SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
thirumalai AzhwAr and viLAnjOlaip piLLai
thirumalai AzhwAr decided in his divine mind that he should go to thiruvananthapuram, offer his salutations to viLAnjOlaip piLLai and learn all the esoteric meanings of sampradhAyam from him. Manifesting the pride of being among the prime disciples of AzhwAr, he went inside the temple, worshipped the divine feet of emperumAn who was reclining on the mattress of thiruvananthAzhwAn (AdhiSEshan) who had fully spread out hoods. He then set forth to worship the divine feet of viLAnjOlaip piLLai who is referred to as “nArAyaNan [another name of viLAnjOlaip piLLai] who takes refuge under the divine feet of ulagAriyan (piLLai lOkAchAryar) who had shown him the two divine feet of krishNa”. He entered the orchard where viLAnjOlaip piLLai had taken residence. Just as it has been said “gurupadhAmbujam dhyAyEth gurOr nAmasadhAjapEth” (one should continuously meditate on the divine feet of one’s AchAryan and continuously recite the divine name of AchAryan) and
SrIlOkArya mukhAravindham akhila Sruthyartha kOSam sadhAm
thadhgOshtIncha thadhEkaleenamanasA sanchinthayantham sadhA
(viLAnjOlaip piLLai was constantly meditating on the divine face of piLLai lOkAchAryar who is considered as the repository of all the wealth of meanings of all the vEdhams as well as his gOshti (assembly) which is considered to be the abode of sathpurushas (people with only purely good qualities)), thirumalai AzhwAr had dharSan of viLAnjOlaip piLLai, constantly meditating on the divine auspicious form of piLLai lOkAchAryar, without even being aware that spiders had spun webs all around him. thiruvAimozhip piLLai prostrated before him and offered anjali praNAmams (joining the palms together in salutation). viLAnjOlaip piLLai opened his divine eyes and asked him “Who are you? Why did you come here?” thirumalai AzhwAr recounted all that had happened until then. viLAnjOlaiip piLLai became pleased and mercifully taught him the deep as well as essential meanings of SrIvachana bhUshaNam. Apart from SrIvachana bhUshaNam, viLANjOlaip piLLai also taught thirumalai AzhwAr the meanings of sapthakAdhai (a prabandham composed by him) which is the essence of SrIvachana bhUshaNam in seven pAsurams. thirumalai AzhwAr, due to this connection with viLAnjOlaippiLLai who is like pure gold, got rid of the faults in this birth; after learning all the esoteric meanings from viLAnjOlaip piLLai, AzhwAr returned to AzhwAr thirunagari. viLAnjOlaip piLLai, having completed the task assigned to him at jyOthishkudi by his AchAryan (piLLai lOkAchAryar), urged by his desire to carry out kainkaryams to emperumAn along with nithyasUris and mukthAthmAs and in line with the saying “seRipozhil ananthapuraththu aNNalAr kamalapAdham aNuguvAr amararAvAr ” (those who approach the divine lotus feet of the leader of thiruvananthapuram which is surrounded by rich orchards, will reach SrIvaikuNtam), left for the divinely abode of SrivaikuNtam.
Around that time, the nambUdhiris (temple priests) in the thiruvananthapuram temple were carrying out thiruvArAdhanam (divine worship) to ananthapadhmanAbhan. They saw viLAnjOlaip piLLai entering the garbhagruham (sanctum sanctorum) of ananthapadhmanAbhan and worshipping the divine feet of the deity. Deciding that they cannot stay in the place where a person of lowly birth had entered, they left the garbhagruham after applying the divine protection to deity and came out of the temple. At the same time, the disciples of viLAnjOlaip piLLai came to the temple reciting irAmAnusa nURRandhAdhi, announcing that their AchAryan viLAnjOlaip piLLai had attained the divine feet of piLLai lOkAchAryar and that they wanted the divine parivattam (divine cloth worn on the head) and divine garland for decorating his divine form. On seeing this, the nambhUdhiris shared with them the amazing experience that they had inside the temple. Hearing this incident, the Acharyars who had taken refuge under thirumalai AzhwAr said
gathvAnanthapuram jagathguru padhadhyAnEratham kuthrachith tham
nArAyaNadhAsamEthyavimalam gathvA thadhangrim mudhA
thasmAdhAryajanOkthimaukthikakrutham vEdhAntha vAgbhUshaNam
SrIvAgbhUshaNamabhyavApsagurum SrISailanAthObhavath
(thirumalai AzhwAr reached thiruvananthapuram, approached that nArAyaNadhAsar (viLAnjOlaip piLLai) who was desirous of meditating on the divine feet of piLLai lOkAchAriyar outsisde (the town); bowed down with joy to his divine feet and received SrIvachana bhUshaNam which is a garland of vEdhAntha (upanishath) verses of pUrvAchAryars and became a great AchAryar). On hearing the news of viLAnjOlaip piLLai ascending to SrIvaikuNtam, thirumalai AzhwAr carried out all the obsequies which an AchAryan’s disciples and sons would carry out for him.
kOttUr azhagiya maNavALap perumAL piLLai, one of the disciples of piLLai lOkAchAryar, after the departure of his AchAryar, reached sikkal kidAram, a place near thiruppuLLANi and remained there for some time. Later, thigazhakkidandhAn thirunAvIRudaiya pirAn thAdaraNNaNaraiyar, approached him, married his daughter SrI ranganAchchiyAr and stayed in his house. He learnt from his father-in-law everything which he had missed on learning from piLLai lOkAchAryar, treating him as piLLai lOkAchAryar. After teaching him all the esoteric meanings, azhagiya maNavALap perumAL piLLai left for the divine abode (SrI vaikuNtam).
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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