Fourth Day of Dhanur Maasam: Some reflections On PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

 

Sriman Mohan Sagar's reference to the extraordinary

Rama Bhakthi of PeriyavaacchAn PiLLai reminds me of

the unique composition of his on SampoorNa RaamayaNam.

The uniqueness here is associated with the way in which

he took original Words/lines from the different sections of NAlAyira

Divya Prabhandham and put them together to form a coherent , interlaced garland

following the thoughts of Srimadh RamAyaNam. He was the VyhkhyAna

chakravarthi of the Prabhamdhams of AzhwArs . Hence he compiled with

ease the unique RamAyaNam using nothing but the words of the AzhwArs.

 

P.V. PiLLai was the disciple of NampiLLai , who is the distinguished

sishyar of Namjeeyar ; latter was converted into Vaishnava Darsanam by

the precocious ParAsara Bhattar , whom Sriman Sudarshan wrote about

in his postings on "Jataa" .P.V. PiLLai was born in Sanganallur in ChoLa

desam . He was born on KrishNAshtami , when the star of RohiNi was

in ascendance . His ArAdhana murthy was Sri KrishNan . Independent of all

these tilt towards KrishnA , P.V. PiLLAi's adoration of Sri Ramachandra is

well documented . He was pulled between RamA and KrishNa like

AndAL .

 

Mohan Sagar referred also to RamanandA as being influenced by

PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai .. If this is the RamAnandA of Benares ,the founder

of the RamAnandi sect and the Guru of Kabir , we have an excellent

lineage of SrivaishNavism in the Northern part of India. Tulasidas

(1532-1623 AD ) was a well known member of the Ramaanandi sect

and renowned for his illustrious work Rama-charita Manasa ( the Manasa

Lake of Rama's story ) , the greatest scripture for the Hindi speaking people .

In one of his verses , Tulasidas describes Rama's anantha KlayANa guNas

that AndAL saluted earlier this way :

 

" O , Rama ! You dwell in the hearts of those who have no lust , anger ,

infatuation , pride, delusion , avarice, excitement , affection or hatred ,

hypocrisy , vanity , deceitfulness; those who are dear to all , benovolent

to all , equanimous in joy and sorrow , praise and blame , who speak the

truthful and the plesant, and have taken shelter under You ,and indeed have

no other go but you ,-- in their minds You dwell, O Rama! Those who consider

others ' women as mothers (Vide--Reference to the quotation from

Saint Thyagaraja's Aarabhi Pancharatnam, Para nAri sodhara by

Sri MuraLi Rangaswami ) and others who consider wealth as more poisonous

than poison , those who rejoice to see others flourish and are actually

pained to see them afflicted , those to whom You are dearer than life ,

in their minds is YOUR BLESSED ABODE ." Tulasidas sets the above

passage as a statement by Sage Valmiki in his conversation with Rama.

 

NampiLLai had other well known sishyars besides PeriyavAcchAn

PiLLai like Vadakku Thiruveedhi PiLLai , EeyuNNI MadhavAchAr et al .

P.V. PiLLai was commanded by his Acharya to write the 24,000 padi

commentary on Thiruvaimozhi. In addition to that masterly work with

enormous references to Ithihaasaas and PurANAs , he

also blessed us with the following granthams : Upakara Ratnam , Gadhya

Traya VyAkyAnam , Abhaya PradhAna VyAkyAnam , Sarama Rahasyam ,

AnusandhAna Rahasyam , Niyamanappadi , MaaNikka Maalai , Navarathna

Maalai , AshtAkshara Deeoikai an dVyakyAnam for Thiruviruttham

and last but not the least , a VyAkkyAnam on AaLavandhAr"s Sthothra

Ratnam . No wonder he is remembered with affection as

VYAAKYANA CHAKRAVARTHI . He lived for 95 years .One of

his distinguished sishyAs is Vaadhi Kesari Azhagiya MaNavALa

PerumAL Jeeyar.

 

P.V. PiLLai and Vadakku Thiruveedhi(V.T) PiLLai were cohorts among

the disciples of NampiLLai . V.T. PiLLai is the author of the 36,000 padi

on Thiruvaimozhi and incurred the anger of his Guru for writing a commentary

without the permission of his Acharya. V.T. PiLLai was somewhat jealous of the

achievements of others . Once V.T.PILLai went to the court of a local king ,

who asked PiLLai to explain a topic of particular interest to our Sri Sudarshan

(VIz)., JatAyu Moksham . The king wanted to know how Rama hiding his

Parathvam as a mere human being can give moksham to JatAyu . V.T. PiLLai

was bewildered and he could not come up with an answer. Another fellow

disciple of NampiLLai whispered into the ear of V.T.P that NampiLLai would

have explained this apparent mystery with one slokam starting with

"Sadhyeka LokAn Jayathi . " V.T.P took on the clue and provided a most

convincing answer to the king's question and was amply rewarded . He took

the presents and laid it at the feet of his AcharyA and prostrated before him .

As we can see, the controversey over Jataayu Moksham and Sri RamA's

role in it has an ancient history and I am glad that Sri Sudarshan is going to

tackle this subject in his inimitable facile manner . I look forward to reading

his

postings on this subject .

 

SrivaishNava Daasan,

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan