The Life of Kuresan-7

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Dear friends,

 

After a few more polite inquiries about the affairs of

Lord Ranganatha's temple, and after a long, pregnant

pause Ramanuja asked the Vaishnava visitor from

Srirangam,"And how is my disciple Kuresan?".

 

It was then that the visitor, in a voice choked with

pent emotion, narrated to Ramanuja details of the grim

fate that had befallen Kuresan at the hands of the

Chola tyrant, Krimikanta Chozhan.

 

This is what the gentleman related to Ramanuja who

began listening with rapt attention:

 

"Sire, after your departure from Sri Rangam,

Sri.Kuresan and Sri.Mahapurna were summoned to the

royal court at Gangai-konda-sozha-puram.

 

At the court the King thrust a written declaration in

their faces which read:"Nothing higher than Siva

exists", and commanded them both to affix their

signatures to it without protest.

 

Kuresan refused. He launched into a long and

magnificent recital of authoritative texts and sources

from the Vedas, Upanishads, Smritis and Puranas that

proved that Narayana was the Supreme Principle and

none was higher than He and hence He was the only

object fit for worship and contemplation.

 

The Chola King was incensed. Thrusting a writing-quill

into Kuresan's hands he commanded Kuresan again to

forthwith sign the declaration swearing allegiance to

Siva. "If you refuse we shall have your eyes pulled

out here and now!".

 

On hearing this Kuresan flew into a greater rage.

 

He grabbed the quill from the King's hands and

said,"But let me save you the trouble, you tyrant, for

I shall pluck out my eyes by my own hand! These eyes

that have set sights on a sinner such as thee have no

further use for me!".

 

So saying Kuresan plunged the sharp writing-quill into

his own eyes,and extracting ball from socket threw his

eyes on the floor at the King's feet!

 

The sudden and violent act of martyrdom of Kuresan

struck terror into the hearts of all assembled there!

 

The cruel King remained unfazed! He turned next to

Mahapurna and commanded him to sign the declaration of

apostasy. The elderly Sire too flatly refused, upon

which the vengeful King ordered his courtiers to

overpower Mahapurna and gouge out the old 'AchAryA's'

eyes without further ado!

 

And so was it done without much ado!

 

Blood streamed out of the eyeless cavities of

Mahapurna and the poignant agony caused may be better

imagined than described.

 

Kuresa being younger compared to Mahapurna, and of

stronger will, somehow took hold of Mahapurna and both

managed to totter out of the palace with blood and

gore trailing them.

 

Bearing their pain with a superhuman effort they

trudged some distance to the outskirts of Gangai-konda

-chozha-puram where they were met by Mahapurna's

daughter, the poor girl, AttulAzhAy-piratti. The girl

had come all the way from Srirangam looking for them.

When she saw her father thus, his face now eyeless and

disfigured beyond recognition, she screamed her heart

out in shock.

 

Mahapurna being in his declining years, and on meeting

his daughter, now collapsed by the roadside. He could

proceed no further on the road from the Chola capital

to the city of SriRangam. The pain became unendurable.

 

He lay down with his head resting on Kuresan's lap and

his feet resting on his daugter's and told them that

his mortal end was nearing.

 

Kuresan's heart broke and he began to wail aloud,"O

Sire, what cruel fate has befallen us and you

especially! Your birthplace is Srirangam and your God

is Ranga and your disciple is the great Ramanuja

himself! And yet to think that your death should be

ordained in a wayside field on the outskirts of

Gangai-konda-chozha-puram! Does this cause you

grief?".

 

The old Mahapurna then told Kuresan,"My dear Kuresa,

my beloved AtullAzhAy! Have you not heard that

wherever a Vaishnavan may chance to die, there God is

present with him, even as Rama was present while

Jatayu passed away from this world in the wilderness

of a jungle?

 

"And have you not heard, O Kuresa, that the best place

to die is on a SriVaishnavan's lap or house? Am I not

blessed therefore, O Kuresa, to have you cradle me in

your lap as I now breathe my last? Do not gireve!

 

"Also if not dying on the soil of Srirangam is a cause

of grief, all posterity would think that death in

SriRangam is the only thing in life worthy of

attainment! How ridiculous! No! Our rule is that a

good soul which has surrendered or performed

"prappati" to God may meet its death anywhere and yet

be sure of God beside it!

 

"And besides, where am I dying here now? Is this not

the land where my great gurus like Nathamuni and

Kurugai-kaval-appan also died? So should I not

consider myself fortunate that I die like them? Grieve

not!", said the venerable Mahapurna.

 

He then expired, O Sire, with his thoughts firmly

fixed on his guru Yamunacharya.

 

Sire, just then a band of SriVaishnavas happened to

pass by. They lent Kuresan a hand and together they

solemnly performed for Mahapurna the special last

rites, the "brahma-mEdha" for the great soul."

 

******** ************ ************

 

When Ramanuja heard the above account of the visitor

from Srirangam he sobbed uncontrollably. His sadness

knew no bounds.

 

Ramanuja remembered that he owed so much to his mentor

Mahapurna. It was for Ramanuja's own sake that the old

Master had to give his life! Alas, Ramanuja could not

be at his side at the time of his death to perform

obsequies like the son Mahapurna never had!

 

"In death, as in life, O my dearest Master Mahapurna",

thought Ramanuja silently, " I remain eternally in

debt to you, Sire! How shall I ever repay thee?".

Ramanuja wept like a child.

 

In sadness there was however a tinge of happiness too

for Ramanuja. "At least my Master did not die

abandoned!", thought Ramanuja, "At least, he was

tended to in his last moments by none other than my

own dearest disciple,Kuresan!".

 

********* *********** ************

 

Thus did Kuresa perform one more poignant deed of

"kainkaryam": Kuresa performed the 'antima-samskAram'

for his guru's guru!

 

(contd)

 

dAsan,

Sampathkumaran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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