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Swamin: namaskaram:

adiyen also heard that Swamy EmbAr(one of Ramanujars'
Sishya) at Madura Mangalam near SrI Perumbudur can also 
be worshiped to cure any eye related diseases. 

Similarly for skin related diseases, EmperumanAr at Sri
Perumbudur is perfect curer. Even now-a-days many have
witnessed the great curing power of EmperumAnAr on skin
related diseases. 

>From these, we know that, many of our AchAryAs and emperumans
are there to cure our sins (in the form of diseases)!!!


adiyen,
senthil.B


--- In Oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, sadagopaniyengar 
<sadagopaniyengar@xxxx> wrote:
>
> Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya 
nama:
> 
>  
> 
> "Kan Kodukkum Perumal"
> 
>  
> 
> "Vendittrellaam tarum vallal Manivannan" is how Sri Nammazhwar 
describes the Lord. Whatever we ask, the Lord is ready to give us the 
same and much more, however exalted be the boon we seek. He endows us 
with whatever we need during our mundane sojourn and once we perform 
Prapatti, He takes us to his own eternal abode, never to return to 
the quagmire of Samsara. And this, only Emperuman can do, say the 
Shastras-"Moksham icchet, Janaardanaat".
> 
>  
> 
> Though it is true that Emperuman is waiting in the wings to take us 
away to Paradise once we seek the same earnestly and adopt an 
appropriate strategy therefor, still, during our worldly life, we 
approach Him for so many baubles and trinkets, which appear important 
to us from time to time. It may be riches, social status, pass in an 
exam, good health or relief from disease-we ask for all these and 
more from the Lord, who obliges readily, but with a tinge of sadness 
that we seek from Him not the permanent but the puerile. 
> 
>  
> 
> Of these, one of the major praartthanas that people make is freedom 
from crippling diseases that afflict them periodically. When they are 
unable to obtain relief from mundane physicians, they run to the 
Divine Doctor. While Emperumans at most of the divyadesams (like 
Vaidya Veeraraghavan of Tiruvallore) are General Physicians, to whom 
you can take any illness for cure, there are among them specialists 
in specific disciplines too, who are experts at ridding us of 
specific diseases. For instance, for curing mental disorders, 
worshipping Sri Nrisimha of Cholasimhapuram and Srinivasa of 
Gunaseelam is held out to be extremely effective.
> 
>  
> 
> Likewise, to whom can a person rush, in case of problems with his 
eyesight? Especially when the sight is totally lost, which specific 
Emperuman can we pin our hopes on, for regaining the same? People who 
are not conversant with the Sampradaya would advocate worshipping the 
Sun god, forgetting the fact that he himself derives his origin and 
power from the Lord's eyes ('Chaksho: Sooryo ajaayata'). However, 
those steeped in the Sampradaya would definitely prescribe a visit to 
Hastigiri, the exalted abode of Sri Varadaraja of Kanchi. It is He 
who is the most wonderful of ophthalmologists, capable of curing the 
most severe of eye-disorders, including blindness from birth. And 
many are those who have benefited from His ministrations, as is 
evident from the long list of satisfied patients. For those who need 
proof, let me recount the various instances catalogued by Sri 
Srivatsankachar Swamy, in his comprehensive and compelling commentary 
on Sri Varadaraja Stavam.
> 
>  
> 
> Students of Tamizh literature would definitely be conversant with 
the name of Andhaka Kavi Veeraraghava Mudaliar. As his sobriquet 
indicates, he was totally blind. Legend has it that it was only after 
he worshipped Sri Varadaraja at Hastigiri that he regained his 
eyesight in full and expressed his undying gratitude in the form of a 
literary tribute. This is a fairly recent instance of Sri Varadan 
displaying His expertise as a restorer of sight.
> 
>  
> 
> And within the last two hundred and fifty years, we have another 
case of blindness being cured miraculously by Devapperumal. There 
would be precious few in the Sampradaya who have not heard of 
Arasaanippaalai Sri Venkataadhvari Kavi-he is the renowned author of 
fourteen beautiful works, principal among which are the Visva 
Gunaadarsa Champoo, Lakshmi Sahasram and Raghava Yadaveeyam. Visva 
Gunaadarsam is a unique and imaginative work, recording the 
observations of two Gandharvas as they fly over the earth seeing 
places and people. Of the two, the Gandharva named Visvaavasu sees 
merit and goodness in almost all of the Lord's creations, while the 
other, Krisaanu, finds only shortcomings in all that falls in his 
sight. However good be the subject, Krisaanu has only cynical and 
caustic comments to offer. Because of such adverse comments about 
even sacred things and holy men, it is said that the author Sri 
Venkataadhavari lost his eyesight. 
> 
>  
> 
> Repenting having incorporated such disparaging remarks even as a 
matter of fiction, Sri Venkataadhvari paid obeisance to Perundevi 
Tayaar and Perarulaala Perumal at Kanchi, composing a thousand verses 
known as Vishnu Sahasram (including 200 on Devapperumal alone) and 
another thousand verses on Sri Perundevi, known as Lakshmi Sahasram. 
These works display deep devotion, excellent poetic imagery and 
unparalleled ingenuity with wordplay. Pleased with the devotion, 
Tepperumal made the poet see again, living up to His reputation as a 
restorer of lost sight.
> 
>  
> 
> The rich and hoary lore and legends that abound on the subject of 
Sri Varadaraja's expertise in eye-care include one on how He bestowed 
eyesight on a famous proponent of Dharma Shastras, known as Likhita. 
Sankha and Likhita were twin brothers, who lived at Tirumukkoodal and 
made the propagation of Dharma Shastras their life's mission. The 
younger brother, Likhita, was blind from birth, though this did not 
affect his acquisition of scholarship, aided by his elder brother. 
However, Sankha did feel extremely bad about the handicap and advised 
the younger one to pray with devotion to Devaadiraja, supplementing 
the brother's supplications with his own. Placing implicit faith in 
the elder brother's prescription, Likhita prayed with all the 
sincerity he could muster, his mind's eye fixed on the fabulous form 
of the Lord, as described in the Scripture. And lo and behold! 
Likhita could suddenly see all the wonderful sights he had missed 
since childhood. Moved beyond measure by the Lord's mercy in 
restoring his eyesight, Likhita went immediately to Kanchi and 
feasted his eyes for long on the glorious form of Perarulalan, his 
newfound sight clouded by a film of tears. 
> 
>  
> 
> By far, however, the most well-known instance of a person regaining 
his lost sight at Kanchi, is that of Sri Koorattazhwan. As we know, 
Kulottunga Chozha was a die-hard Saivite, totally intolerant of other 
faiths, who made it his pastime to harass and terrorise scholars of 
other beliefs, forcing them to accept the supremacy of Shiva. And 
when the call came to Sri Ramanuja to attend the royal court, Azhwan, 
who feared harm to his master from the barbaric ruler, spirited away 
Sri Ramanuja to Karnataka and went himself to Kulottunga's court, 
posing as Ramanuja and clothed in his ochre robes. When the king 
predictably asked the Acharya to sign on the dotted line, accepting 
Rudra's supremacy, Azhwan refused point-blank and, instead, put forth 
well-reasoned arguments based on the Shruti, Smritis, Itihaasas and 
Puranas, in favour of Sriman Narayana being the Parabrahmam. The 
enraged ruler, forever blind to the truth, ordered Azhwan's eyes to 
be gouged out: but before the sentence could be carried out, Azhwan 
himself tore his eyes out and flung them before the king, as he did 
not want to live on with eyes that had sighted the cruel bigot. 
> 
>  
> 
> After the king's demise, when Sri Ramanuja returned from 
Tirunarayanapuram and Azhwan from Tirumalirumsolai and the two met at 
Srirangam, Ramanuja was extremely sad at Azhwan's loss of sight. He 
led the protesting Azhwan to the sannidhi of Sri Varadaraja at Kanchi 
and commanded him to compose a stotram on the Deity, seeking return 
of sight. Thus was born the beautiful Varadaraja Stavam, 
incorporating the essence of our Sampradayam and portraying the 
glories of Perarulalan in 101 scintillating slokas. The moment the 
23rd sloka was uttered, Azhwan got his vision back and feasted his 
eyes for long on the magnificent form of his Acharya first and 
thereafter on that of Devapperumal. Azhwan accepted the return of 
eyesight with the proviso that it should serve him only when he 
looked at Sri Bhashyakara and Varadaraja and he would otherwise 
continue to be blind. It was also Azhwan's magnanimous wish that 
Naalooraan, Azhwan's erstwhile disciple, who betrayed his Acharya to 
the king, should also attain the same exalted state as Azhwan himself 
did due to the Lord's blessing.
> 
>  
> 
> Here is the beautiful sloka, on uttering which Azhwan is reputed to 
have been blessed with the faculty of sight-
> 
>  
> 
> 'Neelamegha nibham anjana punja syaama kuntalam anantasayam tvaam
> 
> Abja paani padam ambuja netram netrasaat kuru Kareesa! sadaa me'
> 
>  
> 
> 'O Lord of Karigiri! Please bless me with vision, so that I may 
feast my eyes constantly on your glorious form, which resembles a 
dark rain-bearing cloud, with jet-black curls on your majestic head, 
eyes, hands and feet similar to just-bloomed, beautiful red lotuses, 
reclining on the soft snaky bed provided by Adisehsa!' prays Azhwan.  
> 
>  
> 
> The significance of this episode would not have been lost on 
readers. Azhwan and Sri Bhashyakara met at Srirangam. If Ramanuja 
wanted to get Azhwan his sight back, it would have been logical for 
him to have taken his disciple before Sri Ranganatha (who was 
available locally) and prayed to Peria Perumal for the same. Instead, 
we find the Acharya taking Azhwan all the way to Kanchi and 
Varadaraja. It is amply evident from this that it is the Lord of 
Kanchi who is to be applied to, for matters relating to sight. 
Perhaps Sri Ramanuja came to this conclusion after hearing Sri 
Alavandar's tribute, in which he attributes to Devapperumal a 
penchant for effecting miraculous cures, enabling those born blind to 
see, the congenitally deaf to hear, the lame to run and the infertile 
womb to yield infants-"Yasya prasaada kalayaa .andha: prapasyati, 
sutam labhate cha vandhyaa, tam Devadevam Varadam sharanam gatosmi"
> 
>  
> 
> One more instance of Sri Varadan curing congenital blindness is the 
case of Sri Harita vaarana Bhritya, reported to be the grandfather of 
Sri Tirukkacchi Nambi. This we come to know from Sri Koorattazhwan's 
account in his Sundarabaahu Stavam. Though the stotra as such is 
addressed to Kallazhagar of Tirumaalirumsolai, Azhwan recounts this 
episode of Sri Varadan blessing a person, born blind, with the light 
of sight. Here is the relevant slokam-
> 
>  
> 
> 'Haritavaarana Bhritya samaahvayam Karigirou Varada: tvam 
apoorvikaam
> 
>  Drisam alambhaya eva hi Sundara! Sputamadaascha para: shatam 
eedrusam'
> 
>  
> 
> Crowning all these instances is the one recounted in Sri 
Mahabharatam, by the Lord Himself. Describing the glory of the Kesava 
naama to Arjuna, Sri Krishna narrates the story of a Maharshi, who 
lost his eyes while still in the mother's womb, due to a curse from 
Brihaspati. Due to the dark world he lived in without sight, he came 
to be known as "Deergha Tamas". After birth, the child developed deep 
devotion to Devaadi Raja of Kanchi and through constant utterance of 
the Kesava naama, eventually gained his eyesight, leading to his 
being renamed "Gothama". "Hence I am known as Varada and 
Kesava"("Evam hi Varadam naama Kesava iti mama Arjuna!") says the 
Lord in the Sriman Narayaneeyam of the Shanti Parva of Sri 
Mahabharatam.
> 
>  
> 
> These are only six of the several instances where Varadan has been 
responsible for various persons gaining/regaining their eyesight. 
> 
>  
> 
> Is it any wonder then, that Swami Desikan adoringly calls Him "Kan 
kodukkum Perumal" ("Kacchi tanil kan kodukkum Perumal vandaar"--
Tirucchinna Maalai")? In saying so, however, Swami Desikan would 
appear to have expanded the idea to include not only physical vision 
("oona kan"), but also the vision of wisdom ("Gyaana kan").
> 
>  
> 
> Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri 
Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
> 
> dasan, sadagopan
> 
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> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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