Parthasarathy Koil Adyapakas’ arrogance to the fore

A ‘Go Slow’ Tactic by Adyapakas delay Lord Parthasarathy’s sleep

The Adyapakas showcased themselves in extremely poor light late this evening at the Parthasarathy temple in Thiruvallikeni on the 9^th day of the Era Pathu Utsavam
A 45 minute Tiruvoimozhi recital that was extended to 2 1/2 hours as a mark of protest that stunned the devotees and the bhattars to a state of shock

Decked in Govardhana Giri Thiru Kolam, a form that has been extensively described by Periyazhvaar in his Thirumozhi (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2015/09/krishna-govardhana-mountain.html), Lord Parthasarathy made his way through the Paramapada Vaasal just after 6pm on Monday (January 16) evening for the ‘Periya Veethi’ procession along with Nam Azhvaar that was to precede the Tiruvoimozhi recital.  

For about 30 minutes or so, it all seemed normal until the Lord came to a standard ‘Shatari’ halt in front of the Thiru Maligai of Shri. Parthasarathy Bhattar, the lead Bhattar of the temple on the West Street. It is believed that it has been a practice of the Bhattar to present a range of prasadams to the Lord on one of the days of the Era Pathu Utsavam during the street procession. Only this time, the halt was a lot longer than usual.With the Lord standing there on the West street for half hour, one could feel a sense of uneasiness taking over the minds of the Adyapakas who were the leading the Lord with the recital of the sacred verses.

But what followed in the evening a couple of hours later left everyone in a state of shock inside the temple. The big street procession usually takes 75-90 minutes during this 10 day Era Pathu festival and the Lord was to be back at the temple by 7.30 pm. But with the extended halt in front of the Bhattar’s house, it took around 2 hours for the Lord to make his way back into the temple.

Brutal display of Intellectual Power

Aggrieved at this delay, the adyapakas in an ugly display of power decided to give it back to the Bhattars.

This evening was to be the 9^th Canto of a 100 verses of Nam Azhvaar’s Tiruvoimozhi (on each of the 10 days of the Era Pathu utsavam, the big and celebrated Ghosti of Parthasarathy temple recite a 100 verses culminating in Nam Azhvaar Moksham on the final evening – one that is slated for Tuesday evening at around 10 pm)

Usually the set of 100 verses during the Era Pathu Utsavam is recited in a time frame of 45-60 minutes. And over the last few days, the Lord has headed back with his winter clothing well before 11 pm. However, this evening turned out to be different bringing back bad old memories from over a decade earlier.

GO SLOW Tactics

If one thought that the Go Slow tactics was an exclusive weapon of the workers in the manufacturing unity, the team of Adyapakas showed that it could be applied in a temple scenario as well to showcase one's anger.

Unhappy at the delayed return from the procession, the Venkatakrishnan led Adyapaka group took an impromptu decision to slow down the recital to an abysmally unheard of pace taking even their teammates by surprise.

As 10 verses passed and into decad 2, the rest of the Ghosti, who were not clued into this secret plan of Venkatakrishnan and co tried to speed up the recital to the usual pace but the senior Adyapakas slowed it down again. Into the 3^rd and 4^th decads, an attempt was made by the other members of the ghosti to get back to the normal recital but Venkatakrishnan would have none of it.

Half way into the 9^th Canto, it was clear to one and all that there was something wrong. Most of the members of the Ghosti (the non adyapakas) were constantly looking at the clock and the roof above as the clock touched 10 pm and they weren't anywhere near completion!!! A few of them headed out in the middle of the presentation.

The devotees on their part too made their way out of the temple as the clock ticked past 11 pm. And still the end wasn't near!!!

Ameena Seshadri (the sacred time keeper) and Maniam Balaji turned silent spectators as the adyapakas seemed to showcase in Public to the devotees at large as to who had the final POWER that night.

However, a large percentage of the ghosti members who seemed to have been taken in by surprise at this sudden move of the adyapakas, later indicated that they were helpless and had to follow the 'Lead Speed'.

Over 2 1/2 hours to recite a 100 verses 

In a shabby display of intellectual arrogance and overcome by ego, that had been hurt by the longish wait during the procession, Venkatakrishnan and his adyapaka group slowed down the recital to such a pace that it took almost 150 minutes to complete the 90 verses (it would have taken around 40-45 minutes on normal days).

And then they came back a few minutes later to complete final decad of 10 verses where Nam Azhvaar praises the Lord of Thiru Kannapuram. By then the clock had ticked to almost mid night.

Angered at this ugly treatment meted out to them, the Bhattars now slowed down the presentation of the Theertham, thus making the Ghoshti wait for the Thaligai.

Everything just seemed in poor taste this evening, when everyone seemed to have forgotten that there was one man who was watching all their action from just a few yards away. In fact, his Thiru Kolam of carrying the huge mountain in a single hand showcased that he was there ever willing to protect the true devotees. But to those who forget his presence and take law into their hands in an unjust manner, he always reminds them as to who the real BOSS is.

Finally, the Lord headed back to the mandapa at 0.30am, almost two hours later than on the previous day (the 8^th evening).

Prof Venkatakrishnan’s message to his Vaishnavite Students!!!

MA Venkatakrishnan had been a professor of Vaishnavism dept of the University of Madras for well over two decades and retired as the Head of the Department a couple of years ago. He is now anchoring the Correspondence course in Vaishnavism of a private University in Tamil Nadu. He also presents the verses of the Azhvaars on TV Channels explaining the inner meaning of the verses.

Is this the message he wants to give to the students of Vaishnavism - 'Teach others a lesson by using such low handed tactics' inside the temple making the Lord wait for 2 hours in a vulgar display of power.

Is this how he will explain Periyazhvaar’s verses of Krishna holding on to the Govardhana Mountain to protect the true devotees on earth. Is Venkatakrishnan’s message one of taking revenge for a seemingly unintended delay in procession. Is he advocating such a path to his students of Vaishnavism and to the viewers of Television  through his upanyasams. 

His wife too was a lecturer at the Madras University and she too had been quoted in a column in The Hindu about the route to Moksham. Mrs. Venkatakrishnan should be asking him if this abject display of power in front of the Lord is the route that Thirumazhisai Azhvaar (that she quoted a year and a half ago) suggested as the route to Moksham.

Adyapakas making the Lord wait during processions

Over the last few years, he and the lead row of adyapakas have repeatedly made the Lord wait during street processions by not moving on despite the loud requests from Amena Seshadri from behind. Repeatedly Venkatakrishnan has tried to show as to who the BOSS is on the street. On a number of occasions through the year, Venkatakrishnan is seen meddling with his smart phone during the recital of the sacred verses.

  

It is time for Venkatakrishnan to take a re-look at the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham and the inner meaning of the verses. Nowhere in the 4000 verses have the Azhvaars advocated revenge as a tactic of life. Does the Adyapaka group realise that they have committed a sin this evening by delaying the sleep of the Lord by two hours. Do they think that Lord Parthasarathy would have shut his eyes off tonight forgetting their wicked deed of the evening.

While the Ghosti of the Parthasarathy temple ranks among the best in temples in Tamil Nadu (they always turn out in large numbers and many of them present with great devotion before the Lord), it is time for them to realise that they have been presented an exclusive opportunity in this life to present the sacred verses day in and day out in front of the Lord. 

At the moment, they seem to be blinded by an intellectual arrogance that they have repeatedly been taking ‘law’ into their hands.

There was at least one strong voice (from the Ghosti) of dissent at the end from one who had been part of the Ghosti for four decades at the way the evening had been conducted albeit well after the temple had closed for the night. But at least he seemed to have realised very soon that the Adyapakas had not been fair to the Lord on the night.

Time will tell if the Lord’s eyes were indeed open tonight and if he indeed listened to this arrogant recital of the verses on Thiru Katkarai, Moozhikalam and Navai by Venkatakrishnan and his team of adyapakas.