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Monday 27 May 2013

VAIKASI ANUSHAM









SREEMATHEY RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA
SREEMADH VARAVARA MUNAYE NAMAHA
SREE VENKATA GURAVE NAMAHA

Respected Bhagavatha Bandhus,

In the Sri Vaishnava tradition, Ramanuja is regarded as an “avatara” of the great Lakshmana of the ‘Ramayana’ whose extraordinary life of service and dedication (“kainkaryam” and “shraddhai”) to Lord Rama was divine legend. It is said that Rama found no better way of repaying his debt to Lakshmana other than to take ‘avatar’ again as Kuresan during Ramanuja’s time on earth and reverse roles i.e. to do unto Ramanuja the same yeoman service that he had been blessed to receive from Lakshmana in an ancient age of the past!

Many incidents that took place in Ramanyana/Krishna avatara and in the life of Alwar’s and Acharyas were also repeated in Koorthazhwan’s Family (which included his glorious twin sons Prasara Bhattar and Veda Vyasa Bhattar), the foll are the few


1) In Ramayana the birth of Sri Rama and Lakshmana, was well planned and enacted by Sriman Narayana similarly he answered to Sri Ramanujar who prayed before the Sri Rangam Peria Perumal to bless the Acharya lineage by bringing a child to this world, fit enough to be named after Sri Parasarar and he did sankalpam for the birth of Parasara Bhattar


2)In Ramayana, at the end of putrakameshti yagam, a divine purusha, comes out from the holy fire, and gives payasam to Dasaratha to distribute to his wives, after consumption of which the Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha & Shatrugna are born to his queens, similarly after hearing the prayers from Andal wife of Kuresar, Lord Ranganatha sent his “naivedyam” to Kuresa dhampathis after consuming which where the glorious sons of Kuresar were born.

3)In Krishna avataram, lord krishna was born, to Devaki, and brought up by Yashodha, “Ooruthii Maganai Pirandhu Oor Iravil Ooruthii Maganai Oolindhlu Valara” similary though Alwan and Andal were parents to Parasara Bhattar, but Parasara Bhattar was raised by Sri Ranganatha and Sri Rasnganayaki as their own son. When he was child, there was a cradle for him near the Thirumanat Thunn and the divine couple played with the child,and later bhattar became the purohitha for the divya dampathis was entrusted with koil kainkaryam by his acharya embaar

4) Parasara bhattar was only five year old when, he made garva bangam of an ahankari scholar “sarvagnya bhattar”: this incident can be compared with Swami Aalavandar’s similar talent when he won over akkiyalvan which earned him the title “Aalavandhan”

5)The most merciful of all is the Acharya. More than the mother, who cares for our physical and material welfare (which does not save us from the eternal and vicious cycle of births and deaths), more than the Lord (who liberates us because He selfishly craves our company -“Sa EkAkI na ramatE”- to relieve the tedium of loneliness in Sri Vaikuntam), it is the Acharya, who yearns for our spiritual well-being and liberation from samsara, who displays the maximum mercy. The mother may put up with us because we are from her own body, the Lord may forgive us because we are an inseparable part of Him, but to the Acharya, we are complete strangers, and whatever he does for our upliftment is absolutely without any expectation of a quid pro quo. Our Acharyas are “KripA mAtra prasanna Acharyas”, driven solely by the motive of mercy towards misguided mankind. They scrupulously adhere to the dictum “KripayA nisspruhO vadEt” (The Acharya should impart instruction to the disciple without expecting anything in return).
Bhattar had taken all pains in bringing Vedanthi of Thirunarayana puram into our fold, thus giving us a great acharya in our Guruparampara Nanjeeyar.

This Acharya, driven by boundless mercy, traversed hundreds of miles on foot to win over and emancipate a single sishya, who proved worthy of his Acharya’s efforts. This incident can be equated to Peyalwar”s episode in which alwar out of love and mercy rectified (THirutthi Pani Kondan) Thirumazhisai alwar and initiated him into Vaishnavism, if not we would not have had alwar or his Nanmugan tiruvandadi and Tiruccanda viruttam’.

6)Parasara Bhattar could speak with Periya Perumal which is similar to the Varadarajan speaking to Thirukacchi nambi

7)Bhattar had to leave Srirangam for some time to live in Thirukottiyoor, as a protest against a cheiftain Veerasundara Bramharayar which again can be equated with Swamy Ramanuja leaving Sri rangam for Melkote, due to Kirumi Kanda Chozhan

Again like many acharyas Parasara Bhattar also has given us great works like Ashtasloki, Bhagavad Guna Darpanam, Sri Ranganatha Sthoram,Sri rangaraja stavam, Guna Ratna kosham, and a commentary of Thirunedunthandakam and etc
Bhattar attained acharyan Thiruvadi at an early age of 54 years, when on a Kaishika Dwadasi day, reading Kaishika Puranam in front of Namperumal, so impressed was the lord with the vyakyanam of bhattar, he granted Moksham to Bhattar, Bhattar accepted it very happily, When explaining “Alan Purindha Nedun Thadakkai” the 6th pasuram in Thiru Nedunthandakam, and while explaining the phrase “Anjirai pull Thanipagan”, the lord came on his garuda and appeared before Parasara bhattar, Bhattar was spell bound by this vision and immediately recited the following pasuram from Periyalwar Thirumozhi “Paravai Eeru Parama Puruda Nee Ennai Kai Konda Pin Piravi Ennum Kadal Vattri, Perumpadham Aagindrdhal” twice and attained acharyan thiruvadi

Sree Parasara bhattarya Sri Rangesa Purohithaha;
Sree Vatsange sutha Seeman Sreeyase Mesthu Booyasee” is the Thaniyan of Periya Bhattar All Bhagavatha Bandhus, know the history and qualities of Sri Parasara Bhattar, but this neechan’s attempt is just to recollect a few of them,

Today, being vaikasi anusham, being the thirunakshatram of Parasra Bhattar and Veda Vyasa bhattar, let us all meditate upon them to bless every sri vaishanava with gynam and anushtanam that their goal be that of living life, walking the path shown by our poorvacharyas and to make an attempt to follow at least some of their qualities.

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan

Geetha Vasudevan

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