DAKSHINA BHAJANA
SAMPRADAAYAM (By Achala Bhakthan)
DOLOTHSAVABHAJAN
Dola means Cradle/OOnjal. Dolothsavam,
literally means keeping God in the Cradle/Oonjal and swinging it. If we
consider Sri Raama as a child, then Dola has the meaning of Cradle. We
imagine putting Sri Raama (in the form of a child) in the Cradle and make
him sleep. Sri Thyaagaraja Swamigal has rendered a set of songs for this
Uthsavam wherein he used to invite Sri Raama to come to his house with
Seetha, Lakshmana, Bharatha, Sathrugna and Hanumaan and stay in the Mani
Mandapam placed in his house so that he can have His darshan and perform
pooja to Him. Through his songs he imagined that Raama has thus come and
he did Paada Prushtaalanam and made him seat on the peettam and offered
Milk, Fruits, various Madhura Palahaarams etc. etc. and Betal Leaves and
Nut. He did haarathi to Him and requested sri Raama to go to Sayanam with
Seetha Piraatti. While They thus were in Sayana Gruham, Thyaagaraja
Swaamigal rendered songs to please them and to make them comfortable. Next
day he used to wake up early and sing Prabhodhana Song in Bhoopaalam to
wake up the couple in the Pooja room. This was his daily practice. That
shows his nearness to God and the depth of his Bhakthi.
In Dhakshina Sampradaaya Bhajan, The Dolothsavam got little widened
with more songs added by Sri Appa (Pudukkottai Gopalakrishna Bhagavatha
Swami), who added important and befitting songs from Pawwalimbu. While the
theme is same as in Sri Thyaagaraja Swamigal's Dollotsavam, here there are
more opportunities to involve oneself more deeply and by enacting the
entire episode according to one's own understanding. As in Pooja
Paddhathi, here also, through the set songs, we receive God, do Pooja and
pray to him for our upliftment. Normally, this is interpreted as making
newly wed dampathis (God with Goddess) enter Sayana Gruha in seclusion and
enjoy themselves. This is the worldly way of seeing it and is the
materialistic way of perception. Let us look at it with a philosophical
bent of mind:
It has been stated earlier hereinabove that Jeevaathma, having realised
the origin remains in Adwaitha Bhaava. To remain permanently in
Sachidhaananda, we must practice Nidhidhyaasanam. Even in the Dhyaana
state, there is coming back into the world periodically, since with the
body we have to perform certain natural duties and till we caste away the
body, we have to live in the world. To go into Dhyaanam we have to purify
our mind, arrest the activities of the Dasendriyaas, and never entertain
Ego and be always in the smarana of the Lord. This requires Bhakthi &
total Surrender to the Lord within. Then we can receive the Lord within
our pure Mind in the lotus shaped Peettam, offer Him Milk, Fruits, Madhura
Palahaarams, Thaamboolam (Betal Leaves wand betal nut) etc. This indicates
that we pour all our material possessions, pleasures and pains unto the
Lord (Casting away our materialistic pursuits and making ourselves
Saathwic like the colour of the Milk). The meaning of offering Thaamboolam
is that we surrender to the one to whom it is offered. Then we do Mangala
Haarathi to indicate our readiness to be one with Him.
The first song, HECCHAREEKA RAA RAA RAA, is the invocation song praying to Lord to come into
ourselves. This is the preparatory stage for our evolution.
The next song AARAKIMBAVE PAAL is
offering our purified mind (Saatwic state indicated by the whiteness of
the milk) as a Peettam for Him to be seated. as also all our materialistic
pursuits, pleasure and pains in the form of Maddhura Palahaarams and
request Him to accept them as though they are offered by Seetha Devi.
By the song VIDAMU SAAYAVE, we offer
Thaamboolam along with Jaathikkai, Elakkai, Jaapathri etc. to make the
thaamboolam more digestive. Here I would like to state an interesting
explanation given by Sri Embaar Vijayaraghavchariyar in his Harikatha.
Through this song, he explained: fearing that Lord may leave early before
blessing him, he rushed into the sampradaya of Nischithaamboolam -
exchanging fruits, flowers, Betal leaves and nuts, Kismiss, Kalkandu etc.
- as a mark of mutual agreement (not to leave one another). This gives us
the importance of this song and the manobhaava we should possess at this
time. In our Hindu sampradayam there is a customs where the bride gives
thamboolam to the groom, whereby the groom is said to be attracted by the
bride and he becomes hers totally. Whatever be the bhaava, the Bhaktha
here shows his wish to possess God with him always.
The song :
SADAA YENNA HRUDAYADALLI VAASAMAADO
SRIHARE
is a prayer requesting the Lord to always stay
in the Hrudaya of the Bhaktha, filled with pure knowledge and Bhakthi,
which is the pure seat offered by the Bhaktha. At this time, a mangala
Haarathi, depicting Bhakthi and purity, is taken to the Lord. The
stanza:
NINNA NAANU BIDUVANALLA YENNA NEENU
BIDALUBALLI
indicates the steadfastness of
Bhaktha and total surrender state. The Bhaktha affirms that he will not
leave him at all and He should also not think of leaving the Bhaktha. One
has to experience this state and cannot be explained in words.
The following songs:
SEETHA KALYAANA VAIBHAVAME
SREERAAMA JAYARAAMA
NAGUMOMU GALAVAANI
RAA RAA RAAJAKUMAARA
are the Nalangu songs, showing the Bhaava of
the Bhaktha (Seetha) doing everything the beloved would do to Her partner.
This is the state where Jeevaathma enjoys through beautification of Lord
and serving Him in many ways. The padhyam:
SARANAMBU KARIRAAJA PARIRAKSHNODDHARA
praising about the Lord's daya to His
Bhakthaas like the Elephant caught by the Crocodile, Prahlaada, Akroora
etc. etc. and seeking similar Daya towards the Bhaktha, is to offer Betal
Leaves with Betal Nut, meaning total surrender.
Then comes the Poopandu Vilayaattu(a bundle of flowers):
POOLA CHENDLADENE SRI RAAMUDU PUSHPA
CHENDLADENE
One Bhaktha puts the bundle on each audience
who should immediately put back the bundle to the Bhaktha. Literally, It
is indicating the Pooppandu Vilayaattu of Lord and Devi. This reiterates
the importance of madhura bhava (sneha) during this time. Looking at it
with a philosophical view, this indicates that the Jeevaathma (Flower
Bundle) is sent back by the Lord to Bhooloka again and again and the
Jeevaathma bounces back to God again and again saying, "whatever number of
births and deaths I have, I must always be in your company and come back
to you after every Jeeva Kaala." The Bhaktha has to be so stead-fast that
every time he takes birth, his aim will be to reach God ultimately and he
should always work for this aim. This attitude should be maintained while
playhing Poochendu. and not throw it with force on others. Hence, the
Pooppandu sent from one Bhaktha to another should reach the first Bhaktha
only and not thrown into the crowd.
Then the Oonchal: "GODDHOOLI DHOOSARITHA" etc. and Laali song : "LAALI
LAALI YENI" depict the upachaaram to God by the
Bhaktha keeping Him in the Oonchal.
The next "NEELA GHANA NEELA JO JO" and "JO JO
JO RAAMA" etc. are Thaalaattu songs describing
the Dasa Avathaaram of the Lord, exclaiming the deeds done by Him during
each of the Ten Avathaarams. The songs "ENTHALETHU VAIBHAVAMBU", pleading to the
Lord to go for Sayanam and "KAASU KONNAADATHU GO",
requesting Devi to do Panividai to the Lord in
sayanagruha, and "POOLA PANPU MAINI BHAGA" detailing sayanopachaaram to be
sung.
Then the song : SHOBHANE and JAYA MANGALAM with Haarathi
to the Lord and Devi in Sayana Gruha. Then, the Praarthana Slokams :'VANDE
SHOWNAKA", "MAJJENMA", "SANKARASYA" etc. prayaing for His Paadaaravinda
Bhakthi in all Jenmaas and to become the Daasaanu Daasan of the Lord
(Adiyaarkku Adiyaarkku Adiyaan), to serve the Bhaktas' Bhaktas' Bhakta of
the
Lord.
A Pattu or Koti
Vasthram is held as therai in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum by singing
the song : DHRISHTI THAAKU MAAYAYYAKU", to show that the Sayanagruha door is closed. This is
followed by the song MANJUTHARA KUNJATALA KELI
SADANEpleading to Raadha Devi to enter the sayana
Griha. THE SONG: "ANTHA KOYAM NEELA KALEBARA" depicts the anthapura Raadha
Madhava sallapam, imagined by the
Bhaktha.
Then Sayanarasam slokaas like: "SACHITHA SAAYEE", "DWARAKAA
NAGARAVARE", "ANGANAA MANIBHARANA", "SANAKAADHI MUNIDHEYA", "BHUJAGESA
THALPAVARA", "VITHURUNDINIKI POYI" etc. are sung pleading to Lord to take
rest.
Then by the song: SAMAYAME ME SWAMI SAMAYAME, the Bhaktha is
trying to enquire and make sure from those paricharakaas who are nearer
the sayana gruha than him, about how the Lord is taking rest and whether
everything is OK.
Now comes the Praakaara Rakshanam, where literally speaking we are
trying to close the four Gopura Doors with the four songs, requesting the
guards, in the four doorsteps, to ensure that Lord's Ekaanthatha in his
YOGA NIDRA is not hindered and no one enters to disturb him. We request
the people in praakaara to observe full silence. The wrong interpretation
that Lord and Devi are sleeping should be avoided. They never sleep, if so
the word will come to an end. They go into YOGA NIDRA, meaning they are in
MEDITATION. That is the Bhava one should have.
KAAVERI THEERE KAMANEEYA GEHE
INDU BIMBATHARA SUNDARA VADANA
SANAKAATI YOGEENDRA THUMBURU NAARADA
KUMKUMA CHANDANA PANKILA HRUDAYA
If we view this philosophically, it is nothing but our preparation for
Nidhidhyaasanam. i.e. We should dwell deep in Bhakthi (Raadha), in total
faith and surrender, so that Lord will accept us. For this, first of all
we should purify our Mind with Saathwic Bhaavanaas by blocking the four
doors called Manas, Chittam, Budhi and Ahamkaara, through which we receive
and respond to the stimuli from the world outside. This is a stupendous
task for which we have to have strong & experienced guards. We are
praying to Bhakthaas like Jaya, Vijaya, Chanda, Prachanda, Sanaka,
Sananthana, Kumuda, Kumudekshana, Prahlaada, Dhruva, Bhala Prbhalaadya to
help us in guarding against these Vishaaspathis by giving their grace to
safeguard against these vishayaaspathi, so that we can dwell in the
Sachithaananda state for ever. As stated earlier, it is easy to reach Lord
through the grace & help of experienced Gurus/Bhakthaas and hence this
request to those Bhakthaas who are always remaining at the abode of the
Lord. Philosophically speaking, we go in the One-ness with the Lord. This
is called athmanivedhanam. Once we have lost our worldly knowledge, we
dwell in Satchidaananda state.
One Bhaktha, ringing the handbell, goes round the Mandapam to warn
everybody that the Lord is in YOGA NIDRA with Devi and all should keep
silence and pray for the well being and do Raama Japa/sing Prarthana
Abhang.
Through the songs :
KOUSALYA SUPRAJA RAAMA
and
RANGA NAYAKA RAJEEVA LOCHANA
etc. we are literally waking up the Lord with
Piraatti. Then conclusion with Mangala Haarathi with the praarthana
song."POORAYA MAMA KAAMAM".
Conclusion:
This can be equatted to remaining in the
awakened state of Sachidaananda. To sum-up, JEEVAATHMA
PARAMAATHMA AIYKYAM is the ultimate aim of all of us and
we should follow the path of Pure Bhakthi in total surrender to the
Paramaatma by grooming ourselves like Gopis (embodiment of Pure Bhakthi).
SARVE BHANVANTHU SUKHINA::
SARVE SANTHU NIRAAMAYAA:
SARVE BHADHRANI PASYANTHU:
MAA KASCHIT DHUKHAMAAPNUYAATHU
OM SANTHI: SANTHI: SANTHI:
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