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Re: KooratthAzhwAn Thirunakshathram (thai hastham)

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Sadagopan • February 6, 1999 


At 02:39 AM 2/5/99 PST, you wrote:
>Sri:

Dear Sri MadhavakkaNNan :
Many thanks for a wonderful and timely 
article on Thai Hastham day to celebrate 
the Thirunakshathram of KurEsar .

I add a few more "snippets " on the glory 
of this great AchAryan , who lived for 106 years on 
this earth from 1010 A.D . He attained parama padham 
in the year 1116A.D. He was older than AchArya RaamAnuja 
(1017-1137A.D ) by seven years and ascended to 
Sri Vaikuntam twenty one years before his AchAryan.

Here are some additional information to compliment 
the passages in your excellent posting :  

>KoorEsar was the one who read the Commentary of Brahmasoothram in one 
>night and he could remember all when it was stolen and taken away be the 
>envious enemies on RamaujA's return from kashmir. Based on KoorEsar's 
>memory and ability, Ramanuj wrote Sri BhAshyam. (Please correct me, if I 
>am wrong!). Such was the Greatness of KooratthAzhwAn . 

There is another legend that the house , where the Sri Kosams were 
burnt down from a fire and the Sri Bhaashyam was lost . It is then 
KurEsar recalled form memory the Text of Sri Bhaashyam .
KurEsar was also Sri RaamAnujA's amenuse or the memory
bank and helped a freat deal in the creation of 
Sri Bhaashyam by his AchAryan . 
>
>KoorEsar's eyes were plucked by ChOzhA king.
 
Another version is that KurEsar himself plucked his eyes and threw
it in front of the Veera Saiva RaajA with the announcement that he did 
not want to possess the eyes that had the paapam of seeing that 
intolerant NaarayaNa dhvEshi .The king's servants plucked 
the eyes of Periya nampi , who accompanied KurEsa
to the king's court to refute the assertion of the king
that SivA wa sthe greatest among Gods . This king later
had throat cancer for his aparAdham and died a miserable
death .  

>He along with periya nambhi went to the king's court 
>and when Periya nambhi refused to sign, he was 
>executed.

Periya nampi gave up his own life after losing 
his eyes out of heart break about the king's 
cruel deed and Sri VaishNava apachAram . 

Periya Nampi lost his eyes at the order of
the cruel king and on the travel from 
the king's court back to Srirangam, Kuresa and Periya nampi
did not travel too far from the King's capital . Periya Nampi
could not bear the suffering and laid his head on the lap
of KurEsar and the feet at the lap of his daughter Atthuzhai 
and meditated on his AchAryan, AalavandhAr  and
ascended to Paramapadham at GangaikonDa Sozhapuram ,
the very capital of the ChOLA king , where such ignominy had 
happened .  

>KooratthAzhwAn, due to his Sanskrit knowledge, wrote a 
>statement "Bigger than Sivam is dhrOnam" (I think dhrONam is a measure 
>in sanskrit like "padi, marakkal, kaal padi, arai padi, in Tamil etc.. 
>Sivam's another meaning is kaal padi, (like 250 ml) and dhrOnam is 
>araipadi (500 ml)- I don't know the exact measure!). 

The clever Sanskrit slOkam with double meanings is :
" SivAth paratharam naasthi---> dhrONamasthi tatha: param "
Sivam is KuruNi and DhrONam , the measure bigger than
Sivam is Pathakku .

>
>KooratthAzhwAn was so merciful and soft hearted that he requested the 
>Lord (when he was asked to appeal to the Lord, by RamanujA for getting 
>back his eyesight) to save him (KoorEsar) and Nalooraan also (who was a 
>traitor and the "brutus", because of whom KoorEsar was in fact blinded 
>at all). enna oru hrudhayam; - That is the essential quality of a 
>srivaishnava; 

AchAryA RaamAnujA expressly returned from Melkote
after hearing about the fate of KurEsar and
Periya Nampi . He went to Kanchipuram
and asked KurEsar to compose a sthOthram 
in honor of the boon-granting Sri VaradarAjan
for the return of his (KurEsar"s )eye sight . KurEsar 
composed the sthavam on Sri VaradarAjA .
In that sthavam , KurEsar asked for Jn~Ana
chakshus ( Jn~Anak KaNNkaL ) instead of
physical eyes .His prayer was "nEthrasAth Kuru 
KarIsa ! sadhA mE ".

>
>Please read Sri Sadagopan's lovely article on Sristhavam  (composed by 
>KooratthAzhwAn) in bhakti archives sometime in Feb 96, on this day for 
>being blessed by KooratthAzhwAn.

Thanks very much for reference to this earlier 
posting , I almost forgot about . It will be wonderful to get 
hold of the other four sthavams of this great AchAryan,
KurEsar ( 1010-1116 A.D ) :

1.AthimAnusha sthavam
2.VaradarAja Sthavam
3. Vaikunta Sthavam
4. SundarabAhu Sthavam 

Anyone , who has copies of the text or Text and 
commentary can contact me so that I can do this 
Kaimkaryamof writing in English . We can also
share this kaimkaryam . I recall Sri Anbil Swamy 
giving a lecture one time on AthimAnusha Sthavam .
He can start this effort for others to follow .  

I conclude this posting with the Taniyan
for KurEsar to prostrate before him :

SrivatsachinnamisrEbhyO nama ukthim adhImahE
YaduktayasatrayIkanthE yAnthi mangaLa sUtratAm 

Sri KurEsa GuravE nama:
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan