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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00162 Oct 2002

 
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Sri Parthasarathi thunai
Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha
Sri Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

SrisailEsa dayA pAthram deebhakthyAdhi gunArnavam
Yateendra pravanam vandhE ramyajAmataram munim

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Our poorvAcharyas say that all acharyas before Sri Ramanuja got uplifted and 
attained moksha due to his head and those after him through his feet. 
Lets see how.
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There is one legend in our guru paramparai about the appearance of the 
bhavisyadhAcharya vigraham (Sri Ramanjua idol). Madurakavi alwar wanted to
make the vigraham of his acharya, nammAzhvar and hence as per the instructions 
of Sri Sadagopar he started making the same by boiling the tambarabarani river 
water. But the first one, which appeared, didn?t resemble his acharya but it 
was a vigraham of some other acharya. He rushed to his acharya and told him 
about that. For which nammAzhvar replied, ?This is the vigraham of the 
bhavishyadAcharya, who will take avatar later and uplift the masses. This is 
the same acharya about whom I have sung in the ?poliga poliga pAsuram. So have 
this with you with due regards and go and boil the tambarabarani water again to 
get my vigraham?.

Both these vigrahams (idols) are there in Alwar thirunagari today. After the 
period of madurakavigal, Sri Sadagopar handed the two idols to nathamunigal, 
when he got the divya prabhandam and other arthas after meditating on the 
kanninun siruthAmbhu of madurakavigal. Nammazhvar also told natha munigal to 
keep expecting the arrival of such an acharya and consider that acharya to be 
his feet. And that is why ramanuja is praised as ?mAran adi paninthuindhavan? 
and hence all acharyas before ethirajar?s time got uplifted by his head (feet 
of nammAzhvar).

During the muslim invasion, Alwar thirunagari was also affected like Srirangam 
and hence some srivaishnavas ran out along with nammAzhvar thirumEni for 
safety. At that time the bhavisyadhAcharya vigraham was buried underground. 
ThiruvAimozhi pillai, the acharya of Sri mAmuigal, got back alwar to 
thirukurugoor and renovated the nava thirupathi temples and decorated Alwar
thirunagari like heaven. At that time, coming to know of the ramanuja vigraham 
thiruvAimozhi pillai dug the idol out and constructed a beautiful temple and 
around the temple developed a ?ramanuja chaturvEdi mangalam? and got many 
srivaishnavas to live there.

Sri Manavala mAmunigal (then, azhagiya manavAlan) was reading under 
thiruvAimozhi pillai at that time. The greatness of all our poorvAcharyas is 
that they never considered themselves to be a master instead they always 
considered them to be a shisya of their own acharya and their shisya also to be 
only their acharya?s shisya. So thiruvAimozhi pillai told mAmunigal to 
consider rAmanujar to be his acharya and not himself. By the order of his 
acharya, mAmunigal then sung the 21 excellent slokas on ethirAjar, 
the ?YethirAja vimsathi?. ThiruvAimozhi pillai was highly pleased withthe 
love and respect mAmunigal had for ethirAjar, which was expressed in simple
slokas, but with indepth meaning. At that time, thiruvAimozhi pillai presented 
his thiruvArAdha rAmanuja vigraham to mAmunigal and asked him to remain with 
same prathipaththi (gratefulness) always towards ethirajar.

This is the reason why mAmunigal in his arthi prabhandam cried to ethirajarto 
grant moksha, washing all his sins with swamy?s krupai. But never did 
mAmunigal forget that, he falling into the feet of ethirajar happened only due 
to the grace of thiruvaimozhipillai. That?s why he says, (Arthi prabhandam-58)

?endhai thiruvAimozhi pillai ennarulAl vunthanuravai vunarthiya pin
endha vuyirukku ella vuravum nee yendrE yethirAsA! NillAdha thundO ennenju.?

Meaning: Due to the grace of thiruvAimozhi pillai Oh ethirAja! Now I know the 
relation between you and me. After that how can I stay without thinking that 
you are everything for my soul?

So each of our acharyas put us all into their acharya?s feet and they inturn 
put us to the feet of Sri rAmanuja who is the udaiyavar who grants us all 
moksha (?vishnulOka manimantapa mArgathAyi?). Since thiruvAimozhi pillai 
instructed mAmunigal to consider emperumAnAr as his sole refuge, mAmunigal,
with the gratefulness towards his acharya completely filled in mind, surrenders 
to the divine feet of ethirajar. That?s why in his upadesa ratnamalai he
says, ?endhai thiruvaimozhi pillai ennarulAl vandha upadesa mArgaththai sindhai 
seidhu? (iam talking as per the instructions of my jnana pitha sri 
thiruvAimozhi pillai).

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There is one other legend in the life history of Sri ramanujar, which confirms 
that ramanuja sambhandam will surely grant us moksha. 
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Let ?s see in the next posting.
(To be continued)

Alwar EmperumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigalE sharaNam
Adiyen Ramanuja dasyai
Sumithra Varadarajan




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