SrI:
SrImathE Ramanujaya namah:
Dear all,
I enjoyed reading the life and works of Sri Ramanuja written by Sri Sadagopan
Swami of New York and thought I would share with everyone especially with
Acharya's Thirunakshathram Chithra Thiruvaadhirai on May 2nd...
Thanks to Sri Sadagopan for his wonderful write up as usual.
Regards
Namo Narayana
pranamams
krishnapriya
**********
The Life and works of Sri RaamAnujA in nut shell.
ChaithrArdhrA sambhavam VishNO: darsana sthApanOthsukam I
ThuNDIramaNdalE utthitham Seshamoorthim RaamAnujam BhajE II
AchArya RaamAnujA born as the incarnation of AdhisEshan
AchArya RaamAnujA was born in ThoNdai Naadu as the son of Sri BhUmi
Piratti and Aasurikula Tilakam ,Sri Kesava SomayAji at PerumbhUdhUr
on a PingaLa Year ,Chitthirai Month, Sukla Paksha Panchami day ,
when ArudhrA constellation ( ThiruvAdhirai ) was in ascendance .This
PingaLA year in the western calendar is 1017 A.D. Thirumalai Nampi ,
a renowned sishyar of AaLavandhAr was the child's uncle . He
recognized that the child is an avthAram of Adhi Seshan; he also
recognized that the child is going to become a great Sri VaishNavite
AchAryan .Hence; Thirumalai nampi gave the name of RaamAnujan to the
new born child. This child lived for 120 years on this earth and
during its rich life systematized and established on a firm footing
the doctrines of VisishtAdvaithA,
Which have been expounded earlier by BodhAyanA, DramidA and TankA
and elaborated by Nathamuni and AaLavandhAr
The divine recogniton of Sri RaamAnujA's contributions
AchArya RaamAnujA was recognized for his monumental contributions to
Sri ViasishtAdvaitha Darsanam in his own life time by the Divya
Dampathis of Srirangam,Kaanchi ,ThirunArAyaNapuram , ANDAL of
SrivilliputthUr and
Devi Sarasvathi through their conferring of the titles of Udayavar,
Sri BhashyakArar and many other honors .AchArya RaamAnujA was also
addressed as Ilaya PerumAl by his sishyAs. Further, Lord VaradarAjA
initiated RaamAnujA into SanyAsaasramam and conferred on him the
title of YathirAjan at that time. Lord VaradarAjA reluctantly gave
RaamAnujA later as a gift to Sri RanganAthA. Lord VaradarAjA also
answered through Thirukkacchi Nampi the questions that were topmost
on the mind of RaamAnujA .The many incidents relating to the
Vaibhavam of AchArya RaamAnujA are summarized in the special home
pages created by Srimans Achyutharaman and MadhavakkaNNan of
Simhapuri and this CD ROM. The works of AchArya RaamAnujA are also
covered there as well as the highlights of Bhagavad RaamAnuja
Darsanam. BhakthAs are referred to these pages with the URL,
http://members.tripod.com/~sriramanujar/ for now, we will content
ourselves with a brief summary of the highlights of the Life and
works of Sri RaamAnujA the like of whom we will not be able to see
again.
AchArya RaamAnujA's early Tuetlage at Kaanchipuram
Sri RamAnujA studied VedAnthA first under YadhavaprakAsA at Kaanchi.
When YadhavaprakAsA misinterpreted the meanings of Sruthi and
Upanishadh Vaakyams, Sri RaamAnujA pointed out the correct meanings
following the Sri VisishtAdhvaidhic tradition. This angered the
Guru .The infuriated Guru plotted to kill RaamAnujA. Lord VaradarAja
intervened and saved RaamAnujA from the jealous Guru's wrath.
Meanwhile, the intellectual brilliance and the rich Saastraic
Jn~Anam of RaamAnujA attracted the attention of Sri ALavandhAr, the
greatest
Sri VaishNava AchArya of that time, who was staying in Srirangam.
ALavandhAr came to Kaanchi and prayed to Lord VaradarAjan to bless
RaamAnujA to become the leading pravarthakA and nirvAhakA of Sri
VishitAdhvaitha siddhAntham. ALavandhAr did not get to meet
RaamAnujA in person at Kaanchi
prior to his return to Srirangam .AaLavandhAr's health weakened
after return to Srirangam and he reached Sri Vaikuntam without
initiating RaamAnujA in person as his successor .RaamAnujA , who had
heard about the illness of ALavandhAr
rushed to Srirangam to receive latter's blessings .It was however
too late .
When RaamAnujA saw the charama ThirumEni of AalavandhAr, he noticed
that three of the fingers of the right hand were closed as if to
indicate that he had three unfulfilled wishes .RaamAnujA asked the
intimate disciples about those wishes. RaamAnujA was told that the
three wishes were:
(1) Writing of a commentary for the VyAsa Soothrams
(2) Naming of two Brahmin boys with the names of ParAsarA (the
author of VishNu PurANam) and VyAsA (the author of Brahma Soothrams
and Many PurANams) and
(3) The writing of a commentary for Swami NammAzhwAr's
ThiruvAimozhi.
RaamAnujA pledged to fulfill the three wishes of AaLavandhAr with
the anugraham of the divya dampathis of Kanchipuram and the folded
fingers on the body of AalavandhAr suddenly opened up after hearing
this pledge. All those assembled in sorrow around the chrama
ThirumEni of AaLavandhar were overcome by what they witnessed and
hailed RaamAnujA as the future Darsana SthApakar of Sri
VisishtAdvaitham .RaamAnujA took the permission of the chief
disciple of AaLavandhAr, Sri Periya Nampi (MahA PoorNar) and
returned to Kaanchi with a heavy heart.
Thirukkacchi Nampi and RaamAnujA
Thirukkacchi nampi was a key disciple of AaLavandhAr. He was doing
fan service to Lord VaradarAjan at Kaanchi and the Lord of Kaanchi
broke His archA samAdhi (silence) to speak to Thirukkacchi Nampi
during those ChAmara
Kaimkaryam sessions. RaamAnujA admired Thirukkacchi Nampi for his
access to the Lord and asked Nampi to get answers from the Lord
Himself for questions that were troubling him .Nampi agreed to
present those questions to Lord Varadarajan. The Lord's answer to
RaamAnujA's questions is known as the six statements referred to
below:
(1) We, the Srimaan, are the supreme One (Parathvam).
(2) Our darsanam is BhEdham.
(3) Prapatthi is THE MEANS for Moksham.
(4) Moksham will be gained at the time of shedding of the mortal
coils for a Prapannan.
(5) Take refuge at the feet of Periya Nampi as AchAryan.
(6) Anthima Smruthi (Thoughts on the Lord during the last moments of
life) is not essential for the One, who has performed Prapatthi.
RaamAnujA was thrilled to hear the instructions from the Lord
Himself and hastened to meet Periya Nampi living at Srirangam.
Meanwhile, Periya nampi had a dream in which he was requested by Sri
RanganAthA to bring RaamAnujA to Srirangam and groom him to become
the next great AchAryA to spread the darsanam. Periya nampi hastened
on his journey towards Kaanchi Both RaamAnujA and Periya Nampi met
each other half way at MadhurAnthakam.
Periya nampi initiated RaamAnujA into Sri VishNavite fold through
PanchasamskAram and manthra upadEsams .RaamAnujA at this time was a
grahasthA . RaamAnujA's wife however had committed three major
apachArams to Sri VaishNava BhaagavathAs during the last few months
of RaamAnujA as a GrahasthA and sishyar of Periya Nampi. Those
incidents took a heavy toll on RaamAnujA's mind. He concluded that
SanYaasam is better than GrahathAsramam for him and declared his
intentions to Lord VaradarAjA, who approved RaamAnujA's request to
enter into SanyAsAsramam .Great Sri VaishNavAs likeNadAdUr AzhwAn,
KooratthAzhwAn, Mudali AaNDAn learnt about the news of RaamAnujA
becoming a Yathi and chose him as their own AchAryan. Yaadhava
PrakAsar, who resented RaamAnujA earlier understood the greatness of
his former disciple and sought the refuge of RaamAnujA as his own
AchAryan, although he was much older than his own former disciple
and lived peacefully at the sacred feet of AchArya RaamAnujA.
RaamAnujA's move to Srirangam from Kaanchi
One day, Thiruvaranga perumAL Arayar came to Kaanchi and performed
arayar sevai for the Paasurams of Swami NammAzhwAr before Lord
VaradarAjan. The Lord of Kaanchi was so pleased with the Arayar that
He asked the Arayr to choose a boon close to his heart. The Arayar
blurted out and asked for the gift of RaamAnujA. The Lord agreed and
gave His permission for RaamAnujA to go to Srirangam with the Arayar
and start his work as an AchAryan and to continue the work of
AaLavandhAr.
The Five AchAryans of AchArya RaamAnujA
Five great disciples of ALavandhar following the command of their
AchAryan instructed RaamAnujA on the essentials of Sri VaishNavam.
Periya nampi or MahA Poornar performed not only Pancha samskArams
for RaamAnujA but also taught him the Brahma SoothrAs, the
BhagavadgitA and
the esoteric meanings (rahasyArthams) of the Sri VaishNavite
rahasyams .
Goshti PoorNar or ThirukkOttiyUr nampi tested the readiness of
RaamAnujA many times and finally trained him in the observance of
sri VaishNavite religious practices as per the three RahasyAs.
MaalAdhArA or ThirumAlai ANDAn taught RaamAnujA Bhagavadh Vishayam
or the subtle meanings of Swami NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi Paasurams
(DrAvida samhithA)
ThiruvarangapperumAL or AaLavandhAr AazhwAn instructed RaamAnujA on
the comprehensive text of ThiruvAimozhi, the Sri Sookthis of
AaLavandhAr and some auspicious sayings (SubhAshithams).
Srisaila PoornA or Thirumalai nampi, the uncle of RaamAnujA taught
the inner meanings of Srimadh RaamAyana SlOkams. Since Srimadh
RaamAyaNam is known as the SaraNAgathi Saasthram, this acquisition
of knowledge from a revered elder AchAryan such as Thirumalai Nampi
was an important feature of RaamAnujar's tutelage.
Part 2 to follow tomorrow........
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