Sri U.Ve.Velukkudi Sri KrishNan Swamy's upanyAsam on Srimath RaamayaNa Tani SlOkam :

[Guest guest]

Taniyans for Swami Periya VaacchAn PiLLai

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Srimath KrishNa samAhvAya namo Yaamuna ssonayE

Yath KatAkshaika lakshyANAm sulabha: Sridhara: sadhA

--Primary Taniyan

 

Sakala drAvidAmnAya sAra VyAkhyAna kAruNam

SravaNE RohiNi Jaatham KrishNa Samjnam aham bhajE

 

abhayapradAnAmAnam asmad gurum aham bhajE

Yath-katAkshAdayam jantur apunar janmatAm gatah

--VaadhikEsari SoumyajAmAthru Muni

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

We will start with a quick summary of

the Life of Swami Priya VaacchAn PiLLai(PVP).

 

This great AchAryA (PVP)is the disciple of NampiLLai .

He was born in the year 1167 A.D and lived on this

earth for 95 years and blessed us with 13 Sri Sookthis.

He was known by the names of Sri KrishNa Paadhar ,

Abhayaprada RaajA and Abhayaprada Soori. He was

born at SenthanUr in TamilnAdu during AvaNi RohiNi,

the Thrunakshathram of Bhagavan KrishNA . His AchAryan,

Swami NampiLLai(NambhUr VaradAchAr Swamy)was born in

Karthikai Krutthikai , the Thirunakshathram of

Thirumangai AzhwAr.

 

There is a a legend that Thirumangai AzhwAr

in the form of NampiLLai performed upadEsam

for Swamy Periya VaacchAn PiLLai , who was

the avathAram of Lord KrishNa . The connection

is to the Paasuram of Thirumangai , where he

invites (teases) BhattharAvi PerumAL of

ThirukkaNna Mangai to learn about the meanings of

his Tamizh Paasurams:

 

"meymai sollil VeNN-sankhamonREnthiya KaNNa ,

NinRanakkum kuRippAhil kaRkalAm Kaviyin poruLthAnE

--Periya Thirumozhi: 7.10.10

 

BhattharAvi PertumAL responded to the invitation

of Thirumangai to learn his Dhivya Sookthis by

pointing out that He could not break His ArchA silence

(SamAdhi) at ThirukkaNNamangai and therefore ,

He will take a new avathAram as Sri KrishNa

Padhar(PVP) at ChEnthanUr , while Thirumangai

descended earlier on this earth as NampiLLai to begin

the AchArya-Sishya raltionship.Such is the greatness

of Sri Periya VaacchAn PiLLai or the great learned

AchAryan , who is also revered as VyAkhyAna

Chakravarthi or the Emperor of Commentators of

Dhivya Sookthis .He acquired the title of

VykhyAna Chakravarthi for his commentaries on

the NaalAyira Dhivya prabhandham.

 

His other works are:

 

(1) TanislOki VyAkhyANam,the Subject of

Sri VeLukkudi KrishNan swamy's upanyAsam .

This is a MaNipravALa Commentary on selected

slOkams of Srimath RaamAyaNam of Adhi Kavi,

Sage VaalmIki

 

(2) Paranda-rahasya or Ashta RahasyAs or

" the eight secret tracts" , which are

elaborations on the three rahasyams

(Thirumanthiram, Dhvayam and Cahrama slOkam)

sacred to VishNavAs.

 

(3) the third major category of the commentorial

works of Sri PVP is SthOthra-Gadhya-VyAkhyAnAs.

These include commentaries on JithantE sthOthram

( Rg Vedic Khila Rk), ChathusslOki and the sthOthra

rathanam of Sri AlavandhAr and Gadhya Trayams of

AchArya RaamAnujA.

 

Sri VeLukkudi Swamy pointed out that Swami PVP

created four SimhAsanams through his commnetorial

works:

 

(1) SimhAsanam for NaalAyira Dhivya prabhandham

 

(2) SimhAsanam for the SthOthra granthams

like JithantE , Gadgya Thrayam , ChathusslOki and

Sthothra rathnam

 

(3) SimhAsanam for Rahasya Thryam: Parantha Rahasyam

 

(4) SimhAsanam for Srimath RaamAyanam : TanislOki

Sri KrishNan Swami pointed out that ThiruvAimozhi

and Srimath RaamAyanam are the two eyes of Sri VaishNavam .

He elaborated on the special efforts of Thirumalai

Nambi to teach Srimath RaamAyaNa rahasyArthams

over the period of an year to AchArya RaamAnujA,

his nephew at the command of Sri AlavandhAr .

Thirumalai Nambi had Thirumanjana Theertha Kaimkaryam

at Thirumalai for Lord SrinivAsan every day. After

that Kaimkaryam , Thirumalai Nampi came down to

Keezha Thiruppathi to instruct his nephew , who

was reluctant to set his foot on the sacred hills

of Sri VenkatEsan. At the end of the instruction

for the day , Thirumalai Nampi climbed the hills to be

ready for the next morning's theertha Kaimkaryam

for the lord.This routine continued for 365 days

and this is how AchArya RaamAnujA acquired the treasures

relating to Srimath RaamAyanam assembled by Sri AlavandhAr.

This rare treasure was passed on By Acharya RaamAnuja

to his sishya paramparai all the way down to

Swami PVP. In his Tani SlOki grantham , we

enjoy this rich treasure passed on to us

by Swamy AlavandhAr.

 

The preference of Swami PVP was for writing

vyAkhyAnams as opposed to Moola granthams

(original treatises).This is a great blessing

for the successive generations of AchAryAs to

carry on the tradition of KaalakshEpam even today.

 

We will conclude this Summary and Introduction for

Sri Velukkudi Swamy's First UpanyAsam with a companion

post on Srimath RaamAyaNa Tani SlOkam that he chose

as the topic (viz): Baala KaaNdam : 19th Sargam ,14th SlOkam

 

"Aham vEdhmi MahAthmAnam Raamam Sathya parAkramam

VasishTOpi MahAtEjA yE chEmE tapasi sthiThA:"

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil V.satakOpan