Sri Ramanuja and Azhvars

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Sri:

Sri Lakshmi nrisimha parabrahmaNE nama:

Sri Ramanujaya Nama:

Sri Lakshmi nrisimha divya paduka sevaka

srivan satakopa sri narayana yatindra mahadesikaya nama:

 

Last weekend was very special. At Sri Ranganatha Temple

Sri Ramanuja and Swami Nammazhvar, sitting next to each

other and by the side of Ranganayaki sameda Rangantha,

blessed us by listening to Thiruvaymozhi, Iramnusa

nUtrandAti, and periya satrumurai. In the presence

of two of the foremost Acaryas of our sampradayam,

Thayar and Permal glowed with a special brilliance.

 

In their presence adiyEn was reminded of Sri Anand

Karalappakam's post sometime back about the influence

of Azhvars in the writings of Sri Ramanuja. Sri Anand

quoted some references to show this influence.

 

In this context, some western authors have speculated

that Sri Ramanuja was probably not influenced by Azhvars

at all. They even go to the extent of speculating

that Sri Ramanuja did not even know Tamil. Some in

India fall prey to such speculations. adiyEn would

like to take the opportunity of Sri Ramanuja Jayanti

and share some phrases and verses from Iramanusa

nootrantAni (INA) that demolishes these speculations.

 

But first, in verse #5 of Stotra Ratnam, Sri Alavandhar

pays glowing tribute to Nammazhvar as the father, mother,

wife, children, and the undisputed leader of the clan.

Nobody can deny that Sri Alavandhar played a crucial

role in the philosophical thinking of Swami Bhashyakarar.

Sri Ramanuja wrote Sri Bhashyam only to fulfill one

of the three promises he made to him post-mortem.

Thus, there cannot be any question that Azhvar's SrI

suktIs, that Sri Alavandhar revered, had a profound

influence upon Sri Ramanuja's philosophical thinking.

 

Sri Ramanuja and Tamil Vedas

----------------------------

If there is any doubt about Azhvar's influence upon

Sri Ramanuja, INA removes them without any trace.

INA sings the praise of Sri Ramanuja by citing the

the major influences upon and achievements of Sri

Ramanuja. The first part of the prabhandham describes

in detail the overwhelming influence of Azhvar Sri

SukhtIs upon Sri Ramanuja. In fact, in the very first

verse Thiruvarangathu Amudhanaar (TA) declares

Ramanuja as,

 

" pAmannu mARan adi paNindhu uyndhavan "

 

(the one saved by falling at the feet

of Nammazhvar who was immersed in

singing the praise of Perumal)

 

In the second verse TA says,

 

" kuRaiyal pirAn adikkIzh viLLAdha anban

irAmanusan "

 

(the one who has unending bhakti for the

lotus feet of Thirumangai Azhvar)

 

From verse # 8 to 20, TA uses one verse each for

all the azhvars (two for Nammazhvar) to celebrate

Ramanuja's great love for the Azvar SrI SukhthIs.

Of particular interest is verse 19, where TA uses

similar phrase as Sri Alavandhar's " matA, pitA, .... "

from verse #5 of Stotra Ratnam quoted above, to

celebrate Ramanuja's devotion towards the Tamil

songs of Nammazhvar.

 

INA#19

uRuperum selvamum thanthaiyum thaayum uyar guruvum

veRitharu poomagaL nAthanum, maaRan viLangiya seer

neRi tharum senthamiz aaraNamE enRu inneeL nilaththOr

aRithara ninRa, iraamAnusan enakku aaramuthE.

 

" Ramanuja is verily my sweet nectar, who preaches

to the whole world that Nammaazhvar's pure and

beautiful Tamil Vedas that celebrate the

auspicious qualities of Perumal, is wealth,

the father, the mother, great Guru, and even

the consort of the lady of fragrant lotus flower. "

 

Let us now consider another verse where TA declares

the crucial role Azhvar Sri SuktIs played in Sri

Ramanuja defeating his opponents.

 

INA #64

paN tharu maaRan pasunthamiz Anandham pAy mathamaay

viNdida engaL iraamaanusamuni vEzam, meymmai

koNda nal vEdhak kozun^ dhaNdam Endhik kuvalayatthE

maNdi vanndhu EnRathu, vaathiyarkaaL ungaL vaazvaRRathE.

 

" The greatness of the elephant called

Ramanuja has soared around this world,

and, with the bliss from the musical

and pure Tamil of Nammazhvar streaming

out as the " madham " and the infallible

Vedas as the huge tusks, the debating

opponents are destroyed. "

 

There is a saying among Sri Vaishnavas, " Thirumalai

aRiyAdAr, Thirumalai aRiyAdAr " . This is a play on

the word " ThirumAlai " which is used twice, once to

mean the prabhandham " Thirumalai " and then to mean

" Thirumal " , i.e. Lord Vishnu the second instance.

The meaning is, those who do not know the prabhandham

" ThirumAlai " cannot comprehend our Lord, " ThirumAl. "

Similarly, those who are unfamiliar with TA's INA

can never know comprehend the true greatness of our

dear Sri Ramanuja.

 

Now please permit me to share a couple of verses

that capture our sentiments as Sri Vaishnavas

towards Sri Ramanuja.

 

INA #29:

koottum vithi enRu koodungolO, then kurukaippiraan

paattennum vEdhap pasunthamiz thannaith than paththiyennum

vIttin kaN vaiththa iraamaanusan pugaz mey uNarnthOr

IttangaL thannai en naattangaL kaNdu inabam eythidavE?

 

" When will be the day that my eyes will

feast upon the sight of the congregation

that has comprehended the glory of

Ramanuja in whose devotion the beautiful

Tamil Vedic songs of the lord of Kurugai

is firmly established. "

 

INA#107

inpuRRa seelaththu iraamaanusA, enRum evvidaththum

enpuRRa nOy udal thORum piRanthu iRanthu eNNariya

thunpuRRu veeyinum solluvathu onRuNdu un thoNdar katkE

anpuRRu irukkumpati ennai Akki angu AtpaduththE.

 

" O! Ramanuja, embodiment of compassion

and other auspicious qualities, even if

repeatedly born into a bony body susceptible

to decease and other unthinkable miseries,

I have only one request, whereever it may be,

or, whenever it may be, grace me by make me

devoted to your bhaktas. "

 

Thondaridippodi azvar in the last verse of

ThiruppaLLiyeucci, and ThiruppAn Azhvar in

the very first verse of Amalan AthippirAn,

sang to Permal and wanted to be servants of

the servants of Perumal. But our TA sang

directly to Ramanuja and wanted only to be

servants of the servants of Ramanuja. That

is the essence of INA, that is the essence

of Sri Vaishnavam.

 

Thiruvarangaraththu AmudanAr thiruvadigaLE saraNam!

 

srimad azhagiya singar thiruvadigaLE saraNam!!

 

-- adiyEn ramanuja dasan