Sri Manavala Mamunigal - Article from Shri Panchajanya

[Guest guest]

Sri

Sri Mathe Ramanujaya Namah

Sri Mathe Baladhanvhi Maha Guruvae Namah

 

Dear devotees,

We would like to post an brief article comprising

of 8 parts narrating the

life of Shri Manavala Mamunigal. The first article

is posted below.

 

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Shri Manavala Mamunigal

(article written by Dr. V. V. Ramanujam in Sri

Panchajanya magazine)

 

Article 1 :- Birth and early life

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Manavalamamunigal, Sowmya Jamathru Yogi or

Varavara Muni as this Acharya is

also called, is considered tol be the last of the

Poorvaharyas, the early

religious preceptors of Srivaishnavism who

occupied the pontific seat at

Srirangam after Sri Ramanuja. Varavaramuni is

believed to be the

reincarnation of Sri Ramanuja who was himself an

incarnation of Adisesha.

The Acharya flourished in this world between 1370

and 1443 A.D. He was born

at Thirukurukur better known as Alwar Thirunagari

because of the association

with Namalvar( Saint Satagopa of Kurugur), as the

son of

Thirunaveerudayapiran Datharannar. The father, a

great scholar and an ardent

devotee named his son Alagiya Manavalan,(meaning -

the beautiful bridegroom)

after the Lord of Srirangam. After the usual

samskaras undergoneby brahmin

boys,Alagiya manavalanwas instructed in Sanskrit

and Tamil,and in the Vedas

and thed Tamil Divyaprabhandams(the outpourings of

the Alwarson their mystic

experiences with the Divine) by the father

himself.

 

At that time the pontific seat was adorned by a

great teacher Srisailesan,

also called thiruvoimozhi Pillai because of

hisdeep devotion to Satakopa and

deep understanding and facile handling of the

Thiruvoimozhi - Sahasra

geeth - of Satakopa.The seat was then in Alwar

Thirunagari because of the

disturbed conditions at Srirangam following the

invasion by the muslims and

the sacrielege committed there in by them.

Srisaila had been a disciple of

Pillai Lokacharya, the celebrated authorof

Ashtadasa Rahasyam- the eighteen

secret texts. These are in the form of terse

aphorisms and among these are

(1) Mumukshuppadi, the essential knowledge of any

seeker of moksha, (2)

Thatvatrayam, a masterly exposition of

Visishtadwaita philosophy as taught

by Sri Ramanuja and (3) Sri Vachanabhushanam, a

book of essential religious

knowledge for Srivaishnavas.

 

Jeeyer Thiruvadighalae charanam