Periya Jeeyar

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Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

 

Dear Nappinnai,

 

Quite true. This is how it is. Periya Jeeyar indeed

has come to refer to Manavala Mamunigal now, even

though Nanjeeyar was the one who was called that

initially.

 

This is similar to Lokacharyar refering to Pillai

Lokacharyar now, even though the name was first

given to Nampillai. As Manavala Mamunigal says in

his Upadesa Raththinamalai,

 

thunnupugazh kanthAdai thOzappar tham ugappAl

enna ulagAriyanO enRu uraikka - pinnai

ulagAruyan ennum pEr nampiLLaikku Ongi

vilagAmal ninRathenRum mEl

 

The name Ulagariyan (Lokacharya) was given to

Nampillai by Kanthadai Thozhappar. How this

happened makes interesting reading and though

oft repeated it is worth saying it again. Nampillai

was very famous in Srirangam and huge crowds used

to gather to listen to his upanyasams. This led

to some amount of jealousy amongst others including

Kanthadai Thozhappar. At one time, he made some

angry remarks in Namperumal's sannidhi directed at

Nampillai after seeing special honors being given

to him. Later when he reached his home, his wife

(wives?) told him that he had made a great mistake

toward a revered acharya and that he should go back

and apologize to Nampillai immediately. Kanthadai

Thozhappar was already feeling bad about what he

had said and upon hearing this he decided to go

immediately to Nampillai's home. When he got to

the front of his house, who should he find there

but Nampillai himself. Nampillai was waiting there

to apologize to Kanthadai Thozhappar! Nampillai

started saying that he felt sorry that the situation

was such that his feelings were hurt and that he

had to say what he said. Kanthadai Thozhappar amazed

at this called Nampillai "enna ulagAriyanO?" - are

you the acharya for this whole world? From this point

on, Nampillai came to be known as Lokacharyar.

 

Later Vadakku Thiruveethi-p-piLLai who was the

disciple of Nampillai decided to name his first

son in honor of his acharya and called him Pillai

Lokacharyar.

 

pinnai vadakku thiruvIdhippiLLai anbAl

anna thirunAmaththai Adhariththu - mannupugzah

maindharkku sARRugaiyAl vandhu parandhathu engum

indhath thirunAmam ingu

 

Now when we say Lokacharyar we only think of Pillai

Lokacharyar and not Nampillai. The same with Periya

Jeeyar as well.

 

Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

 

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan

 

--- nappinnai_nc <nappinnai_nc wrote:

> Sri:

> Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:

> Dear TCA venkatesan,

> I have also heard that periya jeeyar refers

> to Nanjeeyar.

> Thanks to you and TA Varadhan who pointed out which I

> omitted. But

> then,everything that is associated with Srirangam always

> have the

> prefix "periya". Since MaNavALa mAmunigaL was the AcArya

> of

> SriRanganATha,I would think "periya jeeyar" is apt to

> refer to

> MaNavALa mAmunigaL than Nanjeeyar. Devotees, who had the

> fortune to

> interact with Sru Puttur Swamy,PB swami and the

> like,would be able to

> address this better.

>

> AzhvAr emperumAnAr jIyar thiruvadigaLE sharaNam

> NC Nappinnai

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

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