Kuresa Vaibhavam& Sri Stavam : Part 2 of 4

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Prapatti group:

 

I posted an article on the above subject last Sunday.. For

some reason,the new Compuserve software was not cooperating

to transmit it 100% .It looks that I have to cut the size of the file

into smaller units to achieve transmission.

Hence I will send this posting in few "packets".

 

Kuresa Vaibhavam (Continued): part 2

 

The fall of 1995 issue of the Journal of Vaishnava studies had

an excellent article by Nancy Ann Nayar on the "other Andaal ",

the devoted wife of Kuresa. She was a role model for Sthri Dharma

for Sri Vaishnavite women of the 12th century. I will include a few points about

 

Andaal from Nancy Nayar"s article to provide a backdropfor the observations on

Kuresa.

 

Nancy Nayar is a brilliant scholar , whose works we might wish to follow.

She is a keen student of Sri Vaishnava Sampradhaaya as practised in

the Southern part of India.I am told that her Book " Poetry asTheology,

The Sri Vaishnava Stotras in the age of Ramanuja" is a "breakthrough

work ". She is currently working on Periyavaachaan Pillan"s commentary on

" Stotra Ratna and Chatusloki " of Alawandaar. Nancy Nayar"s article on Kuresa"s

wife , Andaal is based largely from the material in Guru Paramparaa Prabhavam,

Koil Ozhugu and Prapannamrutam.

 

*** Kuresa and Andaal"s life at Kuram& Srirangam

 

The name Kuresa means the Lord of Kuram. A village or better still

an Agrahaaram twelve miles ot the west of Kanchipuram is known as Kuram.

Kuresa was born there and was a Garbha Srimaan. He was blessed with

Lakshmi Kataksham and Special bhakthi to Sriman Narayana.

 

Kuresa inherited a lot of fortune and he put his wealth to good use by

supporting " the lame, blind and the destitute." He worshipped Kesava Perumal,

who was the Archaa Murthy of the temple of his Agrahaaram. This temple was

built by the devout Vaishnava King Nandivarma Pallava the Second . Professor

Dennis Hudson of Smith College has published a masterly study of the intricacies

of

the Vaikunta Perumal temple built by the same king in another issue of the

Journal

of Vaishnavite Studies. Now back to Kuresa!

 

According to Prapannamrutam, Perundevi Thaayaar, the consort of Lord Varadaraja

of

Kanchi temple expressed the desire to Her Lord to meet the great benefactor ,

Kuresa.

The Lord sent Thirukkacchi Nambi to fetch Kuresa . Latter was thrilled to hear

about the

Lord"s invitation and proceeded rightaway with Nambi and his wife to Kanchi. As

he

approached Kanchi, the whole land surrounding Varadaraja"s temple looked like

a land covered with with Saligraamams. He saw Saligraamams as far as eyes could

see.

Kuresa hesitated to touch that holy land with his feet and returned home. There

he

gave away all his wealth and adopted Vanaprasthaasramam rightaway .

Afterwards, He set foot on a journey to Srirangam with his wife to meet

Ramanuja..

When they passd through a forest tract during their journey, Andaal expressed

her

fear of being attacked by thieves . Kuresa said that there was nothing for

them

to worry, since they had no valubles of interest to thieves with them. At that

time,

Andaal confessed that she had brought with her a gold cup for use as a drinking

vessel

from her former home.Kuresa asked her to give that cup to him and threw that

away

into the bush and continued the journey. They arrived safely at Srirangam.

Ramanuja was

ecstatic , when he heard about the arrival of Kuresa and had him brought to the

Mutt. There , Kuresa became the prime disciple of Ramanuja. The Invocatory

verse

(Taniyan ) for Kuresa celbrates the incident of him throwing away the Golden cup

this way: " Ponvattil Tannai Yerinda Puhazhudayon Vaazhiyeh "(May the memory of

the one,who threw away the golden cup live forever).

 

Nancy Nayar"s article focusses on the model life of the wife of an Acharya

of the twelfth century and describes the incidents in her life as a mother of

Parasara Bhattar and the role she played in the temple affairs at critical times

, after her

husband joined the holy feet of Sri Ranganatha. Since the focus of this article

is

on Sri Sthavam, I will move on to that main subject in the next posting.

 

V.Sadagopan