Bhagavad Ramanuja Vaibhavam- 1.11- Alavandhaar- Swami YamunAcharya

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all,

 

Let us continue to enjoy the acharya’s glories. Next in our Acharya lineage is

Swami Sri Yamunacharya.

 

LakshmI nAtha samArambhaam nAtha yAmuna madhyamAm..

 

YAmunAchArya- SrI Alavandhaar- His period -from year 917 AD to 1042 AD.

(about 125 years). He was the Grandson of " thaaLam vazhagith thamizh maRai

innisai thandha vaLLal " - Sri Nathamuni.

 

YAmunAchArya is the grand -Acharya (PrAchAryA ) of Ramanujacharya (1017 AD

to 1137 AD). He established the principles of VisishtAdhvaita as an

expansion of the doctrines housed in his grandfather's treatises and

elaborated on those doctrines with authoritative scriptures such as

Sruthis, Bhagavadh Gita , AzhwAr's pAsurams and Selected SAtvikaPurAnAs.

 

He is the one who composed the earliest Stotras of Srivaishnava

Sampradayam:

He wrote the following works great in content and yet lucid.

 

(1) chathuslOki

(2) StOtra Ratnam

(3) Siddhitrayam consisting of (i) AtmaSiddhi. (ii) Samvitsiddhi and (iii)

Iswara Siddhi

(4) Agama Pramanya

(5) Maha Purusha Nirnayam

(6) Gitartha Sangraha

(7) Nityam

(8) Maayaa Vaadha Khandanam

 

Swamy Desikan says in YathirAja Sapthathi:

 

Vighaahe Yaamunam Theertham Saadhu Brindaavane Stitham |

NirasthaJih Magha Sparse Yatra Krishnah Kritaa Dharah ||

 

(meaning) Alavandar who learned Vedantha Arthas at the feet of MaNakkaal

Nambi was not only the one residing on the banks of Yamuna (Yamunai

Thuraivan) by name but was also like the clear flowing waters of the river

Yamuna. Lord Krishna got rid of the cruel Kaalinga from the river and made

its water pure and clear for all to drink. He was most delighted when he

played with the Gopis of Brindavanam in the Yamuna waters. Likewise,

Alavandar vanquished those who misinterpreted the Vedas and established

Vedanta Siddhanta. Just as one can derive supreme pleasure by bathing in

the holy waters of Yamuna, one can enjoy supreme Bhagavad Gunanubhava by

immersing in the lucid granthas of Yaamuna

 

Once an arrogant vidwAn by name Akkiyalvan was challenging and humiliating

learned men. Yamuna (as a 16 year old boy) accepted the challenge and went

to the court to argue with him. The queen was so impressed with the boy

that she told the king and pursuaded him to give away half the kingdom if

he won in the debate and offered herself to be thrown to wild dogs, if the

boy failed. Akkiyalvan asked the boy to state three propositions positive

or negative which he offered to counter. And, if he could not, the boy

would be declared the winner.

 

Yamuna asked (or stated) three statements. He asked Akkialwan to counter.

 

( i ) Your mother is not a barren woman- Naturally he could not counter

saying that his mother is a barren woman (he is very much standing in front

of Yamunacharya).

 

( ii ) The king is a righteous and powerful ruler - Obviusoly he can not

afford to conuter this.

and ( iii ) The queen is a model of chastity. - oh no! Never can he counter

this.

 

Akkialvan accepted defeat and the King now asked Yamuna to disprove his own

statements.

 

Yamuna clarified by observing the following:-

 

( i ) The sacred laws say that an only son is no son at all. So,

Akkiyalvan's mother was as good as barren in the eyes of the law.

( ii ) The king cannot be called righteous when he entertained such an

arrogant person to be his chaplain and his not dismissing the chaplain

showed that the king was indeed powerless.

( iii ) According to the Sruti texts, every woman is wedded first to Soma,

then Gandharva and then Agni before marrying her earthly partner. The queen

was no exception and therefore cannot be deemed a model of chastity.

 

(This is only to drive home a point that logic can not be the solution

fully. One needs to fall back on Saasthras and Sruthi/Smrthis for

praMANams.)

The King sent Akkiyalvan out of his kingdom and gave Yamuna half his

kingdom. The queen hailed the boy as " Alavandhaar " - One who came to save

me..

 

Thus, Alavandar has become the king and could not attend to spiritual

pursuits further.

 

Meanwhile, Rama Misra (maNakkaal nambhi) was trying to catch Yamunacharya's

attention to fulfil his promise to his Guru to install Alavandar as the

spiritual successor to Nathamuni.. But, he could not meet Alavandar, being

a king now to discuss the matter. He came out with an idea. He came to know

that the king relishes thoodhu vaLai keerai (kind of spinach). He supplied

that spinach to the royal kitchen daily. After few months, he stopped. The

king asked the cook as to why the spinach is not being served. They replied

saying " one brahmin used to supply. He does not come nowadys. " Alavandhar

told them that he would like to meet him, if he comes next. Next day, they

met each other.

 

Rama misrar told Alavandhar that his grandfather Sri Nathamuni had passed

on the family wealth (kula dhanam) that needs to be handed over to Sri

Alavandhar. Alavandhar said, " in that case, give me that. "

" No. It is not here. Come with me. " . He took him all the way to Srirangam

Koil. (ArAdha aruLamudham podhintha kOil). He showed Alavandhar, the Divya

mangaLa vigraham of Sri Ranganathan. Looking at the Lord, in such divine

splendour, the divine beauty- and looking (with tears rolling down his

cheeks) at those " kariyavaagi, pudai parandhu, miLirndha, sevvariyOdiya,

neeNda, ap periya vaaya kaNgaL.. " (those dark, well spread, shining, ruddy

lined, long, large eyes)-

 

He bursts out:

I have nothing to give you. None at all. I have no quailifications. I am

not religious. What a Great person my Grand Father was! What am I! I have

no one but You(the embodiment of mercy! Compassion!- dayA) as my refuge. He

performed Saranagathy at the Lotus Feet of Lord Ranganathan.

 

na dharma nishtOsmi na chaatma vEdi

na bhaktimaan tvaccharaNAravindE

akinchanOananyagatih saraNya!

tvat paadamoolam saranam prapadye. (Sthothra Rathnam- 22nd sloka)

 

Oh you worthy of being sought as refuge! I am not one established in

Dharma, nor am i a knower of the self. I have no fervent devotion to your

lotus-feet. Utterly destitute as I am, and having none else for resort, I

take refuge under your feet. (Translation by Swamy Adidevananda)

 

Rama Misra explained the purpose of his mission and requested Alavandar to

take over the reins of spiritual leadership bequeathed to him by his

illustrious grandfather, Nathamuni. Alavandar took to Sannyas and was then

known as YAMUNA MUNI.

 

Sri Alavandhar's naichyAnusanthAnam (feeling lowly nature of oneself- the

jIvAthma as compared to the Lord's Greatness, KalyANa guNAs) is very

beautifully reflected in SthOthra Rathnam (total 65 slokas in this work-

reported to be an elaborate refelction of Dwayam). They are more

appropriate and applicable to us (and not Sri Alavandhar). He has composed

for us only.

 

Aparaaadha-sahasra-bhaajanam

patitam bhiima-bhavaarnav'odare;

agatim saran'aagatam hare!

krpayaa kevalam aatmasaat kuru.

 

Oh SrI Hari! pray, make me your own out of sheer grace - me, who has fallen

into the depths of the terrible ocean of worldly existence, and who, being

resortless, have sought refuge at your feet.

 

amaryAdha: Kshudra: chalamadhi: asUyAprasavabhU:

kruthagnO dhurmAni smara paravasO vanchanapara:

nrusamsa: pApishta: kathamahamithO dukkajaladhE :

apArAth uttheerNa: tava paricharEyam charanayO :

 

What a soul stirring sloka! One can not but cry reciting this, (imagining

himself as the hero:-( of the sloka)

 

AlavandhAr describes himself as:

 

amaryAdha: - one who has crossed the bounds of established rules

Kshudra: - engaging in trivial /worldly /material/sensual pursuits

chalamadhi:- never steady; (chanchalam), fickle mind

asUyA prasava bhU : Place where jealousy is born

kruthagana: Ungrateful one

dhurmAnee:- ill feelings towards fellow human beings;

smara paravasa : Fallen into the gamut of desires and sensual impluses

vanchanapara: skillfully deceiving others (at cheating others )

nrusamsa: - engaging in violent acts

paapishta: ( Incorrigible sinner - mahA paapi

 

Swamy Desikan says- ahamasmi aparAdha chakravartthi. (also meant for us).

Swamy desikan also writes in Subashithanivi:

 

I bow with mind, speech and body to that great Lord, who is the best among

all persons, who approaches others of His own accord without waiting for

them to take the initiative because of His innate goodness and agreeable

nature, as also to myself who is chief among the wicked and who harms

others without reason, there being one thing in common to us both, viz.,

that the good or evil done to us once has the effect of wiping off all the

good and or evil done before. If what God, in His wisdom, thinks is good,

though not really good, has been done to Him even once by a person, all the

wrongs committed by him earlier is forgiven by Him. Therefore, I bow to

Him. In my case, if once what I consider wrong, which may not really be so,

is done to me by someone, all the good done by him to me till then is

completely forgotten by me. Fie upon me! Ingratitude-being the basest of

vices, it has been mentioned at the very beginning. (Translation by Sri L

Srinivasan, New Delhi)

 

What a naicchiyAnusanthAnam!

 

Swamy Alavandhaar's works are the ones which give us crystal clear jnAnam

about our unparalleled unambiguous VisishtAdvaita Srivaishnava philosophy,

the presence of which can never take us to the wrong roads.

 

After taking so many countless births, We, (dAsars (servants) of Sri

Alavandhar), who have been blessed to be born (due to the limitless,

unconditional grace of the Lord Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan) as

Srivaishnava in this birth, and have realized and taken up the prapatti

maargam (due to the nirhEthuka krupA of the Lord), who are bequeathed with

such Great Acharyan ? YamunAchAryan, the learning of whose SrI sukthis

enable us to know the tatvatrayam crystal clear and upAyam and upEyam

(means and goal) perfectly, and keep us reminded of the same always, will

never ever read (hereafter) works of those who belong to other religions. ?

Says Swamy Desikan in Adhikaara sangraham.

 

neeLa vandhu inRu vidhivagaiyaal ninaivonRiya naam/

meeLavandhu innum vinai udambu onRil vizhundhu uzhalaa(dhu)

ALavandhaar ena venRu aruL thandhu viLangiya seer/

Alavandhaar adiyOm padiyOm ini alvazhakkE.

 

Alavandhaar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan