Post by saidevo on Oct 13, 2012 8:58:02 GMT 5.5
Pages 171-174
Following this our Gurunathan will take rest for sometime, when he will be ramita (delighted) to take up what he terms as the 'newspaper akkappOr' (newspaper gossip). He will listen to the news published and then to the letters received by the MaTham that would be read out to him. Then he will give directions to his employees about the tasks to be done.
That would be the time when his wonderful managerial skills and wordly knowledge would be given expression to. For the letters, he will dictate the replies then and there. Though he could take the right decisions quickly and with excellence, he will consult the MaTham officials and assistants, listen to their suggestions, encourage them to speak out what they have in mind and work out a plan that would be put to action. Through this our Gurunathan demonstrates the rustic term 'mariyathai kodutthu mariyathai vAnguvathu' (giving and getting respect) in a wonderful way.
It is very apt to think about him in parellel with Raghavan who lived adhRSya (invincible) in the world saying that he considered himself only as a man. We see that glory here every day--the grandeur narrated by Ramayana of how that RamaPiran during the Vibhishana charaNagati (surrender) prompted the suggestions of everyone in Sugriva's army including the vAnaras (monkeys), giving him his due respect, valued the suggestions and took the final decision.
Only with the MaTham assistants? He will not hesitate to listen to the suggestion of the devotees who come to him, including the parama pAmara (most rustic) among them. More surprising than that is how that rustic will also give his suggestion without hesitating, to this great expert! Howsoever he obtained that saulabhyaM (ease) of moving with all of them with the feeling 'nammavar' (belongs to us)! That is the 'maitrI visheSam' (speciality of friendship) that he made his Gita-Upadesham!
Excepting the time of antaranga SrIMaTha karyams (private tasks), amidst all those MaTham office work he will never forget his worldly office work, and keep on allowing the devotees to him. Around four-thirty or five in the evening, he will come out to give darshan to the people. Without being reticent, the devotees would express their personal sufferings and supplicate for 'periyavaa anugraham'. He will give them vibhUti, kumkumam, akSata prasAdam with a completely involving mind. His very eye and hand will convey the anugraham. It would appear to some people that he need not bring something from somewhere and give it as his anugraham. His very posture of standing before them--tired, fading vibhUti marks on his forehead, his body looking shrivelled and his garment around the head slipping--would be his anugraham to them. Just like KaLidasa said that the dancer MaLavika standing tired is in itself an abhinaya (dance gesture)!
Our Gurunathan who ramins as the taru, taru nizhal, nizal kanintha kani (the tree, the shadow it gives and the fruit mellowed in that shadow) whom anyone can approach and supplicate anything, will come before the Puja Mandapam and stand silently. There would be a bustle only in the crowd. The reason is that the MaTham elephant, which is always a fountain of enthusiasm for the children, will arrive at the Sannidhi. With all the MaTham employess present, the Treasurer will read out the day's income and expenditure openly to the Swami, Adi Acharya and the people assembled there. During that time, the elephant will wave the chAmaram (feathery fan) to the pAdak kuRadu (sandals) of BhagavatPada the mUla sthapakar (root founder) of the MaTham, and then will bow and blare. This incident is known as the 'tIvatti salAm'. Then the NatesAshtakam will be recited with nAtya layam (rhythm and dance movements). With Ramanama, Shivanama smaraNam (memory of), the devotees will disperse.
At the time of the evening, after taking bath again, our Gurunathan will come svaccha (bright and pure), looking like a lawn bright in the rain. He will then perform his sandhya anuSTAnams. Tapas and peace swelling up, he will then be a jvalita tejomaya bimbam (blazing fire of light)! In that jvAla (flame) our impurities will be burnt into ashes at least for that time being.
After seven, the night puja will start. On Fridays and days such as Pradosham, Navaratri, this ArAdhanam (worship) will be held for nearly four hours with abhiShekAti (ablutions) and AvaraNa pujas. On other days, the puja will end briefly in three quarters of an hour. Pradosha Puja will be started before the Sandhi and held in a grand manner.
The visheSha puja held during the night, has a speciality. When the alaNkArams (decorations) are over and the curtain drawn aside for archanA, the Rudra Trisati mantra 'aum namO hiraNya bAhavE namaH' will rise. And that hiraNya bAhaU (golden arm) itself we will witness pratyakSa (before the eyes). Yes, the arm of SriCharaNar that moves in the light of the lamp will shine golden.
A visheSham (speciality) is also there in the Pradosha Puja. SriCharaNar, wearing a kirITam (crown), kuNDala (ear rings), kaNThakA (necklace), karavalayas (bracelets)--all made of rudraksha, will give darshan as sAkSAt Sankara! A thought will then raise that even his dhandam (staff) has become a shUlam (trident).
The one who remains as pratyakSa Shiva Jyoti during Pradosha Puja will glisten in coolness during the PaurNami Puja like AmbaaL Herself!
Glossary:
adhRSya - a. invincible, irresistible.
AvaraNa - covering, enclosing, shelter, garment
caraNagata - fallen at one's feet
kaNThakA - necklace
kirITam - diadem, crown, crest, any ornament used as a crown
kuNDala - ear ring, bracelet, ring
pratyakSa before the eyes, plainly visible, clear, distinct, actual, immediate
ramita - gladdened, delighted, rendered happy, pleasure, delight
svaccha - a. very clear, transparent, bright, pure
Following this our Gurunathan will take rest for sometime, when he will be ramita (delighted) to take up what he terms as the 'newspaper akkappOr' (newspaper gossip). He will listen to the news published and then to the letters received by the MaTham that would be read out to him. Then he will give directions to his employees about the tasks to be done.
That would be the time when his wonderful managerial skills and wordly knowledge would be given expression to. For the letters, he will dictate the replies then and there. Though he could take the right decisions quickly and with excellence, he will consult the MaTham officials and assistants, listen to their suggestions, encourage them to speak out what they have in mind and work out a plan that would be put to action. Through this our Gurunathan demonstrates the rustic term 'mariyathai kodutthu mariyathai vAnguvathu' (giving and getting respect) in a wonderful way.
It is very apt to think about him in parellel with Raghavan who lived adhRSya (invincible) in the world saying that he considered himself only as a man. We see that glory here every day--the grandeur narrated by Ramayana of how that RamaPiran during the Vibhishana charaNagati (surrender) prompted the suggestions of everyone in Sugriva's army including the vAnaras (monkeys), giving him his due respect, valued the suggestions and took the final decision.
Only with the MaTham assistants? He will not hesitate to listen to the suggestion of the devotees who come to him, including the parama pAmara (most rustic) among them. More surprising than that is how that rustic will also give his suggestion without hesitating, to this great expert! Howsoever he obtained that saulabhyaM (ease) of moving with all of them with the feeling 'nammavar' (belongs to us)! That is the 'maitrI visheSam' (speciality of friendship) that he made his Gita-Upadesham!
Excepting the time of antaranga SrIMaTha karyams (private tasks), amidst all those MaTham office work he will never forget his worldly office work, and keep on allowing the devotees to him. Around four-thirty or five in the evening, he will come out to give darshan to the people. Without being reticent, the devotees would express their personal sufferings and supplicate for 'periyavaa anugraham'. He will give them vibhUti, kumkumam, akSata prasAdam with a completely involving mind. His very eye and hand will convey the anugraham. It would appear to some people that he need not bring something from somewhere and give it as his anugraham. His very posture of standing before them--tired, fading vibhUti marks on his forehead, his body looking shrivelled and his garment around the head slipping--would be his anugraham to them. Just like KaLidasa said that the dancer MaLavika standing tired is in itself an abhinaya (dance gesture)!
Our Gurunathan who ramins as the taru, taru nizhal, nizal kanintha kani (the tree, the shadow it gives and the fruit mellowed in that shadow) whom anyone can approach and supplicate anything, will come before the Puja Mandapam and stand silently. There would be a bustle only in the crowd. The reason is that the MaTham elephant, which is always a fountain of enthusiasm for the children, will arrive at the Sannidhi. With all the MaTham employess present, the Treasurer will read out the day's income and expenditure openly to the Swami, Adi Acharya and the people assembled there. During that time, the elephant will wave the chAmaram (feathery fan) to the pAdak kuRadu (sandals) of BhagavatPada the mUla sthapakar (root founder) of the MaTham, and then will bow and blare. This incident is known as the 'tIvatti salAm'. Then the NatesAshtakam will be recited with nAtya layam (rhythm and dance movements). With Ramanama, Shivanama smaraNam (memory of), the devotees will disperse.
At the time of the evening, after taking bath again, our Gurunathan will come svaccha (bright and pure), looking like a lawn bright in the rain. He will then perform his sandhya anuSTAnams. Tapas and peace swelling up, he will then be a jvalita tejomaya bimbam (blazing fire of light)! In that jvAla (flame) our impurities will be burnt into ashes at least for that time being.
After seven, the night puja will start. On Fridays and days such as Pradosham, Navaratri, this ArAdhanam (worship) will be held for nearly four hours with abhiShekAti (ablutions) and AvaraNa pujas. On other days, the puja will end briefly in three quarters of an hour. Pradosha Puja will be started before the Sandhi and held in a grand manner.
The visheSha puja held during the night, has a speciality. When the alaNkArams (decorations) are over and the curtain drawn aside for archanA, the Rudra Trisati mantra 'aum namO hiraNya bAhavE namaH' will rise. And that hiraNya bAhaU (golden arm) itself we will witness pratyakSa (before the eyes). Yes, the arm of SriCharaNar that moves in the light of the lamp will shine golden.
A visheSham (speciality) is also there in the Pradosha Puja. SriCharaNar, wearing a kirITam (crown), kuNDala (ear rings), kaNThakA (necklace), karavalayas (bracelets)--all made of rudraksha, will give darshan as sAkSAt Sankara! A thought will then raise that even his dhandam (staff) has become a shUlam (trident).
The one who remains as pratyakSa Shiva Jyoti during Pradosha Puja will glisten in coolness during the PaurNami Puja like AmbaaL Herself!
Glossary:
adhRSya - a. invincible, irresistible.
AvaraNa - covering, enclosing, shelter, garment
caraNagata - fallen at one's feet
kaNThakA - necklace
kirITam - diadem, crown, crest, any ornament used as a crown
kuNDala - ear ring, bracelet, ring
pratyakSa before the eyes, plainly visible, clear, distinct, actual, immediate
ramita - gladdened, delighted, rendered happy, pleasure, delight
svaccha - a. very clear, transparent, bright, pure