Sri Ramanujar Sarrumurai 2019 : அண்ணல் இராமானுசன் வந்து தோன்றிய அப்பொழுதே

At Thiruvallikkeni in East tank square overlooking the beautiful Kairavini pushkarini stands this Mutt (for sure you would have attended many functions at this kalyana mantap) ~ Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt –  associated with our great Acaryar Swami Ramanujar who excelled in ensuring control of temples and reorientation of services (kainkaryams) to Emperuman at Thiruvarangam, Thirumala and Melukote.  This mutt  headquartered at  Melukote Thirunarayanapuram was  founded by our Yathi Rajar.

Sri Vaishnavaites study his granthas and hail Him daily – in educational texts, only He should have been the role model for perseverance and victory and not the invader who repeatedly invaded India and destroyed Somnath.  The fit model our Acaryar Sri Ramanuja went 18 times to convince   Acharya Goshthi Poorna (Thirukottiyur Nambi)  to impart him the Asthakshari - Tirumanthra  and Dwaya l) mantra and their inner meanings… .. .. and learning it after such ordeal, thought it fit to share to the World (ஆசை உடையார்க்கு எல்லாம் கூறுமின்)

Of the three great exponents of Vedanta philosophy, Bhagwad Ramanuja with his aesthetic beautiful interpretations occupies the central place.  Sri Ramanujar hailed as Udayavar, Emperumanar, Bashyakarar, Ilayazhwaar amongst other names was born in the year 1017 at Sri Perumpudur on ‘Thiruvathirai’ thirunakshathiram in the month of Chithirai.  This year Udayavar sarrumurai  was grandly celebrated on
Thursday 9^th May 2019. [Chithirai 24 – Chithiraiyil seyya Thiruvathirai]

இன்று 9.5.2019 -  சித்திரையில் செய்ய திருவாதிரை நந்நாள்.  நம் ஆச்சார்யன் இவ்வுலகத்தில் வந்துதித்த சீரிய நாள். செங்கயல் வாவிகள் சீர்வயல்கள் சூழ்ந்த ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூரில் இளையாழ்வார் எனும் ராமானுஜர் அவதரித்த நந்நாள்.

Today concludes the  10 day Thiruvavathara Uthsavam of our Swami Ramanujar.  In the morning there was the grand veethi purappadu – inside there was mangalasasanam in all sannathies, then it was rendering of Gadyatrayam, thirumanjanam, thirumozhi sarrumurai; evening thiruppavai sarrumurai, thiruveethi purappadu in mangalagiri concluding with thiruvaimozhi sarrumurai.   

In the words of Thiruvarangathu Amuthanar, the earthly human beings were all given the true  Knowledge by the birth of Acharyar Ramanujar and started disciples of Sriman Narayanan.

உலகோர்கள் எல்லாம் அண்ணல் இராமானுசன் வந்து தோன்றிய

அப்பொழுதே நண்ணரு ஞானம் தலைக்கொண்டு நாரணற்கு ஆயினரே.

On  sarrumurai  day, in the evening it was Mangalagiri  purappadu.  For all Acaryars and Alwars on their sarrumurai day occurs purappadu with Sri Parthasarathi (or Sri Varadhar / Sri Thelliya Singar) – however, for Swami – it is purappadu for Him alone.

Swami  Ramanuja stayed in Melukote for 12 years, changing the life of the people around.  He ensured appropriate rituals for Sri Cheluvanarayanar at the place which now boasts of great vidwans in Ubayavedantham; our Emperumanar  conducted kalakshepas inside the precincts of this glorious temple. In most places, scholars engaged in academic pursuits, do not usually take care of temple duties, and temple priests are not academically inclined. But in Melkote,  those on duty in the temple, as Vedic, Sanskrit scholars, well versed in divyaprabandham and granthams – selflessely at the service of Yathirajar and Cheluva Naranar. 

Our Acaryar Swami Manavala Mamunigal was so attached at the feet of Sri Ramanujar and here is a verse from his Yathiraja Vimsati – which according to our learned vidwans came in to being as a result of the request of Swami Manavala Maminigal’s acharyan to compose a sthOthra grantham on Sri Ramanujar, when Mamunigal was a  grahasthar and had the name of Azhagiya MaNavALa NaayanAr.   These twenty verses constitute one of the most beautiful appeals to RaamAnujA for conferring his anugraham.

SrirangarAja charaNAmbhuja rAja hamsam

Srimadh ParAnkusa padhAmbhuja brungarAjam |

Sri BhattanAtha parakAla mukhAbhja Mitram

Srivatsa chi(h)nna CharaNam(SaraNam) YathirAjameedE ||

Mamunigal draws comparison to   King Swan at the feet of Sriranganatha,  great beetle settled to drink honey at the feet of  Nammalvar, Sun who makes the lotuses blossom – I fall at the feet of Sri Kuresa, who is lthe mark of Srivatsa, Yatiraja – I worship. Mamunigal eulogises  the emperor of SanyAsis , RamAnujA , who has chosen the lotus feet of Sri RangarAja as the seat of his permanent residence , just as a king swan would seek a beautiful lotus for its place of rest .

Ramanuja was one of those visionaries  who made us realize the importance of harnessing waters in remote villages. He built a few and renovated many temple tanks right in the middle of Thirunarayanapuram, which not only ensured water for temple, but also for drinking and irrigation.   The crowning glory is  the 2,200 acre temple tank at Tondanur, called Tonnur Kere about 20 km from Melkote,  that provides  water to 70 villages for the last 1000 years.

Hail Ramanuja ~ we fall at the feet of our Acaryar who will take care of us.

உய்ய ஒரே வழி - உடையவர் திருவடி

ஆழ்வார் எம்பெருமானார் ஜீயர் திருவடிகளே சரணம்.

~-adiyen Srinivasa dhasan [S. Sampathkumar]

9.5.2019