The Dasavathara Sannidhi of Ahobila Mutt in Srirangam has been reverberating with Vedic hymns and verses, marking the Sathabhisheka celebrations of Srivan Satagopa Sri Ranganatha Yateendra Mahadesikan, the 46th Azhagiyasingar of the Mutt.
About 1,000 pandits from different parts of the country have been participating in the seven-day ‘’sarva shaka veda sadas’ which concludes on June 22 coinciding with the tirunakshatram of the Jeer.
While the ‘prakaram’ all around the Dasavathara Sannidhi echoes with the ‘Sama’ ‘Yajur’, ‘Atharvana’, and ‘Rig’ veda recitals, Padhuka Sahasram composed by Sri Vedanta Desikan rendered by women devotees rents the air at the brindavanam of the 45th Azhagiyasingar.
K. Kamala, who has come down from Chennai to participate in the recital of the Padhuka Sahasram, said that it was a rare opportunity for her to derive a personal satisfaction of having recited the ‘sahasram’ on the occasion of the Sastiabdhapoorthi of her acharya.
She said that the importance of the verses which describe the beauty and glory of the padukas of Sri Ranganatha.
“It is a rich literary treasure, if one understands its meter and metaphor,” says K. Desikan, another devotee.
Addressing the media, the Azhagiyasingar said that the sadas was meant for consolidating the various branches of Vedas than for celebrating the Shashtiabdipoorthi. “There are 1,200 branches of Vedas but hardly 20 are available as of now. The celebrations underline the need for a sustained search, conservation, and spread of the Vedas for the overall prosperity and welfare of universe,” he said. The swami said that it had been planned to make the “Sarva Shaka Veda Sadas” as an annual event.
The Ahobila Mutt has planned to start a school in Ahobilam village in Andhra Pradesh. “The children of the village do not have much access to education,” the swami said.
As part of providing health care, a small hospital would be started in that village with ambulance service.
