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Re Life of Kuresan

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A.Bharat • February 5, 2000 


Dear BhAgavatOttamas,

ADiyEn had the good fortune to learn Bhagavadvishayam
through kAlakshEpa under the feet of Sri BhoovarAhAchAriAr
SwAmin,and there was never even a hint of a doubt about
the seniority in years of SrI KUrattAzhvAn.The incident
refered to below by SrI sampathkumAran refers obviously
to the Seniority due to Guru-Sishya relashionship in respect
of EmberumAnAr.

That aside- 

the passage quoted in English by Sri Sampathkumaran
occurs on page 228 of The Life of Ramanujacharya by Sri
Alkondaville Govindacharya (1906).There, while the rest of it
is in the author's own words,the actual quotation from Sri
Bhagavadvishayam is mentioned thus:

(On page 2527,Vol.V of the Telugu edition of the Bhagavadvishaya,
the conversation is thus recorded:- "While I am yet here,son,how
wert thou anxious for Heaven?" "Sire" said Kuresa,"in the depth
of my thoughts for the miseries of earthly existence,I forgot
this point.Pray forgive me." etc)

This is actually an accurate translation of the Arumbada-urai
of Eedu 5:10.PravESam, EXCEPT THAT in the original text the
word "son"   does NOT occur.The word used there is "AzhvAn!"
The use of the word "son" throughout this passage is done by
the author of that book (which actually is an outstanding one
with many valuable quotations from inscriptions)who probably
never visualised a controversy such as this.Or maybe he also really
thought Sri KUrattAzhvAn was younger to Udaiyavar!

Sri EmberumAnAr TiruvaDigaLE SaraNam!
aDiyEn
BHARAT

________________________________________________________________
>To this Ramanuja is reported to have replied,"Dearson, my beloved azhwAn, thou art my soul, how can I
part with thee? While I am yet here, son, how can you
be anxious for heaven?". (Page 2527 of Vol 5 of
"Bhagavatvishayam").

In the above passages, Ramanuja clearly addresses
Kuresan as "son". And Kuresan too clearly talks of
younger brothers preceding "elders" to heaven.