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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00064 Feb 2003

 
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Sri Parthasarthi thunai,
Srimathe ramanujaya namaha,
Sri varavara muniye namaha;

One day in Srirangam, Sri Alavandaar was delivering kalashepam on the
paasuram "elingittitta purAnaththeerum". While explaining the divine arthas
inscribed by azhvar in this paasuram, aalavandaar was suddenly struck with
grief. He remarked "So far we haven't found a suitable person to follow us
as darshana pravarthakar, to spread and establish our sampradayam". Then
suddenly he remembered elaiyAzhvar and requested pErarulAlan as follows,
"Hey varada! Don't you have the idea of separating elaiyAzhvar from the
group of yadhava prakasa and make him join our team? Oh my lord! Please
accept my prayers and fulfil the same and bring elaiyAzhvar to our
sampradayam."

Over here, Yadhava prakasa continued his grantha kalashepams and that day it
happened to be the lesson on the verse, "sarvam kalvidham brahma
nEhanAnAsthi kinchana". Yadhava as usual explained the verse as per the
advaita philosophy and equated paramatma and jeevatma. ElaiyAzhvar objected
to the same and explained as per visistAdvaita philosophy. Yadhava got very
angry and said, "ElaiyAzhvar! From today you need not attend my classes; you
go and learn in a place which is suitable for your mental caliber".

ElaiyAzhvar, then returned back home and narrated the happenings to his.
His mother said, "Oh! My son, What you have learnt from yAdhava prakasa till
today is enough. Go and fall onto the divine feet of thirukkachchi nambigal
who is very close to pErarulAlan and act as per his advice". ElaiyAzhvar
followed the words of his mother and with due respects as per the verse,
"kriyathAmithimAmvatha" asked thirukkachchi nambigal for the direction which
he has to proceed? Thirukkachchi nambigal replied with great pleasure,
"pErarulAlan is fond of the water from the well situated near the main
road(sAlai kinaru). So you bring water for thiruvaradhanam (holy bath) from
that well daily and do service which will please emperuman". ElaiyAzhvar
happily obliged and from that day continued to do that service for emperuman
without fail.

By this time, aalavandaar in srirangam fell sick. Thirukkoshtiyur nambi and
Periya nambi with the support (purushakAram) of thiruvarangaperumal araiyar
prostrated in front of alavandaar and requested him as follows: "Please tell
us a way to support us always" Aalvandaar replied, "Listen! let me tell you
a good way. Consider koil azhvar as your life; consider him to be your
caretaker and let the divinity of thiruppAnAzhvar who enjoyed the divine
beauty of Periya perumal from bottom to top (pAdhAndhikEshAntham), always
remain in your minds. Keep meditating on the divine vigraham of
thiruppAnAzhvar with a veena in hand immersed in the divine beauty of Periya
perumal." The 3 disciples visualized the same in their minds as the acharya
continued to say, "To substantiate more, remember kurunkaruththa nambi, who
understood the divine thoughts of thiruvEnkata mudaiyan and immersed himself
in the lord's service. Further let your mind always meditate on that
thirukkachchi nambigal who is very close to pErarulAlan's heart." Then
Alavandaar showed thiruvarangaperumal araiyar to the other two and said,
hold on to him, as he is the one who has understood the inner heart of
thiruppAnAzhvar. Always consider Periya perumAl's thirumEni to be your upaya
(means) and upEyam(goal). Listening to all these thiruvaranga perumal
araiyar asked aalavandaar, "Have your esteemed self, decided to leave to the
divine abode of emperuman to enjoy his nithya kainkaryam?".

For which Aalavandaar replied, "You be happy and concentrate on parasamrudhi
(other's welfare)". Then glancing at the three disciples (thirukkOshtiyur
nambi, Periya nambi and thiruvarangaperumal araiyar) aalavandaar contined
saying, "If a prapannan thinks that he has a role to play either in his
AthmayAthra (which is bhAgavadheenam, bhagavan's wish) and in dehayAthra
(which is karmAdheenam, depends on poorva karmas) then there is no effect
for his athma samarpanam ('unna thenna thAvi'). If a prapannan thinks that
he has to do something for his AthmayAthra then his athma samarpanam becomes
fruitless. So it should be clearly understood that we have no role to play
either in our athma or dEha yAthra with all the 3 karnas (mano, vak, kAyam).
Narayanan alone has a permanent role. Inspite of us not doing anything and
uttering his nama, still emperuman will show us the paramapadam ("vanavar
nAttai nee kandu kol") due to his krupai and owdAryam (charity). 

(To be continued)

AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam
Adiyen,
Varadarajan Ramanuja dAsan
Sumithra Ramanuja dAsee







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