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Re: The stairway to the Divine

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • February 3, 1997 


I would prefer if we moved away from using terms such
as ``Srirangam acharyas'' and ``Kanchi acharyas'' on 
a regular basis.  This implies that there were two 
opposing camps then and there itself, which could not
be further from the truth.  Further, Desika, nominally
a Kanchi acharya, spent some of the most productive
years of his life in Srirangam. [The thirumaaLigai-s
of both Desika and his praacaarya Nadadur Ammal can
be seen to this day in the southeast corner of the
first prakaaram outside the kOvil.]

Similarly, Manavala Maamunigal, nominally a Srirangam
acharya, spent a great deal of time in Kanchipuram.
He is said to have done one full kaalakshepam of 
the Sribhashya in Yathoktakari Swami Sannidhi [Thiruvehka].
He has also composed the Devaraja Mangalam on 
Varadaraja Swamy. I request some Kanchipuram natives
can enlighten us as to whether this Mangalam is still
recited regularly in perumaaL kOvil.

Perhaps it is better to refer to the acharya by name
when we speak of their teachings, rather than lumping
them into an artificial Srirangam or Kanchi category?
There are also mutual disagreements between Periya
Vaaccaan Pillai, Pillai Lokacarya, and Azhagiya Manavala
Perumal Nayanar, at least on the surface.  So it may
be better to leave the compartmentalization for those
rare occasions which truly require them.

Mani