Bhagavad Ramanuja Vaibhavam- Introduction

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

It has been my long cherished desire to pay a humble tribute to our unparalleled

Acharya saarvabhouman YathirAjar, Sri Bhashyakarar, Sri Ramanujacharya on the

forthcoming 1000th year (2017). It is indeed our bhaagyam to have this greatest

Acharya sambandham in Srivaishnava lineage. What a great Acharya! What a

glorious sampradaya!

 

With asmadhacharyan’s blessings and Divya Dampathi Sriya Pathi Sri RanganAyaki

SamEtha Sri Ranganatha’s grace, it is adiyEn rash and daring attempt of

dedicating this series which will run for next ten years on Yathiraja’s

glories on this most auspicious Vaikunta Eakadasi day.

 

My intent is to cover a summary level (about one page per post) for about 100

days in a year Acharya Saarva bhouman’s vaibhavam, glories and his nine works

for the next ten years. Though adiyEn is completely disqualified to take up this

task, at least it would give adiyEn a chance to read / enjoy these works at a

macro level and share with the younger generation.

 

Ramanujacharya came as " Trijagat punya phalam " (if all the good deeds of the

whole world should take a form and express itself it would be our

Ramanujacharya's form) and his teachings should benefit the whole world.

" Ramanujaarya Divyagnya Vardhatham abhivardhatam, Dighanta Vyapini Bhuyat Sahi

Loka Hithaishini "

 

May Acharya saarvabhouman Yatiraja Sri Bhashyakarar bless this vELvi and ensure

the success of this kainkarya dedicating to the lotus feet of Acharya.

Raamanujaarya dhivyAgnyA vardhathAm abivardhathAm. May Raamanujacharya’s

divine instructions grow further (to keep us on the divine track of Ramanuja

Darsanam) ever.

 

May I request and seek your forgiveness for my indulgence- where angels fear to

tread? This is only as a humble offering to the bhAgawatha e-Goshti.

 

Let us meditate at the lotus feet of our Acharyas and recite thaniyans before

proceeding with these posts for their blessings on us. adiyEn will refer to

various books, articles and will also provide due acknowledgement at the end

giving references. We are simple parrots merely repeating what is told by

Poorvars and erudite scholars.

 

rAmAnuja dhayApAthram jnAna vairAgya bhooshaNam |

srImath vEnkatanAthAyam vandhE vEdhAntha dhESikam ||

 

I worship Vedanta Desikan (Acharya or preceptor uniquely praised as such due to

his great contribution and strict adherence to Vedanthic tradition), named

Venkata nAthan, endowed with auspiciousness and glories, who was a receptacle of

the mercy (dayA) of his AchArya Sri Ramanuja, and who was adorned with the

jewels of wisdom (jnAnam) and detachment (VairAgyam).

 

Ramanuja here refers to Swamy Vedantha Desikan's Acharya Sri AthrEya

Ramanujacharya (also called AppuLLAr), his maternal uncle. We can also relate

this to Sri Ramanujacharya (Bhashyakarar) as well. Sure, Sri Bhashyakarar would

have blessed Sri Vedantha Desikan with his grace without which he would not have

been able to write 100 plus works all glorifying Sri Ramanujacharya siddhAntham

in an unambiguous manner. Sri UttamUr Swamy further elaborates this padham to

even Sri NammAzhwAr- as Sri NammAzhwAr is Sri SaTakOpar (pAdhukAs of the Lord)

and Sri Ramanuja is the avatar of Adhi sEshan. It is Adhi Seshan who takes

various forms to perform eternal kaimkaryam to the Lord.. (senRaal kudaiyaam;

irundhaal singaasanamaam; ninRaal THIRUVADIYAAM- When He walks, Adhi sEshan

takes the form of umbrella; While sitting, he becomes the throne (for the Lord

to sit on); and while He stands, Adhi sEshan transforms himself into the

PAdhukAs.

 

So, Ramanuja dayA pAthram means: SatakOpa dayA pAthram too. Vedantha Desikan is

also the recipient of Ramanuja's grace (Rama + anuja- Rama's younger brother-

KaNNan- Balarama's brother) for it is he who composed the marvelous

Yadhavaabhudhayam and the great divine Gopala vimsathy.

 

Another lateral thought: Rama- meaning Lakshmi. One who is after Lakshmi is

AndAL (BhUmi PiraaTTi) or all AzhwArs including VishvaksEnar too. Thus,

Raamaanuja dayA pAthram refers to Their blessings as well.

 

There is also another thaniyan which is recited :(by the sishyas of thennAcharya

sampradayam):

 

Sri SailEsa dayA pAthram dhI bhakthyAdhi guNArNavam |

yathIndhra pravaNam vandhE ramya jAmAthram munim ||

 

I salute Sri ManavaaLa MaamunigaL, who has the blessings of

Thiruvaaimozhippillai (ManavaaLa Maamuni¡¦s Aachaarya- Sri SailEsar) and who

is an ocean of jnAnam (knowledge) and Bhakthi (devotion).

 

It is known to one and all that the above thaniyan was submitted to the feet of

Sri Manavala mamunigal by none other than Lord Sri Ranganatha. Namperumal wanted

to hear tiruvoimozhi kalakshepam from Sri Manavala mamunigal. He conducted

kaalakshepam of Thiruvaaym6ozhi starting on the paritaapi year 31st day of avani

sukla chaturdasi friday. It continued for 1 year and the sARRumuRai was on aani

moolam. For this one year all the utsavams of namperumal were stopped. During

the sARRumuRai, namperumal appeared as a 5 year old archaka boy and recited this

sloka in praise of Sri Manavala mamunigal.

 

LakshmI nAtha samArambhAm nAtha yAmuna madhyamAm |

asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE guruparam parAm ||

 

I worship the entire guruparamparaa that starts with Emperumaan, Sriya:

Pathi Sriman Narayanan; which has SrI NAthamuni (in between) upto my AchArya

(Sri Ramanuja).

 

More on this in next post.

Bhashyakaarar ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan