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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00035 Jan 2004

 
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A tale of two holy places-Srirangam and Kancheepuram

 

Sri Alavandhar also called Yamunachariyar lived between 915 AD and 1040 AD. He 
was incharge of the administration of Sri Ranaganathaswamy temple at Srirangam 
besides being the head of Sri Vaishnava Acharya Peetam. He strictly adhered to 
the tradition established by Azhwars and earlier Acharyas. His erudition, 
profound scholarship and lectures on Vaishnavism drew many disciples towards 
him and one of them was Sri Sailapurnar alias ?Periya Thirumalai Nambi? was 
serving Lord Thiruvengatamudaiyan of Thirumalaiby bringing fresh fragrant 
flowers from a garden laid by him and water forThirumanjanam from Swamy 
Pushkarani. Incidentally he was the maternal uncle of Sri Ramanuja and his 
preceptor as well, under whose tutelage he learntSrimad Ramayana.

It was the period when Advaita philosophy was ruling the roost Visishtadvaita 
remained latent in th hymns of Azhwars, Sri Ramanuja, the propounder of 
Vishishtadvaita Philosophy was born at Sriperumbudur in the year 1017 under 
star ?Thiruadhirai (Arudra)?. He came to Kancheepuram witha view to enlarging 
the vistas of his knowledge on the study of ?Veda?, ?Smrithi?, Sastras? etc. 
and he became a pupil under an Advaita tutor by name Yadavaprakasar, who ran an 
institution for studies at ?Thiruppukkuzhi? a place near Kancheepuram. He was 
married in the year 1033 AD atKancheepuram to Thanjamambal.

Be as it may, at Srirangam Sri Alavandhar by an earlier intuition was awaiting 
the incarnation of Sri Ramanuja and about which he was having a conversation 
important inmates of the mutt when two Vaishnavites fromthe temple of 
?Perarulalan? (Varadarajan) appeared on the scene and paid obeisance to the 
Acharya Alavandhar. They told the eminent assembly thatthey are from 
Kancheepuram and revealed that they young Ramanuja was a resident disciple of 
Yadavaprakasar at Thiruputtkuzhi near Kancheepuram. Having convinced that his 
long felt dream was taking shape, Sri Alavandhar took leave of the members of 
the mutt and with the sanction of Lord Ranganatha reached Kancheepuram after 
four days of trekking via Thirukoilur. The great pontiff was received with 
temple honours at Kancheepuram. He met Sri Kanchipurnar who was familiarly 
known as Thirukachinambi and with him went to theshrines of Lord Varadharaja 
and His consort and offered worship. While coming out of the sanctum
sanctorum, they saw Yadavaprakasar with his disciples circumambulating 
thetemple. Sri Alavandhar requested Thriukachinambi to let him know who 
amongthe students was Ramanuja to which the savant pointed out to a fair and 
handsome youth with a radiance in his face. Sri Alavandhar concluded that he 
must be the lad whom he head been seeking for. He immediately prayed to Lord 
Vardharaja bestower of boons that Ramanuja may become his successor to 
propagate SriVaishnavism and left the place without meeting young Ramanuja 
asthe time was running short for his return to Srirangam. Sri Ramanuja lost his 
father at Sriperumbudur in the year 1034-35. following a quirk of an event and 
with the divine grace of Lord Varadharaja and Perundevi Thayar, Ramanuja who 
accompanied his master to Banaras to have a holy dip in the Ganges and on 
nearing the vIndhya range he came to know about the diabolical plot hatched by 
his teacher to do away with him. He left the place after dusk to an unknown
destination and slept in an open place. As the day dawned Ramanuja found 
himself in the nearer precincts of Kancheepuram, where he had the divine vision 
Lord Varadharaja and Perundevi Thayar in the disguise of a hunter and huntress 
who desired water to quench thirst. The divine couple also showed the direction 
to approach a nearby well. Before Ramanuja could return with water, they 
disappeared from the scene. Ramanuja was overwhelmed with joy over the event 
and decided within himself that he should be of service to Lord Vardharaja. 
After the above incident Ramanuja having understood evil designs of his master 
Yadavaprakasar, reported the matter to his mother who was upset on hearing the 
heinous plan and requested her son Ramanuja to approach Thirukachinambi and 
after prostrating before him, expressed his desireto be his pupil and to engage 
himself in the services of any form as suggested by his Acharya. Under 
instructions from his preceptor Ramanuja took the services of bringing
water daily from the same well which was located to him by the hunter and the 
huntress earlier, for Thriumanjanam of Lord Vardharaja. Thus Ramanuja devoted 
himself to this divine duty.

At Srirangam Sri Alavandhar was indisposed due to old age. Again some Brahmins 
who came from Kancheepuram narrated to the great spiritual head all that had 
taken place including the mental and physical agony suffered by Ramanuja under 
Yadavaprakashar?s malevolent plan. Sri Alavandhar requested Sri Perianambi to 
proceed to Kancheepuram with a sloka from Strotra Ratna to be placed first at 
the feet of Lord Varadharaja and to be handed over to Ramanuja thereafter. Sri 
Periyanambi reached Kancheepuram and met Sri Thirukachinambi and disclosed the 
predilection of Sri Alavandhar towards Ramanuja. Both the Acharyans went to the 
Sanctum sanctorum of Lord Vardharaja and recited the sloka and while returning 
from the precincts they met Sri Ramanuja standing with a vessel containing 
water brought from ?Salikinaru (well)?. Sri Ramanuja on hearing the ?sloka? 
requested Sri Periyanambi to let him know the author of the piece to which came 
the reply ?Sri Alavandhar?. Sri Ramanuja
could not contain himself and implored Sri Periayanambi to arrange for himto 
have glimpse of Alavandhar without further loss of time.

Having obtained the reply in the affirmative, Sri Ramanuja?s exhilaration knew 
no bounds and he hurriedly left the vessel he brought from the well before Lord 
Varadharaja and taking leave of him and Thirukachinambi reached Sri Rangam 
after four days accompanied by Sri Periyanambi. It is to be noted that Sri 
Ramanuja did not even go home to tell people of his visit but considered his 
primary duty was to go to Srirangam forthwith.

On reaching the outskirts of Srirangam near Thriukkarambanur onthe banks of 
Cauvery, they saw a crowd around a pyre and learnt that Sri Alavandhar had 
passed away. Sri Periyanambi swooned and fell on the mother earth and Ramanuja 
who was then only 24 years old (1041 AD) lamented over the event and the 
resultant misfortune befell on him. However Sri Ramanuja consoled himself that 
he was atleast fortunate enough to have a look at the body (Charama Vigraha) of 
the great Vaishnavite Savant. With grief Sri Ramanuja returned hurriedly to 
Kancheepuram even without entering the temple ofNamperumal and informed his 
Acharya with melancholy about the eternal restof Sri Alavandhar and continued 
his usual services to Lord Varadharaja

At Srirangam an assembly of coterie with the administration of Srirangam temple 
as also monastery were on the look out for a successor to the venerable seat 
and solicited Sri Periyanambi to name a personage. Sri Periyanambi addressed 
the august audience and remainded them of Sri Alavandhar?s earlier expression 
that Ramanuja should be his successor and his visit to Kancheepuram in that 
connection. He also explained to the synod aboutthe superhuman event that 
happened when the three stretched finger of the right hand of the mortal coil 
of Sri Alavandhar folded back on Sri Ramanuja?s assurance to carry out the 
three decrees of the deceased. The members unanimously decided that Sri 
Ramanuja should succeed and that might be brought from Kancheepuram. They 
reverentially nominated and requested Sri Periyanambi to take up that mission.

Sri Periyanambi left Srirangam for Kancheepuram with his familyafter his usual 
prayers to Lord Ranganatha as also for the success of his errand. He had to 
stay for a while at Maduranthakam en route on the banks of a sprawling lake 
where lies the temple of Lords Kothandaraman.

At Kancheepuram, as if ordained Sri Ramanuja developed an urge to meet Sri 
Periyanambi so as to become his disciple as per divine orders of Lord 
Vardharaja conveyed to him earlier through Sri Thirukachinambi. Sri Ramanuja 
took permission from both Lord Varadharaja and his Acharya and proceeded 
towards Srirangam . While on his saunter Sri Ramanuja stopped at Madhuranthakam 
to visit Sri Kothandarama?s temple and to his surprise he sawfroma distance Sri 
Periyanambu with delectation whom he wanted to meet at Srirangam. He strode 
towards Periyanambi and prostrated before him which choked his emotion. Both of 
them felt that the object of their pursuit was being accomplished. Sri Ramanuja 
solicited Sri Periyanambi to perform the essential ritual of having the 
indelible impression of a Sri Vaishnavite emblem of Conch and Chkra: on his 
shoulders. Initially Sri Periyanambi made a request to Sri Ramanuja that the 
ritual could be gone through in the temple premises of Lord at
Kancheepuram to which place they had proceed.

Immediately Sri Ramanuja reverentially replied explaining aboutthe incertitude 
of human existence and his recent experience of not being able to accomplish 
his object of seeing Alavandhar alive. Sri Periyanambi complied with his 
request of Sri Ramanuja and completed the ceremony with the concomitant rituals 
that go with it under a tree which is the stala vriksha of Sri Rama?s temple. 
Both the Guru and his disciple left for Kancheepuram after offering prayers to 
Lord Srirama. On arrival at Kancheepuam Sri Ramanuja provided Sri Periyanambi 
and his family the upper side of his homefor a comfortable living. During Sri 
Periyanambi?s stay for nearly 6 months Sri Ramanuja learnt under his preceptor 
?Nalayira Divya Prabhandham? and its interpretation as also nuances about 
Vaishnavism.

Inorder to give a sequential importance of events that took place in the 
private family life of Ramanuja we should know about Sri Ramanuja?s wife 
Thanjamambal. She was a devoted wife to Ramanuja and her domain was the 
kitchen. She was very punctilious in the observance of orthodoxy.

On one occasion Sri Ramanujar invited his Achraya Thirukachinambi to his abode 
to be his guest. As per arrangement Sri Thirukachinambi called at the residence 
of his benign host but earlier than the specified time. He requested 
Thanjamambal to serve him food explaining that he had to be in the temple 
sooner than before. She acceded to his request but served the food on a pial in 
front of the house. After the guest had left she removed the leaf with the left 
over with the help of a stick as she considered it to be a taboo to dispose it 
off with her hand. Sri Ramanuja who was away having heard about the incident 
felt penitent about his wife?s disdainful behaviour andwarned her to behave 
better. Another time when a vaishnavite expressed hisbeing hungry he asked his 
wife to give him food if available to which she replied in the negative with 
impunity. Later on examination in the kitchen Sri Ramanuja having found that 
there was enough food admonished his wife for uttering falsehood and
for her scomful attitude towards guests. However Sri Ramanujar continued to 
live with her patiently. Thanjamambal?s derisive behaviour reached its 
crescendo when she and Vijayambal wife of Sri Periyanambi were drawing water 
simultaneously from the common well resulting in the two vessels coming in 
contact with each other. The former became indignant as she considered itas an 
act of heterodoxy and spurned the wife of Sri Periyanambi and calledher names.

Consequently the couple from Srirangam left furtively before Sri Ramanuja could 
return home after his services to Lord, as the repetition of such events would 
create a bad blood. Sri Ramanuja on learning about theunexpected occurrence and 
the resultant departure of his Acharya with his wife took a decision that he 
should discard his family life and take asceticism. Sri Ramanuja without 
displaying anger or disgust, tactfully sent his wife along with the people from 
his wife?s side who came to invite him for a wedding. Thanjamambal accompanied 
her relations with her jewels and dresses as per the request of her husband to 
participate in the wedding

It was the year 1047 AD when Sri Ramanuja who was thirty years old donned the 
ochre robe of an anchorite on the banks of the holy tank at Kancheepuram and 
his action had sanction of Lord Varadhraja. At Srirangam the governing body of 
the mutt came to know that Sri Ramanuja had taken to a life of a ?Sanyasin? 
with Thiruthandam adorning his hand. Sri Thiruvarangaperumal Arayar was deputed 
to proceed to escort Sri Ramanuja with the explicit permission of Lord 
Varadharaja which he carried out. Thus Sri Ramanuja ascended the mutt and as 
its head and that of the administration of the holy temple. He confided the 
temple rituals and festivals which are stillbeing followed. Sri Ramanuja 
traveled the length and breadth of India carrying the message of 
Vishishtadvaita philosophy (in and around the qualifiedmonism) with great 
emphasis being laid on humility compassion; universal brotherhood and he 
proclaimed that Sriman Narayana is supreme. In this process he faced several
vicissitudes and surmounted them with the benediction of his Acharyas. A subtle 
thing to be noted in this transformation is the part played by Sri Ranganathar 
andLord Varadharaja from Srirangam and Kacheepuram respectively. The benevolent 
revolutionary Sri Ramanuja attained Paramapadha on 22 July 1138 and his mortal 
remains were interred within the Srirangam temple complex but away from the 
sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ranganatha on the south eastern corner of the temple. 
It is now called ?Udayavar Sannithi? 

 

This article was written by (Late) Sri. Sampath Iyengar

 

Comments and feedback are welcome to suprajaiyengar@xxxx

 



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