Thirukalikanri Dasar & Saraswati Bhandaram

[Guest guest]

--------------Message from Saraswati Bhandaram, Chennai-----------------

During the period of our Acharyas, Srirangam was the capital of our Srivaishnava lineage. Our Acharyas though born at different places came to live at Srirangam to propagate our sampradayam. Under their leadership, Srivaishnava sampradayam spread far and wide and was at its zenith. Nanjeeyar ascended the throne of Acharyas after Sri Parasara Bhattar. Though born at Karnataka, after he was vanquished by Bhattar at the wordy duel (Vaada sadas), he became a devoted disciple of Bhattar & learnt Divya Prabhandam & vyakyanams etc at his holy feet. Nanjeeyar then renounced all worldly pleasures to become a recluse (Sanyasi). He was affectionately called by Bhattar as "Nam

Jeeyar"(Our Sanyasi). [His] Acharya's blessing was mainly responsible for his writing the superb commentary on Tiruvazhmozhi which is called "Onbadinaayirapadi". In those days our Acharyas used to write the commentary on palm leaves. After completing the writing Nanjeeyar desired to preserve it for posterity. He wished to have a scribe who is highly skilled in writing it on palm leaves with clarity. His close attendants told him that there was a swami by name Nambur Varadarajan (Nambur is a village on the southern bank of Cauvery. Now it has vanished, eroded by Cauvery flood waters) who used to attend Nanjeeyar's Kalakshepam regularly. Nanjeeyar lost no time in inviting Sri Varadarajan and ordering him to write the commentary. At the bidding of the Acharya, he took the manuscript with great reverence and departed to his village,

where he could write the commentary with high concentration and in peace. He had to cross Cauvery on the way. When he was in the midst of the river a strong wave of the river dashed him and carried away the manuscript. Highly dejected he swam across the river and reached the shore. Somehow he calmed himself and thinking of the holy feet of his Acharya, Sri Nanjeeyar, he recapitulated the entire commentary as explained by his Acharya. As he was highly shrewd and adept in Tamil literature, he wrote the commentary from his memory and added in some places highly relevant parallel ideas, etc. from Tamil literature and thereby enriched the commentary, the 9000 padi. (Padi is a measure, means 32 syllables, 9000 padi means it contains 9000 X 32 syllables;). After completing it, Sri Varadarajar submitted the manuscript for the perusal, comments and corrections of

his Acharya. The Acharya went through it and was able to observe in some places magnificient and highly suited meanings for sentences of Thiruvaymozhi which he had not made. Though he was highly pleased with the commentary he wished to know what transpired after handing his commentary over to his disciple. So he asked Sri Varadarajan – "Why this addition?" Sri Varadarajan narrated the unfortunate incident. The acharya was struck with wonder at the amazing, sharp and retentive memory power of his desciple and praised him to the skies. He embraced him and declared -"He is my dear child – Nam Pillai". Thereafter his original name Nambur Varadarajan became something unheard of. The Acharya abhimana – the sole means of salvation - can be understood from this episode. From that day onwards, Sri Nanjeeyar kept his dearest disciple under his benevolent care and without allowing any lapse of time he taught him all the secret doctrines of Sri Vaishnavism and Visishta Advaita philosophy and made him a great scholar like himelf. He also named him "Thirukkalikanri Daasar". Kalikanri is the name of Thirumangai Azhwar. Nampillai was also born on the same day as that of Thirumangai Azhwar. (i.e Karthika month and Kritthika nakshatram). Therefore Nampillai is looked upon as the incarnation of Thirumangai Azhwar by our Acharyas, for which, a very aesthetic explanation is also given by them. Thirumangai Azhwar is known for his deep-rooted love towards Archa Avatara. Hence in the course of his ramblings to all Archa Avatara temples, he once reached Thirukkanna Mangai. He sang in praise of Lord Krishna there.Lord Krishna, the presiding deity became highly pleased by the sweet divine songs of the Azhwar, expressed his desire to learn the Divya Prabhandam. Sri Kaliyan told Him "vensangam onru endiya kanna, nin thanakkum kurippagil karkalam kaviyin porul thane" (Oh Krishna! wielding white conch, if you are so very particular about learning the Divya Prabhandam, you may do so. But in this state of your Archa Avatara it is possible for you to learn only the meaning of the text). Sri Krishna understood the implied sense of this statement. In the state of Archa Avatara idol, He can grasp only the meaning of the stanzas. If He has to learn and

understand both the text and its inner meaning in its depth, He should be born in this world and learn it under the guidance of a superb master. So SriKrishna was born as Sri Periyavachan Pillai on a Sri Jayanti day and becoming the desciple of Sri Nampillai, studied all the 4000 hymns along with Vedavedantam, Ithihasam, Puranam etc along with their commentaries from Sri Nampillai – who was born on the birthday of Sri Thirumangai Azhwar.(to be continued) Please visit http://vedics.org/ for more unknown facts on the great acharya and Saraswati Bhandaram and to make your

contribution for the construction of sri Nampillai sannidhi in Parthasarathy thiruvadi vaaram at Thiruvallikeni.