Ramanuja and tirumantra

[Guest guest]

The very interesting discussion on the tirumantra

brought one aspect of Ramanuja's introduction to this

mantra to mind. Ramanuja first had samASrayaNam from

Periya Nambi, at which time he received the three

sacred mantras (tirumantra, dvaya mantra, carama Sloka)

as part of the ceremony.

 

However, the more significant introduction to the tirumantra

appears to be the upadeSa he received from TirukkOttiyUr

Nambi, whom he approached 18 times before the latter

agreed to give him the supreme teaching. This divine

teaching according to most sources was the inner meaning

of the tirumantra. [According to Sri Manavala Mamunigal

in the mumukshuppadi, it was the inner meaning of the

carama sloka. In any case, the deeper meaning of

the rahasya mantras was what was given.]

 

These two events appear to indicate that while the

mantra upadeSa during samASrayaNam was certainly important,

the actual ``saving knowledge'', if I may phrase it

that way, was the inner meaning of the rahasyas as

learnt from the acharya.

 

 

emberumaanaar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

Mani