jyotish vaishnavam: WHY SRIRANGAM IS KNOWN AS ‘SUKRASTHALAM’

Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja MahAdesikaya Namaha;

By dasan Kudandai amudhan

Sukran is known as Venus, signifing the following aspects of life -

Venus known as sukran,Bhargavan,Velli in tamil was born to sage Bhirgu muni and kiyathi.Sukran married jayanthi and sukirthi by whom he got a daughter Devayani.SukranAdhidevathai is Mahalakshmi,prathiyuga devatha is Indrani,indran and Vayu.He is brahmin by caste in Bhargava gothram.metal is silver,daniyam is white moochai.His vahana is Garudan.gemstone is diamond.His language is Telugu.Direction is south east and taste is sweet.His cloth is white silk (ven pattu),Sukran represent 'Appu' and rain is signified by him.He has curling hair and beautiful eyes,bright attractive face.Samithu is Atthi tree,Dhubam is Sambrani and Lavangam.Flower is White lotus.Day is Friday and numerical value is 6.Sukra dasa is 20 years which is the maximum period in life.Sukran signify - Marriage, love, diamonds, fragrance, perfumed oil/scents, fine arts like dance,music, musical instruments,acting ,silver,bird garuda, lavish buildings/palaces/towers and luxury life, Vehicles (vahanas), ponds/water pools, ornaments made out of gemstones, cloth of silk mainly ven pattu (white silk), milk, Beans,sugar, white lotus flower, Mahalakshmi, Beauty of eyes, beauty of walking,flowers and gardens, vimanam, tourism, handicrafts, carvings, scultures. sukran signify cheeks, lips, chin, neck, ovaries and kidney ect. Sukran is karaghan for reproductive organ and also for semon.Sukran also signify devadasis. They were serving in this temple as dancers till a century ago. Surachariyar is the achariyar for demons (asuras).Foreign travel to western countries are denoted by Sukran.

Sukrachariyar is the only deva to know the mantra ''sanjeevini mantra" to make the dead come back alive in the same physical body. Besides, Sukran is known as a Brahmanical planet with western outlook (abrahmanical in approach), "boga karaka" (cause of enjoyment) to give luxury living, bed comfort, poetry, arangetrams of dance or poetry or any kaviyam or kavithai,theatre hall,music and dance concerts,actors ect. Also, any Sacred epics, kings and noble persons, celebrities, all feminine articles and items come under him. These are salient features of sukrans karagathvam.If Sukran is weak in a horoscope,he will create health problems like Eyes trouble,in reproduction system,cold,Kidney problems.

Sukran is the plant which denotes all decorative items known as Alangaram such as cosmetics, dresses, ornaments, sandals used in our daily life. Srirangam is the only temple where one could see the sandals (padhukas) of lord Sri Ranganathar closer to Goshala nearby Dhanyalakshmi sannidhi inside the temple. It is believed that Lord Sri Ranganathar regularly uses these sandals made by devotees from cobbler community.They make it with due prayers for 48 days penance by observing strict viradham on the banks of river Kaveri, before Lord himself giving them the measurements of sandals on the sands of river bed. One could notice that those sandals undergoes wear and tear after some time as it is believed that Sri Ranganather wears and use these sandals (divine padukas) by walking inside the temple. These sandals are replaced every year by devotees.Sri swami Desikan rendered slokams of 'Sri paduka sahasram' in 1000 verses in praise of sacred sandals (divine padhukas) of Sri Ranganathar.

Now let us see how Srirangam, and Lord Sri Ranganathar are connected to the above karakams of Sukrachariyar.-

1) Sri Rangam - 'SRI' is Mahalakshmi, Adi devadhai propitiated by Venus (Sukran); 'Rangam' means 'stage' or arangam for fine arts like dance and music for Srivaishnavas to please Lord Sriman Narayana. Arangam also signifies Sukras' karakam.

2) Srirangam is also known as ''Bogha mandapam '' as it signifies planet ''Bogha karakan'' Sukran (causer of enjoyment)

3) Srirangam temple area is known as 'Velli Thirumutham' village as velli (silver) is associated with Sukran. Still, our government land records mention Srirangam as Velli Thirumutham village.Velli is also known as sukran.

4) Lord Sri Ranganathar is in reclining posture of sayanam in Adisesha in the milky ocean (Thiruparkadal), as Sukra is the karakan for milk, white color and white metals. Milk is it's karakam.Sri mahalakshmi took avatar from Thiruparkadal (milky ocean) when devas and asuras were churning this ocean to get Amirtham .Sri mahalakshmi is the adi-devadai of Sukran.

5) Ucchavar name is 'Nam perumal'' ''kasturi rangan'' and 'Azhagiya manavala perumal''. Needless to add that both kasturi (a rare perfume taken from kasturi deer's fat - well known as Musk) and Azhagiya Manavalan ( beautiful bridegroom ) are karaghas of Sukran.

6) The main deity, Moolavar Sri Ranganather idol is applied with special fragrance thylam and also Ucchavar idol Nam perumal is applied with kasturi thilak on fridays.Friday is known as sukravaar,the day of venus who denotes perfumes,fragrance ect

7) Sriranga vimanam known as 'pranavathika vimanam 'was brought from Ayodhya to the present place and placed at srirangam by Vibishanan - an Asura by birth, though not by nature - on his way to Srilanka. Vibhishana, has his precipitater - Sukrachariyar as achariyar for asura kulam . There are many carvings in temple mandapams showing Vibhishnan brought the vimanam to this temple. Sukran being the achariyar of Asuras signify above.

8) Srirangam has biggest and tallest Garudan in the world inside the garuda mandapam besides Amurtha kalasa garudan sannidhi near chakrathazhwar sannathi, orrai kal garudan (garudan standing in single stone) near Anna murthi sannidhi of madappalli(divine kitchen) apart from garudan sannidhi in front of the santhanu mandapam leading to sri Ranganathar sannidhi. Garudan is the bird of sukran while his animal is makaram (crocodile).Sthala puranam says that Garudan (in Garuda mandapam ) is waiting outside for periaperumal in this kshetram.Garudan was honoured by Emperuman by placing his image in the holy flag which is hoisted atop marking the beginning of festivals.

9) Lord Ranganathar married Kamalavalli Nachiyar of Thiru Uraiyur and Andal Nachiyar by love. Both fell in love and merged with lord Sri Ranganathar at Srirangam. Love and marriage are karghas of Sukran.

10) Kambar, the great Tamil poet, had made arangetram of his first recitals of the famous sacred epic Ramayana with poetical expression in a mandapam just opposite to lord Narasimhar(mettukudi) who gave his approvel with thundering voice as a sign of nodding the contents of epic from his Sannidhi. Later this stage is known as Kambar mandapam.Epics, poetical, the first performance of any art known as 'arangetrams' is of Sukran's significance.

11) Every day before sayanam, (going to bed) musical notes of veena in mohana raga is recited in front of moolavar before closing Lord Ranganathar sannidhi. Both Veena, a musical instrument and Ragas are of Sukran's karagham.

12) Lord Ranganathar's birth star is Revathi in Meena rasi ( Pisces) in which Sukran is exalted (uccham) in Revathi star in this rasi.

13) Arayar seva is conducted during the period of Thiruvaimozhi utcchavam (festival known as pakalpatthu) with dance and musical notes from Sama Vedam. Both dance and music are Sukra's karakam.Before few centuries ago,this Arayar seva was conducted in this temple by devadassis (ladies who are married to the lord in those days).This Kulam is denoted by sukran.

14) Azhgiya Manavala perumal will come on fourth day of above festival in ''Mohini avatar '' as a lady in his alankaram. Women and beautiful eyes signify Sukran.it is nothworthy to mention that thirupanazhwar praised Sri Ranganather beautiful divine eyes in his pasuram.Namperumal Nadaiazhaghu is feast to the eyes of devotees with different styles like -simha Kaadhi,Serpha Kaadhi,Gaja Kaadhi ect besides in Yaiyali.The beauty of eyes, Mohini avatar and Nadaiazhaghu ect signify sukrans karagham.

15) In Gayatri mandapam before the entrance to garbha graham of periaperumal, there are 24 pillars. Numerically it is totally 6 ( 2+4) which signifies Sukran as no 6 is his numerical value.

16) Just before entering the garbha graham of Sri Ranganathar,there are two pillars covered fully with plates which are known as ‘Kandha sthambams” also known as ‘Thirumana thunkals’’( pillars of marriage ) signifying marriage , a symbolic of Sukara karagathvam.

17) Sri Ramanuja came back in his physical body after it was ordained to be put in Thiruvarasu (mandapam) by sri Ranganathar to bless the devotees. Sukrachariyar only know the art of bringing back the life with physical body in his form, even after the soul departs from sthula saariram, with a mantra known as "Sanjiveeni Mantra''. Sri Ramanujar swayambu thirumeni is embalmed with saffron,sandal paste and karpuram ect in his divine form at udayavar sannidhi to give dharshan to devotees.This is attributed to the influence of sukran.

18) Lord Ranganathar accepted an outsider-anniya matham(other religion) princess for her true bhakthi and named as "Thulukacchi nacchiyar''who was given a sannidhi here.To Show his grace on her, ucchavar namperumal appears in his processional vahana every year on one day dressed in lunghi and takes bread as his prasadham from her. This matches with the western outlook (abrahmanical approach ) of Sukran .

19) Srirangam temple has a tank known as Pushkarni inside (Chandra pushkarni),besides having a beautiful architecture of sculputers and marvelous carvings of master piece in its biggest Tower known as Raja gopuram. Sukaran signify sculputers, carvings, handicrafts, water pool, beauty ect.

20) In the moolavar sannidhi, from the entrance to the sanctum sanctorium, the interiors and doors are carved in silver metal to show the significance of Sukran as silver is his metal.

21) The main idol known as periaperumal, Sri Ranganathar put his feet on lotus flower while reclining in spiraling coils of Adisesha. Lotus flower is identified and favourite with Venus - the Sukran, as Pankajam is his flower.There is a legend a devadasi by name vellayee gave her life to protect the moolava murthi sannidhi by masking and diverting mughal army when they attacked to destroy the temple and looted its valuables few centuries ago.Hence the vellayi (white) gopuram in the temple is named after her.The Kulam of devadasis are under sukran karagathvam who used to receive garland from Periaperumal till few centuries ago during vasanthotsavam after their dance performance before the Lord in vasanthamandapam.

22) RangaRajan or Ranga Nathar is the king of Kings, ruling the universe known as bhoologam and hence srirangam is called as 'Bhoologa Vaikuntham',the divine place for enjoyment for the Lord and for devas. The demi gods come here everyday to worship periaperumal.Hence this kshetram has festivals in all the days of the year.Festivals, celebrations and enjoyment are sukrans karagathvam.

23)Nam perumal is decorated with makara kandi (crocodile shaped ) on one day festival during the Tamil month of Chitrai as Makara (The Capricorn) the crocodile is the Vehicle (vahana) for Sukran.Makara thoranam is also adorned at the entrance of mandapam on this occassion.

24) Moolavar prakaram under the vimanam, known as ''Thiru Vennazhi'' praharam, has many salagrams inside and hence the vibration, by its musical notes, is supposed to remove the Kalathra doshas caused by Sukran as he is pleased with the musical vibration here.Hence no one is allowed to walk in this praharam which is encircling periaperumal sanctum.Becouse of this reason,Bagwath Sri Ramanujar used his both knees during his parikrama around Thiru Vennazhi Praharam.

25) Chandran ( Moon) had to suffer due to the curse of dakshan because of chandrans attraction and more proximity towards Rohini by ignoring others among his 27 wifes,who are all daughters of dakshan.This angered Dakshan and made him curse Chandran to lose his beauty everyday. chandran got his curse relieved in chandra pushkarni with penance by praying to lord Sri Ranganathar. Star Rohini is in sukran house Rishabam in which star, chandran is exalted( uccham) and hence he had to suffer sukra dosham of having to lose his beauty everyday as beauty is sukran karagathvam.

26) Thondaradipodiazhwar,who rendered pasuram only in praise of Lord Sri Ranganathar used to render pushpa (flowers) kaimkarium by establishing a nandavanam. He was trapped during his early age by the act of Sukra dosha due to his attraction towards a devadasi, a beautiful dancer and was later imprisoned for no fault of him on a theft of an ornament from Arangan temple.Lord Ranganathar graced and rescued him later to make him realise his divine goal.Azhwar composed pasurams on periaperumal which are sung everyday before moolavar sannidhi with musical notes from Venna to wake up Emperuman in the early morning. sukran denotes devadassi-dancer,flowers and nandavanam ect.

For delayed marriage, difficulties in married life with life partner and to get all comforts in life, a visit to Srirangam and stay for a night at this kshetram on a friday is good to remove Sukra dosham besides giving to ladies white cloths and Moochai thaniyam. Reciting pasurams of lord Sri Ranganathar everyday or on fridays by reciting 'sri paduka sahasram' slokas composed by swami desikan is good to remove the dosham of sukran.

!!OM NAMO NARAYANAYA!!