Sri Vishnuchitta kulanandana kalpavalli (part-12)

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Vara Vara MunayE namaha

Sri Vanachala mahA munayE namaha

 

Swamy emperumAnAr went to Azhvar thirunagari had the divine darshan of polindhu nindra piran and nammazhvar and then proceeded towards thiruppulinkudi to have the darshan of emperuman over there. Swamy was followed by all his shisyas and they were all very tired. On the way swamy enquired to a small girl playing in the streets, “Oh little girl how far is thirupulinkudi temple from here”. The girl with a smile asked emperumanar, “Oh! Sanyasi don’t you know thiruvaimozhi?” Swamy emperumAnAr was taken by surprise. Swamy is celebrated as “valarththa edaththAi erAmAnusan” he was like yesodha to thiruvaimozhi. Nammazhvar gave birth to thiruvaimozhi but only swamy emperumanar spread its fame everywhere. Now a small girl is asking if he didn’t know thiruvaimozhi. But swamy was not filled with ahankara and hence he didn’t get angry but calmly asked the girl, “Oh child is it told in thiruvaimozhi the distance between azhvar thirunagari and thiruppulinkudi?” The girl with great confidence replied, “Oh! Yes” Swamy was astonished. Swamy asked, “Where is it told?” The girl replied, ”haven’t azhvar said ‘engu orunAl koovudhal varudhal seiyAyO’ that means that thiruppulinkudi is at a calling distance (koopidum dooram) from azhvar thirunagari” What a great explanation admired swamy emperumanar. He wondered, ”How come such a great artha has never struck my minds.” Swamy accepted that small girl to be like an acharya who has taught him a great meaning and hence as a sense of gratitude went to the girl’s place and accepted food in her place for the sake of the small girl’s intelligence. Swamy emperumAnAr never saw the age of the girl and that she was only a girl but only saw the meanings that came out of her mouth.

 

From this incident two things have to be noted by Srivaishnavas. One is the sense of gratitude our acharyas had even towards a small girl. Secondly it is not the person that matters it is the matter/meaning that comes out of their mouth that matters. If the words match with the sastras and our poorvacharyas then it can be accepted no matter who says it. Even if a uttamAdhikAri (one filled with jnanam and anubhavam) says something contradicting that has to be surely ignored. Going through the guru paramparai and other incidents in the life of our acharyas we are able to grasp a lot of things. And the beauty of our acharyas vyakhyanams is to include many such incidents in the appropriate places so that we get a clear understanding of our vaishnavic principles. So more than just knowing the prabhandams it is very important for each one of us to go through the vyakhyanams and enjoy both the divine anubhavams and the knowledge embedded in them.

 

(To be continued)

 

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan