A tale of two holy places-Srirangam and Kancheepuram

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A tale of two holy places-Srirangam and Kancheepuram

 

 

 

Sri Alavandhar also called Yamunachariyar lived between 915 AD and

1040 AD. He was incharge of the administration of Sri Ranaganathaswamy temple at

Srirangam besides being the head of Sri Vaishnava Acharya Peetam. He strictly

adhered to the tradition established by Azhwars and earlier Acharyas. His

erudition, profound scholarship and lectures on Vaishnavism drew many disciples

towards him and one of them was Sri Sailapurnar alias “Periya Thirumalai Nambi”

was serving Lord Thiruvengatamudaiyan of Thirumalai by bringing fresh fragrant

flowers from a garden laid by him and water for Thirumanjanam from Swamy

Pushkarani. Incidentally he was the maternal uncle of Sri Ramanuja and his

preceptor as well, under whose tutelage he learnt Srimad Ramayana.

 

It was the period when Advaita philosophy was ruling the roost

Visishtadvaita remained latent in th hymns of Azhwars, Sri Ramanuja, the

propounder of Vishishtadvaita Philosophy was born at Sriperumbudur in the year

1017 under star “Thiruadhirai (Arudra)”. He came to Kancheepuram with a view to

enlarging the vistas of his knowledge on the study of “Veda”, “Smrithi”,

Sastras” etc. and he became a pupil under an Advaita tutor by name

Yadavaprakasar, who ran an institution for studies at “Thiruppukkuzhi” a place

near Kancheepuram. He was married in the year 1033 AD at Kancheepuram to

Thanjamambal.

 

Be as it may, at Srirangam Sri Alavandhar by an earlier intuition

was awaiting the incarnation of Sri Ramanuja and about which he was having a

conversation important inmates of the mutt when two Vaishnavites from the temple

of “Perarulalan” (Varadarajan) appeared on the scene and paid obeisance to the

Acharya Alavandhar. They told the eminent assembly that they are from

Kancheepuram and revealed that they young Ramanuja was a resident disciple of

Yadavaprakasar at Thiruputtkuzhi near Kancheepuram. Having convinced that his

long felt dream was taking shape, Sri Alavandhar took leave of the members of

the mutt and with the sanction of Lord Ranganatha reached Kancheepuram after

four days of trekking via Thirukoilur. The great pontiff was received with

temple honours at Kancheepuram. He met Sri Kanchipurnar who was familiarly known

as Thirukachinambi and with him went to the shrines of Lord Varadharaja and His

consort and offered worship. While coming out of the sanctum

sanctorum, they saw Yadavaprakasar with his disciples circumambulating the

temple. Sri Alavandhar requested Thriukachinambi to let him know who among the

students was Ramanuja to which the savant pointed out to a fair and handsome

youth with a radiance in his face. Sri Alavandhar concluded that he must be the

lad whom he head been seeking for. He immediately prayed to Lord Vardharaja

bestower of boons that Ramanuja may become his successor to propagate

SriVaishnavism and left the place without meeting young Ramanuja as the time was

running short for his return to Srirangam. Sri Ramanuja lost his father at

Sriperumbudur in the year 1034-35. following a quirk of an event and with the

divine grace of Lord Varadharaja and Perundevi Thayar, Ramanuja who accompanied

his master to Banaras to have a holy dip in the Ganges and on nearing the

vIndhya range he came to know about the diabolical plot hatched by his teacher

to do away with him. He left the place after dusk to an unknown

destination and slept in an open place. As the day dawned Ramanuja found

himself in the nearer precincts of Kancheepuram, where he had the divine vision

Lord Varadharaja and Perundevi Thayar in the disguise of a hunter and huntress

who desired water to quench thirst. The divine couple also showed the direction

to approach a nearby well. Before Ramanuja could return with water, they

disappeared from the scene. Ramanuja was overwhelmed with joy over the event and

decided within himself that he should be of service to Lord Vardharaja. After

the above incident Ramanuja having understood evil designs of his master

Yadavaprakasar, reported the matter to his mother who was upset on hearing the

heinous plan and requested her son Ramanuja to approach Thirukachinambi and

after prostrating before him, expressed his desire to be his pupil and to engage

himself in the services of any form as suggested by his Acharya. Under

instructions from his preceptor Ramanuja took the services of bringing

water daily from the same well which was located to him by the hunter and the

huntress earlier, for Thriumanjanam of Lord Vardharaja. Thus Ramanuja devoted

himself to this divine duty.

 

At Srirangam Sri Alavandhar was indisposed due to old age. Again

some Brahmins who came from Kancheepuram narrated to the great spiritual head

all that had taken place including the mental and physical agony suffered by

Ramanuja under Yadavaprakashar’s malevolent plan. Sri Alavandhar requested Sri

Perianambi to proceed to Kancheepuram with a sloka from Strotra Ratna to be

placed first at the feet of Lord Varadharaja and to be handed over to Ramanuja

thereafter. Sri Periyanambi reached Kancheepuram and met Sri Thirukachinambi and

disclosed the predilection of Sri Alavandhar towards Ramanuja. Both the

Acharyans went to the Sanctum sanctorum of Lord Vardharaja and recited the sloka

and while returning from the precincts they met Sri Ramanuja standing with a

vessel containing water brought from “Salikinaru (well)”. Sri Ramanuja on

hearing the “sloka” requested Sri Periyanambi to let him know the author of the

piece to which came the reply “Sri Alavandhar”. Sri Ramanuja

could not contain himself and implored Sri Periayanambi to arrange for him to

have glimpse of Alavandhar without further loss of time.

 

Having obtained the reply in the affirmative, Sri Ramanuja’s

exhilaration knew no bounds and he hurriedly left the vessel he brought from the

well before Lord Varadharaja and taking leave of him and Thirukachinambi reached

Sri Rangam after four days accompanied by Sri Periyanambi. It is to be noted

that Sri Ramanuja did not even go home to tell people of his visit but

considered his primary duty was to go to Srirangam forthwith.

 

On reaching the outskirts of Srirangam near Thriukkarambanur on the

banks of Cauvery, they saw a crowd around a pyre and learnt that Sri Alavandhar

had passed away. Sri Periyanambi swooned and fell on the mother earth and

Ramanuja who was then only 24 years old (1041 AD) lamented over the event and

the resultant misfortune befell on him. However Sri Ramanuja consoled himself

that he was atleast fortunate enough to have a look at the body (Charama

Vigraha) of the great Vaishnavite Savant. With grief Sri Ramanuja returned

hurriedly to Kancheepuram even without entering the temple of Namperumal and

informed his Acharya with melancholy about the eternal rest of Sri Alavandhar

and continued his usual services to Lord Varadharaja

 

At Srirangam an assembly of coterie with the administration of

Srirangam temple as also monastery were on the look out for a successor to the

venerable seat and solicited Sri Periyanambi to name a personage. Sri

Periyanambi addressed the august audience and remainded them of Sri Alavandhar’s

earlier expression that Ramanuja should be his successor and his visit to

Kancheepuram in that connection. He also explained to the synod about the

superhuman event that happened when the three stretched finger of the right hand

of the mortal coil of Sri Alavandhar folded back on Sri Ramanuja’s assurance to

carry out the three decrees of the deceased. The members unanimously decided

that Sri Ramanuja should succeed and that might be brought from Kancheepuram.

They reverentially nominated and requested Sri Periyanambi to take up that

mission.

 

Sri Periyanambi left Srirangam for Kancheepuram with his family

after his usual prayers to Lord Ranganatha as also for the success of his

errand. He had to stay for a while at Maduranthakam en route on the banks of a

sprawling lake where lies the temple of Lords Kothandaraman.

 

At Kancheepuram, as if ordained Sri Ramanuja developed an urge to

meet Sri Periyanambi so as to become his disciple as per divine orders of Lord

Vardharaja conveyed to him earlier through Sri Thirukachinambi. Sri Ramanuja

took permission from both Lord Varadharaja and his Acharya and proceeded towards

Srirangam . While on his saunter Sri Ramanuja stopped at Madhuranthakam to visit

Sri Kothandarama’s temple and to his surprise he saw froma distance Sri

Periyanambu with delectation whom he wanted to meet at Srirangam. He strode

towards Periyanambi and prostrated before him which choked his emotion. Both of

them felt that the object of their pursuit was being accomplished. Sri Ramanuja

solicited Sri Periyanambi to perform the essential ritual of having the

indelible impression of a Sri Vaishnavite emblem of Conch and Chkra: on his

shoulders. Initially Sri Periyanambi made a request to Sri Ramanuja that the

ritual could be gone through in the temple premises of Lord at

Kancheepuram to which place they had proceed.

 

Immediately Sri Ramanuja reverentially replied explaining about the

incertitude of human existence and his recent experience of not being able to

accomplish his object of seeing Alavandhar alive. Sri Periyanambi complied with

his request of Sri Ramanuja and completed the ceremony with the concomitant

rituals that go with it under a tree which is the stala vriksha of Sri Rama’s

temple. Both the Guru and his disciple left for Kancheepuram after offering

prayers to Lord Srirama. On arrival at Kancheepuam Sri Ramanuja provided Sri

Periyanambi and his family the upper side of his home for a comfortable living.

During Sri Periyanambi’s stay for nearly 6 months Sri Ramanuja learnt under his

preceptor “Nalayira Divya Prabhandham” and its interpretation as also nuances

about Vaishnavism.

 

Inorder to give a sequential importance of events that took place in the

private family life of Ramanuja we should know about Sri Ramanuja’s wife

Thanjamambal. She was a devoted wife to Ramanuja and her domain was the kitchen.

She was very punctilious in the observance of orthodoxy.

 

On one occasion Sri Ramanujar invited his Achraya Thirukachinambi to his abode

to be his guest. As per arrangement Sri Thirukachinambi called at the residence

of his benign host but earlier than the specified time. He requested

Thanjamambal to serve him food explaining that he had to be in the temple sooner

than before. She acceded to his request but served the food on a pial in front

of the house. After the guest had left she removed the leaf with the left over

with the help of a stick as she considered it to be a taboo to dispose it off

with her hand. Sri Ramanuja who was away having heard about the incident felt

penitent about his wife’s disdainful behaviour and warned her to behave better.

Another time when a vaishnavite expressed his being hungry he asked his wife to

give him food if available to which she replied in the negative with impunity.

Later on examination in the kitchen Sri Ramanuja having found that there was

enough food admonished his wife for uttering falsehood and

for her scomful attitude towards guests. However Sri Ramanujar continued to

live with her patiently. Thanjamambal’s derisive behaviour reached its crescendo

when she and Vijayambal wife of Sri Periyanambi were drawing water

simultaneously from the common well resulting in the two vessels coming in

contact with each other. The former became indignant as she considered it as an

act of heterodoxy and spurned the wife of Sri Periyanambi and called her names.

 

Consequently the couple from Srirangam left furtively before Sri

Ramanuja could return home after his services to Lord, as the repetition of such

events would create a bad blood. Sri Ramanuja on learning about the unexpected

occurrence and the resultant departure of his Acharya with his wife took a

decision that he should discard his family life and take asceticism. Sri

Ramanuja without displaying anger or disgust, tactfully sent his wife along with

the people from his wife’s side who came to invite him for a wedding.

Thanjamambal accompanied her relations with her jewels and dresses as per the

request of her husband to participate in the wedding

 

It was the year 1047 AD when Sri Ramanuja who was thirty years old

donned the ochre robe of an anchorite on the banks of the holy tank at

Kancheepuram and his action had sanction of Lord Varadhraja. At Srirangam the

governing body of the mutt came to know that Sri Ramanuja had taken to a life

of a “Sanyasin” with Thiruthandam adorning his hand. Sri Thiruvarangaperumal

Arayar was deputed to proceed to escort Sri Ramanuja with the explicit

permission of Lord Varadharaja which he carried out. Thus Sri Ramanuja ascended

the mutt and as its head and that of the administration of the holy temple. He

confided the temple rituals and festivals which are still being followed. Sri

Ramanuja traveled the length and breadth of India carrying the message of

Vishishtadvaita philosophy (in and around the qualified monism) with great

emphasis being laid on humility compassion; universal brotherhood and he

proclaimed that Sriman Narayana is supreme. In this process he faced several

vicissitudes and surmounted them with the benediction of his Acharyas. A subtle

thing to be noted in this transformation is the part played by Sri Ranganathar

andLord Varadharaja from Srirangam and Kacheepuram respectively. The benevolent

revolutionary Sri Ramanuja attained Paramapadha on 22 July 1138 and his mortal

remains were interred within the Srirangam temple complex but away from the

sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ranganatha on the south eastern corner of the temple.

It is now called “Udayavar Sannithi”

 

 

 

This article was written by (Late) Sri. Sampath Iyengar

 

 

 

Comments and feedback are welcome to suprajaiyengar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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