Sri Vishnuchitta kulanandana kalpavalli (part-12)

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE namaha

Sri Vanachala mahA munayE namaha

 

Swamy emperumAnAr went to Azhvar thirunagari had the divine darshan of

polindhu nindra piran and nammazhvar and then proceeded towards

thiruppulinkudi to have the darshan of emperuman over there. Swamy

was followed by all his shisyas and they were all very tired. On the

way swamy enquired to a small girl playing in the streets, “Oh little

girl how far is thirupulinkudi temple from here”. The girl with a

smile asked emperumanar, “Oh! Sanyasi don’t you know thiruvaimozhi?”

Swamy emperumAnAr was taken by surprise. Swamy is celebrated as

“valarththa edaththAi erAmAnusan” he was like yesodha to

thiruvaimozhi. Nammazhvar gave birth to thiruvaimozhi but only swamy

emperumanar spread its fame everywhere. Now a small girl is asking if

he didn’t know thiruvaimozhi. But swamy was not filled with ahankara

and hence he didn’t get angry but calmly asked the girl, “Oh child is

it told in thiruvaimozhi the distance between azhvar thirunagari and

thiruppulinkudi?” The girl with great confidence replied, “Oh! Yes”

Swamy was astonished. Swamy asked, “Where is it told?” The girl

replied, ”haven’t azhvar said ‘engu orunAl koovudhal varudhal

seiyAyO’ that means that thiruppulinkudi is at a calling distance

(koopidum dooram) from azhvar thirunagari” What a great explanation

admired swamy emperumanar. He wondered, ”How come such a great artha

has never struck my minds.” Swamy accepted that small girl to be like

an acharya who has taught him a great meaning and hence as a sense of

gratitude went to the girl’s place and accepted food in her place for

the sake of the small girl’s intelligence. Swamy emperumAnAr never

saw the age of the girl and that she was only a girl but only saw the

meanings that came out of her mouth.

 

>From this incident two things have to be noted by Srivaishnavas. One

is the sense of gratitude our acharyas had even towards a small girl.

Secondly it is not the person that matters it is the matter/meaning

that comes out of their mouth that matters. If the words match with

the sastras and our poorvacharyas then it can be accepted no matter

who says it. Even if a uttamAdhikAri (one filled with jnanam and

anubhavam) says something contradicting that has to be surely

ignored. Going through the guru paramparai and other incidents in

the life of our acharyas we are able to grasp a lot of things. And

the beauty of our acharyas vyakhyanams is to include many such

incidents in the appropriate places so that we get a clear

understanding of our vaishnavic principles. So more than just

knowing the prabhandams it is very important for each one of us to go

through the vyakhyanams and enjoy both the divine anubhavams and the

knowledge embedded in them.

 

(To be continued)

 

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan