The term “Azhwar“ refers to those saintly souls who immerse themselves in the exclusive devotion of Lord Sriman Narayana in total and unconditional surrender. The saints, as the supreme devotees of Lord Vishnu propagated Sri Vaishnavism among the masses through their poetical compositions in the vernacular highlighting the beautiful effulgent form, auspicious attributes and divine deeds of the Supreme Lord in His various incarnations based on their personal mystic experiences in 108 Divya desams .
The Divya Prabhandams of the Azhwars are, therefore, held in as great veneration and reverence as the Vedas in Sanskrit.
The Azhwars have together rendered 195 verses in praise of the Lord of the Seven Hills Sri Venkateshwara. The largest number of compositions i.e. 63 have been compiled by the last among the twelve Azhwars named Tirumangai Azhwar
while Tiruppan Azhwar makes a passing reference to Tirumala in two of his eleven verses in praise of the Lord of Tiruvarangam.
The first three Azhwars are collectively known as the Mudal Azhwars. The first among them named Poigai Azhwar is the author of the Mudal Tiruvanthathi or the first hundred psalms and he has sung ten verses in praise of Lord Balaji. He calls Venkatam as MAL UGANDA VUR i.e. the Abode most preferred by the Supreme Lord.
The second Azhwar known as Bhutatazhwar has given us the Irandam Tiruvanthathi or the second hundred verses. He has rendered nine verses on Tirmalaiappan and he refers to Lord Venkatesa as VENKADATHAN VINNOR MUDI THOYUM PADHATHAN meaning thereby that the prostrating Devas or the demi-gods with bowed head worship the Lotus Feet of the Lord of the Seven Hills who is the Parama Purusha of the Vedas in Archa form in Tirumalai.
The third Azhwar called Peyazhwar is the author of Munram Tiruvanthathi or the third hundred verses and he has composed as many as 19 verses in praise of Lord Govinda.
Peyazhwar refers to Venkadathan as VEDATHAN indicating that Lord Venkatesa is the one Supreme Lord without a second and the Ultimate Truth and Reality of the Vedas. The fourth Azhwar by name Tirumalisai Azhwar who is the author of Nanmugan Tiruvanthathi has recorded 12 verses in praise of Tiruvenkadathan more or less on the lines of his three illustrious predecessors
Nammazhwar who is the crest jewel and the most prominent of all the Azhwars in one of his 44 verses in praise of Lord Venkatesa says that the entire life time should be spent in ceaseless loving service of the Supreme Lord in Tirumalai. In his most popular verse beginning with the words AKALAHILLEN the saint abjectly surrenders himself to the Lotus Feet of the Lord declaring that His Consort Shree resides for ever in the bosom of the Lord inseparably united and indistinguishable from Him as fragrance from Lotus flower.
The two are in fact One conceptually but different functionally. The ethical idea of justice and the rule of law and the religious idea of redemption from sins by Grace are reconciled in Saint Nammazhwar`s Prapatti to the Divya Dhampathi.
The inner purport is that Lord Venkateshwara rules strictly by the moral law of Karma whereas Mother Shree in His bosom entices Him by love to pardon the sinning souls. Mother’s love is indispensable for gaining the Lord’s Grace. Knowledge is inspired by devotion and Bhakti is illumined by Jnana and the two together constitute Bhakti utpanna Jnana or knowledge inspired by devotion.
The whole attitude of devotion is consummated in Prapatti or Saranagathi ( surrender ) in the case of Nammazhwar when he says PUGALONDRILLA ADIYEN UN ADIKKEEZH AMARNDU PUKUNDENE.
His Lotus Feet are the sole refuge for all sinful souls.
In the eleven most poignant and moving verses composed by Kulaseharazhvar, the saint fervently prays to the Lord of the Seven Hills that he should always reside with the Tirumal in His Tirumala hills either as an insect or a bird or a fish or a vessel or a flower or a tree or a passing stream or a foot-step or any other object to see the coral lips of the Supreme Lord in ceaseless remembrance.
In fact, the psalms of all the ten Azhwars on the Lord of the Seven Hills are full of piety and love that can move even the most stone hearted people into tears.
These verses describe vividly the natural beauty of Tiruvengadam as also the glory and greatness of the Supreme Lord in lyrically brilliant Tamil verses, which cannot be recaptured in English translation
Name of the AzhwarHis workNumber of Verses
Periazhwar Tiruppallandu 1
Periazhwar ,, Periazhwar Tirumozhi 7
Poigai Azhwar Mudal Tiruvanthathi 10
Bhutatazhwar Irandam Tiruvanthathi 9
Peyazhwar Mundram Tiruvanthathi 19
Trimalisaiazhwar Nanmugan Tiruvanthathi 12
,, Tirucchandaviruttam 2
Nammazhwar Tiruviruttam 8
,, Peria Tiruvanthathi 1
,, Tiruvaimozhi 35
Andal Nacchiar Tirumozhi 16
Kulasekharazhwar Perumal Tirumozhi 11
Tiruppanazhwar Amalanadipiran 2
Tirumangaiazhwar Peria Tirumozhi 55
,, Tirukkurundandakam 1
,, Tirunedunthandakam 3
,, Siriya Tirumadal 1
,, Peria Tirumadal 2
Total 195 verses
Sri Ramanujacharya has not composed any devotional hymn in praise of the Lord of the Seven Hills. However, at the very start of his monumental Magnum Opus called the Sri Bhasya which is his detailed commentary on the Vedanta Sutras, in the Invocatory verse he begins the work praying to the Lord in Tirumala with the words SRUTI SIRASSI VIDEEPTE BRAHMANI SRINIVASE. In this introductory verse he seeks the blessings of Lord Venkatesa with the words -“ May my mind be filled with devotion towards the Highest Brahman the Abode of Goddess Shree who is luminously revealed in the Upanishads.
Swamy Yamunacharya (also glorified as as Alavandar who was Acharyar to Swamy Ramanuja ) who in his poetical work called the STOTRA RATNA (the Hymn Jewel) asks the question KAHA SRIHI SRIYAHA? His question is who is the Lord of Shree? This question is an obvious reference to the passage in the Purusha Sukhta HRISCHA TE LAKSMISCHA PATNYOU i.e. Hari and Shree are Lord Srinivasa`s consorts
Among the subsequent Sri Vaishnava Acharyas Swamy Vedanta Desika and Pillai Perumal Iyengar have rendered detailed poetical works in praise of Lord Venkateswara.
In his hymnal work called DAYA SATAKAM Swamy Vedanta Desika has composed a hundred and odd verses exclusively in praise of the Daya /Abundant mercy of the Lord of the Seven Hills. The prolific poet begins his work with the words
PRAPDYE TAM GIRIM PRAYAHA SRINIVASANUKAMPAYA
by surrendering himself like Swamy Nammalwar in AGALAHILLEN to Lord Venkateshwara before taking up the task of describing the Lord’s profound mercy. According to scholarly Acharyas, this work of hundred verses can be grouped into ten verses each and each decade refers to an auspicious attribute of Lord Venkateshwara
He is the sole Lord of Immortality
He is omniscient and omnipotent , all knowing and all powerful
He removes the miseries and ills of His devotees
He is the sole means for release from samsara
He is the one single goal of life
He is the sole refuge in Prapatti (Surrender)
He is easily accessible even to the most sinful
The Supreme Lord’s Abode is Tirumala
He takes Avataras and
Those who surrender to Him gain release here and now
The month of ( March – April ) in tamil (Panguni ) is sacred as it is the appearance month of – Lord Ranganatha on Panguni Revathi and Goddess Sri Ranganayaki Thayar on Panguni Uthiram both occur during this month.
This is the only day on which the Divya Dampatis of Srirangam are seen together in Utsavam.
The Utsavam takes place at the royal court located at the western entrance of the great Temple of Lord Ranganatha.
Interestingly, this is the only entrance which does not have a Rajagopuram.
Incredibly Swamy Ramanuja chose this blessed day for reciting the wonderful hymns the Gadya Trayam- Saranagathi gadyam, Sriranga gadyam and Vaikunta gadyam, unambiguously outlining the doctrine of Surrender .
(SharaNagati-which is atma Vivaham) wedding of the jivAtma to the paramAtma.
On this day Panguni Uttaram , Swamy Ramanuja gathered all his disciples and approached the great Temple of Lord Ranganatha.
Our Paramacharya was greatly moved by the majestic sight of the Divya Dampatis beautifully decorated in Utsavam at the Royal Court .
As a result of this Anubhavam, Swamy Ramanuja poured out his heart in an extremely soulful, highly intimate, and deeply intense SharaNagati ( TOTAL SURRENDER ) in the Sharanagati Gadyam and the Sri Ranganatha Gadyam.
The most important and the oldest Brahmotsavam called as “Adi Brahmotsavam” is performed during this month for 10 days and culminates on the next day of Panguni Uthiram.
During this brahmotsavam, Lord Ranganatha marries Kamalavalli Nachiyar of Uraiyur divyadesam.
Many devotees make it a point to have darshanam of Lordships on this day specially to have kataksham by Divine Parents .
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Few days before Panguni Uthram(when Asilesha star is in ascendant), Lord Namperumal visits Goddess Kamalavalli Nachiyar at Uraiyur and marries the princess..
And , only on this day, Perumal gives darshan with Kamalavalli Thayar at Uraiyur for one full day.
Incidentally this is the place where our great Thiruppan Azhwar appeared .
On the 9th day of Brahmotsavam, the serthi (divine union) takes place at Srirangam.
On this day alone, Namperumal gives darshan along with Ranganayaki Thayar.
An interesting event cherished as ” Pranaya Kalagam Uthsavam ” takes place on Panguni Uthiram day morning and in the night , Gadyathrayam (threee gadyams) are recited in presence of the Supreme Lordships which is followed by Thirumanjanam (Holy abhishekam) to Namperumal and Ranganayaki Thayar .
Thirumanjanam is performed for 18 times reminding us of Swamy Ramanujar’s visits to Thirugoshtiyur. which are sequel to this sweet visit.
Our Mother Sr Ranganayaki comes to know of LORDs visit to Uraiyur nachiyar and gets upset. ( a vatsalya bhava )
The dramatic events on the Panguni Uthiram day unfold as Sri Ranganachiyar vents her Pranaya Kobam on Lord Namperumal and how Lord pacifies her and how in the end the divya dampathis join together to bless the devotees makes this festival a feast to the soul .
In the morning hours , Lord aware of Goddess mood goes around the four mada streets without any musical instrument being played ( Nadaswaram ) to collect kanikai ( gifts ) from devotees and thus gives darsanam to everyone .
The devotees are given an opportunity to serve Rajadhirajan (Lord of the Universe) with offerings . He stops at every house asking His devotees to support Him when He faces the queen Goddess Sri Ranga Nachiyar.
With the temple elephant (Andal) leading the way followed by the vedic pundits reciting dhivya prabhandha goshti LORD enters the temple and walks towards the sanctorium (sannidhi) of Goddess (Thayar) after literally moving around for three hours around the prakarams.
When Sri Ranga Nachiyar understands that Lord Ranganatha coming towards Her, the temple doors are shut.
For the next couple of hours, Pranaya Kalagam Uthsavam (household quarrel between the Lord and His consort) takes place that is wonderfully enacted by Arayar swamy..
The conversations between Namperumal and Ranganayaki Thayar are communicated through Arayar swami (for Namperumal) and through Pandari swami (for Ranganayaki Thayar) and they never face each other during this kalagam Utsavam .
The Lord pleads innocence and tries to appease the goddess in many ways but all his submission is out rightly rejected .
Few questions asked by Goddess make this utsavam very interesting …
Goddess questions Lord about his scratch marks on His Thirukkazuthu (neck) and reason for His Thirukkangal (eyes) becoming so red.
She also asks why His Thiruman kappu ( Tilak ) and His Thirukkuzal (hair) are all messed up.
She also goes on to ask Him why His Thiruvadharam (lips) are white and ……
why He has kungumappoo (Saffron powder) all over his Thirumeni (body),
His ThiruvadigaL (lotus feet) are red.
Hence, She was very unhappy because of HIS indifference to her .
The Lord out of divine love responds back to each question.
My dear …. Listen …
Being the protector of the universe (Jagadhrakshakan), riding the horse in the night and fighting against all evil forces to protect my devotees I had to be awake and thus the eyes have become red.
These Hair locks are messed up because of the fierce winds which faced me while I was galloping on the horse.
And listen dear ….
This Thiruman kappu had dissolved because of the harsh sun rays during my horse ride
And my lips are white because i was fighting against the asuras (demons) with single pointed concentration
My neck was scratched by those thorns while I was riding through thick forests to fight the same Asuras.
Lord further continues .. my .dear Listen , these legs were red because I had to ride the horse with the feet tightly hooked in the stirrup and finally this kungumappoo is all over my body because the Devathas were happy and praised us after the victorious campaign by showering me with flowers.
Thus, Lord submits to Goddess that He was late because of all the battles he had to wage with the Asuras and due to this calamity he had lost the ring in the river Kollidam while returning.
And had to get a new ring and some flowers before he meets Her.
This caused Him to be late.
Goddess is still not convinced and refuses all His gifts and flowers and commands him to never come inside and return back to Uraiyur where HE had been a couple of days ago.
Lord Namperumal with a very innocent look replies saying that He doesn’t know the place called Uraiyur and has never been there. Ranganayaki Thayaar asks the Lord to prove His statements.
To prove his innocence Lord offers to put His hands in a vessel full of snakes ,
cross any ocean of Goddess choice ,
and offered to promise on His devotees that He has never seen Uraiyur.
Sri Ranga Nachiyar rebukes HIS explanations. She replies /.
He, the one who sleeps on a bed of Adhi Sesha ( Serpent bed ) would never be harmed by any snakes. He, the one who lies in the great milk ocean (ThiruppArkadal) and for whom the river Yamuna parted to let Him through as baby Krishna will have no problem crossing any ocean.
Also, HE, whose lotus feet are sought after by all His devotees would never be betrayed by them. Unmindful , she exhibits her annoyance of Pranayakalpa by throwing milk, curd, butter and flowers on Him .
Lord Ranganatha now pleads innocently then says that He has come to meet Her after going through such difficulties and She is not letting Him in. He says He feels very depressed and embarrassed as She shut the door in His face. The Lord says – “andha avamanam umakku andri yamakku illai” meaning “this embarrassment is not for me but for you.”
Seeing the Lord is feeling very sad, our great Nammazwaar, acts as the mediator and approaches mother Sri Ranganayaki and says that if the supreme Lord and Goddess are upset against each other, then that would be the end of all known universe (Pralayam).
He requests Mother and prays that the Lord is for all and She has to understand that He is sought after by all and so She should be able to let Her Azhagiya MaNavalan go to His devotees too as well for granting their prayers and uplift them finally So, He humbly requests that Sriranganachiyar forgive the Lord and allow Him to enter Her premises.
Goddess Ranganayaki understands Nammazwars reasoning and commands Her assistants to let Her Lord enter inside. Lord Ranganatha and Ranganayaki come together and exchange garlands, Kasturi Thilakam, turmeric and necklaces making a benchmark of a divine couple .
As soon as the door is opened, Lord Azhagiya Manavalan is delighted and rushes in to be with His consort. A beautiful scene transpires here.
The Lord does not go immediately to our Sri Ranganayaki sannidhi . But rather goes to the mudhal mandapam and stands there, as if to ascertain whether our Thayar has really accepted and forgiven him.
Lord sends his vastram across to Thayar, which is accepted by the Thayar. After this the Lord then directly heads towards and Thayar Sannidhi and then he seats directly across Sri Ranganayaki Thayar.
Now our Aranganathan looks at our Lokamatha Thayar’s eyes directly as if to ask “why did you make me go through this struggle” and Thayar in turn asks him “Why did you go away without telling me”.
At this point of time other than the Sri Ranganayaki’s Archakas and our Sriranganathan’s Archakas, no one is allowed to be present.
Thus sweet conversation takes place between our Lord Aranganthan and Ranganyaki Thayar as it would take place between any husband and wife.
After they have talked for a long time, our Azagiya manavalan asks Thayars permission to go and complete the Panguni uthram thirunal as several devotees are waiting.
Thayar replies that how can she let him without having performed any upacharam. She then gets delicious and sumptuous “Akkara adasil” ( Sweet pudding ) prepared for him, with copious amount of milk, rice, dhal ( lentils ) , jaggery and lots pure ghee.
Both our Lordships now grace together and have the delicious “Akara adisil” ! The happiness of the Lord and Thayar can be seen in the eyes of lord who cannot take his eyes away from the Thayar! After this beautiful sight, the lord then decides to head towards the beautifully renovated Panguni Uthram mandapam. As soon as our Azagiya manavalan reaches the mandapam in the afternoon, our Thayar immediately, but silently and surreptitiously enters the mandapam as if she doesnt want anybody to talk about or ask her about what had happened .
After this the Lord and Ranganayaki Thayar give darsanam to several devotees who have thronged to see them. It has to be mentioned that here only the Thayar is adorned with a garland and not then Lord himself!
Also, Namperumal doesn’t face the audience but looks uninterruptedly at Thayar.
The recitation of the Gadhya Thrayam begins at about 11 P.M. . Those heavenly chants fill the air with beatitude and immense happiness.
At this time the whole srirangam is very festive and people make sweets and savories as if there is a marriage in their own house.After all, it is a happy and beautiful unification between the Royal couple! The Gadhya Thrayam starts with the chant of “Vaikunta Gadhyam” and then proceeds with the “Sri RangaGadhyam” and at last ends with the beautiful chant of the “Sarangadhi gadhyam”!
Lord Namperumal (Sri Ranganathar) and Peria pirattlar (Sriranga nachiar) are seated together. Lord (naMperumAL) is standing majestically as usual and more beautiful and graceful today due to the compassionate looking pirAtti and is enjoying the beauty of Her Lord without taking Her eyes off Him even for a second This was the right opportunity for LokaAcharyar Swami Ramanuja to ask for favors from our DIVINE PARENTS.
He submits to the LOTUS FEET through his divine outpourings Gadyatrayam. Swamy Ramanuja worshipping them, submits his deep fear of samsara (association with the body in a cycle of births) and begs the Lord to save him. Swamy Ramanuja surrendered his all to the Lord and begged Him to be his sole savior. In the Three Gadyaas, Swamy Ramanuja’s prayed swamies innermost feelings of deep devotion to the Lord break all restrictions and flow freely towards the Lord and His consort.
These are prima facie a spontaneous outburst of devotional experience and not coldly labored compositions. The inner voice of the devotee addresses Sri and the Lord and they do reply clearly through the same inner voice.
In the Saranagati gadya, Swamy Ramanuja first addresses Sri as the mother of the Universe, as his own mother, and as the loving consort of his Lord, and seeks her intercession on his behalf. This is itself a saranagati addressed to the mother.
Happy at being addressed this, Sri replies ‘So be it’; “let your prapathi bear the proper fruit of being accepted as a devoted servant” The commentators have it that this assurance is not only for the Acharya but for all his spiritual progeny. The boon that Lord granted to Swamy Ramanuja applies to his spiritual heirs. It is worth noting that once he gets the assurance from Sri of her sure mediation, he addresses himself directly to the Lord seeking Him as the sole savior.
The LokAcharya then addresses the Lord speaking of His incomparable glory, “His immense wealth, His power, His retinue, His divine weapons, His beautiful ornaments, His loving consorts, of His infinite compassion and other admirable qualities words which are a rhapsody of devout fervor which can come only from the very depth of a realized soul. Swamy Ramanuja holds out prapathi as the highest message he had for his followers.
The Sriranga gadyam is a shorter piece and is essentially the same as the Saranagati gadyam.
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It is addressed directly to Sriranganatha.
” Sriranganatha!
mama natha!
namostu te”
are the words of the acharya.
To the seeker of salvation who has taken to the path of Prapathi, it is essential that he should spend his time in devoted service of the lord; in serving his devotees; by meditating on Him and singing His praise; by repeatedly uttering the Dvaya mantra (this is an enjoyable and sweet pastime).
The acharya gives expression to all these, briefly, in confidence to the lord at Srirangam. His intention is that this short text may be repeated easily in the presence of the Lord by devotees intent on the fruit prayed for.
Immensely pleased , Lord assures Swamy Ramanuja that He and all his disciples will be surely uplifted for attaining the paramaporul Moksha for sure .
Later, Thirumanjanam to Namperumal and Thayar are performed for 18 times. This signifies Sri Ramanujar’s visit to Thirugoshtiyur to learn the dwayam mantra artham. All the upacharams are performed for 18 times.
Later, saatrumarai goshti is done at Udayavar (Ramanujar’s )sannidhi in the early hours. At about 7 A.M. the next day, Perumal reluctantly leaves thayar and goes back on Goratham.
After all this, the Lord then requests Thayar’s permission to go and complete the remaining procession.
At this request, our Ranganayaki thayar’s face drops and looks downcast, which indicates her reluctance to part with the Lord at this point of time.
But , thayar then mentions that First she will leave and return back to her Moolasthanam after which the Lord can start.
This shows the patience, forbearance and the humility of our beloved Thayar.
The Lord then starts to leave towards the “Goratham (Chariot), before which he peeps into Sri Ranganyaki Thayrs sannidhi, as if to take a glimpse of his beloved wife and say “Bye” before proceeding . After this the Lord starts for the procession.
Anywhere in the world a woman has to undergo lot of troubles and hardships and still put up a smile to make everyone in her family happy.
On Panguni Uthiram day, only Thayar sannidhi is kept open and it is not possible to have Sri Ranganathar(moolavar) darsanam on that day.
All adiyars know that the Lord and Thayar are above all such domestic quarrels taking place in our lives all the time.
We also know that He is the fountainhead of all things in the universe and there is nothing like He should be going after several women etc. when He himself is paramporul ( The ultimate ) .
Secondly the big question will Thayar ever quarrel with the Lord? So what is the significance ??
Elders clarify that the significance of all this drama is that Namperumal and Thayar are doing a play act to demonstrate to ordinary mortals like us how to run the household with harmony in the face of upsets. They also show the deep love , mercy and compassion true ladies have and why we have to give the ladies great respect and exalted position in our society.
Azhwar describes Srirangam as the abode of the supreme Lord who had sixteen thousand devi’s (as he married all of them in His Krishnavataram by their deep devotion and request ).
When he has already taken sixteen thousand consorts which Sri Rukmini Devi whole heartedly accepted, where is the question of getting upset about one Kamalavalli nachiyar of Uraiyur .
Our Perumal is Paramatma and the jivatmas represented by Thayar are all wedded to Paramatma with Thayar doing the purushakaaram(bridge between Perumal and the fallen souls)
Andal nachiyar explains:- “Peyyu ma mukil pol vanna, un pechum seikaium engalai Maiyal erri mayakka un mukam maya mandiram than kolo”
Hey, dark skinned Lord, your words, acts and your innocent looking face are all designed to cast a spell over us. The Lord will always cast his spell over His devotees to protect them. And Maya Jagan Mohini Thayar always assists Him in his spell!
When the Lord knows that Nachityar is upset with him, He is planning to pacify her indicating thereby that all of us should try earnestly to take care of the ladies’ concerns.
In this entire drama, what stands out is the “Paraspara Anyonyam” of the Divya Dampathis.
When Thayar is angry Lord understands and adopts a seemingly submissive posture. And Thayar relents when overlooking the factthat it is the only day in a year she is with Him and He has been to another nachiyar.
She sets an example of kindness and forgiveness for all the womenfolk.
When Thayar allows Lord to enter Her Sannadhi, He at first stops at first mantapam and sends His Vastram to her. He does not rush in all the way. Thayar also understands His intention and accepts the vastram.
She knows He will be hungry and gets a sumptuous Akkara Adisil ( sweet pudding) prepared for Him. In these days of hurried life when both the partners sometime go to work, can you imagine such understandings .
Later…….
She silently follows Him so that the devotees do not smell any difference between them! It is truly amazing that Divya Dhampathis had set examples which are relevant even today………
Let Lord Ranganatha protect us
Let Shri Ranganachiyar bless us always …
Sri Ranga MangaLa nidhim karuna nivAsam Sri Venkatadhri SikharAlaya KaaLamegham Sri Hastigiri Siksrojvala Paarijatham Sreesam namAmi Sirasa yadhusaila dheepam Seeking the Lotus feet of Narayana
ENN AMUDHINAI KANDA KANGAL MATRU ONDRAIYUM KAANAVEY
May the Lord and Thayar bless all devotees with such anyonyam. Let the eyes which had darshan of the Supreme Lord who ate plenty of butter and who has conquered my heart view nothing else.
All glories to devotees who are having darshan on the auspicious day 30.03.2018 in several divya desams
Adiyen must have committed apacharas in expressing this wonderful utsavam which is due to adiyens mandha budhee and seeks forgivance to all the bhagavathas who are reading this ..
Arangan Vazhga, Arangamaanagar Vazhga
Vachaka Dhosham Kashamikkavaum………….
Pics : Courtesy Google images /and all the great devotees who shared in social media
Adapted from Sriman Narasimha bhattar article .. Adiyen Ramanuja dasan
More sweet than all other sweet things; more auspicious than all other auspicious things;
the greatest purifier of all purifying things—————-
———————-The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything…………..
There was a temple of Lord Krishna in a village . The temple was always flooded with several devotees. The mood in the temple used to be festive always . Continuous Hari naama sankirtan made the place vibrating with devotion .The devotional Hari nama tunes took one into a serene mood asking for more . It was a continuous flow of elixir .
The continuous chants made the mind swoon into devotional fervor and nothing else was remembered .There was no hunger or thirst .
No desire except for just being there and feeding the soul through these ears the elixir that was abundantly poured . It was sheer bliss .
A young man lived near the temple who had no belief in God . He considered devotion to be waste of time and felt that they were mere superstitions and the ones going to temples were in false illusions . He used to object them during their extended stays and condemn the non stop hari naam sankirtan program in the temple .
One day , one elderly person among the devotees in a composed mood advised the youth to realize the importance of ” Namasankeertanam” and explained the enormous power of chanting the Holy names .
The youth a rationalist asked ! OK old man does chanting your gods name fetch me food ? Does the Holy Name take care of my well being ?? He was rude with his questions …
Yes !!! said the old man confidently !!!The youth being an atheist demanded proofs but finally ended up in a challenge.
The old man said ,
Look Young man ..
You chant the Holy name for at least 12 hrs and see for yourself the change . Be assured …. You would be getting food served . And in case this does not happen I am prepared to stop this practice of devotional service in the temple. It was a bold statement among several devotees assembled there ….
Looking at the confidence of the elderly person the youth confided with the agreement and said ..Ok … ..
Just 12 hours I will chant sunrise to sunset ….
and thus he started chanting Lord Krishna’s Nama as advised .He was not very keen to see the old man winning the bet .He knew He will anyway win the bet and make them understand it was a waste of time .
Time was ticking ….
He thought if he had stayed along with them or at home or at his friends place or within the limits of the village he would have been coaxed and fed saying please have prasad etc .
He decided to go to such a place where he would not be noticed by anyone thus ensuring no habitat can see him and provide him with any food .
He went into a forest and thus settled himself on one of the branches of a huge tree confident of not being noticed by any one . He was no doubt chanting mentally the Holy name but without faith . The time swiftly passed .He had almost engaged the mind in the Holy name synchronized to the temple tunes. Used to always hear the devotional tunes residing near the temple and thinking of the bet continously his mind was fixed and started relishing it unknowingly .
The sun was about to set . He was not at all feeling hungry .Suddenly he happened to see few men with weapons under the tree . They were looking ferocious.They were carrying some booty along with them .
One thief happened to look above and found a man relaxing He cautioned his friends . They dragged him down from the treetop much to his resistance ..
The thieves who had dragged the youth from the treetop roughed him up and asked him … So you are so smart and think we will foolishly fulfill your plan ?
The young man was shocked . He took courage and asked .Who ..? Me … Plan ? What plan ??? The thieves dragged him to the nearby tree and said .. What made you leave that delicious food there ?
The young man was blank when he was questioned .He stammered … What Food ….Which food / where …. I am unaware ..I just came here to avoid the villagers ..please …please believe me. He revealed his purpose of entering the outskirts and the bet with the old man . The thieves refused to accept the young mans version.
One Elderly Thief intervened and said ..
Friends !!
This food which looks to be too delicious seems to contain poison and this young man wants to see we are dead so that he can run away with our looted jewellery .
I suspect his moves .
Let us teach him a lesson ..
Come on !!! Please get me that food kept over there …. Saying this two of the thieves held the youth’s hands, one of them opened his mouth and the other one dumped the food inside his mouth by force . The youth was helpless and was forced to eat the food.His repeated pleas were ignored and they laughed seeing his reluctance in having the food ….
After the thieves had left the place, the youth started memorizing the whole incident that had taken place in his life for the past 12 hrs . He started remembering the words of that elderly person.
It was at this point of time the youth realized that while he was doing Namasankeerthanam even thirst, hunger and other things did not affect or disturb him .
The youth had neither any sincerity, dedication, devotion nor any desire to do Namasankeerthanam. Inspite of this Namasankeerthanam proved its result.
Even on doing Namasankeerthanam in the outskirts of a village comfortably seated on the top of the tree without any fear, tension, and disturbance had provided him with food without any personal efforts…
This entire event made the youth realize the power and greatness of Namasankeerthanam and the truth in the words of that elderly person. This developed within him a strong belief that Lord provides a helping hand to all those who seek HIM.
He understood that although he had lost his bet to the elderly person who arrived in the form of Sathguru,he had made him victorious in his spiritual life. He rushed to meet the elderly person and with tears revealed what all had happened in the 12 hours time .
The old man pleased with the youth , addressed the gathering ,
The most revered disciple Swami Rama Misra (Manakkal Nambi) appeared at maNakkAl (a village on the banks of river cauvery, near srirangam).
He lived with his Acharyan UyyakkondAr and served him for 12 years at the holy place Thiruvellarai. . UyyakkondAr pleased with Swami Rama Mishrar appoints him as his successor while leaving to paramapadham ( srivaikuntam) .
He advises his disciple Rama mishrar ( Nambi) to train Ishvara muni’s son Swamy Yamunacharya such that he takes over the duty of spreading the sri vaishnava dharisanam.
Meanwhile at Srirangam , Swamy Yamunar joins the school of Sri Mahabhashya Bhatta who is well versed in all the vaishnava sampradayas . During this period all the Vidwans (scholars) in the Chola Kingdom had to pay annual tribute (prescribed fee) to Aakkialwan, the royal purohit who was close to the King .
As it is the case ,one day on receiving the notice for payment , Mahabhashya Bhatta became very sad, as he was penny less.
Observing his Acharyars sad face, and coming to know the difficult situation, Swamy Yamunacharya took it upon Himself to put an end to the audacity and the atrocity of Royal purohit Aakkialwan . In presence of the gaurds ,Yamauna tears the notice to pieces and sends the messenger back.
On hearing the happenings there , Aakkialwan send backs the messenger to check whether Yamuna was a poet or a scholar well versed in Shastras. The guards come to know about Yamuna’s proficiency from the neighbors and informs the Purohit about his strong hating to the opponents .
Aakkialwan , astonished at the scholarship of Yamuna informs the Chola King.
The King orders this young Scholar to come to his court immediately.
Yamuna bluntly refuses……..
The King realizing that he wasn¡¯t dealing with an ordinary person, sends a palanquin along with bearers to bring Swamy Yamuna.
As Yamuna reaches the courts, he passes a sloka to show his scholarship which stuns the gathering ..
The sloka meaning goes like this ….
¨ Though you strive hard to find an equal to me , mastered both the Meemamsas starting from the slope of the Himalaya mountain (in the north) which is lucky enough to possess the tender foot prints of the mountain girl Parvathi up to the bridge (in the south) which caused the blooming of the Lotus like face of Sita, abducted by the demon Ravana and also beginning from the rising mountain (in the east) of both the luminaries Sun and Moon and ending with the setting mountain (in the west).
The Purohit face turned red and he shouted aloud that he would debate with this young imposter.
Looking at Yamuna, the king orders him ..
Young man …
You please start the debate with our court pundit, Aakkialwan to prove your scholarship
Yamuna replied, ¡
Well, your Majesty it is hard for you to decide who is the winner and the loser when we debate and we both may not accept defeat.
Therefore it would be appropriate if we argue in the midst of learned scholars who are assembled here..
Having invited all learned men, the King occupying the royal throne along with his queen at the debating hall looks at the young man .
The queen, being very much impressed by the handsome appearance of the young man, drew the attention of the King towards him and exclaimed that he would never sustain defeat in the wordy quarrel.
If at all Yamuna is defeated, she said that she would become a maid and cook the food for the dogs in the palace.
The King too retorted saying that in case Aakkialwan was the loser, he would part with half of his kingdom by presenting it to Yamuna.
The debate started much to the eagerness of the Royal couple . Aakkialwan said to Yamuna, Let us start with ordinary worldly affairs. I will negate all your affirmatives and your negative statements will be made affirmatives by me.
Agreeing to this proposal, Swamy Yamuna uttered three sentences to Aakkialwan expecting him to counter the statements ..
1) Your mother is a barren woman.
2) The King is righteous one
3) The Queen is a very chaste woman.
Fearing severe punishment at the hands of the king by the denial of the three statements, Aakkialwan simply blinked and winged his hands.
Yamuna came out with his denial of these three statements and explained from sastras .
1) A single tree cannot become a garden. Similarly one child is not enough to make a mother. As Aakkialwan is the only son of his mother, she is still a barren woman.
2) The sins committed by the subjects will go to the King, as he has not prevented them from doing so. Thus the king loses his righteousness.
3) Normally a girl becomes the wife of some divine personalities like Indra etc. after her marriage. Hence, the husband is not allowed to share her bed immediately after the marriage. Thus the queen has forfeited her claim for chastity.
These negations earned the approval of all scholars and thus Aakkialwan was put to shame.
The same fate overtook Aakkialwan in the Shastra debate that followed.
Now Yamuna had acquired the right to strike on the head of Aakkialwan.
But he politely declared his decent decision,
Oh gentleman! I will not strike you on your head as per our agreement before the debate.
It is because, I give due respect to your age and the exalted position that you occupy in the royal court.
This proclamation earned the appreciation and approval of all the scholars.
The queen rushing towards Yamuna embraced him and observed with a slippery tone full of affection You have come to my rescue.
Hence you are my ruler (Ennai Aalavandeero!).
From that day onwards he came to be called Aalavandar.
Having said so, she took him to the palace accompanied by the King.
His Majesty also kept up his promise by offering half of his kingdom to Aalavandar. Enjoying all the royal pleasures in the company of his wife, the young prince ruled over the kingdom happily and peacefully.
Manakkal Nambi got this news that the future Acharyar of Srivaishnavism has become the King .
Watching silently the eminence which Alavandar had reached so rapidly and Aakkialwan ’s ignominious defeat and Alavandar becoming a king, his joy knew no bounds He wanted to fulfill his promise to his revered Guru Uyyakkondar in bringing him back to the Sampradaya .
He thought of his Acharyar’s instructions in making Alavandar the future Apostle of the Faith. So, he went to the palace, but the guards obstructed his entrance.
He found his way however into the kitchen where contracting friendship with the cooks, had ascertained from them the potherbs that pleased Alavandar most.
He took that herb Thoodhuvalai, a kind of spinach, daily to the kitchen for a period of six months and yet no notice was taken of it.
Wearied, he stopped away for a few days. Alavandar finding his favourite dish missing from his dinner so suddenly enquired of the cooks the reason.
They informed him of an old Brahmana having, for six months uninterruptedly, brought the green herb and having stopped the supply for a few days.
“If he should return again,” commanded the king, after chiding them, “inform me at once.” Rama Misra thought he would try again, and so put in his appearance with the favourite vegetable, after some interval.
The king was immediately informed; and he ordered the venerable man being conducted into his presence.
When he duly arrived, the king rose, and making obeisance, seated him with every mark of respect; and asked how he may reward him for his services, -by money or by lands.
Our Misra said: “Good king, these riches I do not need from thee; for I have precious riches, amassed by your ancestors, to give thee; and I shall show thee where they lie treasured up. Till I put thee in possession of these, let me be admitted to thy presence without hindrance by the guards at thy gates.”
Alavandar was taken out of himself by this unexpected revelation, and placed his men under instructions to admit the worthy visitant freely without caring for ceremony.
Swamy Rama Misra now began to teach Alavandar the Bhagavad Gita, the essence of all the Upanishads.
As Alavandar listened attentively through the eighteen books of this Sublime Poem, his spiritual sense was awakened, and a craving caused in his heart to realize God, as is spoken therein.
“How shall I realize Him?” asked he of his Acharya.
“That is taught in the Great Charama Sloka”, promptly responded the teacher and taught its significant Mysteries.
The more Alavandar meditated on these, the more they entered deep into his heart.
The saving grace taught therein made him more and more inclined to surrender himself to God, and more and more to cultivate the sense of resignation to His will.
His soul bent more and more to Him with the nourishment the teachings gave, just as the ripening grain-stalks bend as they receive more milk.
As days passed, his love for the Merciful grew warmer and warmer; and as this love increased, his attachment to other things; became weaker and weaker.
The Teacher watched the spiritual progress of his disciple, and thought the time was ripe for leading him to where his promised patrimonial wealth lay hidden.
He led him therefore to the Holy Shrine of Srirangam, where, pointing to God reposing therein in the serene glory of His presence, to all worshippers accessible, he said: “Who will not worship Rangam, the most Holy, – if he be wise?
For doth not wisdom blossom here and keep Yama (death) out of sight?”
This is your trove, your heritage, and my trust, which I here discharge on this auspicious day.
”Alavandar, with the spiritual vision which was endowed to him by God’s Grace, saw in the Holy Image of Ranga the Treasure of the Universe enshrined; and exclaimed, with a feelings of remorse in his heart for past days, which had been spent without this Blessed Vision, and feelings of bliss overflowing in streams of loving tears, at the fascinating sight he enjoyed
“O Blissful God”, he exclaimed,
“Many days have I lost in the vain pursuits of the world. I mourn for this. Now I have seen Thee reclining on Thy Sesha.
I serve Thee for evermore.
I find myself reclaimed from the death of worldly enjoyments, and initiated into the life of Thy service.”
Lord! lands and friends and riches, Sons and wives, cattle and houses,- To him who has thy service tasted, Hateful objects become they.
After this, a determination came to him to renounce the world, and don the robes of the Sanyasin, in as much as the love of the world and of God were incompatible with each other.
Hence forward he devoted himself to divine contemplation and service.
Swami Manakkal Nambee was binding force for srivaishnavam to progress. All glories to Swami Manakkal Nambee
Pillai Uranga Villidasan was a powerful wrestler. Not just any ordinary wrestler but one of very high standing. Almost all the wrestlers in the Chola Kingdom used to pay him a ‘protection fee’.
A Famous Wrestler was majestic in his looks and a terror to his rivals naturally There was a beautiful lady in the village Ponnachi. (Pon in Tamil means gold.) Every one who saw her swore that she richly deserved her name.
Her complexion, came closest to the yellow metal. Her dance-like walk, her height and her dimpled cheeks made her the much-acclaimed beauty in her village. But the most prominent feature of her face was her eyes , very large, round and from which you cannot take your eyes off.
Ponnachi’s beauty was at least as well known as Villi’dasan s prowess. Villidasan was a very good man and had never abused his strength or position. And yes, he was the most eligible, most sought after bachelor in his town. As it would happen in love stories, he heard of Ponnachi’s beauty and set out to see her, more out of curiousity than anything else.
Once he saw her eyes, he could not think of anything else. As if possessed he sought her hand in marriage, something which Ponnachi was only too eager to give. Villidasan was virtually consumed by his love for the damsel.
He was just thinking of nothing else other than his lady love. Villidasan and Ponnachi got married on an auspicious day. Their married life was most blissful in karmic world , which never ended. They had been married for years.
Still to Villidasan Ponnachi was the most beautiful woman in the world with the most beautiful eyes.
It was spring time. Festival time at Capital town of Srivaishnavisim , Srirangam. ( Vasanthotsavam).
Ponnachi wanted to see the festival. To Villidasan her slightest whim was a Royal Command.
He made elaborate arrangements to ensure a comfortable travel for Ponnachi. She was borne in a palanquin till the main street of Srirangam where she had to get down and walk. Ponnachi got down from the palanquin.
Villidasan who was standing nearby was stunned by her beauty. She was dressed up in an exquisite silk saree. What captivated his attention even after years of marriage was her eyes.
Villidasan could not take his eyes away from hers.
As she started to walk towards the temple, Villidasan did the unthinkable. He was walking backwards facing her, unable to see anything else but her large eyes.
Those who saw this amusing sight giggled. Some even laughed out aloud. Villidasan gave a damn to what others thought. Ponnachi was half consumed by shyness and half by pride. She too loved her husband so much that she did not have the mind to object to his act, though she knew that it made people laugh behind their backs.
This strange procession – Ponnachi walking forward, Villidasan walking backwards, and the palanquin bearers and the retinue following Ponnachi – was nearing the temple gate. On the other side of the street, a very great saint was walking away from the temple followed by 1000 of his disciples.
The name of the great saint was Swamy Ramanujacharya.
Swamy Ramanujacharya was amused by the strange sight – Ponnachi walking towards the temple followed by her retinue and Villidasan walking backwards unable to take off his eyes from those of his beautiful wife! The great saint was moved on seeing this wonderful sight.
He inquired about the couple and then sent word to Villidasan asking him to come and meet him in his Ashram alone.
Swamy Ramanuja had decided to do something about that. Now why should Swamy Ramanuja do something about Villi’dasans love? As a spiritual Master of people he instinctively knew that Villi’s love was quite unique.
If only Swamy Ramanujacharya could make people love something as intensely as Villidasan did, yes, he would have made a difference in their lives.At the same time if he showed Villi’s love as an example to be followed,then ignorant people might mistakenly think that they also should love Ponnachi. In other words at the present level Villidasan’s love is not a copyable, replicable model.
So Swamy Ramanuja wanted to first shift Villi’dasans love to something else and then make people understand the greatness of love.
And in order to make so many people understand the meaning of love, there is no harm in shifting one person’s object of love.
So Villidasan was excited .He came running to see Acharya in his Ashram as soon as he got his call.It was late in the night. The Srirangam temple would be closed for the day in another half an hour. Swamy Ramanuja wanted to accomplish his mission within that time.
He asked Villidasan in a sarcastic tone,“Aren’t you shy , Villidasan ! to be seeing your wife’s eyes, when Lord’s festival is on?” Villidasans ’s reply was a correct blend of humility and the force of truth.
Acharya … But ……“Is there anything more beautiful than my wife’s eyes?” Swamy Ramanujacharya was waiting for this question.
“What …..will you do if I show something more beautiful than that?”
Now Villi knew for sure that there was nothing like that and so his words came with confidence.
Then …… “Then I will fall in love with those eyes.
Ponnachi and I will be your slaves for the rest of our lives.”
“Deal. Come with me.”
Swamy Ramanujar took Villidasan to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
The Lord of Love, Sri Ranganathar, Thiruvarangan, was sleeping in his comfortable snake-bed .
Then the great Acharya took hold of Villidasan’s hands. The Acharya’s touch sent waves of electric shock in his body. Swamy Ramanujar closed his eyes and prayed to the Lord.
“Oh, Lord, here’s is an example of perfect love. And the whole world is steeped in misery unaware of this kind of love.
I want the people to know that there is something like this love and that every one of us is capable of it. For that you need to give these two people to me.
“I know that these two people are as precious to you as your Devis and are holier than the holiest scriptures ever written on you.
I promise you my Lord, I’ll give them the reverence they deserve.
Now please, LORD Ranganatha show the beauty of your eyes to this man of love.”
A selfless prayer!
Two loving souls standing before Him!
Lord Ranganathar was helpless!
He had to grant the Acharya’s wish. And the great Lord, whose eyes are not to be seen even by the highest of Devas and the wisest of Rishis, whose Feet cannot even be touched by Vedas and all the knowledge in the world, opened his most beautiful eyes for Villidasan to see.
Villidasan was awe-struck; no he was love-struck. The sight lasted for a fraction of a second.
Villidasan instantly fell in love with those large, beautiful eyes, for which nothing in the world is even a pale comparison. Villi prostrated at Sri Ramanujar’s feet proclaiming his slavery to the saint.
Swamy Ramanuja lifted him as a loving father would lift his loving son.
Swamy Ramanujar’s eyes were so full with tears, his heart so full with love that for a few seconds he could not talk.
Villidasan continued to be in a state of ecstasy. If God decides to show His eyes even for a nanosecond, the effect will last for centuries, extending into millions of life –times, for ever, for eternity and even thereafter. When he went back to Ponnachi that night and told about his experience, she was also transformed.
She did not whine that her husband had found out another object of love.
She was ecstatic because she was the loving wife of a man to whom even the Great God had shown His eyes. The next morning Pillai Uranga Villidasan gives awayall his possessions, erects a small hut near Swamy Ramanuja’s Ashram and starts living there along with Ponnachi serving Swamy Ramanuja the entire life ….
.Let us seek our Acharyar to bestow devotion to Lord always ..
Another divine pastime is appended in the below link ..
The revered Azhwars and Acharyars take up upon themselves the burden of saving men who LORD gives up hopelessly for the reluctance in seeking HIM .
Do Acharyars really possess these virtue ?
An example is quoted from scriptures
By a Rishi’s curse a saint was consigned to the nether region , the hellish planets . The saint he was continued to follow his devotional practices with all sincerity .
The demons noting that the person could be a faction from devas , harassed him with their weapons . But as he was a devotee of LORD Sriman Narayana he proved invulnerable to them .
The worried demons approached their guru Shukra for a suggestion to wound the arrived devotee .
Shukra suggested ,
My dears !!
Begin by abstracting his love for Sri Hari and rest is assured for him to be in your grip …
The demons put on the disguise of devotees and making friendship with the saint practically explained that Sri Hari had neglected him so far even down to his confinement in the nether regions and hellish planets , and thus could certainly not be worthy of worship .
They spoke ill about Sri Hari relating to his deep misfortune .
All the efforts to rob his love to Sri Hari proved futile , but parallel y the saint exhibited a great compassion in his heart for the demons at sight of the profundity of their sinfulness.
The saint supplicated LORD to exhibit his abundant mercy on these sinful men for their offenses . The saints prayers had instant effect .
The demons turned into friends and were anon taken to Lord’s abode of bliss .
Thus the power of salvation vested in LORD manifests itself with redoubled vigor in the members of HIS holy abode …
Kulasekshara Azhwar wonders at the propensity of people to live lives steeped in sin, when there is any number of the Lord’s names, which one could chant and think about, capable of instantly cleansing of them of all sins.
Why could one not say
“Ananta”,
“Vaikunta”,
“Mukunda”,
“Krishna”,
”Govinda”,
“Damodara”,
“Madhava” and several holy names ……
which are incredibly sweet on the tongue and also act as purifiers, wonders Azhwar in the verses of ” Mukunda mala”
In a glowing tribute to the glory of the Lord’s holy names, Sri Tondarappodi Azhwar recounts the episode of a conversation between Mudgala and Yamadharma raja. Mudgala was a wicked person, guilty of several sins.
On one occasion, unknowingly , he gifted a cow to a brahmin , accompanying it with the words,
“Let this be for Krishna” (“KrishNAya nama:”) as he heard this verse many times from others .
When he left his mortal coils , and reached YamalOka, Yamadharmaraja received him with all respects and honour .
Mudgala was surprised and sought the reason for the unusual reception given to him .
Yamadharmaraja replied , the single word “Krishna” uttered by you during the “GodAnam” , had got rid him of all the evil.
The beneficial effects of the single utterance of the Krishna nAma did not stop with Mudgala.
Those residing in the hell who listened to the conversation between Yama and Mudgala, and heard Krishna nAmA, were instantly absolved of their sins. What is more, the entire hell was immediately transformed into heaven, lock, stock and barrel.
Such indeed is the efficacy of the holy name of the Lord, which is capable of benefiting even those who utter or listen to it, by sheer accident, without any instinct of devotion or adulation.
For those who are unable even to utter the short and sweet names of the Lord, Azhwar has another prescription for saving them from the fires of hell.
A mere mention of the hallowed abodes of Emperuman would, by itself, ensure that none goes to Hell , indeed, if everyone were to just say the name of a divyadesam once, it would render the hellish worlds uninhabited and desolate, says Azhwar in the following pasuram—
Swami Thiru-kachchi Nambi occupies a very unique position, both as an Acharyar, and as an advanced devotee in srivaishnava guru parampara .
Swamy Nambi is one of the very few devotees with whom the Lord Himself conversed regularly. Swami Thirukkachchi nambi appeared in a place called poo irunda valli (currently called poonamallee, near Chennai ) which falls on 7th March 2025 Maasi Mrigasira Nakshatra this year .
Swamy moved to kAnchIpuram, and started performing devotional service to LORD Varadaraja at Kancheepuram temple
His unique service was to fan the Lord of Kanchi, Swami Varadaraja, everyday in the late morning-early afternoon, and in the night before Lord takes rest . While doing the fanning service (called thiru-Ala-vatta Kainkaryam in tamil), Lord Varadaraja used to converse with Swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi about the happenings around the world.
The topics used to be anything from how the temple was being run, to the happenings in the city of Kanchipuram and esoteric topics about philosophy. The Lord considered swami thiru-k- kachchi nambi as His closest friend, and talked to him just like any friend would.
All this was due to the great qualities of swami thiru-k- kachchi nambi – his supreme devotion to Lord Varadaraja, his being devoid of any ego, and his being a true servant of the Lord, wanting no other thing but service to the Lord.
One incident in his life is used to show how much Lord cared for him. One morning, after the morning holy rituals were completed in the temple, everyone left as usual. Lord Varadaraja and Swami thiru-k- kachchi nambi were discussing , with Swami thiru-k-kachhci nambi performing the usual Kainkaryam of fanning the Lord. They were immersed on some interesting topic, and time passed without both of them noticing. Suddenly , It began to rain very heavily. The time for thiru-k- kachchi nambi to go home for his afternoon prasadam arrived, and Lord seemed to be resting. So, swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi took leave from Lord, and went outside the covered Mantapam.
It was raining very heavily, and hence he could not move out . He was getting concerned that if he is delayed now, then he will be delayed coming back to the temple for evening services. Suddenly, an aged Sri Vaishnava person appeared with an umbrella, and told swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi that Lord Varadaraja had instructed him to accompany swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi to his home with the umbrella, and bring him back.
Swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi was very moved with this kindness, and thanked the Sri Vaishnava and the Lord for the great help … Evening came, and swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi was delayed a little bit in starting for the temple. The Sri Vaishnava who accompanied him to his house was still there, waiting for him, so that he could accompany him back to the temple. Meanwhile, in the temple, the priests arrived to start performing the evening rituals.
When they entered the sanctum sanctum, they were shocked and taken aback. The Lord was not there in the temple! They looked everywhere, and the Lord was not there!
They were much worried, and were waiting for swami thiru-k- kachchi nambi to come back so that they can ask him if he knew where the Lord went, or if the Lord was upset with some mistake that might have happened.
After sometime, Swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi came along with the SriVaishnava. The priests immediately went to him, and explained the situation, and asked him with great concern if he knew anything. Swamithiru-k-kachchi nambi told them he had no idea about what might have happened, and immediately started shedding tears .
After all, Lord Varadaraja was not just the Supreme Being to him… He was also his closest friend. Swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi was anxious about the sudden happenings . Offering prayers silently he attempted to check all the places he was familiar inside the temple ,like how a father would search for his lovable child so as to get any clues from there. He went to the usual place of the Lord, and lo and behold, the Lord was there,smiling and with a very satisfied look on His lotus face!
Immediately, swami thiru-k-kachci nambi rushed to the priests and conveyed the happy news about the great Lord arrving … Everyone wanted to celebrate, and looked for the Sri Vaishnava who had accompanied swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi so that they could invite him to join the celebrations too. They could not find him. He had vanished. When the priests went near the Lord to start performing the services ,they saw water droplets on Him! Everyone now realized what had happened.
The Lord Himself, unable to bear the thought of swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi getting wet by the rain, had accompanied him to his home. Not only that, He waited there so that He could accompany swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi back to the temple! Such was the greatness of the revered Acharyar Swami thiru-k-kachchi nambi…
Later during his last days , once Swamy Thirukachi nambhigal while continuing his fanning service to Lord Sri Varadaraja Perumal his aalavattam (fan) slipped and fell down…. Very disturbed he realized his body was not supporting his most blessed kainkaryam ….
Thirukachi Nambh was sad .. He realized that the time for him to leave this materialistic world had come as the body was not serving its purpose of serving the Supreme Lord Nambhi offers obeisances and submits to LORD and requests Perumal to grant him liberation as he is not able to be of any use to Lord with his physical body . Lord Varadaraja Perumal smiles and replies
My dear Nambee !!… granting Moksham needs “Bhaagavatha Sambhandham”. Your fanning made me speak to you ..
“Neer Veesiner, Naan Pessinen”. Thirukachi Nambhigal understands that devotees association is paramount in the process of Moksha. He decides to “earn” some Bhaagavatha Abhimaanam by serving the pure devotees .
He takes permission from Lord Varadaraja and proceeds to the home of the great Acharya Thirukostiyur Nambhi at Thirukoshtiyur a place near to Madurai
He realises that Thirukostiyur Nambhi (Swami Ramanuja’s acharya) would not accept as a domestic help someone whom Lord Varadaraja himself had conversed with. So Thirukachi Nambhigal under the guise of a common peasant meets some of his disciples and introduces himself as Gajendra Dasan (his Birth name) and requests for some small work at their ashram … Unaware that he was the great devotee , Thirukostiyur Nambhigal asks his disciples to engage him to take care of his cows and bullocks in the Goshala . Always in the mood of serving Lord Varadaraja he takes up the new service of go seva Thirukachi Nambhigal was relieved and happy that he has had got an opportunity to serve a great Acharya. Days pass …
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The routine service in the Goshala , grazing the cows , fetching fodder , milking the cows , farming with bullock by the disciples was supervised by Nambhigal ..
One rainy day the Goshala boys report to Thirukostiyur Nambhigal about few cows missing from the cow shed due to thunder and unexpected rain . Acharyar asks for Thirukachinambi as he doesn’t want the boys to get drenched in the heavy rains and blowing winds. Thirukostiyur Nambhi decides to look for the cows by himself . Thirukachi Nambhigal very eager to serve Acharyar , instantly replies .. “Adiyen”… your servant is awaiting for your instructions ….
Thirukostiyur Nambhi is surprised as the voice is unique …and looks in the direction of the voice. To his wonder, Thirukachi Nambhigal had already brought the cows home and covered them with his own clothes .
Thirukoshtiyur Nambhi is instantly pleased at Thirukachi nambhigal’s devotion . He calls his wife and advises her to honor the disciple with prasad…. Since his Master had called him as his own disciple he is overjoyed that signifies a relationship ….and hence Bhagavatha Sambandham Nambhi is overjoyed ….
Thirukoshtiyur Nambi is shocked to see Nambigal real identity . He honours him and discuss esoteric truths
He reveals his identity and narrates the sequence of incidents that led him to coming as Gajandra dasan to Thirukostiyur Nambhigal. Thanking his Acharyar for the association he takes leave to Kancheepuram.
Lord Varadaraja is happy to see his dear devotee friend . Like an eager mother expecting her child back, Lord Varadaraja with open arms welcomes Nambhigal right at the steps and praises Thirukachi Nambhigal’s steadfast devotion and affection.
The emotional outpour “Devaraja Ashtakam”,glorifying the Lord’s boundless love for His Bakthas is revealed ……and the pains of this materialistic world!
Swamy Nambhigal attains moksham to serve Sriman Narayana in Sri Vaikuntam permanently . 7-3-25 is Swamy Thirukachi Nambi 1016 th appearance day ( Thirunakshatram) …. lets pray for steadfast devotion from our revered Acharyar … Adiyen Ramanuja dasan Pics : Courtesy Google images and several advanced devotees Videos : Sri Devanathan & Sri Padmanabhan..
They were much worried, and were waiting for swami thiru-k- kachchi nambi to come back so that they can ask him if he knew where the Lord went, or if the Lord was upset with some mistake that might have happened.
One rainy day the Goshala boys report to Thirukostiyur Nambhigal about few cows missing from the cow shed due to thunder and unexpected rain .
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