Sri Pillai Lokacharyar's TN - Today

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Sri Pillai Lockacharya: Amsam of Kanchi Devaraja (Varadaraja) Perumal

Aippasi Thiruvonam, in the year 1205 CE.

 

About this Acharya who gave us the Rahasya Arthas as works,

so the real meanings of the works are available for us.

- Ashtadasa Rahasyangal and Gadyatraya Vyakhyanam.

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Sri Pillai Lokacharya Vaibhavam

 

lOkAchAryAya guravE krushNapAdaSya SUnavE |

SamSArabhOgiSandashta jIvajIvAtavE nama: ||

 

The name UlagAriya (or Lokacharya) first became associated with Sri Nampillai

when Sri Kanthadai Thozhappar celebrated him as the acharya for the world

( " kanthAdai thOzhappar tham ugappAl enna ulagAriyanO enRu uraikka " ). Nampillai's

disciple was Sri Vadakku Thiruveethippillai. Out of great affection for his

acharya, Vadakku Thiruveethippillai named his first son as Pillai Lokacharya

( " anbAl anna thiru nAmaththai Athariththu mannu pugazh maintharkku

sARRukaiyAl " ).

 

One time Nampillai was enquiring Vadakkuth Thiruveethip pillai's mother Ammi

about her welfare. She told him that she was sad as her family was not being

furthered because her son was staying away from his wife and was not having a

child. Nampillai asked her to bring her daughter-in-law to his presence. When

she did, he told her daughter-in-law that she would give birth to a son just

like himself. He then called his disciple Vadakkuth Thiruveethippillai and told

him to follow proper gruhastAsrama and that it would not cause any damage to his

vairAgya.

 

Vadakkuth Thiruveethippillai obeyed his acharya's words and in time a son was

born to him; he named him Pillai Lokacharya out of respect for his acharya. He

also had a second son who was named Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar. Sri

Pillai Lokacharya was born as the amsam of Kanchi Devaraja (Varadaraja) Perumal

in the month of Aippasi under the star Thiruvonam, in the year 1205 CE.

 

In the foreword to his vyakhyanam of Sri Vacana Bhushanam, Sri Manavala

Mamunigal tells of the following event. Once upon a time Kanchi Devaraja Perumal

out of His nirhEduka krupa selected one Manarpakkam Nambi, and appearing in his

dream taught him some special rahasya meanings; He also advised him to go live

in Srirangam and wait for Him there where He will teach him in further detail

those meanings. Manarpakkam Nambi moved to Srirangam, built a small temple and

quietly lived there worshipping Him and keeping the meanings revealed by Him to

himself. One day Pillai Lokacharya came to that temple with his close disciples

and seeing the quiet nature of the place began teaching them the meanings of

rahasyas. Nambi listening from inside noted that these meanings were the same as

taught by Lord Varadaraja to him. He then came out and bowing at Pillai

Lokacharya's feet, asked him " AvarO neer? " - Are you the one (the same as

Devaraja)?. Pillai Lokacharya replied " Yes, and why do you ask? " . Manarpakkam

Nambi explained his dream to him. This is the avatara rahasyam of Pillai

Lokacharya.

 

Pillai Lokacharya then took him as his disciple and taught him the meanings of

the rahasyas. Nambi then told him that Lord Varadaraja had asked him to request

Pillai Lokacharya to collect these meanings as a book. The book thus written is

Sri Vacana Bhushanam. Manavala Mamunigal speaks of the greatness of this work in

several pasurams in his UpadesaratthinamAlai. Mamunigal also says that this is

the greatest of Pilla Lokacharya's works ( " innaruLAl seytha kalai yAvaiyilum " ).

 

In their youth, both brothers learned everything from their father as well as

from his acharya Nampillai. They grew up like Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana. Both

of them lived as brahmacharis throughout their lives. In his 65th year, Azhagiya

Manavala Perumal Nayanar reached His lotus feet. Pillai Lokacharya lived to the

age of 106 years.

 

Pillai Lokacharya's primary disciples were Koorakuloththama Dasa, Manarpakkam

Nambi, Kollikavala Dasa (Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Pillai), KotturilaNNar and

Vilanjsolai Pillai.

 

Also at a young age Srisailesa (Thiruvaymozhi Pillai) and

Thirunaaveerudaiyapiran DaatharaNNar became his disciples. The former is the

acharya of Sri Manavala Mamunigal and the latter is his father. Mamunigal's

father was Kollikavala Dasa's disciple at Sikkil Kidaram and married his

daughter. Thiruvaymozhi Pillai learned everything from Koorakuloththama Dasa.

Thus, Mamunigal gained the great wealth of sambandham with Pillai Lokacharya

through his acharya (Srisailesa), his father and his maternal grandfather.

 

While Pillai Lokacharya lived in Srirangam maintaining Emperumanar's Darsanam,

the islamic invasion of the city occured. To save the temple and Periya Perumal,

His sannidhi was covered with brick stones and a different vigraha was kept in

front. Pillai Lokacharya left Srirangam along with Namperumal and Naccimars

ahead of the invasion. While going through a forest they were attacked by

thieves who stole all the jewellery and vessels of Namperumal. Pillai Lokacharya

gave them everything he had and even rejected the items when they returned them

to him. Happy that they left Namperumal with him, he continued on. They then

reached a small town called Jyothishkudi. Here Pillai Lokacharya fell ill and

reached His lotus feet. The year was 1311 CE and the day was jyEshtha suddha

dvAdasi. At his death bed he advised his disciples such as Koorakuloththama Dasa

and Vilanjsolai Pillai that Srisailesa was working for the king at Madurai and

that they should bring him back into the Srivaishnava fold so that he could lead

the darsanam.

 

Pillai Lokacharya authored several works including the eighteen rahasya granthas

known together as Ashtadasa Rahasya and Gadyatraya Vyakhyanam.

 

the above article is from: http://www.acharya.org/acharya/spl/splv.html

 

Articles in previous issue of Vedic_Mag: (Pages 19 to 24)

http://www.vedics.net/magazine/RD_0104_online_vers.pdf

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