Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

Srimath Varavara Munaye Nama:

வி இ ெபா பி விாி நீ விய உலக * உ நி உட பசி.

இ ம லக கட நீரா த ஆயி - மைழ இ ைலெயனி பசியி

ெகா ைம உலைக வா ட - எ ப தி வ வ வா . Rains are needed ~ they are but common in the Tamil month of Aippasi – but it has been raining so heavily

that the downpours are causing trouble to people of Tamilnadu – many roads have

water stagnation, vehicles getting struck, bridges broken at some places, some lives lost

and normal life has been thrown out of gear. When it rains, it is common to see people

walking with umbrellas of various hues.

This morning, things were different at Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam – in the morning,

devotees had the fortune of seeing ‘Kaithala Sevai’ ~ [Lord Parthasarathi and consorts

being carried in the hands of the battars] – then the umbrellas were getting opened up –

not the usual two or four – but 10 pairs, yes twenty of them, nay not the black one that

humans use - spotless white parasols – the divine kodais and along with that hundreds

of Srivaishnavaites, many of them sporting the traditional ‘Urthva Pundram – the

Pannirandu Thiruman” – for today is the most important day for us all – ‘Thirumoolam

in Aippasi’ the day commemorating the birth of divine Acharyar Swami Manavala

Mamunigal.

ைவ ணவ தி ெசா க மியான ேலாக ைவ ட தி நிக த க மதிய

பைடெய பா ப லாயிர கண காேனா ேகாயிைல , ந ெப மாைள

பா கா பணியி ஈ ப இ யி ஈ தன . மா அ ப ஆ க

ேமலாக ேகாயி , ேகாயி நி வாக த பி த வரலா ைவ ணவ தி

ஏ களி ஓ இ ட காலமா . இதனா பா ப இ த இ கால தி ,பைழய

ெப ைமகைள மீ ஒளிர, ைவ ணவ எ ஆலமர தைழ க

ராமா ஜாி ம அவதாரமாக ேதா றினா மணவாள மா னிக .

Mamunigal is fondly known as ‘Yatheendra Pravanar’ arising out of his irresistible

attachment to the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujar [Yatheendrar]. Sri Manavala Mamunigal

is the incarnation of Adisesha. He was born in Sikkil Kidaram in AD 1370. At birth he

was known as ‘Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanaar’. Later he was hailed in very

many names such as ‘Yatheendra Pravanar’, Ramyajamathru, Saumyajamatru, Visada-

Vak-Sikhamani , Varayogi, Varavaramuni and more…..

His parents were Thigazhakidanthan Thirunaveerudayapiran Thatharannan, a

disciple of Sri Pillailokacarya, and Sriranga nachiyar.. He became a sishya of

Tiruvaimozhip pillai. Manavala mamuni's devotion to Nammalvar, Ramanuja and to his

own Acharya grew as he studied the Alwar's hymns and rahasyas at Alvar Thirunagari.

He lived for 73 years on this earth performing many Kainkaryams at Sri Rangam and

undertook many pilgrimages to many Sri Vaishnava Divyadesams spreading

knowledge and bakthi culture. His patent style was to elucidate the pramanams fully

‘following the words of the Purvarcharyas without deviating a wee bit’. He filled his

vyakhyana granthas with the words of purvAcharyas. As followers of Mamunigals,

duty thus is cast on us to understand the significance of preserving, maintaining,

supporting and following the rituals and customs associated with all our traditional

Temples.

For a Srivaishnavaite, Kainkaryam is essential; Selfless and unconditional “kainkaryam

i.e., service to Lord” cleanses the soul of the performer. One must adore and be attached

to their Acharyan and only the direction of Acharyar will lift us from all earthly evils –

and for Us fallen at the feet called ‘Ponnadiyam Sengamalam’ – Swami Manavala

Mamunigal will direct us and take us to salvation. Those of us who try and uphold the

ideals of our religion and its cultural heritage, will sure be benfitted as it then becomes

the responsibility of Acharya to take care of Sishya's Atma guna poorthi.

Of the many works, ‘Upadesa Rathinamalai’ is one which all of us should know and

recite regularly. There are 73 paasurams + thanian given by Kovil Kandadai annan and

another one rendered by Erumbiappa. In the introductory remarks, Swami

Maamunigal declares that he is performing upadesam for the future generations in strict

accordance with the upadesam that he himself received from his Achaaryan,

Thiruvaaimozhip piLLai and his AchArya paramparai.

Here is a pasuram in which our Acharyar richly glorifies our Purvas. Mamunigal takes

pledge :

ஆ வா க ஏ ற அ ளி ெசய ஏ ற *

தா வா இ றி அைவதா வள ேதா * ஏ பா

உ ய அவ க ெச த வியா கிையக உ ளெத லா *

ைவய அறிய பக ேவா வா .

…… to celebrate the vaibhavams and commentaries of those imbued in Bakthi, the

Azhwargal and those reverred Purvacharyas and always hold them in highest esteem –

he says it is his bounded duty to talk of those commentaries to all those people in seven

Worlds for their spiritual upliftment.

His another magnum open is - Thiruvaimozhi Nutrandhadhi, which presents essence of

Nammazhvar’s Thiruvaimozhi in hundred sweet verses of poetry, with each verse

capturing the essence of a decad (a decad comprises approximately ten songs). The

literary structure of this work is worth an independent study in its own right.

Mamunigal has set this in Venpa style, a metrical prosody comprising four lines; in

every song he conveys the essence (tatparya) of a decad of Thiruvaimozhi, in every

verse he extols Nammalwar by his various names and yet has striven to keep the

Anthathi style of composition, thereby beginning each verse with the same word the

previous verse ended with. A real classic !

In the few years that he lived on this earth, Sri Varavara Muni physically ensured

renovation of numerous temples, reorganised rituals and set up ways of worship and

ensured continuance of traditions through his eight famous disciples known as

Ashtadiggajas (elephants of the eight directions). Sri Vanamamalai Mutt at Nanguneri

was established by Mamunigal through his first disciple Sri Ponnadikkal Jeeyar in 1410.

At Thiruvallikkeni Divyaesam around 07.45 am – Manavala Mamunigal came out with

Sri Parthasarathi for a grand purappadu – the 20 pairs of parasols were getting ready –

then it rained and rained so heavily for the next hour or so. Upadesa Rathinamalai

goshti was rendered at gopura vasal before Swami Nammalwar sannithi and there was

thiruvanthikappu.

The last few photos depict what one missed today – the procession of umbrellas for

Acharyar. இ ப ப ட கீ திமி ர ய(அழகிய) ஜாமாதர(மணவாள)

னி(மா னிக )க தி வ க ப லா ,ப லா பா ேவா

"ம யி கா ! இ ேக மணவாளமா னிவ

ெபா ன யா ெச கமல ேபா கைள- உ னி

சிர தாேல தீ அமானவ ந ைம

கர தாேல தீ ட கட "

Adiyen Srinivasa dhasan. 15th Nov. 2o15.

~~ and what we missed out today – from yesteryears !!!!