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Thirukkacchi Nambi & Kulasekhara Azhwaar birthdaty week: Feb 26 week

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • February 26, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatti Group:

During the coming week , we will be celebrating the
birthdays of two of the greatest  Vaishnavite Acharyas.
One of them is that of Sri Thirukkacchi Nambi,
whose  birthday falls on Wednesday, February 28
(Maasi Krishna Paksha Dasami , Mrugaseersham );
the other one is that of  Kulasekhara Azhwaar falling on
Friday, March 1((Maasi Krishna Paksha Ekadasi, Punarvasu ). 

A.THIRUKKACCHI NAMBI

Thirukkacchi Nambi (Kanchi Poorna Muni) 
is known for his Thiruvaalavatta (Fan) Kainkaryam for 
Sri Varadaraja(Devaraja)  Perumal of Kanchipuram. He 
had the great and unique honor to have the conversations 
with Sri Varadaraja . His role as  a mentor for  Sri Ramanuja 
has been well-chronicled in the Guru Parambhara Prabhavam.
He got the answers from Sri Varadaraja for the questions 
of Sri Ramanuja which start with "Ahameva Param Tatvam ".
( Other devotees are requested to follow this thread .)
This great soul was successful in persuading  Sri Varadaraja
to break His Archa Samaadhi and speak to him in this Kali Yuga.
His devotion for Sri Varadaraja and his uninterrupted service for the
Lord is legendary. His great Bhakti for the Lord of Kanchi and his 
concern for the struggling Samsaaris joined together and led to
his moving composition known as Sri Devarajaashtakam . On this 
day, when Sri M. Vasudevan, a direct descendant of Prathivaadhi
Bhayankaram ANNangaraarya is joining the Prapatti group,
it augurs well to be inspired by a commentary left to us by this
prolific scholar on "Sri Devarajaashtakam " and share it with 
the members of our group ,that includes Sri Krishna Prabha,
another  descendant of  Sri P.B. ANNangaraarya of Kanchi.
Latter's commentary on the Devarajaashtakam 
goes back to the year 1947.
 
B. KULASEKHARA  AZHWAAR AND HIS "TWO"  WORKS
 
Next, I will focus on the 40 slokas of Mukunda Maala(MM) attributed to 
Sri Kulasekhara Azhwaar. Inspite of the controversy  as to whether 
MM was created by the Azhwaar of Chera Naadu (Kerala region ) or
by one of the Vaishnavite descendant of the Azhwaar, we will rest upon
the traditional link of this sthotram to Sri Kulasekhara, who blessed us 
with the 105 verses of Perumaal Thirumozhi. This great Rama Bhaktha,
who discarded his kingdom to live at Srirangam to worship the Archa Murthy
Sri Ramachandra and his ancestors of Ishvaaku Kulam 
 gave us the Sampporna Raamaayanam in his Thirumozhi verses
 paying homage to the Lord of Tillai Thirucchitrakootam.

I am glad to note that  the first test core page for the 108 Divya Desam project
constructed by Sri Dileepan focusses on Thiruchitrakootam , 
one of the 8 Divya Desams celebrated by Kulasekhara.

 Prominent among the 8 Divya desams  with the
Mangalaasaasanam  of the Azhwaar is Srirangam
 through  his 30 verses of PerumaaL Thirumozhi.

The other 7 Divya Desams celebrated by this Azhwaar are Ayoddhi 
with four paasurams, Thiru Aali (one), ThirukkaNNapuram (eleven ),
Thirucchitrakootam( eleven ), Thiruppaarkadal (two), Thiruvenkatam (eleven),
 and Thiru Vittuvakkodhu (ten). Rest of the verses of his 105 Thirumozhi deal
with 
well known incidents of Krishna and Rama Avathaarams. 

Since  there may be postings by other devotees of our Group on the 
 Kulasekhara PerumaaL and his Thirumozhis , I will focus on the 40 verses 
of Mukunda Maala to illustrate the Parama Bhakti of this Azhwaar, who 
is positioned between Nammazhwaar and Periyazhwaar in the hierarchy
of  our illustrious Azhwaars.  

Azhwaar AchaaryaaL thiruvadigaleh Saranam,

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan