Periyanambi and Appullar - An interesting parallel study

[Guest guest]

Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

 

Walking along the long illustrious acharya paramparai of Sri sampradayam,

one finds at a few places, the mention of completeness or " Purnatvam " . Our

study here picks two such acharyas and sees as to how this qualification of

purnatvam or completeness befits them.

Let us pick Sri Periyanambi, the acharya of Ramanuja and Sri Athreya

Ramanuja Appullar, the acharya of Swamy Deshikan.

 

Periyanambi was also known as Mahapurna. After the earthly sojourn of

Yamunacharya, Periyanambi upon the behest of Lord Sri Ranganatha Himself,

decides to come to Ramanuja and teach him the esoterics of Srisampradayam

and make him the apostle of Srisampradayam.

Periyanambi successfully makes Ramanuja the apostle of the faith and

fulfills the command of Periya Perumal (Sriranganatha) and attained the

position of bhagavat acharya. It is only due to this that he is said to have

attained 'purnatvam' (completeness).

 

Next comes Appullar. Thirukkudanthai Deshikan in his vaadihamsambudacharya

stotram addresses Appullar as " Purtimaanya: " , which means " The complete

one " .

Now one might be tempted to ask, " Appullar did not have any spiritual

epiphany with Perumal to make Deshika, the protector of the sampradayam.

Then why should he be referred to as Purtimaan? "

 

The answer is very simple. One should remind oneself of Deshikan's statement

" Acharyaadiha daivataam samadhikaam anyaam na manyaa mahe " - " There is no

other God greater than or equal to one's acharyan " .

 

Athreya Ramanuja Appullar's acharya was none other than Nadadur Ammal. It

was indeed Nadadur Ammal's command and wish that Appullar should teach all

the esoterics to Venkatanatha and make him the prime preceptor of

Srisampradayam. Since Appullar successfully fulfilled the command of his

master who is to be held even above Perumal, he is definitely said to have

attained purnatvam. In this way Thirukkudanthai Deshikan's addressing of

Appullar as " Purtimaanya: " is well justified.

 

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!

vedAnthasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!