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Srimathe Ramanujaya Namah

10/30/04
Uttara Poorva Dinacharya by Sri T.A. Srinidhi - Kanchipuram  -Upanyasam #3

Note:  Based on Swamy?s humble request, as we hear these kaalakshepams we 
should be ready to enjoy the rasaanubhavam and not resort to application of 
logic. For example, our AchAryAs have given so many vyaakyaanams using 
Tiruppavai paashurams pertaining to Emberumanar vaibhavam, poorvacharya 
vaibhvams, alwar vaibhavams, etc.  If one begins to question that Andal?s time 
span different from the time span of the other great AlwArs/AchAryAs, and tries 
to apply chronological logic and question them, then one would miss out on the 
rasaanubhavam which is a key factor of our sampradAyam.

Introduction:

Srimad Bhagavad gIta was basically meant for us souls, with the pretext of 
Arjuna,  who are caught in the cycle of birth and death. ?Sarvopanishad gaavo-? 
- - - Kannan was the gopala who milked the Upanishad (the cow) and Arjuna was 
the calf.

 

Emberuman is samooham sarva bhooteshu - - - - -samaanam to all.  Anybody and 
everybody can approach Him. He has no barriers (example, Gajendra alwan, 
Vibeeshan alwan, Prahlad alwan, Guha Peruman, etc).  It is impossible to 
explain the greatness of this quality.  Even the Vedas struggle to do so.  But 
our beloved AchAryAs with their kripa tell us about his ananta kalyAna gunas. 

 

He  says if anyone wants to take refuge in Him He will always  be accessible 
whether they are good or bad. As for those who desire only Him  as  their  
goal,  He  will  mix  with them considering them as greater than Himself . That 
is His souwsheelya guNA.

 In   SrirangarAja  stava , Parashara Bhattar says, those who do Karma and 
Jnana yoga  to  get  rid  of  the  papas  that prevent them for doing bhakthi 
yoga and through  this  they  attain  Him.

 

Alwar?s nilai is explained beautifully like the naayaki craving for her 
naayaka.  She goes through these different stages as she craves.  The ten 
nilais in order of occurance are 1) aasai  2) cintana  3) ?? 4) guna keertanam  
5) udyOga  6) pralaapa  7)paittyam  8) vyaadi  9)jaTa  10) maraNam              
  

 

Another similar example: When Swamy Alavandaar and Swamy Emberumanar did not 
meet in person, Piratti questions Emberuman for the reason.  His reply to Her 
is that since Emberumanar was  longing to see Alavandar so much, that he would 
have lost his life, if he met the Acharya.  This would have been a big loss for 
our sampradAyam.  Hence Emberuman made sure they did not meet.   Similarly 
Andal talks about her wedding, not today, not at a later date, (today would be 
too soon as she would collapse with happiness; later date would be too late and 
she would collapse with sadness).  Hence she says that she would getting 
married next day (nAlai vaduve?).

 

Bhattar says this neermai of Emberuman cannot be seen anywhere or in anyone.  

 

An Example for this neermai: Mamunigal is called upon by Nammperumal to do Eedu 
kalakshepam for one year giving up His utsavamas for the whole year and enjoy 
the vyaakyaanam of Swamy Nambillai?s Eedu.  At the end of which, as a token and 
guru dakshina he gives the special and evergreen tanian to Mamunigal ?Sri 
Sailesha Daya Paatram  - - - - - -?

 

In Sri Geeta Bashyam Swamy Emberumanar says that to remove the Bhoo BHaaram 
(maNNin bhaaram  - - - - -pashuram) great ones are sent by Bhagawan.  Here is 
the reason He sends acharyas like Mamunigal who take us to mokshaanandam.

 

Just as Madhurakavi AlwAr wrote kaNNinun Sirutamabu on Swamy Nammalwar, Sri 
Kovil Annan also has authored a Kanninun Shirutambu in praise of Mamunigal.  He 
says since he has been graced with this beautiful kaar megham (Mamunigal), 
moksham is guaranteed.  

 

ArulAlaPerumALEmebrumAnAr says one should not think of the AchArya as being 
just an ordinary human being and if one does, it is as sinful as enquiring the 
material with which the archa moorthy is  made.

 

Now we proceed to enjoy the description of Mamunigal?s tirumeni as graced by 
Swamy Erubiappa.  

 

Mamniugal in his URM clearly states that once we do not have bhakti for the 
acharaya?s tiruvadi, then Emberuman may not give moksham.   Swamy PBA explains 
this pashuram with rasaanubhavam (tan guruvai - - - - -) keeping Nampperumal as 
the subject (tan).  Hence this would mean that IF one does not have bhakti for 
Emberuman?s acharya (i.e. Mamunigal) then Emberuman would not be happy.  To 
please Bhagawan we need to surrender to the tiruvadi of Mamunigal.  What a 
beautiful explanation?.

 

Sloka # 6

 

Here Mamunigal?s tirumaarbu and poonal are glorified.   Other matam sanyasis 
remove their shikas and yagnoopavitams.   But sampradayam sannyasis keep them.  
 This is a tirumeni lakshanam.  Mamunigal?s poonal is compared to the white 
strands of the lotus creeper.  The sastra vaakyam that the yagnoopavitam should 
be only till ones naabhi is clearly stated here.  (Just like in the Dhaati 
Panchakam (trayaa maangalya sutram - - - - -) if we personify the Vedas as a 
woman, then Swamy Emberumanar?s poonal becomes the mangala sutram for the Veda 
maata.  The moment Emberumanar graced this earth, kali purusha started to 
tremble.  Yama began to worry about his job).  All our bad thoughts will go 
away when we see Mamunigal?s poonal.   

 

Incident: Once a srivaishnava?s (Rajendra  chOlan) son  took off his poonal and 
shika and joined the boudha matam.  His father was so worried.  One fine day he 
returned with his alankara vesham (shika and poonal again).  The father was so 
happy to see this and asked him only one question ?my dear son, did you do 
danda pranaam to Kooratalwan??  The son was surprised and wondered how the 
father knew about this.  The father knew that this would be possible only with 
Kooratalwan?s grace. Such is Kooratwalan?s greatness.

 

Sloka # 7

Mamunigal adorns a lotus mani maalai, the dwadasha (12) urdva pundrams. His 
beautiful forehead with the tiruman kaappu is so divine.   With his fair 
tirumeni, it looks like that his urdva pundrams are swayam prakasha (naturally 
coming from his divine tirumeni).  Here the importance of the exterior 
soundaryam of srivaishnavas is explained (tulasi, lotus mani maalai, 
shanka-chakra laanchanam, urdva pundra dhaaranam).   Once should have satvika 
ahankaram that Emberuman has chosen this atma and showered it with His grace.   
Ponnachhiyaar (Dhanur Dasa?s wife once when hearing about a srivaishnava?s 
qualities questioned the narrater if he was a srivaishnava just from the 
outside (vesham) or also from the inside.   Mourning with the sad and 
celebrating with the happy should be a quality of a prapanna.  They should 
posses both inside and outside sri vaishnava lakshanams.  This is just like 
Chakravarthi tirumagan who was so happy to make Vibheehsna?s rAjyAbhishEka

 

 

Sloka #8

Mamunigal adorns the beautiful uttariyam (upper cloth) that is pure saffron 
(kesari-kumkuma poo) in color.  His fair tirumeni and the saffron color offer a 
great contrast and a treat to the eyes.   Sannyasis in Divya Deshams can have 
uttariyams as they celebrate the utsavams.  Usually sannyasis are supposed to 
keep moving as ordained by the sAstras.  But Swamy Emberumanar made it clear 
that if they established a matam and performed abivriddhi to the Divya Desham 
(Sri Vishnu tiru varadhana) and to the dwellers of that place, then they could 
settle there itself (example: Jeeyars of Tirumalai, Srirangam, 
Tirunarayanapuram, Sriperumbudur, Vanamamalai etc).   It is important to note 
that Mamunigal did not have a desire for sannyasam.  His goal was only Bhagawat 
kainkaryam. When he realized that due to the large family ties, that birth and 
death situations in the household prevented him from entering the 
temple/kainkarayam, he decided to take up the saffron robes.  On the other 
hand, Swamy
 Emberumanar took up sannyasam as his bhaarya was not anukulam to bhAgawata 
kainkaryam.    

 

In a town/city the kovil is the beauty.  In a kovil the goshti is the beauty.  
In a goshti the veshti is a beauty.  So much importance is given to the 
lakshanam of a sri vaishnava.

 

During Swamy Emberumanar?s time, as a result of breaking Tirukottiyur Nambi?s 
promise (giving the meaning of the rahasya mantra to all interested) Swamy 
Emberumanar himself doubted about his moksam (THIS IS RASAANUBHAVAM ? we need 
to remember that Swamy came here from Paramapadam itself. This is a message to 
us to tell us the glory of Kooratalwan).   Once Swamy heard that Nampperumal 
had promised Kooratalwan and his sambandis moksham, Swamy Emberumanar jumped 
like a little boy in his matam and threw his uttariyam in joy.  This was the 
greatness of Kooratalwan.

Here we also note that Kooratalwan wanted to leave for Paramapadam before 
Emberumanar, so he could welcome him in Sri Vaikunta.   Kooratalwan did not 
want Swamy Emberumanar to welcome him by washing the former?s tiruvadi 
(vandavar yedir koLLa - - - -_)

 

All acharyas and sishyas get mokham with either Emberumanar?s tirumudi or 
tiruvadi sambandham. Swamy PBA when discsussing Tiruppavai pashuram says 
?pOvaan pOhinnraanai pOhaamal kaattu - - - -that all the acharays waited for 
Emberumanar to return back to the abode Paramapadam so they could go with Him.  
What a fantastic anubhavam!

 

Sloka #9

Mamunigal never spoke ill of anyone.  They never got angry on anyone.  Swamy 
Emberumanar himself is said to have got angry a few times (when he tore the 
first Ramanuja Nootrandaadi of Amudanar).  But Mamunigal is the shaanta 
avataram of Emberumanar, He never got angry.  He never condemned anyone.  Being 
known as vishadavAkshikhamani he would dipliomatically bring out the greatness 
of our sampradaya without hurting the others.  

 

Mamunigal?s lips always pulsated uttering the dwaya maha mantra (the mantra 
ratna)  Sampradayam teaches us that the Sri Vishnu puran is Purana ratnam, Sri 
Alavandar Stotram is Stotra Ratnam, and the dwayam is the mantra ratnam. 
Nammperumal tells Emberumanar to chant the dwayam experiencing the meaning and 
live happily in Srirangam till the body drops off.

 

Swamy Vedantachariar in the Rahasya Traya Saaram glorifies the dwaya mantram as 
there is no sastram greater than vedanata, no tatvam greater than Emberuman, 
nothing as special as bhagawatAs for purification, no sAdhana greater than 
AchArya kripai for attaining mOksha ,  no guNa greater than satva guNa, no 
sukham equal to moksham and no kshEmam equal to dwayam.

 

Swamy Lokachariar begins the dwayam prakaraNam in MMPadi with the qualities of  
Sri vaishnava  and explains how the mantram glorifies Periya Piratti Sri 
Mahalakshmi taayaar.

 

Here the slokas of Varaha puranam, and Kulashekara perumal?s (praaNa prayaaNa 
samayee - - - ) and Perialwar?s (appodakku ippOdee sholli vetthee - - - -) are 
remembered.   Let us all chant dwayam now and always.

 

Swamy Vedantachariar in the play Sankalpa SuryOdaya explains the scene of 
vivekan and sumati perfoming a yaagam.  The controlled indriyas are the 
ritwiks, the atma is the havis.   Similarly Emberuman does a yaagam with his 
dharma patni (note: the word dharma patni is used only when doing a yaagam.  In 
general the term bhaarya is used).  Here the gunas are ritwiks and the phalan 
is atma samrakshaNam for the jeevans.  

 

In the dwayam Piratti?s greatness is explained.  Kakasura survived as she was 
present, Ravana died as she was absent. Vali says that Emberuman did not know 
what he was doing as his wife was not with him.  

 

Here is a beautiful tatwaartham of dwayam: 

Sriman narayana charanow sharanam prapadye.

The charanau which are the tiruvadi of Emberuman is Swamy Nammalwar

The sharanam now becomes Swamy Nammalwar?s sharan who is Swamy Emberumanar

So the whole dwayam now has a deeper meaning for us.

 

Sri Shatari is kept on everybody?s head so they can get alwar sambandham.  In 
paduka Sahasram Swamy Vedantachariar questions about the welfare of the people 
who are unable to chant the Dravida Vedas (Divya Prabandam). What would happen 
to their moksham?  Hence Sri Shatari comes and graces their heads so they can 
all get alwar sambandham

 

Note: 

In Emberuman sannidhi the padukas are Sri Shatari

In Nammalwar sannidhi the padukas are Sri Ramanuja

In Sri Ramanuja (Emberumanar) sannidhi the padukas are Mudalaiaandaan

In Mamunigal sannidhi the padukas are ponn adi

 

As srivaishnavas we should never make a mistake in requesting the respective 
tiurvadis to grace our heads.

 

Sloka # 10

Mamunigal?s divine face (mukaaravindam) is glorified here - always with a 
divine smile.   We should note that when we do kainkaryam we should not 
directly feel happy.  We should see the smile on Emberuman?s tiru mukam and 
then feel happy that He is enjoying the kainkaryam.  Then we can be happy.  
Hence Mamunigal always had this smile as Emberuman was always smiling with his 
kainkaryam.   One?s inner happiness always comes out on the face.  When ever 
Mamunigal spoke it was sweet and anandam (like Siriya Tiruvadi in Sri 
Ramayanam).   Once  in Tirumala when PBA Swamy was listening to the greatness 
of mAmnugaL?s kalaksEpa  goshTI , he forgot to add thIrtha parimaLam to the 
theertham. Annan was scared when he went to PerumAl . But to his surprise he 
was asked how the theertham was so fragrant! It was mAmunigaL?s vaibhavam had 
made the water fragrant.

 

 

Sloka # 11

Just as Siriya Tiruvadi (Hanuman) was the acharya to bring the jeevan (Sita 
piratti) and the paramatma (Sri Rama) together, for us, Mamunigal descended on 
this earth.

The tatwa in the maaricha, subaahu and taataka episodes is explained very well. 
 Why did He kill taataka, then kill subahau and spare Maricha?   The sins 
committed by us, which is due to avidya are first destroyed, like tATaka/subahu 
vadhe and  those  sins  done  by  us  later, due to ajnAna, are sent away just 
like He chased  mArIcha.

 

In  his  upanyAsam mamunigaL used to quote both from bhagavad vishayam and shrI 
Bhashyam simultaneously.  Once when Annan fell at mAmunigaL?s feet , mAmunigaL 
asked  how he being a ?bhayankara? could fall into the feet of a sadhu.  Annan 
replied  that he was a bhayankara (fear-inducing) only to those who condemn  
our sampradayam  and not for shrIvaishnavAs! In sri vaishnava goshti he was a 
dAsan.  It is for this reason that the shishyAs of P.B.Annan swamy address 
themselves as Shrivaishnava dAsan even today just like Anandanpillai sishyas 
address themselves as madhurakavi dasan.

 

To be continued?

 

rAmAnuja adiyArgaL





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