Month: March 2019

After seeing the sleeping beauty of Vishnu as Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam, Vibheeshna wanted to see the walking beauty of the Lord, upon which he was directed by the Lord to his “Keezh(akku) Veedu’ (Eastern Gateway of the Lord). It is believed that Lord Vishnu displayed his ‘walking beauty’ to Vibheeshana here on the new moon day. To mark this event, on every Amavasya day at 12noon, Lord SowriRajan is carried out of the Sanctum and walks to the Vibheeshna Sannidhi.

Nampillai with all humility submitted to Thozhappar . Swamin !!! Please forgive me !! Adiyen had just come here to ascertain that any misconduct of mine should not disturb your peace of mind . Having born in a distinguished family of Swamy MudaliAndaan , adiyen requests your kindness to please let me know the misconduct to earn abuse by a revered Acharyar like you .Please forgive me for any misconduct either in words or deeds . Swamin !! If not you , who will be kind enough to forgive me ..

  Amongst the several revered disciples of Jagath Acharyar  Swamy Ramanujar Swami  AmudhanAr  earlier  known as Peria Koil Nambi  was  transformed    disciple of  JagathaAcharyar .  

Nambi  appeared in “mungirkkudi” on  Panguni Hastham  day in  Srirangam which  coincides to be today March 22 2019. 

He became the most  dearest  disciple of Swamy Ramanuja .

 

However , before becoming a disciple  of Swamy Ramanuja  ,  he was  the  Head Priest at Lord Sri Ranganathar   Temple, Srirangam .

 

   Filled with  pride  due to his position in the temple he had no   respect  towards Acharya  Swamy Raamanuja . 

He used to get  upset  with Swamy’s  raising popularity .Out of ego he placed many obstacles in the routine of temple services  while  Swamy   followed during the temple administration.

 Swami Ramanuja was upset with his approach that obstructed the services to Lordships .   Swami wished that   Nambi   must be  relocated  in any other service  in the temple for smooth functioning  . This will help in continuing the service to LORD  and  the smooth running of the affairs of the temple was ensured.

However , Lord  Ranganathar had some other plans for Nambi   . He  appeared in  Swami Ramanuja’s dream and  commanded , that the temple priest  Periya Koil Nambi  was   serving him past several years and is dependent on  him . 

Hence , he must be taken care off  in all  reverence   .

Swami Ramanuja shared his dream with his  close disciple Kuresan and concluded that the Lord did not want him to dismiss Periya Koil Nambhi from the present  service ,  instead   Lord wanted Nambi to be engaged in some other kainkaryam close to him .

Kuresan responded  to Acharyars request and felt  that the Lord wanted  Swamy Ramanuja to correct the flaws of Nambi and instead  engage him in Acharyar kaimkaryams .

Swamy Raamanuja suggested that Kuresan himself  should correct Nambi’s destructive ways and bring him back to the fold of Bhagavathas.  Kuresan accepted the suggestion of his Acharyan as commanded  and engaged the scholarly Periya Koil Nambi in discussions  daily inside the temple and slowly   changed  his attitude in pure  devotional service  .

One day ,  Nambi’s mother passed away and   he  was performing her Charama kaimkaryam  in seclusion. This happened  due to  his  arrogant behavior. Many vaishnavas avoided to officiate the ceremonies which he had invited .

This news reached Swamy  Ramanuja  . Swamy realized the desperate state  of Nambi  and suggested that Kuresan  must take part in the ceremony and bring  some change in him  .

In this important shraddha ceremony which is performed  on the eleventh day, the brahmin is considered as pretatma and fed sumptously.  To ensure that the pretatma leaves without any unfulfilled desire, it is customary to ask whether he is satisfied.  The kartha would be obliged to fulfill his desire so that the soul progresses without hindrance.  

” I am satisfied with the offerings given by the kartha  ( doer )

However , when that stage arrived, Kuresan  remained silent  and did not reply the  expected word of  ……

“ThrupthAsma :” (  meaning he was satisfied) .

Nambi was deeply disturbed and  hence pleaded   …..

My  Master … Kuresaa

What  needs to be done to satisfy you swamin  ? 

Kooresan replied 

Swamin …. Kindly  hand over the temple keys for taking up kainkaryam … and Periakovil Nambi had to oblige.  Kooratazwan handed over the keys  to  Swamy Ramanujar. 

Acharyar advised  Kuresa and Mudaliandan to make the necessary corrections ensuring that all the festivals and upachaaras  are conducted with pomp and show . 

 

 

Nambi was glad that the responsibility was handed over to a advanced devotee like Kuresar. Nambi   liked  Kuresar  unstinting devotion to LORD

.The daily rituals performed meticulously with utmost devotion  made Nambi change his attitude towards the devotees and especially Swamy Ramanuja

Lord Ranganatha was very pleased with the turn of events.   . Looking at the change in behaviour of Nambi ,  Kuresan  requested  Nambi  to accompany him to Ashram  and both of them went to   Swamy Raamanuja’s  .  Nambi  surrendered to the lotus  feet of Swamy Ramanuja with repentance .

Acharya Ramanuja was overjoyed at the transformation in Nambi  and recognized that extraordinary scholarship .

He   recommended that Kuresan become the Acharyan to Nambi instead of him.

The changed personality and his  sweetness of speech  earned him  the name of “AmudhanAr”  by Swamy Ramanuja himself .

From then on, Periya Koil Nambi came to be known as ” Thiruvarangatthu AmudhanAr “. He was also addressed with reverence as “PiLLai AmudhanAr”. AmudhanAr  coming very close to Swamy Ramanuja and his Acharyar Sri Kooresar was moved by the dayaa of  Swamy RaamAnuja and  with utmost devotion composed the 108 paasurams of Sri Raamanuja Noorrandhathi and recited in front of  Lord NamperumaL.

Lord Ranganatha commanded Swamy RamAnuja not to accompany Him on His Raaja Veedhis  procession . He also advised not to play any Naadaswaram ,   and stopped all  the musical instruments .He commanded the  Sri Vaishnavas to recite Raamanuja Noorrandhathi.

From then on, Noorrandhathi is recited after Iyarppaa  Prabhandam at Perumal and Thayar sannidhis as per  the command of Lord  NamperumAL. Acharya Ramanuja obeyed the wish of Lord RanganAthA and included the recital of NooRRandhAthi at the end of Iyarppaa recitation, just as KaNNinuNN SiRutthAmpu is recited at the end of Mudal Aayiram.

Thus AmudhanAr is to AchArya RaamAnujA just as Madhura Kavi is to Swamy NammAzhwAr. The two prabhandhams by Madhura kavi and Thiruvarangatthu AmudhanAr are like Naayaka rathnams adorning the gem necklace.

In Sri In VaishNava sampradhAyam, AchAryan is recognized as the avathAra visesham of Sriman NaarAyaNan.Therefore, one worships one’s AchAryan in  form of  Perumal .

In every one of his NooRRandhAthi paasurams, AmudhanAr placed the ThirunAmAm of Swamy RaamAnusar for our benefit.

iniyenn kuRai namakkemperumAnAr ThirunAmatthAl muni tanatha nooRRettu SAAVITHRI yennu nuNNporuLai kani tantha senjcholl KalithuraiyandhAthi paaDithanthAn punithan ThiruvarangatthamuthAhiya PuNNiyanE

(meaning We have nothing missing in our lives , now that we have the prapanna Gavathree — the 108 pasurams of RaamAnuja nooRRandhAthi celebrating our AchAryan’s sacred name in andhAthi, blessed by puNya moorthi , ThiruvarangatthamudanAr .

Meditating on the deep meanings of this Prabhandham , we do not have any more wants in this world . We do not lack any thing.

This prabhandham is otherwise called as Prapanna Gayathri, i.e it is the gayathri manthra to all Prapannaas the ones who have surrendered . (Prapanna is a sanskrit word that means complete surrender/dedication.) to LORD lotus feet..

A prapanna is one who has totally surrendered at the lotus  feet of Lord  Sriman Narayana.  Our most  revered  Acharyar  Swamy  Pillai Lokacharya lists the qualities of a prapanna in  his works .

A Prapanna  must not wish that harm should befall the one who has caused him anguish. He must feel sorry for the tormentor, for even if he forgives the tormentor, the Lord will not forgive one who has tormented His devotee.

The prapanna must laugh at the one who hurts him, because the tormentor has not realised that no hindrance can be caused to the prapanna’s attainment of moksha. The prapanna also laughs at such people, because of their ignorance.

They think that a prapanna cares about worldly problems, when actually such things do not bother him. Pillai Lokacharya further says that we should actually be grateful to those who harm our bodies and our material possessions.

 

 

A prapanna thinks of the body and of material wealth as enemies. So if a person harms any of these, he is actually harming the prapanna’s enemies! The prapanna is also grateful to those who harm him in this world, because they make him aware of his faults.

  A Prapanna woul be feeling  Look … “At a time when I have forgotten my flaws, here is someone who has reminded me of them. So I must be grateful to him ” . .

 

 

 Naalooraan was the one, at whose instigation, a Chola king blinded Kooratazhvan. But Kooratazhvan prayed to Lord Varadaraja that Naalooran too should be granted moksha. Kooratazhvan is an example of one who wanted someone who had harmed him also to be blessed. Such is the attitude of a prapanna.

 

 

            It is said , Once  amudanAr  while    penning  this prabandha  Swamy rAmAnuja came along  with his  disciples .

The lovely  pASura  ‘sezhundirai   pArkaDal’ was written and he was about to write the next one……. ‘iruppiDam vaihundam’. 

With great love seeing Acharyar ,  swamy  wrote the next three pASuras in presence  of Swamy  rAmAnujar  and  others.

 

 

His  AchArya  AzhwAn  said  these  three pASuras  would be chanted as SATTru  pASuras       (whereas  in other prabandhas only the last two are SATTru pASuras).

This practice is still followed.

 

 

  Elders advise to meditate on Swamy Ramanujas thirumeni mentally as all the Poorvacharyas are his personification .The  comparisions is made as follows .All the holy thirumeni is equated with revered Acharyas …..

Eyes : Uyyakondar

Forehead Thiruman Kaapu : Sri Vishvakshsenar

Head : Nammalawar

Face : Nathamuni

Cheeks : Mannakal Nambee

Abdomen : Thiruvarangaperumal Araiyar

Hands : Thirugoshtiyur nambee

Heart : Allavandar

Neck : Perianambee

Lower back : Embaar

Chest : Thirumala nambee

Back : Thirumalai Andaan

Waist : Thirukachhi nambee

Tridandam : Sri Mudali Andaan

Tulasee mani  malai : Thirukurugai Piran pillan

Shawdow : Pillai Urungavilliidasar

Holy Yagnopaveetham : Swamy Koorathazhwan

The Safron dress : Vaduganambee

The thighs : Nampillai

The Holy feet : Swamy Pillai LokaAcharyar

Padukas : Swamy Manavala maamuni

Feet Elbows : Parasara bhattar and Namjeeyar

Knees : Vadakku thiruvedi pillai

Feet marks : Thiruvazhmozhi pillai

Fragnance : Swamy Desikar

RAAMAANUJASYA CHARANAU SHARANAM PRAPADYE.

SRIMATHE  RAAMAANUJAAYA NAMA

 Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Photos : Courtesy Google images

Videos :   Vijay TV, Social media clips  and Thanks to the devotees who uploaded .

All glories to Spiritual masters .

Swami Thirukkachchi nambi appeared in a place called poo irunda valli (currently called poonamallee, near Chennai) happens to be on March 1st 2023 Maasi Mrigasira Nakshatra.

To enable the assembled devotees who stand far away from the tree, the temple authorities have tied a red flag as an indication. When the breeze gently blows, the red flag moves which can be witnessed by everyone. The assembled devotees continuously sing the abhangs and as noon approaches, the fervor and intensity of the bhajans increases. Words cannot describe the sight. One has to personally witness this incident. We were there … to receive Our Bhaktha Tukaram’s blessings …What a journey it was ..

Sadhu Satsangh ki Jai ..

Bhaktha Tukaram ki Jai

Please know that caste is of no importance..
It is the virtue that is most important and prized .
This is why I say ….
Even River Cauvery cannot clean me completely.

But this man’s touch can purify me.
That’s why I lean on him when I return from the river.
Villi, my child ….. please teach these people how to love.”