Padukais of all the Azhagiya Singars

Dwadasi is a special day at Sri Ahobila Matam. It is the day on which Srimad Azhagiya Singar performs thirumanjanam for all the Padukais of the forty-four Srimad Azhagiya Singars of the past. Thus it is the only day devotees receive Sri Padha Theertam of all the 44 Srimad Azhagiya Singars, that too from the present Srimad Azhagiya Singar's own divine hands. Thus, we not only get to receive Sri Satari from Srimad Azhagiya Singar like every other day, but we also get to receive Theertham, i.e. Sri padha Theertham, from Srimad Azhagiya Singar. While Srimad Azhagiya Singar goes around the hall to each devotee and offer Sri Satari, for us to receive Sri Padha Theertam we must go to Srimad Azhagiya Singar seated in the divine throne.

On Dwadasi days Ijjai aradhanam is performed together with Abhigamanam so that Paranai can be done at the appropriate time. Usually by about 10 a.m. everything is completed and Paranai begins soon thereafter.

If the Dwadasi is alpa-dwadasi, i.e. only few seconds of Dwadasi is present, then Paranai must be done very early. In this case the daily activities start very early so that Thertham and Satari can be completed by about 7 or 7:30 a.m., and paranai immediately after that.

In any case, sishyas throng the premises on Dwadasi to receive Sri Pada Theertam of all the Azhagiya Singars. During the Abhigamana Aradahani one of the Sannidhi Paricharakas gets the PadukAs ready on a big wooden tray. Divine water is prepared in many silver sombu. Immediately after Abhigamanam is completed Srimad Azhagiya Singar starts the Paduka Aradhanai. By this time the hall is teaming with devotees. It seems there were in excess of 3000 devotees present during the last Dwadasi two weeks ago.

Applying Pundara Samskaram

After Srimad Azhagiya Singar gets ready, the devotees form a long line and approach Srimad Azhagiya Singar. First, everyone offers a sambhavanai. It may be 50 paise, or Rs. 5,000, or much more. But each devotee offers something. Then he or she receives the Sri Padha Theertam directly from Srimad Azhagiya Singar. Sometime the crowd is so large that it takes hours to give Sri Padha Theertham to all the sishyas. But Srimad Azhagiya Singar never tires, often enquiring the welfare of the sishyas while granting Sri Pada Theertam.

Now, it is important for sishyas to note that Samasrayanam and/or Saranagati are usually not done on Dwadasi days. This is not due to any sastric restriction; for Samasrayanam and Saranagati, any day is a good day, any time is an auspicious time. But, due to the nature of Dwadasi Aradahani Srimad Azhagiya Singar will be extremely busy and pressed for time. This is the reason for not performing Samasrayanam and/or Saranagati on Dwadasi.

However, on occasion, due to unparalleled compassion, Simad Azhagiya Singar has initiated these divine rites to sishyas even on Dwadasis. On one Dwadasi day a sishya from U.S. went to Sri Sannidhi and requested both Samasrayanam and Saranagati. Srimad Azhagiya Singar asked him to come the next day. But he had to travel that very night and it was just impossible for him to come the next day. Therefore, the sishya expressed disappointment and sought Srimad Azhagiya Singar's permission to get these done during his next trip to India. Seeing the devotee's disappointment Srimad Azhagiya Singar agreed to get Samasrayanam done for him on that Dwadasi day itself. In the midst of an extraordinarily large gathering, Srimad Azhagiya Singar got Samasrayanam done for this sishya and a few other local sishyas as well. Later that evening, during Panaka Aradhanai time, Srimad Azhagiya Singar performed Saranagati for the U.S. sishya at the lotus feet of Sri Malolan. Saranagati during evening Panaka Aradhanai is rare indeed.

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