vaishnavam-titbits

Paramapadha Sopaanam’  Swami Desika explains figuratively how one should ascend through the nine stages (steps) in order to reach the Lord’s abode.
The nine steps are:
´
Vivekam - Discriminatory Knowledge
Nirvedham - Repentance
Virakthi - Asceticism
Bheethi - Consternation
Prasaadhanam - Practising a means (to Moksha)
Uthkramanam - Departure of the Soul
Archiraadhi - Journey through the Archiraadhi Way
Divyadesa Praapthi - Arrival at the door step of Sri Vaikuntam
Praapthi - Realising Moksha

there are four sets of Dwarapaalakas for the Lord’s abode. They are: Chandan-Prachandan, Bhadran-Subhadran, Jayan-Vijayan and Dhaatha-Vidhaatha. 


When sage Sanaka and his three brothers approached the entrance of Lord Vishnu’s abode in pursuit of Darsan of the Lord, they were stopped and refused entry by the duo Jayan and Vijayan. This made the sage brothers angry and they cursed them to be born in the earth as demons, killed and redeemed by the Lord during His Avatharas.
Accordingly, Jayan was born as Hiranyuaakshan and Vijayan as Hiranya Kasipu and were killed by Lord Varaha and Nrusimha respectively and then got back to Srivaikunta.
So, Jayan-Vijayan were the Dwarapaalakas
Thiruvarangam, Thiruvenkatam, Thiru Aththiyur, Thiru Adhanur and Thiru Naagai.
There are traditionally two systems of worship being followed in the Srivaishnava temples, namely, Paancharatathram and Vaikhanasam. Paancharaathra was taught by Lord Visnhu Himself to five sages over five nights. Vikhanasa, the founder of the Vaikhanasa tradition who taught the Agama to five stages, is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
While the Vaikhanasa system is adhered to in Thiruvenkatam, the rest four follows the Paancharaathra Agama.

thaniyan is traditionally used to eulogise the author/composer of a devotional literary work. In this case, Kulasekhara Azhwar’s greatness has been recorded in the Thaniyan for his lone Prabandham Perumal Thirumozhi which consists 105 beautiful Paasurams. It was Sri Ramanuja who composed the Thaniyan which is given below:
இன்னமுதம் ஊட்டுகேன் இங்கே வா பைங்கிளியே!
தென்னரங்கம் பாடவல்ல சீர்ப்பெருமாள் -- பொன்னம்
சிலைசேர் நுதலியர்வேள் சேரலர் கோன் எங்கள்
குலசேகரன் என்றே கூறு!
“Come here O pretty parrot, I shall feed you with sweet morsel. Keep saying the name Kulasekhara, ‘our Chera king’ whose bow-shaped eyebrows are adored by women. He sang in praise of Arangam and earned the name ‘Peruma

.
 Bhuvaraha Perumal of Srimushnam presents Himself with the small Chakra and Sankha on His hands which are placed on his hip and His head nonchalantly turned towards the left.’.
Lord Paanduranga of Pandari Puram also has His hands on His hip (seemingly enjoying the Bhajans sung by devotees),