04 chithirai 2015

மாதம் ஒரு முறை ததசிக தசறை

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Darsanam, Chithirai 2015

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Chithrai Rohini

Swami Engalazhwan was born in the family of a Poorvashika-srivaishnava

in Thiruvellarai. His thirunakshathram is Chithirai Rohini. His parents had named

him 'Vishnuchithan' after Swami Periyazhwar. He was about 80 years younger

than Swami Ramanuja. Nothing is known about his parents, his education and so

forth. One has to note that great acharyas were content to be disciples of Swami

Ramanuja. They didn't like to bring their greatness in the limelight.

Swami

Ramanuja embarked upon the

task of writing Sribhashya, a

commentary on the Brahmasutras

of Sage VedaVyasa. He asked

Swami Kooratthazhwan to write

down the commentary as he

dictated. Unfortunately for him,

Swami Koortthazhwan became

blind because

of Krimikantachozhan. He could not continue writing Sribhashya. He searched for a

scholar who could help him finish the text. He learnt about Swami

Engalazhwan(actually Vishnuchithar) and decided he would be the apt person to write

down Sribashyam as he dictated.

He began dictating the remaining part. He was very pleased with

Vishnuchithar's knowledge. He compared him with Swami Kooratthazhwan and

embraced him calling him 'Engal Azhwano!' (Your knowledge equals that of our

Azhwan (Kooratthazhwan)). Vishnuchithar henceforth was known as Engal azhwan

Swami Ramanuja made Swami Engalazhwan a disciple of Thirukkurukaippiran Pillan.

Swami Ramanuja made Swami Nadathur azhwan as one of the important

acharyas who were involved in spreading Sribhashyam. Nadathur Azhwan's grandson

was Vatsya Varada or Nadathur Ammal. He started teaching the young lad

sribhashya. The enthusiastic lad asked piercing questions. By then his grandfather had


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become very old and he couldn't patiently clarify the doubts. He said "Engalazhwan

will clarify all your doubts. Request him to teach you.

The lad knocked at the door of Swami Engalazhwan's thirumaligai. Swami

Engalazhwan asked "Who is it?" The lad replied "Naan thaan.(It's I)". Swami told him

"Naan setthapin vaa (come after you get rid of ahankara.)" The perplexed lad

conveyed this to his grandfather. His grandfather pointed out that he must have

spoken with respect and he must have used 'Adiyen' instead of 'Naan'. He then went

to Swami Engalazhwan and said 'Adiyen'. He stated the purpose for which he had

come. Swami decided to take him as a disciple on the condition that he would perform

his last rites as swami didn't have a son. Once he accepted this, Swami started

teaching him.

Nadathur ammal went on to become a great scholar. He has authored a few

texts as well. His masterpiece is 'Tatvasara',

a work comprising about hundred elegant

slokas that explain important concepts in

sribhashya. The first sloka of Tatvasara is

Swami Engalazhwan's taniyan. The

meaning of the sloka runs as follows:

"My mind craves for the union of the lotus

feet of Swami Engalazhwan and I don't

regard anything as superior to it. I don't

need anything other than the lotus feet,

but for which, I, a dull person, could not

have understood and be able to tell others,

the inner meaning of Swami Ramanuja's

words, which have deep meanings.

Swami Engalazhwan was also called AmmalAcharyar since he was the acharya

of Nadathur Ammal. Even now, swamis in his dynasty are called Ammalacharya Swami

and the word 'Ammal ' is prefixed to their names.

Swami Nadathur Ammal taught sribashya as he had learnt it from Swami

Engalazhwan to many disciples in the Devapperumal Sannidhi, Kanchipuram.

Sudarsana Battar, also called Sruthaprakashikacharya, was the foremost among them.


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He had an excellent memory. He wrote an elaborate commentary,

Sruthaprakashika, on Sribhashyam. The very name Sruthaprakashika shows that he

has only brought out what he has heard (from his acharyas) in a written form. It is

very difficult to understand the full meaning of

Sribhashyam without the help of this text. It contains

the meanings that were told by Swami Engalazhwan

to Nadathur Ammal and by him to Sudarsanabattar.

Swami Engalazhwan has written a

commentary, Vishnuchitheeyam, on Vishnupurana,

which is the most important of all the puranas and

which is revered as a gem by Swami Aalavandaar.

This is the only work of Swami Engalazhwan which is

available to us. He has also written

PrameyaSangraham, Sangathimaala and Gadya -

Vyakyana. These texts are no more available.

A few precious words said by Swami Engalazhwan on occassions are available

in Varthamaala, a collection of words of our acharyas. In one of these, he tells the

basic qualities of an acharya and explains the most important tenets of

Srivaishnavasampradaya in 'Saraarthachathushtayam'.

Once there was a doubt in the minds

of the disciples of Swami Nampillai. Nampillai

remarked "Swami Engalazhwan is well versed in

all the sastras. Ask him."

In his old age, Swami Engalazhwan taught

sribhashya in Kollangondan, a place near

Madurai. He spent his last days in the same

place. His thiruvarasu is in Kollangondan to this

day.

Sourced from Net.

By Smt. Rajashree Venkatesan

Muscat

Ramanujar offers Sribhashya simhasanam to Sri. Nadadru Azhwan


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Sri Varadaguru later came to be known as Nadadoor Ammal, was the son of

Devaraja Mahadesikan. He was born on the full moon day of Chitra month with Chitra

nakshatra. (Some researchers have come to the conclusion that he was born during

1165 A.D. the corresponding Tamil year being ‘Parthiva’). Varadaguru was well-trained

by his erudite father in all faculties, and the

father decided to teach Sri Bhashyam to his

son. On an auspicious day Devaraja

Mahadesikan commenced the teaching with the

invocation of the song which began with the

words ‘Akhila Bhuvana’. The young Varadaguru

stopped his father with a question, ‘Why should

Emperumaanar choose the word ‘Akhila’

instead of words like ‘sakala ‘nikhila’, when all

of them denote the same meaning? The happy

and surprised father, however, answered his

son that Udayavar’s choice of word was to

begin his magnum opus with the first alphabet representing Lord Narayana Devaraja,

at the same time knew well that he being old did not have enough strength to appease

the intellectual hunger of his boy. So he decided to send him to Engal Azhwan of

Thiruvellarai. Engal Azhwan, called so by Ramanuja himself, had helped Nadadoor

Azhwan in scribing the work as Koorathazhwan had become blind. Engal Azhwan had

a good training under Thirukkurukaippiran Pillan and had retired to Thiruvellarai to

spend his life in solitude.

An interesting episode between the master and disciple is illuminating. At

Thiruvellarai, Varadaguru found out Engal Azhwan’s residence and tapped at the door.

The teacher asked “Who is that?” The student replied, “I am Varadan, Kanchi

Nadadoor Devaraja Mahadesikan’s son.” The teacher replied,” Whoever it is come

after “I” die. The perplexed Varadan returned home and asked his father. The father

explained that the word “I” denotes ego or ahamkara and the teacher had only asked


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him to shed off his ego and then approach him. Moreover according to Srivaishnava

tradition, there is no “I” or “me”, there is only the beautiful word ‘adiyen’.Varadan

realized his mistake and prostrated before Engal Azhwan who adopted him not only

as disciple but also as his beloved son. Both of them traveled together, worshipped

the arca forms in the temples and finally reached a small hamlet Kollagonda, near

Srivilliputtur.Engal Azhwan wrote a commentary to ‘Vishnu Puranam’ and in course of

time reached his heavenly abode. As an obedient son, Varadasuri performed all funeral

rites and at Thiruvellarai installed the arca form of his Acharya. It can be seen in this

image form, Varadaguru is seated at the feet of his master. He has also shown his

deep Acharya Bhakti in the dhyana sloka of his work Tattva sara. Varadaguru gave

the responsibility of looking after the arca forms at Thiruvellarai to Engal Azhwan’s

daughter’s family. Later they came to be known as ‘Ammalacharyas’. Having done his

duty to his guru, Varadaguru returned to Kanchipuram.

Varadaguru's Kalakshepa Lectures

At Kanchi, Varadaguru began his Sri Bhashya teaching near ‘Kachi vayththan

Mantapam’ the eastern side of the temple sanctum sanctorum. He chose this spot

because this was the place where the Lord Himself sowed the seeds of Sri Bhashya,

as answers to the six questions postulated by Sri Ramanuja by Thirukachchi Nambigal.

The answers are:

1) I, Consort of sri is Brahman

2) Jivas are different from each other, they are different from Me. Hence my

philosophy is ‘Bheda’ or differentiation.

3) Surrender or Saranagati is the best and simple means to reach Me.

4) Those who surrender to Me need not necessarily think about Me in the last

moments.

5) Liberation or Moksha is only possible after shedding the mortal body.

6) Sri Periya Nambigal must be the Guru to Ramanuja.

Varadaguru made several pilgrimages and won in debate, Sivasular, a Saivite at

Sethu, Ananda Madhavacharya at the court of the Chola king and the fanatic

Kumbisutan before the king of Kasi. The Kasi king honoured him by placing him on

the Sarada Peeth. Varadaguru composed ‘Hetirajastavam’ and saved a possessed


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Brahmin. After his pilgrimage, he returned to Kanchi and continued his Sri Bhashya

Upanyasa. His sweet rendering and excellent discourse attracted many disciples like

Appullar alias Atreya Ramanuja, Vadakku Thiruveethipillai, and Sudarshana Suri, the

great grandson of KoorathAzhwan.

Shrutaprakashika

These students used to listen to his lecture attentively and by their pertinent

questions, now and then got clarification from their learned master. But Sudarshana

Suri alone would remain quiet; he had no questions to ask. His mates discarded him

as dud. One day, as usual, the students had assembled in the lecture hall. But the

teacher was not willing to begin the lecture since Sudarshana Suri had not turned up.

The other students compelled the master to begin the discourse saying that the

presence or absence of the stone like Sudarshana Suri during the discourse was one

and the same. The master regretted to hear these words and knowing Sudarshana

Suri’s deep scholarship, decided to prove it to the class. During the course of the

lecture, the Acharya asked Sudarshana Suri to explain a simple phrase. To everyone’s

surprise Sudarshana Suri not only gave the literal meaning but also the in depth

meanings given by his master in the previous occasion. The teacher himself did not

expect this. But Sudarshana Suri told him that he had a habit of scribing the content

of the discourse every night on palm leaves and presented the script to Varadaguru.

It was ‘Shrutaprakashika’- the illuminations of what he had heard, and hence the

name, this Shrutaprakashika is the commentary to Sri Bhashya. Later Sudarsana

Bhattar elaborated and completed it in 36,000 grantas. In its survival,

Shrutaprakashika saw many vicissitudes in the national scene, including the invasion

of Maliq Gaffor. Sri Swami Desikan did a remarkable service to protect the script by

feigning death and lying like a dead man among corpses.

Varadaguru becomes Ammal

Varadaguru had the deepest Bhakti to Varadraja. One night when he was

worshipping the deity in an ecstatic mood, the priest brought very hot milk to the Lord

as Nivedana. Varadaguru was deeply distressed that such hot milk would burn the

tender tongue of the Lord! He stopped the priest from offering the hot milk and began

cooling it down until it was warm enough to be drunk. The Lord himself was moved


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by the Vatsalya of Varada and called him ‘Amma’ – my mother! From then onwards

Varadaguru became Nadadoor Ammal. After this episode, in a dream one night,

Lord Varadaraja commanded Ammal to erect a Mantapam for His Vasantotsavam.

Accordingly Ammal fulfilled the Lord’s desire, just as a mother would fulfill the wishes

of her son in spite of difficulties.

Once Ammal and his disciples undertook a pilgrimage to Tirumalai hills. Their

graceful personality and behavior attracted all. Kandavaran, the leader of the Lada

race was annoyed and irritated to see them. He decided to disturb them. With his

mantric power he made the disciples unconscious. Ammal meditated and chanted the

Sudarsana mantra and his own composition ‘Hetipungavastotram’ and broke the spell.

The angry Kandavaran called Ammal for a debate and when defeated surrendered to

the Acharya himself. The benevolent guru not only excused him but also made him a

Srivaishnava by offering him Panchasamskaras.With the money offered by

Kandavaran, Ammal established a beautiful village and named

it ‘Ladagraharam’. Then he continued his journey. On the way, the Lord himself

came as a young Brahmachari and appeased the hunger of the pilgrims with curd and

rice. At the same time, there was a big commotion in the temple as the silver vessel

with the naivedyam had suddenly disappeared. Lord Venkateswara Himself announced

to the temple authorities that He Himself fed his dear Ammal and his disciples and

that they should receive Ammal with all temple honours.

Benediction to Sri Vedanta Desikan

Ammal continued his Sri Bhashya Pravachana at the ripe old age of hundred.

Appullar, one of his disciples, had gone to visit his sister Totaramba at Thoopul.

When he returned to Kanchi, his five year old nephew, Venkatanathan also

accompanied him. As soon as he reached Kanchi, he went to see his beloved teacher.

At that moment, Ammal was lecturing on Sri Bhashyam referring to the portion there

on the importance of Vishnu Puranam. He was explaining the greatness of its author

Parasarar, by explicating the opening phrase of a hymn, ‘Patayi Parasarasatam’. The

teacher stopped his discourse abruptly when Appullar and his nephew prostrated

before him. Ammal was attracted by the beauty of the child. On enquiry Appullar told


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him that the child was born after his sister’s pilgrimage to Thirumalai hills, when she

dreamt of swallowing the big bell of the temple. No wonder the child had a divine

look. Ammal blessed the child and tried to pick up the discourse from where it stopped.

He could not get the link, nor could anyone present guide him. To everyone’s surprise,

little Venkatanathan prattled the Prakrit phrase and thus reminded the Acharya.

Ammal’s joy knew no bounds and he understood that the child was an incarnation. He

blessed the divine child with all his heart and soul that he would establish the Vedanta

creed and be a terror to the religiose and their false arguments. Since he was very

old, he asked his disciple Appullar to be Venkatanathan’s guru and teach him Sri

Bhashya. That Ammal’s grace alone had made the ordinary

Venkatanatha into Vedanta Desika has been repeatedly stated by Sri Desikan

himself in his works like Adhikarana Saravali, Tattva mukta kalaapam, Nyaya

Sidhdhanjanam and Tatvatika. The same sloka with which Ammal blessed Swami

Desikan has been included by Sri Desikan in his Sankalpa Suryodayam. Sri Desikan’s

son also has recorded in the Mangalasasanam of his father about this benediction of

Nadadoor Ammal.

Works of Nadadoor Ammal

The following nineteen works have been given by Ammal.

1) Tattvasaram

2) Prapanna Parijatam

3) Prameyamala

4) Annika Choodamani

5) Aradhana kramam

6) Prameya Saram

7) Mangalasasanam

8) Jnana saram

9) Jayanti Nirupanam

10) Hetiraja Stavam

11) Rahasya Sangraham

12) Chaturlakshana Sangraham

13) Paratattva Nirnayam


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14) Dramidopanishad Sangraham

15) Sri Bhashya Sangraham

16) Prataranusadeya Slokas

17) Paramartha Slokadvayam

18) Paratvadi Panchakam

19) Yatilinga Samartanam

Ammal and After

After a long life of one hundred and ten years, Ammal departed to his heavenly

home on the Shukla paksha Panchami of the Masi month, Yuva year (1275

A.D.). Nadadoor Ammal had four sons, Sri Varadavishnu, Sri Devaraja, Sri

Sudarshanar and Sri Hethisa.

The biography of Sri Nadadoor Ammal has been complied from two

works, Varadadesikabhyudayam and Varadadesika VaibhavaPrakasika. The author of

these two works, Mimasa Vallabhar says that the former Kavya with eight sargas is an

abridged form of Charya dipam of Hemamali Desikar. Both the authors are

descendents of Nadadoor Ammal. Mimamsa Vallabhar has nine works on Nadadoor

Ammal alone:

1) Varadadesika Suprabhatam

2) Varadadesika Dandakam

3) Varadadesika gaddyam

4) Varadadesika Panchashat

5) Varadadesika Ashtotra Shatanama Stotram

6) Varadadesika Vaibhava Prakasika

7) Varadadesika Sambhavana kramam

8) Varadadesika Prabhava deepam

9) Varadadesikabhyudayam

By Smt. Rajalakshmi Vendkatesan,

Muscat.


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Current condition of the temple which needs urgent need for renovation


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04 chithirai 2015