Arthi Prabandham-4 (Part-1)

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha | Sri Vara Vara MunayE Namaha |

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Our poorvAcharyas say that all acharyas before Sri Ramanuja got uplifted and

attained moksha due to his head and those after him through his feet. Lets see

how.

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There is one legend in our guru parampara about the appearance of the

bhavisyadhAcharya vigraham (Sri Ramanuja’s vigraham). Madurakavi alwar wanted to

make the vigraham of his Acharya, nammAzhvar and hence as per the instructions

of Sri SathakOpa, started making the same by boiling the thAmraparNi River

water. But the first one, which appeared, didn’t resemble his acharya but it

was a vigraham of some other acharya with kAshAyam (saffron robe) and Tridandam.

He rushed to his acharya and told him about the happening. For this, Sri

SathakOpa replied, "This is the vigraham of the bhavishyadAcharya, who will take

avatar later and uplift the masses. This is the same acharya about whom I have

sung in the ‘poliga poliga pAsuram. So have this vigraham with you with great

regards and go and boil the thAmraparNi water again to get my vigraham”.

 

Both these vigrahams are there in Alwar thirunagari today. After the period of

madurakavi, Sri SathakOpa handed the two idols to nathamuni, when he got the

divya prabhandam and other arthas after meditating on the kanninun siruthAmbhu

of madurakavi. Sri SathakOpa also told nAthamuni to keep expecting the arrival

of such an acharya and consider that acharya to be His feet. And that is why

ramanuja is praised as “mAran adi paninthuindhavan” and all acharyas before

ethirAja’s time are considered to be, uplifted by his head (feet of nammAzhvar).

 

During the muslim invasion, Alwar thirunagari was also affected like Srirangam

and hence some srivaishnavas ran out along with nammAzhvar thirumEni for safety.

At that time the bhavisyadhAcharya vigraham was buried underground.

ThiruvAimozhi pillai, the acharya of Sri manavAla mahAmui, got back alwar to

thirukurugoor and renovated the nava thirupathi temples and decorated Alwar

thirunagari like heaven. At that time, coming to know of the ramanuja vigraham

thiruvAimozhi pillai dug the idol out and constructed a beautiful temple and

around the temple developed a ‘ramanuja chaturvEdi mangalam’ and got many

srivaishnavas to live there.

 

(To be continued)

Jai Srimannarayana | Adiyen Ramanuja dasyai , Sumithra Varadarajan