SPECIAL STORY ON THE OCCASION OF THE 1000TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF SRI RAMANUJACHARYA
MILLENNIUM RAMANUJAM – INCARNATION OF 1000 HOOD ADISESHA
PROPONENT OF SRI VAISHNAVA PHILOSOPHY
LOVE ALL – DIVINE MESSAGE OF RAMANUJACHARYA
Tirumala, 8 May 2016: Bhagavat Sri Ramanujacharya is regarded as the father of the Sri Vaishnava philosophy and was instrumental in spreading the Sri Vaishnava philosophy extensively throughout India.
MILLENNIUM CELEBRATIONS:
As the year 2017 is going to be the millennium birth anniversary of the great master, the temple management of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is set to observe yearlong birth celebrations of the great Srivaishnava Saint which will commence from May 10 of this year and conclude on May 1 of 2017 following His Divine association with the kainkaryams performed to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala and Sri Govindaraja Swamy in Tirupati.
ABOUT SRI RAMANUJACHARYA:
Sri Ramanujacharya was born in the year 1017 to the blessed couple Sri Kesava Somayaji and Kanthimathi, in Chitra month and on the day of Arudra star. He mastered the Vedas at the young age of 16 years. In his 120 years of life span, he systematically expounded philosophical truths and synthesised Bhakti and Jnaana, the two folds of characters possessed by the Alwars and Acharyas, the saints and the sages in his philosophy Visisthadwaita.
INCARNATION OF ADISESHA:
Whenever Lord Maha Vishnu dons a new avatar, His favourite disciple and servant, Adi Sesha-the 1000 hood mighty Serpent follows his beloved Master.
It is believed that Adisesha served Lord Maha Vishnu in Vaikuntham in first aeon, as Lakshmana in Treta Yuga, As Balarama in Dwapara and as Bhagavat Ramanujacharya in Kaliyuga, in the abode of Tirumala.
CRUSADER OF SOCIAL EQUALITY:
Sri Ramanuja crisscrossed the whole of India to revive and strengthen Hindu Sanatana Dharma and its rich culture and tradition with his ideologies. Apart from this he is in fact considered to be the crusader of social justice and equality and did remarkable contribution to the down trodden sections and oppressed classes some 1000 years itself.
Ramanuja’s bold stance on social evils gathered him lot of enemies and opposition but he overcame all the hurdles with his compassion and penance.
FORTIFIED KAINKARYAMS:
He pioneered in streamlining the puja tradition in the temples which were irregular and in doldrums in those days. The first and foremost being the shrines of Lord Venkateswara and Adi Varaha Kshetra in Tirumala, where he reformed the puja procedures, restored and fortified archana, kainkaryams, rituals and festivals. Some of the important festivals initiated by the great Acharya includes Bhag Savari Utsavam, Tanniramudu Utsavam, introduction of first puja, first nivedana and first darshan to Lord Sri Bhu Varaha Swamy in Tirumala.
DIFFERENT NAMES OF RAMANUJA:
Sri Ramanuja is being worshipped by many names. Ilayavarulu, Ramanuja, Ramanujanambi, Yatiraju, Lakshamanamuni, Godagrajar, Tiruppavai Jeeyar, Yatirajulu, Shatakopaponnadi, Koilannan, Bhootapurusha, Desikendra, Emberumannar, Bhashyakara, Udayavarulu etc.
Among these names, Desikendra is the name blessed by none other than Lord Venkateswara, Bhasyakara by Vagdevi in Kashmir and Udayarulu by Lord Ranganatha after “Gadya Trayam” written by him.
RAMANUJA IN TIRUMALA:
Sri Ramanuja firmly believed that Lord Venkateswara took the form of Saligrama statue in Tirumala and He Himself reborn as Vikhanasa Maharshi and formulated His own puja kainkaryams.
And hence Ramanuja decided that all puja kainkaryams in Tirumala temple should be done in the tradition of Vaikhanasa Agama Shastra.
Ramanuja learnt Ramayana from His uncle and Guru Sri Tirumala Nambi at Alipiri-the first step to Tirumala. His discourses to his disciples and devotees were compiled in Vedanta Sangraha in Tirumala Hills only.
Hence Ramanuja occupied the Guru position even for Lord Venkateswara and hence being worshipped along with Lord in Tirumala during every festival and religious fete even today.
SPECIAL PROGRAMMES BY TTD:
TTD has designed several special programmes to match the auspicious occasion. The most important one being the “Ramanuja Sancharam” where in a specially decked vehicle carrying the utsava vigrahams of Lord Sri Malayappa Swamy, Sridevi, Bhudevi and Sri Ramanujacharyulu will cover all the 106 Vaishnava Divya Desams located across the country in the next one year.
Apart from this TTD has also decided to bring to light some of the rare works of the great Acharya including Gadya Trayam, Vedantha Sangraham etc. As he learnt Ramayana and rendered it 18 times under the guidance of his maternal uncle Sri Tirumala Nambi at Alipiri-the Gate Way to Tirumala, TTD is also releasing Yuddha Kanda and Uttara Kanda volumes of Ramayanam, on this auspicious occasion, with which the series completes.
IN TIRUMALA: On May 10, the Honourable Governor of AP and TS Sri ESL Narasimhan will flag off the Sanchara Ratham meant for “Ramanuja Sancharam” from Pedda Jiyangar mutt in Tirumala at 8am in a ceremonious manner.
IN TIRUPATI: While in Tirupati, the governor will take part in the special
inaugural function organised by Alwar Divya Prabandha Project of TTD at Mahati Auditorium by 10:30am.
ISSUED BY TTDs PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TIRUPATI