The Life of Kuresan

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Dear friends,

 

The 26th of January happens to be the

"tirunakshatram", the birthday of Sri.Kuresan or

KurathAzhwAr, the foremost disciple of "yatirAjar",

Sri.RamanujAchArya.

 

The story of Kuresan's life has been told many times

over the centuries. Nonetheless it is a life-story of

such nobility and inspiration that it will bear

repetition this year on his "tirunakshatram" and in

all years to come.

 

So here is a sketch of the life-story of Kuresan:

 

Kuresan hailed from the hamlet of "Kura" (or "kooram")

near Kanchipuram. He belonged to the clan of the

Haritas and to a well-to-do, land-owning and

propertied

family that lived in peace with its neighbours and

friends. Kuresan had a gem of a person in his young

and comely wife, AndAlammA. They lived a happy and

contented life in Kura. They were both known in Kanchi

for their unstinting philanthrophy and kindness. They

were both ardent devotees of Kanchi Varadan, the

presiding deity of the holy city.

 

Early in his life, Kuresan came under the spell of

RamanujAchArya who at that time was living in Kanchi.

It was the time when Ramanuja was slowly emerging as

the propagator of a new school of thought. He was

spreading a whole new philosophy quite different from

the sterile monism of Advaita which people at that

time were growing weary of. Bands of disciples and

followers were already growing around Ramanuja.

 

Kuresan quickly became a disciple of RamanujAchArya.

The two took to each other easily and warmly. Under

Sri.Ramanuja's guidance, Kuresa was soon initiated

into the rigorous study of the ancient Vedic scripture

and more especially the "meemAmsa-sutrA-s".

 

A strange bond of kinship developed between master and

student over the years they spent together in Kanchi.

 

In his mid-life, due to a variety of personal and

social reasons, Ramanuja took to "sannyAsA" and was

called away by the community of SriVaishnavas in

SriRangam to rally them all into a cohesive force

there against the onslaught of religious bigotry waged

by the Saivite State at that time.

 

Thus, in deference to the commandments of his elders

in SriRangam like Mahapurna, and Kanchipurna in

Kanchi, Ramanuja decided to migrate to SriRangam. He

left Kanchi for good never to return in future except

for brief visits.

 

Kuresan's close relationship with Ramanuja thus drew

to a close. Seeing off his guru Ramanuja to SriRangam,

Kuresan returned to his hamlet of Kura and commenced

his living his life as before.

 

But Lord Varadarajan and his Consort Perundevi thAyyAr

had other plans for Kuresan.

 

(contd)

 

dAsan,

Sampathkumaran

 

 

 

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