[sri ramanuja] Sri Ramanuja Journal Issue 1 Volume 6

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*Aippasi, Vyaya

AzhvAr 1, AchArya 6*

 

* Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha *

 

* Sri Vara vara munayE Namaha*

 

 

 

*Naduvil thiruveedhipillai (Iyppasi avittam)*

 

 

 

*"* *tulA** tanishtA sambhootham SriLOkAryapadhAsritham I *

 

* bhattanAdha gurO: puttram veedhibhattArya mAsrayE" II*

 

* *

 

*Naduvil thiruveedhi bhattar was a descendant of Sri Parasara bhattar and a

great scholar during the time of swamy Nampillai. Since he was born in a

great clan of Bhattar, he couldn't accept others crediting svAmi Nampillai

as Lokacharya and was filled with jealousy. Once he went to the court of

the king. The king was highly knowledgeable and he had a practice of

questioning scholars who come to his court from Ramayana. The king

similarly questioned Naduvil thiruveedhi bhattar as follows, "In the

Ramavatara the Lord hid all his divine qualities and capabilities and came

to this world. When that is the case how did he grant moksha to jaTayu as

per the verse, 'mayA tvam samanujnyAthO gachcha lOkAn anuththamAn'" Bhattar

couldn't think of a satisfactory answer for this question. Fortunately the

king was also engaged with some other activity and Naduvil thiruveedhi

bhattar happened to take a disciple of Sri Nampillai with him on that

day. He asked the disciple "How will nampillai answer this question?" The

disciple replied " satyEna lOkAn jayathi"-Nampillai will answer with this

sloka". Naduvil thiruveedhi bhattar immediately understood the answer

and did a elaborate upanyasa in front of the king. The king was exhilarated

hearing the same and he honoured Naduvil thiruveedhi bhattar largely.

Immediately Naduvil thiruveedhi bhattar went straight to nampillai's place

and submitted everything to nampillai's divine feet and said, "All these are

outcomes of a meaning that spilled from your innumerable srisookthis. So

now please accept me" and fell like uprooted tree under the divine feet of

nampillai. *

 

* *

 

*From then Naduvil thiruveedhi bhattar became a very close disciple of

nampillai and he noted down all the divine meanings given by swamy nampillai

and prepared a big book (laksha grantha). *

 

* *

 

*Pinpazhagiya perumAl Jeeyer (Iyppasi sadhayam )*

 

 

 

*"tulA sadhabhishak jAtham srilOkArya padhAsritham I*

 

*jnAnAdhi bhooshaNam vandhE paschAt sundaradEsikam II"*

 

* *

 

*Though nampillai had a number of disciples, the acharya bhakthi of Sri

Pinpazhagiya perumAL jEyar was extraordinary. Swamy manavala mAmunikal in

his upadesaratinamalai says, " pinpazhagarAm perumAl jeeyer perundivaththil

anbadhuvu maRRu mikka vAsiyinAl nampillaikku Ana vadimaigal sei annilaiyai

nannenjE! Voonamara eppozhudhum Or"*

 

 

 

*Sri Pinpazhagiay perumAL jEyar once got ill and he requested some

srivaishnavas, "since I don't want to ascend to paramapadam now please go to

the lord pray for me, reciting Ezhai Adhalan and Azhi ezha paasurams" The

Srivaishnavas followed and due to the lord's divine grace he got well. *

 

*Some Srivaishnavas went to nampillai and enquired about the act of Sri

Pinpazhagiya perumAL jEyar "He is such an elderly person both in age and

knowledge. Whatever he has done now does it suite his svaroopa?" *

 

 

 

*Does it behove the nature of Athman to seek something from EmperumAn

especially for the sake of living more years in this earth?*

 

* *

 

*A series of dialogues that goes on after this is very interesting.*

 

* *

 

*Nampillai: I don't know his intent go and ask engalAzhvan*

 

*EngalAzhvan : Oh! Probably it is due to his love towards Srirangam*

 

*(Srivaishnavas came back to nampillai)*

 

 

 

*Nampillai: Good. Now go and ask thirunarayapuraththaraiyar*

 

*Araiyar: Probably he feels that he hasn't yet completed the kainkaryams

started here*

 

*(Nampillai then sent them to ammangiammal)*

 

*Ammangiammal: Oh! Will anyone who has enjoyed being in association with

nampillai and enjoyed the nectar of nampillai delivering bhagavat vishayam

ever want to go to paramapadam? *

 

*(Nampillai then sent them to ammangi periyamudaliyar)*

 

*Ammangiperiyamudaliyar: Bhattar told that if he didn't find the beautiful

reddish thirumukamandalam of namperuman with the kasturi thirunamam in

vaikundam he will poke a hole in a corner and jump down to Srirangam.

Probably even PPJ is afraid to get separated from namperumal. *

 

*(The Srivaishnavas returned back. Now nampillai smiled at Sri Pinpazhagiya

perumAL jEyar PPJ )*

 

 

 

*Nampillai: so which of these is your thought*

 

*PPJ: None of these*

 

*Nampillai: Then I know what your thought is*

 

*PPJ: You are our acharya who knows everything but if you want adiyen to

give it out, here is my actual intent. When swamy (nampillai) goes to have

his divine bath and after the divine bath swamy walks wearing the pure

veshti and uttariyam the darshan of the face with droplets of sweat and

adiyen going around doing kainkaryam Oh! Can I ever think of leaving this

great bhakyam Will going to paramapadam ever be in my thoughts? *

 

* *

 

*Listening to this all the Srivaishnavas uttered with ecstasy, "Oh! This is

something that can be done ONLY WITH THIS BODY"*

 

*One day when nampillai finished his bhagavat vishaya kalashepa ghosti, PPJ

prostrated swamy and asked, "swamy! Please tell adiyen what is the svaroopa,

upaya, upeya, purushartha to this athma" *

 

* *

 

*Nampillai: Interest (echchai) is svaroopa; Mercy (erakkam) is upaya;

sweetness (enimai) upeya;*

 

*PPJ: Adiyen doesn't think so;*

 

*Nampillai: what is your theory then?*

 

*PPJ: Devareer's thiruvadi is my refuge; My svaroopa is to be a servant to

the devotees; Srivaishnava abhimana-upaya; Their blossoming face (smile due

to happiness and pleasure) is upeya. *

 

* *

 

*Nampillai was exhilarated to hear these words of Sri Pinpazhagiya perumAL

jEyar PPJ.*

 

* *

 

* *

 

*Varavaramuni dAsargAL*