SrI DevarAjAshtakam : Part I

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Sri Devarajaashtakam by Thirukkacchi Nambi

Dear Members of the group:On this occasion of the birth day of this

great Acharya, I willmake a few observations on his magnum opus on

Sri Varadaraja PerumaaL , Sri Devarajaashtakam .

As an Ashtakam , this sthotram has eight verses. The number eight has

sacred significancefor Sri Vaishnavaas, since their sacred mantram is

Ashtakshari or the one with 8 letters. The Acharyas therefore are

fond ofcreating Ashtakams or sthutis with 8 verses known as Ashtakam

.. For example, Parasara Bhatta, the son of Kuresacomposed his

Ashtasloki to dwell upon the meaning ofAshtaakshari . Swami Desikan

composed Ashtabhujaashtakamand Kamaseekaashtakam to salute the Archa

Murthys of two divyadesams near Kanchipuram . His third ashtakam is

the powerfulSudarsanaashtakam. Multiples of 8 and particularly 32

havespecial significance and I have posted earlier a note on that

number and its relevance to Sri Sampradhaayam..Thirukkacchi Nambi,

composed in chaste Sanskritthe first Ashtakam on the Lord of Kanchi

and prayed for the wellbeing of Ramanuja and the Sri Sampradhayam

that he was going toestablish as per the wishes of ALavandaar. One

can consider thereforethe Devarajaashtakam of Nambi as the trend

setter for the other Ashtakams that followed. Thirukkacchi Nambi

was also known as Kaanchi Poorna . Asone of the early preceptors of

Sri Ramanuja, he had a key role to play at different stages of Sri

Ramanuja"s ascendancy as the heirto ALavandaar. Thirukkacchi Nambi

was born in Poonamalle . He used to go to Kanchi every day to serve

Sri Varadaraja .The summum bonum of Nambi"s life was service to Sri

Varadaraja. He performed the Fan service to the Lord of Kanchi.In hot

summer days , he used to dip the fan in water and waved the fan in

service to the Lord, so that the Archa Murthy could benefit from the

cool breeze generated by his devotee.The Lord of Kanchi did some

thing exceptional during thosehours of kainkaryam. He broke His Archa

silence and conversed withThirukkacchi Nambi. Inview of this great

devotion and status of Nambi, he was revered by one and all as a

Mahatma.Sri Perumbudur is in between Poonamalle and

Kanchi.Thirukkacchi Nambi used to walk everyday from his home to

kanchito offer his services to Sri Varadaraja. One day, the young

Ramanuja saw the great devotee of Varadaraja walk though his village.

He saluted Thirukkacchi Nambi and invited him to rest for few minutes

at his house. Nambi recognized the marks of greatness of a future

Acharya in Sri Ramanuja.When latter tried to prostrate before Nambi,

he said: " O, Ramanuja ! I am a low-born Sudra! you should not

prostrate before me. How could yousalute your servant?" Ramanuja was

saddened by the remarks of Nambi and replied: " O, Great soul!

dearest devotee of Sri Varadaraja!Is it the wearing of the sacred

thread that makes one a Brahmana? He, whois devoted to God , he

alone is a genuine Brahmana.You know about the life of

ThiruppaNazhwaar, who became the object of worship ofthe Brahmanas

and the temple priest of Srirangam." Nambi was very pleased with the

utter devotion of Ramanuja and drew close to him.Time went by.

Ramanuja became the student of the Advaitin, Yadava

Prakasa.Thirukkacchi Nambi kept up his friendship with Ramanuja

..Yadava Prakasa was the promulgator of the rigid Advaita school,

thatwould not accept or acknowledge the God with form. Ramanuja

wasall devotion and cared a great deal for the service to God with a

form (Saguna Brahman ). Ramanujaserved his Acharya well inspite of

the fundamental differences in their view points.The anger and

jealousy of Yadava Prakasa over Ramanuja"s scholarship and divergence

of views led the Acharya to think of doing away with his star pupil

.. He arranged hastily a Kasi Yatra, during which he wanted to drown

Ramanuja in the river Ganga at Kasi. . Tipped off by his cousin

Govinda, Ramanuja escaped from the clutches of his plotters halfway

during that Yatra and was rescued by the Divya Dampathis of kanchi ,

who appeared before Ramanuja as a fowler couple. They walked with

Ramanuja and received water that he fetched from a well to quench

their thirst three times. When Ramanuja returned for the fourth time,

the fowler couple had disappeared and Ramanuja found himself at the

boundary of Kanchipuram. He understood immediately that it was the

Divya Dampathis of Kanchi Temple that had blessed him with service to

them . He returned to his home to the utter joy of his

mother.Thirukkachi Nambi came to the house on hearing about

Ramanuja"s return from the ill-fated theertha Yatra and was overjoyed

to see Ramanuja. Latter fell at the feet of Nambi and asked Nambi to

accept him as his disciple. Nambi protested and asked Ramanuja to

offer service to Varadaraja byfetching water daily from the very

same Well that Ramanuja had usedearlier to remove the thirst of the

Divya Dampathis and that service will helpRamanuja to gain the

proper Guru later. Ramanuja continued thatservice and during one of

the occasions of such a service, he metMaha Purna , who was sent by

ALavandaar topersuade Ramanuja to accept the responsibilities of

succeeding him and strengthen Sri Sampradhaayam. Thirukkacchi

Nambi"s prediction thus came true.Meanwhile, Ramanuja revered Nambi

as his Acharya and once had invited him to come to his home and be

his guest . Ramanuja"s wife was a strict observer of Varnaasrama

formalities and she committed an Apachaara to Nambi , when Ramanuja

was away. When Ramanuja came home, he learned that Nambi had come

earlier, partaken the food , gave the remaining food to a Sudra lady

andhiswife had cleaned the place, where Nambi had eaten and had taken

a bath and wascooking afresh to serve him his meal. Ramanuja was

extremely unhappy at his wife for insulting the Mahatma dear to the

Lord and began to distance himself from his wife. Before this

incident,Ramanuja had a numberof doubts on Tattvas and begged Nambi

to ask Varadaraja to clarify his doubts. Ramanuja appealed to Nambi

and said : " To whom but you shallI tell about the matters that

agitate my mind for long?" . Kanchi Purna duringthe night service to

the Lord passed on the queries of Ramanuja. The Lord answered

Ramanuja"s question and directed Nambi to convey His answersto

Ramanuja. Next morning , Thirukkacchi Nambi met Ramanuja and

delivered the message of Sri Varadaraja , which was in six parts.

Thoseparts of the message are:1.AHAMEVA PARAM BRAHMA JAGAT

KAARANAKAARANAM(I am the Absolute Brahman,the cause of Prakriti,

which is the cause of the Universe).2. KSHETRAGYESVARAYHORBHEDA:

SIDDHA YEVA MAHAMATEH(O Bright one! The distinction between Jiva and

Iswara is axiomatic).3.MOKSHOPAAYO NYASA EVA JANAANAAM

MUKTIMICCHATAAM(Self-surrender (at my feet) is the only means for

liberation for those who seek Moksham (final Beatitude). 4.

MADHBHAKTAANAAM JANAANAANAAM CHA NAANTIMASMRITHIIRISHYATEH(The

liberation of My devotees ,even though they fail to remember Me

during the last moment of their lives, is sure to take

place).5.DEHAAVASAANEH BHAKTHAANAAM DADHAAMI PARAMAM PADHAM(As soon

as My devotees give up their bodies , they attain residence at my

supreme abode ).6.POORNAACHAARYAM MAHAATMAANAM SAMAASRAYA

GUNAASRAYAM(Seek Refuge in the great soul Maha Purna, who is endowed

with all virtues).ITI RAMAANUJAARYAAYA MAYOKTHAM VADHA SATWARAM(Go

soon to Ramanuja and tell him , what I have told you).After hearing

the Lord"s answers to his questions, Ramanuja went for initiation by

Maha Purna at Srirangam. Maha Purna at that time was hurrying towards

Kanchi at the command of the Lord to meet Ramanuja.They met half way

at Madhuraanthakam .Ramanuja received the five Purificatory rites

(Pancha Samskaaram : Yajna, Ankana, Urdhvapundra,Mantra and Dasyanama

) from Mahapurna. He also returned with Maha Purnaand his wife to his

home in Kanchipuram. Kanchi Purna met with Maha Purna at Ramanuja"s

home and both enjoyed each other's company discussing Bhagavat

Vishayam. Rakshambaal , the wife of Ramanuja committed two more grave

Apacharas to her Husband"s guru Patni and a guest . Ramanuja decided

then to take Sanyasa Asrama and tactfully sent his wife to her

Parent'shomebefore becoming a Sanyasi . When Ramanuja took Sanyasam

at Kanchi Templeof Sri Varadaraja, Kanchi Purna addressed Ramanuja

as Yati Raja for the first time at the behest of Lord Varadaraja.

Thus, Thirukkacchi Nambi"s pervasive influence as the messenger of

Sri Varadaraja had a central role in shaping the life of Ramanuja at

critical moments and set him forth on his journey to strengthen the

Sri Sampradaayaeven unto this day.In the next posting, I will comment

on the Devarajaashtakam composed byThirukkacchi Nambi on his Ishta

Daivam, the Lord Of Kanchi.Thirukkacci Nambi Thiruvadigaleh

saranamOppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan