(Translation from the Tamil mUlam)
SrI ViSishTAdvaita siddhAntam has been established and grown by BhagavAn, SrIman Narayanan Himself. He in turn performed upadeSam to PirATTi on them and She taught the tenets of this siddhAntam to Vishvaksenar, the commander-in-chief of the army of Her Lord. Vishvaksenar initiated in turn SvAmi NammAzhvAr in to this precious knowledge. SrIman Nathamunigal was blessed next to receive this upadeSam from SrI Vishvaksenar. VyAsa Maharishi introduced the meanings of the Upanishads briefly during the dvApara Yugam as sUtrams (aphorism-s). The Maharishis like Brahmanandi, Danka, dramiDa, BodhAyana and Guhadeva provided commentaries for these sUtrams known as BrahmasUtrams. BodhAyana’s commentaries known as BrahmasUtra vrutti are elaborate in scope. SrI Ramanujar followed the BodhAyana vrutti and presented us with his own commentary known as SrI BhAshyam. SvAmi DeSikan created a MaNipravALa grantham known as sampradAya pariSuddhi for SrI BhAshyam. He has reminded us that the meanings of our sampradAya granthams like SrI BhAshyam has to be learnt in “ஓராண்ஒருவழி” (OrAN oruvazhi) or the method of learning through a succession of sadAcAryAs to protect their traditional meanings. SvAmi DeSikan has emphasized the need for learning and protecting the meanings of the lore of spiritual knowledge only through qualified AcAryAs, who in turn have themselves acquired their knowledge in this traditional and orderly manner. He has stated that the “adhyAtma SAstra artha viSesha nirNayam” or the determination of the correct and esoteric meanings of the adhyAtma SAstrams can be established only through the studies under sadAcAryAs. He has pointed out that the sacred Upanishads and upabrahmaNams that explain the meanings of the Vedas, attest to the importance of artha viSesha nirNayam through sadAcArya sambandham. It is therefore very important for us to know very well our adhyAtma SAstra ParamparA (sadacArya lineage), which has upheld the sampradAya PariSuddhi of our sacred texts in tact.
नाथोपज्ञं प्रवृत्तं बहुभिरुपचितं य़ामुनेयफ्रबन्धै: त्रातं सम्यग्यतीन्द्रैः इदमखिलतम: कर्शनं दर्सनं नः॥
1 nAthopaj~nam pravrttam bahubhirupacitam yAmuneyakaprabandhaiH | trAtam samyagyatIndraiH idamakhilatamaH karSanam darSanam naH || — tattvamuktAkalApam V.136
SrIman Nathamungal recited the divine ten pAsurams of Madhurakavi AzhvAr, the ardent disciple of SrI NammAzhvAr, “KaNNinuN ciRuttAmpu” twelve thousand times and had the great good fortune of sAkshAtkAram (direct visualization) of SvAmi NammAzhvAr in person and the rare honor of being initiated in to the Four Thousand Sacred Collect (nAlAyira divya prabandham) and adhyAtma SAstrams. SrIman Nathamunigal passed on this precious j~nAnam about ViSishTAdvaita siddhAntam through His Sishya ParamparA of Manakkal Nambi, SvAmi Alavandar, Periyanambigal and SrI Ramanuja. Through this illustrious Sishya paramparA, SrI ViSishTAdvaita AcArya paramparA nourished the SrI VaishNava siddhAntams. SvAmi DeSikan saluted this AcArya paramparA and declared that he reaches the sacred feet of the Supreme Being, SrIman Narayanan securely through this sadAcArya paramparA:
என்னுயிர் தந்தளித்தவரைச் சரணம் புக்கி யானடைவே யவர் குருக்கள் நிரை வணங்கிப் பின்னருளால் பெரும்பூதூர் வந்தவள்ளல் பெரியநம்பி ஆளவந்தார் மணக்கால் நம்பி நன்நெறியை அவர்க்குரைத்த உய்யக்கொண்டார் நாதமுனி சடகோபன் சேனை நாதன் இன்னமுதத் திருமகள் என்றிவரை முன்னிட்டு எம்பெருமான் திருவடிகள் அடைகின்றேனே. —அதிகாரசங்கிரகம் - பாசுரம் 3
ennnuyir tantaLittavarai caraNam pukki yAnadaivE yavar gurukkaL nirai vaNangip pinnaruLAl perumbUtUr vanta vaLLal periyanambi ALavandAr maNakkAl nambi nanneRiyai avarkkuraitta uyyakkoNDAr nAthamuni caDagopan cEnainAthan [[2]] innamudat tirumakal enRivarai munniTTu emperumAn tiruvaDikal aDaikinREne. — adhikAra sangraham, pAsuram 3
(Meaning: My AcArya performed good upadeSams for aDiyEn and revealed that my soul is the indisputable servant to the Parama Purushan, SrIman Narayanan. aDiyEn prostrates before him. aDiyEn bows before my AcArya and his AcArya and the higher up in that hierarchy up to SrI BhAshyakArar. After that aDiyEn prostrates before SrI BhAshyakArar, Periya Nambi, Alavandar, Manakkal Nambi, Uyyakkondar, Nathamuni, NammAzhvAr, Vishvaksenar, Periya PirATTi and fall at the sacred feet of SrIman Narayanan, who is the Supreme AcArya for all).
The vaibhavam of the above AcAryAs and their paramparA starting with Nathamuni were celebrated in a continuous manner at SrI NrusimhapriyA. This is known to all. The glory of such postings written in a pleasing manner without missing any sampradAyic artha viSeshams belong to SrI. u.vE. Purisai Nadadur KrishnNamachariyar SvAmi.
This celebrated scholar was born in SrIvatsa gotram. Those born in SrIvatsa gotram are known for their ParadevatA pAramArthya jnAnam (i.e.), they have clear knowledge (vivekam) as to who is the paradevatA (The Supreme Lord) among all devatAs. They are paramaikAntis. They know this ParadevatA is none other than SrIman Narayanan. They seek Him alone as the unfailing grantor of the Supreme moksham (Moksha dAyakan) known as the Supreme Goal of Life (Parama PurushArtham). The sister’s sons of SrI Nathamuni were born in SrIvatsa gotram. SrI Nathamuni taught his nephews the Four Thousand divine collect (with rAga and tALA). He made sure that they spread that divya prabandha jnAnam to many others.
SvAmi DeSikan saluted the talented and devoted nephews as “நற்காதலடியவர் (naRkkAtalaDiyavar)”. Sri Nadadur AzhvAn is an offspring of the bhAgineya vamSam. AzhvAn, the sister’s son of BhAshyakArar was extremely helpful to AcArya Ramanuja in the creation of the Sri BhAshyam. Nadadur AzhvAn was born in that vamSam of Nadadur Ammal. His other name was Vaatsya Varada DeSikan. The discourses done by Nadadur Ammal at SrI Varadaraja Perumal Koyil became the basis of the SrI BhAshya VyAkhyAnam revered as “SrutaprakASikA”. SvAmi DeSikan was the one, who [[3]] protected the “SrutaprakASikA” for future generations by taking it with him to Karnataka during the time of Muslim invasion. The grandson of Nadadur Ammal is SrI GaTikASatam AmmAL. He could compose one hundred SlokAs in the short span of one gaTikA and derives his name based on his extraordinary skills. GaTikASatam Ammal is the AcArya of the founder-jIyar of SrI Ahobila maTham, SrI Adi VaN SaThakopa YatIndra MahA DeSikan. In this line was born, SrI Purisai Rangachariyar SvAmi, who was very much respected for his scholarship in the Vedas and SrI BhAshyAdi SAstrams. SrIman Rangachariyar’s son was Purisai Krishnamachariyar SvAmi. His grandson is Purisai Nadadur Krishnamachariyar SvAmi. Latter’s father was Sri Rangaramanujachariyar SvAmi. Sri Purisai Nadadur Krishnamachariyar SvAmi completed his full adhyayanam before he turned sixteen. He adorned the Kanchi Varadaraja Veda pArAyaNa goshThI. Injimettu Azhagiyasingar gave his daughter in marriage to Sri Rangaramanujachariyar SvAmi. Thus on the maternal and paternal side, Purisai Sri Krishnamachariyar SvAmi had a reputed lineage. He was born in the dundhubhi samvatsaram, AvaNi month, when Chitra Nakshatram was in ascendance. During the pregnancy of his mother, Injimettu Azhagiyasingar used to explain stories from Srimad Ramayanam and Srimad BhAgavatham to his daughter. Purisai SvAmi was Ajanma Suddhar (blemishless) like PrahlAdan from the time of his birth. He served as the sampAdakar for Sri Nrusimha PriyA for many years.
In the year 1942, Injimettu Azhagiyasingar entered in to sanyASramam. During that same year, Purisai SvAmi’s father ascended to Paramapadam. SvAmi was seven years old at that time. His uncle performed BrahmopadeSam to his nephew and he got him admitted to Veda pAThaSalA. After that, SvAmi joined Madurantakam pAThaSAlA and Tiruppati University, where he studied SAstras under Tirukkottiyur SvAmi, Sri Devanar Vilagam SvAmi and Tirukkallam SvAmi. He received the anugrahams of such scholars quite early in his life. SvAmi did the kAlakshepams on SrI BhAshyam, gItA BhAshyam, Bhagavad Vishayam and sankalpa sUryodayam under Sri Injimedu Azhagiyasingar during his pUrvASramam. He continued with his kAlakshepams after Injimedu SvAmi ascended to the simhAsanam of SrI maTham. He has published the third and the fourth adhyAyams of SrI BhAshyam in Tamil. This book is titled as “Sukha bodhini”. This book is very helpful to those, who might not have deep SAstra j~nAnam. He is a renowned kAlakshepa adhikAri and has given many kAlakshepams in SrI BhAshyam and SrImad RahasyatrayasAram for residents of Chennai.
[[4]] SvAmi’s postings in SrI Nrusimha PriyA have now been assembled in the form of a book with the title of “AcArya Vaibhavam”. This book is the traditional AcArya ParamparA caritram. This book contains the jIva caritrams of Nathamunigal, EmperumAnAr, SrI DeSikan et al, and SrImad Azhagiyasingars up to 45th PaTTam SrImad Azhagiyasingar.
It is our pleasure to invite all AstikAs to enjoy the glories of SrImad Azhagiyasingars, the SrI koSams created by them and their upadeSams. Our prayers are to all AstikAs to be blessed with the anugraham and parama krupA of SrI Lakshminrusimhan.
Dr. S.V.S. Raghavan SrI ViSishTAdvaita Research Center
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