Sri U.Ve.Velukkudi Sri KrishNan Swamy's upanyAsam on Srimath RaamayaNa Tani SlOkam :

From the Bhakti List Archives

• August 11, 2000


Taniyans for Swami Periya VaacchAn PiLLai
******************************************
Srimath KrishNa samAhvAya namo Yaamuna ssonayE
Yath KatAkshaika lakshyANAm sulabha: Sridhara: sadhA 
--Primary Taniyan

Sakala drAvidAmnAya sAra VyAkhyAna kAruNam
SravaNE RohiNi Jaatham KrishNa Samjnam aham bhajE

abhayapradAnAmAnam asmad gurum aham bhajE
Yath-katAkshAdayam jantur apunar janmatAm gatah
--VaadhikEsari SoumyajAmAthru Muni

Dear BhakthAs:

We will start with a quick summary of 
the Life of Swami Priya VaacchAn PiLLai(PVP). 

This great AchAryA (PVP)is the disciple of NampiLLai .
He was born in the year 1167 A.D and lived on this 
earth for 95 years and blessed us with 13 Sri Sookthis.
He was known by the names of Sri KrishNa Paadhar ,
Abhayaprada RaajA and Abhayaprada Soori. He was 
born at SenthanUr in TamilnAdu during AvaNi RohiNi,
the Thrunakshathram of Bhagavan KrishNA . His AchAryan,
Swami NampiLLai(NambhUr VaradAchAr Swamy)was born in 
Karthikai Krutthikai , the Thirunakshathram of 
Thirumangai AzhwAr.

There is a a legend that Thirumangai AzhwAr 
in the form of NampiLLai performed upadEsam 
for Swamy Periya VaacchAn PiLLai , who was
the avathAram of Lord KrishNa . The connection 
is to the Paasuram of Thirumangai , where he
invites (teases) BhattharAvi PerumAL of 
ThirukkaNna Mangai to learn about the meanings of 
his Tamizh Paasurams:

"meymai sollil VeNN-sankhamonREnthiya KaNNa ,
NinRanakkum kuRippAhil kaRkalAm Kaviyin poruLthAnE
--Periya Thirumozhi: 7.10.10

BhattharAvi PertumAL responded to the invitation
of Thirumangai to learn his Dhivya Sookthis by 
pointing out that He could not break His ArchA silence
(SamAdhi) at ThirukkaNNamangai and therefore , 
He will take a new avathAram as Sri KrishNa
Padhar(PVP) at ChEnthanUr , while Thirumangai 
descended earlier on this earth as NampiLLai to begin 
the AchArya-Sishya raltionship.Such is the greatness
of Sri Periya VaacchAn PiLLai or the great learned
AchAryan , who is also revered as VyAkhyAna 
Chakravarthi or the Emperor of Commentators of
Dhivya Sookthis .He acquired the title of 
VykhyAna Chakravarthi for his commentaries on
the NaalAyira Dhivya prabhandham.

His other works are:

(1) TanislOki VyAkhyANam,the Subject of 
Sri VeLukkudi KrishNan swamy's upanyAsam . 
This is a MaNipravALa Commentary on selected 
slOkams of Srimath RaamAyaNam of Adhi Kavi, 
Sage VaalmIki

(2) Paranda-rahasya or Ashta RahasyAs or 
" the eight secret tracts" , which are
elaborations on the three rahasyams 
(Thirumanthiram, Dhvayam and Cahrama slOkam)
sacred to VishNavAs.

(3) the third major category of the commentorial
works of Sri PVP is SthOthra-Gadhya-VyAkhyAnAs.
These include commentaries on JithantE sthOthram
( Rg Vedic Khila Rk), ChathusslOki and the sthOthra
rathanam of Sri AlavandhAr and Gadhya Trayams of 
AchArya RaamAnujA.

Sri VeLukkudi Swamy pointed out that Swami PVP
created four SimhAsanams through his commnetorial
works:

(1) SimhAsanam for NaalAyira Dhivya prabhandham

(2) SimhAsanam for the SthOthra granthams
like JithantE , Gadgya Thrayam , ChathusslOki and
Sthothra rathnam

(3) SimhAsanam for Rahasya Thryam: Parantha Rahasyam

(4) SimhAsanam for Srimath RaamAyanam : TanislOki
Sri KrishNan Swami pointed out that ThiruvAimozhi
and Srimath RaamAyanam are the two eyes of Sri VaishNavam .
He elaborated on the special efforts of Thirumalai
Nambi to teach Srimath RaamAyaNa rahasyArthams
over the period of an year to AchArya RaamAnujA,
his nephew at the command of Sri AlavandhAr .
Thirumalai Nambi had Thirumanjana Theertha Kaimkaryam
at Thirumalai for Lord SrinivAsan every day. After 
that Kaimkaryam , Thirumalai Nampi came down to 
Keezha Thiruppathi to instruct his nephew , who 
was reluctant to set his foot on the sacred hills 
of Sri VenkatEsan. At the end of the instruction 
for the day , Thirumalai Nampi climbed the hills to be 
ready for the next morning's theertha Kaimkaryam
for the lord.This routine continued for 365 days 
and this is how AchArya RaamAnujA acquired the treasures
relating to Srimath RaamAyanam assembled by Sri AlavandhAr.
This rare treasure was passed on By Acharya RaamAnuja
to his sishya paramparai all the way down to 
Swami PVP. In his Tani SlOki grantham , we
enjoy this rich treasure passed on to us
by Swamy AlavandhAr.

The preference of Swami PVP  was for writing
vyAkhyAnams as opposed to Moola granthams
(original treatises).This is a great blessing 
for the successive generations of AchAryAs to
carry on the tradition of KaalakshEpam even today.

We will conclude this Summary and Introduction for
Sri Velukkudi Swamy's First UpanyAsam with a companion 
post on Srimath RaamAyaNa Tani SlOkam that he chose
as the topic (viz): Baala KaaNdam : 19th Sargam ,14th SlOkam

"Aham vEdhmi MahAthmAnam Raamam Sathya parAkramam
 VasishTOpi MahAtEjA yE chEmE tapasi sthiThA:"

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil V.satakOpan


 


 

  
    





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