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)
2nd Feb 2021.
File pictures of
yesteryears.
