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Re: AchArya RaamAnujA becoming the elder brother of ANDAL (GOdhAgrajan).

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • February 1, 2002 


Dear SrI Sreekanth:

You asked as to Why ANDAL is saluted as
younger sister of AchArya RaamAnujA .
  
Once AchArya RaamAnujA was travelling to
SrIvilliputthUr to visit NaacchiyAr ThirumALigai
to worship ANDAL and Her Lord SrI RangamannAr. .
On the way from SrIrangam to SrIvilliputthUr , he stopped
at Azhagarkoil for worshipping Sundararaaja
PerumAL .At Azhagar Koil ,AchArya RaamAnujA
was reflecting two NacchiyAr Thirumozhi Paasurams
(9.6 and 9.7) of AndaL on SrI SundararAjan ( Azhagar) .

In the first Paasuram, " NaaRu naRum pozhil 
MaalirumchOlai nampikku--", ANDAL gave Her word to 
present a hundred pots of sweet butter and hundred
full pots of Sweet rice cooked in milk (akkAra adisil)
and asked the Lord of ThirumAlirumchOlai whether He will
show up and accept Her samarpaNam . She was longing to 
see Him and have samyOgam with Him . She was tempting 
Him with this delightful offering knowing that He loved
butter and went through a lot to get at butter in the house 
of Gopis. She also knew that He loved PaayasAnnam . She offered
both the objects of His desire and expected in return for Him
to come before Her so that She can lovingly "feed " Him .

In the next paasuram , " InRu vanthi Itthanayum amudhu 
seythidap-peRil--" , ANDAL continued Her conversation 
with Herself :" If My Lord who lives in green groves 
wafting exquisite fragrance of mountain flowers accepts 
My invitation for the feast and comes before Me , I shall 
multiply My offerings by a thousand-fold and then serve
Him with great love. Would He present Himself and reside 
in my lowly heart ?" .

AchArya RaamAnujA reflected on these paasurams and sensed
the pathos behind ANDAL's manObhAvam , when She made these
sweet offerings to Lord SundararAjan. He was not sure whether
ANDAL did indeed offer the many vessels of butter and akkAra Adisil
as She promised. He decided therefore to make those offerings 
in a spirit of fulfilling ANDAL's wish. He felt fulfilled .Thereafter,
He continued his journey to SrIvilliputthUr. When he reached 
the ardha maNDapam of ANDAL's ThirukkOil, what he witnessed 
was beyond anything he could have imagined. From Her 
sanctum sanctorium , ANDAL had travelled to the Ardha MaNDapam 
to greet RaamAnujA ;She greeted RaamAnujA ( The ThiruppAvai Jeeyar)  
as Her elder brother since he had taken on the role of a responsible 
" elder brother" to fulfill the promise of his "Little sister" , 
(ANDAL) to Lord SundararAjan of ThirumAlirumchOlai(Her Lord). 
>From then on ,ANDAL did not return to Her Garbahgraham . 
This wonderful happening and the respectful gesture 
shown by ANDAL earned RaamAnujA the title of the elder of 
ANDAL( PerumbhUthUr Maamunikku PinnAnAL VaazhiyE).

ANDAL has a wonderful way of meeting AchAryAs. On one pradhOsham
day , when Swamy Desikan was visiting SrIvilliputthur ,
ANDAL could not wait to meet Swamy Desikan. She routed Herself 
on that evening away from the main streets to present 
Herself before a surprised Swamy Desikan and recieved his
spontaneous devotional samarpaNam "SrI GOdhA Sthuthi" .She is
proactive in Her ways to bless BhakthAs. She is indeed an avyAja
KaruNA Moorthy. 

SrI ANDAL THiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
V.Sadagopan 


  



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