அரிய நம்பி ஆயிரம் பேருடையான் அன்னோன்
உரியநம்பி அன்புடையான் யெல்லாம் தெரியின்
பெரியனம்பி போலொருவர் பேருலகில் இல்லை
அறிஞன் இராமானுஜன்
श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः (śrī gurubhyo namaḥ - salutations to the guru)
Today is the sacred महा अवतार जयन्ति (mahā avatāra jayanti – sacred incarnation anniversary) of परमाचार्य श्री रामानुजाचार्य (paramācārya śrī rāmānujācārya). Around thousand years back, on this sacred day, (i.e. on வளர் பிறை சித்திரை திங்கள் பஞ்சமி திதி திவாதிரை நக்ஷத்திர நன்னாளில்), none other than the Holy श्री आदि शेष (śrī ādi śeṣa) who is considered as one of the main नित्यसूरि (nityasūri – eternal seer / thinker), incarnated as परमाचार्य श्री रामानुजाचार्य (paramācārya śrī rāmānujācārya). Please recollect that लक्ष्मण (lakṣmaṇa) & बलराम (balarāma) were also his अव्तार रूप (avtāra rūpa – incarnational forms) in the त्रेतायुग (tretāyuga) & द्वापर युग (dvāpara yuga) respectively. In fact, the name रामानुजा (rāmānujā) literally means "இராமனின் தம்பி (iraamanin thambi - Rama’s younger brother)" i.e. it refers to लक्ष्मण (lakṣmaṇa). Interestingly, based on his birth chart, the saint’s இயர் பெயர் (iyar peyar – original name) was "இளையாழ்வான் (ilaiyaazhvaan – younger lord)" and this name was conferred to him by பெரிய திருமலைநம்பி / श्री शैलपूर्ण (periya thirumalai nambi / śrī śailapūrṇa).
In other words, श्री रामानुजाचार्य (śrī rāmānujācārya) was not just a मुक्तात्म (muktātma – evolved / liberated soul) but he in reality was a नित्यसूरि (nityasūri – eternal seer / thinker) disguised in human form, in order to help humanity get liberated from its viscous cycle of mundane phenomenal life and attain final emancipation at the Holy Feet of God. Technically, a नित्यसूरि (nityasūri – eternal seer / thinker) is one who is an ever-green seer of spiritual wisdom. In other words, He is a सदा पश्यन्ति सूर्यः (sadā paśyanti sūryaḥ - seer who always sees), as explained in the sacred ऋग्वेद मन्त्र (ṛgveda mantra)
तद् विष्णोः परमं पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूर्यः दिवीव चक्षुराततम्।
तद्विप्रासो विपन्यर्वो जागृवांसः समिन्धते विष्णोर्यत्परमं पदम्॥
(
tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūryaḥ divīva cakṣurātatam|
tadviprāso vipanyarvo jāgṛvāṁsaḥ samindhate viṣṇoryatparamaṁ padam||
Just as the sun’s rays in the sky are extended to the mundane vision, so in the same way the wise and learned devotees always see the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu
Because those highly praiseworthy and spiritually awake devotees are able to see the spiritual world, they are also able to reveal that supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.
)
His Holiness श्री रामानुजाचार्य (śrī rāmānujācārya) gifted us the विशिष्टाद्वैत वेदान्त महादर्शन (viśiṣṭādvaita vedānta mahādarśana - supreme philosophy of qualified non-duality) one of the three main वेदान्त दर्शन (vedānta darśana - vedantic philosophies). Its core philosophy is summarized by in the following passage from वेदार्थ संग्रह (vedārtha saṁgraha) :
“This is the fundamental relationship between the Supreme and the universe of individual selves and physical entities. It is the relationship of soul and body, the inseparable relationship of the supporter and the supported, that of the controller and the controlled, and that of the principal entity and the subsidiary entity. That which takes possession of another entity entirely as the latter’s support, controller and principal, is called the soul of that latter entity. That which, in its entirety, depends upon, is controlled by and subserves another and is therefore its inseparable mode, is called the body of the latter. Such is the relation between the individual self and its body. Such being the relationship, the supreme Self, having all as its body, is denoted by all terms”
Unlike श्री आदि शंक्राचार्य (śrī ādi śaṁkrācārya) who wrote भाष्य (bhāṣya - commentaries) on all the प्रस्थान त्रयी (prasthāna trayī – triple sources), श्री रामानुजाचार्य (śrī rāmānujācārya) did not write भाष्य (bhāṣya - commentaries) on the उपदेश श्रुति प्रस्थान (upadeśa śruti prasthāna – injunctive revelatory sources) i.e. the दसोपनिषद् (dasopaniṣad). However, he wrote exhaustive commentaries on the remaining two sources given below. In fact, as a mark of respect, he is honored with the title भाष्यकार (bhāṣyakāra – the commentator)
- श्री भाष्य (śrī bhāṣya – sacred commentary) on the बादरायण ब्रह्म सूत्र (bādarāyaṇa brahma sūtra) which is न्याय युक्ति प्रस्थान (nyāya yukti prasthāna – deliberative / logical instrument sources). He also gifted us the following abridged commentaries वेदान्तसार (vedāntasāra), वेदान्त दीप (vedānta dīpa)
- गीत भाष्य (gīta bhāṣya) commentary on श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता (śrīmad bhagavadgītā) which is the साधन प्रस्थान (sādhana prasthāna – procedural / practitioner sources)
.He is also the "पूर्वाचार्य / பிரதான ஜீயர் (pūrvācārya / piradhaana jIyar)" who formally established the श्री वैष्णव मत संप्रदाय (śrī vaiṣṇava mata saṁpradāya - Sri Vaishnava theological tradition). He is also a bridge-builder not only between the Sanskrit scriptures like वेद शास्त्र (veda śāstra) & वैष्णव आगम शास्त्र (vaiṣṇava āgama śāstra), particularly the पाञ्चरात्र आगम (pāñcarātra āgama) on the one hand, but also integrating with the sacred நாலாயிரத் திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம் (naalaayiRa dhivappirabandham – four thousand sacred compositions) containing the devotional mystic ஆழ்வார் பாசுரங்கள் (aazhvaar paasurangaL). In fact, he was especially very attached to கோதை ஸ்ரீ ஆண்டாள் நாச்சியாரின் திருப்பாவை (kOdhai sri aaNdaaL naachchiyaarin thiruppaavai) and hence was even called "திருப்பாவை ஜீயர் (thiruppaavai jIyar)".
Moreover, according to him, both these Sanskrit scriptures and Tamil scriptures are two sides of the same coin and hence called them उभय वेदान्त (ubhaya vedānta).
Because of his magnanimous compassion for the whole of humanity, श्री रामाणुजचार्य (śrī rāmāṇujacārya) is also lovingly adored as "எம்பெருமான் (emperumaan – our lord)". According to the biography of श्री रामाणुजचार्य (śrī rāmāṇujacārya), the revered saint and preceptor திருகச்சி நம்பிகள் (thirukachchi nambigaL) had instructed his beloved disciple श्री रामाणुजचार्य (śrī rāmāṇujacārya) to meet திருகோஷ்டியூர் நம்பிகள் (thiru koshtiyUr nambigaL) and formally seek अष्टाक्षर महा मन्त्र दिक्ष (aṣṭākṣara mahā mantra dikṣa – induction into the sacred eight syllable mantra) from the समयाचार्य (samayācārya – religious preceptor). Accordingly,श्री रामाणुजचार्य (śrī rāmāṇujacārya) received the sacred initiation from திருகோஷ்டியூர் நம்பிகள் (thiru koshtiyUr nambigaL) who also warned him that this "मोक्षमन्त्र (mokṣa mantra – hymn of liberation)" was a great रहस्य (rahasya - secret) and not to be shared with everybody, as it is said "गुह्यानां गुहामुतमं (guhyānāṁ guhāmutamaṁ - this is to be highly guarded amongst all mantras to be guarded)", failing which he would be committing a serious blasphemy and hence will be condemned to hell . However, in spite of such strict warnings, the all-merciful श्री रामाणुजचार्य (śrī rāmāṇujacārya), decided to share this मोक्षमन्त्र (mokṣa mantra – hymn of liberation) to the general public, He did not want to confine the benefits of such a powerful spiritual treasure to himself or to a specific clan but wanted everyone to equally benefit by it and attain मोक्ष (mokṣa - liberation) even at the personal risk of going to hell for disobeying his master’s instructions. Thinking thus, this noblest of noble saint climbed up the கோயில் இராஜ கோபுரம் (kOyil iraja kOpuram – royal temple- tower) of the sacred திருகோஷ்டியூர் திவ்ய தேச ஷேத்திரம் (thirukOttiyUr dhivya dhEsa kshEththiram) and summoned all the people in and around the town and to the benefit of everyone, loudly delivered the मूलमन्त्र / பெரிய திருமந்திரம் (mūlamantra / periya thirumandhiram – root sonic formula).
ஸ்ரீ மணவாள மாமுனிகள் (maNavaaLa maamunigaL) in his famous anthological masterpiece called "உபதேச இரத்தின மாலை (upadhEsa iraththina maalai)", he further glorifies the compassion of எம்பெருமான் (emperumaan – our lord) as follows:
ஓராண்வழியாய் உபதேசித்தார் முன்னோர்
யேரார் எதிராசர் இன்னருளால் பாருலகில்
ஆசையுடையோர்க்கெல்லாம் ஆரியர்காள்
கூருமென்று பேசி வர்ம்பருத்தார் பின்.
(
OraaNvazhiyAy upathEsiththaar munnOr,
eraar ethiraasar innaruLaal - paarulagil
aasaiyudaiyOrkkellam aariyarkaaL kooRumenRu
pEsi varambaruththaar pin
Before EmperumAnAr's time, all the poorvAchAryALs instructed the rahasyArthams of Sri Viashnavaa doctrines in a sequential manner to their successors one at a time. EmperumAnAr, who came later in that chain of AchAryAs out of his immense mercy addressed all of those, who took refuge at his sacred feet and removed that limitation in instruction route and gave permission for his sishyAs to teach the rahasyArthams to every one eager to know about them.
)
You might be wondering why the मूलमन्त्र (mūlamantra – root sonic formula) which is first among the त्रय मन्त्र (traya mantra – triple hymns) is considered a रहस्य (rahasya - secret). Well, this is because, traditionally, these were maintained as a closely guarded secret within the tradition and only formally shared by a qualified समयाचार्य (samayācārya – religious preceptor) to his deserving शिष्य (śiṣya - disciple) who has obtained necessary समय दीक्ष (samaya dīkṣa – formal induction) into the आचार्य परंपर (ācārya paraṁpara). This was the norm in practice for thousands of years, till the dawn of His Holiness श्री रामाणुजचार्य (śrī rāmāṇujacārya) lovingly adored as "எம்பெருமான் (emperumaan – our lord)", who out of his compassion for the whole of humanity, took a more lenient stand and democratized the tradition slightly, of course without compromising on the original sanctity of the tradition and that is why he is adored by ஸ்ரீ மணவாள மாமுனிகள் (maNavaaLa maamunigaL) in his ஆர்த்தி பிரபந்தம் (aarththi pirabandham) as
மறையதனில் பொருளனைத்தும் வாய்மொழிந்தான் வாழியே
மாறனுறை செய்த தமிழ் மறை வளர்த்தோன் வாழியே
