Swami Manavala Mamunigal Sarrumurai 2015 : அழகு திகழ்ந்திடும் ஐப்பசியில் திருமூலம் ***

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha:

Srimath Varavara Munaye Namaha:

விண் இன்று பொய்ப்பின் விரி நீர் வியன் உலகத்து* உள் நின்று உடற்றும் பசி.

இம் மண்ணுலகம் கடல் நீரால் சூழ்ந்தது ஆயினும் - மழை இல்லையெனின் பசியின் கொடுமை உலகை வாட்டக்கூடும் - என்பது திருவள்ளுவர் வாக்கு. Rains are needed ~ they are but common in the Tamil month of Aippasi – but it has been raining so heavily that the downpours are causing trouble to people of Tamilnadu – many roads have water stagnation, vehicles getting struck, bridges broken at some places, some lives lost and normal life has been thrown out of gear. When it rains, it is common to see people walking with umbrellas of various hues.

This morning, things were different at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam – in the morning, devotees had the fortune of seeing ‘Kaithala Sevai’ ~ [Lord Parthasarathi and consorts being carried in the hands of the battars] – then the umbrellas were getting opened up – not the usual two or four – but 10 pairs, yes twenty of them, nay not the black one that humans use - spotless white parasols – the divine kodais and along with that hundreds of Srivaishnavaites, many of them sporting the traditional ‘Urthva Pundram – the Pannirandu Thiruman” – for today is the most important day for us all – ‘Thirumoolam in Aippasi’ the day commemorating the birth of divine Acharyar Swami Manavala Mamunigal.

ஸ்ரீ வைஷ்ணவத்தின் சொர்க்க பூமியான பூலோக வைகுண்டத்தில் நிகழ்ந்த முகம்மதியர் படையெடுப்பால் பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கானோர் கோயிலையும், நம்பெருமாளையும் பாதுகாக்கும் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டு இன்னுயிர் ஈந்தனர். சுமார் அறுபது ஆண்டுகளுக்கு மேலாக கோயிலும், கோயில் நிர்வாகமும் ஸ்தம்பித்த வரலாறும் ஸ்ரீ வைஷ்ணவத்தின் ஏடுகளில் ஓர் இருண்ட காலமாகும். இதனால் பாழ்பட்டு இருந்த இக்காலத்தில் ,பழைய பெருமைகளை மீண்டும் ஒளிர, ஸ்ரீ வைஷ்ணவம் என்னும் ஆலமரம் தழைக்க ராமானுஜரின் மறு அவதாரமாக தோன்றினார் ஸ்ரீ மணவாள மாமுனிகள்

Mamunigal is fondly known as ‘Yatheendra Pravanar’ arising out of his irresistible attachment to the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujar [Yatheendrar]. Sri Manavala Mamunigal is the incarnation of Adisesha. He was born in Sikkil Kidaram in AD 1370. At birth he was known as ‘Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanaar’. Later he was hailed in very many names such as ‘Yatheendra Pravanar’, Ramyajamathru, Saumyajamatru, Visada-Vak-Sikhamani , Varayogi, Varavaramuni and more…..

His parents were Thigazhakidanthan Thirunaveerudayapiran Thatharannan, a disciple of Sri Pillailokacarya, and Sriranga nachiyar.. He became a sishya of Tiruvaimozhip pillai. Manavala mamuni's devotion to Nammalvar, Ramanuja and to his own Acharya grew as he studied the Alwar's hymns and rahasyas at Alvar Thirunagari. He lived for 73 years on this earth performing many Kainkaryams at Sri Rangam and undertook many pilgrimages to many Sri Vaishnava Divyadesams spreading knowledge and bakthi culture. His patent style was to elucidate the pramanams fully ‘following the words of the Purvarcharyas without deviating a wee bit’. He filled his vyakhyana granthas with the words of purvAcharyas. As followers of Mamunigals, duty thus is cast on us to understand the significance of preserving, maintaining, supporting and following the rituals and customs associated with all our traditional Temples.

For a Srivaishnavaite, Kainkaryam is essential; Selfless and unconditional “kainkaryam i.e., service to Lord” cleanses the soul of the performer. One must adore and be attached to their Acharyan and only the direction of Acharyar will lift us from all earthly evils – and for Us fallen at the feet called ‘Ponnadiyam Sengamalam’ – Swami Manavala Mamunigal will direct us and take us to salvation. Those of us who try and uphold the ideals of our religion and its cultural heritage, will sure be benfitted as it then becomes the responsibility of Acharya to take care of Sishya's Atma guna poorthi.

Of the many works, ‘Upadesa Rathinamalai’ is one which all of us should know and recite regularly. There are 73 paasurams + thanian given by Kovil Kandadai annan and another one rendered by Erumbiappa. In the introductory remarks, Swami Maamunigal declares that he is performing upadesam for the future generations in strict accordance with the upadesam that he himself received from his Achaaryan, Thiruvaaimozhip piLLai and his AchArya paramparai.

Here is a pasuram in which our Acharyar richly glorifies our Purvas. Mamunigal takes pledge :

ஆழ்வார்கள் ஏற்றம் அருளிச்செயல் ஏற்றம்*

தாழ்வாதும் இன்றி அவைதான் வளர்த்தோர் * ஏழ்பாரும்

உய்ய அவர்கள் செய்த வியாக்கியைகள் உள்ளதெல்லாம் *

வையம் அறியப்பகர்வோம் வாய்ந்து.

…… to celebrate the vaibhavams and commentaries of those imbued in Bakthi, the Azhwargal and those reverred Purvacharyas and always hold them in highest esteem – he says it is his bounded duty to talk of those commentaries to all those people in seven Worlds for their spiritual upliftment.

His another magnum open is - Thiruvaimozhi Nutrandhadhi, which presents essence of Nammazhvar’s Thiruvaimozhi in hundred sweet verses of poetry, with each verse capturing the essence of a decad (a decad comprises approximately ten songs). The literary structure of this work is worth an independent study in its own right. Mamunigal has set this in Venpa style, a metrical prosody comprising four lines; in every song he conveys the essence (tatparya) of a decad of Thiruvaimozhi, in every verse he extols Nammalwar by his various names and yet has striven to keep the Anthathi style of composition, thereby beginning each verse with the same word the previous verse ended with. A real classic !

In the few years that he lived on this earth, Sri Varavara Muni physically ensured renovation of numerous temples, reorganised rituals and set up ways of worship and ensured continuance of traditions through his eight famous disciples known as Ashtadiggajas (elephants of the eight directions). Sri Vanamamalai Mutt at Nanguneri was established by Mamunigal through his first disciple Sri Ponnadikkal Jeeyar in 1410.

At Thiruvallikkeni Divyaesam around 07.45 am – Manavala Mamunigal came out with Sri Parthasarathi for a grand purappadu – the 20 pairs of parasols were getting ready – then it rained and rained so heavily for the next hour or so. Upadesa Rathinamalai goshti was rendered at gopura vasal before Swami Nammalwar sannithi and there was thiruvanthikappu.

The last few photos depict what one missed today – the procession of umbrellas for Acharyar.

இப்படிப்பட்ட கீர்த்திமிகு ரம்ய(அழகிய) ஜாமாதர(மணவாள) முனி(மாமுனிகள்)கள் திருவடிகளுக்கு பல்லாண்டு,பல்லாண்டு பாடுவோம்.

"மன்னுயிர்காள் ! இங்கே மணவாளமாமுனிவன்
பொன்னடியாம் செங்கமலப் போதுகளை- உன்னிச்
சிரத்தாலே தீண்டில் அமானவனும் நம்மை
கரத்தாலே தீண்டல் கடன்"

Adiyen Srinivasa dhasan.

15^th Nov. 2o15.