Sri Alavandar Tirunakshatiram on 15/8/2008, FRIDAY celebration at Sri Venkatachalapathy Temple, BHEL, Tiruchi

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|| Swamy Alavandar & Swamy Desikan ||

 

 

 

Today is a very sacred day. Sri AlavandhAr also known as Yaamuna Muni was born this day at KaattumannAr Koil near Thillai Thirucchitthirakootam in the year 916A.D. He lived for 125 years prior to ascending Parama padham. His illustrious works Sidhdithrayam, GithArtha sangraham, Aagama PrAmANyam , Chathus SlOki and STHOTHRA RATHNAM provided the inspiration for AchArya RaamAnujA , KurEsar , ParAsara Bhattar and Swami Desikan as well as a whole group of Sri VaishNava AchAryas to compose noble granthams , which guide us every day .

AchArya Yaamuna Muni was the grand preceptor (PrAchArya) for AchArya RaamAnujA . Our Revered Yaamuna Muni's Sri Sookthis are the essence of VedAs , Upanishads , VaishNavite AagamAs , Saatvika purANams and the blessed divya Prabhandams .

Among the revered works of AlavandhAr , SthOthra Rathnam is a model work for those who followed his footsteps to strengthen the fortress of Sri VaishNavam .

AdiyEn wrote an earlier article on the Life and works of AlavandhAr and GithArtha Sangraham , which are archived in Acharyan section.

On this day of his birth , which also happens to be a PourNami day as well as the ChaathurmAsyam day for SanyAsis , it is adiyen' bhAgyam to add few more comments about the slOkams of SthOthra rathnam. It is so very appropriate that the Revered Jeeyar of Ahobila Matam has chosen Ahobila dhivya dEsam for his ChaathurmAsyam to be close to Nava Narasimhans .

Both Sri Periya VaacchAn PiLlai and Swami Desikan have written extensive commentaries on this source grantham for all sthOthrams to follow as a leader in substance and style.

This sthOthram is so profound in meaning that one has to spend hours and hours going back and forth between this pioneering sthuthi and the derivatives , which are elaborations by Sri VaishNava AchAryAs like Sri RaamAnujA , KurEsar , Bhattar and Swami Desikan . The many SaraNAgathi granthams that Swami Desikan wrote are elaborations of the tenets covered by YaamunAchAryaa.

At the end of his SR BhAshyam , Swami Desikan in his inimtable way summed up the contents of SR as follows:

* AlavandhAr condensed the meanings of the manthra Rathnam (Dhvayam) to create the slOkams of SR.* Among the 65 slOkams , the first 5 are those, who opened his spiritual eyes ; the sthothram commences with the 6th slOkam .* the 7th deals with the awesome Parathvam of the Lord , which can be intimidating and in slOkams 8-9 describes the Lord's soulabhyam , which removes all fears about His accessibility .* From 10 to 21 , AlavandhAr dealt with the many meanings of NaarAyaNa sabdham .* In the 22nd SlOkam , AlavandhAr performed Prapatthi.* From 23-27, he expressed his qualifications (adhikAram) for Prapatthi at the sacred feet of the Lord .* From 28-29 , he explained that great fruits come out of the easy observance of prapatthi.SlOkam 28 invokes the power of Anjali as a laghu upAyam for the VassekaraNam of the Lord . Swamy Desika elaborated on this slOkam and created a whole chillaRai rahasyam known as Anjali Vaibhavam .

* From 30to 46 , AlavandhAr revealed the inner meanings of the uttara KHANDam of Dhvayam. The slOkams from 32-46 describes parama Padha Vaibhavam , which formed the basis of Sri VaikuNta Gadhyam .* In slOkam 47 , he expressed his nirvEdham over nonperformance of the upAyam to redeem him .* From 48-51 , he showed us that Prapatthi alone will give the fruits of Moksham .* From 52-53 , he dealt with Bhara samarpaNa Tattvam. SlOkma 52 is important in that it was used by ThirukkOttiyUr Nampi to teach RaamAnujA that Seshathvam is SvarUpa NirUpakam to a Jeevan . SlOkma 53 is an echo of NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi2.3.4: " YenathAvi YaaryaanAr tantha nee koNDAkkinayE ". * From 54-57 , he begged for the Lord's anugraham to lead the life of prapannA until dehAvasAnam. He celebrated the glory of Bhaagavatha Sangham in SlOkam 55.* From 58-63 , AlavandhAr described with example the protective qualiites of the Lord such as KaaruNyam , Vaatsalyam , Bhandhuthvam et al and sought refuge . SlOkam 60 is a moving acknowledgement of the Sarva Vidha Bhandhuthvam of the Lord in the context of Bhara SamarpaNam. ParAsara Bhattar recited the 62nd slOkam of SR before Sri RanganAthA and described himself as " amaryAtha: Kshudhra:"* In the 64th slOkam , AlavandhAr reminded the Lord of his saraNAgathi Vratham. This is the Abhaya PradhAna SlOkam and became the basis of Swami Desikan's Abaya PradhAna Saaram and NishEpa Rakshai.* In the final 65th slOkam , he celebrated the glory of AchAryAnugraham and AchArya sambhandham and prayed for the Lord's grace atleast for the sake of his grandsire, Sri Naathamuni , the great AchAryA .

* AlavandhAr's Sidhdi Thrayam expounds the nature of the three siddhis: Aathama siddhi (the nature of the Soul ), Isvara Siddhi ( The nature of the Lord),Samvit Siddhi (the nature of supreme Knowledge). Together they deal with the central doctrines of today's VisishtAdvaithA System consistent with the teachings of the early commentators , BodhAyanA , TankA , DramidA et al.Sri RaamAnujA based his Sri BhAshyam on that Sri Sookthi .* The GithArtha Sangrahaa summarizes the teachings Of Lord KrishNA in a succinct manner. Both RaamAnujA's and Swami Desikan's elaborations on GitA arise from this work.* The Aagama prAmANyA of AlavandhAr defends the Vedic authority and the revelations of Paancha Raathra AagamA. * SR and ChatusslOki deal with the saraNAgathi Tattvam and rthe important role Sri Devi plays as one of the Seshi Dampathis.Her PurushakAra role is underlined. * The other two sookthis of AlavandhAr , MahA Purusha NirNayam and KaashmirAgama PrAmANyam are no longer available to us.

* AlavandhAr was very much influenced by the great sookthi of his grandfather , Nathamuni revered as NyAya Tatvam , which established the parathvam of Sriman NaarAyaNA and the contradictions of advaitham as a darsanam .

Nammayum AalavandhAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan

thiruvEngadamudaiyAn thiruvadigaLE SaraNam.