Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:
Dear BhAgavatas,
We are all aware that Aippasi Thirumoolam which occurs
tomorrow, Nov 8, is the thirunakshatthiram of Sri
Manavala Mamnigal. To celebrate the occasion many
bhAgavatas have been writing about the revered acharya
and his works.
However, not many seem to be aware that Aippasi
ThiruvONam is the thirunakshatthiram of another great
acharya, to whom Manavala Mamunigal owes a great extent
his knowledge of our Darsanam. This acharya is Sri
Pillai Lokacharya. His thirunakshatthiram is the same
as Poygai Azhvar's and it occurs on Nov 11th this year.
It would not be too much to say that the thennacharya
principles as we know them today were laid down by this
acharya. He is the author of eighteen great rahasya
granthas, together known as the Ashtadasa Rahasyas. The
gems in this collection include Sri Vacana Bhushanam and
Mumukshuppadi (adiyEn is writing a translation of the
meanings of Mumukshuppadi in some of the Srivaishnava
yahoo groups).
AdiyEn wanted to celebrate this acharya's thirunakshatthiram
by posting an article on his vaibhavam. I look forward to
others contributing posts about this great acharya.
adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan
TCA Venkatesan
--
Sri Pillai Lokacharyar Vaibhavam
lOkAchAryAya guravE krushNapAdaSya SUnavE |
SamSArabhOgiSandashta jIvajIvAtavE nama: ||
The name UlagAriya (or Lokacharya) first became associated
with Sri Nampillai when Sri Kanthadai Thozhappar celebrated
him as the acharya for the world ("kanthAdai thOzhappar
tham ugappAl enna ulagAriyanO enRu uraikka"). Nampillai's
disciple was Sri Vadakku Thiruveethippillai. Out of great
affection for his acharya, Vadakku Thiruveethippillai named
his first son as Pillai Lokacharya ("anbAl anna thiru
nAmaththai Athariththu mannu pugazh maintharkku
sARRukaiyAl").
One time Nampillai was enquiring Vadakkuth Thiruveethip
pillai's mother Ammi about her welfare. She told him that
she was sad as her family was not being furthered because
her son was staying away from his wife and was not having
a child. Nampillai asked her to bring her daughter-in-law
to his presence. When she did, he told her daughter-in-law
that she would give birth to a son just like himself. He
then called his disciple Vadakkuth Thiruveethippillai and
told him to follow proper gruhastAsrama and that it would
not cause any damage to his vairAgya.
Vadakkuth Thiruveethippillai obeyed his acharya's words
and in time a son was born to him; he named him Pillai
Lokacharya out of respect for his acharya. He also had
a second son who was named Azhagiya Manavala Perumal
Nayanar. Sri Pillai Lokacharya was born as the amsam of
Kanchi Devaraja (Varadaraja) Perumal in the month of
Aippasi under the star Thiruvonam, in the year 1205 CE.
In the foreword to his vyakhyanam of Sri Vacana Bhushanam,
Sri Manavala Mamunigal tells of the following event. Once
upon a time Kanchi Devaraja Perumal out of His nirhEduka
krupa selected one Manarpakkam Nambi, and appearing in his
dream taught him some special rahasya meanings; He also
advised him to go live in Srirangam and wait for Him there
where He will teach him in further detail those meanings.
Manarpakkam Nambi moved to Srirangam, built a small temple
and quietly lived there worshipping Him and keeping the
meanings revealed by Him to himself. One day Pillai
Lokacharya came to that temple with his close disciples
and seeing the quiet nature of the place began teaching
them the meanings of rahasyas. Nambi listening from inside
noted that these meanings were the same as taught by Lord
Varadaraja to him. He then came out and bowing at Pillai
Lokacharya's feet, asked him "AvarO neer?" - Are you the
one (the same as Devaraja)?. Pillai Lokacharya replied
"Yes, and why do you ask?". Manarpakkam Nambi explained
his dream to him. This is the avatara rahasyam of Pillai
Lokacharya.
Pillai Lokacharya then took him as his disciple and taught
him the meanings of the rahasyas. Nambi then told him that
Lord Varadaraja had asked him to request Pillai Lokacharya
to collect these meanings as a book. The book thus written
is Sri Vacana Bhushanam. Manavala Mamunigal speaks of
the greatness of this work in several pasurams in his
UpadesaratthinamAlai. Mamunigal also says that this is
the greatest of Pilla Lokacharya's works ("innaruLAl
seytha kalai yAvaiyilum").
In their youth, both brothers learned everything from
their father as well as from his acharya Nampillai. They
grew up like Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana. Both of them
lived as brahmacharis throughout their lives. In his
65th year, Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar reached His
lotus feet. Pillai Lokacharya lived to the age of 106
years.
Pillai Lokacharya's primary disciples were Koorakuloththama
Dasa, Manarpakkam Nambi, Kollikavala Dasa (Azhagiya
Manavala Perumal Pillai), KotturilaNNar and Vilanjsolai
Pillai.
Also at a young age Srisailesa (Thiruvaymozhi Pillai) and
Thirunaaveerudaiyapiran DaatharaNNar became his disciples.
The former is the acharya of Sri Manavala Mamunigal and
the latter is his father. Mamunigal's father was
Kollikavala Dasa's disciple at Sikkil Kidaram and married
his daughter. Thiruvaymozhi Pillai learned everything
from Koorakuloththama Dasa. Thus, Mamunigal gained the
great wealth of sambandham with Pillai Lokacharya
through his acharya (Srisailesa), his father and his
maternal grandfather.
While Pillai Lokacharya lived in Srirangam maintaining
Emperumanar's Darsanam, the islamic invasion of the city
occured. To save the temple and Periya Perumal, His
sannidhi was covered with brick stones and a different
vigraha was kept in front. Pillai Lokacharya left
Srirangam along with Namperumal and Naccimars ahead of
the invasion. While going through a forest they were
attacked by thieves who stole all the jewellery and
vessels of Namperumal. Pillai Lokacharya gave them
everything he had and even rejected the items when they
returned them to him. Happy that they left Namperumal
with him, he continued on. They then reached a small
town called Jyothishkudi. Here Pillai Lokacharya fell
ill and reached His lotus feet. The year was 1311 CE
and the day was jyEshtha suddha dvAdasi. At his death
bed he advised his disciples such as Koorakuloththama
Dasa and Vilanjsolai Pillai that Srisailesa was working
for the king at Madurai and that they should bring him
back into the Srivaishnava fold so that he could lead
the darsanam.
Pillai Lokacharya authored several works including the
eighteen rahasya granthas known together as Ashtadasa
Rahasya and Gadyatraya Vyakhyanam.
The Ashtadasa Rahasyas:
01. Mumukshuppadi
02. Yatruccikappadi
03. Sriya:patippadi
04. Paranthapadi
05. Thanicaramam
06. Thanidvayam
07. ThanipraNavam
08. Sri Vacana Bhushanam
09. Arththa Panchakam
10. TattvasEkaram
11. Tattvatrayam
12. ArcchirAdi
13. PramEyasEkaram
14. NavavidaSambandham
15. PrapannaparitrANam
16. SAraSangraham
17. NavaratnamAlai
18. SamSAra SAmrAjyam
Pillai Lokacharyar Thiruvadigale Saranam
Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam
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