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Re: Thiru Adhyayana uthsavam

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Mani Varadarajan • December 1, 1999 


Sri AMR Kannan wrote:
> Because, Sri Thirumangai Azhwar started it, the day before the
> Pagal Paththu Uthsavam first day, Namperumal listens to
> ThiruNedunthandagam of Sri Thirumangai Azhwar. So, originally
> started as ten days festival by Sri Thirumangai Azhwar and was
> later modified as Twenty one day (+one day for
> ThiruNedunthandagam) by Swami Emberumanar.

Dear Sri Kannan,

Thanks for your very informative note. As per my understanding,
it is only in Srirangam that there is a "thirunedundhaaNdakam 
thirunaaL", which occurs a day before the beginning of the
pagal patthu utsavam. This does not occur in other Divya Desams
for the following reason.

Sri Parasara Bhattar, in the process of defeating the great 
Vedanti Madhavacharyar of Karnataka in debate and convincing
him to join our sampradAya, used the truths contained in the
thirty verses of Thirumangai Alvar's "thirunedundhaaNdhakam".
Upon Bhattar' triumphant return to Srirangam, Periya Perumaal
Lord Ranganatha asked Bhattar how he was able to defeat as
great a scholar as Madhavacharya. Bhattar explained that it
was through the thirunedundhaaNdakam, and Perumaal immediately
asked Bhattar to recite those verses in front of Him.  It
happened to be one day before the pagal patthu Arambham, so
in Srirangam alone, there is a special recitation of the
thirunedundhaaNdakm before the regular adhyayana utsavam
begins, because of Bhattar's great service in converting
Madhavacharyar into "Nanjeeyar".

This is what I have heard Sri Velukkudi Varadacharyar Swami
say in an upanyAsam on the thirunedundhaaNdaka divya shastram.

adiyEn raaamaanuja daasan
Mani