4000 Divine Verses
Srivari Brahmotsavams
Srivari Brahmotsavams of this year will be celebrated between 4th October and 12th October 2024.
The holy Thiru Vengadam Hills, perhaps the most famous place of pilgrimage, always carries a festive atmosphere with the crowds pouring in from all parts of the world and this vast land of ours.
To many who come from faraway places, this pilgrimage is a sacred duty to be undertaken at least once in a lifetime. For many others, Lord Srinivasa is the family deity and the trek up the hills has to be done to mark occasions like marriages, the birth of children, and the fulfilment of prayers. Other groups make it to the hills during the Tamil month ‘Purattasi’ (September-October) with utmost devotion.
The Saturdays of this month are considered to be very sacred. The pilgrims light lamps at the base of the hills and worship the hills. This crowd swells to a lakh and more during the annual Brahmotsavams!
The structure of the temple and the narrow interiors allow only a split-second darshan of the main deity to the devotees, though the sanctum sanctorum remains open and the Lord gives His grand ‘darshan’ through the day and night with a break of hardly an hour or so. This is of course a very special moment to be cherished, but most of the devout pilgrims come out longing for more.
Most console themselves saying, “What if I can’t see the Lord for long? He surely saw me and will shower His immense blessings on me! He has come from His celestial abode and is standing here to see us”.
The unfulfilled desire in the hearts of all pilgrims is satisfied by the grand Brahmotsavams conducted in the holy month of Purattasi when the Lord incarnated on the hills in Sravanam asterism. The Utsavam brings the processional deity, Malayappa Swami, with His divine consorts from the temple into the broad Mada streets in various floats twice every day in the morning and the evening.
Thousands of devotees who can sit on the stands have a glorious darshan and give their humble offerings to the Lord. The SVBC channel of the TTD brings the entire festive ambience into our homes through their live telecast. Millions can watch the hoisting of the flag at the Dwaja Sthambha, the Agama rituals, the Vahana Sevas, and the salubrious environment of the hills and get a complete experience. Many elderly devotees used to stick to the television all nine days and feel blessed by the Lord.
The most important part of the Vahana Seva is the chanting of the Vedas in Tamil (the 4000 divine verses of the Alwar saints) leading the procession which is headed by the Jeeyar swamies in Tirumala. This demonstrates that the Lord of Thiru Vengadam is the Supreme Almighty who has been praised by both the Vedas. It is heartwarming to see the very large number of scholars taking part in this service. The role of the educational institutions run by the TTD for nurturing the Vedic, Prabhandha and Agama studies is highly commendable.
Four thousand verses are chanted
In the course of the nine days of the Brahmotsavams, the entire four thousand verses are chanted. On the very first day when the Malayappa Swami ascends the Big Sesha Vahanam flanked by His consorts Sri Devi and Bhu Devi, the Mudal Thiruvandadhi of Poigai Piran is chanted. This Alwar’s birth asterism was on the sacred Thiruvonam star which also is the ‘Aavathara Thirunakshatram of Lord Srinivasa.
Iyarppa Perumal
Poigai Alwar has sung about many Divya Deshas but the Seven Hills of Tirumala are very special to him and the Alwar’s magical verses on the ‘kshetra’ are very special to the Lord. At Tirumala, the chanting of Nalayira Divya Prabhandam is always started with Poigai Alwar’s Mudal Thiruvandadhi verses followed by the entire “Iyarpa” on subsequent Vahanas.
The Lord of the Seven Hills is fondly called ‘Iyarppa Perumal’.
Iyarpa is the last thousand verses of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham and consists of Poigai Alwar’s Mudal Thiruvandadhi, Bhoodath Alwar’s Irandam Thiruvandadhi, Pei Alwar’s Moondram Thiruvandadhi, Thirumazhisai Alwar’s Nanmugan Thiruvandadhi, Nammalwar’s Thiruviruttam, Periya Thiruvandadhi and so on.
On the day of Garuda Vahanam the Lord listens to the rendering of Nammalwar’s glorious Thiruviruttam wherein the Alwar describes the glory of the Thiru Vengadam Hills in numerous verses.
In many Srivaishnava ‘kshetras’, the chanting of Divya Prabhandham begins with mundane desires, men of wisdom, great souls like the Alwar saints who blessed the Lord with their powerful words of ‘mangalasasanam’ and the residents of the celestial land too.
In verse 37 of the same Prabhandham, Poigai Alwar describes an enchanting scene that unfolds before him. Streams of Vedic Scholars converging on the hills from all directions hurrying towards the temple are observed by the Alwar. These enlightened souls are carrying lamps, incense, pure water, and fresh flowers for the worship of the Lord.
Swami Periyavachan Pillai in his commentary on this verse observes that the depiction of the Alwar seems to convey that there is a big festival, most probably the Brahmotsavams being conducted in the temple.
The Mangalasasanam of the Alwar was conferred on the ‘kshetra’, the Lord of the Seven Hills, the devotees and the ‘utsavam’ too!
Today, as we watch the ceremonial commencement of the Divya Prabhandham recital during the Brahmotsavam in the South Mada Veedhi near the shrine of ‘Tirumalai Nambi’, a deep conviction arises in the heart that it is the benedictory power of the Alwar’s verses that has blessed Lord Venkatesa.
It has made him the Supreme Deity of Kaliyuga and the Seven Hills a replica of the celestial land (Bhooloka Vaikuntam) on the earth. It has ensured that the flow of the faithful will always increase and the Lord’s grace will flow towards all of them at all times. The Vedas and the devout devotees who abide by it will be protected by His abundant grace!
