Ramanuja 1000 special - Golu 2016

Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

This year, being the 1000th year of Swami Ramanuja's birth, is very special. It is impossible to capture Swami's greatness in full, so, this year is our humble attempt to capture a few incidents from Swami's life history in the form of Golu.

Nammazhwar takes birth at the beginning of Kali yugam. He is served by Madhurakavi Azhwar.
Nammazhwar is known as Krishna Thrishna thathvam, ie, if you have to give a form to Krishna Bhakthi, not Krishna Bhaktha, then, the form of Bhakthi will be Nammazhwar.
When Nammazhwar is preparing to leave this world and go to Paramapadham, Madhurakavi azhwar requests Swami Nammazhwar for his vigraham that he can perform thiruvaradhanam.
Azhwar instructs him to boil the tamiraparani water. Madhurakavi azhwar does that and he finds a vigraham with thridhandam and anjali mudhra. Nammazhwar has upadesa mudhrai. So, Madhurakavi azhwar says, "Swami, this is not your vigraham, adiyen would like your vigraham, please tell me who this is". Nammazhwar says, "He is a great acharyan who is going to take birth in the future. He is going to bring many jeevathmas to the perumal's thiruvadi. As mentioned in the Thiruvaimozhi 5-2 padhigam poliga poliga, when he lives in this world, even kali will be subdued. He is the bhavishyadacharyan. Boil the water again and you will get my vigraham".

பொலிக பொலிக பொலிக போயிற்று வல்லுயிர்ச் சாபம்

நலியும் நரகமும் நைந்த நமனுக்கு இங்கு யாதுமில்லை

கலியும் கெடும் கண்டு கொண்மின் கடல் வண்ணன் பூதங்கள் மண்மேல்

மலியப் புகுந்து இசை பாடி ஆடி உழி தரக் கண்டோம்

Thus Ramanuja's birth was foretold by Nammazhwar approx 5000 years ago. This thirumeni of Ramanuja can be seen at emperumanar sannidhi in Azhwar Thirunagari. The Nammazhwar vigraham obtained by boiling tamiraparani river water second time can be viewed at Polindhu nindra piran thirukovil in Azhwar Thirunagari.

4000 years after Swami Nammazhwar foretold about Ramanuja's birth, in the year 1017AD, there lived a couple in Sriperumbudur by name Asuri KesavaSomayaji and Kanthimathi ammal. They were longing for a male child for a long time. They go to Thiruvallikkeni Sri Parthasarathy perumal temple and perform Puthrakameshti yagam and pray to Lord Sri Parthasarathy for a child. Parthasarathy perumal blesses them that HE will come and take birth as their son. Thus by the grace of Parthasarathy perumal, a male baby is born. He is named Ilayazhwar, after Lakshmana, by his uncle Periya Thirumalai Nambi.

Ilayazhwar grows up and learns sastram and vedam from his father, Asuri Kesavasomayaji. Eventually, Ilayazhwar moves to Kanchipuram, specifically, Thiruputkuzhi to study under Yadavaprakasa. Yadavaprakasa was an advaitin at the time and provides many misinterpretations to veda vaakyams. Ilayazhwar corrects those and provides the right meaning. Yadavaprakasa grows jealous of Ilayazhwar and can sense a threat to Advaita philosophy. So, he plans to take all his sishyas to Ganga on a teertha yatra and drown Ilayazhwar in the Ganga.
All of them embark on this journey. Govinda perumal, later to become Embar, is Ilayazhwar's cousin. He comes to know of this plan and urges Ilayazhwar to leave. They are in a dense forest in the Vindhya mountains when this happens.

Ilayazhwar accepts Govinda's plea and starts to return. He gets lost in teh dense jungle and does not know the way. At that time, a hunter couple come to him and ask him where he is going. Ramanuja says that he is going to Satya vrata kshetram (Kanchipuram) in the South. The hunter couple inform him that they are also headed there and asks Ilayazhwar to accompany them.
They rest there for the night.

The next morning, they wake up and the hunteress asks for water. Ilayazhwar finds a well nearby and goes onto get water. When he returns, he cannot find the hunter couple. Startled, he walks a bit and notices that the place looks very different. He asks a stranger nearby where they are and what place it is. The stranger says, 'O Brahmana, can you not see the saalai kinaru? Can you not see the punya koti vimanam? This is Satyavrata kshetram' and moves on. Ilayazhwar realizes that it was Perundevi taayar and perarulaalan who came to rescue him the previous night. Ilayazhwar used to perform teertha kainkaryam for Perarulalan's thiruvaradhanam from this Saalai kinaru. We can see the saalai kinaru even today. 

Eventually, Ilayazhwar gets blessed by Swami Aalavandhar, although he does not get to study under him. Swami Aalavandhar leaves for Paramapadham when Periya Nambi brings Ilayazhwar. In his body, three fingers are closed. Ilayazhwar enquires and comes to know of Swami Aalavandhar's three unfulfilled wishes, the first of which is to write a vyakyanam (detailed explanation) for Sage Vyasa's Brahma Sutram.
The reference material for Brahma sutram was written by Bodayana and was called Bodayana Vrddhi. This grantham was in a library called Sarada peetam in Kashmir.
Swami Ramanuja and his disciple Koorathazhwan go to Sarada peetam and after defeating the advaitins there in debates, they bring Bodayana Vrddhi grantham with them. On the way back, they lose the grantham to advaitins who do not wish Swami to have this. However, by this time, Kooraththazhwan has already memorized the grantham and hence nothing is lost. Swami writes Sri Bashyam, his masterpiece, as the vyakyanam for Brahma Sutram, fulfilling Swami Aalavandhar's first wish. The grantham is sent back to Kashmir where Sarada devi accepts it with great delight and offers the title Sri Bashyakarar to Swami Ramanuja.

Swami Ramanuja lives in Srirangam where he has 700 sanyasis, 12000 grahasthas as his disciples. One day, a strange scene unfolds. He sees a man holding umbrella to a woman and for each step she takes, putting a cloth under her feet. Ramanuja calls out for him and asks to explain his behavior. He is Dhanur Dasa alias Pillai Urangavilli dasar. He says that his wife Ponnachiyar is very beautiful and her eyes are even more beautiful. He does not want those eyes to get affected so he is taking care of her by holding an umbrella and doing other services.
"Will you come with me? I'll show you eyes that are much more beautiful than this" asks Swami Ramanuja. They agree and go with him. Swami takes them to Sri. Ranganathan and prays to Ranganatha, "Do not show him the eyes that you show to us, please show them the eyes that you showed to Thiruppanazhwar". Sri Rangantha does as requested. Dhanur dasa and ponnachiyaar then surrender to Swami Ramanuja and ever remain devoted to his lotus feet.

கரியவாகி புடை பரந்து மிளிர்ந்து செவ்வரியோடி நீண்ட அப்பெரியவாய கண்கள் என்னை பேதமை செய்தனவே!

அண்டர் கோன் அணியரங்கன் என்னமுதினைக் கண்ட கண்கள் மற்றொன்றினைக் காணாவே!

Those days, there was confusion on the presiding deity in Tirumalai. Some say it was Siva, some say it was Muruga and so on. This happened 1000 years ago, but even many years prior to that, Azhwars have sung divine pasurams on Thiruvenkatamudaiyan confirming that the deity there is Sriman Narayana.  Ramanuja decides to clear the confusion. He leaves both Shanka chakram and Siva's weapons and closes the door in the night. The next morning the deity adorns the Shanka chakram proving that He is Vishnu. Hence Ramanuja gets the name 'appanukku sangaazhi alitha perumal', ie, one who gives shanka chakram to the father. 

This next incident about thirumalai is very moving. There is a nachiyar thirumozhi pasuram in the Karkkodal Pookkal padhigam. It is the 8th pasuram and goes like this.

மழையே மழையே மண் புறம் பூசி உள்ளாய் நின்ற 
மெழுகூற்றினாற் போல் ஊத்து நல் வேங்கடத்துள் நின்ற
அழகப்பிரானார் தம்மை என் நெஞ்சத்து அகப்பட 
தழுவ நின்று ததர்த்திக் கொண்டு ஊற்றவும் வல்லயே!

In this pasuram, andal prays to the clouds, 'O clouds, can you not first bring emperuman to me, then when I embrace him pour down the rain to your heart's content?' 

In the old days, thondaimAn chakravarthi used to talk to thiruvEnkatamudaiyAn. Once, he went to talk to perumaal on an urgent matter in the night. Sridevi thAyAr and bhoomidevi thAyAr were serving perumaal and they were shy to see thodaimAn at that time. Hence sridevi ascended on perumaal's thirumArbu and boomidevi went inside the nearby well. Since boomi devi resided in the well, people also did prathishtAi of a theertha perumaal along with her. Once when Swami AlavandAr came to thirumalai, it was raining heavily, so Thirumalai nambi could not bring water from the usual papavinAsanam. AlavandhAr himself brought water from this well and offered for thirumanjanam. When emperumanAr learnt about this incident, he did mangalasasanam of the well and hence named the well (and the theertha perumaal) as 'azhagapirAnAr', per Andal's pasuram

Once Ramanuja went to Thirukkurungudi. Nambi emperuman asks Ramanuja, "I've taken so many births but have only been moderately successful in getting people to surrender to me. How are you so successful?" Ramanuja replies "I have a rahasyam, if you become my sishya and give me the proper respects offered to an acharya, I'll give you the upadesam of that rahasyam". Nambi accepts that and offers Ramanuja a chair. This chair can still be seen at Thirukurungudi nindra nambi sannidhi. Ramanuja then instructs the Dvaya mahamantram to Nambi.

Vishnu's devotees are called Vaishnavas. In Thirukkurungudi, since Perumal is a sishya of Ramanuja, his name is Sri Vaishnava Nambi.

Once Ramanuja is in Thiruvananthapuram to establish Pancharatra agamam. But perumal has different plans there, so, he moves Ramanuja to the other side of the mountain to Thiruparivattapaarai overnight. Ramanuja wakes up the next day, realizes he is in a different place. He does his morning anushtanams and calls for Vaduga Nambi. Vaduga Nambi was still on the other side in Kerala. So, Thirukkurungudi nambi takes the form of Vaduga nambi and comes to Ramanua. Ramanuja applies thiruman on himself and adors the sesham to Vaduga nambi. Then he asks Vaduga nambi to bring flowers for perumal's thiruvaradhanam and goes inside the templ. There he sees fresh flowers, but no sign of Vaduga nambi. He approaches inside and sees Sri Vaishnava Nambi with the thiruman he applied. Hence, perumal himself came and did service for Ramanuja at Thirukkurungudi.

, 

Once Ramanuja is explaining the Nachiyar Thirumozhi pasuram
நாறு நறும்பொழில் மாலிரும்சோலை நம்பிக்கு நான்
நூறு தடாவில் வெண்ணெய் வாய்நேர்ந்து பராவிவைத்தேன்
நூறுதடா நிறைந்த அக்கார வடிசில்சொன்னேன்
ஏறுதிருவுடையான் இன்றுவந்திவை கொள்ளுங்கொலோ

Ramanuja is so absorbed in this pasuram that he starts to think, oh my, Andal would not have been able to complete her wish of offering 100 pots of butter and 100 pots of akkara adisil. So, lets complete her wish. He offers 100 pots of butter and akkara adisil to Thirumalirumcholai azhagar and goes to Srivilliputhur to tell her that he completed the wish.

Andal is so happy that he has fulfilled her wish from the position of a brother and comes calling him out as 'Anna...'. So, Ramanuja gets the name Godagrajar, ie brother of goda. In Andal's vaazhi thirunaamam also, we say 'perumbudur mamunikku pinnaanaal vaazhiyae'.

Thus Swami Ramanuja was living in Srirangam, with a lot of sishyas and having a divine anubhavam with Sri. Ranganathan. 

One day, Ramanuja is going on the streets of Srirangam with his sishyas. Periya nambi, who is Ramanuja's acharya, prostrates in front of the goshti. Ramanuja does not say anything and simply walks away. When asked why he did so, he says that if he acknowledges, that would mean he is accepting his acharya's prostration. Similarly, Periya Nambi was questioned why he did so to which he replies that he thought Swami Aalavandhar himself was coming and hence he prostrated to his Acharya. 

Towards the later part of Ramanuja's life, ruled a king called Krimikanda chozhan. He was a saivite king and declared that everyone should sign that Siva is the Supreme god. There was a minister in his cabinet called Naalooraan. He advised Krimikanda chozhan that his efforts will not be successful unless Ramanuja signs this declaration. The king sends his soldiers to bring Ramanuja so he can get this petition signed. 

Koorathazhwan comes to know of this and devises a quick plan to save Ramanuja's life. He urges Swami Ramanuja to leave before the king's soldiers come. He takes Swami's saffron veshti and gives his white veshti to Swami. Ramanuja accepts Kooraththazhwan's words and leaves with a few of his disciples towards the western side. Kooraththazhwan, in the disguise of Ramanuja and Periya Nambi go to the King's court.

To commemorate this, during Emperumanar's avataara utsavam, swami adorns the white veshti on the 6th day. It is called 'veLLai saaththupadi'. Similarly, during Kooraththazhwan's avataara utsavam, azhwan adorns the saffron veshti on the sixth day.

Ramanuja then lives in Melkote for 12 years and performs many kainkaryams there. Upon the death of Krmikanda chozhan, he returns to Srirangam.
On an auspicious panguni uthram day, he undergoes sharanagathi during the serthi of Perumal and Thaayar and composes the gadya thrayam. A pleased Ranganatha grants Ramanuja his wishes, to which Ramanuja asks for moksham. Ranganatha grants that. Then, he asks for moksham to everyone associated with himself. Ranganatha grants that too. This shows Swami's compassion for all the souls like us who are not capable of anything. It is this association with Swami Ramanuja's lotus feet through one of the 74 simhasanathipathis he established that will assure us a permanent space in Sri Vaikuntam.

சீராரும் எதிராசர் திருவடிகள் வாழி
திருவரையில் சாத்திய செந்துவராடை வாழி
எராரும் செய்ய வடிவு எப்பொழுதும் வாழி
இலங்கிய முன்நூல் வாழி, இனைத்தோள்கள் வாழி
சோராது துய்ய செய்ய முகச்சோதி வாழி
தூமுறுவல் வாழி துனை மலர் கண்கள் வாழி
ஈராறு திருநாமம் அணிந்த எழில் வாழி
இனிதிருப்போடு எழில் ஞான முத்திரை வாழியே

அறுசமயச் செடியதனை அடியறுத்தான் வாழியே
அடர்ந்து வரும் குதிருட்டிகளை அறத்துறந்தான் வாழியே
செறுகலியைச் சிறிதுமறத் தீர்த்துவிட்டான் வாழியே
தென்னரங்கர் செல்வம் முற்றும் திருத்திவைத்தான் வாழியே
மறை அதனில் பொருளனைத்தும் வாய் மொழிந்தோன் வாழியே
மாறனுரைசெய்த தமிழ்மறை வளர்த்தோன் வாழியே
அறமிகு நற்பெரும்பூதூர் அவதரித்தான் வாழியே
அழகாருமெதிராசர் அடியிணைகள் வாழியே

Thus ends our attempt to capture a minute part of Swami Ramanuja's story in our golu.

Azhvaar emperumaanaar jeeyar thiruvadigalae charanam
Acharyan thiruvadigalae charanam.