Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Elephant Enchantment !

Among the various vahanams of Namperumal, the Yaanai (Elephant) vaahanam holds great significance. In Srirangam, as per custom, the Srivaishnavas with Yagnyopaveetham carry the palanquin or vahanams of Namperumal,Srirenganachiar, Azhwars and Acharyas. But the only exception to this usual practice is the Yaanai Vaahanam. People from all social backgrounds participate in the kainkaryam of carrying Namperumal in Yaanai vahanam around the Main streets of Srirangam.

The Yaanai is also the reflection of one of Namperumal’s qualities, the quality of ‘ Swatantryam’ i.e ‘ the virtue of unquestionable freedom to make decisions’. In olden days, when a king died without having a natural successor or electing a successor, the whole town would assemble at a huge ground. An elephant would be given a garland and the one on whose shoulders the elephant throws the garland would be elected the King. Many a times amidst great warriors, archers, wrestlers, men of great administrative capacity, men who hold senior positions in the Kingdom, men who possess riches, the elephant would choose a pauper, a meek man, a man who has never been in limelight. Can anyone question this decision of the Elephant? None. That is Swatantrym. Many a times we ask why did the Supreme Being do this to me. It should be remembered that He is a Swatantran. But the difference between Him and the elephant is that the act of the elephant is out of sheer ignorance but that of Namperumal is out of absolute cognizance of what He’s doing and in keeping our Hitham / well being in mind.

The Gurukulam students have once again exactly enacted the Yaanai vahanam with great fervor and joy. Do watch the videos and bless the children.

Twin treat !

It is usually the habit of young children to imitate a person in the family who holds great appeal to them and their line of interest. For the children of our Gurukulam, it is the whole clan of Kainkaryapiras at Periya Koil who are their family and every member holds great appeal to them! Hence our Gurukulam children show equal love and devotion for each kainkaryam. The thiruvaradhanam they do to their perumal makes us wonder whether they treat the Supreme Being as Supreme or as their own child! The meticulous way they learn and recite the divya prabandham makes us think they were born adyapakars! Similar is their love for conducting utsavams to their perumal.

Srirangam is known for many things. In sampradaic parlance it is Bhoga mantapam. It is a bhogam mantapam not only for the taste buds but for all the senses. The most captivating feature of Srirangam is the almost 365 days of utsavam. It is the sankalpam of Namperumal to shower grace on the common man i.e the man who is surmounted by the problems of samsaram with every rise of sun and every rise of moon that he finds no time for the Supreme. For this, Namperumal, through various utsavams, reaches him.

Among all the Vahanams of Namperumal, Kudharai vahanam is the liveliest vahanam wherein Namperumal and the Kudharai compete in showing their prowess. The ‘Kona Vaiyyali’ of Kudharai vahanam is a must watch everyone.Here, the gurukulam children display their acumen in enacting the ‘Kona Vaiyyal’ with their perumal. The background gosthi is also sung by the gurukulam students from Periya Thirumozhi, the racy verses of which aptly match the racy pace at which the Utsavam is conducted. The pasuram is on the Narasimha Emperumaan of Thiruppiridhi ( called Joshi Muth) located in the Himalayan range.

It is a twin treat to watch the videos of the children as well as hear them recite the pasurams!

Do watch the videos and pour in your mangalasasanams for the children :