चैत्रमासे कृAत्तिकायां श्रीश्वेताद्रिसमुद्भवम् । गुरुंA श्रीपुण्डरीकाक्षं जयत्सेनांशमाश्रये॥
caitramAse krttikAyAm SrISvetAdri samudbhavam | gurum SrIpuNDarIkAksham jayatsenAmSam ASraye ||
SrI Pundarrikakshar was born in the divya deSam of Tiruvellarai in the Kali yugam (3987), Prabhava year, Cittirai month, under KrittikA nakshatram as the avatAram of JayatsenAmsar who is one of the chieftains of Vishvaksenar. He was the pradhAna Sishya of SrI Nathamunigal. Further, Kurugai Kaavalappan, Nambikarunakara dAsar, ERu TiruvudaiyAr, TirukannamangaiyANDAn, VaanamAdeviyANDAn, uruppattUr AccAnpiLLai and cOkattUrAzhvAn are also SishyAs of Sri Nathamunigal. SrI Nathamunigal was doing upadeSam to these eight SishyAs on mantra, mantrArthams, divya Prabandham and their viSeshArthams.
At one time, the local king on hearing about the yoga vaibhavam of SrIman Nathamunigal visited the AcArya with his wives and had a darSan of MannAr and paid his obeisance to SrIman Nathamunigal. At that time, SrIman Nathamunigal felt like “tiruvuDai mannarai kANil tirumAlaik kaNDEnE” (When I see the king, I feel like looking at SrIman Narayanan). Imagining the King as Kannan and his wives as GopastrIs (ladies of VrindAvan) he followed them. On seeing this, his SishyAs, Kurugai Kaavalappan and the others intervened and asked respectfully, “Is it proper to abandon the service (kaimkaryams) to the Lord and his bhagavatAs and follow them”. SrIman Nathamunigal realized this and said that this is not appropriate for me. He returned and continued with his discourses to the SishyAs on VedAnta granthams.
One day, VangeepurattAcchi, father in law of SrI Nathamunigal, wanted to bring his daughter, Aravindappavai to his home. He sent someone to SrI Nathamunigal and the messenger did his daNDavat praNAmams and conveyed the message. SrI Nathamunigal sent his wife Aravindappavai to her father’s house with his pradAna disciple, [[11]] Pundarikakshar. After safely escorting his AcAryan’s wife to her father’s house requested permission to return back.
VangeepurattAcchi suggested to Pundarikakshar to have food and then leave. Few of the mischievous people in the house-hold of Acchi told him that it is not proper to offer him food inside the house. Further we should not partake the left over food. Accordingly, Pundarikakshar was made to sit outside the house. He was served the annam (food) prepared previous day, added with water. Pundarikakshar took the food with the thought that because of his good deeds/puNyams, he is blessed with such food. Later he took leave of them and returned to Veeranarayanapuram and did his daNDavat praNAmams to SrI Nathamunigal. He saw the happy face of his Sishya. SrI Nathamunigal through his yogic vision understood the incident for his happiness. He asked Pundarikakshar as to whether he was well received at the house of VangeepurattAcchi and whether due courtesies were extended to him.
Pundarikakshar said that he was served with previous day annam preserved in water at the outer courtyard of the house. He further said that he took it happily, because the left over food was served to him after the bhAgavatAs took the food and he considered as his good deeds to have been given such holy prasAdam saying “போனகஞ் செய்த சேடந்தருவரேல் புனித மன்றோ! தத்துசிஷ்டம் ஸுபாவன மன்றோ! - meaning, it is a good deed to take the left over food after bhAgvata took the food (bhAgavata Sesham) and will lead us to redemption (நற்கதி).
On hearing this, SrI Nathamunigal felt very happy about the pious nature of his SishyA and embraced him saying “நம்மை உய்யக்கொண்டீர் nammai uyyakkoNdIr” (You have redeemed us) From that day onwards, Pundarikakshar was known as “uyyakkondar”.
Some of the people nearby said that it is mentioned in the SAstrAs that one should not eat food prepared one day earlier and asked as to weather it is appropriate to feel happy about his disciple taking food which as per SAstrAs is prohibited.
SrI Nathamunigal replied to them that such doubts are raised by people who are not aware of the Manu’s and other dharma SAstras which clearly say that flowers which are not tied in a thread (as a garland), annam preserved in water (old annam/pazhaiya cORu) and [[12]] not added with oil and water kept in a vessel without direct contact with earth are to be considered as old and considered as dosham. He further asserted that such mistakes will not happen in the houses of people who are knowledgeable and those who are his relatives.
VangeepurattAcchi came to know of this incident and felt sad. He reprimanded the people in the house. He approached Uyyakkondar and expressed his apologies for the wrong doing on his part and sought his excuse.
Acchi left Aravindappavai with SrI Nathamunigal.
धर्मेण ब्रह्मवित्पाति दशपूर्वान् दशावरान् । कन्या ब्रह्मविदे दत्ता दशपूर्वान् दशावरान् ॥
dharmeNa brahmavit pAti daSapUrvAn daSAvarAn | kanyA brahmavede dattA daSapUrvAn daSavarAn ||
(According to the SAstrAs, the good deeds of a person with thorough knowledge of Veda VedAntas glorifies and uplifts ten generations of his ancestors and ten generations of his successors. Similarly, a girl married to a person who has thorough knowledge of Veda VedAntam uplifts ten generations of her father’s lineage).
Acchi felt that he has been blessed by the Lord with the same blessing.
SrI Nathamunigal blessed and taught Yoga SAstras to his Sishya, Kurugaikkaavalappan and blessed Uyyakkondar and appointed him as his successor to teach Veda VedAnta to all his disciples.
In accordance with the directive of his AcAryan, Uyyakkondar continued teaching all the veda VedAntAs to the disciples of SrI Nathamunigal, namely Manakkal Nambi, Tiruvallikeni pAN PerumALaraiyar, Cettalur CendalangaradAsar, PundarikadAsar, Ulagaperumal Nangai.
taniyan नमस्याम्यरविन्दाक्षं नाथभावे व्यवस्थितम् । शुद्धसत्वमयं शौरेरवतारमिवापरम् ॥
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namasyAmi aravindAksham nAthabhAve vyavasthitam Suddhasatvamayam SaureH avatAramvivAparam ||
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