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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00012 Jul 2005

 
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SrI :
 
Dear Fellow Students of the History of Sri VaishNavam :
 
In our SampradhAyam , Sriman Narayanan is the First AchAryan ,
Mahaa Lakshmi is the second AchAryan , VishvaksEnar is the third
AchAryan  and Swamy NammAzhwAr is the Fourth AchAryan ,
who libed on this earth at the beginning of Kali Yugam .
 
The Taniyan (Benedictory verse) for our Kula Pathi , Swamy NammAzhwAr
composed by Swamy Naatha Muni  takes this form :
 
BhakthAmrutham Viswa-janAnumOdhanam
sarvArTadham SrI SaThakOpa Vaangmayam
sahasra SaakhOpanishath samAgamam
NamamAmyaham dhrAvida vEdha sAgaram
 
(Meaning) : adiyEn salutes the divine spech of SrI SaThakOpan ,
which is the veritable ocean of Tamil Vedams . It ( ThiruvAimozhi)
is the SrI Sookthi  united with the Saama Vedham linked with its thousand
upanishads . It provides all the meanings of Saama Vedham and is accepted by
all the people as the nectar  desired and relished by them .
 
Swamy Natha Muni is the AchAryan , who was accepted by Swamy
NammAzhwAr as His disciple  and thus Swamy Natha Muni becomes
our Fifth AchAryan.
 
The salutation to our Guru Paramparai thus takes this form as stated by
KuratthAzhwAr , the disciple of AchArya RaamAnujA :
 
LakshmInATa SamArambhaam Naata-Yaamuna madhyamaam
asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE Guruparamparaam
 
(Meaning ) : adiyEn salutes the Guru ParampArai with Sriman
NaarAyaNan at the beginning , NaaTa Muni and AaLavanthAr in
the middle and with adiyEn's AchAryan at the end .
 
The Goals of this series of Postings
**********************************************
adiyEn will focus in these postings on the times of AzhwArs and AchAryAs
and the political climate in the country , which had its unavoidable impact on
the mission of AzhwArs and AchAryAs . The many foreign invasions ,
the internecine and pernicious struggle for power among the variouis kings
across the length and breadth of India in support of their religious beliefs
has had a very significant impact . The invasion of the barbarians from central Asia
and  Middle East  for gold (Somnath to Srirangam) and the rule of the ruthless
colonial powers (East India Company and the British Raj) in search of spices
and other riches in the name of commerce left their distinct scars on the psyche of
India . The AchAryAs were not immune to all these detrimental forces and some times
they had to remove themselves from these hot zones and wait for tranqility to return to
their preferred places of worship to continue with their lives' work as emissaries of
the Supreme Lord at His LeelA VibhUthi . It is in this context , AchArya RaamAnujA
had to leave Srirangam for Melkote and Swamy  Desikan had to settle down at
Sathyagalam in Karnataka . It is in this context , KurEsar lost His eyes , PiLLai
LokAcchAr and Sudarsana Soori lost their lives at Srirangam . It is hence important
to understand the tolerant as well as the hostile environment in which the AchAryAs 
had to carry on their lives'  mission to guide us to the path of Moksham and leave
behind immortal dhivya Sookthis for the benefit of posterity . This tradition continues 
and the AchAryAs of today lead us along these ancient and safe paths . Political
parties and their naasthika agenda raise their ugly heads  . Our AchAryAs still
find their ways to cope with them and continue to guide us safely across
the wastelands to the comfort and security of Sriman NaarAyaNA's eternal
and comforting kingdom .
 
Diffiuclties in assembling material for this series of postings
*****************************************************************************
Historians continue to labor in their efforts to find the authentic dates
of the AzhwArs . There are many sources and number of them do not
mesh to create a clear fabric to paint on . We have bits and peaces of
the kings and chieftains , who were disciples of these AzhwArs : Vallabha 
Devan of Mathurai belonging to PaaNDya Kulam reigned during the times of
PeriyAzhwAr and ANDAL . Selva Nambi , the AchAryan of PeriyAzhwAr
was the mentor for this king and convened the assembly of scholars to
establish the VedAntha SiddhAntham : Para Tathva NirNayam . ThoNDaradippodi
AzhwAr lived in the times of UrayUr ChOzha Chieftain . This ChOzha king
comes in the lineage of King Dharma Varman of UrayUr ( NisuLApuri) ,
who married his daughter , UrayUr NaacchiyAr ( amsam of NeeLA Devi )
to Sri RanganAthan . ThiruppANAzhwAr was born at the same UrayUr.
KulasEkhara AzhwAr , who married his daughter ChOzha NaacchiyAr
to Lord RanganAtha , was a  ruler from the Chera dynasty . Thirumnagai
AzhwAr , the last of the twelve AzhwArs was a commander in chief of
a ChozhA king ruling out of Tanjore after Swamy NammAzhwAr's time
( Before Common Era  3102 ) and before Swamy Nathamuni's time
( 824-924 Common Era).
 
Traditionally , Swamy NammAzhwAr is said to have been born on
the 43rd day after the dawn of Kali Yugam (BCE 3102) . The three
Mudhal AzhwArs are recognized to have been born in the yugam
before Kali Yugam ( DhvApara Yugam , when Lord KrishNa incarnated ).
In adddition to the Mudhal AzhwArs , Thirumazhisai PirAn and Madhura 
Kavi AzhwArs are said to have born in the same dhvApara Yugam 
( BCE 4202 to 3224 ) .   PeriyAzhwAr's time is given as 105 years after 
the dawn of Kail Yugam and Thirumangai AzhwAr's time is given as 
445 years after the birth of Kali Yugam . These are SamprahAya date lines ,
which may not agree witht he findings of modern day historians adopting
the Western style of analysis . Latter are guided by the occasional references in 
some of the AzhwAr Paasurams :
 
(1) PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi 4.2.7 ( Nedu MaaRan Thenn KooDarkkOn Thennan ):

 
" konna ViRkkUrvEl  Nedu MaaRan Thenn KooDaRkkOn ,
   Thennan koNDADum Thenn ThirumAlirumchOlayE " .   
 
(2) Thirumangai's Periya Thirumozhi Paasurams ( 1128-1137
about Pallava Kings and other paasurams ( 1498-1507) about
KochenkOtcchOzhan . The first set of Kaliyan's Pasurams are
about the dhivya dEsam of ParamEswara ViNNagaram:
 
" Pallavan Villavan yenRu ulahil  PalarAyppala vEndhar vaNangu Kazhal
   Pallavan , MallayarkkOn paNintha ParamEcchura ViNNagaramE " ---Paasueam 1128
 
" The other paasraum of this Pathikam carry references to the Pallavaas
who worshipped at ParamEswara ViNNagaram : " Paaarmannu Pallavar kOn
paNintha ParamEcchura ViNNagaramE " , " Paaampudai PallavarkkOn
PaNintha ParamEcchuramE " , " Ulahudai Mannavan Thennavanaik-
kanni-maamathiL soozh KARUVOOR veruva , pala Padai saaya venRAn
paNintha ParamEcchura ViNNagaramE " .
 
To refer to these Pallava kings , Thirumangai Mannan naturally has to have
been born after the time of the above kings .  
 
(3) There are kall vettus (Silaa Saasanams) at the stone walls of ancient
dhivya dEsams like Srirangam , poetic styles ( Sanga Kaala poetry)
and grammatical uses ( ilakkaNa nadai) in dhivya Prabhandha Paasurams
that have been used by modern day historians to determine the time of
AzhwArs . That work continues .
 
adiyEn will foucs on the Dynasties --PallavAs , ChOLAs , ChAlukyAs ,
RaashtrakUtAs , Vijaya Nagar kings , Hoysala kings , the Naiks and
the Maraatta Kings of Tanjore -- who formed the backdrop of the times of
our dear AzhwArs and AchAryAs .  
 
AzhwAr , AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan  
 
 


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