WHY SRIRANGAM IS KNOWN AS 'SUKRASTHALAM' AS PRESCRIBED FOR REMOVING

DOSHAS OF SUKRAN WITH THE PRAYER OF LORD SRI RANGANATHAR ON FRIDAYS 

By Kudandaiamudhan 

Sukran known as  Venus, The Goddess of Love, signifies the following aspects of life -  

Marriage, love, kama, diamonds, fragrance, oils/perfumes/scents, fine arts like dance, musical instruments, music with dance and instruments, silver, bird garuda, lavish buildings/palaces/towers and luxury life, Vehicles (vahanas), ponds/water pools, ornaments made out of stones, cloth of silk mainly ven pattu (white silk), milk, cow, Beans (mochai danyam) , lotus flower, Mahalakshmi; guru and achariyar for ashuras (demons).

Sukran is the plant which denotes all Decorative items known as Alangara such as cosmetics, dresses, ornaments, sandals used in our life. Srirangam is the only  temple where one could see the sandals (padhukas) of lord Sri Ranganathar in a storage place known as Kottaram nearby Dhanyalakshmi sannathi inside the temple. It is believed that Lord Sri Ranganatha regularly uses these sandals made by a cobbler, who make it with due prayers for 48 days penance and observing strict viradam in the banks of river Kaveri,  after Lord himself giving them the measurement in the sands on the river bed. One could notice that those sandals undergoes wear and tear after some time, to prove that Sri  Ranganather wear and use these sandals (divine padukas), walking inside the temple. These sandals are replaced every year by devotees. It is noteworthy to mention that Sri Desikan rendered versues known as solokams of  'Sri Ranganathar sahasram' in 1000 versues in praise the divinity of sacred sandals (divine padhukas) of Sri Ranganathar.

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 Brahminical plant with western outlook (a Brahminical outlook), "boga karaka" (cause of enjoyment) to give luxury living, bed comfort, poetry, arangetrams of dance or poetry or any kaviyam or kavithai, sculptures of beautiful carvings, and any thing of beauty is sukrachariyars' karakam. Also, any Sacred epics, kings and noble persons, any celebrities, all feminine articles and items come under this planet. Sukra varam is Friday and its numerical value is six (6). These are salient features of sukrans karagathvam (significance of Venus).

Now let us see how Srirangam, and Lord Sriranganatha are connected to the above karakas of Sukrachariyar from above points- 

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

2)  Srirangam is also known as ''boga mandapam '' as it signifies planet ''boga karakan'' Sukran. 

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

4)  Lord Ranganathar is in reclining posture on Adisesha in the milky ocean (Thiruparkadal), as Sukra is karaka for milk and white color and white metals. Cow and milk are it's karakam.

5)  Utsavar name is ''nam perumal'' ''kasturi ranga'' and ''azhagiya manavala perumal''. Needless to add that both kasturi (a rare perfume taken from katuri deer's fat - well known as Musk) and Azhgiya Manavalan (both beauty and bridegroom ) are karakas for Sukran.

6)   As the main deity, the moolavar(main) idol is applied with kasturi and also Utsavar idol is applied with kasturi thilak on fridays, being the week day for Sukran on sukravar who denotes perfumes.

7)  Srirangam vimanam was brought from Ayodhya by an Vibhishna - an Asura by birth, though not by nature - on his way to Srilanka. Vibhishna, has his precipitater - Sukrachariyar as achariyar for ashura kulam (Generations of the Demons). There are many carvings in mandapam showing Vibhishnan bringing the vimanam of temple.

8)  Srirangam has the biggest and tallest Garudan, as the bird Garudan represents Sukran (though Garudan is similar to an Eagle, but it has white feathers on neck and its wings are considered for Veda but eagle is said to fight nagas ). While Sukran's bird is given as Garuda, his animal is given as crocodile(makara)

9)   Lord Ranganathar married both Kamalavalli Nachiyar of Thiru Uraiyur and Andal Nachiyar by love. Both fell in love and married at Srirangam. Love and marriage are karkas of Sukran.

10)   Kambar, The great Tamil poet, had made his first recitals of the famous sacred epic Ramayana (arangetram) with poetical expression in Srirangam Ranganatha temple; later the stage is known as Kambar mandapam of Srirangam temple. Epics, poetical, the first performance of any art known as 'arangetrams' are Sukra's significance.

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

L2)  Lord Ranganathar's birth star is Revathi in Meena rasi (Moon sign as Pisces) in which Sukran is exalted ( become uccha ) in Revathi star.

13) Arayar sevai is conducted during the period of Thiruvaimozhi utsavam (festival known as pakalpatthu) with dance and musical notes from Sama Veda (dance and music are Sukra's karakam)

14)  Azhgiya Manavala perumal will come on fourth day of above festival as ''Mohini avatar '' as a lady in alankaram. Women signify Sukran.

15) In Gayatri mandapam, there are 24 pillars. Numericaly it is total 6 ( 2+4) that again signifies Sukran.

16)   Sri Ramanuja came back in his physical body after he was ordered to be put in Thiruvarasu (mandapam) to bless us with matches; Sukrachariyar alone, knew the art of bringing back in physical body in the present form, the soul which had departed from the body, with a mantra known as "Sanjiveeni Mantra ''.

17)   Lord Ranganathar accepted an outsider - anniya madha (other religion) princess, "Thulukachi nachiyar'' and gave a sannadi to her and to prove this, utchavar comes one day with lunghi and takes bread as prasatham. This matches with the western outlook (abrahminical approach ) of Sukran in secularism.

18)    Srirangam temple has a tank known as Pushkarni inside (Chandra pushkarni) a beautiful architecture with sculputers and marvelous carvings of master piece and biggest Tower known as Raja gopuram - beauty,lavishness and luxury are signified by sukran.

19)    In the moolavar sannadhi, from the entrance to the sanctum sanctorium, the interiors are carved in silver metal to show significance of Sukran

20)    The main Idol known as Moolavar, Sri Ranganathar put his feets on lotus flower while reclining in spiraling coils of Adisesha. Lotus flower is the identified and favourite with Venus - the Sukran, as Pankajam is his flower.

21)    Ranga Rajan or Ranga Nathar is king of Kings, ruling the planet Earth known as bhoologam. Kings and noble celebrites are signified by Sukran.

22)    Makara thoranam and makara kandi  (crocodile shaped ) are decorated one day festival during the Tamil month Chitrai as Makara (The Capricorn) is the Vehicle (vahana) for Sukran, while his bird is Garudan. Hence a big Garudan is always readily in waiting.  

23)    Moolavar prakaram below vimanam known as ''Thiru Vennazhi'' pragaram, has many salagrams inside and hence the vibration, by its musical node, is supposed to remove the Kalathra doshas caused by Venus the Sukran.

24) Chandran known as Moon has got an added attraction to the Nakshatra Rohini than other two stars viz. Hastam & Sravanam (Thiruvonam) nakshatras that are ruling stars of Moon. Venus, the Lord of the sign Tarus (Rishabam) in which the Rohini Nakshatra falls and in which Moon is exalted, is disliked by Dakshan. So, Moon got cursdy by Dakshan and to weed off the curse, Chandran had to undergo a penance by praying to Sri Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam and was relieved from the curse. These incidence said to have taken place inside the Chandra Pushkarini in the Temple comlplex,  from where The Moon has to undergo from sufferings from Sukra Dosham and also from where Moon went into penance. Though moon got relieved from the Sukra Dosham after the penance, the effective curse given by Dakshan to Moon that caused the Waxing and waning of Moon is still there to see.

In his early ages, Thondaradipodiazhwar, who rendered pasuram only in praise of Lord Sri Ranganathar, was trapped by the act of Sukra dosha with a devadasi, a beautiful lady and was later saved by offering prayer to Lord Ranganathar. For delayed marriage, difficulty in married life with life partner, to get all comforts in life, a visit to Srirangam and stay for a night on Friday is good as it removes Sukra dosham.  

TRS Iyengar