Srimathe Ramanujaya Namah:
This is Part 1 of a series of articles...
SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA
SRIMATHE BALADHANVI MAHAGURAVE NAMAHA
SRIMADVARAVARAMUNAYE NAMAHA
A LIFE SKETCH OF SRI NAMPILLAI - Part 1
(By Sri. U. VE. Bhuvarahacharya Swamy M.A. Rtd.Prof. of Sanskrit,
Alwar Thirunagari )
A unique and distinctive feature of our Sri Vaishnava
Sampradayam is its unbroken chain of successive great Azhwars and
Acharyas. Sri Vedanta Desika in his"Yathiraja Sapthathi" waxes
eloquent as regards this uninterrupted appearance (Avataram) of
Acharyas and metaphorically compares it to a beautiful garland of
gems.
A MUNA TAPANATI SAYEE BHUMNA .
YATHIRAJENA NIBADHA NAYAKASRI I
MAHATI GURUPANKTI HARA YASHTIHI
VIBHUDHANAAM HRIDAYANGAMA VIBHATI II
In this stanza he compares our Acharya Parampara to a
garland of gems for which the central sapphire is Sri Ramanujar. The
diamond chain embellishes only the body where as this Acharya
Paramparam adorns the soul.
Many of us , nowadays are not aware of the Guruparampara
(succession of Acharyas). Hence I give their order of appearance.
1. Periya Perumal. (Lord Sri Ranganatha, the presiding deity
reclining on the serpant bed at Srirangam)
2. His consort Sri Ranga Nachiyar
3. Senani (Sri Vishwaksenar The chief commander of all beings)
4. Nammazhwar
5. Nathamunikal
6. Uyyakondar (Pundarikaksha)
7. Manakkal Nambi (Sri Rama Misrar)
8. Alavandar (Sri Yamuna chariyar)
9. Periya Nambigal (Sri Parankusa Daasar)
10. Emberumaanar (Sri Ramanujar)
11. Embar
12. Sri Parashara Bhattar
13. Sri Nanjeeyar
14. Sri Nampillai
15. Vadakku Thiruveedhi Pillai
16. Sri Pillailokacharyar
17. Thiruvazhmozhi Pillai
18. Manavala Mamunigal
Of these 18 Acharyas, the fourteenth one is Swamy
Nampillai. An attempt is made to sketch the biography of this great
stalwart following the Guruparampara Prabhavam Text written by Swamy
Nampillai's earnest and deeply devoted disciple Sri Pinbazhahiyaram
Perumal Jeeyar (Pinbazhahiyaram Perumal is the name of Lord
Ranganatha namely, Periya Perumal as his back view is more
fascinating than the front view).
During the period of our Acharyas, Srirangam was the capital
of our Srivaishnava Kingdom. All our Acharyas though born at
different places finally came to live at Srirangam to propagate our
sampradayam. Under their leadership Srivaishnava sampradayam spread
far and wide and was at its zenith.
Nanjeeyar ascended the throne of Acharyas after Sri
Parashara Bhattar. Though at Karnataka, he was vanquished by Sri
Parashara Bhattar at the wordy duel (Vaada sadas), he became a
devoted disciple of Sri Parashara Bhattar & learnt Nalayira Divya
Prabhandam etc at his holy feet. After his arrival at Srirangam to
live in the company of Sri Bhattar he renounced all worldly
pleasures and became a recluse (Sanyasi). He was affectionately
called by Bhattar as "Nam Jeeyar"(Our Sanyasi). [His] Acharya's
blessing was mainly responsible for his writing the superb
commentary on Tiruvazhmozhi which is called " Ombadinaayirapadi"
In those days our Acharyas used to write the commentary on
palm leaves. After completing the writing Sri Nanjeeyar desired to
preserve it for the posterity. He wished to have a scribe who is
highly skilled in writing it on palm leaves legibly and neatly. His
close attendants who were always with him drinking his nectarine
discourses told him that there was a gentleman by name Nambur
Varadarajan (Nambur is the name of a village on the southern bank
of Cauvery river at Trichy. Now the village has vanished, eroded by
Cauvery flood waters) who used to attend Swamy Nanjeeyar's
Kalakshepam regularly.
"He has very good handwriting" ? they said. Nanjeeyar lost no time
in inviting Sri Varadarajan and ordering him to write a shloka on a
palm leaf so that he might check out his good handwriting. Observing
the neat performance of Sri Varadarajan, Nanjeeyar became highly
pleased and he read out the commentary on holy stanzas of
Thiruvazhmohi and wherever it was necessary he also explained it to
him so that he might write the commentary without any mistake as he
is posted with clear cut meanings of the commentary.
At the bidding of the Acharya, the disciple took the manuscript with
great reverence and departed to his village from where he could
write the commentary with great concentration and relaxation. He had
to cross the river Cauvery on the way. In the midst of the river
there was a place which he had to cross by swimming. As the
manuscript was very holy and respectable he fastened it to the
turban on his head but as ill luck would have it a strong wave of
the river dashed his turban and carried away the manuscript. All his
attempts to retrieve it were in vain. Highly dejected he swam across
the river and reached the shore. Somehow he calmed himself and
thinking of the holy feet of his Acharya, Sri Nanjeeyar, he
recapitulated the entire commentary as read out to him by his
Acharya. As he was highly shrewd and adept in Tamil language and
literature, he wrote the commentary from his memory and added in
some places highly relevant parallel ideas etc from Tamil literature
and thereby enriched the commentary, the 9000 padi. (Padi means 32
syllables, 9000 padi means the commentary contained 9000 X 32
syllables; Padi equals a measure).
After completing it without loss of time, Sri Varadaraja submitted
the manuscript reverently for the perusal, comments and corrections
of his Acharya. The Acharya went through that carefully and was able
to observe in some places magnificient and highly suited meanings
for the words and sentences of Thiruvazhmozhi which he failed to
make. Though he was highly pleased with the commentary he wished to
know what transpired after handing his commentary over to his
disciple. So he asked Sri Varadarajan ? "Why this addition?"
Sri Varadarajan was damn afraid to narrate the unfortunate incident
but being encouraged by his revered teacher he told the truth.
The Guru was struck with wonder at the amazing, sharp and retentive
memory power of his pupil and praised him to the skies. He embraced
him and declared -"He is my dear child ? NAMPILLAI". Therefore his
original name Nambur Varadarajan has become something unheard of.
The Acharya abhimana ? the soul means of salvation ? we can
understand from this episode.
>From that day onwards, Sri Nanjeeyar kept his dearest disciple under
his benevolent care and without allowing any lapse of time he taught
him all the secret doctrines of Sri Vaishnavism and Visishta Advaita
philosophy with all the Rahasya Granthas and made him a full fledged
scholar.
He also named him "Thirukalikanri Daasar". Kalikanri is the name of
Thirumangai Azhwar. Nampillai was also born on the same day i.e as
that of Thirumangai Azhwar. (i.e Karthika month and Kritthika
nakshatram). Therefore Nampillai is looked upon as the incarnation
of Thirumangai Azhwar by our Acharyas, for which, a very aesthetic
explanation is also given by them. Thirumangai Azhwar is known for
his deep-rooted love towards Archa Avatara. Hence in the course of
his ramblings to all Archa Avatara temples, he once reached
Thirukkanna Mangai. He sang in praise of Lord Krishna there. Lord
Krishna, the presiding deity became highly pleased by the sweet
divine songs of the Azhwar, expressed his desire to learn the Divya
Prabhandam. Sri Kaliyan told Him ? "Vensangam onru yendiya kanna,
Nin thanakku thanakkum kurippakil karkalam kaviyin porul thane" (Oh
Krishna! wielding white conch, if you are so very particular about
learning the Divya prabhandam, you may do so. But in this state of
your Archa Avatara it is possible for you to learn only the meaning
of the text). Sri Krishna understood the implied sense of this
statement. In the state of Archa Avatara idol, He can grasp only the
meaning of the stanzas. If He has to learn and understand both the
text and its inner meaning in its depth, He should be born in this
world and learn it under the guidance of a superb master. So Sri
Krishna was born as Sri Periyavachan Pillai on a Sri Jayanti day and
becoming the pupil of Sri Nampillai, studied all the 4000 hymns
along with Vedavedantam, Ithihasa Purana etc along with their
commentaries from Sri Nampillai ? who was born on the birthday of
Sri Thirumangai Azhwar.
TO BE CONTINUED....
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