Born Genius Sri parasara bhattar-the hero of today(vaikAsi anusham)

[Guest guest]

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

Sri Vanachala mahA munayE Namaha

 

“Sri parasara bhattAryA: srirangEsa purOhita:

srivatsAnga sutha: srimAn srEyasE mEstu bhooyasE”

 

Today (13th June 2003) is vaikAsi anusham, the thirunakshatram dhinam

of Sri parasara bhattar. Yesterday we all celebrated the

thirunakshatram of Swami nammAzhvAr. Visakam is considered as one of

the “mupuriootiya thirunakshatrams”. The star, which has to its

credit the birth of perumal, an azhvar and an acharya, is considered

to be a “mupuriootiya thirunakshatram” e.g., thiruvonam, which is the

common star for perumal, poigaiyAzhvar, the first among the mudal

Azhvars and two great acharyas, Sri pillailokAchariar and Sri

vedantha desikan. Similar credit goes to punarvasu and swathi

thirunakshatrams. How is visakam considered to have the

same credit? Which perumal has visakam as the thirunakshatram? In

rAmAyana, valmiki says, all ekshvAku kings had the common star of

visAkam. Considering the same, rAmA pirAn born in that heritage can

be considered to belong to visakam star. Nammazhvar was of course

born in that thirunakshatram and one great acharya who was

responsible for reconstructing the nava thirupathis around Azhvar

thirunagari (“kAdu thiruththi nAdAkkinAr), Sri ThiruvAimozhi pillai

was also born in this very star. The bhakthi of thiruvaimozhi pillai

towards nammazhvar and azhvar thirunagari is beyond words and we are

all indebted to him forever. He was responsible for building the

ramanuja chaturvedi mangalam and also initiating swami Manavala

mAmunigal to sing the “yethirAja vimsathi” as praise to swamy ethirAjar.

 

Coming to the star of this day, Sri parasara bhattar, he was

considered to be the foster son of Periya pirattiyar. Swamy parasara

bhattar was the son of koorathAzhvan and a disciple of embar and was

graced by swamy EmperumAnAr from his childhood. Even today,

bhagavatas of parasara bhattar’s lineage continue their sincere

kainkaryam to Periya perumal in Srirangam. Sri ParAsara bhattar is

considered as the purohit of ranganatha. To think about the born

genius on his thirunakshatram day is our bhakyam. He did two master

pieces, one for the ubhaya vibhoothi nAthan, Sri ranganathan, Sri

rangaraja stavam and one for the Sridevi nAchiyar, Periya pirattiyar

who adorns the thirumArpu of perumal always (“agalagillEn eraiyum

endru alarmEl mangai vurai mArbhA”), Sri guna ratna ghOsam. Though

it will be a treat to enjoy the inner meanings in these stotras of

the great acharya on this day, it is not that easy. So just as a

token to show his mastery in sampradayam let us see the two thaniyans

which swamy submitted to the divine work of yesterday’s star, swamy

nammAzhvar’s thiruvAimozhi.

 

“vAn thigazhum sOlai madhilarangar vaNpugazhmEl

Andra thamizhmaraigal Ayiramum – Endra

Mudal thAi saTakOpan moimpAl valarththa

EdhaththAi irAmAnusan.”

 

Meaning: Nammazhvar is the mother who gave birth to the divine work,

the tamizh vedam, the 1000 paasurams in thiruvAimozhi, which is

nothing but praise on the divine qualities of the emperuman who

reclines in thiruvarangam which is a beautiful place surrounded by

gardens touching the sky. The mother who brought up the child, with

his charm is none other than EmperumAnAr.

 

Like devaki and yesodha to Krishna paramatma, nammazhvar and rAmAnujar

where two mothers (one who gave birth and the other who brought it up)

to the divine tamizh vEdam thiruvAimozhi. Without the vyakhyanams of

the mahAcharyas the inner meanings of thiruvAimozhi will be like the

sound of the waves in the beach (kadalOsaipOlE) to us. “PillAn

nanjeeyer periyavAchAn pillai, thellAr vadakkuthiruveedhipillai,

manavAla yogi thiruvAimozhiyai kAththa gunavAlar endru nenjE kooru”

says Swamy ManavAla mAmunigal in his upadesa ratina mAlai. Out of

the 5 great acharyas who did vyakhyanam to thiruvAimozhi, the first

and foremost was thirukkurugai pirAn pillAn who did the 6000-padi

vyakhyanam under the order of Swamy EmperumAnAr (thellArum jnana

thirukkurugaipiran pillAn ETHIRASAR PERARULAL - vullArum anbudanE

mAran maraipporulai andruraiththadhu enbhamigu ArAyiram, says

mAmunigal). So swamy emperumAnar was only responsible for the first

vyakhyanam to sprout out. In Acharya hrudhayam, Swamy azhagiya

Manavala perumal nAyanar says, “bhashyakArar edhukondu sootra

vAkhyangal orungaviduvar” (EmperumAnAr used to clarify his doubts

while doing the brahma sootra bhashyam with the help of thiruvaimozhi

paasurams). In this way Swamy ethirajar, spread the divine arthas of

the thiruvAimozhi to many.

 

Though there are only 11 paasurams, “kangulam pagalum” padhigam for

lord ranganatha in the whole thiruvAimozhi it is a tradition of our

acharyas to say that all the 1000 paasurams belongs only to

ranganatha. The same has been repeated by Sri parasara bhattar here.

He says that the whole thiruvaimozhi was submitted to the divine feet

of Periya perumal and then it was distributed to various other divya

desa emperumans. (“thiruvEnkataththukku evai paththum” “van

thirumOgoorukku eendha paththivai” etc.,).

 

“mikkavirainilaiyum meiyAvuyirnilaiyum

thakkaneriyum thadaiyAgi- thokkiyalum

voozhvinaiyum vAizhvinaiyum vOdhum kurugayarkOn

yAzhinisai vEdaththiyal”

 

Meaning: Azhvar who is the head of people in thirunagari gave the

sweet paasurams of thiruvAimozhi which can be equated to the sweet

music from a divine instrument, which explains about the svaroopa of

emperuman, the svaroopa of the permanent jeevatma, the upaya

svaroopa, the virothi svaroopa which prevents us from attaining the

divine upEyam and also the parama purushArtha svaroopam.

 

Each and every mumukshu should first have the knowledge of the artha

panchakam, which has been clearly explained in thiruvAimozhi by

azhvar. Thiruvaimozhi holds the 3 important rahasyams inside. Artha

panchakam, which each one should know, is nothing but the knowledge

about the paramatma svaroopa, jeevatma svaroopam, upaya and upEya

svaroopam and virOdhi svaroopam. Emperuman is the omnipotent,

omniscient brahmam, the jeevatma is a seshan to the paramatma,

sharanAgathi is the only way to attain emperuman, “poinindra jnAnamum

pollA vozhukkum azhukkudambum” these are the virodhi (hindrance which

prevent us from attaining emperuman’s divine feet) and finally

“ozhivilla kAlamudanAgi manni vazhuvilA adimai seiya vEndum nAm” is

the parama

pushartham, the final goal which has been clearly explained in the thiruvaimozhi paasurams.

 

It is not a wonder if azhvar explains these in his 1000 paasurams but

bhattar has put the whole essence in just a single thaniyan. What a

genius he was!! Once bhattar went to EmperumAnAr and asked “jeeyA!

Why is dvayam regarded as such a great manthra. What if adiyen does

another manthra conveying all the arthas in dvayam?” Ethirajar

immediately replied, “ Oh! bhattar there is no doubt. You are

capable of making not one but 10 manthras conveying the same meaning

and more. But those will not get the credit of being considered as

so dear by our poorvAcharyas. So

greatness of dvayam can never be overcomed by any other manthra.

Dvayam reserves its greatness for ever”. Bhattar was considered as

a genius by even our jagadAcharaya, Sri rAmAnujar.

 

Let us do mangalAsAsanams to that great acharya today and forever.

 

Any mistake is due to adiyen’s ignorance and hence may be please

pardoned by the learned bhagavatas of this group.

Alwar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free online calendar with sync to Outlook.