Guest guest Posted January 28, 2000 Report Share Posted January 28, 2000 Dear friends, Kuresan worked tirelessly at Srirangam all his life for his guru Ramanuja who was by then more than 110 years old and also for the cause of SriVaishnavaism which had by then become firmly established as a distinctive shool of Vedantic thought and practice in India. Kuresan too had aged considerably. His sons, Parashara and Vyasa Bhattar had quickly grown to be stripling lads who showed great promise as future leaders of the Sri Vaishnavism fold. His wife AndAlamma too had grown into an old but graceful lady. One day blind Kuresan went all by himself to visit Lord Ranga in the temple. After offering worship Kuresa continued to linger behind in the presence of the Lord. The Deity was a little surprised and asked Kuresan,"You seem to have something to say to Me, Kuresa?". Kuresan replied,"No my Lord! I linger here so that I may sing your praise to my hearts content!". Ranga was pleased and said,"Kuresa, you have pleased me today! Ask of me any favour you want!". Kuresan quickly replied,"O Ranga, you have bestowed me with every blessing and gift in life! There is nothing that I lack! What can I ask thee further?". The Deity however pressed Kuresan,"No, once more ask, and ask for more, if not for yourself, then ask for the love that I bear towards my beloved spouse, Ranganayaki, and towards my Ramanuja!". Kuresan then had to ask for something, so he asked that he be released from his mortal body and be merged in the Lord's Feet. The Deity however demurred and said,"Ask me anything but that, Kuresan!". Kuresan said he had nothing else to ask of God. So Ranga finally relented and said,"Let it be so then! What you have asked of me, Kuresan, shall be boon for not only thee but also a boon conferred upon everyone that has any sort of kinship with thee!". On receiving the supreme blessing from the Deity of Srirangam, Kuresan walked out of the temple with his head held high in pride! He felt like a crown-prince who was about to be coronated in the Kingdom of God! He went home with his spirit soaring! ********** ************ *********** Meanwhile news of Kuresan's encounter with Lord Ranganathan quickly reached Ramanuja who was in his monastery. When the old AchArya heard of the incident he was startled! He stood up immediately, and throwing his upper garment in the air, let out a low whoop! The old achAryA's behaviour was so unusual that a disciple who was standing close-by asked him what the matter was. Ramanuja replied,"My faithful one, do I also not bear kinship with my Kuresan! My salvation too is now assured by the boon that Ranga has granted my Kuresan!". It was an ironic but wonderful reversal of roles! Usually it is by the guru's intercession that God's grace is fetched for a disciple. But here in the case of Kuresan and Ramanuja, it was the Master who was benefiting from the disciple's stock with the Almighty! ********** *********** ************ The old pontiff then left his Mutt and made his way to the quarters of Kuresan in the other part of SriRangam. Kuresan was waiting for his guru. When the Master met Kuresan he said,"What have you done,Kuresan?! You have gone and done a deed without even consulting me your guru?". Ramanuja's tone was a bit remonstrative and a bit accusatory too. So Kuresan kept silent. "Why do you not speak, Kuresa? What was your purpose in going to our Lord Ranga and begging Him to let go of thee far in advance of someone like me here who is so far gone in age? Do you wish to be gone ahead of me, my dear Kuresa? Why?". Kuresan spoke in soft tones, "My Master, my most Holy Sire! My sole purpose was to preserve the order of prededence in "parama-padam".... in God's Kingdom.". "Don't speak to me in riddles and conundrums, Kuresa! I am your Master, speak plainly with me!", gently chided Ramanuja. "Sire, in the "pasurammuDiyuDai" it is said that our elders in heaven who preceded us come out of the gates of "parama=padam" to welcome their younger brothers when it is the latter's turn to arrive there.... and then the elders usher the young ones into God's Presence. Sire, but this I consider as being of improper order! It is the younger ones who should always go first and prepare in Heaven to receive and welcome their elders. That is the order of precedence I wish to preserve! Hence, Sire, I go in advance so that I may welcome my Master when he arrives there in good time!". When Ramanuja heard Kuresan's stirring words his whole body shook with tremors of emotion. His spirit melted. "My most beloved Kuresan, you forget the rule in Heaven that all differences and distinction between elder and young, between wise and ignorant, between saint and sinner simply disappear there! And yet you Kuresan, who has served me here so devotedly as a disciple, wish to perpetuate in Heaven too the same relationship that existed between you and me here on earth! O, my dearest Kuresa, is there anybody to match you in this world! Kuresa, my beloved child!". The aged Ramanuja could not contain his tears and rushing forward took hold of his disciple and embraced him. "Kuresa, my Kuresa, my dearest son, you are my very soul! How can I part with thee? You say you want to leave this old man behind alone in this world! Can you not be kind-earted to this Master of yours of so many years? Take me too with you, my son, to the Kingdom of God! Why do you want to leave me behind to suffer the pangs of separation? While I am yet here upon this earth, how can you be so anxious for Heaven, O Kuresa? Tell me, how can you enjoy "parama-padam" without me?". On hearing his old guru's wrenching words, Kuresan heart was torn to shreds by emotion. He was stunned into a poignant silence. After a moment Kuresan meekly replied, "My Master, my Great Sire, in the depth of my thoughts for the miseries of earthly existence, I completely forgot the point that you have raised! Pray forgive me please, SIre, please pardon for me my thoughtlessness even in the presence of God!". Ramanuja then said,"If Ranga can grant you a boon such as that which you asked him, Kuresa, surely He can grant me one too! So I will go right now to His temple and ask him to stop you here on earth for my sake!". So saying the old and bent Ramanuja turned and walked a few paces towards the temple of Lord Rangantha.... but then after a short distance paused abruptly and reflected aloud: "The Will of God is unalterable! What audacity on my part to go and force Him to change it! No! Let me submit and be resigned to the Divine Inevitable!". So saying the old guru retraced his steps towards Kuresan. Ramanuja now faced Kuresan and spoke in a clear voice: "Kuresa! When you are gone how shall I live without thee? Alas, God in "parama-padam" has attracted thee, even though our Ranga here has all attractions too! So then yet have you decided to sever yourself from Ranga here! Happy is the God in "parama-padam" and happy His celestials to claim thee as one of their own! Luckless are we all going to be here, yes luckless Ranga too, who will no longer have thee amongst us....". "But Kuresa, I am an old and fading man now, let me not change your mind and disturb thy plans! Be it all as thou wishest! All Hail to you, my dearest Kuresa! Go now, go now and proceed to the Blessed Kingdom of God and rule there in eternal Peace and Happiness!". So saying Ramanuja gathered the blind Kuresan in his arms and smothered him with love, stroking his head and shoulders as if he were a but mere a child. "Kuresa, in this moment when you have to depart from me, I salute thee now, my son!". It was moment of divine pathos. Kuresan had no words left in him! Such was his stupefied condition of being that he simply lay motionless in the arms of his great "achAryA" who clasped him in his arms as if he were a tiny infant! After a while Kuresan disengaged himself slowly and simply fell at Ramanuja's feet like a log of senseless wood. The old guru then bent down and raised his disciple and wiped away his tears. "Go now, my child, go now quickly to the Lord! Thou hast now my leave to depart!". So saying the aged and venerable Ramanuja turned and slowly made his way to return to his monastery in the other part of SriRangam. It was at that moment that a most excellent and poignant prayer ("tanian") in euphonious Sanskrit sprang spontaneously to Kuresan's lips and which even to this day all devout followers of SriRamanuja recite in their homes daily and at all times: "yO nityamachutha padAmbhuja yugmarugma vyAmOhatas-tadi-tarANi trNAya mEnE asmath gurOr bhagavatOsya daiyaiyaka sindOhO rAmAnujasya charanow sharanam prapadyE !". "The Holy Feet of My Master, Ramanuja, are my sole refuge! For He is an Ocean of Mercy! And for Him all else is dross other than the supreme wealth that is the Feet of God!" ********* ************* *********** Kuresan passed away peacefully after a few hours in the presence of his loving family, AndAlamma and their two young sons Vyasa and Parashara Bhattar. All of Srirangam gathered and performed all the due obsequies and honours that one so great a soul as Kuresan richly deserved. Ramanuja had many disciples. But there never was one like Sri.Kuresan.... CONCLUDED dAsan, Sampathkumaran Talk to your friends online with Messenger. http://im. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2000 Report Share Posted January 31, 2000 Dear Sri Sampath Kumar : What a pleasure it is to read your postings on Kuresar . You are indeed gifted with enormous story telling capabilities for a good cause .This is a great service. Thank you. V.Sadagopan P.S : Thanks for pointing out that I had written about narada Bhakthi Soothrams. Some times I forget what I have written. I will go and look it up. At 10:52 PM 1/28/00 -0800, you wrote: >Dear friends, > >Kuresan worked tirelessly at Srirangam all his life >for his guru Ramanuja who was by then more than 110 >years old and also for the cause of SriVaishnavaism >which had by then become firmly established as a >distinctive shool of Vedantic thought and practice in >India. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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