| A pictorial journey through azhagiya maNavALa mAmunigaL’s upadhEsa raththina mAlai Smt Shobha Char @scripturepeek With guidance of Sri Sarathy Thothathri Published by Sri VaraVaraMuni Sambandhi Trust (www.varavaramuni.com) Book Code: E-32-URM-PICTORIAL-01-D First Edition: 2020 October This book is available as ebook with us and can be obtained for a minimum donation. Please contact us at koyil.org@gmail.com to get your own copy. http://koyil.org koyil.org@gmail.comSrl: SrlmathE SatakOpAya nama: SrimathE rAmAnujAya nama: Srimath varavaramunayE nama: Our AzhwArs and AchAryas have showed us two great treasures — archAvathAra emperumAns and granthams (dhivya prabandham, sthOthrams, vyAkyAnams, rahasya granthams etc). We strive to provide access to both — emperumAn and granthams, and the AzhwArs/ AchAryas, through our website portal (http://koyil.org). As part of this initiative, we are presenting printed books for the benefit of everyone. We request and encourage everyone to make use of this opportunity and - get these books for oneself and develop/refresh one’s own knowledge - get these books in bulk and place them in their AchArya’s mutt/ thirumALigai, so that the AchArya can give a copy of these books to those who become Sishyas. These books can be studied by Sishyas and any doubts can be clarified by the AchArya himself - thus leading to an enriching relationship between AchArya and Sishya. - share them with others as a compliment during SrlvaishNava festivals, functions at home etc and gift them to friends/relatives during functions and important events at their homes - think about many other creative ways of sharing/spreading knowledge Reading the principles explained by our pUrvAchAryas in simple language will make us gain knowledge about our sampradhAyam and will also stimulate the taste for progressing further such as learning the literature in depth through upanyAsams, kAlakshEpams etc under qualified scholars and engaging in various kainkaryams. With the intent of spreading this ie knowledge far and wide to reach all SrivaishNavas and those who are aspiring to become a SrivaishNava, we only expect a minimum donation that covers the cost to print/bind the books. Courier/postage charges will be extra. Please send a mail to koyilorg@gmail.com or a message to 91-8220151966, 9600595273 or 9445400573 if you are interested in getting printed copies of these books. We also have many e-books available with us in multiple languages at http://koyil.org/index.php/e-books/ Full list of printed books available at http://koyil.org/index.php/printed-books/ and can be ordered from there. Kindly download “kOyil” app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store and enjoy daily updates of articles and pravachanams to multiple languages.Pronunciation guide Ais used for “aa” sound — example: emperumAnAr, rAmAnuja E is used for “yay” sound - example: EkAdhasi lis used for “ee” sound — example: ISvara. "ee" is also used at times, when the word contains both "I" and "I" as in the case of IIIA - it will be written as leelA (to avoid confusion) CO is used for “Oh” sound - example: Om U is used for “oo” sound — example: Urdhva pundram zh is used for very strong “I” sound — example: AzhwAr Lis used for strong “I” sound - example: muL (thorn) N is used for strong ‘“‘n” sound ~ example: nArAyaNa R is used for strong "r" sound - example: puRappAdu (procession); i also used for "tr" sound in thamizh when there is double "R" - example: uRRAr (utRAr - relative) dis used strong “d” sound — example: garuda dh is used for meek ‘d” sound — example: gOvindha tis used for strong “t” sound — example: ganta th is used for meek ‘“t” sound - example: vratham sa, sha, ksha are typed as it is - examples: samskritham, shashti and kshamA S is used for strong “'s” sound — example SEsha, kESava : is used for ha sound in samskritham words - examples: nama: to be said as namahaPREFACE vEdas and upanishads have influenced our thoughts and the way we live for millenniums. However the enormity and content are not decipherable by the masses. It took years of commitment and discipline by a few to learn and practise it through the traditional guru- shishya relationship over a long period of time. Our preceptors simplified the essence of vEdas and upanishads progressively over generations making it more and more contemporary. Revered AchArya Srl rAmAnuja was a very compassionate person and made a quantum leap by transforming the process of knowledge dissemination. He widened it for the betterment of humanity. azhagiya maNavALa mAmunigaL was a very influential Srl vaishnava AchArya, who along with his eight primary disciples established places of learning of Sri Vaishnava Vishishtadvaita philosophy in the 15th century in Tamil Nadu. He wrote many granthams or literary works in Tamil, Sanskrit and ManipravAlam. upadhEsa raththinamAlai is a tamil prabandham composed by azhagiya maNavALa mAmunigal, which explains in a nutshell, the essence of pilLai IOkAchAryar’s (one of our preceptors) divine work Srl vachana bhUshaNam. The essence of Srl vachana bhUshaNam is ‘AchArya abimAnamE uththArakam’ which means that one’s AchArya or spiritual teacher is the one who will uplift the disciple. adiyen hopes you enjoy this book which is hopefully in an easily understandable pictorial manner. adiyen enjoyed doing this under the guidance of Sri Sarathy Thothathri and am grateful to him for his encouragement. ‘We stand on the shoulders of giants’ is a cliched saying and koyilorg is one such giant and a treasure trove of knowledge on ancient scriptures in multiple languages and adiyen is a great fan of this website. Namaskarams! adiyen shobha ramanuja dasiFOREWORD “AchArya abimAnamE uththArakam’ (AchArya’s mercy is the best means for liberation) is the key aspect in our sampradhAyam as presented by our AzhwArs and AchAryas. Among AzhwArs, madhurakavi AzhwAr remained steadfast in this principle, having nammAzhwAr as his everything. In AchArya gOshti, vaduga nambi had total faith on bhagavadh rAmAnuja, pinbazhagiya perumAL jlyar towards nampiLLai and so on. This principle is beautifully narrated by pilLai IOkAchArya in Srlvachana bhUshaNam in the most comprehensive and conclusive manner. maNavALa mAmunigaL brought out the essence of Srlvachana bhUshaNam in this most magnificent literature named upadhEsa raththina mAlai, in a step-by-step manner. mAmunigaL in his usual eloquent style, explains the greatness of AchArya’s mercy, in the most easily understandable manner. In this book Smt Shobha Char has beautifully brought out the essence of upadhEsa raththina mAlai in a pictorial form which is easy to grasp and understand for everyone. She has the beautiful skill in her to present complex matters in a simple manner. | pray to bhagavadh rAmAnuja to bless her with more such kainkaryams. adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasanpiLLai lOkAchAryar maNavALa mAmunigal. Srl vachana bhUshaNam upadhEsa_raththina mAlai CONTENTS — *p: pasuram Salutations to Guru paramparai (p*1-3) Ten AzhwArs (p4-5) mudhalAzhwArs (p6-7) thirumangai AzhwAr (p8-9) thiruppANAzhwAr (p10) thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr (p! 1) thirumazhisai AzhwAr (p12) KulaSEkara AzhwAr (p13) nammAzhwAr (p14-15) 10. periyAzhwAr (p16-20) II. AchArya bhaktas (p2!) Ee AndAL (p22-24) 3. madhurakavi AzhwAr (25-26) ral SrlrAmAnujacharya (27-29) 15. Birth places of AzhwArs and others (30-33) 16, The advent of Srl rAmAnuja (emperumAnAr) 17. thiruvAimozhi vyAkyAnams (p39-45) 18. vyAkyAnams of other AzhwAr prabhandhams (46-47) 19, Idu vyAkyAnam and nampiLLai (48-49) 20. The prefix ‘nam’ (p50) 21. The name of IOkAchAryar (p5 1-52) 22. PiLLai IOkAchAryar’s Srlvachana bhUShaNam (53-59) 23. AchArya: the path to Srivaikuntam (60-62) 24, An ideal disciple (p63-65) 25. An exemplary disciple (p66) 26, Devotion to AchArya is ultimate (p67) 27. The importance of Satsang (p68-71) 28, What is best for you (p72) 29. Benefits of upadEsa raththinamAlai (p73) 30. Thaniyan (p74) SON AKAWN >|. SALUTATIONS TO GURU PARAMPARAT Pasurams |-3 azhagiya maNavALa mAmunigal. offers his salutations to his Guru-paramparai*: his AchArya* (thiruvAimozhi piLLai), AchArya’s AchArya (piLLai IOkAchAryar) and all above them in the lineage including emperumAnAr, nammAzhwAr upto Lord Sriman nArAyaNan and Srl mahAlakshmi. He retells the people of his time, in a way they can comprehend, the essence of vEdas handed to him through his AchArya from piLLai |OkAchAryar’s Srl vachana bhuShaNam. Divya dhampadhi sriman nArAyaNan sri mahAlakshmi M nammAzhwAr emperumAnAr SrlrAmAnuja piLLai |OkAchAryar thiruvAimozhi piLLai azhagiya maNavALa mAmunigaL. chaices (0 )\ ir > Mm GE Os *Guru-paramparai: lineage of teachers in a traditional Vedic culture, AchArya: spiritual teacher bhaktas: devotees2. TEN AZHWARS Pasurams 4-5 AzhwArs mined knowledge from the vEdas and imparted it to us, in their own style (in the Divya Prabandham* of 4000 pasurams* written in tamil) to dispel the darkness of ignorance on earth. In the next pasurams we shall celebrate each of the ten AzhwArs in the order of their birthdays in a year, starting with mudhalAzhwArs poygai AzhwAr, bhUdhathth AzhwAr and pEyAzhwAr followed by thirumangai AzhwAr (Note: he is the last in chronological order) and so on. Table | (above): Ten AzhwArs in chronological order I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 pe et oe ete ep ree ote AzhwAr " AzhwAr Azhar AzhwAr ‘AzhwAr, AzhwAr ppodi AzhwArAzhwAr golAzhwAr 1-3 First AzhwArs or | Ashtanga- | Full of Grace Chera- MudhalAzhwArs Yogi! Krishna- King \Motherly| Devotees Ranga Pioneers Tapasvi Bhakti | Rama- Bhakti | Krishna |_ Bhakti Table 2 (below): Ten AzhwArs and their birth months and birth stars Birth Month| — aippasi kArththigai_ | mArghazhi Tamil/English mid Oct-mid Nov_| mid Nov-mid Dec mid Dec-mid Jan AzhwAr number.Name| 1, poygai AzhwAr 10, thirumangai 8. thoNdaradippodi Birth Star thiravONam AzhwAr AzhwAr 2. bhUdhaththAzhwAr) —_kArththigai kEttai avittam 9. thiruppAN AzhwAr 3. pEyAzhwAr rOhini sadhayam thai mid Jan-mid Feb 4. thirumazhisai | 6, kulaSEkara AzhwAr wAr punarvasu ‘makam chiththirai vaikASi Ani mid Apr-mid May mid May-mid Jun mid Jun-mid Jul 5.nammAzhwAr 7. periyAzhwAr viSAkam SwAthi *Prabhandham: literary work, Pasuram: verse3. MUDHALAZHWARS: THE FIRST AZHWARS Pasurams 6-7 The month of aippasi (mid Oct to mid Nov) is special because our revered mudhalAzhwéArs incarnated then on three consecutive days of thiruvONam, avittam and sadhayam birth stars respectively. They are special as they were the first AzhwArs to dispel the darkness of ignorance in us through the first 300 pasurams of 4000 in the Divya Prabandham. Salutations to those who celebrate these three days. 1. poygai AzhwAr 2. bhUdhaththAzhwAr 3. pEyAzhwAr Birth month: aippasi Birth month: aippasi Birth month: aippasi Birth star: thiruvONam Birth star: avittam Birth star: sadhayam Add-on Note: The Divya Prabandham originated on one stormy night in thirukkOvaLur when mudhal AzhwArs met in a narrow corridor of a house. Soon they felt the presence of a fourth person but could not see the person as it was dark. poigai AzhwAr lit a lamp made of earth, with oceans as oil and the sun as flame composing and singing the first 100 pasurams of Divya Prabandham titled 'mudalAn_ thiruvandAdhi’ ic starting with ' vaiyam thagaLiyA..... This lamp y dispelled the outer darkness. bhUdathth Q OXY AzhwAr then composed the next 100 pasurams \ titled ‘irandAm thiruvandAdhi' starting with }] ‘anbE thagaLiyA...' lighting a lamp made of love, with devotion as oil, sweet mind as wick is (SS and knowledge as the flame. This dispelled the inner darkness. Now the three mudhal AzhwArs could see the fourth person with these two lamps and He was Lord nArAyaNa! PeyAzhwAr described his ‘Bhagavad Anubhavam’ of Narayana in his 100 pasurams titled '‘mUnram thiruvandAdhi' starting with 'thirukkandEn, pon mEni kandEn.... PeyAzhwAr first sees nArAyaNa's beautiful consort Srl mahAlakshmi seated in His chest (thirukkandEn), followed by the radiant crown and face of nArAyaNa (pon mEni kandEn) and His sparkling discus (chakra) and white conch (shankha) and is overwhelmed by the indescribabale beauty of nArAyaNa. These 300 pasurams are the beginning of the 4000 pasuram Divya Prabandham.4. THIRUMANGAT AZHWAR Pasurams 8-9 The month of kArththigai (mid Nov to mid Dec) is special because thirumangai AzhwAr incarnated in this month on the day of kArththigai birth star. He has a great connection with nammAzhwAr. While nammAzhwAr composed 4 prabandhams equivalent to the 4 vEdas, thirumangai AzhwAr composed 6 prabandhams equivalent to the 6 vEdangas*. Salutations to those who celebrate this day. 10. thirumamangai AzhwAr with his wife Kumudavalli who led him to the Lord Birth month: kArththigai Birth star: kArththigai Add-on Note: There is another interesting connection between thirumangai AzhwAr and nammAzhwAr. Both were passionate about devotion to the archArupa of the Lord in divyadhEsam| temples. There are 108 such temples where the AzhwArs have worshipped the deitie: there in and sung in Their praise. thirumangai AzhwAr physically visited 86 temples on his horse Adalma and was often accompanied by his disciples thALUdhuvAn, thOlAvazhakkan, nizhalil odhunguvAn and nirmEl nadappAn. nammAzhwAr was| bestowed with the power to visualise the temples in his mind or palm. But for thirumangai AzhwAr there would be only 61 divyadesam temples as he was the only one. to sing in 47 temples. *yEdanga: one way of classifying vEdas into six parts,o. THIRUPPANAZHWAR Pasuram | The month of kArththigai (mid Nov to mid Dec) is special because thiruppANAzhwAr incarnated in this month on the day of rOhiNi birth star. rOhiNi is the star in which the Lord incarnated as Krishna. It is also the birth star of famous AchArya thirukkOttiyUr nambi. thiruppANAzhwAr composed a short and sweet prabandham of 10 pasurams titled ‘amalanAdhipirAn’ in praise of the beauty of Lord Sriranganatha in thiruvarangam. One of the essence of the vEedas, which is to continually focus on the Lord, is beautifully demonstrated by thiruppANAzhwAr in amalanAdhipirAn as he admires the Lord’s beauty from His thiruvadi* upwards to His thirumudi*. Salutations to those who celebrate this day. 9. thiruppAN AzhwAr Birth month: kArththigai Birth star: rOhini ‘Add-on Note: thiruppANAzhwAr was born in a paanar* family. With a veena in hand he sang the glory of Lord Sriranganatha in Srlrangam. As a paanar he was not allowed into the temple. The Lord who was very pleased H| him into the temple. AzhwAr felt it was a sin for a paanar to set foot into the temple and he refused to go. LokasAranga then convinced AzhwAr to sit on his shoulder and carried him into the temple. At the sight of the Lord AzhwAr was consumed with emotion and composed ‘amalanAdhipirAn’. In the last pasuram AzhwAr says his eyes that saw the Lord desires to see nothing else and he reached the Lord through His divine feet. AzhwAr is thus called ‘muni vahanar’ or the one who had a priest as a vehicle. *thiruvadi: Lord’s feet, thirumudi: Lord’s crown, paanar: community of musicians and song composers who can move their audience to bliss.6. THONDARADIPPODI AZHWAR Pasurams | | The month of mArgazhi (mid Dec to mid Jan) is special because thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr incarnated in this month on the day of kEttai birth star. mArgazhi is important (as stated in bhagavadgita) as a vaishnava month because the Lord considered Himself as this month among the 12 months and AndAL sang thiruppAvai in this month. KEttai star is Sri rAmAnuja’s AchArya Periya nambi’s birth star too. An expert in vEdas, thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, as his name suggests (dust under the feet of devotees), personified one of the essence of vEdas which is kainkaryam or servitude to the followers of the Lord. Salutations to those who celebrate this day. 8. thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr Birth month: mArgazhi Birth star: kEttai Add-on note: In Srl ranganAtha Temple in thoNdaradippodi Azhwar’s birthplace thirumaNdangudi, utsava deity of AzhwAr holds a flower basket as AzhwAr had a flower garden and offered flower-service or ‘pushpa kainkaryam’ to ranganatha, the only perumAL or Lord that he composed pasurams on. thirupathi SrinivAsa and thirumAlirunchOlai kal AzhAgar are on either side of AzhwAr, listening to him reciting thirupalliyezhucchi* as they loved AzhwAr’s pasurams.7. THIRUMAZHISAT AZHWAR Pasuram 12 The month of thai (mid Jan to mid Feb) is special because the steadfast and highly knowledgeable thirumazhisai AzhwAr incarnated in this month on the day of makam as the birth star. He shared a very special connection with Lord ArAvamudhan of thirukudandhai divyadhEsam so the Lord exchanged suffixes as thirumazhisai pirAn (pirAn: Lord) and ArAvamudhan AzhwAr! Salutations to those who celebrate this day. 4. thirumazhisai AzhwAr Birth month: thai Birth star: makam Add-on Note: Lord yathOkthakAri PerumAL* in thiruvehka in )) kAnchipuram is reclining in the opposite direction from the usual. There is an interesting story of how the King banished thirumazhisai AzhwAr’s disciple kanikaNan as he refused to get AzhwAr to sing his praises and make the King younger. AzhwAr had in the past conferred youthfulness to an old hunchback lady who was an ardent devotee of PerumAL and the King fell in love with her and married her. Steadfast AzhwAr was joyful of kanikaNan’s response and left kAnchi with kanikaNan and perumAL too wrapped His snake bed* and left with them. Turns out kAnchi was enveloped in darkness with their exit and the King requested *perumAL: Lord, snake bed: called AdisESha8. KULASEKARA AZHWAR Pasuram 13 The month of mAsi (mid Feb to mid Mar) is special because kulaSEkara AzhwAr incarnated in this month on the day of punarpUsam as the birth star. He was the king of chEras who chose to give up worldly pursuits and wealth to follow vaishNava philosophy and become an AzhwAr. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Srl rAma with whom he also shared the birth star punarpUsam. Salutations to those who celebrate this day. 6. kulaSEkara AzhwAr Birth month: mAsi Birth star: punarvasu = sYvXv—— ‘Add-on Note: kulaSEkara AzhwAr was an ardent devotee of Lord Srl rAma and has narrated the entire life story of rAma in II beautiful verses in his 105 Pasuram long prabandham called PerumAL thirumozhi. He sang a melodious lullaby to Baby rAma in thirukkaNNapuram divyadhEsam. He also expresses the soul-stirring feelings of King Dasaratha who was forced to banish his son rAma to the forest for 14 years. He was so preoccupied with rAma that it is said that he got his army into a ready state to help rAma bring back Sita who was kidnapped by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana.4. NAMMAZHWAR Pasurams 14-15 The month of vaikASi (mid May to mid Jun) is special because the eminent and truthful nammAzhwaAr incarnated in this month on the day of viSAka as the birth star. There is no better day than when he incarnated, no greater person than nammAzhwar also known as satakOpar and no greater prabandhams than the four he composed based on the four vEdas explaining its essence, opines mAmunigaL. nammAzhwar is considered a avayavi (whole) and the other AzhwArs avayavum (parts) of him. There is no place like thirukkurugUr where he incarnated that accords equal fame to the Lord and AzhwAr The idol of AchArya Srl ramAnujA also incarnated here 4000 years prior to his incarnation. AchArya mAminugal too incarnated here. Salutations to those who celebrate this day. bhUdathth AzhwAr CChiras (head) kulaSEkara, ‘AzhwAr thirukai: hand| thirukai: hand thoNdaradippo > thirumangai gay ‘S a nammAzhwAr See ee 5. nammAzhwAr Birth month: vaikASi Birth star: viSAka10. PERTYAZHWAR Pasurams | 6-20 The month of Ani (mid Jun to mid Jul) is special because the lovable pure-hearted bhattar pirAN or periyAzhwAr incarnated on that day in swAthi birth star. He exhibited maternal love towards little Lord Krishna and His beauty. He was always concerned about the well- being of the Lord. He always had Lord Vishnu in his mind and hence was called vishNuchiththar. He composed the most recited |2 pasurams called thirupallANdu that is fully focused on wishing the Lord to live long. It wholly looks at the benefits to the Lord as opposed to the seeking something from Him. thirupallANdu in Divya Prabandham is the equivalent of praNavam in vEdhas in terms of representing the inner meaning. It’s no wonder that he is called periyAzhwAr (big AzhwAr). Salutations to those who celebrate this day! 7. periyAzhwAr Birth month: Ani Birth star: swAthi|, ACHARYA BHAKTAS Pasuram 21 There are two more AzhwArs (ANdaL and madhurakavi AzhwAr) to add on to the ten who were a bit different from them in that they considered their AchAryas as God. Srl rAmAnuja too, our revered AchArya, was devoted to nammAzhwAr. They in turn received much affection and attention from their AchAryas. The three are celebrated as reincarnations of bhUdevi, garuda and AdhiSEsha respectively and came to earth with the specific purpose of uplifting the world. We shall celebrate the days they were incarnated in the next pasurams. ANdaL madhurakavi AzhwAr Birth month: Adi, Birth star: pUram Birth month: chiththirai, Birth star: chiththira AchArya bhakthi (AchArya: periyAzhwAr) —_AchArya bhakthi (AchArya: nammAzhwAr)) Reincarnation of bhUmippirAtti or bhUdevi Reincarnation of periya thiruvadi or garuda Divine daughter of peryAzhwAr who Personified the principle of reverence to incarnated for the benefit of those who AchArya lived in this world Srl rAmAnuja (yathirAjar, emperumAnAr) Birth month: chiththirai, Birth star: thiruvAdhirai AchArya bhakthi (AchArya and nammAzhwAr) Reincarnation of AdhiSEsha for the benefit of those who lived in this world Add-on Note: Srl rAmAnuja and ANdal. lived in different times, yet he is considered to be Godagraja or ANdal’s elder brother. He is supposed to have fulfilled ANdaL’s wish to offer the Lord in the divyadhEsam temple thirulAlinrunjOlai a 100 pots of a sweet dish called akkara-adisil and a 100 pots of butter and hence accorded the status of an elder brother or Koyil anna.12. ANDAL Pasurams 22-24 ANdaL incarnated in the month of Adi on the day of pUram birth star in SrlvillipuththUr. She gave up a blissful life in Srl vaikuNtam to descend to earth and teach us the simple way, as told to her by Lord Varaha, for us to reach salvation. ANdal. is very special: just like King parikshit was the sole heir of the clan of five pANdavas, ANdal is the only heiress to the clan of ten AzhwArs. Just like her father periyAzhwAr who found her in his tulasi garden, she was preoccupied with the welfare of the Lord. Normally the benefits of a plant are seen after they flower and yield fruit. ANdaL was like a tulasi plant giving fragrance even as a seedling and at a very young age had deep devotion to the Lord. At the age of Syears She composed one of the very famous prabandhams of 30 verses in Divya Prabandham called thiruppAvai that is recited every morning during the month of marghazhi. Later she composed nAchchiyAr thirumozhi, a prabhandham of 143 pasurams and chose to marry the Lord merging with Him in Srlrangam. ANdaL came to earth to give us the clear message from Lord Varaha about the simplest way to reach salvation or moksha. They are: I. sing the Lord’s praises: vAyinAl pAdi 2. dwell on His beauty and admirable character: manaththinAl sindhikka 3. offer flowers to Him: thUmalar thUviththozhudhu Let’s celebrate the divine daughter of the learned vishNuchitha periyAzhwAr on this day. Compassionate bhUdevi, the divine consort of Lord varAha (vishnu) left the luxuries of Her divine home in Srivaikuntam and descended to Earth in SrlvillipuththUr as ANdaL just to ease the life of the millions of people on Earth.13. MADHURAKAVI AZHWAR Pasurams 25-26 madhurakavi AzhwAr incarnated on earth in the month of chiththirai on the day of chiththirai birth star in thirukkOLUr on the banks of the river Tamiraparani. He is considered to be a reincarnation of ‘periya thiruvadi’ or the Lord’s eagle vehicle ‘garuda’. He personifies AchArya SEshathvam*, a major svarUpam* of a jlvAthmA*. He was highly devoted and respectful of his AchArya nammAzhwaér and considered him as God. He composed a beautiful set of 11 pasurams ‘kaNNinuN chiRuththAmbu’ all dedicated to his AchArya nammAzhwar. madhurakavi AzhwAr says he knows no God but nammAzhwAr. Yet | his pasurams are a part of the Divya Prabandham and always recited with the other AzhwArs prabandhams especially that of nammAzhwAr as it is deemed very valuable. It is equated with the ‘namaha’ (indicates bhAgavatha* SEshathvam) sound of the sacred eight-syllabled thirumanthram‘*. Salutations to those who celebrate this day. piLLailOkAchAryar says in Sri vachana bhuShaNam says that madhurakavi AzhwAr was always blissfully engaged in kainkaryam to his AchArya nammAzhwAr. In contrast, other AzhwArs alternated between blissful and sorrowful states depending on when they were united or separated from the Lord respectively, in their mind. madhurakavi AzhwAr is the supreme example of an ideal disciple. *SEshathvam: servitude, svarUpam: defining character, jlvAthma: soul, bhAgavatha: devotee of the Lord. *thirumanthram: ashtaksharam or narayana manthram with 8 syllables. Add-on Note: There was a time after the AzhwArs when the Divya Prabandham was lost to us. It so happened that AchArya nathamuni of our guruparampara once heard a set of II pasurams recited in the divyadhEsam thirukudandhai. He found it very melodious and meaningful and in the | [th Pasuram it stated that this was a selection from a 1000 pasurams. nathamuni went in search of the remaining and someone asked him to recite madhurakavi AzhwAr’s ‘kaNNinuN chiRuththAmbu’ 12000 times in nammAzhwAr’s birthplace thirukkurugUr. nathamuni did that and nammAzhwAr appeared and gave him not only the 1000 but all of the 4000 pasurams in the Divya Prabandham. That's the power of the I! madhurakavi AzhwAr as seen in : his birth place of thirukkOLUr pasurams that madhurakavi AzhwAr composed.IH. SRT RAMANUJACHARYA Pasurams 27-29 Srl rAmAnuja (yathirAjar, emperumAnAr) incarnated in the month of chiththirai on the day of thiruvAdhirai birth star in SrlperumbUdUr. This day is very important to us than AzhwArs as Srl rAmAnuja is celebrated by a much wider community of people. This is because he believed in the prosperity of all people in the world. He taught and helped us understand and conduct our traditions based on AzhwAr’s prabandhams. He composed literary works such as SribhAshyam that nurtured the wisdom of people and led them on the correct path. He brought certainty that people can attain salvation or mOksha*. He is one of a kind! Salutations to those who celebrate this day. *mOksha: freedom from rebirthI>. BIRTH PLACES OF AZHWARS & OTHERS Pasurams 30-33 Lord Rama and Lord Krishna incarnated in the divine places ayOdhyA and mathurA in North India.The birth places of AzhwArs and AchAryas are far more divine than these ‘as we got to know about the Lords only after the birth of AzhwArs. 13. Srl rAmAnujar (yathirAja) 1. poygai AzhwAr: SriperumbUdhUr: auspicious famous AdhikESavap- kAnchIpuram: perumal temple (Thiruvehka) opulent 12. madhurakavi: Considered nammAzhwAr God 2. bhUdhaththAzhwAr: auspicious thirukkOLUr: kainkaryam (service) wealth ea ee eeu adalat) bhAratha dhESam South India 11, ANGAL: bhUmippirAttil 3. pEyAzhwAr: auspicious thirumayilai (mylapUr) 10. thirumangai AzhwAr: eminent thirukkuRaiyalUr: river maNNi’s thirumazhisai Azhwar: worshipped by AchArya bhaktas thirumazhisai (mahISAra kshetram) 9. thiruppAN AzhwAr uRaiyUr (thirukkOzhi): 5. nammAzhwAr (mARan) jrukkurugUr (AzhwAr thirunagari) high stature 8. thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr 6. kulaSEkara AzhwAr: famous king thirumaNdangudi: near thiruvanjikkaLam (Kerala) thirupuLLam bhUdhangudi 7. periyAzhwAr (bhattar pirAn) SrivillipuththUr famous6. THE ADVENT OF SRI RAMANUJA (EMPERUMANAR) Pasurams 34-38 Let us now celebrate our AchAryas who are knowledgeable and selfless. It is obvious that they are the ones from whom we have to understand the essence of vEdas and the path to salvation. They walk their talk and lead a life that demonstrates their comprehension of AzhwArs prabandhams. Let us be grateful for their work in writing vyAkhyAnams* on AzhwéArs prabhandhams in ways that we can comprehend and tread on the right path in life. Let us be aware of the commentaries available for us to deep dive and who wrote them in the next pasurams. Our AchAryas prior to emperumAnAr taught prapaththi* to eminent disciples and that was passed on to the next generations in the same manner. emperumanar in the center with Guru paramparai above and disciples below With the advent of emperumAnAr knowledge dissemination changed and widened for the betterment of humanity. ‘emperumAnAr dharisanam’* was shared through literary works like SrlbhAshyam, talks and reformations in divine abodes by the grace of Lord namperumAL. Compassionate person that he was, emperumAnAr could see that it was possible to explain the meanings of prapathithi, given in the past to chosen people by guru-paramparai, in simpler terms to common people and help them uplift themselves from worldly sorrows and end the cycle of rebirth. Accordingly he instructed his disciples to teach prapaththi to anybody desirous of it and guide them. *vyAkyAnams: commentaries or interpretations of literary works, prapathithi: surrender to Lord SrlmaN narAyana, emperumanar dharisanam: philosophy of Sr! rAmAnuja.I7. THIRUVAIMOZHI VYAKYANAMS Pasurams 39-45 Let’s celebrate our AchAryas who wrote vyAkhyAnams, based on emperumAnAr’s encouragement, and thereby protected and nurtured nammAzhwAr's thiruvAimozhi which explains the meaning of ‘dhvaya mahAmanthram”. If they had not heard and understood the prabandhams and not written commentaries we wouldn't have been blessed with the knowledge from the vEdas and would be overwhelmed with the challenges of the world. thirukkurugaippirAn piLLan (gyAnappuththiran* of emperumAnAr) AchArya: emperumAnAr ARAyirappadi vyAkyAnam (6000 padi vyAkyAnam) Size of Vishnu puranam, One Padi or step= 32 letters empermAnAr. nanjlyar (vEdAnthi) conducted 100 kAlakshEpam* for thiruvAimozhi Acharya: parAshara bhattar onbadhinAyirappadi vyAkyAnam (9000 padi vyAkyAnam) Size of SribhAshyam. periyavAchchAn piLLai vAkhyAnach chakravarthy* AchArya: nampiLLai irubaththu nAlAyirappadi (24000 padi vyAkyAnam) Size of RAmAyana. vadakkuth thiruvidhip-piLLai had clear knowledge of vEdas/ vEdAntas AchArya: nampiLLai Idu muppaththARAyira vyAkyAnam (36000 padi vyAkyAnam) Size of Sruthi prakASikai which is a commentary on Sri bhAshyam. vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jlyar ‘Acharya periyavAchchAn piLLai pannirAyirappadi vyAkyAnam (12000 padi vyAkyAnam) Meaning of each word in every Pasuram of thiruvAimozhi. *dhvaya mahAmanthram: prayer which celebrates Srlman nArAyaNan as the means and the end-goals. gyAnappuththiran: foster son who acquired rAmAnuja’s wisdom.18. VYAKYANAMS OF OTHER AZHWAR PRABHANDHAMS Pasurams 46-47 Let us celebrate our AchAryas who wrote vyAkhyAnams, based on emperumAnAr's encouragement, and thereby protected and nurtured nammAzhwAr'’s thiruvAimozhi which explains the meaning of ‘dhvaya mahAmanthram”. If they had not heard and understood the prabhandhams and not written commentaries we wouldn't have been blessed with the knowledge from the vEdas and would be overwhelmed with the challenges of the world. ‘emperlimAnAr 6 nanjlyar (vEdAnthi) e AchArya: parASara bhattar vyAkyAnam for many but not all. He conducted 100 kAlakshEpam (discourse) for thiruvAimozhi periyavAchchAn piLLai vyAkhyAnach chakravarthy* AchArya: nampiLLai vyAkyAnam for all AzhwAr pasurams. Singular honour of listening to the complete meanings of all the AzhwArs pasurams from his AchArya nampiLLai enjoying them and writing about them. This benefited the AchAryas who came after him. VAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jlyar AchArya: periyavAchchAn piLLai wAkyAnam for a few pasurams azhagiya maNavALa Perumal nAyanAr AchArya: vadakkuth thiruvidhip-piLLai younger brother of piLLai |OkAchAriyAr deep knowledge on AzhwArs and SAsthras vyAkyAnam for a few pasurams *vyAkhyAnach chakravarthy: emperor of commentaries.19. IDU VYAKYANAM AND NAMPILLAT Pasurams 48-49 Let us celebrate and look at the eminent thiruvAimozhi commentary Idu vyAkhyAnam centering around AchArya nampiLLai. vadakkuth thiruvidhip-piLLai, a disciple of nampiLLai prepared a manuscript of Idu vyAkhyAnam as per his AchArya’s instructions. nampiLLai realised that the time was not yet apt to make it public and gave it to another disciple IyuNNi mAdhavan and asked him to teach it to only one disciple. lyuNNi mAdhavan taught it to his son lywNNi padhmanAbhap perumAL who passed it on to a dear disciple in kAnchlpuram who passed it to his son. Upon instructions from dhEvaperumAL, nAlUrAchchAn piLLai taught Idu vyAkhyAnam to thiruvAimozhippiLLai who had refined the divine abode of nammAzhwAr in AzhwAr thirunagari and two others: thiruvAimozhi AchchAn and Ayi jananyAchAryar in Melkote. thiruvAimozhippiLLai taught it to azhagiya maNavALa mAmunigaL who made it known throughout the world. Figure: How au vyAkhyAnam came to azhagiya maNavALa mAmunigaL. IyuNNi mAdhavan > SD | (atiyazrwtn ‘ppiLLai) vadakkuth thiruvldhip-piLLai nampiLLai IyuNNi padhmanAbhap) erumaL ay JananyAchArver) Anchipuram Srlrangam dhEvap namperumAL perumAL cazhogiyo maNavALa mAmunigal. pilLai ‘Add-on Note: azhagiya maNavALa mAmunigal gave a discourse for a year in Srirangam where Lord namperumAL was his disciple and the Lord composed a thaniyan* for His ‘AchArya mAmunigal starting with SrisailESa dhayApAthram and ordained that it be recited at the beginning and end of sEvAkAla kramam*. *thaniyan: an introductory verse, sEvAkAla kramam: the set process of reciting the Divya Prabhandham.20. THE PREFIX ‘NAM’ Pasuram 50 Salutations to those who celebrate our eminent guruparamparai with the prefix ‘nam™* who are held in very high respect, starting with Lord namperumAL Himself. nammAzhwAr, nanjlyar and nampiLLai acquired names starting with the prefix ‘nam’. Let us recite their divine names and celebrate them. Add-on Note: How the prefix of nam was acquired Lord namperumAL of Srlrangam: originally called azhagiya maNavALapperumAL, the utsava vigraha* in Srlrangam was once lost and found after a long time by emperumAnAr. After the ceremonial bath, the divine water was distributed and a local washerman called out ‘He is namperumAL’ and this name was liked and lasts till now. namperumAL Himself referred to nammAzhwAr as nam AzhwAr and this name got established. nanjlyar (vEdAnthi): When vEdAnthi renounced thiru- nArAyaNapuram and arrived at Srlrangam his AchArya parASara bhattar welcomed him saying ‘vArum nam jlyare”* and the name nanjlyar got established. ‘nampiLLai (nambUr varadhar): when he wrote the manuscript of onbadhAyirappadi (commentary on nammAzhwAr’s thiruvAimozhi), which was composed by nanjlyar, he was affectionately called nampiLLai* by nanjlyar. *nam: our, utsava vigraha: processional deity, namperumAL: our Lord, vArum nam jlyare: come our leader, nampiLLai: our dear son.21. THE NAME ‘LOKACHARYAR’ Pasurams 51-52 nampilLai acquired the title of IOkAchAryar* from kandhAdaith thOzhappar who was very respected as he was born in an esteemed clan and was very knowledgeable. He was once jealous of nampiLLai’s knowledge and insulted him in Srirangam temple in front of other devotees. When he returned home, his wife who had heard about this from others chided him and he realised his mistake. He opened the door to go and seek nampiLLai’s forgiveness and as he opened the door he saw nampiLLai who had come to seek thOzhappar’s pardon. thOzhappar was overwhelmed and sought nampiLLai’s forgiveness and called him ‘IOkAchAryar’. This name became popular and spread everywhere. nampiLLai’s disciple vadakkuththiruvidhip piLLai named his son pilLai OkAchAryar out of reverence and devotion to his AchArya. pilLai IOkAchAryar composed many rahasya granthams* for the upliftment of people and the divine name of IOkAchAryar became famous. nampiLLai piLLai lOkAchAryar lOkAchAryar “OkAchAryar: AchArya or teacher of the world, rahasya granthams: confidential literary works usually taught by teacher to disciple one-on-one.22. PILLAI LOKACHARYA’S SRIVACHANA BHUSHANAM Pasurams 53-59 piLLai IOkAchArya composed the rahasya grantham Srivachana bhUShaNam based on AzhwAr’s Divya Prabandham and through the conduit of knowledge in clearer manner via the guru paramparai lineage. Among all of his granthams, this one is the best and reveals the truth from the vEdanthams* which if understood and followed will result in upliftment of the people. piLLai lOkAchArya gave a very appropriate title Srlvachana bhUShaNam to this grantham as it is one that those who have learnt well from their AchAryas and elders would happily adorn as they would an ornament of gems. It would be an apt ornament for the soul just as the ornament of gems would be for the body. It’s rare to see people who have understood the meanings and rarer still to see people who follow it. If one understands the essence of it which is surrendering to the AchArya and gaining his affection through kainkaryam to devotees and the Lord one can enjoy a meaningful and happy life. This is firmly stated by our revered piLLai IOkAchArya in this grantham. Why then are people finding it difficult to get involved in it, understand it, follow it and uplift themselves. If the difficulty is in learning the esteemed meanings one can read the explanatory commentaries on this grantham written by eminent AchAryas. If those on the right path feel joyous listening to it one can join them: learn, share and discuss with them. mAmunigal feels joyous just reciting Srlvachana bhUShaNam and even more so when he comprehends the meanings. What sort of happiness do you people get. For AchAryas, the AzhwArs prabandhams are like nectar. For mAmunigaL Srivachana bhUShaNam is nectar! Lord Sriman nArAyana’s vEdas: impossible to comprehend AzhwAr’s Divya Prabhandham: very difficult to comprehend AchArya’s granthams: difficult to understand without AchArya’s discourse piLLai |OkAchArya composed the rahasya grantham Srlvachana bhUShaNam Enjoy it by also adopting the means below: 1. Explanatory commentaries by AchAryas 2. Learning with others who are on the right path 3. Read, listen, share discuss with others on the path Figure: Path for the lay person to learn the truth and essence of vEdas through piLLai lOkAchArya’s rahasya grantham Srlvachana bhUShaNam *vEdanthams: Upanishads or end parts of vEdas which seek to establish the identity of the supreme being.23. ACHARYA: THE PATH TO SRIVAIKUNTAM Pasurams 60-62 The path to Srivaikuntam is through an AchArya. Surrendering to an AchArya, being devoted and offering kainkaryam to him are keys to a smooth walk through the path of life and to SrlvaikuNtam. An AchArya is well-versed in artha panchakam* and activities aligned to that knowledge which will clear the path to Srlvaikuntam from any obstacles. While devotion to the Lord is important He will not desire to give a person who is not devoted to his AchArya a place in Srivaikuntam. Even Srl mahAlakshmi who usually requests the Lord to overlook faults in people (jlvAthmAs) will not do so for a person who is not devoted to his AchArya even though that person is an ardent devotee of the Lord. The Lord shall welcome a person who is devoted to his AchArya even prior to Srl mahAlakshmi’s recommendation. The person need not struggle to uplift himself and just need to focus on being devoted and at the divine feet of one’s AchArya. Srlvaikuntam __ bhaktha* Figure: Importance of AchArya Add-on Note: One can relate to the concept with the example of Sathrughna in RAmAyana who was devoted to bharatha and attained Srl rAma’s attention. bharatha) is in the place of AchArya here. *artha panchakam: knowledge of the Lord (paramAthmA), knowledge of self (jIlvatmA), the means to attain the Lord (upAya), knowledge of benefit after attaining the Lord (Phala), knowledge of obstacles along the path (virOdhi) bhaktha: devotee on earth.24. AN IDEAL DISCIPLE Pasurams 63-65 An AchArya invests a lot in the upliftment of the disciple by providing knowledge, correcting his mistakes, providing opportunities for kainkaryam or service and most of all ensuring mOksha for the disciple. A good disciple will be aware of all the benefits he obtains and be grateful to his AchArya. He will be devoted to the AchArya and engage in service to AchArya, bhAgavathas* and the Lord. In order to do this a disciple ought to be staying close to the AchArya*. It is difficult to understand how many still are at a place where they cannot serve their AchArya. A good disciple will gratefully enjoy the kainkaryam to his AchArya which is limited to the time till the AchArya is alive. Note: mAmunigaL practised this and was devoted to and did kainkaryam to his AchArya in AzhwAr thirunagari. Only after his AchArya ascended to Srl vaikuntam did mAmunigaL move to Srlrangam. AchArya protects the esteemed soul (AthmA) of his disciple through his instructions and activities. Disciple is devoted and protects and serves the divine AchArya. He engages in service to AchArya, bhAgavathas and the Lord. *bhAgavathas: other devotees of Sriman narAyana, staying close to the AchArya: wherever one is, one should try to engage in kainkaryam which pleases AchArya.25. AN EXEMPLARY DISCIPLE Pasuram 66 pinbhazhagarAm perumAL jlyar without any thought of returns like mOksha carried out devoted service to his AchArya nampiLLai. He is an exemplary disciple. Note: once when pinbhazhagarAm perumAL jlyar was unwell he visited a medical practitioner and availed of medicines. This led to a discussion and some said he didn’t want to part with Lord namperumAL, some said he didnt want to leave Srirangam and others said he didn’t want to part with kAlakshEpa gOshti*. When they asked him the reason jlyar had a different answer. He said he did not want to miss the opportunity of seeing the drops of sweat drop down the divine back of his AchArya after returning from his bath in river kAveri every morning. Such was his unlimited devotion to his AchArya. Figure: nampiLLai’s kAlakshEpa gOshti: pinbhazhagarAm perumAL jlyar is seated second from left *kAlakshEpa gOshti: gathering of people who listen to discourses.26. DEVOTION TO ACHARYA IS ULTIMATE Pasuram 67 Should you live as if AchArya is everything? Should you live as if empermAn* is everything? Which of the two is correct? Our preceptors such as madhurakavi AzhwAr and nAthamuni lived as if AchArya is everything. Do not get confused by people who do not understand the actions of those preceptors. The first stage of devotion is to emperuman but the ultimate stage is devotion to AchArya. Even if one has less devotion to emperuman it does not matter to the Lord, devotion to AchArya is a must. Srivaikuntam bhaktha* Figure: Importance of AchArya *empermAn: Lord Srlman narAyana.27. THE IMPORTANCE OF SATSANG Pasurams 68-71 There are three kinds of people: |. the atheists (nAsthika): who do not believe in vEdas or SAsthram. 2 Satsang*: the theists (Asthika): who accept the esteemed paths given in SAsthram* and live accordingly. 3. the believers-disbelievers (Asthika-nAsthika): who superficially accept SAsthram but do not firmly believe in it or live as per that. Follow the second category of believers- Satsang. They are people with desirable qualities with knowledge about servitude, devotion towards emperuman and detachment from worldly matters. By following them these qualities will rub on to you just as fragrance does. It is best not to be among those who do not believe or are superficial as their confusing thoughts may rub onto one like foul smell and overwhelm. Those who are not respectful of our preceptors instructions which are well- founded and based on analysis through the guru-paramparai lineage over a very long period of time, may set us on the wrong path by quick new meanings that are not time-tested. Srivaikuntam _ bhaktha* e iy JS \sthika-nAstl ma ZS Asthika-nAsthi vy Xx nAsthik K Asthika 1 2 3 Figure: Importance of the right company or Satsang *Satsang: being in the company of people with desirable qualities, SAsthram: traditional specialised knowledge.28. WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU Pasuram 72 So what is best for you? This is what is best: I. Surrender to an AchArya who is well anchored in traditional beliefs. 2. Get anchored by learning from your AchArya about the knowledge and practices of our guru paramparai. 3. Carry out kainkaryam (service) to emperumAn (the Lord), other devotees. (bhAgavathas) and AchArya. 4. Live joyously in this world. 5. Be assured of a blissful life in Srlvaikuntam after your sojourn on earth is complete.24. BENEFITS OF UPADESHA RATHINAMAALAI Pasuram 73 mAmunigaL concludes upadhEsa raththina mAlai: Those who recite and retain in their thoughts the learnings from upadhEsa raththina mAlai which is an ornament for the soul, revealing the essence of the well-founded path by our preceptors to SrivaikuNtam, will live a distinguished life here and a blissful life in Srivaikuntam, and be the recipient of blessed compassion from Srl rAmAnuja.30. THANIYAN BY MAMUNIGAL’S DISCIPLE ERUMBIYAPPA Pasuram 74 This thaniyan* is composed by mAminigal’s disciple eRumbiyappA. It is customary to recite this single verse at the end. Oh those who live in this world as per upadEsa raththina mAlai those who have the golden red lotus feet of my AchArya maNavALa mAmunigal. on your head, you shall live joyous lives here. At the end of your lives you go in the path of archis (effulgent path) and go past viraja river (the boundary between materialistic and spiritual realms). Once amAnavan (a celestial entity that guides you ) does his principle act of touching you, you will get the divine form, enter thirumAmaNi maNdapam (divine huge courtyard made of gemstones) which is located in Srl vaikuNtam, the place of bliss, get accepted by emperumAn along with mukthas and nityasUris (devotees) there. mAnavan touches JIvAthmA divipe jivAthma TathmA ——— —— mAmuniga Figure: Path of archis to SrivaikuNtam thaniyan*: single verse