THE LIFE AND WORKS OF ACHARYA RAAMANUJA- 1

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

namasthe ;

 

i would like to share during notes on "THE LIFE AND WORKS OF

ACHARYA RAAMANUJA" at the time of his avathAra Uthsavam .

"THE LIFE AND WORKS OF ACHARYA RAAMANUJA"

 

THE LIFE AND WORKS OF ACHARYA RAAMANUJA

 

 

The Life and works of Sri RaamAnujA in nut shell.

 

ChaithrArdhrA sambhavam VishNO: darsana sthApanOthsukam I

ThuNDIramaNdalE utthitham Seshamoorthim RaamAnujam BhajE II

 

AchArya RaamAnujA born as the incarnation of AdhisEshan

 

AchArya RaamAnujA was born in ThoNdai Naadu as the son of Sri BhUmi

Piratti and Aasurikula Tilakam ,Sri Kesava SomayAji at PerumbhUdhUr

on a PingaLa Year ,Chitthirai Month, Sukla Paksha Panchami day ,

when ArudhrA constellation ( ThiruvAdhirai ) was in ascendance .This

PingaLA year in the western calendar is 1017 A.D. Thirumalai Nampi ,

a renowned sishyar of AaLavandhAr was the child's uncle . He

recognized that the child is an avthAram of Adhi Seshan; he also

recognized that the child is going to become a great Sri VaishNavite

AchAryan .Hence; Thirumalai nampi gave the name of RaamAnujan to the

new born child. This child lived for 120 years on this earth and

during its rich life systematized and established on a firm footing

the doctrines of VisishtAdvaithA,

Which have been expounded earlier by BodhAyanA, DramidA and TankA

and elaborated by Nathamuni and AaLavandhAr

 

The divine recogniton of Sri RaamAnujA's contributions

 

AchArya RaamAnujA was recognized for his monumental contributions to

Sri ViasishtAdvaitha Darsanam in his own life time by the Divya

Dampathis of Srirangam,Kaanchi ,ThirunArAyaNapuram , ANDAL of

SrivilliputthUr and

Devi Sarasvathi through their conferring of the titles of Udayavar,

Sri BhashyakArar and many other honors .AchArya RaamAnujA was also

addressed as Ilaya PerumAl by his sishyAs. Further, Lord VaradarAjA

initiated RaamAnujA into SanyAsaasramam and conferred on him the

title of YathirAjan at that time. Lord VaradarAjA reluctantly gave

RaamAnujA later as a gift to Sri RanganAthA. Lord VaradarAjA also

answered through Thirukkacchi Nampi the questions that were topmost

on the mind of RaamAnujA .The many incidents relating to the

Vaibhavam of AchArya RaamAnujA are summarized in the special home

pages created by Srimans Achyutharaman and MadhavakkaNNan of

Simhapuri and this CD ROM. The works of AchArya RaamAnujA are also

covered there as well as the highlights of Bhagavad RaamAnuja

Darsanam. BhakthAs are referred to these pages with the URL,

http://members.tripod.com/~sri Ramanujar/ for now, we will content

ourselves with a brief summary of the highlights of the Life and

works of Sri RaamAnujA the like of whom we will not be able to see

again.

 

AchArya RaamAnujA's early Tuetlage at Kaanchipuram

 

Sri RamAnujA studied VedAnthA first under YadhavaprakAsA at Kaanchi.

When YadhavaprakAsA misinterpreted the meanings of Sruthi and

Upanishadh Vaakyams, Sri RaamAnujA pointed out the correct meanings

following the Sri VisishtAdhvaidhic tradition. This angered the

Guru .The infuriated Guru plotted to kill RaamAnujA. Lord VaradarAja

intervened and saved RaamAnujA from the jealous Guru's wrath.

Meanwhile, the intellectual brilliance and the rich Saastraic

Jn~Anam of RaamAnujA attracted the attention of Sri ALavandhAr, the

greatest

Sri VaishNava AchArya of that time, who was staying in Srirangam.

ALavandhAr came to Kaanchi and prayed to Lord VaradarAjan to bless

RaamAnujA to become the leading pravarthakA and nirvAhakA of Sri

VishitAdhvaitha siddhAntham. ALavandhAr did not get to meet

RaamAnujA in person at Kaanchi

prior to his return to Srirangam .AaLavandhAr's health weakened

after return to Srirangam and he reached Sri Vaikuntam without

initiating RaamAnujA in person as his successor .RaamAnujA , who had

heard about the illness of ALavandhAr

rushed to Srirangam to receive latter's blessings .It was however

too late .

 

When RaamAnujA saw the charama ThirumEni of AalavandhAr, he noticed

that three of the fingers of the right hand were closed as if to

indicate that he had three unfulfilled wishes .RaamAnujA asked the

intimate disciples about those wishes. RaamAnujA was told that the

three wishes were:

 

(1) Writing of a commentary for the VyAsa Soothrams

 

(2) Naming of two Brahmin boys with the names of ParAsarA (the

author of VishNu PurANam) and VyAsA (the author of Brahma Soothrams

and Many PurANams) and

 

(3) The writing of a commentary for Swami NammAzhwAr's

ThiruvAimozhi.

 

RaamAnujA pledged to fulfill the three wishes of AaLavandhAr with

the anugraham of the divya dampathis of Kanchipuram and the folded

fingers on the body of AalavandhAr suddenly opened up after hearing

this pledge. All those assembled in sorrow around the chrama

ThirumEni of AaLavandhar were overcome by what they witnessed and

hailed RaamAnujA as the future Darsana SthApakar of Sri

VisishtAdvaitham .RaamAnujA took the permission of the chief

disciple of AaLavandhAr, Sri Periya Nampi (MahA PoorNar) and

returned to Kaanchi with a heavy heart.

 

Thirukkacchi Nampi and RaamAnujA

 

Thirukkacchi nampi was a key disciple of AaLavandhAr. He was doing

fan service to Lord VaradarAjan at Kaanchi and the Lord of Kaanchi

broke His archA samAdhi (silence) to speak to Thirukkacchi Nampi

during those ChAmara

Kaimkaryam sessions. RaamAnujA admired Thirukkacchi Nampi for his

access to the Lord and asked Nampi to get answers from the Lord

Himself for questions that were troubling him .Nampi agreed to

present those questions to Lord Varadarajan. The Lord's answer to

RaamAnujA's questions is known as the six statements referred to

below:

 

(1) We, the Srimaan, are the supreme One (Parathvam).

(2) Our darsanam is BhEdham.

(3) Prapatthi is THE MEANS for Moksham.

(4) Moksham will be gained at the time of shedding of the mortal

coils for a Prapannan.

(5) Take refuge at the feet of Periya Nampi as AchAryan.

(6) Anthima Smruthi (Thoughts on the Lord during the last moments of

life) is not essential for the One, who has performed Prapatthi.

 

RaamAnujA was thrilled to hear the instructions from the Lord

Himself and hastened to meet Periya Nampi living at Srirangam.

Meanwhile, Periya nampi had a dream in which he was requested by Sri

RanganAthA to bring RaamAnujA to Srirangam and groom him to become

the next great AchAryA to spread the darsanam. Periya nampi hastened

on his journey towards Kaanchi Both RaamAnujA and Periya Nampi met

each other half way at MadhurAnthakam.

Periya nampi initiated RaamAnujA into Sri VishNavite fold through

PanchasamskAram and manthra upadEsams .RaamAnujA at this time was a

grahasthA . RaamAnujA's wife however had committed three major

apachArams to Sri VaishNava BhaagavathAs during the last few months

of RaamAnujA as a GrahasthA and sishyar of Periya Nampi. Those

incidents took a heavy toll on RaamAnujA's mind. He concluded that

SanYaasam is better than GrahathAsramam for him and declared his

intentions to Lord VaradarAjA, who approved RaamAnujA's request to

enter into SanyAsAsramam .Great Sri VaishNavAs likeNadAdUr AzhwAn,

KooratthAzhwAn, Mudali AaNDAn learnt about the news of RaamAnujA

becoming a Yathi and chose him as their own AchAryan. Yaadhava

PrakAsar, who resented RaamAnujA earlier understood the greatness of

his former disciple and sought the refuge of RaamAnujA as his own

AchAryan, although he was much older than his own former disciple

and lived peacefully at the sacred feet of AchArya RaamAnujA.

 

RaamAnujA's move to Srirangam from Kaanchi

 

One day, Thiruvaranga perumAL Arayar came to Kaanchi and performed

arayar sevai for the Paasurams of Swami NammAzhwAr before Lord

VaradarAjan. The Lord of Kaanchi was so pleased with the Arayar that

He asked the Arayr to choose a boon close to his heart. The Arayar

blurted out and asked for the gift of RaamAnujA. The Lord agreed and

gave His permission for RaamAnujA to go to Srirangam with the Arayar

and start his work as an AchAryan and to continue the work of

AaLavandhAr.

 

The Five AchAryans of AchArya RaamAnujA

 

Five great disciples of ALavandhar following the command of their

AchAryan instructed RaamAnujA on the essentials of Sri VaishNavam.

 

Periya nampi or MahA Poornar performed not only Pancha samskArams

for RaamAnujA but also taught him the Brahma SoothrAs, the

BhagavadgitA and

the esoteric meanings (rahasyArthams) of the Sri VaishNavite

rahasyams .

 

Goshti PoorNar or ThirukkOttiyUr nampi tested the readiness of

RaamAnujA many times and finally trained him in the observance of

sri VaishNavite religious practices as per the three RahasyAs.

 

MaalAdhArA or ThirumAlai ANDAn taught RaamAnujA Bhagavadh Vishayam

or the subtle meanings of Swami NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi Paasurams

(DrAvida samhithA)

 

ThiruvarangapperumAL or AaLavandhAr AazhwAn instructed RaamAnujA on

the comprehensive text of ThiruvAimozhi, the Sri Sookthis of

AaLavandhAr and some auspicious sayings (SubhAshithams).

 

Srisaila PoornA or Thirumalai nampi, the uncle of RaamAnujA taught

the inner meanings of Srimadh RaamAyana SlOkams. Since Srimadh

RaamAyaNam is known as the SaraNAgathi Saasthram, this acquisition

of knowledge from a revered elder AchAryan such as Thirumalai Nampi

was an important feature of RaamAnujar's tutelage.

-to be continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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