Born Genius Sri parasara bhattar-the hero of today(vaikAsi anusham)

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

 

“Sri parasara bhattAryA: srirangEsa purOhita:

srivatsAnga sutha: srimAn srEyasE mEstu bhooyasE”

 

 

 

Today (13th June 2003) is vaikAsi anusham, the thirunakshatram dhinam of Sri

parasara bhattar. Yesterday we all celebrated the thirunakshatram of Swami

nammAzhvAr. Visakam is considered as one of the “mupuriootiya

thirunakshatrams”. The star, which has to its credit the birth of perumal, an

azhvar and an acharya, is considered to be a “mupuriootiya thirunakshatram”

e.g., thiruvonam, which is the common star for perumal, poigaiyAzhvar, the first

among the mudal Azhvars and two great acharyas, Sri pillailokAchariar and Sri

vedantha desikan. Similar credit goes to punarvasu and swathi thirunakshatrams.

How is visakam considered to have the same credit? Which perumal has visakam as

the thirunakshatram? In rAmAyana, valmiki says, all ekshvAku kings had the

common star of visAkam. Considering the same, rAmA pirAn born in that heritage

can be considered to belong to visakam star. Nammazhvar was of course born in

that thirunakshatram and one great acharya who was responsible for

reconstructing the nava thirupathis around Azhvar thirunagari (“kAdu thiruththi

nAdAkkinAr), Sri ThiruvAimozhi pillai was also born in this very star. The

bhakthi of thiruvaimozhi pillai towards nammazhvar and azhvar thirunagari is

beyond words and we are all indebted to him forever. He was responsible for

building the ramanuja chaturvedi mangalam and also initiating swami Manavala

mAmunigal to sing the “yethirAja vimsathi” as praise to swamy ethirAjar.

 

 

 

Coming to the star of this day, Sri parasara bhattar, he was considered to be

the foster son of Periya pirattiyar. Swamy parasara bhattar was the son of

koorathAzhvan and a disciple of embar and was graced by swamy EmperumAnAr from

his childhood. Even today, bhagavatas of parasara bhattar’s lineage continue

their sincere kainkaryam to Periya perumal in Srirangam. Sri ParAsara bhattar

is considered as the purohit of ranganatha. To think about the born genius on

his thirunakshatram day is our bhakyam. He did two master pieces, one for the

ubhaya vibhoothi nAthan, Sri ranganathan, Sri rangaraja stavam and one for the

Sridevi nAchiyar, Periya pirattiyar who adorns the thirumArpu of perumal always

(“agalagillEn eraiyum endru alarmEl mangai vurai mArbhA”), Sri guna ratna

ghOsam. Though it will be a treat to enjoy the inner meanings in these stotras

of the great acharya on this day, it is not that easy. So just as a token to

show his mastery in sampradayam let us see the two thaniyans which swamy

submitted to the divine work of yesterday’s star, swamy nammAzhvar’s

thiruvAimozhi.

 

 

 

“vAn thigazhum sOlai madhilarangar vaNpugazhmEl

Andra thamizhmaraigal Ayiramum – Endra

Mudal thAi saTakOpan moimpAl valarththa

EdhaththAi irAmAnusan.”

 

 

 

Meaning: Nammazhvar is the mother who gave birth to the divine work, the tamizh

vedam, the 1000 paasurams in thiruvAimozhi, which is nothing but praise on the

divine qualities of the emperuman who reclines in thiruvarangam which is a

beautiful place surrounded by gardens touching the sky. The mother who brought

up the child, with his charm is none other than EmperumAnAr.

 

 

 

Like devaki and yesodha to Krishna paramatma, nammazhvar and rAmAnujar where two

mothers (one who gave birth and the other who brought it up) to the divine

tamizh vEdam thiruvAimozhi. Without the vyakhyanams of the mahAcharyas the

inner meanings of thiruvAimozhi will be like the sound of the waves in the beach

(kadalOsaipOlE) to us. “PillAn nanjeeyer periyavAchAn pillai, thellAr

vadakkuthiruveedhipillai, manavAla yogi thiruvAimozhiyai kAththa gunavAlar endru

nenjE kooru” says Swamy ManavAla mAmunigal in his upadesa ratina mAlai. Out of

the 5 great acharyas who did vyakhyanam to thiruvAimozhi, the first and foremost

was thirukkurugai pirAn pillAn who did the 6000-padi vyakhyanam under the order

of Swamy EmperumAnAr (thellArum jnana thirukkurugaipiran pillAn ETHIRASAR

PERARULAL - vullArum anbudanE mAran maraipporulai andruraiththadhu enbhamigu

ArAyiram, says mAmunigal). So swamy emperumAnar was only responsible for the

first vyakhyanam to sprout out. In Acharya hrudhayam, Swamy

azhagiya Manavala perumal nAyanar says, “bhashyakArar edhukondu sootra

vAkhyangal orungaviduvar” (EmperumAnAr used to clarify his doubts while doing

the brahma sootra bhashyam with the help of thiruvaimozhi paasurams). In this

way Swamy ethirajar, spread the divine arthas of the thiruvAimozhi to many.

 

 

 

Though there are only 11 paasurams, “kangulam pagalum” padhigam for lord

ranganatha in the whole thiruvAimozhi it is a tradition of our acharyas to say

that all the 1000 paasurams belongs only to ranganatha. The same has been

repeated by Sri parasara bhattar here. He says that the whole thiruvaimozhi was

submitted to the divine feet of Periya perumal and then it was distributed to

various other divya desa emperumans. (“thiruvEnkataththukku evai paththum” “van

thirumOgoorukku eendha paththivai” etc.,).

 

 

 

“mikkavirainilaiyum meiyAvuyirnilaiyum

thakkaneriyum thadaiyAgi- thokkiyalum

voozhvinaiyum vAizhvinaiyum vOdhum kurugayarkOn

yAzhinisai vEdaththiyal”

 

Meaning: Azhvar who is the head of people in thirunagari gave the sweet

paasurams of thiruvAimozhi which can be equated to the sweet music from a divine

instrument, which explains about the svaroopa of emperuman, the svaroopa of the

permanent jeevatma, the upaya svaroopa, the virothi svaroopa which prevents us

from attaining the divine upEyam and also the parama purushArtha svaroopam.

 

 

 

Each and every mumukshu should first have the knowledge of the artha panchakam,

which has been clearly explained in thiruvAimozhi by azhvar. Thiruvaimozhi

holds the 3 important rahasyams inside. Artha panchakam, which each one should

know, is nothing but the knowledge about the paramatma svaroopa, jeevatma

svaroopam, upaya and upEya svaroopam and virOdhi svaroopam. Emperuman is the

omnipotent, omniscient brahmam, the jeevatma is a seshan to the paramatma,

sharanAgathi is the only way to attain emperuman, “poinindra jnAnamum pollA

vozhukkum azhukkudambum” these are the virodhi (hindrance which prevent us from

attaining emperuman’s divine feet) and finally “ozhivilla kAlamudanAgi manni

vazhuvilA adimai seiya vEndum nAm” is the parama pushartham, the final goal

which has been clearly explained in the thiruvaimozhi paasurams.

 

It is not a wonder if azhvar explains these in his 1000 paasurams but bhattar

has put the whole essence in just a single thaniyan. What a genius he was!!

Once bhattar went to EmperumAnAr and asked “jeeyA! Why is dvayam regarded as

such a great manthra. What if adiyen does another manthra conveying all the

arthas in dvayam?” Ethirajar immediately replied, “ Oh! bhattar there is no

doubt. You are capable of making not one but 10 manthras conveying the same

meaning and more. But those will not get the credit of being considered as so

dear by our poorvAcharyas. So greatness of dvayam can never be overcomed by any

other manthra. Dvayam reserves its greatness for ever”. Bhattar was

considered as a genius by even our jagadAcharaya, Sri rAmAnujar.

 

 

 

Let us do mangalAsAsanams to that great acharya today and forever.

 

 

 

Any mistake is due to adiyen’s ignorance and hence may be please pardoned by the

learned bhagavatas of this group.

 

 

 

Alwar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharanam

Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan