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KozhiyAlam swAmi Thirunakshattiram

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Anand K Karalapakkam • March 19, 1998 


                                  Sri :
          
             Srimate  Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha

                  Srimate Sri Kanakavalli nAyikA sametha Sri-
                       VeerarAghava Para Brahmane Namaha

                       Srimate  ShatagopAya Namaha                                    

                  Srimate  Bhagavad   RAmAnujAya  Namaha      

                  Srimate NigamAntha MahAdesikAya Namaha 

             Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka - 
         Srivan  Shatagopa  Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha      
             

     Dear  bhaktAs of Sriman NArAyanA,
    
     Namo NArAyanA . kindly accept adiyen's pranAmams. 

       Sri Paramahamsa ParivrAjakAchArya Abhinava BhAsyakAra Ranga
RAmAnuja MahAdesikan (Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi) is one of the great Sri
VaishnavA AchAryAs of this century , well known (to other sampradAya
AchAryAs also) for his Jn~Anam , VairAgyam & Bhakti , which obviously
includes sincere & dedicated AnushtAnams for the Pleasure of Sriman
NArAyanA. One can understand the exaltedness of this great AchAryA, simply
by knowing that,the illustrious Abhinava Desika Sri Uttamoor
VeerarAghavAchAryA was his disciple. Today (  Panguni Anusham) is the
thirunakshattiram of this mahAn.

          Let us meditate for sometime on the pastimes of this AchAryA.
Actually , adiyen doesn't know much about this mahAn.Fortunately , adiyen
could get some information from the book called "Tattva RahasyArtha
SangrahA" , the English Translation of Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi's "Upayukta
Sangraham " in Tamil .

      Tanian (please forgive for the mistakes in transliteration):

     Srimad Sri RangaRAmAnuja Muni CharanAmboja Bringayamana -
     Srimad VedAnta RAmAnuja Muni KarunAvApta VedAnta Yugmam |
     Tadvinyastatma Raksha BhAram anagha gunam brahmani SrinivAse -
     Srimad Sri RangaRAmAnuja Munim aparam Samsraye Jn~Ana Vardhim ||   
    
  Sri R.VenkatAchAri swAmi had Pancha SamskAram performed by Sri
KozhiyAlam swAmi & did the kAlakshebam under Uttamoor swAmi. He has nicely
brought out the similarities between Sri Bhagavad RAmAnujA (BhAsyakArA) &
Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi. 

                     "NAVARATNA  SAMYA"
    Sri BhAsyakArA & Sri Abhinava BhAsyakArA (Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi)

     Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi was acclaimed as the ABHINAVA AVATARA of
BhAsyakArA (Bhagavad RAmAnujA) , even by Scholars & Pandits of other
sampradAyAs & SiddhAntAs. This is quite evident from the following NINE
similarities , which can be called as NavaratnAs .

   Ratna 1.  BhAshyakArA  was the third of the Munitrayam comprised by Sri
NAtha Muni , Sri YAmuna Muni & Sri RAmAnuja Muni. Abhinava BhAshyakArA is
the third of the Muni trayam comprising Sri KetAndipatti swAmi , Sri
Tirupathi swAmi & Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi.

   Ratna 2.  Both have the same thirunAmams( divine names) - with an
improvement in the abhinava avatArA. Sri RAmAnujA spent his last days in
Sri Rangam at the command of Lord RanganAthA (" Sri Range SukamAsvA" ) &
so "Sri Ranga" is added to the thirunAmam of his Abhinava avatAram (Sri
RangaRAmAnuja).

   Ratna 3. Like Sri BhAsyakArA , who is the 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" - Comprising Sri
Upanishad BhAshyakArA , Sri KetAndipatti swAmi & Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi .
All these three AchAryAs are also Abhinava BhAshyakArAs.

   Ratna 4.  Both BhAshyakArA & Abhinava BhAshyakArA entered into
TuriyAshramA (SanyAsAshramA) for flimsy reasons , which are normal in day
to day life of a GruhastA . Actually , they needed only a vyAjA (some
reason) to take up SanyAsA , as they were bent upon to takeup
SanyAsA even before itself.
               
  Ratna  5. Both the BhAshyakArAs were highly merciful to the suffering
baddha jIvAs & blessed them with invaluable granthAs (works/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. Sri Ranga 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 , 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.                 PAtha ShodanA

   8.                 Poornatva VichArA

   9.                 Upayukta SangrahA


  Ratna 6.  Both the BhAshyakArAs had the same & intense attachment  for
performing AnushtAnams  with utmost rigour . Since their love towards
Sriya: pathi Sriman NArAyanA was limitless , they did the AnushtAnams
devotedly, which pleases the Lord very much. Eventhough BhAshyakArA  was
bed ridden in the last days of his avatAram (120 years) , he insisted on
giving arghyA during SandhyAvandanA , only in a standing position , with
great effort & inconvenience . Similarly , Sri Abhinava BhAshyakArA set
exemplary standards in the performance of AnushtAnams & it is well known.

   Ratna 7.  Both BhAshyakArAs were masters of Upanishads & Brahma SUtrA.
"BhAshyakArA" is the title given to Bhagavad RAmAnujA by Goddess
Saraswathi.She was overjoyed & ecstatic when Bhagavad RAmAnujA
presented the Commentry on Brahma SootrAs at Saraswathi Peetam & proved
in the midst of all the vedic scholars that his commentry is the factual
one. Goddess Saraswathi appeared in front of Sri RAmAnujA and named the
bhAshyam as "Sri BhAshyam"; gave the title "BhAshyakArA" ( one who has
given the TRUE import of Brahma SootrAs)  & gave the ArchAmoorthy of Sri
Lakshmi Hayagrivar for worship. 

    Abhinava BhAshyakArA will be remembered through his classics on Brahma
SootrAs - Madhu Vidya mArga DarpanA , Para Paksha Nirakriti & other works.

 
  Ratna 8. Both the BhAshyakArAs left the task of writing commentries for
for AzhvAr's Sri SooktIs ( Divya Prabandham /Tamil Vedam) to their dear
disciples ( BhAshyakArA -> Sri Thiruk kurugai PirAn PiLLAn ; Abhinava
BhAshyakArA -> Sri Abhinava Desika Uttamoor VeerarAghavAchAryA ).

     Sri Thiruk kurugaip pirAn piLLAn left the task of completing the
commentry to all the 4000 pAsurams , to Sri Abhinava Desikan , whose
MASTERPIECE "Prabandha Rakshai" ( Commentry to 4000 Divya Prabandham) is
hailed by the great pandits in prabandhams & even Tamil Scholars from
other SiddhAntAs as the BEST so far written by anybody . It has the
Essence of all the Previous Commentries & also many new anubhavams , which
has opened new avenues in the enjoyment of Divya Prabandhams.

  
   Ratna 9.  Both BhAshyakArAs were ardent devotees  of ArchAvatArams of
Sriman NArAyanA - esp to Lord VaradarAjA of KAnchi.

     The above Navaratna Samya proves beyond doubt that the AvatArA of
Srimad Ranga RAmAnuja MahAdesikan (Sri KozhiyAlam swAmi) is definitely the
abhinava avatArA of Sri BhAshyakArA (Bhagavad RAmAnujA).

    Since SwAmi Desikan regretted a lot for not being a direct disciple of
BhAshyakArA , Bhagavad RAmAnujA made the abhinava avatAram as Sri
KozhiyAlam swAmi & SwAmi Desikan made the abhinava avatAram as Sri 
Uttamoor VeerarAghavAchAryA .


    While Sri Abhinava BhAshyakArA started the vedAnta Grantha KAlakshebA
to Sri Abhinava DesikA , he was a GruhastA. Suddenly , he stopped the
KalakshebA abrubtly in the middle & took SanyAsa at Sri Rangam (since
BhAshyakArA was a sanyAsi). He then came back to continue with the
kAlakshebam. Sri Abhinava Desikan remained in GruhastAshrama similar to
SwAmi Desikan.

     The greatness of Sri Abhinava BhAshyakArA is that , he himself wrote
the taniyan (Laudatory Verse) for his disciple Sri  Abhinava Desikan ,
which is a very very rare event ( Great AtmagunA).

     Taniyan :

        " Adbhutam yasya vikrAntam Veda VeethI Visodhane
          Aparam NigamAntAryam Prapadye VeerarAghavam " .

      
    Let us meditate on both the BhAsyakArAs & both the DesikAs , & get
their blessings to increase  our commitments to serve AchAryAs,
BhAgavathAs & Sriman NArAyanA, and decrease our attachment to
materialistic pleasures. 


      Srimate Abhinava Desika VeerarAghavArya MahA DesikAya Namaha

      Srimate Abhinava BhAshyakAra RangaRAmAnujArya MahA DesikAya Namaha

   Namo NArAyanA

   Adiyen

   Anantha PadmanAbha dAsan  


                      Sarvam  Sri KrishnArpanamastu