Ready for Panaka Aradhanam

Panaka Aradhanam is performed in the evening. Usually Srimad Azhagiya Singar will perform this Aradhanam. However, if there are Dolais and if Srimad Azhagiya Singar returns quite late, then one of the Aradhakas will perform the Panaka Aradhanam.

The evening "gong" is sounded by the Vadyam at 5:30 p.m., a signal to get ready for evening Panaka Aradhanai. At 6:30 p.m. parayanam begins with Sri Vishnu Sahasranaamam followed by Dhivya Prabhandham. At about 7:00 p.m. Srimad Azhagiya Singar leaves Ashramam for Panaka Aradhanai. Vadyam follows Srimad Azhagiya Singar playing auspicious music.

By this time the Aradhakar Swamy has removed all the remaining flowers from Abhigamanam and Ijjai. Perumal is eagerly waiting for Srimad Azhagiya Singar to come and decorate Him. Once again, Srimad Azhagiya Singar with great care and imagination bedecks Malolan and Dolai Krishnan with a variety of flowers, often stepping back to not only inspect, but also to get captivated by the surprising beauty of Malolan, surprising because every time you behold, Malolan presents a different and unique smile (mandhahasam). This was pointed out to adiyEn by one of the Kainkaryaparas.

After the parayanam is completed Malolan accepts panakam and the evening Thaligai. Mangala harati and satrumurai follows. If Ubhaya Vedanta parayanam is in progress, Satrumurai will include the three Vedas and Dhivya Prabhanhdam. The order for this is given in the Nithyanusandhanam book. By the way, if Ubhaya Vedic Parayanam is in progress the afternoon recitation would commence by about 4:00 p.m. During Satrumurai, Panakam and Perumal theertam are distributed to goshti. By the time satrumurai is concluded it is about 8:30 p.m. Prasadam is then now distributed. Evening prasadam is normally "dhudyoannam" and "sundal".

After Panaka Aradhanam

At the conclusion of Panaka Aradhanai Srimad Azhagiya Singar returns to Ashramam and once again there is a group of sishyas waiting to have an audience. After a little while everyone is gone. Srimad Azhagiya Singar then settles down to write for Sri Nrisimha Priya. At the Sri Sannidhi the Silver Mandapam door is closed after all the sishyas have had their dharsan and left.

On days when we have tele-upanyasam Srimad Azhagiya Singar completes Panaka Aradhanam by 7:45 p.m. and is back in the Ashramam waiting for our call. Some sishyas who attended Panaka Aradhanai stick around to listen. For the very first upanyasam during my stay in Selaiyur, there were about 10 to 15 sishyas. All of us were able to comfortably sit in front of Srimad Azhagiya Singar in the Ashramam. But, the word got out about the tele-upanyasam, and for the second upanysam onwards there were almost 40 to 50 people and everyone could not be seated in the Ashranmam. Desikan, one of the Ashrama kainkaryaparas and a jack of all trades, made some make-shift arrangements to have a wireless mike installed at the Ashramam with speakers in the large hall that housed the Silver Mandapam and Malolan. Any amount of overflow crowd could then be accommodated.

By the time upanyasam is over the time is almost 10 p.m. Srimad Azhagiya Singar then goes in for Palaharam. It will be about 10:30 p.m. by the time Srimad Azhagiya Singar emerges out. On the days with no upanyasam, Srimad Azhagiya Singar's Palaharam will start at about 9:30 p.m. and end at about 10:00 p.m. Srimad Azhagiya Singar's palaharam is usually Idli, or Dosai, or Poori, or mOr kaLi, or something like that. After returning from palaharam, Srimad Azhagiya Singar looks over newspaper and finally at about 11:00 p.m. commences sayanam.

By this time everyone is in bed in the Sri Muth to the buzzing sound of the ubiquitous fans. Most people sleep in the hall. In Selaiyur, some with family get to sleep in private rooms. The kainkaryaparas at the Ashramam are still not done. They share Srimad Azhagiya Singar's prasadam and then clean up for the next day. Finally, at about 11:30 p.m. A day in Sri Sannidhi is over.

Previous | Next