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Swami Manavalamamunigal

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venkat ramanujam srinivasan • December 4, 2001 


Dear Bhagavathas,
My humble pranams. 
Just while we were enjoying the excellent  postings on Swami ManavalaMamunigal, a controversy was created by Shri.Srinath  disputing Swami Manavala Mamunigal being Swami SriRamanujacharya's avatara, and making him a kalai specific aacharya.
 The only provocation it seems to  have occurred when Shri.Venkatesh, while appreciating Sri.Sadagopan's vivid and lucid presentation on Sri AdisEshan added further - that -  Sri Ananthan had the greatest privilege of all, by being the AchAryan of Sriman nArAyaNan Himself, during ManavalaMamunigal avatara.

A lot has been subsequently said. Finally, I humbly would like to put forth to the observations made by  Shri. Mani in his posting which goes as follows-
 :-I really do not think anyone wishes to "disprove" 
:-Maamunigal's acharya-ship to the Lord. For that matter, it is not provable either, and it carries no water with me. (What would it
:-mean for the sarvajna, the mass of knowledge Himself, to "learn"
:-from Maamunigal? In what way was he a sishya?
 
- I would only like to quote Sriman Chinnajeeyar's answer to the question asked by a Bhagavatha sometime back.
Question -Shashikanth Hosur  
 Sriman Narayana, 
Jeeyar Swami,
 I had a few questions regarding the  Guru  tatvam and also regarding ArAdhana performance. Please forgive me for any Apacharams which I might  have done unknowingly 1) Since Lord Narayana is the Lord of all Lords and  all the knowledge comes from Him and it is due to  His  grace that the knowledge flows through different instruments of His choice. Why did he have to  listen  to the discourse from Sri Mannavala Mahamuni as the  Lord is Sarva Sheshi and Sarvagna.  Of course this incident teached me the regard the  Lord gives to his Bhagavatas and how one should  treat  His bhagavatas with utmost respect even above  Himself.
Jeeyar Swami's reply -
Priya Sriman Sasikanth! 
Jai Srimannarayana! 
We are happy for your 2 questions. 
1.Lord Rangana:tha, heard Bhagavadvishayam from Sri Manava:la Ma:muni. Being Omni-scient why should He listen from him? Here are a few reasons. 
1)He loves that DivyaPrabandham. 
2)The commentary presented by Sri Nambillai swamy, is still more lovely, and hence Lord liked that.
 3)The way Sri Manava:lama:muni explained was yet, par-excellence, for he was VISADA VAK SIKHA:MANI (HE WAS THE GEM AMONG THE ORATORS, HIS WAY OF EXPLAINING THE DEEPEST CONSEPTS WAS UNDERSTANDABLE EVEN TO KIDS) 
4)Even for God, whenever He comes to this mundane abode, He has to follow the rules of this land, which He Himself respects, as He chose Vasishta & Viswamithra as His Guru during Ra:ma:vatha:ra. He chose Gargacharya & Sa:ndi:pani as His gurus during Krishna Avatha:ra, so also Lord chose Manava:lama:muni as His Guru during Rangana:tha Archa:vatha:ra. As He chose a guru, He wanted to listen the concepts of Ve:da from that guru and He did so while listening to Bhagavadvishayam. 
5)He wanted to show to the world that He comes to people whom He likes, whenever there will be a need. 
6) He wanted to prove that Archa: vigraha is not just an idol made of some stone or wood or alike, when it is consecrated by Vedic Hymns or it appears as Swayam Vyaktha (self-incarnate as idol like in Sri:rangam/Tirumala/etc.,)He presents Himself there, making that particular Mu:rthi as His Divine Body.
 7)Lord Rangana:tha wanted to show a right A:cha:rya to the world of seekers, who wanted to fufil the purpose of their lives, for reaching right goal, ordained by Ve:das. Though there are still more reasons this is enough, we feel.
 

I earnestly hope Sriman Chinnajeeyar's explanation would be acceptable to one and all, and people will not give any kalai specific angle to his explanations.

Finally, I think ( please forgive me if I am wrong?)  Shri Srinath, further wishes to prolong the controversy by some remarks ( I hope he does not mean it though) he may have accidentally made during his last posting which goes as follows:-
(2)  It is unbecoming of individuals to cast aspersions on
    the credibility of SriVaishnavam seen in others who do
    not share their emotions and allegiances.  After all,
    it is not numbers that determine correctness - if that
    were the case then we should all turn towards advaitam,
    or even those ubiquitous babas who command such large
    followings.  Indeed if numbers make right, then perhaps
    India's national animal - the tiger, should be replaced
    by the rat which is so much more numerous.

The last two lines may perhaps be in response to Sri.Varadhan  referring  to a small section of Srivaishnavas not accepting Swami ManavalaMamunigal. Perhaps Shri.Srinath sitting in USA is not aware of facts nor have they made any attempt to educate themselves. Before making such statements thought must be given to repercussions. People like Shri. Srinath need to be educated about facts – it was the forefathers of these  rats who steadfastly protected the Divyadesams and the Bhagavad Sampradayam, during Muslim invasion, suffering hardships and  facing  great loss to life- especially in Srirangam, while the tigers were hiding in remote villages or dancing to the tune of people in power. Only after the British ushered in a period of security did the tigers come out of their dens and started challenging the rats with the might of the wealth which they had amassed, during the period of their hibernation. Again it will benefit Shri.Srinath and others of his kind who propose sAtvika ahankAram (noble pride), to come see and experience for themselves the reverence and passionate devotion with which the Daasa Kula Bhagavathas have for SriRamanujacharya and swami ManavalMamunigal at Srirangam and other places, which otherwise educated people like us, those with sAtvika ahankAram (noble pride)!!!, feel ashamed and shy to exhibit in open. Let us not commit Bhagavatha Apacharam, by an irrelevant rat - tiger analogy.
Adiyen, beg to excuse me for any hurt which I may have caused.
Adiyen SriRamanujadaasan,
Srinivasan.
 



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