mudali-ANDAn

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===========svAmi mudali-ANDAn (Part 2)================

~~~~~~~~~written by tirumanjanam Sundara Rajan~~~~~~~~

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The 74 'simhAsanAdhipati' personages.

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Driven by an extraordinary passion for extending the

outreach of religion to the laity, and guided by an

immense faith (mahA-viSvAsam) in the Lord for his guide,

uDaiyavar succeeded in identifying as many as

seventy-four extraordinary men to tend the practical

aspects of the religion, and to make vivid and relevant

the message of religion.

 

This single stage, a pioneering stage at that, of the

noble AchArya's career is evidence that the social

milieu itself was so fertile in traditional scholarship

and spiritual attainments that it could yield, over a

limited geographical area, such a high number of scholars

and savants all at a time, to volunteer for (what had

always been considered as) the materialistically

unrewarding service of religion. It is important to note

that uDaiyavar gave this band of personalities

the honorofic of 'simhAsanAdhipati', and not any

condescending title, even though they all prided

themselves as his disciples only. They were all so many

polymaths, like the figures of renaissance in Europe

and the subsequent Age of Enlightenment.

 

Each one of the convocation of 74 'simhAsanAdhipati'

personages identified by uDaiyavar had proved to be

an extraordinary choice in terms of

 

his intellectual contribution to the 'sampradAyam',

 

mobilising for construction tasks in the 'divya-dESam',

 

alertness in safeguarding the temples (as kOyil kandADai

aNNan was eventually to stave off repeated attacks of

political and religious marauders from Srirangam) and

the services,

 

delicately cleansing off the centuries-old encrustation

of societal insulation formed over the vibrant religious

institutions with a view to demonstrating that

 

divinity has no preferences of grace

as between one or the other of His creatures.

 

SrIrAmAnuja, his staff and the charm.

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The high affection in which uDaiyavar held ANDAn and AzhvAn

came out in the episode of uDaiyavar seeking instruction

from tiruk-kOTTiyUr-nambi. nambi had sternly instructed

uDaiyavar to present himself all alone to receive

instruction, but on the appointment, uDaiyavar came

accompanied by ANDAn and AzhvAn. nambi who was initially

upset, eventually accepted uDaiyavar's humble

clarification that he had come alone after all,

only that he carried with him his ascetic staff ('danDam')

and charm ('pavitram') ~ as he referred to ANDAn and AzhvAn.

 

In early times in Srirangam, only the temple functionaries

lived inside the 'sapta-prAkAra', but uDaiyavar made a

significant departure in favour of three persons,

by allotting them residential ground in the

'seventh enclosure' itself. periya nambi (who was an AchArya

of uDaiyavar, but mentally came to regard his disciple as

his master instead) was granted occupation of

SrI ALavandAr's maTha (monastery); ANDAn and AzhvAn were

granted land facing nambi 'tirumALikai' on the

east mADa / chitra street.

 

In the shrine of nammAzhvAr in Srirangam, the icons of

madhura-kavikaL and nAthamunikaL are also worshipped by his

side. Likewise, ANDAn and AzhvAn are represented in images on

both sides of entrance to the uDaiyavar 'sannidhi' as well as

in several pUrvAchArya residences (tiru-mALikai) in Srirangam.

 

mudali-ANDAn's service

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uDaiyavar is admired for his administrative acumen,

revered for his philosophic integrity, and adored for his

surpassing compassion; he was like the clouds which bring

their consoling showers, ~~ "kArEi karuNai-yirAmAnuSa" ~~

says amutanAr.

 

He streamlined the entire administration of properties

and revenues of the 'peria kOil' (Great Temple) ~~

"tiruvarankan Selva-muRRum tirutti-vaittAn". This was

possible principally because he had entrusted ANDAn with

the entirety of temple administration, in the capacity of

SrI-kArya-dhurandhara, or ANDAn kuRaTTu-maNiam.

 

It was tirumankai-mannan who had initially organised the

temple functionaries into five groups. By the time

uDaiyavar became responsible for the periya kOyil, he

amplified the functions and organised the ten-fold

temple 'parijanam' (functionaries). They were

(1) tiruppatiyAr, (2) tiruppaNi-seyivAr, (3) bhAgavata

nambi-s, (4) uLLUrAr and todavattimAr, (5) viNNappam

seyivAr, (6) tiruk-karakak-kAiyAr, (7) sthAnattAr,

(8) pattuk-kottu, (9) Arya-bhaTAL, and (10) dAsa-nambi-s.

This reorganisation was known as 'uDaiyavar tiTTam'.

 

Since ANDAn was made the chief of the entirety of mudalikaL

(temple functionaries), dASarathi/ANDAn came to be known as

mudali-ANDAn.