He was determined to save Namperumal

By creating a wall in front of the moolavar shrines, Pillai Lokacharya protected the presiding deities at the Srirangam temple

TIRUCHI, TAMILNADU: 24/12/2014: A idol of great Pillai Lokacharya was born as the amsam of Kanchi Devaraja Perumal in the Aippasi month under the star Thiruvonam, in 1205 CE. Both the brothers learned everything in their youth from their father and also from his Acharya Nampillai. Both of them grew up like Lord Rama and Lakshmana. They lived the life of a brahmachari their entire life. Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar reached His lotus feet or he left for the heavenly abode when he was 65 years old and his brother Pillai Lokacharya attained His lotus feet when he was 106 years old. Pillai Lokacharya stayed in Srirangam, he maintained Emperumanar's Darsanam. At that time the city experienced Islamic invasion. In order to protect the temple and the Periya Perumal, His sannidhi was blanketed by brick stones and another Vigraha was kept at the front. Then the great Pillai Lokacharya left Srirangam with Naccimars and Namperumal before the invasion. While moving through a forest thieves attacked them and robbed all the vessels and jewellery of Namperumal. Pillai Lokacharya gave away all he had to the thieves and he also refused to accept some items which were returned to them by the thieves. After that, they reached Jyothishkudi, a small town and there Pillai Lokacharya fell ill and took his last breath. The day was Jyeshtha Suddha Dvadasi and the year was 1311 CE. He gave advice to his disciples like Vilanjsolai Pillai and Koorakuloththama Dasa in his death bed that in Madurai, Srisailesa was working for the king and his disciples need to bring him back to the fold of Srivaishnava so that the darsanam could be lead by him. Several books were authored by Pillai Lokacharya which includes the eighteen rahasya granthas together called Ashtadasa Rahasya and Gadyatraya Vyakhyanam. Photo: M. Srinath.

Ramanuja had seen to it that Srirangam would continue to grow even after his lifetime as the citadel of Srivaishnava philosophy. Embar, Bhattar, Nanjeeyar, Nampillai and Vadakku Thiruveedhi Pillai became scholars of great repute. They followed the precept of Alavandhar, who described Nammazhwar as “aathyasthae na kulapate,” meaning the leader of the Srivaishnava clan. A notable feature of the studies of the Srirangam scholars was the way they integrated the Vedas with Naalayira Divyaprabandam.

Divine grace is available to the devout. Thus the Abayavedantha of the Dravida Saints removes the fear created by the baya vedantha of the Vedas. The Vaishnava scholars stressed the importance of both the systems and focussed on what came to be known as ubaya vedantha school of the South.

Ramanuja’s Sri Vaishnava philosophy was encapsulated into rahasyarthas. The first was the concept of Thirumanthram, Dwayam and Charama Slokam. The second was the principle of chith, achith and easwara. These doctrines, not available even in Manipravala style, were kept a secret and shared through one on one lectures by the acharyas. It was given to Pillai Lokacharya (born 1205 A.D.) to come out with the first Manipravala Rahasya Granthas. He is the author of Ashtadasararahasyas containing eighteen books, including Mumutsu Padi, Tattvatrayam and Srivachana Bhushanam, all in Manipravala style. The last one is known as Vagbhushanam, Vagulabhushana Sastra Saram.

Lord Varadaraja appeared in the dream of Manapakkam Nambi, introduced certain concepts and directed him to go to Srirangam and wait for Him there for elaboration. Nambigal moved to Srirangam. One day, he found a few Srivaishnavas in a secret place listening to the exposition of the same doctrine that was propounded to him by Lord Varadaraja. The place was Kattu Azhagiya Singar temple. The lecturer was Pillai Lokacharya. Nambigal asked Lokacharya “Avaro neer” and requested the latter to commit the teachingsto writing as per the wish of the Lord. Thus was born Srivachana Bhushanam. The work is the collection of the sayings of the Azhwars and the Acharyas, meant to be a precious ornament of the scholarly. It explains the Purushakarena Vaibhavam (Recommendatory power of Sri), the glory of the Doctrine of Surrender, Archavatara and Nirhetika Kripaa of the Lord.

Importance of acharya

The importance of a true acharya in emancipation and the attributes of the Lord are all explained. Ultimately, Pillai Lokacharya concluded that for the emancipation of the individual soul, seeking God’s grace directly is like making a request, holding the hand while approaching the Acharya is like falling at the feet (Sutra 430). The Acharya helps the Lord to locate the God-infested soul (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, sloka 18) and helps the sishya to approach God. Manavala Mamuni in his classic Upadesa Ratnamala eulogises Srivachana Bhushanam in seven stanzas as the greatest philosophical work to be understood by all Vaishnavas.

For more than a century after Ramanuja, Srirangam prospered both materially and spiritually. Then came what was known as Kabala Kala — iconoclasts invaded the town and took away all the treasures. Singabiran along with Vellaiammal, a dancer, lured the invading General to the temple tower and pushed him down leading to the flight of the marauding army. There is still a tower in Srirangam known as Vella Gopuram in her memory.

In the meantime, Pillai Lokacharya erected a brick wall at the sanctum sanctorum. Ranganayaki Thayar (moolavar) was shifted to a place beneath the Punnai tree so that nobody could find her. Pillai Lokacharya walked out of the northern gate of the temple with Namperumal in his hands and tears in his eyes. He was 115 years old. He reached Jyotishkudi near Madurai and was not able to proceed further. He called his chief disciple Koorakulothungadasa and directed him to impart the Srivaishnava doctrine to Thirumalai Azhwar, who was the chief adviser to the Madurai chieftain at that time and was deeply devoted to Namperumal of Srirangam. He breathed his last in the Jyotishkudi cave remembering the words:

“Thirukayyile piditha divyaayudhangalum,

Vaithu Anjal Endra Kaiyum,

Kavittha mudiyum, mugamum, muruvalum,

Aasanapadmathile azhuthina thiruvadigalai nirkira nilaiye namakku thanjam .” - ( Sutra 142)

Namperumal returned to Srirangam in 1371 after being in Tirumala Hills for forty years. Spreading the Vaishnava doctrine and protecting the Srirangam temple became the mission of Pillai Lokacharya. Never was so much owed by so many to one great Aacharya — Sri Pillai Lokacharya. His thirunakshatram, Aippasi Thiruvonam, is celebrated with all austerity and piety. This year it was on October 28. Jyotishkuti remains a place of pilgrimage even today for the admirers of Pillai Lokacharya.