AcArya abhimAna...

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srisailEsa dayapAtram dhIbhaktyAdi guNArNavam |

yatIndrapravaNam vandE ramya jAmataram munim ||

 

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:

 

Dear devotees,

 

Salutations to all. SriVacana BhUShaNam emphasizes

"AcArya abhimAna" as the ultimate upAya. In this post we will see how

Sri MaNavALa MAmunigaL expresses his abhimAna(love) for Sri Ramanuja.

Sri MaNavALa mAmunigaL,in his discussion on AcArya abhimAna in his

commentaries SriVacana BhUShaNam(SVB),J~nAna sAra(JS),PramEya

sAra(PS),does not mention that Sri Ramanuja's surrender(sharaNAgathi)

to the Lord SriRanganAtha,has saved all future generations of

SriVaiSNavas. Even in his commentary on Ramanuja NUtRRandhAdhi(RAN),

Sri MM is silent about this while showing that the relationship

bewteen Sri Ramanuja and his disciples exemplifies the ideals of

AcArya abhimAna seen in SVB. However,in YatirAja Vimshathi(YV) and

Arthi Prabandham(AP),Sri MM considers Sri Ramanuja as the savior for

himself and all future generations of his tradition.

 

YatirAja Vimshathi,a twenty-verse samskrt slOkas,is

addressed to the idol of Sri Ramanuja in AzhvAr Tirunagari

(NammAzhvAr's birth place)and declares that Sri Ramanuja,by virtue of

his sharaNAgathi and the forgiveness he requested in the sharaNAgathi

gadya,has the power to intercede with the Lord and save all those

connected with him. Sri MaNavALa mAmunigaL,invoking his own AcArya

(TiruvAymozhi PiLLai) asks forgiveness for his own sins and also asks

for the privilege of serving SRi Ramanuja as his goal. Some verses

are taken from YV and AP. YatirAja Vimshathi expresses Sri MM's

devotion towards EmperumAnAr(as the savior)and Arthi Prabandham is an

expansion of YV.

 

[YV 17]: O YatirAja! you have influence over the Lord of

Srirangam,Who has manifested here His Divine nature and qualities.

Therefore you are capable of removing the sins of your people.

 

[YV 18]: For one who has committed innumerable sins by word,mind and

deed in past,present and future,there is no refuge other than Lord's

forgiveness. The same forgiveness you requested from the Lotus Lady,

is the protection for those connected with you.

 

[YV 19]: O glorious YatIndra! day and night promote my service at

your divine lotus feet my lord - the service bestowed on me at the

feet of SrisailanAtha. Turn me away from all contrary desires.

 

[YV 20]: Accept my plea, O YatirAja,O ocean of compassion,considering

how ignorant I am and devoid of even a trace of virtues, have no

refuge other than you.

 

In AP,SRi MM pleads with EmperumAnAr,his savior,to have

mercy and quickly release him from this world so that he may serve

him in VaikuNTa.

 

[AP 4]: When will I relinquish this bodily prison and pass on into

the eternal supreme bliss? Alas have mercy YatirAja! You must realize

that from now on, it is your responsibility to save/protect me.

 

[AP 22]: Riding on the boat of Sri Ramanuja's love,which removes all

sins,by the glorious grace of the unerringly wise TiruvAymozhi PiLLai,

I will cross the sea of samsAra and reach the shore of MAdhava's

faultless realm

 

[AP 60]: Consider the boon that Lord SriRanganAtha bestowed on our

father SriRamanuja,saying "stay here contentedly in Srirangam...for

the rest of this life and then will attain service(kaimkarya)in

VaikuNTa". O heart! when we think,isn't this boon ours? Don't the

possessions of the father belong to the sons as an inheritance?

 

The one and only way to liberate ourselves is to associate ourselves

with AcArya abhimAna - hold onto EmperumAnAr's feet.

 

AzhvAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam

En Iniya Ramanujan TiruvadigaLE saraNam

nappinnai

[webramanuja]

Acharya Abimaanamae Uthaaragam!!!