Swamy KurEsar's Pancha Sthavam : Part II (An Introduction ) /AzhwAr's CD ROM II Kaimkaryam

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SrI :

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Swamy KurEsar ( KuratthAzhwAn ) is from the village of Kooram ,

which is not far from Lord VaradarAjan's temple at Kaanchi.

He was a wealthy person , who gave a lot to charity . His wife

(ANDAL) was a great soul , who supported her husband's philanthrophy

with zest as an ideal Saha-dharma-chAriNi .

 

Swamy KurEsar is also known as SrivatsAnkamisra . He lived from

1010-1116 C.E . He was a very important SishyA of AchArya RaamAnuja

( 1017-1137 C.E). KurEsar was thus 7 years senior to AchArya RaamAnuja

and ascended to Parama Padham some 21 years before his AchAryan.

KurEsar assisted AchArya RaamAnuja in the writing of Sri BhAshyam .

The Five devotional lyrics ( AthimAnusha Sthavam , VaradarAja Sthavam ,

SrI Sthavam , SundarabAhu Sthavam and Sri Vaikunta Sthavam were

bequeathed to us by Swamy KurEsar . These Sthavams are the path breakers

for exemplary devotional lyrics as well as rich reources for understanding of

the esoteric Sri VaishNavite Tatthvams . The precocious son of KurEsar ,

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar and Swamy Desikan travelled on the road

laid out by KurEsar in composition of the devotional lyrics (SthOtrams)

and enriched Sri VaishNavite Literature further .

 

The Taniyan for Swamy KurEsar is:

 

SrivatsacihnamisrEbhyO nama ukthim adhImahE

YadutayastrayIkanthE yaanthi MangaLasutratAm

 

It is adiyEn's BhAgyam to venture into posting articles

on the mighty Pancha Sthavams of KurEsar and seek

His anugraham to undertake this task . Fortunately another

SrivatsAnkAchAr Swamy , contemproary Scholar of extraordinary

scholarship has blessed us with MaNipravALa commentary on these

five Sthavams ( 1986-88 C.E) . U.Ve. MahA VidwAn , PayyampAdi

U.Ve. SrivathsAnkAchAr Swamy is the illustrious disciple of Abhinava DEsika ,

U.Ve. Sri UtthamUr VeerarAghavAchArya Swamy . AdiyEn will closely follow

the commentary of U.Ve.Sri SrIvathsAnkAchAr Swamy on all these five

sthavams in my postings on them .

 

At the outset , adiyEn prostrates before asmath AchAryan , HH Sri VaNN

SathakOpa , Sri NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA Desikan , the prakrutham

Srimath Azhagiya Singar and seeks His anugraham to undertake this

difficult task .

 

The Five Sthavams of KurEsar ( NadamAdum PaTanjali )

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1) Sri Sthavam has 11 slOkams on the Parama Paavana ,

Dayaa Moorthy , SrI Sriranga NaacchiyAr . This sthavam is

a moving eulogy of the divine consort of Lord RanganAtha.

 

Back in February of 1996 ( Feb 10 & 14 ) , adiyEn posted 5 articles on

Sri Sthavam following the commentary of U.Ve . Sri PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram

AnnangarAcchAr Swamy of Kaanchipuram . These articles can be accessed

through Oppiliappan archives :

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/oppiliappan/archives/1996

 

alternatively , you can access them at

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/feb1996

 

adiyEn will write this time about the 11 slOkams of SrI Sthavam

based on the commentary of Sri SrivathsAnkAcchAr Swamy .

 

2) Sri Vaikunta Sthavam has 100 slOkams ; the old proverb is :

The one who does not know Sri Vaikunta Sthavam is not a VaishNavan.

This is the Saaram of Sri Bhaashyam and focuses on Parama Padha Naathan .

 

3) AthimAnusha Sthavam containing 61 slOkams . This deals with

the AthimAnusha dhivya ChEsthithams of RaamA and KrishNa , who took

the form of Manushyan ( Human Being ) in their Vibhava avathArams and

moved among us and performed the extraordinary , divine deeds .

 

4) Sri Sundara Baahu Sthavam is about ThirumAlirum ChOlai

KaLLazhagar(Sri Sundara Baahu PerumAL ) . This Sthavam has 132 slOkams .

KurEsar's family moved to the village of Kuram after generations of

Kaimkaryam to Sundara Baahu PerumAL at ThirumAlirumchOlai

dear to ANDAL and PeriyAzhwAr . That is why , Swamy KurEsar

has a special attachment to Sri Sundara Baahu of ThirumAlirum ChOlai.

 

5) Sri VaradarAja Sthavam is about Kaanchi Varadhar . It has 102

slOkams and is very dear to Swamy Desikan , who was inspired

to compose SrI VaradarAja PanchAsath . The VaradarAja Sthavam

is the last of the Pancha Sthavams composed by Haareetha Kula Tilakam .

Swamy KurEsar composed it in front of Lord VaradarAjan as commanded by

his AchAryan to gain back the eye sight that he lost from the atrocity

committed by the cruel ChOLA King . In this Sthavam , KurEsar

prayed for the Moksham of NaalUrAn , the sishyan who became

a drOhi to him ( his own AchAryan ) . Such is the greatness of

Swamy KurEsar .

 

Swamy KurEsar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan