Sri
Ramanujar Sarrumurai (1003) ~ 2020
A great day
today – ‘Chithiraiyil seyya Thiruvathirai’ – the day of our Acarya Empermanaar
thiruvavathara thinam. Wonder what this
is ?
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 the 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 .
The
NIlamata Purana, (नीलमतपुराण) an ancient text of Kashmir
contains information on its history, geography, religion, and
folklore.. .. much has changed in Kashmir since. National security
was catapulted into being the primary issue for this general election for the
first time with the car bombing in Pulwama in mid-February and its aftermath in
an aerial confrontation between India and Pakistan in the Balakot-Naushera
episode. First
Kashmir, is not what it has all along been portrayed it to be ~ it has a glorious
history .. .. Utpala dynasty, a
Kashmiri Hindu kingdom, ruled over the Kashmir region from 8th to 10th century
CE. The cities of Avantipur and Suyapur
were founded during the reign and many Hindu temples dedicated to both Vishnu
and Shiva. Sadly the same
Kashmir towards the end of last century became barren and devoid as Kashmiri
pundits were driven out in pogrom.
5th Aug 2019 will
remain a gold lettered day in the annals of Indian Nation, as the special
status was revoked.
Nearly
a thousand year ago, our Acaryar Sri Ramanujar on a pilgrimmage visited
Srinagar searching for manuscript of Bodhayana-vritti, a
commentary on the Brahmasutra by Bodhyana. His ardent
disciple Kuresar was able to memorise it in one glance; the commentary of
Udayavar is known as Sri Bashyam ~ Goddess of learning Saraswathi approving Sri
Bashyam conferred the title ‘Bashyakara’ on Sri
Ramanujar. Thus was fulfilled the main desire of Alavandhar –
writing of an authoritative and illuminating commentary on Brahma sutra.
Sri Ramanujar @
Sriperumpudur
Today
28.4.2020 would have dawned so happily to us - Emperumanar 960 was
grandly celebrated in 1977 – one may not have good memory of
that; in 2017 it was 1000 and this year 1003 – the modern
day equipment & technology ensure capture by way of photos and
videos of the grand celebrations at Thiruvarangam, Thirumala,
Thirukachi, Sriperumpudur, MelukoteThiruvallikkeni and at many many more
places. So many places – Thiruvarangam, Thirumala, Thirukachi,
Thiruvallikkeni, Sriperumpudur, Thirukurungudi, Melukote, Mathura, Pushkar,
Kashmeeram, KOngunadu and more are associated with Him as he traversed the
Nation by foot, propagating vishitadvaita concept.
Life
has changed for the Globe – 2020 has been far different – nothing prevents us
in reminiscing and celebrating the Birth of Swami Ramanujar at home forgetting
Covid and thinking of Acarya alone !
இன்று நன்னாள் ~ எம்பெருமானார் அவதார திருநாள் ..இராமானுசர் 1003 இன்று. நமது பாரததேசம் புண்ணியபூமி. ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவர்களான
நமக்கு வேதமும், ஆசார்யர்களுமே பிரதானம். அநுதினமும் நாம் அநுஸந்திக்கும் தனியனில்
எம்பெருமானையும், ஆழ்வார்களையும், எம்பெருமானாரையும், நமது ஓராண்வழி ஆசார்யர்களையும்
தொழுது – ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணனுக்கே அடிபணிபவர்கள்
நாம். தீமனம் கெடுத்து, ஸ்ரீமன்நாராயணனை தொழும் மனமே தந்து, அறியாதன அறிவித்து,
பரமபுருஷனைக் காட்டிக்கொடுக்கும் ஆச்சார்யர் மிக உயர்ந்தவர். அவர் நமக்கு
உலாவும் பெருமான். ஆச்சார்ய ரத்னஹாரத்தில் நடுநாயகர் ஆன நம்சுவாமி எம்பெருமானார் சாற்றுமுறை! சித்திரையில் செய்ய திருவாதிரை- இன்று, இந்த நல்லுலகமே
எதிர்பார்த்துகாத்து இருந்த ~ சீரியநாள் – ஒப்புயர்வற்ற நம்மிராமாநுசமுனியின்
ஆயிரத்து மூன்றாவது பிறந்தநாள் சாற்றுமுறை. அவரது
சாற்றுமுறை புறப்பாட்டில் திருவல்லிக்கேணி வீதிதனிலே அத்யாபகர்கள் 'வாழிய
ராமானுஜன்; அவரடித் தாளினை வாழி' என விஜயீபவ ; விஜயீபவ ; விஜயீபவா எத்சரிகை' என 'வெள்ளைவிசிறி' [தங்கள் உத்தரீவங்களை
விசிறி] ஆர்ப்பரிப்பர். (that is the photo at the start, adhyapaks hailing the
birth of Ramanusa by throwing up their uthareevams)
art work by Gopulu
Of
the three great exponents of Vedanta philosophy, BhagwadRamanuja with his
aesthetic beautiful interpretations occupies the central place. Sri
Ramanujar has the pride of place in the list of our Acharyars; he is hailed as
Udayavar, Emperumanar, Bashyakarar, Ilayazhwaar, Yathirajar, ThiruppavaiJeeyar,
NumKovilannan, amongst other names was born in the year 1017 at Sri Perumpudur
on ‘Thiruvathirai’ thirunakshathiram in the month of Chithirai.
Our
darsana Sthapakar, Sri Ramanujar rightly reverred as ‘YathiRajar’ ~
the king among yathis [hermits and sages], the greatest reformer he
was, Ramanuja gave us many vedantic treatises - toured the entire Country,
making the Srivaishnavatie tradition flourish in all his path. He
was a great administrator too. Our Acharyar formulated a faith in which none
were devoid of Divine Grace. The great social reformer, had the
vision of introducing most acceptable way of life for every baktha inculcating
respect and love among fellow human beings. Today we talk of codes
and SOPs – thousand years ago, this Great Acharyar gave us
Niyamanappadi ~ the manual for the services to be performed in the Temple, all
supported by endowements in his blue book. When Sri Ramanujar went
to Melukote, he was 82 and he returned to Thiruvarangam at ripe age of 94. –
and more was to happen in Srirangam, guided by his indomitable spirit of
service to Lord. He created flawless systems, corrected the administration of
Sri Rangam ensuring the proper maintenance of the wealth of Lord Ranganatha and
creating teams to properly continue all kainkaryams to the Lord.
Sri Ramanujar @ Melukote Thirunarayanapuram
The
fountain of knowledge, he was, handed over to the generation his
wealth of knowledge through his many works which include the Magnum Opus ‘Sri
Bashyam – the Vishishtavaida commentary of Brahma sutram of Vyasa Bhagavan.;
VedanthaDeepam, Vedanta Saram, Vedanta Sangraham, Gadyathrayam and many many
more …. The 3 Gadyams – Saranagati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and
Vaikunda Gadyam are collectively known as ‘Gadyatraya’ ~ are in someways
considered to be swan song of our Acharyar. The Saranagati Gadyam is
live exposition of the doctrine of ‘prapatti’ – the total
saranagati. Sri Ramanujar prays that thee Lord may be pleased to
bless his sincere and true saranagati at the lotus feet of Srimannathan be
accepted as truly and well-performed and lead to the desired end without any
interruption. Our Acharyar describes the unique qualities of
NamPerumal with words ‘Sathyakama, Sathyasankalpa’ which would mean
the most loveable quality of resolve to protect His devotees and the will to be
incarnated in any form to come to the succour of devotees – He is Creator,
Protector and Sustainer.
On
his sarrumurai day, after morning
purappadu there would be mangalasasanam, rendering of Gadyatrayam ~ then
Thirumanjnam, Thirumozhi sarrumurai .. and .... more celebrations in the form of periya mada veethi
purappadu with Sri Parthasarathi Perumal.
Let
us fall at the lotus feet of our Acharyar which only will relieve us
of all our sins and steer us towards good thinking, good deeds and towards salvation
through service to Lord and His bakthas.
அடியேன் – ஸ்ரீனிவாசதாசன் (மாமண்டூர்
ஸ்ரீனிவாசன் சம்பத்குமார்)
28.4.2020.
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