Thiru Vellarai, Koviladi (formal name Thiruppaer Nagar) are the other major Divya Desams around Trichy city. It is possible to cover all the six Divya Desams in and around Trichy in one day by road, although covering them over two days is more convenient and leisurely. Personally, I avoid rushing through Divya Desams. It is better to cover them sedately, enjoying the sights and sounds, absorbing the holy vibrations and imbibing the devotion and spirit of the Azhwars who elevated the temples to Divya Desam status through their devotional verses (mangaLaasAsanam). From a practical point of view, Trichy is well connected by road, rail and air (there are direct flights from Singapore and Columbo) and has plenty of hotels Food options are abundant.

Of the Divya Desams in and around Trichy, the one that can safely take the top honours for beauty of location is Thiruppaer Nagar (unofficially referred to as Koviladi or Appakudathaan). Koviladi is situated directly on the banks of the KoLLidam river, which is a tributary of the River kAvEri. Further, this place is near the Grand Anaicut dam. The Grand Anaicut was built in the 2nd century AD by the Cholas, and is still in excellent shape and continues to be used even today. When the British governed India, a team of engineers was deputed to study this dam and identify any improvements or reinforcements that might be needed. The engineers concluded that there was nothing needed to strengthen or modify the dam – a testimony to the technical calibre of the Chola engineers.

Getting back to kOviladi, the Divya Desam is built at a high elevation (about 50 feet from the ground). The reason is immediately obvious when we consider that the koLLidam river is less than 200 feet away. This is also the reason why the temple has survived intact over the centuries despite the ever-present threat of flooding.

Legend associated with Koviladi:

According to the sthala puranam, a king Upamanyu lost his wealth and kingdom due to a curse from Sage Durvasa. He begged the sage himself to suggest a way to be freed of the curse. Moved by his entreaty, the sage prescribed that Upamanyu do an anna-dhaanam (distribution of food) at this place. Accordingly, the king started this act of penance. One day, an old man arrived at Upamanyu’s place to accept food and was received with respect. But, to Upamanyu’s dismay and surprise, the old man quickly gobbled off all the food that the king had on hand. When he explained the situation to his elderly guest, the latter asked for a pot of “appam” – a kind of sweet pancake. Upamanyu arranged for it, and upon receiving it, the old man revealed his true identity – He was none other than Lord Sriman Narayana. Upamanyu was delighted and freed of Durvasa’s curse. Hence the Lord of Koviladi got the moniker “Appakudathaan”, which means “He who has a pot of appam”. True to this name, the moolavar in the Divya Desam has His right hand holding a pot of appam. In deference to the legend of Upamanyu, appam is prepared for the Lord every night as prasadam. According to this Divya Desam’s history, kOviladi even pre-dates Sri Rangam in antiquity.

Further, Thiruppaer Nagar is the Divya Desam where Lord Sriman Narayana removed the fear of death from Sage mArkandEyA’s mind. The theertham here is referred to as “Mruthyu vinaasini theertham”.

Thiruppaer Nagar is one of the five Ranga-Kshetrams. The full list is :

1. Adhi-Rangam: Sri-Rangapatnam near Mysore, Karnataka
2. appAla-Rangam: Thiruppaer Nagar
3. madhya-Rangam: Sri-Rangam
4. chaturtha-Rangam: Thirukkudanthai (Kumbakonam)
5. pancha-Rangam: Thiru-indhalUr (near MayilAduthurai)

AzhwAr mangaLAsasanams (33 pAsurams):

PeriyAzhwar: 173, 205
Thirumangai Azhwar: 1428-37, 1851, 1857, 2048, 2050, 2059, 2060, 2070, 2673 (70), 2674 (118)
Thirumazhisai Azhwar: 2417
NammAzhwar: 3744-54

This is the last Divya Desam glorified by Sri Nammazhwar before his ascent to paramapadam.

The thAyar here is Sri KamalavaLLi, who is seated in a separate sannidhi and bestows Her infinitely compassionate glances on Her devotees.

Location:

Koviladi is about 25 km from Trichy city and about 8 km from the Grand Anaicut. Those who wish to travel by bus may first take a bus to kallaNai (Grand Anaicut) from Trichy’s Chathram bus terminus and then take a bus (from Kallanai) travelling in the direction of Thanjavur or Kumbakonam and alight at kOviladi.

Swami Desikan's ThirumALigai at Sri Rangam

2010-07-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

Sri Vedantha Desikar ThiruvadigaLae Saranam

SrImAn vEnkata nAthArya kavi thArkika kEsari
vEdAnthAcharya varyOmE sannidhathAm sadhAhrudhI

Adiyen recently visited Sri Rangam and was blessed to have the privilege of visiting the thirumALigai (residence) where Swami Desikan lived for approximately 42 years in Sri Rangam.

For those who wish to visit this place, the address is: # 116, North Uthra Veedhi, Sri Rangam, Trichy, 620006, India. This place is under Sri Parakala Matam and is excellently managed by Sri kUram SeshAdri. He may be contacted at 91-9940294908.

This is the thirumALigai where Swami Desikan lived for ~ 42 years and from where he left for Paramapadam. The beauty of this house is that it is preserved in almost the same condition as it was during the life and times of our AchAryan. Many of our Sri Vaishnava Acharyas have spent significant portions of their lives in Sri Rangam. But the houses where they lived have not been preserved in the same condition as during their lifetime. Over the centuries, their thirumALigais have been renovated or demolished. Swami Desikan's thirumALigai is, fortunately for us, an exception to this trend.

In this house, the stone structure is still intact, as are the wooden girders. This is very remarkable, considering that wood is prone to decay and attack by termites. (Nearly 750 years have passed since the lifetime of Swami Desikan). Also preserved here is the wooden pestle used by Swami Desikan's family. The stone kUrmAsanam used as a seat by Swami Desikan for his nitya-karmas is also seen here. Legend has it that, when Swami was in Satyakalam, he saw two kUrmA-s (tortoises) following him back home as he was returning from his daily prayers. Later that night, Lord Sriman Narayana appeared in his dream and revealed that the tortoises were His manifestations and instructed Swami to use them as his seat. The next day, Swami Desikan found two stone kUrmAsanas at the place where he did his prayers. One of these is now in Satyakalam, the other is in Swami Desikan's ThirumAligai in Sri Rangam.

Having been the residence of the great AchAryan, this house is a place of infinite holiness. Adiyen feels blessed to have had the opportunity to visit this house. It is easily accessible from the Sri Rangam temple. It is a a must-visit place for sishyas of Swami Desikan's sampradayam.

Currently, Sri kUram Seshadri, who manages this place, provides free boarding and lodging at this very house for pilgrims visiting Sri Rangam. Also, he coordinates donations to needy families in Sri Rangam. His regret is that, not many people (even sishyas of Sri Desika sampradayam) are not aware of this place, and do not include it in their visit to Sri Rangam.

Please visit this house and and enjoy the holiness and purity associated with Swami Desikan. The greatness of such places associated with Acharyas cannot be overemphasized. For instance, in the Ramayana, Sage Visvamitra explains to Lord Sri Rama, the holiness of the spot where Sage Gautama meditated.

Sri Vedantha Desikar ThiruvadigaLae saranam

Please click here for photos of this ThirumALigai.

A Taste of Kamban's Ramayanam

2010-04-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Mummai sAl ulagukkellAm mUla mandhirathai
mutrum thammaiyE thamarkku nalgum thanipperum padhathai thAnE
immaiyE ezhumai nOikkum marundhinai
rAmA ennum semmai sEr nAmam thannai kaNgaLil theriyakkandAn

A beautiful verse from Kamban's Ramayanam that explains the
glory of Sri Rama Nama.

The scene is the fratricidal duel between Vali and Sugriva.
In support of Sugriva, Rama has discharged the arrow that
cleaves Vaali's adamantine chest. In the throes of death,
Vaali looks at the arrow that has entered his body, and sees
Rama namam inscribed on it.

Had Kamban been a mere poet, he could have just said "Vaali
saw Rama's name inscribed on the fatal arrow" or something to
that effect. But, being the great devotee that he was, Kamban
chose to use this opportunity to dwell upon the greatness of
Sri Rama Nama.

According to Kamban, Rama namam has the following greatnesses:

- It is the fundamental, primordial mantra for all the worlds

- It is a unique word that grants everything to the chanter

- It assures freedom from all sins and evils in this birth and
whatever follows

- It is a glorious, auspicious name.

Paesathaan Aavathundo

2009-02-18T05:37:00.000-08:00

The Thirumaalai is a set of 45 paasurams composed by Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar.

It is said (quite aptly) that "Thirumaalai ariyaar, Thirumaalai ariyaar" i.e those who do not know the Thirumaalai, do not know the Lord Sriman Narayana.

In this set of paasurams, Azhwar says, "Maasatraar manathuLLaanai vaNangi naam iruppathallaal paesathaan avathundo pedhai nenjae nee sollaai".

Azhwar says that the Lord can never be comprehended by those who try to understand Him through their intellect. You can analyse and discuss about the nature of the Lord endlessly, and yet you will come nowhere near understanding Him. Only those who understand the futility of comprehending Him through their intellect and surrender unto Him, actually comprehend His nature and glories to a certain extent. The Lord cannot be grasped by the intellect, rather we can only align ourselves with Him through surrender, and in the process, get some understanding of His glories and His nature.

Thirukkandaen Pon Maeni Kandaen

2009-02-06T20:51:00.001-08:00

Familiar people will at once recognize the phrase in the title - there are the opening words of Sri Peyazhwar's 100 pasurams.

The avathara sthalam (birthplace) of this Azhwar is tucked away in Mylapore, one of the oldest parts of Chennai city in southern India. Like so many great things in life, it is easy to miss. This Azhwar was not born of human parents - he incarnated in a well by himself. This well is located in in Arundale street (off Kutchery Road).

There is a small stone mantapam near this well. There are also a couple of small houses next to the well itself. I wonder if the inhabitants are aware of the monumental significance of their abode.

This great Azhwar starts his pasurams with a powerful assertion - his vision of Lord Sriman Narayana.

Sri Ramanuja

2008-11-12T05:01:00.000-08:00

We can talk of this great Sri Vaishnavite Acharya only in terms of superlatives of the highest order.

Not many people are aware of the fact that, in the 4000 Divya Prabandham, not all verses are in praise of Lord Sriman Narayana. 11 pasurams are in praise of Sri Nammazhwar (composed by his disciple -Sri Madhura Kavi Azhwar). Another 108 pasurams are in praise of Sri Ramanuja. These 108 are called the "Ramanuja Nootrandhaadhi", composed by Sri Thiruvarangathu Amudhanaar. Such is the greatness of Sri Ramanuja.

Sri Ramanuja was a revolutionary - a gentle one at that. Not to be confused with extremists. He firmly established the philosophy of Sri Sampradaya, gently overwhelming other systems with his penetrating intellect, complete devotion to the Divya Dampati and Sri Vaishnavite Acharyas before him, and infinite Daya for mankind at large. Whoever opposed him was not beaten into submission, rather they were melted down by his sweetness and Saatvika nature. His spiritual power was unmatched in its greatness.

There are a lot of things remarkable and unique about this Acharya, who was at once venerable and lovable. His works are only in Sanskrit, though he was completely proficient in Tamil (perhaps, he did not want his work to be restricted by geographical boundaries). His works are all in prose form - but it is not boring, verbose prose. His prose is sweet and moving. The Saranagathi Gadya is one of the most eloquent praises of Lord Sriman Narayana ever composed.

Through his work - The Sri Bashya, he established the correctness and truth of the doctrine of Vishistadvaita, in the process systematically refuting other doctrines like Advaita. In fact his analysis is so comprehensive that, even Advaitins acknowledge that the most scientific analysis of Advaita is found in the Sri Bashya.

Adiyen Sri Ramanuja Dasan

Simhapuri

2008-06-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

Singapore is a beautiful place.

The Perumal Temple in Little India is wonderful - with Sri Srinivasa Perumal
as Moolavar and separate Sannidhis for Sri Mahalakshmi and Sri Andal.

There are also individual sannidhis for Sri Sudarsana Azhwar and Sri Hanuman,
with smaller sannidhis for Sri Nammazhwar, Sri Periazhwar and Sri Thirumangai Azhwar (with Kumudhavalli Nachiyar).

The serenity and peace in this temple is to be seen to be believed. It can get crowded at times, but never uncomfortably crowded.

Sowkya Rasaayanam

2008-05-30T05:14:00.000-07:00

This is a phrase from one of Sri Vedantha Desika's works.

Rasaayanam, which many people think to mean a chemical, actually means "means to attain". So Sowkya Rasaayanam literally translates to "means to attain sowkyam".

Sowkyam is one of those numerous words that simply cannot be translated into English or, for that matter any other language. It is a word that describes a state of mind. A state in which, one is content, happy, and at peace with himself and with the world outside.

According to Sri Vedantha Desika - the Sri Vaishnavite saint of peerless intellect, the surest means to attain sowkyam is meditation on the Divya Dampati. Money, things, people, and all the external trappings of prosperity cannot bring about certain happiness. It is only mediation on the Divya Dampati (and consequently Their grace) that can ensure sustainable and true happiness.

Great and benevolent Acharyas like the Azhwars, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Desika have provided us with the means to sowkyam. Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwars declares "Narakame swargam aakkum naamangal udaiya nambi". (The Lord with blessed Names that are capable of transforming hell into heaven)

Consequently, this means that, should we fall into a hellish situation, the surest way to redeem and extricate ourself is to meditate on the Hallowed Names of Lord Sriman Narayana. The Names that are greater than the Lord Himself.

When we meditate on the Divya Dampati with faith, their unfailing Grace attends on us and dissolves our troubles, relieves us of our suffering. The Divya Dampati, the Supreme Protectors, rush to our succour, and ensure our sowkyam. Our sins, sorrows, guilt, negative thoughts etc. are washed away in a flood of Grace and Daya.

Sri Vedantha Desikar Thiruvadigale Saranam

Livermore Abhimaana Sthalam

2008-04-22T05:40:00.000-07:00

In our SriVaishnavite tradition, Divya Desams are those temples of Lord Sriman Narayana that have been sung about by one or more of the twelve Azhwars.

There are 108 Divya Desams in total, with 106 of them being in this earth (105 in India and 1 in Nepal).

The remaining two are Sri Vaikuntam and Sri Paramapadam, which cannot be seen in human birth.

There are several hallowed shrines dedicated to the Divya Dampathi, which have not been sung by the Azhwars. An obvious reason could have been that these temples were established after the times of the Azhwars. A famous example is the Rajagopala Swamy temple in Mannargudi (more about that in another article).

Such temples which have not been glorified by the Azhwars are called Abhimaana Sthalams.

Livermore, in California, USA is the site of a famous Shiva-Vishnu temple. There are beautiful sannidhis for perumal (Sri Maha Vishnu), SriDevi Nachiyar, Andal, Lord Rama, Anjaneya and Radha Krishna. I am taking the liberty of calling Livermore an Abhimaana sthalam.

It was my good fortune to spend a few months in Livermore. I used to visit this temple most days of the week. There are few visitors between 6-7 PM on weekday evenings and the atmosphere is very serene. I have even been able to chant the Vishnu Sahasranama sitting in the sanctum of the Lord almost alone. Also, I have been blessed to have darshan of Garuda Seva, Perumal-Thayar Thirumanjanam and Sri Sudarsana Homam at this sacred place.

The temple closes for the night at around 8 PM. At this time, there is a special puja for Perumal, with a beautiful bed on a swing suspended inside the Perumal sannidhi. An uthsavar of the Perumal is literally tucked into this cosy bed. The lights are dimmed down, and a rendition of Annamacharya's gentle lullaby to the Lord (Jo Achyutananda) by MS Subbulakshmi is played in the background. The atmosphere is so tranquil.

Thiruthankaa Divya Desam

2007-10-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

One of the Divya Desams in Kanchipuram.

Famous as the birthplace of the venerable Sri Vaishnavite Acharya Vedantha Desika. Sri Vedantha Desika was an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Hayagriva - the manifestation of Vishnu with the head of a horse. Lord Hayagriva is the personification of intelligence and knowledge.

It is quite natural that, as a devotee of Lord Sri Hayagriva, Sri Vedantha Desika was a scholar with a peerless intellect. In his celebrated work - the Hayagriva Stotram, Sri Desika prays:

"Harathu anthar dvaantham hesha hala hala"
[Lord! May the Divine sound of your wondrous voice remove our inner darkness]

The Thaayar is Sri Maragathavalli.The Lord at Thiruthankaa has a wonderful Thiru-naamam- Deepa Prakaasar [in Tamil, this translates to Vilakkoli Perumal].

Everything associated with this Divya Desam is related to aspects of knowledge. The Theertham here is called the Saraswathi Theertham. Naturally, there are Sannidhis for Vedantha Desika and Lord Sri Hayagriva.

Thirukkudanthai Divya Desam

2007-10-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

In all the eighty three Divya Desams I have been fortunate to visit, the most beautiful Thirumeni of the Lord would undoubtedly have to be Lord Sarangapani of Kumbakonam. The official name of this Divya Desam is Thirukkudanthai. The Azhwars vie with each other in describing the beauty of this Lord, and Sri Nammazhwar wins hands down, calling this Perumal as Aaaraavamudhan (He who is uncloyingly sweet - thekittaatha amudham).

Thiru-Ahobilam

2007-10-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been browsing my own collection of digital photos - taken at the places I have travelled to, and one place that never fails to amaze me is Ahobilam. It is one of the two SriVaishnavite Divya Desams in Andhra Pradesh (the other of course being Thirumala-Thirupathi).

There are several Divya Desams whose current state is in stark contrast to how they must have looked during the times of the Azhwars. For example, Thirumangai Azhwar describes Thiruvallikkeni (aka Triplicane in Chennai) as "iraviyin kadhirgal nuzhai-dhal seidhariyaa ThiruvallikkeNi kandEnE" - i.e the place was so densely forested that sun rays couldn't penetrate. Today, I can safely challenge anyone to show me more than two full grown trees in the maada veedhis surrounding the temple of Lord Sri Parthasarathy.

Ah, I am digressing. Coming back to the point, Ahobilam is one of the few Divys Desams which have been preserved in more or less the same state as during the times of the Azhwars. Even the indefatigable Thirumangai Azhwar describes Ahobilam as a most inaccessible place, and calls it "Dheivam allAl sella voNNaa singa VaEL kunramae" i.e according to him, Ahobilam is inaccessible except to the gods! The formal name for Ahobilam is beautiful - Thiru Singa VaeL kunram (Hill of the Lion King). Indeed, Ahobilam retains its beautiful forests, natural springs, cave temples and hunting tribes so vividly and fearfully described by the Azhwar.

Ahobilam is consists of nine temples dedicated to the nine forms of Lord Sri Narasimha. The temples are located at various elevations on several hills. Some of them have to be reached only on foot, after a fairly arduous trek. In addition to the nine temples, there is a temple for Sri Prahalada Varadan at the base of the hills. Very close to this temple is the headquarters of the Ahobila Mutt, which is one of the most important Sri Vaishnavite monasteries. The nine temples are small and nestled amidst hills and forests.

The best way to travel to Ahobilam is by forming part of groups of devotees that travel to Ahobilam from various places in South India.

The origin of the name "Ahobilam" is very interesting and inspiring. Sri Garuda, who is Lord Vishnu's mount, and possessed of incredible physical might himself, was a witness to Lord Vishnu's incarnation as Sri Narasimha to slay the demon Hiranyakashipu. On seeing the power of Sri Narasimha, Garuda exclaimed in awe, "Aho Balam!" (What strength !!!)

Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan Thiruvadigalae Saranam.

Thiru-EvvuL (Thiruvallur, 45 kms from Chennai Central Station)

2007-10-19T10:34:00.001-07:00

A serene, compact and beautiful Divya Desam under the maintenance of the Ahobila Mutt. The Lord's thirunaamam is Sri "Vaidya" Veeraraghavan and the Thaayar is Sri Kanakavalli. The Lord gets His nickname from his miraculous healing properties. So this is a Divya Desam to get the blessings of health and wealth!

Thirumangai Azhwar has composed a beautiful decad of verses on Thiru-Evvul. Addressing the Lord as "Evvul Kidanthaan" - He who reclines at Evvul. Azhwar asserts that whoever recites his decad of verses will be sure to rule the World. In the event that they are not interested in ruling the world, they will rule the world of the Devas! (anDam AaLvadhu AaNai, anrael AaLvar amarulagae)

Salihotra Maharishi worshipped the Lord at this hallowed place. The theertham is called the Hruth-Thaapa-Naasini (which quenches the anguishes of the heart). Here is a photo from a poo-pallaakku utsavam from Thiru-Evvul.

Sri Kanakavalli Thaayar sametha Sri Vaidya Veera Raghava Perumal Thiruvadigalae Saranam.

Vaadinaen Vaadi..

2007-10-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

The beginning of a glorious set of outpourings from Sri Tirumangai Azhwar.
The Azhwar with the most colourful life history. What really makes him most
endearing is that he was not a saint with an unblemished life. Self-admittedly,
he was guilty of every sin in the book.

Suddenly he made a U-Turn in his life, and became an unabashed votary of the
Lord. And even after his epiphany, he didn't completely give up his energetic
lifestyle - he merely channelized it in the service of the Lord. And even in
his mangalasasanams, we find not undiluted praise of the Lord. Tirumangai
Azhwar takes his liberties with the Lord - expressing anger, praise, love and
the whole gamut of emotions.

Supremely energetic, Tirumangai Azhwar travelled widely and glorified 86 divya
desams.

When he suddenly had his epiphany, thanks to initiation at the hands of Perumal
and Thaayar themselves, he burst forth into the decad called the "Thirumanthiram"
in which he describes the glory of the Naaraayana naamam.

Why this name ?

2007-08-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

People familiar with Nammazhwar's famous verse on Lord Sarangapani of Kumbakonam (formally known as Thirukkudanthai) will know exactly how to pronounce the name of this blog.

"Aravamudham", as I have spelt it, is actually pronounced "Aaraavamudham". It means sweetness than can never cloy. Nammazhwar describes Lord Sarangapani as Aa-raa-amudhan".
I wanted a really sweet name for my blog, and what better choice than this ?

Also, the word "AaraavamudhE" has a great significance in Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. A few centuries after the lifetimes of the Azhwars, knowledge of the Divya Prabandham was lost among people. A few people scattered here and there knew a few pAasurams. Not all the pAsurams were known to mankind. Sri nAthamuni, one of the AchAryas in the Sri Vaishnava AchArya lineage happened to hear the decad of pAsurams that starts with "ArAvamudhE". In the concluding pAsuram of this decad, Sri NammAzhwar mentions of this decad being one of the thousand (AyirathuL ivai pathum..) of his outpourings. This stimulated the thinking of Sri nAthamuni. If this pAsuram was one of a thousand, where were the rest ? He started enquiring around, and with unrelenting effort and the Grace of Sri nammAzhwAr, recovered the Divya Prabandham for the benefit of Sri Vaishnavas. So, it was the word "ArAvamudhE" that triggered the rediscovery of the nAlAyira Divya Prabandham.

Ramblings on the Bhagavad Gita

2007-08-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

The Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharatha, which is the longest poetical workin the world and is one of the two classical epics of India. In a nutshell, the Mahabharatais the story of the internecine conflict between two sets of cousins in a royal family.The Mahabharata culminates in a war of epic proportions between the feuding cousinsand the good guys win, ultimately. Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu stands by and guides thegood folks to their justified victory.
Just as the two sides are on the brink of war, Arjuna, one of the good guys and a stalwartin war, gets stricken by guilt and remorse. His conscience begins to work overtime, and he starts wondering what the heck he is doing fighting with his own cousins and uncles. Krishna,who is his guide-cum-charioteer, talks to him about war, life and philosophy. At the end of question and answer session that probably lasted around three hours, Arjuna is raring to goin for the kill. The war begins.
Familiar people will recognize that the preceding two paragraphs represent a very superficial(in fact, bordering on the flippant) summary of the Mahabharatha and the Gita. The Gita is notmerely an incitement to war, not is it the motivational pitch a general would use to get his soldiers going. It is detailed philosophical discussion about how to percieve life and work.And it is much more..
Since the Bhagavad Gita is a discussion about perspectives of life, it is quite natural thatit is subject to subjective interpretation. Indeed, various philosphers and thinkers have interpreted or commented on the Bhagavad Gita from their respective perspectives. And the veryfact that there are so many interpretations means that there is no universal agreement!
The Bhagavad Gita is divided into eighteen chapters. Krishna talks to Arjuna about variouspractices like Karma Yoga, Bhakti, etc etc, which very frankly, I don't understand. In the finalchapter, however, Lord Krishna makes a telling statement -"Surrender everything unto me, and don't worry".
Is this the crux of the message of the Gita - letting go..?

The Lord's Transgressions of Dharma

2007-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Reading through C.Rajaji’s Ramayana, Adiyen happenedto think of the Vali Vadham episode and wish to share some of my ramblings on this topic with this august forum of venerable Sri Vaishnavites.There are numerous occasions wherein the Lord has, uninhibitedly and brazenly flouted “dharma” to uphold the interests of His Devotees. Straightaway, Adiyen can think of three instances (doubtless, there are many more):

1. Depriving the Asuras of Amrutam, to confine it to the Devas, even though the Asuras had participated equally in the churning of the ocean and hence had an equal right to the spoils.

2. Killing Vaali, while remaining hidden, and that toowhen He had no personal score to settle with Vaali.

3. Protecting Saatyaki from certain death, by getting Arjuna to sever the hand of Bhurisravas in theKurukshetra war, though Arjuna was in no way involved in the Saatyaki-Bhurisravas duel. (I am not sure why the other such episodes are discussed as much as Vaali Vadham) Aren’t these open and flagrant violations of so-called Dharma ? No – because from the Lord’s perspective, the first and foremost Dharma is the protection of HisDevotees. Everything else (i.e conventional considerations of Dharma) are set aside when a Devotee’s well-being is at stake, just as the police are armed with special powers in the event of an Emergency. Thiruvalluvar says in the Thirukkural –“Udukkai izhanthavan kai pola Angae iDukkaN kaLaivadhAm natpu”. Just as a man’s hand instinctively clutches at his waist cloth when he senses that it is slipping, a man’s true friend rushes to his succour at the time of peril. If even a human friend can do this, what to speak of the Lord, when His devotee is in peril ? This is illustrated by EmperumAn’s speed in rushing to Gajendra’s aid – a speed so tremendous that it had the Lord waiting for Sri Sudarsana to catch up.( “Senru, ninru, Azhi thottaanai” – Thirumangai Azhwar describing the Lord of Triplicane) Now, what is “Dharma” and what is “Adharma” ? As is repeatedly pointed out in the Mahabharatha, the way of Dharma is extremely intricate and even great men are often perplexed at what is right and what is not. Thisis why the Lord says “Sarva DharmAn Parithyajtha; mAmekam saranam vraja”. For, what really is Dharma is not what we think it to be, it is what the Lord thinks it to be. (“AchAra prabhavo dharma, dharmasya prabhurachyutah” – says the phala sruthi of the Vishnu Sahasranama) Hence the Lord simplifies our task by saying, “You do not worry about Dharma (with your infinitesimal intellect !) .You just surrender unto me”. The same sentiment is echoed in a line in the Bible – “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Names’ sake”. ( If I remember right, it is the twenty-third psalm) Let’s consider another thing. We commit innumerable sins and acquire an enormous heritage of Dush-Karma. But still, we pray to the Lord, and He cheerfully reduces our gravest and most heinous sins (“sediyaayaval vinaigaL”) to ashes.(poya pizhaiyum puku tharuvAnninranavum theeyinil thoosaakum). Thus He allows us to get away without paying fully for our misdeeds.Strictly speaking, is this also not a transgression ofthe laws of karma and dharma ? And if the Lord were to strictly apply the yardstick of dharma while judging us, what would be our plight ? Such trivial considerations of karma and dharma are cast aside when the Lord’s Grace attends on us, isn’t it ?Doubtless, everything of the above must be something that readers have known/realized already, but stillthe Lord’s Daya cannot be over emphasized. I am surprised at my own temerity in placing these thoughts in this elite forum. I regret any errors in the form or substance of this message. Adiyen

First Post

2007-08-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

This blog will be a collection of aDiyaen's ramblings on the wonderful philosophy that is Sri Vaishnavism. Whether I am competent enough to blog on such a great subject is entirely questionable. However, there is no question about my interest and sincerity of purpose!