The Gopuram Episode

[Guest guest]

Dear BhAgavatOttamas

 

It seems to me that this episode could be the single

most significant episode in SwAmi EmberumAnAr's life

and hence I would like to share some of my thoughts

with you.

 

The undisputed facts (ignoring minor variations) are

that on Periya Nambi's 'niyamanam" Udaiyavar walked no

less than 18 times to TirukkOTTiyUr and finally got

the mantrArtha with the proviso to keep it secret;

and within a short period he expounded it to many

people in TirukkOTTiyUr itself.What is the point

behind all this? He could have as well gone back

and done it.Why anger the Nambi unnecessarily?

Was he being defiant to old traditions?

 

Let us look at this from Nambi's point of view.It

is generally accepted that he was testing his Sishya's

determination and desire for knowledge those 18

times.Was he then satisfied with that and washed his hands

of the matter ? What could have been ParamAchArya

ALavandAr's niyamanam to Nambi on his death bed?

He was obviously given the task of imparting esoteric knowledge

to the new AchArya after duly confirming his suitability

to be the the builder of our glorious darSanam.Would

it end with merely giving him knowledge?Would it not

also mean he would have been asked to see to what use Udaiyavar

was going to put it ? Nambi was in fact asked to test whether he

was obtaining the knowledge for his own sake (as a

teacher) or for the sake of humanity.Hence came the

NINETEENTH TEST by Nambi.And when Sri RAmAnuja passed

it gloriously Nambi heaved a sigh of relief and

after a mock trial embraced him and titled him

the DarSana Pravartaka.That TirukkOTTiyUr had a

special assignment in regard to Udaiyavar is evidenced

by other subsequent events mentioned in our texts.

 

Now from the point of view of Udaiyavar.Being the

avatAra of AdiSesha himself would he not have been

aware of all these mock tests?No wonder he started

revealing the "secret" right at the door step of

Nambi himself.I am afraid I do not hold with the

view of Mani that he was being revolutionary in this

incident.In fact he was being totally traditional-

not the secretive tradition of the ancient Rshis

but the all embracing tradition of PeriyAzhwAr, who called

out,"vAzhAtpaTT-uLLIrellArum vandu maNNum maNamum

koNmin" and of his daughter who earnestly invited,

"pOduvIr poduminO"- "ichhai uLLar ellArum vArungoL"

This was the tradition which Sri Nathamuni and

Sri ALavandAr wanted to establish on a firm basis.

And for that the right type of leader was needed

and the Lord sent AdiSEsha who was <vijnAna balaika

dhAma> himself.

 

It is well known that EmberumAnAr whom AnDAl considered

her brother fulfilled her desire to provide "nooru taDA

veNNai" and "nooru taDA akkAravadiSil" to KaLLAzhagar at

TirumAlirunjOlai.But we fail to notice that he also fulfilled

her desire to bring into the fold anyone and everyone who

wanted to do mangalASAsanam to SrimanNArAyana.Till then

the fundamental knowledge about the relationship of the

Soul with the Divine Couple was being clothed in veiled

words and imparted strictly on a one to one basis(OrAN

vazhiyAga).Emberumanar continued to keep it so in regard

to the mantra but threw the artha open to all who desired

it.

 

The gist of this incident is hence that the Nambi,after

testing Udaiyavar's determination and strength 18times,

finally tested the depth of his compassion in the 19th

supreme test and formally declared him the proper leader

for our DarSanam (Aa mudalvan) by calling it Sri RAmAnuja

DarSanam.

 

Sri EmbAr has compressed our glorious DarSanam into three

'i's - "ichhaiyE adhikAram,irakkamE upAyam,inimaiyE upEyam"

Our mere desire for Him gives us eligibility; His compassion

alone can take us to the goal;and the goal is pure happiness."

 

Considering that DhanurmAsa is about to start this is the

fitting time to think with supreme sense of gratitude on

AnDAl and her brother who have brought us to this position

from where we were - all through their SUPREME COMPASSION.

 

EmberumAnAr TiruvaDigale Saranam!

 

adiyEn

Bharat