Swami Alavandhaar - YamunAchArya Thirunakshathram - Aadi Utthiraadam - July 29th- Let us pay our obeisance to the greatest Acharya!

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

YAmunAchArya- SrI Alavandhaar- His period -from year

917 AD to 1042 AD. (about 125 years). Today is his

Thirunakshathram (Adi UtthirAdam). 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.

 

[References: Acharya vamsa vruksham- by Sri Anbil

Ramaswamy

Vaishnavism- Sri SMS Chari]

 

Alavandhaar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

AzhwAr Emperumaanaar Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

 

 

 

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