Dear Devotees of Lord Oppiliappan:

Oppiliappan is eulogized by Thirumangai AzhwAr as " Pothalar Nedumudi PuNNiyan " or the One who has the garland constructed from just blossomed flowers on His nedumudi (long crowned head). From the Nedumudi , the garland strteches all the way to His sacred feet and is known as Nila Maalai . SrIman Sampath RengarAjan , a devout bhaktha of SrI Oppiliappan refers in his essay below about his family's Nila Maalai Kaimkaryam on SravaNam days , which takes us to Oppiliappan Koil on the SravaNam days.

SravaNa dheepam is symbolic of the Svayam JyOthi/ Param JyOthi tatthvam of ThiruviNNagarappan , the Lord of Oppiliappan Koil. This JyOthi Tatthvam of Brahman celebrated in Upanishads is the Supreme Personal God at ThiruviNNagaram , SrI Oppiliappan. Of Him , the Mundaka Upanishad states " Him the shining One , everything shines after, by this light all this is lighted " .The SravaNa dheepam is symbolic of the cosmic tatthvam recognized by the name JyOthi ( " VarENyam BhargO Devasya " included in the meditation of the sacred manthram of Gaayathri ). BruhadhAraNya Upanishad salutes this Param JyOthi as " the JyOthishAm JyOthi: ".

When SravaNa dheepam Swamy and Vaal dheepam swamy carry this JyOthirmaya Brahmam close to their heart , they remind us of the passage in ChAndhOgya Upanishad referring to the cosmic principle recognized as Svayam JyOthi/Param JyOthi : " Now the light which shines above this heaven, above all , above every thing , in the highest worlds beyond which there are no higher worlds ; verily that is the same as the light which is here within the person". The external dheepam carried by SravaNa dheepam Swamy is a manifestation of this antharyAmi Brahman , who in ArchA form is standing majestically adorning Nila Maalai on the SravaNam day.

The SravaNa dheepam is also symbolic of one of six main guNams of The Supreme Being : tEjas which is same as JyOthi . Tejas is one of the six guNams of SrIman NaarAyaNan : " Jn~Anam (Omniscience) , Sakthi ( Omnipotence) , Bala (Strength ) , Aisvarya ( Lordship) , Veerya ( Energy) and Tejas ( Splendour). AzhwArs have referred to this Jyothirmaya tatthvam as " Sudar oLi Moorthy" , when they perform eulogies ( MangaLAsAsanams) to Dhivya Desa ArchA Moorthys . When Thirumangai addresses the tejas aspect of Para Brahman , he addresses the Lord as "NandhA ViLakku ". This is the Nandha ViLakku inside the Garbha Graham used to light the SravaNa dheepam , which the Swamy carries around the PrAkArams of Oppiliappan.

May we have the blessings of purifying our lives on this earth by the darsana soubhAgyam of this SravaNa dheepam carried around by the PuNyasAlis and take part in the TadhiyArAdhanam performed by them in the spirit of Bhagavath Kaimkaryam !

The SravaNa dheepam Swamy's anna dhAnam on the SravaNam day is quite distinct from the daily anna dhAnam scheme set up by the Government of TamilnAdu . This Swamy has been conducting this special anna dhAnam for many years and it is the first time , we are able to join in this Kaimkaryam . Let us join in this kaimkaryam and recieve the blessings of SrI Bhumi DEvi SamEtha ThiruviNNagarappan !

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan