KurEsar's Sri VaradarAja Sthavam: Part V

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Dear BhakthAs:

 

It was the time , when AchArya RaamAnujA was

staying at ThirunArAyanapuram because of

the troubles caused by the Veera Saiva ChOLa RaajA .

Due to the treachery of a sishyan of Koora Naathan

by the name of Hardhatthan (NaalUrAn) , RaamAnujA's

AchAryan , Sri Periya Nampi lost his life and Koora Naathan

lost his eyes . Koora Naathar composed during the time of

separation from AchArya RaamAnujA the four sthavams:

Sri Sthavam , Sundara Baahu Sthavam, Vaikunta Sthavam

and AthimAnusha Sthavam.

 

When AchArya RaamAnujA returned from ThiirunArAyana Puram ,

he met KurEsar at Srirangam and was deeply hurt by the loss

of Kuresar's eyesight due to the cruelty of the ChOLa RaajA.

Although the aparAdham committed by the evil-minded king

led to his death through cancer , AchArya RaamAnujA could

not overcome his sorrow over the loss of KurEsar's

eye sight. He asked KurEsar to come with him to Kaanchipuram

to pray to the boon-giving Varadhan to restore his lost

eyesight.KurEsA had given up his darsanam (eye sight ) for

the Darsanam ( Bhagavath RaamAnuja Darsanam ).

 

With the niyamanam (command) of his AchAryan (RaamAnujar),

Kuresar stood in front of the Atthigiri Varadhan and

composed the 101 slOkams of Sri VaradarAja Sthavam

and placed them at the sacred feet of the Parama DayALu,

HasthigirIsan.The Lord of Kaanchi was moved and asked

Koora Naathan as to what boon did he want to get. KurEsar

surprised every one by asking the Lord to grant

the soubhAgyams that he will get to his sishyan ,

NaalUrAn as well . RaamAnujA was shocked and inquired

as to why KurEsar had asked for such a boon for

the ayOgyan , NaalUran,who was instrumental in

the loss of sight by KurEsar.The most compassionate

KurEsar responded: " Oh My AchAryan! NaalUran has

sambhandham with me as Sishyan. He has

committed AchArya (asahya) apachAram and as a result

could not have Moksham . If he did not gain Moksham

inspite of AchArya Sambhandham , then my own status

as a AchAryan granting SvAthma SaamyAvathvam will be

proven a lie. This You have stated in Sri BhAshyam.

That is why I asked the Lord to protect that AchArya-

Sishya Sambhandham and protect the Saasthraic rules

and requisites " . AchArya RaamAnujA and Lord Deva Raaja

PerumAl were pleased with that reply of KurEsar.

 

The prayer that KurEsar made to Varadhan was:

" NethrasAth kuru Kareesa! Sadha mE! " . KurEsar

prayed for Jn~Ana Chakshus ( kaNNkaL) instead of

physical chakshus. AchArya RaamAnujA was again

saddened that KurEsar did not ask for his sight

to be restored from the PerumAL ,who would have

said yes to his request. Meanwhile , KurEsar began

to describe in detail the AabharaNams and the Vasthrams

and the weapons of the Lord to RaamAnujA just as

a person with eye sight would. RaamAnujA was amazed.

He concluded that Lord Varadhan had given the boon

requested by KurEsar . Vardhan had blessed KurEsar to

be able to see Him and AchArya RaamAnujA. Ketta varam

Tharum PerumAL had fulfilled the wish of KurEsar and

in return had received 101 slOkams of Sri Varadha Raaja

Sthavam composed in front of Him and AchArya RaamAnujan

as well as the srEshta BhaagavathAs of ThoNdai manDalam.

 

In the very last slOkma of Sri Varada Raaja Sthavam ,

KurEsar makes reference to gaining the boon from the Lord

and salutes His AchArya Paramparai right in front of

Hasthi Giri PerumAL:

 

RaamAnujAngri SaraNOsmi kulapradheepa:

thvAseeth sa Yaamuna munE: , sa cha NaaTa vamsa:

vamsaya: ParAnkusa MunE: sa cha , sOapi DevyA:

daasastavEthi VARADHAASMI TAVEKSHANEEYA:

 

Here KuratthAzhwAn reminds Lord Varadhan of

His sambhandam and acknowledges that his gaining

Jn~Ana Chakshus is due to his AchArya lineage:

 

" Oh VaradhA! adiyEn has taken refuge at the sacred feet

of RaamAnujA. That RaamAnujA became the dheepam for

the kulam and the Vidvath of YaamunAchAryA. That Periya

MudaliyAr (YaamunAchAryaa) belongs to the sacred

vamsam (Sottai Kulam ) of AchArya Naatha Muni.That

Naatha Muni in turn belongs to the VidhyA vamsam

of Swamy NammazhwAr. That NammAzhwAr (VaguLAbharanar)

is the Dasan (servant ) of Perum Devi ThAyAr ,

Your dear consort. With these illustrious lineage

of AchAryAs , adiyEn is fit to be the object of

Your auspicious eye glances " .

 

This was the prayer that came as the very last

slOkam of Sri Varadha Raaja Sthavam and the Lord

responded wiht alacrity and blessed KurEsar to

have the darsana soubhAgyam of Himself and

AchArya RaamAnujA always.

 

Thus arose Sri VaradarAja Sthavam from the lips of

KurEsar right in front of the Lord of Atthigiri

and AchArya RaamAnujA , who has been saluted as

" Tenn AtthiyUrar KazhaliNaik keezhppUNDa

anbhALan IraamAnusan " . AlavandhAr's celebrated

eulogy of the power of Varadha Raaja PerumAL

became true:

 

Yasya PrasAdha KalayA Bhadira: SruNOthi,

Panghu: pradhAvathi, javanE cha vakthi Mooka:,

ANDHA; PRAPASYATHI , Sutham labadhE cha VandhyA ,

TAMM DEVADEVAMEVA SARANAM GATHOSMI " .

 

(Meaning ): By whose anugraham the deaf hears,

lame one runs, dumb one speaks,THE BLIND ONE SEES,

the maladi gives birth to a child, to that Deva Raaja

PerumAn, Varahdan ,adiyEn has performed SaraNAgathi.

Such is the PrbhAvam of the " Kacchi tanil kaNN

Kodukkum PerumAL " .

 

HastheesAya NamO Nama:

Kari Saila NaaTAya NamO Nama:

MahA Devi VathsalAya NamO Nama:

SaraNAgatha SamrakshaNa PaNDithAya NamO Nama:

" Virinchi SivayOrvihithAvathArAya " NamO Nama:

" SamsArA Vaarinidhi SantharaNaika pOthAya " NamO Nama:

" Bhava Vaari Raasi apankura sEthavE " Namo Nama:

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singhar PaadhAngri rENu,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan