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 Thirumalai by
bringing fresh fragrant flowers from a garden laid by him and water for
Thirumanjanam from Swamy Pushkarani. Incidentally he was the maternal uncle of
Sri Ramanuja and his preceptor as well, under whose tutelage he learnt Srimad
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 with a 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 at Kancheepuram 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 from the
temple of ?Perarulalan? (Varadarajan) appeared on the scene and paid obeisance
to the Acharya Alavandhar. They told the eminent assembly that they 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 the shrines of Lord Varadharaja
and His consort and offered worship. While coming out of the sanctum
sanctorum, they saw Yadavaprakasar with his disciples circumambulating the
temple. Sri Alavandhar requested Thriukachinambi to let him know who among the
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 as the 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 desire to 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 him to
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 on the
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 of Namperumal and
informed his Acharya with melancholy about the eternal rest of 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 about
the 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 family
after 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 saw froma 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 about the
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 home for 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 and warned her to behave
better. Another time when a vaishnavite expressed his being 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 it as an
act of heterodoxy and spurned the wife of Sri Periyanambi and called her 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 the
unexpected 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 still being followed. Sri
Ramanuja traveled the length and breadth of India carrying the message of
Vishishtadvaita philosophy (in and around the qualified monism) 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@xxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/VkWolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Yahoo! Groups Links
To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |