Thirukkolur Ammal Varththaigal - 78

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Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

 

78. va:kkina:l venre:no: battaraip po:le:

 

Parasara Bhattar was the son of Kooraththazhvan. When he was a young child, one

time as he was playing in the banks of Kaveri, he saw a procession in which a

vidwan called Sarvagna Bhattar was being carried in a palanquin by his

disciples. They were crying out his praises and using trumpets as they went

along. Parasara Bhattar was upset that in a town where notable scholars such as

Ramanuja, Kooraththazhvan, Mudhaliyandan and Embar were residing, such a

procession was taking place. So he decided to test this vidwan.

 

He went to the procession and stopped it. He then held some sand from the river

in his hand and challenged Sarvagna Bhattar to give him a count of the sand.

Sarvagna Bhattar was stumped and could not reply. Parasara Bhattar then told him

" This is a fistful of sand. You cannot even say this much and yet you go around

with people crying out your praises " .

 

Sarvagna Bhattar was amazed by this child's prowess. He then enquired about him

and found out that he was the son of Kooraththazhvan. He exclaimed " Will the

off-spring of that which flies just crawl? " and taking Parasara Bhattar on to

his palanquin, dropped him off at his home.

 

At the doorstep, Ponnachchiyar, the wife of Pillai Urangavill Dasar, received

the child and heard about the incident. Reciting Dvayam as protection for

Parasara Bhattar she took him to his mother Andal and told her " Please do not

let this precious child in the streets where evil eyes can fall on him " .

 

Later, after Ramanuja's time, per the instruction of Ramanuja, Parasara Bhattar

went to Thirunarayanapuram, where he debated the famed scholar Vedanti and won

him over into the Srivaishnava sampradhayam. Vedanti later renounced this world

and came to Srirangam to be with his acharya Parasara Bhattar. Named Nanjeeyar

by Bhattar, he would later don the acharya peetam of the sampradhayam.

 

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking " Did I win over opponents with my oratory skills

like Parasara Bhattar did? "

 

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan

http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/ThirukkolurammalVarththaigal/