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A tale of two holy places-Srirangam and Kancheepuram

 

          Sri Alavandhar also called Yamunachariyar lived between 915 AD and 
1040 AD. He was incharge of the administration of Sri Ranaganathaswamy temple 
at Srirangam besides being the head of Sri Vaishnava Acharya Peetam. He 
strictly adhered to the tradition established by Azhwars and earlier Acharyas. 
His erudition, profound scholarship and lectures on Vaishnavism drew many 
disciples towards him and one of them was Sri Sailapurnar alias ?Periya 
Thirumalai Nambi? was serving Lord Thiruvengatamudaiyan of Thirumalai by 
bringing fresh fragrant flowers from a garden laid by him and water for 
Thirumanjanam from Swamy Pushkarani. Incidentally he was the maternal uncle of 
Sri Ramanuja and his preceptor as well, under whose tutelage he learnt Srimad 
Ramayana.

            It was the period when Advaita philosophy was ruling the roost 
Visishtadvaita remained latent in th hymns of Azhwars, Sri Ramanuja, the 
propounder of Vishishtadvaita Philosophy was born at Sriperumbudur in the year 
1017 under star ?Thiruadhirai (Arudra)?. He came to Kancheepuram with a view to 
enlarging the vistas of his knowledge on the study of ?Veda?, ?Smrithi?, 
Sastras? etc. and he became a pupil under an Advaita tutor by name 
Yadavaprakasar, who ran an institution for studies at ?Thiruppukkuzhi? a place 
near Kancheepuram. He was married in the year 1033 AD at Kancheepuram to 
Thanjamambal.

            Be as it may, at Srirangam Sri Alavandhar by an earlier intuition 
was awaiting  the incarnation of Sri Ramanuja and about which he was having a 
conversation important inmates of the mutt when two Vaishnavites from the 
temple of ?Perarulalan? (Varadarajan) appeared on the scene and paid obeisance 
to the Acharya Alavandhar. They told the eminent assembly that they are from 
Kancheepuram and revealed that they young Ramanuja was a resident disciple of 
Yadavaprakasar at Thiruputtkuzhi near Kancheepuram. Having convinced that his 
long felt dream was taking shape, Sri Alavandhar took leave of the members of 
the mutt and with the sanction of Lord Ranganatha reached Kancheepuram after 
four days of trekking via Thirukoilur. The great pontiff was received with 
temple honours at Kancheepuram. He met Sri Kanchipurnar who was familiarly 
known as Thirukachinambi and with him went to the shrines of Lord Varadharaja 
and His consort and offered worship. While coming out of the sanctum
 sanctorum, they saw Yadavaprakasar with his disciples circumambulating the 
temple. Sri Alavandhar requested Thriukachinambi to let him know who among the 
students was Ramanuja to which the savant pointed out to a fair and handsome 
youth with a radiance in his face. Sri Alavandhar concluded that he must be the 
lad whom he head been seeking for. He immediately prayed to Lord Vardharaja 
bestower of boons that Ramanuja may become his successor to propagate 
SriVaishnavism and left the place without meeting young Ramanuja as the time 
was running short for his return to Srirangam. Sri Ramanuja lost his father at 
Sriperumbudur in the year 1034-35. following a quirk of an event and with the 
divine grace of Lord Varadharaja and Perundevi Thayar, Ramanuja who accompanied 
his master to Banaras to have a holy dip in the Ganges and on nearing the 
vIndhya range he came to know about the diabolical plot hatched by his teacher 
to do away with him. He left the place after dusk to an unknown
 destination and slept in an open place. As the day dawned Ramanuja found 
himself  in the nearer precincts of Kancheepuram, where he had the divine 
vision Lord Varadharaja and Perundevi Thayar in the disguise of a hunter and 
huntress who desired water to quench thirst. The divine couple also showed the 
direction to approach a nearby well. Before Ramanuja could return with water, 
they disappeared from the scene. Ramanuja was overwhelmed with joy over the 
event and decided within himself that he should be of service to Lord 
Vardharaja. After the above incident Ramanuja having understood evil designs of 
 his master Yadavaprakasar, reported the matter to his mother who was upset on 
hearing the heinous plan and requested her son Ramanuja to approach 
Thirukachinambi and after prostrating before him, expressed his desire to be 
his pupil and to engage himself in the services of any form as suggested by his 
Acharya. Under instructions from his preceptor Ramanuja took the services of 
bringing
 water daily from the same well which was located to him by the hunter and the 
huntress earlier, for Thriumanjanam of Lord Vardharaja. Thus Ramanuja devoted 
himself to this divine duty.

            At Srirangam Sri Alavandhar was indisposed due to old age. Again 
some Brahmins who came from Kancheepuram narrated to the great spiritual head 
all that had taken place including the mental and physical agony suffered by 
Ramanuja under Yadavaprakashar?s malevolent plan. Sri Alavandhar requested Sri 
Perianambi to proceed to Kancheepuram with a sloka from Strotra Ratna to be   
placed first at the feet of Lord Varadharaja and to be handed over to Ramanuja 
thereafter. Sri Periyanambi reached Kancheepuram and met Sri Thirukachinambi 
and disclosed the predilection of Sri Alavandhar towards Ramanuja. Both the 
Acharyans went to the Sanctum sanctorum of Lord Vardharaja and recited the 
sloka and while returning from the precincts they met Sri Ramanuja standing 
with a vessel containing water brought from ?Salikinaru (well)?. Sri Ramanuja 
on hearing the ?sloka? requested Sri Periyanambi to let him know the author of 
the piece to which came the reply ?Sri Alavandhar?. Sri Ramanuja
 could not contain himself and implored Sri Periayanambi to arrange for him to 
have glimpse of Alavandhar without further loss of time.

            Having obtained the reply in the affirmative, Sri Ramanuja?s 
exhilaration knew no bounds and he hurriedly left the vessel he brought from 
the well before Lord Varadharaja and taking leave of him and Thirukachinambi 
reached Sri Rangam after four days accompanied by Sri Periyanambi. It is to be 
noted that Sri Ramanuja did not even go home to tell people of his visit but 
considered his primary duty was to go to Srirangam forthwith.

            On reaching the outskirts of Srirangam near Thriukkarambanur on the 
banks of Cauvery, they saw a crowd around a pyre and learnt that Sri Alavandhar 
had passed away. Sri Periyanambi swooned and fell on the mother earth  and 
Ramanuja who was then only 24 years old (1041 AD) lamented over the event and 
the resultant misfortune befell on him. However Sri Ramanuja consoled himself 
that he was atleast fortunate enough to have a look at the body (Charama 
Vigraha) of the great Vaishnavite Savant. With grief Sri Ramanuja returned 
hurriedly to Kancheepuram even without entering the temple of Namperumal and 
informed his Acharya with melancholy about the eternal rest of Sri Alavandhar 
and continued his usual services to Lord Varadharaja

            At Srirangam an assembly of coterie with the administration of 
Srirangam temple as also monastery were on the look out for a successor to the 
venerable seat and solicited Sri Periyanambi to name a personage. Sri 
Periyanambi addressed the august audience and remainded them of Sri 
Alavandhar?s earlier expression that Ramanuja should be his successor and his 
visit to Kancheepuram in that connection. He also explained to the synod about 
the superhuman event that happened when the three stretched finger of the right 
hand of the mortal coil of Sri Alavandhar folded back on Sri Ramanuja?s 
assurance to carry out the three decrees of the deceased. The members 
unanimously decided that Sri Ramanuja should succeed and that might be brought 
from Kancheepuram. They reverentially nominated and requested Sri Periyanambi 
to take up that mission.

            Sri Periyanambi left Srirangam for Kancheepuram with his family 
after his usual prayers to Lord Ranganatha as also for the success of his 
errand. He had to stay for a while at Maduranthakam en route on the banks of a 
sprawling lake where lies the temple of Lords Kothandaraman.

            At Kancheepuram, as if ordained Sri Ramanuja developed an urge to 
meet Sri Periyanambi so as to become his disciple as per divine orders of Lord 
Vardharaja conveyed to him earlier through Sri Thirukachinambi. Sri Ramanuja 
took permission from both Lord Varadharaja and his Acharya and proceeded 
towards Srirangam . While on his saunter Sri Ramanuja stopped at Madhuranthakam 
to visit Sri Kothandarama?s temple and to his surprise he saw froma distance 
Sri Periyanambu with delectation whom he wanted to meet at Srirangam. He strode 
towards Periyanambi and prostrated before him which choked  his emotion. Both 
of them felt that the object of their pursuit was being accomplished. Sri 
Ramanuja solicited Sri Periyanambi to perform the essential ritual of having 
the indelible impression of a Sri Vaishnavite emblem of Conch and Chkra: on his 
shoulders. Initially Sri Periyanambi made a request to Sri Ramanuja that the 
ritual could be gone through in the temple premises of Lord at
 Kancheepuram to which place they had proceed.

            Immediately Sri Ramanuja reverentially replied explaining about the 
incertitude of human existence and his recent experience of not being able to 
accomplish his object of seeing Alavandhar alive. Sri Periyanambi complied with 
his request of Sri Ramanuja and completed the ceremony with the concomitant 
rituals that go with it under a tree which is the stala vriksha of Sri Rama?s 
temple. Both the Guru and his disciple left for Kancheepuram after offering 
prayers to Lord Srirama. On arrival at Kancheepuam Sri Ramanuja provided Sri 
Periyanambi and his family the upper side of his home for a comfortable living. 
During Sri Periyanambi?s stay for nearly 6 months Sri Ramanuja learnt under his 
preceptor ?Nalayira Divya Prabhandham? and its interpretation as also nuances 
about Vaishnavism.

 Inorder to give a sequential importance of events that took place in the 
private family life of Ramanuja we should know about Sri Ramanuja?s wife 
Thanjamambal. She was a devoted wife to Ramanuja and her domain was the 
kitchen. She was very punctilious in the observance of orthodoxy.

On one occasion Sri Ramanujar invited his Achraya Thirukachinambi to his abode 
to be his guest. As per arrangement Sri Thirukachinambi called at the residence 
of his benign host but earlier than the specified time. He requested 
Thanjamambal to serve him food explaining that he had to be in the temple 
sooner than before. She acceded to his request but served the food on a pial in 
front of the house. After the guest had left she removed the leaf with the left 
over with the help of a stick as she considered it to be a taboo to dispose it 
off with her hand. Sri Ramanuja who was away having heard about the incident 
felt penitent about his wife?s disdainful behaviour and warned her to behave 
better. Another time when a vaishnavite expressed his being hungry he asked his 
wife to give him food if available to which she replied in the negative with 
impunity. Later on examination in the kitchen Sri Ramanuja having found that 
there was enough food admonished his wife for uttering falsehood and
 for her scomful attitude towards guests. However Sri Ramanujar continued to 
live with her patiently. Thanjamambal?s derisive behaviour reached its 
crescendo when she and Vijayambal wife of Sri Periyanambi were drawing water 
simultaneously from the common well resulting in the two vessels coming in 
contact with each other. The former became indignant as she considered it as an 
act of heterodoxy and spurned the wife of Sri Periyanambi and called her names.

            Consequently the couple from Srirangam left furtively before Sri 
Ramanuja could return home after his services to Lord, as the repetition of 
such events would create a bad blood. Sri Ramanuja on learning about the 
unexpected occurrence and the resultant departure of his Acharya with his wife 
took a decision that he should discard his family life and take asceticism. Sri 
Ramanuja without displaying anger or disgust, tactfully sent his wife along 
with the people from his wife?s side who came to invite him for a wedding. 
Thanjamambal accompanied her relations with her jewels and dresses as per the 
request of her husband to participate in the wedding

            It was the year 1047 AD when Sri Ramanuja who was thirty years old 
donned the ochre robe of an anchorite on the banks of the holy tank at 
Kancheepuram and his action had sanction of Lord Varadhraja. At Srirangam the 
governing body of the mutt came  to know that Sri Ramanuja had taken to a life 
of a ?Sanyasin? with Thiruthandam adorning his hand. Sri Thiruvarangaperumal 
Arayar was deputed to proceed to escort Sri Ramanuja with the explicit 
permission of Lord Varadharaja which he carried out. Thus Sri Ramanuja ascended 
the mutt and as its head and that of the administration of the holy temple. He 
confided the temple rituals and festivals which are still being followed. Sri 
Ramanuja traveled the length and breadth of India carrying the message of 
Vishishtadvaita philosophy (in and around the qualified monism) with great 
emphasis being laid on humility compassion; universal brotherhood and he 
proclaimed that Sriman Narayana is supreme. In this process he faced several
 vicissitudes and surmounted them with the benediction of his Acharyas. A 
subtle thing to be noted in this transformation is the part played by Sri 
Ranganathar andLord Varadharaja from Srirangam and Kacheepuram respectively. 
The benevolent revolutionary Sri Ramanuja attained Paramapadha on 22 July 1138 
and his mortal remains were interred within the Srirangam temple complex but 
away from the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ranganatha on the south eastern corner 
of the temple. It is now called ?Udayavar Sannithi? 

 

This article was written by (Late) Sri. Sampath Iyengar

 

Comments and feedback are welcome to suprajaiyengar@xxxxxxxxx

 



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