SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
The glory of vadakkuth thiruvIdhippiLLai
After nampiLLai, when vadakkuth thiruvIdhippiLLai was in charge of emperumAnAr dharSanam, his disciples asked him “What is the basic nature of AthmA (sentient entity)?” He replied saying “It is said that ‘It is well known that when the dirt of ahankAram (being independent) is removed, the indelible name for the AthmA will be adiyEn (servitor)’ This implies that when the AthmA detaches from the thought of ‘I am the ISvaran (controller of everyone and everything)’, its fundamental identity will be ‘I am the servitor’” He said that after having analysed all the vEdhams, all the SAsthras, all the AzhwArs’ pAsurams and all the AchAryas’ divine words, there is no means to attain mOksham (SrIvaikuNtam) for a SrIvaishNava other than firm AchAryAbhimAnam (recognition by one’s AchArya that the disciple is fit for mercy) and there is no hurdle for mOksham other than carrying out firm bhAgavathApachAram (offence towards the devotee of bhagavAn). He told his disciples, quoting his AchAryan nampiLLai “Wouldn’t eternal existence remain only until a firm bhAgavathApachAram? ” The lasting AchAryAbhimAnam is to follow the words of AchAryan in one’s regular activities and being firm in one’s belief that AchAryan is the means and goal while the lasting offence towards a bhAgavatha (devotee of bhagavAn) is not to atone for an offence committed towards a bhAgavatha; such an act will darken the AthmA’s existence, make the AthmA like a burnt piece of cloth [a burnt piece of cloth would appear to be normal until wind blows over it when it will be blown away in all directions] and will destroy it.
Uplifting everyone this way, vadakkuth thiruvIdhippiLLai made his divine sons piLLai lOkAchAryar and azhagiya maNavALapperumAL nAyanAr to be fully devoted to spreading the tenets of dharSanam and after sometime, left for the divine place (SrIvaikuNtam), reminiscing the divine feet of nampiLLai. piLLai lOkAchAryar felt very distressed and said “We have lost a distinguished entity who had connection with both samskrutham and dhrAvida (thamizh) vEdham” and carried out the final rituals in a befitting manner.
vadakkuth thiruvIdhippiLLai’s divine star is swAthi and his thaniyan is
SrIkrishNapAdhapAdhAbhjE namAmi SirasA sadhA l
yathprasAdhaprabhAvEna sarvasidhdhirabhUn mama ll
(I constantly worship with my head the divine lotus feet of that SrIkrushNa (also known as vadakkuth thiruvIdhippiLLai) through whose amazing grace I received all the purushArthams (benefits)
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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