A Day in the Life of our Acharyas - 1

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

 

Dear bhAgavatas,

 

Recently adiyEn had posted an article in a sister

group about an event based on Bhattar and Nanjeeyar's

anubhavam of Periya Thirumozhi. A bhAgavata had then

asked adiyEn to post more such articles. adiyEn will

therefore post a series of articles describing interesting

events in our acharya's lives, based on various works such

as Guruparampara Prabhavam, Varttha Mala and vyAkhyanams

for Azhvar and Acharya's works. Translating the rich and

meaningful words in Tamil and Sanskrit into English is a

difficult task. This coupled with adiyEn's inadequacies in

understanding our sampradhayam means that some of these

articles will not present the full picture as was written

by our elders. adiyEn requests all bhAgavatas to correct

adiyEn and the articles when you see them.

 

AzhvAr emperumAnAr jIyar thiruvadigaLE sharaNam

 

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan

 

 

--

 

One time many scholars gathered into a crowd and challenged

Bhattar to a philosophical debate. Bhattar agreed, took them

on and defeated them. Even then they wanted to test his

knowledge.

 

So, they put a snake in a vessel, closed its mouth and asked

Bhattar "Please identify what's in this vessel".

 

Bhattar replied "The white umbrella of the Lord is in it".

 

The scholars laughed and opening the vessel showed Bhattar

the snake as it left the vessel. They then asked him "Is

this the umbrella of the Lord?"

 

Bhattar replied "Is it not? Did not Azhvar say senRAl

kudaiyAm?"

 

(Poygai Azhvar's description of Adisesha the snake in

Muthal ThiruvandhAdhi pasuram 53 is

 

senRAl kudaiyAm irunthAl singAsanamAm

ninRAl maravadiyAm nILkadaluL - enRum

puNaiyAm maNiviLakkAm pUmpattAm pulgum

aNaiyAm thirumARk aravu

 

That is, he is an umbrella when the Lord walks about, a

seat when He wants to sit down, footwear when he stands,

and so on).

 

The scholars greatly wondering at Bhattar's knowledge

praised him and left.