Arthi Prabandham-2 (Part-2)

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Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha | Sri Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

 

There is a difference between an ordinary prapanna and a Srivaishnav. Sri

manavAla mahAmuni was a SriVaishnav more than just a prapanna.

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What’s the difference? Both of them surrender to the divine feet of Almighty

God to attain moksha and wait for Lord to shower His grace. But a SriVaishnav

does not surrender directly. He takes the help of an acharya to surrender and

attain moksha.

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Recommendation is utmost essential in any field even today. For example, in the

case of an interview, where two persons are appearing, one person may be filled

with all qualifications but if another person with same qualification but with a

high recommendation comes, then the second person is considered to be more

qualified for the job. Similarly a person recommended by an acharya overshoots a

bhakthi yogi or a prapanna who surrenders on his own. So Acharya bhakthi

(charamOpAya nista) is one important essentiality.

 

Sri manvAla mahAmuni shows the importance of Acharya nishta absolutely in all

his prabhandams and especially in this Arthi prabhandam. The greatest quality

of swamy is that, he never talked anything without the reference to his acharya.

He did upadEsa ratnamAla to show the greatness of the alwars and poorvAchAryas.

In a poem He sings pallAndu to the alwars and their works, the acharyas and

their excellent commentaries and their individual works.

 

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Why should these live long? Alwar and Acharya works should live long since

without them the jeevatmas (us) can never get uplifted.

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But are the Vedas not enough? The Vedas are not easily understandable by all.

So for the upliftment of the masses, only a easier text will be handy and hence

Sri manavAla mahAmuni says, the alwar and acharyas works should live long along

with the vEdas to uplift one and all and make us all attain the divine feet of

God. Here Sri manavAla mahAmuni says, “EzhpArum” that means not only where the

alwars and acharyas mostly took birth, not only India, not only jambudveepam

where all the countries known to us are located, but all the seven lokAs(worlds

as per the sastras) will be benefited due to the great works of alwars and

acharyas.

 

In upadesa ratna mAla, he talked generally about all the alwars and acharyas,

then he further wanted to show us the greatness of the acharya who alone is

regarded as the jagadAcharya, Sri rAmAnuja. As per the orders of his direct

acharya, Srisaila nAtha, thiruvAimozhi pillai, Sri manavAla mahAmuni then did

the excellent prabhandam “yathirAja vimsathi” his strotra in Sanskrit. At that

time Sri manavAla mahAmuni got deeply involved with Sri rAmAnuja and hence

remained with great nishta towards the acharya throughout his lifetime and when

he started to cry due to Arthi (his eagerness to shed this body and attain

moksha) he did not cry directly to God but begged the same from the hands of

Bhagavad Ramanujacharya.

 

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Can Bhagavad Ramanujacharya grant moksha? Why didn’t Sri manavAla mahAmuni ask

the same from his own acharya, thiruvAimozhi pillai?

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We will see in the next posting.

 

Jai Sriman Narayana | Adiyen Sumithra Varadarajan Ramanuja Dasi |