SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
Subsequently, kUrakulOththama dhAsa nAyan, realising that he was in his final days, called thirumalai AzhwAr and told him “Approach viLAnjOlaippiLLai and learn all the significant meanings that you desire; approach thirukkaNNangudip piLLai and learn thiruvAimozhi from him”. Then, reminiscing the divine feet of his AchAryar, piLLai lOkAchAryar, he left for thirunAdu (SrIvaikuNtam). His final obsequies were conducted through his son. kUrakulOththama dhAsar’s star is thiruvAdhirai (ArudhrA) in aippasi (thulA) month. His thaniyan is
lOkAchArya krupA pAthram kauNidinya kulabhUshaNam
samasthAthma guNAvAsam vandhE kUra kulOththamam
svayamAhUya SailESa guravE’rthapradhAnatha:
labhdhOdhArapitham kUrakulOththamam aham bhajE
(I offer my salutations to kUrakulOththama dhAsa nAyanAr who was the recipient of piLLai lOkAchAryar’s mercy, who is an ornament for the kauNdinya clan and who is the repository of all auspicious qualities; I worship kUrakulOththama dhAsa nAyanAr who voluntarily called thirumalai AzhwAr and showered distinguished meanings [of rahasyArthams] and who was called as udhArar (magnanimous person) because of that).
Subsequently, thirumalai AzhwAr approached thirukkaNNangudip piLLai, prostrated before him and submitted to him “You should mercifully give adiyEn (servitor) the meanings of thiruvAimozhi”. piLLai also agreed and started telling the meanings of thiruvAimozhi, based on the meanings of the words. Since thirumalai AzhwAr was an expert in thamizh, he requested piLLai to give him the meanings in a descriptive way. Since piLLai had reached old age, he was unable to do so and asked thirumalai AzhwAr to approach thirupputkuzhi jIyar and learn from him. thirumalai AzhwAr reached kAnchIpuram and learnt that the day that he reached kAnchIpuram was the twelfth day after jIyar had attained mOksham (SrIvaikuNtam). He felt very sorrowful. All the AchAryars in the dhEvarAjap perumAL temple as well as the temple employees took him to worship perundhEvith thAyAr and pEraruLALan and offered him sacred water, SrI SatAri (representing divine feet of emperumAn), divine garland, divine thuLasi etc and praised him to be the torch bearer for the dharSanam (one who spreads the philosophy of bhagavadh rAmAnujar).
The next day, nAlUrp piLLai and his son, nAlUrAchchAn piLLai returned from thirunArAyaNapuram and reached the temple to carry out mangaLASAsanam (extolling) pEraruLALan. At that time, thirumalai AzhwAr was inside the sannidhi, carrying out mangaLASAsanam. Not knowing that thirumalai AzhwAr was inside the sannidhi, they asked people outside as to who was carrying out mangaLASAsanam inside. They said that it was kOyil thirumalai AzhwAr. They mercifully said “Isn’t it kOyil thirumalai perumAL kOyil?” (it is customary to refer to the divine temples at SrIrangam, thirumalai and kAnchIpuram as kOyil, thirumalai and perumAL kOyil). When archakar (temple priest) was blessing all with SrISatAri, nAlUrppiLLai, who was in the back row, raised his head towards the archakar to receive SrISatAri. When SrISatAri was applied, he supported SatAri with his divine hands. The archakar hurriedly brought the SrISatAri inside the sannidhi, caught thirumalai AzhwAr by his hands, brought him to nAlUrp piLLai, handed him over to nAlUrp piLLai telling him “We had ordained that he be taught mUvAyiram (commentary for 3000 pAsurams, i.e. pAsurams other than thiruvAimozhi) at jyOthishkudi; he has come; in order to make up for the loss of thiruputkuzhi jIyar, you teach him that too” indicating that emperumAn was speaking through him. nAlUrp piLLai said “adiyEn has become blessed. Is adiyEn capable of teaching him that which even thirukkaNNangudip piLLai could not? ” emperumAn, through the archakar, said “If nAlUrAchchAn piLLai teaches him, that would be equivalent to your teaching him as per the saying AthmAvai puthranAmAsi (it is the AthmA who is born as a son)”. Hearing this, nAlUrp piLLai was very happy and told thirumalail AzhwAr “Welcome, AzhwAr! adiyEn has become very aged; you are an expert in many fields; only he (pointing to his son nAlUrAchchAn piLLai) is capable of teaching you”. Handing thirumalai AzhwAr to his son nAlUrAchchAn piLLai, he left for thirunArAyaNapuram.
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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