Ranganik KaaNpatheppO?: Sri Parasara Bhattar's anubhavam : Part 2.
From the Bhakti List Archives
• December 14, 1999
Dear BhakthAs : Sri Parasara Bhattar's sorrow over being exiled from Srirangam was unbearable , even if it was a self-imposed exile.He settled in ThirukkOttiUr.There ,he had the daily darsanam of Soumya NaarAyaNan and ThirumAmahaL NaacchiyAr resting under the shade of their AshtAnga VimAnam . Bhattar was surrounded by BhagavathAs there , who flocked to hear his KaalakshEpams and nirvAhams . Yet , he pined for the life at Srirangam ad the darsanam of Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RangarAjan at Srirangam . His anubhavam must have been similar to that of AchArya RaamAnujA at Mekote and Swamy Desikan at Sathyamangalam , when both had to live away from Srirangam .AdiyEn is just using my imagination based on the study of AzhwAr's paasurams to understand what MIGHT HAVE BEEN Bhattar's reason to choose ThirukkOttiUr over Kaanchi, SrivilliputthUr or ThirumAlirum chOlai for his self-imposed exile from Srirangam . ParAsara Bhattar's choice of ThirukkOttiyUr ******************************************** When Bhattar left Srirangam on his own due to displeasure with the local king , he wanted perhaps to live close to Srirangam and yet outside the borders of the king , who committed unforgivable Bhaagavatha and AchArya apachAram. He chose ThirukkOttiyUr indeed as the place to wait . The other reason could be his own familiarity with the AzhwAr's aruLicheyalkaL as his indicators ( soochakam ). For instance , Thirumozhisai AzhwAr pointed out in his Naanmukan ThiruvandhAthi ( 34 th Paasuram): kuRippu yenakkuk KottiyUr meyyAnai yEttha kuRippu yenakku nanmai payakka-- (Meaning):adiyEn had two intentions(goals) : (1)It was my intention to have the darsana soubhAgyam of the Lord of ThirukkOttiyUr and eulogize Him (2) It was my intention to receive sakala soubhAgyams (nanmai)through that sevai and kaimkaryam to Him . Bhattar also reminded himself perhaps about the aruL mozhi of Kaliyan in his Periya Thirumozhi (7.1.3): thArEn piRarkku UnnaruL yennidai vaitthAi aarEn athuvE paruhik kaLikkinREn kaarEy KadalE malayE ThirukkOtti- urE yuhanthayai uhanthadiyEnE (meaning): Oh Lord of ThirukkOttiyUr ! You blessed me with Your anugraham and I became the receptacle for Your dayA.AdiyEn enjoys that grace without satiety . You have given Yourself away to BhakthAs as the most generous One. AdiyEn will not share You with avaishNavAs . I have chosen You as my Lord , who is resting in the sayana thirukkOlam at the Milky Ocean , Srirangam and ThirukkOttiUr and also standing on top of the Venkatam hills. The displeasure with an avaishNavan like the offending Veerasundaran and the sEvA bhAgyam of the Lord in reclining pose at ThirukkOttiyur as in Srirangam might be two of the reasons for the choice of ThirukkOttiUr by Bhattar as a dhivya dEsam to wait it out. The other reasons for Bhattar's selection of ThirukkOttiUr might be surmised from the hailing of PeriyAzhwar right at the beginning of his Thirumozhi celebrating the birth of KaNNan at ThirkkOttiUr ( PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi:1.1). In the concluding paasuram of this patthu , PeriyAzhwar states: sennalAr vayal soozh ThirukkOttiUr mannu NaaraNan piRanthamai minnu nool Vittuchitthan virittha, ipp- pannu paadal vallArkku illai paavamE Just as Andal recognized SrivilliputthUr as ThiruvAayipADi , PeriyAzhwAr recognized ThirukkOttiUr as ThiruvAipADi and celebrated Sri Soumya NaarAyaNan as KaNNan, Kesavan , NaarAyaNan and performed MangaLAsAsanam for this dhivya dEsam as the place of birth of Lord KrishNA. Yet another possible reason for Bhattar's choice of ThirukkOttiUr for residence is the connection of AchArya RaamAnujA to ThirukkOttiyUr nampi. This dhivya Desam was the seat of great anushtAthAs and Vedic scholars and sishtAs. PeriyAzhwAr attests to this fact abundantly in his PeriyaazhwAr Thirumozhi paasurams . For instance in his Thirumozhi 4.4 , PeriyAzhwAr says: " dEva kaariyam seythu Vedam payinRu Vaazh ThirukkOttiyUr.." ( ThirukkOttiUr with Sri VaishNava sampath known for the assembly of those , who perform daily AarAdhanam for the Lord as established in the Nithya granthams and for those , who practise the Vedic injunctions for BhAgavath and BhAgavatha Kaimkaryams ) " KuRRaminRi guNam perukki GurukkaLukku anukoolarAi seRRam onRumilAtha vaNN kaiyinArkaL vaazh ThirukkOttiUr " --PTM: 4.2 ( The Sri VaishNava assembly at the blessed ThirukkOttiUr is known for (1) aanukoolya sankalpam (2) PrAthikoolya varjanam (3) indriya nigraham (4) well developed aathma guNams (5) blemishless AchArya Bhakthi (6) freedom from jealousy and ahnakAram and(7) great generosity . It is their nithya vaasam at ThirukkOttiUr that tilted the scales for Bhattar to choose this dhivya desam for temporary stay). " bhUtham iynthodu vELvi iynthu pulankaL iynthu poRikaLAl yEtham onRilAtha vaNN kaiyaarkaL vaazh ThirukkOttiUr Naathanai Narasinghanai navinRu yEtthuvArkaL uzhakkiya Paadha thooLi paduvathAl ivvulaham bhaakkiyam seythathE " PTM: 4.6 (meaning): Neither through their bodies made of pancha- bhUthams nor by five senses nor by their five indhriyams would the Sri VaishNavAs of ThirukkOttiUr commit any Bhagavath-BhAgavatha apachArams . They dedicate their pancha bhUtha sarIram to serve the other Sri VaishNavALs and use thier senses and Indhriyams for Bhaagavatha Kaimkaryams. They are the most generous ones. They eulogize Lord NarasimhA , when they move about and by the imprint of their feet this earth (ThirukkOttiUr) becomes the most fortunate place anywhere . " karumtaDa muhil VaNNanaik Kadai koNDu kai thozhum BhaktharkaL iruntha ooril irukkum maanithar yetthavankaL seythAr kolO ? " PTM: 4.7 (Meaning ): How fortunate indeed are those , who live in ThirukkOttiUr known for the nithya vaasam of the great Sri VaishNavAs , whose livelihood is the celebration of dark-hued Soumya NaarAyaNan through sthOthrams day and night , the conductance of uthsavams for Him regularly , the unceasing meditation of Him ? They must have done noble penances to have the BhAgyam of living in this dhivya dEsam of Soumya NaarAyaNan and ThirumAmahaL. "---ThirukkOttiUr , nambanai Narasinghanai navinRu yEtthuvArkal kaNDakkAl , YempirAn chinnangaL ivarivar yenRu aasaikaL theervanE "--PTM : 4.9 (meaning ): In the dhivya desam of ThirukkOttiUr , adiyEn will quench my thirst for the darsanam and the worship of Sri VaishNavAs , whose devotion to Achyutha-Bhaktha Vathsalan are exemplary. When adiyEn comes across these VaishNava sikhAmaNis ,who loudly proclaim the name of BhagavAn Narasimhan , adiyEn would recognize them immediately as the true insignia of the Lord and long for their association and be totally contented with my life . Such is the Sri VaishNava samrutthi (sampath/selvam) of ThirukkOttiUr that Sri ParAsara Bhattar chose as his place of residence outside Srirangam . In the subsequent postings , adiyEn will cover the individual slOkams of Sri RanganAtha sthOthram of Sri ParAsara Bhattar. Bhattar ThiruvadigalE SaraNam, Oppilappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
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