Sri Ramanuja Journal Volume 6, Issue 3

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SrimathE rAmAnujAya namaH

SrImathE varavaramunayE namaH

 

Panguni, Vyaya AzhvAr 6, Acharya 3

Sri NANJEEYAR

Salutation:

namo vedAnta vedyAya jagatmangaLa hetave

yasya vAkamruta sArapUritam bhuvanatrayam

Sri Nanjeeyar was the disciple of Sri Parasara Bhattar and the acharya of SriNampillai. His commentaries are one of the earliest ones that have a style of explaining each word and phrase that the AzhvArs use in the pAsurams, and then quoting other teachers in detailing the meanings.

Life history:

It is believed that Nanjeeyar lived from 1113 CE to 1208 CE (95 years). He was born in the city of Thirunarayanapuram , near Mysore in Karnataka. He grew up in the town of Kankorai . He was the direct disciple of Parasara Bhattar and it was to him that Bhattar handed over the stewardship of the religion. One of Nanjeeyar's greatest contributions was the identification (and anointment) of srI nampiLLai as the next leader of the sampradAyam.

Nanjeeyar's original name was Madhavacharyar. Since he had outstanding knowledge of the Vedantas, he was generally referred to as " vEdAnti " . He was renowned as an acharya in the Advaitic tradition initially. Swami Ramanuja, before leaving this world called Bhattar and told him about Vedanti and asked Bhattar to correct him and bring him into the Srivaishnava fold.

As Vedanti, Nanjeeyar lived with great fame in Thirunarayanapuram. Once a Brahmin from Srirangam met him and told him about Bhattar's greatness. From that time on, Vedanti was eager to meet Bhattar. When the Brahmin met Bhattar and told him the incident, Bhattar asked him what he told Vedanti. The Brahmin replied that he told Vedanti that Bhattar knew all sastras. Bhattar then told the Brahmin that he should have told Vedanti that Bhattar also knew Thirunedunthandaga-sastram. The next time the Brahmin met Vedanti he repeated that to him. Vedanti was then wondering about this work that he had not come across before. Bhattar then later traveled to Thirunarayanapuram to challenge Vedanti. He went there in a palanquin, surrounded by his disciples, in a procession. Upon seeing that the local people told Bhattar that he would not be able to meet Vedanti if he went like that. They advised him that Madhavacharyar was in the habit of giving feast to brahmins each day and if he went as one of those brahmins, he will able to meet him quickly. Therefore, Bhattar dressed as a poor brahmin and went to his place. There Bhattar met Madhavacharyar who asked him why he was waiting there. Bhattar replied that he was waiting for some alms. Madhavacharyar asked him why he was not eating with the other brahmins then. Bhattar replied that he did not come there for food but that he wanted the alm of philosophical debate.

" kA BikshA? " What BikshA you want? asked Sri vEDhanthi. 'ThrakA BikshA " replied Bhattar.

Madhavacharyar instantly recognized that it was Bhattar who was thus challenging him. He accepted the challenge and a debate raged for nine days between them. On the tenth day, Vedanti agreed that he had lost and that the interpretation of the Vedas according to Visistadvaitham was the true philosophy. He surrendered at the divine feet of Bhattar who then performed pancha samskaram to him and returned to Srirangam.

Madhavacharyar then continued to live in Thirunarayanapuram with his two wives and all his wealth. Once, a few brahmins came to his house and his wives sent them away without food. Upon returning to his house and hearing the news, Madhavacharyar grew greatly dejected with his wives in their failure to feed the poor. He therefore divided his wealth into three portions, gave two of the portions to his wives and took one portion to give to Bhattar for service to the Lord. He then renounced this world and took sanyashrama dharma and left for Srirangam to meet Bhattar. On the way, he was met by Sri Ananthahzvan, a disciple of Ramanuja. Ananthazhvan told him that if he continued to live as usual by eating when hungry (pasitha pOdhu vuNdu, vEArtha pOdhu kuLithu) , taking a bath when sweating and surrendered at Bhattar's feet, that he would not be rejected from paramapadham. There was no need to become a sanyasi. Ananthazhvan then blessed him saying that having done it he should now be born in Thirumantra and grow in Dvaya and recite nothing but Dvaya. When Vedanti reached Srirangam he fell at the feet of Bhattar. Bhattar then picked him up calling him " nam jeeyar " (Our Jeeyar) and embraced him. From that day onwards, Vedanti came to be known as Nanjeeyar.

Nanjeeyar then continued to live with Bhattar in Srirangam and became a close disciple to him. There are countless incidents/stories in Guru Parampara Prabhavam, Vyakhyanams, VArththA Mala, etc which recount events of interaction between Bhattar and Nanjeeyar. These events bring out the best in the Srivaishnava Sampradhayam.

Nanjeeyar would ask very many questions to Bhattar and Bhattar would answer them with amazing dexterity. So much so, it became known in the sampradhayam that there was no one to ask questions like Nanjeeyar and that there was no one to answer them like Bhattar. These aithiyam-s also show the immense devotion that Nanjeeyar had for his acharya, Bhattar.

After bhattar's ascention to Paramapadham, when every one were returning Nanjeeyar covered himself in a cloth (muttaakku) and went along the banks of the river and entered into his matam like that. When asked he replied, a widow should not go out in the streets without a veil. A SadAcharyan is like a husband to the Sishya.

When Nanjeeyar was old and not well, a person called Petri came to see him and asked him what he wished for. Nanjeeyar replied that he would like to hear Arayar recite the Periya Thirumozhi pasuram " thUviriyamalaruzhakki " and see the NamperumaL in sarvasva dAnam that means beauty of him without even a thirupparivaTTam. Varamtharum Perumal Arayar recited the pasuram. It is said that when Arayar recited the fourth pasuram of the pathigam, Nanjeeyar spoke a few words about its meanings and attained paramapadham. Guru Parampara also records that Nanjeeyar saw Namperumal in a procession as per his wish and then speaking a few words of good advice to his disciples including Nampillai, he reached His abode.

Works:

Nanjeeyar wrote 9000ppaDi commentary of Thiruvaaymozhi. Sri MAmunikaL celebrates this as a researched work' Aindhu vuraithadhu' in the upadesarethinamAlai.

In Upadesa Ratthinamalai, Manavala Mamunigal mentions that Nanjeeyar wrote several vyakhyanams - " nanjeeyar seytha viyAkkiyaigaL nAliraNdukku " .

 

His other works are

Kanninun Sirutthambu Vyakhyanam, Thiruppallandu Vyakhyanam, Vyakhyanams for the Thiruvanthathis, Thiruppavai IrAyirappaDi vyAkhyAnam, Saranagati Gadya Vyakhyanam. Of these works, only OnbathinAyirappadi Vyakhyanam and Kanninun Sirutthambu Vyakhyanam and the Thiruvanthathi vyAkharams are available now.

Aithihyams related to commentaries

EnthirumakaLSeEAR mArbanEa

 

One day bhaTTar asked nanjeeyar to recite the pasurams, while bhattar was eating. Nanjeeyar recited the kangulum pakalum pathikam, and when it reached EnthirumagaL sErmArbanE Nanjeeyar recited it together " enthirumagalsermarbaneennum ennudaiyaviyE ennum " – bhattar immediately screamed sriranganAtha and leaned backwards. Nanjeeyar later described it thusNanjEyar's clubbing of the words enthirumakaLSEAr mArban together and making it into a proper noun made Bhattar emotional. AzvAr longed for not just PerumAL But PerumAL with PirATTi always on His TReasure chest.

" appOdhu thirumEniyilE iruntha vikrithiyaikkaNdu ivarukku bhagavathprApthi anitthAyitthO entru anchiyirunthEn "

 

pudaikku alanthAn/alarndhAn

 

In the divyartha deepikai for Thiruviruttham PBA swami recalls another aithihyam (commentary)

In the 86th Thiruviruttham –

aDaikkalatthOngu kamalattharayan senniyennum……puDaikkalanthAnai emmAnai ensolli pulambuvEnE

Once on a similar occation, bhattar asked nanjeeyar to recite pasurams, and he recited this pasuram. Instead of AlanthAnai nanjeeyar recited AlarthAnai.

The context is when yasodhA tried to punish krishNa, kaNNan cried. But if the word Alanthanai (cried) is changed to Alarnthanai it means His face blossomed thinking that for what purpose I took avatharam is completed.

When nanjeeyar recited that, bhattar stopped eating, stood up and wondered, Alarthanai is more apt than AlanthAnai how wonderful Azhvars thoughts are

" jEyA! alandhAnai enRa pAdathiR kATTilum alarndhAnai enRa pAdam AzvAr thiruvuLLathukku migap porundhum "

 

Thambi vaLaikkAri

 

In the thiruneDunthANdaka pasuram karppuDaiya maDakkanni kAval pUnda, periyavAcchAnpiLLAi records nanjeeyar's feelings about the Anthari, who is the sister of Krishna , revered in this pasuram, as maDakkanni, by thirumangaiazhvar.

Thambi vaLaikkAriyantrO entru jeeyar aruLiccheyvar – she is the protector of the young brother

 

The dialogues

 

Once nanjeeyar took the Dindu on his shoulders of the thoLukkiniyan on which Bhattar was ascended, bhaTTar asked nanjeeyar, " Jeeya this is not good for the Asramam you are in " for this nanjeeyar replied, adiyen took asrama sweekaram, only for having uninterrupted kainkaryam of devareer, if this asramam itself is becoming an interruption for that, I am ready to throw it off and wear my old white cloths back "

 

SaraNagathi as a Means and pramAnam

 

Sri Nampillai questioned nanjeeyar: There are so many means of salvation (upayas) prescribed by SAsthras, there are also innumerable pramanas in the shastras for all these upayas. The followers of these upayas (means of salvation) are also in majority in this world. But for Saranagathi the pramanas are less in number and the followers are to be traced. The Rishi (sage), chandas, devathas (the deities) are mentioned in the case of other upayas namely Karma yoga etc., whereas they are missing in Saranagathi. Why this disparity between the two when Saranagathi is the easiest means of salvation?

 

To this nanjeeyar replied : There is no need for any pramana in the case of Saranagathi, because it is something that is self-evident and therefore requires no proof or pramana. Let me explain it by an example viz: Two men are crossing a river. One has fallen into the depth of the river and is sinking. Does the other man go in search of a Pramana to lift up and save the sinking one? He saves him automatically. All the Jeevatmas who have fallen into the ocean of samsara are equal to the sinking man. Sriman Narayana lifts them up by stretching forth his merciful hands. Therefore it is nothing but common sense and requires no pramana. Here are the pramanas if you still insist upon getting some pramanas. In the Vedanta a very well known statement runs as follows:

" yO brahmANam vidhathAthi pUrvam yO vai vedAnScha prahiNoti tasmai . tam ha devam Atam buddhi prakASam mumukshurvai, sharanamaham prapadyE "

(sweta asvatara Upanishad: " First of all Sriman Narayana created Brahma. He taught him the entire Vedas. He has given me the clear knowledge with reference to Him. I take refuge under Him desiring salvation " says Veda Purusha.) " Tasmath Nyasa mesham Tapasam Atriktham Ahu: " (Taitriya Narayana - 50 Therefore this Nyasa namely Saranagathi excels all other penances)

" Nyasa Ithyahuhu maneeshino Brahmanam " (Taitriya Narayana – 50 Wise men declare that Saranagathi is the Brahman (Sriman Narayana) Himself) " Nikshepa aparaparyayo Nyasa: Panchangasamyutha Sanyas: styaga ithyuktha saranagathirithyapi " (Lakshmi Tantram 17-74 Surrendering to God (nikshepa) has five accessories. The word " nikshepa " has several synonyms like Nyasa, Sanyasa, thyaga and Saranagathi.)

Thus pramanas are readily available and they are also many. There is no dearth of such pramanas.

 

Realising the Quality of SrevaishNavA

NampiLLAi once asked nanjeeyar " How can a man understand that he has the qualities of a Srivaishnava? "

Nanjeeyar answered: If a man comes to know that the Lord Sriman Narayana in his Archavatara does possess all his supreme powers as in Srivaikunta Loka, He can consider himself to be a Srivaishnava. A man in general loves his son and wife very dearly. If he possesses that much love and affection towards a fellow Srivaishnava, he can consider himself as included in the list of Srivaishnavas. When abused by a Srivaishnava, if a man does not become angry, but on the contrary receives his wrathful words with a cheerful countenance and as an enjoyable pleasure he is a Srivaishnava.

 

ThiruvArAdhanam with DhvyAnusanthAnam

Once Nanjeeyar asked Nampillai to do thiruvaradhanam to his personal deity, NampiLLai replied, swami I don't know how to do thiruvaradhanam well. Nanjeeyar replied him, do you think I know it well, can't you simply chant SrImathE nArayaNAya namaH and offer the food to empeurman? "

Perform ThiruvArAdhanam with dvyAnusanthAnam.

Sri Nampillai got another doubt. So he aked swami there are 108 Divya Desas. We have to perform pooja to all the presiding deities in all the holy shrines but we perform pooja only to God in our house.Sri Nanjeeyar smiled and replied with affection " The remedy for this, my dear son! is as follows- First of all chant the purva vakya. After that and before pronouncing the uttara vakya you include the word " Sarva Mangala Vigrahaya " . Now all the deities in all 108 Temples appear before you in the form of the deity at your house. Thereby you are considered to have performed pooja to all those deities.

 

The Purpose of incarnations

Once nampiLLai asked nanjeeyar, swami why is emperuman takes Avatharas In the world. Nanjeeyar answered, The Lord takes several births in this world and performs Herculean tasks even as a wild elephant does by dragging huge and heavy trees. It is in order to inflict severe punishment on those wretched souls who have committed several offences towards His earnest devotees.

It is also clearly stated in SrivachanabhUshanam

ISvaran avatharitthu paNNina AnaitthozhikaL ellAm bhAgavathApachAram poRAmaiyAlE entru jeeyar aruLiccheyvar

 

BhAgavatha apachAram

This tempted nampiLLai to ask " what is Bhagavatha Apachara? " nanjeeyar answered : The first and foremost of Bhagavatha Apachara is equating a Srivaishnava to one's self on seeing him. Nanjeeyar in this context quotes numerous passages from Nalayira Divya Prabhandham of Alwars to substantiate this view.

Nam-jEyar sadhAbishEkam

Sri Nanjeeyar conducted kalakshepam on Tiruvaimozhi while at Srirangam and completed 100 times of the same. As this is a rare phenomenon in the life of a man the disciple Nampillai celebrated it by conducting Satabhishekam Festival with due pomp and glory.

In this panguni uthiram day, one day is definitely not enough to recall the incidents and glories of Sri NanjEyar. Let this be a triggering point for this.

 

Varavaramuni dAsargaL