p u.

The Tamil star Utharam in the month of Panguni is traditionally held as an extremely auspicious one for couples. There is an ancient saying that if two people get married in the 12th month (Panguni in the Tamil calendar), on the day of the 12th star (Utharam), they will live in consonance, like two eyes. Such beliefs have their foundation in the fact that a number of our scriptural literature affirms the sanctity of Panguni Utharam as the day on which celestial weddings took place, said Thirukudandhai Dr. Venkatesh.Our temples reverberate with celebrations of these events during Panguni. Goddess Mahalakshmi’s celestial wedding to Mahavishnu took place on this day. Sita and Rama joined in holy matrimony on Panguni Utharam. Srivilliputtur Andal also married Ranganantha on this auspicious day. It is not only Vaishnavite literature that celebrates the sacred weddings. Siva married Parvati on Panguni Utharam. The marriage of Murugan and Devayanai is also celebrated on this day. Panguni Utharam is the avatara day of Ranganayaki. At a deeper level, it is the atma vivah day: it is the day when jivatma reaches paramatma. Given that paramatma is in the husband’s position, the jivatma has to reach the paramatma. How does one achieve this? It is best exemplified by Sri Ramanujar. The best way is to offer saranagati on this day. To this effect, he reached the Rangananthaswamy Temple in Tiruchi with his disciples and rendered Gadhyatraiyam. As mentioned earlier, Panguni Utharam is the avatara day of Ranganayaki and when Ranganatha visits her, on this day, a mattayadi utsavam is held, a festival where a mock argument is staged between the god and goddess. In mock anger, the doors of Ranganayaki are kept shut and Ranganatha will wait outside, even as he is pelted with flowers, butter and other soft items, until the arrival of Nammazhwar. Forthwith, Ranganatha and Ranganayaki will appear together. At this juncture, Ramanuja offered saranagati to the Lord and prayed that his jivatma as well as those of countless other who offer saranagati on this day be accepted by the Lord. Often a question arises about how karma operates. Do karmas give results directly? The answer is in the negative. Lord Narayana gives us results for karma, said Valayapet Ramachariar in a discourse.If karmas directly result in some consequences, then we must see those consequences soon after a karma is competed. So, if a yaga is done for a purpose, we must get the result at once. But this does not happen. In fact, we do not know when we will get a result for a karma. And when we face certain things in life, we cannot pinpoint which exact karma has brought us this effect in this birth. Karma does not work like a switch. If you turn on a switch, a light bulb gets power at once, and illuminates the room. Karma does not give such instant results. So how exactly does karma work? Mimamsakas said that when we did something like say daana or a yaga, something called apoorva resulted. This apoorva remained, giving the required results for karmas when it was appropriate.Visishtadvaita philosophy has a different explanation. In the siddhanta of Ramanuja, namely Visishtadvaita, karmas cannot give direct or instant results. When we do good deeds, Lord Narayana is happy, and we get His anugraha. When we do wrong, we anger Him and we face His nigraha sankalpa. So the results for karma come from the Lord’s anugraha sankalpa or nigraha sankalpa. When we suffer in life, we ask why the Lord watches silently, without relieving us of suffering. How can this be when He is merciful, we ask. There is no doubt that the Lord is merciful. But if He does not give us results according to our actions, then where is fairness and justice? Will He not be accused of partiality? He is flawless, with no blemishes like partiality. Hence He gives us results for our karmas. When Brahma completed the Asvamedha yaga in Kanchi, Lord Varadaraja came out of the sacrificial fire and was hailed by devas and Nityasuris. They praised Him as the One who goes on processions in His vahanas like the elephant vahana, horse vahana and the chariot. He is a granter of boons and the only One who can confer moksha. The celestials and Nityasuris recalled His kindness in saving the elephant Gajendra, when its foot was grabbed by a crocodile. Lord Varadaraja’s crown shines like the Sun, says Desika. His face, however, is cool like the Moon. He wears makarams in His ears. These are ear ornaments shaped like fish. These ear ornaments present the appearance of two fishes facing each other, ready to do battle. His chest is the abode of Mahalakshmi. His stomach is the place where cetana (sentient ) and acetana (non-sentient) entities are housed during the great deluge. His feet are the refuge of everyone. He is an oasis in the vast desert of samsara. He resides on Hastigiri, but is Himself like a huge mountain exerting pressure on Hastigiri. He is the brilliant light that expels the darkness of ajnana. He is the One sought by Brahma, He is the antaryami present in everyone. He is the nectar which His devotees want. When the ocean was churned, the devas wanted the nectar that came from the ocean. But His devotees do not seek this nectar. Desika makes it clear that to His bhaktas, He alone is the nectar which is desirable. He is worshipped by the Vedas. Of such greatness is the Lord of Hastigiri.