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KOzhiyAlam swAmi's thirunakshattiram

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Anand Karalapakkam • March 25, 2000 


SrI:
SrI SrInivAsa ParabrahmaNE namaha

SrImatE Bhagavad RAmAnujAya namaha

SrImatE NigamAnta MahAdESIkAya namaha

Srimad abhinava BhAshyakAra RangaRAmAnuja -
mahAdesikAya Namaha

SrImad abhinava dESika UttamUr VeerarAghavArya -
mahAdESIkAya namaha

  Dear devotees,
  namO nArAyaNA.

  Sri Paramahamsa ParivrAjakAchArya Abhinava BhAsyakAra
  Ranga RAmAnuja MahAdesikan,popularly known as KozhiyAlam
  swAmi is one of the great Sri Vaishnava AchAryAs of the
  past century,well known to even other sampradAya
  AchAryAs for his Jn~Anam , VairAgyam and Bhakti, which
  obviously includes sincere and dedicated anushtAnams for
  the pleasure of Sriman NArAyana. One can understand the
  exaltedness of this great AchArya, simply by knowing
  that, the most illustrious "abhinava dESika" Sri
  Uttamoor VeerarAghavAchArya was his disciple. Today
  (Panguni anusham, Saturday) is the thirunakshattiram of
  this mahAn.


  The following information is based on an article
  (ie.not reproduced verbatim) written by SrI U.Ve.
  R.VEnkatAchAri, on "Navaratna sAmya". This article by
  SrI R.Venkatachari is added to the book housing the
  English translation by the author, of SrI KozhiyAlam
  swAmi's "Upayukta Sangraham".

  Sri R.VenkatAchAri had Pancha SamskAram (SamASrayanam
  ie.spiritual initiation) performed by Sri KozhiyAlam
  swAmi and underwent training in Ubhaya-vEdAnta under
  Uttamoor swAmi. He has nicely explained nine striking
  similarities between Sri Bhagavad RAmAnujA(BhAsyakAra)
  and Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi and justifying that
  the latter is "abhinava bhAshyakAra". Lets enjoy the
  following excellent anubhavams and pay our tributes
  to SrI KOzhiyAlam swAmi on this auspicious day of
  his thirunakshattiram (birthstar).



                     "NAVARATNA  SAMYA"
                 (Nine gems of similarity)

   Ratna 1
  *********
   BhAshyakAra  was the third of the Munitrayam (three
   Munis) comprised by Sri NAtha Muni, Sri YAmuna Muni
   and Sri RAmAnuja Muni. Abhinava BhAshyakAra is the
   third of the Muni trayam comprising Sri KetAndipatti
   swAmi, Sri Tirupathi swAmi and Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi.


   Ratna 2
  *********
   Both have the same thirunAmams (names), with an
   improvement in the abhinava avatAra (ie. KOzhiyAlam
   swAmi). Sri RAmAnuja spent his last days in Sri Rangam
   at the command of Lord RanganAthA (" Sri RangE
   SukamAsvA" ) and so "Sri Ranga" is added to the
   thirunAmam(name) of his abhinava avatAram and thats
   why KOzhiyAlam swami's thirumnAmam is Sri Ranga -
   RAmAnuja.

   Ratna 3
  *********
   Like Sri BhAsyakAra, who is third in the first
   Munitraya, the abhinava avatAra (Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi)
   is also third in the three abhinava avatArAs with the
   thirunAmAs as "Ranga RAmAnujA". The first RangarAmAnuja
   Muni is popularly known as "Upanishad BhAshyakAra" as he
   was the first AchArya of ViSishtAdvaita to write
   bhAshyams (commentries) to all the principal Upanishads.
   The second RangarAmAnuja Muni is SrI KetAndipatti swAmi
   and the third RangarAmAnuja Muni is "KOzhiyAlam swAmi",
   the grand disciple (disciple's deisciple) of SrI
   KEtAndipatti swAmi. All these three RangarAmAnuja Munis
   are also revered as abhinava BhAshyakArAs.


   Ratna 4
  *********
   Both BhAshyakAra (ie.Bhagavad RAmAnuja) and abhinava
   BhAshyakArA(ie.KOzhiyAlam swAmi) entered into
   TuriyAshramA (SannyAsAshrama) for flimsy reasons, which
   are normal in day to day life of a Gruhasta. Actually,
   they needed only a vyAja (excuse) to take up SannyAsa,
   as they were bent upon to take it even before itself.


  Ratna 5
 *********
  Both Bhagavad RAmAnuja(BhAshyakAra) and KOzhiyAlam SwAmi
  (abhinava BhAshyakAra) were highly merciful to the
  suffering baddha jIvAs and blessed them with invaluable
  granthAs (books).

  Nine Grantha RatnAs of BhAsyakAra :

    1. Sri BhAshya            2. VedAnta Deepa
    3. VedAnta sAra           4. VedArtha Sangraha
    5. GItA BhAshya           6. SaranAgati Gadya
    7. SriRanga Gadya         8. Sri Vaikunta Gadya
    9. Nithya

    Nine Grantha RatnAs of Abhinava BhAshyakAra ( though
    18, classified into 9 headings):

   1. UPANISHADS    : BEda SAmrAjya

   2. BRAHMA SUTRA  : Madhu Vidya mArga Darpana,Para Paksha
                      NirAkriri,Tattva PrakAsa, Tattva
                      Deepika, ChatussUtri VichAra.

   3. RAHASYAS      : Ukti Nishta ParitrAna, Samasyamana
                      SUktyArtha Nishkarsha.

   4. AHNIKAM       : Laghu Ahnikam Heyopadeya Darpana,
                      Jayanti PArana, Jayanti Nirnaya,
                      Yaj~nopavIta MimAmsa.

   5. ARCHA         : HastIsa Vaibhava.

   6. AchArya Mangala MAlika

   7. PAta Shodana

   8. Poornatva VichAra.

   9. Upayukta Sangraha


  Ratna 6
 *********
  Both Bhagavad RAmAnuja and KOzhiyAlam swAmi had intense
  attachment for performing anushtAnams  with utmost rigour.

  Since their love towards Sriman NArAyanA was overflowing,
  they did the anushtAnams very devotedly. Eventhough
  Bhagavad RAmAnuja was bed ridden in the last days of his
  avatAram (120 years), he was adamant on giving arghya
  during SandhyAvandana, only in a standing posture, though
  needed great efforts and was very inconvenient. Similarly,

  Sri abhinava BhAshyakAra has set exemplary standards in
  the performance of anushtAnams, which is well known.


  Ratna 7
 *********
  Both Bhagavad RAmAnuja and KOzhiyAlam swAmi were masters
  of Upanishads and Brahma SUtra. "BhAshyakAra" is the
  title given to Bhagavad RAmAnuja by Goddess Saraswathi.
  She was overjoyed when Bhagavad RAmAnuja presented the
  commentry on Brahma SootrAs at Saraswathi Peetam and
  proved in the midst of all the vedic scholars that his
  commentry is the faithful one to the sUtrAs. Goddess
  Saraswathi appeared in front of Sri RAmAnuja and named
  the bhAshyam as "Sri BhAshyam" and gave him the title
  "BhAshyakAra" (one who has written the commentry of
  Brahma SUtrAs giving the right explanations) and gave
  the archAmoorthi of Sri Lakshmi Hayagrivar for worship.

  abhinava BhAshyakAra will be remembered through his
  classics on Brahma SUtrAs viz. Madhu Vidya mArga Darpana,
  Para Paksha Nirakriti etc.


  Ratna 8
 *********
  Both Bhagavad RAmAnuja and KOzhiyAlam swAmi left the
  task of writing commentry for NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi
  to their dear disciples. While BhAshyakAra commanded Sri
  "Thiruk kurugai PirAn PiLLAn" for that very sacred task,
  abhinava bhAshyakAra commanded Sri Uttamoor swAmi.


  Ratna 9
 *********
  Both Bhagavad RAmAnuja and KOzhiyAlam swAmi were ardent
  devotees  of archAvatArams of Sriman NArAyana, esp. to
  Lord VaradarAja of KAnchi.


  SrI R.VenkatAchAri thus concludes that the above
  Navaratna sAamya proves that the avatAra of Srimad Ranga
  RAmAnuja MahAdesikan (Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi) is definitely
  the abhinava avatAra of Sri BhAshyakAra (Bhagavad
  RAmAnujA).

  Hope that you all enjoyed these anubhavams.

  There will nothing more pleasing to SrI KOzhiyAlam swAmi,
  than the re-printing of the invaluable works of
  our pUrvAchAryAs and that too with the outstanding
  commentries by his own dear disciple SrI UttamUr swAmi.
  The most appropriate way to celebrate the thirunakshatram
  of this mahAn (Or for any AzhwAr Or AchArya for that
  matter) is to remeber their teachings and making an oath
  to follow their instructions and to spread their (and
  other AchAryA's) writings for the benifit of the whole
  world. There can't be any other kainkaryam that would be
  more pleasing to pUrvAchAryAs and the Divya Dampati.
  Hence, please do come forward to donate liberally towards
  the very sacred kainkaryam of re-printing the books of
  SrI UttamUr swAmi.


  Lets recite the taniyan of this AchArya and obtain his
  blessings to increase  our commitments to serve AchAryAs,
  BhAgavathAs and the Divya Dampati, and decrease our
  attachment to materialistic pleasures.


 Srimad SriRanga RAmAnuja Muni CharanAmbOja Brin~gAyamaNa
 Srimad VedAnta RAmAnuja Muni KaruNAvApta VEdAnta Yugmam |

 TadvinyastAtma RakshA-bhAram anagha guNam brahmaNi-
 SrinivAsE
 Srimad Sri RangaRAmAnuja Munim aparam SamsrayE -
 Jn~Ana VArdhim ||

   adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,
   ananthapadmanAbhan.
   krishNArpaNam.

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