SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama: SrI vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
avathArikai (Introduction)
Now, prime ancestors for both karma nishtas and kainkarya nishtas are explained.
chUrNikai 36
viprarkku gOthra charaNa sUthra kUtasthar parASara pArASarya bOdhAyanAdhigaL; prapanna jana kUtasthar parAnkuSa parakAla yathivarAdhigaL
Simple Explanation
The prime ancestors for brAhmaNas for their gOthra, charaNa and sUthra are parASara, vyAsa, bOdhAyana et al; the prime ancestors for prapannas are nammAzhwAr, thirumangai AzhwAr, rAmAnujar et al.
vyAkyAnam (Commentary)
That is – for brAhmaNas who are known as andhaNar and maRaiyOr, the prime ancestors for their gOthra are parASara et al; gOthra – parental heritage. It is said in amara kOSam “santhathir gOthra janana kulAni abhijana anvayau” (santhathi, gOthra, janana, kulam, abhijanam and anvayam mean the same). Such gOthrams are many and since the ancestor for each gOthram is different, as in vasishta, kAshyapa, bharathvAja, vathsa, they are said to be parASara et al.
charaNa ancestors are pArASarya (vyAsa) et al; charaNas are branches of vEdham; secondarily, those who study those branches are also known by the term charaNa, It is said “charaNa Sabdha: kAtaka kAlApAdhi SAkA viSEshEshu mukya: thath adhyAyishu gauNA:” (The term charaNa primarily indicates the branches of vEdham such as kAtakam, kAlApam etc; secondarily it indicates the persons who study and recite those branches). Here, it is indicating the branches. Though vyAsa is the primary propagator of all branches of vEdham, each branch has its own propagator too such as kata, kalApa, kaNva et al, and hence charaNa kUtasthar is said to be vyAsa et al.
sUthra ancestors are bOdhAyana et al; sUthras are kalpam which reveals karmAnushtAnam (the conduct of ordained activities). In SrIrangarAja sthavam 2.15, starting with “SIkshAyAm varNa SikshA” (the sounds of the syllables are explained in SIkshA), it is said “kalpEnushtAnam uktham” (in kalpa sUthram, how to conduct the ordained activities, is explained). Since they are also many and have many authors such as Apasthamba, ASvalAyana et al, sUthra kUtasthar is said to be bOdhAyana et al. Thus, these are the primary ancestors for vipras.
For prapannas, who are known as adiyAr and thoNdar, the primary ancestors are AzhwArs such as nammAzhwAr, thirumangai AzhwAr et al and AchAryas such as emperumAnAr et al, as said in parAnkuSAshtakam 4 “pathyu: Sriya: prasAdhEna prAptha sarvagya sampadham | prapanna jana kUtastham prapadhyE SrI parAnkuSam ||” (I surrender unto nammAzhwAr, who is having the wealth of perfect knowledge which was acquired by SrIman nArAyaNan’s divine grace and who is the primary ancestor for prapannas).
kUtasthar means mUla purusha (primary personality); since these are the personalities who established and nurtured the path of prapaththi by their instructions and conduct, they are known as prapanna jana kUtasthar.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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