Sri Koorathazhwan Vaibhavam 2021

Sri Koorathazhwan Vaibhavam 2021 

Today 2.2.2021 is a great day for our Srivaishnava sampradhayam – being Hastham in the month of Thai – it is sarrumurai of Swami Kurathazhwan born in 1010.  b u t  ~ today being Angurarpanam of Sri Parthasarathi swami special brahmothsavam, there was no purappadu of Acarya at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam.

 

(Sri Kuresar at Thiruvallikkeni)

என்னைப் புவியில் ஒரு பொருளாக்கி * மருள் சுரந்த

முன்னைப் பழவினை வேரறுத்து * ஊழிமுதல்வனையே

பன்னப்பணித்த இராமானுசன் பரன்பாதமும் என்

சென்னித் தரிக்க வைத்தான் * எனக்கு ஏதும் சிதைவு இல்லையே**  

Thiruvarangathu Amuthanar adds that the reason for his being able sing paeans of Sri Ramanuja is only due to limitless compassion of Acharyar on the lowly self through the merciful Koorathazhwan.  None else than the most merciful Ramanuja can make the lowly, unworthy get some credit. The ones who keep his Lotus feet on their head are indeed fortunate and will not grieve for anything in life.   On the occasion of Thai Hastham marking the birth anniversary of Swami Koorathazhwan, I had posted in detail on the greatness of our Acarya ~ here is something more .. ..

 

நம் கூரத்தாழ்வான்  சரண் (Sri Kuresar at avatharasthalam)

Miles away on the northern tip of this great Nation existed the Sharda Temple  located in Kishanganga Valley just across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) in a small village called Shardi at the confluence of River Kishanganga and River Jhelum which flows from Kashmir.  A famous learning centre of Kashmiris, it is identified by noted historians and chroniclers.   As we proceed, here is something read on Kashmir in a book titled  ‘the Valley of Kashmir’ by Waltair RR Lawrence published in 1895.  

Kashmir in 1887, when the Settlement commenced, may be described as an absolute monarchy. If an aristocracy of power ever existed, the tall poppies were cut down years ago, and the people looked to the Maharaja as their direct lord and master. They yearn for personal rule centred in one man, and they are bewildered and disgusted when rule and power filter into many channels. In Kashmir the Maharaja is represented by a Governor and it is of the highest importance that this official be a man of energy and experience, and that all departments, whether revenue, police, forests, &c., should be absolutely under his control.   It is a small country, and an energetic Governor could visit any village in the valley in a day's ride.  His Highness the Maharaja Pratab Singh, G.C.S.I., recognizing that it was impossible to check these abuses without records and statistics, resolved on effecting a land Revenue Settlement of his country. At first it was extremely difficult to persuade the people that the Settlement would be a reality, or to inspire them with a belief that there would be some continuity in the administration.  Little by little, confidence has sprung up.   

IF one looks at the map of the territories of His Highness the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir one sees a white foot-print set in a mass of black mountains. This is the valley of Kashmir, known to its inhabitants as KasJiir. Perched securely among the Himalayas at an average height of about 6,000 feet above the sea, it is approximately eighty-four miles in length, and twenty to twenty-five miles in breadth. North, east, and west, range after range of mountains guard the valley from the outer world, while on the south it is cut off from the Panjab by rocky barriers fifty to seventy five miles in width. The valley is a resting-place for adventurous traders who seek the distant markets of Yarkand and Central Asia, and it furnishes a base whence military operations have been in recent years directed against the wild and turbulent tribes of the Shinaki country to the north and north-east.   

The mountains which surround Kashmir are never monotonous. Infinitely varied in form and colour, they are such as an artist might picture in his dreams. Looking to the north one sees a veritable sea of mountains, broken into white crested waves, hastening in wild confusion to the great promontory of Nanga Parbat (26,620 feet). To the east stands Haramukh (16,903 feet), the grim mountain which guards the valley of the Sind. On it the legend says the snow only ceases to fall for one week in July, and men believe that the gleam from the vein of green emerald in the summit of the mountain renders all poisonous snakes harmless. Further south is Mahadeo, very sacred to the Hindus, which seems to almost look down on Srinagar, and south again are the lofty range of Gwash Brari. 

This is no post on Kashmir but on our great Srivaishnavaite so devoted to Sri Ramanuja Acarya – Sri  Koorathazhwan  whose Thanian by Parasara Bhattar says:

 

Shrivathsa chinha mishrebhyo nama uktheem adheemahe |

yadhukthasyas thrayee kante yaanthi manggala soothrathaam ||

I salute the great mahaan Srivathsa Chinha Misra (Swamy Koorathazhwan) whose Sri Sookthis became the thirumangalyam of the mother Veda (The 4 Vedas also named as Thrayee as mentioned in the above thanian).  Swamy Kuresar was born in 1010 in Kooram near Thirukachi.  He was destined to be totally influenced by the teachings of Sri Ramanujar.  

In those great days, when Sri Ramanujar lived in Thiruvarangam in the service of Namperumal,  Yathi Raja had succeeded in the stupendous task of systematising an exciting and epochal new philosophy,   ...  to give it polish of irrefutability,  before it could go into and earn an unchallenged place in the annals of Vedantic history, Ramanuja wanted access to  ancient parchment or document called ``Boddhayana vrutti'' - a rare exegetical treatise on Vyasa's ``Brahmasutras'' incorporating the insights of other great commentators of distant past. The ``Boddhayana vrutti'', Ramanuja learnt, was lying somewhere in a musty library in the royal library of the then king of an obscure Kashmiri State.  For great persons, nothing is daunting or unattainable – our Acaryar accompanied by Koorathazhvan went to Kachmeeram,  the  King gave Ramanuja and Kuresa permission to access the archives in the royal library. The royal pundits however, were none too happy and created many obstacles. Ramanuja was not allowed to take the vrutti or notes out. Kuresa, endowed with a photographic memory, memorised the whole book. Back in Srirangam, Kuresa and Ramanuja completed the ``Sri Bhashya'' by incorporating authentic references to the ``Boddhayana vrutti'', the growing influence of Sri Vaishnavism once again stoked the malevolent fires of religious bigotry in the land. Amongst some sections of the Saivite population which at that time was concentrated around Gangaikondachozhapuram, near Chidambaram, hatred towards Sri Vaishnavism and of Sri Ramanuja began to flare up.

Sri Kuresar at Periamet, Chennai 

Though blinded in that unsavoury incident, Koorathazhwan who ensured that Yathi Rajar moved safely to Melukote and ensured great kainkaryams there, lived a complete life, devoted in service, with malice to none; in fact seeking good for the traitor too.  Koorathazhwan ( Srivatsankamisrar ),   gifted us five important stotras, popularly known as Panchastavam. These are Sri Vaikunta Stavam, Athimanusha Stavam, Sundarabahu Stavam, Sri Stavam and Varadaraja Stavam. Before ascetic life, he was a very wealthy person not only endowed with riches – more so with atma gunas and took care of needy by feeding thousands daily.  He was never attached to the material riches and the World.  

He lived a long life of more than 120 years and in 1132, Sri Koorathazhwaan ascended to Sri Vaikuntam, 6 months before Sri Mudaliandan attained Vaikuntam, in service of Lord Ranganatha & Swami Ramanuja. With his head on Pillai azhwaan's lap, lotus feet on Andal's lap (Azhwan's wife) and hand on Parasara Bhattar's lap, thinking about Swami Ramanuja's lotus feet, azhwaan attained Sri Vaikuntam. 

It is our fortune that we are in the lineage of such great Acaryas and have the fortune of worshipping them and reciting the holy works of Azhwar, Acharyas.

 

(Sri Kuresar at Thirumazhisai) 

வைணவத்தின் தரிசனத்தின் தலைவரான மகாஞானியான இராமானுஜர் ஒப்புக் கொண்டாலே ஒழிய தாங்கள் நினைப்பதை சாதிக்கவியலாது என்று வெறிகொண்ட சோழ மன்னன் திருவரங்கத்திற்கு தன் ஆட்களை அனுப்பி இராமானுஜரை அழைத்துவர ஏற்பாடுகளைச் செய்தான். இராமானுஜர் சோழ மன்னனின் சபைக்குச் சென்றால் தீங்கு நிச்சயம் என்று உணர்ந்த கூரத்தாழ்வான் ஆழ்வான் மற்றும் சீடர்கள்,  வடதிருக்காவேரிக்கு நீராட சென்று இருந்த உடையவரது காஷாயத்தினை ஆழ்வான் தரித்து உடையவருக்கு வெள்ளை அங்கி அணிவித்து பத்திரமாக எழுந்துஅருள ஏற்பாடு பண்ணினார்.   வெள்ளை ஆடைகளை அணிந்து எம்பார், முதலியாண்டான், நடாதூராழ்வான், பிள்ளான், வடுகநம்பி, கிடாம்பியாச்சான், வில்லிதாஸன் போன்ற அந்தரங்கமான சீடர்களுடன் காவிரிக்கரை ஓரமாகவே மேல் திசை நோக்கி பயணித்தார்.  இராஜ்ய சபைக்கு சென்ற கூரத்தாழ்வானுக்கும் பெரிய நம்பிக்கும் மிகப்பெரிய துன்பம்  ஏற்பட்டு,  மஹாபூரணர் தன்  உயிர் மாய்த்ததும், கூரேசன் தன் கண்பார்வை இழந்து பலவருடங்கள் பிறகே எம்பெருமானாரின் முயற்சியால் அருள் பெற்றதும், தனி வரலாறு. 

நாம் அனுதினமும் அநுஸந்திக்கும் தனியனாம் ஆசார்யர் மணவாளமாமுனிகள்  அருளிச்செய்த  'ஸ்ரீசைலேச தயாபாத்ரம் தீபக்த்யாதி குணார்ணவம்; யதீந்திரப்  பிரவணம்  வந்தே ரம்ய ஜாமாதரம் முநிம்' .. பிறகு  அநுஸந்திக்கும் தனியன்:  

லக்ஷ்மீ நாத ஸமாரம்பாம் நாதயா முநிமத்யமாம் |

அஸ்மதார்சாய பர்யந்தாம் வந்தே குருபரம்பராம் || 

இந்தத் தனியனில் ஸ்ரீகூரத்தாழ்வான் குரு பரம்பரையைக் கூறுகிறார்.     ஸ்ரியப்பதியான லக்ஷ்மீ நாதன் முதல் துவங்கி,  குரு பரம்பரை மத்தியில் ஸ்ரீமந் நாதமுநிகளை விளித்து - அஸ்மத்  ஆச்சார்ய பர்யந்தாம் என்று பகவத் ராமாநுஜர் வரையில் சொல்கிறார்.  திருவல்லிக்கேணி ஏனைய திவ்யதேசங்களில் - 'உடையவர் வெள்ளை சாற்றுப்படி புறப்பாடு சேவித்துள்ளேன் ~ ஆறாம் உத்சவம் அன்று ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூரிலே 'உடையவர் வெள்ளை பட்டுடன் குதிரையில்' ஆரோஹணிக்க  - கூரேசர், காஷாயத்துடன் பல்லக்கில் புறப்பாடு கண்டு அருள்கிறார். 

ஸ்ரீமந்யதீந்த்ர! தவ திவ்ய பதாப்ஜஸேவாம் :  என்றுமழியாத செல்வமுடைய யதிராஜரே அடியேனுக்கு தேவரீருடைய திருவடித்தாமரைகளில் பண்ணும் கைங்கர்யத்தை, அருளவேணும் !!   

ஆழ்வார் எம்பெருமானார் திருவடிகளே சரணம் -

நம் இராமானுஜன் திருவடிகளே சரணம்.

கூரத்தாழ்வான்   திருவடிகளே சரணம். 

 

 

அடியேன் ஸ்ரீனிவாசதாசன்
adiyen Srinivasa dhasan (Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar)
2^nd Feb 2021.
File pictures of yesteryears.