ThirunArAyaNapuram SatAri Kaimkaryam : Two Questions: Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

• January 2, 2000


Dear BhakthAs :

I would like to take this opportunity to 
respond to the Two queries from BhakthAs 
regarding this kaimkaryam. At the end of this day 
( January 3 ) , we will conclude the assembly 
of funds for this Kaimkaryam and start the work
by the Goldsmith in Chennai for creating this
SatAri (SaThaari).

The two questions asked by fellow BhakthAs are:

(1) Why did you choose ThirunArAyaNapuram (Melkote) 
as a site for this Kaimkaryam instead 
of Srirangam or Kaanchipuram or Thiruppathi ,
which are also closely affilated with AchArya
RaamAnujA's Life ?

(2) Is n't SatAri linked more with NammAzhwAr ?
What does one call a satAri presented to
AchArya RaamAnujA ? 

*************************************************

Here is my responses to the First Question .
I will assemble 16 reasons(a to p) to begin with :

Question :1--> Why ThirunArAyaNapuram ?

There are number of reasons one can advance for 
the selection of ThirunArAyaNapuram . 

(a) AchArya RaamAnujA lived here for twelve
years and had a tremendous impact on the temple
town and the whole state of KarnAtakA by
conversion of King Vishnu Vardhana of HoysaLA
dynasty to Sri VaishNavam from a Veda Baahya Matham .

(b) The Lord appeared in AchArya RaamAnujA's dream
at Thondanur , KarnAtakA and asked Udayavar to come to
ThirunArAyaNapuram to free Him from His entombment 
inside an ant hill ; Udayavar released the Lord
by pouring pots of milk ove the sacred anthill
as illustrated in the AchArya RaamAnujA CD ROM
graphics . 

(c) AchArya RaamAnujA built a temple for 
ThirunArAyaNan ,which stands majestically 
even today .

(d) Here on the banks of KalyANi Theertham ,
AchArya RaamAnujA had his anushtAnam every day
for 12 years. He collected ThirumaNN from these
banks , offered to the Lord and then used the
ThirumaNN for his anushtAnam . 

(e) He assembled 52 famous disciples here , whose
family continues the Kaimkaryam for the Lord even
today. 

(f) AchArya RaamAnujA went to Delhi Sultan's
palace to bring  his Selva PILLai back to His
aasthAnam in ThirunArAyaNapuram .There was no
Uthsavar at the Lord's temple prior to
AchArya RaamAnuja bringing Him back from
Delhi, where He had been abducted by 
the Sultaan .

(g) In YathirAjA's SaamrAjyam , which has
been described as sarvathOmukam , Selva PiLLai
(Uthsavar at ThirunArAyaNapuram ) was happy
to be a YuvarAjA . AchArya RaamAnujA is therfore 
called EmperumAnAr ,while Sriman NaarAyaNA is 
contented to be called EmperumAn.

(h) The Lord has been here in all four yugams.
In Krutha Yugam , Sanath KumAra and the other Rishis
brought Sriman NaarAyaNA form sathya Lokam and worshipped 
Him here .The dhivya desam acquired thus the name of
NaarAyaNAdhri.

(i) In TrEthA Yugam, Lord DattAthrEyA sat on 
the banks of KalyANi pushkaraNi with four sishyAs 
( four VedAs) and performed VedAdhyayanam and 
contributed to the name of VedAdhri for this 
sacred kshEthram .

(j) In DhvApara Yugam , Sriman NaarAyaNA was 
worshipped both by BalarAman and RaamAnujan
( Brother of BalarAman ) , the two Vibhava
avathAra Moorthys , who belonged to the Yaadhava
dynasty . Hence , this dhivya desam came to be
known as YaadhavAdhri.

(k) In Kali Yugam , EmperumAnAr arrived and
performed JeerNOtthAraNam for the temple 
and spent 12 long years , which led to this 
puNya KshEthram to be known as Yathi Sailam . 

(l) This is why , residence at ThirunArAyaNapuram 
is considered sufficient according to IthIhyam to
secure a seat in the middle of the Parama Purusha
GhOshti at Sri Vaikuntam . Actually , what is behind 
this statement is the blessing of AchArya Sambhandham 
at ThirunArAyaNapuram .

(m) Here was born Adhi VaNN SatakOpa Yathindhra 
MahA Desikan in September , 1379 . This was 242 
years after AchArya RaamAnujA ascended Parama Padham.
He established the Ahobila matam in year 1398
after receiving his SanyAsam directly from 
Lord Narasimhan of AhObilam .His BrundhAvanam
is on the banks of KalyANi PushkaraNi.AchArya 
RaamAnujA appeared as a five headed serpent 
in the Sri BhAshya KaalakshEpa GhOshti of Adhi VaNN
SatakOpa Yathi to bless latter. Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL
was initiated to SanyAsAsramam by Adhi VaNN SatakOpar.  

(n) The second Jeeyar of Ahobila matam was commanded
by ThirunArAyaNan to establish himself permanently
at His dhivya Desam . There at the bank of KalyAni
pushkaraNi , this Jeeyar stayed for more than 12 years
and worshipped ThirunArAyaNan.His BrindhAvanam
is also there.

(o) The tenth and the 12th Ahobila matam Jeeyars also
have their BrindhAvanams at ThirunArAyaNapuram . The twelfth
Jeeyar ascended to parama Padham in the year 1632 from
here . Next to Sri Nrusimhapuram (near AathanUr dhivya Deesam ) 
and ThiruveLLUr having 5 BrundhAvanams of Azhagiya Singars
of Ahobila Matam , ThirunArAyaNapuram has Four 
Brundhaavanams of Ahobila mata yathis.Here , the 12th
Jeeyar of Ahobila matam conducted twelve rounds of
Sri BhAshyam KaalakshEpam for his many sishyAs.His 
Aasrama Naamam was Sriman NaarAyana Yathindhra 
MahA Desikan.

(p) Here during the September of 1998 , the 600th 
anniversary of the founding of the Ahobila matam by 
Adhi VaNN SatakOpa MahA Desikan was celebrated by
the current (45th) Jeeyar of Sri matam . The 900th
anniversary of AchArya RaamAnujA entering ThirunArAyaNa-
puram was also celebrated in March,99 at 
ThirnArAyaNapuram.On a BhaudhAnya Panguni 
Sukla Chathurdhasi day , AchArya RaamAnujA had
the darsanam of ThirunArAyaNan with His temple
inside the anthill . 

SUCH IS THE GLORY OF THIRUNAARAAYANAPURAM , 
THE SACRED SEAT OF AACHAARYA RAAMAANUJA FOR 
12 YEARS AND HIS SUCCESSORS REPRESENTING 
EVERY BRANCH OF HIS DARSANAM CONTINUE TO
WORSHIP HERE  .THIS IS THE REASON FOR CHOICE OF
THIS DHIVYA DESAM FOR THE SATARI KAIMKARYAM 
FOR UDAYAVAR .Among the three thriumEnis
(Vigrahams ) embraced by AchArya RaamAnujA ,
while he was on this earth, the archai ThirunEni
at ThirunArAyaNapuram is one of them. 

I will answer the second question about
the name of the Satari for Sri RaamAnujA
in the next posting and its distinction .

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri SadagOpan