GREATNESS AND GLORIES OF SRI URANGAVALLI DASAR BLESSED BY SRI RAMANUJACHARYA

All the detailed description of the greatness and glories of Sri Urangavalli Dasar (also known as Dhanurdasar) and his dharmapatni Ponnachiar (also known as Hemamba) blessed by Sri Ramanujacharya are amazingly presented in the work Prapannamrtam - Chapters 40 and 41 written in Sanskrit by Srimadanatacharya.
जय जय श्रीराधे

SRI NAMMAZHVAR STOTRAM

भक्त्यमृतमहासिन्धुं प्रपत्तिमार्गदर्शकम् ।

लक्ष्मीनाथप्रियाचार्यं शठकोपं नमाम्यहम् ॥

Great ocean of the nectar of devotion

Preceptor of  the path of Prapatti 

The Master  who is so dear to Sri Laksminarayana

My obeisance to  Sri  Satakopa (Sri Nammazhvar)

जय जय श्रीराधे

CELEBRATION OF 650 YEARS OF THE MANIFESTATION OF SRI MANAVALA MAMUNIGAL (SRI VARAVARA MUNI)

श्रीमद्वरवरमुनये नम​:

दीनबन्धुं दयासिन्धुं  शेषांसं सुन्दराननम् ।

वरवरमुनिं श्रेष्ठं लोकाचार्यं नमाम्यहम् ॥

सर्वविष्टपक्षेमाय सर्वोज्जीवनहेतवे ।

श्रीमहामुने: यशःकीर्ति: जीयादाचन्द्रतारकम् ॥ 

 जय  जय  श्रीराधे 

WHETHER SRI RAMANUJACARYA CONVERTED NON-BRAHMANAS INTO BRAHMANAS?

SrI RAmAnujAcArya, the greatest AcArya of SrIvaishNavism has clearly upheld the sanctity of varNASrama dharma in his SrI BhAshya, the exalted commentary on Brahma sUtra. All the 74 AcAryas established by him uphold the  Vedic tradition  and are conforming to sAstras even today.

SrI RAmAnujAcArya at the same time strongly believed that we have to respect the great Saints and devotees belonging to other castes as well, as many AzhvArs are non-BrAhmaNas. While it is the duty of one person to follow his own varNASrama dharma, it does not make him automatically superior to others. In the considered view of SrI RAmAnujAcArya all VaishNavaites (tirumAl adiyArs) are one and the same in the eyes of the Supreme BhagavAn. Hence one has to be always polite and humble in spite of his caste.

The jIyars of SrI RAmAnujAcArya tradition wear yajnopavitam and perform nitya karma. SrI RAmAnujAcAyra fully knows what is varNASrama dharma and what is devotion (bhakti yoga) and Surrender (Prapatti).

Those vaishnavites who are not brAhmaNas do not wear yajnopavitam but are engaged in the service of BhagavAn are called as "sAttANi" . They render "pushpa kainkaryam" in a selfless manner. SrI RAmAnujAcAyra welcomed all for doing unconditional and selfless service to the Supreme irrespective of caste.

Vaishnavites never claim that they are superior based on birth. For them, it is the loving  devotion to the Supreme which is important. All devotees are verily equals. At the same time, Vaishnavites fully adhere to varNaSrama dharma.

SrI RAmAnujAcArya never advocated the supremacy of BrAhmaNas over others. One of his respected AcAryas was Swami Tirukkacchi Nambigal, who was a non-BrAhmaNa. Therefore, if only SrI RAmAnujAcAyra had considered BrAhmaNas as superior, there is some meaning in alleging that he could have converted non-BrAhmaNas into BrAhmaNas. For him, all SrI Vaishnavaites are indeed  equals. At the same time  he also emphasized that the SAstras have to be duly complied with based on one's VarNASrama dharma as determined by one's birth.

 

SrI RAmAnujAcArya brought many people into the fold of Sri VaishNavism without any change in their status of varNa. As they were disillusioned with the non-Vedic philsophies, mAyA vAdam etc, they voluntarily came into the fold of Sri VaishNavism.

All the sAtthAda mudalis of heritage temples like SrIrangam, still remain to date as sAtthAda mudalis only. Nobody was ever converted into the BrAhmaNa fold. Pillai UrangAvalli Dasar became a very close disciple of SrI RAmAnujAcArya at SrIrangam and he remained as a non-BrAhmaNa only.

SrI RAmAnujAcArya firmly believed in the supremacy of Vedic Scriptures. According to the SAstras, there are no rituals for converting the caste of the person into BrAhmaNa VarNa. Hence as a strong upholder of SAstras, SrI RAmAnujAcArya would not have even dreamt of changing the VarNas just like that.

SrI RAmAnujAcArya is far beyond the mAyA of caste supremacy and there is no need for him to convert non-BrAhmaNas into BrAhmaNa VarNa. He only openly welcomed all people with love and affection  irrespective of their castes into the fold of SrI VaishNavism  to cross the ocean of samsAra and  reach the abode of the Supreme.

श्रीमते रामानुजाय नमः।

जयजय श्रीराधे।  

LAST DAY OF SRI RAMANUJACARYA

On the last day of Sri RamanujAcArya, his head  turned towards the SrIrangam temple and rested on the lap of  EmbAr.His lotus feet was placed on the lap of vatu  pUrNa ( Andhra  pUrNa). Brahma Valli and Bhrgu Valli  Vedic recitation was done on one side and Divyaprabhandham on the other side.

His PrANa departed  through the crown of his head.

All Vedic rituals and Internment were solemnly done as prescribed for a sanyAsi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT ARE THE ASHTADASA RAHASYA GRANTHAS OF SRIVAISHNAVA SAMPRADAYA?

According to SrIvaishNava sampradAya, there are 18 Rahasya granthas which are considered important. Pillai LokAcAriyar has authored these sacred granthas.

1. Mumukkshuppadi
2.  Tatvatrayam
3. arthapancakam
4. SrIvacanabhUshaNam
5. archirAdi
6. prameyasekaram
7. prapannaparitrANam
8. sArasangraham
9. samsAra sAmrAjyam
10. navaratnamAlai
11. navavidhasambandham
12. yAdrucikkappadi
13. parandapadi
14. Sriyahpatippadi
15. TatvaSekharam
16. tanidvayam
17. tanicaramam
18. tanipraNavam