You are here: SriPedia - Ramanuja - Archives - Oct 2004

Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00201 Oct 2004

 
Oct 2004 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]



SrimatE rAmAnujAya nama:

Upanyasam # 2 By Srinidhi Swamin on Uttara and Poorva dinacharya of Swamy 
Erumbiappa. (Please note that this humble posting has been possible thanks to 
the combined effort with Sri Anand Srinivasan of Houston  and by the grace of 
Alwars and AchAryAs)
---------------------------------------

SriSrinidhi Swamin had completed the avatArikai  and the first 2 slokas in the 
last upanyasam.  In the second upanyasam of the series, he started with the 
sloka # 3 describing the beauty of Swamy Maamunigal?s tirumEni.

Just like NammAlwar was known to be the personification of Krishna Bhakthi 
(Krishna ThrishnA tatwam), Swamy EmberumAnAr was known to be the 
personification of Bhakthi towards NammalwAr (pArAnkusha pAda bhaktham).  
PrativAdi Bhayankara ANnan swamy says in Varavaramuni Shatakam that Swami 
MamunigaL is the personification of Bhakthi towards EmberumAnAr (YatIndra 
pravanam VandE).

Among the AchAryas who showed us the greatness of Alwars, Swami Manmunigal is 
our prime acharya. 

Dushyanta gave his ring to Shakuntala telling her to say one syllable of his 
name per day (instead of directly saying 'after 5 days') by the end of which 
his people would come and fetch her. Saying something indirectly is called 
'PrayayOktha alankAram' . Using the same approach, Erumbiappa says to utter 
each syllable of 'Sri Va raVa ra mu ni' which is 7 syllables for a week.

As described in the previous day's upanyasam, Erumbiappa, goes to Srirangam to 
take refuge with MamunigaL after EmebrumAn ordered him to do so. Here P.B.Annan 
swamy categorically denies that Erumiappa would not have gone to Kovil but 
directly must have gone to MamunigaL's maTam -like someone with infatuation in 
his mind is full of thirst to see MamunigaL. Then it looks to him as though 
MamunigaL himself is coming to give him darshanam. Erumbiappa is mesmirized by 
MamunigaL's charming personality and divine tirumeni.

Nammalwar says in "shonnAl virodham.? do not waste your time and energy for 
praising ordinary human beings to get some material benefit (recall MamunigaL's 
TVM noorthandAdi - shOru kooraikkAha ...mannAda mAnidarai) instead make best 
use of the God-given tongue to recite Tiruchcheerai EmberumAn's kalyana gunAs. 
In keeping with these advises Erumbiappa starts singing the Atma-gunA-filled 
tirumEni soundaryam of his ACharyan MamunigAl here.

P.B.Annan Swamy says that EmberumAn who takes even the defects to His liking, 
gave Erumbiappa the great Acharyan mamunigaL as in "shaida kuttram nattamAhavE 
kOL" which shows the immense kripai of EmberumAn. 

As Tirumalai AnandAlwAn beautifully says, AchArya does Jeeva-Para KalyAnam by 
being the father of the bride (Jeevan) given away to the groom (who in this 
case is EmberumAn Himself) who holds the hand of the Jeevan through the dvaya 
mantram and explaining the greatness of the guru parampara.  That way Acharyan 
is an upakArakan (renderer of help) to EmberumAn also.

The Acharya - shishya sambhandham is unique. EmberumAN Himself likes the 
concept of Achaaryatvam and that is why as GeetAchAryan He did GeetOpadEsham. 
The Acharya takes care of the Atma rakshana of the shishya by preventing him 
from swaroopa hAnIs such as going to dEvatAntara and refraining him from 
dehAtma bhaavam. Whereas the duty of a shishya is to take care of the physical 
comfort of the AchAryan because it is for his benefit that the AchAryan has 
taken the divine birth. Recall Upadesha Ratna malai, " Acharyan shishyan 
Aruyirai..." 

In SriVachanaBhooshanam Swamy PLC further adds that Acharya should not be 
involved in either his or shishya's bodily protection. When Swamy EmberumAnAr 
came to take embAr with him, he observed that the latter slept and rolled in 
Periya Tirumalainambi's bed before Nambi retired for the day. Agitated 
EmberumAnAr asked Embar whether the latter knew the consequence of rolling in 
his acharyas? bed.  Embar said even if it lead him to hell itself he was not 
worried  - as long as Nambi had a comfortable night?s sleep in the bed which he 
checked out.  This is acharya bhakti.

Pillai PerumAl Iyengar says to EmberumAn " You have absolutely no need for 
anything as You have everything in Paramapadam and in TirupArkadal - you have 
all the gems and wealth and Your wife is SriMahalakshmi Herself.  But I have 
one thing which you do not have - your heart has been given away to five lakh 
GopIs and hence a void is created there! So I will give mine! Since He steals 
our heart He is "kaLvan" (thief). To such an EmberumAn our Acharyan offers us 
(jeevans).

A shishya when he sees his Acharya should feel as if a hunger striken man has 
found food to eat...( kanDaa pashiyin shOththaa kandaa pOle and VAsudEva ithi 
sarvam...) and do all sorts of kainkaryams to the Acharyan.

 
It was EmberumAnAr?s practice to pace around after Bhiksham (amudusaiyal). 
Embar once when he was watching him doing this from behind a pillar, 
EmberumAnAr suddenly turned around. Embar asked if he was contemplating on 
"madiTTEN manavALeyum..?(tirumaalirancholai paashuram).  Swamy Emberumanar was 
surprised at this, as he was not uttering the paashuram loudly.  This made 
EmberumAnAr happy to know that Embar was really a perfect shishya to be able to 
recognize what was in his achAryan's mind. Erumbiappa was in the similar 
fashion towards MamunigaL. 

Swamy Maamunigal?s tirumeni was very fair. He is called veLLai Jeeyar. Swamy 
Emberumanar?s tirumeni was of wheat complexion.   Let us keep in mind that a 
snake's hind is of wheat color and the front is white.  So here are the two 
parts of the avatara.

Swamy Mamunigal?s tirumeni is compared to the amudha kadal (ocean of amrutam- 
pure white).  This ocean word is also used in his tanian Sri Sailesha daya - - 
- - - -guna aarNavam.  In His avatara leelais, Chakravarthi Tirumagan (Sri 
Rama) did sharanagati to Sailesha (Sugreeva).  In Sri Krishna avataram He 
accepted Sandeepani as his guru.  Both these people did not seem to be filled 
with gunas.  Besides Sri Rama also did sharanagati to the Samudra Rajan (lavaNa 
aarNavam).  After all these instances, the disappointed Emberuman, decided to 
choose the guNaa-aarNavam personality as his acharya who is none other than 
Mamunigal

There are many instances in Mamunigal?s charitram that show us that HE was the 
aparaavataaram of Adisesha.  Once a bhaagawata named Uttama nambi remarked that 
Maamnugal was so fair and a skin disease was the reason for his fairness.  He 
happened to swoon and fall down, and Emberuman in the dream told him that 
Mamunigal is none other than seshan (divine serpant).  Once a lady saw and 
heard Maamunigal in his matam in the swayam tirumeni form (snake).  In 
Yatoothakaari temple Maamunigal did Sri Bashya for 1 year.  His teacher was 
convinced that Maamunigal was not an ordinary human but a divine avatar that 
was to fulfill some incomplete task (completion of Swamy Emberumanar?s avatar)  

Just like Emberuman?s tirumeni is not made of the common elements, Swamy 
Mamunigal?s tirumeni too was special.  Mamunigal came only for us.  Although we 
cannot see the Sun directly, Mamunigal is a surya with the coolness of the Moon.

Sloka # 4

When Mamunigal came out of the ashram and Erubiappa saw this divine form he was 
enthralled.  Mamunigal?s divine hands were lotus like, holding two sishyas.  He 
would hold their hands (Koil aNNan and Vaanamaamalai Jeeyar).  His tirumeni was 
very sukumaaram.  The vaazi tirunaamam we chant every day at Divya Deshams and 
homes, tells us all about the beauty of Mamuingal?s tirumeni soundaryam (seiya 
taamarai taaLina vaaziye - - -)

 
Discussing about the lotus, there is a reason why Emberuman stands on a lotus.  
The lotus once thought that she was the most beautiful thing in this world.   
Emberuman stood on her to show her that HIS tiruvadi are more beautiful than 
her.  This is the reason we always see a lotus under the tiruvadi of archa 
roopi perumals and also a part of the Sri ShaTaari (the padukas that are placed 
on a lotus platform)

 

Just like Emberuman?s tiruvadi and Swamy Emberumanaar?s tiruvadi, Swamy 
Maamunigal?s tiruvadi is very special for us.  The incident of the dumb lady 
who Kooratalwan saw is recalled here.   Once a deaf-mute lady came to Swamy 
Emberumanar.  He took her into the matam and placed HIS tiruvadi on her head.   
Seeing this from outside, Kooratalwan cried and began to repent having had all 
the knowledge he had.  He wished he was also deaf-mute..

 

As Erumbiappa sang the glory of Maamunigal?s tiruvadi he also began to sing 
pallandu to them.  Like the worried Perialwar, Erumbiappa also sings  pallandu. 
  

 

Just like Singa Perumal (Narasimha) patted Prahlada?s head with affection 
assuring His karunai just after tearing open Hiranya, Maamunigal holds the two 
sishyas? hands assuring moksha.

 

Sloka #5

 

Here the beauty of Maamunigal?s kaashaayam (ochre), broad vakshastalam, long 
beautiful divine hands are described.  His chest was so broad because it had to 
house Thaayaar, Emberuman, Alwar and Swamy Emberumanar (the whole parivaara!). 
P.B.Annan Swamy in Tiruvengada mudeyAn suprabhatha/prapathi shlokas says 
?srimatsundara JamAtrumunivAsinaVAsinE? meaning the One who is happily residing 
in the tirumArbu of mAmunigaL. The kripa flowing out of the acharya?s eyes is 
said to exceed the kripa from the 3 eyed one (Shiva Peruman), 8 eyed one 
(Brahma), and the 1000 eyed One (supposed to mean DevEndran but according to 
P.B.Annan, it stands for EmberumAn Himself as in ?sahasraSheersha? ?)

 

To be continued - - - -

 

Vedics Team.
Iramanuja Adiyargal


Sheela V.Belur






------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
$9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/.itolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam
 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ramanuja/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    ramanuja-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 




[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
ramanuja-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list