KooratthAzhwAn Thirunakshathram- Thai hastham- makham - today- [Posted by Sri Anand of Singapore]

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SrI:

Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha Parabrahmane Nama:

 

AdiyEn ventures into sharing key aspects of Sri

Koorathazhvan's Avathara Vaibhavam.

 

The Thiru Avatharam:

 

Sriman Narayana - the Vathsalyan that He is - was

immensely pleased by Sri Anathazhvar's Nithya

Kaimkaryam in Sri Vaikuntam. Our Lord was further

pleased by the dedicated devotion and Kaimkaryam shown

by Sri Anathazhvar during the Lords incarnation of

various Thiru Avatarams in Boo Logam. Our Lord wanted

to reward Sri Anathazhvar for his dedicated devotion

and our Lord chose the route of Kaimkaryam. Yet

another instance of our Lord's Kalyana Guna in action!

 

When our Lord blessed Sri Anathaazhvar to incarnate as

Bhagavad Ramanuja, our Lord found it a fitting

opportunity to 're-pay' the dedicated devotion

shown by Sri Anathazhvar. Thus the Thiru Avatharam as

Koorathazhvan.

 

Sri Koorathazhvan's wealth:

 

Sri Koorathazhvan was born in illustrious family -

illustrious in wealth, knowledge and devotion. Sri

Koorathazhvan lived in a place called Kooram -

a small village close to Kancheepuram and the palace

of Sri Koorathazhvan was an epitome of material

wealth. Sri Koorathazhvan was known for his generous

help to all and sundry, who lived in the village; who

came for help and those who visited their palace.

 

The main door of the palace had huge bells in it and

when the family retires for the day, the main door

used to be closed with a loud bang. The bang was so

loud that the noise would reach the Perumal Koil

[sri Varadarajaswamy Koil, Kancheepuram], which was

at least 5 kilometers away.

 

The Call by PirAti:

 

Goddess Perundevi ThAyAr used to wonder at the kind of

wealth that Sri Koorathazhvan had and discusses this

with none other than our Lord DevAadirajan. Both of

them felt it was time Sri Koorathazhvan

spent more time in Bhagavat and Bhagavata Kaimkaryam.

 

PirAti Perundevi ThAyAr sent for Sri Koorathazhvan and

blessed him to be involved in Bhagavat and Bhagavata

Kaimkaryam.

 

Sri Koorathazhvan's Vairakyam:

 

The devout Sri Koorathazhvan instantly obeyed and

asked his Devi Smt. Andal to follow him. It is amazing

fact that they detached themselves instantly from all

that huge material wealth.

 

While they were walking towards Kancheepuram, in dark

night, Sri. Koorathazhvan found his Devi worried about

something. He found that, out of compassion, she was

carrying the golden plate which Sri Koorathazhvan used

for eating.

 

Sri Koorathazhvan instantly asked her to throw the

plate on the streets and said any kind of material

attachment will hamper Bhagavath and Bhagavata

Kaimkaryam.

 

Such was Sri. Koorathazhvan's Vairakyam, through which

we can see a parallel in our Swami Desikan's life,

when Swami Desikan reacted the same way on seeing

small pieced of gold in rice.

 

Amazing Skills:

 

Sri Koorathazhvan was a devout disciple of Bhagavad

Ramanuja. Bhagavad Ramanuja taught the sampradayam in

detail and took Sri Koorathazhvan along in various

sancharams. While they were in place near current day

Kashmir Bhagavad Ramanuja won an Tharkam and

rightfully claimed Sri Bodayana's vyakyanam to Brahma

Sutram. However, jealous elements followed

 

Bhagavad Ramanuja to snatch the works. Sensing this,

Sri Koorathazhvan glanced through the vyakyanam in a

single evening.

 

When eventually, the work was snatched away, Sri

Koorathazhvan could reproduce the entire vyakyanam -

verbatim. It was this amazing feat that helped

Bhagavad Ramanuja to compose Sri Bashyam.

 

Acharya Kaimkaryam:

 

Sri Koorathazhvan stood as an epitome of sishya

lakshanam. He served Bhagavad Ramanuja with complete

devotion and diligence. His daily routine will be to

serve his Acharyan and quickly do what he wanted to

do, when the Acharyan rests. In light of this, the

above mentioned feat of Sri Koorathazhvan takes

further significance.

 

Thiruarangathu Amudanar was then managing the

administration of Koil [srirangam]. Sri Koorathazhvan

sought from Amudanar that the temple administration be

handed over to Bhagavad Ramanuja.

 

Amudanar knew the greatness of Bhagavad Ramanuja who

willingly handed over and Sri Amudanar went on to

compile "Sri Ramanuja Nootrandhadhi"

 

A Chozha King was a devotee of Siva and went on to

forcibly establish the superiority of Siva over all

others [including Sriman Narayana]. Bhagavad Ramanuja,

Sri Koorathazhvan and Other disciples were in

Sancharam in that Kingdom. Ill-advised by Nalooran,

the King sent his men to invite Bhagavad Ramanuja to

the court - to establish his belief.

 

Bhagavad Ramanuja was taking his bath in the river and

Sri Koorathazhvan was waiting on guard. Seeing the

King's men and sensing trouble, Sri Koorathazhvan

instantly took the red garb of Bhagavad Ramanuja and

told the King's men that he was Ramanuja. Accompanied

by Sri Peria Nambi. Sri Koorathazhvan went to the

King's court and refuted the King's belief.

 

Angered at this, the King ordered Sri Peria Nambi and

Sri Koorathazhvan to be blinded. Sri Koorathazhvan

took his eyes himself, saying that he does not these

eyes that saw a sinner like the King.

 

While Sri Peria Nambi succumbed to the torture and

Ascended to Sri Vaikuntam, Sri Koorathazhvan joined

Bhagavad Ramanuja.

 

NanEdhan Ayiduga:

 

Bhagavad Ramanuja was deep in sorrow for what happened

and was consoling Sri Koorathazhvan. Sri Koorathazhvan

said that his predicament of losing his eyes could

have been because - maybe for a split second he would

have thought ill about someone sporting Urdhva

Pundaram.

 

Sri Koorathazhvan showed by example of the most

important Sri Vaishnavite quality, where you accept

the blame for anything that happens, irrespective of

the fact whether you are the cause or not.

 

What's more! Sri Koorathazhvan went on to seek

Paramapadha Baghyam for Nalooran, who was the cause of

Sri Koorathazhvan to loose eye-sight.

 

Sri Koorathazhvan's works:

 

Sri Koorathazhvan brought out 5 works - popularly

known as Panchastavam. They are:

 

Sri Sthavam - 10 slokas [on Sri Ranga

nachiyar]

Sri Vaikunta Sthavam - 100 slokas [on Paramapada

Nathan]

AthimAnusha Sthavam - 61 slokas [on Emperuman]

Sri Sundara Bahu Sthavam - 132 slokas [on Azhagar]

Sri Varadaraja Sthavam - 102 slokas [on Hastigiri

Varadan]

 

That was a brilliant account from sri Anand of

Singapore. [Thanks to him for granting permission to

repost and share in this most auspicious day] I have

had the bhAgyam of listening to the two upanyAsam

tapes by Velukkudi Krishnan Swami on KooratthAzhwAn

and every time I do, my eyes brim with tears...

 

Sri. Velukkudi Krishnan mentions that:

 

"vEdham enRa peNNukku --

 

vEdaanta vEdangangaL ellaam aabharaNangaL thaan,

Itihaasa puraaNa SaaStramellAm aabharaNangaL thaan,

AzhwAr aruLiccheydha divya prabandham ellAm

AbharaNangaL thAn,

AchAryaLudaya vyAkhyAna stOtrangaLellAm AbharaNangaL

thAn,

----

aanaal, vEdham enRa sthreenudaya kazhutthukku kattuva

thirumAngalya AbharaNam vandhu --

 

[Meaning: for the Veda mAthA, [who is like the divine

consort of the Lord] the ithihAsas, purANas,

sthOthras, divya prabandhams etc add to Her beauty

and glorfiy her and hence are the ornaments. While Sri

KooratthAzhwAn's sthothras are the maangalyam for Her

as they declare the Supreme Lordship's Glories that He

is the Lord of Vedas.[as declared in Vedas] ..

unambiguously.

 

As SriThiruvarangathu Amudanar(Ramanuja noortru

andanthi) points out, he was one who crossed 3 most

important pitfall human beings usually fall. they are

 

1. proud that you are learned.

2. proud that you are wealthy

3. proud that you are born in so called high caste.

 

like Swamy Desikan in our sampradayam, his works on

sanskrit shows his mastery over his language skills.

 

[vanja mukkuRumbaam kuzhiyaik kadakkum KooratthAzhwAn]

 

SrIvathsa chinha misrEbyO nama ukthi mathi mahE|

yathukthaya stareyee kantE, yaanthi mangala

Suthratham.

 

swaami kooratthAzhwAn ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan

 

 

 

 

 

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