life of raamaanujaacharya 4

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The lady of the deva gaana thought thus:-‘My method of

singing, these manlings cannot appreciate; and I shall

consecrate the same before devaas(celestial beings)’.

So she went from one holyshrine to another, everywhere

displaying her art to the deity therein manifest. She

in due course reached veera-naarayana puram and as was

customary with her she went to the shrine of mannaar

and there sang her song in the audience of our sage

naathamuni. He heard and understood her mode; and

mightily pleased, vouchsafed to her as a mark of his

appreciation, the teertha and prasaada of Lord

mannaar. She now purposedly retracted her steps to

king chola and spoke thus:- ‘There is one soul,

atleast, O king, who can understand the beauties of my

deva gaana. He is by name naathamuni, the blessed

votary of Lord mannaar at veera-narayanapuram.”

 

The king’s curiosity was roused. He sent messengers to

naathamuni, begging him to deign to visit his court.

He on his side, on receiving the invitation, thought

thus :-“We have set the Blest prabhandas to exquisite

music. Let us visit king’s court, and take this

opportunity of making these known to the world”. Thus

he directed his steps to the king’s court. On his

arrival, the king rose and welcoming the sage with

every mark of honor, offering him a suitable seat.

Whereon the sage blessed the king, and inquired as to

his object in inviting him. The king said:-“ Holy

sage! Canst thou distinguish between the deva ganna

and manushya gaana of these minstrls?” The sage then

requested that the performance be given before him.

When this was done, he addressed the king thus:- ‘ye

men have ears for the manushya gaana only, only the

devaas can understand the other’. “But” the king

respectfully asked, “ how sire, can we be made to hear

it?” Thereon the sage directed that the 400 kinds of

taala be marked, and explained to the king the rate of

each. The king understood from this explanation the

regular harmonical progression and symphony which this

method lent to the deva gaana music, which produced in

him a bliss never before experienced. It is also

related that a pair of cymbals was placed near a

consecrated post, and the deva gaana was sung, when it

was found that the post began to melt. They stopped

the music, and when they attempted to lift the

cymbals, they stuck to the post; and when they began

the music and lifed the, they came off. The king went

into raptures over this, and falling at the feet of

the sage proposed to reward him abundantly. But the

sage, to whom even the offer of the Lordship over the

worlds was no temptation, politely declined the

presents offered; and the blessing the king, returned

to veeranarayanapuram.

 

Eight disciples had our sage:- 1) Uyyakkondaar 2)

kurukai-k-kaaval-appan 3) nimbi karunaakara daasar 4)

eeru-tiru-vudaiyar 5) Tiru-k-kanna-mangai andan 6)

vaanamaamalai devi-y-andan 7)

Urup-pattur-acchaan-pillai and 8) sokattur-azhwan

 

They were disciples of the description given in the

jaya-samhita(of paancharatra):-

“He indeed is a true disciple

who owns, sole for the Guru’s sake,

all riches-all wisdom

all works- his body itself!”

 

 

Such deserving disciples then, naathamuni initiated

into all the holy mysteries of religion, taught them

the divya prabhandas, and left a legacy of works, like

the purusha nirnaya, and nyaaya tattva treating of

sublime truths of religion, beginning with God, the

Lord of the kosmos; and also a work on yoga(or the art

of communion with God), called the yoga rahasya. He

himself retired from active habits of life and became

immersed in the contemplation of the Blessed Deity

fixing His resplendent Form ever before his mental

gaze.

 

......... will be continued()

 

 

 

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