kaRRavar kaamuRu seelan

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Sri Raamaanujar Thirunakshathram:

Month of Chiththirai - Thiru Athirai (April 23, 96)

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The most celebrated Acharyaa of our sampradaayam was

born almost 1,000 years ago today. His position in our

sampradaya is equal to that of Namaazhvaar. Parasara

Bhattar says, "thamizh maRaigaL aayiramum InRa

mudhal thaay satakOpan, moympaal vaLarththa

idhaththaay iraamaanusan". (SatakOpan is the birth

mother of Thiruvaaymozhi; Ramanuja is verily the

second mother who nursed the glory of this

prabhandham.)

 

Sri Ramanuja shares with Namaazhvaar the honor of a

prabhandham dedicated to him among the Naalaayira

Dhivya Prabhandham [*]. KaNNinuN siRuththaambu by

Madhurakavi is entirely devoted to the glory of

Nammaazhvaar. Iraamaanusa nooRRandhaathi, also

known as Prabhandha Gayathri, by Thiruvarangaththu

Amudhanaar is entirely devoted to Sri Ramanuja. Both of

these prabhandhams are in andhaathi style. Let me

highlight a couple of paasurams from Iraamanusa

nooRRandhaathi on this sacred day.

 

A couple of weeks back we had a discussion on the four

purushaarthaas, dharmam, artham, kaamam, and

mOksham. In siRiya and periya Thiru madal,

Thirumangai aazhvaar confidently declared that kaamam

for our Lord Narayana is the only worthy purushaartham.

How is this possible for a sanyaasi like Sri Ramanuja?

What did Sri Ramanuja think? Let us see what

Amudhanaar has to say about this in verse 40.

 

sEman^al veedum poruLum dharumamum seeriyan^aR

kaamamum enRivai naan_genpar; naan_ginum kaNNanukkE

aamathu kaamam aRamporuL veetuthaR kenRuraiththaan

vaamanan seelan iraamaanusanintha maNmisaiyE.

 

"Moksham, Dharmam, artham, and kaamam, are the four

goals of life; so they say, but

Yathiraajaa, a celebate like Vaamanan, says

Kaamam for union with Kannan is the only worthy goal;

The other three are just to support this divine passion."

 

However, for Amudhanaar there is nothing more

pleasurable than immersing in the overflowing kalyaaNa

gunaas of emperumaanaar. Verse 84:

 

kaNdukoN dEnem iraamaa NnusanRannai kaaNdalumE

thoNdukoN dEn_avan thodtar_poR RaaLil_en thollai ven^n^Oy

viNdukoN dEn_avan seerveLLa vaariyai vaaymaduththin

RuNdukoN dEn,innam uRRana Othil ulappillaiyE.

 

"Now I have seen my Ramanuja; what a sight it is indeed,

it makes me seek to serve the golden feet of his devotees;

Now I take just a sip from this ocean of auspicious

qualities and all my past karmaas are destroyed,

No, there is no end if I start to say more."

 

The paasurams of Iraamanusa nooRRandhaathi overflow

with Amudhanaar's devotion for Sri Ramanuja. A quick

look at a small list of epithets Amudhanaar uses about Sri

Ramanuja brings this out.

 

enakkuRRa selvam : my bestowed wealth

pazhiyai kadaththum : remover of all blemishes

thamizh thalaivan : worships the golden feet of

ponnadi pORRum pEyaazhvaar

meyyan : truth incarnate

vaLLal : benevolent

kaaREy karuNai : benevolent like dark cloud

bhakthi veLLam kudi : temple of devotion

koNda kOyil

thooyavan, theethil : pure, devoid of blemishes

kaRRavar kaamuru : the love of the learned

seelan

 

The most endearing of the many wonderful episodes of

our great Acharya's life deals with the his utmost humility.

On one occasion Sri Ramanuja fell flat at the feet of

Aththuzzay, daughter of his Acharya Sri Periya Nambi.

The little girl ran inside the house terrified. Watching all

this her father got a glimpse of his pupil's devotion for

AndaaL. Sri Ramanuja was on his daily route for

bhikshai reciting Thiruppavai. As he sang "pandhaar

virali" (the one playing with a ball) Aththuzhaay came out

of her house with a ball in her hand causing all this

commotion!

 

While on a trip to Thiruvaali/Thirunagari, Sri Ramanuja

and his entourage came across an "untouchable" lady.

Sri Ramanuja requested her to move away (odhungu)

from the way so that he and his companions can pass.

The lady replied, "ulagam muzhudhum ulagaLandhaan

sannithiyaaga irukka, engE odhunguvadhu?" (all the

world is Thiru Vikraman's shrine, where can I move

away?) Sri Ramanuja immediately apologized to the

lady and offered the Vaishnava insignias to her saying,

"These should be yours, I am undeserving of them."

 

Let me end this note with three of the most important

dictates he offered to his grieving disciples when he was

about to depart from this earthly abode.

 

1) For mOksham there is no other upayam than the

good wishes of Acharya,

2) Nothing stands in the way of mOksham than

bhagavatha apachaaram, and

3) There is no greater purushaartham than service to

the Lord and His devotees.

 

 

Thiruvarangaththu amudhanaar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

Emperumaanaar thiruvadigaLE saraNam

 

-- dhaasan parthasarati dileepan

 

 

 

[*] iraamaanusa nooRRandhaathi is counted as part of

the naalaayira dhivya prabhandham only by some.

However, it is dear to all Sri Vaishnavas.