Re: guru sat charitam (Paramacharya's Holy Life)
Pages 131-134
In her making the achalan (unmoving) dance, the visheSha (distinction) is only for the pAdam (foot) for its aDavu (footwork)? (Alhough there is ativisheSham to the hand that shapes its mudrAs, the peacock has no hands!) In gowrI tANDavam, the raised foot which is his left foot is only hers? Perhaps he (SriCharaNar) thought that only to the shadow of that mayUra padam should the imprints of his own feet go!
In Mayuram, if the naTanam (dance) shows the divya pAda mahima (greatness of the divine foot), the holy name that AmbaaL carries in that sthalam (place)--'abhayA'--highlights the hasta mahima (greatness of the hand), raising it to the Himalayas!
There is yet another special reason for the AdvaitAchArya to have a distinct interest in Mayuram. Isn't that the kShetra where Sri Medha DakShiNAmUrti has taken temple in? It is most special that for the varNamAlA stotra Sri Bhagavad PAdAL has blessed us with, keeping that MUrti's mantra akSharas in order as the beginning syllables of the shlokas, he has arranged it in the matta-mayUra vRuttam and also mentioned this vRuttam by name in the last shloka.
That is a jnAna kShetram, one that cures the mayal (delusion) known by the name mAyA, can be known by what JnAna Sambandha PerumAn has mentioned in his pathikam (set of 10 hymns) on that place as
ஊனத்து இருள்நீங் கிடவேண்டில்
ஞானப் பொருள் கொண்(டு) அடியேனும்
Unattu iruL~nI~g kiDavENDil
~jAnap poruL koN(Du) aDiyEnum
"To have the darkness of flesh removed, I should with wisdom (investigate it)..."
and as
மயல்தீர் மயிலா டுதுறை
mayaltIr mayilA DutuRai
"Mayiladuturai that cures delusion..."
Isn't that BhagavatPAdA who devised for us the jnAna mArgam (path of knowledge) also much appreciated the vaidIka AchAras as the foundation for it? That Mayuram has also that honour would be shown by PAlaRAvAyar's tiruvAkku (sacred words):
பண்டும் பலவே தியரோத வண்டார் மயிலா டுதுறையே...
நுணங்கும் புரிநூ லர்கள்கூடி வணங்கும் மயிலா டுதுறையே...
paNDum palavE diyarOda vaNDAr mayilA DutuRaiyE...
~nuNa~ggum puri~nU larkaLkUDi vaNa~ggum mayilA DutuRaiyE...
"From the ancient times, several Vedic Brahmins chanting (Vedas), the Mayiladuturai replete with bees buzzing (over flowers)..."
"A crowd of the Sacred-threaded joining and worshipping, O Mayiladuturai!"
Isn't it in a unique harmony that our VedaNAyakA ordered installation of those charaNa-hastas with Vedic chanting at the Veda PAThashAlA there?
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Who is that Sita Paatti who established the Veda PAThashAlA in that place?
That mUdATTi (old woman) who had reached the puNya loka (heavens) several years back was one who had lost her pati (husband) even at her tenth year of age and from thereon grown her bhakti in Pashupati. She was one who did AshrayaH (sought refuge) to SriCharaNaaL, having known him as the mAnuDa vigraha (human image) of that Pashupati. She can't be said to be particularly rich. Still, spending from her own properties and collecting donations without feeling shy about it from the Astika jana (God-believing people), she always remained conducting grandly something by way of bhajans, pujas or samArAdhanas (community worship). Isn't some sort of vratAnuShThAnam mentioned daily in the PanchAngam? She would have probably conducted employing suitable brahmins, all those observances! She made widows like her stay in the several rooms in her house and involved all of them in the sacred tasks and service. Sita Paatti had neatly scheduled the rent received from each of them for a specific satkAryam (sacred task). As a jewel on the crown for all these satkAryas, she established the Veda PAThashAlA right opposite her home and constructed in that school a Sannidhi for Sri BhagavatPAdAL, who is pratiShTApanAchAryAL (founder teacher) of the vaidIka mArgam (path of Vedic rituals).
One who was the adopted son of her was Smt.Kanakamma's son-in-law. It is under his supervision that the Vedic school and the house Sita Paatti lived in, remain presently.
The woman who sought the imprints of feet and hand, only prayed with the consideration of her own family welfare. But then whatever prayer did Sita Paatti sought from SriCharaNaaL? Which is why SriCharaNaaL should have had the consideration for installation of his feet and hand imprints in Sita Paatti's Vedic School as a living memory to her and for the welfare of the entire world. For one who wonderfully unites several aMsas (share of events) in his LIla of Grace, has also arranged for visheSha puNya to collect for that family, since the supervision of this Vedic School vests with a relative of Kanakamma's family.
Let us hope that this installation would open up a way for this Vedic School which remains presently closed to get a renewed lease of life!
May the CharaNaHastAlayam at Mayuram remain as the sharaNAlayam (refuge) of the bhakta koTis (community of devotees) and give them their daily [i]shAnti saukhya[i] (peace and happiness)!
*** *** ***
रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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